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I love munckinery of all sorts. So I really enjoyed how you used blasto's power in combination with butcher's power. Your writing was also sound. Am looking forward to the next part. 
Hope this helps
2-1
Seed 2-1
I stood over the head of the Lusus and carefully modified the implants. One of the older humanoid or HX Lusus held my mask for me wile I worked. The mask narrowed my field of vision, and my new eyes took everything in despite the back of the truck having very little light.
I had never worked with bear DNA before yesterday, and the large bear Lusus wasn't fully connecting to the network through its implants. It needed to be able to share the processing power of the central server to do more than hide or defend it self for tonight's opening attack against the ABB.
There was a small click and the S.C.I.O.N. pinged as I suddenly took full control of it. I made it stand up and stretch to test its response time and make sure there was no lag.
Satisfied, I began to close the wound and opened the back of the truck to let it out. It looked like a skinny grizzly bear without its fur, but with a black thickened hide and much tougher bones. It sauntered out to the alley and the hiding place my helper monkeys had prepared for it earlier. If all went according to plan, it'd be a nasty surprise for one of the ABB's parahumans.
One of the Lusus with hands and thumbs closed the door and the convoy started up again. There was a slight tremor as the truck started to move, but it barely affected me with the improved balance provided by my new spine. I put my mask back on and tested it to make sure it was still providing oxygen as otherwise it got too stuffy after a while.
It was just deserted enough to finish some last minute movements of Lusus around. No one was around to notice anything weird about strange human or animal shaped things going in and out the back of trucks or the fact that the drivers all had the same face. I actually did find a use for that stupid pen Mr. Gladly gave me.
My convoy moved carefully through the docks. With all the cargo coming to and fro from the ships, no one looked twice at three non-descript trucks even at this hour.
I felt the bear leave my direct control as we passed the three-block mark. I probably could have increased the range of what I could directly feel or control, but not without a large amount of sentient minds connecting to the central server like Overmind's network. Her original version was designed to increase her own thinker abilities through adding the processing power of her soldiers and tech. While my version did the exact opposite by working to increase what my Lusus could do.
Through the control towers the Lusus could "share" processing power with each other, and with the central server made up of cloned grey matter. By distributing low-level processes like motor control and visual identification, they freed up bandwidth for higher reasoning and more complex thought. This also allowed me to control them directly when nearby.
Overmind's tech had also given me several fringe benefits that I hadn't foreseen. The self-driving cars had been so easy to make, I wondered why they never caught on except in Silicon Valley. It was nice to relax while the truck went on its way. The S.C.I.O.N beeped me a reminder of the time while continuing to play a soothing beat.
I felt my attention shift to the rear most truck as we neared my next stop. A hidden trapdoor opened up and my helper monkeys dropped down and headed to the nearby building. The drone overhead showed no one nearby on infrared. They quickly scaled up the side of the building to put the finishing touches on the relay tower. I was particularly proud of their little tool vests.
They were close enough from the truck to control them and I used their hands to finish the tower, and check the connection to the central server. When it was done, almost the entire dock would be in my network's sphere of influence. They finished and moved them back to the truck and we got moving again to my next stop.
The drones swept over my route and confirmed no issues as we drove to the unknowing informant's apartment. The facial recognition software on the drones pinged me an alert and the S.C.I.O.N. displayed the video through my optical nerves. A known drug dealer, and he was one of Shin's guys according to my intelligence data. I ignored him for now, but marked his current location.
The trucks stopped two blocks away, and I released the helper monkeys to travel to the apartment building. They'd break in, open up his cell to copy the SIM card, and place a tracker in his shoe.
Thanks to my intelligence interrogations I now knew who the ABB dealers were, and where they tended to operate. But I had been quite surprised at how sophisticated and secretive they kept their operations. Despite interrogating several individuals they didn't have too much knowledge of operations or where drugs were manufactured. Everything was compartmentalized, which had ruined my timetable as I assumed gaining intelligence would be relatively easy.
When I asked why they went to such lengths, they only answered "Coil".
Coil was the most mysterious and moral for lack of a better term of the gang leaders. He was some type of high-end thinker who hired normal human mercenaries and armed them with tinker equipment, though rumors on PHO were that several of his mercenaries were minor thinkers themselves.
He was in an alliance with Accord whose intelligence was thought to increase with the complexity of the issue. It made him great at coming up with detailed plans and counterattacks. Accord seemed to make his money through legitimate businesses, and crime decreased significantly after he took over his territory. Though he was also a known as a parahuman trafficker and there were many reports of people disappearing in his territory.
Thankfully neither of them seemed interested in trying to expand what they controlled. Back when the Teeth ran the docks, the ABB fought Coil all the time to try and expand downtown, but he largely left them alone after they stopped attacking him.
Coil and Accord had once been seen as the weakest of groups back in the days of the Marquis and the newly immigrant Chain Gang from Boston, but that had changed after they managed to stop the last Butcher. They mostly fought the Empire, and the Teeth since both of them kept trying to expand into their territory.
Due to all the added secrecy I had decided to change my plans. I would not be attacking every dealer just yet. I wanted to give the illusion that my range and numbers were smaller than they were until I was ready. My new plan involved attacking the docks section-by-section, and I would let a few of the dealers think they got away
That let me track them to their homes, bug their phones, and infiltrate the higher-ups. I'd build up a list of who the important personnel were, where all their locations were, and everything I could find out about their parahumans.
Once I had the locations, I'd start hiding and building up my forces with specific programing to attack those locations with a list of targets. That way I wouldn't have to constantly travel around directing everything in my personal range. I wanted to take them down in one devastating strike that they would not recover from.
Until then, I'd only occasionally hit a big target of theirs while spying on it and trying to find others. While doing that, I would have the drones map and scan the docks from up high to build a register of faces, movements, and vehicles.
I wasn't going to use the drones as mobile defense platforms as they were more useful to me if no one knew they were there. I also wanted to build a few relay drones as a mobile emergency network but they were so complicated and expensive I had decided to put them off until I planned to start raiding the other gangs after I took over the docks.
I felt the monkeys finish their work, and ordered them to return to their hiding place and enter hibernation. With that all my preparations for tonight were complete.
I opened up my mind and identified two large groups of ABB in the general area through the drones and my birds. About a dozen walking down the street a block over, and thirty-eight others in the nearby warehouse, which I had previously identified as a drug lab. I started gathering the Lusus nearby from their hiding spots in the alleys and abandoned buildings.
I only had one Lusus close enough to ambush the dozen walking down the street, but it was fine if I didn't get them all. The purpose of tonight was to confirm my existence from rumor, and see how they reacted when I put pressure on them.
The nearby Lusus was one of my new newer HX models. I had designed it to have extremely flexible ligaments and for its body to act like a shock absorber from kinetic impacts. The particular unit nearby also had a secret weapon for emergencies I had added in a fit of whimsy. It was dressed as a homeless man and in hibernation behind the dumpster. I waited until the first group was past and then surged it forward.
One of the guys in the back heard the running and turned around just in time to be kicked in the stomach and fly backward in a nearby-parked car. His buddies reacted and moved forward to grab my Lusus as it turned and punched another causing him to fall to the ground.
I jumped the Lusus back as another guy took a swing at him and head butted him in retaliation. The Lusus was too fast for everyone to hit at once and their punches didn't do much while its return punches were knocking them down hard. One of the them yelled an order and they tackled and dog piled it on the ground. Once they were all up close I released the secret weapon.
The chemical I had designed from a skunk's odor poured out from the glands of the Lusus all around it in a large spray. The people on it started to heave and cough as they got up and ran away. I took the time to keep one from standing up, and got him into an arm lock before breaking the arm. One of them had started to vomit and dry heave on their knees. I stepped on his back driving him into the group and threw the Lusus sideways to knock a group of three into the wall.
My Lusus bounced up before they did and I made sure it used powerful directed punches on the men on the ground while avoiding the head. The Lusus were now well programmed enough that they would never kill humans even without the extra processing power of the network.
One of the men farthest from the smell started to pull out a gun, and I signaled the Lusus to rush at him. I felt it take three bullets to the chest but it didn't hit anything vital. The guy with the gun realized a second too late that he should have run as the Lusus went into a flying jump kick that sent the man sailing into the street.
It then turned and went back for the rest of the men who realized what it was from the green blood covering its clothes. They scattered and I ordered it into hunting mode before it left my range. It would now chase and attack any ABB it detected until it was killed or had no more enemies before trying to find a place to hide.
I ordered the trucks to change positions so that the warehouse and the second group were in the middle of my range. I ordered one of the nearby Lusus to move toward my prepared battering ram that used to belong to a nearby dealer. It calmly opened the door, and put on its seat belt. The alarm activated and it started to drive to the warehouse.
I carefully had it maneuver and turn the car around so that it faced the front of the warehouse. Two men that looked like they were guards had guns out. They stared warily at the car. I had it rev the engines and ordered the Lusus to floor it.
It drove full speed heading right for them. Both of the guards' start yelling and shooting and they even mange hit the Lusus a few times through the glass. But a few bullets aren't going to stop it, especially now that the car is going full tilt. They dive out of the way as it plows through the wall and I see people inside reacting with shock and alarm before I lose the connection as the head hits the dashboard.
I observe through the eyes of one my birds looking through the windows. It seems most of the group is composed of workers in their underwear with a few guards stationed nearby. The guards are cautiously moving toward it and that is when I order the snakes inside to start rattling. The guards freeze and I let them see the snakes as they start to swarm out of the bottom of the car before I have the helper monkey on the roof cut the power. That is when the screaming starts.
The two guards at the front are looking at the hole in the wall and jump back when they hear the yelling. They keep looking into the darkened space, which is why they do not see the mimics silently moving toward them. I decide to see how long it takes them to notice, and two of the mimics stand directly behind them without making a noise.
After almost a minute, one of the guards finally turns around and bumps into one of them and for half a second he looks confused. There there is a moment of dawning comprehension before he yells and stumbles back. Which is when I order the mimics to take them. They envelope them in their wings and limbs before injecting them with my latest version of venom that works faster to paralyze.
Inside people are panicking as the rattling continues to spread, and they make a break for the back. A few of the stupider or more desperate guards have started firing at the floor. The muzzle flashes illuminates the tide of snakes and most make a run for it. I can feel the snakes biting at least a few of them as they trip in the dark.
One of the guards is looking frantically for an escape route with a flashlight. As the screaming started going silent, he gets a desperate look on his face while glancing at the window. It took him several seconds to build up the courage, but he makes a run for it after grabbing a nearby coat. He wraps it around himself and dives head first through the glass before crashing through the ground.
I cursed and activated the emergency response drone to go to his location. Going through windows isn't like the movies. You can easily hurt or kill yourself. I move the helper monkey to his location, and curse again when I see all the blood coming from his neck. I have the monkey reach in and pinch the artery shut while the mimics hold him down. I have them tell him to not move, though he starts trying to scream when he sees them. With a sigh, I have them the mimics inject him and I would reiterate again that I am going to heal him. He continues to try and gurgle something as she stops struggling.
The drone arrives kicking up trash, and the three medical spiders drop off and hurry forward. I had made my spiders out of clear plastic to better differentiate them from Bonesaw's. They quickly climb over the man who seems a tad scared and start to treat him. They sew the wound closed, scan his body for other pieces of glass, and inject him with a pain reliever. I have the Mimic hold him down as they break his leg, and autodial 911.
The spiders' head back to the drone just as I get an alert from another in the sky confirming somebody moving over the roofs.
Finally. One of the ABB's parahumans has shown up. Looking through the drone's camera it looks like Oboro from the baldhead. Oboro was a six on the Brute scale with a one in the Mover and Breaker scales according to the PRT's power ratings.
He wore a sort of black robe similar to a monk with a large red Japanese character emblazoned on the back. His mask looked like pictures I had seen of old samurai masks but left room to show his baldhead and thick moustache. From what I remember from Aristotle's file, his power involved a small energy field around him that essentially copied his movements and increases the force of them while also decreasing the force of things entering it. His field also let him decrease the weight his body put on him and whatever he touched making him very light when he wanted to be so he could climb walls and jump with little effort. His brute rating was one higher than normal due to his expertise with Chinese Kenpo.
The convoy started up again and I instructed the trucks to move a little faster. The plan was to cut Oboro off before he could link up with other ABB members. I wanted to observe him fight my Lusus one on one if possible.
Oboro was still running across the rooftop and making fifteen foot jumps between them with ease. I moved two mimics to a building east of him and had them start laughing. If I can get him to the ground, my bear Lusus can hit him head on.
Oboro stops and looks at the mimics. He looks ridiculous with the large moustache hanging out of his mask. He seems to weigh his options for a bit before deciding to fight them. He takes a running leap and clears the street. He lands with a roll and charges at them as they start shrieking as high-pitched as I could make them.
I also order two more of my shock absorber HX models to start climbing the nearby fire escape. If they can get him in a chokehold, he might not be able to leverage his strength.
The mimics stop pretending and rush him as one. I laugh out loud as he reacts in shock. He still looks a little shaken but manages to hit one of them just as they start to envelop him. It pushes it back and crushes part of its light chest.
I can't seem to get a hold on him with the mimics. Their limbs can't penetrate his robe and his strikes force me have the mimics keep their distance so they aren't destroyed.
He suddenly jumps forward and puts his whole body into a two-step strike with a cry crushing the head of the hurt one, and throwing the other back. It takes to the air and goes right back at him. He stands his ground and stops the charge cold while throwing it over his head. I struggle for it to move, but it manages to rip off one of its arms and the injector of the other while it moves in a frenzy trying to hit him. But the light limbs aren't doing much damage thanks to his field. He yells some kind of cry and smashes its head. But jumps beck in shock as it keeps moving. I place it toward the edge and hope he takes the bait with the two HX models waiting on the fire escape.
He yells in triumph and surprises me when jumps straight up into the air and slams down on the mimic with both legs and cracking part of the roof. Thought the triumph changes to shock as he is pulled down on to the fire escape by the HX models and a chaotic melee ensues. His field makes him too strong and the HX too slow for them to get a good hold on him, but they are too close for him to give a really powerful punch. The ones that hit are absorbed like they were designed to.
I manage for one of them to get his arms around Oboro's neck and it starts squeezing, though I can't put too much force on his body with his stupid field. The other begins to wail at his head as fast as I can move its arms. He says his war cry and hits the fire escape with his leg. It causes it to lurch making the Lusus stumble but the one on his back manages to hold on. Emboldened, Oboro aims for the connections to the wall and the fire escape disconnects form the top and starts to tip over.
The balance of the HX is not good enough to compensate and they lose their footing. Oboro manages to jumps up as it falls and grabs a nearby air conditioner. The air conditioner seems fine despite how big he is compared to it.
The Lusus fall to the ground as the fire escape crashes around them. One has a broken arm, but I take pride in the fact that they are remarkably intact. Oboro falls back down and squishes the body of one of them. Can he increase his weight? He roars in triumph and I cue the bear.
I laugh hysterically as the bear barrels into him from behind sending head over heels a fair distance. He manages to look up as it runs at him. If I can get it on top of him, the weight should incapacitate him. If he could use his field to negate the weight of other living things he would have just thrown my Lusus or the mimics far more easily.
I have it roar in his face, but credit where it is due; he roars right back and punches it just as it reaches him. It rocks the head and a few teeth away but it was moving too fast to negate his momentum and he wheezes as it falls on him.
There is some lag due to the the head wound as I have the bear raise up and start punching in a very un bear like manner. He puts his arms up and manages to negate most of the force, but the punches are adding up. He tries to roll away but I just had the bear grapple and squeeze him
I could have just bitten his neck, but that could kill him. So I have the remaining HX move over and press down on his throat with a knee. I'm curious how long it will take him to lose consciousness with his field.
Before I can congratulate myself I suddenly lose my connection to the bear, and the HX turns and sees a knife through its eye held by Oni Lee before it starts to crumble and I feel two more knives enter the HX through its ears. I move a nearby bird and watch Lee as he starts to cut the head off the bear before it starts to melt. He seems strangely wooden and unconcerned, but Oboro reacts with disgust. He doesn't help Oboro up and instead looks down and says something. Oboro looks furious, but manages to stand up and coughing out the remains of the bear. Then Lee turns and disappears.
I decide to move on, I have twelve more areas of the docks to visit and I give the order for half of the hidden Lusus in the docks to enter hunter mode. They will lose, but I can always replace them later on.
I enjoy the openness of my lab after staying in that stuffy truck all night. My mask is planted in a special spot nearby, and I have a warm cup of tea in my hands. My works station is lit up with screens showing various angles of the fights from the camera feeds of the birds and the drones.
It had been an educational and productive night. I had hit twenty-seven dealers, five large groups of ABB, and had some new people to spy on after the warehouse was hit. I did lose more Lusus than I had planned since Lung had personally started sweeping the alleys with the other parahumans to root out them out. Three out of four were dead, but I had enjoyed enraging him when the Lusus ran from him like they were programmed to and went after normal ABB members.
Though Lung really wasn't the problem. He couldn't be everywhere. No the real issue were the guns the ABB had and their movers. I had lost most of my Lusus to simple concentrated arms fire. Once the ABB knew I was in the area, it was hard to take them by surprise. My attempts to isolate and trap them had failed due to Oni Lee and Boli Dun.
Lee acted like a fast response unit. Appearing where he was needed and vanishing to ambush Lusus that were not under my direct control. Boli Dun had been even more of an issue. Her portals transported Lung and Oboro quickly over the battlefield since they were tough enough to take the pressure from them. She was also almost impossible to hit. She reacted too fast before the Lusus could get to her, and seemed unaffected when she transported herself.
I looked over the message Aristotle had sent me on their personal files.
From: ARI532u1@swanswan.go.com
To: GreenHands@swanswan.go.com
Boli Dun- Real name Wei Bai
Shaker 8, Mover 2, Thinker 1
Chinese national who was part of the original Yangban before they started separating powers. Quit and went into hiding after Behemoth hit Beijing and the civil war started. She came to America to try and earn money to bring her extended family here and agreed to work for Lung in exchange. Very short, with a dancers build, and she has just become a young grandmother.
She can create large force fields that look like large panes of glass in her line of sight. They have two modes, one is your standard solid force field, and the second can act like portals between each other. While she can transport people through them, she usually only transports Lung as the space between portals are very cold and crushing. Lung has used her portals as a punishment to give you an idea. So far there has yet to be a ranged attack that can't be blocked or redirected in some way by her, but she does have limit of three force fields up at one time. My gut tells me she also has a minor thinker rating for enhanced reflexes.
She doesn't show much of a personality and doesn't seem to want to be a cape. She would probably leave if you could guarantee safety for her family. She never talks unless spoken to, and does not have an official name. Her name was given by the PRT. She acts as Lung's bodyguard to protect him while he bulks up and never leave Lung's side while wearing one of his old masks.
Kamaitachi. – Real name Haneul Jin
Shaker 7
Has a narrow build, but has put a lot of weight on it recently giving him a large gut combined with his large height. He was part of a previous Korean gang which was defeated and absorbed by Lung. Telekinetic Wind cape. –shifter/mover. Has a powerful telekinetic wind that is powerful over a wide area but he is not too precise with it as he can only push or pull. Has shown the ability to use his power over him in a kind of bubble that can deflect attacks but leaves him stuck for awhile as it takes him time to stop it. He also has to spend time winding up his power periodically to make more wind. He is vulnerable during those times.
Hates Lung and other Japanese members of the gang. He acts arrogant and entitled to those around him and he is not well liked. He was the only parahuman in his gang. Would probably be willing to give you information for the right price as long as it isn't traced back to him.
Oboro- Real name unknown
Brute 6 Mover 1, Breaker 1
Has been a loyal follow of Lung for at least two years. Wears a very stupid mask that shows his bald head, and lets his log moustache hang out. Is not very imaginative or intelligent. Tends to charge straight at nearest enemies without thinking, and has no personal life to speak of.
Has a small energy field around him that essentially copies his movements and increases the force of them while also decreasing the force of things entering it. His field lets him decrease his weight on himself and objects he touches. This lets him move very quickly and he can climb walls with little effort. Is more dangerous than is ratings suggest as he has been practicing Chinese Kenpo for years for hours every day, as he never gets tired.
Gorgon also known as Jagan. Real name is unknown
Height, Weight, and general description are unknown. Powers are reportedly to make something temporarily and progressively weaker/slower and stronger/faster the longer he stares at something. He is new, so there is not too much information on him.
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A word of advice. Be careful. I can tell you are going to stir up the hornets nest and remember that for every action there is an equal or opposite reaction. Lung tends to gather his forces after a major attack and strikes out in a large war party that follows his lead. Don't forget I have confirmation. Lung fought off Leviathan.
I know I shouldn't trust Aristotle, but we had sort of become partners. I at least trusted that he liked the money he earned acting as the middleman for the organ farm. He was a little more open, and even jokey compared to the last few months. He no longer charged me for information.
Based off Aristotle, it was estimated that there were around 1,300 ABB gang members in the city, with most packed in the docks. Most of their income came from drugs, "massage" parlors, and smuggling. They also charged protection money and had several moving gambling dens.
Going over my data and the files, I decide I'm going to need some new Lusus. I need a model with a ranged attack to deal with their movers and slow down Lung. Boli Dun can move and react too fast for my Lusus to get near her. But If I can force her to have to constantly block something, she wouldn't be nearly as effective. I'd like to offer safety for her family, but I can't guarantee it just yet.
It was going to take time to put the ABB out of commission, and strengthened my hold on the docks. Since making another central server didn't look feasible for the moment, the docks were going to be my home base for the time being.
I take a big gulp and then get up to head toward the glass tubes. My schedule has a few extra hours for cutting seeds, since Dad is probably going to sleep in for once after celebrating with Kurt and Lacey. The dockworkers were in a bit of a festive mood ever since the governor's bill had been defeated to the media and everyone's surprise.
It had seemed like a sure thing, but the votes weren't enough to pass and the governor had been backpedaling ever since. The Union and dad got a lot of credit for the victory, and it gave me warm feelings in my heart to see him so proud and happy.
I took control of two other HX models nearby and they locked in step behind me. I had designed this particular model to help me build on a much larger scale. They allowed me to build, repair, and design large amounts of Overmind's implants by being in several places at once.
The S.C.I.O.N. reacted to my thoughts and the holographic computer turned on as I started researching various animals with powerful ranged attacks. The poison glue of certain termites looked promising, or perhaps I could use a spider model to make traps with web. Actually that gives me an idea for using spider silk for my costume. I remember reading it was stronger than Kevlar.
The robotic arms pick my samples, add them to the seed, and cause an electric charge to start the process. In one tube the projected seed growth paths are put on display for how the large termite will look if allowed to fully grow. In the other tube I decided to grow a cow with some spider genes added so I can have enough protein to use for possible upgrades to my costume through its milk.
That done I leave the HX models so I can still observe the new growths and walk to my latest two clones of Othala. She had confirmed that she did have a secondary power that she told no one about. It had taken a little convincing, but I found out what I needed before I sent her to the PRT office in New York. She had a minor master effect with those she gave powers to. The more they used her powers, the more likely they were to listen to her.
That was very similar to my portion of the original Butcher shard. It didn't allow me to just cause pain; I could also manipulate nerves to cause intense pleasure. My hypothesis was the original Butcher created the beginnings of the Teeth by building up an army of addicts with his power.
One of the clones was made using the hybrid method. It was a hybrid of the Butcher and Othala. It had the same motor skills deficiencies, and its brain did not work right when I tried to control it. It had taken me almost the entire weak just to get it to stand. I had carefully mapped its brain and gone step by step to see what power it had, but hadn't had any luck until recently.
Just to see what would happen I removed the Corona Pollentia, and was surprised when it suddenly began to show active use of a power when the small wounds it had started to close. It seemed removing that part of the brain made its power use more instinctual. Sort of like a baby knowing how to suck or someone moving their hand away from a flame.
I had made several other hybrid clones, but this one was still the only one that had a viable power to use. It seemed to be able to give Othala's powers but only to itself. I had yet to figure out how to make it give itself something else beyond regeneration. Though it did give me some good ideas for self-healing Lusus in the future, my dream of an army of parahuman clones was still far off if was even possible.
This was evident by the other clone. Which was just a normal clone that was exactly like Othala in every way. It had a Corona Pollentia, and the same shape of the brain but showed no active power use. If I could figure out a way to give it a trigger event without having it kill a Butcher that could solve all my problems.
There were a few things I could try. Aristotle had offered to contact Toybox and get in touch with some kind of memory Tinker. Though I was skeptical and unsure if I wouldn't make it sentient if I improved its memories and thinking ability.
I could also try and give myself another power that would let me give powers to the Lusus. It would be a question of finding the right DNA sample, but I already had proof it was possible after my latest experiment.
When one Butcher collective killed another, no power transferred. But when I had a hybrid Butcher killed by a regular one, it did transfer. But the same brain issues resulted, and I had no interest in testing that on myself anytime soon.
Especially because I wasn't sure how much I was currently being affected by my new seeds as it was. My Strategic Command Integration and Outreach Node reacted to my thoughts, and I checked my diagnostics more from habit than anything. But again there had been no changes in brain chemistry besides that first night.
I had originally designed the extra implant to monitor my brain for abnormalities. But it was now also designed to periodically give me reminders to focus and make sure I thought things through if I got angry, since my temper had gotten worse.
I had made a few tweaks to my brain, and increased the size of certain parts with my medigel prototype to increase my empathy, and problems solving. But unfortunately it hadn't worked quite as much as I had hoped.
I still took a little too much pleasure in hurting people that deserved it. But beyond that and the bigger temper, I didn't notice any major effects. No voices in my head, no strange urges or tics. My sense of humor had improved according to dad, and I noticed the same thing. It was easier to laugh and I liked to laugh more. But that seemed an unusual response to the presence of two new partial seeds.
I don't think I have become a sociopath. I had gone over studies that had examined how sociopath's brains were different. Their brains didn't fire or react the same way to emotionally charged words like death, liar, or rape for example. While my own brain was now completely unique, it still triggered like it had from previous experiments.
Of course that could change in the future. I was now convinced that the Butcher seed had a very specific purpose in the grand experiment of parahumans. Its job was to spread conflict and trigger events, and help seeds to mature and reproduce. I was still unsure what happened to Butchers when their seeds matured. Did they reproduce and expand into others like normal?
I was a little worried, but I refused to let my paranoia and fears stop me anymore when I chose the name Faust. My name was a symbol and a reminder of what I had risked to make a difference. I would use my powers as I damned well pleased regardless of whatever was behind parahumans thought.
That had the been reason I designed the S.C.I.O.N. implant in the first place. It would periodically send me music, inspiring quotes, and even the sound of my mothers voice if it detected abnormal changes in my brain. Behavioral therapy with the right combination of drugs had shown in numerous studies that anger, depression, and unwanted thoughts could be controlled through practice.
I knew that seeds had some mind of their own and could influence the thought processes of the people they were connected to. So in response I was running a few experiments to see if I could somehow cut off or weaken that connection. The brain was the key since that was the seat of human consciousness, and the right implants could change how a seed connects to the brain. Hopefully the research might even lead to a way to temporarily weaken or even cut off a parahuman from their powers.
I stood over the head of the Lusus and carefully modified the implants. One of the older humanoid or HX Lusus held my mask for me wile I worked. The mask narrowed my field of vision, and my new eyes took everything in despite the back of the truck having very little light.
I had never worked with bear DNA before yesterday, and the large bear Lusus wasn't fully connecting to the network through its implants. It needed to be able to share the processing power of the central server to do more than hide or defend it self for tonight's opening attack against the ABB.
There was a small click and the S.C.I.O.N. pinged as I suddenly took full control of it. I made it stand up and stretch to test its response time and make sure there was no lag.
Satisfied, I began to close the wound and opened the back of the truck to let it out. It looked like a skinny grizzly bear without its fur, but with a black thickened hide and much tougher bones. It sauntered out to the alley and the hiding place my helper monkeys had prepared for it earlier. If all went according to plan, it'd be a nasty surprise for one of the ABB's parahumans.
One of the Lusus with hands and thumbs closed the door and the convoy started up again. There was a slight tremor as the truck started to move, but it barely affected me with the improved balance provided by my new spine. I put my mask back on and tested it to make sure it was still providing oxygen as otherwise it got too stuffy after a while.
It was just deserted enough to finish some last minute movements of Lusus around. No one was around to notice anything weird about strange human or animal shaped things going in and out the back of trucks or the fact that the drivers all had the same face. I actually did find a use for that stupid pen Mr. Gladly gave me.
My convoy moved carefully through the docks. With all the cargo coming to and fro from the ships, no one looked twice at three non-descript trucks even at this hour.
I felt the bear leave my direct control as we passed the three-block mark. I probably could have increased the range of what I could directly feel or control, but not without a large amount of sentient minds connecting to the central server like Overmind's network. Her original version was designed to increase her own thinker abilities through adding the processing power of her soldiers and tech. While my version did the exact opposite by working to increase what my Lusus could do.
Through the control towers the Lusus could "share" processing power with each other, and with the central server made up of cloned grey matter. By distributing low-level processes like motor control and visual identification, they freed up bandwidth for higher reasoning and more complex thought. This also allowed me to control them directly when nearby.
Overmind's tech had also given me several fringe benefits that I hadn't foreseen. The self-driving cars had been so easy to make, I wondered why they never caught on except in Silicon Valley. It was nice to relax while the truck went on its way. The S.C.I.O.N beeped me a reminder of the time while continuing to play a soothing beat.
I felt my attention shift to the rear most truck as we neared my next stop. A hidden trapdoor opened up and my helper monkeys dropped down and headed to the nearby building. The drone overhead showed no one nearby on infrared. They quickly scaled up the side of the building to put the finishing touches on the relay tower. I was particularly proud of their little tool vests.
They were close enough from the truck to control them and I used their hands to finish the tower, and check the connection to the central server. When it was done, almost the entire dock would be in my network's sphere of influence. They finished and moved them back to the truck and we got moving again to my next stop.
The drones swept over my route and confirmed no issues as we drove to the unknowing informant's apartment. The facial recognition software on the drones pinged me an alert and the S.C.I.O.N. displayed the video through my optical nerves. A known drug dealer, and he was one of Shin's guys according to my intelligence data. I ignored him for now, but marked his current location.
The trucks stopped two blocks away, and I released the helper monkeys to travel to the apartment building. They'd break in, open up his cell to copy the SIM card, and place a tracker in his shoe.
Thanks to my intelligence interrogations I now knew who the ABB dealers were, and where they tended to operate. But I had been quite surprised at how sophisticated and secretive they kept their operations. Despite interrogating several individuals they didn't have too much knowledge of operations or where drugs were manufactured. Everything was compartmentalized, which had ruined my timetable as I assumed gaining intelligence would be relatively easy.
When I asked why they went to such lengths, they only answered "Coil".
Coil was the most mysterious and moral for lack of a better term of the gang leaders. He was some type of high-end thinker who hired normal human mercenaries and armed them with tinker equipment, though rumors on PHO were that several of his mercenaries were minor thinkers themselves.
He was in an alliance with Accord whose intelligence was thought to increase with the complexity of the issue. It made him great at coming up with detailed plans and counterattacks. Accord seemed to make his money through legitimate businesses, and crime decreased significantly after he took over his territory. Though he was also a known as a parahuman trafficker and there were many reports of people disappearing in his territory.
Thankfully neither of them seemed interested in trying to expand what they controlled. Back when the Teeth ran the docks, the ABB fought Coil all the time to try and expand downtown, but he largely left them alone after they stopped attacking him.
Coil and Accord had once been seen as the weakest of groups back in the days of the Marquis and the newly immigrant Chain Gang from Boston, but that had changed after they managed to stop the last Butcher. They mostly fought the Empire, and the Teeth since both of them kept trying to expand into their territory.
Due to all the added secrecy I had decided to change my plans. I would not be attacking every dealer just yet. I wanted to give the illusion that my range and numbers were smaller than they were until I was ready. My new plan involved attacking the docks section-by-section, and I would let a few of the dealers think they got away
That let me track them to their homes, bug their phones, and infiltrate the higher-ups. I'd build up a list of who the important personnel were, where all their locations were, and everything I could find out about their parahumans.
Once I had the locations, I'd start hiding and building up my forces with specific programing to attack those locations with a list of targets. That way I wouldn't have to constantly travel around directing everything in my personal range. I wanted to take them down in one devastating strike that they would not recover from.
Until then, I'd only occasionally hit a big target of theirs while spying on it and trying to find others. While doing that, I would have the drones map and scan the docks from up high to build a register of faces, movements, and vehicles.
I wasn't going to use the drones as mobile defense platforms as they were more useful to me if no one knew they were there. I also wanted to build a few relay drones as a mobile emergency network but they were so complicated and expensive I had decided to put them off until I planned to start raiding the other gangs after I took over the docks.
I felt the monkeys finish their work, and ordered them to return to their hiding place and enter hibernation. With that all my preparations for tonight were complete.
I opened up my mind and identified two large groups of ABB in the general area through the drones and my birds. About a dozen walking down the street a block over, and thirty-eight others in the nearby warehouse, which I had previously identified as a drug lab. I started gathering the Lusus nearby from their hiding spots in the alleys and abandoned buildings.
I only had one Lusus close enough to ambush the dozen walking down the street, but it was fine if I didn't get them all. The purpose of tonight was to confirm my existence from rumor, and see how they reacted when I put pressure on them.
The nearby Lusus was one of my new newer HX models. I had designed it to have extremely flexible ligaments and for its body to act like a shock absorber from kinetic impacts. The particular unit nearby also had a secret weapon for emergencies I had added in a fit of whimsy. It was dressed as a homeless man and in hibernation behind the dumpster. I waited until the first group was past and then surged it forward.
One of the guys in the back heard the running and turned around just in time to be kicked in the stomach and fly backward in a nearby-parked car. His buddies reacted and moved forward to grab my Lusus as it turned and punched another causing him to fall to the ground.
I jumped the Lusus back as another guy took a swing at him and head butted him in retaliation. The Lusus was too fast for everyone to hit at once and their punches didn't do much while its return punches were knocking them down hard. One of the them yelled an order and they tackled and dog piled it on the ground. Once they were all up close I released the secret weapon.
The chemical I had designed from a skunk's odor poured out from the glands of the Lusus all around it in a large spray. The people on it started to heave and cough as they got up and ran away. I took the time to keep one from standing up, and got him into an arm lock before breaking the arm. One of them had started to vomit and dry heave on their knees. I stepped on his back driving him into the group and threw the Lusus sideways to knock a group of three into the wall.
My Lusus bounced up before they did and I made sure it used powerful directed punches on the men on the ground while avoiding the head. The Lusus were now well programmed enough that they would never kill humans even without the extra processing power of the network.
One of the men farthest from the smell started to pull out a gun, and I signaled the Lusus to rush at him. I felt it take three bullets to the chest but it didn't hit anything vital. The guy with the gun realized a second too late that he should have run as the Lusus went into a flying jump kick that sent the man sailing into the street.
It then turned and went back for the rest of the men who realized what it was from the green blood covering its clothes. They scattered and I ordered it into hunting mode before it left my range. It would now chase and attack any ABB it detected until it was killed or had no more enemies before trying to find a place to hide.
I ordered the trucks to change positions so that the warehouse and the second group were in the middle of my range. I ordered one of the nearby Lusus to move toward my prepared battering ram that used to belong to a nearby dealer. It calmly opened the door, and put on its seat belt. The alarm activated and it started to drive to the warehouse.
I carefully had it maneuver and turn the car around so that it faced the front of the warehouse. Two men that looked like they were guards had guns out. They stared warily at the car. I had it rev the engines and ordered the Lusus to floor it.
It drove full speed heading right for them. Both of the guards' start yelling and shooting and they even mange hit the Lusus a few times through the glass. But a few bullets aren't going to stop it, especially now that the car is going full tilt. They dive out of the way as it plows through the wall and I see people inside reacting with shock and alarm before I lose the connection as the head hits the dashboard.
I observe through the eyes of one my birds looking through the windows. It seems most of the group is composed of workers in their underwear with a few guards stationed nearby. The guards are cautiously moving toward it and that is when I order the snakes inside to start rattling. The guards freeze and I let them see the snakes as they start to swarm out of the bottom of the car before I have the helper monkey on the roof cut the power. That is when the screaming starts.
The two guards at the front are looking at the hole in the wall and jump back when they hear the yelling. They keep looking into the darkened space, which is why they do not see the mimics silently moving toward them. I decide to see how long it takes them to notice, and two of the mimics stand directly behind them without making a noise.
After almost a minute, one of the guards finally turns around and bumps into one of them and for half a second he looks confused. There there is a moment of dawning comprehension before he yells and stumbles back. Which is when I order the mimics to take them. They envelope them in their wings and limbs before injecting them with my latest version of venom that works faster to paralyze.
Inside people are panicking as the rattling continues to spread, and they make a break for the back. A few of the stupider or more desperate guards have started firing at the floor. The muzzle flashes illuminates the tide of snakes and most make a run for it. I can feel the snakes biting at least a few of them as they trip in the dark.
One of the guards is looking frantically for an escape route with a flashlight. As the screaming started going silent, he gets a desperate look on his face while glancing at the window. It took him several seconds to build up the courage, but he makes a run for it after grabbing a nearby coat. He wraps it around himself and dives head first through the glass before crashing through the ground.
I cursed and activated the emergency response drone to go to his location. Going through windows isn't like the movies. You can easily hurt or kill yourself. I move the helper monkey to his location, and curse again when I see all the blood coming from his neck. I have the monkey reach in and pinch the artery shut while the mimics hold him down. I have them tell him to not move, though he starts trying to scream when he sees them. With a sigh, I have them the mimics inject him and I would reiterate again that I am going to heal him. He continues to try and gurgle something as she stops struggling.
The drone arrives kicking up trash, and the three medical spiders drop off and hurry forward. I had made my spiders out of clear plastic to better differentiate them from Bonesaw's. They quickly climb over the man who seems a tad scared and start to treat him. They sew the wound closed, scan his body for other pieces of glass, and inject him with a pain reliever. I have the Mimic hold him down as they break his leg, and autodial 911.
The spiders' head back to the drone just as I get an alert from another in the sky confirming somebody moving over the roofs.
Finally. One of the ABB's parahumans has shown up. Looking through the drone's camera it looks like Oboro from the baldhead. Oboro was a six on the Brute scale with a one in the Mover and Breaker scales according to the PRT's power ratings.
He wore a sort of black robe similar to a monk with a large red Japanese character emblazoned on the back. His mask looked like pictures I had seen of old samurai masks but left room to show his baldhead and thick moustache. From what I remember from Aristotle's file, his power involved a small energy field around him that essentially copied his movements and increases the force of them while also decreasing the force of things entering it. His field also let him decrease the weight his body put on him and whatever he touched making him very light when he wanted to be so he could climb walls and jump with little effort. His brute rating was one higher than normal due to his expertise with Chinese Kenpo.
The convoy started up again and I instructed the trucks to move a little faster. The plan was to cut Oboro off before he could link up with other ABB members. I wanted to observe him fight my Lusus one on one if possible.
Oboro was still running across the rooftop and making fifteen foot jumps between them with ease. I moved two mimics to a building east of him and had them start laughing. If I can get him to the ground, my bear Lusus can hit him head on.
Oboro stops and looks at the mimics. He looks ridiculous with the large moustache hanging out of his mask. He seems to weigh his options for a bit before deciding to fight them. He takes a running leap and clears the street. He lands with a roll and charges at them as they start shrieking as high-pitched as I could make them.
I also order two more of my shock absorber HX models to start climbing the nearby fire escape. If they can get him in a chokehold, he might not be able to leverage his strength.
The mimics stop pretending and rush him as one. I laugh out loud as he reacts in shock. He still looks a little shaken but manages to hit one of them just as they start to envelop him. It pushes it back and crushes part of its light chest.
I can't seem to get a hold on him with the mimics. Their limbs can't penetrate his robe and his strikes force me have the mimics keep their distance so they aren't destroyed.
He suddenly jumps forward and puts his whole body into a two-step strike with a cry crushing the head of the hurt one, and throwing the other back. It takes to the air and goes right back at him. He stands his ground and stops the charge cold while throwing it over his head. I struggle for it to move, but it manages to rip off one of its arms and the injector of the other while it moves in a frenzy trying to hit him. But the light limbs aren't doing much damage thanks to his field. He yells some kind of cry and smashes its head. But jumps beck in shock as it keeps moving. I place it toward the edge and hope he takes the bait with the two HX models waiting on the fire escape.
He yells in triumph and surprises me when jumps straight up into the air and slams down on the mimic with both legs and cracking part of the roof. Thought the triumph changes to shock as he is pulled down on to the fire escape by the HX models and a chaotic melee ensues. His field makes him too strong and the HX too slow for them to get a good hold on him, but they are too close for him to give a really powerful punch. The ones that hit are absorbed like they were designed to.
I manage for one of them to get his arms around Oboro's neck and it starts squeezing, though I can't put too much force on his body with his stupid field. The other begins to wail at his head as fast as I can move its arms. He says his war cry and hits the fire escape with his leg. It causes it to lurch making the Lusus stumble but the one on his back manages to hold on. Emboldened, Oboro aims for the connections to the wall and the fire escape disconnects form the top and starts to tip over.
The balance of the HX is not good enough to compensate and they lose their footing. Oboro manages to jumps up as it falls and grabs a nearby air conditioner. The air conditioner seems fine despite how big he is compared to it.
The Lusus fall to the ground as the fire escape crashes around them. One has a broken arm, but I take pride in the fact that they are remarkably intact. Oboro falls back down and squishes the body of one of them. Can he increase his weight? He roars in triumph and I cue the bear.
I laugh hysterically as the bear barrels into him from behind sending head over heels a fair distance. He manages to look up as it runs at him. If I can get it on top of him, the weight should incapacitate him. If he could use his field to negate the weight of other living things he would have just thrown my Lusus or the mimics far more easily.
I have it roar in his face, but credit where it is due; he roars right back and punches it just as it reaches him. It rocks the head and a few teeth away but it was moving too fast to negate his momentum and he wheezes as it falls on him.
There is some lag due to the the head wound as I have the bear raise up and start punching in a very un bear like manner. He puts his arms up and manages to negate most of the force, but the punches are adding up. He tries to roll away but I just had the bear grapple and squeeze him
I could have just bitten his neck, but that could kill him. So I have the remaining HX move over and press down on his throat with a knee. I'm curious how long it will take him to lose consciousness with his field.
Before I can congratulate myself I suddenly lose my connection to the bear, and the HX turns and sees a knife through its eye held by Oni Lee before it starts to crumble and I feel two more knives enter the HX through its ears. I move a nearby bird and watch Lee as he starts to cut the head off the bear before it starts to melt. He seems strangely wooden and unconcerned, but Oboro reacts with disgust. He doesn't help Oboro up and instead looks down and says something. Oboro looks furious, but manages to stand up and coughing out the remains of the bear. Then Lee turns and disappears.
I decide to move on, I have twelve more areas of the docks to visit and I give the order for half of the hidden Lusus in the docks to enter hunter mode. They will lose, but I can always replace them later on.
I enjoy the openness of my lab after staying in that stuffy truck all night. My mask is planted in a special spot nearby, and I have a warm cup of tea in my hands. My works station is lit up with screens showing various angles of the fights from the camera feeds of the birds and the drones.
It had been an educational and productive night. I had hit twenty-seven dealers, five large groups of ABB, and had some new people to spy on after the warehouse was hit. I did lose more Lusus than I had planned since Lung had personally started sweeping the alleys with the other parahumans to root out them out. Three out of four were dead, but I had enjoyed enraging him when the Lusus ran from him like they were programmed to and went after normal ABB members.
Though Lung really wasn't the problem. He couldn't be everywhere. No the real issue were the guns the ABB had and their movers. I had lost most of my Lusus to simple concentrated arms fire. Once the ABB knew I was in the area, it was hard to take them by surprise. My attempts to isolate and trap them had failed due to Oni Lee and Boli Dun.
Lee acted like a fast response unit. Appearing where he was needed and vanishing to ambush Lusus that were not under my direct control. Boli Dun had been even more of an issue. Her portals transported Lung and Oboro quickly over the battlefield since they were tough enough to take the pressure from them. She was also almost impossible to hit. She reacted too fast before the Lusus could get to her, and seemed unaffected when she transported herself.
I looked over the message Aristotle had sent me on their personal files.
From: ARI532u1@swanswan.go.com
To: GreenHands@swanswan.go.com
Boli Dun- Real name Wei Bai
Shaker 8, Mover 2, Thinker 1
Chinese national who was part of the original Yangban before they started separating powers. Quit and went into hiding after Behemoth hit Beijing and the civil war started. She came to America to try and earn money to bring her extended family here and agreed to work for Lung in exchange. Very short, with a dancers build, and she has just become a young grandmother.
She can create large force fields that look like large panes of glass in her line of sight. They have two modes, one is your standard solid force field, and the second can act like portals between each other. While she can transport people through them, she usually only transports Lung as the space between portals are very cold and crushing. Lung has used her portals as a punishment to give you an idea. So far there has yet to be a ranged attack that can't be blocked or redirected in some way by her, but she does have limit of three force fields up at one time. My gut tells me she also has a minor thinker rating for enhanced reflexes.
She doesn't show much of a personality and doesn't seem to want to be a cape. She would probably leave if you could guarantee safety for her family. She never talks unless spoken to, and does not have an official name. Her name was given by the PRT. She acts as Lung's bodyguard to protect him while he bulks up and never leave Lung's side while wearing one of his old masks.
Kamaitachi. – Real name Haneul Jin
Shaker 7
Has a narrow build, but has put a lot of weight on it recently giving him a large gut combined with his large height. He was part of a previous Korean gang which was defeated and absorbed by Lung. Telekinetic Wind cape. –shifter/mover. Has a powerful telekinetic wind that is powerful over a wide area but he is not too precise with it as he can only push or pull. Has shown the ability to use his power over him in a kind of bubble that can deflect attacks but leaves him stuck for awhile as it takes him time to stop it. He also has to spend time winding up his power periodically to make more wind. He is vulnerable during those times.
Hates Lung and other Japanese members of the gang. He acts arrogant and entitled to those around him and he is not well liked. He was the only parahuman in his gang. Would probably be willing to give you information for the right price as long as it isn't traced back to him.
Oboro- Real name unknown
Brute 6 Mover 1, Breaker 1
Has been a loyal follow of Lung for at least two years. Wears a very stupid mask that shows his bald head, and lets his log moustache hang out. Is not very imaginative or intelligent. Tends to charge straight at nearest enemies without thinking, and has no personal life to speak of.
Has a small energy field around him that essentially copies his movements and increases the force of them while also decreasing the force of things entering it. His field lets him decrease his weight on himself and objects he touches. This lets him move very quickly and he can climb walls with little effort. Is more dangerous than is ratings suggest as he has been practicing Chinese Kenpo for years for hours every day, as he never gets tired.
Gorgon also known as Jagan. Real name is unknown
Height, Weight, and general description are unknown. Powers are reportedly to make something temporarily and progressively weaker/slower and stronger/faster the longer he stares at something. He is new, so there is not too much information on him.
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A word of advice. Be careful. I can tell you are going to stir up the hornets nest and remember that for every action there is an equal or opposite reaction. Lung tends to gather his forces after a major attack and strikes out in a large war party that follows his lead. Don't forget I have confirmation. Lung fought off Leviathan.
I know I shouldn't trust Aristotle, but we had sort of become partners. I at least trusted that he liked the money he earned acting as the middleman for the organ farm. He was a little more open, and even jokey compared to the last few months. He no longer charged me for information.
Based off Aristotle, it was estimated that there were around 1,300 ABB gang members in the city, with most packed in the docks. Most of their income came from drugs, "massage" parlors, and smuggling. They also charged protection money and had several moving gambling dens.
Going over my data and the files, I decide I'm going to need some new Lusus. I need a model with a ranged attack to deal with their movers and slow down Lung. Boli Dun can move and react too fast for my Lusus to get near her. But If I can force her to have to constantly block something, she wouldn't be nearly as effective. I'd like to offer safety for her family, but I can't guarantee it just yet.
It was going to take time to put the ABB out of commission, and strengthened my hold on the docks. Since making another central server didn't look feasible for the moment, the docks were going to be my home base for the time being.
I take a big gulp and then get up to head toward the glass tubes. My schedule has a few extra hours for cutting seeds, since Dad is probably going to sleep in for once after celebrating with Kurt and Lacey. The dockworkers were in a bit of a festive mood ever since the governor's bill had been defeated to the media and everyone's surprise.
It had seemed like a sure thing, but the votes weren't enough to pass and the governor had been backpedaling ever since. The Union and dad got a lot of credit for the victory, and it gave me warm feelings in my heart to see him so proud and happy.
I took control of two other HX models nearby and they locked in step behind me. I had designed this particular model to help me build on a much larger scale. They allowed me to build, repair, and design large amounts of Overmind's implants by being in several places at once.
The S.C.I.O.N. reacted to my thoughts and the holographic computer turned on as I started researching various animals with powerful ranged attacks. The poison glue of certain termites looked promising, or perhaps I could use a spider model to make traps with web. Actually that gives me an idea for using spider silk for my costume. I remember reading it was stronger than Kevlar.
The robotic arms pick my samples, add them to the seed, and cause an electric charge to start the process. In one tube the projected seed growth paths are put on display for how the large termite will look if allowed to fully grow. In the other tube I decided to grow a cow with some spider genes added so I can have enough protein to use for possible upgrades to my costume through its milk.
That done I leave the HX models so I can still observe the new growths and walk to my latest two clones of Othala. She had confirmed that she did have a secondary power that she told no one about. It had taken a little convincing, but I found out what I needed before I sent her to the PRT office in New York. She had a minor master effect with those she gave powers to. The more they used her powers, the more likely they were to listen to her.
That was very similar to my portion of the original Butcher shard. It didn't allow me to just cause pain; I could also manipulate nerves to cause intense pleasure. My hypothesis was the original Butcher created the beginnings of the Teeth by building up an army of addicts with his power.
One of the clones was made using the hybrid method. It was a hybrid of the Butcher and Othala. It had the same motor skills deficiencies, and its brain did not work right when I tried to control it. It had taken me almost the entire weak just to get it to stand. I had carefully mapped its brain and gone step by step to see what power it had, but hadn't had any luck until recently.
Just to see what would happen I removed the Corona Pollentia, and was surprised when it suddenly began to show active use of a power when the small wounds it had started to close. It seemed removing that part of the brain made its power use more instinctual. Sort of like a baby knowing how to suck or someone moving their hand away from a flame.
I had made several other hybrid clones, but this one was still the only one that had a viable power to use. It seemed to be able to give Othala's powers but only to itself. I had yet to figure out how to make it give itself something else beyond regeneration. Though it did give me some good ideas for self-healing Lusus in the future, my dream of an army of parahuman clones was still far off if was even possible.
This was evident by the other clone. Which was just a normal clone that was exactly like Othala in every way. It had a Corona Pollentia, and the same shape of the brain but showed no active power use. If I could figure out a way to give it a trigger event without having it kill a Butcher that could solve all my problems.
There were a few things I could try. Aristotle had offered to contact Toybox and get in touch with some kind of memory Tinker. Though I was skeptical and unsure if I wouldn't make it sentient if I improved its memories and thinking ability.
I could also try and give myself another power that would let me give powers to the Lusus. It would be a question of finding the right DNA sample, but I already had proof it was possible after my latest experiment.
When one Butcher collective killed another, no power transferred. But when I had a hybrid Butcher killed by a regular one, it did transfer. But the same brain issues resulted, and I had no interest in testing that on myself anytime soon.
Especially because I wasn't sure how much I was currently being affected by my new seeds as it was. My Strategic Command Integration and Outreach Node reacted to my thoughts, and I checked my diagnostics more from habit than anything. But again there had been no changes in brain chemistry besides that first night.
I had originally designed the extra implant to monitor my brain for abnormalities. But it was now also designed to periodically give me reminders to focus and make sure I thought things through if I got angry, since my temper had gotten worse.
I had made a few tweaks to my brain, and increased the size of certain parts with my medigel prototype to increase my empathy, and problems solving. But unfortunately it hadn't worked quite as much as I had hoped.
I still took a little too much pleasure in hurting people that deserved it. But beyond that and the bigger temper, I didn't notice any major effects. No voices in my head, no strange urges or tics. My sense of humor had improved according to dad, and I noticed the same thing. It was easier to laugh and I liked to laugh more. But that seemed an unusual response to the presence of two new partial seeds.
I don't think I have become a sociopath. I had gone over studies that had examined how sociopath's brains were different. Their brains didn't fire or react the same way to emotionally charged words like death, liar, or rape for example. While my own brain was now completely unique, it still triggered like it had from previous experiments.
Of course that could change in the future. I was now convinced that the Butcher seed had a very specific purpose in the grand experiment of parahumans. Its job was to spread conflict and trigger events, and help seeds to mature and reproduce. I was still unsure what happened to Butchers when their seeds matured. Did they reproduce and expand into others like normal?
I was a little worried, but I refused to let my paranoia and fears stop me anymore when I chose the name Faust. My name was a symbol and a reminder of what I had risked to make a difference. I would use my powers as I damned well pleased regardless of whatever was behind parahumans thought.
That had the been reason I designed the S.C.I.O.N. implant in the first place. It would periodically send me music, inspiring quotes, and even the sound of my mothers voice if it detected abnormal changes in my brain. Behavioral therapy with the right combination of drugs had shown in numerous studies that anger, depression, and unwanted thoughts could be controlled through practice.
I knew that seeds had some mind of their own and could influence the thought processes of the people they were connected to. So in response I was running a few experiments to see if I could somehow cut off or weaken that connection. The brain was the key since that was the seat of human consciousness, and the right implants could change how a seed connects to the brain. Hopefully the research might even lead to a way to temporarily weaken or even cut off a parahuman from their powers.
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So here is the first chapter of the new arc. A big shout out to t3tsubo. He really gave me good advice and I changed how her power worked a few times. Though I made all his edits useless when I decided to rewrite it again, so a shout of sorry to him as well.
I wanted her powerful, but not so much that the city would be hers in a few days. I also changed her cape name to Faust. I will try to have another chapter in a probably a week or two. Hopefully it isn't too rough.
Also a thanks to Gremlin Jack for the name.
I wanted her powerful, but not so much that the city would be hers in a few days. I also changed her cape name to Faust. I will try to have another chapter in a probably a week or two. Hopefully it isn't too rough.
Also a thanks to Gremlin Jack for the name.
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Hmmm, I see that her various tinker powers are integrating with each other. She is now considering problems that straddle the line between the various specializations without slowing down much.
The mysterious Aristotle, though, is an open question. Is it the Number Man? I'm pretty sure it is him, probably Contessa told him he needs to give regular support to this one tinker to further their schemes. Still, I'm surprised Taylor thinks of him as 'chatty', I just dont see him ever socializing on the job...
The mysterious Aristotle, though, is an open question. Is it the Number Man? I'm pretty sure it is him, probably Contessa told him he needs to give regular support to this one tinker to further their schemes. Still, I'm surprised Taylor thinks of him as 'chatty', I just dont see him ever socializing on the job...
I mention on space battles that I am thinking about changing his Identity.
Everyone guessed it was
Everyone guessed it was
Lisa and I told them it was wrong, but I'm thinking of putting it as there are actually multiple Aristotle working together in a kind of consulting company. It being Lisa doesn't change anything major until a future arc since we won't see her for an arc or two. Though she will see a different Brian who had to survive in a nastier city. If it was Lisa, she did it to earn extra money away from Coil that he knows nothing about. But if still true than the next question becomes how many Thinkers are working together and who is running it. Teacher, Accord, or an OC? The Number man is running her bank accounts for the organ farm though.
jaiveer00
Siding With Thanos
- Location
- The Beginning and The End
is she making shards! like how scions people made them? his are giant continent sized made of flesh while hers are made the size of people?
- Location
- Right in front of you
No, she is just "tricking" shards into connecting to clones as they don't really care if the subject is close enough to the original.
jaiveer00
Siding With Thanos
- Location
- The Beginning and The End
no what i mean is in the paragraph below she is removing the connection to the shard, but the clone still has the power, so is it a shard with cloned powers or something else?
foldimort
Say Moosey Fate
- Location
- UK
As far as I understand shard physics, the Corona Pollentia isn't what the shard connects to, it's just the specialised part of the brain that controls it. I think this is aiming for the theory that when the Pollentia is removed, the power stays around, but the person has no conscious control over it. This is a bit conflicted by
Contessa removing Taylor's power with a 9mm labotomy
but that might not have been Pollentia related at all.
@jaiveer00
It based more off of what Bonesaw said about it in canon. Removing the Corona Pollentia makes the power use more instinctual but does not remove the power. The power is coded to a person's DNA after a trigger event going by how Blasto's tech was used by Bonesaw with long dead members of the 9. Only Cauldron has the means to remove a person's power and it is unsaid how they did it. Taylor's theory is that the only way to remove a parahuman's ability is to affect the brain somehow since that is the seat of human consciousness and messing with that special part of the brain of parahumans does affect how a clone uses its power. She isn't creating shards, it is more like forcing new connections to per-existing ones since the Butcher shard does allow it to connect to the shard of the person who killed its host.
It based more off of what Bonesaw said about it in canon. Removing the Corona Pollentia makes the power use more instinctual but does not remove the power. The power is coded to a person's DNA after a trigger event going by how Blasto's tech was used by Bonesaw with long dead members of the 9. Only Cauldron has the means to remove a person's power and it is unsaid how they did it. Taylor's theory is that the only way to remove a parahuman's ability is to affect the brain somehow since that is the seat of human consciousness and messing with that special part of the brain of parahumans does affect how a clone uses its power. She isn't creating shards, it is more like forcing new connections to per-existing ones since the Butcher shard does allow it to connect to the shard of the person who killed its host.
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Vindictus
XENO
- Location
- Texas
That's Doctor Matriarch to you, buddy-
[Is shot by a well dressed woman in a nice suit]
[Well dressed woman tips fedora and disappears]
Crayz9000
Deranged Bounty Hunter
- Location
- Improbably superpositioned
Just a comment on much of Taylor's speculation in Part 1: sentience is the ability to feel, while sapience is the capability for rational thinking. Dogs are sentient; only humans are sapient, as far as we know (hence the name Homo Sapiens).
earthboy
(verified ape)
- Location
- NYC
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Sentience includes the ability to feel, but that's not the full definition.
It also includes the ability to experience subjectivity, which isn't necessarily part of a dog's repertoire, unless you're granting them some aspects of personhood -- which animal rights activists do, and some other people don't.
- Location
- None
Which probably isn't helped by the fact I can't seem to find a clear definition of person-hood related subjectivity anywhere, or one that isn't subsequently followed by a completely different and contradictory definition.
Edit: Ze typos.
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earthboy
(verified ape)
- Location
- NYC
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Yeah, welcome to the joy of philosophy.
IMHO the important bit is that sentience is associated with agency. So just like a person or a dog, it's a thing that can have its own ideas and goals, and you need to train or mind-control it to make it behave as you want.
Fencer
Writer
- Location
- 2nd shift
- Pronouns
- He/Him
You made Blasto's power amazing by cloning butcher and then adding on two extra tinker holly hellfire man! That is just inspired.
Slow clap.
Just one question, did the PRT manage to nab any of the Empire's capes after Taylor got through with them?
holly hellfire man! That is just inspired.Slow clap.
Just one question, did the PRT manage to nab any of the Empire's capes after Taylor got through with them?
@Fencer
They didn't manage to grab any there. The clearing was too isolated, and the only road was blocked. The managed to get a message to rune and purity who got most of them out of there using rune to transport them. Of course there were alot of injuries and only so many places they could take them, with Kaiser and the parahumans getting first priority at the back alley doctors. The rest had to suffer and bear it or go to the hospital where a few normal members were picked up that had criminal records. But Kaiser is still in incredible agony right now, most of the others are having hearing issues, and they haven't completely got rid of the smell. Kaiser is still in charge, but Hookwolf/Krieg are running day to day stuff.
The chapter is done, and my beta is looking over it. So I should post it sometime in the next day or too. I was late with it because I had to move.
They didn't manage to grab any there. The clearing was too isolated, and the only road was blocked. The managed to get a message to rune and purity who got most of them out of there using rune to transport them. Of course there were alot of injuries and only so many places they could take them, with Kaiser and the parahumans getting first priority at the back alley doctors. The rest had to suffer and bear it or go to the hospital where a few normal members were picked up that had criminal records. But Kaiser is still in incredible agony right now, most of the others are having hearing issues, and they haven't completely got rid of the smell. Kaiser is still in charge, but Hookwolf/Krieg are running day to day stuff.
The chapter is done, and my beta is looking over it. So I should post it sometime in the next day or too. I was late with it because I had to move.
- Location
- Right in front of you
Taylor DID give the New York PRT Othala, but she isn't really going to jail as she will make a deal with the PRT for some Endbringer fight participation as she never really hurt anyone due to her powers. So in total, the E88 capes other than being in pain don't change.
2-2
Seed 2-2
The ABB has been busy the last few days as they reacted to my presence. They have taken to traveling in large groups at night with all of them heavily armed. Thankfully they lack the heavier firepower of the Teeth or the Empire.
Groups are patrolling the alleys and inspecting old buildings to kill any Lusus they can find. The smarter dealers had moved indoors off the streets, while the more brave or stupid ones continued to deal the same way but have surrounded themselves with well armed body guards in nearby cars.
There efforts were annoyingly effective in many ways, but it was far from perfect. They still required far more sleep than I did, and I could track their movements to have my Lusus avoid them with my eyes in the sky.
But their efforts were making it much more difficult to build up the number of Lusus. I hated to admit it, but I just couldn't concentrate the force needed to deal with their parahumans. So I had decided to try a few ideas to cut their patrols down without my Lusus having to be nearby.
My termites Lusus were much larger than I had first intended to make them. They looked vaguely like huge termites but I had designed them to be more crablike and to shoot a glob of glue from their tail instead of the head. They were about as tall as a medium sized dog, but much wider and heavier. It took a bit of work to give them the ability to shoot a wad of their glue, and they needed certain mechanical parts in their tail to provide the acceleration to give them a good range. The drones had to be upgraded a bit to act as spotters, but the termites could now around 300 feet depending on the wind.
They were not the most agile of beings, but they were small enough to slowly climb up fire escapes onto roofs. I carefully coordinated three groups of three to face several dealers and their protectors while I worked on my new avatar in one of my trucks.
My decoy body took a little too long to make with all the implants and weapons, not to mention it was still a bit too scary to send the right message of a hero. In hindsight my attack against the Empire might have been a tad excessive going by PHO.
I was a bit surprised at how scared civilians were of me since I had gone out of way to avoid them while I went after ABB members. Not to mention there were reports of my spiders fixing some of the more serious wounded so they had to know I didn't kill anyone.
But despite all of that, there were numerous calls for Heroes to start patrolling the docks more in response to me. I decided that I needed to work on my image a bit if they were comparing me to Nilbog.
My new avatar to meet people would be a large bird. I felt it would give me the right image of mysterious without being seen as too scary.
The voice had taken some work, but now it would randomly start to change voices after a few words or sentences. It would be making contact with the heroes who would start patrolling the docks more. I finished closing the bird up and activated the S.C.I.O.N.
While the bird looked organic, it was really more of a drone than a normal Lusus. I had built it to be able to act a long distance away from the network, and to be my face to others. It was small and nonthreatening and was mobile enough to get away if someone tried to shoot it.
I had decided to give out the location of another drug lab I had located to the first hero I saw. I wanted to show I could be a useful resource, and to encourage cooperation.
My main focus at the moment was just keeping up the pressure on the ABB and targeting the dealers. I wanted to make it clear that Lung could not protect them from me in any way, shape, or form. Eventually there wouldn't be anyone willing to work as a dealer for the ABB. Not when it came with a guarantee of being attacked. That would give more business to the Empire or the Teeth, but I would deal with them in the future.
The drones moved overhead for fire support, and identified several targets to hit. Two dealers, two nearby cars full of ABB, and large group in an alley were all in range. I gave the command and the termites got to work. They picked up the premade globs of glue with their claws and moved their long tails to push them in. They adjusted the height, and made a "whump" sound as they shot them into the sky.
The ABB were too mobile with Boli Dun and Oni Lee for the termites to get off of the roof in time so I limited their numbers. The termites' bombardment of the dealers was just a decoy anyway. Since the number of Lusus in the docks was still low, I decided to remodel the HX Lusus a bit to give Lung and the ABB a surprise.
The first shots were direct hits on the two dealers and they made a wet smacking sound as they hit them. One was knocked off his feet as a shot hit him in the side of the head, while the other took two shots to the chest causing him to fall down on his back.
The glue was designed to slow down and drug people to sleep with quickly dissipating fumes. They were soft enough that they wouldn't break bones, but I had engineered them to smell terrible and sting.
The first car quickly emptied out with guns drawn. One of them was looking up at nearby buildings, and I laughed as a new shot hit him full in the face flipping him over. That was going to smell terrible when he regained consciousness.
The others ran back to the car with one of them trying to serpentine as the next volley came down. I missed them but some of the glue splashed on them, and the fumes should still affect them after a while. One of my birds moved to give me a better angle and I could see that the driver was struggling to stay up.
I aimed the next volley at the other car whose passengers had decided to stay put, though they had left the windows open to look at the sky. I timed it so two shots went through the windows simultaneously and was rewarded with shouting. They got out of the car coughing before slumping over.
Before I started firing at the group in the alley, I took the time to start calling several ABB foot soldiers numbers in their boss's voices. I gave short and simple instructions to gather reinforcements and start sweeping the streets in the termites range.
I made a PHO account and started a new thread while I waited for the reinforcements to show up. I wanted to try and dispel the rumors about me. At the very least I wanted to give them my chosen cape name. I hated the PRT's choice of Echidna for me.
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♦ Topic: Brockton Bay Safety Tips
In: Boards ► Places ► America ► Brockton Bay Discussion (Public Board)
Faust (Original Poster)
Hello Brockton Bay, my name is Faust.
I am the new cape who has started to fight the ABB in the docks. I started this thread to dispel some rumors about me and to give some helpful tips for keeping safe in the docks.
I want to start by saying I am a Hero. I will never attack civilians, and I do not kill. My creations are called Lusus Naturae. They do not self-replicate and they do not kill under any circumstances either. That said here a few safety tips for those in the docks
1. If you do not mess with the Lusus, they will not mess with you. The Lusus are naturally shy around people and will try to go away from you unless they are under my specific control. As long as you do not attack them, they will avoid or ignore you.
2. If you are member of the ABB, Teeth, or the Empire 88 you should avoid being out in public from the hours of 12am to 12pm, and 12pm to 12 am. I can't guarantee your safety otherwise.
3. If you are truly worried about the Lusus, please put on anything smelling of Lilacs. They actively avoid anything smelling it.
4. If you wish for assistance from the Lusus, please use a whistle and they will come running if nearby. Though if you are trying to ambush them, I have a special surprise prepared just for you.
I knew that my power would never be trusted by the PRT, and that is why for the longest time I never used my power. I was content to keep my head down, and try to avoid everyone. But the gangs forced my hand. I am sick and tired of people being afraid of walking the streets at night. I am sick of people being worried about being attacked for being seen as different, because they're vulnerable, or because the PRT doesn't want things to escalate. Well the gangs escalated first and if they won't hold back, then neither will I.
Hopefully that got my point across. I wanted to be seen as strong, but not crazy.
My attention shifted as the drones picked up all the new targets in shooting range. Most of them came by car, and got out with guns drawn. They were cautious as they started looking at their fallen members.
Their reaction time impressed me. Lung must have ordered them to be on alert for another attack. Though their coordination was still abysmal. There was no one taking command or trying to organize things. Just random groups people waving guns around.
I waited until most were in my range, and opened up with all three groups firing.
Thanks to the darkness and near silence of the glue hitting, there was almost no reaction at first. I aimed for isolated groups and I managed to down a few before people started to realize that others were falling down.
Those that realized what was happening started yelling warnings and moved for cover besides buildings and cars. A handful of them started to fire ineffectually in the air. I focused my fire on those idiots since their bullets could hit someone. I was thankful it was late enough that few people should be outside.
I had positioned the three groups of termites so they could hit several gang members in cover from the opposite side. The gang members started to run around when they started getting hit in cover. It was too dark for them to tell what direction the shots were coming from.
I had to admit that simple firearms were annoying effective when focused on my Lusus. But this way I could hit them, while they couldn't hit me. I would send in my humanoid Lusus to start breaking bones when they fell back.
Eventually they finally started to break and make for their cars. I kept up the rate of fire mostly to keep heads down and to encourage them to leave since I was going to be out of ammo soon.
My drone sent me an alert, and my attention focused on their video showing one of Boli Dun's portals open up a block away and Lung himself pop out. He seemed angry as he rushed forward over roofs heading straight at my group.
I focused all my fire on him, and saw him falter as the glue hit home. It knocked him down and I was momentarily hopeful he would be knocked unconscious before he just exploded. The fire swept over the roof left a bright glare. The flames were being used to counteract the fumes, but the glue was still slowing him down. I kept up the pressure, and I could see Lung visibly fight to stay wake.
That was when I lost connection to one of my groups of termites. A drone shifted its view and I saw a tall figure in a gasmask and covered in what looked like grenades. They had a large grenade launcher resting on their shoulder. From the broken windows it looked like she had used some type of sonic weapon to melt the termites, and their charges. The fumes were covering the area but the gasmask protected her.
Bakuda was the ABB's only tinker and she had a bomber specialization. Lung had given her shelter after she brought too much heat down on herself with the bombings at her alma mater. I motioned a drone to try and track her.
I doubt I would find her location, but I might be able to narrow down the area her lab was in. She was the main priority after Lung since she had started to give her bombs for regular ABB members to use.
Lung struggled to his feet and lit himself on fire to burn off the glue as he ran toward the termites. I moved the two cloaked HX to a building overlooking them and waited.
Lung took no time in smashing the termites. He seemed to relish being able to actually hit my creations for once since most ran or ignored him. After a few minutes I ordered the HX models to start yelling and mocking Lung, and Lung's head instantly went up in their direction.
I made a mental note that he had superhuman senses as he powered up. Though that reinforced the same basic strategy I already had for him.
It involved separating him from his bodyguard, and hitting him hard before he could toughen up. I wanted to make a custom poison for him, but until I could get a better read on his physiology it would be guesswork at best. But his fire prevented me from getting a DNA sample.
Lung started to yell at nothing and I observed that the building was too far to jump across. Lung had brief moment of indecision before he dropped down. I made another note that Lung has become a bit too over reliant on his bodyguard's ability to transport himself.
He was still on fire, and he had started to acquire silver looking scales. His neck was stretching as he leapt up the side of the building. I ordered the HX to remove their cloaks just as he made it up.
Lung's face was blocked with his mask but he was still human looking enough for his body language to show surprise and confusion as he stared at two identical copies of himself. Well not completely identical. The tattoos all over the arms weren't exact since I had greatly enjoyed making tattoo designs. I intended to get one myself I if lived to my eighteenth birthday.
Lung actually took a step back as they started to scream in his voice and jerk back and forth. Large bugs and snakes erupted from under the skin as they started to eat his copies from the inside out. I had them scream in mortal terror and pain as their spines were broken and they were devoured.
Lung blasted them with fire but they were tough enough that I had them suddenly stand still and talk before they were incinerated.
"I am coming for you Lung," they said in his own voice.
I switched my attention away from Lung as I had gotten my point across. There was still a few more hours before dawn to sow paranoia in the ABB's ranks before the warnings of imposters spread. The other dozen Lung look-alikes would now start attacking any ABB they saw and breaking the bones of downed members. The ABB wouldn't shoot at Lung, which allowed me to avoid their gunfire and get close enough to attack them.
I moved the crow into a holding pattern above the docks to wait for the heroes. I wanted to make a good first impression.
==========================
Hannah rode in the back of the PRT van as they sped to the docks. The seat was uncomfortable but she tried not to shift too much. The construct in her hand shifted back and forth between a gun and knife betraying her awkwardness.
Triumph was strangely silent. He usually tried to make small talk to ease tension when we were traveling to a fight. But he seemed to be making a point to not talk with Bastion. Hannah hadn't been in town the last few weeks but from what Battery had said, it seemed that not too many people were making an effort to work with him except for Armsmaster.
Bastion had been one of the top stars in the Protectorate just two months ago. He led his own team, and was seen as having a very versatile and useful power. But that all changed when he was caught on video calling a fan a racial slur who had come up for a simple autograph.
Overnight he had lost all his popularity and been shunned by his team. Director Piggot had always been the practical sort and had invited him to the Bay despite a few objections including Triumph. Bastion had accepted and had arrived at the same time as Weld and Lily in response to the escalating gang violence in the city.
Hannah glanced him over from the corner of her eye. He was wearing his rebranded costume that had been recolored grey with blue highlights. His costume seemed similar to an aviator outfit, and he was one of the few heroes to wear an actual cape. His was a short blue one that covered his left arm. His helmet had been redesigned to be less fancy and he no longer wore his old symbol on the side of it. Kid win had said Bastion had designed if off of an old radio drama about a hero with a jetpack.
Well if Triumph won't ease the tension, then I will she thought. I might not like him either, but we will have to work together. "Bastion, I haven't had a chance to work with you yet, so I wanted to know how tough your fields are."
He looked up and paused for a second before he started to reply. Hard to tell what he was feeling with his helmet. "Depends on how I use them but I can stop a car accelerating at 60 flat though it gives me a little strain. If you are talking about Lung, Armsmaster's calculations say I should be able to contain him for three to four minutes based off his regular growth rate. "
He kept looked briefly at Triumph before turning back to me. "Where is Armsmaster? Considering how interested the Director is in this new cape, I thought he would have volunteered to be here."
"Yeah, considering how cloak and dagger he and the Director have been lately about this new cape, its weird he isn't coming with us," Triumph said. He stops crossing his arms and leans forward. "We could really use Adamant, Sere, and him tonight. What is so important that they had to leave with the fighting going on right now?"
She forcibly made her construct a knife before putting it in a holster. "Well keep this quiet for now, but we got an anonymous call that the Butcher is back in town. We just got confirmation from Shadow Stalker that the Teeth are holding a pit fight right now with the Butcher in attendance. Armsmaster wanted to take advantage of the fact that they will be unprepared and to test his new tranquilizer on the Butcher."
"That's just what we need." Triumph says with a groan.
"Is Armsmaster skilled enough to take on the Butcher and the Teeth with just Adamant and Sere?" Bastion asked with skepticism.
"Armsmaster has been fighting the Butcher for years and he has a new program that allows him to predict how she fights very accurately." Hannah answered. "He is probably the only person in the city who can take her one on one besides a pumped up Lung. He also a new tranquilizer that he is confident can put her out without killing her. He is hoping that her danger sense will not register it as a threat allowing him to inject her. According to Shadow Stalker there are only two other parahumans present. Skinslip to heal the winners and Spree to provide some extra opponents."
"I still think it's a mistake to let Shadow Stalker back out in the field so soon," Triumph said.
"I personally agree with you, but it was not my decision," Hannah said suppressing a sigh. "The therapist agrees that she is headed for a mental break of some kind if she is stuck doing nothing but console duty. I suggested patrolling the quarantine walls in Boston, but there is worry she would run."
"Based off the reports it might be better for her to just be sent to Juvie," Bastion replied. "Why go through so much effort to work with someone so anti-social and who will probably be a problem in the future?"
That is pretty ironic coming from you Hannah thought.
"Politics, and keeping the youth guard from showing up most likely," Triumph said with a sneer. "
Hannah moved her scarf away from her so it was easier to talk. "We didn't know until the video how many issues she actually had. By all accounts she was making progress. She was going to school with decent grades, was part of the track team, and was working with us. She is getting therapy now even if she isn't making much progress, and the PRT doesn't need the image problems right now. I don't like or agree with it, but I can understand why the director chose to let her back into the field if the pit fights are starting again."
"Are the pit fights really so bad?" Bastion asked with curiosity.
"Yes," Hannah answered. "Skidmark came up with the idea for large scale fights to get people to trigger during the sixteenth's reign, but Quarrel has really expanded the concept. She likes to kidnap and force people to fight to build up their forces. You win you get money, drugs, or sex. You lose they heal you just enough to not kill you and force you to fight again.
She paused briefly thinking of all the injuries she had seen. "If you win enough, or they think you aren't worth it they let you go. She is smart enough to keep the deaths down so there isn't too much attention but she had been more brazen in recent times. Kidnapping parahumans for the Teeth to fight, or kidnapping people to bolster numbers. If you trigger they force you to fight for them in the pits if you don't join. They always move locations and no one has had much luck stopping the fights for took long with the exception of Grue drugging Spree to cause his clones to go ballistic. The director wants us in force in response to Echidna, but we can't ignore the pit fight in case there are kidnapped people there."
"So is Echidna the official name for her then?" Triumph asked.
"Until we find out what she is calling herself, the New York office decided to name her that based off of Othala's testimony. All we know right now is that she is going after the ABB, but we should be on guard in case something changes," Hannah warned. " We have been getting numerous conflicting reports about what her power is."
Her ear bud beeped and she quickly tapped it. "Miss Militia here. What is it Vista?"
"We have a report of Kamaitachi pinning down two police officers in your vicinity. At least two other armed gang members are also on site, but no other parahumans reported." Hannah inwardly smiled at the fact that Vista always tried to make her voice sound deeper and more professional when she had console duty. She looked at the Triumph and Bastion who nodded their heads and answered that they were on their way.
Hannah signaled the driver and he turned to accelerate toward the officers pinned down. She tapped her earpiece and ordered Assault and Battery to meet up with Velocity and Dauntless on the east end. They'd move in from the opposite direction after they put Kamaitachi in custody and meet in the middle.
They drove for only a few minutes before the driver stopped and they got out. Hannah scanned down the street and saw Kamaitachi standing in the middle of the street with his arms down. He had on his narrow mask, but was wearing what looked a bathrobe instead of his costume with his large gut jutting through it.
All around him things bent and moved like they were in a hurricane but without any sound of heavy wind. Debris was being thrown at the two officers taking cover behind their patrol car with a third lying on the ground. The mute wind was too strong for them to fully stand up, and four ABB members were taking pot-shots at them with pistols.
"Bastion provide cover for us from the wind and head at your best pace to the officers position. We will be right behind you." Hannah ordered. Her knife turned into a large rifle filled with less lethal rubber bullets. She took aim and fired off shot after shot with her power reloading automatically.
Kamaitachi screamed as his knees were hit and he fell on his arms. His wind gave him some protection but not enough for that not to have hurt. He waved his arms and a bubble of debris was gathered and moved around him with surprising speed before her next few shots hit him. While her shots had failed to penetrate his shield, the wind affecting the street had stopped. He shouted orders to the gunmen as he limped to cover.
They switched targets to us, but Bastion put his arms up and a bluish light appeared as the bullets were stopped right in front of him. He took off at a light jog with Triumph and Miss Militia right behind him.
Triumph took the time to use his power when we passed an overturned car. He shouted with a loud scream and it was sent tumbling toward the gunmen. They stopped firing and backed away in panic but it stopped just in front of them to give us more cover. I took the time to put one of them down after he moved out of cover.
Bastion took position in front of the patrol car and Hannah checked on the downed officer. "What happened?" she asked the officers as checked him over.
"He was got hit in the head," the one with the large mustache answered.
"Sir can you hear me," Hannah asked. Getting no response she rubbed the bony part of her knuckles on his sternum to check for pain. Getting no response again she checked and felt a pulse. She turned her gun back into a knife and placed it under his nose and saw he wasn't breathing.
At that moment Kamaitachi started his mute hurricane again though Bastion's shield kept the worst of it off of us.
Hannah used the jaw thrust maneuver to open up his airway in case he had a neck injury, and was relieved that he had started to weakly breathe again. She motioned to the ABB who had started to run after seeing the wind wasn't affecting them. "Go after them, I will take care of him until the ambulance gets here."
Bastion nodded once in acknowledgement and took off after the retreating gunmen. The police officers looked torn between staying and helping but decided to go when Hannah pulled on the EMT bag she had attached to her back.
Hannah pulled on the penlight and checked his pupils. She was just about give him an injection when she realized he had stopped breathing again. She cursed and pulled out the bag-valve mask and started to squeeze to air into his lungs.
"I can help," a voice behind her said.
Hannah twirled around and an automatic shotgun appeared in her hands. A bird she thought in confusion?
It looked like a large crow, but was a dark and mossy green. What most stood out was the human eye blinking in the middle of its forehead. It was perched on the police siren, and its voice sounded like an old mans.
"You going to fight me," she asked while keeping the gun trained on it. She desperately wanted to get back to helping the injured officer, but she couldn't take a chance in case they were attacked.
"Of course not. I'm a hero", the crow said. It was extremely disconcerting to hear it change voices. "Quickly keep pumping the bag until my medical unit gets here. I am a very good healer, and I promise you I will not attack you".
Hannah kept her gun trained, but after a moment of thought relented. She immediately went back to pumping the bag.
The bird flapped near the head of the officer and stared intently at his head. "There is some swelling and some possible internal bleeding," it said with a young man's voice now.
Hannah kept pumping as she heard a mechanical whirring sound. She managed to stay calm as six large mechanical looking spiders came running out of a nearby alley. They looked like they were made of a clear green plastic, and they had equipment built into them. They stopped just behind the bird and spread around the down officer.
"I will take it from here," the bird said.
After some hesitation Hannah stopped pumping and stood up. Another shotgun appeared in her hands as she pointed it at her feet.
The spiders got to work in a hurry. One of them expanded something from its front to make a mask on his face. Another made a whirring sound as a red light went over the officer's head.
The bird hopped onto one of the spiders. "I have to operate. Please do not fire as I open him up."
Hannah pointed her gun up briefly before nodding.
One of the spiders let out arms ending in tools and Hannah winced as she heard the skull being drilled open. The spiders moved quickly and methodically. In only a few minutes they had stopped. Another sprayed some sort of foam before they closed him up. Afterward the bird looked intently at his head before the spiders took off back to the alley. "He will be fine now," the bird said in relief. "You might want to take to the hospital to make sure, but he will make a full recovery."
For a moment Hannah wondered at the surreal situation before asking, "Are you really a hero?"
The bird flew back up to the police siren before turning back around. "Yes, you may call me Faust."
"You don't act like a hero."
"What do you mean?" Faust or what Hannah assumed was some kind of avatar twisted its head on its side to look at her quizzically. "I have been fighting villains and I do not kill. I have also started intelligence operations to sniff out their secrets. In fact I was looking for you or other heroes to tell you that there is a drug lab three streets over at the end of the street. My Lusus are currently busy attacking isolated groups of ABB members and I currently lack the force to attack it right now."
Hannah narrowed her eyes. " You have been picking fights that is escalating violence in the city and seriously injuring people. You have been openly attacking ABB members, and civilians with ties to the Empire in the street. While capturing wanted villains is fine, you can't just go around attacking whomever you feel like. There are rules and laws to be followed and they have rights.
"RIGHTS? What about the right to not be scared of walking down the street at night!" the bird screamed. "They support organizations that murder, that poison the minds of others, that make victims of innocents. What city do you live in?"
"Look" Hannah said. "You say you are a hero. A hero works with the PRT and has training; they follow rules, and regulations. If a policeman or a hero crosses a line there are consequences. Without those you are a vigilante. There is nothing stopping you from abusing your power and deciding what justice is."
"Isn't basic self defense vigilante justice?" the bird asks. "Should the people of the docks wait for you to act while they are being attacked?"
"But it isn't the people of the docks. It is just you deciding on your definition of justice. Look I think you mean well, and I won't deny that we could use some help. But you have to realize that you are scaring people. Do not pretend that you do not notice similarities with your power and Nilbog's"
"I AM NOT NILBOG!" The bird is shaking with rage in a young girl's voice, and Hannah instinctively puts her hand on her gun.
"Then prove it. Prove to people that you are a hero, and come with me to the PRT headquarters. You can talk things over with the director, and show people they don't' have to be afraid of you."
The bird is quiet for a moment. "I apologize for scaring anyone, but I can't right now. There are still a few things I must do tonight. But I do want to meet. Contact me on PHO, and we can arrange a meeting. "
With a final look at Hannah, the bird flew away.
===========================================
I woke up at the sound of the alarm and lazily turned if off. I got up and stretched as I went over phone records, and video of last nights attack.
The S.C.I.O.N. gave me a quick update on the status of my Lusus, and my most recent intelligence summary. One of the ABB I had under surveillance had made a call to someone asking to work for them. Seems he didn't think working, as a dealer was the safest profession.
I walked to the bathroom to brush my teeth as I searched the name through a few public databases. I had over a dozen matches in the Brockton bay area, and I would have it narrowed down by the end of the day. This could be a good lead on the ABB's smuggling operations.
I yawned as I read up on the news. Yawning is a little surreal to me since I think I have the capability to completely remove my need to sleep at this point. But I decided to maintain an hour or two and make sure I can enter REM sleep quicker. There was the theory that sleep can help clear negative emotions, and considering how I had acted just after my experiment, I thought it couldn't hurt. I was curious if Noctis cases or parahumans who did not require sleep had similarities in their brains.
I splashed some cold water in my face and activated my internal scanner as I brushed. My teeth were in good health, though I would want to have a spider do some basic maintenance when I got back to the lab. The spiders had been used to do a little dental surgery to improve my smile. I didn't anything too noticeable since I didn't want Dad to get suspicious.
I took a moment to admire my body in the mirror. I really loved Bonesaw's seed. All the enhancements, as well as one or two cosmetic changes, looked completely natural. You couldn't tell anything was different. Though my left eye implant was acting up again when I tried to replay video of last nights skirmish through my optical nerve.
I walked back to my room and opened the closet. I removed the hidden panel in the back and pulled out the suitcase to retrieve the mechanical arms that I could wear over my regular ones. I had made them to let me do surgery more quickly and efficiently. I put on the left one, and the mechanical tools attached sprang to life. I turned off my pain and carefully removed my right eye. The scan showed everything was fine, but I gently peeled back the skin to check to make sure. I tweaked the mechanical components a little, put everything back in, and added a little of my prototype medigel to help accelerate the healing process.
My vision was much better than a normal person, with a few improvements including superior night vision and telescopic sight. I didn't need glasses anymore, but I was so used to them that my face felt a little weird without them. Not to mention dad would wonder when I got contacts.
I carefully packed the arm back in the suitcase, and closed the panel back up. My body decoy Lusus had been recycled so there was plenty of room. I needed to work on a better way to keep it hidden and update its programming so it seemed more natural while it slept. I needed to record myself sleeping to see if I really snored like Dad insisted was true.
I picked a simple blouse, and pants to wear today. Now that money was no longer an issue, I could have afforded some new clothes, but I wanted to hide my income from Dad. I had never been much of a shopper anyway. Though Dad insisted I needed some new clothes due to my recent growth spurt.
I started to brush my hair my hair in the mirror by my door. I was surprised that I couldn't smell Dad's cooking. He usually insisted on cooking me breakfast if he had the day off. I did get a trace of what smelled like new cologne. That was curious. When had Dad started wearing cologne?
I walked down the stairs and stopped in the middle to stare at Dad. He was drinking a cup of coffee while he read the paper. He had still dressed like he was going to work even though he was off today.
I stared because he had completely shaved his head, which was very suspicious. He had been talking about fully shaving it ever since he had started going bald. But he had never done it until know. Thinking of it, he had been uncharacteristically happy recently. I had thought it was in celebration of the defeat of the governors bill but was it possible Dad had met someone on his trip?
I greeted Dad with a smile. Dad had never been a big talker but my efforts to improve our connection and do activities together had been very fruitful. We were much more open with each other than we had been in years.
"What no breakfast?" I asked.
He carefully folded up the paper, and looked up at me. "I thought we'd eat out today kiddo".
Okay he definitely met someone I thought. He had spent a considerable effort shaving and grooming his face. I tried not to let my suspicions show. "That sounds great. Where at, Fugly Bobs?"
"I'm thinking Italian. Maybe someplace nice like Valentino's. "
"Ohhhh fancy. You want me to drive? "
"I'd like to not have a heart attack so no. If I ever need to destroy trashcans, I'll know who to call."
"One time dad. That happened one time." I said with a laugh as I went to get my shoes.
I ran upstairs to get my shoes, and on a whim checked up on my PHO thread, which had 30 pages already. I took my time to read over a few posts. Most were asking me questions or debating my actions. There was also numerous photos and video showing a few of my Lusus including my spiders fixing the policeman.
It seemed there was a lively debate about my actions, and quite a few comparisons to Nilbog. The thread seemed split between those that applauded my taking the fight to the ABB and the Empire, and those that thought I was escalating things.
I searched through the thread and found a message from Miss Militia asking to meet. I messaged her through the drones that I would let her know as soon as I had time to meet her.
I needed to plan where and how to meet the PRT. I could use the network drones I built to let me operate a small number of Lusus without the central server. Should I go in my costume or use the bird avatar again?
Thinking of Miss Militia's accusations of not acting like a hero made my implant say a mantra about control in my own voice. She had made me so angry. I wouldn't have done anything if the PRT was more effective. It was obvious that they weren't protecting anyone to any great degree. They had failed to stop the Butcher in the past, and the gangs were as strong as ever. What progress had they made?
Despite my less than perfect first meeting, the night had been a success overall. I had taken out even more ABB foot soldiers and the video of the heroes in action had been inspiring. My Lusus were much more effective when the Protectorate could distract and occupy the ABB parahumans. Still going from what Miss Militia had said and the fact that the drug lab hadn't been hit yet, I don't think the heroes are anxious to work with me.
But last night had proved that having parahuman allies would make things easier and I did have other options. If they wouldn't work with me, maybe the other independent heroes would. New Wave might be open to a meeting, and I do still owe them a debt to repay. There were also two independent heroes in the city besides New Wave right now.
Epoch was supposed to be some kind of time traveler, and was supposed to be really strong. He was very active on PHO and he had made it clear he wasn't interested in joining the Protectorate.
The other independent hero was Phoenix. There was actual video of her in action fighting the Teeth and the ABB. There was currently a debate on PHO about her chosen name since there were already other heroes with a Phoenix name or theme. She was minor changer and brute, but her main ability had the main reason there was a debate because it matched Phoenix very well. She couldn't die. Killing her caused her body to disappear, and she usually showed back up three days with no issue.
Working with them could make me more effective and improve my chances of taking down Bakuda and Lung. If they were gone, I was positive I could take the docks outright after some more preparation.
Once I knew where to hit and if I could get project X to work, I was going to…
"Taylor are you cobbling shoes? You coming or what?"
"Coming," I said suppressing a sigh as a melody went off in my ears. I wasn't angry I thought at the S.C.I.O.N. I would have to tweak it some more so it could tell the difference between annoyance and anger. I quickly put on my shoes and got into the car.
Dad whistled with the radio as we drove. It was a new experience traveling somewhere else besides downtown or the docks. Everything is much cleaner somehow in the Downs with well-manicured lawns, fresh painted stores, no graffiti or trash. It was nice but seemed a little sterile and without character.
I browsed the web, and checked the latest foot traffic data while we waited to be seated. I really loved Overmind's seed even if her tech didn't work exactly as I would have liked all the time. The restaurant was a lot nicer than I was used to. Live music was playing, and there was hint of flowers in the air. We ordered and Dad sat across from me.
"So how was the capitol?" I asked biting into a breadstick. I had strategically moved the basket closer to me since I was hungrier than usual.
"A real mess to be honest," Dad said with a grim face. "We weren't the only group there protesting the bill, and there were a few scuffles with police. I'm not sure how it didn't pass, but I'm thankful it did. I was worried a few of the dockworkers would have done something rash without thinking things through."
The waiter comes and we order. Dad gets a fishplate and I order pasta. "So Dad." I carefully drink my lemonade and try to keep my face normal. "What is her name?"
"What? Her who?" He tries to look puzzled but I can see that he is trying to hide something. He always touches the back of his neck when he lies. Mom told me that in confidence a long time ago.
"Come on Dad, I can see the signs," I said holding up my fingers. "You finally shaved your head after years of inaction, you are wearing cologne for the first time in who knows how long, and I know how you are. I know you would be happy from the bill being defeated, but you wouldn't be in such a good mood from that alone. You seem much happier than normal."
"I'm happy? You have to tell me what you've done with my daughter. I haven't seen you so relaxed in forever Taylor. You're smiling all the time, and you have this pep in your step. I haven't seen you like this since the time you got to see big bird in person," he said jokingly.
"I've just had a lot of good luck lately," I said keeping my face straight. Dad had gotten better at reading me since we had grown a little closer, but the S.C.I.O.N had helpfully analyze my micro expressions and helped to build a database to better read people. So I had a little experience at lying convincingly.
I turned things around and looked at him suspiciously. "Don't think I haven't noticed you are trying to change the subject. Spill."
"Well yes I did meet someone and we sort of hit it off," Dad said growing a little red. He had crossed his arms and was leaning a bit back in his chair. The S.C.I.O.N. helpfully pointed out he was a little embarrassed.
I mind whirled with astonishment. Oh my god, my dad was blushing! I can't remember the last time he had blushed. Who was this woman? Whoever they were Dad really liked her. "I knew it," I said with triumph. "So come on, details."
"Well, she was a PRT officer who was a strong supporter of what we were trying to do, and we got to talking, and it turns out she is from Brockton. We saw each other a few times during the week, and we got to talking for hours without realizing it.
"Who asked who?" I said with a smile.
"Let me finish." Dad said waving a breadstick at me. He was still a little red, but he had relaxed. "So we started to talk about the economy, and you came up quite a bit. One thing led to another and I asked her to get a cup of coffee. Which turned into dinner and another coffee date." Dad actually looked a little proud.
"What does she look like?"
"She's about 5ft 8, light brown skin, with a short and wavy brown hair. She is has a bit of an athlete's build, with a very pretty face," he said. "Look I wanted to talk with you first."
He leaned forward and held my hands. "Are you okay with me dating? I know I didn't really talk about it and it hasn't been that long since your mom passed. If you aren't comfortable with it I'll understand. I will tell her we have to take it slow"
He looks me right in the eye and I am touched that he is completely sincere. He really would hold things off for me I realized feeling guilty.
"Dad, I know mom would want you to be happy, and I feel the same way," I said giving his hands a squeeze. "I love seeing you with a smile on your face. If you like her, I'm sure she is amazing. She'd be lucky to have you. When do I get to meet her?"
"Well we were talking about having dinner at the house later this week depending on what you said," he says a little teary eyed.
Dammit dad. If you get teary, I'm going to get teary.
"I think that is a wonderful idea Dad," I say with a smile. "I'll cook if you don't mind."
"I don't mind at all. Besides your cooking has far surpassed mine at this point." He looks so relieved and happy.
I put a grave scowl over my face as I put my hand over his. I look him straight in the eye with a stern expression. "Dad, there is something we do have to talk about".
"Yes, Taylor?" he asks. He is looking a little concerned.
"Do I have to give you the talk?"
"What"? He starts cracking up and laughs really hard before throwing a napkin at me. "Smartass".
"So what's her name?" I ask with a grin.
Dad looks momentarily embarrassed. "I don't actually know what her last name is, but her first name is Hannah."
The ABB has been busy the last few days as they reacted to my presence. They have taken to traveling in large groups at night with all of them heavily armed. Thankfully they lack the heavier firepower of the Teeth or the Empire.
Groups are patrolling the alleys and inspecting old buildings to kill any Lusus they can find. The smarter dealers had moved indoors off the streets, while the more brave or stupid ones continued to deal the same way but have surrounded themselves with well armed body guards in nearby cars.
There efforts were annoyingly effective in many ways, but it was far from perfect. They still required far more sleep than I did, and I could track their movements to have my Lusus avoid them with my eyes in the sky.
But their efforts were making it much more difficult to build up the number of Lusus. I hated to admit it, but I just couldn't concentrate the force needed to deal with their parahumans. So I had decided to try a few ideas to cut their patrols down without my Lusus having to be nearby.
My termites Lusus were much larger than I had first intended to make them. They looked vaguely like huge termites but I had designed them to be more crablike and to shoot a glob of glue from their tail instead of the head. They were about as tall as a medium sized dog, but much wider and heavier. It took a bit of work to give them the ability to shoot a wad of their glue, and they needed certain mechanical parts in their tail to provide the acceleration to give them a good range. The drones had to be upgraded a bit to act as spotters, but the termites could now around 300 feet depending on the wind.
They were not the most agile of beings, but they were small enough to slowly climb up fire escapes onto roofs. I carefully coordinated three groups of three to face several dealers and their protectors while I worked on my new avatar in one of my trucks.
My decoy body took a little too long to make with all the implants and weapons, not to mention it was still a bit too scary to send the right message of a hero. In hindsight my attack against the Empire might have been a tad excessive going by PHO.
I was a bit surprised at how scared civilians were of me since I had gone out of way to avoid them while I went after ABB members. Not to mention there were reports of my spiders fixing some of the more serious wounded so they had to know I didn't kill anyone.
But despite all of that, there were numerous calls for Heroes to start patrolling the docks more in response to me. I decided that I needed to work on my image a bit if they were comparing me to Nilbog.
My new avatar to meet people would be a large bird. I felt it would give me the right image of mysterious without being seen as too scary.
The voice had taken some work, but now it would randomly start to change voices after a few words or sentences. It would be making contact with the heroes who would start patrolling the docks more. I finished closing the bird up and activated the S.C.I.O.N.
While the bird looked organic, it was really more of a drone than a normal Lusus. I had built it to be able to act a long distance away from the network, and to be my face to others. It was small and nonthreatening and was mobile enough to get away if someone tried to shoot it.
I had decided to give out the location of another drug lab I had located to the first hero I saw. I wanted to show I could be a useful resource, and to encourage cooperation.
My main focus at the moment was just keeping up the pressure on the ABB and targeting the dealers. I wanted to make it clear that Lung could not protect them from me in any way, shape, or form. Eventually there wouldn't be anyone willing to work as a dealer for the ABB. Not when it came with a guarantee of being attacked. That would give more business to the Empire or the Teeth, but I would deal with them in the future.
The drones moved overhead for fire support, and identified several targets to hit. Two dealers, two nearby cars full of ABB, and large group in an alley were all in range. I gave the command and the termites got to work. They picked up the premade globs of glue with their claws and moved their long tails to push them in. They adjusted the height, and made a "whump" sound as they shot them into the sky.
The ABB were too mobile with Boli Dun and Oni Lee for the termites to get off of the roof in time so I limited their numbers. The termites' bombardment of the dealers was just a decoy anyway. Since the number of Lusus in the docks was still low, I decided to remodel the HX Lusus a bit to give Lung and the ABB a surprise.
The first shots were direct hits on the two dealers and they made a wet smacking sound as they hit them. One was knocked off his feet as a shot hit him in the side of the head, while the other took two shots to the chest causing him to fall down on his back.
The glue was designed to slow down and drug people to sleep with quickly dissipating fumes. They were soft enough that they wouldn't break bones, but I had engineered them to smell terrible and sting.
The first car quickly emptied out with guns drawn. One of them was looking up at nearby buildings, and I laughed as a new shot hit him full in the face flipping him over. That was going to smell terrible when he regained consciousness.
The others ran back to the car with one of them trying to serpentine as the next volley came down. I missed them but some of the glue splashed on them, and the fumes should still affect them after a while. One of my birds moved to give me a better angle and I could see that the driver was struggling to stay up.
I aimed the next volley at the other car whose passengers had decided to stay put, though they had left the windows open to look at the sky. I timed it so two shots went through the windows simultaneously and was rewarded with shouting. They got out of the car coughing before slumping over.
Before I started firing at the group in the alley, I took the time to start calling several ABB foot soldiers numbers in their boss's voices. I gave short and simple instructions to gather reinforcements and start sweeping the streets in the termites range.
I made a PHO account and started a new thread while I waited for the reinforcements to show up. I wanted to try and dispel the rumors about me. At the very least I wanted to give them my chosen cape name. I hated the PRT's choice of Echidna for me.
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♦ Topic: Brockton Bay Safety Tips
In: Boards ► Places ► America ► Brockton Bay Discussion (Public Board)
Faust (Original Poster)
Hello Brockton Bay, my name is Faust.
I am the new cape who has started to fight the ABB in the docks. I started this thread to dispel some rumors about me and to give some helpful tips for keeping safe in the docks.
I want to start by saying I am a Hero. I will never attack civilians, and I do not kill. My creations are called Lusus Naturae. They do not self-replicate and they do not kill under any circumstances either. That said here a few safety tips for those in the docks
1. If you do not mess with the Lusus, they will not mess with you. The Lusus are naturally shy around people and will try to go away from you unless they are under my specific control. As long as you do not attack them, they will avoid or ignore you.
2. If you are member of the ABB, Teeth, or the Empire 88 you should avoid being out in public from the hours of 12am to 12pm, and 12pm to 12 am. I can't guarantee your safety otherwise.
3. If you are truly worried about the Lusus, please put on anything smelling of Lilacs. They actively avoid anything smelling it.
4. If you wish for assistance from the Lusus, please use a whistle and they will come running if nearby. Though if you are trying to ambush them, I have a special surprise prepared just for you.
I knew that my power would never be trusted by the PRT, and that is why for the longest time I never used my power. I was content to keep my head down, and try to avoid everyone. But the gangs forced my hand. I am sick and tired of people being afraid of walking the streets at night. I am sick of people being worried about being attacked for being seen as different, because they're vulnerable, or because the PRT doesn't want things to escalate. Well the gangs escalated first and if they won't hold back, then neither will I.
Hopefully that got my point across. I wanted to be seen as strong, but not crazy.
My attention shifted as the drones picked up all the new targets in shooting range. Most of them came by car, and got out with guns drawn. They were cautious as they started looking at their fallen members.
Their reaction time impressed me. Lung must have ordered them to be on alert for another attack. Though their coordination was still abysmal. There was no one taking command or trying to organize things. Just random groups people waving guns around.
I waited until most were in my range, and opened up with all three groups firing.
Thanks to the darkness and near silence of the glue hitting, there was almost no reaction at first. I aimed for isolated groups and I managed to down a few before people started to realize that others were falling down.
Those that realized what was happening started yelling warnings and moved for cover besides buildings and cars. A handful of them started to fire ineffectually in the air. I focused my fire on those idiots since their bullets could hit someone. I was thankful it was late enough that few people should be outside.
I had positioned the three groups of termites so they could hit several gang members in cover from the opposite side. The gang members started to run around when they started getting hit in cover. It was too dark for them to tell what direction the shots were coming from.
I had to admit that simple firearms were annoying effective when focused on my Lusus. But this way I could hit them, while they couldn't hit me. I would send in my humanoid Lusus to start breaking bones when they fell back.
Eventually they finally started to break and make for their cars. I kept up the rate of fire mostly to keep heads down and to encourage them to leave since I was going to be out of ammo soon.
My drone sent me an alert, and my attention focused on their video showing one of Boli Dun's portals open up a block away and Lung himself pop out. He seemed angry as he rushed forward over roofs heading straight at my group.
I focused all my fire on him, and saw him falter as the glue hit home. It knocked him down and I was momentarily hopeful he would be knocked unconscious before he just exploded. The fire swept over the roof left a bright glare. The flames were being used to counteract the fumes, but the glue was still slowing him down. I kept up the pressure, and I could see Lung visibly fight to stay wake.
That was when I lost connection to one of my groups of termites. A drone shifted its view and I saw a tall figure in a gasmask and covered in what looked like grenades. They had a large grenade launcher resting on their shoulder. From the broken windows it looked like she had used some type of sonic weapon to melt the termites, and their charges. The fumes were covering the area but the gasmask protected her.
Bakuda was the ABB's only tinker and she had a bomber specialization. Lung had given her shelter after she brought too much heat down on herself with the bombings at her alma mater. I motioned a drone to try and track her.
I doubt I would find her location, but I might be able to narrow down the area her lab was in. She was the main priority after Lung since she had started to give her bombs for regular ABB members to use.
Lung struggled to his feet and lit himself on fire to burn off the glue as he ran toward the termites. I moved the two cloaked HX to a building overlooking them and waited.
Lung took no time in smashing the termites. He seemed to relish being able to actually hit my creations for once since most ran or ignored him. After a few minutes I ordered the HX models to start yelling and mocking Lung, and Lung's head instantly went up in their direction.
I made a mental note that he had superhuman senses as he powered up. Though that reinforced the same basic strategy I already had for him.
It involved separating him from his bodyguard, and hitting him hard before he could toughen up. I wanted to make a custom poison for him, but until I could get a better read on his physiology it would be guesswork at best. But his fire prevented me from getting a DNA sample.
Lung started to yell at nothing and I observed that the building was too far to jump across. Lung had brief moment of indecision before he dropped down. I made another note that Lung has become a bit too over reliant on his bodyguard's ability to transport himself.
He was still on fire, and he had started to acquire silver looking scales. His neck was stretching as he leapt up the side of the building. I ordered the HX to remove their cloaks just as he made it up.
Lung's face was blocked with his mask but he was still human looking enough for his body language to show surprise and confusion as he stared at two identical copies of himself. Well not completely identical. The tattoos all over the arms weren't exact since I had greatly enjoyed making tattoo designs. I intended to get one myself I if lived to my eighteenth birthday.
Lung actually took a step back as they started to scream in his voice and jerk back and forth. Large bugs and snakes erupted from under the skin as they started to eat his copies from the inside out. I had them scream in mortal terror and pain as their spines were broken and they were devoured.
Lung blasted them with fire but they were tough enough that I had them suddenly stand still and talk before they were incinerated.
"I am coming for you Lung," they said in his own voice.
I switched my attention away from Lung as I had gotten my point across. There was still a few more hours before dawn to sow paranoia in the ABB's ranks before the warnings of imposters spread. The other dozen Lung look-alikes would now start attacking any ABB they saw and breaking the bones of downed members. The ABB wouldn't shoot at Lung, which allowed me to avoid their gunfire and get close enough to attack them.
I moved the crow into a holding pattern above the docks to wait for the heroes. I wanted to make a good first impression.
==========================
Hannah rode in the back of the PRT van as they sped to the docks. The seat was uncomfortable but she tried not to shift too much. The construct in her hand shifted back and forth between a gun and knife betraying her awkwardness.
Triumph was strangely silent. He usually tried to make small talk to ease tension when we were traveling to a fight. But he seemed to be making a point to not talk with Bastion. Hannah hadn't been in town the last few weeks but from what Battery had said, it seemed that not too many people were making an effort to work with him except for Armsmaster.
Bastion had been one of the top stars in the Protectorate just two months ago. He led his own team, and was seen as having a very versatile and useful power. But that all changed when he was caught on video calling a fan a racial slur who had come up for a simple autograph.
Overnight he had lost all his popularity and been shunned by his team. Director Piggot had always been the practical sort and had invited him to the Bay despite a few objections including Triumph. Bastion had accepted and had arrived at the same time as Weld and Lily in response to the escalating gang violence in the city.
Hannah glanced him over from the corner of her eye. He was wearing his rebranded costume that had been recolored grey with blue highlights. His costume seemed similar to an aviator outfit, and he was one of the few heroes to wear an actual cape. His was a short blue one that covered his left arm. His helmet had been redesigned to be less fancy and he no longer wore his old symbol on the side of it. Kid win had said Bastion had designed if off of an old radio drama about a hero with a jetpack.
Well if Triumph won't ease the tension, then I will she thought. I might not like him either, but we will have to work together. "Bastion, I haven't had a chance to work with you yet, so I wanted to know how tough your fields are."
He looked up and paused for a second before he started to reply. Hard to tell what he was feeling with his helmet. "Depends on how I use them but I can stop a car accelerating at 60 flat though it gives me a little strain. If you are talking about Lung, Armsmaster's calculations say I should be able to contain him for three to four minutes based off his regular growth rate. "
He kept looked briefly at Triumph before turning back to me. "Where is Armsmaster? Considering how interested the Director is in this new cape, I thought he would have volunteered to be here."
"Yeah, considering how cloak and dagger he and the Director have been lately about this new cape, its weird he isn't coming with us," Triumph said. He stops crossing his arms and leans forward. "We could really use Adamant, Sere, and him tonight. What is so important that they had to leave with the fighting going on right now?"
She forcibly made her construct a knife before putting it in a holster. "Well keep this quiet for now, but we got an anonymous call that the Butcher is back in town. We just got confirmation from Shadow Stalker that the Teeth are holding a pit fight right now with the Butcher in attendance. Armsmaster wanted to take advantage of the fact that they will be unprepared and to test his new tranquilizer on the Butcher."
"That's just what we need." Triumph says with a groan.
"Is Armsmaster skilled enough to take on the Butcher and the Teeth with just Adamant and Sere?" Bastion asked with skepticism.
"Armsmaster has been fighting the Butcher for years and he has a new program that allows him to predict how she fights very accurately." Hannah answered. "He is probably the only person in the city who can take her one on one besides a pumped up Lung. He also a new tranquilizer that he is confident can put her out without killing her. He is hoping that her danger sense will not register it as a threat allowing him to inject her. According to Shadow Stalker there are only two other parahumans present. Skinslip to heal the winners and Spree to provide some extra opponents."
"I still think it's a mistake to let Shadow Stalker back out in the field so soon," Triumph said.
"I personally agree with you, but it was not my decision," Hannah said suppressing a sigh. "The therapist agrees that she is headed for a mental break of some kind if she is stuck doing nothing but console duty. I suggested patrolling the quarantine walls in Boston, but there is worry she would run."
"Based off the reports it might be better for her to just be sent to Juvie," Bastion replied. "Why go through so much effort to work with someone so anti-social and who will probably be a problem in the future?"
That is pretty ironic coming from you Hannah thought.
"Politics, and keeping the youth guard from showing up most likely," Triumph said with a sneer. "
Hannah moved her scarf away from her so it was easier to talk. "We didn't know until the video how many issues she actually had. By all accounts she was making progress. She was going to school with decent grades, was part of the track team, and was working with us. She is getting therapy now even if she isn't making much progress, and the PRT doesn't need the image problems right now. I don't like or agree with it, but I can understand why the director chose to let her back into the field if the pit fights are starting again."
"Are the pit fights really so bad?" Bastion asked with curiosity.
"Yes," Hannah answered. "Skidmark came up with the idea for large scale fights to get people to trigger during the sixteenth's reign, but Quarrel has really expanded the concept. She likes to kidnap and force people to fight to build up their forces. You win you get money, drugs, or sex. You lose they heal you just enough to not kill you and force you to fight again.
She paused briefly thinking of all the injuries she had seen. "If you win enough, or they think you aren't worth it they let you go. She is smart enough to keep the deaths down so there isn't too much attention but she had been more brazen in recent times. Kidnapping parahumans for the Teeth to fight, or kidnapping people to bolster numbers. If you trigger they force you to fight for them in the pits if you don't join. They always move locations and no one has had much luck stopping the fights for took long with the exception of Grue drugging Spree to cause his clones to go ballistic. The director wants us in force in response to Echidna, but we can't ignore the pit fight in case there are kidnapped people there."
"So is Echidna the official name for her then?" Triumph asked.
"Until we find out what she is calling herself, the New York office decided to name her that based off of Othala's testimony. All we know right now is that she is going after the ABB, but we should be on guard in case something changes," Hannah warned. " We have been getting numerous conflicting reports about what her power is."
Her ear bud beeped and she quickly tapped it. "Miss Militia here. What is it Vista?"
"We have a report of Kamaitachi pinning down two police officers in your vicinity. At least two other armed gang members are also on site, but no other parahumans reported." Hannah inwardly smiled at the fact that Vista always tried to make her voice sound deeper and more professional when she had console duty. She looked at the Triumph and Bastion who nodded their heads and answered that they were on their way.
Hannah signaled the driver and he turned to accelerate toward the officers pinned down. She tapped her earpiece and ordered Assault and Battery to meet up with Velocity and Dauntless on the east end. They'd move in from the opposite direction after they put Kamaitachi in custody and meet in the middle.
They drove for only a few minutes before the driver stopped and they got out. Hannah scanned down the street and saw Kamaitachi standing in the middle of the street with his arms down. He had on his narrow mask, but was wearing what looked a bathrobe instead of his costume with his large gut jutting through it.
All around him things bent and moved like they were in a hurricane but without any sound of heavy wind. Debris was being thrown at the two officers taking cover behind their patrol car with a third lying on the ground. The mute wind was too strong for them to fully stand up, and four ABB members were taking pot-shots at them with pistols.
"Bastion provide cover for us from the wind and head at your best pace to the officers position. We will be right behind you." Hannah ordered. Her knife turned into a large rifle filled with less lethal rubber bullets. She took aim and fired off shot after shot with her power reloading automatically.
Kamaitachi screamed as his knees were hit and he fell on his arms. His wind gave him some protection but not enough for that not to have hurt. He waved his arms and a bubble of debris was gathered and moved around him with surprising speed before her next few shots hit him. While her shots had failed to penetrate his shield, the wind affecting the street had stopped. He shouted orders to the gunmen as he limped to cover.
They switched targets to us, but Bastion put his arms up and a bluish light appeared as the bullets were stopped right in front of him. He took off at a light jog with Triumph and Miss Militia right behind him.
Triumph took the time to use his power when we passed an overturned car. He shouted with a loud scream and it was sent tumbling toward the gunmen. They stopped firing and backed away in panic but it stopped just in front of them to give us more cover. I took the time to put one of them down after he moved out of cover.
Bastion took position in front of the patrol car and Hannah checked on the downed officer. "What happened?" she asked the officers as checked him over.
"He was got hit in the head," the one with the large mustache answered.
"Sir can you hear me," Hannah asked. Getting no response she rubbed the bony part of her knuckles on his sternum to check for pain. Getting no response again she checked and felt a pulse. She turned her gun back into a knife and placed it under his nose and saw he wasn't breathing.
At that moment Kamaitachi started his mute hurricane again though Bastion's shield kept the worst of it off of us.
Hannah used the jaw thrust maneuver to open up his airway in case he had a neck injury, and was relieved that he had started to weakly breathe again. She motioned to the ABB who had started to run after seeing the wind wasn't affecting them. "Go after them, I will take care of him until the ambulance gets here."
Bastion nodded once in acknowledgement and took off after the retreating gunmen. The police officers looked torn between staying and helping but decided to go when Hannah pulled on the EMT bag she had attached to her back.
Hannah pulled on the penlight and checked his pupils. She was just about give him an injection when she realized he had stopped breathing again. She cursed and pulled out the bag-valve mask and started to squeeze to air into his lungs.
"I can help," a voice behind her said.
Hannah twirled around and an automatic shotgun appeared in her hands. A bird she thought in confusion?
It looked like a large crow, but was a dark and mossy green. What most stood out was the human eye blinking in the middle of its forehead. It was perched on the police siren, and its voice sounded like an old mans.
"You going to fight me," she asked while keeping the gun trained on it. She desperately wanted to get back to helping the injured officer, but she couldn't take a chance in case they were attacked.
"Of course not. I'm a hero", the crow said. It was extremely disconcerting to hear it change voices. "Quickly keep pumping the bag until my medical unit gets here. I am a very good healer, and I promise you I will not attack you".
Hannah kept her gun trained, but after a moment of thought relented. She immediately went back to pumping the bag.
The bird flapped near the head of the officer and stared intently at his head. "There is some swelling and some possible internal bleeding," it said with a young man's voice now.
Hannah kept pumping as she heard a mechanical whirring sound. She managed to stay calm as six large mechanical looking spiders came running out of a nearby alley. They looked like they were made of a clear green plastic, and they had equipment built into them. They stopped just behind the bird and spread around the down officer.
"I will take it from here," the bird said.
After some hesitation Hannah stopped pumping and stood up. Another shotgun appeared in her hands as she pointed it at her feet.
The spiders got to work in a hurry. One of them expanded something from its front to make a mask on his face. Another made a whirring sound as a red light went over the officer's head.
The bird hopped onto one of the spiders. "I have to operate. Please do not fire as I open him up."
Hannah pointed her gun up briefly before nodding.
One of the spiders let out arms ending in tools and Hannah winced as she heard the skull being drilled open. The spiders moved quickly and methodically. In only a few minutes they had stopped. Another sprayed some sort of foam before they closed him up. Afterward the bird looked intently at his head before the spiders took off back to the alley. "He will be fine now," the bird said in relief. "You might want to take to the hospital to make sure, but he will make a full recovery."
For a moment Hannah wondered at the surreal situation before asking, "Are you really a hero?"
The bird flew back up to the police siren before turning back around. "Yes, you may call me Faust."
"You don't act like a hero."
"What do you mean?" Faust or what Hannah assumed was some kind of avatar twisted its head on its side to look at her quizzically. "I have been fighting villains and I do not kill. I have also started intelligence operations to sniff out their secrets. In fact I was looking for you or other heroes to tell you that there is a drug lab three streets over at the end of the street. My Lusus are currently busy attacking isolated groups of ABB members and I currently lack the force to attack it right now."
Hannah narrowed her eyes. " You have been picking fights that is escalating violence in the city and seriously injuring people. You have been openly attacking ABB members, and civilians with ties to the Empire in the street. While capturing wanted villains is fine, you can't just go around attacking whomever you feel like. There are rules and laws to be followed and they have rights.
"RIGHTS? What about the right to not be scared of walking down the street at night!" the bird screamed. "They support organizations that murder, that poison the minds of others, that make victims of innocents. What city do you live in?"
"Look" Hannah said. "You say you are a hero. A hero works with the PRT and has training; they follow rules, and regulations. If a policeman or a hero crosses a line there are consequences. Without those you are a vigilante. There is nothing stopping you from abusing your power and deciding what justice is."
"Isn't basic self defense vigilante justice?" the bird asks. "Should the people of the docks wait for you to act while they are being attacked?"
"But it isn't the people of the docks. It is just you deciding on your definition of justice. Look I think you mean well, and I won't deny that we could use some help. But you have to realize that you are scaring people. Do not pretend that you do not notice similarities with your power and Nilbog's"
"I AM NOT NILBOG!" The bird is shaking with rage in a young girl's voice, and Hannah instinctively puts her hand on her gun.
"Then prove it. Prove to people that you are a hero, and come with me to the PRT headquarters. You can talk things over with the director, and show people they don't' have to be afraid of you."
The bird is quiet for a moment. "I apologize for scaring anyone, but I can't right now. There are still a few things I must do tonight. But I do want to meet. Contact me on PHO, and we can arrange a meeting. "
With a final look at Hannah, the bird flew away.
===========================================
I woke up at the sound of the alarm and lazily turned if off. I got up and stretched as I went over phone records, and video of last nights attack.
The S.C.I.O.N. gave me a quick update on the status of my Lusus, and my most recent intelligence summary. One of the ABB I had under surveillance had made a call to someone asking to work for them. Seems he didn't think working, as a dealer was the safest profession.
I walked to the bathroom to brush my teeth as I searched the name through a few public databases. I had over a dozen matches in the Brockton bay area, and I would have it narrowed down by the end of the day. This could be a good lead on the ABB's smuggling operations.
I yawned as I read up on the news. Yawning is a little surreal to me since I think I have the capability to completely remove my need to sleep at this point. But I decided to maintain an hour or two and make sure I can enter REM sleep quicker. There was the theory that sleep can help clear negative emotions, and considering how I had acted just after my experiment, I thought it couldn't hurt. I was curious if Noctis cases or parahumans who did not require sleep had similarities in their brains.
I splashed some cold water in my face and activated my internal scanner as I brushed. My teeth were in good health, though I would want to have a spider do some basic maintenance when I got back to the lab. The spiders had been used to do a little dental surgery to improve my smile. I didn't anything too noticeable since I didn't want Dad to get suspicious.
I took a moment to admire my body in the mirror. I really loved Bonesaw's seed. All the enhancements, as well as one or two cosmetic changes, looked completely natural. You couldn't tell anything was different. Though my left eye implant was acting up again when I tried to replay video of last nights skirmish through my optical nerve.
I walked back to my room and opened the closet. I removed the hidden panel in the back and pulled out the suitcase to retrieve the mechanical arms that I could wear over my regular ones. I had made them to let me do surgery more quickly and efficiently. I put on the left one, and the mechanical tools attached sprang to life. I turned off my pain and carefully removed my right eye. The scan showed everything was fine, but I gently peeled back the skin to check to make sure. I tweaked the mechanical components a little, put everything back in, and added a little of my prototype medigel to help accelerate the healing process.
My vision was much better than a normal person, with a few improvements including superior night vision and telescopic sight. I didn't need glasses anymore, but I was so used to them that my face felt a little weird without them. Not to mention dad would wonder when I got contacts.
I carefully packed the arm back in the suitcase, and closed the panel back up. My body decoy Lusus had been recycled so there was plenty of room. I needed to work on a better way to keep it hidden and update its programming so it seemed more natural while it slept. I needed to record myself sleeping to see if I really snored like Dad insisted was true.
I picked a simple blouse, and pants to wear today. Now that money was no longer an issue, I could have afforded some new clothes, but I wanted to hide my income from Dad. I had never been much of a shopper anyway. Though Dad insisted I needed some new clothes due to my recent growth spurt.
I started to brush my hair my hair in the mirror by my door. I was surprised that I couldn't smell Dad's cooking. He usually insisted on cooking me breakfast if he had the day off. I did get a trace of what smelled like new cologne. That was curious. When had Dad started wearing cologne?
I walked down the stairs and stopped in the middle to stare at Dad. He was drinking a cup of coffee while he read the paper. He had still dressed like he was going to work even though he was off today.
I stared because he had completely shaved his head, which was very suspicious. He had been talking about fully shaving it ever since he had started going bald. But he had never done it until know. Thinking of it, he had been uncharacteristically happy recently. I had thought it was in celebration of the defeat of the governors bill but was it possible Dad had met someone on his trip?
I greeted Dad with a smile. Dad had never been a big talker but my efforts to improve our connection and do activities together had been very fruitful. We were much more open with each other than we had been in years.
"What no breakfast?" I asked.
He carefully folded up the paper, and looked up at me. "I thought we'd eat out today kiddo".
Okay he definitely met someone I thought. He had spent a considerable effort shaving and grooming his face. I tried not to let my suspicions show. "That sounds great. Where at, Fugly Bobs?"
"I'm thinking Italian. Maybe someplace nice like Valentino's. "
"Ohhhh fancy. You want me to drive? "
"I'd like to not have a heart attack so no. If I ever need to destroy trashcans, I'll know who to call."
"One time dad. That happened one time." I said with a laugh as I went to get my shoes.
I ran upstairs to get my shoes, and on a whim checked up on my PHO thread, which had 30 pages already. I took my time to read over a few posts. Most were asking me questions or debating my actions. There was also numerous photos and video showing a few of my Lusus including my spiders fixing the policeman.
It seemed there was a lively debate about my actions, and quite a few comparisons to Nilbog. The thread seemed split between those that applauded my taking the fight to the ABB and the Empire, and those that thought I was escalating things.
I searched through the thread and found a message from Miss Militia asking to meet. I messaged her through the drones that I would let her know as soon as I had time to meet her.
I needed to plan where and how to meet the PRT. I could use the network drones I built to let me operate a small number of Lusus without the central server. Should I go in my costume or use the bird avatar again?
Thinking of Miss Militia's accusations of not acting like a hero made my implant say a mantra about control in my own voice. She had made me so angry. I wouldn't have done anything if the PRT was more effective. It was obvious that they weren't protecting anyone to any great degree. They had failed to stop the Butcher in the past, and the gangs were as strong as ever. What progress had they made?
Despite my less than perfect first meeting, the night had been a success overall. I had taken out even more ABB foot soldiers and the video of the heroes in action had been inspiring. My Lusus were much more effective when the Protectorate could distract and occupy the ABB parahumans. Still going from what Miss Militia had said and the fact that the drug lab hadn't been hit yet, I don't think the heroes are anxious to work with me.
But last night had proved that having parahuman allies would make things easier and I did have other options. If they wouldn't work with me, maybe the other independent heroes would. New Wave might be open to a meeting, and I do still owe them a debt to repay. There were also two independent heroes in the city besides New Wave right now.
Epoch was supposed to be some kind of time traveler, and was supposed to be really strong. He was very active on PHO and he had made it clear he wasn't interested in joining the Protectorate.
The other independent hero was Phoenix. There was actual video of her in action fighting the Teeth and the ABB. There was currently a debate on PHO about her chosen name since there were already other heroes with a Phoenix name or theme. She was minor changer and brute, but her main ability had the main reason there was a debate because it matched Phoenix very well. She couldn't die. Killing her caused her body to disappear, and she usually showed back up three days with no issue.
Working with them could make me more effective and improve my chances of taking down Bakuda and Lung. If they were gone, I was positive I could take the docks outright after some more preparation.
Once I knew where to hit and if I could get project X to work, I was going to…
"Taylor are you cobbling shoes? You coming or what?"
"Coming," I said suppressing a sigh as a melody went off in my ears. I wasn't angry I thought at the S.C.I.O.N. I would have to tweak it some more so it could tell the difference between annoyance and anger. I quickly put on my shoes and got into the car.
Dad whistled with the radio as we drove. It was a new experience traveling somewhere else besides downtown or the docks. Everything is much cleaner somehow in the Downs with well-manicured lawns, fresh painted stores, no graffiti or trash. It was nice but seemed a little sterile and without character.
I browsed the web, and checked the latest foot traffic data while we waited to be seated. I really loved Overmind's seed even if her tech didn't work exactly as I would have liked all the time. The restaurant was a lot nicer than I was used to. Live music was playing, and there was hint of flowers in the air. We ordered and Dad sat across from me.
"So how was the capitol?" I asked biting into a breadstick. I had strategically moved the basket closer to me since I was hungrier than usual.
"A real mess to be honest," Dad said with a grim face. "We weren't the only group there protesting the bill, and there were a few scuffles with police. I'm not sure how it didn't pass, but I'm thankful it did. I was worried a few of the dockworkers would have done something rash without thinking things through."
The waiter comes and we order. Dad gets a fishplate and I order pasta. "So Dad." I carefully drink my lemonade and try to keep my face normal. "What is her name?"
"What? Her who?" He tries to look puzzled but I can see that he is trying to hide something. He always touches the back of his neck when he lies. Mom told me that in confidence a long time ago.
"Come on Dad, I can see the signs," I said holding up my fingers. "You finally shaved your head after years of inaction, you are wearing cologne for the first time in who knows how long, and I know how you are. I know you would be happy from the bill being defeated, but you wouldn't be in such a good mood from that alone. You seem much happier than normal."
"I'm happy? You have to tell me what you've done with my daughter. I haven't seen you so relaxed in forever Taylor. You're smiling all the time, and you have this pep in your step. I haven't seen you like this since the time you got to see big bird in person," he said jokingly.
"I've just had a lot of good luck lately," I said keeping my face straight. Dad had gotten better at reading me since we had grown a little closer, but the S.C.I.O.N had helpfully analyze my micro expressions and helped to build a database to better read people. So I had a little experience at lying convincingly.
I turned things around and looked at him suspiciously. "Don't think I haven't noticed you are trying to change the subject. Spill."
"Well yes I did meet someone and we sort of hit it off," Dad said growing a little red. He had crossed his arms and was leaning a bit back in his chair. The S.C.I.O.N. helpfully pointed out he was a little embarrassed.
I mind whirled with astonishment. Oh my god, my dad was blushing! I can't remember the last time he had blushed. Who was this woman? Whoever they were Dad really liked her. "I knew it," I said with triumph. "So come on, details."
"Well, she was a PRT officer who was a strong supporter of what we were trying to do, and we got to talking, and it turns out she is from Brockton. We saw each other a few times during the week, and we got to talking for hours without realizing it.
"Who asked who?" I said with a smile.
"Let me finish." Dad said waving a breadstick at me. He was still a little red, but he had relaxed. "So we started to talk about the economy, and you came up quite a bit. One thing led to another and I asked her to get a cup of coffee. Which turned into dinner and another coffee date." Dad actually looked a little proud.
"What does she look like?"
"She's about 5ft 8, light brown skin, with a short and wavy brown hair. She is has a bit of an athlete's build, with a very pretty face," he said. "Look I wanted to talk with you first."
He leaned forward and held my hands. "Are you okay with me dating? I know I didn't really talk about it and it hasn't been that long since your mom passed. If you aren't comfortable with it I'll understand. I will tell her we have to take it slow"
He looks me right in the eye and I am touched that he is completely sincere. He really would hold things off for me I realized feeling guilty.
"Dad, I know mom would want you to be happy, and I feel the same way," I said giving his hands a squeeze. "I love seeing you with a smile on your face. If you like her, I'm sure she is amazing. She'd be lucky to have you. When do I get to meet her?"
"Well we were talking about having dinner at the house later this week depending on what you said," he says a little teary eyed.
Dammit dad. If you get teary, I'm going to get teary.
"I think that is a wonderful idea Dad," I say with a smile. "I'll cook if you don't mind."
"I don't mind at all. Besides your cooking has far surpassed mine at this point." He looks so relieved and happy.
I put a grave scowl over my face as I put my hand over his. I look him straight in the eye with a stern expression. "Dad, there is something we do have to talk about".
"Yes, Taylor?" he asks. He is looking a little concerned.
"Do I have to give you the talk?"
"What"? He starts cracking up and laughs really hard before throwing a napkin at me. "Smartass".
"So what's her name?" I ask with a grin.
Dad looks momentarily embarrassed. "I don't actually know what her last name is, but her first name is Hannah."
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So here is the next chapter. Another thanks to t3tsubo for giving me good advice. I could have done Hannah's mini interlude in first person, but it didn't sound right somehow. It is also kind of my style to be overly descriptive which I will try to work on more in the future. There actually were several versions of Hannah's argument with Taylor, but I decided to try and keep it short. There will be more focus on justice and the rules of law in future chapters, especially once Taylor starts making a big move or two in the future. Hopefully it isn't too abrupt.