Remove ads

Project Prometheus (Original Setting Superhero Quest)

Reader mode
Byzantine said:
Oh, it's stupid brute force. I suppose that makes sense if he has no idea what is actually going on and is just aping that he does.

[X] . . . feel the warmth of a well-tended hearth.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
I mean, synergies aren't the only thing that can make a build good, maybe he just needs something that's good at at plain Clairvoyance or just has a combination of powers that works well together without creating a synergy or something.
 
Byzantine said:
Oh, it's stupid brute force. I suppose that makes sense if he has no idea what is actually going on and is just aping that he does.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
I'm reminded of a Groundhog Month fic I read a while back called Mother of Learning where some kind of lich thing is attacking a sophomore wizard's magic academy at the end of the month and he gets reset at the end of the month or sooner if slain...I never quite finished it (and I don't know that it necessarily finished?) but the guy getting Groundhog Month was...not the brightest bulb, at least at the beginning, and had to learn things one piece at a time.
 
Barondoctor said:
I'm reminded of a Groundhog Month fic I read a while back called Mother of Learning where some kind of lich thing is attacking a sophomore wizard's magic academy at the end of the month and he gets reset at the end of the month or sooner if slain...I never quite finished it (and I don't know that it necessarily finished?) but the guy getting Groundhog Month was...not the brightest bulb, at least at the beginning, and had to learn things one piece at a time.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Read it, it's worth the time.

It has finished btw.
 
That reminds me of a story I read where some guy was Groundhog Day'ed in his town, but it turns out the rest of the world was just going on normally, and they all freaked out, anyone sent into the town got stuck in the resets, so in the end an army shot a missile or something at the Looper, he died and the loop ended.

...I feel like that's something that would happen in Horizon. It's kind of like the Frozen Throne.
 
SleepyCaterpilar said:
[X] . . . hear the sound of crashing waves

Water may be related to her sister? Dunno
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
I think it'd be kinda funny if this ends up with Yasmin living in Yara's head as a psychic ghost and giving her dating advice, similar to Nora and Ellie, and they end up using the two to deliver messages to each other to continue their absolute trainwreck of a love life.

I'm remembering right that it's Nora and Yasmin who became psychic ghosts instead of fully dying, right?
 
ProfessorB said:
That reminds me of a story I read where some guy was Groundhog Day'ed in his town, but it turns out the rest of the world was just going on normally, and they all freaked out, anyone sent into the town got stuck in the resets, so in the end an army shot a missile or something at the Looper, he died and the loop ended.

...I feel like that's something that would happen in Horizon. It's kind of like the Frozen Throne.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
...Wouldn't that just result in the missile becoming part of the loop, causing them to just have to watch the town now stuck in a loop they just fucked so hard it could never break?
 
Bitterman said:
"Hmm, then why don't you?" Mr. Song says, with a twinkle in his eye, "I know they upload brawls between metahumans to the StarWorld board on Hero for Hire . . ."

"Why would I—hmm," Scarlet Maturity pauses, rubbing his tiny chin with a massive hand, considering, "That's not a terrible idea. Maybe I won't squish you all."
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Alright, we're giving the old man an Invulnerability package of some sort (I already was in favour, this just gives additional incentive). So he can have a spar without get squished.
 
Last edited:
It is really funny to have Dreamcatcher, who we sort of pegged as the Ditzy Goofball New Dawn Member actually being really insightful and clever this episode.
 
It's amusing there are two distinct and completely contradictory ideas for what we could be voting for - either the expression of Yara's power, or the expression of her side effect.
 
As promised, the fabled Full-Quote Reaction. I really need to get back to my own story but the thoughts won't go away unless I put them down in letters and out into the world rahhhhh—

Bitterman said:
You are Phillip Evans.

You pull up to the Apiary bright and early, desperate and hopeful at the same time.

You are the boy who wanted to be a hero so badly that you stole a suit of experimental power armor, and you're running out of time. You had been confined to medical after the "Oliveira Incident" for observation, but there is nothing physically wrong with you.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
I really thought that this would be offscreen ngl.
Bitterman said:
Which means your handlers are expecting new data from The Brass Shield. Which means you have until tonight to fix your armor, or you're going back to jail.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
But I'm not gonna lie, this is fun.
Bitterman said:
That brings his smile back. "Wooooow. He's going to help you fix your armor even after all the stuff Crusade's been saying?! What a guy. Justice Unlimited really is the best!"

His giddy grin is infectious and you find yourself smiling too. "Thanks again for the help, um . . ."

"Oh, sorry!" he says quickly, "I'm Hu Wei! You can just call me Wei! It's awesome to meet a real live hero, even one from Crusade."
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
NEW CANDIDATE SPOTTED!
Bitterman said:
You don't think he meant to insult you.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
AND HE'S ALSO A FUMBLER!!! He needs to be on the same squad as Mona rn. As her second in command?
Bitterman said:
"Yeah!" he shouts, "I sorta . . . just got out of prison. So I have no skills or education or anything! But, I love heroes and Justice Unlimited is the best. So maybe they need someone to get coffee or lift boxes or something?"
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
He's getting here next Justice Unlimited Needs You! Just watch.
Bitterman said:
That feeling lasts until you hit the entrance. As it turns out, getting here was the easy part.

The hard part is: there's kind of a line.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Ah. Yeah, that's gonna slow anybody down. Good luck Phillip, try not to wet your pants (again)!
Bitterman said:
You are Shelley Marie.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
IT'S HER!!!
Bitterman said:
Handyman has been extra quiet lately, but he's not been spending time in the gym, so he's not frustrated. Meanwhile, Menagerie Witch—who everyone pretends to not know is Mr. Chaucer's adopted daughter, Maddie—has been watching you, and seemingly everyone else, like a hawk.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Oh and she's got that social awareness! Oh, it's everything I wanted.
Bitterman said:
When she had heard that the two of you were going to help her fix Justice Unlimited's accounting, she had burst into tears. She had been bombarding your screen for weeks with schedules and meetings and plans . . . then, suddenly, poof. There was nothing. Nada. Zich. A big, fat zero.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
That's almost definitely a red flag. Crimson. I'd say Scarlet, but he stopped trying to actively make us stains in the pavement about a month ago.
Bitterman said:
And the floor. And the ceiling. You had taken the hint and, that night, you dreamed of a golden child wagging a finger at you.

You decided to wait after that.

. . . was this building alive?!

House of Leaves-nonsense aside, now you were on your way to Ellie's room after being invited to a "mandatory meeting". As you reach the infirmary door, you knock before
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
And she read peak, and the Apiary's fucking with her. Nice.
Bitterman said:
Strangely enough, the anchor from QCN is also here, Takanashi Chihiro. Except . . . wait, didn't she quit and get a new job? Does she work for Justice Unlimited now?!

You're salivating a little from how juicy all of these revelations are.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Shelley trying so hard to not reach for her screen rn.
Bitterman said:
Despite that, he lounges indolently in a chair, with his feet up on the window sill.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Is… is the serial killer aura farming? I kinda respect the hustle ig???
Bitterman said:
You feel like it's what drives you sometimes—that and helping people. And if you can help people by dragging a dark secret into the light?

All the better.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
I'm gonna be 100% honest Bitterman, and I'm gonna be 1000% honest to any former readers of Space Oddity. (Shelley's source material, written by yours truly)

This is probably a better characterization of Shelley than in the entirety of Space Oddity. Granted, Space Oddity was my first quest and long-form work, but still. I love this phrase, it's so… succinct! And it's such a good motivation for her as well!
Bitterman said:
None of you move.

"Very well," she says. Leviathan's Blood, this girl is too intense for her own good. She breathes in and then says, "What you are about to learn is this: What is Project Prometheus?"
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Finally, the full read in! Hopefully she doesn't get scanned by Lantern (tho tbf it seems like Lantern is mostly just far-range seeing)
Bitterman said:
"SoRrY aBoUt ThIs, BuT tHe BoSs Is GeTtInG rEaL sIcK oF yOuR sHiT. mE? i LiKe YoU. yOu'vE gOt A cOoL hAt. WaIt! CaN i HaVe YoUr HaT aFtEr YoU'Re CrUsHeD?!"

You fight to move his hands, but his grip is like iron. You hear Renee swear as the train gets closer.

"I'm afraid the hat stays on, even in death, my friend," you reply.

"WhAtEvEr. I'M tOtAlLy TaKiNg It OfF yOuR cOrPsE aFtEr YoU'Re PaStE."
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Warpstar continues to be iconic, also that train's terrifying and prob a Dollman thing.
Bitterman said:
"Oh! Hiya, Gentleman James!" she calls back. She's in her usual costume with a messenger bag slung around her waist. "Wolong sent me over to help! Good thing I came over to talk to you guys about something!"
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Does she even really need that messenger bag? Also, second note— how durable is that bag? Because dear lord that thing must be made of something good.
Bitterman said:
Dollman looks back up and strokes his chin, considering. "I-I don't h-hate that . . . b-but isn't G-geppetto m-more about p-puppets than toys? T-That's M-Marie's thing . . ."

"So?" Black Swan says, "You'll match! Everyone knows you have a thing for her."

"W-w-w-w-what?"

"I tOlD yOu It WaS oBvIoUs."

"Wait, really? I was just making things up! Wow, Maddie was right. It does work . . ."
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Fumbled our way into a social crit success. Nice! Also Dollman's surpassingly cool for a child murderer.
Bitterman said:
They banter for a few more minutes about Dollman's crush until he and Warpstar leave and Black Swan flies back over.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Did Mona just bribe the Wonderland inmates? Man, I can just hear Monarch tearing her hair out rn.
Bitterman said:
Oh, hey guys, it's just me, Mendicant, world's greatest healer. No, I'm doing great, thanks for asking! I just got to drive Lady Leizi's car to pick up Charlotte here, and I think I saw the face of God in the process, that's all!"

"You drove Lady Leizi's car?!" Gentleman James says eagerly, "What was it like?"

"Like riding a unicorn naked through a field of flowers. I think I peed a little."
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Man, all these side characters are so iconic. Dollman's great, Medicant is awesome whenever they show up on screen, Dreamcatcher's coming as well… man, if only Sunlight Knight was here.
Bitterman said:
"Palisade," you say gently, "I think I know. But it's not my secret to share."

You look to Ellie. She looks to Black Swan, then Doctor Silver and the rest of her team. They reach a consensus as a group, and she looks back at you.

She gives a single slow nod.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
And here's the read in! So glad we voted for honesty on this.
Bitterman said:
You forget to breathe. As does everyone else, judging by the silence in the room. Everyone, that is, except for Black Swan.

"Oh, poop!" she says, bopping her forehead, "That was today?"
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Really had everybody thinking it was time for Faustian Pt. 5 for a second.
Bitterman said:
agree with the dumb guy!" another voice whispers. You leap a foot in the air as a man with shaggy brown hair and square glasses is suddenly next to you and Wei. He's holding a copy of The Great Gatsby.

"Where did you come from?!" you yelp as Wei jumps back too.

"That's not important!" he shouts, "What is important is that fat guy over there in the suit with the briefcase!"

He points and you follow his finger. Sure enough, there's someone who matches that exact description standing outside the Apiary with you. You look back to question him about why the guy in a suit is important, but, when you look back, he's gone.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
"And my job here is done."

"But you didn't do anything."

"Adieu."
Bitterman said:
Black Swan drifts toward the Apiary with Scarlet Maturity in tow. The wall opens up, but you swear it's almost reluctant about it.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Apiary/golden child really sweating rn. Completely valid too.
Bitterman said:
You are Shelly Marie.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
It's Shelley with two "e"s, just saying.
Bitterman said:
Would you be able to fly? Shoot lasers? Teleport? You'd make a pretty nifty vampire with your red hair. Or maybe something music-based? That thought excites you. Solferina had powers based on her songs, right . . .?

Suddenly, you feel very guilty, thinking of Linh. Your powers could partially come from her, couldn't they? How would Addie take that?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Ooh, yeah. There's that. Also hey, Nox reference. Double hey, my other candidates and omake are getting referenced!

And Addie would probably hit a mild eyebrow raise before going back to studying. Like, it's not like Solferina had any closely guarded claim to her powers, and if they went to someone like Shelley or Soraria it'd probably be fine.
Bitterman said:
You look back at Simão and give him a smile. That seems to baffle him and he nearly trips over his own feet. He quickly catches himself, and gives you an odd look, but there's no time to decipher that right now.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Are we going to resolve the debate between the Shelley fans and the Cain fans by shipping them together? Masterful gambit, Mr. Bitter :V

(But seriously, I'd like to see them as platonic besties, if only for the comedy factor.)
Bitterman said:
You're not the only one staring. Mr. Song is rubbing his eyes like they're deceiving him.

"Okay everyone, special mission!" Black Swan announces, pointing at Scarlet Maturity, "Keep Mr. Grumpy Gus here entertained until I get back!"
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
[ ] Distraction For The Devil
REP ??, ESP ??
Scarlet Maturity needs "entertainment". You and the three other new Prometheus candidates are that entertainment since Mona just flew off. Good luck.
Shelley: Ah. This might suck.
Bitterman said:
No one says anything for much, much too long. It's beyond awkward. It's awkwarder. It's awkwardest. Time isn't a flat circle, it's a Möbius strip of uncomfortable silence.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
The awkwardness will end when morale improves (and this is Horizon, the morale sure isn't improving any time soon!)
Bitterman said:
"Yes!" Simão says cheerfully, "I crushed a man's head in a doorframe once. It was amusing to see how his eyes popped out of his skull as it was smashed! Would you like to hear the story?"

Scarlet Maturity tilts his head. He then leans back and crosses his arms.

". . . I'm listening."
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
"Wait. Let him cook."
Bitterman said:
The idea that Justice Unlimited wants you to lead them, however temporarily, is a stunning revelation of your own that you'll deal with in time. One you'll process once everyone has recovered. Or at least once Renee has closed her mouth.

"You're all new heroes?" she says to Justice Unlimited, "And all of your powers were created?!"
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Palisade is unsurprisingly freaking out. I feel like she has her own traumas but we can go into that next issue.
Bitterman said:
The rest of your team is similarly losing their minds.

"Meu deus," Andre swears, his hat pulled over and over his heart, "This changes everything—"

"For the better!" Virginia interrupts, "I can't tell you how annoying it was watching every half-decent metahuman get scooped up by a corp. If we can make them on demand—!"

"I know, think of the merchandise!" the orange-haired woman cries, "T-shirts, posters, keychains . . .
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
The most important thing about new heroes— the merch!!!
Bitterman said:
"No, it's obvious, right? They get all of these super-powerful, unknown metas out of nowhere, they asked for our medical records for seemingly no reason, they asked you and 'Dre to scout non-metas with 'heroic dispositions', and doesn't Black Swan just have Novalight's powers?"

No one answers him.

He rubs the back of his head. ". . . I'm the only one who noticed?"
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Dreamcatcher being the only person to hit any OPS successes on New Dawn aside from Wolong is hilarious.
Bitterman said:
Umm, sorry again," Natalie says, "But this man here has asked to meet with you. I tried to keep him away, but he sorta . . . kept getting in somehow. He says he's 'the Eighth Hour of the Horae Guard'.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN THAT MR. OCHO'S HERE?! WASN'T THIS A BREAK CHAPTER?!
Bitterman said:
He apparently had a channel where he did nothing but "review" other crimes, rating them based on their effectiveness, creativity, and "panache". He had suggested watching it after he had run out of stories to entertain Scarlet Maturity. Or, at least, run out of stories he could share in "mixed company".

It was . . . umm, something?

"The presentation in these videos is terrible," Soraia says, "You're just sitting in a chair and talking to a camera."
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Hey, there are plenty of good chair-yappers. Cain might not be one of them.
Bitterman said:
"I-I'll get my tripod!" you say, not running away. You're just gonna need it to film is all!

". . . I'll create the account," Soraia sighs. Although, you can tell she's interested despite herself.

She looks up at the terror of Horizon and future streamer.

"I'm beginning to figure out what parts of what you say to ignore."
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Shelley's hitting the Joestar Secret Technique! Go girl, go!
Bitterman said:
He lifts up a hand holding nothing, but you see Ellie, Black Swan, and Doctor Silver squint and lean forward.

". . . 'day pass' . . ." Black Swan says, seeming reading thin air, "We have those?!"
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Confirmation that eight is a good psychic, also confirmation that the Apiary thinks he's good enough to be heard out.
Bitterman said:
She's driving Nathan to school—terribly inconvenient that there's nothing in the Apiary for him to attend at the moment—and it would be such a shame if their car were diverted to a road closer to the NID. Why, she could be caught in traffic just as a mine planted by Acid Rain misfires and accidently melts them and every other motorist on the freeway."
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Oh shit. That would suck. Man, can Augur also do probability manipulation? High Clarivoyance, medium Prob. Manip?
Bitterman said:
You are Shelley Maire.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
…"Maire"? Is Shelley some sort of goat now?
Bitterman said:
"Let's see, that's . . . how many hundreds of thousands?!"

Your eyes go wide too and the mind-boggling number of people watching, holy shit.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Hundreds of thousands! Wait, they're kinda cooking.
Bitterman said:
—we just got demonetized," Soraia says, face in her hands.

You look at Scarlet Maturity and then back to Soraia.

"Well, I'm not telling him."
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
DAMN YOU, YOUTUBE MONETIZATION SYSTEM!!!

And what would have winning this luck check entailed? More income?
Bitterman said:
The Penitent Scholar sits in the same place, but now his glasses are now round, he's snacking on a knish instead of a bagel, and his book reads The Age of Innocence.

How?!

"Don't worry about it," he says, "You'll burn out your power trying to figure it out. I'm your natural predator in a way, but I'm not your enemy here. I'll help you out instead of Augur, but I'll do it for free."
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Hm. He might also be going into the Best Character Thunderdome. He's mildly below Warpstar at the moment but might have a chance to go up.
Bitterman said:
"Well, okay. The short version is: fuck all of those guys. The medium version is: I have a personal interest in Yara Oliveira's safety. I've already failed her sister, and I want to make good. The long version?"

He holds up a finger dramatically.

"I'm not telling you!" he stands up with a shit-eating grin and stuffs the rest of the knish into his mouth. He pulls out his own business card and hands it to you.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Rahhh he's so goofy he deserves the world—
Bitterman said:
The flash grenade detonates. When your vision clears . . . he's still there.

"Fuck! The stupid Apiary is still watching. Umm, pretend I disappeared in a really cool way."

He sprints out the door.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Finally. Schrödinger's Dumbass.
Bitterman said:
"Demonetized?! 250,000 concurrent viewers and we were demonetized?!" Scarlet Maturity bellows.

"Is that a lot?" Mr. Song asks.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Just a bit, Song. Just a bit.
Bitterman said:
"Oh, good idea!" Black Swan says, "Actually, I think Wolong's looking at them now. He, uh, will probably need help . . ."

You and Soraia look at each other. You feel a chill run down your spine.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
This is gonna suck for them keeping up. Soraria POV next hopefully?
Bitterman said:
"Because you're always sacrificing yourself for everyone else. You act like your feelings don't matter," she says, "Well, they do. I . . . I saw everyone's heart when I was Iustitia. I saw what they wanted. It made me realize I don't know what I want."
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Somebody give them hugs pls. Or a vacation. One not on Elysium tho, that place is almost certainly fucked.
 
Reader mode
You must login or register to reply here.
Remove ads
Back
Top