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Project Prometheus (Original Setting Superhero Quest)

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I don't want to worry about "Cooler Shroud vs Valkyrie 2.0" up until we're all safely back at the Apiary and have Seraph's body, honestly. We're not out of the woods yet.
 
Bitterman said:
. . . guys, I think I made Dynamite too good. Miiiiight have to make it a "once-per Issue" thing. But E-B would be usable again after the mission? Need to think on it.
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It could work if Dynamite is too good. Maybe something like even for Ellie accessing the stage full on Hurts and she needs a cooldown. Problem is that since Most dangerous missions are generally done last per issue wed only be forced to use E-B early if we have to do Mega Danger missions back to back in an issue.
 
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Oh, so when she tries to sweep the board we'll probably use Dynamite reflexively. That or we're being told we should, lol.

(i imagine Bitterman is considering whatever the board sweep will be and how we can stand up to it).
 
Bitterman said:
. . . guys, I think I made Dynamite too good. Miiiiight have to make it a "once-per Issue" thing. But E-B would be usable again after the mission? Need to think on it.
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Why do I feel like this is the narrative equivalent of a mad scientist making a masterpiece after yelling "IT'S ALIVEEEEEE!!!" and then realizing that if they don't shackle their precious creation, it could end the world like a Resident Evil game?
 
...wait. Shit. brainwave.

Back when we first got word of Socialite Butterfly, Leizi compared it to Maddie' powers.

What if it's her equivalent of a Chimera? Mashing clones together to create something more than the sum of it's parts?
 
ScorpioSting said:
What if it's her equivalent of a Chimera? Mashing clones together to create something more than the sum of it's parts?
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I Think for that to be a real upgrade she'd need to be able to control it more directly. Clone Voltron mech suit style, because otherwise there's the same bottleneck of her needing to give orders, it hears the orders and then acts
EDIT: if it is that, there's gotta be a significant drawback or cost, or she'd have just made Mr. Whaaa invulnerable to begin with and Ellie would hav had to dynamite already
 
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I'm realizing now that maybe having Maddie taunt Socialite Butterfly with "You clones are stupid, mine are much smarter" could have been an interesting play.
 
...if "Power Copying" is a Synergy, SB might be the first twin-synergy metahuman we've encountered so far. Because she's gotta have Autonomous Creature Creation as well.
 
ScorpioSting said:
...if "Power Copying" is a Synergy, SB might be the first twin-synergy metahuman we've encountered so far. Because she's gotta have Autonomous Creature Creation as well.
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...This is just me spitballing what comes to mind, but I think that if we want to get a Power Copying synergy, it'd probably be something along the lines of just putting every single tag available to us in a single formula. I'm not sure if that'd be possible without Rosemary's Baby, though.
 
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A Stage Slightly To The Left: Goldheart — Kermie New
  • Apocrypha
    • A Stage Slightly To The Left: Goldheart​

    What if… Ellie was kinder at just the right moments?

    Horizon, City of Leviathan's Rest– The Apiary– January 17, 2068

    "As we said, we have responsibilities. We are finished running for crimes whose punishments have long been met."

    You see her eyes flicker back to the hooded figure. She's been very careful to not let it away from her side. She sees you looking and then stares you down.

    You don't back away.

    There's something here that you're missing. Something more. There has to be something that can turn this situation around.

    DC 15.

    Stat Check: REPUTATION 10. Valiant Gold has REPUTATION 6.

    You rolled: 14.

    14 - 2 + 3 (Previous Minor Success) = 15. Success!

    And then, it hits you like a jolt of lightning. "Fine then. If you really want to be responsible, we can talk in private, so that the kid," you nod your head in the hooded figure's direction, "doesn't get put in any unnecessary danger."

    It's a leap of logic that you're making. A huge one, that might end with you (or Leviathan forbid Mona) face down on the foot of a cliff. But it works.

    Warpstar's entire outline visibly stiffens up. Marie Marionette's blood-arm starts to drop back into liquid form for a second right before it rehardens. Acid Rain and Heracles are as quiet as they were before, but there's something different about the way that their stance is now. Before, they were ready to explode into action, but now… it seems that they're ready to retreat. And Monarch is as still as the crowd around you, her eyes widening just a bit.

    You see it in her eyes now. There's a silent calculation being made, about whether she can afford losing face, and whether— did her eyes flicker to the side for a second there— she can risk any other assets that she has. And that's not even taking Crusade into account.

    After a few seconds of the world holding its breath, she sighs. "Subjects, you may return to the throne room. Call Dollman on your way there. This is something for me to deal with."

    There's a shared look of uneasiness between the Wonderland inmates, as they look between each other. The tension breaks, however, as Warpstar teleports back onto the drill and walks through the pillar into the NID, followed by the rest of the former Wonderlanders. The only person left standing by Monarch is the hooded figure, who holds onto her leather costume like a lifeline. Monarch barely acknowledges the figure, but doesn't push them off either. Instead, she walks a few paces away from any of the evacuating crowds, and leans against one of the walls, closing her eyes.

    You take a second to close off your suit's external speakers as you go back onto comms. "Everyone, I'm going to try and figure out why Monarch's here. Keep an eye on Stockpile and the other Wonderland inmates."

    "Ronin should hold back any of the other Crusaders, and Mona is silently en route as we speak. We'll worry about the rest for you, Valiant Gold." Lady Leizi whispers into her comms, so far underneath her breath you almost have to wonder if you really heard her or not. But as Rhys, John, Maddie, and the rest of New Dawn whisper their own agreements, it suddenly falls into your head that you're going to try and interrogate Monarch. This could end poorly.

    With quiet, poised steps, you walk across the garden, pointedly ignoring how Silvio stares at you as his fingers fiddle with the triggers of his stolen armor. When that's done, you walk up next to Monarch and lean on the spot next to her. When you're sure that you're out of earshot, you reopen your speakers and address Monarch.

    "How important is the kid to you?"

    The hooded figure leans out of Monarch's shadow. Somehow, you feel their gaze lock onto you, even though you can't see their face at all.

    Monarch turns her head to look at you. As she does, you notice that there are bags underneath her eyes. When she speaks, her commanding tone from earlier seems to be nowhere in sight. Instead, there is an exhaustion in her words, one that reminds you of…

    Something clenches inside your throat. Mom. "Her name is Princess. She was born in Wonderland. Her mother was… I'm not allowed to say. She was one of the first people I prioritized during my escape."

    Something dangerous rises up inside your heart, but you force it down as soon as Princess goes to look at you. She pulls her hood up but not fully off, and you see her appearance in full. She can't be younger than 10, but the mutations that she has give her the appearance of something between a walking lizard and someone with a Siamese twin. And on her back?

    A head that looks like a red cow's skull. Scarlet Maturity.

    "…Hello there." Princess says shyly. You silently nod, and you can't help but smile a bit at how here already wide eyes widen a bit more and her toothy smile extends. Monarch smiles a bit, but it's closer to a momentary smirk. When you blink, it's gone.

    Monarch waves a hand around, averting her gaze from you and crossing her arms. From afar, it looks like she's barely listening to you, barely feigning interest. But you can hear her whispered words, and how underneath it all, she's desperate. "The Elysiumites and Horae Guard are after her, Valiant Gold. There is nowhere in the world where she wouldn't be recognizable. Even I can't escape. That's why I had to get the other Wonderlanders on my side. You may not believe it, but they care about her as well."

    You look up a bit. Mona floats in the sky, and right now, all eyes are oscillating between her, Stockpile, Scarlet Maturity (who looks straight ahead at the Wonderlanders, all of whom look severely uncomfortable) and the rest of the Horae Guard, with White Hawk floating weightlessly on the air. Just like you, he's looking at Princess. She's small, and probably scary for anyone that hasn't gotten used to her. And reminds you of…

    Of…

    DC 12.

    Stat Check: REPUTATION 8. Valiant Gold has REPUTATION 6.

    You rolled: 20.

    20 - 1 + 3 (Protected Them With Your Life) = 22. Nat 20! Critical Success!

    Your girls. They remind you of all the girls who are so, so close to being taken by the Frozen Throne. All the girls who you fought for, day in and day out. The world seems to freeze up for a few seconds, time slowing to a crawl as everything closes in on you, Monarch, and Princess. And in those seconds, the words that you want to say leap onto your tongue as if they were meant to be there.

    "I can't condone your actions. But I understand. There's also some people who I need to protect from something bigger than me. The Frozen Throne. The girls thrown away by Yellow Qillin."

    Monarch sucks in a breath, holding one of Princess's scaly green hands, out of sight from any of the other funeral-goers. Princess looks up at her, something imperceptible welling up in those yellow eyes. "Mom? Are you ok?"

    "It's fine sweetie, nothing to be worried about," Monarch says underneath her breath. She trains her brown eyes onto you, and whispers. "If you've come to swear revenge on me, know that I'll take it on myself. It's my fault that monster is still running, even if I need her money to keep some of the inmates from killing. Blame me."

    "No. I'm not mad at you at all. In fact, I… understand why you're doing what you're doing. I'd have done the same. Elysium wants Princess for a reason, right? Justice Unlimited will protect her with our lives, I promise. She'll be safe inside the Apiary. It's the most fortified position in Horizon."

    DC 15.

    Stat Check: REPUTATION 8. Valiant Gold has REPUTATION 6.

    You rolled: 17.

    17 - 1 + 5 (She's Vulnerable) - 5 (? ???????) = 16. Success!

    Monarch does that same thing from before, running a calculation inside her head. Then, she begins to you speak to you again, still with that feigned disinterest. Her eyes are closed, but there's a fire behind he words now. "Tell everyone on your comms to get ready then. If Crusade wants her they can try their damn best to get her. We can fake a battle and "in the chaos" get you all a "scared hostage from Monarch's faction". Do not let anybody touch her. Keep her safe, or else."

    "Mom, am I going to see you again…?"

    She looks down at Princess. If there's any room for tears in her eyes, they've long been shut out. But even so, you can still sense the care she has for… her daughter. "Maybe not for a while, but I promise that I'll see you again one day, Princess. Stay safe. I love you."

    You tap on your comms, and there's a few taps and grunts of affirmation. It's suddenly not you against the Wonderland inmates. It's a fight to get Princess away from Crusade. And there's not a single person who's going to take Crusade's side.

    Princess holds out her hand to you, just far enough to maintain plausible deniability. Far above in the sky, Mona gets ready for the first round, nodding to you silently. And almost invisibly, you notice as all the Wonderland inmates meet Monarch's gaze, and get ready for a fight. The world holds its breath for a second—

    And as Monarch drives a shiv into your shielded gut, you grab Princess over to your side, and all hell breaks loose.


    Author's Note:
    "The worst thing about a tragedy is what could have been."

    I meant to have this have a Silvio half, but I got sidetracked, so the Silvio thing will have to come later. The question marks in that last bit translate to "A Promise", the one that Monarch probably made to Princess's bio mother. This omake was written in the Morrowlark style, as an attempt to quickly generate an omake point. That is, I looked at the thread and then wrote this all entirely inside the reply box in such a way where if the servers bent by 5 millimeters everything goes up in smoke.

    Don't write like that.

    This is part of a series which I wanted to make a normal thing but then life kept on happening. The Stage Slightly to the Left omake series. Check out the other parts here, here, and also here.
     
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