Law of the Sword (Worm/Destiny Quest)
- Thread starter ecoolasice
- Start date
Vote closed
- Location
- Iowa, USA
Chapter 64
- Location
- Iowa, USA
Who do I go after?
[X][Split] Follow Triage's trail. (3 Votes)
-[X][Split] Write-In: (After finding her return to the protectorate's hub so they can get her registered or learn of her existence and that she's friendly) (2 Votes)
Do I want to infuse a Sigil?
[X][Sigil] No (4 Votes)
[X][Split] Follow Triage's trail. (3 Votes)
-[X][Split] Write-In: (After finding her return to the protectorate's hub so they can get her registered or learn of her existence and that she's friendly) (2 Votes)
Do I want to infuse a Sigil?
[X][Sigil] No (4 Votes)
Sunday, March 13th, 2011
5:20 PM
Shade Skip should be able to handle whatever they run into, but Triage's power doesn't seem good for combat. Plus, she needs to get registered? Something, I am sure the PRT has a policy for something like this happening.
So I start following the scent of decay, not wanting it to get too faint to follow, as I can almost watch it being steadily swallowed up by the stench of the sewers. I briefly wonder how it could be covered because I know the Untangled Nose Sigil should let me find it, but I don't know enough about smells to really guess.
The idle thought is brushed aside as I focus on remembering the strength of the trail to ensure I am going the right way and travel at some level of speed. I don't know if my Echos have a sense of smell, but they are not breaking away to race forward, content to glance behind me for any pursuers at steadily intervals. Right, left, right, right, left, Triage's scent is gradually growing larger, large enough that I don't have to focus as hard on making sure I take the correct turn and can resume brainstorming, this time about Triage and not the mystery of my Sigils.
We are quite far from the manhole that we originally used, and I was not fighting for very long, so she had to have moved rather fast, which brings to mind the fact that the Regent clone I fought had some kind of bone spike, so Triage is probably a bit more dangerous than the average human. Ignoring her powers, I mean because even a relatively weak parahuman is still a few steps above normal people. Would her altered physiology be counted as part of her powers? She is basically a monster cape without the memory loss, right? Regardless, she does have some level of enhanced speed for sure, and I wouldn't be surprised if there are some hidden weapons like the fake Regent had.
That just leaves the question of why she ran. Part of me knows I should shoot her, that it is a breaking of our deal. But she was cleared after that of any Morbistocrat mastering, so the deal sort of changed? Not really, but it will definitely be an arguing point from her. The biggest reason to not just kill her is that I don't really want to. She isn't a snarling monster, she isn't a representative of the fucking Nazis or slaving ABB, she also isn't going around and addicting people like the Merchants. Triage just seems to be in an unfortunate circumstance, a circumstance that makes it hard to believe anything she says.
There are just too many unknowns and I don't have a way to know if she is telling the truth. All of it could have been a lie formed once she realized that she couldn't take on whoever conquered the lair, or it could be real, and she had just been a prisoner. I don't know, I just have to follow my gut for now and hope that the Protectorate have some method of testing. A lie detector cape is probably out there, if Tattletale isn't it, and if there isn't I am sure Armsmaster or Kid Win, or Gallant would be able to make one, it doesn't seem like a very unreasonable thing if even the cops have some mundane ones.
That is, if I manage to even get her to the PRT, because simply not wanting to doesn't mean I won't kill her if I detect that she has been lying. Threats to innocents come in all shapes, even friendly faces. A few seconds pass before both my Echos and I roll our eyes at the corniness of 'protecting innocents' even if it is what I want to do.
After about seven solid minutes of jogging, cutting into my dwindling stamina, I hear the sound of gasping breath as well as hiccups and sniffles of someone trying not to tear up. Slowing down, I motion for an Echo to scout ahead, just in case this is a trap of some kind. Through their eyes, I see it walk up the curved wall do that it is upside down and peak at the alcove that the sounds are coming from above. Sure enough, it's Triage, sitting against the door the indent is for, her hood down and hands to her head as she fights to catch her breath and keep herself from crying, a decently sized pipe wrench laying beside her.
She doesn't look like she is about to leap out and attack, or that she's even noticed I am here. The Echo returns to their spot behind the other one as I briefly consider what to do. With all my powers, I am fairly confident I can doge back if that proves to be false, so I stuff Malum Caedo into the wristband of my quite tight pants and approach. A few steps forward, and she lets out a startled gasp, I can hear shuffling before she rapidly emerges from the nook, wrench clasped in both her hands like a bat or sword.
"Woah." I say, instinctively raising my hands, even though I don't feel particularly threatened.
Her slightly red eyes bore into mine for a tense few moments. Seemingly coming to some conclusion, she relaxes very slightly while her knuckles whiten, betraying her increased grip.
"You going to kill me?" Her voice is slightly hoarse.
"Why'd you run off?" I counter, looking for any tells.
"If you died, where do you think it would have gone next? I'm not— I am not going to die if I can do anything about it." Her voice hardens, her body tensing up again.
The message is clear, she'll try to fight if I chose to attack her. I'm not going to be though, that's a fair enough reason, and I can't hear any deceit. The biggest point in her favor though is what she was doing before she knew I was here. Letting my hands fall back to my sides, I shake my head.
"I'm not going to kill you." She stays coiled and ready to pounce for a few more seconds before she unwinds completely, sill holding the pipe wrench tight.
"Okay." She looks down for a second before pulling her hood back up and wiping her face. "What now?"
=={==========-- | --==========}==
I wrote this a few times before deciding to cut the end part to make sure that the vote was to abandon the Undersiders all together because it felt disingenuous to the Quest style to just up and assume. Also, depending on votes, the Morbistocrat arc should be drawing to a close soon. Hub action?
[X][Hub] Go there after returning to the Undersiders.
[X][Hub] They got it, go ahead and escort Triage there.
[X][Hub] Write-In:
I think enough chapters have passed, what do you think?
[X][Interlude] No.
[X][Interlude] Yes
-[X][Interlude] Parahumans Online. (PHO)
-[X][Interlude] A puppet with no strings. (Triage)
-[X][Interlude] An honest dockworker. (Danny Hebert)
-[X][Interlude] A foot on the ground. (Benjamin Bishop Jenkins/BBJ)
thewhiteraven22
(Unverified Worm Fanatic)
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X][Hub] They got it, go ahead and escort Triage there.
[X][Interlude] Yes
-[X][Interlude] A puppet with no strings. (Triage)
-[X][Interlude] An honest dockworker. (Danny Hebert)
[X][Interlude] Yes
-[X][Interlude] A puppet with no strings. (Triage)
-[X][Interlude] An honest dockworker. (Danny Hebert)
Vote closed
- Location
- Iowa, USA
Chapter 65: Interlude 3: A puppet with no strings.
- Location
- Iowa, USA
Hub action?
[X][Hub] Go there after returning to the Undersiders. (6 Votes)
I think enough chapters have passed, what do you think?
[X][Interlude] Yes (10 Votes)
-[X][Interlude] A puppet with no strings. (Triage) (6 Votes)
[X][Hub] Go there after returning to the Undersiders. (6 Votes)
I think enough chapters have passed, what do you think?
[X][Interlude] Yes (10 Votes)
-[X][Interlude] A puppet with no strings. (Triage) (6 Votes)
Sunday, March 13th, 2011
4:45 PM
Keep it together. Keep it together, don't break down. If keep repeating it to myself, maybe the mantra will actually work.
Every step just highlights it more, walking proving too much of a task to let me sink back into my power. The glowing pupils of the cape's shadow constructs constantly sweeping across my body doesn't help either, even though I understand why he's making them do it. Of course, not being able to sink into my power like I did in the cell makes me hyper aware of myself.
The fact that I am finally going to get out is like a lifeline. Out of the cell, out of the constant stench of half rotted construction, no more drinking nutrient slurry through my fucking neck, no one to talk to, no sky, and no more looking at the same almost completely still sets of rooms in my range. Just ignore that I don't have a way to eat now, just like you ignore the fact that your body could start falling apart at any minute, or that you can see yourself. I try to abandon my body for my power but stumble almost immediately, making my rescuer glance back at me, his warning ringing through my head. Quickly straightening out, I latch onto the only other distraction I have, the memories coming from the twitchy cape leading me.
His space in front of me is barely within my innate range, and well within my moveable range, which is pointed well past him in a line so that I can see or feel if something is up ahead. I wasn't lying when I said I can see the history of objects, I just didn't mention that it also included memories from people. It actually helped me separate what my memories were and what were my bodies, don't think about all the conflicting ones and refocus on, the cape, whose name is Whetstone according to the mask.
From Whetstone themselves, I can tell they're new to being a cape, I've actually been alive longer than they've had powers if I am reading the emotions correctly. If they are emotions, I mean, that feels right, but the sample size is just him, me and mom. Morbistocrat is not my mom, she is my progenitor, I need to stop referring to her like that. Returning to Whetstone, I can't look too deep, I'd have to be standing still for that, but even if I could, I don't know if I should? That seems really invasive but either I look at the really strong memories I can see, or I have to be in my own body longer and invading his privacy is better than that. Only the recent ones are available anyway.
One memory, the oldest one that stands out, feels and tastes weird, judging by my own memories and the well shaped memory from my creator I am guessing that is where he triggered. The strongest emotions are guilt and loss from it, so someone might have died? Looking closer at that one is a bit much for me even now, so I move the metaphorical timeline closer to now and run across a lot of positive emotion spikes, but none of them taste like anything I can really compare to, certainly not joy or really happiness, so I am not sure. There are as few spikes of fear and pain, from fights? Without being able to concentrate, though, I can't get a good picture of much, so I just move to his clothes because the shadow minions are just not there for my power.
A quick scan shows no memories are really attached to any of the clothes beside the mask, something in one of the pockets has a strong spike of both hope and worry though, so maybe they are new? The mask is just a simple black ski mask, but like Morbistocrat's mask, it is starting to have a lot of conflicting feelings tied up in it, none of the emotions are really tied to a specific memory yet though, so I am just getting a watered down version of the mess that was Morbistocrat's attachment and hate of her mask.
Without much to latch onto there, I wearily turn my mental attention to the sword in his hand, my apprehension stemming from how easily he used it in the fueling and testing chamber there are probably some memories of death on it. As I start drawing from it, though, I am more than a bit shocked. There are dozens of emotions and memories actively forming and being swept away all at once, there are memories of killing yes, but they're part of that sword and not onto it? No, they in the blade? That's not right either, and even beyond that there are dozens more attentive thoughts and ideas bundled together next to two thoughts and minds louder and bigger than even the one monster that I can't, that doesn't come to mind. All of it is in, and through, and with and under? A soft, steady melody, one that I find no effort in immersing myself with.
My feet move steadily, maybe still a bit uncoordinated, but I'm not tripping, not to mention the same repeating patterns of unattached feelings the sewers have isn't as boring or as hard to parse. It isn't really a tune, or really a proper song even, but it is like a dozen half remembered lullabies all laced together and sounding good. Right even.
'Malum Caedo.'
What. Did… did the sword just talk to me? A name, no less. Does that mean the sword itself, the melody, is alive? That doesn't make any sense, it's just metal. The fact that I am made of meat from other people immediately springs to mind and contradicts that statement, and I know I am alive. For now. Does that mean that it's like me? Did Whetstone make it and it came alive? Do I need to free it? The melody is calm though, no discordant notes or stress, so does that mean it's okay?
I am pulled away as I feel an opening ahead, and changing the shape of my reach a bit I can see a junction room of some kind with much more memories in it, so it was probably used more than the tunnels were. The biggest thing though is that I can see three people's vague outlines in the room, so I reluctantly pull away from the melody to let Whetstone know.
-/¯\-
-\*/-
5:05 PM-\*/-
Climbing down the ladder as fast as I can, almost losing my grip once or twice, I hit the ground and scratch a pipe wrench from where I spotted it earlier. Spinning the reach of my power down the tunnel. As soon as it settles into place, and no constructs slide into my mind, I start moving out of the small control room and down the tunnel. I don't even really register the fading melody until it falls out of my range, and I am abruptly only left with myself.
The suddenness of it doesn't give me a chance to restore any of my metal walls. Like a punch to the gut, my power starts feeding me all the information about my own composition. Every strangely placed tendon in my gut, pumping, forcing the half congealed sludge to keep moving through my mismatched veins. I can feel the bundle of almost disconnected maws in place of my heart, can see and taste and feel the disharmony of misaligned jaws. I can feel the thin lines of gristle pulled taut by pulleys where my stomach should be, operated by tiny skeletal hands. Detailed lines of stitching along the underside of my skin where different grafts are held together, fed awareness of how my tongue was made from two bodies. Every step telling me how my muscles, my bones all react differently to my actions.
Somehow I manage to keep my grip on the wrench as I blindly follow the layout that my power is also feeding me, my sprint is too fast for any of the tunnel's details to be sent into my mind with any real density, but I am always in my own range, and my power has been with me the whole time I've been aware and maybe even before. My breath is coming is puffs, no heartbeat surging in my ears even though I know it should be there. One of my lungs is almost healthy and the other is bulged and covered in empty wart-like growths that inflate like balloons when I breathe in and go limp when I breathe out, and I don't want to know. I don't want to know. I don't want to know.
I stumble but manage to keep my feet under me as the organic springs wrapping around the bones under my skin propel me faster. My eyes start feeling raw like I am going to cry, but I know my tear ducts are missing because she needed more space to make my expressions right. Tied back to the dead gray matter in my skull whose hemispheres all from different copses, cushioned and held in place by fungus used like insulation. The only part of my brain doing anything is the Corona Pollentia and Gemma which is doing all the thinking for me, so am I even me or just my power? My power is inconsistent with the other creatures that she made, but it always works with structures, but it doesn't work on people or animals, and it always works on me, so am I even an animal?
A shivering, crawling sensation starts to rolls across my ill placed nerve endings, and my power helpfully points out a small indent in the tunnel that houses a door. I drop the wrench and the action is enough to pull my mind's eye to the bone shard whip snaking up the arm as is repositions itself without my say so. I barely manage to turn myself around before I collapse, slamming my back into the door rather than my face. It's happened a few times now, more before I learned how to sink into further reaches of my power, but it comes in waves, my power giving me the memories of all the parts that I am made of. Dozens of small parts, no less soaked in and calling forth the people they used to be part of.
The cacophony of memories and old thoughts and feelings starts invading, and I grip the sides of my head, fingers tangling in stolen locks of hair, and not for the first time I wish I could properly cry like a lot of the memories do. The lines quickly blur and my sense of self starts loosing its foundations because I am also all the dispersed memories.
I sing and dance at a recital, drinking in applause with a gleeful smile because this is where I should be. I sink my pocket knife into the gut of the traitor that thought we wouldn't know he was skimming bills from the stash, satisfied that I will be the one to be climbing up the ranks now. I weep as my broken and battered body finally gives out of me, desperately not wanting to die. I lay in a hospital bed, surrounded by my family, sad because I know it's time to go. I am mauled by the grotesque forms of could be called dogs, fear pouring through my veins. I wail into the indifferent air because that's all I know how to do. I slap the girl, a new worker, feeling the rush of power as she realizes what she's gotten herself into. I feel my warm blood flowing past my fingers as I try to keep my guts from spilling out, stumbling my way towards a hospital because I don't want to die. I keep punching even though I know I can't beat a cape because I don't want to die. I feel the arrow piece me in my chest and pull the trigger, automatic gunfire filling my ears, Ward or not, I don't want to die. I don't want to die.
Like the other times, that repeated sentiment, one shared by me, lets me anchor myself as the tide rolls over me. Raising to the surface, I return to myself, wanting to crawl out of my misshapen, incorrect body. My power lets be quickly trace down all the lingering memories and repartition them, shuffle through my memories and highlight the ones that were implanted by my creator and what ones I've actually formed.
My power suddenly screams at me as something enters my innate range, the shape of my outer range still stretching in the direction I was headed. Scrambling to my feet, I latch onto the wrench and spring out of the little nook, ready to bash at whatever tacked me. Only to be met with the much taller form of Whetstone raising his hands.
"Woah." He says in a manner probably meant to calm me down.
I immediately reach out with my power, tracing my finger along his memories and seeing the same emotion spikes as before. What really solidifies that this is actually Whetstone, if now a lot taller, is the soothing song coming from his sword. It might look like a gun now, but the structural part of my power tells me it is still a sword. The calming tune sinks into me like a gentle fog, and I have to tighten my grip on the wrench, so I don't drop it.
My now much clearer head also lets me immediately remember his warning that he would kill me if I ran off, and that is exactly what I did.
"You going to kill me?" The question falls past my lips before I can think about it.
"Why'd you run off?" He asks instead of answering.
The question reminds me why I was running in the first place, which was to get away from the centipede shaped eel. I don't want to die is the simple truth, so I want to just say that. But that doesn't feel like enough, so I briefly expand that thinking into a proper thought.
"If you died, where do you think it would have gone next? I'm not— I am not going to die if I can do anything about it." I emphasize the truth of the sentence as much as I can.
Just in case that isn't enough, I ready myself to fight him, but if he managed to take down the eel, then I know I don't really have a chance of knocking him out. Instead, his hands fall and he shakes his head no.
"I'm not going to kill you."
His tone is earnest, but I still try to search his reflective eyes for any lies, running my mental finger over his recent memories, but I don't taste any fresh lies, so I let myself relax and sink into the melody a little bit. I try to only immerse myself a little this time, though, because one of the recently surfaced memories brings up that this could be a Master effect.
Something to get me to trust him, but the majority of me doesn't care. Not dying is the most important, so I will defend myself and knock out Whetstone if I need to. But after that, I'll take Malum Ceado, so that I have something that will let me not be in my body. For now, though, I resolve to just stay close, even if that means staying underground a bit longer, not seeing the sun or sky for a bit more.
"Okay." I say because I don't know what else to say to someone promising not to kill you.
Feeling that my Panacea costume hood fell at some point, I pull it back up in case any of my parts are clearly out of place, which I don't know since I've never seen a reflection of myself. I also wipe away tears that aren't there on instinct. Deciding to switch gears, before the silence grows, I ask a leading question.
"What now?"
"Now, we finally go help find Regent and Bitch." He says spinning on his heel and walking back the other direction which I follow.
That probably means fighting, something I've never actually done before. Part of me wants to help though, maybe he'll see me as a sidekick? It would mean I get to stick around after he decides to stop holding me hostage. Something that should probably bother me more, really.
=={==========-- | --==========}==
The chapter would have been out earlier, but my car battery decided the best next step was to stop holding a charge period. Also, I would love feedback for this chapter, to see if I managed to evoke the feelings I wanted to correctly. Should I keep back or try to fight?
[X][Battle] Say back, I don't want to get in the way.
[X][Battle] Try to fight, I probably have to learn at some point, so doing it with someone pretty strong nearby is probably for the best?
thewhiteraven22
(Unverified Worm Fanatic)
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Personally I really liked the chapter, the descriptions of how Triage felt in regards to her mismatched body parts was really well written.
[X][Battle] Try to fight, I probably have to learn at some point, so doing it with someone pretty strong nearby is probably for the best?
Triage will have to learn to fight at some point. Question though, are you using all the shard background information of Worm or are you not worrying about that yet? Does she have a Conflict Drive? Is it possible to 'fix' her body if we get her to Panacea?
[X][Battle] Try to fight, I probably have to learn at some point, so doing it with someone pretty strong nearby is probably for the best?
Triage will have to learn to fight at some point. Question though, are you using all the shard background information of Worm or are you not worrying about that yet? Does she have a Conflict Drive? Is it possible to 'fix' her body if we get her to Panacea?
- Location
- Iowa, USA
Thank you!
the POV offered me a nice way to be more intimate with the horror of the Morbs. Situation that Roman's pov doesn't lend itself to. The chapter ended up being a bit more than that for me on a personal level and I think this might be my favorite chapter I've written yet.I am not going to say I am using all the background info, generally speaking I am trying to be faithful though and I can say you know that your own shard has an active Combat Drive at least. As for Panacea, the onfo should be in the chapters but I don't want to come out and say it, at least not rn
Last edited:
Vote closed
- Location
- Iowa, USA
Chapter 66
- Location
- Iowa, USA
Should I keep back or try to fight?
[X][Battle] Try to fight, I probably have to learn at some point, so doing it with someone pretty strong nearby is probably for the best? (6 Votes)
[X][Battle] Try to fight, I probably have to learn at some point, so doing it with someone pretty strong nearby is probably for the best? (6 Votes)
Sunday, March 13th, 2011
5:35 PM
It doesn't take long before we are back where the two groups originally split up, thankfully, I can use Shade Skip's scent to tack them down this time and don't have to rely on my connection with her to guide us. I should have probably thought to memorize Tattletale and Grue's scent too, but I only cataloged Shade's, so I'll do that when we reconvene.
Triage has been mostly silent, which is fine by me, because I am still getting the hand of using my enhanced nose as I jog. The ability to sort though smells is definitely carrying my ability to track anything, though, so I am even more glad that I got the Untangled Nose Sigil now.
It takes only about five minutes of tracking to start hearing sounds coming from deeper in, it sounds like a few larger somethings are headed this way. I pull Malum Caedo from my waistband, and one of my Echos lets me see that Triage is also getting into a fighting stance with her wrench. A bit further down, I can see three shapes turning onto the same straightway that we're on, moving in a way that is instantly familiar. The distance and poor lighting makes it hard for me to tell if they are Bitch's dogs or just creatures that look like them.
That thought reminds me of another issue, that I don't really have a way of knowing if the other Undersiders are legitimate or not. Wait, Triage has a weird smell and the centipede-thing's trail was similar, so theoretically I can use my nose to pick out imposters. For now, though, I need them to stop.
"Stop!" I shout down the tunnel, leveling my pistol at the approaching forms.
Thankfully they do, a whistle echoes down the tunnel and the dogs pull to a stop a ways down. My Echo's sight lets me know that Triage is still tensed up and ready for a fight, which is good.
"Whetstone, how nice of you to show up." The maybe Grue says with sarcasm thick enough I could cut it with my sword.
"Finish tonguing your friend?" Regent says with a bit less intensity but no less bite.
I am confused for a few seconds before I realize that it has been a bit since I was meant to meet up.
"No, there was a centipede monster prowling the streets, it did something with the emergency lines, so I hunted it down real quick." I explain myself, keeping Malum's barrel pointed at them as I try to see if the scent of decay has increased to any significant degree. "So how'd it go?"
"We're hurt, so is your partner. We're headed to a clinic that's sympathetic." Grue responds.
I feel a burst of worry at Shade Skip being hurt, and I try to find her with our connection, but the narrow walkway doesn't let me see past the first dog well enough. Looking closer at the mental bridge, there isn't anything to indicate that she is hurt, and just taking a bunch of criminals at their word would be stupid. There hasn't been any noticeable increase in smells like Triage's, so I decide to let them get closer, so I can smell them better and check on Shade Skip myself. A brief flash of absurdity passes through me as I realize how much I've already started using my nose.
"Let me see." I say, failing to keep my voice level, making it more like a demand.
There is some hushed conversion from among them, and I watch as Triage finally starts to relax a bit. Some consensus must have been reached because the conversation falls silent.
"Alright, you'll have to come over here though, the dogs can't really lay down like this." Grue says.
Not wasting any time, I start to walk forward, letting my arm fall to my side but keeping my revolver in hand. Triage sticks close to me as I move, probably because a wrench doesn't really work at range. My approach doesn't introduce any smells I wasn't expecting, which raises my confidence that they are who they say they are. My earlier thought of memorizing their smells pops up, so I start identifying each of them as I get closer, but can only identify four people, including Shade Skip, which means one of them isn't hear and probably dead, and since Tattletale hasn't talked I am guessing it's her.
Getting closer, I am able to see who is where much better, all of them look to be in rough shape though. Bitch is on the front dog, Grue is in the middle, keeping a slumped shape on the dog, and Regent is in the back, keeping hold of another form. I identify the one next to Grue to be Shade Skip, which makes me close the distance much faster. Examining her, I can see that she has a number of scratches that go right through her costume, but the biggest injury is the deep claw marks going down her back. Before I can think of an appropriate question, Grue speaks up again.
"Before she passed out, she said she was fine with getting treated the same place we're going. With us, you know we'll listen to the Unwritten Rules." He says in a way that makes it clear I am supposed to believe in the rules, if not his word.
With his face covered, and his voice distorted by his helmet, I have no way of actually telling if he is lying or not. On one hand, Shade Skip is her own person and can make her own choices, but again, Grue could be lying. Her injury doesn't look like it can be unaddressed for long, and I can see that the other Undersiders are hurt too, so them going to a clinic of some kind is probably true. I can track her down later at least, and I'll remember the Undersiders' scents too. My knowledge of this side of the Bay is almost non-existent, so finding a hospital would take up valuable time. I also have the phone Tattletale gave me and I spotted that their numbers are on it as well when I was trying to call the PRT.
=={==========-- | --==========}==
Do I let Shade Skip go with the Undersiders or take her with me and Triage?
[X][Health] Let her go with the Undersiders and go with Triage to the rally point.
[X][Health] Take her with me.
-[X][Health] Take her to the nearest hospital.
-[X][Health] Taker her to the rally point.
-[X][Health] Write-In:
[X][Health] Write-In:
thewhiteraven22
(Unverified Worm Fanatic)
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X][Health] Let her go with the Undersiders and go with Triage to the rally point.
Sounds good to me.
Sounds good to me.
Vote closed
- Location
- Iowa, USA
Chapter 67
- Location
- Iowa, USA
Do I let Shade Skip go with the Undersiders or take her with me and Triage?
[X][Health] Take her with me. (3 Votes, won via a coin flip)
-[X][Health] Take her to the nearest hospital.
[X][Health] Take her with me. (3 Votes, won via a coin flip)
-[X][Health] Take her to the nearest hospital.
Sunday, March 13th, 2011
5:40 PM
I furrow my brows, I can't believe that I was considering actually letting her go with them. The Undersiders might not be that bad, they might night deserve to be killed, but they are still villains, letting a hero like Shade Skip go with them is just asking for trouble.
"I'll take her." I say, putting Malum Caedo in my waistband and reaching out to take her. Grue puts up his hand to stop me and silently looks at me for a few seconds before letting out a huff and dropping his hand.
"Whatever."
Carefully sliding her off the dog her, my hand on her back also serving to put pressure on her wound, I am a bit surprised at how light she is being a Tinker. Maybe her teleportation has a weight limit? Before I can ask for any details about what happened, Grue calls to Bitch and with a whistle they are off. Turning to Triage, I ask where the nearest manhole is and she starts leading the way.
We're moving faster than a person could, something that I resolve to ask Triage about later, but in the meantime I let myself speculate a bit on what might have happened. Shade Skip is fast with her teleportation, so I can't see her getting hit normally, maybe by surprise? I don't have enough information about what they fought or really how Shade Skip fights to be honest. I wonder if the Undersiders betrayed her somehow, but if that was the case, it would have been easy to just leave her to bleed out. Unless they wanted to play the 'you owe us' card by helping her? That seems overcomplicated, though, so that doesn't seem likely. My dead end musings are drawn to a close as we reach a manhole cover.
One of my Echos starts climbing up, and I quickly follow, walking onto the latter and up the wall. My other Echo is keeping a look-out, probably to ensure we don't get ambushed in this more vulnerable position. The Echo pops the metal lid up and over, looking onto the road they can see buildings closer to what I am used to, squat apartment buildings and shops. We are out of the rich area, but that also means I don't know where the car is, honestly I don't know that I would have been able to find my way back to the car anyway. There is still no car or foot traffic, and I wonder if they set off the Endbringer Sirens or something, because I don't think a radio alert would be taken this seriously.
As soon as I make it up, I watch as Triage starts to crawl after my through the eyes of the Echo still below. I pass Shade, Skip to the Echo so that I can pull out the phone and start looking for a hospital. Typing 'nearest hospital' into the subpar search bar gives me a few results, two of which don't look like proper hospitals but more little clinics for like an appointment. Scrolling down on the small screen though, I spot a proper looking hospital, the Stansfield Medical Center, which isn't very far at all, about a mile and a half.
Offering a hand to Triage as she reaches the top of the ladder, I pull her up and then hand her the phone.
"Do you think you can serve as directions?" I ask, retaking Shade Skip from my Echo right before they both blink out of existence and back to copying me.
She blinks for a few seconds before looking at the phone properly. Clicking a few times, she nods before tilting her head a bit.
"Yeah, one moment." She puts the phone in her pocket and then pulls her robe off and starts turning it inside out.
"What are you doing?" I ask because, while Shade Skip's injury isn't immediately life-threatening, it also won't stay that way untreated.
"Not a good idea to show up to a hospital wearing a Panacea outfit." She explains, quickly pulling the costume back on, now looking like an oversized sweater.
That is a good point, and I am glad that Triage thought of it before it became an issue. Her looking like Panacea could be a problem to anyone that knows her on the staff, but there's not much to do about that, seeing as how I don't have a spare mask lying around. We start traveling, and it quickly becomes apparent that I am faster than her by a bit, not a lot, but with time of the essence I have one of my Echos scoop her up.
As we run, I can see pools of sludged flesh and meat strewn about the streets, alongside the bodies of normal people and police officers. We also pass the smoking, ruined remains of a PRT ACP, with mountains of containment foam all over the area. To be honest, it looks like the opening scenes of an old zombie movie, a world bereft of any background sounds of a city. The one comfort is that anywhere there is the body of a person there are about three puddles of gore, meaning on average people are doing pretty good.
We turn onto the street for the hospital and the sounds of people start returning to the area. Down the street, about three blocks away, I am able to see a hasty blockade has been formed around the hospital, with two PRT ACPs serving as central points, accompanied by two police cruisers, a bunch of civilian cars and a whole lot of containment foam. The PRT trucks have their con-foam launches manned and as we get closer I can see there are members of the public and BBPD armed with real guns looking outward was well.
After the people, the next thing I notice is the sparse piles of containment foam spread across the street, serving as islands to what is almost a layer of viscera that has covered most of the street. The smell is bad and almost omnipresent, the stench of the sewers that is clinging to us is almost completely overpowered, but I still manage to 'set' my nose to it and quickly return to being nose blind to it.
We make it a bit more than half a block closer before the crackle of a loudspeaker coming to life reverberates down the street.
"Slow your approach! Make your way to the entrance to your left!" The voice orders.
I listen, seeing no reason to challenge it, slowing down a bit and angling myself to the left side of the blockade. As we get closer, I can see the barrels of the real guns following us and I try to angle my grip on Shade Skip so that my body is covering her more. We arrive, and my Echo almost drops Triage as they put her down, returning to their place copying me and I watch as they stretch their next a few seconds later. The action makes me aware of the faint burning in my legs and I realize that I am probably getting close to my limit for activities today, how long have I been running around anyway?
There is a gap that looks to be serving as the entry and a kind of checkpoint, through it, I can see a large crowd of people milling about, nurses running around. A heavyset police officer with a shotgun in his hands and a PRT trooper armed with a foam launcher, both of which have their weapons pointed at us, are flanking the passageway and serve as our greeting party.
"Business?" The officer asks.
"She is injured, three lacerations on the back, I don't know if they hit anything, but her breathing has been steady. Stitches for sure and probably antibiotics, I don't think she is dying right now, but I am not a doctor. If she isn't then she will be soon enough if they aren't addressed." I say in my most direct voice, trying to get all the information out as fast as possible.
They look at each other for a minute before the officer steps behind the foam wall for a second and says something I can hear over the droning sound of voices coming from the people. One more officer steps out, a sharp looking woman with a stethoscope around her neck.
"Alright. We're just going to check your heartbeats before we let you in." The PRT trooper says.
"How come?" I ask. At the same time, one of my Echos sees Triage's face pale.
"There are copies running around, they don't have heartbeats, though." He says the dark helmet giving away no inflection.
My mind starts whirling as the officer starts approaching me first. Do I spill now? What do I say? Do I just ask Triage to stay out here? That would almost be admitting it anyway. If we told them, how would they react? I don't have time to think things through, the plan was to register Triage or something, but I hadn't really had time to think of how to approach that.
=={==========-- | --==========}==
No choices today, partially to test the waters on that sort of vote, but also because Roman is being blindsided by this development.What do I do about Triage?
[X][Entry] Write-In:
Last edited:
[X][Entry] Allow them to check Shade and yourself but inform them that they don't need to for Triage. You captured her and will take responsibility of her till a PRT interrogation can take over. Be willing to wait outside with Triage until someone picks her up.
-[X] Ask about what's been happening and what clones have been made.
-[X] Inform them you can tell clones apart with your powers
-[X] Ask about what's been happening and what clones have been made.
-[X] Inform them you can tell clones apart with your powers
thewhiteraven22
(Unverified Worm Fanatic)
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X][Entry] Allow them to check Shade and yourself but inform them that they don't need to for Triage. You captured her and will take responsibility of her till a PRT interrogation can take over. Be willing to wait outside with Triage until someone picks her up.
-[X] Ask about what's been happening and what clones have been made.
-[X] Inform them you can tell clones apart with your powers
-[X] Ask about what's been happening and what clones have been made.
-[X] Inform them you can tell clones apart with your powers
Vote closed
- Location
- Iowa, USA
- Location
- Iowa, USA
I got the weeks mixed up or I would have included this as the end note for the actual chapter. Updates will be slow or nonexistent for the next two weeks as my brother with be in town and I will be spending time with him since the next chance I'll have to see him will be in 5 years if things don't work out.
thewhiteraven22
(Unverified Worm Fanatic)
- Pronouns
- He/Him
No problem, enjoy your time with your brother! See you in a couple weeks or so! Really enjoying this quest!
Is that too many exclamations ? 😆
Is that too many exclamations ? 😆
Chapter 68
- Location
- Iowa, USA
What do I do about Triage?
[X][Entry] Allow them to check Shade and yourself but inform them that they don't need to for Triage. You captured her and will take responsibility of her till a PRT interrogation can take over. Be willing to wait outside with Triage until someone picks her up.
-[X] Ask about what's been happening and what clones have been made.
-[X] Inform them you can tell clones apart with your powers. (7 Votes)
[X][Entry] Allow them to check Shade and yourself but inform them that they don't need to for Triage. You captured her and will take responsibility of her till a PRT interrogation can take over. Be willing to wait outside with Triage until someone picks her up.
-[X] Ask about what's been happening and what clones have been made.
-[X] Inform them you can tell clones apart with your powers. (7 Votes)
Sunday, March 13th, 2011
5:55 PM
"You can check me and Shade Skip, but you don't need to for Triage." I say, motioning with my head towards her. "She's a clone that's in my custody until the PRT can do a proper interrogation."
Almost before I can finish the sentence, both the shotgun and foam gun are leveled at us, making my Echos take up a defensive stance in front of us. The officer headed towards us freezes before quickly taking a step back and looking to the other police officer for direction. A few tense seconds pass before the PRT trooper speaks up.
"Have it step back and away from the wall." Even through the helmet's monotone filter, I can tell they are significantly more on edge than they were a moment ago.
A flash of anger runs through me as the trooper calls Triage an it, but before I can decide how to respond she is stepping back, raising her hands in surrender as she does. The Echo nearest to her follows, still positioned in front of her in case they shoot. The shotgun stays trained on her, and the foam sprayer stays locked on me. She takes about twenty steps back before the trooper motions for her to stop there.
"How do you know?" The police officer asks, causing the trooper to glance at him briefly.
"One of my powers lets me tell them apart." I explain, still keenly aware of Shade Skip in my arms, but not wanting a fight to break out with her already injured.
"Your names?" The trooper asks.
"This is Shade Skip," I say, lifting her limp form up slightly. "I'm Whetstone, and that's Triage." A few more beats pass before the trooper turns to the police officer.
"Shade Skip is a registered hero." Which is followed by a few more seconds of silence as the officer clearly debates something before letting out a slow breath through his nose.
"Howe, check them."
The woman steels her expression and gives what I assume to be her superior a nod before walking back towards me and Shade Skip. Once she reaches us, she hesitates briefly before pressing the stethoscope to Shade Skip's chest. Nodding once, she presses it to mine and I see her face contort with confusion before she nods for me as well.
"They're real." She says, turning and quickly making her way back to the doorway, where she is waved inside.
"Alright, you two can come in, but the mimic stays out here." The trooper says, and I find myself shaking my head.
"I'll stay with Triage until she can get a proper transport. One of my Echo's will go with Shade Skip." I say, making the policeman's eyes flick to Shade Skip before he shouts into the doorway.
Officer Howe comes back out and quickly takes Shade Skip from me, grunting at her weight, before the two of them and my Echo are swallowed up by the crowd.
Through my Echo's eyes, I can see that most of the people further way from the hospital are minorly injured, but as they travel closer, the injuries start to get worse quickly. The officer glances back at my Echo but doesn't slow her rapid pace to the building. As they get closer, I can see that the sliding doors have been propped open and the inside of the hospital looks like what I imagine a beehive does. Officer Howe is undeterred though, and she walks inside, my Echo is hot on her heels until their view shifts to the back of an Echo's head.
One of my Echo's returns to standing in front of Triage, and I turn with my real head to look at the one remaining for an explanation, but they just shrug. Turning my attention back to the two guards, I see they haven't relaxed and there are still more than a few guns pointed our way from on top of the wall, including the ACP's turret.
The silence reigns for a few more minutes before I decide to break it and fish for information about what has been happening with the rest of the city.
"So, what's been going on? My phone got lost in a fight at some point." I ask.
The police officer looks like he is about to say something, but he is stopped by the trooper, I feel my brows furrow as I am left in silence. The Echo next to me tilts their head and signs to me that it probably has something to do with our prisoner. Considering it for a few seconds I find myself nodding because that is one option, the other is that since I haven't registered as a hero, yet they aren't allowed to tell me a lot of things.
"Can you at least tell me who else has been cloned?" I ask.
The trooper leans towards the officer and whispers something too quiet for me to catch over the dull drone of the crowd spilling through the gap in the wall. Whatever was said makes the police officer's face pull into an expression I can't quite identify. Nothing comes of it, and I mentally start to settle in for a long wait to either hear an update on Shade Skip or for transport to arrive for Triage. About five more minutes pass, and my Echos snap back to copying me.
As soon as they do, both the BBPD officer and PRT trooper tense up, and I can see their fingers squeezing down on their triggers. My mind starts racing as a new surge of adrenaline chases away my weariness. The foam launcher is still aimed at me and the shotgun is still pointed at Triage, I can't see the other people on the wall or the ACP's foam turret from my position, but I wouldn't be shocked if they are also preparing to fire. I have a split second to do something.
=={==========-- | --==========}==
Back, the job hunt is bad unfortunately, so no idea how long I'll be able to keep posting. I thought about switching stories too because I've been having some writer's block with this one, but I'm not sure because I like this one, but other ideas are floating, and I am not able to dedicate my time to more than one. React!
[X][Trigger] Do nothing. (50% that that Roman ignores this vote.)
[X][Trigger] Try to jump in front of Triage with your shield.
[X][Trigger] Write-In:
How do you respond to the attack?
[X][Turn] Start fighting back.
[X][Turn] Flee with Triage.
[X][Turn] Try to talk it out?
[X][Turn] Write-In:
thewhiteraven22
(Unverified Worm Fanatic)
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X][Trigger] Try to jump in front of Triage with your shield.
[X][Turn] Try to talk it out. If they question you on your clones, explain how they work (nothing complex, just that they snap back eventually). "My bad for not considering the clones scaring you. This one is a freebie."
-[X] Try to run away if hostilities continue, you don't know how many capes are around to reinforce them. If you can't escape, fight.
[X][Turn] Try to talk it out. If they question you on your clones, explain how they work (nothing complex, just that they snap back eventually). "My bad for not considering the clones scaring you. This one is a freebie."
-[X] Try to run away if hostilities continue, you don't know how many capes are around to reinforce them. If you can't escape, fight.