- Location
- Erebus
Aaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnndddddddddd after that, we need something cheerful.
Sorry, I was going over earlier posts about how Taylor, as the MC, wasn't BEFRIENDING in a nanoha cross
Magical Girl Escalation Taylor (Worm/Nanoha)
- Thread starter Silently Watches
- Start date
Aaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnndddddddddd after that, we need something cheerful.
In Memoriam
Silently Watches
Professional Stalker
- Location
- Right behind you
I suppose I could put it back up. Not in the main post, obviously, but I'll set aside a sheet specifically for characters who are no longer in the game. Hopefully this list won't get too long, though considering what's happening in the next couple of chapters…
Name: Daniel Hebert
Shard: Queen Administrator
Affiliation: Privateers, Protectorate-affiliated independent hero
Danny was the Queen Administrator shard's preferred host, and though she moved on to focus on Taylor when he got too old for her, she switched back when Taylor instead bound herself to Perfect Storm. He leads the Privateers and also serves as their mission control of sorts, applying his powers to bolster their ability to fight the gangs rather than wade into the fray personally. That job he'll leave to his headstrong daughter.
ABILITIES
Shard: Queen Administrator
Affiliation: Privateers, Protectorate-affiliated independent hero
Danny was the Queen Administrator shard's preferred host, and though she moved on to focus on Taylor when he got too old for her, she switched back when Taylor instead bound herself to Perfect Storm. He leads the Privateers and also serves as their mission control of sorts, applying his powers to bolster their ability to fight the gangs rather than wade into the fray personally. That job he'll leave to his headstrong daughter.
ABILITIES
- Jolly Cooperation – When affected by his powers, humans find themselves focusing on the same goals and working together with preternatural teamwork. Duration: 30 minutes.
- Pooled Knowledge – Everyone affected by his powers shares sensory input, allowing information to be instantly relayed from the field to headquarters and back again. Duration: 30 minutes.
Shard: Ferryman
Affiliation: Philadelphia Wards, formerly Brockton Bay Wards
ABILITIES
Affiliation: Philadelphia Wards, formerly Brockton Bay Wards
ABILITIES
- Funhouse – Vista warps space by altering the relative distances between set points. She normally uses this ability to improve her apparent speed or trap enemies in an ever-lengthening hallway, though she can also use it to widen small gaps enough for her to slip through locked doors or windows.
- Play-Doh – With increased concentration, she can distort the matter within her affected space, allowing her to bring down buildings or build fortifications from (almost) nothing.
- Bag of Holding – Her power can be used to increase the internal dimensions within an enclosed space, though this effect will only last a brief time without her consciously maintaining it.
Shard: Thermal Absorption
Affiliation: Winter Hill
ABILITIES
Affiliation: Winter Hill
ABILITIES
- Cone of Cold – Medium range spray of ice and chilling winds. The spray originates from Cailleach's hands.
- Ice Bomb – Long range explosion of large shards of ice. The origin point could be anywhere within Cailleach's line of sight.
Shard: Mirror Knight
Affiliation: New York City Protectorate, formerly Adepts, formerly NYC Wards
ABILITIES
Affiliation: New York City Protectorate, formerly Adepts, formerly NYC Wards
ABILITIES
- Rockabye Baby – By forcing herself to sleep, Standstill can either force one person to go to sleep with her or inflict two to three people with drowsiness. The effect can be overcome by an outside force, but the only way to fully wake up her targets is to either wake or kill her.
Last edited:
Crusader Jerome
Subsisting on Supplication
- Location
- My home away from Rome
...Ominous. How afraid should we be?
Rajvik_wolfboy
Wolf amongst the stars.
- Location
- Florida
As always, be very afraid, its just better all around.
- Location
- Pittsburgh PA
- Pronouns
- He/Him
We can't already be due for another Endbringer arc... oh dear all of the Fallen are coming to town aren't they?
Silently Watches
Professional Stalker
- Location
- Right behind you
The next Endbringer fight is scheduled for next arc.
- Location
- USA
I was afraid of that.....
Very hype for a slight possibility to try out Mistelteinn in that spooky Phantasm world the cape from simurgh fight was able to show us.
Wonder if theres time for Shipwright to build some magitech breathing masks? (Seem to remember it weakened barrier jacket to provide that when we searched sunken ship)
Very hype for a slight possibility to try out Mistelteinn in that spooky Phantasm world the cape from simurgh fight was able to show us.
Wonder if theres time for Shipwright to build some magitech breathing masks? (Seem to remember it weakened barrier jacket to provide that when we searched sunken ship)
Last edited:
- Location
- Tromso, Norway.
Oh yeah, and if it comes to that we should have Taylor change the preset on that. For some reason I don't think she'd appreciate suddenly being in a swim suit in front of however many heroes and villains show up. (Or we might not, that might be funnier.)
- Location
- Pittsburgh PA
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Huh looking back it has been about 7ish weeks so far so tack on another two or three weeks on this arc and we are right into the time frame for an Endbringer showing up.
- Location
- Georgia
The next Endbringer is coming, so we should take that into consideration in the coming votes. I bring this up for one specific thing I want us to do: Spend a socialization vote on Maclibuin to get Vista supplied with his parahuman enhancement charm. After all the effort we've put into building up the character and our relationship with her, I'd hate to see her die a preventable death. Pursuant to the same idea, I want Tim to build Vista a flight pack of some sort. Her power's two biggest weaknesses is the presence of living people and a need for perspective; flight could give her the ability to leverage her powers far more effectively. Even if Vista doesn't participate in the next Endbringer fight, I want her prepared and would consider the time well spent, though I know not all would agree with me.
The next question to consider is which Endbringer will be next? The odds are weighted the most against Behemoth, but a point made in Worm canon was that they seemed to deliberately mix up which Endbringer showed up to keep people from being too well prepared. Leviathan is the most likely, before considering the power of authorial fiat; i.e., SW can just say whoever s/he wants to shows up. So, what ideas do we have about how to fight each of the possibilities? How could our current spells/abilities best be leveraged? What preparations should we make?
A first precaution would be for Perfect Storm to make a copy of the parahuman enhancement spell as decoded by Maclibuin's device. That wouldn't let Taylor learn it, but putting it into the Infinite Enhancement template seems like a really good idea. Even if he survives this fight, it would be a good idea to make it a possibility for future support devices and the template; adding it to the support GB seems less valuable to me. Other just in case measures aren't coming to mind now, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be trying to think of them.
Something I think Vista might be able to put into effect against Behemoth or Leviathan is to shorten the distance between the edge of the atmosphere and the ground. This would cause an explosion of air up to the stratosphere from the differing air pressure, dragging Leviathan's water and Behemoth's flame up with it. Yes, we know that these two operating at full power would still slaughter us all, but that's true of any fight we have with any Endbringer. We have to act under the presumption that a good plan won't get us killed. While SW has made it clear that we can die, s/he seems reasonable enough to only do that if they think we're being stupid or making the worst available choice. The TSAB has said they'll be coming to assist under the guise of responding parahumans. Enough of them coming could mean getting to use Recursion Field to limit the damage the Endbringers cause. As I recall from Nanoha, it is possible to break through Recursion Field with pure brute force directed at the edge of the area of effect, but it should still provide a measure of protection.
I know I had more to say on this, but have lost the train of thought. Maybe I'll remember and add more later.
The next question to consider is which Endbringer will be next? The odds are weighted the most against Behemoth, but a point made in Worm canon was that they seemed to deliberately mix up which Endbringer showed up to keep people from being too well prepared. Leviathan is the most likely, before considering the power of authorial fiat; i.e., SW can just say whoever s/he wants to shows up. So, what ideas do we have about how to fight each of the possibilities? How could our current spells/abilities best be leveraged? What preparations should we make?
A first precaution would be for Perfect Storm to make a copy of the parahuman enhancement spell as decoded by Maclibuin's device. That wouldn't let Taylor learn it, but putting it into the Infinite Enhancement template seems like a really good idea. Even if he survives this fight, it would be a good idea to make it a possibility for future support devices and the template; adding it to the support GB seems less valuable to me. Other just in case measures aren't coming to mind now, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be trying to think of them.
Something I think Vista might be able to put into effect against Behemoth or Leviathan is to shorten the distance between the edge of the atmosphere and the ground. This would cause an explosion of air up to the stratosphere from the differing air pressure, dragging Leviathan's water and Behemoth's flame up with it. Yes, we know that these two operating at full power would still slaughter us all, but that's true of any fight we have with any Endbringer. We have to act under the presumption that a good plan won't get us killed. While SW has made it clear that we can die, s/he seems reasonable enough to only do that if they think we're being stupid or making the worst available choice. The TSAB has said they'll be coming to assist under the guise of responding parahumans. Enough of them coming could mean getting to use Recursion Field to limit the damage the Endbringers cause. As I recall from Nanoha, it is possible to break through Recursion Field with pure brute force directed at the edge of the area of effect, but it should still provide a measure of protection.
I know I had more to say on this, but have lost the train of thought. Maybe I'll remember and add more later.
- Location
- Ural, Russia, Earth
For me the most important part of Endbringer battle preparation is to lift the veil of silence and inform the Triumvirate of the TSAB and what they (and us) can do to have an ability to plan beforehand.
For example, the Recursion Field will prevent civilian casualties and deny Leviathan of the ability to send tsunamis (probably, who knows maybe he's capable to manipulate water from the different dimension). On the other hand it also denies some parahumans chance to participate:
- there won't be Brutes and Alexandria packages - the Endbringer is not an enemy you can reliably tank, of course, still it's bad there won't be many tough guys between squishy parahumans and the Endbringer.
- there won't be Tinkers - no Armsmaster's predictive algorithm and nano-thorns, no second coming of the Red Gauntlet's cannon.
- there won't be some Thinkers - no Tattletale's exposition.
For example, the Recursion Field will prevent civilian casualties and deny Leviathan of the ability to send tsunamis (probably, who knows maybe he's capable to manipulate water from the different dimension). On the other hand it also denies some parahumans chance to participate:
- there won't be Brutes and Alexandria packages - the Endbringer is not an enemy you can reliably tank, of course, still it's bad there won't be many tough guys between squishy parahumans and the Endbringer.
- there won't be Tinkers - no Armsmaster's predictive algorithm and nano-thorns, no second coming of the Red Gauntlet's cannon.
- there won't be some Thinkers - no Tattletale's exposition.
- Location
- Ural, Russia, Earth
Wait, what?
Can you please clarify and provide citation?
Unless I missed something veekie is wrong:
Lab_Accident
A 2D 1D4
- Location
- Your dreams
Does Clockblocker get pulled into recursion fields? Because I had this mental picture where after shoving Leviathan in a Recursion field, we made a super-Clockblocker with Parahuman Enhancement and Durability Enhancement, and and then Teleported him close to tag Leviathan. I feel that between Epoch and our own (and the TSAB's) time effects, we have a good chance of slowing Leviathan down enough that that plan is just this side of feasible, instead of a very elaborate assisted suicide.
Edit: Assuming Leviathan. Wyrd made a good point that we can't be absolutely sure it's going to be him.
Edit: Assuming Leviathan. Wyrd made a good point that we can't be absolutely sure it's going to be him.
Last edited:
Silently Watches
Professional Stalker
- Location
- Right behind you
Four castings of Recursion Field at the same time will suck an Endbringer in. The mages/GBs responsible will be concentrating too hard to do much good in terms of fighting, but at least the Endbringer would be isolated.
Yes, he does. His power is a touch-based exotic effect, which if you look at the FAQ is pulled into Recursion Field.
You would need to bring this idea up with Maclibuin in-story if you want it to happen.
Cloudy Skies 11.4
Silently Watches
Professional Stalker
- Location
- Right behind you
Cloudy Skies 11.4
Thursday, June 30
"I got your message," you say as you and Samantha walk into the section of Dragon's manufacturing base that Tim has claimed for his own. "What's the big surprise?"
"Well, I don't know how much of this is really a surprise," Tim replies as he waves you over to a nearby table. Sitting on its surface is a cube made out of black lacquer and polished brass. "Just finished it today. You wanted a way to get that girl of yours out of the Fallen's hands? Cassiel? Here you are."
"Explorers in the further regions of experience…"
Now you remember the request you made of Tim and Dragon, and you peer closer at the box. Dragon's Device was not as fine as this, though you expect that had more to do with Tim's lack of experience than the importance he put on the construction. "Are all your Unison Devices going to look like this?" you ask out of idle curiosity.
"Before they're ever activated, this is a nice, stable shape. Just so you know," he says with a meaningful look your way, "checking the old blueprints again, I couldn't find any precedent for doing what we accomplished. Transferring people's minds into Devices, I mean. I've looked at the records. The Galean army? They were all about finding new ways to fight the Belkans Storm told us about. There isn't a single mention of them ever turning people into Devices. Even that was a line they weren't going to cross.
"Dragon was one thing; she was used to downloading herself into other systems, and giving her a physical body to call her own had few risks and a world of benefits. The more I worked on this one, though?" He shook his head. "I'll make an exception for this girl because she's in such a terrible position, but don't ask me to do it for anyone else. I'm not comfortable doing this."
"Don't worry, Tim. We aren't exactly happy with it, either," Samantha said consolingly. "We just don't have any options that aren't even worse. I don't expect we'll run into these extreme of circumstances again, at least not anytime soon."
You hope that is the case. The idea that there could possibly be other people whose minds you want to slurp up into a machine is not a little disconcerting, and you aren't even the one building the machines to do just that. "I don't think you have to worry too much about that, either. If we run into a bunch of people where that's the best way to go, we'll have a bigger problem to worry about."
"You know I'm going to hold you to that, right?" he replies with a faint laugh.
A shrug, and you walk closer to get a better look at the box. There is something mesmerizingly elegant about it. You reach out to touch it…
…and the box tips over onto one of its sides before you can make contact.
You blink, then again. You have a telekinetic ability, but you were not using it just then, and neither Samantha nor Tim are capable of doing that to mess with you. "Is it… supposed to do that?"
"…No. No, it's not." Tim walks over and, in the spirit of hardcore science, pokes it with a finger. Nothing happens, and he shrugs. "I have no idea. Maybe it was a breeze?"
"From where? You only have one window, and it's closed!"
As if motivated by your comment, the box slides a solid foot down the length of the table. Then the window opens, and you have a sudden realization of what is about to happen. "Grab it!"
The box zips across the steel surface, deftly evading both Tim's and Samantha's attempts at catching it, and flies off the end of the table and out the window. You are already jumping through and transforming as you move. You can't let this be stolen, not when Cassiel is counting on you to get her out of her family's grasp!
There is no one lurking around outside the building the way you expected. Who is moving it, then, if not someone nearby? You don't think you have ever heard of a cape with telekinesis this strong. Is your mystery thief simply invisible? Samantha and Tim are coming through the window now as well, and the three of you give chase to the box for a couple hundred feet before the box stops on a dime and rockets straight upwards.
"Oh no you don't!" Samantha yells, taking off after it with you and Tim right behind her.
The air is clear underneath a layer of storm clouds. Perfect Storm helpfully highlights the Device so the thief cannot lose you in the featureless sky, but the longer the chase goes on the less necessary you think that precaution is. The box has not changed its direction since moving upwards, although it has certainly varied its speed to keep it just beyond your reach. It is almost as though whomever is manipulating it is playing a game at your expense. Reaching towards it, you try fighting the force on it with your own telekinesis, but you might as well have done nothing for all the effect your spell has.
It is when the box moves into the clouds that Samantha starts gasping. "Sam? Sam, what's wrong?"
"Can't… breathe… Gotta…" She stops flying with you and falls back towards the earth.
"SAM!"
«I'm fine,» she says, and the strength in her telepathic voice is only reason you aren't diving back down to catch her. «I lost my breath. It's too high up for me. I have to stay down here. I'll make sure no one flies up to hit you from behind. Now go after that box!»
You give her a single nod and push your flight spell to the limit as you break the sound barrier in your pursuit, nearly knocking Tim out of the sky when you zoom past him. Perfect Storm lets out a warning. «Mistress, change in air density exceeds standard tolerance. Recommend cancel pursuit.»
"I can't do that. We need that box back!"
«Understood. Adapting Barrier Jacket.» The tight shirt and miniskirt of your Barrier Jacket glow and stretch, and when the light fades you are wearing an old-fashioned pilot's outfit complete with scarf and cap. «Jacket optimized for decreasing pressure, low oxygen concentration. Warning. Defensive properties compromised in order to provide life support functions. Combat at high altitude not advised.»
"I don't plan to get in any fights, Storm. We just need to get it back—" You break through the cloud cover, and your eyes instinctively move from the box to something higher up. "Oh. Shit."
Tim shouts in surprise and no little fear when he sees what you see, and no one could possibly blame him for doing so in this situation. "What is the fucking Simurgh doing here?!"
"Demons to some. Angels to others."
You don't want to answer him, but you have a terrible suspicion that you know the answer. It cannot be coincidence that the box's path will take it right to the youngest Endbringer. "She's stealing the Device. Tim, what would happen if she steals the Device?!"
"How am I supposed to know? I'm not an expert in the Simurgh!"
«She's a Tinker.» Samantha's comment is quiet, but it still seems to echo in your mind. «Tim, you don't have parahuman powers, but this is still a piece of advanced technology. That may be why she wants it.»
"Then we can't let her have it," you say. Unfortunately, the enormity of the situation looms in front of you. No protection from your Barrier Jackets, and it would be just you and Tim against the Hopekiller. The chances of the fight you are considering turning into anything but an elaborate and painful form of suicide are near zero. "…Anyone have any ideas besides trying to hit her really hard?"
You can all too easily imagine the frown on Samantha's face. «Why don't you just destroy the Device? If it's in a million pieces, she can't exactly do anything with it.»
"I don't think that's a good idea."
«I know you put a lot of work into—»
"That isn't what I meant." Tim points at the Simurgh. "She's putting a lot of effort into taking it. How do you think she's going to respond if you destroy it?"
"Do you have a better idea?" you ask.
He starts to shake his head before stopping suddenly. "I… might. This is going to sound crazy, but what if we hold back for a minute?"
"You're right. That sounds absolutely insane."
"I know, but just stop and think about it for a second. She's a Tinker, but something Armsmaster made very clear when he was evaluating Vista's arm is that analyzing someone else's Tinkertech isn't quick or easy. A lot of Tinkers can't really do a whole lot that way at all. And applying it to your own work? There's better than even odds it's going to explode in your face. It's the reason Dragon is so famous; she built her entire career on safely and effectively analyzing Tinkertech.
"My tech isn't even strictly Tinkertech. It's magitech, and it's wired to rip out somebody's mind. If she plays around with it, she might just end up lobotomizing herself."
«Or she'll build an amplifier for her Scream so she can fly around up here safe and sound but still turn people on the ground into Ziz-bombs,» points out Samantha.
Tim does not have a response for that, and instead he turns to you. Nor does Samantha offer any further suggestions. You understand their reasons for that; you have more field experience than Tim does, and Samantha generally defers to you due to her nature as a Guardian Beast. But why does it always have to be you making these decisions?!
Especially because you know and they know that the wrong decision will end up with all three of you dead.
What to do, what to do?
[ ] Fight the Simurgh
-[ ] Battle plans, please
[ ] Destroy the Unison Device
[ ] Wait and watch what happens
[ ] Run away and let her have the Device
Thursday, June 30
"I got your message," you say as you and Samantha walk into the section of Dragon's manufacturing base that Tim has claimed for his own. "What's the big surprise?"
"Well, I don't know how much of this is really a surprise," Tim replies as he waves you over to a nearby table. Sitting on its surface is a cube made out of black lacquer and polished brass. "Just finished it today. You wanted a way to get that girl of yours out of the Fallen's hands? Cassiel? Here you are."
"Explorers in the further regions of experience…"
Now you remember the request you made of Tim and Dragon, and you peer closer at the box. Dragon's Device was not as fine as this, though you expect that had more to do with Tim's lack of experience than the importance he put on the construction. "Are all your Unison Devices going to look like this?" you ask out of idle curiosity.
"Before they're ever activated, this is a nice, stable shape. Just so you know," he says with a meaningful look your way, "checking the old blueprints again, I couldn't find any precedent for doing what we accomplished. Transferring people's minds into Devices, I mean. I've looked at the records. The Galean army? They were all about finding new ways to fight the Belkans Storm told us about. There isn't a single mention of them ever turning people into Devices. Even that was a line they weren't going to cross.
"Dragon was one thing; she was used to downloading herself into other systems, and giving her a physical body to call her own had few risks and a world of benefits. The more I worked on this one, though?" He shook his head. "I'll make an exception for this girl because she's in such a terrible position, but don't ask me to do it for anyone else. I'm not comfortable doing this."
"Don't worry, Tim. We aren't exactly happy with it, either," Samantha said consolingly. "We just don't have any options that aren't even worse. I don't expect we'll run into these extreme of circumstances again, at least not anytime soon."
You hope that is the case. The idea that there could possibly be other people whose minds you want to slurp up into a machine is not a little disconcerting, and you aren't even the one building the machines to do just that. "I don't think you have to worry too much about that, either. If we run into a bunch of people where that's the best way to go, we'll have a bigger problem to worry about."
"You know I'm going to hold you to that, right?" he replies with a faint laugh.
A shrug, and you walk closer to get a better look at the box. There is something mesmerizingly elegant about it. You reach out to touch it…
…and the box tips over onto one of its sides before you can make contact.
You blink, then again. You have a telekinetic ability, but you were not using it just then, and neither Samantha nor Tim are capable of doing that to mess with you. "Is it… supposed to do that?"
"…No. No, it's not." Tim walks over and, in the spirit of hardcore science, pokes it with a finger. Nothing happens, and he shrugs. "I have no idea. Maybe it was a breeze?"
"From where? You only have one window, and it's closed!"
As if motivated by your comment, the box slides a solid foot down the length of the table. Then the window opens, and you have a sudden realization of what is about to happen. "Grab it!"
The box zips across the steel surface, deftly evading both Tim's and Samantha's attempts at catching it, and flies off the end of the table and out the window. You are already jumping through and transforming as you move. You can't let this be stolen, not when Cassiel is counting on you to get her out of her family's grasp!
There is no one lurking around outside the building the way you expected. Who is moving it, then, if not someone nearby? You don't think you have ever heard of a cape with telekinesis this strong. Is your mystery thief simply invisible? Samantha and Tim are coming through the window now as well, and the three of you give chase to the box for a couple hundred feet before the box stops on a dime and rockets straight upwards.
"Oh no you don't!" Samantha yells, taking off after it with you and Tim right behind her.
The air is clear underneath a layer of storm clouds. Perfect Storm helpfully highlights the Device so the thief cannot lose you in the featureless sky, but the longer the chase goes on the less necessary you think that precaution is. The box has not changed its direction since moving upwards, although it has certainly varied its speed to keep it just beyond your reach. It is almost as though whomever is manipulating it is playing a game at your expense. Reaching towards it, you try fighting the force on it with your own telekinesis, but you might as well have done nothing for all the effect your spell has.
It is when the box moves into the clouds that Samantha starts gasping. "Sam? Sam, what's wrong?"
"Can't… breathe… Gotta…" She stops flying with you and falls back towards the earth.
"SAM!"
«I'm fine,» she says, and the strength in her telepathic voice is only reason you aren't diving back down to catch her. «I lost my breath. It's too high up for me. I have to stay down here. I'll make sure no one flies up to hit you from behind. Now go after that box!»
You give her a single nod and push your flight spell to the limit as you break the sound barrier in your pursuit, nearly knocking Tim out of the sky when you zoom past him. Perfect Storm lets out a warning. «Mistress, change in air density exceeds standard tolerance. Recommend cancel pursuit.»
"I can't do that. We need that box back!"
«Understood. Adapting Barrier Jacket.» The tight shirt and miniskirt of your Barrier Jacket glow and stretch, and when the light fades you are wearing an old-fashioned pilot's outfit complete with scarf and cap. «Jacket optimized for decreasing pressure, low oxygen concentration. Warning. Defensive properties compromised in order to provide life support functions. Combat at high altitude not advised.»
"I don't plan to get in any fights, Storm. We just need to get it back—" You break through the cloud cover, and your eyes instinctively move from the box to something higher up. "Oh. Shit."
Tim shouts in surprise and no little fear when he sees what you see, and no one could possibly blame him for doing so in this situation. "What is the fucking Simurgh doing here?!"
"Demons to some. Angels to others."
You don't want to answer him, but you have a terrible suspicion that you know the answer. It cannot be coincidence that the box's path will take it right to the youngest Endbringer. "She's stealing the Device. Tim, what would happen if she steals the Device?!"
"How am I supposed to know? I'm not an expert in the Simurgh!"
«She's a Tinker.» Samantha's comment is quiet, but it still seems to echo in your mind. «Tim, you don't have parahuman powers, but this is still a piece of advanced technology. That may be why she wants it.»
"Then we can't let her have it," you say. Unfortunately, the enormity of the situation looms in front of you. No protection from your Barrier Jackets, and it would be just you and Tim against the Hopekiller. The chances of the fight you are considering turning into anything but an elaborate and painful form of suicide are near zero. "…Anyone have any ideas besides trying to hit her really hard?"
You can all too easily imagine the frown on Samantha's face. «Why don't you just destroy the Device? If it's in a million pieces, she can't exactly do anything with it.»
"I don't think that's a good idea."
«I know you put a lot of work into—»
"That isn't what I meant." Tim points at the Simurgh. "She's putting a lot of effort into taking it. How do you think she's going to respond if you destroy it?"
"Do you have a better idea?" you ask.
He starts to shake his head before stopping suddenly. "I… might. This is going to sound crazy, but what if we hold back for a minute?"
"You're right. That sounds absolutely insane."
"I know, but just stop and think about it for a second. She's a Tinker, but something Armsmaster made very clear when he was evaluating Vista's arm is that analyzing someone else's Tinkertech isn't quick or easy. A lot of Tinkers can't really do a whole lot that way at all. And applying it to your own work? There's better than even odds it's going to explode in your face. It's the reason Dragon is so famous; she built her entire career on safely and effectively analyzing Tinkertech.
"My tech isn't even strictly Tinkertech. It's magitech, and it's wired to rip out somebody's mind. If she plays around with it, she might just end up lobotomizing herself."
«Or she'll build an amplifier for her Scream so she can fly around up here safe and sound but still turn people on the ground into Ziz-bombs,» points out Samantha.
Tim does not have a response for that, and instead he turns to you. Nor does Samantha offer any further suggestions. You understand their reasons for that; you have more field experience than Tim does, and Samantha generally defers to you due to her nature as a Guardian Beast. But why does it always have to be you making these decisions?!
Especially because you know and they know that the wrong decision will end up with all three of you dead.
What to do, what to do?
[ ] Fight the Simurgh
-[ ] Battle plans, please
[ ] Destroy the Unison Device
[ ] Wait and watch what happens
[ ] Run away and let her have the Device
Rajvik_wolfboy
Wolf amongst the stars.
- Location
- Florida
[X] Wait and watch what happens
Call it morbid curiosity, I want to see what happens
Call it morbid curiosity, I want to see what happens
[X] Wait and watch what happens
NotInventedHere
MSV, Desert Class
- Location
- UK
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Next arc, huh?
Hrm. Now. The thing is, on the one hand magitech should be easier to analyse than Tinkertech, because it uses regular, consistent mathematical principles and doesn't cheat or skip steps. On the other hand... well. The Simurgh is sandbagging, even now. Even just firing Ragnarok directly into her face is unlikely to achieve much. (Although, hey, we haven't actually cast any other spells, have we? Do Barrier Jacket and our basic flight ability count against that?)
On the gripping hand:
This is a disturbingly good point. I'm going to try and track down our previous Cassiel interactions and re-read them from that perspective...
[X] Wait and watch what happens
If she's the little girl in question, I'm going to laugh.
If she's the little girl in question, I'm going to laugh.