FIEB Chapter 49 (Patreon)

Dylan POV

The past few days have been good, ever since my meeting with the PRT and the Protectorate, and Taylor's official debut.

...maybe a little too good.

Taylor and I immediately got to work, as I had promised her, and began our first undertaking as an official independent team: The Arbiters (this name is subject to change...). Taylor has taken to her patrols—covering the Docks, the nearly abandoned Boat Graveyard, and the railroads—with an impressive gusto that borders on obsessive. I've let her be, though, because despite her seriousness about cape life, she's essentially let her hair down in her civilian life, taking better care of herself, working out, and spending more time with her dad.

So I let it be; it was a genuine improvement for her. Her help was also a much-needed lifeline I didn't know I needed. With her patrolling my usual routes using the bugs she creates, my time was freed up, allowing me to finish the initial phase of setting up real-time city monitoring for my new team. This involved completing the EPD scanners I'd been making, along with some basic tech like visors and comms equipment for Vespera and Glory Girl, which would be patched into my network and locked in based on their biometrics.

Brockton Bay, compared to other metropolitan areas, isn't a large city. It's home to approximately 400,000 people, with city limits amounting to 40-50 square miles. Each of my scanners is capable of covering about a mile if installed high enough and can be self-sustained for at least a year. They'll be able to track all movement in real-time, with the hub installed in our makeshift HQ back at the Docks with Makky.

I've made 20 scanners, which should allow us to monitor at least a good quarter of the city with excellent coverage, starting from the northern docks and extending to the commercial district, including the boardwalk.

And that brings us to today...

"How's everything going, Vespera?" I asked through the comms. "Are the scanners in place?"

"Almost," Taylor replied, her voice calm and focused. "I have two more left near Winslow. I'll be done soon."

I stood on top of a seven-story building in the commercial district. The night was dark, owing to a new moon. I looked at the city's illuminated backdrop, watching the vehicles move beneath me through Lord Street.

I nodded to myself, then reached out through the Force toward the east.

"Glory Girl, how about you?"

"Done," Victoria's voice came through a second later, sounding pleased with herself. "All of mine are up and hidden."

After sunset, Vespera, Glory Girl, and I had been meticulously placing the scanners in their designated positions, ensuring they were installed where they would be difficult to detect.

Originally, it was only supposed to be Vespera and me, but my now-girlfriend had sussed out what I was doing during one of our cuddle sessions. She quickly made sure she was a part of actualizing such a system, joining the team as a "consultant."

I snorted internally at that term.

A minute later, Taylor spoke again.

"Last one's done. I'm clear."

I let out a slow breath and straightened up.

"Alright. Good work, both of you."

I reached out with Mechu-deru and connected to the systems in my armor, opening a secure channel to our HQ.

"Macky, you there?"

"Yeah, I'm here," Macky's voice came through clearly. "I'm ready on my end. Just waiting for the data transmission."

I focused, pushing my will through the armor's systems. One by one, the twenty scanners we had placed today

came online. For a moment, nothing happened.

Then Macky's voice exploded through the comms.

"Holy shit— I'm seeing everything! The feeds are coming in clean!"

Interfacing with my armor, I knew this was a success—the first victory for the Arbiters.

"Well done, guys," I said. "Let's head back."

Just as I was about to cut the comms, Macky spoke again, a little hesitant.

"Wait... there's something near Vespera's last position. Five people. The system's flagging it as a possible drug deal. One civilian with them... possibly buying drugs."

I hesitated.

My last attempt to push back against the drug trade in the Docks hadn't gone well, even with the BPD's and Brandish's help. Stopping one deal wouldn't change much in the long run. But still...

"I hear you, Control," Vespera quickly said, trying to sound professional.

"Are you sure you can manage it?" Vicky asked, sounding concerned for the younger cape through the comms. "It's your first real—"

"...Yes, I'm sure," came Vespera's tense voice. I grimaced a bit. I had hoped Taylor and Victoria would have become friends, but the two were completely different people and just not compatible, even with Vicky doing her best at my insistence.

The brunette wasn't making it easy. I have to talk to her about this; not everyone was out to get her, I thought.

"Hey, wait, I'm not saying you can't do it or anything... I'm just a little worried, it is your first, uh... combat as a cape..." Glory Girl said quickly to try and calm the girl down.

"I am two blocks away and can see them with my constructs... I am capable of taking them out, and as we speak, they are pressuring a woman into buying from them," Vespera said, her voice now dull and devoid of emotion.

It was moments like this that truly showcased the efficiency and power of her abilities, far surpassing her original capabilities. I quickly activated my comms, grateful she didn't immediately attack without my input.

"Alright, Vespera," I said. "Use your constructs to immobilize them. Do your best not to hurt them unless it's absolutely necessary."

Tapping into her visor camera view through my HUD, I saw her crouching behind a dumpster in a dark alleyway. She remained quiet for a few moments.

Just as I was about to speak

again, her calm voice came through: "The druggies are taken care of. I have immobilized them; there are five. The woman in question has been led away from the area by my bugs."

Well, damn, that's the Protagonist for you, I thought. I had a lot of concerns about the girl, but her competence was something I was quickly learning not to doubt.

"Nice job, Vespera!" Glory Girl's voice chimed through the comms, congratulating the girl despite the younger one's slight distaste for her.

I shook my head with a small smile. "Alright. Good work tonight. HQ, can you call that in to the BPD?"

"On it," Macky replied.

"Let's head back," I said to the girls.

More than an hour later, I dropped onto the roof of our old warehouse base in the Docks. The place was surrounded by stacked shipping containers, providing decent cover. It lacked a solid defense, something I hoped to rectify in the coming months.

The girls had arrived before me, owing to their ability to fly. I hadn't rushed, opting instead to enjoy my new suit and improve my control over it via Mechu-deru.

I walked to the side entrance and pushed the heavy metal door open, stepping into the dimly lit warehouse. It was surprisingly cozy. One section had been cleared out for my tinkering, with workbenches, tools, and half-finished projects scattered across them. Macky had claimed another area for himself—a large monitor setup with multiple screens where he could watch the feeds from the EPD Hubs. Further back, a few partitioned sections held a bed, a small restroom, and a basic kitchenette. Macky had essentially been living here ever since I healed him.

I noticed that Taylor and Victoria had changed out of their Cape costumes and were lounging around. Victoria was on her phone, probably surfing the internet, while Taylor was engrossed at the console with Macky. I gave them a nod and a smile to my girlfriend before heading to change into jeans and a T-shirt with a thick jacket to protect myself from the cold. When I came back out, I crashed next to Vicky, who immediately floated over to me from her spot and cuddled, happily ignoring everyone else.

I wrapped my arm around her waist, holding her close as she showed me a text message on her outstretched phone. It was from her family chat.

"I'm staying over with you tonight, but Mom wants you for dinner tomorrow."

"Sure, Vicky, I'd love that."

Say what you will about Carol Dallon, she was one hell of a cook. Victoria had stayed over at my place a couple of times just to spend time with me, something I was grateful for. While we hadn't gone all the way, we had certainly explored each other.

I was learning that Victoria's love language was anything physical. She smiled at me in acceptance and kissed my cheek.

A cough brought us back to reality as Taylor walked over. I saw her dull, unimpressed gaze along with the smirk Macky was trying to hide. I pushed down a bubble of embarrassment, something Victoria didn't seem bothered by in the slightest. She just smiled at Taylor as if nothing was amiss.

Taylor held out the tablet. "There's a lot of reports piling up. How are we planning to deal with all this?"

I sighed and gently extracted myself from Victoria's embrace, taking the tablet from her. The screen showed seven flagged incidents — mostly suspected drug deals and a couple of muggings — all within the areas where we had placed scanners tonight.

I had known this was coming, but I had learned I couldn't stop crime as a whole.

In fact, crime had been reduced to a very small number in some of the areas I patrolled. The Merchants, ABB, and other smaller gangs were keeping a much lower profile, especially after my involvement in

Canberra. Looking up at Taylor, I said, "We can't stop all crime. Not me. Not even you, with how wide your range is. Sure, we'll try. The system will automatically send anonymous tips to the BPD and first responders when it detects crimes in progress. But Taylor... we're not a first response force. We can't monitor and react to everything at once."

She didn't look convinced.

I continued, "Right now, our priority is removing the bigger threats. The heads of the gangs. We'll use this system to slowly cut out the hostile elements and improve things over time. But we can't be everywhere."

What I was saying was something I truly believed in. I would do my best to eradicate crime, but right now my aim was to remove the heads of the larger gangs. I would abide by the unwritten rules as much as I could, but I would not play their stupid games.

This was mycity.

Taylor wasn't fully convinced, but seeing my reluctance, she eventually agreed. Vicky, Taylor, and I left our HQ after I had a quick chat with Macky. I wanted to ensure he'd be safe here and discuss some of the rarer and more expensive parts I'd need to tinker up much-needed defenses and some otherthings I had planned, especially now that I was moderately proficient in Mechu-deru.

One of these days, I'm going to find where the DWA gets all their stuff from...

We eventually reached my apartment a couple of hours later. We had decided to walk, turning the night into an impromptu date. The walk reminded me of my need for a vehicle.

I really need to buy a truck or something...

After entering my apartment, we quickly took turns showering. Then, Vicky swiftly made us a one-pot dinner with whatever was available in my pantry. Another surprising detail about my new girlfriend was that, like her mom, she was also a good cook.

We cuddled under a blanket on my couch, eating dinner and watching a rip-off of Twilight at Vicky's insistence, when a loud thud came from downstairs.

"You have noisy neighbors," she commented.

I nodded. I knew from a little Force divination who or where the noise was originating from.

Janna's apartment.

"Yeah, it's been a trend for a couple of days now."

"You know them?"

"Yeah, she's a neighbor. I know most people in the apartment," I said, not noticing the way her eyes narrowed.

"She... huh, you know her?" Feeling something in the air, I looked at my girlfriend.

"Not really, just an acquaintance..."

"What does she do for work?" Vicky asked. I grimaced and answered truthfully.

"...She's a working woman."

Vicky instantly floated up from me, dragging the blanket and looking at me with a small glare.

"Have you and her...?" she questioned me directly.

I sighed and pulled her down with a quick application of the Force, ignoring her yelp.

"No, and why would you even ask that, huh?" She eventually settled on me again.

"I know you're experienced, mister. You kiss way too good not to be." I huffed a laugh and explained everything I knew about Janna as Vicky became a little softer.

I smiled at the blonde, knowing her soft heart had already won her over. Before she could continue, another thud echoed from below.

I frowned. This was not normal.

"You can like, hear through walls and buildings, right? So, go on, let me know what you hear," she said, looking up at me from where she rested against my chest.

"Vicky, that's an invasion of privacy," I said, feeling slightly hypocritical at her raised eyebrow.

"Fine..."

"Relax, it's probably nothing. She's probably just rearranging furniture or something..."

Nodding, I concentrated and heard through the Force. She was right, it was probably nothing. Only to freeze upon hearing four distinct voices—one male and three female.

"...we have to do something..."

"Yeah..."

"No, we... could die."

"We have powers now; we can't let that bitch do what she wants! All of our friends are there—you don't want them to die, do you?" a fierce female voice argued.

"No, but what about Lung?"

"...We'll take him too," the voice said, more subdued.

All I could think was, Fuck.I quickly looked at the blonde in my arms, who was quizzically looking at my face.

"Vicky, we have a problem."

So much for a quiet night...