Another Way (Worm AU fanfic)

She saw him, standing on the edge of the rooftop, looking out over the city. Such was his belief that she would not attack him, he had his back turned, even though he had to know that she was there. For a moment, Skitter had the impulse to make something sting him, something non-venomous, just to shake him out of that supreme self-confidence. But she quashed it as unworthy. They were here under truce, after all.

"Skitter." His voice was rich and deep. "Thank you for agreeing to meet with me."

She moved to join him, feeling the gravel turning under the soles of her feet. "Your message said that you had something for me."

"I do indeed." This close, she realised that he wore evening dress, illuminated faintly by the glow from the city lights below. Unclasping his hands from behind his back, he gestured out over the city. "We both care about Brockton Bay. You want its people to be safe. I want it to work again. Those two aims can go hand in hand. Currently, we have been working separately, and occasionally at cross-purposes. I propose to put an end to that."

"How?" She was wary, on her guard. The swarm she had gathered, just outside visual detection range, hovered ready to attack. Despite that, she was fully aware that he could probably kill or capture her in an instant, if he so chose. Of course, he did have a strong reputation for never breaking his word and never attacking women or children ... but one could never be sure. The vast profits from running a city unopposed could undermine the strongest principles, given time.

"I propose a partnership." His voice was smooth and measured. "You handle the street level side of things, with assistance as needed from my forces. I handle the higher level politics, with backup from your parahuman forces as necessary."

She paused, searching his words for any tricks. "It can't be that simple."

"It won't be simple in any way at all," he assured her. "But if we are able to work without looking over our shoulders, if I can run interference on the PRT for you, if you can handle the street-level problems for me, it will be somewhat easier for the both of us."

"Your methods -" she began, then paused.

"Are harsh, yes, but I have found them necessary in the past," he went on. "However, I will not be kidnapping twelve year old children. I will not be seeking to betray you while pretending to be your ally. If I am your enemy, you will know it. I would prefer not to be."

"No murder." The words were rough in her throat.

Carefully, he inclined his head. "As you say. No murder. What, then, do I do with those of my men who let me down or, inevitably, attempt to betray me?"

She turned her head to look at him fully. "Let them know that I'm working with you. If the problems persist, send them to me."

"Some would call that a more stringent punishment than my norm." His words were light, addressed to the city skyline.

"Doesn't matter. It's the way it's going to be if we're going to be working together."

"Of course." Again, he inclined his head. "So, then, shall we call it a partnership?" Turning to face her, he extended his hand.

"We've still got to work out the details, but sure." She took it.

It was only a handshake, but it signified much more to Brockton Bay.

 

Intermission: Planning Process

[A/N: this covers the planning process that went into Part 16, because some people are never happy unless they get told every detail.]
[A/N 2: The last part of the previous chapter has been rewritten somewhat to fit.]

Claire spread her carefully-written notes over the table, and Earl leaned in to examine them, with Kayden at his side. “Very impressive, my dear. I’ve questioned many men over the years, but getting them to give me the correct information has always been the greatest challenge.”

Jonas nodded from his side of the table. “He’s right, chick. With you boosting their memories, it was just a matter of making them slow down long enough to get the information we needed. I’m pretty sure not even Blasto knew how much they saw. Down to the fact that he owns just one firearm, and it’s not even Tinkertech.”

Claire fought the blush rising on her cheeks. “It’s just my powers,” she protested. “They’re kind of ideal for this sort of thing.”

“That they are,” Earl declared. “Now, with all this, I’m wondering if we should go with a slow and careful infiltration or a hard and fast strike. Each approach has its merits and drawbacks. It goes without saying that any plan we have is going to maximise the merits and nullify as many drawbacks as possible.”

Claire tilted her head to one side, the facts and figures fitting themselves into one formation after another. “I think we should go with option C. I walk up, knock on the door, and give him the chance to surrender.”

Earl and Jonas shared a long glance with Kayden, then all three adults turned toward Claire. By silent agreement, Earl spoke first. “That’s an interesting approach, my dear. Also bold, daring and audacious. I would applaud it, save that I would be inclined to also call it foolhardy and risky in the extreme.”

Jonas nodded in stolid agreement. “We can’t trust him to be civilised, chick. The man is a Tinker. He tried to frame your father for mass murder. He could do anything to you, and we wouldn’t be able to stop him in time.”

“Not ‘anything’,” she pointed out. “A lot of things, yes, but there are some things he’s incapable of doing. And I’ll be able to guard against most of the rest. And for the remainder …” She turned to Jonas. “Do you still have that anti-materiel rifle I got you for your birthday?”

A slow grin began to spread across the ex-mercenary’s scarred features. “I believe I see your line, chick. You want me as overwatch.”

“Well, duh,” she said with an answering grin. “Who else?”

The rifle had been a custom job, built by a skilled gunsmith to Brute standards. Not by coincidence, to the Brute standards that Jonas could achieve. Despite a very effective gas-recoil system, it still packed a kick that would break a lesser man’s shoulder. Claire had watched Jonas literally explode blocks of concrete with the rifle, through the sheer kinetic force of the bullet. It came with an IR scope and a high-powered parabolic microphone.

Earl eyed his daughter suspiciously. “Did you get that for him because you thought something like this would turn up?”

“‘Would’, no. ‘Might’, yes.” Claire shrugged. “It’s better to have the sniper rifle from hell and not need it …” She trailed off, knowing she didn’t have to finish the statement.

“Indeed,” Earl noted. “Well, that alleviates quite a few of the concerns I held regarding your plan. How is it supposed to culminate? With his capture?”

“No, actually.” Claire tapped one of the pieces of paper. “We know he doesn’t do anything smaller than the naked eye can see. In fact, he’s never made anything smaller than a cat. And he has no other cape clones in his base. But he’s making something now, and he’s taking a lot of time about it, according to this. And it’s big.”

“And you want me to snipe it, chick?” Jonas rolled his head on his neck. “Not sure if I can get a sight picture through the wall with the scope, but I’ll do my best.”

“Well, it’d be great if you could,” Claire told him with a grin. “But I’m thinking of going in like a bratty teenager who’s got more arrogance than brains, and starting something that makes him use the big guy. That’s when I pull back, leaving him wondering what the hell I was even there for.”

“Provoking him may not be the best idea,” Kayden pointed out in a masterful understatement. “He is a Tinker. He’s undoubtedly got many ways to hurt you if he really tried.”

Claire held up her hand and it morphed into the battle-claw she’d used on the fateful day the Empire crumbled. The razor-edged talons retracted, and skin crawled up over the black integument. “I can run my skin and hair as a semi-separate organism outside my battle-armour,” she said. “Even better, if he grabs a sample, it’ll clone out as an octopus or something. In the meantime, I look harmless and I can still affect everything around me. While still being bulletproof, immune to poison and able to regenerate any damage that gets through the carbon outer shell.”

“So why not just take him on?” asked Kayden. “Take him out in one hit? Or draw him out so Jonas’ rifle can make his head into pink mist? It’s what we’re here to do, isn’t it?”

“The solution isn’t quite so simple as that, dearest Kayden,” Earl said, putting his arm around her waist. “I believe I see where Claire is going with this. Should Blasto have installed a deadman switch in his creations, killing or even disabling him could cause the other twenty-five beasts he has as guards to run amok about the city. While we could certainly chase them all down and dispose of them, I suspect they would rack up quite the body count before we did. And once more, I face being accused of mass murder. Damnation.”

“Exactly,” Claire agreed. “I need to have some face time with one of his guard-thingies. If he controls them with pheromones, like he did the clones we captured, I can get a good idea of what pheromones I need to produce to make them think I’m the guy in charge. Hell, if they don’t have the kill-order in them, I can make it go after him because of his own pheromones.”

“I find the concept of Blasto being torn asunder by his own creations to be oddly compelling,” Earl observed. “Alternatively, if you can suborn all of them under his nose, that would be even better.”

Claire waggled her hand back and forth. “Difficult,” she admitted. “Yes, I can probably infiltrate the building, but I don’t know where they’re situated, and the guys confirmed that the guard-things have a high-end sense of smell. It would be virtually impossible for me to totally negate my scent, and they would raise the alarm. There’s every chance I could get close to one, but by the time I had him turned, the others would know something’s up. I’m good, but anyone can be dogpiled. I’d rather not see if they could pull me to pieces before I could turn them.”

“A most unpleasant outcome,” Earl agreed. “So you intend to test the waters, so to speak, before we commit our full strength?”

“Yeah.” Claire tapped one of the papers. “Like I said, he’s making something big. If I send a guard-thing rampaging after him, what’s he gonna do?”

“He’ll use the big creation to defend himself,” Jonas answered slowly. “It’s what I’d do, anyway.”

“Yup.” Claire grinned. “And that way we find out what it can do. It’s like Abigail taught me. When attacking an opponent of unknown strength, lead with a feint.” At Earl’s almost imperceptible wince, Claire put her hand on his arm. “Sorry, Dad. Didn’t mean to bring up old problems.”

“It is of no moment,” her father protested, though he had to know she knew he was lying. “So you wish to manipulate him into showing what cards he’s holding, whilst acting like a foolhardy, risk-prone teenager?”

“Basically, yes.” Claire nodded. “With Jonas as overwatch and Palatina providing an eye in the sky.” She smiled at her father. “You did say we’d be minimising the risks.”

Earl nodded. “I did indeed. The plan has merit. Let us run it past all the facts we have, and plug any holes before commencing. Just in case.”

Claire nodded again. “Just in case.”


End of Intermission