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“He’s a problem, Blazer.”
Cecil was an imposing man even if he was getting on in years. Blonde Blazer always felt nervous around the guy. It didn’t help that he did not hide his distaste for SDN and openly opposed the Phoenix Program at its launch. The disappointing look he always fixed her with reminded her too much of her father.
But today, his piercing stare was fixed out the window of her office. At the parking lot, where Phenomaman was laying on Flambae’s crushed car.
“So, you heard?” She laughed nervously. He appeared in her office in that flash of static like always and it never failed to put her on edge.
His sharp gaze turned back to her. “Everything gets back to me. Especially concerning people like him.”
“He’s not a threat.” Her stern tone surprised even herself. She may have broken the guy’s heart, but she knew Phenomaman was nothing like….like Omni-Man.
After Omni-Man and his son nearly flattened Chicago and left a trail of devastation across the East Coast, Cecil visited her office to interrogate her about the alien on their roster. They were dating at the time and Blonde Blazer was protective of the guy, so she spent a lot of her time defending him back then. Blazer nearly lost her job to help him stay on SDN, even as the public accused him of being a Viltrumite, too. The amount of coaching Blazer had to instill in Phenomaman at each and every press conference made her head hurt.
Even though they’re broken up, Blazer wasn’t willing to drop him like that.
“Are you sure?” Cecil pushed. “He got cut from Downtown. He caused a traffic pile up. And now…this.” He gestured vaguely to the parking lot.
“Respectfully, Director, what’s your point?” She usually has a lot more manners than this. Maybe Visi really was rubbing off on her.
“My point is that you need to get your boyfriend under control, or I will.” Before Blazer could argue, Cecil pushed on, “I’ve made my concerns about SDN clear. I don’t need to remind you how dangerous the people on your rosters are, especially with your bullshit Phoenix Program. But I’ve stepped back and trusted you to handle it. Don’t make me regret that.”
Blonde Blazer bristled at that. Maybe it was biased of her to fight for the Phoenix Program so fiercely now that she’s grown fond of the Z-Team. Maybe it was the way Cecil made her feel small. She wanted to lash out and tell him exactly where to shove his concerns. She bit her tongue instead.
“You won’t, Director.”
Cecil nodded. “I’ll hold you to that.” He looked somewhere to an empty corner of the room and narrowed his eyes. “You have a friend here, by the way. Might want to deal with that.” Then he vanished in a shock of something electric that Blonde Blazer still had no idea if it was some advanced tech or his natural ability.
Invisigal appeared where he had stared her in the eyes, her expression one of absolute bewilderment. “How the hell did he know?”
Blonde Blazer leaned back against her desk and sighed. Each talk with Cecil left her feeling exhausted. And she still had this damn gala to go to tonight. God, she could use a drink. “That was Cecil. He knows everything, apparently.”
“Why’s he such an asshole? Is he like your boss or something?” Visi settled beside her, mimicking her crossed arms.
“Kinda? He’s the director of the Global Defense Agency. He’s the boss of all superheroes, technically.”
“Oh, so he’s like, legit.” Visi frowned, her eyebrows pinched in concern. “I didn’t get you in trouble, did I?”
“No. I don’t think so.” Blazer shrugged. “We’ve had our differences in the past.”
“About the Phoenix Program?” Visi wasn’t looking at her. Even with Blonde Blazer’s confidence in the team, it was hard to convince the rest of the world to see them as anything but criminals.
“Cecil doesn’t like my….methods.” Blazer had heard several things through the grapevine about Cecil, the Guardians of the Globe, and the people at the GDA. She’s not sure how much of it is true, but she knows that Cecil has a very different take on rehabilitating villains than she does. “But what he thinks doesn’t matter. This is my program, and we do things my way.”
At that, Visi faced her with a grin. “Aw, Blondie, you care about us?”
Blazer laughed. “Of course I do. You’re my project.”
She missed the way Visi’s smile tensed, something complicated flashing across her eyes. Instead, Blazer’s attention turned the window. “Would you go get Robert for me? I have something I need him to do.”
Visi hopped off her desk and headed to the door. “Is he even here yet?”
“He should be down in the lab with Royd. And, please, keep what happened here between us, okay?” Blazer fixed her with a pleading look.
Visi crumbled, her ears burning red. “Sure, whatever.” Then she vanished, and Blazer watched her office door open and close. Hopefully she actually left this time.
Blazer lingered by the window, watching her ex stare at the sky with baggy eyes. She wondered what was going through his mind. She still wasn’t exactly sure what triggered Omni-Man to do what he did, but the world had assumed he had his own agenda against humanity for a very long time. It instilled a great fear in the public that any hero, at any point, could betray all of them.
It scared Mandy. Blazer ran a soothing hand over her arm, as if to comfort herself. Her human half was terrified. She would never admit how much Mandy had feared what Phenomaman would do after their breakup, if it would push him off the deep end, too. She would never live with herself if something terrible happened because of her.
But nothing like that will happen. Blonde Blazer is a hero and never doubts her teammates. She just has to keep telling herself that.
*
The next time Cecil visited SDN was in the aftermath of the Red Ring’s attack.
There Mandy sat, enjoying a beer, watching as the Z-Team crowded for a team picture, when Cecil materialized beside her.
“What hell happened here?” He said, a firmness in his tone she hasn’t heard since he first heard about the Phoenix Program. “Nobody in the GDA could get anyone on the line. I was about to send the Guardians out here.”
A little tipsy off half a beer and the leftover adrenaline from the fight, Mandy grinned at him. “You didn’t need to. We handled it.”
“...I see that.” There was a tightness in his jaw that Mandy wasn’t familiar with. Some frenetic energy he was holding as he swayed, almost anxious, which is not something she had ever seen on the guy. Then she noticed his hand.
“What happened to you?” She tipped her beer at his singed sleeve and the irritated blisters on his skin.
“Had an incident. Or we would’ve been here sooner.”
“Is that your apology?” Then she connected the rest of his words. “‘We’?”
The rap of helicopters caught everyone’s attention. In seconds, the Torrence branch of SDN was swarmed with GDA agents in both helicopters and vans. Mandy stood up on the car hood she had been lounging on.
“What the hell are you doing?” She demanded. “We had this under control.”
“Half of California is destroyed. The city called for backup.” He turned to her and there was a splatter of blood on his cheek. “If I didn’t have to be here, I wouldn’t be. Trust me.”
Robert took one look at the logo on the side of each vehicle and a sharp frown planted itself on his face. He glanced over at Mandy, then to Cecil. He tipped his chin towards her. She nodded back.
“Are we getting swatted?” Mandy heard Sonar ask before Robert ushered them away.
Mandy was sure Robert had run-ins with the GDA before. He might even know Cecil, with how prominent Mecha Man used to be. The GDA couldn’t resist trying to control heroes they don’t have a claim over. Mandy was sure it was partly the reason why Robert never joined the Brave Brigade, as the GDA tried to manage them like the Guardians of the Globe. It’s why a lot of their members defaulted to SDN instead.
“And to let you know,” Cecil began slowly, watching as his men surveyed the wreckage. “We’re going to be scouting for new Guardians soon.”
That statement was enough to wash Mandy stone cold sober. “Again?” God, she couldn’t handle another tragedy. The first massacre of the Guardians had left SDN flooded with callers and her mental state on the brink of collapse. She couldn’t handle seeing the new, young, recruits in an obituary so soon.
“They’re not dead.” Cecil’s sharp tone interrupted her train of thought, as if he knew what she was thinking. His words sounded carefully plucked. “We’re doing some restructuring. A few were let go.”
Mandy didn’t believe that Cecil would willingly fire heroes in such a sought-after position, but his tone made her think that he wouldn’t tell her more even if she asked. Instead, she took another swig of her beer and swished it between her cheeks as she mulled over his words.
“So, you’re going to poach my staff then.” It wasn’t a question. She knew this would happen sooner or later.
“Maybe. There’s a few of yours I have my eye on. If they’re interested.” Cecil eyed the group of Z-Teamers that were surrounding Robert, hanging onto his every word. “Aren’t those your Phoenixes?”
“Yes. And they’re the heroes that defeated the Red Ring.” She finally has some proof that the Phoenix Program isn’t a wasted investment. Oh, Mandy is going to gloat about this for years.
“Good. I still think we could have seen progress sooner if you had taken my suggestions, but as long as you’re getting results.”
Mandy bit her cheek. Visi was right to call him an asshole.
Then he nodded at the mech, slumped on the roof of the SDN building. “Where’s the Mech guy?”
“He wouldn’t be interested.” Mandy couldn’t keep the bite out of her reply. She wasn’t willing to let Robert go that easily, not when they just got his mech fixed.
Cecil didn’t spare a glance at her. “We’ll see about that.”
*
“Should we be killing them or what, Robert?” Malevola means well, Robert is sure, but the suggestion made his head snap up.
“Do not fight these guys. They’re GDA.” God, he won’t even imagine what could happen to his team if they pissed off the GDA. Anyone but fucking Cecil Stedman.
“What is that, like GERD?” Flambae asked, eyeing the agents swarming around them.
“It’s the Global Defense Agency. They have the Guardians of the Globe under their thumb.” The Guardians were always the better-funded, ‘cool kids’ compared to the Brave Brigade, which in its last years, really struggled to maintain its brand after its key players died or retired.
“Ooh, are the Guardians here? I always thought Dupli-Kate and I would be besties,” Prism said, scanning around them.
“The threat has been apprehended, so I doubt it. They’re probably here on a formality.” Robert leaned against a parked car and crossed his arms, his glare settling on Cecil. If Mandy didn’t look like she had the situation handled, he would be over there grilling his ass. If the GDA wanted to bring in the whole army, they should have done it twelve hours ago.
Visi settled beside him. “That guy was in Blazer’s office last week. He was all pissed about Phenomaman.”
“That man is angry with me?” Phenomaman floated nearby with barely a hair out of place after such a long night. “I do not recall offending him.”
“Nothing you did, buddy. Cecil is probably just worried we aren’t doing our jobs.” He heard enough from his father growing up how much of a pain in the ass the GDA director is. Chase has talked at length about how the man gave him the creeps.
“So you know him?” Visi asked.
“Not really. I’ve heard a lot about him, though.” If he ever tried to reach out to Mecha Man, it was probably lost in his abandoned work email. “Mandy mentioned he’s been breathing down her neck since the Omni-Man thing.”
“Oh, is he upset because he thinks I am like Omni-Man?” Phenomaman asked with a slight head tilt. “Perhaps he hasn’t seen my many press conferences. I shall tell him that I am not a Viltrumite, and that should ease his worries.” He gently descended and made his way towards Mandy and Cecil.
“Wait—Phenomaman!” He was already several paces ahead of Robert, so he half-jogged to catch up to him. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why not? The Blonde Blazer can vouch for me. I am not a threat.” Phenomaman paused then, his face pinched. “Am I a threat, Third Robert Robertson?”
“I don’t think you’re a threat.” Robert only got a little concerned during their talk in the parking lot, but he’s going to believe that Phenomaman is past that now. “But people who don’t know you might not understand that.”
“Then, shouldn’t it be my responsibility to help them understand?” Phenomaman’s eyes were big and sad that it made Robert feel like he just kicked a puppy. “You all are so patient to educate me on your human culture. I should do the same.”
“It’s not always that easy.” Robert didn’t know how to explain the differences between a press conference to Cecil Stedman, but he didn’t have time to figure it out. Cecil was fast approaching them, with Mandy hot on his heels. Her face mirrored his own guarded panic.
“You must be the Phenomaman I’ve heard so much about.” Cecil extended a hand once he was close enough. “Cecil Stedman. Director of the GDA.”
Phenomaman smiled charmingly and took Cecil’s hand in a firm grip. “It’s an honor to meet you, Director Cecil Stedman. I’m aware there might be a misunderstanding.”
Cecil raised an eyebrow. “A misunderstanding?”
Mandy tried to subtly shake her head, but Phenomaman didn’t pick up subtle queues. Instead, she gave Robert a pleading look. He opened his mouth to say—something. He wasn’t sure what. But Phenomaman beat him to it.
“Yes. I wanted to clarify that I am not a Viltrumite. My home planet is Urgot-52dc, which has a far superior society, so there is no need to colonize lesser planets such as yours. I hope that eases your concern over my loyalty.”
Robert put his head in his hands.
A long pause. And then, Cecil said with a smile in his voice, “It does. Thank you.”
Robert looked up. Cecil glanced at him, something critical in his eyes. He wondered if Cecil could recognize him as Mecha Man. The man was awfully astute.
“In fact, I think I’ll extend an offer to you,” Cecil continued. “There’s been a few openings in the Guardians of the Globe. One of them is yours, if you are interested.”
Mandy’s jaw dropped. Robert mouthed to her, what the fuck?
Phenomaman even looked shocked. “Oh, wow. I am honored, Director Cecil Stedman. But I will have to think about it. I have grown fond of SDN and of my fellow heroes.”
Cecil nodded. “Take all the time you need.” He glanced at the wreckage behind them. “A change can be good.”
Finally, he turned his attention back to Mandy, who schooled her expression. “My men can take it from here. I have some other business to attend to.” He nodded back at Phenomaman. “I’ll be in touch.”
Then he vanished in a flash, leaving the three of them standing in dumb silence in the SDN parking lot.