The phone rang. The Vice President grimly sat down, watching the buzzing phone intently. For a moment, Jason could swear he looked exhausted. The old man looked as if he would like nothing better than to just collapse, as if he was carrying something heavy on his backside. It seemed to take all his effort just to retain his posture in the chair. But the moment passed and the Vice President adjusted his tie, once again looking the picture of a stern official. Jason wondered if he had imagined the moment, perhaps projecting his own dislike of the VP onto him.
His thoughts were distracted a moment later when a voice picked up on the other line. It wasn't the voice of the President but some other man. "Yes sir?" The voice said, his tone sounding like a guy who was ready to receive orders. Probably a Secret Service dude or some random soldier.
"Its urgent," The VP said sternly. "I need to speak to him.
"He's...currently in the middle of his physical therapy session-"
"Physical therapy can wait!" The Vice President barked. "Pass me over to him. Now."
There was a pause then the voice replied. "Of course sir. One moment." Jason folded his arms, listening as there was a scuffling noise on the phone. Then a new voice came on. One he instantly recognized. The President of the United States.
"George," The President said. The VP grimaced slightly and Jason smirked. George. Such an average name for the guy. Jason wondered if the VP didn't like that name. He'd have to experiment later. "What can I do for you?"
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything, sir," The Vice President said. His voice cracked slightly, sounding a bit nervous. Jason raised an eyebrow and noted that too. "But...ah...something extremely important has come up."
"Ah," The President replied, his voice turned more serious. "Yes, I've been briefed on the situation in Quincy. I'll be giving a press conference within the hour. Do we have any intel as to who is responsible for this? I'm sure its no coincidence this happened so soon after the Agency went dark."
"Went dark?" Laureen snorted and stepped forward. The VP shot her a look but she ignored. "Yeah, I know you guys went through the base afterward. It was a shithole, fucking everyone got slaughtered. We almost fucking died! But hey, guess who ain't dead? Yeah, us metas. Guess you, ah, weren't made aware of that after we got picked up in Quincy..."
The Vice President bit his lip. There was a pause at the other end of the line. Then the President said, his voice serious, "...George? Are those kids with you? They're alive?"
"I...yes sir," George replied, leaning over the table. "We found them in Quincy amid the carnage. They...well, from what I understand, they've been on the lamb since the destruction of the Agency base."
"Yeah, on the lamb," Jason interrupted, moving next to the phone. "We've fight the bastards who did this to us! The fuckers who just attacked Quincy! We engaged 'em a few times. They're called the Skeleton Crew."
"Excuse me!" The Vice President stood up angrily, fixing Jason and Laureen with a glare. "I am trying to speak here. Now sit down and-"
"Sir," Tuatara stepped forward. The Vice President paled slightly as the lizard-man approached him, his words dying in his throat. He swallowed. "Shut up."
"What was that?" The President said, his voice sounding perturbed. Laureen leaned back over the phone , propping her elbows up on the table.
"Oh, George is trying to stop us from talking," She said with a chuckle. "I'd say we're owed a conversation with you, Mr. President? Especially since, you know, we've been risking our hides fighting these bastards and our only thanks was to be tossed in cell?"
"Not to mention almost getting stabbed full of syringes," Jason snarled, shooting the Vice President a nasty look.
"Stabbed full of-?" The President paused on the other line. There was a rustling papers before he said, "...I think we should go back to square one. Please, if you will, recount for me everything that happened you lot. Start from the base's destruction."
So Laureen and Jason told it. It wasn't exactly to recount but they managed it. Both Tuatara and Hiroshi were quiet during the story, with Jason noting Hiroshi shivered at several points, especially at the mentions of Akihiro. Finally, they came to the story's head with Jason saying: "...So naturally we were a bit peeved some government guys were trying to take our blood or something while we were sleeping. So we strongarmed them into seeing the Vice President and after some arguing, he called you. And now here we are."
Tuatara nodded, forked tongue escaping his lips. "The Skeleton Crew needs to be stopped, sir. But the military doesn't seem to want to cooperate with us. I don't want to fighting your boys while the terrorists are planning their next move."
"Mr. President..." The VP cut in, clasping his hands together. "I have already told the Agency metahumans we are very grateful for their service. They've saved lives. But I think its time to take the kids with superpowers off of this! The fact that I'm even arguing that is maddening to me. This situation should be handled by professionals! I called you because I hope you can see that. I know you have a soft spot for them, which is perfectly understandable. They saved your life. And the lives of this entire country. We owe them much. But as I told them, repeatedly, the United States cannot rely on a superpowered young men and women to defend us. This is the real world, not a cartoon, and I won't be putting American lives in their hands. The death toll from previous metahuman attacks was exponential. I won't have another of those, especially after that slaughter last night."
"George!" The President yelled. The VP jumped back, startled. The President took a breath then said, calmer: "I'm sorry. But I'd like to hear these people talk. We owe them a great debt. They saved my life. And they've put their lives on the line again and again for us against threats I'm barely starting to comprehend. If they want to talk to me, share their story, then they will. Now please, be quiet...for a few moments."
The Vice President breathed out deeply but he sat down. The President was quiet for a moment before Laureen said, "Okay. So what'd think of what we told you?"
"First..." The President paused for a moment before continuing. "My deepest condolences for what happened. I...can't imagine being at ground zero of that horrible attack and seeing all that unfold before your eyes. When I think back to Washington...I feel as if I'm going to faint, lose my lunch right where I'm standing. I'm sorry."
His words sounded genuine, actually heartfelt. Laureen glanced at the others. Tuatara nodded and spoke first. "Thank you, sir. We barely escaped the carnage. But a lot of good men and women lost their lives. Slaughtered, no...butchered, by the Skeleton Crew."
Jason grimaced and leaned closer to the phone. "We wanted to stay," He said bitterly. "But they..." He coughed and repeated himself. "We realized it would be too much for us to handle. We barely escaped with our lives as is and spent sometime separate from each other. But these people...they're not going to stop. They want us dead and they'll tear their way through this whole damn country to do so."
"Yeah," Laureen grunted, tapping her hands on the table. "Quincy is just the beginning. They've got firepower, they've got an army, and they've got fucking metas, all led by a demented woman. This situation is gonna escalate even further I bet. So its our interests to try and stop the bastards next time they crawl out into the open. Its way we're being so forceful, you see. We seen 'em first hand, couple times now. And we know your government, as...competent as it is, is gonna get flattened by their offensives. Like what happened with Zeus and his pack of fuckheads. You need us, much as some people don't wanna admit it. Locking us up, well, that can't happen, cause everything is gonna go up in flames if you do."
The Vice President raised a finger. "Pardon my interjection..." He said testily. "...But I have to disagree. The Skeleton Crew claimed victories three times now because we were dealing with an unknown threat! The Cage, the Metahuman Agency, and Quincy were all ambushes. They struck out of nowhere and attacked without mercy, using their numbers and firepower to their distinct advantage. An effective tactic but it's a one-note trick. Contrary to your belief, this institution hasn't been sitting idly by and watching metahumans run amok. We've been preparing for such encounters and as long as we can predict the Skeleton Crew's next target, outmaneuver them, we can handle them. They've got an army, to be sure, but it's a small one. And metahumans, despite their sheer power, can be killed. Even Zeus became vulnerable when deprived of sunlight. You lot may have the powers of gods but you're not gods. We can stop them and do it without excessive collateral damage."
"Excessive...?" Jason leaned forward, gritting his teeth. "Hey, you try and fight a rampaging elephant man without smashing some stuff! Oh that's right..." He laughed. "You can't! You'd get killed. You know who did stop him?" He pointed at himself and others. "Us! And now you want to take us off this, lock us away, and deal with that thing yourselves?" He snorted, leaning back and shook his head. "Yeah...good luck with that shit."
The Vice President clenched his fist. But before he could reply, the President cut in again. "Enough," He said loudly. "Stop with these petty insults. I'm sure everyone is under a lot of pressure. But we can't be tearing at each other's throats like a bunch of toddlers while the real threat lurks out there. Okay?"
"Yes sir..." The VP growled, sitting back down and adjusting his tie. Jason glared at him but didn't press the old man further. The President continued, his words authoritative.
"I apologize for my friend's conduct. I understand his paranoia but that's no reason to treat allies like this. That said, I think he raises a good few points..."
"Yeah," Laureen sniffed, tapping her fingers on an elbow. "Good points, eh."
"Yes, a few good points," The President said sharply. "The fact is, you lot are a bunch of young men and women. Not soldiers and now the Agency has been destroyed, there is no commanding force behind your actions. The fact is, your battles have cost a lot of lives and collateral damage. Battles that we're still reeling from the effects of. Now, I'm not suggesting we pull you off this. Far from it. We need you, I knew that when you pulled me from Zeus's iron grip. I'm lucky to be alive thanks to you all and I owe you much. But the fact is, I don't want you all 'going at this alone.' This isn't an action movie and we're not the bad guys."
Jason narrowed his eyes. He furrowed his lips. "Well...Hiroshi here made a great speech. Had a lot of Batman metaphors but..."
"...He proposed we work together," The Vice President cut in. "Which is the point I've been trying to emphasize! God, you people..." He shook his head, sighing. "I don't want a bunch of kids with superpowers defending this country. But that boy..." He jerked a thumb at Hiroshi. "He made an excellent point. We could work together..." He bit his lip. "...For...well...a crisis. I may be against it...god...but I see the logic in it. And frankly, desperate times call for desperate measures."
"Work?" Jason sneered at the VP. "Work with you guys? Hey..." He spread his arms wide. "I'm all for it. But I'm not going to put on a uniform and follow rank like one of your trained soldiers."
"Yeah," Laureen growled in agreement. "Working together sounds all right. I can see the logical shit in it too. But far as I'm concerned, you guys are shady. Real shady."
"I can promise you we won't backstab you," The President cut in. "It would be stupid to do so. Isn't that right, George?"
"Yes...Mr. President," The VP grunted in response. "I confess I might have been a bit overzealous in trying to keep you all out of the situation. Perhaps I overreacted. And perhaps I didn't think straight when I sent men to do tests on you all."
"Damn you didn't think straight." Tuatara hissed menacingly.
"Yeah," Laureen growled. "Your guys are just lucky I didn't roast their asses."
"This is a time when we need to work together," The President said, emphasizing his words. "These grievances, legitimate or petty, must be put aside. We need each other now, as that boy...Hiroshi was it? As he said."
Jason looked at Hiroshi again. The kid had made himself very small in the corner, cheeks blushing furiously, and looking like he'd rather be anywhere else. Probably isn't used to being the center of attention, Jason thought. I get that.
"I agree," Tuatara spoke in. "We have perhaps...been a bit reckless and the capacity for that is even more so with recent events."
"Oh come on..." Jason started to say but Tuatara raised a claw.
"There's a lot of people dead," He growled, forked tongue darting in and out. "You saw all the bodies in Quincy. We fought the Skeleton Crew off but we left behind a city in ruins and innocent people slaughtered. Not our fault, course, but there's only so much we six can do. We're running ourselves ragged as is. Hell, I was barely functional until seeing Quincy spurned me into action again. We need help, even if that help comes from some assholes."
"Well said," Laureen chuckled, elbowing Tuatara in the ribs. "But yeah, seriously, we need some fucking help. In Battlefield, you can't try to get all the objectives unless you work together with your teammates. And our team?" She shrugged. "I don't think we're doing so hot. I've got my bad leg. Hiroshi has some broken ribs. James is useless for twelve hours per day. Audrey..."
Laureen paused. Jason narrowed his eyes and said, very carefully, "She'll be fine."
"Right, yeah," Laureen coughed awkwardly. "Fine. But yeah, Max and you are the only ones even resembling full capacity. And you guys ain't doing so hot yourselves, even without factoring in Max's missing eye. Hiroshi's right, the President's right. We need these guys on our side. 'Cause, no offense, our chances ain't look so good for round three with Jacqueline and her pack of monsters."
Jason breathed out. He didn't like the government. He didn't like most authority figures. But maybe...maybe she was right. The President did seem like a guy who was legitimately on their side and despite his behavior, if the Vice President was telling the truth, maybe they could leave their differences aside and work toward taking the Skeleton Crew down.
Jason frowned. He then sighed, relenting inwardly, before saying, "Yeah...okay. But you gotta work with us. No giving orders."
"I think your leader made that quite clear," The Vice President shot Laureen a look. Laureen smirked back at him darkly. "Now...we need to coordinate. Begin preparations to find these terrorists and pre-emptively stop them, before they can unleash another assault."
"That won't be easy," Tuatara said grimly. "They've got a metahuman among them who can rip open portals and transport them to locations."
"Well, that explains how they've been appearing out of nowhere and disappearing just as quickly..." The President muttered over the phone. "Still, we should be able to find where they went. They outrun satellites, now can they?"
Tuatara clicked his tongue. "Yes...you'd think so. But they're using a giant airship and I'd think such a thing would have popped up on radar or something by now. Its not exactly easy to miss..."
Laureen snorted. "I bet Jacqueline knows that though. Big thing like that? I'd bet, sure as shit, that something that huge has like, radar jamming or some switch. Like we've got with The Panther but on a larger scale."
"That certainly makes sense," The Vice President said with a nod. "There has to be some way we can find them though..."
Jason frowned, tapping his fingers on the table. But he couldn't think of anything. Everyone sat around in silence for a few moments, the sound of the ticking clock filling the dead air. Finally, the President spoke up.
"It's been a trying night," He said. "And exhaustion doesn't lead to answers very easily. I'm going to make some calls but I'm ordering some rest for the rest of you. Especially you kids. You've been on the lamb for days and just got done fighting for your lives in Quincy. You need some proper rest. Fatigue only leads to people making mistakes and unable to think properly."
Tuatara sighed and looked ready to protest but Laureen covered his mouth. "Yeah, that sounds good to me," She said, stifling a yawn. "The power nap we got was interrupted anyway and I could use some grub."
Jason grunted, realizing he was a bit hungry too. Rubbing at his stomach, he said, "...Okay, that sounds...logical. But can we reconvene soon? I bet the Skeleton Crew ain't resting."
"Never know," Laureen said, grinning. "We did a number on them. I betcha they're trying to plan their next move while reeling with the ass kicking they just got. Man, I'd love to see the look on Jacqueline's face. Man, she's gonna be pissed!"
Jason laughed, something Tuatara and Hiroshi echoed. Hiroshi moved from his place in the corner and asked, timidly, "Uh...is there a cafeteria here?"
"Yes, yes," The Vice President waved a hand at the Secret Service guy. "Take them there. Give them whatever they want. Within...reason, of course."
"Shit, I was hoping for a couple dozen burgers with a mountain of mashed potatoes," Laureen said ruefully. "Guess whatever you got will do, though."
The Secret Service man started to lead them out. As he did, he glanced at Tuatara. "Can you, um, change back?" He muttered, looking the lizard-man up and down.
Tuatara shook his head. "Nah. Not unless you want me walking around naked. Drop some clothes off at our 'room' though and I'd be happy to."
"Consider it done," The Vice President said, standing and stretching. "I'll see you all shortly."
"As will I," The President said as well. "Godspeed." With that, the phone was hung up and went dead.
As the four of them exited the room, Jason trailed behind. Hiroshi, walking in front of him, stopped and turned. "Jason...?" He asked. "You okay?"
Tuatara and Laureen also stopped, glancing his way. Jason coughed awkwardly, rubbing at his hair. He caught a lock of it between two fingers and twiddled it for a few moments before saying, "You guys go ahead. I...want to stay with Audrey."
"Ah..." Laureen nodded, her face understanding. "Yeah, okay. We'll...see you soon dude. Want anything?"
"Some sort of meat," Jason said, forcing a smile back. "Maybe a hot dog with mustard, if they got it."
"I'm sure they do," Tuatara growled, eye narrowing. "We'll be back shortly." Laureen smiled and nodded, before they walked after the Secret Service man. Hiroshi gave Jason a concerned look but didn't say anything. Adjusting his bandages, he scurried on after the others.
Jason watched them go. Biting his lip, he closed his eyes and let his hair drop. With that, he turned in the other direction and began heading for their cell. He picked up the pace as he got closer, hoping Audrey was alright. A few terrible visions wafted through his brain, of her dying, alone, while they had been yelling at the VP. What if he opened the doors and she was lying there, the heart machine beeping as it signaled she'd...?
He shook his head before slapping at his temples. "Don't think that!" He snarled to himself, dragging his gloved hands through his messy hair. "She's fine! She's going to be fine."
She had to be.