serra2
Himouto! Sylvanas-chan
Now now, who do we know in canon who was female, had a weird ability that could keep them hidden or ghostlike, and was related to someone in the Undersides?
The River Keeps Running
- Thread starter YseultNott
- Start date
-
- Tags
- worm armsmaster
- Location
- Albion
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Obviously there's absolutely no one who fits that description. Brian doesn't have any siblings at all.
Shift 5.1
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Rachel
Colin tells them to close their eyes.
Rachel is facing the white thing in the sky, the one Lisa and Colin say is a ring.
It doesn't look like a ring. Not that she cares.
Colin tells them to close their eyes. She does.
She can hear him take a deep breathe.
"Here goes nothing," he mutters.
There's the click of a pressed button, and for barely an instant, light flares behind Rachel's eyelid, so bright she could almost believe she opened her eyes.
The air is warmer, heavier. It smells different, too. Like sea salt and old garbage.
Rachel opens her eyes, but the light left burning spots behind, and she has to blink several times before being able to see.
Asphalt. Concrete buildings. Tags. An overturned dumpster.
It worked.
They're back.
Colin tells them to close their eyes.
Rachel is facing the white thing in the sky, the one Lisa and Colin say is a ring.
It doesn't look like a ring. Not that she cares.
Colin tells them to close their eyes. She does.
She can hear him take a deep breathe.
"Here goes nothing," he mutters.
There's the click of a pressed button, and for barely an instant, light flares behind Rachel's eyelid, so bright she could almost believe she opened her eyes.
The air is warmer, heavier. It smells different, too. Like sea salt and old garbage.
Rachel opens her eyes, but the light left burning spots behind, and she has to blink several times before being able to see.
Asphalt. Concrete buildings. Tags. An overturned dumpster.
It worked.
They're back.
Last edited:
Shift 5.2
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Rachel
Once she gets over the first sight of asphalt and concrete, Rachel takes a better look at her surroundings.
"Are you sure this is Brockton Bay?" Brian asks Colin, with a touch of horror and dread.
"Yes," Colin answers. His voice and face are blank, distant, like a doctor's. Professional. "I'm sure. This is Brockton Bay."
It doesn't look like Brockton Bay. Brockton Bay was a rotting city, not a broken one.
Rachel doesn't recognize the skyline. There are… Holes.
It doesn't sound like Brockton Bay, either. Not enough cars, not enough voices.
They walk to the entrance on the alley, and there are cracks in the asphalt of adjacent street. Deep cracks, old cracks, full of flowers and weeds.
"He's right," Lisa says. "This is… This is Brockton Bay. Something happened."
Rachel feels Palte press against her leg, and she pets the dien's head.
She hopes her dogs made it all right.
Once she gets over the first sight of asphalt and concrete, Rachel takes a better look at her surroundings.
"Are you sure this is Brockton Bay?" Brian asks Colin, with a touch of horror and dread.
"Yes," Colin answers. His voice and face are blank, distant, like a doctor's. Professional. "I'm sure. This is Brockton Bay."
It doesn't look like Brockton Bay. Brockton Bay was a rotting city, not a broken one.
Rachel doesn't recognize the skyline. There are… Holes.
It doesn't sound like Brockton Bay, either. Not enough cars, not enough voices.
They walk to the entrance on the alley, and there are cracks in the asphalt of adjacent street. Deep cracks, old cracks, full of flowers and weeds.
"He's right," Lisa says. "This is… This is Brockton Bay. Something happened."
Rachel feels Palte press against her leg, and she pets the dien's head.
She hopes her dogs made it all right.
Last edited:
Neepa
Always pondering story possibilities
- Location
- Germany
Post 90ies Endbringer battle alternate Brockton Bay?
serra2
Himouto! Sylvanas-chan
They left like a week before the Endbringer fight, and have been gone for a year. City has probably been mostly abandoned except by those who can't leave.
Shift 5.3
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Colin
Something happened.
Something happened. Something bad. Something terrible.
Colin looks at the cracked ground, at the collapsed buildings, and he knows, without a doubt, that people died. Many, many people.
People died, and he didn't help.
He wasn't there. There wasn't anything he could have done.
He should have been there. He should have been faster, should have been better, if he had taken less breaks, spent less time exploring Capole and talking to Laude, if he had just…
They decide to walk toward Downtown, and check out the PRT headquarters. Hopefully, they can find some kind of records there, an inkling as to what happened.
They find PHQ first, embedded sideaway into the coast like a discarded toy, and Colin feels his stomach twist.
Assault might have survived that. Dauntless, too, maybe, if he was wearing his gear. But the unpowered staff, Triumph, Samantha, Robin, Hannah…
Colin isn't stupid. He… He knew, when he saw the state the city is in, he knew at least part of his team died.
Still. They are… They were his team. He hopes some of them survived. He hopes at least one of them survived.
He hopes Hannah survived.
Something happened.
Something happened. Something bad. Something terrible.
Colin looks at the cracked ground, at the collapsed buildings, and he knows, without a doubt, that people died. Many, many people.
People died, and he didn't help.
He wasn't there. There wasn't anything he could have done.
He should have been there. He should have been faster, should have been better, if he had taken less breaks, spent less time exploring Capole and talking to Laude, if he had just…
They decide to walk toward Downtown, and check out the PRT headquarters. Hopefully, they can find some kind of records there, an inkling as to what happened.
They find PHQ first, embedded sideaway into the coast like a discarded toy, and Colin feels his stomach twist.
Assault might have survived that. Dauntless, too, maybe, if he was wearing his gear. But the unpowered staff, Triumph, Samantha, Robin, Hannah…
Colin isn't stupid. He… He knew, when he saw the state the city is in, he knew at least part of his team died.
Still. They are… They were his team. He hopes some of them survived. He hopes at least one of them survived.
He hopes Hannah survived.
- Location
- US
Could also be one of the Heartbroken?
I didn't think Brian and Aisha looked all that similar.
- Location
- USA
I suspect that time flowed slower in Capole than in Brockton, so it's been a few years here since they left. The title of the story maybe refers to the river of time that 'kept flowing' while the displaced group was almost at a standstill. If that is the case, then Aisha would be a little older and may resemble Brian much more now that she's grown some and has probably had to fight hard to survive.
Shift 5.4
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Colin
The PRT Headquarters have been destroyed.
In front of the ruins, there is an Endbringer fight memorial.
Leviathan.
Colin thinks of his modifications to Dragon's class S threats prediction program, and how many lives could have been saved by an advanced warning, be it by bringing civilians to the shelters or by bringing in more capes and preparing a battle plan.
Colin thinks of the almost finished nanothorns, of his belief that it could have killed Leviathan, of all the lives it could have saved.
He's vaguely aware that the kids are freaking out beside him, Taylor worried about her father and Brian about his sister and Rachel about her dogs, but he can't muster the strength to react as he forces himself to read the names.
Aegis is dead. Assault. Samantha. Browbeat. Shadow Stalker. Triumph. Vista.
She was only twelve.
Clockblocker's name isn't on the memorial. It doesn't mean he's still alive, but he survived the battle. He might be.
Clockblocker's name isn't on the memorial. Neither is Dauntless's. Gallant's. Kid Win's. Robin's. They might be alive.
Colin runs his fingers against the name.
Hannah is dead.
The PRT Headquarters have been destroyed.
In front of the ruins, there is an Endbringer fight memorial.
Leviathan.
Colin thinks of his modifications to Dragon's class S threats prediction program, and how many lives could have been saved by an advanced warning, be it by bringing civilians to the shelters or by bringing in more capes and preparing a battle plan.
Colin thinks of the almost finished nanothorns, of his belief that it could have killed Leviathan, of all the lives it could have saved.
He's vaguely aware that the kids are freaking out beside him, Taylor worried about her father and Brian about his sister and Rachel about her dogs, but he can't muster the strength to react as he forces himself to read the names.
Aegis is dead. Assault. Samantha. Browbeat. Shadow Stalker. Triumph. Vista.
She was only twelve.
Clockblocker's name isn't on the memorial. It doesn't mean he's still alive, but he survived the battle. He might be.
Clockblocker's name isn't on the memorial. Neither is Dauntless's. Gallant's. Kid Win's. Robin's. They might be alive.
Colin runs his fingers against the name.
Hannah is dead.
Aisha could be using a cape costume that was based off of Brian's with the motorcycle leathers and skull helmet.
I think that they should know how long they have been gone soon. They will either be able to ask someone about the date or Aisha will hunt down the person that is wearing her dead brother's costume. Let's hope she gives them the time to find out it is her brother, with her running a gang in a town this bad she is likely a lot more dangerous than she would have been.
Rachel is unlikely to find any of her dog's at this point. That will not make her happy. I will be worried that Taylor may not find Danny alive either, he was not in a good head space after his wife died. And, with over a year long wait and having Levi attack BB he may have died. There is still the chance that he crawled into his house and went a bit crazier.
I just hope that the S9 also didn't come through town after Levi did. Without Taylor to help takedown Bakuda and later some of the S9 things would have gone a lot worse. I would not want to think of their world if Amy has fallen to the S9.
Chloe Sullivan
Subdefective
- Location
- 1630 Revello Drive, Sunnydale CA
Interesting that Hannah and Samantha get named but the others are referred to by cape name. Hannah I get, but why Sam?
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Velocity also get named. Colin wasn't close to the Wards (ot Triumph, because he was still new to the Protectorate) and disliked Assault and Dauntless, so he tends to use their cape names when thinking about them, but Battery and Velocity have been his teammates for several years - even if he doesn't think of them as friends, he's still close enough to be on a first name basis.
Last edited:
Shift 5.5
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Taylor
Leviathan.
Leviathan attacked Brockton Bay.
She… Dad…
An Endbringer came to her city.
Taylor was worried about Dad, before. She remembered how he took Mom's death, was scared of how he would take her disappearance. She reassured herself by telling herself he had… Well, not Alan, not the Barnes, not anymore, but Kurt, and Lacey, and other friends, by telling herself they would make sure he would be okay.
Taylor was worried about Dad, before. Now…
An Endbringer came here. People always die when they do.
Besides her, Colin makes a small strangled sound and runs his fingers against a name on the monument.
She needs to find Dad.
She needs to be fixed.
One way or another, Taylor needs to know.
Leviathan.
Leviathan attacked Brockton Bay.
She… Dad…
An Endbringer came to her city.
Taylor was worried about Dad, before. She remembered how he took Mom's death, was scared of how he would take her disappearance. She reassured herself by telling herself he had… Well, not Alan, not the Barnes, not anymore, but Kurt, and Lacey, and other friends, by telling herself they would make sure he would be okay.
Taylor was worried about Dad, before. Now…
An Endbringer came here. People always die when they do.
Besides her, Colin makes a small strangled sound and runs his fingers against a name on the monument.
She needs to find Dad.
She needs to be fixed.
One way or another, Taylor needs to know.
Last edited:
Shift 5.6
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Taylor
"We need to use the internet," Taylor decides.
Everyone look at her. Even Colin slightly turns his head so he can see her from the corner of his eyes.
His hand stays on the name on the memorial.
"Internet," she continues. "To check what happened, and try to… To contact people. Find my Dad, and Colin's team."
"What's left of it," Colin says, voice flat.
"It's a good idea," Lisa says.
"Do we have internet?" Regent asks.
Taylor turns toward Colin.
"I don't know," he says, and then, "No. Not right now. But I should be able to make something pretty fast, if we secure some kind of shelter."
"Right," Taylor says. "Let's…"
"How dare you," someone hisses with audible fury.
They're holding a knife to Brian's throat.
"We need to use the internet," Taylor decides.
Everyone look at her. Even Colin slightly turns his head so he can see her from the corner of his eyes.
His hand stays on the name on the memorial.
"Internet," she continues. "To check what happened, and try to… To contact people. Find my Dad, and Colin's team."
"What's left of it," Colin says, voice flat.
"It's a good idea," Lisa says.
"Do we have internet?" Regent asks.
Taylor turns toward Colin.
"I don't know," he says, and then, "No. Not right now. But I should be able to make something pretty fast, if we secure some kind of shelter."
"Right," Taylor says. "Let's…"
"How dare you," someone hisses with audible fury.
They're holding a knife to Brian's throat.
Last edited:
Shift 5.7
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Brian
For a split, surreal second, Brian thinks the person holding a knife to his throat is a clone of himself.
The instant passes, and he realizes the person holding the knife is far smaller than he is, realizes that person is a she, realizes the face under the cornrows is merely a mask made to look like him.
Colin grabs the woman by the back of her costume and tears her away from him, and Taylor's swarm pours in for the adjacent street.
The woman – no, too young, not a woman, a girl – the girl ignores both of them and keep her attention on him.
"How do you dare pretend to be him," she hisses, full of venom and hatred, and it takes Brian one, two, three, three terrible instants before he recognizes her.
Aisha.
He forgot her again.
And she thinks he's impersonating himself.
For a split, surreal second, Brian thinks the person holding a knife to his throat is a clone of himself.
The instant passes, and he realizes the person holding the knife is far smaller than he is, realizes that person is a she, realizes the face under the cornrows is merely a mask made to look like him.
Colin grabs the woman by the back of her costume and tears her away from him, and Taylor's swarm pours in for the adjacent street.
The woman – no, too young, not a woman, a girl – the girl ignores both of them and keep her attention on him.
"How do you dare pretend to be him," she hisses, full of venom and hatred, and it takes Brian one, two, three, three terrible instants before he recognizes her.
Aisha.
He forgot her again.
And she thinks he's impersonating himself.
Shift 5.8
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Brian
"It's really me, Aisha," Brian says.
No reaction besides anger.
"He's dead," she spits out. "He's been dead for a year, the fucking Empire murdered him, he's dead, how do you dare!"
Fuck.
She thought he was dead.
Of course she thought he was dead. He was gone for a year.
"When you were ten," Brian says, "you put a pair of red socks to wash with the white and my favorite shirt turned pink."
Aisha tenses.
"I like plants," he continues, and starts conjuring his darkness, careful not to cover himself. "I had a lot of them in my apartment. The shelves were grey. You told everyone in your class my favorite dragonball z character was Piccolo. You watched The Darkness in secret for Halloween when you were twelve and barely slept for a week. You got caught in a Fugly Bob's the first time you ran away."
He can't see Aisha's face behind her mask. Can't tell what she's thinking, can't tell if she believes him.
"It's me, Aisha," Brian says. "It's really me."
"It's really me, Aisha," Brian says.
No reaction besides anger.
"He's dead," she spits out. "He's been dead for a year, the fucking Empire murdered him, he's dead, how do you dare!"
Fuck.
She thought he was dead.
Of course she thought he was dead. He was gone for a year.
"When you were ten," Brian says, "you put a pair of red socks to wash with the white and my favorite shirt turned pink."
Aisha tenses.
"I like plants," he continues, and starts conjuring his darkness, careful not to cover himself. "I had a lot of them in my apartment. The shelves were grey. You told everyone in your class my favorite dragonball z character was Piccolo. You watched The Darkness in secret for Halloween when you were twelve and barely slept for a week. You got caught in a Fugly Bob's the first time you ran away."
He can't see Aisha's face behind her mask. Can't tell what she's thinking, can't tell if she believes him.
"It's me, Aisha," Brian says. "It's really me."
Last edited:
Hecatonchires
Just an H-class cyborg with an octopus brain stem
- Location
- The Gong, NSW, Australia
Did Aisha know his power? Not sure when she learned in canon.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Yes. He told her he was a cape bcause he knew it tended to run in families and wanted her to be prepared in case she triggered, and she correctly deduced he was Grue.
Shift 5.9
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Lisa
Lisa knew, before they even reached Capole, that something had happened to Aisha.
They kept forgetting her, kept forgetting her very existence. Even Taylor, who met her, and Brian, who based his entire career choice around taking care of her. Even herself, with her power.
Yes, Lisa knew something happened to Aisha. She just wasn't entirely sure what.
Something cape-related, that much was sure. The question was, who was the cape? Did they forget Aisha because of something she did, or because of something someone else did to her?
If her mask is anything to go by, it was the former.
Aisha is a cape.
Aisha triggered.
Lisa knew, before they even reached Capole, that something had happened to Aisha.
They kept forgetting her, kept forgetting her very existence. Even Taylor, who met her, and Brian, who based his entire career choice around taking care of her. Even herself, with her power.
Yes, Lisa knew something happened to Aisha. She just wasn't entirely sure what.
Something cape-related, that much was sure. The question was, who was the cape? Did they forget Aisha because of something she did, or because of something someone else did to her?
If her mask is anything to go by, it was the former.
Aisha is a cape.
Aisha triggered.
Shift 5.10
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Lisa
"What happened, Aisha?" Taylor asks. "What happened to everyone?"
"Poltergeist," Aisha says. "Like this, I'm Poltergeist."
She sighs.
"Leviathan attacked on May fifteenth," Poltergeist says. "It started out as a bad day, and went even worse after it tore a hole through Coil's base. After the events of the day, the city was written off and evacuated."
Word choice : events, plural. More than just Leviathan attack.
"Most people left," Poltergeist continues, "went to other cities, tried to build new lives and forget their dead. A few chose to stay, about one or two thousands. I take care of the ones living in the South Docks."
Oh.
Oh.
Leviathan destroyed Brockton Bay, and Aisha took over the ruins.
"What happened, Aisha?" Taylor asks. "What happened to everyone?"
"Poltergeist," Aisha says. "Like this, I'm Poltergeist."
She sighs.
"Leviathan attacked on May fifteenth," Poltergeist says. "It started out as a bad day, and went even worse after it tore a hole through Coil's base. After the events of the day, the city was written off and evacuated."
Word choice : events, plural. More than just Leviathan attack.
"Most people left," Poltergeist continues, "went to other cities, tried to build new lives and forget their dead. A few chose to stay, about one or two thousands. I take care of the ones living in the South Docks."
Oh.
Oh.
Leviathan destroyed Brockton Bay, and Aisha took over the ruins.
Shift 5.11
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Alec
"I have to say," says Poltergeist, "I wasn't expecting you guys to become buddies with Armsmaster of all people."
"Armsmaster?" Spidey asks in feigned confusion, like he's not carrying a bag full of Tinkertech and doesn't have a collapsed Halberd in his pocket.
"I'm not stupid," Poltergeist answers, distinctly unimpressed. "When the Undersiders died – went missing, Armsmaster was reported dead as well, and now they're back with an adult man in the right age range to be him. It doesn't take a genius to solve that one."
Spidey tilts his head, conceding the point.
"Necessity makes strange bedfellows," he says.
"That it does," Poltergeist agrees. "That it does."
"I have to say," says Poltergeist, "I wasn't expecting you guys to become buddies with Armsmaster of all people."
"Armsmaster?" Spidey asks in feigned confusion, like he's not carrying a bag full of Tinkertech and doesn't have a collapsed Halberd in his pocket.
"I'm not stupid," Poltergeist answers, distinctly unimpressed. "When the Undersiders died – went missing, Armsmaster was reported dead as well, and now they're back with an adult man in the right age range to be him. It doesn't take a genius to solve that one."
Spidey tilts his head, conceding the point.
"Necessity makes strange bedfellows," he says.
"That it does," Poltergeist agrees. "That it does."
Shift 5.12
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Alec
"What happened?" Lisa asks Poltergeist, and everyone turns toward her.
"What do you mean?" the Dork says.
"Leviathan wasn't everything," Lisa says. "Something else happened. What was it?"
Something else? And here Alec thought an Endbringer was enough.
"Yes," Poltergeist says. "There was something else."
She pauses, as if to gathers her thoughts.
"There was… Someone in Coil's base," Poltergeist says. "Or something, maybe. I'm not entirely sure which it was, at this point. Coil got killed by a stray shot from one of the defending capes and it… She went mad. Started raving about a cure, and killing the defenders."
She sighs.
"It was… I don't have words for what it was, exactly," Poltergeist continues. "We were still fighting Leviathan, trying to keep it from destroying the aquifer, and then on top of that there was that thing attacking us, eating us, and we didn't know what it was, or what it wanted. All we know, we got from the surviving Travellers when things were finally over. Apparently, she was one of them."
"They said her name was Noelle," Poltergeist says. "The PRT called her Echidna."
"What happened?" Lisa asks Poltergeist, and everyone turns toward her.
"What do you mean?" the Dork says.
"Leviathan wasn't everything," Lisa says. "Something else happened. What was it?"
Something else? And here Alec thought an Endbringer was enough.
"Yes," Poltergeist says. "There was something else."
She pauses, as if to gathers her thoughts.
"There was… Someone in Coil's base," Poltergeist says. "Or something, maybe. I'm not entirely sure which it was, at this point. Coil got killed by a stray shot from one of the defending capes and it… She went mad. Started raving about a cure, and killing the defenders."
She sighs.
"It was… I don't have words for what it was, exactly," Poltergeist continues. "We were still fighting Leviathan, trying to keep it from destroying the aquifer, and then on top of that there was that thing attacking us, eating us, and we didn't know what it was, or what it wanted. All we know, we got from the surviving Travellers when things were finally over. Apparently, she was one of them."
"They said her name was Noelle," Poltergeist says. "The PRT called her Echidna."