Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl.
Worm: Drummer Girl
- Thread starter ScottotheUnwise
- Start date
Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl.
- Location
- Here
Typo I think, or as Willy Wonka would say: strike that, reverse it!
I think you meant the last word to be 'front', not from OR font.
It did make me chuckle though!
Gosh dang it! The first explosive you publicly used has a very large area of effect mastering effect!?
Director Piggot is going to come down on you like a pile of square building materials!
- Location
- Mid-Atlantic
I do like the look at Bakuda before she started doing insanely horrifying things with her bombs.
Of course, the real question is whether it shares Lung's power as it starts or as it is now, because unless I'm badly misremembering, Lung is a ramp-up threat. One Lung who's had a while to ramp up would be more than a match for a small army of Lungs who haven't.
I think you mean hometown in Kyushu. Kyushu is an island (that held 10% of the population of Japan), not a town. Unless you mean the city of Kitakyushu, which is the second largest city on the island of Kyushu.
ScottotheUnwise
Verified Crack (fic) Dealer
- Location
- Mulberry, Fl
Nope it was the infamous double whammy, when you text a fix to autocorrupt and end up with another word corrupted...
She _could_ pass out Lung's power from outside the range where he gets any --her arrow range is further than the width of the drumming. (Had Panacea over three miles away as target could still drum it, drumming sound only carries less than a block)
She also could have them 'spar' with each other to ramp outside of Lung's range to detect cape anger--albeit he will hear SOMETHING going on.
Fixed. Autocorrupt jumped me for making fun of it, changing on-> of --but 'in' sounds better now so there it is.
Another note: Lung's power (in this fic at least) detects cape only anger at him within his range. It is one of the reasons he took so long to ramp up against Leviathan --he didn't actually start ramping until the capes noted him holding back and got pissed. The few that started angry at him recognized a local punk with attitude, or he would have had nothing to begin with. Leviathan doesn't COUNT to his power's prerequisites*. If the heroes were cheering him on from the get go, he also wouldn't ramp up.
*And this is a clue about the Endbringers right there.
edit:
Piggot's reaction will be tempered largely by the fact that the Tinker in question had to also dance the entire time to keep those ABB fellows dancing (it is more of a 'do as I do' kind of dance thing). It was also the first time she has seen a Master effect deployed that A) has a set time limit B) a defined area of effect and most importantly C) acted to nonlethally, completely disarm a group of non-capes without the budget hit that confoam is (stuff is expensive even at cost, yo).
As icing, any injuries sustained are simply from exercising. To the tourists it looked like some kind of flash mob event so will get good publicity. As a starting effect to use, are there all that many effects which aren't lethal you could put into a grenade?
Last edited:
YuffieK
(Verified Ninja Princess)
Bakuda showing off with her version of a Groovitron is fun
but her Tinker specialty is actually "Single-use area-of-effect devices" which is about as broad as Squealer's "Transportation" or Leet's "Prototype".
Any effect, any external motive device (and associated tech), and anything (once, though he can fix his stuff now).
ScottotheUnwise
Verified Crack (fic) Dealer
- Location
- Mulberry, Fl
I think her delivery method was what limited her to single use : bomb, rocket, grenade.
Her power here is to generate a sudden effect that she can't change after it happens except to negate it. But to negate it she needs the original or an exact replica of the control.
In this fic at least, she could toss a second time stop grenade to negate an earlier one.
- Location
- New Zealand
Also, Fife is the Invisible Girl. Flag is the Brute.
You had way too much fun with this chapter!
Where are the Fun Police when you need them?!
Where are the Fun Police when you need them?!
I think they got in current mania against the police.
- Location
- Earth, Sol System, Virgo Supercluster, Earth-1218
I'm half surprised she didn't go with either Thriller or Bye Bye Bye, but I suppose that's a good song too.
(I imagine Bakuda would be killer at DDR, S Ranked Dam Dariam on the highest difficulty type player)
(I imagine Bakuda would be killer at DDR, S Ranked Dam Dariam on the highest difficulty type player)
FaerieKnight79
Verified Pixie
- Location
- The Internet
Oh god... she didn't... Of course she did. I'd thought that's who she was as soon as the school was mentioned. She made a Flash Mob grenade...
3.1 Allegro Good Enough for Me, Yah Yah Yah Yah Yah Yah
ScottotheUnwise
Verified Crack (fic) Dealer
- Location
- Mulberry, Fl
3.1 Allegro Good Enough for Me, Yah Yah Yah Yah Yah Yah
"So help me understand this. You met with Lung in your civilian identity because you were with Miss Satchee, proceeded to annoy Lung himself and then faced off with twenty of his men as a cape?" Miss Militia was asking.
Ino groaned to herself, waiting for it to click. Nan sat there with her impromptu mask still on, listening but not focused.
"Yah."
"And you still won't unmask to the PRT."
"Eh, It is my choice who I unmask to. As long YOUR interaction with me is only as a cape, you can't make me. I'm an independent, not a minor."
"Are you a member of Clef?"
Nan turned to face Ino. "Well, I was considering how to bring it up, yeah."
"If you are not a member of Clef, or another affiliated group, or the Protectorate, then you have used untested Tinker tech on civilians --which is of itself a crime." Miss Militia noted.
Nan's raised eyebrow showed above the mask. "Are you fakking stupid?" She pointed down the table to where her denim jacket was laid out on the table. "I agreed to let your techno dweebs take pictures --without touching, Mr. Grabby!" She admonished the tech still trying to get all the angles on her tech sewn into the interior, "As a sign of goodwill. Do you really think it is somehow worse than shooting at them with a nine mill to make them dance?"
"If it was a case of Mastery…"
"Mastery Schmastery. The Groovitron there overrides their muscles with signals to match mine. It don't do diddly to the brahn." She smiles. "And assault with powers does not covah self defense or the defense of othahs."
Sitting up straighter, Miss Militia grunts. "That would be settled in a court of law."
"So arrest me or piss off." Nan growled. "Doesn't mattah much anyway."
"What do you mean?"
Looking back. "Lung as much said he paid my scholarship. With that gone, I will be needing a gig. Clef might be hiring, or maybe the DWA if not."
"Why not the protectorate?"
Nan side eyeballs the stack of paperwork they wanted her to fill out over the vest, the rings, the three cigar shaped plastic tubes. "If that is an example of what you all want filled out for just carrying Tinker gear, I can't say I'd like filling out the papahs to use it."
Militia, nodding to the side herself. "Clef has to turn in paperwork as well."
Ino cleared her throat. "We have to file a summary. And we have tech that is designed to automate the forms." Blinking at the looks given over that. "Which will probably be some of our best selling equipment once Leet decides on a price and whether it is a service subscription or not."
Giving Ino a gimlet eye, Miss Militia noted the example cylinder. "And when were you going to submit for those?"
Ino looked at her device then back to meet the look. "Until this evening, that was just a design. I called for a set of twelve prototypes because it was the most recent non lethal design I had queued up."
"Flying fakking lightsabers is nonlethal?" Nan piped up, enjoying herself now out of the focus.
"Not a lightsaber. They are energy rapiers. Applied to flesh, they cause muscular numbness, paralysis and mild burns. That they can be dialed up to a much stronger effect does not rule out defensive use."
"And the flying? Is that new?"
Ino held herself stiffly. "A feature that has not been demonstrated still exists. Before you bring it up, it was part of the joint Tinkering session. Kid Win has a design like this on file, I have only added a swarm control system and sensors to determine the environment."
"The Fahse is strong with this one." Nan cackled.
Ino finally cracked a smile at that. Well, that and the door opening with Uber coming in.
"I come with glad tidings, ladies." He passed a sheaf to Miss Militia. "Our lawyers have been in contact with your lawyers. Quinn Calle recommends that you treat Bakuda here as a probationary employee of Clef, pending review." He half bows. "As an affiliated cape you will find we have our own funding for continuing education." he looked over to Ino as well. "Our seed money loan was funded by Lung. We've more than paid it off as of one month before the formation of Clef, despite what Lung implied."
He passed over a Clef id badge. "This will get you past the doors at the Old North Mall. We have offices inside and you can set up in any of the open storefronts for your workspace. Use the QR code on the back to load an app on your phone that is our in house materials ordering system. We can go over the expectations of membership along with the perks tomorrow, after school for the voting members." He thumbs toward Ino.
Facing Miss Militia. "One of these two has school in the morning and her mother has asked me to deliver her home. Bakuda, can I offer you a lift as well?"
Standing so fast her chair squeaked. "You betcha." She hip checked the tech a few steps out of her way and swept her denim jacket up to flip it over her shoulder. With her other hand she expertly grabbed up the three cigar tubes. The rings visibly appeared on her pinky without seeming to have been part of the maneuver.
Shrugging. "Street magic was a thing to do to pay for Ramen and beer. That scholarship didn't have much of a chow stipend."
"We aren't finished here…" Miss Militia began.
Uber held up a hand with to other sheets. "We ARE in fact done. Unless you want me to file these with the PRT?"
"And those are?"
"Complaints. One for holding a minor without a senior FULL member of Clef or a parent in attendance. The other is for false imprisonment without filing charges. Bakuda should have been released immediately and then invited to discuss possible membership, not told she was being held against potential charges while you rifle through her tech."
Even Miss Militia blinked at the gun reference.
Ino stood quietly and gestured with a finger as she put her goggles back into place. Her teleport pieces and the cylinders formed up in the air, then docked with her own jacket, latching on like thick frills along her arms.
They followed Uber out like ducklings.
Coming out to the garage, Nan paused at the beat up white van he was heading to.
"Not to be a total goon heah but I'm not getting into the pedo van."
Uber laughed as he fished out his keys. "Good call, but that is just camo. Behold the glorious transport."
The image of the van faded to show something like a rectangular wagon on a dozen foot tall wheels. There were three motorcycles parked in the back half, angled a little to fit within the apparent bounds. There were two seats in the front part, one of them occupied by Leet.
Nan was less than impressed. "It's a van sized skateboard with an imaging system overlay."
Leet looked up and held a hand over his heart. "You wound me with your powers of observational snark. Note to self, never let Bakuda interact with the Undersiders."
Nan bit the proffered bait. "Undersiders?"
"I could tell you more or explain tomorrow when you come in." Leet padded the bench seat he was sitting on. "I promise to pick a better image than the 'pedo' setting to deliver you to your door." He pointed behind them. "Or you can borrow a bike."
Nan snickered. "Fine with me. Driving myself is too much work."
Uber took the last bike and gestured for Ino to get on.
"No helmets?"
He smirked. "Integrated force fields. And we are both Brutes thanks to Drum."
"True."
They drove off the back of the platform, which then shimmered into a pretty decent rendition of the Mystery Machine. Leet took a moment to smile at Nan as he adjusted his ascot.
"For your sake, I'd better be in orange than done up as a purple redhead." Her look in the side mirror showed her to be wearing an orange turtleneck under brown hair with thick black glasses. "Jinkies, that is good tech."
"Why thank you." Leet mimed turning the key on the ignition to hear a throaty rumble. "Early work of course, but a classic." He pulled out of the garage at a sedate pace.
***********************
Cutting off the video feed, Armsmaster sighs. "If we had any idea how much Leet was sandbagging all these years."
Emily Piggot nodded to herself. "That or its all misdirection at play. He couldn't be older than twenty…"
"Leet will be twenty one in four months. His records were sealed as a minor, but he came to our attention --the previous director-- at the age of sixteen."
"Why wasn't he made a Ward?"
Shrugging. "He wouldn't stay put for more than two weeks at a time. And so much of his tech would explode, the Youth Guard wouldn't allow any of his work to be used at all, even by him. Six months of running away, they decided it wasn't worth the effort." He nods. "Uber has had a settling effect on him. And now Drum has made them both better for just being around."
He focused on the Director's narrowing eyes.
"That isn't a Master effect, Director." He winced. There have been no reported Masters in the area...
**************************
"Greg!" The male voice shouting from downstairs was the only one who would be shouting at this time of night. Dad was home.
Coming down the stairs, Greg noted he was carrying a sort of plastic shipping box with metal reinforcements. And limping a little.
"I unlocked the door and was coming in when I tripped on this thing." His father eyeballed the box as he set it on the table. "You know something about this?"
Greg had spotted the Clef symbol on the side. "Yeah. Something I was expecting, but not tonight. The symbol is a Clef."
"Boy, I was a band kid myself and I know what a clef is." His father opened the fridge and cracked a beer. Unlike many he drank only a bit, savoring the taste but firmly putting it down. Relaxing after a shift could wait. He was --as usual-- planning to wait until Margeret got off her own shift at the Hospital.
"No, dad. The group. My friends the capes and their buddies Uber and Leet…"
His dad was standing again. "That's it! In the trash it goes…" He was moving to lift the box when it shifted down the table out of his reach.
"Dad, hold on a minute. Let me explain first before you get all cape mad at me." Greg stood his ground. Not belligerent, but willing to weather the angry cop anyway.
"Fine."
Putting his hand out, Greg made a gesture that was interpreted by the processor in his watch, which was --well-- watching him. The box turned so it would be facing both of them and clicked open, the top slowly moving to a fully open position. In dark foam packed sections were several things. Helmet. Gloves. Belt with a rodeo sized buckle. There were several smaller sections that looked like cell phones or something similar.
"This is the gear we designed at our overnight stay --with the Wards."
"Wards? Your mom only said you were with friends… and safe." He groaned a little. "Did you trigger? Shit, it wasn't something I did was it?" His father's voice broke a little as he worried.
"No, no. Nothing like that. Drum can sort of share out powers. You heard about Hookwolf and the DWA."
"Right, but… this?"
"She can share out Tinker powers too. Leet and Kid Win were the donors for a little power testing thing. We made some knick knacks for them look over but spent most of our time designing on the interfaces. We figured out --well Taylor did anyway-- how to combine Kid Win's teleport tech with Leet's three dee printer. That made the 'copying stuff' stuff easy enough, but the rest of us came up with sending a design straight to the printers." Greg waved his hand at the box. "This is stuff I opted to print out."
"So YOU don't have powers, just some good friends with resources." His father took another swig of the beer, draining it to half.
"Some of this is gear for me to be safe in general. Some of it would let me help them as needed in cape stuff. AND some of it is for you and mom to carry around. Like this." Greg fished out a cell phone-like device. "It is a cell phone, but it is also a location monitor, and a taser and a personal force field if you need it."
His dad grunted at the last one. "Expecting someone to go after us?"
"No. Just seems stupid not to give you something like this if I have one and can make more."
His father chuckled. "Stop a bullet?"
"Several hundred up to rifle sized. Stop a sniper round a few times. If you see the phone blinking red, stay behind something solid. The field will also cover someone you are holding, so don't expect it to protect you in a wrestling-over-a-handgun-situation."
"Noted." His father stood up and looked at the gloves and other stuff. "So what are you holding out on your old man over?"
Greg lifted out the tray to show a folded suit and a trumpet.
"The suit I get, but a new horn?" his dad gave him a look.
Greg lifted the horn out and showed where it could slot a connection from the left glove. "You remember what Triumph did to the wreck of Mary Celeste?" His dad nodded warily. "This is Triumph... lite. Without the swearing."
*****************************
Sparky and Madison were stopping in at his place after the early showing of a movie. The theatre was close by and the extra time had let his mom, Andrea and his dad Kip-to-my-friends Mautoa to make dinner and set the table.
At his mom's look, he slipped off his shoes inside the apartment, thanking his stars that Maddie didn't need to be prompted to do so as well. They headed for the couch where they found two plastic shipping boxes side by side.
Kip sounded off. "Doorbell rang once. Little golden thing scanned my badge right through my shirt. I carried the first box in and turned for the second one and it was flying along behind me."
"Better check 'em now. They seemed pretty impatient as you guys walked up the block." Andrea piped in. "They were giving off audio distance measurements every hundred feet when you got close."
Sparky smiled at Maddie and they both reached to open the cases. Sparky's mind went blank a moment when he saw a foam padded section holding a hat as long as the box on top, covered with sparkles and… Oh.
Turning, he and Maddie swapped around. His box had a faux wood mask done in Maori swirls. It had goggles built into it, but was clearly made to look both wood and weathered. Heavy cloth feathers formed a hood to go over his head. There were cell phones, a belt, gloves. Noting the tray, he took it out and found a suit, with the Clef symbol on the chest and shoulder, like a motorcycle racing suit. It crinkled a little as he shifted it.
The real prize was underneath. Four sections of wood like material but clearly not that he lifted out reverently to connect as a Talavalu --a war club similar to the one adorning the wall of their home.
His dad let out a whistle as it hummed in his hands. Clearly Tinker tech.
Three clicks and a new hum from Maddie alerted him that she had the weapon they'd designed as well. It was an unholy cross between a Lacrosse stick and a Majoret's staff, covered in glittering material that lit up as she adjusted her grip.
Sparky nodded and took out two of the phones, passing one to his dad and the other his mom.
Madison was holding out the suit, which for her included something like a half skirt that started about where the front pockets ended. Pockets! Oh, and inside one was a note.
'Please put on costume and register name for costume call.'
She handed Sparky the note and headed for the bathroom. "'Scuse me."
Two minutes later a muted electronic voice spoke up. "Majoret recognized." A flash came from under the bathroom door.
She came out to find that Sparky was already in his suit, with the mask over it all.
"How, how did you change so fast?"
"I designed mine with my current measurements. The bracer I made docks with the suit, and once I put it on, the rest teleported into place." He noted with a gesture.
She tapped her foot. "And why did I not get something like?"
Chuckling, Sparky points at the hat. "We didn't want to make you wear too much gear. It's all in your hat --we even made it able to support its own weight for you. There are anti gravity discs in the boots that go with yours."
"There are boots!" The squeal is strong enough to make parents wince. "Wait, these are for my parents, right?" She put on the Majoret hat. Her face lit as the tinted face mask slid down with the head's up display glowing. "And there is the interface. Uhuh. Clef Lab. Your house. Taylor's. School. Mine."
She makes a few gestures. "That activates the sensor Legos…"
"You know we can't actually call them that, right?" Sparky essays.
"Mom's purse." The two cell phones lift off and fly into the case. A flash and they are gone. "Teleport pads in the false bottom." She turns to pat Sparky on the cheek as he lifts his mask up to show his astonished face. Grinning she smiled at his antics. "Not just a pretty face, remember?"
"Ooooh, she is a keeper." Andrea laughed. "Put your toys away kids, Lasagna is ready."
"Samoan lasagna, huh?" Madison shrugged. "I am intrigued to see what you've done with it."
Sparky's dad leaned into the room. "She puts pineapple on top."
"Rings or chunk?" Maddie smiled back.
His parents looked at each other. "Oh yeah. Total keeper."
"Don't screw this up boy. It would be awkward if your ma had to adopt her to keep her in the fam." Kip punched Sparky in the shoulder. "Good material that."
***********************
Winslow.
Things changed fast.
I was seriously confused at first how fast they brought in work crews to clean the place up overnight. Fresh paint in the main halls. Crews working through the day to clear out the 'extra' classrooms. A schedule on moving rooms around as they work on rooms that needed renovations.
Coming down the halls it was more a question of what was making the gang kids more nervous. There was us, the band kids who were clearly part of Clef --like me-- or associated with it. And there were the workmen and women who were fit and clearly more used to being in armor or carrying sidearms. And then there were the new teachers.
Principal Blackwell was on half pay as they investigated things, but the fact she WAS still employed happened to be a good sign.
As I walked down the hall to find my new first period class, I turned the corner and almost walked into Sophia Hess.
"Hebert."
"Hess."
The sounds of the hallway died down as others feigned disinterest but held their breath to hear better. A whimper sounded off to one side and I knew where Emma was now. Hiding.
"Place could use a little fresh paint." I offer, trying to make small talk.
She sniffs. "Still stinks like gang banger." Walking to class. Not trying to throw her weight around. Pod people?
I can feel Emma's eyes as she trails behind, Sophia turns into her class down the hall from the Band rooms. Ems stops a minute before ducking in as I glance back.
The hall noise returns, maybe it is just that there isn't that incessant roar of the blood in my head. And I walk in on Greg lip syncing to some eighties song, but it sounds like has adjusted some of the words with an mp3 editor. Still sounds --mostly-- like Cyndi Lauper though. Mom used to love her. This was used in the 'Goonies' movie I think.
As I come in with the last of the regular class on my heels, the player clicks as Mr. Grummon's touch stops the song. Greg fades to his desk under an assault of thrown paper wads.
"Settle down.", hands raised for attention. "Yah, there have been some changes to the old place. For the better I hope."
"Taylor. I hope you haven't borrowed any percussion instruments…" He smiles to take the sting away.
"Nothing but the weights and sticks you signed out to us."
He hums. "About that. We may need to up your weights so you actually get a workout now."
Groans all around.
"I could borrow a pair of telephone poles to practice with?"
That gets a laugh from the class.
It hits me now. Theo isn't here. The empty spot is painful and I think I feel a little tear welling up.
I hope he likes Arcadia…
"Did I miss anything important?" Theo's voice caught me flatfooted as he came in. "I was grabbed to do a walkaround with a transfer." Theo waves a red headed full on ginger kid in.
"Hi guys. Once it got out that Winslow is getting a face lift, my parents decided to move me closer to home and save all that money they were spending on my education. Lucky me, right?"
Heh. I know that voice too. Clockblocker.
Well, I suppose they went with plan "B".
"So help me understand this. You met with Lung in your civilian identity because you were with Miss Satchee, proceeded to annoy Lung himself and then faced off with twenty of his men as a cape?" Miss Militia was asking.
Ino groaned to herself, waiting for it to click. Nan sat there with her impromptu mask still on, listening but not focused.
"Yah."
"And you still won't unmask to the PRT."
"Eh, It is my choice who I unmask to. As long YOUR interaction with me is only as a cape, you can't make me. I'm an independent, not a minor."
"Are you a member of Clef?"
Nan turned to face Ino. "Well, I was considering how to bring it up, yeah."
"If you are not a member of Clef, or another affiliated group, or the Protectorate, then you have used untested Tinker tech on civilians --which is of itself a crime." Miss Militia noted.
Nan's raised eyebrow showed above the mask. "Are you fakking stupid?" She pointed down the table to where her denim jacket was laid out on the table. "I agreed to let your techno dweebs take pictures --without touching, Mr. Grabby!" She admonished the tech still trying to get all the angles on her tech sewn into the interior, "As a sign of goodwill. Do you really think it is somehow worse than shooting at them with a nine mill to make them dance?"
"If it was a case of Mastery…"
"Mastery Schmastery. The Groovitron there overrides their muscles with signals to match mine. It don't do diddly to the brahn." She smiles. "And assault with powers does not covah self defense or the defense of othahs."
Sitting up straighter, Miss Militia grunts. "That would be settled in a court of law."
"So arrest me or piss off." Nan growled. "Doesn't mattah much anyway."
"What do you mean?"
Looking back. "Lung as much said he paid my scholarship. With that gone, I will be needing a gig. Clef might be hiring, or maybe the DWA if not."
"Why not the protectorate?"
Nan side eyeballs the stack of paperwork they wanted her to fill out over the vest, the rings, the three cigar shaped plastic tubes. "If that is an example of what you all want filled out for just carrying Tinker gear, I can't say I'd like filling out the papahs to use it."
Militia, nodding to the side herself. "Clef has to turn in paperwork as well."
Ino cleared her throat. "We have to file a summary. And we have tech that is designed to automate the forms." Blinking at the looks given over that. "Which will probably be some of our best selling equipment once Leet decides on a price and whether it is a service subscription or not."
Giving Ino a gimlet eye, Miss Militia noted the example cylinder. "And when were you going to submit for those?"
Ino looked at her device then back to meet the look. "Until this evening, that was just a design. I called for a set of twelve prototypes because it was the most recent non lethal design I had queued up."
"Flying fakking lightsabers is nonlethal?" Nan piped up, enjoying herself now out of the focus.
"Not a lightsaber. They are energy rapiers. Applied to flesh, they cause muscular numbness, paralysis and mild burns. That they can be dialed up to a much stronger effect does not rule out defensive use."
"And the flying? Is that new?"
Ino held herself stiffly. "A feature that has not been demonstrated still exists. Before you bring it up, it was part of the joint Tinkering session. Kid Win has a design like this on file, I have only added a swarm control system and sensors to determine the environment."
"The Fahse is strong with this one." Nan cackled.
Ino finally cracked a smile at that. Well, that and the door opening with Uber coming in.
"I come with glad tidings, ladies." He passed a sheaf to Miss Militia. "Our lawyers have been in contact with your lawyers. Quinn Calle recommends that you treat Bakuda here as a probationary employee of Clef, pending review." He half bows. "As an affiliated cape you will find we have our own funding for continuing education." he looked over to Ino as well. "Our seed money loan was funded by Lung. We've more than paid it off as of one month before the formation of Clef, despite what Lung implied."
He passed over a Clef id badge. "This will get you past the doors at the Old North Mall. We have offices inside and you can set up in any of the open storefronts for your workspace. Use the QR code on the back to load an app on your phone that is our in house materials ordering system. We can go over the expectations of membership along with the perks tomorrow, after school for the voting members." He thumbs toward Ino.
Facing Miss Militia. "One of these two has school in the morning and her mother has asked me to deliver her home. Bakuda, can I offer you a lift as well?"
Standing so fast her chair squeaked. "You betcha." She hip checked the tech a few steps out of her way and swept her denim jacket up to flip it over her shoulder. With her other hand she expertly grabbed up the three cigar tubes. The rings visibly appeared on her pinky without seeming to have been part of the maneuver.
Shrugging. "Street magic was a thing to do to pay for Ramen and beer. That scholarship didn't have much of a chow stipend."
"We aren't finished here…" Miss Militia began.
Uber held up a hand with to other sheets. "We ARE in fact done. Unless you want me to file these with the PRT?"
"And those are?"
"Complaints. One for holding a minor without a senior FULL member of Clef or a parent in attendance. The other is for false imprisonment without filing charges. Bakuda should have been released immediately and then invited to discuss possible membership, not told she was being held against potential charges while you rifle through her tech."
Even Miss Militia blinked at the gun reference.
Ino stood quietly and gestured with a finger as she put her goggles back into place. Her teleport pieces and the cylinders formed up in the air, then docked with her own jacket, latching on like thick frills along her arms.
They followed Uber out like ducklings.
Coming out to the garage, Nan paused at the beat up white van he was heading to.
"Not to be a total goon heah but I'm not getting into the pedo van."
Uber laughed as he fished out his keys. "Good call, but that is just camo. Behold the glorious transport."
The image of the van faded to show something like a rectangular wagon on a dozen foot tall wheels. There were three motorcycles parked in the back half, angled a little to fit within the apparent bounds. There were two seats in the front part, one of them occupied by Leet.
Nan was less than impressed. "It's a van sized skateboard with an imaging system overlay."
Leet looked up and held a hand over his heart. "You wound me with your powers of observational snark. Note to self, never let Bakuda interact with the Undersiders."
Nan bit the proffered bait. "Undersiders?"
"I could tell you more or explain tomorrow when you come in." Leet padded the bench seat he was sitting on. "I promise to pick a better image than the 'pedo' setting to deliver you to your door." He pointed behind them. "Or you can borrow a bike."
Nan snickered. "Fine with me. Driving myself is too much work."
Uber took the last bike and gestured for Ino to get on.
"No helmets?"
He smirked. "Integrated force fields. And we are both Brutes thanks to Drum."
"True."
They drove off the back of the platform, which then shimmered into a pretty decent rendition of the Mystery Machine. Leet took a moment to smile at Nan as he adjusted his ascot.
"For your sake, I'd better be in orange than done up as a purple redhead." Her look in the side mirror showed her to be wearing an orange turtleneck under brown hair with thick black glasses. "Jinkies, that is good tech."
"Why thank you." Leet mimed turning the key on the ignition to hear a throaty rumble. "Early work of course, but a classic." He pulled out of the garage at a sedate pace.
***********************
Cutting off the video feed, Armsmaster sighs. "If we had any idea how much Leet was sandbagging all these years."
Emily Piggot nodded to herself. "That or its all misdirection at play. He couldn't be older than twenty…"
"Leet will be twenty one in four months. His records were sealed as a minor, but he came to our attention --the previous director-- at the age of sixteen."
"Why wasn't he made a Ward?"
Shrugging. "He wouldn't stay put for more than two weeks at a time. And so much of his tech would explode, the Youth Guard wouldn't allow any of his work to be used at all, even by him. Six months of running away, they decided it wasn't worth the effort." He nods. "Uber has had a settling effect on him. And now Drum has made them both better for just being around."
He focused on the Director's narrowing eyes.
"That isn't a Master effect, Director." He winced. There have been no reported Masters in the area...
**************************
"Greg!" The male voice shouting from downstairs was the only one who would be shouting at this time of night. Dad was home.
Coming down the stairs, Greg noted he was carrying a sort of plastic shipping box with metal reinforcements. And limping a little.
"I unlocked the door and was coming in when I tripped on this thing." His father eyeballed the box as he set it on the table. "You know something about this?"
Greg had spotted the Clef symbol on the side. "Yeah. Something I was expecting, but not tonight. The symbol is a Clef."
"Boy, I was a band kid myself and I know what a clef is." His father opened the fridge and cracked a beer. Unlike many he drank only a bit, savoring the taste but firmly putting it down. Relaxing after a shift could wait. He was --as usual-- planning to wait until Margeret got off her own shift at the Hospital.
"No, dad. The group. My friends the capes and their buddies Uber and Leet…"
His dad was standing again. "That's it! In the trash it goes…" He was moving to lift the box when it shifted down the table out of his reach.
"Dad, hold on a minute. Let me explain first before you get all cape mad at me." Greg stood his ground. Not belligerent, but willing to weather the angry cop anyway.
"Fine."
Putting his hand out, Greg made a gesture that was interpreted by the processor in his watch, which was --well-- watching him. The box turned so it would be facing both of them and clicked open, the top slowly moving to a fully open position. In dark foam packed sections were several things. Helmet. Gloves. Belt with a rodeo sized buckle. There were several smaller sections that looked like cell phones or something similar.
"This is the gear we designed at our overnight stay --with the Wards."
"Wards? Your mom only said you were with friends… and safe." He groaned a little. "Did you trigger? Shit, it wasn't something I did was it?" His father's voice broke a little as he worried.
"No, no. Nothing like that. Drum can sort of share out powers. You heard about Hookwolf and the DWA."
"Right, but… this?"
"She can share out Tinker powers too. Leet and Kid Win were the donors for a little power testing thing. We made some knick knacks for them look over but spent most of our time designing on the interfaces. We figured out --well Taylor did anyway-- how to combine Kid Win's teleport tech with Leet's three dee printer. That made the 'copying stuff' stuff easy enough, but the rest of us came up with sending a design straight to the printers." Greg waved his hand at the box. "This is stuff I opted to print out."
"So YOU don't have powers, just some good friends with resources." His father took another swig of the beer, draining it to half.
"Some of this is gear for me to be safe in general. Some of it would let me help them as needed in cape stuff. AND some of it is for you and mom to carry around. Like this." Greg fished out a cell phone-like device. "It is a cell phone, but it is also a location monitor, and a taser and a personal force field if you need it."
His dad grunted at the last one. "Expecting someone to go after us?"
"No. Just seems stupid not to give you something like this if I have one and can make more."
His father chuckled. "Stop a bullet?"
"Several hundred up to rifle sized. Stop a sniper round a few times. If you see the phone blinking red, stay behind something solid. The field will also cover someone you are holding, so don't expect it to protect you in a wrestling-over-a-handgun-situation."
"Noted." His father stood up and looked at the gloves and other stuff. "So what are you holding out on your old man over?"
Greg lifted out the tray to show a folded suit and a trumpet.
"The suit I get, but a new horn?" his dad gave him a look.
Greg lifted the horn out and showed where it could slot a connection from the left glove. "You remember what Triumph did to the wreck of Mary Celeste?" His dad nodded warily. "This is Triumph... lite. Without the swearing."
*****************************
Sparky and Madison were stopping in at his place after the early showing of a movie. The theatre was close by and the extra time had let his mom, Andrea and his dad Kip-to-my-friends Mautoa to make dinner and set the table.
At his mom's look, he slipped off his shoes inside the apartment, thanking his stars that Maddie didn't need to be prompted to do so as well. They headed for the couch where they found two plastic shipping boxes side by side.
Kip sounded off. "Doorbell rang once. Little golden thing scanned my badge right through my shirt. I carried the first box in and turned for the second one and it was flying along behind me."
"Better check 'em now. They seemed pretty impatient as you guys walked up the block." Andrea piped in. "They were giving off audio distance measurements every hundred feet when you got close."
Sparky smiled at Maddie and they both reached to open the cases. Sparky's mind went blank a moment when he saw a foam padded section holding a hat as long as the box on top, covered with sparkles and… Oh.
Turning, he and Maddie swapped around. His box had a faux wood mask done in Maori swirls. It had goggles built into it, but was clearly made to look both wood and weathered. Heavy cloth feathers formed a hood to go over his head. There were cell phones, a belt, gloves. Noting the tray, he took it out and found a suit, with the Clef symbol on the chest and shoulder, like a motorcycle racing suit. It crinkled a little as he shifted it.
The real prize was underneath. Four sections of wood like material but clearly not that he lifted out reverently to connect as a Talavalu --a war club similar to the one adorning the wall of their home.
His dad let out a whistle as it hummed in his hands. Clearly Tinker tech.
Three clicks and a new hum from Maddie alerted him that she had the weapon they'd designed as well. It was an unholy cross between a Lacrosse stick and a Majoret's staff, covered in glittering material that lit up as she adjusted her grip.
Sparky nodded and took out two of the phones, passing one to his dad and the other his mom.
Madison was holding out the suit, which for her included something like a half skirt that started about where the front pockets ended. Pockets! Oh, and inside one was a note.
'Please put on costume and register name for costume call.'
She handed Sparky the note and headed for the bathroom. "'Scuse me."
Two minutes later a muted electronic voice spoke up. "Majoret recognized." A flash came from under the bathroom door.
She came out to find that Sparky was already in his suit, with the mask over it all.
"How, how did you change so fast?"
"I designed mine with my current measurements. The bracer I made docks with the suit, and once I put it on, the rest teleported into place." He noted with a gesture.
She tapped her foot. "And why did I not get something like?"
Chuckling, Sparky points at the hat. "We didn't want to make you wear too much gear. It's all in your hat --we even made it able to support its own weight for you. There are anti gravity discs in the boots that go with yours."
"There are boots!" The squeal is strong enough to make parents wince. "Wait, these are for my parents, right?" She put on the Majoret hat. Her face lit as the tinted face mask slid down with the head's up display glowing. "And there is the interface. Uhuh. Clef Lab. Your house. Taylor's. School. Mine."
She makes a few gestures. "That activates the sensor Legos…"
"You know we can't actually call them that, right?" Sparky essays.
"Mom's purse." The two cell phones lift off and fly into the case. A flash and they are gone. "Teleport pads in the false bottom." She turns to pat Sparky on the cheek as he lifts his mask up to show his astonished face. Grinning she smiled at his antics. "Not just a pretty face, remember?"
"Ooooh, she is a keeper." Andrea laughed. "Put your toys away kids, Lasagna is ready."
"Samoan lasagna, huh?" Madison shrugged. "I am intrigued to see what you've done with it."
Sparky's dad leaned into the room. "She puts pineapple on top."
"Rings or chunk?" Maddie smiled back.
His parents looked at each other. "Oh yeah. Total keeper."
"Don't screw this up boy. It would be awkward if your ma had to adopt her to keep her in the fam." Kip punched Sparky in the shoulder. "Good material that."
***********************
Winslow.
Things changed fast.
I was seriously confused at first how fast they brought in work crews to clean the place up overnight. Fresh paint in the main halls. Crews working through the day to clear out the 'extra' classrooms. A schedule on moving rooms around as they work on rooms that needed renovations.
Coming down the halls it was more a question of what was making the gang kids more nervous. There was us, the band kids who were clearly part of Clef --like me-- or associated with it. And there were the workmen and women who were fit and clearly more used to being in armor or carrying sidearms. And then there were the new teachers.
Principal Blackwell was on half pay as they investigated things, but the fact she WAS still employed happened to be a good sign.
As I walked down the hall to find my new first period class, I turned the corner and almost walked into Sophia Hess.
"Hebert."
"Hess."
The sounds of the hallway died down as others feigned disinterest but held their breath to hear better. A whimper sounded off to one side and I knew where Emma was now. Hiding.
"Place could use a little fresh paint." I offer, trying to make small talk.
She sniffs. "Still stinks like gang banger." Walking to class. Not trying to throw her weight around. Pod people?
I can feel Emma's eyes as she trails behind, Sophia turns into her class down the hall from the Band rooms. Ems stops a minute before ducking in as I glance back.
The hall noise returns, maybe it is just that there isn't that incessant roar of the blood in my head. And I walk in on Greg lip syncing to some eighties song, but it sounds like has adjusted some of the words with an mp3 editor. Still sounds --mostly-- like Cyndi Lauper though. Mom used to love her. This was used in the 'Goonies' movie I think.
Here we are hanging on the strains of green and reds.
Break the chains and we break down
Oh
it's not real if you don't feel it.
Unspoken expectations
ideas you used to play with
They're finally taking shape.
What's good enough for you is good enough for me
It's good enough
it's good enough for me.
Break the chains and we break down
Oh
it's not real if you don't feel it.
Unspoken expectations
ideas you used to play with
They're finally taking shape.
What's good enough for you is good enough for me
It's good enough
it's good enough for me.
As I come in with the last of the regular class on my heels, the player clicks as Mr. Grummon's touch stops the song. Greg fades to his desk under an assault of thrown paper wads.
"Settle down.", hands raised for attention. "Yah, there have been some changes to the old place. For the better I hope."
"Taylor. I hope you haven't borrowed any percussion instruments…" He smiles to take the sting away.
"Nothing but the weights and sticks you signed out to us."
He hums. "About that. We may need to up your weights so you actually get a workout now."
Groans all around.
"I could borrow a pair of telephone poles to practice with?"
That gets a laugh from the class.
It hits me now. Theo isn't here. The empty spot is painful and I think I feel a little tear welling up.
I hope he likes Arcadia…
"Did I miss anything important?" Theo's voice caught me flatfooted as he came in. "I was grabbed to do a walkaround with a transfer." Theo waves a red headed full on ginger kid in.
"Hi guys. Once it got out that Winslow is getting a face lift, my parents decided to move me closer to home and save all that money they were spending on my education. Lucky me, right?"
Heh. I know that voice too. Clockblocker.
Well, I suppose they went with plan "B".
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Hecatonchires
Just an H-class cyborg with an octopus brain stem
- Location
- The Gong, NSW, Australia
I'm surprised no one has done a 21 jump street style story, wards getting into schools looking for undercover young capes
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- Location
- Washington State
Threadmarks, this is not.
- Location
- None of your business
I knew it was the Groovitron, only thing I could think of that makes people dance without their bodies willing to do it.
ScottotheUnwise
Verified Crack (fic) Dealer
- Location
- Mulberry, Fl
Nan is lazy about naming things. The dweebs were arguing about what to call it so she cherry picked the one she liked.
Of course plan "A" is Arcadia, but who'd a thunk Winslow would end up being a 'magnet' school?
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- Location
- Soviet Canuckistan
So, they're going to be stealing Clock out of the Wards in the immediate future. Someone did not think this thru.
punster lv1
Killjoy - cheerful shitposter - ignorant pedant
In (I think)
Like that? (Unless that's how kids talk nowadays)
Either sliding or with needs to go
FaerieKnight79
Verified Pixie
- Location
- The Internet
Or what happened is she put the hat on, and the mask slid down from where it was concealed inside of the hat. Which is how I read it.
- Location
- Somewhere
Well, I see Clef will be swiping Clockblocker in the future. Maybe they'll get Vista too, like in MD where Taylor started a harem by mistake.
punster lv1
Killjoy - cheerful shitposter - ignorant pedant
I got that part, I just thought the wording was weird. Admittedly I'm not a native speaker so maybe it's just me.