Brockton Bay's Marvelous Mage
- Thread starter MetaBettaOmega
- Start date
Hidden One
Not the Boss, possibly a Playa
- Location
- Sol;Terra;EU;D;NRW
Interessting development.
Since my question got.. skipped... I have to assume that its either not something that was considered during writing and theres a backolog so that it cant be considered or that it would be a massive spoiler to answer in any way.
Still would be mighty nice to actually know which of those options it actually is.
Since my question got.. skipped... I have to assume that its either not something that was considered during writing and theres a backolog so that it cant be considered or that it would be a massive spoiler to answer in any way.
Still would be mighty nice to actually know which of those options it actually is.
KillerFish
Grumpy Owl, Bird Lawyer
That's an interesting way to gain initial support. By decentralising and distancing the healing it stifles anybody attempting to strike against him on a personal level.
Ashkari
(Verified Ink-slinger)
- Location
- United States
… I got curious, and apparently you can buy titanium sheet plate at Walmart, lmao.
- Location
- Canada
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Yeah, even if you can get Titanium relatively easy, that's almost certainly a monitored material, since it's not something that 90% of people would have a use for.
Honestly, I think his best bet would probably be to just dump all six charges of a cycle into Spell Theory/Development/Creation/Whatever. That way, he could spend the time inbetween charges developing his own spells in areas where he needs some advancement, but doesn't want to spend charges. It would probably also just help him to get more bang for his buck out of any future expenditures and speed up his development in general. Plus, it might give him a better idea of how many charges to spend on a specific field before spending the charges, which could save him quite a lot of charges in the long run.
Though, before that, he should put his quest point into Concealment Wards for Small Buildings. Having such a narrow topic should give him what he needs to hide his shop from basically everything. He's not likely to need most of the other stuff a wizarding home offers until he's spent quite a few charges after all.
That aside, I wonder how Coil's power is going to react when he starts trying to use it to forcibly recruit Mage.
Though, before that, he should put his quest point into Concealment Wards for Small Buildings. Having such a narrow topic should give him what he needs to hide his shop from basically everything. He's not likely to need most of the other stuff a wizarding home offers until he's spent quite a few charges after all.
That aside, I wonder how Coil's power is going to react when he starts trying to use it to forcibly recruit Mage.
Chapter Five
It took me a few hours to fall asleep when I got back to the shop, mostly because I was wired from what I had just agreed to. I knew deep down that I was going to get involved with this world's cape scene. I had already mentally committed to helping this world, even committed to someday fighting the Endbringers when I was powerful enough. But all of that had been future concepts, not real hard steps. The power I would need to fight the Endbringers was astronomical, so far from what I was now that it hardly felt real.
This, though? It was a much more real step forward. A step out of my comfortable anonymity.
Okay, yes, showing up and healing Dinah's Aunt was my real first step, but that had felt different. I was just following the task my powers gave me.
I couldn't even consider going back on my word. Between Tony's contagious excitement and my own guilt and stubbornness, there was no way I would let myself step out on my word. I maintained that I wasn't a self-sacrificing hero, but I was hoping to at least be the kind of person who helps in general.
When I did finally fall asleep, it was the fitful, tossing and turning kind, where I spent most of the night barely dozing, rather than fully sleeping. I woke up just as tired, if not more tired, than I had been when I fell asleep. There was only one cure for a night like that, greasy food and a double shot of expresso.
I left the shop after cleaning up a bit, heading to a nearby breakfast cafe. Once I had my breakfast, I headed down to the boardwalk to enjoy my food by the ocean. It wasn't nearly as pleasant a view as you might expect, with the beaches covered in trash and stained with oil, and the view of the ocean itself was marred by the Boat Graveyard. I could see it clearly from where I was, though it would have been better if I couldn't. The whole thing basically looked like several mountains of rusted metal, half submerged in the ocean. There were at least two massive cargo ships partially sunk, with who knew what else shoved together and falling apart.
It was like staring at the physical embodiment of economic collapse.
A cold breeze blew at me, and for a moment, I panicked, looking around for trouble. Alya frequently used cold winds to warn me I had turned in the wrong direction or something was coming, so feeling one suddenly immediately put me on alert. I only stopped looking around furtively when a warm breeze blew over.
"Sorry, that one gust slipped by," Alya admitted, talking softly into my ear. "I was watching a pair of Enforcers."
"Anything wrong?" I asked as I lifted my egg sandwich to my mouth.
"They were just watching you, but they moved on," She assured me. "Don't worry, I'm keeping an eye on them too."
I nodded and continued to eat, drinking my coffee and enjoying the morning. Eventually, when I was done, I leaned back on the bench.
"You're worried," Alya said, not as a question but as a statement.
"Can you really blame me?" I asked, taking a sip of my coffee. "Once we start doing this, a lot of people are going to take a pretty big interest in me. I knew it would happen, but I was hoping to have some more to work with before I did."
"I'll be watching over you, as always," She pointed out, the crashing waves losing a lot of their volume as she muffled our conversation. "And I don't think you would be happy with yourself if you declined."
"Yeah… you're not wrong," I admitted, letting out a long breath.
I could feel her presence pushing by me, ruffling my hair before dispersing around me once more, watching over a significant portion of the area at once. It was impressive how much ground she could cover, but I knew from experience that while she could feel such a large space, she couldn't watch everything at once. Instead, her focus drifted, while anything aggressive, violent, or noteworthy would tug at her awareness, prompting her to look closer. She was not omnipresent, and if someone was subtle enough, they could get pretty close before she noticed.
Eventually, I stood from the bench and stretched, my back loosening after a moment. With one more look out over the ocean, I started making my way back through the city. I wanted to grab some steel scrap, so I had some stocked up. That would only take a few hours, but I would likely take my time exploring the city and looking for a place to eventually make my permanent home. I ended up spending most of the day doing that, returning to the shop as the sun started to set.
The next day, I realized I was lacking a critical piece of infrastructure, so I grabbed a bit of cash from the ceiling tile stash and headed Downtown. It didn't take me long to find a shop selling prepaid cell phones, and while one of the clerks tried to upsell me, I insisted it was only for temporary use, so I didn't need anything fancy. In all honesty, the phones in this world were kind of crap, both because it was fourteen years earlier than I was used to and because the world's tech industry kind of screeched to a halt when the Endbringers started crushing cities.
Even if I spent thousands of dollars on the best phone they had, it would still be pretty basic when compared to what I was used to.
I walked down the road, letting Alya guide me as I focused on booting up the phone and getting it started. When it was all set up, I punched in the number on the card Tony had given me. The phone rang twice before a familiar voice came through the phone's speaker. Even before I could say anything, I could feel Alya muffling our conversation.
"Hello? Who is this?" He asked.
"Tony, hello. It's Mage," I said simply. "You told me to call you?"
"Mage! Yes! I'm glad to hear from you!" He said excitedly. "Listen, I managed to get a hold of a few people, and one of them is interested in meeting you tonight. Could you do that?"
"Uh.. yeah, I can do that," I responded, scratching my cheek. "Where exactly would we meet?"
"There's a small park not far from where the kitchen is, we are going to meet there. It's a bit of a walk to his community, but he didn't want to bring you too close without meeting you first."
"That's fair. Alright, Tony, I'll be there."
The older man gave me some brief directions, directing me to an area a half dozen blocks away from the address on the card he had given me. After a few more words, I hung up and started heading back to the shop to reapply my steel absorption. I could feel I still had plenty of time on my existing charge, but I wasn't about to risk running out when I was out and about all masked up.
Why was I getting masked up when the meeting with Tony wouldn't be happening for five or six hours? Because, while I was determined to help, I fully realized there was a lot about this situation that I didn't know about. So, rather than flounder about and possibly mess things up, I wanted to talk to someone else who could heal like me.
I was going to seek out Panacea and ask for advice.
I left the shop after packing my costume into a small leather messenger bag, since there was no way I was going to walk across the entire city in my costume. Not only would I feel like an idiot, but the chances I would attract the wrong kind of attention skyrocketed the further I went.
I took my time walking across the city, making my way deeper Downtown, trying to find my way to the hospital. Luckily for me, there were clear and obvious signs that directed me to the Brockton Bay Central Hospital.
Eventually, as I got closer, Alya found a spot for me to change. I quickly pulled out my costume, taking off my shirt to reveal the same white shirt I had worn before. I threw on my mask, then my beanie, before finally pulling on my black overcoat. Finally, I folded up my shirt and slid it back into my bag, letting Alya partially manifest and carry it to the roof of the building I was hiding behind for safekeeping.
Once I was dressed, I admit it took a few minutes for me to leave the alley I had changed in. The night I rushed out the door to save Tony, I hadn't been thinking much about what I looked like. Even better, I had somehow managed to completely avoid any onlookers.
Now, I was about to step out into a heavily populated area, dressed up in what would have constituted a bad Halloween costume back home.
I didn't consider myself to be easily frightened or scared, but I had always had a weakness for public speaking, and being at the center of a large group. It wasn't quite social anxiety, at least as far as I knew, but whatever it was, it was certainly kicking in now.
"Could I make a recommendation?" Alya asked, picking up on what I was feeling through our connection. "Right now, with that mask on, you're not just William Kalus anymore. Your William Kalus, Mage of Brockton Bay. Healer and Master of Lightning. Step into that role and let it protect you."
I let out a long breath, letting her words roll over me, nodding along with her suggestion.
"You know, for being new to this whole consciousness thing, you are pretty wise," I pointed out, purposely standing up straight.
"The wisdom of youth, I'm sure," She responded with a giggle. "I don't see the world as complicated as you do, it makes seeing the truth easier."
"Must be nice."
I paused for another moment before finally stepping out of the alley before I could get inside my own head again. The effect was instant, with the people around me going silent and immediately focusing on me. I forced myself forward, though, ignoring them as best I could.
As I continued to walk, the stares turned to whispers, and soon those changed to people pulling out their phones, snapping pictures, and taking videos of me.
"Should I short out their phones?" Alya asked, and I had to bite back an instinctual urge to say yes.
"No, it would only cause problems," I said with a frown, though it was hidden behind my mask. "Best to save that ability for later."
After making my way across the last street, I was finally standing in front of the hospital. It was well maintained, with clean white walls and a bright, well-maintained sign. Even the street in front of it was newly paved. I nodded to myself before slowly making my way to the front door, opening it, and stepping inside.
Immediately, I could tell it was unnaturally quiet. The large open area was almost entirely devoid of movement, with nearly everyone focused on me. I resisted the urge to cringe away from the attention, and instead pushed forward, following the gentle, encouraging breeze. As I approached the front desk, the five people sitting behind it remained frozen, until finally, one of the older ones stepped forward. She reached out and pulled the two younger-looking women back, stepping forward to greet me. She even managed to smile.
"Hello, Welcome to Brockton Bay Central Hospital," She said calmly, standing directly in front of her coworkers. "Is there something I could help you with?"
"Yes, actually. I'm new to Brockton Bay, and I wanted to meet Panacea," I explained, smiling beneath my mask when the older woman frowned. "No, I'm not some groupie or looking for free healing. I wanted to shake hands with the fellow healer and discuss how it works here, mostly to avoid stepping on any toes or making a scene."
That surprised the older receptionist into silence again, though she broke through much quicker this time.
"You're a healer?" She asked, her eyes wide. "That's incredible, I-"
"Hey! What's going on here?"
A loud, brash shout came from down the hall, and suddenly, a costumed girl came flying down the hall, stopping just a few feet in front of me, her arms crossed. She was wearing a golden tiara on her head and a predominantly white costume lined with gold highlights. Even her boots were marked with gold. Despite the situation, the first thought through my head was that she must fly everywhere when wearing her costume, as her shoes were way too white to actually be used.
"Who are you, and what are you doing here?" She said, her face colored with just the slightest hint of a sneer. It wasn't quite disgust, more along the lines of suspicion and distrust.
For a long moment, I was frozen, a creeping nervousness rising up through my head. Like I was an ant and a very annoyed giant was about to step on me. Before I could do anything, Alya was there whispering into my ear.
"She is influencing your mind," She explained. "I can feel it through your bond, it doesn't reach your soul but it reverberates through your feelings."
As if all I needed was permission to ignore it, knowing it wasn't real was enough for me to push through. I still felt like a small kid on the bad end of a big bully, but now I could fight it.
"I'm new to this, but for now, I am going by Mage. I assume you are Glory Girl?" I asked, recognizing the young woman from the many, many, many photos online. "Whatever you are doing with your powers, I recommend you stop. This is a hospital. It's no place for posturing."
For a moment, I thought she was going to push, in fact, I could feel her emotional manipulating power start to tick up, only for someone to reach around her and grab her arm.
"Vicky, calm down," the person said, tugging the teenager's arm. "They aren't doing anything wrong."
"They were asking about you," She responded, partially turning to reveal Panacea standing behind her, dressed in a white and red cloak.
"And? Everyone is asking after me here, it's the hospital," She responded, rolling her eyes before focusing on me. "Though it's more than a bit aggressive to roll in unannounced."
"I wasn't aware you made appointments," I responded, feeling the mental pressure pull back slightly.
"What are you looking for?" She asked, adjusting her cloak around herself, looking at me with eyes that... Well, they seemed a lot more jaded than I would have expected from her age.
They also looked incredibly tired.
"I don't do requests, and I don't do on-the-spot healing unless it is an emergency. If you are from out of town, you'll have to wait in line," the young heroine continued, gesturing behind me. I turned to look and found dozens of people sitting in the lobby, all watching us with wide eyes.
"Uh, no, I do not require healing," I assured her. "Rather, I came to talk to a fellow healer."
The robe-wearing Parahuman's posture changed immediately, and her barely restrained indifference disappeared, replaced by sudden interest, her eyes locked on me.
"What did you say?"
This, though? It was a much more real step forward. A step out of my comfortable anonymity.
Okay, yes, showing up and healing Dinah's Aunt was my real first step, but that had felt different. I was just following the task my powers gave me.
I couldn't even consider going back on my word. Between Tony's contagious excitement and my own guilt and stubbornness, there was no way I would let myself step out on my word. I maintained that I wasn't a self-sacrificing hero, but I was hoping to at least be the kind of person who helps in general.
When I did finally fall asleep, it was the fitful, tossing and turning kind, where I spent most of the night barely dozing, rather than fully sleeping. I woke up just as tired, if not more tired, than I had been when I fell asleep. There was only one cure for a night like that, greasy food and a double shot of expresso.
I left the shop after cleaning up a bit, heading to a nearby breakfast cafe. Once I had my breakfast, I headed down to the boardwalk to enjoy my food by the ocean. It wasn't nearly as pleasant a view as you might expect, with the beaches covered in trash and stained with oil, and the view of the ocean itself was marred by the Boat Graveyard. I could see it clearly from where I was, though it would have been better if I couldn't. The whole thing basically looked like several mountains of rusted metal, half submerged in the ocean. There were at least two massive cargo ships partially sunk, with who knew what else shoved together and falling apart.
It was like staring at the physical embodiment of economic collapse.
A cold breeze blew at me, and for a moment, I panicked, looking around for trouble. Alya frequently used cold winds to warn me I had turned in the wrong direction or something was coming, so feeling one suddenly immediately put me on alert. I only stopped looking around furtively when a warm breeze blew over.
"Sorry, that one gust slipped by," Alya admitted, talking softly into my ear. "I was watching a pair of Enforcers."
"Anything wrong?" I asked as I lifted my egg sandwich to my mouth.
"They were just watching you, but they moved on," She assured me. "Don't worry, I'm keeping an eye on them too."
I nodded and continued to eat, drinking my coffee and enjoying the morning. Eventually, when I was done, I leaned back on the bench.
"You're worried," Alya said, not as a question but as a statement.
"Can you really blame me?" I asked, taking a sip of my coffee. "Once we start doing this, a lot of people are going to take a pretty big interest in me. I knew it would happen, but I was hoping to have some more to work with before I did."
"I'll be watching over you, as always," She pointed out, the crashing waves losing a lot of their volume as she muffled our conversation. "And I don't think you would be happy with yourself if you declined."
"Yeah… you're not wrong," I admitted, letting out a long breath.
I could feel her presence pushing by me, ruffling my hair before dispersing around me once more, watching over a significant portion of the area at once. It was impressive how much ground she could cover, but I knew from experience that while she could feel such a large space, she couldn't watch everything at once. Instead, her focus drifted, while anything aggressive, violent, or noteworthy would tug at her awareness, prompting her to look closer. She was not omnipresent, and if someone was subtle enough, they could get pretty close before she noticed.
Eventually, I stood from the bench and stretched, my back loosening after a moment. With one more look out over the ocean, I started making my way back through the city. I wanted to grab some steel scrap, so I had some stocked up. That would only take a few hours, but I would likely take my time exploring the city and looking for a place to eventually make my permanent home. I ended up spending most of the day doing that, returning to the shop as the sun started to set.
The next day, I realized I was lacking a critical piece of infrastructure, so I grabbed a bit of cash from the ceiling tile stash and headed Downtown. It didn't take me long to find a shop selling prepaid cell phones, and while one of the clerks tried to upsell me, I insisted it was only for temporary use, so I didn't need anything fancy. In all honesty, the phones in this world were kind of crap, both because it was fourteen years earlier than I was used to and because the world's tech industry kind of screeched to a halt when the Endbringers started crushing cities.
Even if I spent thousands of dollars on the best phone they had, it would still be pretty basic when compared to what I was used to.
I walked down the road, letting Alya guide me as I focused on booting up the phone and getting it started. When it was all set up, I punched in the number on the card Tony had given me. The phone rang twice before a familiar voice came through the phone's speaker. Even before I could say anything, I could feel Alya muffling our conversation.
"Hello? Who is this?" He asked.
"Tony, hello. It's Mage," I said simply. "You told me to call you?"
"Mage! Yes! I'm glad to hear from you!" He said excitedly. "Listen, I managed to get a hold of a few people, and one of them is interested in meeting you tonight. Could you do that?"
"Uh.. yeah, I can do that," I responded, scratching my cheek. "Where exactly would we meet?"
"There's a small park not far from where the kitchen is, we are going to meet there. It's a bit of a walk to his community, but he didn't want to bring you too close without meeting you first."
"That's fair. Alright, Tony, I'll be there."
The older man gave me some brief directions, directing me to an area a half dozen blocks away from the address on the card he had given me. After a few more words, I hung up and started heading back to the shop to reapply my steel absorption. I could feel I still had plenty of time on my existing charge, but I wasn't about to risk running out when I was out and about all masked up.
Why was I getting masked up when the meeting with Tony wouldn't be happening for five or six hours? Because, while I was determined to help, I fully realized there was a lot about this situation that I didn't know about. So, rather than flounder about and possibly mess things up, I wanted to talk to someone else who could heal like me.
I was going to seek out Panacea and ask for advice.
I left the shop after packing my costume into a small leather messenger bag, since there was no way I was going to walk across the entire city in my costume. Not only would I feel like an idiot, but the chances I would attract the wrong kind of attention skyrocketed the further I went.
I took my time walking across the city, making my way deeper Downtown, trying to find my way to the hospital. Luckily for me, there were clear and obvious signs that directed me to the Brockton Bay Central Hospital.
Eventually, as I got closer, Alya found a spot for me to change. I quickly pulled out my costume, taking off my shirt to reveal the same white shirt I had worn before. I threw on my mask, then my beanie, before finally pulling on my black overcoat. Finally, I folded up my shirt and slid it back into my bag, letting Alya partially manifest and carry it to the roof of the building I was hiding behind for safekeeping.
Once I was dressed, I admit it took a few minutes for me to leave the alley I had changed in. The night I rushed out the door to save Tony, I hadn't been thinking much about what I looked like. Even better, I had somehow managed to completely avoid any onlookers.
Now, I was about to step out into a heavily populated area, dressed up in what would have constituted a bad Halloween costume back home.
I didn't consider myself to be easily frightened or scared, but I had always had a weakness for public speaking, and being at the center of a large group. It wasn't quite social anxiety, at least as far as I knew, but whatever it was, it was certainly kicking in now.
"Could I make a recommendation?" Alya asked, picking up on what I was feeling through our connection. "Right now, with that mask on, you're not just William Kalus anymore. Your William Kalus, Mage of Brockton Bay. Healer and Master of Lightning. Step into that role and let it protect you."
I let out a long breath, letting her words roll over me, nodding along with her suggestion.
"You know, for being new to this whole consciousness thing, you are pretty wise," I pointed out, purposely standing up straight.
"The wisdom of youth, I'm sure," She responded with a giggle. "I don't see the world as complicated as you do, it makes seeing the truth easier."
"Must be nice."
I paused for another moment before finally stepping out of the alley before I could get inside my own head again. The effect was instant, with the people around me going silent and immediately focusing on me. I forced myself forward, though, ignoring them as best I could.
As I continued to walk, the stares turned to whispers, and soon those changed to people pulling out their phones, snapping pictures, and taking videos of me.
"Should I short out their phones?" Alya asked, and I had to bite back an instinctual urge to say yes.
"No, it would only cause problems," I said with a frown, though it was hidden behind my mask. "Best to save that ability for later."
After making my way across the last street, I was finally standing in front of the hospital. It was well maintained, with clean white walls and a bright, well-maintained sign. Even the street in front of it was newly paved. I nodded to myself before slowly making my way to the front door, opening it, and stepping inside.
Immediately, I could tell it was unnaturally quiet. The large open area was almost entirely devoid of movement, with nearly everyone focused on me. I resisted the urge to cringe away from the attention, and instead pushed forward, following the gentle, encouraging breeze. As I approached the front desk, the five people sitting behind it remained frozen, until finally, one of the older ones stepped forward. She reached out and pulled the two younger-looking women back, stepping forward to greet me. She even managed to smile.
"Hello, Welcome to Brockton Bay Central Hospital," She said calmly, standing directly in front of her coworkers. "Is there something I could help you with?"
"Yes, actually. I'm new to Brockton Bay, and I wanted to meet Panacea," I explained, smiling beneath my mask when the older woman frowned. "No, I'm not some groupie or looking for free healing. I wanted to shake hands with the fellow healer and discuss how it works here, mostly to avoid stepping on any toes or making a scene."
That surprised the older receptionist into silence again, though she broke through much quicker this time.
"You're a healer?" She asked, her eyes wide. "That's incredible, I-"
"Hey! What's going on here?"
A loud, brash shout came from down the hall, and suddenly, a costumed girl came flying down the hall, stopping just a few feet in front of me, her arms crossed. She was wearing a golden tiara on her head and a predominantly white costume lined with gold highlights. Even her boots were marked with gold. Despite the situation, the first thought through my head was that she must fly everywhere when wearing her costume, as her shoes were way too white to actually be used.
"Who are you, and what are you doing here?" She said, her face colored with just the slightest hint of a sneer. It wasn't quite disgust, more along the lines of suspicion and distrust.
For a long moment, I was frozen, a creeping nervousness rising up through my head. Like I was an ant and a very annoyed giant was about to step on me. Before I could do anything, Alya was there whispering into my ear.
"She is influencing your mind," She explained. "I can feel it through your bond, it doesn't reach your soul but it reverberates through your feelings."
As if all I needed was permission to ignore it, knowing it wasn't real was enough for me to push through. I still felt like a small kid on the bad end of a big bully, but now I could fight it.
"I'm new to this, but for now, I am going by Mage. I assume you are Glory Girl?" I asked, recognizing the young woman from the many, many, many photos online. "Whatever you are doing with your powers, I recommend you stop. This is a hospital. It's no place for posturing."
For a moment, I thought she was going to push, in fact, I could feel her emotional manipulating power start to tick up, only for someone to reach around her and grab her arm.
"Vicky, calm down," the person said, tugging the teenager's arm. "They aren't doing anything wrong."
"They were asking about you," She responded, partially turning to reveal Panacea standing behind her, dressed in a white and red cloak.
"And? Everyone is asking after me here, it's the hospital," She responded, rolling her eyes before focusing on me. "Though it's more than a bit aggressive to roll in unannounced."
"I wasn't aware you made appointments," I responded, feeling the mental pressure pull back slightly.
"What are you looking for?" She asked, adjusting her cloak around herself, looking at me with eyes that... Well, they seemed a lot more jaded than I would have expected from her age.
They also looked incredibly tired.
"I don't do requests, and I don't do on-the-spot healing unless it is an emergency. If you are from out of town, you'll have to wait in line," the young heroine continued, gesturing behind me. I turned to look and found dozens of people sitting in the lobby, all watching us with wide eyes.
"Uh, no, I do not require healing," I assured her. "Rather, I came to talk to a fellow healer."
The robe-wearing Parahuman's posture changed immediately, and her barely restrained indifference disappeared, replaced by sudden interest, her eyes locked on me.
"What did you say?"
Is mc strong enough to avoid getting pressed ganged into a gang? and I'm not just talking about the local gang, but the ones from out of town will definitely come looking for a new independent healer
Shadow Archon
Protoss Preserver
- Location
- Louisiana
I strongly expect her to call BS and demand he prove it. Which... well, if he acquiesces, is definitely going to get him all the attention, for good and mostly ill.
If GG heard her sister's name, then she also heard that he's a healer... Even without that though, this feels like an excessively aggressive reaction from GG. Unless something's going on that caused her to already be upset, this feels a bit out of character to me.
That aside, I doubt the PRT would allow an unregistered independent healer to operate in the area without registering and having his powers tested, for both political and power tripping reasons.
That aside, I doubt the PRT would allow an unregistered independent healer to operate in the area without registering and having his powers tested, for both political and power tripping reasons.
Chapter Six
The young woman's sudden shift at my words was startling, but since healing was such a rare power to have, I could understand some strange reactions.
"I was hoping to get some advice from the city's best healer," I repeated. "Like I said, I would have-"
"You can heal?" Panacea asked, releasing her sister and taking several excited steps forward as she cut me off. "How does it work? What method? What…."
I withstood a barrage of questions, eyes wide and answering none of them. The young woman continued getting closer, eventually looking up at me. Despite me being several inches taller, I still took a small step back, overwhelmed by her rush. It took her nearly a dozen questions for her to finally realize I was still not responding.
"Perhaps we could talk a bit more in private?" I suggested before she could continue her tidal wave of curiosity.
"Uh… I'm not sure…"
"Glory Girl is welcome to come," I quickly added, suddenly aware it sounded like I wanted to be alone with her. "As well as any doctor or nurse you think might be a good addition. We can trade answers and discuss how this whole thing works."
As I talked, I could see that, at first, she was going to refuse my offer. That was fair, considering how it sounded. When I corrected myself to include her sister, as well as a doctor or nurse, she seemed a bit more okay with the idea, finally nodding in agreement.
"I suppose I could take an early break. Unless there are any time-sensitive cases?" Panacea said, looking over her shoulder to a doctor standing a few feet away.
"There's nothing that needs your attention immediately," He responded, looking down at the chart on his clipboard before looking at his watch. "I believe conference room four should be open at the moment, as long as one of the residents isn't using it to sneak a nap."
"Okay, let's go then," she said, heading back down the hall she and her sister had arrived from.
Panacea clearly knew her way around the hospital because she navigated it like she was born there. We went down a hall, weaving between nurses and doctors, before stepping into an elevator, which closed with a ding and started ascending. We stood in silence, with Panacea looking excited and eager, while Glory Girl was still watching me closely.
The doctor looked calm, as if this was just another Tuesday. After a few seconds, I reached out my hand to him, which he took and shook after looking at it curiously.
"Sorry about that, I was a bit overly focused, Dr…?"
"Dr. Pilota," He answered, returning my firm shake. "And I understand. Thank you for being polite."
"Of course, I came to you guys, after all."
Not long after that, the elevator door opened, and Panacea once again led the way, making a beeline for a door at the end of the hall. Once we were all inside, I sat down on one of the chairs, trying to set the tone as casual and, more importantly, calm. This prompted everyone else to do the same. For a moment, the room was quiet until Panacea cleared her throat and started talking.
"So… what were you hoping to learn?" She asked. "I'm happy to help another healer…but I'm not sure what you need."
"Well, first, I wanted to know if there were laws or rules regarding parahuman healing," I responded. "I tried looking online, but I couldn't find anything precise."
"Well, that's kind of a complicated subject," The healer responded with a wince. "Technically, all you really need to use a beneficial power on someone is their permission. But the PRT prefers you to go through their power testing first, so your abilities can get tested for any unfortunate side effects, or… well, they basically want to stop a repeat Teacher."
"Who?" I asked before I could stop myself, internally wincing for showing ignorance about this world.
"Teacher? You know, hands out low-level thinker and tinker abilities, but he Mastered anyone he gave them to?" Glory Girl responded with a frown. "He's in the Birdcage now, but he was pretty scary for a while. The PRT still stumbles on some of his minions occasionally."
"That's… horrifying," I freely admit. "How common are Master powers?"
"Human Masters are on the rare side," Glory Girl said reassuringly. "But the label of Masters also includes people who control other things. Like plants or projections. Crusader, from the Empire? His projections make him a Master."
"Could we stay on topic for now?" Panacea asked with a frown, giving her sister a look. "While technically all you need is their permission, the PRT will push for power testing. If you refuse, there is a nonzero chance they might find a way to strong-arm you."
"How?" I asked, furrowing my brow. "Are we talking about using the wordings of rules to trip me up or just straight up bending them to fit?"
"If you ask my mom, it's the latter or worse," Glory Girl responded with a frown. "But Gallant says he's only ever heard of the first one happening, and only when someone needs to be investigated."
While I wasn't usually one to harp over government conspiracies or assume they are always out to get us, trusting a government agency to only bend the rules when they really need to set off so many alarm bells. Still, I would reserve my own judgment for when I could back it up with my own experiences, not just secondhand gossip from a Ward's girlfriend.
"I'll keep that in mind."
"Okay, now it's my turn," Panacea said, leaning forward eagerly. "How exactly does your healing work? What sort of limitations do you have?"
Now, there was the big question. Since Alya and I first arrived here and realized that powers all seemed to come from the same place, even if no one was sure where that place actually was, we knew I would have to come up with some sort of explanation for my own powers. In a Marvel or DC, I could have just said magic, and people would have shrugged and moved on. Here, though, people considered powers to be science they didn't quite yet understand, which meant everyone who claimed magic was looked at like they were slightly off their rocker.
Even a respected member of the Protectorate was seen as a little crazy just because he pretended to use magic.
Not only that, but the fact that I was gaining magic over time and would be able to guide myself to grow in new, powerful ways made me a Trump with hilariously potent potential. That was too much to reveal before I could defend myself.
Thankfully, Alya and I had plenty of time to come up with a reasonable excuse, one that would work to explain what I could do. Or at least it would hopefully work until I was powerful enough that it didn't really matter anymore.
"I'm a grab bag, kinda," I explained with a vague gesture. "I have an energy source inside me, and I can do a whole bunch of stuff with it. It all drains from the same source within me, so I'm not sure if it counts as many smaller powers. I can use it to heal, make myself tougher, or…"
I raise my hand and cast a low-level shocking spell, basically just making an arc of electricity jump between my fingers. It was simple, meaning I could control it easily without words or the glow of mana. All three of them jumped at the sound, but I only kept it going for a second, so none of them did anything more before I stopped.
"It's nothing crazy, and I can run out of power, but I like to think what it lacks in strength it makes up for in versatility. Also…" I trailed off, biting my lip and looking away, doing my best to look embarrassed. "It requires a lot of concentration, so I've found that rhythmic speaking helps me concentrate. Combined with some of the light shows that using the source makes… there's a reason my real name is probably going to have to do with magic."
"...But you don't actually think it's magic, right?" Panacea asked, obviously worried that the new healer was a nutjob.
"No, no, of course not," I lied, shaking my head. "But I have a theme, so I might as well stick with it, right?"
"Oh, thank god," She said, letting out an audible sigh of relief. "That's good to hear. You have no idea how crazy some of the 'powers are magic!' people are. Almost as bad as the ones that think they've been blessed by god. I've healed a few of them at Endbringer battles, and they… they can be a lot."
The young girl suddenly stopped, cutting off whatever she had been about to say. It seemed that she was more than a bit off-kilter, probably due to myself.
"Anyway, as much as it might suck to kowtow to them, just going through their power testing is probably your best bet," She continued. "The hospitals around the city require it, and the Protectorate won't be nearly as on your case as they would be otherwise."
"That's unfortunate," I admitted with a frown. "But I shouldn't be surprised that the government would insist on oversight. In all honesty, I will most likely be focusing away from the hospital since-"
"Wait, what? You're not going to be helping here?" Amy asked, suddenly a lot less calm. "Why not? Please, healing abilities are very rare. Please don't think you need to run off and fight to be a hero-"
"I never said that I wouldn't help out, especially in emergencies or critical cases like children, but I plan on focusing my abilities on the less fortunate population of the city, traveling between some of their camps and such to offer my healing," I explained. "I want to help, but I have my own things I need to do as well. I won't be able to dedicate all my time to the hospital."
While I thought I was being reasonable, but from the look I was getting from the young healer, it was clear she didn't agree.
"I assumed you were trying to be a hero, but I guess we shouldn't have." She said, her entire demeanor starting to change.
Her tone was cold and judgmental, such a drastic shift that I physically leaned back.
"I do intend to be a hero," I responded, more confused than angry at her tone. "But I'm not willing to spend my entire life here at the hospital. There are doctors and nurses here who I'm sure are perfectly capable of handling most cases. As I said, I will be going to some of the city's homeless camps, and eventually soup kitchens and the like to-"
"If you have a healing ability, then you're best off working here at the hospital, not off getting yourself killed fighting on the streets," Panacea fired back, cutting me off. "Going out to help the homeless is fine, but you have a responsibility to use your ability it as best you can."
The room was silent for a moment as all of us took in what the young woman was saying. Both Glory Girl and Dr. Pilota seemed shocked, though the former seemed more confused about the vehemence and tone, rather than what she was actually saying.
While I could feel my blood pressure rise from the young woman's tone and aggressive, holier-than-thou assertions, I quickly reined them in. This was essentially a child, a high schooler who was probably just repeating the opinions of people around her. More than anything, this behavior made me worried that someone was feeding her some very unhealthy opinions.
"I choose to help where I can, not because it's my responsibility, but because it's what I want," I said, frowning under my mask. "I owe nothing to anyone, and while my power is a part of me, it does not define me."
"What kind of hero would put themselves before the people that need help?" She responded, shaking her head. "You can't really consider yourself a hero if you are going to be so selfish."
Seeing the annoyance, almost disgust still on her face, I decided that enough was rough.
"I can see that, somehow, this conversation is no longer amicable," I said, standing from my seat. "I think it's best if I go for now, before anything worse is said. Thank you for your time, Panacea. Glory Girl. Dr. Pilota."
I left the conference room behind, letting the door shut as I walked away. I let Alya guide me out of the building, easily ignoring the stares and phones now that I had… whatever the hell that had been on my mind. Before I knew it, I was making my way through the alleyways again, looking for a place to change.
"What the hell was that?" I asked, feeling Alya's presence pull in tightly around me. "It was like a full personality reversal!"
"It appears she has formed some… unhealthy opinions," Alya said, floating across the alleyway in a half-formed, wispy state. "It was concerning to listen to."
"And the way her sister first intercepted me?" I pointed out. "It was like she was a few seconds from attacking me."
"You did read that she had a bit of an anger issue," my partner pointed out. "They are teenagers with superpowers. Not very hard to see how that might create some issues."
"Yeah… still kind of worried about what Panacea said," I admitted, finally stopping in the abandoned spot where I stored my back. "That… that didn't seem healthy."
"I agree," Alya responded before swirling away and returning with my messenger bag. "I may not have much experience with teenagers-"
"So about the same as me." I pointed out before gesturing for her to continue.
"But is it not normal for teenagers to struggle with questions of self-worth and responsibility?"
"I mean, yeah, along with a whole list of other problems..." I confirmed with a frown. "But that sounded like more than just a phase… Do you think I should tell someone? Maybe try to contact her parents?"
"I think that you are very early in your time here," she responded simply.
"Yeah… Well, I'm sure I will be rubbing elbows with her, despite her clear distaste for me," I guessed with a frown. "I'll give it some time. Maybe try to ask around?"
We talked a bit more while I finished changing out of my costume. When I was done, I made my way away from the alleyways and towards somewhere I could have lunch. After a few slices of pizza and a beer, I headed back to the shop. I still had a few hours before I was supposed to meet up with Tony and whoever he managed to get in contact with, and considering it was likely to be a late night, I decided a quick nap was in order.
I reorganized the couch into my bed and set an alarm on my phone before laying down and closing my eyes. Despite the rough afternoon, I still managed to fall asleep quickly, soothed by Alya's constant refreshing breeze.
"I was hoping to get some advice from the city's best healer," I repeated. "Like I said, I would have-"
"You can heal?" Panacea asked, releasing her sister and taking several excited steps forward as she cut me off. "How does it work? What method? What…."
I withstood a barrage of questions, eyes wide and answering none of them. The young woman continued getting closer, eventually looking up at me. Despite me being several inches taller, I still took a small step back, overwhelmed by her rush. It took her nearly a dozen questions for her to finally realize I was still not responding.
"Perhaps we could talk a bit more in private?" I suggested before she could continue her tidal wave of curiosity.
"Uh… I'm not sure…"
"Glory Girl is welcome to come," I quickly added, suddenly aware it sounded like I wanted to be alone with her. "As well as any doctor or nurse you think might be a good addition. We can trade answers and discuss how this whole thing works."
As I talked, I could see that, at first, she was going to refuse my offer. That was fair, considering how it sounded. When I corrected myself to include her sister, as well as a doctor or nurse, she seemed a bit more okay with the idea, finally nodding in agreement.
"I suppose I could take an early break. Unless there are any time-sensitive cases?" Panacea said, looking over her shoulder to a doctor standing a few feet away.
"There's nothing that needs your attention immediately," He responded, looking down at the chart on his clipboard before looking at his watch. "I believe conference room four should be open at the moment, as long as one of the residents isn't using it to sneak a nap."
"Okay, let's go then," she said, heading back down the hall she and her sister had arrived from.
Panacea clearly knew her way around the hospital because she navigated it like she was born there. We went down a hall, weaving between nurses and doctors, before stepping into an elevator, which closed with a ding and started ascending. We stood in silence, with Panacea looking excited and eager, while Glory Girl was still watching me closely.
The doctor looked calm, as if this was just another Tuesday. After a few seconds, I reached out my hand to him, which he took and shook after looking at it curiously.
"Sorry about that, I was a bit overly focused, Dr…?"
"Dr. Pilota," He answered, returning my firm shake. "And I understand. Thank you for being polite."
"Of course, I came to you guys, after all."
Not long after that, the elevator door opened, and Panacea once again led the way, making a beeline for a door at the end of the hall. Once we were all inside, I sat down on one of the chairs, trying to set the tone as casual and, more importantly, calm. This prompted everyone else to do the same. For a moment, the room was quiet until Panacea cleared her throat and started talking.
"So… what were you hoping to learn?" She asked. "I'm happy to help another healer…but I'm not sure what you need."
"Well, first, I wanted to know if there were laws or rules regarding parahuman healing," I responded. "I tried looking online, but I couldn't find anything precise."
"Well, that's kind of a complicated subject," The healer responded with a wince. "Technically, all you really need to use a beneficial power on someone is their permission. But the PRT prefers you to go through their power testing first, so your abilities can get tested for any unfortunate side effects, or… well, they basically want to stop a repeat Teacher."
"Who?" I asked before I could stop myself, internally wincing for showing ignorance about this world.
"Teacher? You know, hands out low-level thinker and tinker abilities, but he Mastered anyone he gave them to?" Glory Girl responded with a frown. "He's in the Birdcage now, but he was pretty scary for a while. The PRT still stumbles on some of his minions occasionally."
"That's… horrifying," I freely admit. "How common are Master powers?"
"Human Masters are on the rare side," Glory Girl said reassuringly. "But the label of Masters also includes people who control other things. Like plants or projections. Crusader, from the Empire? His projections make him a Master."
"Could we stay on topic for now?" Panacea asked with a frown, giving her sister a look. "While technically all you need is their permission, the PRT will push for power testing. If you refuse, there is a nonzero chance they might find a way to strong-arm you."
"How?" I asked, furrowing my brow. "Are we talking about using the wordings of rules to trip me up or just straight up bending them to fit?"
"If you ask my mom, it's the latter or worse," Glory Girl responded with a frown. "But Gallant says he's only ever heard of the first one happening, and only when someone needs to be investigated."
While I wasn't usually one to harp over government conspiracies or assume they are always out to get us, trusting a government agency to only bend the rules when they really need to set off so many alarm bells. Still, I would reserve my own judgment for when I could back it up with my own experiences, not just secondhand gossip from a Ward's girlfriend.
"I'll keep that in mind."
"Okay, now it's my turn," Panacea said, leaning forward eagerly. "How exactly does your healing work? What sort of limitations do you have?"
Now, there was the big question. Since Alya and I first arrived here and realized that powers all seemed to come from the same place, even if no one was sure where that place actually was, we knew I would have to come up with some sort of explanation for my own powers. In a Marvel or DC, I could have just said magic, and people would have shrugged and moved on. Here, though, people considered powers to be science they didn't quite yet understand, which meant everyone who claimed magic was looked at like they were slightly off their rocker.
Even a respected member of the Protectorate was seen as a little crazy just because he pretended to use magic.
Not only that, but the fact that I was gaining magic over time and would be able to guide myself to grow in new, powerful ways made me a Trump with hilariously potent potential. That was too much to reveal before I could defend myself.
Thankfully, Alya and I had plenty of time to come up with a reasonable excuse, one that would work to explain what I could do. Or at least it would hopefully work until I was powerful enough that it didn't really matter anymore.
"I'm a grab bag, kinda," I explained with a vague gesture. "I have an energy source inside me, and I can do a whole bunch of stuff with it. It all drains from the same source within me, so I'm not sure if it counts as many smaller powers. I can use it to heal, make myself tougher, or…"
I raise my hand and cast a low-level shocking spell, basically just making an arc of electricity jump between my fingers. It was simple, meaning I could control it easily without words or the glow of mana. All three of them jumped at the sound, but I only kept it going for a second, so none of them did anything more before I stopped.
"It's nothing crazy, and I can run out of power, but I like to think what it lacks in strength it makes up for in versatility. Also…" I trailed off, biting my lip and looking away, doing my best to look embarrassed. "It requires a lot of concentration, so I've found that rhythmic speaking helps me concentrate. Combined with some of the light shows that using the source makes… there's a reason my real name is probably going to have to do with magic."
"...But you don't actually think it's magic, right?" Panacea asked, obviously worried that the new healer was a nutjob.
"No, no, of course not," I lied, shaking my head. "But I have a theme, so I might as well stick with it, right?"
"Oh, thank god," She said, letting out an audible sigh of relief. "That's good to hear. You have no idea how crazy some of the 'powers are magic!' people are. Almost as bad as the ones that think they've been blessed by god. I've healed a few of them at Endbringer battles, and they… they can be a lot."
The young girl suddenly stopped, cutting off whatever she had been about to say. It seemed that she was more than a bit off-kilter, probably due to myself.
"Anyway, as much as it might suck to kowtow to them, just going through their power testing is probably your best bet," She continued. "The hospitals around the city require it, and the Protectorate won't be nearly as on your case as they would be otherwise."
"That's unfortunate," I admitted with a frown. "But I shouldn't be surprised that the government would insist on oversight. In all honesty, I will most likely be focusing away from the hospital since-"
"Wait, what? You're not going to be helping here?" Amy asked, suddenly a lot less calm. "Why not? Please, healing abilities are very rare. Please don't think you need to run off and fight to be a hero-"
"I never said that I wouldn't help out, especially in emergencies or critical cases like children, but I plan on focusing my abilities on the less fortunate population of the city, traveling between some of their camps and such to offer my healing," I explained. "I want to help, but I have my own things I need to do as well. I won't be able to dedicate all my time to the hospital."
While I thought I was being reasonable, but from the look I was getting from the young healer, it was clear she didn't agree.
"I assumed you were trying to be a hero, but I guess we shouldn't have." She said, her entire demeanor starting to change.
Her tone was cold and judgmental, such a drastic shift that I physically leaned back.
"I do intend to be a hero," I responded, more confused than angry at her tone. "But I'm not willing to spend my entire life here at the hospital. There are doctors and nurses here who I'm sure are perfectly capable of handling most cases. As I said, I will be going to some of the city's homeless camps, and eventually soup kitchens and the like to-"
"If you have a healing ability, then you're best off working here at the hospital, not off getting yourself killed fighting on the streets," Panacea fired back, cutting me off. "Going out to help the homeless is fine, but you have a responsibility to use your ability it as best you can."
The room was silent for a moment as all of us took in what the young woman was saying. Both Glory Girl and Dr. Pilota seemed shocked, though the former seemed more confused about the vehemence and tone, rather than what she was actually saying.
While I could feel my blood pressure rise from the young woman's tone and aggressive, holier-than-thou assertions, I quickly reined them in. This was essentially a child, a high schooler who was probably just repeating the opinions of people around her. More than anything, this behavior made me worried that someone was feeding her some very unhealthy opinions.
"I choose to help where I can, not because it's my responsibility, but because it's what I want," I said, frowning under my mask. "I owe nothing to anyone, and while my power is a part of me, it does not define me."
"What kind of hero would put themselves before the people that need help?" She responded, shaking her head. "You can't really consider yourself a hero if you are going to be so selfish."
Seeing the annoyance, almost disgust still on her face, I decided that enough was rough.
"I can see that, somehow, this conversation is no longer amicable," I said, standing from my seat. "I think it's best if I go for now, before anything worse is said. Thank you for your time, Panacea. Glory Girl. Dr. Pilota."
I left the conference room behind, letting the door shut as I walked away. I let Alya guide me out of the building, easily ignoring the stares and phones now that I had… whatever the hell that had been on my mind. Before I knew it, I was making my way through the alleyways again, looking for a place to change.
"What the hell was that?" I asked, feeling Alya's presence pull in tightly around me. "It was like a full personality reversal!"
"It appears she has formed some… unhealthy opinions," Alya said, floating across the alleyway in a half-formed, wispy state. "It was concerning to listen to."
"And the way her sister first intercepted me?" I pointed out. "It was like she was a few seconds from attacking me."
"You did read that she had a bit of an anger issue," my partner pointed out. "They are teenagers with superpowers. Not very hard to see how that might create some issues."
"Yeah… still kind of worried about what Panacea said," I admitted, finally stopping in the abandoned spot where I stored my back. "That… that didn't seem healthy."
"I agree," Alya responded before swirling away and returning with my messenger bag. "I may not have much experience with teenagers-"
"So about the same as me." I pointed out before gesturing for her to continue.
"But is it not normal for teenagers to struggle with questions of self-worth and responsibility?"
"I mean, yeah, along with a whole list of other problems..." I confirmed with a frown. "But that sounded like more than just a phase… Do you think I should tell someone? Maybe try to contact her parents?"
"I think that you are very early in your time here," she responded simply.
"Yeah… Well, I'm sure I will be rubbing elbows with her, despite her clear distaste for me," I guessed with a frown. "I'll give it some time. Maybe try to ask around?"
We talked a bit more while I finished changing out of my costume. When I was done, I made my way away from the alleyways and towards somewhere I could have lunch. After a few slices of pizza and a beer, I headed back to the shop. I still had a few hours before I was supposed to meet up with Tony and whoever he managed to get in contact with, and considering it was likely to be a late night, I decided a quick nap was in order.
I reorganized the couch into my bed and set an alarm on my phone before laying down and closing my eyes. Despite the rough afternoon, I still managed to fall asleep quickly, soothed by Alya's constant refreshing breeze.
I wonder why she reacted so poorly to him saying that he was going to focus his efforts on the poor rather than those who could already afford healthcare. It very much felt like she wasn't even listening to the words coming out of his mouth. I mean, I know Amy (or more accurately, her kidnapper) has strong opinions about how Amy's powers should be used, but I don't recall them actually clashing with the MC's stated plans.
Though, I am relying purely on fanon here as I've not read the source material. It's way too dark for my tastes.
Though, I am relying purely on fanon here as I've not read the source material. It's way too dark for my tastes.
- Location
- England
Ho, boy. 😅
Can, open. Worms, all over the place.
Some people, I'm not going to say it's an American thing but I've seen examples there, have this whole thing about poor people being poor is their own fault. They're practically, "So, I hear you're broke and an alcoholic. Have you tried working and not drinking?" Panacea probably gets to see some of the worst examples of fuckups in the hospital which would just confirm any prejudices she has.
This being Brockton Bay, there's also the stereotype that anyone living rough is probably working for the Merchants.
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Well seems we have canon version of amy with her black and white view of the world this wont end badly at all
Sad but true. Worse, because this is Brockton Bay, the odds of it actually being the person's fault that they're homeless are vanishingly slim.
LordofTentacles
Surprisingly Sturdy
- Location
- Louisiana
Damn, I hope we can get a pov of that room after that or something that was such a good scene.
Man, i like Amy and all but it's nice to see fics where they show how much of an actual bitch she was. Also i really hope he keeps the constantine look if eventually without the mask, it's just so timeless and cool.
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The important thing is that he learned that he only needed the PRT power testing if he was healing through the hospitals.
As long as he was doing it through the homeless shelters and got vague agreements, he'd be fine.
He could say that anyone that goes to the hospital can likely afford to be healed at the hospital by the staff there. It also has lots of paperwork that he wants to avoid. Healing the homeless would have knock on effects. Likely making them less likely to be homeless if it was from medical issues. That's more likely through insane medical bill costs.
After listening to the girl rant, I'd quietly avoid her. I wouldn't mind being healed by her if need be, but I wouldn't want to be around her socially if possible.
She wasn't listening or really paying attention and understanding what he said. He does have magic. His healing could amount to anything from merely first aid to casting regen and something like peak human health/fitness. He will also be getting more charges that he could dump into healing if he thought he needed it.
At the moment, the only reason that he'd want to go through the PRT power testing is if it would let him charge for his services. It wouldn't, so he wouldn't really be interested.
He can heal who he wants and if its the homeless then so what? He'd likely also be able to barter his services a bit as well. Not so much directly charging, but if the healer mage asked for a favor... Well, of course, you'd do as he asked. No master effects are needed.
As long as he was doing it through the homeless shelters and got vague agreements, he'd be fine.
He could say that anyone that goes to the hospital can likely afford to be healed at the hospital by the staff there. It also has lots of paperwork that he wants to avoid. Healing the homeless would have knock on effects. Likely making them less likely to be homeless if it was from medical issues. That's more likely through insane medical bill costs.
After listening to the girl rant, I'd quietly avoid her. I wouldn't mind being healed by her if need be, but I wouldn't want to be around her socially if possible.
She wasn't listening or really paying attention and understanding what he said. He does have magic. His healing could amount to anything from merely first aid to casting regen and something like peak human health/fitness. He will also be getting more charges that he could dump into healing if he thought he needed it.
At the moment, the only reason that he'd want to go through the PRT power testing is if it would let him charge for his services. It wouldn't, so he wouldn't really be interested.
He can heal who he wants and if its the homeless then so what? He'd likely also be able to barter his services a bit as well. Not so much directly charging, but if the healer mage asked for a favor... Well, of course, you'd do as he asked. No master effects are needed.
- Location
- Auckland, NZ
But that will be recognised as a master effect by the PRT.
Good on him for checking what the local ordinances are before getting too ahead of himself. Victoria will likely remember this as a positive interaction even if Amy doesn't, and convey that to her family. Whether he goes to get PRT tested or not...eh, we'll see, but even if it's just "there is a cape that came in for power testing that can heal or taser but decided not to join up" that's likely another 'hero/rogue/mystery box'. Though given how valuable healing is I can see "you should really join the Protectorate where we can exploit you properly" being emphasized.
Chapter Seven
I woke up a whole ten minutes before my alarm was set to go off, and I spent that time reabsorbing another batch of steel. I was already loving my nine-circle partional. Not having to clean the runes and reapply my blood every time I wanted to use it was amazing in and of itself, but the added time and lessening of unwanted aspects was a huge bonus.
I spent a few minutes cleaning myself up before heading out into the city. It was considerably darker by then, the afternoon having turned into the early night as I napped. Finding a spot to change was easy as we made our way to the pre-agreed meeting spot, as the city slowed down and the streets emptied out. The city of Brockton Bay was in rough shape, and while that didn't mean the sidewalks were empty, even at night, it was clear to see that people knew better than to walk around as darkness settled over the city.
As we walked, now dressed in my uniform, I quietly talked to Alya. Originally, I had intended to ask Panacea if any name requirements or guidelines weren't advertised to the general public. I was now fully aware that she was just a teenager, one clearly struggling with some less-than-healthy opinions. I would find no help from her, so I was back to square one.
I knew from reading PHO, an online cape forum, that some name conventions, like copying the names of gods and goddesses, were taboo. They also claimed that picking the name of a deceased cape was okay as long as it had been a few years. Thankfully, a few searches through the cape wiki attached to PHO showed that no one had the name I had been thinking of.
After a long walk, I finally stepped into the small park that Tony had directed me to. It took me a second to spot a car parked nearby, with Tony standing next to it. Next to him was an older man, at least fifty years old. He was smoking a cigarette while talking to Tony, both of them standing under the light of a nearby streetlamp. Tony seemed pretty nonchalant about what was going on, either because he was confident in something or because he was naive. The second man, on the other hand, was almost constantly looking around, much more suspicious about his surroundings and clearly waiting for something to happen.
Considering the differences in alertness levels, it was no surprise that the stranger spotted me first, saying something to Tony as I approached, nodding in my direction. Tony turned to see me, waving as I got closer.
"Mage, good to see you," He said, reaching out to shake my hand as I got closer. "This is John. He's gonna take us to one of the nearby encampments."
"John, nice to meet you," I said, reaching out to shake his hand. "And I actually settled on a name. Call me Arcanum."
"Well, 'Arcanum,' Tony is a good guy, but he is about as gullible as a puppy, so I'm going to need to see your healing with my own eyes," John said with a voice like gargled granite, taking one last pull from his cigarette, before dropping it to the ground and stomping on it.
"Understandable, I don't blame you for wanting to see my abilities firsthand," I assure him. "Do you have an injury, or....?"
Rather than answering, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a shockingly large knife, passing it to Tony, who winced and accepted the weapon. He looked at it for a second, looking up at John, before looking back down. He was about to cut his palm when I spoke up.
"Hold on, just wait a second," I said, holding up my hand, Tony stopping immediately. "Two things. One, if you're determined to make Tony cut himself, at least let me numb his hand first. Second, there is an alternative. Just let me heal your lungs."
Tony visibly sagged in relief, pulling the blade away from his hand. He mouthed a thank you to me while John looked at me confused.
"My lungs?" John asked, looking at me with a raised eyebrow. "What about them?"
"Well, you're a smoker, right?" I asked, gesturing to the crushed but on the asphalt. "I should be able to clean out the tar and smoke residue, plus heal some of the damage. Some of it might be too old for me to fix, but they will be better than they are now."
For a moment, he watched me, looking at me with discerning, suspicious eyes. After a few seconds, he reached out his hand to Tony, who eagerly gave him his knife back. When the weapon was once again hidden, sheathed in something behind his back, he focused back on me.
"Well, what do I have to do?" He asked.
"Nothing, just give me your permission to heal you," I said with a smile.
"Is it gonna hurt?"
"There's gonna be some golden light and a few strange-looking symbols. The energy I make is going to go into your body, but there won't be any pain."
"...I give you permission," He said, almost seeming to chew on the words. "But you should know, people know where I am and what's going on."
"Well then, we best not keep them waiting," I said, before stepping closer and raising my hands. "Ad tollendum venenum ex pulmone!"
A pair of golden vertical ovals appear around my hands, four arcane symbols surrounding each. Normally, that would be way too much for me to use at once at my current skill level. Thankfully, these were the same four symbols, just repeated, which made it significantly easier to handle. Once the symbols lined up with the ovals, they shifted forward, sinking into the man's body. This spell was specifically made for cleaning contaminants that were breathed in, something especially useful for alchemists and smokers.
"Ad tollendum venenum ex pulmone!" I cast again, waiting for the golden glow to fade again. "Sana damnum ad pulmones! Sana damnum ad pulmones"
I cast the cleansing spell again, just to make sure I got everything, before following it up with a healing spell focused on the lungs. It was very specific, which should increase the depth of what it could repair. It started as a relatively normal-looking spell before it dissolved into a mist that flew into John's mouth. It was all symbolic, as the energy could have just as easily gone through his chest instead.
The first spell caught him off guard, but since I warned him about the lights and weirdness, he managed to control himself. However, the golden mist going into his mouth and down into his lungs was too much. He stumbled backward, looking angry and reaching back toward his weapon.
"What the fuck was that?!" He asked, cursing at me as he recovered. "What the fuck are you trying to do to me? I ain't-"
He stopped mid-sentence, his brain finally catching up with his body, realizing that his last breath had been remarkably easy. He took another breath, his eyes slowly widening as he just kept breathing in, his lung capacity suddenly much closer to what it should have been at his age. I could see him wince, no doubt anticipating a hacking cough brought on by the deep breathing, only for nothing to happen.
"I… god damn, I knew it was bad, but… I had no idea I lost that much," He admitted, a smile growing on his grizzled face. "Alright, your mojo works, even if it's freaky as hell."
"Yeah, I know. It's why I went with a magic-themed name," I admitted with a shrug. "Technically, the chanting isn't necessary. It just makes it easier."
"Huh… well, it's weird, but I won't argue with the results," He said. "Okay, let's go."
Without much more to say, John turned around and walked away, heading across a nearby street and waving for us to follow. Tony was the first to move, clearly trusting his friend, and I was right behind him. I couldn't help but smirk as John chucked his cigarettes into a dumpster as we walked.
On the way, I answered questions about the uses and limitations of my "power." I explained that I could heal current wounds with no issues, clean infections out, and beat back most diseases. I also explained that the older the injury, the less I could do about it, and I could only ease the symptoms of genetic issues. Cancer was straight out of my wheelhouse. That was a limitation on my topic choice, as healing spells, as far as I could tell, were more about returning a body to its natural state. As genetic issues were part of a person's natural body, healing spells didn't do much for them. Cancer was more or less in the same boat since it was the person's own cells going out of control. It would be like trying to heal away a finger.
I wasn't a hundred percent sure, as my knowledge didn't extend that far, but I heavily suspected that this was an intrinsic issue tied to healing spells. As far as I could tell, a healing ritual or some other healing process would stand a much better chance of fixing those issues.
John seemed to get the distinction and assured me he would call me to the people I could help and warn the people I couldn't.
It took us ten minutes to finally arrive at the camp, which came out of nowhere. One minute, we were walking behind an old, abandoned car dealership when suddenly we were stepping into a shantytown. The camp had been completely hidden by a line of trees and a garage that ran at the back of the car lot, which I imagine was probably the only reason it existed. I had no doubt that people, including the police, knew it was there, but it was better somewhere hidden and out of the way, which people didn't complain about, than somewhere that detracted from the city's natural "charm."
It only took a few seconds for people to realize we were there, first spotting John, then Tony and me. I had a feeling Tony had been here before, but I was obviously a bit of a spectacle. People started stepping out of tents, opening doors to ramshackle structures built from pallets and scrap wood. As we walked deeper, I got John's attention.
"Sorry if this is a stupid question, but I got the feeling that Brockton Bay has a lot of abandoned homes. Why not try living in those?" I asked, thinking of my own temporary home inside the abandoned shop.
"Because if you start breaking and entering, the cops have to do something," He said with a frown. "It's a lot easier to ignore if we squat in somewhere nobody cares about."
"Plus, we need to stick together," Another voice said, startling me enough that I whirled around, hand raised, ready to cast. "If the groups are too small, we get picked off by Merchants."
It was a woman, somewhere around my age, with a shaved head and scars that ran along the left side of her face. The eye on that side was cloudy, and what little I could see of her left side, even her arm, was covered in wraps and cloth. When she stepped out from between two tents, John stopped as well.
"Picked off?" I asked, meeting her eyes. "How so?"
"Merchants are small time wastes of space," John responded, prompting me to turn and look at him. "Nobody joins them by choice. You get hooked, and then you join. Sometimes people get hooked cause they abuse, sometimes the merchants hook them on purpose."
"That… how often does that happen?" I asked.
"Not very," The scarred woman responded. "But enough to be a worry."
"E88 is worse," John said, practically spitting out the gang's name. "They take anyone not white for initiations."
I feel a rising anger in my chest at the horrifying conditions these people are living in. The homelessness is bad enough, but the constant threat from Fucking Nazis.
"Fuck. I…"
"Don't worry about it, we get it, hero man," The woman said. "No need to worry about us, the dregs and forgotten."
"Can't exactly stop that now," I said, shaking my head. "I can't do anything now, but I will help soon. The E88 is a fucking stain. The fact that they exist is an affront to just about everyone. I will do something about them when I can."
John didn't seem convinced, and neither did the mystery woman. Even Tony winced at my statement. I couldn't blame them, of course, not really. The Empire had a ridiculous amount of capes and resources. They also had a reputation for smacking down capes that stood up to them hard.
"For now, though, I can help by making sure everyone here is as healthy as I can make them."
"John mentioned Tony found someone willing to heal people," She said, looking past me to John. "The fact that he brought you here must mean you're not full of shit."
"He fixed my breathing," John explained. "I can breathe like I'm thirty again."
"Is that right?" She said, studying me for a moment. "I guess you aren't completely useless. Good luck then."
She gave me a sarcastic solute with her unwrapped hand, before walking back through the gap in the tents she had emerged from, disappearing from view. I frowned, opening my mouth to call her back and offer to help her when John grabbed my shoulder.
"Don't. She'd just say no," He said, shaking his head as I turned away. "She doesn't like people mentioning her marks."
"Who was that?" I asked with a frown. "I could have helped her."
"Goes by Mary, not her real name," John responded. "Showed up one day, asking for help. Pulls her weight, but she is… flighty."
He struggles for a moment to find the word, but when he does, he continues with a frown.
"She won't let you help, not the kind to want her marks gone."
I chewed my lip at his statement, wondering how he could possibly know that. Unfortunately, it was too late, and she was long gone, so there was no point in arguing about it. I turned back and gestured for John to lead on, the older man guiding us through the tents and lean-tos. Our first stop was one of the newest-looking tents. John leaned in the open flap, and after a few minutes, a younger man stepped out. He winced as he did, limping and immediately sitting near the entrance.
John introduced us to the young man, who was apparently the victim of a mugging, resulting in some cracked ribs and a slice across his thigh from a knife. He was clearly nervous, but John assured him I was the real deal.
After confirming I had his permission, I cast a few spells on him, cleaning out a minor infection and healing the cut on his thigh, before finishing off with his ribs. All in all, it took about two minutes to do, and while my magic had been reduced by a significant amount, it was almost full again by the time the young man finished thanking me.
"Right… Well, who's next?" I asked John with a smile.
I spent a few minutes cleaning myself up before heading out into the city. It was considerably darker by then, the afternoon having turned into the early night as I napped. Finding a spot to change was easy as we made our way to the pre-agreed meeting spot, as the city slowed down and the streets emptied out. The city of Brockton Bay was in rough shape, and while that didn't mean the sidewalks were empty, even at night, it was clear to see that people knew better than to walk around as darkness settled over the city.
As we walked, now dressed in my uniform, I quietly talked to Alya. Originally, I had intended to ask Panacea if any name requirements or guidelines weren't advertised to the general public. I was now fully aware that she was just a teenager, one clearly struggling with some less-than-healthy opinions. I would find no help from her, so I was back to square one.
I knew from reading PHO, an online cape forum, that some name conventions, like copying the names of gods and goddesses, were taboo. They also claimed that picking the name of a deceased cape was okay as long as it had been a few years. Thankfully, a few searches through the cape wiki attached to PHO showed that no one had the name I had been thinking of.
After a long walk, I finally stepped into the small park that Tony had directed me to. It took me a second to spot a car parked nearby, with Tony standing next to it. Next to him was an older man, at least fifty years old. He was smoking a cigarette while talking to Tony, both of them standing under the light of a nearby streetlamp. Tony seemed pretty nonchalant about what was going on, either because he was confident in something or because he was naive. The second man, on the other hand, was almost constantly looking around, much more suspicious about his surroundings and clearly waiting for something to happen.
Considering the differences in alertness levels, it was no surprise that the stranger spotted me first, saying something to Tony as I approached, nodding in my direction. Tony turned to see me, waving as I got closer.
"Mage, good to see you," He said, reaching out to shake my hand as I got closer. "This is John. He's gonna take us to one of the nearby encampments."
"John, nice to meet you," I said, reaching out to shake his hand. "And I actually settled on a name. Call me Arcanum."
"Well, 'Arcanum,' Tony is a good guy, but he is about as gullible as a puppy, so I'm going to need to see your healing with my own eyes," John said with a voice like gargled granite, taking one last pull from his cigarette, before dropping it to the ground and stomping on it.
"Understandable, I don't blame you for wanting to see my abilities firsthand," I assure him. "Do you have an injury, or....?"
Rather than answering, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a shockingly large knife, passing it to Tony, who winced and accepted the weapon. He looked at it for a second, looking up at John, before looking back down. He was about to cut his palm when I spoke up.
"Hold on, just wait a second," I said, holding up my hand, Tony stopping immediately. "Two things. One, if you're determined to make Tony cut himself, at least let me numb his hand first. Second, there is an alternative. Just let me heal your lungs."
Tony visibly sagged in relief, pulling the blade away from his hand. He mouthed a thank you to me while John looked at me confused.
"My lungs?" John asked, looking at me with a raised eyebrow. "What about them?"
"Well, you're a smoker, right?" I asked, gesturing to the crushed but on the asphalt. "I should be able to clean out the tar and smoke residue, plus heal some of the damage. Some of it might be too old for me to fix, but they will be better than they are now."
For a moment, he watched me, looking at me with discerning, suspicious eyes. After a few seconds, he reached out his hand to Tony, who eagerly gave him his knife back. When the weapon was once again hidden, sheathed in something behind his back, he focused back on me.
"Well, what do I have to do?" He asked.
"Nothing, just give me your permission to heal you," I said with a smile.
"Is it gonna hurt?"
"There's gonna be some golden light and a few strange-looking symbols. The energy I make is going to go into your body, but there won't be any pain."
"...I give you permission," He said, almost seeming to chew on the words. "But you should know, people know where I am and what's going on."
"Well then, we best not keep them waiting," I said, before stepping closer and raising my hands. "Ad tollendum venenum ex pulmone!"
A pair of golden vertical ovals appear around my hands, four arcane symbols surrounding each. Normally, that would be way too much for me to use at once at my current skill level. Thankfully, these were the same four symbols, just repeated, which made it significantly easier to handle. Once the symbols lined up with the ovals, they shifted forward, sinking into the man's body. This spell was specifically made for cleaning contaminants that were breathed in, something especially useful for alchemists and smokers.
"Ad tollendum venenum ex pulmone!" I cast again, waiting for the golden glow to fade again. "Sana damnum ad pulmones! Sana damnum ad pulmones"
I cast the cleansing spell again, just to make sure I got everything, before following it up with a healing spell focused on the lungs. It was very specific, which should increase the depth of what it could repair. It started as a relatively normal-looking spell before it dissolved into a mist that flew into John's mouth. It was all symbolic, as the energy could have just as easily gone through his chest instead.
The first spell caught him off guard, but since I warned him about the lights and weirdness, he managed to control himself. However, the golden mist going into his mouth and down into his lungs was too much. He stumbled backward, looking angry and reaching back toward his weapon.
"What the fuck was that?!" He asked, cursing at me as he recovered. "What the fuck are you trying to do to me? I ain't-"
He stopped mid-sentence, his brain finally catching up with his body, realizing that his last breath had been remarkably easy. He took another breath, his eyes slowly widening as he just kept breathing in, his lung capacity suddenly much closer to what it should have been at his age. I could see him wince, no doubt anticipating a hacking cough brought on by the deep breathing, only for nothing to happen.
"I… god damn, I knew it was bad, but… I had no idea I lost that much," He admitted, a smile growing on his grizzled face. "Alright, your mojo works, even if it's freaky as hell."
"Yeah, I know. It's why I went with a magic-themed name," I admitted with a shrug. "Technically, the chanting isn't necessary. It just makes it easier."
"Huh… well, it's weird, but I won't argue with the results," He said. "Okay, let's go."
Without much more to say, John turned around and walked away, heading across a nearby street and waving for us to follow. Tony was the first to move, clearly trusting his friend, and I was right behind him. I couldn't help but smirk as John chucked his cigarettes into a dumpster as we walked.
On the way, I answered questions about the uses and limitations of my "power." I explained that I could heal current wounds with no issues, clean infections out, and beat back most diseases. I also explained that the older the injury, the less I could do about it, and I could only ease the symptoms of genetic issues. Cancer was straight out of my wheelhouse. That was a limitation on my topic choice, as healing spells, as far as I could tell, were more about returning a body to its natural state. As genetic issues were part of a person's natural body, healing spells didn't do much for them. Cancer was more or less in the same boat since it was the person's own cells going out of control. It would be like trying to heal away a finger.
I wasn't a hundred percent sure, as my knowledge didn't extend that far, but I heavily suspected that this was an intrinsic issue tied to healing spells. As far as I could tell, a healing ritual or some other healing process would stand a much better chance of fixing those issues.
John seemed to get the distinction and assured me he would call me to the people I could help and warn the people I couldn't.
It took us ten minutes to finally arrive at the camp, which came out of nowhere. One minute, we were walking behind an old, abandoned car dealership when suddenly we were stepping into a shantytown. The camp had been completely hidden by a line of trees and a garage that ran at the back of the car lot, which I imagine was probably the only reason it existed. I had no doubt that people, including the police, knew it was there, but it was better somewhere hidden and out of the way, which people didn't complain about, than somewhere that detracted from the city's natural "charm."
It only took a few seconds for people to realize we were there, first spotting John, then Tony and me. I had a feeling Tony had been here before, but I was obviously a bit of a spectacle. People started stepping out of tents, opening doors to ramshackle structures built from pallets and scrap wood. As we walked deeper, I got John's attention.
"Sorry if this is a stupid question, but I got the feeling that Brockton Bay has a lot of abandoned homes. Why not try living in those?" I asked, thinking of my own temporary home inside the abandoned shop.
"Because if you start breaking and entering, the cops have to do something," He said with a frown. "It's a lot easier to ignore if we squat in somewhere nobody cares about."
"Plus, we need to stick together," Another voice said, startling me enough that I whirled around, hand raised, ready to cast. "If the groups are too small, we get picked off by Merchants."
It was a woman, somewhere around my age, with a shaved head and scars that ran along the left side of her face. The eye on that side was cloudy, and what little I could see of her left side, even her arm, was covered in wraps and cloth. When she stepped out from between two tents, John stopped as well.
"Picked off?" I asked, meeting her eyes. "How so?"
"Merchants are small time wastes of space," John responded, prompting me to turn and look at him. "Nobody joins them by choice. You get hooked, and then you join. Sometimes people get hooked cause they abuse, sometimes the merchants hook them on purpose."
"That… how often does that happen?" I asked.
"Not very," The scarred woman responded. "But enough to be a worry."
"E88 is worse," John said, practically spitting out the gang's name. "They take anyone not white for initiations."
I feel a rising anger in my chest at the horrifying conditions these people are living in. The homelessness is bad enough, but the constant threat from Fucking Nazis.
"Fuck. I…"
"Don't worry about it, we get it, hero man," The woman said. "No need to worry about us, the dregs and forgotten."
"Can't exactly stop that now," I said, shaking my head. "I can't do anything now, but I will help soon. The E88 is a fucking stain. The fact that they exist is an affront to just about everyone. I will do something about them when I can."
John didn't seem convinced, and neither did the mystery woman. Even Tony winced at my statement. I couldn't blame them, of course, not really. The Empire had a ridiculous amount of capes and resources. They also had a reputation for smacking down capes that stood up to them hard.
"For now, though, I can help by making sure everyone here is as healthy as I can make them."
"John mentioned Tony found someone willing to heal people," She said, looking past me to John. "The fact that he brought you here must mean you're not full of shit."
"He fixed my breathing," John explained. "I can breathe like I'm thirty again."
"Is that right?" She said, studying me for a moment. "I guess you aren't completely useless. Good luck then."
She gave me a sarcastic solute with her unwrapped hand, before walking back through the gap in the tents she had emerged from, disappearing from view. I frowned, opening my mouth to call her back and offer to help her when John grabbed my shoulder.
"Don't. She'd just say no," He said, shaking his head as I turned away. "She doesn't like people mentioning her marks."
"Who was that?" I asked with a frown. "I could have helped her."
"Goes by Mary, not her real name," John responded. "Showed up one day, asking for help. Pulls her weight, but she is… flighty."
He struggles for a moment to find the word, but when he does, he continues with a frown.
"She won't let you help, not the kind to want her marks gone."
I chewed my lip at his statement, wondering how he could possibly know that. Unfortunately, it was too late, and she was long gone, so there was no point in arguing about it. I turned back and gestured for John to lead on, the older man guiding us through the tents and lean-tos. Our first stop was one of the newest-looking tents. John leaned in the open flap, and after a few minutes, a younger man stepped out. He winced as he did, limping and immediately sitting near the entrance.
John introduced us to the young man, who was apparently the victim of a mugging, resulting in some cracked ribs and a slice across his thigh from a knife. He was clearly nervous, but John assured him I was the real deal.
After confirming I had his permission, I cast a few spells on him, cleaning out a minor infection and healing the cut on his thigh, before finishing off with his ribs. All in all, it took about two minutes to do, and while my magic had been reduced by a significant amount, it was almost full again by the time the young man finished thanking me.
"Right… Well, who's next?" I asked John with a smile.