Ferric, hows home life?

Which home? I still spend most of my time in Colmaton, and one month in three in Harzdell. But I can't stay with my family very often, so I'm not really at home much these days.

Weirdly enough, the closest to home is Harzdell. And that's in another plane of reality. But they're good folk, and I'm teaching the younger generation how to read and fight. Dame Sensei now, at not quite eighteen. Life is strange, sometimes.

How did you feel when you first saw Miracle? And do you think you get along with her well enough? Heard you thought it was strange that she could smell iron on you so easily.

Well, at the time, my first thought was 'Thank God, there's an adult here!' I was only thirteen at the time, y'know. Probably could've handled that street gang on my own, but it -was- only my second real fight, and it was reassuring.

As for the iron? Not strange that she could smell it - I can even smell it myself sometimes, and I'm always in it - but her remarks about it. Her comment when I introduced myself as Ferric was something about 'Because you're armored' when most people notice that I'm metallic. Seemed an odd turn of phrase at the time, almost like she hadn't taken a good look at me. And she was staring straight at me when she said it...

But she's a good sort, and she knows War Wolf. I'll have to get Strikira to introduce us more formally at some point.

Ferric what do you think of Morningstar?

"Morningstar? Great heroine, and I'm not trying to suck up to her. She and Medic Mouse have been surrogate moms for me since I ended up in Colmaton." She grins. "I do think it's romantic, getting together with her old boyfriend the way she has been recently. Makes me a little jealous, but I'm still young. There's got to be someone out there I can fall in love with, and who can handle my powers "

That's great Ferric.

Hello Ironsides, when did you first hear about Exemplar?

Same for you Ferric.

Ironsides: Well, I vaguely remember hearing about him when he first reappeared in 1992, but I was only five at the time. But I was active in 2013 when he went off the rails and was outlawed by the Bureau. Didn't get on the team sent to track him down, I was still new - but I was on the backup team, and I'd been given the go-ahead to kit out the armor with what would have been lethal weaponry against almost anyone else. Just as glad the Alpha team succeeded.

Ferric: First I really knew of him was the brutality incident in 2013, and only barely then. I was only, what, 10 or 11, after all. Much more concerned with getting Brownie ready for the Farm Show than with current events. I do remember it, though. I overheard my parents talking about it, and worrying about -me-. I'll never forget what my mom said. 'He's always been a troublemaker, that one. Every time he's been in the news he's been a self-righteous jerk at best. Yes, Tom, Sally's going to be a super, no question about that. I'm surprised the Bureau hasn't been sniffing around here already. But she's not going to be like -him-. Just look what she's doing in school. She's not a bully, she's a defender. She'll be fine." I've always tried to live up to that. So I guess I first heard of him as a Bad Example.

Glad you know about him as much as you two did. Which Non-BOS and National Heroine super do you two admire the most?

Ferric: War Wolf, no question. She was my hero when I was still just a little kit, and everything I've found out in the Bureau files has confirmed that impression. Still have that mint action figure of her...

Ironsides: Umm... I refuse to answer on the grounds that it could compromise my secret identity. Oh, wait, super? That's okay then. Lady Liberty. What she went through and accomplished during that nasty business that led to the Truce was nothing short of amazing.

Nods to you both. Teragauss, what is least appealing part of being a hero in your view?

T: Aside from the occasional truly disgusting villain? As a father, the least appealing part is the time it sometimes takes away from your family. Missing a family outing because some supervillain decided that Memorial Day would be a great time to launch his Ultimate Plan of Doom ™ gets old very fast. The kits were often upset about this when they were younger. Now that Brij and Sean Jr. have powers, they're a lot more understanding.

I'm just worried about what's going to happen when the twins' powers come in...

Nods to that.. Which Non-BOS Super and National Heroine do you like the most?

T: Oh, what a question. I don't know many well at all, Boston is pretty light on them. I know a few by reputation, and I've heard good things about most of them. But to pick one? I'm hardly qualified to do that. I'd have to pick War Wolf going by Bureau files, as she's quite effective, but... that's hardly fair to the ones who haven't gotten that kind of attention.

No National Heroine?

(Sorry, I thought you meant someone who was -neither- BoS nor an NH. Especially since I answered for Ferric and Ironsides the same way...)

T: As for the Nationals... I have met several. I work closely with Morningstar, of course, and I've become friends with the current Germania - we met during the European flooding a while back and more recently with the Dealanach business - but admiration would have to go with Tigress Titan. Having to work with the CCP looking over her shoulder all those years and then forcing them to change their policies? That took a lot of courage.

Indeed it did. So what do you think of Kuwanna R. Moore aka Ranger?

And

Do you think BOS Operatives should get paid?

T: "I have nothing but respect for Ranger. She has a difficult job as Deputy Director, and manages to pull it off while still keeping her hand in as a field agent.

"And the pesky question of paying Agents... I really have to admit to some bias here - I have a good friend who does the accounting for the Bureau's North American branch. He'd certainly by happy for extra business...

On the whole, though, I'm in favor of it, at a level commensurate with police or fire first responders for missions and private security officers for headquarters work. I'm aware of the 'be part of the community' argument, and frankly it's bollocks." He pauses and blushes. "I've got to stop picking up slang from Dealanach... Where was I? Oh, right. Most people have jobs and never interact with their neighbors at those jobs. As long as the agents are living in a community, visiting the grocery store, sending their kits to school, they're in touch with the public as much as anyone ever is. Seems only fair to pay them for their efforts. China and Russia effectively do already, for that matter. It does lead to headaches for net income at tax time, of course. so it should be funneled through front companies to safeguard identities and provide a believable paper trail, but not paying them? 'Oh, thanks for saving the world again. By the way, here's your eviction notice.' Funding it is a problem, though. Perhaps the Bureau could claim rewards on behalf of its agents and use that, rather than selflessly forgoing them. You give people stuff for free, and pretty soon they -expect- it for free, 24/7." He shakes his head. 'Hot button issue for me, I've seen good agents have to give it up to put bread on the table."

Yeah, considering she has to take care of North and Central America.

To all three of you. What do you think of super's relationship with the police overall? Considering events of police brutality?

F: I've always gotten along with the police in Colmaton. But that's post-truce, and yeah - there are always good cops and bad ones, and sometimes good departments and bad ones. When you find bad ones, you just have to bring them to justice.

I: Can you imagine what it would be like without us? We're checks and balances on each other. If a super goes bad, the police can step in; if the cops go bad, we can step in. But if we weren't here, who'd stop bad cops? I suppose the Feds could do it for local cops, it happened during Prohibition. But what if the FBI went corrupt? Nah, we need each other to stay on the straight and narrow.

T: I think my armored colleague has the right of it. We're parallel organizations, and we both specialize - but we do both have the ability to step in when the other goes bad. The -big- problem is when you have bad cops and bad supers helping each other. And that's why I like having the Unregistered around as a third backup. Tripods are always more stable than pairs.

Oh yeah Teragauss, what do you think of Exemplar and Atomic Ape.

Plus, did you and Ironsides ever encountered the Gym Brats?

T: Exemplar reappeared about the time I was developing my powers. And then he kept appearing and being retired after a few missions, usually involving severe property damage or injured villains. I'd gotten the impression long before the Bureau had to shut him down that he was a dangerous loose cannon.

Atomic Ape? Let's just say there's a reason I've never visited Chicago in my hero persona.

Hmm. Haven't run across the Gym Brats, they're more a West Coast operation. Ironsides...?

I: Nope, not me either.

From what I hear, they've moved eastward.

Ironsides, who is Henrietta to you?

"Eastward, eh? Well, we'll keep our eyes open for them."

"Henrietta Martin? Umm.. one of my employers? Hang on... okay, this part goes in the Top Secret files, right?" The wolfs-head helmet retracts, revealing the pilot to be a much smaller lemur femme. "Okay, you got me. I'm the builder and the pilot. Henni's my best friend, she took me under her wing at MIT. I'd gotten there, just turned fifteen, and was waaay out of my element dealing with people, even my fellow nerds. So she kept me out of trouble, got me socialized a lot more than I had been, and when the jerks at the Tokamak project got me blackballed, she arranged to start up MMES using her family's connections. Best big foster sister anyone could ask for."

She grins. "Even if she hates Agent Mojo."

Which brings me to him. Teragauss, who in the Boston BOS dislikes Agent Mojo?

T: Well, I couldn't really tell you. It's the ladies who either love him or hate him, I -can- say that Ironsides (yes, that's really a girl in there) loves him. But most of our ladies haven't worked with him and don't have much of an opinion of their own.

I will say that when Merrow is old enough to go on missions, I'm not letting her go on any with him.

Oh really? For someone who can't really tell. You seem to know much about him?

Another question, how does the Boston area treats its supers?

T: I've read mission reports, and I've been listening to Ironsides gush about him. So as a father, I'm gonna be a little cautious. Doesn't mean I know how the other heroes feel about him...

Boston's pretty cool with its supers. We have good relations with the local police, and currently with the politicians as well. As I said before, we don't have many Unregistered, and the ones we do have are pretty low-key. Mainly, they help the PD with low-level crime and suchlike. So, subject to change, but at the moment no serious problems.

Ferric. I am sure you've answered this before, but... what is your favorite metal? No not the music the actual mineral Ore or processed... etc, I think I've cleared up any possible confusion there.

Another question for Ferric, what happens if you get wet?

Ferric grins. "Yeah, I figured you didn't mean the music. Chromium is the tastiest. S'why I like snacking on A2 tool steel when I have the chance. But Medic says too much of it isn't good for me, so I have to treat it like candy - an occasional nosh, not something for every day."

"Getting wet? Not a major problem, though if the water's too acidic, I get rusty fur. My skin's effectively stainless steel, so water doesn't bother it. It's getting in over my head that's the problem, I do -not- float. Not even a little bit."

So..... how long can you hold your breath then? And stainless steel? that seems just wow.

And I am curious, what is one of the funniest thing that you've either experienced or perpetrated?

F: How long? About thirty seconds or so on my own, pretty normal in that regard. I just can't stay on top of the water. The Alithea did give me a magic widget that helps, but even with that I've only got a few minutes available, and I burn through a scuba tank about ten times faster than a normal fur. I use a lot of food, and I use up a lot of oxygen.

Funny stuff, eh? In retrospect, probably the first time I tested an internal combustion engine in Orterra to see if they work there. (They do, i discovered). I took a chainsaw in to make the test, and I was so happy it worked I got a little exuberant and revved the engine. Scared everything within a kilometer radius...

reviving Chainsaws even when you are watching them work can startle even those that are around them. So that is rather funny. I am guessing it was not just the wildlife but the locals as well?

F: Yeah... even the cavalry horses were spooked by it, and they'd been steady during gunfire.

That is very interesting because they shouldn't have been spooked, but still, a very interesting moment, I am guessing that time has made it more humorous then when it first happened?

F: Oh, it was pretty funny at the time.

Thing about the horses, they were used to sudden bangs because they'd been exposed to war magic. Gunshots weren't too far off what they were trained to ignore. But nobody had -ever- revved a chain saw near them before.

Ah, so new sound, brings back the ingrained instincts, I'm sure if something did bring a new toy around me and it made a sound I've never heard I'd most likely do the same thing.

Well, hopefully not run in terror in a random direction...

oh no, not in a random direction, it will be away from any scary unknown noises, unless I had something to protect myself with then... maybe shuffling towards the noise.

But you're not a horse.

But earlier you said that everyone or everything ran away from the chainsaw. Not just the horses.

No, I said that it -scared- everything within a kilometer. Some folks grabbed weapons and ran toward us. If they weren't chasing down their horses...

So I was kind of right in my thinking, but very good to know.