Stheno Quest (Worm Case 53 Quest)

"Okay," you start, "Just for the sake of clarity, am I… are we in any trouble?"

You hear a soft sound of consideration. "Well, I don't want to make a definitive statement before I get all the details, but I think it is unlikely that you or your friends will find yourself penalized for the events of this morning."

Tension you hadn't realized you had drains from your body at her words. "Okay… okay. That's good to hear." You straighten, your face returning to full seriousness. "Now, would you happen to know the Goddess-forsaken reason I'm like this?"

"I assume you mean your appearance?" You nod. "Well, I apologize, but nobody knows why Case 53s have altered physical appearances, nor why they all have amnesia. It's been speculated that it's the result of trigger events gone wrong, but-"

"Trigger event?" you ask suddenly, then cringe. "Sorry for interrupting…"

"No, no, it's fine," Sentinel assures you. "A trigger event is when a person goes through an experience so traumatic, they gain powers. Every parahuman goes through one, though for Case 53s like yourself it is, shall we say, a little difficult to determine what it might have been. Now, I personally am somewhat skeptical of the theory I mentioned, due in part to the tattoo every Case 53 has. I see yours is on your shoulder."

You glance at where your right arm should've been to see that yes, the brand is visible through a rather large gash in your shirt.

"On that note," she continues, "would you like it if we were to bring up some new clothing for you?"

You smile softly at that. "Yes, that would be nice, thank you." After a moment's pause, you continue, "So, there are others like me? Is what happened to them, to me, reversible?"

Sentinel's voice takes on an apologetic note. "Yes, there are a few hundred known Case 53s. None exactly like you, but all possess physical mutations or alterations, amnesia, and that tattoo. Unfortunately, I do not know of any instances of a Case 53 returning to a fully human form. I'm sorry."

"N-no, it's fine," you say, even as your eyes squeeze shut to stem the tears that threaten to spill forth. After a few moments of deep, calming breaths, you open your eyes again to see Alice looking at you, her expression betraying worry and concern. "So!" you say with false cheer. "Who were those people whose fight we got caught up in?"

"Ah, them. Well, I don't know how much you saw, but any things that look like tripods made out of chunks of concrete? Those are the work of Brigadier. He used to just be a minor villain, but recently there's been an escalating feud between him and another villain, Terracotta. Terracotta, as far as we know, seems to be some sort of tinker who has outfitted a number of unpowered soldiers with suits of armor made of an odd sort of ceramic. He's been rather slippery and adept at keeping his tech out of our hands, sad to say. Well, until today, that is. You helped Spectrum capture a couple of armored dogs, I'm told, for which I am thankful."

"You're welcome," you reply with a half-smile. "Now, who was the gray woman?"

"Oh, you encountered her? She goes by the name Steinengeist. She's something of a mercenary, though she's been with Terracotta's forces the last couple times they've made an appearance. Her power lets her break her body apart into ghostly versions of herself, which she can then layer into stronger, more durable bodies. It's good that you were able to escape her, since while there aren't any murders attributed to her, she has been known to be rather brutal and sadistic."

"Oh." You pause a moment to contemplate that nugget of information. "So-"

"Sorry, one moment," Sentinel interrupts you. After a few seconds' silence she says, "Sorry, duty calls. I need to go. Have fun meeting Ermine and Recast, though!"

"Wait, who're Ermine and-" All sounds from the device go dead. "-Recast? Hello?"

You just stand there for a moment, before turning to look at the source of a sudden sigh. Hailstorm is massaging her temples around her visor. "Seriously?" she murmurs, almost too softly for you to hear.

"Wait, what was that about Ermine and Recast?" A hand on your shoulder makes you look into Alice's excited eyes.

"Um, well, Sentinel just told me to, uh, have fun meeting them. Who are they?"

Confusion flashes momentarily across your friend's face. "What- oh, right. Well, they're two of the Wards." At your blank expression, she pauses, then continues, "The junior heroes. Those under the age of eighteen who join the Protectorate."

"And if they're coming here for treatment, they don't need to meet fangirls or, well…" Hailstorm's voice trails off as she starts to walk to the door, ignoring your frown. But before she can reach it, the door opens, admitting two girls, one supporting the other.

The one girl leaning on the other was shorter than Alice, two braids of blonde hair framing her black-visored face. She is clad in a black, poofy dress trimmed in pink, with a skirt that reaches just above her knees. Long, black gloves and boots extend to beneath her sleeves and skirt, respectively. Her exposed lips are twisted into a slight grimace.

The other girl is her opposite in almost every way. She is tall, almost as tall as you, with an olive complexion and dark hair. Her mask conceals her face below her eyes, which are visible through a fully transparent visor. She is clad in an ivory bodysuit, with a lighter, short-sleeved, fur-trimmed longcoat hanging open, revealing her slender physique.

The two start to walk inside, the shorter one with a limp, but they pause upon seeing you and Alice.




What do?

[ ] Greet them.
- [ ] How? (Write-in)

[ ] Stand there silently, warily.

[ ] Write-in.