Brockton Bay's Marvelous Mage
- Thread starter MetaBettaOmega
- Start date
Yeah buddy, dont accidently turn her into a Daemon Engine
- Location
- Bosnia
Number man comes to mind, for some reason. Not sure why... He stands a lot so maybe he'd like some comfy shoes?
- Location
- New Jersey
Tbh I'm very curious what would happen if he bound someone to a mundane item without it being enhanced. And still looking forward to whenever he makes trinkets for Allies after Crow, maybe get her some kind of necklace or ring that literally causes an expansion of darkness over a certain area.
>Perfectly fitted clothes with many additional benefits, and you get to pick the aesthetic details.
>Accord would like to know your location.
>Accord would like to know your location.
It seems really out of place how much effort and concern he has with his 'secret' identity. That he went above and beyond and used so much more effort and valuable resources just so that his identity is extra extra protected.
While he doesn't have any reason for it whatsoever.
The normal reasons for a secret identity is to protect loved ones who don't have superpowers, with pretty much everything else spiraling from there. You don't want people to know your family, and thus your house, and by association your normal job that you have to pay for your house and possibly family. Or for younger people - hiding your powers from your family.
But he has no family on this Earth. He has no normal house or normal job. Why does he care if people know who he is? He's got his enhanced durability on permanently, and set up wards so people can't find his house, as well as mobile defenses if someone does anyway. If random Joe on the street knows that Arcanum is actually homeless William who decided to go live in a tree in the forest... So what?
If he wants to go around without people knowing it's him, he can just enchant a ring to make an illusion that his skin is brown or black, problem solved.
While he doesn't have any reason for it whatsoever.
The normal reasons for a secret identity is to protect loved ones who don't have superpowers, with pretty much everything else spiraling from there. You don't want people to know your family, and thus your house, and by association your normal job that you have to pay for your house and possibly family. Or for younger people - hiding your powers from your family.
But he has no family on this Earth. He has no normal house or normal job. Why does he care if people know who he is? He's got his enhanced durability on permanently, and set up wards so people can't find his house, as well as mobile defenses if someone does anyway. If random Joe on the street knows that Arcanum is actually homeless William who decided to go live in a tree in the forest... So what?
If he wants to go around without people knowing it's him, he can just enchant a ring to make an illusion that his skin is brown or black, problem solved.
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Chapter Fifty Five
New
After I finished lounging around, enjoying the side benefits of my labor, I decided that I needed to burn off some stress. Between the most recent fight and the encroaching potential issues with the E88, I could feel the anxiety clawing at my spine and brain. So, I spent the rest of the day working out some of my stress by building up my compound. It was therapeutic to build something that had no focus on violence or my work as a hero, and turning my little corner of the forest into something impressive was fun. It also took my mind off the fight I had just survived and the oncoming storm of potential issues.
First, I used the same ritual as before to create another pile of metal-reinforced acorns, the strengthened seeds accepting the ritual perfectly. In fact, they turned out even better than the first batch because Kali was watching over the ritual, poking and prodding at it. These little acorns had come in handy a lot, so not only did I store a few in my jacket, but I also let Troy absorb a few, holding them around his core. When I was done with that, I got to work.
The first thing I did was grow a handful of living spaces, four in total. I grew them even further into the ground than mine, letting me expand them slightly. Each had two bunk beds, leaving very little room for anything else but having space for four people in each one. It was tight, but I didn't intend for them to be places where people gathered. Instead, I grew a gathering place outside, creating a platform with two trees on either side, forming chairs and tables, and finishing it up by weaving a canopy over them.
Next, I grew a set of showers and a bathroom mimicking my own, including the ritualized parts. While I was still on the fence about bringing people to the compound, it was a clear and obvious choice to relocate a group if something went wrong. Sixteen beds were not nearly enough to house the homeless community, but it was a start.
My final project of the day, and kind of my pièce de résistance, was a large hot tub. It had temperature controls and even circulating, bubbling water, though I struggled and ultimately failed to integrate water jets. Still, it was relaxing as all hell, and since the water was self-filling, self-cleaning, and self-heating, I didn't have to worry about it, even on those bitter winter days, which, so far, Brockton Bay seemed to completely lack.
I finished the night with a long soak in my new hot tub, the area lit up by my little glass bottle lights, before sleeping soundly in my bed.
The next morning, I woke up and quickly got dressed, heading into town. I had spent enough time relaxing and unwinding from my fight, now it was time to deal with the consequences. As I got to the more populated areas of town, people stared and pointed, clearly shocked to see me with what they thought was no mask. I couldn't help but smirk and wave.
My first task was visiting the hospital and the PRT. While I was at the latter, I asked for a conversation with someone from the Protectorate. I needed to know if they had discussed changing patrols now that Lung was in custody. Of course, people were staring and surprised to see my actual face there as well, but nobody commented on it, though there were plenty of whispers.
As I waited, I could see that the PRT was a hive of activity. There were at least double the amount of officers hanging around, all of them armed and on edge. It wasn't exactly difficult to connect the dots between the raised alert level and the fact that Lung and Oni Lee were somewhere in the building.
Eventually, Miss Militia stopped by, guiding me into a conference room near the entrance. She was carrying a messenger tube, and she stopped when she saw me without a mask.
"Arcanum… no mask?" She asked, sounding worried. "That… I hope you really thought that through, assuming you came here like that. Your family-"
"It's okay, I'm still wearing my mask," I assured her, tapping my face, my fingers rapping on the invisible copper. "See? You might be able to see my face, but as long as I'm still wearing the mask, my identity is safe. Some more tinker tech."
"I… Are you certain it works?" She asks. "How does it work?"
"It separates my Arcanum persona from my real civilian identity," I explained. "And before you ask, it is non-invasive. I know how understandably serious you guys take mind-altering stuff. Just add a minor stranger power to the bag."
For a moment, Miss Militia looked like she was going to continue asking questions. Then she seemed to remember this meeting had a point and that she was still holding a messenger tube. She shook her head a bit before nodding.
"Alright, if you're are certain. Now, Director Piggot has agreed that, with Lung and Lee gone, pushing patrols deeper into ABB territory is a good idea," she explained before pulling out a map of Brockton from her messenger tube and laying it out on the table. "Unfortunately, we don't have the resources to patrol the entire space."
"Understandable. Any help will make the job easier for Crow and myself, as well as anyone we can bring in on the job," I explained. "How much are you guys good for?"
Pulling out a marker from her pocket, Miss Militia drew out a quick outline of the territories that the PRT general patrolled, also marking out Empire territory and what was still technically ABB territory. She also marked the trainyard area out and marked it with an M.
"What's that?" I asked with a frown. "I thought that the ABB owned the trainyards."
"That's Merchant territory," She explained. "Have you not heard of them?"
"I've heard about them, I just didn't realize they held territory," I responded with a frown. "Are they likely to push for more?"
"They only claimed the trainyards because no one else wanted them," The Protectorate hero explained. "Last we heard, they only have two capes, but their leader, Skidmark, he is ambitious. He might be a problem, especially since the second cape is a Tinker."
"Fantastic. Well, I'll keep my eye out for them."
Miss Militia gave me an understanding pat on my shoulder before finally drawing out what area the Protectorate would be expanding into. It was a chunk of space, mostly residentials, directly connected to the space that they already heavily patrolled. While it wasn't as much space as I had hoped, it was more than I had feared. In total, it was a little under half of ABB's territory, probably around two-fifths.
"I'm sorry it's not more space, but the Protectorate has a lot of responsibilities, and stretching ourselves too thin would make us incredibly vulnerable. We can't afford to be in that position."
"Well… it's much better than nothing," I responded with a shrug. "We will just have to make it work. I just hope that New Wave is willing to chip in. Have you had any communications with them since… everything?"
"No, and it's starting to worry the Director," She admitted, capping her pen and rolling up the map. "They have been less active as a whole since Fleur was killed, but they have been instrumental in keeping the E88 in check. If the New Wave falls apart…"
"It won't be pretty," I said with a frown. "Dammit, setting up this meeting is gonna be more important than I thought. Alright. If everything goes well, I'll recommend that they get in touch with you to talk about what's going on. Assuming they want to meet at all."
"That would be much appreciated."
She finished rolling up the map before sliding it and a pair of markers into the messenger tube. She then handed that to me, which I happily accepted.
"Director Piggot wanted to make sure you had a good idea of what we were doing, so keep this to keep track," She explained, gesturing to the tube. "Keep us updated, and good luck."
"I will, and thank you."
I left not long after that, though I didn't go far. I stopped by a bench at the front entrance, quickly sitting down and pulling out my prepaid cell phone. A quick search through my contacts, and I found who I was looking for.
"Arcanum? Is that you?" Olivia asked through the cheap phone. "What's up?"
"Are you alone?" I asked. "Somewhere you can talk about private things?"
"Yeah, I'm good," She confirmed casually. "Everything okay?"
"About as good as I could hope for," I responded. "The Protectorate has agreed to extend their patrols into ABB territory. A good two-fifths of it."
"That just leaves three-fifths for us to cover," She responded, her tone sounding contemplative. "That's too much for us alone, I assume?"
"Very much so," I confirmed. "I can patrol a lot of space at once because of my abilities, but we need more people. I'm going to call New Wave and try to set up a meeting. Is that something you are interested in attending?"
"No, definitely not," She responded emphatically. "That sounds like something that requires a delicate touch, and you know I won't be able to stop myself from being sarcastic and scathing."
"It's part of your charm," I assured her with a smirk, though she couldn't see it. "I'll call you later to tell you how it went. Let me know if anything pops up while I'm gone."
"Will do, Arc."
We said our goodbyes, and I hung up, immediately dialing Sarah Pelham's number. She answered almost immediately.
"Arcanum, this is Sarah Pelham. What can I do for you?" The older woman asked, her tone polite. I could also hear the surprise in her voice, though she was working hard to keep it to a minimum.
"Hello, Mrs Pelham. I hope everything is going well." I greeted before diving into what I wanted. "I'm calling because I want to set up a meeting with New Wave. There are some things I would like to discuss with your team. Is there any way that could happen?"
"Of course, Arcanum. After what you did for us, a meeting with the team is the least we could do," She said with an eager energy, though I could hear interest as well.
I winced at her mention of a debt. While I would really rather not drag them to the table, or even worse, into agreeing to help because they thought they owed me, this was too important not to accept the advantage.
"Is there anywhere you would prefer to meet?" I asked.
"...We have a team meeting room at the Dallon's house," She admitted. "Would you be comfortable going there?"
"I… not to ask about anything private, but what about Carol?" I asked. "I don't think she would appreciate me in her home."
"Don't worry, she won't be an issue," The hero mother vaguely assured me. "How urgently are you looking to meet?"
"Today, if possible," I responded with a wince. "I know it's sudden, but I wouldn't ask If it wasn't important."
"We can make it work," She said confidently. "Five o'clock?"
"That works for me, I'll be there."
She agreed, texting me the address after we hung up. Seeing that it still wasn't even noon, it was time to go on patrol. While it was unlikely that the E88 would start pushing today since they would still need more time to confirm and plan, I still needed to be ready just in case. I sent a message to Olivia that I was going on patrol, and she messaged back asking where she should meet her. Just an hour later, she was sitting side saddle on Troy as I walked beside him. I greeted people as we walked by, smiling and waving, raising the flag as much as I could. I wanted people to know that we were in the area. It was clear that the news that Lung was in prison hadn't spread very far, as we got a lot of worried looks.
Olivia had reacted similarly to Miss Militia when she first saw me walking around with no mask, but while the Protectorate heroine took a bit of convincing and still didn't quite believe me. Olivia took my word for it immediately. After all, she was wearing proof of just how powerful and weird my rituals could get.
As we walked around ABB territory, we both spotted more than a few people watching us closer than the rest. Neither of us were positive, but Olivia felt pretty confident that they were ABB scouts keeping an eye on us. The gang might have lost their heavy-hitting capes, but the members were still there, and they seemed to be determined to hang on, though we didn't see much trouble. It was possible that the gang was laying low, or they didn't want to mess with the guy who took down their boss. Either way, save for a small-scale mugging and one dealer who didn't seem to have gotten the memo, everything was pretty calm.
After patrolling for a while, flying the flag, and making our way through a good chunk of "our" part of ABB territory, Olivia and I went our separate ways, and I started making my way toward the Dallons address.
I arrived at the home just before five, leaving Troy in the driveway and walking up to the front door. I was about to knock, desperately praying that Mrs Pelham had been serious when she said Carol wouldn't be a problem, when the door opened up, revealing Victoria on the other side.
"Come- wait! You're not wearing a mask!" She said, the smile on her face transformed into wide eyes and a hanging jaw. "Did you go public?"
"Uh, no. I was sick and tired of not being able to connect to people properly because they couldn't see my expressions, so I tinkered up some stranger powers," I explained with a shrug. "Basically, as long as I'm wearing my mask, people can't connect my civilian identity and this one."
I emphasize my point by reaching out and tapping my mask, the same way I had with Miss Militia. Before the teenage hero could launch into another question, another voice called from inside.
"Vicky, let him inside!"
A slightly older woman, a younger version of Mrs Pelham, came floating up from further in the house. I recognized her as Crystal, otherwise known as Laserdream.
"Right, sorry! C'mon in," Victoria said, floating to the side and gesturing for me to come inside. "Sorry, your mask caught me off guard."
"Not the first time it's happened today," I said with a smile. "And I imagine I'm about to go through it again shortly."
"So… you just tinkered up a stranger's power?" the younger Pelham woman said. "Just like that?"
"Well, not literally," I assured them. "But… kinda? Is that weird for tinkers?"
"Kind of? Most tinkers follow a theme or power type," Victoria stated. "Armsmater is miniaturization. Kid Win doesn't know what his is yet."
"Oh… well, just another reason to call my powers weird," I said, trying to brush it off with a shrug. "Where is everyone?"
"Already down in the meeting room," Crystal explained. "It's just down this hall."
I nodded and followed after the two family members. Eventually, they opened a door into the basement, and Victoria gestured for me to follow behind. When I reached the top of the stairs, I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, before stepping down the stairs.
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First, I used the same ritual as before to create another pile of metal-reinforced acorns, the strengthened seeds accepting the ritual perfectly. In fact, they turned out even better than the first batch because Kali was watching over the ritual, poking and prodding at it. These little acorns had come in handy a lot, so not only did I store a few in my jacket, but I also let Troy absorb a few, holding them around his core. When I was done with that, I got to work.
The first thing I did was grow a handful of living spaces, four in total. I grew them even further into the ground than mine, letting me expand them slightly. Each had two bunk beds, leaving very little room for anything else but having space for four people in each one. It was tight, but I didn't intend for them to be places where people gathered. Instead, I grew a gathering place outside, creating a platform with two trees on either side, forming chairs and tables, and finishing it up by weaving a canopy over them.
Next, I grew a set of showers and a bathroom mimicking my own, including the ritualized parts. While I was still on the fence about bringing people to the compound, it was a clear and obvious choice to relocate a group if something went wrong. Sixteen beds were not nearly enough to house the homeless community, but it was a start.
My final project of the day, and kind of my pièce de résistance, was a large hot tub. It had temperature controls and even circulating, bubbling water, though I struggled and ultimately failed to integrate water jets. Still, it was relaxing as all hell, and since the water was self-filling, self-cleaning, and self-heating, I didn't have to worry about it, even on those bitter winter days, which, so far, Brockton Bay seemed to completely lack.
I finished the night with a long soak in my new hot tub, the area lit up by my little glass bottle lights, before sleeping soundly in my bed.
The next morning, I woke up and quickly got dressed, heading into town. I had spent enough time relaxing and unwinding from my fight, now it was time to deal with the consequences. As I got to the more populated areas of town, people stared and pointed, clearly shocked to see me with what they thought was no mask. I couldn't help but smirk and wave.
My first task was visiting the hospital and the PRT. While I was at the latter, I asked for a conversation with someone from the Protectorate. I needed to know if they had discussed changing patrols now that Lung was in custody. Of course, people were staring and surprised to see my actual face there as well, but nobody commented on it, though there were plenty of whispers.
As I waited, I could see that the PRT was a hive of activity. There were at least double the amount of officers hanging around, all of them armed and on edge. It wasn't exactly difficult to connect the dots between the raised alert level and the fact that Lung and Oni Lee were somewhere in the building.
Eventually, Miss Militia stopped by, guiding me into a conference room near the entrance. She was carrying a messenger tube, and she stopped when she saw me without a mask.
"Arcanum… no mask?" She asked, sounding worried. "That… I hope you really thought that through, assuming you came here like that. Your family-"
"It's okay, I'm still wearing my mask," I assured her, tapping my face, my fingers rapping on the invisible copper. "See? You might be able to see my face, but as long as I'm still wearing the mask, my identity is safe. Some more tinker tech."
"I… Are you certain it works?" She asks. "How does it work?"
"It separates my Arcanum persona from my real civilian identity," I explained. "And before you ask, it is non-invasive. I know how understandably serious you guys take mind-altering stuff. Just add a minor stranger power to the bag."
For a moment, Miss Militia looked like she was going to continue asking questions. Then she seemed to remember this meeting had a point and that she was still holding a messenger tube. She shook her head a bit before nodding.
"Alright, if you're are certain. Now, Director Piggot has agreed that, with Lung and Lee gone, pushing patrols deeper into ABB territory is a good idea," she explained before pulling out a map of Brockton from her messenger tube and laying it out on the table. "Unfortunately, we don't have the resources to patrol the entire space."
"Understandable. Any help will make the job easier for Crow and myself, as well as anyone we can bring in on the job," I explained. "How much are you guys good for?"
Pulling out a marker from her pocket, Miss Militia drew out a quick outline of the territories that the PRT general patrolled, also marking out Empire territory and what was still technically ABB territory. She also marked the trainyard area out and marked it with an M.
"What's that?" I asked with a frown. "I thought that the ABB owned the trainyards."
"That's Merchant territory," She explained. "Have you not heard of them?"
"I've heard about them, I just didn't realize they held territory," I responded with a frown. "Are they likely to push for more?"
"They only claimed the trainyards because no one else wanted them," The Protectorate hero explained. "Last we heard, they only have two capes, but their leader, Skidmark, he is ambitious. He might be a problem, especially since the second cape is a Tinker."
"Fantastic. Well, I'll keep my eye out for them."
Miss Militia gave me an understanding pat on my shoulder before finally drawing out what area the Protectorate would be expanding into. It was a chunk of space, mostly residentials, directly connected to the space that they already heavily patrolled. While it wasn't as much space as I had hoped, it was more than I had feared. In total, it was a little under half of ABB's territory, probably around two-fifths.
"I'm sorry it's not more space, but the Protectorate has a lot of responsibilities, and stretching ourselves too thin would make us incredibly vulnerable. We can't afford to be in that position."
"Well… it's much better than nothing," I responded with a shrug. "We will just have to make it work. I just hope that New Wave is willing to chip in. Have you had any communications with them since… everything?"
"No, and it's starting to worry the Director," She admitted, capping her pen and rolling up the map. "They have been less active as a whole since Fleur was killed, but they have been instrumental in keeping the E88 in check. If the New Wave falls apart…"
"It won't be pretty," I said with a frown. "Dammit, setting up this meeting is gonna be more important than I thought. Alright. If everything goes well, I'll recommend that they get in touch with you to talk about what's going on. Assuming they want to meet at all."
"That would be much appreciated."
She finished rolling up the map before sliding it and a pair of markers into the messenger tube. She then handed that to me, which I happily accepted.
"Director Piggot wanted to make sure you had a good idea of what we were doing, so keep this to keep track," She explained, gesturing to the tube. "Keep us updated, and good luck."
"I will, and thank you."
I left not long after that, though I didn't go far. I stopped by a bench at the front entrance, quickly sitting down and pulling out my prepaid cell phone. A quick search through my contacts, and I found who I was looking for.
"Arcanum? Is that you?" Olivia asked through the cheap phone. "What's up?"
"Are you alone?" I asked. "Somewhere you can talk about private things?"
"Yeah, I'm good," She confirmed casually. "Everything okay?"
"About as good as I could hope for," I responded. "The Protectorate has agreed to extend their patrols into ABB territory. A good two-fifths of it."
"That just leaves three-fifths for us to cover," She responded, her tone sounding contemplative. "That's too much for us alone, I assume?"
"Very much so," I confirmed. "I can patrol a lot of space at once because of my abilities, but we need more people. I'm going to call New Wave and try to set up a meeting. Is that something you are interested in attending?"
"No, definitely not," She responded emphatically. "That sounds like something that requires a delicate touch, and you know I won't be able to stop myself from being sarcastic and scathing."
"It's part of your charm," I assured her with a smirk, though she couldn't see it. "I'll call you later to tell you how it went. Let me know if anything pops up while I'm gone."
"Will do, Arc."
We said our goodbyes, and I hung up, immediately dialing Sarah Pelham's number. She answered almost immediately.
"Arcanum, this is Sarah Pelham. What can I do for you?" The older woman asked, her tone polite. I could also hear the surprise in her voice, though she was working hard to keep it to a minimum.
"Hello, Mrs Pelham. I hope everything is going well." I greeted before diving into what I wanted. "I'm calling because I want to set up a meeting with New Wave. There are some things I would like to discuss with your team. Is there any way that could happen?"
"Of course, Arcanum. After what you did for us, a meeting with the team is the least we could do," She said with an eager energy, though I could hear interest as well.
I winced at her mention of a debt. While I would really rather not drag them to the table, or even worse, into agreeing to help because they thought they owed me, this was too important not to accept the advantage.
"Is there anywhere you would prefer to meet?" I asked.
"...We have a team meeting room at the Dallon's house," She admitted. "Would you be comfortable going there?"
"I… not to ask about anything private, but what about Carol?" I asked. "I don't think she would appreciate me in her home."
"Don't worry, she won't be an issue," The hero mother vaguely assured me. "How urgently are you looking to meet?"
"Today, if possible," I responded with a wince. "I know it's sudden, but I wouldn't ask If it wasn't important."
"We can make it work," She said confidently. "Five o'clock?"
"That works for me, I'll be there."
She agreed, texting me the address after we hung up. Seeing that it still wasn't even noon, it was time to go on patrol. While it was unlikely that the E88 would start pushing today since they would still need more time to confirm and plan, I still needed to be ready just in case. I sent a message to Olivia that I was going on patrol, and she messaged back asking where she should meet her. Just an hour later, she was sitting side saddle on Troy as I walked beside him. I greeted people as we walked by, smiling and waving, raising the flag as much as I could. I wanted people to know that we were in the area. It was clear that the news that Lung was in prison hadn't spread very far, as we got a lot of worried looks.
Olivia had reacted similarly to Miss Militia when she first saw me walking around with no mask, but while the Protectorate heroine took a bit of convincing and still didn't quite believe me. Olivia took my word for it immediately. After all, she was wearing proof of just how powerful and weird my rituals could get.
As we walked around ABB territory, we both spotted more than a few people watching us closer than the rest. Neither of us were positive, but Olivia felt pretty confident that they were ABB scouts keeping an eye on us. The gang might have lost their heavy-hitting capes, but the members were still there, and they seemed to be determined to hang on, though we didn't see much trouble. It was possible that the gang was laying low, or they didn't want to mess with the guy who took down their boss. Either way, save for a small-scale mugging and one dealer who didn't seem to have gotten the memo, everything was pretty calm.
After patrolling for a while, flying the flag, and making our way through a good chunk of "our" part of ABB territory, Olivia and I went our separate ways, and I started making my way toward the Dallons address.
I arrived at the home just before five, leaving Troy in the driveway and walking up to the front door. I was about to knock, desperately praying that Mrs Pelham had been serious when she said Carol wouldn't be a problem, when the door opened up, revealing Victoria on the other side.
"Come- wait! You're not wearing a mask!" She said, the smile on her face transformed into wide eyes and a hanging jaw. "Did you go public?"
"Uh, no. I was sick and tired of not being able to connect to people properly because they couldn't see my expressions, so I tinkered up some stranger powers," I explained with a shrug. "Basically, as long as I'm wearing my mask, people can't connect my civilian identity and this one."
I emphasize my point by reaching out and tapping my mask, the same way I had with Miss Militia. Before the teenage hero could launch into another question, another voice called from inside.
"Vicky, let him inside!"
A slightly older woman, a younger version of Mrs Pelham, came floating up from further in the house. I recognized her as Crystal, otherwise known as Laserdream.
"Right, sorry! C'mon in," Victoria said, floating to the side and gesturing for me to come inside. "Sorry, your mask caught me off guard."
"Not the first time it's happened today," I said with a smile. "And I imagine I'm about to go through it again shortly."
"So… you just tinkered up a stranger's power?" the younger Pelham woman said. "Just like that?"
"Well, not literally," I assured them. "But… kinda? Is that weird for tinkers?"
"Kind of? Most tinkers follow a theme or power type," Victoria stated. "Armsmater is miniaturization. Kid Win doesn't know what his is yet."
"Oh… well, just another reason to call my powers weird," I said, trying to brush it off with a shrug. "Where is everyone?"
"Already down in the meeting room," Crystal explained. "It's just down this hall."
I nodded and followed after the two family members. Eventually, they opened a door into the basement, and Victoria gestured for me to follow behind. When I reached the top of the stairs, I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, before stepping down the stairs.
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We Just Write
Blatantly Plural
- Location
- New England
- Pronouns
- Plural
C: I do believe you forgot the threadmark.
chaotic-logic
possible impossibility
- Location
- unknown
@MetaBettaOmega
you forgot to threadmark the chapter
you forgot to threadmark the chapter
You know I scratch my head at the hero's seeding US city to gang territory. Going no we don't patrol that part of the city for criminals, it sound so unrealistic.
But then I remember the podcast I listened to this morning and how real world law enforcement at times ignores poorer communities.
So the PRT and Protercte which honestly seems even more hamstrung then normal law enforcement. Yeah this sounds about right.
Our mage boy need some minions.
But then I remember the podcast I listened to this morning and how real world law enforcement at times ignores poorer communities.
So the PRT and Protercte which honestly seems even more hamstrung then normal law enforcement. Yeah this sounds about right.
Our mage boy need some minions.
Not a fan of him moving the homeless into his base. Might be my introvert side talking. If he ends up doing that he won't be able to take his mask off in his own home. I hope he doesn't unmask, I think unmasking to a large group of people would not be smart at all. It seems the homeless community in this fic is being portrayed in a somewhat idealized light but as in all large groups of people there are going to problems and troublemakers.
It's okay for a temporary solution but he should have started a second area away from his base that doesn't need as much protection. They won't be able to come and go freely so also doesn't take into account the subsection that doesn't want to live in a shelter. He just needs to ward an area with an intention filter so people with bad intentions can't find it.
It's okay for a temporary solution but he should have started a second area away from his base that doesn't need as much protection. They won't be able to come and go freely so also doesn't take into account the subsection that doesn't want to live in a shelter. He just needs to ward an area with an intention filter so people with bad intentions can't find it.
Chapter Fifty Six
New
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As I followed after Victoria, I stepped down into a large refurbished basement. I paused there for a moment, scanning the room and its occupants. The walls were covered with framed pictures, some of the family, some of what appeared to be publicity shots, and a few framed newspapers. In the center of the room was a large, rectangular table, big enough for two families to fit around. Victoria flew over and sat next to her sister, Amy, while Crystal flew and sat beside her father. The only person I didn't recognize was a younger guy with blue hair, but a simple process of elimination meant he was likely Eric Pelham. The only member of New Wave I didn't see around the table was Carol.
As I looked around, I could see that save one person, everyone had an interested and curious expression on their face. Amy Dallon, the only one who didn't, had a more complex expression on her face, which I purposely ignored. I could talk to her more privately if she had something to say, but for now, I needed to focus on getting New Wave on board.
Once everyone had settled into the table, I approached, doing my best to come off as confident and professional.
"Hello, everyone," I said, nodding and smiling. "Thank you for agreeing to meet me like this on such short notice. I really appreciate it."
"We've pulled pretty close over the last week, getting everyone one together was pretty easy," Sarah explained, with Mark nodding in agreement. "It sounded urgent and, well, we clearly owe you."
"I appreciate that," I said, biting back a wince. "Before I start, I'm sure you're wondering about this?"
I gestured to my face, reaching up and once again tapping on my mask. Just as everyone else had been, they seemed surprised to hear the sound of my mask rather than my face.
"The short answer to what I'm sure you're wondering is no, I'm not an open cape, at least not yet. At some point, I probably will be, but for now, I have what is basically a stranger effect on my mask," I explained. "It makes it impossible for people to connect my civilian persona with Arcanum. That way, I have the benefits of maskless interactions without losing the ability to go shopping without being mobbed."
"That… is impressive," Sarah said, the rest of the group digesting that I suddenly just added a new ability to my repertoire. "We understand the desire to stay anonymous, even if we believe in transparency.
I nodded at her diplomatic compliment before leaning forward slightly and putting my hands on the edge of the large table everyone was sitting at. There was a chair in front of me, which I'm sure I would take eventually, but for now, I wanted to stay standing for added dramatic effect.
"I don't know how far the news has gotten, but two days ago, Oni Lee and I got in a fight while I was trying to save civilians from an apartment he firebombed," I started, watching as people nodded. "My brute rating and other abilities allowed me to fight him off and eventually injure him, at which point he retreated. That night, in retaliation, Lung and Oni Lee both attacked the docks community, the one I have been working with and helping out."
The news was met with various gasps and worried looks. I tried my best to wave away concerns, but Victoria steamrolled through.
"Why didn't you call us?" Victoria asked. "We would have come to help!"
While they didn't openly agree, the other adults clearly thought similar thoughts and looked to me for my reasoning.
"Honestly? I was worried about turning the community into an even bigger warzone," I explained with a frown. "The PRT had already tried to overwhelm him with numbers, and all that did was make him get bigger, faster. Not to mention burning out several blocks. I was desperate to keep that from happening and."
I had also been overwhelmed and not thinking very straight, leading me to just not think of them until it was far too late to get them involved. Unfortunately, I couldn't openly admit that to them, not without looking like an idiot. That said, the fight had been a close thing, and while I had simply not thought of them, not getting them involved might have actually been what made our victory possible. Past conflicts with the raging dragon had shown that the greater the threat, the quicker he would grow. There was a very real chance that being underestimated was what kept me alive.
"Either way, with the help of another friendly cape, who focused on taking down Lee, I was able to fight Lung, pin him down, and do enough damage to his nervous system and brain that his body gave out, and he collapsed. The PRT currently has him and Lee in custody right now.
The room hung on the moment, as they clearly expected me to explain that I had barely survived and the community was no more. When they finally realized what I had said and what it meant, several questions were flung at me at once, too many for me to keep up with. After a moment, I held up my hands in defeat.
"Woah, please, one at a time!" I asked.
"Why hasn't this been announced yet?" Sarah asked, cutting off several other questions with a look. "The PRT usually makes official announcements, and the local news picks them up pretty quickly."
"I don't really know," I admitted with a shrug. "Though it might have something to do with avoiding repercussions for as long as possible. Which is actually why I'm here."
I took the messenger tube off from around my shoulder and opened it up, spreading the map out on the table. Mark and Eric quickly placed some small weights on the map corners so it would stay open without me holding it.
"With Lung and Oni Lee both captured, assuming they stay that way," I added, knocking on the wooden table as I did. "The ABB is going to struggle. Not only were their two capes the only thing keeping the E88 from pushing on their territory, but they were also the only thing holding the gang together. With them gone, I expect a lot of in-fighting and a lot of the E88 pushing in to try and claim their territory."
"You want us to help you patrol the area, crack down on the fighting, and keep the E88 from pushing into the new territory," Mark guessed as everyone looked down at the map.
"Exactly. The Protectorate is going to be expanding the patrols into this area," I explained, gesturing to part of the map that Miss Militia marked. "It's about two-fifths of ABB's territory. Now, I can patrol a good chunk of space, but I do have other responsibilities, and I need time to work on my projects. This…"
I gestured to the large chunk of the city that the Protectorate could not patrol, tracing it out on the map.
"My partner and I would have to dedicate every waking moment to patrolling to even come close to locking down an area of this size," I explained, shaking my head. "Not only would that still not be enough, we wouldn't be able to keep it up for very long, especially not against the full force of the E88. Not to mention that, according to Miss Militia, the Merchant leader is ambitious, meaning he and the Merchant tinker might pop up and start causing trouble as well."
"Do you have some sort of plan?" Neil asked. "A patrol rotation or any sort of specific goal?"
"The general goal is to keep the E88 out while also slowly sweeping up the worst aspects of the ABB as they expose themselves through infighting and normal activities," I explained. "This will, almost inevitably, bring us into direct conflict with the Empire."
"Like that's any different," Victoria said with a scoff. "The Nazis get into conflict with everyone who doesn't toe their line."
"And that isn't likely to stop until the E88 is either gone or we teach them a lesson severe enough, like capturing enough of their capes, that they pull back on their territory grab," I pointed out. "While I hope the latter happens, I think it's much more likely that the former is what it actually takes. But, honestly, for now? That's too far in the future to be concerned about. The most important objective is to keep the ABB territory from becoming a warzone. And I need your help to do it."
The room was quiet for a long moment before Sarah finally spoke up, leaning forward in her seat.
"I think that for something like this, even if technically, I am the leader, we should vote as a family," She suggested. "This will clearly not be random, casual patrols. We will need to set up schedules, cut back work hours, and volunteer our free time. It's quite a different step than what we have been doing for the last few years."
"My vote is to help," Victoria volunteered easily. "Even if you guys don't, I'll help out when I'm not at school and on the weekends."
"I appreciate the sentiment, Victoria," I said, giving her a smile before turning to her father. "But you need permission from your father. I can't have a minor working with us when their parents don't want them involved."
"Parent," Victoria said, an edge in her voice. "It's parent."
I looked around with wide eyes, trying to figure out how to respond to her statement. Eventually, I simply nodded, as no words came to my head. After a few seconds of awkward silence, and quite a few winces from the family members around the table, I spoke up again.
"While I appreciate Victoria's enthusiasm, I'm happy to step out and let you guys vote," I explained. "And you should be aware that even if you decide not to join in, my healing is not on the table as a bargaining chip. I'll still help you guys regardless of your choice."
"I don't think that's necessary," Sarah said, looking around and checking that the rest of her team agreed. "Personally, I think that it is high time that New Wave started patrolling more regularly. This is the perfect opportunity to do some good."
Everyone, to varying degrees of exuberance, agreed with their leader. Crystal was the most reluctant, not because she didn't want to help but because her college classes had just started up again and had her swamped. She did agree to patrol when she could, most likely during the weekends. Her younger brother, Eric, was perhaps the most excited, clearly happy that he would be able to be a hero again. When the official vote was done, Sarah spoke up with a nod.
"Well, seems like it is unanimous," She concluded after sharing a look with her husband. "New Wave will help patrol ABB territory. We just need to figure out scheduling."
The conversation quickly devolved into a much more confusing, near-constant debate of who should patrol when. For a moment, I was pulled back to my old home, to family discussions of future plans. People talking about this day or that day, this time or that, all in a chaotic jumble that barely anyone could follow. I say barely, since Sarah seemed to be on top of it all, writing down things down, before frequently erasing them as they slowly puzzled together when each person would be patrolling.
After nearly twenty minutes of planning, we managed to work out a schedule that worked for everyone. Of course, we were all basically on call, especially the rapid flyers, but that was more about reacting to fights than anything. Sarah even discussed reaching out to a few independents in the area to strengthen our patrols. On the note of strengthening, I pulled attention back to myself.
"I also would like to help each of you by crafting a custom bit of gear," I volunteered. "Something to take your powers to the next level."
"Like your mask?" Mark asked.
"Or my boots or cloak," I added, pulling at my coat.
"While that certainly sounds interesting, will you need to maintain them?" Sarah asked. "What sort of effects could you create?"
"My creations don't need to be maintained," I responded with a frown. "Is that something that other tinkers have to deal with?"
"Yes. Most tinker creations need regular intense maintenance from their creator, or occasionally another tinker with a similar specialty," Sarah explained. "But if that's not a problem for you, then that's great."
"There is something you should know, however," I said, wincing slightly. "If you want something truly special, I'll need a little vial of your blood. It's how part of my power works, and it will take whatever I end up making for you to the next level. Plus, it will make it more difficult for other people to use should someone take it from you. So it's a boost plus a deterrent."
"A vial of blood?"
"Yes. I know it's a bit strange and not exactly comforting," I admitted with a frown. "But my powers insist on being as…Mystical as they can. I've clearly leaned into it, but sometimes it feels like it's doubled down and called my bluff."
That got a round of polite chuckles, but I waved away the attempts to make things less awkward.
"I know it's a weird request, and it makes most people's minds go to some pretty upsetting places, so if you don't feel comfortable, that's fine," I assured them. "I can still make something for each of you. It just won't be as powerful as it would be without it."
"I… think that at this point, we can trust you," Sarah admitted after giving her husband a long, serious look. "How would you take our blood? How much do you need?"
"Just a small vial, less than a vacuum sample tube at the doctors. And I have some vials outside with Troy," I explained, continuing when I got a few blank looks in return. "Troy is the golem horse I ride around on."
After a few more words, I quickly walked up the stairs and out the front door, making my way to Troy. I used my druidcraft spell to open his chest. First, I pulled out a handful of normal, untreated vials, which were for everyone's blood. I then pulled out a much larger box of containment vials, the ones I ritualized to hold and store things that usually couldn't be stored. With those, I was hoping to get some more exotic samples, both for New Wave's future creations and for my own projects. As I was using a spell to close Troy's chest back up, I could feel Alya teasing my neck with a breeze, prompting me to turn around quickly. Amy Dallon was climbing down the front steps, looking a little lost and nervous but still determined.
"Hey…" She said, stopping while she was still on their front walk. "Could… we talk for a minute?"
If you are interested in those benefits or just want to support my attempt to become a full-time writer, stop by and show your support. Every dollar helps!
ALSO! A warning: I am taking off from December 25th to December 31st. Normal posting will continue on January 1st.
As I followed after Victoria, I stepped down into a large refurbished basement. I paused there for a moment, scanning the room and its occupants. The walls were covered with framed pictures, some of the family, some of what appeared to be publicity shots, and a few framed newspapers. In the center of the room was a large, rectangular table, big enough for two families to fit around. Victoria flew over and sat next to her sister, Amy, while Crystal flew and sat beside her father. The only person I didn't recognize was a younger guy with blue hair, but a simple process of elimination meant he was likely Eric Pelham. The only member of New Wave I didn't see around the table was Carol.
As I looked around, I could see that save one person, everyone had an interested and curious expression on their face. Amy Dallon, the only one who didn't, had a more complex expression on her face, which I purposely ignored. I could talk to her more privately if she had something to say, but for now, I needed to focus on getting New Wave on board.
Once everyone had settled into the table, I approached, doing my best to come off as confident and professional.
"Hello, everyone," I said, nodding and smiling. "Thank you for agreeing to meet me like this on such short notice. I really appreciate it."
"We've pulled pretty close over the last week, getting everyone one together was pretty easy," Sarah explained, with Mark nodding in agreement. "It sounded urgent and, well, we clearly owe you."
"I appreciate that," I said, biting back a wince. "Before I start, I'm sure you're wondering about this?"
I gestured to my face, reaching up and once again tapping on my mask. Just as everyone else had been, they seemed surprised to hear the sound of my mask rather than my face.
"The short answer to what I'm sure you're wondering is no, I'm not an open cape, at least not yet. At some point, I probably will be, but for now, I have what is basically a stranger effect on my mask," I explained. "It makes it impossible for people to connect my civilian persona with Arcanum. That way, I have the benefits of maskless interactions without losing the ability to go shopping without being mobbed."
"That… is impressive," Sarah said, the rest of the group digesting that I suddenly just added a new ability to my repertoire. "We understand the desire to stay anonymous, even if we believe in transparency.
I nodded at her diplomatic compliment before leaning forward slightly and putting my hands on the edge of the large table everyone was sitting at. There was a chair in front of me, which I'm sure I would take eventually, but for now, I wanted to stay standing for added dramatic effect.
"I don't know how far the news has gotten, but two days ago, Oni Lee and I got in a fight while I was trying to save civilians from an apartment he firebombed," I started, watching as people nodded. "My brute rating and other abilities allowed me to fight him off and eventually injure him, at which point he retreated. That night, in retaliation, Lung and Oni Lee both attacked the docks community, the one I have been working with and helping out."
The news was met with various gasps and worried looks. I tried my best to wave away concerns, but Victoria steamrolled through.
"Why didn't you call us?" Victoria asked. "We would have come to help!"
While they didn't openly agree, the other adults clearly thought similar thoughts and looked to me for my reasoning.
"Honestly? I was worried about turning the community into an even bigger warzone," I explained with a frown. "The PRT had already tried to overwhelm him with numbers, and all that did was make him get bigger, faster. Not to mention burning out several blocks. I was desperate to keep that from happening and."
I had also been overwhelmed and not thinking very straight, leading me to just not think of them until it was far too late to get them involved. Unfortunately, I couldn't openly admit that to them, not without looking like an idiot. That said, the fight had been a close thing, and while I had simply not thought of them, not getting them involved might have actually been what made our victory possible. Past conflicts with the raging dragon had shown that the greater the threat, the quicker he would grow. There was a very real chance that being underestimated was what kept me alive.
"Either way, with the help of another friendly cape, who focused on taking down Lee, I was able to fight Lung, pin him down, and do enough damage to his nervous system and brain that his body gave out, and he collapsed. The PRT currently has him and Lee in custody right now.
The room hung on the moment, as they clearly expected me to explain that I had barely survived and the community was no more. When they finally realized what I had said and what it meant, several questions were flung at me at once, too many for me to keep up with. After a moment, I held up my hands in defeat.
"Woah, please, one at a time!" I asked.
"Why hasn't this been announced yet?" Sarah asked, cutting off several other questions with a look. "The PRT usually makes official announcements, and the local news picks them up pretty quickly."
"I don't really know," I admitted with a shrug. "Though it might have something to do with avoiding repercussions for as long as possible. Which is actually why I'm here."
I took the messenger tube off from around my shoulder and opened it up, spreading the map out on the table. Mark and Eric quickly placed some small weights on the map corners so it would stay open without me holding it.
"With Lung and Oni Lee both captured, assuming they stay that way," I added, knocking on the wooden table as I did. "The ABB is going to struggle. Not only were their two capes the only thing keeping the E88 from pushing on their territory, but they were also the only thing holding the gang together. With them gone, I expect a lot of in-fighting and a lot of the E88 pushing in to try and claim their territory."
"You want us to help you patrol the area, crack down on the fighting, and keep the E88 from pushing into the new territory," Mark guessed as everyone looked down at the map.
"Exactly. The Protectorate is going to be expanding the patrols into this area," I explained, gesturing to part of the map that Miss Militia marked. "It's about two-fifths of ABB's territory. Now, I can patrol a good chunk of space, but I do have other responsibilities, and I need time to work on my projects. This…"
I gestured to the large chunk of the city that the Protectorate could not patrol, tracing it out on the map.
"My partner and I would have to dedicate every waking moment to patrolling to even come close to locking down an area of this size," I explained, shaking my head. "Not only would that still not be enough, we wouldn't be able to keep it up for very long, especially not against the full force of the E88. Not to mention that, according to Miss Militia, the Merchant leader is ambitious, meaning he and the Merchant tinker might pop up and start causing trouble as well."
"Do you have some sort of plan?" Neil asked. "A patrol rotation or any sort of specific goal?"
"The general goal is to keep the E88 out while also slowly sweeping up the worst aspects of the ABB as they expose themselves through infighting and normal activities," I explained. "This will, almost inevitably, bring us into direct conflict with the Empire."
"Like that's any different," Victoria said with a scoff. "The Nazis get into conflict with everyone who doesn't toe their line."
"And that isn't likely to stop until the E88 is either gone or we teach them a lesson severe enough, like capturing enough of their capes, that they pull back on their territory grab," I pointed out. "While I hope the latter happens, I think it's much more likely that the former is what it actually takes. But, honestly, for now? That's too far in the future to be concerned about. The most important objective is to keep the ABB territory from becoming a warzone. And I need your help to do it."
The room was quiet for a long moment before Sarah finally spoke up, leaning forward in her seat.
"I think that for something like this, even if technically, I am the leader, we should vote as a family," She suggested. "This will clearly not be random, casual patrols. We will need to set up schedules, cut back work hours, and volunteer our free time. It's quite a different step than what we have been doing for the last few years."
"My vote is to help," Victoria volunteered easily. "Even if you guys don't, I'll help out when I'm not at school and on the weekends."
"I appreciate the sentiment, Victoria," I said, giving her a smile before turning to her father. "But you need permission from your father. I can't have a minor working with us when their parents don't want them involved."
"Parent," Victoria said, an edge in her voice. "It's parent."
I looked around with wide eyes, trying to figure out how to respond to her statement. Eventually, I simply nodded, as no words came to my head. After a few seconds of awkward silence, and quite a few winces from the family members around the table, I spoke up again.
"While I appreciate Victoria's enthusiasm, I'm happy to step out and let you guys vote," I explained. "And you should be aware that even if you decide not to join in, my healing is not on the table as a bargaining chip. I'll still help you guys regardless of your choice."
"I don't think that's necessary," Sarah said, looking around and checking that the rest of her team agreed. "Personally, I think that it is high time that New Wave started patrolling more regularly. This is the perfect opportunity to do some good."
Everyone, to varying degrees of exuberance, agreed with their leader. Crystal was the most reluctant, not because she didn't want to help but because her college classes had just started up again and had her swamped. She did agree to patrol when she could, most likely during the weekends. Her younger brother, Eric, was perhaps the most excited, clearly happy that he would be able to be a hero again. When the official vote was done, Sarah spoke up with a nod.
"Well, seems like it is unanimous," She concluded after sharing a look with her husband. "New Wave will help patrol ABB territory. We just need to figure out scheduling."
The conversation quickly devolved into a much more confusing, near-constant debate of who should patrol when. For a moment, I was pulled back to my old home, to family discussions of future plans. People talking about this day or that day, this time or that, all in a chaotic jumble that barely anyone could follow. I say barely, since Sarah seemed to be on top of it all, writing down things down, before frequently erasing them as they slowly puzzled together when each person would be patrolling.
After nearly twenty minutes of planning, we managed to work out a schedule that worked for everyone. Of course, we were all basically on call, especially the rapid flyers, but that was more about reacting to fights than anything. Sarah even discussed reaching out to a few independents in the area to strengthen our patrols. On the note of strengthening, I pulled attention back to myself.
"I also would like to help each of you by crafting a custom bit of gear," I volunteered. "Something to take your powers to the next level."
"Like your mask?" Mark asked.
"Or my boots or cloak," I added, pulling at my coat.
"While that certainly sounds interesting, will you need to maintain them?" Sarah asked. "What sort of effects could you create?"
"My creations don't need to be maintained," I responded with a frown. "Is that something that other tinkers have to deal with?"
"Yes. Most tinker creations need regular intense maintenance from their creator, or occasionally another tinker with a similar specialty," Sarah explained. "But if that's not a problem for you, then that's great."
"There is something you should know, however," I said, wincing slightly. "If you want something truly special, I'll need a little vial of your blood. It's how part of my power works, and it will take whatever I end up making for you to the next level. Plus, it will make it more difficult for other people to use should someone take it from you. So it's a boost plus a deterrent."
"A vial of blood?"
"Yes. I know it's a bit strange and not exactly comforting," I admitted with a frown. "But my powers insist on being as…Mystical as they can. I've clearly leaned into it, but sometimes it feels like it's doubled down and called my bluff."
That got a round of polite chuckles, but I waved away the attempts to make things less awkward.
"I know it's a weird request, and it makes most people's minds go to some pretty upsetting places, so if you don't feel comfortable, that's fine," I assured them. "I can still make something for each of you. It just won't be as powerful as it would be without it."
"I… think that at this point, we can trust you," Sarah admitted after giving her husband a long, serious look. "How would you take our blood? How much do you need?"
"Just a small vial, less than a vacuum sample tube at the doctors. And I have some vials outside with Troy," I explained, continuing when I got a few blank looks in return. "Troy is the golem horse I ride around on."
After a few more words, I quickly walked up the stairs and out the front door, making my way to Troy. I used my druidcraft spell to open his chest. First, I pulled out a handful of normal, untreated vials, which were for everyone's blood. I then pulled out a much larger box of containment vials, the ones I ritualized to hold and store things that usually couldn't be stored. With those, I was hoping to get some more exotic samples, both for New Wave's future creations and for my own projects. As I was using a spell to close Troy's chest back up, I could feel Alya teasing my neck with a breeze, prompting me to turn around quickly. Amy Dallon was climbing down the front steps, looking a little lost and nervous but still determined.
"Hey…" She said, stopping while she was still on their front walk. "Could… we talk for a minute?"
Ferb_Ancos
The one under the table
- Pronouns
- He
Something is missing at the end.
A week off for the holidays? What a unique and utterly unprecedented concept. The audacity! To simply up and leave us...
Anyway, hope you have a great holiday with as many loved ones as you can stomach, food of great quality and in even greater amounts, and fun and merryment that outweighs even that. With a week or two before that of course, where you'll spoil us with more good chapters. Thanks for that, by the way.
Anyway, hope you have a great holiday with as many loved ones as you can stomach, food of great quality and in even greater amounts, and fun and merryment that outweighs even that. With a week or two before that of course, where you'll spoil us with more good chapters. Thanks for that, by the way.
- Location
- England
I don't think anything is missing. I think he cut off what he was going to say.
It could be made clearer with an em dash at the end, I suppose.
- Location
- Elsewhere
"Well, I have both. Anonymity and transparency!"
- Location
- New Jersey
Prob do pseudo Nazi things and up charge them to sell to people in their 'territory' as well as just letting them roam wherever they take without worry. Without Lung or Lee as a deterrent there will be less On site violence from ABB goons and less danger for the 88.
Clearly she's only here to see if she can ask Arc to be her new tutor for pre-calculus. This totally isn't anything more emotionally fraught or weighty that we need to worry about.
Neko-tama
[Verified Cat] [Verified Writer]
- Pronouns
- She/Her
That's the kind of thing that gets Alexandria on your ass, unless you're Jack Slash.
Chapter Fifty Seven
New
For a moment, I froze like a deer in headlights, not entirely sure how to react. I wasn't exactly equipped to handle an emotionally unstable abuse victim, especially one who already seemed to dislike me. Unfortunately, I couldn't exactly tell her no. Not only because it would be an incredibly insensitive thing to do, but also because, as cold and calculating as it might sound, I needed her family's help. I forced myself to move, though she definitely caught my momentary panic.
I guess there was a downside to people being able to see my face.
"Yeah, sure, okay," I agreed before gesturing to the chairs on the front porch. "Why don't we sit down first?"
She nodded, and together, we climbed back up the stairs, sitting down in an old but functional set of wicker furniture. For a long moment, she was silent, chewing her lip and looking down at her hands as she fidgeted nervously. I considered speaking up and asking what she wanted to talk about, but before I could weigh the merits, she spoke up.
"So… I guess I should start by apologizing," She said, still looking down at her hands. "And also, I should thank you. I was… still am, kind of a mess. I… My therapist tells me I shouldn't feel guilty for my issues, especially since… the source was out of my control, but-"
She stopped, taking a long breath, calming herself for a moment before continuing. It had seemed, for just a moment, that she had been on the precipice of spiraling, but she caught herself. It took a few seconds for her to speak again, but when she did, she was slower and more deliberate with her words.
"I'm sorry for exploding like I did when you first came to see me," She said, finally looking up at me. "And thank you for healing me."
"I was happy to help," I said honestly. "And I accept your apology, even though I don't blame you. You are forgiven."
"Also, thank you for taking over my schedule," She said. "I know it's a lot, and you didn't want to be stuck in the hospital like I was, and I can't blame you-"
"Amy, I spend an hour a day in the hospital, that's it," I said, biting back a wince since it was clear she thought I was spending a lot more. "And I get paid for a good portion of it, too."
"What?" She asked, her body tensing up. "How? Why? But you-"
"By doing what, in my personal opinion, you should have been doing all along," I said with a frown, trying to be gentle. "I always heal children, but adults only get attention if they have life-threatening conditions or conditions that would result in long-term issues, like bad bone breaks or arthritis. Everyone else is treated by normal doctors. No sniffles, no hangovers, and absolutely no dumbasses who hurt themselves being stupid."
"But… that's still so few…"
"And yet, the mortality rate at the hospital is more or less the same as it was with you," I said with a shrug. "I'm even seeing people from out of town, just like you were. The list is shorter since I refuse to treat people who don't need it, but the people who need it are being healed. I mean, some might argue that my method is ethically correct because it means my time is more accessible for people who actually need my help, rather than bogged down with stubbed toes and black eyes."
The young woman seemed a bit lost listening to what I was saying. I had more, of course, the frustration of my own minor experience with the hospitals, along with seeing what they had done to her starting to come out. Thankfully, Alya blew a stiff breeze over me, catching my attention. I let out a long breath, letting the frustration go before I continued.
"What they had you doing was criminal, Amy," I said. "They should never have been working you that hard."
For a moment, she looked like she was about to argue before she stopped herself. She closed her eyes and seemed to be repeating something under her breath for a moment before sighing heavily.
"I'm not sure I agree, but I also know that… I might not have the best mindset for that right now," She acknowledged. "But thank you for helping either way."
"Of course, I'm happy to help," I assured her. "How have you been? Are you doing alright?"
"Yeah, you fixed me up, good as new. Better even," She admitted. "I'm... Well, I'm seeing a therapist that specializes in parahumans. I've been… I'm doing well, trying to find a hobby. It's been… chaotic around here, but we are doing okay. I was going to move in with Aunt Sarah, but… Well, you probably noticed that Carol wasn't around?"
"I did, yeah."
"Well, Dad kicked her out," She said with a small smile, a viscous and deserved look of satisfaction crossing her expression for a moment. "He is doing better, which reminds me, thank you so much for helping him."
"I'm just glad I could," I said honestly. "I want to scan him again before I leave today."
"He is good," She assured me. "No signs of backsliding. I can't heal brains, but I can see them."
"Right, okay. I still want to," I repeated. "Our powers work differently, so they might pick up something different."
"Sure, whatever," she said with a shrug. "Anyway, Dad realized Carol had been screening my calls, controlling who could contact me. We can't be sure, but it seems like she was doing it for a while, even when I was younger. That was the last straw for him, so he kicked her out. I… I don't know what's going to happen next, but… Thank you for helping make this happen."
"You needed help," I said with a shrug. "I wasn't about to let go."
She finally looked directly at me, and after a moment, she smiled before nodding and standing up. She then looked out over the driveway, focusing on Troy.
"Okay, enough of this weepy stuff," she said, sniffing once and wiping her eye, carefully not looking at me as she did. "Can I pet your horse?"
"Uh… yeah, of course," I said, standing as well, a bit confused about her rapid shift in demeanor. "Though, he isn't really alive."
"Looks pretty alive to me," She said, brushing past me to walk down from the porch. "His mane is still green."
"Well, yeah, I mean, the tree is alive, but he isn't sentient," I explained. "His movement is just a bit of trickery to keep it from standing completely still. Trust me, that ends up looking even worse."
She nodded and reached her hand out as she approached the golem, going slowly as if she was worried she would spook it. As she slowly approached, she turned her head for a moment, looking back at me. Still, being skeptical and cautious at moments like these was not a bad thing.
"How does he work?" She asked before focusing back on my mount.
"Well… there is a central core in his chest," I explained, wondering just how detailed I should get. "The tree itself I call living wood, which is basically just some enhanced oak."
"Enhanced?"
"Nothing major," I said, waving her off. "Just a bit stronger, tough, more resilient to harsh conditions. The wood is kept alive by… how much do you know about my powers?"
"Just what everyone does," She responded, looking back at me again. "That you're a grab bag and-"
Finally, after slowly approaching the wooden construct, she put her hand on the golem's back. The second she made contact with the wood, she went silent, her eyes going wide as she turned back to look at Troy. She stared blankly at where her hand met the wood for a good minute, long enough to make me nervous, before finally speaking up.
"I can feel the plant drawing resources from the core," She explained after a long moment. "Like its roots were set into it, and it's the most perfect source of everything it needs to thrive, and then some, but... I can't see where it's getting what it needs. Like it's perfectly hydrated, but where is the water coming from?"
After a minute or so of her mumbling to herself, her hand on Troy's back, she finally pulled back, shaking her head.
"I didn't expect to get much from it, but I thought I would get more than that," She admitted, biting her lip. "Your power makes even less sense than most. I've met Chlorokinetics before, and they… well, it usually makes more sense than that."
She gestured back at Troy, who was pretending to eat the Dallon's grass. This close, we could see that he wasn't actually tearing any up with his mouth, resulting in it looking much less natural.
"Sorry, but you're not the first person to tell me my power is weird, and you are almost certainly not going to be the last," I responded with a smirk before nodding back to the stairs. "I think it might be time to get back inside. I would like to get back on patrol for the night before the E88 gets any smart ideas."
"Pretty sure that's an oxymoron," She responded with a snort, before leaving the driveway and walking past me to the porch.
When she pulled the front door open, Victoria slid out, her head having been pressed against the door. Amy just let out a sigh as she looked down at her sister.
"Ummm… they sent me up to make sure everything was okay?" Victoria offered, Amy rolling her eyes in response.
"Sure, whatever, C'mon," Amy said, walking past her sister to return to the New Wave meeting room.
Once again, I followed Victoria back downstairs into the basement, this time carrying my vials. I put the box of vials on the table and explained the blood-letting process. I assured them they would be fine and I would heal the tiny injury when we were done. I could tell they were a bit unhappy with the low-tech methods, but Sarah agreed to go first to show everyone how it worked.
I quickly cast a numbing spell on her finger, followed by a blood-letting spell, and finally, a tiny quick-cast healing spell once the vial was filled about halfway. I quickly wrote her initials on the bottle before placing it on the table. After Amy confirmed she was perfectly fine, I repeated the process for the rest of the team. Once I was done drawing blood, I lifted up the boxed brick of containment vials.
"Alright, so I would also like to see if I could get some samples of your powers," I explained. "These vials are designed to… pull in and contain things that you normally wouldn't be able to, like sunlight or moonlight. I'm hoping I will be able to take samples of your powers to help the creation process and maybe even for some future projects of my own. It is obviously completely voluntary."
"How much will these 'samples' help?" Mark asked, beating Sarah to the punch by a split second.
"Well… honestly, that depends on what you want me to make," I admitted. "If you're looking to add a wildcard new ability to your repertoire… then any samples won't make much of a difference. However, if you're looking to maximize a strength or mitigate a weakness, then they could help quite a bit."
I spotted Eric's eyes lighting up when I mentioned mitigating a weakness, but he was the only one interested in that idea. If I remember correctly, Sarah, Crystal, and Eric all had the same powers, meaning they could conjure shields, cast blasts of light, and fly. Crystal could blast things harder and fly faster, but her shields were weak, while Eric's shields were much more formidable. However, his blasts and flight speed were significantly lower. Considering his age, it wasn't surprising that having weaker energy blasts and being slow would really get on his nerves.
The rest of the group was just very into the idea of suddenly having a new power or two. Thankfully, they were all open to donating samples, which ended in a small field trip outside, where the family could more easily show off their powers. I ended up taking samples of all of the shield barriers from the Pelhams, as well as their blaster abilities. On top of that, I also got a sample of Victoria's full body shield and a few very potent samples of Neils's electromagnetic field.
Unfortunately, there was no essence of flight among any of them, as none of them used any sort of thrust to fly. Their powers just seemed to move them as they wished. As far as I could tell, there was no sign of any force or field that allowed them to fly.
This would make granting Eric's request for faster flight a bit more complicated, but I was still confident. On the plus side, I was now very eager to add a second ritual layer to my overcoat and remake my staff.
Unfortunately, that was now on a long list of things to do, as I now had six more rituals to create and perform, which would probably take a few days. I was thinking of making my staff a high priority since I was really missing it already, and I would need as much power as I could scrounge together if I was going to be fending off or taking down the Empire.
When I was done getting samples from everyone, I did a quick health check on Mark. Mark's brain was doing much better, and his hormones were much more balanced and healthy. I cast another full body heal on him, just to fix a few minor things, which he thanked me for with a smile and handshake. He was still a quiet, understated man, but I got the feeling that was just his personality, not symptom.
I also checked up on Amy as well. She was doing much better as well, clearly getting much more sleep, though her body was still showing some signs of stress. The only sign of her previous poor health was the slight damage to her lungs, done from smoking. I had managed to heal most of it, but some scarring and staining remained.
I would have to work on that in the future, maybe see if I couldn't find some way to fix that.
With two new clean bills of health for the two people Panacea couldn't heal on her own, I finally left the Dallon house behind. The first New Wave patrol would be tomorrow, which just left tonight on my shoulders.
"Not like I was gonna get much sleep tonight with the new cycle kicking in," I said, Alya pulling in close around me as I talked. "How are you doing? Anything you noticed while I was busy?"
"Nothing really of note," She responded. "Streets around the house were quiet. This neighborhood is significantly cleaner than most parts of the city."
"That's how it usually works," I said with a frown. "Money gets more attention. Can't blame people like the Pelham's, though. They actually try to help, and you can't hate them for wanting to live in a peaceful neighborhood."
She seemed to understand, and after a few moments she spread herself back out around me, watching over a much larger area. I guided Troy through the streets, picking up a bit of speed as I headed for ABB territory. I would patrol until the sun went down and for a while after before retreating back to the compound.
I wanted to be home and safe while I tried to figure out what I was going to invest my points
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I guess there was a downside to people being able to see my face.
"Yeah, sure, okay," I agreed before gesturing to the chairs on the front porch. "Why don't we sit down first?"
She nodded, and together, we climbed back up the stairs, sitting down in an old but functional set of wicker furniture. For a long moment, she was silent, chewing her lip and looking down at her hands as she fidgeted nervously. I considered speaking up and asking what she wanted to talk about, but before I could weigh the merits, she spoke up.
"So… I guess I should start by apologizing," She said, still looking down at her hands. "And also, I should thank you. I was… still am, kind of a mess. I… My therapist tells me I shouldn't feel guilty for my issues, especially since… the source was out of my control, but-"
She stopped, taking a long breath, calming herself for a moment before continuing. It had seemed, for just a moment, that she had been on the precipice of spiraling, but she caught herself. It took a few seconds for her to speak again, but when she did, she was slower and more deliberate with her words.
"I'm sorry for exploding like I did when you first came to see me," She said, finally looking up at me. "And thank you for healing me."
"I was happy to help," I said honestly. "And I accept your apology, even though I don't blame you. You are forgiven."
"Also, thank you for taking over my schedule," She said. "I know it's a lot, and you didn't want to be stuck in the hospital like I was, and I can't blame you-"
"Amy, I spend an hour a day in the hospital, that's it," I said, biting back a wince since it was clear she thought I was spending a lot more. "And I get paid for a good portion of it, too."
"What?" She asked, her body tensing up. "How? Why? But you-"
"By doing what, in my personal opinion, you should have been doing all along," I said with a frown, trying to be gentle. "I always heal children, but adults only get attention if they have life-threatening conditions or conditions that would result in long-term issues, like bad bone breaks or arthritis. Everyone else is treated by normal doctors. No sniffles, no hangovers, and absolutely no dumbasses who hurt themselves being stupid."
"But… that's still so few…"
"And yet, the mortality rate at the hospital is more or less the same as it was with you," I said with a shrug. "I'm even seeing people from out of town, just like you were. The list is shorter since I refuse to treat people who don't need it, but the people who need it are being healed. I mean, some might argue that my method is ethically correct because it means my time is more accessible for people who actually need my help, rather than bogged down with stubbed toes and black eyes."
The young woman seemed a bit lost listening to what I was saying. I had more, of course, the frustration of my own minor experience with the hospitals, along with seeing what they had done to her starting to come out. Thankfully, Alya blew a stiff breeze over me, catching my attention. I let out a long breath, letting the frustration go before I continued.
"What they had you doing was criminal, Amy," I said. "They should never have been working you that hard."
For a moment, she looked like she was about to argue before she stopped herself. She closed her eyes and seemed to be repeating something under her breath for a moment before sighing heavily.
"I'm not sure I agree, but I also know that… I might not have the best mindset for that right now," She acknowledged. "But thank you for helping either way."
"Of course, I'm happy to help," I assured her. "How have you been? Are you doing alright?"
"Yeah, you fixed me up, good as new. Better even," She admitted. "I'm... Well, I'm seeing a therapist that specializes in parahumans. I've been… I'm doing well, trying to find a hobby. It's been… chaotic around here, but we are doing okay. I was going to move in with Aunt Sarah, but… Well, you probably noticed that Carol wasn't around?"
"I did, yeah."
"Well, Dad kicked her out," She said with a small smile, a viscous and deserved look of satisfaction crossing her expression for a moment. "He is doing better, which reminds me, thank you so much for helping him."
"I'm just glad I could," I said honestly. "I want to scan him again before I leave today."
"He is good," She assured me. "No signs of backsliding. I can't heal brains, but I can see them."
"Right, okay. I still want to," I repeated. "Our powers work differently, so they might pick up something different."
"Sure, whatever," she said with a shrug. "Anyway, Dad realized Carol had been screening my calls, controlling who could contact me. We can't be sure, but it seems like she was doing it for a while, even when I was younger. That was the last straw for him, so he kicked her out. I… I don't know what's going to happen next, but… Thank you for helping make this happen."
"You needed help," I said with a shrug. "I wasn't about to let go."
She finally looked directly at me, and after a moment, she smiled before nodding and standing up. She then looked out over the driveway, focusing on Troy.
"Okay, enough of this weepy stuff," she said, sniffing once and wiping her eye, carefully not looking at me as she did. "Can I pet your horse?"
"Uh… yeah, of course," I said, standing as well, a bit confused about her rapid shift in demeanor. "Though, he isn't really alive."
"Looks pretty alive to me," She said, brushing past me to walk down from the porch. "His mane is still green."
"Well, yeah, I mean, the tree is alive, but he isn't sentient," I explained. "His movement is just a bit of trickery to keep it from standing completely still. Trust me, that ends up looking even worse."
She nodded and reached her hand out as she approached the golem, going slowly as if she was worried she would spook it. As she slowly approached, she turned her head for a moment, looking back at me. Still, being skeptical and cautious at moments like these was not a bad thing.
"How does he work?" She asked before focusing back on my mount.
"Well… there is a central core in his chest," I explained, wondering just how detailed I should get. "The tree itself I call living wood, which is basically just some enhanced oak."
"Enhanced?"
"Nothing major," I said, waving her off. "Just a bit stronger, tough, more resilient to harsh conditions. The wood is kept alive by… how much do you know about my powers?"
"Just what everyone does," She responded, looking back at me again. "That you're a grab bag and-"
Finally, after slowly approaching the wooden construct, she put her hand on the golem's back. The second she made contact with the wood, she went silent, her eyes going wide as she turned back to look at Troy. She stared blankly at where her hand met the wood for a good minute, long enough to make me nervous, before finally speaking up.
"I can feel the plant drawing resources from the core," She explained after a long moment. "Like its roots were set into it, and it's the most perfect source of everything it needs to thrive, and then some, but... I can't see where it's getting what it needs. Like it's perfectly hydrated, but where is the water coming from?"
After a minute or so of her mumbling to herself, her hand on Troy's back, she finally pulled back, shaking her head.
"I didn't expect to get much from it, but I thought I would get more than that," She admitted, biting her lip. "Your power makes even less sense than most. I've met Chlorokinetics before, and they… well, it usually makes more sense than that."
She gestured back at Troy, who was pretending to eat the Dallon's grass. This close, we could see that he wasn't actually tearing any up with his mouth, resulting in it looking much less natural.
"Sorry, but you're not the first person to tell me my power is weird, and you are almost certainly not going to be the last," I responded with a smirk before nodding back to the stairs. "I think it might be time to get back inside. I would like to get back on patrol for the night before the E88 gets any smart ideas."
"Pretty sure that's an oxymoron," She responded with a snort, before leaving the driveway and walking past me to the porch.
When she pulled the front door open, Victoria slid out, her head having been pressed against the door. Amy just let out a sigh as she looked down at her sister.
"Ummm… they sent me up to make sure everything was okay?" Victoria offered, Amy rolling her eyes in response.
"Sure, whatever, C'mon," Amy said, walking past her sister to return to the New Wave meeting room.
Once again, I followed Victoria back downstairs into the basement, this time carrying my vials. I put the box of vials on the table and explained the blood-letting process. I assured them they would be fine and I would heal the tiny injury when we were done. I could tell they were a bit unhappy with the low-tech methods, but Sarah agreed to go first to show everyone how it worked.
I quickly cast a numbing spell on her finger, followed by a blood-letting spell, and finally, a tiny quick-cast healing spell once the vial was filled about halfway. I quickly wrote her initials on the bottle before placing it on the table. After Amy confirmed she was perfectly fine, I repeated the process for the rest of the team. Once I was done drawing blood, I lifted up the boxed brick of containment vials.
"Alright, so I would also like to see if I could get some samples of your powers," I explained. "These vials are designed to… pull in and contain things that you normally wouldn't be able to, like sunlight or moonlight. I'm hoping I will be able to take samples of your powers to help the creation process and maybe even for some future projects of my own. It is obviously completely voluntary."
"How much will these 'samples' help?" Mark asked, beating Sarah to the punch by a split second.
"Well… honestly, that depends on what you want me to make," I admitted. "If you're looking to add a wildcard new ability to your repertoire… then any samples won't make much of a difference. However, if you're looking to maximize a strength or mitigate a weakness, then they could help quite a bit."
I spotted Eric's eyes lighting up when I mentioned mitigating a weakness, but he was the only one interested in that idea. If I remember correctly, Sarah, Crystal, and Eric all had the same powers, meaning they could conjure shields, cast blasts of light, and fly. Crystal could blast things harder and fly faster, but her shields were weak, while Eric's shields were much more formidable. However, his blasts and flight speed were significantly lower. Considering his age, it wasn't surprising that having weaker energy blasts and being slow would really get on his nerves.
The rest of the group was just very into the idea of suddenly having a new power or two. Thankfully, they were all open to donating samples, which ended in a small field trip outside, where the family could more easily show off their powers. I ended up taking samples of all of the shield barriers from the Pelhams, as well as their blaster abilities. On top of that, I also got a sample of Victoria's full body shield and a few very potent samples of Neils's electromagnetic field.
Unfortunately, there was no essence of flight among any of them, as none of them used any sort of thrust to fly. Their powers just seemed to move them as they wished. As far as I could tell, there was no sign of any force or field that allowed them to fly.
This would make granting Eric's request for faster flight a bit more complicated, but I was still confident. On the plus side, I was now very eager to add a second ritual layer to my overcoat and remake my staff.
Unfortunately, that was now on a long list of things to do, as I now had six more rituals to create and perform, which would probably take a few days. I was thinking of making my staff a high priority since I was really missing it already, and I would need as much power as I could scrounge together if I was going to be fending off or taking down the Empire.
When I was done getting samples from everyone, I did a quick health check on Mark. Mark's brain was doing much better, and his hormones were much more balanced and healthy. I cast another full body heal on him, just to fix a few minor things, which he thanked me for with a smile and handshake. He was still a quiet, understated man, but I got the feeling that was just his personality, not symptom.
I also checked up on Amy as well. She was doing much better as well, clearly getting much more sleep, though her body was still showing some signs of stress. The only sign of her previous poor health was the slight damage to her lungs, done from smoking. I had managed to heal most of it, but some scarring and staining remained.
I would have to work on that in the future, maybe see if I couldn't find some way to fix that.
With two new clean bills of health for the two people Panacea couldn't heal on her own, I finally left the Dallon house behind. The first New Wave patrol would be tomorrow, which just left tonight on my shoulders.
"Not like I was gonna get much sleep tonight with the new cycle kicking in," I said, Alya pulling in close around me as I talked. "How are you doing? Anything you noticed while I was busy?"
"Nothing really of note," She responded. "Streets around the house were quiet. This neighborhood is significantly cleaner than most parts of the city."
"That's how it usually works," I said with a frown. "Money gets more attention. Can't blame people like the Pelham's, though. They actually try to help, and you can't hate them for wanting to live in a peaceful neighborhood."
She seemed to understand, and after a few moments she spread herself back out around me, watching over a much larger area. I guided Troy through the streets, picking up a bit of speed as I headed for ABB territory. I would patrol until the sun went down and for a while after before retreating back to the compound.
I wanted to be home and safe while I tried to figure out what I was going to invest my points
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Clearly you should put all your points into Bartering. /SAO Abridged joke
Let's see, you've got Healing (big deal), offense, durability and some mobility plus crafting. I'd say something to give some Thinker powers (divination?) or more mobility (improved teleportation effects). Distant third option is a vague 'power manipulation' thing to better manipulate whatever the arcane/Shard interaction is (letting you shut down Hookwolf mid-rampage, for example)
Here's a question; if you shut off a flyer's power mid-flight (unknowingly) in a cape battle, is that murder, manslaughter or just how the cookie crumbles?
Depends on how you want to assign blame. The criminal's responsible for any consequences of their actions anyways so unless it's deliberately malicious by the power nullifier it's just getting pinned on the criminal/villain anyways.