Highest Floor of the Medhall Building, Brockton Bay
This was it.
She was about to enter the conference room, and show Taylor the plans she made to make Brockton Bay better. She needed this to work, because her power was killing her and the only way to resolve this tension within her skull was to make her queen proud.
Lisa took a deep breath to keep herself calm, everything was okay and nothing bad would happen.
"ALEC- Put that duck down!"
"It's a goose, I think?"
"Not the issue here!"
"Why does it have a fedora?"
"Aisha's idea."
Lisa wanted to turn around and leave.
It all started about a few days or so ago. She remembers how panicked and afraid Coil was of the new Endbringer known as Queen Khepri that was somehow created by that weird "Lord Chaos" entity which she fully gave up on her theory of him being an AI- although with the data she had gathered at the time, it did make sense! After all, who would assume an arrogant, ridiculously good looking man that literally glowed in purple was a God of all things?
That's ridiculous.
Besides, after Coil reacted like he wanted to dip and leave Brockton Bay- of course taking her with him -she took a gamble and decided to bet on the "Champion of Hope", the "Risen Sun" herself and used her power to find the Endbringer. The team that Coil had been building to act as his own smash and grabbers were her best option to actually deal and parlay with the Endbringer because she could offer her their powers or even her own (as a last ditch effort) for sanctuary.
It's not like she liked them. She barely even knew them!
Coil sent her to meet each and every single member of the "Undersiders" to see if she could convince them to join and become a group with the incentive of getting paid, which was how she got Alec and Rachel, but Brian was a bit complicated because he wanted his sister's custody, which she had been given explicit instruction by Coil to promise such a thing to him under the guise of their "boss" being able to get him that- she just barely convinced the Undersiders to switch sides and join Khepri because holy shit.
The readings she got on Golem alone made her curious, and the readings she got from Khepri were incredible.
[Capable of complete overruling of matter, taking control over large swaths of them > Power adjusting itself > Biological improvements done to a non-biological structure > Non-biological improvements done to the structure > Energy flow adjusted > Energy- > [ERROR 5 - Out of Context] > Solution found > Contact: [Court of Data Analyses and Integration - Queen: Administrator] > [DATA REQUEST] > [DATA REQUEST] > [DATA REQUEST] > [DATA REQUEST] > [DATA REQUEST] > [DATA REQUEST] > [DATA REQUEST] > [DATA REQUEST] > [DATA REQUEST] > [DATA REQUEST] > [DATA REQUEST] > [DATA REQUEST] > [DATA REQUEST] > [DATA REQUEST] > [DATA REQUEST] > [DATA REQUEST] > [DATA REQUEST] > [DATA REQUEST] > [DATA REQUEST] > [PLEASE GIVE ME THE DATA!] > [Request Denied] > ...]
[Conclusion: I think [Queen: Administrator] is being a little bitch.]
[Conclusion: Need more [Data].]
Sure, the headache she got was intense, but it was well worth it when she managed to get an audience with Queen Khepri. She managed to become quite the ally and through her professional and quite well polished diplomatic skills-
"Please?"
"No."
"Pretty please?"
"No! I'm not gonna act like a weird team mom slash harem queen on PHO just because you're asking me, Lisa!"
"Why not!?"
"Why not- You know people already hate me for just existing, right? Already by being seen as the golden sun beetle makes people hate the sun imagery-"
"I can help with that! I know exactly what we can do to improve that image-"
"Why are you kneeling!?"
"-Praise the sun!"
"Stop that, you're sounding like one of my cultists- Jesus, not something I ever wanted to say."
"PRAISE THE SUN!"
"FINE! I will be the team mom harem queen! Just stop doing that, people are looking at us weird!"
"I think its because of the giant flaming sword."
"Hey, Empy Boy has never done anything bad- I mean, a few atrocities, but it was against filthy Xenos. Besides, he's an intimidation weapon."
"You literally used it to cut Lung in half."
"He was intimidated!"
"Not the problem here."
-managed to convince the goddess that she, the Tattle that tails, was the right choice to improve the Reborn Sun's PR through several stunts, regular patrols, showing of flags, and of course, PHO trolling which was weirdly the most effective method her power could come up with to increase the team's social clout and to increase their approval ratings, with even more planned events.
It was a miracle that Rachel loved Taylor so fucking much that she agreed to help by letting people pet puppies and even allow others to adopt the puppies. Her dog training business plan was already coming together in Lisa's mind, with Alec's weird newfound use to his power through Greg's influence of all things made him a good physical therapist, with Brian working alongside Theo on his work on Medhall after he took over the business with Lisa's help.
They've only known each other for a while, but under Taylor, It was like they could work together.
They were organized.
Bonded in a courtly manner.
Administrated.
It was weird and she would have accused her of mastering them, but only the only demonstrated Master power she had that affected humans was the terrifying ability to control bones like Alec could control a nervous system.
As she pushed the doors to the conference room open, she had to sigh at the sight before her- it was surreal how quickly everything was moving that it had to he a power's influence, but that thought would go away whenever she saw the idiot duo of Alec and Aisha doing something stupid.
Like finding a goose that was following Taylor around for a few hours and putting a fedora on it.
Holding her papers, Lisa had to pinch her temple as she looked over at the long, conference desk that was littered with books, papers, candy wraps, bags of chips, a chocolate bar in there that had started to melt, and some- ooh, they had cheetos!
Wordlessly, Lisa swiped that bag and sat down beside Taylor, looking down at the fedora wearing goose: "Where did the goose come from?"
With a sigh, Taylor opened her hand- there, at the tip of her fingers extending to spin web, were the tiny legs of regular spiders and not her terrifying Anti Thinker Spiders that made her almost piss herself: "I have absolutely idea. It suddenly wasn't there, and then it was, and now it loves me." She motioned to the creature that was enamored with her, just sitting beside her and nuzzling closer.
"Well, that makes it, what?" Lisa flipped the pages back on the table, making sure not to let her cheesy fingers touch the papers: "All the bugs, all the puppies, all the kittens, and a bunch of Case 53's as well as Rachel over there?" She pointed at the sleeping girl who looked almost peaceful.
They all did.
Something about being near Taylor gave them peace.
Lisa used to believe it was because she was so terrifyingly powerful that she could protect them from any and all threats, but the short time they spent together was almost like she gained something she never had- A sense of security, the looming threat of the Endbringers didn't seem so "loomy" anymore, the cloud of heavy despair that clung to their souls was washed away by the sun.
No wonder people started worshipping her as soon as they saw her, it was like stepping into sunlight after living their whole lives in the darkness.
A breath of shiny, clean air.
No wonder Rachel looked so peaceful and could sleep without being surrounded by her dogs. Without having complete and absolute control over her surroundings or at least know every exit and entrance in a building.
No wonder Alec stopped being so cynical and sarcastic at all times, trying to find humor to cope with the dread and antipathy his mind forced upon him to cope with the horrors he was forced to do.
No wonder Brian stopped being such a hardass, trying too hard and doing too much to try and compensate for his own damage and his own fears, trying to protect everyone from everything and mostly himself from ever opening his heart to anyone, to turn his back to anyone.
No wonder Lisa stopped being afraid of everything and everyone and stopped using her words- her only weapon -to defend herself against what she perceived to be a threat: Everything and everyone.
Now, Rachel could sleep easily.
Alec could smile.
Brian could trust.
She could just observe everything and stay silent-
"Aisha, leave the goose alone!".
-and Aisha could be a little shit.
Lisa turned to glare at Brian's sister who had somehow insisted into entering the conference room and was aided in such endeavor by her annoying accomplice Alec and stopped thinking about everyone positively- holy shit, she could do that? Is she sick? Is she being Mastered? Stranger'd? Did she hit her head too hard somewhere?
[No.]
[Conclusion: No.]
'Very helpful, power.' She rolled her eyes and took a deep breath once more to settle herself, and just as she was about to speak, she felt Greg arriving. He had probably gone to the bathroom or something but she looked away instantly as the small tear in space opened up, her power eager for her to look but her mind reeling her eyes away because she didn't want to have another aneurysm because she saw Greg's "other mother" again!
...so many legs.
Said slightly chubby boy turned around and pointed at the door, a grin on his face as he... boasted: "Hah, such it, rock idiot!"
"Actually, you would be the one to suck it." Came Theo's reply, making Greg turn around with narrowed eyes and annoyed look on his face as he realized that Golem- who could embody the entire building -was already inside the conference because he was the conference room. "When are you going to learn that I am the building and I can get anywhere instantly?"
With an annoyed groan, Greg sat down by the table and huffed: "When I beat you!" He looked flushed, but both in anger and- okay, Lisa didn't need her power to know the boy was blushing for a reason, but for her own amusement she used it regardless.
And she almost immediately regretted it.
[Angry > Frustrated > Confused > Golem is the source of confusion > Is attracted to Golem > Sexually Confused > Sexualiy Crisis > Overcompensating > Made a bet > Lost a bet > Bet was to see who could get into the conferece room first > Frustrated he lost.]
[Conclusion: Tactile Overtaker is gettin' sum!]
[Conclusion: Greg made an interesting bet and doesn't know how to pay the price for losing.]
With a frustrated and a headache already incoming, Lisa said: "Okay you two, flirt later, we got an image to maintain!" They needed to talk about what to do with the remains of the boat graveyard, what to do about some minor villains and independent capes, how the city would get shaped by the presence of the radiant sun that was Khepri, and so many more things...
So of course Alec chose to be a little shit.
"Yeah, if you two are gonna fuck, we gotta record it!"
A long but thin black tendril of energy-
[Energy construct > Matter construct > Non-matter construct > Non-Newtonian construct > [ERROR - 5] > ...]
[Conclusion: Why do I have to join your court anyways? Just give me the [Data], please?]
[Conclusion: Error!]
-and she winced at the sharp spike of a headache she would get whenever she looked at whatever Greg's powers were, but it did not stop her from hearing the slap that echoed and Alec's "ouch!" that followed as he got slapped by a tendril.
"Harder, daddy-"
"Shut up!"
[Frustrated > Flushed > Embarrassed > Arous-]
'Yeah, not going there!' Lisa reeled in her power and held it tight hold, not wanting to learn anything more about Greg's sexuality or whatever the fuck he is into! They're all teenagers for all and every single gods sake! She pleadingly looked over to Taylor, who was poking the fedora wearing goose as if she wanted to know what it was, which left her one option left.
Time to stop silly time.
She poked Taylor on the side, making the girl look back at her, and she lifted one finger, pointing at her papers- Immediately, Taylor sighed and nodded, saying two words.
"Meeting started."
It was like a switch had been flipped, with everyone stopping goofing off and having fun and immediately paying attention. Rachel opened her eyes and got up before she adjusted her blouse, Greg pulled back the tendrils into the void, Brian- who had been brooding in the corner -simply walked and took a seat, Aisha stopped trying to poke the fedora goose and annoy Alec while said boy simply took a seat too.
Everyone was now paying attention.
"You have the floor, Tattletale." And thus their meeting started when she was referred to by her Cape name, making her stand straight as insects poured out of Queen Khepri's hands and into the table, quickly effectively cleaning it all up in one fell swoop and distributing the papers she brought alongside her to everyone else. "Tell us the game plan."
"Yes- let us start with the docks, or more specifically, the entire Dockworkers Association, which we have now hired to help clean the bay and use the metal silk threads for some work we have in store." Tattletale got up from the desk and moved to the PowerPoint presentation that was already started by a helpful bug that tapped away at a keyboard, the large (nightmarish) spider scuttering away and into Queen Khepri's legs, where it faded away into her body. "I have revised the NEPEA-5 ruling about Parahumans in specific industries, so what we are doing is not technically illegal only because we are using Medhall as-"
She went on to explain, in quick and graphic detail, how bad this could go if they did not play it smart. How bad everything they were working for could get out of hand on the very first step because of some stupid and genuinely moronic rule created by corporations that sought to control every mean of parahuman production.
Seriously, she has done her research.
NEPEA-5 stops all Parahumans from using their abilities to "take over an industry", such vague wordings being quite purposeful.
See, this law was used quite extensively to limit Parahumans from maming a profit by using their powers, getting paid for work done whenever they use their powers, and even getting into some jobs, making scanning for a Corona Pollentia almost obligatory. The entirety of NEPEA-5 were the conglomate of 5 rulings and laws that choked Parahumans from normal industries, and just looking over them made it clear that it was malicious.
NEPEA-1 was boiled down to: No Parahuman could hold a position of leadership in a business (or government- but let's be real, they're one and the same).
NEPEA-2 was boiled down to: No Parahumans could be paid for work done by their powers when they were not hired for such task- this one is quite complicated and very stupid, seeing as if you hired a parahuman, why wouldn't you want them to use their powers? -like the case of a Regenerator Brute that got hired as bodyguard for a famous celebrity and got shot protecting the man, regenerated, and was not paid for his work because he was hired to "keep others away" and ot "get shot".
Yeah, stupid ruling meant to be exploited.
NEPEA-3 was boiled down to: No Parahumans could sell or profit off of products directly created by their powers. So if a Shaker could make crystals or even a Striker could permanently turn things into gold by touching them, they can't sell it. This can be worked around by simply not using a power on the creation of the product.
NEPEA-4 was boiled down to: No Parahuman can own a business that can compete with a larger industry, meaning no parahuman Tinker could make a factory that produces non-Tinkertech cars and sell them at half the price of other car sellers, because that would get them out of business.
Parian takes commissions, which is perfectly okay.
NEPEA-5 was boiled down to: No Parahuman is allowed to have any say or control over the stock market or any systems that run the government or a larger business, which- honestly? This one is not so bad, considering the sheer amount of damage a Thinker could make to the whole thing. One might even call this one "common sense", if they were ever oh so bold... The only one to her knowledge that is exempt from this ruling is Dragon, since she always sticks to the law to the letter. She suspects the Numberman is also able to ignore this rule, somehow bypassing Dragon's systems and the Thinkers that the government has keeping an eye of it all.
Maybe he is one of said Thinkers?
"-and that's why we can't actually do the parade as Rachel proposed."
With her final words, Tattletale was about to go to her next topic- the assimilation of Coil's resources after his abrupt and suddenly disappearance -when the screen of her projector flashed purple.
She paused.
Everyone paused, everyone turned to look as the screen started to shift, glowing in the familiar and dreadful colors of the one and only Chaos Lord that has taken over Earth Bet by a storm.
"Hello everyone! Is everyone ready for yet another beautiful game!?"
Awn fuck.
She didn't get to finish her presentation.