Monday morning I decide to have my Ditto stay home while I attend school in person. The risk of it being popped at school without something happening that would out me for a variety of other reasons is basically nil, but I don't especially see a reason to risk it. I also end up going with the contacts and makeup explanation given that wearing my glasses isn't an option and I've got nothing better to explain my suddenly flawless skin. The school day itself starts as is becoming uncomfortably common, meeting with the trio before classes start, then again at lunch. I'm genuinely surprised at how honest the praise for my 'new look' seems.
It's honestly weird how happy the trio has become to have me around. Emma seems to be trying to act like the past year and a half never happened, while Sophia seems to be all smirks and odd comments that make me ever more sure she knows who I am. Madison at least is acting like a normal person! She even invited me over to her place after second period while neither of the others were around. I'm kind of surprised how easy it was to agree to, but between her seeming to be the only member of the trio trying to be a better person and dad's advice the night before it seems like a good idea.
Of course, trying to get Sophia and Emma to act like half decent people continues to be a work in progress, with the two seeming genuinely confused by me stopping them from bullying others. I have no clue how I'm supposed to convince one of these two to genuinely apologize to someone.
It's as I'm making my way to sixth period that I find out that apparently the ABB finally made their move. Lung, Oni Lee, and a new cape who apparently controls paper animals attacked an E88 safehouse, briefly fought against Hookwolf, Stormtiger, and Cricket, then left shortly after Armsmaster and Miss Militia showed up. Apparently the whole event took less than an hour, with some people claiming it didn't even take half an hour.
I'm not really sure what to make of it, and honestly kind of annoyed that Armsmaster didn't call me in. I doubt I could have grabbed all of them, but Lung is a surprisingly easy target for me and taking him off the streets would do a lot of good. I suppress the memories of my most notable forays into the ABB territory with barely a wince. So it is with distinct annoyance that I have my Ditto get dressed up and Cheshire some ways away before using the phone to call the pre-loaded non-emergency line.
"Hello Phantasm, how can I help you?" The voice on the other end of the line is polite and professional, a woman in her mid forties with an active lifestyle if my time spent copying voices has taught me anything.
I put on my professional office worker voices, trying to avoid sounding too creepy. "Yes yes, hello. Have question yes? Why was not called for Lung?"
There's a brief pause before she responds, bordering on uncomfortable in length. "I'm afraid I can't say, would you like me to see if someone who might know is available?"
I hum in triplicate. "Yes yes please."
I'm put on hold and left to wait with some inoffensive muzak as she does so, and it takes a bit over ten minutes for someone to come on. I'm genuinely surprised when that someone is apparently Armsmaster. "Greetings, Phantasm. You were asking why you were not contacted for assistance with the altercation today between the ABB and the E88, correct?"
I hum a general sound of agreement, and he takes the cue to continue. "The decision came in two parts. The first is the fact we assumed you would be in school at the time, and did not feel this altercation would warrant risking your civilian identity and your education. The second is the fact that while we have not confirmed your age, we are acting under the assumption you are under the age of majority, and as such requesting you place yourself between two of the most deadly parahumans in the bay would be against regulation."
I let out a weary sight, letting two of the voices shift a little to bleed annoyance. "This not helpful, no no. Is strong, yes? Is tough, is fast? New clothes, hard to cut hmm? Want to help, was hope Protectorate tell when villains appear, yes?"
There's a responding sigh from the other end of the line. "I understand Phantasm, and I am not doubting what you've created in the slightest. While I have not gotten to observe it much personally, I am impressed with the versatility and quality you've displayed so far. Unfortunately regulations do not take into consideration the individual capability of any given parahuman. If things ever get serious, if we don't believe we can handle it on our own, we will contact you. Unfortunately, until that time, our hands are tied."
One Parallel is dedicated to babbling over his compliments, while another is dedicated to cringing at the lies of omission. Ultimately, my response still comes out slower than I'd like. "Yes… understand."
I don't really know what to say, and am considering simply hanging up when Armsmaster forces me to create yet another Parallel to process his next statement. "Do you believe you will be available Wednesday between 3pm and 5pm? I have that time set aside for regular maintenance and believe I should be able to accomplish what needs to be done while otherwise engaged. It would seem a reasonable time to discuss potential collaboration."
With the power of perfect vocal control I manage to avoid sounding nearly as flustered as I actually am. "That… yes? Is free then, yes."
Which is to say it's at least comprehensible. The fact I'm not really the kind of Tinker he thinks I am and that going to this meeting is a terrible idea only trickles in several moments later.
His voice is a little warmer when he replies, and I can't bring myself to try and cancel. "Excellent. I'll have someone available to escort you to the rig any time after 2pm. If you arrive early I'll make sure you're cleared for a tour."
A few of my earlier Parallels have finished freaking out so they're re-tasked with handling my storm of emotions regarding this newest development. "Yes, good, talk then yes?"
"Indeed, have a good day Phantasm." With that, the call ends and I'm left sitting in sixth period attempting to comprehend what just happened.
Let's Play
By the time school ends my Ditto is back to working on Tinkering, and I am left to follow Madison to her house. It's… surprisingly mundane. Nicer than my house, but only one story. Given how much time I spend in the worse parts of town it feels odd seeing somewhere that seems so carefree. But it also feels… a little hollow. It's only once we get to her bedroom that the place feels like somewhere somebody actually wants to live.
She's nervous as I enter, and I can kind of see why. It's cute, kind of childish, with a lot of softness both in the blankets and the plushies around the place. But it also feels like there's an honesty to it that I find myself appreciating. I kind of hate how much it helps me relax knowing I now have something to retaliate with if she turns on me.
Regardless, we settle in and talk about nothing for a little bit, then some school, before finally deciding to watch a movie on her laptop. Which is how I end up finding out her desktop background is a picture from the video of me taking down Rune, where my hand is on her face and I'm leaning in to whisper in her ear. Which would be a little odd, but not especially concerning if not for the sparkly pink bubble border surrounding the scene that gives the image a distinctly… romantic implication.
From the way Madison squeaks and then scrambles to open a web page before dropping the laptop on her lap and covering her face she understands at least part of how weird that is. Slowly, I turn to face her, face completely flat save for the one raised eyebrow. It takes her a minute to peek at me through her fingers, at which point she sees my one raised eyebrow.
She groans and flops back, hands still covering her face, which forces me to save her laptop from sliding off her lap. "Okay, so, listen it's just… uuuugh. Please, please, please you can't tell anyone! The kids at school will tear me apart. Heck, some of the E88 wannabes might actually literally tear me apart."
I snort, settling back a bit and resting on my elbows. "Alright, as long as you keep trying to be a better person my lips are sealed…" Then another idea comes to me. "If you tell me why, exactly, you have that as your background."
Another groan escapes her, before her arms flop to her sides and she looks up at me in defeat. "Fiiiine! Okay so, like… You promise not to judge me for this stuff? It's kind of… weird."
I note there's actually what sounds like some genuine fear in the way she says weird, and find myself a bit more reluctant to make light of this. "Yeah. Yeah I promise. If I hurt you with it, that's on me, right?"
It's not actually the most reassuring phrase in and of itself, but the key to communication is saying more than just what the words literally mean, and in that I apparently succeed, because she smiles. "Yeah. Yeah alright."
She sits back up and takes a deep breath, slowly letting it out before finally speaking. "Okay, so, first thing you need to know is… I write capefic. Like, I post it on PHO and the, uh… the NSFW mirror boards…"
And now we're both blushing. Okay, okay cool! My highschool bully writes porn about real world people I guess! Oh this is so much weirder than I was expecting! But… based on how stiff she is, and the kind of wild look in her eyes, I don't even need Fitting In to tell me she needs some reassurance. "Okay. Okay yeah that's… weird. But, uh… I guess there's a lot of people who do that right? Or at least, who read that stuff?"
She nods energetically. "Yeah! My most recent story already has over a hundred comments! It's… uh… It's about Phantasm convincing Rune to give up on being a villain and start dating her."
Despite my Thinker powers, I still manage to bluescreen. Multiple Parallels are created and none of them have a single thought in our head. I barely realize I'm speaking even as I hear the words once they're out. "But… Nazi?"
Madison giggles nervously. "Yeah, but that's the point, you know? Like… she's a bad person who's done bad things and has bad thoughts but… if even someone like her can do better for the person she loves, then why can't I- Or, uh, or anyone? You know?"
My thoughts begin picking back up, and slowly I nod. Yeah, yeah okay that makes sense. That's… a pretty basic literary technique. Using a more flashy and dramatic example of what the author wants to convey to communicate that the more realistic version should be possible. Despite myself, that precious little part of myself that fondly remembers listening to mom read out a lecture on literary analysis urges me forward. Well, it and the deeply and dangerously curious part.
I sit up, bringing the laptop back between us as I do. "Could you show me?"
This time she's the one who freezes, and I have to stifle a laugh at her expression. Several long seconds later, she manages to awkwardly take the laptop and pull up the Creative Writing subforum on PHO. I start reading, and pause at the end of the fourth paragraph. "You should use a different word here, you've used the same one to describe Phantasm three times already at this point."
That causes her to blink, turn the laptop, read over the first four paragraphs, and then look back at me with clear confusion. My response is only slightly less awkward. "My mother was an English professor."
She nods slowly, though I'm not sure exactly why. "So you're… critiquing my writing?"
I shrug. "What you said… got me thinking about some of my mom's old literary analysis lectures. I was just planning on doing that, but… I noticed the word problem, and normally if I saw that in a book I'd just have to shrug and accept it, but here I can actually make a suggestion to fix it."
She nods again, this time a bit more firmly. "Yeah… yeah alright. Uh here I'll pull up a file on my phone so I can keep track of what you suggest?"
Which is how we end up spending several hours together discussing a story in which my cape persona seduces a Nazi to the side of good. When she puts up the edits, she even credits me at the end as "A real life friend" which is… certainly a thing I am. Honestly, that might just be weirder than the whole writing capefic thing.
Name: Taylor Anne HebertLovable Horror LVL 10SP Cap7Loose SP16Tier 1 Powers(25)Mover(2)Shaker(2)Brute(3)Breaker(2)Master(1)Tinker(3)Blaster(3)Thinker(1)Striker(4)Changer(0)Trump(1)Stranger(3)Tier 0 Powers(54)Synergy Powers(21)Power Upgrades(7)
AN: Fun fact! Originally I had this be a big gang fight and Taylor got to roll in and start tagging people. By the end of it, with some dice rolls to decide how lucky she should get, she ended up taking down 6 capes, with the Protectorate taking down the new ABB cape resulting in every parahuman member of the gang being taken off the board at once. I realised the story couldn't survive that so rolled it back.
Amsmaster is being quite aggressive here with Phantasm for a few different reasons, I'm curious if y'all can guess them all!
After cutting half a chapter's worth of writing this chapter fought me a lot, so it's shorter than most. It doesn't have any blue boxes though, so maybe it evens out.
Monday night is spent staring at large numbers of E88 members roaming the streets and posturing without ever actually committing a crime. I don't manage a single arrest despite spending nearly eight hours on patrol.
Tuesday however marks the start of February, and the public introduction of my newest cape persona. While my Ditto attends school, I make my way over to the PRT HQ. It's a bit of an awkward song and dance, making my way close to the HQ as Phantasm even if I don't intend to be spotted, then switching over to my Quest costume and hiding the first one somewhere inconvenient to access and well out of sight.
When it's done, I stand in an alley near the HQ wearing beige robes with a leather cuirasse and a full face concealing light blue mask, the colour of the boxes created by my power. It's essentially just a smooth, slightly rounded and gently polished oval. I do also have some nice leather gloves, solid hiking boots, a large backpack, and a nice dark wood walking stick. The whole thing was made with the intention to make me seem younger, more innocent, and to give the impression of someone who genuinely wants to help.
The backpack contains a collection of first aid supplies, home made snacks for myself and others, and some more generic camping equipment including a sleeping bag and blankets. It's all part of the persona, the presentation of someone going off on a quest, but it all also serves very practical purposes if I come across someone in need! It's only as I'm skipping over to the front doors that I remember that PR's Dream is just as capable of manipulating the wearer as those around them.
Too late to change plans, and admitting it's likely for the best, Quest approaches the front desk, practically bouncing along. The woman behind the desk is smiling indulgently, and it's a little patronizing but whatever! "Hello! I have an appointment!"
The woman nods, leaning forward slightly as she does. "I believe you do, yes. Can I get your name just to confirm?"
I nod energetically even as another Parallel confirms the version of me at school doesn't seem to be responding to the effects of the costume. "Yes! I am Quest, and I'm here on a quest!"
The woman giggles, tapping a few keys on her keyboard and then on the desk as she picks up a phone. "I see! Well then I'll let them know you're here."
It takes nearly an hour, but eventually I'm brought to a room with three other people, who are soon introduced. The one sitting in the chair beside the only open seat available and thus the one now sitting beside me, is Daniel Ericson with the Youth Guard who is in charge of making sure the Wards aren't being taken advantage of. He's a concerningly thin older man in his mid sixties who speaks with a slightly raspy voice and has his gray hair cut short.
The next person is Miss Militia, who smiles with her eyes and greets me warmly as I take my seat. Obviously she's here to represent the protectorate, which is cool! The Parallel I've got monitoring the differences between myself and my Ditto points out that I've met almost every member of both the Protectorate and the Wards at this point, and so shouldn't be feeling quite so excited. I however counter with the fact that Quest hasn't, and so to play the part of a new cape who's meeting her for the first time.
The last man is deputy director Renick. I'm not actually sure if that's his first or last name, I'll have to look it up later. He's a well put together if rather exhausted looking man, which makes guessing his age a little difficult. He has short black hair, square glasses, and wears the kind of suit that screams desk work.
Once I've introduced myself it's Miss Militia who starts things off. "Now, before we properly get into things I'd like to clarify the purpose of this meeting. First and foremost we are here to introduce you to your local resources. If you need any help, any of our organizations will be happy to see what we can do. Second, we want to make sure you're in a safe and stable situation. Third, we hope to get to know you a bit more so that we'll be able to help you better in the future. We are not here to discuss the requests Phantasm made of Armsmaster as none of us have been informed of their nature at this point and this conversation is being recorded. Do you understand?"
I smile wide behind my mask and nod energetically. "Yup! But the first one's kind of silly seeing as I'm here because I got help from Phantasm to come ask you for help, which basically means I'm great at asking for help!"
The youth guard representative chuckles, folding his hands on the table, and then starts on what feels like the longest half hour of my life as each of the three explains what they have available, with multiple rather heavy handed mentions of the wards along the way. Finally, however, they get into something where I actually give a response! Then I immediately regret my excitement about that fact.
Renick leans back slightly, his smile smoothing out a little before he begins speaking. "Now, we don't want to pry into your civilian identity, but we do have to note that you came in on a school day while class is still in session. We would have been perfectly happy to hold this meeting after classes ended, so there's some concern about you possibly skipping class to be here."
I shake my head, making sure they can hear the smile on my face as I respond. "Nope, I'm not skipping class, don't worry! All my schoolwork is getting done, I'm doing all my studying and stuff, and I'm even making sure I keep my grades up!"
The trio of adults observe me with varying levels of incredulity, but ultimately seem to resign themselves to believing me. The fact it's all true probably doesn't actually factor in, but it does amuse me at least.
Miss Militia is next up and although her tone is gentle, she clearly isn't smiling anymore. "This can be a bit of a sensitive topic among parahumans, so please let me know if you need me to stop at any time, okay?" I give a quick nod, and she continues on. "Although we try to keep it secret from the public, all parahumans gain their powers through a very, very bad day. Sometimes it's just the one day being especially bad, while other times it can be because of things being bad for a long time and finally becoming too much. I'm not going to ask you to talk about how you got your powers, and neither will most parahumans, but I want to make sure that you're safe at home. I know we've said it a lot already, but if you aren't, we can help."
I have to split off a Parallel to handle actually listening to her while another confronts the fact that, while it's only a small part… yeah. Things at home did contribute to me getting powers. It's not in the way they mean, it's not like dad ever hurt me or anything, it was just… empty. Isolating. Like even when dad was around, he wasn't really there. The difference only feels more stark now that things are slowly starting to improve. Even now, he spends so much more time at work than at home, even above and beyond his normal work hours.
How many dinners have I eaten alone? How many weekends were spent without anyone to talk to? How many times have I heard him apologize that he wouldn't be home on time, or had to leave suddenly to handle something. How much time did I spend wishing that anyone, let alone my own father, would be there when I was hurting?
To Mend a Broken Heart Part 3: FreedomTied to a sinking hulk, your father has lost himself in his task and been blind to his duty. Set him free. Help the DWU recover, or convince your father to seek alternative employment.
Failure will not result in the loss of the Quest Chain To Mend a Broken Heart, however it will significantly hinder future To Mend a Broken Heart quests and lower the rewards for finishing the Chain.Rewards:
300 EXP
1 Loose SP
My breath hitches as I read the new quest, and Miss Militia clearly notices. "Quest? Are you okay?"
I clear my throat and shake my head. "It's… it's my power just… a new task…"
Miss Militia nods at that, but doesn't seem to relax at all. "Is this a task that someone here can help you with?"
I want to giggle, because yeah they probably could! But that seems a bit… dramatic. Maybe, maybe if nothing else works but not just yet. I shake my head. "No it's… about civilian stuff. I'm okay, I'm not in danger so I'm going to try some stuff first!"
I quickly recover some of my previous energy, letting the melancholy slip into a Parallel where I can begin turning over ideas of how to handle the newest quest.
Miss Militia for her part doesn't seem entirely convinced, but seems willing to let it go. "Alright. Just let us know if that doesn't work out, or if things do become dangerous, okay? Now then, I think we can move on to the final part of this meeting. We'd like to get to know you a bit more as a person."
As opposed to the first part of the meeting, what follows is roughly half an hour of rambling about anything and everything while just barely managing to avoid blurting out identifiable details. It isn't until I'm out of the Quest costume that I'm struck with just how embarrassing what I did was. I thought the costume influence was supposed to be minor! That, that was like being back in middle school! Oh god I went on a ten minute tangent about The Lord of the Rings… It only stopped because Miss Militia, an actual literal Hero, guided me to a different topic!
I eye the costume in my bag with suspicion. I'll definitely have to be careful with that… and any other costumes I make in the future. A part of me is worried about my FoG costume now, but honestly as long as it doesn't somehow convince me killing them is fine anyone who warrants pulling it out probably deserves whatever I end up doing to them with it.
Let's Play
The trip home takes longer than strictly necessary as I dance across the rooftops, idly keeping an ear out for any crimes I can stop. I don't find any, but then again I'm a little distracted. By the time I get back to my room I'm no closer to a decision regarding the quest. It seems like it should be obvious, right? I help the dockworkers, the city improves, everyone's happy. But… none of my powers can do that, there's nowhere that I can even think to start besides gaining more powers and hoping one of them will let me deal with the boat graveyard. Who knows how long it could take to actually find a way to do it, let alone achieve it?
Is it even possible, as long as the gangs are around? I know I already plan on dealing with them, but that's still not exactly a short term goal! Part of me just wants to ask him to quit, to find a new job, but part of me insists it's wrong because it's the easy way out. That it's just giving up and running away.
The question bounces around and percolates as I Tinker and attend my classes, and fails to come to a conclusion even as my Ditto makes it home. I even spend a bit of time having my original body and my Ditto debate the two sides of the argument which accomplishes nothing but making me feel incredibly weird about the situation. Then the phone rings. Dad's going to be home late again, too much work for him, not enough for anyone else. Yes I can handle food on my own. Yes I'm okay. It's like I'm following a script, running a bit of simple code written and refined over the years since mom passed away.
I stay home and make myself some food while my Ditto goes out and looks around. The E88 continue to be suspiciously subdued, and the ABB are only causing problems in a personal capacity rather than as an organization. None of it helps the dull ache that settles in as dad gets home at 10pm, eats with barely a word, and then stumbles off to bed. Was it always this bad? I know we've been doing better, but until now nights like this just felt normal. A blank space to be ignored…
Let's Play
Wednesday sees my Ditto attending school once more, and even making plans to hang out with Madison again when we end up partnered for a project. The real me however has an appointment with Armsmaster and a fully stocked Tinker lab. I arrive wearing my latest iteration of my Experimental costume, and approach the front desk of the PRT headquarters at 2:05, not wanting to seem too eager by showing up at 2pm on the dot. Somehow, I suspect I may have failed.
Regardless, I end up riding in a PRT van over the signature rainbow bridge and onto the Protectorate HQ with a smile on my face and ideas bubbling just below the surface. Traps has a lot to say about ways to abuse the bridge, the forcefield bubble, and practically every hallway we pass through. It's also happy to point out what they've already done to leverage the location by identifying the many, many turrets and blast doors.
Part of the reason Traps is so eager to offer ideas is that, from a more mundane standpoint, The Rig isn't actually that interesting. It's a place people work, and it's utilitarian as a result. That said, the cafeteria food I'm given is leagues above what Winslow has to offer, so it's not all bad.
Finally, 3pm rolls around and I knock on the door to Armsmaster's lab the moment it does. The door slides open, and I'm left looking at one of the most beautiful rooms I've ever seen. A part of me idly notes just how much my Tinker powers must be getting to me, but the majority of me couldn't care less. The room is stocked with tools both mundane and Tinker, materials both shaped and raw, and well defined workstations that Traps identifies as prime targets for just how precise the organization is.
I have to have my Ditto confirm I actually just stood there, taking it all in for over a minute before finally acknowledging Armsmaster himself. "Ah! Yes, ahem, yes hello, yes?"
I'm terrified I've messed up, but based on the slight smirk I think I'm probably in the clear. "It's quite the sight, isn't it? I've put a lot of work into this place over the years. Come in and we can talk while I do some of the simpler repair work."
The door slides closed silently behind me, a fact I only notice because of my Third Person POV. Once I'm inside he turns to some pieces of armor laid out on one of the benches, beginning to speak as he gets to work repairing some scratches on what I believe to be a pauldron. "Before we begin, do you know your specialization?"
I bob my head up and down, well aware of just how many cameras there are in the room. "Yes yes, but… rather not tell, is okay?"
Armsmaster hums at that. "While I certainly won't force you, it will make things significantly harder. Would you be willing to share any examples of your work?"
I bob another nod, pulling out three different types of sticky cam I carry with me. Besides my costume, they're the only actual Tinkertech I have on me. One specialized for stealth, one for durability, and one for effectiveness after being thrown. They're not much, but it's not like I've had a lot of materials to work with. He idly motions to a spot nearby as he continues to work, and I leave him to it until he speaks again. "I'll check those over in a moment, but for now, would you be willing to answer some hypotheticals?"
I suppose that's probably more reasonable than just giving me free reign to operate in his lab… even if Garment is itching to augment his current armour to make it just a bit more compelling. What follows is an ever more complex series of questions, often including images displayed on one of the walls, ranging from questions about what I thought of certain pieces of technology, to questions about my solution to various hypothetical issues. It's a little awkward maintaining my Phantasm speech the entire time, but I think I avoided letting it slip.
Eventually he does allow me to do some Tinkering of my own, and I end up making him a cape that's resistant to extreme temperatures, electrical shock, being cut, dampens solid impacts, and filters most airborne contaminants if pressed over the nose and mouth so it can be used to cover a civilian in a variety of hazardous situations. The connectors for his armour are designed with several release criteria to prevent it from being used against him, including one which was provided by Traps so that it can be used to harass someone attempting to pull it off. Of course, PR's Dream also made sure it would be imbued with the ideals of a hero, reinforcing both his own resolve and his public image.
Before I know it our time is up and I'm being escorted out in somewhat of a daze. The materials he has access to are just… completely unreasonable. I'll definitely have to look into where he gets his supplies once the merchandising starts up.
That night I once again fail to find any active crimes, but finally I catch a lead on a E88 warehouse, and better yet, one that will be hosting a meeting Thursday night. Tonight might have been a wash, but tomorrow? Tomorrow I'll be starting on Teaching Hate to Fear.
Name: Taylor Anne HebertLovable Horror LVL 10SP Cap7Loose SP16Tier 1 Powers(25)Mover(2)Shaker(2)Brute(3)Breaker(2)Master(1)Tinker(3)Blaster(3)Thinker(1)Striker(4)Changer(0)Trump(1)Stranger(3)Tier 0 Powers(54)Synergy Powers(21)Power Upgrades(7)
AN: Quest is not a distinct personality, just Taylor being given permission by the costume to act in a way she would already be inclined to.
Also I'm sure many of you are disappointed by the Armsmaster scene here, but as a reminder it wasn't actually supposed to be a joint tinkering session. Amsmaster already had this time allotted to maintenance and simply felt he could make even more efficient use of his time by talking to Phantasm while doing so.
Also for those that don't read the comments, I'm deliberately avoiding having Taylor turning to leveraging Jack of All Trades to make money because I feel it would result in the story becoming about nothing but Taylor working with Dragon to rapidly advance humanity's tech level. While that's a neat premise for a fic and I'm pretty sure I've seen it somewhere, it's not what this fic is about. If you want an in universe explanation we can say there's a limiter on the power from QA.
Thursday afternoon is spent in part on a group assignment with Madison, and in another on patrolling. Things with Madison are surprisingly mundane, even if they're still occasionally stilted. The fact I still occasionally make jabs about what she's done is likely contributing, but if she wants this to work out she's going to have to work past it, not forget about it. On the patrolling side, I'm sticking to the ABB territory for the most part, while dipping into the more contested zones occasionally.
It's not much, but hopefully it'll make the E88 assume I'll either be too tired or otherwise distracted for their rally tonight. The fact I've finally managed to find some actual crimes to stop doesn't hurt either. It's during one of my bounces into the border between the two major gangs that the wards stumble upon me. Well, me and the purse snatcher I just caught, which might explain what drew them over.
Shadow Stalker and Kid Win isn't exactly a combination I ever considered, and just based on their postures it's probably one that whoever organizes patrols shouldn't have either. Regardless, I greet them both with a wide, pointy-toothed smile. "Hello, yes yes! Tag?"
Kid Win flinches back, while Shadow Stalker perks up immediately, and I can hear her grin as she responds. "F-Heck yeah!"
Apparently she does actually avoid swearing when there's likely to be people around. Good to know I suppose. Kid Win for his part just turns to her with what seems like a look of betrayal despite not being able to see half his face. With a groan I'm probably not supposed to hear he raises a hand to the side of his head and calls in to console, which quickly grants us permission for a quick game.
I decide to be at least a little merciful to the poor Tinker, waving a hand at him. "Is okay if stay aside, yes yes. Stalker play, yes?"
Then Stalker is moving and the game is on. Part of me is annoyed at her jumping the gun, the other part however rapidly loses itself in the dance. It's clear she took some lessons away from our last game. Unfortunately I've gained a lot since then and am forced to hold myself back to just about where I was last time to keep things interesting. Ultimately, it only takes twelve minutes to take her down, but the recording is going to make her look fantastic so hopefully she won't mind.
With the game out of the way and the purse snatcher with the police, the three of us are left with the obvious question. "Patrol, yes?"
Based on the way Kid Win pales, it seems like he's hoping for a no no. Unfortunately for him, when Shadow Stalker calls in the request they're both given permission. I honestly feel kind of bad for him at this point, so I offer him a way out. "Is need three? Perhaps he rest, yes? Shadow can handle, yes yes!"
Based on the way Kid wilts and Stalker snorts, they've taken more from what I said than I intended, but I can't exactly think of a way to fix it without forcing Kid Win to join us. Fortunately, he seems to appreciate the out more than he dislikes the imagined jab and quickly calls it in. I manage to overhear their Console contact report that he has permission to return, with an invitation to join Armsmaster in his lab which seems to immediately cause the boy to brighten.
I let my Ditto giggle for me, because yes I imagine getting to spend time in that lab is a significant improvement over patrolling. Honestly I'm a little jealous! He doesn't need to be told twice and provides the bare minimum parting words before flying away on his hoverboard.
For her part Shadow Stalker seems almost as thrilled! We quickly take to the rooftops, Stalker using my hands as stepping stones to quickly make her way up after me in a completely unplanned yet oddly satisfying maneuver. Based on the little fist pump she tries to hide, Stalker agrees.
She taps the side of her head, then groans. "God it's good being free of that loser! I know having you join the wards would basically ruin your ability to do shit, but fuck would it be nice having you on tap for patrols instead."
I'm rather stunned by the harsh indictment of her fellow ward, and it takes me a moment to formulate what I want to say. "Is loser, why? What do? How earn contempt of Shadow?"
She snorts. "He's a loser because he never fucking does anything! He's always Tinkering away in his stupid little lab, but then he'll come out and have basically nothing to show for it! Then we get out in the field and he's shaking in his boots and missing half his shots! I've got a goddamn crossbow and I'm way more accurate than his stupid tinkertech guns! Like, you're a Tinker and you've got new shit every other day and you don't even have the kind of resources he does!"
Yikes, that's… a lot. Some of it might be fair criticism, but it seems like she's being quite harsh. The comment on me also being a Tinker is a much more immediate concern however. Yeah, if normal Tinkers are taking ages to pull out new stuff then the rate of improvement I've had is probably a huge flaw in my disguise as one. Fortunately, it doesn't take long to come up with a solution.
I hum in thought. "Is not fair compare, no no. He is making new, yes? Am finishing work already done. Prepared lots before going out, yes? Is only time to tweak and twist, not time to build."
I'm not sure how to feel about the snort she makes in response, or the side eye I can practically feel through her mask. "Sure thing Spooky. A week is totally 'lots' of time to prepare."
I need to abuse my Parallels to keep from freezing up, because that sounds a lot like she knows when I got my powers, which would require her to know who I am. Which shouldn't be possible thanks to Mask of a Face! Unless… unless she figured it out before I got the power.
I end up leaving a Parallel working on that thought as we're drawn to the sound of gunfire, and end up spending the next multiple hours chasing down and bringing in members of the Archer's Bridge Merchants who apparently got hold of something especially nasty and decided to make their bad trip everyone's problem. Fortunately injuries were minimal, but the five men had spread themselves out enough that it was a nuisance tracking them down.
It's as we're approaching the end of Shadow Stalker's shift that a thought occurs to me, and I make a snap decision. I'm supposed to be trying to make friends, right? If she really does know who I am, then that'd be even more convenient! I assume. Probably. Regardless, I catch her eye and mime tapping the side of my head, and a moment later she confirms we're clear to talk. "Stalker busy tonight? May have… operation, yes?"
She visibly perks up at that. "Oh? Any chance this is part of that whole speech about the E88 you made?"
I giggle in triplicate, letting my head bob slightly. "Yes yes, have heard things, a meeting yes? Purpose unknown, no, but many voices, yes. Have plan, but perhaps Shadow in the Mist would improve, yes?"
Shadow Stalker is practically vibrating, at least by her standards, as she replies. "Yeah, yeah I can be there for that. When and where are we hitting Spooky?"
It doesn't take long to work out a meetup, but unfortunately she does still have roughly half an hour on this patrol, so we get back on the move, pretending nothing happened. The remaining time is spent without event or comment, and soon enough we're breaking off, each of us eager to prepare for the night to come.
While they don't warrant pulling out my FoG costume, perhaps something a bit more intense than my default would be warranted. A chance to test out some of the accessories I designed to tweak the perception of a given costume, nothing too extreme…
Let's Play
Alexander fidgets awkwardly amidst the crowd of gang members, waiting for the rally to both begin and end while contemplating his choice of friends. Like, sure they're all white but- How was he supposed to know Rick and John were actually part of the gang! Or, like, junior members or whatever. He doesn't pay attention to the gang shit, how's he supposed to know how this works!
So now he's standing at some kind of rally, surrounded by E88 members, apparently including two of his friends, and regretting his decision to not ask more questions when they invited him to 'a party some friends of theirs are holding'. Not that he can leave at this point! Who knows what these people would do to him if he tried to duck out. Oh god, is he stuck with Rick and John now?
The thought is interrupted by someone taking the stage and clearing their throat, and a moment of repositioning gets Alex a look at who it is. His blood immediately runs cold as he sees fucking Krieg! Oh god, he's talking about- Oh. Oh this is an initiation. He's heard of these before, but doesn't that…
Five people are dragged out on stage by seven other gang members. He's too far back to make out much about them besides the fact two of them are black men, then a pair who might be Japanese where he can't tell the gender, and finally a white woman wearing not nearly enough. Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck. He's about to watch people get murdered and he can't do a goddamn thing about it! He can't even just leave!
Krieg is just… going on and on about the master race and their crimes and unity or… something? It's… kind of hard to focus on that shit when he's losing his mind about the bullshit that has become his life. Krieg must have said something exciting though because one section off to the left got real noisy for a minute there.
He continues, and the bursts of excitement pop up again and again until… Wait, is that… fog? Alex stiffens as he catches sight of something moving out of the corner of his eye at the same time he realizes that the burst of noise to his right is screaming, rather than cheers. He whips around, eyes wide, and feels something warm splatter across his face. With a shaking hand he touches it, and when he pulls his hand away it's covered in… blood.
He looks around desperately, trying to spot something, anything, as screams begin to fade into the thickening fog, becoming muffled even as Krieg seems to grow more frantic. His eyes flip back to the stage, idly wondering how he can even still see it, to see two of the captives missing and half the gang members already on the ground. The fact there's one fewer present even accounting for those on the ground doesn't exactly promise good things.
A flicker of movement to his left causes Alex to drop to the floor, barely dodging what looks like a goddamn crossbow bolt! Looking behind him reveals Rick wasn't quite as quick on the uptake as he crumples to the floor seconds later. Part of him wants to stay on the floor and hope Phantasm will spare him, but another part just put its hand in a concerningly large pool of blood and watched Rick get dragged off into the unknown by a disembodied hand.
Jumping to his feet he takes several steps forward, head whipping around frantically as he tries to figure out where the heck the exit is! Deciding moving is better than standing still he picks a direction and just… moves. Stumbling through the fog, tripping over- oh god was that an arm? He tries not to think about it. He can hear the muffled screams, and catches… shadows in the mist.
He finally enters a clearer area, only to realize he maybe should have just stayed where he was. Standing on the stage, ranting and raving, is Krieg. Only three of the original seven other gang members are left, all of them unconscious and splattered in a concerning amount of blood. There's no sign of the victims, which is good! There is, unfortunately, sign of Phantasm though. Which is fucking terrifying!
Alex literally can't bring himself to move he's so scared. He's seen some pictures and videos and stuff, and knows Phantasm changes up her outfit all the time, but this? She's still wearing her sack-cloth robes, but underneath… It's like she took the purest, most pristine priest robes ever, tore them to shreds, then wrapped them around her limbs to hold back a flood of deep red ichor that continues to drip through them regardless. No, not just through the cloth, it's also dripping off her hair. Hair which is, apparently, writhing around like a bunch of fucking snakes!
He's forced to sit and watch as Krieg dodges a mass of hair that snaps forward with such force it causes a whip crack, and splatters the man with that same disgusting liquid! The smell of death and rot is quickly filling the air, and he can tell he's crying as Krieg lands a kick on one of the suddenly appearing hands, only to have a second one clamp itself around his ankle. He yells in pain as the vicious looking claws cut through his costume and draw lines across his skin when it's forced back, just before he takes a hit to the back that sends him to his knees.
Should he be cheering? Like, maybe Phantasm will let him go if he makes it clear he doesn't want to be here? Then something pulls on his leg and he's smacking into the floor just as a smattering of small objects are launched away from Krief in all directions at high speeds. He looks up at the desperate cape and despite the man's gas mask, can't help but feel he's just as scared as Alex is.
Then there's a whip crack and the man fails to dodge another lash of hair which cuts through his costume and leaves dark red lines on the skin below. A boot appears over him and lands hard on the back of the man's head, smashing him into the stage with enough force to cause his head to bounce, before lifting him high into the air with a mass of writhing hair. Phantasm speaks, but Alex can't hear it and he's not sure if that's because of the fog or because of the fear.
She's not wearing a mask, her face hidden only by the ichor pouring over her face from above, her hood somehow still up and shadowing many of her features. Unfortunately, the shadows can't obscure the too wide mouth full of too sharp teeth, coated in what looks to be much more human-like blood. Then, suddenly Krieg is airborne, tossed unceremoniously into the fog as Phantasm once again disappears.
Which is enough to get Alex moving again. The fact he can suddenly hear a bunch of kids giggling from somewhere in the fog certainly helps him put on the speed! He slams into a door and doesn't even bother checking it. He pushes through and keeps running. Who cares where the hallway goes! He tries a few of the doors in the hall but none of them budge except a broom closet and he's not exactly eager to lock himself in there!
The giggling is getting louder, he keeps moving. He can hear footsteps, he keeps moving. He can hear the scraping of metal on metal and he just. Keeps. Moving! He slams through another door into what's apparently a stairwell. He doesn't want to be stuck on the second floor, but he wants to turn back even less!
He stumbles up the steps, making it just over halfway before he trips and barely manages to keep from tumbling back down. Unfortunately, it gives him a chance to look behind him, which is how he becomes aware of the stuttering, twitching, piecemeal person ambling up behind him! Bloody red handprints are left behind with each wet slap as the cape seems to practically be pulling herself up behind him, her claws leaving clear cuts in the walls as she does so.
He gets back to his feet and returns to his frantic scramble upwards, only noticing the fog pouring out from the door above after he's already pushed it open. The tide of obscuring fog washes over him and he flinches back. The laughter is all around him. Closer, and closer, and closer until finally… A hand on his ankle, and darkness.
Let's Play
I let out a satisfied sigh once I finish collecting all my cameras. Good, I was worried one might have been damaged when Krief pulled that shotgun trick. Fortunately, the only ones that took hits were far enough that the stones didn't penetrate. Shadow Stalker for her part looks positively euphoric. She's moving like a big cat after a good meal as she double checks everyone we knocked out. Nearly fifty people, including Krieg, and five civilians saved.
According to the log not everyone present was actually an E88 member, with more than half simply being listed as sympathizers and two providing no reward at all. Including the last teenager I went after, which kind of makes me feel bad for giving him that extra special experience. Hopefully this'll at least keep him away from organized crime from now on?
I end up hitting Level 11 somewhere in there, and am once again kind of annoyed that some of the levels offer basically no reward, but at least it's one step closer to an actually relevant reward.
Defeated KriegGained:
400 EXP
+1 Loose SP
1 Cape Power Roll
Krieg was a surprisingly difficult fight, with his field preventing me from Cheshiring too close and his own experience carrying him quite a ways. My power seems to agree given the reward for beating him.
Quest Complete! Initiation InterruptionGained:
600 EXP
+2 Loose SP
Then there's the quest I got when we realized what kind of rally we were crashing. It's another example of getting rewarded for doing what I would have anyway. Which I know I shouldn't complain about, but it just makes me a little uncomfortable that my power feels like it needs to bribe me to do the right thing.
Quest Complete! CrossoverGained:
200 EXP
+2 Loose SP
1 Cape Power Roll (Shadow Stalker)
It didn't actually take all that long, but by the time the PRT and BBPD have come by to collect everyone I'm absolutely exhausted. I'm definitely letting my Ditto handle editing and posting the videos, even if I don't know why I find it easier than just doing it myself considering my Ditto is myself. I'm definitely taking tomorrow off.
Name: Taylor Anne HebertLovable Horror LVL 11SP Cap7Loose SP21Tier 1 Powers(25)Mover(2)Shaker(2)Brute(3)Breaker(2)Master(1)Tinker(3)Blaster(3)Thinker(1)Striker(4)Changer(0)Trump(1)Stranger(3)Tier 0 Powers(54)Synergy Powers(21)Power Upgrades(7)2 Cape Power Rolls
AN: All the blood is fake, just in case that wasn't clear. Well okay, the majority of the blood.
If it's not obvious I've been struggling to write. Not sure how much further I'll be able to take the story but I've got another 2.5 chapters written at least.