2.01
Friday January 21, 2011
I've consumed a lot of media. Movies, shows, anime, books, and even a few games. Regardless of format, what I love the most about fiction is the escape, an opportunity to read about a fantastical world and the characters who live there.
In a way, it was like going to a zoo, visiting the various exhibits that were the fantastical settings and the exotic creatures that resided within. As a visitor, an outside observer, it was a great experience, watching all the animals interact with their environment and each other.
Quite a few worlds could be compared to petting zoos, the happy worlds that would've been great to live in. Worlds with wonderful characters that I would've loved to befriend.
Worm? It was like a gorilla enclosure. One that I had fallen in and there was no zookeeper to save me.
I take that back. This is a tyrannosaurus rex enclosure and the gorillas are here as food. Ideally, I work with the gorillas to save ourselves from the dinosaurs but everyday, I am reminded that I either don't actually understand gorillas as much as I thought I did or I'm trapped with some mutated primate that merely looked like gorillas.
Well, there was a chance that I just didn't remember Worm as much as I thought I did. Before my family had to move, there was only one other person that I knew who read Worm and I vaguely remember dismissing some of the things she said about Worm such as Taylor being gay and in love with Panacea or Tattletale.
I should've talked to her more but her son was a violent asshole. He once told me that I had large hands and long arms like an orangutan, perfect for outboxing.
I'd like to see that dickhead fight Hookwolf.
It's only been two weeks since I woke up here and it's been one heart attack after another. Assuming the big yellow manbaby still has his multiversal crashout, then it would be in my best interest to prepare for the worst, especially with the very likely possibility that Khepri might not be possible.
Honestly, there was a good chance that I could be killed before Golden Morning considering all the bullshit that hits Brockton Bay.
The Leviathan, Slaughterhouse Nine, Echidna. While there was no guarantee that they would attack, it would be wise to prepare for the worst. It's insane how petty something like the Empire can seem and even crazier how small those issues were compared to the likes of Scion.
To borrow Taylor's words, "We're so very small in the end."
No matter how much power the Tech Jacket had, I was insignificant. I consider myself to be stronger than the average cape, but aside from my immunity to Jack Slash's bullshit and limited knowledge, I didn't really have much utility. Not compared to someone like Panacea.
Well, that is if she was still a biokinetic. I couldn't find anything about how her powers worked, not even from the people that she healed. Even if she was just a generic healer, something that I don't think exists in Worm, it was still a rare ability.
Fuck this shit. I needed more information. On literally everything.
I sat on a bench overlooking the Boat Graveyard and sighed into my hands. Weren't walks supposed to be calming? I rarely enjoyed shopping or browsing but walking through the Market helped, watching all the people go about their daily lives calmed me.
Why couldn't it have been Hogwarts? Hell, I'd rather be a fucking muggle in Harry Potter than a cape in Worm.
My self pity faceplant transformed into a "fucking idiot" faceplant as I watched Taylor fly towards the Boat Graveyard, hardlight armor and all.
There it was. The true reason I was here today.
During my first encounter with her as a cape, she was extremely evasive towards me. Part of me knew it was her paranoia but the other part of me screamed that she believed that PHO Unwritten Rules bullcrap. It certainly didn't help when I muttered "fucking idiot" a bit louder than I meant to, though I should've known she was used to listening for muttered comments directed towards her.
Seriously, though! Fucking idiot! She mentioned that she was "still testing her powers at the Boat Graveyard". I know it's some crazy tradition for Brockton Bay capes to use the Boat Graveyard as a training ground, but literally any asshole could be watching them from the hill overlooking the spot with a cheap pair of binoculars, sold at the Market for under five dollars.
Ok, I was doing it for a good reason but I wouldn't be surprised if there were gangsters or even other villains watching her right now, giving away any secret abilities or tricks that she could've discovered.
The logistics of testing powers are difficult, especially for the flashier ones like mine and Taylor's. Unless we joined the Wards, we would have to find a large empty area.
Now, a lot of this is a personal theory of mine, but I believe that the Boat Graveyard tradition is actually a trap for new parahumans.
The Boat Graveyard is a large area with lots of derelicts to blast or even scrap for tinkers. The issue with that, however, was that it's also a very visible location. The gangs didn't even have to send a spy. All it took was one civilian with a phone posting the footage online.
Of course it was inevitable for all capes to have their abilities known eventually due to combat but testing your powers publicly was practically the same as giving your opponents a detailed written explanation of what you could do.
This must be why there's that stupid six month statistic about independent capes croaking.
Unless you filmed yourself fighting and posted it online, it's hard for any organization to accurately gauge their opponent due to biased reporting from those on the scene and the general chaos of combat.
I shuddered at the thought before adjusting my binoculars, focusing them on Taylor as she touched down in front of a ship.
Imagine filming yourself using your abilities or fighting and posting it onto the internet. I couldn't think of anything stupider. With how much people loved to discuss superpowers, it would only take one or two videos before they've broken down every weakness or application possible.
God, I know I've only been a "cape" for two weeks but I could just imagine if some noob had gimmick power, like… I don't know, getting stronger through landing hits while losing strength by taking damage and just exposing themselves on the internet like some sick exhibitionist instead of hiding their gimmick to surprise an opponent with sudden bursts of strength.
Fucking, theoretical idiots. This place might be crazy but at least I haven't met someone that stupid.
Taylor was… doing something. I still wasn't really sure what her powers were but I knew she could make some sort of hard light ability that she could either use as a solid weapon or armor. Along with that, she could use a hard light hoverboard to fly as well as transforming it into various items such as ball bearings or rope.
Taylor was practicing with her hard light on the beach, forming walls and shooting projectiles into the side of a ship, cutting through the metal like paper. She did it again, this time shooting the projectiles at a slower velocity, plinking off the hull.
A good nonlethal attack.
I might've been a bit too quick to judge Taylor. She didn't cut loose, forming small hard light constructions, unsteadily flying, and the occasional blast, nothing too flashy. Well, at least I hope she was just keeping the big guns hidden instead of being some shitty yellow lantern.
There was also one thing she did that was questionable. After forming a ball of light, throwing it into a ship, she pulled out a small piece of the hull, transforming it into yellow light before staring intently at it.
Yeah, she had some sort of transmutation ability. Though I'm unsure of the specific rules, I think she might be able to solidify her constructs into simple solid objects.
Holy shit, I really hope she's not some weird grab bag. I haven't read Ward, probably the best for my sanity if what I've heard about Glory Girl's glow up was real, but I knew one of the major antagonists was a psycho rabbit bitch who wanted to kill Flechette or something.
Shit, I might have to deal with that if I wanted to have a sting user alive for Golden Morning. Honestly, I'm tempted to just start shouting Cauldron secrets until they pick me up but I'm not sure if they even exist and I'd rather not look like a psychotic conspiracy theorist.
Deciding that she'd shown off enough for the lovely public, Taylor formed a disk, crouching on it before flying towards the city.
Fucking fantastic. Time for me to babysit. Damn, I feel old. I just turned fifteen, I better not start getting grey hair because of this bullshit. Despite the fact that I was a sophomore, I turned fifteen on January first. Yes, I was a New Years baby. Yes, I skipped a grade because, in my humble opinion, I was smart as fuck. No, I am not a brain rot iPad kid.
If I wasn't stuck in this shithole, I would be the earliest member of Generation Alpha but luckily, I wasn't raised by an iPad.
I shuddered as I imagined myself playing Subway Surfer on my hud as I fought.
Wouldn't be surprised if Kid Win did that or something. Dang kids and their stupid irresponsible power usage.
I got up, groaning like an old man as I did a few stretches before finding a hidden place to change into Tech Jacket.
Hey, old people are cool! Just ask Mihaly Dumitru Margareta Corneliu Leopold Blanca Karol Aeon Ignatius Raphael Maria Niketas A. Shilage. Yes, I do in fact remember his full name. If I ever create my own team, I'm calling them Sol Squadron.
Despite the fact that Taylor didn't seem to be unique as far as capes went, I could kill two birds with one stone by protecting her.
One, it would let me scout out the cape scene a bit more. In the grand scheme of things, a lot of the villains in Brockton Bay aren't really significant once the big threats show themselves but whether I liked it or not, they were an immediate danger. Especially considering my dad decided to play Nazi. I know he was "just a smuggler" and he was doing it to provide for mom and I but one of these days, I, his fifteen year old daughter, am going to scare him straight.
An issue for another day!
Along with some more recon, Panacea was the most important cape I could access easily. She was in a precarious situation but working off the assumption that she had a similar ability as she did in Worm, she could be a key player in the future, especially if Bonesaw decides to visit Brockton. Hell, she might be able to fix Echidna, provided we have a way of temporarily nullifying her powers or keeping Panacea safe.
Worst comes to worst, she could start jailbreaking shards against Scion.
From what I could tell, Taylor, who was making a… beeline… for Merchant territory, was her closest and only friend. I really didn't want to see what would happen with Panacea if Taylor croaked.
With my flight, I could provide her with overwatch support if she ever needs it while staying out of her way.
Despite the fact that it was only her second night, she was doing pretty well, easily clearing out a group of Merchants. I was more worried that she might fall off her hoverboard and break her neck than I was about her dying to an unpowered gang member.
Brockton Bay's gangs were different yet recognizable. The information I have from the internet could only go so far while my knowledge from Worm was a general guideline at best.
The three big gangs in town were the Empire, ABB, and the Merchants. Yes, Merchants, not Coil. They were a completely different animal. Roaches to be specific, crammed in every dark crevice of the city. As compared to the more centralized ABB and Empire, the Merchants were a loose alliance of drug gangs in Brockton, united by their capes. They constantly got their asses kicked but it never mattered much if they lost territory or members because another group would just pop up at another location.
New independent heroes usually targeted them, using the Merchants as practice. Like Taylor right now, they would hit any group they could, arresting their members and maybe taking down a storehouse or lab before patrolling the city for another group.
I watched as Taylor found yet another group, following a dealer from above. The idiots tried to fight her but she plowed through them like Hookwolf through my sanity. Taylor's biggest issue was that she was slow to deploy her abilities. She wasn't very fluid when she fought, often pausing to think before deploying an attack.
This could be an unknown drawback to her power but it could also be due to her versatility. With so many options, it could be hard to pick a specific action in the heat of battle. It's easy for someone to imagine what they might do in a cape fight but it's a different matter when shit hits the fan. There's just no time to think and often, it's better to have attacks and reactions planned and practiced.
Even with Taylor's bullshit luck, I doubted that she would run into a villain, especially with the Merchants. As far as I knew, they only had Skidmark, Squealer, and Mush, though following the theme of the Merchants possessing the strength they did after the Leviathan's attack, it was possible that they had Scrub and Whirlygig, no matter how unlikely that seemed.
This really felt like babysitting. I could think and do my "homework" while occasionally checking that Taylor doesn't stick a fork in an outlet.
Right now, the most pressing concern I had was Coil. His mercs have been spotted across the city and he is a known entity but a lot of people didn't even think that he was a cape. While it's possible that he really is just a small fry, the original Coil had Dinah, the Travelers, and almost took over the city.
The Travelers were just generally strong, but I remember that Genesis, Ballistic, and Oliver were especially helpful against Scion, though their effects likely could be replicated by other capes. Well, that and the ticking time bomb known as Echidna.
Aside from that, there was Dinah. Honestly, if it came down to Golden Morning, she was… safe… with Coil but I just couldn't leave her, not when I knew what Coil would do to her. She was a real person now and I would be no better than Coil if I treated her as nothing but a tool.
There was also Tattletale. She's a threat. She appeared to be Taylor's friend but were they really friends or was Tattletale just using her? It was probably both. That raggedy bitch her with crusty "vulpine" grin. I have no idea why my suit insists on it being vulpine when she really resembles a chihuahua.
Hell, that little rat dog shit talked Jack Slash. Just constantly, arf arf arf arf arf arf.
The worst part about her was that there was a chance that she could be completely unaffiliated with Coil or even happy to work for him. If I tell her that I'm after Coil, if she even gets a hint of that with her bullshit powers, then she could lead me into a trap.
Ok, Zara, think. I need to gather intel. Assuming I'm not going on some wild goose chase, then I need info on Coil. If I couldn't get to Coil directly, maybe I could interrogate some villains. Trainwreck, the Travelers, Uber and Leet. If I could find them, there was a chance I could get a connection with Coil.
The Travelers were my ideal option. Assuming Noelle had the same issues, I might be able to barter with them and work something out. I wasn't exactly sure what I could offer with Noelle but I may be able to help them find a biotinker to help.
Oh yeah, in my dreamy, wonderful, world, we beat the shit out of the Slaughterhouse Nine and then Bonesaw decides to be good and help Echidna and everything works out!
Yep. Totally gonna happen.
My daydreaming was brought to a painful end as Taylor finally took notice of me after demolishing yet another group of merchants. Was that her… sixth? I kinda lost count.
I started descending as Taylor rose on her hoverboard. She really needed to work out that flying thing.
Fucking idiot.
"Hey… buddy," I greeted, crossing my arms as I easily hovered in front of her, cocking my head to the side. Best to keep things simple. Despite my talk with her, I doubt we would ever get along as civilians and I doubt our chances as capes were any better.
The buddy. I just couldn't resist. Ace Combat Zero. My favorite game. When I was little, I used to have a crush on Pixy.
"Hey…" responded Taylor, staring at me awkwardly as she steadied herself on that hoverboard.
Couldn't she make straps or something?
An awkward moment of silence passed as Taylor stared at me, glancing over my armor. Was she a tinker? I mean, it was possible that she was using some device on her person but if her trigger event was the locker, then that meant she had like three weeks to get to this point.
After more awkward silence, Taylor closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before speaking. "Did you need something, Tech Jacket?"
"No. Just watching out for a new hero," I responded. "Being a hero is dangerous, buddy."
"Ok… why me?"
"Luck," I responded with a shrug. Damnit, it wasn't like I could tell her that I knew she was Taylor. Lie. Lie like hell! "I saw you on your debut. I saw you at the Boat Graveyard. I figured that I might as well see how you're doing."
Technically, not a lie!
"Ok… could you leave?"
Fucking Unwritten Rules. Fucking PHO. I was becoming a pariah in the cape world due to how I handled Hookwolf and Cricket. It shouldn't have been possible but the Nazis managed a PR win over me.
I would find it odd that Taylor, a girl known for her brutality and ruthlessness having issues with my… methods if it wasn't for the fact that I was already used to this world's bullshit.
Well, it wasn't like I could watch her forever and she really didn't need me to for the Merchants. The biggest issue with her was that she was inexperienced and she didn't have a team to watch her back. With the Wards being out for obvious reasons, I think her best option would be to do joint patrols with New Wave, Glory Girl in particular.
"Some advice then before I go. It's hard being an independent hero and I suggest that you either join a team like the Wards or patrol with more experienced heroes early on in your career."
Taylor gave me the "mmhmm, mmhmm", impatiently nodding her head. I can't believe she's older than me.
"Additionally, I suggest that you find a less public place to practice your powers. Everyone can see you at the Boat Graveyard and that includes the villains."
More mmhmms. Taylor was glancing around wildly, never looking at me directly. Ok… what the hell was she doing? Maybe she was just nervous around me.
"Don't put too much stock into the unwritten rules. You have to remember that you're fighting supervillains and there's no honor among thieves. If they could get away with breaking the rules for their own benefit, they would."
"Look, Tech Jacket, I'm glad th-"
"What are you hiding?" I asked. She was hiding something. I couldn't see shit on my hud but she was nervous. Why?
She was out fighting crime as a hero and I doubt my lecture would've taken enough time to make her late for something. She was nervous for a reason. Was she planning something?
"Nothing! Look, I-"
Taylor clamped her mouth shut as I spun around, forming laser cannons around my arms as I pointed them towards a cloud of darkness coming up behind us.
She gave it away. The way she kept glancing behind me told me something was off.
The Undersiders. Of course it was the fucking Undersiders. Grue's darkness must've been able to hide them.
The darkness dissipated, disappearing on the spot to reveal the monstrous form of Bitch's dogs, three horrifying creatures with bat wings unfurled. They were still on the ground but I could see them crouching for a pounce.
"Wait!" shouted Tattletale, raising her palms.
I spun back to look at Taylor. She looked guilty, clearly expecting the Undersiders to arrive. Damnit, Taylor, even when you have the chance to be a hero, even with New Wave's influence, you choose this bullshit?!
As I hovered in the air, looking between the Undersiders and Taylor, mentally debated the greatest dilemma of my life.
Kill Tattletale?
Author's Note:
It's back! Taylor side story/alt-power story will be posted soonish.
Use bombs wisely!
Now I get to read more!
