Disclaimer: Worm belongs to Wildbow. This fanfic is just me playing in his universe.
My...
My...
Drip [Worm AU | Alt-Power]
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Faucet 1.1
- Location
- USA
Disclaimer: Worm belongs to Wildbow. This fanfic is just me playing in his universe.
My costume was ugly, but functional. To protect my body from impacts, I had soaked a dark hoodie and some jeans in silica-infused polyethylene glycol, creating tough but flexible armor. I didn't think it would stop a bullet - I need a tougher base material than fabric to do that - but it would be enough to blunt a knife or flying shrapnel. Above it, I wore a similarly treated balaclava, and a white domino mask. The coolest part of the costume was my belt, which I had modified to have slots for six plastic drink bottles, a spray can, a pouch with twenty glass vials, and another pouch filled with tied-off water balloons. As soon as I figured out a way to get empty syringes, I was going to add some slots for those. I hadn't quite figured out my cape identity yet, so I focused on practicality over theme.
I hadn't come up with anything that really fit my power yet.
Going out tonight was probably stupid. For one thing, it was Sunday, so I would have to go to school the next day. For another, I wasn't sure I was ready. After all, I had only been running for about two months, and practicing my throwing aim for three weeks. I still had no combat training, and I was sure that there was a lot I still didn't understand about my power. Running off to be a superhero now was…dangerous. But if I didn't go now, I wasn't sure if I ever would. There would always be another preparation, more training, another thing to try out.
Besides, I needed an escape from the hell that was high school. My frustration at my tormentors was worse, in some ways, now that I had superpowers but could not use them against them. I needed to use my powers - to do some good for the city, and for myself.
It was just after midnight, and I had entered one of the nastier parts of town. My parents had always told me to stick to the Boardwalk in Brockton Bay - the expanse of expensive stores running along the beach, optimized for tourism and safe beneath the watchful eye of the nearby Protectorate Headquarters. Now, I was entering the Docks to the West of the Boardwalk, an area suffering from criminal activity born from the wave of unemployment that had hit when the shipping business dried up. Brockton Bay had one of the highest per capita concentrations of supervillains in the country, thanks in part to the abundance of henchmen.
The change in scenery was abrupt. Suddenly, I found myself in a wasteland of warehouses and run-down apartments, the streets populated by gangsters, prostitutes, and homeless people. The area was thankfully much darker than the Boardwalk, and I stayed to the shadows - I didn't want to be surprised by anybody.
The flare of a lighter from across the street caused me to freeze and duck behind a parked car, reeking of oil. A leak, perhaps. In the dim light, I could see a group of men, clad in red and green. The colors of the Azn Bad Boys. A gang led by the villainous Lung, a cape known for going head to head with entire teams of heroes and somehow coming out on top. From what I had learned while researching local villains, he got stronger the longer he was in a fight - larger, tougher, and with hotter flames. Oh yes, he was pyrokinetic as well.
And he was here. Shit. Not that I thought I could take on six thugs at once even without him, but I could probably at least escape if I was noticed. I wasn't sure whether I could outrun Lung, and my tricks were less likely to affect him. Behind him, more ABB gangsters filed out of the building. I suddenly wanted to be further away. Slipping down a nearby alley as quietly as I could, I found a fire escape and scaled it up to the roof. I had coated the soles of my shoes in a thin layer of urethane foam, which helped to keep my steps as silent as possible. Two stories up, I crept around the edge of the roof, avoiding the crunchy gravel. As I approached the side near Lung and his thugs, I carefully got down into a kneeling position, and then set myself on my stomach, crawling the rest of the distance.
I reached the edge just in time to hear him say "…the children, just shoot. Doesn't matter your aim, just shoot. You see one lying on the ground? Shoot the little bitch twice more to be sure. We give them no chances to be clever or lucky, understand?"
They were going to kill kids? I shivered. I couldn't let them get away with something like this. If I let innocent children be murdered, I knew would never be able to live with myself. But I didn't have a phone. A stupid oversight - if I had one, I could have called the heroes. I didn't think I would be able to get to another phone in time; I wasn't even sure how much time I had. The gang was beginning to move out - it looked like they had a force of about two dozen men, plus Lung. I was out of options.
Well, time to be a hero.
My heart hammering in my chest, I drew out one of the pre-tied balloons. I knew that my absolute first priority was to take out Lung, before he could become too powerful. From what I had read, he had some sort of regeneration, so I wasn't sure whether capsaicin would be enough to incapacitate him. I would need something stronger, but not too lethal.
In the course of my research, I had found a number of scarily powerful contact poisons. I was reasonably sure that I could kill him (or, more likely, myself) with a balloon of poison dart frog venom - just two micrograms would kill a human on skin contact - but that was obviously off the table. If he was a normal gangster, I'd probably throw pure capsaicin, but that would just make Lung angry. Every since deciding to be a hero, I had searched everywhere I could for non-lethal poisons that could safely incapacitate criminals, but with little luck. Even the chloroform used in so many mystery novels was lethal at doses as low as 1.6 oz, and I didn't think I could control the amount a criminal might inhale in a fight.
Fortunately, only a week ago I had discovered something amazing about my power. Yet another of my shirts had been ruined by Madison, and I had been wishing for an easy way to clean up the stains. Reaching out on a whim, my power gave me a clear, pale, yellow liquid. Pouring it over my shirt, the grape juice came out almost immediately. I still had no idea what the liquid had been. My power had simply supplied a substance that adhered to my requirements of "cleans grape juice out of my shirt without harming the fabric." I threw away the shirt afterward, of course - I hadn't specified anything about whether the liquid was safe for humans to touch.
This was in fact one of the reasons I had been willing to start going out in costume. With an option for nonlethal takedowns besides capsaicin, I was sure I had everything I needed to be a successful hero.
Gripping the balloon, I called on my power. Give me something that will knock out Lung for a few hours on contact without killing him, or any other humans it touches, I requested silently. I felt the weight increase as the balloon began to fill with…something. The rate wasn't very fast, though the small balloon expanded quickly enough. A series of tests had placed my fill rate at a consistent 1.12 fluid ounces per second. A soda can held 12 oz of fluid, so it would take me about ten seconds to fill a can with fluid - in other words, slower than a faucet.
Of course, most faucets only produce water.
Fortunately (and wasn't that a crazy thought) the thugs were walking in my direction, Lung at the head of them. He was shirtless, and wore an ornate metal mask. His skin was covered in dragon tattoos. By the time he reached the closest point across the street from me, I had about twenty ounces of mystery liquid in the balloon. Now was probably my best chance. Breathing out to steady my nerves, I hurled the balloon at Lung, praying that my aim would hold. If I missed, I was probably dead.
To my surprise, it struck him square in the face.
The balloon exploded, sending its contents over Lung and the ABB goons nearby. Lung and five gangsters collapsed to the ground almost immediately.
Way, way too easy.
After half a second of utter silence, there was pandemonium. The rest of the thugs started shouting and milling around, waving their guns and looking for the source of the attack. I began to fill another balloon, impressed with the effectiveness of the first one. At least, I really, really hoped that it had been effective.
"What was that?"
"It came from above! I saw! Search the buildings!"
"Lung is down!"
"He's fine, stupid! Find them!"
"Get them!"
The gangsters spread out and began moving toward the various buildings, and I realized I had a serious problem. Without them clumped up in one group, I could probably only hit one or maybe two at a time with my balloons - and if I did, the others would probably notice. I wasn't experienced at being stealthy, and it took too long to fill the balloons. Using the spray can was dangerous for me with the knockout liquid, which seemed to be extremely potent, and using capsaicin would draw the entire gang down on my location with the screams. But I was pretty sure they would find me if I did nothing, and I saw no way to escape past them. Once they knew where I was, they could just shoot me.
This had been a horrible mistake. Was I seriously going to die to a bunch of normal thugs after defeating my first parahuman?
My costume was ugly, but functional. To protect my body from impacts, I had soaked a dark hoodie and some jeans in silica-infused polyethylene glycol, creating tough but flexible armor. I didn't think it would stop a bullet - I need a tougher base material than fabric to do that - but it would be enough to blunt a knife or flying shrapnel. Above it, I wore a similarly treated balaclava, and a white domino mask. The coolest part of the costume was my belt, which I had modified to have slots for six plastic drink bottles, a spray can, a pouch with twenty glass vials, and another pouch filled with tied-off water balloons. As soon as I figured out a way to get empty syringes, I was going to add some slots for those. I hadn't quite figured out my cape identity yet, so I focused on practicality over theme.
I hadn't come up with anything that really fit my power yet.
Going out tonight was probably stupid. For one thing, it was Sunday, so I would have to go to school the next day. For another, I wasn't sure I was ready. After all, I had only been running for about two months, and practicing my throwing aim for three weeks. I still had no combat training, and I was sure that there was a lot I still didn't understand about my power. Running off to be a superhero now was…dangerous. But if I didn't go now, I wasn't sure if I ever would. There would always be another preparation, more training, another thing to try out.
Besides, I needed an escape from the hell that was high school. My frustration at my tormentors was worse, in some ways, now that I had superpowers but could not use them against them. I needed to use my powers - to do some good for the city, and for myself.
It was just after midnight, and I had entered one of the nastier parts of town. My parents had always told me to stick to the Boardwalk in Brockton Bay - the expanse of expensive stores running along the beach, optimized for tourism and safe beneath the watchful eye of the nearby Protectorate Headquarters. Now, I was entering the Docks to the West of the Boardwalk, an area suffering from criminal activity born from the wave of unemployment that had hit when the shipping business dried up. Brockton Bay had one of the highest per capita concentrations of supervillains in the country, thanks in part to the abundance of henchmen.
The change in scenery was abrupt. Suddenly, I found myself in a wasteland of warehouses and run-down apartments, the streets populated by gangsters, prostitutes, and homeless people. The area was thankfully much darker than the Boardwalk, and I stayed to the shadows - I didn't want to be surprised by anybody.
The flare of a lighter from across the street caused me to freeze and duck behind a parked car, reeking of oil. A leak, perhaps. In the dim light, I could see a group of men, clad in red and green. The colors of the Azn Bad Boys. A gang led by the villainous Lung, a cape known for going head to head with entire teams of heroes and somehow coming out on top. From what I had learned while researching local villains, he got stronger the longer he was in a fight - larger, tougher, and with hotter flames. Oh yes, he was pyrokinetic as well.
And he was here. Shit. Not that I thought I could take on six thugs at once even without him, but I could probably at least escape if I was noticed. I wasn't sure whether I could outrun Lung, and my tricks were less likely to affect him. Behind him, more ABB gangsters filed out of the building. I suddenly wanted to be further away. Slipping down a nearby alley as quietly as I could, I found a fire escape and scaled it up to the roof. I had coated the soles of my shoes in a thin layer of urethane foam, which helped to keep my steps as silent as possible. Two stories up, I crept around the edge of the roof, avoiding the crunchy gravel. As I approached the side near Lung and his thugs, I carefully got down into a kneeling position, and then set myself on my stomach, crawling the rest of the distance.
I reached the edge just in time to hear him say "…the children, just shoot. Doesn't matter your aim, just shoot. You see one lying on the ground? Shoot the little bitch twice more to be sure. We give them no chances to be clever or lucky, understand?"
They were going to kill kids? I shivered. I couldn't let them get away with something like this. If I let innocent children be murdered, I knew would never be able to live with myself. But I didn't have a phone. A stupid oversight - if I had one, I could have called the heroes. I didn't think I would be able to get to another phone in time; I wasn't even sure how much time I had. The gang was beginning to move out - it looked like they had a force of about two dozen men, plus Lung. I was out of options.
Well, time to be a hero.
My heart hammering in my chest, I drew out one of the pre-tied balloons. I knew that my absolute first priority was to take out Lung, before he could become too powerful. From what I had read, he had some sort of regeneration, so I wasn't sure whether capsaicin would be enough to incapacitate him. I would need something stronger, but not too lethal.
In the course of my research, I had found a number of scarily powerful contact poisons. I was reasonably sure that I could kill him (or, more likely, myself) with a balloon of poison dart frog venom - just two micrograms would kill a human on skin contact - but that was obviously off the table. If he was a normal gangster, I'd probably throw pure capsaicin, but that would just make Lung angry. Every since deciding to be a hero, I had searched everywhere I could for non-lethal poisons that could safely incapacitate criminals, but with little luck. Even the chloroform used in so many mystery novels was lethal at doses as low as 1.6 oz, and I didn't think I could control the amount a criminal might inhale in a fight.
Fortunately, only a week ago I had discovered something amazing about my power. Yet another of my shirts had been ruined by Madison, and I had been wishing for an easy way to clean up the stains. Reaching out on a whim, my power gave me a clear, pale, yellow liquid. Pouring it over my shirt, the grape juice came out almost immediately. I still had no idea what the liquid had been. My power had simply supplied a substance that adhered to my requirements of "cleans grape juice out of my shirt without harming the fabric." I threw away the shirt afterward, of course - I hadn't specified anything about whether the liquid was safe for humans to touch.
This was in fact one of the reasons I had been willing to start going out in costume. With an option for nonlethal takedowns besides capsaicin, I was sure I had everything I needed to be a successful hero.
Gripping the balloon, I called on my power. Give me something that will knock out Lung for a few hours on contact without killing him, or any other humans it touches, I requested silently. I felt the weight increase as the balloon began to fill with…something. The rate wasn't very fast, though the small balloon expanded quickly enough. A series of tests had placed my fill rate at a consistent 1.12 fluid ounces per second. A soda can held 12 oz of fluid, so it would take me about ten seconds to fill a can with fluid - in other words, slower than a faucet.
Of course, most faucets only produce water.
Fortunately (and wasn't that a crazy thought) the thugs were walking in my direction, Lung at the head of them. He was shirtless, and wore an ornate metal mask. His skin was covered in dragon tattoos. By the time he reached the closest point across the street from me, I had about twenty ounces of mystery liquid in the balloon. Now was probably my best chance. Breathing out to steady my nerves, I hurled the balloon at Lung, praying that my aim would hold. If I missed, I was probably dead.
To my surprise, it struck him square in the face.
The balloon exploded, sending its contents over Lung and the ABB goons nearby. Lung and five gangsters collapsed to the ground almost immediately.
Way, way too easy.
After half a second of utter silence, there was pandemonium. The rest of the thugs started shouting and milling around, waving their guns and looking for the source of the attack. I began to fill another balloon, impressed with the effectiveness of the first one. At least, I really, really hoped that it had been effective.
"What was that?"
"It came from above! I saw! Search the buildings!"
"Lung is down!"
"He's fine, stupid! Find them!"
"Get them!"
The gangsters spread out and began moving toward the various buildings, and I realized I had a serious problem. Without them clumped up in one group, I could probably only hit one or maybe two at a time with my balloons - and if I did, the others would probably notice. I wasn't experienced at being stealthy, and it took too long to fill the balloons. Using the spray can was dangerous for me with the knockout liquid, which seemed to be extremely potent, and using capsaicin would draw the entire gang down on my location with the screams. But I was pretty sure they would find me if I did nothing, and I saw no way to escape past them. Once they knew where I was, they could just shoot me.
This had been a horrible mistake. Was I seriously going to die to a bunch of normal thugs after defeating my first parahuman?
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- Location
- Germany
Intresting.
Balloon tinker?
Or is she even a parahuman at all?
Balloon tinker?
Or is she even a parahuman at all?
- Location
- California
Well, I can guess that Taylor will end up a lot more as a support class character than offensive class. Seconds to recharge her power is a bit too long and opponents can dodge.
Maybe fill up bottles for water gun that MM can use?
Maybe fill up bottles for water gun that MM can use?
YuffieK
(Verified Ninja Princess)
She mentions poison dart frog venom. She can probably produce any sort of liquid poison or venom. Botulinium toxin anyone? The fact she was able to take down Lung instantly and nonlethally, is something that the PRT will be drooling over.
My first thought went to some of the really nasty chemicals out there: FOOF, CfF3, until I started wondering if there were temperature requirements. Even a little bit of liquid Nitrogen (or liquid Helium...) is a scary amount. Then in the other direction, there are a lot of metals that need to be pretty darn hot to be a liquid.
If they're permanent creations, and she can specify what she wants, she has a lot of options for money.
The 10 Most Expensive Liquids in the World
If they're permanent creations, and she can specify what she wants, she has a lot of options for money.
The 10 Most Expensive Liquids in the World
JamesB
You needed worthy opponents.
- Location
- Kansas
Seems a variant of Gregor the Snail, but without the Case 53 mutation and having a much slower "fluid generation rate". Water balloons aren't a bad approach. Super Soakers or small toy water guns may work better in some cases. Depending on what the shelf life is for specific chemicals she makes, filling up a water gun ahead of time would not be a bad idea.
So far, she's only looked at offensive uses for her chemicals. What about defensive/healing uses? I want her to make a healing potion that restores someone to peak health. It has to be red in color. Or how about "fountain of youth" water to sell at a massive profit?
So far, she's only looked at offensive uses for her chemicals. What about defensive/healing uses? I want her to make a healing potion that restores someone to peak health. It has to be red in color. Or how about "fountain of youth" water to sell at a massive profit?
- Location
- Earth
Huh, she isn't as bright as the canon Taylor. Even on her first night, canon Taylor seems to have better idea about what she's doing. The creativity is already there oh her first night out.
This though, knowing she can actually ask for anything liquid, she still didn't comes prepared. She should have pick the Potion Brewer route. Becoming an alchemist, helping as a healer. Working from there, the endgame brewing super power in a vial.
This though, knowing she can actually ask for anything liquid, she still didn't comes prepared. She should have pick the Potion Brewer route. Becoming an alchemist, helping as a healer. Working from there, the endgame brewing super power in a vial.
ScottotheUnwise
Verified Crack (fic) Dealer
- Location
- Mulberry, Fl
Consider carrying batons with prefilled hardens on contact with air liquid. Or have literal 2 part liquids that react to form things:foam, explosives, ice, smoke. Keep in ready to break capsules (tossers).
She could also keep a wax container in her mouth with heal/regeneration liquid to bite on if hurt.
She could also keep a wax container in her mouth with heal/regeneration liquid to bite on if hurt.
- Location
- The moon
I can think of alot of liquid chems that are super dangerous......I think this could be.....fun
- Location
- USA
Thank you for the replies so far; this is my first fanfic, and I am trying to improve, so I am ravenous for feedback.
That is a really good idea, and Taylor is kicking herself for not thinking of it.
Her powers are versatile (and massively broken for other reasons), but not limitless; I'll try to allude to some of the limits in the next chapter. There are reasons why she can't just create magic potions that do anything.
That is entirely possible (and unintentional); I overlooked the obvious water gun applications, and probably some other preparations that would be more obvious to her. Though it is worth pointing out that canon Taylor's tactics in her first battle were less "bug clones and spider silk" and more "bury the gangsters in insects and venomous insects for Lung in particular." She'll get better with experience.
That is a really good idea, and Taylor is kicking herself for not thinking of it.
Her powers are versatile (and massively broken for other reasons), but not limitless; I'll try to allude to some of the limits in the next chapter. There are reasons why she can't just create magic potions that do anything.
That is entirely possible (and unintentional); I overlooked the obvious water gun applications, and probably some other preparations that would be more obvious to her. Though it is worth pointing out that canon Taylor's tactics in her first battle were less "bug clones and spider silk" and more "bury the gangsters in insects and venomous insects for Lung in particular." She'll get better with experience.
ScottotheUnwise
Verified Crack (fic) Dealer
- Location
- Mulberry, Fl
I missed an obvious use. She can make liquid glue on demand (or solvent for same) so all she needs is to tag a ganger and hip check him into his buddy or a wall. Just a swipe along a bola and throw...
STRANGER 1 just for being able to apply camouflage paint on demand. Blind an enemy temporarily by painting over the eyes.
She could also be a heck of an artist. Never without the right colors.
STRANGER 1 just for being able to apply camouflage paint on demand. Blind an enemy temporarily by painting over the eyes.
She could also be a heck of an artist. Never without the right colors.
Hmm.
Doesn't spider silk start out as a liquid?
Doesn't spider silk start out as a liquid?
Zuzak
Insufficient Velocity of words
No limits established besides rate yet.
Sometime along the line she should want an invisibility potion. Maybe it works, maybe it doesn't.
If it does, go full unlimited potion works.
Healing, buffs,etc.
Maybe none work, but she tries anyway, because why not? What could go wrong? Taunt Murphy!
If only supposedly mundane liquids;
Just via the sleeping potion she just made, actual fighting is unneeded, at least until they catch on and cover skin.
Offense: stinkbombs, liquid metals make extreme offense, liquid nitrogen
Liquid that dissolves inorganic materials
Defense:
smokescreens, confoam
For utility: petrol, glue, laughing gas, sunscreen, unlimited glow in the dark paint
Money making: Google most expensive liquids
Type O negative blood, Horseshoe crab blood, venom, antivenom, medicines
Early partnership with hospitals, medhall leading to later conflict...
Once she finds a buyer, she never has to worry about funds ever.
Foods: instant best: tea, drinks, cheese, soups, vitamins, liquid MRE
...
Lots of potential fun exploits with this power.
Sometime along the line she should want an invisibility potion. Maybe it works, maybe it doesn't.
If it does, go full unlimited potion works.
Healing, buffs,etc.
Maybe none work, but she tries anyway, because why not? What could go wrong? Taunt Murphy!
If only supposedly mundane liquids;
Just via the sleeping potion she just made, actual fighting is unneeded, at least until they catch on and cover skin.
Offense: stinkbombs, liquid metals make extreme offense, liquid nitrogen
Liquid that dissolves inorganic materials
Defense:
smokescreens, confoam
For utility: petrol, glue, laughing gas, sunscreen, unlimited glow in the dark paint
Money making: Google most expensive liquids
Type O negative blood, Horseshoe crab blood, venom, antivenom, medicines
Early partnership with hospitals, medhall leading to later conflict...
Once she finds a buyer, she never has to worry about funds ever.
Foods: instant best: tea, drinks, cheese, soups, vitamins, liquid MRE
...
Lots of potential fun exploits with this power.
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Faucet 1.2
- Location
- USA
The threat of imminent combat was making the gaps in my preparations painfully clear. It was obvious to me now that I should have included a covering for my face, and ideally my entire body, in order to make the spray can safer. While filling the balloons beforehand would have been too dangerous, I could have also prepared some sort of measure in my bottles - something to produce gas, perhaps, or something explosive. Hopefully, there would be a next time.
Maybe my power can help me escape? It had certainly come through for me against Lung. Give me something that will make me invisible, I thought, touching a plastic bottle. My request was answered by a twinge of pain in my head - the same feeling I had felt when requesting an elixir of immortality. That was too much to hope for. What about something that will hide me from sight? No, they would just shoot into it. Besides, I need to be able to see to get down from the fire escape, and it is too narrow to avoid the thugs coming up.
I started filling another balloon with antilung (as I was now calling it) and looking around for a way off the roof. I could already hear steps nearing the bottom of the fire escape, so that was out. The neighboring buildings were all either too high or too far for me to jump, and what few windows I could see were firmly closed. I considered trying to burn a hole in one with acid, but realized it would probably take too long or be too obvious. There was nowhere to hide, either, as the only other thing on the roof was an air conditioner.
Maybe I could distract them. A loud explosion might work, but I wasn't sure how much time it would take to set up or how safe it would be. I hadn't experimented much with explosive liquids, since it was difficult to do discreetly. Now was not the time to start, I decided. I finished with the balloon, and started filling the spray can with antilung. I at least had thought to bring a pair of work gloves to protect my hands. I waited at the top of the fire escape, the balloon in one hand and the spray can in the other. Peering over the edge, I could make out the forms of three gang members climbing up. I felt a surge of hope. Maybe if I took them out the others would not think to follow?
I moved upwind of the ladder. Fortunately, there was a consistent breeze coming in from the bay, so it wasn't hard to do. I crouched down a couple of meters from the top, hoping my dark clothing would conceal me against the gravel, and waited. Soon, the first thug reached the top of the stairs. He was short and stocky, and was holding a pistol. As soon as he moved away onto the roof, I sprayed him and he collapsed.
Wow, this stuff is amazing.
I worried that the others might have heard him fall, but the clanging of their own footsteps must have muffled it. The second two came up at the same time and I lobbed the balloon - and missed, despite how close they were. I'm not sure they even noticed as the balloon flew off the edge, but just to be safe, I sprayed them both.
The balloon burst against the side of another building, dripping down the wall. I looked over the side again, hoping that the coast would be clear, but no such luck. Four more men were running down the alleyway. Two of them peeled off towards the fire escape, and started to climb. As I prepared to move back to my ambush position, one of the thugs in the alley suddenly collapsed to the ground, right underneath the place the balloon had impacted. It must be dripping, I thought. Exactly how strong was antilung?
I suddenly became much more nervous of my spray can. If a few drops could do that...
The other three gangsters reacted to seeing their comrade fall by crying for help and milling around. More thugs began filing in. They closed ranks and drew their weapons, looking around. They looked up, but my face must have been difficult to see in the darkness. There were a lot of them - on the other hand, they were all huddled in a group.
I decided I didn't have time to fill another balloon, so I instead angled my spray can towards them and began squeezing the trigger. Bursts of antilung mist issued forth, drifting down towards them. Or I assumed they did, anyway - I couldn't see the particles in the darkness. I made sure to keep the bottle at arms length away from me. Hopefully, they would not see or hear anything.
After a few agonizing seconds while the thugs organized themselves, I was rewarded with the sound of them dropping to the ground, one after the other. Some of them panicked and fled - I think they realized at that point that they were fighting a cape. I let them go - once they were far enough away from me, I didn't really have any chance of chasing them down.
All in all, a very successful night. There was barely even any property damage - the gang hadn't found me, so they hadn't shot any bullets, and Lung had gone down before he could set anything on fire. Now I just needed to call the Protectorate to come and collect the supervillain.
Unfortunately, I still didn't have a phone. I wondered if one of the gangsters might have one on them that I could use. I had at least written down the number for the PRT. I began searching the three men on the rooftop, being careful to touch them only with my gloves. The second one I searched had a phone in his pocket, which I took.
Before I could dial the PRT number, I heard noises from the street below. Carefully, I returned to the edge to see what was happening. I gave an involuntary start. Below were three - monsters was the only word for them. Creatures as large as cars, horned all over and with muscle where their skin should be. Four people stood beside them, two girls and two guys. Three of them looked like teenagers - I couldn't tell whether the other one was, mainly because of his height and how dark it was, but I assumed he was like the rest. They were examining Lung from a few feet away and speaking in low voices.
One of the girls suddenly snapped her gaze up to me. Cursing silently, I pulled my head back, but she had obviously seen me. Were they heroes or villains? Could I get them with the spray bottle, or should I start filling a balloon? Actually, those weren't mutually exclusive -
"Hey!" she shouted up at me. "Thanks!"
Thanks?
"Don't worry, we're not here to fight you!"
I peeked over the edge again. If that was true, it was a relief. I had had enough excitement for the evening already, and had no desire to fight those monsters.
The tall one spoke up. His voice was deep, and strangely calming. "You saved us a lot of trouble, taking down Lung like this. We heard he was coming for us, for revenge. It was...scary. If you hadn't shown up, it could have been bad."
Coming for them? A thought was there, but I was distracted by the words.
"We managed to fight off Oni Lee", he continued, "but I don't know if we could have survived against Lung. What the fuck did you do to him?"
I stayed silent, weighing my options. They didn't seem hostile. "It's temporary. He'll wake up in a few hours," I called down. It was beginning to feel a little silly, having a conversation from the rooftop. Maybe I should come down to the street, meet some other capes? I would have to interact with the local hero community sooner or later.
Wait. Were they heroes? The monsters seemed villainous, but I didn't want to be prejudiced. It wasn't as though they could help the powers they had been given.
"Wow. That's...what will you do with him?"
"Call it in," I said absently, still trying to figure out how to ask them which side they were on diplomatically. Then - shit.
"I see," he said, sounding somehow less friendly, though by no means hostile. "We should be going. Thank you again for your help."
They climbed up on the monsters. The girl who had first spoken gave me a wave and a wink. At least, I was pretty sure she winked, though with how little light there was I wasn't sure how I had perceived it. "Good luck, hero," she said. "Hope to see you again soon." She laughed, and they bounded off on their monstrous steeds.
Yup, definitely villains. I sighed. At least I hadn't had to fight them. Oh - duh. Lung was going after children. They're teens. I just risked my life to save a bunch of villains. Upon reflection, I decided that it was still worth it. Even if they were criminals, they didn't seem like bad people somehow. And definitely not people that deserve to die - if anybody does.
Opening the thug's phone, I dialed the PRT hotline.
Fifteen minutes later, Armsmaster arrived, along with three PRT vans. I was waiting on the road, by Lung. As the hero stepped down from his motorcycle, I felt a strange surge of giddyness. This was Armsmaster - one of my childhood heroes. Easy Taylor - don't be an awestruck fangirl. You're a cape now, and you just defeated a supervillain. Be cool.
"Hi!" I squeaked, much higher than I thought my voice could go. I cleared my throat and tried again. "Hi!" Better. "Um, it's nice to meet you, Armsmaster." I could only see his jaw, but I thought he looked amused. He was smiling at least.
"I take it you're the one who called this in?"
"That's right."
"New trigger?"
"Trigger? Um, I just started, if that's what you mean."
He chuckled. "I can see that. You have a name yet?"
"I was thinking about that. I was thinking maybe...Alchemist?"
He frowned. "Pretty sure that's taken."
"I know - um, I know there's a villain in New Mexico named Alchemist, but I was sort of hoping that wouldn't be a problem?"
He shook his head. "You don't want villains angry at you for taking their name."
Well. That was disappointing. It was such a perfect name too. Now I would have to come up with a new one.
He cleared his throat. "You claimed to have taken down Lung. Is this -"
I nodded. "He'll be out for a few more hours."
Armsmaster bent down to examine the body, cautiously. "That - does look like Lung. And you aren't lying." He motioned to two PRT agents behind him, who walked up and sprayed Lung down with some sort of foam.
Now that - that was interesting.
"What is that?" I asked.
"That? Containment foam. Standard issue for the PRT, used to contain dangerous parahumans. Flexible, porous, and extremely sticky. Able to hold almost any parahuman if you can catch them with it."
"And it just...hardens on contact with the air?" I said.
"Yes, that's right." He looked at me curiously. "You're a tinker, aren't you." It wasn't a question.
Tinker. I knew that term. Tinkers were capes whose superpower was an advanced knowledge of science, allowing them to build futuristic technology beyond the means of contemporary science. I frowned. That didn't really sound like my power.
"Looking at the scene, I'm going to take a guess that you used some chemical or biological agent to incapacitate Lung and his subordinates?"
I nodded. "Yes, that's right."
"I feel obliged to inform you that independent capes have rather - horrifying mortality rates. Tinkers, in particular, tend to get recruited or forced into gangs even if they survive. You would be much safer if you joined the Wards program."
I had considered the Wards when I first got my powers. But high school was bad enough as it was - adding superpowers to the mix didn't seem like it would improve things.
"Maybe," I said.
"Working for the Protectorate also comes with numerous benefits," he continued. "You think my equipment is cheap to maintain? As a member of the Protectorate, I have access to a generous tinkering budget, high quality workshops, and the designs of other Protectorate tinkers. Wards like Kid Win have similar benefits. I don't know what you use as a workshop, but I'm guessing you often have trouble acquiring the materials you need? Expensive chemicals and reagents that aren't commercially available? High quality lab equipment? We could provide all of that."
Taking my silence for interest, he continued.
"Being a hero is easier on a team, and we have more resources than any of the independent teams. You should really consider joining; I'm sure you'd fit right in."
I nodded, slowly. "I'll consider it."
He frowned. "That brings me to my next point - what are we going to do about Lung?"
"What do you mean? He goes to prison, right?"
"Of course - but how do we present this to the public?"
I waited for him to go on, confused.
"Hear me out - you deserve the credit for this capture. Your work here was excellent. But the ABB has two other capes, and they're going to be angry about this. If they think that you - an independent cape - were responsible, they'll come after you. But if they think the PRT is responsible..."
"It's less personal," I finished. His logic was sound.
"As I see it, you have two options. If you join the wards and take credit for Lung's capture, you'll have resources and allies to protect you against the backlash from his allies. They'll likely blame the PRT as a whole, rather than you personally. If you don't join, however, it might not be wise for you to take credit for this.
"So...you would take credit instead?"
He nodded. I wasn't stupid - obviously Armsmaster had ulterior motives in suggesting this; Lung was a big player, and taking him down would bolster the hero's reputation. At the same time, he had a point. I didn't want supervillains tracking me down personally. And having the favor of a major hero could be helpful, down the road.
"Please - please take the credit. Keep my role a secret," I said.
Armsmaster smiled. "A wise decision." He handed me a business card. "I meant what I said about joining the Wards. I do think you would be a great fit. Please feel free to call me if you need anything."
He turned and mounted his motorcycle again. By this time, the PRT agents had loaded Lung and the unconscious thugs into their vans. They left me feeling warm and triumphant.
Then I remembered that tomorrow was Monday. Sighing, I started to make my way home.
Maybe my power can help me escape? It had certainly come through for me against Lung. Give me something that will make me invisible, I thought, touching a plastic bottle. My request was answered by a twinge of pain in my head - the same feeling I had felt when requesting an elixir of immortality. That was too much to hope for. What about something that will hide me from sight? No, they would just shoot into it. Besides, I need to be able to see to get down from the fire escape, and it is too narrow to avoid the thugs coming up.
I started filling another balloon with antilung (as I was now calling it) and looking around for a way off the roof. I could already hear steps nearing the bottom of the fire escape, so that was out. The neighboring buildings were all either too high or too far for me to jump, and what few windows I could see were firmly closed. I considered trying to burn a hole in one with acid, but realized it would probably take too long or be too obvious. There was nowhere to hide, either, as the only other thing on the roof was an air conditioner.
Maybe I could distract them. A loud explosion might work, but I wasn't sure how much time it would take to set up or how safe it would be. I hadn't experimented much with explosive liquids, since it was difficult to do discreetly. Now was not the time to start, I decided. I finished with the balloon, and started filling the spray can with antilung. I at least had thought to bring a pair of work gloves to protect my hands. I waited at the top of the fire escape, the balloon in one hand and the spray can in the other. Peering over the edge, I could make out the forms of three gang members climbing up. I felt a surge of hope. Maybe if I took them out the others would not think to follow?
I moved upwind of the ladder. Fortunately, there was a consistent breeze coming in from the bay, so it wasn't hard to do. I crouched down a couple of meters from the top, hoping my dark clothing would conceal me against the gravel, and waited. Soon, the first thug reached the top of the stairs. He was short and stocky, and was holding a pistol. As soon as he moved away onto the roof, I sprayed him and he collapsed.
Wow, this stuff is amazing.
I worried that the others might have heard him fall, but the clanging of their own footsteps must have muffled it. The second two came up at the same time and I lobbed the balloon - and missed, despite how close they were. I'm not sure they even noticed as the balloon flew off the edge, but just to be safe, I sprayed them both.
The balloon burst against the side of another building, dripping down the wall. I looked over the side again, hoping that the coast would be clear, but no such luck. Four more men were running down the alleyway. Two of them peeled off towards the fire escape, and started to climb. As I prepared to move back to my ambush position, one of the thugs in the alley suddenly collapsed to the ground, right underneath the place the balloon had impacted. It must be dripping, I thought. Exactly how strong was antilung?
I suddenly became much more nervous of my spray can. If a few drops could do that...
The other three gangsters reacted to seeing their comrade fall by crying for help and milling around. More thugs began filing in. They closed ranks and drew their weapons, looking around. They looked up, but my face must have been difficult to see in the darkness. There were a lot of them - on the other hand, they were all huddled in a group.
I decided I didn't have time to fill another balloon, so I instead angled my spray can towards them and began squeezing the trigger. Bursts of antilung mist issued forth, drifting down towards them. Or I assumed they did, anyway - I couldn't see the particles in the darkness. I made sure to keep the bottle at arms length away from me. Hopefully, they would not see or hear anything.
After a few agonizing seconds while the thugs organized themselves, I was rewarded with the sound of them dropping to the ground, one after the other. Some of them panicked and fled - I think they realized at that point that they were fighting a cape. I let them go - once they were far enough away from me, I didn't really have any chance of chasing them down.
All in all, a very successful night. There was barely even any property damage - the gang hadn't found me, so they hadn't shot any bullets, and Lung had gone down before he could set anything on fire. Now I just needed to call the Protectorate to come and collect the supervillain.
Unfortunately, I still didn't have a phone. I wondered if one of the gangsters might have one on them that I could use. I had at least written down the number for the PRT. I began searching the three men on the rooftop, being careful to touch them only with my gloves. The second one I searched had a phone in his pocket, which I took.
Before I could dial the PRT number, I heard noises from the street below. Carefully, I returned to the edge to see what was happening. I gave an involuntary start. Below were three - monsters was the only word for them. Creatures as large as cars, horned all over and with muscle where their skin should be. Four people stood beside them, two girls and two guys. Three of them looked like teenagers - I couldn't tell whether the other one was, mainly because of his height and how dark it was, but I assumed he was like the rest. They were examining Lung from a few feet away and speaking in low voices.
One of the girls suddenly snapped her gaze up to me. Cursing silently, I pulled my head back, but she had obviously seen me. Were they heroes or villains? Could I get them with the spray bottle, or should I start filling a balloon? Actually, those weren't mutually exclusive -
"Hey!" she shouted up at me. "Thanks!"
Thanks?
"Don't worry, we're not here to fight you!"
I peeked over the edge again. If that was true, it was a relief. I had had enough excitement for the evening already, and had no desire to fight those monsters.
The tall one spoke up. His voice was deep, and strangely calming. "You saved us a lot of trouble, taking down Lung like this. We heard he was coming for us, for revenge. It was...scary. If you hadn't shown up, it could have been bad."
Coming for them? A thought was there, but I was distracted by the words.
"We managed to fight off Oni Lee", he continued, "but I don't know if we could have survived against Lung. What the fuck did you do to him?"
I stayed silent, weighing my options. They didn't seem hostile. "It's temporary. He'll wake up in a few hours," I called down. It was beginning to feel a little silly, having a conversation from the rooftop. Maybe I should come down to the street, meet some other capes? I would have to interact with the local hero community sooner or later.
Wait. Were they heroes? The monsters seemed villainous, but I didn't want to be prejudiced. It wasn't as though they could help the powers they had been given.
"Wow. That's...what will you do with him?"
"Call it in," I said absently, still trying to figure out how to ask them which side they were on diplomatically. Then - shit.
"I see," he said, sounding somehow less friendly, though by no means hostile. "We should be going. Thank you again for your help."
They climbed up on the monsters. The girl who had first spoken gave me a wave and a wink. At least, I was pretty sure she winked, though with how little light there was I wasn't sure how I had perceived it. "Good luck, hero," she said. "Hope to see you again soon." She laughed, and they bounded off on their monstrous steeds.
Yup, definitely villains. I sighed. At least I hadn't had to fight them. Oh - duh. Lung was going after children. They're teens. I just risked my life to save a bunch of villains. Upon reflection, I decided that it was still worth it. Even if they were criminals, they didn't seem like bad people somehow. And definitely not people that deserve to die - if anybody does.
Opening the thug's phone, I dialed the PRT hotline.
Fifteen minutes later, Armsmaster arrived, along with three PRT vans. I was waiting on the road, by Lung. As the hero stepped down from his motorcycle, I felt a strange surge of giddyness. This was Armsmaster - one of my childhood heroes. Easy Taylor - don't be an awestruck fangirl. You're a cape now, and you just defeated a supervillain. Be cool.
"Hi!" I squeaked, much higher than I thought my voice could go. I cleared my throat and tried again. "Hi!" Better. "Um, it's nice to meet you, Armsmaster." I could only see his jaw, but I thought he looked amused. He was smiling at least.
"I take it you're the one who called this in?"
"That's right."
"New trigger?"
"Trigger? Um, I just started, if that's what you mean."
He chuckled. "I can see that. You have a name yet?"
"I was thinking about that. I was thinking maybe...Alchemist?"
He frowned. "Pretty sure that's taken."
"I know - um, I know there's a villain in New Mexico named Alchemist, but I was sort of hoping that wouldn't be a problem?"
He shook his head. "You don't want villains angry at you for taking their name."
Well. That was disappointing. It was such a perfect name too. Now I would have to come up with a new one.
He cleared his throat. "You claimed to have taken down Lung. Is this -"
I nodded. "He'll be out for a few more hours."
Armsmaster bent down to examine the body, cautiously. "That - does look like Lung. And you aren't lying." He motioned to two PRT agents behind him, who walked up and sprayed Lung down with some sort of foam.
Now that - that was interesting.
"What is that?" I asked.
"That? Containment foam. Standard issue for the PRT, used to contain dangerous parahumans. Flexible, porous, and extremely sticky. Able to hold almost any parahuman if you can catch them with it."
"And it just...hardens on contact with the air?" I said.
"Yes, that's right." He looked at me curiously. "You're a tinker, aren't you." It wasn't a question.
Tinker. I knew that term. Tinkers were capes whose superpower was an advanced knowledge of science, allowing them to build futuristic technology beyond the means of contemporary science. I frowned. That didn't really sound like my power.
"Looking at the scene, I'm going to take a guess that you used some chemical or biological agent to incapacitate Lung and his subordinates?"
I nodded. "Yes, that's right."
"I feel obliged to inform you that independent capes have rather - horrifying mortality rates. Tinkers, in particular, tend to get recruited or forced into gangs even if they survive. You would be much safer if you joined the Wards program."
I had considered the Wards when I first got my powers. But high school was bad enough as it was - adding superpowers to the mix didn't seem like it would improve things.
"Maybe," I said.
"Working for the Protectorate also comes with numerous benefits," he continued. "You think my equipment is cheap to maintain? As a member of the Protectorate, I have access to a generous tinkering budget, high quality workshops, and the designs of other Protectorate tinkers. Wards like Kid Win have similar benefits. I don't know what you use as a workshop, but I'm guessing you often have trouble acquiring the materials you need? Expensive chemicals and reagents that aren't commercially available? High quality lab equipment? We could provide all of that."
Taking my silence for interest, he continued.
"Being a hero is easier on a team, and we have more resources than any of the independent teams. You should really consider joining; I'm sure you'd fit right in."
I nodded, slowly. "I'll consider it."
He frowned. "That brings me to my next point - what are we going to do about Lung?"
"What do you mean? He goes to prison, right?"
"Of course - but how do we present this to the public?"
I waited for him to go on, confused.
"Hear me out - you deserve the credit for this capture. Your work here was excellent. But the ABB has two other capes, and they're going to be angry about this. If they think that you - an independent cape - were responsible, they'll come after you. But if they think the PRT is responsible..."
"It's less personal," I finished. His logic was sound.
"As I see it, you have two options. If you join the wards and take credit for Lung's capture, you'll have resources and allies to protect you against the backlash from his allies. They'll likely blame the PRT as a whole, rather than you personally. If you don't join, however, it might not be wise for you to take credit for this.
"So...you would take credit instead?"
He nodded. I wasn't stupid - obviously Armsmaster had ulterior motives in suggesting this; Lung was a big player, and taking him down would bolster the hero's reputation. At the same time, he had a point. I didn't want supervillains tracking me down personally. And having the favor of a major hero could be helpful, down the road.
"Please - please take the credit. Keep my role a secret," I said.
Armsmaster smiled. "A wise decision." He handed me a business card. "I meant what I said about joining the Wards. I do think you would be a great fit. Please feel free to call me if you need anything."
He turned and mounted his motorcycle again. By this time, the PRT agents had loaded Lung and the unconscious thugs into their vans. They left me feeling warm and triumphant.
Then I remembered that tomorrow was Monday. Sighing, I started to make my way home.
Last edited:
- Location
- Germany
Chemical Dauntless? Armsmaster is going to be 'estatic'
I now imagine her filling it in a spray bottle and going "bad Lung, bad"
Presenting 'Antilung' the newest development in Rage Dragon combat
Sorry, 'fraid not. I just touch it, no working required.
Really enjoyed it. The Undersiders know Taylor's a hero here, so she probably wont get an invitation to join their team.
Probably Wards!Taylor then
JamesB
You needed worthy opponents.
- Location
- Kansas
Hmm. Armsmaster is still a glory hound, that hasn't changed. However, he should not have the fallout from canon where "lots of Skitter venom + Armsmaster brand anti-regeneration drug = nearly dead Lung". Not much interaction with the Undersiders, which is a nice change.
As a massive twist, I can see this Taylor joining the Merchants as the new cape Pharmacist, making Tinker drugs that get you high with no side effects when the high ends.
As a massive twist, I can see this Taylor joining the Merchants as the new cape Pharmacist, making Tinker drugs that get you high with no side effects when the high ends.
- Location
- USA
No
Also, I don't think Skidmark would let her get away with a name like "Pharmacist."
Tisaku
Head Chief Thinkomancer
a little over a gram per kilo
Faucet 1.3
- Location
- USA
Computer class with Mrs. Knott was my favorite class. It was a subject I was good at, and I didn't have to face Emma, Madison, or Sophia. Despite this, I was still nervous about the classes I had missed the previous week, wondering what might happen as a result. Mrs. Knott glanced at me, but said nothing - she was usually content to leave us to our own devices. At the start of class, she would give an assignment, which I always finished early, leaving me free to browse the internet for an hour. After finishing up a simple timer program, I navigated to Parahumans Online to see how people were reacting to Lung's capture.
The news release Armsmaster had released made it sound as though they had captured Lung in the aftermath of a fight with another gang. Sure enough, no mention of me was made. I decided to learn more about the other members of Lung's gang. One was Oni Lee, who I had heard about, and the other was Bakuda, who I had not. Oni Lee's powers involved teleportation, but every time he teleported, he left a clone behind for a few seconds. Bakuda was a tinker who specialized in bombs. Apparently she had held Cornell University hostage. Oni Lee's tactics involved suicide bombing with his clones, so...
I shivered. That's some scary synergy. I hope Bakuda doesn't retaliate. Some ABB sympathizers in the thread were already threatening vengeance on the PRT.
I tried to look up the other group of villains that I had met on the PHO wiki, with mixed results. A search for "lizard monsters" led me to a page for a villain named Hellhound, who seemed to fit the bill - her power took dogs and turned them into monstrosities. The pictures were a little blurry, but they looked a lot like the creatures I had seen. There was plenty of other information on her - Rachel Lindt's identity had never been secret, and she was described as a dangerous threat that should not be approached. I could believe that.
I couldn't find any information on the other three, mostly because I had very little to go on. I didn't even have a clue as to what their powers might be, and Hellhound's page didn't list any team affiliations.
I did a search for Armsmaster next. I already knew about him, of course, but I was hungry for any more information about the aftermath of the fight. Aside from the public announcement, there wasn't much recent news about him. His wiki listed him as a tinker skilled in combat that fought with his halberd, a high tech weapon incorporating a staggering array of different attack options. Nothing new to me.
On a whim, I tried searching for "Alchemist." All the results I found were related to the New Mexico villain, some tinker with a knack for exotic materials. Nothing about me. I sighed. I needed to be better prepared before my next night out. It would be a long wait until the weekend - unless I tried something on a school night?
I was already pretty exhausted from my adventures the previous night. Being a hero every night would leave me painfully sleep deprived. I couldn't afford that, not with my grades already plunging.
In the remaining class time, I started thinking about things I could test. Finding a safer way to deliver the antilung was high on my priorities list. From what I had seen, even a small drop was enough to render a person unconscious, and I didn't want to get any on myself. Getting a suitably protected costume would be difficult, though - clothing stores didn't sell hazmat suits. I also needed better containers. Water balloons were too volatile to carry around filled, and plastic bottles were too durable. The spray can was effective, but relied on being upwind of my target. A super soaker, perhaps? I would need to make sure I had one that didn't leak, as many tended to do (in my admittedly limited personal experience). Some sort of melee weapon might be good as well; but if I covered it in anything, it might splash on me in a fight. Some sort of autoinjector would be excellent, but I had no idea where to get one without drawing unwanted attention.
The bell rang, and I headed to Mr. Gladly's class. We were put in to groups and told to discuss our homework, which was examining the impact of capes on the world around us. The class went about as I expected, which is to say that my usual seat was covered in orange juice, Madison stole my homework and Greg failed miserably when called upon to present my group's work.
Mr. Gladly stopped me after class. "Taylor - is there anything you want to tell me?"
"What do you mean?" I asked, nervous. Emma had tried to convince teachers that I was a cheater before. Was she doing it again?
"Just - I'm not blind. I saw the mess on your chair, and I heard some...I know people are giving you a hard time."
I remained silent. What was he getting at?
"If you want me to help you, I need you to talk. Would you like to go with me to talk to Principal Blackwell?"
I considered. "Would they be punished?"
"Your...bullies? If there was compelling evidence."
"Would they be expelled? Or better yet, could I be transferred to Arcadia?"
He hesitated, then shook his head. "If you have proof, they could be suspended. Possibly more, if it continues. Arcadia is full, so a transfer is probably out of the question."
"So basically, if I can prove that they are behind all the - the shit I've had to put up with, they get a few days off, and then they start doing even worse to me in retaliation? I think I'll pass."
"Taylor..."
Angrily, I picked up my bag and left the classroom. I found myself surrounded in the hallway outside by Emma, Madison, and Sophia. The taunts started immediately - jabs at my looks, claims that I was a slut, or a junkie, or stupid, or...I stood still and just took it, impassively. I had learned that reacting just excited them. Not that they would lay off if I was silent, but it at least denied them their satisfaction. Maybe. I wasn't really sure how their minds worked. At this point, I had heard the same insults enough times that they just sort of rolled off me.
Mr. Gladly left the classroom, giving me a sad look and walking away. My facade crumbling, I watched him go in astonishment and anger. He would really ignore something happening right in front o f his face?
"What's the matter, Taylor?" said Emma. "You look upset. Going to cry yourself to sleep for a week?"
Was she that low? How could she use secrets I had confided in her - like my reaction to my mother's death - like this? My mother, who had been like a mother to her as well? I broke and ran, tears beginning to run down my cheeks, while the girls laughed at me. The school day wasn't done yet, but I was.
It was the middle of the afternoon, and I had nowhere in particular to be. I didn't want to fight crime in broad daylight - if I could even find any - and there wasn't much for me to do at home, aside from more power testing. Though I did have some new ideas to try out, starting with the foam I had seen the PRT agents using on Lung. Maybe I could reproduce it? I couldn't test it at home, though. Accidentally filling my house with foam would be difficult to explain.
Just North of the Boardwalk was the Lord's Port, though everybody called it the boat graveyard. Back when the shipping industry had collapsed, out of work dock workers had staged protests there, resulting in the deliberate sinking of a container ship and the abandonment of fifty or so others to rust away. It was the perfect place to test out powers - and unfortunately, everybody knew it. After realizing this, I had started to search for a more private location, where I wouldn't have to worry about encountering heroes, or worse, villains.
I had eventually settled on an apartment building abandoned due to structural instabilities near the outskirts of the docks. It was far enough out of the way that there were never many people around, and in poor enough condition that even the homeless tended to avoid it. Most of the ground floor was just mud. The building had been condemned for months, but so far nobody had followed up to tear it down. I suspected that the building's condition was the aftermath of some cape fight - there were suspicious burns on some of the walls as well.
After stopping by my house to pick up my costume and equipment, I headed over to the derelict building. Making sure nobody was watching, I ducked into the alley beside it, and entered through the broken side door. After a sweep of the ground floor to make sure nobody else was there, I changed into my costume. I wasn't intending to interact with anybody, but if somebody did show up I wanted to make sure my identity was concealed. Then I began testing my new toy.
Containment foam, I though, my hand on a balloon. I felt the familiar pull of my power as the balloon began to inflate. After it reached about 15 oz, I heaved it at a wall. The instant it popped, the liquid within rapidly expanded until it was the size of a beach ball. Wow. I poked it, careful not to expose too much surface area. My finger stuck in it a little, and I had to pull to get it out.
Next question - can I dissolve it? The PRT must have some way of getting rid of it.
Taking out one of my plastic bottles, I reached for my power. Give me something that will dissolve this foam. The bottle began filling with a clear liquid. After a few seconds, I stopped and poured some of the the liquid on the foam. To my delight, it melted away immediately, leaving a small tunnel through the foam all the way to the bottom where the solvent had fallen. Yes, I could definitely use this.
Then I noticed the bottle. Though I had emptied it of almost all the liquid, a few drops remained. And they were warping the plastic, causing it to melt and deform. Holes began to appear in the bottle, and I dropped it in the foam, jumping back. Glad I didn't try that in the field. Was that some kind of acid?
I frowned. I hadn't meant to make something dangerous - I wanted a solvent that wouldn't affect people. How specific did I need to be? How much did my intent guide the results as opposed to the specific mental phrasing of my request? Back when I had been asking for specific liquids, I had never run into this sort of issue. Taking out another water bottle, I tried a different tact. Give me the liquid the PRT uses to dissolve this foam.
The bottle began filling with another clear liquid. Holding it by the bottom at arms length, I tilted it until most of the liquid had run out. Once again, it immediately created a hole in the foam. This time, however, the bottle remained intact, even after I set it down. Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean it is safe for people, just safe for plastic bottles.
I felt like I was missing something important about my power. Still, the lesson here was clearly to be careful what I asked for. I was fortunate that most of my experiments with this aspect of my power before the previous night had been relatively -
Wait. What phrasing did I use for the antilung?
I couldn't remember, but I had a very bad feeling.
I think maybe I should call Armsmaster. Immediately.
The news release Armsmaster had released made it sound as though they had captured Lung in the aftermath of a fight with another gang. Sure enough, no mention of me was made. I decided to learn more about the other members of Lung's gang. One was Oni Lee, who I had heard about, and the other was Bakuda, who I had not. Oni Lee's powers involved teleportation, but every time he teleported, he left a clone behind for a few seconds. Bakuda was a tinker who specialized in bombs. Apparently she had held Cornell University hostage. Oni Lee's tactics involved suicide bombing with his clones, so...
I shivered. That's some scary synergy. I hope Bakuda doesn't retaliate. Some ABB sympathizers in the thread were already threatening vengeance on the PRT.
I tried to look up the other group of villains that I had met on the PHO wiki, with mixed results. A search for "lizard monsters" led me to a page for a villain named Hellhound, who seemed to fit the bill - her power took dogs and turned them into monstrosities. The pictures were a little blurry, but they looked a lot like the creatures I had seen. There was plenty of other information on her - Rachel Lindt's identity had never been secret, and she was described as a dangerous threat that should not be approached. I could believe that.
I couldn't find any information on the other three, mostly because I had very little to go on. I didn't even have a clue as to what their powers might be, and Hellhound's page didn't list any team affiliations.
I did a search for Armsmaster next. I already knew about him, of course, but I was hungry for any more information about the aftermath of the fight. Aside from the public announcement, there wasn't much recent news about him. His wiki listed him as a tinker skilled in combat that fought with his halberd, a high tech weapon incorporating a staggering array of different attack options. Nothing new to me.
On a whim, I tried searching for "Alchemist." All the results I found were related to the New Mexico villain, some tinker with a knack for exotic materials. Nothing about me. I sighed. I needed to be better prepared before my next night out. It would be a long wait until the weekend - unless I tried something on a school night?
I was already pretty exhausted from my adventures the previous night. Being a hero every night would leave me painfully sleep deprived. I couldn't afford that, not with my grades already plunging.
In the remaining class time, I started thinking about things I could test. Finding a safer way to deliver the antilung was high on my priorities list. From what I had seen, even a small drop was enough to render a person unconscious, and I didn't want to get any on myself. Getting a suitably protected costume would be difficult, though - clothing stores didn't sell hazmat suits. I also needed better containers. Water balloons were too volatile to carry around filled, and plastic bottles were too durable. The spray can was effective, but relied on being upwind of my target. A super soaker, perhaps? I would need to make sure I had one that didn't leak, as many tended to do (in my admittedly limited personal experience). Some sort of melee weapon might be good as well; but if I covered it in anything, it might splash on me in a fight. Some sort of autoinjector would be excellent, but I had no idea where to get one without drawing unwanted attention.
The bell rang, and I headed to Mr. Gladly's class. We were put in to groups and told to discuss our homework, which was examining the impact of capes on the world around us. The class went about as I expected, which is to say that my usual seat was covered in orange juice, Madison stole my homework and Greg failed miserably when called upon to present my group's work.
Mr. Gladly stopped me after class. "Taylor - is there anything you want to tell me?"
"What do you mean?" I asked, nervous. Emma had tried to convince teachers that I was a cheater before. Was she doing it again?
"Just - I'm not blind. I saw the mess on your chair, and I heard some...I know people are giving you a hard time."
I remained silent. What was he getting at?
"If you want me to help you, I need you to talk. Would you like to go with me to talk to Principal Blackwell?"
I considered. "Would they be punished?"
"Your...bullies? If there was compelling evidence."
"Would they be expelled? Or better yet, could I be transferred to Arcadia?"
He hesitated, then shook his head. "If you have proof, they could be suspended. Possibly more, if it continues. Arcadia is full, so a transfer is probably out of the question."
"So basically, if I can prove that they are behind all the - the shit I've had to put up with, they get a few days off, and then they start doing even worse to me in retaliation? I think I'll pass."
"Taylor..."
Angrily, I picked up my bag and left the classroom. I found myself surrounded in the hallway outside by Emma, Madison, and Sophia. The taunts started immediately - jabs at my looks, claims that I was a slut, or a junkie, or stupid, or...I stood still and just took it, impassively. I had learned that reacting just excited them. Not that they would lay off if I was silent, but it at least denied them their satisfaction. Maybe. I wasn't really sure how their minds worked. At this point, I had heard the same insults enough times that they just sort of rolled off me.
Mr. Gladly left the classroom, giving me a sad look and walking away. My facade crumbling, I watched him go in astonishment and anger. He would really ignore something happening right in front o f his face?
"What's the matter, Taylor?" said Emma. "You look upset. Going to cry yourself to sleep for a week?"
Was she that low? How could she use secrets I had confided in her - like my reaction to my mother's death - like this? My mother, who had been like a mother to her as well? I broke and ran, tears beginning to run down my cheeks, while the girls laughed at me. The school day wasn't done yet, but I was.
It was the middle of the afternoon, and I had nowhere in particular to be. I didn't want to fight crime in broad daylight - if I could even find any - and there wasn't much for me to do at home, aside from more power testing. Though I did have some new ideas to try out, starting with the foam I had seen the PRT agents using on Lung. Maybe I could reproduce it? I couldn't test it at home, though. Accidentally filling my house with foam would be difficult to explain.
Just North of the Boardwalk was the Lord's Port, though everybody called it the boat graveyard. Back when the shipping industry had collapsed, out of work dock workers had staged protests there, resulting in the deliberate sinking of a container ship and the abandonment of fifty or so others to rust away. It was the perfect place to test out powers - and unfortunately, everybody knew it. After realizing this, I had started to search for a more private location, where I wouldn't have to worry about encountering heroes, or worse, villains.
I had eventually settled on an apartment building abandoned due to structural instabilities near the outskirts of the docks. It was far enough out of the way that there were never many people around, and in poor enough condition that even the homeless tended to avoid it. Most of the ground floor was just mud. The building had been condemned for months, but so far nobody had followed up to tear it down. I suspected that the building's condition was the aftermath of some cape fight - there were suspicious burns on some of the walls as well.
After stopping by my house to pick up my costume and equipment, I headed over to the derelict building. Making sure nobody was watching, I ducked into the alley beside it, and entered through the broken side door. After a sweep of the ground floor to make sure nobody else was there, I changed into my costume. I wasn't intending to interact with anybody, but if somebody did show up I wanted to make sure my identity was concealed. Then I began testing my new toy.
Containment foam, I though, my hand on a balloon. I felt the familiar pull of my power as the balloon began to inflate. After it reached about 15 oz, I heaved it at a wall. The instant it popped, the liquid within rapidly expanded until it was the size of a beach ball. Wow. I poked it, careful not to expose too much surface area. My finger stuck in it a little, and I had to pull to get it out.
Next question - can I dissolve it? The PRT must have some way of getting rid of it.
Taking out one of my plastic bottles, I reached for my power. Give me something that will dissolve this foam. The bottle began filling with a clear liquid. After a few seconds, I stopped and poured some of the the liquid on the foam. To my delight, it melted away immediately, leaving a small tunnel through the foam all the way to the bottom where the solvent had fallen. Yes, I could definitely use this.
Then I noticed the bottle. Though I had emptied it of almost all the liquid, a few drops remained. And they were warping the plastic, causing it to melt and deform. Holes began to appear in the bottle, and I dropped it in the foam, jumping back. Glad I didn't try that in the field. Was that some kind of acid?
I frowned. I hadn't meant to make something dangerous - I wanted a solvent that wouldn't affect people. How specific did I need to be? How much did my intent guide the results as opposed to the specific mental phrasing of my request? Back when I had been asking for specific liquids, I had never run into this sort of issue. Taking out another water bottle, I tried a different tact. Give me the liquid the PRT uses to dissolve this foam.
The bottle began filling with another clear liquid. Holding it by the bottom at arms length, I tilted it until most of the liquid had run out. Once again, it immediately created a hole in the foam. This time, however, the bottle remained intact, even after I set it down. Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean it is safe for people, just safe for plastic bottles.
I felt like I was missing something important about my power. Still, the lesson here was clearly to be careful what I asked for. I was fortunate that most of my experiments with this aspect of my power before the previous night had been relatively -
Wait. What phrasing did I use for the antilung?
I couldn't remember, but I had a very bad feeling.
I think maybe I should call Armsmaster. Immediately.
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globalwarmth
ruining the weather.
- Location
- Polar ice caps
sooo
brain damage maybe? Non lethal still leaves plenty room for nastiness
YuffieK
(Verified Ninja Princess)
Brain damage is not going to happen. After all, that would negate the "few hours" effect as injury induced unconsiousness is too unpredictable for that sort of timeline. Since it's potent enough to work on Lung, but won't have dangerous effects on normal people... I would say, something along the lines of a GHB/LSD/THC cocktail. He'll wake up fine, but might have some serious gaps in his memory.
- Location
- USA
Ya know, the fact that she can replicate Tinker produced substances is going to get a LOT of attention. Also I have a question, is this still QA, or a different Shard? QA still works if its 'administrating' molecular bonds, but if it's being produced wholesale it could be another Shard.
Doesn't matter from a narrative perspective I guess I'm just curious.
Doesn't matter from a narrative perspective I guess I'm just curious.
- Location
- USA
It isn't the QA shard.
Endfall
A zero on the singularity.
- Location
- Somewhere else.
- Pronouns
- She/They
Obviously, Taylor's power is aware of the world in very precise and nontrivial ways. If she's smart, she'll at least try asking for "liquid that does exactly what I wanted the liquid that my power produces to do at the moment I began this request, and absolutely nothing else." If it works, she won't have to work on ultraprecise wording to get desired results. If it doesn't it reveals a tremendous caveat that she needs to know about, since it failing to work would mean, at a minimum, that her power has no real ability/inclination to access/interpret her nonverbal mental processes w.r.t. its use.
I wonder how limited this power really is. Thinking about it, she probably can't ask for a bottle of nanomachines that will build a small computer with shard computingt substrate as the hardware, which was compatible with the x86 architecture and standard peripherals. But I wonder if she could ask for a bottle of simpler molecules that would build those nanomachines, or something to build those molecules, or somthing to build something that build those molecules (etc)? A power like this would have to be restricted tremendously carefully by the entities, because any failure would turn its holder into a walking technological singularity; but I'm not sure that the Entities would even care, given that they seem to hand out shards that could threaten them like candy, so long as they go to bad users.
But Taylor's creativity in canon seems to suggest that she isn't going to be like Richter, Panacea, or Leet.
Beyond that, cauldron vials are technically liquid. I wonder if this shard could somehow be harnessed to perfect their process.
I wonder how limited this power really is. Thinking about it, she probably can't ask for a bottle of nanomachines that will build a small computer with shard computingt substrate as the hardware, which was compatible with the x86 architecture and standard peripherals. But I wonder if she could ask for a bottle of simpler molecules that would build those nanomachines, or something to build those molecules, or somthing to build something that build those molecules (etc)? A power like this would have to be restricted tremendously carefully by the entities, because any failure would turn its holder into a walking technological singularity; but I'm not sure that the Entities would even care, given that they seem to hand out shards that could threaten them like candy, so long as they go to bad users.
But Taylor's creativity in canon seems to suggest that she isn't going to be like Richter, Panacea, or Leet.
Beyond that, cauldron vials are technically liquid. I wonder if this shard could somehow be harnessed to perfect their process.
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