Reckoning

Chapter: Shadows and Reckonings (rough draft v1)

The call for a mandatory meeting with the Public Relations team and the top brass of the hero agency sent chills down Josh's spine. He knew that the entire villain takedown would be dissected, analyzed, and judged. His control over his public image and the way the event would be presented to the world had slipped out of his hands.

Walking into the room, Josh was met with an array of stern faces. Their eyes seemed to bore into him, each one demanding an explanation, an apology, a justification for his actions. The room was filled with an uneasy tension, the air thick with unsaid accusations and judgments.

"Take a seat, Ariea," the head of the agency said, his voice dripping with controlled displeasure. "We've reviewed the footage, and we have some concerns."

Josh's heart pounded in his chest as the meeting unfolded. The decision was made clear: there would be no official repercussions. What he had done wasn't technically against the rules, but only because such brutality, without permanent physical disability to the villain, had never been considered before. The hero agency, operating in a murky realm akin to private military contractors, had few guidelines on such matters.

However, the PR nightmare that had erupted was impossible to ignore. The leaders of the organization were disgusted and disturbed by what had transpired. The decision was made to relegate Ariea to the night shift, and the worse part of the city reserved for the self described 'Anti-heroes' but better know as 'Those Edge Lords'.

As the discussion turned to what had actually happened to cause this 'out burst' the Truth of AISYS and how Josh acquired the suit, the room grew even more tense. The implications of what the suit might do if Josh were backed into a corner were not lost on anyone. 'My body's a weapon now, more than it ever was before. And AISYS... can I even trust her now?'

"If we had known all of this," one of the senior members said, his voice trembling with anger and concern, "we would have never offered you membership. We would have sought a different approach, a legal separation but with the option for cooperation if you insisted on being a hero."

But the agency was backed into a corner now, and the best they could do was to run a PR campaign to spin the event in the most favorable light. The entire bounty would be donated to charity, a move meant to soften the blow to their reputation. Every weekend for 8 additional hours he would be volunteering at charities that had minimal public contact but was easy to take pictures of, he would get directions from dispatch each Friday as he clocked out, this would be in addition to his normal rotating weekend shifts. When things have died down a little they would have him go on a talk show with a host that would give him softball questions. By that point he would, as long as he keep his nose clean, no longer be the hottest gossip and they could all focus on the job he was hired for.

The fallout spread further. The hero who had given Josh the card to apply, the person who had overseen his application, and the one who had trained him would all face financial penalties and demerits.

The meeting ended with a cold, calculated resolution, leaving Josh feeling like a pariah. He had become an uncomfortable presence. He was told to go home and try to sleep for his first night shift. He would start the volunteer work after his next shift. He doubts he can sleep right now and tries to call Felicia to see she would like to hangout or have a spontaneous date.