- Location
- Leeds
Haha! There are ten thousand feathers on a thrushes throat. Victory is mine!
Presumably this is a large thrush or one with tiny feathers.
Trouble in paradise.
Of course they don't.
Approximately? Very.
-
Going forward, links to content from Twitter (now X) will no longer be embedded. Pre-existing links should not be affected.
Shining Example (WORM ORIGIN QUEST)
- Thread starter IKnowNothing
- Start date
Presumably this is a large thrush or one with tiny feathers.
Approximately? Very.
IKnowNothing
....What?
- Location
- I got lost so.....Where are we?
I dread to think what you're going to do with this.
Oh crud yeah.
Roland likes Rocky Road and Cathrine likes cookies and cream.
Considering there are only two girls in Cauldron anyone cares about right now, it makes it easy.
Because neither of them knows what a perfect date is.
Rebecca has never been on a date in her life, the closest thing she's ever had was that quick walk through LA with Alex some chapters back. That's it. She's had no relationships growing up that would ever facilitate that kind of thing. Before the story started, to her, the idea of going on a date would be a waste of time. She was busy trying to be noticed by her family as it was spiting itself apart.
Now that she's gotten to spend time and know Alex, the closest thing to a perfect date would just be having fun, laughing without having to worry about something around every corner trying to kill her.
For Contessa, she doesn't go on dates, the path wouldn't waste that kind of time when there is work to be done.
Fortuna, she has no clue how to date. She hasn't been at the forefront and in control for almost eight years.
Very, Alex's dad spent a long time trying to find some. When he did, he bought some in bulk so that he didn't have to go searching again.
I think this man is starting to understand.
Rhomeo
The Succubus (Male)
- Location
- Australia
- Location
- Leeds
If by understand you mean come up with a convoluted plan to get her in that Case 53's null zone then yes.
- Location
- Underground
IKnowNothing
....What?
- Location
- I got lost so.....Where are we?
Go for it, might not work, but go for it none the less.
I would've thought it was the utter lack of empathy.
But not liking Ice-cream is a good reason too.
- Location
- Leeds
I take offense to this. That's prejudice against the Empathy Impaired.
3.4: Breaking the Threshold
IKnowNothing
....What?
- Location
- I got lost so.....Where are we?
Silence.
Four superhumans, two cops, and no one even breathes as the seconds tick by.
He's going to kill everyone here if he has his way. Say what you want, but that was the truth. He smiled when he had the chance to kill you, and he smiled as he propped the cop up. It was like he was displaying a trophy.
It's sick, twisted and full of everything that could be wrong with someone like you. Someone with all that power, who only wants to control and hurt people. No one would cry if he didn't make it out of this cave.
But… you can't just bring the cave down on him. You're still human, and even if he denied it, so was he.
So you have to at least try.
"I'm going to say this once," you say.
Your voice echoes through the cavern, bouncing off the walls and giving birth to hundreds of waves. You look at them, and will them to come closer. They obey, tearing themselves away from one another to come closer. You reach out and hold all of them in your hand.
A thousand waves struggle under the pressure of your hand. They buckle, break, anticipating the moment when they'll be released. Keeping them back, you rise to your feet. Contessa moves back as you put yourself on the edge of the wall.
"Let the cops go, and surrender."
Incoming Data
Stunned silence meets your words.
Scanning
Harbinger's jaw drops, and the look of confusion that covers his features would be enough to make you take a step back if you could. He forces a deep breath in, surprise turning understanding faster than you could ever hope to match. He goes flush against the wall and slowly raises his pistol, the muzzle pointing straight at the other wall.
Just a few steps down, the broken man fails to put words to the absurdity you've just laid out for him. Slowly, you can imagine a smile form on his face as a low, sick laugh comes through him. A second passes, and their laughter gets louder. It sends shivers down your spine and makes your knees shake. But you don't frown, you don't even blink, your face could be made out of stone for how little it moves.
DATA ACCEPTED
The laughter dies and you barely breathe as you wait.
"What the fuck makes you think you can tell me what to do kid?" he answers.
"Not a damn thing," you think.
A quick look at Contessa is all it takes for her to click the safety off her weapon. She nods and you slowly mouth.
INCREASING INTENSITY
"Cover me. In three."
Harbinger loosens his shoulders.
"Two."
Contessa spreads her stance.
"One."
You grip the waves in your hand, and you jump.
Your legs sprint for all they're worth as you rocket from behind cover, golden light covering you as you charge. Incubus smirks like the bastard he is. He raises one finger on his armed hand, you see the glow, and just like you hope, it freezes when someone else comes around.
The waves break behind you as Contessa matches your pace, raising her weapon with inhuman perfection. Incubus lowers his finger, turning the gun, and a shot breaks off.
But it's not from his gun.
You see something spark along the wall, then another, then the floor right before something smashes into Incubus' hand. The pistol drops and you throw as many waves as you dare in front of the cop. A wall of gold erupts between them, making Incubus jump back without his generator. He falls forwards and Contessa jumps for all she's worth, sliding hard along the ground. She hits, and snakes her hand between the hard earth and the cops head.
The makeshift pillow serves its purpose, and you make it better. Your ears ring as you cover them in waves, gold utterly surrounding them.
You don't know how Incubus' powers work, but he's not getting to either of them.
He seems to notice, his eyes flashing towards them. Even through the madness, there's got to be something there.
Come on, he has to know that he can't win this. He's no David, he's not some god who can take you all down. You have every advantage with Contessa, and Harbinger is a crack shot. So for a second, you hope that he'll actually listen to what you had to say.
For a second, your pace slows just a bit.
And in that second, Incubus moves.
Green flashes over him, his free hand snapping up towards you. The energy arcs around his fingers in an instant, ready to fire. Adrenaline and instinct rush to the forefront, thrusting your hand out, sending hundreds of waves through the air.
They fly, surrounding Incubus faster than you realize. Here, it's so easy.
A twitch, and he'll be gone, paste on the floor.
Suddenly, you're back in the building, facing down the man with the hands. All it took was a twitch there, and everything ended.
Panic seizes you, forcing the waves to break off of him and crash straight into the ground.
They grab hold of everything they can and as the ground begins to glow, you pull everything up. Incubus fires and a hundred tons of rock rise up to match it. A wall of pure earth makes itself into a pillar as it smashes into the ceiling right in front of Incubus, the blast burning a hole in the rock.
The entire tunnel shudders from the blow, raining a small bit of rock and a ton of dust down on everyone. Pushing through, you jump to the side of it as Incubus backpedals, and you let him go. You get to the edge of the wall, and just behind it, you see the other cop. He's just as battered and bruised as his partner, and if there's any justice in the world he'll still be alive. Thrusting another hand out, you surround him with just as many waves as his friend.
Your eyes droop, the waves feeling like bricks chained to your head.
In the corner of your eye, you see Contessa raise her pistol to fire. The bullet sparks on the ground, the ludicrous shots still managing to hit their target. Incubus goes green and you see the shot spark against the floor.
Then another shot, from Harbinger no doubt.
A sickening crunch fills the air, followed seconds later by a scream of agony. Incubus goes down, his right ankle shattered with nothing to stop you from seeing just how much damage a bullet can do to flesh.
Bile builds in your throat, and it's only luck that keeps it down. You strain your neck to check Contessa, and the deputy director nods. You let out a breath you didn't know you were keeping in as you turn towards the problem. Incubus writhes on the ground, holding his broken ankle with as much care as he could. He looks down and points a finger. The blast fires and the offending limb falls off, filling the air with the smell of burning flesh.
This time, you can't stop the bile.
You hurl, sending your chest into a heave that almost brings you to your knees.
"Alex!"
Contessa's raised voice breaks you out of the stupor. Your head snaps up as Incubus puts his good leg behind him.
The green surrounds him, sending him flying across the ground. The blur aims straight for Contessa and the cop under her, but there's no point. Nothing's getting through that shield.
You send another few waves, adding them to the already crushing pile surrounding them.
Then you see the aura turn on a dime.
You drop the waves around the two cops, bringing your arms in front of you in some primal instinct of protection. You feel something hit your guard like a truck, making something crack and sending you back into the wall. You back hits the wall, sending another shake through the mine as your waves force the rock back before they could touch you.
Your head shoots back as Incubus slams it back to the wall, forcing his hand on your forehead.
Harbinger's warning flashes through your head. Panic shoots through you, as you reach up and grab his hand. You see him smile, and you realize your mistake.
Then, you feel the waves between you and him. Barely a millimetre between you, but it's enough.
Horror flashes through him as he notices the growing glow in your eyes. His hand glows, and with nothing else to do, you send waves through the palms of your hands. Instantly, every bone in his arms is little more than pulp, but it makes you bite back the pain as Incubus screams out.
The sound builds and you grit your teeth as the waves pound in your hand. Incubus moves back as far as he could, but there's nothing left for him. His pistol useless, his arm shattered beyond belief, with only one leg to stand on.
So of course, it was the perfect time for Harbinger to make his move.
He rushes out of cover, jumping low to the ground as his pistol spits fire. Sickening cracks fill the air as Incubus goes down, his final support failing him.
He crashes to his knees, only staying aloft because you held onto him. Spinning like a top, Harbinger twirls to his feet, using the momentum to smash the butt of his pistol against Incubus' head. The sound of metal on bone snaps through the tunnel. Incubus goes limp in your arms.
You see his eyes roll into the back of his head. The pressure of the waves builds. You wince, dropping Incubus on the floor. He hits as gently as gravity would allow, and you follow him a second later.
You pant, gasping for air you didn't know you really needed. You run a hand through your hair, and it comes back covered in sweat. Harbinger gives his work a half glance, dusting off his costume with his free hand and walking towards the other cop.
You look closer in his stead, watching the villains finger twitch, his body spasm, but nothing more. Shaking your head, you force your gaze away, landing on the cop.
"Contessa..." you call.
Your neck cranes letting you see Contessa come around the bend. The other cop is resting on her shoulder. She sets him down and Harbinger slowly drags his partner next to him. The deputy director barely gives the man a half glance, resting a finger under both of their necks.
"They'll live," Contessa says.
You breathe a sigh of relief, but when you open your eyes you're staring at the elephant in the room. Incubus still isn't moving, you can't even tell if he's breathing. You reach a shaking hand out and freeze as another hand clamps down on your wrist. You look to the owner and see nothing but disappointment from Contessa. She gently moves you aside, reaching down to do what you meant to do.
"Is he…?"
You let the question speak for itself.
Contessa lets a few moments pass her by, removing her hand a second later.
"Breathing," she confirms.
Another breath of relief escapes you.
Only for it to stop as another click runs through the air.
Harbinger raises his pistol, and you're moving before you remember what exactly that means.
A wave springs you off the ground, launching you to your feet. As fast as you can, you reach out and wrap your hand around the end of the pistol. Harbinger flinches back, but you've already got a death grip on the pistol.
INCREASING INTENSITY
"What. Are. You. Doing?"
Your voice goes deep, ringing with power, making the kid grips his gun a little tighter. It which only makes you squeeze just a little more. The metal bends like puddy, becoming useless in a second. Contessa studies both of you, her eyes shifting between your hand and Harbinger's weapon. Her legs tense, ready to spring at a moments notice. Harbinger doesn't notice, keeping himself as calm as possible.
"I was just.."
"Making a mistake," you interrupt.
Something sings in the corner of your head. It makes you look down, where a small wave is resonating out of Harbinger's hand.
He's shaking, barely, but it's there.
Carefully, you let your fingers go lax. Sure enough, the gun looks more like a broken toy than a weapon. Harbinger doesn't waste a second, throwing the gun away like it was toxic. You watch it clatter to the floor, barely managing to watch it bounce in the low lighting.
As you do, Harbinger lets his eyebrow sneak up, crossing his arms and waiting for you to have a problem with that as well. You do, but it's not the time.
There's something else you need to fix.
You force yourself to look at Incubus, still down and bleeding, wincing even in his forced sleep.
"Contessa," you croak out.
The director doesn't move, but she doesn't need to listen.
"Patch him up, if you can."
Contessa's expression is as utterly inhuman as it always is. Nevertheless, she leans down, ripping off pieces of Incubus' jeans and shirt for some meagre material. As she works, Harbinger stands next to you, all but scoffing at the effort she's making.
"If given the chance, he'll kill all of us."
"I know."
He blinks, his brow creasing to a frown.
"Then why bother defending him?"
He's keeping his voice level, but there's a crack there. He was so close to lashing out, demanding why.
It's scary to look at.
And realize that this was you, only a few hours ago. Standing up to Doctor Mother, demanding answers from her. She gave half-truths and emotionless logic.
Hopefully, Harbinger can accept the opposite.
"He's beaten," you say, "And I'm here to make sure that he doesn't hurt anyone."
"Do you actually have a plan to follow through with that? Or are you just preaching?" he asks.
You… you don't have an answer for that. But he can't do much, knocked out and bleeding as he is.
"Cauldron has detention facilities, and ways to keep superhumans in states that won't allow them to access their abilities," Contessa voices, her hands still vigorously mending every open wound the poor bastard has endured today.
Harbinger blinks before nodding slightly, slight approval gleaming in his eyes. It only lasts a second as the logic takes over.
"Impressive as it might be, for someone of his mental state, it just delays the problem."
You hold back a wince and force a reaction. Your hand moves to your head, wiping away the growing line of sweat.
"Hey, sorry, but I'm not going to start killing everyone that's made a mistake."
This time, actually surprise flashes through Harbinger. He steps back, aghast at the apparent hypocrisy of it all. The surprise turns to anger and the anger into contempt.
Then contempt, to understanding.
"Then what happens when he goes right back to hurting people?" he asks, "What are you going to tell everyone, that you had a chance to stop him before, but you didn't take it?"
It's not as harsh as the other questions, but it's no less important.
It honestly makes you want to take a breather. This kid keeps bombarding with questions, digging for everything he can. It's like Doctor Mother all over again.
Except this time, you don't have Rebecca to make everything better. Or David to confirm everything you've said.
It's just you.
Despite that, from her corner, Contessa stares unblinking, waiting.
Your knee is shaking, you're sweating from the stuffy air, yet you still answer. Because that's what Heroes did.
"I'm giving him a chance," you start, "He can keep doing this, or he can do what's smart, and stay down. If he doesn't…"
You trail off, your mind going back to LA, the building and the man.
What happened there, it was a mistake, one you won't be repeating.
"Then I'll remind him who had the chance to kill him, and didn't."
The statement hangs in the air, and everything goes dead quiet. Harbinger searches for the right response, but he finds nothing. Which was perfectly fine from where you're standing.
Because a second later, the bravado leaves you, letting your legs go slack. You sink back down to the ground, the waves cushioning your fall. Leaning your head against the wall for a second, you blink as Harbinger takes a seat next to you. His arms are still crossed, and his face is as stone cold as Contessa's.
"But even letting them go once… it's not going to end well. The chances are too high."
"I'm not a killer," you argue, "and I never will be."
Harbinger shakes his head.
"But you're not everyone," he says quietly.
Waves shine, making your ears ring and revealing a migraine you didn't know what there. Rubbing it as softly as you can, you let your eyes wander to the kid. Over the top costume, strange mask, and drilled in survival instincts.
He could bounce bullets off walls, escape a homicidal superhuman for days on end, and argue ideas till the cows came home. Jesus, what were you doing when you were twelve?
Then again, it's not really your place to say. You haven't had your powers for as long as he had. You haven't been making the choices that he has.
Swallowing down the waves and steeling yourself, you look to see the silver lining.
At least here, you can help.
"Did you want to be a killer?"
Harbinger blinks, his hands going back to his side. You take his silence as his answer and forge ahead.
"Then what do you want?"
His grip around his arm tightens, his glare sharpening until it makes you scoot away from him.
Your eyes wander out of desperation, and you catch Contessa tying the last knot on the final bandage around Incubus. Well, it isn't really a bandage, but it's as close as she was going to get. The crazed superhuman looks surprisingly better, given his injuries. His shoulder has more denim over it than you think it would need, but it's not your place to judge. Another large chunk of the material was wrapped around his ankles, keeping them from bleeding and keeping the burned flesh from any more harm.
They also made nice braces for a set of large handcuffs. Keeping that style in mind, the entirety of his shirt was turned into makeshift restraints, only for the kindness go away with another set of handcuffs tied a little too tight. If that wasn't enough, strips of leather tie his wrists close to his neck, forcing his fingers under his chin.
Contessa flicks a switchblade back together and folds her arms together. You give her a look for the handcuffs, only for her to ignore it like you're not even making it.
"And now?"
Harbinger tilts his head just enough to see you. Wiping the last of the sweat from your head, you force yourself to your feet. Once you're there the sound of wood groaning reaches you. No time like the present to leave it seems.
"Take hold of one of the cops, I'll get everyone else," you say.
Contessa nods, and moves to the wall without a second thought, gently snakes her hands around one cop. Focusing, you hold up a hand towards one of the cops. Golden waves shine, only to get cut off as you see Harbinger step up to the cop. He roughly throws one of the cop's arms over his shoulder, using himself as a support, angling himself perfectly to handle his greater weight and still manage a quick shuffle.
He passes you with a quick glance.
"No powers," he orders, "Any more damage and everything will come down."
"Thanks," you say.
He gives a quick nod of appreciation as he continues his way towards a waiting Contessa and cop. Which just leaves you with Incubus. Not exactly the smartest thing you could be doing, but then again, the last time he couldn't touch you from the waves.
Here's hoping he still can't.
Tiptoeing forward, you lean down, putting a hand around his waist.
Then his eyes flash open. His eyes twinkle with some mad pleasure, and he bends forward for all he's worth. You flinch back, landing flat on your ass as he gets to a sitting position. His eyes go down to the restraints, but the gleam doesn't leave. With his fingers under his neck, they begin to glow.
"NO!" you scream.
You reach out, the waves erupting to life.
They tangle around his fingers, breaking bone effortlessly.
But they can't stop the energy.
It cuts through them like a bullet through paper, leaving nothing to protect him. They burn through flesh faster than your waves, eating and devolving everything, turning his head into… dear god. There's a splash of black and red, and something builds in your throat.
You stop it, but the energy isn't done.
It keeps going, hitting the supports right above him. Wood burns, rock and metal turn to useless slag. The cave roars, stopping Contessa and Harbinger in their tracks. The wood falls from the supports, and with a track of thunder, the rest of the supports snap like twigs.
And the lights go out as a million tons of rock falls down.
No time to scream, just react.
Waves force you to your feet as your hands spring up. With wordless defiance, you force thousands of waves towards the sky as a mountain falls. The rocks hit your waves, your will forcing them back to the ceiling, but no sooner does that happen does the world hit you.
Your knees crack the ground, but the pain is nothing compared to everything else. Your arms scream, your back starts to bend, and your head feels like it's going through a blender. This is more weight than anything, and it doesn't stop coming down.
Who the fuck cares if your waves are holding them up now, they're screaming. A million waves blare to life, and you can't ignore them anymore.
INCREASING INTENSITY
They just get louder.
INCREASING INTENSITY
And louder.
INCREASING INTENSITY
And louder.
REACHING THREASHOLD
And louder.
REMOVING THREASHOLD
THEY'RE SCREAMING SO MUCH!!
Oh god they have to stop! You can't listen to this!
Your knees dig into the rock, pain, adrenaline and the light of your waves letting you see the despair around you. Harbinger's mortified, all control gone from his face as he frantically swivels his head from side to side. He's looking for a way out, but there's nothing.
The path you came from is nothing but rocks, and who knows how long the mine goes for. The only thing keeping him from screaming is the fact that he's staring at you. Whatever expression you might have been making, it wasn't something that inspires confidence.
So you look to Contessa, and it all falls apart.
There's desperation as her eyes dart around. And with every inch that you give, the desperation only grows. She shakes, even looking at the cop and weighing her options.
Then, she stops. She just… freezes. There's no fear, no desperation. Just calm acceptance.
The woman with the path to victory, the woman that could do anything, she was... just going to let it happen?
Harbinger's the same, sinking to his knees as reality sets in. There's no fight, no plan. Just acceptance, and that look.
The kind of look that you could only get when you truly realized how out of your depth you were. That there wasn't a point, so why waste the energy?
You knew it well. After all, you and Rebecca had that same look every day for three months.
God you hate it more than anything.
Your foot makes the rock under you crake, sending another wave of agony through you.
But you don't fucking care.
It doesn't matter if the world's screaming, your body burns and you can barely open your eyes. You can still push, you can still bring in more waves. More power into everything, damn the noise, damn whatever it might bring.
You're not going to sit by and let that be the last thing you let anyone here sees!
You feel your body tighten, your eyes turning away from them towards the ceiling. You force yourself to see them, hear them. Look beyond the screaming and the blinding light for something that only you could do.
You make the waves surround every rock you could see, everything you could feel. Not just there, but the wires on the ceiling, the fucking specks of dust on people's clothes. They clash, combine, split apart in a symphony of motion and energy. With barely a blink, you grab hold, and you feel it.
The power, the control.
REDIRECTING INTENSITY
Gritting your teeth, you force a foot under you, and you push.
And the unimaginable happens.
Everything moves.
You rise to your feet, and the mountain reverses. A million tons of rock ignore the laws of the universe because you want them to.
Because you won't let them kill you.
MINIMIZING INTENSITY
With another push, you're flying, pushing the rock as you go. With every inch, you make more waves push against the walls so nothing else will fall on anyone. You tear your way, and with a shove, you remove every wave that held the rock above you down.
There's no shudder, no warning beyond the feeling of weightlessness on your head. The air cracks as the mountain smashes straight through the laws of physics, shooting straight into the sky. Like an open bottle, you feel the rush of wind brush your face, your waves shining in defence but not protecting you from the sunlight that flows in. Blinking back the spots, you see the mountain pass through the clouds and disappear into the open sky.
You feel a drop of sweat run down your neck, and glancing down you notice you're drenched in it. Checking your feet, you start to peel the waves under you one by one, slowly letting you drift down to the mine. Harbinger stares wide-eyed as you descend, nothing but awe on his face.
Contessa is as stone-faced as ever, but you don't let that distract you. The twinkle in her eye, the wordless thanks that comes through the mask that the path puts up. Seeing it, seeing both of them like that, it's fantastic.
It draws a genuine smile from you, seeing them there, able to stand even though everything that's happened.
You stumble for a second as the waves leave you without assisting with the final landing. Shrugging it off you instantly look everyone over.
"Everyone ok?"
Harbinger blinks, a full second passing before he remembers how to shake his head again. Contessa shakes her head, gently repeating Harbinger's gesture with her own cop.
LIMITS REESTABLISHED
A relief to say the least.
SETTING INTENSITY
Checking the walls, you raise a hand and wav-FUCK!
You real back, clutching your ears. Jesus, that was loud, almost as loud as when your first day without the earbuds. You wait for it to stop, but it doesn't. It rings and rings like a bell that's been smashed into nothing.
"You're reaching your limit," Contessa comments, her tone infuriatingly stiff, "The mental overload is starting to bypass Charles' tech. Soon, it will be impossible to block everything out."
You wince at the sound, barely managing to make out the words. But you feel yourself nod, and that's all she needs. Looking back at the wall you raise your hand. She says something, but you can't hear her. Maybe it's a warning or an order, but you can't let it stop you. Noise or no, everyone still has to walk out of here. Harbinger takes a step forward but stops as the gold glow returns to your hand.
The buzz grows in your ears and you quickly fire out the waves. The shape of stairs briefly appears in your head and you will the waves to comply and they....
There's a screech of noise and pain, like someone running your ears through a crusher. Your knees buckle and you drop to the ground. This time, when your knees hit the ground, you feel them crack against the rock.
For the mercy of small miracles, the pain is enough to snap your eyes open and let you see your work. Crude stairs dig themselves into the side of the wall. Actually, calling them stairs is probably pushing it. It looks more like the side of a mountain after a rockslide. They barely even looked usable. Then again, something is better than nothing.
You jerk forward as someone touches your shoulder. Somehow, you manage to see Contessa. Keeping yourself away, you let her stand back up and lift the cop back on her shoulder.
"Take a rest."
You blink at the words. Was she mouthing the words? Or could you just not hear her?
Not waiting for you to even nod, Contessa slowly shoulders her companion with her. She has to really stretch to get up the rock fall that you managed to turn into stairs, stumbling up, shuffling and awkwardly bending to not drop the cop. Harbinger huffs, making his way towards the stairs with a bad limp as he tries to make do with his smaller build.
It's not something that you would normally just watch, but you do as your eyes begin to glaze over. You feel the sting of something slapping away the tiredness and see your own hand being the culprit. The feeling of alertness doesn't last. Your eyes begin to drift close and it's only a quick shake that even lets you keep them open.
You see the stairs are empty, Contessa and Harbinger already making the journey.
Brace yourself on your knee, you force yourself up for what feels like the hundredth time. You're head spins, everything goes fuzzy and you stumble back. You barely manage to catch yourself, instinct jutting your foot out at the last possible moment. With a little effort, you blink away the spots and see a pile of ash.
It takes you a second to see what kind of shape it's making. There's no arms or head, but there's a set of legs still there.
You're moving before you can stop yourself, and when you finally notice, you don't want to stop.
One foot in front of another, you trek up the slope. Some of the steps make you really stretch, but it's nothing you can't manage. Slowly, the effort of the steep climb gets your heart racing a little. It's kind of pathetic actually, being the one that can fly and stop bullets, but still can't keep up with two people who just have thinking powers. Taking a deep breath, you grit your teeth as you sombre up the last bit of the stairs. The second you can, you peer over the edge, checking your final destination.
Mossy, dusty, bumpy rock is what greets. The top of the mine is as clear as you would expect, other than it's obvious residence. Harbinger sits on a small rock a little ways away, looking over the forest as Contessa takes over the only flat rock that you can see. Most of the space is taken up by the cops, small clumps of moss having been pushed under their heads to make them slightly more comfortable. In the distance, you can barely see the forest path that you used to come here. Even the town in the distance is obscured by the trees.
Contessa doesn't even glance at you as you approach, only jerking her head towards Harbinger once you see her.
"Remember why we're here," she monotones.
The sound is low, barely recognizable, but at least it tells you two things.
You can still hear, and you need to remember your deal. The initial steps of the plan. The steps that you needed to agree to.
The steps that needed Harbinger.
Taking a deep breath, you take another look at the kid. He doesn't notice your stare, or he doesn't even care. All of his attention is taken up by a small little switchblade. He flicks it open, and catches your stare in the gleaming reflection.
He flinches and quickly hides the knife as he turns.
"Yes?"
He's giving you the invitation. So you…
[] Build up Cauldron, the resources that it has and the plans that it could bring to the world.
[] Build up the people, everyone who's willing to do something right to help the world.
[] Won't beat around the bush, simply tell him that Contessa said that for your plan to work, you need him to join.
[] Don't try to convince him. It's his choice whether or not he wants to come. If he doesn't want to join with another team and just go on, that's fine.
Four superhumans, two cops, and no one even breathes as the seconds tick by.
He's going to kill everyone here if he has his way. Say what you want, but that was the truth. He smiled when he had the chance to kill you, and he smiled as he propped the cop up. It was like he was displaying a trophy.
It's sick, twisted and full of everything that could be wrong with someone like you. Someone with all that power, who only wants to control and hurt people. No one would cry if he didn't make it out of this cave.
But… you can't just bring the cave down on him. You're still human, and even if he denied it, so was he.
So you have to at least try.
"I'm going to say this once," you say.
Your voice echoes through the cavern, bouncing off the walls and giving birth to hundreds of waves. You look at them, and will them to come closer. They obey, tearing themselves away from one another to come closer. You reach out and hold all of them in your hand.
A thousand waves struggle under the pressure of your hand. They buckle, break, anticipating the moment when they'll be released. Keeping them back, you rise to your feet. Contessa moves back as you put yourself on the edge of the wall.
"Let the cops go, and surrender."
Incoming Data
Stunned silence meets your words.
Scanning
Harbinger's jaw drops, and the look of confusion that covers his features would be enough to make you take a step back if you could. He forces a deep breath in, surprise turning understanding faster than you could ever hope to match. He goes flush against the wall and slowly raises his pistol, the muzzle pointing straight at the other wall.
Just a few steps down, the broken man fails to put words to the absurdity you've just laid out for him. Slowly, you can imagine a smile form on his face as a low, sick laugh comes through him. A second passes, and their laughter gets louder. It sends shivers down your spine and makes your knees shake. But you don't frown, you don't even blink, your face could be made out of stone for how little it moves.
DATA ACCEPTED
The laughter dies and you barely breathe as you wait.
"What the fuck makes you think you can tell me what to do kid?" he answers.
"Not a damn thing," you think.
A quick look at Contessa is all it takes for her to click the safety off her weapon. She nods and you slowly mouth.
INCREASING INTENSITY
"Cover me. In three."
Harbinger loosens his shoulders.
"Two."
Contessa spreads her stance.
"One."
You grip the waves in your hand, and you jump.
Your legs sprint for all they're worth as you rocket from behind cover, golden light covering you as you charge. Incubus smirks like the bastard he is. He raises one finger on his armed hand, you see the glow, and just like you hope, it freezes when someone else comes around.
The waves break behind you as Contessa matches your pace, raising her weapon with inhuman perfection. Incubus lowers his finger, turning the gun, and a shot breaks off.
But it's not from his gun.
You see something spark along the wall, then another, then the floor right before something smashes into Incubus' hand. The pistol drops and you throw as many waves as you dare in front of the cop. A wall of gold erupts between them, making Incubus jump back without his generator. He falls forwards and Contessa jumps for all she's worth, sliding hard along the ground. She hits, and snakes her hand between the hard earth and the cops head.
The makeshift pillow serves its purpose, and you make it better. Your ears ring as you cover them in waves, gold utterly surrounding them.
You don't know how Incubus' powers work, but he's not getting to either of them.
He seems to notice, his eyes flashing towards them. Even through the madness, there's got to be something there.
Come on, he has to know that he can't win this. He's no David, he's not some god who can take you all down. You have every advantage with Contessa, and Harbinger is a crack shot. So for a second, you hope that he'll actually listen to what you had to say.
For a second, your pace slows just a bit.
And in that second, Incubus moves.
Green flashes over him, his free hand snapping up towards you. The energy arcs around his fingers in an instant, ready to fire. Adrenaline and instinct rush to the forefront, thrusting your hand out, sending hundreds of waves through the air.
They fly, surrounding Incubus faster than you realize. Here, it's so easy.
A twitch, and he'll be gone, paste on the floor.
Suddenly, you're back in the building, facing down the man with the hands. All it took was a twitch there, and everything ended.
Panic seizes you, forcing the waves to break off of him and crash straight into the ground.
They grab hold of everything they can and as the ground begins to glow, you pull everything up. Incubus fires and a hundred tons of rock rise up to match it. A wall of pure earth makes itself into a pillar as it smashes into the ceiling right in front of Incubus, the blast burning a hole in the rock.
The entire tunnel shudders from the blow, raining a small bit of rock and a ton of dust down on everyone. Pushing through, you jump to the side of it as Incubus backpedals, and you let him go. You get to the edge of the wall, and just behind it, you see the other cop. He's just as battered and bruised as his partner, and if there's any justice in the world he'll still be alive. Thrusting another hand out, you surround him with just as many waves as his friend.
Your eyes droop, the waves feeling like bricks chained to your head.
In the corner of your eye, you see Contessa raise her pistol to fire. The bullet sparks on the ground, the ludicrous shots still managing to hit their target. Incubus goes green and you see the shot spark against the floor.
Then another shot, from Harbinger no doubt.
A sickening crunch fills the air, followed seconds later by a scream of agony. Incubus goes down, his right ankle shattered with nothing to stop you from seeing just how much damage a bullet can do to flesh.
Bile builds in your throat, and it's only luck that keeps it down. You strain your neck to check Contessa, and the deputy director nods. You let out a breath you didn't know you were keeping in as you turn towards the problem. Incubus writhes on the ground, holding his broken ankle with as much care as he could. He looks down and points a finger. The blast fires and the offending limb falls off, filling the air with the smell of burning flesh.
This time, you can't stop the bile.
You hurl, sending your chest into a heave that almost brings you to your knees.
"Alex!"
Contessa's raised voice breaks you out of the stupor. Your head snaps up as Incubus puts his good leg behind him.
The green surrounds him, sending him flying across the ground. The blur aims straight for Contessa and the cop under her, but there's no point. Nothing's getting through that shield.
You send another few waves, adding them to the already crushing pile surrounding them.
Then you see the aura turn on a dime.
You drop the waves around the two cops, bringing your arms in front of you in some primal instinct of protection. You feel something hit your guard like a truck, making something crack and sending you back into the wall. You back hits the wall, sending another shake through the mine as your waves force the rock back before they could touch you.
Your head shoots back as Incubus slams it back to the wall, forcing his hand on your forehead.
Harbinger's warning flashes through your head. Panic shoots through you, as you reach up and grab his hand. You see him smile, and you realize your mistake.
Then, you feel the waves between you and him. Barely a millimetre between you, but it's enough.
Horror flashes through him as he notices the growing glow in your eyes. His hand glows, and with nothing else to do, you send waves through the palms of your hands. Instantly, every bone in his arms is little more than pulp, but it makes you bite back the pain as Incubus screams out.
The sound builds and you grit your teeth as the waves pound in your hand. Incubus moves back as far as he could, but there's nothing left for him. His pistol useless, his arm shattered beyond belief, with only one leg to stand on.
So of course, it was the perfect time for Harbinger to make his move.
He rushes out of cover, jumping low to the ground as his pistol spits fire. Sickening cracks fill the air as Incubus goes down, his final support failing him.
He crashes to his knees, only staying aloft because you held onto him. Spinning like a top, Harbinger twirls to his feet, using the momentum to smash the butt of his pistol against Incubus' head. The sound of metal on bone snaps through the tunnel. Incubus goes limp in your arms.
You see his eyes roll into the back of his head. The pressure of the waves builds. You wince, dropping Incubus on the floor. He hits as gently as gravity would allow, and you follow him a second later.
You pant, gasping for air you didn't know you really needed. You run a hand through your hair, and it comes back covered in sweat. Harbinger gives his work a half glance, dusting off his costume with his free hand and walking towards the other cop.
You look closer in his stead, watching the villains finger twitch, his body spasm, but nothing more. Shaking your head, you force your gaze away, landing on the cop.
"Contessa..." you call.
Your neck cranes letting you see Contessa come around the bend. The other cop is resting on her shoulder. She sets him down and Harbinger slowly drags his partner next to him. The deputy director barely gives the man a half glance, resting a finger under both of their necks.
"They'll live," Contessa says.
You breathe a sigh of relief, but when you open your eyes you're staring at the elephant in the room. Incubus still isn't moving, you can't even tell if he's breathing. You reach a shaking hand out and freeze as another hand clamps down on your wrist. You look to the owner and see nothing but disappointment from Contessa. She gently moves you aside, reaching down to do what you meant to do.
"Is he…?"
You let the question speak for itself.
Contessa lets a few moments pass her by, removing her hand a second later.
"Breathing," she confirms.
Another breath of relief escapes you.
Only for it to stop as another click runs through the air.
Harbinger raises his pistol, and you're moving before you remember what exactly that means.
A wave springs you off the ground, launching you to your feet. As fast as you can, you reach out and wrap your hand around the end of the pistol. Harbinger flinches back, but you've already got a death grip on the pistol.
INCREASING INTENSITY
"What. Are. You. Doing?"
Your voice goes deep, ringing with power, making the kid grips his gun a little tighter. It which only makes you squeeze just a little more. The metal bends like puddy, becoming useless in a second. Contessa studies both of you, her eyes shifting between your hand and Harbinger's weapon. Her legs tense, ready to spring at a moments notice. Harbinger doesn't notice, keeping himself as calm as possible.
"I was just.."
"Making a mistake," you interrupt.
Something sings in the corner of your head. It makes you look down, where a small wave is resonating out of Harbinger's hand.
He's shaking, barely, but it's there.
Carefully, you let your fingers go lax. Sure enough, the gun looks more like a broken toy than a weapon. Harbinger doesn't waste a second, throwing the gun away like it was toxic. You watch it clatter to the floor, barely managing to watch it bounce in the low lighting.
As you do, Harbinger lets his eyebrow sneak up, crossing his arms and waiting for you to have a problem with that as well. You do, but it's not the time.
There's something else you need to fix.
You force yourself to look at Incubus, still down and bleeding, wincing even in his forced sleep.
"Contessa," you croak out.
The director doesn't move, but she doesn't need to listen.
"Patch him up, if you can."
Contessa's expression is as utterly inhuman as it always is. Nevertheless, she leans down, ripping off pieces of Incubus' jeans and shirt for some meagre material. As she works, Harbinger stands next to you, all but scoffing at the effort she's making.
"If given the chance, he'll kill all of us."
"I know."
He blinks, his brow creasing to a frown.
"Then why bother defending him?"
He's keeping his voice level, but there's a crack there. He was so close to lashing out, demanding why.
It's scary to look at.
And realize that this was you, only a few hours ago. Standing up to Doctor Mother, demanding answers from her. She gave half-truths and emotionless logic.
Hopefully, Harbinger can accept the opposite.
"He's beaten," you say, "And I'm here to make sure that he doesn't hurt anyone."
"Do you actually have a plan to follow through with that? Or are you just preaching?" he asks.
You… you don't have an answer for that. But he can't do much, knocked out and bleeding as he is.
"Cauldron has detention facilities, and ways to keep superhumans in states that won't allow them to access their abilities," Contessa voices, her hands still vigorously mending every open wound the poor bastard has endured today.
Harbinger blinks before nodding slightly, slight approval gleaming in his eyes. It only lasts a second as the logic takes over.
"Impressive as it might be, for someone of his mental state, it just delays the problem."
You hold back a wince and force a reaction. Your hand moves to your head, wiping away the growing line of sweat.
"Hey, sorry, but I'm not going to start killing everyone that's made a mistake."
This time, actually surprise flashes through Harbinger. He steps back, aghast at the apparent hypocrisy of it all. The surprise turns to anger and the anger into contempt.
Then contempt, to understanding.
"Then what happens when he goes right back to hurting people?" he asks, "What are you going to tell everyone, that you had a chance to stop him before, but you didn't take it?"
It's not as harsh as the other questions, but it's no less important.
It honestly makes you want to take a breather. This kid keeps bombarding with questions, digging for everything he can. It's like Doctor Mother all over again.
Except this time, you don't have Rebecca to make everything better. Or David to confirm everything you've said.
It's just you.
Despite that, from her corner, Contessa stares unblinking, waiting.
Your knee is shaking, you're sweating from the stuffy air, yet you still answer. Because that's what Heroes did.
"I'm giving him a chance," you start, "He can keep doing this, or he can do what's smart, and stay down. If he doesn't…"
You trail off, your mind going back to LA, the building and the man.
What happened there, it was a mistake, one you won't be repeating.
"Then I'll remind him who had the chance to kill him, and didn't."
The statement hangs in the air, and everything goes dead quiet. Harbinger searches for the right response, but he finds nothing. Which was perfectly fine from where you're standing.
Because a second later, the bravado leaves you, letting your legs go slack. You sink back down to the ground, the waves cushioning your fall. Leaning your head against the wall for a second, you blink as Harbinger takes a seat next to you. His arms are still crossed, and his face is as stone cold as Contessa's.
"But even letting them go once… it's not going to end well. The chances are too high."
"I'm not a killer," you argue, "and I never will be."
Harbinger shakes his head.
"But you're not everyone," he says quietly.
Waves shine, making your ears ring and revealing a migraine you didn't know what there. Rubbing it as softly as you can, you let your eyes wander to the kid. Over the top costume, strange mask, and drilled in survival instincts.
He could bounce bullets off walls, escape a homicidal superhuman for days on end, and argue ideas till the cows came home. Jesus, what were you doing when you were twelve?
Then again, it's not really your place to say. You haven't had your powers for as long as he had. You haven't been making the choices that he has.
Swallowing down the waves and steeling yourself, you look to see the silver lining.
At least here, you can help.
"Did you want to be a killer?"
Harbinger blinks, his hands going back to his side. You take his silence as his answer and forge ahead.
"Then what do you want?"
His grip around his arm tightens, his glare sharpening until it makes you scoot away from him.
Your eyes wander out of desperation, and you catch Contessa tying the last knot on the final bandage around Incubus. Well, it isn't really a bandage, but it's as close as she was going to get. The crazed superhuman looks surprisingly better, given his injuries. His shoulder has more denim over it than you think it would need, but it's not your place to judge. Another large chunk of the material was wrapped around his ankles, keeping them from bleeding and keeping the burned flesh from any more harm.
They also made nice braces for a set of large handcuffs. Keeping that style in mind, the entirety of his shirt was turned into makeshift restraints, only for the kindness go away with another set of handcuffs tied a little too tight. If that wasn't enough, strips of leather tie his wrists close to his neck, forcing his fingers under his chin.
Contessa flicks a switchblade back together and folds her arms together. You give her a look for the handcuffs, only for her to ignore it like you're not even making it.
"And now?"
Harbinger tilts his head just enough to see you. Wiping the last of the sweat from your head, you force yourself to your feet. Once you're there the sound of wood groaning reaches you. No time like the present to leave it seems.
"Take hold of one of the cops, I'll get everyone else," you say.
Contessa nods, and moves to the wall without a second thought, gently snakes her hands around one cop. Focusing, you hold up a hand towards one of the cops. Golden waves shine, only to get cut off as you see Harbinger step up to the cop. He roughly throws one of the cop's arms over his shoulder, using himself as a support, angling himself perfectly to handle his greater weight and still manage a quick shuffle.
He passes you with a quick glance.
"No powers," he orders, "Any more damage and everything will come down."
"Thanks," you say.
He gives a quick nod of appreciation as he continues his way towards a waiting Contessa and cop. Which just leaves you with Incubus. Not exactly the smartest thing you could be doing, but then again, the last time he couldn't touch you from the waves.
Here's hoping he still can't.
Tiptoeing forward, you lean down, putting a hand around his waist.
Then his eyes flash open. His eyes twinkle with some mad pleasure, and he bends forward for all he's worth. You flinch back, landing flat on your ass as he gets to a sitting position. His eyes go down to the restraints, but the gleam doesn't leave. With his fingers under his neck, they begin to glow.
"NO!" you scream.
You reach out, the waves erupting to life.
They tangle around his fingers, breaking bone effortlessly.
But they can't stop the energy.
It cuts through them like a bullet through paper, leaving nothing to protect him. They burn through flesh faster than your waves, eating and devolving everything, turning his head into… dear god. There's a splash of black and red, and something builds in your throat.
You stop it, but the energy isn't done.
It keeps going, hitting the supports right above him. Wood burns, rock and metal turn to useless slag. The cave roars, stopping Contessa and Harbinger in their tracks. The wood falls from the supports, and with a track of thunder, the rest of the supports snap like twigs.
And the lights go out as a million tons of rock falls down.
No time to scream, just react.
Waves force you to your feet as your hands spring up. With wordless defiance, you force thousands of waves towards the sky as a mountain falls. The rocks hit your waves, your will forcing them back to the ceiling, but no sooner does that happen does the world hit you.
Your knees crack the ground, but the pain is nothing compared to everything else. Your arms scream, your back starts to bend, and your head feels like it's going through a blender. This is more weight than anything, and it doesn't stop coming down.
Who the fuck cares if your waves are holding them up now, they're screaming. A million waves blare to life, and you can't ignore them anymore.
INCREASING INTENSITY
They just get louder.
INCREASING INTENSITY
And louder.
INCREASING INTENSITY
And louder.
REACHING THREASHOLD
And louder.
REMOVING THREASHOLD
THEY'RE SCREAMING SO MUCH!!
Oh god they have to stop! You can't listen to this!
Your knees dig into the rock, pain, adrenaline and the light of your waves letting you see the despair around you. Harbinger's mortified, all control gone from his face as he frantically swivels his head from side to side. He's looking for a way out, but there's nothing.
The path you came from is nothing but rocks, and who knows how long the mine goes for. The only thing keeping him from screaming is the fact that he's staring at you. Whatever expression you might have been making, it wasn't something that inspires confidence.
So you look to Contessa, and it all falls apart.
There's desperation as her eyes dart around. And with every inch that you give, the desperation only grows. She shakes, even looking at the cop and weighing her options.
Then, she stops. She just… freezes. There's no fear, no desperation. Just calm acceptance.
The woman with the path to victory, the woman that could do anything, she was... just going to let it happen?
Harbinger's the same, sinking to his knees as reality sets in. There's no fight, no plan. Just acceptance, and that look.
The kind of look that you could only get when you truly realized how out of your depth you were. That there wasn't a point, so why waste the energy?
You knew it well. After all, you and Rebecca had that same look every day for three months.
God you hate it more than anything.
Your foot makes the rock under you crake, sending another wave of agony through you.
But you don't fucking care.
It doesn't matter if the world's screaming, your body burns and you can barely open your eyes. You can still push, you can still bring in more waves. More power into everything, damn the noise, damn whatever it might bring.
You're not going to sit by and let that be the last thing you let anyone here sees!
You feel your body tighten, your eyes turning away from them towards the ceiling. You force yourself to see them, hear them. Look beyond the screaming and the blinding light for something that only you could do.
You make the waves surround every rock you could see, everything you could feel. Not just there, but the wires on the ceiling, the fucking specks of dust on people's clothes. They clash, combine, split apart in a symphony of motion and energy. With barely a blink, you grab hold, and you feel it.
The power, the control.
REDIRECTING INTENSITY
Gritting your teeth, you force a foot under you, and you push.
And the unimaginable happens.
Everything moves.
You rise to your feet, and the mountain reverses. A million tons of rock ignore the laws of the universe because you want them to.
Because you won't let them kill you.
MINIMIZING INTENSITY
With another push, you're flying, pushing the rock as you go. With every inch, you make more waves push against the walls so nothing else will fall on anyone. You tear your way, and with a shove, you remove every wave that held the rock above you down.
There's no shudder, no warning beyond the feeling of weightlessness on your head. The air cracks as the mountain smashes straight through the laws of physics, shooting straight into the sky. Like an open bottle, you feel the rush of wind brush your face, your waves shining in defence but not protecting you from the sunlight that flows in. Blinking back the spots, you see the mountain pass through the clouds and disappear into the open sky.
You feel a drop of sweat run down your neck, and glancing down you notice you're drenched in it. Checking your feet, you start to peel the waves under you one by one, slowly letting you drift down to the mine. Harbinger stares wide-eyed as you descend, nothing but awe on his face.
Contessa is as stone-faced as ever, but you don't let that distract you. The twinkle in her eye, the wordless thanks that comes through the mask that the path puts up. Seeing it, seeing both of them like that, it's fantastic.
It draws a genuine smile from you, seeing them there, able to stand even though everything that's happened.
You stumble for a second as the waves leave you without assisting with the final landing. Shrugging it off you instantly look everyone over.
"Everyone ok?"
Harbinger blinks, a full second passing before he remembers how to shake his head again. Contessa shakes her head, gently repeating Harbinger's gesture with her own cop.
LIMITS REESTABLISHED
A relief to say the least.
SETTING INTENSITY
Checking the walls, you raise a hand and wav-FUCK!
You real back, clutching your ears. Jesus, that was loud, almost as loud as when your first day without the earbuds. You wait for it to stop, but it doesn't. It rings and rings like a bell that's been smashed into nothing.
"You're reaching your limit," Contessa comments, her tone infuriatingly stiff, "The mental overload is starting to bypass Charles' tech. Soon, it will be impossible to block everything out."
You wince at the sound, barely managing to make out the words. But you feel yourself nod, and that's all she needs. Looking back at the wall you raise your hand. She says something, but you can't hear her. Maybe it's a warning or an order, but you can't let it stop you. Noise or no, everyone still has to walk out of here. Harbinger takes a step forward but stops as the gold glow returns to your hand.
The buzz grows in your ears and you quickly fire out the waves. The shape of stairs briefly appears in your head and you will the waves to comply and they....
There's a screech of noise and pain, like someone running your ears through a crusher. Your knees buckle and you drop to the ground. This time, when your knees hit the ground, you feel them crack against the rock.
For the mercy of small miracles, the pain is enough to snap your eyes open and let you see your work. Crude stairs dig themselves into the side of the wall. Actually, calling them stairs is probably pushing it. It looks more like the side of a mountain after a rockslide. They barely even looked usable. Then again, something is better than nothing.
You jerk forward as someone touches your shoulder. Somehow, you manage to see Contessa. Keeping yourself away, you let her stand back up and lift the cop back on her shoulder.
"Take a rest."
You blink at the words. Was she mouthing the words? Or could you just not hear her?
Not waiting for you to even nod, Contessa slowly shoulders her companion with her. She has to really stretch to get up the rock fall that you managed to turn into stairs, stumbling up, shuffling and awkwardly bending to not drop the cop. Harbinger huffs, making his way towards the stairs with a bad limp as he tries to make do with his smaller build.
It's not something that you would normally just watch, but you do as your eyes begin to glaze over. You feel the sting of something slapping away the tiredness and see your own hand being the culprit. The feeling of alertness doesn't last. Your eyes begin to drift close and it's only a quick shake that even lets you keep them open.
You see the stairs are empty, Contessa and Harbinger already making the journey.
Brace yourself on your knee, you force yourself up for what feels like the hundredth time. You're head spins, everything goes fuzzy and you stumble back. You barely manage to catch yourself, instinct jutting your foot out at the last possible moment. With a little effort, you blink away the spots and see a pile of ash.
It takes you a second to see what kind of shape it's making. There's no arms or head, but there's a set of legs still there.
You're moving before you can stop yourself, and when you finally notice, you don't want to stop.
One foot in front of another, you trek up the slope. Some of the steps make you really stretch, but it's nothing you can't manage. Slowly, the effort of the steep climb gets your heart racing a little. It's kind of pathetic actually, being the one that can fly and stop bullets, but still can't keep up with two people who just have thinking powers. Taking a deep breath, you grit your teeth as you sombre up the last bit of the stairs. The second you can, you peer over the edge, checking your final destination.
Mossy, dusty, bumpy rock is what greets. The top of the mine is as clear as you would expect, other than it's obvious residence. Harbinger sits on a small rock a little ways away, looking over the forest as Contessa takes over the only flat rock that you can see. Most of the space is taken up by the cops, small clumps of moss having been pushed under their heads to make them slightly more comfortable. In the distance, you can barely see the forest path that you used to come here. Even the town in the distance is obscured by the trees.
Contessa doesn't even glance at you as you approach, only jerking her head towards Harbinger once you see her.
"Remember why we're here," she monotones.
The sound is low, barely recognizable, but at least it tells you two things.
You can still hear, and you need to remember your deal. The initial steps of the plan. The steps that you needed to agree to.
The steps that needed Harbinger.
Taking a deep breath, you take another look at the kid. He doesn't notice your stare, or he doesn't even care. All of his attention is taken up by a small little switchblade. He flicks it open, and catches your stare in the gleaming reflection.
He flinches and quickly hides the knife as he turns.
"Yes?"
He's giving you the invitation. So you…
[] Build up Cauldron, the resources that it has and the plans that it could bring to the world.
[] Build up the people, everyone who's willing to do something right to help the world.
[] Won't beat around the bush, simply tell him that Contessa said that for your plan to work, you need him to join.
[] Don't try to convince him. It's his choice whether or not he wants to come. If he doesn't want to join with another team and just go on, that's fine.
IKnowNothing
....What?
- Location
- I got lost so.....Where are we?
It's finished, finally!
I did what you said, I took a rest, and came out of it with a chapter. Hope you enjoy, and remember, write-ins are allowed.
I did what you said, I took a rest, and came out of it with a chapter. Hope you enjoy, and remember, write-ins are allowed.
Evaunit02mark1
S-s-smell the Prey, S-s-start the Hunt.
Nice.
Now that the idiot has killed himself, back to business.
We need the kid, but if we're going to do this right we shouldn't force him to join us.
My opinion, give him full disclosure (that we know of at least) and let him know that we're assembling a team to deal with the Incubuses and other powered madmen of the world.
People are getting powers, and while some might help there are still more that will be willing to hurt in order to get their way.
We're assembling a team to safeguard the world from such people, to give folks hope, and to make sure that one asshole with a god complex can't destroy without consequences.
Basically? Read the kid the Avengers initiative.
Now that the idiot has killed himself, back to business.
We need the kid, but if we're going to do this right we shouldn't force him to join us.
My opinion, give him full disclosure (that we know of at least) and let him know that we're assembling a team to deal with the Incubuses and other powered madmen of the world.
People are getting powers, and while some might help there are still more that will be willing to hurt in order to get their way.
We're assembling a team to safeguard the world from such people, to give folks hope, and to make sure that one asshole with a god complex can't destroy without consequences.
Basically? Read the kid the Avengers initiative.
- Location
- Currently in the local dimension.
Ah, a good 'ol authentic Atlas moment.
... Can we vote for all three of these? I'm thinking that's the correct choice.
- Location
- Currently in the local dimension.
[x] Lay it all out for him, hold none of the facts back. Speak to him about the people that make up Cauldron, as well as the resources we have access to, be honest and upfront about needing him in particular, and explain that what you're trying to accomplish is possible. If he asks a question, answer it with complete honesty.
I think this is the most fitting option at the moment, I believe Harbinger will respond best to honestly and facts. Though I am open to suggestions.
I think this is the most fitting option at the moment, I believe Harbinger will respond best to honestly and facts. Though I am open to suggestions.
Last edited:
- Location
- United States
[] Build up Cauldron, the resources that it has and the plans that it could bring to the world.
Makes us seem like we are either an agent for something greater and don't have much control.
[] Build up the people, everyone who's willing to do something right to help the world.
Is the most in line option with our character and us caring about the people and doing what is right.
[] Won't beat around the bush, simply tell him that Contessa said that for your plan to work, you need him to join.
I think that this option feels a bit formal in the face of all that just happened.
[] Don't try to convince him. It's his choice whether or not he wants to come. If he doesn't want to join with another team and just go on, that's fine.
This is the right track, but it feels to hands off to seem reasonable.
So far the best option seems like a combination of 1,2, and 4. If we use number three it makes it seem like we were just using him for his ability rather than the person.
I'd write in's are available we need to state our personal goal while folding it in that with the recourses Cauldron has available we can do our best to help kids like him and many more control their powers and find a place for themselves in this strange new world. We don't have to convince him to follow us with words. Our actions will inspire him to help either way. He can come with us and help now, or go off on his own and help later.
Either way I am on mobile so I can't really plan out to much so I leave the rest up to you guys.
Makes us seem like we are either an agent for something greater and don't have much control.
[] Build up the people, everyone who's willing to do something right to help the world.
Is the most in line option with our character and us caring about the people and doing what is right.
[] Won't beat around the bush, simply tell him that Contessa said that for your plan to work, you need him to join.
I think that this option feels a bit formal in the face of all that just happened.
[] Don't try to convince him. It's his choice whether or not he wants to come. If he doesn't want to join with another team and just go on, that's fine.
This is the right track, but it feels to hands off to seem reasonable.
So far the best option seems like a combination of 1,2, and 4. If we use number three it makes it seem like we were just using him for his ability rather than the person.
I'd write in's are available we need to state our personal goal while folding it in that with the recourses Cauldron has available we can do our best to help kids like him and many more control their powers and find a place for themselves in this strange new world. We don't have to convince him to follow us with words. Our actions will inspire him to help either way. He can come with us and help now, or go off on his own and help later.
Either way I am on mobile so I can't really plan out to much so I leave the rest up to you guys.
Last edited:
- Location
- Leeds
Just learn to levitate people please.
I look forward to Harbinger realising we're talking about the limiter failing.
Always helpful when they do that.
As for a vote, its not exactly a plan yet, but I'd like to echo the What do you want we asked earlier and lead his answer around to joining.
- Location
- Ireland
[x] Lay it all out for him, hold none of the facts back. Speak to him about the people that make up Cauldron, as well as the resources we have access to, be honest and upfront about needing him in particular, and explain that what you're trying to accomplish is possible. If he asks a question, answer it with complete honesty.
- Location
- Mists of Albion
Well we definitely are superman here. Which is cool. Also we really need to get a handle on our powers, we keep crippling ourselves or losing control, I understand we've only had them for a couple days but still. We need to get on that.
[x] Lay it all out for him, hold none of the facts back. Speak to him about the people that make up Cauldron, as well as the resources we have access to, be honest and upfront about needing him in particular, and explain that what you're trying to accomplish is possible. If he asks a question, answer it with complete honesty.
He's seen who we are, he's seen what we do is possible. Let's just tell him all of it. Flat out honesty
[x] Lay it all out for him, hold none of the facts back. Speak to him about the people that make up Cauldron, as well as the resources we have access to, be honest and upfront about needing him in particular, and explain that what you're trying to accomplish is possible. If he asks a question, answer it with complete honesty.
He's seen who we are, he's seen what we do is possible. Let's just tell him all of it. Flat out honesty
Terran Imperium
[French]
- Location
- Southern France
I am not comfortable with revealing all of our assets to a kid who is barely an aquaintance. I'm not talking about the team, every new member has the right to know the others but everything?! I'm not saying we should lie to him but flat out revealing everything that's putting a lot of trust based on nothing.
We should say what he need to hear, not unecessary truths which have no relation what so ever about the situation at hand.
We should say what he need to hear, not unecessary truths which have no relation what so ever about the situation at hand.
- Location
- Leeds
What you mean Cauldrons previous history of doing questionable things? I can't think how that would turn someone off
.Now more seriously, whats your counter proposal because people need to be convinced that something is right not just that they're wrong if we're going to change their minds.
The suggestion I made before was to ask him what he wants, following up on the conversation in the mine and then using that to lead into how Cauldron can potentially help.
Terran Imperium
[French]
- Location
- Southern France
Well I will support your vote if you do that.What you mean Cauldrons previous history of doing questionable things? I can't think how that would turn someone off
Now more seriously, whats your counter proposal because people need to be convinced that something is right not just that they're wrong if we're going to change their minds.
The suggestion I made before was to ask him what he wants, following up on the conversation in the mine and then using that to lead into how Cauldron can potentially help.
I'm not great at English so I will probably mess up the write-in.
- Location
- Leeds
Damn it but I like making other people do my heavy lifting.Well I will support your vote if you do that.
I'm not great at English so I will probably mess up the write-in.
- Location
- Leeds
[ ] Harbinger, I asked what you wanted and I don't know if you've got your answer, but I think its just fair that I tell you what we want in exchange. Contessa can see the future and she's worried that the wave of empowering events are going to lead to the extinction of humanity. We're part of an organization that's aiming to have the systems and ______ in order to prevent the world ending when someone with not enough sense ends up with too much power and decides to destroy everything. * Get Contessa to explain what he'd be doing. *
Its a start. But theres a reason I don't usually do this sort of thing. Its basically coming out as a mix of
I'm thinking that we probably end by offering him a lift back to civilization which gives us more of a chance to talk him over.
Its a start. But theres a reason I don't usually do this sort of thing. Its basically coming out as a mix of
But by putting more focus on what Alex wants we can make that into building up the people rather than the plan.
I'm thinking that we probably end by offering him a lift back to civilization which gives us more of a chance to talk him over.
- Location
- Currently in the local dimension.
I mean, we're talking about the guy who becomes Number Man. Unless we either kill him or make Contessa actively keep him from finding out our secrets, all he needs to ferret them out is time. Remeber, this guy is one of the strongest Thinkers in Worm.
Besides that, what do we stand to gain by withholding the truth? I can't think of anything. We'll also pretty much need to tell him everything if he joins so he to do his job properly.
Last edited:
Terran Imperium
[French]
- Location
- Southern France
That's not an excuse for flat out telling everything, I prefer that we do it slowly and not to overhelm the kid.