I don't mind. Would you like more actual info on his background, which constitutes spoilers for an RPG setting that's mostly in my head and has never been published? XD
A Champion in Earth Bet [Worm/Original Setting]
- Thread starter sun tzu
- Start date
I don't mind. Would you like more actual info on his background, which constitutes spoilers for an RPG setting that's mostly in my head and has never been published? XD
- Location
- somewhere over there.
- Pronouns
- They/It
The origin of mutants
Phantom doesn't have amnesia. His first memories, of appearing in space, are the actual first moments of his life.
There is a being called the Living Nebula. It is comprised of cells that float a long distance from each other, but remain connected telepathically. Even though it has a bodily mass measured in gigatons or more, it's dispersed over such a gigantic volume that its presence is nearly undetectable.
The Living Nebula has been running for a while now from a terrible enemy. It reached Earth nearly a century ago, having crunched the numbers and concluded that in the long run, running would just result in dying tired. As such, it's been trying to steer the Earth into being to fight said enemy. That is why superpowered mutants started showing up in the 1920s: The Living Nebula has been messing with the DNA of human fetuses, hoping to trigger a superpowered armed race that could eventually face the enemy.
More recently, feeling that the humans were not progressing with the arms race fast enough, it decided to try to open up a communication channel to explain the problem directly to them. It has never been able to directly communicate, being an astronomical-scale creature with a density multiple orders of magnitude below that of air. Its solution was to create an intermediary - an energy being who would be able to communicate with the Nebula and the humans alike.
Phantom was the result of that attempt. Sadly, the Nebula failed - while Phantom can communicate with the humans, he does not perceive his creator's faint telepathic communication, and thus remains as unaware of its existence as everyone else on Earth.
There is a being called the Living Nebula. It is comprised of cells that float a long distance from each other, but remain connected telepathically. Even though it has a bodily mass measured in gigatons or more, it's dispersed over such a gigantic volume that its presence is nearly undetectable.
The Living Nebula has been running for a while now from a terrible enemy. It reached Earth nearly a century ago, having crunched the numbers and concluded that in the long run, running would just result in dying tired. As such, it's been trying to steer the Earth into being to fight said enemy. That is why superpowered mutants started showing up in the 1920s: The Living Nebula has been messing with the DNA of human fetuses, hoping to trigger a superpowered armed race that could eventually face the enemy.
More recently, feeling that the humans were not progressing with the arms race fast enough, it decided to try to open up a communication channel to explain the problem directly to them. It has never been able to directly communicate, being an astronomical-scale creature with a density multiple orders of magnitude below that of air. Its solution was to create an intermediary - an energy being who would be able to communicate with the Nebula and the humans alike.
Phantom was the result of that attempt. Sadly, the Nebula failed - while Phantom can communicate with the humans, he does not perceive his creator's faint telepathic communication, and thus remains as unaware of its existence as everyone else on Earth.
- Location
- somewhere over there.
- Pronouns
- They/It
Well that's a pretty awesome bit of background. I've always been a fan of massively powerful entities that decide not to dick over human scale beings. And poor Nebula. 
Well that's a pretty awesome bit of background. I've always been a fan of massively powerful entities that decide not to dick over human scale beings. And poor Nebula.
Dunno if I'd call the Nebula massively powerful - it's able to play with molecules on a precise enough level to engage in some genetic engineering on a fetal cell, but its ability to interact with anything bigger is sadly limited.
As to not dicking over human beings... the appearance of mutants came dangerously close to resulting in a pogrom against them (which is kind of why the god of heroism felt it was necessary to appear on Earth with an avatar form in the first place). Then again, the enemy the Nebula is running away from will destroy mankind just as surely, so, it figures they don't really have much to lose anyway.
As to not dicking over human beings... the appearance of mutants came dangerously close to resulting in a pogrom against them (which is kind of why the god of heroism felt it was necessary to appear on Earth with an avatar form in the first place). Then again, the enemy the Nebula is running away from will destroy mankind just as surely, so, it figures they don't really have much to lose anyway.
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- Location
- somewhere over there.
- Pronouns
- They/It
Considering the power level of some of the resulting mutants, I'd say that's pretty impressive. And anything that big is gonna be pretty resiliant from a human POV. Also, I somehow stared picturing LN as a space cow. Would that be about right as to its temperament?
Hey, if it hasn't got any twisted demi-human cults and isn't trying to nom the planet it's in the top percentile. Idle thought, if Phantom had come through, would LN have noticed Zion? I'm pretty sure he had telepathic shards, and is probably big enough to be worth Nebby's attention.
Hey, if it hasn't got any twisted demi-human cults and isn't trying to nom the planet it's in the top percentile. Idle thought, if Phantom had come through, would LN have noticed Zion? I'm pretty sure he had telepathic shards, and is probably big enough to be worth Nebby's attention.
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Nah. LN doesn't have any ability to cross dimensions, and wasn't any more aware of them anyone else was before Madman showed up. In fact, inter-dimensional travel remains very much a cutting edge Big Deal that the Avatar's World hasn't fully mastered.
And there's not really much LN could do about Scion.
And there's not really much LN could do about Scion.
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- Location
- somewhere over there.
- Pronouns
- They/It
Oop, Thought I'd spoilered that. It could try to make friends and ask how to make a better intermediary?
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- Location
- italy
Something that I think should be reiterated for the next update: Avatar's speech is going to impact Saint, Dragon and the Travellers a lot.
In particular, since Avatar is going to familiarize himself with the local cape scene, I wonder if Dragon is going to contact him and ask some hopeful questions?
It'd be interesting to see him talk about Thermokron (did I spell that right?) while not knowing he's talking to an AI.
Also, the method by which people gain powers in Bet is going to horrify him to no end, maybe. :-\
In particular, since Avatar is going to familiarize himself with the local cape scene, I wonder if Dragon is going to contact him and ask some hopeful questions?
It'd be interesting to see him talk about Thermokron (did I spell that right?) while not knowing he's talking to an AI.
Also, the method by which people gain powers in Bet is going to horrify him to no end, maybe. :-\
- Location
- Right in front of you
Ok, I know we aren't voting on this yet but it is something that is going to happen eventually so I'm going to throw my vote out there:
I suggest we turn Amy into a supervillain, but not just any regular supervillain, no no no, we are going to turn her into a supervillain so evil that she is going take a selfish vacation when there are sick and injured dying. And after that we are going to make her buy herself some ice-cream out of the tax payers money and after that we are going to make her so evil that she will have moments of joy and self satisfaction out of healing others.
You hear that laugh that Amy is having with her new friends? That is her evil laugh, Carol, you always knew this will happen, well you were right.
And to all of you who will say something like "we got more important things to take care of" or "trying to turn Amy will take too much work and we can't do it" I say YES WE CAN. This vote EVERYONE votes Amy for supervillain!
#AmyForSuperVillain2011 #EveryoneVoteForAmy #VoteAmyAtElectionDay #RandomWordsThatInclueAmy #NotReallyTwitter #UsingHashtagsToShowConnectionToTheYoungerGeneration
I suggest we turn Amy into a supervillain, but not just any regular supervillain, no no no, we are going to turn her into a supervillain so evil that she is going take a selfish vacation when there are sick and injured dying. And after that we are going to make her buy herself some ice-cream out of the tax payers money and after that we are going to make her so evil that she will have moments of joy and self satisfaction out of healing others.
You hear that laugh that Amy is having with her new friends? That is her evil laugh, Carol, you always knew this will happen, well you were right.
And to all of you who will say something like "we got more important things to take care of" or "trying to turn Amy will take too much work and we can't do it" I say YES WE CAN. This vote EVERYONE votes Amy for supervillain!
#AmyForSuperVillain2011 #EveryoneVoteForAmy #VoteAmyAtElectionDay #RandomWordsThatInclueAmy #NotReallyTwitter #UsingHashtagsToShowConnectionToTheYoungerGeneration
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- Location
- Brazil
I'm surprised how enjoyable you made Avatar. While I'm not really feeling Taylor there, you are making a feelgood Worm fic that reads nicely! Props to you, author.
However, I will be eternally disappointed for having missed the vote. I mean, the board chose Magical!Superman instead of French Super-Batman or Prismatic Lantern (that almost won). We even had a Tinker in the roundup! Superman is usually the least interesting choice among Capes. Specially when our pick is incapable of doing anything but helping others 24/7 with his Godly powers, makes it hard to relate to him. Even Supes occasionally has dinner with Lois or lunch with Bruce.
However, I will be eternally disappointed for having missed the vote. I mean, the board chose Magical!Superman instead of French Super-Batman or Prismatic Lantern (that almost won). We even had a Tinker in the roundup! Superman is usually the least interesting choice among Capes. Specially when our pick is incapable of doing anything but helping others 24/7 with his Godly powers, makes it hard to relate to him. Even Supes occasionally has dinner with Lois or lunch with Bruce.
AZATHOTHoth
༼ つ ☀️_☀️ ༽つ
....I'm glad the Avatar vote won.
Glad you enjoy!
To be fair, the Avatar does attend the occasional social function... when he feels it accomplishes more good than other things he could be doing.
Anyway... the latest update's been giving me trouble (lots and lots of the Avatar learning about Earth-Bet), but I'm almost done. Expect a post soon.
The Miracle of Brockton Bay
OK, this needs some proofreading, but screw it, it's late and I want it posted already.
THE MIRACLE OF BROCKTON BAY
All in all, you think your speech went very well. Meaning every word you said certainly helped.
You notice some look of concern on Legend's face as Dragon whispers something to him; he quickly relays the information to Alexandria and Eidolon. It would be trivial to expand your senses to hear their words, but why spy on your supposed allies? You can simply ask.
For now, you notice Skitter, the young heroine, having what looks like an awkward conversation with Miss Militia… huh. Miss Militia's weapon seems to be shifting forms, going from a rifle to a handgun to a knife. Odd. Tsunami, the admitted hydrokinetic villainess, is stealing glances at you. You notice the boy you saved by rewriting his fate ("Gallant", according to your armband), standing next to a whole group of obviously-underaged teammates, including the boy and girl you saw with him ("Shadowstalker" and… "Clockblocker"? You assume he came up with the name himself. At least, you hope he did), the boy who flew them to the hospital ("Aegis"), Vista, and the armored boy with the hoverboard ("Kid Win", a name that at least has the advantage of optimism).
...You really do need to discuss the matter of children being brought into danger. On your world, the only underage superhero team in recent memory was the Young Champions, and they only got away with operating as long as they did because their activities took place on the Digital Plane, whose existence wasn't even known to you at the time.
Actually, how did they even get powers? Mutations manifest during puberty, but it takes years for the powers to reach their full power. Kid Win and Gallant appear technology-based, but does that mean the rest are using magic? ...No, that can't be it. You realize, with a start, that even with a crowd of this many metahumans, you haven't sensed any magic since you got here, not even from Myrddin. Maybe magic in this dimension remains banished to Limbo, as it was for over a millennium on your Earth?
Well. The impromptu semi-official events seem to have concluded, so mostly what's left is people talking before they leave. Before you can decide who to talk to, Legend approaches you again:
"Avatar. I have to say, you keep taking us by surprise today. Visitors from parallel worlds are not exactly a common thing."
"They aren't on my world either," you admit. "There's only one, really. Some of our finest scientific minds have been trying to reverse-engineer his technology for years now. Results so far are mixed." Venture Industries have managed to create dimensional portals, but they're not quite good enough to be used reliably. Even Doctor Dexter Darien himself admits much of the design remains a black box.
Legend chuckles at that. "I know what you mean. Attempts at replicating tinkertech rarely meet encouraging results."
You raise an eyebrow. "Tinkertech?"
"Ah, my apologies. A local term. We call 'Tinkers' parahumans with the power to create advanced technology."
At that, you blink rapidly. "I have known many tech-based heroes and villains, but never of anyone with the power to create technology." Well, one might make a case for Doublethink… but even the Zenith Watch's leader creates his devices with natural genius. His mutant-based mental superspeed merely affords him more time to work out the blueprints.
This gives Legend pause. "Then where does their technology come from?"
You give him a bemused smile. "In most cases, hard work and human genius. In some rare cases, reclaimed or reverse-engineered alien technology."
"You've mentioned aliens in your speech," Legend notes. "You're saying you weren't just being rhetorical?"
"My world has had a few encounters with extraterrestrial life. Sadly, none of them were very informative about what lies beyond our solar system." Tagton just started his mercenary career and wouldn't answer questions. Garzor just tried to conquer the world and fled when he was beaten. Phantom has no memories before approaching Earth. You're not convinced the robotic creature that landed in the Cryosphere was even sapient. As for Sekhmet and Upstart… assuming they even are what you believe they are… She seems to have traumatic amnesia, and he seems to want to forget. Also, as a member of Global Might, he's less than cooperative.
"That's fascinating," Legend says earnestly. "But, forgive me. I, and no doubt countless others, have a lot of questions. I'm not sure how much of your time we may take, but to the very least, we were hoping to have a talk about your plans for the future. You'll understand, no doubt, if we want to keep in touch with someone who can kill an Endbringer," he smiles coyly.
"It is no problem," you give a calm smile with a dismissive gesture, "especially seeing as I have a great deal of questions myself. Considering that I will apparently be staying on this world for an indefinite amount of time, I need to know more about it if my presence is to do any good."
He grins at that. "I think you're well-covered in that regard."
After some quick discussion, you are directed toward the local PRT base - "Parahuman Response Team", apparently an organization in the US and Canada tasked with regulating "parahumans". The actual metahuman team is known as the "Protectorate", and apparently includes within its ranks a solid majority of both countries' superheroes. There is also an underage branch, called the Wards. You file that information for later, as you still need to discuss the matter of children on the frontlines, superpowered or not.
The fact that the USA and Canada exist here (along with the English language) prompts you to start comparing Histories. When you ask about major events of their 1920s, they mostly bring up the rise of communism and fascism, the independence of Ireland and Egypt, the Prohibition, and the gigantic financial bubble that concluded in the 1929 crash; when you tell them that this was the time period when superpowers first appeared on your world, they seem stunned. They still had a second World War, albeit one without mutant super-soldiers on either army… and, for that matter, without Nazi mystics shattering the banishment of magic to Limbo in the final months of the war, giving the Third Reich sorcerous resources as a desperate last-ditch gambit.
Garzor never invaded. No aliens have ever come to their world, as far as they know. Without the fear of metahumans to capitalize on, it doesn't look like Shadow ever formed. They had no superpowers at all until 1982, when Scion appeared.
The description of Scion gives you pause. Arrived before all other superpowered individuals (you arrived when the first generation of mutants were reaching their legal majority), more powerful than anyone else (you were that at the time, and with rare exceptions like Nollius and Professor Cryo, still are), never stops to eat or sleep (check), helps people 24/7 (check, check, check)... You find yourself wondering if he is somehow a local equivalent to yourself, a god who took an avatar form, only for something to go wrong and limit his ability to comprehend humans or communicate with them.
Parahumans followed all over the world in Scion's wake, but it's apparently not the same as mutants - the powers manifest all at once without any specific target age. Regrettably, even in relatively stable society like the Protectorate's jurisdiction, it appears that for every parahuman who becomes a hero, three become villains.
You almost reel from that last revelation. It sounds absurd. Even at its most lopsided, your world never got like that. Heroes were never outnumbered that badly, even after the Man of Might massacred them. You briefly wonder if the higher heroism rate is the result of your own influence… but, no, that can only be a small part of it. Humans, simply put, are better than that. You've observed them for enough millennia to know. Something has to be fixing the odds - either pushing parahumans toward villainy, or giving parahuman abilities primarily to those likely to fall to the dark side. Another thing to look into.
The parahuman situation was bad enough, but the Endbringers only made it worse when they showed up. You already know of Leviathan, who first appeared in 1996, but there were two others:
Behemoth, the first Endbringer, also known as the Herokiller, first appeared in 1992. 45-feet tall, even tougher than Leviathan, and an enormously powerful dynakinesist - he can manipulate every form of energy. An attempt to nuke him only resulted in him absorbing the energy and turning it against the city he was attacking. He is also able to make any kind of energy appear inside the body of his victims. He has turned many cities into radioactive craters, and killed an enormous number of heroes (and villains, though you must attribute some heroic qualifiers to anyone who willingly faces such a horror), hiding deep within the Earth between attacks.
The Simurgh, meanwhile, first appeared at the end of 2002. At fifteen feet tall, she is the smallest Endbringer, yet also the most terrifying. Not because of her flight and incredibly advanced telekinesis. Not because of the subtle mind-control powers that let her gradually affect human brains if they stay within her range for too many minutes. Not because of her ability to emulate the powers of Tinkers and Thinkers (another power category, apparently) within her range. But, rather, because she is an immensely powerful precognitive, who uses her every attack to set up deadly dominoes that cause tragic consequences months down the line.
You have trouble wrapping your head around that. Precognition? How is that even possible? How can the information travel backward in time? Furthermore… Furthermore, from the description, this Simurgh's prediction has made her effectively invincible to these people. It's so bad, that they quarantine cities she's visited indefinitely, just to limit the effect her time bombs can have. You actually find it heartening that, with such a powerful cause to abandon all hope, the people of this world have kept going.
Digging for further details, you learn that the top figures for the Protectorate are the "Triumvirate" - Eidolon, Alexandria, and Legend, the latter acting as the organization's official leader (while the PRT is led by the unpowered chief-director Costa-Brown - as an organization devoted to policing parahumans, its charter forbids parahumans from direct membership, shunting them to the Protectorate instead). They, and a now-deceased Tinker called Hero, originally founded the Protectorate. The Protectorate itself is divided into various local teams. Legend, in addition to his role as general leader, also commands the New York branch; Eidolon does the same for Seattle, and Alexandria for Los Angeles. Brockton Bay, which you learn houses a disproportionate number of parahumans for a city its size, house the East-North-East branch, led by Armsmaster.
There are, of course, many other things for you to learn about this world. Apparently, their China's government was overthrown by its own parahuman army called the Yangban, who installed in power descendants of the old imperial family. The current regime, called the Chinese Imperial Union, has been… difficult to deal with, to put things diplomatically. Meanwhile, a depressingly large portion of Africa is a war-torn mess where parahuman warlords vie for power, and South America is ruled in all but name by parahuman-backed criminal cartels. And then there's India, Europe, the Middle-East… the aborted space program, another casualty of the Simurgh… the crumbling world economy…
In truth, you only get the general gist of their History - as much as you can get in a few hours. Naturally, they are just as curious about your own, though they seem dubious when you tell them about the magical elven city of Avalon coming out of Limbo and flying menacingly above the Atlantic (even after you tell them what little you understand of Causality's scientific explanation of magic), and just as dubious when you speak of alien invasions. Tellingly enough, they have a lot less trouble believing you when you tell them about how Professor Cryo put together an army of supervillains, took over the greater Pittsburgh area, turned it into an arctic micro-climate, and renamed the whole thing the Cryosphere, ruling over it with an iron fist and turning the place into an international supervillain haven.
They're annoyed when you refuse to go into details about your own origin, but they don't push the issue. You're apologetic about it, but knowledge of the gods could have apocalyptic consequences back home, and you don't know enough about this world to tell if it's safer here.
They actually sound impressed when you describe some of the technological progress of your world, such as the mass-produced power armor that elite police around the world uses to face supervillains, the omni-metal that most modern skyscrapers use in lieu of steel, nuclear fusion, an island being artificially raised near the coast to make room for Megalopolis, and the burgeoning field of medical nanotech. You detect some unsurprising envy when you describe the Tower of Babel space elevator, and Venture City, the space station with a population above 400,000 people.
They don't seem to know what to make of Madman and his seeming technological omnipotence, or the issue of inter-dimensional travel. You ultimately decide not to mention Checkmate and the Quantum Matrix - it probably couldn't be replicated anyway, but why take risks?
You recognize Assault, a member of the local protectorate, as you walk through the base's hallways.
"If it isn't the Silver Scion," he says with a chuckle. "Taking a break from the PRT interrogators?"
"Actually, they're the ones who needed a break," you state truthfully. "I didn't want to waste time, so I figured I would get to know some of the local team in the meanwhile."
"Well, Armsmaster's still busy with paperwork. Mind you, I'm sure you'll find him in a good mood - today's pretty much just saved his career." Seeing your expression, he goes into further detail: "The chief is a… driven guy. No family, no social life, just the hero thing whenever he's awake. Probably improves blueprints in his sleep, too. But this past month has not been a good one. First the Wards got humiliated failing to stop the Undersiders at a bank robbery. Then the ABB gang went on rampage, and we stopped them in the end, but not before a fuckton of civilian casualties and property damage. Then, when we held a fundraiser for the victims, it got crashed by the Undersiders, and Skitter pretty much handed him his ass in public. It was pretty much a career-ender for him… then he got us the early Endbringer warning and melted off Leviathan's ablative armor. Even if you overshadowed him, he's getting a commendation and job security after this."
"...Skitter is a villain?"
He gives you a bemused smile. "You're probably the first person to find that surprising."
"On the battlefield, she risked life and limb to protect civilians, despite her own injuries. Hardly the behavior of a self-serving blackguard."
Assault shrugs. "Eh. In my experience, most villains think they have good reasons for what they do. Usually, it's mostly excuses in the end, but they're still human beings, not cartoon baddies… with some exceptions."
"That much I am aware of. Still, I definitely ought to have words with her in the near future."
"Feel free, just watch out for Tattletale. That girl seems to know everything about everyone, and she has a way of getting into your head. Last time we went against the Undersiders, Armsmaster actually had us using earplugs."
"Duly noted, though I got the impression Skitter and the Undersiders were not on the best footing at the moment."
"Maybe. Anyway, you should probably get out a bit. I figure the 'holy shit we're not dead' party will die down in… I dunno, 24 hours? There's rumors May 15 is getting declared a national holiday." He grins. "So, any other S-class threat you intend to take out today?"
"I'm afraid I haven't gotten to that bit of terminology yet. What's this threat classification?"
"Ah… well, let me put it this way: An A-class threat is something that can seriously wreck the city and take on a whole Protectorate team. An S-class threat can wreck the country or more, and you need dozens of heroes to contain it. Thank God we've only got five of those left."
"I assume two are Behemoth and the Simurgh. Who are the other three?"
"Well… There's Nilbog, some nutcase who took control of Elisburg with an army of monsters. Sleeper, some Russian reality-warper. And, well, the Slaughterhouse Nine, who aren't S-class individually, but got the designation as a team. Nomadic bunch of overpowered murderhobos."
"I… see." You will definitely need to look more deeply into those S-class threats.
Eventually, you resume the discussion with the PRT interrogators. You make sure to ask them about A-class and S-class threats.
You end up hearing a lot of disturbing things. Sleeper effectively absorbed Volgograd. Nilbog killed everyone at Elisburg, and the city remains quarantined because he is considered a potential extinction event. As for the Slaughterhouse Nine, they are horror and cruelty in one of its purest forms. Now, your world also has its share of monstrous killers, such as Global Might's Reaper, Toxin and Angelbane… but even in Global Might, the tone was always mostly set by people like Mordor and Jack of all Trades, whose goals are money and power. The Nine sound like a version of Global Might where Reaper is in charge.
For that matter, you don't like much what you learn about how they handle supervillains around here. Apparently, with superheroes outnumbered by villains so badly, and with villains being needed in Endbringer battles, the Protectorate isn't really trying to stop super-crime - just mitigate it. Captured supervillains are deliberately placed in easily-escapable prisons the first two or three times they are caught, and their identities are kept secret, even by the police. If a villain's identity is discovered, no attempt is made to arrest them when they leave their home - apparently, there's a whole set of unwritten rules to preserve this dynamic and prevent an escalation that the good guys couldn't win.
There is, in Brockton Bay, a team of superheroes that tried to take a step beyond this sick dynamic, by abandoning their secret identities - the New Wave team, of which Glory Girl and Panacea are second-generation members. Their goal was to responsibilize parahumans by having them subject to the same rules as unpowered citizens, without secret identities to hide behind. The movement fizzled when one of their members was killed in her home by a thug in the service of a local gang.
Frankly, you're baffled. Back on your world, American metahumans (as in many other countries) are required to register with the government, and they can request that their identity be kept secret. Half of them do, to stay away from the media, but those without secret identities need not worry - attacks on a superhero's family and civilian home are exceedingly rare, simply because they are automatically answered with pursuit by hundreds, thousands of vengeful heroes. Why is everything so much worse here?
And then, there's what happens when a villain goes far enough for them to get serious (or after their third strike). They get thrown into the Birdcage, an inescapable supertech prison (good) from which prisoners cannot be retrieved, ever (bad). No appeal, no time-limited sentence, no way out if innocence or mistrial are later established. And in more extreme cases, such as the Slaughterhouse Nine, they have "kill orders" - legal bounties placed on the heads of the vilest villains, to which anyone can contribute money, and which anyone can claim by killing the target. You are getting the distinct impression that justice and human rights have been taking more and more of a backseat since superpowers first appeared on this world.
Well. You shouldn't criticize. These people have been dealing with a plain terrible situation practically from the start. That they've done as well as they have is, really, impressive.
But you've promised them it would get better, and you intend to make good on that promise. Slaying Leviathan is one step. Teaching them how to do better is another.
It's the middle of the night when your interviewers decide to call it a day. There's also talks of power testing tomorrow, and further talks with Legend, but for now, you're on your own. At your request, you are given a computer to look up further information with.
Not that you're at the computer right now. You simply channel your secondary power pool into an ability to communicate with the machine from a distance - a trick you found necessary to learn after the Internet became a thing.
You're looking up information about this world, about heroes, about villains, about various problems. At the same time, you're flying above the city, observing. It's obvious that the state of the world has wrecked the economy, and you can still see traces of the recent gang war… but right now, even this late, people are still partying in the streets. Several newspapers are referring to today's events as "The Miracle of Brockton Bay". Which you suppose is accurate enough.
Looking at the partiers, Brockton Bay is certainly not lacking for minorities (including, you understand, a large number of Asian refugees who came after Kyushu was destroyed). Ghettoization is a factor here… but not quite as bad as one might fear in a city that's sometimes referred to as the Nazi capital of the US, due to Empire 88 persistently trying to establish its control over it.
A ray of light. Legend, looking a little tired but trying to hide it. "Thinking of joining the parties, or just patrolling?"
"Not even really patrolling," you admit, "but rather getting to know the lay of the land."
He nods. "Most of my work is in New York City. Millions of citizens, over seven hundred villains at the last count… Mostly, I try to find the best way to delegate, and spend my day flying around town helping the various Protectorate teams put out fires."
You nod in return. "The New York of my world is rather lively too. It's competing with Tokyo for the position of 5th largest metahuman concentration."
He raises an eyebrow. "What are the first four, then?"
"In no specific order… Megalopolis, another East coast city that experienced a gold rush of sort in the 80s and 90s. Venture City, in geosynchronous orbit, which has effectively become the world's transhumanism capital. Avalon, which has been ruled for over a millennium by an evil sorcerer and his armies…" If he disbelieves, then he's too polite to show it, "...and the Cryosphere, which has become an international haven for supervillains."
"I see." He looks into the distance for a moment. "I've perused bits and pieces of your interview, but today's performance already tells me this much: A man with your abilities and inclinations can do (and has done!) incredible amounts of good for this world. I'll admit, I'm hoping to recruit you into the Protectorate."
This is hardly a surprise, of course. "Truth be told, I'm considering it. I try to avoid getting involved in politics outside of extreme situations, which has kept me out of State-run teams in the past." This despite almost every nation awarding you citizenship at one point - even countries that don't normally permit multiple citizenship. "The situation here is different, though. Back home, the majority of State-run teams are military in nature. Most superheroes get deputized by law enforcement agencies that provide them with basic training and a stipend. Here, joining the Protectorate is the default assumption… in the US and Canada. My duties, however, are going to take me beyond those borders."
"True enough," says Legend. He grins. "For the record, we are trying to expand into Mexico. But I see your point. Joining the Protectorate as a full member is just one option, though. Just coordinating with the Protectorate would be immensely appreciated." Once again, he has an amused expression. "Right now, the PRT's greatest fear is that you'll leave with no forwarding address and start flying around the world like Scion."
You smile at that. "I promise to maintain contact, if nothing else. I'm under no illusion of being able to carry the world's weight on my shoulders alone."
Your words seem to please him. "Have you considered a trial period? Spend some time with a Protectorate team, work with them, get an idea of how things on Earth-Bet work?"
You note the odd name for his world. Something else to look into at some point. "That might not be a bad idea. It would keep from acting like a bull in a china shop, at least. Would that be with your New York team?"
"That's one option," he says. "You could also work with Alexandria's Los Angeles team. Or, maybe start with something smaller - Brockton Bay has faced a lot of villain activity lately, and could use the help of an A-lister of your caliber."
"I've been trying to get to know the local team," you admit. "...I'm still befuddled that you have heroes named 'Assault and Battery'."
He laughs at that. "Battery came first. She named herself after her power, that lets her accumulate energy and spend it in short bursts of enhanced strength and speed. Assault picked his name specifically to annoy her."
"Ah, I see." There is one other thing you wanted to ask about. "Earlier today, after my speech, you got worried when Dragon told you something. Anything I ought to be concerned about?"
His expression grows serious. "It's the third Endbringer. The Simurgh. We can't find her." Seeing you blink, he goes into more details: "She usually stays in orbit, visible from several telescopes and satellites. Some time after Leviathan died, several satellites were destroyed, and chunks of them used as ballistic weapons against ground-based telescopes pointed at her. We have been unable to locate her ever since." He pauses. "I don't know whether I need to tell you this, but… don't try to go after her. We've checked, and we already know precogs can see you."
"Understood," you nod. You'll have to find a way to beat the third Endbringer, but today is not the day.
Legend's expression lightens up. "Speaking of your speech… did you know that in the past few hours, six villains in six different cities have turned themselves in to the Protectorate, asking for a chance to join and be heroes?"
As morning comes, you're still flying above the city, learning the geography of Brockton Bay while simultaneously obtaining information online.
One of the main sources of information on parahumans in this world is apparently a massive website called ParaHumans Online, or PHO for short. It already has speculations about your powers ("Blaster 12, Brute 10, Mover 9, Trump 7" is mentioned at times), as well as the effects of your arrival. You also learn that two videos of you - one of your speech, and one satellite view of you killing Leviathan - are overnight sensations on YouTube. You've never done PR for PR's sake, but, pragmatically, you know this is good - building up a reputation will give more weight to your words.
More interestingly, you learn more about the heroes and villains of Brockton Bay.
Armsmaster. Head of the local Protectorate, was a member of the very first Ward team. Considered a powerful Tinker and a capable fighter. Has a bit of a reputation as a gloryhound. Maybe you should check up on that at some point.
Miss Militia. His second in command. Doesn't sleep. Power manifests as weapons - any weapons she chooses, without needing to reload. Highly regarded by everyone except racist bigots.
Battery. Charges up power and spends it on bursts of strength and speed, like Legend said.
Assault. Considered the team clown. Manipulates kinetic energy.
Dauntless. Permanently charges his personal items with powers, rendering them stronger and stronger over time. Local star, expected to become one of the greatest some day.
Velocity. Laid-back speedster, who becomes less and less able to influence physical objects the faster he goes. (Odd, that.)
Triumph. Recent Ward graduate. Sonic attacks.
Aegis. Current Wards leader. Regenerating flying brick with immense organ redundancy.
Gallant. May or may not be a Tinker, given the armor. Fires energy blasts that influence the victim's emotions. Probably the most popular team member.
Clockblocker. Definite team clown. Can freeze what he touches in time for an indefinite number of minutes.
Vista. Both the youngest member of the team, and the one who's been at it the longest (which you find horrifying). Warps space, as you were able to see for yourself.
Shadow Stalker. The edgy one. Can turn intangible.
Browbeat. Most recent member. Speculated to have autobiokinesis.
And then, there's New Wave, which is apparently the sum total of non-governmental heroes in this town. Brandish, Lady Photon, Manpower and Flashbang are the adult members - two married couples, with Brandish and Lady Photon being sisters. Laserdream, Shielder, Glory Girl and Panacea are the children of these two couples. Most of the team has abilities centered around flight, forcefields, and light blasts.
There are parahumans who act as neither hero nor villain; they are called, counterintuitively, "rogues". One such rogue is Brockton Bay's Parian, who tries to use her textile-kinesis in her fashion business. You figure you'll leave her and other such "rogues" be - just because someone has a power they may never have asked for, doesn't mean they should be forced to spend the rest of their lives in superpowered battles.
Sadly, though, Brockton Bay's villain population outnumbers its heroes and rogues combined.
Empire 88, an alliance of Neonazis and white supremacists of every stripe, includes as many as twenty parahumans, led by a man called Kaiser who used to run a pharmaceutical company. The reason he no longer runs it is because very recently, someone released the identities of all the gang's supervillains to the media, which started a city-wide fight. Even without their civilian resources, though, E88 remains a force to be reckoned with in this town. ...Really, how can an outdated ideology like Nazism sway this many people in this day and age? For crying out loud, even Blitzkrieg is just a mercenary with no real ideology these days, who only clings to Nazi symbols out of nostalgia - and Blitzkrieg was an actual SS member!
The Merchants are, apparently, the second largest gang left. They are a particularly degenerate lot (though you still find them preferable to Neonazis), specialized in the drug trade. Their leader is known as Skidmark, and they have three parahumans beside him.
Faultline's Crew is a mercenary team - they don't run organized crime so much as get hired by others to perform a variety of criminal acts. Generally considered efficient and professional. Six members, counting Faultline herself.
Uber and Leet. Considered joke villains, at least until they helped the mad bomber Bakuda.
Circus. Solo villain.
Coil. Mysterious villain with well-armed mercenaries.
The Undersiders. Teenage gang. Were considered a minor nuisance specialized in smash-and-grab operations, but recently got more aggressive, brutal and destructive. Members include Grue, Tattletale, Regent, Hellhound (the girl with the dogs who had no armband)... and, most recently, Skitter.
Well. Maybe you ought to check what that's about.
You go back to communication powers - just audio communication, no need to risk embarrassment. And then, you send out a message at one specific person:
"Skitter. Skitter, can you hear me?"
The reply comes soon afterward. She sounds like she just woke up. "Who is this? Where are you?"
"My apologies if I startled you. This is the Avatar."
"The Av… You can find me?"
You chuckle. "Not that easily. Communicating, however, is a different story. Is now a bad time? It's no emergency, we can talk later."
"I… no, this is fine. You can contact me anywhere?"
"It's a bit less trivial than you're making it sound, but, I do have a rather good range."
"Is it… Can you communicate like this with anyone?"
"Well, I need to have some vague idea of who I'm trying to contact, unless I just aim at everyone in a given area."
"Does that mean that, in theory, you could contact Scion? Tell him when an Endbringer is attacking, and where it is?"
You pause. "...That is actually an interesting idea. I'll have to look into it. Good thinking!"
She doesn't say anything, but a minor involuntary sound lets you know she's happy at the praise. Eventually, she speaks up: "Thank you, but… why are you calling me?"
"Aside from receiving useful tips for the next time I face an Endbringer? I wanted to check up on you. I'll admit, there are a few things that don't quite make sense to me." You pause. "I've been trying to get myself up to speed on this world. Most sources define you as a villain, which, to put it mildly, seems at odds with your heroic behavior yesterday."
She takes a few seconds to answer. "...Being a villain doesn't mean you have to be a monster. Villains helping during Endbringer battles is normal."
"In my time as a superhero, Skitter, I have known and fought thousands of villains, only a small number of whom I would describe as monsters. Even then, an overwhelming majority of those wouldn't have gone as far as you did trying to rescue civilians.
"I am asking you to please help me understand. In a life-or-death situation, suffering from head injuries, you desperately fought onward to protect others. An overpowered jerk just woke you up from across town, and your first instinct was to help him figure out how to save more people with his powers. It's plain to see that you have the heart of a hero, so… why attack a fundraiser for Bakuda's victims, of all things? You're obviously better than that."
What follows is ten seconds of silence. You don't press her - this is clearly difficult to talk about.
"I'm sorry." You get the impression those two words were not easy for her to say. "It… seemed like a good idea at the time. I was… I was trying to learn more about the Undersiders. They had a backer, and I wanted to learn who it was."
"You were undercover?" That still wouldn't justify her actions, but it would explain them.
"That's what I was telling myself. I told Armsmaster, but I made him promise not to tell." She pauses again. "I did discover their patron in the end, but… I couldn't do it. These guys were my friends. Betraying them after everything… it just felt wrong. And, and most of what I'd done as a villain was fight other villains anyway. I thought we were actually accomplishing less harm than good."
Though she can't see it, you nod. Sadly, even brilliant minds can fall to rationalization. "Did something change? You seemed to be avoiding them yesterday."
"...Our patron. He did something that, that I couldn't condone. The Undersiders… they weren't happy about it, but they weren't willing to turn on him either." She pauses. "Now, I understand why some of them really needed his help, but… I couldn't take it. I ran away."
"Skitter."
"What?"
"I'm requesting your permission to meet you face-to-face ASAP."
That seems to take her aback. "Just give me twenty minutes."
Twenty minutes later, you meet Skitter in her costume on a rooftop. "So, why did you want to meet me in-"
You hug her.
A returned hug and a cathartic cry later, she's talking once more.
"I haven't really had the time to think it all through. Leviathan arrived almost immediately after that.
"After you killed Leviathan, I had words with Miss Militia. I said I wanted her help with a moral dilemma. I said I'd become aware of… of something really awful being done, but didn't see how I could stop it without betraying my friends."
"So what did she say?"
"She said that, if she was in my place, she'd look for any way she might possibly do the right thing without hurting her friends. But, if she couldn't… she said that sometimes, doing the right thing is painful. That's usually when it's most important."
You smile. "Sounds to me like she's got a good head on her shoulders."
That prompts a light chuckle from her. "I guess. I'm still not sure what I should be doing. I'm trying to follow your advice and reach for that spark, I guess, but I don't know what to do."
"Well, if I may suggest, start by taking some perspective," you say. "Let's suppose you decide to let things be as they are, in order to stay with the Undersiders. What will happen afterwards? Will that be the last moral compromise you need to make?"
At that, she freezes. "...It'll never end," she says, horror dawning upon her. "Our patron… he's a monster. A real monster. He'll keep breaking every rule to get ahead. There will be more atrocities." She takes a deep breath. "Whatever I do about the Undersiders, he needs to go down."
You nod in agreement - from your admittedly limited information, that sounds like common sense. "What about your friends, then? Do you see a way to take him down without hurting them too badly?"
"I don't know," she admits. "Maybe it would be best if you talked to them."
"That could be arranged."
"Of course it could," she chuckles. "Look, I need… Give me an hour to think about it, all right?"
"By all means." You give a joking grin. "Any other paradigm-changing advice on saving the world? I'd hate for that hour to go to waste."
She laughs a little at that. "You've already killed Leviathan. That alone might help revitalize the city - if they clean up the boat graveyard, the shipping industry might create jobs again."
Then she freezes. "Wait. Could you clean up the boat graveyard?"
The boat graveyard would be the massive mess of rusted ship hulls that block the harbor. Since international shipping as an industry fractured due to Leviathan, there have never been sufficient funds to clear it. Skitter describes it as one of great tragedies of Brockton Bay - the reason unemployment is so high.
Well, nothing wrong with some civilian applications for superpowers. Fighting supervillains keeps the world from becoming worse, but it would be a terrible tragedy if extraordinary abilities could not be used to make the world better.
With Skitter in tow, you make a quick stop by city hall. Mayor Christner, despite some hesitations, agrees to see you; while he eyes Skitter nervously, he thanks you profusely for saving the city. You get the feeling he is being genuine rather than political.
When you outline Skitter's suggestion, his eyes bulge. He asks questions. You ask questions. You wouldn't want your attempt to backfire due to poor understanding of the local situation. Thankfully, the mayor's words indicate that there should be no problem with the idea.
It doesn't take long for a crowd to gather in the docks when you and Skitter arrive there. And then, you reach inside. Your secondary power pool forms a disintegration beam, and the ray begins striking ship carcasses.
At first, the crowd is amazed. Then, when ship after ship disappears from existence, they begin to cheer.
Within the hour, it is done. The ship graveyard is no more. Brockton Bay's harbor is cleaned up, ready to once more serve the shipping industry. The crowd - which, from the looks of it, includes many dockworkers - is ecstatic.
Yesterday, you saved Brockton Bay from destruction. Today, you have given it a chance to be prosperous again.
Skitter seems taken aback by all the cheering - like she doesn't know how to be on the side that receives it. When you speak to her again, however, it's clear that her decision has been made.
You're going to deal with Skitter's pressing problem and do some more digging for information. That aside, you also need to come up with a few decisions. Firstly, how do you wish to handle PRT power testing?
[ ] The better they know your powers, the better plans can be made to save the world. You know the importance of being a team player, so you're going to tell them everything you can afford to about your powers and fully cooperate with the testing.
[ ] You want to help these people, but you don't know them very well yet - or, for that matter, their operational security. It might be best to keep a few aces up your sleeve. You will cooperate with the power testing, but not reveal everything you can do.
Additionally, Legend suggesting working in conjunction with a Protectorate team for a short while in order to get your footing.
[ ] Start small. Brockton Bay could use some help, as well as some denazifying.
[ ] Start big. Go work with Legend in New York.
[ ] Start big. Alexandria is supposedly the brains of the Triumvirate, and might make better use of your abilities. Go work with her in Los Angeles.
[ ] The Guild is a non-governmental team that specializes in fighting the Big Bads. It sounds more fitting for you than the Protectorate, honestly.
[ ] Write-in.
THE MIRACLE OF BROCKTON BAY
All in all, you think your speech went very well. Meaning every word you said certainly helped.
You notice some look of concern on Legend's face as Dragon whispers something to him; he quickly relays the information to Alexandria and Eidolon. It would be trivial to expand your senses to hear their words, but why spy on your supposed allies? You can simply ask.
For now, you notice Skitter, the young heroine, having what looks like an awkward conversation with Miss Militia… huh. Miss Militia's weapon seems to be shifting forms, going from a rifle to a handgun to a knife. Odd. Tsunami, the admitted hydrokinetic villainess, is stealing glances at you. You notice the boy you saved by rewriting his fate ("Gallant", according to your armband), standing next to a whole group of obviously-underaged teammates, including the boy and girl you saw with him ("Shadowstalker" and… "Clockblocker"? You assume he came up with the name himself. At least, you hope he did), the boy who flew them to the hospital ("Aegis"), Vista, and the armored boy with the hoverboard ("Kid Win", a name that at least has the advantage of optimism).
...You really do need to discuss the matter of children being brought into danger. On your world, the only underage superhero team in recent memory was the Young Champions, and they only got away with operating as long as they did because their activities took place on the Digital Plane, whose existence wasn't even known to you at the time.
Actually, how did they even get powers? Mutations manifest during puberty, but it takes years for the powers to reach their full power. Kid Win and Gallant appear technology-based, but does that mean the rest are using magic? ...No, that can't be it. You realize, with a start, that even with a crowd of this many metahumans, you haven't sensed any magic since you got here, not even from Myrddin. Maybe magic in this dimension remains banished to Limbo, as it was for over a millennium on your Earth?
Well. The impromptu semi-official events seem to have concluded, so mostly what's left is people talking before they leave. Before you can decide who to talk to, Legend approaches you again:
"Avatar. I have to say, you keep taking us by surprise today. Visitors from parallel worlds are not exactly a common thing."
"They aren't on my world either," you admit. "There's only one, really. Some of our finest scientific minds have been trying to reverse-engineer his technology for years now. Results so far are mixed." Venture Industries have managed to create dimensional portals, but they're not quite good enough to be used reliably. Even Doctor Dexter Darien himself admits much of the design remains a black box.
Legend chuckles at that. "I know what you mean. Attempts at replicating tinkertech rarely meet encouraging results."
You raise an eyebrow. "Tinkertech?"
"Ah, my apologies. A local term. We call 'Tinkers' parahumans with the power to create advanced technology."
At that, you blink rapidly. "I have known many tech-based heroes and villains, but never of anyone with the power to create technology." Well, one might make a case for Doublethink… but even the Zenith Watch's leader creates his devices with natural genius. His mutant-based mental superspeed merely affords him more time to work out the blueprints.
This gives Legend pause. "Then where does their technology come from?"
You give him a bemused smile. "In most cases, hard work and human genius. In some rare cases, reclaimed or reverse-engineered alien technology."
"You've mentioned aliens in your speech," Legend notes. "You're saying you weren't just being rhetorical?"
"My world has had a few encounters with extraterrestrial life. Sadly, none of them were very informative about what lies beyond our solar system." Tagton just started his mercenary career and wouldn't answer questions. Garzor just tried to conquer the world and fled when he was beaten. Phantom has no memories before approaching Earth. You're not convinced the robotic creature that landed in the Cryosphere was even sapient. As for Sekhmet and Upstart… assuming they even are what you believe they are… She seems to have traumatic amnesia, and he seems to want to forget. Also, as a member of Global Might, he's less than cooperative.
"That's fascinating," Legend says earnestly. "But, forgive me. I, and no doubt countless others, have a lot of questions. I'm not sure how much of your time we may take, but to the very least, we were hoping to have a talk about your plans for the future. You'll understand, no doubt, if we want to keep in touch with someone who can kill an Endbringer," he smiles coyly.
"It is no problem," you give a calm smile with a dismissive gesture, "especially seeing as I have a great deal of questions myself. Considering that I will apparently be staying on this world for an indefinite amount of time, I need to know more about it if my presence is to do any good."
He grins at that. "I think you're well-covered in that regard."
After some quick discussion, you are directed toward the local PRT base - "Parahuman Response Team", apparently an organization in the US and Canada tasked with regulating "parahumans". The actual metahuman team is known as the "Protectorate", and apparently includes within its ranks a solid majority of both countries' superheroes. There is also an underage branch, called the Wards. You file that information for later, as you still need to discuss the matter of children on the frontlines, superpowered or not.
The fact that the USA and Canada exist here (along with the English language) prompts you to start comparing Histories. When you ask about major events of their 1920s, they mostly bring up the rise of communism and fascism, the independence of Ireland and Egypt, the Prohibition, and the gigantic financial bubble that concluded in the 1929 crash; when you tell them that this was the time period when superpowers first appeared on your world, they seem stunned. They still had a second World War, albeit one without mutant super-soldiers on either army… and, for that matter, without Nazi mystics shattering the banishment of magic to Limbo in the final months of the war, giving the Third Reich sorcerous resources as a desperate last-ditch gambit.
Garzor never invaded. No aliens have ever come to their world, as far as they know. Without the fear of metahumans to capitalize on, it doesn't look like Shadow ever formed. They had no superpowers at all until 1982, when Scion appeared.
The description of Scion gives you pause. Arrived before all other superpowered individuals (you arrived when the first generation of mutants were reaching their legal majority), more powerful than anyone else (you were that at the time, and with rare exceptions like Nollius and Professor Cryo, still are), never stops to eat or sleep (check), helps people 24/7 (check, check, check)... You find yourself wondering if he is somehow a local equivalent to yourself, a god who took an avatar form, only for something to go wrong and limit his ability to comprehend humans or communicate with them.
Parahumans followed all over the world in Scion's wake, but it's apparently not the same as mutants - the powers manifest all at once without any specific target age. Regrettably, even in relatively stable society like the Protectorate's jurisdiction, it appears that for every parahuman who becomes a hero, three become villains.
You almost reel from that last revelation. It sounds absurd. Even at its most lopsided, your world never got like that. Heroes were never outnumbered that badly, even after the Man of Might massacred them. You briefly wonder if the higher heroism rate is the result of your own influence… but, no, that can only be a small part of it. Humans, simply put, are better than that. You've observed them for enough millennia to know. Something has to be fixing the odds - either pushing parahumans toward villainy, or giving parahuman abilities primarily to those likely to fall to the dark side. Another thing to look into.
The parahuman situation was bad enough, but the Endbringers only made it worse when they showed up. You already know of Leviathan, who first appeared in 1996, but there were two others:
Behemoth, the first Endbringer, also known as the Herokiller, first appeared in 1992. 45-feet tall, even tougher than Leviathan, and an enormously powerful dynakinesist - he can manipulate every form of energy. An attempt to nuke him only resulted in him absorbing the energy and turning it against the city he was attacking. He is also able to make any kind of energy appear inside the body of his victims. He has turned many cities into radioactive craters, and killed an enormous number of heroes (and villains, though you must attribute some heroic qualifiers to anyone who willingly faces such a horror), hiding deep within the Earth between attacks.
The Simurgh, meanwhile, first appeared at the end of 2002. At fifteen feet tall, she is the smallest Endbringer, yet also the most terrifying. Not because of her flight and incredibly advanced telekinesis. Not because of the subtle mind-control powers that let her gradually affect human brains if they stay within her range for too many minutes. Not because of her ability to emulate the powers of Tinkers and Thinkers (another power category, apparently) within her range. But, rather, because she is an immensely powerful precognitive, who uses her every attack to set up deadly dominoes that cause tragic consequences months down the line.
You have trouble wrapping your head around that. Precognition? How is that even possible? How can the information travel backward in time? Furthermore… Furthermore, from the description, this Simurgh's prediction has made her effectively invincible to these people. It's so bad, that they quarantine cities she's visited indefinitely, just to limit the effect her time bombs can have. You actually find it heartening that, with such a powerful cause to abandon all hope, the people of this world have kept going.
Digging for further details, you learn that the top figures for the Protectorate are the "Triumvirate" - Eidolon, Alexandria, and Legend, the latter acting as the organization's official leader (while the PRT is led by the unpowered chief-director Costa-Brown - as an organization devoted to policing parahumans, its charter forbids parahumans from direct membership, shunting them to the Protectorate instead). They, and a now-deceased Tinker called Hero, originally founded the Protectorate. The Protectorate itself is divided into various local teams. Legend, in addition to his role as general leader, also commands the New York branch; Eidolon does the same for Seattle, and Alexandria for Los Angeles. Brockton Bay, which you learn houses a disproportionate number of parahumans for a city its size, house the East-North-East branch, led by Armsmaster.
There are, of course, many other things for you to learn about this world. Apparently, their China's government was overthrown by its own parahuman army called the Yangban, who installed in power descendants of the old imperial family. The current regime, called the Chinese Imperial Union, has been… difficult to deal with, to put things diplomatically. Meanwhile, a depressingly large portion of Africa is a war-torn mess where parahuman warlords vie for power, and South America is ruled in all but name by parahuman-backed criminal cartels. And then there's India, Europe, the Middle-East… the aborted space program, another casualty of the Simurgh… the crumbling world economy…
In truth, you only get the general gist of their History - as much as you can get in a few hours. Naturally, they are just as curious about your own, though they seem dubious when you tell them about the magical elven city of Avalon coming out of Limbo and flying menacingly above the Atlantic (even after you tell them what little you understand of Causality's scientific explanation of magic), and just as dubious when you speak of alien invasions. Tellingly enough, they have a lot less trouble believing you when you tell them about how Professor Cryo put together an army of supervillains, took over the greater Pittsburgh area, turned it into an arctic micro-climate, and renamed the whole thing the Cryosphere, ruling over it with an iron fist and turning the place into an international supervillain haven.
They're annoyed when you refuse to go into details about your own origin, but they don't push the issue. You're apologetic about it, but knowledge of the gods could have apocalyptic consequences back home, and you don't know enough about this world to tell if it's safer here.
They actually sound impressed when you describe some of the technological progress of your world, such as the mass-produced power armor that elite police around the world uses to face supervillains, the omni-metal that most modern skyscrapers use in lieu of steel, nuclear fusion, an island being artificially raised near the coast to make room for Megalopolis, and the burgeoning field of medical nanotech. You detect some unsurprising envy when you describe the Tower of Babel space elevator, and Venture City, the space station with a population above 400,000 people.
They don't seem to know what to make of Madman and his seeming technological omnipotence, or the issue of inter-dimensional travel. You ultimately decide not to mention Checkmate and the Quantum Matrix - it probably couldn't be replicated anyway, but why take risks?
You recognize Assault, a member of the local protectorate, as you walk through the base's hallways.
"If it isn't the Silver Scion," he says with a chuckle. "Taking a break from the PRT interrogators?"
"Actually, they're the ones who needed a break," you state truthfully. "I didn't want to waste time, so I figured I would get to know some of the local team in the meanwhile."
"Well, Armsmaster's still busy with paperwork. Mind you, I'm sure you'll find him in a good mood - today's pretty much just saved his career." Seeing your expression, he goes into further detail: "The chief is a… driven guy. No family, no social life, just the hero thing whenever he's awake. Probably improves blueprints in his sleep, too. But this past month has not been a good one. First the Wards got humiliated failing to stop the Undersiders at a bank robbery. Then the ABB gang went on rampage, and we stopped them in the end, but not before a fuckton of civilian casualties and property damage. Then, when we held a fundraiser for the victims, it got crashed by the Undersiders, and Skitter pretty much handed him his ass in public. It was pretty much a career-ender for him… then he got us the early Endbringer warning and melted off Leviathan's ablative armor. Even if you overshadowed him, he's getting a commendation and job security after this."
"...Skitter is a villain?"
He gives you a bemused smile. "You're probably the first person to find that surprising."
"On the battlefield, she risked life and limb to protect civilians, despite her own injuries. Hardly the behavior of a self-serving blackguard."
Assault shrugs. "Eh. In my experience, most villains think they have good reasons for what they do. Usually, it's mostly excuses in the end, but they're still human beings, not cartoon baddies… with some exceptions."
"That much I am aware of. Still, I definitely ought to have words with her in the near future."
"Feel free, just watch out for Tattletale. That girl seems to know everything about everyone, and she has a way of getting into your head. Last time we went against the Undersiders, Armsmaster actually had us using earplugs."
"Duly noted, though I got the impression Skitter and the Undersiders were not on the best footing at the moment."
"Maybe. Anyway, you should probably get out a bit. I figure the 'holy shit we're not dead' party will die down in… I dunno, 24 hours? There's rumors May 15 is getting declared a national holiday." He grins. "So, any other S-class threat you intend to take out today?"
"I'm afraid I haven't gotten to that bit of terminology yet. What's this threat classification?"
"Ah… well, let me put it this way: An A-class threat is something that can seriously wreck the city and take on a whole Protectorate team. An S-class threat can wreck the country or more, and you need dozens of heroes to contain it. Thank God we've only got five of those left."
"I assume two are Behemoth and the Simurgh. Who are the other three?"
"Well… There's Nilbog, some nutcase who took control of Elisburg with an army of monsters. Sleeper, some Russian reality-warper. And, well, the Slaughterhouse Nine, who aren't S-class individually, but got the designation as a team. Nomadic bunch of overpowered murderhobos."
"I… see." You will definitely need to look more deeply into those S-class threats.
Eventually, you resume the discussion with the PRT interrogators. You make sure to ask them about A-class and S-class threats.
You end up hearing a lot of disturbing things. Sleeper effectively absorbed Volgograd. Nilbog killed everyone at Elisburg, and the city remains quarantined because he is considered a potential extinction event. As for the Slaughterhouse Nine, they are horror and cruelty in one of its purest forms. Now, your world also has its share of monstrous killers, such as Global Might's Reaper, Toxin and Angelbane… but even in Global Might, the tone was always mostly set by people like Mordor and Jack of all Trades, whose goals are money and power. The Nine sound like a version of Global Might where Reaper is in charge.
For that matter, you don't like much what you learn about how they handle supervillains around here. Apparently, with superheroes outnumbered by villains so badly, and with villains being needed in Endbringer battles, the Protectorate isn't really trying to stop super-crime - just mitigate it. Captured supervillains are deliberately placed in easily-escapable prisons the first two or three times they are caught, and their identities are kept secret, even by the police. If a villain's identity is discovered, no attempt is made to arrest them when they leave their home - apparently, there's a whole set of unwritten rules to preserve this dynamic and prevent an escalation that the good guys couldn't win.
There is, in Brockton Bay, a team of superheroes that tried to take a step beyond this sick dynamic, by abandoning their secret identities - the New Wave team, of which Glory Girl and Panacea are second-generation members. Their goal was to responsibilize parahumans by having them subject to the same rules as unpowered citizens, without secret identities to hide behind. The movement fizzled when one of their members was killed in her home by a thug in the service of a local gang.
Frankly, you're baffled. Back on your world, American metahumans (as in many other countries) are required to register with the government, and they can request that their identity be kept secret. Half of them do, to stay away from the media, but those without secret identities need not worry - attacks on a superhero's family and civilian home are exceedingly rare, simply because they are automatically answered with pursuit by hundreds, thousands of vengeful heroes. Why is everything so much worse here?
And then, there's what happens when a villain goes far enough for them to get serious (or after their third strike). They get thrown into the Birdcage, an inescapable supertech prison (good) from which prisoners cannot be retrieved, ever (bad). No appeal, no time-limited sentence, no way out if innocence or mistrial are later established. And in more extreme cases, such as the Slaughterhouse Nine, they have "kill orders" - legal bounties placed on the heads of the vilest villains, to which anyone can contribute money, and which anyone can claim by killing the target. You are getting the distinct impression that justice and human rights have been taking more and more of a backseat since superpowers first appeared on this world.
Well. You shouldn't criticize. These people have been dealing with a plain terrible situation practically from the start. That they've done as well as they have is, really, impressive.
But you've promised them it would get better, and you intend to make good on that promise. Slaying Leviathan is one step. Teaching them how to do better is another.
It's the middle of the night when your interviewers decide to call it a day. There's also talks of power testing tomorrow, and further talks with Legend, but for now, you're on your own. At your request, you are given a computer to look up further information with.
Not that you're at the computer right now. You simply channel your secondary power pool into an ability to communicate with the machine from a distance - a trick you found necessary to learn after the Internet became a thing.
You're looking up information about this world, about heroes, about villains, about various problems. At the same time, you're flying above the city, observing. It's obvious that the state of the world has wrecked the economy, and you can still see traces of the recent gang war… but right now, even this late, people are still partying in the streets. Several newspapers are referring to today's events as "The Miracle of Brockton Bay". Which you suppose is accurate enough.
Looking at the partiers, Brockton Bay is certainly not lacking for minorities (including, you understand, a large number of Asian refugees who came after Kyushu was destroyed). Ghettoization is a factor here… but not quite as bad as one might fear in a city that's sometimes referred to as the Nazi capital of the US, due to Empire 88 persistently trying to establish its control over it.
A ray of light. Legend, looking a little tired but trying to hide it. "Thinking of joining the parties, or just patrolling?"
"Not even really patrolling," you admit, "but rather getting to know the lay of the land."
He nods. "Most of my work is in New York City. Millions of citizens, over seven hundred villains at the last count… Mostly, I try to find the best way to delegate, and spend my day flying around town helping the various Protectorate teams put out fires."
You nod in return. "The New York of my world is rather lively too. It's competing with Tokyo for the position of 5th largest metahuman concentration."
He raises an eyebrow. "What are the first four, then?"
"In no specific order… Megalopolis, another East coast city that experienced a gold rush of sort in the 80s and 90s. Venture City, in geosynchronous orbit, which has effectively become the world's transhumanism capital. Avalon, which has been ruled for over a millennium by an evil sorcerer and his armies…" If he disbelieves, then he's too polite to show it, "...and the Cryosphere, which has become an international haven for supervillains."
"I see." He looks into the distance for a moment. "I've perused bits and pieces of your interview, but today's performance already tells me this much: A man with your abilities and inclinations can do (and has done!) incredible amounts of good for this world. I'll admit, I'm hoping to recruit you into the Protectorate."
This is hardly a surprise, of course. "Truth be told, I'm considering it. I try to avoid getting involved in politics outside of extreme situations, which has kept me out of State-run teams in the past." This despite almost every nation awarding you citizenship at one point - even countries that don't normally permit multiple citizenship. "The situation here is different, though. Back home, the majority of State-run teams are military in nature. Most superheroes get deputized by law enforcement agencies that provide them with basic training and a stipend. Here, joining the Protectorate is the default assumption… in the US and Canada. My duties, however, are going to take me beyond those borders."
"True enough," says Legend. He grins. "For the record, we are trying to expand into Mexico. But I see your point. Joining the Protectorate as a full member is just one option, though. Just coordinating with the Protectorate would be immensely appreciated." Once again, he has an amused expression. "Right now, the PRT's greatest fear is that you'll leave with no forwarding address and start flying around the world like Scion."
You smile at that. "I promise to maintain contact, if nothing else. I'm under no illusion of being able to carry the world's weight on my shoulders alone."
Your words seem to please him. "Have you considered a trial period? Spend some time with a Protectorate team, work with them, get an idea of how things on Earth-Bet work?"
You note the odd name for his world. Something else to look into at some point. "That might not be a bad idea. It would keep from acting like a bull in a china shop, at least. Would that be with your New York team?"
"That's one option," he says. "You could also work with Alexandria's Los Angeles team. Or, maybe start with something smaller - Brockton Bay has faced a lot of villain activity lately, and could use the help of an A-lister of your caliber."
"I've been trying to get to know the local team," you admit. "...I'm still befuddled that you have heroes named 'Assault and Battery'."
He laughs at that. "Battery came first. She named herself after her power, that lets her accumulate energy and spend it in short bursts of enhanced strength and speed. Assault picked his name specifically to annoy her."
"Ah, I see." There is one other thing you wanted to ask about. "Earlier today, after my speech, you got worried when Dragon told you something. Anything I ought to be concerned about?"
His expression grows serious. "It's the third Endbringer. The Simurgh. We can't find her." Seeing you blink, he goes into more details: "She usually stays in orbit, visible from several telescopes and satellites. Some time after Leviathan died, several satellites were destroyed, and chunks of them used as ballistic weapons against ground-based telescopes pointed at her. We have been unable to locate her ever since." He pauses. "I don't know whether I need to tell you this, but… don't try to go after her. We've checked, and we already know precogs can see you."
"Understood," you nod. You'll have to find a way to beat the third Endbringer, but today is not the day.
Legend's expression lightens up. "Speaking of your speech… did you know that in the past few hours, six villains in six different cities have turned themselves in to the Protectorate, asking for a chance to join and be heroes?"
As morning comes, you're still flying above the city, learning the geography of Brockton Bay while simultaneously obtaining information online.
One of the main sources of information on parahumans in this world is apparently a massive website called ParaHumans Online, or PHO for short. It already has speculations about your powers ("Blaster 12, Brute 10, Mover 9, Trump 7" is mentioned at times), as well as the effects of your arrival. You also learn that two videos of you - one of your speech, and one satellite view of you killing Leviathan - are overnight sensations on YouTube. You've never done PR for PR's sake, but, pragmatically, you know this is good - building up a reputation will give more weight to your words.
More interestingly, you learn more about the heroes and villains of Brockton Bay.
Armsmaster. Head of the local Protectorate, was a member of the very first Ward team. Considered a powerful Tinker and a capable fighter. Has a bit of a reputation as a gloryhound. Maybe you should check up on that at some point.
Miss Militia. His second in command. Doesn't sleep. Power manifests as weapons - any weapons she chooses, without needing to reload. Highly regarded by everyone except racist bigots.
Battery. Charges up power and spends it on bursts of strength and speed, like Legend said.
Assault. Considered the team clown. Manipulates kinetic energy.
Dauntless. Permanently charges his personal items with powers, rendering them stronger and stronger over time. Local star, expected to become one of the greatest some day.
Velocity. Laid-back speedster, who becomes less and less able to influence physical objects the faster he goes. (Odd, that.)
Triumph. Recent Ward graduate. Sonic attacks.
Aegis. Current Wards leader. Regenerating flying brick with immense organ redundancy.
Gallant. May or may not be a Tinker, given the armor. Fires energy blasts that influence the victim's emotions. Probably the most popular team member.
Clockblocker. Definite team clown. Can freeze what he touches in time for an indefinite number of minutes.
Vista. Both the youngest member of the team, and the one who's been at it the longest (which you find horrifying). Warps space, as you were able to see for yourself.
Shadow Stalker. The edgy one. Can turn intangible.
Browbeat. Most recent member. Speculated to have autobiokinesis.
And then, there's New Wave, which is apparently the sum total of non-governmental heroes in this town. Brandish, Lady Photon, Manpower and Flashbang are the adult members - two married couples, with Brandish and Lady Photon being sisters. Laserdream, Shielder, Glory Girl and Panacea are the children of these two couples. Most of the team has abilities centered around flight, forcefields, and light blasts.
There are parahumans who act as neither hero nor villain; they are called, counterintuitively, "rogues". One such rogue is Brockton Bay's Parian, who tries to use her textile-kinesis in her fashion business. You figure you'll leave her and other such "rogues" be - just because someone has a power they may never have asked for, doesn't mean they should be forced to spend the rest of their lives in superpowered battles.
Sadly, though, Brockton Bay's villain population outnumbers its heroes and rogues combined.
Empire 88, an alliance of Neonazis and white supremacists of every stripe, includes as many as twenty parahumans, led by a man called Kaiser who used to run a pharmaceutical company. The reason he no longer runs it is because very recently, someone released the identities of all the gang's supervillains to the media, which started a city-wide fight. Even without their civilian resources, though, E88 remains a force to be reckoned with in this town. ...Really, how can an outdated ideology like Nazism sway this many people in this day and age? For crying out loud, even Blitzkrieg is just a mercenary with no real ideology these days, who only clings to Nazi symbols out of nostalgia - and Blitzkrieg was an actual SS member!
The Merchants are, apparently, the second largest gang left. They are a particularly degenerate lot (though you still find them preferable to Neonazis), specialized in the drug trade. Their leader is known as Skidmark, and they have three parahumans beside him.
Faultline's Crew is a mercenary team - they don't run organized crime so much as get hired by others to perform a variety of criminal acts. Generally considered efficient and professional. Six members, counting Faultline herself.
Uber and Leet. Considered joke villains, at least until they helped the mad bomber Bakuda.
Circus. Solo villain.
Coil. Mysterious villain with well-armed mercenaries.
The Undersiders. Teenage gang. Were considered a minor nuisance specialized in smash-and-grab operations, but recently got more aggressive, brutal and destructive. Members include Grue, Tattletale, Regent, Hellhound (the girl with the dogs who had no armband)... and, most recently, Skitter.
Well. Maybe you ought to check what that's about.
You go back to communication powers - just audio communication, no need to risk embarrassment. And then, you send out a message at one specific person:
"Skitter. Skitter, can you hear me?"
The reply comes soon afterward. She sounds like she just woke up. "Who is this? Where are you?"
"My apologies if I startled you. This is the Avatar."
"The Av… You can find me?"
You chuckle. "Not that easily. Communicating, however, is a different story. Is now a bad time? It's no emergency, we can talk later."
"I… no, this is fine. You can contact me anywhere?"
"It's a bit less trivial than you're making it sound, but, I do have a rather good range."
"Is it… Can you communicate like this with anyone?"
"Well, I need to have some vague idea of who I'm trying to contact, unless I just aim at everyone in a given area."
"Does that mean that, in theory, you could contact Scion? Tell him when an Endbringer is attacking, and where it is?"
You pause. "...That is actually an interesting idea. I'll have to look into it. Good thinking!"
She doesn't say anything, but a minor involuntary sound lets you know she's happy at the praise. Eventually, she speaks up: "Thank you, but… why are you calling me?"
"Aside from receiving useful tips for the next time I face an Endbringer? I wanted to check up on you. I'll admit, there are a few things that don't quite make sense to me." You pause. "I've been trying to get myself up to speed on this world. Most sources define you as a villain, which, to put it mildly, seems at odds with your heroic behavior yesterday."
She takes a few seconds to answer. "...Being a villain doesn't mean you have to be a monster. Villains helping during Endbringer battles is normal."
"In my time as a superhero, Skitter, I have known and fought thousands of villains, only a small number of whom I would describe as monsters. Even then, an overwhelming majority of those wouldn't have gone as far as you did trying to rescue civilians.
"I am asking you to please help me understand. In a life-or-death situation, suffering from head injuries, you desperately fought onward to protect others. An overpowered jerk just woke you up from across town, and your first instinct was to help him figure out how to save more people with his powers. It's plain to see that you have the heart of a hero, so… why attack a fundraiser for Bakuda's victims, of all things? You're obviously better than that."
What follows is ten seconds of silence. You don't press her - this is clearly difficult to talk about.
"I'm sorry." You get the impression those two words were not easy for her to say. "It… seemed like a good idea at the time. I was… I was trying to learn more about the Undersiders. They had a backer, and I wanted to learn who it was."
"You were undercover?" That still wouldn't justify her actions, but it would explain them.
"That's what I was telling myself. I told Armsmaster, but I made him promise not to tell." She pauses again. "I did discover their patron in the end, but… I couldn't do it. These guys were my friends. Betraying them after everything… it just felt wrong. And, and most of what I'd done as a villain was fight other villains anyway. I thought we were actually accomplishing less harm than good."
Though she can't see it, you nod. Sadly, even brilliant minds can fall to rationalization. "Did something change? You seemed to be avoiding them yesterday."
"...Our patron. He did something that, that I couldn't condone. The Undersiders… they weren't happy about it, but they weren't willing to turn on him either." She pauses. "Now, I understand why some of them really needed his help, but… I couldn't take it. I ran away."
"Skitter."
"What?"
"I'm requesting your permission to meet you face-to-face ASAP."
That seems to take her aback. "Just give me twenty minutes."
Twenty minutes later, you meet Skitter in her costume on a rooftop. "So, why did you want to meet me in-"
You hug her.
A returned hug and a cathartic cry later, she's talking once more.
"I haven't really had the time to think it all through. Leviathan arrived almost immediately after that.
"After you killed Leviathan, I had words with Miss Militia. I said I wanted her help with a moral dilemma. I said I'd become aware of… of something really awful being done, but didn't see how I could stop it without betraying my friends."
"So what did she say?"
"She said that, if she was in my place, she'd look for any way she might possibly do the right thing without hurting her friends. But, if she couldn't… she said that sometimes, doing the right thing is painful. That's usually when it's most important."
You smile. "Sounds to me like she's got a good head on her shoulders."
That prompts a light chuckle from her. "I guess. I'm still not sure what I should be doing. I'm trying to follow your advice and reach for that spark, I guess, but I don't know what to do."
"Well, if I may suggest, start by taking some perspective," you say. "Let's suppose you decide to let things be as they are, in order to stay with the Undersiders. What will happen afterwards? Will that be the last moral compromise you need to make?"
At that, she freezes. "...It'll never end," she says, horror dawning upon her. "Our patron… he's a monster. A real monster. He'll keep breaking every rule to get ahead. There will be more atrocities." She takes a deep breath. "Whatever I do about the Undersiders, he needs to go down."
You nod in agreement - from your admittedly limited information, that sounds like common sense. "What about your friends, then? Do you see a way to take him down without hurting them too badly?"
"I don't know," she admits. "Maybe it would be best if you talked to them."
"That could be arranged."
"Of course it could," she chuckles. "Look, I need… Give me an hour to think about it, all right?"
"By all means." You give a joking grin. "Any other paradigm-changing advice on saving the world? I'd hate for that hour to go to waste."
She laughs a little at that. "You've already killed Leviathan. That alone might help revitalize the city - if they clean up the boat graveyard, the shipping industry might create jobs again."
Then she freezes. "Wait. Could you clean up the boat graveyard?"
The boat graveyard would be the massive mess of rusted ship hulls that block the harbor. Since international shipping as an industry fractured due to Leviathan, there have never been sufficient funds to clear it. Skitter describes it as one of great tragedies of Brockton Bay - the reason unemployment is so high.
Well, nothing wrong with some civilian applications for superpowers. Fighting supervillains keeps the world from becoming worse, but it would be a terrible tragedy if extraordinary abilities could not be used to make the world better.
With Skitter in tow, you make a quick stop by city hall. Mayor Christner, despite some hesitations, agrees to see you; while he eyes Skitter nervously, he thanks you profusely for saving the city. You get the feeling he is being genuine rather than political.
When you outline Skitter's suggestion, his eyes bulge. He asks questions. You ask questions. You wouldn't want your attempt to backfire due to poor understanding of the local situation. Thankfully, the mayor's words indicate that there should be no problem with the idea.
It doesn't take long for a crowd to gather in the docks when you and Skitter arrive there. And then, you reach inside. Your secondary power pool forms a disintegration beam, and the ray begins striking ship carcasses.
At first, the crowd is amazed. Then, when ship after ship disappears from existence, they begin to cheer.
Within the hour, it is done. The ship graveyard is no more. Brockton Bay's harbor is cleaned up, ready to once more serve the shipping industry. The crowd - which, from the looks of it, includes many dockworkers - is ecstatic.
Yesterday, you saved Brockton Bay from destruction. Today, you have given it a chance to be prosperous again.
Skitter seems taken aback by all the cheering - like she doesn't know how to be on the side that receives it. When you speak to her again, however, it's clear that her decision has been made.
You're going to deal with Skitter's pressing problem and do some more digging for information. That aside, you also need to come up with a few decisions. Firstly, how do you wish to handle PRT power testing?
[ ] The better they know your powers, the better plans can be made to save the world. You know the importance of being a team player, so you're going to tell them everything you can afford to about your powers and fully cooperate with the testing.
[ ] You want to help these people, but you don't know them very well yet - or, for that matter, their operational security. It might be best to keep a few aces up your sleeve. You will cooperate with the power testing, but not reveal everything you can do.
Additionally, Legend suggesting working in conjunction with a Protectorate team for a short while in order to get your footing.
[ ] Start small. Brockton Bay could use some help, as well as some denazifying.
[ ] Start big. Go work with Legend in New York.
[ ] Start big. Alexandria is supposedly the brains of the Triumvirate, and might make better use of your abilities. Go work with her in Los Angeles.
[ ] The Guild is a non-governmental team that specializes in fighting the Big Bads. It sounds more fitting for you than the Protectorate, honestly.
[ ] Write-in.
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Zimary
[Cakravala Cakravrtin] [Penguin of the Sith]
- Location
- Portland, OR
[X] You want to help these people, but you don't know them very well yet - or, for that matter, their operational security. It might be best to keep a few aces up your sleeve. You will cooperate with the power testing, but not reveal everything you can do.
Remember, Dragon is compromised and with Calvert still around...caution is best, never hurts to have an ace or twelve in reserve.
[X] Start small. Brockton Bay could use some help, as well as some denazifying.
Finish cleaning things up and let people have some time to get used to you. Now that money will be coming into the Bay, leaving the gangs (and Coil) to their own devices is a bad idea.
Remember, Dragon is compromised and with Calvert still around...caution is best, never hurts to have an ace or twelve in reserve.
[X] Start small. Brockton Bay could use some help, as well as some denazifying.
Finish cleaning things up and let people have some time to get used to you. Now that money will be coming into the Bay, leaving the gangs (and Coil) to their own devices is a bad idea.
AZATHOTHoth
༼ つ ☀️_☀️ ༽つ
[X] You want to help these people, but you don't know them very well yet - or, for that matter, their operational security. It might be best to keep a few aces up your sleeve. You will cooperate with the power testing, but not reveal everything you can do.
[X] Start small. Brockton Bay could use some help, as well as some denazifying.
[X] Start small. Brockton Bay could use some help, as well as some denazifying.
DarkSideBard
Flying, without moving on
[X] You want to help these people, but you don't know them very well yet - or, for that matter, their operational security. It might be best to keep a few aces up your sleeve. You will cooperate with the power testing, but not revealeverything you can do.
[X] Start small. Brockton Bay could use some help, as well as some denazifying.
Yeah, playing all our cards is silly. We may be a Embodiment of Heroism, but we're not naive. We can see that things here are messed up- better be sure to hold back a few trump cards.
And yeah, we should start small. Un-fucking Brockton Bay will show that the best thing can be done, and give others the hope that makes it done.
Besides, it wouldn't hurt to make a newly important shipping capital as secure as possible. We may have some grasp of the general zeitgeist, but starting small will build on that.
[X] Start small. Brockton Bay could use some help, as well as some denazifying.
Yeah, playing all our cards is silly. We may be a Embodiment of Heroism, but we're not naive. We can see that things here are messed up- better be sure to hold back a few trump cards.
And yeah, we should start small. Un-fucking Brockton Bay will show that the best thing can be done, and give others the hope that makes it done.
Besides, it wouldn't hurt to make a newly important shipping capital as secure as possible. We may have some grasp of the general zeitgeist, but starting small will build on that.
[X] You want to help these people, but you don't know them very well yet - or, for that matter, their operational security. It might be best to keep a few aces up your sleeve. You will cooperate with the power testing, but not reveal everything you can do.
[X] Start small. Brockton Bay could use some help, as well as some denazifying.
[X] Start small. Brockton Bay could use some help, as well as some denazifying.
[X] You want to help these people, but you don't know them very well yet - or, for that matter, their operational security. It might be best to keep a few aces up your sleeve. You will cooperate with the power testing, but not reveal everything you can do.
[X] Start small. Brockton Bay could use some help, as well as some denazifying.
[X] Start small. Brockton Bay could use some help, as well as some denazifying.
Leingod
Immaculate Blooming Lotus
[X] You want to help these people, but you don't know them very well yet - or, for that matter, their operational security. It might be best to keep a few aces up your sleeve. You will cooperate with the power testing, but not reveal everything you can do.
We're probably no stranger to bugs and infiltrators, what with all the comic book super-geniuses and super-spies we've had to deal with. Until we get a better idea of just how secure they are, discretion would be best.
[X] Start small. Brockton Bay could use some help, as well as some denazifying.
And far more importantly, this city needs to be unCoiled. The minute Skitter tells us just what the Undersiders' boss did that was so horrible is, you can bet we'll be busting down their door and getting Tattletale to tell us where he is.
We're probably no stranger to bugs and infiltrators, what with all the comic book super-geniuses and super-spies we've had to deal with. Until we get a better idea of just how secure they are, discretion would be best.
[X] Start small. Brockton Bay could use some help, as well as some denazifying.
And far more importantly, this city needs to be unCoiled. The minute Skitter tells us just what the Undersiders' boss did that was so horrible is, you can bet we'll be busting down their door and getting Tattletale to tell us where he is.
[x] Start big. Alexandria is supposedly the brains of the Triumvirate, and might make better use of your abilities. Go work with her in Los Angeles.
[x] The Guild is a non-governmental team that specializes in fighting the Big Bads. It sounds more fitting for you than the Protectorate, honestly.
Why not combine these somewhat? Stay in Brockton, but every now and then go hunting.
[x] The Guild is a non-governmental team that specializes in fighting the Big Bads. It sounds more fitting for you than the Protectorate, honestly.
Why not combine these somewhat? Stay in Brockton, but every now and then go hunting.
A Living Person
Installing BB.exe
- Location
- Chaldea
[X] You want to help these people, but you don't know them very well yet - or, for that matter, their operational security. It might be best to keep a few aces up your sleeve. You will cooperate with the power testing, but not reveal everything you can do.
[X] Start small. Brockton Bay could use some help, as well as some denazifying.
DOWN WITH THE E88!
Also if the S9 come to visit like canon, I would almost feel sorry for those poor, irredeemable, wasteful sods....ALMOST. And if Avatar is as much as a Superman expy as I think he is, Jack is gonna have shite luck even fazing the Avatar, and the lack of a shard thing already made things nigh-impossible for the Joker wannabe.
EDIT:Clarification
[X] Start small. Brockton Bay could use some help, as well as some denazifying.
DOWN WITH THE E88!
Also if the S9 come to visit like canon, I would almost feel sorry for those poor, irredeemable, wasteful sods....ALMOST. And if Avatar is as much as a Superman expy as I think he is, Jack is gonna have shite luck even fazing the Avatar, and the lack of a shard thing already made things nigh-impossible for the Joker wannabe.
EDIT:Clarification
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Leingod
Immaculate Blooming Lotus
[X] You want to help these people, but you don't know them very well yet - or, for that matter, their operational security. It might be best to keep a few aces up your sleeve. You will cooperate with the power testing, but not reveal everything you can do.
[X] Start small. Brockton Bay could use some help, as well as some denazifying.
DOWN WITH THE E88!
Also if the S9 come to visit like canon, I would almost feel sorry for those poor, irredeemable, wasteful sods....ALMOST. And if Avatar is as much as a Superman expy as I think he is, Jack is gonna have shite luck even fazing the Avatar, and the lack of a shard thing already made things nigh-impossible for the Joker wannabe.
EDIT:Clarification
I really doubt they'll show their faces. In canon they show up to capitalize on the devastation and chaos that happened in the wake of the Leviathan attack, and even without his powers Jack isn't stupid. He won't be trying to pick a fight with us anytime soon... which means that once we feed Coil his own teeth, we should get Tattletale (and/or Dinah, if we can get Panacea to flush the drugs from her system and she's willing) to track them down so we can... express our displeasure with them. Painfully.
[X] You want to help these people, but you don't know them very well yet - or, for that matter, their operational security. It might be best to keep a few aces up your sleeve. You will cooperate with the power testing, but not reveal everything you can do.
[X] Start small. Brockton Bay could use some help, as well as some denazifying.
[X] Start small. Brockton Bay could use some help, as well as some denazifying.