A/N: Debriefing!
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The debrief goes about as well as Maya expected it to go. That is, not really that well at all. Nobody wants to be there, obviously. All of them lost someone today. Well, except for Maya herself. Sure, Darkwing had gone to her birthday party one year, but outside of that she hadn't really known him or any of the others who'd perished today.
Still, they all sit and talk through what had happened and what went wrong. Unfortunately, what it really boils down to is mostly factors outside of their control.
The Flaxans had literally had decades to plan their next invasion. Earth had three days to prepare and no way of truly knowing if it would ever even happen again. Of course, now that it had happened twice, it did seem a lot more likely that it would happen a third time.
Still, nobody could have been ready for the Flaxans to have advanced their technology and come up with multiple counters to their most likely enemies. War Woman's mace was still attached to the Flaxan's countermeasure for her for instance. She'd just ripped the panel it was adhering to off of the Flaxan machinery and bent it so it was mostly out of the way while GDA scientists took the rest of the machine for study.
There were questions about Maya's ability to escape the grey gunk they'd trapped her in as well, especially since The Immortal hadn't been able to get free without help, but Maya couldn't really explain it to them. It was like seeing Eve about to die an ignoble death at the hands of some Flaxan grunt had awakened something primal and furious in her. She'd dug deep and come up feeling like the fury of a thousand suns was coursing through her.
She wasn't sure she could repeat the feat if she had to do it again, but she was sure of one thing… she needed more training. She needed to get faster, stronger, and tougher. She needed to be more like her dad, rather than the weakling she was now. She had the power… she just needed to grow it into something like what Omni-Man was capable of. Something worthy of the name… Invincible.
Eventually, the debrief ends but before Maya can depart with Eve, Robot, and Dupli-Kate, she finds herself called out by Cecil.
"Invincible. Stay behind for a moment."
Obviously that's the last thing Maya wants to do, and not just because her mother had forbid her from interacting with the GDA Director directly. But… she really doesn't have a good excuse, so in the end she just gives Eve a nod when the other heroine glances at her curiously. As Eve and everyone else files out of the room, Maya turns and braces herself for whatever Cecil is going to say.
Is he going to read her the riot act? Is he going to tell her she fucked up today and could do a whole lot better? He could-
"You did the best you could today. But we really could have used your father."
Oh. Maya is caught off guard by the compliment, only to realize from the second sentence that it was backhanded in nature. She'd done the best she could… but obviously, her best wasn't good enough. Cecil was thinking the same way she was… put simply, he was thinking that everything would have gone better if only they'd had Omni-Man instead of Invincible.
Maya's jaw clenches and her hands curl into fists at her sides. She tries not to take it too personally… after all, she knows full well that she exists in her father's shadow. Maybe she always will. At the same time…
"He's not here right now. So I'm doing the best I can to fill in for him."
Cecil nods, a mild look on his face that gives him away just a little bit. Maya has heard enough stories about the GDA Director from both her parents to know he's never truly mild about anything.
"I know it's not easy, stepping into shoes that big. The GDA will be happy to help you out, if you need it. Training, for instance."
That… Maya hesitates. She was just thinking she needed to train harder. And it would certainly help to have a planet-sized agency with unlimited funds backing her up on that front. Her interest wars with her mother's warning and pleading demands to stay away from Cecil though.
"… My dad will be training me. Once he comes back."
Cecil tilts his head to the side.
"Yeah? And when will that be?"
Maya scowls and crosses her arms over her chest, looking away.
"I don't know. He was called back home by his superiors."
She doesn't even realize she might have said too much until the sudden silence lingers for a moment too long and she looks back to see Cecil looking distinctly unsettled. He catches himself quickly enough, but Maya's eyesight is enhanced now… she sees more than she's ever seen before. He looks downright concerned by what she's just told him, though he does try to play it off.
"Superiors, huh? Well let's hope they let him come home to you and your mother sooner rather than later. Especially if the Flaxans try to come back a third time any time soon." Visit novelping.com for the full chapter.
Maya grimaces at that. Fuck, if the Flaxans tried to invade again… would she even show up to fight? No, that was a foolish question. Of course she would. Not just because she suspected Eve would be there no matter what, but also because it's what a hero would do… and she was a hero if nothing else. Even in the face of certain death, a hero had to stand tall.
Of course, that idealistic thought runs headfirst into a brick wall of her memories from the battle earlier and the corpses of the heroes who had died 'standing tall' in the fight against the Flaxans.
"Thanks for the update, kiddo. You should probably head out though now before your mother shows up with a battering ram. We'll talk again soon… if you're really serious about being a hero."
Maya bristles a little at that, scowling slightly.
"Of course I'm serious!"
Cecil doesn't even smile as she rises to the bait though. He just looks at her, long and hard, before nodding.
"Good. Keep it that way."
As she leaves the GDA Headquarters behind and begins flying back home, Maya doesn't know what to think about the interaction. She does know one thing though… today was absolutely fucked. She's not sure she'll be able to hold it together once she sees her mom. The tears are welling up just thinking about it.
-x-X-x-
"Sir, the psych write-ups are finally done."
Cecil Stedman grunts as his loyal right hand man walks into the room with a fresh set of files, setting them down on the desk as Cecil pours over what he already has.
It's been two more days since the second Flaxan invasion. Will they show up tomorrow and make 'every three days' a pattern? Cecil doesn't know, but he does know one thing… shit is absolutely fucked.
Losing even one Guardian was always a hassle. As the most popular, most public Hero Team on the planet, the Guardians of the Globe were supposed to be untouchable… or at least, they were supposed to appear untouchable. They didn't lose. They didn't falter. And they certainly weren't supposed to die.
And yet, they'd lost Red Rush, Darkwing, and Martian Man two days ago. To a fucking thirty minute alien invasion that didn't make it beyond a single street. Red Rush was definitely the worst loss of the bunch by Cecil's estimation, but losing any of them was rough. Losing all three of them? It was a travesty.
Of course, the show must go on. Which is precisely why Donald has just put a whole bunch of files on his desk containing psychology evaluations for their potential replacements. Not all of which were done… consensually.
Glancing over at the files, Cecil just grunts… but Donald lingers.
"Sir… what are we going to do if the Flaxans come back a third time?"
"… Probably nuke the city and hope they aren't stupid enough to come back a fourth."
Donald has enough experience not to voice his horror at that idea. Oh, he's definitely horrified… he's just smart enough not to openly fret. And yet, still he remains.
"Maybe Omni-Man will be back soon enough to be there for the next time. If there is a next time. Both War Woman and The Immortal have been asking after him. His presence is sorely missed."
Cecil scoffs at that, causing Donald to furrow his brow in confusion.
"Sir?"
For a moment, Cecil keeps staring at the papers strewn across his desk. Then, he straightens up and turns to look his second in command in the eye.
"I'm not so sure we'd be better off with him here. Might not be a bad thing if he never comes back."
Donald's eyes widen behind his glasses, a confused noise leaving his throat. Cecil just crosses his arms over his chest and shrugs.
"Omni-Man is a powerhouse, don't get me wrong. I'm more than happy to use the hell out of him to protect this planet. But I have never trusted him. Twenty years, Donald. Twenty years since he and I first met on a beach where he ripped a damn kaiju to shreds with his bare hands. Where he told me he'd been sent as an ambassador of his Empire to help us out. About the 'world betterment committee'. And even back then, you and all of our other analysts said the same thing that my gut told me… he was lying through his teeth."
Just as quickly as he'd turned away, Cecil turns back to his desk, back to his work.
"I don't know what Omni-Man's true motivations are. That's the problem. I don't know what he's planning, if anything. What I do know… is that his daughter doesn't have to be cut from the same cloth." Read the latest chapters at novelping.com.
Reaching over, Cecil snags the file containing Maya Grayson's psych eval from the pile with pinpoint accuracy. He flips it open and his eyes scan the first page for a moment before he nods in grim satisfaction.
"Our analysts agree with me too. She means it when she says she wants to help people. She's actually in it to protect the planet. Not like her father. But then, she is half-human… she has every reason to stand by Earth and protect it. And that's what I want to focus on. Making sure her loyalty is to our side of her genetics first and foremost."
Donald nods slowly.
"So then… you're going to move forward with offering her a place on the Guardians?"
Inclining his head, Cecil grunts.
"Yes. Preferably before her dad comes back and vetoes it. She's already proven flexible when it comes to disobeying her mother, but something tells me she's a lot less likely to stand up to Omni-Man if we don't already have her signed up and part of the team."
"Are we still going to use War Woman and The Immortal to make the pitch?"
"… Probably for the best. Doubt she'll sign on for my sunny disposition, but they are some of her idols. After her father of course."
Donald makes note of this on his tablet, tapping away for a moment before continuing.
"And Atom Eve? Are we extending an offer to her as well?"
Cecil grabs for the all-pink heroine's file next, flipping through it for a moment before nodding.
"Good to go. So long as seeing her boyfriend bisected hasn't broken her will to fight, she'll make an excellent Guardian."
"… That just leaves us with one last slot unless we're expanding the roster, sir."
Grunting, Cecil spreads the rest of the files out across the desk in front of him for a moment. Dupli-Kate, Robot, Darkwing II, and several more potential recruits lay before him, all boiled down to words on pages to describe their personalities and whether they're fit to be Guardians or not.
He huffs after a moment.
"… Let's give it a few more days so we can see if Darkwing's protégé shows back up or not."
Darkwing 'Junior' had gone missing in the twenty-four hours after Darkwing's very public, very gruesome demise. To say Cecil was concerned about that would be an understatement, but frankly he was already managing too many fires to put too much focus on it for now.
"Does that mean we're holding back on the other pitches for the time being as well, sir? It would be better if all three offers went out at the same time. It also might be good to give the Guardians a bit more… space to mourn as well."
Tch. Space. Time. They had little of either, especially if the Flaxans were going to show back up again any time soon. To say nothing of the rest of the problems Earth dealt with on a daily basis. Fuck, sometimes Cecil wished he could have a hundred Omni-Mans, just to be able to deal with it all. But considering he could barely trust the one, that probably wasn't a good idea.
And why was he still unsettled whenever he thought about what Maya had said about her father being 'called home by his superiors'? Obviously, Cecil had always known that Nolan was an alien from a clearly advanced alien empire… so why was it sending a shiver down his spine now?
"… Fine. But not too long. The end of the week at most. And for fuck's sake, let's get a proper cordon around where the Flaxans keep coming through, alright? No more being surprised… next time they show up, I want the first wave to be blown the hell up by tank shells."
"Yes sir."
Donald departs and Cecil is left alone with his thoughts. He hates being alone with his thoughts, but it's also when he does some of his best work…
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A/N: Poor Cecil, the stress is only just beginning…
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