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Wiseman had been immersed in his work, despite the fact that he was minutes away from his turn in the evaluation. He didn’t seem to be nervous about it, though it wasn’t easy to tell when he was fully armed and had a somewhat villainous aesthetic going on. Holographic screens in front of him quietly relayed the events of the estate mission to him, thanks to the bug he planted earlier. Barring Jake’s ineptitude in recognizing his own teammates and the sudden change in Samuel Peterson’s demeanor, things had [i]mostly[/i] gone fine without a hitch. That was, of course, until “Peterson” pulled a gun on Alchemist. Immediately, he had an idea.

He trusted Alchemist’s capabilities, so he pulled up a screen and quickly searched through the phone logs that went through the area, narrowed them down to the estate, and then found the most recent one by triangulating signals from nearby towers. “Peterson’s” phone would start ringing again, showing a call coming in from one of his more [i]demanding[/i] business partners- The kind he couldn’t just ignore easily, even at this hour. It was a small chance he’d be distracted, but it was the best he could do without making something [i]noticeable[/i] happen.

A quick glance at the other team through the camera showed things were going… Less than great. There were more Leftovers than the team could reasonably be expected to handle. This was why they should’ve sent other heroes in who could spy and scout secretly before this. Heroes like Oracle who didn’t even need to be present to get a sense of the danger.

They’d need reinforcements, most likely. But they weren’t in a position to wait. Wiseman knew about the bombing that these “Azure Skulls” could trace their legacy to. He had responded to it. He was [i]there.[/i] Someone got away, and there weren’t many who could elude a man like him.

Unfortunately, they’d have to sort this out themselves, now that they had kicked the nest.

Oracle came out of the room, and sat down next to him. She didn’t look very happy after talking with a psychologist. It was understandable, ICOSA had a tendency to play dirty when they wanted something out of people, after all.

[quote=Oracle] [color=goldenrod]"Austin, have you heard of Sudden Onset Metahuman Psychosis?"[/color][/quote]

Ah.

[quote=Oracle][color=goldenrod]"The doctor thinks I'm at risk for it.  And she's probably right -- that's her specialty, after all."[/color][/quote]

[color=a90000]”We both are,”[/color] Wiseman answered, patiently. [color=a90000]”Knowing the things we know, our ability to gather information that others could not. It is natural.”[/color] It was just a logical conclusion that superheroes who knew too much were more likely to lose themselves when they went too far. They saw things they shouldn’t, had to carry secrets that they wished they could share. The little things added up. They mattered.

[quote=Oracle] [color=goldenrod]"I don't want to go crazy.  But what kind of person has no attachments?!"[/color][/quote]

[color=a90000]”The kind that doesn’t face reality.”[/color]

[quote=Oracle][color=goldenrod]"And even if I [i]did[/i] quit being a hero, I'd still be at high risk.  Just having family and friends is a risk! What the hell am I supposed to do?"[/color][/quote]

Wiseman closed out all of his screens again and looked at Oracle. His visor offered no emotion, nothing to show on the face beneath. [color=a90000]"Psychosis is a mental disorder, and Sudden Onset Metahuman Psychosis is known to be similar. Except it is a trauma response, rather than something that develops inherently. You will not be put in that position simply because you have friends and family."[/color] Wiseman's voice became firm, as if to suggest he wasn't pleased with the way the doctor handled her interview, despite not actually knowing what happened in there. 

[color=a90000]"And if you truly [i]are[/i] guaranteed to suffer and irreversible psychotic episode, you would not be an active hero. Anymore than I would be. ICOSA would override the Director's authority and place you under watch until such a time they thought you were stable enough. That is the worst possible outcome, it is an extreme, not a likelihood. Do as you've always done,"[/color] He suggested. [color=a90000]"It is a known fact that one is less likely to suffer metahuman psychosis when they are supported by the same people that Dr. Reninger clearly suggested were a hazard to you. Isolating yourself, even as a metahuman, can be much worse."[/color]

Reninger could've told her this too, surely. [color=a90000]"This changes next to nothing. If you are at risk now, then you were always at risk, and therefore it is unnecessary for you to make major changes to your life. At best, consider it a reminder to tend to yourself after an intense mission."[/color]