« Back
Generated:
Post last updated:
stay here dishonored
The Keres is dead
Permalink Mark Unread

There's a clear trail of destruction along the city, starting at a literal hole in the ground and moving towards where the over forty-five-feet-tall monster is. But even if that path is where there has been the most destruction—completely leveled buildings, melted rock and metal, a trail of ash and charred bodies—the monster clearly has reach, for a large radius around it is variously destroyed, too. Toppled buildings, people, dead or severely injured, fissures on the ground large enough to swallow trucks whole.

Several hundred feet behind the monster, much closer to the hole than to it, next to a mostly-toppled building and out of sight of anyone who might be looking but still at a place that has not been evacuated yet, an impossible three-dimensional structure manifests. It looks a lot like a hospital hallway. There's a woman with a very nice suit carrying a small unconscious girl in her arms. She doesn't step out of the hallway, and merely kneels to deposit the girl on the asphalt. She stands up, and the structure disappears, leaving no evidence of its short-lived existence other than the sleeping form, unhurt and unbothered, completely out of place in the hell that New York has become.

Permalink Mark Unread


She becomes bothered fairly quickly. It's not like this place is quiet.

This is- wrong? What... what is happening?

Permalink Mark Unread

The thing that's happening the most seems to be...

...this. It's happening a lot. It's really, really happening, really hard. It's far enough that it shouldn't be happening to her but it's still very much happening.

Permalink Mark Unread

Aaah!

She pulls at- something, instinctively, and a shadowy grey figure appears beside her to throw up an iridescent field between her and that thing. This is not quite comforting.

Permalink Mark Unread

The thing doesn't notice her. It proceeds away from her, and various other people—wearing capes and colourful costumes and masks—fight it, throwing things at it, shooting it with lasers and guns and what-have-you. It claps, and she can feel the vibration in her bones, and then it points at someone who was too close and a bit of lightning goes from the tip of its finger to that person and now they're dust.

Permalink Mark Unread

But she can see an echo or something, standing where they were. And if she reaches, she feels like she can grab it-

She does.

Permalink Mark Unread

- swirling through the void, much bigger than the Earth, than all the Earths, present in all of them at the same time, looking -

She gets a feel for the power the echo contains, an intuition. Enhanced speed, durability, stamina, endurance, strength, or a ranged set of attacks—but only one of those at a time.

Permalink Mark Unread

Attacks might draw attention. She doesn't want to draw attention. Stay down, stay low. At least until she can figure out what's happening.

Permalink Mark Unread

There aren't any people nearby, it seems like they're all either gone or dead or nearly so. The fight advances, and the monster's periodic attacks are all as devastating as or even more devastating than that clap. Most people stay well away from it, and those who stray too close will occasionally spontaneously melt, and leave echoes...

Permalink Mark Unread

...Collecting those is very tempting.

As the monster moves up, she follows, keeping the same safe distance between her and it.

Permalink Mark Unread

 

 

 

- two of them, communicating.

- PATH. -

- AGREEMENT. -

- POSSIBILITY. GOAL? -

- DISAGREEMENT. UNDERSTANDING. -

- AGREEMENT. -

—she's on the ground, as if she lost her balance. That was stronger than the previous vision. But she didn't grab for anyone now. It just happened. And the echo—there is/was another one of those echoes, inside that building over there, but it's disappearing—coalescing—attaching—

Permalink Mark Unread

There is too much going on and she understands very little of it.

Permalink Mark Unread

And there's some movement over there—

Permalink Mark Unread

Aaah- another pull and another shadow and this one blasts at the movement with lightning-

Permalink Mark Unread

—and is neatly blocked by a forcefield. Behind it there is a—person, gender indeterminate, probably human except it looks like their skin is completely white and their face is completely featureless. Kinda creepy. They're carrying a younger girl, who's clinging to them and crying. There's—definitely a shade, there, attached to the girl and through her to the white person.

Permalink Mark Unread

Huh?

Permalink Mark Unread

The girl seems uninjured, but given the amount of dirt on her clothes and the way some of them are ripped she probably got very lucky. The forcefield disappears and the white person walks towards the other girl.

Permalink Mark Unread

"What- what do you want?"

Permalink Mark Unread

That causes the little girl to notice her. The white person deposits the girl on the ground and winks out of existence. "Um."

Permalink Mark Unread

She watches guardedly, three shadowy figures tracking her gaze.

Permalink Mark Unread

She blinks at the figures. "You're a cape?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"I... don't know what that means."

Permalink Mark Unread

"You—have powers—but not a costume, I guess that means you're not a cape."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Costume. Like-" she gestures up the street at the ongoing fight.

Permalink Mark Unread

"Yeah. You've never seen capes?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Hadn't heard them called that."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Huh. ...did you just get your powers?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"I-" can't remember. "Maybe?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Maybe?"

Permalink Mark Unread


"Don't remember"

Permalink Mark Unread

She blinks. "Do you remember anything at all?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Some things. Not how I got here. What that thing is."

Permalink Mark Unread

 

 

 

And now she's crying.

Permalink Mark Unread

She has no idea what to do about this.

Permalink Mark Unread

She tries to stop herself a few times, unsuccessfully.

There's a tremor.

Permalink Mark Unread

That's probably a bad thing.

Permalink Mark Unread

Seems to be sufficient to shake her out of her crying fit.

"S-sorry. Th-that's, um, B-Behemoth. He attacks. Sometimes." Sniffle. "My—my—my—"

She can't seem to finish the sentence, though.

Permalink Mark Unread

"I think I saw you, when the building collapsed."

Permalink Mark Unread

She nods. "Collapsed more. It had already—I've been there for hours—"

Permalink Mark Unread

"I haven't been here that long."

Permalink Mark Unread

She sniffles and rubs her eyes with the back of her sleeve. "We should go find the heroes."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Why."

Permalink Mark Unread

"...I don't want to be here, there's that monster and they can help find us somewhere safe."

Permalink Mark Unread

"They're all closer to the monster than we are. And they keep dying."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Not the ones fighting, the ones evacuating."

Permalink Mark Unread

She looks around, trying to spot them.

Permalink Mark Unread

There aren't any visible but there's a suspicious lack of injured people. Dead, sure, but alive and injured not so much.

Permalink Mark Unread

"Where are they."

Permalink Mark Unread

"I dunno. Away from the monster, probably. Um. Do you know what your powers are?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"I can see other people's powers. And take them when they die."

Permalink Mark Unread

 

 

 

"Oh. Do you have a power to—find people?"

Permalink Mark Unread

Does she? If she- looks in the same place she pulled the forcefield and the lightning from...

Permalink Mark Unread

There's nothing that immediately finds people, but there's something that seems to point directions depending on certain input parameters...

Permalink Mark Unread

"...Maybe." The lightning ghost fades away, and a new one swirls in. She pokes at what sort of information this one needs.

Permalink Mark Unread

If she defines anything sufficiently precisely it can find the closest such thing!

Permalink Mark Unread

...Person with powers rescuing or trying to rescue civilians trapped or endangered by Behemoth's rampage.

Permalink Mark Unread

That-a-way.

Permalink Mark Unread


"This way."

Permalink Mark Unread

She follows.

The direction is not towards the monster but it's... sort of roughly that way and off to the side a bit.

Permalink Mark Unread

Well. As long as they don't get too close.

Permalink Mark Unread

...the path might actually be too close, from where they are. They should perhaps detour.

Permalink Mark Unread

Yes. Around, through the alley.

Permalink Mark Unread

Probably a good idea.

Except there's another clap, another tremor, and then the buildings around them are crumbling, debris falling on them—

Permalink Mark Unread

Forcefield up-

Permalink Mark Unread

This successfully prevents them from being smashed.

Permalink Mark Unread

But are they now trapped?

Permalink Mark Unread

Yyyup.

Permalink Mark Unread

Well.

"Can your glowy person do something about this."

Permalink Mark Unread

Blink. "What glowy person?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"The... one that carried you out of the building."

Permalink Mark Unread

She blinks some more, opens her mouth, then closes it again. "That wasn't you?" Pause. Look down. "I'm a girl."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Yyyes?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"I mean. I'm a real girl. With real girl parts." Pause. "I wasn't. I mean I was a girl. But I had—boy parts. I have powers?"

Permalink Mark Unread

Uh. Whatever.

"That's how I saw you through the building."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Oh. But. I dunno what my powers are. You said there was a glowy person? What'd it do?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Carried you. And blocked the lightning I shot at it. It disappeared when you woke up."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Oh. Maybe I can make a glowy person that does stuff? ...but I dunno how to do it."

Permalink Mark Unread

"I just sort of- try to do it, and I can. I can't explain it very well."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Okay, so I'm gonna... try to make a glowy person?" She closes her eyes—

—and her shade reaches for the other girl—

Permalink Mark Unread

She recoils.

Permalink Mark Unread

Doesn't matter, the shade's fast—fast as thought—it doesn't do anything, but what's Ellie expecting...?

Permalink Mark Unread

-She remembers that it hurt, when someone reached for her like that.

Permalink Mark Unread

It doesn't hurt.

But nothing else happens.

"Did it work?" she asks, not opening her eyes.

Permalink Mark Unread

"...I don't think so."

Permalink Mark Unread

She opens her eyes and frowns. "I don't know what to do then."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Do... you get any sense of how it works? It sort of looked like your power wanted something from me."

Permalink Mark Unread

"...not really, I didn't feel anything."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Maybe someone will find us."

Permalink Mark Unread

She looks at the shades. "Can't you swap one of those?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"I dunno if I have anything that'll," handwave at all the concrete debris, "work."

Permalink Mark Unread

"You don't know all the things you have?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"I said I don't remember!" she snaps.

Permalink Mark Unread

"Sorry! I just meant—maybe there's a way to, like, think about it and your power tells you. But I guess mine doesn't so maybe that's not a thing."

Permalink Mark Unread

Deep breath.

"I can try looking."

Permalink Mark Unread

Nod.

Permalink Mark Unread

Annnd- focus. Something to move or destroy or call for help.

Permalink Mark Unread

So many things destroy!!!!!

Permalink Mark Unread

Oh. Well. She wants to get rid of the stuff on top of them without being crushed by it falling down or also being fried.

Permalink Mark Unread

Hmm, maybe this laser power? It's a form of light so it shouldn't have problems with the forcefield.

Permalink Mark Unread

...Let's try. Drop two-form, bring out laser.

Permalink Mark Unread

It's a very straightforward power: point a finger at a thing and sustain concentration and the thing will start burning and breaking.

Permalink Mark Unread

"I think I have something that will work. I'm going to try breaking the stuff overhead."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Okay."

Permalink Mark Unread

And- laser, up. Burn away the debris.

Permalink Mark Unread

It starts out small and harmless but does eventually get powerful enough that she can cut pieces of debris with arbitrary precision.

Permalink Mark Unread

Okay, all the stuff above them can go away.

Permalink Mark Unread

It obliges.

Permalink Mark Unread

And then... is the remainder of the pile climbable?

Permalink Mark Unread

With some strategic lasering, yeah.

Permalink Mark Unread

Great.

Recheck on rescue-cape position?

Permalink Mark Unread

That-a-way.

Permalink Mark Unread

Off to find them.

Permalink Mark Unread

The girl follows.

"...do you remember your name?"

Permalink Mark Unread


"Ellie."

Permalink Mark Unread

"I'm Sadde."

Permalink Mark Unread

"That's a strange name."

Permalink Mark Unread

She nods. "My—my mom—"

She stops talking.

Permalink Mark Unread

 

Any sign of help?

Permalink Mark Unread

—yeah there are some capes over there.

Permalink Mark Unread

And are they going to get noticed or will they have to go over?

Permalink Mark Unread

Oh, they get noticed. Someone flies over. "Hey, you two—" He notices the shades and immediately assumes a fighting stance, lightning arcing between his hands. "Stay away from the girl."

"...what?" Sadde asks, looking spooked.

Permalink Mark Unread

Forcefield up between him and her.

Permalink Mark Unread

"Stop! We didn't do anything!" Sadde says.

    The cape looks at her. "Who are you? What did she do?"

"She rescued me."

    That seems to confuse him.

Permalink Mark Unread

Ellie will just. Stay here. Where she's safe. Ish.

 

Probably could kill the other guy before he can get her.

Permalink Mark Unread

    "What's your name?" the cape asks.

"I'm Sadde. She's Ellie."

    "Ellie."

"That's what I said. You're supposed to help us."

Permalink Mark Unread

He doesn't look very helpful.

Permalink Mark Unread

"...wait a second." He says something into a comm device, but doesn't drop out of his fighting stance. Sadde walks closer to Ellie, looking upset.

Permalink Mark Unread

She doesn't seem like a threat. Ellie angles the forcefield to cover her too.

Permalink Mark Unread

They stay like that, in silence, for a couple more seconds, and then a cape in a blue-and-white costume arrives. He observes the scene, then asks, "What's going on?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"She rescued me and he," she points at the other cape, "thinks she—I don't know, hurt me or something, and doesn't want to help us and he's supposed to help us and so are you."

Permalink Mark Unread

Still skeptical.

Permalink Mark Unread

"Sparkle, stand down, please."

    "But—"

"This is an Endbringer event and I am not going to argue with you right now. Go back to your post."

    "—okay." He flies off.

"I'm Legend," new cape introduces. "I'm sorry about him, he was on edge and spooked by a young girl with powers."

Permalink Mark Unread


"Okay."

Forcefield remains in place.

Permalink Mark Unread

"Are either of you hurt? Thirsty? Hungry?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"No."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Okay. I need to go back to fighting that beast, but I think you would both be safer if you went with a colleague of mine to the refugee station. They have teleporters working on evac."

Permalink Mark Unread

She looks at Sadde.

Permalink Mark Unread

Scared but hopeful.

Permalink Mark Unread

"Hopefully I'll see you later." He flies off.

Permalink Mark Unread


"I guess we should go, then."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Yeah." There's a tremor, but nothing crumbles due to it.

Permalink Mark Unread

Over to the people, then.

Permalink Mark Unread

No one reacts hostilely to them. Is she a new trigger? She should be careful with her powers. They should go over there with those people waiting to be teleported.

Permalink Mark Unread

Yyyeah. Okay.

To the teleport group.

Permalink Mark Unread

Some more people arrive. They are told it will feel bizarre.

And it does. The world lurches sideways, they're pulled from their navels and inside down and upside out and there are inexplicable colours and then they're in front of a hospital and being sorted according to how bad their injuries are.

There's a cape with a helmet covering the upper half of his face there. He walks up to the girls. "Are you the new trigger?"

Permalink Mark Unread


"We both are."

Permalink Mark Unread

He looks at Sadde. She shuffles her feet a little but nods. "Come with me?" he asks.

Permalink Mark Unread

Short nod.

Permalink Mark Unread

He starts leading the way to a tall, armored building.

Permalink Mark Unread

Which doesn't collapse because they're not near the monster anymore, right?

Permalink Mark Unread

Right!

Permalink Mark Unread

Good. She will provisionally accept the building into her life.

Permalink Mark Unread

The building does not express any feelings about that.

It's lightly staffed, only essential personnel including a few security PRT uniforms and capes who aren't useful in a Behemoth fight. The fight itself is not being transmitted—there are rules about that—but people do get news about it as refugees arrive, and there's a general feeling of expectation, dread, fear...

The cape starts leading them towards an elevator. "Do you two need anything?"

Permalink Mark Unread

Small head-shake.

Permalink Mark Unread

Sadde shakes her head, too.

The cape eyes Ellie's shades. "Some people are still jumpy; do you think it's possible for you to hide those?"

Permalink Mark Unread

 

...She can get them out again if she needs to. A pull, and they vanish.

Permalink Mark Unread

"Thank you. I'm Cassis, by the way."

Into the elevator.

Permalink Mark Unread

"Ellie."

Permalink Mark Unread

"I'm Sadde."

"It's nice to meet you," says Cassis. The elevator goes up, then stops, and he leads them to an empty room with some sofas and a circular desk with a computer on it. "The Wards are in the fight, except for Block, but he's home with his family."

Permalink Mark Unread

"What are the Wards?"

Permalink Mark Unread

He blinks. "They're the division of the Protectorate for underage capes."

Permalink Mark Unread

"So the Protectorate is the heroes?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"—yes. We are."

Permalink Mark Unread

Nod.

Permalink Mark Unread

"I'm going to show you around and then you can stay here while we wait for the fight to end?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Okay."

Permalink Mark Unread

He shows them around! The Wards have rooms, and there's a cafeteria, and there's that first room he showed them which is sort of like a "control room" where they hang out and stuff, and here are books, and some games.

Permalink Mark Unread

It's definitely a place that exists, no doubt about that.

Ellie doesn't seem to be relaxing much, remaining withdrawn and sort of tense or on edge. She tries to hide it, but not very successfully.

Permalink Mark Unread

The hero tries to be as reassuring as he can, but in context it doesn't help very much. "Is there anything you'd like to do?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"No."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Then I'll leave you to it. If you need anything I'll be at the computer over there." He hikes a thumb in the direction of a desk and goes.

Permalink Mark Unread

She wants somewhere to sit where there are as few other people as possible.

Permalink Mark Unread

The little study with the books was pretty empty.

Permalink Mark Unread

Okay good that's where she's going.

Permalink Mark Unread

Does she perhaps want company...?

Permalink Mark Unread

She doesn't say not to follow her.

Permalink Mark Unread

Good enough.

Permalink Mark Unread

Chair. Sit, or perhaps collapse. It's hard to tell.

Permalink Mark Unread

She'll scoot to another chair and sit, too, then hug her knees.

Permalink Mark Unread

She's not tired, she's not. Everything just needs to stop happening so much, for a while. So she can catch her breath. She could totally do things if she had to, but for now, let's just not. Okay? Okay.

Permalink Mark Unread

Nothing: continues to happen.

Permalink Mark Unread

Oh good.

Eventually she gets it together enough to pay attention to people other than herself.

Permalink Mark Unread

There is only one people present and she is pretending she can read a book to herself while she frets and cries every now and then.

Permalink Mark Unread


"Are you... okay?"

Permalink Mark Unread

She's startled by Ellie's voice, starts nodding, then shakes her head.

Permalink Mark Unread

"Do... you want to talk?"

Permalink Mark Unread

 

 

 

"I dunno."

Permalink Mark Unread


"I can't remember- anything before I woke up on the street. Just, feelings."

Permalink Mark Unread

"...like what?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Fear, mostly."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Oh. I'm sorry."

Permalink Mark Unread

"It's more like it happened on the other side of a mirror."

Permalink Mark Unread

She nods. "I wonder why you don't remember."

Permalink Mark Unread

"I don't know."

Permalink Mark Unread

Sigh.

Permalink Mark Unread

Yeah. That.

Permalink Mark Unread

...she gets back to pretending to read.

Permalink Mark Unread

Books. Good idea. Pick a book at random and read it.

Permalink Mark Unread

It is about mechanics.

Permalink Mark Unread

Okay sure let's learn some physics.

 

She doesn't have enough math to really understand most of this.

Permalink Mark Unread

After a few more minutes the cape from earlier walks into the room, a bit agitated. "Fight's over—Scion—" He pauses, taking the scene in. "It's done," he says, finally.

Permalink Mark Unread


That's probably good?

Permalink Mark Unread

Well, Sadde's crying again. "He's not dead is he."

    "—no. Scion just drove him away."

She nods.

Permalink Mark Unread

Or maybe not?

Who's Scion?

Permalink Mark Unread

"People are congregating downstairs in the cafeteria, if you'd like to join them...?"

Permalink Mark Unread

Nnnot really.

Permalink Mark Unread

Sadde notices. "Do we have to?"

   "...no, you can stay here..."

"Then we'd rather."

Permalink Mark Unread

Good.

Permalink Mark Unread

He leaves.

Permalink Mark Unread

Statics. Gosh, so interesting.

Permalink Mark Unread

Sadde fidgets. "Are you—" she starts, but then stops herself.

Permalink Mark Unread

Peer.

"...Am I what?"

Permalink Mark Unread

She shakes her head. "What are you reading?" she asks instead.

Permalink Mark Unread

"A physics book."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Why?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Because it was closest."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Oh."

Permalink Mark Unread

"What's yours?"

Permalink Mark Unread

She looks at it and tries to figure it out. "Poetry."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Oh. I don't remember if I like poetry."

Permalink Mark Unread

"I don't, really. I wasn't even reading it."

Permalink Mark Unread


"Yeah."

Permalink Mark Unread

"I dunno what—what I wanna do. They're gonna tell my—my father about it and—because my mom's—"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Is your father not- good?"

Permalink Mark Unread

Headshake. "Mom left him when I was small. Smaller. Because he was mean to me."

Permalink Mark Unread

"And they're going to make you go back?"

Permalink Mark Unread

 

 

 

"I think so."

Permalink Mark Unread

"They shouldn't."


"You shouldn't let them."

Permalink Mark Unread

"I'm not gonna. If they tell him and make me live with him I'll, I'll become a villain and I'll fight them and I'll never stop."

Permalink Mark Unread

Nod nod. "I would help you."

Permalink Mark Unread

She nods. "Thank you."

Permalink Mark Unread

"If they make you go back, they're not heroes."

Permalink Mark Unread

She nods again, more vigorously. "It'd be evil."

Permalink Mark Unread

"I don't even have anywhere to go back to, so they'll have to do something."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Oh yeah I could get the same thing they do with you. Even being adopted would be better."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Unless they do it the other way around and put me with you."

Permalink Mark Unread

She grimaces. "I don't think so."

Permalink Mark Unread

"They'd better not."

Permalink Mark Unread

No one bothers them for a bit.

Permalink Mark Unread

That's good.

Permalink Mark Unread

But eventually a cape with a golden helmet shows up. "Are you two the new ones?"

Permalink Mark Unread


"Yes."

Permalink Mark Unread

"We're gonna have dinner. You hungry?"

Permalink Mark Unread


"Yes."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Then come on."

He starts walking out.

Permalink Mark Unread

...Glance at Sadde.

Permalink Mark Unread

Who's looking at her, too, but then gets off the chair and puts the book down.

Permalink Mark Unread

Okay. Get up. Book down. Follow.

Permalink Mark Unread

He leads them to a cafeteria-like place. There are various people in costume there, some only a few years older than Sadde and Ellie. "You can get whatever you want from there," he says, pointing at a place where there is food, "and eat however much you want to eat. And you can sit with someone, or alone, however you like. You can also bring food back to your room."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Don't have a room."

Permalink Mark Unread

His uncovered lower face reveals a smile. "Two-two-three is yours." He looks at Sadde. "And you have two-two-one. At least for the moment."

Permalink Mark Unread

Ellie is going to get a plate of food and then go looking for two-two-three.

Permalink Mark Unread

...Sadde thinks she wants to be alone and won't follow.

Room two-two-three is over there.

Permalink Mark Unread

Okay.

So what's this room?

Permalink Mark Unread

It is a bedroom! Rather simple, with a made bed and a wardrobe and a desk and a telephone.

Permalink Mark Unread

Desk. Good place to eat.

Permalink Mark Unread

It is! It even has a chair.

Permalink Mark Unread

She eats for a bit, then investigates more closely. Drawers in the desk, contents of wardrobe, et cetera.

Permalink Mark Unread

Drawers: contain blank paper, pens, and pencils. Wardrobe is currently empty.

There... is not much more to explore.

Permalink Mark Unread

...She should have brought the book.

Permalink Mark Unread

Alas.

Permalink Mark Unread

...She's going to go get a book.

Permalink Mark Unread

Nothing's stopping her.

Permalink Mark Unread

Okay good. Back to the bookshelf.

Permalink Mark Unread

It is where she left it!

Permalink Mark Unread

She'll select a book with more care, this time. Not Statics.

Permalink Mark Unread

The books available are rather specific, mostly. Possibly all relating to local capes' powers?

Permalink Mark Unread

Mmmaybe. Like what?

Permalink Mark Unread

There's a bunch of physics stuff, some stuff about biology and materials science and psychology...

Permalink Mark Unread

She'll try a book on psychology.

Permalink Mark Unread

It's undergrad level.

Permalink Mark Unread

She's closer to understanding it then that statics. Back to the room.

Permalink Mark Unread

No one bothers her for a while.

Permalink Mark Unread

Eventually she wants to sleep.

Permalink Mark Unread

Before that there's a knock, though.

Permalink Mark Unread


Crack open the door.

Permalink Mark Unread

The man with the golden helmet from before is there. "Hi!" he says in a cheerful whisper. "Sorry to bother you. Just wanted to say, over there," he points, "is the bathroom, and we'll get you clothes tomorrow, and then someone will talk to you about what's gonna happen next, okay?"

Permalink Mark Unread


"Okay."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Want or need anything?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"No."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Alright. Good night, then!"

Permalink Mark Unread

Close door.

Then bed.

Permalink Mark Unread

No one will bother her for the rest of the night.

Permalink Mark Unread

Her dreams are full of fear and death, but she sleeps untroubled and does not recall them upon waking.

Permalink Mark Unread

The phone on her desk has a blinking red light when she wakes.

Permalink Mark Unread

...Does the light have a helpfully informative label?

Permalink Mark Unread

Yes: messages.

Permalink Mark Unread

Does it say how to get to them?

Permalink Mark Unread

There is a button.

Permalink Mark Unread

Button push.

Permalink Mark Unread

"Good morning!" says a cheerful female voice. "When you wake up, we've left some clothing in front of your door, and there's breakfast in the cafeteria."

Permalink Mark Unread

She checks outside the door.

Permalink Mark Unread

Bundle of clothes on the floor!

Permalink Mark Unread

Do they fit?

Permalink Mark Unread

Yep! Perfectly.

Permalink Mark Unread

...That's a little creepy.

But breakfast still sounds like a good idea. She goes to find it.

Permalink Mark Unread

A few people are there.

Sadde's one of them.

Permalink Mark Unread

Is there a free seat?

Permalink Mark Unread

Yup.

Permalink Mark Unread

She takes it.

Permalink Mark Unread

Sadde looks up. "Good morning."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Good morning."

Permalink Mark Unread

"They got you new clothes," she observes. She is wearing similar ones.

Permalink Mark Unread

"Yes. I don't know how. Do yours fit?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Mostly? Why?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Mine do too. They never asked my size."

Permalink Mark Unread

She shrugs. "We're small."

Permalink Mark Unread

"It's still weird."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Maybe."

Permalink Mark Unread

Breakfast breakfast chew chew.

Permalink Mark Unread

Yeah that.

"Are they going to talk to you after breakfast too?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"I guess."

Permalink Mark Unread

"They haven't said anything about my father but..."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Don't let them."

Permalink Mark Unread

Nod. Pause. "...will you come with me?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Okay."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Thank you."

Breakfast woo.

Permalink Mark Unread

Does anything seem to be happening as breakfast wraps up?

Permalink Mark Unread

Nope.

Someone comes fetch Ellie and Sadde after they're done.

Permalink Mark Unread

Oh boy.

Permalink Mark Unread

"Don't worry, we'll just find somewhere for you two to stay," says a smiling woman. "Or, well, probably here is where you'll stay, maybe, we just need to figure out," she waves her hands dismissively, "details."

Permalink Mark Unread

That's maybe hopeful.

Permalink Mark Unread

She leads them to a waiting room and says, "So we're going to talk to Sadde first, do you want anything to occupy yourself with while we're there?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"I want to go in with her."

Permalink Mark Unread

    "Oh, but I'm afraid—"

"I want her to come with me," Sadde says.

    "But you're not really supposed to—"

"She's coming with me or I'm not coming."

    "—well, I suppose there's no harm."

Permalink Mark Unread

Firm nod.

Permalink Mark Unread

"—give me a minute, then," she says before disappearing into the room.

Permalink Mark Unread

That's step one in making this turn out not-terrible, she guesses.

Permalink Mark Unread

She comes out a minute later. "You can come in," she says, trying to sound reassuring.

Permalink Mark Unread

Ellie doesn't think this woman matters all that much. She goes in with Sadde.

Permalink Mark Unread

They're in a spacious office where a tall man in a suit is waiting for them, smile bright enough to rival the morning sun shining through a window large enough to almost consume one of the walls completely. "Welcome, welcome!" he says, and the woman who led them there waves and closes the door behind her as she leaves. "Sit, sit, you don't need to stand there all day." To demonstrate this fact, he takes a seat at one of the comfortable sofas in the middle of the room.

Permalink Mark Unread

She'll follow Sadde's lead.

Permalink Mark Unread

Sadde sits, after a second's hesitation.

Permalink Mark Unread

Ellie sits next to her.

Permalink Mark Unread

"So!" the cheerful man says. "You wanted to both come here at the same time? Splendid, it's great that you're making friends this fast. You know, I think you're the youngest parahumans on record!"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Mm."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Right, then." He looks at Ellie, turning grave. "I'm afraid we... haven't been able to find much on you. I don't suppose you remember much of your life before—yesterday?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"No."

Permalink Mark Unread

He nods. "We have resources to deal with that. We could find you a family to stay with, or you could stay with the Protectorate, effectively a ward of the Wards." He looks awfully pleased about this pun. "You'll have a monthly allowance, clothes, food, and school, all for free."

Permalink Mark Unread


"I don't want a family."

Permalink Mark Unread

He nods. "That's understandable. We'll discuss paperwork later, but you can stay here with us."

Permalink Mark Unread

"What about her."

Permalink Mark Unread

    "Right, yes, Miss Woods... I believe you do have family, yes?"

"No. My mom d-died—" She stops herself before she dissolves into tears again.

    He nods, sadly. "I'm extremely sorry for your loss. I can't imagine... But you still have your father."

"No."

    "No?"

"No."

    "...would you like to elaborate?"

"I don't want to be anywhere near him ever again. Ever ever ever."

Permalink Mark Unread

Ellie's hands are tight down by her side, fists clenched to white knuckles.

Permalink Mark Unread

    "Miss Woods, I understand the loss of your mother is still fresh—"

"He's mean and I hate him and if you make me live with him I'll become a villain and I'll come after all of you."

    "Now come on, be reasonable—"

Permalink Mark Unread

"She said she doesn't want to."

Ghosts flicker in and out behind her.

Permalink Mark Unread

The man's eyes flicker to the ghosts and he purses his lips. "I... suppose there's no reason he should know you're alive..."

Sadde nods forcefully, not noticing the ghosts.

Permalink Mark Unread

Ellie relaxes a little, and the ghosts fade.

Permalink Mark Unread

    "You understand this is a very serious decision? You're very young—"

"I don't care. She is too and you're letting her live here, so I can. You can change my last name, even my first name, just don't make me live with him again."

    "...very well."

Permalink Mark Unread

Good. That's good. Now she doesn't have to be alone here.

Permalink Mark Unread

His eyes flicker to where the ghosts were then return to the two girls. "Do you two will need new identities, then; civilian ones, not associated with your past lives, although in your case that's impossible anyway," he says, directing that last to Ellie. "Do you remember your last name, by any chance?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"No."

Permalink Mark Unread

"We can make one up for you, then. What do you remember? Age, where you're from, family...?"

Permalink Mark Unread

Slow headshake.

Permalink Mark Unread

"So we can fill up a form for you and get you a public identity. Do you have any preferences about that?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"What exactly is there that I can have preferences on?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Anything about your backstory; names, where you're from, what your family's like, what your life was like..."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Don't want a family."

Permalink Mark Unread

"I mean, you do need a backstory, but I suppose you could've been in the foster system..."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Yes. That."

Permalink Mark Unread

    "We'll craft you a backstory, then." He looks at Sadde. "And you, I presume, will need a new name. Yours is... distinctive."

She shrugs.

    "Do you have preferences about that?"

"...Sam. Or some other name that is a boy and a girl name at the same time."

    He blinks. "Is there, ah, a reason...?"

"Sometimes I'm a boy. Sometimes I'm a girl."

    "Sadde, I don't think that's how it works," he says, not unkindly. "You're always a girl."

"No I'm not!"

Permalink Mark Unread

That is weird but she likes her more than him so- "You're doing it again. You should stop."

Permalink Mark Unread

"—I'm sorry?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"She says she wants something and then you try to find a reason not to give it to her."

Permalink Mark Unread

    "...I suppose there's no harm in giving her whatever name she likes."

"Sam," she repeats. "Not Samantha, not Samuel, just Sam."

    "Be my guest," he sighs.

Permalink Mark Unread

Good.

Permalink Mark Unread

"We will iron out default backstories for you two, then, and show it to you and if there's anything in them you object to we can change them before they're official. You're gonna live here, but for school we'll have someone drive you somewhere you can take the bus so you look like civilians."

Permalink Mark Unread

"When does that start?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"In a week, after everything's been settled with respect to Behemoth's attack."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Okay."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Has anyone given you the full tour of the place?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"No."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Then I'll have someone do that."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Okay."

Permalink Mark Unread

He types something into his computer and a few seconds later someone knocks. "Come in!"

And it's the same lady from before. "Hello! Everything taken care of?"

"Yes, yes. They just need a proper tour, now."

"Excellent! If the two of you will come with me?"

Permalink Mark Unread

Ellie stands up to follow.

Permalink Mark Unread

As does Sadde.

The woman is very chipper and shows them everything—there's the cafeteria, of course, and the library, and the common room of the Wards, and the common room of the adult heroes, and various dormitories, and the common bathrooms, and there's a room for sparring and a room for power testing and a lab and a bunch of offices and...

Permalink Mark Unread

Big place.

Permalink Mark Unread

It is!

At the end of the tour they're told they can go pretty much anywhere that's not, like, other people's (like offices) or has sensitive work/delicate stuff (like labs) and they're free to go do whatever.

Permalink Mark Unread

Oookay. Library?

Permalink Mark Unread

Where they left it yesterday.

Permalink Mark Unread

She feels more comfortable to take her time and browse now.

Permalink Mark Unread

The books are in fact organized by theme: fiction (SF/F mostly but some cheesy romances and a couple of action thrillers), physics (mostly very specific ones relating to powers), mathematics (only like half a dozen but they're veritable tomes), recent history (especially regarding capes), newspaper clippings (pretty varied), and a smattering of every other subject that's interested a local cape.

Permalink Mark Unread

Context would be helpful. Recent history.

Permalink Mark Unread

How recent?

Permalink Mark Unread

Start with... the first capes?

Permalink Mark Unread

The first cape was Scion: appearing in 1982, floating naked above the ocean by a cruise, he probably isn't much of a cape in the strictest of senses given he never stops heroing about. After him, though, more and more people started going out in costume to fight for justice. One of the first one, Vikare, turned out to be this guy who touched Scion's hand when he was first seen, which apparently gave him powers and cured him of cancer.

Permalink Mark Unread

When did the Protectorate start?

Permalink Mark Unread

As a team, in 1988, a bit less than a year after superheroes came out to the public, but they didn't join the government until 1993, when the PRT was formed to oversee parahuman activity in the United States.

Permalink Mark Unread

And what year is it now?

Permalink Mark Unread

1994.

Permalink Mark Unread

Huh.

...What's in the newspapers?

Permalink Mark Unread

Mostly cape-related news. The oldest ones are locked and only accessible via a computer next to them, and the newest ones focus on recent battles.

Permalink Mark Unread

Why are they locked? Can she get at them?

Permalink Mark Unread

Through the computer, sure.

Permalink Mark Unread

What do they say?

Permalink Mark Unread

Mysterious golden man caught on tape! Strange masked people with powers: vigilantism or superheroism? Umasked: the true story of Vikare. Giant monster attacks oil station. And stuff like that.

Permalink Mark Unread

Okay.

What's Sadde doing?

Permalink Mark Unread

Sitting alone in the Wards common room, not doing anything, with her eyes closed. Not asleep, though.

Permalink Mark Unread

Weird. Wonder what she's doing.

Permalink Mark Unread

The ghost next to her looks... anxious.

Permalink Mark Unread

Ellie goes and sits next to her.

Permalink Mark Unread

She jumps a bit, and her ghost loses interest. "Oh. Hi."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Hi. What were you doing?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"I was trying to use my power."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Oh. I don't think your power knows what to do."

Permalink Mark Unread

She shrugs. "I don't know what to do either. I'm—still in a girl body so it's doing something."

Permalink Mark Unread

"What have you tried telling it to do?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"To make that white person appear again, and make me look like a boy again. That's all I know it can do."

Permalink Mark Unread

"What if you tried getting it to do something else?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"...like what?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Change your hair color?"

Permalink Mark Unread

She closes her eyes. Her ghost gets attentive again.

Permalink Mark Unread

...Strange.

But does her hair change color?

Permalink Mark Unread

Nope.

Permalink Mark Unread

That's disappointing.

Permalink Mark Unread

She sighs and opens her eyes. "I dunno."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Your power doesn't look like others I've seen."

Permalink Mark Unread

"—oh you can see powers. What do you mean?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Most just- do the thing. Yours seems like it's looking for something."

Permalink Mark Unread

"...looking for what?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"I'm not sure. What it should do, maybe."

Permalink Mark Unread

Blink. "It doesn't know?"

Permalink Mark Unread

Shrug.

Permalink Mark Unread

"Is it doing anything right now to make me a girl?"

Permalink Mark Unread

...Squint.

Permalink Mark Unread

Sadde's ghost, perhaps uncharacteristically, seems to stare directly back at Ellie. It seems to want to—talk? It shows things, says things, a million things at once whose context is lost and whose content is unguessable, images flitting one after another too fast and dense for the eye to follow.

Permalink Mark Unread

She starts back a bit and shakes her head to clear it.

Permalink Mark Unread

"—what happened?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"...Too much."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Too much what?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Everything. I don't know. Pictures and sounds and ideas."

Permalink Mark Unread

"...that's weird. What do you see with other powers?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"They just do things. Not look at me."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Oh. And it was telling you something?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Lots of things. Too much to follow."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Oh."

Permalink Mark Unread

Shrug.

Permalink Mark Unread

"...do you see your own power?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"No."

Permalink Mark Unread

"I dunno how to figure my power out then."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Me neither."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Maybe the heroes will," she sighs.

Permalink Mark Unread

"Maybe."

Permalink Mark Unread

She closes her eyes again. Her ghost looks around.

Permalink Mark Unread

Why does it keep doing that?

Permalink Mark Unread

Who knows! It seems to be focusing specifically on Sadde, Ellie, and this one specific spot on the ceiling.

Permalink Mark Unread

Is there anything interesting on the ceiling?

Permalink Mark Unread

...if she squints, there's a small camera there.

Permalink Mark Unread

 


"Let's move somewhere else."

Permalink Mark Unread

"—why?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"There's a camera on the ceiling."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Oh." She looks for it and finds it. "Okay."

Permalink Mark Unread

Maybe one of their rooms?

Permalink Mark Unread

They are both free of cameras!

Permalink Mark Unread

Oh good.

"Try doing the thing again."

Permalink Mark Unread

"...okay." She tries.

Now her ghost is only looking at Ellie and herself.

Permalink Mark Unread

And it's going to change her hair, right?

Permalink Mark Unread

Well that... certainly gets a reaction from Sadde's power. It looks at Ellie intently before looking at Sadde in what... is almost like frustration.

Permalink Mark Unread

"Make it change your hair."

Permalink Mark Unread

"—my hair? To what?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Red."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Okay."

She closes her eyes again.

Permalink Mark Unread

Red hair. Red hair?

Permalink Mark Unread

Ghost is very pleased with Ellie.

Ghost looks even more frustrated by Sadde.

Permalink Mark Unread

"You're doing something wrong."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Me? Why?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Dunno. What are you doing?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Trying to turn my hair red."

Permalink Mark Unread

"How?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"...I dunno, just wanting to?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Expecting it?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Huh?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Try expecting, instead of just wanting."

Permalink Mark Unread

"...um. How do I. Do that?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"A thing that's going to happen, not a thing that might."

Permalink Mark Unread

"...like, believing it's gonna happen or something?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"I guess."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Okay..." Eyes closed.

Permalink Mark Unread

And red hair.

Permalink Mark Unread

The ghost is still frustrated by Sadde. But—hopeful?

Permalink Mark Unread

Maybe they're on the right track.

Permalink Mark Unread

"Did it work?" she asks without opening her eyes.

Permalink Mark Unread


"Yes."

Permalink Mark Unread

She opens her eyes in surprise. The ghost is momentarily hopeful, her hair is momentarily red—then the ghost does a thing adjacent to groaning in frustration. "Really?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"It was. Now it's not. You're not expecting hard enough."

Permalink Mark Unread

"...oh."

Permalink Mark Unread

"You should try again."

Permalink Mark Unread

She nods. "Okay, so I need to believe it really hard..."

Permalink Mark Unread

Nod nod.

Permalink Mark Unread

She closes her eyes again. Breathes deeply. She has red hair. Of course she does. Yes. She's always had red hair. She's seen it.

Permalink Mark Unread

Right. Red hair.

Permalink Mark Unread

...red hair!

Permalink Mark Unread

Exactly.

Is she going to keep it up?

Permalink Mark Unread

Apparently. "Did it work now?" Nope, it's gone.

Permalink Mark Unread

"Until you asked if it worked."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Oh. This is hard."

Permalink Mark Unread

"You almost did it."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Yeah but it's hard to think like that."

Permalink Mark Unread

"So practice."

Permalink Mark Unread

She nods. "...so it works with my body because I really think I'll be a girl?"

Permalink Mark Unread

Shrug. "Aren't you?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Yeah but no one believed me before. Just mom."

Permalink Mark Unread

"So you were... born a boy?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Yeah. I only really know I have powers because I'm girl-shaped right now. And you."

Permalink Mark Unread

... So she's not really a girl?

Permalink Mark Unread

She's really a girl. Really really. A suddenly slightly alarmed girl. "What happened?" she asks, even though nothing seems to have.

Except for her ghost, who's staring intently at Ellie.

Permalink Mark Unread


"Nothing."

Permalink Mark Unread

"I just—felt something."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Something like what?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"I dunno, it was like my body was different for a second."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Huh."

Permalink Mark Unread

"I didn't like it."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Oh."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Did my ghost do anything?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"I think it pays attention to what other people think."

Permalink Mark Unread

"...huh?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"It was looking at the camera, earlier. When your hair wouldn't change."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Oh. ...so there isn't a camera here and it's paying attention to just the two of us?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Yeah."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Do you also have to believe things, then? Would it be easier if I was alone?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"You're kind of bad at believing things."

Permalink Mark Unread

"...I guess."

Permalink Mark Unread

Shrug.

Permalink Mark Unread

"How do you believe things? That aren't?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"I can see that you could do it."

Permalink Mark Unread

"—oh. Okay. That makes sense." But if she can do it then she does do it. She did it, didn't she?

Permalink Mark Unread

Seems so.

Permalink Mark Unread

"Did it work?" She looks for a mirror.

Permalink Mark Unread

"Yes."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Eeee!" she says, grinning. "I have pink hair!"

Permalink Mark Unread

"You do."

Permalink Mark Unread

She continues to grin. "Blue now." And her ghost squints—

Permalink Mark Unread

Blue?

Permalink Mark Unread

Blue!

Permalink Mark Unread

She's getting better.

Permalink Mark Unread

"Okay suggest something else."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Try to make the glowing person."

Permalink Mark Unread

"...what were they like?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Like an all-white person with no face. They were carrying you and they could make a forcefield."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Oh. Wow that's cool. Okay... I can do it. I did do it." She nods to herself and closes her eyes.

Permalink Mark Unread

Expectant waiting.

Permalink Mark Unread

She reaches out to touch a bit of air. "There's the glowing person here. It's standing right in front of me. With its hand right here—"

And there's a knock, which causes her to open her eyes again.

Permalink Mark Unread

Annoying.

Who is it?

Permalink Mark Unread

It's the woman who gave them the tour. "Hello, again. How are you two settling in?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Fine."

Permalink Mark Unread

Sadde nods, too.

    "Good! Some other Wards will be here soon for lunch, what do you think of coming to meet them?"

Permalink Mark Unread

Ellie looks at Sadde.

Permalink Mark Unread

Sadde looks back and shrugs.

Permalink Mark Unread

"I guess."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Splendid! Why don't you come with me?"

Permalink Mark Unread

...Okay. Follow.

Permalink Mark Unread

Back at the Wards' room there are two girls chatting, both much older than Sadde and Ellie, looking around late—and mid-teens respectively.

"I was never one to brag, right, but then he went all 'BWA HA HA! YOU ARE DEFEATED!' and I could not believe he was being such a comic book—oh, hi. Are you two new?" asks the younger girl. The older girl merely looks up from where she had been staring at the former and lowers her eyes. "I'm Barbra," she continues. "This is Hannah."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Yes. Ellie."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Sadde."

    "...that's a weird name. And wow you two are small. I didn't know you could come in that small." The girl stands up from the sofa where she's sitting, boops Hannah on the forehead, then walks over to the other two, leaning down to be level with their faces and peer at them, one at a time. "How old are you?"

    "Seven. How about you?"

"Fifteen. And you?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Dunno."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Don't you know? Why not?—she's seventeen, by the way," Barba says, tilting her head in Hannah's direction, "but she isn't American and doesn't speak English very well. I'm teaching her, though!" She looks very proud of this.

Permalink Mark Unread

"I woke up on the street during the Behemoth fight."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Oooh! Are you one of those, you know," she looks around, then leans forward and whispers, "secret ones?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Secret?"

Permalink Mark Unread

    "Oh, they don't talk about them but I found out anyway. Sometimes people show up with no memories and a tattoo that looks like... like this," she says, then boops Sadde's nose, runs over to a piece of paper and pen, and suddenly teleports back to Sadde and draws an upside down omega. "And they also usually look uglier than you."

"Uglier?"

    "Monsters, more like," she explains.

Permalink Mark Unread

"I don't think I have one of those."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Oh well." She teleports back to the sofa. "What's your power?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"I have- ghosts that have powers." She calls up lighting-shade to float demonstratively behind her.

Permalink Mark Unread

"Oooh! How many ghosts? Which powers?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Lots. I haven't- found them all yet."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Which ones have you found?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"This one does lightning blasts and there's one with a forcefield and a laser one and one that can find things and one that can be strong or shoot stuff."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Be strong? So the ghosts are solid?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"I haven't tried that one."

Permalink Mark Unread

    "You should try it sometime! ...I guess not here though. How about you?" she asks Sadde.

"I don't know yet," she says, without looking at Ellie.

    "...don't know?"

"No."

    "How do you know you're a cape, then?"

"My power saved my life in the Behemoth attack."

Permalink Mark Unread

"I can see people's powers."

Permalink Mark Unread

"See them? See them how?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Sort of like my ghosts but attached to you instead of me."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Oh! So we all have ghosts?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Yes."

Permalink Mark Unread

"What's mine like?"

Permalink Mark Unread

Squint.

Permalink Mark Unread

She has, in fact, multiple ghosts, somehow smushed into one. It's hard to make out details of each individual one but there are at least three: one that can't sit still, almost moving everywhere in place; one that seems to be a calculator of sorts; and one that is reminiscent of a multidimensional spider, its many legs spread around and a thin web of—information?—connecting many spots everywhere.

Permalink Mark Unread

"...Weird," she summarizes.

Permalink Mark Unread

"I guess that'd make sense," she concedes. "My powers don't have anything to do with each other."

Permalink Mark Unread

"What are they?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"I'm basically a gymnast, I never get tired, and I can teleport to places I tagged." She reappears directly in front of Sadde before returning to her spot on the sofa. Hannah giggles.

Permalink Mark Unread

"That makes sense."

Permalink Mark Unread

"What's her ghost like?" she asks of Hannah's, and the other girl immediately withdraws into herself a bit. Barbra seems oblivious.

Permalink Mark Unread

She looks.

Permalink Mark Unread

Her ghost is a planner. If there's a king ghost, this ghost advises him in war, coming up with strategies and plans and tactics, tallying up resources and using them creatively to various ends.

It's also a somewhat frustrated ghost.

Permalink Mark Unread

Headtilt. "...A helper."

Permalink Mark Unread

    "Huh. I can see that."

"What's her power?"

    "She has a weapon that can become any weapons, they have infinite ammunition it's dope." Hannah does not look comfortable about that.

Permalink Mark Unread

"Huh."

Permalink Mark Unread

"What does her ghost look like?" she asks, pointing at Sadde.

Permalink Mark Unread

Shrug. "It's weird."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Huh." Barbra shrugs then teleports back to the sofa. "—oh, wait. We should go eat. Let's go eat?" she asks Hannah, who nods and gets up.

Permalink Mark Unread

...She wouldn't mind food now.

Permalink Mark Unread

Neither would Sadde.

The lady that brought them there left a while ago, so Barbra leads them to the cafeteria. There's a boy in jeans and a T-shirt there, a bit younger than Hannah, and the older girl instantly gravitates towards him. He looks up at her and smiles. "Hi."

Barbra runs to him. "Hey Nathan these are Sadde and Ellie they're new they're so small."

Nathan turns to look at them. "Hello to you two."

Permalink Mark Unread

She doesn't like having "small" being one of the first two adjectives used to describe her.

"Hello."

Permalink Mark Unread

Hannah sits beside him and whispers something. He smiles again and nods. "Do you wanna sit with us?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Okay."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Awesome. Food is there, by the way," Nathan says, pointing. Barbra grins at them, boops Nathan on the nose, and runs over to where they can get food.

Two boys, about the same age as Hannah, walk into the cafeteria and go straight towards the food. "Oh hi," Barbra greets them. "Howard, Reed, those are Sadde and Ellie, they're new."

"Are you gonna say that every time to everyone?" calls Nathan.

"You bet your ass I am!" she calls back cheerfully.

Permalink Mark Unread

At least she didn't say small, this time.

Ellie goes to get food.

Permalink Mark Unread

As does Sadde.

One of the boys is curious about their powers.

Permalink Mark Unread

He can get the same explanation she gave Hannah and Barbra.

Permalink Mark Unread

A bunch of other teenagers arrive (Malcolm, Olivia, Mary, Jennifer) as well as a few adult capes, Hero included. The adults are all masked.

Permalink Mark Unread

That's okay, she's given up on remembering faces.

Permalink Mark Unread

People make small talk and food happens. They are mildly interested in the fact that Ellie seems to have no memories ("Not even of your trigger event?") but not be a monstrous parahuman. Sadde is by comparison lame, especially for "not knowing" what her powers are.

Permalink Mark Unread

Better to keep Sadde's power quiet until she can use it better. If too many people knew the truth, that would just make it harder.

Permalink Mark Unread

"So are you two gonna do anything today? I think we have to patrol but you're small. Did they have any plans for you?" asks Barbra.

Permalink Mark Unread

"No."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Huh. I guess that makes sense. Do you wanna hang out with us and help teach Hannah how to speak English?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Why doesn't she know how?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"She's from Turkey."

Hannah looks uncomfortable with this line of conversation. Nathan notices and says, "But now she's here and she really loves it here, so she wants to learn as fast as she can."

"Yes," Hannah supplies helpfully, nodding along.

Permalink Mark Unread

Ellie looks at Sadde.

Permalink Mark Unread

Sadde's amenable.

Permalink Mark Unread

Okay then. English time it is.

Permalink Mark Unread

    "Where... are you from?" Hannah asks Sadde.

"...I used to live in New York," she says. "I wasn't born there though."

    "Born?" asks Hannah. Nathan says a word in a different language and she nods.

Permalink Mark Unread

He knows Turkish then? That's... odd. But useful.

Permalink Mark Unread

Nathan notices Ellie's confusion and says, "Hannah has been teaching me some Kurdish. And I've been researching. To help her with stuff like this."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Oh. I... know Greek." Apparently? Why does she speak Greek?

Permalink Mark Unread

"How did you... know Greek?" Hannah asks. "Learn Greek," she quickly corrects herself.

"She probably doesn't remember," says Nathan.

"Oh," she says, after asking him to repeat the sentence more slowly.

Permalink Mark Unread

"I don't."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Do you miss anything?" the boy asks. "As in, is there stuff other people have you wish you did or..." He stops himself and seems to realise this is not the most tactful question.

Permalink Mark Unread

"No."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Okay," Nathan says quickly. "It's nice here, I live here too and I enjoy it."

Permalink Mark Unread

"I've only been here for a day."

Permalink Mark Unread

He nods. "Yeah I guess that makes sense you wouldn't have much of an opinion yet."

Permalink Mark Unread

Not terribly intelligent, is he?

Permalink Mark Unread

Not terribly socially adroit, more like.

They keep doing the English thing for a while.

Permalink Mark Unread

After a bit, she grows bored and stops participating so much.

Permalink Mark Unread

And after a bit they have things to do so they leave to do them, and the smaller ones are free to do whatever they have to do now.

Permalink Mark Unread

She doesn't really... have... anything to do...

Permalink Mark Unread

That's indeed the case! No one seems to have planned anything for them today.

Permalink Mark Unread

She goes back to her room. And starts thinking about her powers. It seems she has a collection of them, bundled into small packages. Like capes living inside her. Which is weird. She figured out what some of them did during the Behemoth fight. But that wasn't really ideal conditions. This is a better place to sit and think and poke at ghosts to find out what they do.

Permalink Mark Unread

She doesn't have an itemised list in her head, but she can sort of—feel for powers and classifications.

She has a lot of them. If all of these came from dead people—and where else would they have come from?—then that's upwards of a hundred people.

Permalink Mark Unread

Well. That's. Hm. That's a lot of dead people. Dead capes. They can't all have come from Behemoth, right? What that says about her lost memories... They might be interesting. Or terrible. And she should maybe not let these Protectorate people know about them all.

Permalink Mark Unread

Probably not.

Does she inquire further into what all these powers might be?

Permalink Mark Unread

There's still time before bed. She'll focus on the ones that are less destructive first. She might actually be able to test those in her room.

Permalink Mark Unread

She has those. Now that she knows to look for them, the forcefield and the dowsing powers are pretty easy to find. But she has a number of powers that can roughly be categorised as involving defense, extra senses, extra knowledge, various ways to nondestructively alter her environment...

Permalink Mark Unread

Extra knowledge? That sounds interesting.

Permalink Mark Unread

There's a few of those! This one has extra knowledge about ropes, this one about specific lasers, this one about heating things up, this one about roots...

Permalink Mark Unread

That is interesting.

When she looks up next, its dark outside. She should probably get some sleep.

Permalink Mark Unread

No one will bother her if she wants to do that even though she didn't go get dinner.

Permalink Mark Unread

Eh. Not hungry.

Permalink Mark Unread

Then good night!

Permalink Mark Unread

And good morning, in due time.

Permalink Mark Unread

They let Ellie and Sadde (and the other heroes, too) decompress for the next couple of days. People try to make sure the two youngest members of the team are comfortable and don't want for anything, and some of them seem particularly jittery around Ellie but it might just be her impression.

Permalink Mark Unread

She's starting to think that someone's not telling her something.

Permalink Mark Unread

Perhaps, perhaps not, who knows.

But today she has power testing!

Permalink Mark Unread

Oh boy.

Permalink Mark Unread

The lab is that-a-way.

Permalink Mark Unread

Well. Off she goes.

Permalink Mark Unread

The lab's door is closed but it does have a helpful sign saying "Power Testing Lab 03".

Permalink Mark Unread

Knock knock?

Permalink Mark Unread

"Come in!" a female voice calls.

Permalink Mark Unread

Open the door, go inside.

Permalink Mark Unread

There's a woman in jeans and an AC/DC t-shirt and brown boots and hair that looks like it's probably last seen a comb before Scion showed up. She's staring intently at her computer and frowning in concentration. "Hi, hi, take a seat, I'll be with you in a moment," she says without looking. "You're Ellie right?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Yes."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Splendid, thank you for showing up." Still staring and frowning.

Permalink Mark Unread

She can wait. For a while.

Permalink Mark Unread

It takes the lady three minutes to decide to swivel on her chair (rotating twice more than is necessary) and look at her. "Hi! Sorry for making you wait," she says, but skips the explanation to introduce herself: "I'm Doctor Miranda Hawk, but you can call me Mira. My, you're young, that will be fascinating. Did you know there's a strong correlation between how young you are when you trigger and how powerful you are?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"-No. I didn't."

Permalink Mark Unread

"It's true! And so interesting. So, tell me, what's your power?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"I- can see other people's powers. And I have a collection of them."

Permalink Mark Unread

"A collection?"

Permalink Mark Unread

She brings out three ghosts. Lightning, forcefield, and the one who knew about lasers.

Permalink Mark Unread

She peers at them. "Just those three?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"There's more."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Show me!" she asks brightly.

Permalink Mark Unread

She tucks those ghosts away and pulls out more. Their appearance is different, shimmering caricatures themed around the power they hold.

Permalink Mark Unread

"Do you know how many you have? Or where they come from?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"No."

Permalink Mark Unread

"So you picked these at random?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Yes."

Permalink Mark Unread

"What's your process for picking like?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"What do you mean?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"How did you pick these three powers as opposed to any others? How'd you choose, what did it feel like?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"There's a... pool. I just pulled some out."

Permalink Mark Unread

"And you didn't have criteria in mind?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Not this time."

Permalink Mark Unread

"But you can pick criteria?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Yes."

Permalink Mark Unread

"What criteria?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"What sort of things they can do."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Is there a limit to how broad or narrow you can be?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"I don't know."

Permalink Mark Unread

She makes a note.

"Can you only have three out at a time?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Yes."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Can you pick some more random ones?"

Permalink Mark Unread

She can.

Permalink Mark Unread

After a few rounds of this she asks Ellie to stops and whistles low. "You have a lot of different powers."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Yes."

Permalink Mark Unread

"So I think the most important thing will be to test the meta part, and how certain types of powers interact with you—like whether brutes lend you their stuff, whether you get the tinker knowledge, thinker senses..."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Okay."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Is there anything in particular you want to start with?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"No."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Okay, let's start with the search process, then. What happens if you look specifically for powers that are laser-themed?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Do you want me to bring them out, or?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"No, just want you to tell me what goes on in your head when you try to use that as a parameter."

Permalink Mark Unread

"I get- like a list but more like a feeling of all the different ones that could fit and a general picture of what they do and I can look at some more closely or stop considering them."

Permalink Mark Unread

"And with the laser-related search do you get both the laser tinker and blaster powers?"

Permalink Mark Unread

Does she?

Permalink Mark Unread

Yup.

Permalink Mark Unread

"Yes."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Huh. How about specifically laser-based powers, is that something you can ask?"

Permalink Mark Unread

Introspecting?

Permalink Mark Unread

Yeah, tinker is gone now.

Permalink Mark Unread

"-yes."

Permalink Mark Unread

She continues asking things in this vein for a while, trying to figure out the boundaries of what her power considers or not acceptable parameters.

Permalink Mark Unread

Anything that describes the power itself works. She's got a fairly deep profile of how any power in particular actually works, and the categorization system will work with that.

Permalink Mark Unread

Interesting! Now for some actual power testing, how about?

Permalink Mark Unread

That might be more interesting.

Permalink Mark Unread

"Come with me," she says, grinning. "I'm gonna take you to our main gym."

Permalink Mark Unread

To the gym.

Permalink Mark Unread

Once there: "Can you get me one of your physically enhanced brutes?"

Permalink Mark Unread

She pulls out one matching that criteria, heavy chitinous plates over major muscle groups and physique to match.

Permalink Mark Unread

"How do you use it? Do you borrow its power or do you control it like a minion?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Minion."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Interesting! Care to show me?" She presses a few buttons on a panel and a training dummy emerges from an aperture on the ground.

Permalink Mark Unread

A twitch of will and the ghost starts attacking the dummy.

Permalink Mark Unread

She lets this go on for a few seconds, watching in fascination, then says, "Stop, that's good enough." She takes lots of notes.

Permalink Mark Unread

Stopping, okay. Not quite sure that there was enough there to justify that quantity of notes, but whatever.

Permalink Mark Unread

"Now... let's go with a thinker."

Permalink Mark Unread

Thinker ghost. Blank-faced with ears where its eyes should be.

Permalink Mark Unread

"What does this one do?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Enhanced hearing. But only in line of sight."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Hmm, I see. And does it work on you? Does it give you the power?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Not quite. I get... feedback."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Oh?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Like it's reporting. It's kind of the same as how I tell what it can do."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Is there any loss?"

Permalink Mark Unread


"I don't think so."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Fascinating." She suggests a few more thinkers, and in particular some that are not senses-focused.

Permalink Mark Unread

She can call them up.

Permalink Mark Unread

Are they all similarly relayed through power?

Permalink Mark Unread

Yep.

Permalink Mark Unread

How about tinkers?

Permalink Mark Unread

She can poke them for knowledge but making or messing with anything herself doesn't work as well.

Permalink Mark Unread

Hmmm! Any strangers?

Permalink Mark Unread

Does she...?

Permalink Mark Unread

Strangers are a rather eclectic classification! There's a chameleon person, there's someone who can become really really small, there's someone who can pick a different point than their own ears to hear stuff from, technically that first thinker would get a low stranger rating, there's a person who can convince other people they're harmless...

Permalink Mark Unread

Chameleon, shrinker, harmless. Okay.

Permalink Mark Unread

So, does she get those properties or?

Permalink Mark Unread

Turns out yes.

Permalink Mark Unread

Fascinating! Movers? Changers? Breakers?

Permalink Mark Unread

Movers tend to share their effects with her. Changers and Breakers do not.

Permalink Mark Unread

Shakers and strikers probably do the minion thing, what about blasters?

Permalink Mark Unread

Also minion-ized.

Permalink Mark Unread

Masters should be straight forward, and finally, does she have any trumps?

Permalink Mark Unread

She is herself a Trump.

Permalink Mark Unread

Indeed, but Doctor Hawk is interested in whether trumps she might have would interact with other powers she collects or her own.

Permalink Mark Unread

Only if she wants them to.

Permalink Mark Unread

Fascinating! And she has so many powers it probably quite defeats the point to try to figure out how all of them work.

Permalink Mark Unread

It would take no small amount of time, at the least.

Permalink Mark Unread

"Well, I have quite the exciting report to write now," she says, grinning from ear to ear. "I have no idea what Branding will make of you. I'm curious to see what comes of it."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Branding?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"It's the department that does costumes and cape names and identity and all that."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Oh."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Okay that's all! Now shoo, I have to type this report up and then your little friend is gonna be here."

Permalink Mark Unread

Okay.

She's hungry. To the cafeteria.

Permalink Mark Unread

There are people there! Including a young boy who looks like a young girl she knows.

Permalink Mark Unread

...Strange.

Permalink Mark Unread

He's eating with the other Wards but isn't participating in conversation.

Permalink Mark Unread

She gets her food and sits down near- him? Her? Probably him.

Permalink Mark Unread

"Hi. Are you okay?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Powers testing. She asked a lot of questions."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Oh. How was it? Was she awful?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"No. It was... busy."

Permalink Mark Unread

"You have lots of powers," he nods.

Permalink Mark Unread

"Yeah."

"Why are you a boy today?"

Permalink Mark Unread

Shrug. "I dunno. It just—happens sometimes. Some days I'm one or the other. It's like that since I was little."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Can you pick?"

Permalink Mark Unread

Headshake. "It just sort of happens. I guess maybe if I had lots of days to think about it? But usually I just wake up and know if I'm one or the other or nothing. It's like—if I'm a boy and I look like a boy then that's okay but if I'm a girl and look like a boy then my skin itches and when people say I'm a boy it's bad and it's uncomfortable."

Permalink Mark Unread

"That's weird. But I don't think it's weirder than powers."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Yeah. And I just got powers so it's not a power thing."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Mm. She said she would test you after she finished writing my report."

Permalink Mark Unread

"...oh."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Did you practice more?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Yeah, but..."

Permalink Mark Unread

Hmm?

Permalink Mark Unread

There are people around. He leans closer to whisper. "I don't wanna tell other people."

Permalink Mark Unread

"You don't have to say- everything." She didn't. "Just effects. And then later you can learn more."

Permalink Mark Unread

Nod. "I guess."

Permalink Mark Unread

Food time.

Permalink Mark Unread

Food time indeed.

"Did you find anything new about your power?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Not really."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Oh. Then it wasn't very useful."

Permalink Mark Unread

"My power is about other powers. And I think I can understand them better than other people."

Permalink Mark Unread

He nods. "That makes sense. Maybe you could help with mine."

Permalink Mark Unread

"I can try."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Does it hurt, to look at it? You said it was too much, last time."

Permalink Mark Unread

"No. Just a lot of information."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Oh. More than others?"

Permalink Mark Unread

Nod.

Permalink Mark Unread

"Do you know why?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"I think... probably there's a lot of things it can do, but it... doesn't have a filter?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Filter?"

Permalink Mark Unread

She waves her hands a bit. "Hard to explain."

Permalink Mark Unread

He nods. "Okay."

Permalink Mark Unread

Food. Food is good.

Permalink Mark Unread

And after food there's someone to take Sadde for Power Testing!

Permalink Mark Unread

They probably won't kill him.

Permalink Mark Unread

Probably not! Off he goes.

Permalink Mark Unread

Ellie gets another plate of food.

Permalink Mark Unread

Sadde doesn't return before people start filing away from the cafeteria.

Permalink Mark Unread

Not really that surprising. She doesn't feel like initiating social activities, so she's going to go curl up in a corner and read.

Permalink Mark Unread

Sadde finds her after a while.

Permalink Mark Unread

Ellie looks up. "How'd it go?"

Permalink Mark Unread

He shrugs. "Not good. I didn't—tell them."

Permalink Mark Unread

"So they think you can't do anything?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"No, they think I can make things appear but I'm not very good at it."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Oh. Okay. Do you want to practice more?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Yeah."

Permalink Mark Unread

Back to her room, then. Away from the camera.

Permalink Mark Unread

No cameras in sight.

"I should invent new things to believe in."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Yeah."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Um..." He thinks. "Objects? I guess?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"What about... armor? A shield?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"That would be useful. ...maybe it's easier if it's somewhere no one's looking? There could be a shield under your bed..."

Permalink Mark Unread

"There is a shield under my bed, you mean," she reminds him.

Permalink Mark Unread

"Right!"

There is a shield under her bed. His ghost looks at her...

Permalink Mark Unread

It's probably a big round one, like Achilles'.

Permalink Mark Unread

So it is! "Cool!"

Permalink Mark Unread

Smile.

Permalink Mark Unread

"I wasn't actually thinking about a shape, this one's nice."

Permalink Mark Unread

"That's the shape I thought of."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Oh. Makes sense." He looks around at the shield and knocks on it. It makes a dull metallic sound, and he giggles.

Permalink Mark Unread

"What did you make for the tester?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"I changed my hair. And marbles."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Maybe you should practice getting marbles to do things, since they already know you can make them."

Permalink Mark Unread

"...do things?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Like... flash, or explode, or play music."

Permalink Mark Unread

"But marbles don't do that, if they did that they wouldn't be marbles."

Permalink Mark Unread

"They could still be things that look like marbles."

Permalink Mark Unread

"...huh. Yeah they could."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Try it."

Permalink Mark Unread

He closes his hand in a fist, then opens it to reveal—

—a glowing marble. He beams.

Permalink Mark Unread

She nods. "Yeah, like that."

Permalink Mark Unread

"You know, what if this is actually a flying marble?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Do you think it can?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Why not?"

Permalink Mark Unread

Nod. Good.

Permalink Mark Unread

"Technology to make things fly exists, there are tinkers that do it, and also tinkers that make things very small," he reasons. "So it's possible. And my marble could be just... that." He closes his hand, then opens it, and believes it's gonna float an inch above his hand...

Permalink Mark Unread

Which it will.

Permalink Mark Unread

"It worked!" he says, giggling.

Permalink Mark Unread

"You're getting better at this."

Permalink Mark Unread

"I am! It's fun!"

Permalink Mark Unread

"That's good."

Permalink Mark Unread

"...hey what if I can fly?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"I don't see why you shouldn't."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Well I'm not a thing I made," he points out.

Permalink Mark Unread

"You kind of are. Because you were a girl yesterday."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Boy is my default."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Make a suit or something, then."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Ooh that's a good idea! ...what should it look like?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Glowy."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Glowy? Why?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Back in the city, you made a glowing person. It saved you from the building. You could be like that."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Oh. Yeah, that makes sense. I bet I have a costume like that in your closet. Who knows, maybe I left it there last time I came here?"

To her closet!

Permalink Mark Unread

Yes. Closets are where clothes go. And costumes.

Permalink Mark Unread

And there it is, a fully white body suit! "Ooh! Shiny!"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Yes, it is."

Permalink Mark Unread

"I'm gonna try it on," he says, and off to the bathroom for that.

Permalink Mark Unread

Right, that makes sense.

He seems more comfortable with making things out of sight. Like a magic trick. Practice that, maybe.

Permalink Mark Unread

He's back in a white suit covering his whole body—except for his face. "I don't think I want my face to just be plain white..."

Permalink Mark Unread

"So put a design or something on it."

Permalink Mark Unread

"I dunno what. Hmm. What if it moved with my face?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"I don't understand."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Like... a mask that imitated my facial expressions?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"That... would be interesting."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Hmm... Okay, I have an idea, be right back." Off he disappears again.

Permalink Mark Unread

She wonders what he's going to come up with.

Permalink Mark Unread

He returns!

...well, it's presumably him. His white bodysuit is covering his whole body but he has a pentagonal mask with a smiling emoticon on it.

Permalink Mark Unread

"That's... expressive."

Permalink Mark Unread

"I know!"

Permalink Mark Unread

"I think it suits you."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Thank you! I liiiike it. Ooh and I can fly in this suit, can't I?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"That was the point of the suit, yes."

Permalink Mark Unread

So he—

—flies. "EEEEEEE I'M FLYINGGGGGGGGG" and now he's upside down on the ceiling and flying in circles and—

Permalink Mark Unread

And hopefully the noise doesn't bring anyone knocking.

Permalink Mark Unread

The doors are soundproof, probably. He sits on the ceiling. "I can sit on the ceiling!—I should have a cape."

Permalink Mark Unread

"If you had a cape right now it would be hanging upside down."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Would it? It's my cape. I wouldn't want it to hang upside down. It does what I want."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Good point."

Permalink Mark Unread

"In fact, I already have a cape." And there it is.

Permalink Mark Unread

Definitely more confident. Maybe it's the mask.

Permalink Mark Unread

"I could get whateeeeeeeever I want. Maybe I should do power testing again."

Permalink Mark Unread

"That might be a good idea."

Permalink Mark Unread

"What else should I make?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Maybe just stick with the small things for now."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Why?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"It'd be easier for people who can't see your power to believe at first."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Oh. That makes sense."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Most things I say make sense."

Permalink Mark Unread

"How do you know? You don't remember anything before yesterday!"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Then I didn't exist before yesterday, so things that may or may not have been said shouldn't count."

Permalink Mark Unread

"...okay, point."

Permalink Mark Unread

"But if that person was similar to me then things she said would have made sense."

Permalink Mark Unread

Sadde giggles. "Of course."

Permalink Mark Unread

"You seem a little different with the mask on."

Permalink Mark Unread

"...different how?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"More... you."

Permalink Mark Unread

"...huh?"

Permalink Mark Unread

Shrug. "It's weird."

Permalink Mark Unread

Shrug. "Okay. Is more me better?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"It's not worse."

Permalink Mark Unread

Giggle. "Then I'll keep it."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Maybe I should have a mask."

Permalink Mark Unread

"All heroes do."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Dunno what it would look like."

Permalink Mark Unread

"What do you want it to look like?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Hmm." She thinks for a moment, idly poking through shades. Unexpectedly, she finds one.

She calls it out, and uses its power to grow a hood out of the back of her shirt. She pulls it over the top of her face, shrouding her countenance in shadow.

"What about something like this?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Cooooool. Bit spooky. What's this power do?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"It's a weaver. Shapes cloth, makes it stronger, tougher."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Can it control stuff?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"Nnno. Not persistently."

Permalink Mark Unread

"'Persistently'?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"It's not holding it in place." She flips the hood back.

Permalink Mark Unread

"But while you make it it is?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"If the power couldn't control the thing while it was changing it, then it wouldn't be able to change the shape. But once the thing is made, it just is."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Couldn't you just then make it never stop growing? Like, it's always growing very very slowly so that people can barely notice but then you can control it while that happens."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Mmmaybe? But. Why?"

Permalink Mark Unread

Shrug. "Then you're cloth tentacle girl?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"I don't want to be cloth tentacle girl."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Awww but it would be so cool."

Permalink Mark Unread

"No, I don't think it would be."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Awwwww."

Permalink Mark Unread

"I have lots of powers, anyway. It'd be kind of dumb to only ever use one."

Permalink Mark Unread

"But maybe people won't recognize you if you use lots of powers all the time."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Do I need people to recognize me?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"...good question. I dunno."

Permalink Mark Unread

"I think the ghosts would probably be a pretty big clue, anyway."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Maybe you could hide them."

Permalink Mark Unread

"...I don't think I can."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Maybe there's a ghost that hides ghosts?"

Permalink Mark Unread

Hmm.

"...This one does chameleon skin." She pulls it out, and it blurs into the background. It should be able to hide other people too, so if she has it touch the other ghosts- They blur out as well.

Permalink Mark Unread

"Cool! You could pretend to be dozens of capes!"

Permalink Mark Unread

"But now I can only have two powers."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Most people can only have one."

Permalink Mark Unread

"I'm not them. I'm me."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Yeah I just mean that you'll still beat every one of them."

Permalink Mark Unread

"It would be less fun."

Permalink Mark Unread

"I guess. I'm jealous."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Reasonably so."

Permalink Mark Unread

They laugh. "Don't let it get to your head."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Maybe I have a power that can help with that."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Mind powers are scary."

Permalink Mark Unread

"I guess."

Permalink Mark Unread

"Guess?"

Permalink Mark Unread

"It's sort of an- abstract thing to be scared of?"