Magical Girl Escalation Taylor (Worm/Nanoha)

[] Patrol with Chevalier or Miss Militia. We need to start repairing those bridges…
-[] And bring up Vista. Let them know Vista is getting upset, let them know she comes first… but you don't want to cause an upset. If she wants to leave the Protectorate, is there a way to do so that doesn't stain their public image?
[] Yes, reveal your age to Chevalier.


Cloudy Skies 11.3

Wednesday, June 29

«Mistress, Protectorate communications indicate Chevalier departing. Plot intercept course?»

"Thank you, Storm. Go ahead."

After the ultimatum Vista gave Chevalier before they joined you in Chicago and your own less than successful attempts at convincing him that you weren't going to go out of your way to try luring Vista away from the Wards, you decided it was best to take a couple of days to let everything else settle before you broached this issue again. You could have organized a meeting in his office, but while you aren't trying to set yourself against the Protectorate you also don't make it seem like you are going to him with hat in hand because you are afraid of getting on their bad side. The streets of Philadelphia are the most neutral grounds you can get, and the best way to hash this out is for you two to run into each other 'coincidentally' while he is out on patrol.

"Samantha, you remember your role, right?"

"Yeah, yeah," she mutters, scrolling through some webpage or another on a holographic screen. "Stay small, stay out of sight. Don't give him any reason to think this isn't a one-on-one conversation."

"You could just stay here, you know. You were the one who insisted on coming along," you remind her.

"And let you have all the fun if things get exciting? I don't think so."

The screen collapses, a raccoon jumps onto your shoulder, and you teleport to the coordinates Perfect Storm provides.

You land a couple of blocks away from the route plotted on your map, the mere existence of which makes you wonder just how much Perfect Storm learned from listening in to the Protectorate's communications. Shuffling Samantha off your shoulder, you take to the air and start drifting in that direction, doing your best to look like you are doing nothing more suspicious than watching out for crime below. The dot that represents Chevalier starts sliding closer and closer along that line, and you dismiss the screen a couple of seconds before the head of Philly's heroes comes into sight. The small number of Flare Shooters you previous conjured up for show vanish, and you descend to street level. He sees you and slows his motorcycle down to give you a slight wave. "Evening, Chevalier. You out on patrol too?"

"Looks like it." Okay, maybe that was a bit of a dumb question, but it isn't like you are familiar with subtly insinuating yourself into other people's schedules. Most of the time they drag you in without so much as a by your leave.

He doesn't say anything in response, so with a mental sigh at having to be the social one, you ask, "Since we're both out here already, mind if tag along? I don't exactly have a set patrol route or anything, so…"

"Why not? Company is rarely unwelcome."

Not the most enthusiastic welcome you could have gotten, but likely he has yet to forget about the mess your last joint venture turned into. Alexandria hinted on the rooftop that she wanted to have a chat with him about that, too, didn't she? Maybe he's still hurting about that. Or maybe you're reading too much into it. No way to tell.

He takes off down the street again, and you twist in the air so you are flying parallel with the road and only a few feet away from him. "How have things with the gang intrusions been since we got back? I haven't heard as much about them as I did before we dealt with Coil, but I don't know if that's because they actually dropped off or because the news got bored with that story and moved on to something else."

"The true answer is a little of both, though how much of each is up for debate. When he was being interrogated, Calvert admitted that he had instigated many of the initial attacks in an attempt to destabilize the PRT's hold on Philadelphia. He was tired of working as a mere consultant and thought that if he was put in charge of a branch officially, he would have a better chance of getting rid of any gang that opposed his own, putting him in control of both the legal and illegal aspects of the city. Once he made enough trouble in his villain persona, he would have the grounds to declare martial law and essentially rule the city as a warlord. With him arrested, the gangs he was personally in control of have left, but there are still several others who want to take a slice of the city for their own purposes." He sighs. "I'm happy we managed to get Cadejo and the rest of the MS-13 off the streets, but I'm tired of putting away one villain only for two more to spring up in their place."

"Like the hydra of old," you mutter.

He gives you a faint nod and taps the side of his helmet. "Mugging reported on Sixth Street. No cape presence. Let's make an appearance."

He pulls to the side and rolls down a side street for a couple of blocks before gunning the engine and screaming down the road. About five blocks later he screeches to a stop, and it is this rather than the initial acceleration that gets the three muggers' attention. They take a look at Chevalier in his bronze and gold armor and giant cannonblade and immediately start running the opposite direction.

"And they're running. Why do they always run?" he asks himself with a sigh.

"Do you want me to…?" You trail off, the orange balls of light hovering above your open hand finishing the rest of the question for you. He gives you a single nod, and you flick your wrist to send the bullets hurtling after the muggers. Each one lands squarely in the middle of their backs and explodes to throw them to the ground. You didn't make the bullets strong enough to injure them, so the men try to scramble back to their feet while you process the code for another spell.

Three distinct shouts of surprise accompany rings of light flashing into existence around their wrists and ankles.

"That should keep them in place for half an hour at least," you say, twirling your staff nonchalantly. Perfect Storm had assured you that the Ring Binds you've been working on would last probably twice that, but it is better to undersell it. "They can't break out, but just tell the cops that a good solid hit from outside the rings will be enough to get rid of them."

"I'll forward that along. Interesting trick to pick up," Chevalier replies, his tone questioning.

"It's just another energy construct. Nothing to get that excited about."

You don't know just how much he believes your excuse, but he does not call you out on it. As he calls the police to pick up the perpetrators, you look around and spot a blue figure peeking over the edge of the rooftop before vanishing once again. Was that…?

«Sam, do me a favor. Take a look at the rooftops near me. I think I saw someone.»

«Yeah, I see her now,» Samantha replies after a dozen or so seconds. «Want me to grab her?»

You mull the option around for a moment before shaking your head, which attracts Chevalier's attention temporarily before he goes back to talking to the police. «No, leave her alone. These guys don't look like Winter Hill, and if they were, I would expect Cailleach to try to get them out, not just leave them for us to deal with. If she isn't doing anything illegal right now, no reason to start a fight.»

That does leave the question of just what Cailleach is doing around here. Villains normally don't do patrols as far as you know. Still, you are not here to pick fights, just put them down when they start.

With the cops on their way, Chevalier mounts his bike again, and you drift along behind him as he rolls away at a much more sedate pace than previously. "So is this what most of your patrols are like? Ride around and wait until you either spot crime yourself or someone calls it in?"

He turns to glance at you from the corner of his eye. "More or less. How do you normally patrol?"

"Honestly? I stick around the house until I hear something, then teleport to wherever the trouble is."

"Now that is a power set I would love to have," he admits with a smile. "Particularly when the winter is in full force and the weather is terrible. Teleport to the scene of the crime, handle it, teleport back to base for a hot cup of coffee."

"Yeah, but I have to pay for it by running around in the snow in a miniskirt." That earns a short laugh from him, and another block passes below you before you continue your previous thought. "I have to say, this doesn't seem… all that dangerous."

"It isn't. Until it is. There is no predicting when what should be a fairly routine patrol will turn into a gang fight. I've found myself in that situation more times than I can count. Even when capes aren't involved, all it takes is one guy with a gun feeling cornered and desperate to cause a tragedy. It's the very reason that when Wards are sent out on patrol, they are meant to serve as reconnaissance and spotters rather than active combatants."

"You know," you can't help but comment, "that sounds more like a good reason to give the Wards actual armor than to tell them it's too dangerous for them to go out without someone holding their hands."

He shakes his head with a sigh that might or might not be a laugh. Considering how your conversations with him about this topic have gone beforehand, more likely it is the latter. "Not as much as you would think. Armor, any visible form of protection really, is often seen as a sign that the person wearing it can tolerate heavier hits than they would otherwise be subjected to. People don't hold back as much when they know there is something that should keep the other person somewhat safer, but when you throw powers into the mix, 'not as much' can all too easily become more than armor can withstand. Prohibiting armor except for Brutes is actually better from a safety standpoint. Even villains tend not to attack children excessively; it's similar to the way that child killers or molesters are in so much danger in prison from their fellow inmates if the nature of their crimes becomes known. Except, of course, for the villains like Cadejo who don't care about how old their victims are.

"It's a catch-22. We can't give the Wards armor without putting them in more danger, but withholding it also puts them at significantly more risk from a minority of the villains. There is no good option other than keeping them out of fights as much as possible."

"And yet, despite not being a Brute yourself you still wear it," you point out. "As did Armsmaster and Kid Win." Not to mention the suits of armor Tim built for the Privateers, which certainly kept them safe while they were wearing it.

"Tinkers wear power armor because all the other features they cram into it gives them an advantage beyond just the physical protection. Their armor also requires a great deal of maintenance. A couple of Tinkers here and there have offered to build and maintain armor for an entire team, but what inevitably happens is that they get so busy with keeping the armors running that they can't go out into the field. Most of them say that would be their dream job, but what has been found is that when Tinkers are stuck doing maintenance or even just building new things without the opportunity to test their creations out, they start going stir crazy."

What? That does not make any sense. Tim not only has never expressed a desire to go out to take his creations out for a spin, he has outright said he would prefer other people use his stuff and leave him out any fights. Is there really this big of a difference between parahuman Tinkers and Tim?

Or, you can't help but wonder, is it because of the template he has? You remember from back when you first found Perfect Storm that it admitted to making adjustments to your 'parameters' in the process of installing the Calamity Witch template into your Linker Core. Did it do the same with the Transcendent Gadgeteer template, making it possible for Tim to stay away from the battlefield?

You want to believe that is not the case, and you trust Perfect Storm not to do too much to people's minds, but it wasn't Perfect Storm that produced Sextant and the template Tim is using. It was Immortal Assimilation Engine, and that Device you trust far less.

Chevalier is still talking as though he has no clue about the thoughts running through your head. "As for me, it's for two reasons." He breaks off the explanation for a few seconds to take a turn that was not polite enough to come earlier while you were struggling with your own thoughts. "First, with my power I can give enhance my armor beyond what it should be capable of considering its size. Second, I want villains targeting me. I can withstand the hits better than anyone but a true Brute, and it keeps attention off anyone who is with me."

That sounds reasonable, actually, except for the part where Vista could probably play keep-away with criminals better than anyone but a teleporter. The armor would be just for those rare times when she isn't quite fast enough.

Now Chevalier seems to know where your mind is going because he continues, "Even if I wanted to put Vista in armor and send her out into fights, I couldn't. I don't know how the administration in Brockton Bay avoided investigation by the Youth Guard, but obviously they did somehow. If the Youth Guard had taken a look at them, everyone in a supervisory position almost certainly would have been drummed out."

"This isn't the first time you mentioned the Youth Guard," you say, thinking back to the rooftop conversation you had in Chicago, "but no one has ever said just who they are or why you treat them as bogeymen."

"It's an investigative oversight organization that monitors the Protectorate. Originally it was a loose coalition of parents of Wards and some attorneys that had concerns about how the Protectorate was treating the Wards, but they grew larger as more cases of abuse or reckless behavior came to light, one even involving Alexandria's treatment of a Ward in Los Angeles. Eventually they filed and won a class action lawsuit against the Protectorate as a whole, and Congress passed a law making them an official organization and giving them authority over the Protectorate in all matters pertaining to minors, as well as putting in place tighter restrictions on what the Wards are allowed to do. The rules are particularly strict for Wards under the age of fifteen and are aimed at keeping minors from being forced into situations where their lives and safety are in danger as much as possible.

"That is what Vista and you don't seem to understand. Regardless of what my opinion of the law is, I can't intentionally send Vista out into combat and in fact have to do my best to keep her away from it until she turns fifteen. My hands are tied."

His hands may be tied, but he doesn't sound torn up about it. If he weren't under the thumb of this Youth Guard, he still would not deploy her. He sees her as a child first and foremost, not as a fellow cape who has been around the block more than once.

What would he say if he knew you had only just turned sixteen yourself?

The thought had been a facetious one, but now that it is fully formed you can't help but roll it around in your head. You know that Miss Militia assumed you were in college, but breaking the truth to Chevalier would further explain why Vista shared her frustrations with you and why you can empathize with her so easily on this matter. Here they are, treating you with the respect your power and actions have earned you, when in reality you are at Vista's level and actually her junior in terms of sheer experience. The downside, of course, is that if you do tell him, he could start treating you like a child instead of the equal he sees you as right now. The misconception that you are an adult has worked to your advantage thus far. Would giving that up advance Vista's cause enough to make it worth the sacrifice?

"I also can't help but worry how much danger you and she would both be in should she follow through on her threats and quit to join your group."

His almost nonchalant comment shocks you out of your internal debate. "What?"

"It is the nature of humanity that strength invites challenge. That is doubly true for capes. When a new powerful cape or group shows up, eventually more and more people will come to pit their own powers against this newcomer's." He slows to a stop and faces you fully. "You saw that firsthand not too long ago. Coil saw you as a threat and moved to eliminate you. The Protectorate is no exception to that, but we have enough support among the other branches and from the PRT that we can weather those attacks. You, Samantha, and Shipwright are a powerful force, and you would be even stronger with Vista. Strong enough that you might appear a larger threat and a more tempting target than the Protectorate. For all your strength, though, you do not have the resources and backup we do to deal with a drawn-out series of attacks.

"It might not just be villains, either," Chevalier says after a moment's hesitation. "As much as I would like to say that all PRT directors are like Paulson or Carpenter, there are some who see independent parahumans as threats, even those who are heroes. Should your actions be seen as an attempt to develop enough force to be able to overthrow or supplant the Protectorate, regardless of the truth, they could try to make your life difficult. Philadelphia is welcoming to any hero no matter their affiliation, but Director Paulson still has to follow orders given to him by the Chief Director, and she cannot just write off the opinions of the regional directors. I do not want to see the paranoia of a few individuals in power ruin the lives of fellow heroes."

"So you're saying I should do, what? Join the Protectorate?" It was the same thing Alexandria had pushed, but for all that her own recruitment pitch had been blunt, you preferred it to this cautionary almost-threat. At least she was upfront about her desires and left you to make your own decision. "Sign up and be trapped by the same red tape you're wrapping Vista up in? I don't think so. I fought hard for my freedom, thank you very much."

"Those restrictions only apply to the Wards. There is much more latitude in the Protectorate proper," he insists.

In for a penny, in for a pound, you suppose. He would figure it out on his own after that slip of the tongue. "And minors are barred from the Protectorate. How old do you think I am?" He shakes his head wordlessly. "I'm still in high school. I turned sixteen earlier this summer. You said the regulations on Wards were lighter after fifteen, not gone. I'm not going to let myself be tied down by foolish if well intentioned restrictions for two years when I can be flying free and actually solving problems instead."

«Mistress,» Perfect Storm interrupts, cutting off the rest of the tirade you had not known you had lurking deep inside you. «Alert to law enforcement. Property alarms from store in near vicinity. Officers mobilizing, but arrival not expected for several minutes. Mistress desires coordinates?»

You want to snap at the Device, but the urge passes as swiftly as it came. You know why it is butting in; it is stopping you from saying something out of anger that you would not be able to take back. «That would be lovely, Storm, thank you.» You look back up at Chevalier. "Storm heard about a break in not far from here. Do you want a lift or to drive there yourself?"

He watches you for another second before pushing his bike to the side and hitting a couple of buttons. Struts unfold from the spokes of the wheels and lock into the road. Bike now safe from thefts, he takes your outstretched hand and lets himself be sucked up by the orange light of your teleportation.

You rematerialize on top of a nearby rooftop and look across the street at the cluster of teens doing their best to rip out the tempered glass over the front of the auto parts store they are trying to rob. "Want me just to blast them?" you ask.

"Let's give them a chance to surrender." Pulling the cannonblade from his back, Chevalier points it at the ground. What was a four-foot sword is now closer to twenty in length, and it stabs into the ground with an echoing crunch. That grabs the thugs' attention. He keeps a tight grip on the hilt and puts one foot on the side of the blade. The sword shrinks slower than it grew, allowing him in essence to ride it down to the ground. "This is the Protectorate. Get down on the ground and put your hands on your heads, and none of you have to get hurt."

Half the group does the stupid thing of running to the sides, as though they think splitting up will make a Chevalier focus on one of them and allow the rest to get away. Flare Shooters show them the error of their ways. The other half are frozen like deer mesmerized by an oncoming train about to crush them into paste.

"I said," Chevalier says again, "on the ground."

One by one the hoodlums kneel until there is only one still standing. He doesn't look like he's getting ready to fight, however. He backs up into the building shaking his head, and though you cannot hear what he is saying you would guess that it is something along the lines of 'no, no, no'.

"Don't make this any worse than it already is, son," Chevalier tells him, his voice no longer stony but still stern. "You'll have a chance to explain things to the police and whoever is appointed to represent you—"

The rest of his statement is lost when he drops like a sack of bricks.

The kid is completely different now, chocolate skin replaced by swirls of blues and yellows and deep pitch black. He looks like someone took a photograph of a nebula out in space and cut it into a human hape.

A brace of Shooters form almost without conscious thought and streak towards him. He loses cohesion as they fly, and the colors that are left are absorbed into the road. He is only gone for a split second before that kaleidoscopic blur seeps back out of the asphalt and gathers together again. He lifts his hands up and examines them as though he has never seen such things before.

You interrupt his marveling with a swarm of bullets, but he steps backwards and slips into the wall of the building. He comes out at the top of the wall, reaching up to grab the edge of the roof and pulling himself out of the brickwork.

You take flight with a silent snarl. Chevalier seems to be coming back around, whatever this new cape did wearing off, but you aren't going to give him a chance to do it again. More fireballs fly his way, but he is faster at breaking apart than your bullets can fly. The only good thing is that now that he is on the roof, he seems to be stuck there since he isn't fleeing to another building.

Or perhaps he is just taunting you.

If you can't shoot the bastard, you decide, you'll just have to do something else. The fireballs you have already formed vanish, and you wait for him to come back out into the normal world before you spin a different bit of code through Perfect Storm. Lifting this guy with telekinesis is harder than the other objects you have used it on, though whether it is because he is heavier, alive, or in this weird state of his you couldn't even begin to guess. What matters is that he comes off the rooftop, and now that you have a firm mental grip on him he is not breaking apart and teleporting around anymore.

"You need to be touching something to scoot around, don't you?" you ask as you fly closer. He doesn't answer you and instead tries to struggle his way out of your spell. Rings of orange light appear around his wrists and ankles, and you let your telekinesis end. He hangs suspended in the air, and you roll your head around to loosen it up. There has to be an easier way of holding someone in place like that. "Let's see you teleport out of that. You okay, Chevalier?!"

"Just fine," he calls back. "Nothing injured but my pride. Did you subdue the cape?"

"He's trussed up like a Christmas turkey. Same bindings I used on the other guys we ran into. Be careful with him. It looks like he needs to touch something to teleport, but I don't know what other quirks his powers have."

A silence follows your statement, presumably Chevalier thinking about just how he's supposed to take this guy to prison without letting him touch something and escape. "Thank you for the warning. I'll call for transport as soon as I'm finished restraining the ones over here.

"And Calamity Witch? Thank you for the help."


Ah, character drama, how I've missed thee. In case you're wondering, I see Chevalier as a Lawful Good character whereas Taylor is very much Chaotic Good. They're on the same side, but that doesn't mean they're going to see eye-to-eye on everything.

It's Wednesday, so normally it would be time to vote on Tim's build schedule. He's still busy finishing up Cassiel's Unison Device right now, though, and as a result you'll have to wait until he's done to start working on anything else.

Instead, vote for a spell to learn since the dice liked you and gave you more than just a couple of thugs.