- Status
- Location
- Tromso, Norway.
More that she just doesn't think about it, because they're her friends and give her lots of shiny toys.
Last edited:
CaesriusPolybius
Worldgate Mechanic
- Location
- United States. Ish.
At first, they had tools and money.
Then, they became her friends.
Then, Coil was
Ironic that Coil's desperate attempt to ruin the Empire 88 backfired so bad, it not only failed to destroy the Empire, it also effectively cemented the Empire's relationship with a Tinker who has a very versatile specialty, essentially forcing Pandora to become even closer to the Empire 88 where before she was merely doing contract work making augments, mostly for herself but I think she cybered up only 2 Empire capes before Leviathan smashed the Box, and other than that, her only pre-Endbringer operations alongside Empire members was taking down Bakuda and the aborted attack on Coil's base just as the Endbringer sirens went off. Too bad Leviathan put Coil out of everyone's misery, though I'm hoping that down in Hell he's being forced to watch what's happening on a TV while writing "I DUN GOOFED" on a blackboard ten billion times
Not to mention that the E88 is kind of falling apart, so the entire situation is in a sort of limbo right now.
divabot
KILL ALL THE HUMANS
- Location
- London
Note also that this is literally how neonazis recruit in real life. Ideology comes later.
WantonConstruct
A fucking noob
- Location
- USA
You say that as if it's unique to them. That's a major strategy of every hate group, gang, cell, what have you.
- Location
- Currently in the local dimension.
It's a major strategy of almost every group, period.
rkyeun
Cabbitus Maximus
- Location
- ◕ ‿‿ ◕
Sophia's actions are also how such groups get recruits in real life.
Chapter XXVII: Fragmentation
Banjofrog
Amphibian Folk Star
--Ex Machina--
Chapter XXVII: Fragmentation
Despite the fact that it was Purity who had set up the meeting itself, she and her group were the only ones not yet present.
We were gathered in the dining room of a large colonial estate, nestled in the hills outside town. Dim orange light from the setting sun streamed in through regal-looking windows, illuminating the large cherry table that Krieg's group, as well as Othala, Viktor, Rune, and I, were gathered around.
I glanced across the table at Krieg, dressed in an antique, but well-maintained German military dress uniform, field cap and all, who had taken up a position at the far end of the oval table. To his right, Alabaster sat in an immaculately tailored and maintained tuxedo, and to his left was Menja in her polished armor.
Though her spear had been set against the wall (though still within arm's reach), Fenja's sword in its scabbard occupied the chair on her other side, signifying her death to Leviathan.
Around the table, other spots were 'occupied' by the dead. Kaiser's crown was sat at the head of the table, Crusader's spear was leaned against a chair, and Hookwolf's metal mask occupied another. I'd be lying if I said a part of me, a big part, wasn't happy to see all these pillars of the Empire gone for good, though with my current circumstances, my feelings on the matter were… conflicted, to say the least.
I took a sip from the water glass in front of me, absorbing the complete silence that had permeated the room following Viktor's greeting of Krieg after our entrance. A glance around the room with my social sensor suite told me that while Alabaster was just bored, which seemed to be his default state, and Menja was still grieving, Krieg was tense, glancing back and forth at Rune across the table from him and at the door, as if he expected a fight to break out as soon as Purity entered.
We waited a few more minutes in silence before the door finally opened, Purity floating in, followed by the utterly emotionless forms of Night and Fog. The three of them took up a position at the far side of the table, near Crusader's spear. A few seconds after they had sat down, Krieg finally spoke.
"It is good of you all to come," he said. "With recent circumstances throwing not only the Empire but the entirety of the Bay into turmoil, we must take action before others come to try to bite away at the city that should be rightfully ours."
Everyone around the table kept their expressions harshly neutral as he spoke, only their minute reactions betraying their true feelings.
"While the Protectorate has seen fit to repair their shiny little home and surrounding block and a half," he continued, "the good people have had no aid but from us. Food, water, shelter, all things that apparently come second to rebuilding the image of the so-called 'heroes' of this city."
"So what would you have us do, then?" Asked Viktor, cutting through Krieg's diatribe.
For a brief moment, I could see anger flash behind Krieg's eyes at the interruption, but he smoothed it out quickly enough that anyone without the sensor to tell would probably think it was just their imagination. Nonetheless, he responded to Viktor's question.
"We leave the Protectorate their little corner. The rest of the city is ours to take. With the dragon perished, and the assassin crippled, the Asians cannot even hold their territory against the Merchants. We will smash them all against the rocks and clean the stain of their presence from our home."
"And then what?" Purity interjected once Krieg had finished. "Congratulations, we control the city, assuming the Merchants don't put up a fight, then what? Much as we may like, ten parahumans can't hold the city once Butcher decides that she'd like to take Brockton back, even if the Fallen or the Elite decide that they don't want a piece of the Bay as well. Even that's assuming the Protectorate doesn't form up and push us out completely so they can point at the city as a shining example of reconstruction under Protectorate guidance.
"Logistically it doesn't make sense to try and hold it all, we need to strengthen our borders and rebuild our territory, make our Brockton the economic center of the reconstructed city."
"So we simply invite others to come in?" Was Krieg's rebuke. "We simply sit and let the rest of the city be ravaged by the scum that lurks in every nook and crevice? Bunkering up would only send the message that we're too weak to hold the city, even with our greatest roadblock removed from the picture."
As Krieg finished, both he and Purity, as if by some unspoken agreement turned to Viktor. He took a few seconds to set down his water glass before he answered, forcing the room into an awkward silence, waiting for him to speak.
"In any other scenario," he began, "I would advocate for careful expansion into strategic economic areas of the city, but as it stands, half the city is waterlogged rubble full of Merchants. Rather than recklessly expand our territory, I'd advise cautious movement toward the more valuable areas not yet inundated with the PRT and Protectorate. We pull out of the trainyard and what holdings we have in the docks, the resources needed to simply hold them could be put to better use rebuilding what valuable areas remain relatively unclaimed."
There were a few seconds of tense quiet before Krieg spoke up, speaking softly enough that one would be hard-pressed to hear without augs, powers, or such a heavy silence permeating the room.
"So you too would have us hide in fear, even given the opportunity on a silver platter to claim the city as our own?"
"We simply don't have the numbers to-" Purity began, before Krieg stood up, slamming one palm on the table.
"Our shining chance to mold this city into a beacon of righteousness, and still you both waver," he all but shouted out to the room at large. "Not in the history of the Empire have we had the chance we now face. Were Kaiser alive, we would not hesitate to eradicate the scum that gnaws away at the purity of our home, and here we talk like cockroaches still hiding in the cupboard."
Looking around the room, I could see the reactions of the various gathered members. Purity had a very faint glow to her, and her face was twisted into a scowl. Night and Fog both looked to Purity for guidance, their expressions a matching put-upon veneer of concern. Menja looked ready to fight, while beside her, Alabaster still looked bored.
"But Kaiser is dead," stated Purity, a steely calm in your voice. "And you are not his successor, no more than I or Viktor or Hookwolf was. Do not look to dictate your terms to me and expect me to follow."
At this, she stood from the table, the chair clattering behind her. Half a heartbeat later, Night and Fog followed her lead, though somewhat more carefully with the furniture.
"If you want to march on the Protectorate, be my guest. I'll be more than happy to sever ties and pick up the pieces once you're put in a cage. This meeting is over."
Purity floated out the open door, silently followed by Night and Fog. After several seconds of the ensuing silence, Krieg turned to look toward our end of the table.
Before he could say anything, Viktor shook his head and also stood up.
"I'm sorry James," Viktor said, shaking his head softly, "but it won't work. Especially without Purity, we just don't have the firepower. I'm out."
Krieg stood there watching silently as Othala stood up immediately, taking Viktor's hand in her own. The two took a half-step toward the door before they both stopped and looked back at Rune and me.
It took less than half a second to choose between the people who had been my friends for months and the guy shouting about 'purifying the city.' I stood up and quietly slid my chair back into its place at the table. To my right, Rune silently mirrored my movements. With the four of us standing, Viktor led us toward the same doorway that Purity had left through.
I had just crossed the threshold when I heard a yelp from behind me. I spun on my heel to see Krieg's hand clasped around Rune's wrist.
"Just where do you think you're going?" Krieg asked Rune, turning her to face him fully.
She glared up into his eyes for a second or two before responding.
"I'm going with my cousin and my friend. Now let go of me."
"I don't think so. I think you need to think about-"
"Uncle James," Rune said, her voice low and level, but with a small tremble behind every word. "Let go of me."
The two of them stood there for another few seconds, no one moving, and Krieg's hand remaining clenched around my friend's wrist. Without warning, Krieg was lifted from the floor and was slowly pushed backward through the air towards his formerly occupied chair.
Unceremoniously, he was dropped onto the seat, and Rune turned around and walked through the doorway I was stood in. As she brushed by my shoulder, I turned and followed her, taking one last glance back at Krieg, Alabaster, and Menja, who were still sitting at the table.
"Let's get out of here," I heard Viktor say from ahead of me. "Things just got a little more complicated."
--Ex Machina--
"So what does this mean for us, Vic?" Asked Odette, once we had all gotten back to the house. No one had spoken much during the flight back, each of us electing to remain silent with our thoughts.
"It means that the split is all but official," Victor responded, leaning back against the countertop. "Krieg and Purity are unlikely to reconcile their differences and we're caught outside. Though it's fractured, most of the Old Empire's resources, money, and manpower were under Krieg's purview, I can't imagine that changed after the attack."
"So that means what, we're broke and alone now?" Brooke asked from her position, sitting on the kitchen table, her legs kicking back and forth.
Victor let out a sardonic snort before replying. "Not quite broke, but since I worked mostly as an analyst and operative, and Odette only worked with the Parahumans, you are correct in saying that we won't have much support from the unpowered members of the Old Empire."
"Should we just sever ties then?" I asked. Upon everyone turning their attention to me, I expanded, the words sort of tumbling from my mouth.
"I mean, Tattletale has all of Coil's resources, and has shown a willingness to work together with us." Brooke wrinkled her nose at the mention of the other blonde, but she didn't say anything. "If we're not going to get any support from Krieg, staying affiliated with him can't really be anything but a bad thing. Krieg can claim to be stronger if the public still thinks we support him, and we'd still be tied to his bullshit ideology."
I looked around the room. Brooke was looking down at her feet, while Odette and Victor both looked over at me. Odette had the slight frown that always marred her face when she was thinking, and Victor, after meeting my eyes for a second, inclined his head slightly, inviting me to speak further.
After a few seconds to gather my thoughts, I spoke up again.
"Okay, first off, as the bio-tinker here, I can definitively say that there's no actual physical difference between Krieg's glorious pure race and everyone else. Nothing unites people like a common enemy. That's what all the racism boils down to, isn't it? Tell a bunch of people that they're better than everyone else and they'll go to ludicrous means to prove you right."
Nobody said anything for several seconds, and as the pause stretched on, I contemplated consulting my social sensor suite. Before, I could though, I heard a deep sigh, followed by a sharp intake of breath. I looked up and saw Odette looking right back at me. When our eyes met, she spoke.
"I… I was born into and grew up in an Empire affiliate family," she said, her voice wavering. She started to curl into herself, but Victor laid a hand on her back, and after a few seconds, she continued.
"I never really questioned what everyone said. I was always told, for all my life, that I was better because I was born white. That I somehow had something over everyone else who wasn't, and I never had any cause to question it. Everyone I knew, all the Empire and Medhall and the Gesellschaft all said the same thing, and as far as I knew, they were all living proof of it.
"Until I triggered, at least." Odette wavered again, shaking a little bit. Victor took her hand in his free one and they sat there quietly for a few seconds, the only sound in the room was her breathing slowing down. Once she recovered, she looked back up again, meeting my eyes.
"Whenever I gift someone one of my boons, I get, I guess a snapshot of them as a whole. Anyone I heal, I see their body, their injuries, their health, even if it's just for a second. My first few months, healing at hospitals, I only ever saw white patients. It went like that until the first time I was at an Endbringer battle.
"The Empire always fought at the Endbringer battles. Something about maintaining legitimacy. Since I had the capacity to heal, I was one of the members who went to every one. My first battle, almost three years ago now, I was on stabilization, because we weren't sure enough about my regeneration gift yet that I could actually bring the injured back to fighting condition. I was just there to stop as many deaths as I could."
I nodded my head. From my own experience when Leviathan attacked, I knew exactly where she was coming from. The numbing exhaustion and horror of dozens of dying people passing by you, and expending just enough effort to keep them alive without becoming too exhausted to help the next one.
"They were all the same," Odette said, her eyes never leaving mine.
"Men, women, whites, blacks, adults, kids. They all had the same burns, the same radiation damage, and the same insides. They were all people. They looked different, but Behemoth's lightning didn't discriminate, and neither did my powers. So why did I? And why did everyone I knew? Everyone I trusted?"
Before I could think of a response, Brooke spoke up, her gaze still firmly at the floor, but her voice firm.
"Did you ever say anything to anyone?"
"Of course not," Odette said incredulously. "What would I say? Who could I tell? Anyone in the Empire would dismiss it or report me, and I didn't have enough contact with anyone outside it that I would trust them with my identity, let alone my misgivings."
"She didn't even talk to me about it until after we were engaged," Victor said, still holding Odette's hand in his.
"And?" I asked, shifting my gaze to meet his.
"I.. I still don't know," Victor said, his eyes shifting down. "It all makes logical sense, from my knowledge of medicine and physiology. But when you're brought up for the first twenty years of your life to believe something as an absolute truth, it's hard to let it go, regardless of the evidence laid against it."
No one said anything for a while after that, all of us lost in our own thoughts before I was roused by a ringing. I looked around for a second before realizing it was a call routing through my audio-visual display. I raised a hand to get the attention of everyone else before answering the call.
"Um… hello. Is this Pandora?" A vaguely familiar voice spoke.
It took me a few seconds to place the voice. Once I did, I responded, curiosity piquing my voice.
"Hello, Grue. What can I do for you?"
--Ex Machina--
Chapter XXVII: Fragmentation
Despite the fact that it was Purity who had set up the meeting itself, she and her group were the only ones not yet present.
We were gathered in the dining room of a large colonial estate, nestled in the hills outside town. Dim orange light from the setting sun streamed in through regal-looking windows, illuminating the large cherry table that Krieg's group, as well as Othala, Viktor, Rune, and I, were gathered around.
I glanced across the table at Krieg, dressed in an antique, but well-maintained German military dress uniform, field cap and all, who had taken up a position at the far end of the oval table. To his right, Alabaster sat in an immaculately tailored and maintained tuxedo, and to his left was Menja in her polished armor.
Though her spear had been set against the wall (though still within arm's reach), Fenja's sword in its scabbard occupied the chair on her other side, signifying her death to Leviathan.
Around the table, other spots were 'occupied' by the dead. Kaiser's crown was sat at the head of the table, Crusader's spear was leaned against a chair, and Hookwolf's metal mask occupied another. I'd be lying if I said a part of me, a big part, wasn't happy to see all these pillars of the Empire gone for good, though with my current circumstances, my feelings on the matter were… conflicted, to say the least.
I took a sip from the water glass in front of me, absorbing the complete silence that had permeated the room following Viktor's greeting of Krieg after our entrance. A glance around the room with my social sensor suite told me that while Alabaster was just bored, which seemed to be his default state, and Menja was still grieving, Krieg was tense, glancing back and forth at Rune across the table from him and at the door, as if he expected a fight to break out as soon as Purity entered.
We waited a few more minutes in silence before the door finally opened, Purity floating in, followed by the utterly emotionless forms of Night and Fog. The three of them took up a position at the far side of the table, near Crusader's spear. A few seconds after they had sat down, Krieg finally spoke.
"It is good of you all to come," he said. "With recent circumstances throwing not only the Empire but the entirety of the Bay into turmoil, we must take action before others come to try to bite away at the city that should be rightfully ours."
Everyone around the table kept their expressions harshly neutral as he spoke, only their minute reactions betraying their true feelings.
"While the Protectorate has seen fit to repair their shiny little home and surrounding block and a half," he continued, "the good people have had no aid but from us. Food, water, shelter, all things that apparently come second to rebuilding the image of the so-called 'heroes' of this city."
"So what would you have us do, then?" Asked Viktor, cutting through Krieg's diatribe.
For a brief moment, I could see anger flash behind Krieg's eyes at the interruption, but he smoothed it out quickly enough that anyone without the sensor to tell would probably think it was just their imagination. Nonetheless, he responded to Viktor's question.
"We leave the Protectorate their little corner. The rest of the city is ours to take. With the dragon perished, and the assassin crippled, the Asians cannot even hold their territory against the Merchants. We will smash them all against the rocks and clean the stain of their presence from our home."
"And then what?" Purity interjected once Krieg had finished. "Congratulations, we control the city, assuming the Merchants don't put up a fight, then what? Much as we may like, ten parahumans can't hold the city once Butcher decides that she'd like to take Brockton back, even if the Fallen or the Elite decide that they don't want a piece of the Bay as well. Even that's assuming the Protectorate doesn't form up and push us out completely so they can point at the city as a shining example of reconstruction under Protectorate guidance.
"Logistically it doesn't make sense to try and hold it all, we need to strengthen our borders and rebuild our territory, make our Brockton the economic center of the reconstructed city."
"So we simply invite others to come in?" Was Krieg's rebuke. "We simply sit and let the rest of the city be ravaged by the scum that lurks in every nook and crevice? Bunkering up would only send the message that we're too weak to hold the city, even with our greatest roadblock removed from the picture."
As Krieg finished, both he and Purity, as if by some unspoken agreement turned to Viktor. He took a few seconds to set down his water glass before he answered, forcing the room into an awkward silence, waiting for him to speak.
"In any other scenario," he began, "I would advocate for careful expansion into strategic economic areas of the city, but as it stands, half the city is waterlogged rubble full of Merchants. Rather than recklessly expand our territory, I'd advise cautious movement toward the more valuable areas not yet inundated with the PRT and Protectorate. We pull out of the trainyard and what holdings we have in the docks, the resources needed to simply hold them could be put to better use rebuilding what valuable areas remain relatively unclaimed."
There were a few seconds of tense quiet before Krieg spoke up, speaking softly enough that one would be hard-pressed to hear without augs, powers, or such a heavy silence permeating the room.
"So you too would have us hide in fear, even given the opportunity on a silver platter to claim the city as our own?"
"We simply don't have the numbers to-" Purity began, before Krieg stood up, slamming one palm on the table.
"Our shining chance to mold this city into a beacon of righteousness, and still you both waver," he all but shouted out to the room at large. "Not in the history of the Empire have we had the chance we now face. Were Kaiser alive, we would not hesitate to eradicate the scum that gnaws away at the purity of our home, and here we talk like cockroaches still hiding in the cupboard."
Looking around the room, I could see the reactions of the various gathered members. Purity had a very faint glow to her, and her face was twisted into a scowl. Night and Fog both looked to Purity for guidance, their expressions a matching put-upon veneer of concern. Menja looked ready to fight, while beside her, Alabaster still looked bored.
"But Kaiser is dead," stated Purity, a steely calm in your voice. "And you are not his successor, no more than I or Viktor or Hookwolf was. Do not look to dictate your terms to me and expect me to follow."
At this, she stood from the table, the chair clattering behind her. Half a heartbeat later, Night and Fog followed her lead, though somewhat more carefully with the furniture.
"If you want to march on the Protectorate, be my guest. I'll be more than happy to sever ties and pick up the pieces once you're put in a cage. This meeting is over."
Purity floated out the open door, silently followed by Night and Fog. After several seconds of the ensuing silence, Krieg turned to look toward our end of the table.
Before he could say anything, Viktor shook his head and also stood up.
"I'm sorry James," Viktor said, shaking his head softly, "but it won't work. Especially without Purity, we just don't have the firepower. I'm out."
Krieg stood there watching silently as Othala stood up immediately, taking Viktor's hand in her own. The two took a half-step toward the door before they both stopped and looked back at Rune and me.
It took less than half a second to choose between the people who had been my friends for months and the guy shouting about 'purifying the city.' I stood up and quietly slid my chair back into its place at the table. To my right, Rune silently mirrored my movements. With the four of us standing, Viktor led us toward the same doorway that Purity had left through.
I had just crossed the threshold when I heard a yelp from behind me. I spun on my heel to see Krieg's hand clasped around Rune's wrist.
"Just where do you think you're going?" Krieg asked Rune, turning her to face him fully.
She glared up into his eyes for a second or two before responding.
"I'm going with my cousin and my friend. Now let go of me."
"I don't think so. I think you need to think about-"
"Uncle James," Rune said, her voice low and level, but with a small tremble behind every word. "Let go of me."
The two of them stood there for another few seconds, no one moving, and Krieg's hand remaining clenched around my friend's wrist. Without warning, Krieg was lifted from the floor and was slowly pushed backward through the air towards his formerly occupied chair.
Unceremoniously, he was dropped onto the seat, and Rune turned around and walked through the doorway I was stood in. As she brushed by my shoulder, I turned and followed her, taking one last glance back at Krieg, Alabaster, and Menja, who were still sitting at the table.
"Let's get out of here," I heard Viktor say from ahead of me. "Things just got a little more complicated."
--Ex Machina--
"So what does this mean for us, Vic?" Asked Odette, once we had all gotten back to the house. No one had spoken much during the flight back, each of us electing to remain silent with our thoughts.
"It means that the split is all but official," Victor responded, leaning back against the countertop. "Krieg and Purity are unlikely to reconcile their differences and we're caught outside. Though it's fractured, most of the Old Empire's resources, money, and manpower were under Krieg's purview, I can't imagine that changed after the attack."
"So that means what, we're broke and alone now?" Brooke asked from her position, sitting on the kitchen table, her legs kicking back and forth.
Victor let out a sardonic snort before replying. "Not quite broke, but since I worked mostly as an analyst and operative, and Odette only worked with the Parahumans, you are correct in saying that we won't have much support from the unpowered members of the Old Empire."
"Should we just sever ties then?" I asked. Upon everyone turning their attention to me, I expanded, the words sort of tumbling from my mouth.
"I mean, Tattletale has all of Coil's resources, and has shown a willingness to work together with us." Brooke wrinkled her nose at the mention of the other blonde, but she didn't say anything. "If we're not going to get any support from Krieg, staying affiliated with him can't really be anything but a bad thing. Krieg can claim to be stronger if the public still thinks we support him, and we'd still be tied to his bullshit ideology."
I looked around the room. Brooke was looking down at her feet, while Odette and Victor both looked over at me. Odette had the slight frown that always marred her face when she was thinking, and Victor, after meeting my eyes for a second, inclined his head slightly, inviting me to speak further.
After a few seconds to gather my thoughts, I spoke up again.
"Okay, first off, as the bio-tinker here, I can definitively say that there's no actual physical difference between Krieg's glorious pure race and everyone else. Nothing unites people like a common enemy. That's what all the racism boils down to, isn't it? Tell a bunch of people that they're better than everyone else and they'll go to ludicrous means to prove you right."
Nobody said anything for several seconds, and as the pause stretched on, I contemplated consulting my social sensor suite. Before, I could though, I heard a deep sigh, followed by a sharp intake of breath. I looked up and saw Odette looking right back at me. When our eyes met, she spoke.
"I… I was born into and grew up in an Empire affiliate family," she said, her voice wavering. She started to curl into herself, but Victor laid a hand on her back, and after a few seconds, she continued.
"I never really questioned what everyone said. I was always told, for all my life, that I was better because I was born white. That I somehow had something over everyone else who wasn't, and I never had any cause to question it. Everyone I knew, all the Empire and Medhall and the Gesellschaft all said the same thing, and as far as I knew, they were all living proof of it.
"Until I triggered, at least." Odette wavered again, shaking a little bit. Victor took her hand in his free one and they sat there quietly for a few seconds, the only sound in the room was her breathing slowing down. Once she recovered, she looked back up again, meeting my eyes.
"Whenever I gift someone one of my boons, I get, I guess a snapshot of them as a whole. Anyone I heal, I see their body, their injuries, their health, even if it's just for a second. My first few months, healing at hospitals, I only ever saw white patients. It went like that until the first time I was at an Endbringer battle.
"The Empire always fought at the Endbringer battles. Something about maintaining legitimacy. Since I had the capacity to heal, I was one of the members who went to every one. My first battle, almost three years ago now, I was on stabilization, because we weren't sure enough about my regeneration gift yet that I could actually bring the injured back to fighting condition. I was just there to stop as many deaths as I could."
I nodded my head. From my own experience when Leviathan attacked, I knew exactly where she was coming from. The numbing exhaustion and horror of dozens of dying people passing by you, and expending just enough effort to keep them alive without becoming too exhausted to help the next one.
"They were all the same," Odette said, her eyes never leaving mine.
"Men, women, whites, blacks, adults, kids. They all had the same burns, the same radiation damage, and the same insides. They were all people. They looked different, but Behemoth's lightning didn't discriminate, and neither did my powers. So why did I? And why did everyone I knew? Everyone I trusted?"
Before I could think of a response, Brooke spoke up, her gaze still firmly at the floor, but her voice firm.
"Did you ever say anything to anyone?"
"Of course not," Odette said incredulously. "What would I say? Who could I tell? Anyone in the Empire would dismiss it or report me, and I didn't have enough contact with anyone outside it that I would trust them with my identity, let alone my misgivings."
"She didn't even talk to me about it until after we were engaged," Victor said, still holding Odette's hand in his.
"And?" I asked, shifting my gaze to meet his.
"I.. I still don't know," Victor said, his eyes shifting down. "It all makes logical sense, from my knowledge of medicine and physiology. But when you're brought up for the first twenty years of your life to believe something as an absolute truth, it's hard to let it go, regardless of the evidence laid against it."
No one said anything for a while after that, all of us lost in our own thoughts before I was roused by a ringing. I looked around for a second before realizing it was a call routing through my audio-visual display. I raised a hand to get the attention of everyone else before answering the call.
"Um… hello. Is this Pandora?" A vaguely familiar voice spoke.
It took me a few seconds to place the voice. Once I did, I responded, curiosity piquing my voice.
"Hello, Grue. What can I do for you?"
--Ex Machina--
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Chapter XXVIII: Extrication
Banjofrog
Amphibian Folk Star
--Ex Machina--
Chapter XXVIII: Extrication
"The meeting went great boss," Aisha said as she strolled through the doorway. She glanced around the room for a second before setting her eyes on the blonde, who apparently hadn't changed position since Aisha had left to snoop on the Empire.
Lisa looked up from her laptop, her squinting green eyes betraying her weariness, but that didn't stop them from lighting up at Aisha's news.
"Pull up a chair Aisha," she instructed, gesturing in the direction of the few seats not cluttered with her notes with her good arm. "Tell me exactly how everything went down."
"Well, Krieg and the Super-Nazis showed up first and made a big show of setting all the places at the table with stuff from the dead Empire people…"
--Ex Machina--
"And then Viktor and his harem walked out all cool-like and Krieg got super angry and shouted at Pasty and Bimbo for a few minutes, and then they left too."
By the time Aisha finished her story, Lisa had started to smirk and drum her fingers on the table. Aisha was pretty sure her boss was about to start cackling until she finally spoke up, talking loudly enough that Brian, who had shown up at some point and listened from the other end of the kitchen, could hear.
"Fantastic work Aisha, everything's going perfectly. We give them a few days to make plans and accept that they won't be getting any help from the rest of the Old Empire, then we'll make contact. Hopefully by that point, they'll be on the lookout for allies and we'll be able to secure ourselves a truce and some lines of communication."
"If I can break in here," Brian said from the other side of the kitchen, setting down his glass of water. "I'm still not sure how comfortable I am working with Nazis, former or not. Not everyone on this team was born white and blonde, Lisa."
Aisha looked over to Lisa who appeared to consider his words for a few seconds before responding.
"Let me assuage your concerns a little then. Othala's doubting, Viktor will support her, Rune will follow along, and Pandora knows it's all bullshit. She's the important one anyway, the others will follow her example here eventually, especially since she's the bio-tinker and all."
"You sure about this? If there's any doubt, then I don't want Aish-"
"I'm positive Brian, it may take a little time, but they'll come around. Especially if they get the opportunity to work with a professional, capable minority, hmm?"
"So never let them meet Aisha, is what I'm hearing here," came Brian's nonplussed reply.
Aisha began her indignant response, but before she could say anything, she was interrupted, Lisa shooting her a placating, if mildly condescending, look.
"Oh, that was always the plan, believe me. She's much more potent if no one knows she exists," Lisa said, a mirthful smirk on her face as she glanced at Aisha out of the corner of her eye.
Aisha smirked and nodded, then loosened her grip on her power and slipped away. The two other occupants in the kitchen looked around in confusion before forgetting what exactly it was that was confusing them.
"Now, I need to get going real quick," Lisa said to Brian. "There's something Alec asked me to come check out, we'll be back here soon."
Aisha saw Brian nod as Lisa stood up, her back cracking several times as she straightened out. Her duties here finished, Aisha wandered over to the living room and turned on one of the video game consoles that she and Alec had bartered one of the traders for.
--Ex Machina--
Brian looked up from his book at the sound of his phone vibrating on the table next to him. As he reached over, he glanced at the clock, over an hour since Lisa had gone to meet Alec.
Can't talk, Merchants around. Something big. Safe for now. Hiding with R.
Brian jumped to his feet, phone still in hand. As he texted, asking for more information, he called his sister's name to the apartment at large, knowing that she could be anywhere within it. A few seconds later, Aisha seemed to appear in front of him.
"What's up bro?" She asked, trying to sound casual, but with an undertone of concern to her voice.
"Lisa and Alec are stuck hiding from Merchants," Brian said, looking down at the text that just arrived. Apparently, they're having some kind of ritual or party tonight, and there are hundreds of them filling the streets.
"So you want me to… what exactly?" His sister asked, her earlier mirth tamped down.
"I-" Brian sighed. He hated to do this, but he knew his sister was smart, even if she wouldn't show it, and her power would keep her safe.
"I need you to get to Lisa and Alec, they're on the fourth floor of a building on Pine and Adams. Find them, keep an eye outside, and when it's clear, lead them out and back here."
Aisha nodded solemnly and turned to go get her gear. Brian thought for a moment before speaking up again.
"Be safe, and if anything happens, call or text me immediately, understand?"
Aisha nodded, then disappeared. Brian stared for a second at the space where he could have sworn someone was standing before shaking his head and sitting back down.
--Ex Machina--
"Something happened."
The words from the phone in his hand, even with the levity that his sister tried to inject into them, were like ice in Brian's veins. Even as he started to gather his gear up, he responded, his tone clipped.
"I need more information."
"Okay, so Tattletale thought there was something fishy up with the Merchant's thing, so she went to investigate. I just found Regent and we're across the street from the mall, where all the druggies are gathered. There's lights and music and shit and I can see more of them heading in.
"Do you have any idea where she went?" Brian asked, pulling on his boots.
Brian could almost hear the shrug come through the phone line. "No idea," Aisha, Imp, responded. "Probably wanted to take a closer look at the weird steel briefcase she and Regent saw Skidmark carry in. Anyway, what's the plan bro?"
"Just stay there, I'm coming and we'll figure out more then."
"Will do, we're still on the fourth floor of- shit. Grue, I've gotta go, there's… there's someone in the other room of the apartment. I- fuck, it's Merchants."
The call ended abruptly. Brian spent a few seconds staring at the phone in his hand before swearing violently and throwing his helmet at the chair. He took a few seconds to breathe and looked down at the phone in his hand, thinking through his options.
With Rachel dead in Leviathan's attack, Brian knew he couldn't rush in headlong, and without Lisa to spot the danger, he knew he'd have to be careful. He glanced down at the phone again, an idea forming in his mind. Before he had fully thought it through, he had scrolled through his contact list and tapped on the name.
"Hello?" Came a clear, inquisitive voice.
"Um… hello. Is this Pandora?" He said before he could stop himself. Smooth Brian, way to start with a good impression.
A few agonizing heartbeats later, the reply came through, the voice steady and authoritative.
"Hello, Grue. What can I do for you?"
--Ex Machina--
It was about twenty minutes later when the four of us landed on the roof of a mostly intact commercial building within sight of Weymouth shopping center. As we stepped off the large stone, Grue stood up from the lip of the building that he had been sitting on.
For a few seconds, nobody said anything, the moonlight reflecting at odd angles off the stylized skull-faced motorcycle mask as Grue shifted on his feet. Eventually, I stepped forward, extending my arm.
"Thank you for coming, all of you," Grue said, his gloved hand firmly shaking mine before he released and stepped back.
"The Merchants are up to something, I don't know what, but Tattletale thought it was important enough to take a closer look, and we haven't heard back yet. Regent is downstairs still watching the building for anything suspicious, so we'll gather up and then try to get a closer look and find Tattletale."
Viktor nodded, then gestured toward the roof access stairwell. We followed Grue down a few flights then exited into a hallway. We went through one of the open doorways and entered a filthy apartment. Four or five unconscious merchants were zip-tied to the radiator, and sitting on a chair by the window was a cape in a ren-faire shirt and a Venetian Carnevale mask.
Upon our entrance, he turned his head, appearing to extend the least possible effort in acknowledging our presence.
"Any change to the situation Regent?"
"Nope," the cape responded, reluctantly pulling himself from his position and standing up. "I mean, more druggies showed up and stuff, and they're all getting these red wristbands as they walk in, but beyond that…" Regent shrugged.
"Okay then, guess we've gotta head closer, stick close, everybody here?" Grue asked, though he kept looking toward Regent. When his teammate nodded, Grue turned, and we stepped back over the unconscious Merchants and down the stairwell.
We crossed the street, the intensity of both the stench and the cacophony of a half-dozen songs from as many speakers increasing with every step. I looked at the six of us walking, Regent and Grue in their full-face masks in front while Brooke, Viktor, Othala and I were a few steps behind, all unmasked, as we had gone since Coil's outing.
That didn't mean we had come unprepared though, Viktor was carrying a handgun and several knives, Rune had a small pouch full of stainless steel ball-bearings around her belt, and I had all my tools and augs.
We approached the side of the building, where two larger guys were standing guard. Other Merchants milling around had noticed Grue and Regent's masks and stepped away, content with throwing jeering looks and the occasional insult, rather than directly confront the capes. When they got to the doorway, one of the bouncers blocked the doorway with a burly arm, looking over our group and smiling, showing a mouth full of cracked yellow teeth.
"Thissa private party," he said slurring his words together. "Scram, before we have to call more s'curity."
It looked like Grue was about to say anything, but before he could start his response, I had raised my arm and shot a dart into each of the bouncers' necks.
Both of them wavered for a second or two before collapsing to the ground.
I stepped over the bodies while Grue was still looking down at them.
"Way's clear," I said. "Let's get going."
The rest of the group followed me, stepping over the bodies and into the main lobby of what used to be the shopping center.
The interior was crowded enough that it almost immediately became difficult to navigate, and after a quick whiff of the rank smell of sweat and garbage, I shut off my olfactory sensory information. Inside were hundreds of people, dancing, fighting, or drugging themselves up on one substance or another. It disgusted me to see these people filling their already weak and fleshy bodies with various poisons, but tonight was not a time to start a one-woman crusade against it.
I looked around, searching for Tattletale's tag. It took a moment to find it through the throng of people, but eventually, I was able to locate her, on the far wall of the building.
"Come on," I said to the rest of the group, who at some point had started to follow me, "she's over there."
We pressed through the crowd of partying Merchants, ignoring people in the ruined storefronts hawking drugs and people to us. I glanced back to make sure that my group was still together. Rune was just a step or two behind me, her eyes darting back and forth, and a hand in the pouch of ball bearings, ready to send a half-dozen flying at a moment's notice. Behind her, Viktor walked, one hand holding Othala's shoulder, while the other rested on the handle of a knife. Regent and Grue were a few steps behind them, though most people gave them a wider berth, likely due to their masks and costumes.
I contemplated for a while the sheer number of people present here. How many of them were Merchants before Leviathan's attack? How many had joined out of desperation? How many weren't here by choice? I pushed those questions to the side, no use dwelling on that while we still had an objective.
Eventually, we found Tattletale, unmasked, standing inside a hallway that led to a maintenance room. She was balancing a notepad on her knee while writing with her good arm. At our approach, she looked up and her face cracked a smirk, as if we were late and she were exasperated with us.
"Hey guys, glad you finally made it," she shouted over the music booming throughout the building. She looked over at us, looking utterly unsurprised at our being here with Grue and Regent. "Looks like something bigger than just a celebration is going on here, and if it's anything like what I think, the Merchants may soon become much more than a minor worry."
'What do you mean?" Viktor asked, eyebrows furrowed.
"Well just take a look," Tattletale said, indicating the center of the atrium.
As one, everybody turned, just as Skidmark awkwardly clambered onto a crude stage and pushed a button, abruptly silencing all the music coming from the speakers.
"Hey Sisterfuckers!" the man spoke into a microphone, the number and volume of the speakers broadcasting it almost serving to hide his nasally voice.
The rest of the room turned to see Skidmark, as well as Squealer, Mush, and another half-dozen capes I had never seen before collected onto the stage.
"Fuck, he's been recruiting in the aftermath," came Grue's voice as he noticed the sheer number of costumed men and women arrayed behind the Merchants' leader.
"You fuckshits up for tonight's event? Because it doesn't get any better than what we have planned."
Skidmark grinned, showing a mouth full of teeth which were just about every shade but white. The crowd responded with gusto, hundreds of people, all shouting in response as loudly as they could.
The Merchants' leader raised his hands, quieting the crowd, then threw them to the ground. Around the atrium, shimmering blue and purple bands formed, marking off a sort of rectangular arena. Those on or near the effects found themselves pushed toward the center, while those on the outside either jumped in, shoved others towards it, or tried to back up to the walls.
"We've got ourselves a free-for-all brawl tonight, and the last five standing in the ring get a prize! No rules! Use a weapon! Use each other! Jump in at the last second! Just give us a show!" Skidmark started to laugh into the mic, while I saw Viktor's face morph into a horrified expression.
"He's trying to get people to trigger. That's how he's been recruiting." Despite Viktor's soft tone, I know everyone heard it, even over the roar of the crowd, because as one, everyone's faces twisted in horror to match his.
"It sounds like you Cockgarblers need more incentive," Skidmark shouted to the crowd, which had already started forming up into small groups. He snapped his fingers and one of the new powered subordinates, a waifish girl with stringy black hair hanging down over her face, stepped forward, a steel briefcase in hand.
He unceremoniously undid the latch and dropped the case to the ground, leaving a canister of the same color in his hand. He opened the top and withdrew a stoppered glass vial, some purple liquid inside.
"Before, we've given our lucky winners the pick of the crop, the best loot from the rich assholes and their fancy fucking homes. But tonight is something special," he said, running his tongue over his cracked and bloody lips, a feral smile marking his face. "Because we won the goddamn jackpot with these."
He held the canister in one hand and the individual vial in the other and thrust both above his head.
"Superpowers in a can! One for each of our lucky winners!"
--Ex Machina--
Chapter XXVIII: Extrication
"The meeting went great boss," Aisha said as she strolled through the doorway. She glanced around the room for a second before setting her eyes on the blonde, who apparently hadn't changed position since Aisha had left to snoop on the Empire.
Lisa looked up from her laptop, her squinting green eyes betraying her weariness, but that didn't stop them from lighting up at Aisha's news.
"Pull up a chair Aisha," she instructed, gesturing in the direction of the few seats not cluttered with her notes with her good arm. "Tell me exactly how everything went down."
"Well, Krieg and the Super-Nazis showed up first and made a big show of setting all the places at the table with stuff from the dead Empire people…"
--Ex Machina--
"And then Viktor and his harem walked out all cool-like and Krieg got super angry and shouted at Pasty and Bimbo for a few minutes, and then they left too."
By the time Aisha finished her story, Lisa had started to smirk and drum her fingers on the table. Aisha was pretty sure her boss was about to start cackling until she finally spoke up, talking loudly enough that Brian, who had shown up at some point and listened from the other end of the kitchen, could hear.
"Fantastic work Aisha, everything's going perfectly. We give them a few days to make plans and accept that they won't be getting any help from the rest of the Old Empire, then we'll make contact. Hopefully by that point, they'll be on the lookout for allies and we'll be able to secure ourselves a truce and some lines of communication."
"If I can break in here," Brian said from the other side of the kitchen, setting down his glass of water. "I'm still not sure how comfortable I am working with Nazis, former or not. Not everyone on this team was born white and blonde, Lisa."
Aisha looked over to Lisa who appeared to consider his words for a few seconds before responding.
"Let me assuage your concerns a little then. Othala's doubting, Viktor will support her, Rune will follow along, and Pandora knows it's all bullshit. She's the important one anyway, the others will follow her example here eventually, especially since she's the bio-tinker and all."
"You sure about this? If there's any doubt, then I don't want Aish-"
"I'm positive Brian, it may take a little time, but they'll come around. Especially if they get the opportunity to work with a professional, capable minority, hmm?"
"So never let them meet Aisha, is what I'm hearing here," came Brian's nonplussed reply.
Aisha began her indignant response, but before she could say anything, she was interrupted, Lisa shooting her a placating, if mildly condescending, look.
"Oh, that was always the plan, believe me. She's much more potent if no one knows she exists," Lisa said, a mirthful smirk on her face as she glanced at Aisha out of the corner of her eye.
Aisha smirked and nodded, then loosened her grip on her power and slipped away. The two other occupants in the kitchen looked around in confusion before forgetting what exactly it was that was confusing them.
"Now, I need to get going real quick," Lisa said to Brian. "There's something Alec asked me to come check out, we'll be back here soon."
Aisha saw Brian nod as Lisa stood up, her back cracking several times as she straightened out. Her duties here finished, Aisha wandered over to the living room and turned on one of the video game consoles that she and Alec had bartered one of the traders for.
--Ex Machina--
Brian looked up from his book at the sound of his phone vibrating on the table next to him. As he reached over, he glanced at the clock, over an hour since Lisa had gone to meet Alec.
Can't talk, Merchants around. Something big. Safe for now. Hiding with R.
Brian jumped to his feet, phone still in hand. As he texted, asking for more information, he called his sister's name to the apartment at large, knowing that she could be anywhere within it. A few seconds later, Aisha seemed to appear in front of him.
"What's up bro?" She asked, trying to sound casual, but with an undertone of concern to her voice.
"Lisa and Alec are stuck hiding from Merchants," Brian said, looking down at the text that just arrived. Apparently, they're having some kind of ritual or party tonight, and there are hundreds of them filling the streets.
"So you want me to… what exactly?" His sister asked, her earlier mirth tamped down.
"I-" Brian sighed. He hated to do this, but he knew his sister was smart, even if she wouldn't show it, and her power would keep her safe.
"I need you to get to Lisa and Alec, they're on the fourth floor of a building on Pine and Adams. Find them, keep an eye outside, and when it's clear, lead them out and back here."
Aisha nodded solemnly and turned to go get her gear. Brian thought for a moment before speaking up again.
"Be safe, and if anything happens, call or text me immediately, understand?"
Aisha nodded, then disappeared. Brian stared for a second at the space where he could have sworn someone was standing before shaking his head and sitting back down.
--Ex Machina--
"Something happened."
The words from the phone in his hand, even with the levity that his sister tried to inject into them, were like ice in Brian's veins. Even as he started to gather his gear up, he responded, his tone clipped.
"I need more information."
"Okay, so Tattletale thought there was something fishy up with the Merchant's thing, so she went to investigate. I just found Regent and we're across the street from the mall, where all the druggies are gathered. There's lights and music and shit and I can see more of them heading in.
"Do you have any idea where she went?" Brian asked, pulling on his boots.
Brian could almost hear the shrug come through the phone line. "No idea," Aisha, Imp, responded. "Probably wanted to take a closer look at the weird steel briefcase she and Regent saw Skidmark carry in. Anyway, what's the plan bro?"
"Just stay there, I'm coming and we'll figure out more then."
"Will do, we're still on the fourth floor of- shit. Grue, I've gotta go, there's… there's someone in the other room of the apartment. I- fuck, it's Merchants."
The call ended abruptly. Brian spent a few seconds staring at the phone in his hand before swearing violently and throwing his helmet at the chair. He took a few seconds to breathe and looked down at the phone in his hand, thinking through his options.
With Rachel dead in Leviathan's attack, Brian knew he couldn't rush in headlong, and without Lisa to spot the danger, he knew he'd have to be careful. He glanced down at the phone again, an idea forming in his mind. Before he had fully thought it through, he had scrolled through his contact list and tapped on the name.
"Hello?" Came a clear, inquisitive voice.
"Um… hello. Is this Pandora?" He said before he could stop himself. Smooth Brian, way to start with a good impression.
A few agonizing heartbeats later, the reply came through, the voice steady and authoritative.
"Hello, Grue. What can I do for you?"
--Ex Machina--
It was about twenty minutes later when the four of us landed on the roof of a mostly intact commercial building within sight of Weymouth shopping center. As we stepped off the large stone, Grue stood up from the lip of the building that he had been sitting on.
For a few seconds, nobody said anything, the moonlight reflecting at odd angles off the stylized skull-faced motorcycle mask as Grue shifted on his feet. Eventually, I stepped forward, extending my arm.
"Thank you for coming, all of you," Grue said, his gloved hand firmly shaking mine before he released and stepped back.
"The Merchants are up to something, I don't know what, but Tattletale thought it was important enough to take a closer look, and we haven't heard back yet. Regent is downstairs still watching the building for anything suspicious, so we'll gather up and then try to get a closer look and find Tattletale."
Viktor nodded, then gestured toward the roof access stairwell. We followed Grue down a few flights then exited into a hallway. We went through one of the open doorways and entered a filthy apartment. Four or five unconscious merchants were zip-tied to the radiator, and sitting on a chair by the window was a cape in a ren-faire shirt and a Venetian Carnevale mask.
Upon our entrance, he turned his head, appearing to extend the least possible effort in acknowledging our presence.
"Any change to the situation Regent?"
"Nope," the cape responded, reluctantly pulling himself from his position and standing up. "I mean, more druggies showed up and stuff, and they're all getting these red wristbands as they walk in, but beyond that…" Regent shrugged.
"Okay then, guess we've gotta head closer, stick close, everybody here?" Grue asked, though he kept looking toward Regent. When his teammate nodded, Grue turned, and we stepped back over the unconscious Merchants and down the stairwell.
We crossed the street, the intensity of both the stench and the cacophony of a half-dozen songs from as many speakers increasing with every step. I looked at the six of us walking, Regent and Grue in their full-face masks in front while Brooke, Viktor, Othala and I were a few steps behind, all unmasked, as we had gone since Coil's outing.
That didn't mean we had come unprepared though, Viktor was carrying a handgun and several knives, Rune had a small pouch full of stainless steel ball-bearings around her belt, and I had all my tools and augs.
We approached the side of the building, where two larger guys were standing guard. Other Merchants milling around had noticed Grue and Regent's masks and stepped away, content with throwing jeering looks and the occasional insult, rather than directly confront the capes. When they got to the doorway, one of the bouncers blocked the doorway with a burly arm, looking over our group and smiling, showing a mouth full of cracked yellow teeth.
"Thissa private party," he said slurring his words together. "Scram, before we have to call more s'curity."
It looked like Grue was about to say anything, but before he could start his response, I had raised my arm and shot a dart into each of the bouncers' necks.
Both of them wavered for a second or two before collapsing to the ground.
I stepped over the bodies while Grue was still looking down at them.
"Way's clear," I said. "Let's get going."
The rest of the group followed me, stepping over the bodies and into the main lobby of what used to be the shopping center.
The interior was crowded enough that it almost immediately became difficult to navigate, and after a quick whiff of the rank smell of sweat and garbage, I shut off my olfactory sensory information. Inside were hundreds of people, dancing, fighting, or drugging themselves up on one substance or another. It disgusted me to see these people filling their already weak and fleshy bodies with various poisons, but tonight was not a time to start a one-woman crusade against it.
I looked around, searching for Tattletale's tag. It took a moment to find it through the throng of people, but eventually, I was able to locate her, on the far wall of the building.
"Come on," I said to the rest of the group, who at some point had started to follow me, "she's over there."
We pressed through the crowd of partying Merchants, ignoring people in the ruined storefronts hawking drugs and people to us. I glanced back to make sure that my group was still together. Rune was just a step or two behind me, her eyes darting back and forth, and a hand in the pouch of ball bearings, ready to send a half-dozen flying at a moment's notice. Behind her, Viktor walked, one hand holding Othala's shoulder, while the other rested on the handle of a knife. Regent and Grue were a few steps behind them, though most people gave them a wider berth, likely due to their masks and costumes.
I contemplated for a while the sheer number of people present here. How many of them were Merchants before Leviathan's attack? How many had joined out of desperation? How many weren't here by choice? I pushed those questions to the side, no use dwelling on that while we still had an objective.
Eventually, we found Tattletale, unmasked, standing inside a hallway that led to a maintenance room. She was balancing a notepad on her knee while writing with her good arm. At our approach, she looked up and her face cracked a smirk, as if we were late and she were exasperated with us.
"Hey guys, glad you finally made it," she shouted over the music booming throughout the building. She looked over at us, looking utterly unsurprised at our being here with Grue and Regent. "Looks like something bigger than just a celebration is going on here, and if it's anything like what I think, the Merchants may soon become much more than a minor worry."
'What do you mean?" Viktor asked, eyebrows furrowed.
"Well just take a look," Tattletale said, indicating the center of the atrium.
As one, everybody turned, just as Skidmark awkwardly clambered onto a crude stage and pushed a button, abruptly silencing all the music coming from the speakers.
"Hey Sisterfuckers!" the man spoke into a microphone, the number and volume of the speakers broadcasting it almost serving to hide his nasally voice.
The rest of the room turned to see Skidmark, as well as Squealer, Mush, and another half-dozen capes I had never seen before collected onto the stage.
"Fuck, he's been recruiting in the aftermath," came Grue's voice as he noticed the sheer number of costumed men and women arrayed behind the Merchants' leader.
"You fuckshits up for tonight's event? Because it doesn't get any better than what we have planned."
Skidmark grinned, showing a mouth full of teeth which were just about every shade but white. The crowd responded with gusto, hundreds of people, all shouting in response as loudly as they could.
The Merchants' leader raised his hands, quieting the crowd, then threw them to the ground. Around the atrium, shimmering blue and purple bands formed, marking off a sort of rectangular arena. Those on or near the effects found themselves pushed toward the center, while those on the outside either jumped in, shoved others towards it, or tried to back up to the walls.
"We've got ourselves a free-for-all brawl tonight, and the last five standing in the ring get a prize! No rules! Use a weapon! Use each other! Jump in at the last second! Just give us a show!" Skidmark started to laugh into the mic, while I saw Viktor's face morph into a horrified expression.
"He's trying to get people to trigger. That's how he's been recruiting." Despite Viktor's soft tone, I know everyone heard it, even over the roar of the crowd, because as one, everyone's faces twisted in horror to match his.
"It sounds like you Cockgarblers need more incentive," Skidmark shouted to the crowd, which had already started forming up into small groups. He snapped his fingers and one of the new powered subordinates, a waifish girl with stringy black hair hanging down over her face, stepped forward, a steel briefcase in hand.
He unceremoniously undid the latch and dropped the case to the ground, leaving a canister of the same color in his hand. He opened the top and withdrew a stoppered glass vial, some purple liquid inside.
"Before, we've given our lucky winners the pick of the crop, the best loot from the rich assholes and their fancy fucking homes. But tonight is something special," he said, running his tongue over his cracked and bloody lips, a feral smile marking his face. "Because we won the goddamn jackpot with these."
He held the canister in one hand and the individual vial in the other and thrust both above his head.
"Superpowers in a can! One for each of our lucky winners!"
--Ex Machina--
Spectrum
Tell me a secret~
- Location
- Behind you~
Obligatory: "Fucking Thinkers" and "Fucking Tattletale" and "Fucking ninjas"
I guess these are reasonable developments. As said, ingrained racism doesn't go away in an instant and there'll probably be some backsliding.
...well, this should prove hilarious when the other party crashers show up.
I guess these are reasonable developments. As said, ingrained racism doesn't go away in an instant and there'll probably be some backsliding.
...well, this should prove hilarious when the other party crashers show up.
- Location
- Australia
Gonna need to reread because I didn't think this was that far long, but Yaaaay!
- Location
- Tromso, Norway.
Also, water is wet.
- Location
- England
To be fair to Tattletale, it's the only thing she's got. She's a social thinker, calling her out for being a bitch is like calling almost every other parahuman out on being good in a fight.
She's the Alexandria of the social boxing arena. She needs to throw her weight around.
Mother Nyx
Mother of Elpis
- Location
- The Kei Klub
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Ex-fucking-actly. People refuse to get this. Lisa can't punch it out with all of these other bullshit-tier capes, so she outThinks and outbitches them.
And she's good at it. Being upset with a person or a character for being good what what they do is the height of stupidity, but here we are.
Silvereagle21
Soaring through the Sky
- Location
- United States
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
I am so happy this is back. I really enjoyed reading it and cant wait to see what happens next.
- Location
- Belfast
Of course this does lead to you wanting to slap her silly half the time, though I hardly blame that on the character or the author. It's just the way it is with characters like her. I often feel the same way about well written Alexandias and Accords, but that's the way things go.
On the stuff in the chapter, is this the fabled 'biotinker gets ahold of a set of cauldron vials' moment!?... Cause if so that's huge, and might lead to some interesting enhancements in the future
.
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RexHeller
Title Incoming. Please Hold.
- Location
- Somewhere else.
Not quite. I call Tattletale a bitch for the same reason I get angry at Glory Girl breaking a mugger's bones accidentally then covering it up by having Amy heal them. (I know that example hasn't happened in this story but it happens in fan fiction commonly enough that I figure people will know what I'm talking about.) It's amoral behavior by someone who doesn't care about other people. Glory Girl could take responsibility for her mistakes and get training for how to handle her super strength with out hurting people and Tattletale could figure out how to social without being insensitive, sadistic and/or arrogant. And she flat out admits in canon if I remember correctly. She says it's fun to be smarter than other people and then needle them over it. That's bitch behavior.
- Location
- Viet Nam
Murder them all and take that canister. The thing we could learn from it is worth more then all their live combine.
- Status