Silently Watches
Professional Stalker
- Location
- Right behind you
The Barrier Jacket would be underneath the armor. You have to keep in mind that despite looking like regular clothes on the outside, a Barrier Jacket is a skin-tight forcefield.
Magical Girl Escalation Taylor (Worm/Nanoha)
- Thread starter Silently Watches
- Start date
RoninSword
Sky God
- Location
- Canada
Well, one of the issues with power armour is that if something smashes into you while wearing it (hard enough to throw you), then you best hope there is some sort of cushion on the inside so you don't smack yourself on the armour. A skintight force field underneath it would be helpful.
Silently Watches
Professional Stalker
- Location
- Right behind you
No one wants to change their vote? Okay. Winners (officially) are…
Epoch
Telekinesis
Maclibuin
Boost Device – vaulknut-decorated arm torc
--Boost Up: Strike Power (I'm assuming this because @Racoras, who first suggested it, mentioned it being a physical attack power-up)
--Physical Heal (because as mentioned, Boosted Healing is only shown in relation to tournament-style HP)
Standstill
Guardian Beast
Epoch
Telekinesis
Maclibuin
Boost Device – vaulknut-decorated arm torc
--Boost Up: Strike Power (I'm assuming this because @Racoras, who first suggested it, mentioned it being a physical attack power-up)
--Physical Heal (because as mentioned, Boosted Healing is only shown in relation to tournament-style HP)
Standstill
Guardian Beast
- Location
- Erebus
@Silently Watches Do boost up Barret Power or Strike Power affect how much you can lift with Telekinesis?
I like these results.
Telekinesis is probably a greater overall gain for Epoch than a Barrier Jacket/Strong Shield, though I favor defense myself. Still... Telekinesis is one of the most flexible and obvious pieces of magic someone can learn, alongside flight (which he has.) As far as proving to himself and the world that he is A Mage every day? It's excellent.
- Location
- Britain
That and it's probably one of those things that's really goddamned fun to use - can't be bothered standing up to get your cup of tea/coffee/hot-drink-of-choice? Telekinesis! Need to grab a new toilet roll but they're in the cupboard a few yards/metres away? Telekinesis! Just want to look damned cool without having to bother thinking up specifics? Telekinesis!
- Location
- Ural, Russia, Earth
Wait, what?!
Well, I personally voted for magical attack power-up.
More precisely, I saw how people voted for Boost Up and you didn't ask them to specify exactly what they want to boost, so I assume that Boost Up is a spell that let boost several parameters, just one at a time.
As far as I understand, Boost Device mage cannot cast his boosts on himself (otherwise, Armed Devices would be useless, considering Boost Device let you both support your allies and fight on the front line).
Silently Watches
Professional Stalker
- Location
- Right behind you
Nope.
And this right here is exactly why I said to describe what spell you wanted rather than giving a specific name.Wait, what?!
Well, I personally voted for magical attack power-up.
More precisely, I saw how people voted for Boost Up and you didn't ask them to specify exactly what they want to boost, so I assume that Boost Up is a spell that let boost several parameters, just one at a time.
If you weren't sure what it was, you should have asked or put "magical attack boost" in your vote so it would be clear you wanted something else.
- Location
- Erebus
well thats a pain in the butt... Well, Epoch, better get to the Gym. he's probably not the type who could or would get up to 600 or so lbs on the bench of squat, but with the odd limitation the spell has and boost up not helping with either striking power or spell power boost. GYM BRO! And munchkinry.
Last edited:
- Location
- USA
I took it to be that Boost Devices can buff anyone, and Armed Devices can only buff themselves.... because Armed Devices have the useage of being good at /attacks/ as well, whereas Boost devices focus primarily on buffs over all else..... much the same as Taylor being able to use Petty Cure on an Intelligent-Device/Calamity-Witch package while Boost/Infinite-Enhancement can do the better Physical Heal or whatnot.
Umm? Strike Power is indeed what won, and possibly might boost physical strength (not just provide a temporary strong-attack like Giganthammer or Knuckle Duster) based on SilentlyWatches picking it over barret-power based on my comments about being a way for Maclibuin to emulate brute powers.
Admittedly I did hope it would cover the various sorts as one spell (just changing which it does at the time as a modification, like the force-to-fire ratio of shooters or lethal/nonlethal) but that was mainly based on the way wiki categorizes things and I was 50% sure it'd be just one.... fortunately I'm happy either way it went, especially since I'd only have wanted Barret Power in combination with Epoch getting a shooter-upgrade to buff with it.
- Location
- Erebus
Silently Watches
Professional Stalker
- Location
- Right behind you
Or just use it with a modicum of common sense. With his weight, let's say 125 pounds he can manipulate for sake of argument. That means for offense, a 125 pound rock floated over somebody's head? 125 pounds of knives flying at them? For defense, a big old slap of concrete. Ooh, or better, a screen of 125 pounds worth of concrete chunks. To capture somebody, 125 pounds of wire fence wrapped around them.
This isn't even munchkinry. These are ideas literally off the top of my head.
Boost-style buffs can be applied to anyone else. Healing can applied to anyone, user included.
Telekinesis is based on user mass, which is not affected by either boost. It doesn't help that Strike Power is shown on melee attacks and Barret Power on energy attacks, while telekinesis is neither and is more a utility spell besides.
No, Boost Up is a subcategory of spells. I would have told you to specify except you provided an example of what you wanted.
As I said earlier today, this is why I explicitly told you guys to describe the spell effect, NOT name it.
- Location
- Erebus
Indeed...Or just use it with a modicum of common sense. With his weight, let's say 125 pounds he can manipulate for sake of argument. That means for offense, a 125 pound rock floated over somebody's head? 125 pounds of knives flying at them? For defense, a big old slap of concrete. Ooh, or better, a screen of 125 pounds worth of concrete chunks. To capture somebody, 125 pounds of wire fence wrapped around them.
This isn't even munchkinry. These are ideas literally off the top of my head.
If he's already to 125, that's not bad. But 200 is better. More importantly, I've really NO IDEA how fit Epoch is. Until now I suppose.
Silently Watches
Professional Stalker
- Location
- Right behind you
I see him as tall and wiry, but not bulked up. That's Mac's job.Indeed...
Maybe 150 would be a better weight estimate.
Heatwave 9.20
Silently Watches
Professional Stalker
- Location
- Right behind you
[] Teach Epoch unassisted magic
[] Offer Maclibuin a Device
[] Teach Standstill unassisted magic
[] Tickets to Gangland, Part 4
-[] Samantha
As I was writing this, I notice a cool quirk of Maclibuin's spell selection. You'll see what I mean later, I'm sure. :lol
You share a look with Samantha, and another with Tim. "Okay. How about this…"
Heatwave 9.20
"Samantha, could you take Standstill out for a little talk? Tell her about just what creating a Guardian Beast entails?" If the raccoon-lady wants to spill the beans about creating new sapient life, she gets to do the deed. It isn't exactly a punishment, though, and Samantha just gives you a quick smile before leading the heroine out the door. It will take Standstill time to find an appropriate animal, so helping her out with the spell is something else you'll have to pencil into your social calendar.
That leaves the two remaining members of the Adepts, and you look back and forth between them. Epoch is the easier of the two; him you will help with casting a few spells without assistance. Giving him a template is a possibility, but you remember how long creating Tim's template took, and if you plan to be out of action for that long, you are going to be a little selfish about it. Giving it to somebody you like and who likes you, for instance, rather than a friendly acquaintance. It's just a matter of what spell you'll share.
"Okay, Epoch," you finally admit after wracking your brain, "I'm kind of at a loss for what to teach you. What do you want to learn? What kind of magic really fires up your imagination?"
Epoch thinks for a moment before running his hands through his short red hair. "Do you know what the best part of my power is?" he asks in lieu of answering you, though at least he continues on without waiting for a response. "It is flexible. If I need to fight defensively with it, I can. If I need to fight offensively with it, I can, though it isn't quite as good on that score. Hence the mana shot I was working on when I first found out about you. If I need to keep people from dying with it, as I did during the Behemoth fight, I can.
"That's what I want from magic personally. Even if forgoing your Device limits what I can do – especially in that scenario – I want something that I can use for all sorts of purposes."
Flexible, adaptable? A smile alights on your face as you realize you have what he wants. "So something like this?" you ask as you call upon your telekinesis and lift a few odds and ends from the first aid kit into the air.
His eyes fill with naked need. "Yes. Exactly like that."
"I think we can do that. I'll need to spend some time working through it with you because telekinesis is an understandably complicated spell, but if you can get a good handle on it I doubt you'll be disappointed. Between that, flight, and a Shooter, you'll be pretty well rounded." Your promise leaves Epoch satisfied, and you turn to the hardest of the three to figure out.
Maclibuin, his unique spell, and his utter refusal to give it up.
Tim clears his throat. "Maclibuin, I know it's not entirely my business, but I'd like to clarify something. When you said you wouldn't mind losing your current parahuman powers, were you saying that because you're ambivalent about them, or was it because you actively dislike them?"
"How'd you guess?" the hulking giant asks with a sad smile.
"A few different things. For all that you're a Brute, what you focused on is a spell that is meant to enhance parahumans' powers, and not only that, it's one I doubt you would get much use out of. Sure, there are bound to be people out there who can out-punch and out-last you, but they're all Brutes too, and most capes aren't. Plus there was the way you were dressing Epoch's wound. Even your name." You stare at him hard enough that he looks your way. "Hammerstroke, what you told me his name was before joining the Adepts? That's a Brute-worthy name. But Maclibuin? When I looked it up, I thought it was just you picking a random folklore name out of a hat, but you chose it deliberately, didn't you? Not a hero, not a strongman, but a smith. A creator."
"I honestly didn't expect many people to figure that one out," Maclibuin says quietly. "My powers… I got them when I needed them, and they were the solution to the problem I had at the time, but after that they have played the role of another cage as often as they did a key to set me free. If I could choose my powers rather than have them develop spontaneously, they would not be what I have today."
"No, I don't think they would be. You would have chosen healing powers, I expect, or some other kind of enhancing ability as you did when you were tapping into your magic." The ex-hero nods. Tim taps on the corner of the goggles hanging around his neck, and several screens pop up around him, all featuring jewelry of some kind or another. "Well, Maclibuin, I think I can give you what you want. A Boost Device, a Device that is specialized for support mages. Give me your phone number, and when I get the time to build it, we can talk about exactly how you want the programming and inherent talents slanted. You'll be a Brute and a frontline fighter no longer once I'm done with you."
The joy on Maclibuin's face is so bright that it just has to be sincere, as is the squeeze on the shoulder Epoch gives him. "Does that mean we can actually quit buying the most expensive first aid kits you can find?" Epoch jokes, breaking the serious mood and making you roll your eyes.
Maclibuin snorts. "Just for that? No healing spells on you. You get to recover the old fashioned way."
Thursday, June 23
Orange light dances along the walls before the brilliant blur resolves into Samantha and Missy. "Wow, this looks new," the younger heroine says, looking around at the smooth concrete.
"Welcome to Canada. Probably would be more impressive had Taylor not taken you on a world tour already," Tim says with a teasing look at you, "but oh well. Dragon is loaning me some workshop space and materials. How are you doing, Vista?"
"Not bad. No pain at all." She moves her stump around in multiple directions. "See?"
"Not bad, not bad." He pushes and prods on her shoulder. "No pain with this? Good. How are things going otherwise?"
"Good enough, I suppose. Assault told Chevalier and Miss Militia about Gush's identity, so I've been kept at base this whole week. They're worried about the same thing you were, I guess," she says with a resigned shrug.
You share a quick glance with Tim, and he turns to the side to pull a metal suitcase close. "I have something that might cheer you up. You're healing a little faster than I expected, so it shouldn't be an issue for you to get this a couple of days early."
Her eyes grow wide. "Is that…?"
He opens the case and turns it toward her. If he wanted this to slip under the radar, he failed miserably. The back and palm of the hand, the back of the forearm, and a little bit all around the wrist are a dark hunter green, but the fingers and the rest of the arm are plated with what looks like bright, polished chrome. There are no hints of the particle cannon or energy shield you know are there, but on the knuckles themselves are ridges of dull grey steel, presumably to go along with the enhanced strength of her arm and synthetic muscles.
You shoot a flat look in his direction, though he does not see it. You just know that when he was designing it, he envisioned her walking through a burning building or something, the light of the flames reflecting eerily off the shiny surface.
Missy does not seem to mind that at all, and she jabs her stump at him in wordless demand that he attach it. A thick band at the base of the arm fans out and reveals itself to be multiple plates of metal that cover her stump and shoulder before they constrict and wrap around her comparatively delicate fleshy bits. It moves through the start-up sequence that you think Tim plans to program into all his arms. When it is her own to move, she takes a second to wave it around. "It's heavier than it was, I can feel that, but I'm not having any issues with it. My shoulder wasn't this strong even a minute ago."
"That's because I put a strength limiter in the synthetic muscles in your chest and back. All the prosthetics send a feedback signal, which is how you get the sense of touch, but there needs to be a specific segment of code within that signal for the muscles to use their full strength. This arm is the only one that sends that code. If you had access to Brute strength all the time, you'd wind up breaking your civilian prosthetic by accident."
"So it's like a lock and a key," she summarizes. "Makes sense."
A length of steel pipe lays next to where the briefcase was, and without warning he picks it up and throws it at her. Reflexes honed from years of fighting parahumans and training in hand-to-hand combat kick in to let her catch it. She stares at him in confusion before a look of comprehension crosses her face, and seemingly without effort the pipe is crushed from the strength in her fingers. She then brings her arm up and down to drive the flat end of the pipe into the concrete floor before grabbing another section of the pipe and bending it into a U-shape.
"I have to be careful hitting people with this, aren't I?" is the question she finally asks as she looks at the mutilated pipe from different angles. "When you said it would give me a Brute's strength, you weren't kidding."
"No, I wasn't, and yes, you do. It is possible for you not to engage all the muscle fibers, but you'll need practice. Until you have a… well, a good grasp of it," he says with a too-amused smile, "it's probably best that you stick with how you normally fight and rely on the shield and very occasionally the particle cannon."
The reminder of that weapon catches her attention. "How do I use that, anyway? Just so I know whenever I need to bring out the big boom."
"I had Dragon set up a shooting range. We'll run through the movements you need to deploy the shield and the cannon, then you can take a few shots. I do need to warn you, though, you can't waste your 'rounds' frivolously. They take too much power for your generator to supply on demand, so I set up a capacitor bank. You get five shots before it has to recharge for a couple of hours."
Samantha clears her throat and taps her wrist. "I guess that's my cue to leave. I need to head over to that meeting Jotunn's organizing."
"You too?" Missy says with a disappointed pout. "Chevalier and Sere are going to that. I offered to go as Chevalier's second since my power is miles away better if everything goes south and he needs to arrest the villains or retreat, but apparently I'm 'much too young' to be allowed to participate. Chevalier wasn't as rude about it as Sere, but he still agreed with it." The fingertips of her prosthetic clink when she clenches them in a tight fist. "It's like they don't want to remember that hey, I have years of experience dealing with villains. I'm not a clumsy and half-trained kid like Flambé and Cherry Bomb."
"I thought you liked your teammates?" asks Samantha.
Missy lets out an aggravated huff. "Personally, they're fine. Nice enough, even if we don't have much in common. Professionally? If we got in a real fight, I wouldn't trust them to watch my back because they have no idea what they're supposed to do. Not that we're allowed to get in real fights unless there's no other choice." She ruffles her hair. "It's been nice to have Clockblocker around for a while, that's for sure. He's been going just as crazy over in Chicago as I have here."
You have nothing to say to that, and thankfully Tim leads her away to the shooting range. "Is it just me, or is she getting less and less patient with the Protectorate?"
"It's not just you, though you are probably part of the reason." You stare at Samantha in surprise. "Let's be honest. Brockton Bay was a hellhole. Vista is used to being treated like a mini-Protectorate hero, deployed to get into fights with villains. Here she's being sheltered and protected, which is not what she wants and runs counter to the identity she has built for herself. Then you come in. You're a fellow Brocktonite, you get into fights without anybody telling you what you can or can't do, and then lo and behold, you're only a couple of years older than she is." She shrugs. "You have the life she wants, or at least that she thinks she wants, and it isn't what she's getting from the Protectorate and PRT."
"Maybe I should have brought her with me to the meeting and had you waiting here on standby."
Samantha shakes her head. "Bad idea. Unless you want to pull the Protectorate's tail. Taking Vista as your plus-one sends a clear signal that you plan to poach her from them, and not only would you be telling the Protectorate, you'd also be advertising that to the other villains there. That's a great way to sour a good working relationship."
"Even if it's what she wants?" you point out. You would not be adverse to Missy joining your team if she decided to leave the Wards. She's fun to hang out with, she has a great power, and she knows what she's doing.
"Keep in mind that Vista isn't just a Ward in her cape identity. Missy Biron is also the ward of Miss Militia's secret ID. She probably lives on the base, which means she would have nowhere to live if she cut ties like that, and even if Lacey agreed to take her in, she would still be a runaway. That's a legal mess I'd rather we not jump into without thinking everything through."
"I thought you were interested in legal fights," you say as you think back to her bold declaration yesterday.
"When it only affects me and risks rights I don't hold that dear anyway? Sure. When it affects somebody else and risks their way of life? Not so much."
«Mistress plans to attend meeting still?» reminds Perfect Storm, and you sigh. You'll have to table this discussion for another time. Right now, you need to head out.
Just like when everyone met during the gang war, it is the Marriott Hotel's conference room that was chosen to host this discussion. If the white faces and jerky motions are any indication, the capes' presence is no more welcome now than it was a month ago. You nevertheless tip your hat at the staff in the lobby when you and Samantha walk past them to join the six capes already present.
Seated close to you is Chevalier, and as Missy mentioned his right side is occupied by Sere. Four villains are sitting at the other end of the table, although the three seats between the two pairs is all the proof you need to know that even if everyone is at the same table, no one is on the same side. Cinderella is there with Sleeping Beauty as her second in command. The Fairyland gang doesn't have any other capes they could have brought, but Sleeping Beauty's song is a powerful weapon in such cramped quarters, where no one would be able to escape being put to sleep or charmed into her service. That, you decide, is likely the same reason Chevalier brought Sere: area control.
It makes a very interesting contrast to Jotunn's choice of Pounce as his subordinate.
The cat-themed speedster waves a paw-like glove at you, and Jotunn gives you an oily smile before waving a blue hand at the table. "Ah, Calamity Witch." Chevalier turns to look at you with some surprise, and you give him a tight smile before taking a seat two chairs down from him. Close enough that you don't look standoffish; far enough away that maybe he'll figure out that you are somewhat miffed at him for not telling you about this meeting himself. "Cailleach mentioned she had run into you. Now that we are all here, I believe we can begin."
"You did not send an invitation to Vortex?" asks Chevalier in a polite voice.
Pounce shrugs. "He's dead. Got in a fight with the Revengers. Nobody's seen Slo-Mo since. They're done as a gang."
"That is, in fact, why I called this meeting. Not Vortex or the Revengers specifically, of course, but the bigger picture." Jotunn leans back in his seat. "Six weeks ago, Philadelphia was stable. Not completely at peace – we had our squabbles, and there was the matter of Typhon and his monstrosities – but stable.
"That is all gone now. The Warlocks murdered to a man, the various members of MS-13 rightfully captured or driven out of the city for their actions. Their absence has created a void, and other gangs have taken advantage of that power vacuum. The Revengers, the Baxter Tower Five, the Rabid Rave, the Stonebreakers, and all the rest. They will only stop once we have made it clear that their advances will not be tolerated."
Cinderella rolls her eyes. "Like that isn't what we're already doing."
"It is," he agrees, "but we have been working independently. That is what I would like to propose we change."
"As the leader of our branch of the Protectorate, I can't help but be insulted at the lack of faith in our ability to keep this city safe," Chevalier says, his wry tone no doubt the result of knowing exact who he is speaking to.
"I do not mean to belittle your abilities, merely your numbers. Our city has always been an outlier in regards to cape population, partly due to more attractive locations like Boston and New York and Brockton Bay and partly due to what I truly believe is a smaller number of Trigger events than the average. It is that very fact that now has us on the back foot.
"Unless your reinforcements plan to be permanent transfers, your team consists of three heroes and three Wards who should not be fighting unless there is legitimately no better option." You hold back a smile at the thought of what Vista would say about that, but Jotunn turns to you anyway. "The Privateers, meanwhile, have only you and Samantha, plus some unpowered members who, if I may be so bold, are painting themselves as part of the problem rather than the solution."
That wipes the smile off your face, and you go ahead and bite the bullet. "Samantha and I are no longer part of the Privateers. We couldn't stay considering the direction some of them chose to walk."
The princess-themed villains both snort at that, but Jotunn just nods. "I see. I applaud your moral fiber, though I am sorry it cost you so. Thus there are only five heroes who can be counted on to stand up to the invaders. Other independents have been inconsistent in their response to our situation, and therefore I do not count them among your number."
You have been inconsistent too, you are tempted to point out. Was that the reason you only heard about this meeting as an afterthought when you talked to Laura? Or were you included because even though you had other matters to worry about, you are still one of the most powerful capes in the city?
"We are not much better prepared on our side of the law, either," he continues. "Myself, Pounce, Cailleach, and Solaire. Some Tinkers can contribute in a fight, but Angel Dust is not one of them. Fairyland has only two currently, three if we include Snow White despite being in the PRT's custody."
"If she's still alive." Cinderella turns a sneer in you. "Or did you go back and finish the job your boys started?"
You can feel Samantha tensing up to leap over the table if it becomes necessary, but you put on your best attempt at a politician's smile. "Had I wanted her dead, I would have just left her there to bleed out on the ground. Taking her to the Protectorate was the only way to save her life."
"You know very well that this is Snow White's first strike," adds Chevalier. "She will have a trial before her peers, and then once she serves her sentence she will be released to continue her life. She is not in danger of being sent to the Birdcage. If you were to turn yourselves in, I would be happy to convince the D.A. to offer a plea bargain to all of you."
"Not gonna happen," Sleeping Beauty says.
Jotunn grows a foot taller and holds out his hands at both groups. "Ladies. Gentleman. Now is not the time to fight among ourselves. Just the opposite. What we need to do is to pool our strengths. Five heroes or seven villains are not enough to maintain peace in our home. Twelve capes working together?" He shrinks back down to his previous size. "That is another story entirely."
"That better be an offer to swap sides," Sere says with a mocking laugh, "because if you're asking for us to ignore your crimes, you're barking up the wrong tree."
"You know, I would not be entirely adverse to switching over to the white hats." Everyone stares at Jotunn, even Pounce. "However, I am a businessman at the end of the day. I have a family to provide for. As soon as you can match our income, let me know, and I'll bring the rest of Winter Hill with me."
From his smile and Sere's scowl, you can tell that will never happen. How much does Winter Hill bring in each year? Millions of dollars? Tens of millions? Despite being a government agency, there is no way the PRT has that much money to throw away.
Insert your preferred joke about government waste here.
"But getting back to what is feasible. I will not ask for the impossible and ask for amnesty. I ask for prioritization. We and Fairyland do our best to limit ourselves to nonviolent crimes, and we want Philadelphia to be safe just as much as you do. Our newcomers cannot say the same, and so it makes sense to apply your resources to where they will do the best good."
"This is an intriguing proposition, Jotunn, I'll give you that," Chevalier says after a minute, "but I can't help but notice that it all benefits you. A free pass to continue your drug trade, a chance to gloat that you have the Protectorate dancing to your tune. And in exchange for what? I may not be a businessman like you claim to be, but even I know that negotiations only work if both parties get something."
That wipes the smirk off the villain's face. "Is the safety of the the city not reward enough? I thought you nobler than that, Chevalier. I am offering to actively lend you our assistance in fights against the gangs coming in. Collaboration and exchange of information. You would effectively be quadrupling the size of your department for free."
"Free? Not hardly. You are not asking for cash, but that is still far from free." He stands, Sere rising with him. He watches the gang leader for a moment before continuing. "I appreciate that you called this meeting, Jotunn. I do. But at the same time, you ask for more than I'm comfortable giving you right now. I propose a compromise. We start with the free exchange of information. If a cape belonging to Winter Hill or Fairyland comes to the PRT office and says they have information they need to share with the Protectorate, they will be treated as though a Truce is in effect until five minutes after they leave the building. In that time span, they will not be followed or tracked. Afford us the same courtesy if one of us comes to you." The armored knight holds up a finger. "If we can maintain civility in this, we can revisit this idea of relative amnesty at a later date."
Jotunn's face is expressionless for several tense seconds before he gives Chevalier a slow nod. "Very well. I hope your excessive caution does not hurt the people under your care in the meantime. The five minutes you propose begin when we all leave here."
"Agreed. Pounce, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty. Have a good evening. Calamity Witch, Samantha." He tilts his head towards you. "A pleasure as always. We will take our leave."
The Fairyland contingent stands when the other heroes are gone, and the looks on their faces give you little hope they plan to respect any pseudo-Truce. Cinderella stops at your end of the table and gives you a murderous glare. "Jotunn may be too chicken-shit to call you out, but I'm not. You and your boys want to start pulling shit like you did with Snow? You better watch your backs. We're gonna get her out, and we're gonna make you pay."
The prissy princesses storm off, and you look back to see Jotunn's angry and embarrassed expression. "This deal you and Chevalier agreed to? Somehow I don't think they're going to play ball."
"Anti-Brute combat-specced prothetic left arm" added to Vista's armory.
We didn't have Tim's work schedule last chapter because the Adept discussion fell on a Wednesday, so let's take care of that now. As usual, he has four build slots to play with. Check the long discussion after 9.12 if you need more ideas.
Take 24 hours to talk things out.
[] Offer Maclibuin a Device
[] Teach Standstill unassisted magic
[] Tickets to Gangland, Part 4
-[] Samantha
As I was writing this, I notice a cool quirk of Maclibuin's spell selection. You'll see what I mean later, I'm sure. :lol
You share a look with Samantha, and another with Tim. "Okay. How about this…"
Heatwave 9.20
"Samantha, could you take Standstill out for a little talk? Tell her about just what creating a Guardian Beast entails?" If the raccoon-lady wants to spill the beans about creating new sapient life, she gets to do the deed. It isn't exactly a punishment, though, and Samantha just gives you a quick smile before leading the heroine out the door. It will take Standstill time to find an appropriate animal, so helping her out with the spell is something else you'll have to pencil into your social calendar.
That leaves the two remaining members of the Adepts, and you look back and forth between them. Epoch is the easier of the two; him you will help with casting a few spells without assistance. Giving him a template is a possibility, but you remember how long creating Tim's template took, and if you plan to be out of action for that long, you are going to be a little selfish about it. Giving it to somebody you like and who likes you, for instance, rather than a friendly acquaintance. It's just a matter of what spell you'll share.
"Okay, Epoch," you finally admit after wracking your brain, "I'm kind of at a loss for what to teach you. What do you want to learn? What kind of magic really fires up your imagination?"
Epoch thinks for a moment before running his hands through his short red hair. "Do you know what the best part of my power is?" he asks in lieu of answering you, though at least he continues on without waiting for a response. "It is flexible. If I need to fight defensively with it, I can. If I need to fight offensively with it, I can, though it isn't quite as good on that score. Hence the mana shot I was working on when I first found out about you. If I need to keep people from dying with it, as I did during the Behemoth fight, I can.
"That's what I want from magic personally. Even if forgoing your Device limits what I can do – especially in that scenario – I want something that I can use for all sorts of purposes."
Flexible, adaptable? A smile alights on your face as you realize you have what he wants. "So something like this?" you ask as you call upon your telekinesis and lift a few odds and ends from the first aid kit into the air.
His eyes fill with naked need. "Yes. Exactly like that."
"I think we can do that. I'll need to spend some time working through it with you because telekinesis is an understandably complicated spell, but if you can get a good handle on it I doubt you'll be disappointed. Between that, flight, and a Shooter, you'll be pretty well rounded." Your promise leaves Epoch satisfied, and you turn to the hardest of the three to figure out.
Maclibuin, his unique spell, and his utter refusal to give it up.
Tim clears his throat. "Maclibuin, I know it's not entirely my business, but I'd like to clarify something. When you said you wouldn't mind losing your current parahuman powers, were you saying that because you're ambivalent about them, or was it because you actively dislike them?"
"How'd you guess?" the hulking giant asks with a sad smile.
"A few different things. For all that you're a Brute, what you focused on is a spell that is meant to enhance parahumans' powers, and not only that, it's one I doubt you would get much use out of. Sure, there are bound to be people out there who can out-punch and out-last you, but they're all Brutes too, and most capes aren't. Plus there was the way you were dressing Epoch's wound. Even your name." You stare at him hard enough that he looks your way. "Hammerstroke, what you told me his name was before joining the Adepts? That's a Brute-worthy name. But Maclibuin? When I looked it up, I thought it was just you picking a random folklore name out of a hat, but you chose it deliberately, didn't you? Not a hero, not a strongman, but a smith. A creator."
"I honestly didn't expect many people to figure that one out," Maclibuin says quietly. "My powers… I got them when I needed them, and they were the solution to the problem I had at the time, but after that they have played the role of another cage as often as they did a key to set me free. If I could choose my powers rather than have them develop spontaneously, they would not be what I have today."
"No, I don't think they would be. You would have chosen healing powers, I expect, or some other kind of enhancing ability as you did when you were tapping into your magic." The ex-hero nods. Tim taps on the corner of the goggles hanging around his neck, and several screens pop up around him, all featuring jewelry of some kind or another. "Well, Maclibuin, I think I can give you what you want. A Boost Device, a Device that is specialized for support mages. Give me your phone number, and when I get the time to build it, we can talk about exactly how you want the programming and inherent talents slanted. You'll be a Brute and a frontline fighter no longer once I'm done with you."
The joy on Maclibuin's face is so bright that it just has to be sincere, as is the squeeze on the shoulder Epoch gives him. "Does that mean we can actually quit buying the most expensive first aid kits you can find?" Epoch jokes, breaking the serious mood and making you roll your eyes.
Maclibuin snorts. "Just for that? No healing spells on you. You get to recover the old fashioned way."
xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Thursday, June 23
Orange light dances along the walls before the brilliant blur resolves into Samantha and Missy. "Wow, this looks new," the younger heroine says, looking around at the smooth concrete.
"Welcome to Canada. Probably would be more impressive had Taylor not taken you on a world tour already," Tim says with a teasing look at you, "but oh well. Dragon is loaning me some workshop space and materials. How are you doing, Vista?"
"Not bad. No pain at all." She moves her stump around in multiple directions. "See?"
"Not bad, not bad." He pushes and prods on her shoulder. "No pain with this? Good. How are things going otherwise?"
"Good enough, I suppose. Assault told Chevalier and Miss Militia about Gush's identity, so I've been kept at base this whole week. They're worried about the same thing you were, I guess," she says with a resigned shrug.
You share a quick glance with Tim, and he turns to the side to pull a metal suitcase close. "I have something that might cheer you up. You're healing a little faster than I expected, so it shouldn't be an issue for you to get this a couple of days early."
Her eyes grow wide. "Is that…?"
He opens the case and turns it toward her. If he wanted this to slip under the radar, he failed miserably. The back and palm of the hand, the back of the forearm, and a little bit all around the wrist are a dark hunter green, but the fingers and the rest of the arm are plated with what looks like bright, polished chrome. There are no hints of the particle cannon or energy shield you know are there, but on the knuckles themselves are ridges of dull grey steel, presumably to go along with the enhanced strength of her arm and synthetic muscles.
You shoot a flat look in his direction, though he does not see it. You just know that when he was designing it, he envisioned her walking through a burning building or something, the light of the flames reflecting eerily off the shiny surface.
Missy does not seem to mind that at all, and she jabs her stump at him in wordless demand that he attach it. A thick band at the base of the arm fans out and reveals itself to be multiple plates of metal that cover her stump and shoulder before they constrict and wrap around her comparatively delicate fleshy bits. It moves through the start-up sequence that you think Tim plans to program into all his arms. When it is her own to move, she takes a second to wave it around. "It's heavier than it was, I can feel that, but I'm not having any issues with it. My shoulder wasn't this strong even a minute ago."
"That's because I put a strength limiter in the synthetic muscles in your chest and back. All the prosthetics send a feedback signal, which is how you get the sense of touch, but there needs to be a specific segment of code within that signal for the muscles to use their full strength. This arm is the only one that sends that code. If you had access to Brute strength all the time, you'd wind up breaking your civilian prosthetic by accident."
"So it's like a lock and a key," she summarizes. "Makes sense."
A length of steel pipe lays next to where the briefcase was, and without warning he picks it up and throws it at her. Reflexes honed from years of fighting parahumans and training in hand-to-hand combat kick in to let her catch it. She stares at him in confusion before a look of comprehension crosses her face, and seemingly without effort the pipe is crushed from the strength in her fingers. She then brings her arm up and down to drive the flat end of the pipe into the concrete floor before grabbing another section of the pipe and bending it into a U-shape.
"I have to be careful hitting people with this, aren't I?" is the question she finally asks as she looks at the mutilated pipe from different angles. "When you said it would give me a Brute's strength, you weren't kidding."
"No, I wasn't, and yes, you do. It is possible for you not to engage all the muscle fibers, but you'll need practice. Until you have a… well, a good grasp of it," he says with a too-amused smile, "it's probably best that you stick with how you normally fight and rely on the shield and very occasionally the particle cannon."
The reminder of that weapon catches her attention. "How do I use that, anyway? Just so I know whenever I need to bring out the big boom."
"I had Dragon set up a shooting range. We'll run through the movements you need to deploy the shield and the cannon, then you can take a few shots. I do need to warn you, though, you can't waste your 'rounds' frivolously. They take too much power for your generator to supply on demand, so I set up a capacitor bank. You get five shots before it has to recharge for a couple of hours."
Samantha clears her throat and taps her wrist. "I guess that's my cue to leave. I need to head over to that meeting Jotunn's organizing."
"You too?" Missy says with a disappointed pout. "Chevalier and Sere are going to that. I offered to go as Chevalier's second since my power is miles away better if everything goes south and he needs to arrest the villains or retreat, but apparently I'm 'much too young' to be allowed to participate. Chevalier wasn't as rude about it as Sere, but he still agreed with it." The fingertips of her prosthetic clink when she clenches them in a tight fist. "It's like they don't want to remember that hey, I have years of experience dealing with villains. I'm not a clumsy and half-trained kid like Flambé and Cherry Bomb."
"I thought you liked your teammates?" asks Samantha.
Missy lets out an aggravated huff. "Personally, they're fine. Nice enough, even if we don't have much in common. Professionally? If we got in a real fight, I wouldn't trust them to watch my back because they have no idea what they're supposed to do. Not that we're allowed to get in real fights unless there's no other choice." She ruffles her hair. "It's been nice to have Clockblocker around for a while, that's for sure. He's been going just as crazy over in Chicago as I have here."
You have nothing to say to that, and thankfully Tim leads her away to the shooting range. "Is it just me, or is she getting less and less patient with the Protectorate?"
"It's not just you, though you are probably part of the reason." You stare at Samantha in surprise. "Let's be honest. Brockton Bay was a hellhole. Vista is used to being treated like a mini-Protectorate hero, deployed to get into fights with villains. Here she's being sheltered and protected, which is not what she wants and runs counter to the identity she has built for herself. Then you come in. You're a fellow Brocktonite, you get into fights without anybody telling you what you can or can't do, and then lo and behold, you're only a couple of years older than she is." She shrugs. "You have the life she wants, or at least that she thinks she wants, and it isn't what she's getting from the Protectorate and PRT."
"Maybe I should have brought her with me to the meeting and had you waiting here on standby."
Samantha shakes her head. "Bad idea. Unless you want to pull the Protectorate's tail. Taking Vista as your plus-one sends a clear signal that you plan to poach her from them, and not only would you be telling the Protectorate, you'd also be advertising that to the other villains there. That's a great way to sour a good working relationship."
"Even if it's what she wants?" you point out. You would not be adverse to Missy joining your team if she decided to leave the Wards. She's fun to hang out with, she has a great power, and she knows what she's doing.
"Keep in mind that Vista isn't just a Ward in her cape identity. Missy Biron is also the ward of Miss Militia's secret ID. She probably lives on the base, which means she would have nowhere to live if she cut ties like that, and even if Lacey agreed to take her in, she would still be a runaway. That's a legal mess I'd rather we not jump into without thinking everything through."
"I thought you were interested in legal fights," you say as you think back to her bold declaration yesterday.
"When it only affects me and risks rights I don't hold that dear anyway? Sure. When it affects somebody else and risks their way of life? Not so much."
«Mistress plans to attend meeting still?» reminds Perfect Storm, and you sigh. You'll have to table this discussion for another time. Right now, you need to head out.
Just like when everyone met during the gang war, it is the Marriott Hotel's conference room that was chosen to host this discussion. If the white faces and jerky motions are any indication, the capes' presence is no more welcome now than it was a month ago. You nevertheless tip your hat at the staff in the lobby when you and Samantha walk past them to join the six capes already present.
Seated close to you is Chevalier, and as Missy mentioned his right side is occupied by Sere. Four villains are sitting at the other end of the table, although the three seats between the two pairs is all the proof you need to know that even if everyone is at the same table, no one is on the same side. Cinderella is there with Sleeping Beauty as her second in command. The Fairyland gang doesn't have any other capes they could have brought, but Sleeping Beauty's song is a powerful weapon in such cramped quarters, where no one would be able to escape being put to sleep or charmed into her service. That, you decide, is likely the same reason Chevalier brought Sere: area control.
It makes a very interesting contrast to Jotunn's choice of Pounce as his subordinate.
The cat-themed speedster waves a paw-like glove at you, and Jotunn gives you an oily smile before waving a blue hand at the table. "Ah, Calamity Witch." Chevalier turns to look at you with some surprise, and you give him a tight smile before taking a seat two chairs down from him. Close enough that you don't look standoffish; far enough away that maybe he'll figure out that you are somewhat miffed at him for not telling you about this meeting himself. "Cailleach mentioned she had run into you. Now that we are all here, I believe we can begin."
"You did not send an invitation to Vortex?" asks Chevalier in a polite voice.
Pounce shrugs. "He's dead. Got in a fight with the Revengers. Nobody's seen Slo-Mo since. They're done as a gang."
"That is, in fact, why I called this meeting. Not Vortex or the Revengers specifically, of course, but the bigger picture." Jotunn leans back in his seat. "Six weeks ago, Philadelphia was stable. Not completely at peace – we had our squabbles, and there was the matter of Typhon and his monstrosities – but stable.
"That is all gone now. The Warlocks murdered to a man, the various members of MS-13 rightfully captured or driven out of the city for their actions. Their absence has created a void, and other gangs have taken advantage of that power vacuum. The Revengers, the Baxter Tower Five, the Rabid Rave, the Stonebreakers, and all the rest. They will only stop once we have made it clear that their advances will not be tolerated."
Cinderella rolls her eyes. "Like that isn't what we're already doing."
"It is," he agrees, "but we have been working independently. That is what I would like to propose we change."
"As the leader of our branch of the Protectorate, I can't help but be insulted at the lack of faith in our ability to keep this city safe," Chevalier says, his wry tone no doubt the result of knowing exact who he is speaking to.
"I do not mean to belittle your abilities, merely your numbers. Our city has always been an outlier in regards to cape population, partly due to more attractive locations like Boston and New York and Brockton Bay and partly due to what I truly believe is a smaller number of Trigger events than the average. It is that very fact that now has us on the back foot.
"Unless your reinforcements plan to be permanent transfers, your team consists of three heroes and three Wards who should not be fighting unless there is legitimately no better option." You hold back a smile at the thought of what Vista would say about that, but Jotunn turns to you anyway. "The Privateers, meanwhile, have only you and Samantha, plus some unpowered members who, if I may be so bold, are painting themselves as part of the problem rather than the solution."
That wipes the smile off your face, and you go ahead and bite the bullet. "Samantha and I are no longer part of the Privateers. We couldn't stay considering the direction some of them chose to walk."
The princess-themed villains both snort at that, but Jotunn just nods. "I see. I applaud your moral fiber, though I am sorry it cost you so. Thus there are only five heroes who can be counted on to stand up to the invaders. Other independents have been inconsistent in their response to our situation, and therefore I do not count them among your number."
You have been inconsistent too, you are tempted to point out. Was that the reason you only heard about this meeting as an afterthought when you talked to Laura? Or were you included because even though you had other matters to worry about, you are still one of the most powerful capes in the city?
"We are not much better prepared on our side of the law, either," he continues. "Myself, Pounce, Cailleach, and Solaire. Some Tinkers can contribute in a fight, but Angel Dust is not one of them. Fairyland has only two currently, three if we include Snow White despite being in the PRT's custody."
"If she's still alive." Cinderella turns a sneer in you. "Or did you go back and finish the job your boys started?"
You can feel Samantha tensing up to leap over the table if it becomes necessary, but you put on your best attempt at a politician's smile. "Had I wanted her dead, I would have just left her there to bleed out on the ground. Taking her to the Protectorate was the only way to save her life."
"You know very well that this is Snow White's first strike," adds Chevalier. "She will have a trial before her peers, and then once she serves her sentence she will be released to continue her life. She is not in danger of being sent to the Birdcage. If you were to turn yourselves in, I would be happy to convince the D.A. to offer a plea bargain to all of you."
"Not gonna happen," Sleeping Beauty says.
Jotunn grows a foot taller and holds out his hands at both groups. "Ladies. Gentleman. Now is not the time to fight among ourselves. Just the opposite. What we need to do is to pool our strengths. Five heroes or seven villains are not enough to maintain peace in our home. Twelve capes working together?" He shrinks back down to his previous size. "That is another story entirely."
"That better be an offer to swap sides," Sere says with a mocking laugh, "because if you're asking for us to ignore your crimes, you're barking up the wrong tree."
"You know, I would not be entirely adverse to switching over to the white hats." Everyone stares at Jotunn, even Pounce. "However, I am a businessman at the end of the day. I have a family to provide for. As soon as you can match our income, let me know, and I'll bring the rest of Winter Hill with me."
From his smile and Sere's scowl, you can tell that will never happen. How much does Winter Hill bring in each year? Millions of dollars? Tens of millions? Despite being a government agency, there is no way the PRT has that much money to throw away.
Insert your preferred joke about government waste here.
"But getting back to what is feasible. I will not ask for the impossible and ask for amnesty. I ask for prioritization. We and Fairyland do our best to limit ourselves to nonviolent crimes, and we want Philadelphia to be safe just as much as you do. Our newcomers cannot say the same, and so it makes sense to apply your resources to where they will do the best good."
"This is an intriguing proposition, Jotunn, I'll give you that," Chevalier says after a minute, "but I can't help but notice that it all benefits you. A free pass to continue your drug trade, a chance to gloat that you have the Protectorate dancing to your tune. And in exchange for what? I may not be a businessman like you claim to be, but even I know that negotiations only work if both parties get something."
That wipes the smirk off the villain's face. "Is the safety of the the city not reward enough? I thought you nobler than that, Chevalier. I am offering to actively lend you our assistance in fights against the gangs coming in. Collaboration and exchange of information. You would effectively be quadrupling the size of your department for free."
"Free? Not hardly. You are not asking for cash, but that is still far from free." He stands, Sere rising with him. He watches the gang leader for a moment before continuing. "I appreciate that you called this meeting, Jotunn. I do. But at the same time, you ask for more than I'm comfortable giving you right now. I propose a compromise. We start with the free exchange of information. If a cape belonging to Winter Hill or Fairyland comes to the PRT office and says they have information they need to share with the Protectorate, they will be treated as though a Truce is in effect until five minutes after they leave the building. In that time span, they will not be followed or tracked. Afford us the same courtesy if one of us comes to you." The armored knight holds up a finger. "If we can maintain civility in this, we can revisit this idea of relative amnesty at a later date."
Jotunn's face is expressionless for several tense seconds before he gives Chevalier a slow nod. "Very well. I hope your excessive caution does not hurt the people under your care in the meantime. The five minutes you propose begin when we all leave here."
"Agreed. Pounce, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty. Have a good evening. Calamity Witch, Samantha." He tilts his head towards you. "A pleasure as always. We will take our leave."
The Fairyland contingent stands when the other heroes are gone, and the looks on their faces give you little hope they plan to respect any pseudo-Truce. Cinderella stops at your end of the table and gives you a murderous glare. "Jotunn may be too chicken-shit to call you out, but I'm not. You and your boys want to start pulling shit like you did with Snow? You better watch your backs. We're gonna get her out, and we're gonna make you pay."
The prissy princesses storm off, and you look back to see Jotunn's angry and embarrassed expression. "This deal you and Chevalier agreed to? Somehow I don't think they're going to play ball."
"Anti-Brute combat-specced prothetic left arm" added to Vista's armory.
We didn't have Tim's work schedule last chapter because the Adept discussion fell on a Wednesday, so let's take care of that now. As usual, he has four build slots to play with. Check the long discussion after 9.12 if you need more ideas.
Take 24 hours to talk things out.
- Location
- Oregon
Or spent the time to keep them from falling apart, but hindsight is an ass to the face. XD
Four? I was sure Mac's device was going to eat into our build slots, but if Tim's doing it in his time because plot, I'm cool with that.
Could've sworn there was something else we were planning on building or that had slots reserved, but I'm probably misremembering. I'll read through those post-9.12 ideas and the last build vote and get back to you with any new ideas that pop up.
Silently Watches
Professional Stalker
- Location
- Right behind you
There are four because you don't have to build the Boost Device this week. If it takes too long to do that, however, you might sour a social connection.
Oh, there were lots of things people planned on building. LOTS.
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I can't blame Chevalier for not accepting the initial bargain, it was rather one-sided in Jotunn's favor.
*sigh*
Either Cinderella doesn't believe we have separated from the Privateers, or she was not listening. Either way, it's a pity. I hope Snow White is a little more appreciative that we didn't leave her to die lying on a street.
FairyLand is likely going to be a problem as well, given their active leaders' apparent unwillingness to play ball.
To be honest were we ever really tied to them at all? We ended up with the worst of both worlds here. We are tied to their actions and reputation without any control over their decisions.
On another note who wants to bet that fairyland will the next headache of the week...
- Location
- Ottawa
To be honest? I think the loudest way of Calamity Witch showing that she's not with the Privateers any longer would to come down on them like the hammer of God the next time they decide to do something dumb. No second chances, no fucking around with them. If they decide to try anything when they realize they don't get the fancy suits or laser rifles anymore, they get the
- Location
- Ireland
They know her civilian identify
- Location
- Cyberspace
And? What would the they do with it?
It's not like Taylor truly has civilian connections that need protecting. Expanding their goal to "kill Danny's girl" is going to be a step further, and cooperating with villains to do so would be a step even further.
Of course, I wouldn't be surprised if Coil co-ops them.
- Location
- Canada
Welp. Knew wed end up paying for it if we didnt help her ourserlves. hopefully they will realize we were telling the truth when they wipe out the Privateers and we dont show up to save their bacon.