The Crusaders

Chapter 10: Don't Ask, Don't Tell

London, England, May 31st, 2029

Eliza was sitting on the edge of her bed, cursing to herself as she bandaged up her own bruises.  Thinking back to the events of the previous day, she felt more and more embarrassed with herself and her team. They had those 5 idiots on the ropes, then Megaton showed up and ruined everything. Nothing and no-one could beat him, so far as she knew.

Looking at her hands, which were fully wrapped up now, she sighed. Carlyle was going to be pissed about this, and she had no one to blame but herself. If she hadn't pulled back, her team would have been torn to shreds. And just who the hell was that girl with the futuristic-looking white suit? She'd never seen her before, much less seen anyone who had powers like her. Their intel had been way off, and they were totally unprepared for anything that had happened. 

Then, above her, the PA system turned on. "Will Eliza Brody please report to the main conference room?" Eliza sighed and tilted her head down a little. Time to face the music. Carlyle would no doubt place this on her head, the bastard. Still, there was little she could do. Walking down the hall, her coat fluttered slightly behind her as her pace increased.

As she walked to the conference room, one of the SAS soldiers who guarded the place motioned her into the soundproofed room. She nodded to him while he saluted her back. He closed the door behind her, and then the screen in front of her flickered on. It showed Carlyle, who had a very displeased look on his face.

Eliza sighed to herself, then saluted. "Mr. Carlyle. Ready for debriefing, sir." Carlyle nodded. "Proceed." Carlyle was the head of The Watch, as well as the liaison between them and the Royal Monarchy. Eliza stood with her hands behind her back. "We encountered the fugitives outside of the Museum of London, just as you said. We managed to funnel them into the containment zone in Trafalgar Square, but then...an unexpected variable showed up."

Carlyle crossed his arms. "Explain." He said, then Eliza continued. "Mark Kale, aka Megaton appeared, and immediately eliminated Hyde. Seeing we were outnumbered and outgunned, I ordered an immediate retreat." Carlyle took all of this in. "As I recall, Ms. Brody, you were informed before this mission that Megaton was a variable in this operation." Eliza looked back at him, her fist clenched slightly. "I didn't expect him to bloody show up, did I?"

She looked down, regretting her outburst, but surprisingly, Carlyle sighed and answered back. "I don't think anyone did, Eliza." She looked up, her eyes wide. He almost never operated on a first-name basis with any of the members of The Watch. "Regardless, you pulled back without permission from your higher counterpart. While I agree it was the right decision, you still broke the chain of command. For that, you will be reprimanded."

There it was. The big punishment. She couldn't say she didn't see this coming. Still, Eliza decided to take it in stride. "I understand that, sir." Carlyle sighed and looked down at her. "You're on 4 weeks suspension. No operations under your command until that time has expired. Your membership with The Watch will continue, but consider yourself no longer part of this operation. Understood?"

Eliza was a bit surprised. Considering she basically failed to capture 5 high-value targets because she retreated, she expected things to be a little less lenient. However, she wasn't willing to look a gift horse in the mouth. Instead, she nodded. "Understood, sir." He motioned to her. "Dismissed, Ms. Brody." The screen blinked off, and Eliza let out a silent sigh, as she turned to walk back to her barracks. 

Hanging her cap and coat up in her closet, she let her long black hair flow out over her shoulders. Tying it up in a ponytail, she looked into the mirror. Staring back at her was a young, battle-scarred woman who had been through years of combat. Her domino mask was sitting next to the sink, and she looked at it. She didn't even feel like a superhero anymore. She was just another soldier in another army, wearing a strange uniform.