While I comforted Taylor, I reflected on the past two weeks since I'd arrived in this world. I'd noticed a definite pattern with the Celestial Grimoire and how it granted me new choice points.
Whenever I personally went out on patrol and encountered something exciting or dangerous - like our fights against Stormtiger or the Undersiders, or even that close call just now where I almost got my ass kicked - the Grimoire seemed to rapidly provide me with choice points to spend.
But last night, during our second official patrol where nothing exciting happened beyond stopping some basic crimes, I hadn't gained a single new perk. The same happened with going to school. It was only the first few times that choice points trickled in, but they quickly stopped afterwards. The Grimoire seemed to only reward me for uniquely thrilling experiences.
The same principle seemed to apply to my... intimate encounters with Taylor as well. The first time we'd had sex, when I took a dominant role, I'd gained choice points. And again earlier today, when Taylor got aggressive and took charge, more points came flooding in.
But if we just had relatively vanilla sex with no real novelty or excitement behind it, I doubted the Grimoire would provide much in the way of new abilities. That was a major factor in my decision to fuck Taylor in the open air on top of Menhir - the sheer audacity and risk of it all practically guaranteed the Grimoire's interest.
Not that I was going to start using Taylor purely as a means to gain more powers, of course. I genuinely cared for her, more than I could put into words. But I'd be lying if I said the potential rewards didn't factor into my actions and decisions.
If I wanted to keep gaining strength and securing my place in this universe and beyond, I needed to take risks. Push boundaries. Act in unique, daring ways that caught the Grimoire's attention, whether through combat with capes or exploring my sexuality with Taylor or even going on the run as vigilantes.
Seducing Taylor in the first place had granted me an insane amount of choice points before I even started patrolling. I couldn't help but wonder if that had something to do with her status as the original protagonist of this world, at least in the Grimoire's eyes. Deflowering the main character, so to speak.
I was pulled from my thoughts as Taylor shifted in my arms. Meeting her gaze through her mask's lenses, I gently nudged her shoulder.
"Hey," I said softly. "I've got an idea about how we can let your dad know we're okay without putting him or ourselves in danger."
Taylor stiffened slightly at the mention of Danny, but she nodded for me to continue.
"With my shapeshifting abilities, I could disguise myself as someone else entirely," I explained calmly. "Then I can pay him a visit, give him a letter explaining everything that's happened. That way, he'll know you're safe without us having to risk the PRT or Protectorate tracking us down."
I searched her masked face, trying to gauge her reaction. "What do you think? Worth a shot?"
For a long moment, Taylor was silent. Then, finally, she gave a hesitant nod. "Okay... yeah, I think that could work. Just, please, be careful."
I smiled reassuringly and gave her a gentle squeeze. "Don't worry, I will be. Now, let me see..."
Closing my eyes, I reached for my shapeshifting abilities granted by Vanity's Reward. A small portion of my magicka reserves drained away as I waved my hand.
When I opened my eyes again, Taylor gasped audibly. I had transformed into an elderly woman, complete with wrinkled skin, gray hair tied in a bun, and a simple floral print dress.
Clearing my throat, I attempted an aged, raspy voice. "How's this, dearie? Do I look the part?"
Taylor blinked a few times before letting out a surprised laugh. "The look is perfect, but your voice still sounds way too young."
I huffed in mock offense, planting my hands on my hips. The motion made the loose skin of my arms jiggle realistically. "Well excuse me, miss! I'm doing my best here."
Schooling my features into a more serious expression, I tried again - this time pitching my voice higher and raspier. "There, is that better?"
Taylor considered for a moment before nodding. "Yes, much better. I think you've got the old lady thing down."
I waved my hand once more to let the elderly disguise fade away, returning to my normal appearance. Sitting down next to Taylor, I gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "You know," I began softly, "even if things seem really bad right now, we shouldn't lose hope. My abilities have been expanding rapidly, and I've gained so much in such a short time."
I paused, letting my words sink in before continuing. "When I first arrived to Brockton Bay, all I had were the Menhir, But then I quickly got teleportation, the ability to shapeshift and create decoys, that healing milk, my dragon form..."
Trailing off, I pointed at Agni Gandiva. "And now this new bow that can shoot arrows of pure fire capable of piercing through castle walls. There's been no limit to what I can acquire so far."
She lifted her head, meeting my gaze intensely through her mask's yellow lenses.
"What are you trying to say?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
I offered her a gentle smile, my eyes softening. "I'm saying this doesn't have to be some permanent goodbye. We just need to lay low for a while until my powers grow enough that the PRT and anyone else have no choice but to ignore what happened today."
I watched as Taylor's demeanor gradually shifted. Her shoulders, which had been hunched, slowly relaxed. She uncurled her fingers, which had been gripping her costume so tightly that I felt her knuckles must have turned white.
"You're right," she said, straightening her posture and meeting my gaze. "We're not giving up. We're just... regrouping."
I nodded, impressed by her resilience. "Exactly. Now, let me grab some supplies so you can write that letter to your dad."
Closing my eyes and waving a hand, I focused on my shapeshifting abilities once more. When I opened them, I'd transformed into a nondescript middle-aged man with salt-and-pepper hair and a slight paunch.
"How's this?" I asked in a gruff voice.
Taylor tilted her head. "Better. Less memorable than the old lady, I think."
I grinned, then focused on one of my ghostly butterflies hovering over the Commercial District. Through its eyes, I guided it towards a large office supply store. As it fluttered through the aisles, I spotted a display of pens and notepads.
After confirming that there was nobody nearby, I teleported directly to the spot I'd seen through the butterfly's eyes. Quickly, I snatched up a notepad and a pack of pens before teleporting back to Taylor's side atop Menhir.
"Here you go," I said, handing her the supplies. "Write whatever you need to. Just... maybe keep it vague about exactly what happened?"
The moment the notepad and pens left my hands, I froze as unknown energy began pulsing in my mind.
[Form of the Monster - Generic MG] – 200cp, 50cp remaining
This isn't a form, but a super mode for whatever form you currently have. You grow bulkier, more fearsome, and possess a more intimidating presence. Your clothes follow suit. In this form your enemies lose their nerves and confidence in your presence. In addition, your strength increases by half again from activating this form.
You can maintain this form for a few hours at first, and will need to take a long break if you overdo it. The time you can spend in this form will extend with use.
I slowly unfroze, shifting back into my usual slender form before lowering my mask. "Taylor," I called out, "we were just discussing my powers, right? Well, I just got a new one."
She turned towards me. With a thought, I activated my newest ability.
My body rapidly expanded, muscles swelling as I shot up over a foot in height. Thick cords of power rippled beneath my skin as I transformed into an amazonian version of myself. Where I normally stood around 5'7", I now towered closer to 6'4" with broad shoulders and a powerful, imposing physique. I could feel my breasts increasing proportionally, surely going from a D cup to at least an F.
"Wow..." Taylor whispered.
I flexed an arm, admiring the defined musculature. "Yeah, this is pretty intense," I agreed. "It's not my shapeshifting ability either. That's purely cosmetic - this is something different."
Taylor was still staring, her mask tilted slightly as she took in my enhanced body. I couldn't see her eyes, but I had a pretty good idea where they were focused.
"Hey, my eyes are up here," I teased, snapping my fingers playfully.
Taylor's head jerked up, and I could practically feel the blush radiating from behind her mask. "S-sorry," she stammered. "It's just... wow."
I chuckled, relaxing my stance a bit. "Yeah, it's a lot to take in. But get this - this strength boost? It's not just for this form. It'll stack on top of any other powers I get in the future."
Taylor's head tilted in that way it did when she was really focusing. "What do you mean?"
"Well," I explained, warming to the topic, "let's say I somehow get actual Brute powers down the line. This ability would increase that strength by half again. And it's not just limited to my human form either - it'll work for my dragon transformation too. Or any other future Changer powers."
I stopped for a moment to give Taylor time to fully grasp what I was saying. "Basically, no matter how strong I get, this'll make me even stronger. It's like... a permanent multiplier on my strength."
Taylor let out a low whistle. "That's... actually really impressive."
"Right?" I grinned, then glanced down at the notepad still clutched in her hands. "Anyway, this is just one more example of how quickly things are changing. You should probably get started on that letter to your dad."
Taylor nodded, her posture straightening as she seemed to refocus on the task at hand. "Right, yeah. I'll get on that."
As she bent over the notepad, scribbling away, I let my new form fade. It felt a bit like releasing a breath I'd been holding, my body shrinking back down to its normal proportions.
Turning my attention back to Taylor, I watched as her pen flew across the paper. Her mask was tilted down, completely focused on her writing. I wondered what she was saying to her dad, how she was explaining all of this.
I did feel slightly guilty. In a way, this was all my fault. If I hadn't come into Taylor's life…
Well, she'd probably have gone even deeper into villainy like in canon, so it's actually maybe not as bad. But still, she was in this situation because of me, so I'll take responsibility for her.
"Hey," I said softly, not wanting to startle her. "How's it coming along?"
Taylor's pen paused, and she looked up at me. "Almost done," she replied, her voice tight with emotion. "It's... hard, trying to explain everything without really explaining anything, you know?"
I nodded sympathetically. "Yeah, I can imagine. Just... do your best. Let him know you're safe, that you love him. That's the important part."
oo0ooOoo0oo
The doorbell rang, causing Danny to look up from the TV he had been half-watching. He frowned, glancing at the clock on the wall - a little past 1pm on Saturday. Maybe it was Taylor and Lara returning from whatever they had been up to earlier?
Pushing himself up from the couch with a grunt, Danny made his way to the front door and pulled it open. However, instead of his daughter and her cousin, an elderly woman stood on the doorstep, hunched over and leaning heavily on a cane.
"Can I help you?" Danny asked, brow furrowing in confusion as he looked down at the old lady.
"Are you Danny Hebert?" the woman rasped.
"Yes..." Danny replied slowly.
The old woman reached into the folds of her dress with a wrinkled hand and pulled out an envelope. "I was told to give you this."
Danny accepted the envelope warily, turning it over to look at the front. His heart stuttered in his chest when he recognized Taylor's familiar handwriting scrawling out his name.
"What's going on?" he demanded, snapping his head back up to stare at the old woman intently. "Where did you get this? Where's Taylor?"
The woman seemed to shrink back slightly from his intensity. "I...I don't know the details," she stammered. "I was just asked to deliver that letter."
"By who?" Danny pressed, clutching the envelope tightly. "Who gave this to you?"
The old woman shook her head. "I didn't get a name. Just a young man who said he'd pay me $50 to bring that to you."
Danny felt his temper flare at the vague non-answer. "That's not good enough!" he snapped, taking an aggressive step forward. The woman flinched, shrinking away from his building rage.
He opened his mouth to continue berating her, but the words died in his throat as the envelope crinkled in his white-knuckled grip. Slowly, he forced himself to take a deep breath, reining in his anger.
This frail old lady wasn't the real source of his frustration and fear. Getting upset with her wouldn't solve anything or bring Taylor back.
With shaking hands, Danny tore open the envelope and pulled out the letter inside, his eyes frantically scanning Taylor's handwriting.
Dad,
I'm so sorry I can't explain everything in person, but Lara and I have run into some serious trouble. We're both okay for now, but we had to go into hiding to stay safe. I know this will be really hard to understand without all the details, but please trust that we'll come back as soon as we can. Don't try looking for us - it's too dangerous right now. I love you so much. Take care of yourself, and don't worry about me. Lara is protecting me.
Love, Taylor
Danny read the brief note over and over, his knuckles whitening as he gripped the paper tighter with each pass. Serious trouble? Hiding to stay safe? Dangerous? What the hell did any of that mean?
A million frantic thoughts and questions swirled through his mind as he struggled to process Taylor's vague, unsettling words. He barely registered the old woman's presence until she cleared her throat hesitantly.
"I...I should go now," she mumbled, already turning to shuffle away.
Danny looked up sharply. He wanted to demand more answers, to shake the truth out of this woman if needed. But he also understood her genuine ignorance, and merely wanted her gone so he could think.
"Yes, you should go," he bit out through gritted teeth. Without waiting for a response, Danny turned and slammed the door shut, the frame rattling from the force.
He stood there for several long moments, chest heaving with harsh breaths as he fought to control the storm of emotions raging inside him. Fear for Taylor's safety clashed with frustration at her lack of explanation and anger at being left in the dark about whatever was happening.
"What the hell is going on?" he growled, slamming a fist against the door hard enough to make his knuckles sting. Spinning on his heel, Danny began pacing the length of the living room agitatedly.
His eyes kept darting back to the letter still clutched in his hand, as if staring at it would somehow reveal the truth behind Taylor's cryptic words. She claimed to be in trouble, in danger of some kind. But from what? Or who? The questions spun endlessly, each new theory more outlandish than the last.
After ten minutes of frantic pacing and wild speculation, Danny finally forced himself to stop. He couldn't keep going in circles like this - he needed help, real answers. Walking over to the kitchen counter, he snatched up the cordless phone and began dialing a number he'd hoped to never have to call.
The line rang twice before a professional female voice answered. "Thank you for calling the Parahuman Response Team hotline. This is Operator Redfield. How can I assist you today?"
Danny swallowed hard, steadying his nerves before speaking. "Yes, hello. This is Danny Hebert. I need to speak with Agent Walker about a parahuman-related situation, please."
There was a brief pause on the other end of the line. "One moment, Mr. Hebert. I'll transfer you."
After a short wait, a familiar male voice came on the line. "Mr. Hebert, this is Agent Walker. What can I do for you?"
Danny took a deep breath. "Agent Walker, it's about Taylor and Lara. They've... they've run away. Left me a letter saying they're in some kind of trouble and can't come home. I don't know what to do."
Agent Walker's tone became more serious. "I see. Can you tell me exactly what the letter said, Mr. Hebert? Any details about the kind of trouble they might be in?"
"Not much," Danny admitted, frustration evident in his voice. "Just that they had to go into hiding to stay safe. That it's too dangerous right now. They didn't explain anything else."
"Alright, Mr. Hebert," Agent Walker said calmly. "Can you come down to the PRT building? We'll need to take an official statement and discuss our next steps."
Danny nodded, even though Walker couldn't see him. "Yes, of course. I'll be there as soon as I can. Thank you, Agent Walker."
"We'll do everything we can to help, Mr. Hebert," Walker assured him. "See you soon."
oo0ooOoo0oo
Dean Stansfield, better known as Gallant, sat on the edge of his bed, phone pressed to his ear as he listened to his girlfriend's increasingly frantic recounting of the day's events.
"So there I was, just doing my usual patrol, when I spotted those two new heroes - Aletheia and Arachne - on top of one of those weird floating rocks," Victoria explained, her voice rising in pitch. "And Dean, you won't believe what I caught them doing..."
She trailed off, clearly embarrassed. Dean felt his cheeks heat up as he filled in the blanks. "Vicky, maybe we shouldn't-"
"No, no, it's relevant, I swear!" Victoria insisted. "Anyway, after that awkwardness, we decided to patrol together. Aletheia's teleportation is no joke - we patrolled half the city in minutes."
Dean listened intently as Victoria described the encounter with the mugger, how she'd taken him down easily. Then came the part that had clearly shaken her.
"Aletheia went after this guy who ran off, right? Into an alley. I was busy calling the cops, but it felt like it took forever. Then Arachne and that stone thing - Menhir, I think they call it - started moving that way too."
Victoria's voice dropped, becoming hushed and horrified. "When I went to check... God, Dean, there was blood and chunks of flesh everywhere. It was like something out of a slasher film."
Dean felt his stomach churn at the vivid description. "Jesus," he muttered. "What did you do?"
"I panicked," Victoria admitted. "Used my aura on them. Aletheia reacted normally, but Arachne... nothing. It was creepy as hell. They were acting so weird, Dean. I think Aletheia teleported the body away or something."
She went on to describe how she'd tried to apprehend Arachne, only for Aletheia to teleport them both away. The floating stone had taken off too, leaving Victoria with nothing but questions and a gnawing sense of unease.
When she finished, Dean took a deep breath, processing everything he'd heard. "Vicky," he began carefully, "is there any chance this was self-defense? Did you actually see what happened in that alley?"
There was a long pause on the other end of the line. "I... I don't know," Victoria finally admitted, her voice small. "Maybe? But the way they acted afterwards, running away like that..."
Dean sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Okay. I'll report this to the PRT, see what they want to do." He hesitated, then added gently, "And Vicky? Maybe next time don't spy on people having sex, hero or villain. It's not cool."
Victoria made a strangled sound of embarrassment. "I wasn't trying to- oh, forget it. Just... let me know what the PRT says, okay?"
"Will do," Dean promised. "Love you."
"Love you too," Victoria replied before hanging up.
oo0ooOoo0oo
Hannah entered the meeting room, her eyes scanning the faces already gathered around the large oval table. Director Piggot sat at the head, her stern gaze fixed on a stack of papers before her. Armsmaster was to her right. Triumph, looking slightly out of place among the senior members, fidgeted with a pen near the far end. She felt slightly bad for him, he had just been promoted from the Wards to the Protectorate a couple of days ago and was already having to deal with cases like this.
Two PRT analysts huddled together, whispering and shuffling papers. Agent Reeves from Intelligence stood off to the side, a tablet in hand. The atmosphere wasn't exactly tense, but it was clear people were concerned. This wasn't their first rodeo with new capes in town, but the situation with Aletheia and Arachne had taken an unexpected turn.
Director Piggot cleared her throat, drawing everyone's attention. "Alright, let's get this show on the road," she said, her tone more weary than stern. "Analysts, what have you got for us?"
The first analyst, Dr. Samantha Chen, stood up. "As you're all aware, we've been tracking the activities of Aletheia and Arachne for the past week. Initially, we discovered Aletheia was a parahuman because of the floating stones that appeared around her, and decided to recruit her into the Wards. That was also when we discovered Arachne, who is her cousin, was also a parahuman."
She paused, clicking a remote to bring up images on the large screen behind her. "Arachne, also known as Taylor Hebert, possesses the ability to control insects within a large radius. The exact range is still unknown, but it's estimated to be at least several city blocks."
Hannah's eyes narrowed, considering the tactical implications of such a power. In an urban environment like Brockton Bay, with its abundance of insects, Arachne could be a formidable opponent or a powerful ally.
Dr. Chen continued, "Aletheia, or Lara Moore, has demonstrated a diverse set of abilities. Her primary power appears to be line-of-sight teleportation, both short and long-range. She's also shown the ability to attack without causing physical injury, create a low-durability clone capable of the same non-lethal attacks, and control multiple large floating stones she calls 'Menhirs'."
Armsmaster leaned forward. "The combat potential of Aletheia's teleportation cannot be overstated. Traditional containment foam procedures would be largely ineffective against an opponent who can near instantly relocate to any visible location. If she remains airborne on these 'Menhirs', limiting her line of sight becomes extremely challenging."
Hannah nodded in agreement. "I've faced Oni Lee before, and he's always a tricky opponent. But one with the ability to bring others along? That's a whole new level of threat."
The second analyst, Dr. Robert Keller, took over. "The Menhirs themselves pose a significant danger. They've been observed interfering in minor crimes around the city, using some form of attack that causes intense headaches and can physically repel targets. Prolonged exposure leads to bleeding from the ears and eyes, suggesting severe neurological stress."
He paused, letting that sink in. "It's worth noting that this effect was able to bypass Glory Girl's forcefield, indicating it might be effective against other defensive powers as well. This puts it in a similar category to certain all-or-nothing effects we've encountered in the past."
Director Piggot's frown deepened. "And we're certain Aletheia isn't directly controlling these Menhirs at all times?"
Dr. Keller shook his head. "Based on their observed behavior and range of operation, it seems unlikely. They appear to function autonomously to some degree, similar to Dragon's suits but on a much smaller scale."
"What about their cape names?" Triumph asked, speaking up for the first time. "Do we have any insights there?"
Dr. Chen adjusted her glasses. "Arachne is straightforward enough - a reference to the Greek myth of a woman turned into a spider. It clearly relates to her power. Aletheia is more complex. It's a Greek word often translated as 'truth' or 'disclosure'. The exact reasoning behind this choice isn't clear, but it could indicate a Thinker aspect to her powers we haven't observed yet."
Agent Reeves stepped forward. "If I may, Director? We've been analyzing their psychological profiles based on observed behavior and limited interactions. Aletheia displays confidence bordering on arrogance, which could be a result of her diverse and powerful abilities. Arachne, on the other hand, seems more reserved but potentially unstable. Her power's nature and the recent incident suggest possible trauma or deep-seated issues."
Director Piggot nodded. "And what about their trigger events? We know about Arachne's, but what of Aletheia's?"
Dr. Chen spoke up. "As you're aware, Director, Arachne triggered when she was trapped in a filth-filled locker by Shadow Stalker, which is why the latter is currently under house arrest. For Aletheia, our records show she triggered during a car crash that resulted in her parents' deaths."
Armsmaster interjected, "We should consider the possibility of a second trigger or cluster trigger for Aletheia. This variety of useful powers that aren't weak are not common."
Director Piggot's eyes narrowed. "Noted. Now, let's move on to their recent activities and the... incident... from yesterday. Triumph, you had direct contact with them during the Undersiders situation. What was your impression?"
Triumph shifted in his seat, looking uncomfortable. "They seemed... eager to help. Aletheia was confident, maybe a bit cocky. But effective. She managed to take down Regent pretty quickly. Arachne was quieter, but her swarm control was impressive."
He paused, his expression troubled. "Honestly, if you'd asked me yesterday morning, I would've said they were promising young heroes. I don't understand what could've happened to change that so drastically."
The room fell silent for a moment before Hannah spoke up. "We need to consider the possibility that there's more to the situation than we know. Their actions afterwards - contacting Mr. Hebert, going into hiding - suggest they're aware of the gravity of what happened. They're scared, possibly desperate."
Director Piggot's eyes narrowed. "Are you suggesting we treat them as misguided rather than villainous, Miss Militia?"
Hannah chose her words carefully. "I'm suggesting we consider all possibilities. These are young parahumans who, up until yesterday, showed every sign of wanting to be heroes. Something caused that to change dramatically. Understanding what that was could be crucial in how we approach this situation."
Armsmaster nodded. "I agree. We should also consider the possibility of outside influence. Could they have been coerced or manipulated by another party?"
Agent Reeves spoke up again. "It's possible, but we have no evidence of that at this time. However, their sudden shift in behavior does align with patterns we've seen in cases of parahuman mental influence."
Director Piggot turned to the analysts. "What are your recommended threat ratings based on the current information?"
Dr. Keller cleared his throat. "For Arachne, we're looking at Master 5, possibly 6 given her arthropodovoyance and fine control. Thinker 2 for sensory capabilities through her swarm. For Aletheia... it's more complicated. Mover 7 at minimum for the teleportation. Master 5 for the Menhirs. Blaster 6 for the neurological attack from the Menhirs. Striker 1 for being able to adjust her attacks to only cause pain. Stranger 2 for the clone creation. And a tentative Thinker 2 for coordinating the Menhirs at range."
Armsmaster leaned forward. "I'd like to propose we develop some specialized countermeasures for Aletheia, we might need to consider area-denial foam dispensers to limit her line of sight."
Hannah nodded. "Good ideas, but we also need to consider non-combat solutions. If we can open a dialogue with them, we might be able to de-escalate the situation."
Director Piggot sighed. "Agreed. But we need to be prepared for all scenarios. What about containment procedures if we do need to bring them in?"
Dr. Chen spoke up. "Standard M/S protocols would be a start. We'd need to keep them separated and in rooms with no line of sight to the outside. For Arachne, we'd need to maintain a sterile environment free of insects."
"And the legal implications?" Piggot asked, turning to Agent Reeves.
He consulted his tablet. "Given their age and the circumstances, we can arrange for probationary Ward status if they turn themselves in voluntarily. However, if the situation escalates further, we could be looking at serious charges."
Director Piggot nodded, her expression grim. "Alright. Here's what we're going to do. We'll step up patrols and monitoring, especially in areas where these 'Menhirs' have been spotted. If we can track their movements, we might be able to predict where Aletheia and Arachne are hiding."
She turned to Armsmaster. "Try to reach out to Dragon - see if she has any insights on the Menhirs' autonomous behavior."
"Miss Militia, I want you to reach out to Mr. Hebert. See if you can glean any additional information about what might have triggered this change in behavior. And keep an eye out for any attempts at contact from the girls themselves."
Hannah nodded, already planning how to approach that delicate conversation.
"Triumph, coordinate with the Wards. They're closer in age and might have insights we're missing. But keep the details on a need-to-know basis for now."
Finally, she addressed the room at large. "I don't need to remind you all how delicate this situation is. If we mishandle this, we could push two potentially powerful parahumans firmly into villainy. But we also can't ignore the severity of their actions. We need to be smart, cautious, and above all, prepared."
She paused, her gaze sweeping the room. "Any questions?"
The room remained silent.
"Dismissed," Piggot said firmly. "Let's get to work."