The soft almost rhythmic humming of the miniature fan resting on Ruth's desk provided an almost meditative quality as she anxiously watched each passerby through the diamond tiled window of her office. A quick glance downwards towards her watch displayed the time as 4:58, the scheduled meeting was at five-thirty, but she'd assumed the officer accompanying her would arrive far earlier than her guest. It'd do her no good if the officer was late should something happen, her accompaniment arriving late may also paint the PRT as less than a unified whole. A projection the Denver office had been eager to display as Parahuman activity started to rise in the surrounding areas. Admittedly, a part of her wanted to preemptively cancel the meeting with the rouge hero and assign the task to one of her assistances but that may dissuade the image of a strong leader she'd been hoping to project, besides it was far too late to cancel the meeting. Perhaps the rouge hero wouldn't even show up! After all, they were a tinker, right? There was always the hope that they'd gotten distracted with some piece of trash or car part they'd found on the street...

NO! What was she thinking? A youth was coming to her to join the beacon of order and rationality that was the protectorate, rejecting the disorderly conduct of a rouge hero to establish an image and a brand! For a brief moment Ruth's hazel eyes darted towards the bachelor's hanging on her wall, she hadn't worked for four years to earn a degree in parahuman child development to throw someone yearning for order out onto the street. Now with an almost renewed sense of anticipation she watched each passing shadow, the time now read 5:00 and her accompaniment had yet to arrive.

That renewed sense of anticipation quickly slipped back into nervousness as a beat of sweat slipped down her neck, no doubt in part due to the lack of A.C ventilating the room. She wasn't one to sweat over something so mundane as meeting a hero... well a rouge hero but they weren't all nutjobs. This one had even dropped some criminal or homeless child off to the police, surely that was the sign of someone who meant well?

It'd be around 15 or so minutes judging by Ruth's watch until a younger girl in a red swimsuit with bright blue hair arrived. Looking to Ruth, she says, "You asked for me? Did we need to do another image consult?"

Hannah AKA Nereid looked quickly put together- like she'd not had much time to get into costume. "If this is about locking me away from predator forms again I can call my grandfather again but I don't think the result will be much different."

Amongst the suits and uniforms a splash of dark leather and shaggy brown hair would appear within the view of window. A figure that a few people backed away from as she made her way to the front desk with a determined pace. Her chain belt making a jingling sound as she entered reception.

[Pilot, your vitals indicate you are afraid. Are you sure you wish to proceed with this plan?]

The voice of her co-pilot spoke into her mind and she replied in kind as she checked into her meeting.

(Better then what happened back home. Just observe, and if I miss anything then please speak up.)

[Affirmative, Pilot.]

Outwardly, the receptionist might find the tall, broad shouldered woman imposing. Nodding or letting out a grunt of agreement while questions were asked. Soon she was instructed to wait, an escort to the woman's office would bring her up at the scheduled time.

Ruth suppressed an inward groan as her accompaniment for the duration of the meeting opened the door to her office, the bright blue hair being a dead giveaway as to her identity before her face was even visible. She had no reservations about complaining to the rest of upper management about the chosen candidate for security, but it'd be slightly unfair to gripe to the Ward, the girl was just following orders after all. Ruth made a mental note to inform upper management that'd she'd prefer a more senior member of the organization next time as the Ward stepped inside. Almost instinctively the pale almost sickly-looking women peered downwards at the carpeting below Nereid, half expecting to find the carpeting wet before remembering the swimsuit was merely for cosmetic purposes.

Upon entering the room, the heroine would be greeted with an almost sweltering heat, the only source of immediate relief would be a rather tall fan that sat sandwiched between filing cabinets in the leftmost side of the room. The office had no immediate windows located inside it and it was clear the A.C had been broken for quite some time. It was apparent that the occupant would rather sit in blistering heat then have her door open for anybody to pop in, the occupant themselves being a rather pale thirty something with very visible eye bags. As opposed to the Ward her femineity was lacking as she sat in a wrinkled suit with short almost boyish hair, with fingernails that'd clearly been chewed on for quite some time.

"Ah, no but that will need to be discussed later. Did you team leader neglect to inform you of your role today?" The latter end of the sentence was filled with a noticeable bite of judgment as the employee raised a large thermos to her lips before taking a sip. "Your role here today is standby me while I talk to a perspective member of the Protectorate. They're an alleged rouge hero and your merely here to dissuade them from making any rash decisions." Her thermos was placed down rather forcefully on her paper strewn desk to emphasize the last point of her statement. "I trust you'll be able to behave yous-"

The women's almost bored sounding voice was interrupted by a loud beep before she scooped up her desk phone and pressed it to her ear, one side of the conversation was not heard but Nerid could likely make out this gist as Ruth spoke. "Early? what do you- Alright fine send them up." Placing the phone down with a great deal of force the PR manager forced a smile that perhaps she thought came off as soothing but appeared somewhat unnerving as she looked towards Nereid. "Well, I'm glad you arrived as early as you did."

Mechakoloss was somewhat surprised when she was told that she was already expected. Wanting to have thrown at least someone off their guard by being here so early. But the Protectorate was what it was. The massive bloated bureaucracy probably had plenty of ramrod spine pencil pushers waiting in the wings for just such an occasion.

So she took it in stride. Hefting her coat a little closer over her shoulders and making sure to give the receptionist a nod. Just because she didn't respect their profession she didn't have to be rude to the person doing the job. Riding up the elevator, she'd follow whatever instruction or escort would take her to the meeting room and knocked on the door the email had indicated. Opening it without waiting for a response.

Nereid looks between Mechakoloss entering, and Ruth behind the desk. Looking to Mechakoloss with a quirked eyebrow, she says, "Well, hello there?"

Nereid is sort of, awkwardly to one side of the office, she had been clearly talking to Ruth as Mechakoloss entered. In general she seemed a little awkward and surprised about this.

"Come i-" Ruth had just started to speak before the door was quickly opened and the subject of her recent bout of anxiety entered the room, alongside a rush of cool air that no doubt felt comfortable to the Ward standing awkwardly in the stuffy office. Upon entering the room, the rather broad-shouldered rouge hero was met with a rather judgmental examination as Ruths eyes flickered up and down Mechakloss's body as Nereid spoke. It'd be an understatement to say that Ruth was expecting the rouge hero to enter wearing something unprofessional, but she hadn't expected her to enter looking more akin to a biker than a well-adjusted member of society. Her pale hands slipped from the propped position under her chin before she gestured towards the protectorate's newest potential recruit to come closer, "Ah, it looks like you're a bit early. Nereid and I were just starting to discuss protocol for today's meeting...I hope you aren't opposed to her being here?" To Ruth it mattered little if the aspiring hero wanted a totally private meeting, such luxuries would be provided after a line of trust had first been established.

Mechakoloss was used to those sort of stares, people either dressing her down or sizing her up. It came with the territory of being an unknown. In her experience people tended to draw a singular conclusion, and she was happy to support it.

Grabbing a chair she'd drop down onto it, heavy combat boots swinging up to rest on the woman's desk. The teddy bear mask tilted at an angle to dismiss the woman speaking and instead address Nereid.

"You're too good for this place kid. They're going to use you up and turn you into something you won't like. You should get out while the getting is good."

Then turning back to the woman in front of her, the almost friendly tone she'd used with Nereid becoming icy cold.

"I fully oppose the Ward program as an institution. If you're going to use a kid as a human shield you're pretty darn low."

Nereid opens her mouth a bit, then closes, and simply stands by Ruth, making no comment, but looking at Mechakoloss a bit icily.

Ruth let out a heavy sigh and resisted the urge to roll her eyes as several bits of gravel traveled down from the boot onto her desk and into her topless coffee mug, her patience already starting to wear thin as she looked directly at the teddy bear mask. "I'm not entirely sure it'd be wise to consider the thoughts of an adult wearing what looks like a children's Halloween mask." She spoke in a rather exasperated tone as her professionalism slipped away for a brief moment before her tone changed back into her typical monotone voice. "I can assure you that I'm more than qualified to speak on behalf of the PRT and say that the Ward program is far more beneficial to both the public at large and the children themselves. The power gap between the average parahuman and the standard individual is rather large, it only makes sense to assist in custody when needed and act as a support system when necessary. Your trigger event may not have been too traumatic, but I can assure you that society is better off with superpowered children being a boon to society rather than a detriment to it." The director of public relations gestured towards a framed diploma behind her small frame, a bachelor's degree in early parahuman child development.

"Nereid here could always leave the program and assist society in a non-combative manner, I feel no shame in asking for a parahuman bodyguard. After all you've been given powers and I haven't, would you rather our equalizer be a gun? I certainly wouldn't and I'm confident the public would find that distasteful should it be leaked." Ruth let her vailed threat float around the room for a moment before slowly leaning forwards and pushing Mechakloss's feet off the table, resuming her former position with her elbows on the table. It'd always been PRT tradition to fight parahuman with parahuman, to fight fire with fire. This seemed to perpetrate the belief amongst some members of the public that only a super powered individual could take out another super powered individual. This was not true, if ruth had to guess she'd wager only about five percent of the powered population had the capability to shrug off a bullet, and even less so a sustained amount of fire.

She'd reach up and tap her mask. A metallic ringing coming from her nail against the surface of the painted armor.

"Come on, you creeps are smarter than to judge based on design choices. Or at least you're smart enough to pick up on why I made this one. Or is PR another brain cell's department? Because you're just shoveling the same rhetoric anyone can read online. But I know when kids are being put into unnecessary danger. Dressing them up in bright costumes and parading them in front of drug dealers, thugs, and mobsters is absolutely unnecessary danger."

The last bit about her trigger basically being discounted earning an icy venom to her tone.

She'd let her boots hit the ground with a dull 'Clunk' and leaned forward in her chair.

"You're also making assumptions about me that aren't wise. Right now, I'm trusting you guys. I don't have anything more than a mundane chain to defend myself with right now. And I'd rather keep using it to keep up my pants. You can threaten me all you want to feel like you've got the big governmental..."

Her head tilted towards Nereid and she seemed to reconsider her words.

"Anyway. Don't act like I'm your enemy and I won't be. I'm here to turn down your invitation. That's all."

Ruth felt the slow tune of her coming migraine finally swell into a crescendo as she stood up out of her office chair rather quickly, causing it to come crashing down onto the floor. "You couldn't have possibly said that over an email or even a phone call? You really just went out of your way to waste not only my time but the time of a Ward, get out immediately before I call security."

The woman chuckled, but there wasn't any mirth to it. "Because I tried to turn you down over email, and the phone."

"Because the last time I tried that..." She reached under her mask and seemed to shift around under it for a moment before slapping something down onto Ruth's desk with a 'clack' sound. When she removed her hand there was a slick, glass eye.

"...One of you couldn't take no for an answer and ripped out my damn eye. So yes, I'll happily leave. Kid, good luck, don't let this organization turn you into the same kind of monster that did this to me."

And without another word, the woman would turn and storm out of the office.