- Location
- 4726 SW 17th Terr
Something with Contessa? Accidental death via doing the right thing on her path at the wrong time because human error is still possible with her
The Rising of the Shield Heroine
- Thread starter Tale Swapper
- Start date
- Crossover
- Location
- Florida
- Pronouns
- He/Him
This was like...the most perfect way to do that. It hits all of the buttons. Both for me, for Taylor, and for guilt-tripped Emma. Who, you know, hopefully can still feel guilt at this point after everything. Considering the quest clues, I'm guessing she's at least at a point where she can be eventually brought back to something resembling sanity, so whoo!
Sophia though, hell that girl is pyscho to an insane degree. That she is apparently perfectly willing to kill associates of Taylor is, not surprising, but sad. It's very nice to see that Coil apparently isn't going to try to actually recruit and direct Miss Crazy-pants though! That was what I was fearing after seeing the prior interlude. Breaking her out and pointing her in the right direction is bad, but could have been far worse.
I hope Taylor keeps talking with Madison. She had a lot of potential in this fic! She's basically broken and seems to be a hairs-breadth shy of her own trigger at this point. Plus she is genuinely remorseful and was planning to betray Emma/Sophia at the first opening too which is cool to see. And Taylor got a nifty power before that to let her know that she wasn't lying at all and honestly hates herself and what she did to a - actually worrying degree. Taylor has few (no) friends outside of Danny and Allie at this point. Talking to Madison would really help them both as odd as that is.
After this one is over, I hope she focuses on trying to find a way for Allie to separate/survive. Because she is leveling up fast, and soon she's not going to have much choice in accepting the Gamer's Mind portion of the power...they're on a timer to save Allie and it's ticking fast...
Edit: Just saw this post:
Now I'm even more hopeful that Madison is going to end up triggering and joining up with Taylor as an official redemption target! I could totally see Sophia going after Madison if she had even an inkling of an idea that Madison kept notes and helped to spill the beans.
Edit the Second: Caught up more on the thread. Saw that Madison is not intended to trigger from here via WoG. Damn...Fingers crossed for mildly trolling author still lol.
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- Location
- france
Not really plausible as she's been doing those PTVs for quite a time and she never had an accident so far at least.
Still, the Holy Shield could generate enough random probabilities that such an accident would happened.
- Location
- USA, Edge of Procrastination
Sorry, but I'm pretty sure Coil picked up the idiot ball again. His obsession with micromanaging Brockton Bay has com back to bite him in the ass.
punster lv1
Killjoy - cheerful shitposter - ignorant pedant
Fixed that for you?
Is this saying:
- that damage dealt to the Holy Shield is no longer capped,
- that the damage the Shield deals is no longer capped,
- both of those things,
- or that a previous exploit allowing the user of the Shield to escape death by a thousand cut (by reducing damage below a predefined threshold to zero) no longer works?
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- Location
- Not here. Maybe on SB.
Characters? What characters? I didn't found any, except MC.
They don't have any characterisation, or agency, or anything. Especially "evil" ones.
Second. And damage cap was "zero"... Well, outside of some circumstances that I don't want to spoiler.
Chapter 15: Tutorial 1.15
Tale Swapper
(Unverified Madman)
- Location
- Lost Among a Sea of Imaginings and Dreams
She wasn't angry.
The realization fell in with the rest, as she felt her knees give out beneath her.
Taylor- garbed in armor, capable of jumping twelve feet in one go, strong enough to bash a man flying in one hit (still pretending to be Alexandria) - didn't sound furious. Or bitter. Or even upset.
She just sounded… tired.
Green gaze locked with her own, and she crouched before Emma's limp form, eyes now level with hers. Taylor looked almost the same; wide mouth, prominent nose, and big eyes. But the calm, stoic expression was different. No. It was the same. The expression she'd always seen as weakness, passivity.
Now she could tell. This was the face of someone who'd ceased to care. And that burned.
Why? Why did this hurt?
Why did she care?
Maybe those… shrinks were right. When you start defining your place based on where others are, what happens when they move past you?
Emma's gaze stayed locked on mine for a few minutes, before it finally dropped. Her voice came out in a whisper. "...how?"
I shook my head. "If you push someone hard enough, they run, quit, or fight back. I finally chose the last, in that damned locker." As she looked up, startled, I continued. "I swore to survive and learn the truth. This is where it brought me." I kept her gaze locked on mine. "So. I know what happened, know that Sophia saved you, much like this. And I get you wanting to be strong." I leaned in a little. "But where did torturing me factor into it?"
Emma swallowed, silence spreading. "...I wanted to feel strong. But I wasn't." She let out a shuddering breath. "I started faking it. To wear my strength like a mask. But you… you were going to pull me back. Make me remember. So I pushed back."
"And the torture? My flute? The locker?"
"You shattered when your mom died. That made you weak. A good benchmark." Emma's voice was soft, broken. "I couldn't be like you."
I held my tongue at the obvious response. You weren't and you aren't. Instead, I shook my head. "You weren't trying to prove it to Sophia, were you." There was no response. I sighed, and stood up. "Well. As I said, the girl I loved, as a sister, died a year and a half ago. I don't think you deserve to die for what you did, broken as you are." She curled up on herself as I spoke. "I think you need help, which makes me wonder why you ran. And why Sophia isn't here."
Emma looked up, startled. "The PRT has her on lockdown."
I raised one eyebrow. "You didn't know? She slipped her leash a few hours after you did. No one knows where she went." I paused. "Though I suppose you wouldn't have known. I'm guessing the mental ward doesn't allow you to use the internet."
"We do. But she doesn't." Emma murmured, eyes wide. She shook slightly. "Where is she, then?" She started muttering to herself, eyes dancing back and forth on the snow-touched roof.
After a few minutes of her monologue, I sighed. After pocketing her crossbow and bolts, I reached down to seize one arm, yanking her to her feet. As she came upright, I stared her in the face. "You're not my sister. And by the looks of things, your 'mask' is gone. So you're nobody to me now." I let her go, putting my helmet back on. "Two strangers, meeting on a rooftop. Maybe I'll see my sister again someday, but I doubt it."
Emma swallowed, looking down. "...strangers." She grit her teeth, hugging herself. "Not even worth an insult? A hit?"
I snorted once again, my helm distorting the sound into a dismissive humph. "Would it hurt any worse than what you've done to yourself? I still wonder why you fled those who wished to help you."
"...I wanted to prove I could. That I didn't need help."
"Silly girl. We all need help." I clasped her arm, ignoring her yelp as I felt around her legs and rear, pulling a knife out from beneath her outer coat. I couldn't help but feel a tad warm as I checked her torso for another weapon. I suppose I'm not entirely straight after all. "And right now, I'm going to help you back to your kin. Your parents are worried, child."
Emma looked up, shock in her eyes. "...mom?"
"You still have those who care for you, even if I am not among their number. Come, let us get thee home."
I scooped her up, ignoring the second yelp as she struggled for a moment before going limp. I winced at the weight, before I set my shoulders. Think about it like weight training. Hopping down, I took off for the familiar place I'd last seen my old friend.
I groaned as I set down the girl at her front step, only sparing her a glance to confirm she wasn't going to run again. I hadn't managed to make the full trip in one go, and I'd had to make several detours to avoid questing cops or bands of Merchants; apparently the drug-peddlers were out in force, possibly over the girl I held in my arms as I vaulted rooftops. Still, it was only seven o'clock as we arrived at the Barnes residence.
As I approached the door, I heard Emma sniff behind me. "...what's your name."
I paused, interpreting the question. "Heraldry." I turned to watch as she twisted her hands over each other.
Emma finally let out a long breath. "When we last spoke, Sophia… Shadow Stalker said she was going to handle Madison the first chance she got." I stopped as she continued. "If she's really loose, that's where I'd check for her first."
I let my instincts guide me as I turned back to the door, my gauntlet sounding heavy against the wood. "Thank you."
"...if I don't deserve to die, neither does she." Emma spoke as though the words pained her, her shoulders hunching once again.
"No. She does not." I turned back to her, putting one hand behind her back and pulling her forward as frantic steps approached the heavy door. Seconds later, I heard a gasp, then the sound of frantic babbling as Aunt Zoe pulled her daughter into a hug. "I'll be off, then."
As the door opened, I turned to leave, only to stop as an older voice interjected. "Wait! Who are you?" Zoe's shout carried only a short distance through the snow-touched air.
But the second set of words bade me continue on. "It's Heraldry, a new hero, mom. They… they found me."
I walked into the snowy night, footsteps crunching as a window appeared before me. I rounded a corner and ducked behind a gardening shed to read it.
I eyed the quest rewards. "Suspended?"
"The two quests were linked. You don't get the full rewards of one until both are resolved, though I can't see why such a system's in place." Allie answered. "So. Are we going after Madison, or letting her-"
"We're going."
"Thought so. Question is… where is she?"
"Should not Winslow have her home address on file?" I asked. "We go there first, and hopefully catch Stalker before she gets to her."
"...right. You know, what will you do if I end up having to leave?"
I winced. "Do not joke about that, Allie."
"Yeah, poor taste. Okay, head back out on the street and take the first left. We'll be heading back into midtown, apparently Madison lives in the middle-class neighborhoods."
I nodded, picking up speed. "You know, this Gamer's Body thing is really useful." I muttered to myself. "I would have tired out a long time ago if it weren't for that. Instead, it's just my MP which suffers a bit."
"You are down to less than half, so pace yourself. Incidentally, you seem to resume talking normally so long as you aren't talking with someone."
I parsed over the lines I'd spoken to myself. "Intriguing. And reassuring. I suppose my own thoughts have remained constant." I thought further as I followed Allie's instructions. "It is not what I wish to do that the helm alters, merely how I present myself as I do it." And I could live with that, if it would keep my dad safe. I just wish it didn't leave me sounding like someone at a renaissance festival!
Dodging through the neighborhoods and watching the affluence of the houses we pass slowly drop, I fell into the casual rhythm of my daily run. My near-torpor lasted right up until Allie cursed in my ear. "SHIT!"
"What is it?"
"Madison's house just placed a 911 call, reporting a black-clad intruder burst in during dinner and chased Madison outside. It's a bit garbled- they're panicking pretty hard- but they claim the figure came in through the walls."
"Are there police en route?"
"Yeah, and a couple ambulances- and a PRT van is following them." Allie cursed. "We're almost there, but unless we're able to track them quickly-"
"Madison will not make it." I summarized, vaulting a fence to find myself standing in front of a cookie-cutter two story house. One door was wide open, and a bewildered and desperate man was looking around wildly, screaming into the night. As I came to a halt, I blinked, then opened my inventory. There, in one of the more recently filled boxes, was a shroud of white fabric. Holding it up, I triggered Detective Vision, grinning as I beheld the trail laid out before me. It led down the street, towards a power substation.
I sprinted off, tearing past an approaching cop car and the frantic man. As I ran, I switched my shields, transitioning to the one I'd gained from absorbing the Lightning Catalyst. From what little I'd seen of Shadow Stalker's character sheet, she had to be somewhat vulnerable to electricity.
The trail was short, but as I came up to the small concrete house near the substation a hoarse scream echoed off the metal before being cut off. I cursed, vaulting atop the fence to get a better view.
"...should have kept your mouth shut, worm. If you want to survive, you should never piss off someone stronger than you." I dropped down, stepping lightly to round the house, following both the golden path and an ever-growing trail of blood drops. I winced, even as I advanced. No time to hesitate.
"S-sophia?" Madison's voice was interrupted with a half-sob of pain. "Y-you're-"
"Save it, you little snitch." I finally cleared the corner, eyes lighting on the scene- Madison half curled at the base of the service building, desperately clinging to the bolt sticking from her upper leg. And the larger, shrouded figure, black camouflage cloak billowing around her, a knife held in one hand, a crossbow in the other. "Now, I can't take too long, but I can leave a mark for every week you left me to rot, just to-"
Her words were cut off as my foot crunched on gravel, and she whirled just as I sprang forward, my shield leading. For all her surprise, she was more experienced than I, misting the second I came close- only for my shield to catch her anyway, sending her mist-body tumbling backward through the air, only for her to reform clutching her ribs as she came up out of the roll. "WHO THE FUCK-"
"Sophia Hess, also known as Shadow Stalker. This is a citizen's arrest, and a parahuman apprehension." I stepped forward, shield swinging, and I struck it with one gauntlet. "You should have been locked up long ago, and you have spent your only chance at redemption." I swung my shield up to deflect her crossbow bolt, continuing to advance. I stared at her, my eyes seeing her own wide ones through the black hockey mask she wore. "You will answer for your crimes, villain."
I could almost hear Stalker's teeth grind behind her mask. "Villain? VILLAIN?!" She snarled, planting another bolt on her crossbow. "I'm the only one willing to do what's necessary to take these bastards out!"
"By that logic, none of what the PRT does matters." I dashed forward, shield leading, only for Stalker to spring to the side, a second bolt sparking off my armor as she flowed away from me. "Law and order matter much more than imposed fear, though goodness stands above them all."
"Trite talk." Stalker snarled, phase leaping over me only to curse as I rolled to one side to avoid her knife-thrust. "I'm going to skin you-" She cursed as I triggered Shield Rush, barely dodging to one side. But I was close enough, now- I knew I wouldn't miss. With a flick of my wrist, I hit her with a Magnum Bolt. She screamed, a raw sound of agony as she convulsed from the shock.
As soon as she twitched into reality, I slammed my shield into her stomach, then planted my fist in her face, yanking off her mask and exposing her skin to the air. Second later, her eyes widened as I swung the upper rim against her chin, and she instinctively went intangible- only for the Holy Shield to catch her anyway. Seconds later, Stalker's unconscious form tumbled into the snow, and I panted, dropping her mask into my inventory.
I stopped, breathing heavily, then cursed as I heard a low moan from nearby. Madison was blinking slowly, her grasp of her wound slowly deteriorating as the pool of red-touched snow slowly spread. I darted towards her, coming to a stop over her, wincing as I saw her HP drop below 20%. "Shit. Stabilize!" The bleeding stopped, but her head rolled forward regardless, and I cursed again as she slipped into unconsciousness. "Shit- we need a medic. Allie, summon aid-"
"I've already called the paramedics and the PRT. Just keep pressure on the wound and keep casting Stabilize." Allie informed me.
"If she dies-"
"She's not going to die. You're here."
I nodded absently, clinging to her. I wasn't going to let the first civilian I saved die on my watch, even if she'd been one of my tormentors.
Minutes passed as Madison's health slowly dropped before stopping. Finally, I heard the approach of multiple people, a group of men wrapped up in white and red and a few men in blue clearing the corner. As they froze, I stood, motioning to one side. "Miss Clements needs a doctor, and possibly a transfusion, soon. Shadow Stalker needs to be treated for electrical burns and a shattered jaw, and restrained with powered handcuffs." I found myself bowing. "I apologize for not getting here sooner."
As the paramedics rushed forward, one of the policemen eyed me suspiciously. "You that cape spotted jetting about uptown?"
"I may have been, yes. Why?"
He eyed me for a moment, then sighed. "Well, at least you're a hero."
"Not yet. But I will try." I paused, thinking through what might come of this encounter. "I do not believe I will be up for questioning this evening. Which precinct should I approach tomorrow to lay out what occurred here?"
The man looked at me stunned, then rattled off his precinct number. "Although I think the PRT are going to want to talk to you."
"I will speak with them later, when I am in better humor." I motioned to Stalker's still collapsed form. "And when there is less obvious evidence of their incompetence on hand."
"...I assume you don't want me to say that?"
"Nothing of the sort. I would not say it to anyone if I did not mean it to get back to them."
"Huh. You got a name, knight?"
"Heraldry." I paused as I heard heavier tires crunch up to the side of the power station. "I will take my leave. Have a good evening, sir." Turning, I burned the last of my mana as I sprinted to the far end of the substation and vaulted the fence. Minutes later, I'd vanished into the night.
I called dad on the way home. He was waiting for me when I came in, sagging as I accepted his hug. I felt… drained. I didn't accept any of the boxes which had popped up on my HUD, and went upstairs, crawling into bed after a quick shower. I hadn't felt this exhausted since I gained my powers, but I couldn't keep my eyes open.
The next morning, I fortified myself with a cup of tea and a bowl of cereal before I finally went to open the new updates which had been queued up the night before.
I stopped opening new windows, instead staring at the newest one before me. "Class up?"
"Apparently, you've got four options." Allie said, her tone clipped. "Here, let me throw them up for you to look at."
I hesitated as I looked through the array of options. "I don't think I want to make this decision right now. Can we hold off on this for a bit?"
"No problem. How about we take a look at the last popup, then figure out when we wanted to go in and talk to the cops?" Allie suggested as the info box closed.
I nodded slightly as I tapped the last box, opening one remaining info panel.
I blinked as a set of shining metal chains settled into my lap, falling from the box before me. I held them up, inspecting each link and fingering the odd hooks on the ends.
I whistled as I inspected the chains. "I suppose I should go ahead and equip these."
"No duh." Allie responded. "Honestly, it looks like we've got a lot to think about."
"I'm more concerned about the mysterious ??? we've seen a few times. What do they want?"
"Search me. At least they seem to approve so far, so that's good."
As I nodded, I couldn't help but consider what others were thinking right now. After my first night out, how many people were thinking about the newest hero out there, and what would they do in response?
And yet even now I'm not certain how the ripples I cast into the world created such waves…
The realization fell in with the rest, as she felt her knees give out beneath her.
Taylor- garbed in armor, capable of jumping twelve feet in one go, strong enough to bash a man flying in one hit (still pretending to be Alexandria) - didn't sound furious. Or bitter. Or even upset.
She just sounded… tired.
Green gaze locked with her own, and she crouched before Emma's limp form, eyes now level with hers. Taylor looked almost the same; wide mouth, prominent nose, and big eyes. But the calm, stoic expression was different. No. It was the same. The expression she'd always seen as weakness, passivity.
Now she could tell. This was the face of someone who'd ceased to care. And that burned.
Why? Why did this hurt?
Why did she care?
Maybe those… shrinks were right. When you start defining your place based on where others are, what happens when they move past you?
--[0]--
Emma's gaze stayed locked on mine for a few minutes, before it finally dropped. Her voice came out in a whisper. "...how?"
I shook my head. "If you push someone hard enough, they run, quit, or fight back. I finally chose the last, in that damned locker." As she looked up, startled, I continued. "I swore to survive and learn the truth. This is where it brought me." I kept her gaze locked on mine. "So. I know what happened, know that Sophia saved you, much like this. And I get you wanting to be strong." I leaned in a little. "But where did torturing me factor into it?"
Emma swallowed, silence spreading. "...I wanted to feel strong. But I wasn't." She let out a shuddering breath. "I started faking it. To wear my strength like a mask. But you… you were going to pull me back. Make me remember. So I pushed back."
"And the torture? My flute? The locker?"
"You shattered when your mom died. That made you weak. A good benchmark." Emma's voice was soft, broken. "I couldn't be like you."
I held my tongue at the obvious response. You weren't and you aren't. Instead, I shook my head. "You weren't trying to prove it to Sophia, were you." There was no response. I sighed, and stood up. "Well. As I said, the girl I loved, as a sister, died a year and a half ago. I don't think you deserve to die for what you did, broken as you are." She curled up on herself as I spoke. "I think you need help, which makes me wonder why you ran. And why Sophia isn't here."
Emma looked up, startled. "The PRT has her on lockdown."
I raised one eyebrow. "You didn't know? She slipped her leash a few hours after you did. No one knows where she went." I paused. "Though I suppose you wouldn't have known. I'm guessing the mental ward doesn't allow you to use the internet."
"We do. But she doesn't." Emma murmured, eyes wide. She shook slightly. "Where is she, then?" She started muttering to herself, eyes dancing back and forth on the snow-touched roof.
After a few minutes of her monologue, I sighed. After pocketing her crossbow and bolts, I reached down to seize one arm, yanking her to her feet. As she came upright, I stared her in the face. "You're not my sister. And by the looks of things, your 'mask' is gone. So you're nobody to me now." I let her go, putting my helmet back on. "Two strangers, meeting on a rooftop. Maybe I'll see my sister again someday, but I doubt it."
Emma swallowed, looking down. "...strangers." She grit her teeth, hugging herself. "Not even worth an insult? A hit?"
I snorted once again, my helm distorting the sound into a dismissive humph. "Would it hurt any worse than what you've done to yourself? I still wonder why you fled those who wished to help you."
"...I wanted to prove I could. That I didn't need help."
"Silly girl. We all need help." I clasped her arm, ignoring her yelp as I felt around her legs and rear, pulling a knife out from beneath her outer coat. I couldn't help but feel a tad warm as I checked her torso for another weapon. I suppose I'm not entirely straight after all. "And right now, I'm going to help you back to your kin. Your parents are worried, child."
Emma looked up, shock in her eyes. "...mom?"
"You still have those who care for you, even if I am not among their number. Come, let us get thee home."
I scooped her up, ignoring the second yelp as she struggled for a moment before going limp. I winced at the weight, before I set my shoulders. Think about it like weight training. Hopping down, I took off for the familiar place I'd last seen my old friend.
--[0]--
I groaned as I set down the girl at her front step, only sparing her a glance to confirm she wasn't going to run again. I hadn't managed to make the full trip in one go, and I'd had to make several detours to avoid questing cops or bands of Merchants; apparently the drug-peddlers were out in force, possibly over the girl I held in my arms as I vaulted rooftops. Still, it was only seven o'clock as we arrived at the Barnes residence.
As I approached the door, I heard Emma sniff behind me. "...what's your name."
I paused, interpreting the question. "Heraldry." I turned to watch as she twisted her hands over each other.
Emma finally let out a long breath. "When we last spoke, Sophia… Shadow Stalker said she was going to handle Madison the first chance she got." I stopped as she continued. "If she's really loose, that's where I'd check for her first."
I let my instincts guide me as I turned back to the door, my gauntlet sounding heavy against the wood. "Thank you."
"...if I don't deserve to die, neither does she." Emma spoke as though the words pained her, her shoulders hunching once again.
"No. She does not." I turned back to her, putting one hand behind her back and pulling her forward as frantic steps approached the heavy door. Seconds later, I heard a gasp, then the sound of frantic babbling as Aunt Zoe pulled her daughter into a hug. "I'll be off, then."
As the door opened, I turned to leave, only to stop as an older voice interjected. "Wait! Who are you?" Zoe's shout carried only a short distance through the snow-touched air.
But the second set of words bade me continue on. "It's Heraldry, a new hero, mom. They… they found me."
I walked into the snowy night, footsteps crunching as a window appeared before me. I rounded a corner and ducked behind a gardening shed to read it.
I eyed the quest rewards. "Suspended?"
"The two quests were linked. You don't get the full rewards of one until both are resolved, though I can't see why such a system's in place." Allie answered. "So. Are we going after Madison, or letting her-"
"We're going."
"Thought so. Question is… where is she?"
"Should not Winslow have her home address on file?" I asked. "We go there first, and hopefully catch Stalker before she gets to her."
"...right. You know, what will you do if I end up having to leave?"
I winced. "Do not joke about that, Allie."
"Yeah, poor taste. Okay, head back out on the street and take the first left. We'll be heading back into midtown, apparently Madison lives in the middle-class neighborhoods."
I nodded, picking up speed. "You know, this Gamer's Body thing is really useful." I muttered to myself. "I would have tired out a long time ago if it weren't for that. Instead, it's just my MP which suffers a bit."
"You are down to less than half, so pace yourself. Incidentally, you seem to resume talking normally so long as you aren't talking with someone."
I parsed over the lines I'd spoken to myself. "Intriguing. And reassuring. I suppose my own thoughts have remained constant." I thought further as I followed Allie's instructions. "It is not what I wish to do that the helm alters, merely how I present myself as I do it." And I could live with that, if it would keep my dad safe. I just wish it didn't leave me sounding like someone at a renaissance festival!
Dodging through the neighborhoods and watching the affluence of the houses we pass slowly drop, I fell into the casual rhythm of my daily run. My near-torpor lasted right up until Allie cursed in my ear. "SHIT!"
"What is it?"
"Madison's house just placed a 911 call, reporting a black-clad intruder burst in during dinner and chased Madison outside. It's a bit garbled- they're panicking pretty hard- but they claim the figure came in through the walls."
"Are there police en route?"
"Yeah, and a couple ambulances- and a PRT van is following them." Allie cursed. "We're almost there, but unless we're able to track them quickly-"
"Madison will not make it." I summarized, vaulting a fence to find myself standing in front of a cookie-cutter two story house. One door was wide open, and a bewildered and desperate man was looking around wildly, screaming into the night. As I came to a halt, I blinked, then opened my inventory. There, in one of the more recently filled boxes, was a shroud of white fabric. Holding it up, I triggered Detective Vision, grinning as I beheld the trail laid out before me. It led down the street, towards a power substation.
I sprinted off, tearing past an approaching cop car and the frantic man. As I ran, I switched my shields, transitioning to the one I'd gained from absorbing the Lightning Catalyst. From what little I'd seen of Shadow Stalker's character sheet, she had to be somewhat vulnerable to electricity.
The trail was short, but as I came up to the small concrete house near the substation a hoarse scream echoed off the metal before being cut off. I cursed, vaulting atop the fence to get a better view.
"...should have kept your mouth shut, worm. If you want to survive, you should never piss off someone stronger than you." I dropped down, stepping lightly to round the house, following both the golden path and an ever-growing trail of blood drops. I winced, even as I advanced. No time to hesitate.
"S-sophia?" Madison's voice was interrupted with a half-sob of pain. "Y-you're-"
"Save it, you little snitch." I finally cleared the corner, eyes lighting on the scene- Madison half curled at the base of the service building, desperately clinging to the bolt sticking from her upper leg. And the larger, shrouded figure, black camouflage cloak billowing around her, a knife held in one hand, a crossbow in the other. "Now, I can't take too long, but I can leave a mark for every week you left me to rot, just to-"
Her words were cut off as my foot crunched on gravel, and she whirled just as I sprang forward, my shield leading. For all her surprise, she was more experienced than I, misting the second I came close- only for my shield to catch her anyway, sending her mist-body tumbling backward through the air, only for her to reform clutching her ribs as she came up out of the roll. "WHO THE FUCK-"
"Sophia Hess, also known as Shadow Stalker. This is a citizen's arrest, and a parahuman apprehension." I stepped forward, shield swinging, and I struck it with one gauntlet. "You should have been locked up long ago, and you have spent your only chance at redemption." I swung my shield up to deflect her crossbow bolt, continuing to advance. I stared at her, my eyes seeing her own wide ones through the black hockey mask she wore. "You will answer for your crimes, villain."
I could almost hear Stalker's teeth grind behind her mask. "Villain? VILLAIN?!" She snarled, planting another bolt on her crossbow. "I'm the only one willing to do what's necessary to take these bastards out!"
"By that logic, none of what the PRT does matters." I dashed forward, shield leading, only for Stalker to spring to the side, a second bolt sparking off my armor as she flowed away from me. "Law and order matter much more than imposed fear, though goodness stands above them all."
"Trite talk." Stalker snarled, phase leaping over me only to curse as I rolled to one side to avoid her knife-thrust. "I'm going to skin you-" She cursed as I triggered Shield Rush, barely dodging to one side. But I was close enough, now- I knew I wouldn't miss. With a flick of my wrist, I hit her with a Magnum Bolt. She screamed, a raw sound of agony as she convulsed from the shock.
As soon as she twitched into reality, I slammed my shield into her stomach, then planted my fist in her face, yanking off her mask and exposing her skin to the air. Second later, her eyes widened as I swung the upper rim against her chin, and she instinctively went intangible- only for the Holy Shield to catch her anyway. Seconds later, Stalker's unconscious form tumbled into the snow, and I panted, dropping her mask into my inventory.
I stopped, breathing heavily, then cursed as I heard a low moan from nearby. Madison was blinking slowly, her grasp of her wound slowly deteriorating as the pool of red-touched snow slowly spread. I darted towards her, coming to a stop over her, wincing as I saw her HP drop below 20%. "Shit. Stabilize!" The bleeding stopped, but her head rolled forward regardless, and I cursed again as she slipped into unconsciousness. "Shit- we need a medic. Allie, summon aid-"
"I've already called the paramedics and the PRT. Just keep pressure on the wound and keep casting Stabilize." Allie informed me.
"If she dies-"
"She's not going to die. You're here."
I nodded absently, clinging to her. I wasn't going to let the first civilian I saved die on my watch, even if she'd been one of my tormentors.
Minutes passed as Madison's health slowly dropped before stopping. Finally, I heard the approach of multiple people, a group of men wrapped up in white and red and a few men in blue clearing the corner. As they froze, I stood, motioning to one side. "Miss Clements needs a doctor, and possibly a transfusion, soon. Shadow Stalker needs to be treated for electrical burns and a shattered jaw, and restrained with powered handcuffs." I found myself bowing. "I apologize for not getting here sooner."
As the paramedics rushed forward, one of the policemen eyed me suspiciously. "You that cape spotted jetting about uptown?"
"I may have been, yes. Why?"
He eyed me for a moment, then sighed. "Well, at least you're a hero."
"Not yet. But I will try." I paused, thinking through what might come of this encounter. "I do not believe I will be up for questioning this evening. Which precinct should I approach tomorrow to lay out what occurred here?"
The man looked at me stunned, then rattled off his precinct number. "Although I think the PRT are going to want to talk to you."
"I will speak with them later, when I am in better humor." I motioned to Stalker's still collapsed form. "And when there is less obvious evidence of their incompetence on hand."
"...I assume you don't want me to say that?"
"Nothing of the sort. I would not say it to anyone if I did not mean it to get back to them."
"Huh. You got a name, knight?"
"Heraldry." I paused as I heard heavier tires crunch up to the side of the power station. "I will take my leave. Have a good evening, sir." Turning, I burned the last of my mana as I sprinted to the far end of the substation and vaulted the fence. Minutes later, I'd vanished into the night.
--[0]--
I called dad on the way home. He was waiting for me when I came in, sagging as I accepted his hug. I felt… drained. I didn't accept any of the boxes which had popped up on my HUD, and went upstairs, crawling into bed after a quick shower. I hadn't felt this exhausted since I gained my powers, but I couldn't keep my eyes open.
The next morning, I fortified myself with a cup of tea and a bowl of cereal before I finally went to open the new updates which had been queued up the night before.
I stopped opening new windows, instead staring at the newest one before me. "Class up?"
"Apparently, you've got four options." Allie said, her tone clipped. "Here, let me throw them up for you to look at."
I hesitated as I looked through the array of options. "I don't think I want to make this decision right now. Can we hold off on this for a bit?"
"No problem. How about we take a look at the last popup, then figure out when we wanted to go in and talk to the cops?" Allie suggested as the info box closed.
I nodded slightly as I tapped the last box, opening one remaining info panel.
I blinked as a set of shining metal chains settled into my lap, falling from the box before me. I held them up, inspecting each link and fingering the odd hooks on the ends.
I whistled as I inspected the chains. "I suppose I should go ahead and equip these."
"No duh." Allie responded. "Honestly, it looks like we've got a lot to think about."
"I'm more concerned about the mysterious ??? we've seen a few times. What do they want?"
"Search me. At least they seem to approve so far, so that's good."
As I nodded, I couldn't help but consider what others were thinking right now. After my first night out, how many people were thinking about the newest hero out there, and what would they do in response?
And yet even now I'm not certain how the ripples I cast into the world created such waves…
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Nottheunmaker
Altman be praised
- Location
- USG Ishimura
Ah, I remember the debates these sparked. I still say Vanguard would be the most fun to read about.
Vanguard sounds awesome. It looks like a kind of reverse Battery, and it also seems like something that would fit pretty well for a champion in DOTA or League.
At this point in time I don't think that Taylor would pick either of the support classes and I think Man-at-Arms sounds kind of boring compared to the others so if I were to vote I would have to say Vanguard.
It also helps that I've seen a couple of "Fantasy Knight" and "Support Caster" type Taylors but I don't think I've seen anything that matches Vanguard.
At this point in time I don't think that Taylor would pick either of the support classes and I think Man-at-Arms sounds kind of boring compared to the others so if I were to vote I would have to say Vanguard.
It also helps that I've seen a couple of "Fantasy Knight" and "Support Caster" type Taylors but I don't think I've seen anything that matches Vanguard.
Did I miss some debates somewhere? I had posted what I thought of the class options but your comment seems to imply it's already been decided
Dr. Mercurious
Strangest Person You Know
- Location
- New England
I'd love to see Vanguard -- looks like a lot of fun.
- Location
- United States
When I read vanguard I immediately thought of Leviathan, mobility to keep up and boosts to defense to tank the hits.
Nottheunmaker
Altman be praised
- Location
- USG Ishimura
It probably has been decided, but if Taleswapper said anything I haven't heard it. Debates were a while back, I'm sure if you search the thread you'll find them.
- Location
- Elsewhere
And I think Warden is the best overall and would allow the befriending/recruitment of Amy.
But I don't think I am going to get to see that.
EnygmaSoul
Company of Negotiable Virtue
- Location
- In your eyes and in your arms and in your head.
I'm a fan of the Paladin archetype and healing abilities offer significent PR leverage, so I'm hoping she goes Warden, myself. That said, I think I'd like any of them, except perhaps the pure tank Defender. We'll see how it goes, I suppose, because a rose is a rose, a toes is a toes, and a mose is a mose.
I'm going to be the odd one out and go with the Man at Arms instead. This is in large part because A it offers additional versatility and works well for mob and gang confrontations that would make up the bulk of her encounters. The primary part is what it can turn into housecarl and hoptilite, if I had a second choice I'd have to go with Warden because A spells and it's ability and B the evolutions sound interesting. In contrast the description of Vanguard turns me off Taylor is the shield hero whereas the vanguard is as much being manouverable and dodging rather than being a frontliner this would be fine on their own however considering Taylor's meant to be getting a party...
Also the evolution's are lacking compared to all of the others
Also the evolution's are lacking compared to all of the others
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Yay, exciting chapter!
I think you might have misnamed [Indomitable Caster] or [Combat Caster] because the active skill is named the former while the passive skill refers to the latter.
Looking forward to the upcoming reactions! I wonder if Madison is going to swoon and totally crush on Heraldry, despite not knowing their gender.
I think you might have misnamed [Indomitable Caster] or [Combat Caster] because the active skill is named the former while the passive skill refers to the latter.
Looking forward to the upcoming reactions! I wonder if Madison is going to swoon and totally crush on Heraldry, despite not knowing their gender.
- Pronouns
- Masculine
Vanguard or Warden sound like the best ones to me, honestly. Being the Cecil of the party is never wrong. Healing, solid damage, and protecting the rest. Pure badass.
Also... I'm glad Naofumi is appreciating her actions. Assuming that is who the ??? is. I think he'd really like seeing Taylor at work. She isn't making the same mistakes he did, and when faced with a situation just as bad as what happened to him with the King and Princess, she rose above and saved Emma and Madison, and crushed Sophia.
Looking forward to PRT reactions. Because a cape of Taylor's obvious abilities is something to be coveted. Also her direct attack on the PRT's incompetence is to be noted.
Though Coil is very likely to be taking interest.
Time to go recruit Gregor(The Trainwreck, not The Snail.)
Delicious beatdown of Sophia though, and glad Madison got saved. Emma, at least, may actually be able to get help now and not go insane and die alone and mad like she did in canon.
Its better this way.
Anyway, I will always support the Cecil option. You cannot go wrong with the Cecil option.
Also... I'm glad Naofumi is appreciating her actions. Assuming that is who the ??? is. I think he'd really like seeing Taylor at work. She isn't making the same mistakes he did, and when faced with a situation just as bad as what happened to him with the King and Princess, she rose above and saved Emma and Madison, and crushed Sophia.
Looking forward to PRT reactions. Because a cape of Taylor's obvious abilities is something to be coveted. Also her direct attack on the PRT's incompetence is to be noted.
Though Coil is very likely to be taking interest.
Time to go recruit Gregor(The Trainwreck, not The Snail.)
Delicious beatdown of Sophia though, and glad Madison got saved. Emma, at least, may actually be able to get help now and not go insane and die alone and mad like she did in canon.
Its better this way.
Anyway, I will always support the Cecil option. You cannot go wrong with the Cecil option.
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Architect Iront.
Verified Cosplayer, Verified Living Doll
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Personally I'm rooting for Man-at-Arms. The shield only restriction is a massive drawback even with the perk that you can handle other weapons without using them, and nothing says that the one handed weapon has to be a melee weapon (grenade and shield, anyone?). There's a reason weapon and shield combos are considered so generic: they're extremely effective and people who use them tend to not die when they get into a fight.
Sword and shield, spear and shield, axe and shield, and the various shield wall formations (like roman turtles) were all infantry staples for millennia, and people would not have used them if anything better was available. Being able to wield anything besides the shield opens up a vast array of tactical options and strategic flexibility, to the point everything else pales in comparison.
Sword and shield, spear and shield, axe and shield, and the various shield wall formations (like roman turtles) were all infantry staples for millennia, and people would not have used them if anything better was available. Being able to wield anything besides the shield opens up a vast array of tactical options and strategic flexibility, to the point everything else pales in comparison.
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Warden seems to be the most overall useful; people are less likely to kill Taylor if she has known healing abilities with the added Barriers and DoT Spells she might be able to take down Lung in about 10-20 levels with a good group depending on the level gap.
Unnecessary comma.
Goodbye, Emma. Perhaps you'll get your head screwed on straight after this.
Well, looks like Heraldry cleaned up the PRT's embarrassment quite handily.
LostArchivist
Sane, unfortunately.
- Location
- The State of Confusion
Huh, I think Warden or Man-At-Arms would be the best all-rounder options for her, considering their utility and what I know of her. That is, if you take suggestions. I don't think she'd like the defensive option, and the agility type doesn't seem like it'd fit. The two I mention also seem more interesting; MAA is a great all-purpose class with negation of one of her downsides (can only use a Shield) although I do note that a number of her shields are ranged or offensive anyway. Warden is a great Master-class or Ranged option with a lot of versatility and power, I suspect, and I also add that a flashy spellslinger Taylor is somewhat uncommon...
- Location
- On a Journey Through The Decade
Warden looks amazing. Granted, I'm biased as hell since tanky healer is the kind of build I would love if my life suddenly became a game. But with DoTs, heals, a barrier, really good mp regen, and the defense that comes with the holy shield, it really sounds like a build that's built for long drown out fights when alone.
Everyone's discussing power wank... and no one's commenting on how Taylor is now level 10. Which means she has exactly one (1) level left to figure out how to get Gamer's Mind without "killing" Allie. (Or miss out on getting it until next class up, which is going to halt any ability to advance Gamer's Body, as well.)