full of stars... did something horrible happen to Galadrial?
Ring-Maker [Worm/Lord of the Rings Alt-Power] [Complete]
- Thread starter Lithos Maitreya
- Start date
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full of stars... did something horrible happen to Galadrial?
Sandy River DL
(Verified Destroyer Leader)
- Location
- Lake Michigan
- Pronouns
- Her/She
Given that she went to Valanor at the end of Return of the King along with Frodo and Gandolf, I don't think so.
AionVal
(Verified Figment)
- Location
- Beyond The Veil
Nah, It's a reference to the children of Ungoliant. A sign of their inhuman origin.
So far, every time a shard has taken a humanoid form their eyes are black with stars.
- Location
- New Zealand
Same. I was waiting for the description to mention yellow boots.
My first thought was that Sleeper was talking to you the author, but I do like the idea of canon Taylor looking through at this scene and deciding that it's more trouble than it's worth.
Binary 15.5
Lithos Maitreya
Character Witness
- Location
- United States
Many thanks to @BeaconHill for betareading.
It was just after dark when Dragon's ship deposited us on the helipad atop the PRT building in downtown San Francisco. Colin and Dragon's primary body were already there, as were Alec and Jess. I stepped off the Dragoncraft a few feet above the pad, falling and landing softly. Beside me, Sophia appeared in a puff of shadow.
Colin nodded at us. "Taylor, Sophia."
"Hello, everyone," I said. "Where are Marissa and Brian? I expected to see them here."
"They're on their way," said Colin. "They were held up for a while by a couple of Bonesaw's creations, but they should be here within the hour."
"Excellent." I rolled my shoulders. "What's the situation in the city? What have they done so far?"
"Shatterbird blew out every window and glass wall between the Presidio and MoMA," said Jess grimly. "That was several hours ago. Since then, they've sent us their demands and timeline via a corpse animated with some of Bonesaw's tech. A cape's corpse."
"Who?" I asked.
"None of ours," said Colin. "An Elite member who went by the name Commandante. We suspect they may have eliminated him because his Thinker powers would have been useful in fighting them."
"Makes sense," said Sophia. "Any sign they know we're here?"
"Almost certainly," said Dragon grimly. "Given that they specifically requested you, Mairë."
I blinked.
"They suicidal?" Alec asked dryly. Sophia shot him a dirty look.
"Overconfident, I think," said Colin. "This is a recruitment run for them. Each of them nominated one cape as a potential new member, and they've said that for every nominee that doesn't either attack them or surrender to them by midnight, they'll start killing people. One person per absent nominee, per hour."
I grimaced, looking out at the dim twilight in the West. "Gives us a little under three hours," I said. "Who are the nominees?"
"We don't know all of them," said Jess. "Shatterbird nominated Thunderclast, a member of the local corporate team Eminent. Mannequin nominated a Protectorate Tinker named Piston. Siberian nominated, uh. Me."
"And I've been nominated by my dear sister," said Alec dryly. "Cherie Vasil, better known by her nom de guerre: Cherish."
"And Jack Slash has nominated you, Mairë," said Colin darkly. "Though he referred to you by the name Annatar."
My eyes narrowed. "He wants to test himself against me," I mused. "He's famously persuasive. He wants to test that charisma against my own."
"Best of luck to him," said Alec. "That's not where the problems end."
"We've finally found one of Noelle's missing Eidolon clones," Jess growled. "He's with them."
Oh, that's… "That's not good," I said lamely.
"Maybe Jack Slash does stand a chance," Alec snarked.
"It appears the Eidolon clone killed Crawler and took his place on the roster," said Colin. "He's calling himself Carte Blanche. We… believe he killed the other clone, but we've been unable to verify."
"He's hard to track or detect," said Dragon. "Even with the Rings."
I sighed. "That makes sense," I said. "I suppose we'll be getting some insight into just what Eidolon is capable of. Is the real one coming to join us?"
"We haven't heard one way or another," said Dragon. "But he is the clone's nominee."
I nodded. "Let me check in with someone." I closed my eyes and reached out to Hyarmenya. Fortuna? I called.
…Intriguing, came the response. We still cannot model you, despite our expanded capabilities. By the way: Behemoth is likely to attack somewhere in North America.
Good to know, I said, making a mental note. Do you know if Eidolon is planning to come to San Francisco to deal with the Nine?
As far as I know, he is, said Fortuna. He is currently occupied with a Cauldron project on an alternate Earth but should be on his way to you in an hour or so.
Thanks. I withdrew. "Eidolon's probably coming," I said. "As reported by someone who'd know."
Colin looked hard at me. "Do you think he'll be an asset or a liability here, Mairë?" he asked. "As we learned during the battle with Noelle, he can be… difficult to work with."
I shook my head. "I don't know," I admitted. "I don't know enough about his powers, or how they'll interact with his clone's, to be sure of anything. What we can assume is that he won't want to follow our lead."
"Then we should be ready to play around him," said Dragon. She looked at Jess. "What other local capes have offered support?"
"Protectorate, Eminent, and Watchdog," said Jess promptly. "Haven't heard a peep from the Elite since Commandante's… appearance."
"Do they have a plan already in place?" I asked.
"Not much of one," drawled Alec. "Mostly just hide until the Nine pop up to start killing people at midnight, then go in after them. They can't find them yet."
"Nor can I," said Dragon darkly. "Do you think—" Suddenly she cut herself off, looking towards the door to the rooftop in surprise.
I followed her gaze just in time to see it open. Out stepped Brandish, of all people. "I was hoping I'd find some of you here," she growled.
"Why are you here?" Sophia asked.
"Work. Civilian work." Brandish shrugged. "Just because I work in Massachusetts courts doesn't mean I don't have to travel. I just got back to my hotel room after slipping out of the lockdown, and found this shoved under my door." She held out a paper.
I looked. It was hard to read in the faint electric light around the helipad, but scrawled in an untidy, childlike hand was a written invitation.
"Who nominated you?" Colin asked.
"Bonesaw," said Brandish, sounding disgusted. "But it's not a nomination for me. It's for—for my daughter. For Amy."
I considered her. The way she stumbled as she spoke of Amy, as if struggling to carry the weight of her guilt and shame… I understood that feeling all too well.
Dragon sighed and looked at me. "If I move really quickly I can get Amy here before the midnight deadline," she said. "It'll mean breaking a couple of airspace laws."
"No." Brandish's voice was sharp. "You are not dragging Amy halfway across the country for this. She doesn't owe them anything."
I frowned at her. "What gives you the right to decide for her what she gets involved in?" I chided.
She winced and looked away. "I… You're right, of course. I just…" She looked back at me, almost pleading. "It's not like we're actually considering giving people up to them," she said. "So why bring Amy all the way across the country for it? Let me fight in her stead. Please."
I was still frowning as I studied her. I had a feeling I knew where this was going, and I wasn't yet sure how I felt about it. "Let me ask her," I said, and reached out with a mental hand.
Yes, Taylor? It was Amy's voice, but not Amy speaking.
Shaper. The Slaughterhouse Nine are in San Francisco and have demanded Amy either fight or surrender to them in the next three hours. Brandish is here and has volunteered to fight in her stead. If Amy wants to come, Dragon can pick her up, but she'll have to be quick.
There was silence for a few beats. Then: Ugh. Amy's voice was rough with sleep. Fuck. What? Say again?
I repeated the explanation tersely.
Fuck. Um. I can come if you want me, Taylor, but honestly I just got to sleep an hour ago after a thirty-hour day. Even with Nenya, I'm not sure how competent I'll be.
I nodded. That's all right, I said gently. Get some sleep. I'll let you know how things went in the morning—assuming the news doesn't get to you first.
Great, good. Uh. Amy hesitated. …Take care of her for me, would you? Don't let her…
I won't, I promised. My eyes opened. "Amy can't make it," I said. "Brandish, you're up."
Brandish nodded sharply without a word.
"We need a concrete plan," said Dragon. "Let's head downstairs, call a meeting with the rest of the Protectorate and Eminent, get Watchdog on a call. We may only get one shot at this—we have to make it count."
Step one.
My left hand rested on the hilt of Sunrise as I strolled down the steep hill. The streetlamps overhead filled the street with golden light. A siren sounded in the distance, but the city was otherwise silent, as though every single inhabitant were holding their breath.
The silence was broken by a scraping noise as Alec dragged his baton along the asphalt behind me. I shot him a look. He just shrugged at me. An apelike thing, one of Jess' projections, swung beside us on its long arms and rolled its eyes at him. He just shot it a cheeky grin.
Movement, Dragon whispered through our earbuds. Side street ahead of you, on the right. Going fast.
I gave a silent nod. My grip shifted on my sword.
Dragon's voice came again. Contact in 3… 2… 1…
A blast of wind emerged from an alley in front of us, four figures soaring out like scraps of cloth upon the gale. Three alighted easily on the ground, while the fourth hovered above them.
"Hey there," said Jack Slash. There was a sly little smile on his instantly recognizable face, as though he knew something no one else did.
The Siberian stared us down from his right. To his left stood a willowy young woman with dark hair streaked with crimson and a complex tattoo visible up to her shoulders.
Above them floated a man in silver robes. With a sinking feeling, I noticed that there was a spider motif across his chest.
Almost immediately, I felt the familiar sensation of a Shard trying to find purchase across my mental defenses. There were two, this time. I clenched my left hand, still resting on Sunrise's hilt, and the One Ring burned bright on my finger, bolstering my Ring-Bearers in defense.
"Hello," I said.
"Eidolon's not here yet?" the clone asked.
Jack Slash gave him a sidelong look—difficult, when the clone was floating directly above him, but he managed it. "Easy there, Carte Blanche," he said, perfectly enunciating the French. "He'll show." He grinned at me. "I'm much more interested in talking to those who are here already."
I nodded. "You wanted me," I said. "Here I am."
"Yes, indeed. Here you are." He spoke slowly, almost languid. "I have to say, I'm a big fan of your work, Annatar. I thought about coming by Brockton to see it in person, but other things came up. You know how it is."
I didn't answer. Alec and Jess were both tense by my sides, but they held steady, watching me for any cue. For now, Sunrise remained sheathed.
"Hey, little bro," said the girl beside him—Cherish—grinning at Alec. There were sharp edges in that smile, some of which were pointed inward. "Heard you went straight. Say it isn't so."
"Cherie," Alec said. He tried to sound nonchalant, but I could hear the tension. "Heard you decided this crowd would be a good time. Say it ain't so."
As they spoke, my eyes looked the Siberian up and down. Her body language was stiff—almost imperceptibly so, but it was there. A disconnect, as though the human mind behind her was communicating with her body through a wire. She met my eyes, and I knew I was right. There was no soul there, no life—just an automaton, likely a projection. But who was the Master?
"Not to interrupt the touching reunion," said Jack Slash, "but we're on a bit of a timetable. So—are you fighting, or are you going to try our tests?"
"Tests?" I asked.
His smile widened. "You didn't think we'd just take on anyone who wanted to join, did you?" He chuckled, his eyes never leaving me. "No. Each of us will give a test to all of our nominees—starting with Carte Blanche up there, as our most junior member, and ending with me. So—how about it?"
I considered him. It was his power I could feel scrabbling against my mind, but he didn't even seem to have noticed that it hadn't breached. "Why did you want me to come?" I asked. "I'm surprised at you, really."
"Oh?" he raised a brow. "How so?"
"I wouldn't have expected overconfidence," I said. "You've been leading the most successful set of mass-murderers in the world for more than two decades. I assumed that took more caution than this."
"You sure I'm the one being overconfident?" he asked, sounding amused. His power grew more desperate in its attempts to breach my mind, but I was certain he wasn't even aware of it. "You've done some incredible things, sweetheart, but you've never tangled with people like us."
I was silent for a moment, weighing my options. "Did you know," I said finally, "that you have a secondary power?"
He blinked. His smile shrank minutely in surprise. "What was that?"
"A secondary power," I said. "Your Shard tries to interface with other people's minds, if I had to guess."
"It only works with other Shards, actually," said Carte Blanche. "Ironically, the best way to kill Jack Slash would be with a normal human." He shrugged. "Or a Cauldron Cape, if their Shard was sufficiently degraded. Echidna probably could have done it."
Jack Slash's expression had frozen. "What are you talking about?"
"It's why you've been able to hold your group together," I said. "Why you've been able to outsmart and outplay every hero and villain that's come after you before. Your Shard could literally see them coming, and fed that to you on an instinctual level. I tell you this because, well," I brought my right hand to my left hip and drew Sunrise, "it won't help you here."
His teeth bared. There was uncertainty in his eyes, but the battlefield was familiar territory. "Give it your best, then, Annatar!" He struck outward with a knife. The blade extended out, a dozen feet or more, but clanged uselessly against my armor.
"My name," I said, "is Mairë. Dragon?"
The Dragoncraft fifty feet above them decloaked, and fire rained down.
-x-x-x-
It was just after dark when Dragon's ship deposited us on the helipad atop the PRT building in downtown San Francisco. Colin and Dragon's primary body were already there, as were Alec and Jess. I stepped off the Dragoncraft a few feet above the pad, falling and landing softly. Beside me, Sophia appeared in a puff of shadow.
Colin nodded at us. "Taylor, Sophia."
"Hello, everyone," I said. "Where are Marissa and Brian? I expected to see them here."
"They're on their way," said Colin. "They were held up for a while by a couple of Bonesaw's creations, but they should be here within the hour."
"Excellent." I rolled my shoulders. "What's the situation in the city? What have they done so far?"
"Shatterbird blew out every window and glass wall between the Presidio and MoMA," said Jess grimly. "That was several hours ago. Since then, they've sent us their demands and timeline via a corpse animated with some of Bonesaw's tech. A cape's corpse."
"Who?" I asked.
"None of ours," said Colin. "An Elite member who went by the name Commandante. We suspect they may have eliminated him because his Thinker powers would have been useful in fighting them."
"Makes sense," said Sophia. "Any sign they know we're here?"
"Almost certainly," said Dragon grimly. "Given that they specifically requested you, Mairë."
I blinked.
"They suicidal?" Alec asked dryly. Sophia shot him a dirty look.
"Overconfident, I think," said Colin. "This is a recruitment run for them. Each of them nominated one cape as a potential new member, and they've said that for every nominee that doesn't either attack them or surrender to them by midnight, they'll start killing people. One person per absent nominee, per hour."
I grimaced, looking out at the dim twilight in the West. "Gives us a little under three hours," I said. "Who are the nominees?"
"We don't know all of them," said Jess. "Shatterbird nominated Thunderclast, a member of the local corporate team Eminent. Mannequin nominated a Protectorate Tinker named Piston. Siberian nominated, uh. Me."
"And I've been nominated by my dear sister," said Alec dryly. "Cherie Vasil, better known by her nom de guerre: Cherish."
"And Jack Slash has nominated you, Mairë," said Colin darkly. "Though he referred to you by the name Annatar."
My eyes narrowed. "He wants to test himself against me," I mused. "He's famously persuasive. He wants to test that charisma against my own."
"Best of luck to him," said Alec. "That's not where the problems end."
"We've finally found one of Noelle's missing Eidolon clones," Jess growled. "He's with them."
Oh, that's… "That's not good," I said lamely.
"Maybe Jack Slash does stand a chance," Alec snarked.
"It appears the Eidolon clone killed Crawler and took his place on the roster," said Colin. "He's calling himself Carte Blanche. We… believe he killed the other clone, but we've been unable to verify."
"He's hard to track or detect," said Dragon. "Even with the Rings."
I sighed. "That makes sense," I said. "I suppose we'll be getting some insight into just what Eidolon is capable of. Is the real one coming to join us?"
"We haven't heard one way or another," said Dragon. "But he is the clone's nominee."
I nodded. "Let me check in with someone." I closed my eyes and reached out to Hyarmenya. Fortuna? I called.
…Intriguing, came the response. We still cannot model you, despite our expanded capabilities. By the way: Behemoth is likely to attack somewhere in North America.
Good to know, I said, making a mental note. Do you know if Eidolon is planning to come to San Francisco to deal with the Nine?
As far as I know, he is, said Fortuna. He is currently occupied with a Cauldron project on an alternate Earth but should be on his way to you in an hour or so.
Thanks. I withdrew. "Eidolon's probably coming," I said. "As reported by someone who'd know."
Colin looked hard at me. "Do you think he'll be an asset or a liability here, Mairë?" he asked. "As we learned during the battle with Noelle, he can be… difficult to work with."
I shook my head. "I don't know," I admitted. "I don't know enough about his powers, or how they'll interact with his clone's, to be sure of anything. What we can assume is that he won't want to follow our lead."
"Then we should be ready to play around him," said Dragon. She looked at Jess. "What other local capes have offered support?"
"Protectorate, Eminent, and Watchdog," said Jess promptly. "Haven't heard a peep from the Elite since Commandante's… appearance."
"Do they have a plan already in place?" I asked.
"Not much of one," drawled Alec. "Mostly just hide until the Nine pop up to start killing people at midnight, then go in after them. They can't find them yet."
"Nor can I," said Dragon darkly. "Do you think—" Suddenly she cut herself off, looking towards the door to the rooftop in surprise.
I followed her gaze just in time to see it open. Out stepped Brandish, of all people. "I was hoping I'd find some of you here," she growled.
"Why are you here?" Sophia asked.
"Work. Civilian work." Brandish shrugged. "Just because I work in Massachusetts courts doesn't mean I don't have to travel. I just got back to my hotel room after slipping out of the lockdown, and found this shoved under my door." She held out a paper.
I looked. It was hard to read in the faint electric light around the helipad, but scrawled in an untidy, childlike hand was a written invitation.
"Who nominated you?" Colin asked.
"Bonesaw," said Brandish, sounding disgusted. "But it's not a nomination for me. It's for—for my daughter. For Amy."
I considered her. The way she stumbled as she spoke of Amy, as if struggling to carry the weight of her guilt and shame… I understood that feeling all too well.
Dragon sighed and looked at me. "If I move really quickly I can get Amy here before the midnight deadline," she said. "It'll mean breaking a couple of airspace laws."
"No." Brandish's voice was sharp. "You are not dragging Amy halfway across the country for this. She doesn't owe them anything."
I frowned at her. "What gives you the right to decide for her what she gets involved in?" I chided.
She winced and looked away. "I… You're right, of course. I just…" She looked back at me, almost pleading. "It's not like we're actually considering giving people up to them," she said. "So why bring Amy all the way across the country for it? Let me fight in her stead. Please."
I was still frowning as I studied her. I had a feeling I knew where this was going, and I wasn't yet sure how I felt about it. "Let me ask her," I said, and reached out with a mental hand.
Yes, Taylor? It was Amy's voice, but not Amy speaking.
Shaper. The Slaughterhouse Nine are in San Francisco and have demanded Amy either fight or surrender to them in the next three hours. Brandish is here and has volunteered to fight in her stead. If Amy wants to come, Dragon can pick her up, but she'll have to be quick.
There was silence for a few beats. Then: Ugh. Amy's voice was rough with sleep. Fuck. What? Say again?
I repeated the explanation tersely.
Fuck. Um. I can come if you want me, Taylor, but honestly I just got to sleep an hour ago after a thirty-hour day. Even with Nenya, I'm not sure how competent I'll be.
I nodded. That's all right, I said gently. Get some sleep. I'll let you know how things went in the morning—assuming the news doesn't get to you first.
Great, good. Uh. Amy hesitated. …Take care of her for me, would you? Don't let her…
I won't, I promised. My eyes opened. "Amy can't make it," I said. "Brandish, you're up."
Brandish nodded sharply without a word.
"We need a concrete plan," said Dragon. "Let's head downstairs, call a meeting with the rest of the Protectorate and Eminent, get Watchdog on a call. We may only get one shot at this—we have to make it count."
-x-x-x-
Step one.
My left hand rested on the hilt of Sunrise as I strolled down the steep hill. The streetlamps overhead filled the street with golden light. A siren sounded in the distance, but the city was otherwise silent, as though every single inhabitant were holding their breath.
The silence was broken by a scraping noise as Alec dragged his baton along the asphalt behind me. I shot him a look. He just shrugged at me. An apelike thing, one of Jess' projections, swung beside us on its long arms and rolled its eyes at him. He just shot it a cheeky grin.
Movement, Dragon whispered through our earbuds. Side street ahead of you, on the right. Going fast.
I gave a silent nod. My grip shifted on my sword.
Dragon's voice came again. Contact in 3… 2… 1…
A blast of wind emerged from an alley in front of us, four figures soaring out like scraps of cloth upon the gale. Three alighted easily on the ground, while the fourth hovered above them.
"Hey there," said Jack Slash. There was a sly little smile on his instantly recognizable face, as though he knew something no one else did.
The Siberian stared us down from his right. To his left stood a willowy young woman with dark hair streaked with crimson and a complex tattoo visible up to her shoulders.
Above them floated a man in silver robes. With a sinking feeling, I noticed that there was a spider motif across his chest.
Almost immediately, I felt the familiar sensation of a Shard trying to find purchase across my mental defenses. There were two, this time. I clenched my left hand, still resting on Sunrise's hilt, and the One Ring burned bright on my finger, bolstering my Ring-Bearers in defense.
"Hello," I said.
"Eidolon's not here yet?" the clone asked.
Jack Slash gave him a sidelong look—difficult, when the clone was floating directly above him, but he managed it. "Easy there, Carte Blanche," he said, perfectly enunciating the French. "He'll show." He grinned at me. "I'm much more interested in talking to those who are here already."
I nodded. "You wanted me," I said. "Here I am."
"Yes, indeed. Here you are." He spoke slowly, almost languid. "I have to say, I'm a big fan of your work, Annatar. I thought about coming by Brockton to see it in person, but other things came up. You know how it is."
I didn't answer. Alec and Jess were both tense by my sides, but they held steady, watching me for any cue. For now, Sunrise remained sheathed.
"Hey, little bro," said the girl beside him—Cherish—grinning at Alec. There were sharp edges in that smile, some of which were pointed inward. "Heard you went straight. Say it isn't so."
"Cherie," Alec said. He tried to sound nonchalant, but I could hear the tension. "Heard you decided this crowd would be a good time. Say it ain't so."
As they spoke, my eyes looked the Siberian up and down. Her body language was stiff—almost imperceptibly so, but it was there. A disconnect, as though the human mind behind her was communicating with her body through a wire. She met my eyes, and I knew I was right. There was no soul there, no life—just an automaton, likely a projection. But who was the Master?
"Not to interrupt the touching reunion," said Jack Slash, "but we're on a bit of a timetable. So—are you fighting, or are you going to try our tests?"
"Tests?" I asked.
His smile widened. "You didn't think we'd just take on anyone who wanted to join, did you?" He chuckled, his eyes never leaving me. "No. Each of us will give a test to all of our nominees—starting with Carte Blanche up there, as our most junior member, and ending with me. So—how about it?"
I considered him. It was his power I could feel scrabbling against my mind, but he didn't even seem to have noticed that it hadn't breached. "Why did you want me to come?" I asked. "I'm surprised at you, really."
"Oh?" he raised a brow. "How so?"
"I wouldn't have expected overconfidence," I said. "You've been leading the most successful set of mass-murderers in the world for more than two decades. I assumed that took more caution than this."
"You sure I'm the one being overconfident?" he asked, sounding amused. His power grew more desperate in its attempts to breach my mind, but I was certain he wasn't even aware of it. "You've done some incredible things, sweetheart, but you've never tangled with people like us."
I was silent for a moment, weighing my options. "Did you know," I said finally, "that you have a secondary power?"
He blinked. His smile shrank minutely in surprise. "What was that?"
"A secondary power," I said. "Your Shard tries to interface with other people's minds, if I had to guess."
"It only works with other Shards, actually," said Carte Blanche. "Ironically, the best way to kill Jack Slash would be with a normal human." He shrugged. "Or a Cauldron Cape, if their Shard was sufficiently degraded. Echidna probably could have done it."
Jack Slash's expression had frozen. "What are you talking about?"
"It's why you've been able to hold your group together," I said. "Why you've been able to outsmart and outplay every hero and villain that's come after you before. Your Shard could literally see them coming, and fed that to you on an instinctual level. I tell you this because, well," I brought my right hand to my left hip and drew Sunrise, "it won't help you here."
His teeth bared. There was uncertainty in his eyes, but the battlefield was familiar territory. "Give it your best, then, Annatar!" He struck outward with a knife. The blade extended out, a dozen feet or more, but clanged uselessly against my armor.
"My name," I said, "is Mairë. Dragon?"
The Dragoncraft fifty feet above them decloaked, and fire rained down.
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- Location
- California
Jackslash: I'm such a good manipulator! I can like make Capes do stupid things.
Mairë: I turned the chosen people against God and convinced them to invade heaven.
Fortunately for you, I'm a lot better now, so I'm just gonna kill you, kay?
Mairë: I turned the chosen people against God and convinced them to invade heaven.
Fortunately for you, I'm a lot better now, so I'm just gonna kill you, kay?
For a second there, I thought Jack Slash was getting some extra plot armor in order to match Taylor.
Also, why is Eidolon 2.0 explaining things? And how does he know the truth about Broadcast?
And how many Eidolon Echidna clones are there in total? Because the more there are, the more his Shards expends energy
Also, why is Eidolon 2.0 explaining things? And how does he know the truth about Broadcast?
And how many Eidolon Echidna clones are there in total? Because the more there are, the more his Shards expends energy
"D'awww, you can make people do things for you, that's so cute! The last time someone touched a fraction of my essence, I made them my bitch." - Mairë, while taking away Jack Slash's living privileges.
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Lithos Maitreya
Character Witness
- Location
- United States
These questions will be better answered in 15.6, which comes after Interlude 15b. For now:
deathofrats0808
Don’t think of it as dying; just as leaving early
- Location
- Earth
I wish I could give you a funny.
- Location
- New Zealand
So Carte Blanche is aware of his status as a child of Ungoliant? Is he another reincarnated person, as Taylor was?
His weapons don't actually extend physically, so they won't clang. He just projects the force of the cut.
Strunkriidiisk
THE LEGEND
- Location
- Canada
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Probably the armour itself clanging from the impact.
- Location
- Germany
My guess is that through some of that near-unlimed power of his, or the circumstances of his creation via Echidna, he knows a lot more about Shards and Entities than a regular Parahuman should and has decided to accept that and play into the theme.
I mean, Eidolon has access to nearly unlimited powers, including Eden-based Thinker powers that are not artificially limited not to give the game away for the Worms, so it's no big stretch to think that he could find out a lot of fundamental stuff via postcognition on himself and his shard, or some similar trick.
Interlude 15b: Sophia
Lithos Maitreya
Character Witness
- Location
- United States
Many thanks to @BeaconHill for betareading.
Carte Blanche raised his arms as Dragon's guns started firing. A barrier of violet light appeared around the four villains, blocking the bullets and detonating the explosives.
Sophia slipped into the dark from aboard the gunship. She emerged inside the barrier just as Carte Blanche unleashed a blast of cold air. A swirl of icy wind, like localized hurricanes, appeared around each of his three grounded teammates. "Move!" the clone shouted.
Before they could, Sophia fired both crossbows. Raumo's bolt slid past Jack Slash's cheek as he dodged. Alca's bolt thudded into Cherish's shoulder. She cried out and tumbled, falling to the ground and going still.
Jack Slash and Carte Blanche sped into an alley and out of sight, but the Siberian lunged at Sophia. She faded into smoke to avoid the blow, but it didn't help. The Siberian, heedless of Breaker states and conventional physics, plowed into her and sent her sprawling. A victorious snarl crossed the woman's striped face as she leapt for the kill, claws and teeth bared.
Suddenly, Taylor was between them. With a flash like breaking dawn, Sunrise intercepted her in midair. The sword sheared through her body like paper. The Siberian's yellow eyes barely had time to widen in surprise before she vanished into a pale mist.
Taylor turned away from the dissipating villain. "She's a projection," she said, offering Sophia a hand up. She took it gratefully.
The other heroes descended all around them, dropping from the uncloaking Dragoncrafts above. Brian and Marissa had joined Alec and Jess, each of them leading a search party to seek out the rest of the Nine.
"Dragon, find the missing members of the Nine!" Taylor ordered, glancing up at the Dragoncraft. Then, with a glance at Jess and Alec, she said, "You two, get the others organized and help her. When they're found, get everyone after them. We can't give them any space, or they'll take hostages."
Jess' projection nodded sharply. "You got it, boss," said Alec.
"Brandish!" Taylor called up at the descending streak of light. "You're the closest thing we have to a flier besides Dragon, so you're with me! We're going after Carte Blanche and Jack Slash!" Then she turned to Sophia. "The Siberian's Master is William Manton," she said, speaking quickly. Sophia blinked—she knew that name. "White, middle-aged, malnourished, Cauldron tattoo on one hand. He should be somewhere south of here, but I don't know where. We have maybe a few minutes at most before he summons her again. Can you find him and stop him?"
"Will do," Sophia said, and slid back into the shadows. She emerged on a nearby rooftop.
Below her she heard Taylor shout, "And call for backup if you need it!"
She gave Taylor a quick thumbs up before turning and jogging across the rooftop, scanning the horizon. When she saw nothing in any direction, she flashed over to the next rooftop, moving south.
She looked down into the next street. Nothing. Another jump, another street. Nothing again. No movement, no sign of anyone living. Even the houses were silent and dark, though Sophia assumed that was more because the inhabitants were too scared to turn on the lights.
"Dragon," she whispered. "Any sign of that Master? Anything out of place?"
"I'm looking," Dragon's whispered response came over the earbuds. "Keep searching, I've got a few processes on it right now."
"Got it," Sophia said. She turned and darted to the adjacent cross street, then checked the one on the other side of the block. Still nothing out of the ordinary. The city was as quiet as the dead.
Her search widened in a generally conical shape. As she drifted south, she checked a wider and wider range of blocks and their connected cross streets. Minutes trickled away like water through her fingers.
After what felt like hours of searching, Dragon's voice shattered the silence. "There's a van parked on the street, three blocks south and one east of you," she reported. "Arrived there this afternoon. Out-of-state license plate, and I can't seem to find when it parked on any security footage. Could be what you're looking for."
Sophia nodded. "Thanks. Siberian might be back by the time I arrive—can I get some backup?"
"Colin's on his way there," Dragon replied. "Good luck. Holler if you need me."
"Will do." Sophia took a deep breath, then slipped through space again. It took her two jumps to reach the relevant block, and she immediately noticed the van Dragon had found—white, with no windows or markings. It's like they're trying to be noticed, she thought. Not a good sign.
She flashed onto the roof of the van silently and looked down. Her tinkertech lenses picked out the electronic components of the vehicle, but also identified a few other electronics seemingly hovering in midair within the vehicle. A watch on one wrist, and two phones—on different people. She was outnumbered. Damn.
In the distance, Sophia heard the thrumming of Colin's bike. For a moment she weighed the merits of waiting for him versus attacking to distract from his approach. It took her less than a second to decide on the latter. "Dragon, one of the others is here," she whispered into the night. "I'll try to stop Siberian from reforming. Tell Colin to hurry, just in case."
"He's hurrying. Be careful."
Sophia nodded, then unsheathed Amauril. With a quick cut, she slashed into the roof of the van. A few wires were severed, the currents vanishing from her sight. With the electrical interference gone, she turned into shadow and dropped through the roof.
There were two people inside. A girl, perhaps three or four years older than herself, stared at her in shock, while a man in his late fifties, gaunt and unhealthy-looking, seemed to be asleep. Sophia had only seen photographs of the early cape researcher William Manton once or twice, but the omega tattoo on the back of his left hand meant she didn't have to search her memory.
Sophia pulled out Alca with her left hand, ready to fire a tranquilizer bolt into Manton's chest. With luck, unconsciousness would stop him from summoning or controlling the Siberian. Before she could bring the crossbow to bear, however, heat burst from the girl behind her. A blast of fire rushed at her, forcing her to leap back up out of the car, then kick off to land behind it.
She skidded to the ground just as the van's back door opened. "Big mistake," the girl crowed. Fire licked around her fists and danced in her wide, manic eyes. She stepped out onto the asphalt, raised her hands, and threw flames.
Sophia dodged, then charged, only to be pushed back by a wall of flame springing up from the ground between her and the girl. Other fires were springing up all around, she noticed—smoldering in the nearby flowerbeds and lawns.
The girl stepped through the wall of fire, a manic grin on her lips and a wild light in her eyes. Her skirts billowed around her, unharmed.
"Burnscar," Sophia said, almost conversational. As she met the villain's insane gaze, something clicked in her head. She compared the surprise and fear in the girl's eyes when she had first appeared to the madness on her face now. Powers—Shards—wanted to be used, after all. How better to ensure it than to make it almost impossible to stop?
"Shadow Stalker," said Burnscar, teeth bared, hands shaking with manic energy.
"Tirissëo, actually," Sophia corrected, then dodged the blast of fire.
"I heard," said Burnscar. "You know, when we were thinking about coming to Brockton, I actually considered you for a nomination? Shame you turned out to be a wuss."
It was a lie, but that wasn't the point. "You sound like me," Sophia said. "It's not a good look." It was true. Sophia had never been quite as psychotic as Burnscar, but the mad rush of power, the desire to dominate and brutalize those weaker than her.
Yeah. She got that.
Her musings didn't distract her enough to keep her from dodging the next fireball. "Would you believe none of us even knew the Siberian was a projection until Carte Blanche told us?" Burnscar asked, practically giggling as still more fire came rushing for Sophia. "He thought someone would come after the Master. Guess he was right, which means I get to crispy fry a hero tonight!"
Sophia dodged the flame, then stepped out of reality and slipped back into the shadows of a nearby alley. "Dragon," she whispered. "I need confoam, and lots of it."
"Run away, spooky bitch," cackled Burnscar from the street. "Run, unless you wanna try your luck in the fire!"
"What?" Dragon asked
"Send over a suit and just carpet-bomb the whole area," she hissed, speaking quickly. "I need those fires put out, all at once. Can you—?"
"Duck!" Dragon's voice came out in a sudden snap, almost painfully loud in her ear.
Sophia didn't even think before obeying the command—just in time. The Siberian sailed over her head, landing in a roll deeper in the alleyway and turning on a dime to face her, inhuman yellow eyes glaring.
Sophia holstered Alca and put both hands on Amauril's hilt. "Mairë's sword took you out," she said. "How much you want to bet mine can too?"
The Siberian bared her teeth. Fire glowed as Burnscar rose behind her, suspended on a tongue of flame, eyes glowing with power.
"Go ahead, try and take on both of us," she laughed. "Make my day!" Then she suddenly started, turned, and threw herself to the side as the blade of a halberd flew past her.
Sophia took advantage of the momentary distraction to dart away from the Siberian and reenter the street. Siberian lunged behind her, missing by inches as Sophia rolled to the right.
The two villains stood almost back to back in the middle of the street. Sophia readied Amauril staring down the Siberian. Opposite her, Colin swung his legs off his bike, pulling back the blade of his halberd.
"Master's in the van!" she called to him.
He nodded. "Keep the Siberian off of me!"
"She's only half your problem!" screeched Burnscar as she charged him.
Sophia leapt at the Siberian. The projection moved unnaturally fast, ducking below her first swing and swiping at her with clawed fingers. Sophia struck her wrist defensively with the hilt of Amauril, then struck out again. It was exhilarating, fighting without being able to rely on her power to avoid hits. Every exchanged blow was thrumming with the thrill of battle, the fear of death.
Suddenly, Burnscar sailed past them, spinning in midair with a surprised shriek as Colin managed to grab and toss her like a frisbee. The Siberian's eyes snapped to her, then she leapt away from Sophia, charging Colin as he turned towards the van. Her claws tore through his armor, then came up again to do the same to his face.
He caught her by the wrist, Narya bright as a star upon his finger, and threw her aside. She rolled, spun and leapt at him again.
Her form dissolved into mist in midair as Sophia embedded a tranquilizer bolt in the Master's neck.
She slipped through the shadows to Colin's side, staring down the billowing inferno that was Burnscar.
"You think that'll save you!?" she screeched. "Try me! I'll kill you! I'll burn both your bones black!"
"No," said Colin evenly. "You won't." He glanced sidelong at Sophia. "You wanted the fires out?"
Sophia blinked. "Yeah. Can you…?"
In answer, Colin took his left hand off his halberd and held it out. Narya shone like firelight.
As he lowered his palm, the fires around them sank, faded, and died away even as Burnscar screamed, "NO! The fire is mine! MINE! NO! No! No…" She sank to the ground as the fire raising her up died away. Sophia stepped through the night, emerging right in front of her, a tranquilizer bolt against her neck.
"Your power fucks with your head," she said softly. "Doesn't it?"
Burnscar stared up at her, and all the mad light was gone from her eyes. On her face was an expression Sophia knew well. She'd seen it on the mirror for years, after particularly brutal—successful—patrols. Slowly, she nodded.
"You're beaten," said Sophia. "We won't kill you—that's not how we work. But what does happen… well, it's kind of up to you."
"Tirissëo," Colin called warningly. "You sure this is a good idea? Without Mairë?"
"Trust me," she told him, without looking away from Burnscar. She spoke more quietly to the girl, "You remind me of myself. You know all this is wrong, but you're letting it eat away at you anyway, because it's easier than turning aside. I get it."
Burnscar bared her teeth, agony flickering in her eyes. "Do you?" she hissed. "I can't help but use my power, when there's any fire near me. And then, when it's gone, I can't get them out of my head. The screams, the smell…"
"I killed people too," Sophia said softly. "I can't take it back. All I can do is try to be better going forward. That's all any of us can do."
"My power turns me into a psychopath," Burnscar growled.
"We've got a recovering sociopath on the team already," said Sophia with a shrug. "The only question, Burnscar, is whether you want to do this. To stop running from the guilt, the pain, the horror—and to start facing it, moving up instead of down. It's not easy. It'll be easier to tell yourself you couldn't have helped it and sit in a cell for the rest of your life comforting yourself with that idea. I promise that'll be easier. It's hard to face up. But the rewards are worth it, I promise that too."
Burnscar swallowed. "What rewards?"
"Being able to look in a mirror and being proud of the person you see there," Sophia said.
There was silence for a moment. "I want that," whispered Burnscar. "But I don't know how."
"Let us help you," Sophia urged.
Agonizingly slow, Burnscar nodded.
Sophia smiled gently. "I'm going to tranq you," she said softly. "For everyone's safety, yours included. By the time you wake up, Mairë will be there to talk to you. She gets it too. She can help you figure out what your options are, I promise, even if you don't want to join us."
Burnscar nodded again. She looked almost painfully relieved when Sophia carefully jabbed her with a tranquilizer bolt. A moment later, her eyes glazed over, and she fell forward into Sophia's arms.
She turned back and met Colin's eyes. His chin was set, but his lips were curled ever so slightly up. "Sometimes I forget just how far you've come," he said. His armor was already repairing itself, nanotech reassembling the plating.
"We all have," said Sophia. "Dragon, can you get a ship to pick her up?"
"I'll be right there," Dragon's voice said in her ear. "You and Colin should get moving. Head north. Shatterbird and Mannequin have engaged most of the local heroes—and my primary body. We should be fine, but Brandish and Taylor are chasing Jack Slash and Carte Blanche, and we haven't been able to locate Bonesaw."
"Where's Eidolon?" Colin asked.
"En route. Maybe ten minutes out. Taylor wants to take out Carte Blanche before he arrives."
Sophia nodded. "All right. Give us a heading. Colin, can I…"
Colin nodded. "Hop on behind me and hold on tight."
-x-x-x-
Carte Blanche raised his arms as Dragon's guns started firing. A barrier of violet light appeared around the four villains, blocking the bullets and detonating the explosives.
Sophia slipped into the dark from aboard the gunship. She emerged inside the barrier just as Carte Blanche unleashed a blast of cold air. A swirl of icy wind, like localized hurricanes, appeared around each of his three grounded teammates. "Move!" the clone shouted.
Before they could, Sophia fired both crossbows. Raumo's bolt slid past Jack Slash's cheek as he dodged. Alca's bolt thudded into Cherish's shoulder. She cried out and tumbled, falling to the ground and going still.
Jack Slash and Carte Blanche sped into an alley and out of sight, but the Siberian lunged at Sophia. She faded into smoke to avoid the blow, but it didn't help. The Siberian, heedless of Breaker states and conventional physics, plowed into her and sent her sprawling. A victorious snarl crossed the woman's striped face as she leapt for the kill, claws and teeth bared.
Suddenly, Taylor was between them. With a flash like breaking dawn, Sunrise intercepted her in midair. The sword sheared through her body like paper. The Siberian's yellow eyes barely had time to widen in surprise before she vanished into a pale mist.
Taylor turned away from the dissipating villain. "She's a projection," she said, offering Sophia a hand up. She took it gratefully.
The other heroes descended all around them, dropping from the uncloaking Dragoncrafts above. Brian and Marissa had joined Alec and Jess, each of them leading a search party to seek out the rest of the Nine.
"Dragon, find the missing members of the Nine!" Taylor ordered, glancing up at the Dragoncraft. Then, with a glance at Jess and Alec, she said, "You two, get the others organized and help her. When they're found, get everyone after them. We can't give them any space, or they'll take hostages."
Jess' projection nodded sharply. "You got it, boss," said Alec.
"Brandish!" Taylor called up at the descending streak of light. "You're the closest thing we have to a flier besides Dragon, so you're with me! We're going after Carte Blanche and Jack Slash!" Then she turned to Sophia. "The Siberian's Master is William Manton," she said, speaking quickly. Sophia blinked—she knew that name. "White, middle-aged, malnourished, Cauldron tattoo on one hand. He should be somewhere south of here, but I don't know where. We have maybe a few minutes at most before he summons her again. Can you find him and stop him?"
"Will do," Sophia said, and slid back into the shadows. She emerged on a nearby rooftop.
Below her she heard Taylor shout, "And call for backup if you need it!"
She gave Taylor a quick thumbs up before turning and jogging across the rooftop, scanning the horizon. When she saw nothing in any direction, she flashed over to the next rooftop, moving south.
She looked down into the next street. Nothing. Another jump, another street. Nothing again. No movement, no sign of anyone living. Even the houses were silent and dark, though Sophia assumed that was more because the inhabitants were too scared to turn on the lights.
"Dragon," she whispered. "Any sign of that Master? Anything out of place?"
"I'm looking," Dragon's whispered response came over the earbuds. "Keep searching, I've got a few processes on it right now."
"Got it," Sophia said. She turned and darted to the adjacent cross street, then checked the one on the other side of the block. Still nothing out of the ordinary. The city was as quiet as the dead.
Her search widened in a generally conical shape. As she drifted south, she checked a wider and wider range of blocks and their connected cross streets. Minutes trickled away like water through her fingers.
After what felt like hours of searching, Dragon's voice shattered the silence. "There's a van parked on the street, three blocks south and one east of you," she reported. "Arrived there this afternoon. Out-of-state license plate, and I can't seem to find when it parked on any security footage. Could be what you're looking for."
Sophia nodded. "Thanks. Siberian might be back by the time I arrive—can I get some backup?"
"Colin's on his way there," Dragon replied. "Good luck. Holler if you need me."
"Will do." Sophia took a deep breath, then slipped through space again. It took her two jumps to reach the relevant block, and she immediately noticed the van Dragon had found—white, with no windows or markings. It's like they're trying to be noticed, she thought. Not a good sign.
She flashed onto the roof of the van silently and looked down. Her tinkertech lenses picked out the electronic components of the vehicle, but also identified a few other electronics seemingly hovering in midair within the vehicle. A watch on one wrist, and two phones—on different people. She was outnumbered. Damn.
In the distance, Sophia heard the thrumming of Colin's bike. For a moment she weighed the merits of waiting for him versus attacking to distract from his approach. It took her less than a second to decide on the latter. "Dragon, one of the others is here," she whispered into the night. "I'll try to stop Siberian from reforming. Tell Colin to hurry, just in case."
"He's hurrying. Be careful."
Sophia nodded, then unsheathed Amauril. With a quick cut, she slashed into the roof of the van. A few wires were severed, the currents vanishing from her sight. With the electrical interference gone, she turned into shadow and dropped through the roof.
There were two people inside. A girl, perhaps three or four years older than herself, stared at her in shock, while a man in his late fifties, gaunt and unhealthy-looking, seemed to be asleep. Sophia had only seen photographs of the early cape researcher William Manton once or twice, but the omega tattoo on the back of his left hand meant she didn't have to search her memory.
Sophia pulled out Alca with her left hand, ready to fire a tranquilizer bolt into Manton's chest. With luck, unconsciousness would stop him from summoning or controlling the Siberian. Before she could bring the crossbow to bear, however, heat burst from the girl behind her. A blast of fire rushed at her, forcing her to leap back up out of the car, then kick off to land behind it.
She skidded to the ground just as the van's back door opened. "Big mistake," the girl crowed. Fire licked around her fists and danced in her wide, manic eyes. She stepped out onto the asphalt, raised her hands, and threw flames.
Sophia dodged, then charged, only to be pushed back by a wall of flame springing up from the ground between her and the girl. Other fires were springing up all around, she noticed—smoldering in the nearby flowerbeds and lawns.
The girl stepped through the wall of fire, a manic grin on her lips and a wild light in her eyes. Her skirts billowed around her, unharmed.
"Burnscar," Sophia said, almost conversational. As she met the villain's insane gaze, something clicked in her head. She compared the surprise and fear in the girl's eyes when she had first appeared to the madness on her face now. Powers—Shards—wanted to be used, after all. How better to ensure it than to make it almost impossible to stop?
"Shadow Stalker," said Burnscar, teeth bared, hands shaking with manic energy.
"Tirissëo, actually," Sophia corrected, then dodged the blast of fire.
"I heard," said Burnscar. "You know, when we were thinking about coming to Brockton, I actually considered you for a nomination? Shame you turned out to be a wuss."
It was a lie, but that wasn't the point. "You sound like me," Sophia said. "It's not a good look." It was true. Sophia had never been quite as psychotic as Burnscar, but the mad rush of power, the desire to dominate and brutalize those weaker than her.
Yeah. She got that.
Her musings didn't distract her enough to keep her from dodging the next fireball. "Would you believe none of us even knew the Siberian was a projection until Carte Blanche told us?" Burnscar asked, practically giggling as still more fire came rushing for Sophia. "He thought someone would come after the Master. Guess he was right, which means I get to crispy fry a hero tonight!"
Sophia dodged the flame, then stepped out of reality and slipped back into the shadows of a nearby alley. "Dragon," she whispered. "I need confoam, and lots of it."
"Run away, spooky bitch," cackled Burnscar from the street. "Run, unless you wanna try your luck in the fire!"
"What?" Dragon asked
"Send over a suit and just carpet-bomb the whole area," she hissed, speaking quickly. "I need those fires put out, all at once. Can you—?"
"Duck!" Dragon's voice came out in a sudden snap, almost painfully loud in her ear.
Sophia didn't even think before obeying the command—just in time. The Siberian sailed over her head, landing in a roll deeper in the alleyway and turning on a dime to face her, inhuman yellow eyes glaring.
Sophia holstered Alca and put both hands on Amauril's hilt. "Mairë's sword took you out," she said. "How much you want to bet mine can too?"
The Siberian bared her teeth. Fire glowed as Burnscar rose behind her, suspended on a tongue of flame, eyes glowing with power.
"Go ahead, try and take on both of us," she laughed. "Make my day!" Then she suddenly started, turned, and threw herself to the side as the blade of a halberd flew past her.
Sophia took advantage of the momentary distraction to dart away from the Siberian and reenter the street. Siberian lunged behind her, missing by inches as Sophia rolled to the right.
The two villains stood almost back to back in the middle of the street. Sophia readied Amauril staring down the Siberian. Opposite her, Colin swung his legs off his bike, pulling back the blade of his halberd.
"Master's in the van!" she called to him.
He nodded. "Keep the Siberian off of me!"
"She's only half your problem!" screeched Burnscar as she charged him.
Sophia leapt at the Siberian. The projection moved unnaturally fast, ducking below her first swing and swiping at her with clawed fingers. Sophia struck her wrist defensively with the hilt of Amauril, then struck out again. It was exhilarating, fighting without being able to rely on her power to avoid hits. Every exchanged blow was thrumming with the thrill of battle, the fear of death.
Suddenly, Burnscar sailed past them, spinning in midair with a surprised shriek as Colin managed to grab and toss her like a frisbee. The Siberian's eyes snapped to her, then she leapt away from Sophia, charging Colin as he turned towards the van. Her claws tore through his armor, then came up again to do the same to his face.
He caught her by the wrist, Narya bright as a star upon his finger, and threw her aside. She rolled, spun and leapt at him again.
Her form dissolved into mist in midair as Sophia embedded a tranquilizer bolt in the Master's neck.
She slipped through the shadows to Colin's side, staring down the billowing inferno that was Burnscar.
"You think that'll save you!?" she screeched. "Try me! I'll kill you! I'll burn both your bones black!"
"No," said Colin evenly. "You won't." He glanced sidelong at Sophia. "You wanted the fires out?"
Sophia blinked. "Yeah. Can you…?"
In answer, Colin took his left hand off his halberd and held it out. Narya shone like firelight.
As he lowered his palm, the fires around them sank, faded, and died away even as Burnscar screamed, "NO! The fire is mine! MINE! NO! No! No…" She sank to the ground as the fire raising her up died away. Sophia stepped through the night, emerging right in front of her, a tranquilizer bolt against her neck.
"Your power fucks with your head," she said softly. "Doesn't it?"
Burnscar stared up at her, and all the mad light was gone from her eyes. On her face was an expression Sophia knew well. She'd seen it on the mirror for years, after particularly brutal—successful—patrols. Slowly, she nodded.
"You're beaten," said Sophia. "We won't kill you—that's not how we work. But what does happen… well, it's kind of up to you."
"Tirissëo," Colin called warningly. "You sure this is a good idea? Without Mairë?"
"Trust me," she told him, without looking away from Burnscar. She spoke more quietly to the girl, "You remind me of myself. You know all this is wrong, but you're letting it eat away at you anyway, because it's easier than turning aside. I get it."
Burnscar bared her teeth, agony flickering in her eyes. "Do you?" she hissed. "I can't help but use my power, when there's any fire near me. And then, when it's gone, I can't get them out of my head. The screams, the smell…"
"I killed people too," Sophia said softly. "I can't take it back. All I can do is try to be better going forward. That's all any of us can do."
"My power turns me into a psychopath," Burnscar growled.
"We've got a recovering sociopath on the team already," said Sophia with a shrug. "The only question, Burnscar, is whether you want to do this. To stop running from the guilt, the pain, the horror—and to start facing it, moving up instead of down. It's not easy. It'll be easier to tell yourself you couldn't have helped it and sit in a cell for the rest of your life comforting yourself with that idea. I promise that'll be easier. It's hard to face up. But the rewards are worth it, I promise that too."
Burnscar swallowed. "What rewards?"
"Being able to look in a mirror and being proud of the person you see there," Sophia said.
There was silence for a moment. "I want that," whispered Burnscar. "But I don't know how."
"Let us help you," Sophia urged.
Agonizingly slow, Burnscar nodded.
Sophia smiled gently. "I'm going to tranq you," she said softly. "For everyone's safety, yours included. By the time you wake up, Mairë will be there to talk to you. She gets it too. She can help you figure out what your options are, I promise, even if you don't want to join us."
Burnscar nodded again. She looked almost painfully relieved when Sophia carefully jabbed her with a tranquilizer bolt. A moment later, her eyes glazed over, and she fell forward into Sophia's arms.
She turned back and met Colin's eyes. His chin was set, but his lips were curled ever so slightly up. "Sometimes I forget just how far you've come," he said. His armor was already repairing itself, nanotech reassembling the plating.
"We all have," said Sophia. "Dragon, can you get a ship to pick her up?"
"I'll be right there," Dragon's voice said in her ear. "You and Colin should get moving. Head north. Shatterbird and Mannequin have engaged most of the local heroes—and my primary body. We should be fine, but Brandish and Taylor are chasing Jack Slash and Carte Blanche, and we haven't been able to locate Bonesaw."
"Where's Eidolon?" Colin asked.
"En route. Maybe ten minutes out. Taylor wants to take out Carte Blanche before he arrives."
Sophia nodded. "All right. Give us a heading. Colin, can I…"
Colin nodded. "Hop on behind me and hold on tight."
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- Location
- New Zealand
I'm glad the Nine aren't being curbstomped and tossed aside in a single chapter. It's always nice when fics treat them like the S-class threat they are.
Sandy River DL
(Verified Destroyer Leader)
- Location
- Lake Michigan
- Pronouns
- Her/She
Honestly, I personally am kinda disappointed that Tay didn't Shard-rip any of the S9 who were dumb enough to meet her in person. Them being difficult in a pure Worm fic is one thing, but OCP-Actual-Fucking-Angel-Because-Sauron!Taylor is another thing entirely. I will also note that the only reason that they aren't all dead already is because Maire's holding back.
- Location
- Canada
That's been true for most opponents since the Annatar arc, because not holding back can lead to some very bad emotional outcomes. Self-perception matters a lot for Ainur, they are basically living song/ideas. Maire can't risk not holding back, because of what she might become again if she does.
deathofrats0808
Don’t think of it as dying; just as leaving early
- Location
- Earth
Self-perception matters less for the Ainur than you think IMO. Their natures are actually very inflexible. They are what they were made to be and nothing more. The story certainly argues against the idea of self-perception being all that important for them, seeing as it was only afterwards that Mairë realised what she did as Annatar was wrong. At the time, she seemed to have genuinely believed she was doing good things, and still seen herself as a hero. She felt her actions were justified.
- Location
- Canada
But we've seen how Ainur can change when they change how they view themselves or when their driving purpose changes. Both with Annatar in this story and with Mithrandir/Gandalf in Lord of the Rings. Gandalf the Gray and Gandalf the White were very different in word and deed because his purpose changed after Moria.
Not as dramatic as the change of Sauron, or Maire here, but it definitly is more malleable than you suggest. I think it's more likely that she refused to see what she did as wrong specifically *because* doing so would have a major change to her character. Annatar is her walking the old paths of the Lord of the Ring, well tread into her soul, and even when she was doing good on an external level we can see her internal thoughts are those of a sociopath or social manipulator.
And when that image of herself is broken, her whole persona shatters and is reforged. Look at how her internal monologue changes in between those arcs - it's a dramatic shift.
Lithos Maitreya
Character Witness
- Location
- United States
She did not.
The current Ring-Bearers are:
The Three: Dragon has Vilya, Colin has Narya, Amy has Nenya
The Seven: Sophia has Cenya, Carlos has Laureya, Dennis has Silmaya, Dean has Araya, Missy has Histeya, Chris has Mirilya, Sam has Ondoya
The Nine: Emma has Lumeya, Fortuna has Hyarmenya, Brian has Hriveya, Marissa has Laireya, Jess has Tuileya, Alec has Yavieya. This leave three of the Nine not yet given.
As a freebie that's not hard to guess if you spend a few hours diving into Quenya dictionaries, the remaining three are Hromenya, Numenya, and Formenya, the Rings of the East, West, and North respectively.
Garreon
Paldean Top Champion
- Location
- Mesagoza, Paldea
Thank you for this.
It is strange thought, I could have sworn there was a chapter in which Piggot got a Ring. Funny how the mind works.