The glittering jewel of Arcadia spread out before the windows of the bedroom. The view was spectacular and one that only a few would ever see. The bedroom was located near the pinnacle of the Spire. The two occupants of the move had their attention on a box on the bed.
"I thought you donated that to the museum." The man gestured at the red, white and blue outfit that lay in an open armoured box on the bed he shared with the woman.
"I donated the others. THIS one I kept." She gently traced her fingers across the fabric, drinking in it's colour and texture.
"I didn't know we had it. I don't think I've ever seen you with it." He mused.
"Chase," the woman paused, "I'm not one for introspection. I've made decisions as best I could and I stand by them."
Chase Anthony, husband of Director Talia Thorne of AEGIS Outreach, moved to hug his wife. "No. It's unlike you to have doubts. Something is bothering you."
"Somethings have been bothering me for a long time."
She paused. The silence drew out. Chase patiently waited until Talia continued.
"I thought I could do more as Director of Outreach than I could ever do as Patriot."
Chase, despite his intellect wasn't sure yet where this was going but he had suspicions. "You have done more. You've shepherded in a new golden age for heroes. Collateral damage is at an all time low. Heroes across the USA, and now the world, are trained to be better people. The lives they've saved, you've saved, are incalculable."
"We didn't save everyone. What if I could have done more?"
"Talia," he gently led his wife to site beside the case, "You and I know. We can't save everyone. The Grue Invasion showed us that. Since then you've been a better General to the super-community than any previous efforts since Centurion."
"He never had a desk job." Talia lovingly stroked the uniform in it's case. "Centurion was always in the thick of it. He was on the front line and didn't ask anyone to do anything he wouldn't do."
"Centurion was unique." Chase sat in the chair opposite his wife. "You coordinate the largest group of superhumans on the planet."
"I've been given great powers Chase. I'm doing a desk job that doesn't require them. I feel as those I'm squandering those gifts. Those times I couldn't get people there in time or get the right outcome. What if I was there. With my gifts I could have helped."
Talia shook her head to dispel unseen demons, "Sometimes it feels like I let wrongs go unrighted. Not because I know I couldn't stop them, because I can't know that... but what if I didn't try hard enough. What if it's like Bangkok? Hubris in my role."
"You're doing enough Talia."
"Am I? I said something like that today." Talia looked down. "A young team came to me. They learned of hypergate. The same ones who almost secured that Lor Cruiser a week or so ago."
"How did they rattle you?"
"One of them, Texas Torpedo they call him, he asked what me was doing to free the aliens confined to Star City and Star Haven. I told him I was doing everything I could. I told him I hated it but I couldn't do more. It isn't true Chase. I can do more. They knew it. I knew it. I'm not one for lies. I'm more of a direct military type than a diplomat or spy."
Chase could see where this was leading. In truth he was surprised it had taken so many years for this day to arrive. He had a speech prepared and raised his finger to signal it's commencement.
"After being surprised by the Hittites at Kadesh, Ramses II’s decision to personally lead his royal guard in a counterattack “set the example” to rally what remained of his divisions and saved his army from a complete rout. Alexander the Great got down and dirty once he’d instilled his commander’s intent among his generals. This risked his being unable to revise tactics in the event of something not working as planned, and nearly cost him his life on more than one occasion. Hannibal, once he’d similarly briefed his trusted lieutenants, usually joined his Celtic contingent in order to ensure discipline in its ranks, dressed in a common soldier’s armor so as not to be marked by the Romans, but recognizable enough to his own Celts. Gaius Julius Caesar preferred to run his battles from the rear but was quick to draw his sword and lead from the front in moments of crisis. Richard I of England operated along Alexander’s lines, but his preference for leading from the front paid off at Arsuf. By the time Temujin became Genghiz Khan, he had worked out a chain of command among his hordes and preferred to stay in the rear to survey the sprawling battlefield and delegate the details to trusted subordinates."
Talia smiled. It was rare glimpse at the woman beneath the facade. She graciously allowed her husband to continue.
"Leadership, entails knowing when it’s best to keep abreast of the big picture and when it’s better to get down in the weeds…"
He reached into the case and drew forth the uniform his wife had worn as Patriot. "Your Generals are competent. The Mentors know what to do. Your Commanders know what to do. Captain Danvers can hold his own. The recent riot containment showed that. You have the ability to stay in touch unlike any the world has ever seen. Now it's time for you to do what only you can do." He held the uniform aloft. It unfolded to it's glorious colours.
Talia gratefully accepted for the uniform. "I knew I did the right thing marrying you."
She quickly dressed. Talia's strict regimen meant that despite nearly two decades of time the uniform still fit. Chased noted his wife's sublime smile as she adjusted the garment as she moved to leave the room.
"God speed Patriot."
Talia paused by the door. "I may be gone a while. I love you Chase."
And she was gone...
"I thought you donated that to the museum." The man gestured at the red, white and blue outfit that lay in an open armoured box on the bed he shared with the woman.
"I donated the others. THIS one I kept." She gently traced her fingers across the fabric, drinking in it's colour and texture.
"I didn't know we had it. I don't think I've ever seen you with it." He mused.
"Chase," the woman paused, "I'm not one for introspection. I've made decisions as best I could and I stand by them."
Chase Anthony, husband of Director Talia Thorne of AEGIS Outreach, moved to hug his wife. "No. It's unlike you to have doubts. Something is bothering you."
"Somethings have been bothering me for a long time."
She paused. The silence drew out. Chase patiently waited until Talia continued.
"I thought I could do more as Director of Outreach than I could ever do as Patriot."
Chase, despite his intellect wasn't sure yet where this was going but he had suspicions. "You have done more. You've shepherded in a new golden age for heroes. Collateral damage is at an all time low. Heroes across the USA, and now the world, are trained to be better people. The lives they've saved, you've saved, are incalculable."
"We didn't save everyone. What if I could have done more?"
"Talia," he gently led his wife to site beside the case, "You and I know. We can't save everyone. The Grue Invasion showed us that. Since then you've been a better General to the super-community than any previous efforts since Centurion."
"He never had a desk job." Talia lovingly stroked the uniform in it's case. "Centurion was always in the thick of it. He was on the front line and didn't ask anyone to do anything he wouldn't do."
"Centurion was unique." Chase sat in the chair opposite his wife. "You coordinate the largest group of superhumans on the planet."
"I've been given great powers Chase. I'm doing a desk job that doesn't require them. I feel as those I'm squandering those gifts. Those times I couldn't get people there in time or get the right outcome. What if I was there. With my gifts I could have helped."
Talia shook her head to dispel unseen demons, "Sometimes it feels like I let wrongs go unrighted. Not because I know I couldn't stop them, because I can't know that... but what if I didn't try hard enough. What if it's like Bangkok? Hubris in my role."
"You're doing enough Talia."
"Am I? I said something like that today." Talia looked down. "A young team came to me. They learned of hypergate. The same ones who almost secured that Lor Cruiser a week or so ago."
"How did they rattle you?"
"One of them, Texas Torpedo they call him, he asked what me was doing to free the aliens confined to Star City and Star Haven. I told him I was doing everything I could. I told him I hated it but I couldn't do more. It isn't true Chase. I can do more. They knew it. I knew it. I'm not one for lies. I'm more of a direct military type than a diplomat or spy."
Chase could see where this was leading. In truth he was surprised it had taken so many years for this day to arrive. He had a speech prepared and raised his finger to signal it's commencement.
"After being surprised by the Hittites at Kadesh, Ramses II’s decision to personally lead his royal guard in a counterattack “set the example” to rally what remained of his divisions and saved his army from a complete rout. Alexander the Great got down and dirty once he’d instilled his commander’s intent among his generals. This risked his being unable to revise tactics in the event of something not working as planned, and nearly cost him his life on more than one occasion. Hannibal, once he’d similarly briefed his trusted lieutenants, usually joined his Celtic contingent in order to ensure discipline in its ranks, dressed in a common soldier’s armor so as not to be marked by the Romans, but recognizable enough to his own Celts. Gaius Julius Caesar preferred to run his battles from the rear but was quick to draw his sword and lead from the front in moments of crisis. Richard I of England operated along Alexander’s lines, but his preference for leading from the front paid off at Arsuf. By the time Temujin became Genghiz Khan, he had worked out a chain of command among his hordes and preferred to stay in the rear to survey the sprawling battlefield and delegate the details to trusted subordinates."
Talia smiled. It was rare glimpse at the woman beneath the facade. She graciously allowed her husband to continue.
"Leadership, entails knowing when it’s best to keep abreast of the big picture and when it’s better to get down in the weeds…"
He reached into the case and drew forth the uniform his wife had worn as Patriot. "Your Generals are competent. The Mentors know what to do. Your Commanders know what to do. Captain Danvers can hold his own. The recent riot containment showed that. You have the ability to stay in touch unlike any the world has ever seen. Now it's time for you to do what only you can do." He held the uniform aloft. It unfolded to it's glorious colours.
Talia gratefully accepted for the uniform. "I knew I did the right thing marrying you."
She quickly dressed. Talia's strict regimen meant that despite nearly two decades of time the uniform still fit. Chased noted his wife's sublime smile as she adjusted the garment as she moved to leave the room.
"God speed Patriot."
Talia paused by the door. "I may be gone a while. I love you Chase."
And she was gone...
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