Here's my take on the event. All characters used without permission:
CINNAMON BRANDY'S PROMOTION.
Cinnamon Brandy flew through the unusually quiet streets of Paragon City, heading home after a long session in Croatoa. Odd place that, really. She wondered if she'd ever get used to fighting mythological creatures to save ghosts from a fate worse than death. Not really what she had expected to be doing, but then "hero" work was varied, to say the least.
Her mind was whirling with the news she'd just been given. Doulos and Genergy had taken her aside for a "quiet word" during a lull in the chaos of Bloody Bay. She had been worried that she was in trouble, wasting valuable resources on a new uniform, or chatting too much on the Rangers channel (although she was by no means the worst offender as far as THAT was concerned). Then they hit her with that bolt from the blue - Squad Leader!
She recalled the joy in the voice of Frozen Rogue when she'd told him. They'd been running through the security levels in parallel for so long, not racing, but keeping an amused and friendly eye on each other's accomplishments. She had been delighted to see his promotion, toasting him from another bottle of that evil carrot liquor that her old contact had pressed on her the day before. It had smelled ok, but had hit her system like rocket fuel. She remembered waking some four hours after the celebration on a rooftop in King's Row surrounded by the burnt out corpses of Thorn Wielders. She never could recall those nights, and was always too embarrased to ask anyone later. That was the last time she had tried homebrew - never again. It was always so tempting though, smelled of honey and heaven. She could drink anything else with no trouble, but that just wiped her out.
Toerag would be so proud! He had pushed her into signing on as a hero, and later to join up with the Rangers. She still remembered walking up to Shnyet under the statue of Atlas, the day the radio and newspapers had advertised that the Precision Rangers were back, and taking on new recruits. She recalled the joy in putting on her colours for the first time. She had never looked back - red and white were the only shades her clothes sported these days! She wondered if his wonderful little medikit had helped her promotion. Clever machine that - wave it over some poor beaten down fool, and voila! It had been her favourite birthday present. Such a thoughtful, lovely man
HE would be very satisfied too. This was what HE'd planned for when she'd started out. Before Toerag, before everything. The timing was exquisite, and she wondered if HE had any other servants in the Rangers' command. Promotion just as the Rogue Isles started to invade, ideal. The quality of information she would be able to pass back would be far superior. HIS plans were moving rapidly, and Paragon City was not capable of surviving. She smiled - "heroes" trained on stopping little old ladies being mugged would be too, too easy. The Rangers would be a much more dangerous foe, but her position would make sure that they never reached the heights they might do otherwise. HIS will be done!
She was nearly home. Flight was so useful, but she got bored on long journeys. It was so slow!
Her comm beeped - a private message from a number she didn't know. So close to home! Dammit! She really didn't need another tempting offer to help some poor sap fight the latest version of Frostfire! She'd done her time out in the Hollows, and didn't get all nostalgic for a return like Doulos - what was so appealing about troll gangs to the man? Maybe it was important, she was a Squad Leader now, best to act like it.
*Brandy here, what's up?*
*Time to come home, little one. Land by that van at the next intersection and get in the back. No questions.* - Click
HE was on the network! Just 2 minutes from home, and a million miles. The comm unit was dead air, no chance to call backup, or Toerag. And she was a sitting duck for a sniper up here. Best to do as HE wished, it was impossible to refuse, she'd learnt that early.
She flew down to the van, heart heavy. It was not the way, not now. Not again. Never again.
The doors opened and she saw a black helmet with red lights on the cheeks. No surprise there. She stepped into the van's sparse interior, and smelled the reek of the swamps on their uniforms. New to town, then - probably brought in just to pick her up. Probably leaving just as fast once this was done. This was as yet no place for them, but give it time, give it time.......
----------------------------------------------------------
Genergy turned round from the console he'd been engrossed in. "She's been picked up, just as you said. I never would have guessed - Brandy, of all people!"
There was a rustle of crisp packets as Shnyet stood. Crumbs and empty packets of chocolate fell to add to the pile below his seat. "We always knew, Disco and I. She's been playing a long game, but the timing of the invasion was too good to be true. Those damn Aracnos always know when we're coming, it's getting embarrasing. Sorry to keep you in the dark, but it was best for everyone to trust her. Damn dangerous if anyone suspected, I know of at least 5 unmarked graves that hold inquisitive teammates of hers from the early days, before she perfected her cover."
"And Toerag - do we need to tell Pyrius? Or does he know already?"
"No, Dr Toerag is in the clear. He doesn't have a clue - a licence for this kind of work can explain a lot of discrepancies, and he loves her. Poor *******, I don't want to be the one to tell him. No, for now he stays in the dark, but there are some who need to know. Can you scramble this from their snooping, now you've seen their comm signal?"
"Two minutes - maybe a little less. You'll have 30 seconds before I'll need to recalibrate. They have some top quality equipment, not just the standard Radio Shack rubbish."
*Attention Rangers, this is a priority broadcast from Shnyet. Cinnamon Brandy is positively identified as a traitor to Paragon City, the Precision Rangers and the United States of America. She should not be approached. Call on this signal if you see her, or have any information about her wherabouts.*
There was a blast of superheated air, and a shocked scream. "Clear." said the voice of Disco King Jr.
*Genergy is also on that list. We have him in custody.* - Click
"Dirty business, you sure we're right?" DK walked round the corner and placed a set of restraints on the smoking, coughing body of Genergy.
"Sadly, old friend, I can't see another explanation. Brandy has been positively identified as a threat, so unless YOU set up Brandy's promotion, Gen must have been the other mole inside. Had to have been near the top. I mean, Brandy for Squad Leader? I bet there were some raised eyebrows when someone said that for the first time."
"You've been out of the loop for quite a while Shny, it wasn't such a bad choice. I thought she'd do a good job. Rogue has blossomed in the role."
"Mmmmm, there have been some strange choices in my abscence, now you mention it." Shnyet gave his closest friend another look. "Where are the cops? They should be here by now. We can't hold Gen once he comes round, we don't have the facilities yet."
----------------------------------------------------------
Brandy shook her head to clear it, and began to realize that she'd been unconscious for a long time. She looked around, noting that she was once more dressed in the simple shift of a slave in the Isles. After all her work for HIM she was still a slave when she came home! She missed the justice of the city, where her work would have brought money, kudos, and at least a cleaner set of clothes! The ticks infesting these rags would have a lovely feast on her city-softened flesh. A shivver went through her, as she realised that her holiday as a free woman was over. Time to forget what she deserved, it didn't matter. It never had before.
The door creaked open. HE stood there, looking down on her, towering over her, HIS power and dreadful prescence overwhelming her. She realised that her powers had been taken back. As if she had never been worthy of them, there was no spark in her. She was back to where she began, no better than before - no, far worse. She now knew what she had been missing.
----------------------------------------------------------
The air crackled with power, as the two Commanders dived for cover, blasting at each other with all their might. There was no quarter asked, or given. This was a struggle that both had to win. There was no other choice. The future of so much; the Rangers, the City, teetered in the balance. Genergy lay watching the blasts of his old friends, hoping that neither would not have the second free that they would need to end his existence. He prayed for a teleport to the Zig, damn the base's security protocols!
Then he saw a hopeful sign, a shimmer from the base entrance. A flash of red, and then nothing. Doulos? It could only be - now, was that a good thing? Who's side was he on? A voice called out:
"D! He is the third one! He's in the far corner, next to the power generator, see if we can pincer him."
"KK"
A shot of the rifle, then silence.
----------------------------------------------------------
"So, child. You have done well. That carrot juice was ideal for hiding your deepest secrets while your work continued. The new base water supply made the perfect way to finally destroy those Rangers. Paranoia and adrenaline can result in a wonderful hair-trigger response to the unusual. Your public return was just the catalyst we needed to push your old friends over the edge. Look." He pointed to the newsfeed running in the corner. Frozen Rogue knelt in front of city hall. Tears streaming from his eyes, as he held the lifeless remains of Scapegoat, a black smoking hole in her back mute testimony to the unexpected manner of her demise.
The camera panned to show Atlas Plaza deserted of the usual crowds. Two red and white armoured crews sniped around the ankles of the statue, falling to the blasts of the Precision Rangers - the last, best hope of Paragon City.......
----------------------------------------------------------
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" screamed Brandy, sitting bolt upright in bed. A blast of ice shattered the nightstand as she awoke. Her husband rolled over, and raised an eyebrow. "Still that same fear? Maybe you shouldn't take the promotion. We're running out of furniture!" He smiled a lazy smile, secure in the fact that even asleep he could survive anything Brandy could throw at him.
"It just takes some getting used to - Squad Leader! I so don't want to screw it up. Still, Scape said she woke up screaming for a month when D lumbered her with it. I'm getting better, too. This time you stayed innocent, and Genergy survived! He'll be happy to hear that, first time for him. Now, if only I can keep DK and Shny from each other's throats....."
Brandy rolled over and closed her eyes, still 3 hours 'til dawn, and she was on call all day today.........Rogue needed a break, he was still knackered from his first Warburg challenge..........And Shny was still on extended leave........and there was that kid in Atlas to interview, seemed a likely prospect.............
"ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ"
----------------------------------------------------------
).
.
.
.