Right sorry for the delay. As you all know Windows Update decided to murder my laptop and teach me a valuable lesson about regular backups.
Anyway, on with the show!
Chapter 13:
(28th March 2011)
I had Khanivore rip the safe open and dump the contents on the floor, before swapping over to Fluffles so I could sort through it. I was interested in the cash, so I moved the assorted (and likely stolen) wristwatches, guns and baggies of drugs off to one side so I could sort through the bundles of cash. Irritatingly the actual notes were mostly in the smaller denominations which meant despite the pile being fairly decent there was a lot less actual money than I expected.
Fucking cheapass Merchants. Even when being robbed they prove they're the shittiest gang in the city. Ugh next time I'm just going to rob the fucking Nazis. At least they have a budget. Seriously how shit do you have to be to wind up being worse than literal Goddamn Nazis.
A haul that I was hoping to be a couple thousand or so dollars wound up being just over six-hundred.
My tail swished in irritation.
Well whatever. I packed the cash into Tattletale's laptop bag along with the stolen watches, since I could probably use them for parts on something. Then I moved Fluffles over to her nest and then swapped back to Khanivore to carry the loot home. The trip was quick. I've gotten plenty used to manoeuvring Khanivore down streets invisible by now. I dropped off the bag right by the back door and then ran Khanivore back to the workshop so I could put it away in it's life support tank. As soon as it was secure I hopped off my bed, having briefly given the thought of using the ladder on the bunk bed to get down but discarding it, before heading upstairs to claim my spoils of war.
I retrieved the laptop bag and tucked it away safely in my room before heading off to the computer to get some work done. GREMLIN programming may be done but I still had to start on the Codex, and I needed to get this project done before I could start on the idea I had on Saturday. I made myself comfy on the computer chair and then moments later I was looking at a whole bunch of code for the AI that would run the Codex while Taylor was shaking my shoulder to get my attention.
"Dinner's ready." My big sister said. She looked pretty tired, and while not exactly looking worn out she did look fatigued.
"'Kay." I nodded to her, saving my progress and following her downstairs. I should be able to finish this up tomorrow.
Dinner was a bit more solemn and serious than it had been over the weekend, the ABB bombing attacks bringing down the mood. Taylor had stayed out for a long time, getting home shortly before Uncle Danny. Taylor was equal parts proud and happy with herself for being able to help people and depressed at the fact so many people had died in the attack.
After dinner I snuggled up with Taylor on the couch as we sat as a family to watch the news, ignoring Uncle Danny's amused 'I see how it is' comment when he took in the sight of all the women occupying the couch and forcing him to sit on a chair instead.
The news went on about the attack and got off a number of good aerial shots of the main blast site. It went on about how the heroes swiftly moved in to help, and actually impressed me with the impartiality by including mentions of both New Wave and Taylor (as Mothri) rather than focusing exclusively on the Protectorate like I thought they would.
I was actually expecting the press to be full of pro-Protectorate government lapdogs. Colour me pleasantly surprised.
Then it swapped over to talk about a savage and violent cape fight that had happened in the Asian side of the city between 'Whiplash' (seriously they give Khanivore a cool name but name me Splice? What the hell?!) and Oni Lee. It included a couple short, and definitely low quality, videos taken by cell phone of part of the fight.
Heads immediately turned to
look at me.
Uh oh.
"Um, I can explain." I ventured. The
looks intensified. I quickly hopped up with the intent of grabbing the loot from earlier. Sure my family looks angry now but when I explain why I had to attack the ABB and then also give them the money from the Merchants they'll definitely forgive me. "I need to grab something first."
I quickly rushed off down to my room, grabbed the laptop bag and carried it back upstairs. "Tadaaaa!" I exclaimed, handing the bag over to Uncle Danny. He opened it up and took in the goodies I'd brought home.
"Addy, where did you get this?"
"I may have hit a merchant safehouse with Khanivore earlier after I fought the ABB." I explained. Hopefully my
bribe thoughtful gift should keep them from overreacting too much about things.
Sadly I was wrong.
I was sat down at the table by my aunt and uncle while Taylor was shooed upstairs. I had the feeling she was listening in with her bugs though. They circled round and took seats opposite me, faces stern.
"Adeline Serenity Mathews. We are disappointed. No, disappointed doesn't even begin to cover how we feel about this." Aunt Rose began. Uncle Danny was sitting next to her, radiating disappointment and anger, but obviously fine with letting his wife handle the situation. "What the hell possessed you to take a giant monster and attack the ABB!?
"I wanted to keep the ABB off balance so they couldn't cause trouble while the heroes were busy after setting off the bombs." I began to explain. Why is this such a big deal? I was fighting bad guys and helping the good guys at the same time.
"And just what makes you think they were the ones behind the bombing?" Her voice was frosty.
"I heard from Missy that she heard from her Uncle that the ABB has a bomb tinker." I lied, but it was believable and much easier than explaining meta knowledge.
"Oh so you heard a rumour from a schoolfriend and immediately leapt to conclusions, right before rushing off to go cause trouble. Is that what you're telling me?!" Her voice hardened further.
"Um."
"Do you even understand what you've done?! How bad things could turn out now?!"
"I was just trying to help. Taylor got to help out." That was obviously the wrong thing to say, if the way her glare instantly sharpened was any indication.
"Taylor didn't go behind our backs and pick a fight with a teleporting ninja assassin! Taylor asked for permission to help and then actually did something to help! Taylor didn't set off and make things worse! Not only did you rush off without permission but you did it twice!! What the hell possessed you to attack and steal from the Merchants after your attack on the ABB failed?!"
"We needed money and I was too scared of hitting the ABB again, so I went after the Merchants instead." My shoulders were hunched and I couldn't meet her gaze.
Uncle Danny spoke up, giving Aunt Rose a moment to calm herself a bit. "Addy, we appreciate the gesture but you're just a child. You should leave the money worries to us. You shouldn't be stealing it from the gangs, especially when you don't even let us know what you're doing in the first place. The entire city is on edge due to the bombings and you essentially just threw gasoline on everything."
"You deliberately broke the rules and grounding you obviously does nothing so you're going to be punished in other ways." Aunt Rose continued once Uncle Danny had said his piece. "First off. You're getting rid of Khanivore-"
"But-" I tried to object but my aunt swiftly cut me off.
"But nothing! It's extremely powerful and dangerous and you've proven that you can't handle the responsibility that comes with it. You can
maybe make a new one when you're older, but at the moment you've proven you cannot be trusted to behave responsibly so it needs to go!"
Uncle Danny nodded in agreement.
"Second, no more Fluffles." She held up a finger to forestall any objections, giving me a stern look. "Taylor says it's poisonous, and judging by your current actions I'm not sure I can trust you not to bite anybody with it. So no, no more Fluffles. You can maybe make a new one without all the poison, but your current one needs to go."
"But-"
"Actions have consequences young lady!! If you aren't going to listen or follow rules then you're just going to have to deal with the fallout, which in this case means no more critters. Not until you prove you're responsible enough to handle them!!"
Uncle Danny spoke up, adding his thoughts to the mix. "Addy, we just can't trust you. We made those rules of yours for a reason and you just straight up ignored them to go and kick up trouble.
"I was just trying to help." I blinked heavily, trying to keep the tears from forming in my eyes.
"Your
'help' has probably just started a gang war!" Uncle Danny countered angrily, his temper slipping. "You're a cape Addy. You have a lot of power and you need to start using that power responsibly. Running off and stirring up trouble during a major crisis is the exact opposite of that!"
My uncle visibly restrained his temper, with Aunt Rose putting a calming hand on his shoulder. She sighed. "Just...just go to your room Addy. We'll finish dealing with this tomorrow."
I nodded to her, quickly slipping off downstairs with my metaphorical tail between my legs and tears rolling down my cheeks.
Much later, as I lay in the dark sniffling and trying not to cry, Taylor came downstairs to check up on me. She climbed up onto my bed and stroked my hair. She didn't say anything, instead just keeping me company and letting me know she was there.
"I suck at being a hero." I confessed quietly. I knew she heard me as she simply let out an amused huff in return.
"Yeah you kinda do." She eventually said. Ouch, thanks Tay. That does wonders for my damaged pride. "But we're here to help. You just need to let us okay?"
"'Kay." I sighed, leaning my head into her hand as she gently massaged my scalp. We lay like that for a while before she gave me a fond pat on the head and hopped off my bed to head back upstairs.
She paused briefly at the bottom of the basement stairs and turned to me. "Don't worry Addy. You'll get there eventually. I believe in you." She turned and headed upstairs.
Warmth blossomed in my heart and I let out a new set of tears, a little happier than my earlier tears.
Thanks Taylor.
(29th March 2011)
School was surprisingly normal on Tuesday. It wasn't cancelled, although a fair number of students weren't in. This included Missy, though that was more likely because she was Vista than because she had parents worried about the school maybe being targeted.
Once I got home my aunt then made me get changed so we could go to my workshop and euthanise my innocent critters, which absolutely sucked. No amount of pleading or tears could change her mind. I don't want to do this, but I have no choice.
"I need to return this first." I told her, holding up the laptop bag I'd borrowed yesterday and wiping the wetness from my cheeks.
My aunt sighed at me. "Very well." Yeah she's definitely still annoyed with me.
I swapped over to Fluffles the Second for the last time, slipping outside and circling around the Undersiders' lair even as I explained to my aunt that I'd borrowed the bag from my neighbours and needed to check if they were in before returning it. If they were in I'd just leave it outside the front door instead.
I couldn't see any sign of them, though that wasn't a guarantee that nobody was in. As I'd learnt yesterday with Tattletale the shower wasn't visible from where I could look from after all. I decided on a different approach this time, since they already knew I'd visited so I didn't need to be as stealthy any more. I simply broken a window on the bottom floor near the back and climbed in that way, dragging the bag behind me, before slipping upstairs into the loft.
The place was messy and there was no sign of any of the Undersiders here at all. In fact it looked like they'd left in a hurry. I dropped the bag off in Tattetale's room, noting the missing laptop. Hopefully she doesn't hold me borrowing the bag against me. I was curious about where they were, but then again Coil had just suffered a major attack so I figure he'd probably sent them out to stir up trouble and keep the other gangs off balance or something until he could get things back under control. Hopefully Tatts will be able to use the knowledge I gave her to fuck him over, since a world without Mr Pedosnake would be a better place.
After the bag was returned I slunk Fluffles back to the workshop and had her climb into the same vat as Khanivore. My cruel, merciless aunt was unmoved by my pleas to and so I was forced to set the tank to 'reclaim' them. It'd take a day or two for them to be broken down into a sort of biological slurry, and then I'd need to retrieve the bioware processors as well.
On the way home I decided to send a text to Missy to tell her uncle that my 'precog friend' thinks Coil and the Undersiders are up to something, since I was concerned about them so obviously having rushed off. At least Dinah was probably safe this time around. It also helped keep my mind off the fact that I'd just had to euthanise my poor, innocent critters.
After we got home I
sulked stayed in my room while Aunt Rose went off and did whatever it was she that did. There may have been some tears as well, but if there were then they were totally justified. Taylor got home soon after and joined me downstairs and together we worked on finishing up her suit. My aunt came down later to ask if I wanted to help her make dinner, and while I wasn't forgiven exactly for what I'd done yesterday she wasn't holding it over me. I'd been punished and now just had to move forward.
I also hated that I was lacking that mental ping that meant I could swap over into controlling a different body, but there was nothing I could do about it at the moment. At least things were going good for Taylor. Her suit was basically done, just needing to be dyed and then she could go out and help people. Unlike myself, who was stuck with exactly zero critters.
Though silver lining, I'm at least I'm going to be getting some silk pyjamas eventually, although I could've done without all the spiders crawling over me so Taylor could get my measurements.
The week began to pass by slowly. School was tense with the increasing tension amongst the gangs. Cape fights were on the rise as each gang began fortifying their borders. There were frequent pushes from the Merchants and ABB against Empire territory, both gangs smelling blood with the Empire being down some of their capes. Oni Lee was apparently a regular sight along the ABB border, now equipped with tinkertech grenades and providing absolute proof that Bakuda was behind Monday's bomb attack on Coil.
Oni Lee's new armaments had already taken a toll, with a lot of gossip spreading around school on Thursday about the deaths of Rune and Victor, both turned to glass when the ABB assassin teleported up to the floating platform being used as a sniper nest and leaving a Bakuda special behind. There was apparently nothing left of the two Nazis after their glassed bodies had fallen and shattered across the ground.
Not that everything was going wrong for the Empire. Purity had rejoined them, along with Night and Fog. Not that many people even knew she'd separated from them in the first place, what with Purity being a shit hero only going after minorities anyway. This just solidified the racist as definitely not being heroic in the slightest.
On the tinkering side of things my Codex project was coming along nicely. I'd finished off the coding on Wednesday and been given a bunch of cheap electronics for my lab, a mixture of old unwanted junk Uncle Danny had gotten from work and some cheap items bought using some of the money I'd collected from the Merchants. Despite being punished they did understand that I
needed to to tinker and that getting in the way of that would probably be a bad thing.
My lab was coming along nicely too. Kurt (hmm, would it be weird to start calling him Uncle Kurt?) had been right and there were some old lockers and cabinets at the the Union that Uncle Danny was allowed to take and that were now lining one of the walls of my lab. Annoyingly my bat, landmines and stealth boy were locked in one of them and only Uncle Danny had the key, since I was apparently too irresponsible to be allowed to use my own stuff without supervision.
So unfair.
I made a lot of progress on the physical hardware for the codex, which was basically a skull with articulated neck. It wouldn't have the sweet, black synthetic polymer a proper one would have covering it since I lacked the stuff needed. Instead it was mostly polished metal. The rest of the body would of course be a golden, hardlight projection with the 'hair' being a corona of energy caused by the way the Codex would exist partially in hyperspace. By bedtime Thursday it was complete, only needing the software loaded in, which was going to happen tomorrow. I wanted to do it right away but Taylor wanted to go to bed and since she was supervising me while I was tinkering I had to listen.
Stupid rules. I totally don't need a spotter when I'm fuguing...
[Agreement]
(1st April 2011)
"Hey guys."
""Hey Addy.""
"Missy's parents still have her off school?" I asked, repeating the lie and glancing around for my blonde friend. So annoying my friend was a superhero and got to go fight crime or whatever it is Wards did when the city is facing a crisis.
"Yeah."
Tall Girl Karen replied. "She's still off school."
"Well now that everyone who's meant to be here is here, any of you guys up for a sleepover tomorrow?" Brunette #2 asked.
There was a chorus of agreements, and a small 'hells yeah' from Black Girl, leaving only me to respond.
"I'll ask, but I'm still grounded." I sighed.
"Oh yeah!" Black Girl exclaimed, and then immediately began to use me as an arm rest. "You're a secret alcoholic."
"Am not. It was only half a bottle." I grumbled. Besides I didn't even drink any of it. I elbowed her in the side.
"Okay Addy's alcoholic deviancy aside," Brunette #2 began and I stuck my tongue out at her in protest, "if you guys can text me later if you're coming or not so I know how many snacks to get. I'll text Missy later asking if she wants to come as well."
She probably won't. They usually gripe that Missy doesn't join in on the group social stuff. I shook my head. The blonde spends too much time focusing on her Wards stuff instead of having fun. I bantered a bit with Black Girl before checking my timetable, remembering I have double History first today. Damn.
Is it wrong to hope Bakuda bombs the school a little so I can get out of class?
"Please." I begged my cruel, heartless, uncaring aunt.
"You're grounded young lady. That means no sleepovers with your friends." My aunt gave me a flat look.
"Aww but I want to go. Pleeeeeeeeeeeeease."
Addy used puppy eyes.
Foe Rose was unaffected.
"No."
I ran my hand over the smooth metal 'head' sitting on the desk and hooked up to the computer. My earlier pleas for a sleepover had fallen upon deaf and uncaring ears, my aunt proving her true heartless nature by enforcing the fact that I'm still grounded. I'd texted Brunette #2 that I couldn't make it and received a text back in response:
 Nxt time b gud & dont gt grnded . U missin funtimes 🥳 |
I'm ashamed to say it took me far longer than it should've to figure out what she was talking about.
My friend's basically illegible message aside, the Codex was almost done. I just had to finish transferring the software over and then the fun could begin. Soon, so soon and then I can steal money from the bank accounts belonging to Coil and the Nazis.
Oh, and sort out my aunt's new identity too. I know she's been going a little stir crazy being cooped up indoors. She'd been a much loved college professor and suddenly going from having a busy but rewarding work life to being stuck at home must've been a bit jarring for her.
Still, better than being dead.
"So any reason you needed to make a shiny metal head?" Aunt Rose asked, eyeing the Codex's physical components.
"I need specialised hardware for her to run on. It also means she can't just copy across the internet and go all Skynet or whatever." I shrugged, watching the progress bar on the screen.
"Her?"
"Well she's a girl. You'll see once I turn her on." I answered. Moments later the progress bar finished, indicating the software portion of my modified Codex had been uploaded. I clicked the button that would send the activation signal. "Watch."
Light flickered briefly in the Codex's eyes before before solidifying into solid white as a corona of black energy flickered out the back of the head, looking like hair made of dark energy. A glowing gold body began forming beneath the head, finally resolving into a lithe female form a couple inches shorter than Taylor, sitting calmly on the desk.
"Okay I see why you called her a her, though is she supposed to glitch out like that." My aunt asked, eyeing up the flickering form of the Codex with trepidation.
"Yeah that's normal. She exists partially in hyperspace."
My new AI shifted her head and looked at me, a synthetic but still female voice speaking up. "Primary Administrator recognised. State designation and task."
I was about to speak up when Aunt Rose nudged me in the side. "Addy..."
"Oh right. Set my aunt, Rose, as current primary administrator with myself as second." I sighed, gesturing to my aunt. This means she gets to override my decisions and has overall control, but I need to start acting 'responsibly'.
"New Primary Administrator recognised. Secondary Administrator Recognised. State designation and task."
I opened my mouth to begin explaining what to do but Aunt Rose spoke up before I could. "Addy why don't you head off and do your homework. I'll sort out her initial orders."
"Fine." I sighed. I build a kickass overpowered AI and I don't even get to play with it. She's lucky she's still my favourite aunt, even if I am still annoyed with her.
Then again I did make the Codex for her in the first place. And she's probably the best person in the house for raising it too. I thought briefly about how I'd go about raising a kid, which a baby nascent AI essentially was, and shuddered.
Yeah. The Codex is definitely better off in her hands.
Still it would've been nice to give it some orders though, like ruining Kaiser's social media accounts or something. That could've been fun.
I quickly worked my way through my homework, though annoyingly Taylor was at the library so I couldn't even rant at her about how stupid and annoying and what a waste of time this was. I was just finishing up when Aunt Rose came downstairs. I raised an eyebrow at her.
"She's off sorting out my identity now."
"I could've had her do that."
"Yes but I wanted to clarify things with her first, instead of just telling her to get me a new identity and then setting her loose, which is what I suspect your plan was."
"It sounds really bad when you put it that way."
"Well maybe it'll help teach you to plan ahead. Anyway it's being taken care of. Thank you Addy." She ruffled my hair.
"I'm happy to help, even if I don't get to play with my advanced AI just yet." I leaned into her touch.
"You can play with her later. She's a little busy right now okay. Now what should we do for dinner?"
(2nd April 2011)
Now that the Codex, apparently named Codi since my aunt has the same skill at naming things that I do, was finished I could finally start on the thing my power has been nagging me to do since last Saturday. Namely upgrading my vita-chamber into a fully functional psi chamber. This was going to be great. Psychic powers will be a great force multiplier for my whole family.
Of course I'll first have to spend about ten days unconscious in what amounts to extreme sensory deprivation as it forces changes onto my brain but whatever. No pain no gain.
Hmm, and my family will probably object. I suppose I could lie about things. That might work. Get myself killed somehow and then say the respawn took some extra time. That might work. I'll probably get grounded again since dying is meant to be a big thing but it'll be worth it. No wait, that plan won't work. I'm already grounded.
I'll have to think of something else.
I put the vita-chamber back together pretty quickly, though I needed Taylor's help with some pieces since I had Khanivore for heavy lifting last time.
Great and now I feel sad because my kickass heavy hitter is liquid mass of bio-slurry. Stupid rules.
"Hold it there please." I nodded to Taylor as I used the electric screwdriver to fit the last couple of panels in place. I'd ambushed her right after breakfast to ask for her help with putting the vita-chamber back together.
"Be quick. This is heavy." She grunted but did as I asked. I quickly fixed the last bits in place and gave her a confident smile.
"Okay vita-chamber is fully operational again. Now you can tell your mom it's safe for you to go out since if you die in a bomb or something we can bring you back." I grinned at her.
She rolled her eyes at me. "Oh I will, but not in those exact words." She sighed wistfully. "I'm itching to go out and make a difference. I know I can make difference. Between my own power and then the ones you gave me I'm one of the stronger capes in the city." A slight twitch of her hand and what looked like honeycomb shifted into existence, riddled with bees.
Yeah Insect Swarm is brokenly OP on her.
"Well you'll probably get to go out and do things soon." Unlike me, since I'm still grounded until I turn eighteen, "Your mom finally decided what powers she wanted."
"Oh? Which ones."
"Water and ice powers, along with the same invisibility and shield powers you have, and lastly one that lets her send out an invisible projection of herself that can use the powers too." And Metabolic Eve of course. That one is just too good not to have, especially since she doesn't have any actual parahuman powers to fall back on when her energy gets low. "Though I think she might want to sort out a costume first before she goes out for real. First though I want those pyjamas you promised me."
Hmm actually Aunt Rose will probably make a good hero. She doesn't have the conflict drive thing like Taylor has so she'll be able to help keep Taylor from making stupid decisions. I'm lucky my power just makes me want to tinker. Conflict drive sounds annoying.
My big sister rolled her eyes at me. "Yeah yeah. I've got spiders working on it right now. Good thing you're so puny-"
"I'm not puny." I grumbled, poking her in the side angrily. I take this crap from my friends all the time. I shouldn't have to take it from my sister.
"Yes you are," My big, and ridiculously tall, sister continued mercilessly, "so it shouldn't take long. It's just a simple nightgown really."
"Don't care. It's a
knife-proof silk nightgown made of spider silk. That automatically makes it awesome." Anyway better get her to spot for me while I upgrade the vita-chamber into a functional psi chamber, since I'm gonna have to fugue for that. "Anyway I'm getting the feeling I can improve the vita-chamber and I've got enough parts leftover from my supplies to do it. Wanna spot for me since I need supervision since I'll be fuguing." I rolled my eyes.
"Yeah no problem. I'll do my homework down here."
"Thanks." I smiled at her, then gathered up the leftover parts I'd saved for this task and placed everything near the vita-chamber. Then I reached for my power and slipped quickly and easily into a tinker fugue.
Moments later I staggered forward, the chamber opening up around me and disgorging me onto one of the soft rugs that littered the floor of my lab. I curled up in a fetal position, my pale, greying hands gripping my head. My glowing purple eyes reflected briefly off the metal to my right before I screwed my eyes shut in pain.
I could
feel this presence, so much bigger, greater, larger than I was. So far away but I could feel it become aware of me, shifting it's focus onto me and transmitting a single concept that crushed all other thoughts from my mind and left my head feeling like it was going to explode.
{CURIOSITY}
A/N
Dun dun dun!
That punishment scene was a bitch to rewrite and is nowhere near as good as the one I lost, but sadly that was the best I could do to recapture the general mood and feel of the scene.
Also my internet is shitting on me, so sorry for the delay. Also replies might be a little spotty till it settles downs and stops being a piece of crap
