Disclaimer: Nothing comes to mind.

The Prologue

Susan's face was made out of stone as she listened to the director's orders. Eighteen months of investigation to catch the worst criminal of her career, the kind of person she'd signed up to stop all wasted because the suit across from her wanted a bigger bonus.

"Sir." It took every ounce of her will not to yell. "I must protest your decision. Aar-"

"Let's not use real names," the director interrupted.

"Fine." Her jaw clenched. "The Boogie Man-"

"PR is thinking about calling him the Dark Guardian," the director interrupted again.

She felt like her teeth were about to crack. "The subject has committed at least seven sexual assaults on victims raging in age from seven to eighty five and I believe that I can tie him to at least two murders. He's a clear candidate for the Birdcage."

"The Birdcage represents a failure, Agent Hernandez. Both for the PRT and society as a whole. The goal of the PRT is to take individuals with powers and to provide them with the help they need to become responsible members of society. It is not to warehouse them in a crime against humanity. Is that clear?"

It also represents a bigger bonus for you at the end of the year, she thought darkly. Successful recruitments looked a lot better to the Chief Director than successful prosecutions. "Clear, sir."

"Wonderful. Then you won't have a problem accompanying me to deliver the offer." The director rose from his chair and started towards the holding cells. "I expect you to remain professional at all times. Is that understood, Agent Hernandez?"

"It is, sir."

She felt sick as she followed the man down to the holding cells. This is it, Susan thought to herself, this is the moment I give up every ideal I ever had. It wasn't the first time she'd recruited a criminal, it wasn't even the fifteenth, but she'd been able to justify the others to herself. Most of them had been stupid scared kids that had made a mistake or had thought that powers would let them do whatever they wanted. Most of them had quickly fallen into line after being shown that their actions had consequences. But this time the subject had a long criminal record dating to long before they'd gotten powers. This time the subject's crimes were so heinous that they merited a bullet to the brain, not . . . not this.

She sat across from him, staring at his smug smirk. Staring at the delight in his eyes when he heard the director's offer. She stared at him and she felt part of what had made up the very core of her being die. She stared at him and she felt the disgust her past self would have felt at her actions.

"Told ya I'd never do time, darlin," the monster said smugly.

Susan was out of her chair in a flash. "You rotten son of a-"

"Step outside now, Agent Hernandez!" the director ordered harshly. "Do not say a word to anyone until I have had a chance to determine your punishment for this breach of conduct."

Rage turned to calm as Susan realized what she had to do. It was as if the finger of god was tapping her on the shoulder telling her that the purpose that she had been placed on earth to accomplish was before her. Susan drew her pistol and put two rounds center mass in the subject. Her third caught the director in the right ear as he tried to stand. The door burst open before she could hit the hit the subject with an insurance shot between the eyes and she fell to the ground as the response team's brute rated tasers destroyed her central nervous system.

She watched helplessly on the ground as the subject's chest rose and fell and Susan felt despair. She'd failed to accomplish her reason for existence. She could feel her eyes rolling into the back of her head as things went dark and then suddenly she could see again, she could move again, she could act again. Using her new powers, Susan pulled every bit of energy she could from the tinker tech devices and used her new powers to burn both of the monsters in the room to ash.

IIIIIIIIII

She woke up with a headache in an identical interview room an indeterminate amount of time later sitting across from one of her now former colleagues.

"Awake are we?" the man said calmly. "Good. You will no doubt be pleased to learn that an investigation has determined that the Boogie Man mastered you into murdering the former director. As a trained agent, you felt the attempt and attempted to prevent his actions by terminating him. Unfortunately, you acted a split second too late to save the former director's life. Gaining powers disrupted the Boogie Man's control enough that you were able to stop him, though your unfamiliarity with your new powers meant that you also burned the body of the former director to a crisp. Did you get all that or do you want me to go over the findings again?"

"A very through investigation," she complimented. "How fortunate it was that you were able to come to a conclusion without a statement from me."

"The evidence on scene was considered so conclusive that no further investigation was deemed necessary," the agent said blandly.

"I imagine the fact that I have powers now played a part in that decision," Susan said dryly.

The agent shrugged. "You used to be one of us, you know how the game is played."

"I do."

"Wonderful. I assume that you also know what my offer is."

"I do."

"As a former colleague, I don't have to tell you what the consequences would be if you were to turn down the offer. Do I?"

"You don't," she spat.

"Good. Welcome to the Protectorate, Electra."

She snorted. "Electra? You are aware of the connotations, aren't you?"

"It's just a temporary for now to give us something to put in the paperwork. You know how it is, PR is going to want to spend a bit of time before they decide on your permanent."

IIIIIIIIII

Susan kept her expression placid as her now former colleagues laid out her options. Duty in a containment zone was off the table, thankfully, every other option presented was a shit hole. Proof, she assumed, of how unhappy the Chief Director was with her actions and evidence that her powers were not considered valuable enough to keep her happy.

"Brockton Bay," she said after a moment of thought. It was the only one on the list that didn't have anyone she'd worked with. Better to be alone in her shame.

IIIIIIIIII

The Director of the East North East branch of the PRT was exactly what rumor had presented her to be. An unpleasant burnout kept alive only by spite.

Piggot's look of dislike was evident when Susan entered her office. "Lightning Lass reporting, ma'am."

"I'm told you killed your last director."

"The investigation concluded that I had been mastered by a parahuman villain, ma'am."

"Yes," the director agreed. "It also said that cocksucker Morris wanted to deliver the news that he was recommending the Birdcage personally and that's why he was in the room with you."

"That's what it said, ma'am."

"Swept two murders because you broke and got a useful power, huh?" Piggot snorted. "Well, I hope you got that out of your system because there will be no coverups here. You fuck up and I will take great pleasure in sending you to either a containment zone or the Birdcage and nothing would please me more than putting my signature on a kill order. Is that clear?"

"It is, ma'am."

"Fuck off."

"Yes, ma'am." Susan exited the woman's office. Bitch.

IIIIIIIIII

Susan raised her hand after the sirens went off. Her career was over, her life was in shambles, what did she have to lose?

"I'll go," she announced.

The relief was palpable. Any branch that failed to volunteer at least one cape for every battle could look forward to nothing good. Her participation meant no one else would be forced to step up. She just hoped it'd be over quick.

"Thank you, Lightning Lass," Miss Militia stated seriously. "We all appreciate your willingness."

"Someone has to and it's not like I have much to lose," she replied.