Chapter 9.3
Bonus Round, Part 2:
[X] Bonus Point: Backing (PRT) ●●●●●
What's Old Is New:
[X] Saki maintains her old Secret/Civilian Identity
Only Skin Deep:
[X] Saki's 'Everyday' Look: Post-Surgery Saki ("Professionally Pretty," App 4)
Spiritual Recovery Efforts:
[X] Push SoPA Sometimes: Philadelphia Crime HIGH, Reconstruction LOW, SoPA Full Recovery ETA 4 Weeks
Too Fancy For This World:
[X] Let Lord Grasp rest and recharge in TwinSpace regularly, allow him to come and go when he pleases.
- [x] Stunt: New York has seen many strange things on its streets to date. But a car sized scorpion amiably trundling through it's streets, bedecked in brilliant logos and stopping every so often to examine points of interest with a bemused Clockblocker waving atop was not something you see on the typical Tuesday evening.
Free Actions:
[X] EOA - Free Action: "Current status, Sergeant Powell?" "Weaver. Glad you're here. Cape's on the top floor of the complex with hostages. Possible Master. Too many sight lines to catch them unaware." She nodded grimly, turning to the troopers with her and touching them each with her fingertip. "Don't worry, Sergeant. We'll handle this," she said before they all vanished from sight.
[X] FPoP - Free Action: "Wyld was hesitant with Bulldozer's... condition, but... s-said maybe-," Willow started. A large cerulean hand gently enveloped her fragile shoulder, stopping its shaking. "The tree bends but does not break, young Willow. Nor does it stand alone." Vajra turned to the wall of teleconferencing Case-53s. Each needful. Each hoping. "I believe the PRT will heed me better now."
[X] WoRI - Free Action: "Oww. Thanks, Saki," Missy said as the other Ward lowered her onto the sofa. "They got the worst out, but I'm still sore in places. I just wish the Common Room had better furniture." Saki felt a pressure on her prison charm, and a smile crept up her face. "Um. I know someone who can help with that, Missy."
XP Expenditures:
[X] EOA - 4 XP - Occult ●●●●●
[X] WoRI - 2 XP - Investigation (Body Language ●●○)
[X] FPoP - 4XP - Presence ●●●○○
***
According to the Wards Handbook - the dryest, most boring book you've ever read, despite being filled with instructions for life-and-death situations and terrifying cape-life realities - Master/Stranger Protocols are designed to be used when someone is suspected of being "compromised." The "Level" usually describes what type of "containment" is to be used, ranging from one to six; Level One is basically a full ID scan with some questions about the person's activities over the last few days, and Level Five is around three months of genetic, tissue, and brain scans combined with constant questions about your entire life - including your memory and reactions to the containment process.
Level Six was introduced to deal with Simurgh victims, but it's not in the Wards Handbook. When you and the others had asked Bladedancer what it was, her smile had fallen quickly.
"That's just a bomb dressed up as a friend," she'd muttered, looking across the training mat to nothing in particular. "Kill 'em before they blow up."
After that training session, Missy had wondered aloud to your group if that was why cape casualties during Simurgh fights was so high. Nobody had answered beyond some muted hums of consideration, but Taylor had looked especially grim for the rest of the day.
Which… well, when you'd heard the full story of what Taylor went through at the Cradle, you were more surprised that the PRT hadn't stuck her - and, probably, you - in a hole for a few months while they tried to figure out what had actually happened.
There'd been plenty of witnesses and recordings of the Simurgh's dive-bomb (literally) into the crater, since it'd generated a shockwave that could be heard up in the Refugee Camp thirty miles away. The various devices in Taylor's suit recorded nothing but static during the whole fight, apparently, which… surprised exactly no one, really, and the other PRT and geological monitoring gear (those that survived the shockwave) were similarly blank.
Investigation into the crater lake itself had uncovered bits and pieces that might have been the 'hand' - created from metal support beams and wires - that the Simurgh had used to capture Taylor in the fight, but that had only been a consolation prize; the PRT and Dragon hadn't been able to recover the upper torso of the Simurgh that she had torn off herself near the end of the fight. Though they'd initially worried about there still being remnants of something that can dissolve Endbringers contaminating the area, the search had ultimately been called off after they realized the whole mass had sunk through, boiled, and dissolved one hundred feet of rock before plunging into the still-cooling magma pool under the crater itself.
Dragon had stepped in at the time to provide secondary confirmation of at least part of the story - the whole, 'she tore herself in half and then teleported Legend to a different dimension, and Eidolon had to go find him' - which had been why Taylor had been allowed to return to Philadelphia to help with the final part of the Slaughterhouse Nine fight, but…
"...-PRT's investigation remains ongoing, with their 'Slaughterhouse Aftermath Committee' - as it's being called - still asking for anyone that was affected by the final events of last Tuesday to contact them at-"
You turn off the TV, sighing as the earnest-seeming news anchor spouts off the same line you've heard at least a dozen times in the last two days.
At Master/Stranger Protocol Level Three, the only entertainment choice you have is whether the TV is muted and/or dimmed low enough to allow you to sleep. "No foreign materials" means no books or clothes (outside of the PRT-issue white jumpsuit), and "no ability to communicate with the outside" means no ability to use the Internet. Everything is being watched and recorded, so that the PRT can compare it to your behavior from before... which means that even the bathroom is probably filled with cameras and microphones.
Taylor would have gone crazy if she'd been put in Level Three (or higher!) containment. Though, even her Level Two containment was basically in name-only (something about the Youth Guard?) - she got Internet access and all sorts of Tinkertech to play with… while you've been stuck with ABC Channel 4 and its absolutely Maker-awful programming. Well, ok, Two Rogues and A Baby is pretty funny, and Capes of Our Lives is still the best soap, but beyond those and the news you've been bored out of your mind.
If you'd been allowed to meditate like how Taylor and Prayer did, then maybe it would have been easier, but they'd asked you specifically to avoid doing that just in case your… uh, 'make lots of smoke and get all glowy' thing does anything like Taylor's used to.
But Legend, Chevalier, and Miss Militia had all asked nicely, and Prayer said it was necessary. What were you going to do? Say 'no' to that?
Okay, so, you did sort of say that if you went in then they had to deal with Lord Grasp while you were in containment… though it was phrased as more, "oh and here's Lord Grasp bye!" as you tossed his cat-sized form at Prayer while the door to your cell closed.
You giggle to yourself at the memory of his flailing squawk of protest and the muffled shouts of alarm before the seals engaged. You'd belatedly realized that he might try to tear through the door to get back to you, which made you worry for a few minutes, but your two days of containment have been scorpion-free.
Sighing to yourself again and falling back onto the (surprisingly comfortable) mattress, you look up at the blank white ceiling of your single-occupancy cell. Your lunch slid in through the dispenser on the wall… two hours ago? Three? You should be done pretty soon-
There's a pop in your ears as you feel the pressure in the room drop ever-so-slightly, coinciding with a light hiss from where the door into the room has been hidden for the past two days. The smooth, bare, white ceramic wall suddenly sports a door-sized indentation, which immediately afterwards slides open to reveal-
"Warden!"
-a very agitated-looking silver-and-gold scorpion taking up most of the doorway. Behind him is Prayer, though she's wearing an armored costume passingly-similar in style to Alexandria's, except full of purples, whites, and blues instead of the Triumvirate member's grey-and-black coloration. She's even got a white shoulder-cape! You and Sakura wanted one of those!
Despite being the size of a small car, Lord Grasp glides through the doorway without even touching the sides, then skitters past the small table in the middle of the cell, before rearing up on his hind legs and supporting himself with his pincers on either side of you - allowing him to meet your eyes with his own glowing, red gemstone ones.
"Never do that again!"
You blink, wide-eyed and shocked still at his indignant tone. "W-wha-?"
"I am a priceless weapon forged by the King of Craftsmen and his hands, the Jadeborn! My like has never been seen before on this world, and it will never see another!"
"Uh-"
"You do not toss me like some sack of grain!" he hisses, punctuated by twin puffs of steam that erupt from holes behind his eyes. "I have had to work non-stop in these past two days to undo the damage you have done to my apparent worth!"
Your mouth snaps shut with a click as you blink a few more times before letting your adrenaline drain with a sigh. From the doorway, you think you hear Prayer hum in disappointment as Lord Grasp continues to literally fume.
"And no whisking me away to that dreary dimension, either!" he continues on, shimmying on his back legs and flexing his forelegs while raising a claw to point at your face. "I am more than capable of blocking such a tactic with my own charms, if I so choose."
...ok, yes, you were about to do that again, and you're trying not to scowl so hard at being caught before you could spring it. But wait-
"Why didn't you block it before?"
The glow in his eyes shifts from a brilliant crimson to a lighter, muted purple, while the rest of him stills as he recoils slowly. "I… realized that I may - may - have overstepped with regards to my comments about your pre-Exalted form."
"Really."
"Not that I was wrong, mind you," he dismisses with a wave of his claw, though his voice is still anxious, "but I should have realized that a fresh Exalt like yourself would still be emotionally attached to your previous, lack- ah, less empowered form."
From the door, Prayer clears her throat - a sound that is both arresting and harmonic, oddly.
"Ah… yes," he starts, the glow in his faceted eyes cutting out briefly in what you figure must be his own form of a blink. "By which I mean that I… did commit a grievous breach of propriety, and you should take this as your first etiquette lesson in what not-"
"Lord Grasp."
Her flat tone somehow sounds like a vault of crystals humming in disapproval. It's the strangest thing, and the opulent mechanical scorpion in front of you practically wilts at the sound.
"Warden-"
"It's alright, Lord Grasp," you snicker, patting the claw still resting to your left on the mattress. "I know."
"Ah!" he perks up, looking at you carefully for a moment before turning his upper half towards Prayer and gesturing towards you grandiosely. "Did I not say that she would understand my intent without needing to debase myself so? I am only bound to the best!"
You can't help but smile at that, which seems to satisfy Prayer's silent, questioning gaze to you - eliciting a nod of assent from the giant blue woman and a satisfied huff from your gem-coated companion.
"Now that that's settled, Warden…" he muses, turning back to you while twitching a bit, "I find myself growing tired of this... discomfiting, barren world. If you would be so kind…?"
"Oh," you blink, remembering how he had complained at first about what Earth-Bet felt like to him. Has he felt like that this whole time? Oops. "I'm sorry! Yes, of course!"
"Thank you, Warden," he sighs in relief as you raise a hand to him, though he stops you with a large pincer just as you're about to port him away. "Do you have a way for me to get your attention whilst inside? I do have some appointments to keep."
"Errr, I think I noticed when you tried to use the portal before?" you muse, frowning as you remember what it felt like when he'd been poking about on his own. You'd almost thought there was a prickling on the back of your mind, but- "I was just ignoring you before," you nod, both to him and yourself. "I'll pay attention next time."
"Yes, well," he sighs, waving his claw in understanding, "I suppose that will do for now. First Prayer of Perfection, please keep her safe until my return."
"Of course, Lord Grasp."
He bows slightly in response, and then you pull - briefly tearing open reality with a swirling vortex of black and white hexagons of varying sizes for barely a few seconds before it all vanishes with a crackling pop of electricity. When the effect is gone, so is your car-sized companion.
"Wait…" you blink, looking to Prayer in delayed realization. "Appointments?"
***
The last time you'd been in New York, you and Sakura hadn't been given much of an opportunity to fully tour PRT Tower - both because your road trip to Philadelphia meant that time was limited, and because the two of you (and Aisha, for that matter) hadn't been fully inducted into the Wards program yet.
The two of you didn't make a fuss about the lost opportunity, mainly because… it all felt kind of fuzzy. Like a dream, where you're moving from place to place but don't always remember how you got there? There had been the shock of the… attack, then helping people escape in those last few minutes… then a bunch of PRT officers and the Brockton Bay Director talking at you and giving you papers to sign…
Miss Militia was usually there, though, and she'd always been the coolest heroine in Brockton Bay since you could remember. Assault and Battery were funny, too, and you felt better when they made you laugh during the trip… but you liked it more when Miss Militia was around.
Serious, calm, reserved. You and Sakura had even dressed up as her for Halloween three years ago. Well, you had gotten fewer comments on your Armsmaster/MissMilitia fic than Sakura had gotten for her Armsmaster/Dauntless slash, so you were the 'secret villain clone' - her scarf meant that you couldn't wear an Evil Goatee, so you wore a Chinese flag instead of an American one.
Not that you're ever going to admit that last part to her face, even during Master/Stranger Protocol questioning!
"Everything… seems to at least match your previous records, Ms. Kurosawa," the PRT officer hums to himself across the silver table, idly sweeping a hand through his thinning, grey hair and fixing his glasses. "I'm still not entirely comfortable with the degree of core impulse modification that you've demonstrated, however, nor at the inexplicable skill and language acquisition."
Beside him, Miss Militia nods, though she hasn't looked away from you for the whole two-hour interrogation. Even though everything below the bridge of her nose is hidden behind her flag-scarf, and her body language difficult to read under the army fatigues, you've at least been able to tell when she's been smiling or frowning by the way her eyes crinkle or narrow ever-so-slightly.
You duck your head in a light bow, trying not to fidget in your metal seat. "It's alright. I still don't get a lot of it, too."
"Yes," the old PRT agent mutters, flipping idly back through some of the pages to your earlier responses. "but it matches to what our records show for Marrow and Weaver when both were initially recovered… as nonsensical as it all sounds, even with context."
Miss Militia's eyebrows twitch down slightly, but otherwise she continues her impassive study of your behavior.
"I'm…" you hazard, empathizing but still not sure how to respond to a PRT psychologist saying you sound crazy, "... sorry?"
"Don't be," he sighs again - oh, right, Dr. Marchbanks that's his name! - while adjusting his thin-rimmed glasses to eye you with a bit more sympathy. "Ms. Kurosawa, none of this-" he motions to the papers in front of him with a hand, "is your fault, neither is your new… existence. I have some choice words for Weaver, of course, which are going in my report… but I don't see any further good coming from keeping you under Master/Stranger Protocol Containment."
Turning his gaze to the last sheet of paper in his folder, you see him sign and date a final line, before he removes a small lipstick-container-sized stamp and punches it next to his signature.
Finally, Miss Militia relaxes her posture with a relieved sigh - though her eyes are crinkled in a way that you've realized means she's giving you a relieved smile.
"Thank you for your patience and cooperation, Saki."
Inside, you wonder how she always manages to seem so focused, so cool and collected all the time. You know Taylor mumbled some stuff about watching videos of Miss Militia's interviews for 'training purposes' but Taylor is always too distracted and busy to do it right.
"Ah… it's ok," you nod again, before casting a confused glance between the two adults. "Is- Is that it?"
"From my end, yes, Ms. Kurosawa," Dr. Marchbanks grumbles to himself as he stands and offers you a wiry hand, which you shake automatically. "Your compliance has been greatly appreciated by the PRT, as we're well aware that you could have teleported away at any time. From here, you're still scheduled for some preliminary Power Testing next, since you've been kind enough to refrain from exploring your new powers until we have a safe space for you to do so."
Miss Militia nods to mirror his thoughts, and you breathe a sigh of relief.
There had been so many times you'd wanted to poke and play with the… well, they feel somewhat like the glowing lines all across your body: computer circuits. Not that you know all that much about how computers actually work - that's Taylor's and Chris' jobs - but the straight lines and hard angles that end in circles are how they look inside, right?
"Once we get a general picture of your new abilities - Weaver and Prayer have shown us that it's better to wait for a full test until you've… 'configured' your new powers," Dr. Marchbanks continues, clearing his throat at the last bit, "we'll hopefully be able to release you fully from Containment. Beyond that, there will still be at least one Protectorate member assigned to you at all times for the next week - both for your own security and… well, for further passive observation."
"Oh," you blink, thinking back. "Like Weaver had before?"
The elder doctor frown disapprovingly as he glances down at the papers on the table, but shakes his head. "No, that was a... unique situation, and I'll be honest: I was the one who pushed for this, independent of the usual Master/Stranger Protocols." Looking up, his eyes and tone softens, though his face remains resolute. "I'm of the professional opinion that it will be good for you to have someone trustworthy and combat-capable nearby while you recover from what's happened - both for your own peace of mind and to be there in the event of a relapse. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is known to make even the strongest characters lash out when exposed to a trigger, and the ramifications of a parahuman lashing out are usually far more severe than a normal human."
Miss Militia, who has risen to her feet as well, moves smoothly to your side and places a careful hand on your shoulder. "There's no shame in recovery, Saki, and if you ever don't feel comfortable with your chaperone we can find you another one."
You have trouble meeting their eyes, mainly because your own vision is getting blurrier, but you nod and… you're just going to hug Miss Militia now, even though you're totally ruining the moment by being sad.
You breathe for a bit, and try not to focus on bad memories. Think of something else! Like… huh, it feels like Miss Militia is wearing body armor under her fatigues? Aren't you supposed the wear the armor on top?
"A-alright," you eventually manage, after thinking about armored bodices long enough to stop leaking all over Miss Militia's camo. Turning your gaze up to her, you realize this is a perfect opportunity: Begging Jutsu, activate! Form of Puppy Eyes! "Can you be my first?"
Miss Militia's dark brown eyes widen slightly, enough that you're pretty sure you just shocked her into speechlessness. Critical hit?
Oh, uh... wait... you may have phrased that wrong.
"Chaperone!"
She blinks, finally, and you can practically see her eyes focus again, resolving into a frown as she tries to figure out- ah, ok, now she's blushing.
"I…" she coughs, turning her gaze to Dr. Marchbanks… who is giving you a very disapproving glare, "... was scheduled to return to Philadelphia, but… I can… ask?"
You nod, turning up the Hopeful Eyes again, causing her to look away quickly with a troubled expression.
"Could you… go back to your old appearance, Saki?"
You blink, wiping away the last remnants of your tears on your jumpsuit. "Eh?"
Dr. Marchbanks clears his throat, causing you to meet his scrutinizing glare.
"Ms. Kurosawa," he begins slowly, straightening his glasses to peer at you through them skeptically, "at the risk of sounding cliche, I must ask an honest, impartial question: have you not yet realized how attractive you now are?"
You reel back a bit, feeling your face heat up as your eyes widen.
"Ano… I…" you try, awkwardly disentangling yourself from Miss Militia - who seems to scoot away ever-so-slightly at the same time. "I... looked in the mirror, yes."
You basically spent most of your first day in your cell, staring at the matte-silver girl that had taken over your reflection. No blemishes leftover from your acne flare-up, no squat nose that wasn't short or round enough to be cute… that you had expected.
You hadn't expected to look like you were always catching the light just right, that your impossibly-smooth skin radiated a glow that you'd only seen in magazine covers. The white-and-blue filligree glow running along your body, neck, and face only accentuated the white, silver, gold, and black metal studs and plates in a way that put even Taylor's designs to shame.
You're impossible, like the greatest models in the world got smushed into someone that kind of looks like your mom and the world around you is constantly airbrushing your appearance and tweaking the lighting to make everything just right. It was a shock at the time… but...
... you've been trying not to think about it too hard, actually.
Taylor already has way too much attention - good, bad, and totally gross - all around the Internet because she's super pretty, but she's really good about not paying attention to it or shutting it down.
You... would rather hide. You don't… need anyone else but Sakura, anyway. But she's...
Dr. Marchbanks is still talking.
"... anything by that, Ms. Kurosawa," he speaks slowly, calmly, while keeping his hands up.
Oh, you were curling up again. It takes a few breaths and flexing of your fingers on your arms to relax, but you nod enough that he eventually seems to calm down himself. Miss Militia is still a few feet away, but she's clearly trying to give off a 'I'm here if you need it' message with her unguarded stance.
"If it helps you understand," he tries again, shooting a concerned glance to the worried-looking Miss Militia, "I have been informed that your mere appearance rates a Master 3 rating... and I think that might even need raising."
Whatever blood - or fluids - were in your face before feel like they've quickly drained. Master ratings… are bad.
In a fight, you always target the Master first.
"I know it might be alarming, Ms. Kurosawa," he says evenly, slowly, "but you need to understand: it is extremely difficult to focus on anything but whatever you are doing or saying. My first instinct is to believe and agree with whatever you say. I've had to constantly remind myself that I am happily married… to my husband."
"Wh- what?" you stammer, shocked. "Why didn't you say anything before?"
"We-" he stops, closes his eyes for a moment and sighs briefly. Opening his eyes again, he looks more tired than before. "After everything you've been through, I and my colleagues helping the other Wards felt that it would be best if we didn't make you feel embarrassed or ashamed of your new appearance. Since I have field experience working against Master powers, it was hoped that I could prove that the PRT wouldn't need to mandate a disguise when you're not… weaponizing your appearance."
Disbelieving, you cast your gaze to the side - only to meet a ruefully-nodding Miss Militia.
"O-oh," you manage, looking at your hands.
Every time you look at them, some new detail, engraving, or tracery seems to jump out at you. As beautiful as Lord Grasp's opulence can be, there is a level of precision, artistry, and power just in your hands that puts him to shame.
With a shove of energy into the back of your mind, a wave of hexagonal panels erupts from your fingertips and flows down your arms - as each flips, its opposite side reveals your old, pale and sallow skin tone - while your shoulders buckle and shrink to support your new frame.
A few seconds pass, and you're the old you.
You'd never really liked the old you, but maybe it's better this way: at least Sakura will recognize you when she gets back.
Avoiding the uncomfortable gazes to your side, you look up to the door.
"Can we go now?"
***
Judging by the uniformly-sterile hallways that remind you of Protectorate Island's high-security prison, you're probably somewhere in the basement of PRT Tower. The most interesting part, really, is the actual shape of the hallways: instead of being perfectly rectangular, the corners are all sloped just a bit to make the hallways oddly-shaped octagons. You don't feel like asking again after you were told about the reason for it in the tour… something about making it easier to detect Strangers and Masters?
A few blank hallways from your interrogation room, Miss Militia guides you to one of the large elevators and hits the 'down' arrow. When it opens, Prayer's heavily-armored form awaits you - helmet off, and carried under her right arm.
A light frown creases her brow as she studies the two of you silently for a moment, before looking more pointedly at Miss Militia and nodding.
"I will serve, now. Thank you."
You're deliberately not looking at anything in particular, but out of the corner of your eye you notice Miss Militia's knife in her right holster pulse green before shifting into a much larger caliber weapon. It had shifted twice - from a pistol to a grenade bandolier then to a knife - while the two of you had been walking, so you're not sure if her power just fluctuates on its own or if she's trying to send a message.
You're pretty sure Prayer wouldn't even notice a pistol shot in that armor of hers, so it's probably just powers being weird again.
"Tatsu-" Miss Militia pauses, placing a hand on your shoulder, "requested I serve as her initial chaperone."
There's an awkward silence, which causes you to blink in realization of what's happening and whip your head between the two.
"Ano…" you finally mumble, working past your bleh at being so pretty that you got a Master rating. "Can I have you both?"
Maker dang it.
"As chaperones!"
Miss Militia colors a bit again, but looks more exasperated than embarassed. Prayer-
… -somehow got her helmet on while you were turning to look at Miss Militia. Hmm.
Do you ship it? Miss Militia didn't date anyone in Brockton Bay, and you've already thought of trying to pair Prayer up with someone…
"No, Tatsu."
"Huh?" you blink, looking at Prayer's judging helmet. That sounded like she was talking about something else? "What?"
"Weaver found your fiction," she intones, armored, aquamarine-crystal arms folding across her broad chest. "I have been warned."
Your books? Or-
"Oh," you realize. "Oh!"
Then… start shuffling to the corner of the elevator while feeling your face burn. That means… Taylor found the things you wrote about her, too… "Did you-?"
"Just a warning. She has not shared."
"Oh, thank the Maker," you heave, falling back against the elevator wall. First thing to do when you get access to a computer: set all your stories to private until Sakura gets back. You may have written most of them, but it was her idea to post them publicly - you're not taking the fall for her this time!
"We're… " Miss Militia wonders aloud, eyeing the two of you warily. "I'm missing something."
"Nothing!" you smile, trying not to smile too hard while holding your hands up innocently. "Ah, it was an… inside joke! Hee hee!"
"Ah," Miss Militia blinks, then nods in apparent understanding. "Did it involve Clockblocker?"
Wait what? "Uh… I... yes?"
"I hope he hasn't been too poor of an influence on the two of you," she sighs, shaking her head. "I tried to find out how you were all doing while I was stationed at the Refugee Camp, but reports were slim. Clockblocker tended to act up during high-stress situations, so I worried that he might get up to trouble after the move."
You try not to eye her too critically, and Prayer is no help in her big, bulky armor, but you're not… quite sure what happened there. Dr. Marchbanks said…
Does your disguise… not stop all of your... Master-ness? It's clear that you're no longer 'zombie-inducing', but maybe there's other parts to it?
The elevator dings. Well, maybe you can figure it out a way to turn it off now? You're not sure you want to admit that you don't already know how to turn it off, but… Taylor seemed to always tell the PRT when something was going on with her charms.
"Now that I think about it, Tatsu," Miss Militia frowns, giving you a considering glance, "I need to report to Legend, Chevalier, and Director Uriel first before I can agree to staying in New York much longer. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have… agreed so easily."
"That's okay," you smile, trying not to let how much this is freaking you out show through. You take a step up and nudge the big blue Alchemical as the doors open to another blank hallway. "I trust Prayer."
That earns you a pleased wrinkling of Miss Militia's eyes and and solid aquamarine gauntlet on your left shoulder.
You keep smiling, but no one can tell it's fake.
***
Continuing the similarities to Protectorate Island, the Power Testing Chamber that Prayer escorts you to is about the size of your high-school gymnasium (Clarendon's or Hero High's). You're definitely underground now, since there's no way this place would fit in the building above-ground, but does that mean the parts underneath go under the street or into other basements? And isn't there a subway tunnel nearby?
Right. Tinkertech. Taylor's job, not yours.
To your great relief, your savior is even here! Sort of.
"Are you alright… Tatsu?"
The grapefruit-sized drone floats about waist-high, the top part folded open in several parts to display crystals and lenses - which are lit up, projecting Taylor's undersuit-clad upper half. She's still in full Alch-mode, not even hiding her charms anymore and her glowing 'veins' are still noticeable even though she's a semi-transparent, blue-and-white hologram.
And she's looking at you like you're the weird one.
"Ah, yes?" you shrug, offering a weak smile because you'd rather not talk about it right now. "It wasn't so bad. Boring."
Her face scrunches up as she looks you - and your baggy jumpsuit - over critically. "Yeah, I'm… sorry about that. Did you try meditating? That usually eats up a whole day."
"They-" you look to the four labcoat-adorned PRT scientists standing nearby, prompting the leader to nod and take over.
"We're currently dealing with a spike in gang activity, Ms. Weaver," the Spanish-looking man explains, looking a bit chagrined. He nods to you and then to the hologram, "Director Peterbuilt decided he didn't want to risk another unexpected 'Thinker storm' like what happened when your caravan passed through here in February."
What's he- oh, right. Outside of the pizza place. That was… terrifying.
Taylor does that weird thing where it looks like she turned off her face, but you can see the… eyes?... on her forehead are all swivelling around much faster now.
"Why didn't-" she starts, voice cold, then blinks. Her eyes stop swivelling and point off to the side for a moment, and then her face starts up again… just as she pinches the bridge of her nose. "Right. New York. Always busy. Did the Director make any changes to this scheduled testing, Doctor Rose?"
"No, m'am," he frowns, looking between his colleagues who are expressing varying levels of wariness themselves. "Though we were under the impression that this wasn't going to be a full battery of tests, due to Ms. Tatsu's… alignment issues?"
Taylor's holographic form shakes its head, causing the eight legs flowing back from her temples to sway with the action. "I was hoping she'd get a chance to sort that out before now, but… oh well. Are you ready to begin? Tatsu?"
"Y-Yes?" you straighten up, while Dr. Rose and the other doctors (probably?) move back - some to the table nearby, which has a few computer screens on it. At your side, Prayer nods and shifts back to give you space while assuming a closed stance.
Huh.
"What?" Taylor wonders, loud enough to make you realize that you said that out loud.
"Oh, I just-" you carefully point at Prayer's feet and hands, "-realized that she's in a closed stance. And… I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have known that… before?"
Taylor's projection makes a sound as the drone floats a few feet away, a bit closer than Dr. Rose but still near enough that you can read her thoughtful expression as she taps a finger on her cheek. "I was going to suggest you start with your anima, but baseline changes works. Go ahead and disable any charms you have, first."
You cast a quick glance at the scientists, and you're getting the feeling they're a bit put out by Taylor taking over, so you give them a weak smile and a shrug… which immediately makes them relax and roll their eyes before focusing back on their instruments.
How are you going to bring that up? Ugh.
Ok, right. Turning everything off. So you just…
… well, it feels as if you were wiggling a finger, and had just forgotten about it, but now you do notice it again and you want it to stop. Except your finger is made of electricity, and it's in the back of your brain.
Sakura's better at metaphors, anyway.
The cascade of tiny hexagons is fun to watch, but what strikes you the most is the pressure that you didn't even realize you were feeling when your bones pop back into place and your body fills out again. Like wearing a belt that was a bit too tight, but not tight enough to be annoying?
"Did you feel something, there, Tatsu?"
"O-oh, yeah," you blurt out, "do you- right, should I describe everything like I did last time?"
"You mean the initial test of your parahuman power, Ms. Tatsu?" Dr. Rose inquires, cutting off Taylor just as she opens her mouth. He raises a finger in admission, while glancing at the hologram. "We have the results from it, and your notes Ms. Weaver, but yes - please just say whatever comes to mind, everything you feel that sticks out, or even anything that you remember that might be relevant."
"R-Right," you nod, then relate what you just thought - which draws a hum from Taylor.
"That's-" she frowns, looking to the side for a moment before refocusing on you, "-probably due to alignment problems? How many charms did you just use?"
Closing your eyes, you try to get a feel for what you just did again - as if you were going to repeat the process. "Umm… two? Wait… no, there was a... third one? There's two disguise charms and… one that… absorbs energy from them?"
"Ok," you hear Taylor's voice muse, as most of your focus is on figuring out how you missed that third charm before, "I think-... okay, one thing at a time. Try attacking Prayer."
What.
"What?!" you balk, eye going wide in disbelief at the smirking blue hologram, before pointing to the giant blue juggernaut and then back at Taylor. "But she's-! Prayer's-! She's so-... BLUE!"
"Do not fear," the hulking woman in question intones, her voice calm and understanding while it reverberates through her crystalline armor. "I will not blue you."
...
You're not sure when your brain restarts, but you're pretty sure you beat Taylor to it if her expression is any indication. The doctors, on the other hand, are desperately trying not to fall over laughing.
Prayer has started to shift uncomfortably. "...What did I say?"
"Nothing!"/ "Nothing!"
You and Taylor share a glance and a nod. The pact is sealed.
Eventually, the snickers from the scientists dies off, and you realize that you should probably at least make a token effort to maybe… push her? Yes, something that's clearly not harmful so you don't break your hand on her armor and she doesn't break you on accident.
Coughing to get her attention, you raise a hand to silently ask permission to approach - which gets you a nod of approval from the massive wall of crystal - then slowly shuffle a little closer with your hands raised.
Okay, well, if her feet are… there… and you're standing… yes, you just step once, then into her guard and - oh, she's turning! Turn with her, her center of balance is over her left leg now so grab behind her left knee with your left hand and push up on her chest with your right hand-
The crashing sound of solid crystal echoes through the large testing chamber.
"What?!"
After blinking a few times to realize that Prayer actually is alright- oh. You said that.
"Was that as fast as you could go, Tatsu?" you hear Taylor's voice from behind, though you're busy worrying over Prayer. You try to offer her a hand, but she waves it off before sliding her legs out into a smooth rising crouch… huh. Oh, right.
"Um… maybe? I didn't want to get hurt, but when Prayer started moving faster I tried to... shift with her?"
"It was a skilled strike," Prayer nods, "you knew to act before your limit was passed. You have been blessed with training by the Great Maker."
"Oh!" you exclaim, smiling in relief. Though- "Does that mean I don't have to train with Bladedancer anymore?"
BLUE-!
Uhhh… that's... the ceiling? You're… on the floor?
You're... not hurt, but you try to speak and your lungs don't have air-
"Bladedancer could counter that strike, young one," Prayer intones, her helmet poking into your field of view from the top as she leans down from above.
Her tone is as cheerful as you've ever heard it.
"So, no."
***
Testing the rest of your 'baseline' skills is roughly just as embarrassing; every time you make some new discovery about cool new things you can just do now… Taylor, or Prayer, or even the scientists (Traitors!) find a way to push the test beyond your limits.
You can lift as much as a small car, run a treadmill at a full sprint (which isn't that fast…) for half an hour without tiring, and do kung fu…
… you can speak a whole new language, memorize maps just by looking at them, and you're pretty sure you couldn't pick up on body language quite so easily before…
… all of that, and it's still a wash.
You've somehow forgotten how to dodge.
***
"...aaand time."
As Dr. Rose audibly taps his tablet to clear the timer, you grumble and drop the stylus onto the table - not into the tablet's stylus receptacle, because they made you take the math test again. Since all the questions were different you couldn't even use the answers that you'd worked out last time!
Because this is a PRT Power Test and they have all the cool toys, the scientists already have the results - Taylor doesn't, so she's had to maneuver her holo-drone to look over the shoulders of the scientists at the other table. One of the scientists comes over and takes the tablet - and wayward stylus - from you while the rest mutter to each other and point at their screens for about a minute, during which time you lean back in the metal chair and close your eyes.
It's fuzzy, but… yes, it looks like Lord Grasp is still a motionless pagoda near the portal. He didn't tell you how long he needed so you're not quite sure when to expect him, but you might need to wake him up for some of the upcoming tests.
Apparently they already put him through power testing while you were in Containment, though only his small and large scorpion forms - something about needing to schedule a time to re-size the testing lab to accommodate his pagoda form? When you're done here the scientists have promised to let you watch the videos of it, but Prayer and Taylor explained the two most important take-aways: he talked the entire time, and nothing short of a very high-level Brute would survive an encounter with him.
Taylor mentioned that his cavalier, gruesome disassembly of the training dummies meant that the PRT doesn't feel comfortable letting him out into the world until he goes through a full Live Combat training course, as well as a psychological evaluation to prove that he understands the notions of 'excessive force' and 'the value of human life.' This hadn't caused much of an issue yet, as the rest of his time had been spent with Glenn Chambers and the PRT PR team with Prayer translating.
Prayer had given you a wordless, rueful look through her helmet in response, which had almost caused you to trip on the treadmill due to your giggles.
"...-atsu?"
You blink, then lean forward from where you had almost sent the chair tipping backwards. The scientsts are all looking at you expectantly, while Taylor is giving you a raised eyebrow with a smirk.
"Y-yes?"
Dr. Rose clears his throat and nods at you. "We're finished with your baseline mental evaluations, Ms. Tatsu. Overall, your average cognitive capabilities have seen a 21% increase - mostly in processing speed - though there looks to be noticeable improvement of your overall language skills as well. Comparing against the limited schooling reports we have since your last evaluation, we did also notice that you answered some geography and history questions that weren't covered in your classes…?"
"Oh," you frown, thinking about what questions on the test they might have been talking about. "I still couldn't answer most of them."
"Which is fine," he nods, holding up hand in acceptance, "you did the right thing to skip to only ones you could answer, but-... alright, how about the question about when the American Civil War ended? Do you remember where you learned that? None of your classes have covered that period."
"I… don't remember? The Internet?"
That gets some light chuckles from the scientist gallery, but Dr. Rose just frowns - not at you, though, as he quickly turns to Taylor's projection. "I'm just not seeing enough concrete evidence for these 'Skill Colleges' your notes mention, Ms. Weaver."
For her part, Taylor's lips are pursed as she sighs. "It's not-" she pauses, her eyes darting off to the side for a moment before she frowns again. "That's… Fine. If, later, she exhibits the same sort of learning advancement that I do?"
He nods. "If both she and Ms. Vajra do, then yes - that might be enough to support a preliminary theory. We'd need more than a sample size of three, however-"
"I'm working on it," Taylor sighs again, waving a hand dismissively. "That's the last baseline test, yes?"
Adjusting his thick glasses, Dr. Rose nods quickly and turns back to the rest of the scientists as they appear to be working on something. A few moments later, they look up to meet his gaze.
"Everything's backed up offsite, sir," the lone female of the group replies, nervousness starting to creep into her fresh-out-of-college voice. "Digital and analogue measurements are recording."
Turning from them to Taylor, you give her a blank stare so that she'll explain what any of that meant.
"Ah… you remember how my anima - the big spider thing...?"
You nod.
"... when I was starting out, it scrambled anything electronic pointed at me, too. Prayer's anima is different: it changes recordings and memories to make her look like something else."
That gets you to turn to the giant blue crystal woman in shock. "What?"
"After the moment has passed," she bows her head, solemnly, "all who bore witness saw the Great Maker in action."
You turn back to Taylor, who just shrugs.
"We did a lot of testing last week, but for the most part people and cameras just remember a big glowing figure that they think was Autochthon himself. Indirect observation - say, if you wrote down what Prayer was doing - doesn't change, and since I'm immune you might be too, but before she meditated it wasn't very consistent with what it would change or how much. Which was… awkward."
Back to Prayer, who shifts uncomfortably.
"I was broadcast."
"Oh," you balk, since… wow. TV? "What happens if you watch it after?"
"You don't get the full… religious experience, but it's there," Taylor fidgets, clearing her throat while the scientists behind her are dutifully looking elsewhere. "Iris says that yours shouldn't be like that, but we're taking precautions just in case."
That's… well, you're not quite sure how bad that is compared to your own problem. From what you can remember, Taylor's anima stopped showing up all the time and screwing everything up after she meditated a bit… but 'scaring people' isn't anywhere as bad as 'changing memories' when it comes to how the PRT treats you.
A bolt of inspiration hits you, but you manage to shut your mouth before you voice it: is that part of why there's so little information about what happened to the Slaughterhouse Nine?
You're pretty sure Taylor and Prayer are the only ones who know what really happened, and they probably can't say it in front of a bunch of PRT scientists.
Safe Space, to the rescue! You and Sakura were trying to figure out a way to pitch that you two should be in the Assembly because you'd have the Ultimate Base (villains have lairs) for super-secret Alchemical business in your Safe Space, but she must have thought of it on her own. And with Lord Grasp, it's even got a spa now!
So you push that uncomfortable question onto the ever-growing 'Ask Taylor Later' pile, and instead shake your head and move to stand. "O-okay, so… what should I do now?"
After a short set of glances between Dr. Rose and Taylor - the Doctor communicating with a shrug and a waved hand that it's her show now - you are directed to move to the center of the large room and stand in a relaxed position. Taylor's drone and projected hologram remain about ten feet in front of you, Prayer is a few feet farther and to your right, and the scientists have remained around their tables about fifty feet away. Apart from them, all the training and testing equipment has been folded back into the walls, leaving the room pristine, empty, and white.
"Now, I'm not sure how much you remember from my presentation, but I'll try to keep it simple. Just close your eyes and think about the energy you've probably been pushing and pulling to activate your charms."
Doing so, you take a relaxed breath and bring up the mental image that came to mind over the last few days as your mind wandered: a pair of tight, single-spirals comprised of glowing blue hexagons. Though the larger one is nearly double the size and glows with a vibrant, iridescent radiance, your attention (in the few times they've come to your mind) has always been drawn first to the smaller of the pair.
"Um…" you murmur, letting your wandering train of thought be heard, "I have… two? But one is smaller and… empty?"
Taylor's thoughtful hum sounds farther away than it did a moment ago, but you don't let it distract from your introspection. "That means your personal essence pool is taken up entirely by the charms you have installed. That's okay - the way you used your peripheral pool to fuel your disguise earlier shows you probably have Aura-Dampening Component like Pray-"
The words 'personal' and 'peripheral' feel… right, though you're not sure if that's just because you suddenly remember Taylor's long presentation on how her powers worked. But as she goes on…
"Oh!" you exclaim, nearly opening your eyes and ruining your mind's eye, "yes! That one lit up! And… it's connected to the pools? Wait, wait- there's other lines running- ah, I see the rest of them! But… only Aura-Dampening Component is lit up? Should I use it?"
It's difficult to focus on, like trying to watch a movie through a dirty window, but the instant Taylor had said the name that charm had lit up and stuck in your memory - revealing that the dull lines you'd barely noticed before running from the spirals actually channeled down into the muted glows of the charms themselves.
From far away you hear Taylor give a pensive "Alright," but as you smile and try to… push essence down from the peripheral spiral-
"It's… it's not doing anything?" you mumble, hopefully loud enough for everyone else to hear, before realization makes you jolt again. "Ah! No, I see! I can direct essence through it to… control it? The lines coming out of it to the other charms look… smaller."
"That's good, Tatsu," Taylor's voice drifts into your consciousness, the firm tone just barely overriding your desire to play around with your new discoveries. "Can you see if it connects to all your other charms?"
You grumble, since you're still having a hard time even figuring out how many charms you have.
"I… think so? The others are still dark, so I can't really tell… but there look like there are enough lines for a lot of them…"
"That's-" she cuts off, long enough that you wonder if something's wrong. Just as you're about to open your eyes, Taylor's voice exasperated voice cuts in again. "Alright, Tatsu. It sounds like it works like Prayer's; hopefully we can use it to test the other charms you have and save your anima for last. Let's start working our way through your other charms. Now, I'm going to name a few that I think you've already used so let me know if anything… lights up."
After a moment of silence, you realize they're waiting on you.
"O-okay!"
Taylor's voice is steady and confident, almost as if she's reading from a list.
"Integrated Artifact Transmogrifier."
"Ooo! Yes! It's- wait, I recognize that one! That's the human disguise one, isn't it?"
There's… a nagging feeling after you say that out loud, but it takes you a moment to place it: you're not really human anymore, are you? You'd been thinking about it as 'the old you', not 'look like a human again'.
It's not a bad feeling… just a little sad. Like… like otou-san used to say about you and Sakura growing up.
You miss them so much.
Taylor's and Prayer's voices are muddled in your head as your mind falls apart, the lines and the lights and the spirals growing hazier as you try desperately- calm! You have to-!
Be Calm.
Like a pixelated picture snapping back into focus, there is Clarity to your mind's eye now - even better than before. It's… yes, you miss them, but you're in the middle of power testing - you have cried yourself to sleep plenty of times before, you can wait until tonight to do it again.
Actually, now that you can sense all your charms a bit better, there's… a big one lurking at the bottom of the lines. Not as big as your charm-ified relocation power (teleportation never really felt right, even before), which is somehow attached above the essence spirals...
No time to think on it, since Taylor's and Prayer's voices are getting closer. You start pushing essence down through Aura-Dampening Component and towards the oversized charm-
After the initial shove, power surges down the line, more than what you needed to activate your two disguise charms combined. Urgh, this thing is a power hog! It better be worth it!
Your eyes snap open, and you throw your hands out to stop Prayer and Taylor just as the two of them almost get within arm's reach.
"Wait!" you exclaim, before you use your left forearm to help wipe your eyes clear. "I'm alright. Just- I just had a bad memory. I'm fine."
There's a beat of silence as you take in a steadying breath, and as you drop your left arm you notice both are looking at your outstretched right arm.
Or, more specifically, the long, thin, black blade sticking out from between your right middle and ring fingers.
"That's… it?"
The realization that you just thought that out loud is washed away by the deep, ominous feeling that no… you're missing something. That's not all there is to it.
"A stiletto?" Prayer's voice is thoughtful, her head tilted slightly as she studies it from afar. "Can you shape it?"
"I…" you blink, the thought having not occurred to you. Looking at your splayed-out hand, you stare at it like you got a bad nail job.
After a few directed thoughts, all you've managed to accomplish is a few weird faces while the blade retracted slightly to line up with your fingers - in a way that could hide it pretty well, now that you're moving your fingers a bit. Ninja-esque, sleek and deadly!
The lingering, ominous feeling means that attempt at humor doesn't even make you smile.
"No, but… I think it does something? It's… not poisoned, I think," as you bring it up to your face to inspect it more carefully. You gently touch the blade with your left index finger, "No, but it's pretty sharp-"
You finally notice that Taylor is staring at you with her face turned off - even her upper eyes have focused on you completely.
"Um," you begin eloquently, glancing between her, the blade, and Prayer, before bringing your right hand out in a relaxed, upwards-facing point with your fist closed. "Do you… know what this is, Ta-... Weaver?"
There's a long, awkward pause as her face turns back on but her eyes - all of them - dart off to the right at something you can't see and she makes a frantic 'stop it' motion with her right hand at whatever it was.
"It's identity has been… suggested… yes," she eventually mutters out, as if the words are being pulled out of her throat, "but I don't know if… if it's even safe to test."
"Ms. Weaver?" Dr. Rose's voice over the test chamber's speakers interrupts your already-stalled train of thought, frustration in his tone not hiding the concern underneath it. "Should we be aware of something?"
"I-" Taylor stalls, straightening up and turning just enough so that she can raise her hands warningly and have both the scientists and yourself within her field of view. "I just want to remind everyone that-... that Alchemical charms are designed by humans, and that Autochthonian culture has a much different perspective on life and mental-"
"Ms. Weaver," Dr. Rose interrupts, growing increasing chiding, "need I remind you that it is your promise of complete transparency during these tests that allows your presence here?"
Taylor's face twitches, but before it can twist into a snarl the blank look slams down for long enough for her regain control - her eyes, however, continue to swirl and pivot furiously in the moment of silence. Finally, she closes her eyes, takes a long breath, and looks back to you with a hopeful expression.
It's obviously fake.
"Tatsu, can you tell if there are any submods - smaller parts - or other charms connected to that charm? Or is it just that… needle?"
After staring at Taylor's face for a moment, you close your eyes and try to search your mind again…
"It's… there are lots of smaller parts," you mutter, completely devoid of excitement over seeing how the charm practically glows like a christmas tree with smaller lights that are buzzing and waiting to activate. "I don't… see… any other connected charms? Some of the parts are as big as charms, though…?"
You open your eyes and Taylor has her face in both palms. There's another awkward silence.
"Maker…"
Spoken in Old Realm, it's one part plea, two parts expletive. Beside you, Prayer awkwardly shifts ever-so-slightly away from you.
Dr. Rose's voice is completely done with this. "Ms. Weaver."
Taylor holds her left hand up in acknowledgement, then raises her face from her right hand and takes a long, steadying breath before gesturing for you to present your arm proudly.
"Doctors," she sighs, right eye twitching as her mouth is a rueful smile. "I present: Personality Override Spike."
...what.
Even all the way over here, the strangled sound from multiple doctors can be heard even without the intercom.
"Alone, it's… capable of forcing a person into a dream-like mindscape where the user can speak to them," she continues, tone somehow considering, "However, it was designed for use with other... parts: Identity Recalibration Signal, Mind-Ripping Probe, Memory Implantation Surge, and… Maker please I hope you didn't get this one…. Subsidiary Personality Implant. The names don't translate perfectly, but they…"
Taylor keeps talking, but it all seems so far away as you stare at the pitch-black streak of metal jutting out from between your knuckles.
Far, far away…
… where your chances of ever walking free have fled.
***
At some point, while you've been lost imagining the soft, padded cell that you'll be spending the rest of your life within, Taylor finally finishes whatever she's been saying. You notice this primarily because of the tone her voice has grown even more confident while you weren't paying attention.
"-oes that sound alright, Tatsu?"
Turning your gaze from the Black Spike Of Doom To Your Personal Freedom, you blink owlishly a few times at Taylor and nod anyway.
She looks at you for a few seconds, then nods slowly.
"Riiight," she draws out, eyeing you critically for a moment. "So, you understand that there are potentially valid, therapeutic, legal uses for that charm, and you're fine with waiting until your charms are fully configured to actually test it."
Okay, you definitely should have been paying attention if that's where she wound up with a charm called Personality Override Spike, but it's far too late for asking for her to repeat all that now. Besides, any chance to put off using the Doom Spike in any way whatsoever is fine by you.
"Hai," you nod, more confidently this time before looking at the Doom Spike. "Should I… put it away?"
"Yes, please," she sighs.
For all that you'd tried - and failed - to manipulate it before, actually turning off and retracting the charm is… easy, really. There's a feeling of taking your finger off of a humming metal pad in the back of your mind and then a slick, metal-on-clay sound as the spike slips back between your knuckles like it was never there.
Humming to herself, Taylor eyes you up critically again. "Now then, let's finish going over the other charm we know you have: the one that let you look like… the 'old you', you called it?"
"You mean without… also using Integrated Artifact Transmogrifier?" you wonder, even though the charm's name is a little awkward on your tongue.
At Taylor's confirming nod, you close your eyes and settle back into peering at your vague collection of charms. Finding this one is easy enough since you've already put it to use a few times unknowingly, but as you mentally begin to shift essence down through Aura-Dampening Component and into the line towards it-
"O-oh! W-what should I look like?" you blurt out, as understanding blossoms behind your closed eyes. "I… don't have to look like my old self? I can… I can change anything!"
The sleek, dark echo of Taylor's voice makes a grunt of acknowledgement. "Does 'Husk-Sculpting Apparatus' sound like it fits?"
You make a wordless cheer as, again, recognition causes the charm to glow brilliantly under your internalized scrutiny, allowing you to see that there are a few smaller parts attached as well. You leave them be for now, because you still need to actually activate the charm…
Actually, you know just what to do.
There's the peculiar sensation for several seconds of shifting bones, muscles, and charms as your body reconfigures itself, but when you open your eyes you aren't nearly as short as you were before. In fact, you are almost exactly five feet, ten inches - allowing you to directly meet the gaze of the holographic Taylor in front of you.
Her lips are pursed and she's giving you a flat look, but she totally deserves it for telling everyone about the Doom Spike.
"Very funny, Tatsu."
You didn't bother trying to 'compress' yourself like you've been doing with your 'old self'...
… so you look exactly like her, only better.
To your side, you notice Prayer's helmet twitching between the hologram and yourself a few times before her voice floats through her armor.
"Be grateful Who does not possess this power, Administrator."
You snort, and it sounds weird in your own ears because it's Taylor's snort, but the hologram is simply staring at you with a rapidly-falling expression.
"He wouldn't-..." she mumbles, before blinking and sagging even further, "... he would give her that."
Oh. You… hadn't really thought about… the next person Taylor might pick? When she'd given her presentation you'd noticed she'd looked at Missy more than anyone, but you'd heard several times Aisha talking about how she was trying to figure out how awesome it would be to get "upgraded." You and Sakura had gotten wrapped up with her enthusiasm, actually, and the two of you had figured that it would either be Missy or Aisha that got the actual honor in the end; Missy because she and Taylor actually felt like sisters, while Aisha might actually be able to live a normal life if conversion fixed her (really scary) power.
Was Taylor still thinking of picking either of them now that you and Sakura were picked? That would be…
... umm…
… weird? You and Sakura are almost eighteen, and you were both planning on joining the Protectorate, but Missy and Aisha are young. Chibi, even if Aisha has bigger boobs than you do. Did.
You're definitely going to have to change your 'old' look, now. Not too much! Sakura needs to recognize you, but Aisha will never stop if the first time she sees you she's still better than the two of you. Is there a way-
Oh! One of the charm's part lit up as you were thinking- ah ha! It's for setting defaults! Neat! Ok, can you just shift- no, you have to turn it off first.
You hold up a hand to cut off Taylor's talking - because she's been talking at you again while you weren't paying attention, and Sakura isn't here to listen for you - and toggle off the charm… and then...
Ugh… it's… stuck? No, it just… takes a lot of… pushing… there! And now you don't even have to keep the charm on anymore to look like this!
Opening your eyes, you actually watch the process happen this time. Holding up your arms, you watch as the immaculate, flawless configurations of seams, glowing lines, and metal filigrees actually… shift into worse patterns. Huh. It makes sense, you guess, but it's still weird to see yourself getting uglier.
Not as ugly as you used to be, though, and you hope Sakura has this charm so you two never have to be like that again.
"It's… you again?" Taylor asks, tilting her head as you see her eyes flash and little shades shutter down over her eyes for a moment before retracting. "Is-... oh, were you testing the submodules? Is this how you want to look now?"
"Ms. Weaver?" Dr. Rose's voice drifts out from the intercom again, sounding more curious than frustrated now. "Care to explain?"
"It's a way for her to change her look permanently, without needing the charm active all the time," she nods, looking at you with consideration. "Try activating your IAT now?"
Well, if she's ok with condense the charm names into abbreviations, you aren't going to feel bad about doing it yourself.
Some essence pushing and a few moments later, you're… well, not the 'new' you. The 'newest' you? Saki 2.5: Good Enough Edition!
"Still noticeably better," Taylor muses, rubbing at her lower lip in thought. "Are you not going to use your old identity?"
Looking over your hands, you see that the small scars and freckles are still where they should be. "Um…" you gaze up, meeting her eyes, "...is there a way to look like this and still keep it?"
The most experienced Alchemical on Earth hums a bit in thought, then casts a gaze back towards the scientists. As if reading her mind, Dr. Rose's voice hastily coughs over the intercom.
"Please do not drag PR into the Testing Chambers, Ms. Weaver. We try to be efficient here."
Rolling her eyes - all of them, this time - Taylor shakes her head and waves them off.
"Fine, fine. Wyld owes me for Thursday, anyway, and her team is in New York so it wouldn't-"
Turning fully back to you, Taylor's mouth gradually splits into a conspiratorial grin - and wow she looks evil like that. She can totally see herself all the time with her bugs, you remember, so does she just not care?
"Oh," she cackles. Cackles!
"Inquisition is going to love you."
***
There comes a point where your mind can only take so many shocks - ups and downs and ups and downs… - before it starts growing numb. As a result, while Taylor walks you through locating, activating, and identifying your charms, the process becomes easier as you fall deeper and deeper into a mechanical mindset.
It all starts when you discover that your fears were true: you can't turn it off.
"Right, so before we go any further, let's figure out your augmentations. They'll probably feel like… passive, always-on charms? They simply make you better at everything that part of yourself does - like Strength or Dexterity, for example. They come in a bunch of different types, but so far Autochthon has given us mostly Fourth Augmentations... and I can see you have a whole bunch just looking at you right now, but just to be sure let's go down the list for what you'd need for some basic charms: Fourth Stamina Augmentation? Fourth Intelligence Augmentation? Okay, good. Now, I'm guessing you're like Prayer, so…"
You already know where this is going.
"Fourth Appearance Augmentation? Fourth Manipulation Augmentation? Fourth Charisma Augmentation? Yes? All three? Well… that makes sense, I guess - Prayer is our front line and you're… our public relations."
You only nod, the calm settling over you suppressing any further, needless panicking. The Great Maker saved you, but nothing is ever free.
Things move more quickly from that point onward, and you find yourself feeling more and more distanced from the process.
"... and you mentioned having a 'background charm' to Legend- yes, what you used on Lord Grasp when you first woke up. That sounds like the description of Radiant Iconography Array, so let me know- ah, great. This… sounds really cool, actually: it's basically a customizable illusion generator for making you look more awesome. Could you show us what you did for Lord Grasp…?"
Detached, observing but caring less and less about how great or awful these things in your body might appear at first glance.
"Does the name 'Rogue Cell Isolation Protocols' spark any-... ah, okay. You... already used it? When-? On the platform? Oh! Yes! That's a great example: getting rid of a phobia! See, just because it sounds bad doesn't mean it can't have good uses..."
It is not difficult to observe Taylor's own discomfort with your increased lack of concern or emotiveness, but you also discern a degree of relief. Is it due to how poorly you were reacting before, shutting down at every revelation and drawing out the process longer than it needed to be?
"Body Language? That's… huh. Emotive Aesthetics of the Body Electric...? Alright, and Dr. Rose, let's just call that the 'Body Language' charm because that's what it does: it lets you have actual conversations using only body language. Hmm. Since Earth has so many more languages than Autochthonia, do you also have Interpolative Syntax Emulator…? No? Well, I guess this works…"
Compared to the sudden wash of relief that you struggled with before, it becomes easier and to pull back into the calm, logical mindset that the Great Maker must have built to cushion against such existential shocks.
"I'm… not sure? There are a few that match that description. Coincidental Unity Commands, Covert Battle Schematics, Unobtrusive Repartee Baffles, Ordered- Oh, well, yes, that makes sense. Anyway, as you said, you use it with other charms like Aura-Dampening Component, except Unobtrusive Repartee Baffles only works with- ah, I know this sounds odd, but… 'social interaction charms'? As for what it does… it… well, it makes it difficult for observers to notice when you use them. Not impossible, of course- ah, yes, Doctor, I... believe... it works on Personality Override Spike-…"
It is not your fault. Your insular and kind-hearted nature - Sakura has always been more "pragmatic" than you - is in no way suited for many of these charms.
"What about 'Programmed Catechism Rebuttal'...? Yes? Okay, just a moment-... right. This… may sound weird, but it… lets you ignore people trying to change your mind… by forcing you to quote Autochthonian dogma at them. No, it doesn't make sense to me, either, Doctor, but it doesn't actually affect anyone else so don't be afraid to use it, Tatsu; it should kick in automatically when you need it…"
And you do have many charms - far more than Taylor did at her start, somehow. Percentage-wise, your charms actually tend towards a defensive nature rather than the 'mind-controlling terror' impression generated by your earliest discoveries.
"Okay, phew. Good. You have Industrial Survival Frame. You… haven't felt the need to use it yet, though? I suppose you've been lucky so far, but I think when we're done here you're going to want to keep it up all the time…"
"... can't turn it off? Alright, well, what do you think-... 'prevents exhaustion'? Oh! Is that Alloyed Reinforcement of Flesh...? Yes? Wow, that's great - it's main purpose is to save your life if you take a lethal hit, actually. Prayer has it and it saved her when she was cut in half last week…"
But the terror-inducing charms you do have are certainly memorable enough.
"... Maker… Right, yes. Just a moment, Doctor, I'm reading… okay. These extendible soulsteel fingernails are the charm… Transcendent Brutality Programming. It's… huh. I'm sorry, but this one really doesn't have any way to dress it up: it causes so much pain, the person loses the will to fight back… and after enough uses they automatically scream their deepest secrets. Hmm… it can be used in a fight like tiger claws, actually, so against hard targets it might be useful to hit them once or twice to force a peaceful surrender..."
But even after all that, the penultimate charm in your repertoire takes things in a direction that still manages to surprise everyone.
"... a scorpion tail?"
Taylor's confusion lasts for more than the usual pause, as she very clearly averts her eyes to check with whomever she has been consulting during this process. In the meantime, you look down to your hands as you cradle the source of her confusion: a segmented, prehensile whip that protruded from your tailbone (bursting through your jumpsuit in the process), capped by an injector similar in design to Lord Grasp's own ornate stinger. It shares the general 'futuristic' aesthetic of your charms, with its dull grey and polished silver metalworking back-lit by glowing blue wires, while also maintaining the elegant and seamless design that makes it an obvious work of techno-magic wonder.
Controlling the tail, you find with a twitch, is much like your other charms - a limb or finger that you suddenly remember possessing - though none of them have made the metaphor so literal before. Tugging with the tail against your hands reveals it also shares your vastly-increased physical strength, though trying to wind it through your fingers demonstrates its similar lack of agility.
"Alright, Tatsu," your leader coughs, turning her attention back to you with an observable increase of interest. "Let me know if either of these resonate: Manifold Transhuman Implants, or Multifunctional Hypodermic Apparatus."
You only need to blink slowly to gauge the status of your charms now, and you nod in acknowledgement. "The second."
Her posture continues its shift from resigned to eager, and an anticipatory gleam flashes across her face as she points at your tail while also gesturing to the scientist team.
"Good, good! Now, this charm is two parts: the… tail, which is just a delivery mechanism and usually only a long needle, and a micro-factory which produces a number of alchemical treatments based on installed templates. There's… a lot of different possible templates, but as far as I can tell most are medicinal or steroidal. Can you tell which are installed, Tatsu?"
This takes… longer than a single blink; not due to the complexity of the charm itself, but rather the sheer number of templates that keep lighting up under your internalized scrutiny.
"Lots," you voice, so that she understands you are still counting. After what feels like at least a few minutes in your head, you open your eyes again to her concerned expression. "Fifteen."
She blinks.
"...Alright. That's more than I was expecting, but not all of them. Can you understand what any of them do? I'd read from the list, but it's… over two-hundred templates."
A frown flexes your face, but you try again. It is no easier than the first time, and you waste another two minutes trying to uncover names amidst buzzing energies and complex mechanical structures.
Your tail twitches in your hand. You remember cartoons with characters that possess tails and the amusing disparity between their own appearances and the traitorous behaviors of their tails. Thankfully, you can retract yours.
"No."
Taylor hums, then quickly sighs and turns to the scientists with a shrug.
"Understood," Dr. Rose's even voice calls out over the intercom. "Ms. Tatsu, add this to the list of powers we'd prefer you avoid experimenting with until you have completed your meditations."
"Or in the case of a life-or-death emergency," Taylor adds, giving you a knowing look.
"Un," you nod. The list includes most of your charms at this point, but if it will allow you to walk free without constant oversight then you follow their rules.
The hologram nods and waves away something to her side. "Are there any other charms you can feel, Tatsu? Besides your… parahuman-power charm, I mean."
Closing your eyes once more, you survey the field of glowing connections and vastly-shrunken essence pool that are the result of this multi-hour exploration of your own workings. As you study the lines leading from your peripheral pool of essence, counting the number against the charms you have identified…
… the number doesn't add up.
"Five connections," you voice, emphasizing it with a small frown. "I can't see where they lead."
"That's-..." Taylor begins, cautiously, before cutting off to turn to the side again. After a moment, however, her eyebrows shoot up and she turns back with a blink. "Did Crushing Grasp say anything about a 'vat' or holding onto your extra charms?"
You take a moment to review all of your interactions with your mechanical companion, but you don't recall anything like that. However, something tugs at your mind when you consider those words…
"When he first awoke, he complained about having a metal pole stuffed inside of him, and an upgrade from 'Debok Moom.'"
There is a snort of amusement to your side, causing you turn and look at First Prayer of Perfection. The massive cerulean-crystal juggernaut has not moved, but… yes, that sounded like her, though she isn't reacting to your stare. Turning back, you notice that Taylor is having an animated, silent discussion off the side of her hologram-camera.
"Did he say 'Pole of Metal', Tatsu?" she asks, humor being overridden with concern as she casts her eyes (all of them) in your direction.
"Yes. That."
"Okay-" she starts, then stops and sighs. Refocusing on you for a moment, she swivels the hologram to address the scientists at the same time. "It sounds like Crushing Grasp has the ability to serve as a… repair and refitting station for Tatsu, allowing her to switch out charms with a few hours of downtime. I know we're almost done with our scheduled time, so I'd like to suggest we just wait to test those after she has meditated."
Twenty yards away, the scientists share a quick set of glances and mumbled words before Dr. Rose taps his tablet to allow him to talk over the intercom.
"Ms. Tatsu is unable to access or identify the powers held by Crushing Grasp without that downtime?"
"Correct," Taylor nods.
"Will they… align themselves correctly if they're separated from her?"
After a quick back and forth from Taylor and her unseen assistant, she frowns and shrugs. "Probably? This alignment process isn't the way normal Alchemicals work, so it's possible she might need to equip them and perform another meditation… but since they're still maintaining an arcane link even while Crushing Grasp is in her pocket dimension, I don't think it'll be an issue."
"Very well," the older latino man muses, though you can hear an undercurrent of restrained curiosity in his voice. "I'll make a note of it in our records. Will we progress with the dimension tests, now, before the 'anima' check?"
The semi-transparent hologram nods before fixating back to you. "Anything else, Tatsu?"
You shake your head, then deactivate your hypodermic tail - causing it to twitch once more before neatly retracting into your spine with a series of soft, quick clicks at each segment. It feels… peculiar.
"No."
"Then, yes, Doctor."
"Alright, then, Ms. Tatsu - if you could come back to the tables here..." his voice calls out, and you see him sweep his arm out to where some of the scientists have begun unpacking one of the crates that was under the second table.
You approach with smooth, efficient steps, while Taylor's humming drone follows behind.
A quick turn of your head shows that Prayer is, in fact, following behind you… but yet is making no sound. Odd, but impressive.
"We're going to repeat the same tests done last time with you and your sister," Dr. Rose nods. You did not notice the light greying in his dark hair before - it's not a natural pattern. Must be the result of recent coloring. Trying to impress someone, most likely. "Since you've used your… altered power since your return, are there any major differences you'd like to point out before we begin?"
"Yes," you nod, quickly tallying what you've figured out for yourself. "The visual effect is now black-and-white hexagons weaving together in a collapsing spiral. Inside is an empty horizon of black, foot-wide hexagons, except for large, circular portal. Sky is empty, white. Portal is now used to enter and exit dimension, instead of leaving or returning anywhere within. It is… difficult to tell what is inside the dimension from outside; there is a layer of fog when I try look at Lord Grasp right now, for example."
You note that the scientists are giving you a more appraising look than the last time you were in front of them, which causes a different type of fear than before; earlier, you were afraid they would lock you up, while now you are concerned they will like this version of you better.
You remember how Taylor was during the road trip.
This is not how you want to live your life, calming as it may be.
"Very good, Ms. Tatsu," Dr. Rose comments, casting a quick glance at Taylor's hologram-projecting drone as it moves to a few feet to his right - Prayer remains just out of her arm's reach to your own left. "Do you still possess the ability to reshape the terrain and place objects or people into stasis?"
"I can reshape, yes. Not as easily; it no longer is automatic when I think of it," you frown, considering how it felt before and comparing it to how it's felt to use your other charms in the past hour. "It does not take essence, but was still tiring. I have not tried placing something into stasis, but Lord Grasp was trapped when I awoke and required extracting."
All the scientists, including Dr. Rose, tap at their computers and tablets as you explain, while Taylor's eyes occasionally flicker off to the side.
"Crushing Grasp is in there now, isn't he?" she asks, distractedly. "Why?"
"He complained that Earth feels… 'barren' compared to it, and wanted to rest."
The dark heroine's eyebrows shoot up, but just as she opens her mouth she quickly snaps it shut in exasperation before slapping something away off-camera. This continues for a few moments, but eventually the situation settles down and her attention focuses back on you.
"I think, Tatsu…" she begins, nodding slowly with a growing, relieved smile, "that your dimension is now natively essence-derived, so a spirit like Crushing Grasp would be able to recover their motes there. It's not infinite, or Autochthon wouldn't need us in the first place, but it could be a big help towards enriching some materials or places here on Earth with essence."
You blink, because outside of 'Lord Grasp can recover inside' most of that doesn't make sense to you.
"Okay."
She waves a hand absently, while looking at both you and Dr. Rose. "Sorry - that's well outside of the scope of these tests. Doctor, will Crushing Grasp being inside pose a problem?"
"He is in his pagoda form," you note with a raised index finger. "You have not seen it yet, correct?"
A murmur of surprise and nods from the scientific group as they gather up the dimensional beacons and scanning devices. As they begin to assemble the tripods and box-like detectors around you, Dr. Rose nods. "Yes, Ms. Tatsu. He's apparently a bit too tall for this chamber without modifications. If it is as spacious as before there should be more than enough room for the test, but do you think he may try to interfere?"
You consider this as you flex your transport power-charm, then shake your head.
"No... but he may insist on giving autographs."
***
On the positive end, Lord Grasp largely leaves the scientists be during the test. He preens for a few pictures they snap of his grandiose form, as well as lifts up on his enormous scorpion legs to rotate and show off his "best sides."
"Of course, all my sides are my best sides!"
Unfortunately, the test takes significantly longer than initially expected… due primarily to the projectile speed at which any visitors are ejected from the portal upon entry.
You honestly did forget that - there's small, understandable vengeances, and there's pointlessly petty. Interfering with the testing would fall directly into the second category.
After the second trip it was eventually decided to simply have Prayer carry the instruments between transitions, as she always managed to land perfectly… even with arm-fulls of delicate science equipment. Beyond that, she also assisted in place of the camera drones for the purposes of a small scouting flight when it was (abruptly, by Taylor's drone) discovered that any and all connections to the outside world do not penetrate your Safe Space - even Tinkertech specifically designed to cross dimensional thresholds.
You, of course, noted the 'penetrate' innuendo, but saved it to memory for later so as not to disrupt the testing.
Tests on the Power Test Dummy showed that yes, you can place people in stasis still… but instead of willing your Safe Space's bizarre geometry to grow up and encase them, it is now the opposite:
You have to actively stop your Safe Space from being very unsafe for visitors.
Hastily recalling the memory of willing your Safe Space to recognize Lord Grasp as 'welcome' saved the scientists from being similarly entombed; the first two had initially professed feeling a profound sense of unease, like they didn't belong in your Safe Space, and within three minutes they had been rendered so sluggish as to barely be able to move or talk.
Prayer had not felt anything upon entering, and initially appeared immune to the slowing effect, but upon request by the scientists you did eventually find that you could 'revoke' her immunity - at which point she experienced the same effects as the first two scientists, even with Industrial Survival Frame active… though it took her nearly nine minutes to be rendered to the same degree of paralyzation
She recommended the scientists begin a proper workout regimen.
The portal - a 'sanctum gate' Taylor mentioned it might be called - still isn't behaving quite like you'd expect it to, since there doesn't yet seem to be a way to travel into your Safe Space without being flung out of it. The best you could manage is an... awkward shove it felt like, when you deliberately took as long as possible to relocate instead of letting the charm work at its quickest speed.
Thankfully, Prayer was inside to catch you when you tried testing your emergency, do-or-die relocation to confirm that - yes - you probably still can dodge a bullet like that.
Most helpfully, however, a few dedicated tests at the outset revealed that a slightly-twisting vision of the portal's destination appears within the ring whenever you focus on leaving, allowing for much more control of where you are placed on exit; before, even your clearest mental image before relocating (a quick enter/leave) still randomly placed you within a few feet of where you intended.
Hopefully there will be significantly less 'appearing into thin air, several stories up' moments with this version of your power. Even if you never sort out the 'projectile entry' problem, you will take that trade.
The final tests for your new power were focused primarily on its offensive capabilities, which turned out wildly different results from your previous round of tests.
Before, there had been… alarmingly few limitations on how much you and Sakura could pull into your Safe Space. Working together, you had pulled in an entire eight-story derelict building seeded with a dozen Power Testing Dummies. If you wanted to relocate something or someone, all you needed to do was get within arm's reach and they were gone.
Now… you can barely relocate as much as you can lift. Prayer could resist getting pulled in, though Industrial Survival Frame blocked the relocation completely. The first few scientists couldn't resist, but eventually they started being able to (if only slightly, because noodle arms), and trying to relocate more than one trying to resist quickly became impossible. The Power Testing Dummy, however, was sucked up immediately, as were any empty boxes or light testing weights.
It was not difficult to notice Taylor's disappointment, and the scientists' relief.
Prayer, however, was heartened.
"Athleticism breeds strength, even for us," she intoned, placing a confident gauntlet on your shoulder as she looked out into the open horizon of black and empty sky. "We shall add weights to your training."
You are determined to ship her with anyone but Bladedancer, now.
Maker help you if they were ever to get together.
***
At the end of it all, the last time you stepped out of the swirling mass of cascading, black-and-white hexagons into the sterile testing chamber, you did not do so alone.
"Maidens," Lord Grasp shudders on your shoulder, his voice dripping with unease. "
I will endure in this wasteland, Warden, for your sake… but do not expect me to like it."
"Thank you, Lord Grasp," you nod punctually, then turn to the scientists who are placing their equipment - even the broken instruments from that first test - back into containers while Dr. Rose and Taylor discuss something. "My dimension is now clear."
Both of them share a glance at Lord Grasp before nodding to each other.
"I've been talking with Director Peterbuilt," Taylor admits, as if that wasn't something difficult or rare. "Both my and Prayer's anima goes through walls and floors at its highest levels, though not always - there's a lot of variation with how it manifests, which seems to mainly depend on the situation in which it's generated. I explained that your anima has a high chance of flowing up and into the floors above - including the Gift Shop and public-access areas - and he agreed that we… probably want to avoid that."
You think back on how the massive, shrieking mechanical spider of Taylor's anima could be seen from halfway across Philadelphia, towering into the sky at times like a skyscraper.
"That would be bad," you agree with a perfunctory nod. Lord Grasp grumbles on your shoulder at being excluded from the conversation, but you ignore him.
"Right. I also talked with him about your containment, and we both agreed that it'd be against everyone's best interests for the Youth Guard to get on his case about your extended containment after your… recovery…" she smiles, tone light, "and that you'd be happy not to press the issue if we could get a head start on your meditation at the same time that the scientists are studying your anima."
You note the wary side-eye that Dr. Rose is giving Taylor at this admission, but you are more surprised that she would willingly work with the Youth Guard like this; you and Sakura had lost count of the number of times that she'd gone on a grumbling rant about them wasting
her time over the last month. Maybe she thinks that redirecting them back at the PRT will get them off her case?
You've never minded them, after all, since Ms. Keyworth (your case worker) had managed to get the two of you a few weeks to settle into Philadelphia before your cape personas were publicly revealed. She'd even helped go over your patrol schedules and paths to help limit how much fighting you needed to do.
You hope she made it out of the fighting alright, and try to make a mental note to ask Taylor about her later.
"Where will we be testing?"
Taylor and Dr. Rose share a look again. The older latino man snorts and rolls his eyes, while the dark blue hologram merely smirks and points… up.
***
PRT Tower isn't the tallest building in New York - that honor goes to the Enduring Spirit Spire, which was built over the remains of the Empire State Building after Behemoth's rampage in 1994. Though the tallest buildings in New York at the time were systematically targeted by the Endbringer, New York managed to survive with over sixty percent of its skyscrapers intact by the end of the attack. While many have been rebuilt or replaced since then, the emphasis towards reinforcement and survivability since then has led to the New York skyline filled with sturdy towers of metal instead of glass or stone.
At seventy-four stories, the white obelisk that is PRT Tower is still one of the tallest skyscrapers in New York. It offers an excellent view of Manhattan and Central Park from its location on Fifth Avenue and East 56th Street, and it's even possible to see the Endbringer Memorial monolith from the landing pad on its top.
It's… a little colder than you remember from your last time up here, though that is likely due to the fact that you don't have any clothes on right now.
You required more Clarity to accept Taylor's reasoning - that your charms needed space to reconfigure, which both she and Prayer had encountered in their own meditations - and the fact that both she and Prayer had done the same helped put away the suspicion that she is just trying to embarrass you.
Ultimately, it was your memory that Sakura had won your argument and declared Taylor's base form 'not lewd' (
Barbie dolls are boring, not pervy) which allowed you to step out onto the south-west corner Cape Receiving Pad and disrobe, handing over your jumpsuit to Lord Grasp...
… who promptly shredded it with a blurring of his pincers before anyone could protest, then let the remains catch a gust of wind to carry them off the roof.
"I'd set it on fire, but it doesn't deserve the honor."
That had led to some awkwardness from the scientists as they tried to set up the monitoring equipment around you, though observing them you began to suspect that their was more to their caution than that simple display of irreverence. Understandable, since even you are still wrapping your head around the notion of spirits, but you think it might be best to watch
his Power Testing video after all your own testing is done.
With the tripods, boxes, and poles set up in a ten-foot-radius circle around you, Taylor's drone does a circuit around the outside edge of the perimeter before stopping beside Lord Grasp's car-sized form. She turns her hologram to you and gives you a satisfied smile.
"Before you start meditating, Tatsu, let's slowly build up your anima so that there aren't any major surprises," she begins, ignoring the suspicious look your mechanical companion is giving her drone. "Let's try to keep it gradual, so don't let the essence go wild when you pull at it - focus on your essence pool and let it trickle out without powering any charms."
After offering a curt nod of understanding, you close your eyes and visualize your charms and essence pool again - an act that is becoming easier and easier with practice and Clarity. Conveniently, your essence pool's visualization allows for you to… pull single units of essence with relative ease, but the instant you try to release the essence outside of the usual charm channels-
The blue mote of light explodes, filling your mind's eye and sending you reeling.
BzzzzOOOOooooommmmm!
You manage to find your balance before your stumble sends you to the tarmac, your eyes shooting open as the afternoon sky around you fills with a crackling, humming, ocean-blue wash of energy - the glowing mist flowing out of the various lines of power that trace all along your body, while sparks and pops of electricity scatter across your form and into the glowing cloud.
There are shouts of surprise and concern from the gathered scientists, though they're mostly drowned out by the thrumming hum and crackling power you're generating at the moment. Still, you're able to make out their staggering forms easily through the semi-transparent fog that you're generating, as well as Taylor, Prayer, and Lord Grasp - all three of whom don't appear to have reacted much to the display.
Instead, they're just looking
up.
You crane your neck to follow their gaze.
No monstrous creature or terrifying display fills the sky above you, so your initial fear is quickly replaced by momentary confusion.
A black magatama, nearly as large as a blimp, floats serenely in the sky above you.
Your mother had a necklace with one from her own mother, yes, but… neither she nor your father were devout shintoists, and they hadn't tried to make you learn much of it as the two of you grew up. Why-
Ah, no. Not a magatama.
A
yin.
Which… while not a complete surprise, makes you realize something:
Before, you and Sakura always appeared in the same spot in your Safe Space Safe… but now
you have a
black floor.
The testing earlier had revealed that the 'compass' (as Taylor called it) around your soulgem points towards the Cradle when you're out here but… you'd felt it rotate
away from the portal while you were in your Safe Space.
You two were always able to feel if the other was in your Safe Space before, but… what if that wasn't the case anymore?
"Tatsu?"
Blinking, you turn your gaze back to Taylor - who is giving you a thoughtful look of her own, though it quickly passes as she waves away your own focused expression.
"It's alright," she sighs, offering a light smile, "controlling anima was difficult for me until I had everything configured. On the bright side… you probably have the most unassuming totemic anima out of all of us - even Prayer's moon has spooked some people."
You nod, and reason that Prayer has some kind of lunar display for her anima and not that people were scared of her exposed butt.
The way Prayer shuffles slightly from Taylor's comment, you are going to refrain from making that joke for the time being… especially because you want to confirm whether Aisha or Dennis have beat you to it.
"Right," Taylor continues, clapping her hands together, "now, supposedly your anima power is…" she pauses, smile straining a bit, "...
actually helpful. Could you try… moving around a bit? Maybe throw a punch or two?"
Carefully not reacting to the way Prayer twitches at Taylor's words, you simply nod and follow her command - settling into a relaxed stance feel almost reflexive, now, and throwing a punch-
The air around your arm and body wavers as an… well, it's like an 'after-image' that Movers sometimes have, where the eye is tricked into seeing a blurry image of them just as they move out of the way.
Except the stream of mixing hues isn't
behind your arm, but
in front, almost as if it's showing where you're
going to be.
Frowning, you keep going, throwing faster and faster punches and kicks, trying to either beat the prismatic display or trick it by changing your direction at the last second-
Prayer is in front of you, flowing between your strikes so quickly you almost stumble and fall backwards at the sudden intrusion.
"Continue!"
Her barked command in Old Realm feels like a crash of shattering crystal, but it's enough to make your panicked flailing straighten up and flow back into rhythm by sheer reflex. You punch, kick, knee, spin, flip, and twirl to no recognizable kata or rhythm, just focusing on trying to beat that colorful prediction of your own movement… but it always eludes you.
This…
dance… continues for long after you lose track of time, until eventually Prayer leaps out of your reach and out of the circle of scientific devices with a single, effortless bound.
You stop to look at her, but you are not…
jealous. She managed to avoid everything you did while wearing hundreds of pounds of crystalline armor, dodging and weaving through your strikes like they weren't even there. You may as well have been flailing through molasses for all it appeared to matter to her.
You are
envious. People always get those two mixed up.
"Challenging," she admits with a stoic nod, causing you to blink. Her voice is approving, yet completely lacking of any sign of tiredness or difficulty. "Were our prowess equal, it would be decisive."
"...right," Taylor coughs, recovering far more quickly than the still-stunned scientists. "It's…
supposed to be a fairly large boost to speed, power, and overall skill. I was worried that the…" she gestures at you with a finger, "... pre-image would just be giving away what you were about to do, but it actually makes it
more difficult to predict. For some reason."
You look back down at your hands, wiggling your fingers slightly to watch the effect play out again. You are… happy about this? It is
satisfactory, at least, since it is not frightening or mind-altering, but...
"I do not prefer to fight," you voice, looking back up at the other two Alchemicals and Lord Grasp. Not that he can understand you - in fact, Lord Grasp would likely scoff at such a notion. Instead, he still seems to be studying you and the yin symbol hanging in the sky with clear confusion.
"Wise," Prayer responds solemnly, nodding at your frown. "I, and Lord Grasp, will be your shields."
"Think of it this way, Tatsu," Taylor sighs, expression pulled into a tired grimace.
"Better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it."
***
By the time the scientists have finished their 'active' tests of your anima and its effects, the sun is nearing the horizon. Beams of hazy red and gold pierce the distant clouds, many of which filter through the buildings around you to paint the world bronze and crimson.
Heroes and PRT choppers have come and gone during the tests, usually lingering until being shooed away by Prayer informing them that you are (technically) still in Master/Stranger Protocol Confinement. Legend even passes through briefly at one point, but only to wave and smile before his blue-and-white form shoots off into the east.
As you sit down on the cold, grey tarmac, you reflexively sit in seiza before shifting to a cross-legged, more relaxed posture like Taylor sat in when
she meditated. Not quite knowing what to do with your hands, you lock your fingers together and touch the tips of your thumbs together while holding your hands palm-up in your lap.
Yes, that feels… acceptable. You would prefer a pillow to sit on, but it is too late to ask for that.
Looking around one more time, Prayer and Taylor nod from outside the ring of measuring equipment while Lord Grasp shimmies on his legs and holds his claws in the air.
"You have nothing to fear, Warden," he manages to boast while still sounding earnest,
"no charge of mine has been struck down while in my care before, and today will be no different."
"Thank you," you offer, before turning your head back and closing your eyes.
Taylor had told you to try to focus on your charms, but you have found yourself returning to that previous thought:
Why does your soulgem's 'compass' point
away from your Safe Space's portal? If it was always trying to point to the Cradle, wouldn't the compass point
towards it?
It's easy to see the yin-yang theme in your parahuman-charm and anima.
Black opposes white.
Is Sakura's portal… on the white side?
Even when you focus, peering into your Safe Space from outside only gets you a foggy, distant image. Inside, Prayer flew straight up for almost five minutes before surveying the area, but even then she saw no end to the horizon in any direction.
… how big
is-
***
A light breaks over a dark horizon; a star of brass, silver, steel, bronze, iron, and gold.
SEE ME, SAKI KUROSAWA, AND UNDERSTAND.
More than a star, more than a planet. The brilliant sphere rises slowly, revealing vast and incomprehensible detail, breathtaking majesty…
… and heartbreaking pain.
I AM THE GREAT MAKER.
Oceans of shimmering oil littered with curdling flotsam. Thinned clouds of billowing steam pumping from pipes outnumbered by their silent brethren. Spires of crystal marred by jagged fractures.
Trails of acrid smoke snaking across the world like choking fingers.
I AM THE MACHINE GOD.
The entire planet shifts, splits, and opens, revealing it to be a living, mechanical Eye.
The oily blood of a god pours from the rheumy Eye in unending tears.
I AM AUTOCHTHON.
The Deus Machina swivels slightly and the enormous Eye of the Primordial shifts to push through the pain and illness… to stare at you.
Such focus is beyond the comprehension of mortals, and it drives all conscious thought from your mind.
THROUGH DEXTERITY, YOU MUST NAVIGATE A WORLD FILLED WITH THOSE WHO WOULD BRING YOU LOW.
THROUGH MANIPULATION, YOU HAVE STEERED HEARTS AND MINDS.
THROUGH INTELLIGENCE, YOU WILL KNOW THE CHOICES THAT MUST BE MADE.
THROUGH YOUR SOUL OF STARMETAL, CHAMPION MY NAME.
In a sudden eruption that feels like a desperate gasp, power flows up from the machine world and through your mind, body, and soul.
There is a scream beside you, from a girl with your face.
Your mirror reaches out, as you do the same, but she is flung into the distance and into the horizon as you plummet into the abyss of the Eye.
TIME GROWS SHORT.
FINISH THE ASSEMBLY.
BEFORE ALL IS LOST.
SO ARISE, WARDEN OF REFLECTED INFINITIES.
FOR YOU ARE EXALTED.
***
Your eyes snap open to cold, cloudless night sky. The sounds of life echo up from the streets below, and the lights from the City That Never Sleeps drown out the stars.
Opening your mouth, you turn your head until you find Taylor staring back at you in surprise.
"Uh oh."
***
END OF CHAPTER - CHARACTER SHEET CHANGES:
WoRI - Intimacy MODIFIED: Lord Crushing Grasp (Loyal, Learned, Loquacious, Lewd) [Servitude]
[2/3]
WoRI - Intimacy STARTED: Taylor/Dragon (Workshop Waifus) [Illusion]
[1/3]
WoRI - Intimacy STARTED: Prayer/Anyone But Bladedancer (DODGE THIS) [Illusion]
[1/3]
EOA - Intimacy MODIFIED: Crawler|Defiant|Ned (How Do You Socialize A Monster) [Emotion|Exasperation]
[2/4]
EOA - Intimacy
GAINED: Glenn Chambers (He's Too Good At His Job To Resent Him) [Illusion]
[4/4]
EOA - Intimacy MODIFIED: Legend (How Much Is The Hero, How Much Is Cauldron) [Emotion|Reservation]
[2/4]
EOA - Intimacy RAISED: Lord Crushing Grasp (Peacock In Scorpion Form) [Illusion]
[2/4]
EOA - Intimacy
GAINED: Warden of Reflected Infinities (Forgive Me My Choices) [Servitude]
[4/4]
FPoP - Intimacy
GAINED: Lord Crushing Grasp (Vainglorious Vanguard) [Illusion]
[3/3]
FPoP - Intimacy
GAINED: Warden of Reflected Infinities (Timid Diamond) [Servitude]
[3/3]
WoRI - Athletics +1 Interval (2/6 Intervals)
WoRI - Integrity +2 Intervals (2/6 Intervals)
WoRI - Investigation +1 Interval (3/6 Intervals)
WoRI - Investigation (Body Language ●●○)
GAINED!
WoRI - Larceny +2 Intervals (2/6 Intervals)
WoRI - Larceny (Copying ●○○)
NOW AVAILABLE!
WoRI - Lore +1 Interval (1/6 Intervals)
WoRI - Occult ●○○○○
NOW AVAILABLE!
WoRI - Presence +1 Interval (3/6 Intervals)
EOA - Bureaucracy ●●●●○
NOW AVAILABLE!
EOA - Occult ●●●●●
GAINED!
FPoP - Awareness +1 Interval (3/6 Intervals)
FPoP - Investigation +2 Intervals (2/6 Intervals)
EOA - Equipment (
Weaver Armor Mk II) ●●●●○
GAINED!
FPoP - Backing (PRT) ●●●●●
GAINED!
WoRI - MEDITATION #1 BONUS:
CLARITY RESET, ESSENCE RESET
Uh oh, indeed! Lots of surprises this chapter... and who knows what charms she has in Lord Grasp?! Well, you do if you you're paying attention to the Character Sheets, that is, but that's cheating. Cheaters!
Anyway, though it was brief, this counted as the Exaltation Meditation, so Clarity troubles were nipped in the bud before they got out of hand - good thing, too, for our PR specialist! Somewhat more importantly, however, we finally have in-character knowledge that we're running on a time limit here, so things are going to be speeding up a bit with regards to Exaltation funtimes. We already have a bunch of votes from the past about Exaltations that will be trickling down now, so look forward to how that's going to play out next chapter, but there are some more immediate decisions to be made now. Specifically, since Saki has a reasonable idea that Sakura isn't coming through in a week… do we toss someone into the Cradle now? NOTE: This is going to be a binary choice, and will result in a follow-up vote to determine what character is
presented the choice. No one is guaranteed to accept from here on out (though some are much more likely to accept than others)!
We also still have a few details to clear up for what went on while Saki and Sakura were off being made Real (Robot) Magical Girls (just like in Kinzey's Japanese Animes)! We've already helped piece together how Philadelphia is doing since the S9 got deep-sixed, Taylor worked on her new armor (which is finished now, check it out in the Story Index), but… what did Iris and Riley do? We gave Iris a whole heapin' helpin' of tinkertech scrap from Bezalel, Bakuda, and Mannequin… and here's what they could have made!
-
Soulgem Injector: Gives an Earth-Bet human a full soul so they can work on Exalted physics now! This is, canonically, the most painful thing a human can experience in Exalted! This procedure, however, has been altered a bit with the help of Riley to wipe the brain of the memory, but the Soul will always remember for the rest of their lives (very minor PTSD instead of major PTSD). There are tons of benefits to working on Exalted physics, such as actually having Willpower to fight off parahuman power urges and being able to Stunt. Note that Riley went through it first to make sure it worked, so she's got a soul now if we pick this!
-
Medical Nanites: Grey goo that heals! Basically
Project Laz'R'Us from Schlock Mercenary without soldier-mode; treated Earth-Bet humans gain decent self-healing, immunity to most diseases and viruses, and are slowly de-aged to biologically ~25 years old and kept there. This is mechanically a Shaping effect, so our Alchemicals probably won't get much use from it for themselves. Riley technically is the one who would get public credit for this, since Iris doesn't count as a person in the eyes of the law.
-
New Charm: ONE Shards of the Exalted Dream charm now available, but one of Taylor's current charms was cannibalized to make it since she has no room to spare. We choose which charm, and may customize it a bit because SotED is wonky.
-
Body Double: Tinkertech humanoid drone with enough artificial neural framework to be controlled by SoPA but not enough to be anything more than a vegetable. It's got a metal skeleton and nanine covering, so it effectively mimics Husk-Sculpting Apparatus and has in-built Tinkertech weaponry - now Taylor can be social or on the front lines while still comfortably working in the lab! It's basically a
Terminator-X without the omnicidal directives. Potential for mass-production later!)
-
Write-In: Needs to be something that, thematically, an Iris/Riley collab would have produced while being locked up in quarantine with limited supplies/access.
And speaking of Riley, just exactly how have we been treating her? She has a body now (made by Wyld), but she no longer has her implants to
force her to be super-cheerful all the time. Still, she does have a surprising amount of energy and cheer since she hasn't really been forced to confront and understand the scope and impacts of her atrocities. There's also the fact that Iris… actually gets along with her pretty dang well, now that she's not trying to put a dress on him and pour tea all over his shell. She's much more into discovery and SCIENCE than Taylor ever has been (it's always been a means to an end for Taylor), after all. What role is Taylor playing here?
Finally… Taylor's talk about potential good uses of her terrifying charms didn't completely go in one ear and out the other while Saki was having a panic attack. In fact, she will have a bit of a revelation soon:
she can make all the pain go away. Does Saki use her charms on herself to strip away her traumatic experiences? This will cure the PTSD Derangement and thus drastically cut down the number of freak-outs she has, but she is also not a trained psychologist and her charms are not aligned yet…
Enough stalling, let's do this!
Autochthon wants YOU! - Emergency Draft Edition: (Choose ONE, NO Stunts!)
[ ] Yes, offer someone Exaltation and put them into the Cradle if they accept.
[ ] No, wait until Saki is settled and Sakura is confirmed to not exit in a week.
With A Box of Scraps!: (Choose ONE, ONE Stunt Allowed!)
[ ] Soulgem Injector
[ ] Medical Nanites
[ ] New Charm
[ ] Body Double
[ ] Write In: <NAME GOES HERE>
Playing House: (Choose ONE, ONE Stunt Allowed!)
[ ]
Bad Girl, No Biscuit: This is penance, not vacation. Taylor is constantly making sure Riley is aware of her past horrors and the public reputation that she must now overcome.
[ ]
Respect My Authority: SOMEONE has to be the adult around here. Taylor is a constant presence in the workshop, but more as a stern mom/adult to make sure both Iris and Riley behave.
[ ]
I Am Not A Doctor: Leave the mind games to the professionals. Taylor maintains oversight to make sure Riley isn't regressing and answers her questions, but otherwise lets Iris and Riley work on their own.
Self-Medicating: (Choose ONE, NO Stunt Allowed!)
[ ] Saki uses her own charms on herself to purge her trauma problems.
[ ] Saki does not try to fix her own mental problems with charms.
Free Actions: (Only ONE Free Action allowed per character!)
Free Actions should be phrased as stand-alone Stunts, so they must be 60 words or less (not counting the "Free Action" bit), be descriptive about what you're hoping to accomplish, and set the scene.
[ ]
EOA - Free Action: [Insert Stunt-like action that could be performed during other activities.]
[ ]
FPoP - Free Action: [Insert Stunt-like action that could be performed during other activities.]
[ ]
WoRI - Free Action: [Insert Stunt-like action that could be performed during other activities.]
XP Expenditures should now be formatted as such:
[X] NAME - ? XP - Item ●●●○○
[X] NAME - ? XP - Item (Specialization ●●○)
VOTING DISCUSSION BEGINS NOW
NO VOTES WILL BE COUNTED UNTIL DISCUSSION ENDS
USE THIS TIME TO COME UP WITH STUNTS AND FREE ACTIONS
DISCUSSION ENDS AND VOTING BEGINS TUESDAY AT 11:59 PM PST
