29.4

In a pristine, hospital-like facility marred by signs of struggle, Weaver’s team investigated the aftermath of an attack by the Irregulars, a group of forty-three altered humans known as Case 53s, led by Weld. The facility, meticulously maintained despite its apparent abandonment, felt staged, with airtight doors and a noticeable lack of dust.

Tattletale relayed information from the Dragonfly, describing the Irregulars’ growing agitation as they moved through the facility. They discovered three dead Case 53s, victims of a stealthy attack by Satyrical’s team. As they pressed on, the lights flickered, plunging them into darkness. Lung’s flames and Golem’s helmet lights provided meager illumination. Weaver sensed a subtle presence, a “spirit” or “ghost” later identified as the Custodian, a mysterious entity tied to the facility.

The Custodian, reacting to Weaver’s words about the Doctor and the hostile groups, appeared as a fragmented female figure. Weaver, sensing a shared frustration with the facility’s destruction, tried to appeal to the Custodian, who vanished abruptly. Imp speculated about Weaver’s sanity, while Lung urged them to move on.

They found open office-like rooms, meticulously ordered. Tattletale offered a briefing on the Irregulars, but Imp declined. Weaver retrieved two booklets detailing contingency plans, revealing that Accord, a deceased Thinker, had been preparing for various end-of-the-world scenarios, including an Endbringer or Scion victory. The plans involved using parahumans as leaders, with Cauldron acting as a stabilizing force.

Shadow Stalker pointed out two more bodies, victims of Satyrical. They reached a T-junction, with a stairwell leading deeper into the building. Tattletale revealed that Cauldron planned to use the facility as a hub for rebuilding after the crisis, with brainwashed leaders and organized distribution systems.

They came to a set of destroyed double doors, beyond which lay a prison level with hundreds of occupied cells. The prisoners, young and seemingly healthy but pale, were not Case 53s. They cheered and shouted, believing Weaver’s team was there to rescue them. Cuff expressed horror at their condition, while Lung warned of the logistical challenges of rescuing so many.

Tattletale estimated over two thousand cells, with older patients and Cauldron’s hub located further down. She explained that Cauldron’s actions, including the creation of Case 53s, were intended for humanity’s benefit, producing formulas for soldiers and using Case 53s to settle inhospitable areas.

Weaver ordered the prisoners to be quiet, using her swarm to amplify her voice. Canary offered to sing, but Rachel produced a shrill whistle that silenced the crowd. The Custodian reappeared, urging them to move. They followed her to a dead-end hallway with empty, well-furnished cells.

Tattletale, using a camera Weaver had placed, revealed they were being followed by a crowd of altered Case 53s, different from the Irregulars. These beings, bearing strange and disturbing mutations, were undetectable by Weaver’s bugs or Lung’s senses. Tattletale identified Mantellum, a cape with a power-negating field, as the cause.

Imp, who had infiltrated the crowd, reported on their leader’s speech. The Case 53s emptied their cells, creating a deafening roar. The Custodian, agitated, seemed to be prevented from enforcing order by Mantellum or the strange Case 53s. Shadow Stalker, recalling her time in juvenile detention, predicted the crowd would target them due to jealousy over their comfortable cells.

Lung offered to fight, sacrificing himself to grant them a favor. Imp reported that the crowd’s leader was calling for the “traitors” to face justice. Weld, severely damaged, was thrown to the ground. A sphere containing a creature was heated by someone in the crowd.

Shadow Stalker offered to relay any last messages, as the crowd moved to block their escape. The leader, a “pretty man,” spoke a single word: “Revenge.” The jeering grew closer as the mob advanced on their cell.