Politics

The headquarters of the Guardians wasn't as impressive as the sign outside suggested, but it served its purpose. The team had been up and running for over two years by now, but the budget was still not set in stone. Up for debate. Walking the fine line between spending it all and risk being scolded for breaking it, and not spending enough and risk having it reduced next year. The original team had been four members only, Captain Blaze and Zephyr the speedster, experienced in teamwork since their Long Beach days, and Porthole and Temerain, less so. Temerain was a seasoned vigilante, the loner, the planner. Porthole might be the biggest drain on their budget with the upkeep on their robotic bodies, but was also the muscle on the team. Originally there had been more members suggested, but the budget had only allowed for four. Four that all the members of the council could agree on. Sure, the Guardians was Mayor Alvarez pet project, but it wasn't she that footed the bills. And so far, four members had been deemed enough.

That had changed after the attack on Carter's mansion. The budget had been upped, and a new member added to the rooster. Bumblebee, adding much needed flight and recon capacity. There was talk of a sixth, but that one proved more... divisive. Perhaps not worth the investment. The team needed a decisive win, not just over a formidable opponent, but to win over holdouts on the council opposed to the whole affair.

The Guardians project was failing. It was time to ensure that it wouldn't.

...

"I know I'm the new gal here, but are you sure that's a good idea?" Bumblebee pulled down her hand, maybe there had been no need to raise it in the first place, but this was a meeting and it had seemed polite.

"Between you and me, not really," Captain Blaze admitted, still standing up, the image of Retribution projected behind him looming larger than life. "But Mayor Alvarez feels that we need to make a statement."

"Huh." Temerain leaned back in the chair, rocking back and forth as she watched the ceiling. "Funny how they've become the top priority right after moving against some of the mayor's allies."

"You know that's not what this is about," Zephyr argued, leaning over the table. "Retribution beat the Rangers. When we beat Retribution that means we're stronger than the Rangers. It's a simple as that."

"Technically it would be 'if' we beat them," Porthole helpfully suggested. "As if we're still not certain we can do that." They were in their civilian body, immaculately decorated and graceful, the plasteel frame ivory white with intricately carved patterns.

"Especially as Retribution already took down..." Bumblebee fell silent as she could feel all eyes on her. Maybe not the best move to call out their Captain for getting beaten up. "What I mean is..."

"What you mean is I lost." Captain Blaze stepped in to fill the silence before Zephyr did. "Which I did because I was alone, unprepared, and in a room full of civilians. Not exactly the best place to showcase my abilities."

"That's the point, ennit?" Temerain was still watching the ceiling. "Retribution wins because they pick the battlefield. They're smarter, not stronger. Attacks when their enemies are weak and unprepared. Divided."

"Not to mention they use the fact that we have to take civilians into account." Zephyr shook their head. "Especially with some of our powers." A quick glance at Blaze, who didn't look away. Just held the glance until Zephyr did. "Anyway," they continued. "My point still stands."

"We're heroes," Porthole agreed, tapping the table thoughtfully. "So maybe we need to think like heroes. We're a team. Retribution is alone. Villains often are. Their moods are not conductive to cooperation."

"Are we a team, though?" Bumblebee looked around the table. "I know I'm the newest one here, but I'm used to fighting as a vigilante. As were Temerain. And the Mayor has been having us out on all these individual missions, we haven't really had the time to work together. Are we a team and not just a paycheck and coordinated team jackets?"

"You've got a point." Captain Blaze sat back down. Heavily. "Not saying I agree with that, but Mayor Alvarez has her hands tied as well. Getting the funding for this project has left her beholden to too many sponsors. They all want a piece of us when it suits them."

"You know me," Zephyr admitted. "I'm the last one to complain about a steady paycheck, let alone a bonus, but it feels like they're setting us up for failure. Glorified LDPD. Running errands. We need to make a NAME for ourselves, then we will be able to dictate the terms. Tell me I'm wrong."

"Not gonna do that this time." Temerain briefly looked to Zephyr, then back at the ceiling. "We're being played. We need to figure out how to turn that to our advantage."

"Pardon me," Porthole gestured to the projected image of Retribution. "Even if we are being played, this Retribution is still a problem, right? Do the reasons really matter if it's the right thing to do?"

"I mean..." Bumblebee hesitated. "Retribution did attack Carter's mansion, I'd argue that their motivations are complicated. Maybe they're not just a problem."

"We're not the ones supposed to deal with corruption." Captain Blaze's voice was hard. "We fight villains. We don't investigate politicians."

"Not any money in that," Zephyr muttered.

"She's got a point, though." Temerain rocked her chair back and forth. "They might be sending us after Retribution as damage control."

"Regardless, their villainous record is still impressive." Porthole, gestured to the stack of papers spread across the table. "Politics or not, that fact still stands."

An uneasy silence fell over the meeting chamber, before Bumblebee forced herself to break it. "Speaking of politics. Our new recruit. I've been hearing rumors that..."

"Unsubstantiated rumors." Captain Blaze gave her a look. "You really think the Mayor would pull that kind of thing on us? He's a murderer, plain and simple."

"Come on," Zephyr protested. "He was a hero before he fucked up, he's been in jail, I bet he's a changed man. And he'd give us the edge we need. The Mayor doesn't want us to fail."

"I don't think we can assume the Mayor is pulling the strings." Temerain finally sat up straight, looking at Blaze. "I know you think her heart's in the right place, but she's not the one with the keys to the safe where the money's been kept."

"Neither are we." Porthole, tilted their head in an approximation of a thoughtful look. "We can only adjust to the decisions made for us. If the rumors are correct he will either be a powerful asset, or the undoing of our team."

"Exactly," Bumblebee nodded. "I'm not gonna argue we need power, I know I'm not exactly the greatest addition to the team when it comes to that, but we need to talk about how to deal with him if he really is the new recruit we've been promised."

"There's more to being a hero than power." Captain Blaze gave Bumblebee a smile. "And being a flier is nothing to scoff at when it comes to team utility."

"We were lucky she's too slow a flier to have been nabbed by the private industry already," Zephyr taunted. "There speed is essential. And the pay is better."

"And yet you're still here." Temerain's voice went hard. "Despite your complaints about our pay."

"We ARE all here." Porthole slammed their hand on the table, an uncharacteristic enough gesture that everybody jump. "We want to be heroes, right? More than we were? Maybe give our new member the same option?"

"I suppose." Bumblebee looked down at the table. "And, like 'Rain said, it's not like we have a choice."

Another pause, but this time Captain Blaze looked over to Porthole, making the smallest nod. Porthole nodded in return, and there was faint hiss of crackling static in the room. They looked down at their elegant, if faintly skeletal, arm. The carvings had lit up in green, pulsating in a gentle rhythm.

"Now that we're sure nobody is listening in, we always have a choice." Blaze looked serious now, trying to drive his point home. "We can walk. If we don't like what we see. Or what we have to do. But until that point, we need to find a way to work within the system."

"Still can't believe nobody's called you on that bullshit." Zephyr looked at Porthole. "Jamming our own meetings."

"Either that means nobody is listening in or recording us," Temerain folded her arms behind her neck, looking back up at the ceiling. "Or that they are nervous about bringing up the jamming and proving it. Which means they're not confident in their control of us."

"I am not comfortable with this state of affairs," Porthole admitted. "But I am agreeing to the necessity of it. Nobody is listening in, we can speak freely."

"Okay." Bumblebee clenched her hands. "I do NOT want to work with Five Pennies, the man is a creep and a murderer."

"I'm not happy about this either," Blaze admitted. "But I don't think they would have suggested him as a candidate if they didn't think he was reformed. Any fallout would be firmly on the council's doorstep."

"Or on Mayor Alvarez's." Zephyr sighed. "I might not like her much, but if the council doesn't want her, a scandal like this would be a good way to get rid of her."

"The council appointed her, they can remove her. No need for a manufactured scandal." Temerain reached out to grab the bottle of soda that floated to her hand. "They're the ones with the power. Alvarez is trying to dance to their tune, same as us."

"The tune sets the rhythm, but we still pick the steps." Porthole patted their torso where their brain was housed. "Like me. I might have a machined body, but that doesn't mean I need to forego organic beauty, at least in my civilian life. Why, I remember—"

"But why pick Five Pennies then?" Bumblebee interrupted before this got out of hand. Porthole was lovely but could be long-winded.

"Power is my guess." Blaze rubbed his forehead. "It's hard to predict someone whose powers you don't understand. And he was a hero for years before he broke bad. Maybe he's got therapy and wants a second chance."

"Therapy." Zephyr snorted. "The man was always full of himself, don't think he'd ask for help."

"Or someone wants him out of jail, and this is a good opportunity to make that happen." Temerain sipped her drink. "A lot of things has 'happened' lately. Too many for my taste."

"Statistically, the majority of the dastardly dealings you suggest are quite improbable," Porthole pointed out. "I agreed to shield this meeting because it was likely someone could listen in, and the consequences if they did might be unpleasant for us. But you are suggesting plots when mere coincidence might serve."

"Never attribute to conspiracy what can be explained by incompetence... or something like that. I suppose you have a point," Bumblebee admitted. "Maybe they just wanted to add more power to the team."

"Regardless, we have Retribution to deal with first." Captain Blaze gestured to the projected image. "I don't want to look like we're sitting around waiting for backup before taking that bastard on. I want to bring them in first, then we'll deal with Five Pennies from a position of strength. Having proven ourselves."

"Agreed." Zephyr smiled. "For once."

"I'm in." Temerain sipped her bottle. "We don't need extra firepower if we play this smart and work together."

"I have been wondering how my Porthole armor would stand up to Retribution. The extra arms should be quite helpful, though—"

"They can disintegrate metal," Bumblebee interrupted again. "Or something. We're not sure exactly what they can do. I don't think you'll be safe in hand to hand. You're better off staying at range."

"She's right." Blaze rubbed his chin. "Retribution is an excellent close combat fighter. You saw the footage of the fight with Charge. And Lady Argent. I don't think either of us can measure up there. I know I can't."

"Speak for yourself." Zephyr was nearly vibrating with excitement. "I'm looking forward to trying."

"You'll bounce off like a bird off a windshield," Temerain scoffed. "Doubt they can hit you, but you're gonna have to deal damage. Best you can do is push them over. You think your cannon can do any damage, Porthole?"

"Most likely. It is a distasteful weapon, but I foresee the greatest problem will be hitting Retribution without risking innocent bystanders. They have proven themselves quite adept at positioning."

"So that's what we need to stop." Bumblebee faltered as all eyes turned to her. "I mean, you said it yourselves. Retribution controls the battlefield and is strong in hand to hand. So we need to make sure they fight where and how we want. Not the other way around. If there's no risk of collateral damage I bet the Captain could take them down."

"Their armor was insulated against heat, but I couldn't exactly go all out in the hotel. There are limits to both insulation and energy absorption."

"You've got limits too, Vince." Zephyr sounded almost gentle. "Don't forget that. No ocean to dump you in around here."

"What I don't get is why they've never used their disintegration against Lady Argent. She's inorganic, at least her skin." Temerain looked over at Porthole. "It feels like a shame not to use Porthole for what they're really good at."

"Perhaps the question is focus." Porthole held out their arm, the green lights still pulsating. "From what little footage we have, the disintegration has mostly been used while stationary. And Lady Argent leaves anybody precious little room to stand still. Or," they admitted, "the inorganic layer on her skin might be thin enough that it's hard to target."

"Or vital enough it might kill her if removed." Bumblebee looked up at the projected image. "Not all villains are willing to kill."

"And not all heroes shy away from it." Captain Blaze rubbed his chin. "We can't make assumptions. We can't even assume they can only disintegrate inorganic matter. Maybe they avoid using it on people."

"Retribution is a prick," Zephyr raised his voice. "Don't make this more complicated than it needs to be. They're a villain and needs to be beaten. End of story. Fuck motivations."

"How much of your inorganic body can you lose before it becomes dangerous, Porthole?" Temerain looked thoughtful. "Vulnerabilities aside, we can't overlook that it's just an armored body. It can take a lot of damage."

"Oh my bodies are entirely expendable as long as my container is not breached." Porthole tapped his chest again. "If we hypothesize that disintegration seems to take focus and time, which seems likely from the evidence at hand, all I need to do is to make sure Retribution doesn't have time to lay their hands on me. I can always jettison a limb or two if needed."

"That's too risky," Bumblebee protested. "Even if they're not a murderer, Retribution might think you're a robot and eat you right up. We know too little to take that risk."

"We all take risks, Bee." Captain Blaze looked between her and Porthole. "None of us are safe."

"You're too used to staying out of the fight up there," Zephyr mocked. "Playing it safe with your little gun."

"Nothing that says her gun has to be little," Temerain pointed out. "Can your cannon be fitted with an external power source Porthole?"

"Of course it can, though it would have to be as a backpack. It would be quite unwieldy, which I suppose would be less of an issue to a flier."

"The recoil would send me halfway to space," Bumblebee protested. "That's why I'm using energy weapons. I'd only get one shot with that beast."

"One shot might be all we need. You're our best marksman, sorry Port, but she is." Blaze looked directly at their inorganic member. "Are you willing to take the risk to engage Retribution?"

"We'll back you up," Zephyr assured.

"There is a way to insulate Porthole's container, at least if we are correct that Retribution's disintegration only works on inorganic matter." Temerain was smiling now, which she rarely did. "You know what I'm thinking about, don't you?"

"Of course. It's a simple deduction." Porthole patted their chest. "I can remove some of the insulation and cover my container with a thick layer of meat."

"Gross!" Bumblebee covered her mouth.

"And clever." Blaze shook his head. "Don't remove any heat insulation though, I don't want to risk harming you."

"You could tag-team." Zephyr rubbed his hands. "And you're not sloppy, Vince. If Porthole can hold them immobile long enough you can do your whole welding trick and open up a can of Retribution. And then I can kick their ass."

"Their armor is an asset, but don't underestimate whoever is inside," Temerain warned. "So far they haven't won their fights by being sloppy. They might like to come off as the new villain on the block, but whoever this is, they know their stuff. Their opponents. And we have to assume that means us."

"Ah yes." Porthole held up a finger. "So what we need to do is to be predictable and unpredictable, play to our strengths but not in the way Retribution thinks we would."

"Are you sure you're not overthinking this?" Bumblebee shifted in her chair.

"We might," Blaze admitted. "But there's enough weird rumors around Retribution that we can't take anything for granted."

"Like the possibility they might be a telepath." Temerain didn't phrase that as a question.

"Won't matter to me," Zephyr chuckled. "Not when I go fast."

"I for one think it would be an interesting experience to encounter a mind-reader." Porthole looked more excited than anything. "I never have."

"They're not that common anymore." Bumblebee couldn't stop herself from looking sad. "Most of them are gone or dead by now. Can't be easy living in a city if you can read people's minds. Even if some of them were great heroes, like..."

"Not now, Bee." Blaze shook his head. "Let's focus on Retribution. Not on people lost. Now, if the rumors are correct, there might be ways to—"

"Wait!" Porthole held up their hand. "Allow me to adjust, I think there might be—"

[RECORDING INTERRUPTED]