« Back
Generated:
Post last updated:
witch's cape, not hat
Permalink Mark Unread
Grendyne groans and starts pulling on her boots when the alarm goes off. Again. She quick-marches to the broom hangar, sits on her machine and is handed a plethora of loaded weapons by attentive corporals.

"Two flyers in one day? They're getting way too common."

"It's worse," the commander informs them, "South Karlsland got hit with three at once. We're taking Lytee's express and sleeping there. You can sit out if you absolutely need to, but Freya's still recovering so we could use you as a comms relay."

"No, I'll come. I just reserve the right to complain about it."

The 42nd United Forces Witch Wing takes off and assembles into a perfect synchronized formation as Lytee charges her teleport power.



...This is not South Karlsland wilderness.

[note: halfway through this thread I created a unique account for Grendyne. Do not be alarmed by the change in account. -Rockeye]
Permalink Mark Unread
In fact it's not wilderness of any kind. She can see a city, full of multi-story buildings and bright lights. Her current location is full of lower buildings with no windows, essentially boxes. The ground beneath her is entirely concrete and asphalt, not that those are necessarily familiar to her.

Nearby, she can hear crashes and explosions.
Permalink Mark Unread

Well, wherever she is, there's fighting going on and she's on the Witch Wings. She might as well jump in. She draws and strings the bow, prepares a glowing guided-arrow, and flies towards the noise, keeping low over the buildings.
Permalink Mark Unread

She sees a variety of people in costumes. Some are matching costumes, most aren't. It's not immediately obvious what they're fighting about, but the five in non-matching costumes are running from the other three. The crowd of armed non-costumed individuals may have something to do with that.

Permalink Mark Unread
And they have weird magic.

She sets to copying the closest of the four powers that smell like information, from one of the five running away. It's trickier than usual, but if it's any decent kind of information-getting ability it should tell her some of what the fuck is going on.
Permalink Mark Unread
Uncoordinated, unplanned. Not expecting this fight.

And more information.

The language is roughly similar to what they speak in Liberion, with accents she can't place.
Those two are teammates, not considered a serious threat by their opponents.
Most of the people in red and green are here unwillingly, at the command of the woman in the gas mask.
She herself is the one responsible for most of the explosions.

And then Grendyne suddenly develops a splitting headache. The magic here is weird .
Permalink Mark Unread
She grunts and swears in Nordic and drops the copy.

But the gas-masked lady seems to be the aggressor here. She decides in an instant - far too risky to help the coerced crowd right now. Protect who you can. Arrow goes out, spearing one of the bombs currently flying through the air. And she dives down and puts up the widest shield she can manage, a translucent wall of blue light, closely following the retreating five.

"You lot are the victims here, so I'm helping. Can't hold the shield long though. I can carry one person."
Permalink Mark Unread
The information-smelling one dressed in purple nods, and the tallest one answers.
"Him." He's pointing at a teammate, who is thin and pale and more relevantly collapsed. "Get him somewhere he won't be found. He'll recover, but he's already out of the fight."
Permalink Mark Unread
"Not familiar with the area, but I'll do my best."

Telekinesis floats the unconscious person into her arms and she ascends, dropping the shield.

She grabs the information power again, holding it as lightly as possible, trying to aim it at places-to-put-this-guy. And she doesn't need a power to identify out-of-the-way roofs.
Permalink Mark Unread

It outputs facts about whatever specific thing she is thinking at, and doesn't usually have enough starting information to answer that question. The headache starts building before she gets an answer (magic here continues to be uncooperative) but eventually one of the storage units registers as unlocked and unused. If she leaves him in there he'll wake up uninterrupted, if unhappy.

Permalink Mark Unread
She leaves him there and, pressed for time, burns ash-words into the wall with miniature versions of her starburst attack. Your team told me to evacuate you. Gren.

She's lost her hold of the information spell by now, so she has to estimate where group of four has gotten to. But it's only been a minute or so. And she can probably just follow the sound of explosions.

On second thought, a brawl seems like the kind of thing the authorities should know about. And neither of those groups were that.

She flies high and looks for something official.
Permalink Mark Unread
The most obviously official location is a building that appears to be floating in the middle of a bay, surrounded by a glowing force field.

The other salient detail is the explosions currently going off all across the city. Various colors, brightnesses, at least one explosion made of silence and darkness, no two alike. These clearly aren't ordinary bombs, and it probably isn't an everyday occurrence.
Permalink Mark Unread

God dammit. She pushes hard towards the force field, flaring mana, screaming at the top of her lungs, and generally trying to get attention.

Permalink Mark Unread
A man in power armor is just speeding across the bridge to the mainland, when he pulls over.

"This better be about the bombs! Got something I can use?" Other people in costumes are making their way across at different speeds, all of them faster than normal.
Permalink Mark Unread

"There was a lady tossing them all over." Brief tactical description. Gas mask, long black hair, crowd of coerced gunmen. "Two others with powers, dunno what. Don't know where they are now, but I can show you where they were five minutes ago."

Permalink Mark Unread
"Show me." He starts speeding again, trusting her to stay ahead with her advantage of flight.

And he sends a message to his colleagues. He says he has a lead on the bomber's location from an unknown cape, and they should continue focusing on the disaster relief and rescue.
Permalink Mark Unread
She's fast, when she's pouring this much mana into it.


This is where they were a few minutes ago, and that's the direction they were chasing a group of four 'capes', since that's apparently the word, in.
Permalink Mark Unread
When they catch up to the battle, the four capes are no longer fleeing; they're surrounded and on the ground. The gas masked figure is sitting on a car projecting her voice at her captives, and occasionally launching explosives for emphasis. None of them have hit any of her soldiers so far, but it's not because she's looking where she fires.

When she sees the newcomers, she cheers. "It's the white hats! Here to see me turn this guy's head inside out?"
Permalink Mark Unread
Grendyne's voice is clear in armor guy's ear despite her being twenty feet above him. "I can probably drop her, maybe even non-lethally, but I don't think I can stop a bomb from going off."

She also tele-talks to the downed ones, "If there's anything I can do to disarm her bombs, whisper it 'at' me."

Just to check, though, she grabs bomb-lady's power and tries to make sense of it.

It doesn't work.

What other potentially useful powers are here, other than the headache inducing extrapolating one?
Permalink Mark Unread
Two incomprehensible, one belonging to the man on the motorcycle. One smells like micromanagement and large numbers of useless tools, one like dogs, and one dark. The remaining one gives an impression of instructions and competence.

Armsmaster answers the bomber by confidently stating some suitably heroic form of "meh, I can take her." To which the bomber crows, "Nope! You make a move, all these people go the way of Park Jihoo there!" She waves her grenade launcher at a stain on the ground that plausibly could have once been a person.

One of the downed capes hisses toe rings. Left foot without their enemies noticing.
Permalink Mark Unread
Toe rings. Toe rings.

Invisibility is really hard. She barely kept it at all. But if anything deserves her best efforts, it's this.

A mostly-invisible arrow lances out while the bomber is mid-boast, curves down in midair, and slices off those toes. And Grendyne drops onto the nearest roof, semi-conscious, because that took way too much mana.
Permalink Mark Unread
Bakuda barely seems to pay attention to the pain. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me. The old-fashioned way then!"

She starts launching grenades at her opponents. Grendyne isn't in a position to see much of what goes on, but after the first few explosions and a charge from the man in blue, the terrified crowd of formerly coerced people attack the bomber with whatever comes to hand.

The other four capes flee, a cloud of darkness hiding them from the hero.
Permalink Mark Unread

Grendyne will be up here, swearing loudly in Nordic, one (broken) leg pinned under her flying thing.

Permalink Mark Unread
The first person to approach is the blue-armored hero. He ascends by grappling hook after leaving the bomber restrained by his motorcycle.

"Thanks for your help. I never did introduce myself; I'm Armsmaster.
Let's get you to a doctor, you can give your statement on the way."
Permalink Mark Unread

"Grendyne Nylund. I'll have the mana to get myself back into the air in a few minutes injury or no. Less if you have stimulants. I've got questions, though, what the hell is going on here? I expected to pop out of the transport spell and stop a Neuroi ravaging South Karlsland, and instead found insane bombers with weird magic! And where am I anyway? Liberion? Britannia?"

Permalink Mark Unread
"I do have stimulants." He offers her some. "And I can give you a ride if you'd rather not fly with that leg.
You're in the city of Brockton Bay. Britannia is across the Atlantic, and I've never heard the other names. Or of magic, though powers are poorly enough understood that they might as well be.

As for what the hell, Bakuda started detonating bombs across the city until I captured her. And she was about to kill a different group of villains, whom I didn't manage to capture. My teammates are running search and rescue."
Permalink Mark Unread
She downs the stimulants without hesitating. "If Britannia is across the ocean, this is Liberion with a different name. Taking her down stopped the bombings? Good. Don't need people blowing up cities, Neuroi do that just fine on their own."

"One of the escaping group told me how she was controlling the bombs though my whisper spell - toe rings. Hey, these stims are good stuff." She starts floating, a faint presence and slight glow coming off her. "Lead the way."
Permalink Mark Unread

Armsmaster jumps off the roof, hauls Bakuda onto his motorcycle, and heads toward the hospital. He makes a brief stop to hand Bakuda off to someone at the PRT building, which is very intentionally near their destination. After reaching there, he addresses Grendyne, "Lots of injured from the bombs. You willing to help rescue civilians? It'll get you bumped up the line."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Of course. I have no idea what's going on here, but explanations can wait. I can carry one person flying but I'll need more stims and probably some food. The invisible guided-arrow was really draining. Oh, and I can incompletely copy some powers, is there someone with a healing power I can try to grab?"

Permalink Mark Unread
The line in which Grendyne is being bumped is the list of people waiting for just such a healer. Capes currently doing emergency services take precedence over anyone who isn't immediately getting worse. The healer looks almost jealous at the capes with more traditional functions.

Armsmaster answers, "Yes, definitely. If you can copy powers, you'd be more effective here with Panacea. This is where all the injured are being brought."
Permalink Mark Unread

"I can try to copy her power, and probably succeed, but I definitely won't be as good with it as her. I can smell the healing power from here now that you mention it. Can you carry me there?"

Permalink Mark Unread

He can. Carrying injured people: one of the things power armor is good for.

Permalink Mark Unread

"Hi, Panacea. Eesh - yeah, that's slippery. I can only just barely copy your power. I think I can do blood, bones, burns, shrapnel, and cuts, but not torn nerves or vital organs or anything, you'll have to keep doing the detail work. I'm thinking I either prep or clean up the little things after you're done. Mind getting my leg real quick? The pain is starting to be annoying."

Permalink Mark Unread
"Of course." The healer's voice is almost mechanical. She touches Grendyne, and in a few seconds the leg is back to normal.
"If I can focus on the nerves and organs, that'll speed us up."

She goes back to asking each patient for permission and then touching them. Now some of them end up not completely healed, and she passes those ones to her partner.
Permalink Mark Unread
She's a bit slow, at first. She asks how to deal with this or that a few times, but gradually gets better and faster at it.

After a couple of hours of this, she's too low on mana to continue, stims or no stims. It's not even physical exhaustion, the magic just isn't there. She apologizes, leaves, attempts to find food and water.
Permalink Mark Unread
Finding food is easy.

In the process, she gets approached by a man not wearing a costume. Dark hair, unshaven face, taller than most.
"Hi. You the new cape?"
Permalink Mark Unread

"I'm not a cape. The word is Witch."

Permalink Mark Unread
"If you say so.

I'm Senegal. I'm with a paramilitary group, fighting some of the superpowered criminals we got here. I'm here to invite you to join. Or, if you just landed here out of nowhere, to volunteer a place to stay and hold off on the invitation until tomorrow."
Permalink Mark Unread

"I landed here out of nowhere. I'm technically AWOL right now. Or maybe MIA, since it's not my fault. I'm not sure I want to add 'defector' to that, but I'll hear you out. Tomorrow."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Sure. I can give you a lift, whenever you're ready to go."

Permalink Mark Unread
"I'm just about of mana for the day. Long fight this morning, got teleported to a random insane dimension, had another fight, collapsed myself doing a fancy trick, then two hours of healing people. But flying takes just the tiniest speck, so I'll follow you once I pick up my steelwing."

She does that, and follows him close to ground level, presuming nobody has moved it and nothing stops them.
Permalink Mark Unread

He leads her to a perfectly ordinary-looking car. "That thing going to fit in the trunk? You could follow from above, but that's just asking for someone to track us."

Permalink Mark Unread
"It comes apart." She takes it apart, and it does fit in the trunk.

Military guy will probably be slightly concerned if he sees the no less than eight flintlock pistols and bags of gunpowder and shot stored in one of its compartments.

"Nice, a horseless carriage. Someone made engines that fit inside something smaller than a train."
Permalink Mark Unread
Senegal is more surprised at the type of weapon than their presence.

"These are common here. They not been invented yet where you're from?"
Permalink Mark Unread

"No. And trains are shiny-new. Most, er, invented things have come in the last three dozen years since the Neuroi invasion tossed the kings and dukes out on their heads."

Permalink Mark Unread

"You're really not from around here. Cars are over a hundred years old, and trains are almost another hundred on top of that. Still got kings, some places, maybe because of the lack of Neuroi."

Permalink Mark Unread
"Oh, we still got nobles in some places too, they just can't order you executed for daring to look upon them with unclean eyes or some other thing anymore."

She gets in the car, and copies him with the seatbelt.
Permalink Mark Unread

He drives off. "Executed? That sounds even farther back. Don't suppose we share a calendar? We're twenty-eleven A.D."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Thirteen forty one years since the death of Jesus Christ."

Permalink Mark Unread

"And you got steam engines. Impressive. Bet we could help deal with those invaders, if we manage to get to the right world and all."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Those bombs from earlier would probably do it by themselves, with a Sew to deliver them. Ah, S-W-W, Strike Witch Wing. How does one cross worlds here? In my case it was a botched in-world teleport."

Permalink Mark Unread

"We can't. Someone somewhere probably can, but I don't know who. There are other worlds, we're in contact with one, but the Tinker who made the portal died."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Unfortunate."

Permalink Mark Unread

The car drives up to a completely ordinary-looking house. "This isn't the base. Location's secret, and you still might not join," Senegal explains. (Of course the secretive paramilitary organization has a house. They have some of everything.)

Permalink Mark Unread
It doesn't look ordinary to her, but at least it's the same as all the others. "Key?"

Presumably getting one, she unloads her gear into the garage, has a shower after being briefly confused about the plumbing, and sleeps for a solid twelve hours or until awoken.
Permalink Mark Unread

Nobody interferes. When she wakes up, she'll find a change of clothes in her approximate size if she doesn't prefer the uniform, and one of Senegal's colleagues waiting downstairs.

Permalink Mark Unread
The uniform is filthy. She changes clothes. (Jeans feel weird.)

When she comes downstairs, she opens with, "Giving me a nice place to sleep bought you my interest. At home I was necessary, if I didn't help the Witches, the Neuroi would glass one more city, turn another hundred farmsteads to ash. Here that doesn't seem to be a problem so you'll need to convince me to join this group instead of what seemed like at least a half a dozen other groups in this city."
Permalink Mark Unread
"First, some background. I'm not sure how much Senegal told you.

Half of the groups here are criminal gangs. Drugs, robberies, the occasional rape or murder, and different directions of racism. I'm assuming you don't want to join any of those.
Last night was one of the rare emergencies worse than turning a hundred farmsteads to ash. And the bombs were only a distraction while one of Bakuda's teammates broke another out of jail.

This organization, working for a man called Coil, is one of the groups opposing those. Unlike the official heroes, we operate more like a military than like a game of dodgeball. There is an elaborate system of unspoken rules, in which nobody kills one another or exposes secret identities, but it also involves nobody trying very hard to get their opponents arrested. This organization, staffed entirely by non-capes with the possible exception of you, is outside those rules and can make more progress."
Permalink Mark Unread

"It sounds like I'd be opposing people, not forces of nature or incomprehensible aliens. I'd have killed Bakuda if that was the only way to get her to stop exploding things, yes, but please take a moment to appreciate that human enemies are new to me. And I hardly believe you're composed entirely of non-capes, especially as you seem to be trying to recruit me."

Permalink Mark Unread
"The unstoppable forces of nature attack every few months. Against those, only capes fight.

Initially, we wanted to recruit you as a form of misdirection. With your powers, anything you did would appear to be friendly or accidental fire, and examination after the fact would bear that out. Knowledge of the opponent is crucial against capes, by the way, that might not be true of your aliens. And when facing a previously unknown cape, you would be able to tell us exactly what we're up against.

That's why we want you. One thing we can offer that other groups can't, is a better chance at getting home. Senegal mentioned telling you that no one knows how. Coil is in a better position than most to try to find out. Second best would be the Protectorate, but whether they would be willing to is another question."
Permalink Mark Unread

"Yeah, well... This whole thing feels very sketchy. I do think you're acting in good faith here, giving me a roof and so on, but I didn't sign up to the Witch Wings to use my magic on humans. I might wait for the paralysis of rules you claim exists to show itself before considering options outside the law."

Permalink Mark Unread
"Oh, it's not exactly paralyzing. The capes who follow the unwritten rules do it because everyone else is, or because it's safer, or because it's more fun, depending on who you ask. The only ones with rules that explicitly tie them down are the Protectorate. Or Wards, for you, if you're as young as you look."

Here, there aren't many targets for magic other than humans. Except the Endbringers, and most of the time there isn't an attack going on. If that's the concern, you should be with whoever can get you to your home world fastest. And that's probably us."
Permalink Mark Unread

"Hm. Alright, I am provisionally willing to work with you in exchange for Coil looking into ways to get me home and - let's say double my salary in the Witches, plus a risk bonus when you send me into combat. I'll work out the equivalency later, it's not likely to be utterly ridiculous, they don't pay us that much. But I do not want to sign a contract at this time because your organization would likely just ignore it if you really felt like doing that. Oh, and if you can get lots of silver and gold and gemstones that would be nice, I can store mana for later use in those."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Silver and gold and gemstones? Was that intentionally designed to be expensive? We can get it, depending on the quantity you need, but that sounds like it would be inconvenient."

Permalink Mark Unread

"It's not designed to be expensive, that's just how I work. I don't need literally tons of the stuff unless I want to store a year's worth of juice and use it all on one day, but it would allow me to save up power for emergency situations. I was damn near empty yesterday, but I could have kept healing for maybe another hour if I had a charged locket. Maybe I'll just buy 'em with what you pay me."

Permalink Mark Unread
"I'll tell the boss, he'll probably give you that as a signing bonus.

Can you describe your military experience? Superpowers are one thing, but competence is just as important."
Permalink Mark Unread

"Joined the United Forces at age 12, spent a year and a half in training at London Airbase before being assigned to the 42nd Wing as a Witch Third Class. Spent one month as a courier, three doing odd jobs, but by then I was 14 and powerful enough to go on patrols and combat missions. And I started accumulating enough copied magic that I was uncommonly adaptable. I have 39 personal Neuroi kills to my name over the course of about eight hundred engagements - but I usually acted in a support role, so the low count is normal. I've been severely wounded only once. Got promoted to Second Class somewhere in there."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Is fighting a Neuroi at all like fighting a human?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"No. They're crystalline black things, supernaturally strong and firing red energy beams. All shapes and sizes. They regenerate from anything short of total disintegration, or the destruction of their core crystal. Other biggest thing is that they're aggressively unpredictable. The one thing you can be sure a Neuroi will do is suprise you. A full flight of Witches, twelve of us, against a lone Neuroi is no contest. Usually. One wing versus three is iffy. Our ground forces can't do much to them, but you've seen our tech level."

Permalink Mark Unread

"I heard you had a stack of flintlocks. How'd you like to switch those out for the kind from two hundred years later?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Sure, as long as they come with a trainer and a range."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Of course. We could go now, if you like."

Permalink Mark Unread
"Breakfast first." Breakfast is had, and she follows to their car afterward.

Along the way, "Say, you probably don't have Steelwings, but they kinda-sorta operate on mechanical principles. Any old broom will do for flying, but Steelwings make us faster and more maneuverable, and they're better for endurance too. Do you think someone could make me a better one?"
Permalink Mark Unread

"Almost surely. We've got aerodynamics down to a science, and that's not even counting the people whose superpowers are to be good at building things. It'd take a bit of time, though."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Of course. It's an exciting idea, though. Almost more exciting than a futuristic gun. My top speed on a plain old stick is about as fast as a galloping horse, but on the steelwing I can go fast enough I have to toughen myself against the wind. I wonder how much better it can get."

Permalink Mark Unread
"If we get Tinkers involved, it depends how well you can harden yourself against the wind."

They arrive at the range, and start testing modern weaponry. It's really Grendyne's abilities with it that are being tested, of course, but that's to be expected since she's joining a paramilitary organization.
Permalink Mark Unread
Well, she hasn't actually trained in long range marksmanship because 'long range rifles' are not a thing where she's from, and she explains as much. She can hit targets at a hundred hundred yards with her bow, but does not prove to be an instant prodigy with rifles.

She's very good with pistols and shotguns, though, and running around or being suddenly presented with targets in unexpected directions or 'hostages' that she mustn't hit (as in the close-quarters-combat testing range) doesn't trip her up.

She's really thrilled about the capabilities of modern firearms. It might be a bit disconcerting to see a teenage girl giggling over guns.
Permalink Mark Unread

Not a bit. It's a teenaged girl who is also an ally, this is a plus.

Permalink Mark Unread

After spending most of the morning on guns of various sorts, she finds the guy who seems to be most in charge and informs him, "I worked out the math using restaurant prices as a comparison point, and I want either twelve thousand dollars a month, or three thousand per month plus bigger combat bonuses. If you're going to give me room and board and food, we can knock a couple thousand off that."

Permalink Mark Unread
Coil himself has yet to appear. The person she found is Minor, the team captain.

"We could probably hire a team of capes for that. Lucky for you the boss is rich. We'll go with the second one."
Permalink Mark Unread
It's a bit strange that Coil is nowhere to be found. Officers are usually inconveniently in the way.

"Part of why I want so much is how my powers will dry up to the point of near-uselessness in about fifteen years. I've got to save up while I can. Will there be a contract?"
Permalink Mark Unread

He nods. "How long do you want it to be for?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Let's say a year, with a voluntary exit clause at the end of the first month if either side wants it. Just in case Coil finds me less useful than he expected, or I get a better offer."

Permalink Mark Unread

When you're a mercenary working for a supervillain who may or may not be a cape, contracts tend not to see the inside of a courtroom. But Minor himself has one, it's just professionalism after all, and his can be adapted easily enough. He agrees.

Permalink Mark Unread
Having a contract seems to soothe the by-the-book sensibilities that the Witch Wings beat into her.

After a few minutes of discussion and editing ("It's really quite convenient both worlds have English...") a contract is signed.
Permalink Mark Unread

When Grendyne and the team eventually leave for lunch, they pass a man who smells like teleportation.

Permalink Mark Unread
Tele-whispered into Minor's ear with some urgency, "I smell a cape. Teleporter and something I'm trying to identify. The Far East-looking man who just passed us. Duplication, maybe."

And she starts to channel mana, ready to pop shields in any direction. Just in case.
Permalink Mark Unread
Minor whispers back, "Oni Lee. Line of sight teleportation, clones stay behind for a few seconds. Very dangerous."

"If we're lucky, he'll lead us to Lung's base. We follow him, far enough back he can't see us. Means we can't see him, but also means he can't kill us in seconds. Grendyne, we're relying on your nose for this.
And do not use his power, not outside an emergency. Speculation is that being a copy of a copy of a copy added up to serious brain damage eventually, best avoid that."
Permalink Mark Unread
"I suspect if I tried to use his power I wouldn't leave duplicates. But I won't try it outside of an emergency, affirmative. I can track him actively, though not indefinitely. Should be enough."

And she keeps walking to the next street corner before crossing and going back the other way at a bit of a faster pace. After a couple dozen blocks. "Okay, he teleported a few times then stopped moving."
Permalink Mark Unread

"Can you give us a direction, from enough different points to triangulate later? Goal is to find out where without ever being in line of sight."

Permalink Mark Unread
"I can try. I don't think I can get directions down better than about fifteen degrees of arc." She points, though, and keeps walking, pointing again every time the direction has noticeably changed.

When she gets within a couple blocks of the place, "Wait... Another cape is with him. Can't pick out details this far out. Something aggressive, whatever it is."
Permalink Mark Unread
"If it's with Oni Lee, it's probably Lung. Starts out strong, gets stronger as he fights. No known upper limit, he's gone toe to toe with Endbringers. Also regenerates and turns into a dragon.
We don't want to fight him. Better stay farther out, triangulating will take longer but it'll be safer."
Permalink Mark Unread
"Yeah, stronger as he keeps fighting sounds right. Alright, staying far away it is."

Triangulating them into a single block-sized area will take about an hour of walking at this pace.
Permalink Mark Unread

For something as important as the location of the ABB's remaining capes, they can spare an hour. But part way through, the capes change position and start moving. Toward them.

Permalink Mark Unread

She doesn't actually detect them moving right away. Scent is imprecise like that. But soon, "Trouble. They're moving again. They'll be on top of us in less than a minute. Didn't catch it 'till just now 'cause they're heading straight towards us."

Permalink Mark Unread
"One minute and we're fighting Lung. Him and Lee fight to kill.

When they come, everyone fire on Lung simultaneously. Shortest time between shots we can manage. Hopefully it'll keep him down long enough for us to get away.
Lee will get here first...I'll be bait. Hit him as soon as he appears. Tranq shots only, he'll be right on top of me. Got to be quick enough he doesn't teleport again."

The squad take positions.
Permalink Mark Unread

"Do I use my powers to blast Lung or hold them in reserve?"

Permalink Mark Unread
"If we can get away without giving away the fact that we've got a cape, that's better. If not, blast away but hide the copying.
And if Lee teleports before they hit him, you're the only one who'll have a direction right away."
Permalink Mark Unread

"Got it." And she loads her new tranq pistol, and the regular one, before taking position.

Permalink Mark Unread
Oni Lee does indeed attack first. But a soon as he teleports in, his first act is to teleport again, less than a finger snap later. Since the clone remains, this is not immediately obvious to anyone except Grendyne. The tranquilizers disable the Oni Lee before Minor's armor gets tested, but the clone dissolves into ash in seconds. After that, he teleports twice and attempts to stab. The clone goes down, but the defenders can't track their opponent fast enough to hit the real one.

Meanwhile, Lung enters visual range and starts getting closer. He doesn't seem to be bothering to hurry.
Permalink Mark Unread

Gren's tranquilizers join the crowd of others, but when Oni Lee teleports around she tracks the new ones with uncommon speed. The current newest copy gets a bullet to the arm, then two more to the head.

Permalink Mark Unread
Oni Lee yells, and no more copies appear. The body drops, bleeding from the arm and worse than that from the head. Then it disintegrates into ash. The yell continues, from a distance this time, and then is too far away to hear.

With Oni Lee driven off, Lung speeds up. Lung is a tall, muscular, habitually shirtless man, and all three of those adjectives become more true as his power activates. A few flickers of flame are starting to appear around him.

Minor tells the rest of them, "he'd burn most tranquilizers out of his system in no time. Bullets on five, four, three..."
Permalink Mark Unread
Grendyne freezes, trembling. "It's. It's different when they bleed."

She only realizes Lung's still there when the chorus of gunshots goes off. She joins in, aiming for the center of mass, too shaken to go for the head. And perhaps too late to help.
Permalink Mark Unread
Lung goes down. He regenerates, it's almost impossible to give Lung an injury he won't recover from, but that doesn't mean that right now he isn't hurt worse than Oni Lee was. And he takes time to heal, so he's lying in the street, bleeding, visibly human.

"Now's our chance to get out of here. Can you run?"
Permalink Mark Unread
"Uh. Yeah." She's trembling so much it takes a moment to find the safety on her gun, but she runs.

When they're far enough that Minor starts to slow down, she mutters, "Neuroi don't bleed. They don't scream. Only dead Witches do that. Victory reminds me of defeat now."
Permalink Mark Unread

"I'm sorry. I should have realized when you said you'd never fought humans."

Permalink Mark Unread

"...What exactly did those two do that needed lethal force in response? Or is it just that they were fighting to kill?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Oni Lee is a professional serial killer. Lung is his employer, and has also killed unknown numbers of people himself. They run one of the larger criminal gangs, the same one that bombed the city last night. And they were trying to kill us. There are villains here who are in it for fun and try not to hurt people. That wasn't them."

Permalink Mark Unread

"If they're that murderous, I can convince myself it's like hurting a Neuroi. Probably. Some independent verification would be nice... I should really visit a library, study up on this world. I have no clue what the hell is going on three quarters of the time."

Permalink Mark Unread
One of the squad members disagrees. "Don't think of them as like a Neuroi. They're people who need to be stopped, or defended against, but they're people." The squad is of mixed opinions on this advice.

"Information's important, especially in a fight. If we'd been expecting this one, you'd have known more going in."


On the subject of information, the smell of Lung's power enters Grendyne's radius. She might or might not also be able to tell that it's also moving quickly.
Permalink Mark Unread

"Yeah, they are people. I've never had to think about this before, see, so... Oh shit! Lung is still up, and coming at us fast!"

Permalink Mark Unread
"If he's up that fast, he's transforming. Run, and hope we've got enough head start."

Lung is, if going by appearance, no longer people. His skin is covered in metallic scales, a row of spines runs down his back, and his face is elongated into something reptilian. His body is elongated as well. He runs on all four clawed feet. Instead of a few flickering flames, his entire surface is wreathed in fire. If not for the scent, he'd be unrecognizable as the same individual.
Permalink Mark Unread

Now that's a monster. Bullets to the eyes while backstepping, hoping to slow him down even a little bit, then turn around and sprint.

Permalink Mark Unread
It works. Two bullets in the right eye, one skittering off the armored eyelid over the left, and the rest hit him directly. Lung either yells or roars, it's hard to tell which. His good eye is shut, but he doesn't seem to have trouble picking a direction to resume charging in.

The rest of the squad fires on Lung before fleeing, but none of the wounds are enough to down him.
Permalink Mark Unread

She keeps running, and channels mana into a very loud and magically attention getting shout, "LUNG IS FIGHTING TAKE COVER!" Hopefully it'll clear some civilians out.

Permalink Mark Unread
Any civilians they can see from here are also in a position to see Lung, and have already taken cover. Presumably more of them heard the shout.

Of course, using a power that draws attention to herself has the unintended effect of drawing attention to herself. Lung leaps, bypassing some of her teammates to get at her. His claws leave gouges in the asphalt where he launched from and where he landed, almost directly in front of her. A wave of heat rolls off him, more a threat than an attack.
Permalink Mark Unread

She turns ninety degrees as soon as his landing spot becomes clear. And shoots him again. She does not panic because panic does not help.

Permalink Mark Unread

One of the squad members—no time to check who, and it almost doesn't matter right now—throws an object between her and Lung. It instantly releases a large cloud of smoke and begins emitting a sound too high-pitched to hear. Lung fumbles and takes a valuable instant to destroy it, but his next blast of fire is aimed to burn.

Permalink Mark Unread

Gren meets the blast with a shield, but evidently not a large enough one. Her leg catches part of the blast and protests painfully as she tries to keep running. She falls to the ground.

Permalink Mark Unread
Lung leaps at her, extending a neck half the length of Gren's arm in an attempt to bite her. Coil's squad tries to defend her, but one of his forelimbs swats them aside. One of his claws is decorated with one of the soldiers' blood.

When essentially right on top of Gren, Lung suddenly stops.
No, the direction of his power moved. The monster on top of her is a completely different reptilian of about the same size. It turns around, and launches itself into the air, landing a fair distance down the street. It bounds away, and when Lung charges back at them the two dragons switch places and the new one repeats the process.
Permalink Mark Unread
Someone came to their rescue? She doesn't question it. She just pours mana into her leg. Heal, damn you! She still won't be standing up in the next few minutes.

...Wait, is that mangled parking meter an asymmetrical, somewhat stick-like object? Close enough, she can fly it. She yanks it towards herself and tries to roll on top of the thing.
Permalink Mark Unread
"Limited mana, right? He'll stay occupied, we can carry you if you need it."

Lung has begun chasing the second dragon. He can't very well attack anything else until it stops repeating its performance, after all.
Permalink Mark Unread

"Not low. Ugh. Just hurts like hell. And it'll. Mess up my leg less. Couple blocks, then carry me. To be inconspicuous."

Permalink Mark Unread
"Couple blocks, then."

As they leave, a red-costumed figure on a nearby roof tips his top hat and turns back to watching the dragons.
Permalink Mark Unread

She floats limply along on her parking meter. "Who'zat red guy?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Trickster. Leader of a criminal cape group, the Travelers. Couldn't tell you why he's here, but Lung's not exactly subtle. Not surprising someone showed up."

Permalink Mark Unread

"...You should probably carry me now. So nobody tracks us."

Permalink Mark Unread
They don't need to carry her very far, they just have to make sure they're well away from the scene of the fight and out of the way enough to be uninterrupted while they wait for pickup. Then they're on their way to somewhere more secure.

"That burn's bad. Brooks is a medic, you rather heal it yourself or have him take a look at it?"
Permalink Mark Unread

"I can heal myself, but it'll take a while. Couple hours. Wash it off and that should be enough."

Permalink Mark Unread
That's easily managed.

Once they're on the way, "Message from the boss. Apparently he wants to meet you in person to talk about a possible job. A planned one, this time, those tend to go better."
Permalink Mark Unread

"Well, he's the boss, debriefing time it is. I hope it comes with my first payment."

Permalink Mark Unread
"Probably will. No secret that he's strange, but paying his people is one thing he's good at."

Their destination approaches, it's surprising how much more smoothly things go when supervillains don't attack.
Permalink Mark Unread

It really is. Her leg is visibly better, though the outfit is still done for. She walks under her own power when they arrive.

Permalink Mark Unread
The most obvious thing about the boss, once she's in a room with him, is the costume. Black, with a snake wrapped around it. But it's the presence of the costume that means more than the characteristics, because of his complete lack of smell.

"Grendyne," he says when she enters. "I am Coil. Welcome to my organization. To start with the first things, the agreed amount for your first month and some items for mana storage." The table contains stacks of cash, as well as a small box containing silver, gold, and gems.
"Combat bonus not included because of short notice, but you can expect it to be substantial. No one should face an opponent of Lung's caliber at the beginning of their cape career, and my subordinates tell me you performed quite well."
Permalink Mark Unread
"I've fought unpredictable regenerating monsters for two years. But we probably all would have died if that Trickster fellow and his group hadn't decided to engage Lung."

She counts the money. She looks at the gems and gold. "I might have to turn these down. I thought I could fight murderers and gang-lords without hesitating. I was wrong. And it really sucks being so immobile in a fight."
Permalink Mark Unread
"Rest assured, there's no need to turn it down. Unwillingness to fight humans is a detriment, yes, but not a debilitating one. The mobility issue...will vary. Your method of flight is distinctive, and being recognized may interfere with some missions. I can promise, at least, never to ask you to remain earthbound without a reason.

I do have some subsequent jobs in mind for when you're ready, both of them involving less direct combat than what you faced today."
Permalink Mark Unread

She picks up one of the silver things, a bracelet. It glows softly. "What's the met for the next job? Ach, I always go into jargon. Mission, enemy, time. The three critical components of a briefing."

Permalink Mark Unread
"The initial plan, which you may wish to decline in light of your reaction to Oni Lee's injury, was to attack one of the gangs while making it appear to be the fault of another. Lung's power would be a prime candidate for framing, as would that of the leader of the Undersiders if we knew their location. Lung's gang might plausibly want to attack an Empire Eighty-Eight storehouse and destroy some of their stockpile of drugs. Our real target, alongside that as a cover, would be a particular Empire parahuman. I'm told you expect to become useless over the next few years? If we capture Victor and you emulate his power, it could make you a world-class expert at any mundane skill you care to name. Permanently.

Using Lung's power intensively enough to transform would likely be a significant drain on your reserves. This would therefore take place, if you accept it, when you have had sufficient time to recover and store up. There are no conventional time constraints except that it requires Victor in an appropriate location accompanied by as few other parahumans as possible. It is likely to be short notice, as our information on their movements is limited, but there will be no shortage of opportunities to choose from."
Permalink Mark Unread

"I'd need full mana stores to keep something like that up long enough to transform, and I'd to be close to him again to copy the power enough to use it that way. Two blocks, maybe. I have no problem pretending to be an unstoppable monster, nor with setting two very unpleasant sounding groups on each other, but I don't really want to harm anybody without advance intel on how exactly they are extremely evil and capture is not feasible. Are drug addictions a serious problem here?"

Permalink Mark Unread
Coil nods. "Enough so that there are three competing criminal gangs subsisting primarily on what they can make from their addicted customers. Empire Eighty-Eight in particular is dedicated to the proposition that all nonwhite races are inferior and must be removed, though I believe they are split on such questions as whether any members of minority groups can ever surpass the lowest whites along a particular measure. Most of their recorded violent crime is against minorities, as you can imagine.

I can provide lists of known crimes for the capes, but not their non-powered members. Some of them might have joined that organization without themselves being, as you put it, extremely evil. But you need not fight to kill, even if the real Lung would. For Victor in particular, capture is not only feasible but the goal."
Permalink Mark Unread

"And what do you do with him once he's captured? Besides let me copy him a few times." It's probably not 'interrogate briefly then turn him in to the proper authorities anonymously,' is it?

Permalink Mark Unread

"His power is very gradual. Copying him is unlikely to stop being useful in the immediate future. I would be willing to hold him indefinitely, but if you object to that you may feel free to suggest an alternative. The upgrades foregone would be your own, after all. I ask only that you not set him free entirely, as he would simply rejoin the Empire."

Permalink Mark Unread

"So your objective is 'disrupt Empire 88' not 'hold Victor'. I think turning him over to the proper authorities to answer for his crimes is on the list. In some way that guarantees he won't get let free and can't be traced back here, if possible."

Permalink Mark Unread
"It may be complicated, but I'm sure I can arrange it. The objective in holding Victor is to increase your abilities; at whatever point you feel it is no longer worth it I have no further use for him as a captive.

My other proposition is simpler, in execution if not in concept. I have access to a parahuman I'd like you to copy."
Permalink Mark Unread

"Who, what power, what for?"

Permalink Mark Unread
"She is an unusually powerful parahuman. I'm holding her captive, in fact. Not in any way evil, but she is not in full control of herself or her power. The last time she was free, there were several injuries in the course of capturing her."

Coil shows her a picture. It looks like an ordinary young woman from the waist up. Everything else, the vast majority of her body, is an enormous mass of flesh. Three giant animal heads, prehensile slobbering tongues, too many legs to count which species they're all imitating, and a handful of tentacles.

"This is Noelle. Something went wrong when she got her power, and it turned her into this. Not the only case of unwanted physical changes coming along with a parahuman power, but by far the worst I know of. Between that and the fact that she is not reliably in control of herself, you see why it would be unsafe to copy her power except from the opposite side of an extremely solid wall.

The power I want you to copy makes up for it. Precognition.
Permalink Mark Unread
"That is extremely nasty. Imprisoning people is an iffy prospect, but if she literally can't control herself... Eegh. Fighting Neuroi doesn't usually come with ethical quandaries except 'do I make myself miserably tired and maybe save one more person'."

"Still. Pre-fucking-cognition. That sounds extremely mana intense, I can't copy Yvette for more than a couple of minutes. And not unless she's right in front of me. I'm provisionally willing to try it once I have enough rest and mana to get anything useful out of it, though. I might refuse to answer a question if it's sufficiently morally ambiguous. I'm not confident in my ability to make judgments like that. Someone mentioned monsters called Endbringers? I'd be very glad to predict when and where they'll attack, though."
Permalink Mark Unread

"Unfortunately, most powers cannot predict Endbringers. But if you can copy successfully enough for any questions at all, there is no shortage of subject matter. How best to open communications with your world, dealing with lesser enemies, even predicting mundane natural disasters. Rest as much as you need, and if you need more equipment for mana storage don't hesitate to ask."

Permalink Mark Unread

"These should be enough for now. Day and a half to charge them all up." She sets the bracelet down - it's still glowing vary faintly, though not as brightly as when she was actively charging it, and picks up a jeweled locket. "I know OpSec. There's no reason to think the Neuroi aren't spying on us, so I'll avoid mentioning any of this to all and sundry. Anything else I should keep in mind?"

Permalink Mark Unread
"Nothing urgent.
I imagine you'll need to acclimate to this world before anything else, would you prefer to do that with a guide or enough starting information to move around on your own?"
Permalink Mark Unread

"I'll just visit a library for now. You probably have something better than telegraphs if I have questions?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Cell phones." He hands her a device small enough to be held in a hand or kept in a pocket. Coil explains how to use one, the pre-set contacts, and some of its other functions aside from communication.

Permalink Mark Unread

"A portable telegraph switching station, and calculator, and so much else in the palm of my hand. Now I've seen it all. I'll call you in a couple of days when I feel charged enough to copy a precog." In the meantime, she walks downtown and has a nice big hot meal with some of her stack of cash along the way. Combat makes you hungry.

Permalink Mark Unread

The food here is strange. The sandwich is recognizably a sandwich, even if the term is unfamiliar, and most of the contents are normal. But in this world it's routine to make food out of ingredients from farther afield than most people have ever been, so the end result is not quite like anything back home.. Which doesn't mean it's not delicious.

Permalink Mark Unread
In particular she thinks that "mustard" is a very excellent ingredient and she puts it all over her food.

Then she finds a library, using the map thing on the phone with only moderate difficulty.
Permalink Mark Unread

The library is full of primarily books. They're organized by a bizarre number system, but explanations of what number corresponds to what subject matter are posted on the shelves. There are a few people browsing the books, and more using devices that look like scaled-up versions of the screen on her phone.

Permalink Mark Unread
She sticks to books for now. The number system is actually pretty familiar, though the exact mappings are different.

Recent history, just to get an idea of the sorts of things that happen in this bizarre world. And some popular science books, in the hope that some of them will explain how all the lights and cars and so on work.
Permalink Mark Unread
The world has been strange in a lot of the same ways as it is now for a while. The strangest things aren't new: secondary financial markets, federalism, Coke. About thirty years ago, Scion appeared. Golden man, incredibly powerful, talks never and smiles less, has been heroing non-stop. After him other, lesser superheroes, then some villains, then the Endbringers. Most of the non-cape-related world has stagnated in the last twenty years since a major city started being attacked by an indestructible monster every three months.

Most of the popular science descriptions are written with the goal of encouraging the reader to have the feeling of an epiphany that they finally understand these everyday things, instead of the goal of actually explaining them. But she can get a decent idea eventually.
Permalink Mark Unread
She reads up on the political and military systems. What is the Protectorate, really? And what's known about the Cape groups in this city, Brockton Bay?

She'll go try to figure out the computers if books won't suffice for this information.
Permalink Mark Unread
Militaries rarely operate inside national borders. The Protectorate is more limited to law enforcement functions. It's the officially sanctioned hero team, or alliance of hero teams might be more accurate. Each city's division operates independently and they rarely transfer heroes between teams outside of one city or another facing an emergency. The Protectorate's supporters credit it with ensuring that the Endbringers always have at least one powerful opponent, while its detractors accuse it of conscripting child soldiers into the Wards.

In this city, the Protectorate is one among a large number of teams. Capes tend to gravitate toward where other capes are, and Brockton Bay is in the top few for parahumans per capita. Local groups are the Protectorate, the Empire and the ABB, with a third gang called the Merchants being generally regarded as unimportant. New Wave is a hero group notable for not using secret identities, and there are any number of independent heroes and villains.

Coil's organization gets mentioned alongside the cape groups; despite employing no known parahumans it operates in the same sphere. He is universally considered a villain. Everything Gren has seen of his operation so far does revolve around unauthorized use of potentially lethal force, after all. It is, though, considered an atypical villain group. They have never been observed to claim territory or sell drugs or extort money or anything else the other three gangs do, and generally no one has any idea how they stay in business or what business it is.
Permalink Mark Unread
Yeah, she really should have thought twice and done some more research before joining this group. "Paramilitary" sounds a lot closer to her original job than "law enforcement," and at least they don't seem to be actively evil, but the whole thing is turning out very... Grey.

She has a few days' leave to think about helping him further, at least. She goes back to that house, visiting a hardware store along the way, and cleans and oils her Steelwing, then goes to sleep after getting dinner from a fast food place.
Permalink Mark Unread
In the late morning, conveniently after she has woken up naturally and obtained food, her phone rings.
"Grendyne? This is Coil. Neuroi downtown. My men are trying to stall it, we need you there now. It's at the Medhall building, get there as soon as you can."
The phone conveniently tells her a direction, but the Neuroi should be easy to find.
Permalink Mark Unread
"Neuori here?"

She doesn't ask any more questions. Phone goes in pocket, still on, and she barges into the garage and tears toward the city on her Steelwing, barely stopping to grab two pistols and a shotgun.
Permalink Mark Unread
The Neuroi, meanwhile, is very very angry at being cooped up for so long.

It mostly ignores the bullets, grenades, and whatever else deployed against it, and starts burning its way through ceilings until it gets to a roof, getting bigger along the way. Much bigger than whoever captured it expected.
Permalink Mark Unread
Some of Coil's minions are firing on it, but doing very little serious damage. By the time Gren arrives, they've moved from recognizable firearms to weapons launching unfamiliar explosives. Collateral damage increases proportionately, but gets lost in the mess from what the Neuroi is causing.

"Gren! We've been trying to slow this thing down. How do we kill it?"
Permalink Mark Unread

She joins in the fire, even standard bullets are hurting it. "It's got a core somewhere, you need to shoot that! Hold on-" She pulls up Telescope's enhanced vision. "Behind the third red panel on the left!"

Permalink Mark Unread
It's probably a good thing for the soldiers that Neuroi attacks are not particularly accurate.

But meanwhile, the Neuroi has apparently given up on going up and is trying to get out of the building by burning its way through walls. If this is any kind of public building, some people are definitely dead by now.
Permalink Mark Unread

Targeting a particular panel is much simpler an answer than there could have been. They try to spread around it so the named point is always in someone's range, but mostly focus on aiming as precisely as possible.

Permalink Mark Unread
Eventually, a red crystal appears behind one of the new explosion holes. It's covered by aggressive regeneration almost immediately, but sustained fire gets through and smashes it. The Neuroi's remaining black and red panels splinter and dissolve into a thousand white shards. The Neuroi is gone.

This building, however, is very much on fire, and probably in danger of collapsing.
Permalink Mark Unread
This is unfortunate. They came prepared for a firefight, not a fire fight.

The building shakes, but soon stops swaying. Steel beams appeared out of nowhere, buttressing the structure.

"We need to get out of here. Especially since the building's not falling over; that's Kaiser's power at work."
Sirens blare, or possibly continue blaring. It recently became slightly less deafening in here. "Nearest exit is...second stair to the right and straight on to the door."
Permalink Mark Unread

She follows them as they run, along the way asking, "Kaiser's bad news? That's the guy who runs E88, right?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Yes. If he sees us he probably won't try to stop us leaving—the Empire is one of the groups that plays by the unwritten rules, and we're both here to prevent a disaster—but that's a probably, and it's an unnecessary complication either way."

Permalink Mark Unread
"Right, leaving as quick as possible it is."

She follows them to a reasonably safe place. Soon, she mentions, "If a Neuroi showed up here I've got to brief the protectorate on them. Everybody needs to know how to deal with monsters. Can a cell phone call them, you think?"
Permalink Mark Unread
The squad glance at each other. One nods, and another answers her question.
"Of course," and tells her the number.
Permalink Mark Unread

And she calls it.

Permalink Mark Unread

She doesn't get very far. Before she can finish dialing, she receives a tranquilizer from behind.

Permalink Mark Unread
"WHAT YOU little..."

zzzzzzz.
Permalink Mark Unread
And she gets brought to Coil's base. Not to be confused with the several secure locations she's seen before, this one is an honest-to-Scion underground lair. Not that she is in much of a position to appreciate this.

Once behind locked doors, the tranquilizers are gradually replaced with a very different drug.

"Unfortunate that it turned out this way. I would have liked to employ your abilities more willingly, but you're nearly as much use to me this way....pet."
Permalink Mark Unread

"The fuck are you... It hurt people. Can't think. What the hell did you give me."

Permalink Mark Unread
"Oh, you won't need to do much thinking. It's just a concoction to make you less dangerous and more suggestible. And, very important, more dependent. In just a few days you'll do anything for more.
If you're still in a state to use your power, you may copy the precognitive one and look for the chance you escape. Otherwise, good night."
He prepares another syringe.
Permalink Mark Unread
She can smell the precognitive power. She doesn't bother trying to grab it. Instead, she calls up Angel's regeneration from memory, to clean the drug from her system.

...Except, she can't. No matter how hard she pulls, she can't find the right feeling, the right pattern, in her memories. Same thing when she tries to bring up Lytee's teleporting.

Well, damn.
Permalink Mark Unread

The next time she's conscious of anything, it's Coil asking her questions. "Now, pet, the chance that I succeed in taking over the city? Just answer one question, and you'll feel better."

Permalink Mark Unread
"Fucking."

God dammit, fine, maybe with a dose she can think clearly enough to teleport. She pulls for the power and asks it.

"Gah, that's nasty hard. Sixty three point two zero two nine percent."
Permalink Mark Unread

"Thank you, pet." He rewards her with another dose. With luck, she'll be able to increase the number of questions he can ask at a time, but this is a good start.

Permalink Mark Unread
Fuck you lazy memory remember how to teleport!

Nope.

The next time he asks her to answer something, she just swears at him. But the time after that, the dependence is too painful and she gives in.

This continues for about a week.
Permalink Mark Unread
...And then at a time when nobody extra is in the cell, suddenly there are eleven more people flying machines very like Grendyne's, half inside the cell and half in the cell next over, all holding antique-looking revolvers.

A powerfully muscled dark-haired woman whispers, "Telescope, map the area! We're separated but only by a wall. Copycat's here. She's on some kind of drugs. Angel, work her over. Dragon, work on the wall between us. Who's the extra contact?"

Over the sound of falling chunks of concrete, "Little girl, not a Witch, also drugged."

"We'll get her out of here too, then. Knight, open the door."

"Got it, boss." Her crystal spear starts poking holes effortlessly through the steel of the door, trying to find a locking mechanism.

"There's more people nearby. Maybe guards. Stay alert, 42nd."
Permalink Mark Unread
There are a lot of people nearby. And cameras, to warn them that people arrived and what they look like.

While Knight's spear is extended through the door, it suddenly opens. Whether this will wrench the weapon aside and leave its wielder vulnerable or just leave more of a gouge in the steel, Coil's soldiers have no idea. But that door was a loss in either case.

The soldiers are going helmetless and maskless, in a deliberate attempt to make it harder for Strike Witches to fight them. The first weapon to enter the room is a flashbang grenade, useful against an enemy unlikely to recognize it
Some of the weapons are loaded with tranquilizers and, to the limited extent possible when using bullets, the rest are aimed to injure.
Permalink Mark Unread
The boss clearly knows the soldiers are coming. Knight's spear disappears when wrenched, but it rematerializes in her hands after a moment of surprise. She does take a bullet and three tranq darts, being a little too slow to shield. She drops to the ground, and someone else picks her up.

Most of the Witches catch the flashbang in the face but meet further projectiles with shimmering shields. Once they mostly recover, a blast of wind knocks a good portion of Coil's soldiers over, and the upright witches charge for one end of the hallway with their three passengers.

At least one of them has no problem shooting back. The others start blasting at one of the reinforced elevator shaft doors or keeping shields up in all likely directions of attack.
Permalink Mark Unread

They make progress easily. The soldiers are used to giving ground against capes, and are reluctant to use heavier firepower while inside the base. The door goes down, pieces of it clanging down the elevator shaft.

Permalink Mark Unread
They make their way up the shaft, blasting into another hallway where it's blocked by the elevator car.

The one they call Telescope is directing their escape path, if Coil's soldiers want someone specific to target.
Permalink Mark Unread
They've been targeting the ones carrying passengers, both because they're farther behind and because they're in less of a position to defend. But once they catch on to Telescope's importance they'll switch.

When the Witches enter the elevator shaft, the empty car above them drops. It wouldn't be a proper villain lair if at least some safety precautions didn't have deactivation switches with no good reason to exist. Any Witch who does not exit fast enough is likely to get trapped at the bottom of the shaft below the door to the lowest level.
Permalink Mark Unread

Actually, the one called Dragon catches the elevator and the others blast through it in short order. It does slow them down, though, and several Witches appear to be tiring.

Permalink Mark Unread

Knowing how the limits on magic use work from Gren, they continue focusing their fire. With luck, Telescope or one of the Witches in the back will run low on mana and have to be carried along with the rest. But once the Witches disappear up the elevator shaft, there's little they can do to stop them except warn their teammates on higher floors.

Permalink Mark Unread
The witches keep going up as quickly as possible, blasting through things as necessary. One more falls to a tranq dart. Her and her passenger are picked up by the others.

They'll probably reach the surface before running out of mana at this rate.

Also, the Knight is waking up. Angel is apparently a healer.
Permalink Mark Unread
Several of the doors ahead of them seal, but it's nothing they haven't already demonstrated they can deal with. And if passengers are waking up, the defenders aren't even making progress. The rate of fire lets up slightly as the soldiers receive orders to let them go instead of escalating. The remaining fire is mostly meant to obscure the change in orders.

Coil, meanwhile, is aware that it could be worse. Lost two major assets and the secrecy of the location, but at least Ballistic isn't seriously wounded and Genesis' real power didn't get revealed. Nor does anyone know the Travelers are working for him. And bringing down the upper levels of the base would have, as in most cases where the option came up, not been worth it. So he lets them go and accepts it as the worst setback of his career.
Permalink Mark Unread
When they break through to the surface, their first action is to ascend about half a mile.

Their second action is to wonder where the hell they are.
Permalink Mark Unread

Brockton Bay. A city of some kind, far larger in every dimension than anything their civilization could build. Looking down, they see contraptions of some kind traveling along wide roads. Most of the buildings directly beneath them are tall, wide, and ugly. Most of the ships in the harbor are dead and rusted out hulks. A single building is in the water, surrounded by a glowing sphere.

Permalink Mark Unread

The commander makes the executive decision to go land in one of the abandoned boats and wait until Gren finally wakes up, in the hope that she can explain this place. They're not exactly hiding, if someone comes looking for them.

Permalink Mark Unread
They do get seen, and the appropriate authorities notified, but the heroes are more busy with the fact that some capes just broke through an underground complex in the middle of downtown. Once they've found it empty and moved on to investigating it for whatever they can find on the previous occupants, they send someone to talk to the group of what is probably the same capes.

He arrives at their ship and boards it using a grappling hook. "I'm Armsmaster. Are you the ones who fought your way through Coil's base downtown?"
Permalink Mark Unread

"Captain Morgana McAllister, 42nd Witch Wing, United Defense Force. Highlander if you must use a nickname. If that place was Coil's base, then yes. We are just here to rescue Copycat. Scatter got us in, almost completely blind, Dragon and Telescope did the heavy lifting to get us out. We're going home as soon as we can. Are you in charge around here?"

Permalink Mark Unread
"I'm the leader of the Brockton Bay Protectorate. If there's a hero team with you and forty-one other Witch Wings, I ought to have heard of you. Where do you operate?"

Can't be close. Dragon is a big name all across the continent; using that name would be like someone naming themself Eidolon.
Permalink Mark Unread

"42nd wing is based out of south Suomus. But I don't think we are from the same damn planet . Never seen anything like this city. Or your armor. Or even this boat, rusted out as it is."

Permalink Mark Unread

"And I've never heard of Suomus. Does your planet look like this?" A figure of Earth projects from a point on his helmet, blue light shining out and seeming to stop at the correct points to make a slowly rotating globe. This definitely wasn't copied from any old movies.

Permalink Mark Unread

"...You got the shape of Liberion wrong. And this whole place," She points at China, "Is supposed to be an ocean."

Permalink Mark Unread

It shuts down, and Armsmaster nods. "Different world, then. This world knew they exist, but I hadn't heard of anyone traveling between them before. Would you like to come to HQ to discuss it further? We can get medical help for your injured members."

Permalink Mark Unread
"Copycat and some little girl were being kept drugged with stuff so strong half an hour of Angel flaring regen hasn't woken them up yet. I don't trust anyone from this world right now. Only reason we're still here is because this place could be useful."

The last part of this statement is a lie.
Permalink Mark Unread
It is, but no reason to let them know he knows that.

He looks down, gets a better look at Copycat and the little girl.
"That's Dinah Alcott. And Grendyne?"
Permalink Mark Unread
"You know Gren?" The commander stares accusitorily.

"Stop it already, boss," someone else pipes up, "Going with him is better than sitting around here."

"Humph. If Seer says so, we'll follow you. But don't try to split us up, you hear?"
Permalink Mark Unread
"In that case, hospital first? There's a healer who's usually there, she can fix the physical effects of the drugs if not the mental ones.

I met Copycat about a week ago, she appeared out of nowhere and helped shut down a crisis. She vanished shortly after, apparently because she was being held by one of the local supervillains. And Dinah here is a relative of the mayor, she's been missing for even longer." He picks up Dinah. "Her I should get to Panacea as soon as possible."
Permalink Mark Unread

He'll have trouble picking up Dinan when the witch carrying her backs off ten feet. "We're faster. Point the way."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Southwest. I'll lead you there, I doubt the type of directions this city is built for would mean much to you." He jumps down to his motorcycle, and starts heading in the correct direction. Plus or minus a stop to check that they're following, of course.

Permalink Mark Unread

They're following... From about a thousand feet above him. They do match his turns almost exactly, though. And one of them was called Telescope.

Permalink Mark Unread
He'd rather not be trusting them with this. If they drop Dinah from a thousand feet on his watch that would be...bad.

But they get there safely, and he parks his motorcycle and walks in, assuming they'll bring the injured in.
Permalink Mark Unread

They land their things in a neat diamond formation and follow him in, as planned.

Permalink Mark Unread

Panacea is in fact available. She touches Dinah, then Gren, then the other injured Witch. She stays in contact longer with Gren and Dinah. "Those two were drugged, heavily. Opiates and tranquilizers. I've gotten the drugs out of their systems, but if they're psychologically addicted as well as physically I can't touch that."

Permalink Mark Unread
Gren has woken up at this point. She shouts "FUCK YOU, COIL!" Before realizing where she is.

"Boss! I could kiss you guys if I wasn't straight."

(The one carrying Dinah sets her down.)

Angel taps Armsmaster on his shoulder. "Um... I can heal a bunch of people if they don't have shrapnel or anything in them... Not as well as her, but dozens at a time."
Permalink Mark Unread
"Then come with me. There are lots."

Armsmaster has an elsewhere to be.
"My next job is to get Dinah back to her parents. If you didn't want to split up, will you still be here with Angel when I get back?"
Permalink Mark Unread
They've done this before, and they herd people and stretchers in and out of Angel's range with practiced ease.

"Unless she runs out of mana," Gren replies. "Then we'll probably clear out and wait outside."
Permalink Mark Unread

"I'll try to be back before then." Armsmaster has some vague idea from Gren of how much mana a Witch has, and it's not a long trip. He departs, bringing the still sleeping Dinah.

Permalink Mark Unread

They're still healing people when Armsmaster gets back. Angel's looking pretty tired though.

Permalink Mark Unread
Armsmaster decides not to interrupt Angel if she's still helping people. Might not literally be saving lives every minute now that the critical cases are done, but there's no need to slow down curing the incurable if she's still at it.

He addresses their commander and Gren instead. "Thank you for your help today. Ordinarily this is where I would invite you to join the Wards, but that doesn't apply in your case.
But information on Coil has been sparse. What can you tell me about him?"
Permalink Mark Unread
Gren is good at giving tactical analysis. She reports all of Coil's secret locations known to her, though they're definitely all abandoned by now. He probably has at least one more prisoner, a highly deformed woman that he claimed was Dinah.

He might have been the one who released that Neuroi, it was awfully sucpicious that they were the first ones there (Neuroi are flyer and blaster and brute, here's how to fight and kill one), this is what his base was like, he had me copying Dinah and predicting things...

And the times she saw Coil, he had no detectable power.
Permalink Mark Unread

"Do you know anything about what his plans were?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"The most common thing he had me predict was his chances of taking over the city. Dinah's power usually put it at about 65%. Armsmaster, I would like to bring home a quantity of guns, radios, and other tech. A few rifles in the right hands would make Neuroi much, much less of a threat. Could this possibly be arranged?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Certainly. Do you have reliable transit between worlds? We might be able to provide cape or military reinforcement as well, in exchange for support against our own threats."

Permalink Mark Unread
A girl nametagged as Lytee speaks up, "I think I can go back and forth a few times a day. Depending how much you want me to bring."

The commander asks, "What threats would you want help with?"
Permalink Mark Unread

"Typically, criminals with superpowers. About every three months, one of three monsters decimates a city and only capes can fight it. Sometimes there are threats more dangerous than the one and less than the other, but those are the most regular."

Permalink Mark Unread
The commander looks thoughtful. "Yvette... Would you mind trying to see if partnering with these guys goes well?"

"You know I hate predicting battles, boss."

"Yeah, I know. But it's important."

Yvette rolls her eyes, but nods and starts to look distant.

Meanwhile, Angel announces, "Lo ciento, no more healing. I cannot keep going. It is too tiring and I used all the stored mana."

One of the unintroduced Witches asks, "Is there a less... Public place to talk?"
Permalink Mark Unread

"The PRT building is nearby. It's the headquarters for the non-superpowered branch of parahuman law enforcement."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Is it a better place to discuss all this? I think we are all tired and would like a place to sit and something to eat."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Better than the middle of a hospital. I'll call ahead so they'll have food ready."

Permalink Mark Unread
...Halfway over there, their precog makes a little choking noise and collapses.

"Wh- When is the next Endbringer attack? Because it's a terrible, terrible idea to be in this city in about three weeks. Just. Just. Pain and fear, worse than even the big Neuroi..."

And she vomits onto the bridge. The others are hovering protectively over her.
Permalink Mark Unread
"About three weeks.
We need to get you talking to the Director as soon as you're well enough, up until now there were no precogs who could predict Endbringers at all. You say it's coming here?"
Permalink Mark Unread
"I'm not that specific. I get feelings about what I'm trying to predict. And sitting around here for three weeks has a fucking terrible result where everybody suffers and dies, so it kinda sounds like I can."

"God, you're going to want me predicting these things all day aren't you? You'd better be willing to pay me a whole lot of money and tell you to back off sometimes. It's exceptionally unpleasant."
Permalink Mark Unread

"If you can do what you just did once every three months, the Protectorate would be willing to pay you a whole lot of money. If you can do it repeatedly, even better. There are millions of lives in the balance."

Permalink Mark Unread
"Got lucky. Or unlucky. I'd need to try every place they might attack, which could take a while."

She stands back up. "Lovely. Now I feel all obligated. Anybody got a cigarette?"

None of the strike witches do, at least.
Permalink Mark Unread
Nor does Armsmaster, and they are still in a hospital. Smoking is frowned on here.

"If you'll come with me to the PRT, I can put you in contact with someone who outranks me. Do you have the authority to reach agreements on your own, or would you have to contact superiors in the UDF?"
Permalink Mark Unread
They resume following him.

The commander explains, "I can negotiate on behalf of Clan McAllister, but not the entire UDF. We are allowed to enter into agreements so long as they do not interfere with the war effort. Involving higher officials will open up more resources from our side, and it'd be necessary if you want to keep anyone on my squad for more than a day or two."
Permalink Mark Unread
"A day or two at a time would be enough time to hire Seer. But we should open communications if we're going to help directly fight against the Neuroi, or you against the Endbringers."

The PRT building is close. When they arrive, there's a conference room available. Food has been brought, and a woman not wearing a costume is at the head of the table. "This is Emily Piggot, the director of the Parahuman Response Team for this city."
Permalink Mark Unread
The witches serve themselves.

Captain McAllister asks, "You're caught up on what's been discussed so far? By these 'radios'?"

If not, she summarizes the developments. "I don't own my squad, but if you want to hire them you'll need to buy out their enlistment contracts. Standard rate is half pay for the remaining term. Our currencies won't match up, I'll have someone produce a price index..."

Gren mentions, "Having a tinker work with Knight to improve our brooms could be very productive."
Permalink Mark Unread
"Armsmaster is the one you want for that. If you have a spare machine, he can make it better.

If your precognition works on Endbringers, it raises the possibility that your other abilities might as well. They are frustratingly immune to everything we can throw at them. What other powers do you have?"

Armsmaster frowns at being volunteered for a thing that won't make him directly better at fighting villains, but the Director is probably right about this being worth the time.
Permalink Mark Unread
Knight says, "My crystal spear can pierce throigh anything!"

Yvette responds, "Uh, no I think it can't. Trying it won't end well."

"...Damn."

Gren summarizes their other abilities. Tracking, chain lightning, comms network, enhanced and through walls vision, extra endurance for flying and shielding and blasting on one, guided and charged projectiles, invisibility.

More witches with more powers are potentially available, but this is already an unusually combat-applicable bunch.
Permalink Mark Unread
"None of those sound unusually applicable against Endbringers, but on the other hand the same goes for most of the capes that hold the line normally.

The Protectorate has a wide variety of powers available, most of them oriented toward combat. What would be most useful against your opponents? I can forward the message to the relevant individuals once we've spoken with whomever we need to."
Permalink Mark Unread

"I really think weapons will be a better investment. We usually use starbursts, our blaster attack, or bows and flintlock pistols. Anti air rockets, automatic rifles, even light cannon. Not to mention the gains to be had from simple radios. Though if you have capes with teleporting, large scale shielding, or precise long range attacks those would help."

Permalink Mark Unread
"Flintlock pistols. We will get you weapons. Outfitting your group will be easy enough, though it may take time for you to get used to the newer ones. Mostly it would be better guns, more powerful, more accurate, longer range, and so on. For more powerful and complicated weapons it might be a better idea for our earth to send specialists, at least at first, rather than try to train you from a standing start.

Do you have other predictive powers available, or only the one?"
Permalink Mark Unread

"There's like 5 other precogs in our whole world, and they're all really specific. Like seeing the weather 3 days in advance or something. I'm unique, horray."

Permalink Mark Unread
The representatives of Earth Bet are in complete agreement about how good that news is.

"If you have a Witch who can see the weather three days in advance, we might want to hire that one too. It could be more important than it sounds, if not at the same level as yours. Possibly the others as well."
Permalink Mark Unread
"Yeah, Juliet does weather for most of the continent. Uh, you'll have to talk to them? And probably hire more witches to feed them mana, I think most of them are old."

"And I want to keep disclaiming that I'm not perfectly interpretable. I feel what I'd feel about the results of a plan. Maybe I'm sad because my friend died. Maybe I'm sad because a hot guy turned me down. For example. ...That's a terrible example. Anyway I'm pretty sure this city would be dead if we all just sat here for a month though. Not much can cause that kind of... Despair."
Permalink Mark Unread
"Very well. But given that we have Endbringers here and the time frame matches up, I'll proceed under the assumption that it most likely is an attack and won't blame you if it's something else.

Why is age relevant? We do employ minors as superheroes in the Wards program here, but that's primarily as preparation and training for the Protectorate. Absent a strong reason, it shouldn't be anyone other than adults doing the fighting, and you're more like a military."
Permalink Mark Unread

The commander explains mana.

Permalink Mark Unread
"That certainly qualifies as a strong reason.
Is it known why it decays? If not, our doctors may be in a better position than yours to find out, and possibly even prevent it."
Permalink Mark Unread

"We don't know why it decays. But you may have noticed the state of our technology."

Permalink Mark Unread
"Indeed. It's why I think ours may have a better chance."

Armsmaster: "In the meantime, I'll need to observe one of you flying to see how your brooms work."
Permalink Mark Unread
Knight volunteers! She starts enthusiastically explaining what she knows about the theory of steelwings - a fair bit, since she customized hers for higher speed at the cost of increased mana consumption. It probably makes more sense to a tinker than your average scientist.

Angel knows more about medicine than anyone else on the team. She explains what is known about Witch bodies as compared to human ones. Which is: Not much. She and Gren volunteer to be examined for the purpose of trying to figure out mana.
Permalink Mark Unread

Armsmaster invites Knight to his workshop, and the Director suggests that Angel and Gren return to the hospital, it being the obvious place for a medical examination. If the Witches still object to splitting up it may slow them down.

Permalink Mark Unread
They confer briefly, then send Knight along with one other by the nickname of Sparky (she doesn't seem to like the name much, but acquiesces). Angel and Copycat will go to the hospital. They're all going to remain networked though Chatterbox's power.

Highlander requests access to a computer or two suited to someone new to computers, for exploring Wikipedia.
Permalink Mark Unread
That's not a criterion they generally sort computers by, but they find one.

Armsmaster explains to Knight, "Most of what I do is take preexisting technology and make it more efficient. It might be possible to build a completely different kind of machine serving the same function, but that will probably not be my finished result. Can you demonstrate how your steelwing works?"
Permalink Mark Unread
Knight demonstrates the machine by hovering, maneuvering, and accelerating under various scanners, and describing its functions.

Somehow, applying mana to it causes the mana to be converted into physical force. The conversion is a property of Witches, but the structure of the machine influences it. A broom is the ancient standard, other long stick-like tools are barely flyable.

The spines at the back act like a buffer, making the thing more stable in a similar way to the fins on an arrow. The mechanisms inside operate a little similarly to more familiar machinery. And the theory behind them is more-or-less consistent, if unfamiliar to Earth Bet.
Permalink Mark Unread

Armsmaster gets an immediate grasp of how it works and how it could work better. If not the direct conversion part, at least what the various pieces are doing. "This may take some time." As he starts tinkering. "This will be less replicable than ordinary technology. I might also recommend mundane mass-production, which will be inferior to what a Tinker can do but will be capable of outfitting armies."

Permalink Mark Unread
"I think the point of you making one was mostly to see if they could be made better at all here? They're definitely gonna be sending specialists for big runs if your mass production is any good. We got a total of thirty thousand active duty Witches or thereabouts."

Meanwhile, Angel and Gren are at the hospital once again, this time to be examined instead of to heal people.
Permalink Mark Unread
The best person to do the examining is, naturally, the person who can do it with a touch.

"Hi, Gren.
Let's see, I'll need to compare whether there are any physical effects of spending mana. Can I watch what happens while you use your power?" She holds out a hand.
Permalink Mark Unread

She touches Panacea's hand, and turns invisible. "I'm invisible because invisibility burns a lot of mana. I can keep this up for about two minutes before I need to take a break, maybe half an hour total per day before being plain and simple not able to do it anymore."

Permalink Mark Unread

"You're sweating a little more than you were before. Your muscle and fat tissues are doing something I can't follow. That's got to be the mana. It's being fed out to the outer layers of skin, mostly through the bloodstream. Might be because of the invisibility, if you want to do something else I can see if it goes elsewhere. And the reaction going on in the cells, the one that I'm assuming is producing the mana, it's catalyzed by estrogen."

Permalink Mark Unread

She stops being invisible. "I have no idea what estrogen is. But I'm doing farsight, now."

Permalink Mark Unread
"And now it's being passed up to your eyes. And through the optic nerve, as far toward the brain as I can sense. Definitely the mana.

Estrogen is the main female sex hormone. Are all Witches female?"
Permalink Mark Unread

"Yes, all Witches are female. About one in 500, I don't remember the exact figure, and more common in well-developed parts of the world for some reason. Children of Witches aren't any more likely to be Witches. It comes in during puberty, peaks at age 16 to 18 or so, and declines sharply when you pass 25."

Permalink Mark Unread

"It sounds like it might be related to fertility somehow. Are there many Witches who aren't in an army? If so, do the ones with more mana tend to have more children on average?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Oh, there's lots of us. A million or so across the whole world, and most not in the army. I'm not actually sure about the children thing, I don't have data, but I think the anecdotes I know point in that direction."

Permalink Mark Unread
"If it's just anecdotes, that's at least suggestive.

But if that's it, there's nothing I can do. If it were some disease where losing magic was a symptom in Witches I could cure that, but I'm just a healer."
Permalink Mark Unread

Grendyne raises an eyebrow. "Your healing felt extremely versatile, that time I copied you. But I guess you'd know more than me what your power can and can't do, since I can't copy you all the way. Oh well."

Permalink Mark Unread
Important note: do not get copied again.

"I'm sorry I can't give you all unlimited mana," she lies.
Permalink Mark Unread
"Thank you for trying," lies Grendyne.

As they walk back into the PRT building, the commander decides that once Knight and Armsmaster are finished with the tinkered steelwing it'll be time for the whole team to go home, and return some time tomorrow with someone authorized to negotiate on behalf of the UDF. The new steelwing would serve as proof that they hadn't all gone crazy.

Lytee asks to be shown a good spot to arrive.
Permalink Mark Unread

They show them one. It's on the inside of some of the secured doors—no sense in having interdimensional visitors appear in full view of the public or anything like that—and a short distance from where Armsmaster and Knight are still improving the steelwing.

Permalink Mark Unread

The witches settle down to wait. Work like that can take a while. A few of them bring the other steelwings into the building and work on them in more of a maintenance way than an improvement way. Two of them continue trying to absorb Wikipedia (one is scribbling notes on engineering, the other is reading about art). The rest just seem bored.

Permalink Mark Unread

Eventually they do complete it. It's recognizably a steelwing, it just happens to also be better at being a steelwing. Armsmaster passes it to Knight to test.

Permalink Mark Unread

She climbs on top of it. It hovers. She zips across the room and stops on a dime. "Easily twice as much acceleration." She puts it through a surprisingly varied set of midair acrobatics for a confined indoor space. "WOOOOOOOOOO! This thing is great! No good way to test max speed inside, though. Who gets to keep it?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"You, probably. Or the army you're part of, whichever. If it's part of opening inter-world negotiations, my employers aren't exactly going to lay claim to it."

Permalink Mark Unread
"I can definitely see myself spearing Neuroi on this thing. If I show up on this it'll definitely get everyone interested in a big hurry. I know some engineers, I'll make sure they get on the shortlist to visit."

The commander has figured out the borrowed computer's email client. Director, you can expect a delegation from our world in the designated place probably some time tomorrow. Anything else before we leave?
Permalink Mark Unread

"I don't believe so. We'll be ready for you."

Permalink Mark Unread
They disappear.

Next afternoon, Scatter, Highlander, Copycat, Angel, Knight, and Seer are back, escorting a dozen older, variously self-important people.

The biggest trade on offer is Witchpower in exchange for shipments of weapons and training, and hopefully mass manufacturing of Steelwings (two of these fellows design the things).
Permalink Mark Unread
A trade they're happy to make. Crates of weapons have been obtained since yesterday, though Earth Bet suggests sending some people to train the users in the new weapons. The bottleneck on what they can send is likely to be how much can be teleported; this may limit their ability to provide artillery. They're trading primarily for as many difficult prophecies as Seer is able and willing to make, along with Copycat to add more, though firepower at approximate three-month intervals would be appreciated. They are very clear up front that volunteering for the latter comes with a substantial risk of injury or death.

The local PRT is not doing most of the negotiation. Apparently the government has designated "first contact" diplomats. (One of whom is the Chief Director of the PRT, naturally, or else she's just there because it's a particularly relevant first contact.)
Permalink Mark Unread
Part of Seer's enlistment contract included a limit on how often they could order her to predict things. She wants large bonuses for bumping this number up and still won't do it for more than a few hours a day.

Copycat might join the PRT, as long as the training and weapons returned to her side are more than worth her absence, and the pay is good. Mostly because there's more interesting stuff over here.

There are more teleporters available. The bottleneck on moving people and material back and forth is wider than one person. The UDF is perfectly happy to have people come with and train their soldiers on the weapons. Deploying Witches against Endbringers will be a volunteers-only mission.

They also want technology and engineering skills in full generality to deploy and start mass-producing in their world (Suggested name: Terra). The most advanced thing they can make on their own is a telegraph, for reference.
Permalink Mark Unread
The people from Earth Bet, especially the PRT people, are very willing to supply large bonuses. Silver and gems as well, if the material is in short supply; production is better here. Infrastructure and education and so on are going to take time to increase technology but there's no reason not to start. (Earth Bet has been internally calling the new world Earth Gimel, since they have a sequence going, but there's little reason not to use Terra's preferred name in negotiations.)

The PRT is glad to have Copycat join; a power as versatile as hers would be useful anywhere. And the amount of firepower they're supplying to Terra is hopefully enough that the loss of a single Witch is a rounding error.
Permalink Mark Unread
Gold, silver, and gems are indeed very welcome forms of payment. The stuff is hideously expensive on Terra, since its rarity is compounded by excellent practical applications.

Negotiations, training, and infrastructure-preparation continue. Seer predicts various things in the meantime, with Copycat helping to the extent she can.

The paperwork for Copycat's transfer is complete in short order, and she is no longer part of the UDF. She signs on to the Wards after negotiating a slightly higher than usual wage, and she's no longer particularly relevant to the continuing diplomatic exchange.

She is presumably assigned living space and schooling in a similar way to most Wards. Though disguising her foreignness might be tricky.
Permalink Mark Unread
She gets assigned space in the combination Wards/PRT building (coincidentally upstairs from here). Wards typically don't live here full-time, due to usually not having appeared out of nowhere, but some did appear out of nowhere and others just find it more convenient. Most of the pay for Wards goes into a trust fund they receive when they turn eighteen. Something about this civilization not liking to give children large sums of money for some reason.

It's suggested that she adopt a secret identity—she herself doesn't have family members to be targeted, but it might endanger other Wards if their faces and civilian names are often seen around the known cape. She will also need a costume; a military uniform for a force that doesn't exist would send a variety of confusing messages.

The school for most of the local Wards (officially all of them, but no reason not to use some misdirection) is Arcadia High. Earth Bet's ordinary curriculum is probably unfamiliar to her.
Permalink Mark Unread
The money thing is a bit annoying. But she mostly wanted it to send to her mom, so she just uses her savings from Terra. She'll be 18 by the time it runs out.

Her codename from her old unit, Copycat, would do unless it's taken. She'll need to think some more if so. The ordinary curriculum is indeed very, very strange. She assumes they'll cut her some slack as long as she makes a good effort.

As to a costume... She discovers the most popular Cape forum after a couple hours of browsing for ideas, registers under the name 'witchwatcher,' says she can fly and blast and shield and lots of little things, she likes purple and maybe the witch aesthetic, who has costume advice?
Permalink Mark Unread

It's a large enough forum that she gets suggestions (mostly taking the aesthetic bit literally, complete with pointed hat; they may not be entirely serious). Since she's not yet verified as a cape not everyone believes her; this is apparently a fairly common first post from the less-than-reliable members of the Internet. But given the number of people, there are probably suggestions or at least elements of suggestions that she might like.

Permalink Mark Unread
Not being taken seriously is annoying. She sends an email to the guy who arranged her housing asking how to be a 'verified Cape' as witchwatcher and generically thanks everyone for their suggestions, saying she'll sleep on it.

In the meantime, she should probably meet her new teammates before they're required to work together on some sort of crisis.
Permalink Mark Unread
Not all of them are in the Wards base, but a few are.

"I'm Aegis," one of them says, and takes off his helmet. "Carlos, out of costume. Welcome to the team."

The others introduce themselves. Clockblocker, Vista, Browbeat, and civilian identities for each.
Permalink Mark Unread

"Grendyne Nylund. I'll probably go by Copycat, since I can copy powers. With varying difficulty, though, and I don't have great endurance. I can keep the simple ones though, I've got a bit of an arsenal built up."

Permalink Mark Unread
Browbeat whistles. "I see why they wanted you on the team. That's impressive."
"You're just glad not to be the new guy anymore."
"Shut up, Dennis."
Permalink Mark Unread

"You lot know how I'm from another world? I'm new here, sure, but not entirely inexperienced... Browbeat, Vista, I can get your powers. Mostly... But I don't think I'll be able to copy time-freezing unless I'm looking right at you."

Permalink Mark Unread
"What about mine?" Aegis asks. The flight, durability, and strength are probably redundant with what she already has, but there's no reason not to ask.

"Even if you copying's hard, it's not like we couldn't use the help." The other three agree.
Permalink Mark Unread

"It's unusually shaped. More like really stubborn regen than the kind of defenses I'm used to. I don't think I could use it very well."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Good to know. Long as you have defenses one way or another."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Maybe not as good as yours. My body itself isn't especially tough, but I have these shields as my go-to." She holds out a hand and a disk of glittering blue light with faint abstract patterns appears in front of her. "I've stopped Neuroi beans that would've levelled houses."

Permalink Mark Unread
There are two—well, one and a half—other ways of stopping that in this room, but a reliable and fast one is even more useful.

"Even better. Purity is working close with Empire Eighty-Eight again, and beams that level houses are her thing."
Permalink Mark Unread

"I'm gonna need to read up on everyone in this city with powers. I was walking around on this world for all of a day before Coil kidnapped me, and it's only been another couple days since my original wing rescued me. This place is bloody complicated."

Permalink Mark Unread

"You were kidnapped? I thought you just got here. Complicated is right, though."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Arrived via teleporting accident, helped catch Bakuda, got lied to extensively by Coil, got kidnapped by Coil, got rescued, helped my world open negotiation and trade. Busy week. I almost want to just sit in a bath for a whole day, to decompress."

Permalink Mark Unread
"That was you who fought Bakuda? Armsmaster mentioned having met a cape he didn't know.
We've been fighting her teammates on and off since then."
Permalink Mark Unread

"Well, I had help with the intel. She was chasing some other guys down. Undersiders, maybe? And one of them told me how to neutralize her."

Permalink Mark Unread
"Huh. Well that was a bad night, good job stopping it.
I don't suppose you have anything to neutralize a giant rage dragon? If not, neither do we. It's a bit of a problem."
Permalink Mark Unread

"Nothing obviously brilliant springs to mind. If Armsmaster can make another ace steelwing I can fly you close enough to touch him without being in danger, Clockblocker, but that won't keep him contained forever."

Permalink Mark Unread

Aegis tells Gren, "The Protectorate tries to keep us out of the high-risk cape fights. Don't worry, you aren't going to be matched up against Lung."

Permalink Mark Unread

"I've gone up against death before. On Terra we don't have Endbringers, but we do have Neuroi. One of them pretty much demolished a building downtown the day after I got here, have you heard of that? It was only a smallish-medium-sized one. Still, good to know."

Permalink Mark Unread

"About that... it was actually being held here for a while. Our tinkers wanted to take a look at it. We still don't know how it escaped. You fight those things normally?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Yes, almost daily in fact. In teams of twelve, strong Witches, experienced and powerful. They're a lot easier to take down once you know their weaknesses."

Permalink Mark Unread

"I'm more worried about how it got here. Since it probably wasn't the same teleporting accident you had, for all we know there could be more coming."

Permalink Mark Unread

"They come out of a giant hurricane that appeared out of nowhere on my world. I suspect they teleported here somehow. I'm not sure there's much you can do to prevent it, if they want to come through to here."

Permalink Mark Unread

"There are capes more dangerous than that, but if there are a lot of those it could get bad. Hopefully helping your world win the war can clear them up; this one has enough problems."

Permalink Mark Unread

"I bet it'll work. We think whatever's in the hurricane can only make the things so quickly. And if our problems spill over here, I bet the UDF will send Witches to fight 'em. At any rate, d'you guys have any recommendations for things to do here? I want to have at least one nice relaxing thing before going back to the grind."

Permalink Mark Unread
"Oh, you won't be right away. Especially if you just got back from being kidnapped, they're bound to go easy on you with assignments for a while.

Want to join us at Fugy Bob's for dinner? A bit of a tradition when there's new members."
Permalink Mark Unread

"Sure, sounds delicious! As long as I don't have to eat anything with rice or fish. That's practically all the rations we get on-base."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Welcome to a world with real food, then."

Permalink Mark Unread
"Oh, we have meat and fruits and stuff, it's just that it doesn't keep well. In any case, I'm looking forward to this."

And presumably a delicious meal is had. Gren gets what is suggested to her (preferably including caffeine somewhere) and follows along on the conversation passively for the most part, occasionally asking clarifying questions.
Permalink Mark Unread

Whether the intentional lack of cape business is because they're trying to give Gren a break or just because they're out of costume is not obvious. But eventually they wind down, and disperse to whatever else the individuals have scheduled. Some go home, some are patrolling, Vista is thoroughly bored behind a monitor showing incoming reports and the positions of the patrolling Wards, and some are just relaxing on the Internet.

Permalink Mark Unread
For a little while she writes out some notes about the others' powers. Laying out their structure and feel will help her copy them more efficiently, later.

Then she checks if that guy she asked about the forum verifying thing has replied.
Permalink Mark Unread

Apparently the normal way to become verified is for the poster to upload a photograph of themself doing whatever most obviously marks them as a cape instead of someone trying on a costume. But sending that request from the email account belonging to the new Ward also works. Her cape status is publicly known.

Permalink Mark Unread
Her first act is to post on her costume thread.

Verified! Told you so.

She fills in her profile. Cape name: Copycat. Personal info: Blank. Powers: Flight, blasting, shields, copying. She declines to specify how much she can copy.

A while later, she summarizes the costume elements that she liked best so far as a reply there. Something like a cross between Vista and Shadow Stalker's costumes seems to be shaping up. (And also says she'll be making it herself) Relatively fluid, but plenty of dark colors and armor.
Permalink Mark Unread
Copying without further detail sounds immensely powerful. Someone reads the profile of the new cape, passes it on to the others, and people start throwing around phrases like "the next Eidolon." The Brockton Bay Wards team already had some unusually powerful members (many of the posters fall into the common mistake of using the PRT ratings like "Striker 7" and "Shaker 9" as a score card) so there's plenty of speculation about what it means that they got her as well.

Her costume is almost forgotten (not quite, it's a large forum and she did just become "the new cape"). Were she as powerful as they think she is, she could fight crime in a clown suit and be taken seriously.
Permalink Mark Unread
...Maybe she should quell the rumors a bit. She adds the clause 'imperfect, endurance-dependent' to her copying. She says that she'd definitely lose to Eidolon. She'd lose to Lung. She hasn't considered fights with other capes in any detail. She responds to one person asking for details on how the copying works that she'd have to be an idiot to specifically list her weaknesses. She does say that she thinks Vista's power is aesthetically pleasing.

She joined the Wards because it seemed interesting.
Permalink Mark Unread
It seemed interesting, so she joined the Wards in Brockton Bay? What is she used to, a war zone? (Yes. They don't know this.) They're exaggerating, but Brockton Bay does have a reputation as a city with a lot of crime, capes, and cape crime. Not everyone takes her clarification on her powers at face value. Capes understating or misleading about their powers is fairly common, though not universal, and someone who really was the next Eidolon would probably deny it.

Some of the questions are more personal, she can give as much or as little information on herself as she wants to. (The exception being that the PRT would rather not publicize that there is an Earth Gimel, so they've asked her let everyone assume she's from this planet.)
Permalink Mark Unread

She answers some of them. She's 17, she likes card games, she's straight but would prefer that nobody play matchmaker, she doesn't want to talk about her family. They may come to the conclusion that she's been living under a rock when she completely misses most popular culture references, though.

Permalink Mark Unread
Some new capes have total amnesia. She's clearly not one of those, but seeming to have lived under a rock isn't all that unusual. (And rule seven on the forum sidebar, which requests not making fun of people for not having seen the latest Internet meme whether or not they could theoretically turn you into paste, is occasionally followed.)

Being unfamiliar with this world's card games will be a bit more attention-getting, to those Internet denizens who think they're asking her about one of her own hobbies. But it can be an unusually insular rock. And of course everyone has popular culture recommendations. There's a history's worth of material she'll never get caught up on.
Permalink Mark Unread
She's actually slightly familiar with card games here. Solitaire and poker were recognizable, and she's read wiki pages of a fair few more.

She's had enough of this for one day soon, though. With a fairly detailed costume design worked out, she emails Aegis and asks where she can get materials to make it.
Permalink Mark Unread

Costumes involve going through the PR guy, whom the Wards all hate having to deal with. Gren could make a costume if she wants to (he suggests a source for materials) but it wouldn't be her official uniform as a Ward or the one she wears on patrol with the rest of them.

Permalink Mark Unread
Lovely. She was looking forward to making one, but she's not going to make two for no good reason. Well, it's not like she got to design her old uniform.

She wants to talk to this guy and register Opinions on her costume. Is he available now or will this have to wait until tomorrow?
Permalink Mark Unread
Not immediately, but he'll call her in a bit.

"Glenn Chambers, PRT Head of Image. You're Copycat? What can I do for you?"
Permalink Mark Unread

"Hullo. I'm told my costume has to be run through you. I would like to register opinions on it. I'd like plenty of armor, I can handle the weight, and preferably some silver or gold or gems worked into it touching my skin. It'd let me store power for emergencies, and I'm not trying to be expensive that's just how Witches work. I also have design preferences, but those are secondary."

Permalink Mark Unread

"If the valuables are a power constraint, that part isn't a problem. For my department, at least. You'd be surprised what we tolerate for that. It's the image I'm concerned with. Dark colors like your suggestion imply shadows, secrecy, and draw attention away from you. Not very heroic, and Brockton Bay already has Shadow Stalker. Another hero perceived as the darker type might push the team over the edge into a reputation that's better avoided."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Hm, I can see that, very well. Can we at least keep the general - shape? More like Vista, less like Clockblocker? Oh, and you'd better discuss designs for my steelwing with Armsmaster or someone if you don't want me flying an ugly sharp metal brick around."

Permalink Mark Unread
"I'll make sure to do that.
On the shape, it's usually a better idea to use the more defensive costumes only where needed. Visible armor suggests that your shields are weak or unreliable. This may not be true, but it affects your image. Are your shields both strong and reliable?"
Permalink Mark Unread

"They're strong and reliable unless I'm low on mana. Or if I get taken by surprise. I would strongly prefer to have armor."

Permalink Mark Unread

"That's not an absolute no on the armor, but it depends on a lot of factors. What do you imagine your place on a team would be, for instance? Fast response, heavy hitter, defensive backup?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"In my original wing I was mostly fast response, utility support, and defensive backup. My copied versions of blaster and striker specials are more draining to me than their original owners, so heavy hitter would not be ideal. I like to think I'm flexible, though. And I am very fast and maneuverable in the air, I got to four hundred miles per hour on the first steelwing Armsmaster made without even trying particularly hard. It's a beautiful machine."

Permalink Mark Unread
"So you see how visible armor doesn't quite fit. There are degrees of armor, of course, something suitably streamlined might not have as much of this problem.
Or, if you're very confident, we could go the other way. Would you object to implicitly claiming to be more powerful than you are?"
Permalink Mark Unread

"I may have already done that, on that forum thing, which I am regretting. It seems like it'd either make people not want to cross me, which is useful, or make me a target, which is not so much. I'd rather avoid further exaggeration if possible. Tch. I didn't have to deal with image in the Witches."

Permalink Mark Unread
"Yes, the military force. That's one of the reasons I'm worried about any unusually martial costume; you'll presumably give the impression of a soldier, and people thinking of capes as soldiers is something to be avoided. Armor, if it looks like armor, would add to that.

The purpose behind exaggeration is less to make you intimidating—or a target, it's rare for villains to target individual heroes—and more to make you look powerful to the public. If we put you in a costume reminiscent of Eidolon's, the cloak or a lighted mask alone would be sufficient, then the rest of the costume could be anything. Eidolon himself wears armor."
Permalink Mark Unread

"I didn't wear armor before because it wouldn't help against Neuroi. You have guns here and I might be shot at before the month is out. If looking a bit like Eidolon will convince you to let me wear some armor, then I can look like Eidolon. No dark colors you said, but faint patterning like in that second picture would be nice. My shields have the patterns too."

Permalink Mark Unread
"Matching schemes is good.
The costume isn't about justifying the armor, though it does that too, it means that people will expect you to be versatile and decisive. To end fights quickly and never be outclassed. It doesn't mean you must literally never lose, but it does mean that any defeat is a defeat in more ways than one. It is only for the confident."
Permalink Mark Unread

"I'm versatile and powerful at first, but I don't think I'm quite as world-class compared to some of the people you have on this planet. Particularly with my endurance. The precious metal will help with that, especially if you can get other Witches to charge it for me. Even so, I think I can handle it."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Excellent. The other downside is that It might not fit so well with your name. Copycat is an unobjectionable name in itself, but it denotes someone playful, maybe even immature, and a follower. Not necessarily bad for a Ward, especially paired with team members perceived as responsible, but it stops working if combined with an overstated costume."

Permalink Mark Unread

"I care much less about my name than my costume."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Names are just as important. We could go with something to emphasize the message that you aren't a typical cape—it doesn't matter how true that is, just how well you can sell it—not "Witch" since that has connotations, but something like Mage or Enchantress. The magic angle fits well with the mana you've mentioned. Throw in an adjective. Gold, silver, any gemstone, do you have a color preference? Anything bright."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Citrines. I had a little statue studded with them as a kid, I've always liked them. Their color is even a little like gold, which would be just gaudy if you made it a costume theme. If Witch won't do, Mage would be better than Enchantress. I'm not out to seduce anyone, which is the connotation that word has to me."

Permalink Mark Unread

"All right, Citrine works. I'll put some people work on a design proposal, you can tell me what you think."

Permalink Mark Unread

"I was expecting worse from how the others were talking about you, but at least you have a reason when you don't like my preferences. Have a nice day."

Permalink Mark Unread

Soon after, she'll receive pictures of a possible costume. White armor and mask, with the latter appearing to be lit. Citrine light, to match the (hoodless) cloak. It probably looks a bit silly, but then, so do most costumes.

Permalink Mark Unread
Yes, it does look silly, but it looks memorable which is a lot of the point here.

But: No issues with the shape, but Clockblocker already has a mostly-white costume. Do you think I'll be distinct enough? Maybe tint the rest of it slightly?
Permalink Mark Unread
You'll be distinct enough. This color scheme means starting from a not too subtle Eidolon imitation and scaling up.

Even in the PRT, most people don't know she's from another world. They'll assume she can't possibly miss the connection to Scion.
Permalink Mark Unread
Right, Scion. I forgot about that guy. This'll work as long as it has silver or gems touching my skin as discussed so I can store power in them.

She looks over a list of her copied powers. It's missing something fairly important, now that she thinks about it.

To Director Piggot, she sends another email. It occurs to me that having a nonlethal takedown power will be helpful here. I didn't need it before. I heard of someone in wing 65 - Ilya Skeldin. Ranged stun-bolts effective on organic targets. Probably won't work on people like Hookwolf, but it would be good to have. It shouldn't be too much trouble to arrange a visit, me there or her here, for me to try and copy her.
Permalink Mark Unread
The costume is designed to contain the expensive components, just not visibly. Apparently that would be sending a conflicting message.

Nonlethal is absolutely necessary under almost all circumstances. Especially for Wards. We'll send you over with the next round of teleportation.
Permalink Mark Unread

I hadn't planned on killing anybody. It could be a day or two before I come back, I'll have to get someone to teleport me the rest of the way once I'm in the correct world, or do it myself, and it can take some time for me to grasp powers well enough to keep them permanently. Is that OK?

Permalink Mark Unread

How much time? If it's very long it might be better to try to get Ms. Skeldin here, but you do have leeway. We haven't officially unveiled your cape identity yet. If the day or two was the full count, then yes. It'd take some time to have your costume and equipment ready anyway.

Permalink Mark Unread

I'd give it less than 5% chance it takes more than two days, and less than 25% chance it takes more than one. Also when considering equipment, note that I have fine enough telekinesis to wield darts and so on.

Permalink Mark Unread

Noted.

Permalink Mark Unread
She goes back to the forum and corrects her profile. The costumes thread she started is locked after she replies, They had some good points about my name and costume. Sorry nobody's ideas will get used.

She shows up when Lytee makes her morning teleportation round trip.

She's back that evening, looking stressed but reporting successful acquisition of a ranged organic-stun attack.
Permalink Mark Unread

This is the sort of power that's likely to see a lot of use. The PRT people would like her to test it whenever she's feeling up to it, accuracy and power et cetera (as measured against target dummies that count as organic for local powers, at least). They only insist that this be done before she first goes out in costume as Citrine Mage, so it's not immediately pressing.

Permalink Mark Unread
She's not tired, just annoyed. Ilya was tiresome to be near enough to copy her.

She can do it now. Where's the range?
Permalink Mark Unread

One level below the Wards headquarters, there's a combination power training area and regular gym. They don't insist on having anyone supervise this, but do ask that she record the results.

Permalink Mark Unread
...She eventually manages to figure out how to turn the system on, then firing bolts at the dummies can actually record whether they'd go down.

She spends a while getting a feel for the power, firing at range, firing in quick succession, finding the minimum force of mana required to make one count as 'down'. It should hopefully be a good benchmark for safely taking down humans. The dummies fall over and report 'unconscious appx. 15 minutes' in most cases. When a stunbolt just clips them, it merely interferes with their coordination for a few seconds before the effect fades.

The stunbolts come out in a sort of off-yellow color and mesh very, very well with her guided-projectiles power. She can weave them around barriers in complex paths, or fire a dozen at once and leave them all seeking their target individually. Both of these tricks are pretty draining, though.

Overall, they're the best nonlethal takedown Gren's ever seen or used, and she has detailed notes to justify this assessment when she reports back to the desk people.

"Power synergy is awesome."
Permalink Mark Unread

The PRT is always glad to have more designedly nonlethal combat powers on side; it's pretty much the ideal. The fact that hers is an especially good one is even better.

Permalink Mark Unread
She goes out shopping. Pretty much the only clothes she has are her old uniform and the painfully generic stuff that was in her room in the Wards base. And she's figured out that she doesn't like reading proper novels on anything other than paper, she'll visit a bookstore and pick a few likely-sounding stories for when she needs a break.

The touristy places are way too expensive for the relatively small allowance they're letting her use. She finds stores in a less fancy part of town. She's in a decidedly less fancy part of town when she takes a wrong turn on her way back, still carrying a bunch of plastic bags.
Permalink Mark Unread
As sometimes happens when one takes a wrong turn in Brockton Bay, she walks in on a crime in progress. A girl a few years younger than Gren is on the ground. One of her attackers tears her jacket off and hands it to another, then they start tapping a long thin knife at different points along her face. She doesn't scream, but is obviously terrified.

The victim doesn't see the person watching from a nearby roof. Dark costume, mask and cloak, and weapons.
Permalink Mark Unread
Gren sees them both, as soon as she looks around to check.

She goes blurry - not hidden exactly, but indistinct, hard to look directly at. And she runs forward and slaps a stunbolt into each of the three attackers, moves the knives safely out of the way from impaling anything on their way down, and tosses a stunbolt at the shadowy figure overseeing the crime for good measure, not bothering to guide it, seeing how they'll react. She doesn't even drop her bags.
Permalink Mark Unread

They drop. All except the person on the roof, who sees it coming and dodges. The cape jumps down, fires a crossbow at Gren, and turns insubstantial right before hitting the ground. With her fall slowed, she lands safely and charges at her attacker.

Permalink Mark Unread
Gren is invulnurable to any physical attack short of a high-power rifle or Neuroi beam now. Witchly superstrength is convenient like that.

This power is a bit tricky, but she can already tell that her opponent is not exactly physical. She can have a dozen stunbolts, from enough different angles to make dodging impractical, anyway.
Permalink Mark Unread
The crossbow bolt pricks her, but doesn't penetrate.

The cape sees some of her bolts coming. Enough to not try dodging. She turns into something like smoke again, and keeps charging as the bolts fly through her.

And she's surprised when they affect her. Most of them hit, and even if a single hit doesn't stun her that was plenty. She goes down.
Permalink Mark Unread
"Unf. Tranquilizer." Ten seconds of flaring regen take care of that.

And now she has four unconscious people, one with powers, and one terrified civilian to deal with. She stays 'blurred' even though it's building up to a headache, tells the woman, "Better clear out," and pulls out the phone PRT gave her.

"Citrine Mage here. I have four unconscious criminals in front of me. Ran into three guys with knives holding someone down while out shopping, with some cape just standing there watching from above. Knocked the criminals down, tried to knock the cape out, she tried to attack me before I got her. They'll stay down for about half an hour. Not entirely sure where I am or what to do with them, though, please advise."
Permalink Mark Unread

"We'll have a Protectorate member there shortly, and a containment van to pick them up. Stay on-site, it'll be just a few minutes. Describe the villain?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Black clothes, crossbow, insubstantiality, tranq darts... Wait a minute. This is Shadow Stalker? Uh. She's a Ward, right, why would she just watch three guys about to rape someone? I feel like I'm justified in moving first, right, I thought she was a villain."

Permalink Mark Unread

"You're sure she was just watching? That's a serious allegation if it's Shadow Stalker. How long did you see her watching?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"She was watching for about twenty seconds before I got close enough to down them without giving them time to react. Long enough for them to start stripping the victim and put the knife on her throat. No blood. She might have been waiting for an opportunity to strike, I'm not familiar enough with how she operates to tell if that's plausible."

Permalink Mark Unread
"It's not how she's normally seen to operate. More often her partner has to hold her back from charging immediately. She isn't assigned to be patrolling right now at all, or she might have someone.

You should have one of the Protectorate heroes approaching your location now."

It's Dauntless. His boots are crackling with energy, which quiets down as he stops moving superhumanly fast until they're glowing no brighter than his spear and shield. "Citrine Mage. You...captured...Shadow Stalker?"
Permalink Mark Unread
"Apparently, yes." She repeats her summary as she carefully studies this new power. It's an artifact creating power. She wants it, badly.

She gets enough of a hold on it to start preparing a charge by the time she finishes her spiel.

...She drops the blurriness to hold on to that, though. "Got a spare mask? Most powers, I can't keep them up forever."
Permalink Mark Unread
"Well, um, we can bring her in. Get her side of the story.
I don't have a mask on me, but you're dressed as a civilian. Do you need one?"

As a PRT van pulls up, Dauntless picks up Shadow Stalker. "Crossbow bolts." He taps the tip of one with his finger. "Sharp ones, not tranquilizers. Definitely not something she should be using."
Permalink Mark Unread
"I suppose not. Nobody who's seen me use powers and oughtn't to know my face is still here and conscious. Your power is very interesting. My own powers will start to fade in a few years, it's just how Witches work, but if I make gear tuned to me by copying your power, I'll stay useful longer."

She picks up one of the three criminals in a shoulder carry and follows as Dauntless hauls Shadow Stalker to the van.
Permalink Mark Unread
They load the captives into the containment van. Shadow Stalker gets put in a passenger seat, in handcuffs to make a point even though she could easily phase out of them were she conscious.

"You mean to improve your steelwing? Better equipment is always better."
Permalink Mark Unread
"That's one option, but I can store power in gems and jewelry. They have a purpose besides being decorative to me, so I bet I can put charges into them and store up a very deep well to draw on for, say, Endbringers."

She keeps staring at him. "It's tricky, though, I'll probably lose my hold on your power before I have a charge unless you stay near me for the twenty hours. I'm gonna try my damnedest to keep this power, but it doesn't always work. It'd help if we patrolled together or something."
Permalink Mark Unread

He's started to get unnerved by the staring. (Not daunted, of course. Never that.) "They can probably arrange that."

Permalink Mark Unread

"I would be stronger for it, I'd appreciate it a whole lot. Sorry about the staring. It helps with the copying. I can give it a rest if you want."

Permalink Mark Unread

"I guess, if it helps. Another power like this, go ahead. For now, let's get back to base."

Permalink Mark Unread
So they head back to base.

Shadow Stalker will wake up about halfway there, faster than Gren was expecting.
Permalink Mark Unread
"Uuugh.
You! Who even are you, and why am I the one in handcuffs?" She moves her wrists through them, having gotten the point.
Permalink Mark Unread
"I'm Citrine Mage, the new Ward. I saw what looked like you calmly overseeing a crime in progress. Admittedly, I shot first. My apologies. Wouldn't have attacked you if I didn't think you were a villain at the time. I called the Protectorate after stunning you, and Dauntless is the one who decided to cuff you."

Pause. "You recovered from the stun faster than I was expecting. Probably 'cause you're a cape. I'll have to keep that in mind in the future."
Permalink Mark Unread
"Probably just 'cause I'm a badass. And, overseeing? What you saw was me about to jump in and save the day."

"You had crossbow bolts," Dauntless comments. "Sharp ones. Even aside from what Citrine Mage says, deadly weapons are a serious violation."

"She probably planted them. I didn't have any before she knocked me out."
Permalink Mark Unread

"It's not strictly impossible that I framed you. But I wasn't expecting you to be on patrol, I'd barely even heard of you... This reminds me of that time with Sparky and Opera. Your word against mine. I'll shut up and let someone else decide."

Permalink Mark Unread
They pull up to the PRT base. The captives get unloaded, and Dauntless escorts the Wards to the someone in question.

"Shadow Stalker. You know the stakes, so I'd highly recommend that you start with the truth. Start."

"I was out doing an extra patrol, and saw three people in ABB colors attacking a civilian. And then this bi– this presumably well-intentioned hero stuns me."

"And the darts?"

"OK, I had darts. But I never used them, for anything."

"Citrine Mage, does this mesh with what you observed?"
Permalink Mark Unread

"She didn't use the sharp darts. When I attacked her with stunbolts, which I admit may have been slightly hasty and she had no way of knowing they were nonlethal, she still didn't use the sharp ones. I think it's a grand misunderstanding."

Permalink Mark Unread
"Very possible. Certainly that would be the simplest explanation to deal with, if true.
You told Dauntless it looked like a cape overseeing a crime. What gave that impression?"
Permalink Mark Unread

"It took me some twenty seconds to approach close enough to get them all before they had time to react by, say, trying to use their victim as a human shield. She was standing on a nearby roof during this time. It felt like she was waiting for something. I'm not sure how reliable my intuition is here, though."

Permalink Mark Unread
"More like ten. I was waiting, for a chance to get them from behind while there was a crime in progress.
Misunderstanding is one thing, but I'm supposed to be on a team with someone who attacked me?"
Permalink Mark Unread

"I won't do it again. I recognize you now."

Permalink Mark Unread
"In light of the darts Dauntless found, we'll be investigating your conduct. If there are any instances of you having used deadly weapons, you won't have to worry about being on the same team as Citrine Mage."

She turns to Gren, "Thank you for bringing this to my attention, especially if it turns out not to be a mere misunderstanding. Dismissed."
Permalink Mark Unread
She takes one last look at Dauntless, then gives a little bow as she leaves. It's meant as completely serious and unironic, but the people of this world probably have different standards of conduct so it might not get taken that way.

She more or less ignores Shadow Stalker as she walks back to the Wards area to put her purchases away unless the latter re-initiates conversation.
Permalink Mark Unread
Shadow Stalker is going to avoid her to the best of her ability for the immediate future.

She runs into another Ward or two on the way. "What was that about with Stalker?"
Permalink Mark Unread

"I was out shopping, ran into some thugs. She was on a nearby roof. I shot stunbolts at her 'cause I didn't recognize her and thought she was a villain at first and we had a little fight. No lasting harm, I hope."

Permalink Mark Unread

"That is the best mistake to make. God knows she was asking for it, with that costume."

Permalink Mark Unread

"They wouldn't let me wear purple 'cause she's already got dark-and-broody covered. But all's well that ends well."

Permalink Mark Unread
"Ending with Shadow Stalker losing to another hero is definitely well.
Except, you don't just attack everyone who looks villainous, do you? I hope?"
Permalink Mark Unread

"I will probably still attack people who look villainous and watch a crime unfolding without doing jack about it. The stunbolts are nonlethal, you know."

Permalink Mark Unread
"Oh. That.
Stalker does that sometimes, she likes to see if the victim is going to fight back. It's messed up. She does go in eventually either way, though. At least every time I've seen."
Permalink Mark Unread

"Well. Yeah, that's messed up. This is faint praise, but at least she doesn't go around attacking people to see if they fight back, just failing to rescue them. Still. Even if nobody got hurt because she waited, probably dozens of them had a traumatic event last longer than it needed to."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Yeah. She's...not exactly anyone's favorite teammate."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Didn't get to pick my teammates before. You gotta make do with what you have, yeah?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Yeah. No fun for us, but it beats having her as a vigilante as far as the city's concerned."

Permalink Mark Unread

"I helped track down a vigilante who liked turning criminals into animals, once. No fun for anybody involved. She got off relatively light, ten years plus a gaes, after undoing all the ones who were still alive. Irritating, but at least she can't hurt people anymore."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Ten years plus a what?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"A gaes. A binding. She swore to never again turn someone into anything, and then she literally couldn't. There's a few, ah, capes who can do gases on my world."

Permalink Mark Unread

"That kind of power exists here, sometimes, but never that neatly and there's always something else that can mess with it. I don't think they'd trust it over regular prisons even if some master volunteered to help."

Permalink Mark Unread

"They're pretty ironclad from what I hear. But I understand the sentiment - anyone who manages to get around a geas gets put away, or put down, for good."

Permalink Mark Unread

"It's a lot more conventional here, most of the time. Anyone who isn't put in the Birdcage for good gets treated as much like any normal criminal as they can manage."

Permalink Mark Unread

"It'll be a change to fight nonlethally most of the time. You don't have to hold back against literal, city-burning monsters. I Hope I can find the balance between too much and too little."

Permalink Mark Unread
"Start at definitely too little and scale up? A lot of capes have to worry about that, and it tends to turn out OK.
I can't wait until you join us in the field."
Permalink Mark Unread

"I have at least one definitely non-lethal thing. Stunbolts. Made a special trip just to copy them from someone. I don't have any bolts between stun and lightning though. Yeah, fieldwork with new powers should be fun. The two of us could probably be almost excessively mobile if you ride along while I fly."

Permalink Mark Unread
"Sounds like fun."

Before any actual cape business, the PRT has to take care of some setup. The costume, of course. It's finished in short order, complete with gold and gems. (Smaller quantities than Coil supplied.) Aside from that, there's further power and basic combat training, and of course PR. Don't threaten people, don't swear in public, don't give away important information, don't conspicuously display destructive might unless the point is to display destructive might, the point is never to display destructive might, and so on. It boils down to "talk less, smile more" being a safe option to start out with.
Eventually she's cleared as ready for duty.
Permalink Mark Unread
Her new Steelwing, wherever it came from, is a lot sleeker and smaller than she would have liked. Not much space to store gear inside. It's still bloody fast and maneuverable, at least. She adds her own gold things to the inside of the costume and starts charging them up with mana.

The first charge of Dauntless's power gets put into a particular amulet, one with a large citrine set into the middle. So does the second. It'll probably be a while before this has any useful effects.

Her official unveiling speech was mostly written by someone else, but she manages to deliver it with reasonable amounts of sincerity.
Permalink Mark Unread
As it turns out, superheroing is boring. The heroes are fast, but they aren't usually being called somewhere at any given time. A lot of the time, they're just patrolling the less safe parts of the city keeping their eyes open just in case and ready to be directed elsewhere if a call comes in. (Gren picks up details about the city: this part is considered Merchant territory, that part is contested between E88 and the ABB, and so on.) For the moment, they're sending her with groups that aren't expected to deal with anything more dangerous than unpowered criminals.

Dauntless has yet to get accustomed to the staring.
Permalink Mark Unread
Boring is fine. All those fights she got in during her first week here were starting to wear her down. She can relax, for a certain value of relaxing. In her downtime she reads up on this planet's history, gets used to some of the fiction, occasionally posts on that forum, plays internet poker with virtual money.

She doesn't actually need to stare at Dauntless to keep his power up anymore. She does figure out that she can pour extra mana into his power to generate charges faster - fourteen to sixteen hours if she does nothing else with a particular day's mana supply. She makes sure her stored mana is full before doing that, though.

After two weeks, the thing is starting to become noticeably better at holding mana. It retains it without excess effort, doesn't leak out slowly like it used to, and lets her call on more at once without feeling strained.

But after two weeks, the Endbringer attack is imminent. Yvette still thinks Brockton Bay will be the site of the attack. The UDF has gathered a large list of Witches who would like to volunteer for the defense, flyer and brute and blaster all, plus a wide variety of specials and no less than eight healers. They work out transport and temporary lodging with the Protectorate.
Permalink Mark Unread
The PRT is happy to have them. And even happier to have the warning. Endbringer attacks aren't predictable with a lot of precision...normally. A few questions to Yvette and they narrow down the date to May fifteenth. Calendars are marked. Many civilians decide it's a good time to take a vacation, and unlike with most Endbringer attacks they have time to take possessions and pets instead of just rushing for a shelter.

In the weeks remaining until the attack, presumed to be Leviathan, the city gets gradually emptier. Cape crime goes down steeply, since everyone including the various villain factions expects to be on the same side very soon. (Non-cape crime continues as ever, at least proportionately to the number of people present.) And as the scheduled day approaches, heroes start arriving, including the biggest of guns.
Permalink Mark Unread
Gren spends most of the days leading up to the attack taking scrupulous and detailed notes on all the fantastic and wildly varied powers available. Most of them she can't copy to a useful extent. Some she can.

Battery is interesting and potentially useful. Working with Mouse Protector's power improves her ability to teleport. Brandish meshes well with Knight's crystal spear. She can't copy Cache's ability to store away living things, but he makes her pocket dimension easier to access.

Bastion, Lady Photon, Glory Girl, Laserdream and Shielder are not very mana-efficient on their own, but after a few hours of work she combines the whole lot into one smooth and elegant force-field and laser power. Parian isn't too useful in direct terms, but her clothamancy is a nice break from all the simple, brutal powers that tend to show up in this world.

But Eidolon is completely uncopiable... And getting weaker. She can smell the telltale decay, the subtle degrading feeling that all Witches have. Food for thought.
Permalink Mark Unread
Eidolon doesn't comment. If she doesn't volunteer the fact that she knows, it might not be obvious whether he has even noticed the decrease.

For once everyone involved is fully briefed. Normally minutes of pre-battle speech is a lot, and here there is plenty of time to inform the newcomers. Leviathan is scary: powerful, strong, and smarter than he looks. When he's in the water he's faster than any speedster they have on record, according to a cape with no known upper limit. Those who aren't familiar with Leviathan can find video footage of him in action.
His hydrokinetic powers operate on a larger scale than almost any other powers; Brockton Bay can expect periodic tidal waves and catastrophic damage to or from the aquifer beneath the city.

Visibility will be poor. Armbands get distributed; when activated they'll keep track of capes' identities and positions. Everyone knows where to report, based on whether they can take a hit and get back up, blast from a distance, merely search and rescue downed capes, and so on.
Permalink Mark Unread
The time to covertly talk to Eidolon about how he's getting weaker is definitely after the intense battle, when it won't shake his focus.

Most of the Witches (and there are a lot of them, almost a hundred) plan to do a few minutes of blasting, then move to search-and-rescue or ferrying less mobile capes around. They fly machines similar to Gren's, carry lots of jewelry, and few of them are wearing masks. Only three Witches are confident enough in their durability to tank on the front lines.

When the time comes, Chatterbox establishes and holds a link with as many people as possible. If something happens to the armbands and she hasn't been knocked out, they might still be able to communicate.

The hour approaches, with as many people as possible ready and waiting to beat back Leviathan.
Permalink Mark Unread
They've even had time to set up defenses in advance. Bombs captured from Bakuda and repurposed by other tinkers. Brightly colored strings that will hopefully be easily visible for safety after Clockblocker turns them into impenetrable traps. Any cape that could benefit from preparation time has something set up along the shore line.

The clock ticks down, but the skies aren't darkening with storm clouds.
Permalink Mark Unread
They wait. And wait. Everyone gets increasingly nervous.

At some point, "Dragon, how sure are we that it's Leviathan, and not Behemoth or the Simurgh? And why are we sure of that?"
Permalink Mark Unread

Dragon's voice comes through the armband. "They have never had the same one attack consecutively. Tracking is unreliable, but I have it focussed on Leviathan and as best as we can tell he is approaching as expected."

Permalink Mark Unread

And a titanic clawed hand bursts through the ground.

Permalink Mark Unread
"Priority one alert! IT'S BEHEMOTH! NOT LEVIATHAN! Sector CE-7!"

Witches turn almost as one and make the flying equivalent of a sprint for that area.
Permalink Mark Unread
Sector CE-7 is currently turning into a crater. The creature climbs out, either accompanied by or causing an earthquake, and a few of the nearest capes get burned up from the inside.

The Witches are fast and airborne. They're among the first there. While Dragon's voice confirms that Leviathan has turned and left, the flying artillery capes start firing into Behemoth's skin of obsidian and magma. The subset of front line capes who think they're still front line capes against the new opponent rush toward him. Shoreline defenses are abandoned. Eidolon hangs back, presumably changing out his powers.
Permalink Mark Unread
These Witches are clearly used to working together, and using their mobility. They ball into tightly packed formations and swoop in to hit Behemoth ten or twenty at a time, from unexpected directions. Most of them use the generic whitish blast, but there are some more exotic blaster specials in there. They prefer to dodge incoming attacks, but flare shields just long enough to block whatever attack comes at them when they can't. It's a shame these shields aren't always strong enough - a couple of them go down, surprised by the sheer force of the first blast of lightning.

After the first couple of barrages most of the Witches pull back, conserving their strength. About half of them are perfectly happy to play courier, carrying blasters into airborne firing positions, evacuating the wounded, or just keeping track of Behemoth's position, reporting what it's doing next. The rest continue their hit-and-run barrages, but Dragon's program should know that they can only keep it up for a few minutes at most.

Gren herself somehow manages to pour enough mana into the combined Knight/Brandish power that the glowing weapon extends almost forty feet as she swings it out. It cuts a swath into one of Behemoth's legs, a chunk the size of a motorcycle. But it cost a lot of mana, a solid tenth of her reserves, and she has to retreat and get healed by one of the visiting Witches afterwards.

(Yvette has decided it's a good idea to tell Tattletale that she's a precog, and discuss tactics.)
Permalink Mark Unread
Behemoth's leg heals. Not immediately, but fast enough that it visibly makes progress. That injury quickly becomes the most targeted area.

Most of Behemoth's lightning is targeting Witches, if only because that's most of the people in line of sight. But few of them (aside from Gren and presumably Knight) can deal much direct damage. As more capes get to the front, Behemoth is surrounded by barrages of projectiles and the tougher Brutes. Tinkers came prepared for Leviathan, and very few are shielded against radiation. Alexandria flies into Behemoth, and bounces off with exactly the same speed, as if she had been reflected from a mirror. Behemoth starts moving. Slowly, more lumbering than walking, and pausing regularly to zap people or knock over a building. He's moving in apparently random directions, but gradually heads west.


Tattletale's reaction is mostly irritation that they had a precog who can predict Endbringers and only now let her start asking questions, but she immediately starts asking for reactions to "the plan I'm thinking of now" and narrowing down possibilities.
Permalink Mark Unread
Knight can't extend her weapon nearly as far, and she doesn't dare get close enough to hit Behemoth, blasting from afar instead. There's danger-seeking and then there's suicidal. She's rather annoyed to be fighting an enemy that will kill her just by existing in melee range.

Yvette did not know Tattletale existed until she tried to find the best person-to-plan-things-with, so don't go blaming her! ...After a couple of minutes, one of Tattletale's plans results in significantly less Doom than all the others before it.

Gren makes another pass with her Knight/Brandish combo, aiming for the same spot. She gets closer this time, pulling on Alexandria's invulnurability, so as not to waste huge amounts of mana extending the weapon so far.
Permalink Mark Unread
Even last time, forty feet was well within the instant death radius. But this is far less expensive than her shields and regeneration.

And tougher, too. She is apparently an interesting enough opponent for Behemoth to bother taking a swipe at. Without checking to see if he hit her he goes back to fighting the rest. One of Legend's beams hits him from above and then erupts from his claws, breaking through force fields and felling a group of capes.

Tattletale jumps on Yvette's steelwing, not bothering to ask first, and points the way to a short girl wearing a doll-like mask. The doll girl is inflating what look like giant stuffed animals and sending them to fight (or at least protect capes from) Behemoth.

There is no rule that cape powers have to make sense.
Permalink Mark Unread
Gren teleports out of the way of the swipe, appearing some two thousand feet above. She's invulnerable, but her Steelwing isn't, after all. She's back in the fray after thirty seconds to calm down and descend.

"Can't keep doing this forever," she tells her armband, "I've got maybe eight, maybe ten more passes in me." Most of the rest of the Witches are tiring out, too. (A few more have died.) Only about two dozen are still blasting away, most are instead focusing on shields and moving people around.

Yvette doesn't bother asking questions. Not in the middle of a battle. She streams over to Parian. More Witches are ready and waiting if her master plan needs other people moved around.
Permalink Mark Unread
The Witches are a large force, but the capes are experienced too. They step up. Behemoth is wracked with explosions, most of which he casually shrugs off. During sustained barrage he starts falling over, only to launch a blast of something downward and let the opposite reaction right him. He claps his hands together. The thunderclap rocks the air the fliers are flying in, and some of them lose their stability. Then the lightning resumes.

Tattletale is very much in favor of having people do her bidding. Her own team is only marginally effective here; at least Grue can offer some protection against the monster's radiation. She sends some Witches to collect two parahumans, using her armband to notify them. She and Parian fly off toward the fourth while Behemoth is busy hammering through one of Eidolon's violet force fields.
Permalink Mark Unread

Gren keeps tearing chunks out of various parts of Behemoth. She stops short of exhausting her reserves, in case she's needed at a critical juncture later. The healing-Witches are starting to get tired, too, and start restricting themselves to the most critically injured. Tattletale's temporary lackeys collect their targets and regroup, assuming everyone involved is willing.

Permalink Mark Unread
Tattletale outlines her plan. The doll girl, a man in bulky armor and a square mask, a girl in a deep purple costume with a visor, and Clockblocker.

Behemoth's current tactic is ordinary temperature. Well outside his ordinary kill radius capes are fleeing or dying, armor is melting, and (to those without enhanced perception) the monster himself appears to gimble in the wabe. Anything nearby that wasn't already on fire is now on fire.

Tattletale asks Yvette to say when, and on her word threads launch toward Behemoth almost as fast as a speeding bullet. They curve around him. Some freeze in place. Others bite into his flesh, charged by the same power that made them heatproof. Behemoth roars, not the weaponized roar that liquefies anyone standing too close but an ordinary roar. He starts concentrating lightning at the group that caught him.
Permalink Mark Unread
Large chunks of Witch-generated ice (which quickly become steam) dull the thermal attack in at least one direction. Only one Witch is still fighting Behemoth directly. She's glowing in a rapidly shifting rainbow of color, which probably has something to do with how she's not dead. All the steelwings exposed are getting pretty badly damaged. Lots of Witches abandon theirs and seek sufficiently sticklike debris to flee on.

When Behemoth strikes back, Citrine Mage aka Grendyne teleports in front of the little group and puts up the widest, toughest shield she can manage. Not very impresive compared to Eidolon, especially with so much mana already spent, but there's something to be said for response time. The other Witches start dodging and weaving with their passengers, only holding still long enough to let them launch a new set of strings every once in a while.
Permalink Mark Unread
Without Yvette telling them exactly when to fire, some of the close combatants get hit in the crossfire. Parian's control is good, but she can't be looking everywhere at once. These are Brutes capable of going toe to toe with Behemoth and getting back up, and now some of them have puncture wounds.

But it's a very effective weapon. Behemoth slides himself along the frozen threads, as close to the source as he can go until one launched from a different angle bars his way. Legend and Eidolon are blasting him from above, trying to bash him into the frozen threads. Alexandria hangs back and rescues the injured, not trusting even her invulnerability against whatever the cape in purple is doing.

After stopping, Behemoth opens his maw and inhales. Much more air rushes toward him than he could plausibly be sucking in, and the effect is that anything not tied down gets pulled toward him. This includes combatants.
Permalink Mark Unread
Starshine, the one Witch still fighting Behemoth up close, gets sucked into his mouth. A few other Witches, mostly those who've lost their Steelwings or who were trying to save others, also end up inside the instant kill radius.

The Witch carrying Clockblocker takes a flying cinderblock to the head. She dies instantly, and her, her body, her Steelwing, and Clockblocker fly towards Behemoth as well. Gren attempts to teleport in, to save him before he gets too close...

But she's dangerously low on mana. The teleport fails. She retreats.
Permalink Mark Unread
Clockblocker stops in midair. Others aren't so lucky.

Behemoth isn't moving. Everything and everyone is being pulled toward him. He stops sucking in air, or whatever he was really doing that gave that effect, but the pulling continues. People and things start falling sideways, in exactly the wrong direction. He's still taking damage, especially from Parian and Flechette when they can coordinate enough to get off a shot, and and barely defending himself. But he's passively causing more damage and casualties than a typical attack does.

One by one, the threads holding him in place unfreeze. He leaps up, catching some fliers within his range. The remaining frozen threads carve off pieces of what passes for tissue.
Permalink Mark Unread
The Endbringer doesn't land. Alexandria strikes him in midair on his way down, launching him up and away from the capes who can flee the least. Eidolon, Narwhal, and lesser force field creators try to hold him in place while flying artillery strikes from above and grounded combatants strike from below. One armored cape fires a sword at Behemoth. No one said cape powers had to make sense.

Nothing the capes are doing can hold Behemoth in midair for long, he is huge after all, but a few attacks hit and capes scatter before the barriers shatter and the people who put them there are left reeling. Alexandria slams Behemoth into the ground.
Permalink Mark Unread

He burrows under. Then he starts burrowing, or at his speeds more like swimming, around the foundations of the city. His kill aura reaches above ground level. This has the obvious effects. After causing one last round of death and destruction, the monster disappears into the earth.

Permalink Mark Unread
Those Witches who can still fly start search-and-rescue. This is also something all of them are familiar with. The Witch healers present are not as good as Panacea, and they're also low on or completely out of mana. All these injured people will have to rely on ordinary care for now.

Grendyne is unconscious for much of the post-battle cleanup, and wakes up some hours later in one of the field hospitals.
Permalink Mark Unread
When she wakes up, the news is mostly good. It was the shortest battle in a long time, with a much lower casualty rate than is normal against the Herokiller. Scion showed up after the fact, and removed a bit of radiation, but on this battle he was thoroughly outdone by the heroes. And the civilian casualty rate was unprecedentedly low for Endbringer attacks on cities, but that was primarily because of the evacuation. They couldn't have had an ordinary level of deaths if they had left the city alone.

Some reckless volunteers stayed behind in the shelters, and are being deployed to fix the city. Clearing up debris, helping manage hospitals, theoretically marking off what areas are too radioactive to be safe but that mostly just boils down to confirming that Scion handled it.

It's not entirely good. Everyone lost a friend, a teammate, even a nemesis. But it was a victory, the best they could hope for.
Permalink Mark Unread
Everyone includes Gren, too. Knight is dead. Opera was badly wounded, radiation damage, and lost her magic. Sparky is considering retiring, her mana level isn't what it used to be and it cost some cape their life when she failed to shield him at a critical moment. Thirteen witches out of ninety-seven died, in total.

She notes that the Endbringer fight finished a charge of Dauntless's power. She puts it into her amulet. She cries for a while.

Then she gets up, ignoring the steadily receding burn up one leg and the closing puncture wound in her shoulder, and reports to Aegis that she's ready for doing whatever needs doing, though she'll be low on power for a few days.
Permalink Mark Unread

The Endbringer truce is no longer officially in effect, but capes still aren't fighting each other yet. Out of respect or politeness or something. Normal patrolling is mostly replaced with helping the evacuees return to the city in an orderly way, distributing supplies to people who need it, and general emergency relief. There are more people than there are places to put them, which is better than the opposite problem after an Endbringer attack, but it could be a lot worse.

Permalink Mark Unread
Some of the Witches are willing to stick around for a few days and carry things around. Most just want to go home. They're given a few days off and bonuses out of the money the Protectorate promised to the UDF in exchange for their help. The families of the dead Witches get more money.

One Witch buys out her enlistment contract and would like to become a freelance healer in Earth Bet and/or join the Protectorate. (She's 19, and one of the better healers available, but not the best)

Gren helps out with resettling and emergency relief, feeling rather empty about it all. She visits Clockblocker to apologize for failing to catch him in that last attack, and speeds along his recovery a little. Not too much, mana is a bit tight.

This world is insane, and has very high-stakes emergencies. Neuroi, though unpredictable in their exact tactics, at least go down more easily than that thing did. She hopes Dauntless's power will build up to a big enough advantage, over time.

Days pass.
Permalink Mark Unread
Dauntless' power is increasing the amount of mana she can hold, but she only has so much to go around.

Over the next few days, the city goes back to normal. It's worse in every way, of course, but getting worse is also Brockton Bay's normal.

Most relevant to the Wards is that gang membership is going up, now that there are so many displaced people. The Merchants especially are benefitting, but the city is still standing and functioning enough to be worrying about relatively mundane problems like a higher crime rate.

The unofficial cape truce gradually ends, and the ABB remember their grudge against literally everyone else. Lung isn't rampaging, at least, but there are frequent fights between him or Oni Lee and other villains. The unpowered minions are frequent opponents of the Wards; those fights are generally pretty easy.
Permalink Mark Unread
Yes, those fights are pretty easy. She tries to use as little mana as possible. Sometimes merely showing up is enough to scare the minions into submission. Her command over the powers she's borrowed recently gradually improves.

One day she asks Aegis, "How the hell are they going to take down Lung, anyway? I know Wards aren't supposed to go up against the big names, but he's regularly getting into fights and killing people. It doesn't sit well."
Permalink Mark Unread

"Armsmaster can hold off Lung, and he has something he thinks will work to win the fight. If he's wrong...Lung has fought whole teams in the past. You and Clockblocker have useful powers, they might let some Wards team go in once he's recovered."

Permalink Mark Unread

"And I'll keep getting stronger, thanks to Dauntless. Me fighting him in a month with a solid plan is much less likely to result in disaster than me fighting him now. It still grates."

Permalink Mark Unread
"We'll stop him.
You said you had fought him before, right? How was that one won?"
Permalink Mark Unread

"Travelers showed up and engaged him. Who knows why. I ran while I had the chance."

Permalink Mark Unread

"By the time the Protectorate got there he was already powering down. Maybe we should try and talk to the Travelers, but Lung isn't so much of an emergency that we need to team up with villains."

Permalink Mark Unread

"From what I could see, Trickster and Genesis kept him busy by swapping the two constantly. I almost wish I'd taken the time to copy Trickster's power, but I was too busy being injured and fleeing, so. You're right, though, worrying about it doesn't really help."

Permalink Mark Unread

"What we can do is keep going after the ABB members who aren't Lung and Oni Lee. Give them less backup and support, and they'll attack other gangs less if they're having trouble handling their own territory."

Permalink Mark Unread

"I'm not sure I like that there's such harsh penalties for drugs here. Dealing them, sure, but taking them... I shouldn't talk politics. We'll keep the pressure up, then. I'm off on patrol, see you later."

Permalink Mark Unread
Her partners this time are Browbeat and Vista. It's a pretty normal patrol, boring except when it isn't.

They get called in to a disturbance in Merchant territory, to the extent the Merchants control territory. No reports on whether capes are involved. Their patrol is the closest, and also a fast-moving one.
Permalink Mark Unread

"I'll go high, try to get eyes on whatever's going down, Browbeat and Vista stay low?"

Permalink Mark Unread

It doesn't take long for them to get there. There are, apparently, capes. Two of them, not really going out of their way to crush their opponents but not taking care to avoid hurting them either. They're surrounded by glowing blue shapes that look like hexagons around them regardless of what side they're viewed from. Several Merchants are on the ground with injuries from reflected bullets.

Permalink Mark Unread

Anyone carrying a gun gets potshot stunbolts fired at them from above, just about impossible to dodge. Most of them hit, but when the bolts start getting reflected she puts up her own shield and radios to the other two, "Any ideas on how to beat those shields without hurting whoever's inside?"

Permalink Mark Unread
The shields aren't permanent, but they go back up every time something shoots at them.

"Oh, it's Uber and Leet. Don't worry, not a threat." A beam of colored light flashes from one of the animal-costumed villains, and veers harmlessly into a wall. "It'll probably just stop working any time now."
Permalink Mark Unread

"You sure about that? No, wait, I see it. Yeah, that's an unusually scattered tinker power. We should probably follow 'em until it does break, make sure they don't hurt anyone."

Permalink Mark Unread
Now that all the people shooting at them have been stunned, the shields are down. There's no obvious way to tell whether it's broken.

"We're not here to listen to insults, agents of Andross!" The taller villain jumps and kicks Browbeat, and bounces off. It ends up looking like he did it on purpose, but as attacks go it was toward the ineffective end.
Permalink Mark Unread

Magically loud voice time. "Who the hell is Andross? We're with the Wards. You'd better just stand down, it'll be easier."

Permalink Mark Unread

"They're staying in character." Browbeat makes sure to talk where the hovering recording device can see him. "They know they're mediocre as capes, so video game themes are their way of attracting attention. Andross is probably the villain of today's."

Permalink Mark Unread

"So... They're not doing anything particularly villainous besides self-defence." Which reminds her to start up Angel's power, aiming it downward, hopefully preventing anyone on the ground from getting worse. "Do we take them down or not?"

Permalink Mark Unread
"We take them down, yes." He taps his earpiece. "This is Browbeat, we're engaging Uber and Leet." Everybody involved is completely unconcerned.

"We're raiding one of Venom's bases, what does it look like we're doing?" Leet's voice is not exactly quality for the stage. "We're the ones with the heroic quest, if you're looking for villains try them."
Permalink Mark Unread

Halfway through Leet's first sentence, the nearby puddles slither up to the duo's feet and freeze in a cone of ice about calf-high. Uber might be quick enough to dodge out of the effect. Then she hits them both with gusts of wind, and tugs at their gear with telekinesis.

Permalink Mark Unread
Uber avoids it. Leet doesn't.

Uber runs up a wall and strikes at Gren, falling short when the distance to her steelwing abruptly increases. Meanwhile, a triangular flying vehicle drops from above and hovers just in front of Leet. Extremely conspicuous laser guns start glowing but don't fire. "We've got you outgunned. Surrender!"
Permalink Mark Unread

A brightly glowing blue shield goes up, covering all three Wards. "I held off Behemoth's lightning with this. You surrender."

Permalink Mark Unread
Pieces of spaceship start distorting. Some fall off. Vista gives no outward sign of having had anything to do with this.

"Then in that case we are at an impasse. We can't compete with you physically, and you're no match for our brains."
Permalink Mark Unread

Gren shores up the ice around Leet, and tries to catch Uber by turning the ground under his feet to quicksand. At the same time she rushes forward, covering the distance in a tiny fraction of a second with a touch of Vista's power, and delivers three stunbolts to him from point-blank range.

Permalink Mark Unread

Uber does a barrel roll. He dodges the first two, but takes the hit from the third while at the top of his leap. He falls onto the vehicle. Between struggling against the ice and heat the spaceship probably wasn't designed to produce, Leet manages to break free. He makes it to the top of the ship, hangs on to Uber, and shouts "see you later, noobs!" as they get launched more or less straight upward.

Permalink Mark Unread

That was a mistake. Gren follows them. Unless that... Thing... Is as fast as Eidolon, she can catch it between fast-flight and space-warping. She follows it through all the evasive maneuvers they pull, ready to stop them from falling to their deaths when it finally breaks down.

Permalink Mark Unread
As soon as it's out of line of sight, Vista can't tell where to shrink space and where to expand it. Browbeat is irrelevant even sooner. It's still slower than she is, and she can follow it close enough to catch them without too much trouble.

Leet wakes up Uber, and immediately tells him that they got the dramatic exit for the video. They give it as much speed as they can, just in case Gren happens to be at exactly her top speed already.
Permalink Mark Unread

She was not at her top speed already. A cloud forms in front and around them, and Gren tracks their position through another power.

Permalink Mark Unread
This fits surprisingly well with their next move. The spaceship suddenly slows and stops, reversing whatever it uses for propulsion. They, on top of it, keep going, hoping it can splatter against her Behemoth-proof shield as a distraction.

(It turns out it's hard to intentionally cry precisely one tear while in freefall, but Uber settles for saying "Goodbye, Arwing" and saluting it before taking care of the landing.)
Permalink Mark Unread
She does a barrel roll. No sense wasting mana on a shield when you don't need it. Also, what landing? They're hovering in the air, trajectory disrupted by a copy of Vista's power. Then they're hit by half a dozen stunbolts each and gently set down via telekinesis.

"I got em," she reports, including the address.
Permalink Mark Unread
Unconscious and telekinetically captured while wearing leftover landing gear from a different theme. This is not a good day. (Behind her, the ship falls apart. The pieces didn't land gently, but probably didn't hit anything too important.)

Browbeat and Vista are there first, since the chase didn't get very far. A prisoner containment van isn't far behind.
Permalink Mark Unread

"These guys are annoying. Couldn't they have done, what, a video game show? Without stealing stuff and reflecting lethal ammo?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"They could have. But then they'd just be people with a video game show, instead of being the video game show capes. Still, they're off the streets now."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Back to patrol then, I guess. And there'll be paperwork for this later. Ah well."

Permalink Mark Unread

The rest of the patrol is uneventful. Back to where the Merchants were (a lot of them were committing non-cape-related crimes that are technically more of a job for the regular police, who are there by now) then around the city getting the occasional usually-false alarm and generally having a presence on behalf of the Brockton Bay Wards.

Permalink Mark Unread
She decides to post on that cape forum, after the patrol and paperwork is done, it's amusing in small doses.

Caught Uber and Leet today. Anybody know what an Arwing is?
Permalink Mark Unread
It is known. Obscure, but information on Earth Aleph video games exists and Uber and Leet fans are used to digging it up. It's from a series of games about a flying fox.

Relatedly, Uber and Leet have fans. Threads about them often devolve into arguments about whether they're Not That Bad or Just Like the Rest, and the former faction isn't happy with Gren and the Wards. But it's more in the sense of their favored sports team having suffered a loss than actually thinking she should have let them go. Usually.
Permalink Mark Unread

She's used to the internet having a few... Extremists. She keeps her replies diplomatic and signs off before too long. After some other recreational uses of the internet and some homework, it's time to sleep, and then back to the usual schedule.

Permalink Mark Unread
A notable feature of the usual schedule is, inconveniently, school being weird. (There's less of it for Wards, but still.)

In the cape context, the current usual schedule involves the ABB attacking another gang every few days. During the last time Lung was involved, Armsmaster arrived in time to fail to capture Lung. The dragon apparently knew about the tinker's tranquilizers in advance, and was able to avoid being captured.

The Director asks some of the Wards with useful powers if, this being strictly optional and with other choices available, they'd be willing to join the next effort.
Permalink Mark Unread

Gren would be more than willing to help. As long as she's allowed to flee if things go too far south.

Permalink Mark Unread

The Wards are strongly advised to do exactly that. They're backed up by the PRT, Armsmaster, Dauntless, and Battery—most of Brockton Bay's speedsters were killed pulling people away from Behemoth's kill aura, but Armsmaster should be able to stall Lung for an evacuation if necessary. Gren and Clockblocker are the main chance for actually succeeding, with Vista supporting Clockblocker.

Permalink Mark Unread
Gren still can't reliably copy Clockblocker if he leaves her line of sight. And this fight is going to cost a solid chunk of her stored mana.

As long as that's understood, she's perfectly happy to go over plans of attack and discuss tactics and wait for the best opportunity to swoop in.
Permalink Mark Unread
The ideal case is that Clockblocker freezes Lung and the target gets buried in containment foam without having a chance to ramp up. Everyone else is redundant. But this is unlikely. Lung's position is most obvious when he's fighting, which means he'll already be partially transformed. (Whoever he's fighting, likely the Empire Eighty-Eight or Merchants, maybe the Travelers or Undersiders, is not the current priority unless they attack.)

The two ways to end the fight are to freeze Lung and have everyone appear to leave, so that his power wears off, or hit him with enough stun bolts that he goes down. If neither works, they should evacuate.
Permalink Mark Unread
Gren is unsure if the stunbolts can beat him once he's keyed up, but it's definitely worth a try.

Can she have a containment foam sprayer integrated into the spare compartments of her Steelwing?
Permalink Mark Unread

Most of the containment foam will be coming from vehicle-mounted launchers. Anything portable enough for a Steelwing isn't likely to do much against Lung, but it's not like it'll hurt.

Permalink Mark Unread
And it gives her another nonlethal option other than stunbolts and elemental manipulation.

She's ready to go whenever Lung is located next.
Permalink Mark Unread

Later that evening, Lung is spotted in Empire territory. The PRT got called early, when he was just barely starting to ramp up. The sooner the first responders get there, the less outgunned they'll be. The relevant capes get notified as soon as possible and the vehicles head off right away.

Permalink Mark Unread

Gren flies high above the city and locates the exact area with enhanced vision. She mutters information about who's fighting and exactly where while waiting for the rest of the capes to arrive.

Permalink Mark Unread
She doesn't have long to wait. Armsmaster's motorcycle is fast, especially when Vista is one of the passengers.

Lung, still humanoid but two feet taller than usual, is fighting a group of Empire capes. Stormtiger is on the ground injured, Cricket is dodging Lung's blasts of fire, and Hookwolf is matching him blow for blow. Cricket and Lung notice Gren just before the other capes arrive on the scene.
Permalink Mark Unread
She descends enough for most of her powers to be in range and hits him with everything she can, all at once.

The area where Lung is, is now extremely difficult to move in. Everything slows to a stop - bullets, debris flying through the air, people. It won't immobilize Lung, but it should at least slow him down since he can no longer put momentum behind a punch or run. At the same time she starts sending down a steady stream of stunbolts. Not a huge burst of them, but a pace she can keep up for a while. And she tries to disorient or blind him with flashes of light.
Permalink Mark Unread
Hookwolf leaps at Lung, and falls short. His opponent launches a burst of fire, which also doesn't get anywhere. What it doesn't do is slow down either of their regeneration. Lung is still getting bigger and Hookwolf sprouts more metal. They're both good to keep going for a while. When the bolts start coming down, they stop striking each other and start staggering outside the area of effect first.

Cricket, outside the immediate combat area, jumps up at Gren. She bounds from the ground to a fence to a roof, and grabs for the Steelwing. Meanwhile, Gren gets disoriented and hit by a wave of nausea.

The Protectorate and Wards head toward Lung and Hookwolf, and the PRT backup starts to pull up.
Permalink Mark Unread
Cricket gets an undirected telekinetic shove, but Gren is distracted enough that the immobilizing field drops out. Cricket is doing some kind of - sound, so a sphere of silence is the way to shut her down.

After she recovers a bit, Hookwolf and Lung can both have improbably well-aimed (in reality, guided via a power) containment foam from her Steelwing's launcher gumming up as many joints and limbs as she can manage. And the immobilizing field and stream of stunbolts starts back up.
Permalink Mark Unread
Once Cricket is silenced, the disorientation shuts down. And the telekinesis means she hits the ground instead of the Steelwing. She sticks the landing and resumes the some kind of sound from outside the sphere of silence.

Hookwolf staggers and goes down after a few stunbolts. Lung staggers and doesn't. While Lung dodges Armsmaster's Halberd, Vista gets Clockblocker behind him and increases her teammate's reach. But between the immobilizing field and the intense heat around Lung, he doesn't manage to touch him.
Permalink Mark Unread
She can put a field of intense cold up instead, copied from the very Witch who did the same thing to Behemoth's heat attack.

(Cricket gets enough stunbolts, tracking ahead of her attempts to dodge, to go down and stay down, because maintaining the silence-sphere is annoying)
Permalink Mark Unread
Cricket is inhumanly good at dodging, but that just means it takes longer until one of the guided bolts hits her. Gren is free to focus on Lung.

Lung is unable to lay a hand on Armsmaster, but is also keeping his distance from the gray blur forming a haze around the end of the capitalized Halberd. A sudden move from Battery gets Clockblocker within touch range, much easier without Gren's momentum-dampening field. Lung manages to get an arm in her way, and both heroes sprawl across the ground.
Permalink Mark Unread

This is getting annoying. She holds still for a good ten seconds as she copies Clockblocker's power (It's a little easier to hold on to, now, but it still takes significant effort), and protects herself as best she can with her composite Witch-Lady Photon shield, and zooms up to Lung lightning fast and taps him on the slowest moving appendage.

Permalink Mark Unread
In those seconds, Lung burns Battery and Clockblocker. Less badly than it could have been without the cold, at least. Vista and Armsmaster shield them.

When Gren comes after him Lung throws a punch, not at her but at her Steelwing.
But she can freeze him with or without that. He stops where he stands. Containment foam starts burying him as soon as she gets out of the way.
Permalink Mark Unread
The Steelwing caves in all along one side, but is still sufficiently objectlike to wrench clear and crash on the other side of the street. She abandons it.

After a little swearing, she tells Armsmaster, "I can try to rig something to help keep him down. A shield, inside-out and exactly the shape of his current body. Might help stop him from smashing his way out of the foam."
Permalink Mark Unread

"Can you hold it long enough for him to give up? If he stops fighting, we win. If not, it might be better to save your power."

Permalink Mark Unread

"That depends on how long it takes him to give up. Ten minutes, definitely. An hour, probably. Three would be pushing it."

Permalink Mark Unread

Armsmaster nods. "Do it. Drop the shield if it's harder than you expect."

Permalink Mark Unread
She puts up the shield. The center of the growing mound of containment foam starts glowing slightly.

She'll be able to feel him trying to break free when the timefreeze wears off.
Permalink Mark Unread
In the meantime, they pile on more foam than should be necessary.

After about two minutes, Lung starts resisting. The shield and foam are restricting his movements, but he's heating up the area around him and battering the shield as best he can.
Permalink Mark Unread
The shield doesn't budge. Lung can barely move. It limits how much heat can escape, too.

Gren starts to look a little strained after a couple of minutes. "Half an hour."
Permalink Mark Unread

Lung can barely move, but he's resisting. As he resists he grows, and he's not growing in exactly the areas where the shield leaves space. The more this hurts Lung the more his power activates. Pressure on the shield rises.

Permalink Mark Unread

This sort of shield doesn't care very much whether it's holding back a splash of water or ten tons of angry dragon. It might crack eventually, but not yet.

Permalink Mark Unread

It's closer to a single ton of angry dragon in a space designed to hold five hundred pounds of angry not-yet-dragon. Amounts of dragon increase in a self-reinforcing loop. Lung tries overwhelming the shield with a concentrated blast of heat.

Permalink Mark Unread

The shield acquires the stunning effect the stunbolts have, all along its surface. If five seconds of that doesn't work, she drops the shield.

Permalink Mark Unread
Maybe when he was smaller and less scaled it would have worked. As it is he gets dizzy and uncoordinated, but stays conscious. It also slows down his rate of growth. That was partially based on regeneration from being crushed, and killing the pain is a side effect.

When it drops, he starts melting his way through the containment foam. After the first few holes in the sphere around him—one in front where he's breathing the most fire, one where his shiny new tail pokes through, and one where his arm does—Clockblocker freezes the foam. "We've got to get out of here."
Permalink Mark Unread

She mutters something, then whisper-spells to Armsmaster "In about twenty seconds, you get as much tranquilizer as you can into him and I'll give him an overcharged stunbolt. It'll be like hundreds of little ones hitting all at once. I need that twenty seconds though. If that doesn't work, I'm out of tricks unless you want me to kill him. Which I would be willing to try."

Permalink Mark Unread
Lung breathes out two streams of fire, which curve around toward Gren and Clockblocker. It might be unnecessary, but Battery gets her out of the way while Vista makes the other miss.

"Can't inject through the scales." Armsmaster rearranges the settings on his Halberd. "Unless heat interferes with the bolts, hit him now."
Permalink Mark Unread

The pale green glow of the stunbolts forms a large orb, which grows and grows some more. When it's as big as a car, Gren launches it through the foam. If that doesn't knock him out, just about nothing will.

Permalink Mark Unread
He staggers. Flames die down. The gray haze buzzes around the edge of the Halberd, and Armsmaster disintegrates the scales from around Lung's exposed arm. Then he injects the tranquilizers.

Between the stunbolts and the tinker weaponry, Lung stops moving.
Permalink Mark Unread

Gren kneels on the ground, breathing heavily. "Finally. I was worried I'd have wasted a week's power for nothing."

Permalink Mark Unread
(That comment rankles. One week's power to take down Lung. Armsmaster had to prepare the disintegration, the tranquilizers, and the combat prediction algorithm the hard way. He doesn't show it.)

"He should be out long enough to shrink back down. Are the others still here?" He checks on Hookwolf, whose blades have retracted into his human form while he was unconscious. Stormtiger apparently recovered enough to leave while Lung was fighting.
Permalink Mark Unread

She glances at a certain building. "Cricket's still unconscious on that roof. She might be getting up soon, I can't tell. I can't get her, can't fly anymore... Ah, sorry I wrecked the Steelwing you made me. And what the hell kind of drugs can keep something like him down? And that shredder cloud is just scary. Wish I could copy tinkers sometimes."

Permalink Mark Unread
"It was designed with him in mind. Wouldn't be safe against most.
Villains ruining equipment, that's part of the job."

Vista and Battery collect Cricket while Armsmaster loads Hookwolf into a van. By the time they get back Lung is small enough to be moved and they can return to base.
Permalink Mark Unread

Gren rides in one of the vans, not having anything to fly with. She addresses the other Wards. "All's well that ends well. I'd have bolted if that last try didn't work. But if we left early we'd have to do it again eventually, with worse odds. I'm just glad we don't."

Permalink Mark Unread

"And this time there won't be a rescue attempt," Clockblocker agrees. "Since Bakuda's captured and Oni Lee couldn't plan his way out of a wet paper bag."

Permalink Mark Unread

"These fights would be really exciting if they weren't so dangerous. Maybe we should spar or something once in a while. I could probably use more close-combat skill, or parkour or something - I rely on flight a bit much."

Permalink Mark Unread
"Sure, I'd do that.
And I heard the Boston and New York teams practice against each other sometimes, maybe we can join that."
Permalink Mark Unread

"Anyone know if Armsmaster made a spare 'wing for me? I might have to use one of the ugly production models from my world. Or a regular broom or something, though that'd look even stupider."

Permalink Mark Unread

"I think that was one of the production models, the ones from this world. Or at least close enough to be replaceable."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Good. I hate being immobile in a fight."

Permalink Mark Unread
"I wouldn't know," Vista grins.

They return to the sound of cheers. Lung gets unloaded into a cell, having shrunk to normal and still unconscious. Hookwolf and Cricket have woken up, but are equally thoroughly restrained. (Not that anyone pays as much attention; they got Lung and the others hardly matter.)
Permalink Mark Unread
Gren feels strange being the cause of such a big celebration. Lung just doesn't compete with the Neuroi in her mind, for all the danger he posed.

She becomes Citrine Mage, pretending to be a calm and confident hero.
Permalink Mark Unread
Mostly it matters because Lung was the single strongest cape in the city. (As of recently, he had gone toe to toe with multiple Endbringers and survived.) Even aside from the fact that the ABB is likely to disintegrate, it means that every remaining villain can at least be straightforwardly fought.

And in fact subsequent patrols mostly see them fighting the Empire, and once in a while the Merchants. It's a slow fight, the heroes are still outnumbered by the various villain factions, but now they're winning.
Permalink Mark Unread
Gren overall tries to reserve as much power as possible. Any cape fights she tries to end quickly, with as little flashiness as possible.

Dauntless's power keeps charging her lovely amulet. Now that she realizes it, it's easier to copy and use multiple powers at once when she wears it. She loves this power.

...Considering some of the villain powers she's read about recently, specifically the Master powers, she kind of wants a specific sort of power to copy. Doing magic is a mental action for the most part... She inquires with the PRT and the UDF, is there anyone known to have protection against mental influence as a power or Witch special?
Permalink Mark Unread
As far as anyone else is concerned, Citrine Mage is just good at copying powers. Any noticeable difference they'll put down to practice.

Power immunity is rare on Earth Bet. There's a Ward in Boston who's immune to mental powers, but that's more as a side effect of the fact that those powers tend to work either on living or nonliving things and his body is made entirely of metal. And the Siberian is immune to practically everything, but she isn't going to stand still to be copied. Add to that the fact that powers are rarely purely defensive, and no likely candidates come to mind.
Permalink Mark Unread
The UDF finds two relevant Witches. One can enter a sort of emotionless combat fugue, shutting off all emotion and reason until a pre-arranged signal snaps her out of it. This is not something Gren wants to copy. The other has immunity, but not to mental effects - only to Witchly curses. Gren doesn't bother trying to copy this, either, it'd be useless against capes.

She settles for trying to practice teleporting while in less than ideal mental conditions. Though how to generate less than ideal mental conditions to teleport under is a bit of a quandry.
Permalink Mark Unread

This they can do. Gallant, her teammate, has emotion-affecting blasts as his main power. She can practice teleporting while hopeless, scared, sad, ashamed, et cetera and so on. Or any combination. Emotions aren't the only thing mental powers can do, but they don't have any other of the relevant type of Master on hand.

Permalink Mark Unread
She would, indeed, like to practice operating under the effects of various negative emotions. Only for a little while each day, in between patrols and the inane things school has her doing and a little free time, only when Gallant and her are both free, but she does indeed get some practice in.

It works best if she has a plan in mind before the effect starts, she can follow through simple courses of action with sheer bullheaded determination but her ability to think creatively takes a significant blow.

She continues to be unusually good at copying powers and rounding up villains.
Permalink Mark Unread
It's not an emergency situation, so the villains with superpowers are still being left to the Protectorate as much as possible. When parahuman backup arrives for the other side the Wards' primary goal is to disengage, but if Rune or Crusader happens to get stunned without more capes to drive off the Wards then nobody is going to object.

Before long the heroes are ready for what they hope is a final assault on the resident Nazis, thanks to a confidential and/or anonymous tip about location. Wards, especially Citrine Mage, may join but are naturally not required to.
Permalink Mark Unread

Citrine Mage would indeed like to join. Her usual warning that every fight she fights potentially means less stored-up power later applies. Though this is less severe a restriction than it used to be - if she is ever actually low on mana, there's a few immigrant Witches operating as rogues in Brockton Bay by now. One healer, that weather precog (who brought along an apprentice of sorts, one with cooking magic), three with various flavors of telekinesis. The PRT can buy off their mana to refill Gren's reserves if they get significantly depleted.

Permalink Mark Unread
The healer is in high demand already, and there are people with schemes to use weather precognition to get more useful information, but the PRT is in favor of having options.

They've got a time and place where the remaining Empire Eighty-Eight leadership will be. Leadership in this case means Purity, as Kaiser and his other lieutenants have been killed (by Behemoth) or captured (by Gren). Who Purity's seconds are is unknown, but information on the capes is available. Everything from powers and tactics to which teammates they tend to be alongside. An annoyingly high number are likely to be resistant to stunbolts, but Gren is the best counter they have to Purity herself. Gren is a flying Blaster who is better at both things, if not as destructively powerful.

They've even got numbers on how many unpowered reinforcements are likely to be on hand, and all capes know to watch out for bullets.
Permalink Mark Unread

Gren studies up on who might be there, planning to list cape names based on their powers as soon as she's close enough to tell them apart. She's been practicing unusually placed shields - they'll always be easiest to cast right in front of herself, but she might be able to completely shut down Purity's attempts at blasting things. Might. She definitely understands that Purity will be her priority.

Permalink Mark Unread
As the target day approaches, the team to send in gets ready. Armsmaster, Dauntless, Triumph, Aegis, Gallant, and of course Gren. Between the Protectorate and the Wards victories, they are certain to have the Empire capes outnumbered. The catch, predictably, is that the remaining ones are the hardest to capture.

But they're fully informed and expecting the fight, an advantage the Empire almost definitely doesn't have.
Permalink Mark Unread
When Citrine Mage approaches the outside of the building in question, she can confirm that a subset of the remaining Empire capes are inside it. One there, one there... Purity on the top floor.

But Gren is not good at stealth. "They're moving, I think we're spotted!" And shields go up.
Permalink Mark Unread
Visibility decreases as a gray fog spills out a window and spreads toward them. in a gust of wind. No, as Fog spreads toward them. All the heroes were prepared for this, with full-body costume coverage and very fine air filters. There's no telling if it'll be enough. Gallant tries to sense Fog's emotions, to get an idea of his intent, and relays that there barely are any. Maybe something to do with Fog's currently inhuman body. Fog is joined by Fenja and Menja, twin giantesses who jump out the window normal-sized and grow before they hit the ground. Purity herself moves closer but does not make a move yet.

Armsmaster gives an order to Dauntless, and white light crackles from the Arclance. It burns a path through the mist, and strikes Fenja. She weathers it and rejoins her teammates.
Permalink Mark Unread
Changer powers rarely make any sense to Citrine Mage, she won't be able to copy Fog. But Fenja and Menja are interesting. She tries to blow Fog away or apart with powerful winds but doesn't fuss if it doesn't work. Then she starts charging a very visible green-glowing stunbomb, her new name for the overcharged stunbolts.

Wait a minute.

To the team, "...Othala's in the building too. Didn't catch her at first. Can't copy her at range."
Permalink Mark Unread

Fog does disperse slightly, but pulls himself together and keeps coming. The ranged attackers are all firing on the Empire capes, but Gren's glowing green weapon is the most visible target. Fenja lunges, not for Citrine Mage but for the stunbomb, both she and her spear increasing in size. Menja rushes ahead of her and engages the close-range fighters.

Permalink Mark Unread

The stunbomb shrinks when the spear passes right through it. Citrine Mage applies just enough of telekinetic shove to Fenja to keep her from following up the attack, ascends, and starts charging it again. With her spare concentration she applies various shaker-type effects on the Empire's capes - the immobilization field, elemental things, telekinetic shoves, shields getting in their way, and so on. Watching Purity all the while.

Permalink Mark Unread
Fog reaches the heroes, and passes through Aegis' costume. The hero flies out, yelling that Fog is using his corrosive effect but doesn't seem to be trying to kill from the inside. Citrine Mage's shaker powers slow him down; between the decreased mobility and the shields he's effectively contained.

Everything has a fraction of the effect it should on the giantesses, but the same does not apply to whoever they're fighting. They drag Aegis, Armsmaster, and Dauntless into the immobilization field, where they're much less slow than their opponents. They start exchanging blows. Triumph shouts that he can keep Fog occupied, and then shouts, the sound waves driving the mist back. Gallant alternates blasts between Fenja and Menja, to little effect.
Permalink Mark Unread
She reverses the immobilization field as soon as it starts doing more harm than good.

The stunbomb is now large enough that she gives it a decent chance to shut down Fenja or Menja. She picks the one that seems easier to hit, and hits them with it.
Permalink Mark Unread
Fenja goes down, not unconscious but not getting up either. The other four heroes overwhelm Menja.

While that battle is ongoing, and going badly for the Empire, Purity steps out the window. She's glowing brightly, and raises a hand. Light spirals out, blasting Triumph to the ground, then Gallant, then Aegis. Dauntless' shield blocks one with its own white light, and Armsmaster is surprisingly hard to hit. The next blast is at Gren.
Permalink Mark Unread
She's being careful not to underestimate Purity. A large and tough shield goes up. Stunbolts, hiding in the spiral of her attack, go back the other direction.

Time to be more mobile. Gren starts dodging further attacks, filling the air with a hopefully overwhelming quantity of stunbolts, flitting around and trying to get Purity to make a mistake.
Permalink Mark Unread
It's not obvious whether her opponent could dodge well enough if she tried. She doesn't try. The stunbolts hit Purity to no effect. Most beams miss, but one hits her shield as powerfully as any blast of its type short of Legend's.

With Gren dodging and the others down or occupied, Purity starts talking.
"You attack me now? I wanted to clean up this world, same as Kaiser did, and do it without the drugs and extortion. With Krieg and Hookwolf gone too, I could maybe even get the whole Empire on board. We don't have to be enemies, but if you all insist then I'll just have to win."

She and Dauntless blast each other. Dauntless goes down.
Permalink Mark Unread
"Even if I agreed with your stupid agenda, which I don't, you're a criminal. We take down criminals."

She blasts into the building, thankful the steelwing is relatively compact, and seeks out Othala. Invulnerability probably means she's doing it.
Permalink Mark Unread

She spots Othala easily, thanks to her cape-detecting senses. Purity fires at the steelwing, not caring for the property damage if she misses, and keeps talking to Armsmaster. Othala runs for the nearest window.

Permalink Mark Unread

The steelwing takes a glancing blow and remains flyable, if less so. The blow Othala takes from a rain of stunbolts is not glancing.

Permalink Mark Unread

Othala collapses. If Gren returns outside, she'll see Purity and Armsmaster still talking, neither moving against the other, while Triumph holds Fog at bay and Aegis gets coming back no matter how often Menja hits him. Fenja starts to get up, and Armsmaster gives her a small dose of whatever kept Lung down.

Permalink Mark Unread
She takes forty-five seconds to copy Othala. Then she flies back outside and taps all the heroes still present (injured or downed ones first). They all get regeneration for a few seconds each before the next person's turn. That should help!

And since Purity shouldn't be invulnurable anymore, Citrine Mage can go back to trying to get a stunbolt on her.
Permalink Mark Unread
She's suddenly got Menja's shield in front of her face, coming closer. (Menja's arm is attached to it, but it's mostly the shield that's noticeable.)

Armsmaster calls out orders, "Gallant! Aegis! Get back to base, it's under attack." He gets back to dueling Menja, while Dauntless and Citrine Mage blast at Purity.
Permalink Mark Unread
Menja is annoying. Good thing Gren can still kinda-fly.

(stunbolt, stunbolt, gust of wind and smoke, stunbolt, stunbolt, flashbang bolt, stunbolt)
Permalink Mark Unread

Menja lasts longer than her sister did, but eventually her opponents wear her down enough for the repeated stunbolts and Halberd jabs to bring her down. Purity, between blasts, grabs Othala and flees.

Permalink Mark Unread
Citrine Mage curses under her breath. "Shoulda covered her in foam, even stunned." She chases, relying more on what she's copied off capes like Glory Girl and Purity herself than the Steelwing, now.

A shield forms in front of Purity's flight path. If this next round of stunbolts doesn't get her, it'll be better to save her mana than to keep chasing. She's already used quite a bit.
Permalink Mark Unread

She tries to fly around the shield, and fires on it when she can't. She blocks as many stunbolts as possible with Othala's already-stunned body. While trying to fly away, she calls back "it's true! Ask Armsmaster!"

Permalink Mark Unread

She radios Armsmaster. "Purity's gone, can't catch her, Steelwing's too damaged. Is HQ still under attack?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Yes. Undersiders. Can you fly there, or is it faster to ride with me?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Faster to ride there. Should probably re-stun and foam everyone before we leave. Don't want the rest of 'em to get up. D'you know what she meant by 'It's true'?"

Permalink Mark Unread
"What she said before, about trying to convince the rest of the Empire to be more vigilante than villain. Not that it isn't good news, but she hadn't made much progress so far."

Not having the time for Armsmaster to try devices against Fog until something reverts him to normal, Triumph's sound waves force Fog's form into the back of an airtight containment van. He and Citrine Mage ride with Armsmaster. Dauntless is a speedster in his own right. Their PRT backup moves in to collect Menja and Fenja, while the capes rush back to the PRT HQ.
Permalink Mark Unread
Citrine Mage speeds Armsmaster's bike along by imitating Vista.

"I've got plenty of juice left, by the way, just can't fly well without a Steelwing. Triumph, when we get there I'll give you regen or invulnurability, your choice - I'll probably lose Othala's power before the day's done, but I still have it for now."
Permalink Mark Unread
"Invulnerability, I'm not injured and we don't know what they've got."

When they arrive, there are PRT personnel surrounding the building and bringing people out. The people being taken out are unconscious but apparently uninjured. "They've got the Director," Miss Militia informs Armsmaster when they arrive. "Released everyone else, and aren't interfering with rescuing unconscious victims. They knocked out everyone on the lower levels, even Lung in the cells, and say they're going to bring down the building."

Gallant gets back from being flown around the building by Aegis. "They're in one of the middle levels, the darkness on the roof is a distraction. They have to know we're here, but aren't worried about whatever their plan is being disrupted. The Director isn't worried either, for what that's worth."
Permalink Mark Unread
She taps Triumph. "Invulned, probably for about five minutes. Huh. Bug girl... Let's see if I can mess with your early warning insects... No, I can't copy her control from this far away."

She switches to a whisper spell. "I think she might be able to hear through them. She put thin webs all over the place, and there's mosquitoes or similar on most of us, tracking our position... No clue how she can keep it all straight in her head."
Permalink Mark Unread

"We've been assuming they'll know as soon as we try anything," Miss Militia says. "Good to have confirmation. We didn't want to go in in force until everyone is out, especially Lung, in case they were serious about bringing down the building."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Agreed. I don't think any of us wants to fight Lung again. I can identify where her bugs are. Might be able to fool her by using telekinesis on some of them. Does anyone have a guess on whether my stunbolts will work on the dogs? I don't want to nail them with starbursts or lightning or something unless I have to. Don't have as much practice aiming big destructive stuff."

Permalink Mark Unread
"They didn't have any dogs when they came in," Browbeat says. He was the only Ward at the base at the time. "And I didn't see Hellhound."

"I'll take care of the bugs," Armsmaster promises. "Not all of them, but enough that I and a few other people can't be tracked very precisely."
Permalink Mark Unread
"Good stuff. I can probably start messing with the bugs if we get a little closer."

She opens up Telescope's power. "...Looks like they're on the fourth floor. At least, there's more of Grue's darkness all over that area. Seeing through walls is handy. Can you activate the foam sprayers remotely, Armsmaster?"
Permalink Mark Unread
"No. The Undersiders are often surprisingly well informed, they might not be there if I could.

The building will be empty after just a few more people. When that happens, Miss Militia, Battery, Triumph and I will go in the front door. We'll disguise our position as much as possible. We're the diversion. Citrine Mage, Aegis, Vista, get the other Wards to the fourth floor from outside. Break the window and stall them until we get up there.

Miss Militia, Citrine Mage, send Skitter false alarms every sixty seconds for," he checks a random-number generator in case Tattletale has a relevant power, "four minutes after the last person is out. We'll move on the fourth."
Permalink Mark Unread
She follows the plan, frying the bugs on the local heroes or letting Armsmaster do the same and using wind and little telekinetic plucks to give Skitter's webguards false alarms.

She finds something stable enough to fly a short distance with two people. Hovering a little closer to Skitter lets her get just enough of a hold on that power to scatter the bugs. She can't micromanage, but on the fourth minute when they go through the window, all the bugs start flying in random directions.

Skitter will probably win in terms of who controls the bugs, but she can at least interfere. The first dozen stunbolts go for the thick person-shaped mass of bugs which is probably controlling them. They're unexpectedly dulled by the thick darkness, so she starts trying to dispel the stuff with Grue's power.
Permalink Mark Unread
"Stand down!" the Director barks the order. She's tied to a chair, and isn't moving except to speak in a voice that doesn't sound like hers.

"Wards? I was expecting you earlier," Tattletale talks.
Permalink Mark Unread
...So she stops with the stunbolts, grabs Tattletale's power.

"What are you even trying to accomplish here? This place doesn't have nearly as much expensive stuff to steal as you'd expect, and much better security."

Tattletale's power, is the director alright? And are there actually bombs somewhere? (Those bugs trying to wrap her teammates up in silk start flying in random directions instead. She'll probably not have enough concentration for it sooner or later, but not yet.)

Oh, and she keeps working on dispelling the dark, even if it doesn't seem to be working all that well. She can see through it, now, at least.
Permalink Mark Unread
The Director is uninjured, restrained, resisting, no obvious thing to resist, something nonobvious, invisible power, Regent, body control.

Tattletale's looking smug (that grin can't not be described as vulpine), knows Citrine Mage is copying her power, knows she knows Tattletale knows that, and knows she knows she knows she knows she knows.... This powers is still tricky to control.

They are planning to damage the building, most of them prefer to do it with no casualties and minimal outside property damage for various reasons, but they aren't concerned with protecting any particular device that might cause the damage.

"So you know that wasn't actually her order. But you're just here to stall us, so want to hear what I've got to say?"
Permalink Mark Unread
"Damn mind games." A series of miniature, well-controlled lightning bolts zap many of the insects in the room. The stunbolts would be more effective at close range... And she has enough of Glory Girl's powers memorized to throw off their reaction.

"Alright, fine." She watches the Undersiders, using Tattletale's power to look for the best moment to teleport directly behind them and stun them all at point-blank range.
Permalink Mark Unread
It tells her that the real Tattletale knows she's looking for a space, and is directing her team to cover wherever she looks.

"It's very important. The truth is...I'm stalling too. When we do our thing, stay no higher than the floor above this. No need for anyone to get hurt.

The Protectorate bursts through the door. "Just in time! Done stalling. Now."
Permalink Mark Unread
Everything on that side of the room, including all of the bugs, will find it difficult to move while Citrine Mage teleports behind Grue and slaps him on the back of the head. He is definitely stunned.

And then she starts feeling woozy. She opens up Angel's regeneration, but not nearly fast enough apparently. She faints.
Permalink Mark Unread
By the time she wakes up, the Undersiders have escaped. Somehow. This was a disaster.

There was no explosion. Instead, they had cleanly destroyed much of the inside of the building on the upper levels, including the Wards headquarters. There is surprisingly little debris, more melted metal than strictly necessary, and no sign of a bomb or relevant tinker device. No one has any clear idea what, if anything, the villains were after. The Director's current guess is reputation; if this stunt did nothing else it put the Undersiders thoroughly on the map. Regent had claimed it was at least partly out of a grudge against her personally, but none of the Undersiders is known to have such a reason. Especially not him.
Permalink Mark Unread
It was some kind of weird drug. She got that much as feedback from her healing power before she went down.

She wants to hunt these guys down. Fly above various parts of the city for a while until she smells one of their powers. How much of a terrible idea is this?
Permalink Mark Unread
Not at all, if she can recognize powers from enough range that the Undersiders can't do anything about it. She can do it on the next time she patrols with Aegis. With Purity gone the heroes have near-undisputed control of the skies. Capturing them is going to be the harder part; they'll be at least as prepared as they were when attacking the PRT.

In the meantime, the Wards headquarters has been relocated to the Protectorate building. Director Piggot is going to be transferred to another city as soon as a replacement is decided upon, since a Director partially under the physical control of an active villain is a liability. She's not happy about the demotion.
Permalink Mark Unread
Citrine Mage's detection range is fairly large, but not compared to a city. She doesn't find them. (She does pick a few capes out of crowds, just not the ones she was looking for.)

She lurks on the Parahumans Online forum at the end of the third day of patrols, working out her frustration by discussing anti-Behemoth tactics on the Endbringers thread.
Permalink Mark Unread
Specific details of Endbringer fights aren't usually publicized. Even aside from the fact that important capes become higher-profile targets, which no one wants, there's also the simple fact that the same tactic doesn't necessarily work twice. There's no enforced prohibition against getting the public's hopes up with specific powers or combinations of powers, but it's mostly just not done. Most people who weren't there don't know, for instance, how effective Parian was under Tattletale's and Yvette's direction.

That doesn't mean they can't speculate on what might work. (Parian and Clockblocker was a combination that had come up before, from some of the forumites who were the most familiar with Brockton Bay.) One suggestion is pairing Citrine Mage with some other Trump for a recursive loop, though nobody can suggest an appropriate cape.

(Any thread a Brockton Bay Ward appears in suddenly gets distracted asking about recent events. She can ignore this if she wants.)
Permalink Mark Unread
She says the recursive loop idea wouldn't work, but declines to give details on why. She'll talk about recent events in a vague sort of way, but eventually gets tired of that too.

A thread about vigilantes vs villains is interesting. Gren talks about how she could maybe possibly see the vigilantes' point of view, as long as they try to be restrained about it. The police and heroes can't be everywhere, and it would be an entirely different set of issues if they could.
Permalink Mark Unread
Other heroes disagree with that one. Many people, a few of them with [Verified Cape] tags, say the standard line about how vigilantes have nothing reining them in and tend to use excessive force or enforce laws more against people they dislike, even if they start out with the best of intentions. Vigilante to villain is a much more common trajectory than vigilante to hero. Plenty of others agree with Gren, of course.

One commenter, having heard that Purity claimed to want to stop the Empire's crimes, asked if this means Citrine Mage let her go. Others want to know whether she thinks the current real world is a situation where vigilantes are a net good, and if not what would have to change.
Permalink Mark Unread

Vigilantes do need some kind of accountability. Where she's from, it's that the heroes would step in if they went too far, but otherwise let the vigilantes be. No, she's not going to say where she's from. She did let Purity go, but more out of concern that the other Empire capes would escape than because she agreed with her politics. She is not a Nazi.

Permalink Mark Unread
That argument isn't going to end any time soon. The discourse rages on.

Gren finds herself with a private message from a newly cerated account claiming to be Skitter. She, assuming it's her, wants to arrange a truce to talk to Citrine Mage about vigilantes.
Permalink Mark Unread
If you're Skitter, how many false-alarms did I give your bugs in the fight earlier today? And how many times did I attempt to control your bugs. We can discuss a truce after your identity is relatively verified.

After receiving the correct responses, I'll agree to a truce for the duration of a meeting. I promise not to attempt to capture you unless you or your gang tries to hurt someone. I'd prefer to meet alone but won't mandate that. If the meeting place smells like an ambush I'll teleport away and bring the heroes down on the area.
Permalink Mark Unread
Skitter is perfectly willing to meet alone. They agree on a place that can be expected to be empty, Skitter knowing she can check for people and Citrine Mage that she can check for capes.

When they meet, Skitter is a tall teenager surrounded by insects. They buzz whenever she speaks, disguising her voice. Even her shape is hard to discern in the mass of bugs. (If Citrine Mage copies her power, that will stop applying.)
Permalink Mark Unread
Citrine Mage is wearing her amulet and streetclothes, and maintaining a strong dose of a Stranger power that leaves her features obscured enough to be unidentifiable.

"Well, you wanted to talk, so talk."
Permalink Mark Unread

"It's about vigilantes, and villains who do more good than harm. I'm trying to do that as part of the Undersiders. We've split up the city now, each taking responsibility for part of it. I can effectively stop organized crime in my territory, and a lot of unorganized. I'm hoping you leave convinced the Undersiders are going to help the city more than they'd hurt it."

Permalink Mark Unread

"The entire city? That's a bit ambitious, isn't it? I don't have a strong impression of your personalities. The only time I interacted with you has been that first night when Bakuda was destroying things, and during crimes. That's not exactly a good impression, you know."

Permalink Mark Unread
"No, it wouldn't be.
We were fighting Bakuda. We've fought the Empire, the Merchants, Lung. I'm staying with the Undersiders because I think taking over the city would help things."
Permalink Mark Unread

She sighs. "You believe it. Or you're very good at controlling your emotions... I'm not a hero, Skitter, not really. All this public duty and so on... It's annoying. It makes me a target for people like fucking Coil. I only do it because I kinda have to. 'All that is needed for evil to triumph is that good men do nothing,' and so on. I don't have to like it, but I fight the monsters. Are you a monster? Your team?"

Permalink Mark Unread
Coil. Whom she recently found out was the Undersiders' secretive boss, and who is very on board with cleaning up the city.

"I think that's the wrong question. I'm not, but neither was Kaiser or Skidmark. People don't need to be monsters like Bakuda to need to be stopped. Most people aren't, even most of the people I wouldn't want to share a city with aren't."
Permalink Mark Unread

"You don't control the Undersiders, I think. If I let you go and they turn out to be a bunch of sadistic warlords, it's effectively my fault. If I ran away from an Endbringer, I'd consider myself a mass-murderer. If I leave and you let gangs collect protection money, or let people like Coil kidnap and drug people for their powers, it's my fault. I never would have left his base if my old team didn't show up and blast their way out. I won't let anyone else suffer that, or enable it, if I can help it."

Permalink Mark Unread
Kidnap and drug? Is there a safe way to ask the hero about that?

"Coil kidnapped and drugged you?
I don't control the Undersiders. There wouldn't be any other gangs around if we succeed, and none of the Undersiders are the sadistic variety of warlord. Not saying Regent goes out of his way to care about other people, but the rest of us do have some control, and we know what brings down more heroes on our heads.

Stopping people from making others suffer is why I'm in this."
Permalink Mark Unread
"Yes. I think he wanted me to copy a precog, get more predictions. I couldn't just teleport away because of the drugs, and I'd go into withdrawal whenever I swore at him instead of answering the question. That was probably the second least pleasant week of my life." She looks distant.

"I turn eighteen soon and graduate from the Wards. Couple of weeks. I probably won't join the Protectorate. Let's say you show me that the streets are kept relatively clean in the next couple of weeks. I won't vouch for you guys. But I don't help hunt you down, either, I wander the world or something instead. And if you start being evil, if there are verifiable cases of the Undersiders doing more harm than good, I come back and I correct my mistake. With as much force as necessary."
Permalink Mark Unread
"We aren't going to have to make money ordinary organized crime ways. Once we have the city, feel free to check my territory."
More importantly, "is Coil doing that to anyone right now?"
Permalink Mark Unread

"He said he was holding just one other person, that precog, for her own good. My team broke her out when they got me. But he was probably lying."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Sounds like the kind of villain who needs to go. I'll talk to my team and see if I can convince them."

Permalink Mark Unread

"That's that, then. Take those mosquitoes off me and I'll be on my way."

Permalink Mark Unread
Of course, Citrine Mage can sense bugs too. The mosquitos buzz off.

"I'm glad we could reach an agreement, then."
Permalink Mark Unread

She waves goodbye and walks out, still blurred from that Stranger power. Any bugs that try to land on her die. A few buildings away, she teleports back to the base.

Permalink Mark Unread

Leaving Skitter to figure out how to talk Regent into taking down the guy who signs their paychecks or Coil into giving up whatever drugged captives he probably has. This should be fun.

Permalink Mark Unread
Gren's last few weeks as a Ward are pretty uneventful. Interestingly, the Dauntless-charged amulet seems to have started making mana, which is very exciting. Long term immense power growth is the best kind of power. When the new Director comes to her about signing up for the Protectorate, she politely declines and just asks for her trust money. She turns in her costume unless they let her keep it (the amulet was hers to begin with, so they don't get that). To her teammates she says that being a full-time Hero just isn't her.

To the people trying to convince her to join the Protectorate she says that being a Ward was largely annoying and being part of the Protectorate would probably be moreso. She's not going to become a vigilante, though, she intends to wander the world selling healing or other nonviolent powers. She's willing to show up if they call her in on something, if they pay her for things she is called in on of course.
Permalink Mark Unread
Rogues are officially something the Protectorate encourages, Director Calvert tells her, though they're disappointed about losing a cape as versatile as she is. (If she tells them her amulet started making mana, they'll be even more so.) But they don't have any way to keep her in the Protectorate if she doesn't want to be there, nothing stronger than dire warnings that trumps are second only to tinkers in being forced into factions and nobody poaches from the Protectorate.

She will have to leave behind the costume and the Citrine Mage name; apparently the lawyerly members of Glenn Chambers' department say those stick with the organization.

That said, she'll be in high demand wherever she goes for the healing alone.
Permalink Mark Unread
She makes a tasteful purple (armored) costume complete with witch-hat (thank you, Parian's power!), a replica of that lighted mask, starts calling herself Copycat again, and hires someone to contact, collect, and sort people who'd like to hire her. And also finds a lawyer, to warn her away from illegal things.

She makes it known that meeting a new (non-tinker, she can't copy those) parahuman can be an acceptable alternate payment, and starts wandering the world. Healing is probably what she ends up doing most of.

Meanwhile, another unknown cape has been learning the ways of the internet, establishing contacts, and setting up her own business. She calls herself Places, and will teleport anything anywhere if the price is right.
Permalink Mark Unread

Customers from rich civilians in a hurry to supervillains in need of a getaway. If she's not at least a little selective she'll get classified as a villain herself even though most of her clients are completely outside the cape world.

Permalink Mark Unread
Officially, she doesn't do shady teleport jobs. Unoffically, the prices are much higher. Some of the worst ones she refuses outright, though. One of her regular customers arranges imports of Earth Aleph media.

She's pretty good at covering her tracks, electronically or otherwise. There doesn't seem to be a real person anywhere on Earth Bet that corresponds to the cape known as Places.
Permalink Mark Unread
It is not entirely unknown that Aleph and Bet aren't the only relevant Earths. A certain group of villains is better informed than most.

Is Places at all informed on what powers exist on the rumored Earth Gimel? And if there's much variety, is she willing to take people there?
Permalink Mark Unread
Earth Gimel's version of the Protectorate (close enough) maintains a comprehensive list of all known powers. She names a few of the powers available - various Brute, Blaster, Shaker and Thinker types. There seems to be quite a lot of them. They don't seem to operate on the same rules as capes from Bet, though how exactly they're different is hard to pin down with only a few examples.

An expanded subset of the list will cost an amount of money that's significant for some random joker but close to pocket change for a supervillain group: $5000. The full list and contact information will cost more, she hasn't decided how much yet. Going to Earth Gimel (Terra, as it calls itself) will cost quite a lot, especially if they want her to keep it quiet, and comes with conditions, the first of which is an in-person meeting at a time and place that Places chooses. She'll have a bodyguard, by the way, and you do not get to know what powers the guard has except that Places thinks it's enough to keep her safe long enough to teleport away.
Permalink Mark Unread
This is all perfectly acceptable. As long as the meeting can be in costume and she doesn't insist on learning any secret identities.

They can pay whatever it takes for the full list; they've been successful so far. They're looking for powers that can transform people, powers that can heal, powers that can enforce action, and anything that Bet would consider a trump power.

At the meeting, even though they said transport for six, only five show up. And they want to make sure Places' power doesn't require physical contact.
Permalink Mark Unread
Places appears to be a woman. Her costume is chaotically colored, and armored, but she doesn't seem to have trouble walking around in it. Her guard's costume is all black, the mask painted with an angry expression, and also armored.

"Let's get straight to business. You have the money?" They do. "Here's the list." A USB drive is handed over.

"I don't need physical contact, but I do have a mass limit and a number-of-targets limit. As to the powers you inquired about: There are at least two who can transform people into animals. Another can transform men into women and vice versa. There are various healers depending on what you want healed, but none of them match Panacea. There are a couple flavors of enforced action. The first is geasing. When willing targets swear to a particular phrase, they become literally unable to break the promise. There are also curses, which are rather finicky but have been known to de-power people, among many other unpleasant things. Will you be wanting to go to Earth Gimel soon?"
Permalink Mark Unread

The red-costumed man in the top hat does most of the talking. "I imagine we will. It might take several trips, to prepare things safely. And what is this mass limit? Our sixth member might exceed it, in which case we'd need to bring all the candidate capes here one at a time."

Permalink Mark Unread

"If I teleport anything over two tons I'll need time to rest. I can't safely 'port anything over twelve tons. There's more you'll need to know, though - Gimel's capes work differently than Bet's. They all get low level brute, mover, and blaster stuff, only women, no trigger events, they decay with age... And you can't buy 'em." She tilts her head inquiringly. "For my own safety, your sixth member is what they call a Case 53, correct?"

Permalink Mark Unread
"Yes. Over two tons, though less than three, and not always in control of herself. We'd need to go first with enough time to set up a place that can keep her contained.

Gimel capes can work however they want, so long as they work. If nothing does work, we'd probably want passage back when Bet is our best chance again. Wouldn't want to throw away our shot. Will we be able to contact you from there?"
Permalink Mark Unread
"Gimel capes also don't do costumes so much. You'll catch attention as you are. Bet's dollars aren't much good in some places, but I'll exchange currency for 5% if you like. Contact between the worlds will be slow at best, but I can make sure to visit at least once a day. They were much lower tech than Bet when contact happened, but they're catching up fast. I'll give you a mailing address which you should not actually show up at, and a radio frequency that someone will be checking every day at midnight in Gimel's London's time."

"Now, my prices. Given the potential danger from your last member, the heat I'll bring down by moving known villains across the world barrier..."

They're high. Very high. But not completely out of reach, they can afford two round trips to Gimel for everyone and then some.
Permalink Mark Unread

Places is oddly well informed on the available funds of successful mercenary villains. But the Travelers are willing to spend more of their money on this than most customers, at least going by how their leader talks. To minimize the number of trips they arrange for three to go earlier and arrange a place to hide their other member, then the remainder to follow with her.

Permalink Mark Unread

"Where on Gimel would you like to show up?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Some city where where money is good, either currency, and close to some of the more promising capes." He scans the list. "Does a geas work on involuntary actions?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"London would be my best bet. One of the transformers is there, at least three geasers, and probably someone who can do curses but I don't keep close track on them. And it's a big center of government and trade to boot, so Bet dollars are gold there. Geases work on obsessive disorders and nervous tics and the like, but not for example your heartbeat or that thing where you kick if someone hits your knee just right."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Worth a try. London, then."

Permalink Mark Unread
"I need to arrange a place in London for you to land. Tomorrow afternoon earliest. Email me a time after that you'll be back here, bring the money for the first one-way trip."

And whenever the three that are going are ready and the money is counted by that guard...

They and all their luggage are in a nondescript but old-looking warehouse in Earth Gimel's London. "Go nuts."
Permalink Mark Unread

They do. Going from being present in an unfamiliar city in an unfamiliar world with nothing but the clothes on one's back (and lots of money) to being in possession of a fortified vault isn't necessarily easy, but it works eventually. When it does, they contact Places again. The transport for the remaining Travelers is going to be the dangerous one.

Permalink Mark Unread

She shows up at the designated place with two guards. The second one is wearing non-costume armor and a simpler mask labelled 'N'. "I need line of sight on your last member. Where to?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"This way. Light's low, it makes it easier for her around people." All the clients are speaking softly. They lead the way to a heavy steel door, which they open.

Permalink Mark Unread

She follows, whispering, "Twenty-five seconds to build up juice once I see them. N is a telekinetic, she'll hold your last member back if they attack."

Permalink Mark Unread
The sixth member looks like an ordinary young woman from the waist up. Everything else, the vast majority of her body, is an enormous mass of flesh. Three giant animal heads, prehensile slobbering tongues, too many legs to count which species they're all imitating, a handful of tentacles, and a tentacleful of hands.

She doesn't attack. She's studiously facing away from the strangers, and while some of her body is wavering and gesturing at them she doesn't make any especially sudden moves.
Permalink Mark Unread
Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. "Brace for transport."

And they're in the Travelers' Earth Gimel vault. Everyone falls two inches. Places and her guards back out of the door immediately.
Permalink Mark Unread
Their clients don't spend long in the vault either, with the exception of their leader.

Thanks to the list they got from Places, finding the relevant capes—or Witches, here—is far easier than it was on Earth Bet. Oliver does most of the talking. Masks aren't customary here, and even though there's almost no risk of being recognized by the same person in both worlds they may as well have the most visible face be the one that's never the same twice.

They go for one of the geas Witches first. It won't be a cure, but if Noelle can be made safe to be around then subsequent searches will be much easier.
Permalink Mark Unread
Two of the geas Witches work for the government and don't give geases to the public. The last bills herself as helping with addictions and similar. She is a little hard to find, but jumps at the chance to name some extra money.

She's intimidated and grossed out by Noelle, but money is money. What phrasing where they thinking of? So she can point out any holes.
Permalink Mark Unread
"I'd say never using her power, but most of it is passive. So an inability to touch or attack anyone using the mutated parts of that body," the long-haired man doing most of the less public negotiating suggests. "Something that wouldn't restrict her once she gets changed back."

Noelle herself doesn't express much of an opinion; making her situation less of a problem and her safer to be around would be worth it whatever side effects if comes with.
Permalink Mark Unread

"If the power is largely passive, it would be safer to have a fully general restriction that expires at some later time. Geases can be fuzzy around involuntary or compulsory actions. How about never touching or attacking anyone at all unless the power is to her own best judgment, or one of yours, no longer a problem? If there are things that aggravate the involuntary parts of your power, you can include an clause not to let them aggravate you. It might help. I can loosen or remove a geas easily if you change your mind, by the way."

Permalink Mark Unread
"And there are no cases where using this power is a good idea. A general one with an expiration date sounds just as good."

"How does the not being aggravated clause work?" the blonde Traveler asks. "She has to avoid those things, or they magically don't affect her, or they affect her less depending on how much choice she has in it?"
Permalink Mark Unread

"I'm not entirely sure how it will work with otherworldly powers, but it mostly helps you not care about the things that are aggravating you. It takes away, automates, most of the mental effort. When I geas addicts not to crave their sin of choice, they still crave it, but they find it easier to dismiss or ignore the craving because they are not allowed to let it affect them. It only helps so much, but some is more than none."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Do it," comes Noelle's voice, piped in remotely. "I need all the help I can get with ignoring this...craving."

Permalink Mark Unread
"Alright. I don't need to be physically present, as long as this telephone device is real-time. You'll feel the geas forming as you speak, and a sense of finality when it's done.

Repeat after me: I swear that I will not touch or attack another person until such time as my power is no longer harmful, to my own best judgment. While this oath is binding I will consider actions on my part that may be attacks, as attacks. While this oath is binding I will not allow the cravings or impulses caused by my power to affect me. While this oath is binding I will not allow involuntary responses to break this oath in whole or in part. So mote it be."
Permalink Mark Unread
She repeats the oath.
"...in whole or in part. So mote it be."

Everyone here is in very much in favor of moteness.

"Is there a safe way to test if it worked, or do we have to have someone come here and see if it got easier for me to resist?"
Permalink Mark Unread

"Try to decide to touch someone. You will find yourself repelled by the idea."

Permalink Mark Unread

"I was already repelled by that," she says, but is indeed more so than usual.

Permalink Mark Unread

"Then someone will have to test it in person."

Permalink Mark Unread
Oliver gets convinced to go in, since it would be less catastrophic if he touched Noelle than if any of the others did. And Krouse can move him out quickly if she does move against him. Normally this kind of precaution isn't necessary on a good day, but normally they aren't specifically trying to see if Noelle can touch people. She even agrees to let people look at her, under the circumstances.

Oliver comes out safely. He waits a few minutes, talking with Noelle at a normal volume and with the lights on. Noelle reports that the feeling she's about to attack someone is at a normal intensity, and it doesn't feel more controllable. But she's resisting as much as she ever could, and isn't having to concentrate to do it.
Permalink Mark Unread

"It seems like that's the best I can do. You've already paid, so I'll be on my way. Unless you have more questions?"

Permalink Mark Unread
"Nothing we didn't discuss earlier, no. You'll remember not to tell people we're on Terra?"

Noelle, meanwhile, just thanks her repeatedly from across the radio.
Permalink Mark Unread
"Money talks. Or doesn't, in this case. You know where to find me if you need another geasing."

She leaves.
Permalink Mark Unread

And the Travelers have just made more progress than their entire cape career. Next up, anyone on their list who can remove powers directly, or is Noelle picking between repeated transformations to reset its progress and a curse?

Permalink Mark Unread
It seems that being turned male causes Witches to lose their powers, and they don't get them back if they're returned to female. But that probably won't help Noelle, and the Witch who can do it is under a geas never to do so again since it was that or jail time.

There's nobody who can directly remove powers. Transformations and curses are both options, though.
Permalink Mark Unread

Noelle wants a transformation. Badly. Even if there's nothing better than the Witch who could turn people into animals, that's infinitely better than this. And they're rich; they can have it undone later if the curse is a total success.

Permalink Mark Unread
Places said there was a transformer in London: This is the male-to-female transformer who is currently on probation for misusing her ability. They could probably contrive to have her transform Noelle, but it would involve the government geasers. Either Places was mistaken about what they wanted or sent them to London for some other reason.

Of the Witches who can transform people (and who are not currently on probation, insane, and/or in prison) the nearest one can turn people into animals and lives in the southern half of Hispania, which is Gimel's version of Spain. It's a three-day boat ride, or a rather expensive ten-hour airlift by Witch couriers.
Permalink Mark Unread
Noelle still isn't smaller than three tons. (Yet! Growth mindset! (Figuratively.)) An airlift would be complicated.

Is there a transformer who can turn Noelle into her real self? That would be worth lengthening the trip.
Permalink Mark Unread
One of the people listed as a healer can revert a person's body to their 'true form', where one's true form is some mixture of their version of an ideal body and what their genetics actually code for. She lives in what would be California if North America wasn't shaped differently and called Liberion.

Getting there with Noelle would be five days by boat then two and a half days by train. Places' prices are much lower for in-world teleports, but still fairly high. There are two other teleporters in London if they want to shop around, but both of them are employed by the UDF so it might make secrecy complicated.
Permalink Mark Unread
Explaining their trip to the people providing transport in a way that doesn't make them refuse is probably doable, but better avoided. They'll try Places again; she already knows to be discreet.

And Krouse can try to bargain the price down to normal in-world teleport level, since the trip is much less dangerous this time.
Permalink Mark Unread

She'll do it for normal in-world teleport level (A few thousand dollars - Noelle is still huge if not quite so dangerous anymore) if they tell her everything they know about Cauldron.

Permalink Mark Unread
It's a deal.
They don't know much. No one does. They can confirm that Cauldron exists and sells bottles of superpowers. They've personally seen a set, though they weren't Cauldron customers, and the people who drank the vials ended up with powers. They recommend not talking about it much; the rumor says that Cauldron is very good at finding out when their secrecy is threatened.

They don't tell Places that they got their abilities from those vials, or that drinking half of one is the cause of the problem they're trying to solve.
Permalink Mark Unread
Places seems to accept this information at face value.

Arranging for a place for Noelle to stay close to this healer only takes another couple of days. Places suggests that they say Noelle is already the victim of a curse, to help avoid inconvenient questions.
Permalink Mark Unread

As long as it doesn't mislead the healer in a way that would interfere with fixing the problem, they'll go along with it. Noelle can have been cursed to absorb any organic matter and spit out evil clones if that's a thing curses might do.

Permalink Mark Unread
That is indeed a thing curses might do. There are few hard rules about them except 'being unpleasant'. Form changes rarely remove a curse, and they're not expected to remove her power either so it's the same thing really.

The healer has a long waiting list.
Permalink Mark Unread

Of course she does. Is this the kind of long waiting list that can be addressed with bribery, or are they going to have to argue among themselves about whether they want to use force?

Permalink Mark Unread

Bribery totally works. But they're going to run out of money sooner or later at this rate. The healer will see Noelle in private some time tomorrow.

Permalink Mark Unread
They were in the low but plural millions before leaving Bet; Places doesn't charge that much. They are expecting to run around to some of the more expensive capes on Gimel, though.

The healer gets informed on what she's up against, though they lie about the cause. If this works, it'll cancel out two years' worth of Noelle getting worse. If there isn't a permanent cure for their power, they'll probably be back to talk about regular visits.

More mundanely, since they're bribing their way to the head of the line can she also heal Genesis' paralysis?
Permalink Mark Unread

Healing someone wheelchair-bound is going to a lot easier than someone with a curse that causes an unusual form. She will heal Genesis's body as well for a 25% increase in the waiting-list-jump-bribe.

Permalink Mark Unread

They're throwing money around like it's nothing; they may as well continue throwing. This is what they were mercenaries for; they would have done it earlier if the last set of capes could have helped.

Permalink Mark Unread
That afternoon the precog known as Seer, in the course of her usual precogitating, says that it would be a good idea to have the Protectorate ready to respond to a major threat in an unexpected location. Attempts to narrow it down don't seem to help much, but they rule out a few dozen major cities.

The next morning, the healer arrives. She wants to heal Genesis first, as it's likely to be the easier of her two jobs.
Permalink Mark Unread
Krouse grumbles at this, but it's not like Jess has been waiting any shorter than Noelle has.
There are indeed no complications. Smiles, laughter, and hugs all around (with the obvious exception) until Noelle and Krouse insist on trying the other patient.
Permalink Mark Unread
This one takes longer. The healer doesn't need skin contact, thankfully, but she starts looking rather strained. "Curses are always tricky. The body doesn't have the usual patterns. I'll manage it eventually."

Time passes. "...Ah, there we are." There is a slurping sound, and Noelle should now be able to feel a pair of legs, still covered in warm flesh. "Wait. I felt the spell pop..." She stares at the still-present mound of body parts. "What in the world..."

Places appears, along with her guard and 'N'. "Shit, too late to warn you. Run! RUN!" 'N' shoves the mound of flesh back with a visible wall of force, somehow managing to tear Noelle free of it at the same time, though probably breaking something in the process. Places' guard picks her up and runs as fast as possible.

The healer is just going to stand there staring in surprised and dismayed confusion.
Permalink Mark Unread
It's good that the healer was standing there. If she were doing anything more mobile, it would have been harder for Krouse to swap her and Noelle. He catches his girlfriend before she falls, leaving the healer to land on the monster in her place.

Marissa is fast, dodging a limb and moving for the door. Jess can't run, she hasn't had functional legs for years and isn't used to operating these ones. And her chair certainly isn't fast enough. Oliver rushes to help her, but too slow. The monstrosity rolls on top of her and it's all he can do to get away.
Permalink Mark Unread
N shoves it back again, screaming in pain or anger, then turns to run. The angry-mask guard shakes her head at Krouse. "Jesus. Cold, man, I see why they call you villains. Fuck. P briefed me, evil clones? Since we're about to be in combat: Truce. And my power is short term invulnerability for me and one or two people nearby. A few seconds at a time."

Places adds, "None of us have much endurance. Witches, all three. I think we can get the big guns here, precogs knew something was going down. Need to find a phone."
Permalink Mark Unread
"Evil clones, if it keeps my power," Noelle says after a short pause. "Kill them on sight." (Marissa optimistically brought clothes for when the healing worked. She and Luke may be trying to hold off the whatever it is, but Noelle's priority is pants. Strategy next.)

"Jess makes projections, animal bodies she controls while sleeping. Clones might have different powers, if so it's usually in a way that makes them more dangerous. How tough are Witches against heat and impacts, we might be in a position to rescue her."

Noelle's ex-body is being held back by random objects accelerated by Luke and having pieces burned off by Marissa. Apparently this is serious enough that property damage stops mattering. But they're avoiding the center of mass out of concern for the hostages, and its appendages regenerate quickly.
Permalink Mark Unread
"Uh. Impact we're reasonably good against, heat not so much. I'm not touching that thing, though, it's fucking terrifying."

Places grunts. "We need the big guns. Seer said something bad was gonna happen this morning, in an unexpected place, and fast response is the way to cut it off. This is the bad thing."

N glances at her boss, then pipes up, "Wally, I might be able to get them. Protect me for ten seconds. Weird otherworld Witches, I want a ton of money if I save your friend."
Permalink Mark Unread
The healer is lying top of the wall of flesh, partially covered and sinking in. What the sinking in part implies for Jess, who currently has three tons of monstrosity on top of her, isn't pretty.

Noelle yells, "Ballistic, hit it underneath her! Try to cut her free! N, pull her clear enough and Trickster can switch her out."
Permalink Mark Unread
N nods. "Okay. Wally, save the protection. I'm ready when you lot are."

Places hands N a piece of jewelry, which... Probably has something to do with their powers.
Permalink Mark Unread

Ballistic has run out of projectiles with serious mass; it's up to Sundancer to hold it back. He switches to weapons that might penetrate deeper instead, and manages to marginally weaken the flesh below the hostage. Nothing he can safely do will get her farther from it. "Probably as good as I can get, pull her if you can!"

Permalink Mark Unread
N has been approaching as close as she dared. She makes a sharp hand motion- And the flesh tears, a large section of it coming free and bringing the healer with it. She comes careening toward the exit, along with some incidental debris to serve as more ammo for Ballistic. "Ugh. I'm spent for a few minutes. Mana burn."

Places has apparently found brooms - literal brooms - from somewhere. The four Witches each get one and start flying, though that healer is still mostly just gibbering in shock.
Permalink Mark Unread
As she has every right to be. Noelle insists that Krouse is responsible for what happens to the Witch after that stunt he pulled, but he couldn't have not done it.

The fight seems to be going their way, the creature hasn't even regrown the damage yet from when it lost the healer. Then it opens one of its mouths, the one attached to a vaguely demonic-canine-shaped outgrowth near its center of mass. It vomits.

Aside from being gross, this is also tactically relevant. Three young women, stir in the middle of the slime, all of them looking like mutated copies of Jess and none of them wearing a stitch. Two of them stay still and close their eyes in the middle of the battlefield. A gelatinous wall materializes, blocking the view to the clones and their creator. Ballistic and Sundancer destroy it quickly, but by then the three Genesises are out of view. Trickster swaps them with their creations whenever he spots one, and Sundancer shows no mercy, but mostly it's screeching taloned monsters or firebreathing dragons appearing from unexpected angles. Only ever two at a time, is the saving grace.
Permalink Mark Unread
The healer runs for the hills. (Actually, she flies for the local UDF presence.)

Places is relatively used to combat. She has a good sense of tactics, too, and helps set up opportunities for Trickster, Sundancer, and Ballistic while barking out orders to N and Wally, who are both majorly freaked out. She's mostly keeping them out of the way, rather than directing them to hurt the monster-things. The Witches can each carry a person, if they need space between them and the... Thing.
Permalink Mark Unread
The... Thing hasn't been injured in the last few moments, despite several heavy hitters hitting it heavily.

The third Genesis walks out from behind it. She looks like Jess, if Jess were trapped inside a half-melted mirror, and is also striped black and white. She leaves footprints in the perfectly solid floor. A projectile from Ballistic bounces off her.

"RUN!" Trickster is the first to shout. Clones' powers are usually stronger, but they're usually similar, it's completely unfair for a clone of Genesis to come out as the— "SIBERIAN!"
Permalink Mark Unread
"FUCK! N, Wally, that striped thing's unstoppable, just keep people away!" Places disappears.

And appears in the New York Protectorate HQ's lobby, directly above the receptionist's desk. She puts her hands on her head, knowing that suddenly appearing is a Threatening Move. To the first uniform, "I'm Places. Need to report a big huge emergency! Giant monster making evil clones! On Earth Gimel, city of Horten."
Permalink Mark Unread
No one attacks her, and the uniform does seem to be actually paying attention.

"We can't get to Earth Gimel. How many people can you take?"
Permalink Mark Unread
"Damn I'm already half-spent today. Uh. One now, two in a couple minutes, and either way I'm done for a solid hour after that. I, uh, could find Copycat, heard she's getting better at copying and in-world 'port is cheaper."

The Witches who showed up to investigate all the noise have not been appraised of the threat they're facing. One of them tries to punch the glob of flesh with a glowing hand, and immediately disappears into it.
Permalink Mark Unread
"Who? If it'll get more people there faster, why not..." The nearest uniform might not actually be the person in a position to make that call.
"If you'll still be able to take people after a round trip, then do it," comes the New York Director's voice. "If not, we'll send who we can now. Copycat might not be able or willing to help immediately."
Permalink Mark Unread
"I know her. Might have to pay her, but she'll help." Places disappears again.

She is broomless, but that's not a problem with a powerful telekinetic nearby. "Woah, where'd you come from?"

"It's me, Gren! Lytee. Emergency back home, it's bad and they want you to teleport people in. I know you're better at copying, lately. I'll pay you ten thousand dollars on top of whatever the Protectorate gives you, more if that's not much."

"Damn. Here, have some mana."

A shiny is tossed. Places catches it. "Put us in the New York Protectorate building? I'm on mana burn."

They both appear there, Copycat almost radiating power. "I'm helping. Can take ten people if you want me to fight right away, twenty if not."
Permalink Mark Unread
"Places. What do you know about the monster, who has it cloned and how dangerous are they?"

Capes are arriving, but need to know what they're up against. One of them is Legend.
Permalink Mark Unread
"It had Genesis, probably a couple of Witches, maybe some more Travelers by now. But one of the Genesis clones became a Siberan instead of another Genesis."

Copycat swears.
Permalink Mark Unread
"Wards, out. Protectorate only."

Legend interjects after the Director, "Flechette, if Places is right this could be a less dangerous chance to test your power against the Siberian than against the real one." (She volunteers, of course.) "Copycat, as soon as it works or fails, or if Flechette is threatened, teleport out. Eidolon is in Houston, and if there's a risk of multiple Siberians we might need him."

With most of the Wards gone it's a smaller group, but they're ready to go.
Permalink Mark Unread
"Places, got a map? And what intersection?"

A map is produced. "Eleventh and Blue, maybe."

"Alright. Hold on everyone." She looks at the map. She raises her arms. There is a slight tingling sensation for a few seconds.

And they're outside in sunny not-California. The monster is fairly obviously thataway, what with the destruction and sounds of ongoing battle. Copycat staggers.
Permalink Mark Unread
Most of the people are running. Trickster is keeping people out of the its reach, giving preference to his team of course, but there are ever-increasing numbers of unpowered Witches. Not to mention the Genesis clones. And the Siberian one moves fast. She's standing over Oliver, who is currently missing an arm, when the newcomers arrive. She recognizes Legend.

"Heroes! I've got some things you might want to hear about my teammates..."

Trickster swaps Oliver with one of the bodies. Whether it was a clone or a casualty, who even knows. "Don't kill the monster! The real Genesis is still in there!"

Flechette fires her crossbow at the striped clone. Her target vanishes, as if she had popped a bubble. And then it reappears and comes straight for her.
Permalink Mark Unread
The unpowered Witches are at least serving as cannon fodder for the monster. And in a couple of minutes they're going to be able to fly on appropriately stick-like things, and increase their strength.

Places grabs Flechette and disappears.

Copycat starts tossing out lightning bolts and environmental effects, mostly at the Genesis-creations and the not-Siberian. "I can't detect the Siberian's power. It's like she's not even there."
Permalink Mark Unread
"Of course. She's immune to everything else, why should the best trump since Eidolon have any chance." Ballistic is launching increasingly larger objects, none of which serve as more than distractions.

The clone ignores the bombardment and the commentary. "They're from Aleph. Came through in Madison two years ago, during the Simurgh attack. You know, her song, where you kill your friends for their own good if they're there too long? They got that for hours. Everything they've done since was all her."

Heroes are turning to look at the Travelers, but being an evil clone who is also a Siberian doesn't make for much credibility. No one attacks them.

"And all this, that's her power." the clone points a crooked finger at Noelle. "This isn't even the first time this happened, and it won't be the last."

There are now three sides to this. The heroes might have common goals with the Travelers, but the Protectorate members are all assuming that they'll have to do as much as possible afterward to arrest them. At least.
Permalink Mark Unread
"Deal with it later, monster killing things now!" Copycat tries to give the Siberian her death-touch. It doesn't work.

She pulls up her version of Legend for use on the Genesis-creations and starts investigating the monster with her enhanced vision on the side. Does it have a core, like Neuroi do?
Permalink Mark Unread
There's a core. It's in deep, surrounded by an elephant's worth of flesh. More; it's been growing during the fight.

"Don't you get it? The Travelers are as much your enemies as that is.
But I was also playing for time, while one of my friends could manage this."

Legend's invulnerability activates whenever he gets struck, turning his body into an energy state to absorb the blow. Jess has always been a bit of a cape geek, even on Aleph. Her clones know as well as she does that in his normal state, Legend still breathes. And most of the Genesis clones can produce all kinds of interesting things to breathe.
He falls, and the Siberian one feeds him to the monster.
Permalink Mark Unread
Copycat... Teleports to Flechette.

Huh, so that's how it works. Convenient that the now-dead Knight's crystal spear dovetails so nicely with that... Absoluteness.

She teleports again, appearing above the monster and ignoring the fight raging around her, and pins it to the rubble with a forty-foot gold-glowing three-way combination of Knight, Brandish, and Flechette. Goodbye, core.
Permalink Mark Unread
The core gets punctured and nailed down, and tries to regenerate. It takes more damage as fast as it does, until the power wears off the forty-foot pin. Its extremities start to rot away, freeing some of the less central hostages.

The Siberian clone leaps to try to make her biggest tactical advantage invulnerable, while every other clone or monster swarms at Gren. The Travelers and heroes provide heavy covering fire. The heroes don't focus on killing anything that leaves a body, but by now there are more than enough Genesises to go around.
Permalink Mark Unread
She's good at dodging.

Time to start rounding up the Genesises' original bodies while she builds up the strength to do that again.

...The hell? That's a Genesis, or something like one, but shaped differently.

Oh. Ohhhhhh. That's how you get a Siberian from a Genesis. She grabs the clone, stuns it if she can, and ascends sharply, only refraining from immediately killing her so she can study the power.
Permalink Mark Unread
This clone has no special defenses, but every remaining Genesis is perfectly willing to throw their current projections in front of a stunbolt. Gren being faster than they are, this can't slow her down for long. The Siberian winks out after a bolt hits the clone.

And then the three bear-shaped force fields attacking projections abruptly shatter. A blue flash streaks into the wall behind them and keeps going. "Everyone stand down" comes almost-Legend's voice. "The next one hits Ursa herself."

Ursa Aurora disappears, replaced with a cloned Witch body that could have come from anywhere. The Legend clone fires on Trickster instead, the bolt curving to cut him in two even though he swaps himself around the battlefield repeatedly.
Permalink Mark Unread
That's bad.

Copycat tries to block not-Legend from doing much of anything with an array of shields winking in and out of existence. Plus some of Grue's darkness and a couple other obfuscating powers she's picked up.

They're more to confuse him than actually block his attacks- most of her concentration is going toward mapping out the edges of the Siberian's power. It seems much less mana-hungry than her trick with the big flashy golden spear, but it'll take a little while.
Permalink Mark Unread
Other capes are trying the same strategy. Ursa Aurora can surround the Legend with bears from wherever she is, and Adamant can distract him from more vulnerable teammates. Their opponent isn't targeting Copycat; he's aiming first at people the real Legend knows. Prism goes down, then Prism, then Prism... at least one of her is probably fine. Hopefully.

The monster itself is regenerated enough to attack, if weaker than before. It's much less strategic than any of its clones so far, rushing straight in toward the Travelers. This leaves several Genesises uncovered; their real bodies had been hiding behind it. They don't last long.
Permalink Mark Unread
More people die. More people die. Every second Gren fails to get this power more people die... Something clicks.

A Siberian appears behind not-Legend and turns his head into paste. "I'm Copycat, not Siberian!" And it starts flickering around the area, rapidly carving the original not-clones people out of the monster.
Permalink Mark Unread

It would hardly matter if they did think she was the Siberian. But not wasting their firepower on her means it can be concentrated on the real target, holding it down and tearing at it while she cuts it up. Some clones get revealed, not yet complete enough to be vomited up, and a Protectorate cape mercilessly drains the water from their bodies. When the last hostage is clear, Sundancer incinerates what's left of the monster.

Permalink Mark Unread
The not-Siberian disappears. Copycat descends and radiates as many different powers' worth of healing as she can, looking glassy-eyed.

"Carnage and death. Just like old times..."
Permalink Mark Unread

"This is what we fight against," the recently rescued Legend says. "If you hadn't come, that thing would be invincible and spitting out clones until it got another Siberian. Today wasn't anything better than terrible. But everything here, there's more of it not happening."

Permalink Mark Unread

"I know. I volunteered for the defense, right, but on some level, I thought I'd put in my time and be done. That I wouldn't have to worry about this shit anymore. I know I'm helping, but..." Shrug.

Permalink Mark Unread
"You're right. There's always an emergency. And when things seem to be going well, someone appears from another earth and tells you your problems are spilling over to them."

He gestures toward the Travelers, who are being thoroughly arrested by the surviving Protectorate members. They're not resisting.

"But you can stop. If you don't want to fight, you can leave it to us; it's why we're here. If you do want to fight, well, we both know how much difference you can make."
Permalink Mark Unread
"I could stand to help end some of the nastier threats, yes. I'll probably come and go if I join up, though. At least the Neuroi have been much less of a threat lately, thanks to Bet's tech. Did you catch the Travelers?"

(Places has deposited Flechette halfway across the city, still on Earth Gimel, and subsequently disappeared.)
Permalink Mark Unread
"They're not going anywhere. Do you think you're up to getting us back to New York?"

The surviving Travelers are sufficiently caught, with the exception of Oliver, who as far as anyone knows is just an unusually good-looking civilian. He even has his arm back, thanks to all the healing.
Permalink Mark Unread

"Mm. In a few minutes, maybe. Using too much power in too few minutes hurts Witches, even me. There's other teleporters, though. I wonder where Lytee got to? She can 'port a full squad when she's rested."

Permalink Mark Unread
"She said getting us here was about all she could manage at the time. But we can wait."

The Protectorate people set about getting the full story, as much as the innocent bystanders can tell them and then from the Travelers. Civilians and Oliver get dispersed; he gets to worry about how to convince Places to help with a rescue.

And Gren finds out that when Coil described Dinah, he wasn't making everything up.
Permalink Mark Unread
The nation of Liberion is getting more than a little testy about foreign capes having a battle on their soil. They're not about to try and arrest anyone, and they're certainly not complaining that it's over, but some UDF diplomats have arrived. They're talking a lot and looking up things like reparation agreements. But they relent once they receive a promise to sort everything out later.

Gren closes her eyes when she's reminded of Coil. "Ugh. I have to wonder how he manages to cause so much trouble, with no parahuman power."
Permalink Mark Unread
Aaaand the identity of the mysterious figure who was helping them contain Noelle is blown just like that. Yep, Coil was the employer they've been avoiding naming. At least they can refrain from correcting her about his power.

"This one wasn't him," Genesis says. "He didn't even know we were going. It was to cure Noelle, and you can see it helped." Noelle is normal-sized again, after all. "More than he ever did. It's just...we never expected that."
Permalink Mark Unread

"I think you're all very lucky to still be alive. And I'm half-convinced to have another go at finding Coil if he and his are going to keep making things worse. He kidnapped and as good as tortured me, you know."

Permalink Mark Unread
"Oh, you're that Copycat," Ballistic doesn't say. Sundancer at least has the decency to look awkward about it.

"Convince these people to let us and we'll help you do it," she says. "We had three reasons to work for him, none of which apply anymore, and it's not like he doesn't deserve it."

"No." Ursa Aurora is adamant. "I haven't heard them deny what that clone said. No way is anyone going in with Simurgh puppets at their back. They should be in quarantine for the rest of their lives."
Permalink Mark Unread

"Don't thinkers interfere with each other? And a precog made this two hells of a lot less terrible. Seems like they might be clear, or clear-ish."

Permalink Mark Unread
"That was why we were working for him," Genesis agrees. "He said he had a precog working for him who would help. He didn't mention that 'working for' meant 'enslaved by,' for some reason."

"If it were that easy, quarantine wouldn't exist," the hero counters. "I'm not even saying it's their fault—though, you know, notorious mercenaries—but they're not exactly trustworthy." But it's not up to her anyway.

"We can let the PRT and the Brockton Bay team decide if they want the Travelers' help," Legend says.
Permalink Mark Unread
"Anybody know where Lytee went? I've got a feeling she was involved in this somehow. Ech, nevermind." She sighs. "I'd better go watch that Siberian-clone. Kept her alive so I could watch her exist for twenty minutes and copy that ridiculously invulnerable projection permanently instead of temporarily, but nobody wants her to wake up. She should be out for hours, but better safe than sorry."

She zips over to a roof past the edge of the battle-zone. The clone is still unconscious.
Permalink Mark Unread
"The Siberian clone is alive?"
Pause.
"The Siberian is a projection?"
Pause.
"You left a Siberian clone unattended?"

Legend zips there before she does; he can spot an unconscious person on a roof and is very good at zipping.

"Do you still need her alive?"
Permalink Mark Unread
"I need her alive for twenty minutes, maybe ten but it's slippery."

"...Look, I'm not that reckless. I can kill her in less than two seconds. Knight and Flechette go through the invulnurability, Flechette more than Knight, the master is ordinary human and I hit her with enough stun to knock someone out for days and if she woke up and started Siberianing again anyway I'd have teleported directly behind the master and deathtouched her."
Permalink Mark Unread
"It was her being rescued that I was worried about. Unlikely, but not a risk I'd want to take.

Do you think you could do that to the real Siberian's master? If she has one, that is. It might not even be necessary, now that we know to look we'll find her eventually even if you very reasonably want to stay out of it."
Permalink Mark Unread

"Yes, I could probably do that. I'd want backup though, and I don't want to be near Jack and Shatterbird and Burnscar for one second longer than I have to."

Permalink Mark Unread
"You'd have it. But this should be more planned. We only just found out about one member's weakness.

Would it be safer to get her to where the others are?" The clone that Gren is staring at isn't going anywhere, but one does not take chances with this.
Permalink Mark Unread

"No difference, I think. Maybe it'd creep them out?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Not compared to everything else today." Legend detaches his cape to wrap around the clone, and starts flying back. "But us disappearing to go find her and then not coming back right away might."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Good point. I'm too used to either working alone or being on comms." She follows.

Permalink Mark Unread
They can both fly fast.
They'll return to find the Protectorate capes getting more information out of the Travelers, despite Ursa's insistences about their credibility.
Permalink Mark Unread
The UDF is already beginning cleanup. Burning the bodies, lifting rubble out of the streets, counting the dead.

"I'll be good to take everyone back to New York when I'm done with that Siberian-clone, by the way."
Permalink Mark Unread

"Can you take her with us? She's not exactly dangerous, at the moment."

Permalink Mark Unread

"I meant it as a matter of timing. I'll be rested enough when I'm done. Big teleport, nasty-hard battle, and another big teleport right after is skirting too close to mana burn. Sorry guys but you'll just have to wait fifteen minutes or convince some of the UDF 'porters to take you back." She's taking notes on the Siberian's power, now.

Permalink Mark Unread

The UDF teleporters are less available than that, and it's not an emergency any more. They can wait.

Permalink Mark Unread
And then she touches the Siberian clone and it dies, and everyone groups up as she focuses and - bip, they're in New York again.

"Well that was quite a scene and I think we all need a shower and some time alone. Legend, I'll come back in three hours for briefing or statements or whatever they call it."
Permalink Mark Unread

"All right. And thanks for your help; it could have gone a lot worse without you there."

Permalink Mark Unread
With a little wave, Copycat teleports to Lytee/Places amd extracts a mostly-true explanation. She's not happy at all that Places was part of the cause of that, in an indirect way.

She also has Places try to contact Toybox. Copycat is interested in getting some tinkertech and Places should have the right contacts to open negotiations.

And then she has a shower, changes, and pops back into New York for whatever discussions or paperwork they demand. (Queen Elizabeth Memorial Hospital is not happy their healing session is delayed, but they can deal.)
Permalink Mark Unread
Toybox is a group of rogue tinkers, currently seven. They tend toward the villain side of the spectrum but want to stay mostly out of the cape world. Places can get her a list of members and their specialties (fire manipulation, freezing and stasis, glass, brain scanning and alteration, pocket dimensions, building-building drones, powersuits) to see if any of those fields or any combination looks useful to her. It'll cost either a lot of money or some useful service for the tinker in question, which might or might not be legal.


The Protectorate asks for very little paperwork from non-affiliated heroes. Not that they wouldn't like to, but capes (like everyone else) tend to dislike that, and when they set their rules they didn't want to drive away allies. Mostly the local PRT people just want her version of the story. It matches up with what they got from other witnesses, though the connection to Coil is unique to her side.
There are also questions about her current set of capabilities and how easily she can acquire more, and even a request to demonstrate the Siberian one, but these are fairly transparently less about today than about knowing just how powerful she has gotten since when she was Citrine Mage.
Permalink Mark Unread
She doesn't want to demonstrate the Siberian power - it appears naked and looks like her. She has... Quite a lot of capabilities by now, even more than the number of capes she's visited since combining aspects of different powers is a thing she can do. And can usually pick up or invent new ones with a solid half hour's effort. Optimizing them to use as little power as possible takes longer. Oh, and she has access to much more power now.

Can the brainscan tinker make a mind shield, or at least a becalmer?
Permalink Mark Unread
If there's a particular type of mind power that needs defending against, Cranial can probably come up with something. (Fully general immunity is a no, and there's always the chance of a stronger cape just overwhelming whatever she gives Copycat.)

Calming would be easy, if ineffective against the scarier powers, and to the extent shielding one's mind is a learnable skill she can throw in a copy of someone else's memories of learning it. If Copycat can find someone who has and convince them to share; Cranial doesn't have this one on file.
Permalink Mark Unread
What she wants a defense against is: Heartbreaker. Canary. Valefor. Regent. Gallant. And similar. As many of the above as possible.

Mental resistance is a learnable thing on her world, she has learned a small amount. She might be able to find someone with more but that would be later.

In terms of payment, she has money, but would prefer to pay in work if there are enough minor non-illegal favors or one major non-illegal task Cranial needs doing.
Permalink Mark Unread
Heartbreaker is very much the one of the scarier powers. And emotions aren't what Cranial's best at. She could manage something to shut down all emotions following an unprecedentedly massive shift, and leave it that way until she can manually undo whatever Heartbreaker did. If she can undo it. Without knowing exactly what he'd do, any less extreme defense would be even less reliable. Better advice: stay away from Heartbreaker.

(Cranial has to look up the others, but her reply will contain as little sign of that as possible.)
Most of the information on the effects of Canary's power comes from her ex-boyfriend. Based on his accounts, it'd be doable. Something to forcibly insert "IS THIS REALLY SOMETHING I WANT TO DO" into her train of thought whenever she's unusually suggestible. It'd have false positives of course, but being forced to think twice in harmless situations might be worth the protection.

Canary is even easier to stay away from than Heartbreaker, what with being in the Birdcage. But the same should work against Valefor if the public explanation of his power as super-hypnotism is accurate. And she can certainly offer a device to record the client's thoughts and replay them on demand. That ought to counteract Valefor's characteristic order to forget having met him.
The other villains she tries to look up and fails. Not enough information on the details of their powers.


Should Gren decide this is worth doing, Crainial's first thought for payment would be money. But the Toybox tinkers all owe each other favors, and Toy Soldier has heard of Copycat's (questionably deserved but widely believed) reputation as the next Eidolon.... If she's willing to compromise on the non-illegal bit, they promise the tinker tech they'd ask her to steal was already stolen in the first place and it's from villains anyway.
Or money. If she'd rather not, money still works.
Permalink Mark Unread
She was planning to stay far away from all these people already, this is just in case one of them takes it into their minds to find her.

Copycat herself is liable to be able to undo anything Heartbreaker does, given access to an unconscious Heartbreaker for a few hours. The point would be freeing her from its effects long enough to escape/reverse it. She'll want both the emotion-thing and the anti-suggestion thing. Something to replay thoughts would be useful in more ways than getting around Valefor, too, if it's accurate enough to recreate the detailed sensation she gets when investigating or using different powers.

Whether she wants to go with money or the heist job depends more on the exact details of what and from whom.
Permalink Mark Unread
Cranial can promise accuracy as far as information goes. This particular gizmo is usually used to upgrade people's memories. A detailed sensation based on a power is a different story; she'd need some brain scans to say one way or the other.


The proposed job is about the world's best tinker. Dragon's tech is pretty much the gold standard, but she lost some suits to a group called the Dragonslayers. They manage to be successful high-priced mercenaries even without powers of their own; Toy Soldier thinks this tech would fit much better around a parahuman tinker with a relevant specialty. Suitably scaled up of course. If Copycat can bring at least one suit to copy, she'll get her defensive superpower upgrades.

The Dragonslayers should be assumed to be competent and well-equipped. They have an impressive track record against Dragon, but have been known to lose fights occasionally against lesser opponents when caught by surprise. And, possibly relevant here, their reputation has them as mercenary enough not to hold a grudge. They won't retaliate against Copycat if she wins unless someone hires them to.
Permalink Mark Unread
She's willing to make the attempt mostly because the suits are already stolen, and she can probably manage the whole shebang nonlethally. But without more intel on the Dragonslayers - a location, or enough detail about at least one of their members to serve as a teleport target - she won't be able to find them.

And she's not going to be able to hack these suits or even know how to shut them down without completely destroying them, she's no Tinker. But she's willing to operate on comms with Toy Soldier pointing her at his preferred piece of tech and telling her how to disable it once she's in.
Permalink Mark Unread

There isn't enough information to be had, but rogue tinkers tend to know people who know people. If the Dragonslayers receive a message from a prospective client who wants an in-person meeting, Copycat will get her chance to knock them out and take their stuff. Wouldn't be immediate, but in a while they can have at least one of them in a known location.

Permalink Mark Unread
No, that seems like a bad idea. If nothing else they'd have incentive to retaliate against whoever set up the meeting.

She can't do a job without usable intel. She's just going to pay cash.
Permalink Mark Unread
Toy Soldier insists on being willing to take that risk, but Toy Soldier's bad decisions are safely irrelevant. Cranial can pay him back some other way.

Which means that Copycat will get her defenses sooner and more easily anyway. Exchanging money for goods and services: the best superpower.
Permalink Mark Unread
In short order, an amount of cash that would seem very large to most non capes (and even to many capes) is transferred. It's the first half of the agreed sum. She has plenty - it turns out high-output healers can earn quite a lot of money.

She'll do brain scans if there's a chance it could make a device that improves her ability to recall powers. Cranial knows that it would end very badly if she decided to betray 'The Next Eidolon' by messing with her brain somehow, right?
Permalink Mark Unread
Some people are more skeptical about subsequent Eidolons than others. But betraying clients is a great way to stop having clients. Cranial isn't going to mess with her brain in any way that isn't prearranged.

She'll need scans of what's going on inside when Copycat copies a few different powers, and then she'll be able to predict whether the memory implant will extend that far.
Permalink Mark Unread

That won't be a problem. Are they going to meet in person, work through an intermediary, have Cranial send her a device that will do the scanning by itself, or what?

Permalink Mark Unread
It'd have to be in person.
The message includes a time and a place that is not the Toybox's current location but is close enough that Cranial can have her equipment set up.
Permalink Mark Unread

Copycat is there at the designated time, writing in an old-fashioned paper notebook. Since it's a relatively isolated place, she's in full costume, carrying the Steelwing on one shoulder.

Permalink Mark Unread

"You're Copycat?" Cranial doesn't appear worried about coming alone to meet a client who's powerful and more heroic than not. "The scans will go quick, the other things might take some alteration to fit your brain."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Yep, that's me. I organized my powers into eight broad categories based on how they feel to use. I'll just go down the list when you say when?"

Permalink Mark Unread

The tinker straps some things that are presumably sensory devices around various parts of Gren's head, and fiddles with the dials attached to a nearby screen. "When."

Permalink Mark Unread

"First category, basics. All Witches get flight and strength and starbursts." She tosses the obviously heavy thing she was holding high into the air, then catches it effortlessly, then points an arm and a short burst of light arcs into a wall, leaving a little scorch.

Permalink Mark Unread
Cranial works for capes a fair amount. And she has brain scans of most of them, including the capes. The most important thing from Copycat's is, she doesn't have a corona pollentia. At all. Copycat: secretly not a cape.

"Are there more of you?" A few beeps and whirrs from the machinery. Not actually necessary, but sometimes it goes better if the client is thinking of everything as obviously tinker-y. "OK, you can go on down the list."
Permalink Mark Unread
"Yeah, one in five hundred girls back on my homeworld are Witches, like clockwork. I'm a whole lot stronger than most, mostly because copying's my special. Second category, thinker stuff. You'll have to take my word that I'm actually doing anything, but I can tell those beeps and whirs aren't actually accomplishing anything... Is it really that surprising I don't have the same stuff in my brain? I thought Earth Gimel and Witches had made the public consciousness by now."

She goes down the rest of the list. Non-thinker sensory powers, energy manipulation, physical manipulation, transformation and projection, 'weird stuff' that includes many Breaker effects and teleportation, and combinations of two or more powers.
Permalink Mark Unread
Right. Thinker powers.

"I don't follow the headlines much. I thought it was just different parahumans, not something else."

The results of the list show that it's always the same type of thing happening, with the specifics being different. "Can you try combining two in a way you haven't done before, or copying a new power? Try mine. You don't have to get it down well enough to use, it's just so I can see what it looks like when you're copying." Cranial has done some combination of noticing and guessing that tinker powers are hardest to copy, which suits her just fine.
Permalink Mark Unread
"I've stopped even trying to copy tinkers. It just won't happen. Sometimes I can get a little manual dexterity or automagic mental math or something out of them, but the making things bit, no. Hm..."

She studies Cranial's tinkerness, tilting her head to the size quizzically. "...Yeah, copying you is just giving me the ability to see complex patterns, and isn't helping me know what to do with them."
Permalink Mark Unread
"That's fine. I got what it looks like when you're copying a power, and since it didn't work it definitely isn't just what happens when you get a particular one. Hm.
Yeah, looks like the memory gadget is going to help with recalling that too. Just a couple minor changes. You think it's going to speed up how fast you can copy?"
Permalink Mark Unread

"Oh, definitely. Remembering the patterns is most of the work at first, until it gets worked into my power's equivalent of muscle memory. And I can stop worrying I'll forget something. There might never come a day where Aegis's overly stubborn physiology is the best way to solve a particular problem, but if that day comes I want to remember how to use it."

Permalink Mark Unread

"I'm with you on that one. Say, when we're done here you want some extra skills? It's what most of my business is. Another ten thousand and you can have your ten thousand hours' worth of practice in whatever you think is most useful."

Permalink Mark Unread

Shrug. "I have Uber. His power's finicky and tricky to use, but gets things done. I'll buy a rapid-fire tech education, though. Earth Gimel's state of the art was the steam engine and I'm still catching up."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Sure, I can give you that. Who's Uber?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Small-time villain-ish from Brockton Bay. It doesn't give me skills so much as techniques. I can't learn programming or writing, just how to type fast and how to structure a paragraph. For example."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Hm. Might still be worth copying some. Update some of the skills I've got on file. Gimme an hour watching you cycle through techniques and I'll knock the tech stuff down by half?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Sure. I might have to leave suddenly, I've got contracts for emergency healing out. Teleporting is much faster than an ambulance. But we can just pick up again later if that happens."

Permalink Mark Unread

"For now, though, you still need the memory and emotion alterations. This'll take a bit longer than the scans did."

Permalink Mark Unread

"They won't be a device that I might lose or break? Convenient. Unless they can break me."

Permalink Mark Unread
"I call it an implant 'cause it works better with literal ones, but it turns out people object to having chips in their heads no matter how many medical degrees I tell them I have. You can get most of the same effect without that, though. Don't even have to put you under. Just don't teleport out part way through having your brain messed with."

The thing that does the messing with is a chair half-surrounded by so much machinery it's almost a small room in its own right. It's all white and ovoid and the visual impression is like nothing so much as a giant egg.
Permalink Mark Unread

She sets her thing down and settles into the chair without comment. Tinkertech is tinkertech.

Permalink Mark Unread

A band settles around her forehead, keeping it in the same approximate place. "I'm leaving the unnecessary sound effects off this time. If you're wondering if the Deneuralyzer is doing anything, it is." There's no visible sign of whether it's doing anything. For all Gren can see, Cranial could be playing Galaga at the controls and expecting her customer not to notice.

Permalink Mark Unread

Gren idly considers trying to alter her Siberian-projections, but it's a very specific pattern, doing something weird involving physics she doesn't really understand. It wouldn't work if she changed something, in all likelihood.

Permalink Mark Unread
It takes about forty minutes before the tinker announces "Done."

"Next up, instant tech education.
You sure you didn't want the free practice with anything else too? Languages, martial arts, piano? The kind of things where you'd have to prove you're eighteen first?"
Permalink Mark Unread

"Is there a martial art that's good for dodging, or for striker powers that just have to touch to win? This world's version of Suomic and Ostkav might be nice, in terms of languages. Spanish too. As to the last thing, no. Just no. It'd be creepy to learn that from machines."

Permalink Mark Unread
"Spanish and Finnish, and I don't know what Ostkav is.
For martial arts, baritsu is a good one for avoiding contact. Slipping through and leaving the opponent clawing the air and all that. Works as well as any for landing touches too, if you're the striker involved."
Permalink Mark Unread

"Baritsu it is, then. Ostkav... I don't think it actually has a counterpart, here. The nation of Ostmark is a dozen or more countries in this world. Romania, Serbia, Hungary, Slovakia, the Ukraine. Nevermind."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Just the three skills then. Five thou each and two hours of letting me copy techniques?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Deal."

Permalink Mark Unread

It's just information being downloaded, but it feels like Gren is experiencing learning the things as normal except sped up several thousand times. It somehow makes learning languages not boring. She gets three "I Know Kung Fu" moments in less than half an hour.

Permalink Mark Unread
It's also just a little bit scary how easily the grey mush that is her can be changed so deeply. At least she's only getting things she asked for changed, Heartbreaker wouldn't be so considerate.

She's in a thoughtful mood today, huh?

The two hours of demonstrating techniques so Cranial can copy them will go by subjectively quickly as Gren considers her new knowledge.
Permalink Mark Unread

And after Copycat pays the rest of the money, it'll be a successful dubiously legal business deal.

Permalink Mark Unread

After she takes care of some outstanding jobs, it's time to pay an invisible visit to Brockton Bay to see if the Undersiders are being evil, and to try to find Coil again.

Permalink Mark Unread
The Undersiders have effectively taken over the city. All other gangs have been driven out, and confrontations with the heroes usually end with the villains escaping without serious injury on either side. (Assuming serious injury is defined not to include pain. Skitter can be merciless when she's fighting to end a fight.) The Merchants went down easily, the mercenary groups have largely moved on, and the solo villains aren't much of a threat.

As far as anyone knows, the Undersiders are mostly not extorting protection money or selling drugs or taking advantage of being the only major villains at all. How exactly this is profitable for them is an open question, but at least controlling a city is good for their reputation.


If Coil is still in the city, there's no sign of him. His soldiers put up some resistance, but seem to have either fled or defected to Tattletale.
Permalink Mark Unread
Hm. Well, she's never been good at tracking. If Coil has melted into the shadows he can stay there.

Copycat would like to know whether Dinah Alcott is still alright, though, and maybe visit her.
Permalink Mark Unread

Dinah is all right, or at least as close as one can get when one is like twelve and coming out of that kind of drug withdrawal. She has been selling predictions to the Protectorate and being cossetted by her parents and is perfectly happy to receive a visit from Gren, for a rather solemn value of perfectly happy.

Permalink Mark Unread
It's been a while and Gren is mostly just resentful of Coil and not having much in the way of ongoing symptoms. But Dinah was under him for quite a lot longer.

Copycat can give her a jolt of well-being from one of her healing powers when she visits, because why not? She names a time and lets Dinah pick the place.
Permalink Mark Unread

They could go get ice cream. Ice cream is nice.

Permalink Mark Unread
Yeah, ice cream is nice.

One of the many sensory powers she likes to keep half-active whenever she's out and about is Skitter's bug-sense. They're not in her territory, but if the terrifying swarm queen comes by Copycat will probably notice.

Gren shows up in street clothes, though her mask is in the messenger bag at her side just in case. She finds Dinah easily. "Hullo, Dinah. How's freedom treating you?"
Permalink Mark Unread

"It's - better," Dinah says. "My parents are still... strongly reacting... to everything but I'm glad to be out. How've you been?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"I'm doing well, on average. There's lots of stuff to see on this Earth, so I've been wandering a lot. My mom's still on Earth Gimel so I haven't seen her much recently, but that's kinda traditional for Witches. The wandering, not the entirely new world."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Pick up any interesting powers?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"I made a really elegant sort of melded hard-light attack between New Wave, Legend, and Knight, one of my old squadmates. Still can't copy tinkers, which is annoying, but I met Strider and his teleportation is so much more efficient. I'm gonna try and have another go at permanently rather than temporarily copying you, unless you mind. Mental powers don't agree with me most of the time, unfortunately. There's a lot of flavors of shaker and striker powers... Flechette is neat - she makes things ignore physics for a while. It could probably cut through endbringers, it's a very stubborn sort of effect. I got a new kind of healing, eight new kinds of telekinesis, about a dozen new senses... Oh, and the Siberian's projection. Can't channel touch effects through that, though."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Go ahead," Dinah says. "You should probably collect all the powers you can. Make Eidolon jealous."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Much obliged. There's still a limit on how much I can use at once. My amulet is just about charged to its limit, I'm gonna start on a new one soon. People looking at us or listening to us will find us uninteresting right now, by the way. Not foolproof but the least invasive hidey power I have." She looks at Dinah in a different way. "Yup, precognition is still as confusing heck..." They're at the front of the line. Gren orders a double scoop of cookie dough flavor.

Permalink Mark Unread

Dinah wants mint chocolate chip.

Permalink Mark Unread
And Gren pays.

"Huh, this is one of those shops with chess sets on the tables. Want to have a match and cheat outrageously against each other?"
Permalink Mark Unread

"I don't want to get another headache on top of my ice cream one," Dinah says. "We can play, but no cheating."

Permalink Mark Unread
"Didn't think about that. Sure. I'll be black."

Meanwhile, nom. Ice cream is delicious.
Permalink Mark Unread
It is!

Dinah plays white and advances a pawn.

"Who else are you going to visit?"
Permalink Mark Unread
Gren advances a knight.

"I'd visit Lung if he wasn't in the Birdcage. Might try to arrange a meeting with Faultline's crew. Or Accord. I've already visited like a third of the heroes and rogues on the east coast. I kinda want to visit Panacea, but for some reason she doesn't want me copying her power. Unless there's a good reason I'm not gonna stomp all over that."
Permalink Mark Unread

"Accord's power for someone who wasn't Accord might be neat. I wonder why Panacea doesn't want it. Did you ask her sister?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"I did not ask. I may as well, now that you mention it. I can already heal most things, but a new kind never hurts. I did copy her for about an hour way back when - but that was before I got really really good at copying."

Permalink Mark Unread
"I wonder why you can't copy Tinkers."

Dinah's bishop takes Gren's knight.
Permalink Mark Unread
"Bet's powers are something else entirely. I copy, I don't steal, my version of Legend is subtly different from the actual Legend. My theory is that whatever it is that makes tinkers tinker is just... Untranslatable."

She sighs and looks at the knight contemplatively. "Behemoth got my friend Knight. I want to end it. If I can't copy you well enough to ask myself, can I get some predictions about some plans in about two months?"
Permalink Mark Unread

"The Protectorate questions me to capacity most days," Dinah says. "But I can probably spare you a few."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Yvette's questioned to her limit too from what I hear. Being a precog can be a lot of pressure, huh. Being big in any way, really. Eidolon and Panacea probably feel more guilty about days off than I do."

Permalink Mark Unread

"And you're copying me anyway."

Permalink Mark Unread
"Well, yes."

She thinks for a moment. "I think I'm well suited to being pressured like that. I take things as they come. If I snap I'll probably disappear to some random island and blow up rocks, not kill someone. And it's still a good feeling even if it gets stale, helping people."
Permalink Mark Unread
"That sounds nice."

Dinah sacrifices a pawn.
Permalink Mark Unread
"I think so, yes."

That pawn's sacrifice will surely be appreciated by someone. Gren's next few moves put her queen in a risky but powerful position.

"I think I've got as much of your power as I'm gonna get. Chance I find Coil in the next few days is eighty one point four percent, and it hurt my head a lot more than I think it does to you."
Permalink Mark Unread

"Tea and darkness and lying down help. My parents don't let me have any kind of pills but that would probably help more if I got the right kind."

Permalink Mark Unread
"Angel's kind of healing works more like a sphere of well-being than anything else. I'll see if it helps."

...Her skin starts glowing faintly.
Permalink Mark Unread

"My head doesn't hurt right now. I didn't do all my work at once."

Permalink Mark Unread
Gren shrugs and stops glowing. "Then you can enjoy being just a little less tired and stressed."

Her ice cream is almost gone by now. She's a fast eater, apparently. "I don't suppose you know where Coil's got to? I'm inclined to hunt him down and my chances are pretty good."
Permalink Mark Unread

"Last I checked he was still active and in Brockton Bay, but that's all I have."

Permalink Mark Unread
"Maybe the Undersiders will know. Tattletale is annoying, but boy does she know things."

Gren's queen takes Dinah's rook, but is now more or less trapped by a bishop and pawns.
Permalink Mark Unread
Dinah puts her in check.

"Maybe you can copy her too."
Permalink Mark Unread
"Oh, maybe. Most thinker-type powers give me just as much of a headache as yours so I tend not to use them much."

Gren has more pieces at this point, but less control over the board. She moves a pawn to block the check.
Permalink Mark Unread
Which lets Dinah take her queen.

"Maybe you should copy someone who can help with Thinker headaches. There must be someone."
Permalink Mark Unread

"If there is I haven't heard of them. They'd be almost as useful as Dauntless, that's for sure."

Permalink Mark Unread

"I haven't asked the Protectorate about it because - well, I'd basically want them over every day, and - it's complicated - but if you could copy one you could fix yourself fine, I bet."

Permalink Mark Unread
"I'll try and find one, but I don't run on the same stuff Bet's parahumans do, I don't even have a, what was it, corona pollentia."

Gren is well on her way to decisively losing this chess match, but she's doesn't seem really concerned about it.
Permalink Mark Unread

"It's still worth a try."

Permalink Mark Unread
"Oh, definitely."

"...This is nice. Relaxing. Ice cream was a good idea."
Permalink Mark Unread

"Ice cream's nice."

Permalink Mark Unread
"Yeah. I-" Her phone buzzes loudly. "Welp. I forfeit, gotta go, emergency response contract."

She grabs her mask out of her coat and disappears to the location of what is, apparently, a plane crash.
Permalink Mark Unread
"Bye."

Dinah goes home.
Permalink Mark Unread


About an hour later, Copycat sends Glory Girl an email that boils down to 'Do you know why Panacea doesn't want me to copy her? I could heal more people with more different kinds of healing.'
Permalink Mark Unread

The response, when similarly boiled, says that it's part New Wave reasons and part personal, and Glory Girl can't really talk about it. Which isn't evasive at all.

Permalink Mark Unread
Well that's that. She has plenty of powers already, she doesn't NEED a new sort of healing.

She flies above Skitter's territory, high enough that no bugs are present, and whisper-spells at the bug queen. "Copycat here. Just letting you know you passed my checkup. Do you happen to know where Coil's got to?"
Permalink Mark Unread
Skitter is alarmed that Copycat can find her from outside her range. She's supposed to be the one in that position.

"I think he left town when we took over," she lies.
Permalink Mark Unread

"Uh huh. You're getting your money from somewhere. I don't buy that you can run this place the way you do without a backer. And it fits Coil's modus operandi, doesn't it?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"You could say that about any successful team," she points out. "I'm not about to give away how we're really making our money."

Permalink Mark Unread

Sigh. "Look, is there anything you might want from me more than you want me to not know where Coil is? Healing, catching a bunch of gangbangers, repairing the sewers and draining all the floodwater?"

Permalink Mark Unread
"You can do that?
If Coil was still here and I knew where, I'd tell you. Or help take him down, if you found him first. But you realize this sounds kind of unlikely."
Permalink Mark Unread
"Well. My agent's number is public. I'll tell him to forward anything having to do with Coil immediately, if you find out something."

Time to visit Tattletale. Still invisible, and with a couple other Stranger effects besides. She's damnably observant. Gren starts copying that power over again - she doesn't care nearly as much about villains objecting to her copying things.

"Hullo, Tattletale. How's things?"
Permalink Mark Unread
Tattletale is only briefly surprised.

"Pretty well. Warlord of Brockton Bay. You're Copycat, now? How's that working out for you?"

She's not using her power yet. Copycat almost certainly is, and she probably doesn't know about the limits.
Permalink Mark Unread
Copycat does know the limits. She's copied it before. She isn't actively using Tattletale's power yet.

"I'm great. See the world, meet interesting capes, then copy them. And earn a lot of money curing the incurable, stop a falling Airbus in my spare time. But I have a bit of a grudge against the guy who kidnapped and drugged me, you see. I was hoping you could shed some light on what exactly went down between you and him."
Permalink Mark Unread
And if only Tattletale were using her power, she'd know that. Regular cold reading it is, then.

"Coil, right? Skitter told me.
We teamed up with him against the ABB, for a while. Most of the villains did. We were small fry then, barely earned a seat at the table. That was while he had you, going by when the other Witches arrived.

More recently, I got into some of his accounts. Locked him out, stole as many of his revenue streams as I could—not giving you any details there, sorry—even bribed some of his mercenaries." On the assumption that this is being examined with her own power, Tattletale has to assume Copycat knows where she's being evasive. She may be wrong, but better safe than sorry.

"Do you have a lead on what he's been doing since?"
Permalink Mark Unread

"I'm starting here 'cause Brockton Bay is the last place anybody's seen him as far as I know. Gather intel before trying to move on him, and all, though I've never been very good at intel." It's about time to start using the power, headache be damned.

Permalink Mark Unread
That's what Tattletale was waiting for. Now, to see if Copycat picks up on what she's doing.

"I've got...good information on what he was doing, if that would help."

The power informs Gren, Itentionally avoiding naming the source. Thinks it should be obvious. Coil's former employees. Expected me to guess that. Knows I did. Knows I know she expected me to guess. Knows I know she knows...
It'll keep giving her a steady flow of useless information until she focuses, stops, and starts again.
Permalink Mark Unread

"It would help. But I'm a bit nervous about the kind of things you might want in return."

Permalink Mark Unread
"You think the guy's still in Brockton Bay, and more criminal masterminds are not what this city needs. Get rid of him and I'd consider it a personal favor." Dislikes Coil, unstated reason, thinks Copycat would agree with the reason, not stating anyway, expects her power to try to find out. Is trying to distract it.

"He secretly hired the Travelers for cape muscle. Going by what he told his soldiers, his endgame was to clean up the city. Not unlike us, or at least Skitter, just with worse methods. And they would have worked for him regardless, so it's not like he had to lie to them." Her power picks up on the obvious implication, Undersiders have differing motives, Tattletale is in this for sport, successful attacks are counting coup. Fighting the ABB scores points against Lung, attacking PRT HQ was a goal against the heroes, many fights have secondary reasons... it got irrelevant again.
Permalink Mark Unread

"The Travelers are no longer relevant. They let some sort of evil-clone-making monster loose in my homeworld, then got arrested once we killed it. Trickster died, though. You got into his files. He would have abandoned or drained everything in them if he has any common sense, but can you give me a name or a location from them anyway?"

Permalink Mark Unread
"That was one of the Travelers' power. You killed Noelle?
When I hacked him I got most everything he knew at the time, but he knew I know it. I could point you to safe houses and backup bases, but they'd be empty. Never did get his secret identity." All statements true, incomplete, would be incomplete even if innocuous to cover for the real secrets, at least one omission isn't innocuous, already knew about the incident with the clones, has up to date information on the Protectorate.

Tattletale notices when she makes that connection. She starts using her own power to keep track of reactions and better direct Copycat's copy down more harmless trails.
Permalink Mark Unread

"Of course you do, that's your power. Ugh. Spy games. At least I'm careful with my passwords." Has an eidetic or otherwise improved memory. "You're starting to make me feel like I'll come out worse behind even if I find Coil and take him down." Dislikes complex plans, impatient with information gathering, might do something rash or unexpected, intends to fight the Slaughterhouse Nine.

Permalink Mark Unread
Tattletale reflexively hides her surprise at finding out that last bit of information. Not well enough, of course. "You might, I think he's got arrangements or influence with other villains, but even if they extend to bailing him out I wouldn't bet on them succeeding. I'd worry more about getting yourself killed with some other reckless plan." Knows about the plan to fight the Slaughterhouse Nine, considers it suicide.
Coil has dealt with out-of-town villains. Former employees went to some of those groups. Suspects this is him extending his reach, does not think he has enough influence to make them rescue him. Knows which groups. Adepts. Ambassadors. Elite....
Not exactly a relevant list, if this isn't part of any deals he has, but there goes the power again.
Permalink Mark Unread

"I might have a way to find him, but I wanted to clear the obvious leads first. It's just common sense, dealing with someone as slippery as him. Some things just need doing." Thinks she can teleport directly to Coil. Thinks Coil doesn't have a power. Thinks Coil is a genius of evasion. Thinks she can beat the Slaugherhouse Nine. Knows the Siberian's weakness. Fought a Siberian-clone. The Siberian is an alternate manifestation of Genesis's power. Has copied the Siberian.

Permalink Mark Unread
Well, that little detail about Copycat and the Siberian got left out of Tattletale's sources.
And then, since information gleaned by cheating doesn't come with the assumption that both people know it, "Well, that little detail about you and the Siberian got left out of my sources.
But this is bigger than Coil ever was, and it was never their powers that made the Nine dangerous." Sees cape life as a game, Slaughterhouse Nine don't play it. Expects attacking them to fail. Expects teleporting to Coil might succeed where other attacks would fail. Wouldn't mind if it did.
Permalink Mark Unread

"...This power is kind of bullshit." Thinker headache is starting. "If Coil really is small potatoes, then I could use the practice. But I take serious threats seriously, you don't play fair when losing is unacceptable." Disapproves of treating cape life as a game. Isn't going to push it. Has been discussing plans of attack on the Nine with Legend. Is much more willing to kill than when she was a Ward.

Permalink Mark Unread
"Okay, if people better informed than me think you've got a shot that's something else. You're still talking going from a local crime lord to the Slaughterhouse Nine, and that's a bit of a leap.

Must not have used her power heavily recently. Hasn't exerted it enough for a headache yet. Thinks hiding whatever she's hiding for this long means she's winning. Smug. Smug smug smug smug smug. Radiating an aura of smugness visible even without the power. From Vermont.
Permalink Mark Unread

"...There's something wrong here. You called him a local crime lord. As if he's still active, and still here. That's not much by itself, just a turn of phrase. But you're hiding something really hard." Suspects Undersiders have a detente or alliance with Coil. Doesn't trust her own conclusions. Is not used to plotting and information games. Not that Tattletale didn't know that last bit already.

Permalink Mark Unread
"Oh, I've got a pretty good guess he's still active. Especially now that I've seen how sure you are; you've got a source.
And of course I've got secrets. That's why all the effort to point your copy of my power away from them. Working well, if I do say so myself."

Used to this power. Knows what it will and won't latch on to without being carefully directed. Had this planned since finding out there was a power copier in the city.
Permalink Mark Unread

"You can be as clever as you like, I have no interest in your secrets. And I've had enough spy games for today. Bye." Has other obligations. Is suppressing thinker headache with healing, only somewhat effective. Doesn't want to lose any more of her own secrets.

Permalink Mark Unread
"Thanks for stopping by!"
Genuinely means that. Glad for the chance to go up against her own power. Messed with Copycat to see if she could. Not malicious, just kind of a jerk.
Permalink Mark Unread
Copycat goes around on her regularly scheduled non-heroing for a while.

Some time tomorrow, she tries to teleport to Coil. The way 'porting to a certain person works is seeing the whole world in a sort of vague sense, which narrows to a continent which narrows to the east coast which narrows to Brockton Bay which narrows to Downtown which narrows to the PRT HQ... And refuses to narrow any further.

Wonderful. Coil has some way of blocking her from locking straight on. But it's extremely suspicious that he seems to be in the PRT building. He probably has a position there, an excellent spot for a sneaky espionage-focused supervillain to be, really.

She's glad she never joined the Protectorate. She might have gone under Coil's thumb again without even realizing it. Which leaves her wondering what to do next. She can't very well go to the PRT about how Coil's in the PRT, she might as well send up fireworks that say 'I know where you work, Coil!'

Let's see if Tattletale's power gives me any hints. She starts it up, thinking about what she knows about Coil, the Undersiders, the PRT, and capes in general.
Permalink Mark Unread
She gets a sudden urge to connect every point in a room's worth of bulletin boards with color-coded pieces of string.

The power does help, though. It focuses on a single target, which conveniently enough is Coil. He's operating from the shadows as much as possible, arranging for people to do things without them knowing it's at Coil's behest. Capes are harder to control, but the PRT gives access, and, depending on position, ability to affect what the heroes do. If Coil is working in the PRT, it's because he thinks the PRT is the place to go to get the influence he wants. He's not just working there, he's in a position of power. Might be the Deputy Director, any of the department heads, even the Director, but he's definitely someone important.

But there was a recent change of Directors, shortly after Coil vanished. Assuming that benefited him, it clicks. Coil is Director Calvert.
Permalink Mark Unread
...Interesting. And now the question is, what's the best way to get him? A director in the PRT's word against a relatively new independent hero, if a powerful and successful one, with good reason for a grudge. It could go either way, but it'd probably swing Coil's way. And she doesn't have contacts... Er, make that reliable contacts, with anyone who's good at spy games.

There's always the direct approach, but assaulting a PRT director would get her in all kinds of trouble if she can't prove without a doubt that he's Coil. And probably even if she can.

Ugh. Spy games are giving her a headache. But she sets to gathering evidence in her spare time, leaning heavily on Tattletale's power and enhanced senses (and what internet prowess she got from Cranial's instant tech education), trying to find something to connect Coil to Calvert. Even if it wouldn't hold up in court, a healthy amount of suspicion on him would be enough revenge.
Permalink Mark Unread
Well, Coil appeared in Brockton Bay shortly after Calvert did. That doesn't say much. Coil's operations tended to be high-risk, high-reward, start suddenly, and of course always pay off. After Calvert became the Director, the heroes shifted more toward following the same pattern. And Calvert is a large investor in the construction company that built Brockton Bay's Endbringer shelters and Coil's old underground base.

Asking Tattletale's power for an inference, it jumps to yep, that's the guy easily.
Permalink Mark Unread

Okay, that's pretty suspicious, but not quite enough that she'd feel confident in the public opinion fight that's going to happen. She fishes around for something else to connect the two, if it's at all findable. Has that construction company been getting better-than-average deals with the PRT lately, or anything like that?

Permalink Mark Unread
Nothing like that, he isn't sloppy.

Coil's allies are getting better treatment from the Protectorate lately, though. It's subtle, but it's there. Enough that relevant superpowers can pick up on it. The cells of the Elite that hired Coil's agents are a little more likely to be classified as the non-villainous kind of Elite, that it's safe to do business with instead of fighting. The heroes are a little more willing to leave Accord be in favor of pursuing other threats. These aren't things that the Brockton Bay director could manage directly, but Calvert was a PRT consultant before he was a PRT head and maybe he's offering suggestions they're listening to.

The Undersiders' continuing escapes would fit very well in this category, if not for the fact that there's no obvious way for him to let them get away after every loss. He can't exactly be ordering the heroes to do it.
Permalink Mark Unread
Well maybe he's deliberately being sloppy and letting Tattletale work out the Heroes' actions.

...Maybe he's Tattletale's inside source. There's no good way to try to verify this without risking getting discovered by either party, though. And pushing Tattletale's power too far might lead to bad answers. She notes it as 'possible' though.

To hell with it. She wraps up everything she has on this matter, from Coil's list of crimes (plus evidence) to the connections (all the evidence, right there) into a neatly-presented little bundle of informative research with a little help from Uber's power. She's no writer, but it should be easy to understand at least.

She uses Tattletale's power to identify the capes and any important non-capes most likely to believe her about Coil.
Permalink Mark Unread
The Undersiders do always seem to know the heroes' plans. This is generally assumed to be some combination of Tattletale and Skitter, but since few people know exactly what Tattletale's power even is nobody knows for sure.

It's slow going. She has to check candidates one at a time, looking into whatever she can find on them and extrapolating to what would they do if they found out their boss was a supervillain. Would be easier if she could meet them in person safely.

It turns out that plenty of the relevant parties will take her seriously. Miss Militia is thoroughly Lawful Good and will consider it her responsibility to find out if it's true, Armsmaster would love the chance to capture a supervillain who crossed as many lines as Coil did, but would be a bit displeased if someone else did and it came out that he had been taking orders from one. Convincing them it's true is going to be harder, especially with all the evidence being so circumstantial. Armsmaster would be a good candidate there; he'd at least be able to tell that Gren believes it.

Most of the Brockton Bay PRT non-capes would either reject this as crackpottery or just inform their boss that he has an enemy. Coil's superiors are an option, but the Chief Director probably isn't in the habit of listening to unknown thinker powers borrowed by strangers.
Permalink Mark Unread
She can try to talk to Armsmaster and Miss Militia, then. She never liked Armsmaster much, but one takes what allies they can get.

She waits until they're on patrol, and starts a whisper-spell to them. She happens to find Armsmaster first. After waiting for a good moment where he won't be distracted,

"Armsmaster, this is Copycat. I have sensitive information I'd like to discuss with you. It's about Coil."
Permalink Mark Unread

"Coil? As far as we know he's been inactive since we raided his base."

Permalink Mark Unread

"I believe he's still active. I have evidence, partially gathered from a copied version of Tattletale's power. Most of it's circumstantial, but it'd be an awful lot of coincidence. Will you listen to my evidence if I tell you what I think Coil's doing lately, even if it seems absurd at first?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Of course. Can you land so I can see you? And it might be a good idea to start with what Tattletale's power does, since it's relying on that."

Permalink Mark Unread
She lands in an alley. When Armsmaster approaches, "Tattletale's power is about inferences. It makes intuitive leaps of logic that derive information from the smallest of cues, alarmingly quickly. Things you might notice if you thought carefully for hours, it discovers instantly. Even things you never would have thought of, but that make sense once the power gives them. I'm not sure they're always right, but clearly they usually are, given her success. As to Coil... I believe Coil is Thomas Calvert."

If he doesn't interrupt her, she goes on to lay out the broad strokes of the chain of evidence, presenting him with a neatly printed packet of papers that fill in the details.
Permalink Mark Unread
He does, occasionally, asking for clarification or justification where called for. Details on how her teleportation works, for instance, and whether Coil might have misdirected it to PRT HQ since he clearly already has some method of interfering.

When she's done, "The Undersiders. You said you suspected they were working for Coil? It was their attack that got Calvert his promotion, when Director Piggot had to step down. They said she was a target, and we never did find out what they meant."
Permalink Mark Unread
"Again, circumstantial. When I talked to Skitter a couple weeks ago she had a far more emotional reaction to my accusing Coil of things than I would expect from someone hearing about a random villain. Finding out her boss was doing that fits her reaction more.
And they have to be getting their money from somewhere. Tattletale's power said Tattletale was making glaring omissions when discussing Coil. It's possible he's redirecting my teleport since he's interfering with it at all. I don't know how much harder it would be to make the give a wrong answer than to fail to give a clear answer at all."
Permalink Mark Unread

"Before making any moves that can't be taken back, you should try teleporting to Coil more often. You could try it now; the Director is out of the building. If it tracks his location, then he's either Coil or being very impressively framed."

Permalink Mark Unread
"Alright." She closes her eyes and tries to teleport to Coil. This time the frame of the world shrinks to a thin line of Downtown, stretching from PRT HQ to City Hall. She frowns and investigates the feeling of... Vague confusion? Ah. The teleport is trying to track two different people.

...She asks it for the man who dressed as Coil and asked her questions and gets a man at a desk, doing paperwork. She asks it for Coil, with the new knowledge that he probably used a body double, and gets Thomas Calvert listening to a speech in City Hall.

She reports all this to Armsmaster.
Permalink Mark Unread
"You can see people as well as tell whether it works?
You're right about the Director's location, and if the man who introduced himself as Coil is at the PRT it's verifiable without having to do anything drastic like arrest Director Calvert before being certain. Can you describe him?"
Permalink Mark Unread

"I can't see anything around him, but he's maybe five foot eleven, rather thin-" She goes on to accurately describe one of the PRT's mid-level officers in significant detail.

Permalink Mark Unread
It's not anything like an exact description of Director Calvert, but if Gren is right this man would at all relevant times be wearing a full-body suit designed to make him look like the real Coil,

"I can talk to the mole, see how far I can get before he finds out he's a suspect. If you come it'll tip him off that something's out of the ordinary. Will you be able to keep an eye on Calvert remotely?"
Permalink Mark Unread

"Using my teleport power as a scry is tricky as hell. Not what it's meant for. Like being about to move your arm, really meaning to, tensing the muscles, but not actually doing anything. I doubt I could hold it for an extended period of time but I can check every half hour or so. I have an actual scry - but that only targets areas, for some reason it won't meld with the teleport's person-targetting. Cape powers are much more finicky about combining with other things than Witch specials."

Permalink Mark Unread
"It's low priority, if he doesn't know he's suspected he'll probably keep acting as normal.

How good is Tattletale's power at finding out what people are hiding? I'll know if the suspect lies, or if he's hiding something, but might not catch what. If it would help, I can patch you in through a helmet camera."
Permalink Mark Unread

"It's pretty good, especially if you ask pointed questions. I can't do it for more than five minutes at a time though, thinker headache. Audio only was enough for Tattletale and I to have a very, very subtext-laden conversation, but the helmet cam would help."

Permalink Mark Unread
"Good. We'll have to assume he knows to avoid direct lies at the very least, but five minutes should be enough."

He mounts his motorcycle and points it toward the PRT building. "Want a ride, or would you rather fly?"
Permalink Mark Unread

"I'll fly. Might have to leave suddenly, by the way. Unlikely but possible. I've got a few emergency medical response contracts, get called in about once a week. If that happens a recording will be better than nothing." Her steelwing picks itself up again.

Permalink Mark Unread
They arrive at the replacement PRT HQ in approximately no time at all. Before walking in as if nothing is wrong, Armsmaster hands her a screen showing the view from his helmet.

He finds the person Gren's teleportation thinks has masqueraded as Coil, addresses him by name, and asks about recent villain activity. Apparently this is one of the people to ask about that. Armsmaster pretends to be looking for information on some previously unaffiliated villains who allied against the Undersiders, and tries to lead him into consciously not saying that he has been to a truce like that one as a participant.

It'll be obvious to Gren-as-Tattletale that this was also Coil's stand-in when the alliance against the ABB was negotiated, but Armsmaster won't have that verified until she tells him.
Permalink Mark Unread

Gren tells him, that being the entire point of this exercise.

Permalink Mark Unread

That's apparently enough to stop worrying about whether the suspect knows he's suspected. Armsmaster switches to more direct questions, followed by arresting the guy and calling in Gren and the Deputy Director.

Permalink Mark Unread

Gren keeps herself stony-faced, only allowing the tiniest smirk to come through at what she hopes is her impending justice/revenge.

Permalink Mark Unread
Well, this is just a minion, even if it is the minion who was overseeing her imprisonment.

Acting Director Renick is easily convinced, between Armsmaster and Gren, but they don't have Coil himself yet. "We can't just accuse him publicly. It would be the worst PR move imaginable. But he isn't threatening anything or anyone right now, and we can arrest him more discreetly with no risk."
Permalink Mark Unread

"I'll be happy as long as he gets arrested somehow."

Permalink Mark Unread

"He can't very well stay away. And we've got eyes on him already."

Permalink Mark Unread

"I'm normally not a vigilante, you know. I just have a grudge for Coil. I won't be trying to step on your toes."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Under the circumstances, I'm hardly going to complain. How did you find out about Coil?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"I found out that he was still active somehow during a discussion with the Travelers after that incident with the clones in Horten. After that a borrowed Thinker power plus some good old-fashioned research connected the dots. Armsmaster has the full story."

Permalink Mark Unread
Renick mentally revises Gren's thinker rating. "Can find the skeletons in PRT directors' closets" is a highly relevant attribute.

A phone beeps. "He's gone. Left the building, tased McKay, disappeared. Copycat, can you get us to him?"
Permalink Mark Unread
"Yes. Immediately?" She's already reaching to connect everyone present to her teleport-sense.

If they say 'yes,' Copycat, Armsmaster, the Deputy Director, and any officers present are surrounding Calvert from all sides except below within seconds.
Permalink Mark Unread
The reasons to wait stopped applying when they lost track of him. (Hopefully Gren is the only one above him. None of the others can fly.)

Calvert waits for a conversationally excessive amount of time. Eventually he asks his former second in command, "I take it I'm under arrest?"

"Extremely."
Permalink Mark Unread

Gren is the one above him. "Hi. Remember me? Isn't it interesting that there's a ninety-nine point nine seven six one percent chance you won't be getting away?"

Permalink Mark Unread
"Oh, I'm not trying to. I'll come quietly, don't worry. Extremely quietly, in fact, until I've talked with my lawyer."

He doesn't resist while Armsmaster handcuffs him for the cameras.
Permalink Mark Unread
Gren is practically humming. Even if he gets off on a technicality, he'll never be a PRT director again.

"I could have sworn he didn't have a power, though. Whatever... Kinda-vaguely-precog thing he has, It's really annoyingly massively complicated and I can't copy it."

She stays just long enough to give whatever statements and clarifications are required, leaves a note to Tattletale, and offers to repair a couple of sections of sewer for Skitter just because.
Permalink Mark Unread
That's going to include a lot of clarifications on the complicated vague precog thing, at least as much as she can say.


Skitter takes her up on the offer for the same reason, and is to all appearances happy about her suspected former boss being arrested.
Permalink Mark Unread
Stone-shaping on this scale is relatively easy. Conjuring metal for fittings and valves is trickier, as is hooking everything up to the buildings in the area, but in half an hour the six city blocks nearest the center of Skitter's territory will have working sewage again as soon as a couple of people install pumps in the clearly marked locations.

And Copycat disappears to the site of a volcanic eruption and cools a lava flow approaching a town into rock then evacuates a sinking fishing ship, then heals a batch of people in a trauma ward in France, and basically goes back to running around heroing.

Places, meanwhile, is wondering if she managed to dodge being classed as a villain for bringing the Travelers to Terra.
Permalink Mark Unread
Most governments don't exactly publish lists, but they aren't sending heroes to arrest her every time she shows her face. The official heroes still aren't hiring her, but some of the independent ones still do. They act as if they're working with a rogue, not a fugitive.

Over time she'll be as sure as she can be short of offering a customer satisfaction survey asking "were you aware I was peripherally involved in an incident that led to the deaths of two New York Protectorate members and do you consider me a villain."
Permalink Mark Unread
That's good then.

She can get back to making large amounts of money and learning interesting secrets when the chance comes up.
Permalink Mark Unread
While she's getting back to business, other people do the same.

"Door to Ostmark, Earth Gimel."
Permalink Mark Unread

The door opens to what looks like an endless sea of ash. It blows through, propelled by the storm in the sky beyond, but the winds are surprisingly calm given the sheer scale of the clouds above. The whole place looks dark and reddish, despite it supposedly being 11 am in that time zone.

Permalink Mark Unread

It's not actually inconceivable that different earths could have their rotations line up differently, but under the circumstances it's probably not that. Eidolon flies toward the storm.

Permalink Mark Unread

The storm: Is stormy. He might hear a faint metallic screech, but it'd have to be pretty loud to beat all this wind and rain and sticky wet ash pelting him from all directions.

Permalink Mark Unread
When one is Eidolon, it's easy enough to avoid being pelted. It's amazing how many of the powers he uses for flight can secondarily act as an umbrella, and the Protectorate people he tends to dismiss as politicians do always say it's good for effect. Not that it helps much with sound, of course.

If his information is correct, there should pretty much only be one thing up here. He heads toward the still-faint sound.
Permalink Mark Unread
A strangely.... Humanoid Neuroi approaches him. The storm calms in a small bubble as it does.

The rhythmic flashes of light might be a language of some kind. Oh, and some kind of mental effect is pressing against him. It's not much like the Simurgh's scream, or any other mental powers he's felt, really.
Permalink Mark Unread
Eidolon didn't have a mental shield up. He swaps out his defensive power for a slightly different invulnerability to include mental attacks. The next minute or two would be a very bad time to start the fight.

"You have a plan. Holding back, letting your enemies fight you. I've seen it before. Why?"
Permalink Mark Unread

It manages an extremely screechy approximation of, Hard speak sound. Speak light.

Permalink Mark Unread
He's going to have to use a thinker power, isn't he.
Neuroi don't speak to humans, from what he's heard, so this is a shot he shouldn't throw away. Interpretation, communication...

It gradually builds. When the flashes start making sense, he repeats the question and adds that they can respond in their own language.
Permalink Mark Unread

Humans on this world were weak. We are- (Something. Lonely?) -so we want them to not be weak. We want them to take their place in the stars. But humans are not (another untranslatable word) they would destroy themselves as they are. But you are different. Where were you hiding?

Permalink Mark Unread
"I was never hiding.
Why humans? If you want people to join you in the stars, there must be any number of entities you could have chosen, with or without starting a war."
Permalink Mark Unread
We have never found life other than our home planet, long destroyed, and this one. We are not what you think we are. Do you know more aliens? We would like to meet them.

That's not a lie, but that thinker power tells him they're hiding something about themselves. And also: Stalling.
Permalink Mark Unread
One of the benefits of communication powers: not all communication is intentional. The stalling isn't a problem, but he knows better than to trust them.

"And what are you, if not what you look like?
No aliens, and given Earth's track record with meeting them so far I'm not sure it would be advisable to introduce you if I had met any."
Permalink Mark Unread
We do not fully understand humans. You live and die in moments compared to us. We are aiming for the benefit of the species. We wish to ensure the universe does not grow cold and empty. There will be no person to find the key to the universe and reverse entropy if there is no life.

A long pause. We are dying. That's what they were hiding. It is slow, but it is inevitable. The most intelligent of us can only produce lesser creatures, drones without true intelligence. This body is one such drone. Humans must grow as a species if they are to replace us.
Permalink Mark Unread
That is eerily close to what Contessa said their enemy's goal was. But when his kind come to a planet and start wars in the name of finding out how to avoid the end of the universe, it isn't with human flourishing in mind.

"Then stop killing them. We could grow more as allies than as your enemies. But if you were going to come in peace, you already would have, and I wouldn't be here now to stop you."
Permalink Mark Unread

Conflict breeds strength. Peace would never lead to strength in our own species. Perhaps humans are different. But it is too late to change, none would trust us, the Twelve would trust none. Sadness/regret. Imminent threat.

Permalink Mark Unread
No surprise there. He is here to fight, and he did tell them that.

"Who are the Twelve?" he asks, before the language power fades in favor of a more relevant one.
Permalink Mark Unread

Thousands of small Neuroi ascend from the ground and descend from the clouds...

Permalink Mark Unread

...And a few dozen larger ones approach from all sides...

Permalink Mark Unread

...And one massive Neuroi charges straight toward him at at least Mach 4, straight from the heart of the hurricane...

Permalink Mark Unread

...And they all fire at once.

Permalink Mark Unread
He was legitimately hoping for an answer to that. Oh well.

Eidolon switches from stationary in the air to matching the massive Neuroi in speed, seemingly not bothering to accelerate in between. He stays away from any part of it that looks like a weapon, but flies right into a few lucky blasts from other ones. It barely harms him, feels like an impact knocking him slightly off-course. But he's down to two useful abilities at the moment.

An invisible beam drills toward the nearest large Neuroi that Eidolon and the giant are racing toward. No time to guess and aim for the core, just firing to get it out of the way.
Permalink Mark Unread
The Neuroi beams aren't lasers, they don't travel at the speed of light. Nonetheless, some combination of still being damn fast and leading the target and sheer volume of fire means that more and more small blows and a few large ones start landing on him.

The large Neuroi attempts a dodge, fails, and goes flying with a good third of its body dissolving into glowing white particulate. It starts regenerating immediately.

The massive Neuroi is apparently not very maneuverable- it streams straight past him, firing as it goes, and disappears into cloud cover.
Permalink Mark Unread
The blows are more inconvenient than anything else, at least until they switch up what weapons they're using. But they are very good at being inconvenient.

Eidolon races after the massive one, spiraling to avoid fire and telekinetically clearing up the cloud in front of him. He leaves a sonic boom, even if it didn't; there's nothing here he doesn't want damaged. After catching up, he starts blasting away at it, this time trying to find the core.
Permalink Mark Unread
The core is not in evidence after the first few blasts. Or the next twenty. It'll run out of body to hide the core in soon, though. Suddenly about half of the beams stop being red. The new attacks are white, purple, green, even black. These have effects varying from 'extreme cold' to 'space-warping' to 'gamma radiation'.

At the same time a few of the smaller Neuroi seem to teleport into his path and explode into a tangle of black fibers. If he doesn't stop in time to avoid them, they explode again into smaller fibers that are also extremely sticky. And corrosive.
Permalink Mark Unread
Cold, not a problem; radiation, not an immediate problem; space-warping, confusing. His current defense is pretty comprehensive. But he's still ignoring the smaller Neuroi, and doesn't have time to handle the entire net. It slows him down and his armor corrodes. Some of it hurts.

His third power speeds up and finishes charging. A kind of clairvoyance, to finds the points to attack and reverse-engineer the results for more general information. Eidolon only needs it for that first bit. He spends a valuable few seconds concentrating fire at where he now thinks the giant Neuroi's core is, then reluctantly turns to deal with the smaller ones.
Permalink Mark Unread
The giant Neuroi's core - a red vaguely sphere like polygon the size of a car - seems to have something like Endbringer toughness going on. His first few attacks leave a visible crack. The giant stops regenerating and runs for the center of the storm as fast as it possibly can, but he can destroy it completely before it can manage to escape. The giant explodes into a shower of glowing white dust.

The large Neuroi have picked up on how the space-warping is confusing him and are using it liberally to make his attacks miss, create space between him and his target, and bring Neuroi ready to attack into good positions. The clairvoyance can mostly get through this hindrance, with some effort.

A few of the small Neuroi have blade-arms, and one of these, space-warped adjacent to him, stabs him in the leg with something that partially negates his invulnerability. Another Neuroi is spitting fire in every direction. If his clarivoyancepower can tell why, it's to deprive the area of oxygen and suffocate him.
Permalink Mark Unread
The clairvoyance may be able to get through, but knowing where the cores are does little if he can't hit them. He doesn't scream, when the blade pierces his leg, at least not audibly.

It's working. He's fighting for his life, unconcerned with allies or collateral damage, against opponents that can challenge him even if he doesn't hold back. He feels closer to his old power level than ever before.
Eidolon drops from the sky, his combination flight and weapon power replacing itself in seconds rather than minutes. Painful seconds, as he's mostly defenseless against anything that can get past his durability, but then he's back up and smashing at the nearest Neuroi in a sphere around him, pulling each one in every direction except closer. And then he starts replacing the durability with another, one with a different set of weaknesses and a healing component.
Permalink Mark Unread
Hundreds of little Neuroi die, shells torn to shreds and cores shattered. Some medium-zide and one large Neuroi falls to this attack as well. Though more reinforcements are arriving steadily, he's thinning them out.

The storm has been getting stronger and stronger over the last two minutes. Now, lightning starts striking Eidolon whenever no Neuroi are near enough to also be fried by it. A storm this big contains more energy than several weapons of mass destruction, and this lightning seems to be sending a sizable piece of a percentage point of it at him. The air around Eidolon glows with electrical plasma, and the air nearest to him is no longer breathable - all the oxygen molecules have been split into free atoms.

Meanwhile, four of the remaining large Neuroi are reshaping themselves, though what exactly they're aiming for with the change isn't clear yet.
Permalink Mark Unread

Electricity isn't a problem, but he does currently need to breathe. He rams himself to a different part of the battlefield, nearer the changing four, and starts tearing at them with more gravity.

Permalink Mark Unread

This is exactly what the Neuroi wanted. The changing four are apparently now very tough and less mobile. Tentacle-like appendages whip around and extend blades that have the same invulnerability-nullifying properties as the little ones. Space-warping makes another appearance, hindering his efforts to dodge, and one of them stabs his arm, digging in with incredibly fine barbs that will probably hurt like hell to remove.

Permalink Mark Unread
Eidolon did change out his defensive power for exactly that reason. But apparently he's still incompletely immune to that. Rather than remove the barb on the spot, he applies gravity. A sufficiently strong jerk against one part of the tentacle with an equally sudden grip pulling the other way, only a fraction of an inch apart, ought to snap more or less anything in two. He can remove it later.

If he were only fighting to win, he could leave and clean up the swarm of smaller targets first. He's also fighting to fight, and this is clearly the target. Eidolon has a lot of force to play with. The nearest large Neuroi gets squished inward from every direction except front and back, where the opposite happens. For good measure, he adds in some literal spaghettification. See how well it can defend itself while time-dilated.
Permalink Mark Unread
The Neuroi that is suffering his wrath explodes. The other three deploy some kind of energy shield that... Looks kind of familiar.

It's Copycat's shield. Well, technically, a Witch shield since they can all do it. Where did the Neuroi learn that? At any rate, his gravity power is significantly less effective against anything behind them.

The Neuroi try cold again. The air around him liquefies.
Permalink Mark Unread
Liquid air is a problem. He stops breathing at all; he'd rather have that air's return to normal take place outside his lungs.

He drops the clairvoyance power, looking for something to make him completely self-contained and resistant to harm. A breaker power, that would do. He turns into what looks to be diamond, and feels it growing even more durable. As soon as it seems powered up enough to protect him from what he's up against, he drops the other defense. Gravity for flight and wide-area destruction of the Neuroi that aren't using Witch shields, ability to hopefully take any hits he can't dodge, and a better weapon for the three main targets as soon as it's ready.
Permalink Mark Unread
The Neuroi start their psychic scream again, but that diamond-breaker power seems to be blocking most of it. The next time one of those annoying invulnurability-piercing blades hits him, it bounces.

The little Neuroi continue to die in droves. A few more big ones have shifted to this new configuration. One of them looks like a bit like a giant umbrella/octopus/jellyfish, it attempts to entangle Eidolon and smash him into the ground. Oh, and they're all still firing beams of various sorts at him of course.
Permalink Mark Unread
The big ones that aren't behind the Witch shields can get unfair quantities of gravity, just like the last one.

For those that are, his latest weapon is ready faster than anything of this scale has been in years. He always knew one good fight, a real fight, would go better. Here he doesn't have to worry about the world collapsing if he dies; his allies would have time to prepare for the next Endbringer. And he isn't playing a role as Eidolon the all-powerful hero, he's just fighting. His powers are working as well as he can remember, and he's even daring to hope it might be permanent.

A tennis-court-sized area appears and sweeps across the sky. Things it intersects get deleted. Matter, energy, doesn't matter. Magic, maybe, but he'd be surprised. Air rushes in to fill the newly created voids. The one with the tentacles can be the first to go, then those other three...
Permalink Mark Unread
The Neuroi have no defense against this. They scatter and die and flee.

And then a suicidally teleported Neuroi core is occupying the same space as a third of Eidolon's upper chest. This does not end well for either being. Eidolon is still alive long enough to register the injury, then they do the same with a large section of his brain.

They didn't want to kill him, not really. He was extremely powerful, a being capable of actually threatening a grand core. But he was getting that strength from somewhere else. That is not the point of fighting humans.
Permalink Mark Unread
Eidolon wouldn't have been able to save the world if he hadn't tried this. If he wasn't strong enough and was getting weaker, this is no great loss.

But he was, technically speaking, right. One real fight, if it was a good enough fight, could get his powers back for the rest of his life.
Permalink Mark Unread
The Neuroi take a few minutes to analyze the fight. It's good data, first-hand information on some of the nastiest things this new variety of Power can do.

Then they decide that, with this much power floating around out there, it's time to stop holding back. Fresh Neuroi from the core of the hurricane stream out in all directions, launching assaults on the Witches ringing this section of the world in all directions. There are just enough serious attacks to keep all the dedicated military Witches busy, and plenty of smaller threats to force the non-military humans to join the fight.

By now the Neuroi called/numbered Seventeen, the ship-sized gigantic core in the center of the hurricane, has finished summarizing everything to the other greater Neuroi.

The Twelve decide to invade the Earth that Eidolon came from. Hopping dimensions is tricky to figure out, but they had a good view of someone doing it just now with Eidolon, and a couple months ago when a random anomaly pulled a drone through the wall of universes. In about eight hours, they've managed a configuration that allows a drone to become a Doorway.

Eleven joins Seventeen on Earth Gimel. FTL is expensive, but things are moving quickly. Proper oversight of the increased stakes is important. It makes another humanoid Neuroi, which spears Eidolon's body on an arm-blade and flies through to wherever-Eidolon-gated-from.
Permalink Mark Unread
In approximately no time at all, it's faced by two of wherever-Eidolon-gated-from's other heroes. With an audience of more.

"Why are you here?" Alexandria asks it.
Permalink Mark Unread
It throws Eidolon at Alexandria and screechily lies, Revenge.

Then it starts blasting. The gate moves high into the air, enlarges, and the swarm pours through.
Permalink Mark Unread
Revenge. Alexandria doesn't believe that for a second; they'd be striking at Earth Gimel or they would have attacked here after Bet started arming them. But that's hardly the point right now.

Heroes and even villains join the impromptu S-class battle, blasting the Neuroi with whatever they've got.
Permalink Mark Unread
Well, they are also striking at Earth Gimel, but that's beside the point that this city is being blown up piece by piece.

The Neuroi keep pouring through. But it's going to be a short S-class battle unless the heroes pursue- When a huge Neuroi passes through the gate, they retreat in good order, sacrificing themselves to protect it when necessary as the whole swarm flies north. (Still blasting at anything close enough to blast because why not.)
Permalink Mark Unread

Some of the heroes pursue. Alexandria and Legend lead the charge. With a Neuroi that size, there's an obvious target, and all the most powerful remaining capes hit it with what they can while the others cover them by firing on the rest of the swarm.

Permalink Mark Unread
The giant Neuroi is pretty tough. It only bothers to dodge the most serious attacks. A storm starts to gather as it moves, and pretty soon it's repeating the tricks it used against Eidolon. Air-liquefying cold, lightning, various exotic beams, invulnurability-piercing blades.

Ultimately, though it's a fierce fight, this looks a battle the heroes can win.

It's also a diversion. The gate moves to the outskirts of the city and an even larger Neuroi comes through once the heavy hitters have left the area. It speeds south as fast as it possibly can.
Permalink Mark Unread
And that's just unfair.

Reinforcements are arriving from around the world, but few can keep up with the new Neuroi and even fewer can hope to do anything to it.
Permalink Mark Unread
Copycat is one of the ones pursuing the new Neuroi. She blasts it with hardlight, slows it down with gravity and aerokinesis, shields other pursuing allies, and screams in rage. The core shrugs it all off even when its body is badly damaged.

Mana burn still hits her after only a couple of minutes of going so all-out. She falls back.
Permalink Mark Unread

So does everyone else. The remaining members of the Triumvirate are still pursuing, but without knowing where the core is there's only so much they can do. Both major targets get away.

Permalink Mark Unread
And the swarm of little ones starts destroying those satellites that the Simurgh didn't deem worthy of its time.

They also engage Ziz herself, mostly as a probing attack to judge its capabilities.
Permalink Mark Unread

This is a terrible idea. The Endbringer wakes up. The small Neuroi get swatted, of course, and it's not even necessarily a very accurate idea. The Simurgh hits exactly as hard as it needs to to squish each individual drone. And then it changes course.

Permalink Mark Unread
There are a lot of small Neuroi. They try very hard to slow the Simurgh down. A few large ones join in, firing beams mundane and exotic from ranges measured in dozens of miles.

The gate reappears a hundred miles south of Cuba, where the gigantic Neuroi currently is. An enormous storm starts to form around it.
Permalink Mark Unread

The capes are mostly just panicking. A new worldwide threat is the worst news possible, but it's unfortunately not unprecedented. A new worldwide threat that provokes an unscheduled Endbringer attack, that is. But the Simurgh is moving at her ordinary speed, not appearing to aim for anywhere, defending herself and taking damage as if it were an ordinary fight.

Permalink Mark Unread
And then Leviathan joins the fight. He's a speedster on a global scale; the surprising thing isn't that he's fast enough but that the Endbringers are openly working together.

He doesn't appear next to the Simurgh. He appears about a hundred miles south of Cuba, and tears his way toward the largest Neuroi. The storm gets thicker.
Permalink Mark Unread
The Grand Neuroi Core ascends hundreds of miles in less than a minute.

Leviathan and the Simurgh are both being pelted with everything the Neuroi have. New Neuroi form spontaneously out of air. More Neuroi keep coming through the gate. The invulnerability-piercing tentacle blades come out again from a dozen different directions, trying to hurt Leviathan.
Permalink Mark Unread
They take damage, plenty of damage. Skin stripped away, ichor pouring from places where the more powerful weapons cut into them. It doesn't seem to slow them down.

The Simurgh keeps flying toward Cuba, accelerating but not quickly. And Leviathan launches itself into the air and keeps ascending, with no obvious means of flight. Water crashes down from around it much faster than usual, both in quantity and in speed, as if however much the Neuroi hurt the monster it only gets converted into more water. The cascade does slow down to terminal velocity after getting distance from Leviathan, naturally. Once in the air, Leviathan strikes at the nearest opponents and maintains a shield of water around itself. It does not ascend enough to reach the Grand Core, not yet.
Permalink Mark Unread

In addition to withering fire, freezing Leviathan's water as much as possible, and using space-warping to turn the Simurgh around and around, they try the trick that killed Eidolon: Teleporting drones' cores in such a way to intersect pieces of the Endbringers that are likely to be important. Head. Center of mass. Joints.

Permalink Mark Unread
Attacking Leviathan's water is actually effective. The less liquid water there is the more subject the monster is to gravity. Space-warping against the Simurgh is useless; it casually moves through the most direct path and prioritizes the space-warping Neuroi for fatal collisions.

The drone suicide attacks don't slow them down either. What it can do is provide information: the bit that intersected this part of the Endbringer did as much damage as if the flesh were twice as tough as steel, that part four times, and so on up through "off the scale." They can get a pretty good sense this way of where the Endbringers are most and least indestructible.
Permalink Mark Unread

The Neuroi steadily move into high orbit. What they're probably going to have to do shouldn't be done anywhere near the planet, if they want the planet to continue being a planet.

Permalink Mark Unread
The Endbringers follow. (On this scale, they're far enough away that the Simurgh didn't have much of a head start.) They're joined by the other one. How Behemoth managed to deal with gravity is anyone's guess.

The parahumans are staying well away from this one. One enemy killed Eidolon and the other is the Endbringers. Instead, they're trying to shield populated areas from falling pieces of Neuroi and sudden flooding from Leviathan. When the battle moves high enough, they let the atmosphere handle that and hope that the Neuroi and Endbringers somehow kill each other.
Permalink Mark Unread
The Neuroi keep drawing the Endbringers away. Their space-folding is not very effective outside of an atmosphere, and they stop generating new Neuroi quite so quickly.

If the Endbringers keep following, once the Moon is between them and the Earth, a black hole with approximately the same mass as a truck appears right next to the Simurgh. It near-instantly dissolves into a cataclysmically energetic soup of particles, creating an explosion orders of magnitude larger than all of Earth Aleph's nuclear weapons could manage combined.
Permalink Mark Unread
When the dust re-forms from subatomic particles and settles, the Simurgh and Leviathan are skeletal. Flesh stripped off them, some bits of Endbringer hanging on to the cores wherever those were between them and the blast, with most of their volume evaporated.

They start regenerating.

Behemoth, meanwhile, began absorbing radiation as soon as it realized what was going on. It converts the energy into kinetic, leaving it less damaged than the others, and rockets straight through the largest Neuroi.
Permalink Mark Unread
This time the black hole is in what remains of the Simurgh.

The gigantic Neuroi takes heavy damage. What remains of it retreats in the general direction of Jupiter, accelerating at several tens of thousands of meters per second squared. None of the other Neuroi follow, or at least not at such speed.
Permalink Mark Unread
They trusted the Moon to shield Earth from that weapon. Setting it off inside an Endbringer has no visible effects.


Leviathan and Behemoth resume shattering Neuroi. Pieces assemble themselves into a copy of their method of transportation. Scaled up. And Endbringers are smaller than the gigantic ship, at least apparently, and they have a cheap source of reaction mass with most of it stored in another dimension. That combination leads to being significantly faster than the usual top speed for this kind of contraption. They speed off after the target.
Permalink Mark Unread
Everyone is paying attention. The explosion on the Moon, the apparent disappearance of two apocalyptic threats. No one knows which will come back.

But some people have a good guess.
"Door to Earth Gimel."

Contessa steps through, and apparently stands alone in midair in the center of the storm.
Permalink Mark Unread

There is a gigantic Neuroi high above her. (There is not much air here.)

Permalink Mark Unread

Eventually a human-shaped Neuroi approaches and regards her silently.

Permalink Mark Unread
Enough air to breathe and speak for long enough, or she wouldn't have come.

"One of your Grand Cores is currently being destroyed by a mutual enemy of ours. It will probably escape. I'm here to tell you about a different mutual enemy that threatens to destroy all the earths."

They're listening. She knows they're listening, and doesn't need to wait for them to say so. "Scion. You've heard of him from your allies in the other world. You don't know what he really is."
She tells them.
Permalink Mark Unread
They listen carefully. One through Ten, as well as Twelve and Thirteen (Eleven is busy), discuss.

Then the drone Contessa spoke to screeches out, "EVIDENCE."

They listen to the evidence and discuss some more.

"SOLUTION?"
Permalink Mark Unread

"You have interdimensional travel. Ours is specifically blocked from reaching the world where his real body is hidden, but if you can detonate the weapon you deployed against the Endbringers on that side of his defenses, he can be destroyed."

Permalink Mark Unread

"NO. IT CREATED THE BEASTS. WE NEED MORE POWER TO BE SURE OF DESTRUCTION. WE WILL NEED TO SEE HIS PROJECTION. WE WILL NEED TIME AND A STAR TO CONSUME. TO PREPARE."

Permalink Mark Unread
"The nearest star not in use is four light years that way," she points in a direction. "The projection I can show you now. Door."

A rectangle opens behind her. She turns around and hovers through it, then steps down onto the ground. Scion is visible in the sky.
Permalink Mark Unread

"WE CAN FIND THE ORIGINAL. WE WILL NOT YET. WE ARE CAPABLE OF SUPERLUMINAL TRANSIT TO AN APPROPRIATE STAR. IT WILL TAKE APPROXIMATELY FOUR MONTHS TO PREPARE A SUFFICIENTLY THOROUGH ATTACK."

Permalink Mark Unread

"If the Endbringers turn on us while you're gone and they fight to eradicate, we might not have four months. Leave a drone behind, on either world or a third, and we will be able to communicate in an emergency."

Permalink Mark Unread
"YES."

The storm has been letting up. Most of the Neuroi are ascending into space.
Permalink Mark Unread
You're welcome, Earth Gimel.

"Door to Cauldron."
Permalink Mark Unread
Earth Bet's next months are tense. The Endbringers have returned to their elements, and didn't (to everyone’s relief) continue their rampage against the next available targets. After orbiting the earth a few times as she normally does, the Simurgh starts approaching some locations, singing for a short time, and then leaving. The common element becomes clear before too long; she’s seeking out tinkers. Those tinkers get quarantined; rules of thumb about maximum safe exposure are out the window since they know it was personally directed. There are no signs of them being turned into weapons of the Simurgh, but on this short a time scale that doesn’t mean much.

The Simurgh isn’t the only one preparing. More capes have started appearing, which no one needs to know is a result of Cauldron stepping up their operations before an endgame. The Protectorate is reeling from the loss of Eidolon, and is focussing on being as convincing as possible when they say they were never dependent on him. Legend steps up; he was always the face of the Triumvirate and now he has to play the part of the Protectorate's most powerful cape into the bargain. Between their emphasis and the emergency, recruitment numbers are going up. Even most of the villains are scaling down crime the way they do before Endbringer attacks, since there might be an attack or worse at any time.


The Protectorate needs a victory. Something to prove that they're still a force that matters, even without Eidolon.
Legend contacts Copycat.
Permalink Mark Unread

Copycat is getting pretty busy, her agent says, so keep it short if at all possible? And then the agent patches him though. "Legend. What's this about?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"The Nine. We've got a pretty good idea of their location, and I've been talking to some of our thinkers to narrow it down. Are you still on board?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Oh. Is Yvette still working for you or did she get fed up predicting things? I trust her precogitating, if she says it can be done I'm in."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Some of it was her. She's only willing to sell so many questions, so it's mostly our own thinkers. It can be done though; that much we do know."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Then I'll help. The Nine are offensive and obscene. It sounds like we have a lot of strategy sessions ahead of us. Who all will be along?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Protectorate capes from all over, and a few others like the teleporter and you. Armsmaster and I are probably the only ones you know, unless you've met more of our teams while heroing."

Permalink Mark Unread

"I've met a couple. Had a chat with Myddrin once, which was... Interesting. I'll be happy to spend a few hours discussing strategy and preparing, and I can 'port in from anywhere when it's time to move. Let me know when to come in, preferably at least a couple hours from now. I'm busy cleaning up after a tornado."

Permalink Mark Unread

He sends her a time for the strategizing, along with a list of cape names. Myrddin is included.

Permalink Mark Unread

And she shows up exactly on time, via teleport into the building's lobby.

Permalink Mark Unread
There are a lot of capes, even for a Protectorate headquarters. They've got members here from most of the important branches. Myrddin, Exalt, Rime. The list goes on. Alexandria is not present, for one reason or another.

The most important information is who they're up against. Everyone knows in a general sense who the Slaughterhouse Nine are, but the specific roster varies.

In descending order of threat: the Siberian, who everyone in this room needs to know is a projection. Crawler, the most monstrous member in a literal sense, who regenerates from anything that harms him in seconds and is thereafter immune to it. Shatterbird, large-scale and fine-grained control over glass. She won't be surrounded by a city's worth of shards, unlike when the Nine attack a city, but should be assumed to have an arsenal on hand. Burnscar. Bonesaw. Jack Slash. Mannequin.
Hatchet Face, their power nullifier, was recently killed and replaced by this person, whose powers are unknown.

The general outline of the plan is of course to teleport to the Siberian—the real her, not the projection—and kill her before joining the battle. Strider can't teleport to people and Copycat doesn't have enough information on the person, but the Protectorate has a tank of thinkers who can narrow the location down and the Siberian's other body is likely alone.
Some of the others have complications, but with the Siberian dead they could win by force if nothing else. And of course they do have the advantage of striking first, which they can use like this or that....
Permalink Mark Unread
Copycat hasn't actually been battling other capes for most of her capey career. Her tactical sense is still tuned for Neuroi, so some of her suggestions may seem odd. She isn't the least bit upset with being told that her ideas won't work, at least.

Are there any clues to the last person's power? Unknowns are annoying. Perhaps she should be second priority after the Siberian - for all they know she could wipe the floor with the Alexandria and Legend if they let her alone long enough. Kinda like Lung.
Permalink Mark Unread
Accurate information is hard to come by; few people get a good look at the Nine in action. Speculation is that she's a master, but that's a guess and isn't very specific in any case.
The experienced capes all know how much of a threat unknown opponents can be. They certainly aren't assuming this one is less immediately dangerous than the guy with the knives.

The other half of the fight is, of course, theirs. They have capes from all over and have plenty of time to plan useful power interactions. (They could theoretically pulverize anything short of Crawler by using a combination of Myrddin, Dispatch, Exalt, and a card table. The downside is that it's kind of stupid. Dispatch is still useful for giving a short break to capes with recharge time. Like Copycat.) And there are plenty of powers to copy.
Permalink Mark Unread
Copycat really likes the idea of working with Dispatch. She can only copy him well enough to do small areas for a few moments. Myddrin's power continues to be a little odd. Exalt's aerokinesis blends in with the other kinds she has. She copies the other powers, but nothing present gives her a major advantage she didn't already have.

Copycat's copy of the Siberian can protect and move people likely to be able to hit the Nine hard enough. She is now powerful enough to both outright cancel gravity and make it hard to move around in an area the size of a house for a few minutes. Not likely to stop shatterbird or burnscar, but it'd give other heroes time to attack.
Permalink Mark Unread
This leaves Usher feeling a bit redundant. Suddenly Copycat can make people immune to both powers and stab wounds. Not that there's enough power immunity to go around, of course.

The canceling gravity requires testing with a cape with gravity powers; if he tries pulling people toward a potentially-fatal trap and there's no other gravity, that's much simpler than if they just render each other useless and have to time it.

Powers and tactics take up time; there's no shortage of permutations of both.
Permalink Mark Unread

Copycat tolerates a few hours of testing and strategizing, but soon disappears. Her gravity-cancel doesn't interfere with anyone else's gravity powers.

Permalink Mark Unread

Once they've hashed out a plan, they start working on steadily less important details of strategy and powers. By the time she leaves they'll have planned enough, but they'll all have plenty of advance warning to prepare before the attack.

Permalink Mark Unread
Copycat takes a bit of a break from heroing, cutting the hours she does cape things down to five or six a day from more than ten. Sleep and relaxation are pretty important too, and the world has a truly staggering variety of food.

(She also asks Toy Soldier for a quote on a spacesuit. She wants to teleport to the Moon.)

But she's in the room moments after the call that they're ready to move on the Nine goes out.
Permalink Mark Unread
They've been keeping close track on where the Nine are, and their thinkers have narrowed the Siberian's probable location down to a specific house nearby. They can go in, find anyone who looks like the Siberian, and kill her. If she gets a chance to re-create the projection near her they they're pretty much immediately outgunned even if she can't directly protect herself.

The rest of them will be starting a bombardment on the rest of the Nine as soon as the Siberian disappears.
Permalink Mark Unread
Copycat's misuse of her teleport power as a scry sees only an old man in that house. This guy might still be the Siberian, the appearance of the projection is hardcoded in the power but not not hardcoded to be exactly like Copycat herself. She's... Developed since she copied it, and the projection hasn't.

She can't see him well enough to make out his face from this distance.
Permalink Mark Unread

It might be worth it to wait long enough for Copycat to check the man's power. It'll give a valuable fraction of a second of warning, but Legend isn't happy about the idea of writing off as acceptable losses someone who's only probably guilty. Not if there's another option.

Permalink Mark Unread

If Copycat detects that he's the Siberian when Strider moves everyone in, she'll attack as soon as she's sure of it and everyone else should join in. Otherwise, she won't.

Permalink Mark Unread
Once everyone's ready to go, Strider takes the first group into position to attack once the Siberian's gone. Then he comes back for the second, including Copycat.
They appear in the target house, with a sound as the slight difference in air pressure equalizes. One of the capes points to where the suspect is.
Permalink Mark Unread

She breathes in for a moment, making sure, and yep that's the Siberian. The place where the Siberian is, is now very much on fire, and filled with lasers for good measure.

Permalink Mark Unread
Everyone else takes their cue from her.

The man they're firing on was lying in a bed in a bare room. It being the middle of the night here that makes some sense, but he has probably barely moved in days. There's no sign of the house's actual owners, which probably doesn't bode well for them.

As soon as the fire starts, the black and white striped projection appears. It grabs on to a blanket and renders it invulnerable, quickly smothering the flames nearest the human. The lasers from Legend curve around to strike from underneath, but the Siberian is already awkwardly bundling her creator in the impenetrable defense.

Someone annihilates everything beneath the targets; the Siberian probably can't charge them while falling. Attacks surround the targets, but they don't have time to wait for him to suffocate.
Permalink Mark Unread

Copycat teleports directly to the master's still-exposed foot and touches it. Using deathtouch feels nasty and icky, but he should die instantly. She's not sure exactly what the deathtouch actually does, but it's worked on everything she's ever tried it on. Including Neuroi cores.

Permalink Mark Unread
The Siberian is distracted enough that she makes it to the foot. The projection disappears, and the body goes up in flames. And lasers. And annihilation. Can't be too sure, after all.

Legend calls in Strider to take them to the scene of the main battle. When they appear, there's no trace of what this place used to be. It's scarred and cratered and also currently a battlefield. The most visible feature is Crawler, who is being held in the air by Myrddin and anyone who can assist. He spits acid repeatedly, and the heroes keep their distance.
Permalink Mark Unread

Copycat tries the deathtouch on Crawler, putting as much effort as she can into it.

Permalink Mark Unread
She'll have to land a touch on him first. The acid spit can be avoided easily enough by coming from behind, but his too-many legs are swiping at any fliers that get near touch range.

And a voice calls out, carrying surprisingly well over the noise. "Copycat! I've got something here you'll want to see!"
Bonesaw is flanked by some of her creations and surrounded by what is unmistakably a Witch shield.
Permalink Mark Unread
"Oh bloody hell."

Priorities. Crawler is holding a huge chunk of their forces up. She ignores Bonesaw and her Witch for now, channeling Alexandria despite the relatively astronomical mana cost to fly close enough to tap him with the deathtouch. And Clockblocker's power, if that doesn't work.
Permalink Mark Unread
The death touch works. Crawler can regenerate from anything, but not if he's dead. As soon as Crawler goes limp Armsmaster disintegrates a piece of the monster, and it doesn't grow back.
Myrddin flies off to help stop all nearby fires, presumably to find or slow down Burnscar.

While Gren was busy with Crawler, the other newcomers noticed that half the heroes have been fighting the other half. They're fighting to kill, and the Nine are enjoying the distraction. Legend has been identifying the berserk allies and stunning them, and Usher's current protectee is of course immune, as is apparently Dispatch for some reason. But knocking out one's teammates is not a long-term winning strategy.

"Kill the shield and get out!" Legend blasts the Witch's shield, his laser fizzling against it. Then he rockets upward, having felt the effects of whatever's making the capes do this himself.
Permalink Mark Unread

Copycat sends her copy of the Siberian through the shield and into the former Witch making it. Bonesaw has her, whoever she was is gone. Copysiberian attacks bonesaw too for good measure. She might be a bit too slow flying up after this.

Permalink Mark Unread
In this as in most things, the Siberian is overkill. It breaks the shield, and sticks a fist through the Witch and the cape.

And then the shield goes back up. "Ow!" comes Bonesaw's voice. Large chunks of both girls are missing where the Siberian deleted pieces, but they both seem alive. "Don't you want to know how I did it?"

The ex-Witch opens fire. At everyone, Copycat most definitely included. The shield blocked everything to some upper limit between Legend and the Siberian, and the blasts are proportionately strong.
And to make things worse, now it's nearly all the heroes in a mindless rage. Some of the fliers, Legend included, are high enough that they don't seem to be affected, but the vast majority are turning on each other. Gren can feel it too. Hatred of everyone she came with, anger and the desire to destroy...it's definitely a Master power doing this, but that hardly seems important.
Permalink Mark Unread
Copycat's own shield has less raw power, but it's more efficient. She's approaching the point of mana burn now, though.

When the rage builds up to a certain point, something snaps. Cranial's implant. She goes completely emotionless. Lack of disgust over blood and gore, and lack of morbid curiosity over how she made a Witch so obscenely powerful makes it a lot easier to have the Copysiberian systematically disassemble Bonesaw and her Witch.

It's a bit creepy to be so calm when all this is happening. Who here smells like an emotion manipulator? That way. She ignores the mounting pain of mana burn to teleport over to her and apply the deathtouch for the third time in less than two minutes.

And then she really does need to take a break, because ow. "Bonesaw down, new member the Master down. Is Dispatch available?"
Permalink Mark Unread
Dispatch has been running from cape to cape while under the master's influence, and taking them down nonlethally. Jack Slash killed him on the grounds that this wasn't any fun.

Shatterbird and Mannequin are dead. Burnscar is dead or fled, no one knows which. Jack spent an awful long time dodging and killing before finally being cornered, and is now also dead. The new member was the last one.
Permalink Mark Unread

Okay. So now it's a good time to drop out of combat mode and brace herself to come down from mana burn. Trying to heal herself would be... Counterproductive. She sits in the alley shaking for a while, grunting in pain. It's probably pretty incongruous to bystanders and passersby, if there are any.

Permalink Mark Unread

There aren't, they cleared the area before calling in the artillery. If medical or parahuman healing would help, there's likely some of that available. Though this might not make the top of their priority list.

Permalink Mark Unread
Mana burn has never been any kind of pleasant, and it's suspected that it contributes to Witches losing their mana early, so it's probably doing terrible things to her body.

But once it starts to subside, Cranial's implant has shut itself down too, and she can feel proud that the Nine are now either One or None.

She radios in her perspective on the fight, then teleports home to Terra and has a couple of days off. After that, Cranial receives a message saying that her implant helped against the Nine and ten thousand dollars as a your-stuff-worked-in-live-fire-conditions bonus.

Toy Soldier, how about that spacesuit?
Permalink Mark Unread

Toy Soldier can definitely make her a space suit. Surviving in vacuum, radiation, sudden temperature changes...those are all easy enough. Cheaper than the brain implants unless she wants it to also be a weapon in its own right, and should be done in a couple weeks.

Permalink Mark Unread

No, she just wants it to survive space. She is a weapon.

Permalink Mark Unread
Then in short(er) order she'll have a space suit.

They make the transaction in costume, of course. For Toy Soldier this means a three-story powersuit; presumably the cape themself is in there somewhere.
Permalink Mark Unread

Copycat is not the least bit intimidated. She helped against the Nine. Not that she's getting too proud of herself, but she probably made the difference between victory and defeat. She hovers at head height to hand over the briefcase of cash.

Permalink Mark Unread
"PLEASURE DOING BUSINESS WITH YOU," the giant squeaks.

The space suit is pretty much exactly as advertised: a space suit. It gets handed when the money does.
Permalink Mark Unread
She solicits instructions on how to use it.

Then she teleports to the moon - it's a stretch, but she has more than enough mana lately - and jumps around for a while and takes a video and publishes it on the internet and bags a few samples of interesting-seeming rocks and dust in case scientists might want them and teleports back to Earth Bet and resumes heroing.

(Mars and various other celestial bodies are apparently a bit too far, she tells inquiring parties.)
Permalink Mark Unread

She now has her escape route in case of Neuroi. Success.

Permalink Mark Unread

...You know what, she helped against one S-class threat. Are there any more that could use some Copysiberianing, and that she might have a good shot against?

Permalink Mark Unread
Some. Her PRT contact warns her that while she could kill Nilbog easily enough, this is a terrible idea. She's not the only one who could kill Nilbog, and Protectorate precogs reliably predict that trying it ends badly. The man behind Ellisburg is smart enough to set up deadman switches.

For other threats on that level she'd have to go further afield. The Three Blasphemies can probably be destroyed, but they'd have a good chance at surviving and it's unsafe to have them alive around you.

Copycat should stay very far away from Sleeper.

Ash Beast? He's on a lower scale because he's slow enough to just evacuate when necessary, but is dangerous enough that it's sometimes necessary. He's also, as far as anyone knows, just an innocent person with a really unfortunate power.
Permalink Mark Unread
She'd rather not try to take on the Blasphemies without a clear strategy.

Back to rouging it up, then. She doesn't really need all the money she's earning from healing hundreds of people per hour, messing with inconvenient geography or geology, and everything else. And she's not going to run out of magic anymore, so she buys a few ostentatiously golden and gemstoned things, and the rest goes to various charities she judges most worthy, weighted towards peacekeeping and refugee aid types of programs.

And time passes.
Permalink Mark Unread

(The Centauri system slowly dims, then goes out completely, over Earth Gimel.)

Permalink Mark Unread
Over the next three months, Earth Bet continues preparing for war. They know they're facing an Endbringer fight without Eidolon, and they know all the lesser capes will have to step up to compensate.

Over the next month, they notice an unmistakable lack of Endbringer fight. Late is one thing; the Endbringers were never exactly predictable. But it hasn't been this long between attacks since when there were only two of them. Optimists start to hope that the war might have stopped. But the Simurgh is still flying around copying tinkers at unpredictable intervals, constantly upgrading whatever it is she's doing, so optimists are few and far between.
Permalink Mark Unread
During all this the Neuroi have been making their own preparations. They were going to use Scion to find his planet.

Some of the pieces of Scion (and not-Scion-but-similar) are in dimensions that won't immediately attract his attention. The Neuroi carefully figure out which are which, then warp there and begin to study and copy them.

They finish consuming the Centauri system, and organizing a flotilla of drones just barely smart enough to come out of FTL not completely disoriented and deploy their superweapons. Then they open a door to Contessa. "We are ready."
Permalink Mark Unread
"Good. We'll—"

The ground shakes around them, and walls between worlds fall. Contessa and the Neuroi find themselves in one of Cauldron's more secret locations, in by the area they mine for the powers they sell. A gray-skinned humanoid hangs slack-jawed and dead, surrounded by similarly gray limbs and faces.
Permalink Mark Unread
Another crash between dimensions, and the entire scene appears in front of Scion. What he sees is the body of his counterpart, both its real body and the partially completed avatar that was to be shown to the world) along with the woman who killed her. He sees the human and her allies conspiring to kill him.

He doesn't have feelings, in the human sense. He does have a role, and he is familiar with the narratives the host species uses. One of the roles of the Warrior is revenge.

Under other circumstances an unplanned meeting with a different species might be interesting. Instead, he raises a hand to blast the nearest Neuroi from existence.
Permalink Mark Unread
...This Neuroi is a drone, not the intelligence behind them. It reverts to its default behavior: Shoot at the threat.

It interprets everything nonhuman as a threat. Not that it has much time to do anything with that decision.

Moments later, the Neuroi open hundreds of doors there, and in addition to more Neuroi, exotic attacks of all kinds - many derived from shards, some not - pour through.


And the flotilla of black hole bomb carriers begins charging for FTL insertion.
Permalink Mark Unread
Scion ignores most of the barrage, and moves on to the next nearest Neuroi. The blasts don't trouble him; this body can be reconstructed almost trivially even if completely destroyed. One or two attacks do attract his notice: they would break through his avatar into the world beyond where he keeps his real body. Those ones he blocks with the right choice of power; it's no more and no less than this that his precognition is set up to avoid.

This isn't a fight, exactly. That requires two sides. He's just eradicating one after the other, with some focus on importance but mostly just proximity, because he associates Neuroi with what happened to his counterpart.
Permalink Mark Unread
The Neuroi have plenty of cannon fodder to keep him busy. They try to aim the fight into space, the humans aren't useful if they're dead.


About three minutes into the not-fight, more than ten million Neuroi arrive at the end of their one-way trip to where Scion keeps his real body, synchronized to the nanosecond. Inside the planet, on its surface, above it. No part of the planet is more than fifty miles away from a copy of the weapon that turned one side of the moon into a cloud of glowing meteorites.

That planet ceases to exist.
Permalink Mark Unread

And the human-shaped tendril of Zion that extended into Earth Bet falls to the ground dead as soon as the next bit of cannon fodder lands a shot.

Permalink Mark Unread
The Neuroi announce to the humans (in general, all over the world) that they have killed Scion, not particularly caring whether they know he was a massive existential threat.

Then they disappear again. There has been far too much activity recently, it's high time to take a good long rest and analyze recent events and get used to all the new weapons liberated from various shards.

Maybe one of these powers will let them reproduce again, somehow.
Permalink Mark Unread
They still have enemies. But the Simurgh is patient. The next time the Neuroi surface, they may just find themselves facing a united humanity and parahumanity as well as the Endbringers.

Unless of course she decides on a better idea.