Amelia, Ch 290- Victoria
"How's it going, Director Dunn?" I smiled sweetly as I walked into the meeting. I knew her answer before I finished asking the question, based solely on a combination of frustration and impotent anger directed only partially toward me. Mom must have raked her over the coals during their most recent clash. I wasn't there for it, and for legal bullshit no one could tell me what happened, but they couldn't hide their emotions. Mom didn't even try, pretty much radiating satisfaction.
She just looked at me. "Good morning, Miss Dallon," she replied.
"Shouldn't you be referring to me by my cape name?" I asked. "We are on the job, after all. And you wouldn't refer to your people by their civilian identities during an official meeting, would you?"
She really should watch her salt intake, I decided as I examined her blood pressure. What is it about these PRT Directors and their inability to watch their diets? So glad I don't have to worry about that anymore.
"Very well, Victoria," the woman almost choked on the words. "Please, have a seat and we'll begin."
When I decided to use my actual name, it was more for convenience than anything. The fact that it seemed to piss off stuffy people? Best surprise birthday gift ever. I activated a couple of forcefield panels, the latest addition to my power armor, and sat down on them. While most of the team had full body shielding systems from the Khonsu tissue, I had a better design. Created by Dragon, based off Narwhal's powers, and using the EB reactor that our tinkers cooked up. If you had superhuman reflexes, it was actually a lot better than the Khonsu shields. They were invisible to the naked eye, so I probably looked like some kind of mime or something.
Just one more of the many, many ways I found to piss off the Director without actually doing anything wrong.
Dunn glared at me slightly. "We've recieved seven requests for healing, two of which meet the protocols for highest priority," she informed, watching me to see if I called bullshit on her this time. "Four of them are requesting the 'optimization' treatment as well."
"And the Case 53s?" I asked. This was always our sticking point. All of the least unfortunate, the ones like Sveta who could never live normal lives, were already restored. We'd moved on to the ones that were deformed, but functional. Dunn was frustrated with the 'lack of progress' because of time 'wasted' on them. She'd prefer we focus on the more powerful of the injured heroes. Working with the most useful and powerful, instead of the ones most in need.
"Twelve requests," she answered. True again.
"Nineteen? Alright, I can probably do all that in one day," I replied. That was true, unless some of the Case 53s were extreme examples. Some, especially the ones that were truly alien, were exhausting. Possibly taking an hour or more each. But we'd moved on from those extremes, and now seemed to take around fifteen minutes on average. "Do the priority cases have amputations or anything severe?"
"No," she answered. "One Protectorate hero who suffered extreme burns, mostly recovered. Probable pain killer addiction," Okay, that will be easy to handle. "The other has been paralyzed for two years, and recently had a trigger event with telekinetic powers. Based on your past performances, they should be simple."
"Sounds it," I agreed. "Tell the ones who want optimized that there's no promises I'll be able to get to them today." Those were always tough ones as well. More predictable than the Case 53s, at around fifty minutes each.
"Understood," she responded, sounding distinctly unhappy. "The recent court ruling also mandates I inform you that Mrs. Dallon is the de facto legal counsel and representative of the Case 53s and unaffiliated parahumans that you are healing from now on, from the moment they're placed on the waiting list to when you finish their regeneration. She'll be at the hospital, speaking with them while you're working on the priority cases. She may wish to speak to you about specific patients. That is between you and her to discuss on site."
"Okay," I agreed. Way to go, Mom.
....
"I wish you wouldn't antagonize her like that," Chevalier chided me as we traveled to the hospital, flying over Philadelphia's streets. It was only about three miles away from the HQ, faster to use the suits than to take a vehicle.
"We both know she deserves it," I countered. "The only reason she still has a job is because my powers aren't admissible in court."
"And because she never did anything illegal," he added. "Even if you could prove everything you claim, it only means she followed the letter of the agreement instead of the spirit. You really should drop it."
"Nah, it's far more fun watching her squirm," I replied.
"You're not making any friends with the PRT doing that," he pointed out.
"I'd rather not be friends with people like her," I dismissed. "Besides, everyone else loves me. I'm the one teaching the troops how to really use the M7s the way they deserve to be used. Philly's second only to Calvert's Elite in terms of drill success right now. And all these capes I'm patching up that sign on to the Protectorate, they love me. All those other Directors that end up enjoying the benefits of my work at least want to keep me happy. Of course, now a few of their capes are suing for coercive tactics, but you can thank your Director for that."
"There's no evidence of that," he replied. "You don't even know it's true with your power."
"Only because she never answered the question," I argued. "We both know she's guilty."
The spike of resignation, annoyance and disgust registered on my senses easily enough. But I'd spent enough time around Chevalier to know the feelings weren't directed toward me. He knew I was right. "Still, your efforts are better spent on building up, not tearing down. Let your mother and the Internal Affairs guys handle it. If she's guilty, they'll prove it and she'll be punished to the proper extent of the law. No need to be petty about it."
"You're underestimating me," I replied. "I'm keeping her off balance. The more she's focused on me, the more chances for her to make mistakes elsewhere. Everything else is just icing on the cake."
And now he was a little frustrated with me. "Please," he sighed. "At least give it a rest for a little while. She can't do anything to touch you, but it's starting to hurt discipline with the rest of team. I know you think the system's broken. But at least give a chance to work without you sabotaging it, okay?"
"Well, since it's you, and you're asking so nicely, I guess I can stop," I agreed. "Maybe you can help me come up with something else to do, instead? We can, say, discuss it over dinner tonight?"
A spike of annoyance and concern. "You know that can't happen, Victoria."
"Don't see why not," I turned over and flew while laying on my back, pushing a bit ahead of him so he could get a look at my figure. The advantages to my smaller, sleeker, almost form fitting costume.
"You're way too young," he argued. I had to admit, it was impressive how much he managed to not let me distract him. I knew he found me attractive, he just didn't let it affect him. Some women might have found that a little insulting. I thought it was hot.
"As far as I know, the only things I'm 'too young' for are buying booze and running for President," I countered. "I can do anything I want with anyone who wants to let me." I slowly parted my toes while keeping my heels together, then tapped them together again.
"You know what I mean," he carefully avoided looking at me. "I'm almost twice your age."
"Clearly that doesn't bother me," I responded. "And I know it doesn't bother you as much as you pretend it does."
"It would be professionally inappropriate," he tried.
"Yeah, you've tried that one before," I reminded him. "I don't work in your chain of command."
"Your mother would find a way to get me sent to the Birdcage," he added.
"She'll come around to the idea," I countered. "Seriously, she managed to be okay with Amy getting engaged to the notorious supervillain that held her hostage and fed me to bees. I think she can handle me dating the hot guy that leads the Protectorate."
"Why are you even interested in me?" He asked. "There are plenty of boys your age to think about."
"We get along great, and I'm into the strong, smart, sensitive types," I responded. That and the armor. I didn't know what it was about men in armor that got me so worked up, but I'd always had a thing for it and all the heroes I knew that wore it.
Heck, even Armsmaster. For those brief few seconds between the first time I met him, and the first time he spoke to me. I'm sure if Mannequin hadn't killed him, he would have made some robot very happy some day. But there was no way in hell he was ever going to get a human girlfriend.
"It's not going to happen, Victoria," he asserted.
Wanna bet? I thought. I said nothing, instead turned slowly in the air until I was facing the 'normal' way for flying again. I'd let him wonder if he upset me by turning me down, for a bit. Really, I was just letting him get a look at me.
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A/N- When Vicky wants something, she'll find ways to get it. Also: I hope a Vicky-Ingénue meeting can occur at some point in this story.
