Her face is especially strange. Her eyes seem unnaturally large, and are especially prominent given that she doesn't appear to blink. They are a foreboding, golden color that makes your armor look dull. She has no nose—just a hole where it should be—and no lips. However, her expression is unmistakably a smile, displaying all of her teeth.
Dysmorphic. Ok. But the description seems quite Foreboding indeed.
Foreshadowing that something is wrong here?
The girl raises her hands eagerly. "C-can I see the Apiary? Can I? Apiary was always my favorite!"
Ummmmmmm.
On one hand quite understandable considering Apiary was a Dysmorphic Metahuman who if I remember right had been imprisoned in Wonderland for a time.
On the other, if something is wrong here then allowing her to enter the Apiary [The Building] might be unwise.
If all she wants is to see the Statue by the entrance then she is free to do so {it's outside The Building right?)
"Princess!" Marie Marionette shrieks.
"GiVe HeR bAcK!" Warpstar shouts at the same time, emerging from White Hawk's back. He rains blow after blow on White Hawk's head, but merely shrugs it off, grabs one of Warpstar's arms, and breaks it with a great crunch.
So, this is confirmation that SOMEHOW there are at least 2 murderers invested in keeping Princess safe and well.
Not counting Monarch. Her so called Mother.
Foreboding increases.
But that's not what you're looking at. The two humps on Princess's back . . . they aren't humps—they're additional heads.
They remind you of pictures you once saw of a girl born with her twin partially embedded in her body. Neither head is fully formed—they're more raised lumps of flesh than extra limbs. One is blood red, glowing, and shaped like a cow skull. The other is little more than eyes and a scalp filled with curly brown hair.
Right. Now I am Creeped Out.
The first seems way too much like SM. So possibly Power Copier and thanks to SM's Power, also Wonderland's Power Booster.
Of course one needs to wonder where exactly she was able to acquire his power if she has been in Wonderland her entire life since she wouldn't have a chance to meet and emulate SM.
Also please tell me that Valkyrie's hair wasn't brown and curly. Pretty Please.
At this point I am freaking out that Princess might be some sort of Heartbreaker analog power-wise in her ability to twist everyone's minds around her.
It would explain how all those murderous monsters in Wonderland, many I would think have no problem killing children, have somehow been enchanted by that one "girl"
Since she is Dysmorphic we can't even be certain that her appearance matches her actual
physical age.
Now I wonder whether Mona acted so impulsively because she is Mona or because her Psychic Sensitivity made her extra vulnerable to Princess.
*I don't think Princess was actually acting here (hope so at least) which makes me even more afraid as she may be suffering from mental illness which would make her even more dangerous.
White Hawk and the rest of the former Horae Guard members came for this girl, that much is certain. How they knew Monarch would crash the memorial or that Princess would be with her—especially since Monarch didn't seem to know that—is beyond you. But they purposely stayed out of the fight until they could swoop in and snatch her; only Black Swan and yourself prevented them from getting away scot-free.
Additionally, if the looks Stockpile is giving them are any indication, there's a clear division in Crusade. Seems "Valiant Red, White, and Blue" is a leader in name only.
But who is this girl? You turn and look at her and something that's been bugging you clicks into place. She's at least ten, probably older. Monarch was only in Wonderland for approximately eight years. She's too old to be Monarch's biological child.
Griffith being an opportunistic asshole with his lackeys in tow.
As for how they knew, obviously Lantern has been keeping a very close eye on Monarch since She doesn't have a Black Swan.
Which means, The Philosophers Want Princess.
"Princess," you say without looking away from White Hawk, "Has your mom ever hurt you?"
"What?" Princess says, honestly baffled, "No! She's the one who makes the robot-man stop!"
Makes! Not Made!
Since Steelheart is now dead, we shouldn't just jump to conclusions and accuse him of Child Abuse.
I think that the Robot-Man Princess is speaking of is most likely Dollman or some other Meta from Wonderland.
Yeah, I am pretty sure Dollman is the one seeking to run experiments on Princess if only to figure out the mechanics of her (SM's) Booster powers.
"Enough, boy. I know your Horae Guard well. I'll tell you what I told them when they tried to recruit me so many years ago: those who try to reach the peak of the mountain without climbing it are little more than stains in the dirt. Now, begone. If you are still here by the time I finish this funnel cake, I will take offense. No matter if I am 'on suspension'."
I think it has already been discussed that the Ladder might be acting as some kind of Psi-Tech or Amplifier before in the thread.
This here all but convinces me that the True Purpose of the Ladder is to serve as a Power Booster for Elysium Metas.
So Nora was able to note that the Voices that are most likely Hand and Lantern and Leviathan are all growing in volume as time goes on.
There are two possible sources of power for the Ladder from what I see. The first is the Stage itself like with Beyond-Exceed, drawing power from the Collective Unconscious.
The Second is what Stockpile has accused US of. The Leviathan. Probably through some piece extracted from its corpse that is stored at the Foot of the Ladder.
I also am pretty sure the Philosophers are located on Elysium.
Hand and Lantern are being strengthened by the Ladder thus how their Voices are growing Louder.
If they are using the Leviathan as Source then it would explain his gradual Awakening as well since Elysium is constantly pulling at its mind.
"What is that armor?" he demands, "Did she make it? Are you insane?! Do you know what powers it?"
"Yes," you reply, shoving him off, "What powers your armor?"
You see his posture grow rigid. "This isn't over."
"Yes," you disagree. You see the doll withdrawing toward the drill and Monarch teleport away, "It is."
Without another word, you turn and walk away.
Why do I have the Bad Feeling that the reason he is convinced EB draws on Leviathan is that that is exactly what that hypocritical stupid asshole is doing. Or potentially even worse HE IS CHANNELING HAND! If the latter is the case I wouldn't be surprised if the PSYCHIC INTERFERENCE is Hand trying to reach out THROUGH the Exceed-Faker Armour.
"How? How did anyone let Wonderland operate like this for so long? Steelheart just did whatever he wanted with the place?!"
Gabriel sighs, a deep, defeated sound. "Yes. He was resistant to any interference and Yelena was more than happy to throw problems in Wonderland and forget about them. Many people were."
"Then how does a little girl end up in Wonderland?!"*
"Yeah!" Mona echoes from the couch where she sits, "Princess was super sweet! And . . . she said the robot-man had been 'hurting her'. . ."**
I would like to point out that letting anyone interfere also isn't optimal.
You need to only look at Novalight saving Man'o'War from Wonderland and bringing him into New Dawn as her lackey.
A Villain recruited as a Hero when convenient.
No. Keeping everyone not included in the maintenance of the prison as far away as possible is pretty damn necessary.
*Have you considered that either a)she isn't really a 'little girl' or b)something else is fundamentally wrong where she is concerned like say being artificially created what with biokinetics and algernons around (if she is even human)
**Using Present tense. Hurting her Now, Not in the past. Hasn't EB recorded the entire fiasco for LL to watch later and figure that out?
It makes perfect sense for Mona to fail to notice the little details like that. {No wonder she is only a "Provisional Member").
Of course she could also have been compromised by Princess' Master powers.
"Lady Leizi . . . did I do the right thing, giving Princess back to Monarch?"
Yes. Keep the possible Master/Uber Psychic away from here.
Until we can confirm that I am simply paranoid in this world seemingly drowning in Psychics and that she really is simply an innocent girl (who is also a Copier and Booster).
Also no way Monarch was leaving without Princess.
"Yeah! You were doing a great job until everyone started fighting! And don't worry, Black Swan will always be by your side to clean up your messes!"
SERIOUSLY MONA??? AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please stop talking in the presence of Ellie.
You've gotten tiring.
ALSO: AFTER GOING BACK
It is a dissonant din of whiling voices all speaking, screaming, singing, supplicating and sensations you don't have the words for. Whorls and eddies of harmony swirl filling your heart with a rainbow spectrum of emotions that smell like fresh laundry. All the while there is a constant, low, droning note of a blind idiot god. A child could age from infancy to elderly age in the time it took to speak one syllable. Smaller and quieter, but just as distinct is the cry of a betrayed mother drifting from an unending imprisonment. There is a quick flash of a curious new life that is also somehow ancient looking at you, before it turns its gaze away. Finally, there is a gurgling of fetid meat amused by its own majesty. You've heard it before.
Really? Where?
It answered the cries of a child with a trillion eyes. You dealt it a wound. It was but a nick in a great sea of flesh, but it was enough that it became leery of voyeurism. The new sensation of ignorance was driving it to madness.
LEVIATHAN
VALKYRIE [?]
INTERLOCUTOR [Spawn of Leviathan?] OR PRINCESS [Mentioned Right After Valkyrie who is in Wonderland] [?]
HAND
WHEN YOU WERE GIVEN POWERS
LANTERN
Star, prepare your charges. It's almost time."
Either Star is White Hawk or the the Horae Guard Boss. Pretty Sure. As it fits Timing Wise.
