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A Better Master: Chapter 3
🕑 Added 2025-02-01 06:21:26 +0000 UTCSiberian’s PoV
The PRT ended up sending two sacrifices.
Not that that’s what they were - Siberian had any intention of harming either of them - but the crowd certainly seemed to think so. And they clearly felt the same. They were so tense it was clear the two were one twitch away from a fight.
… It made her want to poke at them.
Siberian gave them a smirk and walked back into the building as they walked up. “Come along then~”
“Where to?” The man in red spandex asked with a frown as they walked through the hospital doors.
Closer to Taylor.
“To an office.” Siberian gave an exaggerated roll of her eyes. “Where else would we discuss business?”
Sure, they could have a discussion anywhere, but doing it in an office seemed more appropriate. That, and she didn’t exactly trust the heroes to attempt something ’heroic’ and grab Taylor while she was distracted. That would be… Very unfortunate.
For them.
Her answer also caused his eye to twitch, so that was a win in her book.
The two followed her through the lobby stiffly, the only sound was their footsteps as they walked through the now empty hospital, and the Siberian was quite curious as to what the two were thinking.
Any Thinkers spying on them were probably getting a collective headache right about now, and that thought made her purr smugly.
“So, Armsmaster, I know of.” Siberian mused as she led them into an open office. Walking up to the desk, she leaned her hip against it and gave the armored man a wink. “Mannequin has been quite fond of you lately. I think he even joined one of your fanclubs.”
The man’s already tense expression (what little she could see) tightened even more.
It was actually a fairly large compliment. Getting Mannequin’s attention was no easy feat. He only paid attention to those he believed would make a true difference in the world in some way.
And then he’d kill them.
Mannequin’s respect always did come with an equal amount of disdain.
The Siberian then turned to the other man while giving him a once over. “But I’m afraid I don’t know you?”
Red spandex. Lean. Trained in combat, but lacked the hardness in his eyes that came from true experience. No visible weapons.
“Velocity.” The man answered briskly, eyeing her warily, like she was a bomb about to go off.
Ah. A Tinker and a speedster. People who could potentially escape if things went bad.
The urge to poke them flared once more.
“Charmed.” The Siberian purred, showing a bit of fang with her smirk, and the hero tensed even further. Anymore and he’d snap. “You two do realize you could have brought more people, don’t you? I wouldn’t mind.”
“The two of us are sufficient.” Armsmaster replied flatly.
Siberian paused and gave an exaggerated look over their clearly uncomfortable and tense forms and shrugged. “If you say so.” She said mildly. “Go ahead and take a seat and we can start. Wouldn’t want to keep your bosses listening in waiting.”
Neither hero sat down at her offer. Rude.
Still, to his credit, Armsmaster didn’t bother denying that others were listening. “Begin what, exactly?” He asked. “You asked to speak with us, but you haven’t given us any indication as to your or Jack Slash’s intentions.”
“My intentions. Not Jack’s. Not anymore” The Siberian replied forcefully, eyes flashing dangerously before calming down. “You see, I wished to set the story straight. Explain myself. And open channels for negotiation.”
Their confused expressions only increased. Or, Velocity’s did. Armsmaster had a truly impressive poker face.
Must. Not. Poke.
“What story?” Velocity asked. Unlike his senior, his poker face was practically nonexistent as he looked confused.
“My own.” Siberian smirked as she gestured to the chairs in front of the desk. “Are you sure you don’t want to sit down? You might need it~”
“Negotiations?” Armsmsater cut in with a small frown. “You said your intentions were your own. Are you saying you aren’t here as a member of the Slaughterhouse 9?”
For a man with such a blank expression, he could certainly convey a healthy amount of skepticism with his words. And she could certainly understand it.
This next bit would be important. For both her, and for Taylor.
“For the last 11 years I have been under the control of a Master working in conjunction with the Slaughterhouse 9.” The Siberian stated, watching the two men closely. “I am no longer under his control.”
Hah! She managed to break Armsmaster’s poker face!
“Naturally, once I became my own person, I had little desire to stick with that group.” Siberian continued nonchalantly, a one claw idly digging furrows into the desk as she eyed them carefully. “So I came here instead. It’s not a complicated tale.”
“Wait, wait, just -“ Velocity held up his hand and actually gained the courage to give her a glare. “Do you honestly expect us to believe that?”
Siberian shrugged. “Believe it or not, it is the truth.”
There was incredulity and indignation and his gaze, but also fear, which she understood. Even if he didn’t believe her, the thought that there was a Master that could keep somebody under for years was hardly a trivial matter.
At least, the type of Master they were imagining.
It was a truth, yet a mislead.
The categories for capes were truly a mess. A ‘Master’ was designated as ‘one that had an effect on another’. That might be a Tinker that specialized in drones, a biotinker that could make minotaurs, a man that could make anybody believe he was their best friend, or somebody that could make projections.
As she stated, The Siberian had been under the control of a Master for the past eleven years. It wasn’t her fault they didn’t realize she was only a projection of said Master.
And that’s the way she was going to keep it. It was the best way she could think of to keep Taylor safe.
As it was, people were going to know there was a connection between her and Taylor. That was inevitable. In just a matter of hours, Taylor was about to become a high profile target.
However, there was a distinct difference between: ‘if I kill this girl, the Siberian vanishes’ and ‘if I so much as touch this girl, the Siberian will massacre my family, my friends, my pets, and salt the earth.’
She’d rather keep it to the latter, as opposed to the former.
“That… is a bit difficult to believe.” Armsmaster noted..
“That’s an understatement.” Velocity gave her a hard glare. “Is this some scheme to try and avoid the consequences of the last decade? Claim some mysterious Master made -“
“Manton.”
“- what?” Velocity blinked at the interjection.
Siberian waved a hand, unconcerned. “There’s nothing mysterious about him. I’ve been under the control of Dr. William Manton for the past 11 years.”
”Manton.” Velocity repeated blankly. “The Doctor William Manton?”
The Siberian only barely resisted rolling her eyes. “Do you know of any other?”
Honestly, somebody gets famous and suddenly everybody thinks they’re perfect, morally upright citizens.
“Dr. Manton has been missing for years.” Armsmaster reported. Once again, it didn’t sound of disbelief. He sounded interested. “Officials believe him to be dead.”
“Nah, just slumming next to the Slaughterhouse in a camper van.” Siberian snickered.
“And do you have any idea what broke the Master effect?” Armsmaster asked.
Taylor.
“Nope.” The Siberian shook her head confidently. “I didn’t bother sticking around. The moment it broke, I was out of there.”
Armsmaster went still, a hint of a frown showing as he stared at her silently. The Siberian felt herself tense in response.
And waited.
…
Dang it, why couldn’t Mannequin have talked more about his crush? She couldn’t even recall Armsmaster’s specialization. Tinker powers were, by and large, absolute BS. (And yes, she was aware of the irony considering her own abilities). Who knew what Armsmaster had stuffed in that helmet?
Obviously she could beat him if it came to it. That wasn’t even a question.
The Siberian was more worried about what he might learn.
Their staring contest went on long enough that Velocity was shifting uncomfortably before Armsmaster sighed heavily. “This is going to be a mess.” He grumbled.
… Wait, did he actually believe her?
“Yes, well, seeing as how I’m the one currently going through said mess, I’m well aware.” Siberian said as she tried to cover her confusion.
That… This was way too easy. Armsmaster was fairly high in the Protectorate, wasn’t he? Shouldn’t there be more skepticism?
Either he was being fed information by people listening in - did they have a Thinker? - or he had something in that helmet of his.
“You believe her?” Velocity unknowingly echoed her thoughts.
Yes! Thank you!
Armsmaster made a quick gesture with his hand, and Velocity backed down somewhat.
No! Insist he explain himself, dang it!
“So what exactly are you asking for?” Armsmaster asked gruffly he turned back to her, his stance shifting to something more relaxed, but still ready to move if he needed.
Siberian gave a narrow glare between the two heroes before letting it go with an internal grumble. “What I want is to be able to live without being bothered by pointless hassling.“
Naturally such a life would be with Taylor. Beyond that… She wasn’t entirely sure. She didn’t even know what she liked yet. But she was excited to find out.
Armsmaster nodded seriously. “We’ll need to take you in while the PRT investigates your story. We can then provide assistance.”
Ah, and here is where they hit a snag.
The Siberian gave a small hum. “Ah, you misunderstand.” Both men tensed once more as she bared her teeth. “I’m afraid I won’t be ‘taken in’ anywhere. Your PRT can investigate quite well without my presence.”
Armsmaster tilted his head. “If you want any sort of endorsement from us, you’re going to have to. There are tests that can be run to verify if one has been Mastered -“
That’s exactly what I’m afraid of.
“Tests with an extremely low rate of success.” Siberian cut him off brusquely. “Mastered or not, you forget I’ve been traveling with several geniuses. I’m well aware the vast majority of Mastering powers are untraceable.”
Bonesaw in particular had been rather… Enthusiastic in her investigations if she recalled.
“Tinkertech scanners have gotten good enough to detect even minute abnormalities.” Armsmaster argued back, actually sounding offended. And wow, they really got over their fear of her quickly, didn’t they? “Especially in long term cases. Eleven years would qualify.”
Is this what happened when people actually talked instead of slaughtering? They talked back?
… She wasn’t a fan.
“Signs like those can only be noticed if similar testing has been done during or before the Mastering. A baseline is required, which you don’t have.” Siberian countered back, irritation growing.
“Different forms of Mastering have different effects. Once again, in prolonged cases, abnormalities can form.” Armsmaster insisted before changing tacts. “Further, coming in peacefully will go a long way assuring people of your peaceful intentions.”
“‘People’ will never be reassured.” The Siberian stated, already accepting it as truth and frustrated at the reminder that it would make things difficult with Taylor. “My notoriety is going to follow me no matter what I do. It’s pointless to pretend otherwise.”
When she saw Armsmaster was still not convinced, the Siberian let out a growl, causing both hero’s to shift into ready stances.
Oops.
“Look, this won’t go anywhere.” Siberian bit out, “I don’t trust you nearly enough for any of that. I’m not asking for an endorsement from your organization. I’m asking that you not tie me to the crimes I committed while under somebody else's control and to leave me alone.”
Armsmaster’s jaw tightened. “And what will you do when civilians refuse to believe you?”
The Siberian raised an eyebrow. “So long as they don’t attack me, then I don’t care what they do.”
“And if they do?” Velocity finally spoke up.
She gave the speedster an innocent smile. “In that case, I believe I’m well within my rights to defend myself.”
At that point, she was practically doing a good deed, removing idiots from the world. The PRT should be thanking her.
Before either could argue with that, the Siberian pushed forward. “Understand, I’d prefer to have an… Amicable relationship with the powers that be in the area.” She explained smoothly. “To that end, I’m willing to assist you to an extent.”
“In what way?” Armsmaster asked flatly.
“Obviously I'm already removing myself from the board. That alone is rather significant.” Siberian with a smug smirk. “But in addition, I’m willing to provide a decade’s worth of information on the rest of the Slaughterhouse members. Hideouts, associates, and future plans. As an added bonus, I’ll even offer a plan to take them out.”
Well, she didn’t have a plan yet. Only a partial one so far. More a series of mini-plans honestly. But she would.
Both hero’s stared at her as Armsmaster gave a slow nod. “That would help.” He agreed cautiously. “Though I can’t speak for the PRT or the Protectorate as a whole.”
“Well, sounds like you have something to talk about with them then.” The Siberian gestures towards the door. “I’ll wait here till you have an answer.”
“Wait.”
The Siberian and Armsmaster looked at Velocity.
“If what you’re claiming is true, then why did you kidnap a girl on your way here?” The man asked.
Ah, so they did remember Taylor. She half expected them to get too caught up with her situation to remember.
“Kidnap?” Siberian asked, almost offended. “Taylor needed help, and I got her help.” She replied, as if the answer was obvious.
The two men looked confused at the familiar way she addressed Taylor. “What’s your relation to Miss Hebert?” Armsmaster asked.
“It’s quite simple.” The Siberian gave both heroes a look of absolute pride as she let a portion of her possessiveness loose. “Taylor Hebert is mine.”
Oh, the looks on their faces were so satisfying. Had she cared about them at all, she’d probably worry about their health - getting so many shocks in one day.
Good thing she didn’t.
“What do you mean she’s yours?” Velocity asked with a strained voice.
“Why do you care?” Siberian asked idly. “She is mine. Mine to protect, mine to provide for. Do the particulars truly matter? I regret that I haven’t been able to be there for her in the past, and I’m changing that now. That’s truly all you need to know.”
Armsmaster tapped his halberd. “We will need to ensure she hasn’t been hurt.”
“Taylor is still asleep.” Siberian narrowed her eyes at them in warning. “Further, I brought her here to heal her. Do you really think I’d hurt her again?”
Internally, she could admit that it was a good idea from their perspective. Jack Slash would totally do something like that.
She was still offended.
The armored man sighed. “I don’t know if the PRT will be alright with you being so close with a child.” Armsmaster stated intently. "I don't know that I am alright with that either." Velocity nodded.
“Well, it’s a good thing I didn’t intend to ask, isn’t it?” Siberian leaned forward and gave both of them a cold smile. “Understand this - the only way I am leaving that girl is if she tells me to leave. And just so you, the Protectorate, and the PRT are aware, if anything happens to Taylor? If she gets hurt in any way, shape, or form? Then I will find that person and proceed to visit every torture, every atrocity I’ve committed in the last decade on their person.”
Both men backed up a step at her words. Velocity blurred for a second in what was probably an unconscious reaction, while Armsmaster shifted his halberd in a ready position.
The Siberian could see her reflection in Armsmaster’s visor. Her teeth were bared, her yellow eyes wild, standing out against her skin.
She looked feral, and she embraced that feeling, letting them see the seriousness of her words.
Violence: The solution that fits any problem. If it wasn’t working, you weren’t using enough of it.
“So, did you have any other questions for me?”
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Author’s Note:
I spent a lot of time trying to think what an appropriate response would be to a mass murderer/terrorist asking to talk. Honestly, bringing them into custody is the thing I kept coming up with. They need to be questioned, their story investigated and verified, etc…
But then what do you do if said mass murderer refuses to come in, and you can’t make them?
It’s kinda like what would happen if Darkseid from DC comics decided to buy a house in some random city on earth and just decided to live peacefully. I mean, if he’s not doing anything bad… Who’s gonna stop him?
Hopefully I did a decent job?
Next chapter we meet Danny, and… To be honest, I'm not sure how to write him.
See, the feeling I get from Danny is that he’s a good person… But not a good father. shrug In canon that does change, but at this point? Not so much. It’s not that he doesn’t love Taylor, but Danny’s not there for her and is oblivious to everything she’s going through, before and especially after the Locker (which is quite the feat), and Taylor doesn’t trust Danny enough to tell him anything.
So how will he react to the fact that a mass murderer just saved his daughter?
Anyways, please let me know what you guys think of the chapter!
Comments
Matthew Hanks
Hopefully the conversation worked out alright? I wasn’t sure if I was making Siberian too intelligent/wordy… I originally wanted the Heroes to push a bit more, leading Siberian to get upset, but in the end it just didn’t make sense for them to antagonize her. She’s too strong, and Armsmaster has a lie detector.
Adam Costello
Exciting. Sibwtian sure has a way with words, and a rep that ensures that the Proterate will back off for now.
