Ticket Punched
(
Previously)
I don't really want to go in there and get shot. But I
do have an invitation, sort of, and I'm safer than I was a minute ago. Also, I'm planning to attack the
Slaughterhouse Nine. I can walk back in there with only one arm auged. So I do.
When I do, I see Nonstop. He's about halfway across the warehouse, coming over at a brisk pace - I
like his outfit; black armor styled like a train conductor, hat brim and everything. I think his mask is glowing. I call out "I got your letter", and hold up the document in question. He waits until he's about twenty feet away before answering. "Yes, that looks accurate. What's in the box?"
"Toybox fusion reactor," I reply, "and I'm actually a frontline cape. I also have critical info on the Nine."
"Who are you?" I can't see his expression at all.
"I'm a new hero. Very new, very powerful. I'm calling myself Philosopher, but it's provisional. What do you need to know?"
He's silent for a moment. "Watchdog wants a photograph. Do you consent to provide one, given that you appear to be unmasked?"
That startles me a little - I forgot about needing one. "Um, yeah. I was planning to use my power for that, but I've been reluctant to experiment with it just yet."
He doesn't answer, just stares at me for a minute. I presume he's photographing me, and wonder what sort of lens he's using - diamond? Then he starts again. "Confirmed. Come on, let's get you read in."
Two vote options this time! Firstly, how much of my canon knowledge do I share and under what pretenses?
[ ] Deflection. Claim that my powers involve an indirect Thinker aspect regarding past atrocities. (Technically true.) Conceals my future knowledge.
*Says with some confidence that The Siberian is actually a projection, which is why she's immune to most anti-power effects, in addition to my personal theory that she's a rolling-telefrag sculpture.
*Speculates that Jack has a secondary power to read and influence Parahuman minds, but cannot back this up well. Can't claim
specific immunity to that effect unless you guys can come up with tactics that convince me, but I might be able to bluff a broader immunity for the moment.
[ ] Primary Disclosure. Claim to be a time traveler from an alternate 2020, returning with information and weaponry to avert disaster.
*Lets me explain almost everything, but I don't know if it'll aggro Cauldron.
*"Everything" includes Zion.
*Tactics will be really useful to avoid showing discrepancies. "Skitter is our main infosource" is an obvious explanation for a lot of my perspective quirks, but "my primary experience with
powers is from her 2011 career and Gold Morning" is... trickier.
[ ] Impersonate Cauldron. This is probably viable. Ish. With tactics.
Secondly, what help has been provided for this particular endeavor? By default you're getting Whetstone, who wants to try his vorpal sword power on the Siberian, and Chirault, whose 'hand' tech helped a lot with the assembly zone. You're also getting as many PRT soldiers as are expected to be useful.
Narwhal
would have been coordinating extraction if this goes south, but then the Exclusion Zone broke and grabbed basically all the volunteers with S-Rank contracts (which was most of them).
You may pick
three options, plus one for every
new Bonus Point you spend. One Bonus Point will be awarded if you can come up with a really cool cape name for me!
[ ] The Burning Sword - a lightsaber. Anonymous donation, suspected to be from a villain in Alberta. Chirault is planning to stay with the factory and possibly die tin its' defense, Nonstop doesn't have a lot of use for it, and Whetstone's power isn't compatible. Also, it actually does involve a silicon circuitboard, but the sender was pretty sure its' sound-based plasma containment would protect the whole thing from Shatterbird's power while active. Nonstop was planning to leave it at home. But with my speed, it would be a different story...
-[ ] Berserker Claws. Requires and consumes Burning Sword. When Chirault saw my arm, she was inspired to reformat the weapon into a pair of glove-prosthetics. (A pair of bracelets implanted just in front of the elbow, which can dimension-toggle between my fully-functional human hands and my plasma-claw-projecting robot ones.) I accepted this.
[ ] Lone Ranger - Trickshooter shows up to help. She's a 'specialty ammunition' Tinker, and a
really good power-assisted markswoman/gunsmith. Has a number of special bullet types she's hoping will at least soft-counter the Nine's current roster, and brought enough to share with the whole class. Would make PRT troopers
considerably more effective.
[ ] Invisibility Ink - A gift from Lacquer, non-member Toybox affiliate. Bioelectric-powered broad-spectrum optical camouflage, enough to cover about thirty people. Not
exceptionally useful against the Nine, who have several anti-Stranger defenses, but still a marginal upgrade with a lot of long-term utility.
[ ] Dragon's Hoard (two picks) - Dragon, naturally, donated pretty much everything she could spare to this project. In this case, that means everything captured from Bloom (the unfolding-structure tinker), which includes some really pretty good power armor. It's not compatible with Nonstop's, but it would be amazing for me, and even better for Trickshooter (although most of the advantage for her is long-term). Also, having analyzed it will give the train a couple of good new tricks.
[ ] Concept Train (free with five picks) - Lacquer has taken the train as a personal project, providing his assistance with lubricants, sealants, armor, camouflage, and tinker-solicitation. Most of Toybox would send something in for field-testing. Increases both train and factory's capacity considerably, to the point that Trainyard will be a major power if it survives the upcoming fight.
(Last time the vote was nearly unanimous for Violaceous Devil Arm. Argument power was mixed.)
EDIT, because it may help with planning:
The attack plan is somewhat dependent on how much I tell them, but their existing strategy is to load up and head south, track Shatterbird's next song (history suggests it'll be a day or two at most, given my earlier entry date), and start shelling them from long range. The train needs rails to outrun them, but it's still fairly mobile in hovercraft mode, and that's vastly improved by the reactor.
(1068 words.)
