Mandy Shapiro on the Phone
Justice Wing

⎇001JW Justice Wing: Forebears #7

This entry is part 7 of 14 in the series Forebears

The orange fire formed patterns along the clouds and in the sky — fractals twisting and playing and growing, a sound like a ball bearing rolling down a copper tube echoing in the street. I wondered how many of Holland’s neighbors were looking out their windows at the sound… looking up at the burning mandala of mathematics in the sky, and watching it flare a brighter orange…

With a crack, one corner of the fractal seemed to shatter, opening a hole to grey glowing nothing. A craft the size and shape of a tour bus fell through that hole, frost and ice cracking along its surface as it fell. It was at least a hundred meters up and falling, until six underbody turbofan vanes like the flyer’s snapped out and kicked hard to cushion the landing. Above it, the orange fire faded to nothing, even as the medical float leveled off and twisted down towards the ground.

Mandy Shapiro on the Phone
Justice Wing

⎇001JW Justice Wing: Forebears #6

This entry is part 6 of 14 in the series Forebears

Mandy felt an itch, just at the base of her neck. Her headache seemed to pulse a bit more. She narrowed her eyes — what…?

Mandy felt a spike of pain. She ignored it, spinning and grabbing Jake’s arm. “Jake, run!”

Mandy Shapiro on the Phone
Justice Wing

⎇001JW Justice Wing: Forebears #5

This entry is part 5 of 14 in the series Forebears

Mandy snorted. “West? Do you know why they pull cops with a personal stake off cases? It’s because they have a personal stake. That throws them off. You know that. You must know that. You know better than to—”

“Than to what, Shapiro? Than to bend or break the rules in the name of justice? What the Hell do you think Vortex was doing out there? Huh? What the Hell do you think Nightstick or Foolhardy or even the Beacon do in their cities? So tell me why I have to just live with my son in a cemetery and play by rules that don’t apply to Holland or anyone like him! Huh? When’s it my turn to get to take the short cut?”

Mandy looked at West. “Never,” she said, simply. “It’s never your turn.“

Mandy Shapiro on the Phone
Justice Wing

⎇001JW Justice Wing: Forebears #3

This entry is part 3 of 14 in the series Forebears

"You know what, counselor? A lot of the public sees criminals or villains get off scot free after wanton destruction, and they don’t think ‘gosh, I’m glad they got a zealous defense.’ They think ‘Wow. Everyone’s corrupt and the system’s broken and our only hope are vigilante superheroes because the police and the courts and the prisons are all useless.’ How’s that helping your client?”

“Tell me if I’m crazy, but are you rebutting my request that you do your job better by telling me to stop doing my job so well? Because that’s what it sounds like, and gotta say? Not really in my nature to suck on purpose."

Mandy Shapiro on the Phone
Justice Wing

⎇001JW Justice Wing: Forebears #2

This entry is part 2 of 14 in the series Forebears

“…they told me there’d be a lawyer sent over. I’m not sure I should discuss this with you.”

“Right. Because you want to be loyal to the syndicate. I get it.” Mandy paused, for effect. “You realize that lawyer isn’t coming, right?”