Emma had been creeping around in her free time, the past two weeks. Mostly to stop random criminals, but occasionally she'd tail some of the fodder doing their rounds, extorting the people for daring to try and have a business in the area.

She was sick of it.

So she was lying in wait. Having lucked out that the closest available parking spot wasn't directly in front of the store she'd chosen to lurk nearby. Some lower end furniture store she'd honestly already forgotten the name of.

Waiting around a corner, she peers around to see the usual car coming around. Hiding as she listens to the sound of the car doors opening. Listening for the extorting gang members' footsteps and letting her insight flick on. Estimating the distance between them and her as they came closer.

Unlike normal days, where two would exit the car and one would stay, ready to drive away, only a single gang member exits the car, dressed in casual clothing. The other two remain in the vehicle. Nothing seems out of the ordinary with the driver, but the one in the back seat is too obscured by the slight tint of the window and the car's headrests to make out any details.

The car is parked just outside the store, perhaps sixty feet from where Emma hid. The man entering the store is slightly closer, maybe fifty feet.

That... was unfortunate. She'd hoped to get two of the nerds for the police to deal with, but- Actually, she had a new plan. Waiting for the man to pass by the corner between stores before he is grabbed and manhandled behind said corner like an unruly child. Emitting a noise that utterly disoriented the man to more easily manhandle him down and try to tie him up before he got backup.

For a moment, nothing seems to happen. Then, the driver exits and walks around the vehicle to open the rear, passenger door. With that finished, he begins walking back to the driver's side and pulls out his phone. Without getting back in the car, he begins dialing a number.

From the now-opened back of the car, a well-known figure steps out, one hand steadying his top hat while the other holds a staff made of polished wood with a top ornamented in gold. The figure himself wears a well-kept vintage suit with a vaguely avian mask seemingly made of solid gold.

The few civilians walking the nearby sidewalks immediately vacate the area when they notice him, putting a large distance between themselves and the infamous gang boss. A couple stick around, still a distance away, holding their phones up to try to earn their five minutes of internet fame.

Emma notices the people noping out of the way. Curious, but that was probably because of the rather obvious gang members, or her own appearance.

Dragging the man she'd incapacitated out of sight so he wouldn't potentially get shot, she retakes her previous spot. Lower to the ground to be a smaller target and to better leap if they went around the longer way. Listening for what was happening around the corner, and lamenting how she hadn't made herself anything to scale buildings with.

On the street to Emma’s rear, parallel to the street she is watching, a van’s doors being slammed open and then shut can be heard, followed by a cascade of footsteps.

Not long after, the source of those footsteps comes into view from the nearby alley. A group of five men, all in suits with black Kevlar vests overtop. Three have handguns while the other two have what appear to be assault rifles of some type. The way they are positioned has the cape placed roughly between them and the collections car.

Opposite them, a single pair of footsteps can be heard slowly making their way away from the car and towards her position.

She turns to look... and her eyes go wide. Those were assault rifles. Who the hell brings a fucking assault team to shaking down a random ass store!?

Regardless of that, she had to move. Maybe carry off one of the other fuckers for the police to get a lead on the gang. Bursting out of the alleyway, she rushes towards the sound of the footsteps, starting to charge up a full on scream to disorient what she thought was another gang member.

Sovereign comes to a stop as the meddlesome cape bursts out of their hiding spot, standing with his staff held in front of him. He watches silently as she quickly approaches the current border of his shaker power, about 25 feet from where he is currently standing. Behind him, the other man is getting back in the car and starting to slowly back it away from the impending cape fight.

What that...? Yes. Yes it fucking is. Holy shit. Her first cape encounter!

Still, she couldn't just stand still and figure out a strategy with the gunmen behind her. So Emma doubles down, bringing her fist that wasn't handling her armblade in low in preparation for a hit that wouldn't kill a man. Crossing the boundary of his power, and at current speeds, would be on him in a second.

The moment before the other cape crosses his still-growing boundary, Sovereign takes two steps to the side, preparing to raise his staff if needed. Then, he chooses to speak.

"So you are the one who has driven themselves like an errant thorn into the sides of my men." The words are slow, measured, and he doesn't let his guard down once, even as his shaker power takes hold of the cape.

The moment she steps foot in the boundary, she lets out a little cry in surprise as the next step sends her sailing way over Sovereign's head, with how much force she was exerting to be able to lift all the metal on her body and having no time to slow down. The noise giving the man a bit of nausea with the lack of focus, but that's it.

Sovereign braces himself with his staff as the nausea hits him, then turns to follow the cape as she flies over his head. He begins following after her at a walking pace, years of experience helping him estimate where she will land once she flies past his boundary.

"A sound based power? Perhaps a minor brute rating considering your stature and the armor you wear," he muses loudly as he stops a couple feet from the edge of his shaker power.

Emma stumbles as she lands, the fall messing her up, but thankfully she'd reinforced her body and could partially catch herself.

''You're seriously analysing someone who just tried to hurt you out loud?'' She asks incredulously after managing to bring herself around again. Taking on an amateurish fighting stance that showed the arm she hadn't readied earlier to strike at him encased in some sort of bracer-esque device. Wary of the gravity effect now.

"When you're as old as I am, you will come to realize that conversation can be just as stimulating as a good battle," he stalls as his ability's boundary grows closer to her. "Perhaps you'd be interested in sharing just why you've chosen to target my men."

''Maybe some people aren't going to be happy to be getting extorted for daring to try and make a living?'' She answers angrily. Trying to figure out how to come at the man without being sent flying into a building next.

''Why are you here anyway? You weren't here any other time?'' Emma demands. More annoyed at that than anything. The armed gunmen that would no doubt spring into action soon, or maybe as a contingency in case she managed to beat Sovereign were a major issue too.

“Simple, dear, you became predictable,” he drawls out as he starts meandering towards a motorcycle parked along the side of the road. “Show up in the area, cause issues for well-intentioned criminals, drawing eyes to yourself, then follow our collections crew multiple times while masked up? You’re either new and naive, or you’re a fool not to realize the trail you’ve left for us to follow.”

In the background, the gunmen have collected their fallen comrade and two have broken off to carry him back to their van. The two riflemen and the other gang member seem to be more concerned with watching the surrounding streets, alleys, and rooftops than pay any real attention to the cape fight.

She tenses up further. No way that she had been that predictable, right? Right? She'd not make that potential mistake again regardless. Though from the outside, the way she has to stop herself from running into a cape's power again seems to suggest new and naive was the answer.

''Well intentioned?'' The tinker scoffs. ''Maybe if your definition is anything better for you, specifically. Or are you actually arguing that being extorted is a good thing.

“Extortion is such a… harsh word. We provide protection for a price.” He pauses to inspect the motorcycle. It’s an old thing, long past it’s best days.

“The money we require is used to stop lesser criminals from causing too much chaos. Manpower and firepower are not free, after all.” Sovereign reaches down and tugs upwards at the seat of the motorcycle. It lifts up off the ground and begins slowly floating higher.

“Now, I give you an option. You can pay for assaulting my men with service or pain. To serve is to become a member of the Court, and work towards its goals. I believe pain is rather self explanatory.”

While he speaks, his power continues to expand another half a dozen feet.

Emma scowls. ''Protection from yourselves, yeah. And forget it. All I would end up doing is hurting people.''

She takes a gamble then. Sovereign's power obviously made things lighter, as far as she could see, so she had to figure out how to work with that. Rather than talking further, she dashes forward suddenly, low to the ground, hoping she'd manage to be launched towards something she could use as a jumping board.

As she starts her dash, Sovereign takes a half step to put the floating motorcycle between the two of them, and turns to fully face the younger cape. Then, he taps the base of his staff against the ground, and the world tilts.

Gravity snaps back into place, but wrong, no longer drawing things towards the ground, but pulling everything in the area towards some point about 45 degrees between the ground and the direction Sovereign faces. The motorcycle itself slams back into the ground and begins sliding towards the girl.

Emma lets out a little cry of alarm as the world shifts. Quickly digging the tip of her weapon into the pavement to remain standing... Except that left the motorcycle to start tumbling towards her. And even though she pulls her weapon back to slide away and gain some time to think, acceleration isn't so kind. The motorcycle smacking into the cape and eliciting a cry of pain despite her attempt to shield herself and push it aside. Ending up on the ground with the frame around one of her arms being bent. Breathing heavily. Panicking. What the hell what the hell what the hell!?

The world seems to tilt more and more with each passing second, until it stops and reverts to normal as Sovereign taps his staff against the ground. He walks over to the supine cape at a slightly hurried casual pace. Coming to a stop a couple feet away, he looks down at the girl with his expressionless mask.

"So you chose pain. I was hoping you would be somewhat more calculating in your response." He glances at the damaged frame around one of her arms. "You are still young, and I do truly dislike harming youth. I will ask you again, with an additional choice. Repay your debt to myself and the Court through pain or service. Or, I will give you the option of running if you swear to remain out of the Court's business for the entirety of your time in this city. Of course, if you run but go back on your word, you will never have such choices again, only a debt of pain."

Steel glares once she's reminded of Sovereign, her tech pumping happy chemicals in to soothe her emotional state as she quickly pushes herself up in preparation for some defiant statement. Then intense pain shoots up her arm mid motion, and she cries out in pain mid motion. Staggering and grabbing at her messed up arm in panic. Hyperventilating as it's drilled into her mind again that effort wouldn't just cut it. Whimpering pitifully as her power informs her of her broken arm.

As the girl cries out in pain, Sovereign lets out a weary sigh. He raises a hand to the side of his head, tapping something on his mask next to his ear. “Jensen, the first aid kit, please. Williams, a bottle of water.”

The words prompt motion from the goons. The one in the car hops out and searches around the back seat for a moment, before pulling out a first aid kit the size of a small briefcase. He starts jogging towards the pair of capes. At the same time, one of the men from the group of gunmen breaks off and jogs into the nearby store, returning just as quickly with a bottle of water.

While they’re moving, Sovereign is studying the girl’s arm from where he stands. “You’re injured, and not in a way that you can continue fighting without consequence. One of my men has basic medical training. Stay calm and let him see to your arm.”

The words have her pause, or slow down a bit at least. The thing was broken, but seemingly already held in place by something subdermal, as far as Sovereign could see. And the man with the first aid kit would be able to say the same once he'd arrived.

''Why?'' She demands in a voice that clearly had to be power fuckery, going by how it was steady, rather than pained or stuttery as it should've been between rapid breaths and pained noises. Confused to hell and back now. Looking between him and his men. ''I just tried to grab you.''

The man with the water bottle, Williams, arrives first, slowing down to cautiously approach the injured girl. When he’s close enough, he twists off the cap and holds out the bottle. “Here, sip slowly. I’m going to check your arm if you’ll allow it.” As he is talking, the man with the first aid kit approaches and places it next to him, before heading back towards the car.

Sovereign waits for Williams to finish talking, then responds to the young cape’s question. “You’re still but a child. Broken bones can have far reaching consequences, and though we are enemies at this juncture, we may stand side by side in the future. In such a situation, I would rather have a whole and healthy you by my side than one crippled.”

She hesitates for a moment, but realises that the bottle had been sealed and takes it. Doing as asked, and letting the man see to her arm. A confused frown visible once she stops drinking and pushes her mask back into place.

''I can fix myself. I've done it before. And I'll... I'll be fine.'' She mutters quietly. Halfway to convince herself, and much more normal this time. ''Why would you bet on me joining you though? I haven't said anything that might mean I'd want to join. You're criminals. You hurt people and ruin lives.'' Her accusation doesn't have much fire behind it anymore.

"I have been Sovereign for, perhaps, half the years you have lived. In that time, I've seen many evils far darker and far greater than what you would consider me to be. Mass murders, madmen and psychopaths, Endbringers... Against such monsters, only cooperation will see humanity through to the next day." Sovereign glances at the watch on his wrist, then makes a hand motion that causes the armed men around them to start moving back towards where they arrived from.

"That is, in part, the reason for my existence. I told you before that I seek to limit the chaos that lesser criminals can create. While I and the Court remain, we can temper the harsh edges of crime in this city. Push out those who would cause chaos, put down those who bring death and destruction. We bring order to the unlawful- a reflection of the PRT, cast in darkness."

She sets her mouth into a thin line. And thankfully, she seems to actually be listening now. Not the skepticism and hostility from before. Getting up more carefully now, not making any motions to actually strike at or rush at Sovereign.

''If you want to push back the chaos, why not turn to heroics? A united front from the start to push out the evil would be much better than small groups working on their own, right?'' Steel asks naively. ''That would be much better than hurting people's income and gettin them in trouble, money wise, right?''

His head tilts slightly as listens to the girl’s questions, the mask’s ‘eyes’ directed towards her injured arm. Letting out a small “hmm” as she speaks, he steps around her and strolls to where the motorcycle lays on its side.

“I could speak on the nature of criminality as a weed that never truly goes away, and how heroes are too limited by morality, law, and reputation to truly keep those weeds in check. But, in truth, I am a man fit for the title of Villain. I desire money. I desire power. And I have the strength to obtain both, while maintain a relatively peaceful status quo.” As he admits this, he bends over and places a business card on the damaged motorcycle.

There's a pause as Steel thinks over that statement. Trying to process it.

''Power for power's sake?'' She asks to confirm. ''I can understand money, even if I don't like it. Wanting stuff to be peaceful too. But wanting power sounds... kind of weird? People start acting different around you. Mostly worse.'' Steel states, speaking from some manner of experience there. Remembering a knife coming towards her chest with a shudder. ''Why would you want something that can make people hate you?''

“Your age is showing, child,” he states with a slightly admonishing tone, walking back towards her.

“Power and money are interchangeable. They both may breed hate in some people, but enough of either makes the hatred of others irrelevant,” Sovereign explains, staff tapping against the ground with each step as he starts to pace.

“They open doors, provide options. Power in all its forms is the only true freedom that exists in this world. If you need something, power and money can acquire it. If you hate something, power and money can destroy it. If you fear something, power and money can protect you from it.”

She looks to the armblade on her good arm as Sovereign mentions how power can protect you. It hadn't worked well. Failed. That word sticking in her mind. Ways to Fix it briefly flashing before she shakes the thought away. Visibly pulling dragging herself out of her power's clutches.

''How does having more fix that people hate you? Is there a way that isn't hurting them more?'' A hint of hope from the teen. A poorly hidden underlying goal.

If one were to be paying close attention, they would notice that Sovereign’s attention while pacing has been split between scanning the ends of the street as well as the rooftops.

“If your foe is a cat, would you rather be a mouse or an elephant? Those who choose hatred will continue to hate, but such hate become irrelevant when you are too powerful for them to so much as scratch.”

Sovereign’s pacing begins to slow as he comes to a stop in front of the girl. “Someone will always be hurt,” he says, shaking his head. “It is up to you to decide if that person is you, or your enemy.” The older cape looks the younger in the eye. “Perhaps if you become strong enough, you can limit that hurt to a broken limb and a damaged ego, but such a thing requires experience. Experience that I have and could impart to you.”

Steel digests this information. Staring back with uncertainty, before hardening her resolve. Enough strength to limit the hurt. That... was a goal she could work towards. And in a way, the money to power correlation from before held truer than with most to her as a tinker.

''You want me to work for you?'' She asks. Not sounding entirely happy with the idea, but not entirely hating the idea either. Steel didn't like the idea of being a villain much, but it was likely to be the fastest route to her goal.

“I believe that you could benefit from such an arrangement, as I could benefit from having you as part of my operations.” He holds out a hand to her to shake, making sure to choose the same side as her broken arm to avoid hurting it more.

“Perhaps, with time, you will see that not all things we do are villainous, and even fewer could be considered evil.”

Steel hesitates for a long moment, then slowly reaches over to shake his hand. Her grip similarly unyielding to one a brute would have if Sovereign ever shaken hands with one before.

''Alright... I'm not killing anyone or dealing drugs though, okay?'' She demands, trying to put some fire into her voice. ''I still have school and such too.''

Sovereign acknowledges the girl's strong grip with one of his own. His voice takes on an amused tone as he signals the man in the car. "And I have my day job. Allowances will be made where necessary. As for your concerns, I will not make a murderer out of a child, do not worry. In regards to drugs, we as the Court do not deal in such things. We are a higher class of criminal."

The collections car pulls up next to the pair. "Perhaps we should vacate the area before any enterprising young heroes get any ideas."

A small nod. She'd... probably have done exactly that if it were her looking on at this discussion.

''Will it be okay if I get in? I'm...'' A gesture at all the metal around her. A little sheepish.

Sovereign opens the rear passenger door and beckons for her to take a seat. "By all means. If your... costume damages the vehicle, it is of little consequence. The car will need to be replaced anyways, as I'm sure someone has filmed this." He raises his voice slightly, turning his head towards one of the few stragglers who stuck around to film the fight. Then, he walks to the opposite side of the vehicle and opens the other rear door, preparing to take a seat.

She very awkwardly tries to get in after an uneasy nod. Needing several tries and half a dozen scratches on the paint to somewhat get in. The design flaw of it not allowing her to sit easily being evident, and only having access to one arm was NOT helping.

Sovereign smoothly enters the car, only needing to take off his top hat. Leaning his staff up against him, he looks over at the girl, silently watching as she struggles to get in the vehicle.

''Okay I'm... definitely fixing this... after my arm.'' She mutters to herself. Trying to get seated somewhat comfortably. Then gives a small thumbs up with her good arm.

He lets out a quiet chuckle as he signals the driver to start moving. Then he turns to "Now then, with that little spat out of the way, what is your cape name, child. And, presuming you are a tinker, your specialty."

''I hadn't picked out something yet.'' She admits, shifting a little awkwardly. ''I wanted to pick something fitting once I figured out my specialty, you know? I can do a lot with putting stuff in myself, but with one exception it's all just... kind of bad if you compare me to other tinkers. That one does data processing and helps me with awareness while fighting. It doesn't feel like something is missing there, just that I could add more.''

"Hmm..." Sovereign sits silently for a moment as he contemplates. "Self-improvement perhaps. No matter, you will find it with time. Did this spar perhaps draw out any ideas?"

The car turns onto another street. About half a block ahead, a white van can be seen heading in the same direction.

A firmer nod now. ''When I thought about how my arm blade didn't do that well to hook into the pavement earlier, my head went a bit haywire with how to change it for the better. There were also ideas for ranged weapons to store in my arms since I couldn't get close, but those feels... less important than the changes. The same feeling as when I was making the arm blade originally, now that I think about it.'' She looks down at the weapon in question with a frown beneath her mask.

Sovereign brings a gloved hand up to cup his chin. "I see. While changes or upgrades to your arm blade may seem more important, versatility is even more so. I would work on a ranged weapon first if I were you, to cover some of your weaknesses. Other than that... I think I would like to see what your power tells you after another fight before coming to any conclusions. Perhaps Cambion or Bandersnatch would be available to spar with you. After your repairs and convalescence, of course."

Another nod. ''I should probably also look at the data that the program has gathered first. That feels important, somehow.'' She looks a little put off by being unable to explain the feeling, but continues regardless. ''Keeping myself low while running was a little awkward too, so getting a range on how much weight a ranged weapon can be to balance myself first sounds good. Then something like a barrage of projectiles for making someone need to run for cover, or at least move from their spot. It'd give me time to close the distance to disorient and take them down.''

Sovereign nods indulgently as the young tinker speaks. The car seems to follow the van as they head deeper into the city center.

"Good. The first step to gaining experience is learning how to grow from each encounter. Look through that data and use it to shore up your weaknesses and hone your strengths. Do you know what materials you may need?"

That seems to give her pause. Tilting her head slightly while in thought.

''For now? Milk or pork, ideally a banana, but vitamin supplements would be good too. It'll help my bones set back more quickly. I can bend the frame back into shape without too much trouble after that, and a couple days of rest will let the bone heal properly. It's going to be more of a shopping list for stuff after that.'' The tinker replies sheepishly. ''I can make do on some parts to cut down on costs though.''

He tilts his head slightly as she speaks, muttering about healing factors under his breath. The car takes another turn, now properly downtown. Just down the street, the Daniels and Fisher clocktower can be seen.

"I assure you, cost is the least of your concerns now. Put your list together and get yourself back to full health. Anything else we should be able to acquire within a few days to a week, assuming the materials needed aren't too exotic."

The tinker hisses softly as the car turns, having forgotten to brace her arm for the turn. Shrinking a little as they turn into downtown. She wasn't exactly a subtle presence for anyone who saw them go by.

''Most of the stuff I'm thinking of isn't that bad for exotic stuff, I think.'' She replies. Going through her mental list of things she'd need for projects. ''And if cost isn't an issue... would a room I can sterilise be possible? I have a solution that I use for sterilisation, but it's very painful to use to clean wounds. So the less of that I need to clean before closing things up again, the better.''

The hiss of pain draws Sovereign's attention, garnering the girl a concerned glance. Up ahead, the van pulls into an alley, disappearing from view.

He waits for her to finish speaking before pulling a small notepad and pencil out of the back pocket of the driver's seat. The older cape takes his time writing something on it, before tearing off the paper and handing it to the girl. "That should be possible. Once you are able to, go to this location. If someone stops you at the door, inform them that you were sent by Lucille. The first floor is taken, but you may claim one of the basement units, as well as the basement storage room."

The car takes a turn down the same alley as the van, which appears to be the entrance to an underground parking garage, which is quickly proven true.

The paper, if read, contains an address. Specifically, for a four story apartment building located on Santa Fe Dr, just east of La Alma-Lincoln Park.

She waves off the concern with a mutter about how she hadn't braced herself properly.

''Is there a way to get in without, well, being seen?'' She asks after looking the address over. Carefully stuffing the paper into a pocket. Which is a little awkward with the frame. ''I can probably make the frame smaller to make it less obvious, but it's not going to be subtle for a while at least.''

“Hmm… there is a rear-facing door, as well as a utility door. The best option would likely be the utility door. The north-side alley should have a short stairway heading down. The utility door will be set into the apartment’s wall at the bottom of that stair.” As he speaks, he begins writing on another page of the notepad, before ripping it off and handing it to her. It has a normal phone number on it.

“If you’re worried, call this number before you arrive, any time after your first visit, and someone will pull a van around to block vision of the alley.”

The car pulls into a parking spot next to the van, which seems to already be empty.

''The utility door by the north side. Got it.'' A nod that she understood, with the paper being deposited into the same pocket as the address. ''I'll have a list of stuff I'll need with me too when coming by.''

The tinker sends a worried glance to the van coming to park besides them. Trying to divine if it meant trouble.

He nods absentmindedly as he pulls out his phone, completely unnoticing of the tinker's worries. He places a call to a saved number, which only rings once before someone answers.

"Lucille, could you please send Ms. Holt to the loading bay with a burner and a..." Sovereign glances at the younger cape, "glass of milk. If you can find any, bananas as well... Yes... Thank you, we will be waiting."

A grateful nod confirms that he had it in the right. Checking one of her other pockets for if some ingredients survived. Retrieving a crude glass thing filled with powder. It wasn't proper healing, not really, but by the time the eventual mixture would have run its way through her system in preparation, she could start fixing her arm proper.

''Say... Is that van yours, by any chance? Getting a bit nervous here...'' The tinker asks, not looking towards the van in question. I got a couple 'potential danger' pings when I looked earlier.''

“Hmm?” Sovereign seems taken off guard slightly. Then he looks at the van in question and let’s out a quiet chuckle.

“Ah, that’s the van my men were transported in earlier. We’re currently under La Corte Regale, a neutral location for capes to meet in this city. The Court enforces it’s neutrality, so we often return here after an operation.”

She lets the breath that she hadn't know she was holding. Untensing a little. Tucking that tidbit away for later. She wouldn't have expected a neutral meeting location to be at a fancy restaurant. More something seedier, really. Especially not a place she'd been to before as a reward for scoring a perfect grade on an important test, earlier this year.

''Ah. Makes sense. I figured they were somewhere, just not... right there.'' A vague gesture at the van with her good arm. ''Either way... Now that we're here, what next?''

Sovereign makes a slight noise of affirmation at her first statement.

"Now, we get you a burner phone with relevant numbers already saved, as well as your... milk and bananas. After that, you are free to go. Ms. Holt will be able to drive you where you need to go."