Orb Weaver: Wrath of God, 13

I didn’t do much during the night. I needed to nap. Oh, a few homes I visited late at night, has some quick conversations, but the fact was that humans had an incredible ability to get used to things. I didn’t want to run the risk of Orb Weaver becoming normal after all.

So I had a few more mid-management types, E88 fronts, that would be unmolested tonight. Let them think I didn’t know, that they had escaped.

Then, on the fourth night, I would go after them again. No, the third day had something different happening for Kaiser.

And with that, I pulled out my—The Investigator’s phone. I wasn’t disguising my identity from this individual. No, that would come later.

I took a deep breath. The Empire might not be able to figure out what was happening, but the person I was about to call…

I dialed the number and a robotic voice told me I had thirty seconds to leave a message.

“Alexandria, this is The Investigator. I wish to turn my favor over to Orb Weaver, as he believes a proposal of his could… benefit the Protectorate. I have his contact number.” I gave it.

Blocks away, a phone, surrounded by insects, lay silent, moments later, it buzzed.

“Orb Weaver.”

“How do you do, Alexandria?”

“I’m busy. Tell me what you want and I’ll decide if you get it. Be succinct.”

Alexandria must know about Orb Weaver—my—tactics when it comes to talking. She keeps me from trying that with her. Is she worried, or just doesn’t want to waste time?

No matter.

“I have already provided three parahumans, two of which may be useful to the Protectorate. Would you be interested in four more?”

“Who?”

“Hookwolf, Stormtiger, and Cricket for one, and Purity for another. Purity is the most likely, and given her power would be quite useful.”

“Hookwolf has a birdcage sentence.”

“And Sophia Hess had a number of crimes, maybe not as great, but you demanded that I be succinct—the Protectorate has, both now and in the past, chosen pragmatism over the letter of the law. “

Rebrands were a thing and more than a few villains had ended up in the Protectorate. But I couldn’t press on that—displaying too much knowledge might lead to Alexandria thinking I was trying to blackmail them. And demonstrating that I took an actually baseless rumor as fact would lead to her thinking I was a fool. Neither option was useful.

“Why would they consider this?”

“Hookwolf needed the Empire for protection, but I have been widening the cracks. If they can no longer protect him…”

“And what makes you think we could control him?”

“He’s not foolish, whatever face he puts on. Stormtiger and Cricket follow him, and he craves battle and challenge, which I expect he’d get. But he’s not suicidal. If he can gain refuge… I expect he would not casually break it.”

“And Purity?”

“A racist, with those she loves, and no way out. Her recent break with the Empire—well, without intruding on her privacy, if you can provide her with a certainty of safety and protection of her immediate family, I expect she will be quite grateful.”

“You expect. Do you know how many disasters were prefaced by those two words?”

“Many, but you wanted me to be succinct, so I shall. If I must, I can deal with them personally, but if they can be used by the Protectorate, they may benefit others.”

“And Lebensraum?”

“A brutal fool with more deaths to his name than Hookwolf, Stormtiger and Cricket combined. I gave him an option, he refused, and well, waste not, want not.”

Alexandria said nothing for a moment, then spoke, “Call me when you are dealing with Purity. The other three, I want you to call me ten minutes before you meet them. I may need to clear my calender.”

“Indeed.”

Alexandria hung up. She was a very busy woman. And didn’t worry about me recording her. Of course not. In this era of tinkertech, a fake recording was utterly easy to come up with for anyone with resources which meant that the value of a recording… was next to nothing, especially when used against someone in a position of power.

And in my hiding place, I wiped some sweat off my brow. I hated dealing with her. I always had to wonder, was she just giving me enough rope to hang myself with…

Though she did seem pragmatic in her dealings.

****

I waited until Kayden was home. She hadn’t moved out, and Theo hadn’t, evidently, told her about our meeting. I had a feeling why. He was worried she might respond poorly, and Purity had a reputation for being overenthusiastic with her powers.

But I could speak to her in a way that wouldn’t see her erupting. At least I hoped not.

My receivers were in position as she was shouting into a phone. “Come back? Max, I just saw what happened to that thug!  You want me to come back, put Aster and Theo in that monster’s crosshairs?”

She shook her head. “No. I won’t come back… Yes, I know you can get custody, but custody wouldn’t help me if Orb Weaver Kills me!”

She hung up, and moments later, I called.

“Hello?”

“Ah, Kayden, how are you this fine evening?”

She went rigid. “You… You Call me in my home?”

“As Kaiser did, yes.” I don’t let her respond. “But before I say anything else, a promise. You and your children are safe. No matter how this conversation goes. I will leave and make no attempt to follow you should you relocate. We are under… Truce. Yes, Truce. Is that allowable?”

She looked around. I can track her with the few small bugs, but I have to imagine her wide eyes, looking for any hint of my presence.

“What do you want?”

“To make you an offer. I take it Theo has discussed his worries.”

“Yes he—you spoke to him? That’s why he’s been trying to get me to leave?”

I guess Theo didn’t want to risk Kayden blowing up, literally or metaphorically by mentioning the part where I visited him.

“Yes. He offered to fight me, were I there to harm him or Aster. He’s quite brave.”

“What. Do. You. Want?”

“To free you from Kaiser. To secure your safety and ensure you and your children can remain together, protected not simply from Kaiser but from the law.”

She paused. I could feel the heat coming from Kaden, some of my bugs sensing it. Theo was standing back, but Aster was snoozing in her crib.

“How?”

“Quite easily. Do you know you are probably only a few ranks behind Legend? Your power may not be as flexible as his, but the Protectorate could make great use of it… A rebrand, a few months out of the limelight, some Image lessons…”

“I’ve been trying to be a hero, but nobody believes me!”

“Well, I cannot speak to all others, but retaining your title of Purity, while spending most of your time protecting the Bay from minority criminals…”

She says nothing, so I continue. “But as an employee of the Protectorate, Aster and Theo would be protected, far more than they are now. Legally, even presuming Kaiser is in any position to take legal action against you, well, even his resources would be tiny compared to the legal resources the entire Protectorate could bring to bear. Theo would be allowed to grow unharmed by his father and eventually take what parts of Medhall still… exist.”

“Exist?” Kayden sounded surprised. Of course, she grew up with the idea of the Empire, of Medhall, being a constant.

“Victor committed an unforgivable crime. I was moving slowly, but no more. But as such, I may not be able to deed the entire company to Theo, though he will still gain much.”

“I don’t believe you. How do you have that much leverage?”

“Well…” I made the phone call. Moments later, there was a click. Good, she wasn’t busy. “Alexandria, dear Kayden requires some assurances.”

“Purity, this is Alexandria. I don’t have time to waste on a long conversation. If you accept Orb Weaver’s offer, you will, presuming you commit no more crimes between this call and arriving at LA, be rebranded and will spend the next year as a probationary member of the Protectorate. After that, you will be inducted into the Protectorate. Your children will remain in your custody, and we will provide legal and financial support.” Kayden’s shocked intake of breath is loud in the room.

Normally, I bet she wouldn’t take the offer. But Orb Weaver had killed a brute in a locked room, without a sign of struggle. Orb Weaver was everywhere and nowhere… and now Orb Weaver was offering her a way out. And Orb Weaver evidently had Alexandria on speed dial.

“I’ll do it. What do I do?”

“There is a flight leaving the Bay in the next thirty minutes,” Alexandria said. “Be on it. You’ll be met in LA.” Then she hangs up.

“Theo, grab Aster’s bags. I’ll get the papers.” She paused. “And we’re going to talk about what you should tell me in the future. Are you going to kill Kaiser?” Purity asked me.

“Not unless I have to. I have a more appropriate punishment in mind for him.”

From the way the bugs on her detect her shiver, she evidently doesn’t feel confident about that.

It doesn’t take long. A few moments, and they are ready. Purity leaves the phone on the table. They call a taxi and I follow along. I’m on a bike, but the lights and my range let me keep them under cover—and there are no Empire goons looking for them. I expect that if there were, they are distracted right now.

But nonetheless, I wait until they are at the airport and the plane is leaving the Bay. Then I return to Kayden’s apartment.

Inside the phone is buzzing. I form a bug clone and, with difficulty, swipe it to answer.

“Kayden? Dammit, answer, It’s Max.”

“Ah, Max, how do you do this fine evening?”

“You! If you’ve hurt—“

“Calm yourself, Max. I merely made them an offer, and they took it. Your family is quite safe now. Especially from you. If you are willing to surrender, I might put in a good word for visitation rights, presuming they were willing…”

There is a squeal of feedback, likely from the phone on Max’s end being destroyed. I don’t spend much time near the apartment. There will be E88 goons, maybe capes showing up. I leave the apartment pristine…

Save for the symbol of an Orb Weaver on the dining room table.

Max Anders was a narcissist. He craved control, and saw the Empire, and yes, his family as extensions of his own being. It was astonishing, now that I knew his identity, how many of his actions were driven by his desire to be the one, the ruler. And with that came a desire to be in control. It made sense in a way—why have a secret identity as Kaiser and Max Anders, a man who had to be in the public eye? It would have been immensely smarter to stay behind the scenes, a lower-level administrator, or even just a playboy. But that wouldn’t fit what he needed.  It wasn’t money, it was being better, more powerful. Being seen as the one in charge.

It was actually frightening how many parahumans seemed to share those traits.

But now I was taking what was his.  And doing it in a way where he couldn’t stop it, couldn’t even come to some kind of glorious last battle.

It had to be driving him insane, especially with my deadline of “six days” weighing on him.

Well, time to get back to rest in one of my hides. The third day had gone well, and the fourth day… well, I had three bankers, and oddly enough, a bowling alley owner to… encourage to confess their sins.

And then I could get back to enjoying watching everything Kaiser had ever built slip through his hands like sand…