June 11th 2013, 6:22 AM
Steelmind’s next meeting was around dawn. He’d watched Jay leave and attempted to put a tail on him, without success. He’d read a report on the prisoners retrieved from Lizzy’s hospital; her captain, Were, was alive but comatose. That explained the conflicting reports; if he recovered he might be useful, but now Julius had to talk to the Captain Palatine.
The first Captain Palatine had been his father’s most loyal retainer, a family monster with cyborg limbs and lightning reflexes who had once gone by the name of Blitz. Julius had been scared of him from the age of five to the age of fourteen, when his sister had managed to refocus all the fear he could feel onto herself. The captain had died holding off Ilderia’s assassins; if he’d been less brave or Father had been less clever, Ilderia’s first ambush would have succeeded in murdering her entire family.
The second Captain Palatine was weaker; a geokinetic who was still probably the third or fourth strongest brick in the city. He was very loyal, but less dynamic, less iron-willed. Steelmind’s remote body met him in one of his offices. He had no intention of leaving hiding yet.
“Captain,” he said. Palatine saluted him, took a seat. The chair creaked under his weight and the weight of the armor he never shed.
“Julius. You wanted to talk?”
“Yes,” said Steelmind. “There are two things we need to discuss. First, I want to ask how the hunt for my father’s murderer is progressing.”
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“No one saw the killer, but Azure claimed the bounty,” said Palatine. “I told my men to comb the streets, just to be thorough, but I doubt we’ll find anything.”
“Hm,” said Steelmind. Azure was well known as the world’s best assassin. Whether it was true or not Steelmind wasn’t sure, but unless he was hiding some secret power he didn’t have the ability to shoot through forcefields. “What happened to the armor?”
“A dab of plastic explosive on the integrated shield projector. Went off as the shot was in the air.”
“Sabotage,” said Steelmind. He considered the list of suspects who could have accessed the armor while it was in storage: him, his sisters. Anyone who could teleport and bring objects with them. It had to have been Lizzy who had hired Azure, of course; she had gotten the EMP generator and Serum #24 out of the armory, and she could’ve sabotaged his father’s armor. He had no proof, but he could find some or make some later. Jay might be useful for that.
“I have no skill hunting murderers. If you need any more money or support to catch him, come to me, and I’ll make sure you get it.”
Palatine nodded, and Steelmind steepled his fingers.
“Which brings me to the second point. Last night, my sister Elizabeth tried to kill me. She failed, which resolved the issue of the succession. I will arrange a date for my coronation shortly.”
“You killed her?”
“I subdued her.”
“Good,” said Palatine. The first Captain Palatine would have raged. The second was quieter. He coughed. “Your other sister?”
“Catherine has no interest in rulership.”
“Good.”
There was a pause.
“Elizabeth is in one of Prudence’s stasis chambers,” added Julius. “The same model she uses for her ‘deluge.’ Feel free to inspect the stasis chamber, if you wish. Make sure I haven’t sabotaged it.”
Palatine nodded, then Julius continued.
“When you’ve done whatever you need to to make sure that Lizzy is alive and Catherine is uninterested, I will want your oath of fealty. I would want you to continue as Captain of the Palace Guard.”
For a long moment Palatine said nothing, considering his options, and then he nodded. “Very well, your highness. You will have it.”