Silently Watches
Professional Stalker
- Location
- Right behind you
She would still have a penalty to LEARNING spells. It would take two fights (or twice as many projects if you make another Gadgeteer) to learn a new skill.
Magical Girl Escalation Taylor (Worm/Nanoha)
- Thread starter Silently Watches
- Start date
Maskless 6.11
Silently Watches
Professional Stalker
- Location
- Right behind you
[] MS-13 mooks
Maskless 6.11
The city blurs beneath you as you rush to the intersection where this disaster is going down. «Where should we focus our firepower?» you ask your Guardian Beast. «Cadejo or the grunts? Or should we go after Winter Hill? MS-13 might be more vicious, but Winter Hill has more capes and honestly the better publicity. Philly doesn't need them entrenching themselves like the Empire did back home.»
«One tiny problem with that,» comes Samantha's reply. «With this Truce in play, going after Winter Hill would be a good way to bite off more than we can chew. Not to mention that it sounded like our dear Irish mobsters are on our side for once. No reason to pick fights with people who are offering help.»
Reaching Greene Avenue, it doesn't take long to find the fight. All you need to do is follow the gunfire. The black PRT transport bus lays on one side, the road next to it and the front of the vehicle a mangled mess. The troopers who were inside either the back or the cab are crouched down behind the roof, using the thick metal bus as cover from the bullets coming from a building on the opposite side of the street. An ambush, then.
It nearly worked, too, until capes got involved. All four of Winter Hill's combat capes and the three Protectorate members must have arrived at about the same time for them to coordinate the way they have. The Irish foot soldiers are split into two groups, one led by Cailleach and the other apparently being led by Miss Militia, though the pyrokinetic Solaire is with that group as well. Together they are providing covering fire and the occasional flaming sword for the pinned troopers, shooting assault rifles whenever they see a glint of metal peeking out from the shattered windows of MS-13's perch. While the Maras duck down, Pounce comes out to play. All you see is a white blur that resolves into a dark-skinned woman in a backless catsuit – complete with tail and fluffy ears on her hood – before she grabs one of the troopers and zips back over to safety down an alleyway. You can't help but notice that the villainess has to lean against a wall immediately afterwards. A limitation to her powers' duration, or is it just because she carried someone else with her? You file that question away in the back of your mind.
Cadejo's appearance made things more complicated, but watching him, you decide your help really is not needed there. Chevalier and Jotunn have him well in hand. Most of his bodies might be intangible, but his teeth and claws still need to be real to do any damage, and they are no different in shape or size than in a normal dog. Chevalier is taking advantage of the former fact, enlarging his cannonblade to an otherwise absurd length and skimming it along the ground to send the ghostly canines flying. Jotunn, on the other hand, has taken a more masochistic approach. Impossibly sharp Cadejo's weapons might be, but they are no more than splinters to the ten-foot-tall giant, and they give the leader of Winter Hill a good grip with which to hurl them down the opposite street and away from the battlefield.
Poor Sere, bereft of easy targets to dehydrate, is stuck watching over the rescued troopers.
Should you throw up Recursion Field? That has become one of your go-to spells, and it would let all the capes focus on Cadejo. But… You run through the list of capes in your head. Going by what Perfect Storm has catalogued the times you used Recursion Field around capes, most of the capes you see would get sucked up. The only one you aren't sure about is Pounce, and if she is as fragile as you expect she is, you really do not want to risk the only available means of getting the PRT out of the line of fire.
Blue glitter swirls around one of the broken windows of the Maras' perch for a few seconds, and then it explodes into a flower of ice. Cailleach's construct stays there for not much longer than it took to make it before its own sheer weight rips it off the wall. You thought she could make her ice bombs appear wherever she wanted them, but it looks like she is limited to line of sight. You are learning just all sorts of useful information about your enemies today!
"Storm, hook into the Protectorate's channel," you order your Device. Useful information or no, your fellow heroes called you over to help, not make notes. "Miss Militia, it's Calamity Witch. Where do you need me?"
The gunslinger startles, but she forces back the reaction to look around for you. "Whatever you can do to help would be good. If you can get these guys to back off, that'd be better."
A Mara takes the opportunity your conversation provides and shoots a couple of bullets at Cailleach's group before the answering fire from Miss Militia's forces him to duck back into cover. Drifting above his target group, you size up your opponents' defenses and nod. Philadelphia has a dearth of flying heroes – the same problem that plagued the Protectorate back home, come to think of it, although they had New Wave to call on if they needed more air support – and MS-13 chose their placement with that in mind. They have the high ground against anyone stuck on the street.
Too bad you're above them in turn.
"This is going to sound crazy, but I need you and Winter Hill to stop shooting at them when I give the word."
"You're right. That does sound crazy. We still have men pinned down there!"
"I know that, Miss Militia. I do. But right now, you need to trust me on this. I can't do anything with them turtled up in there."
Silence, and then, "…On your signal, then. This better work."
Oh, it'll work, all right. You slide your hands up Perfect Storm's shaft until they are near the cylindrical slide sitting beneath its head. "Ready for this?"
The Device makes no sound in response, but the slide slips back to reveal a revolver's chamber.
You focus your attention on Perfect Storm's storage dimension, the same place it shoves your clothes every time you transform into your Barrier Jacket, and a glow fills your left hand before it resolves into two bullets. These aren't normal bullets, though, for all that you made them out of empty shell casings. At the ends where metal slugs normally sit are instead oblong shells of orange amber, the crystalized form of the magic you shoved into these cartridges. Three days' work trying to get the process right, and these are so far your only successes. Thankfully you have better hopes for the next batch now that you figured out where you had gone wrong all those other times.
You push the cartridges into the waiting slots and flip the mechanism closed. The real problem isn't the gang members in the building; it's the guns they carry. Lethal Flare Shooters would destroy the guns, but they also throw out heat and radiation. Explaining the latter is not something you want to deal with right now. Rust Shooter works just fine against metal, but the mana needed for that spell is sufficiently different that normally you can only manage one bullet at a time, two if you push yourself.
In this case, 'normally' is the operative word.
A casting sigil spins into life beneath your feet, and two pops emanate from the chamber. Magic surges through your body. A wave of your hand, and you have not one or two but seven Rust Shooters hovering in front of you. "Now!"
The gunfire from Winter Hill stops. It takes a second for the Maras to catch on, but then they shove their own guns through the windows to begin shooting at either the transport truck or the opposing fighters. Big mistake. Your magic bullets zip through the air and smash into the centers of the assault rifles, steel and copper dissolving like spun sugar in their hands.
"Take that!" you can't help but laugh. Rust Shooter is not one of your more common spells, but there is a reason it was one of the first spells Perfect Storm taught you. When it is the right tool for the job, it really shines.
A wave of fatigue hits for you a moment, and you drop a foot or two before regaining control of your flight spell. Right, Perfect Storm said that would happen, something about your Linker Core having trouble handling sudden influxes of mana like the one spending cartridges causes. It passes quickly, and now you're ready for the hard part: getting close and hitting the remaining gangers with Flare Shooter. Too bad for them that you got rid of most of their weapons…
Something glints in the window, and a white trail streaks at your oh fuck missile—
"…cking Brut…"
A groan. A twinge in your head. A giant knife in your chest.
"…up. Come on, get up!"
"Uuuuuuuhhhhhhhh."
"About time. Wake up, witchy."
The streetlight stabs your eyes when you try to open your eyes, and you groan again before the lights dim down to something tolerable. A swarm of people in blue bodysuits buzz around you and hold up their hands. "How many fingers do you see?" they demand.
What…? "Sixty-nine?"
"Greaaat. 'Cause things can't be easy." The swarm is starting to come together, and one of the women pulls you into a sitting position. Is it Ca… Cal… the ice girl? And now you're propped up against her chest. Her, Tattletale, Pounce. Stupid sexy villains and skintight spandex. "Now's not the time to flirt. You need to call off your gal pal before she gets bored with the Maras and comes after us."
Your gal? Samantha? «Saaaam.»
A loud crash comes from somewhere in front of you, and Ice Girl moves a little when a thing thuds close by. Samantha runs over, her suit looking a little ragged and splattered with ketchup. Did she get food? You're not hungry. "Get away from her," the raccoon growls.
"H-Hey, I'm the only reason she's upright. She's got a nasty concussion. Just woke up."
"Move."
You scream when Icee tries to push you towards Samantha and something grinds in your side. Skittering, and then you're in her arms. "Where does it hurt?" Samantha asks normal-ish. Then she pokes something and you scream again. "Broken rib. At least two," she adds when she gets another scream out of you.
"RPG to the face, and she's knocked out and busts up a couple of ribs. Fucking Brutes," mutters Ice Pack.
Samantha tries to move you into a comfortable position. She almost succeeds. «All right, Taylor. Time to get you home.»
«Home? Sleep?» That sounds good. Good plan.
«No, you need to stay awake for me. Taylor. Wake up!»
«No. Sleep time. Night night.»
You close your eyes, and everything goes away.
I finally get to use Battle Frenzy, and you aren't awake to appreciate it. Typical.
Oh, well. That's the end of the fight, and the end of the week.
Maskless 6.11
The city blurs beneath you as you rush to the intersection where this disaster is going down. «Where should we focus our firepower?» you ask your Guardian Beast. «Cadejo or the grunts? Or should we go after Winter Hill? MS-13 might be more vicious, but Winter Hill has more capes and honestly the better publicity. Philly doesn't need them entrenching themselves like the Empire did back home.»
«One tiny problem with that,» comes Samantha's reply. «With this Truce in play, going after Winter Hill would be a good way to bite off more than we can chew. Not to mention that it sounded like our dear Irish mobsters are on our side for once. No reason to pick fights with people who are offering help.»
Reaching Greene Avenue, it doesn't take long to find the fight. All you need to do is follow the gunfire. The black PRT transport bus lays on one side, the road next to it and the front of the vehicle a mangled mess. The troopers who were inside either the back or the cab are crouched down behind the roof, using the thick metal bus as cover from the bullets coming from a building on the opposite side of the street. An ambush, then.
It nearly worked, too, until capes got involved. All four of Winter Hill's combat capes and the three Protectorate members must have arrived at about the same time for them to coordinate the way they have. The Irish foot soldiers are split into two groups, one led by Cailleach and the other apparently being led by Miss Militia, though the pyrokinetic Solaire is with that group as well. Together they are providing covering fire and the occasional flaming sword for the pinned troopers, shooting assault rifles whenever they see a glint of metal peeking out from the shattered windows of MS-13's perch. While the Maras duck down, Pounce comes out to play. All you see is a white blur that resolves into a dark-skinned woman in a backless catsuit – complete with tail and fluffy ears on her hood – before she grabs one of the troopers and zips back over to safety down an alleyway. You can't help but notice that the villainess has to lean against a wall immediately afterwards. A limitation to her powers' duration, or is it just because she carried someone else with her? You file that question away in the back of your mind.
Cadejo's appearance made things more complicated, but watching him, you decide your help really is not needed there. Chevalier and Jotunn have him well in hand. Most of his bodies might be intangible, but his teeth and claws still need to be real to do any damage, and they are no different in shape or size than in a normal dog. Chevalier is taking advantage of the former fact, enlarging his cannonblade to an otherwise absurd length and skimming it along the ground to send the ghostly canines flying. Jotunn, on the other hand, has taken a more masochistic approach. Impossibly sharp Cadejo's weapons might be, but they are no more than splinters to the ten-foot-tall giant, and they give the leader of Winter Hill a good grip with which to hurl them down the opposite street and away from the battlefield.
Poor Sere, bereft of easy targets to dehydrate, is stuck watching over the rescued troopers.
Should you throw up Recursion Field? That has become one of your go-to spells, and it would let all the capes focus on Cadejo. But… You run through the list of capes in your head. Going by what Perfect Storm has catalogued the times you used Recursion Field around capes, most of the capes you see would get sucked up. The only one you aren't sure about is Pounce, and if she is as fragile as you expect she is, you really do not want to risk the only available means of getting the PRT out of the line of fire.
Blue glitter swirls around one of the broken windows of the Maras' perch for a few seconds, and then it explodes into a flower of ice. Cailleach's construct stays there for not much longer than it took to make it before its own sheer weight rips it off the wall. You thought she could make her ice bombs appear wherever she wanted them, but it looks like she is limited to line of sight. You are learning just all sorts of useful information about your enemies today!
"Storm, hook into the Protectorate's channel," you order your Device. Useful information or no, your fellow heroes called you over to help, not make notes. "Miss Militia, it's Calamity Witch. Where do you need me?"
The gunslinger startles, but she forces back the reaction to look around for you. "Whatever you can do to help would be good. If you can get these guys to back off, that'd be better."
A Mara takes the opportunity your conversation provides and shoots a couple of bullets at Cailleach's group before the answering fire from Miss Militia's forces him to duck back into cover. Drifting above his target group, you size up your opponents' defenses and nod. Philadelphia has a dearth of flying heroes – the same problem that plagued the Protectorate back home, come to think of it, although they had New Wave to call on if they needed more air support – and MS-13 chose their placement with that in mind. They have the high ground against anyone stuck on the street.
Too bad you're above them in turn.
"This is going to sound crazy, but I need you and Winter Hill to stop shooting at them when I give the word."
"You're right. That does sound crazy. We still have men pinned down there!"
"I know that, Miss Militia. I do. But right now, you need to trust me on this. I can't do anything with them turtled up in there."
Silence, and then, "…On your signal, then. This better work."
Oh, it'll work, all right. You slide your hands up Perfect Storm's shaft until they are near the cylindrical slide sitting beneath its head. "Ready for this?"
The Device makes no sound in response, but the slide slips back to reveal a revolver's chamber.
You focus your attention on Perfect Storm's storage dimension, the same place it shoves your clothes every time you transform into your Barrier Jacket, and a glow fills your left hand before it resolves into two bullets. These aren't normal bullets, though, for all that you made them out of empty shell casings. At the ends where metal slugs normally sit are instead oblong shells of orange amber, the crystalized form of the magic you shoved into these cartridges. Three days' work trying to get the process right, and these are so far your only successes. Thankfully you have better hopes for the next batch now that you figured out where you had gone wrong all those other times.
You push the cartridges into the waiting slots and flip the mechanism closed. The real problem isn't the gang members in the building; it's the guns they carry. Lethal Flare Shooters would destroy the guns, but they also throw out heat and radiation. Explaining the latter is not something you want to deal with right now. Rust Shooter works just fine against metal, but the mana needed for that spell is sufficiently different that normally you can only manage one bullet at a time, two if you push yourself.
In this case, 'normally' is the operative word.
A casting sigil spins into life beneath your feet, and two pops emanate from the chamber. Magic surges through your body. A wave of your hand, and you have not one or two but seven Rust Shooters hovering in front of you. "Now!"
The gunfire from Winter Hill stops. It takes a second for the Maras to catch on, but then they shove their own guns through the windows to begin shooting at either the transport truck or the opposing fighters. Big mistake. Your magic bullets zip through the air and smash into the centers of the assault rifles, steel and copper dissolving like spun sugar in their hands.
"Take that!" you can't help but laugh. Rust Shooter is not one of your more common spells, but there is a reason it was one of the first spells Perfect Storm taught you. When it is the right tool for the job, it really shines.
A wave of fatigue hits for you a moment, and you drop a foot or two before regaining control of your flight spell. Right, Perfect Storm said that would happen, something about your Linker Core having trouble handling sudden influxes of mana like the one spending cartridges causes. It passes quickly, and now you're ready for the hard part: getting close and hitting the remaining gangers with Flare Shooter. Too bad for them that you got rid of most of their weapons…
Something glints in the window, and a white trail streaks at your oh fuck missile—
xxxxxxxxxxxxx
"…cking Brut…"
A groan. A twinge in your head. A giant knife in your chest.
"…up. Come on, get up!"
"Uuuuuuuhhhhhhhh."
"About time. Wake up, witchy."
The streetlight stabs your eyes when you try to open your eyes, and you groan again before the lights dim down to something tolerable. A swarm of people in blue bodysuits buzz around you and hold up their hands. "How many fingers do you see?" they demand.
What…? "Sixty-nine?"
"Greaaat. 'Cause things can't be easy." The swarm is starting to come together, and one of the women pulls you into a sitting position. Is it Ca… Cal… the ice girl? And now you're propped up against her chest. Her, Tattletale, Pounce. Stupid sexy villains and skintight spandex. "Now's not the time to flirt. You need to call off your gal pal before she gets bored with the Maras and comes after us."
Your gal? Samantha? «Saaaam.»
A loud crash comes from somewhere in front of you, and Ice Girl moves a little when a thing thuds close by. Samantha runs over, her suit looking a little ragged and splattered with ketchup. Did she get food? You're not hungry. "Get away from her," the raccoon growls.
"H-Hey, I'm the only reason she's upright. She's got a nasty concussion. Just woke up."
"Move."
You scream when Icee tries to push you towards Samantha and something grinds in your side. Skittering, and then you're in her arms. "Where does it hurt?" Samantha asks normal-ish. Then she pokes something and you scream again. "Broken rib. At least two," she adds when she gets another scream out of you.
"RPG to the face, and she's knocked out and busts up a couple of ribs. Fucking Brutes," mutters Ice Pack.
Samantha tries to move you into a comfortable position. She almost succeeds. «All right, Taylor. Time to get you home.»
«Home? Sleep?» That sounds good. Good plan.
«No, you need to stay awake for me. Taylor. Wake up!»
«No. Sleep time. Night night.»
You close your eyes, and everything goes away.
I finally get to use Battle Frenzy, and you aren't awake to appreciate it. Typical.
Oh, well. That's the end of the fight, and the end of the week.
- Vote for a spell to learn.
- Secret Santa, Part 3 – You spent some time thinking about Epoch's offer, and you need more information before you make a final decision. Give him a call and meet the rest of the Adepts.
- Back in the Saddle, Part 3 – How many monsters does Typhon have at his disposal? No one knows, but if Miss Militia is worried, maybe you should be, too. The Protectorate may even need to call in the local villains to help out. Move out in force and stop this evil Tinker.
- Fishies! – Dragon can't make heads or tales of the books on magic Perfect Storm sent her, and she's tired of it. She rented an exploratory ship and has built several deep-water ROVs to explore the wreck of the Agharti. Head to see with her.
- A Whole New World – You've always lived in a small corner of New England, but now you have powers that really let you get around. Take a little time to see the world around you.
- Spatial Translocation: Write-in
- Dimensional Translocation: Random or Write-in
- Back to Our Scheduled Programing – Go on patrol and look for trouble. You can write in to go along with somebody/somebodies.
- Hanging Out – Take a little time to yourself and spend some time with somebody/somebodies. Preferably doing something that doesn't involve burninating people. Write in the person, place, and thing.
- Nose to the Grindstone – Spend a free period training in the simulator. May be chosen twice. Write-in for which spell to practice.
I really want Knight Armor now so we can be even more of a tank.
- Location
- Kansas
Ouch, I guess we will have to wait until later to let Miss Militia know we got an arm being build for Vista (Even if the PRT won't accept it, Taylor doesn't know that).
Hopefully a nice dive in the ocean with Dragon will give us time to recover before we storm the storm drains.
Edit: I do have to wonder if that 'ketchup' splattered on Sam is hers or the gangster's.
Hopefully a nice dive in the ocean with Dragon will give us time to recover before we storm the storm drains.
Edit: I do have to wonder if that 'ketchup' splattered on Sam is hers or the gangster's.
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Always Late
Lacking in coffee, sleep, and brains
- Location
- Ohio
... well that was a relief. Anyone else surprised Cadejo got handled this easy?
Sam, how many people did you kill?
Nottheunmaker
Altman be praised
- Location
- USG Ishimura
Wow, they really wanted whatever was in that transport. Rocket launchers? Really? Damn son.
Still, I take this to mean that overall things went pretty well. Doesn't sound like any of the heroes died, and with Sam laying into the Maras like that no way in hell they got the transport. To bad we had to take a rocket for that to happen, but all's well that ends well. Still, I want to get the Knight Armor, now that we know that the jacket can't take an RPG.
On the other hand, it did take two very powerful capes to keep him tied up, so take that as you will.
Still, I take this to mean that overall things went pretty well. Doesn't sound like any of the heroes died, and with Sam laying into the Maras like that no way in hell they got the transport. To bad we had to take a rocket for that to happen, but all's well that ends well. Still, I want to get the Knight Armor, now that we know that the jacket can't take an RPG.
In hindsight, no. It's been noted that he has a very tricky power, but not an overwhelming one. He needed to keep the heavy hitters busy so his gang could get to work, so it makes sense he wasn't that involved.
On the other hand, it did take two very powerful capes to keep him tied up, so take that as you will.
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Good to see that Cadejo was handled, and that we (mostly) chose wisely in targets. On the other hand, we should have expected MS-13 to have heavy weapons if they were brazen enough to attack a PRT transport like they did. That was a screw-up on our part. Fortunately our barrier jacket mostly held up and we can learn from this. Also, silly Taylor, that's barbecue sauce not ketchup!
Re: the concussion -
Yay minor brain damage?
Good update @Silently Watches.
Re: the concussion -
Yay minor brain damage?
Good update @Silently Watches.
"Enough, yet not enough" might be her answer to that.
Nottheunmaker
Altman be praised
- Location
- USG Ishimura
Oh fuck we have a major concussion and just passed out. Why did this take so long to penetrate my skull? Oh this won't end well.
Watch Guyver and sub Sam for Sho and Gang members for Zoanoids.
ReaperofInterest
Herald of Disaster
So, which spell do you all think we should get? I'm torn between Knight Armor, Telekinesis, Burst, and Frost Beam myself.
Knight Armor is supposed to majorly buff up our defenses, and it might interact with Strong Shield to make SS even stronger, but it doesn't do anything for our offensive capabilities.
Telekinesis will probably reveal a new spell, will definitely finish off the basics in the Flare skill tree, and is a solid spell that has potential for utility and fights.
Burst is an upgrade to our Shooter spells that enables them to explode. Getting it would probably finish off the two Shooter spell trees, and would definitely get it out of the way for the future.
Frost Beam will definitely reveal a new spell, will finish up the basics for the Void skill tree, and will give us a way of trapping people. I do wonder if we can adjust the time the ice lasts for though.
Knight Armor is supposed to majorly buff up our defenses, and it might interact with Strong Shield to make SS even stronger, but it doesn't do anything for our offensive capabilities.
Telekinesis will probably reveal a new spell, will definitely finish off the basics in the Flare skill tree, and is a solid spell that has potential for utility and fights.
Burst is an upgrade to our Shooter spells that enables them to explode. Getting it would probably finish off the two Shooter spell trees, and would definitely get it out of the way for the future.
Frost Beam will definitely reveal a new spell, will finish up the basics for the Void skill tree, and will give us a way of trapping people. I do wonder if we can adjust the time the ice lasts for though.
- Location
- Internet, The
If a single missile can take down a fully charged barrier jacket, I've either misunderstood the strength of barrier jackets or I have misunderstood what kind of missiles were used. So… what kind of missile was this? Hand-held rocket launcher? Portable missile launcher? Something bigger they set up before?
...So I'm really wondering if this was the best case scenario. Like, what would've happened if we had gone after Cadejo instead and stuff.
But otherwise, I'm fine with the update. Winter Hill shows that they can be honorable and stick to the truce, and Sam gets to be all maternal death machine on a few idiots.
Good times. Anyway, I think we should do the Deep Sea Diving and Monster Mash next week. Seems like the wisest choice, and hopefully Epoch and those guys can wait another week.
I just really want to be done with the Monster crap. It's annoying to have it weighing us down still.
But otherwise, I'm fine with the update. Winter Hill shows that they can be honorable and stick to the truce, and Sam gets to be all maternal death machine on a few idiots.
Good times. Anyway, I think we should do the Deep Sea Diving and Monster Mash next week. Seems like the wisest choice, and hopefully Epoch and those guys can wait another week.
I just really want to be done with the Monster crap. It's annoying to have it weighing us down still.
An RPG is designed to penetrate the thick armor of main battle tanks and destroy/kill what's inside them. That we aren't bloody bits strewn across the rooftops is a positive attestation to our base barrier jacket's toughness imo.
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@Silently Watches - How old an organization is Winter Hill? The way Taylor is talking here about not letting them entrenching themselves makes it sound like they are fairly new. Actually how old are all the gangs in Philly? I was operating under the impression they were fairly old and already as entrenched as gangs get.
It's very good Taylor has Samantha to act as the voice of reason. Violating the Truce and attacking allies, no matter how temporary they may be, is just plain stupid. I can certainly see Taylor doing it because, as Tattletale mentioned way back, she doesn't do a great job considering the consequences of her actions. Another, more recent, example of this would be Taylor not realizing that obliterating half a dozen capes and destroying a chunk of a (fake) city would make everyone nervous around her.
In hindsight it should have been obvious that MS-13 were packing RPGs. Remember the initial attack was just mooks with no evidence of capes. So how did they destroy the front of the bus, topple it over, and mess up the road? The obvious answer is they fired a, movie style, RPG into the ground in front of the bus. The explosion would have then destroyed the bus' engine and toppled it over.
Now that is interesting. It strikes me as somewhat odd that the Winter Hill gang members are willing to work under a Protectorate cape, even with one of their own, Solaire, as her, presumably, 2IC. Maybe Miss Militia just has that good a reputation? She is one of the original Wards and a hero for over twenty years. In fact given the death toll from things like Endbringers I wouldn't be surprised if Miss Militia is one of the longest serving Heroes alive.
It says something about Taylor's mindset that she never even considers doing something similiar to what Pounce is doing here. With her Barrier Jacket Taylor could easily fly in, grab onto the PRT troopers, and teleport out. That would completely remove the need to provide cover for the trapped soldiers and allow everyone to focus on taking MS-13 down. Instead Taylor decides to play the role of aerial bombardment mage and take out the MS-13 mooks herself.
I wonder if this is the result of our initial choice way back at the start of the game? This situation perfectly fits the four options we were given back then:
- Destroy the villains - The option we picked and the one that best fits with focusing on taking out MS-13 over rescuing the trapped troopers.
- Protect the helpless - The option most in line with my suggestion of rushing in to protect the helpless PRT troops.
- Rebuild the injured - Non-combatant so not really relevant here.
- Back up the heroes - Would probably throw up shields to allow the PRT troopers to safely retreat.
I'm not surprised in the slightest that Chevalier and Jotunn were capable of handling Cadejo. If the Protectorate and Winter Hill had no way of opposing Cadejo whenever he took to the field then the situation in Philly would be a lot different. The only way things make sense is if there is some sort of balance between the factions involved.
Huh. So I'm guessing his power needs direct line of sight or something then? Because otherwise he could suck the water out of the mooks hiding behind cover.
@Silently Watches - I'm curious; do we have the codes needed to access the Protectorate's radio channel or did Storm just hack in? Sure we've shown Legend, and by extension the Triumvirate, Storms' awesome hacking abilities but I'm not sure if they told anyone else so this could be new information to the PRT/Protectorate as a whole.
...yeah. I don't think we had the codes needed. Whelp, it's not like super hacking could really make Calamity Witch any scarier for the PRT/Protectorate right? We already have the ability to effectively destroy nations* so what's a little hacking between friends?
*Based on just what the PRT/Protectorate already knows Taylor could teleport from high value target** to high value target, spend ten seconds charging up Solar Wrath, obliterate said target, and teleport off before anyone could arrive to stop her. Canon showed just how terrifying a teleporting Endbringer was and Khonsu was a lot more obvious, and thus easier to track, then Calamity Witch.
**Basically anything small enough to be destroyed in a single hit by Solar Wrath but important enough to be utterly devastating. Dams, hospitals, power stations, skyscapers, ect.
This is the result of our friendship building with MM! She trusts Calamity Witch enough to be willing to do something "crazy" just because Calamity Witch asks nicely.
So Perfect Storm has a revolver system that has to be manually loaded. On one hand that's a pain, but on the other hand it makes it a lot harder to burn through crazy numbers of cartridges, like Nanoha, so it's probably for the better.
I imagine that basically everyone would be unhappy to learn that Calamity Witch's attacks can be radioactive. Nor would the knowledge that she decided throwing radioactive attacks around in a city and near allies was a good idea. Radiation is so rarely the right answer to basically anything.
It does however fit the name Calamity Witch so very well. Nothing says "war of extinction" like salting the earth with radiation attacks.
Huh. I did not realize until now that Taylor had issues with Rust Shooter. On reflect it does make sense since she has to either suppress or work around her elemental conversion affinity but I just hadn't noticed before.
Clearly Taylor needs to work on her reactions. Given that her Barrier Jacked reduced that hit from "expanding cloud of red mist" to "concussion and broken ribs" a Strong Shield, which is five times stronger, would have almost certainly blocked that.
...
@Silently Watches - Did Taylor, while concussed to the point of seeing things, actually manage to count 69 fingers? I mean it's pleasurable since if she saw 23 people holding up 3 fingers each, a reasonable number of fingers for this question, then it would add up to 69.
Huh. This is the first time we've seen Taylor comment on finding Tattletale, Pounce, or Cailleach sexy. In fact this is the first time Taylor has ever called anyone sexy in this quest.
Wow. Taylor is really good at ignoring things she doesn't want to think about even when so concussed she can't think straight. Hopefully Sam managed to restrict herself to maiming rather then killing since that would be a pain to deal with.
See, this is what happens you avoid getting brain damage. You start letting little things like broken ribs stop you. Canon!Taylor was perfectly capable of remaining stoic in the face of far worse injuries.
But of course I'm fairly sure this the most seriously injured Calamity Witch has ever been. The benefits of being a high power Brute/Blaster/Mover instead of a regular old Master.
Still this does show that we need the improved protection of Knight's Armor. Calamity Witch can't handle injuries like Skitter could so we need to avoid getting injured in the first place.
Always Late
Lacking in coffee, sleep, and brains
- Location
- Ohio
You'll have to explain that reference to me.
Probably. I'm thinking Frost Beam myself.
If they got it through the canon Russian arms smuggling in Alaska, an RPG-7. If they snagged it off some old raiding/graft of an army/marine/national guard armory, either an AT-4 or a SMAW.
The Anime series Guyver where Sho Fukamachi bonds to an alien bio-armour giving him roughly 100 times human strength as well as various other ways to kill things.
Standard Zoanoids are the series mooks and mowed down by the dozens. One episode had them tire out main character by throwing waves of Zoanoids at him before a more elite one and the wave tactic was described as a massacre.
Against something like that, is what Strong Shield is meant for. But that requires spotting the launcher or having enough practice to reflexively cast a shield when you see motion. Barrier Jackets simply aren't meant to eat Buster type focused attacks without a Shield.
Alternatively Knight Armor would reduce it to merely stunned.
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Silently Watches
Professional Stalker
- Location
- Right behind you
Maybe entrenched was the wrong word, but I couldn't think of what I could say instead. Yes, Winter Hill is old, but it doesn't enjoy the kind of wide-spread support in Philly that the E88 did in BB.
Which kind of paints the BB Protectorate's problems in a new light. Can't go after ABB because Lung's already beaten you once. Can't go after E88 because they have public support thanks to Lung being Asian. Can't go after the Merchants because you're resources are tied up dealing with the other two.
Kind of. For all the variety in your abilities, you are and always will be a shooter at heart.
Canon doesn't say specially that I recall, but that's how I'm interpreting it.
I picked that number because of the "sexy" and "flirting" lines.
Either it takes a concussion for Taylor to admit her real preferences, or this was poor word choice on her part for a general attractiveness. Take it as you will.Uh… … …
Lingering reflexive envy from her prior lack of feminine assets clearly.
- Location
- Budapest, Hungary
Mot likely yes, it takes time to adjust one's self image
...So that whole thing with Tattletale was just Taylor's poor attempt at flirting! Yup, that's definitely my headcanon now. Poor girl was trying too hard, I suppose...
*Says while completely ignoring my own part in how the Tattletale situation went down*
So now the Protectorate has another reason to be completely terrified if Calamity Witch and Sam decides to go villain. Having a slightly more squishy Siberian along with a girl who can easily destroy a small city is not good for their hearts, I imagine.
Perhaps accepted might be the right word? As you mention the E88 was accepted because for the white population of BB they were the only real protection against the ABB. As we saw in Emma's interlude the ABB had no issue carjacking someone in broad daylight and selling their pretty daughter off as a sex slave. Sure everyone hates Nazi and all but if they are the only thing standing between your children and a fate like that... well people learn to tolerate them.
I suspected as much but it would be kinda cool if she did.I picked that number because of the "sexy" and "flirting" lines.
I'm sure it's something that will get investigated. Just as soon as Taylor figures out what free time is.
Well. That is going to be something we'll have to deal with eventually. The PRT are already nervous about Taylor and Samantha. Here is what they already thought of Samantha:
Add "can enter a murderous berserker rage" and you have someone who is very scary.
- Location
- Ural, Russia, Earth
...So, why exactly Taylor didn't just shoot gangsters with non-lethal Flare Shooters?
They definitely have enough concussive force to flung people away, and Taylor can send much more of them...
Sam: "
"
My preferences:
1. Spell – either Telekinesis or Knight Armor. The former can help us to arrest Cadejo, to disarm gangsters, to lifting the rubble at Endbringer fight. The latter is obvious.
2. Back in the Saddle – we declared Truce, better resolve the situation before it starts to fall apart... more than it already did.
3. Fishies! – good time to talk with Dragon about aliens and magic... And maybe to fend off Saint, if he'll have a bad idea about wrecks.
But I really want to Hang Out with Vista...
They definitely have enough concussive force to flung people away, and Taylor can send much more of them...
Taylor: "Hey, I know what free time is! It's time when I learn new spells!"
Sam: "
"My preferences:
1. Spell – either Telekinesis or Knight Armor. The former can help us to arrest Cadejo, to disarm gangsters, to lifting the rubble at Endbringer fight. The latter is obvious.
2. Back in the Saddle – we declared Truce, better resolve the situation before it starts to fall apart... more than it already did.
3. Fishies! – good time to talk with Dragon about aliens and magic... And maybe to fend off Saint, if he'll have a bad idea about wrecks.
But I really want to Hang Out with Vista...
- Location
- Earth: Universe Meta - 1
Yeah, I'm putting 90% odds on all the baddies Samantha can reach, unarmed or not, are now dead.
This just drastically changed the power dynamic in town. On one hand there's pretty much an entire gang wiped out. On the other, the PTR now knows A. that a measly rocket launcher can take us out of the fight, and B. When we go down, the "no killing" rule goes out the window.
I'm personally leaning towards whatever spell gives us more protection all the time.
Oh, side note. Will Vista's new arm be considered "living" for the purpose of her power? Because if not, she could have some fun.
This just drastically changed the power dynamic in town. On one hand there's pretty much an entire gang wiped out. On the other, the PTR now knows A. that a measly rocket launcher can take us out of the fight, and B. When we go down, the "no killing" rule goes out the window.
I'm personally leaning towards whatever spell gives us more protection all the time.
Oh, side note. Will Vista's new arm be considered "living" for the purpose of her power? Because if not, she could have some fun.