Titan, bearer of bad news

Summer 2021, Week 4, Tuesday afternoon

Mayor's Office, City Centre

Charlotte

A knock came on the door. Poking her head in, Charlotte looked across the long room at her boss. Even with the makeup and the distance, Charlotte could see the dark circles under her eyes. A large cup of coffee sat on a desk that had papers strewn all across it. Looking up, Monica locked eyes with her assistant.  

Mayor Sims

"He's here?"  

Charlotte

Charlotte gave a curt nod and frowned as she watched Monica sigh and do a little wave. Letting the large, imposing man move past her and into the room, she told her boss she'd be right outside if she needed anything.  

Mayor Sims

It had been a...you know what? 'Long week' didn't begin to cover what the past four days had been. A gigantic cluster fuck of epic proportions didn't come close either. No, what this week had been was something akin to the days of Ragnarok. The Battle was one thing--they were even call it a battle for goodness sake. But the aftermath and constant stream of meetings and calls and monitoring of recovery efforts was taxing in their own way. She had to put the Wards in a State of Emergency since Sunday and increase Police Presence, which just left the rest of the city undermanned. That allowed protests, which far too often grew violent, to start up. With a lovely one occurring right outside City Hall right now in fact. Such wonderful little signs and sayings.   It wasn't the time to think about that now. Instead her eyes met those of the man before her. He was tall, well built, handsome to mostly everyone. That was to be expected from America's most well known hero. "Please take a seat, Titan. I don't think it's right to have you standing so you can tear me a new one. Let's be on the same level." Titan wasn't wearing his uniform today. It was a normal charcoal suit that you'd see on any business man. Except this wasn't just any man, and she knew that. She had that primal fear in her bubbling up that so many must get when he shows up. That complete and total understanding that her current ongoing existence was solely due to the fact he wasn't a madman choosing to snuff her out right now.  

Titan

Sitting in finely decorated office, in the finely made chair, the man crossed on leg over the other and cut through whatever bullshit this young lady, like so many others, wanted to play. "The President is looking at signing an Executive Order rescinding your declaration of a Sanctuary City. Either that, or having Congress declare a Internment of Evos across the country."  

Mayor Sims

Taken aback, not so much by the lack of fluff but by the words, Sims almost spat out, "Are you kidding me? That can't be legal. You can't just--"  

Titan

Holding up a hand to stop the protest, his heavy voice filled the room again. "First off, ma'am. It's not 'me.' I'm not the President of the United States. Second, 'legal' is whatever Congress decides and the Court upholds. They upheld the Japanese internment in WWII, and the Evo detainment post-Ragnarok. They'll do it again now that a fire has been lit under everyone's ass. It's not just New Victoria. The Paris Massacre. The Taiwan skirmish. There's been plenty of foreign Evo events that brought the question up. Yours is just the first recent American one. And during the first year following a hotly contested election no less. With the Immigration 'Reform' Bill being stalled, the President is looking for a win. Most of his base hate Evos, or can get behind hating them at least."  

Mayor Sims

"We are a lawfully recognized District. Congress can't just swoop in and demand how we run things here. That's stepping on the institution of Federalism and Democracy. My citizens wouldn't stand for it."  

Titan

"They don't need to stand for it. There's nothing anyone can do in the face of marshal law declared by the federal government."  

Mayor Sims

"So it's a done deal then? Because that won't make the situation any better."  

Titan

"No. It's not a done deal. The Governors of California, New York, Illinois, Florida, and Texas have all privately responded to the President when he proposed this idea yesterday at a conference that they won't stand for it. State power finally got back to where it should be after Ragnarok and the need for local rebuilding over Federal monitoring--in their minds at least. And none of them are okay with a blanket EO requiring their citizens to be turned over to some federal power. That's what you have working on your side. And likely it's what will prevent the EO from actually coming to be. The issue is that the President needs a win. And he'll get it. If he can't get the EO, he'll get something. And I wanted to make you aware of that."  

Mayor Sims

"The federal government is going to try and do something to show they're in control. Show that they prevented or will prevent another Ragnarok."  

Titan

"Precisely."  

Mayor Sims

Nodding, "Okay, I can work with that. Thank you, Titan. For this information. I don't--"  

Titan

"Let me give you a piece of advice. You need to disband AERI."  

Mayor Sims

"I--uh. Excuse me?"  

Titan

"They're the last symbol you have of everything that just went wrong. If it was just Bolt, he'd fade away eventually. But so long as you have a team of brightly colored amatures flying around no on will forget what happened on Sunday. And with their recent performance, no one should."  

Mayor Sims

"They put their lives on the line for all of us. They save--"  

Titan

"They did. And I personally commend them. But my advice still stands. You don't see me running around saving people anymore do you? Why do you think that is? Why do you think my team doesn't exist anymore? Just consider it, ma'am."  

Storyteller

The meeting ended there, with Mayor Monica Sims letting all the words from Titan sink in as he seemed to stand, flow out of the doorway, and depart.