With a scream of rage, Coil threw his computer at the wall of his office. He gave the wreckage one last blistering glare before closing the timeline.
In the now, Coil glared hatefully at his computer screen, one that was displaying a sparse profile on the newest Ward. Starburst aka Taylor Hebert. The thorn in his side for the last month.
For the last month or so, Coil had been randomly plagued with his timelines abruptly closing without warning, some of those were his 'safe' timelines, nearly jeopardizing his cover as Thomas Calvert and his operations as Coil. His blood boiled with the thought of a someone out there, likely a new trigger, messing with his power. His power, that allowed him to experience two parallel timelines and picking one to keep. His power, that he had used to leverage himself up both as a hidden but influential figure in the criminal underworld and as a respected PRT outside consultant. His power, and someone out there was interfering with it, to the point he couldn't rely on it.
Compounding that rage and confusion was a string of failures to attempt to acquire his new precog asset. He doesn't know how or why, but several attempts since the last week by his men had been foiled by the intervention of an unknown cape. One with teal colours. He had to sacrifice one team of expansive mercenaries to the BBPD SWAT because his safe timeline during that attempt suddenly closed mid-mission. Coil's teeth gritted at the lost assets and money invested.
It was only by chance that he discovered why his power became so unreliable. Or to be exact, who caused it.
He was walking out of his office in the PRT building when IT happened while he had crossed paths with that accursed Taylor Hebert. His 'safe' timeline abruptly collapsed at the same time he saw this unassuming beanpole of a girl suddenly jerked her head in surprise, and quickly made her way back into the building. Combined that with the rumours of a new Ward gave Coil the direction to look for clues.
Starburst. The Eidolon-style Trump. The Teal coloured cape.
This- this interloper in his operations; she couldn't be allowed to live. This- this brat puts everything he had worked so hard to achieved into danger. That her power's interference had forced him to be more cautious than he liked. And that is not acceptable.
What's even more infuriating was the fact he had very little information of what her powers actually were. The PRT database had only the barest of details about the Brat's power within easy access of his moles or his backdoors. For some reason, any other information regarding Starburst's powers, especially the specifics of it, were sealed away under higher security authorization. One he didn't even dare to try to crack due to his powers onset of random unreliability, lest his carefully placed moles and system backdoors became exposed by the attempt.
He had to get rid of her somehow. But how...?
His eyes fell on a particular piece of information that his moles just only minutes ago forwarded to him. The Wards patrol assignments, whose involved members and patrol routes were randomly generated one day before the patrol itself.
She is going to be on that patrol tomorrow. An introductory/acclimatization patrol. Before she was to be announced to the general public as a new Ward. A PR method to stir up excitement in the crowds before the announcement.
Coil mentally traced the patrol route.
...perhaps it's time to test how adaptable and obedient his nascent Undersiders are....
**************************
"Can you... repeat that?" Lisa Wilborne asked hesitantly.
The patient yet slightly menacing voice on the other end of the line repeated himself. "I want the Undersiders to rob the Ruby Dreams Casino tomorrow evening."
Lisa grimaced. "You know, boss. This is awfully short notice-"
"No questions." The voice interrupted. "Just get it done. The floor plans are being forwarded to you now. The first half of your increased pay has been sent to your accounts." The voice finished, followed by a dial tone as the other end abruptly hung up on Lisa.
Lisa frowned at the phone. 'Brian isn't going to like this', she thought with a sigh, putting down her phone and picking up her mask. As Lisa opened the door of her bedroom and put on the mask, Tattletale put her power to work trying to figure out Coil's motives for this... assignment.
Coil is angry. Coil is enraged. Ruby Dreams Casino is near one of the Wards patrol routes. Coil's target is one of the Wards. Which Wards? He wants the patrolling Wards to be caught up in the ABB response to the robbery. Coil is testing the Undersiders. Coil wants to see if the Undersiders will be obedient. Coils wants to see if Undersiders are worth the investment. Coil doesn't care if Undersiders will survive ABB reprisal or not-
With a wince, Tattletale cut off her power. As she emerged into the lounge of the Undersiders lair, she quickly put on a disarming smile. She had better break the bad news to the rest of her teammates soon, and get started on planning the heist. They really don't have much time to do it.
She pray that the Undersiders and whichever the Wards will be present tomorrow evening will get out of this oncoming mess alive. Whatever it may be.