Brockton's Celestial Forge (Worm/Jumpchain)

Glad to see that this chapter finally arrived and I hope everyone enjoys it. We got the insights that Lord promised with the exploration of what it means to be on a rapid response team, which is why he had chosen this perspective in the first place, and it was very meaningful.

I'm a bit disappointed the interlude cut off where it did though, knowing what the Protectorates full declassified debriefing is would be interesting because RCB would have to decide to reveal shardspace. Miss Milita reported shardspace years ago and it was given a case number but the report was classified, so no one knows about it, but here Joe's ability to scan their shards for data is tacticaly relevant which would be a big reveal.

The final point I wanted to make was that this was a good reminder of an old post about the unseen threats in the Parahuman series. The guild regularly takes down nascent A and S class threats preventing Enchida situations, they just don't do a PR blast about it like the PRT do. There are dozens, maybe hundreds of incredibly dangerous parahuman that have been either birdcages or killed by PRT and Guild teams before the story's start and Taylor would have never heard of any of it, it's really cool to think about and this interlude reminded me of that, bravo!
 
Proud of her position as head of the Los Angeles Wards team. Well, head of the second team, but still, he was proud of everything she'd done to earn that role.

Mind you, since it goes by seniority that basically means she survived, but still good!


Attempts to avoid that led to all kinds of delays and shuffling in order to obscure things as much as possible. Which meant a lot of Wards missed out on a normal high school graduation, and normal start to college.

It is worth pointing out that a "Gap Year" is sufficiently popular in the US that it's probably the easiest way to cover transfers.


he was blessed with a body type naturally compatible with stuffed toy technology.

"Cutting edge stuffed toy technology!"

"..."

"Okay, soft, squishy edge stuffed toy technology."
 
"Cutting edge stuffed toy technology!"

"..."

"Okay, soft, squishy edge stuffed toy technology."
I can already imagine what kind of stuffed toys he gets, not gonna lie. Probably even one of those cutesy character pillows, especially since he's branded as a family friendly hero.

God help whatever PR manager is in charge of his daughter's merch though. After all, while he can't threaten the internet with a shotgun, one man can easily be.
 
Miss Milita reported shardspace years ago and it was given a case number but the report was classified, so no one knows about it, but here Joe's ability to scan their shards for data is tacticaly relevant which would be a big reveal.
Miss Militia saw (and remembered) the entities in her trigger event, but I don't think she saw shardspace unless you're referring to something I missed.
 
I like Ben. He seems actual Hero material. Lots of neat tidbits here and there. So Crisis teams are around 8+ strong huh. That could cover a decent amount.

Lots of nice character interaction. Ben seems like the person Joe would like to be if he wasn't who he was. And Charley is apparently thick with 2 C's. Heh. Alexandria seem's to run a decently tight ship. Even if there is some bad apples.
 
He'd never gotten national recognition, but his merchandise did alright in L.A. and through parts of California. That Chubster plush toy had been a surprisingly big seller, probably because he was blessed with a body type naturally compatible with stuffed toy technology.
Never knew I needed the existence of Chubster plushies until now.

So you mean to tell me that there's a chance that someone out there has a Chubster fumo plushie?

Chubster fumo
Chubster fumo


Foretold by the ancient prophecies!
 
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Anyways, it's interesting to note just how Joe's anti precog effect has led to that response. I wonder though if they're considering the possibility that he's spoofing them, and what they might do in such a scenario. It's still the same caution in the end after all.
It's important to note that the power mentioned was something more like threat assessment rather than precognition. Still predictive modeling, anticipating levels of conflict, but not future sight. In that case, it probably ran into Item Construction A++ rather than Blank.
 
Yoohooo, Chubster, Hell Yeah!

Nice father and daughter dynamic. Ben's planed crusade on the internet is hilarious. And the whole section of deliberation on leaving the critical response team just feels like foreshadowing of what happened in canon's Levi fight. Well, at least it wouldn't happen here. Right?
"March." She spat. "I swear, the effect spread further than it had any right to. I was getting junk results on matters that had almost nothing to do with her case."

That.... can't be right. There is something more to it. Or am I paranoid?

"Blue?" He said in surprise.

"I know." She answered in the same tone. "Closest people to him are almost no threat. Not cyan, so will probably respond if provoked, but not going to cause trouble on their own."
Oooo, first time seeing King Kong Titanium's anti-scrying mechanisms from thinker. But really, when people that do not have absolute assurance in thinkers would see that in response to an entire team of Apeiron-tier capes thinker's powers says: "No danger, just don't touch them" - wouldn't they just scream: "That just like March all over again!"? It seems thinkers are in for lose of reputation with this many blind spots.

"Sunstreak. Breakout." He noted the two capes as they swooped towards the roof or the building. "And looks like Sideswipe."
These names... I don't know what it is, but I feel like there's more to them than meets the eye.

"What I am about to present in level-four confidential, but it contains our full understanding of Apeiron, and the policies the Protectorate will be following going forward." She paused, looking across their faces, then nodded. "Let's begin."
That's a cliffhanger. Another one for the "Lord do be loving his cliffhangers" collection.

All around great chapter!
 
Sigh... I really wanted to see what they had on Apeiron, unfortunately I think the next chapter is gonna go back to Apeiron's point of view, so we won't know. :(
 
It hadn't actually taken fifteen minutes. That was the estimated time it would have taken to achieve victory at the rate he was moving. Once the results were clear Alexandria tapped out with grace, and Chubster got the story of a lifetime.

The next day she had spoken to him about the critical situation roster. In a way, his entire career had grown from that match.
Anyone else immediately think she lost on purpose to manipulate him into joining the danger squad?
 
Alexandria: contessa! Play darude sandstrom! No i mean path apeiron!
Contessa: *bluescreens* no such person exists *starts playing darude sandstorm*
Alexandria: why does that keep happening to thinkers trying to model him?


Ziz: in space no one can hear you play stupid songs
 
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