- Location
- Earth Prime
I think Amy mentioned it once, but didn't advertise it to the PRT as a whole.
Ring-Maker [Worm/Lord of the Rings Alt-Power] [Complete]
- Thread starter Lithos Maitreya
- Start date
- Crossover Users' Choice!
Voted best in category in the Users' Choice awards.
- Location
- New Zealand
Wouldn't that be significant enough that everybody would need to know about it?
Remember, they don't know what we know about how powers work. They know that Triggered parahumans usually have a Corona Gemma, and that potential capes usually have a Corona Pollentia, but there are also capes that don't have brains in the first place, so it's not, as far as they know, a hard and fast rule.
acegunner
Planeswalker - Nicol Bolas
- Location
- Dominaria
If they knew her power source she would already have a signed to kill order worldwide. How many kingdoms did sauron bring down again? And wheres the nearest mount doom?
Sauron was killed, yet still persisted so long as the ring remained.
- Location
- Earth Prime
Amy is keeping the extent of her own power quiet. She's not likely to consider others' weirdness something she wants to bring up if those others aren't obviously (to her) dangerous. Being a teen girl, "obviously (to her) dangerous" could just mean "she hates them," but she didn't have reason to hate Annatar when she figured this tidbit out. And Annatar was a Ward, which she knows is "safe."
Douse 6.7
Lithos Maitreya
Character Witness
- Location
- United States
Many thanks to @Assembler, @fabledFreeboota, @Skyrunner, @BeaconHill, and ShadowStepper1300 for betareading.
Many thanks to @MugaSofer for fact checking.
(Showing Page 47 of 47)
► AgentSmith (Verified PRT Agent)
Replied on May 16, 2011:
Please, everyone, remain calm. I know things are extremely hectic right now, and I assure you, it's worse in Brockton Bay. We are currently running everything by our Thinkers and analysts, and we'll be releasing what we can to the news in the next few days. In the meantime, please don't spread rumors or panic. The situation is under control.
► Tabloid (Verified Cape) (Verified Journalist)
Replied on May 16, 2011:
@ AgentSmith I don't think most of us are spreading panic. Rumors, maybe. On that topic... is it true that Annatar faced down Leviathan on her own and survived?
► Shadow Stalker (Verified Cape) (Wards ENE)
Replied on May 16, 2011:
Not on her own. We were there too--all seven of us. And yes, all of us are still alive, thank God.
► drain_bead (Cape Son)
Replied on May 16, 2011:
@ Shadow Stalker I call bullshit. No way eight people my age faced down a fucking Endbringer and won.
► Aegis (Verified Cape) (Wards ENE)
Replied on May 16, 2011:
@ Shadow Stalker, you and I need to have a talk about information security.
@ drain_bead, I understand your disbelief. If it helps, we definitely didn't win. We did manage to hold him in one place long enough for Bastion and the other force-field capes to set up protection around the hospital for the next tidal wave. That tidal wave swept all of us away, though, and some of us were pretty badly injured.
You've got to understand, when Annatar said that her tinkertech could give other people boosts, she was really underselling. I don't want to say anything else without her express consent.
► Prehensile
Replied on May 16, 2011:
Whatever happened, it was clearly pretty fucking big, and Annatar was at the middle of it. Her thread's more active than the Wards ENE general thread, and we've got two of her teammates in here now.
► Oracle (Unverified Cape)
Replied on May 16, 2011:
@ drain_bead: I've spoken to people who were there, and it's true. She got seven kids to face an Endbringer. That… isn't a good thing. I'm worried about the effect Annatar's having on other people. Especially her teammates.
► TheSunGodRa (Unverified Cape)
Replied on May 16, 2011:
@ Prehensile And those of us who have been Annatar fans since the beginning get to look superior and snooty.
► Annatar (Verified Cape) (Wards ENE)
Replied on May 16, 2011:
@ Aegis, @ Shadow Stalker, I don't think getting involved here is going to help anything.
Everyone, please. Yes, I was involved in the Endbringer fight. Yes, I contributed. Everyone did. It just so happens that my powers synchronize with large groups of capes working together. I'm sure the PRT/Protectorate will release more information soon.
End of Page. 1, 2, 3, 4 ... 45 , 46, 47
Even as I hit the reply button, my screen flashed yellow. I reached over, grabbed my helmet from where it sat on the desk beside me, and put it on, slipping my hair through the hole in the back with practiced grace.
Hadn't I only been here for about a month? Hadn't I only owned this helmet since the beginning of April? It felt like years. When had Annatar become more a part of who I was than Taylor ever had been?
The elevator into the Wards' headquarters slid open. Miss Militia stepped in. Following her was a girl with a star on her finger.
Panacea had cleaned up. Her face and hair were washed, and the tear tracks were gone from her cheeks. Nonetheless, I saw the hollow look in her eyes. She had not slept much, and likely would not for some time. She wore a red t-shirt and jeans, and her hands were hidden in her pockets.
"Annatar," said Miss Militia. Her voice had a very slight edge. It wasn't anything like the cloaked dislike I'd gotten used to, before Leviathan, but I had clearly done something she was displeased about.
I turned my swivel chair to face them. "Hello."
"Panacea has been telling me—"
"That I gave her Nenya," I interrupted. "It's true."
Miss Militia breathed in and out once, deeply. "When were you planning on telling me?"
"I was planning on letting Panacea do it," I said. "Unless it became clear she wasn't going to."
"You can't do this sort of thing without clearing it with us, Annatar," said Miss Militia, but she sounded almost resigned.
I glanced at Amy. She looked back at me for a moment, lips twisted, then said, "Ma'am, if Annatar had waited, I might be dead."
Miss Militia blinked at her. "What?"
"I was suicidal. Without Nenya, I'm not sure I'd have survived the day. Annatar didn't have time to get permission."
Miss Militia turned to me. I shrugged. "What do you want me to say?"
"Did you know about this?"
"I guessed." I stood up, closing my laptop. "Besides, I'm not subordinating my Rings of Power to anyone. It's simply not happening. I will make sure you know where they are, but I'm not going to decide what to do with them at your order."
Miss Militia grimaced. "Is this about Armsmaster?"
"No," I said honestly. "That's between him and me. I'm sure we'll talk it through when he returns. But my policy is the same. Rings of Power go to the people I deem suitable—no one else."
Miss Militia sighed. "Couldn't you have at least told someone Panacea was in danger?" she asked. "And had professionals deal with that?"
"Maybe. And would they have tried to make her heal Carol? Would they have told her she had to go back to the Dallons?" I shook my head. "Amy didn't need someone to tell her what was best for her, she needed to be given the capability to choose for herself. I was the only person who could give her that. Besides, I could find her better than anyone else." I glanced at Amy. "Speaking of which, what did you do?"
"Went to the hospital," said Amy. "Fixed Carol. Fixed Mark's depression, too." She gave me a sad smile. "Nothing to hide from, anymore."
She could fix brains all along. No, not fix.
"What do you mean?" Miss Militia asked.
"I'm not a healer," said Amy. "I'm a biokinetic. It was never that I couldn't fix brains—it was that I didn't. Wouldn't. Because once I let myself touch brains, it's a hell of a slippery slope."
Miss Militia looked like she wanted to ask more, but I interrupted. "So, what now? Have you made a decision?"
"New Wave isn't for me," said Amy immediately. "Aunt Sarah and Uncle Neil are fine, and I like Crystal and Eric, but I can't deal with Carol and Mark. Not now. Maybe not ever."
"Then?"
She sighed. "I don't know, Annatar. All I know is that I can't go back to spending all my free time at the hospital. Nenya would let me do it—let me keep going until I dropped dead. There's better uses for my power. And for Nenya. I just don't know what they are."
"The Wards are a good place to experiment," Miss Militia suggested. "We quite literally have no competition when it comes to power testing."
"The Wards also have a bad habit of leaving their capes in toxic home environments," I countered. "Shadow Stalker is a prime example."
Miss Militia grimaced, but didn't reply.
"I have a lot of leverage, though," Amy said, a cynical smirk on her face. "All I have to do is threaten to stop healing people, and they'll be jumping to get me out of Carol's house. No, the real problem is that I don't know what I want to do instead."
"Have you talked to her?" I asked.
Amy scowled. "No. She talked a bit at me. Woke up, started hissing and spitting." Her bared teeth shifted into a cruel grin. "I was tempted to give her fur, I'm not gonna lie."
I considered her. The anger was understandable. What Carol had said to her, over Vicky's body, was unforgivable—and the fact that Amy was still controlling herself made me all the more sure that Nenya had gone to a good Bearer. Still, though, something ought to be done. "I could talk to her."
"Oh, no," said Miss Militia sharply. "You're not turning your thinker powers onto yet another hero on a whim."
"Does she really sound like a hero?" I asked Miss Militia incredulously. "You weren't there when she was blaming Amy and Gallant for Glory Girl's death, when she was accusing Amy of not loving her sister. Carol Dallon needs to be talked to." I shook my head. "You let me talk to Shadow Stalker, after all."
"Yes. We did." Miss Militia's voice was cold. "And if anything could convince me that you have an unregistered master power, it's her change in behavior afterwards. I am not letting you use that on everyone you disagree with."
My eyes widened. I clenched my fists. For a moment there was silence.
"You did not," I said, my voice like ice, "just accuse me of mastering Shadow Stalker."
Miss Militia held her ground. "Maybe you didn't," she said, "but look at it from my perspective, Annatar. That girl has become incredibly loyal to you, incredibly quickly—when not two months ago, you hated each other."
"I gave her what she wanted," I hissed, Vilya shimmering on my finger. "I gave her a fucking chance. I gave her what she needed—not training, not a blind eye, but guidance. You think everyone doesn't have something like that? You think you don't have a breakpoint, a weak link in your armor? It doesn't take a fucking master to win people's loyalty—ask your great American demagogues."
Miss Militia stepped back. I stepped forward.
"All I have is insight," I said. "No powers to enslave or control. Just the ability to see what people want, and what they need. It was to Shadow Stalker's good fortune that I was there to give her what she needed."
"And to your good fortune, I would assume," said Miss Militia through gritted teeth.
That brought me up short. I sighed, and allowed the tension to drain slowly out of my frame. I shook my head. "Shadow Stalker is a good friend," I said at last. "I value her companionship. There was a time when all I wanted was a hero I could use, to better the city. That time has passed. Yes, Miss Militia, it is to my good fortune—because that day, that chance, won me a friend like none I've had before." I looked away, back at my desk. "Amy needs a place to stay," I said. "And Carol needs therapy—and you know she won't take it herself. Let me talk to her. Let me at least try."
"I don't think I'm willing to go back even if she'll take me," Amy said suddenly.
I looked at her. "That's your decision," I said. "But Carol needs help, regardless. She's supposedly a hero, but she can't be much of one when she's half-insane." I turned back to Miss Militia. "Please," I said. "I can help."
She looked at me. Wither her bandana covering most of her face, her expression was unreadable.
At length she nodded. "Fine. But first, there's someone else I'd like you to talk to."
I blinked. "Excuse me?"
"Grue returned to our custody," she said. "He wants to negotiate terms—and neither Piggot nor I can afford the resources necessary to work out an optimal deal. You want to give people what they want? Here's where you can start." She grimaced. "And… try not to give him a Ring of Power?"
Please consider donating to my Patreon. Many thanks to those who have already donated.
Many thanks to @MugaSofer for fact checking.
-x-x-x-
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■
♦Topic: Annatar, the New Ward ENE!
In: Boards ► Teams ► Wards ► ENE (Brockton Bay)
Stratosphere (Original Poster) (Veteran Member)
Posted on April 16, 2011:
Thread for discussing the new Ward in Brockton Bay, Annatar. Mind the rules on your way in!
EDIT Tuesday, April 26: From what we can tell, Annatar was directly involved in the conflict with the ABB's Bakuda (thread here) which resulted in power going down throughout Brockton Bay. According to sources in the PRT (here, here, and here), Annatar was instrumental in preventing things from getting worse.
EDIT Sunday, May 15: I have no idea what is happening anymore q.q SOMEONE HELP ME VERIFY THIS STUFF
(Showing Page 1 of 47)
► TheGuyInGreen (Banned)
Replied on April 16, 2011:
FIRST!
This user received an infraction for this post. Really?
► sinnerman (Cape Groupie)
Replied on April 16, 2011:
To contribute something USEFUL, this mythril stuff. Sounds pretty useful. Think we'll start seeing Armsmaster decked out in it?
► TheSunGodRa (Unverified Cape)
Replied on April 16, 2011:
@ sinnerman Seems likely. Brockton Bay's got a few good tinkers now, though. There's Armsmaster, obviously, but there's also Kid Win, Gallant, and now Annatar. I wonder if that'll mean something for the city? Cape capitol of America? Try Tinker capitol.
► Visionary (Actual Tinfoil Hat)
Replied on April 16, 2011:
@ TheSunGodRa YOUR PROPAGANDA CAN'T FOOL US!! WE KNOW GALLANT ISN'T A REAL TINKER! ANNATAR PROBABLY ISN'T EITHER!1!
► Prehensile
Replied on April 16, 2011:
...Troll?
► sinnerman (Cape Groupie)
Replied on April 16, 2011:
@ Prehensile, yeah. He goes from thread to thread and accuses everyone of being in on one conspiracy or another. His favorite is that Brockton Bay is actually a PRT experiment in cape feudalism, and that the Protectorate presence there will be phased out in the next few years. I mean, I think that's his theory. It's sometimes hard to parse his posts tbh.
► Prehensile
Replied on April 16, 2011:
Well, we respect your sacrifice @ sinnerman
Anyway, Annatar. That armor's not exactly tinker standard, is it? Looks almost medieval.
► Historiographer (Verified Historian)
Replied on April 16, 2011:
Annatar's armor is not historically accurate, but draws influences from several distinct historical sources. The helmet is clearly inspired by Viking styles, with the side panels as far back as they are and the wide opening for the lower face. Of course, Viking helmets tended to have a more pronounced conical tip (and no horns, you philistines), and of course, no plume. (Speaking of the plume, is that her hair? It looks like it. Interesting choice. It works better than I'd have expected it to.)
The platemail is obviously ahistorical. No armorsmith would have bothered with the sheer complexity of that many intricate moving parts in that many different shapes. How often does she have to oil that thing? I mean, unless mithril is also immune to friction. That being said, it bears some resemblances to German styles of the 18th century.
Curious to see her spear in action, too.
► Brocktonite03 (Veteran Member) (At Ground Zero: Brockton Bay)
Replied on April 16, 2011:
@ Historiographer Hey, thanks! I wonder how much of this was part of Annatar's inspiration, and how much of it was from fantasy?
► bothad
Replied on April 16, 2011:
Probably mostly fantasy. That platemail is straight out of fantasy, isn't it? Like @ Historiographer said, "some" resemblances. Read: almost none.
End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 45 , 46, 47In: Boards ► Teams ► Wards ► ENE (Brockton Bay)
Stratosphere (Original Poster) (Veteran Member)
Posted on April 16, 2011:
Thread for discussing the new Ward in Brockton Bay, Annatar. Mind the rules on your way in!
EDIT Tuesday, April 26: From what we can tell, Annatar was directly involved in the conflict with the ABB's Bakuda (thread here) which resulted in power going down throughout Brockton Bay. According to sources in the PRT (here, here, and here), Annatar was instrumental in preventing things from getting worse.
EDIT Sunday, May 15: I have no idea what is happening anymore q.q SOMEONE HELP ME VERIFY THIS STUFF
(Showing Page 1 of 47)
► TheGuyInGreen (Banned)
Replied on April 16, 2011:
FIRST!
This user received an infraction for this post. Really?
► sinnerman (Cape Groupie)
Replied on April 16, 2011:
To contribute something USEFUL, this mythril stuff. Sounds pretty useful. Think we'll start seeing Armsmaster decked out in it?
► TheSunGodRa (Unverified Cape)
Replied on April 16, 2011:
@ sinnerman Seems likely. Brockton Bay's got a few good tinkers now, though. There's Armsmaster, obviously, but there's also Kid Win, Gallant, and now Annatar. I wonder if that'll mean something for the city? Cape capitol of America? Try Tinker capitol.
► Visionary (Actual Tinfoil Hat)
Replied on April 16, 2011:
@ TheSunGodRa YOUR PROPAGANDA CAN'T FOOL US!! WE KNOW GALLANT ISN'T A REAL TINKER! ANNATAR PROBABLY ISN'T EITHER!1!
► Prehensile
Replied on April 16, 2011:
...Troll?
► sinnerman (Cape Groupie)
Replied on April 16, 2011:
@ Prehensile, yeah. He goes from thread to thread and accuses everyone of being in on one conspiracy or another. His favorite is that Brockton Bay is actually a PRT experiment in cape feudalism, and that the Protectorate presence there will be phased out in the next few years. I mean, I think that's his theory. It's sometimes hard to parse his posts tbh.
► Prehensile
Replied on April 16, 2011:
Well, we respect your sacrifice @ sinnerman
Anyway, Annatar. That armor's not exactly tinker standard, is it? Looks almost medieval.
► Historiographer (Verified Historian)
Replied on April 16, 2011:
Annatar's armor is not historically accurate, but draws influences from several distinct historical sources. The helmet is clearly inspired by Viking styles, with the side panels as far back as they are and the wide opening for the lower face. Of course, Viking helmets tended to have a more pronounced conical tip (and no horns, you philistines), and of course, no plume. (Speaking of the plume, is that her hair? It looks like it. Interesting choice. It works better than I'd have expected it to.)
The platemail is obviously ahistorical. No armorsmith would have bothered with the sheer complexity of that many intricate moving parts in that many different shapes. How often does she have to oil that thing? I mean, unless mithril is also immune to friction. That being said, it bears some resemblances to German styles of the 18th century.
Curious to see her spear in action, too.
► Brocktonite03 (Veteran Member) (At Ground Zero: Brockton Bay)
Replied on April 16, 2011:
@ Historiographer Hey, thanks! I wonder how much of this was part of Annatar's inspiration, and how much of it was from fantasy?
► bothad
Replied on April 16, 2011:
Probably mostly fantasy. That platemail is straight out of fantasy, isn't it? Like @ Historiographer said, "some" resemblances. Read: almost none.
(Showing Page 47 of 47)
► AgentSmith (Verified PRT Agent)
Replied on May 16, 2011:
Please, everyone, remain calm. I know things are extremely hectic right now, and I assure you, it's worse in Brockton Bay. We are currently running everything by our Thinkers and analysts, and we'll be releasing what we can to the news in the next few days. In the meantime, please don't spread rumors or panic. The situation is under control.
► Tabloid (Verified Cape) (Verified Journalist)
Replied on May 16, 2011:
@ AgentSmith I don't think most of us are spreading panic. Rumors, maybe. On that topic... is it true that Annatar faced down Leviathan on her own and survived?
► Shadow Stalker (Verified Cape) (Wards ENE)
Replied on May 16, 2011:
Not on her own. We were there too--all seven of us. And yes, all of us are still alive, thank God.
► drain_bead (Cape Son)
Replied on May 16, 2011:
@ Shadow Stalker I call bullshit. No way eight people my age faced down a fucking Endbringer and won.
► Aegis (Verified Cape) (Wards ENE)
Replied on May 16, 2011:
@ Shadow Stalker, you and I need to have a talk about information security.
@ drain_bead, I understand your disbelief. If it helps, we definitely didn't win. We did manage to hold him in one place long enough for Bastion and the other force-field capes to set up protection around the hospital for the next tidal wave. That tidal wave swept all of us away, though, and some of us were pretty badly injured.
You've got to understand, when Annatar said that her tinkertech could give other people boosts, she was really underselling. I don't want to say anything else without her express consent.
► Prehensile
Replied on May 16, 2011:
Whatever happened, it was clearly pretty fucking big, and Annatar was at the middle of it. Her thread's more active than the Wards ENE general thread, and we've got two of her teammates in here now.
► Oracle (Unverified Cape)
Replied on May 16, 2011:
@ drain_bead: I've spoken to people who were there, and it's true. She got seven kids to face an Endbringer. That… isn't a good thing. I'm worried about the effect Annatar's having on other people. Especially her teammates.
► TheSunGodRa (Unverified Cape)
Replied on May 16, 2011:
@ Prehensile And those of us who have been Annatar fans since the beginning get to look superior and snooty.
► Annatar (Verified Cape) (Wards ENE)
Replied on May 16, 2011:
@ Aegis, @ Shadow Stalker, I don't think getting involved here is going to help anything.
Everyone, please. Yes, I was involved in the Endbringer fight. Yes, I contributed. Everyone did. It just so happens that my powers synchronize with large groups of capes working together. I'm sure the PRT/Protectorate will release more information soon.
-x-x-x-
Even as I hit the reply button, my screen flashed yellow. I reached over, grabbed my helmet from where it sat on the desk beside me, and put it on, slipping my hair through the hole in the back with practiced grace.
Hadn't I only been here for about a month? Hadn't I only owned this helmet since the beginning of April? It felt like years. When had Annatar become more a part of who I was than Taylor ever had been?
The elevator into the Wards' headquarters slid open. Miss Militia stepped in. Following her was a girl with a star on her finger.
Panacea had cleaned up. Her face and hair were washed, and the tear tracks were gone from her cheeks. Nonetheless, I saw the hollow look in her eyes. She had not slept much, and likely would not for some time. She wore a red t-shirt and jeans, and her hands were hidden in her pockets.
"Annatar," said Miss Militia. Her voice had a very slight edge. It wasn't anything like the cloaked dislike I'd gotten used to, before Leviathan, but I had clearly done something she was displeased about.
I turned my swivel chair to face them. "Hello."
"Panacea has been telling me—"
"That I gave her Nenya," I interrupted. "It's true."
Miss Militia breathed in and out once, deeply. "When were you planning on telling me?"
"I was planning on letting Panacea do it," I said. "Unless it became clear she wasn't going to."
"You can't do this sort of thing without clearing it with us, Annatar," said Miss Militia, but she sounded almost resigned.
I glanced at Amy. She looked back at me for a moment, lips twisted, then said, "Ma'am, if Annatar had waited, I might be dead."
Miss Militia blinked at her. "What?"
"I was suicidal. Without Nenya, I'm not sure I'd have survived the day. Annatar didn't have time to get permission."
Miss Militia turned to me. I shrugged. "What do you want me to say?"
"Did you know about this?"
"I guessed." I stood up, closing my laptop. "Besides, I'm not subordinating my Rings of Power to anyone. It's simply not happening. I will make sure you know where they are, but I'm not going to decide what to do with them at your order."
Miss Militia grimaced. "Is this about Armsmaster?"
"No," I said honestly. "That's between him and me. I'm sure we'll talk it through when he returns. But my policy is the same. Rings of Power go to the people I deem suitable—no one else."
Miss Militia sighed. "Couldn't you have at least told someone Panacea was in danger?" she asked. "And had professionals deal with that?"
"Maybe. And would they have tried to make her heal Carol? Would they have told her she had to go back to the Dallons?" I shook my head. "Amy didn't need someone to tell her what was best for her, she needed to be given the capability to choose for herself. I was the only person who could give her that. Besides, I could find her better than anyone else." I glanced at Amy. "Speaking of which, what did you do?"
"Went to the hospital," said Amy. "Fixed Carol. Fixed Mark's depression, too." She gave me a sad smile. "Nothing to hide from, anymore."
She could fix brains all along. No, not fix.
"What do you mean?" Miss Militia asked.
"I'm not a healer," said Amy. "I'm a biokinetic. It was never that I couldn't fix brains—it was that I didn't. Wouldn't. Because once I let myself touch brains, it's a hell of a slippery slope."
Miss Militia looked like she wanted to ask more, but I interrupted. "So, what now? Have you made a decision?"
"New Wave isn't for me," said Amy immediately. "Aunt Sarah and Uncle Neil are fine, and I like Crystal and Eric, but I can't deal with Carol and Mark. Not now. Maybe not ever."
"Then?"
She sighed. "I don't know, Annatar. All I know is that I can't go back to spending all my free time at the hospital. Nenya would let me do it—let me keep going until I dropped dead. There's better uses for my power. And for Nenya. I just don't know what they are."
"The Wards are a good place to experiment," Miss Militia suggested. "We quite literally have no competition when it comes to power testing."
"The Wards also have a bad habit of leaving their capes in toxic home environments," I countered. "Shadow Stalker is a prime example."
Miss Militia grimaced, but didn't reply.
"I have a lot of leverage, though," Amy said, a cynical smirk on her face. "All I have to do is threaten to stop healing people, and they'll be jumping to get me out of Carol's house. No, the real problem is that I don't know what I want to do instead."
"Have you talked to her?" I asked.
Amy scowled. "No. She talked a bit at me. Woke up, started hissing and spitting." Her bared teeth shifted into a cruel grin. "I was tempted to give her fur, I'm not gonna lie."
I considered her. The anger was understandable. What Carol had said to her, over Vicky's body, was unforgivable—and the fact that Amy was still controlling herself made me all the more sure that Nenya had gone to a good Bearer. Still, though, something ought to be done. "I could talk to her."
"Oh, no," said Miss Militia sharply. "You're not turning your thinker powers onto yet another hero on a whim."
"Does she really sound like a hero?" I asked Miss Militia incredulously. "You weren't there when she was blaming Amy and Gallant for Glory Girl's death, when she was accusing Amy of not loving her sister. Carol Dallon needs to be talked to." I shook my head. "You let me talk to Shadow Stalker, after all."
"Yes. We did." Miss Militia's voice was cold. "And if anything could convince me that you have an unregistered master power, it's her change in behavior afterwards. I am not letting you use that on everyone you disagree with."
My eyes widened. I clenched my fists. For a moment there was silence.
"You did not," I said, my voice like ice, "just accuse me of mastering Shadow Stalker."
Miss Militia held her ground. "Maybe you didn't," she said, "but look at it from my perspective, Annatar. That girl has become incredibly loyal to you, incredibly quickly—when not two months ago, you hated each other."
"I gave her what she wanted," I hissed, Vilya shimmering on my finger. "I gave her a fucking chance. I gave her what she needed—not training, not a blind eye, but guidance. You think everyone doesn't have something like that? You think you don't have a breakpoint, a weak link in your armor? It doesn't take a fucking master to win people's loyalty—ask your great American demagogues."
Miss Militia stepped back. I stepped forward.
"All I have is insight," I said. "No powers to enslave or control. Just the ability to see what people want, and what they need. It was to Shadow Stalker's good fortune that I was there to give her what she needed."
"And to your good fortune, I would assume," said Miss Militia through gritted teeth.
That brought me up short. I sighed, and allowed the tension to drain slowly out of my frame. I shook my head. "Shadow Stalker is a good friend," I said at last. "I value her companionship. There was a time when all I wanted was a hero I could use, to better the city. That time has passed. Yes, Miss Militia, it is to my good fortune—because that day, that chance, won me a friend like none I've had before." I looked away, back at my desk. "Amy needs a place to stay," I said. "And Carol needs therapy—and you know she won't take it herself. Let me talk to her. Let me at least try."
"I don't think I'm willing to go back even if she'll take me," Amy said suddenly.
I looked at her. "That's your decision," I said. "But Carol needs help, regardless. She's supposedly a hero, but she can't be much of one when she's half-insane." I turned back to Miss Militia. "Please," I said. "I can help."
She looked at me. Wither her bandana covering most of her face, her expression was unreadable.
At length she nodded. "Fine. But first, there's someone else I'd like you to talk to."
I blinked. "Excuse me?"
"Grue returned to our custody," she said. "He wants to negotiate terms—and neither Piggot nor I can afford the resources necessary to work out an optimal deal. You want to give people what they want? Here's where you can start." She grimaced. "And… try not to give him a Ring of Power?"
End Arc 6: Douse
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Lithos Maitreya
Character Witness
- Location
- United States
Sorry for the late upload today. This is a two-update week. Blaze 7.1 will be uploaded on Friday.
Sooner or later, Annatar is going to therapy-no-jutsu somebody so hard that they untrigger.
- Location
- Earth Prime
You say that like she has a habit of giving them to just anybody.
That is going to be an awkward conversation with Armsmaster. Maybe Annatar can build him a new weapon with plenty of space for Tinker-tech improvement?
- Location
- not here any more
I thought that was Dr Yamada's shtick?
Dr. Yamada is going to take a look at Shadow Stalker's case file, talk to her for five minutes, and then retire on the spot.
Annatar is so good at cape therapy that Miss Militia is treating it as a legitimate Master power.
- Location
- Earth Prime
Nah. Dr. Yamada will just trigger with a Master power that lets her compel authority figures to get out of her way and let her do her job.
Rogue Gemini
Wanderer without a Twin
- Location
- Here
Honestly, I can't blame her for thinking that. While Taylor, our Lady and Savior, can be rather compelling, but it feels like MM's shard is furthering the need for conflict with the Ward. Taylor is not wrong that she is able to help people because she knows what she needs to do. She is essentially doing 'Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right' and that is what aggravates Miss Militia further.
Her concerns with Sophia is legitimate, but as shown, Taylor has done the best she can to guide her towards the right path and it worked. A little too well for MM, hence her concerns with Sophia being Mastered into being loyal to Taylor and not the Protectorate. This feeling could very well extend towards the rest of the Wards and Amy who wear the rings.
Anyway, I think Taylor is keeping herself humble despite the big contribution her and her team made in that fight. Hopefully, the two will reconcile before things get worse.
- Location
- New Zealand
I think too many people try to write Miss Militia as a sort of team mum that's kind to everyone and keeps them together. In canon she was kind of a yes-woman, who would follow all the rules rather than risk her job and wanted to avoid making the difficult decisions. She's automatically going to dislike anyone who puts their own moral judgements above the laws and rules they're meant to follow, which is exactly the sort of thing that Taylor does, both in Ring-Maker and in canon.
- Location
- parker colorado
The problem with miss militia is that while she had the personality and ability to be a team mom, understanding and all that. As jackthebaxter said she was too in love with the rules. She was that one in 30 where the rules worked perfectly in her favor, and was not willing to accept in canon until after arsmaster screwedup and the cauldron reveal that it was an exception and not the rule.
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- Location
- Earth
Taking a bit of perspective, I find it odd that the protectorate would have any say on whether or not Annatar is allowed to talk to anyone.
If she wanted to go in her civilian guise to speak to Carol Dallon, there's nothing they can do to stop her. But if she wants to do it under the auspices of her cape ID, or if she wants to speak to Grue at all (him being in their custody), then yes, they do have a say.
I wouldn't attribute this to shard-driven conflict. I think it's just Miss Militia being a fucking cog.
By which I mean that she is a big believer in the system (the Machine, the bureaucracy, whatever) and how people are supposed to work within it. In a large organization, the amount of influence a person has is supposed to be decided by the organization itself and crystalized in the official hierarchy, and having some random Ward just naturally stepping into leadership (and others accepting this) goes against how Miss Militia thinks things ought to work. MM believes in authority, but Taylor has influence. In MM's view, this is a problem. Aegis and Annatar have, at the very minimum, sort of a Senior NCO and 2nd Lieutenant kind of relationship, where Aegis takes her input as highly valuable even if he's the one with rank.
Once these issues come to MM's attention, they just start piling up and every little thing reminds her of this. It's not just getting the Wards to follow her lead in overt ways that bugs MM; she probably doesn't like that Annatar instigated the last charge against Leviathan, either. She doesn't like that Annatar flatly refuses to submit to the Protectorate when it comes to giving her Rings. It's easy to see what she would think of the PHO thread this chapter, where Shadow Stalker and Aegis were commenting until Annatar stopped by to offer her opinion that it wasn't helping. They'll follow her advice, and that will grate on MM. When the Wards are just hanging out, people are likely not going to pick seats where they can't see her, and I can't see any of the Wards talking over her. MM notices the little things, and the little things all say that Annatar has more influence than her position should warrant.
I don't think this is a conflict that can really be resolved without either a big promotion or a fairly significant change to MM's character. Annatar isn't going to stop being subconsciously alpha-as-fuck all the time and drawing everybody around her into her own orbit, and MM isn't going to stop viewing this as a problem. If Annatar were given official authority, MM would still have reservations about Annatar's inexperience but these would be going against her natural inclination toward following the system. Annatar and MM would probably get along better if Annatar were in Armsmaster's position. Not that giving her this kind of authority would be a good idea; she's still inexperienced. It would just be better for MM to accept that Annatar is going to end up either outright leading or else massively influencing any group she's a part of, and focus on getting her the experience necessary to do a good job of it. Instead, MM is just kind of grumbling about how Annatar is doing it wrong.
Grounders10
Nine-Tailed Kitsune
- Location
- British Columbia, Canada, Mars
... Is it wrong I am not trying to not picture a Dwarf MM?
Rogue Gemini
Wanderer without a Twin
- Location
- Here
Hmmm, I see. It makes a bit of sense, considering that their recent argument was held away from the other Ring-bearers because they'd defend her actions for the most part and MM wouldn't want to alienate them by showing that level of distrust. Not that it hasn't already been noticed in the past, but it would also build up her (somewhat paranoid) theory that Taylor's Mastering every single one of them, including Amy as the most recent addition. Granted, Taylor is only giving the rings to those most worthy of them, while fully aware of how addictive the rings can be, it's something that MM and the rest of PRT/Protectorate don't fully grasp or don't want to understand.
EDIT: I just forgot about the whole spiel between Annatar and Armsmaster. Well, I'm not sure if there was a better way to deal with that other than simply say that giving rings in the midst of an Endbringer battle wasn't the wisest choice even with his reasoning. It's a distraction that could have (but didn't) kill them both. Then there's that whole thing where should someone not worthy enough to bear a Ring does so and leads to a terrible end.
If this kept going the way it is, there'll be some heavy consequences should things go south. By the way Lithos, will there be any major events that'll occur during the fallout or immediately after?
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- Location
- Earth Prime
I find it a bit disturbing that the dichotomy is presented as the only two ways Miss Militia can be represented, and that signs of one or the other means there's no nuance. ("Team Mom/Dannywaifu" or "Hardcore Rules Nazi who doesn't actually care")
She CAN be some superposition of both. And she need not be in love with Danny. Though I think it's interesting how far spread that is in fanon. Why Hannah x Danny, rather than Hannah x Velocity, or (for those fics focused on the redemption arc of the latter) Danny x Kayden? But I digress. Even without Hannah x Danny, Miss Militia can have strong elements that feed into the "team mom" while still being a stickler for the rules. I think she shows both in the canon story, which is why she gets painted as one or the other so often in fanon.
She CAN be some superposition of both. And she need not be in love with Danny. Though I think it's interesting how far spread that is in fanon. Why Hannah x Danny, rather than Hannah x Velocity, or (for those fics focused on the redemption arc of the latter) Danny x Kayden? But I digress. Even without Hannah x Danny, Miss Militia can have strong elements that feed into the "team mom" while still being a stickler for the rules. I think she shows both in the canon story, which is why she gets painted as one or the other so often in fanon.
- Location
- Christchurch, NZ
10 minutes later...
"Goddammit Taylor! What did I just say!"
To be honest, not sure why anyone would be down on MM for suspecting a Master power: I'd define a Master as someone with a super-human ability to compel behavior and it's hard to claim the ability to know exactly what to say to get someone to change their behavior isn't that, excepting the cases where it's simply a special case of a more general Thinker power, like Contessa or Tattletale.
SaltyWaffles
I am dissapoint, son
- Pronouns
- He/Him
You're confusing a Thinker power with a Master power. A Thinker power would be always knowing what someone wants/needs. A Master power would be making another person want what you want.