As the situation played out inside of his head he could not help but feel a cold sweat build up his spine. The robbery he planned was supposed to be a quick thing. Something that would draw attention but not make any waves.
Instead of that situation he found himself dealing with….well that nonsense.
He looked over at Vista who was still giving him an odd look about Stagehand's little show. She must have been briefed about his connection with that cape or the fact he was suspected to be them. So to her this news was strange.
"I'm sorry, I'm not really familiar with a Cape named Stagehand. I thought I knew all the players in Brockton but I guess I was wrong." He spoke out after a moment. Feigning confusion as he was not supposed to know about the title they assigned to him.
"Nah, I did not hear that one either. So they can't be that famous." Tammi offered her own two cents as she snuggled into his side. Again Vista twitched at that but regained focus quickly.
"Right, Stagehand is a name for a Cape that is circulating in the PRT. Um, you and Tammi should be familiar with them. Cocky thief who has a penchant for white suits and banter." Vista explained calmly but he could tell she was watching them for a reaction.
Cole showed understanding but not much else. Tammi on the other hand snorted and pinched his side as she snuggled into him, her closeness blocking the sight of it. His lips twitched for a moment but he did not let her teasing break his act.
"Him and everyone else, half of the Cape fights in the Bay are dumb lines and flexing on whoever you feel like. I swear Kaiser monologues because he loves the sound of his own voice and Glory Hole acts like nothing really bothers her. Maybe it's just a part of the Cape lifestyle." Tammi again offered her two cents and Cole felt like tapping her mouth shut.
She was not exactly earning herself favours by being so degrading to a known hero even if she took potshots at Kaiser as well. Vista did not know how to take her words for a moment.
On one hand Vista and Vickie's relationship could be best described as shaky. On the other hand Vickie was someone she fought with, and while the young girl hated that Vickie was dating her crush she did not really have a big issue with the girl in other aspects.
"I guess Stagehand fits but from what I know about him he goes by Phantom Thief." Cole spoke out to move the conversation on. He did not want the young girl dwelling on his girlfriend's rudeness.
Vista looked at him for a moment, clearly she could see he was changing the subject but she was not sure if she was going to let it go. Eventually her own need to avoid conflict won over as she dropped it as well. Tammi on the other hand snorted again at Cole's words.
'Really? Phantom Thief was the best he could come up with? I mean it's okay but in comparison to some of the other names out there it comes out as a bit of a mouthful." Tammi mocked the Cape with a slight smile on her face as she again pinched his sides.
She knew he was the Cape in question here and she was blatantly making fun of him. He wanted to pinch her cheeks and give her a pout of his own but this was not the time or place for that. Still, he was going to remember this and write it down in his little black book of vengeance.
Although, she was kind of right. Phantom Thief was okay but it did not hold up to names like Legend or Alexandria. Even in the original anime they did not really call him Phantom Thief instead they called him Kid or Kaito Kid if they wanted to use his full government name.
He could have also gone for something more cool sounding like Joker or Fool. Drawing inspiration from the Persona games.
Still, while his name was not the best sounding he was going to stand by it. If only because he was already too far into this to do anything but that.
"He is a thief, I guess he did not really think any deeper than that." Cole explained calmly but Tammi just grinned at him while Vista was looking over with a glint in her eyes.
"How much do you know about this new Cape?" Vista asked clearly trying to fish for information for the PRT and the hero scene in general. He did not think she had it in her to play games like this but maybe he was not treating her as seriously as she deserves despite his own thoughts and words.
"Ah, not too much. I needed some help from him and he needed some work done in return. I just know what he goes by and that he is rather….excitable about his craft. The kind of guy who would leave a trail of riddles and puzzles telling people where he was going to rob next for the thrill of it." Cole explained sheepishly and that earned him a knowing glint from Tammi and Vista nodding seriously to his words.
Surprisingly she did not ask what help this Cape needed but maybe she was privy to that information before they met. He did tell Miss Militia and Armsmaster that he promised to heal someone for Kaito Kid.
"Still, that is more than we know about him. I am sure that you have little details that don't seem that important to you but would paint a better picture of Stagehand." Vista followed up with a rather compelling argument.
It's too bad he was not actually on their side in this. He was going to be misleading them from the start.
"Really, that's about all I can remember about the guy. I was not exactly in a position to remember tiny details and I had only met him the one time." Cole explained quickly which had Vista staring at him for a moment before she accepted that.
She looked like she was contemplating a new route to pull information from him but the door opened up and Armsmaster entered the room again. His pace was brisk but not in any real rush.
"Sorry about the intrusion but something has come up that is rather important. The Cape you have been in contact with has been in an altercation with the Empire and the ABB. Velocity has reported that Oni-Lee managed to stab him with one of his knives. We think he might contact you soon to call in that price he is owed." Armsmaster explained as he fully entered the room.
His attention was focused in on Cole with an intensity that would have a stripper blush. Cole shifted awkwardly underneath that gaze but he looked back at Armsmaster to say something.
"Was the wound lethal? While I do owe him a healing he seemed…insistent about healing someone when we made the deal. Honestly, if he wanted a pocket healer on speed dial he could have gotten that from me. I was not exactly willing to wait after all." Cole explained while he shot a look at Tammi who wore a guilty look on her face and back to Armsmaster who was frowning.
Oddly enough Vista was also frowning.
"The thing is he did not ask for that. He wanted me to heal someone specific and while he never told me who that was. I am sure he had someone in mind. So if this stab wound is not something lethal I doubt he would call in that favour for himself. I could recognize that desperation, whoever he wanted to be healed is important to him." Cole continued when it was clear everyone was waiting for his input.
"That does fit the profile we have on him better. A thrill seeker addicted to attention and someone not really thinking about any long term goals. Considering that it is doubtful he would cash in that favour and would simply wait out for the wound to recover naturally." Armsmaster admitted after a moment.
"It's not like the hospital is really going to look at stab wound and see it as anything out of the ordinary here." Tammi spat out darkly before she laid her hand on Cole's thigh as a gesture of concern and support. "Even if you tell the staff to be on the lookout for a specific wound it's not going to stop him, one bribe and people will conveniently forget a patient or he could go to one of the many many illegal docs running in the docks." Tammi continued with a fair amount of snark even if she was making a solid point.
Vista was frowning at that but there was a bitter acceptance on her face. She clearly knew Tammi had a point in this.
"While him calling you in for this wound is unlikely, him calling in that favour soon is still something that will happen. Since he wanted this person to be healed so badly he is probably going to contact you soon. So this presents an opportunity. We can use this to stage an ambush and capture Stagehand before he becomes an even bigger risk." Armsmaster spoke after a moment and that drew everyone's eyes on him.
"Is that really necessary?" Vista asked with a small almost sullen tone. She was not exactly happy about ambushing a guy who only wanted to have someone in their life healed. It was not like Kaito had done anything truly evil like some of the villains in the city.
That opinion had Tammi looking at Vista in a slightly more favourable light as she was glaring daggers at Armsmaster for the mere idea of betraying 'stagehand' like that.
Honestly, Tammi was a rather weak link in the charade Cole was playing. She could not pull off the lies that Cole could and Armsmaster would be able to pick apart any statements she gave. So they agreed that the best way to get through this was to have her throw truths out as well.
Masking any lies by saying less and relying on her genuine concern for Cole to play out anything else. She was doing a surprisingly good job at that even if she was being a smidge more hostile than he thought possible.
Okay, maybe not a smidge.
"I know he is a villain but I don't….I don't want to take hope away from someone. Especially towards someone who was there when I….needed help." Cole spoke out with a grimace and a pained flash in his eyes.
Armsmaster saw the opposition in the room but just looked stoically at everyone in the room. Maybe if Miss Militia was in the room the emotional play going on here would have been effective. But doing this against him really was a doomed endeavor.
"This may be distasteful but this will take a dangerous Cape off of the streets. He may not have done anything truly harmful yet but he has proven that he is capable of fighting and winning against seasoned Capes and he is even able to escape out of confinement. So dealing with him before things escalate is vital." Armsmaster explained as he looked over the room.
There was an air of acceptance in the room but it was combined with bitter disapproval of such actions. Tammi's feelings were expected considering that she knew that 'stagehand' was Cole but Vista's feelings were a surprise. She honestly came off a whole lot more straight-laced than this but maybe he was not giving the Capes in the PRT credit for their integrity.
Most people did not like being the bad guy. So when using tactics like this it would rub them the wrong way.
Surprisingly it seemed like Armsmaster was able to read the room as he let out a sigh but maybe it was just his algorithm giving him hints. That or his Cybersex partner watching over his shoulder offering advice.
"Look, when Stagehand is in custody, you can still heal the person he wants healed. That way you are not really breaking a promise. We can also discuss concessions for Stagehand when he is in custody. He has not committed a crime that crosses any lines." Armsmater spoke out seriously.
Cole blinked at that and almost let a laugh bubble out of him. Apparently, the PRT was not just interested in adding another victory in their name. They saw Stagehand's potential and were willing to recruit yet another Cape with the threat of law and consequences to get them to comply.
Hell, they might use Cole's healing as another wedge to get Kaito to join like they wanted. It was a dirty tactic but if this scenario was real it would have netted them another Cape. So it would have been worth it in the end.
The Gangs were even more heavy-handed in recruitment so something like this could be viewed as mild in comparison.
Armsmaster was staring at Cole as if trying to get him to fall in line with his gaze alone. The man knew that if Cole did not cooperate with them then this idea was doomed for failure, as Cole could heal someone behind their backs or even tip off Staghand to their plans.
So Cole looked away from his gaze and stared at the table for a good long time before nodding sullenly.
Honestly, he did not really have to entertain this as he could make it so 'stagehand' never called this favour in but he kind of wanted to flex his muscle and fight the PRT.
He had been expanding his powers at a rather rapid pace and he was curious about how far he could fight with one of the forces in this city. He also had a bone to pick with the PRT and while he knew that the PRT played a very minor part in his mother's death, that grudge was still there.
So smearing some mud on their faces would be cathartic.
He knew he was escalating, but he needed to burn some fuel if he ever wanted to have this rocket hit the goddamn target. In comparison to all the moves he could be making this seemed like something pleasant.
So he put up a surprised face when his phone suddenly buzzed and a text message popped up. He looked at the phone and Armsmaster with a conflicted face that drew attention from everyone in the room. Before he let out a sigh and showed the message to Armsmaster with a reluctant look on his face.
Hey lover-boy. Going to need that favour repaid tmrw. This city is a freaking hot bed and I want out of here. Also deal with your shit, I got in a scuffle with the Empire because they think I am you. So deal with that or I will. In fact you owe me for getting me involved in that mess so you are healing me as well tmrw.
Armsmaster read the screen and the man just nodded along like everything was expected. Vista was looking down and like she did not want to be in this room any longer but she did not know where else to go.
Tammi on the other hand was glaring at Armsmaster but the guy did not even flinch.
"You made the right call Cole." Armsmaster reassured Cole as he started to plot and plan his plan.
Cole just looked sullen but he was grinning internally. The PRT was going to have a surprise of their own when they showed up to ambush him. He might even be able to nab some stuff from the PRT Capes to get some more energy built up.
45---------------------------------
(Armsmaster interlude)
He let out a sigh as he stared at Battery and Assault trying to calm down the nervous Cole. The boy was clearly not handling his role in this play very well. It was to be expected, he was a recent trigger and they were not really known for emotional stability. Beyond that the target of this Opp was someone who lent him a hand when he desperately needed it.
So seeing him fidget in place with a near ghastly expression was normal. The occasional rock of the van as they drove to their destination seemingly rocking his mood as well. His current state was not going to work for the plan they had concocted but they really did not have any other options. Stagehand had already proven he was incredibly skilled at escaping.
Velocity had captured him with a Containment Foam Grenade. They were operating under the assumption that his teleportation worked in a similar vein to Oni-lee's with eye-line being vital. It was not a far reach considering his fight with Glory Girl. In that fight he released a variety of dolls to swap with.
Meaning he could not simply replace himself with anything. Even if those dolls were marked as a teleportation target they assumed that there was a distance/eye-line requirement since he fought with Glory Girl instead of escaping.
That was the wrong assumption to make. His fight with Glory Girl stemmed from him not considering her a real threat despite her well known prowess. Stagehand was right in his assessment considering how easily he was able to take her down but that disconnect gave them a false alley to follow.
So Velocity's method of capture was something they had plotted in their previous meeting. Stagehand proved that his capabilities were beyond their expectations by escaping a prison that a majority of Capes could not escape from.
That meant they had to change their tactics when capturing him. They could not give him even a second to react as he could escape with that valuable second. Meaning catching him off guard was going to be the name of the game here.
That was why Cole was such a vital part of this plan despite his emotional instability and his questionable loyalty. If not for that one fact he would be back at the base familiarizing himself with the rest of the Wards like his friend Tammi was doing.
He frowned as he thought about the Wards as that was another issue he was going to have to deal with. He thought that the Wards were in a good state and any problems from there was not something that needed his attention despite one of his responsibilities being to ensure the Wards stability.
He had Miss Militia watching over them as her maternal instincts and her soft spot for children made her a great fit for taking care of the emotionally scared children. She did not really have the authority to push too much as it was not technically her position to take part in but he was not going to give that title to her.
That title accounted for 30% of his tinkering budget and that was not something he would let go off.
He assumed that those limitations were not really an issue as the Wards had a secret weapon that should have ensured emotional stability. Gallant was an Empath and he had already proven his worth by reporting Panacea's own problems.
An Empath should have glued together the Wards like nothing else but that was apparently wrong. As he learned today, assumptions were not good to make no matter how likely the outcome was.
Shadow Stalker was not meshing well with the rest of the team and it was causing tension. Even Vista, who was someone who feared bringing up conflicts, was speaking against her fellow Ward even if she was not exactly outright saying it.
When they recruited Shadow Stalker her personality and brutal tendencies were brought up but with Gallant their everything was waved away. Gallant had reported that she had a tense relationship with the others but he assured Armsmaster that everything was under control and he would have her meshing with the team like all the other members.
Perhaps he put too much weight on the teenagers shoulders. Gallant might be understating things to impress his superiors or he might genuinely believe he could handle it despite it not being solved yet.
He gritted his teeth as this was a major mistake on his part. He may have trusted everything to fall in line with the factors at play but it was his responsibility to have that outcome come to life. If this tension led to a major mistake and had the Wards falling apart it would be a major mark on his recond.
That was not something he could accept.
Perhaps those thoughts were a bit alarmist but the fact was that the Wards had issues and he was ignoring them. That needed to change.
He needed to get a handle on the team and figure out exactly what issues they had. After discovering one rat you don't think the problem is solved. No, if there was one Rat there was bound to be more. So a complete investigation needed to be run and he needed to deal with Shadow Stalker. Especially since there was tension between her and Cole.
Shadow Stalker had reported a certain amount of animosity between her and Cole. She painted a picture of yet another member of the Empire throwing around their racial hate. He had trusted that report until he met the boy himself yesterday.
It was clear he wanted nothing to do with the Empire and the part they played in his friend's imprisonment drew animosity towards the Empire. Now hate for the Empire did not dictate a lack of racial bias but that was disproven with his attitude with Miss Militia.
His body language did not even flicker towards the tells most Empire members held. Instead it told a story of him truly appreciating her doting and soft spoken manners. Even when things were at an emotional high his distaste and anger was only directed at Gallant who he viewed as the source of the problems.
Perhaps assigning a young black girl to monitor someone with connections with the Empire was not the best choice. She clearly held her own bias and she let those bias paint a picture that was not even remotely accurate.
He once again bemoaned the fact that the human race was filled with fools who let their emotions dominate them. Things would be so much simpler if people acted like him but no. He had to deal with faulty information and fragile teens.
He missed the days where he only had to concentrate on improving his gear and capturing villains and Gang members.
"Hey, no need to worry kid. Trust me everything is going to turn out fine. This just might be the thing Stagehand really needs." Assault spoke out in his usual loud and boisterous manner.
He had given up on trying to cheer up Cole with his usual antics and had switched to a more genuine route.
"I know, I should not be this hung up on this but….it just feels off." Cole mumbled out as he stared at the floor of the van.
Assault grimaced as the man knew exactly what sort of conflict Cole was going through. He was someone who held principles he was willing to fight for and someone who discarded them when something more important came about.
There was sympathy in his stance and irritation bleeding out of the Cape directed at the rest of the PRT. Assault had been rather vocal at his opposition of this plan as he did not want to put this weight on Cole's shoulders and he did not like targeting Villains who were not really harming people in general.
He disdained using someone's loved ones and their need to help them as bait for a trap. He would normally direct some of that irritation to Cole considering the betrayal he was doing but that irritation avoided the teen in this case.
Assault knew that the PRT was pressuring a young emotionally vulnerable teen who had just gone through his own Trigger event this week. That fact was something that drew the most irritation out of the usually mellow man.
"Cole, sometimes doing what is right is not necessarily something easy. Sometimes the right thing will tear parts of you away and sometimes the right thing will hurt you more than anything else." Battery offered her own thoughts with a calm, almost knowing tone.
Assault stiffened and gave his wife a look before he looked away from the teen.
Cole rested his face into his hands and took a deep breath.
"I know, I do really. I'll play my part but I'm healing who they want me to heal." Cole spoke out after a moment looking up with determination set in his eyes despite the strained state he was in before.
Battery went to say something but Assault stopped her by nudging her side. He gave his wife a look that said everything that needed to be said had been said. He then turned towards the young Cape and nodded solemnly towards him.
As if viewing something that truly resonated with him.
Armsmaster just let out another sigh. Really, why did his Squad have to be like this. Perhaps he should work with Dragon on Robot replacements. No, that was extreme and would probably lead towards another Machine Army. He was just going to have to deal with these emotional creatures.
He was tempted to tell Cole that it was not really up to him but he knew the PRT was already pushing the young teen too much. They could let Cole heal the person as long as Stagehand did not know they were healed. They were going to use that soft spot in negotiation with the Cape later on after all.
"Like I've said before, we won't stop that. Now are you prepared on what you need to do or do you need us to run through the plan again?" He asked the Ward with his usual tone. Assault started to make faces at Armsmaster but Battery nudged her partner to get him to stop.
He ignored the byplay as he always did.
"I got it, meet Kaito get his attention and try to get him to focus on me. When he asks me to heal him, flood him with my energy so the emotional high will have him distracted." Cole explained dully but as long as he followed orders his own feelings were irrelevant.
"Good." Armsmaster nodded before reaching across the van and placing his hands on the boy's shoulders. Adjusting the camera there so it was in a more optimal location.
He would be able to monitor the situation with that camera with his visor. The location Stagehand had selected for the meet up was pretty remote and it would be difficult to close the distance until Stagehand was distracted. So Cole was going to have to enter the location by himself at first.
A risk but an acceptable one. Stagehand would not risk Cole's life, not when he needed the boy to heal someone for him.
The van reached the position it needed to be in and Cole was ushered out of it and walked the rest of the way to his destination.
The camera feed ran perfectly fine as the young boy walked towards the warehouse. This meeting was not taking place during the day time so the streets were not filled with the more volatile members of society despite this being Merchant territory.
There were a concerning number of homeless lying around in alleys and sometimes just straight up on the road but nothing new to this area. Ever Since Leviathan came about the Docks that used to usher in countless goods was relegated to a trash heap.
A place where hopes and dreams died and a place where those despairing wallowed in the past. Reaching for anything that would numb their shattered hearts. Something the Merchants were more than willing to take advantage of.
Since it was day time the rest of the team needed to follow along in the Van instead of sneaking out in costume. Their appearance would be noticed quickly even if they tried to go about this in a stealthy manner.
The Docks just had too many eyes even if most of them were disconnected from society.
It was clear as Cole walked down the street that he was not welcome here. He was too clean, too put together for anyone here to like the sight of him. His nervous energy and him looking at the ground in guilt also pointed at him being an easy mark.
Armsmaster frowned as having his Ward accosted on a mission would not look good but they could not really do anything about this. He could only hope that the people here ignored him.
It looked like some of them were about to act before others pulled them back and shared whispered conversations. After that they glared at the young boy as he walked the street hateful but restrained. It was a confusing contradiction that had him frowning further.
He could not understand how their animosity was being held back and why they were so angry in the first place.
It's because of the Empire.
Dragon, his ever so helpful friend, decided to enlighten him as she joined in on his camera feed. He was surprised she decided to show up now but her dropping by out of the blue was a normal occurrence for him.
Usually she tried to keep quiet when he was in an operation but his focus was not really needed for battle at least not yet.
He took in her words and the picture started to make sense. Homeless in Merchant territory were usually minorities as anyone white would go to Empire territory for better treatment. The Asian demographic ironically avoided the ABB territory like a plague as Lung was not famed for his kindness.
The Empire made a habit of beating minorities as a Gang Initiation and the Homeless were the easiest to pick out. So the people here were more than familiar with being targeted by people looking exactly like Cole.
The only reason they did not jump him right now was because they feared retribution. The Empire would be more than happy to string up and make an example of people who targeted 'their' people after all.
"They should leave him alone, but Velocity be prepared to step in if things start to escalate." He ordered in case things turned south. He really did not need that black mark on his record. Not for something that should be easy to deal with.
The speedster nodded and buzzed with energy as they sat. Velocity was a vital part of this operation as well and he hated standing around doing nothing.
Thankfully they did not have to wait for very long as Cole sped up to his destination. Perhaps he was able to feel the anger and hate being directed at him and he decided the street was not the best place for him right now.
Cole ducked into an alley and opened up a door leading towards the interior of a collapsing warehouse. The place was in disrepair but the damage was mainly cosmetic as the structure's stability was more than fine from his scans.
A good place to discourage people from exploring while also being relatively safe.
The feed showed the interior of the building was also in disrepair. The inside was wide with rotten wood from shelves lying around haphazardly. There might have been more things in this place at one point but anything of value had long since been picked clean if the owner did not sell it themselves.
The only source of light being beams of sun from torn open holes in the ceiling. In the center of the Warehouse was Stagehand sitting on a box with a cane resting on his lap.
"Took you long enough, thought I was going to be waiting here all day." Stagehand spoke out in a bored fashion as he stood up from his spot. His movement smooth but tiny ticks telling him that he was still nursing a wound in the side.
"This place is not exactly close to my home." Cole shot back as he drew closer.
"Pull in closer, target is spotted." Armsmaster commanded as the Van picked up some speed. The rest of the team getting ready to spring in a moment's notice.
"Can't see why that would be an issue." Stagehand spoke out with a snort as he twirled his cane absently. He also looked at Cole with a smile that was a bit too wide for comfort.
That seemed to unsettle the boy as he shifted from each foot.
"I look like I came off the pages of Meich Kamp. I was pretty sure two guys were going to stab me for just existing." Cole spoke out with a frown as he faced the Cape.
Again Stagehand snorted.
"Eh, you got here fine and you're a Cape. They should be the ones fearing you my friend." Stagehand spoke out as he set the cane back on the ground and leaned on it.,
The van pulled into a location close enough for the rest of the team to exit and storm the building. Velocity checked his gear and slipped out of the door as the rest of them also exited the Van.
Cole was doing a good job at prolonging this talk but Stagehand was not distracted enough for the ambush to work perfectly.
There is something off about this Cape
Armsmaster frowned at that message and gripped his halbert tighter. He was getting the same feeling but nothing seemed out of control just yet.
"Not exactly made of stab proof material. So where is this person you want me to heal other than you?" Cole asked as he got closer. He could reach out and touch Stagehand if he lunged but Cole did not really have anything to take down the Cape. Other than his own enhanced strength.
Stagehand grinned at him and let his weight lift from the Cane as he shifted back slightly. He then looked at Cole with that same wide smile and then the Cape looked directly at the miniature camera on Cole's shoulder baring his teeth in a mocking smile.
His eyes widened.
"Not here obviously, I figured you would be snatched up quickly but I thought the Empire would have gotten to you first. But looks like the good guys won you over my friend." Stagehand shot out and Armsmaster was already leaping out of the Van and rushing towards the building.
Velocity flashing out of existence as he sped towards the target not even needing to hear an order to get started. Assault and Battery following along at a pace that was not quite as quick.
Cole took a step back and Stagehand reached for him but Velocity materialized beside Stagehand as he dropped his speed to attack.
His hands lunging forward with a sedative Armsmaster gave him to sedate the Cape who also enjoyed using tactics like this. He would have succeeded if his powers did not have such a crippling limitation.
In his accelerated state he could not inject the syringe into someone. So he had to drop it. They hoped that Cole would be able to distract the Cape giving them a shot to sedate him but that did not happen.
Instead as Velocity tried to inject him Stagehand seemed to dance underneath his attack. His body slipped underneath Velocity's outstretched arm. One of his legs kicked out Velocity's legs as he slipped out of the attack.
The hand not holding a Cane reached towards the syringe as he passed and snatched it out of his hands as Stagehand had Velocity falling towards the ground face first. That syringe flashing forward like a snake and injecting into Velocity's own neck ensured the speedster was out of the fight.
"Did you think you could get the drop on me again? After being covered in goop I decided to plan for you in particular." Stagehand mocked as he waved at Cole.
No, he was waving at the camera. He was waving at him.
Armsmaster gritted his teeth as he shoulder checked the door in front of him and burst into the Warehouse.
Cole was looking at what was happening with a gaping mouth and shock dancing across his face. Stagehand was already holding onto his arm as he looked towards Armsmaster with that mocking smile.
He never planned on bringing the patient to Cole; he was going to take Cole with him!
Armsmaster's eyes widened as he understood another blind shot.
"I would give you guys a more grand welcome but my sides are killing me and I got a girl who needs some cuddling so me and lover-boy are going to go bye bye now. So tata!" Stagehand shouted out smugly as his eyes glinted.
He shifted his halberd aiming to shoot another sedative at Stagehand hoping that he could salvage this.
"Oh, I suppose I should give a parting gift to the people who decided to capture little ole me." Stagehand shot out before forming a finger gun and pointing towards Armsmaster.
Armsmaster's own finger was already springing towards the trigger to shoot the Cape. The sedative flying through the air.
"Off." Stagehand announced and suddenly all the systems that ran his Suit shut off. He froze in place as his suit made him a prisoner in a cage of iron. Stagehand and Cole disappeared, replaced with two dolls that were flipping them off.
The sedative sinking in the doll far too late to hit the target it needed.
He let out a curse and felt dread pool in his stomach. He was worried about a black mark on his record but this. This was something far worse. He lost the healer they just recruited. He could only pray that Stagehand let Cole go after he served his purpose.