Contractual Villainy
- Thread starter Sandy River DL
- Start date
Sandy River DL
(Verified Destroyer Leader)
- Location
- Lake Michigan
- Pronouns
- Her/She
...Right. Toybox. Kinda forgot about them honestly. I'll have to consider that.
Neolithic II
Sandy River DL
(Verified Destroyer Leader)
- Location
- Lake Michigan
- Pronouns
- Her/She
Unnamed Location, Earth Tǩóymos, Jan 5, 2011.
Leaving my equipment cart for the moment, I made my way downhill in the direction of the brook. Depending on the size and profile, I could get a hydro-generator setup to power the base anchor. If not, I'd have to travel downstream to search for better locations. The recall anchors could technically operate without an external power supply for several weeks, but that wasn't something I wanted to rely on, especially since the one I'd be setting up here was necessarily the cornerstone of my base. Just plonking the thing down anywhere would cause far too many problems down the line, and electricity was too useful not acquire early on.
What I had anticipated being a five-minute walk ended up being a half-hour hike, as the forest was denser than I expected. And when I got to the brook, it was broad and shallow. Really should have expected that from the noise is made, but it did lead to a much larger stream with a deep, narrow channel. Dangerous to cross, but the confined flow and fast current meant it was perfect for installing a water wheel, assuming I could work out how to install the thing safely. Even better was the seam of high-grade malachite in the hillside above the stream's bank. Said hill also had a nice clear view of the sound, as while shorter than the hill I started on, the trees were thinner and more towards the landward side. Not ideal, but the signs I could see pointed towards a forest fire rather than direct weather damage. I'd still be going for stone walls on that side, if I chose that hilltop at all.
Finding a fallen tree just around a bend near the ore vain, I traversed the stream and scaled the slope on the far side. The extensive stony outcrop at the peak of the clearly larger hill seemed promising, gneiss made for a much better foundation than root-filled dirt and would provide a solid wall against whatever hurricanes that may hit the region. I'd need to haul logs uphill from the lower slopes because the thin soil over rock didn't seem to be something the local trees handled well, but that wouldn't be too much of a problem so long as I didn't get ambitious and stuck to smaller trunks for the initial structure.
Of course, actually starting on my home would have to wait, both because I lacked time to do more than plan out the basics, and the fact that I lacked a number of things I'd need to actually build with. Moving my supplies over and setting up the anchor would come first, followed by kitting up for my debut as a supervillain. With that sobering thought, I began searching the outcrop for a place to stash things out of the weather. This particular task was completed more quickly than expected, as I came around the side of the outcrop from where I'd approached, only to find an enclosed overhang large enough to fit everything I'd brought to Tǩóymos. All that was left to do there was to bring everything over and block it off with a sheet of heavy bark.
I was halfway back to my arrival point when I realized that there was no way I should have been able to notice even half of what I made decisions based on. Thinker powers were bullshit.
Transporting everything to my chosen steading ended taking pretty much the entire remainder of my time before I'd be returned to Bet, so I simply slid on my brigandine, slipped on my visor and set my anchor down on a relatively flat section of rock. Sliding open a panel on the unit, I twisted a pale blue crystal, then pushed it in and flipped one of two switches up, causing the device to hum. Inverting a different crystal made it glow, then cease both emissions. Closing the anchor back up, I stood and was about to begin making my way to my starting point when the air tore open in front of me.
Blinking, I quickly grabbed what I needed for my return.
Stepping through the Cauldron portal for the last time, I stood in one of the many derelict warehouses in the Docks, holding my last recall anchor while my three scanner drones hovered after me. This building, I'd been told, still had power, so keeping the base unit running would be simple enough one I installed it. Of course, that meant finding a spot to put the thing where it was unlikely to be found by a homeless person or the Merchants. I'd stick it the rafters, if not for the fact that doing so would likely result in me appearing in midair because the system only checked for obstructions. I'd have to fix that at some point, but right now all that could be done was to take that flaw into account.
Sending my drones to examine the area for potential hiding spots, I began running through places I could hit for my debut. A Medhall storehouse for medical supplies, a drugstore for medical kits, one of the hardware stores for the parts to tinker up a hydro-generator, supermarket for canned food… Best go for the last one, as I had no idea yet what was safe to eat on Tǩóymos and I could grab some seeds what I was at it. Corn, green onion, normal onions, tomatoes, potatoes, and chili peppers all went onto a list compiled on my visor as I watched the drone feeds. I'd only get one harvest out of the seeds, but by then I'd either have found edible local flora, gotten my hands on heirloom seeds, or both.
With my 'shopping list' generated, I made my way over to the battered staircase leading to the manager's office, where one of my drones had spotted a space. Getting to it required a bit of climbing, but put me on top of the office structure and out of sight, a perfect place to teleport in and out of. There was even an electrical conduit running up the wall for me to tap into, with a note taped to it. With my cape name on it.
'Hausōs, I figured you could use a few things that weren't provided to you. To your left is a box containing a Haywire-tech derived transdimensional communications relay, a laptop computer, and a 60 hertz, 120-volt generator typically used with a stationary bicycle. This should aid your endeavors significantly.
-Tessa'
I stared at the note, then turned to the box and dispatched the drone to scan it. Nothing that shouldn't be in any of the devices was present, though the relay contained a similar amount of americium to a smoke detector. Not a hazard unless I ingested it. I tossed the note into the box and went about hooking the anchor into the conduit, deciding to leave the weirdness until after I'd grabbed enough supplies to last me a few days. Probably should grab a large bag or sack while I'm at it, so as to be able to carry more in both going raiding. These were both inputted into my visor.
Clambering down form the office's roof, I made my way outside and pulled up a map with my visor's pirated cell datalink, plotting my path to the nearest supermarket that I know would have the seeds I wanted. This was followed by a long trudge through knee deep snow, because no one was in the area to keep the sidewalks clear and the city wasn't going to waste money on ensuring abandoned areas were walkable.
Striding through the doors with my drones in tow and one hand on my hunting knife, I declared in a loud voice, further amplified by a speaker in my visor, "Alright Brocktonites! You know the drill by now, so I won't waste anyone's time. Leave me be and nobody gets hurt! I'm not here for money or jewelry, just the exact same kinds of you're here for: food, household goods and gardening supplies. Only difference is that you lot have jobs and shit, while I got fucked over by a useless excuse for an educational system. So in the interest of not ruining anyone else's life, let's keep things friendly and no one go trying to stop me or calling the PRT on the account of me not wanting to almost die in a blizzard again!"
The three people at the front of the store stared at me. Or maybe my drones, it was a little hard to tell with the floating scouts hovering around my shoulders. I sent them out into the aisles to seek out the nonperishable foods, potatoes, and garden seeds for ease of collection. Even with the warning, I'd want to be gone as fast as I could without showing off my teleportation capability. While Emma may know about that, she had no way of telling the Protectorate that without inviting awkward questions. And she hadn't even gotten her powers yet, as we had been scheduled to get them this weekend, before Cauldron had to bring me in early because of the blizzard. Anyway, keeping that as out of sight as possible was a good idea.
Once the drones were in place, I set off towards the nearest of them, in the gardening section. Snagging a burlap planting bag as I went, I started gathering together the various seed packets that I wanted, simply pulling the entire present stock out of the holders and tossing them into the bag. Also grabbed were two hoes that I noticed along the way, along with a pair of gloves and an entrenching tool that was there for some reason.
Moving on to the next leg of my circuit, I snatched a ten-pound bag of potatoes and hooked it onto the drone that was hovering over them before continuing to the canned and dried foods area. Cans of spam, beans, tuna, and fruit joined pouches of dehydrated pasta, shredded chicken, freeze-dried eggs, and powered milk in the bag as I blitzed the three aisles containing those goods.
Nearing the limit of what I could safely carry, I made my way back to the front of the store, passing a few customers who'd been in other sections while I was grabbing my supplies. None of them tried anything, happily. Probably confused by the obvious Tinker running around doing who knew what. Things ceased going smoothly when I got to the doors however.
"Because of course the junior cops show up now, rather than when they'd be actually helpful," I growled at the sight of Kid Win and Triumph waiting on the sidewalk. "Come to come to stomp on the homeless and desperate like good little jackboots?"
Both Wards flinched, before Triumph spoke. "I'm not sure what you're talking about, but going villain isn't going to solve your problems. Put down the stolen goods and come with us, we can help-"
I cut him off with a harsh, slightly manic, laugh. "Help? Really? Funny how the people who're supposed to protect us only reach out when you have powers and aren't taking their shit anymore! Where was this offer of help when I was begging for it under a relentless bullying campaign? Where was help when I was starved out of my own home? Where was help when I almost froze to death in a fucking blizzard?!?!?" Taking a few deep breaths, I raised one hand, a single finger extended. "Fuck you, fuck the PRT, fuck City Hall, and fuck those useless Skies shunned morons in DC!" With that I shoved past the stunned heroes and hurried down a nearby alleyway, before landing my drones on my back and shoulders and triggering my portable recall anchor.
I stumbled a bit when I landed at my base, probably due to the weight of my supplies and drones. Setting down my bag and relocating the drones, I triggered another jump back to Bet to grab the mystery box before returning again. That done, I set a patrol pattern on the drones and grabbed my axe, then headed down into the forest. Making shelter was now a priority with night on the way. Well, I wasn't actually sure how long I had until sundown, but figured it would be best to get building early and that the work would distract me from my unexpected Wards encounter.
Exploding at them wasn't something I'd planned on doing, but running into a patrol like that had caught me off-guard in a way I hadn't expected. Not having a plan for such an eventuality was stupid of me, and not a mistake I could afford to make again. I was lucky that it was just the Wards really because if it'd been Protectorate, I would have either been caught or forced to abandon my drones to escape. That was a potentially fatal loss, considering how little I knew about the wildlife on Tǩóymos.
Just being caught unawares wasn't why I'd lost my temper though. It was how sincere Triumph was that set me off. Winds, why did it have to come after everything had fallen apart on me? When I'd already taken the deal that had ceded the choice to accept his offer? Why couldn't I have Triggered under the strain of the Trio's bullying? I knew I had the potential from the brain scans Cauldron had run after I'd agreed to go through their testing.
But so what if the Wards Program would get me into Arcadia? It's not like it would've stopped Dad from spending so little time at home that he forgot to keep the kitchen stocked. Sure, a Wards paycheck would've allowed me to feed myself, but that was a poor substitute for a father who cared enough to do so himself. Low standards there, I know, but it was probably the best I could hope for after Mom died. I wouldn't even be able to move out to spare myself the emotional pain of having basically lost both parents, because the Youth Guard was rumored to have quashed attempts by Wards to get emancipated, preferring to get guardianship transferred to a family of their own choosing if the Ward had a good enough case that they needed to get away from their family. While gossip was inherently untrustworthy, that one was not something I'd want to risk being true. Winds, I just kept finding reasons why villainy was at worse on par with being a Ward didn't I?
The more I thought about it, the more this whole Nemesis thing felt more like the better choice than an act of desperation. Sure, I'd obliged myself to obeying certain commands from the girl who turned our friendship into a dagger to bury in my gut, but she in turn was limited to setting a crime and location from limited lists with no ability to control or manipulate my behavior. Nothing in the contract 'Mara' and I signed said or even implied that she'd win this match-up, leaving the bitch to her own devices when it came to building her reputation. Even if she beat me in every encounter, she could lose based solely on how I behaved, and beating up a desperate teen runaway just trying to survive was almost as bad a look as kicking down a harmless humor cape. The best part was probably that she likely didn't even realize that all she had to do was ignore that she knew who I was. Her own apparent need to hurt Taylor Hebert would ruin her chances against Hausōs.
As I worked to gather building materials, my mind continued to drift further into the past…
"You know, there are other options than that."
I almost dropped the knife I was examining at the unexpected voice from behind me. "I… wah… No, that's not what I was thinking at all! My life might suck but I'm not that desperate to…" I trailed off as I turned around to find a freestanding opening in the middle of the kitchen, leading to a rooftop looking out over the San Francisco skyline, with a dark-skinned woman in a lab coat standing in the middle. "Who…?"
The woman gave me smile as she replied "I am a representative of a group called Cauldron. You were looking for us I believe."
I gaped. "You're the mystery power sellers? T-that's real? And available on my 'budget'?"
Shaking her head, the woman stated "Yes, we're real. No, ordinarily we wouldn't approach you unless you had quite a bit more funds and had done more than a few cursory searches. Fortunately for you however, one of our other clients has expressed a desire to purchase powers on your behalf, subject to your acceptance of certain terms. If you would join me, we can discuss the matter further."
Stepping through the portal onto the roof next to the woman, I jumped back with a start as a second one opened directly in front of me. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw that my kitchen was gone, replaced with buildings and sky. The new portal led to a white-walled conference room, where the woman was taking a seat.
"Please, come sit. We have much to talk about, and I'm sure you wouldn't want to air cape matters where others might overhear."
I walked into the room, portal vanishing behind me. "I'm not going to like what I hear am I? Nobody I know would buy me powers to help me after all."
"Your assessment is correct, unfortunately. I would not judge you in the slightest for turning the sponsorship down, as it comes quite close to violating our standards. Our client insisted on inserting a clause derived from our Nemesis Program, which is designed to boost the careers of heroically-inclined customers who aren't willing to put the effort into building themselves up the normal way. Through this program, Cauldron provides a suitable villain to act as a rival to the would-be hero, with various measures taken to ensure that the 'nemesis' will ultimately lose to the client, thus giving them a more developed reputation than they would have otherwise. In the case of the clause your sponsor added, you would be their nemesis," she then held up a hand, preempting my shout of outrage. "In doing this, they sacrificed the safety protocols and structures of the Nemesis Program in exchange for something that would be tolerable to someone with a functioning brain. All the advantage they have is in that they chose the power you would get, the ability to set up fights where they can assign you targets and crimes from a list we compiled, and a briefing on your initial results from our inhouse power testing."
"I… I'll think about it. What power am I looking at, and are there any requirements for what kind of cape persona I have?" I asked.
"Excellent questions Ruth. Your sponsor has selected a formula that grants low to mid-range Tinker abilities, typically of the Architect subcategory. As to requirements," she paused, before giving me a weirdly maternal smile. "There are none. All that you have to do is be a villain, with no restrictions on how you present yourself."
Ignoring the codename, I nodded. "That… I'm not sure, but I will definitely think on it. I don't like the idea of being a villain, but if I don't have to actively hurt people…"
"You don't, non-violent crimes are perfectly acceptable and while you would be required to commit criminal acts outside of those assigned by your sponsor for notoriety reasons, you will be paid for the attention you get. We will also ensure you don't face any long-term punishments for what you do if you are defeated, so long as you don't go overboard. Probation as a Ward is probably what you can expect there. Finally, this arrangement would only last for six months, with eleven mandated encounters, after which you are free to do as you please. If your sponsor attempts to continue past the expiration, they will find that, in either eventuality, continuing to pursue you will harm their reputation. One can only lose so many times before it starts dragging them down, and attacking someone who has already paid for their crimes screams of a vendetta rather than a desire for justice."
I snapped out of my memories with a jerk as an alert chimed from my visor. The sun was sinking below the horizon and I'd managed to build a decent-sized earth and wood lean-to style hut among the outcrop in a fugue. Which was fortunate, as the local nightlife was beginning to emerge and I had no desire to deal with what appeared to be a feathered rat the size of a swan after the day I'd had.
Leaving my equipment cart for the moment, I made my way downhill in the direction of the brook. Depending on the size and profile, I could get a hydro-generator setup to power the base anchor. If not, I'd have to travel downstream to search for better locations. The recall anchors could technically operate without an external power supply for several weeks, but that wasn't something I wanted to rely on, especially since the one I'd be setting up here was necessarily the cornerstone of my base. Just plonking the thing down anywhere would cause far too many problems down the line, and electricity was too useful not acquire early on.
What I had anticipated being a five-minute walk ended up being a half-hour hike, as the forest was denser than I expected. And when I got to the brook, it was broad and shallow. Really should have expected that from the noise is made, but it did lead to a much larger stream with a deep, narrow channel. Dangerous to cross, but the confined flow and fast current meant it was perfect for installing a water wheel, assuming I could work out how to install the thing safely. Even better was the seam of high-grade malachite in the hillside above the stream's bank. Said hill also had a nice clear view of the sound, as while shorter than the hill I started on, the trees were thinner and more towards the landward side. Not ideal, but the signs I could see pointed towards a forest fire rather than direct weather damage. I'd still be going for stone walls on that side, if I chose that hilltop at all.
Finding a fallen tree just around a bend near the ore vain, I traversed the stream and scaled the slope on the far side. The extensive stony outcrop at the peak of the clearly larger hill seemed promising, gneiss made for a much better foundation than root-filled dirt and would provide a solid wall against whatever hurricanes that may hit the region. I'd need to haul logs uphill from the lower slopes because the thin soil over rock didn't seem to be something the local trees handled well, but that wouldn't be too much of a problem so long as I didn't get ambitious and stuck to smaller trunks for the initial structure.
Of course, actually starting on my home would have to wait, both because I lacked time to do more than plan out the basics, and the fact that I lacked a number of things I'd need to actually build with. Moving my supplies over and setting up the anchor would come first, followed by kitting up for my debut as a supervillain. With that sobering thought, I began searching the outcrop for a place to stash things out of the weather. This particular task was completed more quickly than expected, as I came around the side of the outcrop from where I'd approached, only to find an enclosed overhang large enough to fit everything I'd brought to Tǩóymos. All that was left to do there was to bring everything over and block it off with a sheet of heavy bark.
I was halfway back to my arrival point when I realized that there was no way I should have been able to notice even half of what I made decisions based on. Thinker powers were bullshit.
Transporting everything to my chosen steading ended taking pretty much the entire remainder of my time before I'd be returned to Bet, so I simply slid on my brigandine, slipped on my visor and set my anchor down on a relatively flat section of rock. Sliding open a panel on the unit, I twisted a pale blue crystal, then pushed it in and flipped one of two switches up, causing the device to hum. Inverting a different crystal made it glow, then cease both emissions. Closing the anchor back up, I stood and was about to begin making my way to my starting point when the air tore open in front of me.
Blinking, I quickly grabbed what I needed for my return.
***
Brockton Bay, Earth Bet, Jan 5, 2011.
Stepping through the Cauldron portal for the last time, I stood in one of the many derelict warehouses in the Docks, holding my last recall anchor while my three scanner drones hovered after me. This building, I'd been told, still had power, so keeping the base unit running would be simple enough one I installed it. Of course, that meant finding a spot to put the thing where it was unlikely to be found by a homeless person or the Merchants. I'd stick it the rafters, if not for the fact that doing so would likely result in me appearing in midair because the system only checked for obstructions. I'd have to fix that at some point, but right now all that could be done was to take that flaw into account.
Sending my drones to examine the area for potential hiding spots, I began running through places I could hit for my debut. A Medhall storehouse for medical supplies, a drugstore for medical kits, one of the hardware stores for the parts to tinker up a hydro-generator, supermarket for canned food… Best go for the last one, as I had no idea yet what was safe to eat on Tǩóymos and I could grab some seeds what I was at it. Corn, green onion, normal onions, tomatoes, potatoes, and chili peppers all went onto a list compiled on my visor as I watched the drone feeds. I'd only get one harvest out of the seeds, but by then I'd either have found edible local flora, gotten my hands on heirloom seeds, or both.
With my 'shopping list' generated, I made my way over to the battered staircase leading to the manager's office, where one of my drones had spotted a space. Getting to it required a bit of climbing, but put me on top of the office structure and out of sight, a perfect place to teleport in and out of. There was even an electrical conduit running up the wall for me to tap into, with a note taped to it. With my cape name on it.
'Hausōs, I figured you could use a few things that weren't provided to you. To your left is a box containing a Haywire-tech derived transdimensional communications relay, a laptop computer, and a 60 hertz, 120-volt generator typically used with a stationary bicycle. This should aid your endeavors significantly.
-Tessa'
I stared at the note, then turned to the box and dispatched the drone to scan it. Nothing that shouldn't be in any of the devices was present, though the relay contained a similar amount of americium to a smoke detector. Not a hazard unless I ingested it. I tossed the note into the box and went about hooking the anchor into the conduit, deciding to leave the weirdness until after I'd grabbed enough supplies to last me a few days. Probably should grab a large bag or sack while I'm at it, so as to be able to carry more in both going raiding. These were both inputted into my visor.
Clambering down form the office's roof, I made my way outside and pulled up a map with my visor's pirated cell datalink, plotting my path to the nearest supermarket that I know would have the seeds I wanted. This was followed by a long trudge through knee deep snow, because no one was in the area to keep the sidewalks clear and the city wasn't going to waste money on ensuring abandoned areas were walkable.
***
It was dark by the time I reached my target store, which was fine by me. I was just getting supplies, not doing a notoriety run, so a low customer count wasn't a concern. In fact, I rather liked the idea of my first outing as a villain being quiet and low-key.
Striding through the doors with my drones in tow and one hand on my hunting knife, I declared in a loud voice, further amplified by a speaker in my visor, "Alright Brocktonites! You know the drill by now, so I won't waste anyone's time. Leave me be and nobody gets hurt! I'm not here for money or jewelry, just the exact same kinds of you're here for: food, household goods and gardening supplies. Only difference is that you lot have jobs and shit, while I got fucked over by a useless excuse for an educational system. So in the interest of not ruining anyone else's life, let's keep things friendly and no one go trying to stop me or calling the PRT on the account of me not wanting to almost die in a blizzard again!"
The three people at the front of the store stared at me. Or maybe my drones, it was a little hard to tell with the floating scouts hovering around my shoulders. I sent them out into the aisles to seek out the nonperishable foods, potatoes, and garden seeds for ease of collection. Even with the warning, I'd want to be gone as fast as I could without showing off my teleportation capability. While Emma may know about that, she had no way of telling the Protectorate that without inviting awkward questions. And she hadn't even gotten her powers yet, as we had been scheduled to get them this weekend, before Cauldron had to bring me in early because of the blizzard. Anyway, keeping that as out of sight as possible was a good idea.
Once the drones were in place, I set off towards the nearest of them, in the gardening section. Snagging a burlap planting bag as I went, I started gathering together the various seed packets that I wanted, simply pulling the entire present stock out of the holders and tossing them into the bag. Also grabbed were two hoes that I noticed along the way, along with a pair of gloves and an entrenching tool that was there for some reason.
Moving on to the next leg of my circuit, I snatched a ten-pound bag of potatoes and hooked it onto the drone that was hovering over them before continuing to the canned and dried foods area. Cans of spam, beans, tuna, and fruit joined pouches of dehydrated pasta, shredded chicken, freeze-dried eggs, and powered milk in the bag as I blitzed the three aisles containing those goods.
Nearing the limit of what I could safely carry, I made my way back to the front of the store, passing a few customers who'd been in other sections while I was grabbing my supplies. None of them tried anything, happily. Probably confused by the obvious Tinker running around doing who knew what. Things ceased going smoothly when I got to the doors however.
"Because of course the junior cops show up now, rather than when they'd be actually helpful," I growled at the sight of Kid Win and Triumph waiting on the sidewalk. "Come to come to stomp on the homeless and desperate like good little jackboots?"
Both Wards flinched, before Triumph spoke. "I'm not sure what you're talking about, but going villain isn't going to solve your problems. Put down the stolen goods and come with us, we can help-"
I cut him off with a harsh, slightly manic, laugh. "Help? Really? Funny how the people who're supposed to protect us only reach out when you have powers and aren't taking their shit anymore! Where was this offer of help when I was begging for it under a relentless bullying campaign? Where was help when I was starved out of my own home? Where was help when I almost froze to death in a fucking blizzard?!?!?" Taking a few deep breaths, I raised one hand, a single finger extended. "Fuck you, fuck the PRT, fuck City Hall, and fuck those useless Skies shunned morons in DC!" With that I shoved past the stunned heroes and hurried down a nearby alleyway, before landing my drones on my back and shoulders and triggering my portable recall anchor.
***
Unnamed Location, Earth Tǩóymos, Jan 5, 2011.
I stumbled a bit when I landed at my base, probably due to the weight of my supplies and drones. Setting down my bag and relocating the drones, I triggered another jump back to Bet to grab the mystery box before returning again. That done, I set a patrol pattern on the drones and grabbed my axe, then headed down into the forest. Making shelter was now a priority with night on the way. Well, I wasn't actually sure how long I had until sundown, but figured it would be best to get building early and that the work would distract me from my unexpected Wards encounter.
Exploding at them wasn't something I'd planned on doing, but running into a patrol like that had caught me off-guard in a way I hadn't expected. Not having a plan for such an eventuality was stupid of me, and not a mistake I could afford to make again. I was lucky that it was just the Wards really because if it'd been Protectorate, I would have either been caught or forced to abandon my drones to escape. That was a potentially fatal loss, considering how little I knew about the wildlife on Tǩóymos.
Just being caught unawares wasn't why I'd lost my temper though. It was how sincere Triumph was that set me off. Winds, why did it have to come after everything had fallen apart on me? When I'd already taken the deal that had ceded the choice to accept his offer? Why couldn't I have Triggered under the strain of the Trio's bullying? I knew I had the potential from the brain scans Cauldron had run after I'd agreed to go through their testing.
But so what if the Wards Program would get me into Arcadia? It's not like it would've stopped Dad from spending so little time at home that he forgot to keep the kitchen stocked. Sure, a Wards paycheck would've allowed me to feed myself, but that was a poor substitute for a father who cared enough to do so himself. Low standards there, I know, but it was probably the best I could hope for after Mom died. I wouldn't even be able to move out to spare myself the emotional pain of having basically lost both parents, because the Youth Guard was rumored to have quashed attempts by Wards to get emancipated, preferring to get guardianship transferred to a family of their own choosing if the Ward had a good enough case that they needed to get away from their family. While gossip was inherently untrustworthy, that one was not something I'd want to risk being true. Winds, I just kept finding reasons why villainy was at worse on par with being a Ward didn't I?
The more I thought about it, the more this whole Nemesis thing felt more like the better choice than an act of desperation. Sure, I'd obliged myself to obeying certain commands from the girl who turned our friendship into a dagger to bury in my gut, but she in turn was limited to setting a crime and location from limited lists with no ability to control or manipulate my behavior. Nothing in the contract 'Mara' and I signed said or even implied that she'd win this match-up, leaving the bitch to her own devices when it came to building her reputation. Even if she beat me in every encounter, she could lose based solely on how I behaved, and beating up a desperate teen runaway just trying to survive was almost as bad a look as kicking down a harmless humor cape. The best part was probably that she likely didn't even realize that all she had to do was ignore that she knew who I was. Her own apparent need to hurt Taylor Hebert would ruin her chances against Hausōs.
As I worked to gather building materials, my mind continued to drift further into the past…
***
Hebert Residence, Earth Bet, Nov 12, 2010.
"You know, there are other options than that."
I almost dropped the knife I was examining at the unexpected voice from behind me. "I… wah… No, that's not what I was thinking at all! My life might suck but I'm not that desperate to…" I trailed off as I turned around to find a freestanding opening in the middle of the kitchen, leading to a rooftop looking out over the San Francisco skyline, with a dark-skinned woman in a lab coat standing in the middle. "Who…?"
The woman gave me smile as she replied "I am a representative of a group called Cauldron. You were looking for us I believe."
I gaped. "You're the mystery power sellers? T-that's real? And available on my 'budget'?"
Shaking her head, the woman stated "Yes, we're real. No, ordinarily we wouldn't approach you unless you had quite a bit more funds and had done more than a few cursory searches. Fortunately for you however, one of our other clients has expressed a desire to purchase powers on your behalf, subject to your acceptance of certain terms. If you would join me, we can discuss the matter further."
Stepping through the portal onto the roof next to the woman, I jumped back with a start as a second one opened directly in front of me. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw that my kitchen was gone, replaced with buildings and sky. The new portal led to a white-walled conference room, where the woman was taking a seat.
"Please, come sit. We have much to talk about, and I'm sure you wouldn't want to air cape matters where others might overhear."
I walked into the room, portal vanishing behind me. "I'm not going to like what I hear am I? Nobody I know would buy me powers to help me after all."
"Your assessment is correct, unfortunately. I would not judge you in the slightest for turning the sponsorship down, as it comes quite close to violating our standards. Our client insisted on inserting a clause derived from our Nemesis Program, which is designed to boost the careers of heroically-inclined customers who aren't willing to put the effort into building themselves up the normal way. Through this program, Cauldron provides a suitable villain to act as a rival to the would-be hero, with various measures taken to ensure that the 'nemesis' will ultimately lose to the client, thus giving them a more developed reputation than they would have otherwise. In the case of the clause your sponsor added, you would be their nemesis," she then held up a hand, preempting my shout of outrage. "In doing this, they sacrificed the safety protocols and structures of the Nemesis Program in exchange for something that would be tolerable to someone with a functioning brain. All the advantage they have is in that they chose the power you would get, the ability to set up fights where they can assign you targets and crimes from a list we compiled, and a briefing on your initial results from our inhouse power testing."
"I… I'll think about it. What power am I looking at, and are there any requirements for what kind of cape persona I have?" I asked.
"Excellent questions Ruth. Your sponsor has selected a formula that grants low to mid-range Tinker abilities, typically of the Architect subcategory. As to requirements," she paused, before giving me a weirdly maternal smile. "There are none. All that you have to do is be a villain, with no restrictions on how you present yourself."
Ignoring the codename, I nodded. "That… I'm not sure, but I will definitely think on it. I don't like the idea of being a villain, but if I don't have to actively hurt people…"
"You don't, non-violent crimes are perfectly acceptable and while you would be required to commit criminal acts outside of those assigned by your sponsor for notoriety reasons, you will be paid for the attention you get. We will also ensure you don't face any long-term punishments for what you do if you are defeated, so long as you don't go overboard. Probation as a Ward is probably what you can expect there. Finally, this arrangement would only last for six months, with eleven mandated encounters, after which you are free to do as you please. If your sponsor attempts to continue past the expiration, they will find that, in either eventuality, continuing to pursue you will harm their reputation. One can only lose so many times before it starts dragging them down, and attacking someone who has already paid for their crimes screams of a vendetta rather than a desire for justice."
***
Unnamed Location, Earth Tǩóymos, Jan 5, 2011.
I snapped out of my memories with a jerk as an alert chimed from my visor. The sun was sinking below the horizon and I'd managed to build a decent-sized earth and wood lean-to style hut among the outcrop in a fugue. Which was fortunate, as the local nightlife was beginning to emerge and I had no desire to deal with what appeared to be a feathered rat the size of a swan after the day I'd had.
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- Location
- NY, NY
I'd feel bad for Emma if she wasn't, you know, Emma 
globalwarmth
ruining the weather.
- Location
- Polar ice caps
avoid high ground if there is a fire hazard. fire goes up!
plus its not like there are people to fortify against that it would offer a tactical advantage
the ideal would be to have the hill at her back while facing the predominant sun and not be too far from water
Sandy River DL
(Verified Destroyer Leader)
- Location
- Lake Michigan
- Pronouns
- Her/She
She's also near a volcano, which can release clouds of toxic gases that hug the ground. A hilltop provides protection from that hazard and storm flooding. The right materials and design can keep a forest fire out and provide a sheltered area that can last her through. Nothing short of an airtight structure can protect against sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide.
Guardsman_Sparky
The Clueless Wonder
- Location
- Virginia
Rebuttal: this is an Earth that has swan-sized feathered rats (or possibly giant pigeons). This to me implies the existence of megafauna, which would mean good odds on predatory megafauna. So, Taylor would definitely want to build atop the hill, both to augment the relative height of her walls and to spot large predators coming from a distance away.
you mean being a disloyal backstabbing piece of S*** that turned on someone who had been their friend and sister in all but blood since they was both small children, alll because of 1 nasty encounter with a few members of the ABB one of BB's largest gangs while trying to take a shortcut within ABB territory and more or less getting indoctrinated rather easily by a cowardice B**** who would only 'help' victims if they 'fight back' or else she would either watch the crime happen and attack after it's done or flee into the night to look for more 'survivors who are willing to fight back', oh and she got mad at taylor's comment about her hair without even trying to talk to taylor when she came back from summer camp? emma's got more then a few screws loose and the fact she never got help is a reallly big bad point for her father who after it happened should've made emma attend counselling sessionsI'd feel bad for Emma if she wasn't, you know, Emma
Draxsis
SANLOST
- Location
- United states
Well looks like Taylor is off to a good start. And Contessa lends a hand on some odds and ends supplies.
Looking like Cauldron is in favor of Taylor winning because they seem to be going out of their way to let her know that she can preform an upset if she wants to in that flash back.
Also they may be looking to recruit her as someone to set up backup bases for them after the contact is completed. She does seem to have the perfect power set for, fast set up, planetary colonization. At least that's what I've gotten from her mentioned available tinker plans so far.
Edit: Also she has one of the best bases I've ever heard of. The heroes literally can't back track her because there's nowhere on Bet for them to go to. Sure she has the beacon in the one warehouse with plans to fortify that position but it's not really her base. Add in the teleportation and once she retreats to her off Bet base they can't get to her without their own extra-dimensional teleportation.
Though if I were her my first priority after basic setup would be backup teleporters. All she needs to have happen right now is for one of them to fail and she either a) loses access to her off Bet base, or b) loses her way home to Bet.
Looking like Cauldron is in favor of Taylor winning because they seem to be going out of their way to let her know that she can preform an upset if she wants to in that flash back.
Also they may be looking to recruit her as someone to set up backup bases for them after the contact is completed. She does seem to have the perfect power set for, fast set up, planetary colonization. At least that's what I've gotten from her mentioned available tinker plans so far.
Edit: Also she has one of the best bases I've ever heard of. The heroes literally can't back track her because there's nowhere on Bet for them to go to. Sure she has the beacon in the one warehouse with plans to fortify that position but it's not really her base. Add in the teleportation and once she retreats to her off Bet base they can't get to her without their own extra-dimensional teleportation.
Though if I were her my first priority after basic setup would be backup teleporters. All she needs to have happen right now is for one of them to fail and she either a) loses access to her off Bet base, or b) loses her way home to Bet.
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- Pronouns
- He/Him
Pretty sure Cauldron wants Taylor to build small settlements on as many empty worlds as possible so that humanity can survive the End of the World. A couple hundred settlements of 6-7 hundred people would be able to keep humanity going even with Scion's rampage unhalted. He *probably* can't find them all, right?
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That actually makes a hell of a lot of sense. Given the projected destruction from doomsday, a person capable of quickly establishing shelter, power grids, waste management systems, and sustainable food sources would be worth Behemoth's weight in gold. The fact she can build a means of transporting between them across dimensions is like winning the lottery.
- Location
- ontario, canada
I'm getting serious Minecraft vibes from her tinker power, outside of the drones.
Twisted
Science, because it's basically magic.
- Location
- The Land Down Under.
- Pronouns
- Sir, He, Him
Plus she would have the High Ground.
All she'd have to do to keep Fire away would be to clear away the nearby flora in a certain radius around her new base.
Maybe set up some controlled burns to keep the area clear and then set up a way to flood the area around her hill, like an overkill sprinkler system that acts more like a Switch in a Water Level of a video game.
If she can build a sealed environment on that hill, she'd be safe enough from harmful Volcanic gases and a trench would take care of most of the Lavaflow so long as it's deep enough, have it run in a diagonal away from your hill and the nearby river.
To keep away animals, you have a few options, High frequency sound emittors will drive off most animals if they are tuned correctly and liberal planting of an irritant like poison oak, Sandbox trees or Gympie-Gympie will turn your local area into a veritable hellscape for stupid giant megafauna.
The perfect way to keep things off your land, be advised they also work on you so don't go overboard.
If all else fails, you can always install chemical sprayers that make the local area smell like Cthulu's unwashed armpit and just wear a Hermitically sealed helmet at all times.
- Location
- Europe
Ok, this persona is actually intriguing.
She'll certainly get quite a following from all the downtrotten and disillusioned of Brockton.
I forsee many a monologue incoming! Also, now i'm already trying to imagine which people she could collect down the line to form a team with. Trainwreck, Bitch, MAybe even parian and Mush. how about this?^^
also: how about instead of the typical rivalry with New Wave or being Pals with the U-siders, she'll have a suspicious and angry Faultline trying to find out what Taylors connection to Caultdon is?^^
This story is dripping with possibilities.
She'll certainly get quite a following from all the downtrotten and disillusioned of Brockton.
I forsee many a monologue incoming! Also, now i'm already trying to imagine which people she could collect down the line to form a team with. Trainwreck, Bitch, MAybe even parian and Mush. how about this?^^
also: how about instead of the typical rivalry with New Wave or being Pals with the U-siders, she'll have a suspicious and angry Faultline trying to find out what Taylors connection to Caultdon is?^^
This story is dripping with possibilities.
Sandy River DL
(Verified Destroyer Leader)
- Location
- Lake Michigan
- Pronouns
- Her/She
All that I'm going to say is that I have plans, the lines will be drawn in unique ways, a scummy snake's in for a Bad Time, and a certain four girls will get much better treatment than Wildbow gave them. Oh, and there will be hugs, shipping, and cuddles.
I woud be lying if I wasn't eager for Coil to get his commuppance yet again, though I hope Taylor also gets the chance to help shut down the ABB's deplorable operations. (While robbing them blind, becuz Villain Tinker needs Monee)
Sandy River DL
(Verified Destroyer Leader)
- Location
- Lake Michigan
- Pronouns
- Her/She
Figuring out how to deal with Lung without Taylor accidentally starting a gang war is an annoying task, but one I hope to work out even if it means pulling out some truly crazy plans.
Steal all of his underwear and trousers. All of it. Including the socks. Then make drones to automatically follow and hose him with fire extinguishers.
Or just build a Super Deep pit-trap and cover it with a tarmac coated plank of plywood, then lead Lung over it.
Steakthedog
Verified Pedant
If yer goin that route, build a glorious Rube-Goldberg machine that's entire goal is to ensure that ping-pong balls are hitting him in the head every time he blinks.
Set up teleport beacons so that every time he tries to go into his bathroom, it teleports him directly into the PRT toilets, and then back when he tries to leave those. See how long it takes for the PRT to catch on and ambush Lung with his shorts down.
Sandy River DL
(Verified Destroyer Leader)
- Location
- Lake Michigan
- Pronouns
- Her/She
Taylor: And risk the PRT using them to reach my base? No thanks!
Then I support the ping pong drones. Just constant ping-pong ball attacks, eternally following him.
I don't think you can get rid of lung without triggering at least some conflict from bakuda needing to establish herself and the E88 pushing them. there needs to be at least a little conflict between the 2 but maybe after a cape or two die to bakuda's crazy bombs they can give up?
avoid escalating the situation like what happened in canon with her targeting the city and drawing everyone into a truce against the ABB.
also the merchants aren't anything right now, they have 3 capes and they control territory no one wants, they aren't a threat to anyone at this point in the story. maybe have coil be blamed for something that causes the 2 groups to attack him? because he was a major cause of destabilization, he needed to get rid of the ABB and E88 so he and his group can take over the city's underworld. perhaps expose his efforts to find put and reveal the empire's capes identities. or somehow find out he is calvert and expose him from the PRT angle.
just some ideas I have
avoid escalating the situation like what happened in canon with her targeting the city and drawing everyone into a truce against the ABB.
also the merchants aren't anything right now, they have 3 capes and they control territory no one wants, they aren't a threat to anyone at this point in the story. maybe have coil be blamed for something that causes the 2 groups to attack him? because he was a major cause of destabilization, he needed to get rid of the ABB and E88 so he and his group can take over the city's underworld. perhaps expose his efforts to find put and reveal the empire's capes identities. or somehow find out he is calvert and expose him from the PRT angle.
just some ideas I have
- Location
- Europe
Best thing is that i don't WANT to hear you explain your plans to us.
I'm perfectly content with reading your story at the pace you give it out.