1077/7000 promised words!
GreggHL kindly offered to let me outsource my production to him per the precise conditions I promised. While I decided against it, He did provide the 7000 words free of charge. If you are interested here is the link:
http://pastebin.com/ZMKmZ0n0 I considered posting that directly in the thread first but figured the humor might be lost on many of you considering the previous thread~
Excellence 2.3.5
Stuff that I can do, I can do
better . . .
I closed my eyes. I could imagine the illusionary cape behind me. I knew how big the image projected around me was. I knew it didn't have to project a mere cape on a field of sunset.
I heard the audience gasp and I knew I was onto something. I opened my eyes, confident in what was visible behind me. Shifting my balance, I gestured up and behind me.
"The last camera angle I have to share from is mine." Über loomed behind me as a larger-than-life projection, bearing down on the audience- fox ears and all. Our duel began.
"The thing with Über is, he's good. He's very good. He's not someone fresh capes are put up against on purpose for good reason." The audience flinches a bit in time with 'me' taking some hits. I skip around a bit to our more energetic exchanges.
"However, capes don't choose when and where they get attacked. This is just par for course in the world today." Now I was taking a beating. The part of the fight I was obviously losing, that was so cleanly snipped from the footage played behind me. The murmurs grew concerned.
"Yesterday afternoon I was wavering on my decision to be part of the Wards." A lie. They bought it in the audience, though. The fight turned again, with clips of Victora as I caught glances of her fighting Leet.
"But the fight last night convinced me that I could make a difference. That I had this power for a reason, and that I didn't have to be alone." Words that sounded good without much depth. Made nice soundbytes.
As the audience applauded again, and a whole bunch of camera flashes went off, I released my grip on my anima and it reverted to the normal colors-and-cape. However, the cape now had a Protectorate logo etched on to it.
That . . . wasn't something I did on purpose. Also it was kind of corny.
The press ate it up though. As the questions began I got the signal to leave, and let PR handle the actively curious press for now. I made my way over to Vista and gave her a hug, then casually ignored Clockblocker when he opened his arms hopefully. With a new background of chuckles we made our way off the impromptu stage to the vehicles, and loaded up in a transport van to go home.
Once we were all seated, Dennis got right to the point.
"Okay, you weren't as obviously teen rebel as I was, but that speech might get you in trouble."
I shook my head.
"The spin will make it look fine. It will probably be explained as a bureaucratic screw-up and partly blamed on New Wave. It's not their fault, but saving face is the order of the day, and I'm just an innocent little girl," I said while batting my eyelashes.
Dennis started at me, deadpan.
"I need to buy you a copy of Machiavelli's
The Prince. You could take over the whole world. Ow."
Missy wasn't really holding back, today.
"Nah, this is me venting my frustration about the crappy briefing. It in no way undermines the public's perception of parahumans, and points some eyes at the agents giving us orders and information."
"So, a Piggy-seeking missile," joked Carlos.
I shrugged.
"A Nerf missile. It should still sting a bit, however."
Dean tilted his head back at me speculatively.
"Taylor, you, ah, did you have a bit of a moment there on stage?"
My mind flashed back to the epiphany. I nodded.
"You could say that. I realized exactly how my power applies. Not about how it's charged or anything, but how the ability wraps around me."
Every eye was now on me.
"Basically, like we figured, if I can do it, the power lets me do it better. Kind of like Über, but not as universal or as constant. Some stuff I learn is just like him. Guns, weapons, apparently cooking, acrobatics, and probably more. I try, it comes to me, and it never goes away. Beyond that, I also get to supercharge anything I can do. That where the limits come in. The moment I start 'cheating' I drain my tank." I paused for a breath. "Supercharging sort of just makes me do stuff better beyond knowing how. I'm breaking limits. But that's not the crazy bit. When I first walked on stage, did you guys feel anything?"
The other Wards glanced at each other. Dennis spoke up first, this time without his usual mirth.
"I say this in utter sincerity, with no humor or lecherous subtext. I could not tear my eyes away for a second the whole time. Even when Missy hit me."
A murmur of assent. Carlos was next.
"You stole the show all right. No one heckled or chatted or anything."
"Yeah, you were craving the attention, to a degree, but not like personally. You put on your game face and controlled the crowd. I . . . I want to say it was everything? How you carried yourself, how you spoke and gestured? But I can't be sure. All I know is the moment you appeared the whole damn audience suddenly focused on you; the entire emotional weather of the crowd dulled down as they all set aside their concerns and baggage and listened," Dean said next.
There was some awkward silence, then. He spoke up again.
"Hey hey I'm not saying it was like mind control. I can read the emotions, I've felt someone while they triggered some earlier hypnosis effect. There was no disassociation here, everyone just suddenly wanted to hear what you had to say."
I nodded.
"Yeah, that was me. I walked out knowing I wanted to get their attention, and my power just reacted. I didn't supercharge, it just sort of whipped out and did something. Once I got to the podium I did my normal trick, and went from speaking mediocrity to speaking excellence. I had my revelation, and then realized something. The light show? The sunset backdrop? It's a thing I could do. So I tried to do it better."
Dennis' jaw dropped open.
Missy made the comment in his stead.
"So you get to apply your bullcrap to your bullcrap?"
Dean started laughing. I imagine the air was so thick with raw indignation it tickled him.
I shrugged.
"Yeah, pretty much!"
The rest of the ride back felt extremely short.
I wonder how she managed that?
