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Brockton's Celestial Forge (Worm/Jumpchain)

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About an hour or so till Chubster Time! I am so stoked!

At first I didn't give a damn about this meme, but last chapter had a lot of charm to it and I can't deny I am curious about what the PRT/Protectorate thinks they know, so this has grown on me.
 
A little random but it was on my mind, I actually am not sure if Joe could defeat full powered Eidolon. In the Eidolon interlude when he was fighting Scion and when he learned to recharge his power, he said he ALMOST felt like his old self and was ALMOST back at full power. Which means that when Eidolon was literally pulling extremely bullshit powers like shoving half of someone into other dimensions, which would have killed literally anyone but Scion, he wasn't even at full power. We also know he can control time, he has done that before. Is real full powered Eidolon just Scion? I mean, he could probably pull a defence power that makes him nearly unkillable, sort of like his combat precognition and reactive teleporting defence or turning into a cloud of energy, and then he could just throw mountains at people lol. Or maybe he can access a stilling like power, while continuously draining the more dangerous parahuman's shards. In a theoretical scenario, assuming Eidolon was actually using his full potential and was using thinker, master and stranger powers and was actually giving it his full effort unlike Scion, could Eidolon actually wipe out everyone in a theoretical Green Morning? Also, when he was fighting Scion he was pretty much getting powers he wanted, so he doesn't get totally random powers. It seems to me that only happened when he was weakened so that his shard can conserve energy, and even then he still had quite a bit of choice over what powers he got.
 
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RogerDodger123 said:
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If we're going based on current Joe, it might be difficult, but I could see him doing it with OCP powers like Psi (If he ever actually dug into them). If we're talking full Forge Joe, at that point nothing Eidolon could do would actually be able to so much as annoy Joe because of Red Matter armour. On top of that, full Forge Joe would have access to all the available Psi abilities in the Forge, one of which should have some amount of precog (I think).

On the other question, of Eidolon being Green Scion, I dunno. Maybe, maybe not.
 
Crake said:
Joe should just nation build. Hold referendums and let people choose their own governance, and then just casually expose any corruption through the very systems they utilize.
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That's not how Joe should nation build. Joe should build a nation by hand so that it gets the benefits of his perks. He can and should take the name of "Build Rome" literally.
 
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Stelarwand030 said:
What is this? Can i get a link to the cyoa?
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It's from the Minecraft Modded Jump, the perk is called Equivalent Exchange, which would give Joe the ability to make Fiat-backed indestructible armour. Since Fashion extends all armour properties to the person's entire body, said indestructability will extend to all of Joe, meaning any and every attack based around dealing damage is rendered null and void.
 
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65.3 Interlude Chubster
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    • (Author's note: Fair warning, once again I ran out of writing time. While I managed a longer chapter, I wasn't able to finish what I had planned for this interlude. As such, we will have the conclusion of the chapter next week, regrettably another sudden cliffhanger at the end of this chapter.)

    65.3 Interlude Chubster

    Chubster sat with the rest of the Los Angeles critical situation roster, waiting with bated breath as Alexandria readied the presentation. In an example of her usual professionalism, she launched into the briefing with smooth confidence and minimal delay.

    Protectorate headquarters had no shortage of tinker equipment, even for mundane applications. The screen that sprang to life behind her was an example of that. He wondered which tinker was responsible for design and maintenance of the meeting room AV equipment so they could get a slightly better effect than what you would see from a standard digital projector.

    "For those of you who have not been kept apprised of things on the other side of the country, we will begin with an overview of events in the sequence the local office became aware of them." She began. Ben nodded. He doubted there was anyone in the room completely ignorant of the happenings in Brockton Bay, but it was easy to miss the complete picture just going off of Protectorate gossip and news reports.

    "The first confirmed appearance of Apeiron occurred on Thursday, April 14th, when he made contact with Amy Dallon, also known as Panacea, a member of New Wave, an independent hero team operating in Brockton Bay." Alexandria continued.

    A picture of the girl appeared on the screen behind her, both in her costume and civilian wear. Ben remembered the New Wave movement. There had been a major push for accountability in heroes following their unmasking. Their leader, Lady Photon, even did a national interview circuit promoting the movement. There was talk about other capes following their lead and operating with public identities, even some support from PRT directors.

    He never seriously considered it. Of course, that was before Charley had triggered, but he imagined it was easier for that kind of arrangement if your entire family was in costume. He wouldn't have even suggested subjecting Karen to the fallout from making his identity public, not that there was much prestige to be had from it in the first place. Even capes who wouldn't have placed a burden on their families were reluctant to follow suit, and for good reason.

    He didn't remember the exact details, but one of the members of New Wave had been killed out of costume. After that the movement pretty much died. It was hard to push for a cause when the primary concern about what could happen did happen. He hadn't heard much about New Wave since then, but they had seemingly settled into the landscape of Brockton Bay following the collapse of their movement.

    "Panacea was present during the robbery of Brockton Bay Central Bank by the Undersiders, though was in civilian wear and was not identified for the majority of the confrontation. The Undersiders were opposed by a team of local Wards: Aegis, Gallant, Clockblocker, Vista, Kid Win, and Browbeat. Panacea's sister, Glory Girl, was also present at the conflict." The screen shifted to show profiles of the five capes. "This incident also serves as the first appearance of the cape eventually known as Lady Khepri. During his conversation with Panacea, Apeiron admitted to supplying the Undersiders with the weapons demonstrated in their conflict against the local Wards. Fortunately, they were used sparingly."

    The screen shifted again to show a set of pictures of a wrecked suit of power armor. They had the characteristics of evidence photos, probably taken after the robbery. Closeups showed where the tinker alloy had been sliced apart like butter. There was a sharp contrast with what looked like the aftereffect of a rotary saw.

    "Gallant's armor was severely damaged by one of the knives Apeiron provided. The damage immobilized the armor, requiring the material to be cut away to extract him. Fortunately, Gallant only suffered superficial injuries. Others were not so fortunate." She explained as the screen shifted to a wrist x-ray. Ben saw a few of the other heroes wince at the state of the bones on display. It was a bad break, a compound fracture that would make healing complicated.

    "Panacea engaged Lady Khepri inside the bank. Lady Khepri had been provided with a more advanced knife and baton. This injury was sustained when the baton struck a fire extinguisher that Panacea was using to defend herself."

    Ben could only picture how bad the hostage situation must have gotten if the girl felt the need to step in. There were more than a few aspects of that conflict that didn't sit right with him, not the least of which was sending a team of Wards into an active hostage situation. Of course, those concerns had fallen out of focus in the aftermath of the incident, thanks to the footage the screen had shifted to.

    "The capabilities of Khepri's improved knife have been heavily publicized. While its exact properties remain unknown, there is some aspect of speed enhancement and superior penetrative power tied to the weapon." She spoke in a level voice as a loop of Aegis's dismemberment played in the background.

    Ben had seen worse, but given the kind of missions he had been on, that was cold comfort. To his knowledge the incident hadn't been rebroadcast in its entirety since the first live report. Only people who specifically sought it out would see the boy getting sliced apart. Ben had never bothered. Second hand accounts had been more than enough for him.

    Alexandria wasn't kidding about the speed enhancement. The blade moved too quickly for the television cameras to catch anything more than a blur. The attack had been non-lethal only by the strictest definition and had raised concerns about the kind of that damage regenerators and high-durability Wards were expected to withstand in the field of duty.

    Probably the worst part was the way the boy's torso had stayed floating in the air as the rest of his limbs had dropped off. The fact that he was apparently still functional after an attack like that spoke to a level of resilience that was extraordinary, but had understandably not been explored further.

    Glancing around it was possible to gauge the level experience of the members of the team by their reactions. Horror, disgust, or just tired resignation. Sideswipe was looking slightly green and had diverted his eyes from the screen. In contrast Sunstreak and Breakout watched completely impassively, though knowing them, that was probably the result of another pissing match between the capes, each determined not to show any discomfort.

    The rest of the reactions ran the gamut with various levels of control. Only Máscaras allowed his anger at the situation to be openly displayed, though the man always wore his heart on his sleeve. Turning back, he noticed Alexandria's eyes as they tracked every response from the team, including his noting of her noting their responses.

    The public generally overlooked the strength of Alexandria's thinker powers, but anyone who had worked with her closely quickly became aware of just how much she noticed, how fast she processed information, and how pointless it was to attempt to keep things from her. He leaned back into his seat, deliberately relaxing. He knew that she knew that he knew she knew he was watching the team's reactions. It was the kind of recursion that could drive a person insane. Fortunately, he'd learned to go with the flow early in his career. People who tried to measure themselves against the Triumvirate or launch into petty competitiveness were prone to burnout and failure. It was better to focus on your own skills and commit to doing the best you could within your own area of expertise.

    And the slightest movement of Alexandria's eyes informed him that she had picked up on that line of thinking, and that she wanted him to know that she had picked up on it. Working with high level thinkers was always a head-trip, the kind of thing you needed the right mindset to endure.

    "Following this incident, media control measures were put in place to limited effect and the local Protectorate was placed on high alert." She explained. Understandable, given what had happened, but Ben knew it was mostly for show. A public disaster like that would have haunted any department for years. In a grim way you could say the Brockton Bay PRT was 'lucky' that the incident had been so thoroughly overshadowed. "Despite her injuries, Panacea was able to treat the Wards, allowing Aegis to make a full recovery."

    Which either spoke very highly of her own abilities, or the boy's regeneration. Really, Ben couldn't even imagine having to deal with a Ward like that. Redundant Biology, meaning the ability to keep fighting through injury. Meaning injuries were expected in the line of duty. Without the durability that characterized most brutes, it was practically an invitation for every opponent to go as hard as possible. Everyone focused on the dramatic finish, overlooking the fact that he had been repeatedly mauled by giant dogs over the course of the fight. With people looking into his past deployments, it was little wonder they were keen to transfer him out of the city.

    "While departing the PRT hospital Panacea was approached by Apeiron. There were no witnesses to their interaction, but a transcript of Panacea's debrief is available for your review." Meaning it would be expected mandatory reading. "Immediately after identifying himself, Apeiron deployed an example of what have become known as his 'pouch items'. Small, self-contained devices, apparently single use, capable of a variety of effects. The device in question induced a restorative effect on Panacea, completely eliminating all traces of her injuries."

    The screen changed again, this time showing another x-ray alongside the first one that had been displayed. Alexandria hadn't been understating things. From the look of things there wasn't even a trace of the injury. It had either been erased or healed so perfectly that there was no hint it had ever been broken.

    "During the ensuing discussion Apeiron admitted to selling the Undersiders the weapons used during the attack on Brockton Bay Central Bank. He also claimed to have met the group during a confrontation with Oni Lee, a teleporting duplicator associated with the ABB. His stated justification for the transaction was securing funds and resources for planned actions against the ABB."

    The idea of Apeiron's resources was something of a joke, at least it was at this point. The technology and equipment the man deployed defied belief and seemed to spring from some unknown infinite source. The idea that he had needed seed funds at any point was laughable. But then again, so was his growth rate. Everything had to start from something, and there was no reason to believe his resource curve would be any less insane than his technical development.

    "Apeiron was confident in the need for such action due to insight from a claimed thinker power. Full details of his claims are available in the provided transcript, but specific examples included atypical insight into the nature of parahuman triggers, accusations of infidelity within New Wave that were later confirmed, a level of acute intuition regarding Panacea's biological father, and specific concerns regarding the leadership of the Protectorate East North East and the Brockton Bay PRT."

    The emphasis on 'thinker claims' was interesting. Normally there wouldn't be this level of vetting, but normally you weren't looking at the number of powers that Apeiron had displayed. There were plenty of tinkers who tried to pass off their work as a natural parahuman ability, and plenty of other capes who attempted to obscure their powerset as much as possible.

    "The full details of the case were not included in the circulated transcript and related documents for security reasons. With respect to Apeiron's claims about Panacea's biological father, he claimed to have insight that the man was a powerful cape with a firm code who had a serious confrontation with Panacea's adoptive family."

    The screen changes to show a newspaper headline outlining a clash between Marquis and the local Protectorate. The article had a picture of a man in a bone mask launching white spikes from his arms towards the opposing heroes.

    "Panacea is the biological daughter of Marquis, a major villain active in Brockton Bay until his capture by New Wave, at that point known as the Brockton Bay Brigade, ten years ago. Marquis had a strict policy against harming women and children, one that he maintained even when challenged during an attack by the Slaughterhouse Nine."

    The article changes to a second headline announcing Marquis capture, including a shot of him being taken into custody with a quote outlining his commitment to the Birdcage.

    "He was captured following an out-of-costume confrontation with the Brockton Bay Brigade in his civilian home. On his request, Panacea was adopted by Brandish and Flashbang, with her parentage concealed, both from her and the public, to protect her from stigma or reprisals."

    The daughter of a villain ended up becoming a healer. He knew from experience there was usually another level to 'healing' powers and wondered if she was restraining herself in some way. If she suspected and was trying to somehow make up for her family connections he could see something like that happening. She was likely old enough to remember something, if not the full details of what was happening. Probably just enough to be concerned about the situation.

    "The local PRT office helped facilitate the custody agreement and concealed the details. While it is possible that this information could have been acquired by secondary sources, combined with Apeiron's other claims and future actions, there is heavy credibility for the authenticity of his thinker power."

    The screen shifted to display pictures of Armsmaster and Director Piggot. Ben noted the director's pallor and weight. He was the last person who would criticize someone about their body, but that did not look like healthy weight, as much as that was possible. It had the signs of stress and health issues attached to it.

    "Apeiron claimed his power warned him against approaching the local Protectorate. He cited likely personality conflicts with Armsmaster, the leader of the Protectorate East North East. While Armsmaster had maintained an excellent record in the operation of his branch, he is, in his own admission, demanding and inflexible on certain issues."

    The screen switched entirely to focus on the Director, and the close up didn't do her any favors.

    "Claims made against Director Piggot of the Brockton Bay PRT were significantly more severe. They included mental instability, past trauma, and a dislike of capes in general."

    That was an exceptionally strong claim to make against a Director, and a bad start if he wanted to work with the authorities. But if he was justifying his decisions after the fact, and wasn't the kind of person inclined to play politics it could make a kind of sense.

    The screen shifted again to show a young, attractive blond woman dressed in PRT response gear. It took him a moment to connect the image on the screen to the sullen faced director displayed before.

    "This information is level-three confidential. Prior to her appointment as director of the Brockton Bay PRT division Emily Piggot was a decorated officer within the PRT deployment forces."

    From trooper to PRT director. That career path wasn't unheard of, but former troopers handle their divisions very differently from people who came up through more civilian roles. Ben would have expected her to be assigned to a division in a more openly hostile region. Containment work, quarantine sites, or a HOSV location.

    "In 2001, Emily Piggot was part of the forces deployed to Ellisburg, New York, in response to the actions of the cape now known as Nilbog."

    The name made him tense as images came flashing into his mind. It had been early in his time on the roster, one of his first serious deployments, and they didn't come much more serious than that. It was a madhouse from the moment he arrived. He never even made it into the town. Just skirted the edge, literally dragging his feet to maintain his durability as bone shards and biological napalm rained around him.

    He glanced over at Hillmover, the only other member of the team who had been at Ellisburg. The rest had transferred off, or… weren't on the team anymore. Hillmover had been deployed further in, but never talked about what he had seen. Honestly, at this point the man barely talked at all. Everyone dealt with things in their own way. There was no response to his look, so he shifted his gaze back to the front of the room as Alexandria continued.

    "She was one of only two non-parahuman survivors of the incident, though her injuries left her incapable of resuming field operation. In recognition of her service, she was promoted and assigned to Brockton Bay. Once again, it is possible this information could have been acquired through alternate channels, but given the admitted inaccuracy and manner in which it was presented, it is likely that Apeiron's thinker power is legitimate and operates in the manner he claimed. Yes, Burnout?"

    That was the result of Alexandria's ability to read body language. She could tell when people had questions, and when they were serious enough to be worth pausing the meeting. No Q&A periods in any of her presentations, or people getting distracted waiting to ask a question. It was the kind of thing only possible from actively managing the meeting on a level most people couldn't manage.

    Burnout shifted in her seat and leaned forward. "Why is there so much focus on verifying the claims of Apeiron's thinker power? Shouldn't that be evident by now?"

    Alexandria nodded and turned to the screen. "By now, yes, but that neatly brings us to our next point. Following the debrief of Panacea a number of conflicting theories were put forward. The management of the situation was less than ideal, though somewhat understandable given the other recent events that were being contended with."

    Ben could recognize when Alexandria was being diplomatic. It was definitely not a good time to be in any leadership position in Brockton Bay.

    "Due to the deployment of an unapproved emotional assessment system during Panacea's interrogation…"

    Interrogation. She was using stronger language than before.

    "…concerns were raised regarding potential mental influence. When called in to verify the accusations made regarding New Wave, Brandish approved extensive Master/Stranger screening for Panacea, and then departed to address domestic concerns."

    Ben tensed. Dealing with family and team matters was understandable, but leaving a child to Master screening with no support didn't sit right with him. At the very least, someone should have been there.

    "Further tests identified erroneous emotional responses with refusal to provide explanations, and the suggestion of an artificial origin for the behavior. Containment procedures were enacted and the possibility of a master rating being assigned to Apeiron was considered."

    He took a moment to reflect on what that would mean. Possibly a political move against Apeiron by taking advantage of existing policies. The situation was also concerning for Panacea. It might actually indicate a mastering, or it might not. In that case, it would take a very bad state to give that false positive, more than what the incident at the bank could explain.

    The screen shifted again, this time showing an ornate hairpin with a shimmering rainbow sheen, decorated with meticulously sculpted flowers of the same metal.

    "During his interaction with Panacea, Apeiron provided this item as evidence of his identity. Examination confirmed a metal composition consistent with samples recovered from one of the damaged knives, including identical supporting effects."

    She nodded to head off a question from Máscaras.

    "Evidence of parahuman abilities was found when examining the remains of Apeiron's work. It is currently believed that supporting powers allow expanded material use, but initial theories favored the possibility of projection or matter generation."

    "The item in question was flagged for potential mesmeric effects by Sebastian Slight, a PRT lab technician. While the reported intensity was not present in any subsequent tests, there was the accepted possibility of induced emotional response, potentially from a diminished version of some initial effect."

    Or, Ben thought, it was very pretty and people felt things because of that. Not everything needed to be a sign of conspiracy.

    "Given concerns of master interference, the full interaction was evaluated with an increased level of scrutiny. The possibility that Apeiron was acting to divert or manipulate the local office was raised and procedures were put in place to mitigate any such effect. Additional concerns were raised due to his association with the thinker Tattletale. Accounts of her actions during the bank robbery substantially expanded estimations of her abilities. When coupled with the potential of a coordinated intelligence attack with Apeiron her rating was provisionally raised to Thinker 8, with specific countermeasures enacted."

    Ben noted that there was no account of preparation for the ABB attack. They had received advanced warning and taken no action. It was likely they thought they were being diverted from a greater threat. It seemed to indicate a poor estimation of the ABB, something surprising for an established gang, but Bakuda was a new factor in the city, and was apparently overlooked.

    The screen switched to cycle through various news stories outlining Ward transfers and a planned benefit gala.

    "The local Protectorate remained focused on reorganization efforts and refining policies based on recent events."

    Which meant they were covering their asses and trying to distract from the numerous disasters that had hit them.

    "Apeiron did not make another appearance until the night of Saturday, April 16th, during the incident that has become known as the '4-16 North East Blackout', or less formally as the 'Cape Blackout'."

    There was a fine example of Protectorate damage control, working to keep a major incident from being directly associated with parahumans. Sure, cut off the power for a quarter of the country. That's the kind of thing that just happens on its own. No need to focus on the cape connection, or the Protectorate office that was warned about it but instead spent time horse trading Wards and planning charity parties.

    "A portion of the ABB had captured the Undersiders in retribution for earlier actions. The Undersiders had raided an ABB operated casino and engaged both Lung and Oni Lee prior to Lung's capture by Armsmaster. The impression seemed to be that their actions significantly contributed to allowing Armsmaster to incapacitate Lung, leaving them responsible for the incident."

    Alexandria's tone suggested that there was more to that story, but the details were skimmed over for the sake of presentation.

    "After suffering considerable losses Tattletale made a call to Apeiron, which was captured and broadcast due to the ABB's alliance with local villains Uber and Leet."

    The screen changed again, this time to a video from Uber and Leet Broadcast. It showed a blond girl in a purple jumpsuit panting into a cell phone.

    "Hey." She said. "You know that deal we set up? I'm going to have to call it in now."

    There was a pause as she caught her breath.

    "Well, we've run into a little..." A blast sounded from offscreen, raining debris on her. "Fuck it, there's no time to be cute. We're pinned down by the ABB. They jumped us when we were checking on the take from the bank. If you can't get here soon we're pretty much done for."

    There was another pause as the girl tried to make her way through the maze of storage lockers. "Bakuda's here. We're at the storage site past the train yard. She set a trap, turned the entire area into a damn arena for us. She's got Uber and Leet along with dozens of conscripted civilians. She put bombs in their heads to keep them loyal."

    The girl's breathing was labored, likely from injury as much as exhaustion. "Bakuda's put a contingency in place, a pacemaker or something like that. Her heart stops and every bomb she's made goes off, both the implanted ones and everything around the city. The ABB is too coordinated. They have someone guiding things from behind the scenes. New cape, probably a thinker. I can't get a reading on them. Bakuda's not doing random strikes. This is insanely well coordinated. Everything has been precisely timed. The blackout isn't just in the city. She's managed to knock out the entire region."

    There was a brief pause as she focused on the phone.

    "Our situation is fucked." She said in a bitter voice. "Bitch was taken out before we got here and they split us up. I think Khepri's still holding out but I'm pretty sure she got Grue and Regent. I don't know how long we can manage. They're basically toying with us right now. I've thrown them off, so I should be safe for the moment, but I have no idea how long that will..."

    An explosion knocked the girl to the ground and thankfully the video cut before it could get into any detail of what had happened next.

    "The full scope of the confrontation has been extensively documented, with details available for review at your convenience." Meaning more mandatory reading. "The primary points of note are the considerable expansion of Apeiron's capabilities from earlier appearances. If claims about the state of his resources are to be believed, then the demonstrated knives, healing, and pouch items would be the equivalent of introductory tinker projects for him."

    That would usually mean gear built from garbage and junk, constructed in bad conditions with no research or support. If you compared most tinkers' starting works to what was demonstrated by Apeiron it set a frightening precedent. One that mapped to his rate of power growth, but not in any comforting manner.

    "Of the technology and abilities displayed, items of particular note included greatly expanded 'pouch items', both in variety and strength of effect, a dedicated vehicle capable of autonomous operation, transformation, and flight, field fabrication of a unique design of drone, significant personal defenses, extremely advanced healing technology, and several large-scale weapons. Additionally, the presence of some form of aesthetic or coordination power is suggested by the nature of Apeiron's actions."

    A montage of the fight began to play on the screen. Ben had to note that the term 'large scale' badly undersold the effect of the earthquake weapon and the sword slash. The slash did seem to be a combination of his fabrication system and pouch items tech, so at least an effect that required some level of preparation.

    "Following Bakuda's retreat Apeiron remained to treat the conscripted civilians and remove their implanted explosives. This is the only example of successful removal of the devices without additional support from parahuman abilities."

    The screen shifted and Ben had to hold back his reaction. The attached report identified it as the after effects of a doctor attempting to remove an implanted bomb. They included the medical status of the physician and the damage report of the hospital room.

    "Following his departure from the site, Apeiron did not contact local authorities or issue any public statements regarding his actions or intentions, which left the investigation to local forces, resulting in it being conducted in less-than-ideal circumstances."

    Ben recognized that Alexandria was breezing past what had been a major, defining event. That was something of a theme with Apeiron. He would upset the board, then, just as people adjusted to the new layout, he did it all over again. It could potentially be intentional, but it was just as likely some result of his unprecedented growth in power and influence combined with authorities who weren't prepared for something like that. As if anyone could be.

    "With master policies still in place, PRT investigations were directed towards the individuals that had been treated by Apeiron. A confirmed report of one member of the conscripted forces executing an ABB lieutenant following an offer of assistance from Apeiron provided grounds for expansion of the protocols and containment of those potentially impacted."

    Reports and accounts from the survivors were displayed. Looking over things, it wasn't impossible to jump to an assumption of 'Master' given some of the responses and behavior on display, but could just as easily be explained by people fed up with their local heroes. The fact that it had gotten that bad was the most concerning thing. PRT and Protectorate public relations efforts seemed like they had been directed in the wrong place. Like they were only worried about national perception, not the view of the people they were actually protecting.

    "The situation was further complicated by the disappearance of Sebastian Slight and the removal of the item known as Persephone's Rainbow from PRT custody. Efforts to locate Mr. Slight have proven fruitless, and the item in question has not been publicly offered for sale at any accessible venue." She explained. "While it is possible this was a theft conducted for a private party, or even personal reasons, the combination of effects further served to expand restrictive procedures directed towards Apeiron."

    Really, that was the last thing the city needed. The Director had made her bed with her opening moves. Things might have been better if Apeiron wasn't tied to the disaster at the bank. An administration under fire couldn't afford to be lenient towards someone who made the weapon that dismembered a Ward in their own city. Building on those policies seemed to have backed them into a corner.

    "There was no contact with Apeiron until the following night. During the assault of the local Protectorate Headquarters by Oni Lee in an effort to free Lung, Weld assisted Protectorate leader Armsmaster against both villains." There was a pause as the screen shifted from pictures of the cape in question to a breakdown of the headquarters. A converted oil rig, sheathed in forcefields and floating over the bay. "Armsmaster was injured from an attack on his workshop, with a concussion that may have compromised his judgment at the time. He engaged a combined force of Lung and Oni Lee with damaged equipment and the support of a single Ward."

    The screen began to show footage from the fight in question. Oni Lee's movements were extraordinarily coordinated and he could see Lung getting more powerful as the conflict progressed. Things quickly turned against the heroes, with Armsmaster knocked down and Lung closing in. Weld dove in and took the hit, but the impact knocked him into the bay.

    He didn't get back out.

    "Weld's Case 53 biology negates the need for air, but his body's density makes swimming impossible. After being knocked into the bay he sank to the seafloor and was left to attempt to navigate back to land."

    In the middle of the night, in pitch black water. Ben didn't even like thinking about what it must have been like.

    "Furthermore, Weld automatically merges with any metal objects he comes into direct contact with. Given the amount of debris that can be found in an urban harbor, he was understandably impeded fairly quickly."

    Ben nodded. It was more of the trials faced by Case 53s. Weld looked normal, but, like most of the Case 53s Ben had personally met or worked with, he had a personal list of challenges he had been dealing with.

    "The aftermath of the attacks, combined with logistical issues created by the regional blackout, prevented recovery efforts from being launched the following day. Dive teams were being arranged for first light on the morning of April 18th, and Weld's status was concealed from the public."

    Ben could see where this was going, and why so much effort needed to be spent vetting Apeiron's potential thinker power against inside intelligence gained from secured Protectorate records.

    "Apeiron was able to independently locate Weld on the sea floor. He exhibited a new device capable of holding back the ocean water through an unknown method."

    That was a serious feat. Water was heavy. Even just at the bottom of a bay rather than deeper ocean, it would take a lot of force to hold it back. 'Unknown' suggested it was something other than a forcefield, and even forcefields would be stressed in that kind of situation.

    "According to Weld, Apeiron freed him from the ocean debris in which he had become entangled. In response to evident distress at the situation, Apeiron offered Weld time to collect himself and apparently fabricated a seating area with dedicated lighting fixtures. The tone of reported conversation stands in sharp contrast with Apeiron's previous appearance. Given the evidence of supporting abilities that influence his appearance, concerns were raised regarding tailored approaches to situations and high-level manipulation of events."

    Or he was just acting differently in front of the cameras. Ben was completely different when playing up his Chubster role at Protectorate events or minor fights with conventional villains, especially compared to when he was on S-class response missions.

    "During the course of their discussion Apeiron raised the master concerns that had been levied against him. His knowledge of the policies put in place exceeded what was available through public sources, though his method of acquiring this information isn't clear. Tattletale has demonstrated insight into PRT and Protectorate operations and policy, so presents herself as a likely source. An evaluation of information security at the Brockton Bay branch of the PRT is overdue at this point, but unlikely to be effectively conducted while the current situations persist."

    And another vital point that was getting delayed thanks to mounting issues. At least if they were aware of leaks they could take additional steps to contain truly vital information, even if that would impair their own forces to some extent.

    "Apeiron expressed concerns regarding his current legal status. While discussing his case with Weld he presented the theory that Panacea had been subjected to a master effect due to extended exposure to her sister's emotion modifying aura."

    Barely contained reactions spiked from everyone in the room. Persistent emotional manipulation was a massive red flag. Ben had concerns about the initial vetting of the girl's power and why the situation wasn't looked into sooner.

    Concerns that had probably been shared by everyone who looked at the case. There was nothing he or anyone else in the group could bring up that wouldn't already be looked into.

    "According to Weld's account, when questioned about the validity of that claim Apeiron reacted strongly regarding the subjects of master effects and mental influences, taking particular offense at the suggestion that he would be the source of such an effect or that it could be overlooked in Panacea's case." She looked over the assembled capes, seeing them put the pieces together. "When questioned about his personal experience with such effects Apeiron declined to elaborate, but made it clear he held strong positions on the matter."

    That was interesting, and concerning. Really it was probably the best they could hope for. A crusader against mental manipulation was one of the better possibilities for personal convictions. It did suggest something in the man's past was deeply troubling. What it meant, what it could mean, and what else could be waiting there were all unknowns.

    There was also the question of Apeiron's trigger event. He had a chaotic mess of powers that were growing faster than should be possible. Only model that fit was mad scientist, and that only brought more concerns. There was a level of irony with him being accused of the effect that he held such strong convictions on. No wonder Apeiron didn't reach out to the PRT.

    "Regardless, Apeiron's contact with Weld provided the first positive interaction with a Protectorate asset. This was further improved when, following his reluctance to reach out to local authorities, Weld convinced Apeiron to speak with Director Armstrong of the Boston PRT."

    It was a good step, and showed he was not completely hostile. Unless he actually was playing them, but you could get caught in that rabbit hole forever when it came to thinkers.

    "The most significant development occurred when Weld was able to contract Apeiron to heal the injuries he had sustained during his time in the bay."

    Contract. The word jumped out to him and most of the rest of the team. For anything dealing with Apeiron that was a big, big deal.

    "Apeiron came to collect Weld of his own volition, while also claiming his thinker power informed him that allowing Weld to remain isolated in the bay would be highly detrimental. Given Weld's adverse reaction to sensory deprivation, this provides additional evidence in support of the power working as presented. Despite this, Apeiron did insist on payment for his healing services, in compliance with his previous practices. Weld agreed to provide a tissue sample for Apeiron's analysis."

    Sounds of concern and outrage leaked from members of the group, particularly Máscaras. A gesture from Alexandria caused them to restrain themselves.

    "While this may seem extreme, Weld's shapeshifting abilities and the limitations of his anatomy with respect to metal absorption have resulted in him needing to separate from portions of his body on a regular basis. There is a secondary market for such samples amongst cape memorabilia collectors."

    The screen shifted to show online listings from auction sites. Various pieces of smooth metal were displayed, sometimes half merged with chain links, fence poles, or parts of railing. A few of them were even autographed.

    "While volunteering such a sample to an unvetted cape is a contentious act, it was deemed appropriate under the circumstances, and Apeiron considered it adequate payment for his services."

    It was good that Weld was able to be healed, but he could sense there was more to this story. It wasn't so much Alexandria failing to conceal something as it was her carefully setting the stage for her presentation. Leading people through the discussion with a careful hand. Once you got past concerns of how manipulative it could be, it was actually quite useful for managing the tone of presentations.

    The screen changed again, showing a clip from Apeiron's clash with Uber and Leet at the storage yard, immediately after the attack that had left Apeiron in a bloody and tattered heap.

    "Apeiron deployed the same healing effect that was seen facilitating his recovery following injuries sustained at the hands of Leet's spatial weapon." On screen blue lines spread across Apeiron's body, closing his wounds with remarkable speed. "Additionally, he claimed to have four distinct healing technologies available to him."

    There was an odd emphasis on that, more than would be warranted for such a claim. Sure, the idea of having multiple independent healing methods was a bit ridiculous, but Apeiron was more than just 'a bit' ridiculous. No, there was something more to that, but it would likely have to wait for later in the presentation.

    "The healing effect was able to restore portions of Weld's body that had been shed to separate from ocean debris and remove smaller objects that remained embedded after Apeiron had retrieved him from a large piece of wreckage." There was a pause before Alexandria continued. The entire group leaned in. Even those who hadn't worked with her for long understood the significance of what must be coming.

    "Following his treatment, Apeiron apologized to Weld, stating that he wasn't sure that he could fix him." She nodded towards the table. "Yes, Arbiter?"

    The woman in the golden mask covered her surprise admirably. She had worked under Alexandria from the time she was a Ward and was used to having her actions anticipated.

    "Yes, I'm sorry, but was there some problem with Weld's recovery, or Apeiron's healing technology?" That was a frightening thought, given how widely it had been applied. "From your description, I had the impression that Weld had fully recovered."

    "Weld had fully recovered. By his own account, he was in perfect health, or at least what could be characterized as such for his anatomy." Alexandria explained.

    Pieces started to fall into place. Probably because Alexandria has set them up that way. Normally that kind of pageantry, concealing details, baiting out questions, would have been frustrating. Not the kind of thing she would have done. But if he was right, if this was headed the way he thought it was, then it made sense why she was taking such a light touch.

    He glanced out of the corner of his eye, watching as the penny began to drop across the room. Sunstreak was already there, and Breakout seemed to have put things together at the same time as him. He couldn't read Arbiter through her costume, but picked up on Usher and Burnout putting things together. Hillmover gave no clue as to whether he had figured out where Alexandria was going, and Sideswipe looked genuinely confused. Máscaras was the last one to put things together, as obvious as ever as his eyes widened and he swore under his breath. Sideswipe just looked even more perplexed by the display.

    "Apeiron informed Weld that he would likely be unable to completely treat Weld's Case 53 mutations." The words were carefully chosen, and for good reason. Chubster could only imagine how strictly they had worked to contain this information. Just the hint, someone opening the possibility of treatment, could cause mayhem. And Alexandria wasn't done yet.

    "At Weld's insistence Apeiron attempted to treat the aspects of Weld's 'condition' that he could. He informed Weld that the healing method he was using was specifically developed to correct mutations and physical alterations, but had difficulty correcting effects that were due to expressions of parahuman abilities. Regardless, he went forward with an attempt to treat Weld's condition."

    And obviously failed. Or at least was less than completely successful. But just being able to make the attempt, and doing it without the support of a lab or any dedicated equipment. Apeiron had seriously attempted to address one of the most impossible medical mysteries on the planet at the bottom of the ocean in the wake of friendly chat.

    "Apeiron was not able to completely reverse Weld's Case 53 condition." There was emphasis on the word 'completely'.

    The screen behind her shifted, showing two pictures of Weld. Both were medical photos, taken in controlled lighting with a hospital environment as the background. The difference was obvious. In the first picture Weld's skin had a mirror sheen. In the second it was duller. Still with a slight shine, but not the 'liquid metal' texture it held before. Closer to brushed steel.

    "Following Apeiron's treatment Weld noted massive improvements in tactile sensitivity as well as smell and taste. All three senses had previously been severely impaired. While not at the level of a typical person, Weld reported a massive improvement in all areas. Taste and smell had been practically non-existent prior to treatment, but were now functioning at a rudimentary level."

    Ben leaned back in his seat. That was huge. Beyond huge. The things Case 53s dealt with were beyond the pale. The difference that even a minor improvement would make… With Weld, most people probably weren't even aware of what he had been dealing with on a daily basis, or how much the improvement would mean to him.

    "Even more significantly, Weld has demonstrated improved speed, detail, and control of his shapeshifting." A video in the same medical environment showed the boy's hands shifting smoothly between various shapes. Usually blades, batons, or hammers, but that was a consequence of cape work. "Additionally, Weld's body had previously attached to metal surfaces on contact. Following his treatment, Weld was able to introduce a delay of approximately a quarter of a second before absorption took place."

    Control. Control of automatic expressions of Case 53 powers. Even if Apeiron couldn't completely cure their conditions, even if his treatments weren't permanent, every Case 53 in the country would be trying to get to Brockton Bay.

    Gully's departure suddenly made a lot more sense. Ben wondered how Weld had been able to tip her off, and how many other Case 53s he'd been able to inform. At this point, they might need to send a response team just to manage the crowds.

    "Following his treatment, Weld has shown no signs of regression or detrimental effects. Additionally, Apeiron stated that Weld's contract covers full recovery." She paused, allowing that to sink in. "In the event that Apeiron can provide additional treatments, Weld is 'paid up'."

    And there was the full significance of the contract. With how firmly Apeiron held to them and how far he would go to fulfill one, Ben wondered about mad scientist theories that had been passed around, the compulsive behaviors and coping methods that could explain that kind of devotion.

    "I trust you all understand the significance of this." Well, Sideswipe didn't appear to, but he wasn't drawing attention to that fact, so it was probably just as well. "While it will not be possible to conceal this information permanently, every effort is being taken to delay its release until the situation in Brockton Bay stabilizes."

    Which could take a damn long time, going by recent events.

    "Moving on, Apeiron's next appearance involved a strike on an ABB financial center and further open conflict with Uber and Leet."

    Ben shook his head slightly. In any other situation the Case 53 news would have been worth an entire day of briefings and strategy sessions. The fact that she was skipping past all but the most basic points was concerning, and telling of the severity of the situation.

    "As has become somewhat expected, a new series of abilities and technologies were displayed during this engagement. Apeiron's precise motivations for the strike are unknown, but from a brief exchange with a portion of New Wave following the confrontation he claimed it to be a separate contract from the one he holds with the Undersiders."

    Ben had to wonder about that. Who was it who took out the contract? And what were Apeiron's standards for a contract to begin with? Seemingly the most valuable thing on the planet, and nobody had a clue how to secure it.

    "As was later revealed, the ABB had begun to operate power assisted stock manipulation from this location. This may have been what drew Apeiron to the site, but that has not been verified."

    The screen shifted again, showing the front of a concrete and glass office building. Not a skyscraper, but more robust than its surrounding architecture. At least it would have been without the gaping hole. The front of the structure looked like it parted like a curtain. Frankly, the damage wasn't nearly as impressive as the precision of whatever attack had created it.

    "Following breaching the outer wall, Apeiron proceeded directly to the trading center." There was a slight pause as the screen shifted to a series of interior shots. "Directly. He drew a straight line from his point of entry, regardless of internal obstacles."

    The way that desks and walls had been shattered or thrown aside would have been comedic if it wasn't so serious. Apeiron had carved a straight path through an office environment, completely disregarding the building's layout.

    "This may have been a tactical matter as much as an expeditious one. Many of the interior doors were secured with tinker tech explosives, and most of the building's staff had received cranial bombs. Apeiron's route bypassed both issues. Upon reaching the financial center Apeiron began subverting ABB finances. Despite efforts against him, the majority of the gang's holdings were exposed to Watchdog, though the primary accounts appeared to be secured by a third party."

    The screen shifted again, this time showing the pair of robots that had been deployed against Apeiron.

    "It is believed that Uber and Leet's actions were a response to divert Apeiron's attention away from the last of the gang's assets. If Apeiron had not acted, it is unclear what was the intended target for the deployed technology."

    The screen began playing excerpts from the fight. They focused on the healing used in combat, rapid modification of weapons, and the assembly of robots shooting down missiles with their giant lasers. Ben actually found himself focusing on Uber and Leet's suits. Their capacities weren't minor and they would have been a hard fight for any local capes.

    Considering the wider picture, the deployed missile barrage was ready to fire at the same time the PRT was holding a press conference. Apeiron sent two robots on suicide missions without a second thought to try to stop them. His display during the fight hinted that build time wasn't a concern for him, but still, it showed assets lost with no profit beyond the safety of his city.

    "The following evening Apeiron made his first public statement using a preexisting account on the website Parahumans Online." The screen shifted again, showing Apeiron's opening post and the photograph of his earlier fight with Uber and Leet that was used to verify his identity.

    Ben nodded. PHO was better moderated than most of the sites, even major ones like Twitter. Particularly in its policy towards even comedic depictions of underage capes. Actually, combined with the wiki, it was practically a public asset, even if it wasn't technically affiliated with the Protectorate.

    "Following confirmation of his presence on the platform, Weld made contact through his official account. Apeiron responded and acknowledged that their conversation would be monitored, expressing his frustration with the local authorities."

    That seemed to be something of a theme for the man. Not that Ben could really blame him, with everything that was going on.

    "Specifically, he issued a personal warning concerning March." Alexandria paused at the name and Ben could see flickers of tension through the room. "Specifically, he warned that she represented a significant threat, to a greater level than she was being regarded by the local PRT. Apeiron's concerns about the situation were noted, but not directly acted upon."

    It was easy to look at that decision with the benefit of hindsight and call it gross stupidity. Oh, there was some idiocy there, but with everything else that was happening, with the city falling apart, with a half dozen conflicting assessments of the man, with a villainous coordination thinker on the loose, could you really blame Director Piggot for not jumping on that warning?

    Well, yes. You could absolutely blame her, but that was more because in the wake of disaster people were always looking for someone to blame. Was it reasonable? To a certain extent, but he doubted any repercussions heading towards the director would be restrained to an appropriate level. In fact, she probably knew this was coming from the incident at the bank. The last thing a city in crisis needed was someone with concerns beyond the immediate situation, but Brockton Bay was unlucky enough to have a director who was probably trying to save her career while heading off a once-in-a-lifetime disaster. It wouldn't take much for those conflicting objectives to cause things to spiral out of control.

    The way they'd nearly done on Thursday night.

    "Apeiron's interactions with Weld were actively monitored by Dragon and documented for later analysis. After the conversation concluded, Dragon was able to trace Apeiron's activity to a third-party server where he made contact with her."

    There was a complicated expression on Alexandria's face, and Ben was right there with her. The exact details of the exchange between Apeiron and Dragon were a mystery, but the tinker's actions after the fact were something else. People weren't sure exactly what it meant, but they knew what it probably meant.

    "In addition to extending a more positive stance to Dragon than the local Protectorate or PRT, Apeiron revealed several details about his technology and systems, specifically the development of a brain-computer interface which allowed direct control of his systems and a level of improved processing and reaction time."

    Information that had been casually dropped in the exchange with Dragon. Ben skimmed over the text displayed on the screen. Combined with the construction speed he demonstrated when fighting Uber and Leet, it started to explain his unprecedented advancement curve. Not completely, but at least the question of where he found the time for his work was starting to make sense.

    "Dragon independently collaborated with Apeiron on a project to decipher the coding mechanism used to control Bakuda's implanted bombs. This continued until a state of emergency was declared in Brockton Bay in response to major conflicts between the city's gangs and the ABB. Procedure dictated that local policies be followed by national level agents until the situation was resolved."

    It was something of a technicality, but there were plenty of capes who were sticklers for that. The screen behind Alexandria switched from a dizzying summary of coding methodology to records a basic text exchange between Apeiron and Dragon. Ben read along as Alexandria summarized the situation.

    "Apeiron was dismissive of Dragon's adherence to Protectorate policy, insisting that they continue the work. Dragon refused. In her defense, further analysis revealed irreconcilable problems embedded within the code that would have prevented decryption without the original structure. However, this wasn't known to either cape at the time, and Apeiron attempted to bribe Dragon to continue work."

    The screen shifted to an array of designs that looked vaguely industrial. Actually, very industrial. More so than you usually saw from tinker work.

    "Apeiron presented plans for a dedicated fusion system, one that Dragon believes would be both low maintenance and easy for her to produce." The plans continued to cycle past as she spoke. "Key details of the design were redacted, but experimental data was included with the file, confirming the viability of the system."

    Ben shook his head. Something like that, if it was something Dragon considered low maintenance and easy to produce, it was likely she could outfit half the Protectorate branches in the country in short order. It might even be able to be serviced by civilian technicians, rather than tinkers. What that could mean for isolated sites, containment areas, or field operations, he could only imagine.

    "Dragon's further refusal led to a conflict with Apeiron. In his attempts to resist her tracing attempts several systems were damaged. Despite mobilizing significant resources, Dragon was unable to isolate his location beyond confirming its presence in the northern third of Brockton Bay. She then committed to a transfer to Brockton Bay to continue her Pursuit."

    There it was. No one had any idea what was really happening with Dragon. It didn't help that Apeiron had unconfirmed master accusations leveled against him, but none of them were the kinds of things that could work across that kind of medium. Or if they did, then it was on a level beyond what they could hope to contain.

    There was also the question of why someone would master people to apparently make life harder for themselves. The idea that Apeiron was playing the city like a fiddle might have been able to explain some of his more oblique actions, but that level of control didn't lend itself to the near disaster of the Ungodly hour.

    No, the more obvious answers were usually the right ones, and they were clearer when you didn't have a horse in the race, so to speak. The real question was 'who was Apeiron', not 'who did they need Apeiron to be in order to preserve their career, dignity, pride, or professionalism'.

    "Following this conflict with Dragon, Apeiron did not make a public appearance until the start of what has become known as the Ungodly Hour."

    Ben had heard that there was an effort to fight that name. For all reasons, it was apparently because referring to the incident as an hour undersold the level of the conflict and scale of the aftermath. Ben wouldn't argue with that, but he couldn't think of many better names for what had happened that wouldn't result in severe FCC fines for any station that aired them.

    "The incident opened with a streamed call between Apeiron and Bakuda, with March entering the conversation at a later point." The screen shifted to a set of still images from the exchange. "The ABB, under March's guidance, had evidently set up a system of communication that they hoped Apeiron would access. The level of coordination March was able to achieve is unclear, though she was apparently confident in being able to conclude the call before Apeiron could trace them."

    Ben remembered the release of the cut portion of the stream. A lot of analysts who were very confident in their interpretation of Apeiron's motives were sent back to the drawing board by that.

    "Following the conclusion of the call, Apeiron began an offensive against ABB forces. Upgraded robots were independently deployed to what has now been identified as the ABB headquarters and Bakuda's workshop."

    The screen cycled through photos of the sites in question. The headquarters was about what he expected, a series of rooms that had been torn apart in a manner reminiscent of the financial building. Shots of the workshop, or the remains of the workshop, were a much more unnerving sight.

    One of the golden rules of cape work is 'don't attack a tinker in their workshop'. While it wasn't one you could always follow, the follow-up was if you were going to attack a tinker in their workshop you went all out. Strike teams, support crews, advanced information and recon. Attacks from multiple angles, battle lines, and basically anything else you could throw at them.

    You didn't send a single unmanned robot to handle the situation on its own. That said, looking at the aftermath of the battle, Ben understood why Apeiron didn't want to be anywhere near that place. There was little left of what he presumed had been an abandoned factory. Now it was a mess of lingering effects, some of which stood suspended in time, captured mid blast. You could see Apeiron's new models of drones, frozen in the air. Crystal hawks that had replaced the spheres he used earlier, each crackling with different varieties of energy as they wove through the equally frozen blast waves. Captured in numbers Ben could barely believe, but he could apparently produce the things freely.

    Sending cannon fodder with its own replicable cannon fodder made a good deal more sense than taking to the fight himself. Looking at the devastation that had even spread to neighboring buildings, Ben wondered how Bakuda managed to escape with her life. If not for the failsafe still being in place and her recent communication he would have had no difficulty believing she'd perished in that disaster.

    From the reports, Apeiron's robot hadn't made it out of that mess, which might be seen as an accomplishment in any other case. Based on the man's borderline insane quips about 'three day old' technology it was doubtful he would miss it in the long run.

    Though he probably had missed it during his fight with Lung.

    "The full scope of the Ungodly Hour is too complex to cover at the moment, and the incident has already been covered extensively by internal and third-party analysis. I would recommend you review the summary provided." Once again, not a recommendation.

    "Focusing once again on new abilities and technologies deployed, in conflict with various ABB strike teams Apeiron demonstrated a variety of large-scale elemental effects." The screen cycled through shots of streets that were frozen, melted, split with fissures, scorched black, or appeared to have been turned inside out. "Reports indicate no visible source for the effect other than a complex pattern visible on his costume during activation."

    "Support systems were also expanded from earlier models. The crystal drones that had previously been field manufactured were modified into avian constructs capable of generating a variety of additional effects. The most commonly displayed effect was a trail of electrified water vapor used for area denial and non-lethal takedowns."

    There was a definite beauty to the design of the drones. Ben had to note the contrast between non-lethal ones and ones used against Bakuda. Crystal birds dripping molten rock or wreathed in plasma were about as far from non-lethal as you could get, but it seemed the appropriate response to an entrenched tinker.

    "Apeiron's suits were upgraded with an extensive complement of missiles. Those used against ABB forces primarily utilized a combination warhead that produced a concussion-based stun effect and deployed a unique form of polymer netting. The netting was saturated with a novel tranquilizer and the material contracts in response to stress. Despite the effectiveness as a restraint measure, paramedics were consistently able to remove the netting when attempting to treat incapacitated individuals. This effect was not seen when the same act was attempted by other ABB members or active combatants, suggesting some level of reactive awareness, though no evidence for a control mechanism was evident."

    It was an unquestionably good sign that Apeiron had prepped non-lethal weapons. Things could have been much worse without them. Under the circumstances, people would have been willing to accept a lot more in terms of enemy casualties, even from conscripted civilians. Not many people had the luxury of taking that route, and Ben was glad Apeiron had.

    "When confronting the main ABB force Apeiron deployed an upgraded version of the sword effect seen on the night of the 16th." Ben reacted in as much surprise as anyone else. That wasn't the kind of effect you could miss. "It was apparently much more focused and controlled. Apeiron used it to clear the airspace of the gang's initial assault. Atmospheric distortions from the attack were visible across a wide band, and persisted until the conclusion of Apeiron's confrontation with Lung."

    The screen showed a picture of the late afternoon sky with a section of removed clouds, like a reverse contrail. The way the distorted section moved through multiple layers of clouds was actually quite striking and would have made for an impressive image if not for the terrifying implications of that kind of effect.

    Speaking of terrifying, the screen shifted to the broadcast of Apeiron's injury and attempted execution.

    "During the confrontation Apeiron was heavily injured through a coordinated attack conducted by Oni Lee and March. Items containing the marking of March's striker power were able to be duplicated by Oni Lee's teleportation. The effect was used to destroy Apeiron's drones and robot before being directed at him."

    The image on screen was telling enough. Apeiron's broken and battered body, though still somehow picturesque. The purported style powers at work, much harder to doubt with that kind of effect on display.

    "Apeiron's injury resulted in the distribution of elemental effects confined to narrow lanes spreading through the northern region of Brockton Bay in a pattern centered on his location. It is believed this was the result of a containment breach of the material that facilitated the previously shown effects. The lanes seemed to contain diminished versions of the attacks Apeiron was utilizing, and persisted for a period of precisely forty-eight hours before dissipating."

    The cleanup was no doubt welcome, but the unknown nature of the effect that drove it was more than a little concerning. Another thing that was probably due more attention than it was likely to receive, given what was still left to cover.

    "Following Apeiron's injury a variety of previously unseen effects manifested. It is unknown if there were intentional contingencies, or if they represent the loss of control of his technology."

    The screen shifted to the infamous moment. The sun setting, with darkness falling across the scene, then a wave of red light physically pushing March back.

    "The previously unidentified material that apparently provided an enhancement effect was present within Apeiron's body. Once again, it is not clear if this is a natural state or a result of his injury, but exposure resulted in enhanced strength, speed, and potentially contributed to his impaired state."

    The footage cut ahead, showing Apeiron screaming on the ground as multicolored glowing trails burst from his flesh. Thankfully the video was muted. Ben didn't need to hear that kind of agony again.

    "It is believed that this effect was the result of the energized material that had been spread through the city being introduced to Apeiron's body through his injuries. Limited experiments with recovered samples of the substance proved highly reactive with living tissue. Animal testing was deemed unnecessary, as the destructive nature was self-evident."

    The video showed Apeiron silently screaming to the sky, then a gray blur forming around his hand, settling into the shape of what was probably the most violent thing to ever be called a 'shield'.

    "The lantern shield that Apeiron deployed is believed to provide some kind of regulating effect on both the fibers and energetic material, though the nature and mechanism of the effect is only theorized."

    And the video advanced to the moment everyone had been waiting for. Apeiron perched on top of a stack of cargo containers, briefly slipping into what was generally called his 'strategy trance', and then physically shifting into some kind of primordial wolf/bear/dinosaur thing.

    "Apeiron's transformation." Alexandria said as the video paused on a wide shot of Apeiron roaring, saber teeth bared to the world. "While there is no evidence it is related to the nature of the healing technology he used to treat Weld, numerous theories are being considered as to his reason for developing such a system and the cause of his apparently involuntary transformation."

    Apeiron launched himself from the container. The video blurred before settling on Lung's airborne form just before Apeiron struck him.

    The scene and words played out before him. Zoomed on the moment of impact and written in a darkly savage script.

    'LOPINGIAN VENGEANCE'

    Thankfully, Alexandria didn't play all the examples of the effect. Instead, the display shifted to an artist's rendition of each attack. He'd seen a few attempts to recreate the images. They didn't exist on video and couldn't be extracted through any known method, but that didn't stop people from drawing the image that was forced into their brains every time the clip played.

    The three images were actually rather good, possibly professional commissions for the purposes of briefings such as this. As much as the world had adjusted to an easily transferred stranger effect, it still unnerved Ben to see it thrown around so casually. Too many bad experiences in the field to find amusement in that kind of thing.

    "This effect was confirmed to be harmless when Apeiron contacted the PRT following his recovery. He described it as a similar effect to the power that influences how he presents himself, and an unintentional activation of said ability. As the effect was not seen before this time, nor after Apeiron's transformation reverted, it is likely that this was the case."

    So, it's just an accidentally released, transferable stranger effect. That was only slightly better, all things considered.

    "Following this point Apeiron's remaining suit entered the fray, beginning with full deployment of its main ordnance."

    The video showed Lung being struck by a blinding red beam. His shape was just visible inside that mass of energy, pieces being blackened and flaking off. The charred skeleton remaining held position for a brief moment before an almost comically large swarm of missiles filled the screen, chasing the monstrous cape as he dove under the surface of the water.

    "The suit distributed some unknown items to Apeiron. Following ingestion of them he was able to return to human form."

    The transformation was shown on the display screen. It was possibly a point towards the theory that Apeiron was managing some condition or working to recover from an inhuman form. Once again, something that probably deserved greater examination, but wouldn't get it because of the giant robot that was shown tackling Lung and forcing him further out to sea.

    "The giant robot." Alexandria said calmly as she casually raised one of the most contentious points of the entire Ungodly Hour. What looked like a computer mock-up of the design appeared on the screen. "Approximately fifteen meters tall. Flight capable through the use of four dedicated thruster engines of unknown capacity. Highly durable and initially armed with two 'handheld' energy weapons and a set of four sixty-millimeter cannons mounted in the head."

    "Initially?" Arbiter asked. Normally Alexandria would call on a person as soon as they had a question, but the statement leaked out from natural surprise that Ben was sure was shared by most of the group.

    Alexandria just nodded in response to the interruption. "During the course of the conflict Lung was pushed further away from the city. Later portions of the fight were only visible thanks to Dragon's recordings. The following footage has not been released outside of Protectorate analysis."

    Ben watched Dragon's view of the fight. An open-air battle between Lung, Apeiron, and his giant robot. The man was wielding an absolutely enormous sword, gleaming red and crackling with the energy that had boiled out from his body. Through a coordinated attack he leapt up and drove what must have been twelve feet of sword into Lung's head.

    The draconic cape exploded with energy, in some cases literally as portions of limbs of scales ripped themselves apart. His convulsions threw Apeiron off, but that only resulted in the blade splitting his head in half. Now blind and enraged, Lung flailed wildly with jets of fire so bright Dragon's cameras were having a hard time adjusting. One random flail of a limb found its way past the mech's glowing shield and pressed directly against the armored torso before sending out a jet of plasma that burned straight through.

    The video cut forward again, this time to Apeiron, once again in his monstrous form, dancing across Lung's body like a flea. The damage he was doing healed nearly as fast as it was inflicted, but that wasn't what the video was focused on. Those burning white flames of plasma that Lung was now directing at Dragon's suit were dimming, their power sucked away and concentrated into what looked like a miniature sun held in Apeiron's hands.

    "Apeiron had previously demonstrated the ability to physically interact with Lung's blasts. Given the state of his equipment at the time, this is believed to be the result of either a supplemental ability, or some form of personal modification. Regardless, the full extent of the power can be seen here."

    There was a measure of respect in her voice, and Ben could understand where it was coming from. With capes, power was a lot more common than control. Pyrokinetics who could throw fire blasts were common as dirt compared to the ones who could actually manipulate heat and flame. Ones who could concentrate it like that were nearly unheard of.

    "The concentrated plasma shard was the source of the explosion that launched Lung into the upper atmosphere." Alexandria explained as the video showed a shot of the blast as seen from the shoreline. "However, just prior to the attack, the mecha engaged Lung once more."

    The feed shifted back to Dragon's perspective. Ben could practically feel her shock as the damaged robot surged upward to slam into Lung once more. The surface had shifted, taking on an organic texture. Blue lines in the same pattern as Apeiron's healing technology covered its body and the entire surface was sporting growths in the shape of every conceivable piece of artillery.

    They watched as the previously lightly armed robot opened up with a barrage of earth-shattering proportions. Energy bolts, missiles, and other assorted munitions tore into Lung, launching him clear of Apeiron. Clear enough for the man to lob the burning shard towards the cape.

    Dragon's video was useless during the explosion, but Alexandria was able to fill them in. "The robot's shield was able to hold against the force of the blast, protecting it, Apeiron, and Dragon's suit." She explained as if that wasn't an absolutely insane claim. "The damage to the robot coincided with the distribution of a contained blackout effect across the bay and city. According to Apeiron, this is caused by a fixed arrangement of charged particles that will maintain their arrangement until broken down by environmental effects."

    The screen shifted again, this time showing a drawing of a robot that was superficially similar to the one Apeiron had deployed, but slimmer and painted mostly white.

    "The design sensibilities of the mech match those seen in a Japanese media franchise known as Mobile Suit Gundam. Within the series a similar effect to the blackout particles are present as an electronic countermeasure." She was completely serious as she spoke. Anyone else might have a hint of exasperation or humor, but from her manner it was clear how seriously she was taking things. "Given Apeiron's previous reference to the Transformer series with his robots, it is likely the aesthetic was selected based on discovery of the underlying technology."

    It happened fairly often. Tinkers or other capes who could recreate an aspect of some fictional work deciding to run with it. It was generally done on a smaller scale than what Apeiron had brought out, but Apeiron apparently didn't do anything by halves.

    Rather than elaborate further on the robot or give any explanation to the apparent healing technology or weapon array, Alexandria moved on to the next and most concerning aspect of the Ungodly Hour. That was heavy competition for that title, but the scene on screen, with the sky opening up and the sea bowing underneath the blast, it unquestionably took the win.

    "Apeiron's final strike against Lung." Alexandria explained. "Lung has extraordinary regeneration that scales with his size. Past a certain point it is nearly impossible to substantially damage him. At Kyushu he was able to reach a point that exceeded Leviathan's ability to meaningfully damage him. Unfortunately, Lung was unable to seriously injure the Endbringer and their protracted fight resulted in the sinking of the island."

    The screen showed a charred figure hanging in the sky. "Lung survived Apeiron's blast, but from Dragon's account he expected as much and had prepared a secondary measure." A second shot showed Apeiron's suit high in the sky, aligning itself with Lung. It shifted back into its motorcycle form, then began to glow blue. With hardly any buildup it was gone, leaving a white streak through the sky that burst into the massive explosion from the previous shot at the point where it would have reached Lung.

    "The attack apparently destroyed the machine in question, but also appeared to completely annihilate Lung. No trace of the cape has been found and he is presumed dead, though not confirmed."

    Ben nodded. He knew the difficulty when dealing with strong regenerators. Sometimes even having the body wasn't enough unless you were sure you had all the body. It was a grisly and unpleasant business to deal with.

    "The full nature of the attack is still being explored with the assistance of Protectorate analysts and various scientific research stations. What is clear is that Apeiron's vehicles operate on power sources with the potential to be extremely dangerous. This is evident from the after effect of the destruction of his third robot."

    The screen shifted again, this time showing the container yard, or what was left of it. Twisting tunnels of red crystal burrowed through containers into the concrete of the site's foundation. The seemingly random pattern became more evident as the shots of the location widened, eventually showing a point of concentration. After a moment Ben recognized it from the ABB's broadcast, the place where they had attempted to execute Apeiron, where his robot had crashed.

    "Following the confrontation with Lung shifting out of the container yard, Glory Girl entered independently to recover Triumph." A shot of the lion-themed cape's limp form being dragged by Lung filled the screen. "Triumph was captured by ABB forces prior to the attack and used to allow Lung to grow in power before he approached Apeiron. He had been abandoned by ABB forces, but Glory Girl was able to locate him. However, before she could retrieve him, she saw March tampering with Apeiron's damaged robot. To head off your questions, March survived the strike from Apeiron, though in a heavily injured state."

    The video played the scene one frame at a time. Most of them were blurs, but Ben could see March doing her best to twist her body along with the strike. He could also see that it wasn't nearly enough. Bones were clearly broken and it looked like the hand Apeiron had been grasping was nearly shredded. Still, with capes sometimes 'barely alive' was all they needed to be dangerous. He had seen more than a few people caught by random attacks from half-dead capes. Plenty of powers weren't tied to the state of the body and the only way to be completely safe was to make sure you finished things properly.

    It was the kind of thought he limited to these missions. Chubster the happy family cape was a different person from the person who provided support against S-class threats. His power was strong enough that, in the right circumstances, he could be called in against particularly resilient foes. That was a bad time.

    Most brutes could get away with a quick strike and be done with it. For him, he had to go slow. The tougher they were, the slower he had to move. It gave them time to realize what was happening to them. To understand that they weren't strong enough to stop him and weren't tough enough to withstand what was coming. Evil, evil men, people who had lived without consequences until they crossed a line that brought in a response team. A team that had driven them into his grasp. And then it was all over.

    He shook off those thoughts, and not just because he knew Alexandria would have recognized where his mind was drifting. Instead, he focused on her presentation.

    "Glory Girl witnessed March removing a crystal sphere from the wreckage of the machine. Following its removal, the sporadic power discharges of the machine ceased. March then used her striker power on the crystal, resulting in the current state of the container yard."

    The question of 'what the hell happened' went unsaid by the majority of the team, with Alexandria silently acknowledging it as she continued her presentation.

    "The discharges from Apeiron's damaged equipment have caused reactions from capes in the area. While first hand accounts of early incidents are not available, the effect appears to be universal and impacts all capes with the exception of Apeiron. March's striker power produced a drastically more intense response from the power source, proportional to the strength of her ability."

    The screens shifted to accounts of March's career before arriving in Brockton Bay. Mostly petty crime, but the occasional confrontation with the New York Wards.

    "Following the events of the Ungodly Hour there has been extensive evaluation of March's previous actions, particularly with respect to her striker power. Apeiron's level of durability is unknown, but he routinely withstood major attacks without visible injury. During his first appearance the only point where he was damaged involved highly advanced spatial technology. His equipment has demonstrated similar levels of resilience. Neither were able to withstand March's power to any degree."

    A video montage played of repeated uses of the power in question. "Over the course of March's career there have been no examples of anything withstanding her striker power. During her confrontation with the Brockton Bay Wards during their defense of the Forsberg Gallery she was able to damage one of Clockblocker's time frozen objects to free herself from capture. This effect has never been observed before, and March undertook it with complete confidence in her success. The limits of her striker ability are unknown, but it is clear it is one of the strongest powers on record."

    Ben knew Alexandria wouldn't make that kind of statement lightly. He also knew she was building up to something serious. At the last moment he realized she had been talking about March in the present tense.

    "March's destruction of Apeiron's power source opened a form of dimensional breach. The nature of the breach has something to do with the source of parahuman abilities themselves. While the breach was open, Glory Girl claimed to be able to observe her 'passenger', and the 'passengers' of other capes. While other capes have demonstrated sensory abilities tied to parahuman power expressions, it has never been artificially induced in this manner."

    Alexandria paused as the information sank in. The mystery of why they had been called together was suddenly clear. Interdimensional portals and manipulation with the sources of powers were both issues that could see them scrambled. The only reason they weren't being sent out immediately was the fact that they had missed the ball by a wide margin.

    He looked up at Alexandria and she nodded to him. His turn for the question that she knew was coming.

    "You mentioned March in the present tense." The people who didn't pick up on that detail suddenly sat up in their seats. "Did she somehow survive the damage from Apeiron's strike?"

    Alexandria nodded grimly. "When the breach opened it began releasing a yet unidentified material into the surrounding environment. When this material came into contact with her there some manner of fusion effect. The exact nature is not clear from Glory Girl's reports, but she confirmed that once March was able to free herself she was mobile, but seriously deformed and uncoordinated. Her injuries appeared to have been repaired, but in an imprecise manner."

    Ben didn't need more detail. He'd seen enough cape-related body horror for one lifetime. There was an entire library of traumatic memories just waiting to fill in missing pieces in that description.

    "March's powers also appeared to function differently following exposure to the breach. The mark for her striker power was described as being less precise and flowing as if it had been spilled on the surface it was applied to. Contact between her power and the breach spread to the released material, with the eventual detonations resulting in the tunnel structures now present in the area."

    And now there was a trump effect in play. So, not just messing with the source of powers, but messing with powers themselves. It was like Apeiron was trying to fill out some kind of S-class responder bingo card. Now he just needed an unchained A.I., some kind of nanotech swarm, and an exponentially developing bioweapon. Brockton Bay would count as the free space, of course.

    "Glory Girl also experienced a modification to her power." Alexandria explained. "Her durability is the result of a regenerating force field. The field is negated after a single sufficient strike, but reforms in a few seconds. While incapacitated by the effects of the breach, Glory Girl was able to project her force field independently of her body to protect her from the intruding material. She claims that, at the time, the effect was directed by her 'passenger', though she has been able to replicate the effect to a lesser degree."

    The display showed a video of a blond teenage girl in a white dress sitting in an examination room. She had her hands folded in front of her and was concentrating on a cup resting on the table. Slowly, the cup rose from the surface and moved towards her mouth. The movement was slightly shaky and stopped short. She reached up to take the cup in one hand. On contact there was a slight distortion, suggesting a barely visible arm reaching out from the girl's shoulder to hold the cup.

    "Control of the effect has been improving steadily and she has expressed confidence in being able to recreate the effect demonstrated at the container yard."

    The video cut to a sullen looking young man sitting in a hospital room while wearing a courtesy mask. From his build Ben would guess him to be Triumph, though there was nothing particularly triumphant about his current posture.

    "Triumph was also exposed to the effect. His powers included enhanced strength, healing, and the ability to launch sonic blasts through his voice."

    Roars. It would explain the lion theme.

    "Following his exposure to the breach, he has been able to channel sonic energy on contact, to considerable effect."

    On screen the boy picked up a sample from the table in front of him, a small block of some kind of metal. There was a slight blur around the object, then it vanished as a puff of metallic dust spread out in front of him.

    "Triumph was seriously impacted by his experience and is on a period of leave while he recovers. Given the nature and significance of these events case numbers have been assigned to the investigation. The dimensional breach and its associated effects have been designated Case 68 and…" There was a rare look of legitimate weariness in her eyes as she continued. "Individuals impacted by the effect have been designated… Case 69."

    The first thought that jumped into Ben's head was 'thank God it's not my daughter'. Of the rest of the group only Sideswipe seemed to find real amusement in the designation, and he quickly schooled his response after seeing how the rest of the group was taking things.

    "Yes, Usher?" Alexandria called to the young cape. He nodded and addressed his concern to the rest of the group as much as her.

    "Have there been further developments in these incident numbers? If the effect is spreading, and March is still active, then should we be ready for deployment?"

    "To answer your question, there have been no further instances of Case 68 or Case 69 since the conclusion of the Ungodly Hour. While March survived and escaped, she appeared to be severely impaired. The reduction in her anti-thinker effect has shown a marked reduction in her influence in the city. While she still represents a threat, she is not our most pressing concern. That said, it is imperative for the recovery of the city that March's status remains confidential. The city cannot survive another offensive from Apeiron. Efforts are being made to resolve the matter without requiring his input."

    "If it's not the sequential investigations or March, then what is our most pressing concern in this situation?" Usher asked.

    Alexandria nodded, then turned to the group. "This meeting was called to address a sudden development that has the potential to completely upset the balance of power in Brockton Bay, if not the entire country." She gave them a serious look. "Because now, Apeiron has a team."
     
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    • LordRoustabout said:
    (Author's note: Fair warning, once again I ran out of writing time. While I managed a longer chapter, I wasn't able to finish what I had planned for this interlude. As such, we will have the conclusion of the chapter next week, regrettably another sudden cliffhanger at the end of this chapter.)
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    Gregory Crey said:
    Oh no, there is still worrying. After all, LordR may not finish the interlude this chapter.

    We might have more Chubster to read! The horror! /s
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    Called it!

    Oh no, how will we suffer through more Chubster!? The day is ruined and my disappointment is immeasurable! /s
     
    Alright, so the fact that he has a team is important, but I think the fact the Butcher is in the same city as March might be more important Alexandria. Still, good on her for telling people about shardspace, excited to see where this goes.
     
    When I said this was the dark souls of fanfiction that wasn't a suggestion to run with it and throw us off multiple cliffs, but hey more Chubster never hurts.
    Ps. Funny Number is funny.
     
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