Remove ads

Wyrm (A Worm Quest)

View content
Remove ads
Cracks 1.11
  • View content
    • Cracks 1.11


    [x] eat
    [x] Finally try and sort out the legal issues – you would have to talk to Mr. Barnes though. (resolves living situation, more votes for actual decisions will be had)
    - [x] tell him about your powers



    No. I was probably going to test what happened if I didn't eat eventually, but I wanted to be able to see. Even if I may not be eating everything I should and had no idea how long it would take, the faster my vision cleared up, the better. I couldn't go to school like this. I might not have to, because I could just as easily ask to have a little bit more time and maybe I should, but not being able to see was still horrible. Well maybe not horrible, but aggravating and not something I wanted to deal with for more than a day.

    "Let's have food. We can see what happens if I don't eat some other day, I want to know how much is going to fit."

    Lacey nodded. "Alright. We picked out a few more broken things." She was obviously still slightly uncomfortable with the idea, but I was hungry and even if she might care, I didn't really. If anything I was surprised how much I just accepted it. Then she put a huge jar of peanut butter next to the stack near the smaller scale. "Just in case."

    ".. You, you didn't have to you know? It's weird but that stuff is alright too, It doesn't taste bad actually."

    "Just eat it. It'll make us feel a bit better about it, making sure you get some extra real nutrients too." Kurt was leaning against one of the machines. I was sort of curious why he was so calm about everything, but then again so was I. I should probably ask myself, why I didn't mind first.

    Then Lacey pulled her pad out, put the peanut butter on the scale, made a note and we got started. The sweet, sticky taste was just incredible, with just the right amount of pure sugar and crunch from the glass. Glass that broke so easily under my teeth now. Not as chewy as iron or steel but still with its own flavour and texture. So much less mushy than normal food. There wasn't even any cutlery I had to take care not to eat, I just bit into what I had , over and over. The sweet , crunchy wood. The even sweeter coal, taking up so much moisture and liquefying in my mouth. The incredible chewiness and metallic flavour of a a few more scraps. Everything around me seemed to just fade.
    Some where at the periphery I noticed Lacey weighing and noting down numbers of what she was handing to me. I just ate. So much. More than I could have it even yesterday, but I couldn't even really mind.
    Finally the contentment started washing over me. I smiled at Lacey and could see her calculating.

    "Thirty five pounds."

    Thirty five pounds and I wasn't even a pound heavier. I didn't even have it in me to worry. I didn't care why some things seemed to change how good they tasted to me. That I wasn't sure how it worked, not now anyway. I pushed sleep away and half mumbled an "I think it's growing. Can't have been that much…" Pushed sleep further away, while we wandered back to the car and Lacey turned off the lights and locked the door behind us.

    If I weren't thirsty, I probably would have fallen asleep in the car. I had no idea how I drank another three gallons of water on top of what I'd eaten as soon as I got back, but by then it was really very hard to care. I wasn't in danger. And I had had that much before, I almost always seemed to need water after I ate. Or maybe before. I felt good. I could barely get ready before I fell into bed. So much food. I felt so good.
    When I finally stopped resisting, sleep took me in a heartbeat.


    Soaring above, words in a language that didn't quite come to me. Something important. Something so important that I still could remember. The last few impressions faded even before I could open my eyes and stare into the room, blinking into the light. The noonday sun left bright stripes across my face. And it was noon. just about twelve actually.

    I wasn't even surprised anymore. Thirteen hours, maybe thirteen and a half and I didn't really care. Maybe I had overeaten a bit. Maybe. But I felt a little lighter still anyway. Moving was so easy. Everything was so easy, so light. They still didn't weigh the same, I could still tell them apart but it was so difficult to bother me with weight by now. And blinking up, looking around, things were clear too. As clear as the day before yesterday with my glasses on if not clearer and I knew how to make things clear up completely. Or was that make my power make things clear up? Finish with my vision and maybe my body. My arm barely looked different. It was probably never a big jump, but even that was okay.

    I had so much to do, but lying in bed felt too good to get up just yet, I felt like my heavy blanket might as well have been a feather, cozy and comfortable even if I no longer felt really cold elsewhere, it was good. Snug and soothing. I could have stayed for hours, I didn't mind staying for hours. Something inside me whispered I had time. Would always have time, there was nothing to worry about. For that moment getting hurt seemed almost impossible. Or maybe not that, just getting hurt from anything around me.

    Were my powers changing my thoughts? Did it matter?

    Yes.

    But they didn't control me, I could overcome them easily enough. I would never have figured out I could eat so many things now without them and they kept me from giving up. Should I be angry? Maybe, but they just felt like a part of me.

    Maybe I would just need to do more research.

    I stretched and finally pushed the covers aside. Half an hour after I'd woken up.

    As much as I didn't want to, or maybe as afraid as I was of the outcome, I would have to talk to Mr. Barnes eventually. Even if Emma wouldn't talk to me and had shown me exactly how much our friendship was worth to her already. Even if she didn't want to see me, Mr. Barnes had been trying to help and I needed things sorted out. Kurt and Lacey needed things sorted out. So showering it was, even if I had no idea whether I still smelled the same, it felt good to let the water run over me. Turning the heat up completely and letting that trickle of warmth and the water soothe me. I could imagine it washing so much away… I showered until the hot water ran out. Was tempted to stay even if it was cold, but I had things to do.

    I couldn't just keep looking at how my muscles were starting to show a bit under the t-shirt. I didn't even bother putting a hoodie on on top this time, just wandered downstairs.
    Kurt looked up.

    "Sleep well?"

    I sank down onto the couch. It was weird not being hungry in the morning, but now it was also convenient. "Yeah. I don't know why, but every time I eat until I'm full I do. I just wish I could remember what I was dreaming about." And part of me wished the good mood would stay, but reality had a way of slowly creeping in. I took a deep breath. Closed my eyes. I was still fine. Nothing had happened and the meeting would go fine. Even more so, I didn't like running away. I just opened my eyes and looked over to him. "We should call Mr. Barnes."


    Mr. Barnes told us to come over not 15 minutes later. Maybe he wanted to get it out of the way too. I couldn't help but ponder how he sounded worse than I did. What was wrong with me. Maybe it was because I was still pushing it away. Because I still wasn't sure it had fully sunken in yet, but I could take things step by step. Avoid thinking certain words and I wouldn't break. I couldn't think about it now, but I wouldn't break. I refused. More strongly than I thought, but even so that part of me still would not give up.

    So I continued.

    Lacey came back. We got into the car and I was just breathing. I had to do this. I had to get everything sorted out, because nobody would take my home away from me. I didn't care if it was unhealthy. I knew I would probably break down again at some point, but not now.

    No matter how familiar the house was. No matter how well I could remember Emma. Playing with Emma, all of those hours I had spent in this house. I had no idea what happened to that Emma. I wasn't sure she could come back. I wanted to hope… but it was just that. And in the end, Emma didn't want me.

    And it wasn't okay. Just like Dad being gone wasn't okay. I wasn't sure it would ever be okay, but I refused to give in. I didn't even care if I was just being stubborn. I stared up at Mr. Barnes with my new false glasses. His smile was so brittle. He looked so exhausted, much like Kurt and Lacey did sometimes. More so than them, but he wasn't giving up either.

    The house was eerily quiet. Mr. Barnes hadn't even said a word yet, just pointed at the table with papers strewn all over it. Usually he would have hated it, but I didn't say anything. I just sat down. Kurt and Lacey next to me, Mr. Barnes across. And he sighed. Kurt was leaning back. Closing his eyes too. I could see Lacey's face set. Determined. It would have been wrong for any of of us to be happy, but we were still there.

    Mr. Barnes forced a smile. "I've gone through the guardianship application, I doubt the will fight us on this. I've also had a look over your finances and the hospital bills. You'll be able to keep the house without assistance, but it will be expensive. Seeing as you didn't have a guardian at the time and no one legally could have ordered the scans for you, we might be able to fight the costs or convince the PRT to pay, but it wouldn't be immediate." he sighed. "I'm not certain they would be keen to pay and with what happened to Danny, I'm not certain the judge or jury would be sympathetic if they decide to fight us over it. We would be in the right of course, but it might be drawn out." His voice was dry. Quiet and a little distant. Kurt and Lacey had nodded, but his hands clenched, before they could say anything.

    We could all see him forcing himself to breathe. "I just have one more question. Taylor, are you sure you wouldn't rather stay here. We have more than enough money to afford it and you would be much closer to Emma after all." he smiled, but his lips were too thin. So thin I couldn't quite think of his as healthy. He seemed so.. brittle. But I didn't think he would back down.

    I had tensed before I'd even noticed. Maybe I'd been tense from the point we came in or even before. I breathed. I couldn't break down now. Not even thinking about… "Emma. Emma… I…" I breathed. I knew my eyes might start feeling wet soon.
    It hurt.

    It hurt but I couldn't stop now.

    "Emma doesn't want me." Go away. Weak. I don't need you. Fuck off. Sophia Hess walking toward me and I knew it would hurt. "She… she hadn't talked to me since summer. I would. I think. I'm not sure but Emma doesn't want me. I'm sorry… I'm sorry! I don't think I could." I don't know when I raised my voice. When I started shaking, but I did.

    But Mr. Barnes didn't even seem completely surprised. If anything he tensed up just as much as I had. "Emma. I know Emma hasn't been well. I know..."

    "But that's not something Taylor needs to deal with right now." Lacey's voice was cool. "I know you're looking out for your daughter but if she doesn't want Taylor around.."

    "No. You don't understand! You don't understand!" Mr. Barnes' skin was white with blotchy red. He was standing, leaning over the table, shaking and pulling back. "You don't understand. I don't understand. But I think Taylor might. Please. Hear me out. The others went out, no one will be able to hear and I don't want you ever telling this to anyone else, do you understand?"

    Kurt nodded. I wasn't sure he meant it, but Lacey wasn't as easy. "This isn't about your daughter. I know you're worried, but it isn't. I'm not even sure you..." Kurt put a hand on her arm. "Alright. I'll hear you out, but I'm not sure you should be doing this."

    "You don't understand. What choice do I have? Emma… Emma and me were attacked in summer. They almost killed her and they would have done god knows what to her! I've tried to make her go to therapy! I've tried, but she got new friends, I don't know what they're telling her, but she's stopped listening. She's going on and on about being strong, but she's killing herself! Tell me what I should do? Why shouldn't Taylor live with her? Why couldn't they help each other?"

    Emma. She'd looked so tired. She'd thrown you away. She'd refused, you'd tried but… "If she's not listening to you, why would she listen to me? She won't even really talk to me! I wish I could help. I wish I could help with anything but she isn't… I'd just put even more pressure on you. I… I'm a cape. And they're helping em handle it, but I don't know what to do. I could break something." It hurt. It hurt so much, part of you resisted, but you pushed past. "I can't even deal with myself!"
    [Humanity+2]
    I had no idea what Mr. Barnes, expression was. A smile, regret, determination, despair or hope. "I know. Or I've had a suspicion. They were thinking you could never have survived until they pulled you out whose, but you don't understand." His fists, his everything clenched. He paused and you could see how much it cost him, but..." That's why you can help. I can't do anything, she won't listen, she'll just go anyway, but you're a cape too."

    "So what? I'm not faster, not really and not that much. I'm stronger, but I'm nowhere near Glory Girl! Sure I'm tough but…!"

    "But she isn't! My,- Emma isn't! But she won't stop. Please! She's coming back hurt, she's killing herself and her friends cheer her on! Do you have any idea what the statistics for independent heroes are, even without Endbringers? She's killing herself. She keeps getting hurt and she won't stop. Taylor! Taylor, please…" Ugly tears streaming down his face, but he barely seemed to notice. You barely noticed.

    "I can't lose her!"

    "Please!"


    Emma.

    Something inside you clicked.

    [ ] "I… I don't know! How would I even get her to talk to me? Are you sure she wouldn't just run? I want to help, but I can't. I don't know how I could get through. I don't even know what's going on." She wouldn't even talk to you. Would she really be different if you told her. Mr. Barnes was crying. You were crying but what could you even do? (do not try to get close to Emma again, but promise to try and protect her anyway if possible. Live at Kurt and Lacey's)
    [ ] "But why me? I'm not even that strong. You know New wave! You've seen the pamphlets, I'm sorry but…" What could I even do about this? (Emma has made her decision, trying to force her won't help, but maybe someone else can. Live at Kurt and Lacey's)
    [ ] "I… But... How?" It was still Emma and if she was hurt, if she was pushing me away because she was hurt, I at least had to try. (try to help Emma and get to the bottom of this, success not guaranteed
    - [ ] live at the Barnes' house
    - [ ]live at Kurt and Lacey's
    [ ] Write in

    misc:
    [ ] tell him about your growing abilities
    [ ] do not tell him about your growth


    Interludes (choose one):
    [ ] Director Piggot's worse-than-usual headache
    [ ] Slipstream's average, normal day in the Protectorate
    [ ] Thomas Calvert's hazardous construction materials
    [ ] PRT Corporal Wilkins' worst week
    [ ] Shadow Stalker's hunt continues
    [ ] Emma's new life



    Hunger: 40/100
    Humanity: 75/100
    Hunger and humanity are percentile.
    I will be controlling humanity drops and changes more closely now.
     
    Last edited:
  • View discussion
    • Cracks 1.12
  • View content
    • Cracks 1.12


    [x] Can I talk with her, alone, before choosing anything permanent? can you arrange that?
    [x] do not tell him about your growth
    [x] Director Piggot's worse-than-usual headache



    For the first few seconds I didn't know what to say at all. I was just breathing, staring at him and ignoring the instinct to refuse just because he was pushing. He hadn't tried to use any leverage on me. He'd just asked and he cared about Emma. Of course he would. Even if he was much more interested in her than in me, I shouldn't blame him too much. He was still helping me after all.

    I'd never seen him cry, never seen him even close to crying before.

    I just still didn't know what to do. Or what I could do for that matter. But I couldn't leave this. I couldn't just turn him down and if Emma really was hurt. I owed it to her to at least try. I might be shaking, I might be angry, but I was not willing to give up yet. Maybe I just despised the very idea of it, but if it might just not be too late yet…

    "I… Can I talk to her alone? Can you make sure she'll talk to me?" I hated how weak my voice sounded right then. Maybe I was weak. Still. But I shouldn't be that weak. I wiped my face. Just say it. Say what you mean.

    "I'm going to try, I can't promise anything and I'll decide on anything permanent after that, but I'm going to try." And I would do everything I could, because maybe that Emma wasn't quite gone yet. Would it work? I should have asked that, but I also didn't want to. What was even going on in my head? I knew this wasn't how I would have said it before, but I couldn't stop it. I could suppress it but… I knew it should a a bad thing. I just couldn't be quite sure myself. I couldn't even say it wasn't me. Of that it wasn't a good thing, it kept me from giving up, it kept me from being quiet, it just… I would have to think about it some more at home.

    Mr Barnes just… seemed to collapse there. Sunk into his chair, closed his eyes. I was hardly even aware of Kurt and Lacey watching. Lacey I knew was thinking. Kurt didn't seem to know what to say, but he reached out to put a hand on Mr. Barnes' shoulder. He just shuddered before brushing it off and wiping the remains of his outburst away as best as he could, as if it had never happened. If he'd managed completely, I might have been disturbed, but the red eyes stayed behind. As did the small trembles in his hand and arm.

    Finally Lacey spoke up. "Did you ask New Wave about this?"

    That seemed to shock him out of his silence. "I asked her if she wanted to meet with any of them. I've asked Carol about it, but… She didn't. She's not listening to me anymore and if I tried now, I'm sure she would just never attend the meeting."

    "And having her run into them on patrol or elsewhere wouldn't work either, would it?"

    "No. I don't think so, if anything, they already met and it didn't work out. Emma… doesn't have a good opinion of New Wave anymore."

    I knew consent of the minor wasn't required to sign up to the Wards. It was preferred, but not strictly required. Lacey would know that too, but if she refused to meet with New Wave… would she meet with the Wards? Or the Protectorate? "I'll try and if it won't work… you might be able to sign her up to the Wards?"

    No. I'd said something wrong. Mr. Barnes was tensing up. Lacey didn't look happy for some reason but.."No. I can't lose her. Taylor. Please. If I try to go to the PRT I'll lose her, she'll run away or… I don't know what else. You're her friend. I can go to New Wave. Don't you think I've already tried to convince her to go to the Wards. I don't know what's happening, but I can't force her." And you were reasonably sure he really meant can't, not wouldn't or won't.

    "So we'll wait with these paper for now. Taylor, I think I could ask the school to give you another day off or however long until this is resolved fairly easily." Lacey's cool voice was… nice, in a weird way. Reassuring, but not warm like Kurt. When I was younger I might have found it a bit eerie and it almost was now, because she looked so tired, but she'd also gotten my lenses switched. She'd done a lot of things without asking directly. And I wasn't sure I could go back to school right now anyway. Well, I could. I just couldn't look at Emma or Sophia or even Madison, not without giving anything away. Which was almost the same thing.

    "Yeah. Sorry. But Mr. Barnes, when do you think I should talk to her?" No, I just couldn't go back yet. When would she not try to get away or just ignore you straight out. I felt disturbingly like putting up a trap for my best friend. Or Ex best friend. That was just wrong! So why didn't it feel that way all the way?

    "When she comes home from School most likely. She'll be here trying to get some more sleep before she'll go to meet up with her… friend." He didn't think said friend really was any friend of Emma's, at least you didn't think so. But most of all, you'd never seen him so.. defeated? Helpless and still trying to fight with everything he had. He probably had more ideas. More plans, but I couldn't really blame him for trying to help Emma?
    [ Humanity -2]
    Could I?

    I slumped. "So… You think I should just wait here until she comes home?"

    Mr. Barnes shook his head. "I think the best strategy would be to wait and stay where she keeps her costume. I wish I didn't have to do this, but Emma needs help and she can't see it right now." He didn't seem like the Mr. Barnes I knew one moment and exactly like himself in the next. No wonder your instincts were confused. And no wonder you wanted to keep an eye on this, but if he was right…

    "Okay, I'll come here before she should get back."

    He nodded, then glanced over to Kurt and Lacey. He still didn't look happy. "You should take the bus or if you decide to drive Taylor again, park out of sight." Quiet. Lining up the papers and putting them into a folder, before getting up and carefully placing them on a side table. "I'm sorry about this. If I knew any better way, I wouldn't have sprung this on you."

    He sighed. "So… I suppose I'm going to see you tomorrow then, won't I?"

    "You're not even offering us tea? You can't hate us that much, can you?" I knew Lacey would be rebuffed even before he said anything.

    Mr. Barnes' brief smile looked tired. "Not if it means Zoe or Anne might come back and talk." Now I at least knew why the house was so empty.

    "They didn't agree with you." and where I couldn't quite tell what Lacey thought, Kurt was definitely angry. Quiet, he didn't shout like Dad had, but I could see it smoldering below the surface anyway.

    "No. But you have to understand… even if I were sure it would work..." he ran his hand over the folder. "I'm not ready to lose her just yet. Not even to the PRT." Mr. Barnes looked up. His eyes flickered with something. Made you glance back, made something flicker in you in return. He wasn't even a cape, but what I felt right then, I didn't know what it was, but Mr. Barnes wouldn't give up either. And I wasn't sure whether it was fear or appreciation, whether he was or wasn't my enemy, because I had no idea where eh would stop. And I was suspecting he wouldn't stop at all.

    And it made complete sense to me.

    Of course, Kurt and Lacey didn't look like they approved nearly as much as I did. I shouldn't approve either, at least I thought I shouldn't but maybe I was just being contrary. And I wasn't sure approval was the right word for it anyway. I just didn't know what it was.

    I didn't know what to say. Should I say anything? Maybe it was better if I didn't acknowledge it at all. "I'll... see you tomorrow I guess."

    Kurt nodded at least.

    "We'll be there so I suppose, see you then, Alan!" We turned, well Kurt and Lacey turned and I followed, but even behind the closed door I could hear something else.

    "I'm sorry Emma."


    We drove back to Kurt and Lacey's house in silence, probably by mutual agreement.

    Sitting back around a different table, Kurt was actually the first one to say anything. "That… didn't go the way I expected.."

    "I was guessing Alan was just depressed because of Danny, but we've barely talked to him. To be honest we only really started because of the accident and he was trying to help."

    "Christ. Can't even say we should've expected this."

    Nobody said anything else for a few more seconds. Then Lacey found her voice. "If you don't want to, we'll find another way to resolve this. We should have at least noticed something was off."

    "Hah. Don't blame yourself, we were plenty off ourselves. Still are, really. Never had a kid but it seems like it's going wrong all around doesn't it?"

    She winced. Kurt and Lacey couldn't have children. I'd never asked if she would have if she could. "You'll just have to deal with it, I'm still feeling used. I can't say I don't understand why or why it would be best strategically to spring it on us now instead of earlier. It just feels wrong, under the circumstances."

    "All of it feels wrong. Can't help that."

    Lacey nodded.

    I felt like not having any idea what to say was becoming a common thread. At least I didn't have to now. Everyone was looking exhausted. Looking down, until Kurt went to make tea and my thoughts wandered toward something else wrong. They were disgusted with Mr. Barnes, but why couldn't I bring myself to be the same? I felt danger. I almost knew he would turn against me and Kurt and Lacey if he had to, against us. He would hurt us. But why wasn't I angry? I wanted to help Emma too, of course I did, I felt a little betrayed too, but why didn't I hate him? Why did I even have some little bit of respect for what he was doing? I shouldn't do. Or not for what he was doing, but maybe how and why? I couldn't even find the right word.

    I just knew I had to at least try to help Emma.

    A few minutes later and Kurt and Lacey leaning against each other on the couch and me in an armchair, all of us with our own mug of tea. It wasn't the same as home, didn't smell the same, but it was a little warm. It helped just slightly, the steam curling around my nose was at least something. It wasn't like before, when I would have had to let go because the mug was so hot. I was drinking the nearly boiling water and it just felt slightly warm, but it was something. Something to hold on to, even if I could crush it in a heartbeat. The flavours on my tongue and in my nose helped. Something mixed with chamomile. I only noticed Lacey's concerned look just before she looked away.

    "I suppose I should have expected that." Her smile helped almost more than the tea.

    "Maybe. It still tastes nice." Somehow, it was okay.

    I was okay.

    None of us were well, even if my face wasn't marked by exhaustion, but we were okay somehow.

    Or at least we would be.

    I just hoped Emma could be okay too.


    A few hours later, we cooked together. Lacey did the cutting, I took care of the meat, Kurt was making sure nothing got burnt or stayed on the heat for too long. The subtle aroma of rosemary was surrounding everything, subtly complemented by the few other herbs in use. I could also smell pepper, taste it in the air. The steam caressing my skin, even if most of it was successfully funnelled outside and didn't stick around.

    I had to be careful of course, but I was also taking far more time than was necessary. I wasn't at piece yet, it wasn't like Cooking with Mom or even with Dad, although he'd barely talked to me for so long, he had promised we'd cook together again, but it was something, A different recipe, involving skewering the meat onto the rosemary branches and fried potatoes and greens. I'd gone out to get it, partially because I had no problem going outside barefoot and in just a t-shirt now. There were a lot of things none of us had mentioned yet. A lot of things I didn't feel I could say and a lot of things Kurt and Lacey didn't bring up either, but doing it now wouldn't have helped either way.

    Suffice to say staying at the Barnes' place would have been very different. I knew how everything worked there, I'd visited often enough. I knew how to get into the shower before Anne did, I knew how to wake Emma without accidentally getting smacked in the face because she had that peculiar way of turning over with her arm fully extended and I knew better than to even try talking to Mrs. Barnes before his first coffee or to try and ask Mr. Barnes about his work. Well, unless I wanted to not have to talk for a while, in which case it was great.

    But they hadn't been the same since summer. All of them probably and I'd been turned away too many times to try again. Or maybe I would just have refused no for an answer if my current thought patterns were any indication.
    Here my thoughts were only interrupted by a few quiet requests. I could think. I wasn't being pushed and I didn't have to be afraid that I would snap at them or do something else.

    Emma would have pestered me. Mrs. Barnes would have tried to get me out of the house and doing something, homework, going to school, anything. Lacey had just asked and accepted and unspoken no, even if I had the feeling she or Kurt would try again eventually. Homework just seemed so pointless now. Mom would have wanted me to carry on. Dad would have wanted me to too. They both would have wanted me to do well and it wasn't even that I disliked school. It just seemed a bit… pointless right now.

    Or maybe I was just feeling empty in general.

    I started distributing the cutlery.

    "Thanks, Taylor."

    I nodded at Lacey, with the glasses and plates. Kurt was coming with the pots and pan.

    I ended up distributing almost everything or maybe they just let me. We all still had a lot on my mind, even if I hadn't even found the right words for what was going on with me yet, never mind being able to tell anyone else about it. I didn't quite dare asking how organising the Dockworkers went without Dad. I knew that was what they were doing, but… not yet. Not yet.

    I knew someone would take over, but I didn't think I could ever see them the same way I saw Dad. So I didn't ask. And because I didn't ask and avoided to as much as say the words, they didn't say anything either. Just quietly take care of things, much the same way I did or should do my cape research.

    The wood, rosemary flavour and delicious brown crust stopped me thinking about anything else for a moment. Soft, slightly chewy and so very meaty. Just what I needed. Exactly what I needed. I savoured the taste, bite by bite with closed eyes, pouring sauce over my potatoes. So soft, but so good. My teeth sheared through with almost no resistance but it didn't matter, the taste was still there. Not to mention that I had yet to find something that could have resisted my teeth anyway. The garlic and brown crust made the potatoes just that much better. I had to force myself to savour it, not to just swallow it all whole, but with my powers…

    We just didn't have enough to buy that much food. Definitely not enough to buy this quality. Not even with what the PRT paid its affiliates, although that would at least hopefully have me subsisting on mostly normal food. If my stomach didn't get any bigger anyway. Maybe I could apply for extra due to special circumstances, that form existed at least.

    "So..."

    I blinked. Apparently I somehow, through some sort of weird miracle, had finished last.

    "How do you feel about some coal and steel for dessert?" Kurt grinned. "I picked a few things no one'll miss up this morning."

    And that was that. I found out I liked coal better than steel, actually I really really liked coal in general, I liked glass, all sorts of other minerals and wood as well. And apparently eating lots of other stuff beforehand made peanut butter and water so much better than before.

    All said and done, I wasn't the least bit surprised when I fell asleep right after dinner, but only woke up at ten anyway. Nor was I surprised that Kurt and Lacey had taken the opportunity to have a few more beers after the one they'd had with Dinner while I'd gone to sleep. I could still smell some of it. Though checking for cans or bottles only netted me neatly packed away ones.

    Odd.

    Annoying about dreams I couldn't begin to remember and with a note on the fridge, that Kurt and Lacey would take half a day off and would appear at the Barnes' house about ten minutes after Emma to make sure she wouldn't run, but to be on time if things went badly. I couldn't even object too much, because having support would be nice. That and Lacey was both taller and much more intimidating than I was. She might be intelligent, but she also has a very sturdy build and packed on muscled on top of that. Kurt had the added advantage of being a guy and did just as much manual labour as she did.

    I didn't even notice that I wasn't using my glasses or even thinking about them until an hour after I'd gotten up.

    Unfortunately, it was a bit late to go to the library now. At least if I wanted to get lost in research again. I would have maybe an hour there, perhaps a little more, before I had to get back on the bus to make it on time. Which was technically fifteen minutes early, but I would at least have enough time to prepare then.

    Besides the scent of the wood was reassuring, as were the small noises from probably icy rain outside and the wind whistling though. As soon as I'd made myself tea, anticipation or not, as worried as I was… I had my book. And I could enjoy this calm before the coming storm. I sank into the two towers, far away. Let Merry, Pippin, Frodo, Sam, Aragorn, and the others drag me along to another land and probably another time as well at least for a little while. The narrator in my head reading the lines with warm light from the lamp above the armchair in the living room.

    Two hours drifting by, almost unnoticed, until I had to think about her again.

    Put my book away, made myself another cup of faintly warm tea and let the scent of it drift through the room. So much clearer than before. Listening for the rain on the window, knowing I would be out there in fifteen minutes, but if could couldn't touch me, I doubted I would mind the rain. It just made nice sounds. So I finally put on my jacket. Took out my sneakers, even if it would be more practical to go barefoot just because they would be dry tomorrow if I did, and put them on too. Added the scarf, checked to make sure I had my set of keys and went out into the rain, welcoming that unique smell of wet pavement and wet earth.

    Then I joined the small crowd in the city bus, all damp and surrounded by different scents entirely, half listening in on conversation after conversation only to discard them a moment later. Emma was more important than Janice's new dog or Hong Anh's new boyfriend or where Dustin was getting his money from. Although in any other circumstance I might have paid more attention to the latter.

    I rang the doorbell.

    Mr. Barnes let me inside and could faintly smell something I identified as tension on him, but I might be imagining that.

    Then I was upstairs, in front of Emma's room, where her costume was. And I had a plan:


    [ ] Write in plan, include an approach, such as aggressive, friendly, cautious etc.) and a main argument, bearing in mind Emma is currently very much under Sophia's influence and clinging to a similar philosophy.



    Hunger: 40/100
    Humanity: 72/100
    Hunger and humanity are percentile. Depending on how much humanity you have, different actions or thoughts lead to losing or gaining humanity.
     
  • View discussion
    • Cracks 1.x
  • View content
    • Cracks 1.x

    [x] Director Piggot's worse-than-usual headache
    (aka. more information on our inciting incident. Not fluffy but I hope it is interesting anyway, even if it might be disjointed.)



    To say Director Emily Piggot of the PRT's ENE branch had a headache would be to say the ocean was a tad damp. She wasn't even trying to hide the bottle of brandy anymore. Never mind that it might take weeks or months off her life, she probably wouldn't have survived without it anyway. At some blissful point in the past, she used to think it would be her kidneys killing her one day.

    These days stress was a much more likely candidate.

    They had cleared the streets. Taken out the threat, but there was still rotting meat on the street. Hundreds of people were dead and more monstrosities left to hunt down. And she'd just sat in her office, hand hovering over a button, just in case.

    She never thought she would see anything like it again. Not within her lifetime, not in her city, but there it was. The press liked to compare him to Heartbreaker. An out of control master, but she knew better. It wasn't Heartbreaker, it was Nilbog and they hadn't been quite willing to come out with it. Or more likely just misinterpreted. Under any other circumstance, they would have sent someone after Hellhound, but she had fought the mutated monstrosities with her own and her troops had enough to do. No matter how similar they were, Hellhound had nothing on the Swarm. Hellhound was a striker, one with limited capabilities as far as they could tell.

    Three dogs compared to thousands, tens of thousands of mutated insects at the height of the swarm attacking anyone and anything in reach. She could still hear the screeching and buzzing even now and Emily Piggot felt cold. She' almost incinerated huge swathes of her city and she couldn't even bring herself to feel too guilty about it. Better to contain it now than to allow it to spread. The Protectorate had almost Lost Miss Militia, before she'd managed to get the shot. Many of her own men and women hadn't been so lucky.

    Her shuddering fingers were clenched around the glass, but she wouldn't allow herself any more today. Just enough to get by as more reports were coming in. Just enough to hopefully keep the nightmares at bay. Nightmares she now invariably shared with her troops, hunting down the last of these abominations before they had the opportunity to breed. Because unlike Hellhound's they didn't disappear, they didn't shrink back at any point, they just were. Even after their master had been taken out. At least she prayed to any god that would listen that he had been. She would pray to Satan himself if it would make any difference, but she wasn't delusional enough to think it might have any effect. So she didn't.

    The other men and women of the PRT could take days off, but there was no such reprieve for her. She had press conferences to organize, memorials to approve and double check. To keep PR from making this into even more of a fiasco than it otherwise might have been.

    To pretend that it had been some kind of great victory against Masters, against terrifying Villains when in reality it had just been a hair's breadth away from disaster. The Villain's name had been released, before she could do anything about it. Daniel Herbert. Former upstanding citizen, former union representative, fighting for the rights of ordinary people, and current most terrifying new trigger in all of the United States.
    And she would like to think killed not an hour after said trigger.

    She wished she at least had a body. Even correctly identified fragments of one would do.

    But they didn't.

    All they had were the bodies of a good fifty PRT officers, fallen in the line of Duty. Men and women whose funerals she had to attend. Whose picture she had to look at and say yes, it was all worth it. Because they were protecting everyone else. Who she had PR write speeches for, while she quietly sat in her office, drinking, going through report after report and email after email, desperately wishing the solution to Parahuman problems wasn't more Parahumans. At least everyone thinking they were perfectly harmless and safe had gotten a stark reminder now.

    They were digging into Herbert's life, trying to find anything, because they didn't want to realise the truth. That maybe there hadn't been. That maybe Mr. Herbert hadn't been psychopathic or insane. That maybe one drunk driver was all it took to render over five hundred people dead and give the city a shock most villains couldn't cause on purpose even if they tried, never mind by accident.

    Emily Piggot swirled the dark amber liquid in her glass and read another Email. Glenn Chambers, with a strategy to turn this into a Heroic display of efficiency and protectorate training in a beleaguered City. Killing an already dying man, whose powers had nonetheless been enough to be remembered for years to come. Overshadowing a lifetime of good work. And she would likely have to go along with it, because the public did need reassurances. Because they did need those lies just to keep functioning, while she was desperately trying to get more people and had a funeral to attend.

    Three protectorate members were still injured. Challenger would probably never recover, even if that at least could not be blamed on the Swarm. Hellhound was gone somewhere. The Gangs were already trying to capitalise on her distraction.

    There might be a memories, but she had no illusions. Not many would talk about the civilians who had died. Because if they did, if they did try to treat it with its true gravity as a lucky break instead of something averted by human willpower, they might not be able to function. And she couldn't even say they were entirely wrong, because even if many had died. Her people, the Protectorate and the men and women of the PRT had saved countless more. Her own thoughts were barely making sense.



    Even coming back from that, still in her funerary suit, she was sitting on another conundrum. Another problem and one she couldn't solve. Another Parahuman and another bomb already primed to go off, but one she could do nothing about. Because no matter what she might think or who she was related to, she couldn't just kill a fifteen year old comatose girl without any evidence of wrongdoing. The girl may well have powers quite similar to her father's… but she just as well might not have. All they knew was that she survived the burning wreck of a Car and Miss militia's bullets without any obvious injury. she'd been in there for over an hour and been retrieved entirely unharmed, merely unconscious where survival should have been completely impossible after the car had caught fire.

    But that was what Capes did. What should have been utterly impossible.

    At least the monsters were being cleared up. At least they didn't visibly attempt to breed or to be able to do it at speed. For now, her city was safe. She would see what she would do about the girl when the time came.

    Director Piggot emptied her glass and headed downstairs for her dialysis.

    There was nothing she could do but to carry on despite of them, as long as her old, decrepit, and diseased heart still had a single beat left.

    She just hoped the next few weeks would be better and this cesspool of a city would pull itself together despite the odds.

    That was what humans did after all.







    The current vote is still on 1.12, I would really appreciate more people coming up with a plan, some help on my part should be in the comments.
     
    Last edited:
  • View discussion
    • Cracks 1.y
  • View content
    • Cracks 1.y


    Thought I'd try and help out a bit with this snippet, even if it is quite short.
    [z] Emma's new life



    "Nose, eye, mouth..."

    Her eyes were open now. They would never be able to do that again, try that again even, but she still couldn't forget. No matter how stupid it was. The bed around her was way too warm. Suffocating. Which was just as pointless. Just stupid. She still couldn't forget, even if she was stronger now.

    And she was.

    She didn't need to breathe. Blankets couldn't hold her and neither could hands or arms, as soon as she shifted, no knife could hurt her anymore. Flowing out of the bed and changing back into her disguise was almost second nature now. Tired, old Emma Barnes. She glared at the shadows under her eyes. Her body still didn't get it. Or maybe it just wasn't enough yet, but she would be stronger.

    Stronger than Taylor. Taylor had refused. Taylor shied back and asked stupid questions, but she supposed she couldn't blame her for being so weak. After all Taylor was still just Taylor. Her own skin flowed into silver. That her hair still hadn't grown back completely didn't matter, what stood in front of her was a reflection of pure silver. That woman didn't show weakness. That woman didn't have weakness. She shifted the features of her disguise until it was just the smooth, reflective shape of a woman. No face, no identifying signs at all. Just her. She could be anything she wanted to be now, show the scum their own faces instead. Beautiful. Flowing and mutable, but above all…

    She would be invincible. Shadow stalker was untouchable, but even if they touched her, their strikes would flow through. She could make sure they wouldn't hit anything anyway, could let them through and harden elsewhere. Hurt them so much more than she'd ever been able to before. Useless parasites. Weak, Prey that didn't even knowing there were hunters out to get it. Not until it was already too late.

    And they were Prey.

    Of course they were Prey and the sooner she got rid of those cringes and that stupid hesitation, the better. That's what got her hurt. She used to have some doubts, but this form proved it, didn't it? She would never be Prey. Taylor would only get hurt, as much as she kept trying. Taylor cried anyway. She supposed Taylor didn't break completely, but she didn't survive either, not really. And she definitely didn't transform. Before she might have thought it was terror that made her fight back or plain stupidity, but she didn't think so. That cut, that knife didn't matter, no one could see the scar now and what she'd gotten in return was exactly what she needed. She had been so stupid back then. So naive, like a kid, hoping someone would save her when Shadow Stalker had let her break free instead.

    Let her find out just how much of a survivor she was. And how much of a hunter she could be.

    That she could be Free.

    Of course Daddy didn't understand. Daddy never did. He'd even called Taylor and poor, stupid Taylor had come over back from Camp with that wide smile of hers. Just another kid, despite everything. Taylor might be some kind of survivor, but she only ever went back to what she'd been before. Still Prey. And now she wasn't even showing that. Looking at Taylor still hurt, still felt wrong, but that was just because she wasn't done yet. Her transformation still wasn't complete.

    Was it too late to go out again?

    She could never tell what time it was when it was so dark. But no. Six in the fucking morning and she had school. Just another stupid waste of time to slog through. She knew the statistics and school barely mattered to capes, didn't it. She put her disguise back on, dark circles and all and started on covering those up. Those and the bit of missing arm she still had from their last trip. She still wasn't strong enough, still didn't see them coming just right and had flattered at just the right moment so that would be her punishment. She'd do better next time, but it wasn't a hole. Just a bruise no one had to see. Easy enough to cover up even if her sister stared a bit. She didn't understand either.

    Emma got her bag ready. She'd forgotten Quinlan's math homework, but she'd just let Madison figure something out, not that the idiot would notice if she didn't. As long as Daddy stopped going on and on about useless things, she didn't care.

    Taylor should be back at school today, but would she be different? Taylor's dad was supposedly different, but Taylor didn't have that in her, not the same way. She couldn't even believe Taylor's Dad did. Must have been the other driver or someone else. Stupid idiot and the press were blaming it on Taylor's dad instead. Daddy was doing something for Taylor instead, but she had to be honest, she was expecting another wet blanket, just like last time. That she would just be crying again after she woke up and Daddy wanted her to move in with them. Maybe it would be different this time. Maybe Taylor could be a survivor too, but she didn't get her hopes up yet.

    That sort of thing just got you shot and meant you'd have to hide bruises for two weeks because otherwise Mom would freak out all over again and Daddy would do something stupid. She supposed she shouldn't expect anything else, should she?

    And Taylor was too sweet and too much of a wet blanket to break free, even if she'd somehow made it through alive and was awake. At least she was smart enough to stay away on her own and knew what was good for her. Meanwhile she had to go through another boring school day. Well, maybe she could catch a nap sometime during the afternoon or in Gladly's class. He would believe just about any excuse anyway. Then she could get back to cleaning up this city. With that bruise as another reminder of what she still had to learn and with Sophia next to her, that scum didn't even stand a chance. She could stop being Emma and just be Mercurial, just like Sophia was really more Shadow Stalker than they would ever understand.

    Not Miss Mercury, not Lady Mercury, Mercurial. She wasn't a saint or a little girl, she was flowing, mutable, unpredictable, and free. And she would show them their place. Against that, the ride to school was just another opportunity to catch up on sleep and get to spend more time where and how she belonged. Of course her muscles hurt, of course the stretching was gnawing on her mind and she couldn't get all the shapes yet. She couldn't even truly fly, but she would. She wouldn't be hurting forever. Pain was just weakness leaving the body. Just like it didn't feel good yet. It didn't feel right yet, but it would.

    "Heya Survivor!"

    "Heya Vigilante."

    Emma smiled.





    On a semi related note, I should absolutely switch up my musical accompaniment more often.
     
    Last edited:
  • View discussion
    • Amnion 2.1
  • View content
    • Amnion 2.1


    [x] Plan Serious Talk
    - "Hello Emma, we have a lot to talk about. Why don't you take a seat right over there?"
    - Be calm, be ice, but not agressive.
    - If she refuse to talk, ask why she's so afraid of you.
    - When she declared you're no longer friends, you let her go, thinking she made this decision in her right mind. But that obviously wasn't the case. So you're going to insert yourself back in her life whether she wants it or not, until you're sure she's okay.
    - She needs help. You need help. When you two helped each other, you were stronger. You'll return that time.
    - You want your sister back and are ready to fight for it, for the sake of both of you.



    Granted, it wasn't much of a plan, but it would just have to do. I knew enough about Mercurial to have an idea of what she could do, but no more. But Emma had never tried to attack me, she'd pushed me away, but she was still the closest thing to a sister I'd ever had. And even if she did… it would take more than that to stop me now. Not until I was sure she would be okay. I might have been afraid or confused before, but that fear just felt silly now.
    She'd already pushed me away, she was already hurting herself, it couldn't get much worse from here, could it. There wasn't a lot else she could do to me and she might have pushed me away, Sophia might have attacked me, but wouldn't I do the same thing, for her sake? If I was worried she would end up getting hurt?

    I was tough. Part of me wanted to think I was too tough to kill no matter what they tried, but I wasn't that delusional. I was just a lot tougher than anyone without powers and probably quite a few people with them too. And I was only just getting started. I still knew barely anything at all about my powers (myself?), but that felt right.

    Mr. Barnes might be tense, but I couldn't feel the same in me. If anything, I was calm. Maybe it was morbid, but even if I failed, nothing would change, would it? So I sat down in front of her door, cross legged and just breathed. There wasn't anything I could do but wait after all. The old me would have been nervous or afraid, but maybe something else died in that car crash. Or maybe I'd gained something extra, but I wasn't the same Taylor anymore and I wasn't afraid. I wanted my sister, back, but if she kept pushing me away, I couldn't force her without doing something even worse. So I tried to slow my heartbeat back down, to push back the anticipation and return to that calm. That feeling of purpose.

    Once I got down to it, it was simple. A thing I was going to do. Like a simple steel knife, focused down to a point.

    Even if it wasn't. Even if a large part of me would never go as far as I could go, I held onto that feeling. She would be back soon and I finally had a way to at least figure out what was going on. No more doubt, no more being confused at least I would know. And even if she was different now, she was also still Emma.

    I breathed.

    The front door opened. I could hear the confused 'Hi, Dad' coming from downstairs and I had to close my eyes and force myself to focus on Emma instead while I got on my feet. I'd just finished switching to leaning against the door frame when she finally started coming up the stairs.

    I'm sorry Dad, but I can't. Not right now.

    Emma's head was coming up the stairs. Eyes locked to mine. I couldn't do anything but half smile at her surprise. And almost as much at the annoyance. I hadn't given up at school and I definitely wasn't going to give up now. I just waited. Another me would have rushed forward, done something, said anything at all, but I wasn't going to be that me now. I had to wait.

    Until she took the last step and turned to face me and the door again. I could see her confusion and how angry she was, but I couldn't help now. Not if I wanted her to see that I wasn't just going to give in. Or give up. Just a few more seconds. This was it.

    "Hi Emma." I smiled slightly, then let it bleed away. I took another breath before I continued: "We have a lot to talk about."

    Emma stared. A little more and her mouth might have fallen open. She stopped walking completely and I could see her hands had gone slack.

    I opened the door to her room I'd been standing in front of. "Why don't you take a seat over there. I'd offer the floor, but it's not very comfortable." I'd tried. Almost talked too much. I used the continued silence to run a hand over my head and through her hair, then slowly started walking into the room, in front of the cupboard. "I thought here would be better than downstairs, I don't think either of us wants to get interrupted." Leaned against the wood. My feet didn't exactly get tired from standing too much anymore but…

    "Hey!" There she was. Emma stalked into the room, hands in fists to her side. "I don't know what Dad's got you up to but do you really think you can keep this up? I know you, Taylor. I know what you're like, do you really think that act is going to work?"

    I didn't shrug. I didn't even tilt my head, I just waited a breath or two. Because in a sense, she was right. "Isn't it? You're talking to me aren't you." And in a sense, she wasn't to a degree that was scaring me whenever I thought about it. "Do you really think, pushing me away is going to work? That I'd just leave my best friend behind like that?"
    [Humanity -2]
    Emma hesitated. I could see it, hear her heart beating faintly. "You…" She tensed back up and set her face. "You were doing just fine in school weren't you? I told you, I'm not interested, you're weak, Taylor. Don't you get it? I can't deal with your crying anymore, and if you had just gone away that would have been fine. But you're weak, why can't you just accept that it's better if you stay away? " She was breathing a lot harder now. Her shoulders were shaking.

    I shook my head. "It would have, if I could believe you that you're doing this in your right mind. I don't care if you think I'm weak, but I'm still here. You're still my best friend. And I'm not leaving. Not until I'm sure you're going to be okay." My eyes were fixed on hers, I'd taken my glasses off and put them on the dressed, useless as they were now. I didn't need to blink. Not really or maybe not yet.

    She made a small shriek. I could see how tired she was through the make up. And I couldn't be sure she was angry of just in pain, but I knew which one she'd picked a moment later. "don't you get it? I don't care what dad told you, none of you gets it! You've got no idea what it feels like. Go on crying if you like. Ohhh poor Emma needs help. We're going to take care of you. don't worry." Her whole body was tense, leaning forward, standing, screaming, but it was so much less intimidating now. She looked heavier, but she was still shorter and I was stronger. "I'm not weak. I'm not hurting, you have no idea how much I'm not hurting. I'll get better. And I'm not going back. It's way too late, don't you get it?"

    Despite everything, I couldn't help but stare at the fleck of purple I could see under her sleeve. "Then why are you bruised? Why do you look like you're not sleeping? Is that really what you would call okay?" I paused. Both to let it sink ion and to stay calm. To keep my voice calm. If I hugged her now, there would be no point, she would just push me away again. "If I don't understand now, then I'm going to listen. I'm done crying, I'm going to help you. You're my sister and Even if you're different now, I don't care. I'm still going to make sure you're okay."

    "You wouldn't get it." she sneered, but I could see the insecurity there. "You have no idea what it feels like. These bruises, they're nothing. They'll go away and I'll be better for it. You're going to listen. You'll listen and tell me to wrap up and that everything's going to be just fine. Just take a bath, go sleep because everything will be all better tomorrow, won't it? Go. Away. Taylor."

    "Get out of my room."

    I sighed. "No. If you don't like what your dad told me, then tell me yourself. All you have to do to make me go away if convince me you're okay and I'll go. I'll leave you alone in school." But I didn't think she could. And it was getting harder to stay still to keep my voice even and I was sure some of that exasperation had bled through. But if I was weak now, I would lose. And I refused to lose if there was any chance left at all.
    [ Humanity -5]
    "Daddy told you, did he? He told you that I triggered and that I should stay at home and just be that little girl again so he wouldn't have to worry?"

    "Not exactly. I'm not your Dad. I'm not going to tell you what you should do. If you don't like what he told me, maybe you should tell me what's really going on then." Because I would leave, if I could just be sure Emma would be okay, but the more I looked at her, the more I felt like something was very very wrong instead. I just didn't know what it it. She was shuddering. Shaking.

    Then her arms fell to her sides and Emma laughed. Her skin was flowing into something else. Silver instead of pale, the hair turned silver too, her entire body flowed like liquid mercury. I could see myself on her face. Her limbs stretching. She bounced,and turned into a huge puddle, then back, then taller, with limbs ending in blades, before that too shrunk back and silver turned skin again. "This is me. I'm not unhappy, I'm not hurt, I'm just free and Daddy won't accept that. He can't control me and I'll figure out how to get rid of those bruises soon enough. He just can't accept that I'm not that little girl anymore and he can't stop me."

    Her smile worried me more than anything else. Then it broke.

    "So go away, before you get hurt."

    "I've already gotten hurt. It didn't stick." I smiled, even if it hurt. I must have done something in that car wreck. I'd been unhurt when they found me. I took another breath and met her eyes again. Because it really didn't matter that much anymore if she knew. " Do you really think nothing changed at all after they pulled me out of that wreck? I don't know what happened. I'm not going to tell you to go back to normal." Even if her family was still there, it would be the wrong thing to say. "But you look like you're hurting. I'm not even going to say I'm not hurting too, but I'm not dead yet and I think I can get better. And I want you to get better too, so maybe we can get there together." I had no idea how I stayed so calm, why my voice didn't shake but I'd think about that later.

    Emma was staring at me and I wasn't sure she'd gotten even half of what I'd said. "You Triggered."

    I nodded. "It's not as obvious as your powers." but I did and I was somewhat lucky I could wear long sleeves or else it might be obvious soon enough.

    "That's why you're not using your glasses! You can feel it too, can't you? That we're different now. We're free now. We're so much better!" Her grin stretched too far.

    "We're different. But I'm not sure we're better. Are we?" Everything about it was just so wrong. Not maybe the better but if that was the price, if you had to break first, then… "Would you trade your dad for powers? Your sister? I don't know what you lost but it's got to be something." I had to force myself to stay calm. Take a few deep breaths I was sure Emma could see. "And it's not coming back, no matter how much we want it to come back. "But killing yourself won't fix that."

    And my powers wouldn't let me kill myself anyway. "So what are you doing when you go out?"

    Her smile was unsettling. Very unsettling. "I'm going out to show that scum their place. God, Taylor, how can you have powers but still be so weak? How do you still not get it? They're nothing against us and they're just a fucking plague on the city!" She was shaking still. Snarling at me like she was trying to convince herself just as much as she was trying to convince me. Her voice was too high, too brittle.
    Something taken away.

    "They got you, didn't they?" I really hoped she didn't hear that, but I couldn't help it. Something had happened to Emma. Mercurial was a brutal vigilante. Mr. Barnes hadn't told me what happened, but it would fit. But still, even if I knew why or could guess, she was killing herself. Emma would get herself killed. "I'm not sure why I would have to. Even if they tried to shoot me, it wouldn't work now. Might sting a little at best and I'm definitely stronger than any normal guy now." Her eyes were just a bit too wide. Pupils a bit too dilated, maybe I should have stopped then, but I was having enough trouble keeping myself under control. "Even if they are a plague, is killing yourself really going to help?"

    "Did he really get it into your head. I'm killing myself? Really? Maybe you don't want to believe it, but I'm getting better."

    "You look like you might keel over and second. You're hurt but you keep going. If you want me to go away then make sure I won't have to worry someone will get lucky one day. I can't blame you for going ahead anyway, but if you're dead it's not going to help. So what are you doing?"

    "I'm going out on patrol. That bruise? That's a bullet. And that's only because I wasn't fast enough to dodge it. Knives do nothing. Do you really think any of them could take me now?"

    "Do you stay in your other form if you pass out? What about other things? Electricity? Bigger weapons? What if you meet meet a villain?" I had no idea what I would do about any of those things, but I could at least be confident about fire and really should test electricity. But this was about Emma and that bruise had looked pretty dark. I was just as tough when I was asleep, but Emma just smelled normal.

    "I can dodge. I'm not going to sit at home and pretend everything is fine. They deserve it." She didn't have an answer for the villains and I wasn't at all sure she'd dodged everything so far. And I was pretty sure her expression and shudder meant she defaulted to her normal body.

    "You can dodge when you're falling over from sleep deprivation? I'm not your Dad, but how do you think you're going to convince me if you more or less told me you've got a good chance of getting hurt every night?" I couldn't convince her not to go out. I had no idea what to do about her beating people up to the point of needing a visit to the emergency room, but I had to keep trying.

    "I'm not that weak." I looked at the bruise she was hiding. "I told you I was getting better. I don't need a babysitter especially not one like you. Of course it'll work. They're prey. I'm a hunter, no matter what they do, I'm still better than them."

    I breathed. "And hunters get killed by their prey all the time if they're not careful. You're shaking. Emma. Would it really be so bad to sit down and think? Do you really want to get hurt every night and go to school half asleep?"
    "I just need to get better control over my powers." she flipped her hair. "I told you to stop being such a wet blanket didn't I? Maybe you're afraid of pain, but I won't be in pain forever."

    "But you're in pain now. No matter what else you say."

    "And you think you can just fix that with what? Bubble baths and hot chocolate?"

    "No. I'd be a fucking hypocrite if I thought I could fix any of this, but you can train. We can train and we can get better. If you go out, you can go out fully awake and you'll be so much better at it. Don't you think you'd make a lot fewer mistakes if you were awake and didn't have to scramble? Why do you think I'm not doing anything yet?"

    "Train? Just train and sit around and do nothing?"

    "Even if I don't want to, I think the Bay is still going to look much the same in a few weeks. Are you really doing that well that you think knowing how to dodge almost every time isn't going to help? We need to talk. You need to slow down and..."

    "I'm meeting Shadow Stalker at seven." Go away Taylor.

    This wasn't going to be easy.


    [ ] Meet Shadow Stalker with her. Have a talk about training methods.
    [ ] Follow them, but don't meet Shadow Stalker with Emma
    [ ] Go home to think
    [ ] try to talk Emma out of meeting Shadow Stalker.
    [ ] write in



    Hunger: 40/100
    Humanity: 65/100

    RL getting in the way. Tried to improve on my dialogue skills, tell me how it went.
     
  • View discussion
    • Amnion 2.2
  • View content
    • Amnion 2.2


    [x] Meet Shadow Stalker with her. Have a talk about training methods.



    This wasn't going anywhere. As much as I wanted to help her, this wasn't working. I closed my eyes and just breathed. If I gave up now I would have gained absolutely nothing and Emma would still be trying to kill herself, whether she knew it or not. And I wasn't sure I could live with myself if I just let her.

    I wasn't sure I could leave her alone, but I had to figure out someplace to start and I wasn't hungry yet. And Shadow Stalker or her friends didn't scare me. Not anymore.

    Emma was still staring at me defiantly. Or it could be desperately, I wasn't sure, but I couldn't let up now.

    "Then I'll just have to come with you." I smiled a little, but that was as much as thought I could get away with and as much reassurance I could give, if at all. "I promised you, I'm going to try and understand and I don't think I'm there yet."

    Unfortunately, I didn't think it was working. Emma's eyes had gone wide, but I wasn't that girl anymore. Her mouth was half open, half pulled into a snarl, her hands opening and closing, silver pulsing over her skin and I really wished I didn't have to do this. But I owed her at least that much, so I just met her eyes and waited, until she set her jaw and raised her head.

    "You don't even have a costume! What if you get hurt, if you're so scared, so you really think you could take it?" That hard smirk was nothing like my friend, not really, but it was still her face. She was still in pain. And I had to try not to smile because the entire notion that I might get honestly, permanently hurt against any normal mugger or gang member just seemed ridiculous by now.

    I pushed.

    "I have a jacket, a hoodie and a scarf. It's a bit hard to be scared of a few muggers after getting crushed in a car." Still had to hold on, but I could at least say that much. "I'm glad you're worried about me and trying to keep me away, but that's not how this friend thing works. If you want me to let you go out and beat up as many gang members as you can find, why shouldn't I?"

    Her face pulled into even more of a grimace like a wounded animal backed into a corner. Her arms were shaking. "You couldn't even keep up, you'd just slow us down."

    "So what's the harm in letting me try?"

    "Why? Why the fuck do you care now? Why the fuck do you want to drag me back down? I'm. Not. That. Weak!" I had no idea how, maybe through the tears in her eyes and the spit flying into my face, the way she looked up at me, but I just wanted to hug her and punch her in the face. And I had no idea which one would even be better. Why was I just ready to punch my best friend? How was that ever going to help? This was my fault, I should never just have let her go.

    "Because I made a mistake and I'm going to fix it. I thought it would be better if I left you, but I've already said that." I could feel it pulsing in my veins, the small smile despite the tears burning in my eyes I was still desperately trying to keep back. I couldn't give in now. Just a little bit more, a little bit further. "Make me believe you really are that strong and if you tell me to go away after that, I will."

    Emma's eyes were burning into mine and I held out my hand.

    Only to me met by a shriek, her hands clawing into her own hair. Stomping on the ground as her foot went silvery. The sides of her face were wet. Red. Bloodshot eyes. She would go with or without me. I couldn't now.

    "Argh! Fine! But you'll probably end up getting hurt and you've got to convince Shadow Stalker. If you manage that, the fine." She didn't take my hand, but at least Emma was calming down now. Breathing heavily, pulling her clothes back into place. "Now will you go away? I…"

    "I will. I'll just come back here if you don't give me the right place, as many times as I have to." I paused to let it sink in, finally stepping away from the wardrobe. "Where are we meeting up?"

    Emma glared. "At the back of that small diner, next to the crossing between Lexington and Court Street."

    "Thanks." I walked past her, out the door. I'm so fucking sorry Emma. I'd just made my sister cry and I had no idea what I could have done better. But I couldn't just leave her alone now, so I would just have to get ready. And promise myself to do better next time. Figure out some way to drag her out of this and maybe talk some sense into Shadow Stalker instead. Or Me and her could talk sense into Emma. I just hoped I could run fast enough to keep up. Any other day, I might have been worried that I was taking possible injuries too lightly, but after this, I probably deserved them.

    I couldn't even look Mr. Barnes into the eyes at first. Fuck. I could kind of see why he was doing what he was, because he probably had even less chance of getting through to her than I did. So I sunk down on a chair. He must have heard Emma's side of the argument, pale as he was. I could see him trying to concentrate on his case file, but I don't think he was succeeding. I had to talk to somebody though, somebody who wasn't Emma and apologize. Maybe more for my sake than his.

    "I'm sorry." I sighed. "This might take a while, but I'll try. I'm not sure I can make a decision yet." And try to keep her safe while she was going out too. At least until I didn't feel like Emma might die every time she went out. But I wasn't sure I could deal living in the same house as this Emma. She was my sister, as close to one as I'd ever had, but… we would see. She didn't feel like the Emma I knew and I had no idea what I would do if I tried living in the same building as her.


    When I went outside, Kurt and Lacey at least were waiting. Which felt good somehow. Calmer. No one asked when I just sunk into the back seat of the pickup and closed my eyes. I knew they were looking at me, but no one asked. Not like Mr. Barnes eyes had, not in the same way. I didn't feel quite as guilty. I could just be silent for half a minute, before looking at all.
    And it took even longer before Kurt finally asked. "Didn't go well?"

    And I could just shake my head and probably wouldn't have to answer. Which was sort of like with… Dad… but I could probably expect a question later. And I wanted to talk.

    "Yeah. No. I just… I don't know how to fix it! I hurt her so much, but I think anything I could've done would have. I just.. anything that wouldn't make her dismiss me outright and she was still trying." I wrapped my arms around myself and wasn't sure I wanted to laugh or cry. "What do you say to someone who keep hurting herself and thinks that's a good thing? That it'll help somehow?" What could she do that wouldn't hurt Emma even more?

    "Wait for them to break down's one option. Not a good one but if they don't want to change, that's their business, fucked up as it is. Just like you can't force anyone to quit drugs if they don't want to." Kurt sighed. "Second one I suppose is trying to show them some better way to get where they want. If you can't convince her she doesn't need that pain, I don't think you'll ever get anywhere. So you've gotta find out what she needs it for. Sorry kid, there's no real fast answer and that convincing's not gonna come quick either."

    I couldn't even say eh was wrong either. "But you think I could."

    "Maybe. Won't know until you've tried."

    "But even if you can't manage it, that's her choice and she's the only one who will be able to change her mind. Whatever happened to your friend… and however she decided to react isn't your fault. You can try to help, but..." Lacey shook her head. The car was still standing and she was staring out of the window. I didn't think she was really seeing the street at all.

    I should have been there for her before. Even if she didn't want me. Even if Sophia was pushing me around, I should have. But would it have worked?

    Everything felt just subtly different. I could just ignore any threat either of them could throw at me now. I should have before. And Lacey was clearly thinking about something, maybe someone else. Kurt had his hand on her arm, but before I could say anything, she continued. "I used to have a sister. Didn't matter how much I tried, she just kept going back to the painkillers. Didn't matter how much we took them away or asked her to change." She paused and I couldn't see her face, but her voice was thick. "We lost her even before she ended up with the Merchants. I don't know what happened, I don't think your friend would be the type either, but she ended up running away a year before that. We sound out she'd died a year later." Lacey sighed. "Years ago, but in the end it's up to your friend. If you can't make her believe she should stop, she won't and that's more on her than on you."

    "We're not saying you shouldn't try. Just don't blame yourself and don't try to force her, there's no point. Best you can do is be a friend." She half turned. "But I'm hoping you can help her in some way, even if she'll probably never be quite the same as before."

    Lacey started the pickup and we were on out way back to their house. Mostly bald trees moving past the window, nice, big houses becoming smaller, I could see less immaculately cared for yards now, the occasional vacancy… The steady sound of the engine always in the background.

    "I'm going to try again around seven. Meeting with her in costume." My hoodies were nondescript enough. It didn't get blander than blue jeans, sneakers and black hoodie, although most people would probably be pretty cold in that getup by now. It would have to do though. I could hide my hair that way, tie a scarf around my face and make sure only my eyes would be showing.

    None of us mentioned the decision I would eventually have to make.

    Not yet.


    Instead I was helping around the house. Just waiting. Thinking about which one of my hoodies to wear. Whether I should bring any sort of weapon. I could take one of the steel rods, Kurt mentioned he wouldn't mind, or I could take something else, as long as it came back whole, but I was only there to watch and talk. I wasn't sure I was comfortable beating people up just yet. I'd heard about brute accidents. I probably could do it, but did I want to. I didn't have a cape name. I didn't have anything of the sort. I didn't even have a real costume, but it would be enough to keep Emma alive at least. I hoped.

    Putting the oldest pair of jeans I had at Kurt and Lacey's house had a sense of finality. As did using the thinnest pair of socks and the worse of the two hoodies. Picking out an appropriate scarf for my face, or rather picking one Kurt had managed to ruin with some mysterious stains and he'd handed to me and told me it wasn't good for much else anymore anyway. Apparently coming back from a bar late at night wasn't exactly safe, though more for whoever had decided to get into a fight with Kurt. I wasn't sure he really only half remembered or didn't want to tell me, but I didn't want to make him even more uncomfortable.

    So I braided my hair and tucked it away. Put the scarf into the front pocket and was soon surrounded by the smell of damp bus seats, sweat and just… people. Tuning out the conversations, watching the streetlights outside. The way the city transformed into something vaguely eerie at night. With the sun still shining, most parts didn't look horrible. Bad, decrepit, but not nearly as dangerous as they did by night, with shadows deepening. Even if I could see through them, they were more places to hide. Fewer people were outside and more of those probably didn't have good intentions. Even if at least half of the cape fights actually took place during the day.

    I slipped off the bus and pulled my hood up. Looked at the bloodstained scarf and slowly tied it around my face as I made my way to the tiny diner. Bright lights and half filled with people. The scent of meat and fire, fried and cooked food made my mouth water. I could start to feel that gnawing sensation in the pit of my stomach now. Quiet instead of all consuming as it had been before. Just a gentle reminder.

    But I hadn't taken any money. No wallet and no way to identify me. Not that I could easily have paid for eating out anyway. So I walked past the front and around. Ten minutes early, listening to the muffled conversations inside, the quiet sound of rats moving about and the fainter sounds of cars on other streets. My hands buried in my pockets, my glasses safely left at Kurt and Lacey's. I'd considered taking sunglasses, but my eyes weren't quite that good. I just wished I didn't have the urge to put my head into that garbage pin and fill myself right back up. It would be so easy and no one would care after all. Free food. Disgusting food. Food I could probably digest just fine but no. Just No. I was not going to try eating garbage, at least not food. Wood maybe, but not food or what used to be food.

    Five minutes later, the shadow on the roof crept into position, staring down at me. Brown eyes hidden behind a hockey mask met mine and neither of us moved. Not until I could hear more footsteps and Emma's masked, dark blue form stepped into view.


    [ ] I didn't come here just to have them intimidate me away, but I should try to be a bit nicer and more understanding. Maybe I could get through to Shadow Stalker, even if some parts of me weren't convinced. Maybe I could try to help?
    [ ] Just watch. I would not be told to leave and I would follow even if they tried to get rid of me. Talk and figure this out, but only interact if Emma or Shadow Stalker were in danger.
    [ ] write in.



    Hunger: 20/100
    Humanity: 65/100

    Still looking for critique on my dialogue ability.
     
    Last edited:
  • View discussion
    • Amnion 2.3
  • View content
    • Amnion 2.3


    [x] Just watch. I would not be told to leave and I would follow even if they tried to get rid of me. Talk and figure this out, but only interact if Emma or Shadow Stalker were in danger.



    I was sinking deeper into that calm. Myself but not myself. Watching the shadow fall down far more slowly than it should. If I were just old me, I would have tried to run toward her and talk. Ask her all sorts of questions about what she was doing or shout at her for what she had done to Emma.

    But I wasn't.

    I just walked, I kept my thoughts to myself and watched. Emma's Costume was blue to shadow stalker's grey and black. Urban camouflage cloak over a black bodysuit and some armour or padding. I couldn't quite tell. I had no idea how much damage it would be able to take or how much it might weigh. Just that Emma wore less of it. All she had was a blue leather Jacket, silver embroidery, silver buttons and zippers. Over that, a shorter cloak with some more blue on it, boots, black somewhat padded pants, but the whole thing struck me as designed to show off her body anyway, even if she had to sacrifice some protection to do it. Her mask didn't help much in that regard. No helmet, red hair only mostly hidden by her hood and a reflective mask of a woman's face. Not modeled on her own, but laughing.

    I could see she was insecure even through the eyeholes. Which simultaneously made very little sense and just felt right. I should probably question this later. When I wasn't taking full advantage to get hid of my nervousness.

    In the end, it wasn't Emma who spoke first.

    "So you want to come with us do you?" Her eyes were running over my hoodie, the specks of dried blood on my scarf that still smelled very faintly tasty. But I could see she didn't think much of it.

    It wasn't about 'want' not really. "I want to understand." I needed to understand. And the explanation just sounded disturbing. I really hoped Shadow Stalker was saner than Emma. I knew I felt different now, but it wasn't anywhere close to what had happened to Emma. And At least I knew it was probably happening and I hoped I would be able to stop it too. If I had to. If I weren't using it right now in a way that I would have to think very hard about later on. "I couldn't make much sense of her explanation."

    Emma was fixating me through her mask. I knew my words had some kind of effect. Unease, maybe contempt and she was definitely angry. "You just didn't get it. Are you going to keep on yammering about ooooh I shouldn't hurt myself and ohhh I need to stay at home Training and be useless all over again? I'm not that weak."

    I shook my head. "We've had that discussion. We didn't get anywhere with it." And even if she was wrong, even if she was hurting herself, I couldn't do anything about it right now.

    "So you're here trying to babysit?" Shadow stalker's arms were crossed. I could hear the contempt in her voice, Irritatingly familiar, but that didn't matter. If I'd seen her before, I'd remember her if I saw her again. Especially if she said something and I spent more time with her.

    "I'm here to watch, not to take part." Unless Emma was about to get hurt. Otherwise I'd have brought a real costume. "Is it really so weird, I'd get worried if my best friend keeps getting injured?" Especially if she'd kept me away and told me to go at least in part to protect me. I really hoped she had. Trying to keep me from getting hurt too, but the way she'd done it? No. I still didn't get it.

    "That's on her. If she says she can handle it, she can handle it." She was getting annoyed too. Angry. I could see her body tensing and the grip she had on her arms getting tighter. "At least we're doing something."

    "Shooting criminals." It wasn't a question. But ten criminals were not worth Emma's life and Just getting into fights with random gang members… Maybe I was being stupid or selfish, but I didn't think that was enough. And I didn't think it would really hurt the gangs either. There were just too many of them and that was all I'd read about them doing online.

    "Giving those fucking monsters what they deserve." Okay. Emma was shaking and Mr. Barnes only told me to much. I had no idea what really happened only that they'd been attacked but I was pretty sure I'd gotten the sanitised version now. Shadow Stalker was just nodding along tool.

    I had no idea what I could say to make her change her mind either. Maybe I was naive. But I couldn't quite think of people as monsters and I definitely didn't like the idea of just beating them up to the point of ending up in the hospital for hours or days. Just… no. It wasn't right. It wasn't what Dad or Mom had taught me and dammit I was better than that. Heroes were better than that. At least they were supposed to be. Stopping people from hurting anyone else, yes, but that didn't sound like just stopping them.

    To be honest, I had no idea what to do about the situation either, but I was pretty sure, this wasn't it.

    "Does it help?" Would trying to beat up the Heroes bring Dad back? They couldn't just be left to keep hurting people either but… Why did other me feel so ambivalent? An Eye for an Eye was not a good idea. It wasn't Justice and it wasn't how things were supposed to work. It didn't help. But I couldn't quite shake the idea either. What was wrong with me?

    "Gets them off the street and doing a lot of thinking before they'll get to try again." Shadow Stalker was grinning under that mask.

    I wasn't sure at all. If anything, the exact opposite might be the case too, but the more disturbing part was I wasn't sure she cared either way. They were getting what they deserved after all. Was there any point in talking anymore before I had any more than PHO to go on? "We might as well get go then."

    "Think you can keep up?" Shadow Stalker crouched down. Emma went silvery, dissolving into reflective metal and deforming, limbs stretching out.

    "Won't know until I try." I could crouch down too after all. Concentrate on my legs, will them to put as much power into my muscles as I could.

    Shadow Stalker shot almost straight up, dissolved into black smoke, and just kept going.

    Emma leaped, long legs pushing her so much higher.

    I jumped with my strength alone.

    And I felt light. Soaring through the air, higher, longer than I'd ever been able before…


    I really hoped nobody saw me faceplant into the fire escape. Even if it didn't hurt nearly as much as it should have, and worked great for grabbing and flinging myself higher with my arms, it definitely wasn't graceful or awe-inspiring.

    At least they were both already on the roof. Emma with her super long limbs running beside Shadow Stalker's cloaked form, watching me recover from one terrible landing. Even if it didn't hurt, I wasn't on my feet and I must have looked like an idiot because apparently, my Brute powers did not come with any instincts for landing. Or maybe they just came with the wrong ones, I wasn't sure.

    But I was back on my feet a moment later and chasing the two of them across the rooftops. Shadow Stalker was slower than Emma or at least what I assumed Emma's top speed had to be and I was cheating. Sprinting as fast as I could, flinging myself from rooftop to rooftop. At first, falling behind with each landing and then catching right back up.

    But I got better. I figured out how to angle myself, how to land and ignore my previous instincts because I wasn't that fragile. My joints only stung for a moment and I could keep right on going until I had to slow down for Shadow stalker too. Lose speed after each jump, then speed right back up to get the most momentum I could for the next one, because I didn't want to faceplant into another house wall across a slightly wider street again, just because I hadn't been fast enough.

    Maybe you would think the city was quiet at night, but it wasn't. Not really. I could still hear sounds from people inside restaurants or inside buildings. They were still there, talking, living and some of them even outside. I could still hear and see cars moving. But it was darker. We were all hidden from sight, far above. An odd kind of peace, I knew could be shattered any moment.

    We hadn't even been patrolling for a full hour when we found the first mugger. I'd only just gotten roof jumping down to the point where I was confident my landings would work as intended, but there he was. Dressed up much like me and pointing a gun at another guy, probably older. I could see grey hair, a convenience store bag dropped to the ground next to him. All of us stopped.

    Shadow Stalker and Emma got into position, but… they didn't do anything, even while the old man was looking for his wallet and pulled it out of a pocket. The gun was old, didn't look well cared for, but it was a firearm anyway. But why weren't they doing anything? Emma was just sliding down a wall now, Shadow Stalker hadn't moved at all.

    The old guy was staring at her, I could see the mugger stumble, could see the gun trembling in his hand, but he wasn't quite out of it enough not to notice. He turned around. I was about to jump down. You never have any idea how loud a gunshot really is. Not until you hear one that close, or maybe it was just my hears… I was so glad he's missed. Emma just froze up, before she jumped at him and wrapped herself around his neck. I had no idea what she was trying to press. Her silvery form was keeping a grip on the gun arm though and I could relax again but this… this was too close. Way too fucking close and she'd just been stuck in place. Maybe Emma could take being shot. I was pretty sure I could and I wouldn't run around with massive bruises though.

    I had no idea when Shadow Stalker went down, but I could see the old man kicking the guy, passed out on the street. I was too busy thinking about Emma. I didn't know why or what else she could have done, but that didn't look safe. Even if they had the guy tied up now. Too close. And I could see the bruises Emma had left on him too.

    Still not as bad as I'd have thought. Not quite. But when Shadow stalker finished calling the police and tying him up, she didn't look satisfied. Even if she didn't say anything, just rushed us to move on.

    We were still going three hours later, when my hunger was starting to make it harder to concentrate and my roof-hopping had become almost second nature. At least I'd had a lot of time to think. We didn't have any pattern. We just went, followed the noises maybe, only to be disappointed time and time again. I had no idea how efficient patrolling was supposed to be, but I thought we were supposed to find more.

    Shadow stalker seemed to think so too. She was just getting more and more tense, like a spring being pushed back, wound up to snap the next possible moment. Maybe it was because I was there, but the only talking we or they did was to discuss our route. Figure out where to go next. A few annoyed or maybe impatient remarks until she apparently decided she had enough for the current one because no empire goons were showing up, at least none we could see doing anything interesting, even if they were out on the street, and veered off into merchant territory.

    Where we started to hear the gunshots and suddenly had a fairly decent idea why things had been so quiet.

    Why did Shadow Stalker seem so excited? She was accelerating, but the tension was bleeding out, it was like she was looking forward to this. This being the closest of the places we could hear shots from because I was sure, I could hear more further away, but here… We had Mush, Stormtiger and about ten goons on each side. And I might have been okay just watching before, but Emma and shadow Stalker looked like they were checking for an opening. I might need a plan.



    [ ] Wait, stick with the plan, only do anything if Emma or Shadow Stalker are being directly targeted. If so, put yourself between them and the target, then go on from there. Try to block if necessary and help with takedown whenever you have the opportunity. Make yourself obvious and draw fire if you can, you can take it.
    [ ] Direct attack. Draw fire first. These people are going to get somebody killed, even if they are Gang members. You might want to do something. Use whatever intimidation tactic you can and brute strength to try and force them to disperse. It doesn't look like Emma and Shadow Stalker are going to do anything soon and you're still worried about them. You can probably survive getting shot and you regenerate. They don't.
    [ ] Write in.
    - Approach (when and where to engage, if so)
    - target (can be multiple, both attack or defence, conditional plans possible)
    - intent (what you intend to do to your target)
    - followup (how to proceed)



    Hunger: 10/100
    Humanity: 65/100

    Draft 2,5, sorry for the delay, had to scrap, retry and think.
    On that note, I'm seriously considering rewriting this as just a fanfiction, not a quest. But we'll see.
     
    Last edited:
  • View discussion
    • Amnion 2.4
  • View content
    • Amnion 2.4


    [x] Direct attack. Draw fire first. These people are going to get somebody killed, even if they are Gang members. You might want to do something. Use whatever intimidation tactic you can and brute strength to try and force them to disperse. It doesn't look like Emma and Shadow Stalker are going to do anything soon and you're still worried about them. You can probably survive getting shot and you regenerate. They don't.



    The shots were almost deafening. I could smell blood in the air even from up on the rooftop, but they were just waiting. I couldn't tell much through the masks but with that kind of tension going through their bodies, I didn't really have to. I couldn't see all of the people down there, but cover or no cover, I smelled blood and this would only get worse. I'd stood back before… I'd thought I'd just carry on but… no. Emma and Shadow Stalker would get hurt if they went down there. They were sitting on the ledge, I could see Shadow stalker in position, ready to jump.

    People had gotten cut or slashed already, but the guns wouldn't hurt me. Even if they shot me, It wouldn't matter. They couldn't make it stick.
    I had no idea when I stepped forward. Crouched down. Emma was staring at me, eyes widening. I tensed...

    And flung myself off the roof. Just like jumping to another rooftop. Adjusting my position, bending my legs just before impact. And this time my legs took it with not even a twinge. Or maybe I was just too distracted. I had better things to do.

    The guns had gone silent and I straightened up.

    I could see the whites of Stormtiger's eyes and the scars on his chest. Floating half hidden behind a car. I could see those eyes narrowing, everyone had stopped shooting for now. Almost everyone. I only heard one explosion. One impact on my hip, stinging, but barely worth mentioning. Think later. Stormtiger made a gesture. I turned my head. Mush's face on the other side was invisible apart from half-hidden eyes, he was providing his own cover and cover for his goons.

    This was it. I couldn't be weak now, and I wouldn't. I raised my voice, but I wasn't angry. Not really, annoyed, yes, but somehow this didn't rate actual anger yet. Worry about Emma, yes, but I wasn't livid, not even close. I just needed their attention.

    "You're really loud, you know that? You'd think it's not that hard. Just don't attack anyone and don't drag anyone else into this. Easy, right?" I didn't even bother to ask them not to fight amongst each other. Instead I looked around. This was definitely a residential area, run down or not. Still not angry enough. "But I guess you didn't know, so how about you all go home and I won't have to come over there." I never said I was good at banter.

    … I don't think they expected that.

    I got a full few seconds of silence before Stormtiger laughed. "That's gotta be the best thing I've heard all year. You won't have to come over here?" he was hovering higher now, I thought I felt something on my skin, but I couldn't be sure. "I'll give you five seconds just for that. How about you run right back to your parents and we don't shoot you?"

    And suddenly I minded a whole lot less.

    I didn't even mind the pain I was going to bring down on myself.

    "If you think it'll help, why don't you? Go on. You're not scared of a little girl are you?"

    Yep, that did it. Something hit me. A little pinprick on my shoulder... I shot around. Sound exploded all around me, muzzles flashing, more pinpricks hitting me over and over until a sharp pain tore through my arm. My stomach, my leg. Tore through my neck and made my head lurch forward, stars in front of my eyes. Burning. It hurt. It hurt so much more than any of the things they'd tried before. I had no idea whether it worked, how well it worked, but I was curling on on myself. I felt hot.

    Blood thundering in my veins, burning through my body. Those tears joined by another, their siblings burning into me. Even while my eyes cleared. I had no idea when my expression became nothing but a snarl. When my stance changed to put my feet further apart and my hands locked themselves into position as claws. I couldn't hear. More tears burned themselves into me, more injuries heaped on top, but I didn't care.

    The pain didn't stop me. The first burns were already getting smaller. My shoulder blade exploded in pain. Something slammed into my nose and I tasted blood.

    From my crouch leaping at Stormtiger was pathetically easy. His eyes going even wider only made me want it more. Even the streetlights and cars were just convenient points to launch myself off of and maybe sandbag a bit. I knew what my target was. The noise was already getting less, the burning got less and more, but I didn't care. He was rising up, but with the car he'd been hiding behind, that wouldn't be enough. Too slow. My costume was exploding around me, Stormtiger slashed toward me again and again, but whatever he was doing just added to the burn.

    I pushed myself off and my hand closed around his ankle. Flesh crunching under my grip.

    Something exploded against my back even while I was pulling myself up, but that didn't matter. It was nothing against those tears and frankly, his attacks had only gotten weaker. So I grabbed on to his belt. The air was whipping around me.

    The explosions under me made it hard to tell what he was saying. They were tears in my feet now, coming from under me, but my instinct at least wasn't worried. He might be trying to shake me off, but as soon as I got an arm around his chest, that wasn't working anymore. He just felt squishy and I pressed. Let go with my other hand and put that around his neck. He was struggling against me, sure, but I was still stronger than him. If I'd wanted to kill him, I could have caved his chest in then and there, but burning, hurt as I was, I wasn't that far gone.

    I pulled myself up and crashed my forehead against his mask, not even with full force. We tumbled.

    I used that arm around his neck and put the other one there too as soon as I'd punched him in the gut to make sure. I pulled. There were no more shots from down there. Not even when we started tumbling down or when I had to angle myself to fall under him.

    Staring right at a thug with something that very definitely wasn't just a handgun. Even someone who knows nothing about guns can recognize an AK-47.

    As soon as I'd rolled out from under Stormtiger trying to get rid of his stomach contents, I grabbed onto that. Took it in both hands and bent the barrel over my knee. Grabbed the guy holding it and pushed him under the car. They were backing away from me pretty quickly now, even after I'd tossed the think up on a rooftop, but I wasn't done yet.

    One of them was sort of trapped against the Car by Stormtiger, me and his friend, taking his pistol was easy enough. As was pulling him next to his friend, head first. I had to lunge over to get the second AK. That one I didn't throw. Just twirled it around my hand.

    My "Drop your guns, kick them over here and I won't have to hurt you." Sounded way more sinister than intended. Even if they were Nazis, I had no means of keeping them down short of doing stuff I wasn't sure I was comfortable with anyway. The thundering in my ears and the burning had stopped by now and I was still kind of upset, but Emma was more important.

    Only somewhat mitigated by the fact that they did exactly what I told them to and three of them straight up ran. Not that it would have done them much good, they were a lot slower than me, but I had something much more urgent left to do. Such as grabbing and tossing those pistols as fast as I could and then dealing with the Merchants.

    At least it seemed like letting them empty their magazines on me had given Emma and Shadow Stalker a pretty good advantage. I still winced slightly when more shots fell, but Mush was protecting his friends and slowing the battle down instead of being aggressive. Maybe because Emma was amorphous and Shadow Stalker was intangible, but I couldn't imagine his abilities doing much good here. And it seems like a lot of his friends had flat out run out of ammunition in a combination of shooting me and shooting at the Empire.

    So hungry.

    Unfortunately, that still wasn't all of them. Emma was hiding behind an empty dumpster to escape another AK and thinking about it, that was probably what had torn through my defenses as well. I could see copper jacketed bullets on the ground even as I was pushing my body to run faster. I really hoped she was okay. She didn't look it.

    I bent the barrel of the gun in my hand and dropped it just before I got to them. Then the six Merchants left standing suddenly had other problems. Mush was already injured, the weird, pink, veiny flesh holding the trash together was bleeding and I as foul and weirdly appetizing as he smelled, his goons were the bigger threat right now.

    Fortunately, they were also focusing on me.

    Another searing hot streak pieced my shoulder, pain exploding outward. A second one plunged into my chest and stopped short, then I had my hand wrapped around the barrel. My heart beating louder again. Burning. Blood that wasn't quite the right colour pouring out, while I forced the steel to bend under my hand. I didn't feel nearly as guilty as I maybe should when I tore the weapon for his hands and clubbed him with it less than a second later. Not on the head but I'd broken his shoulder anyway. Pushed the gun into his stomach before Shadow Stalker could get to him and rolled out of the way of Mush's punch.

    The heat was already fading again, while more bullets hit my skin.

    I grabbed the machine pistol from another merchant's hands and she fell back, trying to save her second weapon. A baseball bat crashed into me from the side, but even if the spiked someone had welded onto the thing, that was nothing against the assault rifle. It stung, but I could deal. And I could close my eyes against the flashed of blinding light to…

    Mush's fist knocked me aside. Which didn't actually hurt but pushed me away from my targets. Gave them time while I got to my feet but had also given Emma an opening to wrap herself around the neck of one of the gangsters and solve that problem. I stepped to the side and then made sure said gangster's friend was too distracted to try and shoot her in retaliation. That gun went up on a roof too.

    Meanwhile, Shadow Stalker had found a way to distract Mush and I don't know what she did but he was reeling. I could see her put another bolt onto her crossbow and phase it into her weird shadow state, while I confiscated another pistol and used left the owner to Emma.

    I wasn't even surprised to see one of them running away at top speed. The last gun was easy after that, but I barely managed to get out of the way of another of Mush's attacks.

    How did I get so fucking hungry?

    Shoving the twisted end of the AK's barrel into my mouth under the scarf barely helped. It did get everyone staring at me again, but against the hole in my stomach, that one bite of steel barely mattered. I scarfed it down anyway.
    "Fucker!" I saw Mush twitch and recoil from another one of shadow Stalker's bolts, but this one hadn't been nearly as effective and she knew it. I changed my grip on the barrel and bit into the magazine. Wonderful, spicy, leaden, coppery taste exploding in my mouth. There was so much. So much stuff in there. I could taste the explosive, feel it dissolve in my mouth and taste something spicy, without a hint of pain. I couldn't resist another bite. And Another. Even if it wasn't the most filling, I'd finished the magazine in seconds, before I dropped that gun too, moved to one side, crouched and went after Mush.

    Maybe he was just distracted, but tackling his back and tearing pieces of Garbage away from him was disturbingly easy. I could see his veins tear, his flesh retreat as I ripped more and more of it away. Vaguely feeling the material crushing in around me, trying to restrict my movements. It was like trying to swim through syrup or even molasses, but even so, I was in. My lungs weren't calling for air and I was still moving, Closing my hands around one of the bigger veins, before he could fully expel me through another end. I squeezed.

    Even if I had to admit I wasn't anywhere close to as angry as I had been fighting Stormtiger, I was covered in Garbage and I was annoyed enough to keep going. Without any idea what was going on outside, until something else ripped through me. I almost screamed. This was so much worse than the rifle.

    My blood felt like it might boil off. I pulled, blood running down my hand, garbage dropping all around me, while I held a half crushed arm, trying to shut out the burn, one fist cocked in front of Mush's face.

    Shaking. Staring into those huge, watery eyes. He had to be the ugliest man I'd ever seen and everything smelled sick. I had no idea whether it was whatever he liked to coat himself in or just the man himself, but we dropped to the ground. He was pulling himself together and cringing. I could see a crossbow bolt sticking out of his side.

    I could see another one sticking out of mine, right where I could feel myself burn.

    At least that was starting to fade too.

    The tip of it dropped to the ground. The other end did too, while I let go of mush and stared Shadow Stalker down instead.

    Even if she hadn't meant it or if she hadn't been aiming for me, I had to force myself not to try and rip her arm off. She was solid right now. I might have succeeded and if I didn't, I would just look ridiculous. She looked frozen in place.

    My costume was hanging from me in rags. I was so glad I hadn't brought anything I couldn't afford to lose.

    There, in one corner of my vision, Emma was making sure Stormtiger and at least some of his friends trying to help didn't get away.

    I turned to help with that. We had a lot to talk about.

    And I was still starving. Starving enough to make it hard to think even without the pain. My blood was pounding in my ears. I could have bitten into the street in front of me, but I needed to wait just another minute…


    [ ] Secure Stormtiger, secure leftover Nazis, eat every gun in sight and however much destroyed car necessary to feel vaguely human again. Then You needed to talk to Emma and possibly punch Shadow Stalker in the face if you couldn't get yourself under control before then.
    She didn't look too good. You didn't feel too good and you seriously needed to talk about training and biting off more than you could chew. And Maybe, hopefully, get into emotional support, while Shadow Stalker was distracted. Focus on how what you just did was anything but ideal and really… you needed to go, sit down, drink tea and talk somewhere. Focus on better solutions.
    It should not be this hard to get your friend back.
    [ ] Secure Stormtiger, secure leftover Nazis, eat every gun in sight and however much destroyed car necessary to feel vaguely human again. Then You needed to talk to Emma and possibly punch Shadow Stalker in the face if you couldn't get yourself under control before then.
    Emma didn't look too good but you still seriously needed to talk, but you needed to lay into Shadow stalker for this, even if it was an accident. And then try to figure out some kind of alternative. Maybe the shock would make them more receptive.
    [ ] Secure Stormtiger, secure leftover Nazis, eat every gun in sight and however much destroyed car necessary to feel vaguely human again. Then You needed to talk to Emma and possibly punch Shadow Stalker in the face if you couldn't get yourself under control before then.
    But most of all, you needed to go home. Or to Kurt and Lacey's. You were tired, hungry and dressed in torn bloody rags.
    [ ] write in.



    Hunger: 0/100
    Humanity: 65/100
    Concentrating on vote options is hard, I hope the fight isn't too confusing. There was something else I wanted to say but I can't remember right now.
     
    Last edited:
  • View discussion
    • Amnion 2.5
  • View content
    • Amnion 2.5


    [x] Secure Stormtiger, secure leftover Nazis, eat every gun in sight and however much destroyed car necessary to feel vaguely human again. Then You needed to talk to Emma and possibly punch Shadow Stalker in the face, if you couldn't get ourself under control before then.
    Emma didn't look too good but you still seriously needed to talk, but you needed to lay into Shadow stalker for this, even if it was an accident. And then try to figure out some kind of alternative. Maybe the shock would make them more receptive.



    Looking at Shadow stalker for even as much as one more minute would probably have made me hurt her. I couldn't help look at that crossbow and at the hunting broadhead tip on the ground. But I wouldn't. I wasn't quite far gone enough to just punch her right then and there, besides, Emma was surrounded by Nazis and Stormtiger must have at least somewhat recovered by now. And as much as I wanted to, taking the crossbow away right now would allow the Merchants to run for it.

    I should probably be more upset that I might have given him a concussion.

    As it was, I just sprinted across the street. Pushing my legs as fast as they would go and vaulting over the wreck of a car the fight had left behind. There was something satisfying about the way the Nazis flinched back. Emma was standing with her arms ending in simple blades, pointing them at the Nazis, but I had to run a bit further to get to the other side of Stormtiger's attempt to get away. Flanked by two of his minions and probably only kept upright by their arms around his shoulders. His foot stood out at an odd angle and he didn't even try to put any weight on it.

    Coming to a stop, I crossed my arms in front of my chest. "I would rather not have to make you stay in place." Not that it would take much effort, which was surreal in its own right. Without their weapons, Stormtiger was the only one who could even hurt me and even then, it wasn't particularly dangerous. "So how about you just sit down, wait for the police and I won't have to do anything."

    My voice was raised just enough to be heard. Not even angry, but even so I would carry out the threat if need be. I would say I did a disturbingly good job acting like I didn't care one way or the other, but I don't think it counts if it isn't an act. I was just so hungry. Hungry, exhausted, and trying to keep myself from considering the road as a food source. I doubted I'd be able to sleep before that got resolved. Or if I did, I didn't think I would sleep well. So I looked up to the group Emma was trying to take care of. Tying them up with their own Jackets.

    The Nazis in front of me didn't look happy, but a step forward made them comply. Hateful glares and all.

    Copying Emma's technique didn't take much effort and with the chains included in Stormtiger's Costume, I even found a good solution for that.

    "The fuck? Let me go you crazy-" He didn't get any further, mostly because I had thrown him over my shoulder and he didn't have enough air. Digging my shoulder into the bruise I'd made on his stomach might have had something to do with that too. Just tying his wrists to his neck wouldn't keep him from lifting off. Tying him to that wreck of a car too would, although I had to fiddle with the chain links and break a few before I figured out how to bend them back together and have the result be reasonably strong.

    By the time I was done, Emma had been finished a while back, but she was still in her silver form and I could see it shivering slightly. I picked up the bent AK-47 I'd dropped ages ago and brushed a few bullets out of my sleeves. I could be wrong but I was pretty sure Emma was staring at it.

    I paused and for a moment I had absolutely no idea what to say. Everything was coming back to me. Emma pushing me back, making fun of me at school. Her and Sophia calling me too weak to be worth anything. I couldn't see her face. Couldn't read anything at all, but…. "Are you okay?"

    Did the plan work?

    "You have a phone right? Did you call it in?"

    Emma didn't respond. She just kept shaking on the spot and I was starting to get a bad feeling about this. Her shape was almost her usual again, looking over at Shadow Stalker, but She was still some distance away and had apparently taken longer tying people up. I didn't really want to think about why, but I could see her stomping around and gesturing with her crossbow.

    My ex best friend shivered. When the silver retreated, one of her legs gave out under her and I stopped, the barrel of the gun halfway to my face. I had a pretty good idea what happened, but she was just staring at me defiantly. I'd been right. I could get hit, but it took so much more of a toll on Emma and if I wasn't mistaken, she'd taken a rifle round too. She looked exhausted, and I could suddenly understand Mr. Barnes' position on the issue even better. Emma was breathing heavily.

    I just had no idea whether she would listen. "You got shot, didn't you?"

    I wasn't even surprised to see her shrug. "You got shot too and we're both alive anyway." Tossing her hair with that hood on didn't look nearly as good as it otherwise would have. She couldn't hide the shaking in her voice.
    "Sure, but I'm fine." and anything but those rifles barely did anything anyway. I looked over my arm and everyone could see the unmarked skin under the blood and torn clothing.

    Of course she didn't say anything. There was still one thing left to do anyway and in this state, I doubted I'd be facing much resistance. Seeing as I had no idea what to do about this problem… "We'll talk later, do you mind if I borrow your phone and call this in?"

    She took two tries to pull out the phone. I was almost certain she was gritting her teeth behind that mack. Emma's eyes were half closed and the was a faint smell of blood coming from her but I had no idea what she'd done or what happened if you shot her with something more destructive than just a pistol. Only that it had to have something to do with her leg. But even so, she was staring back at me defiantly, so I just took it, flipped it open and dialed 911 and breathed.

    "Hello? I'm reporting a cape fight. I'm near the intersection between. Edgewood and Elizabeth street. There has been a cape fight between Mush and Stormtiger with a few unpowered gang members involved as well. We have them secured and ready for pickup. We're going to need more than one Ambulance I think, but no one's critically injured. Yes, I can hold."

    Emma had immediately retaken her silver form, probably to keep the injuries from getting to her. We needed to have a talk about how that worked. I almost missed the next question.

    "Yes, I'm a Parahuman." I paused, the PRT dispatcher was in an entirely different mood. Less tired, but much more tense. "I'm calling with Mercurial and Shadow Stalker, no I'm neither, I don't have a cape name right now." Could I stay? Yeah, we were definitely going to stay and be it just because I had a conversation to make with Shadow Stalker and there was no way I would give these two a chance to get away. Even if I could still hear shots from elsewhere. I just hoped they'd make it before the empire could send reinforcements or that they were somehow too distracted to try. They were apparently sending just the PRT, the police were too busy. What did we just run into?

    "We'll stay. Yes Ma'am, we'll be fine, we'll retreat if the Empire tries to recover him, that's fine." Even if I could, I wasn't going to deal with Hookwolf right now. "Do you know what's going on?" Stormtiger was trying to smile at me and I was almost tempted to go back on my word right then and there.

    …

    Emma's featureless face was still pointed at me. I nodded toward Shadow Stalker, because as angry as I was, she should probably hear this. So I jogged over instead of giving it everything I had, looking into angry brown eyes, but I wasn't about to give in. Or bend really, not anymore.

    "What?"

    "The Empire is fighting with the Merchants a few streets away, they've got all of the other Merchant capes tied up or are driving them off, I'm not sure. PRT is trying to pull them apart, but I don't think they're having much luck. Both sides got hurt, so the Empire is probably not coming to help their friend over there. Apparently, Lung found out about their push against the Merchants, so most of the Protectorate is tied up trying to take care of that. We'll get more company whenever they've got someone free." I ended the call and snapped the phone shut.

    "So.

    "I think we need to talk about a few things."

    I took another bite of the rifle. And the next. It was barely anything against the hole in my stomach, but it at least told my body I was doing something. Not to mention that I could see Shadow stalker flinch a little with each bite. Staring at the toothmarks on the metal. The few conscious Merchants looked even more horrified. They were all tied up though. Minus maybe Mush, but I could keep him in check.

    "Looks like you did lots of talking just fine. You think I'll just stick around for those useless bags of hot air to get here?"

    I stepped on the broadhead still lying on the ground. "Yes. But that's not what I wanted to talk about." I bit into the magazine, wonderful gunpowder flavour exploding onto my tongue. If I weren't as pissed off, I might have thought twice because of how angry she looked, but I still had one very big problem. I stepped forward.

    "You." I closed the distance between us, put a hand on her crossbow and pulled, before she could have a reaction.

    "Fucking.

    "Shot me."

    The metal would have been so easy to bend between my fingers, but I didn't. I stepped back and sideways out of reach the moment she lurched forward and took another bite out of my rifle. Made sure she could hear the crunch before I swallowed.

    "So fucking what? Give that back! It's not like you're even hurt! You got shot a hundred time over but when I do it you suddenly care? I wasn't even aiming for you." She only had eyes for her crossbow, reached for it again, but there was no way I was going to give it back so easily. Not after what she'd said.

    I wished the scarf weren't hiding the satisfaction on my face when I bit into the rifle again. Nice and irony. Not everything my body needed, but I did it again, just to see her twitch a little more. "So you fucking shot me and you don't even care if your allies get hurt. Just because I heal doesn't mean it doesn't hurt or that there wasn't any chance it could have been a whole lot worse and you don't even care? You're just going to shoot if you've got no fucking idea what might happen?" That bolt hadn't felt anything like a rifle round. Those didn't pierce as far, that pain was different, but this. I'd almost lost myself for a moment.

    "If you care so much, don't put yourself between me and my target, newbie. Really simple rules right there. You can take all of that, but you care so much if it's just one bolt? What do you want? Me to go on my knee because the Brute didn't know where not to go?"

    "If you were doing a good job, I probably wouldn't have had to, but you knew I was in there and you could see me, couldn't you?" I bit into the magazine again. Ground the ammo down with my teeth and let the amazing, delicious copper flow over my tongue. I had to keep my hand from squeezing the crossbow.

    "A leg maybe. Why do you even care? You're fine! Just give me my fucking crossbow." I took another bite and dodged out of the way again. If she hadn't said anything, I probably would have given it back just like that, but it was starting to get pretty clear that I didn't trust her with the thing.

    "I care because you don't seem to give a fuck if your comrades get hurt and if you can't keep yourself from getting your own side hurt, maybe you shouldn't be having it in the first place." I had less than half a rifle left now, but taking another bite with gusto was still just as satisfying as before. "I care because there was a good fucking chance that I couldn't have shrugged that off and I care because I was trying to fucking help you and you shot me. If they shoot me you know, I get it. I don't care, I'm not angry, but if my own fucking side shoots me and doesn't even have the decency to apologize afterward and admit it's a mistake, then we've got a problem."

    Whether or not I was being reasonable didn't really matter. Right then, I didn't care if I was being selfish. There was one thing I could do to hopefully put a break on this mess at least for a little bit and that thing was right in my hand.

    "Yeahyeah, I'm so sorry, won't do it again, big baby, now give that back!"

    I tucked the leftover gun into one of the holes in my hoodie and changed my grip on the crossbow. In any other circumstance, I probably would have hesitated because she was crying. Right now, with her fishing for it again, Emma hurt in a corner and her new best friend obviously not entirely serious about it, I didn't think so.

    "You know, I don't think you are."

    Yeah, I was maybe going a bit far, but I was hungry and I was pissed off. I started lifting it to my mouth and…

    "No!"

    "You fucking bitch, that's mine. You can't!"

    And if I did it, she and Emma wouldn't be going on patrol for a while. If she hadn't insulted me, I probably wouldn't have.

    As it was, I bit into it anyway. Snapped the string in my mouth and Ignored the desperate howl of rage from Shadow Stalker, just making a jump to the side to avoid her lunging for me. Not that it would have done much good, but I didn't want to lose any more clothing. Dodging against and again, to the background of somewhat faraway snickering from Stormtiger of all things.

    It was delicious. Strong carbon a good stock and a wonderful string. And I had to devour it all within less than five minutes.

    I just still couldn't help but feel a bit of regret, seeing Shadow Stalker crying in front of me. My instinct pushing me not to give in. That no attempt to push me down would be tolerated, but at the same time, she was crying. She had made Emma into this or at least encouraged it, but she was crying, crying and snarling, but still.

    At least none of our captives had escaped.

    At least I still had time to sigh and sit down next to her, pull out the gun and start chewing again. I was exhausted, starving and at the very least plenty annoyed, but apparently, my second personality had confidence to spare anyway. "Listen. I think you need to take a break, you can buy a new crossbow, I don't care. I know you're taking money from criminals anyway." At least drug money, which I was plenty hesitant to do myself. "But you need to think about what you're doing before you run into someone who's less nice than me. Or who's just prepared enough to kill you or you end up with the PRT on your head because you got someone else killed."

    Emma was there in my periphery, but I had no idea what she was thinking.

    "You're not as tough as like I am. You need a better strategy." I needed a better strategy too. Or some way to just not get involved. I wasn't even sure I was talking to Emma or Shadow Stalker. "What do you think would have happened if I hadn't jumped in? I'm not even saying don't or you're not tough, and maybe not Mush over there, but the Empire's probably tougher." And they had numbers.

    "I know that, idiot."

    I could already hear sirens in the distance. So tired. Apparently, exhaustion meant my filter was one of the first things to go. "So don't start a fight if you're not sure you're going to win? Both of you." I had no idea whether it would sink in. Or how many times I would have to repeat myself. I started walking over to the shot up car and started helping myself to some destroyed upholstery. Maybe I had told Shadow Stalker not to start a fight with me, not to be more careful in general but going back wouldn't fix that. Her powers really did make her invulnerable, but I hoped the shock had done something at least. I'd have to talk to Emma later.

    Right now, there were White a purple PRT vans driving up, lead by Miss Militia on a Motorcycle.

    Miss Militia.

    Dad.

    Fuck.



    [ ] Explain the situation, tell her you are going to come in for some power testing and associate status later, apologize for injuries, try to deal with the sudden attack of fear and anger as quietly as you can.
    [ ] Explain the situation, but try to downplay your abilities and play up Shadow Stalker and Emma's roles. The Gang members wouldn't talk, right? Maybe you could downplay your regeneration?
    - add that you would come in for power testing and associate status
    - say no such thing, even if you would be getting enough money to either buy food or buy some food and maybe keep services up to your house.
    [ ] Let Emma and Shadow Stalker talk, or at least try to let them talk.
    [ ] write in.




    Hunger: 50/100
    Humanity: 65/100
    Repeating here: Any write in that doesn't reach first place in the vote may still be used as inspiration, if it doesn't conflict with the vote option.
    Any write in that is too out of character will be ignored/vetoed by me.
    Any option will also result in food getting filled back up to full.

    I may have gotten carried away again. Any and all critque, especially dialogue related is welcome.
     
  • View discussion
    • View content
    You must login or register to reply here.
    Remove ads
    Back
    Top