A New Dawn (Ex-Papergeist) - A Worm/Naruto Crossover

I actually forgot to mention that. Her having such small reserves at first is one of the things that has me sticking around. It is a natural way to insert a character's powers/memories into another one without overloading the setting instantly.
Yeah. As much fun as "OMG TAYLOR POWAAAAAH" is, this is a better setup for keeping things at a reasonable level at least for a while.

I would actually read the shit out a Worm story with a 'shitty' Naruto ninja, where they get chakra as a power, but that's it. No bloodlines, forbidden techniques, or natural understanding of the power. The character having to learn how to manipulate chakra seems like a fun and creative approach.
I feel like the bloodlines and forbidden techniques and big blasty jutsu made for worse fights in Naruto. If the protagonist is a typical genin in the Worm-verse, they've still got some pretty great abilities if they use them well, making for a powerful grab-bag cape whose abilities all work toward making them better at actually acting like a ninja instead of a Brute/Blaster like most of the powerful ninja in Naruto.

Henge: Stranger
Kawarimi, crazy ninja speed and tree/water walking: Mover
Clone technique: Shaker?
Sensing killing intent: Thinker

None of those ratings are going to be very high, but together they make for a fairly difficult opponent, and that's just the stuff they learned in the academy or immediately afterward.

On top of this are the implausibly good stealth and combat skills; deflecting a stream of thrown kunai is something that basically everyone does without even thinking about it.

Not to mention that opponents aren't using chakra and don't know about jutsu, so certain things that don't work well in Naruto (such as kawarimi with a conscious opponent) are suddenly viable options.

Most capes aren't more durable than a normal human, so even something as simple as throwing kunai (which everyone in Naruto, even genin, seems to do with superhuman accuracy) is going to rack up a significant body count if you decide to go that route. Many of the capes with enhanced durability are also vulnerable to surprise attacks. Keeping on the right side of the unwritten rules is likely going to be difficult, since that doesn't play to a ninja's strengths in stealth and lethal ambush, but that itself gives a good avenue for escalation in the story.
 
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Thinker: Honestly, reading Thinkers, she wouldn't really fall under that considering she has no enhancements in knowledge or better perception. What she does have is the ability to spy unnoticed.

I think MM would spot that she could somehow seen/sense the world around her through her paper, Canon Taylor got thinker 2 for doing the same thing with bugs.
 
One of my favorite things about Worm was that it placed very hard limits on its powers. They did what they did and that was all. Even the most powerful abilities had strict rules about what they can and can't do. Powers don't grow in Worm.
This is pretty much the thing I hate about Worm powers which are faithful to canon.
The lack of an abillity to grow just makes me cringe in such a way as to make me almost not want them.

As for your later idea about someone gaining chakra without knowing how to use... They would probably at least need to have the very basics of manipulating it in order to not nigh-immediately kill themselves, probably. But other than that, that's a pretty great idea, honestly.

More relevantly to the story, and I guess Naruto in general, my take on fuuinjutsu is that it is primarily focused on storing things then releasing them in a changed form.
Let's take the basic explosive note for example, it stores chakra, then releases it while changing it into an explosion.
As another example: the Storage scroll, as the name implies, stores things and releases them but doesn't change them, but with a modification Tenten shows us that they can be released with a modified velocity.
For something a bit more abstract, Orochimaru's curse seal stores the Jugo enzymes and Nature Chakra, then releases them into the user's body together. And also a bit of his soul, but that's a secret.
Now, this is just my personal theory, and bear in mind that I haven't watched much of Shippuden, so take it with a grain of salt.
 
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@AlSmash why would Piggot be upset about a lack of recruitment on MM's part? Wouldn't she agree that it would be best to postpone that until they get rid of Shadow Stalker so that they can avoid the clusterfrag of having the super OP new cape flip out about being on a team with her tormentor?
 
I feel like the bloodlines and forbidden techniques and big blasty jutsu made for worse fights in Naruto. If the protagonist is a typical genin in the Worm-verse, they've still got some pretty great abilities if they use them well, making for a powerful grab-bag cape whose abilities all work toward making them better at actually acting like a ninja instead of a Brute/Blaster like most of the powerful ninja in Naruto.

I think the problem is you are forgetting what genre Naruto is firmly entrenched in, and that is shonen. It is of course going to be flashy to the point of the plot taking a backseat, because in order to attract their target group they have to root themselves in the flashiness. Even the most grounded of shonen anime and manga has a tendency to go a bit far because their target audience are largely teenage boys, or as I jokingly call them, Bayites. As a result, as you saw Naruto ratchet up, you saw Kishimoto's storytelling take a nosedive because he had caught himself in his own trap of flashy abilities because he had to one-up himself with each fight in order to make it 'appealing' in a series of escalating jutsu fights. As a result, I felt that the vast majority of material between Post-Pein and Madara's Resurrection were largely lackluster because of it (with a few exceptions, outside of the ginormous asspull that was Izanami, the fight between Kabuto, Itachi, and Sasuke was rather decent).

@AlSmash why would Piggot be upset about a lack of recruitment on MM's part? Wouldn't she agree that it would be best to postpone that until they get rid of Shadow Stalker so that they can avoid the clusterfrag of having the super OP new cape flip out about being on a team with her tormentor?

Lemme put it this way, you have been informed by the person that you have deliberately tasked to recruit a subject you have an interest, that they not only have chosen not to recruit said subject, but then lays out the various abilities that has been observed that signifies an asset that has a vast utility that could be a massive boon to your organization in the fight to achieve your objectives. Not only does this cape show abilities that can be utilized in offensive and defensive situations, but they also have hinted, through their abilities, to be a significant intelligence-gathering capability that can be undetectable, not to mention a myriad of other abilities

But your subordinate chose not to enact your orders, nevermind they suggested that said subject should join an entity, that while you have a liaison with, is outside of your chain of command. They didn't put them to it, they just simply walked away, leaving said subject to choose to either become a cape, or possibly a villain. How would you respond?

Honestly, I think any sane person would be downright incensed. That is not to say that MM cannot make a valid argument back, it's just that Piggot strikes me as the kind of person who leans more to the ends justify the means spectrum, than the other way. And for MM to not recruit Taylor, despite the possible issues that may stem up, is pretty close to dereliction in her mind. But, corrrect me if I'm wrong.

Also, being called in at 2 in the morning to figure out a money issue at your work is downright exhausting. Not to mention ruins my already delicate body clock. So don't take everything I'm saying as Word of God...yet lol
 
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I think the problem is you are forgetting what genre Naruto is firmly entrenched in, and that is shonen. It is of course going to be flashy to the point of the plot taking a backseat, because in order to attract their target group they have to root themselves in the flashiness. Even the most grounded of shonen anime and manga has a tendency to go a bit far because their target audience are largely teenage boys, or as I jokingly call them, Bayites. As a result, as you saw Naruto ratchet up, you saw Kishimoto's storytelling take a nosedive because he had caught himself in his own trap of flashy abilities because he had to one-up himself with each fight in order to make it 'appealing' in a series of escalating jutsu fights. As a result, I felt that the vast majority of material between Post-Pein and Madara's Resurrection were largely lackluster because of it (with a few exceptions, outside of the ginormous asspull that was Izanami, the fight between Kabuto, Itachi, and Sasuke was rather decent).



Lemme put it this way, you have been informed by the person that you have deliberately tasked to recruit a subject you have an interest, that they not only have chosen not to recruit said subject, but then lays out the various abilities that has been observed that signifies an asset that has a vast utility that could be a massive boon to your organization in the fight to achieve your objectives. Not only does this cape show abilities that can be utilized in offensive and defensive situations, but they also have hinted, through their abilities, to be a significant intelligence-gathering capability that can be undetectable, not to mention a myriad of other abilities

But your subordinate chose not to enact your orders, nevermind they suggested that said subject should join an entity, that while you have a liaison with, is outside of your chain of command. They didn't put them to it, they just simply walked away, leaving said subject to choose to either become a cape, or possibly a villain. How would you respond?

Honestly, I think any sane person would be downright incensed. That is not to say that MM cannot make a valid argument back, it's just that Piggot strikes me as the kind of person who leans more to the ends justify the means spectrum, than the other way. And for MM to not recruit Taylor, despite the possible issues that may stem up, is pretty close to dereliction in her mind. But, corrrect me if I'm wrong.

Also, being called in at 2 in the morning to figure out a money issue at your work is downright exhausting. Not to mention ruins my already delicate body clock. So don't take everything I'm saying as Word of God...yet lol
I'm just saying that with powers like Taylor's there's very little the Protectorate or PRT could do to force her to play ball, especially since the cat of her secret identity is already out of the bag.

If they tell her about Sophia before she signs a contract then she's never going to join and will likely hate them. If they hide the Sophia until she's already signed the paperwork then she will despise them and either leave or go on a rampage. Contracts are not magically binding after all and its not like branding her an outlaw would do much to her ability to live her life when she has practically no ties to anything and can shapeshift.

It just seems to me that the only sensible option is to delay the recruitment until they can get rid of Sophia so that Taylor never finds out about it.
 
But MM doesn't realize this. This is all from MM's perspective.....at least when I wrote that originally...okay, lemme go fix that.

She was able to feel and/or see her clone disappearing. It's a thinker power as if she leave a clone outside, she can have it scuicide to inform her that the police is here for exemple.
 
Name suggestion:
Sheaf ~ as in a sheaf of papers. Fold ~ self-descriptive.

Given Konans input something like Angelfold or Subtlefold is possible.
 
Could use something that plays off "wolf in the fold" but that seems more villainous to me. Oh, I know! Pulp Hero!

Meh, I still like Ream or Binder best.
 
Lemme put it this way, you have been informed by the person that you have deliberately tasked to recruit a subject you have an interest, that they not only have chosen not to recruit said subject, but then lays out the various abilities that has been observed that signifies an asset that has a vast utility that could be a massive boon to your organization in the fight to achieve your objectives. Not only does this cape show abilities that can be utilized in offensive and defensive situations, but they also have hinted, through their abilities, to be a significant intelligence-gathering capability that can be undetectable, not to mention a myriad of other abilities

But your subordinate chose not to enact your orders, nevermind they suggested that said subject should join an entity, that while you have a liaison with, is outside of your chain of command. They didn't put them to it, they just simply walked away, leaving said subject to choose to either become a cape, or possibly a villain. How would you respond?

Honestly, I think any sane person would be downright incensed. That is not to say that MM cannot make a valid argument back, it's just that Piggot strikes me as the kind of person who leans more to the ends justify the means spectrum, than the other way. And for MM to not recruit Taylor, despite the possible issues that may stem up, is pretty close to dereliction in her mind. But, corrrect me if I'm wrong.

...This is vastly out of character for MM, now that I think about it.

Fanon has a habit of portraying MM as the matronly 'nice' figure that's more reasonable and approachable compared to Armsmaster, but she was first and foremost a soldier that follows orders to the letter. It's why Piggot had a more amiable relationship with her, iirc.

Though considering the fact that Taylor is outed already, that she told MM that one of the Wards was bullying her and was more than likely the cause of her trigger, and that she showed a general sense of distrust and paranoia MM prolly realized that the hard sell wasn't going to work and was more than likely going to cause Taylor to react aggressively. It's better to leave options open for the girl so she doesn't feel too pressured, but keep the option on the table and urge her to at the very least do research on her own and meet with the only other Hero team in town. At the very least, she's still on the side of the heroes and can be with those that understand life as an unmasked cape.

...Or at least, that's how I think MM would justify this to herself and others. I don't expect the recruitment pitches to be over soon, but the PRT as a whole has to deal with the Sophia situation as soon as possible, and bringing up that problem would be a valid addition to her justifications. Bleh...
 
I'm just saying that with powers like Taylor's there's very little the Protectorate or PRT could do to force her to play ball, especially since the cat of her secret identity is already out of the bag.

If they tell her about Sophia before she signs a contract then she's never going to join and will likely hate them. If they hide the Sophia until she's already signed the paperwork then she will despise them and either leave or go on a rampage. Contracts are not magically binding after all and its not like branding her an outlaw would do much to her ability to live her life when she has practically no ties to anything and can shapeshift.

It just seems to me that the only sensible option is to delay the recruitment until they can get rid of Sophia so that Taylor never finds out about it.

...This is vastly out of character for MM, now that I think about it.

Fanon has a habit of portraying MM as the matronly 'nice' figure that's more reasonable and approachable compared to Armsmaster, but she was first and foremost a soldier that follows orders to the letter. It's why Piggot had a more amiable relationship with her, iirc.

Though considering the fact that Taylor is outed already, that she told MM that one of the Wards was bullying her and was more than likely the cause of her trigger, and that she showed a general sense of distrust and paranoia MM prolly realized that the hard sell wasn't going to work and was more than likely going to cause Taylor to react aggressively. It's better to leave options open for the girl so she doesn't feel too pressured, but keep the option on the table and urge her to at the very least do research on her own and meet with the only other Hero team in town. At the very least, she's still on the side of the heroes and can be with those that understand life as an unmasked cape.

...Or at least, that's how I think MM would justify this to herself and others. I don't expect the recruitment pitches to be over soon, but the PRT as a whole has to deal with the Sophia situation as soon as possible, and bringing up that problem would be a valid addition to her justifications. Bleh...

And that's where I'm playing on the divergence. MM was the boots on the ground in this case, and made a judgement call that would, at least in her mind at the moment, better benefit the PRT than trying to push recruiting Taylor into the Wards. It's just too fluid of a situation with too many pitfalls that could blow up in all of their faces if they follow SOP. It's why she recommended New Wave instead, because it is a group that is aligned at least with the local capes, and it will look out for what is best for Taylor, despite the circumstances. Maybe in the future, once they clean house, they can extend an invitation to Taylor, but for now, she feels that it is best to simply provide choices and maybe someone to talk to for Taylor to decide.

It's just, Piggot is not going to be pleased regardless, because of the PRT's tacit complicity in this entire debacle. And when MM provides an brief overview of what she observed, it will only drive in more of how SS kinda screwed them out of a useful asset.

I think that's what I'm trying to say, but it's right now just coming out as mush. Sorry about all of that. Talking with all of you is a means for me to finetune everything in a way. I'll answer things once I get some shuteye, but I have to work the next three days, and Magery is incommunicado for me until Sunday(?). So at best bet, expect maybe a monday evening, tuesday morning release, barring my intermittent sleep schedule.
 
I think most of that can be summed up like this:

Rubbing her forehead with a stifled growl, Director Piggot slumped into her seat for a moment before straightening to start typing her own notes about the report. "God damn it, Sophia..." she muttered, through clenched teeth.
 
And that's where I'm playing on the divergence. MM was the boots on the ground in this case, and made a judgement call that would, at least in her mind at the moment, better benefit the PRT than trying to push recruiting Taylor into the Wards. It's just too fluid of a situation with too many pitfalls that could blow up in all of their faces if they follow SOP. It's why she recommended New Wave instead, because it is a group that is aligned at least with the local capes, and it will look out for what is best for Taylor, despite the circumstances. Maybe in the future, once they clean house, they can extend an invitation to Taylor, but for now, she feels that it is best to simply provide choices and maybe someone to talk to for Taylor to decide.

It's just, Piggot is not going to be pleased regardless, because of the PRT's tacit complicity in this entire debacle. And when MM provides an brief overview of what she observed, it will only drive in more of how SS kinda screwed them out of a useful asset.

I think that's what I'm trying to say, but it's right now just coming out as mush. Sorry about all of that. Talking with all of you is a means for me to finetune everything in a way. I'll answer things once I get some shuteye, but I have to work the next three days, and Magery is incommunicado for me until Sunday(?). So at best bet, expect maybe a monday evening, tuesday morning release, barring my intermittent sleep schedule.
Personally I like that you're deliberately having the PRT and Protectorate here be a fractured and fractious organization(s) instead of some monolithic entity where everyone is on the same page and all working harmoniously together.
Fanfic should have more internal conflicts in their big bureaucracies like this that you have cropping up between Hanna and Piggot 's take on this situation.

In the other hand the scene was still written very hamfistedly or you wouldn't have spent so many posts here explaining to us readers your reasons for why this scene went down the way it did.

So 10/10 for originality, but only 4/10 for execution and I honestly feel that may be being too generous on the execution but it is only the second chapter so I'm trying to cut you some slack there.
 
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Thinker? Oh my poor sweet child, if only. Taylor has already shown a myriad of power classifications to MM's observations (Course, you could call me out for this, this is merely upon my readings of the power classifications and I'll take it under consideration):

Mover: Her little magic trick by turning into paper and travelling the distrance from Winslow to her home.

Shaker: Possible, considering she technically has paperkinesis (at least from what MM has seen Taylor do), the fact that she can fall apart into paper and cover an area, along with creating weapons creates a possible area of effect ability.

Brute: Possible, though would need more analysis. Likely low level considering her ability to transform, but possibly higher considering she can change the density, keenness of objects from her paper (the kunai, for example)

Breaker: Please. She's the very definition o fit.

Master: Unknown, but considering the flower was a part of Taylor, it's possible. Then there is the 'clone'....

Blaster: Can create throwable objects from paper, and can control said paper? What's to stop her from simply launching barrages of kunais and other sharp throwable objects with the flick of a wrist or a wave of the hand?

Thinker: Honestly, reading Thinkers, she wouldn't really fall under that considering she has no enhancements in knowledge or better perception. What she does have is the ability to spy unnoticed.

Striker: The power to create weapons. Check.

Changer: Dear God, Yes. In betwen the clone and the fact that Taylor had literally become a part of the room without MM even realizing it. Do you realize the type of nightmares intelligence scenarios that would be running through the PRT's head at that idea.

Stranger: Clones. Taylor can create at least one clone, that can change it's appearance even slightly. And by the conversation, it can do so much more if it was merely a minor cosmetic thing to her eyes to changer her vision.

Yeah, the meeting between MM and Piggot is not going to be the most....pleasant of meetings considering MM by every estimation, dropped the ball in not recruiting Taylor.

That is, if I can get this bloody interlude done. In between finally having a working controller for FFXV and my problems in feeling comfortable with what I'm writing, I hope to hae it done by early next week? Gotta work all this weekend and today was actually my first day off from work, so I wanted to enjoy it.

For very versatile powers, the PRT generally just assigns two or three primary classifications and then sub-ratings as necessary. Taylor's primary ratings here would likely see her as a Breaker/Shaker combination. Sub ratings would likely include Mover, Master, Changer, Stranger, and maybe Thinker.

Striker and and Blaster I find unlikely, because those would simply fit into her Shaker power like other telekinetic such as Rune or Shatterbird. Both can throw the things they control at people, and Shatterbird can easily create shards of glass that are essentially weapons, so Blaster isn't really relevant. Striker wouldn't make sense because her ability to make weapons and use them isn't limited by melee-range or touch. The PRT just simply wouldn't bother with these ratings and would just note these as methods by which her power can be used. However, if she starts using explosive tags a fairly high Blaster rating would likely be added, possibly even to her main ratings, because that goes beyond just a Shaker/Breaker ability to control and become paper.

Thinker would depend on how much they know about her info gathering abilities. What she's displayed to MM doesn't indicate any Thinker abilities as it isn't readily apparent that Taylor can sense through her paper, except maybe the clone, and that would probably fall under her Stranger and Master ratings. If she got a Thinker rating at this point, it would be a speculated Thinker 0 due to Taylor being unusually calm and logical for someone in her situation - powers affecting people's mentality isn't entirely unusual, and in this case while it's not a superpower it is a noteworthy change.

If she starts going into Fuinjutsu beyond explosive tags, there's also a chance at a Trump and/or Tinker rating of some kind.

So, right now I'd guess they'd give her a preliminary rating of Shaker 4-6 / Breaker 2-3 (Mover, Master, Changer, Stranger [all fairly low level at this time], and maybe Thinker 0). Ratings will likely go up over time as the PRT seems to rate fairly conservatively until a particular parahuman proves to be more dangerous.
 
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This story makes me think of the more grey areas of super-heroing.
For example, most super heroes avoid killing, and other more gritty anti-heroes jump straight to the murder-fest.

Relatively few go for some constructive maiming, or at least not deliberately.
After all, even if you can't take away their powers, a good shot to the knees could easily end a lot of violent criminal careers while still allowing a reasonably normal life.

And in the heat of battle, people get hurt.
In fact, one of the most common unrealistic elements of the genre is how robust the heroes and villains are, even if they have no specific powers to resist injury.

PRT: "We are concerned about your excessive use of force."

Hero: "He's a Striker, given half a second and I would be dead!"

PRT: "You shattered both knees, elbows, ankles and wrists!"

Hero: "Most terrifying quarter-second of my life."

Villain: "You have to heal me!"

PRT: "You will be given medical care, in a few years you might even be able to use a walker."

Villain: "I demand Panacea helps me!"

PRT: "We are required to give reasonably comprehensive medical care, we are not required to use extraordinary measures. Even though she volunteers, Panacea's time is literally priceless and we don't feel it's necessary to place you above people who have actual life-threatening problems."



Of course, this leads to some darker tactics as well.

Antihero: "Everybody freeze! I have Kaiser hostage!"

Kreig: "Ha! We know you won't kill him, you're a hero."

Antihero: "Sure I won't kill him, but I am perfectly capable of cutting off his hands and cauterizing the stumps. Too bad Othala can't regenerate limbs."

Kreig: "Go ahead and arrest him, we'll break him out soon!"

Antihero: "Sure, I won't be able to stop you from leaving, so here's the deal, there are 7 members of the Empire here, for every one that doesn't surrender and go peacefully into custody, I will remove a chunk of Kaiser."

Kaiser: "They will never fall for that bluff."

Antihero:"Oh, I'm counting on it. You'll have plenty of time to look at your stumps and think about how much loyalty they don't have. If you do get out, that should be an interesting conversation. I figure either you'll go down, the Empire will go down, or both."
 
Let's see...
With Konan's powers Taylor is a Stranger, Shaker, Striker, Mover, Changer, Master, and that's just what she's shown so far.

If she has memories of the Sealing Arts, or common genjutsu and ninjutsu, and can make paper bombs, or seal things, she'll be even more dangerous
 
Honestly, I think any sane person would be downright incensed. That is not to say that MM cannot make a valid argument back, it's just that Piggot strikes me as the kind of person who leans more to the ends justify the means spectrum, than the other way. And for MM to not recruit Taylor, despite the possible issues that may stem up, is pretty close to dereliction in her mind. But, corrrect me if I'm wrong.
I'm sure Piggot understands to some degree that pushing an outed, teenage Cape to the Wards is not the best idea in the world. Of course, it is because she understands that is making her upset. She knows MM didn't really do anything wrong, but that doesn't mean she isn't upset about the situation. After all, every request for extra Capes or experienced Wards is ignored for some reason...
Rubbing her forehead with a stifled growl, Director Piggot slumped into her seat for a moment before straightening to start typing her own notes about the report. "God damn it, Sophia..." she muttered, through clenched teeth.
Everyone often forget that Piggot doesn't ignore Sophia's actions as a civilian; Piggot has more important things to deal with than sift through a probationary Ward's civilian life personally. Piggot is supposed to be given a report by Sophia's caseworker. Unfortunately, that caseworker is a lazy bitch that wants an easy job. It is likely true, however; that Piggot hasn't taking any significant action with Sophia (i.e. kicking her sorry butt into juvie) because she has a useful power that has armor-piercing like a discount Flechette.
Worm Wiki said:
Sophia was capable of shifting herself into a "shadow state" which allowed her to pass through walls and made her lightweight. She could pass on these attributes onto her equipment, including shots fired by her crossbow bolts.

I'm not trying to call you out on anything. Your quote just made it easier for me to bring this up.
 
Everyone often forget that Piggot doesn't ignore Sophia's actions as a civilian; Piggot has more important things to deal with than sift through a probationary Ward's civilian life personally.
I didn't say that she did - it would be extremely out of character for her to softball a cape taking advantage of a normie, in fact. I was referring to the fact that Sophi's actions have effectively dynamited the shore and seeded the rubble with landmines before anyone even knew they might want to build a bridge there.
 
So, just dropping an update here for all of you. Running a bit behind on my writing, but I have maybe 500 words left on the interlude before I pass it off to Magery. A lot of what we've discussed here has actually had a bit of an impact upon how I've written this interlude, so if you see it, just know you guys were a lot of help.

So yeah, Soon.
 
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So, just dropping an update here for all of you. Running a bit behind on my writing, but I have maybe 500 words left on the interlude before I pass it off to Magery. A lot of what we've discussed here has actually had a bit of an impact upon how I've written this interlude, so if you see it, just know you guys were a lot of help.

So yeah, Soon.
Please god let it be before finals end.
 
Interlude 1.x - Hannah
Interlude 1.x - Hannah


Her return to the headquarters of the Brockton Bay Protectorate found her filling the paperwork necessary to log and register the ornate paper flower that Taylor had given her for Master/Stranger protocols, on the off chance it was a trap. Hannah doubted it. Even the duty officer had given her a strange look when he had thought she hadn't been looking.


"Didn't know you liked flowers," a new voice drew her attention as she finished her form, adding a signature to it before she slid the clipboard across the counter to the on-duty officer along with the flower, who then took it to the back. That done, she met the gaze of Colin Wallis, better known by his cape name of Armsmaster.


"It's a gift from a new cape."


"And you are putting it through Master/Stranger protocols?"


"Because the cape created it out of paper that came from her body."


"Ah. And where is this cape?"


"Still at home," she held up a hand to stop Colin from asking why that was, "look Colin, I'm not one to tell you on how to do your job, so I'd appreciate it that you do the same. She would have never worked out with the Wards regardless of how we tried to spin it. She's been outed, and her powers are unique enough that it will only take a few moments for anyone to recognize them and start making connections. In public, she would be just as alone as she is now because the Wards would be unable to be around her without people starting to wonder. Then there is the matter of Shadow Stalker."


"She will be disciplined."


"That's not enough. That video? That was just a sample of what has been going on for the last year and a half. It's bad enough that the other Wards don't like working with her because of her attitude, but it doesn't stop there."


"And you believe this new cape?"


"She had no reason to lie to me," Hannah retorted irritably, of course Colin would fight her on this, "and because she specified that it started around the same time Shadow Stalker had been placed there."


"And you sure of this?"


"Would I be bringing this up if I wasn't?"


After meeting his gaze for a few moments, she watched as he let out a sigh and shook his head.


"Okay, I'll have disciplinary hearing preparations done. We really can't afford to lose any capes at the moment, Hannah."


"I know, but is she really worth it?"


He only answered her question with a grunt, and he turned to stride away. As he was about to leave earshot, she remembered something.


"Oh, and Colin," this caused him to stop, "I expect that flower back once it passes the protocols. I don't want to have to enter your workshop to retrieve it."


There was a slight nod from him, before he walked away, leaving Hannah with the next beast that she would have to slay: one that was honestly more difficult than Colin. Taking a deep cleansing breath, she walked over to the elevator and entered it, tapping the number for the floor she wished to go to before it rose up.


After about a minute, it reached its destination. The door opened, allowing her to disembark before she set her course for the Director's office. After a few minutes of wait, she found herself being ushered into the office and left alone with Director Emily Piggot.


If there was one word to describe the woman who sat behind the desk to those who knew her, it would be uncompromising. To those who didn't, Emily Piggot looked like the stereotypical caricature of a bureaucrat: overweight and beady-eyed. She very much resembled what the nickname that no one would be caught dead saying around her evoked - 'Piggy'.


Of course, that had not always been true of the Director, who had been one of only two survivors of unholy terror of Nilbog. Now, though, it was reality. The woman had become a battleaxe in her role as the Director of the Brockton Bay Protectorate, not flinching in the face of a nearly Sisyphean task to keep Brockton Bay from falling into chaos.


"Director," Hannah greeted.


Silver eyes flicked up to her for a moment, before they returned to the computer she had been working on. After a few more minutes, in which her eyes narrowed considerably in a tell that Hannah knew conveyed nothing too good for the source of the woman's irritation, the Director finally refocused completely upon her.


"I take it the recruitment did not go well," the Director intoned, the question more of a statement than anything.


"Unfortunately. It seems Miss Hess' actions today is not an isolated incident. According to Miss Hebert, there has been a campaign of harassment and bullying orchestrated by all three of the girls spanning a year and a half, coinciding to when we placed her at Winslow."


"Can it be proven?"


"With a thorough investigation more than likely. The indicators are there if you look closely enough. And it's doubtful that Miss Hess was anything but at the forefront at whatever it was that took place, she's never been much of a follower."


There was a soft sound that almost sounded like a hum of agreement, but Hannah immediately discarded it as the computer fan, considering who it was that would have made the sound. Instead, she chose to remain silent until the Director spoke again.


"Putting the Shadow Stalker issue aside, I would like your reasoning as to why you didn't attempt to recruit her regardless. We could always have moved her to a different city."


"I had considered it, Director," she admitted, "but she has been unmasked. Even if we were able to move her, which I think would be unlikely, her abilities are too unique for someone not to recognize her immediately considering the video. It's been plastered all over the boards. We would be placing an undue burden upon a girl who didn't ask for any of this, and who didn't have a chance to be able to hide her identity."


"That may be, Miss Militia, but if you had recruited her, she would at least be protected. Now she's a rogue, and we both know what happens to rogues."


"I recommended that she reach out to New Wave. That way even if she is not a part of the Protectorate, she will still working with us. And I felt, looking at her situation... I think she, and by extension the rest of us, would be better served if she had the Pelhams and Dallons there for her."


"And what if they turn her down?"


"Then I'll approach her again, Director. I know you don't care for catering to individual capes, and I agree it sets a dangerous precedent, but if New Wave doesn't work out, then making some concessions may go a long way to ensure Miss Hebert at least works with us."


She knew it was breaking decorum in this situation, but she felt that she needed to at least give a lay of the land to the Director before she made a definitive ruling on the matter. It was likely that Piggot was testing her rationale, but it was better to be safe to avoid possibly alienating a cape in a way that they turned villain.


"In my meeting with Miss Hebert, she showed several abilities that could possibly run the gamut of power classifications. Our Thinkers will have… fun trying to ascertain where she fits, I think. That aside, there are two abilities that I think you should know about immediately. The first is that she can create paper replicas of herself that can fully communicate—whether independent or controlled I am unsure—with further possibility that they can be disguised through a form of transformation; the second is during my talk with her clone, she was currently in the room watching me while having dispersed herself into paper that molded into the surroundings and blended completely in. If it wasn't for a lack of experience on Miss Herbert's part in using her powers, I have a feeling I would have never realized what she had been doing."


Her piece being said, she relaxed just slightly, knowing that what she had said would get through to the Director. Piggot, in all of the time she had dealt with the woman, was a hard, but mostly fair woman, who would look at the situation in its entirety and make the decisions that while they may not exactly be right, were the best for largely everyone involved.


Especially with a cape that, for all intents and purposes, would be an extraordinarily effective field intelligence gatherer. It was a role that didn't necessitate direct Protectorate oversight, as long as they got the information anyway. Hannah was far too experienced to dismiss how useful that was - and the Director was her senior there, too.


The associations with Nilbog were not insignificant—a cape with a Master ability capable of creating separate constructs—but there was a very big difference between the two situations, and Hannah didn't think the Piggot would ignore that either.


"I take it that you will be getting in contact with New Wave after this?"


"As soon as I leave here, I will be making the phone call. I hope that the Dallons will be visiting her within the next couple of days."


For a moment, she was worried that Piggot would insist that they take a more active approach to recruiting Taylor. She understood perfectly why Piggot would do so, considering the balance of power in Brockton Bay was shaky enough to where one or two incidents could devolve Brockton Bay into a warzone. It was risky letting an unaligned, unmasked cape 'simmer' on her own while you waited for a force that wasn't yours to make contact with her.


But Hannah had explained the situation as she saw it, including all her reasons, and Piggot knew that Hannah didn't make decisions she didn't think were justified.


"Very well, get in contact with the Dallons," Piggot finally declared, "if they decide to pass on her, I want you to go back and visit with Miss Hebert. Until then, I want you to share your observations with our Thinkers so they can get to work on at least providing us an outline of what she may be capable of."


"Understood ma'am. What about Hess?"


Piggot's expression darkened. "The only thing that will be able to save her at this juncture is if this turns out to be a one-time incident. Even then it won't be without repercussions. And if it isn't, I would like to know if she's been deliberately hiding it from us, or if somebody else has. I will make a determination once an investigation has been made. Until then, she will remain on the streets with additional supervision. I am entrusting that to you, Miss Militia."


If it was anyone else, she would have likely taken it as Piggot punishing her for not recruiting Taylor, but considering the situation, it was perfectly understandable. Piggot at least loosely trusted her to do what was best for the Protectorate, and keeping an eye on Shadow Stalker in the field would likely be beneficial, especially when Hannah knew to watch her closely.


Nodding in acknowledgement, she recognized the dismissal as Piggot turned back her computer and was already back to work on it, and so she made her way to the door.


"Oh, and Miss Militia… while I am not displeased with your reasoning in handling Miss Hebert, do not contravene my orders in the future without conferring with me."
 
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