Masters of death

Thomas Calvert adjusted his tie as he stared at the monitor in front of him. On the screen, grainy footage of a battle in ABB territory played on loop. The Fairy Queen—Glaistig Uaine—stood amidst the chaos, an unflinching figure of otherworldly power. Beside her, the new player: the one the PRT had taken to calling "the Sorceress." The footage was shaky, captured from a civilian's phone, but even through the haze of smoke and the roar of destruction, one thing was clear.

This girl, whoever she was, didn't fit into the established paradigm of parahuman abilities.

"She's an anomaly," Coil muttered, his fingers drumming on the desk. "And anomalies are dangerous."

---

Priority Transmission

To: Tattletale

From: Coil

Subject: Priority Target: The Sorceress

Glaistig Uaine is problematic but known. This new player, the one the PRT has dubbed "the Sorceress," is an unknown variable. Her presence alongside the Fairy Queen complicates matters. I want everything you can find on her—origin, motivations, powers. Leave no stone unturned.

She may be a key to understanding—or neutralizing—the Fairy Queen.

---

Timeline Alpha: Tattletale's Input

An hour later, Tattletale's voice crackled through Coil's secure comm system.

"Well, boss," she began, her tone laced with curiosity and amusement. "You weren't kidding about her being a wild card. I've got a few breadcrumbs, but they're strange, even for me."

"Explain," Coil said, leaning forward.

"First off, no records. None. I've cross-referenced everything—the PRT databases, local school systems, even hospitals. She doesn't exist. Either she's got a damn good cover, or she's... new."

"New?" Coil raised an eyebrow. "Elaborate."

"Not just to Brockton Bay. New to everything. It's like she dropped out of the sky," Tattletale said. "And her powers? The footage and eyewitness accounts don't align with any parahuman classification. People are calling it magic."

"Magic," Coil echoed, his voice flat.

"I know, I know," Tattletale replied quickly. "But the effects are undeniable. Conjured barriers, ranged energy attacks, even large-scale transmutation. If it's not magic, it's something that sure as hell looks like it."

Coil's mind raced. "Motivations?"

"That's the tricky part," Tattletale admitted. "She's not like Glaistig Uaine. The Fairy Queen's all about power and control—she's predictable, even if she's dangerous. The Sorceress? She's harder to pin down. There's something... hesitant about her, like she's not fully committed to all this yet."

"Yet," Coil repeated. "You think that will change?"

"Probably," Tattletale said. "She's hanging around Glaistig Uaine, and that's not exactly a healthy influence. If you're looking for leverage, though, the Sorceress might be the weak link. She's soft."

---

Timeline Beta: The Board is Set

Coil ended the alternate timeline and returned to his primary one. He stood, hands clasped behind his back, and stared at the live map of Brockton Bay displayed on the monitor.

Glaistig Uaine was a known entity, but her new companion was a complication—a wild card that could disrupt the delicate balance of power in the city. The Empire and the Merchants were already mobilizing to take advantage of the ABB's collapse, and the Protectorate was on edge, scrambling to respond to the growing chaos.

"Soft," Coil murmured, repeating Tattletale's assessment of the Sorceress. If she truly was hesitant, uncertain, she could be manipulated. Turned into a tool—or eliminated if necessary.

He tapped a few keys, sending another message to Tattletale.

---

To: Tattletale

Subject: Continued Surveillance

Focus your efforts on the Sorceress. Track her movements, interactions, and emotional state. If there's a way to separate her from Glaistig Uaine, find it.

She may be the key to neutralizing the Fairy Queen.

---

Coil leaned back in his chair, his mind working through the possibilities. Every move, every decision was a calculation, a step toward his ultimate goal. Glaistig Uaine and the Sorceress were just pieces on the board—powerful ones, but still pieces.

And Coil had every intention of winning this game.