CHAPTER 27
Cait paced back and forth in front of Director Swan's desk, fists clenching and unclenching. Kennedy and Dawn sat in the chairs before the Director, a regenerated Breastman in Dawn's lap.
"Cait-" Director Swan started, but Cait had been waiting for an opening to be vindictive.
"What's the point of being fucking invulnerable if I can't chase down motherfuckers like that?" She asked, her voice throbbing with boiling rage.
Director Swan's face had been sympathetic and placating, but turned into a cold glare at Cait's outburst.
"And what, exactly, would have been your plan, Amaranthine?" She questioned coolly.
Obviously, Cait hadn't gotten that far. Or rather, she had, but knew there wasn't one that made any sense. She wasn't ready to care about that though, she wanted to be out there tearing the forest down.
"To fucking get him!" She yelled, whirling on Swan. It sounded stupid to her too. A little of the previous sympathetic expression had bled back onto Director Swan's face and it made Cait angrier. She didn't want to be 'understood' right now. She felt rage flash in her chest and opened her mouth to–
Kennedy's delicate fingers clasped her own, and the empath opened her emotions to Cait. They weren't pretty. Not as much rage, but the same helplessness and frustration that fueled it. She sent waves of comfort, even as her own feelings were laid bare.
God, to have that kind of self control, Cait thought, shaking herself. With Kennedy's endless inner strength shoring up her failing resolve, she found her center.
"Fuck, I just…" she let out a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry. Why are we here?"
She was still simmering, there was nothing to be done about that. But she could listen now.
"Cait, you're worried about the other Guardians, that's un-"
"Hah!" Cait's barking laugh shocked Director Swan, and she could feel Kennedy recoil from the wave of self-disgust that blasted out of Cait.
She wasn't worried about the casualties right now, she hadn't even spared them a thought. The casualty, for her, was the feeling of invulnerability that had spread from her body to every aspect of her life over the past week. It had all been so easy. She'd begun to believe that if she was involved, the day was saved, easy peasy. But the first time she'd actually had to save anyone, two Guardian's had…. died? She hadn't even thought to ask.
Instead of pulling away entirely, like a sane person, Kennedy doubled down. She enclosed Cait in an all enveloping empathic hug as her fingers squeezed the Amazonian woman's tighter.
Director Swan, though, was looking at Cait with some concern, but more anger.
"Enough, Cait. Shut up and listen." She snapped. Getting called out on her bullshit actually calmed Cait down a little. She definitely deserved it after all. "That monster is responsible for 5 Guardian deaths already, since Flyboy was dead on arrival. 6 if Harambe doesn't pull through, and the odds on that aren't great. You'll get your chance for revenge."
Cait perked up at that. How had she not heard of this thing?
"We thought we'd killed him after his last appearance leading a similar horde through the Tortoiseshell." Director Swan sighed. "But, the holes Fingerguns burnt into his chest must not have been fatal."
She gestured towards the wall, where a holo-display shimmered into existence, a 3d model of Ironhide projected life-size. The monster had the normal distorted raccoon-like features of his base species, but further Alteration had made his entire body a shiny gunmetal grey.
"Coonbeasts are bad enough," Director Swan continued. "They were one of the first Altered species to take hold, and have a high rate of producing Evolved Altereds like this bastard. The only things that keep them in check are: 1. The Tortoiseshell, obviously. It gives us time to respond to attacks like this. And 2. The fact that as big and strong as they are, they aren't that tough. You can shoot 'em or stab 'em and they go down, usually that holds for the ones that have laser eyes too."
She threw a pen at the hologram, and it clattered against the wall.
"Except this motherfucker." She turned her glare on Cait. "Until you, he was the toughest Altered anything we'd seen in a decade. We lost 3 Guardians on his first incursion before the team realized nothing they were doing phased him even a little bit. Next couple of times we were able to chase him off by having Freeflow distract him while Warhawk carried Fingerguns to plink at him from out of reach. He got him dead center last time, I watched the feed while he limped off into the forest myself."
She sighed, shaking her head.
"Guess we just aren't that lucky." She looked back up, steel in her gaze as she fixed them each in turn. "But enough is enough. We're putting this dog down. I'm making a task force to track him down and end him for good. You all will be on it."
"What!?" Cait said, and Kennedy hissed as Cait's grip grew too tight on her fingers. "I mean, me, yeah, obviously. But you had the rest of them retreat when he showed up!"
"Correction, Bubb-Bill had them retreat." Director Swan replied, holding up her finger. Her face looked pained though. "While I believe it was the right decision at the time, look at this."
She gestured at the display again, and drone footage following Ironhide's flight flickered across it. The beast was clearly in pain, it's hard flesh corroding and steaming from Kennedy's rot storm long after it had left the teams view. Kennedy let out a low whistle.
"Damn," she said with pride. "I'm better than I thought."
Director Swan smiled for the first time in the meeting.
"Agreed, baby." Kennedy blushed against her mothers approval, but it was justified. "The rot magic your link with Dawn provides seems to be especially potent against the organic metal of Ironhide. I believe you will be key to ending him."
Dawn looked uncomfortable, fidgeting in her seat.
"Dawn," Director Swan turned her attention to the deer. "I assume you know what I'm going to ask?"
"Yes," Dawn hissed through clenched teeth. "You are wondering why I do not also use this magic, Elizabeth Swan."
"Precisely."
Dawn let out a breath, but the tension in her remained.
"The way Kennedy Swan uses my magic…." It was odd to see the usually beatific deer woman this uncomfortable. It was clearly difficult for her to talk about this. "It is antithetical to the way I use it. The other side of the coin, you might say. Whereas I create, even if I create only to destroy…."
"I just destroy." Kennedy finished. She didn't look any more comfortable than Dawn. "Mom, you can't ask Dawn to do that, I've talked about it with her, and I can feel it causes her pain even just to link with me, knowing how I'll use her power."
The steel in Director Swan's eyes remained however, and her jaw was set.
"I can, and I will." She replied. "Dawn, unless we take down Ironhide, more Guardians will die, and that means more dead citizens. I can't force you, but I do implore you in the deepest sense to explore this aspect of your powers."
Dawn stared at the Director for a few seconds, before giving a tense nod that set the charms in her antlers tinkling.
"Thank you, Dawn." The Director's smile was tight, but warm.
"Okay, so Kennedy's gotta come, and Dawn's gotta come for Kennedy to be useful," Cait ignored Kennedy pinching her fingers at that. "But what about B-boy?"
"If you mean Mr. Breastman," Swan said with a smirk, "The Bunker Basement developed his new weaponry in an attempt to duplicate Fingerguns' abilities. As we know those to be effective, I'd like him to accompany the expedition. What's more, with his remarkable regenerative capabilities, he's at much less risk than most other physically-oriented Guardians, and will be able to provide you physical backup, Amaranthine."
Cait grimaced, but nodded. Her vision flashed back to the times her teammates had fallen in the dream matches with Rodeo Squad. It hadn't felt real then, but with watching Guardians fall in the field today…. Well, now it was different. She felt a wave of support from Kennedy, and knew they were on the same page. They'd just have to be better.
"Speaking of Fingerguns," Director Swan continued, "Rodeo Squad will be accompanying you as well. I imagine you can all see how they would be useful, and their experience will be necessary to teach you all the ropes of life outside the Tortoiseshell. Well, except for you, Dawn."
She clapped her hands together as though the matter was settled.
"This expedition will leave in 2 days, on Monday morning. Please talk to Warhawk to make any preparations you may need, and practice the techniques that we know can damage Ironhide. You are dismissed."
The group turned to go when she spoke again, snapping her fingers.
"Oh! Almost slipped my mind. Miss Smith, would you please stay behind, if you don't mind?" She asked, her voice suspiciously sweet.
Cait did mind. She wanted to find Lira and see if the sexy redhead would be amenable to letting Cait work out some feelings inside of her. She doubted the Director would take that as an excuse though, so she turned and took the seat Kennedy had vacated. The goth beauty gave her mother a questioning look as she stood in the doorway, but Director Swan just waved her off with a smile. She turned that smile on Cait, and she was surprised to find it was genuinely warm.
"Your parents are very concerned about you Cait." She opened, and Cait felt herself go beet red as the warm smile turned to a teasing smirk. Cait had put her parents on mute two days ago after her phone went off 6 times in one patrol, and had, she now realized, forgotten to turn that mute off. She summoned the comm into her hand, but Director Swan reached across the table to stop her, placing a manicured hand on Cait's.
"No need to check." She teased. "They've called AEGIS enough they actually made it past my secretary, all, the way, to, me."
She walked her fingers up Cait's arm with the last few words, the reach pulling her forward over the desk. The angle was…. enticing, and if Cait had learned anything about Director Swan, that wasn't an accident.
"I found them quite charming, once the initial panic died down." Her smile grew. "In fact, I've invited them to dinner in my suite on-complex tonight, so they can see where their daughter is working."
"You fucking WHAT!?" Cait leapt to her feet, the fun ways Director Swan's breasts moved with her breath as they pressed against the desk no longer having any sway over her.
"Mmhhmmmm." The Director purred, jungle cat back in residence on her face. "Better get changed out of that outfit, Amaranthine, you're dirty."
Her tone was flirty on that, but Cait had gotten so used to being covered in juices due to her penchant for being in the middle of the fray, or the actual anatomical middle of the enemy, that she'd forgotten the gore coating her from the fight.
"Fuck!" She said, starting to scramble for the door. "When are they coming!?"
"Oh, about half an hour." Director Swan answered, her smile growing evil as Cait fell into dismay. "Yes, I'm afraid you won't have time to make it back to the palace."
She rose, taking one of Cait's arms in hers and giving what would have been a comforting squeeze on her bicep if Cait wasn't feeling…. blackmailed was the wrong word, but it was close!
"Come now," she said, patting Cait's arm and leading her out of her office. "We can get you cleaned up at mine. I'm sure I have something for you to wear."