The PRT catches wind of a strange increase in disappeared domestic animals in the downtown area. Given that the people who live there are the rich and powerful, this is clearly a problem that needs to be investigated and solved immediately. The PRT, of course, agrees that this is of utmost importance, and not just because of precedent about mass abductions of pets, of course not, why would you think that, they are so very worried about Fido, even Scion recognizes the merits of rescuing lost pets.
(Lorica's asked to maybe keep a few more eyes there than she has been.)
The PRT is worried. The PRT is very worried. Piggot calls a meeting with her lieutenants and Armsmaster. Civilians needn't know about it, of course, for the same reason Lorica's bots aren't allowed to scour the city during the day: it'd cause needless panic. There's nothing they can do about it, and lots of ways they can get in the heroes' way.
But the heroes' patrol routes, coincidentally of course, start going downtown a bit more often.
Zoom go more numerous bots! Zoom. They stay high, except the expendable ones that Glam provides when they can.
There are strange vines inside and around Hookwolf's blades, and while they don't seem to be damaging the villain, they're growing fast enough for the eye to see, and hampering his blades'—and his own—movements. The monkey hits Hookwolf with two heavy fists.
...Technically speaking as long as the civilians nearby are okay and they're in position to chase the combatants after they're done, this is no skin off the Protectorate's nose. Bots and golems discreetly attempt to make sure nobody's stuck in a nearby building without exit access.
The two of them are in a somewhat more spacious than average side alley. Giant monkey throws Hookwolf at a wall, then starts pummelling him. The villain attempts to lose shape, but the vines are keeping him together enough that it's only half-successful. It's successful enough, however, that he manages to evade one of the monkey's attacks and quickly jump away from its range.
The monkey spits a seed at the villain, and he dodges it, but then it becomes clear that it's the source of the vines as a few start growing out from it but desiccate and die when they don't find anything to hold on to on the ground.
The monkey goes after him, but then notices the same thing Hookwolf did and goes after the minions instead.
Additional bots follow Hookwolf.
As for Hookwolf, he's moving pretty fast, but once he notices the bots, he starts going through narrower alleys and trying to lose them by doubling back or zigzagging.
"Glam, I could use some extra cape power on the scene," Lorica says; bots dodge and swirl around in unpredictable patterns while maintaining a view of the scene as the sand golems continue to batter the monkey.
"Okay!" Pause. "Can you send a bot to a hidden corner or something?"
Two copies appear, one holding a large gun and another equipped with two sharp-looking blades. They join the fight, and as soon as the monkey notices them it tries to go through the golems to flee.
Silica forms the golems up into a larger golem that's a little harder to plow through. It forces the monkey to the ground.
The monkey spits some vine-seeds onto the ground and they grow through it, piercing holes through the golem pinning it down. The monkey then has to get up, but the vines it's used to weaken the golem are pining it to the ground enough that it has some trouble with that, and it's somewhat out of balance when it succeeds.
The copies continue tearing through the regenerating plant matter.
The sand golem divides in two and re-forms into one with no vines in it. It tries to give the gunGlam a clear shot. Bots signal Glam to turn them into Loricas and assist.