I want to learn about another hero. Also power because I'm getting overwhelmed with the myriad of animals I want to keep track off. I can't even imagine how the OP feels. This is my way of lessening the burden.
Power Roll: (160 points)
Roll D110=72 200 Improved Distance, 200 Improved Limit (Too expensive), 0 Know Location
Power gained, reroll
Roll D110=29 200 Armor Summoning, 200 Vehicle Summoning (Too expensive), 200 Weapon Summoning (Already Gained)
Sub vote result: None
Banked 160 Points
A good results, a minor ability and we keep our points for hopefully a good roll next time.
I edit the previous chapter slightly, to include Rex during the patrol. Here's the part that was modified, the addition are in italic:
I nodded and got on Hercules' back. Before we depart I also called on Baby Rex. He was much better received than Hercules. I ordered him to follow Assault and Battery and to follow their order.
My riding instincts proved their usefulness once again because my giant beetle did not seem to possess any instinct. I need much more effort to direct him, including giving verbal orders. Thankfully once a particular order was given once, he remembered it and could be directed by my own movement.
The patrol itself was mostly uneventful. Numerous people took photos of me flying on the back of Hercules. Rex was much more popular and a fair number of children ask to ride "the dinosaur". They were disappointed each time because Battery put her foot down, but she agreed to a few selfies with him. My baby Kaiju seems to enjoy it in any case.
But apart from that sort of attention nothing much happened. Toward the end of the patrol Assault and Battery did stop a bar brawl that overflowed in the street. Seemingly nothing gang-related, just an altercation that degenerates.
Finally, I intend to add titles to each chapter to make it easier for me, and you, to find specific events.
Power Roll: (160 points)
Roll D110=72 200 Improved Distance, 200 Improved Limit (Too expensive), 0 Know Location
Power gained, reroll
Roll D110=29 200 Armor Summoning, 200 Vehicle Summoning (Too expensive), 200 Weapon Summoning (Already Gained)
Sub vote result: None
Banked 160 Points
A very minor power, but it can still be useful.
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The next morning came much quicker than expected. It was five in the morning when I was awoken by the shaking of my phone on my bedside table. Groggily I tried to grab it, and after five tries I managed that tremendous feat. I brought it in front of my encrusted eyes and managed to decipher the following message. -Emergency meeting. Come to HQ immediately, reunion room 7B.- It was from Armsmaster.
Grumbling, I got up and called on Olky. My elf appeared an instant later, fully awake and ready to serve. I wondered briefly how he did that, did he wake up the instant I did? Was he already awake? Did he use some weird elf power to instantly dress?
I shake my head, I didn't have time to space out. "Olky, I'm sorry to bother you at this hour." I glance at my phone. "Half-past five in the morning." I paused at that realization. "Godammit, half-past five in the morning, and I need to go to work." Grumbling inside, I refocused my attention on my patiently waiting elf. "Sorry, Olky. We need to go. Can you help me get ready in the next five minutes?"
It didn't take five minutes, it took five seconds and two finger-snaps from Olky. Suddenly I was clean from head to toe and I was wearing a perfectly pressed costume. I blinked once, twice before looking at my House elf again. "Hum, yes, thank you Olky that's perfect."
Once ready we teleported to the HQ and I managed to find the right room only a few minutes later. Opening the door I found a fair few people waiting. Armsmaster was near the blackboard with Deputy Director Rennick. I could also see Triumph, Assault, and Battery sitting at the big table sipping coffee. I knew that at this hour Dauntless, Miss Militia, and Velocity were on patrol.
The tinker hero addressed me. "Excellent, you make good time. Sit down, we're just waiting for Brandish."
I obliged him and moved to sit next to Triumph, as a greeting I nod to my fellow hero. He slid a coffee cup toward me and I murmured a quiet thank you. I wasn't a big fan of coffee but I could appreciate it and even more so at this hour.
It was only two minutes later that we were joined by an agitated and slightly disheveled Brandish. She immediately focussed on Armsmaster. "Have you learned anything more?"
"Please sit down and I will resume everything we learned." His words were calm but with an undercurrent of pity.
She visibly bristles and seems ready to lashes out, but she managed to reign herself in and sat down without another word.
"Thank you. Now pay attention, everyone. Yesterday evening at half-past eleven Eric Pelham, a member of New wave, was walking home after having spent the evening doing homework at his girlfriend's house."
I heard Assault muttering quietly. "So that's what they're calling it these days."
It was apparently still too loud because Brandish shot him a venomous look and Battery slapped his arms.
Ignoring all that, Armsmaster continues. "On his way back he was attacked by Rune and half a dozen members of the Empire."
I gasped in surprise and I wasn't alone. Before anyone could ask questions the tinker carries on. "They ambushed and tried to capture him. From what we could determine Rune was flying above using a manhole cover and manipulating urban furniture to harass him and prevent him from flying away. At the same time, the gangs' members attack him with handguns and crowbars."
Brandish was visibly gnashing her teeth, it was clear that she was already aware of those events.
"Thanks to the strength of his shields they weren't able to harm him but he couldn't get away. His hard light projectile proved too weak to deter them."
"In the end they used blackmail, they brought a black woman that they captured earlier and threatened to kill her if he didn't surrender. Eventually, he agreed, surprisingly they kept their word, and the woman fled."
He addressed Brandish. "We managed to find her and her testimony is a big part of how we reconstitute those events."
"Once they grabbed him they proceeded to beat him up pretty badly and they were about to drag him away. Thankfully it was at this point that our patrol reached them, well Triumph and myself anyway. Laserdream was helping a rape victim."
I couldn't help but wince, that crime was still far too common in the Bay. "Triumph immediately gave chase to Rune, while I dealt with the gang members. Rune managed to escape but we did capture a few of the other aggressors. They're refusing to talk at the moment."
He turned his attention to Brandish again. "How is he doing now?"
The woman has visibly calmed down by this point and now she just looks tired. "He's at the hospital with his parents and the rest of New wave. Panacea healed him and he's sleeping."
She seemed to regain some energy and spoke louder. "Did you learn what they want with him?"
Armsmsaster shakes his head. "We can't be certain but our working theory is that the Empire wants to capture him to force New Wave to back down and stop helping us."
When hearing that she scowled. "You can be certain that it backfires on them. New wave is now determined to see the end of the Empire." She strikes the table with her fist to make her point.
"I'm glad to hear that, but I hope that this won't cause your members to act recklessly."
Brandish visibly resents those words but didn't say anything and just nodded.
The tinker turns his attention back to us. "On an unrelated matter, while we are all here or nearly so, I want to share another piece of worrying news. It seems that Lung managed to recruit a tinker, specifically the Cornell bomber. A woman tinker that specialized in bombs, we don't yet know what she can do exactly but even if it's just standard explosive it's worrisome particularly in conjunction with Oni-Lee. We all need to be extremely careful if we encounter any new Parahuman near ABB territory."
The rest of the meeting was spent discussing how we could fight Oni-Lee in particular and what strategy to use. I was surprised to learn that I was among the best-equipped ones to fight him, considering the expandable nature of my partners. Even if I hate thinking of them like that, it was still true. It was also helped by my power to force someone to attack one of my partners instead of me, with a fast-moving creature I could lead him away relatively easily.
Just as the meeting ended the Menagerie manifest again and I gained a new power. I could suddenly tell where all my partners currently were in relation to me. At present It didn't give me much, I could feel the creatures on me, Weaver, Lobster, and Serpent but also Olky some distance away presumably in the kitchen.
It wasn't a very powerful power, but it could have some uses.
My patrol was starting at eleven so I still had a lot of time. First I wanted to eat something and after that, it was time to talk with Buoy. It was overdue. I choose to go to my office to be in a calm environment. After calling Olky and eating a quick breakfast I summoned my pokemon.
The Frillish appeared before me and emitted a thrill of pleasure upon seeing me. It was nice to see that he didn't seem to resent me. "Hello, Buoy, It's good to see you." I paused for a moment before launching into an improvised speech. "I call you because I want to apologize. When I was attacked by Hookwolf, I was mad at him and I want to deal with him as soon as possible. So I called you and the other and ordered you to attack without thinking about your feelings."
The water pokemon was looking at me with curiosity while I continued my explanation. "Most of the others are robots or simple creatures. Aylamon didn't participate directly and Scalpa he's a pirate so he doesn't care. But you are smart and you realize what it means."
I took a deep breath. "I can't promise that we won't be forced to do it again, because our world is a dangerous place. But I can promise that I'll try to talk with you beforehand."
Buoy cocked his head to the side and approached me slowly. I briefly wondered what he would do before I was engulfed by a tight hug. I closed my eyes and smiled, I was forgiven and everything would be alright.
Wordcount: 1465
Excess word: 184
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I had a really hard time getting past this chapter but there it is.
