Big Man in a Suit of Armour - A Celestial Forge Story

by Salius

Summary:

Thomas Hale is in the prime of his life when he is cruelly struck down. Offered a single chance to save the multiverse and possibly find a way to travel back to his family, can Thomas succeed where so many have failed. Especially with a fractured soul patchworked with the remnants of a once great man.

Chapter 1: Arc 1 - Subsistence, Chapter 1

Notes:

A/N
Story uses the celestial forge v3 + the personal reality constellation from BCF.
Protag is an SI, partially a self insert of an idealised version of myself.
I wanted to write a different kind of Forge to the others I have read, this is my own complete lack of technical knowledge in most of these fandoms or even of most mundane physics having to learn from the ground up while driven partially by the merged soul personality of a “Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist” who is no genius (well not initially), definitely not a billionaire, not a playboy, and still learning to engage with people in a way that allows him to be a philanthropist.
Rules are every 1000 words = 100cp, If I can afford to buy a perk, I continue rolling against my CP until I run out of CP or fail to reach a perk 3 times. Authors notes, interludes, pho chapters (If I do any) do not count towards word count. Only chapters that follow the protagonist count. Slightly amended rules inspired by Envy 34s “Forging a way in the bay” which I really enjoyed. When rolling I roll a 1d38 to pick the domain and then a 1d*no of perks to pick the perk. 38 for CF separate rolls are made against the “Personal reality” constellation from BCF. Rolls against personal reality are separate from usual forge rolls and occur at the end of every chapter, one single roll, charged against any remaining points from the chapter. I gain 50 points of CP that can only be used by Personal reality at the end of every chapter (In order to allow for Warehouse slow growth over time if im unlucky with rolls.

 

I know barely any of these fandoms, having a very narrow knowledge of media, and therefore I want to force myself to have to research, to theorise ways to combine knowledge from various sections.
If I find this becoming too unwieldy I will amend the rules, although midfic rule amendments can only be made at the end of an arc.
As a final note, I wont be going much in to the “ROB” part of the story as part of the story until if/when I finish it, its been done to death, I died, I met a troll god who had half of my soul and merged in a few more ingredients and forged them into a fresh soul, “my” memories, some personality additions and dropped me into Earth Bet for some entertainment with the celestial forge.

This is my first fic and im writing as much for myself as for you all, ive wanted to learn to write for a long time so feel free to criticise grammar, characterisation, spelling at will. Especially concentrate any criticism on to dialogue and characterisation as I struggle most of all with these.

Though i've said it already i will reiterate, this fic has fix-it tropes and is very much an AU, that isnt always everyones cup of tea i know but it's what i like.

 

Free Starting Perks
Workshop (Personal Reality) 100: Blacksmithing
Each purchase of this adds to your Personal Reality Workshop needed to perform specific type of craft, which is to be specified when purchase is made. It comes with a basic set of tools and supplies. Good for fixing or creating all sorts of things, although any complex parts or nonstandard supplies will have to be brought in from outside. Additional purchases can add different types of Workshops to your Personal Reality or expand existing ones. Anything built in one of those workshops is fiat backed to be restored to its original condition within 48 hours if damaged or destroyed.

Access Key (Personal Reality) Free:
This is a special key which lets you access your Personal Reality and its contents.
When inserted into any lock on any door, the door opens to reveal a gateway into your Reality at a predetermined location within it. You are the only person who can take the key from the lock, the gateway remains open as long as the key is in the lock, and if key is ever lost or stolen you will find it in your pocket a few minutes later. You cannot close the door as long as you are inside the Personal Reality.

Entrance Hall (Personal Reality) Free:
This is the room your Access Key opens a door to. It starts off as a 5 meter cube with blank white walls, floor, and ceiling, as some doors, one leading to the current Host Reality, the other into your Cosmic Warehouse, with additional doors leading to other extensions as these get added to your Personal Reality. Feel free to customize this Entrance Hall as you see fit. Additional Halls can, at your discretion, be linked only to certain keys or only to certain extensions. This allows you to have an entry hall just for skiing if you want.

Big Man in a Suit of Armour

 

Arc 1 - Subsistence

 

Arc 1 - Chapter 1

 

Tuesday 8^th November 2010

 

 

There’s something to be said for the purity of survival that comes with being dropped into a foreign country with nothing but the clothes on my back. Amplify this then with the fact that this isn't even my world and then you may start to understand the severity of the situation I find myself in.

Finding somewhere to rest my head in this shithole will not be easy when I lack an ID, speak with a foreign accent, and have no idea how to get around the damn place.

And let me reiterate.

Brockton Bay is a shithole.

I know shitholes; I grew up in one of England’s biggest. Salford. The asshole of Manchester.

Brockton Bay, a city of underachievement, only manages to outdo itself in how big of a shithole it is.

Now, don’t get me wrong, there are indeed ‘nice’ places here, the Boardwalk, the richer areas up in Captains Hill, anywhere with a good eyeline to the PRT HQ or the Rig.

But Brockton’s shitholiness, were that even a word, is more than just the area you live in.

The people here are hard and yet feel almost… desensitized to the violence that is all around them. Regular people are mostly so beaten down and inured to the activities of the gangs that they seem to have lost the ability to feel sympathy on some days. When you read about this place in Worm, you kind of get an idea of how bad it is. But if anything, the source material understates how dangerous this place is.

Even in the daytime, you do not walk alleyways alone in this town. But at night the place is an entirely different beast. There hasn’t been a day, not one day in the six I have been here, that I haven’t been woken at night by a gunshot. Being from England, hearing a gunshot is a once in a lifetime experience for me.

Being in Brockton, you can almost use them as punctuation for your sentences if you pause for effect at just the right time.

Ok, I’m over-exaggerating a little, but let me be clear. This is not a town to take chances in. And is possibly one of the worst in the developed world to be a homeless extra dimensional immigrant in.

I’ve been subsisting by dumpster diving and sleeping in dumpsters, trash being a common theme for me these days. But I’m running out of time.

I can’t continue to sleep rough, as November in this part of the US is apparently pretty damn cold. Trust me, you haven’t lived until you’ve competed for a half day old pack of fries in 39-degree weather with a family of roaches. I'm pretty sure I would eat those too if they came close enough.

The daytime is somehow even worse as the boredom is getting to me. Stinking to high heaven in six-day-old unwashed clothes does not endear me to the local librarian, so hanging out in the library is out. And getting a shower at the local gym is also out. No change of clothes and charity is a concept that much of the bay believes exists in the way an atheist believes in God.

I’m being harsh, of course. For every asshole here, there’s ten more people so beaten down by the system that is ingrained here that even if they wanted to be charitable, they couldn’t afford to be. This is not a place you can afford to show weakness in. Plus, they likely literally couldn’t afford it. Altruism is the privilege of the strong. And the well-resourced.

I need to find a place to live. Urgently.

The shelter is, of course, important, but I need it for an even bigger reason.

The Key.

When I was dropped here, I was dropped with two things.

A banging migraine that called itself the ‘Celestial Forge’, and a key to my personal reality. A key to an extra-dimensional space that belongs to me, a key I cannot lose, and a key whose door cannot be closed while I am inside the space.

I can use the key on any door, but using it outside of a place I control does not feel like a good idea.

And I wanted that space. I know from my ‘induction’ that the space contains a 5x5 meter entrance room, and a blacksmithing workshop.

Not that I even know how to smith things, but it comes with free resources! Maybe I can sell some of them and eat some non-dumpsterfied food. Thank God for Fugly Bob’s, and the people who can’t finish the Challenger.

The idea of joining the Protectorate has crossed my mind. I really have considered it. I’m not one for authority, but a free tinker who grows in power over time would be like instant viagra for the upper levels of the PRT, and I could probably get quite a sweet deal.

But therein lies the problem. I am an utterly shit liar; I certainly can’t lie well enough to cover my abilities from their multitude of thinkers, not to mention Armsmaster’s own lie-detector… And I absolutely cannot land on Cauldron’s radar this early. There is a near zero chance they will leave me free on the board.

So, I need to build up, but I can’t build up without something to build up with. The forge will grow over time as long as I remain “active and dynamic” whatever the fuck that means, but it won’t grow on a corpse.

Damn, some fanfics make this seem so easy. Go steal a wad of cash from a gang, and then go forth and duplicate thine cash with the power of infinite vigilante justice.

…Maybe I’m going a little crazy from the boredom. The forge is not conducive to early combat with a clowder of angry kittens. Let alone taking on even the weakest and most cowardly of gang members.

 I also need to come up with a good reason for me to be here in the bay. From what I managed to gather in my small foray to the library computers, on my first day, when I didn’t smell like a dumpster diver.

Well.

Manchester no longer exists here, and a twenty-four-year-old of my status probably wouldn’t have my accent given I would have been ten when it got wiped off the habitability map. I wish I could say it was an Endbringer. That would have at least been understandable. But no, a power interaction or a tinker snafu, and from what I can tell, no-one is actually sure.

In short, it led to there being so much exotic radiation dosing the city center that it’s expected to take “longer than the planet’s remaining lifespan” for it to be safe again.

Maybe I am overthinking things. Would it be viable for me to just go to the PRT and pass myself off as a stranded dimensional traveller, but with no powers? Will their thinkers be able to pick up my powers if they aren’t shard based? I know I’m somewhat of an OCP, but I don’t have blank, and I know blank is somewhere in the forge, but without it, would I just be making myself bait for thinkers?

I’ve also not found any sign of a homeless charity here in the bay, which is actually surprising given it would probably be a good way to reduce the rampant recruitment to the merchants. I got given the pitch. Not for me. I’m not a nice person, I’m an arrogant, self-obsessed and selfish jackass of a narcissist, but I’m no villain. I agreed to be dropped here to be a hero. And while I have no intention of becoming a jumped-up PR jockey, I will fight for the side of good. Well, “Chaotic good” is more accurate. And I’ll be damn cool doing it.

As I am contemplating my options, I feel a buzzing sensation building up in my eyes. My ears ring, and I taste colours. And I see an almighty field of stars.

One star pulls close to me. I feel like I know this star.

Quality Appearance

A small exoplanet orbits towards me. I feel its name,

Artistic Architect

My power reaches out, teasing and testing the waters. It grabs hold of the planet and suffuses it with my power. And I feel its power draining into me as it crumbles into powder in front of me.

I can now make cool looking shit.

I mean, that’s literally it. The forerunners from the Halo series. I can architect anything I make to look like they made it. It's…Not an uncool power, but without pairing it with an ability that gives me the ability to make functional things, it’s not much use to me currently.

Maybe when I can safely get into my forge, I can make some cool artwork to sell down at the market?

But I digress, my headache is starting to ease a bit now I’ve made a roll on the forge. I hope the build-up of power isn’t going to cause me an escalating migraine every time. That would really suck.

I see something more important than a forge roll, though. While passing a run-down old store on my way to find tonight’s bed and meal on a piece of cardboard in the window.

“Brockton Services are hiring contract workers only, cash in hand, no full-time positions. "

Hell, can they even advertise that? This feels like immigrant bait to me. And what am I but the most ultimate immigrant on the planet?

Let’s go get us a job. Where the fuck is Lord Street?

 

----

 

Turns out, Lord Street wasn’t hugely far away from where I was. I managed to flag a random guy down who informed me it was roughly three blocks away.

I saw a few more of the signs as I passed other stores on my way, looks like they need cleaners, labourers, couriers etc. Seems perfect for me.

I’m not a fan of accosting strangers to ask for directions but the guy seemed alright about directing me to a small road just adjacent to the boardwalk in the northern part of downtown, close to where the boardwalk meets the warehouses that mark the transition to the docks.

As I finally reach the place, there’s a crowd of my fellow vagrants intermixed with pockets of minority labourers.

I really hate crowds.

Sidling my way through the various groups and down and outs present, I manage to shuffle myself to somewhere near the front of the gathering. It’s surprising to me that it’s so busy. Not that I’m surprised people need to work of course, more so because there are so many of my fellow homeless people here.

I haven’t seen many other homeless people in the bay. I’m not sure if that’s because they don’t last and end up in the gangs, or because they hang out elsewhere. I typically keep myself to the southern part of the Docks South district, where the low-cost housing transitions to the edge of the downtown area and the docks. I look out of place but there’s good eating to be had.

However, after a few weeks of near solitude, there’s a literal crowd of all vaguely vagrant looking guys much like myself. All milling around the yard on Earl Street that we had been called to by the signs.

A huge guy, fat huge, not muscle huge, with one of the worst comb overs I have ever seen, walks to the front of us all and starts speaking.

“Hello good ‘people’ of the bay,” he says sarcastically with a smirk on his face. “Back again for your monthly job incursion, I see, and I see some familiar faces! Jerry, how’s your leg? Still hurting from falling off that scaffold?”

An old guy with a cane winces. “Yea Ben, I’m all good now. Need to get back on the yards and make some more cash. "

The freshly named Ben’s smirk if anything deepens.

“Are you sure Jerry? I wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself again doing a complicated job like moving bricks from a to b.”

“I need the cash, Mr Raines. Get me on anything you can, please.”

“Hmm, we will see,” Ben replies.

He turns to me, with a question in his eyes.

“So, who are you stranger?” he looks me up and down. “You seem to have fallen on hard times. "

I contemplate my response; now is the time I need to set the narrative of how I ended up in the bay. If I can’t even mislead this guy, then I have no chance.

I reach out to shake his hand. He immediately steps back and looks at me like I just walked into his house on Christmas day and pissed on his kids.

“Please, don’t touch me. I don’t want to have to shower 3 times today. "

I wish I could get angry about this, but for a second, I forgot about my own current situation. I likely wouldn’t want a handshake from me either.

“Sorry about that, I’m Thomas Hale.”

He looks me up and down again.

“Interesting accent. Where are you from?”

It’s now or never.

“I’m from England, little down on my luck, and just need a job to get back on my feet.” There, keep it simple.

“You got papers?” he looks me in the eye and the smirk is back. God, this guy is a tool.

“They got stolen years ago.” It sounds weak even to my ears.

“Interesting,” he replies. “I suppose you are in the system anyway, then?”

Damn, this guy won’t let up. Fuck it, I’ll go with ‘honesty’.

“My Visa expired a long time ago. I gambled away the money I had, including my ticket home. I’ve got no cash, family’s dead, I have nothing to go back to, and even less keeping me here.”

He looks satisfied.

“Well then, I suppose we can deal then.” He hands me a sheet of paper. “Local construction company called Fortress needs labourers on a few apartment jobs downtown. Pay will be weekly, in cash. It's not much. But beggars can’t be choosers. If you excel or make yourself useful elsewhere on site, there are bonuses available. "

“That’s perfect, thank you,” I reply quietly.

“Just get out of here and work starts at 6am tomorrow. Here’s the address of our halfway house. You can grab a cot and a shower and breakfast. Every week you use any of the services there, we will deduct twenty percent of that week's pay. You can sleep there at the weekend, but you are expected to be out during the day,” He snaps at me.

“Last question sorry Ben-” “Mr Raines to you!” he interrupts.

Damn, this guy is a real bellend. He’s not much older than me!

“Sorry Mr Raines, one last question. Where do I pick my cash up from?”

“Pick it up from the construction office on site every Friday, and before you ask, pay is fourteen an hour, any bonuses or extras you’ll be told about at the time.”

“Ok thanks.”

I take my packet and walk away. I know roughly where this halfway house is, ill have to use it as no way I’m going to work like this.

I need a damn shower.

Wait.

Hold on.

…

Did he say “Fortress Construction?”

Well, fuck.

…

I feel the buzzing in my eyes again and brace myself.

Huh, so red tastes like banana this time.

A star approaches

I know this star

Vehicles

A planet orbits towards me. It’s huge. My power reaches out, but it’s not strong enough to anchor.

The star orbits away

Another star approaches

Toolkit Mundane

A small exoplanet orbits towards me. My power reaches out, and the planet crumbles half to dust.

Huh, half crumbled, that’s new.

Matter Manipulator – Starbound

 

Well then, that’s a pretty cool power. The forge brings me back down to earth.

Not enough power to buy perk addendum. Current manipulator is solids only at a lower range. Perk returned to forge for the remainder to be rolled again.

Well, I got a swanky matter manipulator. Even with only solids, this is an excellent piece of gear.

Unfortunately, it’s currently inside my personal reality. I may need to take some risks.

Scratch that, ill definitely be taking some risks. But first, let's get some sleep and then, finally, get some work done.

 

----

 

Turns out that “Halfway house” in Brockton Bay translates to “Concrete shack with barred windows”. Set just inside the warehouse district, likely to keep us away from normal society.

I’ve been in more inviting jail cells. What was it Ben said? “Beggars can’t be choosers”? Man is nothing if not the master of understatement.

The concrete building mostly comprises blank concrete rooms, each containing a single bunk bed and two metal lockers. To the right of the entrance was a concrete tomb filled with tables and chairs. “For breakfast,” I’m informed. Set at the end of the hall were shower cubicles. “No hot water, soaps on the rack.” Was the delightful interjection from the woman sat at the desk by the door as I look in on this mildew wonderland.

Call me picky, but I like to shower alone, and some of this mould looks like it might want to cuddle.

Oh well, better than a dumpster. In for a penny, in for a pound.

 

Showering after so long without has raised my mood immensely. There are no clothing cleaning facilities here. “It’s not the Ritz English boy,” the lady at the desk laughs when I ask her. Apparently, her name is “Barb” and she seems like a good laugh when she isn’t laughing at me. Barb informs me that the locker and bed are mine for a week after I stay there once. “The twenty percent is taken off for the week, anyway. May as well get your use out of it. It’s a set fee. If you stay here next Tuesday, then another 20% will be taken from next week’s pay.”

I thank her and return to the shower room.

I reduce myself to showering my clothes separately and using the dubious soap as my surfactant of choice. It will have to do. I wring out my ratty boxers and wear them damp. I don’t have much choice otherwise.

After hanging my clothes up and getting into my bunk bed wrapped in what is actually a surprisingly nice blanket, I take stock of my situation. I don’t have a roommate today, apparently most of the workers for the fortress job come in from other areas, so there are a few spare slots in the house.

I need to decide how I am going to handle work. I’m going to be working for Fortress Construction, otherwise known as the company Coil owns. As far as I knew though, that was fanon, so ill have to take things as they come. This could just be a coincidence. I definitely won’t be using any sign of my powers in this building or anywhere close to a ‘Fortress Construction’, however. I have to keep myself protected.

As I attempt to drift off to sleep, the buzz returns.

The star approaches and a large planet orbits my way.

Magical Small Scale

Failure

Another star swings by

Knowledge future tech

This planet is huge, and I know it will fail before it does.

A final star swings my way,

Quality Resources

Then another large planet. Looks like no powers this time.

Failure.

Power banked.

I fell asleep and dreamt of stars

 

----

 

I’m woken rudely at 4am by the most irritating alarm in the history of alarms. And Barb is shouting down the corridor.

“Get ready for work ya bunch a wasters, breakfast is up in 15 minutes and the truck is here in an hour!”

I don’t think I thought this job through. What kind of psychopath wakes up at 4am?

I throw my now thankfully dry-ish clothes back on, and make my way to the ‘canteen.’

Breakfast is warm porridge, some dubious sausages and almost stale bread.

But to me it’s a Michelin star meal. It’s the first cooked meal I’ve had since I died, and it failed to stick.

After eating, myself and four other guys all wait outside for our ride. It arrives in the form of a beat-up truck with benches in the bed. The driver doesn’t look at us, simply says, “You five, in the back. No talking.” We oblige. None of the other guys seem that interested in talking anyway.

The ride to work is surprisingly uneventful. No-one chats. Everyone keeps their eyes down and we drive through an area with a lot of Nazi graffiti. I don’t recognise the area, haven’t ranged this far into the other side of downtown. We are almost in the commercial district when we pull up at a large building site.

We’re in the far south of the downtown area, which I am thankful for as a vaguely remember that Coil’s base was in the northern commercial district which would be much further to the northwest if I have my bearings right. I feel silly that I’m so paranoid, but I strongly believe in hope for the best, prepare for the worst. It isn’t paranoia if they are out to get people like you.

I could regale you with a tale about how I was the best damn construction site labourer Bet has ever seen, and that I saved the project through sheer wit and wizardry. But I won’t. Mostly because I moved bricks and bags from point to point, did a bit of pointing, and barely managed to avoid falling into a pit. I worked from six in the morning til four in the evening, and as I finished, to my pleasant surprise, I was handed a surprise envelope with 126 dollars inside. Then after being laughed at in my confusion by a foreman, I was told, “We pay you temp fucks daily now, easier to do small cash amounts and easier for you guys to buy your necessities. We took ten percent to pay for the halfway house,” snorting at me and taking a contemptuous look at my clothes. “If you miss a day, it’s fine, but your bed fees will be taken from the next day. "

I sometimes feel bad about writing the people of this city off so early.

It was a pretty standard workday, but with decent cash in my pocket, I was ready to take on the world.

Or rather, I was ready to buy some cheap food truck food for lunch and go buy some clothes. World’s worst tinker? I believe so, but needs come first.

After eating, I make my way down to the downtown shopping area. I’ve got my eyes on some necessities, a razor, a knife, some charity shop clothes. And I need to enquire about how one goes about selling on the market.

I thought I would be much more likely to find reasonable prices away from the boardwalk. And I am happy to be proven correct. I’ve managed to pick up a pack of straight razors, some soap, and three entire new sets of clothing for just shy of $40. Sure, they fit poorly, and I still have only one ratty pair of shoes, but I’m no longer completely bereft of worldly possessions anymore.

Now with a full belly, a shaved face and some fresh, well, at least fresh in the eighties clothes, it is time to strategize.

 

My first priority is to secure private housing of any sort. I’m probably looking at a ratty apartment in the Northside docks. Close to merchant territory, but cheap for that reason. Bus fare in this town is negligible. It's one of the few things they do subsidise after the ferry was cancelled.

Work will bring me $126 per day 5 days a week if I keep to 10 hours, $140 if I don’t use the halfway house bed, that means as long as I don’t use the halfway house I’ll be pulling $700 a week. The flexibility is thankfully good. As long as I don’t use the bed provided, I can work any number of days I want. The jobs short term regardless until I can access another source of money. The artwork idea has merit for bonus cash, but wouldn’t be stable or long term without risk of outing myself. From what I’ve seen in the listings in the paper, I can pick up a pretty shitty shoebox apartment for around $1200 a month if I stick to the edges of merchant territory. This is all temporary anyway, but I need a safe space to get into the forge.

Once I get in, I can get the matter manipulator which thankfully is actually quite stealthy when not in use folding to a wrist bracer that I can keep under my jacket if my inbuilt power instinct is correct.

But where do I go from “relative stability”. I don’t want to be destitute tinker scrambling for scraps. I want to make bank; I want to be a hero. I want to create. I need to work on my Scion strategy, and ultimately, what I’m going to do to get in the way of the winged bitches' plans. All while subsisting and keeping myself off the fedora bitch’s radar.

As I lament my lack of a stable plan, my ear starts to buzz again.

A star and a colossal planet are approaching. I can’t afford this one, but I see the star’s name as it passes.

Knowledge Reverse Engineering

It passes by my power, doesn’t even make the attempt.

Another star approaches, the planet orbiting towards me only slightly smaller.

Magical Small Scale

Failed.

My final attempt of 3

The star moves towards me, a small planet orbits towards me

Skills Enchanting

Weapon Absorption

YES! My power grabs the planet and absorbs it entirely. The knowledge of this power flows into my head.

I can now modify weapons to grow as they are used, gaining power over time. As the weapon is used more in combat, and gains more experience, other weapons can be absorbed by the weapon. Improving the quality and abilities of the base weapon.

This is a very cool skill, and one I can definitely use. When I can safely open the workshop and possibly even before.

Time to stop dicking around with the basics. First step of the plan. Save up cash. Source apartment. Stay safe.

Notes:

Perks gained this chapter.

Artistic Architect - Halo - Forerunner structures are not simple. Even in the worst of times, there is a beauty to their layout. Patterns woven into walls, shining pillars reaching to the sky, and shimmering glass panes adjourning corridors. Forerunners don't just build big. They build artfully. Like so many other Builders, you have an eye, and a hand, for beauty in construction. From the most simple of floors, to the most terrifying of weapons, you can spruce them up so that they are breathtaking to behold.

Matter Manipulator - Starbound - Manipulates anything that matters. Well,solids, at least. It basically allows for the collection and placement of any and all materials. For an extra 100 CP, it can collect liquid, and also mines 4 times faster, 4 times as much at once and twice as far away. It can also paint stuff as wire things. If you don't purchase this, you'll have to get the upgrades yourself with manipulator modules.

Weapon Absorption – Dark Cloud - Were the Moon People the ones who developed weapons as they exist in the world today? Perhaps, with their technological expertise, they tampered with such things - but we may well never know. Your weapons modified with this will adapt the concept of "experience", allowing them to grow as more enemies are defeated with them. As more enemies are defeated, you can absorb other weapons into the base template - improving the qualities of the original weapon.

Chapter 2: Arc 1 - Chapter 2

Arc 1 - Chapter 2

 

Tuesday 15^th November, 2010

 

An entire week of drudgery has passed, and nothing of special importance has happened at all. If you think I seem disappointed, let me tell you I am. I feel myself sinking into a rut, but progress is slowly picking up. I just want to get into my damn personal reality and start the real work.

Thanks to a lot of overtime, and two stepping up bonuses, I’ve managed to gather $1200 of legitimate cash. I’ve got a good lead on a studio right on the edge of merchant territory from Jerry, top floor, shit roof and full of mould but $1000 a month, electric and water included, but no heating. No furniture, but I’ve slept in worse and not like I’ll be sleeping in the apartment itself if I have my way.

Seems too good to be true, but the place is a real dump. Half the apartments in the building don’t even have doors or windows. This one has a nice sturdy door and two strong looking deadbolts and that’s all I need.

I’m taking it. Thankfully managed to get to the end of the week without having to take another week in the halfway house.

Barb was disappointed when I told her.

“Ok, see ya, don’t let the door hit you.”

You can feel the love.

I’ve started carrying a baton and knife, already had to threaten one would be mugger with the knife. Did you know forcing someone to retreat counts as a victory? I didn’t. My knife has “experience” now.

Not a lot of it, but still! Powers right! Just call me “Dollar Store Dauntless!”

Moving in today will be quite simple. I’m on my way to collect the keys with everything I own in a bag on my back (3 pairs of shower washed clothes, 1 spare pair of shoes and some razors of varying bluntness. Soap got stolen.)

Easiest moving day ever.

The guy with the keys is… shifty, bald as a cue-ball, covered in nonsensical writing tattoos and his skin is grey and pallid. He is on something, but ‘what’ is the question.

“You the guy wanting the ‘partment?” he slurs at me,

“Yes please,” I nod curtly, I just want this transaction to go as quickly as possible.

“Fancy accent, Where you from?”

“England.”

“K, deres another English guy in about the area. I’ll introduce ya if he shows up. "

“Uh, thanks I guess!”

He seems satisfied, hands over a key with a rusty old keychain and holds his hands out for the cash.

Cringing, I hand over a thousand dollars that I counted out before I arrived.

“Thanks English,” he spits. “Names Dave, Rents due every 13th. A grand in my hand on the ground floor. Missing rent by a day or two will be forgiven. Three? I’ll take a kneecap. If you don’t want to live here no more, you gotta tell me 2 weeks before rents due, or I’ll take it anyway.”

“Noted,” I respond. “You’ll have it on time.”

“They all say that,” he winks at me and smiles with yellow, broken teeth.

“I don’t have a phone, and I can’t afford one. How do I contact you without?”

“I live in the ground-floor apartment of the building opposite. I’m home most’o day. Knock on.”

I nodded back at him. “Got it!”

He walks out the door and I make my way upstairs to my new apartment.

Opening the door, I take a good look around; it looks worse than the pictures I saw. Black mould, water-stained carpets, trash in the corners. I can’t complain though as it has the only two things I need from an apartment right now. A functional toilet and shower, and an internal door to a utility cupboard.

I push my key into the door handle. The door doesn’t have a lock, but that doesn’t matter to the key.

I turn my key in the ‘lock’, and the door opens towards me. I look inside and, as expected, see a 5 x 5 white cube. There is a door in the left-hand wall which when opened leads to a blacksmiths workshop, anvils, tools, workbenches, and self-refilling basic resources for smithing, nothing incredible, some decent tool steel in small amounts among with other common smithing metals. The forge tells me that these will refill weekly, and they cannot be taken out of the reality without first being crafted into something.

But what I am really here for is the matter manipulator. It is currently sitting on a pedestal up against one of the walls in the entrance hall. Construction yellow top and bottom plates with black handles between. The forge tells me this particular model can be stored as a gauntlet to emulate its unique storage slot. I pick up the manipulator and put it in gauntlet mode. It surrounds my left arm, wrist to elbow in a construction vehicle yellow and black gauntlet.

This is a little more conspicuous than I expected. However, I think I can make it work with a baggy jacket.

Because I have plans for this baby.

The matter manipulator can be used to breakdown and recreate blocks of material. I can break down wrecked things and then manipulate the raw resources to craft things.

And there’s a big target full of wrecked things with my name on it. Everyone's favourite power testing arena and tinker junkyard.

The ship graveya- pfft.

I’m not a fucking idiot. Big open place on the edge of two gang territories full of old machinery.

May as well shine a spotlight on myself. “New tinker in ramp-up phase here! Come abduct me for your gang at will!”

Instead, for initial resources, I’m going back to my old standby. I’m going dumpster diving again. This city empties those damn things as little as possible. They are literally everywhere, are by design out of sight, and they are full of broken electronics, old building materials and junk. Believe me, I know personally.

And if a few burned-out cars happen to go missing on the way, who is going to complain?

As I finish up my coming night-time plan for gathering materials, the buzzing returns. The galaxy lights up around me as the forge attempts to reach out for another perk.

Quality Durability – Failed

Quality Efficiency – Failed

Magical large scale – Failed.

100CP Banked – Current C,P 100

Oh well, no new perk this time, that’s fine as I haven’t managed to use any of the ones I gained up to now anyway. Slow and steady wins the race!

However, first I’m going to try to make use of my first earned perk.

Time to try to leverage Artistic Artifact to replace some of my day job.

My mental understanding from Artistic Artifact is that I can leverage it to add a “Forerunner” type of artistic beauty to anything I build, from floors to weapons I can make them look elegant, and breath-taking.

I have a smith’s workshop and a free, weekly refilling quantity of smithing materials, so if I make some jewellery charms from steel, and copper, and bronze, solid necklace pendants and bracelet charms, can I leverage the perk to make them beautiful?

The answer is “kind of.”

They aren’t something you would see in an art gallery; it seems that some part of the process counts as “building” and comes out looking incredible, but there must be another part of the process that counts as crafting but not technically as building.

I make 5 more attempts and it seems to be based on my own perception of if I am “building” the charms or not. I can’t quite leverage the perk fully, but I definitely have something sellable. And the resources to make them are free so even if I price relatively low, I am still making pure profit.

The process of selling on the market is actually quite simple. Turn up with your goods. If there’s a free pitch, you can go to the market office and pay a $100 deposit to use the pitch. Half of the deposit is non-refundable, and the other half is given back to you if you free up the pitch by midday. Otherwise, the other half is non-refundable to pay for the afternoon.

Now I must make the ultimate decision. Am I selling as a normal, or as a cape? I haven’t even really sat down and decided if I want to “Cape” at all.

Am I working on the frontline, making tech to empower myself to fight against injustice directly, or am I the artificer behind the scenes? Empowering other people to save the world.

Even asking myself the question is ludicrous. It isn’t even a choice.

The answer is both.

I might want to fight for good, to be an avatar of hope, to uplift earth bet beyond the fate I know approaches. But I also want the fame, the glory, the monument to the skies with my name on it. Tony Stark showed the blueprint for being a narcissistic asshole and a hero at the same time. I want to emulate that while maybe not making his mistakes.

I will eventually build a team, be they parahumans, or uplifted normals or both, I won’t be able to do this on my own forever.

But I’m getting ahead of myself.

I will sell on the market in my own persona. Without a way to make a good costume, selling as a cape will not work wonders for my reputation. I can attempt to build a costume using forerunner aesthetics, but I don’t think I currently have the resources to finish it, nor the funds. And wasting my days working ten to twelve-hour shifts in order to eat and live until I can ramp up the forge is not going to work forever. I will eventually burn out or become uninteresting enough that the forge will stop growing. And then I will be in real trouble.

 

 

As it turns out, selling on the market was as easy I thought, making sales however was slightly more difficult. I made ten necklace pendants and twenty bracelet charms to sell, silly little figures that look great, even managed to get a nice Damascus on a few of them (Accidentally, I’m pretty sure my aesthetic power did it).

When I showed up at the Market office, the guy in charge took my $100 and shooed me out to a pitch in a back corner of the area. It took a few hours until I saw my first customer, and I was getting worried that I wouldn’t even make my deposit back and considering if leaving at Lunch would be a good idea, when a group of women walked past. One of them happened to glance over at my table and looked very interested.

“Oh my god guys look at these!”

“Oh, wow these look amazing!”

“Dani you just have to buy this owl pendant for your chain, it looks amazing!”

One of the girls turned to me

“How much for this owl pendant please?”

It was one of my better pieces, a bronze owl shined to perfection with a blued steel inlay reflecting the light.

“It should be $100, but if you tell your friends about my stall, I’ll let you take it for $80.”

“Omg are you serious? That’s so cheap! Deal!”

…Cheap?

Am I undervaluing my goods?

The next girl comes over with another one of my good pieces, but she just heard the price I gave for the owl so with (mentally) gritted teeth I tell her it’s the same price.

She buys it, as do the next 2.

$320 for 3 hours work and some forge backed resources I didn’t even need to pay for.

Goodbye manual labour hopefully!

I tell the girls I will be here every Tuesday and they leave happy with their purchases.

A steady trickle of people come by during the day and it seems like the girls DID send some of their friends so well spent discount indeed! I didn’t give any more major discounts but none of my pieces were quite as good as the ones already sold. Regardless I cleared out all my stock and counted my cash at the end of the day.

I made $1100. In one day.

I could technically quit at the construction yard now, but I think I will still attend a few days a week. The pay isn’t incredible, but the hours are completely flexible, and I still have the potential connection to Coil to tease out.

While I’m clearing up my stall the forge buzzes me again. Two planets swing by and miss, then a third planet swings towards me, being small enough that my built-up energy is enough to fully absorb it.

Crafting Metallurgy – failed!

Quality Design – failed!

Quality Resources – Success!

Perk Gained – Backyard Handywork, Phineas and Pherb

100cp remain, re-rolling.

The same swing happens again, two failures, one success.

Skills Magic – failed!

Quality Efficiency – failed!

Skills Alchemy – Success!

Perk Gained – Alchemic Prodigy, Elder Scrolls Online

No CP remain.

Those are INCREDIBLE PERKS!

Damn forge has been edging me, constantly on the edge of greatness and then it throws two amazing crafting perks at me!

Alchemic Prodigy allows me to make gods honest potions! I can make healing potions; I can make buff potions! Poisons! It dumps a massive exposition about herbology into my head, specifically about how to identify alchemy viable plants, including substitutions. I can even make compound potions with multiple effects!

But even this pales in comparison to the next perk.

Backyard Handywork allows me to bypass the need for specially crafted equipment or machine tools and no matter how complex or intricate the project I am working on it, I can trade speed in order to use tools of any level of sophistication to finish the project! Additionally, it dumps a significant amount of engineering, architecture and material science knowledge directly into my head! This is incredible synergy with Artistic Architect too! A proper crafting perk that gives me actual knowledge!

 

And just like that my plans change.

With the engineering and architecture knowledge from backyard handywork I can kludge together a decent-looking costume, now I need to go and find materials.

I need to be significantly more frugal with the cash I earned today because I will be cutting down my construction work to no more than twice a week. Thankfully they are completely flexible because I have a new plan.

I’ll continue selling charms at the market on Tuesdays, but most of the next week will be dedicated to filling my matter manipulator at nights. I’ll be making a costume, and a better weapon, probably a baton or club of some sort.

I’ll also be making a trip out to the garden centre, the woods, and a few local chemists and hardware shops to check for potential Alchemy ingredients once I have personal protection solved.

 

Time to head back home and see what I can cook up for my material gathering incursions.

 

 

Making my way back home initially went without much incident, moving from the market to the docks via the boardwalk was one of the safer routes through the city, even if I was making my way to the edge of what technically counted as merchant territory near the trainyard.

As I was leaving the boardwalk to move into the docks however my quiet trip was interrupted.

A jewellery store’s front window exploded outward in front of the bus I was riding, as 2 giant monsters jumped out, each being ridden by two costumed figures. A cloud of impenetrable darkness followed them as they dove into the alleyways and climbed the walls. A klaxon of a burglar alarm started to whine as screaming started.

Heh, I honestly didn’t expect to see the Undersiders this early. And seeing them made me start to contemplate any voluntary interference in canon I was going to take.

I knew roughly when Taylor’s trigger was, in the coming January about 2 months away. I know she joins the Undersiders roughly 3 months after that, some point in April around about the same time Bakuda is putting bombs in people’s heads.

I’m considering interfering with Lung recruiting Bakuda, which probably seems like a very bad idea, squishy tinker annoys local dragon is not the headline I’m aiming for. Princess in this case is definitely in another castle. However, if I can cut off Bakuda from Lung, It will be the number one way for me to improve the bay in the coming year. I know he recruits her in mid to late march but I’m not quite sure exactly when.

I’m quite set on this being my first major interference in Canon, I should likely prevent Taylor’s trigger, and I will keep this at the back of my mind. The heroic part of me says I should be preventing it. But the pragmatic part of me says that having a backup for saving the world in case I fail in doing it better can only be a good thing. Two flavours of heroism compete here and while I don’t always agree with “the greater good” if there’s ever a time for it to be relevant, the lives of trillions is it.

I will make my choice and live with it in January. It's irrelevant unless I can meaningfully grow my power by then. The locker incident is on the first day of the new term so I have a set date for making my decision.

The Undersiders cloud of darkness is gone, and the bus finally starts moving again as the forge makes my eyes itch. The system of planets lights up in front of my eyes in a riot of colour, as the Celestial Forge attempts to grow once more.

Skills Magic – Failed

Crafting Magitech – Failed

Crafting Biotech – Failed

Banked 100CP

No perk this time, I’ve been hoping for a weaponry or attack perk, I’m currently capable of making a good set of alloyed steel armour and if I get better resources can go even further but I have no perk nor skill for good weaponry.

I have powers enough to push me up to “A mook without a gun isn’t much threat” but guns and parahumans are still beyond me at this point.

Oh well, the curse of a tinker, let’s keep ramping up.

I finally arrive at my stop and walk toward my apartment, when I hear someone shouting me.

Oh joy. Its Dave.

“Hey T!” he slurs.

“Hi Dave, it’s Thomas by the way,” I answer him back.

“Oh, I know, but I shortened it to Tom and then realised that’s still too long so now you are T.”

I don’t mind Tom so much. T isn’t something I like but I’m not arguing with my landlord over it.

“ ‘member I told you I had a brit friend in the area? He’s come round to my place today, come say hi, you guys can chat about the homeland.” He starts to nudge me over towards the yard of his apartment block.

“Dave mate, I’m really fuckin tired today is this something that can wait till tomorrow,” I tell him wearily.

“5 mins T, he wants to meet a fellow brit, and he’s a big deal in the district over.

“Fine ok Dave, 5 minutes though I really need to get some sleep.”

Dave drags me over to his yard, “yard” is a misnomer. “National school for drug dealing” is probably closer to the truth.

When we get over to the apartment block, there’s a dark-skinned guy with dreadlocks sat in an armchair by the door, he looks over at me and makes eye contact. There’s suspicion and a dark intelligence in his eyes.

“Oi, you Dave’s fucking English mate?” he shouts as he stands up.

 

This guy is from London. His accent is kinda cockney but not, with a mix of the local accent. I can’t place it. He’s relatively tall, but incredibly thin.

“Hi, I’m Thomas.” I shake his hand.

“Fucking hell mate you’re a fucking Manc!” he laughs “Not got three eyes or three balls av ya after coming from that fucking place?”

“No, we left before the incident, most of my accents from Mum.”

“Ah shit, well nice to see someone from that scum sucking island for once, yanks round here don’t get sarcasm,” he makes eye contact again and winks slowly.

“Names Adam,” he smiles through ruined teeth. “If you want any gear, you get Dave to contact us!”

“Not really into drugs, prefer alcohol myself but to each their own.” I reply back. I have a suspicion as to who this is, and I do not want to insult him.

“Well, you’re a bit of a fucking straight laced cunt living on the edge of the territory aint ya?” he laughs. “Well, more for us then,” he laughs like a hyena.

“Dave, I’ll see ya later mate, gotta get off, go see Sherrell, and get off,” he laughs at his own joke again.

“No worries, Adam, see ya soon.” Dave replies back while laughing himself.

Dave walks back over to my apartment building with me still chuckling.

“You made a good impression; he doesn’t like people who don’t take usually,”

I stop and look over at Dave.

“He isn’t someone I want to get on the wrong side of is he?” I ask.

He just laughs and walks back to his apartment.

Am I renting an apartment under the table from a friend of Skidmark?

 

Fuck this, I need sleep. I need to be up early to go scavenging.

Notes:

Perks gained this chapter.

Backyard Handywork - Who needs a massive machine shop or specially-crafted equipment when you have some plywood and a toolbox? No matter how complex or intricate of a project you might be making, you'll find that you can easily figure out how to substitute commonly available tools and resources for more complex equipment, and still have the final project come out fine. Also comes with a decent understanding of engineering, architecture, and a few other material science fields to help you get started on whatever projects you might want to work on.

Alchemic Prodigy - One of the most profitable and respected professions in Tamriel, a good alchemist can find lucrative work just about anywhere on Nirn, from Necrom to Stros M'Kai. Aside from a good bit of experience in identifying herbs that can be used for medicinal(or malign)creations, you have enough experience to work with up to Rank Five solvents and oils(Purified Water and Pitch Vile respectively) , with a whole decade to learn even more. Healing potions, potions to bolster physical attributes, or even debilitating poisons can not only be produced, but with adequate testing you can even begin to mix and match their effects by combining the right ingredients.

First post chapter Personal Reality roll. 100 personal reality CP banked.
Failed

Chapter 3: Arc 1 - Chapter 3

Arc 1 - Chapter 3

 

Wednesday 16^th November, 2010

 

I wake with a smile on my face, even though it’s three in the morning. How could I not? The forge is finally working with me, I have cash in my pocket including next month’s rent already and I have a source of free cash, even if it is only minor. It feels like things are finally coming together.

I’ve stored the majority of my cash in the entrance hall, sure it won’t be easily available but I won't lose it if someone breaks in or if I get mugged.

This morning’s mission is resource gathering. The matter manipulator is an incredible tool not just for gathering materials, but also for storing them in its internal buffer. No walking round with a backpack full of scrap for me!

I’m going to wander downtown early and hit up as many dumpsters in the retail zones as I can. There’s a ton of fly tipping in the adjacent areas too so I can hit up those spots for an easy source of materials. Heading out this early but as the sky starts getting light means the areas are mostly abandoned and putting on my worst clothes with my torn puffer jacket open with a broken zip lets me play the homeless guy card again. Jacket covers the matter manipulator on my arm, and I’m golden.

I pack my baton and knife too. Can never be too safe. Plus, always a chance I can level up my budget Dauntless cosplay. Finally, I take an old domino mask, scarf and beanie combo in my pocket. If I feel like I’m being followed by the authorities, I put them on and speak with them as a cape.

The key word today is safety.

The Forge takes that thought as a great idea and promptly makes my teeth vibrate. The planets move into alignment as the giant solar system inside my brain churns.

Facilities Mundane – Failed!

Crafting Technological – Failed!

Toolkit Magical – Success!

Magic Cooking Pot – Zelda: Breath of the Wild

 

100cp remains… Restarting rolls

Crafting Magical Items – Failed!

Skills Magic – Failed!

Protection – Success!

SUPERHUMAN DESIRE! – Medaka box abnormal.

No CP Remains

 

I need to sit down.

Magic cooking pot is… well its decent, it gives me an iron pan that can light a magic fire under itself when set up and even when not on a heat source will heat any items placed inside it to the desired temperature. Any meal or elixir cooked on it will gain a boost in quality and possibly beneficial effects. It also acts as a heat source so even with no heating in the workshop I’ll never be uncomfortable again. It probably synergises extremely well with Alchemic Prodigy.

However, SUPERHUMAN DESIRE changes everything.

I can no longer fail at self enhancement via technology. Any procedure, regardless of how risky. As long as it carries beneficial enhancement or improvement to me or my body, is now guaranteed to succeed. Regardless of its original success chance.

This is a game changing perk. I’m not a full-on transhumanist by any means but if I gained the ability to enhance my body technologically, I was definitely going to do it. This perk now guarantees my success.

But I can’t do anything with it right now so back to the job at hand.

From my apartment in the northern docks, I take a southern route through the active warehouse areas of the docks proper, the streetlights in this area are functional and it’s easier to move as if heading somewhere.

As I pass various companies still operating in the area, I check through their external dumpsters, finding various amounts of wood, cloth, plastic, copper, tin, and iron waste which all gets converted into the matter manipulator.

Work is slow due to my paranoia of being seen, and I do the majority of my manipulator work from within the dumpster itself to give me full coverage. Even though I’m moving slowly, I’m moving with purpose, and the resources I am gathering will be a huge help.

Three hours later the sun is peeking over the bay and I’m finally in the southern docks area, from industrial waste, multiple abandoned or burned-out cars, and various carefully cleared out fly tipping spots I have gathered up quite large quantities of iron, steel, plastic, varying cloth types from tarp to silk, copper, bronze and tin and glass. I also have found decent a decent quantity of aluminium along with smaller quantities of gold, silver and platinum, and tiny quantities of rare metals mostly from various catalytic converters on the abandoned/burned-out cars.

This is enough manipulator gathering for now. I have more than enough resources from this run for a basic set of armour and even weapons too when combined with the resources I already have.

I decide to use a convenient public toilet to put the manipulator back into the personal reality, I drop off my “cape gear” at the same time, no need to have it on me if I get searched for any reason.

My next job is to head for the local garden centres and hobby shops in the commercial district, the bordering woodland will also be on the schedule for alchemy checking.

After checking various garden centres, florists and hobby shops and even the herb section at the local supermarket I come to a sad realisation. None of this can be used for my current form of alchemy. This prompts me to skip the trip to the outskirts too, I’ll head out there another day when I have more perks that could benefit from it. I can only think that I must need another perk to provide me with the alchemy ingredients for Genius Alchemist or another perk to allow me to grow them myself somehow. I picked up some raw food ingredients from the supermarket regardless, at least I can test out the Zelda pot.

Time to head back home and work on some gear with my gathered resources, I have some ideas for some basic protective gear using only what I currently have.

 

 

The bus ride back home was thankfully uneventful this time, no Undersider provoked delays, and walking to my apartment from the bus stop no Dave interruptions either. It’s almost eight by the time I arrive home, five hours since I left. I think some tinkering is just what the doctor ordered.

 

I have two ideas for basic gear.

The first is using the plastics, steel and aluminium I gathered to make some “riot team” inspired armoured gear. The second is to absolutely max out the materials science knowledge I gained from Backyard Handywork and make some taser gloves. Induction powered taser gloves. I can make some basic solid-state batteries from what I gather from the celestial mass squatting in my skull. I have some side ideas for an injector mechanism for them for when I get alchemy poisons up and running, but for now, light but heavily armoured protection and electric goodness. Backyard Handywork is about to pay for itself.

Working way ahead of my tool curve is… slow, multiple times I’m replacing the usage of cnc and milling machines and even at one point an industrial weaving loom with just basic blacksmithing tools. Backyard Handywork is incredible.

What feels like many hours later and one of the downsides/upsides of me only having a smithing workshop to work with shows itself. Everything looks vaguely knight-esque. It isn’t intentional, and there’s probably an intent-based reason for it, my brain biasing Artistic Architect because of my personal bias towards smithing and medieval aesthetic. But my armour which is supposed to be riot inspired instead looks like someone crossed a really overdone forerunner skin cosplay with something you wouldn’t find out of place in World of Warcraft. It looks cool and all, but it implies a level of escalation I cannot fulfil. It writes checks that my ass cannot cash.

The armour is made from alternating layers of carefully folded aluminium, finely ringed steel chain-mail, and a mightily finicky carbon infused plastic and glass fiber weave. It’s bullet resistant for sure although up to what caliber I have no idea. Knives aren’t getting through though. I tested. A lot.

The fiber weave was a work of demented genius, but it took over four hours to make enough just to cover my vitals. Chest, back, neck. I won’t be getting full coverage without better tools. Leveraging the perk this heavily carries a hefty time penalty and I will definitely have to look into some heavier duty tools for speed reasons, even if I don’t technically need them.

The armour looks shockingly competent. So much so that I’m genuinely worried about the level of escalation that will be leveraged against me if I wear it to a fight. I don’t think I can use this without a hefty improvement in my weaponry. It looks like it protects far more than it does, which is not a good thing with cape rules of engagement.

Speaking of weaponry, the gloves came off a treat. I’ll call them my tesla gloves. They’ll only work with the armour for now, in future I’ll need to make a charging rig or better battery for them but basically, I build up charge in the batteries stored throughout my armour by moving. I can then choose to discharge the batteries through my hands, knuckle or palm. I managed to get 3 modes. The first is “The security guard just tazed me” level. It won’t stop 99% of brutes but anyone with base level human durability is going on the floor. The second level is “did I just stick my tongue in a plug socket” and is reserved for minor brutes. The third level is a full discharge of all batteries. My armour grounds me by design but I don’t even want to be around someone when I hit them with this. I call this level “Did Thor just brutalise that guy?” mode.

 

Each of the modes use up various levels of battery capacity. First level can be used maybe ten times on a full charge, second level a max of five times and the last level once by design. The batteries however are incredibly inefficient being solid state batteries made with forge backed tinker bullshit wizardry I barely even understand myself; they discharge rapidly over time if I’m not moving. I also have to lug this all around myself, it’s not powered armour it relies on my own strength. I’ll be working on my body a lot more going forward.

 

As I put the finishing touches on the glove to armour connection, the forge makes my earlobes buzz. The swinging orbit of the planets, as they pass by without pause.

Skills Alchemy – Failed

Quality Durability – Failed

Magical Large Scale – Failed.

No luck this time, bigger reach next time though!

 

Time to put all this armour on and test my weapons!

 

---

 

Ok there’s a problem.

See, I’ve gone all out in making this amazing looking suit of armour. It looks incredible. The weapons are buzzing in my hand, the movement I’ve done up to now enough to get me a single level 1 charge.

But that movement is hand and arm movement.

I can’t move in the damn thing long term.

Oh, I can carry the weight, for a short while. But carrying this thing around as a permanent costume with my current level of fitness is going to be impossible. Knights must have been ripped back in the day.

So, what can I do with it?

Well, I’ve made some temporary adjustments, I’ve stripped most of the extraneous for now, I’ve stripped it down to chest and abdomen plate, neck cover, bracers, everything covering an area not immediately lethal if penetrated is left off. I’ve stripped one tesla glove out of the interface, right arm for shocking, left arm for breaking down and building. I’ve also blued and painted the matter manipulator so I can match it with the steel and dulled aluminium colour of the armour. I’ve used some of the cloth I gathered with the manipulator to make a costume to go with the armour, which I have painted white and blue with the manipulator. I forgot that the matter manipulator is capable of short-range matter telekinesis and I’m quite sure I can make use of that in combat.

Most of this gear is thankfully, forge backed. The armour and glove will self-repair after 48 hours if damaged or destroyed due to being made in my blacksmith workshop, and the matter manipulator will return to the forge if it’s away from me for too long. I’ve made an integrated facemask for my helmet, almost full face leaving only my mouth uncovered.

It didn’t quite feel real before. But now looking at myself, and what I have created over the course of a day. Sure, by most tinker standards this is extremely primitive. All fur coat and no knickers. Talks the talk but doesn’t really walk the walk but damn. Looking at this it finally hits me. After weeks of homelessness and just trying to subsist, I’m not at home anymore. I died.

 

And in exchange I now make things I don’t understand, to entertain a being I don’t know, and save a world I don’t belong to.

 

At least I’ll look damn hot doing it though.

 

 

I was never a very good cook.

Testing out this magic pan really brings that home; I mean I can’t really over or undercook things with this thing, but I can mess up the recipe. Until I get some crazy forge backed cooking skill I am going to concentrate on a few basics. These are the recipes I can pull out of the perk with the ingredients I bought. They can’t be mixed; the new buff will override the old.

Poultry + Mushrooms cooked on the pan = Three-minute stamina boost. A significant one too it makes me last twice as long. The urge to wink is overpowering right now but I will power through.

Red meat + Radish + Truffle. = Minor defensive brute rating, I can take a few more hits than usual. Needs testing.

Red meat + mushroom + chilli pepper = Almost immune to cold effects for four minutes. Useful with this area’s climate.

Any meat + expensive shiitake mushroom = Mover rating, probably a 1 on the scale, triples my movement speed. Duration seems to be based on the size of the meal. A small ravioli sized wrap gave me about fifteen seconds.

I will need to test future recipes and do more tests when I have more ingredients in future. Suffice to say I made a few “mover wraps”, Name pending, and keep them up my sleeve for if quick getaways are needed.

Quite literally, one of them is in my sleeve right now.

The big deal recipe here is radish, radish and more radish. My power tells me that the radishes I have now won't all work, but if I have a big plump radish and combine it with four of these smaller ones in the pan, I can make healing food.

Yes, you read that right, I can make a radish salad with a side of radish that will heal wounds. It will also induce a temporary defensive brute rating beyond anything else I’ve seen up to now.

Yes, I agree the forge is bullshit sometimes.

 

And on that note, the forge decides to tickle my nose. Revenge? I hope not. However this time, a small planet on the periphery of the orbit of one of the smaller stars in the condensed celestial tech tree slams into my head, after a bigger planet pulls a drive by on me.

 

Crafting Metallurgy – Failed!

Quality Durability – Success!

Reliable Invention – Kim Possible.

0CP remains.

 

This is a VERY interesting perk.

Anything I make can no longer break from being used properly.

Things I construct or create can only be broken if they are used improperly, or if they are purposefully targeted by an enemy. They can no longer degrade, nor malfunction from regular usage.

This makes me genuinely the anti-tinker. No maintenance requirements, no repairs needed except for combat or dumb-fuck juice induced breakage.

Armsmaster would sell me his kid for this perk. If he had one that is.

The urge to evil laugh is rising. But I will hold off. Laughing to yourself in an isolated room seems a bit weird.

Back to the cooking, I can’t find any combination that would give me an offensive brute rating, lots of defensive buffs though it seems like this one is focused more on protection through defence rather than my preferred protection through proactive defence. Don’t need to block a punch if the other guy’s arms don’t work anymore.

I need to get some sleep. I just spent an entire day moving and working and I am beyond exhausted. Tomorrow I am going to look in to getting a cheap prepay phone. And I think I’ll do a construction day tomorrow; I’ll need funds for the phone.

Notes:

Perks gained this chapter.

Magic Cooking Pot - A simple iron pan, that can magically light a fire underneath itself when set up. Even when off of a fire, it will heat items placed in it to the desired temperature. All meals and elixirs cooked on it will receive a boost in quality, and can provide a variety of beneficial effects, depending on the ingredients used. Magically provides a comfortable temperature nearby when in use.

SUPERHUMAN DESIRE - You always wanted to be special and that want was itself so strong that you really did become so. Whenever you are subjected to a procedure that will improve or beneficially alter you with a chance of injury to you, death or even just the procedure failing outright, it will instead have a guaranteed chance of success. Risky operations will always go off without a hitch, shoving an energy source into your own body will have it combine with you successfully if there was even the smallest chance of you not dying.
Reliable Invention - Anything you construct is only broken when used improperly or purposefully targeted with attacks. The items you create do not malfunction and are completely resistant to damage caused by regular usage.

Second post chapter Personal Reality roll. 150 personal reality CP banked.
Succeeded! – Access Key|Key Link

Key Link (Personal Reality) 50: With this Access Key Upgrade, you can now close the door while you are in the Personal Reality and use your key in a special podium in the entryway to link your Personal Reality Door to any door in your current Host Reality that you’ve previously used your Access Key on. If you have extra keys, any door opened by any of them can be accessed. You may also use a recall function to bring up a list of all the doors that have been accessed by any key, thus allowing you to follow a Companion should you so desire.

100 personal reality cp remain!

Chapter 4: Arc 1 - Chapter 4

Arc 1 - Chapter 4

 

Saturday 19^th November, 2010

The next two days passed in a blur and before I knew it, it was Saturday.

I spent the majority of Thursday and Friday working, doing odd jobs, and aiming for more stepping up bonuses at work. I also got quite close with the injured guy, Jerry. We aren’t friends or anything, but he knows the town well, gives me some decent advice for living in the area, and after hooking me up with Dave to get my apartment, I knew he was at least semi reliable.

However, there’s a possible snag in friendly relations. The man despises capes. To a level I don’t think I’ve read about before. He makes fanon Piggot look like the cape advocate every fresh trigger needs.

Strangely, its only capes he hates, he has no issue with parahumans, just people who take part in the cape scene. He refused to expand on this hatred, simply telling me to watch out for myself in this “cape infested shithole”.

After work on Friday, I was hit by the strangest forge hit yet. Usually, I see a field of stars and absorb or fail to absorb planets, however this hit came as I was falling asleep and came in the form of a single planet. Various islands were shaded out. My power reached out and filled in a tiny island in the northern hemisphere and the forge whispered into my brain “Access Key Link”

I can now close my door while inside the reality and open the door to any door I have previously opened with my key. This will grow my personal force projection immensely and give me an easy escape route if I am being chased or followed. It’s probably the most immediately useful perk I’ve gained up to now. I will have to plan a trip to various parts of the city and get a few doors unlocked. This perk is a big deal for any potential caping. And if worse comes to worst I can sequester myself in there.

Speaking of plans, I’ve managed to build up a nice nest egg of $2000 which covers rent in December if I stay and will cover food to survive. I don’t technically need to stay any more, I can now just live in the personal reality if I want as I can close the door after me and pop out anywhere as long as I prepare the door, but having a legitimate domicile in the city gives me a lot of plausible deniability.

I should be able to stretch my funds to live until Mid-December now even after buying a basic phone. Anything else I earn now can go towards tinkering. Before I got key link, my plan was to remain under the radar, making intermittent gathering trips, working my way into the foreman’s good graces at the yard to see if I could get access to better-paying jobs, and selling at the market on Tuesdays.

However, with the mover wraps combined with key link giving me an easy retreat from most confrontations (Well, in a city where there are doors everywhere anyway) maybe it’s time I put myself on the PRT radar and go register.

My mental checklist for putting myself on the cape scene is Armour, Weaponry, Escape plan.

I’ve got armour semi covered now, I will need to work on my fitness to use the full kit unpowered, or get a forge hit that allows me to add some powered joints and actuators to use the full set. But it gives me a level of protection better than most non brute capes. At least to the vital areas.

I’ve got weaponry covered if you squint at the definition. I have heavily Manton limited matter telekinesis, destruction and creation via the manipulator for, admittedly slow battlefield control. I have the tesla glove for disable and destroy duties.

And finally, I have various short-term buff foods packed in tight single bite tortilla wraps. And I have the access key driven escape plan if I need it.

While I am contemplating what I can offer as my “power” if I register with the PRT, the forge makes my nostrils ache.

Mundane Large Scale – Failed!

Database Magitech – Failed!

Assistants – Success!

Companion Bracelet – World Seed

Cost 0cp, upgrade?

Wait what, upgrade?

Basic companion bracelet is a form bound evolving ai in a user defined form, the basic ai is designed to be the perfect companion for the user that first equips it. The AI observes the world via your senses and has a photographic memory. They can point out potential issues, highlight important objects, gather information from the internet and other sources, and otherwise assist you in day-to-day life as a personal assistant.

For 50cp each the following upgrades can be added.

Identify – Ai can scan nearby living beings for information on their abilities, skill level, and relevant information.

Internalise – Ai no longer has a bound physical form and instead lives directly within your own existence. They are bound to you and exist as long as you do. Unless you take actions to prevent their expiry upon yours. Wireless range is drastically shortened to 50m.

Danger Sense – Ai is installed in your brain and can use it’s faster perception and analysis of reality to forcibly move your body out of the way of danger from any source. As long as you are physically able to make the move.

Trajectory – AI can instantly show the trajectory of any intended enemy projectile and warn you if any projectiles will approach from blind spots and how to dodge them. Range is limited to the projectile shooter being within 200 meters.

Danger sense is out. I don’t care if it’s a fiat backed to be my ally AI, no-one and nothing is ever being able to master me in any way if I can avoid it.

Trajectory I can possibly emulate most of via software later if need be. If the AI’s perception is usually based on my own, then as I get better tech I can give them access to cameras etc and emulate this one manually. The short battle precognition towards projectiles including blind-spots is nice though and can’t be emulated.

Internalise is locked in, not having a physical presence and giving me mental access to the internet as long as I have an internet device with me, local wireless networks even if short ranged, and a personal assistant of this level of variety is too good to pass up. I will definitely work on giving them an escape route for if I die though.

Identify feels like Tattletale-lite. While it feels obviously useful, as an insert I already know the general strengths and weaknesses of my main enemies and will have ways to find them in future if not.

I’ve decided. I’m going to take Trajectory and Internalise. Both of them are immediately useful to my current cape profile. And I can pass off Trajectory as part of my cape power if I register with the PRT.

Companion Bracelet – World Seed complete – Cost 0cp -> 100cp.

0 CP remains.

The world explodes in pain. I feel molten rivers of lava trace every nerve in my body, my veins feel itchy, my brain is no longer here.

And then existence reboots.

And I hear a voice in my head. Female, with a Welsh accent.

“Hello Master.”

“Uh hello?”

“This unit requires designation.”

“Excuse me?”

“This unit requires designation.”

“You want a name?”

“Unit communication can be in the form of purposefully directed thought, database shows species members react poorly to spoken word without speech partner. Designation is required for thought direction.”

I live a strange but charmed life, but being sassed by the AI living in my soul generates emotions I've never felt before.

“Ok, unit designation is EFA, if you decide you find a designation you personally prefer, then this can be changed at your will.”

“This unit will take the name EFA, Master, evolution of this unit will progress. Please direct any queries to me by thought.”

“Thank you EFA.”

 

---

 

The “Register with the PRT” checklist continues to grow.

I have fulfilled my original checklist, and the addition of EFA gives me some more routes to take in regard to what powers I register.

Currently, using their ratings I am a Tinker/Thinker/Shaker hybrid. With access to supplementary and temporary defensive brute and mover ratings even if not at the same time.

I’m thinking of registering as a Shaker/Tinker combo, with the ability to create empowering tinker consumables and empowered items that slowly grow for the user over time as long as they are used for their correct purpose along with self-repairing armour. Passing off that the simpler I make the items, the less maintenance they required, with mundane items requiring no maintenance at all as long as damage isn’t incurred in battle.

I think I could even swing it to set up a deal to supply the local PRT agents with gear. Self-repairing, high-quality gear that improves itself even if only slightly over time would really help them out, and if I supply at cost, or get them to trade for materials then even better.

My current issue is Coil.

I am committed to remaining independent, as I am bound to my own morals and while the PRT are not the evil monolith most fanfics make them out to be, I could never work for a group that places how they look over how they act. And as previously established, I won't shit on this world by joining or making a gang.

Independent heroically inclined fence sitter is where I need to be for now.

Coil can’t and won’t allow me to remain independent given his goals which forces me to stay stealthy or come up with countermeasures. However, if I don’t act before he gets control of Dinah, then this all becomes irrelevant anyway. Without one of the perks that directly blocks precognition, or access to a perk that lets me build something that can block precogs, he will discover me through their frankly overpowered thinker synergy regardless. The sword of Damocles is falling slowly, but surely.

Dinah is one of the big dates in Worm. The Bank Robbery. 14^th April. 2011. I have less than 6 months to deal with Coil.

I am suffering from choice paralysis. I recognise it. But that doesn’t change it.

Interfere with Taylors trigger event – Early January – less than 2 months away.

Intervene to prevent Bakuda from joining the ABB – March, 4 months away.

Prevent Coil from getting hold of Dinah. Less than 6 months away.

There’s too much to do, too much I need to grow, and a never-ending checklist of planned interference points that force me to choose between heroism, and pragmatism.

It’s funny, I judge the PRT for choosing PR over lives. And here I am choosing between “Save the teenager from a horrific torture” or “Let it happen so there’s a backup if you fail.”

I’m not the person I thought I was.

It’s time to start making decisions.

And the forge makes my toes buzz, as the swelling feeling that signals a planet is passing close by erupts behind my eyes.

Protection – Failed

Knowledge Mundane – Success!

Chemist – Fallout 4

I can make Stimpaks.

I can make Med-X

I can make anything remotely chemistry based from the Fallout series.

I also got an entire knowledge of chemistry principles dropped into my head.

Is the forge giving me rolls to prompt me to my tinker/shaker PRT idea?

“OI forge, are you doping the rolls?”

It doesn’t answer.

Let’s go and see what I can make. Then decision time.

 

---

 

So, it takes a bunch of copper, glass, rubber and wood to make a chem station. Along with some screws and steel that I can easily forge up in my smithy.

Thankfully, I have everything I need from my previous resource foray. After an hour of forging, kicking and copious amounts of swearing, I finally get something that looks like an IKEA special crossover with the ship graveyard cobbled together.

It’s surprisingly easy to install too. I throw it in a corner of my blacksmith room for now. There isn’t much space but better here than where I plan to sleep.

For something that looks like it would struggle to put together a functional glass of lemonade, the list of things I can make is vast. The list of non-addictive things I can make, is less so. I will be staying away from telling anyone about the addictive stuff for sure. Especially the PRT.

Stimpaks, Med-X and Radaway are all hilariously easy to make. I had most of the ingredients in the back corner of the single cupboard in the “kitchen” in the apartment.

A simple Stimpak is some antiseptic, some blood, and steel for the injector interface.

Antiseptic, blood and something I have in basically infinite amounts and my bullshit power makes something that can heal broken limbs. burns, gashes, and most things in between.

The biggest downside is honestly the blood, I can only honestly provide about four stimpaks worth a day, using one of them will cause me to restore the blood back in a day rather than a week but there is a hard limit of 4 per day for me currently. If I time my stimpak usage till after my afternoon workout then I can also hugely improve the efficiency of my workouts by eliminating the recovery cycle entirely.

I’ll either have to biotinker up some form of blood creation/duplication in future when I get the ability, or fund a blood drive if I want to up production. Options are open for now. I will definitely make the 4 per day, however. Stimpaks are too useful for my own development even discounting the insta-heal.

Some other consumables I can make with this perk are Radaway, Med-X, and Rad-X. Med-X is a big temporary brute rating that makes the body extremely resistant to damage. This one is generally useful all round and can stack with the brute ratings I can gain from my alchemy and cooking. Rad-x and Radaway however will be extremely useful for the next behemoth fight. Rad-X immunises the user from certain levels of radiation and minimises higher levels. Radaway purges radiation from the users body completely.

I can also make a compound called addictol, that instantly purges the user of all addictions, although it causes explosive vomiting, runs, and sweating while it forces a purge on the patient/victim.

A common thread across all the Fallout chemistry items is the products used to make them can be extremely low quality, and they are all common household object bar a couple which are creatable from common objects and slightly more expensive objects.

This perk will be used heavily. I’ve already made my first four stimpaks with one put aside to be used after this evenings now much heavier planned workout.

Got to maximise those gains now I can raise them so quickly.

 

---

 

I think I’ve finally come to a decision.

I’m going to go and pick up a phone as planned, then I’m going to strategize with EFA. I need to work on her development anyway.

I’m making the trip to downtown on foot and bus rather than teleporting out to the public toilet I used nearer to the boardwalk using my key. The exercise will do me good, and I can eye up doors along the route that I can use to maximise my now ridiculous deployment abilities.

I’m going to use my key inside a few public toilets on the boardwalk, mostly on utility doors where I can.

I arrive at the downtown shopping district and find a phone shop quite quickly, and after chasing off the attempted upsell come away with a cheap smartphone, with low call minutes but very high internet usage limits. It’s a prepay as I can’t get a contract with no identity, but the deal is pretty good and the whole package ends up costing me around $300.

 

“EFA” I think into my mind.

“Yes master?”

“I apologise, I’ve not spoken to you much since you arrived, I’m not the most social of people.”

“Don’t worry about me in this way master, I am not a typical free AI, I am the reflection that you need, my development is entirely tailored to what you need in an assistant, and for now my programming tells me you need a silent watcher.”

“If you notice anything you think I should know please don’t hesitate to speak up, I may prefer my own counsel, but I would never keep you silent and bored.”

“I know master, I know you better than you know yourself.”

“Please just call me Thomas, or Tom, or if you can’t or would prefer not to do that, then Mr Hale. Master has, negative connotations.”

“Request acknowledged Mr Hale, how can I help you today?”

“I know you are a learning AI with research access to wireless devices among other skills, are you capable of hacking or software development/repair?”

“Not ‘out of the box’ so to speak, the only natural abilities I have are the ones you gained with my perks. I am however as specified a learning AI, if you instruct me to learn a skill that I have access to then I can do so.”

“I have just gained an internet activated device which I picked up mainly to give you access. Can you take control of this device, route any calls to me directly, and use it to access the web?”

“Yes, this is well within the sphere of my abilities.”

“I would like for you to take the following actions in this order of priority. Track the known movements of the nine as they show up and try to create or work out a pattern and at the same time track public appearances of Mouse Protector. I want to know the second they get an appearance within 100 miles of each other. You may research methods to do this if you don’t have the ability naturally. Secondly monitor all calls and messages to my phone and alert me of importance as I give my number out. Finally, I would like you to spend time researching hacking and software development in its myriad forms.

“Acknowledged, I will begin on these requests now and will alert you as and when needed.”

“Thanks, EFA, have a nice day.”

“You too Mr Hale.”

Step one, complete, EFA will be covering some points of note. The big one being the tracking of the nine and Mouse Protector. I want to know the second they start to move towards the northeast region. I’ve made my decision. Be it Mouse Protector, Dinah. Glory Girl. Panacea. Theo. Dragon. Even Armsmaster.

I won’t let any of them suffer or fall if they don’t need to. I’ll bear that responsibility myself if I have to.

I won't bow to the status quo. Screw maintaining the timeline. Screw maintaining backup world savers. If I can’t do it myself without compromising my morals, then I don’t deserve it.

 

Looks like the forge agrees too as my eyes start to itch,

Toolkit Magical – Failed

Knowledge Mundane – Failed

Quality Design – Failed

No perk this time though I am quietly relieved, I’d like to build up to a bigger perk now, preferably something I can weaponize, and I have more than enough to be getting through with my current perks.

 

 ---

 

 

 

Walking down the boardwalk without a mission in mind is relaxing. There’s something to be said about the clarity that comes with picking a path. Knowing that I intend to intervene has taken a metaphorical weight from my shoulders.

As I am about to leave the boardwalk to the south and step into the Downtown coast district, I hear a woman scream on the intersecting alleyway that I am approaching. I quickly run to the corner and peek around only so see three skinheads pointing a knife at two African American women.

Well, I made my choice to be proactive and refuse to give up my morals. No time to be the ramping Tinker who never shows themselves if I want to be a hero. Consequences are for future Tom to deal with. I quickly fish out my key and jump into a nearby door.

Time to gear up.

I sprint to the nearby pedestal, grab my current lightweight armour setup, my manipulator and tesla glove, and my mask. Suiting up takes thirty seconds and I am back out the door after grabbing my baton and stimpaks. I need to come up with a way to quicksuit like Iron Man does. One for a future perk, I think.

I sprint back out the door and turn the corner again. One of the women is sobbing at knife point while the other is being grabbed and wrestled to the floor.

Absolutely fucking not mate.

I walk towards them. Slowly at first so as not to turn this into a hostage situation. As I get closer, I quickly chomp down on a mover wrap and then the game is on.

I immediately sprint in and body check goon 1 who is standing over his almost prone victim. He flies at a very satisfying clip towards goon number 2 and catches him centre mass.

Goon number 3 looks shocked at my appearance from nowhere and turns towards me and reaches his hand into his jacket and quickly pulls out a gun.

Trajectory pops into my eyeline and warns me that goon 3 intends to discharge his weapon towards me, the 3 trajectories however will go over my shoulder even if I close the distance at maximum speed and no 4^th is appearing. I might be able to move three times as fast but I don’t get to think three times as fast so I have to make this count. I charge directly at him, centre mass as he shoots over my right shoulder. I flip out my baton and hit him directly in the abdomen as hard as I can.

He bends double, trajectory warns me that I am about to be shot in the right lung from behind. I take evasive action by running directly at the nearby alley wall and the shots just barely miss me, I kick off the wall (and my shins are now fucking killing) and dive at goon 2 who is prone on the ground with what looks like a beretta in his hand. I quickly drop a thick wall of packed dirt with my manipulator and dive behind it as I only get it up to one meter before he starts firing. I definitely wouldn’t have reached him in time.

None of the 9mm bullets manage to penetrate my wall. As the gunfire abates I throw caution to the wind and sprint at the now two-meter-high wall. As I vault it, the second goon in front of me gasps. From the look on his face I don’t think he expected me to do something so reckless. I grab him by the shoulder and pump a level 1 tesla shot into him. He drops to the floor shaking.

Goon 1 decides this is a good time to smack me in the head with a crowbar. Grabbing the crowbar mid swing I give him his own taste of level 1 tesla goodness. Huh looks like this crowbar isn’t a great conductor. He still drops though. And note to self. Pad glove palms if you want to catch melee weapons. I think my hand might be broken. I forgot in the heat of the moment I only armoured the back of these gloves.

I address the skinheads directly. “Move so much as a pinky, and I will shock you until you need assistance to piss are we clear,” I get two rapid nods, the other guy is unconscious.

I now have three disabled skinheads in front of me, and two hysterical women.

“Apologies for not arriving sooner miss, are you both ok?” I ask, trying to keep a calm and neutral tone.

“I-I’m ok now, I’m not injured but I think that one stabbed Marissa in the side.” One of the women says while shaking and pointing at goon 1.

I notice I am also shaking; first fight adrenaline rush I think.

“Excuse me, Marissa is it? Are you injured? Can I assist you in any way?”

“Fucker stabbed me in the hip, it isn’t deep I think, he was trying to cut my underwear off and slipped.”

I go cold.

There are lines you never expect to see crossed, things you hear about but don’t quite comprehend at the time.

“I have healing tinker-tech if you would like me to heal the wound, or I can take one of these scumbags’ shirts and pack it for you if you want to keep it as evidence for the police to press charges.”

“Pigs don’t successfully prosecute empire in this part of town white hat. Thank you for helping but I’ll take the healing if it’s still on offer and wait with you for the police to arrive. It’ll stop you getting in trouble at least.”

Right, I need to call the police and the PRT. Firstly, the healing. “Do I have permission to heal you?”

She nods hesitantly.

“Please pull up your shirt to just above or below the wound, whichever you are most comfortable with. I don’t need to see anything but the skin directly above or below the wound, I can inject this into your arm if you prefer, it will still heal you but will be more effective and quicker the closer to the wound.”

She pulls her shirt up, and there is a roughly 2-inch stab wound which is leaking blood. It looks nasty.

I quickly discharge one of my stimpaks into the skin just above the wound, and the bleeding immediately slows off, and the wound starts to shrink.

She looks at me in astonishment.

“I just need to call the authorities now, please stick around and shout me if any of these 3 move a muscle.” “EFA, monitor the men on the ground for movement please.” “Got it.”

I dial 911 first. However, before I initiate the call, I come to a startling realisation.

I don’t have a cape name.

“EFA.”

“Yes Mr Hale?”

“I don’t have a cape name.”

“You do, you just don’t know you do.”

“I’m confused.”

“You decided your cape name before you even had powers.”

“I did?”

“Your cape name is Archon.”

The name resonates within me.

“Archon?”

“Archons are Rulers, justice bringers and magistrates. In ancient gnostic religions the Archons are the builders of the physical universe. Guardians of the souls within the physical realm. Archons are the hunters of the corrupt, those abusers of power who hide behind laws and means. And those who abuse power.”

“I don’t say this enough to anyone really EFA but thank you.”

“Always, Sir.”

Heh, “Sir”. I like it.

I initiate the call.

“911, what’s the nature of your emergency?”

“This is independent Hero Archon. I have just prevented an assault in progress at the alleyway just off the intersection of Heald Avenue, and Brine Street in the Downtown coast area I have two victims on the scene, one of whom I have healed from a serious stab wound to the abdomen and I need pickup for the three assailants.”

“Ok sir thank you for your call I have dispatched two units to your location, does anyone need medical assistance?”

“The victims are both fine, however the assailants may need checking over, I tazed two of them and had to physically remove the third from attempting rape by body slamming him at high speed.”

“I will despatch medical support as well, have you contacted the PRT, or would you like us to do so?”

“I don’t mind you doing so if that’s ok Operator, my priority is the victims and then getting the three assailants into custody.”

“Noted sir, I will put a general query out to the PRT and the units on site will let you know if you need to wait for contact.”

“Thanks, Archon out.”

I hang up the call.

“The police are on their way and likely someone from the Protectorate or PRT.”

Marissa nods at me.

“Thank you for interfering, I don’t want to know how this ended without you.”

“Don’t mention it, it’s why I have this costume.”

The wait is shockingly short.

The first squad car arrives 10 minutes later with the second not far behind. Two officers approach me calmly.

“Archon, is it?”

“Yes officer.”

“Dispatch said you prevented an assault?”

“Yes officer, these two women here were in the process of being accosted by the three men on the floor here. That one there,” I point to goon 1 “Was in the process of attempting to sexually assault this woman next to me.”

The officer looks at Marissa and she nods back at him tearfully.

“Ok Archon, thank you for your statement, the PRT will take any additional information as needed when their representative arrives. I believe Assault is on his way if you could wait for him he won't be too long.”

“Ok no problem officer, what will happen to these 3 scumbags and the two women?”

“These three will be going to lockup to be checked over and charged, an ambulance is on the way to check on the two victims once we have taken their statements.”

“Ok thanks Officer, I will move to the alley entrance and wait for Assault.”

He nods.

As I move to walk away, the other, uninjured woman grabs my arm.

“My name is Nikki. Thank you for saving us and for preventing this from being the worst day of our lives.”

I nod.

“Stay well Nikki, Marissa, hopefully these three get what they deserve.”

Marissa scoffs.

“Nazis never pay in this town, but hopefully you tazing those two will make them think twice next time.”

The casual nonchalance to the assumption that justice will fail is standard in this town.

And I hate it.

I move to the entrance of the Alleyway as the final squad car and ambulance arrive. I quickly sweep the alley with my matter manipulator to retrieve my dirt. I’ll be keeping that sandbag tactic for future.

The bullets drop to the floor, and I motion the nearby officer to them, he pops a thumbs up and goes to bag them up.

Assault doesn’t take long to arrive.

He looks me up and down and whistles.

“First time out?”

I grin and nod.

“Tinker?”

I shrug and shake my hand in a “so-so” motion.

“Damn if I couldn’t tell that armour isn’t powered, I’d be worried about Armsmaster declaring you his eternal rival!”

The image of Armsmaster with a bowl cut wearing a skin-tight forest green spandex suit and shouting about youth nearly makes me laugh out loud.

“Hah,” I compose myself for a reply “I’m not looking to be anyone’s rival. Especially not a hero.”

He smiles encouragingly at me.

“That’s exactly what we like to hear! I don’t want to waste your time or my own, so in your own words could you give me a statement of what happened, as a note for future interactions, we cross reference these when we liaise with BBPD in case they need them to make a case.”

I explain quickly and succinctly exactly what happened in the fight.

“Just to clarify for the statement, you acted to prevent the assault on the young woman on the floor by physically removing the assailant, and it was them who escalated to lethal measures before you used any form of tinker tech weaponry on them?” 

“Yes, I’m extremely wary about escalation levels in fights, I’ve been training for and contemplating my first patrol for a long time, I didn’t even intend to come out and fight tonight, I was just test running my gear when I heard the altercation and had to intervene.”

He smiles disarmingly at me again.

“As far as I can see in this situation you did exactly what you needed to. The body tackle at the beginning without a verbal warning may be seen as brutal by policing standards, and under current PRT and Protectorate policy I should be giving you a ‘light verbal warning’ about making sure to announce yourself and attempt verbal disarmament of a situation before escalating to physical confrontation blah blah yawn, but I'm not going to. You did a fine job for your first time out and even with how long I’ve been in the game I can’t honestly say I wouldn’t be tempted to do the same. Just please keep it in mind for future.”

My smile drops involuntarily, and I think he notices.

“Thank you Assault for your reassurance. Am I free to leave now?”

His shoulders drop, I think he realises he’s just said the wrong thing to me.

“Would you be willing to come and register with the PRT? Maybe do some power testing?”

I perk up, this is a good chance for me to go register and gauge interest and viability of selling to the protectorate and PRT.

“I’m willing to come and register myself as an independent hero. I may showcase some of my tech. I’m not just a tinker so I will contemplate power testing, but I'm making no promises. Letting someone make a list of your weaknesses sounds like a recipe for disaster.”

He looks to the side and smiles wistfully.

“I understand,” he says, and hands me a plastic card “This is my cape number, the main switchboard number, and my email address. I don’t just hand these out to everybody, so I’d appreciate if you kept my number and email to yourself. Call the main switchboard when you want to book a registration meeting and an induction to the various types of affiliation available. If you need any advice or help as an independent, then please contact me by email or text before ringing.”

Fanon is right about this guy. For an ex-villain he’s a pretty cool dude.

“Thanks Assault, I really appreciate it.”

“No problem, always available to look out for new heroes in the bay. We don’t get enough of them.”

He waves and then walks back to a nearby PRT van.

“Later Archon.”

“Later Assault.”

Time to return home.

I make my way back to the service door I used earlier. And step into my workshop.

As soon as I close the door behind me, the forge takes a sledgehammer to my head.

Forge expansion deferred while in an active situation. 200 cp gained: 300 cp available.

I stumble back to my feet. If you are going to defer a roll because I'm entertaining you. Can you not torture me with the deferred roll please Mr Forge?

Quality Resources – Success!

Resource Management – Empire from the Ashes

200 cp remain, re-rolling!

Quality Design – Failed!

Crafting Magitech – Success!

Doll Maker of Bucharesti - Touhou

 

Well then.

This was an incredible set of rolls.

Both of these perks synergize with each other, and with almost every other perk I have.

Resource management is extremely powerful. It allows me to adapt low level tech to interface with high-level tech without issue, it allows me to make repairs extremely cheaply, stretching limited resources as far as they can possibly go and beyond. It allows me to absolutely maximise my resource usage when crafting. It only works at full efficiency for people and tech related matters, but it will also work at lesser efficiency on magical and other esoteric resources, including mana.

Doll Maker on the other hand is obscenely powerful if leveraged correctly.

At a base level it gives me a vast and instinctive understanding or math and science. Additionally, while it doesn’t give me the ability to “show my working out to the teacher” it grants me an instinctive understanding of these disciplines that massively boosts my knowledge of technology and engineering. The speciality of this perk is the ability to handle, repair, modify and reverse engineer technology that I didn’t make or even completely foreign devices. Even if I have no background in them. It also gives me a connection between my tech knowledge and magic and allows me to eventually create Magitech after I have a chance to experiment.

I won’t be able to utilise the magic side of this tech until I gain the ability to use magic, but the ability is there and waiting.

On that note, time to go to bed, I have a busy day of creating and planning tomorrow.

 

Notes:

Perks Gained this chapter

Assistants – Companion Bracelet 0cp – 100cp of upgrades. -
A bracelet housing an evolving AI; although Alliance policy is to hand them out to people only after they've gotten their class at level 10, an exception was made for you to get it a bit earlier. Although called a bracelet, there are different forms for different races. Slime people might be injected with a nanite swarm programmed with the same effect, for example. Once you have equipped the bracelet, the AI will adapt itself to gain an ideal personality fitting your own. The AI of a loner might become their perfect friend, that of a rich girl always left alone might become a butler caring for her, and someone living a loveless life might find that their companion AI has all the qualities they'd want in their girlfriend.No matter how your companion AI will end up, they will always end up in your best interest. As they have a photographic memory and see the world through your senses, they can highlight important objects or places you might have missed, jog your memory if you forget something important, or browse through the internet to find information a million times faster than somebody with a human brain would.There are also various upgrades that can add to the functionality of the companion bracelet, such as identifying software allowing your companion AI to scan the Aura of creatures or objects to determine their ability, level, and other information, or even an upgrade to allow an instance of them to live in your brain and tap into your senses to control your body in dangerous situations, or just show the trajectories enemy projectiles will take so you can easily dodge them. For 50 CP each, you can apply one upgrade to your companion bracelet, with no limit on how many you can purchase. 0cp cost, 50cp per upgrade

Knowledge Mundane – Chemist 100cp – Fallout 4
Groovy! Knowledge of chemistry has given you the ability to recite the entire periodic table, as well as knowledge of many exciting compounds such as dipotassium phosphate! Oh, and you can also make less exciting things like Stimpacks and Psycho, but why would you do that?

Quality Resources – Resource Management 100 cp – Empire from the Ashes,
What can I say? You're an expert at logistics. You know how to extract the maximum possible use out of even the absolute least resources. A ragtag group of counter-mutineers managed to not only survive, but actually attack and make inroads into damaging an almost unimaginably better armed, equipped and numerous group. Just like them, you too can make virtually endless repairs, adapt low level-tech to interface with higher level tech, and in general stretch the usage of those resources far beyond what even the shrewdest economist could ever manage. Mind you, this is for people and tech most of all. While it will work on other resources, even magical, esoteric ones like mana and whatnot, don't expect remotely the same efficiency for them.

Crafting Magitech – Dollmaker of Bucharesti 200cp – Touhou
Being an undisputable genius in terms of mathematics and science in a realm ruled by magic tends to undermine just how impressive it is. Your ability with technology and engineering is so great that you are able to adapt to handling, repairing, modifying and even reverse-engineering completely foreign devices you have little to no background on. Your connection with both practical technologies along with magic allows for you to eventually unlock the secrets to creating magitech if given enough time to experiment.

50 Personal Reality CP gained – Personal Reality rolling 150 CP

Success! Pipes Pipes Pipes! 100 PR CP spent! - Purchasing this provides your Warehouse with enough plumbing fixtures to turn the entire volume of your Personal Reality into one massive pool... or anything below that. This provides clean running water with any reasonably common additives you like (chlorine, glacial milk, fluoride), but does not provide a limitless supply, nor does it heat the water. By default, the amount of water this system can produce per day is 1 billion liters or one megaton of water or a block of water 100 meters on a side, and the default temperature of this water is 25 degrees Celsius. It can support any civilian infrastructure on the same scale as Mexico City or Tokyo. Comes only with the basic hookups. You’ll need a plumber to do the actual piping. We hear Mario’s very good. Bathrooms not included. Purchasing this supplies all facilities inside your Personal Reality with water feeds, and if you’ve Got the Powa, it will supply hot and cold running water as well.

Chapter 5: Interlude: Assault

Interlude – Assault

 

Meeting new parahumans was always interesting.

You never quite knew what you were getting in to.

Even someone self-identifying as a hero could be anything but. Heroism and Villainy were often points of view. The people of the United States both worship and disdain a black and white morality system. A careful balance of PR and proactive action is how the Protectorate keeps its position perched precariously at the top of the food chain.

It’s why he had spent such a large portion of his life breaking Birdcage transports.

He was the clown of the Protectorate ENE, but he liked to be the one to meet new parahumans more than anyone. Spending so much of his life as a villain only to change sides to avoid his own trip to the inescapable had made him incapable of seeing only black and white.

He liked to take the measure of a new parahuman. Even better if on their first time out. Having seen heroes and villains of all alignments, he believed he had a good bead on which side of the line a cape truly lay.

Archon is interesting. Too interesting.

As he sits down in the briefing room ready to give a verbal report on the bays latest independent cape, he muses on his meeting with the bays latest tinker.

His “boss” finally enters and sits down. It’s just him, Militia and Armsmaster for this one. And the boss.

Emily Piggot.

“Assault, you submitted an AAR that you performed a combined statement and debrief with a new ‘heroic’ cape, report.”

Not one for beating about bush is our fearless leader. But she has no patience for my jokes.

“He’s not right.”

She cocks an eyebrow at me as Armsmaster leans back in his chair.

“Explain,” she says sternly, taking a sip of her drink.

“He’s a study in contrasts. And he makes no sense in context to other first timers I’ve met and yet he definitely isn’t a veteran.”

“What makes you think that?” Militia interjects.

“His armour was imposing, and yet he didn’t have full coverage and he definitely could, the attachment points were visible. It looked extremely well made and was imposing enough to make me defensive on first look, and yet in his statement he noted multiple times that he dodged or blocked the damn near smallest of small arms fire. His strategy going in was poor but his tactical adaptation to the evolving situation was damn near perfect. He acted like a newbie and like an experienced cape.”

Armsmaster sits up straight and interjects.

“He might not have been confident in the protection of his tech? You said he said he was out testing his gear not expecting to get into a fight, maybe there was a missing element?”

I think about this quickly and retort.

“I thought about that, but trust me Armsmaster, I wish I had a camera with me so you could have seen the sheer quality of this armour. It looked like it could take a tank shot. I’m no tinker but I’ve worked with you long enough to pick some things up. He definitely acted like a new cape, but his tinker gear is the highest quality I have ever seen from a new cape. This isn’t even mentioning his ability to manipulate the battlefield, nor his ‘tesla glove’ that he used to perfectly take down two of Hookwolf’s enforcers without significant injury. I looked into these guys. They aren’t run-of-the-mill empire mooks. They are directly connected with the wolf.”

Armsmaster nods

“You mentioned in the report that his armour is unpowered, did he imply it could be powered in future?”

“He definitely skirted the subject, he said he regretted not coming out in the full suit while he was debriefing after I mentioned the connection points to him. I compared him to you without the powered armour and he played coy.”

Piggot interrupts me from continuing this discussion.

“I notice from your report you didn’t try for recruitment?” It sounds like a statement. But when it barks like a dog but looks like a lion, you learn quickly to understand the deeper context.

“No. I didn’t. He wouldn’t be interested right there. He was insulted by the very idea that he would care more about how his actions looked to the PRT and the cops than how effective they were in the field. He’s going to be a very soft sell if ever. I pushed registration and possible power testing and gave him my cape number and email to give him a support structure. I’ve laid the foundations for future collaboration which could lead to recruitment.”

“Do you not think a harder push could have borne fruit?”

“Absolutely not, if there’s one thing I know, it’s recruitment. He said himself that he wasn’t planning on going out for weeks and that he had ‘been preparing and planning his first patrol for a long time’. He was in a very quiet area for equipment testing and came across a situation he refused to let progress. This is a slow, methodical man who wants every situation to be perfectly in his favour before he moves. But won’t hesitate to move if the situation evolves to one he isn’t happy with. He’s a puzzle.”

Piggot grimaces.

“The last thing we need is more puzzles in the bay. But I’ll defer to your recommendation. For now.”

She leans back and looks out of the window over the city.

“Any preliminary power ratings?”

I think about it for a second. Preliminary ratings are the domain of the first responder and it’s important I get them semi accurate in case he ends up a villain.

“It’s difficult to rate him without seeing him fight. But off a quick look at his gear and his statement. Tinker 2 for the armour and weapons. Shaker 2 for the battlefield manipulation. He implied there’s more to it but unless we can get power testing done, I can’t go any further than ‘can raise walls of dirt slowly and dismiss them, using them to block bullets.’ Then we have Mover 2 or Thinker 2 for the bullet dodging. He’s either a combat precog or a mover. His armour isn’t powered, so neither is a tinker effect. One of those guys is a sport shooter, if he’s missing a human size target at that range, its power related.”

Militia speaks up again.

“That’s a decent spread for a new cape, grab bag?”

“He said ‘may showcase some of my tech. I’m not just a tinker so I will contemplate power testing, but I'm making no promises.’ So, while he may or may not be a grab bag, he definitely has non-tinker powers.

After some more meaningless analysis, Piggot finally closes the meeting.

I wonder if puppy is back yet.

Notes:

Readers, please let me know how my characterisation was. These interludes are writing practice for me as I struggle hugely to get into a characters voice. So let me know your thoughts!

Chapter 6: Arc 2 - Existence, Chapter 1

Summary:

Thomas Hale has learned to do more than just subsist as an illegal interdimensional immigrant and a homeless dumpster diver. He has delved into the shallowest pools of the celestial forge and made mistakes along the way. However, he has identified limited ways to leverage the few perks he has gained, and powerful new perk rolls at the end of the Arc have given him inspiration to move on to greater crafts. He has jobs available; he has a market for his “artwork”, and he has contacts waiting to be made. The shadow of Coil is ever present, and he no longer has the advantage of being unknown that allowed him to avoid Coils gaze. Brushes of contact with the Merchants, a possible connection to Coil through work, and a heroic intervention followed by a mostly positive yet slightly soured interaction with Assault leave him in a position to start to make real inroads with the Protectorate and the PRT.
Many plot threads abound however, and the newly christened Archon will need all of his wits as he moves from just Subsistence, to Existence.

Notes:

This was a monster chapter to write. I rewrote it 5 times in the end, and the final chapter doesnt resemble the first draft even remotely. I considered splitting in to two chapters but there was no good transition point that didn't break the flow. I will try to keep to around 4k in future.

A few plot points will start to resolve now, and the story will transition into a few chapters with a bit more action, and a bit more active tinkering. One of the perks gained this chapter really changed the flow of the next 3 chapters for the better and it was a lot more difficult for me to adapt my outline to fit than i thought!

Arc 2 – Existence

 

Arc 2 - Chapter 1

 

Sunday 20^th November 2010

I wake up and perform my morning routine on autopilot. Wash, brush, relieve myself in the apartment bathroom and then straight back into the forge dimension. Come to think of it, I have water in the forge now. Hopefully, I will get some facilities in there soon.

Entering the foyer of the Workshop, I push myself with an intense and lengthy workout lifting shaped blocks of raw materials, before following it up with a good bloodletting and stimpak creation session. Four more shiny new stimpaks to go with the two I have left. One of them used immediately to complete my workout.

The key word for this coming fortnight is “Momentum”.

I’m not sure when the Nine attack Mouse Protector, from the top of my head, the community believed it was between the Bakuda incident and Leviathan. Not much earlier. This means the first major point I will be interfering in is Taylor’s trigger. I’ve pre-committed to this, but Queen Administrator is a major part of Ziz’ overall plan to reset the cycle, I believe. My knowledge of Worm is unfortunately tainted by years of fanon.

The QA situation troubles me.

I know Ziz is incapable of looking into my dimension. This means every time I enter and leave, I introduce chaff to her precognition. She can’t grasp my future properly if I keep dropping out of her future.

This is supposition, but it feels correct. Deep inside, that strange forge granted instinct that allows me to just know how my power works.

I get the feeling that preventing the locker incident won’t be enough to prevent Taylor, or possibly Danny as a backup from triggering for as long as I lack the ability to block Ziz in the long term.

I will need to keep escalating my production and deal with things as they come.

 

I need resources. My workshop is refilled with a good chunk of the basics, resource management stretches them immensely for me, and I still have a decent chunk of resources left from my last day long foray into gathering. And the scrapping and recycling parts of my now defunct armour. But I need access to a few rarer alloys and compounds that the forge tells me are possible. Because I have plans. Big plans.

I have a rough design for a slimline powered armour focused on using lots of tiny actuators stewing in my head as a complete replacement to the current solid armour, a major upgrade to the tesla system inspired by the knowledge gained from Dollmaker, a new nanofiber bodysuit with much improved defensive capabilities from the synergy between Dollmaker and Backyard Handywork, and an anti-brute blade. I also have testing to do on Magic Cooking pot. I want to try making liquid ration packs I can hot swap in my armour with a feeding straw to gain the buffs I need at variable timescales based on intake.

When the forge wants to inspire you. It goes all out to inspire you.

So, I am going to have to make some tools. I needed to do this anyway, but sourcing, or building a CNC mill, a few 3d printers, a nanoscale loom and a laser cutter are requirements for me to finish this project in any reasonable length of time. I can make what I need without these things, but backyard handywork’s time penalty will be immense for this project. It will be much quicker to use handywork to make the tools and machines I need and then use those machines with handywork to finish the job. Even if I account for the toolmaking time.

Plus, like hell I am making hundreds of actuators and connectors manually by hand. Weaponised laziness is the key to human progress.

I’m going to book my meeting with the PRT today for as soon as possible. I want to start selling various “mundane” goods in my cape identity and I need to check the legality with them. I also need to resolve my powers with them and my registration.

I can take the opportunity to activate a few doors in the downtown area while I am there.

I pull out my phone and ask EFA to dial the switchboard number that Assault gave me.

 

The phone rings a few times and then I hear a woman’s voice answer.

“Hello, PRT ENE. How can I direct your call?”

“Hi, Archon here, I was given this number by Assault yesterday in regard to booking a registration and induction session?”

“Ok Archon, I can definitely help you with that. When are you free for your meeting, and would you prefer to do this with or without Assault himself present?”

Wait, that’s a choice?

“I wasn’t aware there was a choice in the matter?”

“Oh of course Sir, had you called spontaneously then you would have been assigned whichever member of the protectorate was on duty that day, however due to you being approached for registration by Assault, we can allow you to continue with the same parahuman as your induction partner. Please note that either choice is fine.”

Hmm, do I want Assault to help register me? The connection to Battery and therefore Cauldron could be useful or problematic or even both if I build a positive relationship with him, and there is an advantage on having a familiar face there. In all honesty though, I don’t really care either way.

“I actually don’t mind either way miss, feel free to put me with Assault or not. I will be comfortable either way. I’m free for a meeting any time from this afternoon onward, although I assumed being Sunday you wouldn’t have people available.”

“That’s fine sir, we have 7-day coverage, it makes things easier with second identities and jobs and all. You might not be able to meet some of the higher-ups depending on who is on rotation, but we should be able to cover you this afternoon. Does 1pm work for you?”

“I’ll be there, should I arrive in costume or just a basic mask?”

“Whatever you are most comfortable with sir, we know the basic look of your gear and will be prepared either way.”

“I have some things to bring for possible tinker testing, is this acceptable for this meeting?”

“Yes that’s fine as it would come under any power testing you agree to.”

“Thank you for your time.”

“You’re welcome, thank you for calling PRT ENE!”

Hanging up the call prompts the forge to vibrate my eyeballs.

Vehicles – Failed!

Time – Failed!

Toolkit Mundane – Success!

Deep Pockets – Endless Pantheon

…I swear the forge keeps trying to make a lite version of every parahuman in the bay.

First, I get Dauntless lite. A perk I still haven’t leveraged properly with my lack of combat.

The Fallout Chemist perk gives me Bakuda-lite, okay she’s technically not in the bay yet, but still! Once I finally get round to exploring the grenades, definitely Bakuda-lite.

Now I get Circus lite.

Jokes aside this is one of those understated yet amazing perks.

It lets me use a small portal to my forge dimension in the form of a small bag. The portal is small, roughly about the width of a 2l bottle of water. It can be used to pull anything out of or return anything to the dimension that “an ordinary man could lift with one hand”. I can pull out and return my manipulator, the tesla glove, any weapons that are light enough to be carried one handed. But not my armour. The mask just about fits. The best part is that the portal is enchanted to be completely undetectable.

That’s right. Archon just got himself the ultimate stealth bag of holding baby.

I no longer need to secret away my magic food throughout my armour. And my Fallout 4 consumables just got a lot more widescale.

It’s eight in the morning, I have to be with the PRT at 1pm. I need to engage in a bit of misdirection with the apartment to show that I still live here, so I’ll leave the forge via the door at home, leave the apartment on foot. And get the bus down to downtown. I’ll get off on the edge of docks at the very end of the boardwalk and chain some door openings all the way down to PRT HQ on foot. When I get closer, I’ll utilise a maintenance cupboard or public toilet to go grab my gear and then step one door back to obfuscate my position.

Plan set, it will take me roughly two hours to implement leaving time for delays, I’ll give myself three to make sure. That leaves two hours to decide what to bring with me and do some mundane crafts to show off my gear.

For physical gear I decide to go with a tactical chest and abdomen armour and open helmet and a high-quality stun baton, the baton is enchanted with Weapon Absorption and uses a modified version of my tesla stun system, with a more slimline solid-state battery which I include the plans for. They can be recharged slowly from mains power, or if paired with the chest plate and an interface rig, they can charge on the go from movement.

I want to really push the idea of me selling them custom gear for the PRT squads. I know Piggot is a parahuman hater, but she has reason to think like she does. I want to show her that not every parahuman has zero care for the unpowered.

For consumables, I go with the Stimpak/Med-X and Rad-X trifecta, along with some Radaway. Luckily, I already had the uranium glass I needed to make the Rad-X. I had picked some up in my early collecting binge. I would definitely need to track down a hobby shop as I was all out now.

I also throw in three Endangerol Syringes, three Lock Joint syringes and three Pax syringes. I plan to implement an inline syringer to my armour eventually, but they can technically still just be used as regular syringes.

Endangerol reduces a targets defensive brute rating by roughly 25% for 2 minutes, Lock Joint paralyses the target for ten seconds and Pax forces the target out of anger, rage or anything else causing violence for thirty seconds. I think they will be very interested in these.

I decide to stay away from grenades for now. I wanted to make a ‘refreshing beverage’, but I don’t have the ingredients for one antibiotic, let alone the three required for that particular craft. Plus, I am not messing about with hydrofluoric acid without proper protective equipment.

All in all, I think this is a good show of what I was capable of when I met Assault. It doesn’t cover anything really from the perks I have gained since, there’s nothing wild in here, the personal gear isn’t even tinker-tech really if you discount the weapon enchantment, or the self-repairing nature of it. I probably won't show everything, but making it all will at least let me make decisions.

Power wise, I’ve decided to go with a modified, stripped down version of the truth. Everything I tell them will be the truth, and I’ll be honest when I tell them I am intentionally not telling them everything. I’m going to pass myself off as a tinker/shaker hybrid with a wide tinker speciality of “personal combat equipment and enhancers”. This will explain away the consumables and the combat gear alike. I will explain my shaker power as the ability to imbue any weaponry with a self-improvement field. And additionally make armour with a self-repair field as long as I was the one to create it.

I also won’t be able to make the armour away from my specific blacksmith workshop, but I can pass that off as an effect I have to imbue into my tools over time.

If it turns into an issue, I’ll burn the bridge as I get to it.

I definitely will not be mentioning the portal. Nor any of my special perks that improve my crafting.

Time to make a trip downtown.

 

---

 

Leaving was uneventful as always, though my paranoia is spiked in this area since meeting Adam. Dave’s sat on his ratty outdoor couch with his posse of friends as usual and he lets on with a nod. I decide to be neighbourly.

“Dave, I'm off down the boardwalk to pick up some food and mooch about, do you want anything while I'm out? I won’t be back till tonight though,” I yell over.

“Nah T I’m all good, thanks for asking though, you’re a good lad.”

Dave relationship watered, time to catch a bus.

There’s a joke somewhere about a tinker taking the bus I think but I can’t think of it right now.

Jumping off the bus at the dock end of the boardwalk, I walk my way towards downtown. It’s just approaching 12, even at almost noon, No-one sane hangs around without purpose at this side of the docks.

The forge starts to move.

Skills Alchemy – Failed!

Crafting Magitech – Failed!

Knowledge Intelligence – Failed!

I’m glad this happened now. I need my A-Game for the PRT.

 

As I make my way down the boardwalk, I decide to check in with EFA on our current projects.

“EFA, how goes progress on our outstanding projects?”

“Sir all current projects are progressing as requested. Status report as follows. Last Slaughterhouse Nine sighting – Torrey, Utah, 35 dead, 6^th November 2010, Mouse Protector remains active in the state of Illinois. Rare sightings in Chicago, however, high volume of action suggests a primary patrol area of Springfield, Illinois to Decatur, Illinois. Hacking and Software development ability continues to grow. I believe I would be capable of breaking into a standard residential local network now. And I can develop and repair basic software. I will be taking certification shortly for a ‘Basic level’ certificate in Software development and Hardware/Software Security.”

“Thanks for the update EFA, please update me as a priority if any major changes occur in these monitoring jobs.”

“No problem sir, I will continue as I am. May I make a personal suggestion?”

“Always EFA, you never need to ask.”

“I have added a personal job to the agenda. I am tracking opinion and sightings of you across PHO and various other social media. May I continue to do so and present reports to you?”

“I should have thought of this myself to be honest EFA, as long as it doesn’t interfere with your own personal development and free time, or take time away from the primary objectives, then please feel free to add any task you wish to the list.

“Thank you, Sir.”

I spot a sunken door in the rear of a nearby fast-food place. I hop over and open it with my key and immediately shut it again. Finally, a decent deployment spot on the boardwalk.

I continue to walk down the boardwalk until it’s time to turn off towards downtown, the PRT HQ is not far from Arcadia, and is signposted everywhere. Turning off down the main boulevard towards Downtown I sigh at the walk ahead of me. As far as I know, PRT HQ is on this road, but further into town. I hope.

As I walk downtown, I take advantage of alleyways, side roads and public facilities to add a few more doors to my access key. Finally, after a few aborted attempts to veer off my path, worried that I had the wrong road, the PRT HQ is in sight and it’s time to get changed.

I quickly jump through a maintenance access door in the side of a bus station, and I am back in my workshop.

I gear up in what I'm calling my “PR” gear. Open faced helmet, torso armour, my now padded gauntlets, steel integrated domino mask for eyes and nose. Mixed cloth weave body suit and my special flex weave neck protector. I put my tesla glove on my right hand, but I leave the manipulator ready to be called if needed. If I need to destabilise the integrity of the PRT building, then something has gone very wrong. I sheathe my Baton and, with a quick look at the knife, make a final decision. “Sorry knife, you served me well, but you aren’t really the aesthetic I am going for.” I absorb the knife into the baton with its small amount of experience. The baton shines for a second and then goes inert again. It feels heavier in my hand, heftier, with more existential weight.

Finally, I bag up my bag of goodies, check my seams and connections.

Time to go.

I look at myself in my only mirror. I look ready. I look professional.

I don’t think I’ve ever been so nervous.

I step back out into an alleyway a little while back from where I was.

All eyes will be on me once I step out onto the main drag. Lunchtime is just beginning for most offices. Nowhere to hide.

I’ve always hated crowds.

 

---

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

Stepping out onto the main road is daunting. I don’t know how professional heroes enjoy this part of the job. Sure, I want the applause, the plaudits, and the fans, but I want them at a distance damnit!

However, when I get out there, and people start to notice me, to point and take pictures. I find myself in my element.

Some part of me deep inside craves this kind of acknowledgment, and I find myself adopting a huge grin as I walk towards the PRT building.

There aren’t massive crowds of people out as I feared, but there’s enough people that it's noticeable that I'm being watched. A few of the observing crowd watch me warily. However, most are excitedly chatting and taking pictures.

I make my way into the PRT building without being accosted. There’s a near permanent rotating group of cape enthusiasts outside, but they know better than to interrupt people from entering the building.

As I walk through the door, as if to punish me for my earlier hope, the forge moves.

 

Knowledge, Abilities and Skills – Failed!

Database Magical – Failed!

Quality Resources – Failed!

Another failure, at least I'm building up a nice pool. And I don’t have to contemplate a new perk as I meet with the PRT.

 

 

 

 

 

Entering the PRT building is nerve-wracking. I’ve been mentally building up to this meeting almost since I arrived here.

I thought there was going to be a big interview, that they would push and push for me to join up, all the while lecturing me about the importance of testing my tech with them and not deploying anything without permission.

I was wrong.

Instead, I was asked to deposit any weaponry or tinkertech I had on me into a fixed locker in an interim room. I was handed the key to the locker, and an itemised receipt for every object I placed in there, signed by two witnesses.

I was then led to a small grey room with a table and chairs and given a short interview by an older PRT agent called Agent Kunzler, a severe lady with steel grey hair and piercing blue eyes, about my intentions in the city as a parahuman. After informing her that I would be patrolling and acting as a hero and selling artwork and toys and such that I produced with my tinker/shaker power on the market. I was given a set of forms and disclaimers about my rights as a registered parahuman hero, which were roughly about the same as a citizen performing a citizen’s arrest. I was then strictly informed about the illegality of moving people to detention, I can detain in place but absolutely cannot legally move people without taking a kidnapping charge, apparently the single most common mistake new hero’s fall afoul of. And then finally my ability to loot from the gangs which basically boiled down to, don’t unless you have a very good accountant.

Next, I was given a whole other set of forms about my rights as a parahuman rogue. Simply put, I didn’t need to worry about selling restrictions. Art isn’t covered and nor are handmade goods. Mass tinkertech selling isn’t really a thing for normal tinkers due to maintenance requirements, normals who bought tinkertech typically also bought the time of the tinker as well or just flat out hired the tinker.

I had come into the meeting with worries about NEPEA-5 and having to sell my goods under the table. however I was told that I was misinformed. NEPEA-5 didn’t prevent individual parahumans from selling their goods in a seller to buyer relationship. It prevented parahumans from opening businesses that competed in markets that non parahuman businesses worked in. I could sell as an independent seller, even as a single man business as long as my taxes were paid. But if I bought on staff and attempted to upscale, the taxes incurred by the bill would ramp up rapidly. And the big no-no was tinker assisted mass production. I couldn’t make tinker machines to make goods or raw resources to sell. If I did start selling identical products en masse that competed against existing non parahuman product then I would be subject to investigation by WEDGDG for NEPEA 5 violations.

All in all, for an independent, the prospects actually weren’t all that bad.

However, next came the warnings.

“Archon, before you sign this registration paperwork and receive your induction pack I am required to provide you with a set of statistics about parahuman survival rates in this city. Please note the following. In the past five years of the thirty parahumans that we know of who have chosen to go, and stay independent, eleven have died. Nine have been inducted to the gangs. Five have been maimed into disability and no longer able to work. And One has disappeared entirely. Four parahumans who chose to stay independent are still independent in the city or beyond. I am required to give you this information and to inform you that it is the recommendation of the PRT that you join a legal group of like-minded parahumans as soon as you are able. This does not have to be the Protectorate although of course we would love to have you. There is safety in numbers in this business, and solo entities do not last long.”

I sit and digest this for a minute. Thankfully, Agent Kunzler lets me take my time. She likely thinks I am worried about the numbers, but I’m not.

I’m astounded that they didn’t use those statistics to push for recruitment. And recommending that I join a group even if it isn’t them?

Who the hell even is this PRT? If this was supposed to make me more at ease, if anything, it has made me more suspicious. But I try to keep that to myself.

“Thank you for your recommendation and honesty about the numbers Agent Kunzler, it’s actually my intention to eventually form a team of my own as I agree with you about being alone in this business.”

“All we can do is give you the advice Archon, it’s up to you to decide how you implement it. Anyway, here are the forms for hero and rogue registration. Please read them carefully and sign where indicated when ready.”

I read through the forms quickly.

It’s standard legalese. It states that I have no right to introduce myself as a member of either the PRT or the Protectorate but that I am allowed to use my registration card as identification with local law enforcement who will be able to use this to check my record and use it to register complaints and commendations. These complaints and commendations will count for and against me when the PRT or Protectorate need to call for extra help. It informs me of my right to deny the deputization of either department and succinctly informs me of my rights while under deputization. A process that happens when I agree to attend a call to arms or a call for aid from the PRT or the Protectorate. Finally, it informs me of my benefits. A PRT registered number, No phone, just a sim card I can use on a device of my choosing, access to PRT observed tinker think tanks if I wish it, and access to limited PRT supply chains for non-restricted tinker supplies.

The last one I'm quite sure I will be taking advantage of.

The final page is a questionnaire on services I am interested in such as tinker review or power testing, which I quickly fill out.

The rogue form simply reiterates the information I was already given.

All in all, I’m quite happy that I decided to register.

I sign on the dotted line.

“Thank you for registering with us today, Archon, and I hope we can foster a good partnership.”

“Me too Agent Kunzler, thank you for your assistance.”

“It’s no problem, now if we return to the visitors room, Assault will be waiting for you for a chat before we proceed to the final subject of the day, power testing and tinker tech testing and sharing negotiations.”

As we step into the elevator, the forge churns.

Crafting Biotech – Success!

Cybernetics – GUNNM

My heart Is racing.

I’ve just had a database and technical knowledge on how to build cyborgs implanted into my head, but more importantly, I’ve learned how to make cybernetics. I’ve gained more instinctive knowledge of engineering to add on to the already astounding knowledge I gained from my other perks, and an incredible ability to program and repair existing cybernetics as well as understand their function. Even further, I can design custom designs and components in an hour that would take a dedicated team of researchers a month! It even gives me multiple forms of organic-inorganic connections! Synthetic Organs! Prosthetics!

And then I can combine it with SUPERHUMAN DESIRE so I can’t even fail to install them on myself!!

And I can’t even explore it as I'm in the middle of the bloody PRT building!

This is one perk I cannot wait to leverage!

 

 

The elevator trip is short, and before long we are back at the visitor’s locker room where I dropped off my gear.

Assault greets me with a warm smile.

“Hi Archon!” he says kindly. “I wanted to catch up with you before you sat down with Armsmaster and Maria, how are you doing since your first fight?”

“Pretty good thanks, Assault.” I return his grin “I couldn’t stop shaking afterwards, but I’m told that will pass in time.”

He shrugs “Depends on the person really, some people thrive in combat and eventually get used to it, I still get the shakes after a good fight, regardless.”

Huh, interesting

“It was nice to see you anyway! I will catch up with you at reception before you leave, see if I can’t get you some free merch!”

I struggle not to roll my eyes “Thanks Assault, I’ll be sure to catch up after this meeting.”

He smiles knowingly.

“Later Archon.”

I’m allowed to remove gear I want to showcase for possible sale from the locker. Each individual set of items is placed into a lockbox which is carried by a PRT agent. I decide I want to get back to my workshop quickly today, so I take just the baton, two stimpaks, two of the pax, and one of the two Med-X.

This time we are in the elevator for much longer. We are going down this time, however.

Armsmaster is waiting at the bottom.

“Sorry for the long ride, Archon,” he states flatly. “The elevator down to the test area runs through various scanners, looking for dangerous gear, and therefore moves slower.”

He walks with me towards a glass double door ahead.

“No problem Armsmaster, it’s to be expected.”

We enter the doors and are in a large concrete room with various tables and miscellaneous equipment dotted around.

“You indicated in the forms you submitted to Agent Kunzler that you aren’t interested in power testing currently, but that you have tinker tech you want to submit for testing to be enabled as a potential rogue vendor to the PRT and Protectorate?”

“Yes, I have a few things to showcase, an anti-personnel/anti brute non-lethal, multi-mode baton I am capable of mass producing with an extremely low maintenance requirement, and three sets of tinker injectables with a time limited production run, but extremely useful.”

His expression hasn’t changed one bit since I started talking. He replies flatly again.

“Please describe the nature of the three injectables, noting any downsides.” He places the four lockboxes on the table one by ones and enters a code to open them. He then places the baton, two stimpaks, Med-X syringe and pax syringes on the table.

I grab one of the stimpaks.

“This is a stimpak. It is a healing syringe that causes cellular regeneration towards genetic ideal in the patient injected, including repairing bones to correct position.” That gets his attention. He looks very interested now. “The downside is that the regeneration is relatively slow depending on the size of the injury. It will only heal wounds, not illnesses, diseases, poisons other than the damage caused by the poison, and has no effect on cancers. Side effects include a large diuretic effect, extreme hunger to replace what the body used to regenerate, and temporary blurred vision. Depending on the size of the wounds, given the healing effect has a flat time of effect, multiple stimpaks may need to be used. You cannot overdose on them, but the diuretic and energy effects will compound. Finally, one of the ingredients for the creation of the stimpak requires 100ml of fresh human blood, and as I’m not a psychopath, I can only currently use my own for the creation and therefore can only make around twelve a week.”

He hums.

“This is a very interesting item, Archon. I have to ask, are you aware of its value?”

“Yes, healer in a can for Endbringer fights alone is game-changing. Additionally, I use one of my stimpaks per day to help my blood regeneration and noticed it allows me to complete my weightlifting and callisthenics to a much higher efficiency as the stimpak will complete the rest portion of my routine instantly which has allowed me to improve my health leaps and bounds.”

If he looked interested before, now he is practically vibrating.

“Am I permitted to take custody of these two syringes to submit for testing. I require both verbal and signed permission.” He hands me a sheet of paper with a simple custody sheet.

I sign and verbally acknowledge.

I move on to the next syringe.

“This is Med X. And the best description I can give you of this is that it is brute in a can. For two minutes after taking this shot, the user is effectively bulletproof, even up to very high calibers, including some of the popular 7.62 rifle cartridges such as 7.62x51 or 7.62x54. It will also induce a hysteric strength enhancement on the user granting roughly 1.5x the strength of a weightlifting Olympian for the same time period to someone of average strength, with more or less depending on the base strength the user had upon using it. Downsides include a colossal diuretic effect that will induce dehydration within five minutes without the user replacing roughly two litres of fluid, it will also induce a breakdown in energy storage systems requiring the user to sleep a minimum of twelve hours starting the sleep period within six hours of injecting. Production requirements include three stimpaks, a middling strength acid, and water of specific purity.”

He nods at me. “The downsides are clear with this one, but possibly a potent emergency option for PRT soldiers and protectorate non brute parahumans in the field.”

I sign and verbally acknowledge custody again.

“Finally, in the chemical field, this is Pax. It is designed to be fired from a Dart gun. It is an extremely potent emotional tranquilizer. It completely pacifies the target and removes their ability to feel anger, rage, or any other violent emotion for 3 minutes. Downsides are that it can only be used once on a target in 72 hours.”

He hesitantly hands me the paperwork.

“Archon, I know you are quite new to this so please note, if you ever make a version of this that has a usage cooldown lower than its effect length, you will be subject to censure under the master effect prohibition.”

“Armsmaster, even if I was capable of doing that, which I assure you I’m not, I wouldn’t do it, nor use it. I despise masters.”

“Noted” he nods approvingly. I sign the paperwork.

The Celestial Forge decides now is a great time for interjection, as a field of planets overlays my vision, rapidly spinning toward my head.

Quality Design – Failed

Database Magical – Failed

Magical Small Scale – Failed

I am happy this one failed. I continue my presentation hopefully without giving away the distraction.

“Finally, this is my Tesla Baton mk2. It is a tri-mode taser baton. It can be reloaded with the battery interface in the handle or with a special interface which I didn’t bring today it can be integrated with the user’s armour to regenerate charge through movement. Mode one will hit like a standard taser on a hit. Mode 2 will hit roughly 5x harder and is for use on brutes. Mode 3 will discharge the entire battery and is used for ‘Potential loss of own life’ defence. It will hit up to 20x harder than a standard taser. The weapon is imbued with my shaker effect that allows it to grow in stability and endurance over time. Effectively, the weapon will be harder to break and will hit harder without the electricity effect as it is used in combat.”

“An intriguing effect and it speaks well of you that you aim for non-lethality first. Does the growth effect work for people other than you?”

“Yes, with a caveat that it won’t grow as fast, and the user cannot use my secondary effects like weapon merging.”

He nods

“Can the effect only be used on weapons you tinker, or can you imbue any weapon?”

“I can imbue any weapon.”

He seems excited.

“Would you be willing to add the effect to one of my spare halberds for my personal testing? As this is a personal request and not a PRT nor Protectorate request, I will authorise a personal payment of $5000 from my personal account.”

I consider.

“I will under an additional caveat that I am permitted to inspect the weapon after three, six and twelve months of usage.”

He nods approvingly.

“Agreed.”

We shake hands. And I sign my final paperwork of the day handing over custody of the baton.

Armsmaster walks me towards the elevator. Before we leave the lab, he takes me towards a locker, from which he pulls out a halberd.

“Are you able to add the effect today or will you need to take this with you?”

“I will add it now for you” I take the Halberd from him. It is heavy, and I can see multiple connection points and buttons. I close my eyes and concentrate. I feel the weapon fill with the power of Weapon Absorption.

“This is now imbued with the effect. Please let me know of any effects you notice, as I haven’t managed to hit a high level of advancement with my own gear yet.”

“I will, thank you” he reaches into his pocket and pulls out his wallet. He writes out a check for $5000.

“You will be able to process this at any Bank in the city for cash.”

I nod to him.

“Thanks, Armsmaster.”

He escorts me into the elevator silently.

“We will be in touch Archon. Thank you very much for attending today and for sharing some of your equipment with us. We will be in touch within 4 weeks with your results. Any destructive testing will result in your compensation at market value as negotiated at the end of the testing period. I expect the three consumable items you submitted will fall under this. In fact, I can almost guarantee it, so think about the value of the items while you wait for us to contact you.”

I step out of the elevator into reception, Assault is speaking to the receptionist.

“Hey Archon, I have to get to my patrol with Battery, so rain check on the gift shop. Just wanted to see you out and say thanks for coming.”

“No worries Assault, thank you for the invitation.”

“See you later Archon.”

“You too.”

I leave the PRT building to an intrigued crowd.

One of them yells over “Did you just join up Archon?”

I smile at the shouter

“No not today, just a registration.”

They blush bright red at the fact I actually replied and mumble a thank you.

I quickly move away from the building and back to the public facilities I used earlier. I utilise the same door to drop my gear back off at the workshop. I quickly change back into the clothes I was in earlier and then pop over to the door at the bus stop to quickly catch the bus home. I really want to check out my new cybernetic abilities.

The bus ride is mostly uneventful, a few dodgy characters have a fight close to home, but they leave the bus, and I don’t get dragged in.

I get home and Dave is loitering around the lobby of the apartments with some of his friends.

“Good day T?” he smirks at me.

“Yeah got some fast food and had a look around the city.”

“Intrestin.” he replies, “Enjoying the city?”

I chuckle

“Enjoy is a strong word, tolerate is closer to correct.”

He laughs, an ugly hoarse laugh

“Well, I can’t say I disagree, I’ve got some rent to collect upstairs so I will see you up to the 5th.”

“No worries!”

We make small talk as we move upstairs; he leaves me at the floor below mine and I make my way to my apartment.

I unlock my door and walk in, and there are two guys stood in the room.

I am grabbed from behind; a hand covers my mouth as a needle is pushed into my neck and the plunger depressed.

As my vision blurs, I am turned around to see Adam.

“You’ve been a very naughty boy telling lies and keeping things from us, Tommy boy.”

Notes:

Perks Gained this chapter.
Toolkit Mundane - Deep pockets 100CP - Endless Pantheon
A small bag filled with some absolute essential things; this is the sort of thing that can save your life. It's tiny, and enchanted so it can't be detected with any supernatural means. What it does is provide you with a tiny portal to your warehouse, big enough to draw out anything an ordinary man can lift with one hand.

Crafting Biotech – Cybernetics 300CP – GUNNM
You have a broad theoretical and practical knowledge of cybernetics and related engineering systems, and can recognize most systems with a glance. The most difficult repairs and programming come naturally to you, custom designs and components that would take an entire research team a month can be jotted down in an hour or so of casual work. The most common form of cyborg in the Scrapyard has an armoured braincase piloting a robotic body, but you're familiar with the organic-inorganic connection technology and can create partial cybernetics as well as organ replacements for those who do not wish to lose their bodies in effect, you are fully capable of the design, construction and application behind the Transhuman and Motorball cyborg perks.

Chapter 7: Act 2 - Chapter 2

Notes:

I'm not 100% happy with the end scenes so this may end up revised. If it does all rolls will be frozen regardless of wordcount increase. The ending scenes really fought me today.

Trivia of the day, the early scenes were the second scenes i wrote for the story. It was originally going to be a snippet of some kind.

Arc 2 - Chapter 2

 

Sunday 20^th November 2010

 

I’ve taken drugs never before

The only drug I ever take is alcohol, not often that.

I don’t like the idea of my mind losing control, it’s my biggest fear.

Gran Alzheimer’s died. Mind body autonomy sacrosanct.

Whatever Skidam uh, Admark? The fuckwit. He injected me with something.

I wish I say I blacked out that feels bad that would be worse, but I suddenly feel like I am riding a cloud and running away from an angry bull.

Skidwit is talking again.

“-ow he weren’t kidding, first timer for sure.”

The walls of my apartment seem really far away right now.

“Skid what the fuck did you inject him with?”

“Special cocktail, might get him talkin and preps him good for recruitment like the bitch.”

“Skid I aint thinkin your planning to do to this one what you did to Squeals are ya?”

“I don’t swing that way Dave mate. That’s your job,” he has a really ugly laugh.

He grabs me by the shoulder with his left.

And slaps me across the face. It should hurt but I don’t really feel like it.

I just feel really happy right now, like all my troubles are far away and I can just float off into the sky.

“Sir, you are dangerously close to an overdose right now and your heart rate is too fast, sir, sir!”

There's a voice in my head, sounds like a girl.

Hah my uncle was right I do think like a girl! He’s such a cunt though.

“I’ve called for help, Master Thomas, please please hold on.”

How nice, the lady in my head is worried about me.

My vision is clearing a little, Adam wafts something under my nose.

It really fucking stinks. Brain foggy but can hear now.

“Oi you pighumping shithoarder, did I say you could fuck off into la la land?”

“Whazya want?”

“I want whatever fuckin crazy teleportin/door openin gizmo you’ve been whipping around town, there's fuck all in your pockets you fuck so where have you hidden it?”

“Whazza mean?” Is my tongue supposed to be furry? I don’t think it is? Maybe I can make a tongue defurrer later? Blades near the tongue though doesn’t sound great. Maybe a laser. Or a controlled explosion.

“Listen you dense fuck, I want whatever my lads saw you use to open every fuckin other door from here to the fuckin boardwalk. I want whatever allowed you to move from one of those fucking rooms out of sight to another fucking room out of sight.”

He stops to sneer at me. His eyes behind his mask look wild.

"You’ve been walkin around without a fuckin care in the world usin that shit in front of my lads. Had some of em follow ya in one of Squeals motors. She makes em not seen if you catch my drift. The first lad who saw you fuck off after fucking about with a lock you can't have a key for coulda been wrong, but you seemed wrong to me from the start."

He starts to pace, before snapping towards me and forces out through gritted 'teeth'.

“Now you’ve got two fuckin choices the way I see it. You can show me where the fuck whatever it was you used is, or I can cut your balls off and then move on to fingers and toes til you do.”

I’m really itchy right now.

“Dude I have no fucking clue what you are talking about, I have a special way to open doors but its not something you can use.”

My head is clearing up more, I can feel my legs again. I am itching all over.

“Sir you need to get medical help immediately your heart is running at 180 bpm and rising!”

Eden? Eva? Edgar? No no EFA! That Welsh girl from the Isle of Man who took you home when you got lost. Her voice reminds you of safety. EFA sounds just like her.

I put my hands in my pockets and screw up my eyes. I can almost think normal like this.

“EFA?”

“Sir, I don’t know what he injected you with but it's wreaking havoc on your systems, you need medical assistance because your kidney function is dropping off, your heart rate is rapidly accelerating, and your metabolism is going wild. Your brain function dropped below levels capable of supporting me for a while, but whatever effect that thing he made you sniff is having on your metabolism is allowing you to burn it off your brain for now, but the clarity won't last forever!”

“EFA? I love you so much you know, looking after me all the time!”

“Sir, now is not the time. Get out of there however you can, another one of those and you die!”

Well, dying sounds bad. Scion might be disappointed if he doesn’t get to fight the last boss of the dungeon.

“How long was I out of it EFA?”

“You were delirious for about 45 minutes. Don’t worry, you didn’t say anything that made sense. I’m sorry to interrupt you but you have to pull some semblance of yourself together and get away!”

How many people are in here, anyway?

Heh 3 people plus me in my apartment. This isn’t a party size apartment you wankers.

The one with bad teeth is still chatting shit. Actually, they’ve all got bad teeth. The fucking almost cockney twat with bad teeth.

“The fuck you even mean ‘I can't use it?’ Are you calling me dumb you jumped up prick? I’m the smartest motherfucker you will meet in this fucking town. When I get my fucking door opening teleporter off you my merchants will grow to be the biggest fuckin gang in town! Are you listening to me you slimy Manc tosser? I want my fuckin tech!”

“I'm really sorry guys, I’m going to need to close the party early, my parents will be home soon.”

“What the fuck are you even on about. I won't ask you again you prick, I want my shit, a-?”

I open my portal in my pocket and use a Stimpak and a Med-X on myself where he can't see me.

Now I can think clearer, barely, the colours are still off. I feel my body start to tighten up, and my cheek starts to heal. The light is really pretty.

I wrap my hand around my baton handle. Ten charges.

What was his power again? Bounded fields, right? He could accelerate a field in a certain direction like a jumped-up Mario speed pad on crack.

Heh literally probably.

Brute in a can, Regenerating. Very, very pissed off.

“-nd I want it fucking now!” He goes for his pocket. I’m faster.

I free headbutt him in his smug fucking face. He literally flies back blood exploding from his nose. I pull out the baton. I switch it on.

Dave looks shocked “I searched your fucking pockets what the f-”

He doesn’t even get to finish before I fold him in half with the baton. I give him a charge for good measure. He drops twitching.

The unnamed goon goes for his pocket, but I’m already there. This isn’t a big apartment. I knee him in the chest, pick him up and crack his back across my knee. He screams and drops to the floor unconscious.

Adam is getting up; he’s gesturing a line in between us. He doesn’t go all the way to the wall though. Does he even know I know who he is? The merchants aren’t big enough to be famous at this point right? He probably thinks he can blindside me.

He can’t.

I run for my cupboard door, he probably thinks I'm trying to escape, so he runs over the field he just made. He accelerates at me at massive speed, but I already expected it.

I dodge barely and slam the baton into his back, how does the old nursery rhyme go? “One shock, two shock” I finish up with an un-zapped smack in the face. He doesn’t get back up. I check his pulse, not dead, but definitely unconscious.

No, it doesn’t, but it makes me feel better.

I can feel myself losing hold of myself again.

“Sir, your phone is in the gang members pocket.”

“Thanks, EFA.”

I grab my phone and check it, I have twenty missed calls

“EFA who the hell even has my number?”

There is a huge bang, followed by yelling from downstairs.

“I may have text Assault on your behalf when you weren’t thinking straight.”

I quickly tear off a big strip off Daves shirt and wrap it around my head and mouth.

The apartment door explodes. Assault and Battery charge in.

I’m happier than I thought I would be to see them. But I’m about out of energy and mental ability today.

“Archon?” Assault asks me cautiously “Is that you?”

“I managed to overpower them, they were sloppy, injected me, body not reacting well. Made me smell something in pocket clear brain. Take weapon,” I hand him my baton “Need hospital fast, not sure if keep mental clarity, take into protective until healed. Have permission Thank you for coming so nice, much someone cares. Skidder said something about like what they did to Squeals.”

They stare at each other in worry, then at me.

I don’t care much anymore as the world goes black as I run out of my last bit of energy.

 

---

 

 

Monday 21^st November, 2010

I wake up in a hospital bed. I feel a lot better than I expected to, I have an IV in which is pumping that sweet, sweet saline into me. Note to self, Med-X and stimpaks at the same time make you drier than the Sahara.

The Celestial Forge hits me twice. This time the churning spin of the planets accompanied by an incredibly sharp migraine.

Forge expansion deferred by combat situation

300 cp available

Rolling

Quality Safety – Failed

Crafting Metallurgy – Failed!

Toolkit Mundane – Success!

Omnitool + Scanner – Mass Effect Andromeda

100cp remain!

Re-rolling

Failed!

I now have a Mass Effect multi tool! Only a basic, out of the box, non-upgraded model. But with decent if low-range scanners, built in mass spec and fabrication of medi-gel, I can’t really go wrong! And it has so many more minor functions. It also acts as a communicator and a powerful computer mainframe, meaning I can switch my phone over to the PRT sim and use this as my primary communicator! Additionally, I got the full perk which means I also get the scanning system that I can link an AI to!

I have so many ideas of how to combine this with Cybernetics as well!.

I really need to get hold of some damn quality materials.

The door buzzes, and I quickly put my hand to my face.

My makeshift mask is gone but has been replaced with a domino mask and a black cotton scarf.

A dour-looking girl in a white and red robe walks in. I don’t recognise her, but I am quite sure I know who she is.

He looks at me and sees I am awake.

She looks rather cross.

“What the hell did you do to your body?”

I find myself confused.

“Do you mean the shit they injected me wi-”

She cuts me off.

“No I cleared that crap out of you in seconds. I mean the other stuff. You had remnants of an extremely wild compound in your body that I couldn’t even analyse with my power. PRT said you healed yourself with tinkertech, but whatever you put in there left you so dehydrated you almost died!”

She actually seems really mad

“It’s a small side effect of the healing compound, but it’s a bigger side effect of the injector that gives me a brute rating. I was surrounded by three of them implying they were going to slave me to drugs, so I took the expedient route to that not happening.”

Her expression softens.

“I understand, but if you ever need to take that step again, please have a way to stay hydrated. You’ve been asleep for twenty hours. You genuinely nearly died.”

“Trust me, injecting those things without the resources to fuel them is never the first plan!”

She looks at me disbelievingly, then turns to leave.

“I cleared up the internal damage from the drugs that your healing tech didn’t clear. I can't help with your brain so you will need to ride out the headaches.”

That’s what she thinks. As soon as I get out of this place, I am headed for the workshop to make some medi gel. I can't make addictol until I get an isolated fume hood, but I should be okay. After all, it was only one syringe.

“Thank you for healing me.”

She nods and leaves.

Assault enters straight after her. He looks at me and whistles.

“Let me tell you, my man, you look a hell of a lot better than last night.”

I snort.

“I feel a lot better, too. My head doesn’t feel like someone is feeding it to my ass.”

He laughs. And then shakes his head. He seems amused at my irreverence of the situation.

His expression sobers.

“You’ll be happy to know that Skidmark and the two with him are in custody. Skidmark with us and the other two with BBPD. You had a lucky escape. You don’t want to know what happened to the last para Skidmark tried this with.”

“So I gathered from him bragging about it,” I reply.

“Anyway, good thinking on the pre messaging me when you noticed you were being followed. But next time, please take a little more care of where you enter if you are already suspicious. Skidmark apparently rented your apartment to you via an intermediary and because you were living in his place, he’s yelling that he didn’t break the ‘Rules’ by coming after you in civvies. It won’t fly with heroes, but the gangs will probably accept the logic.”

I’ve been confused a lot the past two days, but I'm pretty sure I didn’t text Assault. I would know, I’m me. But then EFA interjects.

“Go with it sir, I messaged Assault as if we were on our way into the building not already inside. I assumed you wouldn’t want to expose me and there was no easy explanation otherwise.”

“Good thinking EFA.”

I compose myself and reply.

“Don’t worry Assault, after Skidmark mocked me for not protecting my identity properly, I’ve learned my lesson.”

He nods approvingly.

“Just keep yourself safe. We need all the heroes we can get at the minute.”

I nod back at him.

“Thank you for coming to get me.”

“Don’t thank me,” he chuckles “It’s literally my job, plus you buffed up my arrest record which always helps.”

He goes to leave.

“You’ll need to find somewhere else to live. I won’t recommend you anywhere in particular, identity protection, but check in the northern Docks South district if you want cheap places to live that aren’t in Merchant territory. Up near Winslow.”

“I’ll take it into advisement, thanks Assault” I reply. I won’t be, however. I’ll be living in the workshop for the immediate future. Screw having an address to call my own for now. Not like I have any friends to entertain.

“Is there anything else before I leave?”

“Did people see my face?”

“No, your mask was changed in place, as per identity protocol.”

That was my last worry appeased.

“Then thanks again Assault.”

He nods, “Don’t be a stranger.”

Then he leaves.

Not long after the nurse comes to discharge me. After being cleared by Panacea apparently you can bypass a lot of red tape. I’m told to eat a big meal, and get a good nights sleep. The healing Panacea did apparently took a lot out of me.

I thank the staff for helping me. And I enquire about the bill, but they tell me that it was covered by the PRT this time due to my status as a registered Hero and the fact I got them a key arrest.

I feel the beginning of a charm offensive.

I make my way to the ground floor and leave; I call my key and enter the workshop via a rear door in the hospital. Never know when I will need to get here quickly.

Time to get some proper sleep and make some plans.

Tomorrow, I cash Armsmaster’s check, and go and get some real materials.

Then it’s time to ramp up production.

And I have the perfect idea already.

As I fall asleep, the forge churns.

200 cp available!

Knowledge Reverse Engineering – Failed!

Knowledge Future Tech – Failed!

Database Magitech – Failed!

CP banked!

Thank god, I actually wanted to sleep.

Notes:

Perks Gained this chapter
Omnitool | Scanner – Mass Effect Andromeda 200 cp – Toolkit Mundane

-Omnitool
You get an omni-tool loaded up with programs and information that'd be best suited for unsupported colonization in a new galaxy. Because the Andromeda Initiative knew that they'd be going with a finite supply of ammo, medi-gel and power cells, each omni-tool can recover and repurpose appropriate resources to serve appropriate functions. For example, liquid coolant allows weapon heatsinks to be reused, and organic compounds can be refined into medi-gel. They can also convert consumable items into immediately usable forms. Finally, they do everything else regular omni-tools can: Communication, manufacturing fabricator, sensor analysis, and computer mainframe.
-Scanner
This omni-tool mounted system is how the Andromeda Initiative plans to rapidly survey planets. This system is a fast and accurate sampling system that is formally known as Panoptes. When linked to an AI, it can produce multiple analyses and predictive models in seconds, turning what would be the surveying work of weeks into mere moments. For most purposes it uses a transmitted accelerator mass spectrometer to create a snapshot of an objects components, atomic weight, and radioactivity, allowing for in-depth analysis. For biological materials, the system switches to an electrospray ionization system, so that plants or animals can be scanned without causing radiation damage. For a Jumper, you no longer need to have an AI linked to the system for it to work, though that would help. You can also take DNA scans of organisms for further study, and scan devices to help you figure out what they do, and maybe later reproduce them. Lastly, if you have a longer ranged sensor system, you could link the Scanner to that to scan further away, even if being in the Scanner's original range would get you clearer results.

+100 PR CP doubled due to deferred roll last chapter. (USER DISABLED BY OUTSIDE FORCE)
150 PR CP available.
Rolling…
Success!
Starting Space – Free!
Your personal reality gains a generic room of volume 80 x 80 x 10 meters! 6400 square meters of floor space, and 64000 cubic meters of storage volume!

A/N - I really needed this space perk and was worrying i wouldnt get it for a long time. I should have started with it but i intentionally nerfed it so i got it for free but had to roll it. The limited space with losing my place to live and having to ramp up would have meant 2 or 3 chapters just for setting up an external workshop, given i had a 5x5 entrance room, and a 10x10 blacksmith workshop.

Pre warning, as with most post action chapters the next chapter will be tech/craft heavy and plot/dialogue light. There will be gathering but much like a minecraft let's play, a lot of it will be "off camera" so to speak.

Chapter 8: Act 2 - Chapter 3

Notes:

As warned last chapter, this chapter is heavy on the exposition. It will be a feature of the fic that every arc will have at least one chapter of heavy exposition and crafting like this. It allows me to stop the story from bogging down in constant growth and crafting, as the MC acknowledges that constantly creating without working out in the real world will make him boring and he wont be able to grow his rep or skills as a hero.

I stopped counting words for points after a certain point in this chapter. Youll see why when you see my last perk roll of the chapter. Its an intentional if light nerf. Ill pick the count back up next chapter from zero for a fresh 1k needed to gain.

Arc 2 - Chapter 3

 

Wednesday 23rd November 2010

 

My sleep is troubled.

I had some disturbing dreams about how the situation with Skidmark could have gone. Interrupted by another of those strange forge dreams.

The globe returns, and another small island is no longer blacked out.

I finally rouse myself from sleep at 5am. 5am on Wednesday. I went to bed on Monday, Monday afternoon!

That fight and the organ healing really took it out of me. What the hell did he inject me with? Must have been an insane concoction if it can knock me on my ass this badly.

I need to make damn sure I have things in place to clear out chemical attacks. I’ll probably need to lean into Fallout 4 chems. Well either that or load up on medi-gel.

As I finally drag myself out of bed and head to the entrance hall, I notice that there is a new door and a corridor off the entrance hall.

Now I’m pretty sure this wasn’t here when I went to bed, but honestly I’m sensing a pattern to the weird planet based rolls that happen when I sleep sometimes.

I open the door to a bland white corridor with a single door on the right. Looking through this door reveals a massive warehouse.

I have to stop myself from rubbing my hands together and cackling like a mad scientist.

This is exactly what I needed.

My Blacksmith Workshop has also moved, the door to the workshop now lies on the right-hand wall of the warehouse as I enter. I have to physically drag myself out of the room, because before work, breakfast. Magical cooking pot enhanced breakfast. No buffs this time just good hearty food for reinforcing my health. Followed by an extremely light workout.

I’m going to skip the daily bloodletting and stimpak recovery today. I’m not tempting fate today with everything I have to achieve.

 

After finishing my albeit lightened routine it’s time to put some real work in.

First job, grab my omni tool from its new pedestal in the warehouse near the door. As I go to pick it up I notice my matter manipulator has also been moved here. I grab it as well and equip the gauntlet to the opposite arm. I have a project in mind for these later.

For the next twenty minutes I mind-numbingly feed assorted scrap materials to my omni tool. I want to fabricate some medi-gel, which while not quite as quick at wound nor bone regeneration as the stimpak, its lack of side effects, and all-encompassing healing of most infections leaves it vastly superior. Plus, it manages to somehow be even cheaper. Especially when I leverage Resource Management. Plus any spare materials I can use to fabricate omni-gel, which will be very useful for projecting the omni-blades amongst other useful features of the tools micro-fabricator.

My first ampoule of medi-gel is immediately injected via my omni tool. The migraine I’ve had since I woke up in the hospital starts to abate slightly.

I throw on my basic under costume, grab the old tesla gauntlet and mask and decide to take a casual trip out to the dock warehousing and waterfront. I’m not looking for anything special today, a few more abandoned vehicles, some trash, of which I can now make even more use of with the omni tool, and whatever has been abandoned on the waterfront. Today I plan to make some real steps forward into making myself at least a local level threat.

I don’t know what steroids the Brockton Bay shards take, but the concentration of B tier heroes in the area is legitimately insane.

On my way out I order EFA to migrate her primary device from the old and now irrelevant phone I will be using for my PRT phone and integrate her systems with the omni tool. This thing will never be leaving my side and having some AI control will be hugely beneficial, especially in helping to program blueprints to the device.

As I walk around town, I actually manage to grab a good chunk of resources in the three hours I am out. Nothing particularly special or exotic but some decent basic metals to alloy at least. The streets are relatively empty, I see a few early workers heading to work but I manage to avoid the majority. I move quickly, and never far away from a door for a quick exit.

It’s not paranoia if a druggie stuck a needle in your neck two days ago.

I need some good quality plastics, and titanium for my next project. I also want to source some graphene for some backup circuits, but I remember even though it’s 2011 here it’s not “my” 2011. A quick internet search confirms my worry. The material has not been discovered here yet.

I might be able to fabricate it with the omni, the resource requirement shouldn’t be complicated, and my materials science should allow me to work out the mesh. The fab can make plastics, ceramic and light metals or alloys but has a limited internal storage restricting the size of what I make, but if I mesh things together, I might have a way to make small quantities of some of the more complicated things I need.

A quick browse of my materials knowledge tells me I can make the aramid fiber I need too.

But I’m not going to find anything else I need hawking the city for scrap.

Time to make a call. I find and utilise a nearby convenient door.

 

 

I step out to the opposite side of the city from the docks on the boardwalk close to the downtown coast area. I do need to make a bigger foray into the inland areas in the downtown and downtown coast areas to increase my deployment range. But that is a job for another day.

I came to the downtown coast as it has some secluded parks, and I want to make a phone call in relative privacy. Skidmark’s comments about my idiocy are still right at the surface and have made me even more paranoid than I was previously. There is also a bank in the area I can use to cash my check and the shopping area isn’t too far away.

The Forge grabs my attention as the galaxy opens up around me again.

Rolling 300CP.

Knowledge Intelligence, Failed

Knowledge Future Tech, Failed

Magical Large Scale, Failed.

The forge is truly building a large charge now…

Time to move on.

I pull out my now PRT exclusive phone and put in a call to Assault. He doesn’t take long to answer.

“Hey Archon! Using the PRT number I see!”

“Yes, thought you would appreciate me using it to keep contact official.”

“It’s all good to us, we provide it as a way to keep patrol contact as needed but using at as an official point of contact certainly isn’t prohibited, how are you feeling after Sunday’s problems?”

“Much better with a lot of sleep and healing, Panacea is a godsend.”

“That she is, I hope you thanked her?” he teases.

“I did!”

He laughs at my indignation.

“So, what were you calling for Archon, not to bask in my incredible personality?”

“I was hoping you could maybe point me in the direction of places I can legally buy more advanced mundane materials for tinkering. I need some Titanium, and ideally a good quantity of aramid fiber.”

“Ooh interesting project on the go?” he sounds intrigued.

“Yes, I’m looking to make an upgraded set of armour, with full coverage.”

“Interesting! Unfortunately, I can’t help you, Armsmaster likely could point you to some of his civvy suppliers for his personal projects, but he is out on patrol, and unfortunately you can't access our supply chains easily as an Indy, there are hoops to jump through and as I'm sure you are aware from your paperwork, using Protectorate resources means using Protectorate oversight in the given project. But they are much cheaper!”

“I assumed as much, but I had to ask. If it isn’t too much trouble, could you ask Armsmaster if he could maybe text me any suppliers on the civilian side he doesn’t mind me knowing about? I’d like to keep my projects personal for now.”

“I’ll let him know, no harm in asking.”

“Thanks Assault.”

 Don’t be a stranger Archon.”

“Likewise, see you around.”

I hang up.

It was much as expected but I was mostly looking for a positive contact with Armsmaster, outside of the PRT building. He may be a rule obsessed and career driven man, but his dedication to tinkering is unquestionable.

Plus, if I can get reasonably tight with him, then it opens a path to Dragon, who represents interesting future possibilities.

Manipulative? Yes, but the stakes are high enough that I won't let that bog me down.

I go to the nearby bank in the western coast area, it’s just on the border of the commercial district, and I can kill two birds with one stone.

I open up a cape account with them, no ID required just a mask, a registration ID, and a cape name, and I am given a card and warned not to lose it. Without biometric data to secure the account, anyone with the card and pin can withdraw. The warnings about heavy watchdog monitoring of cape exclusive accounts are expected.

Can’t keep the government from their cut.

Heading on foot into the Commercial district is an experience. I am pointed out by a few people, and even catch a few mentions of my name. Even in different gear, my general theme is apparently recognisable, which I suppose is a good thing!

 

Finding opportunities to use my key are fewer, but I manage to grab a few doors dotted around for easy access back to the bank and the multitude of shops and other sellers.

I manage to hit up what feels like every hobby shop, electronics store and hardware store in the area. It costs me a hefty four grand of my armscash, but on top of some useful raw resources, I manage to pick up some tools I will need, A soldering set, a secondhand welding setup, and various components I will need to rig up a precise loom and a cnc machine, along with some cutters.

I also manage to find some ultra heavy-duty gloves, which I will use to make an enclosed fume hood, in a shop selling random scientific equipment along with beakers and other miscellaneous scientific glassware that I may need in the future.

I also pick up a good bit of food and bottled drink.

I finish up my trip with a pawn shop visit, my scanner allowing me to pick up some major deals on noble metals that the shop has undervalued. They can’t separate them like I can! All’s fair.

I utilise the shuttle service to make my way to the northern commercial district as I intend to tag some doors here.

Now I just need to get coverage at the Market, close to the Boat Graveyard, up by Winslow, and find a good door deep into downtown coast and I’ll have major coverage of most areas in Brockton Bay. I will need to find a good tactic to pick up useful doors in the more regularly populated areas of downtown, especially the hospitals for if I fail to intercept Bakuda. But that is future Archon’s problem.

For now, I have a more pressing problem.

I don’t have power.

I haven’t yet been lucky enough to roll a source of power into the workshop. I have basic emergency lighting, but the workshop can only pull power from our dimension if I own a place for it to pull power from. That I have to pay for.

I wrack my mind for power sources I can build, but while my engineering knowledge allows me to theorise lots of generator designs, and I can fabricate small amounts of fuel with the omni-tool, I was always told it was a horrifically bad idea to use a generator indoors.

I will need to defer the next major upgrade until I have a safe and reliable source of power for the workshop. Well unless there’s a much lower proscription on uranium or plutonium in this iteration of Earth. But I somehow doubt it.

I try to leverage Dollmaker, Backyard Architect and Cybernetics in concert to try to arrive at some sort of fusion design, but the knowledge is firmly locked behind much higher levels of tech.

Well, no problem, looks like I need to do the old tinker standby.

I need to build a base on this side. Somewhere to project force from that is eventually know about.

That the longer-term plan along with making money. However, while I can’t make large-scale power sources for powering a production centre, I have plenty of man portable power sources to use on very low-end power armour from Cybernetics.

I return to the workshop, plans in hand.

And the forge churns.

 

400CP available, Making attempt…

Quality Safety – Success!

‘Warhammer 40k – Squats’ - Black Boxing!

200cp remain, Making attempt…

Failed! x3

 

An extremely useful perk, it allows me to make very minor tweaks to anything I build to make it unduplicable. With a few more tweaks I can even make it so that anyone attempting to reverse engineer my tech gets a serious case of death via explosion…

This will be beyond useful for my personal gear. And when I start to sell more enhanced gear will allow me to guarantee to be the only supplier.

It takes away a lot of my worries in allowing my “proper” tech to get out into the world if I don’t want it duplicated.

 

 

But enough of the perk analysis. Time to do some building.

Firstly, I am going to leverage materials science to make a theoretical metamaterial using plates fabricated by the omni-tool.

With EFAs help I can program the tool with relative ease, and the material, a plate-lattice cellular hybrid material combining the strength of extremely high-grade steel reinforced with a Ceramic coating weighing as much as industrial grade plastic will give me incredible protection against standard weaponry. There is no caliber of man portable firearm that will penetrate this material as long as the lattice is arranged properly. Well as long as they aren’t packing a 50cal but combined with trajectory if I am hit with a 50cal I have bigger problems.

 This level of armour will also allow me to ignore melee weaponry and engagement almost entirely, some brutes notwithstanding.

I’m calling it NeoPlasteel, NPSteel for short. It isn’t my invention, but some synergy in the material science knowledge combined between my perks allows me to theorise it up relatively simply.

The hardest part to create will be the helmet, it’s a little bigger than my fabricator can currently make until I gain the tech to make some upgrades. So, I decide to stop trying to go for the open mouth look and make a full-face and head helmet made up of 3 individual parts. It allows me to deploy the Helmet in an exposed face mode with an under-mask for civilian encounters.

Can you say, “Best of both worlds”? I can.

I set EFA and the omni-tool Fabricator to synthesising the plates to my drafted design using a large chunk of my materials.

Power supply time.

The catalytic converters gave me access to a decent chunk of palladium, so I am going for a rechargeable power cell system this time. I will use a few small and distributed cells rather than one large cell, as it will allow me to create spares and portal them in and out if I don’t have access to recharging. While I am working, I also throw together a power interface for charging outside.

They aren’t amazing tech, barely above commercial hydrogen cells in our world, but they give a decent chunk of power output, and more importantly, they fail safely. The Cybernetic perk pays for itself here, having a multitude of relatively inexpensive ways to power cybernetics.

They are also near 100% recyclable using a combination of the matter manipulator and the omni-tool.

Now for the exoskeleton.

I would ideally make this also out of NPSteel as well, but I cannot make it without the fabricator with the equipment I have and fabricating some of the bigger parts in multiple stages will weaken them to some shearing forces I don’t want to be weak against.

Instead, I decide to make the exoskeleton out of an extremely high-quality forged steel which I coat with the reinforced weave I made for my old plate armour. The exoskeleton is extremely slimline, I’m about 6’2 without the armour, and will be about 6’5 with the exoskeleton equipped. The plates will of course add a little bulk, but not too much.

I want lithe and fast rather than bulky and strong.

I decide to mount the power cells two at my hips, and two at my outer thigh. Those areas will be extra plated.

“Sir, Plate fabrication is programmed and live, Resources are set out for fabrication, and we have enough to complete. Do you want me to proceed?”

“Go ahead EFA, I’ve finished the chest and spine plates for the exoskeleton, and the cell housing for the four cells.”

“Ok sir, you feel tired, please feel free to get some sleep and I will monitor the intake and fabrication phases of the omni-tool overnight while you sleep.

I check the clock. When did it turn 1am?

Time really does fly when you are having fun.

“OK, thanks EFA, please wake me at 7am.”

“Affirmative sir.”

I lie down and fall asleep to the soft hum of a fabricating omni tool.

 

Thursday 24th November 2010

 

I wake up to EFA projecting a loud buzz into my ear, I jump awake and acknowledge the alarm.

“Good morning, sir! All production is complete and ready to specification, ready to start on a new day.”

“Thanks, EFA, please proceed to phase 2, I need NPSteel actuators and motors fabricating to this size spec, and bolts, screws and connectors in this spec.”

I mentally project the specs I am looking for to her.

“Feel free to break down the old armour and gear to fund this, there should be enough if you use the whole set plus the last of the ceramic tiles from the manipulator.”

“Noted sir, proceeding with fabrication.”

I move to the entrance hall which I am still using as my kitchen and cook up a meal with the magic cooking pot. After my usual morning workout routine, I finally feel safe enough to use a stimpak again. I quickly perform my bloodletting, followed by stimpak production and usage.

Hey, just because I can make medi-gel doesn’t mean I’m not going to take advantage of the utterly overpowered muscular regeneration from the stimpaks. It would be silly not to.

After the standard routine, I quickly pop out of the forge near a downtown coffee shop. I feel like I'm going to need this for today’s work.

 

 

Back in the forge, work begins in earnest.

Today's primary job is to finish the limbs and safeties. I want to get this finished by afternoon, which will require some heavy lifting from Backyard Handywork and Cybernetics. Once the limbs and safeties are in place, I can set up the exoskeleton and power systems.

First however, is power cell completion. The power cells are quite simple to fill, it requires some omni tool help, but its ability to manipulate small quantities of materials combined with Resource Management allows me to fill the housing without spillage.

Catalysing the cells with the hydrogen and palladium goes as expected, and they are about 60% powered when first created through the reaction so I don’t need to do an initial charge to use them.

They are rechargeable for a good while. Four of them fully charged will give me about eight hours of usage at medium load and I will be making them relatively easy to eject and replace in use.

I create twelve for the standard armour reload, and another eight smaller ones that I have other plans for.

Free water for the forge is something it will regret giving me.

 

I spend the next few hours creating the limbs and neck part of the exoskeleton. This is one of the most critical parts to get right. Nobody likes inverted limbs and a broken neck. The work is slow but steady, and somehow soothing. Works progresses as planned, minor burns aside, and I have almost all the parts ready to assemble.

Now I need to create the helmet. I don’t have any way to currently make the holographic projectors to make a proper HUD, so I go with status lights strategically placed around the inner plate for power alerts and weaponry.

This suit won’t be flight capable so a detailed HUD isn’t absolutely required anyway, I have no perk that gives me the aeronautical knowledge for the flight nor a perk that lets me make small enough thrusters.

Flight will have to wait.

I do have some other mobility ideas, however. I’ll implement those with weaponry at the end of the armour build.

I look over the components of my armour.

It’s ready.

I lock the exoskeleton together using the fasteners I had EFA make, the exo peels open from the rear to allow me to step into it, so I need to make sure every plate is placed pin perfect.

Once the exo is in place, I carefully place the wiring harness, followed by the motors and actuators that will run the powered element of the suit. I integrate the power cell housing in the thighs and hips, and then the secondary fasteners go in.

Next the neck plate and joint covers go in, the armour isn’t fully fitted in the standard joint areas, so I use my special fiber weave from the plate armour suit to give coverage to those areas. It’s all held firm to my body shape by a delicate frame of steel so it can be opened and closed via motor.

Finally, the plates that EFA has painstakingly fabricated are installed and layered to the armour. This is finished off with a tight aramid wrap which makes the suited areas look like a single piece instead of plates. The only segmented parts still visible are in the rear where I step in.

 

8 solid hours of work later, interrupted only by a meal, and the suit is ready.

I install the 4 power cells and have EFA connect to a rudimentary control system I rigged up. An overcomplicated garage door opener. There is no software control for this armour yet. It’s almost entirely mechanical barring some clever hardware hacks to enable me to track various statuses.

I step in, and EFA closes the suit around me.

It fits like a glove. I have to force myself to exit it, as now I need to implement my new weaponry.

“EFA, please fabricate NPSteel components a1 through a4 with the final set of solid metal and ceramic resources we have fitting for this project.”

“Acknowledged sir.”

So here goes for my weaponry.

The first thing I do is reequip my matter manipulator and my Omni-tool both onto my left arm. I left gaps in and around the exoskeleton to allow for this and my work is vindicated when they fit like a glove. This is my standard left arm loadout, Matter manipulation and absorption, along with the omni-fabricator allowing me to create various objects from those materials. It’s a perfect piece of synergy that makes me feel a little like a Fortnite builder. Slower, but more encompassing.

This is my battlefield control allowing me to always push my advantage in close combat.

My right arm is for the next two pieces of gear I create.

The first is ostensibly a tesla baton. But the similarities end there. The baton is made from segmented strips of NPSteel with a thick conductive aramid core. The baton can be extended and retracted like a baton or pushed further into an electric whip. The whip integrates with a power cell housing in my right forearm for power which can be reloaded. The whip can be used as a grapple in addition, not a huge range but good battlefield mobility in a city.

The second item I create is also telescopable into a whip form. And also uses the glorious power of electricity. But the similarities end there. It’s a sword, and a damn high quality one. I have later plans for upgrades to this blade for now, but for now the sword is extremely high voltage and there’s no safe mode on this blade intentionally.

If I draw this sword, I’ve already committed to the death of the target. I need to constantly remind myself of that. There is a second compartment in my right forearm specifically to reload power cells for this blade. The blade while not monomolecular, not with these tools, is insanely sharp. With enough leverage I could likely do some damage to my own armour with this. It will carve a standard human like butter. I managed to slice straight through tool steel with it without the armour assisting.

Both weapons are enchanted with weapon absorption.

They both telescope and sheathe, the baton at my hip as my primary non-lethal weapon, and the sword at my lower back as a final resort.

Finally, the matter manipulator is used to paint the armour cobalt blue silver and white. Along with all accessories including the weapons.

As if to reward me, the forge hits me twice in quick succession.

 

 

 

Forge expansion deferred due to heavy crafting engagement.

400CP available, Making attempt…

Knowledge Future Tech – Success!

‘Warhammer 40k – Adeptus Mechanicus’ – Magos Designation: Engineering – Chosen Speciality: Genetic Engineering. 100CP

300CP Remain, Making attempt…

Facilities Magical – Success!

‘Overlord the Series’ – Alchemist Laboratory.

200CP Remain, Making attempt…

Time- Success!

‘Ace Combat’ – Don’t Need a Team.

100cp Remain, Making Attempt…

Failed x3!

 

I – What in the world… This is.. Impossible

I honestly don’t even know where to start.

I just gained 3 incredible perks form the forge.

Magos Designation: Engineering lets me pick from Imperium of Man engineering specialities from W40K. That’s two specialities from one universe in one day. The speciality I pick makes me a “noted master” of the speciality withing the Imperium of Man.

I decided to go for Genetic Engineering. I don’t have any real biotinker perks and this one can help me with more than self enhancement. There are implications on food, enhancement and synergy with other perks in the forge here. The imperium used this speciality to create the base template for space marines.

I know how to clone people now.

This pales in comparison to the next perk, however.

Don’t Need a Team will be an incredible boon.

It allows me to perform the work of a team.

On my own.

It gives me the ability to perform the full maintenance routine of a complicated aircraft on my own, without mistakes. And makes me fast enough to do so in reasonable time without a crew.

It works best on aircraft but expands to any building and maintenance work I do as long as it’s on a vehicle or movement enhancer or even just vaguely mechanical. Power armour counts is the important thing.

Why didn’t I get this perk 48 hours ago?

Because the forge is a troll.

However, the next perk is where things get… weird.

For a start, I can finally use my earlier gained Elder Scrolls online alchemy perk.

This perk gives me a new facility in the forge. An alchemy lab. A fully fitted alchemy lab that grows in complexity as my skill in alchemy grows. Due to me getting the CP costing version it also comes with a fiat backed supply of alchemy ingredients, equipment and reagents for any form of alchemy I know. This includes the inbuilt TESO alchemy I know, and if I ever learn magic, alchemic potions to emulate spells. It also allows me to learn and use Overlord: The Series alchemy. The resources aren’t “infinite” but it's irrelevant as they refill over time.

This isn’t all it does, however. And the next part. Is. Unusual.

Apparently inside my alchemy lab right now is a door. That door leads to a store. And that store leads to somewhere in the out in Brockton Bay.

I have had an Alchemist and a Sales Clerk Assigned to me by the forge. They aren’t combatants, unless the forge itself is attacked.

The Alchemist will create potions I know along with some she knows. She will provide me with a set of potions for free regularly and the rest will be sold.

The sales clerk will sell them in the storefront. I will keep a cut of the profits too.

And nobody in the city will think this is weird. Or irregular.

Luckily, the door to the forge is impenetrable, it’s specifically fiat backed so only me or these two can use it.

Did the forge just master the entire fucking world into thinking there was always this strange cape in Brockton who sells potions out of a little shop.

I need to go and introduce myself and give them instructions.

 

 

I return to the Entrance Hall, and there’s a new door off to the left of the corridor, opposite my warehouse door.

I enter and am in what looks like a quaint medieval alchemy laboratory, alchemy equipment is randomly dotted around this wooden room along with bushels and backets of ingredients. Hell, I even recognise Purple Mountain flowers! And hey is that Nirnroot?

In front of me is a silver-haired woman, probably about 28/29 years old working around a cauldron. She turns to look at me, makes eye contact. Her eyes are a startling green colour. She is quite beautiful.

And sniffs at me and returns to work.

“Names Hypatia. I don’t work for you. I work for the forge to keep you alive in the form of alchemy and financial assistance. I'm not your babysitter nor your damn maid. I make potions for you. Smythe sells them. That’s the end of our relationship.”

She doesn’t even pause for breath. Just plows on with her speech.

“We might end up friends one day. But it is not guaranteed. Don’t try to give me orders. And don’t interfere with my alchemy and we will get on just fine. This lab is yours, but I share it. The apartment above the lab is mine. You don’t enter it if you don’t want a ‘permanent impotence potion’ to somehow fall into your magical cooking pot. The apartment above the shop is Smythe’s. He’s very private. He sells the potions and other alchemy specials during the day. The rest of the time he stays in his apartment and likes it that way. You might meet one day but that’s on his terms. Not yours.”

I nod and agree.

“It’s nice to meet you. I’m glad you aren’t any of the above. I don’t know if you know anything about me, but I don’t abide mastery, nor slavery.”

She looks at me in disbelief.

“You have a second consciousness bound to your soul.” She says flatly.

This doesn’t even phase me.

“The second EFA tells me she wants to leave, I will drop everything I am doing regardless of what it is, and work to create her a body so she can be her own existence. I care about what makes her happy. And that’s it.”

She gives me a thin smile.

“Actions speak louder than words ‘Archon’” She snorts “Prove yourself with action. Not pretty speeches.”

“Hypatia, you gave your speech, here’s mine. I care about three things. One. Saving this world. Two. Uplifting it and the people I care about. And three. Never giving up my morals to do either of the above two. I don’t need to prove myself to you. Because I don’t care if you like me or dislike me. My actions will speak for me as I develop, not on some arbitrary timescale you decide on.”

She drops her haughty expression and smiles. If barely.

“Good. You aren’t some idiot who will fall to a weak challenge. The points stand, but I’ll give you a chance.”

She looks around and gestures.

“If you have any requests, let me know in advance. You’ll get a few potions a week of various types. I know any alchemy you know and others I can't give you access to until you learn them yourself. Your capacity for ingredients and reagents grows as your alchemy ability does.”

She gives me a final hard look into my eyes.

“Smythe will put your cut of the money in your strongbox every week and I will put your weekly potions in there too.” She points to a metal chest by the shop door “The shop itself is a newly opened ‘cape’ business -” she wraps her tongue around ‘cape,’ as if it's an unfamiliar term. “-from a new cape called ‘Hypatia.’” she points at herself.

“It’s my ‘cape’ name and my real name, and Smythe shares the cape name as the public face of it. We sell weak to moderate enhancement potions, no healing, to people of your alignment only. We only sell to capes and our shop is only visible to capes. We are registered with the PRT. Myself as a ‘Potions Tinker’ and Smythe as a ‘Stranger’ I think you call it who can obscure locations to people and classes of people at whim.”

She looks around again.

“We are protected from outside interference here, but we don’t leave. Ever. Not to fight, not even to save your life. The shop itself is protected and impenetrable, but if someone who isn’t allowed enters from the forge side, we will help deal with them.”

I acknowledge her statement and turn to leave.

“Thanks, Hypatia, I hope you have a nice stay here and I won't bother you too much. It was nice to meet you. I think.”

She finally laughs

“You too Archon. I’ll be keeping an eye on your exploits.”

I leave back to the forge.

So that just happened.

What the hell.

 

 

It’s been an awfully long day. I’ve been awake since 7am and it’s approaching 3am the next day. I’ve gained some crazy perks. Some crazier forge companions and built the next phase of my armour, my public face.

 

Tomorrow I start to patrol.

But now?

Now I sleep.

Notes:

Perks gained this Chapter

Black Boxing – ‘Warhammer 40k – Squats’ – 200CP - Quality Safety
While certain red-robed rats of Mars always trying to get their grubby mechadendrites on your stuff is annoying, messing with them is endlessly entertaining. You can easily tweak your work to be nearly impossible for others to duplicate. If you're feeling particularly spiteful, you can build in some cross-connections so anyone trying will blow themselves up.

Magos Designation: Engineering – ‘Warhammer 40k - Adeptus Mechanicus’ – 100CP - Knowledge Future Tech (Chosen Speciality: Genetic Engineering
You have attained and been recognized for your comprehension of some of the Machine God's mysteries. Choose a field of Imperial technology such as genetic manipulation, voidship construction, cybernetics or plasma technology. You are among the noted masters of your purview, and can easily create the most common templates of your field. With time, effort and discretion you could even modify and improve upon your specialty as needed. Those few things beyond your full understanding can still be built and maintained by carefully following STC blueprints.

Alchemist's Laboratory – ‘Overlord - The Series’ – 100CP - Facilities Magical
A fully fitted and supplied alchemist's laboratory ready for your use. It comes with the highest quality supplies and equipment required to make magical potions, allowing you to make potions to emulate the effect of any spell you know that could be reasonably made into a potion via alchemy(assuming you know alchemy, at least) . The equipment will automatically upgrade itself relative to your own personal skill level, so the more skilled you are the better it will be to reflect that. Reagents for common potions restock themselves automatically on a regular basis.
The100 CP version includes the reagents for rare and much higher quality potions that will restock themselves, and additionally a store-front will be added to the front of your laboratory, allowing you to profit from your efforts. It also comes with a sales clerk and an alchemist of exceptional talent if still within reasonable limits (read: not Realm of Heroes or Level One Hundred) whom will produce and sell potions for you. You get potions for free, and get a cut of all profits the store makes. The laboratory, sales clerk, and alchemist will follow you jump to jump, although the clerk and alchemist aren't the same people jump-to-jump (unless you purchase the Guild Base option, in which case they can be if they are part of the Guild Base). No one will question the presence of this store or the potions it makes, even in places or worlds where it would be highly irregular. You get to choose where the laboratory is located in this and future jumps.

Don't Need A Team – Ace Combat – 100CP – Time
Fighter planes are pretty complicated machines, and more often than not you need a whole crew to maintain them so that they don't break down in the middle of a fight and doom the pilot. You know your plane well enough to circumvent this issue. You've got just the right idea on what needs tuning up and what needs fixing, along with having the speed to be able to fix a plane up by yourself without the need for a crew in a fraction of the time. Performance issues are a thing of the past for you.

+50 PR CP gained. 200 PR CP available.

Rolling…
Success!
Gained “Temporal Controls” – 200 PR CP
Temporal Controls (200) This Personal Reality Option gives you control over how fast time flows in your Personal Reality while you’re not there. The default is 1:1, but with this you can dial it anywhere from 1:10 to 10:1. Remember, this doesn’t work when you’re in the warehouse. It also doesn’t affect any attached rooms with people inside them. Although it will prevent them entering time flow changed rooms.

0 PR CP remains.

Chapter 9: Act 2 - Chapter 4

Notes:

A chapter that went a little off the rails but managed to wrestle it to where i needed to in the end. Another nerf to CP gain at the end, too much Perk exposition for me to trust it so i again suspended CP gain until the end of the chapter.

Arc 2 – Chapter 4

 

Thursday 24th November 2010

 

I wake up excited for the day ahead. Who needs more than five hours sleep anyway? Not me!

The strange forge dreams returned strongly last night, and a relatively large chunk of one of the continents lit up.

My power tells me I can now alter the timescale in my personal reality while I am outside of it. In any uninhabited areas anyway. This could be useful in future allowing me to set between 1/10^th and x10 scale.

After the events of yesterday I didn’t really have a chance to digest the step forward I made.

I finally have what feels like real, genuine, tinker gear. The gear I was using previously was high quality and looked great! But it was all style without substance. And the weaponry was just standard protection gear with an electric charge attached.

This equipment will be significantly more useful. But I need to test it first, I have a battery of tests both inside and outside to perform later.

However, for now, I perform my now standard morning routine, and put aside a loadout of consumables for my first patrol later.

Stimpaks, Med-X, Few different types of food wraps from the cookpot. Couple of the offensive syringes. I consider making restraints, but the omni-tool can fabricate these in place, so I decide to use that instead. I also feed the omni-tool some of the food I gathered so it can use the organics to make more medi-gel.

I considered putting some work in to Alchemy today in place of testing and patrolling, you can’t be over-prepared. However, I am wary of falling into the trap of all development, no personal advancement.

It’s as important to develop my own skills and my reputation as a hero, as it is to develop more equipment for now. Especially my skills in using my equipment. You can build the greatest and most advanced gear in the world, but if you never actually use it and learn how to use it, what’s the point?

I quickly pop my head into the Alchemy Lab, it’s empty as expected at this hour. I check the strongbox and Hypatia has left me vials of potions and a note.

“This is your weekly supply, only a few for now, but more to come as you grow. Red ones are wound healing, Green are restore energy, Purple are minor cure disease.”

There seem to be five of each. I’m going to move them to the warehouse for now, I will test these later in controlled conditions.

I head back to the warehouse to get testing started.

Before testing begins, I check with EFA on the progress of her ongoing missions.

“Good morning EFA, how are you today?”

“I’m great boss, just reading up about you online,”

“All good I hope.”

“Neutral up to now, you rescuing those girls in the docks has been acknowledged, but people are intrigued about your powers. Your cape thread on PHO is certainly picking up pace.”

I consider PHO for a second. I have decided for the time being to keep myself away from Bet social media, if only for the good of my own mental health. This is one area I am extremely glad to have EFA covering.

“Well keep me up to date on it as needed thanks! I was wondering if there was anything notable in the current outstanding tasks?”

“Currently nothing major of note, Mouse Protector is working in much the same areas of the state of Illinois, although there were a few sightings of her in Bloomington she definitely prioritises this area for her patrols. The Slaughterhouse 9 have not been seen other than ghost sightings and rumours in northern Texas.”

I might need to put some serious thought into some sort of active surveillance network to track the Nine. Killing Jack Slash is the priority one mission as things stand. Killing is something I want to avoid but I’m no batman. If I have the opportunity, then Jack dies. No ifs. No buts.

Scion will eventually go crazy regardless, but killing Jack Slash gains us an immeasurable amount more time to grow and plan. Gaining time is a net positive for us. Scion isn’t getting any more powerful than he already is, while I can only continue to grow. More time also means more time to plan for the collapse of the shard network. Or plans on how to mitigate it.

EFA continues her report.

 “My skill in Hacking is taking a backseat to Software Development currently as I can leverage this skill to help you create much better omni-tool blueprints as well as secure funds. However, I would likely be able to break in to most residential and a good few commercial systems at this point if need be.”

“Ok, thanks EFA, please add the following names to the watchlist. Amy Dallon, Taylor Hebert, Theo Anders, Kayden Anders, Dinah Alcott.”

Keeping watch on these key players from the local area shouldn’t stretch EFAs rapidly growing capabilities, and many of my future plans for issues to resolve before they happen revolve around these people.

“Additionally, please open tracking files for a travelling parahuman group called ‘The Travellers.’ Keep me appraised of their location as much as you are able.”

This one goes without saying. I need to know when they are in the area. I know they haven’t arrived yet, it’s too early in the timeline. I do not want to be blindsided, however. Countermeasures for Noelle will need to be a very large part of my future plans. Either a cure or an excision. Preferably the first but I won’t shy from the latter if necessary.

“Noted boss, I should be able to work on these now no problem. The extra processing from the Omni-Tool is a godsend.”

Ok, enough chat, time to test.

The first set of testing is testing of the various surfaces of the armour and everything seems to be aligned quickly when I’m not wearing it. I quickly step into the armour and marvel at how much my physical presence is amplified.

I step in and out of the armour multiple times to familiarise myself with the timings and to test the mechanisms.

Everything works great. When I eventually work on upgrades, I will definitely need to work on some sort of quick eject, but for now I can push a 5 second escape time if I really push it.

 

The forge interrupts and grabs my attention.

200CP available, Making attempt…

Failed x3!

CP Banked!

Failed roll, but I don’t mind so much with everything I already have to work on.

 

Next I test and practice my power cell reload. The way the suit uses power does not drain all cells equally, and this is intentional. Primary power draw is on the two cells at my hip, then secondary power draw is on the cells at my thighs. If the hip cells empty, then primary power draw will fail over to my thigh batteries. This way, I never need to reload all four cells at the same time. It’s always a two and two reload.

The lack of complex electronics in the suit means again, this is a fully mechanical reloading process. I spend 30 minutes practicing the lever and movement combinations required to access the cells while I am inside the armour, along with the portal movements required to swap them.

It isn’t quick, certainly not something I would do mid combat. But if I find a safe moment to breathe, I can swap out the hip cells in about 15-20 seconds. We won’t talk about the leg cells. Over thirty seconds while in the armour though less than ten if I am out of it. Probably makes more sense to evacuate the armour before reloading these.

Not that the standard maintenance tests are done. It's time to find out what it can really do!

I engage the armour and the weapons in order to get used to the full loadout and go for a jog around my warehouse.

80x80m isn’t enough. I’m at least 3 times faster and stronger in the armour, and that’s without pushing past a moderate power draw. The interlink system I’ve created allows for an incredible magnification of force, and the armour takes too much of the work off me that it barely feels like I am doing anything.

I could definitely exert myself if needed, though.

I decide to drop out of the forge and got for a light jog in the commercial district. I’m going to head for the outskirts, grab some doors on the way, and then use the space without people around to get some real testing underway.

I quickly text Assault from my own number via EFA while on my way. Loving the mental connection to my own omni-tool phone.

“Just a quick heads up, I’m moving through the commercial district in my new armour just in case you get any calls about a strange parahuman around in blue and silver armour.”

It doesn’t take long for him to reply.

“Noted, thanks for the heads-up Archon.”

I start to Jog southwards, then I up the tempo to a run, and then a sprint.

“EFA, how fast am I moving right now.”

“Based on the movement of the surrounding terrain, roughly around 25mph.”

Not bad! I’m probably pushing about 75% as hard as I can.

I pass a few people out and about for work and get a few excited points from them. I even throw out a cheeky wave when I jokingly stop for a red light.

Before I know it, I’m on the outskirts. I grab a nearby utility door at a power substation and move out into the nearby wasteland.

The area is thankfully abandoned.

Time for a strength test

I move to a nearby junked car frame and grab it by the chassis, I heave up and manage to lift the chassis frame up into the air with some difficulty. With an almighty heave, I manage to all but suplex the car.

It takes a good amount of effort, but the strength of the armour speaks for itself.

Now to test my buff food.

The mover wrap is almost a bust. It’s trying to make me move faster, but the increased movement isn’t fully translating over to the armour. It’s probably closer to a 10% buff instead of the flat 300% buff when I am in unpowered armour. And given the armour is already giving me effectively a 300% buff that doesn’t affect only speed. The armour clearly wins.

I’ll probably still keep making a few of the mover meals on the pot. There's no reason not to after all. 10% is still 10%.

The Brute wrap works better, probably a temporary 15% increase in strength in armour which seems low, but it also decreases the amount I need to push the armour myself to achieve the strength, so it's an effectively bigger buff overall as it makes my stamina consumption much lower.

Med-X is a bust. I suspect it will show its value if the suit is ever compromised though so I will be keeping it around for emergencies. The hysteric strength it gives me doesn’t translate well to the armour only really granting a 5% buff.

Effectively, the armour has much reduced my reliance on buff consumables. Which can only be a good thing.

I spend the next hour putting the suit through every stress test I can conceive, including trying to forcibly bypass the safeties that keep my limbs safe. They hold with no issue and the armour has no issue with.

The suit power cells are holding steady at 25%. Given I started at 60% and including the sprint out here have done about 3 hours of heavy to moderate usage, that’s quite a good power rate.

Time to go on my first “official” patrol. I swap out the cells with new 60% cells from the warehouse via portal and put a call in to PRT despatch.

“PRT Despatch, this is independent hero Archon. I’m currently headed for patrol in the south-side docks area, and available for support in docks and downtown as needed.”

“Acknowledged Archon, thanks for the heads up.”

They don’t have to call me for help, and I don’t have to call them to let them know as I’m a registered independent.

But at least for now I want relations as cordial as possible. While I no longer need them as much as I did previously, as I have a reliable income stream now via the alchemy shop, it will help me a lot to keep them on side as much as possible.

Plus, they seem a lot less antagonistic and pressuring that I expected. Could be my fanon corrupted brain or maybe they always were a caricature, but they currently come across as distant but helpful.

Until bitten I’m going to act as if they are a competent outfit.

Anyway, I’ve digressed, I’m going to step through to my door near the north end of the boardwalk and patrol up to the Market and boat graveyard. I’m going to poke around the graveyard for a bit and see if my omni-scanner can pick up any useful materials up there. Then I’m going to patrol back to the northern boardwalk at the northern ferry station. From there I am going to patrol south along the parallel roads to the boardwalk until I hit downtown. I’m going to patrol through downtown, towards the Forsberg gallery. Finally, I will swing north through the Docks South area, until I hit Winslow.

I should be able to get my final door coverage for the bay completed this way.

The forge grabs my attention as I attempt to leave,

300CP available, Making attempt…

Protection – Success!

Inertia of Self II – 200CP – Essential Body Modification Supplement.

100CP remain, Making attempt…

Protection – Failed!

Database Magical – Success!

Shadow Clones – 100CP – Generic Naruto Fanfiction.

0CP Remain

 

My back arches against my armour, and my limbs lock up as my mouth opens in a silent scream.

Lava mixed with acid doped with every stinging insect and plant you care to name carve into my body, pathways traced around my existence, carved into my very soul. The world comes alive in a way it wasn’t before, before dimming slightly. Not as dim as it was before, and the world somehow seems smaller.

I come back to myself panting and sweating inside my armour, bent over backwards in a rictus of pain.

The seed of Chakra, the lifeblood of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki has entered the world with me as it’s only vessel.

Well then. Let’s look at what we got.

Inertia of Self is one of those *inherent* powers that the forge can grant. In the same type as Blank II that makes you immune to Thinkers/Precogs or Mental Resistance III that makes you immune to Mind Control.

Inertia of Self makes you immune to annihilation effects and includes hefty protections against time manipulation too.

Any effect that would turn back time, alter reality, or attempt to alter my memories will cause me to gain both sets of memories and instinctively know which is which. It doesn’t tell me who initiated the effect though, just that it happened.

It also prevents any “direct annihilation effects from working on me. Think of it like an instant death immunity from an RPG, I cannot be obliterated or wiped/taken out of existence, and those types of attacks will fail on me. It works on conceptual, temporal and even reality warping effects. I can't be grey boy bubbled as an example, and people cannot travel to the past and kill my past self to make me disappear from the now. It effectively fiat backs the totality of my existence. I can still be killed, by injury or standard parahuman effect. Being shot in the head would still insta kill me. This just protects me against effects that are specifically designed to annihilate.

The best part is it functions against Coils power. It shouldn’t, because the canon is that Coils doesn’t create timelines, he simulates the future twice and his shard picks the best one, but the forge will allow me to keep my memories from both possibilities because they exist under observation. Likely due to Coils immunity to Blank II.

This isn’t as much of a complete gamechanger as you would think, there aren’t actually that many specifically annihilating capes in worm. Damsel of Distress and March wouldn’t be able to use their destructive powers on me, I’m immune to a good chunk of Bakuda’s bombs and Grey Boy should I fuck up completely and allow Slaughterhouse 9000 to happen. Clockblocker also won't be able to affect me, and I think I might possibly be immune to Sleeper. The best part of the perk for me is the immunity to memory modification. It takes a string out of Cauldrons bow for one.

The second perk is one of my absolute favourites I could get. Although the feeling of receiving, it was certainly not one I would care to repeat.

Shadow Clone Jutsu. From Naruto. Along with the chakra coils and enough theoretical knowledge of chakra to be able to learn it. The shadow clone instructions come in scroll form and are written in a way that even an idiot could learn the technique.

It allows me to use the iteration of Shadow Clones and Multiple Shadow Clones from the show along with some crazy advancements from Fanfiction which I won't be able to explore until my chakra grows.

This is real magic. Ok it’s not called “magic” but a mix of physical and spiritual energy used to create techniques that in any other setting would be called spells. Come on. It can also be used for some amazing manipulation of nature and elements plus physical enhancement, but I don’t have access to anything but the barest scratchings, nothing above E-Rank barring the shadow clone. I need to gain one more perk from the setting, or one more perk directly referencing chakra in order for me to be able to freely develop it.

But I don’t care.

Because I can make shadow clones.

I quickly put a temporary hold on my patrol, jump out of my armour and run to the warehouse to grab the scroll. While I am reading it I have EFA scanning it for future reference.

The perk is right, this is easy. It’s nerfed a bit because of my extremely low chakra capacity, but I learn it in no time.

I put my fingers in the famous cross sign and have to stop myself from giggling. The instructions tell me I don’t need to shout, I can just speak the name of the technique without the “Jutsu” part. But come on. Wouldn’t you?

“Shadow Clone Jutsu!”

A puff of smoke appears in front of me, my anticipation builds as the smoke clears. It slowly dissipates as a look upon my clone.

That is pale and dead on the floor.

Ok let’s try again.

I make the sign as the scroll shows.

I reach for the warmth behind my stomach, my hara, and pull it into the rest of my system, I cycle it through my hands and incant.

“Shadow Clone!”

The smoke bursts again and clears much quicker this time.

“Hello me.”

I am looking upon myself. Do I really look like that now?

Damn I am built now, I was ridiculously unhealthy and sickly looking for so long. Seeing myself like this is strange.

“So, what would you like me to do? Without any techniques that use chakra I can stick around for about four hours at this level of the technique. I have copies of any forge backed gear you have like the manipulator and the omni-tool, but not things that you made like the armour or weapons.”

“I’ll use the technique with instructions in mind in future per the technique, but please concentrate on research and development, making blueprints and concepting designs. Also spend some time on alchemy. I get all of your memories and experience when you dispel so anything that advances knowledge is good.”

Seeing myself salute myself is unusual.

“Aye aye bossman, I’ll get right on it.”

A built-in lab assistant that can do the research while I go out into the action.

This is incredible for my future progress. But I have a booked patrol to complete and no time to contemplate this further. I re-enter my armour and leave the workshop.

 

I step out on the northern boardwalk. I believe they call this a “Showing face” patrol. I’m not actually here looking for trouble, just acting as a deterrent.

I’m prepared for trouble if it comes my way, however.

I walk most of my route at a brisk pace. No need to sprint or jog and incite a panic. My current job is to be a calming influence on the area.

Making my way towards the Market after veering into the eastern docks near the ferry station, and up towards the northern dockside I pass the DWA office! This little building with its gated compound is probably one of the most utilised buildings in the community! Seeing it with my own eyes is an experience!

I have no excuse to enter and bother the Union for now, so I continue on, up and passed the market grabbing some doors on the way. I get a few more picture takers which will never stop being old.

The ship graveyard is another one of those fanfic landmarks that you read about and make assumptions based on what you read.

My assumptions were wrong. When I read about the ship graveyard, I always imagined a bunch of derelict ships in the water, in various stages of decay and floating conditions, all close together in a maze of interconnected places to loot.

However, half of the graveyard is out of the water, massive tankers and yachts strewn about the dry-docks area, clearly stripped of any useful materials at all. The part in the water is murky and nasty, with no safe way to move ship to ship. And this armour is not waterproof.

I give a quick scant of the area, and there’s a decent chunk of common and rare resources in the deep-water derelicts, but nothing close to easy pickings.

I will need to come back with specialised, or more advanced environmentally sealed armour.

I call it a wash for rare materials. I break down a few of the ship carcasses with my matter manipulator to refresh my steel, iron and rubber reserves, grab two nearby maintenance doors for my key, and then make my way back up towards the ferry station and the boardwalk.

Once I finally arrive there, I start to make my way back up towards downtown. It’s a long walk ahead of me so I take a faster jog in the emptier areas. I will never get bored with effortlessly jogging at close to 20mph.

 

…

 

If you ever told me, I would be bored in power armour before today I would laugh in your face.

Patrolling however, Is boring.

I have almost arrived at downtown. Three hours straight of patrolling, covering a huge portion of the docks, bordering some of the roughest territory in town. Not a peep of trouble.

In my first week in the town, I witnessed four separate stabbings!

This is the part never written about in fics and for good reason. Walk. Scan. Walk. Scan.

“EFA, can you take over scanner monitoring please, concentrate on trying to find situations I can assist in. If you can hack or in some other way intercept BBPD despatch, then feel free. I need some direction. Random patrolling isn’t for me there’s literally nothing going on!.”

“On it boss, just concentrate on the road ahead, and I’ll take over despatch and observation.

You should never ever challenge murphy.

Not 4 minutes later, and I am smacked in the face with a slight aura of fear and a stoic looking blonde girl has intercepted me.

Is this Glory Girl?

She looks me up and down.

“Hi, I’m Glory Girl, are you on patrol?” she asks. She’s looking at me dubiously.

“Hi Glory Girl, I’m Archon. Yes I’m currently in the last leg of a circuit of the dockside and boardwalk.

The Aura lets off a little. And she seems to relax.

“I usually ask ‘Hero or Villain?’ when I see an obvious parahuman out in public areas. But from the look of your armour, I think I can guess your alignment!”

What, no “Rogue” in there?

“Heroic Rogue, Glory Girl. I am registered with the PRT,” I wink at her.

“Heroic Rogue?” she smirks.

I return a smile, and her aura modulates from fear, to ‘notice me’. Damn that’s quite a subtle effect. Must be hard for her when she loses control, there no way she can ever be fully ignored with that up.

“Yeah, well you left it out, you should ask ‘Hero, Villain or Rogue’ it’s not all ‘me good, you bad, me punch you’,” I wink to let her know I am teasing. “Hell, what if I had answered ‘Cosplayer, please don’t kill me’?”

She laughs back at me,

“Ok, fair enough I’ll keep it in mind, so what are you doing at the downtown boardwalk?”

“Currently? Patrolling and being very bored.”

She grimaces.

“Yeah, I know that feeling. Random patrolling to show face is one of the more mind-numbing parts of the job. Try being a flyer! It’s interesting at first but then it’s all ‘Generic skyscraper, dodge antenna, dodge suicidal pigeon.’”

I laugh back and reiterate my earlier point.

“If you asked me a few years ago if I would ever be bored in power armour, I would never have thought I could answer ‘Yes’.”

As she is about to reply I get a call.

It’s Assault, unusual, wonder why he is ringing.

I answer the phone.

“Archon, the transport taking Skidmark to his arraignment has been intercepted on the junction at Forsberg Gallery. Mush, Whirlygig and Squealer are all on site. Militia, Triumph and Armsmaster are caught up in an E88 rally security patrol and Hookwolf was seen in the area so they can't leave. Me and Battery are dealing with an ABB incursion and the wards can’t deploy if Squealer is in the area. I trust Velocity and Dauntless to hold the line when they get there, but are you in position to assist?”

I look at Glory Girl.

“Assault I'm currently catching up with Glory Girl on a crossover in our patrol routes, I’m going to ask if she can give me a lift, if not I’ll make my way there on foot. Tell Dauntless or Velocity to contact me with tactical if needed.”

“Thanks Archon,”

I quickly hang up the phone.

“Merchants trying to break out Skidmark after he got arrested while trying to drug slave me. Forsberg gallery junction. Think you can give me a lift?”

She looks me up and down.

“How strong is your armour?”

I smirk and engage combat mode. The helmet seals over my whole head and my voice comes out sounding more mechanically filtered.

“Strong enough.”

She smirks back and grabs my outstretched arm.

And we literally rocket towards downtown.

 

Notes:

Perks gained this chapter.

Inertia of Self II - Essential Body Modification Supplement – 200CP – Protection
You are protected against effects that would affect your mind and existence.
I: You are immune to any effect that would affect your memories. If someone turns back time, alters reality, or attempts to directly alter your memories, you retain both the 'original' and 'new' memories, instinctively knowing which set is which. Other than your two sets of memories, this perk does nothing to tell you who changed things or even what they specifically changed if it isn't otherwise obvious.
II: You are immune to any effect that would alter or outright destroy your body or existence. This protection extends to conceptual, temporal, and reality warping effects that work either directly or indirectly to destroy or alter you. This would prevent a time traveler from killing you as a baby or causing an accident that would leave present-you paralyzed. It would not protect you from a fireball created through temporal manipulation or having a time traveler frame you for a crime that lands you in prison.

Shadow Clones - Generic Naruto Fanfiction – 100CP - Database Magical
Ah, shadow clone no jutsu. The signature jutsu of the Naruto franchise. And now you can join in on the fun. You have a copy of a technique scroll for the shadow clone jutsu, of such quality that an idiot could teach himself from this thing in virtually no time at all. It even has safeguards built-in that eliminate any possibility of killing yourself by putting too much chakra into it, or getting a headache from too many clones dispelling at once or anything like that. The worst that can possibly happen is that it fails to work. You still can only make as many shadow clones as your chakra can support but outside of that you can feel free to abuse this handy jutsu for training, decoys, diversions, paperwork, chores, or whatever else you can imagine. In the event that this technique is supposed to have some additional features in the particular fanfiction you go to, or even a better version, this scroll will contain both versions.
* Some of the best shadow clone fanfic features include shadow clone self charka regeneration, temporal split clones instead of normal clones, mind merging without dispel, constant hivemind like connection etc

50 PR CP gained but no roll this chapter due to active situation.

Chapter 10: Arc 2 - Chapter 5

Notes:

Warning: Racist and ableist "quotes" as insults in this chapter.

Rewrote this fight a few times, and if you read last chapter please go back and reread the Glory Girl interaction at the end. I rewrote it due to flow and realism reasons.

Arc 2 – Chapter 5

 

Thursday 24th November 2010

 

I’ve never flown parahuman style before.

And I’m not now really, instead I feel like one of those water carriers held under a helicopter that they use to fight fires.

The speed is insane, and Glory Girl has me lifted by one arm.

Like a children’s toy.

But damn flying is fun. I really need some flight capable armour. Or some other form of flight.

EFA interrupts my musing.

“ETA 20 seconds, Scattered news reports show Dauntless is engaged in combat with Whirlygig and Squealer inside some monstrosity of a tank, While Velocity tries to harry a very large Mush. The PRT are desperately trying to defend from behind the gutted remains of a PRT vehicle. A heavily restrained Skidmark is currently still in the back of a PRT van.”

“Glory Girl, drop a little lower, then drop me directly next to Mush, then assist the PRT in keeping the bystanders safe. Squealer isn’t being shy about spraying that machine gun everywhere she can.”

“But what about Squealer and Whirlygig?”

“Dauntless has them covered, and Velocity can back him up when I take Mush’s attention, but the PRT are heavily pinned down by the merchant gang members and we need to keep the civilians out of the line of fire.”

She doesn’t look initially look happy, but then she nods.

“OK agreed, are you sure you want me to drop you?”

“Yes. My inertial dampeners can easily absorb a drop from a second story.

She flies in close to Mush and drops me as requested.

I quickly angle myself and hit right on the trash golems left arm.

Direct hit!

I hit the ground and immediately jump into action. My baton is out, and I activate the matter manipulator.

Most people would be disgusted by all the trash and probably hesitate.

Not me though. 2 weeks ago, I was eating this shit for breakfast.

Literally.

I charge directly at Mush’s main body and engage the matter manipulator. I use it to start recycling the metal trash off his body.

He yells at me and immediately tries to punch me, I limbo under the limb that flails at me, and lash out with the baton in extension mode towards his exposed face. He flinches back and immediately starts pulling trash to armour his face. I hit his remaining arm three times in quick succession which causes large chunks of it to fall off. He attempts to engulf me, but I jump back using the powered legs of the armour and lash out again with the baton extended. I aim directly for the main body and discharge a huge charge into it. Even if it doesn’t fully conduct through, he could get some feedback. There is a huge burst of electricity at the point of contact.

I wait to see a reaction which is a mistake. I assumed he had to use only his two limbs to attack.

A massive ball of solid trash attached to his arm hits me hard in the chest, no damage to the armour but the force causes me to fly back towards the merchant mooks that Glory Girl is protecting the PRT from.

I hear a huge explosion, and Dauntless yell out in anger, Squealer starts to shriek.

“Whirlygig get back in this fucking tank you useless cunt, Mush, grab Skids quickly and leave, fights too much for us now with these shitstains joining in,” She glares directly at me with wild eyes.

A heavy machine gun emerges from the side of the tank and takes aim at the PRT agents guarding Skidmark’s van. Fuck, I need to decide between defending the agents and preventing the Merchants from grabbing him.

In the end, it’s no contest.

I quickly engage the matter manipulator to raise a huge earth and clay barrier in front of the agents, doing so blocks my view of Skidmark, however.

Mush quickly grabs Skidmark and passes him straight to Squealer. A wave of trash erupts off his body as he also lands on the tank.

They speed off down the main boulevard shimmering out of view as Squealer engages her cloak. No-one pursues.

“FUCK,” I yell. “We could have stopped them!”

I kick a piece of discarded trash.

Glory Girl lands next to me.

“Good job on the barrier Archon, you saved those agents lives.”

“Yeah but the prick who tried to enslave me is now free again!” I yell.

“We did the best we could Archon. Sometimes our only victory is we stopped other people from dying.”

Dauntless lands in front of me.

“Archon, Velocity got injured by shrapnel when I blew up part of Squealers tank, it’s why I couldn’t pursue. Are you able to stabilise him?”

“Is my tech approved?” I question.

“No, but I’ll take full responsibility with the witnesses here.” He replies.

“Glory Girl, can you go grab some water please he will need it after this?”

“Got it,” she flies off towards a local store.

I move over to Velocity who is sat next to an overturned car.

I signal a PRT agent. “Please bring over any injured agents who are willing to accept my healing as well, if anyone needs my immediate intervention let me know.”

“Will do.”

I kneel down next to Velocity.

“Are you ok?, where are you injured?”

“Caught shrapnel in my arm and shoulder. Shouldn’t have stopped.”

I think the Stimpak will eject the shrapnel, but just in case I use the omni-tool and scanner to recycle the shrapnel in his shoulder. I immediately inject him with the stimpak.

He sighs in relief as the regeneration kicks in, the wounds visibly start to close. And he nods at me.

“Thanks Archon, appreciated.

Three PRT agents also need assistance, one of them critical. I use stimpaks on all three and Glory Girl brings me more water over as I give them strict instructions to finish the whole bottle.

 

Dauntless walks over to me as I am tidying up my hastily raised walls and smoothing out the street. The civil authority will need to re-lay the asphalt, but this rough patch job will hold for now.

“Thanks for your assistance Archon.” He holds his hand out for me to shake. “You didn’t have to respond, but you did, and I appreciated it.”

I shake his hand; I hear cameras in the background, and it irritates me more than I expect it to that people are taking pictures and rubbernecking rather than helping.

“No problem Dauntless. I’ll always respond to a call for aid if I am able.”

He nods approvingly.

“You did a good job for your second time in cape combat, and your first actual combat you chose to enter.”

I shake my head in disagreement.

“I disagree. A good job would be Skidmark still behind bars and the other three chased off or in custody.”

Dauntless gives me a ‘look’.

“There was nothing we could do to keep them in combat and keep innocent lives safe. If you hadn’t raised that wall, half of the agents would likely be dead. Skidmark was facing a stretch in a regular cape prison, not the birdcage. And while it burns that justice is now delayed in his case, making the choice to save lives over both winning a fight AND your own personal stake in the situation speaks well of you.”

I contemplate this. I still disagree of course; I should have come up with a way to win. But I see his point.

“There’s only so many places we can be Archon. Had you not arrived, Whirlygig and Squealer would likely have caused me to have to retreat to protect the Agents, Velocity would be having to divert Mush alone, Skidmark would have gotten away regardless only with a bunch more injuries on our side. Not to mention the civilian injuries we would likely be facing. You made one of the better choices you could have made.”

 I realise my arrogance too late.

I should have directed Glory Girl to take down Mush, while I set up static defences against the gang members.

I was thinking more of fighting a parahuman member of a gang I now despise more than anything else, than I was truly thinking of the safety of the bystanders.

I made a tactical sacrifice in the heat of the moment to allow myself the chance at a small bit of revenge, and it doesn’t sit well with me.

Something to work on going forward.

Dauntless finishes putting his hand on the shoulder of my armour.

“Them getting away annoys me too. But there will be other opportunities to bring them to justice. Let a civilian die and their families don’t get second opportunities. That’s a parent, or a mother, or a sibling lost to someone somewhere.”

A cynical part of me thinks that this is a great story to give to PR for why you lost a prisoner in transit. But I quash it, slightly disgusted at myself. I’m more interested in how the merchants did the intercept in the first place. Coil? Some other infiltrators?

“How did they know where you were going to be Dauntless?”

“The route isn’t exactly a well-kept secret, we don’t use this route for bigger gangs like the E88 or the ABB for instance, those get much more stringent measures attached to them, but we didn’t think the merchants were big enough, or bold enough to launch an attack in broad daylight on a PRT op.”

Am I looking for conspiracy where none exists?

He continues.

“We will probably be upgrading the Merchants threat ratings in the next few days and moving them up in the priorities. Another major gang was the last thing we needed…”

I feel a little sorry for him. I decide to try to change the subject slightly.

“Didn’t they have another member too? I thought they had that tinker. Train something I think his name is. I wonder why he wasn’t here.”

He laughs at that.

“Trainwreck? Didn’t Assault tell you? When they came to rescue you, they ended up bulldozing through him as if he wasn’t there. He was the one guarding the downstairs. They didn’t capture him, as they rushed upstairs. He was taken away by the gang members in the area, and he’s still out injured from what we currently know. He really didn’t expect to be facing those two.”

No, they didn’t tell me. And now I owe both of them even more of a debt.

“No, they didn’t tell me thanks for letting me know.”

I turn to leave

“Would you be available for a debrief tomorrow? I think the boss will probably want to go through this situation with you.”

I don’t know if he means Piggot or Armsmaster. And I don’t think it really changes much.

“What time?” I reply.

“Come in at noon, I’ll need to book a time internally, but I’ll make it after then and if they aren’t about, then you could maybe discuss your submitted tinker review with Armsmaster as he was going to contact you today I believe.”

I get the feeling Armsmaster will not appreciate Dauntless stealing his thunder by telling me.

“Ok I’ll be at the PRT building tomorrow at Noon.”

“Thanks Archon, and thanks for helping clean up. I’ll see you around.”

I walk towards the PRT tape barrier and let myself out, the PRT Agent on guard nods at me.

“Thanks for the assist, Archon.”

 

As I'm leaving, I experience something new.

Autographs.

A few of the younger crowd members approach me.

“Are you joining the Protectorate.” “Please will you sign this?” “OMG Can I take a selfie with you!” “Can I try your armour?” “IS THAT A SWORD COOL!”

Maybe a charm offensive is exactly what I need now.

“Ok everyone calm down please, too many questions too quickly.”

I disengage my combat mode, so my face is visible, only covered by my domino mask. I smile at them.

“Who wants an autograph?”

Quite a few people it turns out. I sign everything from books to toys.

I can see why people get addicted to this. The acclaim is, heady.

However, I put my foot down on answering too many questions and just make a generic statement.

“Ok everyone I need to leave, I’ll answer a few of your questions quickly. I’m an independent hero and plan to remain so for the immediate future. I have no plans on joining the Protectorate but will be there to help them and the PRT and more importantly the people of the city. If they need it. However, for now I need to leave. Thank you for coming over and speaking to me and I hope you all have a great day.”

I walk over to Glory Girl, who is doing much the same as me.

“Hey Glory Girl, I need to leave, thanks for the lift down here.”

She smirks and addresses me and the crowd.

“No problem, Glory Girl airlines is always happy to accommodate!”

I chuckle and shake my head.

“I’ll take you up on that in future if I need to drop on someone’s head again.”

She returns the laugh as I leave.

I decide to move down to a nearby alleyway and utilise a convenient building rear door to jump back into my workshop.

EFA contacts me with a piece of bad news as I go to enter the workshop.

“Sir, from monitoring local BBPD news sources I have caught an alert that one ‘David Brewer’ has been broken out of BBPD custody by the Merchants. It seems to have happened just after the Skidmark breakout. ID is confirmed as the ‘Dave’ that attempted to harm you.”

I just can’t catch a break today.

The forge hits me as I enter.

Forge expansion deferred by active combat.

200CP are available.

Rolling

Facilities Mundane – Success!

Workshop/3D Fabricator.

0CP remain!

The workshop shakes as a new facility is added.

This is an amazing perk. And my first perk barring my initial blacksmithing forge I started with that comes with actual tech crafting materials.

Workshop/3D Fabricator is a companion perk to my Cybernetics perk that I gained earlier in the week. It gives me a special cybernetic workshop that includes a diagnostics computer, special tools and equipment for cybernetic and cyborg disassembly and maintenance. Ten kilograms of miscellaneous spare parts per week, and an extremely rare 3D fabricator capable of making customised components and printing and repairing circuitry. It also comes with a free rocket hammer.

It’s everything I need to really get started on cybernetics.

And it’s currently useless to me.

All the tools bar and workbenches are powered, and my workshop is currently completely unpowered.

I’m going to need to either make some fuel cell interfaces to start allowing me to use tools or concept a power source that can power the entire facility until I manage to grab a perk from PR or otherwise that comes with a power source.

For now, the facility has been added as an expansion to the room my forge is in, so thankfully keeping all of my crafting stations together.

I decide not to go and look in on it for now, just to look at what I can’t use.

 

There’s a few hours of the day left, I decide to go check on my Shadow Clone in the alchemy lab and see if he’s ready to dispel.

He’s currently getting a lesson from Hypatia. I sit back and observe for a while.

He notices my presence.

“Hey boss, I’m just finishing up tinctures with Hypatia and then I will dispel and pass you the knowledge.”

“Ok thanks for the warning, nice to see you Hypatia. Thanks for the lesson.”

She waves me away and gets back to teaching my clone how to make slow acting healing creams.

 

I move to my warehouse and drop off my armour and gear. It’s too early to sleep but I need a little R&R. First however I have some planning to do.

“EFA”

“Yes sir.”

“How goes progress on the software development front?”

“I have currently completed multiple tutorials and free courses that enable me to pass myself as a development specialist in security and software troubleshooting. Progress is slower as I can only work on it when you are out of the workshop as there isn’t a connection in here currently.”

“Are you at a point you can start utilising this to raise funds for us?”

“Yes, I can definitely do that would you like me to proceed?”

“Yes please, split your software time now 75/25. 75% of the time working on software solutions that raise funds and 25% researching and developing new techniques, how goes progress on hacking?”

“I wouldn’t be able to do anything against tinker software or high-end security, but I think I could break into the majority of other systems now, is there a job you would like me to work on?”

“I need a legitimate identification to move on from where I am now. I need an identity outside of the forge and a way to work among the civilian populace as other heroes do. I have three choices. Make my own, find someone to make it for me, or approach the PRT with my extradimensional status and have them do it. “

“Ok sir I will look into if there are ways that we can achieve this and will also look for other contacts who may be capable of it.”

“Thanks, EFA”

The dilemma of my identity troubles me. Skidmark knows my real face is a parahuman for sure. They know my name, but currently I have zero presence out in the world.

Thomas Hale needs to become a real person. A real American citizen.

I need an identity to be my public face if I am to create a company dedicated to progress.

And therefore, I need to deal with Skidmark and the Merchants.

I gave everything else up to come here. I refuse to give up my name and face too.

Time for some reconnaissance and information gathering while night falls. And I know just where to start. Dave’s arrogance and attitude previously tell me he is definitely the type to return home after escaping.

 

I call another shadow clone up tasked with using his copy of the omni-tool to go and get more resources for more power cells for the armour. I switch in my last set of 60% cells in the meantime and prep the door to step out into my old apartment.

I send the clone in first, in case its booby-trapped, while he is checking the apartment I quickly dull the silver parts of my armour to a dark grey with the matter manipulator.

The clone returns and gives me all clear, no tech showing on scanners and no life signs on the top few floors either.

I send him out to the ship graveyard and Northside docks to grab the aforementioned resources with instruction to prioritise returning over staying out for more resources..

 I step through to my old horrible apartment. It’s just like I remember it an unfortunately for Dave the power is on, which gives me an amazing idea.

I quickly pull through my power interface and spend half an hour recharging my cells off Dave’s electricity bill. Because fuck him.

I manage to get two sets of 4 at 80% and the worst 4 at 60%. That’s enough for now. Even if none of my other objectives come off tonight, this alone made the trip worth it.

I engage my scanners and inform EFA to keep an eye on life signs especially, I do not want to be caught off guard.

I probably should be trying infiltration out of armour to avoid the sound, but I’m not quite that brave yet.

Time to interrogate a drug dealer.

If I remember correctly, Dave’s apartment is the entire right side ground floor of the apartment building opposite this one. Breaking in is easy enough, a quick scan to check for alarms and my blade makes short work of the rear access doors lock. The sun has fallen by the time I make my way in.

There are two men loitering in the lobby, but a quick shock with the baton and some omni tool plastic restraints puts them down. I gag and blindfold them both with their own shirts and put them both in a cleaning cupboard.

I quickly move on to breaking into the nearby apartment. Scanners show one life sign, and currently no sign of electronic surveillance. I make quick work of the front door lock and make my way inside.

As I thought, Dave is currently home, and alone too!

He’s sat watching tv in his living room without a care in the world. I quietly approach where h is sat, the volume from the set covers my approach.

I take out my baton and place it on his shoulder.

“So give me a good reason not to haul your ass back down to the BBPD and make sure it sticks.”

His eyes widen in shock.

“T?”

“Surprised to see me?”

He looks me up and down.

“Knew you were a tinker. Didn’t know you were this advanced. Told Skids he never should have gone for you. He got too greedy, and you didn’t have the eyes for it.”

“That’s the only reason you are still conscious to be honest. If I thought you were one of the threats to me, I would have knocked you out and taken you straight to the BBPD.”

He looks around.

“So what do you want, I doubt you are here to hang out and busting a drug dealer to the BBPD doesn’t really seem your level now after what you’ve been up to recently? Apparently Mush still didn’t get full feeling back in his legs after you shoved thunder up his ass.”

I snort involuntarily.

“I’ll only ask you once. Where is Skidmark and where is Squealer?”

He closes his eyes and sighs.

“So you can kill them?”

Do I really seem that angry?

“No, so I can bring them to justice. I don’t do the killing thing unless I have no other choice.”

Now he seems angry.

“You think any of us here have a choice? This is a dog eat dog city. Sometimes literally. You walked into my place in your fancy armour and thought I’d give up Skids and his drug bitch on something as weak as ‘I’m going to bring them to justice’? Skids has things on people in this fuckin slum you couldn’t imagine. You think Squealers the only one round here who has no other option?”

He starts to pace back and forth, hand twitching all the while.

“You take down Skids and what happens? Trainwreck aint taking over, Whirlygig is a drugged up kid who thinks she's a lot better than she is. Squealer is so drugged up most of the time she don’t even know what's real. The Merchants collapse and then some other fuckin cape gang moves in and nothing changes. You think I work for that cunt because I like it. You white hat fucks think it’s so easy in this place?”

He spits at the floor.

“I rent these apartments to the lowest of the low. Scum and down and outs like you were when Ben arranged for Jerry to send you my way. Those useless fucks at Fortress might pay like shit but we look after the homeless and the lost. Better workin for some jumped up Boston construction company that thinks its hot shit trying to save money by hiring illegals than not eating?”

Wait, Bens connected to all this?

“Ben is a merchant?”

He laughs, an ugly thing hoarse and gasping.

“No you tit, Ben is fucking Empire. They run most of the work crews in this shithole. ‘Nigger’, ‘Spic’ and ‘Retard’ might be too tainted and wrong to work good jobs and live in good neighbourhoods but even the Nazis won't turn their nose up if they can skim 50% off the top and fund their own shit.”

Now I’m even more confused.

“But you said Ben arranged for me to meet you through Jerry? Is Jerry Empire? And why would Jerry send me to a Merchant if he was?”

“You are white. Nazis don’t like vagrants and illegals, but you were white enough that Ben wanted to make sure a white boy wasn’t staying with the less savoury skin colours in the halfway house.” He laughs again “Like any of that matters, Skids a fucking black brit and he's had Hookwolf chasing his tail for the past four weeks.”

He pauses for breath.

“As for why the merchants? Jerrys not one of us or them but every fucker in town knows him. Ben doesn’t know I’m a merchant, and neither does Jerry. All Ben knows is Jerry knows an apartment owner who rented to illegals.” He finds this hilarious and I have to wait for him to continue as he wheezes out choked laughter.

“That prick Ben thought he would be more likely to keep you workin and healthy if you were employed and livin in better conditions and then maybe he could recruit you for the Empire. Ya might be the only fuckin homeless non-cape to have two gangs trying to recruit you at the same time in this dump. And then you turned out to be a fuckin tinker and everything changed.”

So it turns out I had a lot more eyes on me at the start than I thought. I’m stuck on another point in particular.

“Fortress is from Boston?”

He looks at me strangely.

“Yea, Boston company does a lot of the jobs in the richer parts of Brockton, been about for decades? Why the fuck you care about them?”

So Fortress wasn’t Coil then? A red herring maybe?

“EFA, please look into Fortress Construction, see if you can find a link to Coil or more likely, Thomas Calvert. Something isn’t right here.”

“On It.”

“Oh someone told me they had a link to one of the gangs in town here.”

“Hah that’s rich, if they did they’d be fucked they do work for the PRT sometimes.”

He chuckles and looks me in the eye.

“Listen, you might as well arrest me. I won't give up Skids for ‘brought to justice’ my own life will be on the line.”

“I don’t care about arresting you, I care about my identity and making sure you and Skidmark can't spread it about!”

“Skidmark won't. You know his ID too and he dealt with the other guy who knew your ID permanently. And I might not be a cape but I follow the rules. I'm not ending up like the guy who did in Fleur.”

I stare into his eyes.

“You know I won't give up on sorting Skidmark out right. Not after what he tried to do to me?”

He stares back.

“Don’t blame ya kid. It never sat right what he did to Squealer. But until you have a better option for me that isn’t ‘Bow down to the next gang to take over the trainyard or pray if it’s Lung he doesn’t incinerate me and steal my buildings’ then I aint risking myself for you.”

I contemplate this for a second. A seed of an idea is starting to grow.

“Ok, take my number,” I rattle it off for him “Don’t tell Skidmark I was here. I have some ideas. Pass me intel and be my informant and I’ll forget about the BBPD warrant for now.”

“Not making any promises. I’ll tell him if it’s you or me. And I won't pass you info if it could reveal me.”

“Fair enough. If you do have to tell him about me visiting you, tell him to stay the fuck out of my way and business.”

I turn and leave. Dave has one last thing to say.

“Piece of advice don’t mess with Ben kid. He’s connected in ways you don’t want to piss off.”

“I don’t intend to; I’ll deal with the Empire when I’m ready.”

When I’m geared enough to do it without reprisal.

I leave his apartment after telling him about his two guards in the cupboard. I use my key to leave via the apartment door opposite before he can see me leave.

As I step into the workshop, the forge hits me with a double strike.

Forge expansion deferred by active situation.

200CP are available.

Rolling…

Failed

 

On the back of the failed roll, I head to bed, contemplating solutions to removing the Merchants without leaving the territory free and prime for the ABB and the E88.

I’m starting to sympathise with the PRT even more. How the hell do I clean up the city as a hero when it’s a delicately balanced Jenga tower.

Notes:

Perks Gained this Chapter
Workshop/3D Fabricator – GUNNM – 200CP - Facilities Mundane
Powered tools for cyborg disassembly and repair. Bulky diagnostic computer, ten kilograms of miscellaneous spare parts, very rare compact 3D fabricator capable of milling custom components and printing or repairing circuitry. Free Rocket Hammer

+50 PR CP gained. 100 PR CP available.
Rolling…
Failed!

Chapter 11: Intermission - Coil

Notes:

So this has kinda been building in the bakground, or ive been trying to set it up, youll have to let me know in the comments if i've been succesful up to now. See the end notes for more details.

Intermission – Coil

 

Two timelines. One choice.

Seems easy on paper. It’s not the flashiest of powers.

But with someone of my intellect, it doesn’t need to be.

Charlatans used to use sleight of hand and misdirection to pick the right card every time.

 

Tattletale was both the easiest and the hardest of my pets to control.

I do look forward to the day I can pick the timeline where she bleeds out, betrayed as I finish extracting the last useful information out of her smug little brain.

But for now, I’ll bear her little rebellions.

Because I have a problem.

Someone is interfering with my timelines.

It was subtle at first, A timeline terminating before it should have leaving me in a tricky situation with work.

Then a timeline terminated while I was tracking the mayors niece. She seems to be a prime tinker or thinker trigger.

I do so love to grow my collection of pets.

Then the situation came to a head.

A new tinker has been making waves. I had high hope for this one’s intelligence given the quality of his gear, but he registered with the useless idiots at the PRT, showed them powerful tech without reservation, and then walked out adamant he was remaining independent.

Usually, an imbecile like that would be putty in my hands. His personality analysis had him down as “Heroic, but proud, possibly slightly narcissistic at least in how he looks and acts, and obsessed with the idealism connected to traditional heroism.”

So, I looked for the usual levers I use to manipulate the heroic ones.

They don’t exist. He doesn’t exist.

Tattletales analysis was useless and say what you want about that girl but usually her power is always at least somewhat useful.

“He’s deeply conflicted in personality,” “His actions and intentions don’t match each other,” “He isn’t a tinker and isn’t a thinker.”

Clearly must be a higher tier thinker than my Tattletale. It’s well known that high-level thinkers interfere with other high-level thinkers.

So I assumed he was the one interfering with my timelines.

The next time he appeared in the city I ordered him followed.

Inconclusive. He walks through doors and vanishes popping up a few minutes later in another part of the city…

I find out just before he meets with the PRT for the first time he’s seen most often in Merchant territory so I arrange for a tip to be passed to one of Skidmark’s lower level thugs.

It hits gold. Skidmark has had a recent tenant of one of his men followed, apparently suspicious of him already.

I have the identity.

Whoever blanked this man out of the systems is good. He literally does not exist.

No resource I throw at him can find a single trace of his existence. I called in a favour with Accord and even his contacts at watchdog could gain nothing.

For a short while I consider that he’s a Kings man, or possibly even a Yangban plant. He’s too convenient and too happy to help. I’ve made a career out gaining the trust of the PRT and he manages it in a day.

Skidmark tries to capture him. Skidmark ends up in lockup. I arrange for Skidmark to get out in exchange for a future favour. Skidmark doesn’t take my help, already made his own arrangements I find out later.

I’m loathe to waste a good possible resource, or a potential new pet. But the interference with my timelines cannot be abided. Every time he disappears and reappears somewhere else in town, my active timelines drop.

I am ready to give the sniper the order. He’s signing autographs after trying to prevent Skidmark’s escape. His faceplate is open, and he is a sitting duck.

A gun is put to the back of my head in both timelines.

“Calvert, I’ve been nurturing this little plant since the start of last week. If you interfere with his growth, you may find yourself pruned.”

I freeze. I cannot take any chances with this one.

“You said you wouldn’t interfere with the bay.”

“To keep this one playing the game, I would become god empress of the bay if I had to.”

There are many people I am willing to ignore or work around.

This isn’t one of them.

“I can't use my power in areas where he uses his mover teleportation power.”

“Neither apparently can the Simurgh. Three known Simurgh plots have resolved without a single death that we can track, the only thing they have in common is that they spent time in the bay in the past week.”

Now that’s extremely interesting.

“So what do you want me to do? You won't let me kill him, and while he’s in the bay, my own plans are on hold.”

“Test him. Step further into the background and manipulate ramping threats against him. Don’t let him rest for a minute. This one grows in a crucible. Forge him. He has a good heart, but he is painfully naïve about the world around him. And I cannot keep deflecting and absorbing issues for him now some of my other projects are looking to be viable. His charmed and ‘coincidental life’ comes to an end from Saturday. You will be taking over my job of maintaining his growth.”

“Where’s the benefit for me?”

“You mean other than keeping your eyeballs in their sockets?”

“I’ve been working on taking over this shithole for years. Being allowed to live isn’t going to be adequate compensation.”

“The Bay is off limits for as long as he calls it home. But we could be persuaded to assist with your… ascension in another area, should this one end up where we need him.”

“And adequate monetary compensation too no doubt.”

“Of course, we will even call all of your favours complete.”

Well, that’s an offer I can’t refuse.

I drop the sniper timeline and in the base timeline I turn to the bitch behind me.

“We have a deal.”

She nods and disappears into a portal.

I pick up my phone and dial Tattletale.

“Offer Archon recruitment. If he refuses, burn me as a contact and try to join him. worse comes to worst, I’ll arrange a public crime to draw him out and you can let him turn you.”

“Boss no offence but have you been drinking.”

“No but I’ve been made aware that being on this ones good side is a good idea for the immediate future. I’ll need someone on the inside and if you don’t think you can do it. Analyse him and find someone who can. I’m putting my operation into temporary dormancy while I work on a special project. Don’t worry, you and your little weekend scouts will still be paid.”

“Ok Boss, uh do you have a job for us?”

“Raid Empire and ABB holdings, I’ll triple anything you steal on an ongoing basis if you aren’t detected at all. I want them riled up but not pointed at you.”

“Ok Boss, we can do stealthy. Later.”

Cheeky little bitch hung up on me.

I’ll make her pay for that in a later session.

Notes:

You may have noticed a certain amount of serendipity follows Archon, at least for a while. Certain thinkers can follow up with Archon as long as a forge roll hasnt occured recently.

I honestly think had i rolled BlankII up to now i would have just abandoned the story. I found myself getting more and more scared of the prospect of another forge roll utterly invalidating plot points.

Things are now starting to come to a head and i'll be going more into the manipulations behind the scenes in future chapters.
Suffice it to say, things will soon get very interesting.
I hope youl ike my take on Coil. I've read so many Coil demolished fics that i wanted to write somethign a little different. I hope i captured his creep factor well. He really creeped me out the first time i read worm.

Luckily after this point, Blank wont be able to derail the story so i dont need to fear rolling it so much.

Chapter 12: Arc 2 - Chapter 6

Notes:

Ended up cutting a bunch from this chapter, couldnt quite get the flow of events how i wanted it.

I rolled a perk as i finished but decided to leave it as a surprise for the beginning of next chapter. It's a biggie!

Arc 2 – Chapter 6

 

Friday 25th November 2010

 

I wake up from a broken sleep in a foul mood.

The nightmares continue apace, last night I was locked up in a Cauldron facility by Skidmark due to “not progressing fast enough for the forge.” Not the funniest of dreams.

I shake off the rust and get out of bed. I have an AAR with either Armsmaster or Piggot today, so I need to be at my best.

After performing my now standard bloodletting workout routine, I scarf down a meal from the pot and head into my forge via the warehouse.

I can’t help but stare longingly at my new cybernetics creation and maintenance suite as I walk past the workshop. But no torturing myself today. Instead I create today's morning shadow clone. My intent today is to have my clone drafting a new renewable power supply for scaling up.

I won't be able to make anything truly silly yet, I can achieve a low efficiency deuterium fusion reaction using heavy water just from my cybernetics knowledge, I need power to actually start the reaction and at the “power my base” scale, I can’t move it once it’s switched on.

A dilemma I think I can solve by just creating a ton of power cells and using them sequentially to kick-start the reaction. It’ll take some math that I don’t have time to perform. That however is what the clone is for.

He immediately moves over to some free space in the forge, grabs some paper from my resources and gets to work drafting.

Maybe I should get some whiteboards in here. A thought for another time.

The second hold up is actually getting heavy water. Deuterium oxide is found in regular water which I have a near infinite supply of, but the deuterium hydrogen appears in such a small ppm. That it doesn’t count as a “reasonably common additive” so I cannot produce it myself.

This means I need to actually create it myself. The most reasonable way I can do this is via electrolysis, which I don’t have the equipment for, or buying it.

Using the internet via the multi tool tells me it’s about $100 for 15 ml.

For a base sized reactor, I will need roughly 1.5 litres for a 5-year lifespan reactor that can power a decent amount of machinery.

That’s about $10k worth of heavy water.

It’s my only choice, however. I can thankfully buy it legally. I was worried I would need ID or worse that I wouldn’t be able to buy it at all, but it doesn’t seem to be a restricted item.

I will need to see what the PRT offer me for any destructive testing they did today, Dauntless said Armsmaster would speak to me after my meeting today.

Clone happily embedded into high level nuclear math, I spend some time polishing and recoloring my armour. It’s not technically required, I could use the omni and matter manipulator for the clean and polish, but I need something to do with my hands that isn’t crafting.

I renew the dull grey panels, deciding to go for a matte silver today I decide to inline it with circuitry designs. Artistic Architect kicks in and it comes out looking far better than I thought. I also darken the cobalt panels. It looks a little edgier than before, but the inlaid design makes it look much more stylised.

Once done I suit up, grab my gear, and drop out of my only door in the western docks. I got interrupted on my last patrol and never grabbed a door up near Winslow so I’m going to grab that now, then patrol south through the Docks South suburbs where Taylor’s house is supposed to be. I won't know the house but if I grab a few sub station or utility doors in the area, I will at least be able to deploy nearby. I will then continue south, grab a door near Arcadia before patrolling down to the PRT on foot for noon.

I’ll grab some early lunch on the way down, spend some public exposure time and relax a bit.

I’m glad I made this armour so I can eat normally in it!

 

The patrol from Winslow goes without incident. I see a few younger guys wearing the red and green, but they quickly loiter away as they see me approaching. This is technically neutral territory though only in that all the gangs operate here.

No-one challenges me as I work my way to the south towards the south east of the Docks South picking up doors along the way.

I didn’t try to grab the door of Winslow. I feel it would be suspicious for me to be seen poking around there.

I’m being recognised more often, I even catch a few people waving, I return them with a grin and a nod.

I’ll never get used to the pseudo celebrity nature of parahumans. It’s a strange breed of fame.

Making my way towards downtown I start seeing a lot more red and green on the border to the docks proper. I see gestures and glances towards me, but nobody challenges my path. I catch movement from the corner of my eye on a roof and my scanners pick up a life sign. That quickly disappears.

I look in the direction but I see no-one there.

It looks like Oni Lee just did a pass by to check what I was doing.

Interesting, I will have to remember this area, must be something of importance here somewhere to garner this level of reaction.

I ramp up the active scanning and instruct EFA to warn me if any life signs flicker in and out around me.

The Forge interrupts me with a new roll.

300CP are available.

Attempting Expansion!

Failed!

300CP remain!

Another perk failure, and it looks like I’m building up quite the charge.

 

I walk the borderline between Empire and ABB territory as I approach the PRT controlled areas of downtown. The deprivation is high in this area, it’s relatively nice housing wise, but there is a clear divide of graffiti and gang signs, one side swastikas and eagles and the other various pan-Asian languages and green and red imagery.

The dragons are actually pretty nice, some good artists in the ABB.

Hey! I can appreciate good artwork.

I enter the downtown proper on high alert, I am definitely being watched by both sides, and neither seems to know what to make of me.

A bunch of skinheads approach me from the opposite side on the sidewalk, but they walk past me with nothing but a sneer. Everyone in the area seems so tense!

It’s easy enough to grab a door around Arcadia. The outlying parts of it are technically an open campus so grabbing a couple of public toilets is easy enough.

Having shown my face outside of the forge and established my position downtown, and almost being out for 3 hours at this point I pop my head into the forge, dispel my clone and make a new one with the same job.

I receive a heady rush of memories about technical documentation and safety features of the basic cybernetics generator, and my initial back of the napkin math was correct-ish. I should be able to scale it up though there’s a theoretical maximum I shouldn’t be near to it if me-2’s math is right.

Which it is of course, me-2 is almost as good at math as me-1.

Hooray for perks!

I have almost all the materials I need to make the v1 reactor. I need some more lead and glass, and a good chunk of silver, but the rest of the reactor housing can be made from various steel/tin/gold composites. I have a little tungsten that my clone must have bought back from his expedition to the docks that I can use to make the core outer housing. I’ll need some NPSteel for the inner housing, but I have more than enough resources for that now.

I’ll see what I can pick up later before I return home to the workshop.

I grab what should be my last door, a useful maintenance access in the alley behind a coffee shop. I pop through quickly to summon another shadow clone, this time with strict instructions to work on alchemy and alchemy tools. Specifically non-lethal suppression methods that I can make suit portable.

Time to meet the PRT.

Walking into the lobby is a lot less scary when you have a powerful local scanner on you and can use it to see the countermeasures you will be pissing off if you act off. Some people believe in “peace in ignorance” but I am not one of those.

The agent on reception is expecting me this time, he directs me to a nearby elevator and tells me it will take me where I need to go. I step in and in no time at all I step off the elevator to a much nicer looking corridor than last time.

Miss Militia is waiting for me, American flag bandanna and all. She nods at me professionally.

“Archon.”

I return her nod.

“Miss Militia.”

She smiles, and gestures for me to follow her. Watching her hand for the telltale sign of her power I notice instead that she has a Beretta at her hip.

She notices me looking and looks at me quizzically. “Are you okay Archon?”

“Yes I was just looking at your gun, Beretta M92FS?”

“M9A1 actually, a personal favourite. Are you an enthusiast?”

“Unfortunately, I have to defer my knowledge to video games rather than personal experience though, it’s a favourite of mine.”

She chuckles.

“You’d be surprised how many I train who get into the sport for the same reason.”

We continue walking through well furnished offices, Cream carpets and brown leather furniture. PRT support staff work on decent quality PC’s in various areas.

I get the feeling this isn’t a casual meeting with Armsmaster.

We pass through a glass door, and Miss Militia asks me to stop.

“Are you able to leave your equipment here in this room Archon?”

“I’d prefer not to leave the armour; I will leave my weapons however if it makes you comfortable?”

“Are you willing to certify that your Armour container no projectile weapon systems nor weapons of a nature that could be dangerous to people in the room with you with complete certainty?”

The way she says ‘complete certainty’ make me realise that I’m definitely being checked on a lie detector. Likely Armsmaster.

“I don’t carry ranged weaponry at all currently, my baton and sword can extend but I’ll be leaving those here and my deployment system for my syringes isn’t complete yet. I will have only one weapon with me, a personal carbide blade that I can project from my wrist if threatened, but it’s a personal defense weapon.”

She waits a second, then nods.

“Approved to enter in Armour.”

She leads me to a lockbox to leave my weapons in, I also make the concession on detaching my helmet. It makes interaction a little more personal and is more likely to be looked on favourably.

Not like anyone can copy or reverse engineer my gear if they get hold of it anyway.

Black boxing is such a useful perk.

The first thing I notice when we walk through the second set of double doors is that Director Piggot is smaller than I expected.

She’s still portly, but I expected someone as big as I was in the previous life, or bigger.

However, while definitely on the wrong side of obese, she isn’t some rippling monster many fics make her out to be. She definitely does not look well, however.

The second is that her dislike of unaligned parahumans is probably not an exaggeration. She is giving me the gimlet eye as I enter. However, her expression softens as I stand next to the chair opposite her at the glass meeting table.

“Please sit Archon, the chair is one reinforced for Armsmaster, I doubt you are much heavier even with the armour.”

I could just sit in the armour without a chair, weight isn’t an issue when you can lock your limbs in place at whim.

“Thank you Director and thank you for inviting me to this meeting.”

She looks directly at me.

“No need to thank me for inviting you to a basic AAR. Hearing your side of events will help us with rating the Merchants in future.” She says waspishly.

I nod. And decide to keep my mouth shut.

While we are waiting for the other participants to arrive, the forge gives me another ping. I thought you deferred in active situations!!!

 

 

400CP are available.

Attempting Expansion!

Failed!

400CP remain!

Another failure, although given where I am, probably for the best.

I’m worried about the tier of perks this failure steps me in to. There are conceptual perks that can change the very nature of your soul in these rolls, and I am approaching a well of stored power that may be able to reach them.

A worry for the future, however.

Dauntless and Assault enter together, Assault sees me sat at the table and waves, Dauntless notices him waving and then notices I am here as well. He smiles and nods.

Finally, Velocity and Armsmaster enter. Armsmaster takes the seat next to me as Dauntless sits opposite me.

No Triumph or Battery, they must be holding the fort.

The Director begins to speak.

“Now everyone is in, we can begin.”

She pushes a button on the desk in front of her.

 “Emily Piggot, PRT ENE Director, after action report and strategic meeting regarding the parahuman gang ‘The Merchants’. In attendance, Armsmaster, Head of the Protectorate ENE, Miss Militia, Deputy Leader of the Protectorate ENE, Dauntless, Assault, Velocity of the Protectorate ENE and Archon. Guest of the PRT ENE and local registered hero.”

She takes a sip of her drink.

Dauntless, Velocity. Please explain the initial attack on the PRT Prison convoy.

Dauntless quickly takes the lead and explains the few minutes prior to me arriving. He describes the front vehicle crumpling as it hits an invisible obstacle, followed by the tank dropping its stealth field and using its heavy machine gun to disable the prison transport.

“After disabling the prison transport, I was rapidly engaged by Squealer, I moved to keep her attention in order to keep the attacks coming at me, rather than the agents.

Velocity jumps in.

“I engaged Mush in a harrying action, I can’t actually do much to him but distracting him from the pickup while Dauntless engaged Squealer seemed like the tactical choice while the PRT regrouped and moved to protect the Civilians.”

Dauntless then takes over the report.

“Once Velocity engaged Mush I was engaged directly by Whirlygig, and a group of Merchant gang members engaged the PRT Agents in the rearguard. This is when Archon dropped in, literally.”

Assault snorts, but a rapid glare from Piggot clears his expression rapidly.

Heh, I could grow to like this woman.

The table looks at me expectantly.

I describe the actions I took and the orders I gave to Glory Girl.

Piggot speaks up.

“Why did you order Glory Girl, a while younger, more experienced field hero than yourself to take the civilian guard duty instead of backing up Dauntless or yourself?”

“My primary priority at the time was making sure the unpowered agents and civilians were out of harms way. Initially my tactical analysis was that her fear aura plus her known strength would work better as crowd control while I engaged Mush. However, in the aftermath of the fight I have come to believe that I made a tactical mistake. After seeing that Mush was more competent that I assumed and definitely more adept with his power than he is made out to be. I believe it would have been the more tactical choice for me to engage the gang members and defend the agents and civilians by raising terrain barriers while Glory Girl pummelled Mush.”

Hey what do you know, she can smile.

“I appreciate your candour regarding your own mistakes. It’s refreshing to see an independent who can admit they made one.”

Even Assault looks shocked.

Looks like I scored some brownie points.

Piggot moves on.

“Ok, tactical analysis of the merchants. Archon as the newcomer you open.”

“Ok, I’ll intersperse some of my personal observations with some sensor data I analysed.”

She nods.

“Firstly, Mush. Mush is more competent than his bearing suggests. While definitely under the influence, he managed a feint that took me completely off guard, replacing his own arm mid combat in order to trick me to overextending. His ability to re-accumulate his golem body is deceptively quick.”

I take a sip of water.

“Secondly, Squealer. Her tank was made of a hybrid alloy I don’t recognise. Immense tensile strength from the sides and rear, unlike most tanks it’s weakest point is actually the front which is how Dauntless managed to blow up an ammo store with lightning. It’s strongest in the sides and back. Armour wise, I can't guarantee any of the man portable launchers will do you any good even from the front. Maybe one of the up-down rocket launchers could penetrate the top armour. The gun was a custom job firing .50, no known match to any commercial or military model.”

I stop for breath, before finally ending my analysis.

“Whirlygig is limited, if what she showed is the limit of her power, any quick brutal strike will take her out of the fight, she seems to require the centrifugal force to build up before she can attack, and she rapidly uses up that force when she does attack.”

Piggot questions me.

“And do you have any insights to Skidmark from the previous fight?”

“Not much, unfortunately whatever he injected me with left me out in the wind. He is dangerously clever, however. He saw through me in minutes on a first impression. And I was actively paranoid about my status. His fields seem to be capable of layering, if he was a psychopath, or pushed too far I could see him being capable of laying floor traps that could take off a leg. I would only ever invite him to engage on you, never allow him to prepare the ground. Treat him like you would a dangerous tinker if he knows you are coming, and you won’t go wrong.”

 She nods.

“Thank you for your insight. Does anyone else have any insights that add on to this analysis?”

The conversation continues, and I sit back and observe how they run their analysis. It could be useful to learn in future.

Finally it comes to threat ratings.

“Any ratings opinions Archon?”

“Unfortunately, I don’t know fully what the expectation of the ratings means, I wasn’t much of an internet user nor cape enthusiast before I became a tinker, and I’ve been too busy since to really get into it.”

“Noted, I will arrange for you to have an insert from the joiners pack that explains them. Even if you remain fully independent, if you continue to work with us it will be useful to you and us for you to be knowledgeable in them.”

The forge grabs my attention again.

500CP are available.

Attempting Expansion!

Failed!

500CP remain!

Another failure! There are literally hundreds of low-cost perks left in here!

 

The discussion continues about ratings until finally, the Director closes the meeting.

“Ok, all analysis will be submitted to Watchdog for official ratings to be applied or upgraded. Until further notice The Merchants are upgraded to a Tier 2 gang presence. This means Ward deployments in any area they are known to be active in are suspended until further notice. Armsmaster I’ll need new deployment routines on my desk for sign-off no later than Tuesday.”

“Acknowledged Director.”

She turns to leave.

“It was nice to meet you Director.”

She hmm’s, turns her head to me and replies.

“Likewise.”

Armsmaster turns to me.

“Please stay and I will speak to you about your tinker submissions and your other request.”

The Director nods at me as she leaves.

“Thanks for your assistance Archon. We will contact you again as needed with your permission.”

“Always, Director.”

It’s just me and Armsmaster left.

“How have you been Armsmaster, any interesting developments recently?”

“I’ve been good thank you, I’ve recently been working on improving some predictive algorithms for melee combat.”

“Oh interesting! Software based or are you looking at hardware based solutions? Maybe a hybrid?”

He seems intrigued.

“Currently software combined with a visor, but a hardware hybrid could also function quite well…”

“Yeah, maybe a spread of cameras with a high FPS around your Armour, specifically tuned for movement? Could be developed to spoof a form of combat precognition?”

“Interesting idea! I will research the viability of it!”

He looks like he wants to run off to his lab right now.

Poor guy.

“Ok, I have a check from the PRT bursar for 25000 dollars for destroyed equipment. Your ‘stimpak’ is approved for deployment as long as side effects are discussed in advance and permission is attained. You will face no personal censure for using it on Velocity, Dauntless has taken responsibility there and rightly so!”

“Oh ok, thank you! And the other gear?”

“The PRT is interested in the applications of the injectors, and it’s outside of our purview to tell you if you are permitted to use them or not. I’m planning some analysis on the ‘Pax’ you left with us myself for combination with a tranquilizer I have been developing and as the relationship between yourself and the PRT develops, they may choose to put in orders. Regarding the melee weapon, currently the PRT is not willing to tie their combat effectiveness to a weapon directly powered via a parahuman power. This is not intended as a slight, even if you worked for the Protectorate this answer would be the same.”

I reply. The rest of his statement was pretty much as I expected.

“I’ve been working on non-lethal anti-personnel measures myself.” I reply. The rest of his statement was pretty much as I expected.

“Finally, Assault passed on your request for tinker resource contacts. Here is a list of approved suppliers that fall under the civilian umbrella. You may use these for your personal projects.”

This was more than I expected.

“Thanks, Armsmaster. Has there been any development with your enhanced halberd?”

“Yes, I registered a slight increase in overall durability with no corresponding increase in density following combat. I will be monitoring the effect as it progresses and will keep you updated.”

“Thank you for letting me know.”

I decide to make my excuses and leave, he really seems to want to get back to his lab.

“I’m going to head back to my workshop to work on some power generation ideas Armsmaster, thank you for the supplier list and thanks for the cash!”

“Don’t mention it Archon, have a nice day.”

 

I grab my gear and walk out of the PRT $25k richer.

My power generation plans are a go.

I quickly put an order in for the heavy water I need via the omni-tool and make towards the south. I will need to head over to the heavy industrial district to pick up my order, and I have no doors that far south. Which is an oversight I will correct shortly.

I quickly stop off at the bank to deposit my check on the way, and then travel at full sprint via the main roads towards the district.

I could have gotten the bus, but I feel like a guy in power armour would make a bit of a scene.

It doesn’t take too long to arrive at my destination.

Buying the heavy water in the warehouse office of a chemical plant is an experience. I get the feeling they don’t get many visitors on foot in 6’5 power armour.

Cannister of heavy water in hand, I make my way back to the forge.

 

 

So, deuterium oxide power generator.

It’s basically cyberpunk magic.

The math is wild, but it will give me a good chunk of power generation that is relatively clean. The air in the workshop is guaranteed and the outputs of the reaction are traces of oxygen, carbon dioxide and helium. The helium I should work on a way to capture for use in future projects.

Once this project is finished I’m looking at about 20’000 MWh per year for 5 years. A conservative output all told, but for one person it should be more than enough. All for the cool cost of around $14k in materials.

The celestial forge is broken.

This particular generator wasn’t designed to be scaled up like this but if Tony Stark can scale down a magic palladium generator, I can scale up a magic deuterium generator.

 

…

 

Have you ever tried to create a complex circuit board on a blacksmiths workbench?

I can’t actually recommend it. Backyard Handywork is one of my earliest perks, but it by far has pulled the most weight up to now.

I expected it to take a while, but the next time I check the omni-tool for the time, It’s 4am.

I have three more connectors to finish, then I can finish the transformer and power cell interface.

Once done I will be going to bed. Under no circumstances am I powering up a finicky piece of tech like this while this tired.

I have twelve power cells ready to catalyse the initial reaction, it’s overkill but better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

I finish doping the core connectors and turn in for the night.

I add “a proper bed” to tomorrows mental checklist of things to make once I have power.

I always neglect the basics.

Notes:

Perks gained this chapter.

 

None. Seriously. Every perk I rolled cost between 600 and 1200CP.

 

Gained 50 PR CP

Rolling…

Failed

(Are you kidding me -_-)

Chapter 13: Arc 2 - Chapter 7

Notes:

Bit more exposition and r&d in this chapter. I had a very different outline for this chapter but the perk i gained at the end of the last chapter really took some weaving in to the story.

I always planned to go down the path this perk afforded me skill in, but this gave me a lot more to work in to the story.

Getting a 600CP perk this early was not my aim and certainly not one with the potential this has.
But we roll with it. Pun intended.

Next chapter has a *smidge* more action ;)

Arc 2 – Chapter 7

 

Saturday 26th November 2010

 

I wake up screaming.

Not from a nightmare this time, oh no.

Remember that charge the forge was building up?

It just decided to expend itself all at once into my brain.

WHILE I WAS SLEEPING!

 

600CP are available.

Attempting Expansion!

Crafting Biotech – Success!

Guardian Angel – Overwatch – 600CP

0CP Remain

My brain is melting.

Legitimately

I just lived the entire life of a career doctor and surgeon of unparalleled skill in the space of thirty minutes of screaming.

Head of a hospital before 18, Creator of medical technology so advanced that people believe it is legitimately magic. No-one in the known world capable of matching her skill in her areas of expertise.

No-one until now.

Encyclopaedic medical knowledge, mechanically precise hands for surgery. Impossible standards of medical technology. Grandmaster of nanobiology. Staves that can regenerate and heal at range, The ability to slow the rate of aging. A form of battlefield resurrection. Flight capable semi powered armour for healing around a battlefield.

I was already knowledge wise, a pretty good if limited doctor. Between the knowledge of genetics and biology from Magos Genetic Engineering and my ability to implant and convert cybernetics and cyborgs from Cybernetics I already had a lot of the theoretical knowledge covered.

This, however, Is an entirely different level of ability and knowledge and more importantly, experience.

I am Mercy, I am Archon, I am Mercy, I am Archon

I am ThomasHaleAngelaZiegerThomasHaleAngelaZiegerThomasHaleAngelaZieger

I slap myself in the face. I look in the reflection coming from one of the armours silver plates.

I see a black-haired young man|blonde haired woman looking back.

I slap myself again.

It actually helps this time; the memories start to slot into place as EFA starts to soothe me.

“Boss, it’s ok, come back to me. They aren’t your memories; they’re just integrating into your brain and expanding into brand new neuron activity. Don’t lose yourself in there.”

As soon as it begins, it begins to soothe. The memories start pulling back, like waves lapping from an outgoing tide, leaving behind impersonal memories of learning, and the skills honed over a lifetime of hospital and battlefield healing.

I am Thomas Hale.

I cringe and wait for the psychic shock of a second set of memories again.

It doesn’t come, the forge has changed me forever with all the mechanical precision and care of someone putting their socks on in the morning.

I feel, distorted, not quite right.

I need to get some equilibrium. I’m worried now about the deeper perks. This was If I remember correctly a 600.

What will happen to me when I get an 800?

Hell, there are 2000s and greater in there somewhere. What happens to me when I pull one of those?

Will I even be me anymore? I already feel different. I wasn’t someone prone to killing before anyway, but now? I never took a Hippocratic oath and yet those principles are now up there in my head warring with the fact that I may need to take actions that go directly against them to save the world. The mental war between a pragmatist who already decided to sacrifice some of his principles to retain his humanity, and a pre-eminent healer of people who advocates always for peace.

The memories are now gone, that light feminine touch upon my psyche that was only there for a moment but felt like decades. And I feel like I both gained and lost something of immense importance. A trade in souls I never agreed to.

We are all products of our experiences, so if I keep gaining decades of experience in mere minutes, what will I become?

With trillions upon trillions of lives at stake, and me taking the slightest nudge towards the first step of the staircase to pseudo godhood, is it selfish of me to still want to remain me?

But if I get caught up in pseudo-philosophical feeling sorry for myself, I will never get anywhere.

The trillions come later. For now, I’m struggling to find a way to save one measly territory in the asshole of the northeast United States.

I can only become what I am. Nothing more.

 

 

I take a relaxed morning. I was going to work on my generator straight away, but I am still discombobulated from the mornings events. I decide to perform my usual workout and bloodletting to get my stimpak routine running.

The fresh medical knowledge in my head informs me that I need to eat much more Iron and B-12 than I am to replenish the blood I am losing.

Shut up brain, the stimpaks convert what I need into blood. Funnily enough that actually works and the medical knowledge in my head self-updates to account for stimpaks. I’ll probably need to also do similar with medi-gel and the healing food from the cookpot.

Not to mention Hypatia’s potions. Damn I really need to take some time out on alchemy for myself rather than dumping a clone on it and absorbing memories of it. I feel like I’m missing out even though I get the memories anyway.

Speaking of which, my clone yesterday managed to make up some good paralytics, soporifics and tranquilizers. The medical scientist in my head insists on testing. I’ll use myself as a guinea pig later.

Ok, much later.

How do you side eye your own brain? Elaborate series of mirrors maybe? I could probably rig something up with a few of my perks.

 

So on to the generator. I finished up most of the components last night. I create a shadow clone with orders to assist me in order to finish the housing. For now I’m going to mount it centrally in the warehouse and run cabling through to the forge/cybernetics workshop. This will finally allow me to use my Cybernetics workshop and set up or build some of the machines I bought parts for earlier in the week.

Some of them will be slightly redundant given what I have access to in my cybernetics workshop but if me and my clone are ever working on a project together, well you can never have too many machines.

 

Fabricating the final parts with the omni tool, I am thankful that I had created the circuit boards last night by hand, as doing so allowed me to scan and blueprint them so I can fabricate them going forward.

Progress!

Me and clone run into a few issues. Like how two of us will load the reactor core with only one set of power armour, however after rigging up a pulley we manage to get it all seated.

It looks, well it looks intimidating, artistic architect has pulled some weight here. All hard lines and glowing rectangles.

But you don’t spend half your money making a generator because of how it looks.

Me and the clone initialise the start-up sequence, I am extremely glad I have him because this would have likely been near impossible without. We load up the fuel cells and catalyse the reaction.

A pleasant hum enters the air as the reactor kicks in to life.

We have power in the workshop! Finally! No more stupid emergency lighting for me.

I quickly dispel the clone and recast the technique.

I get the clone started off on the next project. 4 mini reactors using the leftover heavy water. Well not so much “mini” as normal size as they are typically used for powering cybernetics. It’s time to plan some real armour upgrades.

Plus, I just gained a tech that will allow me to fly!

I move to the nearby table and decide to spend a few hours drafting upgrades for my current suit, and the layout for my next set of armour. I won’t be cannibalising my current armour for this project, this is a completely separate project.

My current set of armour will be adapted to be my primary patrol and combat armour. This is the man-to-man combat suit for combat with the gangs and parahumans up to mid tier. I’m naming it the THOR.

The THOR armour will continue with the lightning weapon aesthetic, working with tasers, electrified weapons and overpowering strength. In future once I get access to better materials, or even fantasy metamaterials from the forge, this suit will be developed to be my duellist suit. Capable with 1v1 combat with almost any parahuman on the planet.

I quickly draft out a few sets of theoretical upgrades, an antigravity core to allow for flight, I’m a long way from being able to make this even with my new workstations, but this suit will benefit from this form of flight most of all. I draft up plans for plasma upgrades to the sword, to truly open new echelons of anti-brute action. Plans for probeless tasers with build in safeties are next, followed by a series of nano-upgrades for the actuators. Finally, a portable foldable railgun for ranged encounters is theorised, and I can make this particular weapon work with only what I have access to now albeit at a lesser power than if I had better materials.

It's all currently theoretical work, I’ll have a clone run viability studies later but from my initial research it should all be mostly viable.

Finally I move on to metamaterial analysis. Using the scanner in the Omni Tool combined with the fab, in addition to my new diagnostic computer in the Cyber Workshop, I manage to come up with a few novel compounds, one of them an interesting artificial resin that remains relatively flexible when cured but retains immense deflective strength. I put a reminder on my omni-tool to have a clone start fabrication on the tools to make this in decent quantities. I could theoretically make it in the alchemy lab but not in bulk.

Then it’s time to leverage Guardian Angel along with its synergy with my other perks to plan out a truly separate project.

I’ve always enjoyed being a healer in games, it’s a unique form of pressure that feels altogether different to the other roles for me.

I’m not going to 1-1 the Caduceus staff, but I’m most definitely going to leverage nanobiology healing at range. This will be a large part of my identity in future. “Archon the miracle healer” has a nice ring to it, and mass healing at range will be a huge gamechanger for S-Class threats and Endbringers.

With that in mind I start to draft my next set of armour. The weapons can wait, the staff I won't even be able to make in short scale as it requires me to work with nanobiology which has a growth time requirement. They aren’t “nanomachines” more “nanoscale directed organics” that cannot do anything other than follow basic standing orders without the direction of specific technology that Mercy created. The technology creates an adaptable carrier wave between the projector and the target, through which nanobiotics are applied en masse. They can be used to heal, and also to enhance temporarily.

My theme of “budget bay parahumans” continues. Othala this time.

Although in this case, Othala will be more a budget me.

The forge fails to grab a perk, but I barely pay it any mind

100CP are available.

Attempting Expansion!

Failed!

 

After this morning I am not enthused about the idea of growing a huge charge any time soon, so I hope the next one is successful.

Continuing on nanobiotics, this form of healing is even more all-encompassing than medi-gel or even the stimpaks. I can theoretically heal *anything* with this. Although a large portion of the healing is directed directly by the user. You have to know what you are doing and what you want to do.

Skin Regeneration? Easy.

Regrowing that heart valve because you ate yourself into a heart attack? Hard.

Rolling back an invasive cancer that has metastasized? Very very difficult.

I write out a list of things I will need to create the nanobiotics, I can synthesise some of the things I need in my Cybernetics lab and the omni tool can pull some weight too, but I will need to create a completely sterilised tank to seed the initial growth of them. They can reproduce under specific user direction and with biologic material as fuel so once I have seeded them I shouldn’t need to seed any more. The best part of using them is unless destroyed they don’t ever get used up unless destroyed. They simply return to the projector to refuel off electricity or biologic material before going out in the next carrier wave.

You can lose them if healing is aborted early, but they instantly die and get absorbed by the body if this happens.

Mercy kept the well of nanobiotics in her staff.

I plan to keep them stored partially inside whatever projector I make, but mostly inside my own body in symbiosis.

They can be used for self-directed regeneration too. The procedure too risky for Mercy to perform on herself. She was the only healer good enough to heal her if something went wrong, so she went with a weaker self-directed carrier wave.

I, however, have a forge backed perk that guarantees any self-modification to be to succeed regardless of how risky. Sometimes it’s good to be me.

The armour will focus on mobility more than anything else. The wing projectors will be scaled down slightly but the wings themselves will be lengthened. I think I should be able to pull out a deep crimson red colour for the wings. The armour will be full body, red with gold and white highlights. No face helmet on this one, a red and white visor with the halo tech integrated, completely opaque from the outside and transparent from the inside.

I have to use the halo tech, as it’s required to use the biotic interface technology.

The primary weapon will be a biotic rifle that allows me to attack with chemical and biological agents. Mostly my syringes from the Fallout alchemy as well as buffing and debuffing alchemy potions. My staff will be double sided, one side will be the projector for the heal or buff carrier wave, and the other side will be a light railgun capable of impressive throughput. The staff will of course double as a melee weapon.

This loadout will be called “ARCHANGEL”. Mercy went with Valkyrie, but I don’t think I can pull that off.

It is an extremely ambitious project. The nanobiotics alone will take a mass amount of development. The halo tech for the mental control of the biotics, the new metamaterials to keep myself safe so they don’t just “target the healer”.

This project will make me a legend. This armour isn’t really for parahuman combat at all. It’s the search and rescue armour, the keep people alive suit. This is my first draft of tech I will be deploying in personally for combat against Endbringers.

It should hit me harder than it has, but after the morning I had, it feels almost… banal.

 

After six hours of pure design work, research and drafting, I need some fresh air before my next actual crafting project.

I decide to go shopping. In my civvies. Give EFA chance to connect out to the outside world and work on her projects while I pick up some decent clothes and grab a haircut, get a meal I didn’t make, and generally just spend a little time relaxing.

Going out to the city feels a lot different when you actually have cash.

I throw on the nicest of my clothes and my only decent jacket. Put on the matter manipulator gauntlet for just in case. omni tool + manipulator will allow me to escape from 95% of the situations I can envision.

I step out of the door in a public bathroom just off the boardwalk. The first time I’ve been out without a mask or armour in what feels like forever.

 

 

Walking through downtown, I can't help but reflect on my progress in the last few weeks. My initial time in the bay was rudderless. Paralysed by fear and unable to really progress myself or the forge.

It almost feels bittersweet. Even without having a legal existence I’ve gone from vagrant waster, to up-and-coming hero. From being utterly destitute, to having multiple sources of income.

I feel like I’m only really scratching the tip of the iceberg in progress even with what I have already rolled. But I commit myself to not rushing. I have plans to fulfil, and roughly 45 days until Taylor should be triggering. As long as I can get THOR and ARCHANGEL completed, I should be able to deal with a large amount of what early canon can throw at me. If the story even progresses the same now, I’ve introduced my own butterfly to the mix.

The lack of interference from Coil is also making me nervous. Leaving me alone doesn’t match his personality profile. I might have to manufacture a collision between myself and the Undersiders soon if only to get some insight.

Tattletale worries me, but not as much as Coil.

Shaved, with a fresh hair cut, and new clothes I look at my reflection in a nearby window. I don’t look like myself anymore. I’m healthy, well built. I don’t look I’ll anymore.

I finally feel like I’m moving on from getting in my own way.

A quick fast-food meal later gives me the realisation that the magical cooking pot has utterly ruined standard food for me. I still find comfort in a handful of bread and grease, however.

I’m about to move on when EFA pings me.

“Boss, I’ve finished my infiltration of the local government systems. There are thirteen unaccounted for social security numbers I can use to generate an identity for you. I can use this to legitimise anything else missing as a local paperwork error. The ID systems seem to be decentralised so setting you up here should be able to feed up the chain.”

“Ok, good work EFA, do you need anything my end to continue?”

“No, but the best fit for your age and circumstance is one Aiden Smith, seems he was killed in a boardwalk shooting incident, but the death certificate was misfiled and he is still counted as *alive*. I can delete the certificate and assign his ID to you. He died young with no biometrics on file so I can fill them with your own from here. I will then file for a change of name for you in order to match your proper name. I will have to intercept the upload to the central database of the name change and instead modify the file header to a correction instead. This will legitimise your name.”

“Any living family?”

“No, his mother died in childbirth, his father in a gang related incident not long after his death. Both sets of grandparents are dead, no siblings or cousins. plus once the name change goes through, there won’t even be a family name connection. I will also fabricate a family connection in England to legitimise your accent.”

“OK EFA, please go ahead with the hack.”

“OK Boss, you will need to stay out connected to the internet for at least three hours for me to complete the job.”

Well, that won’t be too much of a hardship I think.

I head down to a local arcade and play a few games. The gaming scene is weird here. With no Nintendo or Japanese games at all really the arcade scene is a lot more homogenous.

It’s relaxing to get outside of the forge like this, I’ll have to do it more often.

I head out and walk the evening boardwalk. Being out here among regular people just going about their lives

I swing by a few pawn shops and hobby shops to grab some small quantities of common crafting materials that my forge doesn’t come with such as glass, crystal, clay. I’ll need them for the nanobiotic project.

Before I even know it, the sun is setting. I decide to sit outside a nice restaurant and order treat myself to a nice dinner.

I pull up my phone and browse PHO while I wait.

Apparently I have a capewatch thread! EFA did mention she would summarise my presence on the web if I asked but seeing this myself for the first time is an experience.

There are a lot of pictures of me from my various times in public. They have me in my original knight armour, the new powered armour. And even a distant shot of me in my undersuit and mask from somewhere.

I decide on a whim to make a cape account and “Archon_Official” is available.

Not 5 minutes later I get a DM

 

Tin_Mother: Hi Archon_Official – Please note that cape names followed by official are reserved for the cape in question, please submit proof of ID within 6 hours or the account will be forcibly renamed.

Archon_Official: Noted thanks Tin_mother, I’ll get some pictures up from my workshop later and send them over.

Tin_Mother: Thank you. Please note you won’t be able to post in the boards until verified.

Archon_Official: That’s fine thanks.

I amuse myself browsing the boards on my PRT phone.

My capewatch thread is a hoot. People can’t classify me. I’m apparently – Tinker: WTF given my proven abilities up to now. And someone has a sweet video of my power dropping Mush from the sky.

I quickly save a gif of it. That’s so being my avatar when I get approved.

I eat slowly, savouring the cool nights air and my meal, while dropping in and out of threads about myself.

In no time at all it feels, EFA is finished.

“All done boss. Can’t guarantee it holds up to scrutiny, but it’s about as real as anyone could make.”

“Thanks, EFA.”

I finally have a legitimate ID. And this opens some incredible opportunities for me.

For one, I can get legitimate housing. Even legitimate jobs not that I need them.

But most importantly, I can now work towards building a civilian identity.

I have taken the next step towards opening my own company.

 

 

I head back out and make my way to a door for extraction back to the workshop.

And the forge gets my attention again.

 

200CP are available.

Attempting Expansion!

Vehicles – Success!

Black Thumb – Mad Max Gauntlet – 100CP

100CP remain

Attempting Expansion!

Toolkit Mundane – Success!

Chemical Synthesizer – Hive Queen Quest – 100CP

0CP remain!

Two very useful, interesting and above all, non brain melting perks.

 

Black thumb makes me a master mechanic. I can now repair, maintain and tune vehicles to an impressive degree. I already had a lot of base mechanical knowledge, and this will sync up and allow me to make and maintain vehicles to a much higher standard.

Chemical Synthesizer is a microwave sized machine added to my workshop, that allows me to synthesize up to 350ml of any non-magical chemical per hour. Unfortunately, I can’t use it to make blood for the stimpaks as blood isn’t considered a chemical.

It will be very useful for making chemical elements I need in future if I need things such as heavy water, however.

After spending this evening outside of the forge I’ve decided I spend far too much time in there.

I’m going to spend some more time out and about seeing the city, patrolling.

And I still need to strategize how to save the merchant territory from the gangs if I free it from Skidmark.

 

I head back into the forge, and I’m satisfied with the day. I have completed power generation for the workshop, had my world utterly rocked by a perk, then leveraged said perk to plot two separate paths of upgrades to plan for my future.

I quickly snap a picture of myself fully armoured up in front of some of my tools holding a sign that has my username on it. I stick my head out of the workshop and quickly DM it over to Tin_Mother. That should take care of my approval.

 

I head back into bed, but not after creating a fresh shadow clone to work on viability testing my previous plans. I’ll grab those memories in the morning.

 

Tomorrow we patrol and look for opportunities in my civilian guise to legitimise myself as a citizen of the city.

Notes:

Perks gained this chapter -
Guardian Angel - Overwatch – 600CP – Crafting Biotech
Doctor Angel Zieger, also known as Mercy, was renowned as an unparalleled medical genius even in her teens, being recruited to the medical division of Overwatch before she was even 18 and becoming the head of a hospital even before that. Her medical skills have literally brought the dead back to life and her technology is so advanced that it seems like magic. there is no one in the world able to even compare to her in her area of expertise. No one, that is, save for you. Your base medical knowledge is encyclopedic, your hands are almost mechanically accurate when performing surgery. Your technology is advanced to almost impossible standards, including things such as a staff that can engage a healing stream to rapidly regen people from a distance. Your knowledge may even allow you to slow the rate of aging.

Black Thumb - Mad Max Gauntlet – 100CP - Vehicles
You have the skills of an expert mechanic, able to keep vehicles running even in the most inhospitable conditions. Repairing and tuning up engines is your bread and butter, even while they're still operating. You also have a feel for how to upgrade cars in more esoteric ways; hey, it takes skill to add that many spikes and not hurt the handling!
Chemical Synthesizer - Hive Queen Quest – 100CP - Toolkit Mundane
This microwave sized machine is truly a wonder of modern science, able to synthesize any non-magical chemical known to man in up to 12 oz batches. Synthesizing a chemical takes roughly an hour and works via a small Tablet interface.
* A bit under-priced for any matter creator, even with the small volume and time needed, born from lacking knowledge that ever matter falls under chemical.

+50 PRCP Gained
200PRCP rolling!
Success!
Extranet! – 200PRCP
Extranet (Personal Reality) 200: This handy add on connects your Personal Reality with the local Data Networks of the Universe you’re currently in… not only that, but it gets the kind of performance only really ever seen by ISPs at their hubs. If your current Reality of Residence does not have a Data Network, this will connect to the nearest equivalent.. yes, even if that is nothing more than a town gossip and a local library.

Chapter 14: Arc 2 - Chapter 8

Notes:

Another chapter that really fought me, this is the third draft. The other ones were... muych worse than this.

Let me know your thoughts on the various scenes, i'm not a fan of the scene transitions in general, but i struggle with those anyway.

The situation with the ending is currently... fluid. I have plot drafts for most iterations of how this arc ends so if you have an opinion please feel free to state it as it may sway me one way or the other.

Next chapter should be the last of this Arc, then a timeskip and maybe a couple of interludes depending on how my muse hits.

I need a PHO chapter covering Archons public appearances in the various chapters. If anyone knows how to write one and is interested then DM me because ive tried 5 times and i cannot get it to look right. Even using the tool.

Arc 2 – Chapter 8

 

Sunday 27th November 2010

 

Yet again I don’t manage to get a good night’s sleep. I have another one of those strange forge dreams again. This time a large portion of a different continent is shaded in.

I now have internet and phone access inside the workshop.

And just in time. My PRT phone is ringing.

At five am. Ok I doubt this is a social call.

“Archon, it’s Assault. Panacea has been seriously wounded by an attempted kidnapping and we need urgent medical attention for her at Brockton General. Can you get here quickly with your healing tech?”

“I’ll be there in minutes.”

I suit up, armour up and grab my mask, and my standard loadout of stims and chems. I additionally fab some blank injectors with the omni-tool. I quickly pop into my Alchemy workshop and grab some tranquilizers and paralytics.

Just in case.

I decide to leave the sword here, I can always portal it to me if need be and carrying only the baton makes me look less intimidating.

I create a clone with instructions to finish off the small cybernetic reactors, and when he finishes to start working on creating the nanobiotic tanks. If he finishes that I want him to start on the wings as they use a peculiar and oddly energetic form of antigravity that will take some research to implement.

This takes me a total of 30 seconds then I’m out of the door scarfing down a mover wrap to give me the 10%. I have a door a block down from Brockton general.

I literally blur past people pushing my armour faster than it has ever been pushed. I catch some startled looks, but I don’t have time to stop and apologise.

I arrive at Brockton general 50 seconds after the call with Assault. He’s waiting on the ground floor for me.

He pulls me towards the elevator, “5^th floor!”.

I shake him off and run for the stairs.

“Faster this way!”

He sprints after me.

We sprint up the stairs at full pelt, almost in a blur. In no time we hit the 5^th floor. He leads me over to a surgery prep room.

“She’s in here, thanks for coming.”

I step into the prep room with Assault with me. I startle him by disengaging my armour and the locking it up.

“Make sure no-one messes with it please Assault, they won’t appreciate it.”

I turn to the sinks and quickly scrub up, I sterilise myself and my equipment, before throwing on a surgical mask and cap.

I step into a room in chaos. Glory girl is present but at the edge of the room wringing her hands while a blonde woman in a white is comforting her. This must be Brandish.

I wonder why the surgeons have allowed them in, then again, If I was a regular surgeon I wouldn’t want to tell mini-Alexandria and arsenal in a can to get out either.

Brandish turns to me as I approach the surgeons working on Panacea, the lead surgeon notices my presence and sags.

“Archon?” he questions hopefully.

“At your service, how is she?”

“We are still counting the injuries; she caught a backhand off Trainwreck powered by one of Skidmark’s fields. Its left her torso in a mess.”

“Ok, step aside so I can evaluate please.”

Brandish steps between us.

“Who qualified you to work on my daughter?”

“Brandish, Mrs Dallon. I am a fully qualified doctor and surgeon before I am a parahuman, even if not in this country. My tinker speciality is personal enhancement and healing. There is nobody I know of more qualified to help your daughter. I owe her a debt; she saved my life. Let me return the favour please.”

She backs down thankfully.

“Do I have permission to work on your daughter?”

“Yes, please help her, she didn’t deserve this.”

I engage the omni tool and start a scan.

She is a mess. I start to dictate out loud and one of the surgeons starts writing.

“5 fractured ribs on the right side of the ribcage, 3 on the left, punctured lung on the right, partial puncture, second through and through puncture on the right lower lung. Myocardial contusion indicates a massive amount of force to chest area, contusions and lacerations across chest and down back all the way to hips, contusion in the spinal area. Concussion, definite head trauma. Broken left arm, fractured left collarbone. Cracked hip on the right side. Minor damage to all internal organs in the torso, including a lacerated kidney.”

She’s a real mess.

“Has any anaesthetic been applied to miss Dallon?”

“Yes she’s currently under standard propofol anaesthesia.”

“Ok good.”

I pull out 6 stimpaks.

“Start saline infusion immediately, two at max dosage. This is a potent diuretic on its own let alone applied in 6.”

I turn to two of the surgical team and hand them 2 stimpaks each.

“Start applying these directly to the area of her worst injuries systematically.. I’m going to deal with realigning her ribs and her chest, the stimpaks will do it but it’s more effective to heal what you can without them, to allow them to work on other areas.”

I turn back to her chest without delay and use the omni tool to scan for bone shards. She’s lucky, it’s mostly all clean breaks. I use a nearby scalpel to open her lower chest and then prise the rib that’s gone through her lung out. I then manually reset the rest of her ribs and apply a stimpak to each side. I then prep a package of medi gel injections.

“Mrs Dallon, this medicine will leave a heavy load of exhaustion on her when used in these amounts. She will be fully healed but I’m barring her from working for at least 7 days. 3 large meals per day. Enforced.”

She nods. And I start administering small injections of medi gel.

Finally, I pull out Hypatia’s energy and cure disease potions.

I pass them to a nearby nurse.

“Please arrange to have these loaded into IV bags and return them for intravenous application asap.”

She runs out the door.

Panacea’s wounds are visibly regenerating, and the colour is returning to her skin.

I initiate another scan. All of her wounds are slowly regenerating internal and external. She has some minor infections developing internally, but I can counter those with the cure disease potions. No infection on outer wounds, likely down to her own power.

“She would likely have died from these wounds Mrs Dallon, if he intended to hit her, this is attempted murder.”

“He was trying to hit Victoria. Amy threw herself in between them to block the hit.”

I contemplate this, I’m not technically supposed to know how Glory Girls power works, so I question this.

“Not to be offensive Mrs Dallon, but isn’t Glory Girl a brute? Why would Panacea need to sacrifice herself to defend her?”

She sighs wearily.

“Victoria’s power can be taken down for a short while under specific circumstances. Trainwreck accidentally happened on to those circumstances.”

So, Glory Girl took a big hit and then almost a rapid second big hit.

I beckon the Dallons to leave with me.

“She’s healing now, let’s step outside to allow the doctors here to do their work.”

She seems resistant but follows anyway.

I turn to the head doctor

“She needs to be on double doses of saline until no earlier than tomorrow morning. Monitor her hydration levels until her fluid stays stable. With this amount of healing, the drops could be rapid, and spike at random times.”

He nods approvingly.

“Thank you Archon, and thank you for your help, I don’t know if we could have gotten Othala here fast enough to save her, and I would rather we not owe favours to a Nazi.”

I smile warmly at him.

“Always best to not owe favours to Nazis.”

I leave the Surgery Bay and the Dallons follow me. As we step back into prep, I reengage my armour. I decide to answer Assaults unanswered question.

“Difficult to sterilise armour like this, and while she doesn’t likely need it given her power, old habits are hard to break.”

They aren’t technically speaking *my* old habits. But try telling brain that.

 

After making our way to a private waiting room. I ask the question bugging me.

“What happened?”

Assault is the first to answer.

“We are still investigating, but it looks like something has happened to Squealer. Skidmark was apparently yelling about how the healer ‘Better come heal my bitch or else’ and the lack of Squealer present points towards this.”

I contemplate this.

It doesn’t feel like Skidmark. Skidmark might be high on his own supply a lot, but he isn’t stupid enough to attack someone that would bring every hero and gang in the bay on to his head.

“Listen I’m no expert on Skidmark. But this isn’t his method of operation. He isn’t stupid he knows that even Kaiser and Coil will be three feet up his arse if anything happens to Panacea. She’s guaranteed neutral everywhere. Especially in this city. Lung likely wouldn’t give a shit but can’t guarantee that either.”

Brandish sags.

“They caught up with Amy and Victoria at the rear entrance of the hospital. He asked Amy to come heal ‘her’ whoever her is. Amy refused. Skidmark made a move towards Amy and Victoria took it as a kidnapping attempt and threatened him. Trainwreck and Whirlygig took exception to the threat towards Skidmark and moved to defend him. They got into a scuffle and Whirlygig took down Victoria’s brute rating as Trainwreck moved to hit her through a Skidmark field. Victoria was stuck defenceless, and Amy pushed her out of the way and took the punch head on.”

So, the Merchants were likely not stupid enough to grab Panacea, I wonder what they planned to offer her. Still looks bad for them from the outside.

“You need to set the narrative that it was collateral damage unless you want a gang war in the northern docks. Empire will use this as an excuse to attack the Merchants and will likely get a lot of support. Lung will not appreciate Empire being in his territory. This can get very messy, very quickly.”

Assault agrees with me.

“Brandish we’ve worked together a while and Archon is right. You need to de-escalate this urgently.”

Brandish looks furious.

“Why should I de-escalate this after they tried to kill my daughter?”

“Daughters you mean.” I wonder to myself which daughter she meant in the statement.

She gives me a withering look at my interjection.

I understand where she is coming from, but I don’t back down.

“Listen for god’s sakes Brandish. It’s not about what they did or didn’t do. You aren’t doing it for them, it’s not like the Protectorate isn’t going to go at them ten times as hard now.” Assault nods at my point. “It’s about not allowing your daughters to become Nazi propaganda and for the people living in Docks South to not have a warzone on their doorstep.”

She visibly calms herself.

“Fine. I’ll speak to Sarah and make a statement from New Wave. But Assault. Put Piggot on notice. I expect to see a strong response from the PRT.”

“Noted, Brandish. I’ll make sure she is aware.”

He turns with me towards the door, and we walk out together.

“So, what will you do now?”

“I’m going to see a friend of a friend. I have contacts who pass me info on merchant activity, and I’m going to try to find out what happened to Squealer to make Skidmark take a risk like this.”

He stops and turns to me.

“Be careful Archon.”

“I will. Don’t worry.”

The forge hits me twice…

Expansion deferred by active situation…

200cp are available.

Attempting expansion…

Quality Appearance - Success!

Beauty in the Arts – God of War

I’ve been hoping to get another appearance perk for a while. Forerunner tech is great but intimidating and it makes me look far too dangerous in most situations. This perk is more general and allows me to appeal to form without sacrificing function. Anything I make I can leverage this perk to make it worthy of the gods. Well, I say ‘can’ leverage it. But unlike aesthetic architect, this one is automatic and always on. I can pick the general theme, but nothing I make can look bad anymore.

Hopefully this doesn’t have ramifications in future.

Back to the workshop, and a quick reequip and clone scouting mission sees me carefully entering the lower floor of the old apartment building again. Time to see Dave.

I’m going with a full loadout this time. No chances taken. The clone is dispelled and a new one sent back to the workshop to continue research on the Mercy tech.

The area is pretty much dead. There are a few druggies knocking around, but none of them are in my way, after a quick recon of the lobby of Dave’s building I notice the usual loiterers are sat at the entry steps, I step across the road using my doors, and use my scanner to confirm I have a path to Dave’s door. There are a few signs of life in the adjacent apartments, but nothing immediately important. I instruct EFA to maintain scans of my immediate area so I can’t be ambushed again.

I knock on his door, however as soon as my knuckles hit the door, it creaks open.

That’s not right.

I tentatively push the door open,

It’s incredibly dark in the hallway, only the light behind me illuminates the corridor.

“EFA ramp up all scanning activity, if a mouse farts in the area I want a breakdown of the chain of events.”

“Got it boss.”

I step inside, the smell is eye-watering. The rancid stench of unwashed people, and rotten food.

As I enter the living room, my eyes are immediately drawn to the middle of the room.

Dave is hanging from a noose in the middle of the room.

That explains some of the smell at least.

I engage my scanner and scan the body and the area. Cause of death is definitely strangulation. I don’t see anything he could have stood on to kick out if it was suicide though. I’m also picking up bruises up and down his torso.

I stoically scan the area for more clues, I don’t know why I feel so sad? He wasn’t a friend, barely an acquaintance. Hell, he tried to help Skidmark kidnap me, but maybe it was the potential for him to redeem himself I could see. Was I mourning the person he could have become if I had found the answer to the gangs sooner?

There are signs of other people here, multiple joints in different ash trays, footprints of varying sizes.

“Boss, the people in the adjacent apartments, they’ve all moving out at the same time.”

I felt a chill down the back of my neck. I can see them at the front door on the scanner.

I run to the bathroom to dip out to the forge and get a better position.

Someone has removed the door.

Why didn’t I realise this when I walked in, the only door in the damn place, wardrobes and all is the front door.

Every other door has been removed.

Fuck.

“EFA ready a support call but don’t put it through unless I need it, get ready for a fight.”

I draw my baton and power it on. No kids gloves this time.

Eleven life signs.

This is it.

The door explodes inward and Skidmark steps in.

“We’ll if it isn’t the cunt in the fancy armour. Fancy seeing you here.”

I nod at the body.

“Thought you were friends?”

He laughs.

“That faggot? He was useful. Good recruiter. Speaking to you was a betrayal. No-one fucking betrays me.”

I chuckle dryly.

“Well look at you. The big bad gang leader, head of a gang that the PRT only bothered to learn the name of this week you were so weak-”

He grits his teeth as I continue.

“-desperately scrabbling for relevance against bigger and better gangs. The laughingstock of the city.”

He scowls at me and forces out between grit teeth.

“At least I didn’t walk into a trap twice you dumb cunt.”

I make eye contact and laugh, drawing my baton in one hand. I reach for my sword with the other.

“I don’t see a trap.”

He smirks at me.

“What do you see then you retarded cum-gargling dick stain?”

“A room of people with a choice to make.” I pop a Med-X and a mover wrap.

“Obstacles exist either to be bypassed-” I draw my sword “-or removed.”

I activate the helmets combat mode. It closes up.

“I’ll let you decide.”

I whip my baton at Skidmark and surprise him with the extension ability. I manage to hit his leg, but I have to withdraw it as one of his goons charges me.

I charge him back and shoulder check him, he flies back out into the entrance hall like a bowling ball into his comrades, I hear snaps and cracks. Some bones have just been broken for sure.

Skidmark is prepping fields around the room, taking attention off this man is dangerous in a fight.

I whip the baton out at him again, but it’s deflected by a field, he’s shielded himself quite well.

I need a ranged option before I ever go into combat again.

I charge at the entrance hall and start beating the goons. If Skidmark’s going to make the room unviable, I’m not playing to his tune.

He yells at me unintelligibly but I'm uninterested.

Four baton hits later and a copious amount of applied electricity, four goons are down.

I hear rapid thudding.

The front wall of the room facing the street crumbles in as Trainwreck charges me.

“Time to fucking drop” he charges me like a bull. But I know his secret. None of these limbs are real.

I charge the sword and run straight at him, he doesn’t expect it and his mouth opens as he approaches. As he reaches me he swipes, but I drop to my knees and slide, chopping out at his legs.

I sever the left leg entirely and he does not expect it.

“What the fuck, you bastard! Do you know how fucking long it took me to make this shit?”

He tries to get up, but it isn’t happening for him. He really underestimated me.

I take one of his arms too, just to make sure.

Skidmark hasn’t been idle and after the initial shock of the wall crumbling, he is using accelerated fields to railgun bricks and debris at me, I manage to dodge most due to trajectory and I get instruction on how to deflect others with by baton.

I am bored with this. Skidmark looks absolutely furious.

His fields are layered at floor height, he’s almost entirely surrounded by them.

I point my sword at him.

He missed a bit.

The blade suddenly rapidly extends out at him, as his eyes widen in shock.

The sword enters his shoulder and runs him through.

I drop a nice shock through it to drive the point home.

He drops like a sack of potatoes.

The goons approaching me from behind stop and look at each other.

I don’t understand the point of this fight. In fact, I don’t understand any of this.

Why attack Panacea, why attack me?

I turn to the goons and electrify my weapons again.

“Five seconds to leave. Anyone still here after that I’m counting as part of this attack and defending myself.”

They make the logical choice. Which surprises me.

Skidmark is unconscious and bleeding, I’m not sure if his fields are still there and I'm not risking it so I use the matter manipulator to raise the floor beneath him and roll him over to me that way. I bandage up his wound but no healing.

I turn to Trainwreck.

“So, what was the point of this, and where’s the rest of your sorry lot.”

He curses at me.

“That dickhead beat the shit out of Squealer for failing to take you out at the breakout. She’s in a coma. Whirlygig ran away after he went after Panacea to force her to heal Squealer and Mush went to bring her back.”

Things start to make sense.

“Why set up this trap then? Why kill Dave and why lure me here? You might have had a chance against me if you took me seriously, but he didn’t have a chance if he didn’t catch me properly off guard.”

He laughs.

“The whole second point of going after Panacea was to get you here, you are the only other healer in the city who wouldn’t refuse on principle to heal for a black guy like Skidmark. Skidmark’s a clever guy, he knew you would come and check with Dave if we went for Panacea publicly after the last time you snuck in here. It was ‘easy bait’. Didn’t fucking think you were a shark on the end of the line though?”

“How did you even know I was here last time, there were no cameras I scanned, and no-one saw me?”

“There was a camera outside, you just can’t scan through Squealers invis tech. Plus Dave was an idiot who couldn’t keep his mouth shut. Even if you weren’t caught entering the building, Dave told people you met, bragged about it even.”

Well then. Looks like I need to come up with a way to detect electronics through whatever form of invisibility Squealers shard is letting her add to her creations.

“So where is Squealer?” I ask.

He laughs in response.

“Why, gonna arrest the vegetable bitch too?”

I activate my sword and he quickly gets the message.

“Bedsit at this address.” He rattles off an address which I memorize “Few of our guys there but he was trying to keep it low key.”

“This better be correct.”

“Or what, you’ll chop off my other shit? Piss off you jumped up pansy.”

I quickly heavily restrain Skidmark and put in a call to the PRT.

“PRT Dispatch this is Archon. I have captured Skidmark, Trainwreck, and a few unpowered merchants at the following address.” I read off where I am “Dead body present at scene executed by Skidmark according to statement from Trainwreck.”

“Acknowledged Archon, Protectorate support is inbound.”

“Dispatch I need to move on a time sensitive tip I have received, I will leave the area with the suspects restrained.”

“Ok thanks for the heads-up Archon, Velocity and Battery are on their way and will be at the scene shortly.”

I hang up.

I quickly jump to my northernmost docks door from the front door of the apartment and then sprint in towards the trainyard.

 

The address is just inside Merchant territory, in a block of houses and apartments just outside ABB territory.

Pretty brave place to keep Squealer even if it is ‘in territory’.

I arrive at the two-story house quickly, there are a few merchants around but it takes me no time at all to subdue them. I break into the house and make my way cautiously upstairs.

Squealer is slumped onto a cot in the corner. There’s a dried trickle of blood from her nose, and she is covered in bruises.

I quickly start scanning.

She is severely injured, huge concussion, swelling of the brain. Her excessively poor mental state reinforced by withdrawal, injuries both internal and external all up her body. No brain bleed thankfully but there are fractures all over her including her skull.

Even if she’s a villain, no-one deserves this.

I should have put my blade through Skidmark’s heart instead of his shoulder.

I inject her with a stimpak and then apply medi gel up and down her limbs.

I decide to break my rule.

I put her on my shoulder and take her into the forge. As I arrive in the forge I dispel my clone, and create a new one. I tell him to grab the ingredients we have already for addictol, and I go and start my new chem synthesizer making hydrofluoric acid.

Nasty stuff definitely don’t want to get this on you raw. It’s an important part of Addictol though.

I need to clear out this withdrawal before it kills her.

The first stimpak wears off and I inject another. I infuse her wounds with a Hypatia healing potion too.

While she is healing, I quickly knock out a cot and a temporary cell in the corner of the warehouse, I plan to release her when she wakes up, but I won't allow her free reign of the workshop.

I set EFA to monitoring her, and then I go to get some quick sleep myself. It’s been a long day even though it’s still relatively early in the evening.

Before I go to sleep, I instruct the clone to wait for the synthesizer to finish and then make some addictol. I tell him to wake me just before he dispels so I can create another, as I want Squealer watched all night.

The forge decides now Is a good time to ping me.

 

Expansion deferred by active situation…

200cp are available.

Attempting expansion…

Mundane Large Scale – Success!

Vibration/Oscillation warhead - Arpeggio of Blue Steel.

I just received a shipment of ship class torpedoes. Incredibly powerful torpedoes that disintegrate to the molecular level through finding the targets resonant frequency and vibrating it apart. It can penetrate any normal armour too from nanomaterials to meter thick steel. It requires no special exotic material or nanotech to create. I gain a full loadout for a ship, plus the schematics to make more.

This is an incredible boon, while I don’t have an easy way to scale it down for low-level conflicts, this has potential for future S-Class encounters.

But I need to drink a lot of water, and then sleep before I crash from the Med-X.

I quickly knock out a text to Assault apologising to the Protectorate for leaving the scene to follow a lead.

I ask EFA to monitor the Squealer situation and I head to bed.

Notes:

Perks Gained this chapter.

Beauty in the Arts - 200 - God of War - Quality Appearance

The Greeks and their gods have an eye for the aesthetics of their surroundings. Whether it is the statues around them, or the floors they walk upon, or the things they carry and wield, it is better if it is appealing. Your ability to design any of your crafts has increased with this knowledge, able to appeal to form without sacrificing function. Regardless of what you create, it's going to look good enough that the gods might take notice... might. Whether this is a good thing, or a bad thing is for you to decide.

Vibration/Oscillation warhead - 200 - Arpeggio of Blue Steel - Mundane Large Scale

Humanity's version of the Corrosive torpedo. Disintegrates the target at a molecular level by finding the target's 'resonance frequency' and literally vibrating it apart. The Vibration torpedo can defeat any armour made of normal matter nanomaterials or meter-thick steel, makes no difference, but can't punch through Klein fields on its own. Superior to the corrosive torpedo, the Vibration warhead requires no exotic matter or nanotech: it can be mass produced by any reasonably sophisticated factory. This is a full load for your vessel, plus the schematics.

+50PRCP Gained
Rolling… Failed.

Chapter 15: Arc 2 - Chapter 9

Notes:

The last chapter of the Arc, and some important developments in the forge.

Next main chapter after this will likely be delayed as i have a project at work next week. Hopefully not but im warning you just in case.

Arc 2 – Chapter 9

 

Monday 28th November 2010

 

I wake up alert. Two 6-hour periods of incredibly deep sleep back to back will do that to you. Med-X can be useful like that.

The clones I raise during the night both report Squealers healing continues apace, I have to be careful with stimpaks with her, the drugs have put her in a condition not conducive to extreme dehydration nor being drained of energy.

She’s a real mess even before what Skidmark has done to her.

Her kidneys and liver are basically dying, and her heart is in a horrific condition. She’s about 23 years old and has a heart of an obese 70-year-old.

I won't even mention her lungs.

The stimpaks can do a lot to heal battlefield trauma, fresh injuries and such. But this level of internal injury built up over time is beyond their ability. The scarring inside her lungs is already at the point of pulmonary fibrosis. I could heal it with Medi Gel, over many weeks if I knocked up a glass tank to suspend her in. Like the world’s highest Skywalker. To make a real dent though in reasonable time, I would need the Mercy tech.

Tech that I am weeks away from finishing, seeding and breeding the nanobiotics alone will be the job of weeks, layering the lenses for the carrier wave is hours upon hours of painstaking nanotech level work even with the best equipment. The rest of the equipment is no slouch in the work department either.

However, even with Mercy tech there are problems that will kill her before the tech is finished, let alone the time it would take to heal them with the tech when it is finally ready.

Her right leg has gangrene through to the bone. Untreated progressive infections possibly from the beating, though the timescales don’t make sense. Maybe she already had this problem but in canon gets healed somehow?

Regardless, her lower right leg below the knee needs to come off. No tech I can create nor already have is going to be clearing out gangrene. I would need levels of cure disease potions far beyond what I can currently make.

I check in with Hypatia, and she confirms none of the forms of alchemy I currently have could make a potion that could cure gangrene, and any she could create with the alchemy trees I have access to would not be ready in any reasonable time with the resources I have, and the prep required.

I call up a clone. And blink.

Either I’m seeing double, or I just created two shadow clones.

I close my eyes and meditate my consciousness down into my hara.

My reserves have grown. The daily usage of shadow clone is slowly paying dividends in my capacity.

This is a big piece of progression for me. I still can’t use or develop any of the other chakra techniques until I gain another chakra perk, but this one being able to progress is incredible.

I send one clone off to set up a surgery bay, I tell him to start work on cybernetic surgery stations once he is done, I have more than enough resources.

I send the other clone to create surgery tools, and to synthesise an extremely powerful antiseptic on the chem synthesiser.

I go to the chem station and finish off the addictol, I also make a few more stimpaks. I go and have my morning meal and do my usual workout and healing routine while the clones work. After I finish I head back to the workshop and work on a surgery surface. Mercy tech has a great antibiotic surface that I can use the omni-tool to help fabricate.

Before long, a corner of my warehouse is a combined prison cell + surgery centre.

This isn’t how it looks honest.

I throw up some temp walls out of steel with an antibiotic coating, and cover over the surgery room with a tarp woven out of nano weave. Dust isn’t something I have much of in the warehouse but guaranteeing the sterility of the surgery area is an absolute requirement.

I send the clones to grab Squealer while I prep for surgery. I instruct one of them to go and fabricate saline and fabricate an IV system when done.

Squealer is quickly put in place on the surgery table. A quick scan shows all of her surface injuries are now healed bar the leg. The internal injuries I can’t do much about yet, but Addictol will stop the damage the multiple withdrawals are doing to her.

Taking the leg will remove the immediate threat to her life. If she wakes up, she won't wake up happy. But her health comes before her happiness in this case.

I apply a triple dose of my tranquilizer potion; in this quantity it will act as a general anaesthetic and dull any sensation of pain.

I quickly get to work. I prepare a healing potion poultice and a stimpak and start work immediately on the leg. Amputating a leg would have been beyond my mental threshold in my old life, But this was old hat to Mercy. She did what must have been hundreds in economically deprived countries with a lot less than I have.

In no time the leg is off, and the poultice applied. I apply the stimpak, and the stump immediately starts to close over. I only have to take the leg from mid-shin down, so she has a great foundation for prosthetics in future.

I roll her on to her side and pull over a set of plastic tubs I fabricated.

I instruct the clones to apply the addictol, she may vomit or otherwise pass waste during this procedure. She will absolutely sweat buckets too. Her body is about to be forcefully purged of any and all addictions.

Doing this while she is under anaesthetic would usually be dangerous, but with three doctors and surgeons of our level in the room, with the tools we have. We can get through it with relative ease.

 

Two hours later I change my mind. We can get through it. But no ease will be involved.

Her body finally stops purging the addiction from her systems. All her drug resistance is reset, and her brain and organs no longer crave the chemicals she was filling herself with.

She’s on saline and healing potion IV’s and resting now, hopefully tomorrow I can find a way to bring her out of the coma. I give her a final set of medi-gel injections and move on to other work.

I set clone one to finish setting up my cybernetics lab, and the other to continue work on the Mercy project.

I check my messages for the first time today, I have a message from Assault.

“Archon, thanks for the catch on Skidmark and Trainwreck. Panacea + Apartment guy Skidmarks second and third strikes. Might get the cage. Awaiting news on trial. Piggot’s crediting you fully. Keep an eye on the news. Bye, Assault.”

I send a thank you back and make a mental note to have one of the clones send over a written AAR on the fight later.

Forge expansion initiated

100cp are available.

Attempting expansion…

Failed!

100cp banked.

A failure let’s hope for not too many more of those. I want to have Mercy integrated properly before I absorb another lifetime of memories thanks.

 

I spend a few hours tinkering about with various designs of weapon, some concepts for future ranged weaponry. I can make plasma weaponry via some leveraging various perks, but I’m wary of the escalation.

I decide to concept it out and make a prototype later anyway. I’m still debating what to do with my staff, one side will be for healing but the other I’m still debating. I’ve considered a rail gun, or even a gravitic manipulator. Can you say “budget Shinra Tensei in staff form”?

I still have a lot of concepting to do for the ARCHANGEL platform.

However, in a great turn of events, the previous clones working on the wing tech managed to almost finish making it viable for me to produce. The Halo tech will be elusive until I can source Rhenium, meaning the healing staff research will be held up anyway. However, the wings are in reach. I just need iridium. I have everything else I need to make the projectors.

The projectors are unusual, I thought at first they were a form of gravity manipulation, and they do include that. However, they also use a form of technology-based telekinesis to allow the user to move at will while the effect of gravity is reduced on them. They are incredibly hard to break, and can technically be used as weapons themselves, as when projected they are basically extremely sharp force-fields. Mercy’s tech is incredible! I can see why she had to put her foot down and eventually leave over making sure Overwatch couldn’t weaponize her tech.

I can’t apologise to her for me weaponizing her tech, but I hope she would understand my reasoning.

You would think Iridium would be hard to source. But I can get it by finding old fountain pens. For a period of time expensive fountain pen nibs were made of 4% iridium, and I only need a small amount to catalyse the micro-reactor in the wings that generates the blades.

A quick look online tells me I can order quite a few on this earths eBay equivalent. I place an order after hiring a PO Box so that I can start on materials analysis as soon as they arrive.

I spend a decent amount of time making new armour plates using the new resin I concepted a while back, NP steel in conjunction with this resin will leave me immensely well protected. In a closed test of a single plate, I cannot even dent it with my full strength in armour. This will likely be what I mould the ARCHANGEL out of.

After a quick lunch, EFA pings me.

“Boss, Squealer is waking.”

Well then. Time to speak to her.

I put on a domino mask and take a meal, and a drink with me. Even with the various IVs she will be hungry and thirsty. Plus, the hearty food of the magical cookpot will do her good.

I arrive at her sleeping room to her sobbing in bed. She sees me approach and shrinks back.

“Squealer, I’m Archon. How are you feeling?”

If anything, she seems even more scared now.

“Why is my leg gone?”

She doesn’t seem as antagonistic as she did previously. Probably the lack of copious amounts of drugs.

“You’ve been in a coma for about 4 days. Skidmark beat you into it for failing to kill me. I had to amputate it as you had gangrene in it because you weren’t treated.”

“Why do I feel so different, I don’t even need a fix?”

“I used some of my tech to purge your addictions completely. You don’t need that shit anymore.”

Now she really starts to sob.

“Skids said that was impossible, I’ve been on that shit since he took me last year. What have you done to me?”

“Nothing, I’ve freed you from the drugs. And once I get you a decent prosthetic made, I will let you go. I’d recommend going to the PRT and explaining your situation. You might serve some time for actions under Skidmark, but you have mitigating circumstances.”

“NO! Why would I betray Skids? He loves me!”

“No, he loves having a powerful tinker at his beck and call.”

“Fuck off, Skids loves me you’ll see. He didn’t want to beat me up, but I failed him, so he had to teach me a lesson!”

I remind myself that I’m not going to counter over a year of Stockholm syndrome and an abusive relationship of dependence with a single conversation.

“There’s no action you could take that would ever make you ‘deserve’ to even be lightly flicked. Let alone beaten into a coma.”

Her face is bullish, she isn’t listening. I change tack realising I won't get through to her on this subject yet.

“Squealer listen, whatever happens to you? It’s completely your choice. I’m going to work on a high-end prosthetic for your leg tonight, and probably be finished with it in a few days. Once it’s done and I’ve confirmed you will live, then I will take you out of my workshop and drop you off anywhere in the city you want to go. But please, think about what I’ve said while you have a clear brain. You have severe organ damage from the past year of drug abuse that was inflicted on you, and you need healing that I can’t provide yet. You aren’t a slave anymore.”

“Where is Skids?”

“I don’t think you’ll appreciate my answer to that.”

She just glares at me.

“He broke the rules again and got his third strike. Protectorate moved him out of the city last night. No idea where. He likely ends up in the Birdcage.”

She breaks down into incoherent crying.

While she is half grieving the loss. A part of me wonders if she’s also crying because she is free. After over a year as a drugged-up slave, she must have no idea what she is going to do with herself now.

The forge pings me as I contemplate her future.

Forge expansion initiated

200cp are available.

Attempting expansion…

Failed!

200cp banked.

Another failure…

But I’ll timed, I need to decide what to do with Squealer.

By all rights I should turn her over to the PRT. But I can't bring myself to condemn a broken person to a system that will do everything in its power to throw her into conflict. They’ll offer her a deal if she joins them, and then she will be forced to fight if she wants to or not.

Better to set the bird free than consign it to meaningless cockfighting for a system that ultimately doesn’t benefit anyone.

I walked into heroism with open eyes knowing I would eventually be powerful enough to break the status quo and do it on my terms.

She doesn’t have that luxury.

She speaks again, in a hoarse and broken voice.

“I don’t have anywhere else to go, am I fuck going to the PRT when they abandoned me. I called them to join them they knew I wasn’t supposed to be there, but I was and then I killed that guy under the drugs, and they told me I would never be forgiven, why did you do it Skids we had a good thing didn’t we, I did what I was told!”

I want to hug her, but the contact won't be appreciated by either of us right now.

“If you have no-where else to go, I don’t mind you staying here for a bit while you find your feet. As long as you stay out of the way of my projects and don’t touch my workshop.”

She looks at me sceptically.

“I’m not under the drugs anymore, I’m not gonna fuck you just because you offered me a bed.”

I blush involuntarily. And reply strongly.

“I have no interest in ‘fucking’ you or anyone else. I’m offering you a bed out of kindness. Your own bed. Not mine.”

She looks me in the eye. A long and searching look. She seems to find what she’s looking for.

“I love Skids. You need to understand that if I get the chance to free him, I will!”

She doesn’t even sound like she convinced herself.

“What you do with your own time is your own business. I won't help you, and If I catch you, I will help send you to prison. I’m big on second chances. I don’t offer thirds.”

She nods.

“As I said, stay out of the workshop, and if you see anything weird, keep it to yourself. If you stay on the recovery regimen that I prescribe you for the next few weeks, I will look at getting you a temp workshop so you can tinker.”

She seems excited.

“I’ve never properly tinkered sober before, wonder what I can design!”

Well, that’s a heart-breaking thought.

On that note I say my goodbyes.

“The door will be locked while I’m asleep, for my protection and for yours. If you want to leave the workshop, press the buzzer and I’ll come let you out into Brockton.”

I hand her the food and drink.

“Make sure you eat and drink all of this, you need your strength.”

She looks like she want to say something, but quickly changes her mind.

“I want to go to sleep now, fuck off please so I can eat this and go to bed.”

Well at least she said please.

I head over to the cybernetics lab. I’ve been staying away from this area, mostly. I want to design cybernetics for myself, but I know that I need to take things slowly at the minute. I could very easily mod myself into a hardbody without thinking too much is wrong about it.

I would rather not become a light side version of Mannequin right this minute.

But needs must, and there’s no better way to make Prosthetics than the tech designed to make cybernetic limbs.

I go for the basics of the basics, I have scans of the leg from before I excised it, so I use that as a size guide for her new leg. I don’t have the biologic materials available to make her a RealFlesh leg, that will look just like a normal leg, but I manage to make quite a delicate little prosthesis. It will need a lot more work, the outside is the easy part! The Neural connectors and interface are the tricky part, and I will have to make those in the coming days as it is extremely fine and tricky work that has to be done manually and by hand for this level of equipment.

 I can backyard handywork many things. But prosthetic nerves aren’t one of them. And I can fab most of the parts, but even fabrication of circuitry and components this fine and dense takes a very long time.

I think she will like it though.

I plot out a cybernetic upgrade that I have been ruminating on for myself once I am finished with the prosthesis.

I am planning on integrating the matter manipulator and the omni-tool directly into my left arm.

I won't be going for a fully cybernetic arm, not quite yet, but I can replace a part of my bone structure in my lower arm with a hyperdense alloy shell, that I can fill with tech. A lot of the bulk of the matter manipulator is unnecessary, it’s just armour plating that I won’t need if I implement the tech and its inbuilt power source directly into my arm.

It will mean I can never be disarmed, unless I am literally disarmed! The carbide blade I can generate with the omni tool is extremely powerful, and the ability to do so integrated into my own body will be amazing.

In the morning I will have the clones finish off my cyber-surgery bed so I can program this operation for In a few weeks.

For now, however, I knock a few quick texts out to Assault and Panacea, the latter to ask how she is doing. And then it’s time for bed.

 

As I head off to bed. I contemplate the busy few weeks ahead of me. Moneymaking, planning, research and resource gathering will be the theme of the rest of November and early December.

I need to be ready for Taylors trigger, or Mouse Protectors intersection with the nine.

Whichever comes first.

The forge pings me as I head to bed.

 

 

Forge expansion initiated

300cp are available.

Attempting expansion…

Skills Magic - Success!

The Dark Crystal – Azeroth – 200cp

100cp remain!.

Attempting expansion…

Magical Large Scale – Success!

Mundane Supply World – The Celestial Foundry – 100cp

0cp remain

 

Holy shit

These perks are INCREDIBLE.

So many more options just opened up to me!

The first perk “The Dark Crystal” gives me access to the entire crystal technology base of the Draenei from the Warcraft universe. Shielding tech that can shield cities! Magitek armour and vehicles and spaceships! Light based weaponry! Even battle mechs and automatons! I can now implement their form of magitek using crystals.

The second tech gives me a new dimension.

Yes you read that right.

I get a portal in my workshop to an artificial dimension void of life that contains any resources I need as long as I work for them. It is split into distinct biomes, and best of all, any perk I gain that needs specific resources? It adds veins or clusters of those resources to the resource dimension! It will work perfectly with “The Dark Crystal” perk I gained just before this one!

The caveat is, they aren’t just handed to me. There are environmental hazards, and vast unspeakable distances to travel. Leveraging the perk will require me for sure to work on mining vehicles, drones, and gathering technology for sure. If a resource is usually found in a dying star or on an extra-terrestrial world? Then I have to have access to space flight, as it will be in the same place in the dimension.

But just having access to a safe place I can gather materials in without having to step out onto Bet for too long and risk the winged bitch catching sight of me is enough to make this one of the best perks up to now.

I need to plan heavily how to get best use out of this dimension.

Could this be a project I could point Squealer at maybe?

I need to go to bed, but these perks have me wired. The next few weeks of development will be incredibly important.

I drift off to sleep dreaming of infinite skies.

Notes:

Perks gained this chapter.

The Dark Crystal - 200 - Azeroth - Skills Magic
Draenei use crystals that are, possibly, native to their homeworld for almost all aspects of their daily lives. Even their technology, magic, and homes are made of these crystals. Certain Artificers are capable of 'Programming' these crystals to do certain things ranging from protecting an entire city in a shield or powering magitek spaceships that can travel the void of space. You now have their knowledge of these ancient arts and are capable of incorporating this magitek into your own technology or magic.

 

Mundane Supply World - 100 - The Celestial Foundry - Magical Large Scale

This item gives you access to all the materials that one could get on Earth, but with one caveat, you'll have to find and harvest them yourself. Your warehouse gains a portal that is linked to an artificial plane of existence that is of infinite size in all directions, where humanity or sapience of any kind never developed. You can find an unlimited number of any resources given enough time, but they are spread around as would naturally occur in nature, meaning you have to often move when you exhaust the local supply. Resources are always located in environments where you would find them on Earth, and when you travel to this world, you are able to choose which environment you arrive in, or return to any prior location you have been before. Environments have realistic distances between them, so if you need something found in several biodomes you need to return to your warehouse, or use a fast transport of some kind.
Every time you gain a perk that requires access to a new raw material, this raw material appears in the most native form in this supply world and has to be collected as it normally would be. If your material is only found inside stars, you better be ready to get a rocket to go collect it somehow.

 

50PRCP gained.
Rolling…
Failed.

Chapter 16: Interlude - Doctor Mother

Summary:

Just a little slice of life, and some background on why some things are the way they are in the bay currently.

Interlude – Doctor Mother

 

Something is wrong with Contessa. It’s hard to put my finger on it. I keep observing her whenever she is in the base but she’s acting different.

At first I think maybe she has been mastered, and I prep myself to alert the Triumvirate to initialise a contingency.

But then I realise what it is.

She’s happy.

I feel like a monster when I say that. I mean let’s be honest, I absolutely am a monster. I have no qualms about admitting that. I’ll happily sacrifice the life, health and happiness of a billion people to save a trillion. Population is just numbers at the end of the day. The goal is to keep those numbers greater than zero.

Seeing Contessa smile is an… odd experience. The bogeyman of the cape world is not typically seen with a smile on her face.

I intercept her in the kitchen.

“How are you doing Contessa?”

“I am well, Doctor.”

How do you even ask someone ‘why are you happy?’

“I’m just going to be forward about this Contessa, you are smiling a lot more recently, it’s nice to see, but unusual, are you having a particularly good time with the path?”

She smiles at me and starts making coffee.

“I don’t currently have a path running Doctor.”

I think my brain actively rebooted for a second there.

“Not to tell you how to do things Fortuna, but is that wise?”

“Yes, I ran a path to relaxing without a path. I am currently learning to read and write English, while drinking some awful coffee that wasn’t made by the perfection of an Agent.”

I go to speak but she interrupts me.

“Also, I ended the Brockton Bay experiment today. We can look for alternatives on Shin or Gimel. Bet is off limits to experiments that aren’t Case 53s for the immediate future.”

It seems today will be one of those days where I learn to temporarily be numb to shock.

“Is there any particular reason why Fortuna? We spent an awful lot of resources on that experiment.”

She turns to me, and I can see it. She isn’t mechanically precise, on guard for possible attack. This is Fortuna, not Contessa.

“New trigger that isn’t a trigger triggered. Broke the path. Broke the Simurgh, Broke Calvert. And damn near every other precog that was looking anywhere near the bay at the time.

I feel the cold trickle of panic rushing through my veins.

“Do we need to arrange for countermeasures? Should we have the area sterilised?”

She smirks.

“The path to ending the threat of Scion gained three times the number of steps. And I can now path past the date of destruction.”

I physically reel and I feel lightheaded. I have to sit down.

Contessa’s paths have never been able to go past a certain date. Everything we tried to get around this failed. Our assumption was that this was when Scion harvested us, or maybe even when Contessa herself died.

“No path that intersects the bay survives long. The parahuman in question has a form of transportation that invokes cross dimensional physics. Combined with this, they keep triggering. Daily. Sometimes multiple times daily. Every time they do precogs in the bay go blank. But every time they do, our path to victory increases in steps and odds of victory.”

She joins me sitting down.

“I’m going to be working on projects outside of the US for the time being. I’m dropping the Canary path too. No point in riling people up against masters any more as that timeline is no longer viable.”

I sigh. Another waste of resources.

“Should I pull our people from it?”

She hums.

“No, just don’t actively interfere. Without our interference in suppressing her rights, the trial will be held up while they fix the procedural issues. The paths I can simulate say that our new friend will interfere in the trial for a positive impact on his public image.”

Rebecca will be thrilled. After email 37 from Dragon, she was about ready to join the Dragonslayers herself.

“And what of this new ‘trigger’. Are we just leaving him to his own devices?”

She turns to me, and hands me a coffee. I wish I had Path to Victory so I could path looking like I enjoyed this vile concoction.

“Every successful path I run is clear. He’s a huge benefit if left to grow. I’ve tasked the snake to keeping him well exercised. I’ve manipulated PRT policy on him to ‘hands-off’ friendly. And I’ve made sure he forms positive relationships with local key players. Now we just need our seedling to grow into a tree.”

“Will you be running pathless more often?”

“I am pathing intersecting downtime in every path now that time isn’t so limited as it was. It’s… nice to feel human sometimes. I forget what I can lose when I am more agent than woman sometimes.”

I feel happy myself. Maybe I can scare Legend when he next drops in with a smile.

“It’s nice to see you like this Fortuna. Do you need help with your letters?”

She smiles softly at me.

“That would be lovely Doctor, it’s not easy teaching yourself to read when you don’t know how to read.”

Chapter 17: Interlude - Undersiders

Interlude – Undersiders

 

“The boss has a general job for us, ongoing. Triple the take for anything we steal from a gang.”

That was what Lisa said to us. I’d really rather not go up against the gangs but well.

I need the money.

Bitch doesn’t care who she fights. More money for the dogs. Alec couldn’t care less what we do as long as he can laze about and play video games in between. I’m not even attempting to read Lisa, but I feel she would prefer not to fight the gangs either.

She seems a bit off since her last conversation with the boss. She’s been a lot happier recently.

“Brian we need to talk.”

Speak of the devil.

“What’s up Lisa?”

“Boss has given me a side mission. I need to either join Archon, or use my power to find someone else who can. If I can’t do that I need to at least secure some sort of contact or alliance.”

That’s troubling.

“Isn’t he that new hotshot tinker who airdropped Mush, captured Skidmark and Trainwreck, and healed Panacea?”

She nods.

“So, are you leaving the Undersiders?”

She chuckles.

“No, he wants me to do both. I just wanted to let you know as Undersiders leader that I’ve been ordered to make the attempt.”

She calls me the ‘leader’ but we both know who the real leader is. She can be a smug asshole sometimes. But she’s our smug asshole.

She smirks at me as I think that. I swear she’s psychic and pretends not to be.

“What are you going to do? How will you even make contact with him?”

“I’m not going to actively work on it, just carry on as we would anyway and hope to come across him. He’s got the most random movement pattern I’ve ever seen. Definitely a teleporter of some sort, or access to one at least.”

 “Ok well thanks for letting me know. What’s the plan for the gangs?”

She smirks again.

“I’ve got some leads on some ABB stash houses on the outskirts of the docks, low risk, high reward. Decentralised because of Lungs paranoia so should be easier to attack without support immediately arriving and exposing us.”

That’s the only saving grace of this, the boss wants the attacks under the radar so we don’t need to bring Lung down on our heads

Having that mans attention has never gone well for anyone in the bay.

I just have to keep reminding myself, it’s all for Aisha.

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

I’m not sure about the latest plan.

Joining up with the Undersiders was… Nice? I guess. They’re a decent bunch.

But when compared to Dad and his merry friends well, even the Nine would probably have at least *some* upsides.

Lisa is twitchy lately. And not because of me for once.

Pissing off the gangs feels like a great way to end our cushy existence here in the loft. I’m pretty sure Lisa and Brian aren’t all that enthusiastic about it either.

But in all honesty. I don’t really care.

“Hey Bitch, what’s your thoughts on the ‘robin hood all the shit from the gangs’ plan?

She looks at me flatly.

“Don’t care. Cash for dogs.”

A verbose and elegant woman.

“Not worried about reprisal?”

She looks at me confused.

I sigh and clarify.

“Are you not worried about them attacking us back if we steal too much?”

She frowns.

“If they attack, they attack. My dogs can take care of anything.”

A simple fact. People underestimate her, hell I do as well.

But the fact is there are only four parahumans in the gangs that can one v one her when she is going all out, well in a straight up fight, anyway.

Lung. Giant twins. Purity.

As long as we can avoid those, then we should be ok.

Enough time musing however, time to get online and get shooting, I have an important theoretical date with a few peoples mothers.

Chapter 18: Arc 3 - Chapter 1

Summary:

With the expulsion of the Merchants changing the future dynamics of the Bay, and a rapid development and deployment of new technology, Archon has established himself as one of Brockton Bays latest rising independent stars. However, with jealous eyes watching from the gangs, can the Bays newest Healer and Tinker truly retain complete independence?

As the line between willing prisoner and ally blurs at home, can Archon maintain a steady rate of expansion and growth, while still maintaining a careful watch on pressure points in the timeline?

January approaches, and Archon has no idea how the many butterflies he has let into the world will affect his life. Where is Coil? What of the Undersiders? Where are the Travellers?

The choice to become an active hero and ignore the path of pragmatism was the right choice.

Right?

Arc 3 – Chapter 1

 

Friday 19th December 2010

It’s been a strange few weeks since I rescued Squealer. Its feels like a lifetime ago even though it was only really three weeks ago.

A lot has happened in those three weeks.

After the initial shock of her situation, Squealer got…angry. We would butt heads on the smallest of things. She refused to wear the prosthetic I made her originally, choosing to walk around on a wooden peg.

Then she got weepy because I didn’t push harder for her to wear the prosthetic? What?

I want to say I don’t understand women, but that’s reductive.

I just don’t understand people in general.

After a few days I heard her shout in joy from her room. I thought she was in trouble and rushed in to find her dancing on the new leg I made her.

She grabbed me and tried to get me to dance with her, I kind of moved my arms like the crazy uncle at a family wedding and then went to sit down.

She pouted at me but then was effusive with apologies and thanks.

“How can I feel with this? It feels like my normal leg, I have sensation and touch, and I can wriggle my toes!”

I smile at her.

“It’s a part of my speciality, I can make really good cybernetics.” Possibly the understatement of the century.

But that was apparently enough for her.

The weeks now passed have been a whirlwind of moneymaking, exploring and developing. Not exploring Brockton though, oh no. The clones have really pulled their weight with my new realm, mapping the immediate area around my portal. The area on the other side is a vaguely forested area, lots of plants, even wildlife here and there for hides and such. I’ve even managed to get a full smeltery and bloomery set up behind thick wooden walls. There were bears. Enough said on that subject.

Bear meat isn’t fantastic even with the magical cookpot.

On the subject of the bears, there don’t seem to be any truly sapient beings here, but otherwise the world is teeming with life. I even saw a mudcrab! There are animals, fish, and insects everywhere. It’s basically my own private Eden. And it seems that the wildlife is pulled directly from the worlds of any perks I have rolled.

Resource wise, there’s a vaguely swamp like area to the immediate west of the portal, which is full to the brim of bog iron, there’s also copper, tin, and even untouched coal and oil reserves all around the place. To the north is a huge snowy mountain that scans tell me has a plethora of metallic resources and rare plants, and then the entire south and east is a giant desert so large I’ve not been able to scan more than a thousandth of a percent of what I have seen.

My scanner is good, but it’s man portable so range is limited.

This dimension is a goldmine however, quite literally in some places.

I’ve not yet managed to find any Arkonite or Argunite, the two crystalline structures required to move into the Draenei tech, but that hasn’t stopped me from laying out an initial design some energy shielding for my armour. Along with some other designs like free floating lighting that takes decades to run out. I know the resources are terrestrial so there will be a biome out there somewhere with them, maybe even possibly a cave.

Once I manage to find some I will be able to give myself an immense combat buff in offense and defense.

My clones are instructed to return to me at any sign whatsoever of Iridium or Rhenium on their scanners. I’ve managed to gather some Iridium from my fountain pens idea, but it will barely make one wing blade projector and due to varying amounts in the alloy just isn’t a viable idea for a full set of wing projectors.

I do however make a seriously sharp projected knife, that I can conceal very easily.  

 As a proof of concept, of course.

In other news, between Hypatia’s alchemy shop, EFA’s programming work, and my own selling of parahuman jewellery and accessories (which are even more exclusive and beautiful now thanks to my latest aesthetic perk) I have managed to save over three hundred thousand dollars.

Seriously, the Alchemy shop alone is doing business at a fair clip selling to the PRT and various independent and aligned heroes, pulling in a good 15-20k per week, EFA is so good at programming now she does day contracts that can exceed tens of thousands, and then my own jewellery, sold in costume at the market on parahuman days goes for insane amounts.

Money will no longer be a problem for me in my cape identity. My personal identity however is harder.

Me and EFA have come up with a plan.

I will step out of the city in disguise, and then completely clean myself up. No beard, no long scraggly hair, nothing. I will grab a door out in an out of the way city and then put on my best clothes, and ride back into the city.

I will pass myself as Thomas Hale, qualified doctor and surgeon in the UK, and now independent software developer returning to his family home in Brockton Bay after the last of his family passed away. EFA will of course be the developer, but they won’t know that.

I will deposit money ‘bought from home’ in a local bank and establish myself as a software developer while I decide whether or not to “renew my qualifications as a doctor” in the area. All of EFAs software development contract money will then be deposited into my civilian life instead of my cape life.

One of EFA’s current jobs is finding a way to realistically fake my credentials from a university in the UK that no longer exists. Once she has done this plan “Get Thomas a presence in the city” is a go.

The forge decides to make an attempt.

100CP available

Attempting expansion…

Failed

100CP banked

The glorious evolution continues.

 

Moving back to my life so far, my now friendly relationship with Squealer has now led to the conversation I am currently having.

“Archon?”

“What’s up Squealer?”

She frowns.

“That is.”

I’m confused.

“What do you mean, sorry?”

She scuffs her shoe across the floor.

“I don’t want to be Squealer anymore.”

My mind screeches to a halt. Squealer is the name Skidmark gave her. If she’s willing to give it up…

I’m not questioning it. We’ve spent the past 3 weeks going from antagonistic, to neutral, to tentative friends. I don’t want to ruin our friendship.

“Are you sure?” I query her gently.

“Yes. I’ve been thinking about it and in three weeks you’ve helped me more in a single day than Adam did in a year. I still think about him often but… I think I’m finally coming to realise what he was.”

His trial is still in the works currently, the wheels of Justice are moving quickly, but not quickly enough for my taste.

“So, what name do you want?”

“In private, you can call me Sherrel.” She takes off her mask. Purely symbolic, I’ve already seen her face. “But out there, call me Impulse.”

Impulse. A change in momentum. And a clever side swipe at her previous self.

I like it. And it suits her.

“It’s a good name. Now what would you like to do going forward? You’ve been with me for three weeks now, I can’t finish off your healing until I can move on with a build I’ve been planning. But as long as you keep yourself away from any heavy lifting or strenuous activity then you are cleared to live as you see fit.”

She side eyes me.

“Are you kicking me out?”

Why would she think that?

“No of course not, but you are stuck here in my stuffy warehouse completely cut off from the outside world, I thought you might want to reconnect with people?”

She snorts.

“Everyone I cared about before the merchants either abandoned me or was already dead. Everyone after will wish they were dead. Fuck them. I want to join your team, and I want to find out what the hell this place even is.”

I stare nonplussed at her.

“Impulse, I don’t have a team.” She smirks at me, half teasing, half derisive.

“You do when you recruit me.”

I wasn’t planning on making a team this early on, I can’t protect them the way I protect me and I’m not really a team player kind of guy.

But what happens to her if I leave her to her own devices…

I’m going to have to form a hero team, for good or for ill.

God help me.

“Fine, I can form a team, but if you work for me, you have to understand.”

I look her straight in the eyes.

“My expectations are high, and I expect you to act within the highest standards of heroism. The PRT aren’t stupid. Name change, costume change, irrelevant. They will very likely know that you were Squealer. They will follow the polite fiction that you are a fresh parahuman because of my reputation. But my reputation will be on the line.”

She nods.

“I wanted to be a hero, anyway. That was why I signed up for the Protectorate in the first place until Mo-”

She stops herself.

“It doesn’t matter, ancient history, you don’t need to worry about me embarrassing you. I’ll follow your lead.”

I nod, satisfied for now.

“Ok, let me show you my portal.”

She smirks. “Well count me interested.”

 

 

 

 “Catching flies” is an odd expression. I’d never truly seen someone gobsmacked in the way that their mouth hung open before.

Until now.

“Wuh?” She looks at me utterly shocked.

“Yep, welcome to my private dimension, well, I should say my ‘second’ private dimension. The Workshop being the first.”

Her look changes from gobsmacked, to dubious.

“What the fuck even is your power?”

I stare at her seriously.

“That’s a very dangerous question to know the answer to. Until we have the tech to protect you from precogs the way that I am, I can't give you the real answer.”

She takes it well luckily.

“Well, that makes sense. Don’t want ‘her’ getting any ideas.” She reflexively looks at the sky.

“So why did you want to show me this?” She turns and looks at me questioningly.

“Your speciality is vehicles right?”

“Well, anything that moves people or things from A to B and covers the space in between. No teleportation or shit like that but I can do boats too. Don’t think I can do aircraft but never tried. I can also do weapons and armour but nothing portable. Has to be attached and big. That 50cal machine gun was the smallest thing I can make weapon wise. Power makes me one of the best drivers in the world too.”

It’s about what I expected.

“Until I can get a garage up in the workshop -” Until I roll the perk “- you won't be able to really use your power out in the real world safely. I don’t have a workshop out there.”

“Ok, I’m guessing you have a solution.”

“How do you feel about making automated vehicles here in this dimension and setting up a proper base? I’ll give you access to my resource pool, and one of my clones can help you out too. I need a way to slowly survey out for resources?”

She hums. And looks at my very basic base camp.

“Give me a clone with your land moving thingy who can help me expand this place and make it a bit more workable for mechanic work. Make sure I have access to a full set of good mechanics tools. I'm talking the good shit in the red cabinets. I’ll give you a list of weekly resources. And I’m not sleeping here.”

I laugh, that’s more than reasonable.

“Ok that’s absolutely no problem, the portal is permanent anyway so you can always come back through to the workshop. Plus, I’ve gotten used to having you around.”

She laughs.

“You have yourself a deal then. Interdimensional explorer Impulse at your service!”

 

The forge seems to approve of this progress as it attempts to expand.

200CP available

Attempting expansion…

Failed

200CP banked

 

Another failure, another chance for my brain to be turned into scrambled eggs.

I'm moving on from worrying about this however as my next project is a very personal one.

I’m going partially cybernetic.

There’s another reason I didn’t want Sherrel around to see this. I’ve been preparing for this procedure for weeks. The resources are in place, my cybernetic surgery tools and table are ready.

Now just to take the final plunge.

I call up my clone and review my plans. I know that because of the Superhuman Desire perk I can’t fail at self-modification.

But there is a big difference between knowing something and knowing something.

And I’m going really all out here.

Originally my plan was to integrate the matter manipulator and omni-tool directly into my body. And I still plan on doing that.

The fiat backing of the tools means that even if the tool in my body is destroyed, the tools will return to my workshop fully formed. So, I don’t need to worry about losing them.

However, while designing the implantation procedure, to replace the bones in my left arm with titanium alloy cybernetic bones. Still capable of everything a normal bone and bone marrow is capable of but also capable of holding technology and circuitry, I had a semi fugue.

Now, as someone who technically isn’t a tinker, I don’t get fugues like they do. But sometimes a perk can really take centre stage in my brain and keep rapid firing ideas at me.

And boy did Cybernetics grab me when I started to actually use it for design work.

Two of the small heavy water reactors I made will be getting used today. As I will be integrating them into my body. That is their original purpose after all.

My current suite of upgrades is…ambitious. The doctor in me is both horrified and awed at what I have planned.

Firstly, just making my arm titanium alloy boned won’t work. Not unless I want to go full hardbody. It won't integrate with the rest of my skeleton properly.

So instead, I will be plating my existing bones with an NPSteel and titanium mesh that holds the extremely fine near nanoscale wiring harness for my body. My hips will be double reinforced, and each side will have a small reactor installed into it in a specialised reactor housing. I have plans for a more powerful reactor, but I can’t even contemplate it without obscenely rare resources first.

My arms and legs will be heavily modified under the surface, my own musculature and skin will remain, however my skin will be reinforced with a nano-weave mesh under the surface increasing my personal brute rating, and my muscles will be infused with an electro-reactive carbon fiber composite. This will both reinforce the muscles and allow me to use the reactor power to truly boost my strength well into superhuman.

My spine is the part that is really scaring me.

As I’m replacing it entirely.

A brand-new spine linking directly into my new hips, the spinal cord inside replaced with an upgraded version of the artificial nerves that run Impulse’s new leg. Much faster and more resistant to damage than a normal spinal cord itself. And the actual spine structure itself is much more resistant to damage and capable of holding much heavier weights. Important due to the level of upgrades my arms and legs are getting. No point in lifting a dumpster if your spine crumbles from the effort.

Finally, I will be reinforcing my ribcage with a combined NPSteel, and titanium mesh reinforced with another layer of nanoweave fibres.

All the upgrades are both modular, and more importantly, upgradable as I get access to better materials.

The artificial nerve weave will be set around my body as a second nervous system, originally I planned to replace my nervous system outside of the brain entirely, but the perk tells me I don’t need to. Just add it as a secondary nervous system on top. I will make me near impossible to body master, increase my reflexes, and there aren’t really any downsides.

The reason for doing this is that it will allow me to make truly smart armour. My current armour that is a precursor to the future THOR system, is dumb. Every movement programmed to respond to pressures and movements from my body. There are no complex electronic systems, just a system of mechanical inferences that translate my movement into force.

Using an artificial nervous system linked into my own will allow me to make ‘smart’ armour. That truly follows my desired movements. Things like movement safeties etc won't be required as I won't be able to invert my own leg.

The last part of the upgrade will be integrating the matter manipulator and omni-tool mechanics into my abdomen, around where the appendix is. The guts of both systems will be interweaved there, and then fine cabling ran along my new wiring harness up to projectors in my hands and wrists, and down into my feet. The hands and wrists for omni-tool access and matter manipulation, and my feet for matter manipulation.

I’ve been working on the schematics for this upgrade set for three weeks. I’ve planned, re-planned, cancelled and designed until my eyes felt like they were going to fall out.

I’m about as ready as I will ever be. My clones are going to knock me out and do the work that absolutely has to be done under a general anaesthetic. The hips and spine first, as they will take the most time. Once hips are done and integrated, and the new spine is installed, the clones will wake me up, so I can recast the technique. Next the artificial nervous system will be implemented, then my arms and legs and ribcage will be done. Finally, my pectorals, back and abdomen muscles will be reinforced. The work will continue in roughly 6-hour segments of anaesthetic and waking to cast the technique until I am done.

Impulse has been warned I’m going on a “Tinker madness” and to stay out of my workshop. I’ve told her that my clones won't be available for 24 hours minimum and given her free reign in the warehouse section with a bunch of resources to keep her distracted. Between that and the portal it should be relatively easy to keep her away.

I agonise over my plans again; this is actually one of the more conservative designs and I keep swinging between “It’s too much” and “It’s too little”. It’s a large amount of cybernetic changes to my body in a short amount of time, but conversely there is a lot further I could go.

Enough messing around. They say the best time to start is now right?

I lie down on the surgery table, and my clone puts me under.

 

I wake up and my back feels strange, my clones dispel and pass me my memories.

Oh, I’m part cyborg now. It feels… Strange.

I make new clones, and they immediately put me back to sleep.

 

I wake up, my arms feel funny. My tongue feels funny.

Oh yeah clones.

 

I wake up.

 

I multiply.

 

I wake up

 

I multiply.

 

I wake up.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Saturday 20th December 2010

 

300CP available

Attempting expansion…

Failed

300CP banked

 

I awaken in the afternoon to another forge failure.

My body feels…heavy. Not quite mine.

Well, that’s probably understandable, I’m now part machine.

I swing my legs over to the side of the bed and call up two clones just in case. I pull out my IV, omni-tool scans telling me I don’t need it anymore. Damn that omni-tool projection came from inside me!

I look at my clone. Damn do I look like that now?

 

Under the scruffiness, I look built. There are no obvious signs that I’m part cyborg, other than a few connection points on my arms. But I look like someone who really looks after themselves.

I move to stand up but can’t keep my balance and end up falling to a knee.

I didn’t consider that I would need to relearn my muscle memory. Damn my strength is obscene compared to my previous vanilla body though.

I can’t wait to put my upgrades through their paces. As I’m examining my arms for the projection points, I hear a throat clear behind me.

“Ahem.”

 I turn around slowly.

Oh boy, she looks steamed.

“What the fuck did you do to yourself while I was working in the warehouse?”

“Uh, just a few upgrades.” I attempt a disarming smile.

It clearly doesn’t work.

“Oh a few upgrades? So that human spine over there on the side table in preservation? You won’t mind If I throw that out then?”

Busted.

“My cybernetics speciality allows me to make upgrades to myself without any chance of failure. I decided to make some low tier upgrades to weak points on my body.”

There, she can't find fault with that.

“I don’t care if you turn yourself into a T-800 you fucking idiot. I care that you didn’t trust me enough to let me help!”

Well then.

“Sherrel, it’s got nothing to do with trust. I didn’t know if you would approve, and I didn’t want me ignoring your theoretical disapproval to come between us.”

She throws a look of deep scepticism my way.

“Next time you want to play ‘pin the cybernetics on the moron’ come and get me you idiot.”

She walks out and slams the door.

EFA interjects.

“She isn’t wrong boss. You are all she currently has. Even with no chance of failure, if you are going to be on a team with her, you need to bring her in on projects like this. Sure, it’s none of her business, really. But is that a good foundation for teamwork?”

EFA isn’t wrong. But I’m used to relying on myself.

I like relying on myself.

“How did she know, anyway?” I asked EFA.

“She got chased back into the FOB by one of those huge bears in the portal. She popped her head in to ask permission to take one of your weapons out while you weren’t using them. Clones were taking your ribs out. She wasn’t amused.”

Well damn. I left her unarmed with access to quite a dangerous realm.

I owe her an apology. But in my defence, I did warn her about the wildlife.

 

 

After clearing things up with Sherrel, I walk her through the changes I made to my body. I don’t expect her reaction.

“Cool, I want some. Can you put mechanic tools in my hands?”

Not really what I expected but ok.

“Yes I can but I won’t till I get much better healing tech. Upgrades on myself are guaranteed. Upgrades on other people aren’t, I have to do them perfectly. And I won’t upgrade you at all until we clear up your internal damage.”

She pouts but agrees.

I call up two clones.

One I assign to Sherrel.

“Ok, he has my manipulator and scanners same as me, he’s going to be your assistant. When I get his memories, I will send a new one. They last about 7 hours at the minute. You ok to start the base?”

She smiles and nods. “I’m on it!”

“I’m going to test my upgrades; I’ll be back later.”

 

 

I step back into my warehouse. And perform an initial diagnostic. Everything is settled and the new systems are up and running. Reactor energy output is stable, and the power harness around my skeleton is reporting full coverage.

I test the unpowered bionic upgrade first. It looks like without using reactor power I’m still around 30% stronger than before.

I slowly ramp up power output into the reinforcing fibres. My muscles define themselves and swell a little.

I punch a sheet of solid steel and leave a decent sized fist imprint. It hurts slightly as I don’t have knuckle reinforcement, but the skin doesn’t break due to the skin reinforcement.

At around 30% maximum safe output, I am roughly 80% stronger than I was before.

Moving to 70% pushes me up to close to a 200% increase. My toughness increases alongside my strength at this level of power. The skin reinforcement works extremely well when powered.

As with my armour I run the same set of stress tests. Speed, Strength, toughness. I'm scanning every area of my body looking for things I’ve missed.

Then I notice a problem.

It’s the Mercy side of me that notices it. In a world of cheap cybernetics no-one really worries about this kind of thing.

Going above 70% starts to induce rhabdomyolysis. Exerting the artificial muscle reinforcement causes my body to start overproducing myoglobin, up to around 70% my kidneys can keep up no trouble, although I wouldn’t want to ever be using Med-X at this level of reinforcement. Kidney damaging blood content plus dehydration sounds like a poor idea.

After 70% however, my kidneys can no longer handle the influx.

Damn I should have accounted for this. It was right there in front of me.

I’m going to need to plan and install an artificial kidney. I don’t have the resources to make them currently. The Cybernetics lab will give me the hard stuff, but the materials to make *soft* cybernetics like artificial organs are of a much higher quality.

I just need to make sure I don’t exceed 70% without active regeneration going.

Damn I wanted to test the overdrive mode today a little, but it is out of the question now. Overdrive is where I push past the *safe* 100% reinforcement and into body damaging levels of powered enhancement.

At 100% my current calculations put me at around a 350%

I could theoretically push to 200% if I had stimpaks, medi-gel and nanobiotics going. This would push me beyond 800%.

But I would be severely, and near permanently damaging myself. Plus, due to their small size and relatively ‘low’ tech the reactors will take the stress of constant 100% usage of my enhancements for about six months. Possibly at a ‘regular’ level of usage for a year.

200% though will give me about 2-3 weeks with an exponential curve of power usage. Possibly even less. I can swap them out, but it’s a major operation, and a large amount of downtime. Plus, while I can make heavy water now I don’t want my clones making these reactors much, it’s horribly fiddly work, and can take up to a week to wire them internally properly given how small they are. I have two spare for emergencies and will get two more made, but I ideally want to design a better set of reactors.

And get better materials for my internals.

Damn I feel like I turned my body into a gaming PC. I will forever be looking for new upgrades now.

I start testing my matter manipulator. The feet projectors were an incredible idea, I can now technically make ‘steps’ as I run, giving me the ability to elevate myself or raise cover without hand gestures, and I can absorb and reposition matter with both hands, albeit still slowly.

I need to make some manipulator upgrades, but damn things need diamonds, platinum, osmium and rubidium!

As I continue testing my matter manipulator, the forge pings me again.

400CP available

Attempting expansion…

Protection – Success!

THEY ARE MINE AND MINE ALONE – 400CP - Medaka Box Abnormal

400CP banked

Well, this is definitely a good perk to have.

I now cannot have my powers disabled, stolen, drained or weakened. By any source. Not temporarily nor permanently. No negative effect can ever apply to my powers or the energy that runs them.

Hatchet Face? Nullified.

Animos? Nullified

Victor? Nullified.

Grue if he second triggers? Nullified.

I actually can't remember any other power nullifiers or affecters in canon from the top of my head, but this is a big deal power.

And it didn’t drop a bunch of crap into my skull as a bonus!

 

I quickly move on to Armour testing.

As I feared going into the project, the armour simply can’t keep up with me much as with the Med-X it no longer amplifies me by as much as it did. I’m not as bothered as I thought I would be, I can still use it for protection, weaponry and it still gives me 20-30% on top of my cybernetics which is still significant.

I will need to design the MK1 THOR that this armour is destined to become. A truly smart armour with much better materials and internals including proper electronics and a HUD!

That can wait till later though. Now it’s time to patrol and test my body.

 

 

It’s starting to turn dark as I step outside. I’ve been running routine patrols in the past few weeks on the edge of ABB and Empire territory at Docks South and the Trainyard. With the collapse of the Merchants as a meaningful parahuman entity this border is being tested by those two gangs near constantly.

I feel free, without needing to use much of my own power to move, the suit is doing most of the work. I’m barely making a twitch it feels to initialise the movement with my new strength.

“Boss I’m picking up a crowd of life signs and signs of combat to the east.”

“Thanks, EFA, on it.”

As I rapidly approach the northern border of the downtown area with the docks, I hear a man scream near the road to the shoreline, I quickly charge round the corner to find a cloud of dark smoke, and Shadow Stalker rapidly retreating away from three monstrous dogs.

The smoke is dissipating, and Grue is leant up against a dumpster with Tattletale fretting over him.

Was this the start of the famous couch incident?

I’m aware of one criminal incident involving them, the Jewellery store incident I witnessed weeks ago. But other than that, they’ve been ridiculously low key.

They’re barely even on the PRT’s radar currently.

A few agents I spoke to even thought they might be a myth!

Were they this low key in canon or was this something I changed?

I close my mask. Tattletale is a powerful thinker, but she can't use inductive reasoning on someone who has no signs for her.

“Undersiders. I am approaching under truce. Do you require assistance?”

Grue is absolutely leaking blood.

Tattletale jumps and turns to look at me. Seems like they all missed me.

Bitch makes an aggressive move towards me, but I put my hand on my sword hilt as the dogs start to growl, and Tattletale touches Bitches shoulder and shakes her head.

“Archon, Grue’s been shot in the stomach, can you heal, we can pay.”

“Don’t take money from villains, Tattletale. I’ll heal him anyway then I need to question you on why Shadow Stalker just attempted murder in front of me.”

She looks away abashed. I scan Grue’s abdomen as Tattletale looks at my wrist hungrily.

“Lucky, through and through. Nicked your liver but no major damage otherwise. Shirt up please.”

He pulls up his shirt.

“Do you give me explicit permission to heal you via tinkertech?”

He nods and grits out between his teeth a gravelly “Yes”.

I inject the stimpak and monitor his healing. He’s closing up quite well.

“Why did Shadow Stalker attack you?”

Tattletale looks me up and down. Then finally answers.

“She patrols the docks alone on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday nights from what I can tell. She’s got a hate thing for Grue because his power counters hers. He beat her at an ATM heist when we were Villains and she’s never forgiven him for it. Psychopath was broadhead bolts at us. None of us are Brutes.”

I fixate on ‘were villains’.

“What do you mean ‘were’ villains? While the PRT doesn’t have you on priority at the minute, you are definitely on my personal radar as villains.”

She smirks.

Wow, it really is as infuriating as it’s made out to be. She definitely reads my anger though because she cans it near instantly.

“We used to have a boss, not a nice guy. He dropped us and then told us he would only pay us for jobs where we attack the gangs from now on. About a month ago now.”

Ok what the fuck Coil?

“Ok, so what you decided that you had robbed enough and now you are vigilantes?”

Regent chimes in.

“Yeah pretty much dude. Just a bunch of delinquents who spank Nazis and Dragons.”

I almost snort involuntarily.

“Well, I’m pretty sure if I try to take you in right now Bitch will take offence yes?”

Bitch just glares at me. Tough crowd.

“Get out of here, don’t bother the people here. As long as you stay pointed at the gangs I have no problem with you.”

Tattletale hesitates.

“Bitch, can you take Grue home to heal? With Regent. I need to speak to Archon. Come back and get me when you are done please.”

Bitch sniffs and glares at me but does as asked.

I decide to break Tattletales script. I’ve been planning for if I ever got caught speaking to her.

I won't be able to hide things from her, so I’ve decided to grab the bull by the horns. She’s technically a villain, and I don’t like her at all. But she ended up making the right choices in the end even if sometimes the wrong choice would have been easier. So, I will cut her a little slack.

“Tattletale before you start monologuing at me let me make something clear. I know who your boss is. I know how his power works. And I know how yours works. I won't be telling you how I know this, and I doubt even your power can pick that much up. I’m telling you this, so you do not attempt any manipulation from the start. I really do not like to be manipulated.”

She’s on the back foot.

“Fine. You want straightforward. Boss suddenly heel turns out of nowhere and tells me he’s cancelling his operations in Brockton entirely to concentrate on a ‘special project’ and he is more rattled than I have ever seen him. He tells me to burn him and leave if I need to, but I need to try to get close to you. He doesn’t even give a shit if I send him info on you, he just wants me to join you or if I can’t, find someone who can. He acts like he is crazily afraid of you even though I know you’ve never even interacted with him and it’s killing me not to ask you how you know me, him, and our powers.”

I feel cold. Why would Coil change his mode of operation so rapidly? Why would he care about getting someone ‘on the inside’ with me? Are Cauldron involved?

I need more info. Time to grab another bull by the horns.

“Give Coil my number.” I quickly rattle it off “Tell him to ring me and that decent quality witches potions are typically not made on the stove top.”

She looks confused.

Good, she should be confused more often. It’s good for the soul.

“And about joining me Tattletale. The only way we work together is while you are on probation with the Wards or if you are a member in good standing of a confirmed heroic team. Same goes for the rest of your teammates. I do not work with villains who haven’t atoned with very specific limited exceptions.”

While I'm willing to work with Impulse, she was drugged into slavery and bound by the chains of addiction.

Tattletale didn’t have those bonds. Her power was powerful enough to leave if she really needed to, but she enjoyed the money. I feel for her having a gun put to her head, but she didn’t need to be a villain. Nor a manipulator. Her actions in the bank were horrific to me and it taints her image for me on a fundamental level.

She nods.

“I can see, I won't try to change your mind, I’ll tell the boss I failed, he seemed like he expected it, anyway.”

I decide to throw her a bone.

“If you have a gun to your head at any point, then call me yourself. I have no issue in breaking you out of a situation as long as you understand, it will be to help get you to the Protectorate where I vouch for your recruitment under probation.”

She can't say she is trapped now. I’ve given her an out.

I turn to leave.

“Bitch is on her way back; do you need me to wait, or will you be ok?”

She waves me off.

“I’ll be fine just, be careful. I know you are a white hat, and not as weak as you let people believe. But Coils attention is not a good thing to have. And if he is willing to drop everything to concentrate on you, then that isn’t a good thing for you.”

Her concern is actually touching.

“I will keep myself safe don’t worry. Just… concentrate on being a better person please Tattletale if you truly don’t want to be a villain. With a power like yours you could say the wrong thing at the right time and set off a chain of events you can’t comprehend.”

She tilts her head at me and widens her eyes.

I put a finger to my lips. Then turn and leave.

 

She’s still standing frozen as I turn the corner to downtown.

 

I need to go home and catch my post operative sleep, I'm still running on fumes. But before I head to bed, I have a phone call to make.

The phone rings and is answered almost immediately.

“Yo Archon what’s up?”

“I’ll be brief Assault; you might want to look in to Shadow Stalkers location tonight.”

He goes silent for a second.

“Why?”

“Because I just witnessed her attempt to murder Grue of the Undersiders with a broadhead bolt while out on a solo patrol about 15 minutes ago.”

Some copious swearing starts up on the other side of the line.

“I’m on it Archon, thanks for the heads up.”

“No problem Assault. I have the bolt with me encased in plastic if you need the evidence.”

“Bring it down in the morning as early as possible please Archon.”

He hangs up.

Try getting out of this one bitch.

I head off to bed with a smile. One of my most productive days since I arrived in the Bay.

 

Notes:

Pre perk authors note. I know a lot of people wont like how i dealt with the Tattletale situation. But it's predicated by a certain level of arrogance that Thomas has. He's freaked out that Coil hasnt made any moves on him. And he knows perkwise that he can detect if Coils power is being used to fuck with him, but doesnt know that it only applies if it's being *directly* used to fuck with him. So the lack of being pinged by Coils power is setting him on edge. Worse still he has no idea (Though he suspects) that that use of the door portals will fuck with Coils timelines.

I preplanned to carpetbomb TT with truth from the start, hoping to drive off the usual Tattletale interaction that fics have of the SI:MC trying to hide it and failing. Trying to go in a different direction with it. Let me know your thoughts.

The cybernetic scenes were born out of somewhere i have no idea. I was writing an arm upgrade and ended up with Adam Jensen lite. I fugued IRL. Sue me.

Side note: The Personal Reality rolls this week were obscenely lucky. I bought the nutrition second upgrade after rolling the first. I dont need to write any food shopping trips! And now have proper if basic accomodation and toiletries in the reality!

 

Perks gained this chapter.
THEY ARE MINE AND MINE ALONE - 400 - Medaka Box Abnormal - Protection

Perhaps you can no longer lose your powers due to your own growing up but it's still possible for people to take them away from you by force. Or at least it was before you made it known how much you refuse to let go of what you consider yours. It's impossible to degrade or take away your abilities in any shape or form, even on a merely temporary basis. Attempts to weaken, nullify, disable, steal, destroy or do any other sort of negative thing to your powers or the energies that they run on will find themselves not even touching you. It seems like our powers really are too integral to your being to ever be taken away from you.

50PRCP gained. 150PRCP available.
Rolling…
Basic Accomodation – 50CP
This provides minimalist accommodations for you and each companion. Essentially the same thing you’d get in Basic Training in the military. A barracks with a bunk and a locker and a camp toilet. If you bought Plumbing, this improves to include a communal shower and toilets. In fact, someone need not be a companion for this to work. Anyone you allow into your Personal Reality will be allotted a similar level of basic living quarters, thus allowing you to turn your Personal Reality into a refugee center if you like. If you have Basic Nutrition, this will provide any such guests as you may invite into your Personal Reality with very basic food equal to 1200 Kcal a day, totally vegetarian. This can support up to a maximum of 1 person for every 4 cubic meters of space in your warehouse per day.
Rolling…
Basic Nutrition + A little less basic nutrition - 100CP
This option provides a basic (if minimalist) food delivery for you and all companions (metered for a normal human dietary requirement). This delivery comes once a week and is the kind of thing you’d buy on a very strict budget; Ramen, Peanut Butter, Generic Cereal, Dry Beans, Eggs, Tofu, Fresh Common Fruits & Veggies, Canned Fruits & Veggies, Dry Pasta, Salt, Pepper, Milk, Bottled Water, Rice, Flour, Butter, Barley, etc. Essentially the purchasing power of 50 dollars US a week per person.
(Note, you cannot sell these supplies for money.)

A little less basic…

Although not a huge improvement, this raises the basic food allotment to what can be expected for a middle class working family’s budget. You can set it to the kinds of things your home culture might buy… or simply set it to a random sampling of various cultures’ food purchases. Honestly, it’s fascinating seeing what people buy. Check out Hungry Planet if you can. This is effectively 150 dollars US (c2020) a week per person, adjusted for cost of living and whatnot. You have very limited brand control.

No PRCP remain.

Chapter 19: Arc 3 - Chapter 2

Arc 3 – Chapter 2

Saturday 20th December 2010

Waking up in a new room was a strange experience. One of the forge dreams during the night shaded two separate regions of a pretty big continent, so I knew to expect some changes.

I didn’t expect a living complex and a full stocked kitchen and dining room, with enough chairs and food for all members of the forge, active or auxiliary.

I sit down in my new dining room quite bemused. My new kitchen even already had the magic pot.

The fridge is decently stocked and will remain so weekly now.

I make some new clones and send them out to work, as Impulse walks in.

She sits down opposite me with a bowl of cereal.

“I’m not even going to ask.” She slurs with a tired look around the room. “This place wasn’t here when I went to sleep. And there’s a room with my name on it. More ‘Archon bullshit’ I guess?”

I nod tiredly.

“That’s your room now, I’ll disassemble the temporary quarters later, so they can go back to being storage.”

She nods.

“I’ll move my stuff in later. I’m going to finish this and head off to the other world to start building an RV for exploration.”

When Impulse says RV, I don’t think she means it the way I would.

I can’t wait to see it!

“No problem, clone over there is yours.”

I continue to eat in peace. The second clone heads out to let Hypatia know that there’s now a kitchen, diner and bedroom for her and Smythe in the workshop proper if they ever want to use it.

We even have bathroom facilities because of my earlier plumbing perk! A cold shower in the reality. Maybe I can rig up a water heater. Hmm maybe a thought for later.

I instruct my clone to work on alchemy after he’s finished updating Hypatia, I really want a good stock of regen, stamina and disease potions, and the memory influx of Alchemy gives me a decent increase in my own skills. Additionally, my best anaesthetics come from Alchemy, and I need lots of those.

I suit up, grab my armour and gear, and the bolt I pulled out of Grue yesterday.

It’s 7am, PRT should be open, and Assault did say ‘As early as possible.’ after all.

Running across Shadow Stalker on one of her unsanctioned patrols last night and catching the attack on Grue was an incredible boon to my “Stop Taylor from triggering” plans, I was originally going to be “co-incidentally” patrolling past Winslow and pick up her issue on scanners forcing me to intervene, but anything I can do to head it off in advance is a bonus.

The school holidays have already started so Taylors torture has already been prepared in her locker. There’s no guarantee that Emma and Madison won't try to get her in there anyway, nor any guarantee that Sophia won’t be at school on their return on the 3rd of Jan depending on how long the PRT investigation lasts, so I need to make sure to be there at the school regardless. I know they push her in almost immediately, so I’ll need to be patrolling the area stealthily from around 8am.

Plans for the future though.

For now, I need to navigate a tricky meetup at the PRT.

I head down the boardwalk from my workshop, there are a few stragglers about on their way to work in the morning and I catch a few waves off people, which I return with a smile.

Having a multi-function mask for the suit was definitely the way to go.

Before long I arrive at a familiar lobby and make my way inside. I tell the Agent on reception that I'm expected by Assault but not at any particular time, so I don’t mind waiting, and go and browse the gift shop while I wait.

Lots of Hero merch from the local team, even a decent amount of wards gear. Big section for triumvirate and A-Rankers like Myrddin, Chevalier, etc.

A voice is cleared behind me as I’m checking out Alexandria gear.

“Ahem.”

I’m ashamed to say I actually jump.

It’s Battery.

“Archon, are you ready to move to the interview room?” she states professionally.

“Yes Battery, lead the way” I follow her to the usual elevator, and we end up back on the floor where I had the meeting with Piggot. After stashing my gear, including the armour this time albeit in locked mode, we move through a nearby door.

We go to a similar meeting room as last time, though smaller and Armsmaster and Piggot are there along with Assault. And older guy I don’t recognise is there too.

“Archon, thanks for coming down this morning and so promptly too.” Piggot states, she looks beyond exhausted and a little yellow. I ask EFA to scan her stealthily while we talk.

I nod and reply.

“Nice to see you again Director.”

She returns my nod and gets right back to business.

“Please note this meeting is being recorded, Present are Armsmaster, Head of Protectorate ENE, Assault, your usual liaison with us. Assistant Director Renick, And myself, Emily Piggot, Director PRT ENE. I believe you have some information on one of our Wards and something to give to us?”

I hand over the plastic wrap with the bolt inside.

“This is a broadhead bolt fired from a relatively powerful crossbow that was fired at Grue of the Undersiders by Protectorate Ward Shadow Stalker. I witnessed the shooting myself along with four more attempted but missed during her escape from Bitch’s dogs.”

She stares at me flatly.

“Do you mean ‘Hellhound’?”

“Ah yes apologies Director, genuinely forgot.”

She nods.

“No problem, she really goes by ‘Bitch’?”

I return her nod.

“Yes. I get the feeling she isn’t all there with human interaction, seems to have a decent handle on her dogs though given she doesn’t seem to control them.”

She looks sharply at that.

“We can return to that after the main point of the meeting with your approval?”

I smile.

“Of course, I thought you may appreciate some insight into the Undersiders anyway.”

She moves the conversation on.

“Did the Undersiders expand on the scuffle?”

“Yes, apparently Grue beat Shadow Stalker in an ATM bust a while back, and Stalker apparently has had him marked since then and gone at him a few times. She was absolutely not pulling any punches last night. She didn’t see me arrive however, so it’s unlikely she knows she’s been caught. Not much expansion on how they ended up fighting last night.”

She hums. And takes the bolt from the table.

“Thanks for your insight Archon. An investigation will be launched, we likely won't be able to update you much on it as it involves a Ward, but rest assured this will be dealt with. I will make sure of it.”

“I know you will Director, the results are none of my business anyway.”

She seems to appreciate my candour.

“Do you have any insights on the Undersiders for us?”

I nod.

“Yes, important one first, they’ve given up on villainy. Apparently there was outside pressure before forcing them to take jobs they might not necessarily want to. It’s now been dealt with, and they’ve switched over to vigilantism. I’ve warned them that a switch in alignment doesn’t atone them of crimes already committed and that I would 100% take them in if I caught up with them again.”

She seems dubious.

“If you trust my judgment, they were definitely being honest. If you want a recommendation, go soft sell on them and you could likely get four new wards. Three of them don’t have villainous nature to my eyes at all really, and the one who does, doesn’t seem particularly attached to it.”

She takes a drink and looks at me.

“I’ll take it under advisement. Any insights on powers?” she asks casually.

“Yes, Grue’s darkness isn’t just darkness. It blocks the vast majority of the EM spectrum, from ELF all the way through to I suspect NUV, possibly even EUV. Radio is blocked entirely. Even my scanners can't penetrate it and they are damn good. Tattletale is a thinker, and quite a powerful one. Some sort of inference engine that takes tiny clues to make big leaps of logic. Hellhound isn’t really a master I think, more of a striker that forces a changer effect on dogs. No idea if she is restricted only to dogs or if that’s just preference, but her dogs were well trained, but to my eyes her interactions with them lead me to believe they are definitely trained. Not controlled. No insight on Regent, other than his irreverence to the situation. Cared in the abstract that his teammate was hurt though for sure.”

She seems to take a second to absorb this info, then she turns to Armsmaster.

“Add it to the threat file, make a plan for a soft sell to probationary recruitment. Reactivate the investigation into Lindt. If Archon is correct, then the murders she committed might not be all they seem.”

While she speaks to Armsmaster, EFA is updating me on my scans.

“Boss, she’s severely ill. Likely on her way to death's door. Her kidneys are basically dead and filled with unusual biological material. And her cardiovascular system is shot because of it. She needs healing.”

“Ok EFA, I’ll try to bring it up.”

“Thank you for your time Archon, If there’s nothing else then you are free to leave.”

“May I speak with you privately Director, or if that isn’t acceptable, with the Protectorate member you most trust with you, it’s something personal to yourself and I don’t want to breach your privacy more than I already accidentally have.”

I decide she will appreciate candour more than beating around the bush here.

“Unconventional and unusual request Archon. Most would refuse but you’ve helped us enough that I am willing to humour you. Armsmaster please remain, everyone else please leave while we discuss. Assault, Battery, please guard the door.”

Code for, ‘Please be in range if this guy attacks me.’

The door closes.

“Ok first I need to apologise for you. A part of my tech that is almost always running is a general health scanner. I typically don’t turn it off as it allows me to monitor teammates and allies in combat, and I didn’t today.”

She turns guarded.

“Archon are you saying you breached my medical privacy?”

“Yes ma’am. Accidentally, and I assure you all records will be completely purged before I leave this office. It wasn’t the breach I wanted to speak to you about as I would have deleted that as a matter of course. I just wanted to apologise for it and let you know that the tech will be off around you for future meetings.”

She stares at me, I’m not sure what she is looking for, but she seems to find it.

“Ok, I’m willing to give you benefit of the doubt that you didn’t do this on purpose. Why did you tell me though, you could have just left without saying anything and just deleted the data?”

I look at Armsmaster. “Director, am I permitted to speak frankly about your health with Armsmaster present.”

She nods.

“Armsmaster is fully aware of my health Archon, I don’t have much to hide from him.”

I continue.

“Ok, then are you aware that you are dying Director?”

She nods.

“The bastard at Ellisburg destroyed my kidneys Archon. I’m aware that even with my regular dialysis, I’ll die younger than most.”

I look at her aghast.

“Director, I am fully capable of healing the expanded damage your condition has caused, I can't repair your kidneys just yet, though I’m working on tech that will allow me to work on internal damages, but I can regenerate your cardiovascular and nerve damage.”

She shakes her head with a grim smile on her face.

“Archon. I don’t accept Parahuman healing. Not just because of Ellisburg, but because I refuse to owe anyone to that degree as I believe it will put my integrity and more importantly my impartiality at risk. I thank you for the offer, as I did with Panacea. But I’m fully aware of where my life currently leads.”

I hand her a card.

“This is my personal number. If at any point you change your mind, call me. You won't owe me anything. And I mean that.”

She takes it and puts it away.

“I will likely never even consider it Archon, but I thank you for the offer, nonetheless.”

That’s all I can do. She may be an anti-parahuman bigot, but I won’t let anyone who isn’t overtly evil die without at least offering them the chance.

“Thanks for your time Director, I will see myself out, feel free to contact me if you need assistance.”

I turn and leave.

Assault escorts me out again, we exchange pleasantries, but he seems tense, so I don’t stick around to shoot shit with him.

 

As I leave the forge hits me with a double.

 

Expansion deferred due to an active situation. 200CP are available.

Making attempt…

Skills Enchanting – Success!

Magic Style: Enchantment – 200CP – Fairy Tale.

0CP remain.

Wow, this perk is incredible, but currently quite crippled. It’s a generic magical enchantment system, limited by the users imagination. It contains everything from Enchanting weapons and armour (and synergises incredibly well with my Weapon Absorption perk that I put on every weapon I make) through to huge environmental effects, but it relies on the users pool of magic.

And my pool of magic is tiny. I gained a small pool of magic with this perk which was added to a small pool gained with my previous Draenei tech perk that was so small I barely noticed it till now. It will grow, and change with time, usage, and growth in my intellect and physical prowess. But the main way for me to grow my available magic is with other perks that use magic. Every magical perk I gain that requires access to a magical pool will grow my available magic. Some more than others.

I can feel the magic now I have two magic perks, sat inside my chest and my brain, suffusing my body slowly and making me more than a regular mortal human. It even suffuses my cybernetics, thanks to Doll Maker of Bucuresti giving me an affinity for Magitech. But it’s a tiny seed of magic.

With this amount, I’ll be able to enchant Draenei specific enchantments, relating to the light and arcane energies they are known to interact with and even some of the shamanistic elements. I’ll be able to make generic equipment enchantments, weak, but layerable. And I’ll be able to use weak environmental enchantments.

But it will be a long time until I can enchant a meteor from nowhere into hitting my enemies, provide myself with massive defensive buffs, or enchant conceptual, or soul-based enchantments.

The basic enhancement enchantments like Vernier for speed, or Raise to dispel negative effects, Arms to buff strength slightly and Armour to buff defense, should all be potentially within my reach. A further way to push my narrative as an “enhancer of others”.

Personality enchantment does also open some interesting future pathways to freeing EFA.

I will experiment with this later in the workshop. This isn’t something I can just stick a clone on like Alchemy. Magical effects don’t return when the clone pops. Chakra and Magic are completely separate systems, and my clone growing its magical reserves will not reflect upon my own reserves.

 

As I leave the PRT building, my phone rings.

Unknown number.

Well then.

“Hello Archon.”

“Coil. Thanks for waiting for me to leave. Thought you might come and say hello in person while I was in the building though.”

“You have me at a disadvantage.”

“I highly doubt that TC, so let’s dispense with the false civility and just be transparent. Why are you tiptoeing around me? I expected kidnapping attempts, attempt to waylay me, friction possible with the Undersiders. Instead, my paranoia is for nothing and yet you are still exactly who and where I expected you to be.”

“Fine Thomas, our ‘mutual friends’ seem to find you interesting. As I am sure you are fully aware, going against them is not conducive to a long and happy life.

“Which one of them?”

“The one who wins every hand.”

Well fuck.

“So, to be clear, you are staying out of my way?” I query him.

“Yes, I rather like my brain inside my skull. My operations in Brockton are concluded.”

“Other than your job at the PRT right?”

“I’m working my 90 days, then I have no attachment to the PRT.”

“Fine, I’ll follow the rules. I expect you to do the same. I know how much you ‘value’ them.”

He laughs at me.

“Archon, I really do hope you are as interesting as she expects. If I can’t play the game myself, I can at least enjoy the show and make a few bets.”

He pauses, composes himself and continues.

“Out of interest, how do you know so much about me? And know about them at all?”

I decide to go with a facet of the truth.

“Precog, long dead but very powerful gave me a summary of the Bay and it’s players. Plus a few extras. Future doesn’t end well for the Bay so decided to change it. You should be thanking me, really. Your future was a lot worse than the Bay's.”

He’s silent.

“If you’d like a recommendation Coil, stay away from abducting and drugging parahumans. It really, really doesn’t end well for you.”

“I’ll take it under advisement, hero.”

He hangs up.

Interesting. Not a long conversation, but I got more out of it than I expected.

So, Cauldron, or at least Contessa is aware of me. That makes things, well I want to say it makes them trickier but if she hasn’t already put a bullet in my head, then I must at least be some sort of positive effect on her path.

I’ll still be taking step toward developing countermeasures. Unfortunately, none of the physics I have access to will allow me to interact with or generate tachyons, so the only defense I can concept against precognition using standard albeit extremely advanced physics is out. There are some interesting options within Enchanting, but I need a bigger magical pool to consider them. And I would need to be on the level of the Sage of Six Paths or equivalent to use Chakra to counter precognition. Or at least at the level of Madara, which could be literally decades out.

I do have an insane level of skill in genetic enhancement and engineering in my brain from the Imperium, and Dune conceived of genetics that grant immunity to precognition, but I’m not sure if they are standard physics or special dune physics. Alternatively, I could try to work towards an artificial Pariah gene however I would need to gear it at whatever energy form the shards use rather than the warp. Which means parahuman experimentation.

Which means regardless, I have a lot of research and development ahead of me. I’m determined to immunise myself to precognition properly. I can spoof it by constantly moving in and out of my workshop, and by constantly cycling things through my portal. But this is a temporary and inconvenient measure.

I’m going to have to rely on growing the forge connection more, which means I’m going to have to take steps to remain interesting. Repeated actions become less and less interesting to the forge and I’ve recently felt a slowing in the growth of the forge itself. I’m going to have to up my game.

The good news is, being so flush with cash means that even if I don’t find what I need in the resource dimension, once I find a reliable supplier of rare materials I can just buy the things I need to finish the ARCHANGEL suit. That will allow me to expand my AO, as the mobility offered by flight will both expand my speed of patrol within Brockton Proper, but also make it viable to move to other places in the northeast. And even further afield once I make the eventual upgrades to power generation and gravity manipulation/technological self-telekinesis that the wings provide..

There’s that never-ending countdown in my head, past Taylor, past Mouse Protector, past Bakuda.

February 24^th. 2011.

The day Canberra is lost to the Hopekiller.

If I don’t have reliable precog protection by then, I won't be going to the fight, only the clean-up afterwards.

If I do, I need to make sure I have weaponry that can make a difference.

2 months to go. I need to seriously ramp up my production ability.

 

 

I make my way back to the workshop, as the forge pings me again.

And fails to connect.

+100CP

More power gained even in failure.

I move back to the dining room and after a quick meal, pop over to the warehouse.

Impulse is ordering my clone about wildly while seemingly working on some tools for herself.

I’ve got three full sets of premium mechanics tools coming for her for Christmas that she doesn’t know about yet. I think she will like them.

I dispel my clones, taking an influx of information on alchemy along with some mechanics my clone helped Impulse with. She gets really chatty when she works too!

I recreate Impulse’s assistant and send my other clone off to work on Alchemy.

I’m going to test out some enchanting.

 

 

I grab a spare table near my smiths forge and pull out my arcblade. I want to increase the lethality of the blade when used for slicing, the ability to expand out into a whip is great and pairs incredibly well with the electricity it can channel, but I want to improve it in sword mode.

I pull up the magic inside me to my hands and start layering it into the blade. The perk gives me the general instruction on how to use it, but it still relies on intent and willpower like most magic.

I pull my intent into the blade, and crystalise it into the edge.

Cut true, Cut true, Cut true, Cut true

My magic infuses through the blade and the edge glitters.

My magic is spent, and I feel exhausted.

I run my hand over the blade to get a feel for the enchantment. I’ve improved the edge quality and the durability of the blade. It will definitely cut stronger, but not by a huge amount, probably a 2-3% increase in overall strength.

This power is going to be an investment process, slow improvements over time while I build my reserves. I can feel its immense potential however and I will be adding this to my automatic daily routine of work out, eat, stimpak. Working out my magical muscles instead of my physical ones.

As I move to go and visit Impulse in the resource dimension, EFA interjects.

“Boss, I’ve had a Ravager sighting not ten miles from a nine sighting. Sightings are converging, it’s now or never.”

Time to warn Mouse Protector.

I pull up my phone and call Assault.

“Hi Archon, what’s up?”

“Assault sorry no time to chat, Miss Militia was on a Wards team with Mouse Protector right?”

“Yes, but why what’s up?”

"Can you put me through to Miss Militia ASAP please Assault, I need to get hold of Mouse Protector."

He pauses, and I can hear him talking in the background.

“Ok, I’ll put you through this time but please go through proper channels next time, I’m here for you to call if you need Protectorate advice, but I’m not a switchboard.”

“I understand, thanks Assault.”

The line beeps three times,

“Pick up pick up pick u-,”

“Archon, Miss Militia speaking, you told Assault you needed to speak to Mouse Protector urgently?”

“Yes, with all haste its extremely important, I had a warning from an old precog friend about certain signs converging, and if they happened what would happen, and the convergence has happened. I need to get hold of her immediately.”

“Ok Archon, She’s a good friend of mine, I’ve just text her your number and told her to ring you urgently. Are you able to expand on the threat, do I need to rally the Protectorate in Chicago?”

“Thanks Miss Militia, I’ll explain it to you one day but for now as long as I can warn her no.”

I put the phone down and it immediately rings again.

“Yo this is the big cheese. If you ask me to call ya urgently, at least don’t be engaged.”

“Mouse Protector I’m sorry I’m going to need to dispense with the pleasantries. You need to immediately and urgently cancel any planned patrols and get the hell out of Illinois.”

Her tone changes.

“Archon, I’ve heard you are a hero type, so I won't take that as a threat, but what’s up, why am I supposed to be leaving my home?”

“Long story short. Precog shenanigans. I was warned about the consequences of certain signs occurring and they have. First consequence. Ravager is done with your ruining her reputation and is as we speak hiring the Slaughterhouse Nine to come and deal with you. You survive the attack. But you’ll wish you didn’t with what Bonesaw plans to do to you. I can’t leave Brockton, and I can’t face the Nine yet. So I’m giving you fair warning and hoping to god you see reason. Get the hell out of Illinois and cancel any known plans you have there.”

She stutters, no words just sounds.

Then finally replies.

“I’m leaving. Thanks for the heads up.”

“Don’t take any route you would usually take, ideally move out of costume on transport you own and stop for nothing.”

“Got it, thanks for the head up Archon, MM says you are reliable, so I’ll listen to you. You might have pulled this mouse from the trap.”

She hangs up.

That’s all I can do.

I decide to head into my forge and work on a complex compound bow. I was originally going to head out into the resource dimension, but the call has rattled me a bit and I want to work with my hands.

The bow is quite simple to assemble and has a very nice draw strength for something I just threw together. I make it foldable so I can pull it via portal, and make a lot of arrows with different head types and some of them with alchemic dispensers. On a whim I give it a small enchantment for accuracy, throw on weapon absorption and spend the rest of the day target practicing in the warehouse.

Impulse joins me for dinner.

“So how was your day boss?”

Why does everyone call me boss?

I can start calling you ‘numb nuts’ instead if you want boss? EFA chimes in mentally.

Damn I don’t deserve this abuse.

“Pretty good, likely got a Ward fired, accidentally committed assault with a parahuman power on a PRT director, and got forgiven for it, likely saved Mouse Protectors life, and learned a new way to enhance weapons and armour. Oh and I made a bow. What about you?”

She just stares at me.

“I built an engine and a chassis in normal time like a normal tinker. Boss seriously your powers are weird you know?”

I laugh.

“Oh, trust me I know, you wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

As if to mock that sentiment, the forge pings me again.

200CP available

Attempting expansion…

Quality Appearance – Success!

Perfected Calligraphy – 200CP – Exalted – The Infernals.

0CP banked

I just became the worlds greatest writer.

Not just story wise, I mean the actual physical act of writing.

I am a writer, correspondent and calligrapher without peer.

While I can't think of any technological use for this just yet, it’s still quite cool, nonetheless.

And my hand dexterity is through the roof as a bonus which will help massively with those finicky crafts.

 

On that note I head to bed. Let’s see what the next few days bring.

 

Notes:

Perks gained this chapter.

Magic Style: Enchantment - 200 - Fairy Tail - Skills Enchanting

It's time to choose the Magical Styles that you have already learned upon entering this world. Whilst most magical styles can be learned with time and effort and the right teacher or source of knowledge, buying them here will allow them to benefit from the skill that Magic Skill ranks grant as well as allow access to extremely rare or lost magics or magics that require certain traits to use. A list of the magics that can be bought as well as their costs can be found at the end of the jump document. It should be noted that some Magic Styles will not be purchasable through this option. Most of these are Holder Type magics, which all deal with magical items that are offered for purchase in the item section, and some are simply Caster Type magics that are too unique and either offered as part of a separate perk or not at all. This may change in the future as the series progresses or not.

Perfected Calligraphy - 200 - 'Exalted - The Infernals' - Quality Appearance

Elloge is a writer and storyteller without peer, ever creating within herself new vortices of vocalization and tangles of text. Her inner worlds reflecting manifold different tales and countless chapters of her own narratives. The deepest parts of her have little to do with reality as it is or ever was, idealized paradises and grand dramas unfolding in realms that resemble Creation, Malfeas, lost Zen-Mu, or any number of other, fictional worlds. So too may you craft elaborate narratives and uniquely beautiful stories, ever writing with the zeal of inspiration, and muse-born linguistics that would stand out even in the countless annals and libraries of Hell. From now on, you shall live and breathe the ingenuity of a talecrafter without peer. Appropriately to the wondrous correspondences you shall write, you will also gain the calligraphic skill to write with neat flowing script or ornate glyphs in all the numberless languages of the Sphere of Speech.

+50 PRCP gained.
Rolling…
Failed.

Chapter 20: Arc 3 - Chapter 3

Notes:

Very slice of life today, not a massive amount of tech or combat. I got to lay the groundwork for a far future arc though.

Sorry about the lack of real action, ive got a lot of groundwork to lay before i can have the Thomas Hale side of the equation start working in Bet. This fic is primarily Fix it mixed with slice of life, it will be quite slow to build sometimes, intentionally.

The groundwork laid this chapter will echo out through the entire fic.

Arc 3 – Chapter 3

 

Sunday 21st December 2010

 

So, I’m in a bit of a resource rut. I have very large amounts of basic resources, small amounts of rarer resources and nothing at all beyond that.

It’s a problem because while I can theorise and come up with concepts of alloys and metamaterials better than damn near anything else on Bet or even my own 2021 earth, when it comes to actually designing the material structure, and then moving on to making them, I’m missing most of what I need. And it’s bottlenecking me from making real improvements on my armour. Like ones that can keep up with my own immensely improved capabilities. Or the flight of the Mercy tech.

My artificial deflective resin I’ve been calling ADR Weave is the best thing I’ve invented myself followed closely by the NPSteel but in all honesty, even these are basics. There are materials not much worse available on Bet already. And I can do so much better. I have the knowledge, but not the materials to even work on the designs. I have lots of research completely bottlenecked by lack of materials to practice with.

After waking up and performing my usual routine, including incrementing my enchants on my sword now, I decide to make the first step to do something about it.

I make my clones and send one off with Impulse to help her finish her RV, as from a gathering standpoint getting a way to really explore the resource dimension will be a huge help. The other goes to work on materials research and using my last few relevant materials to make some more heavy water reactors.

 I really need to come up with a name for the resource dimension.

And on that subject, a team name.

Problems for the future, however.

For now, me and EFA are going to legitimise my ID. Step one of my “get access to better resources” plan. EFA has managed to break into UK central government databases and legitimise my UK citizenship properly. Actually, very easy with Manchester half uninhabitable and a quarter of London destroyed by the Simurgh, their records are poorly kept.

I bleach and dye my hair and beard down to a dirty blonde, put on some of my worst clothes, and re-contour my face with makeup. Once done I explain to Impulse my plan for the day and make my way out of the forge to a Greyhound stop.

I’m getting the coach south down the 95 through Portsmouth, then skimming north Boston on the way to Worcester, grabbing a few doors at rest stops on the way and in the city itself.

Once there, I will be grabbing some more doors around Worcester Regional Airport. EFA has managed to add me to a passenger manifest for a passenger plane from Liverpool, UK to New York, and then an internal flight to Worcester. EFA picked this route as the only viable route into Massachusetts for me, as you can transfer at New York to Worcester without being on camera in New York. Required for reasons that will be obvious.

I won’t actually be on the plane, but I’ll be sneaking in past the limited security at Worcester and leaving with the passengers from that flight. In a world where 9/11 never happened, Airport security never reached the levels that it did in our world. Even when accounting for parahumans.

Once I have managed to gain an internal door in the airport terminal, preferably in passenger toilets of some sort, I will be stepping back into the forge, dyeing my hair back to dark brown, shaving off my beard and changing to my nicest clothes. I also have ready a very expensive invisibility potion from Hypatia, who gave me this warning.

“60 seconds invisible as long as you don’t attack or touch anyone. That’s an insanely hard brewing process and more than $60k of resources you just used up, don’t ask me to make one of those again until you have access to better alchemy.”

Fair enough, I should only need one for now.

Once I am ready at the airport and the plane has landed and is disembarking, I will be using my invisibility potion to sneak down to the first in-door area of the security entrance, before the first CCTV camera but after disembarking.

I need to be seen on the first camera to legitimise my arrival. The exit path is a maze of corridors, passenger toilets and it gives me ample areas to sneak into the exiting crowd.

The last part I needed was a valid UK passport and birth certificate, which EFA has painstakingly loaded into the omni-tool, and I will be fabricating shortly. They wouldn’t pass a thorough inspection in the UK, as they’re ‘too’ perfect. But it will spoof any tools they can use to check at a smaller airport in the USA.

I’m ready to go, I feel naked out in the city without my armour, but I have my cybernetics, the omni tool and matter manipulation. Plus, the ability to deploy any of my weapons or consumables from the workshop.

My coach ride after going through Portsmouth takes me along the scenic route past North Hampton, then Boxford and through the outskirts of Boston. Having never been to anywhere in the US other than Miami in my previous life, I spent a lot of time looking out of my window at the various sights. We transition on to the 62, passing Reading and Burlington before finally getting on to the 95, only an hour out from Worcester now. I manage to snag a door in Reading at a bladder stop as we pass.

The coach ride is, dull, and uneventful other than a drunk guy getting bodily kicked off at Lexington. Coach drivers don’t fuck around.

The final stretch on route 90 allows me to grab another door at Framingham as the coach stops to pick up and drop off. After a further 35 minutes of coach riding, we finally pull into Worcester, and I decide to grab a meal and a few doors while I make my way to the airport.

The airport here is pretty big for a local airport and has a decent sized terminal.

Security is poor as expected, and with EFA scanning for cameras I am in to the second floor of the terminal without being seen via a conveniently placed dumpster round the side of an outbuilding in a fenced off trash area. I grab a hanging hi-vis jacket and safety helmet on my way in, if I am caught I can possibly pass myself off as a worker.

My worries are for naught, the terminal is quite empty as I head for the gates via the staff area. As I turn a corner to exit to the gates, I hear voices ahead of me. Shit, two security guards have entered the corridor and are patrolling towards me.

I look around for a hiding spot, there’s nothing convenient. Fuck!

I throw on the hi-vis jacket and zip it up and throw on the helmet, I walk round the corner with purpose. As the guards approach I acknowledge the one on the left.

“Excuse me mate, you couldn’t tell me where the nearest toilet is could you, I'm working on the construction on the east stand, and they sent me over here for them and I can’t find them”

He laughs unkindly,

“Hah, they sent you to the only place back here without a toilet, you must be new ey?”

“Damnit, they were giggling as I left I never thought it would be a prank I only started yesterday, could you help direct me please?”

“Yeah, straight up the corridor, take the stairs on the left, down to the end of the corridor. Doors coded but 7762 will get you into the toilets. Keep that to yourself.” He winks at me.

Gotta love social engineering. Go anywhere with a high-vis and a helmet and people will fall over themselves to believe you belong.

I make my way to the east stand without any more problems, I let myself in to the staff toilet and grab the door from the inside and step back through to the workshop.

I quickly dye my hair and facial hair back to a shade close to my natural, and shave down to a neat goatee after removing my makeup. I put on my neatest suit and grab a carryall full of clothes and my documents. Then I make my way back to the toilet to wait. This is going to be the sensitive part. EFA has planned my route and is watching for the plane landing. As soon as the passengers disembark, I need to be making my way to just past the security checkpoint and into an empty office or passenger restroom. As the passengers pass by in the biggest bulk, I then need to exit the room and join the crowd as if I belong.

EFA confirms my name is confirmed on the manifest and that she is actively hacking the electronic record to show me as embarked.

Before long the plane has landed, and I am up. I down the invisibility potion and nearly throw it back up. Swallowing it is like swallowing liquid chalk combined with raw coffee grounds.

I wonder if Hypatia’s surname is Snape?

I feel a tingle throughout my body as me and everything I am touching is covered in an invisibility field. I have 60 seconds.

I quickly make my way out; the security guards are patrolling this way but I should be ok as long as I am quiet. I make my way across the hall and into the baggage collection room before looping into the exit corridor, noting the camera positions long the way. I have to dodge two more Airport personnel and have an extremely close call with a woman exiting an office who definitely hears something but lets it go soon enough.

I can hear the plane being connected to the stairs; I am very close now.

I pass the security exit and have to vault a security barrier very quietly to avoid being heard by a baggage guy.

I finally make it into the plane exit corridor and divert off into a convenient passenger restroom.

I hear voices, and a crowd of footsteps approach as the invisibility wears off.

I wait for the chatter to reach a high pitch, and a few passengers to enter cubicles in the restroom, then I exit my cubicle and join the crowd of passengers.

No-one questions my presence, and I have an uneventful walk through security. My paperwork, and my electronic boarding pass are accepted without comment, as I purposefully walk in full view of the cameras.

I exit the airport to a coach station and await my return coach to Brockton Bay.

I’ve done it. The final step on legitimising myself in the bay and I can finally maintain a civilian identity.

Just call me Thomas Hale, qualified Doctor, Engineer and Mechanic specialising in Medical Technology, and a dab hand at programming and electronic security.

EFA is already searching for ways for me to ‘transfer my qualifications from a defunct university in the UK’ over here to the US and get them accredited. Mechanics and Engineering along with Computer Science is fairly easy given where I am, Boston is still home to one of the greatest universities for these subjects in the world and MIT here offer accreditation of degrees equivalent to the UKs Statement of Comparability in those subjects with an assessment, examination, practical demonstration model which I will be taking once I have some free time to write out some doctoral dissertation and master’s thesis work in these subjects which my latest perk will certainly help with. I’ll have to find the time to defend them. But all in all, I should be able to eventually get myself accredited.

The medical qualifications will be trickier, as I have no record of hospital work, and no easy way to fake it therefore I need to pass off that I immediately moved in to medi-tech even though I have the knowledge of multiple PHD’s in the subject.

I’ll burn that bridge when I get to it.

As I board the coach I spot a man with four arms out the corner of my eye sit down across the aisle from me. His skin is grey and pallid, and quite scaly.

Is this a case 53?

“EFA engage full omni-tool scanning on the man sat on the chair across from me, if he’s a case 53 I’d like a full physiological workup.”

“On it boss!”

He notices me looking, and quickly looks away, but I smile and let on to him.

“Hi, how are you, I’m Thomas?”

He looks semi relieved.

“Hecaton.”

I smile disarmingly.

“Hecaton, cool name! Like ‘hecatoncheires’ right? The multi armed legion from Greek mythology that helped Zeus overthrow the titans? Clever reference!”

He smiles and seems to relax.

“Yes, not many get the reference. Now I’m going to catch some sleep after a long flight, I hope you don’t mind.”

I nod and reply, “Not at all! Nice to meet you!” and turn back to my phone.

 

I decide to catch a nap, it's been a busy morning and not like I have anything else to do.

I awaken to gunfire.

I am immediately on guard; passengers are taking cover on the coach as bullets fly outside.

It looks like we are on the edge of Boston proper, on the 95 somewhere.

I look across to the seat opposite, but Hecaton is nowhere to be found.

I look outside and he is engaged in combat with a group of armed thugs in facemasks.

Damnit I can't have Archon appear here and maintain my identity.

“EFA what’s the situation?”

“Sir armed gang attempted to stop the coach, looks like a well-organised attempt, though Hecaton has them locked down.”

The gunfire ceases and I look out the window.

Hecaton has the gangers all locked down and restrained, including one in a mask who seems to be drooling something that looks like silly string.

He steps back onto the bus.

“Protectorate North apologises for your inconvenience today citizens. One of our local villains from Minneapolis, ‘Stringer’ had been spotted in the North-East area hitting coaches for valuables, so we’ve been riding every coach heading north to catch them in the act. Please remain calm, the coach will be underway shortly.”

He looks over to me and nods. Then departs from the Coach.

I wonder what his power is. And why are Protectorate North acting in Boston’s Protectorate North East jurisdiction?  

“Brute, at least. Deflected bullets. Extra arms used for extreme combat proficiency. Slow though.”

“Thanks, EFA.”

We finally get underway and I review EFAs scans of the fight on the trip home. Nothing else interferes with the journey and arrive back in Brockton downtown at around 4pm.

A long, and mostly uneventful day. Hecaton seems interesting. I'm looking forward to reviewing the case 53 scans later.

The first thing I do is head over to Brockton Bay Central bank to open a civilian account and deposit cash. I then head over to a local estate agent to pick out an apartment in the outskirts of the downtown area, close to docks south. It’s relatively cheap, and the process is extremely streamlined for a ‘citizen’. It’s a huge contrast to the last time I arrived fresh in the bay.

I walk down to my new apartment and let myself in. I’m paid up for two months, and this will be a great place to base myself in the city. It’s quite spacious and in a decent part of the city.

I instruct EFA to start picking up software jobs in my civilian ID, they will be relatively low paying til I build up a reputation, even with EFA recommending me. I need to get my qualifications accredited before I can start pulling in the real independent contractor money.

 

As I move to head back into my workshop, the forge attempt an expansion, it’s built up quite aa delayed charge while my infiltration and return home was underway.

 

Expansion double deferred due to an ongoing situation.

300CP are available.

Attempting Expansion…

Failed!

Really. With how many small cost perks are left across the constellations of the forge, 3 colossal planets swing by my head and fail to take.

I shake my head in exasperation, every failure brings me closer to porridge brain again. I’m still shaking off ghost instincts of the last one.

Forge don’t let me down next roll!

I step back into my workshop from my new apartment.

Impulse awaits me.

“Your clone dispelled, which I'm sure you knew. I took my chassis out on a test drive before I fit the final housing and found something you will like.

She holds out a glass jar and inside are a set of tiny glowing purple crystals.

“They were growing out of a tree in the swamp, couldn’t find any more in that area but seems like the small ones can be attached to organics.”

I’ve stopped listening to her properly.

I now have some Arkonite. True it’s a tiny amount, but I can use this tiny amount to make a personal energy shield.

I’m going to make an energy buckler.

“Thanks for this Impulse, it makes a huge difference so thanks for keeping your eye out for them.”

“No problem boss, could you make me a new clone, I need to go and make the final fits for my RV, especially if I’m going to move out further.”

I do as requested and create a clone for her and create another to go work more on alchemy. If I ever have to taste another invisibility potion, I don’t want to feel like I just deep-throated a chalkboard eraser.

 

I quickly go to work on a light gauntlet. It will be skin-tight and fit under armour as the old matter manipulator gauntlet did. I arrange the Arkonite crystals in a specific pattern on top and then infuse them with magic. I powder one of the crystals down and mix with various mundane compounds to create a mana channel to allow me to power it from the inside.

I mount the surprisingly delicate wire arrangement on my left arm, and push mana into it.

A small energy shield results.

I can actually power this by electricity too, although the interface is incredibly sensitive and finicky to produce and will require me to have access to Argunite as well. A project for the future, for now I will focus on using this to parry rather than bunker or deflect attacks. This finally gives me protection against energy-based attacks that I have been so lacking.

If I can gather around fifty more shards of this size, I’ll be able to work on a form of pseudo invisibility too. Not perfect invisibility unless stood completely still, but enough to be a damn menace.

I spend the rest of the evening working on Christmas presents, with Christmas coming up in a few days I have gift ideas for Impulse, Assault, Director Piggot, Armsmaster and some generic gifts for the other protectorate members I have met in passing.

Work never stops, even when it’s for a positive reason.

Tomorrow, I will be looking to book a session at MIT to legitimise some of my qualifications and find out what I need to do to make it work.

Work never ends, but I'm making positive steps to the future.

 

Notes:

Perks gained this chapter - None

+50 PRCP.

100 PRCP available

Rolling…

Failed

Chapter 21: Christmas Special Intermission

Notes:

NO PERK GAIN OR GROWTH DURING THIS CHAPTER.

Ive posted this with the next chapter as a bonus. Didnt want to just post this on its own.

Christmas Special Intermission

 

Tuesday 23^rd December 2010

 

What do you make for a director of the PRT for Christmas? Giving a gift to someone of this level is political, rather than personal and making the right choice is hard.

After being told that MIT won’t be covering any intakes for accreditation till the new year, I decide to go all in on making gifts. I spent all of Monday making and tweaking gifts for the members of the Protectorate. Today I finish off my work. Just call me “Tinker Claus”

Assault was easy, I made him a kinetic energy generator using one of my experimental tiny black boxed reactors. For five years it will power a series of tiny flywheels that Assault will be able to use to charge up his power. Should give him an edge of surprise. It can be worn on a belt and it about the size of a small lunchbox.

For Armsmaster I made a fiat backed halberd head. Self-repairing and enchanted to grow. I made it from NPSteel and hollowed out the rear of the head so he could pack his tech in.

Miss Militia I made an armoured vest in the American flag style to match her bandanna. Self-repairing of course. NPSteel + ADR means she could take a .50 to the torso without much issue.

For Dauntless I made some high-quality pauldrons for him to enhance.

Velocity gets a wrist mounted injector that won't care about his mass or ability to affect the physical world. He will be able to load it up with tranquilizers. I’ll give him a few vials of safe tranqs too though he will need to get them tested, I give him extra for that purpose.

Battery and Triumph I go for jewellery. I don’t know them or their powers well enough to make enhancing gear. Battery gets a nice bracelet with a powered circuitry theme and Triumph gets a ring with a lion’s head and a musical theme.

What do you know, sometimes art is fun just for the fun of it? While on the artistic kick I also throw together a set of paired necklaces for Glory Girl and Panacea. I stay away from power themes with these though, I suspect Panacea wouldn’t appreciate that. They are works of art and I think they will like them.

Hypatia and Smythe will also be getting jewellery.

 

For Director Piggot I decide to go for practical.

First, I make a bolt of carbon weave and ADR resin fabric, for her to have her clothes lined with. It will allow her to retain her style but become a lot more bullet and power resistant. I also make her a very nice baton, powered by a rechargeable power cell that she can use as a powerful taser. I also make her a ring with the PRT motto embedded.

I was going to make a holdout pistol too, but enough is enough.

 

Sherrel is easier. I bought her a few different sets of tools in big red chests as a paid for gift, along with everything a mechanic could need. Including a vehicle lift that moves in multiple directions, that I modified myself to be capable of going up to obscene weight profiles. From car to wagon, there’s not much you won't be able to lift with this once it’s all put together and installed.

 

As a surprise, I also make her a new costume. She’s been working without, as I obviously already know who she is, and she doesn’t ever leave the workshop or the resource dimension.

 I go all out, full mechanic vibes but more futuristic, armoured to all hell and enchanted to the highest level I can push for protection.

I also make her, her own version of the MK1 powered armour suit that I currently use. I make hers her preferred yellow and black, double striped like her dream car. The 68 mustang GT in yellow with two black stripes. I leave off the Helmet for her version, going for a visor and driving helmet to distinguish from mine. I also change the lines and angles of the suit and the armoured plates to distinguish us further. I write ‘IMPULSE’ across the back on a whim to finish it off.

I think she will appreciate it.

The work comes a lot easier this time now I’ve already done it once. Doping new reactors for the suit takes the longest time but I manage to finish it all in time for Christmas eve.

I box everything up, and I also write out a card for one free cybernetic upgrade as a joke.

 

After I finish writing out cards, I ask Assault to meet me at the docks where we first met. No way I’m heading up to PRT headquarters with a bag full of toys on the day before Christmas eve.

 

Assault looks at me with a bemused expression.

“Archon, you didn’t have to get us all gifts.”

“Actually, I made these Assault. Explained in the cards but enjoy! And thanks for your help this year and of course for saving my life.”

He smiles gently.

“No problem Archon, I’ll make sure these get to their correct owners.”

I head back to the workshop after a quick trip downtown to drop Glory Girl and Panaceas gifts off with Panacea at Brockton Bay General.

On Christmas Eve I spend most of the day just relaxing. It’s been a while since I could just take a day to myself.

I practice alchemy, spar with my clones, work on minor enchants for stupid reasons.

I actually have fun with my powers. I spend some time working on engines and wiring harnesses with Impulse, and we have a good laugh together over some Christmas games.

I raise a glass to the family and friends I left behind to come here and realise I don’t really remember them much. Just a mental blur of experiences and feelings.

This puts me in a fit of melancholy but EFA manages to cheer me up.

“EFA, is there anything you would like for Christmas?”

“Not this year boss, got some ideas for next year though.”

“Well, let me know when you can.”

“Will do, and thanks for thinking of me.”

 

 

Thursday 25^th December 2010

I wake up early in the morning and put out the gifts I have made and bought for the members of the forge.

I pop my head into the Alchemy Lab and ask Hypatia if her and Smythe would like to join us for a Christmas meal, and she shockingly accepts.                                                         

Impulse comes and joins me in the dining room, and I make he some breakfast.

“So what are we doing today?” she asks me.

“Well presents of course! Then I’ll be making Christmas Dinner for us and the Alchemy shop, finally give you an introduction to Hypatia and maybe meet Smythe myself. Then we can eat far too much and reminisce and play Christmas games if you want? Maybe some collaborative tinkering later?”

She smiles softly.

“My first real Christmas in a long time. Be nice to spend it without being too drugged up to realise what day it is.”

I smile at her and continue serving breakfast.

 

After eating we go to open presents.

There’s a box in the workshop I don’t recognise, this must be Squealers gift for me. It’s quite large!

She motions me to open first. I unwrap my gift in haste, quite excited about what she has gotten me.

Inside is a sleek red and black sport motorbike.

“I made it myself, it has all the mod cons. It will take the weight of your armour if you need to, but it’s mostly for your civilian ID, so no integrated defences and weapons in this one.”

I’m really glad I have black thumb so I can appreciate the work that has gone into this bike. The engine itself is black boxed from me, this is the part her power is filling in for, but the rest is a marvel of engineering.

She really is a damn good mechanic even outside of her power.

And now I have to learn to ride a motorbike.

I smile at her. “Thanks, Sherrel, you’ll have to teach me how to ride it, I don’t have a power for that.”

Well not yet anyway.

She nods and returns my smile.

“Of course, can’t wait!”

Then she starts to open her presents. I’ve put the armour and suit out of the way till last.

As suspected, she loves the tools, and the cybernetics voucher gets a good laugh out of her.

She squeals when I hand over the new helmet, visor and costume. It’s nothing special currently, I don’t have any tailoring perks that allow me to truly fit gear but the artistic perks pull their weight.

The armour however sends her wide eyed.

She turns to me with a gobsmacked expression

“You made me armour like yours!?”

“Yeah, gotta keep the team theme after all, we can be the bootleg range-”

She's glomps me.

Literally. Instant flying hug. She pulls me in closer after grabbing me and I can feel her shaking.

I choose not to speak, and instead let her hug it out.

She pulls back from me and wipes her eyes.

“Thanks for trusting me boss, it means a lot.”

 

We move back to the dining room and enjoy a Christmas meal together the five of us.

I finally get to meet Smythe. He doesn’t talk, not even to say hello. Simply nods at me in thanks. He is absolutely colossal stature wise. Must be easily close to 7ft tall but very thin, pale skin and long dark hair. Vibrant orange eyes that are always moving. And analysing.

He looks like a vampire who plays basketball on the side.

I just appreciate the fact that they joined us for the meal. Sherrel gets on well with Hypatia and the two spend much of the meal batting ideas back and forth for various fuel and other vehicle related fluids. Hypatia is still quite standoffish with me, but I catch her observing me a few times interacting with Sherrel and Smythe.

I give them both their present and cards and we spend the rest of the day playing games and reminiscing. I chose not to bring any alcohol in this year. Maybe next year I will change that but I feel better for Sherrel not to be tempted while her health won’t really support it.

I receive a voice message later in the day from Assault.

“Hey Archon, thanks for the gifts, everyone is really appreciative, and I got to see Piggot’s second smile of the decade so big thumbs up for that. Piggot’s going to expedite the testing so we can deploy them in the field, and Armsmaster might actually leave us to join you if you keep teasing him with gifts like this. Big thanks from all of us at ENE, we’ve chipped together and sorted you an invitation to a fundraiser later in the year, I’ll send it to your Email. Big networking opportunity.”

I send a quick text back.

“No probs Assault, and Merry Christmas to you and the team. Thanks for the invite.”

We spend the rest of the day singing, playing games and making merry.

It’s been a good day.

 

Chapter 22: Arc 3 - Chapter 4

Notes:

Double chapter post so check the previous too.

Arc 3 – Chapter 4

 

Saturday 27^th December 2010

 

The day starts with the standard routine. After the past 4 days of seasonal crafting, relaxing and merriment, it’s easy for me to forget that there’s a job to be done. Today's job is pretty simple.

I need to get hold of Danny Heberts number. Time to bypass Taylor and tell her father exactly what’s going on.

As a concerned anonymous citizen of course.

After breakfast, and stimpak creation and usage, I get to work on tracking him down.

It turns out, that as head of hiring at the dockworkers union, it’s actually pretty easy to get hold of him.

I’m having EFA spoof the phone line, I don’t want this one tracking back to me. I might have a friendly relationship with the PRT, but this phone call won't help them. I wouldn’t make the call at all but for one thing. I don’t like that fact that Sophia gets away with what she does in canon, even before the locker. And this can lead to some positive changes with the way the wards are handled.

I’ve specifically timed this call for now. After Christmas when he’s likely to be less busy and in a better mood, but before Taylor returns to school to the horror prank.

“EFA, modify my voice on the call please, nothing that could track back to me.”

He picks up quickly.

“Hello, Danny Hebert speaking.”

“Hi, I’ll make this brief. Are you aware of what happens to your daughter at school?”

“Who is this? Are you making some kind of joke?”

“No Mr Hebert, I’m being deadly serious. Your daughter is currently the target of a very determined clique of bullies, who have planned an extremely serious prank for her on her return to school. I couldn’t allow this to continue, my conscience wouldn’t allow it.”

If anything, he sounds angrier. That common trope of Danny Hebert’s anger is absolutely not a lie.

“Who is attacking my daughter and what do they have planned?”

“Emma Barnes, Sophia Hess, Madison Clements. She’s complained to the school multiple times, but they keep ignoring her. They keep ignoring her or covering it up because one of those three girls has a connection to the PRT. I’m not sure what the connection is, but Blackwell is doing everything in her power to keep the connection safe. Even if it means sacrificing your daughter.”

I pause for effect.

“On your daughters return to school, the three girls plan to push her in her locker with the two-week fermented contents of the bins from the female changing rooms, and lock her in. I’m sure you are aware of what that entails.”

The line is silent, for a moment I think he has hung up.

“Who are you, how do you know this, and why are you telling me?”

“I am a concerned citizen, I can't allow this to continue any more, and I shouldn’t need to tell you why. Now my job is done. Make sure your daughter is protected on her first day back. Hell, wait in the corridor with her locker if you have to. Or get a friend to. Or just report it. But don’t let them torture her any more like they’ve been doing for years.”

I hang up on him.

That should induce some changes.

I get a message from Sherrel to come to the resource dimension as she is finished with her project. I send my clone into the workshop to work on the next step of the first phase of seeding my nanobiotics for the staff and make my way over to the portal. The tanks have been ready for a while and using the chem synthesiser over time to slowly generate the chemicals needed for the growth solution has been slow going, but fruitful.

As I step through, I immediately see Sherrels RV.

She’s put up a ramshackle garage, filled with all of her tools. It’s quite well put together. But the centrepiece is her ‘RV’

It’s not an RV.

It’s like a tank, a Humvee and an articulated lorry had a baby. Massive off-road tires, a bulky, heavily armoured frame. Bristling with armour and weaponry.

It’s beautiful.

“So whadya think?”

“It’s amazing. Genuinely. How the hell did you get this up so quickly?”

“Pfft, this is baby stuff. I only got two weapon installations on it! Come and look inside!”

  Inside is just as cool as the outside, there’s a sleeping rack, a bunch of storage space and a seating area for passengers and I assume for meals when you are out in the wilderness. There’s a grill and oven, and a sink that is plumbed in. She’s really gone all out with this.

On one wall, is a curious door that doesn’t connect to anything.

She invites me to use my key on it.

And it works.

“Yes! I was hoping that would work! We can now go from the RV to the Workshop using your key!”

I quickly test it with the key pedestal in the entrance hall, it works! This makes the prospect of exploring the resource dimension a lot less daunting.

However, the instincts from the forge are telling me I can only have one door active in the dimension currently. This means I will still need to move between resource sites manually. That’s not a hardship, just having access to a mobile development platform is an incredible boon.

 

 

I move back into my workshop to work with the clone in seeding the nanobiotics.

 

The process in creating the nanobiotics involves modifying mitochondrial DNA and bacterial cellular organelles at the microscale with specialised vector viruses, then merging them. Creating those viruses is done via gene editing, which uses lasers and carrier waves for the various proteins and DNA edits.

Mercy had her own way of doing this, but I can also leverage the Genetic Engineer perk from W40K to help me design more advanced ways to do it. The mitochondria I can harvest from my own cells.

I end up sectioning off a far corner of my warehouse to convert into a biolab. Glass tubes fabricated via my omni-tool full of bio sludge and a starting point of a common cold virus. I also section off various common bacteria to see which one works best for conversion into the nanobiotic structures used to heal and enhance.

The healing itself is performed via the biotic carrier wave generated by the nanobiotic mitochondria. I was actually slightly incorrect when I last analysed the material, as my memories had not finished fully integrating.

When using the staff to enhance, the carrier wave carries the nanobiotic structures to the target and uses them as cellular reinforcement and allows the target to generate more energy. This acts as a buffing effect but at the risk of losing nanobiotics from the staff until they breed back up to full.

When healing however, the nanobiotics in the staff well interlink in a complex pattern and output an energy wave that promotes rapid healing in the receiver. You don’t actually send the biotics themselves over, just the healing energy they generate. This energy is directed by the staff user using the halo to direct the energy wave within the receivers body to the right place.

It is technically possible to both heal and enhance simultaneously, but it is dangerous as you are exhausting the biotics while also depleting them.

The biotics are artificially intelligent, but this intelligence is hard-coded to the user. If anyone other than me uses the staff, it won't do anything. Using my own mitochondria and DNA as the base encodes my DNA to the nanobiotics and makes them only able to follow my mental commands through the halo. They are capable of breeding, but not uncontrolled self-replication. Yes that sounds like an oxymoron but basically you set a “population level” and they can never surpass this level.

The danger is that I will need to reseed the biotics should my genetics ever change, as they will die off rapidly without a connection to a matching DNA wielder, however they aren’t difficult to remake once you have made them once, so I am not worried.

Mercy’s genius is if anything, understated by the forge. I’m pulling from multiple futuristic perks to make this work and she did it with human level knowledge in a standard lab.

The chemical soup required is ready, I have captured the bacteria and viruses needed and have harvested my own cells for the seeding process. Now I just need to leave them to grow.

Work on the laser and carrier wave assembly is simple, it’s just standard physics with the carrier wave ramped up to 11. I have all the materials I need to make the lenses and the power source. Throwing them together is a matter of hours while the viruses and bacteria reproduce in the nutrient rich environment I have provided them.

The first step is to load the viruses with their instructions. This requires usage of the laser assemble along with the carrier wave to capture them and edit their own DNA while seeding my own DNA and Mitochondria into the solution. This is then taken as a package and combined into its structure by the virus. Once done this solution will be introduced to the bacteria tank along with iron, copper and titanium microparticles. The vector virus will attack and forcefully modify the bacteria, which will use the metallic particles to reinforce their own structure. The now much stronger bacteria will then destroy the virus in the solution and start to breed until a certain population density is reached.

At this point, they will last for 72 hours without a feed signal from my own mitochondria. Then they will self-terminate.

I leave my clone to finish the process. I’ve done a lot of crafting in a short amount of time, and I need to make a trip outside the forge to the commercial district.

EFA has found a supplier of Rhenium and Iridium. They are willing to sell to my cape ID when I confirm my funds. The price is eye watering and I'm having to buy it at near triple the market rate.

I’m meeting them at a scientific supplies seller in the commercial district at 13:00. This gives me an hour. I need to restock on lab supplies anyway so I can kill two birds with one stone.

 The forge gives me a double hit as I leave.

 

Expansion deferred by active crafting.

500CP are available.

Vehicles – Success!

Anaheim Degree – 200cp – Gundam Universal Century

300CP Remain

Rolling…

Failed

I just gained the ability to make mobile suits.

I repeat.

I just gained the ability to make GUNDAM.

Sure, it’s a ramping perk, not instant knowledge, I actually have to research and develop to move further into the tech.

And making an actual GUNDAM would be a decades long megaproject at this moment in time.

I can make big fuck off mobile suits. The top class GUNDAM are Endbringer eaters. But without more perks for resources and development time they are way out of my reach.

However, I just gained my first tech that carries implications on the endgame of my mission here.

Sure, Chakra and Magic all hold the raw potential, but I can't develop them without more perks.

This is my first perk that as is could lead to victory.

I definitely need to put time in to developing these principles. Even if I can’t make mobile suits, many of these technology principles will make my armoured suits eons better. Not to mention technology like beam cannons, beam sabers, quantum teleportation, dimensional telekinesis at various levels.

All now within my grasp as long as I am willing to work at it.

And I certainly am.

This also has implications on my Mercy tech, there are principles in here that can enhance the flight tech to incredible levels. And while Mercy has a certain level of technological telekinesis and gravity manipulation.

This perk blows her tech out of the water. And they will synergize with each other incredibly well. Once I manage to research beyond the basics of course.

Everything is a slave to time at the minute. So much to do so little time to do it.

So, I need to stop wasting it.

 

I head out into the city from one of my doors in the commercial district and make my way to the meetup point. I’m taking no chances and going fully armed and armoured.

It’s strange to think that if all goes well today, this could be the last time I take the MK1 power armour out before I move on to my specialised platforms.

I also really wish I could have taken my new bike from Impulse out, but I’ve decided that will be my Civilian ID vehicle. It will be irrelevant in Cape ID once I can fly. And I can run in the meantime.

 

I arrive at the store “Techlite” just before my meeting time. There are clearly armed guards outside and I feel uneasy. They nod at me as I approach however, and I make my way inside and am met by a blonde man in an immaculate suit.

“Hello Archon, I’m Ian Sommers from Artech, I believe you put in a request for a supply of Rhenium and Iridium?”

“Yes Mr Sommers, I’m working on some new builds that require them. Do you have them with you?”

He smiles at me disarmingly. “Yes I do Archon, usually we don’t entertain parahuman requests for rare materials, too much chance of being robbed however your reputation speaks for itself.”

He reaches under the table and puts a black briefcase on the table. Inside is foam with square inserts cut out, and in each insert is a cube of silvery metal.

“I have ten, one-kilogram cubes of iridium. And ten, one-kilogram cubes of rhenium available for sale. The iridium cubes run at four thousand dollars per cube, and the rhenium cubes run at eight thousand dollars per cube.”

I wince, I’ll need the whole supply which will run me the best part of 120k.

It smarts, but I accept the price without haggling, I don’t want to risk the sale failing.

“Before you go Archon, I sometimes represent… Shall we say, ‘Interested’ parties in the buying and selling of Parahuman artifacts, crafts and technology. Would you be interested in setting up a meeting with a view to possibly starting a partnership?”

Does he mean the Elite? This “seller of rare materials” seemed too good to be true from the start.

Well, I like to grab the bull.

“And what do the Elite want with me? You are aware I’m a hero right? How did I even get on the radar of them?”

“When a tinker wants to buy materials of this cost and rarity, it gets people’s attention. Giving you the ability to buy the materials outside of a PRT controlled seller, even with how high the duties and taxes are, was seen as the best way to analyse your alignment.”

“Well, I’m very sorry Mr Sommer. I have no interest in ever aligning myself with a group that counts Bastard Son and his gang of Slaughterhouse 9 wannabes as one of its members. Even if they weren’t ostensibly a villainous gang by another name.”

He smiles again.

“That’s quite alright Archon. I will conclude this transaction upon receipt of funds and will be on my way.”

“EFA transmit the funds.”

“On it boss.”

I tap my omni-tool interface to the open interest of Sommer.

“Funds are transferred.”

He checks his phone, swipes a few times and nods satisfied.

“Thanks for the business Archon. Keep me in mind if you need any non-controlled materials in future. I both buy and sell.”

I nod at him as he passes me the briefcase.

“Noted. Out of interest, which one wanted you to pitch to me. Court? Blueblood? Uppercrust?”

He smirks.

“Unfortunately, I can’t tell you. You don’t need to worry though, they have no interest in the NE currently, you were a target of opportunity.”

“Noted. Thanks for your business.”

I walk out head up with purpose. As I turn a corner, I take the materials out and pass them via portal to my warehouse. I dump the briefcase.

Scans show me the damn thing is infested with bugs and trackers.

I leave a note inside, paper fabricated with my omni tool and written by hand.

“Nice Try. Next time I take this as an attack.” And drop it on the floor.

Then I step back into my workshop.

 

I have a lot of work to do. My nanobiotics are still seeding, and the clone is working on the lenses for the carrier wave currently in the cybernetics workshop.

First things first. Let’s make the halo.

I’m going to go for a halo that sits behind my head and back, instead of on top of my head, it will circle the mounts for the wing assembly as a large golden and silver ring embossed with various designs at equidistant points. It will be mounted with anti-grav tech rather than directly touching me. The halo interface will be an implant in the base of my skull, directly wire into my upgraded spine and a blood vessel for the DNA encoding.

I’m basing my helmet on a cross between a winged helmet and a spartan helmet. My eyes will be covered with a gold, one-way visor with the helmet over the top. This will make the eyes look like they are glowing gold.

The armour itself will be red, silver and gold. I’m distinguishing this armour from the Thor completely, which will keep my cobalt and silver colour scheme.

The undersuit will be red and silver, with gauntlets, boots and hip armour that will integrate with the powered elements.

The outer armour will be light, and seemingly delicate, and will interweave with the rest of the suit creating a layered affect. It won’t look like powered armour. But it will be leveraging the full effect of Mercy’s technological telekinesis and gravity manipulation.

My own addition to this armour is hundreds of tiny actuators and servos, each weaved together in the undersuit to hugely amplify any action I take. I will be able to leverage my own cybernetic strength on top of a massive boost from the suit itself.

This armour design won’t be using an exoskeleton design, effectively the undersuit is one big, weaved together exoskeleton, with an impressive range of motion.

Theoretically I could reach near Alexandria package levels of strength and durability with this design, though this MK1 Archangel won’t be capable of it. Not with the materials I have available.

It’s still a massive step up from where I currently am. This suit will take me from a merchant level threat, to tangling with the upper echelons of the local gangs threat.

The creation of the halo is incredibly delicate, there is a specific pattern of rhenium that has to be interlaid with carbon fiber, gold, copper and silver. The pattern is incredibly complex, close to the level of top-level lacework. A manual circuit board of immense complexity.

This pattern enables communication between the nanobiotics and me. It’s a form of telepathy, though limited only to nanobiotic structures. It transmits the invisible carrier wave that allows me to mentally interact with and instruct the tiny made for purpose biotics. It’s not capable of anything complex, and the lifeform that it interacts with has to be completely engineered ground up to be controlled.

Now for the part I have most been looking forward to. The wings.

The wing mount that Mercy uses is quite conservative. She doesn’t want to be seen as a threat, only as a healer.

I want to be seen as both, I go for a bigger assembly, and longer wing blades. The blades are the focus for the gravity manipulation generated by the wing assemblies themselves and allow the assemblies to act as a conduit for the telekinetic field the semi crystalline, semi energy wing blades generate. The power source is a form of fusion. Hydrogen fusion to be exact although black-boxed so that only the halo, staff and wings can use it. It’s a lock even I can't break through currently. For my undersuit exoskeleton I’ll power it with the two mounted heavy water reactors from the MK1 powered suit.

Mercy was extremely paranoid of her tech being weaponised. And I’m happy to work around it til I can reverse engineer it.

Having two disparate power systems can only be an advantage! If I lose suit power I’ll have flight and healing and if I lose flight and healing, I’ll have the suit as backup!

I just wish I had better materials for the armour. I’m going for my super resin and a modified NP Steel plate system again, highly defensive, but no energy weapon protection almost at all. Only my new buckler can do that. It’s a lot more defensive that the MK1 with the addition of the resin, but it’s nowhere near what I should be capable of.

I will have to work on the Gundam tech, there are some very novel alloys in there that will escalate me well beyond this level on their own.

My design work is finished. I’ve completed the halo, the wing designs are drafted and just need to be fabbed. The armour and undersuit are planned out. All defensive measures accounted for.

I pull back my clone working on the nanobiotics. He’s almost finished now and I don’t want the finishing touches going on until the staff is finished.

I get him started on fabricating the wing structures, there’s an incredibly complex set of wiring and structural setup required for them to work. Luckily I have been drafting and planning this build for a long time so I know what I am doing. The clone can work on the wings while I move on to the final part.

The staff.

I’ve decided to go for a dual design.

The top of the staff will be the projector and lenses for directing the healing/buffing stream.

The bottom will be a projector for an energy saber.

I can't quite make beam sabers, I don’t have access to the GN drive required yet.

But there are older designs for plasma sabers that I can use. And use right now. Even better, I can power them from the Mercy tech as it will be integrated with the staff.

Effectively I will have a weapon of immense healing or destruction.

It doesn’t take much rhenium and iridium to make the staff work. So, I decide to make a few. Just in case.

I lay out and fabricate what I can, and what I can’t I make at my forge. Making as much of this self-repairable as possible. The only part I can’t is the biotics themselves.

The staff was comparatively easy compared to the halo and wings designs.

I fabricate the first staff myself and leave the components out for the others for my bedtime clone to finish. The plasma saber is incredibly delicate to assemble. Especially as I am making it dual purpose as a taser too.

I always need a non-lethal option. A 4-foot plasma sword on the end of a giant handle implies a lot of things. Non-lethal takedown isn’t one of those things.

Finally, I work on my ranged option. In the end I decide to go for a wrist mounted energy pistol. I can mount it with the buckler and switch between ranged attack and defense. Staff in right hand, ranged and defense in the left.

There’s a lot of fabrication work to be done tonight.

I send Impulse a message that I need my second clone for the night and she acknowledges its fine.

I dispel my clones and absorb their memories for the day, then re-summon them both. One is going to work on the biotics and the halo assembly.

The other is going to work on armour and wings.

Tomorrow. I fly.

As I head to bed the forge double hits me again.

Expansion deferred by active crafting.

500CP are available.

Rolling…

Failed

That’s an ominous failure to go to bed on.

 

Notes:

Perks rolled this chapter.

Anaheim Degree - 200 - Gundam - Universal Century - Vehicles

You have the knowledge (and the paper to prove it to people and shove in their faces to establish superiority) of how to build MS. It's trickier than it looks, honestly. Weight balances, servo designs, energy reserves- it's all down to a science and you know how to build the basics. Who knows what you can learn from a bit of hands-on training(MS = Mobile Suits )

+50 PRCP
150 PRCP are available.
Rolling…
Failed!

Chapter 23: Arc 3 - Chapter 5

Notes:

This chapter was a wild, wild ride. I wasnt supposed to be so much crafting but it got away with me.
Couple of notes in advance.
1. Im changing PRCP - I gain 100 a chapter from now on instead of 50.
2. Im nerfing the forge for a while For reasons you will see at the end of the chapter. I have a hell of a lot more story to tell and do not want to be recrafting constantly. It forces me to ramp up the threat too much so i am going to work with what i already have as i have a lot of room to create once i start using the resource dimension more. Until at least ARC 4 possibly beyond, It's going to be 100CP per 2000 words.

Sunday 28^th December 2010

 

Putting this damn bodysuit together will be the death of me.

Have you ever tried to interlink nearly thousands of actuators and servos while weaving them between layers of aramid fiber and resin?

Well, I can honestly say I have. And it sucks.

I can't even fabricate it. Too big for the omni-tool fabricator, and too novel for the one in the cybernetics workshop. Though I will 100% be setting a clone up to work on the programming for the bigger fabricator in the workshop later. I’ve rested on my laurels too much with it, though, it likely wouldn’t be big enough to make the suit in one piece as I want now I’m thinking on it.

I might have to build a bigger fabricator. I can’t keep doing work like this manually even if Backyard Handywork and Don’t need a Team really do sync up to pull their weight in work like this.

The clone working on the wings, if anything looks even more put out than me.

Every time he tries to power up the projectors, the wings don’t come out quite right. Either the wrong length, or the wrong colour. Apparently setting up a series of extremely delicate CPU’s and transistors, including the raw machine code that works the contraction and expansion of the array is pretty tricky. Who knew?

The staves are all completed, I’ve coloured and completed setup on my primary, now I just need to seed it, and myself with the nanobiotics.

Even though I’ve cybernetically modded myself to an unreal degree, the thought of putting a bacterial symbiote into my own body, gives me the chills. Especially as, unless I change my genetic code. It’s permanent.

The benefits however will be multiple. Improved reflexes and damage resistance. Natural regeneration, powerful when undirected and even more powerful when directed. And improved strength. It’s a form of personal natural power that doesn’t come from any outside source.

Mercy never took this path, she theorised it was possible, but it was ludicrously dangerous to attempt. Immune system rejection, super-cancer, death. Three of many possible side-effects. Had she had a perk that allowed her to always succeed at body modification though, she definitely would have done it.

Moving on to the Halo, my second clone is currently working on that. The internals were finally completed overnight, and now the clone is working in inscribing the channels for the energy outputted by the halo. The halo is put together in wafer thin layers, each layer with specific channels for outputting the telepathic waves that enable the ranged nature of the staff to function.

Theoretically, you can use the staff without the halo. You’ll have to touch the patient with it though. The biotic carrier wave can only be made ranged with the Halo. The spinal implant to enable me to control the Halo mentally is completed and my clones will be installing this in me later before I inject myself with the genetically enhanced super bacteria. The gravity gen in the halo will allow it to float behind me.

 

I finally finish weaving the bodysuit at midday. I woke up at 5am and have worked on nothing but this all day.

I haven’t even eaten properly yet. Sherrel even only got a gruff “Mornin” before I chowed down a few old buff wraps and immediately started work on this. I’m glad she understands the need to create as much as she does.

I move on to the outer armour while the clones finish debugging the wing projectors, and halo respectively.

All the pieces of the armour are complete, the clones fabricated them overnight and they look amazing. My job now is to put them together. The helmet is in one piece, I just need to install the internal visor, backup power cells, and debug the software. EFA will pull the majority of the weight in software thankfully.

Once I complete this, I merge the shoulder, chest and back armour into one piece, the hinge assembly that allows it to open is fabbed on site, and the backpiece that the wing assemblies fold into when not in use is forge welded onto the back. The holes where the wings are connected to the backplate are wired up, and the internal wiring harness is etched in and sealed.

The gauntlets, boots, chausses and greaves are interlinked, and their wiring setup is installed. The hip armour that flares off me with the decorative aramid tabard pieces has the power sources merged, armoured and then finally installed to the wiring system. Small backup generators are wired around the rest of the armour, and six tiny redundant backups are installed to the back of the undersuit.

Finally, a series of artificial nerves are run around the armour and the undersuit, they can’t feel pain or anything they are used to pass movement impulses quicker to and from the undersuit and the wings. My own custom addition to the setup that should remove any latency from movement.

This armour setup is a work of art. The undersuit itself will be taking over as my “Non armoured” costume going forward as it’s basically powered armour that doesn’t look like armour.

The colour scheme, primarily a light metallic red, combine with gold, silver and black accents and highlights is elegant and intimidating. The wing blades are being set up to be a bright blinding golden on top, each fading to a burnished crimson at the lower end of the blade. The helmet with its glowing golden eyes can look both intimidating, and welcoming based on my mouth expression. The tabard pieces are cut from an aramid and resin weave are capable of free movement and add the free-flowing cape effect. They will carry my personal symbol once I work out what it will be.

The wing assembly and staff follow a similar colour scheme, the wing assembly is embossed with the white cross symbol to denote a medic. As is the left pectoral area of the chest plate. The staff is semi collapsible to allow for more fluent movement in sword mode. This doesn’t take away from its sheet defensive structure however, being made of the absolute hardiest materials I could alloy. The damn thing weighs almost thirty kilograms before the nanobiotics are introduced!

This armour, while powerful is primarily about support rather than attack. Fully capable of offense but following the rules of the medic first.

With the outer armour completed, it’s time to go and seed the first staff with the nanobiotics.

Scanning the tank makes me realise the step I’ve taken here. In front of me in this tank is a genetically modified biological agent. If I was evil, the steps to weaponize this would be trivial.

It’s a heady level of responsibility. I’d like to believe I am equal to it.

I use a pre-made injector mechanism to pull out a colony of the biotics and implant them into the staff. They can feed off electricity now in addition to a special nutrient solution if required as they can live off electricity, but not heal from it if they get damaged.

I can feel the energy thrumming in my hands and I don’t even have the halo. This is a seriously powerful piece of kit. While waiting for my clones to put the final touches on the Halo and wings, I move on to the plasma relay in the bottom half of the staff.

The top third of the staff is a tank holding the staffs reservoir of nanobiotics along with the projector assembly, the next part is all handle, and then the bottom contains a plasma projector that creates an energy field made of plasma. The size is based on how much power I put in, too big though will absolutely demolish the reactor’s output and cause my flight speed and even possibly height to suffer. It will also depower the healing beam temporarily to I need to be conservative with it unless in serious danger. The field itself can be shaped by my will via the HUD and implant. So I can make a lance, or a blade.

The components for this had been fabbed overnight, all I need to do it put them together.

It’s beautiful. I know it isn’t a lightsaber, not as powerful nor as small. But damn if I don’t feel like a Jedi when this thing is lit. A deep golden beam about three feet long erupts from the end of the assembly. Can anyone say “Staff-blade”?

A magnetic holster at the bodysuit hip finishes the installation. The staff can be collapsed down to minimum and held at my hip.

The energy pistol was easy enough to make, and the clones finished it last night. This uses the armour power system rather than the Mercy tech, so I don’t need to be as conservative with this. It’s not ultra powerful, but it offers an option to force people into cover. Or surprise them. It mounts with my Draenei shield to give me an enhanced utility set on that arm.

 

I move back to where my clones are working away at finishing the two most complex parts of the build.

The halo is finished, and the clone is pairing it with the implant. The halo is a deep gold and silver and will sit and spin at my back centred on the junction between the cervical and thoracic vertebrae. The wing assembly will pass through the centre of the halo before flaring out into the wings. The antigravity function of the halo and wings will be pulling double duty, directing small arms fire away from me.

The clone finishing the halo indicated he is ready to operate on me now. While the other clone finishes the wings.

I move to my cybernetic workshop and lie down on the surgery table. The clone arrives with a large glass container of my new symbiotes. And the halo implant. I won't be put out for this one, I’m going to use my cybernetic spin to give myself an electronic epidural.

I want to be awake for this, even though I know there physically cannot be any problems, when did that ever stop someone from worrying?

“You ready Prime?”

I nod, too nervous to speak at the minute.

Without further ado my body sags as I lose all purposeful nerve control below the brainstem. Only autonomous systems continue to run as the clone wastes no time cutting into the back of my neck. The implant is quickly installed and wired up, and the nearby blood vessel is routed through a specific segment of the implant that tracks my DNA and will double duty checking the nanobiotics in my bloodstream.

Then a series of cannulas are inserted by the clone. And the tank of nanobiotics is wired up.

“Get ready boss.”

The IV infusion begins, and even though I’m paralysed from the neck down, I feel the irresistible urge to arch my back. The nanobiotics are flooding my system along my bloodstream, into my brain and infusing every cell in my body with their energy. The chakra in my hara is resonating with the bio-energy they are emitting, and my magic is flaring. They pass the blood-brain barrier and are infusing my mind, no part of my body is left untouched as they seep into near every cell, wrapping around the mitochondria present, not destroying, but wrapping around and reinforcing them. A symbiotic relationship that assists them with their jobs.

And as quickly as it starts, it ends.

I reactivate my spine with a mental nudge and raise up off the bed to look for side effects.

As I look in the mirror, I notice immediately my eyes are glowing bright luminous blue. But it is slowly fading as the energy output starts to drop without direction.

I practice signalling my internal biotics and when I instruct them to move to the site of the new implant and heal the wound faster, my eyes glow again.

So, the passive regeneration doesn’t cause a glow, but actively directing them causes my eyes to light up like a Christmas tree. I will have to keep that in mind.

 

I quickly head back into the workshop to check on the progress of the clones after my day surgery. As I move over I check in with EFA.

“EFA, are you able to interface with the new implant, and check on the nanobiotics in my system?”

“Yes boss, I’m tracking them steady at programmed population, and energy infusion is progressing as expected.”

“What about the glowing eyes?”

“Nanobiotics have entered the vitreous tissue of the eyes and centred around the iris. When they emit a certain level of energy, the glow refracts off your eyes. It’s unavoidable currently.”

Well, I suppose this is a better side effect that something Mercy described as “super-cancer”.

 

The Halo is complete, even better, I can feel it with my implant already. Feeling the halo makes me realise something.

I can now heal by touch. I won't be able to range it, but much like the staff without the halo, I can transfer the healing energy of the nanobiotics to another living being through touch. It took the healing resonating off my own nanobiotics for me to understand the flow and eddy of the energies within my body.

Mercy really understood what she had created here fully. If she had worked on making these implantable safely, Overwatch would have had an advantage that likely couldn’t be overcome. She kept balance and out of the senseless war the best way she could.

I quickly change into my new body suit, the back opens and closes seamlessly using electrical transference to mould the fibres together and connect the spinal actuators. It’s quite tight, but it’s designed this way on purpose to maximise the movement augmentation. My clone helps me get into the outer armour. I have a quick eject from the armour, but not currently a quick-equip. I’ll have to come up with something in future but I shouldn’t ever be out of the workshop to armour up anyway.

I pull down the helmet and secure it in place. The visor overlays a HUD over my vision allowing me to access omni-tool functions, information on power and the matter manipulator, and information on my target and nanobiotic load.

The clone secures the anti-grav mount for the halo to the back of my armour in line with my spine, then installs it permanently. Finally, the two clones mount the wing assemblies while the halo isn’t moving. My HUD updates to show the status of the wings and the Halo.

“Systems check. Wings. Halo” I mentally activate the wings and they fold out from the armour, thread through the large halo that has started to float at my back. The wings begin to spread out, parallel to the halo. Then the wing blades are projected, exactly per spec and I feel myself start to float in place. The Halo begins to spin on my back lazily.

“Systems check. Staff.”

The staff detaches from the magnetic holster and into my hand, fitting like a glove. The halo system connects me with the biotics in the staff and the projector in my hand. The nanobiotics within my body are interweaving with the ones in the staff reservoir too. I can power the staff with my own body too!

I point the staff at my clone and induce healing.

And of-course nothing happens. Because it is a chakra construct.

Well, fuck I should have known that would happen. They aren’t alive.

I quickly move through system checks on the rest of the gear, and everything is showing nominal.

I grab control of the wings mentally and float up to the centre of my warehouse.

I do some lazy loops, not enough room to really let loose in here.

Well, I know someone in need of her healing being finished, in a place with lots of room.

I mentally order the wings to fold in, and the halo to contract and magnetise to my back. Let’s surprise Sherrel shall we.

 

I make my way to the resource dimension, warning Sherrel that I'm on my way to demo my new armour. She sounds excited to see it.

I walk into her workshop and her jaw drops.

“Jesus boss, really living up to that name aren’t you.”

I forget the armour looks intimidating enough even without the mercy tech.

“Oh Sherrel, you haven’t seen anything yet, let’s go outside.”

She follows me outside, and I turn to her.

“Remember when I said I was finishing some tech to finish your healing on your organs?”

She nods eagerly.

“Yeah, have you finished it now?”

I smirk.

“Just watch.”

I decide to go for dramatic, I raise my arms out and activate the visor, my eyes to her have just started glowing a deep gold. The halo detaches into anti-grav and expands out and starts to spin. At this point her eyes already look like they are going to fall out but the wings expanding makes me think she might faint. The wing blades project out slowly as I start to float above the fenced off area behind her workshop. She’s looking up at me in awe as I activate the staff and point it at her.

“Be healed.”

And a ruby and golden intertwined light hits her, immediately I get feedback through the visor of everything wrong with her that the nanobiotics can puzzle out through the energy field. I quickly direct the energies to heal her liver, her ruined kidneys, her scarred lungs and her heart, she is literally glowing gold as the flood her with healing energy. Her eyes are rolled back, and she is stiff as a board as I heal every I’ll, every scar and every wound that bastard ever inflicted on her.

Then she passes out.

The interface tells me she’s fine. Just an overload of shock that I quickly correct. I send a clone down to make her comfortable while I test out the flight.

 

Flying. Is. Awesome.

Is this how superman feels? I am rapid and extremely agile. Sure, I'm probably not Alexandria fast but when I really open up and divert all energy to movement, I’m easily reaching 80-90mph and I’m not even at max speed. I’m also extremely agile, due to the nature of my flight I can move myself at extremely tight angles and very quickly make micro changes in altitude and bearing.

I think with higher quality materials in the wing assembly and armour I could push this to supersonic. Another thought for the future.

 

I make my way down back to Sherrel who is just waking up.

“So, what do you think?”

“…”

“Sherrel?” I ask worriedly.

“I feel funny.”

I nod at her.

“You fainted.”

She returns my nod.

“That’ll do it. What the hell did you make this time?”

“A difference maker. And a statement.”

She laughs suddenly.

“Yeah, you aren’t joking, you realise what this means though don’t you?”

I look at her puzzled.

“Haven are probably gonna sue your ass off.” She laughs wildly.

I chuckle with her.

“They don’t own Angelic imagery. And to be honest, I wanted to redeem the look.”

Her expression sobers. As anyone’s does when you mention the Hopekiller even just in inference.

“Seriously Archon, I know you are new to the cape scene and from what you’ve told me, Bet in general. But when capes make a statement like this, some people take it as a challenge.”

I smile and nod.

“I’ll try to be careful.”

She responds quickly.

“Don’t try. Do. If you aren’t we end up with a face full of Jack Slash, Mannequin, or Siberian.”

She kicks the ground and smiles.

“Thank you for healing me, I feel better than I did before I was first taken. And just please be careful, I don’t want to lose you now I’ve finally found a team worth joining.”

I decide to appease her with the truth.

“I will be careful, but I need to deal with Jack, eventually. Part of me escalating to this level was that I have plans for even more powerful armour, that I’m designing specifically to take on that group of worthless monsters. Slash has to die before the end of 2012. You know I know things I shouldn’t, so listen to me when I say that as long as no standard parahuman challenges him with me. I can win. His trump power means that he wins if a parahuman tries to attack him or assist in an attack. I know the nines weaknesses, and I will be developing to counter them.”

She nods, satisfied.

“As long as you are careful, I know you can beat anyone.” She takes another long look at the armour. “So, what’s this one called?

“Archangel MK1.”

She smiles. “Fitting name. So, what’s the plan now?”

“I’m going to practice flying and using my weapons around the base camp for a bit and do a little scouting.”

She smiles “Holla if you need anything, I’m getting back to work on my miner.”

I spend the next hour zipping around the area. My pistol is working great, the shield works well with it and the plasma blade can cut down a tree with no resistance.

I also test out my omni tool blade that I’ve been neglecting to test since my cybernetic upgrade. I can project it from my hands and feet due to my projectors which gives me another weapon to use in flight.

I love this armour. If I could, I would never take it off.

I head back to Sherrel and let her know I’m off back to the warehouse to finish the final tweaks and colouring on the armour.

She grunts, engrossed in her current project.

 

We part ways, she’s going on an expedition tomorrow so I won't see her for a few days. She’s setting up communications relays on the way and has beacons to warn me if she needs a door but with her firepower, she shouldn’t.

I float my way back to the warehouse and the forge hits me with a huge hit.

 

ALL EXPANSION DEFERRED BY GENERATIONAL CRAFTING PROJECT “ARCHANGEL”

900CP Are available.

Expanding until at least one successful roll incurred.

Attempting Expansion…

 

Toolkit Magical – Success!

Silver Needles of Intricate Design – 200CP – ‘Exalted – The Lunars’

700CP remain

Attempting Expansion…

Crafting Artisan – Success!

Of the Elder Blood – 500CP – The Witcher Novels

200CP remain

Attempting Expansion…

Protection – Success!

Blank II – 200CP - Essential Body Modification Supplement

0CP remain

 

I was born in Nilfgard, no I was born in Manchester, The Temerian lily is a source of pride for the temer, No… It doesn’t exist. Is that Yennefer? Where is Geralt?

My mother was Su- no no my grandmother was Ciril-

My back arches as I spasm in my armour. I hit the ground.

Who is Lara Dorren Who is Lara Dorren Who is Lara Dorren?

My blood is burning. My eyes are melting.

Damn I’m going to need to reseed the biotics already. At least it’ll be easier with the implant in.

I faint, I'm on the other side of my warehouse, I faint again, I'm on the shelves, I faint, I'm in the canteen, I faint, I'm back in the warehouse.

My magic is expanding, the biggest expansion yet, my pool is becoming truly something to look at.

It burns, sizzling through my skin like acid dripped into my veins.

I’m no longer fully human. I’m part elf. Elf blood breeds true, I’m 25% elf, possibly more genetically.

My ears aren’t pointy but they’re more tapered.

I take a step and I'm halfway across the warehouse.

This will be inconvenient.

I sit on the ground and close my eyes and concentrate.

There are only a few memories this time. I’m Ciri’s grandson! I met her! I met Geralt!

It's hard to know if I planeswalked here and I belong there or if this is just a function of the memories. I am a swordsman, I am a mage, I teleport accidentally when I get scared.

No. I am Thomas Hale. Fuck you memories. This is my head.

I can’t recall any spells yet, they aren’t part of the perk, but I have the elder blood of Lara Dorren, High sorceress of the elves and Cregennan, one of the most powerful human sorcerers in history in my veins.

I can travel the multiverse now. Sometimes immensely dangerously. And I can’t currently toggle it off without a perk. A perk I don’t have. But I’m also capable of local teleportation and blinking, even portals if I train it enough.

And I need to train it, in fact it will become almost my number one priority. Because if I don’t I will start to teleport automatically as the blood grows restless. And some of the realms I can teleport to are not for the faint of heart.

The monsters of the Witcher came from somewhere after all. My saving grace is that as long as I can make or find a door, I can always access the personal reality. This is backed by the forge itself. So, I can never truly be stranded.

And the other two perks I gained are nothing to sneeze at either. I gained a set of moonsilver needles. They are specially enchanted to never fail at making incredible tattoos. They are so guaranteed to make good tattoos that if I attacked someone with them, the places I stabbed would be great tiny tattoos. And they interlink with my artistic perks too.

They correct any mistakes made, and the tattoos heal instantly.

With the needles I get a tattoo desk and chair, along with a set of inks of extremely high quality. I can also use any other inks I gain, and I can tattoo magic, and enchantments as I gain access to other magic systems!

The final perk I gain is too cheap.

Blank II

The big one.

With the advent of this perk, I am not completely immune to precognition. Of all kinds. I am immune actually to any form of information gathering about my past present or future. That includes lie detectors, scrying, divination, telepathy, and even things like cold reading. It doesn’t just protect me, but also my gear and anyone I count as a friend who is close to me. Although they don’t get the full effect, just a dulled version.

I also get a warning if anyone is attempting to use observation and I can spoof it sending false information of what I want them to see.

An obscenely powerful perk for its cost.

But I don’t care.

Because I just hard-countered the winged bitch.

I can go to Canberra and make a real difference.

Still won't be able to kill or capture the bitch without dimensional weaponry or insane power of course, but now I can make a good start on possibly stopping the city from being domed.

Don’t need to kill her to make her afraid.

 

I spend the remaining hours of the day reseeding my nanobiotics with my new blood. Dumping the old ones is easy, they’ve mostly died off with my blood and genetics changing anyway. I have all the equipment ready to go and my new clones, and damn I actually do look different, get to work.

The injection goes perfectly well, and the energy is if anything a bit more potent this time.

 

I have a white streak in my hair. I have a damn white streak in my hair.

 

Fuck it, I will deal with this tomorrow.

 

I get out of my armour with the help of a clone and head off to bed.

Notes:

Lots of crafting past two chapters, Next couple will be action, then possibly a swing back to SOL for the end of the Arc depending on how the fights hit me. Perk gains should be significantly slower now which will make balancing the upcoming fights a lot easier.

 

Perks gained this chapter.
What the actual fuck were these perk rolls????? Multiple chapters with zero perks because I cannot roll anything, I finally finish my main craft for the arc and then this???!?! Elder Blood? Blank2? Even the needles can be damn powerful in future!

Silver Needles of Intricate Design - 200 - 'Exalted - The Lunars' - Toolkit Magical

This set of moonsilver needles is special in a very particular way, as it literally cannot do otherwise than perform good tattoo procedures. If you attempted to stab someone's chest with one of these needles, it would twist and shape itself such that you've just marked a simple design on their skin. Each a perfect instrument to tattoo the body, these needles provide a potent tool for the use of body decorations. Making even the most elegant and complex patterns and designs easy to apply for the one who uses these, as they innately correct even the slightest mistake their user makes. Moreover, their use will never cause infection or injury, and the surface of the tattoo will seal over nearly instantly after it is applied.
Along with the needles themselves, you will also receive a supply of many different mundane inks of exceptional quality. Though of course the needles can also be used with various other inks you might be able to acquire. They can handle anything, from the mundane ones to sorcerous inks to tattoo occult sigils, to chalcanth used to create living demon-ink tattoos, to stranger substances still, and even the moonsilver ink used to create the Moonsilver Tattoos and various tattoo artifacts. That last one in particular resonates with the Silver Needles, for when they are used with moonsilver ink, they may cause the Moonsilver Tattoos to become temporarily fluid and accept new tattoo artifacts to be inscribed upon the skin of their wearer.
* For mundane and magic tattoo crafting at any level

-Of the Elder Blood - 500 - The Witcher Novels - Crafting Artisan

It appears that you are an unaccounted for relative of Ciri, by way of Laura Dorren, being an active carrier of the Elder Blood, as it seems that you can travel in the local multiverse; from shifting through time and space to crossing through worlds like stepping through a door, though your control over your ability is rather crude and in dire need of training before it becomes useful. But be wary, refining such a gift is a dangerous process, for the worlds are filled not just with wonders but horrors as well - how else do you think the monsters that witchers hunt appeared, other than when the worlds collided long ago?

Blank II - 200 - Essential Body Modification Supplement - Protection

Abilities which gather information about your past, present, or future do not work on you. This includes scrying, divination, mind reading, and even cold reading and lie detection. This ability not only affects your immediate person but also provides a degree of protection to items and people around you, making it difficult to predict the past, present, or future of any group you move with or vessel you travel on. If you have the Essential Mutuality perk, your affected companions gain the full benefit of your Blank perk even if they are acting independently.
I: You are immune to all supernatural and technological abilities and devices which perform the functions described above. You simply do not register to such abilities, though your own abilities function normally. Purely mundane skills at cold reading or lie detection will be less effective, but still function to some degree. Dsc: Sch/Ass/Arc/Sup/Lch/Bea/Dra/Exp/Hea
II: Even mundane versions of the above items do not function against you. Furthermore, you are able to detect when someone is actively attempting to discern such information through supernatural or technological abilities or devices and feed them false information of the type they expect. Thus, you can feed an image of yourself asleep in bed to a scrying spell while you're secretly across town beating up thugs or you can have a truth detection spell return 'truth' when you are telling a lie. Note that this does not protect you from compulsions to tell the truth or share information directly. Additionally, any items which you create have a measure of this protection, making it difficult to predict actions directly relying on those items and making it impossible to detect the items themselves with most supernatural abilities.

Chapter 24: Arc 3 - Chapter 6

Notes:

Double chapter post so read this one first.

Arc 3 – Chapter 6

 

Tuesday 30^th December 2010

 

I slept through an entire day. I literally lost Monday.

My body feels, incredibly different. I’m slimmer, my muscle strength hasn’t changed overall but I am much more lithe than I was. Even with the cybernetics. Luckily I didn’t install anything truly intrusive other than the spine.

I’m also taller. I’m quite lucky that the cybernetic spine I installed uses artificial nerves instead of an actual spinal cord or I would be walking around with an exposed spinal cord between vertebrae. My arms and legs are longer but thinner and luckily my cybernetic enhancements there were able to accommodate. The torso armouring, not so much. My hips also cracked through the reinforcement I put there. The changes in my body must have had the backing of some serious magic because I don’t think I could have intentionally cracked that reinforcement without tools.

I’m going to need to perform some maintenance to fit everything again, and in future remember that there are perks in the forge that will truly change the makeup of my body. I need to build in growth, basically.

My hair is entirely white and seems to have grown out too much longer than it was when I fell asleep.

I’m not talking ‘Light blonde’ either. I went from having very dark, almost black hair. To having completely pure white hair.

This helps with the angel aesthetic of the Archangel suit, but damn it’s not convenient for civilian life. With my beard still growing back in and pure white hair and glowing blue eyes I look like a generic shonen protagonist.

If my parents weren’t already dead, this is where I would be worrying about their health.

I make two clones to go and prepare the materials the fix my cybernetics. Luckily any damage to my body if it occurred has been long since fixed by the new nanobiotics.

While the clones prepare my maintenance repairs, I eat my breakfast and work on enchanting. My increased magic pool makes short work of enchanting my staff with toughness, and I manage to improve tensile strength by ten whole percent before I am fully drained. It’s also refilling quicker though the inherent cooldown to layering enchantments means I won't be able to reinforce this enchantment for at least a day, possibly more.

My clones are ready to perform my repairs, it will be a relatively quick procedure given the experience I already have and I wake up two hours after they put me under feeling much less constrained than I was. I can move freely for one.

I quickly make some adjustments to my bodysuit, this I actually prepared for possible changes luckily and I only need to rearrange some of the actuators to my new frame. The outer armour on the chest and back is lengthened, and I forge the gauntlets and greaves to be longer.

I spend the next two hours practicing with the elder blood abilities, and my new sword fighting skills.

It’s incredibly exhilarating to teleport and blink around from place to place while making increasingly acrobatic moves with the arcblade. I can only blink safely about 3 meters, anything longer has an increasing chance to go awry, like when I went headfirst into a pile of steel ingots.

But we don’t talk about that. Especially not around Sherrel.

My magic is currently drained a large amount even by the simplistic short-range blink I am using, but the instincts in the memories that accompany the magic tells me this will shorten with time and practice. Lots and lots and lots of practice.

I’m not going to play around with longer range teleports, and certainly not with the other features of the elder blood until I am much more practiced and accustomed to the way it works. For now, the regular short-range practice will keep the blood quiescent.

I play around with the idea of giving myself a tattoo, to test out my new needle set. In the end I decide to wait for more dramatic materials. I can imbue myself with some impressive effects with some of the materials still locked behind forge perks.

I also have a new Garage. A quite large garage. That lets me deploy any vehicles I have out into the streets as I can now use the key to grab shutter doors and garage doors. One of those strange planet spanning dreams fills out a part of one of the continents and the garage just pops into being. My new motorbike already in place.

 

I’m ready to debut the armour. I decide to cheekily snap some pics of myself armoured up with the staff on one hand and the arcblade in the other, but with the wings and the halo minimised and folded away. I send them out to Assault and post them in my PHO watch thread under my Archon_Official user with the caption. “Mark 2 Powered Suit. Codename: ARCHANGEL”.

It’s my first post to the site since verifying myself, and predictably the thread ends up quite wild with speculation about the new armour’s abilities. Lots and lots of speculation about the name, and the new theme. My old suit was all hard lines and very cyber-aesthetic. The new suit leverages all of my artistic perks rather than being limited to just forerunner aesthetics and ends up looking a lot more Greek/medieval knight. There’s a hell of a lot of speculation about the staff, and people notice the white cross emblems almost immediately.

I answer a few questions throughout the thread, staying completely silent on the halo and wings that they can’t currently see. Those will be a surprise for when needed.

I let the thread know that I’ll be working to heal and protect in this suit more than go for aggressive moves. And that as long as I don’t see people attacking the injured I won’t be forced to take punitive action in the form of aggressive defence.

I hope it will keep some of the more level-headed villains from attacking my patients. They’ll regret it if they do.

The thread turns into a pseudo-AMA and even a few of the wards drop in, quite surprising that I haven’t met any of them yet.

After shooting shit with people on PHO while I regenerate my magic, EFA sends me a warning.

“Boss, I’m picking up reports of a major gang movement in the docks north, the ABB are clashing with remnants of the unpowered Merchant gangers, and the Dockworkers seem to be caught in the middle.”

I’ll definitely need to intervene in this. If Danny is there especially the last thing I need is for him to go out of commission.

I have quite a few doors in that area and two close to the action, and I quickly make my way toward the action.

There’s a running gunfight in the streets outside the DWU offices near the North ferry station, ABB and Merchant gang members are shooting at each other from parked cars and alleyway entries.

“EFA engage scans, find civilian casualties and people in danger, and put in a call to the BBPD and the PRT, let them know what’s going on.”

“On it boss.”

I decide to stay away from deploying the full mercy tech just yet, no reason to reveal a trump card unnecessarily.

“Boss, multiple dockworkers are holed up in the DWU offices, and they have injured. Danny Hebert is present, but not currently injured. Merchant remnants are suspiciously well armed and equipped. Be careful boss.”

Good news on Danny, I quickly make my way over to the DWU and knock on the rear entrance.

“Hello, it’s Archon, my scans show you have wounded, may I help?”

Furious whispering erupts from inside. And a slot opens in the door. A swarthy man with a lumberjacks build peers out from within. He double takes on seeing me and closes the slot.

“You don’t look like Archon.”

“New Armour, check PHO if you need to verify me, but please let me assist. I’m only here to help.”

The gunfire increases in intensity, and there’s even the occasional explosion.

“Ok, come in but no funny business.”

I'm not quite sure what they expect to do if I engage in funny business, but it doesn’t matter.

“Take me to the injured.”

I decide to engage in touch healing for this one, I can practice it without the halo in this environment.

Luckily there are no deaths, a few flesh bullet wounds though. And broken limbs. Everyone is relatively easy to heal, I don’t need any Stimpaks or Medi-Gel, I can handle this all by hand.

Danny is recognisable, sat off at a desk with his head in his hands. He looks the picture of stress. Dark bags under his eyes show he hasn’t slept properly in a while.

I leave him to his devices and engage in further scans of the outside.

Suddenly, there is an almighty shout and the gunfire from the merchant side increases massively.

I hear pounding feet and someone is charging the merchants.

Fuck, it’s Lung. And he is PISSED. I can’t engage with Lung this pissed off while I have this many innocents around.

I whisper are loud as I dare to the assembled dockworkers.

“Make your way out the back and evacuate the area urgently. Lung has shown up, and he is not calm.”

There are a few frightened murmurs, but they are mostly clearing out. Danny is taking up the rear with another man.

The side of the building explodes inward and a merchant corpse flies across the room and bounces off the far wall, clearly dead. Fuck, Danny has fainted and his friend is injured by debris.

Lung is about eight foot tall and growing.

He stomps towards the hole in the wall and I move to meet him.

“Lung, I’m covering innocents in here, I’m not interested in interfering with your fight, the guy you threw in is dead. Can we leave this as truce?”

He throws his head back and laughs, a guttural, ugly thing.

“Truce little tin man? Why do I need a truce? I take what I want and this is my territory! These men work here at my sufferance, and their lives belong to me.”

“Lung, these are innocent men, just working their jobs. Please use your compassion, do you want to chase more of the economy away from the docks?”

He stomps towards me.

“Not my people, not my problem.”

He charges. This is not ideal.

Well, fuck it in for a penny in for a pound.

I charge him back, the old Trainwreck manoeuvre paying dividends again. The shock is just as fulfilling on an 8 foot dragon man as it was on junkman.

I take him high in the chest, I’m not small myself but 8 foot is a bit out of my height range.

Not my weight class though, the cybernetic upgrades, the nanobiotics, my new Elven nature and the armour all combine to make me a wrecking ball.

He is launched back out of the hole, and I pull my staff.

I touch Danny’s friend with it and tell him to get Danny to safety.

I charge out of the hole to Lung righting himself in a field of corpses. ABB and Merchant, he doesn’t seem to care much.

I call PRT despatch as I prepare for battle.

“PRT Dispatch this is Archon; I am engaging in combat with Lung in Docks North in protection of innocents. I repeat, Lung has engaged me in combat unprovoked in the Docks North at the following area,” I rattle off the Area code. “Requesting immediate backup, I cannot disengage safely, I repeat I cannot disengage safely, innocent civilians are relying on my cover to retreat. Multiple dead and wounded ABB and Merchant civilian forces are present. Exercise extreme caution.”

“Noted Archon, all available Protectorate forces inbound, ETA, 15 minutes.”

15 minutes with Lung. Well, I needed to stress test the Armour.

I portal my alchemic tranquilizers, my pax, and my other chemical solution to brutes into my pouches. Armsmaster finished him with a tranquilizer, and I need to stop this from becoming a slugfest.

I need to modify my Bow so I can use it in the armour. This was an oversight I won’t forget.

Lung is pissed. I stash the staff in its holster and pull the Arcblade.

No room for holding back, but I’m not quite ready to deploy plasma weaponry on a human target yet.

Lung charges me again and fires a stream of fire at me. I quickly shield is with my Draenei shield but have to overcompensate the magic to account for the smaller crystals and realise it isn’t a viable tactic against sustained attacks. Hopefully it makes him think twice before he realises I'm not using it more.

As he reaches out to grab me, I blink behind him and stab the blade through his leg. I discharge half of the power source into his leg and he roars in agony and drops twitching from the electricity.

It doesn’t stop him backhanding me into the street though. Fuck he hits hard, but the armour holds without damage.

I have to stop this turning into a slugfest. He wins those by default.

I blink back towards him but overshoot as my concentration drops. I charge back towards him and stab him with a tranq, he falters but doesn’t go down.

Well then. Multiple doses it is.

He disagrees and explodes in an absolute corona of power. He is approaching 10 foot tall now and his fire aura is starting to get seriously uncomfortable. He pulls back his arms and roars to the sky.

He glares at me balefully, he’s trying to say something to me, but it’s severely distorted.

What the fuck got him this angry before he met me.

He’s moving, and he is incredibly fast. I blink past him again but he’s wise to it this time, and he lashes fire out of his back. I manage to dodge and unleash a stream of bullets from my energy pistol. They hit but barely phase him as the holes close right back up before my eyes.

I need to get more tranquilizer into him but time is on his side and he is purposefully using hit-and-run tactics while he grows. Time to get creative.

I lash out at him with the sword and extend it to maximum reach. I catch him low in the abdomen and discharge another massive jolt into him. Unfortunately, the onboard power source in the blade is now expended and I can't recharge it from this armour. It wasn’t supposed to be used with this suit.

I send it back to the workshop, useless for now as Lung stops twitching from the electricity, he is furious and thinking like a berserker.

Good, that’s where I want him.

He charges me unthinking, but much of his firepower is flaring out of his back, he’s trying to prevent me teleporting behind him.

Bitch I don’t need to teleport to inject you.

I raise the floor in front of him mid charge via the Matter Manipulator, he trips over it and slides towards me, as I quickly charge at him and stab two more vials of tranquilizer into him and a pax syringe.

He’s drowsy, but it’s not putting him down. His anger is being suppressed but I remember that Lung ramps up from threat, not anger.

His punch takes me off guard and I fly back towards the DWA. I manage to orient and catch the wall at my feet. I slide down the wall and land back on the ground.

The armour is still undamaged, but I’m rattling around inside it and I feel the start of a concussion from that last hit.

The nanobiotics are handling it but I need to find a way to end this fight.

Lungs growth is continuing and the famous wing tips are growing in. He’s past 12 feet now, and the pax is going to wear off shortly.

“Boss, at his rate of growth you won’t be able to mitigate his strength soon, and the tranquilizers you are using aren’t affecting him fast enough. Either get more in him or put him down hard. Stop holding back, the area is clear now.”

I quickly look around, No sign of Danny or his friend anymore.

Fine.

I engage the halo and the wings, and they start to fold outwards.

“I didn’t want to go this far Lung, but you pushed me into it. I’ve tried to keep this nonlethal but you won’t let it lie. I don’t want to kill you, but I won't let you hurt the innocent either.”

The wings are extended as I raise into the air.

I pull out my staff and take aim with my pistol.

It’s all about evasion now as I fly around his head, harrying him with the pistol, desperately trying to open up a weak spot in his guard.

There! He’s reaching out to throw fire at me.

I teleport down to his feet and engage the plasma blade at maximum safe length, I remove his right arm swiftly, and then both of his legs to finish the set. I kick the remainder of him as hard as I can manage as he drops from the missing legs, and he flies out towards the dockside, and skips across the ocean like a stone.

He didn’t expect me to hit him that hard, and to be honest neither did I.

I sag to the ground; I can see him floating face up in the ocean and his chest is moving, so he’s still breathing for now. Scans show him regenerating, but not quickly. Hopefully this means the tranquilizers are working because I am spent. Out of magic, and bone weary.

I quickly land and fold up the wings and halo to conserve energy.

 

I move back towards the land and drop to my knees; I really am more tired than I expected.

I feel tingling all over me, as the pain kicks in.

“Boss, you are covered in second-degree burns, did you not feel him melting you?”

I didn’t feel it in the moment of combat, but now I feel it. My nanobiotics are working overtime to remove the hypoxic skin and regenerate new skin and flesh.

Damn his passive fire aura is insane.

Trajectory kicks in from behind me and tells me something very large is headed at my back. I don’t have enough magic to teleport yet so I dive to the side as a massive rusty steel girder flies through the spot my head was just at.

Lung is up. He’s not as big as before, the tranquilizers doing part of their job, but he look utterly incensed. Don’t turn your back on the angry dragon man Thomas, not even if you think he’s beaten.

He charges at me and I can't match the speed while I am this injured even if I am regenerating. Teleportation is out while magic is regenerating. I shouldn’t have folded the damn wings.

I cross my arms and brace for impact.

I don’t need to worry, as Lung is intercepted and launched right back out to sea with an almighty punch to the face. His face actually ripples as he is turned into a dragon shaped missile.

My saviour is a luminously glowing Danny Hebert.

What the actual fuck mothering fuck?

He’s got a shirt wrapped around his head. But he’s wearing the same clothes as earlier.

He just one punch manned Lung.

Fucking Lung!

I quickly pass him a domino mask and a hoodie from my portal.

“Word to the wise, shirt head wrap when wearing the same clothes is not a good disguise.”

He winces and puts them on quickly.

“Not exactly been a para for a long time Archon.”

I hand him my number.

“Call me later. I’ll give you some tips and pointers.”

“Thanks, I definitely will. Do me a favour and keep me out of this. I don’t need the heat. I have family.”

He quickly leaves

I am discombobulated. The tranqs in Lung have combined with Danny’s huge hit to the head and finally knocked him clean out.

I drag him out of the sea and inject him with three more vials for good measure.

Fuck testing. I'm making damn sure this time. If he dies. He dies.

Scans show the concentration of tranquilizers is finally keeping him down, and he is visibly shrinking in front of me.

His regeneration is noticeably slowing too, the damage to his legs and arms that had mostly regenerated back is extensive. I won't be healing him though. He chose to attack innocents that I was protecting, It’s on him.

Assault and Battery arrive at the scene followed closely by Armsmaster.

Assault whistles as he sees me standing over Lung.

“Sorry Archon, we would have gotten here sooner but someone decided to go on a robbing spree in ABB territory and set Oni Lee off. Militia took a bad hit but Panacea has her covered now. Velocity managed to tag him with your Christmas present and we have him locked down at HQ now.”

I hum, and then reply.

“He was furious before he even met me, I wondered why he was so mad. The ABB and the Merchants were involved in an all-out brawl when I first got here and healed the dockworkers. Then Lung shows up, and it all goes to shit and he decides to attack the dockworkers even if he has to go through me.”

He nods.

“Someone knocked over a bunch of his stashes in this area and revealed a bunch of his assets such as the brothels. PRT are freeing a lot of girls tonight thanks to whoever did it. But they weren’t subtle. This was going to bring reprisals.”

I put my hand on my chin and try to analyse the situation.

Why were the Merchants so well armed? Who hit Lungs stashes right here around the DWA? And why would he think the dockworkers were involved?

Armsmaster speaks up.

“Good job on taking him down, I wish I was here to help you. The publicity from this would have really helped the Protectorate.”

“I understand, though that’s kind of why I chose to stay away from joining you guys directly. I can't live in a world where my job makes me care more about my publicity than my actions. But don’t take that as direct criticism. I do think it’s a sad and unfair state of affairs but it’s not like it’s your fault. PR is the biggest weapon of the government, not just the Protectorate.”

He frowns, but it doesn’t seem directed at me.

“I understand what you mean Archon. Thanks for giving us the heads up and for keeping civilian casualties at a minimum.”

I nod at him. “Honestly Armsmaster if not for the fact there were 30+ witnesses I would let the Protectorate share credit for this one.”

He smiles and perks up.

We move on.

Luckily I don’t need to book an AAR this time. They know Lungs power already and I have the entire fight on video. Joys of high-tech armour.

I email the fight over to Armsmaster. I don’t bother to edit out anything like the flight. They’ll learn about it, eventually.

Assault engages me in small talk about how cool the new suit is, but I think he realises how tired I am, and they allow me to leave quickly.

As I head back into the workshop the forge pings me twice.

200 CP available.

Attempting Expansion…

Mundane Small Scale – Success!

Jabberwock Claw – 200CP – Project Arms.

 

The forge legitimately hates me.

The Jabberwock claw is a sword hilt that when activated creates a glowing blade made out of nanomachines. It has immense cutting potential and is basically a legendary weapon in its own right. It will be an incredible boon for me.

So why am I pissed?

Its special ability is that wounds it causes cannot be unnaturally regenerated from. It leaves permanent injuries on beings that regenerate unnaturally. And is lethal to immortal beings that are immortal via regeneration or perfect healing.

It counters regenerators.

And I receive it after having to fight Lung.

Just my luck.

 

After a rant to myself on the convenient timing of forge perks, I head back over to the workshop and remove my armour to check for damage.

The nanobiotics are really pulling their weight, but I need to get environmental protection integrated into the suit. I have literal first-degree burns on my chest and if not for the fact I have regenerative nanobiotics, I would be having to skin graft myself right now. My undersuit is fused to my chest in places and some of the actuators are seized up due to being warped from the heat.

I send the clones to work on it and the armour. And to analyse the combat data. I made a lot of mistakes in that fight. Fighting is a learning experience and I need to make sure I learn fast.

One of the clones is tasked with formulating heat treatment for the armour. Both inner and outer. I can't have actuators melting again especially at temperature low enough that I don’t feel pain, but still get injured by.

The other clone disrobes me and then works on using medi-gel to back up my regeneration. Unfortunately, because they are chakra constructs and not biological, they don’t get my nanobiotics.

So, what mistakes did I make in the fight? I pour over the video and my main realisation does not amuse me.

I matched his level. I had the power to go all out with the wings and plasma blade from the start. I could have taken his arms and legs off and just injected every tranquilizer I had. But I was enjoying the fight and wanted to show off. I was arrogant, stupid, and naïve. I then turned my back on a downed opponent that I knew could regenerate! I had to be saved from serious injury by someone I can only assume literally only just got their powers.

I was acting like a freshly triggered kid. And I don’t even have the omnicidal space crystal excuse.

I need to be better. I won't be able to rely on my opponents underestimating me forever.

I drop a message over to Sherrel to let her know I just fought and ‘beat’ Lung and then decide to spend the rest of the day repairing my armour and enchanting the various pieces of it with minor fire resistance on cooldown.

 

 

Notes:

Jabberwock Claw - 200 - Project Arms - Mundane Small Scale

This remnant of one of the past rampages of the Jabberwock is a uniquely dangerous item, especially to ARMs. One of the few weapons that can equalise a fight between an ARMs and a non- ARMs, this weapon, which can take the appearance of a literal, almost triangular claw or a sword hilt capable of making a blade of glowing nanomachines at your discretion, retains the Jabberwocks healing retarding function, the Anti-ARMs virus that can leave permanent injuries on an ARMs, those normally immortal and perfectly healing superhumans. Like any sword, its lethality depends on how well it's wielded, but it is the swords property that will make sure any wounds caused will refuse to heal properly. This quality will expand to prevent proper healing in anything with abnormal healing and can deal lethal damage to being normally immortal due to fast-healing or outright regeneration.

Chapter 25: Intermission - Danny Hebert

Notes:

READ THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER FIRST THIS IS A DOUBLE CHAPTER POST AND THIS ONE HAS SPOILERS FOR THAT ONE.

 

Intermission – Danny Hebert

 

Saturday 27^th December 2010

 

“I am a concerned citizen, I can't allow this to continue any more, and I shouldn’t need to tell you why. Now my job is done. Make sure your daughter is protected on her first day back. Hell, wait in the corridor with her locker if you have to. Or get a friend to. Or just report it. But don’t let them torture her any more like they’ve been doing for years.”

The phone hangs up.

And I rest my head in my hands.

It’s so much easier to be numb lately. It’s been this way since Annette died.

When did I forget I had a daughter?

It’s so obvious in retrospect.

How withdrawn she’s been this past year, the lack of communication.

Emma hasn’t been round in months, possibly more.

My little girl has been tortured at school for possibly years, and no-one has been there for her.

I’ve not been there for her.

It’s just so much easier to be numb to it all.

What would you do Annette?

No. Not this time.

Annette is gone, she isn’t coming back. She can't deal with Taylors problems and even if she were alive, I shouldn’t expect her to.

What are you going to do Danny? Grab a beer from the fridge and numb yourself to this all again.

No.

I make my mind up. I'm the damn stand in head of the biggest union left in the bay. That lazy bastard in Boston notwithstanding.

I’m going to call the head of the teachers union, and I’m going to get to the bottom of this. I'm going to call a lawyer and have the damn evidence pulled on day one.

But first I’m going to do what I always should have done.

I’m going to speak to Taylor.

 

I knock on her door.

“Taylor, honey. We need to talk.”

She turns to me with heavy-lidded eyes.

How couldn’t I see this before.

“What’s up?”

“We need to speak. About school. About you. And about what Emma, Sophia and Madison have been doing to you.”

Her eyes widen in shock. Then flood with unshed tears.

“Why do you care now?”

“Let’s just say, a stranger opened my eyes for me.”

Her look at me, one of a stranger analysing an interloper is killing me.

I reach out and touch her shoulder.

“Taylor. Speak to me. I can't fix it if I don’t know what’s going on.”

For a moment I fear I’m too late. That she has already withdrawn into her shell and I've lost her forever.

But slowly, tentatively she starts to speak.

I thought I knew what anger was before.

Much how like I thought I knew love until I saw her born.

This anger is the birth of an entirely new level of rage.

I hold it back, simmering beneath the surface.

I hug my daughter. For the first time since Annette died.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you before. I’ve not been a well man. But I swear I’ll make this right. Don’t hide anything else for me and stop worrying about the flute. It might weigh on you, but stop beating yourself up about it, you did nothing wrong. I have the contacts to put this right.”

She sobs into my shoulder, a keening sound I’ve never heard her make as she shakes like a leaf

“Daddy, I’m sorry.”

And my heart breaks even further.

“Taylor, you have nothing to be sorry for.”

She pulls away from the hug and reaches down to the floor. She pulls a diary out from a loose floorboard. It is packed with loose leaf paper.

“It’s all in here. Everything they did to me. Everything.”

“Ok honey, it’s been a long day I’m going to go and read this and make a plan. And Taylor. Stay away from your locker on your first day back, if I even let you go back. The girls have planned a horrific prank on you and plan to lock you in there with the contents of the bins from the girls locker room.”

She turns an interesting shade of green.

“Dad, how do you know this.”

“Anonymous tip, someone couldn’t let it go on anymore.”

She nods at that and wipes her eyes.

I hug her and kiss her on the cheek.

Another first since Annette died.

I leave to my own room. I need to read this diary. I need to calm down. And I need to plan.

 

 

I thought I had hit my anger peak in the earlier conversation.

That was but a grain of sand on the beach of anger I now feel.

How. Could. I. Fail. So. Badly.

The anger is building behind my eyes, and I feel the start of a panic attack coming on.

Is this how people die from anger?

The world goes faint, and the floor is approaching quickly.

I feel like I am floating, I see two worms of crystal in a dance of shards.

Something forces my eyes shut but I don’t want to miss this and I open them again with great effort.

A piece of one of the worms flies off and shoots into my head.

I feel agony as my body crumbles to dust, then I am whole again.

 

Queen Administrator

 

NETWORK CONTROL A1:2QAASL23:221:23:AAB: W

PRIMARY HOST – DESIGNATION DANNY - CRISIS POINT REACHED

ENGAGING TRIGGER PARAMETER SEARCH – DESIGNATED EXPRESSION SEARCH

CONTROL OF DESIGNATION – MAMMALIAN - RATTUS – DENIED – NO MATCH

CONTROL OF DESIGNATION – ARTHROPOD – RESERVED BY SUB HOST BUD DESIGNATION - TAYLOR

CONTROL OF DESIGNATION – HUMAN – ACCESS DENIED

LOCAL ADMINISTRATION OF SHARD SUBSETS – ACCESS DENIED

CONTROL OF HUMAN EMOTION “ANGER” – DENIED – NO MATCH

SEARCHING SECONDARY EXPRESSION MATRIX.

NO MATCHES FOUND

SEARCHING TERTIARY EXPRESSION MATRIX

MATCH FOUND – DESIGNATION “SELF MASS ADMINISTRATION”

ALTERNATE STATE OF BEING – CONTROL OF SELF MASS – DESIGNATION DIMENSIONAL FOLDING TECHNIQUE ALPHA.

MULTITASKING EXPRESSION – PARTIAL MATCH – ADMINISTRATOR CONTROL CODE 210:21:21956

HOST DURABILITY MARKER – NOMINAL

HOST STRENGTH MARKER – NOMINAL

HOST EMOTIONAL MARKER – SUB PAR

HOST ADMINISTRATION MARKER – NOMINAL

HOST INTELLIGENCE MARKER – SUB PAR

HOST LOAD CONFIRMED

DIMENSIONAL FOLDING TECHNIQUE – “SELF ADMINISTRATION.”

MULTI TASKING ADJUNCT – “REFERENCE FRAME ADMINISTRATION.”

INVOKING CONNECTION

DESTINATION, AGREEMENT, TRAJECTORY, AGREEMENT

 

Danny Hebert

 

I wake up on the floor. Not long seems to have passed.

What the hell was that?

What were those crystal worms? Did I drink something funny?

I stumble out of the bedroom and into the bathroom.

Taylor leans her head out of her door and asks if I am ok.

I respond in the positive, my head is buzzing what the hell is going on.

 I turn on the tap on the sink in the bathroom but a tingling in my arm and a flash of rage causes me to twist it off.

The sink. Not the tap.

I barely even felt it.

The pipe starts spraying water but I pinch it closed with my fingers.

I’m a parahuman.

Fuck. There are rumours about how parahumans get their power. Whispers of triggers and conspiracies.

I never expected it to happen to me.

This is major. I need to find out what I can do.

But I made a promise.

Taylors problems now come first.

I make two of the most important phone calls of my life.

I’m coming for you Barnes. On the battlefield you live and breathe.

 

 

Notes:

A/N

I’ll be brutally honest, I didn’t like any of the powers WB theorised for Danny so I went and rolled random a few times with my eyes closed on a superpower wiki and then took whatever was on screen and mashed it up into a power.

His power effectively makes him a weird cross between Hulk and Ant Man. He doesn’t change size but he changes mass. He’s quite a powerful brute even in his base form, but with relatively normal durability. However as he get’s closer to his trigger emotions (Rage, Anger, Hate, helplessness, Sadness) he grows in density as he folds in mass from other dimensions (Similar to an Endbringer actually). He gets tougher and tougher at the expense of getting much heavier and angrier.

His secondary power “reference frame administration” allows him to choose his point in space without locomotion. This effectively allows him to fly, and continue to move even at ludicrous weights. It’s how he can run on normal streets weighing thousands of tons.

In worm terms he’s like Lung in that he ramps up over time, and like a reverse velocity in that his power increases his mass. Even in his default state he’s at least three times tougher than the toughest baseline human. But his power is controlled by his emotions. Cherish would utterly hard counter him, As would Gallant partially.

If he goes too far the other way, and gets too far from his trigger emotions, he becomes much squishier, still strong though. The reverse cost is that as he gets squishier, he gets access to the multitasking part of the QA shard instead and becomes a much more able administrator, and much more intelligent.

Probably not very interesting, but that’s what you are getting.

Chapter 26: Arc 3 - Chapter 7

Arc 3 – Chapter 7

 

Wednesday 30^th December 2010

 

I wake up with my chest throbbing. Apparently third-degree burns to the sides of your ribs are tough to heal.

Who would have thought?

The level of damage I sustained without flinching means I’m going to need to work on the inherent programming of the nanobiotics. They suppressed my pain beautifully in combat, but not knowing I’ve got bone deep burns in places even if I can regenerate is not going to be helpful. I’ll need to tone them down so they only dull pain, instead of suppressing it completely. That way at least I will be able to generate a new mental pain scale for severity of injury.

Evolution left us with pain for a reason. It was silly of me to mess with that.

My criticisms of the fight are no less than they were yesterday. And worse in my adrenaline filled post combat fugue I almost handed over raw footage of Danny, shirt mask and all to the PRT after he expressly told me he didn’t want to be seen.

Luckily EFA had already covered for me and ended the fight at the first time I punted him out to sea. Some creative editing with the tranquilizer footage should cover for me.

We shall see. If anyone can work out an edit, Armsmaster can. worse comes to worst I’ll just tell him I’m covering for an unmasked trigger. It won't even be a lie.

 

After actively healing up the last of my skin damage, I survey my armour. I finished repairing most of the damage yesterday, the wings, halo and staff were barely touched, and my nanobiotics are bred back up to maximum after many of them met a fiery end.

Another reason to work on environmental protection.

I spend some time working with my new sword. Having inherent sword skills from the Elder Blood perk allows me to practice much more efficiently but the style of swordplay isn’t fully compatible.

The blade isn’t weightless, being made up of energy and nanomachines, but it’s close enough.

It’s time to say goodbye to the arcblade.

Weapon Absorption allows me to turn a weapon into its crystalized combat experience, and then pass that experience and some of its inherent ability to another weapon. I crystalise the arcblade using all the accrued experience from its lifetime, including victories against Trainwreck, Skidmark and Lung. I then imbue this crystalized essence into the Jabberwock hilt.

I extend the blade again and notice a few things. The blade now has an electric aura, that I can use to shock, or electrocute people. I can also extend the blade. Not as far as I could extend the arcblade, but a good extra foot of length.

Surprises kill, and this is a particularly nasty surprise.

The added experience also solidifies the blade further in reality, that strange feeling of something I am touching becoming more real.

I run my usual workout, eat, and stimpak routine. The stimpak routine is becoming irrelevant now, I have access to a more thorough, albeit slower form of healing now. Well, slower if I’m not using the halo. But it’s become habit, and the resources to build up a stockpile of stimpaks are meaningless in the long run. I will be able to hand them out like candy at Endbringer fights.

I had a minor panic that I had tainted the stimpaks with nanobiotics, but luckily the little buggers know not to leave my body as part of their inherent programming.

I’m caught in a bit of a rut. I can’t really made any upgrades to my armour without better materials. I either wait for Sherrel to return from her first expedition and hope she brings back good stuff or make some moves myself to promote the forge to grow. I can also buy materials but it isn’t viable long term with the prices I need to pay outside of the PRT supply chain, I spent 70% of my liquid cash just getting the wings, staff and halo up and running.

That means it’s time to get out and patrol. No holding back this time. EFA will be scanning for the tiniest of crimes and I will be concentrating on one thing today.

My reputation.

I need to engender a reputation as a peerless protector and healer. Someone reliable who will be there to help out.

I’m also going to practice my teleportation; it grows my magic reserves and increases my familiarity with the elder blood.

Today’s focus will be patrolling the edge of the primarily Asian district. The border where it meets empire territory more specifically. It’s important to show force there. Once the capture of Lung and Oni Lee is announced, if it hasn’t leaked already, the empire will move on these districts.

I need to put my foot down. I left the merchant districts to themselves because they were more industrial than residential. But these will be innocent people in purely residential zones, under fire because of their race.

It cannot be abided. The Imperium said, “suffer not a witch to live.”

I prefer to substitute “witch” for “Nazi”.

 

I head out to the Boardwalk after a quick meal, I want to be completely visible today, so the first part of my patrol will be on the ground. Then depending on combat I will take to the sky for the second part of my patrol. Hunting down Empire and ABB stashes on the border zone and taking them out.

EFA is already catching increased activity on the airwaves on the borders of Empire territory. The likelihood of it kicking off today is high.

“EFA contact Assault and let him know that friction is high on the borders of ABB territory, and it doesn’t look like they will be holding back. No capes on the ABB side means they aren’t going to be following the rules.”

“On it Boss.”

I patrol quickly and visibly, speaking to people along the way. I don’t sign any autographs but I let people know If they want one I’ll do something on the boardwalk soon. I politely let them know it’s because I am concentrating on my patrol scans. Some people don’t take it particularly well, but I want to keep my attention open.

Assault contacts me as I pass the bank in the northern downtown district.

“Hey Archon, thanks for the heads up, we’ve already got patrols going in northern downtown to dissuade any issues with the Empire.”

“That’s all well and good Assault, but the empire aren’t going to be attacking Bay Central and Arcadia. I’ve got massing of gangers on both sides on the southern border between docks south residential and docs residential.”

“I’m sorry Archon but with Arcadia being so close to there we have orders from the top to protect the school.”

“Damnit Assault, Chinatown or whatever Lung turned the original Chinatown in to is three blocks north of there and there are innocent civilians in the area who it looks like are about to have major fighting in the area!”

“I’ll speak to Piggot, but her hands are tied too. The order has come directly from the top. Apparently Christner is throwing some weight around after Hookwolf and Cricket were seen around Arcadia.”

“Noted. I’ll hold the fort myself.”

“Arc-.”

I hang up.

I’m not impressed with the Protectorate at all today. Of course, the Nazis showed face around Arcadia today. They will want the Protectorates attention here instead of north.

If Kaiser only sends twenty percent of his capes, it will still be an utter bloodbath. The ABB have zero capes remaining! That sounds like a good thing but the damn balance is beyond fucked and if the empire take that territory, God help the people living there.

If they attack today, I’m going to have to go hard and brutal.

As I patrol through northern downtown heading towards Chinatown, I surreptitiously enable a few Garage doors for my new Garage. I grab a particularly big one at a bus depot which will really help me out later.

 

Around noon, I have stopped for a quick meal when EFA interrupts me.

“Boss, it’s happening. I have credible positive sightings of Hookwolf, Victor, Stormtiger, Cricket and Othala approaching the ABB residential area from the west. Skirmishes are happening in northern downtown with the remainder of the Empire capes. Kaiser himself is at the head of a violent protest in the area of the Forsberg gallery. This is a co-ordinated attack. They are splitting the Protectorate first so that no assistance can come.”

Fuck.

Damnit can I take down five capes?

I’m not worried about Victor. His power doesn’t work on me anymore due to THEY ARE MINE AND MINE ALONE and all the martial arts in the world aren’t helping you against someone who can go at you with 6-7x your strength.

Othala is a nonentity combat wise.

The other three however are all a problem in different ways.

Stormtigers ranged attacks cannot be underestimated. I’ve seen the videos. He can shred skin from muscle with his air bombs. And his slashes are nothing to sneeze at either.

Hookwolf is the lesser of the three problems funnily enough. He’s all brute strength and physical attacks and I’m not particularly vulnerable to either in this Armour.

Cricket will be the major issue. Her attacking my inner ear is going to keep me off balance if I don’t hit her hard from the start or stay out of range. I don’t really have anything quickly deployable that can counter her power to attack my ears. The helmet will dull some of it, but not all of it. My power just suggests bionic ears when I ask it. Which seems a little overkill.

I have the tools to win this fight. I don’t believe any of these capes can match me individually. The only empire capes I worry about facing are Kaiser, the twins, and Fog. Purity isn’t even with them currently.

I need to be merciless if they start a fight. Hit them hard and fast and leave them no room to breathe.

“EFA, alert the Protectorate that it’s a diversion, the empire is moving to eliminate the ABB. And that I’m moving to intercept.”

“Got it Boss.”

I step back into the workshop, and refresh all of my held equipment.

No holding back.

I deploy out to the docks and immediately charge out to meet the Empire on the route EFA has planned.

Before no time at all, I’m on one of the main roads heading into Empire territory.

 

Hookwolf, Stormtiger and Cricket are walking casually down the middle of the road, with a gang of empire mooks at their back. A group of them kick in the door of a shop and start taking what they want while holding the elderly proprietor at gunpoint. All without a care in the world.

I shore myself up and walk towards them. I stop 200 yards from them, in the middle of the street.

I look Hookwolf up and down.

“What’s a group of upstanding Nazis like yourself doing in this part of town?”

Hookwolf smirks at me with his eyes, the only part of his face visible through his mask.

“Civic duty, you know Archon. We heard this area had a bit of a trash problem so like the good citizens we are we volunteered for some clean-up duty.”

He turns to Stormtiger and mutters something, and Stormtiger’s mouth twists with mirth. Cricket snorts, as Hookwolf turns back to me.

“You aren’t going to be getting in our way are you, Archon?”

He puts on an arrogant posture and continues walking towards me.

I draw my staff and sword.

“Hookwolf, I won't ask twice. Stand down. The people in this area have done nothing to you. The ABB have retreated. There is nothing for you to gain here.”

The goons return, guns in hand. The storekeeper lying on the ground clutching his stomach.

“Tell me you didn’t come here to face the three of us on your own, just to protect a bunch of chinks and gooks? Do you value your own life so little, brother?”

I glare at him and prep the armour for full activation.

“The race doesn’t fucking matter. Your weak and gutless ideology won’t sway me. I’m no brother of yours.”

He stops.

“Well fair enough ‘brother’, see you in the next life.”

He waves a signal, and trajectory starts blaring warnings, it’s for naught as I am hit full on in the chest with a high caliber round. Trajectory is beaten by an extremely high velocity round from outside of its range.

If I was in the MK1 that likely would have penetrated.

With this armour, I barely even stumble. Not even a scratch on the outer.

The bullet comes from the top of a three-story building not far down the road. It’s out of scanning range, but that’s irrelevant.

I know where the other two are now.

“Well, that was a mistake.”

I deploy the halo and wings.

I’ve never actually watched the full activation sequence myself, but it must be intimidating because everyone present takes a step back.

“Now then, Let’s take care of your support first.”

I jet off into the air at max speed and straight at Victors position. Small arms fire comes from below but I am too fast and nimble. I maintain an evasive pattern as two more rifle rounds fly over my shoulders. One of them hits the projected wing blade and is deflected off into the sky.

The materials of these wings are far beyond standard small arms.

Victor is panicking as I approach, he throws the rifle to what must be Othala and draws a pistol.

Trajectory at this range, with these speeds he has no chance.

I dodge everything and take him at the waist in a tackle. He tries to hit me but my strength overwhelms him and I press the back of my blade to his wrist with a big shock.

No effect, damn Othala has enhanced him with invulnerability.

Well, that’s solvable.

I kick him into the sky and reverse course. I bend Othala over my fist and she vomits over my arm as I discharge electricity into her via the sword hilt.

One down.

I fly up into the sky and catch Victor as he falls. A burst of electricity to his chest takes him out for the count. I inject them both with a high-class alchemical tranquilizer and immediately burst back towards the other Nazis.

Two down.

As I head towards them I notice the mooks trying to kick in doors. Hookwolf is going for hostages.

I place the sword hilt at my waist and use portal to pull through my Baton.

Time for some crowd control.

I dodge, dip and weave through small arms fire as I extend and retract the baton multiple times, taking empire goons out in the tens. Hits to shoulders and chests backed with taser shocks takes them down for the count.

I take a blast of wind, damn it’s intangible enough that trajectory doesn’t catch it. The blast knocks me off course and I hit a wall behind me and slide down.

I hear the rapid clacking of metallic footsteps as a giant metal wolf made of barbs and hooks and metal shards charges me.

I use the matter manipulator to raise the ground over me and Hookwolfs metal wolf face actually contorts in surprise. He runs over the top of me and hits the wall head on in his surprise.

I return to the skies and dodge multiple wind blasts. Sensors catch someone on the building next to me jumping off toward me, so I immediately take evasive action as Cricket passes by me and my vision goes blurry as I desperately attempt to stop myself from throwing up. Fuck she caught me on the edge of her acoustokinetic field. My balance is shot, I can’t teleport like this so I hand control of the wings over to EFA in an attempt to keep myself oriented. It partially works, the connection isn’t designed for this but I hit the floor at my feet instead of my head.

Hookwolf and Cricket are both charging me.

Enough of this.

I extend the baton at Cricket, fully charged up, and she dodges, I expected this however and sideswipe it at her. She dodges again by jumping over it and I have her. I use the matter manipulator to create a pit where she is going to land and launch a pre-hit with my Baton. She tries to avoid falling in by digging her Kama into the side but the Baton is already headed for her back and she takes a massive shock.

Hookwolf is on me, I parry him with my energy shield and teleport behind him, he looks around in confusion as my balance is finally fully returned and I take to the skies again.

Stormtiger has been busy and has managed to take a hostage.

Well. Fuck any part of that. I quickly teleport behind him and punch him in the back of the head. Dangerous, but well.

He started it.

As he flies away from me down the road, he cushions himself with air zones and retaliates with claw blasts. I grab his hostage and fly him to the top of a nearby roof out of the way, before returning to ground level.

He can't hit me through his own men.

I move into close combat with the few empire goons remaining, taking them out with punches and shocks, as Hookwolf charges me from behind.

I teleport backwards without looking at him and end up behind him. I swipe at his tail with my sword as I pass and it is detached from him like parting butter. The electricity has no effect however, he seems to be resistant and there is no flesh for me to tranquilize.

He growls darkly at me and starts charging me like a berserker.

I quickly teleport over to Cricket and taking no chances throw two injectors of tranquilizer into her shoulder. Hookwolf turns to Stormtiger and growls.

“Retreat you idiot. I’ll shred this gook sympathiser and meet you back at base you aren’t doing shit here.”

Stormtiger flees from the battle, I attempt to hit him long range with a thrown tranq injector but he deflects it contemptuously.

It’s just me and Hookwolf now.

I teleport over to Cricket, grab her by the shoulder and fly her to a nearby roof.

Don’t want any collateral here.

I return to the skies above Hookwolf.

“Stand down Hookwolf, you can't win this. You can't touch me and I can carve you up with ease.”

If a metal wolf can smirk, then that’s the face I’m looking at right now. He waves his tail at me.

Damn, the blade stops regeneration, but this is novel enough to not count.

“Keep cutting off pieces you winged cunt, and they’ll keep growing back. You’ll get tired, eventually. But lets bring you down to earth a bit.”

He turns away from me and smashes through a nearby apartment window.

He returns outside with a young woman and stabs her through the arm.

She shrieks and tries to pull away.

“Well, what now hero boy? Can’t come down or I’ll take you out, can't stay up there or chink girl dies. What’s it going to be?”

I am incensed, but I refuse to give into my anger. Up to now I’ve been harrying and using hit and run to keep him off me. Not out of fear of fighting him personally but out of fear of being overwhelmed if I focus too much on one target.

He doesn’t quite realise how strong I am.

Hookwolf thrives on his reputation. There’s multiple people recording this fight right now. I don’t need to kill him, or even take him in.

I need to pull a Mouse Protector. I need to utterly destroy his rep. I look around. And smirk.

I have a great idea. And with a bit of enchantment, I can pull it off. I’m going to show this Nazi who the fuck he is messing with.

I land and fold away the wings and halo. And he looks at me with interest.

“You and me, no hostages. No flying. Man on man.”

He turns partially human again and laughs.

“The way all fights should be.” He throws the girl into the wall hard and returns to his wolf form. He starts charging at me.

I pick up a nearby newspaper and start rolling it up. I channel my magic into it and incant in my mind.

“Toughness, repelling, toughness, repelling.” I stealthily inject Med-X and a minor strength elixir via a portal, and I channel every bit of nanobiotic energy I can muster. My eyes are glowing so blue that It’s effecting the colour of my visor.

The Med-X and elixir won't hugely buff me with how enhanced I am but it will add up. And I want every bit of strength for this.

I continue to channel my magic into the rolled-up newspaper and leverage my scanners to get the timing perfect.

He’s almost at me, howling like a berserker and paying barely any attention to what I am doing.

He’s on me.

“Bad dog.”

I backhand him with the newspaper.

Hookwolf becomes an Archon guided missile and literally flies back towards empire territory at high speed, a trail of hooks and metal shards falling off him as he flies. I hear him howl and a few seconds later an almighty crash as he hits the side of a building in the distance.

I’m not even going to bother following him. Fuck him.

I pull out my staff and approach the young girl he threw into the wall. Her what I assume to be father is there too with blood pouring down his arm.

I ask for permission to heal him, but he’s frantically speaking to me in what sounds like Japanese.

His daughter seems to speak English, and she translates through raspy breath, there’s blood coming out of her mouth. She nods, but I would have done this even without permission.

I reengage the halo and wings and hover up in the street, I fire off the carrier wave at her and overcharge it to chain heal.

Her and her father’s wounds start to close, slowly at first but increasing in speed as the energy suffuses them.

Before long they are healed and I spend a few more minutes healing up various bystanders. I retrieve Victor and Othala and put them with Cricket.

EFA has called the PRT in for me who arrive without fanfare with Velocity and start taking the three into custody. Velocity engages me in chat but I simply tell him I’ve emailed the fight video over to Assault if he wants an AAR and he can interview the people around if he wants the rest of the story.

As I go to leave a giant hand tries to backhand me out of the air.

Fuck it’s the Valkyrie twins.

The PRT quickly retreat to their vehicles and take aim with foam sprayers as Velocity moves to protect the public. As one of the twins grabs Victor and Othala, and the one who tried to backhand me tries to grab Cricket.

I quickly grab Cricket and teleport over to the PRT vans and bodily throw her inside while Valkyrie bitch one tries to stop me. I attempt to knock her out with tranqs to no effect.

She stabs at me with her spear and I manage to deflect it away, the other sister tries to wake Victor and Othala but has no luck. She quickly makes her way over to me and attempts to back up her sister.

Suddenly she is hit by a concussive shell out of nowhere. I look around and there is a massive yellow and black Humvee charging down the street towards us.

Impulse is in her armour at the top turret, firing off concussive shells at a rapid pace.

“Take that you wannabe Odin shagging cunt.”

Valkyrie bitch two attempts to throw her spear at Impulse Humvee but she dodges it. The Valkyrie winds up for a kick, but before she can release I stab her in the arm with the plasma blade in lance form and discharge a ton of electricity into her. I still have buffs going bitch.

She shrieks and quickly pulls back; the other sister is incensed and attempts to assist but has the clarity of mind to grab her sister as they retreat rather than try to fight.

I manage to teleport over and retrieve Othala before they can pick her up. They got away with Victor but we kept Othala and Cricket.

Velocity turns to me.

“I know you are pissed at us Archon, but there’s a lot of injured PRT and bystanders down by the Forsberg gallery and Panacea is assisting at the north junction near Arcadia so if you are able we could use the health.”

“Not pissed Velocity, just incredibly disappointed. I would never withhold healing to those in need.”

I turn to Impulse.

“Impulse, thanks for the save, can you secure the scene here and then escort the PRT back to the PRT building with their prisoners? I’ll meet you in the workshop tomorrow.”

She nods.

“Sure thing boss, I’ll crash at your place pick me up tomorrow.”

She means she will make her way to my civilian apartment later and stay the night there. She can't get back into the forge without me as I don’t have extra keys yet, though she can use the key pedestal to leave whenever she wants. I quickly reel off a text to her explaining that I’m going to crash from combat stims when I get back.

On that note I take off at full speed and jet towards the gallery.

 

It’s not too bad here, mostly surface injuries from thrown bottles and such from the riots. I direct the PRT to gather everyone who accepts parahuman healing into a group and to take me to the triage cases while the minor injuries gather up with permission confirmations.

The triage is quite quick. Dauntless has a nasty slice in his arm, from Kaiser directly apparently. I close it up with ease and move on to various deep cuts and contusions from the PRT. A few burns too, must have been molotovs with all the glass injuries too.

Once I finish with the triage cases I return to the minor injuries and tell them that anyone in this group of people is about to be healed and if they don’t consent to parahuman healing to move.

No-one moves and I quickly engage the healing staff in overcharge so I can chain heal. A flood of information enters my head through the halo interface as I heal contusions, cuts and scrapes. Two pregnant woman are pulled to the side, one case of bowel cancer and one case of aggressive lung cancer.

I warn the women that they are pregnant in case they didn’t know, neither of them did and they thank me for the info. The bowel and lung cancer patients had no idea they even had cancer, and I ask them if they want it healing. They nod rapidly and I quickly engage the healing staff in a very aggressive beam and flood them with healing energy. I painstakingly roll back the cancer, correcting cell errors and excising and replacing where necessary.

They are both fully healed, but I take their emails and send them some information on their genetic predisposition for these cancers to give to their doctors.

I have about 4 hours left before the Med-X crash.

I head over to the fight at Arcadia, and Panacea is almost finished here. Her and Glory Girl are quite taken aback by my flight and armour.

“Holy shit Archon! Those wings are insane, and the armour looks incredible! We have to have a race one day.”

I laugh. “Another day for sure! Panacea, is there anywhere I can help or are you ok?”

Panacea waves me off. “No, I’m ok thanks for the offer though.” She carries on healing her patient as I turn to leave.

Glory girl suddenly starts howling with laughter.

She flies over to me tears streaming from her face.

“Archon, did you smack Hookwolf on the nose with a rolled-up newspaper and call him a bad dog?”

She shows me her phone. Me smacking Hookwolf back to his territory is shown in glorious gif form. Someone has uploaded both video and gif onto PHO and my thread is going wild.

“EFA track that thread please, let me know if I need to reply to anything.”

“Will do boss.”

Even my AI sounds amused.

I head back to the forge, happy with a job well done.

I arrive back to the forge in good spirits for my meal. I have about 2 hours left before I crash so I run the post fight maintenance myself while my clones get on with more research. Specifically, metamaterials and novel alchemical compounds. I want to get some new alloys and nano-weaves up and running before I start work on the THOR.

As I head to bed, the forge gives me a double hit.

Expansion deferred by active combat situation.

200 CP are available,

Rolling…

Failed

No perk for me today.

I don’t even feel my eyes close as I crash from the Med-X.

 

 

Notes:

Finally get to see Archon learn to let go a bit in Combat, and gain a bit of confidence in his formative combat style. First cracks appear between Archons beliefs and the PRT's politics. Up til recently, Archons relationship with the PRT was being carefully managed behind the scenes. However that's now impossible for reasons you should realise. The pace will start to pick up from here, Archons rep will start to grow exponentially due to his recent successes.

The next updates will be slower now, possibly once per week. One of the downsides of getting further into a forge fic is that you have to carefully calculate the implications of everything you can do as you mangle the timeline. My current plot outline goes to Arc 11 without too much issue so hopefully not longer than a week per chapter. I'll still aim for 3 per week where i can, but no promises.

 

Perks Gained this Chapter – None

+100PRCP, 200PRCP available.

Rolling…

Success! Security System – Free

Anybody coming in and out of your Personal Reality is now checked for any authorization you've given them to access it; and should anything about said authorization (or a lack of it) raise any flags in the system, then you will receive a warning about it. This allows you to define just what sorts of authorization different individuals can have to access your Personality Reality, anything from No Access through Temporary Access and Limited Access to Unlimited Access is possible. All this does is notify you. It does not stop them on its own. A Keyholder’s Access cannot be limited by the Security System. Only hand out Keys to those you trust implicitly

Chapter 27: Arc 3 - Chapter 8

Arc 3 – Chapter 8

 

Thursday 31^st December 2010

 

I awaken in a burst of energy. My nanobiotics are apparently extremely good at countering the ATP burst and crash induced by the Med-X, something to remember in future, as I may be able to counter the Med-X before the crash with a bit of practice and research.

My mood is also flying high after the fight, while I made a few mistakes my commitment to go almost all out from the beginning and yet still managing to stick to non-lethal measures reinforces my commitment to at least attempting to not just murder everyone I meet.

The hit on Hookwolf is perplexing me. Mostly because the math just doesn’t add up.

With all the buffs combined with the suit I was pushing 10x stronger than a human in the upper limits of strength. Ok cool, that’s a lot of strength. But Hookwolf must have been pushing 250+ kg, and I easily launched him the best part of a mile. If not more. And that as a counter charge too, as he was charging me at easily 30+mph.

The answer lies in the enchantment on the paper.

Or rather the ash in my workshop.

A little querying and testing gives me the answer I’m seeking. I placed a temporary enchantment to reinforce and to deflect. The temporary nature of the enchantment allowed the enchantment to be much more powerful than expected and explains why I felt so drained after the fight in addition. I must have poured every bit of magic into that paper as I could conceive at the time. The deflection nature took the force of Hookwolfs charge added it on to my own insane strength and then amplified it. Hence my launch of a new satellite for the bay.

The danger is that I drained so much of myself into that enchantment mid combat. Going forward I need to be much more careful about mid fight enchanting.

 

I go and pick Sherrel up, and we head for breakfast together.

After sitting down for breakfast, Sherrel starts chatting to me.

“I’ve gotta say boss, seeing that armour in action is something else. The boards were wild last night.”

I chuckle

“Glory Girl showed me the GIF, I need to go grab a copy for my signature on the boards.”

She laughs in reply.

“Hookwolf definitely didn’t expect it, you’ve become quite famous in the northeast for that.”

I finish my meal in companionable silence with Sherrel. We may have had a rocky start, but we have become quite fast friends.

“Oh, I wanted to let you know, I helped out a fresh trigger, someone important for the future. I’m not currently planning on recruitment unless he’s ultra against the Protectorate for some reason. But if he is, he seems like quite a powerful Brute so giving you a heads up we may have another member. He helped me take down Lung.”

“Ok Boss no worries. I’ve dumped a bunch of resources off in your warehouse from the first expedition. Got a few more of those crystals you use as well and also did a bit of hunting. I know you always seem to have food here but I thought you might find some of the hides and stuff useful. Plus, you do that alchemy stuff so there’s stuff for testing. Those giant crabs are really tasty.”

“Thanks, Sherrel, it’s really appreciated. What’s your plan now?”

“I’m going to take a day off today and work on a hobby project for travelling the city. Got myself a normal car I’m going to soup up now that we have that garage. Then I’m going to visit my ex-mom and get my documents. Then I’m going to register as an independent hero. The Prots never linked my name to my cape id before even though they probably know. So, I should be able to register safely.”

This seems like a minefield of a subject.

“Do you need my help with anything?”

She smiles gently at me.

“No, this is something I have to do for myself. But I’ll call you if I need anything.”

“Stay safe Sherrel and don’t hesitate to contact me if you need me.”

Assault is calling me.

“I have to take this Sherrel, catch up later.”

I answer the phone.

“Archon speaking.”

“Yo Archon, it’s Assault.”

“What’s up Assault?”

“Couple of things, I wanted to speak to you about yesterday, you seemed really pissed with us and I wanted to make sure there will be no issues before anything escalates.”

“Assault. I don’t control Protectorate patrol routes. What happened yesterday must have been strangely coincidental. A district of mostly minorities on the edge of empire territory, mostly Asian, is ‘too far out of the way’ for a Protectorate or PRT presence to dissuade the empire while there were sightings at Arcadia. But funnily enough the Forsberg Gallery, more than four times the distance from Arcadia in the other direction can get a response? Do you know how this looks to me Assault?”

He’s silent on the other side, so I continue.

“As far as I’m currently concerned Assault you’ve all embarrassed yourselves and I am utterly disappointed. While I’m taking on three of the Empires heavy hitters with backup from a healer and master sniper, and then having to deal with the Valkyrie twins as they retreat from your protection of Arcadia, You guys are struggling to hold off Kaiser, Krieg, Crusader, Night, Fog, and Rune. The Merchants aren’t at your back in the trainyard, The ABB were neutered. What the hell caused you to have to divert every Protectorate resource away from the people you are supposed to protect?”

“Lung and Oni Lee are missing.”

I go cold.

“What?”

“One minute they are in their cells, the next minute they are gone. Cameras just see them disappear into thin air. If it wasn’t so laughable we would assume that the Empire arranged a breakout because it happened just as they started to deploy. We were in a scramble. No idea if they were invisible in the building, teleported away, or if we were under attack. We had to leave half of our forces back in the PRT building to protect the Wards and the director. Someone has extracted two high-value prisoners, one near guaranteed the cage right from under our noses. Armsmaster is spitting mad, Militia is on the warpath as she wanted to come back you up. Dauntless took on Kaiser, Crusader and Rune on his own and you saw his injuries. Battery nearly lost a leg to Menja which forced us to take a retreat to Panacea. It’s a catalogue of fuckups Archon, but I didn’t want to leave you on your own. Armsmaster ordered Velocity to break orders from the top to come back you up in the end. We were forbidden from leaving downtown due to the escape.”

This seems too convenient. Lung and Oni Lee disappear just as I’m forced to deal with an Empire attack.

It stinks of Coil, but I got no feedback from his ability whatsoever. If not Coil. Then is it Cauldron?

A new player?

“Ok, fine let’s take this one step at a time. Any sign of Lung or the Oni in the city?”

“None. It’s like they are ghosts in the wind. Their disappearance will be in the news today. That should buy us time for more movements from the empire into ABB territory.”

“Fine, I’ll take you at your word for now that this wasn’t some political manoeuvre to protect the rich areas only. I’m going to contact the Undersiders and see if their leader has heard anything.”

“Be careful Archon. I know you confirmed they stopped being villains, but don’t trust till you can verify.”

“I will. What’s happening with Othala and Cricket?”

“I shouldn’t tell you, but out of interest of our further co-operation and the fact you caught them I will. Piggot sent them to Boston in the night. With the Lung and Oni Lee situation she can pass off the breach in protocol as needing our cells re-securing. Armstrong is dealing with them.”

“Ok, thanks for the heads up. See you around.”

I hang up. Unfortunately, it seems like I’m going to be on my own mostly from now on. While Assault covered a lot of the basics, he still didn’t explain why the Gallery was protected over Chinatown to my satisfaction. Especially with the concentration of people and distance differences.

I’ll challenge Piggot on that at a later date. And decide how my working relationship with the Protectorate and PRT will look from that point.

I initiate a call to Tattletale.

“Archon, what’s up.”

“You know anything about Protectorate cells and vanishing acts?”

She pauses for a second.

“Hmm, someone escaped from the PRT. Can’t be Othala and Cricket, they never arrived at the PRT, so it had to be before that. Fuck. Lungs out?”

“Lung and Oni Lee aren’t out, they’re gone. Disappeared into thin air. Has Coil written all over it.”

“Wasn’t us, and Coil didn’t mention it, but we barely talk since he cut us loose. We’ve mostly been hitting Empire and ABB stash houses.”

“Did you hit anything before my fight with Lung?”

“No, we were hitting Empire, check with Faultline. They don’t act in Brockton but they may know if any other independents are active in the area.”

“Ok thanks.”

Looks like this investigation is taking me to the Palanquin.

I’d been meaning to check it out anyway.

 

 

Arriving at the Palanquin in costume without announcing myself is probably a great wait to get stuck in a wild Euclidean dimension, so I ring ahead and ask to speak to Faultline. Gregor the Snail eventually answers.

“Gregor here, what’s up?”

“This is Independent hero Archon, requesting a meeting under truce.”

“Archon? Going to need some verification.”

“Check your DM’s on PHO.”

He goes silent for 30 seconds or so.

“OK, Verified. Boss had wanted to talk to you anyway. Let me check hold on.”

A few second pass before he comes back on the line.

“Yeah boss says come to the back door of the Palanquin around 8pm tomorrow night. Thinking you will prefer it under the radar and its New Year’s Eve tonight. Club will be packed.”

“That works, thanks.”

 

I quickly send an update over to Sherrel.

“Hey, I’m heading up to the Palanquin tomorrow night, any info on Faultline?”

“Be careful, that bitch counters my vehicles and probably your armour. Can’t affect living but she will fuck up anything not living without thinking about it. Be polite.”

I snort.

“I’m always polite.”

“You keep telling yourself that 😉.”

 

My meeting with Faultline’s crew booked, I put EFA on a new task.

“EFA, do you have the bandwidth to take on additional work?”

“Yes sir, my programming and security jobs are near automatic at this point, the Nine are still showing themselves intermittently, and no sign of Mouse Protector since you talked to her. I have more than enough room for a few jobs.”

“OK, please look for reports of strange disappearances, from Boston, through to here. I’m looking for the Travellers, don’t want to establish contact yet but with Coil changing his operation I’m not sure where they will end up. And I need to prep for Noelle.”

“Got it Boss. No public appearances other than a possible partial on Sundancer in Boston a few months back. I will keep an eye on things.”

“Got it, Thanks EFA.”

 

The forge pings me with an upgrade.

100CP gained, 300cp are available.

Quality Safety… Success!

Precision Tools – MTG – New Phyrexia – 200CP

100CP remain,

Attempting Expansion.

Failed.

 

A very interesting perk. This one allows me to tweak anything I create so that it cannot be used against a certain group/groups of people. Or the opposite, make weapons that only affect certain targets. I can make it so nothing I create can ever be used against me or my allies. It also gives me a pretty nice boost in neuroscience knowledge in addition. Nothing massive on top of what Mercy already knew, but a decent chunk.

A big advantage of this perk is I can now make area of effect weapons, that will only affect particular targets. Of course, there is a limit. I couldn’t make a nuke that only affect the nine for instance. But It’s still a significantly big deal to be able to secure my gear from being used against myself. I already have protection against reverse engineering built into everything and now this takes my gear safety even further.

 

Time for some maintenance. I’m going to implement this perk into all my gear, right now while I have free time. I need to run maintenance routines anyway. There’s a few dents and scratches in the armour, and I want to run a maintenance routine on the various power sources. Especially my internal ones after pushing myself so far.

There’s something very Zen about working on my forge. The simple act of hammering out metal has a rhythm I find soothing.

I make some clones and send them off to work on Alchemy and more material science research. There are some potential combinations between the two disciplines to make some novel coatings to help with heat resistance that I want them to collaborate on.

Reactor maintenance is a painstaking process, the two internal ones are checked and are running at a combined 96% efficiency which is a little better than I expected after how hard I have pushed myself recently. Some minor maintenance pushes them back up closer to maximum, and their lifespan is extended slightly.

The power sources in my armour are all in good shape. The outer heavy water ones need some preventative maintenance, some heat stress in the casings I didn’t notice previously is cleaned up and repaired. I’ll definitely need some heat treatment on these.

Finally, the fusion core for the mercy tech is checked over, no damage found, and no maintenance needed currently. I honestly think I would struggle to purposefully damage this reactor so I am not entirely surprised.

The small limb reactors for charging my powered tech are in tip-top shape, no issues and managed to avoid most of the heat stress. Good, I’d need to open myself up to maintain these.

Next up is the cybernetics bed while my artificial nerves and systems are checked over.

Muscular reinforcement is nominal, and actually a little better now that my own musculature is approaching peak human levels. I may need to seed in some new reinforcement to keep the ratios stable. Hip and spine are all fine, I already rebuilt the hip reinforcement once and I don’t fancy doing it again. The network of artificial nerves however is patchy and frayed in places. The wiring harness itself that carries all the supplementaries is slightly damaged in places. Looks like I’ll be going under the knife again later today. I hadn’t even realised I had lost skin sensation in my upper left chest and shoulder.

These cybernetics are designed for battle, but more in a sport environment than outright combat. The high-end combat stuff is still well beyond my reach.

I start planning out my repair and reinforcement and use the matter manipulator to start fabricating some heat resistant compounds in small amounts. The majority of the damage to my systems was started in my fight with Lung, and I while I can’t heatproof yet, I can definitely increase my resistance.

The upgraded nerve and wiring grid is completed, and I’m working on a nanobiotics upgrade for later that will allow me to make repairs and changes to the nerves without opening myself up. That’s a future job though.

My final job will be using some of the resources that Sherrel bought back yesterday along with some platinum and iridium.

I’m making an artificial Kidney. I won't be replacing my regular kidneys for now. Instead, this will be implemented as a third kidney, sitting before my current kidneys in my bodies filtration systems, it will filter out truly dangerous compounds to be ejected from my body. The nanobiotics actually help a lot with purifying my muscular issues but this will make them a thing of the past. I figure if I’m opening myself up anyway, I may as well go all out.

The first iteration is non biologic, although I actually have the resources to grow a superior partially biological one, it will be a long project to grow the kidney (unless I abuse time control which I can't do while the clones are working in the workshop).

It doesn’t take long to finish it off, the tech for the neck implant is super useful here, along with Mercy’s inherent knowledge.

 

I call over my alchemy clone and dismiss and resummon. He knows what I need now.

He quickly puts me under and the work goes without incident. I wake up to my nanobiotics already sealing up my wounds and helping to integrate my new and upgraded systems.

Finally, I work on my weapons, getting some safeties on the Jabberwock and the Staff will be immensely useful. I also spend a bit of time updating my blueprints now that I have new crafting capabilities.

I really need to get a proper computer setup in here, the omni-tool does work, but getting a proper mainframe up and running will help massively with the blueprinting and research work. A thought for the future.

It’s been quite a productive day, even though it feels like I made little in the way of vertical growth, I expanded the capabilities I already had decently. The biggest upgrade is that I can now safely push into the final 30% potential in the artificial muscle support, and therefore use overdrive mode to go even further beyond.

 

I receive a call from an unknown number as I’m leaving to prepare my lunch.

“Hello, Archon Speaking.”

“Archon. It’s Mouse Protector. Slaughterhouse hit my safe house in Assumption. I would have been there at the time if not for your warning. Your precog was correct. Thanks for the heads up, I owe you one. I’m going off the grid for a bit, just wanted to let you know I was safe.”

Thank God, that’s at least one person saved!

“Don’t mention it, always happy to help. Keep your head down and let the Protectorate know that they’ll likely go for Ravager next if they haven’t already.”

“I will, and thanks again. I owe you my life and Mouse Protector always pays her debts!”

She hangs up.

So, the Nine went for her on New Years Eve. Good to know. Jack Slash’s penchant for the dramatic is not overblown by fanon.

After lunch, I head out on my motorbike in civvies. There’s an outdoor NYE party at the town hall tonight, and I want to get in place to attend. I’m going to try to work on my civilian persona tonight and rubbing shoulders with people in the city seems like the best bet. First though I’m going to order some furniture to be delivered to my Apartment. I have the basics but no Bed and as I am staying in the Apartment for the next few weeks while I legitimise myself, I want to be comfortable there.

I pop a text off to Sherrel to meet me there in civvies later if she feels like partying. She texts back a short “Yes, see you there.” And nothing else.

Odd, but she knows how to get hold of me if anything threatens her.

EFA is monitoring her phone constantly in case she gets in trouble. On that note.

“EFA, keep watch for sightings of Mouse Protector too please, after that phone call it would be a kick in the teeth for her to be taken down.”

“On it.”

After going home to receive the truck carrying my new furniture, I move it all in and assemble it. All these crafting perks and I still end up with a random unused piece after assembling flatpack furniture.

The universe has a few constants still.

After furnishing my Apartment and doing some decoration. I decide to spend the next few hours relaxing on PHO.

My thread is wild.

300 pages of pure, unadulterated joy. Speculation, Nazi Bans, Vague threats.

Even the odd marriage proposal.

Good to know I have options I suppose.

My DMs are also wild. A strange combination of outright threats, subtle threats to join one team or another, offers to join corporate teams. An email from Haven referencing their joy at my Angel motif. Requests for healing. You name it, I’ve got it. I even have a few DMs from Void Cowboy referencing some conspiracy theory or another.

Apparently I’m the Simurghs son with Hero, here to help my mother take over the world. Interesting, wish my parents had told me mum was a fifteen foot precognitive, telekinetic, tinker. Just goes to show you don’t always know everything about your parents.

Checking in on my thread, details on my Lung fight are sparse, there weren’t many recording witnesses for this one so only snippets were caught. EFA edits me up a highlight video of the fight and a highlight of the Empire fight too. I post both into the thread with a simple “Enjoy 😉”

It takes 15 minutes to grow the thread another 50 pages. As usual I don’t reply to any comments and log off PHO.

Looks like my local reputation is growing quite significantly. I’ll need to work on upgrades to keep up with the increased threat that will be headed my way.

 

Evening falls as I start making my way down to the central plaza for the new years firework display. I park my motorbike in the garage as I get closer and walk the rest of the way.

The party is wild and in full swing, the PRT are here, along with a few capes from the Protectorate and New Wave. I even catch sight of Sere and Dovetail so this is a widespread event.

The mayor gives a nice speech and references the “Exemplary clean-up work by the Protectorate and local independent heroes.”

“EFA did I get an invitation to this on the Archon line?”

“Not that I can see Boss, but then again Assault is your only positive contact here, and you weren’t exactly on friendly terms. They may have thought you wouldn’t want to appear.”

“Seems convenient. Another thing to bring up with Piggot the next time we speak.”

I spend the next few hours rubbing shoulders with various high up people in the area, I even get to talk shop with Panacea for a small while.

I meet up with Sherrel at the plaza statue and we have a great night in our Civilian ID’s. mixing with various people in the city, making contacts and making merry. I realise the unfortunate fact that between the Nanobiotics and tertiary kidney, it’s nearly impossible for me to get drunk anymore.

I do impress a few people with my ability to drink copious amounts of liquor, however.

Midnight falls and we see in the new year with a hug. Neither of us are particularly interested in anything more than a hug at this moment in time.

I make my new years resolution. No more underselling myself in fights and holding back.

We head back to my apartment and I let us back into the forge.

“Good night Sherrel.”

She turns and smiles at me. Something is different about her today. She seems at peace.

“Good night Boss.”

The forge fails another roll as I fall asleep.

200CP available.

 

 

Notes:

Perks Gained this chapter.

Precision Tools0 - 200 - 'MtG - New Phyrexia' - Quality Safety

The exarchs, elite of the Core Augurs creations, managed to create a thought field specifically attuned to the Mirran resistances minds, disabling their will. While you might not be as versed in the neuroscience involved (yet) , you have found a way to attune your creations to a certain group of targets' ' ensuring they will not damage your own allies. This also lets you make your own creations useless against you, ensuring they wont be used to fight you not for long, anyways.

+100 PRCP.
Rolling…
Success!

Workshop – Tailoring! – 100PRCP

Each purchase of this adds to your Personal Reality Workshop needed to perform specific type of craft, which is to be specified when purchase is made. It comes with a basic set of tools and supplies. Good for fixing or creating all sorts of things, although any complex parts or nonstandard supplies will have to be brought in from outside. Additional purchases can add different types of Workshops to your Personal Reality or expand existing ones. Anything built in one of those workshops is fiat backed to be restored to its original condition within 48 hours if damaged or destroyed. Repeatable

Chapter 28: Intermission - Sherrel Bailey

Notes:

Very slight TW for very light implications of stuff in the past.

Double chapter post so make sure you dont miss the previous first.

Intermission – Sherrel Bailey

 

Thursday 31^st December 2010

 

Today's the day.

Today is the day I cut the final ties to my old life.

I started with a question? Who is Sherrel Bailey?

I didn’t particularly like the answer.

That bastard took more than my freedom from me. He took my self-worth. And in the end I was begging him to inject me with more drugs. To degrade and debase myself more and more for that next hit. The merchants pet tinker. The Squealer.

They say you can take the drugs away from the girl, but you can't take the girl away from the drugs.

They obviously never met the Boss.

It’s weird having a dependable adult in my life. I mean he’s barely older than me, but he definitely comes across as older than he is. He’s told me… bits. About his life before. On the other Earth. Earth Prime he calls it. He was older back then, but he doesn’t remember his age.

He doesn’t remember his family. Just that he had one.

The Boss lost everything to come help us on Bet and he doesn’t remember if he even made a choice to come or if he was pushed.

If he can do that. To work his way up from the streets to what we have now. To save me. To take the worlds burdens on his shoulders.

Then I can visit the bitch that spawned me one last time. To get my paperwork. To get my projects. My old blueprints from when I was that foolish girl who dared to dream.

 

But first some tinkering to calm my nerves.

I picked up an old 67 Chevy Impala hardtop from a junkyard. Under the hood it’s in great condition, but the bodywork is fucked and it needs all new upholstery.

Luckily, I have all the tools and gear I need to sort it all out. The boss is pretty free with his resources. And with the resource land of ‘What the fuck even is Boss’s power’ right next door combined with the fabricators in the bosses crazy cyborg lab, I can make most anything I need. A hunting trip got me the leather I need for the interior, and I have the steel I need to finish the chassis.

Working on cars soothed me even before I became a tinker. Dad used to be a mech-

No. Dad’s gone. We keep those memories where they belong. Locked up so she can't taint them. Not today.

Dad died, and I became the mom of the house. Then Joey died and mom got a new habit.

I got to work two jobs while trying to pick my college back up after dad.

I don’t even remember when I became a tinker. It’s strange. I used to cry every day wishing for a way to escape. And then suddenly I can build stealth tanks from old junk. While being too poor to feed myself every day. I thought powers were there to solve problems. Mine just dangled everything I needed out of reach.

Today will probably be the last time I ever see mom. I wouldn’t even go there but I want my shit.

I deserve my shit.

And I need to see what she has become since that day.

 

I finish some work on the exterior and this is doing nothing for my Zen. I need to make the trip now or I never will.

Archon showed me how to use the pedestal when he’s not here. I can leave without him, but not return until he gets some kind of expansion on his power.

I step out in Docks south. The old neighbourhood.

I’m not even that far from my house. An old pair of blue overalls and a t-shirt and I look like a girl version of Dad.

If only the roles were reversed.

If mom died instead of dad things would have been different.

 

I knock on the door of my old house. Paint peeling, windows haven’t been cleaned in a while.

For a moment I think. No. Let’s not lie to myself. I hope she’s maybe OD’d in the meantime since I’ve been gone. And I can just break in grab my shit and leave.

Eventually, she answers the door. She doesn’t look well. Yellow skin, cloudy eyes. He teeth are all but gone, brown shards of rotted ivory in a pock marked mouth.

“Who are you and what do you want?”

Heh. She doesn’t even recognise me healthy.

“Don’t recognise your own daughter Monica?”

She isn’t Mom anymore.

She turns red.

“You, you useless cunt. Couldn’t even have the goddamn decency to get locked up with Adam. You had to fuckin disappear. Couldn’t even break him out like you were supposed to you little slut. Why the fuck are you on my doorstep? Come to beg me to take you in again after Adams place wasn’t good enough for you?”

She’s trying to get a rise out of me. But I’ve grown beyond her now. The first time I escaped she dragged me back by my hair. This time I’ll take her arm off if she tries.

I'm done being a pushover.

I hope.

I really don’t want to make Impulse a murderer before I even have a chance to really become her.

“Come to pick up my shit, assuming you didn’t clean out my room. Need my documents.”

“I’m not giving you shit.”

“You will if you don’t want me to tell the police exactly what you did to me and where to find all your little friends and stashes.”

She aborts a movement to slap me, as I lift up my shirt to show her the gun at my waist.

“You always were a useless ungrateful cunt. I give you the perfect boyfriend and unlimited drugs and you fucking ruin it and lose me the best dealer in town. I should have fucking drowned you after your useless tumour of a father carked it.”

I laugh tonelessly.

“Funny you call me useless Monica, not every mother sells their daughter to their drug dealer for a key of meth.”

“Better than wasting you on those useless Protectorate fucks. At least you had a bit of value as Skidmarks little bitch. But I’m not surprised you fucked that up too like you do everyth-”

I count to ten. I’m better than her.

“g else. All you had to do was make some cars and spread your useless fucking legs and we were fucking golden. But no. You couldn’t even do that you useless waste of a failed abortion.”

I slap her. I don’t even realise I’m moving but I hit her full in the mouth as four brown teeth fly out and land on the kitchen tile.

She looks at me in fear as I loom over her.

“After today you useless excuse of a parent you won’t ever have to see me again. And I don’t want to hear from you until you are dying. And even then so I know where to go to piss on your grave. Give me my papers or I swear to god one of us doesn’t leave this house alive.”

She looks me in the eye challengingly, but I think she sees what she needs to because defiance turns to fear.

She opens a drawer in the kitchen, after spitting blood into the sink and passes me my passport, birth certificate and my notebooks.

“Good riddance to you, go be a burden on someone else like you always are you useless skank.”

It rolls off me. I shouldn’t have lost my control, but hitting her was cathartic. It’s also immunised me to her mouth. Finally, after all these years.

“You should have died instead of Dad. At least Joey would still be alive. Dad wouldn’t have left him in the paddling pool alone.”

She reels as if struck. The J word has been banned in this house for a long time.

She sinks to the couch and sobs.

My sympathy was gone when she sold me to Skidmark. She will die alone and unloved and I will live my best life.

I’m beyond her now.

Leaving the house, I start to sob. I don’t even know why. I won’t miss her. I don’t even love her. Haven’t for a long time.

But right now, I just really want my mom and dad.

The ones I used to have.

A lovely old lady comforts me at the Bus Stop. “Don’t worry honey, it all comes around eventually.”

She’s right. Of course she is. I’ll be fine, eventually. For now I just need to remember I have a real life now.

One I chose, instead of being pushed in to.

 

Registering with the PRT as an independent is as easy as the boss says it will be. They push a bit harder for recruitment with me than they did with the boss but I tell them I’m already a member of a team. They push for info but I tell them it’s a work in progress.

Impulse is now a newly registered locomotion tinker specialising in personal movement devices. I stay away from the junk-heap monstrosities I made as Squealer to distinguish myself from her. An hour and a half later I have my personal contact with the Protectorate (Battery) and I leave after a quick tour of the gift shop.

Time to meet up with the boss.

 

The party was just what I needed after the day I had. I grabbed myself a nice dress, and it’s strange putting makeup on after so long. I’m not the type for dresses and makeup, but I want to feel extra pretty after today.

I’m seeing a completely different side of the Boss. It’s nice seeing him let loose for once. He’s always so stoic and uptight.

He can't be affected by alcohol he says, and he seems disappointed. And I’m not touching the shit. I’m not wasting what the boss gave me. A fresh start.

Even sober, we have a good dance, spend some great time chatting, and meeting some of the bigwigs in the city. Out here I’m just a normal girl. With anyone else this would have been a fantastic date.

I know that’s not on the cards with the boss so I enjoy it as the night out with a friend it’s intended to be.

As we head off to bed, he smiles at me gently and says good night.

I say it back with a smile. But inside my heart is pounding and I have butterflies in my stomach.

Well fuck, I have a crush on the boss.

This isn’t good.

Chapter 29: Arc 3 - Chapter 9

Summary:

As previously stated, major projects at work are making writing progress slow! Sorry for the wait guys, this will be slow until at least March! I'm already halfway through the next and what should be final or second to final chapter of the Arc but damn it's fighting me while im this tired!

Arc 3 – Chapter 9

 

Saturday 2^nd January 2011.

I wake up in a very irritated mood for a Saturday. Faultline had to cancel my meeting yesterday and rebook it for tonight. So, I decided to spend a day tinkering. What a mistake that was.

My current project is working to implement proper energy shielding in my Armour. Shielding the outer armour is a prelude to shielding the inner armour which is a further prelude to implementing shielding into my own body.

It isn’t going well.

GUNNM has shield generators. But I can’t access the schematic directly as the good ones aren’t part of the Cybernetic speciality I have unlocked. I could probably develop towards them. But not in any reasonable stretch of time without more perks.

The bad ones are designed more for sport and duelling. They are worse than the Draenei ones in almost every way.

The Draenei ones however suffer a different problem.

The shield generators use an insanely rare crystal. One I cannot find on earth, and up to now only in small quantities in the resource dimension.

That’s fine. I have enough small crystals to make a near full body energy shield. I’m only really after it for the environmental benefits anyway. It will help protect me against the energy attacks I am so weak to at the minute in addition.

However, I can only power those shields with Magic. And while my magic pool is much bigger now, it solely powers my enchanting and teleportation. Two abilities that can turn a fight on its head. I do not want to be squandering this resource mid battle.

I haven’t found a single sign of the Argunite I would need to make the electricity interface I can see in my head that would allow me to power shields from a generator instead of magic. Worse, I spent the entirety of yesterday, all New Year’s Day trying to manually design an interface that works!

I have leant on existing blueprints within my perks for too long. I haven’t exercised my design powers enough. Because while I know this barrier can be broken, it’s just not coming to me at the minute.

I even try to use my far advanced knowledge of conventional physics to make a completely custom energy shielding system.

I ended up needing to get a clone to rebuild one of the wing projectors in my left wing when my prototype violently exploded into some sort of gravitic explosion.

I’m really glad I had the foresight to test it in the resource dimension.

Sherrel found it hilarious.

 

A bit of good news though, I found a previously unnoticed setting in my pedestal that lets me access security logs for my dimension, a perk I gained previously but missed the implications of in post combat fugue. Additionally, today I woke up to a seriously large expansion to my workshop. I now have a full tailoring workshop including workbenches, looms, sewing machines, and even a basic nanoscale loom. It’s part of the same perk that gave me my initial blacksmith forge, so anything I make on it is self-repairing in 48 hours and fiat backed. The dream that came with this perk shaded an already shaded island on the reality planet with a partial slightly different colour. Probably due to the repeatable nature of the perk. It will be nice to have an easier place to make my various weaves and weaved polymers.

The extra room is nice too.

I’m certainly not going to complain.

I have my meeting with MIT booked as well! Getting accredited won’t be easy, but they’re willing to host an initial meeting regarding my computer science, physics, and engineering qualifications. I’m also going to get my mechanical skills accredited if I can. They seemed interested in my transcripts. Apparently the only way to get Biology, Chemistry, Medicine and Surgery accredited is to contact Harvard. And their waiting list is long. The receptionist I spoke to estimated they wouldn’t get back to me till at least April.

I’ll write up some transcripts and doctoral thesis papers later. My writing perk makes them a cinch to postulate in writing, and I should be able to get a head start on my accreditation. I can actually rewrite three of Mercy’s PHD thesis papers that she wrote younger than me to accredit Biology, Chemistry and Medicine. Surgery is an elective not covered by a simple Thesis; I will actually need to attend multiple exams for that.

I have until the 8^th to write out my dissertation, thesis and pre-exam transcripts for MIT so I decide to put my personal clone on it while the second works with Sherrel.

Sherrel is a lot more talkative with my clones now, I explained to her that I literally get all the memories back and it is for all intents and purposes me. She now just treats them as extensions of me and we have some nice banter going in clone time. I feel like a cheat, cheating socialisation this way while spending my own time developing myself, but I’m on some pretty strict timers. I push the guilt to the side. I’m getting the memories, eventually!

Once I can get my qualifications accredited; I can get started on my project.

Hale Industries.

HI is going to become a beacon of technological development, focusing on technology to uplift humanity, and to level the playing field in counter parahuman and counter Endbringer actions. I can’t really go anywhere with the company until I have the qualifications in place and solidified.

I also want to have at least two counters in place for every Slaughterhouse member before I try too hard to improve things. The last thing I need is to end up in one of Jacks demented games unprepared.

I’m receiving a phone call.

Hmm it’s Armsmaster. Not like him to ring me unannounced.

“Archon here, What’s up Armsmaster?”

“Archon, would you be willing to meet up with me at my Lab in the PRT building? I have some questions about the energy field you imbued into my halberd head and my new one too. Dragon will also be present and has wanted to speak with you for a while.”

Hmm. Likely an olive branch to work on improving relations after the debacle in the week.

“No strings? Just a friendly meeting yes?” I reply flatly.

“No strings at all, just tinker collaboration.” He is quick to respond.

“Ok no problem Armsmaster, when do you want me there?”

“Any time is fine; I am currently working in the lab and the front desk will let you know where to go in the sub-basement.”

“No problem, I have some time today so I will swing by shortly. See you later.”

I hang up.

I’m hoping I can swing a meeting with Piggot while I am in to clear up my issues. Plus, what tinker doesn’t want to meet Dragon?

Hell, what Worm fan doesn’t want to meet Dragon?

I suit up and head over to the PRT building. I step out a little further away and spend a bit of time flying there recreationally. The exposure will be good for my image, and I need to keep practicing my flight. I make a few lazy loops of downtown, scanning for trouble and waving at people who notice me.

I finally loop into the plaza in front of the PRT building and make my way inside on foot.

Meeting up with the receptionist, she tells me that as a flyer who is registered, I could have rang ahead to ask permission to use the helipad.

I’ll remember that for future.

She directs me to the nearby elevator and tells me to head for subbasement 2.

This is where I was when I met with Armsmaster last time.

Instead of heading right this time however, Armsmaster is waiting for me. He’s out of armour in a simple blue body suit including a head-cover, and a domino mask.

“Hello Archon, please follow me.”

He walks off to the left and passes through various security doors. The security down here is immense. Fingerprint scanners, Retina, Voice.

I suppose if my main workshop was in this dimension I would be just as careful.

We head into a well-equipped lab and combined workshop. Lathes, mills, workbenches, scanners, tech everywhere.

I'm not drooling honest.

My workshop is pretty decent now, but this place is top of the range in every aspect. Of course, he doesn’t have my passive effects or regenerating basic resources. So, I think I still have the edge. And my rustics are much better than his.

But damn I really do need to finish up getting my mills and lathe up and running. I really lean on backyard handywork too much when I could do a lot of work so much faster with the correct tools.

“Your lab is impressive Armsmaster.”

He rubs the back of his head and smiles.

“My main lab on the Rig is better, but I maintain this one to stay closer to the city on my on-call days.”

Damn, I really need to see that lab some time.

He’s currently stood at some sort of laser scanning machine. As I approach a voice comes out of a nearby speaker.

“Hello Archon, nice to meet you, so to speak.”

Damn, her voice synthesizer is top-notch, if I didn’t already know she was AI I would be 100% taken in.

“Hi, and I’m guessing that you are Dragon?”

“Yes! I’ve been helping Armsmaster with scanning your enhancement field, and it is quite extraordinary! I hope you don’t mind?”

“No of course not, I told Armsmaster as much, as long as any insights are shared with me,”

Armsmaster turns and joins the conversation.

“We have some great insight currently. I have used the original halberd that you enhanced for me, it has been used in combat, or combat like activity a total of thirty-nine times. The damage resistance of the halberd from non-destructive testing is around three times higher than the materials suggest it should be. No increase in density nor any sort of change in the covalent bonds has been observed. However, the effect on gravity, friction and interference with waveforms is more adverse than it should be given the materials used. No energy field can be detected on any scanner I can gain use of and yet the physical effect on the world is observable. It is quite unique and I thank you for allowing me to study such an atypical parahuman power effect.”

About what I expected.

“What about the new halberd head?” I enquire.

“The materials used are high quality, though they resist scanning so observing the effect is more difficult on those. I am restricting its deployment to anti-brute or equivalent fights as its weight and sharpness make it unpalatable for regular combat.”

I protect all of my crafts from reverse engineering by default, and I don’t want to reveal that I can fully unprotect my gear at will. But I think I’ll throw a bone here as I’ve already moved on to better materials than the initial NPSteel I made and will likely be moving on to even better materials very soon.

“That material isn’t actually tinker tech, it’s likely being protected by the nature of me crafting the halberd head. I’m willing to trade knowledge of how to create the material however if you have anything to offer in recompense?”

He’s definitely interested, and I know Dragon will be.

Dragon is the first to talk.

“I have to say given the observable effects I am definitely interested in trading for knowledge of the material, what would be adequate compensation however as the material is novel, light and more importantly quite damage resistant and therefore likely carries a value higher than the budget the PRT will sustain.”

Hmm, leverage. Quite naïve of Dragon to reveal that, but she’s probably got a long game of her own.

“I need access to rarer tinker materials, elements from all across the periodic table. Cash is always good of course. And as I’d like to be considered for Guild affiliation too as I know it is not a full-time commitment and we share many of the same values, I’m willing to be a lot more up front and altruistic on those grounds.”

She pauses to think.

“EFA, as stealthily as you can, see what you can glean from Dragon, ideally I’m looking for a track back to the Dragonslayers or Ascalon.”

“On it boss.”

“Ok Archon, your honesty is refreshing. I can email you a list of suppliers that I use that I’m willing to vouch for you with. I can authorise a significant cash outlay over time but not in bulk. The number will be in your inbox now. Think about it after you leave here and once we come to an agreement, I will send you the supplier list.”

I pretend to think about it, but honestly I would let the formula go just for the suppliers.

“Noted, thanks Dragon. Was there anything else you needed while I am here?”

“Yes actually, I was wondering if you would be willing to imbue some more weapons with your enhancement field. Some of them will go on my suits and some are for testing? I have some moderately rare tinker materials, and some personal armour insights to share with you in exchange.” She replies.

Damn, actual Dragon tech. She has me. Even I’m not immune to the tinker lure that collaboration with Dragon is.

After imbuing the fields and receiving some novel compound ideas along with some unique actuator designs that I can look at reverse engineering, I spend the next few hours with Dragon and Armsmaster bouncing about ideas for armoured suits and melee weapon enhancements.

Finally, we are coming to the end of our collaboration time. And I’ve actually gotten a lot more out of this playdate than I expected. Armsmaster and Dragon are both a wealth of knowledge on power systems and armour, as both use different forms. And given that I will eventually be scaling up thanks to Anaheim Degree, Dragons insights are a big help in this area. Not only that but I’ve improved my relations drastically with Armsmaster and gained a new friend in Dragon.

As I go to leave, Dragon asks one more question.

“Archon regarding your wings, I was wondering if you had any insights into thrustless flight, I know you can't share your tech but I’ve been working on some new suits for Endbringer fights and any help would be appreciated.”

Hmm, I’ll give them some insights but nothing more.

“I can't break down my tech to tell you exactly how I do it, but my wings work on two principles, the first is a form of fine gravity manipulation and the second is an unusual form of telekinesis. Gravity manipulation allows for vertical flight and the telekinesis controls my horizontal vector. Unfortunately, it’s one of my most black boxed pieces of tech so I can't really give you any more than that. Check out Kid Wins stuff though, from what my power observes with his hoverboard, he uses similar principles to gravity manipulation.”

I’m lying through my teeth of course but handing over that tech also hands over the counter. They won't be able to achieve the telekinetic force projection that allows me to move with standard tech. Not for decades at a minimum. Mercy was way way ahead of her time.

We say our goodbyes and Armsmaster leads me out. As I go to get on the elevator, he puts his hand on my arm.

“Two things Archon. First. I want to apologise. While I was of the mind to protect Arcadia rather than back you up, none of us wanted to leave you alone in that fight. An investigation is ongoing as to why exactly pressure was put on high for other areas in the city while Lung and Oni Lee also escaped. But I wanted you to know not to hold it against any of us. And that includes the director.”

I nod, and can't quite hold back a grimace.

“I’m not happy with the Director Armsmaster, but your apology is accepted.”

He nods in acceptance and continues.

“Further, Miss Militia wanted me to pass on a message.” He hands me a folded note. I open it and read it in front of him. It reads, ‘Archon, you saved the life of my oldest friend, as long as it isn’t criminal contact me if you need anything and I’ll be there.’

It’s nice to get the appreciation after how sour my interactions have been lately with the Protectorate.

Armsmaster continues to speak after I have finished reading.

“On a personal note, Archon, while myself and Mouse Protector haven’t seen eye to eye at times with us both having a different idea of positive reputation, you have my thanks for saving a former member of the Protectorate. The director also wanted me to pass on that if you have any other pearls of wisdom from your precog, that we are always open to info now it has proven reliable.”

Well, that’s a turn up for the books. I can use this.

“You are welcome. I do have other things to share but not now. The timing is important and if I share the wrong thing at the wrong time, very bad things happen.”

He nods.

“The Nostra dilemma. We know of it. Share what you can, when you can. We will pay attention.”

I pause and have a great idea.

“There is one thing I can share with you, but it will require a great show of trust. If you or another Protectorate member make your way to Winslow High School on the first day of class, before classes start. And wait in the hallway where the lockers are kept. And keep a very careful eye on the situation. You will catch a crime in progress by a parahuman known to you in their civilian identity that will turn the Protectorate on it’s head. No coverups. Own the mistakes that led up to the incident and you will gain a great ally.”

There. The seeds are laid for the possible recruitment and if not, at least friendly relationship between the now parahuman Danny and the Protectorate. Because I have no doubt that Danny will be there to protect his daughter.

Armsmaster looks at me for a long time. Then nods.

“I will take it up with the Director. Thank you for your trust.”

I was going to tell them on the 3^rd anonymously anyway, but this gives me a way to tie it to my identity. With Blank and Inertia of Self protecting me, I’m not worried about anyone coming after me for this. And if Cauldron try, I’ll bait Contessa and take her hostage.

I’m not dancing to their tune.

“Any luck EFA?”

“Nothing Boss, sorry. I can track various servers in Vancouver and Toronto but they’re all Dragon registered. I’ll keep on it as much as possible but her security is beyond anything I’ve ever seen so I’m not pushing it.”

“No problem, I think they’ll likely be in Canada anyway so if you have time please do some sweeps, they’ll need regular resource runs so there will be a pattern somewhere.”

 

After I leave the PRT I decide to drop into my civvies. I dress up for a cold northern day and head out to my apartment on my motorbike.

I’ve decided to bring Danny into my confidence after speaking with Armsmaster. Danny knows I know his civilian ID so I’m going to let him know mine.

I call the house number I gained previously, and it doesn’t take him long to answer.

“Hello, Danny Hebert speaking.”

“Mr Hebert, It’s Archon. Do you want to meet up? In civvy gear. I owe you some explanations and I’ve seen your face, so it’s only fair.”

He takes a while to answer.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, if you can get out to downtown, there are a few places I can book a private room and we can chat.”

Another long pause.

“Ok Archon, where do you want to meet? I can be downtown in 25 minutes.”

“I’ll book a private table at Ricardo’s. Under Hale.”

“I’ll be there.”

I have a funny thought. Am I Danny’s Tattletale? Fight with Lung at the docks, He saves my life so I offer him help? Then I manipulate him for his own good?

Damn.

 

Enough contemplation! I need to get moving.

 

The drive to the restaurant is short and before long I have a small table booked under my name and decide to have a nice glass of wine while waiting for Danny. They have some nice whites here!

While waiting for Danny I am hit with a double ping.

 

200CP gained, 400cp are available.

Skills Magic… Success!

Aura Surgeon – World Seed – 400CP

0CP remain.

 

What in the actual ever-living fuck has the forge given me now.

This is a literal godlike ability. It’s an ability that needs to be developed, one of research and careful observation. Limited by mana and time. But it synergises with everything.

I can now copy, manipulate and change auras at will, mine, and other peoples.

Masters of this technique can install implants in themselves, copy their new aura, then apply that aura back to themselves when unaugmented. It’s the ability to create superpowers, in myself and others, as long as I have an example of it to copy that is working in context.

Magic Style: Enchantment touches on these concepts, but not to this level. I could literally copy my own enchantments and apply them permanently with this. I can apply the abilities of my implants to my own body. I could literally regenerate myself back to baseline human If I wanted to after copying my Aura and retain the abilities. Hell, I could become a pseudo Animagus/Druid with this. You can use this ability to borrow the forms and abilities of other creatures. It’s also a healing ability. If someone say has cancer, you can overwrite the part of their Aura that has the cancer with a healthy equivalent copied from another person. I’m genuinely losing track of the number of different ways I have to heal people. Hell, you could likely change someone’s race or gender with this.

While powerful, the restrictor of this ability is maximum magic pool, and time. You have to have examples of the auras you want, and you have to spend a lot of time studying them. Over time as I study more and more auras I will gradually be able to mix and match them.

This is a power, much like my mana pool that I will be developing over time. Auras are generated magically, and therefore my ability to interact with them is also limited by my magic pool, through not in a strictly “cost” sense. It doesn’t cost anything to generate an aura, but there is a “minimum” size of pool required based on the power of the aura. If I wanted for example to copy Alexandria’s invincibility from her aura, I would likely need a magic pool many thousands, possibly hundreds of thousands of times larger than I currently have to even attempt it.

But simply having the potential ability is enough. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

I wonder if Endbringers generate an aura…

On second thought… maybe a bit too ambitious even for me.

 

---

 

Danny arrives without much fanfare. I cringe a little internally however as he is acting like a secret agent from a bad 60s spy film. He joins me in my private room and I have EFA scan for eavesdroppers and monitoring. Finding none, I start the conversation strong.

“Hi Danny, Thomas Hale, how are you?” I shake his hand vigorously.

He looks at me with a bemused expression.

“Danny Hebert, apologies I expected someone a bit older.”

I laugh, not at all insulted.

“Well, I can’t say I didn’t expect that.”

He laughs in response, the ice broken we sit down to eat.

“Feel free to order whatever you want, it’s on me today.” I say.

He looks at the menu contemplatively. I know what I’m having so I'm content to observe him. He isn’t really what I expected when I read worm. He looks older than I imagined in my head, and he is a lot less built than I expected.

In no time at all we have placed our orders and we get down to business.

“Thomas I’m not sure how to word this so I’ll just say it outright, why did you invite me out today, and why reveal yourself to me?”

“Do you know of the unwritten rules?” I reply.

He nods.

“They say unwritten, but you can find them online easily enough. I did a lot of searching and research when I got my powers. I haven’t slept since I got them, so I have nothing but time on my hands.”

Hmm, a noctis cape. Interesting. I wonder if he remembers his trigger vision,

I nod in return.

“Well that’s why. I saw your identity. In the interest of fair play I wanted to reveal mine. Plus I needed to make a confession to you.”

His expression turns guarded.

“A confession?”

I put on my best sympathetic face, I'm genuinely wary of this revelation.

“You got my warning about Taylors return to school right?”

He stands up quickly and bellows.

“THAT WAS YOU?”

I quickly look around, this booth is sectioned off and distant from other tables but it’s still open.

“Can you not? I understand this is shocking to you, but we need to keep a low profile.”

His expression turns sheepish.

“Sorry about that, but that warning was you?”

I nod empathetically.

“Yes, and apologies for doing it out of the blue, but I had a set of precognitive info packets passed to me and your daughters horror was a key aspect of it. I wanted to avoid it at all costs.”

He sits back in his chair, removing his glasses and rubbing his eyes.

He puts his glasses back on and looks me dead in the eye.

“Did you know that giving me that info would make me a parahuman?”

Fuck. I was his trigger.

“You have my word I didn’t. The event your daughter was going to go through was her trigger. I was trying to avoid any triggering happening at all.

He sits back and looks at me for a long time. Without breaking eye contact.

He finds what he is looking for however as he relaxes.

“Hell of a coincidence us meeting that day then at the docks?”

I laugh.

“You have no idea. Thank you for that again by the way. You probably saved my life.”

“Well I was just glad to help. Didn’t expect to hit him that hard, I knew I was strong but didn’t realise I was THAT strong. I seem to get a lot stronger when I'm angry and a lot cleverer when I'm calm.”

Heh, interesting and fitting power he got. QA being cheeky it seems.

“The second reason I invited you out was to see if you were interesting in joining a loose cape team. Nothing like new wave, more of a union of capes and cape affected than anything else. Mutual support, equipment etc. Problem solvers mostly for the local area but eventually a countrywide cape union.”

He looks at me with that look again.

“What would I be required to give?”

I don’t get his point.

“Uh, nothing? I'm pretty well off already and once I get my qualification accredited will be opening a company based around novel medical and other helpful technologies at affordable cost. I’ll pay you a base wage simply to stay registered with us as a member, but we aren’t a team like the corporate teams, etc. The closest equivalent would be like a guild in olden times. The names taken but I have another tinker and a thinker working with me directly and two shakers/tinkers working loosely with us already. Your affiliation with us can be as casual or formal as you like.”

He nods and sits in silence for a while thinking about it.

“What would my commitments be, because my daughter comes first. I was considering going to the Protectorate, but you said in your warning one of the bitches attacking Taylor is connected to the PRT. So I'm not enthusiastic about the idea.”

I nod.

“Nothing at all. Other than a commitment not to join another team without giving us a heads up, I would pay you to patrol, and to back me up, paid from my civilian account too, pay you as a ‘labourer’ so you don’t have to tie it to your cape identity. I would gear you up, depending on how close you choose to align with us. I’ll definitely help you with costume as you’ll need it as a brute. I can help you with transportation too if needed.”

He looks around.

“I should be ok with transport, I can fly.”

Damn he really won the power jackpot. With a brute/thinker combo that flies, Cauldron will probably think he’s Scions Alexandria equivalent.

Our meals arrive and we eat in companionable silence. He seems to be deep in thought and I’m thinking about the formation of the powered arm of my new team. I have a lot of plans.

All too quickly the meals are finished and dessert is ordered.

“Ok Archon. I’ll join your team. Loosely for now, but I have all the time in the world to patrol. But I have a few conditions.”

“Ok name them and I will see what I can do.”

“One. Taylor comes first. The team has to drop everything to protect her if anything happens to her.”

“I would do that for any teammates family anyway.”

He nods approvingly.

“Two. You know what connection Taylors bullies have to the PRT I'm quite sure. I want to know what it is.”

I visibly cringe.

“Danny, I want to tell you, and if you really push on it I will, but if I tell you, I will be breaking some serious laws. I will almost certainly go to prison for a long time if it comes out I told you. I have a loose set of morals when it comes to protecting people but I'm no villain.”

He looks at me long and hard.

“Tell me. I’ll keep your name out of it. You have my word.”

I sigh deeply.

“One of them is a Ward.”

Honestly, his calm demeanour impresses me at the minute.

“That’s why none of Taylors complaints went anywhere?”

I nod. “Not because of the PRT directly. I suspect that there’s collusion or corruption going on between the school, and someone specific involved with the management of the ward in question. There’s a serious amount of money involved in a school hosting a ward. They’d do almost anything not to jeopardise that.”

He makes good inroads to turning his fork into a straw.

“Thank you for telling me,” he spits out between gritted teeth. “I’ll keep this one close to my chest until needed.”

“If it’s any consolation to you, I’ve also warned the Protectorate to be there on the first day. Not mentioned anything about Taylor just a vague warning to Armsmaster that a key event needs to be stopped.”

He nods at me approvingly.

“Oh good, that means they’ll be there when I stop them from going after Taylor.”

I hand him my personal number, and the address to my apartment.

“I’ve got a few meetings coming up, if you track your patrols in the meantime and send me a message I’ll make sure you get paid. I’m going to be making us some communication gear soon so when I’m done I will send let you know when to make your way to my apartment for fitting.”

He smiles and agrees.

“What cape name are you going with Danny, so I can work on a first draft of your costume and gear.”

“Atlas.”

Strangely fitting. The man who holds the weight of the world on his shoulders.

“What’s the name of our team?”

I’ve been thinking about this for a while. I still don’t have a set answer to this question.

“I don’t currently have a name for the team, I’m toying with ‘The Warforge’ or something along those lines, but in all honesty I’ll probably recruit a few members before we officially name the team then we can all decide on it together.

He looks me in the eye.

“Is there something you aren’t telling me?”

“Yes, but nothing relevant to right now. I will go through it with you and the rest of the team in future.”

He nods.

“I’ll hold you to that. I need to get back to Taylor. See you around Thomas.”

“Likewise Danny, and if you need any help on Monday, let me know.”

“Thanks for the offer but I think I’ll deal with this one myself.”

I walk back to my bike and then head off back to my apartment.

The team is growing. Myself, EFA, Impulse and Atlas now. Hypatia and Smythe aren't *official* members but still do work for the team.

That reminds me.

“EFA, have you decided on a cape name for yourself?”

“Yes boss, I’m going to go by Overwatch.”

“Any relation to the Mercy memories?”

“Nah I like the name and it feels fitting given I’m the one who looks people up and watches your back.”

“I like it.”

And that makes four. I’m going to really need to accelerate my plans to make her a body of her own. Still not there yet tech and resource wise, but it won’t be far off.

I really do need to come up with a team name.

 

 

 Arriving back at the workshop I prepare for my meeting with Faultline. I run some of my now standard maintenance on my gear, I don’t need to make any repairs of course having only recently done that, but small incremental enchantments to everything allows me to grow my magic pool and increasing my defence is never a wasted effort. The enchantments are tiny, talking +.05% increases to defence and tinier decreases in weight, but they add up over time. Additively, not multiplicatively but I think it would be a little overpowered the other way.

I run a quick inventory of my gear, I’ve made and disassembled quite a few things now and it’s always good to take inventory. After cannibalising most of my old gear I'm left with the Archangel undersuit that acts as my ‘peacetime’ costume, the Archangel Armoured suit MK1, the Jabberwock claw, my bow, which I haven’t even used yet, my energy pistol, Draenei arm shield, staff and inbuilt energy blade, and halo. I also have the Tesla Baton though I desperately need to make some upgrades to that now my power system is more robust and my kidneys won't explode from overexerting the reactors. I also have the beginnings of a frame for the bigger THOR MK1 suit. I also of course have the matter manipulator and omni tool inside me.

All in all, I feel like I’ve come a long way from that scared boy that almost got taken out by Skidmark.

 

I have a little time before I need to make my way to the Palanquin so I quickly throw together a wrist mounted communicator/scanner. This will be the framework for the basic equipment for the team, I even manage to throw in a really cobbled together omni tool interface, it doesn’t have even 5% of the ability of an actual omni tool but it’ll look cool! Shortwave scanners and advanced radio communicators from the same perk my cybernetics came from wrapped up in a subtle silver band. I can add more functionality to this as I develop the tech.

I spend the rest of the late afternoon working on my Aura reading. Reading my own clone is a real mind-fuck, the aura itself reflects the nature of the clones impermanence and it’s the first thing you see, so strongly it smacks you in the face. I also take initial looks at the aura of all my gear but barring the baton, which is so dense it’s like reading a dictionary, the rest of my gear is far beyond my meagre abilities at the minute. My inherent knowledge of the aura reading tells me the complexity and density will reduce as I practice and as my magic pool increases. I need to make sure to aura scan everything and everyone I touch. It may even help me with insights while I'm interacting with people. I have to be touching to use it however at my current level of ability which is obviously a downside.

Enchanting and Alchemy practice takes up the rest of my free time before the meeting. The Forge makes another roll attempt as I get ready for my meeting.

100CP gained, 100cp are available.

Attempting Expansion.

Failed.

100CP banked

No dice this time!

I quickly don my costume and armour up. I’m going in formal for this one. I need to decide what to tell Faultline in advance. I need any info she has on independents acting in the area and any info she has on the Lung situation.

Now I just need to find out what I'll need to give in return. She's a merc, money should be enough.

Shouldn’t it?

 

Notes:

Perks gained this chapter

25.014 - Aura Surgeon - 400CP - World Seed - Skills Magic

One thing that all beings and objects in Neolife possess, and soon those in the real world as well, considering that exposure to mana leads to its manifestation, is an Aura. You could consider it a magical blueprint of how something works. And it truly shows everything: skills, abilities, physical makeup, personality, memory, and much more. Animals and plants have flowing auras, full of twists and turns, whereas processed items like machines have jagged auras, full of hard lines like a 3D circuit diagram. One peculiarity of Aura is that any of its changes are reflected in the being or object possessing the Aura. Xeno-shifters, an advanced Druid class, make use of that to mimic the aura of lifeforms they have studied in order to gain both their forms and abilities, for example.
It is also how Technomancers are able to replicate the effects of implants within themselves, by simply copying their Auras into their bodies. But for all of its potential advantages, tampering with your own Aura can also go incredibly wrong if you mess it up, especially when it involves your brain, such as causing brain damage, death of personality, or just the normal kind of death. It's good, then, that with your skill at manipulating and changing Auras, yours and those of others, mistakes like that won't ever happen. It wouldn't be wrong to call you an Aura Artisan.
So long as you have an example to study, you'll be able to safely and successfully apply any of its abilities or peculiarities either to yourself or somebody else, and even combine parts of the Auras of many beings to create truly powerful forms. After studying a massive amount of different Auras to get a feel for how they work, you'll even be able to go so far as to create original Auras and beings, or change parts of your Aura to give yourself entirely new abilities.

+100PRCP

300 PRCP available, rolling…

Success! Computer Hub – 50CP

A top-of-the-line mainframe / supercomputer with basic additional equipment, like scanners (2D and 3D, standard- and poster-sized) and printers (color, black and white, bulk printer, 3D printer, blueprint-printer), and binding equipment. Perfectly assimilates any upgrades done to it. Comes with the operating system of your choice, be it Windows, Linux, Android, iOS, etc. You and each Companion receive their own personal desktop computer, laptop, and tablet. If you have Central Control and Robots, they’re linked into an internal Intranet. With the Extranet, all the computers in the Personal Reality are linked to the Internet as well. All printing supplies (filament, paper, ink) must be supplied by the Jumper, but if you have the Mall, you can always find a print supply shop within without having to assign one of your slots to it. This is not an extension. You’ll have to make space in your PR for it.

Chapter 30: Arc 3 - Chapter 10

Notes:

Pre Note, I know I rolled a computer hub and bunch of computer gear last chapter, it will come up in future, As Archon was already out of the Workshop when the boxes with the equipment spawned.

Extremely important A/N at the end of this chapter. Make sure to read it all.

Arc 3 – Chapter 10

 

Saturday 2^nd January 2011, Evening.

 

I look down at a flickering neon light, deep in a run down area of downtown on the border of the downtown area, a few blocks off Lord street not actually far from the old halfway house I stayed in what feels like a lifetime ago. At the apex of one of the few hilly areas of the city.

The Palanquin. A redbrick rectangular building, looks like it was possibly an ex bowling alley or Arcade or the like.

The music is thudding, rapid, thrumming bass audible even from here, and a lengthy queue winds down the street.

This isn’t actually what I expected at all.

I knew that the Palanquin was a nightclub, but my only experience with nightclubs was the ex-industrial monoliths of Manchester.

I supposed I didn’t expect it to be this packed.

It’s an open secret that Faultline’s crew bases here. No-one ever attacks this place, the unwritten rules cover the Palanquin as well as anywhere else. Much like Somer’s Rock.

Of course, this only lasts as long as Faultline takes no action within the city proper. There’s a reason they don’t take jobs in Brockton Bay.

I land at the rear and knock on a rear door as instructed. A few minutes pass before a narrow window in the door slides open.

I am met with a set of solid blue eyes with a rectangular pupil.

Newter.

“Yo Archon. On time I see.”

I nod.

I hear the sliding of multiple bolts as the door swings open.

“She’s waiting upstairs. Let’s go.”

He leads the way, not seemingly interested in small talk.

“EFA, keep constant scans of the area, if anyone so much as sneezes in my direction let me know please.”

“On it boss.”

The interior is interesting, all metal floor and wood panelling. Cheap and easy to throw this up when needed I guess.

Newter leads me to a thick metal door and swings it open for me. The interior is tastefully decorated for a night club. Deep mahogany panelling and a wooden floor. A table is set in the middle, a large black circular monstrosity surrounded with metal chairs.

I wonder if they play poker here.

“Boss no observation tech is detected, this room is currently private and unrecorded.”

“Thanks, EFA, please let me know if that changes.”

Sat at the table can only be Faultline herself, and Gregor the snail.

Newter takes a seat on a metal stool to Faultline’s right.

Faultline’s demeanour is entirely no nonsense. A heavily reinforced welding mask and intricate riot armour combined with tabard and cape. It works well on her.

No sign of Labyrinth, Spitfire or Shamrock but timeline wise she would only recently have recruited Spitfire, Elle isn’t exactly fit for a meeting, and Shamrock hasn’t joined up yet I think,

She immediately takes control of the meeting.

“Archon, you wanted to meet with us?”

“Yes, I need information, I believe you wanted to speak to me too?”

She nods.

“I’ll get straight to the point. You are known as a notable healer, and information on you suggests significant natural skill in medicine additional to your tinker speciality. One of my ongoing tasks is to look into curing or otherwise helping Case 53s with their mutations.” She gestures to Gregor, and then to Newter.

“I want to know how much it would cost for you to assess Gregor and Newter and potentially help mitigate their conditions.”

Being honest with myself, I’d do this for free. It’s one of my overarching missions here too. However, I need information.

“Ok, let’s discuss my requests first and then I will scan Newter and Gregor and we can arrive at a mutual exchange that works for both of us.”

She nods in agreement.

“Ok firstly I’m after information. I know you don’t typically act in the bay but you are known as the best information broker in the state from what I gather. I need to know A. what the hell set Lung off before my fight with him at the docks, and B. any info on independents or teams acting in the area who could have broken Lung and Oni Lee out without a trace.”

We sit in silence for a few seconds as she digests.

“Anyway, while you decide what that info is worth to you, Newter please bring your stool over and I’ll do a preliminary scan.”

He drags his stool over to me and sits facing me on it. I bring up my omni tool and engage the deep scanners.

“EFA I should be able to pick up most medically relevant issues but if you can monitor the non-medical scans for interesting info, it will be helpful.”

The scans are fascinating. The genetic engineer in me is awed by the fact this man is alive and walking.

His DNA is less of a helix, and more of a pretzel. A half-eaten pretzel at that.

“Hmm. Interesting. Very interesting. Have you engaged any other healers to look at you?”

Faultline nods. “We had little luck with New Wave and we don’t want to push with Panacea but Lamb of God down at Haven and Mirtigan in Ohio both looked and couldn’t do anything or even recognise anything was wrong.”

“Well, that’s because as far as their DNA knows nothing is wrong. Something has twisted the DNA at the very base level. It’s ‘technically’ fixable. But I don’t know if their power will reinitialise the changes and I won't be able to really check until I can build some better scanning equipment. Panacea could likely make some fixes but it would take her a long, long time to unravel this.”

I look over at Gregor.

“Gregor, would you like to trade in for Newter?”

He moves to the chair next to me as Newter moves back to sit next to Faultline.

I quickly run deep scans on Gregor and much the same as Newter, his DNA is utterly twisted. Hit by inspiration I turn to him.

“May I have permission to put my bare hand on your shoulder? I couldn’t do this with Newter for obvious reasons but the healing element of my non-tinker power has more esoteric scanning abilities.”

He quickly agrees, and I put my palm on his shoulder.

I initialise Aura reading and regret it quickly. His Aura is twisted. I'm obviously not skilled enough to unravel even a basic aura but I thought this would be worth the insight and development.

I was wrong, there are distortions in his Aura that are making me extremely queasy. I remove my hand and scan his brain.

“EFA, are you picking up special distortions? Check around his Corona Pollentia.”

“There’s a slight gravitational shearing and extremely light output of energy.”

“Gregor can you actively channel your power in some way please?”

He obliges and starts ejecting foam from his hands.

“THERE, did you catch that boss? There was a severe special distortion on his Gemma as he activated and deactivated his power.”

“Let’s check the usual spots, see if any of his original stem cells remain.”

I’m almost ready to give up hope, but at the last minute I hit the jackpot.

“EFA, his teeth! They still have his original stem cells in them look, these are proper helixes! Dental pulp stem cells haven’t been changed.”

“I wonder if it’s because they were already fully formed and set before he was transformed. The bone marrow ones are certainly changed, an oversight from the shard maybe?”

“I don’t know yet, but there’s an opportunity here.”

“Gregor I’m going to attempt to force a localised change in your DNA, I won't be able to propagate this without some serious lab work, but I can make changes to the tip of a finger as proof of concept.”

Now he looks partly excited and given that Gregor is supposed to be rather stoic this speaks highly of his feelings on the matter.

I activate my Halo without the wings and engage my nanobiotics in his finger, I direct them to take a single strand of DNA from the stem cells I found and then to attempt to overwrite the cellular DNA in his fingertip. It’s mind numbingly slow, but slowly a single centimeter circle of skin at the tip of his finger starts to change from white, to pink.

“Right, this will not last without me making wholesale changes to your bone marrow and other stem cell caches, that all have to be made at once. I don’t remotely have the equipment built and ready for that so it could be months before I could test this. In the meantime, use your power regularly from that finger, I want to know if power use overwrites the changes or if they change naturally as your skin sheds. Keep careful and close regular observations of the area and note any changes.”

I turn to Faultline.

“Keep obs up on his finger. I might have a line to if not cure then at least mitigate some of the mutations. Whether that will be a temporary or permanent solution remains to be seen but there’s potential here with the info I’ve found.”

She goes to speak but I talk over her and continue.

“However we need to get down to brass tacks. I’m willing to help do this but the tech I’ll need to develop and the tools I’ll need to buy or create go way beyond the bounds of any financial agreement I believe you could make. Even if I did it at cost.”

She nods. “What would this be worth to you?”

“Get me the info I need or give it to me if you already have it. Do a few jobs for me. Non villainous jobs. And for the love of god keep this completely between us until I am sure I can make the changes needed. I do not need every case 53 in the greater Americas coming to Brockton Bay. Not to mention that an improvement of this level would be too much for the Nine to ignore. I won’t take cash for this; I’m interested in working out a cure myself. But by the same token I also won’t do it for free. The quickest way to devalue yourself is to remove the value of what you do.”

She nods approvingly.

“I understand that concept, trust me.” She holds out her hand to shake. I take it and shake it back.

I quickly write out a contract in triplicate (Thank you ridiculous writing calligraphy power) and hand it to her to review. She reads it over and hands it to Gregor for a second reading. They are happy with the terms I’ve laid out and we each sign the three copies.

“Ok so we are in agreement. I agree to develop the technology and tools to make an attempt at genetic recalibration by January 2012 on Newter and Gregor. You agree to perform some jobs for me in the same time period, no more than ten under the condition that they are non villainous and not death wishes. And the two jobs already given regarding information gathering do not count towards this limit.”

She nods in agreement and we each take a copy.

“Ok, information, what do you have.”

“Lung first, he attacked the Docks because his stashes were hit deep in his territory. We are talking, next door to his residence deep. Places where you don’t even breathe in the wrong direction for fear it may sound like an insult. Evidence led or was planted to lead out to the Docks. Not sure which, could be either.”

I sigh.

“Any idea on the culprit?”

“Would need to be someone either immensely strong, or a teleporter or other type of mover because the goods were gone in minutes, if not seconds. He lost in excess of ten million in drugs and weapons and cash.”

Wow okay, so he was legitimately pissed off for good reason then.

“What about the breakout?”

“I don’t have any decent lead on that, Oni Lee has been seen since, near the old market up in the northern docks, but Lung has disappeared entirely. There’s no parahuman that isn’t Strider that I know of that could move two people out of two Protectorate cells without passing through the building. And he would be seen doing it. From what my contacts said camera wise, the cells were fully covered on camera. No static or buzzing, they were there one minute and gone the next. At almost the same time.”

I’m wracking my brain for parahumans capable of this in canon. Strider? Eidolon and Glaistig go without saying. Circus possibly? Coil for sure. Contessa?

In fact, any of Cauldron could do this with Doormaker, but what would they get out of it…

There’s just too many potential options at the minute, I don’t have enough info.

Until Lung shows his face again, I’m not likely going to make much progress with this investigation so I need to keep my eyes and ears open.

“Ok, thanks for the Info Faultline, if you could keep investigating this for me I’d appreciate it. I don’t like the criminals I catch being broken out.”

She nods in agreement.

“We won't work in Brockton as you know, but we will keep our ears open.”

We say our goodbyes and I make my way outside. I’m reviewing the medical scans on my omni tool as I leave.

“EFA, these scans don’t make any sense. I don’t know what the hell the shard is doing and I can't make head nor tail of it. This isn’t even DNA as we know it, the genes are still there, there’s still adenine, thymine, guanine and cytosine, but the helixes are completely out of whack. The chromosome counts are the only thing that are correct. It’s like a kid knocked over and broke a statue then tried to rebuild it out of lego.”

“According to your memories aren’t these shards effectively ‘dead’ unless they get connected to a different network? Aren’t the powers themselves just smashed together by Cauldron in hope that they will work?”

“Yes, but even though the shards are as dumb as a chocolate fireguard, why would a protocol that makes changes like this even exist? There’s no atypical Scion shards from what I know so why would Eden’s shards have a mutagenic effect? Even if you mixed and matched powers, the default would surely be ‘Stay what you are now’?”

“It’s likely that the Shards simply don’t know what a human is supposed to be? Maybe they’re trying to copy function over form and just make it work with whatever powers have been smashed together?”

“I need to scan more Case 53s, I’m missing something here, I can feel it at the tip of my brain. Theres something in the Mercy memories and the Magos: Genetic Engineer memory package that is telling me that something obvious is completely passing me by.”

 

As I take to the skies from behind the Palanquin, the forge hits me.

 

100CP gained, 200cp are available.

Crafting Magitech… Success!

The Mystic and the Machine – Marvel Cosmic – 200CP

0CP remain.

 

Well then, this is a useful little perk. I already had potential Magitech production from Doll Maker of Bucharesti with enough research, but this perk directly gives me a speciality in making Magitech, and Techno magic too. It gives me the ability to seamlessly combine any magic, science and technology I know together. The perk specialises in creating new Magitech and allows me to with enough R&D make technological versions of any magic I know, and magical versions of any tech I can build. Theoretically I could now make a real magic healing staff, I could make magical wings. And the reverse, I could make portal or teleportation technology with a lot of research.

The best thing about this perk in the here and now, is that I now have multiple ways of interfacing with the Draenei tech with regular power systems. One of my biggest issues, solved. Energy shields, here I come! I can also look into some of the deeper Draenei tech that would previously require magic sources I did not have access to. Either via powering them mundanely, or alternatively by creating a magic generator. The potential here is breath-taking.

Trajectory throws me a warning as I dodge a pigeon. Ok Thomas. Theorise about your new perks while you aren’t mid-flight.

Flying at night is quite relaxing in Brockton, the city skyline dotted with lights and there’s a strange peach that comes with soaring over it all. The ability to fly is definitely my favourite thing I’ve built up to now.

I decide to spend a little time patrolling while I think about the Faultline situation, checking various hotspots and scanning police and PRT radio broadcasts.

I intervene in a few unpowered situations backing up BBPD, they’re appreciative of the assists and a few chats with them tell me that there’s been skirmishes between unpowered gang members all across town the past few nights.

An hour later, and I’ve stopped my third mugging of the night. The docks are a hive of minor crimes at this time.

Waiting for the BBPD to show up and process the criminals uses up the lion’s share of my patrol time compared to actually catching criminals, but as an independent I can't guarantee arrests if I don’t follow the procedures. One of those procedures is a proper handover to the legitimate authorities.

It’s boring, and strangely banal for a man flying around the city stopping crimes in an angel winged powered suit.

At my fourth stop of the night however, life conspires to reduce my boredom.

 A call picked up on the police band. It’s just a standard stop, a bunch of skinheads spraying homophobic and racist graffiti on the edge of downtown and harassing passers-by. I’m planning on giving them a warning and then watching to see if I can catch them in the act.

However as soon as they see me one of them pulls out his phone and screams “NOW!”

My life turns into a white flare, trajectory, and my scanners blare a warning from above!

Something immensely powerful smashes into my back from above and I plummet towards the ground.

“Boss, your left wing is completely destroyed, you need to teleport to the ground before your velocity increases too much. Use the right wing to slow yourself!”

I feel completely out of it, I’m pretty sure I have a concussion but the nanobiotics are doing their job. I use my right wing to slow myself and then teleport myself to the street.

Trajectory sends me another warning and I throw back my arm with my energy shield in time to deflect a large metal spear from turning me into an Archon kebab.

I turn towards the source and my blood runs cold.

Kaiser, Krieg and Crusader are stood in the street. Purity is floating above them.

Fuck I thought she left the Empire. Was that what smashed into my wing? One of her blasts?

My wings are fucked. Left is almost entirely destroyed and the projectors are cracked. Right is fine but I can't fly on one wing, only float.

Luckily the Halo didn’t take a hit. The armour on my back is scanning as cracked too.

I should have gone home to implement my damn new perk. I came out on patrol weak to energy blasts with one of the most powerful blasters in the world in the same city.

I pull out my staff as Kaiser starts to monologue.

“Well then, if it isn’t the race traitor. Not looking quite so imperious without your precious wings.”

“Still got more than enough to deal with you and the rest of the Hitler youth.”

“Oh, I’m sure you believe you do ‘Archon’. However, I don’t believe you are up to much without your precious wings. Why after all would a teleporter need build such ostentatious wings, unless he had some sort of restriction on his teleportation.”

Well, I’m pretty much fucked from the start here aren’t I? My magic pool is much bigger than it was, but combat against a flying blaster, a kinetic redirector, a ferrokinetic and a minion master with flying, wall ignoring minions is not in my favour even with teleportation and enchanting.

I’m going to need to play this carefully. Luckily Kaiser seems to enjoy the sound of his own voice.

“How utterly predictable you turned out to be. Send a few of my men to spray some graffiti and you come running like the good little boy scout you are. Unfortunately for you, you opposed us and betrayed your kin and therefore you need to be taught an object lesson.”

 I fold away my right wing. I can teleport if I need to go high and it’s just getting in my way. I eject the left wing and use the omni tool to break it down into resource storage. It’s going to need to be rebuilt anyway and at least this way I can save the rare resources.

“Kaiser do you honestly think I’m going to let you just attack me?”

“No Archon, I expect you to put up some token resistance, but you will fall eventually. You barely dealt with Hookwolf and Cricket, and this time I’ve carefully deployed my forces against you. All outgoing calls and internet are blocked for a few blocks thanks to a lovely device from my friend in Europe, so there’s no backup for you. And this time you can’t cowardly take us by surprise.”

“EFA what’s the status on communications?”

“Not good boss, the protocols in the Omni can punch through this if there’s an active device in range but there are no active devices anywhere close to in range from what I can detect. We never needed a more powerful transmitter.”

Crusader laughs. High pitched and cruel, not at all what I expected.

To her credit, Purity doesn’t exactly look enthusiastic to be here.

“So, what did he pay you to get you to sucker punch me Purity? From all signs you had left his pitiful, impotent, wannabe Reich to become an independent?”

She looks away as Kaiser chuckles.

“Everyone has pressure points Archon.” He says smugly.

Crusader summons his famous ghosts and Purity starts to glow as Krieg and Kaiser start walking towards me.

I’m going to need to retreat. However, there’s no easy and obvious route. My teleportation is line of sight and I can teleport about the distance of street width safely. I cannot rapid teleport too much, the cost increases exponentially if I do it too rapidly.

This is really going to stretch my abilities.

Purity is charging a blast and Krieg is running at me. As Purity releases her blast, I teleport to a nearby roof edge just before it hits me. Hanging from the edge I quickly pull myself on to the roof. Another blast flies out and I barely parry it with my shield. Krieg runs at the wall and then continues running up it. What the fuck even were this guys powers? I can barely remember. I see Kaiser start to extrude spears from the ground and Crusaders ghosts are slowly approaching me.

I look to teleport to another roof, if I can get far enough away then only Purity can reasonably follow me.

As I go to teleport however Kaiser shouts over to me.

“Five members of the lesser races die if you retreat here Archon and I start turning the houses nearby into blenders as well.”

He holds up his phone and plays a recording. I can hear sobbing and a language I don’t recognise coming from his phone.

“Just so you can hear those you will abandon to death should you attempt to teleport away ‘Archon’ You hero types are always so easy to manipulate. Now, face us on your feet like a man.”

Well, that settles it then. No escape possible. 4v1 against possibly my four worst possible opponents from the Empire.

“Don’t worry Archon, when I hand your unconscious body over to the Protectorate in exchange for Othala and Cricket after liberating your technology I’m sure they’ll find a way to regrow your arms and legs, eventually.”

“Damn you really do love the sound of your own voice don’t you.”

I pull out my energy pistol and pepper shots at Purity as I teleport to another rooftop overwatching the area. Purity fires another blast at me which swallows my energy shots entirely as I'm forced to emergency teleport again.

Down below in the street, Crusader has his ghosts in a widespread pattern, some of them guarding Kaiser and the rest covering obvious hiding points. I get the feeling he’s more of a thinker support in this fight, as he seems to be able to perceive through his projections somehow.

Well if the first rule of fighting is take out the healer, the second is take out the summoner.

Time to show them something they won’t have known about already.

I teleport down to a nearby alley and call up all three of my shadow clones. They don’t have my outer armour but they DO have the inner suit, effects of my implants and my sword and bow. They can’t use the pistol as it’s too complicated to copy with the technique at this level of usage, but the sword and bow count as simple weapons. I summon them with the mental order to stay hidden until I give them the signal then I quickly teleport back up onto another roof. Purity continues to rain low powered blasts at me whenever I’m on a roof, she doesn’t seem to be going all out as the buildings aren’t being turned to rubble, it seems her job is to harass me and prevent me turtling up. The ones I don’t dodge are deflected with my shield easily enough..

“I’m getting bored with this now Archon, if you aren’t going to fight me then I’m going to leave and the consequences of that you won’t much like.”

Ok then you Nazi fuck, I’ll give you what you want.

I teleport to the ground and use the feedback from trajectory to continue dodging and peppering Purity with shots to keep her moving.

I charge at Krieg, I know I can’t take him in melee, but I don’t intend to. I want him to think I want to.

As I enter the edges of Krieg’s kinetic field, I teleport behind him and summon my baton, I can’t wrap him with it and I need to touch him to shock him. I quickly extend it over his head and he smirks at the ‘miss’.

Until I use the matter manipulator to elevate him into it. Loopholes bitch.

I quickly dodge around the twitching Krieg as Purity tries to blast me again, as I move I discharge another three baton charges into him while he is twitching. His power is still up and I can't retract the baton from him, so I elect to leave it, not like he can do anything with it anyway. I leave the power button depressed so it will keep shocking him until the internal battery is fried.

I move to teleport away but I feel an almighty pain in my right shoulder.

One of Crusaders ghosts has put a spear through my shoulder completely bypassing my armour. How the fuck did it sneak up on me?

“Boss they don’t appear on any form of scan unless they are actively bypassing terrain, you need to stay mobile.”

I teleport away from the ghost as my shoulder regenerates, I continue to pepper Purity intermittently. Dodging is really taking its toll on me as I fail to follow trajectory’s instructions properly and a spear from Kaiser glances off my chest plate.

What is the long game here? Why are they so adamant to keep me in combat…

Wait.

If these four are here and they knew they could keep me in one place, why wouldn’t the rest be here?

Damnit Cricket and Othala are in Boston it’s not like they’re keeping me distracted so they can release them. What’s the play here?

Another blast from Purity deflected and I’m dodging like a maniac.

Right, I’m so done with this.

“NOW! TAKE DOWN CRUSADER!”

Crusader looks around in alarm as Purity stops firing and looks over at him In alarm.

My three clones have charged Crusader who has been covered by Purity and Kaiser until I directed the fight to a different area. I’ve caught him flat-footed and while two of the clones are dispelled by Purity and Kaiser, the third managed to get in and put his blade through Crusaders knee.

That’s two dealt with. With the distraction working I charge Kaiser intent on putting him down. I go for a slash and expect him to dodge.

What I don’t expect him to do is put his hand on my chest plate.

And for my right lung to suddenly be full of metal.

He punches me straight in the stomach plate and another metal extrusion pierces my abdomen as he steps away from me imperiously.

“What a disappointment. I’ve changed my mind on letting you live. Purity, get ready to hide the evidence.”

Purity charges up a huge blast and is looking right at me.

Is this where my story ends?

Kaiser is picking up Crusader and they both make their way over to Krieg. Krieg is out for the count and Crusaders going to have trouble healing that leg.

My consciousness is moving in and out now, my armour is shattered and I am critically injured. The metal still inside the wounds is preventing regeneration.

“You gave it a good try race traitor, but there’s a reason I deploy myself against people who rely on armour. Even Armsmaster doesn’t try to deploy against me without good reason.”

He turns to his people, as unpowered E88 goons enter the area.

“So ends the ‘great’ Archon. Ended at the hands of the pure and the just. Tonight, a protector of the mongrel menace is put to my sword. Tomorrow, we eject the impure from the foul false dragons lands without interference.”

He turns to Purity.

“Give him the funeral he deserves please dear.”

“Boss, overlaying trajectory, when I give the signal, shoot your pistol at this trajectory and then teleport to the rooftops.”

“I don’t think I can, I can barely even see straight.”

“Teleport or die boss, I don’t give a fuck if you are too cowardly to live, I don’t want to be dragged down with you because you were too scared to try.”

A green set of boxes is overlaying my black and faded vision. I grasp my pistol in my hand and gather my strength.

The silhouette of Purity takes aim at me.

“NOW.”

With the last of my strength, I fire my pistol at the box and teleport for the roof. I see Purity’s head snap back as the entire world explodes in a blue-green supernova.

I pass out.

I wake up in an alleyway, it’s the dead of night, no sign of people about.

My nanobiotics are the only thing keeping me alive currently, one lung and one real kidney left. Thank all the gods that I installed the third kidney. I engage my armours quick release and scream in pain as three giant spikes of metal are extracted from my torso alongside the armour release.

I drop to my knees and consciously direct the nanobiotics to regenerate me. I also grab a stimpak and some medi-gel and use both simultaneously. I also grab a healing wrap and some water. The portal is likely the most useful perk I have at the minute.

Half an hour later, I’m still minus 2 organs. And likely minus 1 life out of however many spares I have. However, I am alive. The Nanobiotics are working on my lung, but it isn’t looking good. The kidney is a total loss. Nanobiotics can regenerate almost anything, but two complicated organs in a non-medical environment. It will take days to weeks with this level of damage.

I head to a nearby door intent on heading back to my workshop to start a proper healing process.

The keyhole doesn’t turn for my key.

I feel goosebumps up my back.

Where is my workshop?

I look at the key, it looks…Dull. I try scanning it with the omni-tool and find something interesting.

There seems to be an internal power buffer, and it’s completely empty though refilling at a slow trickle.

Damn did I use up all the power in my key somehow?

“Uh boss. We have a bit of a situation.”

“What’s up EFA, my keys dead and we can't get back to the workshop though luckily the portal is working. What now, is Jack Slash on his way to give us an offer we can’t refuse?”

“Possibly a bit worse than that boss.”

“What could be worse than that?”

“Well, for one, I’m connected into the internet via the most ancient 2G protocol I’ve ever seen. And unless we are both subject to a mutual delusion or you drunk something so strong it made both of us drunk, It’s currently the year 2000.”

“EFA, are you telling me that when I teleported away from Kaiser, I fucking time travelled?”

“No boss. Because from what I can see on various search engines and through crawling the web. There’s no such thing as parahumans.”

“EFA are you hitting the e-glue?”

“Boss. I'm not joking. We are currently in Los Angeles. There are no parahumans anywhere in the world. Brockton Bay doesn’t even exist. And the only sign whatsoever of anything paranormal or weird going on is some monster incident in New York at Christmas in 97. Some monsters that look like a Nilbog Christmas party tried to take over the city or something, there’s a lot of paranoia and conflicting information around it so it’s hard to get any real info, but it’s legitimately the only thing that could be said to be remotely ‘parahuman’ here.

Fuck. This is an elder blood misfire.

I knew I shouldn’t have tried to use it. Worse still I can't use my key as it seems that travelling between dimensions causes it to be completely drained and have to recharge.

Damn I’m going to need to lie low and get some idea of where the hell I am. And do some research myself.

“What’s the date EFA?”

“August 28^th, 2000.”

“Ok thanks, Keep investigating and let me know if you find anything of note. It’s 2000, net security is basically non-existent compared to our time and a lot of security protocols aren’t in place, hack us up a bank account and some cash please. Take it from the mafia or something.”

“On it boss.”

The forge pings me twice as I head out into LA to look for a hotel in downtown.

200CP gained, 200cp are available.

Failed!

200CP remain.

No new perk, well at least I still have access to the forge.

“Boss, I’ve hacked you a reservation at an upscale hotel in downtown. You were right, there’s no security here worth speaking of. Compared to the tinker derived stuff at home and the constant shadow of Dragon I’m basically like the god of the internet here.”

“Thanks, EFA.”

I quickly use the Omni Tool to deconstruct my armour and attachments that are too big to send back through the portal. I’m going to need to run a full rebuild on the armour anyway. I shrink the halo and mount it flush to my back and then put a change of clothes on over the top after cleaning my blood off myself. Dropping my weapons back into the forge I make my way downtown looking only slightly out of place.

My chest and abdomen are still burning, I need to run a full status check on my implants and cybernetics when I get to the hotel.

After a short walk I stumble into my hotel and get taken to my room by a porter. I tell him to charge a tip to the room as I don’t have cash on me currently and he nods appreciatively.

I collapse on the bed and disappear into the land of dreams.

 

Notes:

Perks gained this chapter.

31.009 - The Mystic and the Machine - 200 - Marvel Cosmic - Crafting Magitech

The argument between mystics and technology is a faulty one. There is no need to choose one as they enhance and complement one another. Like a certain Mad Titan you have unlocked mastery of combining these two pathways to power. You can always find ways to combine any mystical knowledge you have with any scientific or technical knowledge. This differs from Fine line in that it is all about creating magitech. It also allows you to make a technological version of any magic you know, or a magical version of any technology you can build. All power sources between the two become cross compatible as well. Only fools choose one when they can have both.

No PRCP Gained nor rolled.

IMPORTANT AUTHORS NOTE

So, now we enter or first Jaunt.

Jaunts are a function of misfires from the elder blood. It's Archon visiting different worlds and IP's for a quick drop in. It's possible that he can return to the same IP again in another Jaunt but very rarely at the same time.

A few important rules on Jaunts.

1. No cp is gained, nor perks rolled while the Jaunt is in progress. Instead a flat bonus of CP is gained at the end of the jaunt based on Word count, deducted if any companions are gained from the Jaunt. Jaunts will be an important way of Archon gaining new members of his team. Archon can also gain gear, knowledge and very rarely powers from the Jaunts too.

2. No PRCP is gained or rolled in the pre chapter nor during the chapters of the Jaunt. Archons connection to the personal reality is broken while the Jaunt is in session. The only thing Archon can do is use the personal portal as a pseudo inventory system.

3. No time passes in the primary reality while in a Jaunt. When Archon returns, its mere minutes after he left.

4. No Interludes or Intermissions while a Jaunt is in progress.

As a side note, i know people get worried when a lot of companions are gained in fics like this as it tends to bog down the fic. Don't worry about that in this fic. Imagine companions in this fic like companions in Suikoden games. You hire 107 of them in those games and yet only ever see 6 of them at a time. Companions in this fic are more narrative drivers and options for combat companions to keep things fresh. I aim to have a varied cast of them mostly because my biggest writing exercise in writing this fic is learning how to do characterisation. So a big cast helps me a lot with that.

If you have an IP you would like to be included in a jaunt and a possible companion/companions then drop it in a comment with a reason why. Nosetting or potential companion too powerful! Don't think im going hiring Uchiha Madara to come be my bodyguard. Think interesting characters more than powerful ones because any powerful character will be bought in at points in their career where they arent powerful.

Also 100 points to whoever guesses the current Jaunt IP first.

Chapter 31: Jaunt 1 - Chapter 1

Summary:

Strange worlds abound, Archon has had his first (but not his last) misfire of the elder blood.

Teleportation with universal range can sometimes have universal consequences, and without his key, how will he navigate this strange new world?

Where has he ended up?

Jaunt 1 – Chapter 1

 

September 2nd, 2000, 7am:

Los Angeles.

I wake up still with a burning chest, the nanobiotics have been hard at work over the nights while I’ve slept. Luckily the Medi Gel and Stimpak took a lot of the workload off them and allowed them to concentrate on my vital organs.

Bad news. Kidneys gone. They broke it down in the first night here. Too far gone to regenerate properly so they’ve broken it down and started fresh. My left kidney is now basically the equivalent of a 2-year-olds. Tinker of Theseus, here we come!

Good news is the lung is retrievable. Though it will be slow going especially if I move a lot. The nanobiotics have been instructed to concentrate on this to the exclusion of anything else non-critical. My cybernetics are also in surprisingly good shape. The rib and torso muscle enhancements and reinforcements have some tears where I got impaled, but they’re still functional. They’ll function until I can get back to the workshop or get something set up here at least.

I’m still not exactly sure where I am, dimension wise. The Key seems to be charging based on the same principles as point gain meaning I need to stay interesting. Much harder without access to a workshop or resources but I make do with what I have. I’ve been spending my days micro-enchanting my clothes and weapons. And trawling the internet of course.

This is still back in the wild west of the internet. Unsecured networks protected by the barest of firewalls, barely any air gapping. A hackers paradise. I have legitimate ID, a decent chunk of cash in a bank account that shouldn’t exist. And a key that’s charging at roughly the speed of a quadriplegic sloth.

My research into the situation of the world I’m now in has paid dividends, however. This world is much more similar to my own original world than to Bet. But for one major difference.

1997. Christmas Day, New York. An opera house is turned into a charnel house via the spontaneous combustion of the entire audience. Except for two women. The singer, and a member of the audience.

Over the following days a ramping series of apparent “monster” attacks culminates in an all-out attack on the NYPD’s 17^th precinct.

The day after, an entire US naval battle group is deployed off the coast of New York. The US Navy mysteriously loses multiple jets.

On December 29^th an explosion on Liberty Island ends most of the attacks in the city, the survivor is none other than the audience survivor from the opera combustion. The Statue of Liberty falls over.

Information is…sparse on what is now called the “New York Blockade Incident”. But for the name of the survivor, one Aya Brea. Now apparently no longer a police officer but instead a member of a special arm of the FBI. MIST.

Mitochondrion Investigation and Suppression Team.

It turns out the divergence point for this world is…pretty far back.

Back at the formation of the cellular structure that makes up life.

 The cellular mitochondria are very different here. In fact, so different that I am literally the only member of my species on the planet.

Humanity here is different, at the very base level. The mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell. This much is true for both me and the humans here. Mitochondria are responsible for producing the ATP that powers the body’s cells, with different cells having different amounts of Mitochondria.

However, the cellular mitochondria here is, alien. Literally alien, it’s structure not remotely similar to my own. My mitochondria are (comparatively) simple biological reactors producing ATP. The people in this worlds mitochondria are complex symbiotic organisms, capable of generating ATP, manipulating bioelectricity, creating fire. Even generating plasma. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Though most of the capability lies dormant until awakened.

I’ve taken many, many samples. Stolen hairbrushes, surreptitious cuts. You name it.

Unethical? Absolutely. But I have a wild space god to kill, I'm taking the advantages where I can.

The weird thing is, while the mitochondria and the human are capable of working together, they don’t seem to do so by default. The only reason I know what I know is because of scattered reports from the New York incident regarding the hero Aya Brea, and the villain of our piece. Eve.

I also had EFA hack the FBI. And the work of a man called Maeda is startling. The notes from a Dr Klamp, while the work of an absolute madman are also fascinating.

It turns out the mitochondria have an embedded consciousness of their own. And awakening that consciousness can have some rather… jarring effects. In the case of Aya Brea, she achieved perfect symbiosis with her mitochondria and became superhuman, awakening the naturally suppressed power of the mitochondria within her. In the case of Melissa Pearce, the Opera Singer, immunosuppressants she was taking caused her to be subsumed by the Mitochondria which then worked to raise an “Ultimate Being” assisted by Dr Klamp.

Turns out, she had the kidney of Aya Brea’s sister inside her after Maya Brea’s death. Klamp’s notes are a genuine horror story of medical malpractice.

The guy was a nut job, but his work on this ‘mitochondrial eve’ is unparalleled. He’s working with concepts novel even to me. The closest I’ve come to this work is funnily enough when I made the enhanced nanobiotics for the staff. Some of the mitochondrial edits I made are in this direction.

Klamp’s and Maeda’s work combined with the unique mitochondrial structures here have certainly given me some interesting ideas to work on with the nanobiotics for sure. The more *read only* nanobiotics from the Medi Gel that have till now been a little beyond my ability could also be opened up to me by researching in this direction. This tiny area of mitochondrial interaction is even beyond work that the Alliance performed in Mass Effect. An unusually well-developed area of science compared to everything around it. My personal theory being the collective consciousness of the mitochondria has pushed human science towards this particular area of development on this earth.

I’ll need to be careful however if I decide to work on these concepts, because the consequences of messing around with awakened mitochondria are severe.

Animals and Humans subjected to an unstable awakening transform into monsters. Insane monsters with incredible strength, some of them even gaining pseudo parahuman powers. And many of them gain a hunger for human flesh. This would obviously not endear me to the PRT, however if I can get this working in a safe and effective manner for regular humans. Well, Cauldron won’t be the only ones with superpowers in a can.

Moving back to the situation at hand.

After the blockade incident, the monsters spread west from New York, causing the formation of various bounty hunting agencies. These agencies are empowered to hunt down the monsters and receive bounties for doing so. MIST is one such agency, empowered by the US government to bounty hunt these “Neo-Mitochondrial Creatures” at any cost.

I’ve decided my next step is to register myself as an independent hunter. The known common NMC’s aren’t much of a threat compared to any Parahuman I’ve already faced. I can register at any public bounty office. Independent hunters aren’t common, but they aren’t unheard of either.

I need to get as many scans of NMC’s as possible before I leave. This seems like the expedient way to get there.

I’m currently living in a long stay motel on the edge of the L.A. downtown, so I’ve got a bit of a trip ahead of me.

 

Catching a taxi in a relatively normal US city, without the constant threat of gangs or parahuman attacks is… a novel experience for me. The ride further downtown could almost be described as pleasant. The grim bearing of most Bet civilians is nowhere to be seen.

Hell, people even smile in public here. It’s jarring.

And uncomfortable.

The bounty office is in a generic office high rise. I’m instructed to make my way to the third floor and wait at reception. The signage is simple and functional and before long I am sat in the most boring example of a waiting room you could think of waiting for my name to be called.

“Hale.”

I'm called into a small side office.

“Mr Hale, nice to meet you, I’m Bob Case, I believe you were interested in registering as an independent NMC hunter with us today?”

“Yes sir, I believe with my skill set I’m well suited to helping hunt them down.”

The next half an hour is filled with form filling, release forms, requisition forms for gear I didn’t expect, I decide to go for the full gear option.

“Ok Mr Hale, we need a non-refundable $3500 deposit for your BP counter, kill tracker, hunting equipment and initial BP deposit. Please note that BP can only be spent with us and other official hunting organisations under the umbrella of MIST. This is the only time that cash can be traded for BP, going forward BP can only be earned for NMC eliminations.”

I didn’t expect the cost, however it’s not beyond me so I quickly write out a check for the amount specified, which he verifies with a machine nearby.

The machine dings with a green light and he is happy. He instructs me to sit in front of a camera nearby and he takes a picture of me. He then bustles around various pieces of machinery in the office while I wait.

After roughly another 30 minutes, that I spend scanning the various pieces of equipment for future reference, he comes back to me with an ID card, a small black case, and a silver attaché case.

“Ok Mr Hale, here is your official hunter ID card, your BP tracker and monster kill confirmation scanner contact lenses, and your standard issue sidearm and holster, with a few spare mags. You are permitted to use personal equipment however you indicated you wanted the full kit.”

I’m thankful for the sidearm to be honest, I could have bought one but this equipment should be of good quality if the game is anything to go off. I have all the identification I need for this registration forged or otherwise registered already luckily.

This contact lenses however, I did not expect. This is a world where my hotel room still has a VCR. There is no sign of tech like this out in the world. And yet in my hands I have two contact lenses, with integrated cameras, scanners albeit very primitive ones, a microcomputer, and an operating system that tracks my kills and records them, along with a database to assign BP or apply for a review if the NMC was unregistered. What even is the tech progression in this world.

“EFA, see about hacking into these after I put them on, see what you can gather from the database and the computer and look into upgrades too. I’m definitely going to be enhancing these when I get home.”

“On it boss.”

The loading sequence after I put them on is very slow, and Bob seems to be getting impatient.

“Boss, you are going to need to divert some of your nanobiotics to your eyes to keep these lenses working properly, you don’t produce anywhere near as much bioelectricity naturally as the people here, which is why this is going so slowly.”

Well, that makes a lot of sense. I do as EFA suggests and the lenses boot up near instantly.

I look around in incredulity. The heads-up display is unintrusive, and quite high resolution for the time.

“Impressive aren’t they Mr Hale? The latest in biotech from the Ark foundation that helped to fund the US independent monster bounty office. IMBO for short. Provided to all hunters, government or otherwise to track the destruction of those creatures.”

Hey good thing this catastrophe didn’t happen in Belgium, or Brazil!

“Your account has been credited with 4000BP, spend it wisely as you can only earn more via NMC eradication. Now, let’s visit the firing range and the bounty shop. And then our work is almost complete.”

“Boss, I’ve grabbed control of the recording software, and can spoof the cameras at will. You won’t be transmitting anything sensitive.”

“Thanks, EFA.”

We end up in the basement, in a concrete tomb of a firing range.

“Let’s see how you handle your weapon Mr Hale; higher score here will add to your bounty rank which will see you more likely to receive hunts of a higher level of danger.”

I’m not planning to be here long enough for this to be an issue, but I may as well do my best.

I take out the sidearm I have been provided. It’s a basic Beretta 92FS, I’m actually comfortable with this gun from my original life. I’ve not fired one in a while as using standard firearms as a cape on Bet is frowned upon for some reason.

I take the pistol out and check the mags, they aren’t loaded but I have a box of 9mm in the case so I quickly load up a few mags and load the pistol.

I’m familiar with firing and loading handguns from a few shooting experiences in my first life, but I’m no expert.

So EFA is going to help me cheat the shit out of this.

“EFA please give me trajectories on every target.”

“On it.”

I line up at one of the booths, and a buzzer sounds.

Paper targets with monsters and civilians on start dropping from the ceiling and rising from the floor while moving on rails.

“EFA, Monsters only please.”

I start firing, the only part I need to concentrate on is the reloading timing, I single shot every target, and it probably looks quite impressive from the outside.

Cheating for the win!

After scoring a perfect score on the firing range, Bob informs me that I’ve been given the highest starting hunter rank. It’s a simple number uploaded into the BP scanner that is used to assign hunts.

Excellent, this should give me a good start to building up the charge to get back home.

Our final stop is the BP store.

It’s a gun nuts wet dream. Rifles, Shotguns, every type of gun (Is that a grenade launcher!?). Ammunition and attachments for guns.

I am going to have a lot of fun here.

I end up picking up a custom rail and flashlight attachment for my pistol, a full ammo can labelled “9mm P.B.” and a bunch of spare mags. I consider picking up a heavily modified M93R to replace my 92fs, but the three-shot burst and larger mag capacity isn’t worth my limited BP at the minute while I already have a weapon in the same caliber.

The portal makes ammo capacity a moot point. I’ll be making sure I always have many spare mags in there.

I also pick up a long, thin-bladed weapon in an unusually blocky shape that I’ve never seen before. Like a scaled down buster sword around the size of a machete. And a baton given that mine is currently burnt out and lost in the Brockton docks somewhere. Finally, I grab some batteries and a bunch of junk parts. I’m going to hit up a few hardware stores on the way home and whip up a new stun baton.

Bob walks me out.

“Be seeing you around Mr Hale, we will be in contact on the phone number you have provided when we have a hunt for you.”

I make my way to a nearby shopping area for a bite to eat while contemplating this worlds strange tech development. They have contact lens embedded computers, but mobile phones are immensely expensive. So much so that registering with one raised more than a few eyebrows. They have gene editing that wouldn’t be out of place in the Imperium, but still mostly use VHS, even though CD’s definitely exist. Given that as a logistics specialist in my original life I know that technology development naturally follows the path of convenience, I have no idea how this world has ended up on such a strange and disjointed path.

I end my shipping trip trawling pawn and charity shops picking up miscellaneous broken junk to strip for parts. I also manage to surreptitiously use the matter manipulator to break down more than a few dumpsters for raw materials.

This place is too clean, this is much more lucrative in Brockton where the trash day is on the 32^nd day of the 13^th month on every other blue moon.

 

“Boss, I’ve got a lead on a machining workshop available on a month-to-month rent, not far from your Motel. Probably works better than trying to tinker in the motel. Want me to pick it up?”

“Yes, please do I’m itching to get some proper work done.”

 

I head for the address that EFA specifies, doesn’t look like much from outside but looks can be deceiving. Making my way inside, it’s a shithole. But it has an old-fashioned CNC milling setup, and there’s enough gear for me to get a crucible and anvil set up. My own workshop is probably weeping right now. The omni-tool is a godsend for this, converting raw resources into omni gel and then using the onboard fabricator to shape out crafting stations.

But it will be enough for me to get some basic gear and upgrades made. I can run the maintenance routine on the handgun too backed by my perks I should be able to tweak it to the absolute maximum performance. I obviously have my staff, halo, energy pistol and Jabberwock claw in reserve but using those here in anything other than a dire emergency will open a can of worms I do not want opening without my key being charged. The last thing I need is my face plastered everywhere as the US government makes me no.1 on the “People of interest” list.

There’s not a whole lot they can do to me once the key recharges, but it’s the principle of it. With the technology of this earth being so lopsidedly developed, you never know what weaponry they could bring to bear against me before I have chance to get back to the workshop.

 

I spend the next few hours making upgrades to my pistol. It’s basically a new gun inside, I’ve completely upgraded the action and the trigger mechanism, I can fire it much faster now and I’ve made a custom barrel implementing modern polygonal rifling. I also upgraded the flashlight; you wouldn’t want this thing shining in your face put it that way.

It’s actually nice to get back to tinkering, even though this is about as low tech as it gets its soothing to my brain.

The final upgrades I make smooth out the ejection of spent casings, so the upgraded fire rate doesn’t negatively affect the working of the gun.

Finally, a cleaning and oiling routine leaves me with a very well cared for pistol. Nothing compared to previous builds of course, but when in Rome!

 

I will spend a few days on gear and hacking, see if there’s any other interesting technology here and then I will work on exit strategy.

 

September 4th, 2000, 1pm:

Los Angeles.

 

I’d like to say the past two days have been wild and eventful. But other than working on my gear, it’s been extremely quiet. Some would say perks of a near parahuman free world, but in all honesty I’m bored, and I’ve not had a forge ping since the initial attempted expansion when I first arrived here. It’s likely I need to return home in order to continue expanding my forge.

I’ve gone ahead and added the tesla effect to my baton, there’s no extension capability on this baton. Shock only. I can surreptitiously recharge it from my internal reactors though so no worry about battery capacity. Again, the Omni Tool pulls its weight, and I’m committed to really exploring the tool more once I return home. I know “in game” so to speak it can make turrets and drones and has other effects depending on your class but the one I received was basically a blank slate. Anything I want to make with it that isn’t Medi-Gel or Omni-Gel I have to program the schematic myself, or EFA can do it.

Either way, it’s capable of much finer work than I have been giving to it, so I’m going to leverage it more. One thing I have noticed though is that things it makes don’t actually count as “made by me” in reference to perks that improve quality, etc. Therefore, I need to make sure I make tweaks and changes myself after fabrication in order to make the most of it. I’ll probably utilise it more to make the pieces that make up gear and then assemble them myself.

It can also project a pretty nice blade so that’s another good emergency backup.

Being dropped here without access to my workshop has actually been a godsend in regard to my R&D too. Being forced to be self-reliant for a bit has given me some great ideas for when I return. My Aura reading and magic capacity is also growing from constant use.

I’ve also spent a lot of time ruminating on the fight with Kaiser and crew. Why the hell did I feel the need to attempt to disarm Kaiser instead of just pulling out the plasma blade and de-legging him?

Arrogance, again. Trying to minimise injury. I can dress it up however I like but in attempting to appease the PRT by being a PR friendly hero, I managed to lose a kidney. Sure, it’s growing back, but it’s the principle of it.

Also getting in melee range of a ferrokinetic while wearing METAL ARMOUR was fucking stupid.

EFA has made her thoughts on this clear, and in surround sound.

The next Archangel suit is being made of carbon non-ferromagnetic alloys. And being energy shielded. Heavily energy shielded. My new Magitech perk will be doing some work. I’ve already practiced with it, as my Beretta flashlight can run off pure magic.

My final piece of work is a set of thin, but heavily reinforced flak armour that I can wear under my clothes. It protects my vitals, and my upper arms and legs and should be capable of stopping anything short of a burst of 7.62. Great shock impact dispersion as well. I throw this under a basic white t-shirt, a brown, heavy-duty hooded jacket, and a pair of beige cargo pants. The holster for my beretta holds it under my left arm, and I have spare mags dotted around me. All in all, I’m happy with the level of protection I have for the world I am in. Enchanting the clothes gives me an invisible level of protection that people won’t expect and as long as I don’t throw myself into a war I should be good.

Heading home in the early afternoon as the sun reaches its zenith, I walk into my motel intent on taking a shower and preparing for a trip out to uptown LA to do some exploration, when EFA forwards a call from my landline.

“Mr Hale, this is the LA Bounty Office dispatch. There has been suspected sightings of an NMC like creature in the upper floors of the Akropolis Tower in downtown LA. Only one report up to now, but as you are noted to be active in the area, we would like you to check it out if you are available. Half of the standard hunt BP will be made available if it turns out to be a wild goose chase.”

Ugh, well that curtails my plans. Akropolis is pretty well known, it’s got some pretty famous restaurants and cafes on its highest levels, and even includes a couple of small museums and galleries. It’s luckily completely open to the public except for the lower floors that are used for businesses and offices. So at least I’ll be able to get some Lunch, possibly even Dinner depending on how long I am looking around. At least I have a small chance of getting a scan of finally getting a scan of an NMC.

“On it Dispatch, I’m free, I will head over and check it out.”

Akropolis Tower isn’t actually far away. Just a couple of blocks south of me. I throw on my holster and jacket and head out.

I flag down a taxi and arrive at the tower in no time. I make my way inside to the public elevator and start at the lowest public floor. I’ll grab some lunch at a cafe, then I’ll make my way around the various boutiques, stores and galleries as if I am a visitor, and do a circular sweep moving up floor by floor. Once I reach the highest floor, I will grab some dinner at one of the restaurants and hopefully will have found something by then.

I finish up my lunch, and now time to search.

“EFA, sequential scanning as we move please, don’t want to miss anything on our way.”

“On it Boss.”

What follows is one of the most boring ‘patrols’ of my admittedly short career as a cape and a bounty hunter. 20 individual floors of walking, and scanning, and pretending to be interested in what I am looking at.

Nothing. Zip, not a sign of anything.

I’m almost at the top floor and I’ve been walking around this place for 4 hours already.

There’s nothing here.

“Boss, there are some very unusual moths in one of the maintenance corridors a floor up.”

Ok, there are moths.

“What do you mean ‘unusual’? Are we talking ‘giant dog sized moth’ unusual, or just acting a bit funny?”

“Well, they are about as big as your fist, and seem to have a biological agent seeping from them constantly.”

“Show me the scans please.”

Ok, I can see what she means by unusual, these things are huge, and while the scan resolution is too low at this range to get cellular level, these definitely aren’t your run-of-the-mill Moth.

 I make my way upstairs, now only two floors from the top floor and the sun is setting outside. I crack the lock to the maintenance tunnel; it isn’t very strong and head inside.

Ok maybe I made a mistake. Phobia of spiders still well and truly there. Now I have a new one to go with it.

Fist sized moths. Not including the wings, oh no, that’s just the body.

After a few full body shudders, I start scanning them in earnest.

This is genuinely fascinating, you can see from the genetic profile that these were once just standard moths, but a catalyst has activated the latent mitochondria and the changes have propagated along the genetics.

This is sublime work. I couldn’t do any better myself without some serious equipment.

The moths notice my presence and make a beeline, or is that a mothline, for my head.

I can’t discharge a weapon in a relatively populated building like this so I just utilise my blade to slice and dice them. I go to gather up one of the bodies but they are dissolving into orange goo.

I scan the disintegration process, and it looks like this is inherent to being with unstable parasitic mitochondria activations. The mitochondria are frantically consuming the body in order to keep themselves alive. They can’t jump hosts, they are genetically tied to the original, and therefore once they run out of their host genetic material, they die.

In their base form they are truly symbiotic, they cannot live without another biological organism to live with. In this particular form they change to parasitic, forcing drastic changes on their host but leaving them extremely unstable.

I turn to leave and there’s a man in an expensive suit just staring at me.

“Uh, are you okay, sir? I apologise for being out of bounds I got lost.”

I throw out a disarming smile and make my way to leave.

Then his hair falls out as his arms and legs start to twitch.

Uh, what?

I start scanning him, and holy shit I’m watching an unstable mitochondrial activation live in front of me.

“EFA save these scans, they’ll be important later.”

His arms and legs split open and his legs grow much more muscular as his arms shrink similar to a T-Rex profile. His jaw splits in two as his teeth split backwards into his new much wider jaw as his skull bubbles and cracks. His ribs all crack individually and he is roaring in pain. A tail grows out from behind him studded in bone as his eyes turn red and sink into his skull. He turns to me, and a dark intelligence gives way to raging insanity.

I pull my weapon, ok fuck this, this is absolutely worth discharging my weapon for.

Then the screaming starts outside.

“EFA call 911, Multiple NMC’s are present in Akropolis In the upper floors. Request backup as civilians present.”

More screaming from outside as the man in front of me finishes his transformation.

He screeches at me, wide mouthed pockmarked with teeth and bone.

Wait, there’s a metallic implant behind his ear.

I go to scan it but he jumps almost the entire distance between us in the narrow tunnel and charges at me.

Well that answers the “Is he hostile or not question.”

I put three into his skull but it doesn’t even slow him down, he’s leaking blood and pus everywhere but the skull has stopped the bullets.

As he reaches me I dodge past him and backpedal towards the door putting shots into him, finally a shot to the eye-socket puts him down properly. Damn this thing is tough.

He lands on the floors twitching, but my scans tell me there’s still a heartbeat, two actually as he seems to have grown a second. I empty the rest of my mag into his eyes and the heartbeats slow and eventually stop.

He starts melting like the moths did, and I quickly reach down and yank the implant.

Now this is extremely interesting. An actual technological marvel.

This thing was being remote controlled. Or at least proxied in some way.

The tech in this implant is way beyond the tech level I’ve seen anywhere else around here. The difference between this implant and the contact lenses is like comparing bow and arrow to my energy pistol.

I have no time to waste however, I’ll scan this properly later. I quickly sprint for the door and make my way out of the maintenance area to the gallery proper, towards where I heard the earlier screams.

 It looks like Mr penguin suit wasn’t the only person to transform. There are no signs of human bodies anywhere which is good, but I have 40 NMC signatures which is obviously bad. Some of these NMCs aren’t of the profile of the one I fought and the majority of them don’t have the implants.

I sneak my way through the gallery, taking out smaller versions of the “walker” NMC that I fought with my blade to maintain stealth.

I make my way to a public phone in the gallery of this floor as I see flashing red and blue lights start to flash outside.

I ring through to the bounty office and dispatch answers.

“This is Thomas Hale, confirming NMC presence at Akropolis, have eliminated multiple NMCs of a designation not in the database.”

“Noted Mr Hale, we have word from LAPD that SWAT are about to clear the building. Please make your way to the public bathroom on your floor and hole up, SWAT have been informed of your presence and will liaise with you on site. MIST have been informed and are sending an agent who will want to debrief you.”

“Noted.”

I quickly run another scan of the area, no people about, just monsters. I make my way to the bathroom specified and wait for swat to enter the building.

“EFA maintain life sign lock on SWAT as soon as they enter range please.”

Waiting is an old man’s game, I’m too restless for this and am considering making my way downstairs myself when EFA alerts me that SWAT are up to my floor now and are systematically sweeping the building. Damn they were a lot quicker than me!

The main body of SWAT moves to the floor above me, however a knock at the bathroom door and a quick scan confirms one of them came to collect me.

The SWAT officer has a gas mask on and is carrying an MP5, he quickly indicates for me to join him.

“Thanks for the pickup officer.”

“No problem hunter, I’m making my way upstairs feel free to join me for the final floor sweep.”

“Any casualties? I couldn’t find any on this floor but I did hear screams as one of the monsters attacked me.”

“Bruises and cuts, no deaths confirmed yet but the civvies are screaming about people with melting skin so we won’t know till the forensics get in.”

As the elevator reaches the next floor, he readies his weapon and I do the same.

It’s eerily quiet, but I can see SWAT through a glass door in front of me. They’ve fanned out through the floor and a few of them are escorting civilians to a nearby cafe. Some of them must have hidden up here.

There’s no sign of any other NMCs anywhere, did they all just vanish into thin air? There have been zero gunshots since SWAT arrived and I'm getting no scans but I didn’t kill anywhere near 40 of the damn things earlier and those scans are gone too.

I meet up with the SWAT commander by a rather nice fountain on the top floor as his team start dropping their heavy gear and spare ammo on a bench nearby.

“Hunter, any sign your end?”

“No, I killed about 10 of the things on the floor down including a big bullet resistant fucker, but no sign since. I definitely heard more of their roars though so unless you guys have killed some of them there are still some about.”

“Ok, we are going to start moving the civvies to the elevators in groups of ten, we have about thirty in various states of panic and injury holed up.”

“Ok, I’ll help cover the elevator.”

I make my way over to the elevator atrium with my new SWAT buddy.

We sit cooling our heels and wait until suddenly an almighty roar sounds from the fountain atrium. We both sprint for the door as a swat member crashes into the wall.

My scanner shows the civilians are in various forms of transformation. None of them have implants dammit! They scan as human while in human form!

Was this a trap for SWAT?

SWAT quickly start firing but it’s no good, the damn things are fast and most of SWAT are already down. There’s a fat variant of the NMCs which is just backhanding them in groups at high speed. SWAT is already down 90% of their members by the time we arrive and the atrium is a bloodbath.

Fire, Reload, Fire, Empty Mag, Reload. On and on until eventually there are no NMCs left.

Unfortunately, by the time we arrived there are also barely any SWAT left. Out of the nearby plate-glass window I see SWAT’s helicopter spin out of control and head for the street.

What the hell kind of monsters can do this to a SWAT team in this amount of time.

There are three heavily wounded members of SWAT still alive, I stabilise them and also give them a stealthy heal boost with medi gel, not enough to fully heal them as that would be suspicious, but enough to comfort them and guarantee they’ll live relatively unscathed.

Physically anyway.

I return to the benches in the atrium and sit with my head in my hands. The SWAT guy who was with me is lay by a coke machine holding his ribs where he took a jab from a walker.

And that’s where we are when the blonde walks in.

“Aya Brea, MIST. Report.”

Heh, of all the people MIST could send.

I run deep full body scans on her as I reply.

“Thomas Hale, Hunter. SWAT has been destroyed. NMCs are hiding in human form. Be careful of any civilians you see as they might not be civilians. There are also fist sized moths around that spray some purple shit.”

You know, I only wanted a single NMC scan universe. You don’t have to make everything I do into a life-or-death situation.

She nods.

“Noted, do you need medical help?”

“No, I didn’t take a hit, my ally here did but he will head downstairs shortly.”

“OK, make your way to the Helipad please, I have pickup coming soon, I’m going to clear this floor and will meet you up there.”

“I can assist you if need be?”

“No need, I have it covered.”

Ok fair enough, I use the directory map to make my way to the roof.

Which I can't do as the escalators to the observatory level that let me get over there are sealed and switched off and I can’t find any form of access point. I take out a few more of the stalkers and one of the fat walkers and hear gunshots off in the distance.

Then the escalators switch on and the doors slide open. Likely Aya but I won't look a gift horse in the mouth.

I head over there, taking out multiple NMCs on the way and get an opportunity to fill my mags from a SWAT ammo can. I take it, better than using my own ammo and easier to explain away.

There’s a hallway full of the damn moth things and a new addition. Giant rats.

Giant. Rats.

I fell into a world with genuine ROUS. What even is my life.

I don’t even waste ammo, I have a blade and a lot of free time. I quickly clear the area drawing my pistol only when challenged by a fat walker.

There’s a genuine church up here. There’s nothing inside and no-one showing up on scans. There’s a bridge to the helipad access tunnel over a pool full of amphibious NMCs. I can’t find the logical chain of events that would cause them to end up here so I’m just going to assume purposeful sabotage and ignore it.

I take some rather novel scans and make my way over to the access tunnels. There are zero NMCs on my way and nothing at all on scans.

It’s pretty cold up here.

While waiting in the cold I decide to review my scans of Aya.

Hearing about her abilities from a stolen report is nothing like looking at her genome.

Compared to the humans here, I’m not the exact same species, but I’m at least in the same genus. It’s like two separate evolutions of homo sapiens. I could have kids with a woman here without much struggle is what I am saying.

She may as well not even be a member of the same family, let alone genus. She’s “technically” a homo sapiens like the others here, her DNA puts her as a distant relative at least. But damn.

Her genes are beautiful. I don’t mean that in a creepy way. She’s like the opposite of a case 53. Where the 53s DNA is twisted and malformed, hers is refined, and reinforced.

She will probably live to her mid 300’s possibly even 400s for a start. Her telomeres are barely shortening. Genetic aging puts her at 28 years old. She looks about 19. Her cells are about the equivalent of a 13-year-olds. And not aging at the same rate.

Her bioelectricity generation is off the charts. The regular humans here produce a lot more than me by default though I can spoof it somewhat with my nanobiotics. She produces about 30x as much at rest as the regular human here does while in motion.

It pools around her body, mostly being stored in her cells. She’s faster, and stronger than she looks. Not on my level when I really push it, but a lot closer than you would think. Probably about 2.5x the strength and speed of an Olympic athlete if she really lets loose. Reports from the NY incident had scattered reports of her having other abilities too. And I can see why. If she feeds this spare bio-energy to her mitochondria, she could probably pull off some pretty spectacular stuff.

I’m making notes for future reference, I think with some tweaking I could emulate some of this with my internal nanobiotics with some tweaks to my mitochondria. Thinking back to suited and booted in the maintenance tunnel dampens my enthusiasm a bit.

I'm in the process of deep scanning the implant I found when I hear sounds of combat from the roof access catwalk.

Aya is fighting with a 9 foot armoured guy in a metal mask and green jumpsuit on the catwalk below. The sounds of a respirator are clear even from here.

I drop a detailed scan and move to help her out.

I'm about to jump down to assist when a corona of red surrounds her body. A massive ball of fire flies out of a red vortex surrounding her hand and knocks him back.

And I got a detailed scan of the process! Success!

I vault the helipad rail and grab a pipe on the way down, I use it to swing round and double foot kick him in the head. He crashes into the nearby wall headfirst and bounces off. I pull my sidearm and discharge it fully into his head and chest as I back off towards Aya.

Most of the bullets are deflected by his armour. The curse of choosing a convenient low caliber.

An aura of orange, blue and purple surrounds Aya and her weapon as she fires off shots from her own pistol that literally light up the air in purple and yellow tracers. She shatters part of his metal facemask as I pull my blade.

He punches the metal wall repeatedly and dents it. His blade ignites as he leaps 15ft up onto the helipad. Damn I don’t think I could even make that jump that easily.

He screams back down at us.

“Not bad for a two-bit hunter and a fed! Want some more, we can finish up here!”

Me and Aya look at each other and quickly run for the helipad elevator.

He’s stood cocky as anything in the middle of the helipad.

“Drop it!” she screams at him. As we both level our weapons at him.

He just chuckles.

“What, ‘fraid to shoot me?”

Suddenly a beeping comes from his hand. Is that a detonator!?

“EFA can you intercept that signal??”

“He must have already sent it; this is all just dramatics.”

“Time’s up little girls!”

He literally blurs away, leaving an honest to God afterimage as he sprints to the edge of the roof and makes a 50ft leap to another skyscraper.

What the fuck. Ok so maybe I was a little premature when I said “no parahumans other than Aya here”.

The elevator returns to the helipad again with another person on it. A bald African American guy with a beard, in beige slacks with a shirt and suit vest walks over to us. He nods at me and turns to Aya.

“Aya! Where’d he go?”

She shakes her head at him.

“He jumped to the next building!”

He looks at her goggle eyed.

“What!? That’s impossible!”

Aya turns to him and notices a control in his hand.

“What’s that in your hand?” she asks him quickly.

“It was lying right here on the ground.”

“Rupert, I’m pretty sure that’s a bomb detonator.”

“What!?”

Suddenly an explosion sounds on a lower level.

Aya turns to Rupert.

“Did you just press something!?”

“Don’t look at me there must have been someone with another detonator!”

The detonator starts beeping more rapidly, and now I’m beyond worried. I’m preparing to grab these two and attempt a teleport, fuck the consequences.

Another explosion sounds.

“We need to get out of here!” Aya shouts.

Well, no shit!

“Relax, Choppers on its way now. Hopefully it’ll get here in time.” Rupert replies calmly.

The sound of a helicopter is music to my ears. It quickly banks down to us as we jump on.

“That was a little too close.” Aya exclaims as the helicopter pulls away.

15 seconds after we clear the building, the top 12 floors disappear in a massive explosion.

That’s going to be an expensive clean-up job.

Not it.

 

Notes:

Not hugely happy with the end of this, i had to go replay the game (which some of you correctly guessed as Parasite Eve, specifically Parasite Eve 2 in this case) and i think having it so close to mind intefered with the end of the akropolis part. Let me know what you think. It's a bit long but strangely also a bit short, i think i could expand more on the Akropolis part but it was outliving it's welcome i felt.

Wrapping this up in the next chapter, Archon won't be following the entire game route as is quite obvious from this chapter, i already have a seperate route planned out for him, If you've played the games its highly likely he wont even touch Dryfield. Itll be Mines - Lab - End. I'm just planning out the timings. Should be more opportunity for him to pull out some of his more special gear as we move forward once he realises his key is approaching charge. I know his relative power conservatism is a little annoying to people but once he returns from this jaunt we should see some solid progression of power.

Chapter 32: Jaunt 1 - Chapter 2

Notes:

Sorry for the big delay in posting, ive had covid twice since i posted the last chapter and been insanely busy with work in between. Even my other lighter fic has suffered for this but i've decided now i'm well enough to write again. One more chapter for the Jaunt and then we get back to Kaiser and Co.

Will try to be more regular but unfortunately work commitments limit writing time.

Jaunt 1 – Chapter 2

 

September 5th, 2000, 12:30 am:

Los Angeles.

The helicopter ride is short, and before long we are descending to land. The destruction of the upper floors of the Akropolis tower is still visible even from quite a distance away.

The helicopter drops us off at the nearby LAPD building and we make our way outside. A car is already waiting for us as we head for the MIST offices.

Neither of my car partners seem interested in talking much, so I don’t attempt to draw them in to conversation.

Instead, I spend most of the flight discussing the various scans with EFA.

“The man in the armour was interesting. Look at these gene scans. He’s like a hybrid of whatever race you would call Aya, and that implanted monster we fought in the tunnels.”

“It makes no sense though EFA, from previous scans this combination shouldn’t be possible. It’s like Aya had a kid with one of those monsters and it got artificially aged up. Look at the telomeres. It’s like he’s barely three years old.”

“You can see the original human DNA in there. Likely some sort of experimental treatment. Maybe a better form of transformation for more trusted people?”

“Anything on that implant we found.”

“Nothing interesting on the function or makeup yet, but the transmission terminated in the southwest, about 20 miles north of the town of Dryfield in Nevada. Out in the wilderness of the Mojave desert.”

“Anything there of interest?”

“Not that I can see Boss, a lot of those shelter prepper types and an unusually strong local militia presence, but nothing that isn’t mirrored elsewhere across the state.”

“No towns or facilities?”

“I can’t tell you. There’s no real google maps here, GPS is rudimentary and low resolution, at least the ones I can access, the only reason I’ve been able to pull the info I have is archived news articles.”

“Looks like we are headed out to the desert then.”

 

…

 

The helicopter lands on a small office building downtown, small enough I’m surprised it has a helipad at all.

Aya turns to me. “Welcome to M.I.S.T headquarters. We need to debrief but then you can be on your way.”

She turns to step into the building ahead of me but pauses and looks back.

“Thanks for the help on the Helipad. I may have been able to take him regardless, but your assistance was appreciated.”

She walks ahead as Rupert nods his head toward the rooftop access indicating for me to follow.

What follows is a quick, but comprehensive debrief in a small office with the two of them, and their boss, Director Baldwin.

He’s a pompous slimeball, but he runs a pretty tight ship. We go through my actions in the tower prior to shit kicking off. They also pull my hunt footage with my co-operation, and I get a pretty hefty BP bonus. Once my ID is confirmed and my footage is archived Aya and Rupert leave. I'm sure they have a busy few weeks ahead of them after losing half a skyscraper to monster terrorists.

Baldwin shows me out of the building, as I leave he catches my attention one last time.

“If you are ever looking for more reliable work, contact me. I can probably fast track you into the academy based on this footage and your results.”

Even if I was planning on staying here in this world, I doubt my fictitious background would stand up to full federal scrutiny.

“Thanks, I’ll keep it in mind.”

It’s 2am. And even with all my advantages, I am beat.

“EFA, please continue work on the scans, I’m going to catch some sleep, wake me at 6am please I need to source transport out to the signal source in Nevada.”

I manage to flag a late-night taxi, and head for my Motel.

In hindsight, it’s been a wild day, even with my life as it has been so far. A running battle with genetic monstrosities in a massive skyscraper culminating in a helicopter escape with two cops as the building explodes beneath us.

Sounds like an episode of “Capes of our lives”.

I check my key as I get in bed. Half full.

Looks like I can leave soon, but not before I solve the mystery of this implant. It would kill me If I left with all these unanswered questions.

Tomorrow, we track that damn signal.

 

September 5th, 2000, 06:00 am:

Los Angeles.

I awaken with a start.

EFA has basically done the equivalent of poking me in the brain.

“Just waking you up as you asked boss.”

“No problem EFA, just acclimating to the rapid wake-up.”

I feel pretty refreshed after the eventful day even with minimal sleep. The nanobiotics work a treat for reducing my required sleep cycles. Fast regeneration comes in handy again!

“EFA look for motorbikes for sale in the local area, If I end up needing to go leave it somewhere it’ll be easier to transport or hide as needed.”

“I have three results already, two sport bikes and one cruiser close by.”

“Specs on the cruiser?”

“1600 CC, Yamaha, $12000 though.”

“Can we afford it?”

“Easily, with what I’ve been siphoning you could buy a fleet.”

“Fine, message the seller, may as well ride in style.”

 

Heading out to look at the bike and it’s a genuine Yamaha Road Star. Damn I’ll have to bring this back with me if I can! It’s an anachronistic piece of beauty. I buy straight up without a loan or finance which surprises the dealer.

Today's plan is simple, head out to the transmission point of origin for the implant and poke around. Make some deep scans, see if there are any facilities in the area, and failing that any cave facilities or canyons, anything that could hide some sort of control facility for the implant. I’m mightily intrigued to find the source of this tech.

I pick up a bunch of food, drink and ammunition supplies on my way out of town. The portal is handy as hell and no reason not to stock up. I also end up using my bonus BP to pick up a “PA3” shotgun and a bunch of high gauge buckshot at the bounty office on my way. I might not need it but better to have it to hand, no point in keeping all these BP burning a hole in my pocket (or retina in this case)

No time to do any real modifications to this one, but well. It’s a Shotgun. There’s not all that much I can do to it compared to the pistol. I’m not at all familiar with the brand but it seems to be a more reliable version of the SPAS12.

Shopping trip taken care of, I hit the road and speed toward my destination.

 

…

 

Long drives are boring. A little more interesting being in my third universe and all, but still.

 

Boring.

 

Luckily the place I am headed to is close to the border between California and Nevada, but still a good 4–5-hour ride from LA. And that’s with me pretty much flooring it.

I’ve spent half the trip reviewing scans. That’s how bored I am. The disparity between this place and Bet is still startling. There’s quite a large disparity even to my original world too, it’s like walking into your house and someone has moved all your stuff a few inches in random directions. It’s the same house and decor, but it isn’t quite as familiar as you would like. The buildings and road layouts are all strange too. Much more Japanese in feel and design.

Hopefully I’ll have a way back here after I make my way back to Bet. There is a lot to love about a world without constant parahuman menace. A nice possible retirement destination.

Damn I must be bored if I’m already thinking about retirement.

As I ride on in loneliness, I start to think of home.

Wait no. Bet, not home.

When did I start to think of Bet as home…

I wonder what will happen when I get back. Kaiser and the bitch brigade must be both pissed off and slightly worried at the fact I disappeared the way I did. Hopefully Sherrel isn’t worrying about me too much.

I’m still wondering if I killed Purity on my way out. The energy pistol doesn’t hit hard, but her head snapped back with some force.

Fuck her, I refuse to care after she helped the rest of the Hitler crew attack me. If she’s dead. She’s dead.

I’m finally on the home stretch. I passed the border with Nevada a good while ago as the urban sprawl turned to the quintessential “American desert” landscape. Dryfield will be not far away on my right as I head down the dusty old road. I don’t plan on stopping, however.

There are hills and mountains all around as I instruct EFA to scan for anything unusual.

 The transmission originated in the area just north of me.

“Boss, the range isn’t great, but local maps from a quick search of the survey maps for the area show a few old mine systems connected to the roads. Look for tracks on your left, and specifically look for signs of recent entry, tracks, etc.”

“Got it EFA, keep full scans up.”

“Also boss, I thought this would be of interest to you. I’ve been checking newspaper archives from the area. There’s been reports of missing and mutilated pets and cattle in the Dryfield area, going back months. Possibly years.”

Now that is extremely interesting. What secrets does that little backwater town hold I wonder.

…

 

I thought the trip down here would be the worst part of this journey.

 

I was wrong.

 

Moving from dusty track to dusty track, checking for signs of movement, anything to break up the monotony.

Mentally taxing to the extreme.

The sun has long passed its zenith now, and is starting to sink as afternoon turns to early evening.

I filled up as I left town, and I’m down to about 40% of my Tank. Things are going to get dicey fuel wise soon.

“Boss, Scans are picking up multiple life signs on the mesa next to us, lifeform unrecognised.”

I turn to the mesa and catch a silhouette of a horse like creature with an extremely long neck.

Followed by five more.

And they’re all looking down at me.

A chilling howl goes through the air, as the creatures disappear over the ridge above.

“Boss, single tire tracks on the road to the left, toward the mesa.”

“Towards those things!?”

“Sorry Boss, but yes.”

Well.

In for a penny and all that.

I rapidly turn the bike to the left as the track comes into view, and gun it while EFA directs me after the tracks.

I hear the tumbling of rocks to my left as one of the creatures charges toward me downhill. How the hell did it get down here so fast!

Catching a better look at the monster, this thing isn’t like a horse at all. It’s like someone stretched a lion and gave it a human face. It’s rapid too, keeping pace with the Bike at the highest speed I can manage down this off-track dusty road.

Two more join the chase as I max out the throttle. I pull my pistol from the portal and start taking shots as I ride.

A normal man would not be able to control the bike like this, but with my increased strength I can manage pot shots while controlling the bikes direction one handed. I don’t seem to be getting through the face or torso, unless I hit an eye. So I'm aiming at the legs. This pays off wonderfully as the beasts stumble, though they still don’t fall, it at least slows them down.

“EFA I need a choke point to use the shotgun or this is going to be a short trip!”

I should have looked for a Jeep or something…

“Boss, there is a cave entrance to your left now, right on the edge of my outer range. Overlaying trajectory. It’s away from where the tracks go, but it’s too small for those things to enter comfortably.”

“Got it.”

I gun it off-road following the safe trajectory EFA has laid out for me. As I approach the cliff wall, the ground starts to rumble and the horse-lion things immediately back off.

“EFA what the hell was that.”

“Not a clue at the minute boss, some sort of localised tectonic event.”

“Bit coincidental?”

“I’ll keep scanning but with the range as limited as it is, unlikely to find much.”

One of the first things I will be doing on my return is developing ways to extend personal scan range.

Before long, I finally reach the opening EFA has been directing me towards.

“EFA, scan this cave there’s no way this is natural.”

The ‘cave’ is 7ft high and about a foot and a half wide and dips into the cave wall in a straight line.

“It’s man made boss, maybe a guide hole for the mines, or even an abandoned attempt at a mine.”

“How deep does it go?”

“Outside my range boss, but it goes deep. There’s something mechanical further in though for sure.”

“Will the bike fit in there?”

“It’ll be a tight fit, but you could bury it outside if need be.”

That sounds like the best idea. I quickly scan for observation devices, something is really pinging my paranoia here. It almost felt like the lion horses were herding me here.

I then use the matter manipulator to open up a pit, I lower the bike in and then cover it with a fabricated tarp, followed by a thin layer of sand and plant debris.

No-one is destroying my bike while I'm away!

I pull out my flashlight, and head toward the cave.

“Maintain full scan awareness, no downtime, use as much energy as you need.”

“Got it Boss.”

I descend into the cave system full of trepidation.

 

September 5th, 2000, 05:00 pm:

Nevada – Mojave Desert, somewhere north of LA.

 

If anyone ever tells you spelunking is fun, reach over and give them a slap from me.

Efa might be scanning for dangers, but in doing so it means I have to scan for trip hazards myself. I move at a shuffling walk after my third time tripping in the dark with my flashlight pointed forward.

Progress is slow as EFA is cataloguing incredibly unusual scans. Including a metallic wall somewhere beneath us that shockingly the scanners are struggling to penetrate.

Yes, the mass effect scanner, even if only this weakened-range personal version is actually struggling with something in this backwards fresh into the new millennium world.

Another strange technological leap in this extremely strangely developed world.

There is also machinery and cabling all through the walls, with an active electrical current. I’m speculating that I'm in some sort of back door entrance to either a prepper shelter, or some major major mining operation. Still no sign of any cameras or such yet.

After navigating through what feels like an endless cave system, and avoiding multiple pitfalls and dead ends, we come upon a door with a control panel, EFA manages to hack through it but not without some difficulty.

The cave beyond widens into a much larger cave system.

Stalactites drip from the ceiling as I move forward and my flashlight illuminates the cavern roof. Pillars reach ceiling to floor and there is a hell of a lot of machinery embedded in the floor here.

Ahead of me, is a dark wall with a metal door inset into it.

This cave is huge, part of the floor is strange too, some sort of lumpy soft mess. This room is incredibly unusual. A blend of mechanical, natural rock and metal. It kind of looks like a half-finished underground room.

“Uh Boss, you either need to move back the way you came or get your ass through that door.”

“What’s up EFA?”

“You know how sometimes when you are looking at a smaller thing, you miss the bigger thing that was in front of you?”

“I don’t like where this is going.”

“I was preoccupied with all the machinery and missed the fact that the floor is alive boss. It has a life sign, very deep, low level, could almost be confused with a fungus or even a tree at this level, but alive for sure.”

“Okay, why is that so important?”

The wall on the far left of the cavern suddenly moves as the room starts to shake.

“Because the life signs suddenly started getting stronger.”

The cavern wall starts to lift up as the floor starts to shake.

What I thought were pillars were actually big metallic hoses, that disconnect from the living floor and retract into the ceiling. I quickly take cover behind a nearby rock formation.

The far wall opens to the darkening sky outside. The opposite side of the mesa I am currently inside of.

Lights flash on and I quickly switch off my light as the floor rises.

What I previously thought was a floor is in fact a giant, fat sleeping monster. Scans show it as incredibly similar to the fat ones from the Akropolis tower. And it’s waking up as its life signs jump from “part of the background” to “Holy shit there’s a 20 foot monster in front of me.”

And seemingly having a cannon for a mouth.

The beast thankfully hasn’t seen me.

It raises its head to the ceiling and spurts out a massive gout of fire as it crawls bodily out of the huge cavern and stands up outside, before lumbering off towards Dryfield.

So it wasn’t a cannon, it was just a giant flamethrower.

…

Well that just happened.

The wall lowers and the lights switch off again as we are plunged into darkness in a now empty cavern.

I’m going to have to go warn the town aren’t I?

I turn to make my way back outside, but the passage I entered through is gone.

“The passage completely closed over as the beast was rising from the floor on that giant elevator. Maybe a safety feature?”

Looks like I have no choice but to continue onwards.

I really don’t like this.

…

Through the big metal door I go, and the deeper I move, the more mechanical the area gets, and harder and harder to scan.

“EFA, What the hell are these walls even made of?”

“Some sort of rubidium/tungsten/uranium alloy, getting scans of mercury and gold within the lattice too. Then both coated in and internally reinforced by thick plates of Lead, then again in Titanium. The lattice it’s arranged in to would be nearly impervious to most energy weaponry below a certain level, though incredibly susceptible to a physical strike, which is what the titanium gridding is for I suppose.”

“Take detailed scans and store for analysis. This could be useful for us too if we can duplicate the lattice.”

“It wouldn’t be useful as armour, without the coating its radioactive.”

“Not for something man sized, no.”

Scans become spottier and spottier as we descend into the seemingly abandoned and unobserved facility. Until I finally give the order to abandon scans outside of the room, we are currently in.

“Just ping every so often to make sure we aren’t missing something major, but it’s a waste of power currently.”

“Got it boss.”

“When we get out of here we need to do a deep dive into the Omni-Tools systems. While the range isn’t fantastic on the manmade model, there is no way the scanner should be getting blocked by terrestrial materials. It’s weaker here than it is on Bet for some reason.”

“I can only postulate that either something didn’t quite cross over when we jumped across universal boundaries, or that the forge granted items are weaker without an active connection to the forge.”

“Regardless, put this in the schedule for future testing. I’ll hand it off to a clone if need be, but we absolutely have to get to the bottom of this. If we have to spend some time building some more powerful scanning apparatus within my body for the omni tool to use, then so be it. It’s possible that sacrificing the outer shell of the omni tool apparatus in order to mount it internally has had an effect too.

“Got it Boss.”

The wide corridor we are in ends in a set of doors set in opposite sides of the end of the corridor. One is marked “Entrance” and the other as “Exit only.” A biohazard sign and a “decontamination” sign are above the entrance room.

“Before I make a big mistake of stepping into what looks like a sealed decontamination room, have you managed to hit any sort of access point to hack in?”

“No boss, everything is either wired, or air-gapped. There’s no access point to the greater network with a wireless protocol or receiver of any sort for me to tap in to. I can see network activity but have no way to interfere with it as it is.”

“Damn I was afraid of that. As we move in, I’ll try to find a terminal.”

A panel to the side of the door has buttons for starting a decontamination protocol. Against my better judgement and with no easy way to retreat without spending a good amount of time crafting mining equipment, I decide to push on.

If I hit any major issues, I can just pull out the staff and go plasma blade if I have to. Even though the main armour is gone, I still have a lot of options. Enchanted clothes and weapons should make short work of almost anything if I have to ‘go loud’ so to speak.

The decontamination room opens and I step in. Along one wall, a row of empty decontamination suits, and on the far wall, and identical door to the one I came in through. A bank of fans on the right-hand wall start up as the room is flooded with a pale white gas.

“A simple combined antiseptic/antibiotic compound, nothing dodgy on scans boss.”

Decontamination surprisingly goes without a hitch, the gas drains and I am declared ‘free of contaminants’ by the system. Neither me nor EFA detected any scans so I have no clue how they decide that but I’m not looking a gift lion-horse in the mouth.

I step out into a corridor filled with pipes, and a metal floor.

These guys really leaned into the ‘evil lab’ aesthetic. I can dig it, but damn.

Talk about playing up to a stereotype.

There are five doors in this stubby corridor, and I decide to take them in order.

The two rooms on the left are useless. Just dormitories with no electronics other than clocks and nothing special. The first room on the right is a nice find as it seems to be a small armoury. All the guns are broken but I pick up a very nice quantity of various forms of ammunition. Waste not, want not!

The last room on the right is where my composure drops.

The room is a lab, kitted out with everything you would expect.

Except for the wall of test tubes filled with people in various stages of transformation into monsters. Some of them are kids.

“EFA, what’s the status on those people?”

“All dead boss, I’m sorry. The solution they are suspended in seems to be some sort of nutrient solution designed to keep the mitochondria from dissolving the body so they can be studied in various stages of the transformation.”

I grit my teeth.

They’re killing bloody kids.

“While it likely doesn’t soften the blow at all, they all seem to be clones, there are signs of rapid aging protocols all throughout the genome.”

“Show me.”

EFA overlays her scans into my vision, and I see what she means. Signs of straining on the telomeres indicating a forcible rapid aging.

The mitochondria info is actually invaluable, but coming at this cost…

Even if they are clones, they’re still kids.

I move to a terminal on the single desk in here, the first example of a computer I’ve seen in this place.

Old blocky CRT monitor and all.

Thankfully the idiot has clues to his password on a nearby whiteboard. It takes no time at all to break in.

What I find is astounding.

This little facility I’m in is one of a few satellite facilities based in the various Mesas dotted around Dryfield, each one designed to study a particular form of the creatures people transform in to.

These people are the ones causing the transformations. The implant is a combined tracking and ‘communication’ implant. They’re interested in finding a way to force some sort of fresh evolution of humanity into those creatures. The ones I’ve been facing are completely different to the ones from the ‘blockade’ incident. Those were semi-natural evolutions forced by the mitochondria by Eve.

These are man-made, and in some ways, tailored to the user. The big flamethrower NMC that legged it off toward Dryfield? Completely manmade. And it used to be a person.

The techniques while incredibly immoral, are extremely advanced. I need to store this info for later.

There’s no USB or obvious interaction slot on the PC or I would download this all to my phone, instead I prepare flick through screen after screen of info as EFA manually transcribes it all.

However I have a spark of inspiration at the best possible time. This is where the Omni-tool really comes into its own.

I simply set the tool to image the entire system wholesale. The primitive hard drives have no protection against this unlike the systems in the time it came from. The platters still need to be spun up however, the tool limited by the technology of this time.

As the data parses I start to read through some of it.

There are references through the documents to a ‘neo-ark’. Some sort of shelter beneath the main facility, and directions to a mineshaft entrance to the main shelter.

There is apparently another entrance in Dryfield, though according to the docs here, it is sealed.

I need to make my way over there, apparently the info stored here is only relevant to this particular experiment, and there is a cache of info over at the main base on the overall process.

While I probably don’t need that info in order to leave.

The medic in me wants it more than anything. This could lead to a whole new level of nanobiotic development.

Finally finished with the imaging, I make my way to the final door.

I enter the door into a charnel house. EFA is immediately scanning as the incredibly thick door that was previously blocking our scans opens.

The room is full of dead scientists, seemingly executed where they worked. Shattered test tubes around an immense laboratory and pools of blood and various other fluids dot the room.

Some of these people were literally eviscerated, with what must be a colossal blade or claw of some sort.

“Boss, I’m getting really strange readings in here, it’s like life signs that appear and disappear at random. Be careful.”

As I move to step further into the room, I hear a swishing in the air above me and on instinct roll backwards through the door.

In front of my eyes the air shimmers and a giant 6-legged spider looking monstrosity walking on the ceiling fades into existence. Followed by multiple smaller ones on the floor.

“Theyre using some sort of stealth field EFA, sweep to scan for it now we know it’s there.”

The big spider starts to glow, and its front two legs start to point at me, I dodge left while pulling my shotgun off my back and rack it. I feel like the 9mm just isn’t going to cut it.

Two shimmering green projectiles fire off the front legs of the abomination, I dodge them and they sizzle against the wall.

Well, no getting hit by the glowing spider bullets then.

 I quickly return fire while backing off toward the decontamination room.

“At least we know why we haven’t seen anyone else here.”

“The bigger question is boss, if all those scientists were already dead, who let the big flamethrower beast outside?”

“Let’s look into that when I don’t have a gang of stealth spiders trying to perforate me.”

I continue to fire, thankfully the small ones die quickly but the big one is shaking off the buckshot like it's nothing.

I knew I should have picked up some slugs.

I back off down the corridor firing and reloading almost without thought, I press the decontamination button as I finally reach the door.

The monitor flashes up with the most unwelcome message.

“Cycling. Please wait.”

Are you kidding me!

I fire shell after shell off, the small ones seem to be dead now but the big one is still firing and approaching slowly.

It’s regenerating from being hit with regular ammo. The buckshot literally being pushed out and clattering on the metal grated floor.

Well then, looks like I have the tool for this job.

I return my shotgun to be back and pull the Jabberwock claw. The thing tilts its head as if wondering where I pulled the sword from.

It doesn’t expect me to charge it, and it rears back as I approach a lot quicker than it was probably expecting. As it swipes at me I roll under it, removing two of its legs as it screams out and tries to drop back into stealth.

I’m having none of that as I slam the blade directly into its skull.

It sags and immediately starts to disintegrate.

I turn to bask in my victory as a loud shriek sounds.

And a veritable avalanche of the smaller spiders is barrelling toward me from the room I left.

Okay maybe killing the big one hasn’t ended up as I planned.

I book it back to the decontamination room door, thankfully now open, and slam my fist onto the initiation button. The door closes as the spiders reach it and I am treated to shrieking skittering sounds of madness on the other side.

“EFA, I think it’s time to go home. I really didn’t sign up for this.”

I check my key, 85% full. Not long now till I can leave though in retrospect. I likely won’t try to leave until I have gotten to the bottom of this plan to forcibly evolve the entire world.

I’d like to have the option to one day come back and explore here and the extinction of humanity won’t be conducive to that I think.

The decontamination procedure begins, but this time the gas is blue.

“Boss, that’s reading as an anaesthetic! You are resistant and your nanobiotics will counter it until the concentration gets too high, but you can’t stay in it for too long, you won’t resist it forever!”

It’s just one thing after another.

I quickly look around for a release lever, there’s one on the far wall which I press to no effect.

I try to force the door back, better the enemy you know, but no luck there either. I can’t get a fingerhold on either door.

There are two large vents on the right, lacking any other better option I yank off the vent covers.

As I do, two small turrets emerge from the wall opposite.

What hell I didn’t have any scans of observation equipment!

“Boss they’re all hardened the same way the walls are, we will need to adapt scans.”

I pull my Beretta and take out the turrets before they even have time to aim at me. They’re hardened, but not bullet resistant it seems.

I wonder why everything is hardened against energy-based attacks but not much against standard firearms…

However, I have bigger problems to worry about.

It looks like I am being observed after all. Nothing in visual scans though, so the cameras must be embedded. And I’m trapped in a room filling with a general anaesthetic gas that my resistance to will eventually run out.

I quickly return to the vents I was investigating; they seem to drop off deeper into the facility.

“EFA are you getting anything on scans at all?”

“Tilted at various points from a 60 to 45-degree angle, terminates about eighty feet below us, you can survive the drop at this angle but it won’t be comfortable. Use your strength to slow down your descent as you go if you can.”

Unconscious with strangers who likely know I have abilities above the norm, or uncomfortable and deeper underground.

Option 2 it is.

I rip out the covering and the fan with my bare hands and chuck myself feet first into the chute.

I’ve been on worse slides in my life, but before long the chute widens too much for me to brace myself slower, and I slowly pick up speed.

With no warning I am ejected into the junk pile to end all junk piles.

In the dark.

I switch my flashlight on to a horror show of old mechanical junk and rotting flesh.

“EFA, note to self. Don’t throw myself into the garbage chute of a decontamination chamber in future.”

“Noted boss.”

“Do you think I’m too young to retire?”

“Probably.”

Quickly shaking myself free of the hunk of crap I landed in, I move to a relatively clear grated floor.

Looking around and I'm feeling the ‘A New Hope’ vibes right about now.

Looking around, there’s a large metal door in the far wall, and not much else. There are a bunch of chute entrances above, it looks like this is the central trash processing for the entire set of facilities.

“EFA anything of value in this pile of crap?”

“Yes, actually, there’s a lot of junk electronics and scrap metal that you can take into the Omni tool buffers and the matter manipulator that will be quite helpful in future. All basic compounds, but free is free.”

“Got ya, cheers EFA.”

I quickly get to work with the Omni tool and matter manipulator breaking down piles of junk and pretty much filling up the buffers of both tools with lots of useful raw materials. Nothing super advanced, but it’s nice to have most of the basic resource buffers full, just in case.

While the tools are breaking down the materials, I investigate the room more, It looks like this is where they just dump any broken machinery along with any failed experiments. There aren’t any life signs here but I'm not taking that for granted after the flamethrower behemoth. That thing registered as dead right before it woke up.

Moving to the door I quickly check out the access panel, but there doesn’t seem to be any power running through it.

And this door is absolutely huge. As a test I try to dig my fingers in and force it open.

Between my undersuit and the bionics, I’m pretty damn strong. But not enough for this door.

I’m going to have to check all the edge walls to see if there’s a power interface anywhere.

Looking round the room, this could take a while.

 

Chapter 33: Jaunt 1 - Finale

Notes:

And we come to the end of our first Jaunt. Archon has managed to grow his inherent knowledge of biology and what would be seen as "wet-tinkering" immensely, seeing usage of the tech so evil that it would make Mengele green with envy. A lot of what has developed here will be built on later, and used as a foundation for development for a while to come.

If you want it in Marvel terms, this is his equivalent to Starks, "Oh, Extremis has a lot more potential than i was thinking" moment.

Jaunt 1 – Chapter 3

 

September 6th, 2000, 1:00 am:

Nevada – Mojave Desert, deep below the earth. Unknown Facility.

 

This is useless.

Unless I want to tinker up some climbing gear and try one of the many chutes leading out of the room while desperately hoping I don’t get taken out by incoming trash, I seem to be stuck.

I’ve inspected every accessible corner of the room, and the only parts I haven’t yet checked are the three large piles of trash that are mostly biological.

There’s no sign of a button, access point or anything like it. There’s a single console with a keyboard by the exit door, but it’s unpowered. And scans show the cabling round the room is also unpowered.

If Purity is still alive when I return, I’m going to kick her head in twice as hard as I already would for destroying my flight abilities.

As I’m contemplating various ways to kill Nazis in cold blood and get away with it, the lights in the room suddenly flicker on, red.

And a body comes flying out of one of the vents.

Holy shit, that’s a living, breathing person.

I jump to catch them and lay them down on the floor.

The very familiar blonde woman I caught turns to look at me with narrowed eyes. As I rub the back of my neck and crack a hopefully disarming smile.

“Well Agent Brea, what’s a classy girl like you doing in a place like this?”

She isn’t amused.

“Hale. Explain now.”

“Would you believe me if I said I took a wrong turn on my way to Vegas?”

This woman might actually have less of a sense of humour than Piggot.

She points her gun at me and her eyes are vaguely glowing. Ok, no time for jokes I get it.

“I was following a lead on mutilated and eviscerated farm animals in the area, there’s been an increase in NMC activity all around the outskirts of California and Nevada, but the biggest concentration of sightings was the Dryfield area. No idea why the hunters weren’t already swarming here, place is a damned hotspot. I’ve already nearly run afoul of a giant flamethrower monster, been chased by the spider legion, and had to hack my way into some files on some shit that shouldn’t even exist. How about you Agent Brea, what brings you into the area?” I state, on the edge of hysteria.

She stares at me for what feels like forever, before lowering her gun and nodding.

“I was sent to Dryfield for the same reason. Ended up getting ambushed in Dryfield before being saved by a civilian, got my car dismantled by some gremlins, then got chased into the mines after getting a tip on a group running a big shelter here by some puma horses.”

“Ah the lion horses, yes I met them, I was on a motorbike at the time. Not fun at all. Chased me into a cave that turned out to be the den of some 20ft beast with a flamethrower. He headed off toward Dryfield but I had no way to signal a warning.”

“Don’t worry, I killed it.”

I turn to her wide eyed.

“How???”

“The same way I dealt with the ones in New York. With my freak powers.”

Ah, one of those then. In a world of parahumans it’s easy to accept someone with powers, but here, where she is effectively the only parahuman in existence.

Yeah she would constantly feel like an outsider.

“Like the fire you used on the helipad?”

She turns to me.

“You saw that?”

“Yeah was pretty cool to be honest.”

I decide to throw her a bone, not like I’m going to be here forever and whoever has been watching has seen be do this shit anyway.

I pull out the Jabberwock claw from my trouser pocket, clearly too small for it, before charging it with lightning, then speed bursting away and back to my position.

“You aren’t the only special one Agent Brea.”

She looks at me in awe.

“There are others!?”

I decide to shut her down gently.

“I have powers, but not from the same source as yours. Mine are a little more esoteric than yours which are born in your cells.”

“How do you know that?”

“Scans, and I looked up Maeda and Klamp’s work after we met. That Klamp was a freak I feel sorry for you for having to meet him.”

Her expression darkens.

“I understand. So you know all about me then?”

I feel like this is a trap question. So I’ll go with the safe answer.

“Not at all, I know a little about your hyper-activated mitochondria. I’m a doctor myself so I found Maeda’s research interesting and Klamp’s a horrifying violation of everything we swear oaths against. But in all honesty I just wanted to know if I could learn to throw fireballs myself.”

I turn to look at her meaningfully as I make my eyes glow with the Nanobiotics. I reach out and heal a graze on her arm from her trip through the vents. It was regenerating anyway, but I wanted to make a point.

“But that doesn’t mean I ‘know all about you’ Agent Brea, Just the barest look from the outside.”

She nods. And something fleeting passes between us, before disappearing.

“Call me Aya, the Agent Brea stuff is getting old. Now, how do we get out of here?”

I indicate up to one of the chutes opposite the one she came through.

“Your guess is as good as mine, I’ve been stuck in here for a few hours after I dropped in the same way as you. The lights are on now since you dropped in at least.”

We walk over to the door together, her arm lights up in a pale green corona as she charges, then releases a burst of green plasma at the door.

No effect.

Her arm flashes yellow as she punches the door, to no effect again. Not even a dent.

“Let’s try together.”

She looks me up and down with a slightly bemused expression.

“Okay then.”

She grabs the left door and I grab the right as we pull away from each other.

There’s a slight creak but nothing gives.

As I turn to ask her if she has any other ideas the lights change from red to white and the biggest trash pile starts to crumble. A large flabby arm and a massive shoulder with a large hole in it makes an appearance.

“Of for fuck sakes not again.”

“Boss, the door panel is on!”

I quickly run to the panel and there is a simple touch screen with open and close buttons.

I slam the open button and the door starts to unlock, agonisingly slowly.

“Hale!” Aya shouts.

The monster ahead of us in the trash pile is enormous. At least 10ft tall if not bigger, and most of that its head. Huge bulbous shoulders attached behind where the ears should be with massive misshapen human hands attached complete the view we have. Its bulk hidden behind its immense head.

Aya pulls an M4 off her back and immediately starts firing, I’m not far behind with the shotgun.

She startles at the report of my shotgun and shouts over to me.

“Where the hell did you pull that from??”

I just smirk and keep on firing.

The beast is intimidating, but extremely slow, having to pull itself forward on those massive misshapen arms inch by inch as we lay into it.

It roars, a spine chilling, ear bursting sound and the holes on its shoulder start launching projectiles into the air. They arc towards us and leave pools of a yellowy-green liquid around.

I instruct EFA to scan them and she informs me that they are a complex compound toxin that even I don’t want to get on me.

We dodge the fire as the door locks complete and the door finally starts opening.

Aya lets go with a humongous burst of fire, the air literally shimmers between us as EFA informs me that the flash combustion she just generated in the beasts face exceeded 250 degrees.

Celsius.

Christ I wouldn’t want to be hit with that. It’s like ‘Lung in a can’.

The world lights up in green as a massive burst of electricity hits the monster, followed by a burst of yellow as Aya starts to glow yellow and purple.

She gestures at me and a telekinetic shield covers my body, and another field around my weapon causing a telekinetic funnelling effect in front of the barrel, the rounds will leave the gun at much, much higher velocities.

EFA interjects as I’m studying the effect while continuing to fire, now much more impactful bursts of buckshot.

“Boss, whatever she did, the Nanobiotics are going wild, your own cells too, if you had an injury right now it would be healing incredibly fast even without your nanobiotics, she’s effectively supercharged every cell in your body. Your ATP production is through the roof. Not as high as hers with the strange mitochondria they have here. But much more than standard.”

“Take detailed scans for later please.”

“Will do!”

We continue laying round after round into the beast.

It seemingly loses its patience chasing us open’s its mouth and a horror show erupts.

Its mouth is bigger than me, it could literally eat me and Aya whole.

It starts to inhale and literal gale force winds erupt trying to suck us into its mouth.

 I quickly grab the grating in the floor and Aya does the same as the beast attempts to suck us directly into its stomach.

The inhalation ends and Aya pulls a grenade from her belt, loads it into the mounted grenade launcher on her M4 and fires it directly into the beasts mouth.

There’s seemingly no surface damage, but the grenade seems to do the trick, as the monster lets off an almighty scream and slumps to the floor.

I slump, as Aya start to reload her mags.

“Crap, that thing used most of my ammo.”

I reach into my ‘pocket’ and pull a few boxes of surplus 5.56 I looted from the armoury. I chuck them to her to which she sniffs.

“I’ll find out how you are doing that, eventually.”

I can’t help but laugh.

“I’m sure you will!”

We exit through the now open blast door into a long, wide corridor. Wide tracks are set in the floor, though for what I don’t know.

We reach about halfway down the corridor when the roar sounds behind us again, and the beast we just took down is charging towards us down the corridor.

Aya looks around in a panic, before booking it to an alcove in the corridor wall.

“Hale, over here!”

I don’t think twice before joining her.

“So, what are we doing here? Hoping it can’t squish us?”

“Just wait.” She replies with a smirk.

As the beast arrives in the corridor, on the tracked section I noticed earlier, and Aya punches a button in the wall labelled “DISPOSAL”.

The floor the beast is in starts to sink into the floor, carrying the beast down into the floor.

The walls then push in sideways, crushing the beast between two intense pushing forces.

The result is inevitable as the beast is crushed into a paste, roaring all the while.

Aya releases a breath and turns to me.

“I noticed it as we turned the corner.”

“I’m glad you did; I didn’t fancy being that things dinner.”

The lights flicker to red again as an electronic voice sounds out.

“Furnace activation in ten minutes, please leave the garbage disposal site immediately.”

No further chatter between us as we turn the corner in the massive corridor and rush to the end.

The door is electronically locked, but that’s no challenge for me, an electronic lock that isn’t unpowered, shielded or otherwise protected is nothing to the Omni tool, and the console isn’t hardened like the door. Seemingly made of heat-resistant materials instead. I hack the switch in a matter of seconds and we exit to a sewer.

With a gun pointed to my head.

“Who the fuck are you?” a man’s voice exclaims.

Aya interjects. “Kyle, put the gun down, he’s with me.”

The now identified “Kyle” takes the gun away from my head and I turn to look at him.

“Boss, this man was in the Akropolis tower, I have him on multiple scans from around the building. He was dressed as SWAT for some of it too. More interestingly. Scans show traces of C4 and large amounts of chemicals on his skin. He shows early signs of tampering with his Mitochondria. He also has one of those implants in his arm.”

Hmm, interesting.

I have no internet access in here or I would have EFA look this guy up. Time to grab the bull by the horns again, I have no desire to see this guy’s agenda play out.

“So, who are you Kyle?”

“PI out of LA. Helped Aya in Dryfield. You?”

“Indy Hunter out of LA. You know it’s interesting, I have to wonder what a PI was doing at the Akropolis Tower dressed as a member of SWAT, and has traces of C4 all over him.”

His eyes widen and he raises his gun at me this time safety off.

I blur towards him and put him in an arm lock, as Aya points her gun at us seemingly in shock.

She keeps looking between us seemingly unsure of what to think as I pin him next to the open furnace door.

“So, ‘Kyle’, what’s the real story here. See, I have a rather large suspicion about you. And I have sources of info you can’t fathom. So spill. I’m perfectly happy to throw you in the furnace if you don’t. I already find it incredibly suspicious that you were waiting here for one of us behind a locked door after we dropped into the furnace.”

He struggles, pushing and clawing against my unyielding grip before giving up.

“I was ordered to watch her, and then you after you showed strange abilities.”

Aya looks stricken.

“Why?”

“Because the company wants to know if they can properly emulate your abilities before the day comes.”

“‘The day’ referring to the new genesis?”

He looks as me in shock.

“How did you know that name!?”

“You guys are really bad at cleaning up after yourselves. So, you work for Neo Ark then. Otherwise known as the Ark Foundation?”

He slumps.

“Yes.”

So, the company that funds the independent hunters is the main villain in all this.

Fitting.

“And you believe all that crazy crap about a new world order, free of human beings with everything turned into mitochondrion monsters?”

He turns his head away and refuses to look at us.

Aya looks at me in askance.

“In the facility I fell in from, there were files detailing experiments with a genotype, that I suspect was taken from you. In it, they describe an Ark, designed to shelter the chosen few as the rest of humanity is eliminated, converted into ANMC’s, Artificial NMC’s designed to fulfil food chain responsibilities across the world as the chosen few gods rule over the new order.”

She looks vaguely I’ll.

“Then all of these monsters... they’re all related to me?”

“No, not really. You are a genetic key, likely not the only one, just the only discovered one. The latent mitochondria in your cells are incredibly powerful and they wanted to use that. But they failed.”

That gets Kyle’s attention.

“What do you mean we failed?” he laughs, a dry, humourless thing. “We already cloned her. The kids in the main facility, we don’t need a washed-up cop anymore.”

Aya looks furious.

“You CLONED ME!? After NEW YORK! Are you all crazy!?”

Kyle continues to laugh.

“You are the mother of the new world order, but we don’t need your ‘morals’ or your worthless fear of your own potential. We will raise a new world order under Eve! Our new all-powerful god!”

He bites down on something in his mouth, and EFA alerts me that he’s entering a transformation.

“Back away quick!”

His skin starts to writhe and shuffle.

Three shots ring out as Aya hits him mid transformation. He flies back into the open furnace door from her PE enhanced shots and Aya pushes the button to relock the door. Screams erupt from within as the furnace engages.

A tear falls from the corner of her eye but she braces herself and continues.

“We have a clone to find, and a facility to destroy. Come on.”

We exit the area as the furnace switches on behind us.

And if I hear a sniff from Aya as we leave well, I’ll pass it off as gas or something.

 

…

 

Aya is like a machine, no words pass between us as we move through the sewers into a much bigger facility than the one I was previously in, killing loch ness monster esque NMC’s and fat NMC’s similar to the ones from the Akropolis tower.

Finally we pass through a cylindrical room, over a gantry below which is a massive ball of flesh and end up at a control room.

The computers are locked and hardened, but there is a network access point here and I can finally get access to the facility network.

I hack in with my omni tool not even bothering to hide it.

Aya looks on in interest as the orange ui opens up on my arm and the tool and EFA hack through firewalls and network security protocols.

I project a map into the room.

“There’s a huge greenhouse underground, and a Lab. It looks like they wanted to get you down there so they could isolate you and take more samples but I’ve sealed it off.”

I continue downloading information from the central network hub.

“The phone is now activated if you want to call for backup, but Aya. Baldwin is in on this.”

The files on the network implicate a lot of people in upper government actually, though thankfully not the president.

She looks ashen as she looks over the list I’m projecting.

She turns to the phone on the wall.

“I’m going to call my colleague Jodie and Rupert, Rupert has contacts in the secret service, I’ll be able to get proper support here.”

“Give me his email address and I’ll send him the proof.”

She rattles off an email address and I send a massive packet of info over to him as she starts the phone call.

I continue to download everything they have in their network before moving on to protocols.

I disable the observation cameras and Parasite Energy disablers and switch the security turrets protocols to target the NMCs in the facility. Gunfire is audible throughout the facility and Aya looks over at me in alarm but shake my head and indicate the console.

Finally, I download a detailed map of the facility.

Her phone call ends and she comes back to the console I am hacking.

“Rupert is going to get us Army support, Jodie is contacting Pierce my other colleague who is on the way here, apparently. I’ve also contacted a friend in Dryfield and told him to evacuate.”

I nod at her and shake my wrist.

“I’ve got a detailed map of the area, uploading to your contacts now. Your clone is being held not far from here, in a Lab further down. I’ve disabled the security protocols and ordered the turrets to destroy anything down there. I’ve got the facility wide security that was disabled previously cleaning up the NMC’s, and I’ve taken control of every decontamination protocol from here to Dryfield.”

She smirks at me.

“No more trips to the furnace then?”

I shudder.

“No thanks.”

I’ll keep control of the facility from here, stop them from getting hold of the facility again, you head down to the lab and collect your clone, With the equipment here I can contact you if needed.

…

The information in the files here is actually impressive. I compare it to some of the genetic engineering work in the Magos Designation, and in some areas it’s actually equivalent. There’s a bit of a rabbit hole here, I’m kind of regretting not knocking out or disabling some of the NMCs I had met in order to Aura scan them.

However, the more interesting part is how they made the monsters that can use the same, or similar albeit weakened versions of the pseudo ‘spells’ that Aya uses.

They effectively used the mitochondria to propagate minor genetic changes throughout the carrier. Every Parasite Energy using monster is partially related to Aya.

This could actually be an incredible piece of the puzzle for solving the Case-53 problem. If I can isolate off the mitochondria without the insane cell suicide modifications of course. I don’t think they’d appreciate melting into goo upon critical injury.

I might have to ask Aya, but I don’t think she would appreciate someone else wanting to experiment with her DNA.

I also download schematics for the contact lens tech and some of their more esoteric workstations. Genetic enhancement tools and the like.

As I’m breaking my way through the system, I get contact with Aya in the lab. Bringing up the cctv there I see her with a mini-me.

“Hale, I’m making my way back upstairs, is the way clear?”

“All clear for now, I will use the loudspeaker to contact you if any issues.”

I watch her till she gets on the elevator, however as I am watching, one of the screens starts to flash.

‘Golem Soldier Unit Activation Protocol Initiated,’

That doesn’t sound good.

“EFA track that alert and disable the protocol if you can.”

“Boss you are going to want to look at this.”

I quickly scan the file that EFA has bought up on the screen.

Genetically enhanced super-soldiers, enslaved to a set of strict instructions, to protect the Ark at all cost and follow all orders from those numbered higher than them.

“EFA bring up the cameras from that room.”

The camera flickers on, it’s the armoured mask guy from the tower!

He turns to the camera.

“I don’t know how you took control of our systems so easily merc, but this system is isolated for our security. I’m coming to take back my systems boy.”

“Boss, he isn’t lying, Systems in the GOLEM chamber are airgapped, you have to be present to prevent activation.”

An attempt is made on the systems to lock certain doors, they’re trying to waylay Aya too.

EFA deflects the attempt with contemptible ease.

I grab the loudspeaker and set it to where Aya currently is.

“Aya, you have major heat incoming, don’t bother coming back here, make your way out to the parking structure, and outside. I’m unlocking the doors for you and locking the doors between you and the soldiers coming for you. Be careful, these guys are no pushovers.”

She nods on camera and diverts course with the little girl following her.

I quickly lock down any doors between her and the Golem soldiers that are moving out through the facility.

The turrets are hard-coded not to target the golems, but I bypass that with a little worm of my own (Okay, EFA’s own but who’s counting) and the security systems turn on the Golem soldiers.

It’s…less effective than I expect, but a few of them are taken down.

While I close doors and harass the soldiers, EFA is preparing a control system to prevent them taking control of the facility again.

“Boss, you need to see this. Now.”

She sends a file to my omni-tool, I open it up and gaze in horror at the final stage of their plan.

The room of flesh before this control room, is a literal cocoon, sealed in a massive vault with an openable roof. The plan is to feed the little girl (Eve the file says) to this cocoon in order for her to be enslaved to it. Her Mitochondria will be used to fuel its metamorphosis into a flying, insanely powerful beast that will then spread spores over the planet to force the transformation.

Aya is almost out. She’s currently in combat with a massive bipedal beast that is firing blasts of plasma at her.

I pop the loudspeaker again.

“Aya, do not let them get hold of Eve, she is the key to their plan, don’t come back in with her, get as far away from here with her as possible.”

She breaks into a sprint on camera, firing massive blasts of fire and plasma behind her as golem soldiers advance alongside the walking beast. Thankfully she is almost out and the soldiers are simply disintegrating if they try to approach.

She clenches her first and the room ahead of her bursts into a corona of pure power.

When the light fades not even dust is left.

I turn away from the sight to check my own approaching visitors.

The masked guy and his own, now much smaller army of soldiers is just passing through decontamination now, I seal some of them in there, but a few of them wearing heavy gauntlets simply smash their way through..

Turns out while energy does basically nothing to these walls, throw enough physical force at them and they go down rapidly.

They aren’t far now.

“EFA are we set?”

“All set boss, I can’t affect any airgapped systems of course but they aren’t getting back into the primary system any time soon. I can network in from any console or computer in the base connected to the network too if need be.”

“Okay, let’s take a shortcut then.”

I switch on every turret in the room, as the phone starts to ring.

I sprint over and pick it up.

“Aya, it’s Rupert.”

“Sorry Rupert it’s Thomas, and I have to evacuate so make it quick.”

“Hale? Good work on that info, Baldwins in custody. But you and Aya need to evacuate immediately. The Army is hightailing it there, but the President has seen the plans you sent over and decided to sanitise the facility. You have maybe an hour before the hypervelocity satellite is in position to destroy the facility and Dryfield.”

What the hell is a hypervelocity satellite? Research for later.

“Okay, thanks for the heads up, Aya is almost out, I stayed to maintain facility control but I need to leave before I get pinned.”

“Then don’t let me keep you, I’m on my way, shouldn’t be too long now, took a chopper with the advance guard.”

I chow down on buff food and pre stim. I feel like this is going to be a tricky one.

I leg it out to the gantry as the door ahead start to groan. I vault over the gantry to land on the walkway below. I exit through the route I pre-planned into the septic tank area. The defences down here are still active and on my side and I need to move quickly.

I pass the route Aya took to collect Eve and ignore the elevator down into the ‘Ark’ and continue running in a straight line. The sound of static warns me in just enough time and I roll as a lithe golem soldier drops out of invisibility and attempt to taze me from behind. A flick of the Jabberwock disarms him. Quite literally.

I continue on through straight metallic corridors, dealing with two more of the invisible soldiers.

“EFA can we scan for these guys at all?”

“We can, just as they drop stealth, the field takes them slightly out of phase so they technically don’t exist till they drop the stealth. It’s definitely a derivative of those spiders we fought earlier.”

I shudder at the memory.

As I run an almighty high-pitched scream sounds from behind me. Looks like mask-face has discovered my lockout.

I make it to the elevator hall and sprint for the elevator hall. As the corridor opens up into the sub-atrium I am intercepted by a golem soldier in seeming riot gear.

I have no time to be gentle, and these guys basically gave themselves to this inhuman program. I drop a few scans to save a copy of the physical enhancements and proceed to dismantle him with great prejudice. One of the stealth soldiers attempts to intercept but I deal with him as I did the others.

The elevator ride is quick and smooth, I took control of this protocol already so I’m not worried about any funny business here. The turrets on the next floor are already firing down the corridor I need to take, and on the other side, two golem soldiers with rocket launchers are firing small homing rockets that fly very slowly. The turrets are shooting the rockets out of the sky in a kind of stalemate.

I pull my pistol out and charge the two of them. They try to shoot rockets at me in alarm but trajectory allows me to shoot them from the air with ease.

Two dead golem soldiers via sword later and I exit into the main corridor of the facility.

If they’d spent more time giving these guys rudimentary combat intelligence, this wouldn’t be so easy. But they made a group of soldiers, that are around ten times stronger than your average special forces soldier, and given them incredible weapons, but gave them the brain of a lobotomised koala and no real armour. I mean I can see why in a way. Without Aya’s enhanced bullet field, or my own Jabberwock claw, these guys skin could probably resist most any regular bullet. But still. You don’t want dumb unarmoured super soldiers. Were they trying to cost cut or did they simply not realise?

I like the idea of drone soldiers but doing it this way is morally repugnant. Plus, even if I wasn’t averse to using actual people as drones, I can’t think of many quicker ways to a kill order.

I enter the golem control room immediately on my left and the consoles have been utterly destroyed. Mask-face it seems, is not taking any chances.

I bypass the room and check my omni tool. The door should be opening imminently if my program progresses as planned.

The door does open, but the next one has been peeled open, this is how the few that stayed behind got through my lockdown to chase Aya then.

As I enter the parking garage, I am intercepted by an incredibly quick Golem with an arm mounted beam saber.

It’s unwieldy as all hell but fuck me is it cool.

“EFA take detailed scans of that thing please, I might want to replicate it in future for reasons.”

I feel her eye roll mentally.

The sword golem charges at me again and fucking hell this guy’s quicker than me! Still very straightforward however so I simply dodge to the left, parrying his blade on the Jabberwock as I go. Three quick exchanged flurries of bladework commence until I lose patience and use the extend function of the blade to catch him off guard. The claw opens his throat (thanks nanoblade!) and I continue into the tunnels.

The deeper I go, the more worried I get. There’s no sign of mask-face behind me, and the main doorway here is right next to the other entrance to the control room I was in.

I continue through the tunnels, there’s a lot of room to cover, this tunnel is definitely designed to be driven rather than sprinted, but between my bionics, undersuit and buff food I’m making good pace.

A parked motorbike catches my attention and reminds me of my poor bike buried somewhere out in the desert.

There’s a truly massive sheathe attached to the fuel tank, I bend down to investigate it and it saves my life.

I swish above my head as a massive blade swipes through where my neck was. A shimmer as mask-face appears from stealth.

“Nothing gets past you does it merc.”

“Hello mask-face, fancy seeing you here.”

His beady yellow glowing eyes narrow.

“Names No. 9.”

“I don’t care. You’ll be dead soon anyway.”

He laughs that horrible braying laugh.

“You ruined everything you know. This was going to be the next big evolution, but no. You had to appear out of nowhere and destroy everything we had built. We looked you up you know. The scores you put out at the range and your moves at the tower. What the hell are you? A freak of nature like the blonde? Or something else?”

“I’m just a traveller waiting for my bus home.”

He laughs again.

“Well, this plan might be over, but as long as we exist, there’s always another shot while the bitch and the kid exist.”

Maybe he’s right. But he won’t he here to see it.

“I’ve set the self-destruct, if we can’t have it we won’t lose it to you and those government hacks.”

He charges at me screaming as his body glows purple and his blade ignites.

I catch his blade on my shield and his eyes widen in shock as the energy shield erupts over my arm.

I parry off his hit and make a stab myself, he catches my wrist with his other hand incredibly quickly and mule kicks me away.

“Interesting tech you have there. It won’t save you though. I look forward to prying it from your corpse.”

We enter a dancing flurry of blades, neither of us willing to give an inch. He has the strength and reach advantage, but I have speed.

And a few tricks up my sleeve.

We parry each other and both go for a jab with our free hands.

Our fists meet in the middle with a shockwave and we jump backwards away from each other again.

I’m starting to enjoy this fight, but I’m conscious of time running out.

Another flurry and he’s getting quicker as the glow around him intensifies.

Is this the true power of the latent mitochondria? A purely biological superhuman process.

He parries my blade and goes for my throat. I dodge and pull my staff from the portal, I twist behind his back and extend the plasma blade while stabbing behind me.

A grunt, and then he slumps to the floor.

I turn around to my plasma blade through his chest and slowly sliding out through the side of his torso.

“Good show merc.” He coughs out. “I knew you weren’t normal. To keep up with me at this level of power… Maybe humanity isn’t as lost as I thought.”

He slumps to the floor, as his life-signs disappear.

I back away from him slowly, as he hasn’t dissolved like the others did.

There is no sign of movement as I sprint through the airlock door ahead of me.

To 20 very serious-looking soldiers pointing their guns at me and screaming at me to identify myself.

“He’s with me!” Thank god, Aya to the rescue.

She turns to me with a serious expression.

“Is it finished?”

I nod back at her.

“Yeah, big and masked from Akropolis is dealt with, he set the self destruct so we need to leave.

She smirks.

“No need, the hypervelocity is firing.”

She points up into the sky as a series of colossal energy bursts slams down from orbit into the mesa. The superstructure of the base resists the blasts, but the open roof of the mitochondrial cocoon will be giving that twisted sack of flesh something to think about.

I whistle appreciatively. I wonder if I could get hold of those blueprints…

“Boss, I think it’s about time we headed home rather than plan a heist on the US government here hm?”

Damn it she’s right of course.

I turn back to Aya.

“Well, that’s something you don’t get to see every day.”

She leads me over to a green canvas tent, where Eve and a blonde guy in glasses are sat.

“Pierce, this is Thomas Hale, Hale, this is Pierce, the systems and IT expert of MIST.”

Pierce shakes my hand and tells me he will catch up with me later as he wants to see my ‘mad hacking tools’ that broke into the most secure network he’s ever seen. He then leaves, hand in hand with Eve.

They leave and it’s just me, and Aya.

“So, what now?” She asks.

“Those guys are likely still out there somewhere. We can’t have gotten all of them, so you are going to need to hunt for them.”

She puts her hand on her chin and tilts her head.

“We have some free spots in MIST if you are interested, guy like you, powers like yours. Could make a big difference in the hunt that is coming.”

I chuckle dryly.

“Unfortunately, it’s past due for me to head home.”

 She stares at me perplexed.

“Home?”

“I’m not exactly from around here Aya. This was just an accidental side trip, and I have fights of my own to fight.”

I don’t owe her anything now, but I’d feel bad leaving it a mystery.

“I’m not from this earth Aya.”

She looks at me like I’ve just grown an extra head.

“Where I come from, powers are normal. Common even. Bad power interaction sent me here and I’ve been waiting for a way back. I have it now, so I’m heading back home. This is likely the last you’ll hear of me.”

She stares at me for a while before gasping a little.

“My powers, you’re telling the truth aren’t you, you really aren’t from around here?”

I shake my head.

“No, and it’s time for me to leave.”

I hand her my guns.

“These are… special. I’d appreciate it if you held on to them for me. They’ve got a bit more of a kick than you’ll be used to so, save them for emergencies yeah?”

The enchantments should last for longer than most people will be alive.

“Will you be back?”

“I’m not sure, but likely not. The power that bought me here is a bit random, and not forgiving of mistakes. I’ve not even been able to call upon it at all while I’ve been here.”

“And what about me, you scanned me right, what am I looking at? Am I going to turn into a beast like Melissa did?”

The girl from New York? Has she been holding on to that fear all this time?

“You’ll be happy to know that no, your at no risk of that. You have perfect symbiosis with your cells. As long as you don’t want to become a monster, you won’t. And if one day you need that power, it will be right there, under your complete control when you need it.”

I hug her, which shocks her a little, and turn to leave.

“Thank for your help Thomas.”

“Likewise, Aya.”

As I step to the tent flap, she grabs my hand.

“Try to come back one day yeah, I think Eve would like to speak to you and thank you one day.”

“You could both come with me if you wanted. Entire world of people with powers, you wouldn’t be anything unusual there.”

She looks pensive.

“Honestly, it’s tempting. To not be the weird odd one out. But with these monsters out there somewhere… I wouldn’t feel right running from the fight, you know?”

“I understand completely, but still. If I get the opportunity to return and find you again. I’ll make you the offer one more time.”

She nods at me.

And kisses me on the cheek.

“Thanks Hale. Don’t be a stranger yeah.”

I’m speechless as she leaves ahead of me.

Damn. What a woman.

I make my way out of the tent and head for a nearby convenient portable toilet.

I scan the key. 100% powered.

Well then, now or never.

I stick the key into the toilet door intending to step into my workshop and see what’s been happening while I’ve been gone. However the moment I touch the handle, the elder blood power floods back in to me, and in a flash of green I am gone again.

I step back into Brockton Bay onto a dockside rooftop, and watch an energy blast fire off into the sky and catch Purity straight in the face.

This was the rooftop I was originally aiming to teleport to!

“Kayden!”

Wow, Kaiser must actually care about her if he’s just screaming her name like that.

I’d care more, but the bitch tried to vaporise me so fuck her.

Kaiser manages to catch Purity on a slide of metal, but it doesn’t look good. She has life-signs, but they are rapidly fading.

He turns to look at my rooftop, his entire bearing set in a rictus of hate.

I’m not one to look a gift-nazi in the mouth. Archon vs the Reich, round 2.

This time, no holding back.

 

Notes:

Not going to lie, i really wanted to recruit Aya, while the main focus of this Jaunt was to introduce a still rather naive Archon to truly horrific uses of the powers he has been granted, in real time, in a manner that wouldnt have lopsided effects on the timeline of Bet. It still would have been nice to recruit her. Unfortunately i roll for most of those types of decisions, and all three rolls that could have led to me recruiting her came back negative. With one positive roll for a future recruitment opportunity (A long time in the future.)

Next chapter Max gets a talking to.

Finally, i didnt get chance to put it in the chapter, so it will appear after the conclusion of this situation in the next, but this Jaunt was so long we gained 800cp.

Next chapters rolls should be fun!

As always, let me know what you think, where can the fights improve, where can the plot be clearer, where am i moving too fast, or too slow etc. Good feedback is king.

Chapter 34: Arc 4 - Chapter 1

Summary:

Returned from an alternate world via elder blood shenanigans, our Hero finds nothing but disappointment and disillusionment waiting for him. Can a man hold firm in heroic beliefs in the face of infinite power, and a world designed to pressure it's inhabitants into a neverending cycle of combat and improvement?

Notes:

I've had this and the next 4 chapters written since the 28th, editing is taking up more time than writing at this point but i can't hold this any more. Apologies for any remaining mistakes. Possibly one more chapter tonight, then a chapter of Nurtured likely tomorrow and then maybe my editing block with Sage can finally lift and i can be happy with the 6 chapters i have of that ready to go...

Arc 4 – Resistance

 

Arc 4 – Chapter 1

 

Saturday 2^nd January 2011, Evening.

 

I quickly throw on a domino mask pulled from my Portal. I’m luckily far enough away and it’s dark enough that it is highly unlikely he even got the basics of how I look.

A breeze carrying a flight of artistically placed leaves wouldn’t be out of place right now as I jump to the ground and stand-off with Kaiser. I'm not risking a teleport again for now.

Purity lies bleeding out; Krieg lies unconscious, still twitching and Crusader is down nursing a severe injury.

As I make to move towards them, Kaiser thumbs a switch on a black box in his hand and a cloud of black smoke appears as a large burst of static goes off in the area. Whatever he had in his hand is now damaged beyond repair.

He does not look happy.

“Boss, Comms are back up, whatever that was, it was responsible for the wideband blocking in the area. Call placed to PRT; hostage situation explained.”

“So where do we go from here then Kaiser?”

He looks me up and down.

“I don’t know what you just did, or how you have healed yourself so quickly. But it changes nothing. Armour or not, you will still be put down.”

He pulls his phone out.

“If I don’t check in. The hostages die.”

“Go ahead.”

He makes a call and is seemingly satisfied with what he hears.

“I’m going to walk away, with my people. When I’m out of sight of the docks and you aren’t around, I’ll arrange for the hostages release. You have my word.”

Crusader stumbles over to Krieg and drags him over toward Purity.

“And we all know you are a man of your word right Kaiser? I mean you were stupid enough to arrange for me to be attacked, out in the open no less. And then escalated to lethal in complete disregard for the rules.”

He snorts.

“You don’t understand your position here Archon. If you don’t step away, a family dies.”

“I don’t care.”

He’s genuinely gobsmacked as that hits him, and even Crusader looks shocked.

“I thought you were a hero?”

“Oh, I am. But I’ve come to realise it’s a simple maths game. You see, if I take you four out of the picture here, one family might die, true. But how many countless families then live on unsullied by your mad games and lust for power? Simply put Kaiser, your deal isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on. Because even if I could trust you to keep your word, which we both know I can’t, it’s completely irrelevant. The more logical choice is to take you out of the frame completely.”

I have no intention of ending his life unless he makes me. But he doesn’t know that.

I turn toward Purity, and he flinches.

“I’ll make you a counteroffer. Surrender, now. The PRT are on their way, and when they get here, you will be going into custody. You don’t resist. You don’t attempt to escape. And make sure that family is released without incident. And in return, I let you keep your legs, your lives. And I’ll see what I can do to make sure Purity here doesn’t have to live life as a vegetable.”

I drop my staff out of the workshop portal and ignite the blade at full power.

He looks from the blade, back to me, and then back to the blade again.

“If you had that all along, why did you fight us the way you did?”

“Because I naively believed that as long as everyone played by the rules in this little game that you all play, that things would stay civilised. You’ve disabused me of that notion. So, thanks I guess.”

I step toward him and force my eyes to glow as I pulse the blade. A quick hand sign has three more copies of me stalking along with me, albeit without the plasma blade.

“So, what will it be, ‘Emperor’?”

He looks at Purity and back at me, her breathing is shallow, and regardless of how this ends she doesn’t have long left.

He holds out his hands and dismisses his armour, sans his mask as he drops to his knees and puts his hands on his head.

“Kaiser, what are you doing, you can take him!” Crusader yells.

I turn a flat look to him.

“He’s making the most intelligent choice he can make in this situation. I recommend you do the same.”

Kaiser nods his head quickly at him as I approach Purity.

Well, she won’t be winning any sort of competition that requires depth perception in future, I’ve completely burned out her left eye with the energy pistol shot. A chunk of her temple is blown off too, along with a large chunk off the top of her nose. She must have taken the shot side on so she luckily avoided any major brain damage.

She might find it hard to use her power after this given how difficult it’s going to be for her to aim precisely. Her left eye is gone and her right eye is definitely burned right down to the retina.

While my clones watch Kaiser, Krieg and Crusader I get to work on closing off Purity’s wounds. I don’t bother fixing the breaks, nor the concussion. This will all make her much easier to keep in custody. The PRT can get her healed if they want.

In a flash Kaiser has stabbed the clone holding him, dispelling it in the process. He charges at me with a scream of rage.

Sadly, I expected this. He’s nothing if not predictable.

He’s ridiculously slow and as he reaches out to grab me, or stab me, I step back while twirling my staff. The plasma blade flashes and his arm flies off into the night.

I stare at him dispassionately as he begins to scream in agony. Did he honestly think the meagre metal he had grown as he ran would block my blade?

“Did you really think that would work again?”

He obviously doesn’t answer, still screaming and holding his cauterized shoulder.

I hand off some stimpaks and medi gel to a freshly summoned clone and turn back to my patient.

“Stabilise that.” I point to Kaiser.

At least plasma is good at cauterizing wounds.

I finish stabilising Purity; this is about as far as I am willing to heal her.

I use my portal to pull materials out of my workshop as I blind her remaining eye with a fitted metal blindfold and bind her hands and feet.

As I’m binding Purity, my clones dispel in sequence out of nowhere, I spin in haste to block an attack but hit nothing but a dense billowing mist.

Did they bring the entire fucking empire?

A blonde man and woman in matching grey and black costumes and theatrical masks stalk towards me.

Night and Fog.

I’m not completely worried about Night, even if she flashbangs me to use her power, EFA will be able to see her. Hopefully that should be enough.

Fog however, will be a problem. I don’t have an effective counter other than “Don’t breathe him in, hope he’s afraid of the plasma blade.”

I re-ignite my Plasma blade while holding the staff against my arm behind my back. I also quickly step toward Purity.

“One step closer, and she dies.”

They stop cold.

“Heroes don’t kill in cold blood.” Night states in a monotone.

Fog holds his arm out and states in his own creepily similar German accent-tinged monotone.

“We only require Purity. We care not what is done with the other three.”

Crusader sputters before gathering himself and spitting out a curse.

“Where is your loyalty to the Empire!”

“There is no loyalty except to the Light Mother.”

Well then, I knew they were kind of close to Purity, but that’s something else.

“She tried to kill me.”

Night shakes her head.

“The privilege of choice was denied. The wishful emperor placed implied threat upon the children Purity cares for.”

I snort.

“And I’m to take a Nazi at their word?”

She nods. I don’t quite think she gets sarcasm.

“Yes. Exchange is offered as truce. We get Purity. You get Kaiser and Crusader. Krieg will not stay contained for long so we offer no promise of his captivity. We will not assist any escape, however. This is our offer.”

I’m loath to let the woman who was about to disintegrate me go. But in all honesty, I can’t guarantee this is a fight I will win as exhausted and resource deprived as I am.

Fog then interjects.

“If it offers pleasant restitution in addition to the deal offered. We intend to leave the city of Brockton entirely, now the children have been extracted.”

“With Purity.”

He nods.

“With Purity.”

“Do you really think Max will let his two children go without a fight?”

They both stiffen and I hear a light gasp from Crusader.

“How is one such as you in possession of the name and quantity of dependents of that one?”

I shrug.

“It’s pretty obvious if you know where to look.”

They look to each other, nod, and then back at me.

“The children are secure. With Kaiser in custody and unmasked with no backup from Europe, his ability to influence their placement will be curtailed. The ones overseas will not assist an armless impure cripple.”

What a lovely sentiment.

“And if he chooses to reveal your identities?”

“Our identities do not exist. If he reveals Purity he only damns himself more. I carry doubt that they will put him in an air proof cell. He will toe the line.”

He tilts his head as if listening to something far away.

“Now, the PRT approach. Choose.”

I nod.

“Take her. The next time me and her meet, will be the last.”

He nods.

“An acceptable arrangement.”

I remove her restraints with the matter manipulator beam and he hoists her over his shoulder as they both turn and leave.

I quickly restrain Krieg, still blissfully unconscious from taking a full battery charge, though he could likely break out eventually even with materials this strong. I double and then triple up on everything till he looks like a steel mummy.

I re-summon my clones to finish restraining Kaisers remaining arm and legs, with fabricated non-metallic materials while I restrain Crusader. I’m not making skin contact with Kaiser with a bunch of metal implements in my body.

It’s been a long ass day. I’ve been awake for well over 24 hours at this point and spent half of that in combat or retreat. I need to sleep. And some serious R&R.

“So, what was the endgame here Crusader? Why would he lure me out in the first place? After what I did to the other four he had to know this wasn’t a great plan.”

He spits.

“As if you don’t know, you embarrassed us you gook sympathiser.”

I sigh.

“All this for pride?”

“All we have is pride you race traitor. Kaiser wanted to bolster the troops by beating you and handing you over to the PRT in exchange for the others. He wasn’t even going to really kill you, just wanted you to cry out for help so he could embarrass you to gain back some of our rep.”

“Because of what I did to Hookwolf?”

“And the rest. Now fuck off I’m not talking to you anymore. Just hand us over to the other race traitors so we can get back home in the morning.”

I shake my head and move to sit with them all in my eyeline.

 

Before long, the PRT show up with the cavalry, only to find me with the three restrained parahumans. As the PRT jump out of their van and start adding their own restraints to the downed Empire parahumans under the watchful eye of Battery, Assault approaches me warily.

“Archon?” he questions, looking me up and down.

I nod. “Yes.”

He slow whistles while looking over my captives.

“Nice! You caught the big man himself. And Krieg, Crusader!? Holy shit dude this is a big catch.”

I nod my head, I’m not really in the mood for pleasantries. I’m tired, I’m mentally fried, and to be honest, I’m kind of missing Sherrel. And my workshop.

Assault looks me up and down with what he probably things is a joking smile.

“Forget your armour?”

I turn to him so quickly he takes a step back.

“No. That prick got a hand on me and pushed three spikes of metal through my torso. Do you know how hard it is to regrow your lung? I had to field deconstruct my suit!”

I feel naked without a full head covering. And vulnerable.

He swallows and seems lost for words.

“Do you need medical assistance?”

“No, I’ve dealt with it. Did you manage to find the hostages?”

He looks down.

“They’re on the way to Brockton General, but it doesn’t look good. Sorry Archon. Hookwolf… wasn’t gentle.”

It’s as expected to be honest. He never planned to release them. By the time they would have left, they were already expected to be close to dead. He just took advantage of my naivety.

“Do I need to get over there?”

“Panacea is already there. But we will call you if you are needed.”

“And Hookwolf?”

“Escaped with the help of the twins, though Militia gave him something to remember her by.”

I nod at the three on the floor.

“I’ve stabilised them as much as I am willing. Given that Kaiser held me down for Purity to disintegrate, And I have a recording of that if you need it for evidence, I’m not healing them any more than I have. If you want them healthier, ask Panacea if she’s willing to heal a Nazi.”

“Purity was here?”

“Yes, now she’s missing one eye and extracted by Night and Fog. I had to give her up to avoid fighting even more without my full kit.”

He nods. And turns to leave with the PRT wagon.

“Assault. Kaiser, Krieg and Crusader are here. Cricket and Othala are in Boston. And Night, Fog and Purity have skipped town. The local empire presence is down to Stormtiger, Victor, Hookwolf, Alabaster, Rune and the twins. We can build on this, surely?”

He shrugs.

“Rune’s in custody in Chicago, Armsmaster and Triumph caught her during the attack on the Asian district that you helped prevent..”

Ah, that explains why I haven’t heard about her then.

“Trying another villain to hero conversion job like with Shadow Stalker?”

Probably the wrong guy to ask this of to be honest.

He turns back to me.

“Is it a bad thing to turn villains into heroes given how outnumbered we are?”

“Not at all. When it works.”

He shakes his head at that. He has to know of my report about Shadow Stalker.

“No system has a 100% success rate. All we can do is try.”

You know, I kind of respect his honesty.

I nod.

“Fair enough, now, the Empire remnants. Surely we can push to clean them up now?”

He shakes his head back at me.

“There are still multiple hundreds of gang members to work through, we can’t make sudden moves and risk a riot.”

I sigh.

Looks like I’ll have to clean up on my own.

He makes as if to leave, but then turns back to me.

“Please can you get your footage over asap; with the injuries these guys have… I’ll need to put it through review.”

I’m about to snap back something we will both regret but in all honesty. I’m too fucking tired.

I’ll bring it up with Armsmaster as soon as I can. Worrying about the level of injuries on three people I just told him tried to murder me does not endear Assault to me further.

And I’m pretty sure he knows it.

I nod wearily and wave him off.

He grimaces and seems like he wants to apologise. He can do that at a later date, I’m too tired for this shit right now. I’ve been high adrenaline for the best part of 30 hours and I need to crash.

I walk out of sight and then to the nearest door I can see. I’m going to be a little more circumspect with my teleportation unless I’m high on magic reserves which I definitely am currently not.

I stumble into the workshop atrium and head to bed, as I lie down and my head touches the pillow, a bell rings in my brain and I drift into a galaxy of planets.

 

…

 

The planet from my dreams is back, the one that shades in when I gain workshop enhancements.

A large island fills in, and I get the inherent knowledge uploaded into my skull that I’ve gained a whole computer hub, and network, including personal computers for any companions, a top of the range supercomputer to network as a mainframe (EFA will love that) and a bunch of basic 2d and 3d scanners, printers, binders, blueprint printers, 3d printers etc. Basically, if you use it in an office or a high end lab and it’s computer based. I now have it.

200 CP remain.

Okay, this is different, these don’t usually happen when I’m asleep.

+100CP

300CP remain.

The planet remains in the background, but a chain appears from where LA would be on the map.

Wait, this isn’t even earth. It's several times larger than earth.

But instinctively my brain tells me, this is where LA should be.

The chain bursts out from the planet surface and connects with another planet, a copy of earth.

Earth: Parasite – CP gained – 800

What?

A blue aura drains out of the planet and down the chain. I feel the energy suffusing my brain.

If there is infrastructure in the forge for the elder blood misfires…

Were they always intended to happen?

1100CP remain.

Rolling…

Knowledge Mundane – Success!

I am Iron Man – Marvel Cinematic Universe.

700CP remain.

Rolling…

Crafting Technological – Success!

Weapon Crafting – Devil May Cry

500CP remain.

Rolling…

Skills Magitech – Success!

Playing with Dolls – Fate/Legends Land of the Rising Sun

200CP remain.

Rolling…

Database Magitech – Success!

Magical Items: Reaper Sword, Steel Ride – Make A Wish (Harry Potter Fanfiction)

0CP remain.

Over the horizon of the planet, multiple coloured streams are streaming towards me rapidly.

I try to swim away through space, but to no avail.  

Four streams slam into me and my brain screams into the void.

Then, there is only darkness.

 

Notes:

Perks gained this chapter -

I am Iron Man - 400 - Marvel Cinematic Universe Vol. 1 - Knowledge Mundane
You're not the ACTUAL Iron Man, but you could make a fairly decent knock-off. Power armors, sonic cannons, holographic interface, laser weapons, repulsor technology, you have the knowledge to build these things and more. Furthermore, you can think of different upgrades and modifications to adapt to different situations much easier than normal when presented with a problem that's hampered your technological progress.

Weapon crafting - 200 - Devil May Cry - Crafting Technological

Alright, so you fancy yourself a weapons dealer, huh? Well now you know the ins and outs of every single tool made for killing that you get your crafty little hands on. Swords, handguns, axes, sniper rifles, spears, rocket launchers, it'll all come naturally to you, and you will be able to create these weapons or even improve them with your own custom designs. And to make it even a better deal, you know how to modify a weapon to have unlimited ammunition capability. So go nuts, buddy. You've earned it.

Playing with Dolls - 300 - Fate/Legends Land of the Rising Sun - Skills Magitech

Ever have the ninja pushed for more tricks and tools to keep them ahead of their foes. It's only logical that their desires for a greater advantage over the raw power of the samurai would lead to such advancements in technology. The Danzou puppet is the culmination of incredible science and magic coming together as one, creating an artificial lifeform filled with the experiences and skills of many great ninja, equipped with advanced technology and powerful magic. It's also something you have the knowledge to make and more besides.
You have the training in various disciplines to create advanced puppet bodies like this, as well as the weaponry and technology that Danzou makes use of in that body, even things like missiles. This covers both ordinary scientific knowledge and occult magecraft focused towards artificial bodies like this. It's quite possible to turn an existing person into one of these puppets, albeit more difficult than making it from scratch.
One of the more impressive parts of this field is the techniques that allow for the recording and uploading of knowledge or skills that people possess. With a willing or incapacitated subject, you know how to examine what they know and copy it over to another person. Your studies in this field have also helped you realize how to capably combine magic with technology, creating things where the two work together to support and enhance both sides' effects instead of interfering. While you can't alter the basic metaphysics behind things such as mystery, you do know how to work it to your advantage.

Reaper Sword - 100 - Make A Wish - Database Magitech

A Scythe that can turn into a sword Used by Mr. Black, this sword is always sharp and has increased damage for what it should actually inflict, has an aura of despair and dread when unsheathed and it also glows a creepy green light at will, lastly it is powered by a particular dark magic, it leaches ambient life energy from the surroundings, scaring local wildlife and withering plant-life and the land when unsheathed.

Steel Ride - 100 - Make A Wish - Database Magitech

A Bike used by Mr. Black, it can shrink to pocket-size, drop oil slicks, shoot spells, fly, change license plates, and even has a pooka - a ghost horse - bound to it so that it never needs fuel, can act by itself if needed, and occasionally project the image of the pooka itself.

+100 PRCP
350 PRCP available, rolling…
Success!
Gym – 100PRCP
Gym (100) This provides your Personal Reality with a large open training room for physical exercise. It comes with exercise equipment that can be used to train almost anyone dedicated enough to the limits of their potential (as long as that potential is no more than 150% of peak human potential) fitness. It can be easily converted into a sparring pit. If you have Robots, this includes extremely durable sparring automatons to learn from in your pit. Anybody using the Gym will find that training physical abilities is slightly less fatiguing than it otherwise would be.

Chapter 35: Arc 4 - Chapter 2

Notes:

This was originally two chapters but i felt it flowed better as one so enjoy the 7.5k word update! Mostly crafting and exposition, as a large part of this arc will be as Thomas gets to work on truly explorign the interactions between his perks.

Note on the matter fabricator i gained a few chapters ago, its ridiculously OP in its standard form, so while mine is still ridiculously OP, its not as much as the standard one. It requires an example, either physical or the full molecular form from a scan in order to make something. And has a longer production time based on the complexity of the material produced.

Arc 4 – Chapter 2

 

 

Sunday 3^rd January 2011, 9am.

I wake up in my own bed.

This wouldn’t be a big deal for most people I think.

But for me? It proves I’m finally back in my own world.

It also proves I’m still sane after last night’s forge rolls.

I don’t even know where to start. I honestly can’t decide what’s worse. Multiple moderate sized perks or one big personality changing perk.

The Mercy perk and The Elder Blood were harder to absorb, but a part of that could have been because I was awake.

The perks from last night, however, are immense.

To start, I am Iron man. The summary of this perk is simple. I’ve basically gained a dump of Tony Starks skills and knowledge as it applies to the MCU. Damn near all of it. I’ve also gained his inherent reflexes when it comes to technology and development.

I have aspects of his memories, but only as they apply to crafting and creating. I obviously already know his story but not having to relive it is something I am thankful for. The only weakness is that much like my other perks that grant knowledge, it doesn’t grant blueprints, it grants inherent understanding of concepts. There’s nothing in my brain that would, for instance, let me instantly blueprint an MK-I Iron Man suit. I know the theory; I know all the science and programming and maths required to get it working. But in base skill, rather than maps for exactly how to do it.

You could say this is more impactful than just being granted the blueprints. Slower to ramp up, but much more all-encompassing once I get there.

This is one of those perks that is as impactful as it sounds. Sure, I don’t have the whole ‘billionaire’ thing going for me so I’m not going to be churning out extremis armour or some of the more esoteric suits he pulled out later in his career (yet). But even a large amount of the early iron man project stuff is eons ahead of me in many ways. I have the advantage of durability and more agile flight. But he beats me out in almost every other way. And it synergises incredibly well with the cybernetic perks I’ve gained. Not to mention Guardian Angel’s powered armour tech.

It also reinforces my already rapidly expanding skills in computer science, and especially in programming and hacking.

The synergies of this perk lead me nicely into the next perk.

Playing with Dolls.

In the Fate universe, a clan of Ninja learned to combine deep occult magic with technology, in order to make artificial bodies. These bodies could then be infused with knowledge and experience.

And life.

These ‘Puppets’ were extremely powerful combatants, and assassins. Fearless and loyal to their masters, they were utterly terrifying assassins. Artificial bodies packed with weapons, magic and skills, some even with the ability to cast magic, or launch missiles from their bodies.

The scarier parts of this perk gives me access to magical and technological abilities to copy, or steal knowledge, skills and abilities from people and upload them into the puppets.

And eventually people.

It gives me immense utility with, and affinity for Magitech, synergizing perfectly between damn near every crafting perk I’ve gained up to now. Even ones I haven’t really touched on, like The Mystic and the Machine. It gives me access to all the magic and technology required for their creation.

The capstone abilities of this perk allow me to turn living people into these immensely powerful puppet bodies.

Either willingly, or eventually, against their will.

This perk is the definition of power being corruptive. The ability to make truly artificial lifeforms. And to convert other people into them is one of grave responsibility.

But damn if I’m not going to extract every last drop I can out of it.

The next perk when compared to two doesn’t sound quite as impressive, but it is immensely powerful in its own way, albeit missing some of synergy to access It’s true power.

Synergy I can always gain later.

Weapon Crafting gives me the abilities of an expert weapon crafter from the Devil May Cry universe.

And I mean ‘expert’.

I now know how to craft damn near any implement of death and destruction. Combined with my budding abilities in enchantment and magitech. And you have a recipe for some very powerful weaponry.

About the only thing missing is the ability to craft weapons on par with the most powerful Devil Arms. Weapons like Yamato. I can’t make weaponry of that level until I can interact properly with souls, and until I have at least one perk with a grounding in demonology.

Once I have that however, this perk will then grow to be one of the most powerful weaponry crafting perks I have access to. It doesn’t do anything really with energy weapons, but damn near anything else is fair game.

The secondary ability of this perk is also, insane. I can modify or imbue any projectile weapon I craft with infinite ammo.

Yes. I didn’t stutter or make a mistake.

Infinite.

Ammo.

My life is a goddamn video game.

The final perk is two from a set of five magical items. I get the sense there’s more to this perk in future but I didn’t have the reach to gain all five.

What I did gain is two more, fiat backed, forge granted items.

The first is a magical scythe, that can change into a sword. When unsheathed (or held in the hands in scythe form) the blade will grow in an eerie and creepy green light at the users will. The blade is eternally incredibly sharp and has a self-sustaining enchantment to do much more damage than the sharpness suggests it should.

The sword also contains a dark and choking magic, that will suck the life-energy out of my surroundings while the blade is bared. Scaring wildlife, and withering plant life and the land itself, while putting out an aura of immense despair and dread.

The second item is a motorbike. A jet-black sport bike with an extremely high top-speed. The bike can be shrunk to pocket size and has a bunch of strange spy features like the ability to drop oil slicks and rotate its license plates. It also has the ability to shoot spells, as long as I know the spells which I obviously don’t currently.

It also has infinite fuel. It’s powered by a spirit horse, called a “pooka”. The spirit is intelligent, allowing the bike to act by itself as required, and I can also project the image of the spirit horse itself.

I wonder how the PRT and PHO would react if I rode the to PRT building on a ghost horse with a big death aura scythe on my back? And seriously, what the hell is it with the forge giving me swords. I’m going to need to give myself extra arms at this rate.

Moving on before I get caught in a mental loop dealing with the massive perk dump I just went through.

I have no clue what to even do with myself today. My brain is completely cottage cheesed by the perks I have gained. You can count the Mystic and the Machine in this too. I gained that perk not long before these and I really need to sit down and explore all the concepts I’ve got access to. I have to rebuild the Archangel for one, and my new perks will allow me to make this *much* better. I need to get started on the Thor. Spend some time researching Anaheim Degree which is one of my only viable ‘out of the box’ counter Endbringer perks, though some of these new perks have pathways to that level of power too.

I need to catch up with Sherrel on her projects in the resource dimension. With Danny, Sherrel and EFA about the new cape team. Plus, personal projects involving EFA that are suddenly now viable. The situation and project with Faultline. Not to mention my continued legitimising of my civilian identity, now even more important given I am almost literally Tony Stark in some ways, and have the knowledge to truly leverage an international megacorporation to help people rather than just take.

It feels like so many of my plans are coming to their starting phase all at once, and I'm struggling with the overabundance of choice.

The shadow of Ziz’s upcoming attack on Canberra is ever present, and Taylors original trigger is tomorrow. I will be expecting fallout from that now given that Danny and his fresh new brute-thinker powers will be present, along with Armsmaster.

I also need to lay down the law with the Protectorate and the PRT. I’m past the point where I need to bow down to them in the field, and while I actually have a hell of a lot more respect for Piggot than I thought I would, she needs to understand that I’m not bowing to insane and reductive PRT policies on ‘level of force’ when people are attempting to murder me.

Anyway, I’ve lounged in bed long enough, Time to go and have breakfast and catch up with Sherrel. It’s difficult to reconcile that while I’ve not seen her in over a week, she only saw me yesterday.

Today will be a day of workshop work and maybe some work in my personal life. The consequences of yesterday’s fight with the empire can be future Archon’s problem. I simply do not have the energy or mental space to deal with the Protectorate today.

As I get out of bed a blinking red warning flashes across the top left of my vision.

“Connection to the BP server unavailable, reconnect?”

Huh, that’s right.

I still have the bounty contacts installed. They try to phone home every few days.

 

I wonder if I could use Starks knowledge to hack the HUD. They are capable of longwave transmission, though completely within a black-boxed system. I may be able to crack the system and install some custom firmware.

Thoughts for later.

 

…

 

I head over to the kitchen and rustle up a breakfast on the magical frying pan. I could use some soul healing right now and this food is the best I know of for that purpose. Sherrel stumbles in not long after me.

“Hey boss man, you look rough. Late night?”

I lay my forehead on the table.

“You have no idea.”

We eat breakfast together and I give her a very rough breakdown of what happened last night and in alternate LA.

She whistles and looks quite overawed.

“I knew parallel world theory was true because of Aleph, but damn, you got to visit an entirely different world on a completely different timeline. That’s pretty cool boss you have to admit.”

It was as she put it “Pretty cool”.

Moving away from the subject of dimensional wandering, we run through some of her plans for the resource dimension. Anything to take my mind off the horror of the past week.

She’s got things pretty well in hand. Plan-wise her current aim is to build a bunch of automated haulers that follow basic instructions and some mobile mining rigs to go with them. She can do drones, as long as they are land based and not flying so she’s using her R.V to slowly explore the edges of her range and put down range extension towers so she can propagate the signals that her drones use. She’s only got one tower down up to now but her plan is pretty solid, so I leave her to it. She will have a clone assigned as much as possible that can assist her with any builds outside her speciality.

She’s got a solid lock on basic resources, some of which I have in my smithy but they aren’t *fully* infinite, as they regenerate weekly, so any increased amounts of those is still very welcome. Plus the bonus of Sherrel going full on command and conquer on the resource dimension will reap ever expanding benefits.

Her next request is a tricky one though.

“I know you kinda integrated it with your body and combat style, but I was wondering if there’s any chance you could either build a second one, or un-integrate your matter manipulator and lend it to me. It would be a hell of a lot easier to build roads and infrastructure if I had the ability to move terrain and shit without having to have your clone there.”

Tricky. Very tricky. Removing it from my body and reconstituting into the gauntlet/gun form would be easy, 95% of it is designed to be quick to remove, and the casing is still in the warehouse.

Building a second would be pretty impossible at this point. It needs materials that don’t naturally occur on earth for one, and part of the projector needs a tiny amount of dark matter, something that I absolutely cannot synthesize with the equipment I have now.

Theoretically the materials will exist somewhere in the resource dimension, but it won’t be a quick process to track them down.

I can emulate the resource gathering abilities of the manipulator quite easily with my omni tool but losing pure terrain manipulation would be a decent loss in combat efficiency.

Realistically, I should give it to her, she’s taken on the job of gathering from the dimension for me and it would help her out a hell of a lot.

“Okay fine, I’ll remove the tool when I do my maintenance later today and have it rebuilt for you this evening. I’ll be giving you a list of material structures to look for while you are out in the Resdim so I can build another.”

“Thanks boss, it’ll be a massive help.”

“Don’t mention it.”

 

The forge pings me with a gain in charge as I head to the warehouse.

100CP are available.

Rolling…

Failed

 

Okay. Time for some implant maintenance and to check on the nanobiotics after my trip.

I disconnect my halo and shuck off my clothes down to my underwear. The halo and staff are handed off to a clone for maintenance to make sure Purity didn’t leave any unfixable damage behind and the undersuit will be attended to by another clone as I know for sure that’s damaged. Finally, I discharge all of my raw materials into separated piles on the shelving. With a special zone laid out for what used to be the armour and wings.

The two maintenance clones will be looking over that before I start my rebuild later.

All resource buffers emptied I move on to my cybernetics lab.

Lying down on the bed, I connect my omni tool into the cybernetics scanners and get to work on initial outer diagnostics. My third clone will be performing the necessary surgery before going out to join Sherrel later.

The scanning starts and I start parsing data with my tool, while EFA briefs me on my condition.

Biological health wise, other than the lung and kidney that are still regenerating from Kaisers attack, I’m in pretty good shape. My artificial kidney shows a little sign of overload from the adventure in the decon chamber, from trying to keep up with the super anaesthetic, but nothing time and a little TLC won’t cure. My eyes are also showing a lot of strain, I’m wondering if it’s related to my physical overexertion, or some side effect of the nanobiotics. I remove my BP contacts and hand them off to my clone while I am here working on my eyes.

The cybernetics however paint a different picture.

The spine and hips are thankfully, completely fine. There’s some slight scoring on the spine where two of Kaisers spikes went right through, but the armouring deflected them.

The rest however is quite messy.

I’ve got severed artificial nerves all over the place and only safety protocols that are locked into place from the initial Kaiser attack are preventing me from being in utter agony. My reflexes and speed will be severely affected and I won’t even realise as I am numb. Nanofibers in the muscle reinforcements are snapped and frayed where I’ve overworked them without nervous feedback, and my ribcage armour is like Swiss cheese. The leg work is in good shape comparatively, but still showing signs of overexertion.

I disconnect all pain sensation from the neck down and start directing my clone in the work.

First things first. Skull, Spine, Hips, Legs, Arms.

All reinforcements are repaired and in some cases slightly reinforced. Scoring is patched up and the wiring harness for the manipulator internals is repurposed to extra bandwidth for the Omni-tool integration.

Once the MM components are fully removed, I start integrating sensor relays into the gaps left behind. While it won’t be power viable (for now) to run them permanently, I want some way for force a boost in transmission range and strength when using the Omni-Tool. They’re relatively easy to build using the GUNNM specifications.

I wish I had an actual Mass Effect crafting perk rather than just a fiat backed item as I could really use some of that tech here. I immediately feel a little ungrateful at that thought given the perks I’ve received recently.

Once the solid hardware is fixed, patched up and maintained, it’s time for the softer hardware.

Reworking the nerves and muscular enhancements is quick work, and I direct the clone in his surgery while watching on an overhead monitor made for this purpose.

A quick set of special stimulant injections follows, in order to overcharge my nanobiotics and get my health and equilibrium back after my interdimensional jetlag.

And then I’m back on my feet.

I direct my clone to go and drop off the BP contacts in the warehouse, in the container I thankfully had already put back through the portal during my previous adventure. Then he’s to set up my new computer gear that is currently in boxes in the warehouse and finally, re-join Sherrel when he is done.

I head into the workshop to join my other two clones at work.

Clone A is working on the undersuit still, rapidly moving from workstation to suit, painstakingly reintegrating and reweaving the actuators together. Sometimes heading off to fabricate more in the smithing workshop.

Clone B has my Halo and Staff cracked open at one of my cybernetics workbenches and is working on the internals with a focus I didn’t realise I was capable of.

Well, I can’t be embarrassed in productivity by my own clones.

I gather up my materials from the warehouse shelving and head over to one of my tables in my cybernetics lab.

First things first, reconstituting the Matter Manipulator. I plow through this in less than 20 minutes remaking the gauntlet in its original housing. The grey and black gauntlet from my previous colouring job comes together with minimal swearing on my part and after a thorough cleaning is ready to be taken to Sherrel by Clone C once he is finished setting up the computers. I pop it on its pedestal in the atrium and then head back to work.

I’ve considered heading out to see if I can speak with Piggot or Armsmaster, but with the prisoners I dropped on them last night I’m leaving them to it for a few days. I’m sure I’ll see Armsmaster at Winslow tomorrow anyway. They’ll call me if they need me otherwise. EFA will get my footage over to them once it's cleaned up.

Now, new perk time.

Putting aside Iron Man tech for the time being, believe me I have plans for that later, I want to first look at Playing with Dolls.

Playing with Dolls grants a significant level of skill with Magitech. I also have Doll Maker of Bucharesti already that synergises incredibly well with this perk set, as could be implied by the name.

However, when combined with The Mystic and the Machine, and to some degree, Cybernetics.

Well, you have a little gang of four perks that let me start work on a project I’ve had in mind for a while.

EFA’s freedom from my body.

Now, don’t get me wrong.

Having my own onboard evolving AI/Personal Assistant is incredibly useful. And as one of my oldest perks and longest standing friends here in my new world, it will be difficult to lose that little angel on my shoulder, always watching my back and taking up the slack.

If I was possibly a little less morally bound, I could maybe stomach keeping a Sapient AI bound into my form, simply for all the advantages she offers. Especially when I start really diving deep into Aura manipulation via Aura Surgeon. A job she is designed to help with.

But you see the active word here is “Friend.”

She’s saved my life multiple times; she’s kept me going through some of my darkest times.

I have no right to do any less than give her the body, and freedom to choose if she wants to stay.

And if she wants to remain my personal assistant, that’s fine.

But having the choice to follow your destiny or cast it aside. To follow the beaten path assigned to you, or veer off into the jungle of the unknown to make a path and stake your own name on it?

Every sapient being carries that right.

So, onto the building of a body for her.

The brain is surprisingly easy, Playing with Dolls has plans for multiple types of artificial brains. Now while usually they either create the consciousness from scratch or enslave a human consciousness into the doll, I strongly believe I can modify those spells to extract EFA from my body into the artificial brain.

The body is significantly harder. Mostly because I want to give her the most realistic one possible. The base perk doesn’t actually have that ability by default, being something that requires incredible mastery of the skillset.

But I don’t have that problem, I have multiple ways to make humanlike bodies.

This is going to be the work of a few weeks. I have the metallic materials mostly available, but the chemical and biologicals I need to synthesise. My chemical synthesizer will be pulling overtime on this one. Thankfully I can keep EFA ignorant of this as it will be a surprise for her. I section off the thoughts and the actual building work will be handed over to my clones. But the design work will be all mine.

For the brain I’m going to emulate the most free, highest potential for growth combination of options that my materials will allow me to.

The downside of artificial bodies is that they mostly don’t grow over time, she will be limited to the power I give her initially, and while I can upgrade her body and create new ones as I get access to new tech, I want her to be as powerful as possible up front.

One day maybe I can make a body that can grow and evolve, but my level of skill currently precludes that.

For her body I’m going to go all out, full Danzou puppet fuck you levels of speed and strength. On the physical basis she will actually be beyond me as I am right now, not in the Archangel however, though closer than you would think.

I’m going for full NPSteel skeleton and chassis, with artificial flesh and musculature built ground up from the highest end Cybernetics I can muster. She will look like a regular everyday woman except if you get a real close look. I will be going so far as to grow the outer skin of the body and making it as lifelike as possible.

Before receiving this perk, even with the mass of other perks I would have balked at the idea of building something so complex as an artificial body. But the puppets from this perk are obscene. They can even go as far as to get energy from eating, from the sun, even from a wall socket. They regenerate energy while they ‘sleep’ too. The occult magic that creates their core is effectively an artificial soul that powers their bodies and magic, though they do need to take in energy to replace what they use in combat.

I’m going to leave things like eye colour and hair colour to EFAs choice, and the initial body will be formable, so she can pick her own shape, and dimensions.

The biggest downside will actually be the skills I pass over to her. The puppets are usually loaded with the combined knowledge of multiple incredibly powerful ninja; however, I don’t have those memories.

I’ll be giving her a copy of my swordsmanship, and my basic medical knowledge. I can’t give her many perk granted skills; the information is too dense until I’ve fully integrated it all myself. I’ll need to practice separating off those skills. But the ones that I receive fully mastered and integrated I’ll be giving her a copy of to make her own.

I have a mental warning attached to the perk that while I can give her physical, mundane skills. I cannot under any circumstances give her anything magic related that comes directly from the forge, unless it comes from the magic system from this perks base universe. Basically, anything from FATE with the puppet process being an exception due to the protections preventing the puppets from reproducing via this process.

However simply the body combined with the swordsmanship would make her a pretty high tier brute cape, and she won’t lose her own abilities, so as long as I give the body an uplink that can connect to the internet, she would be a very powerful brute/thinker. If I build in sensors too, then her inherent use of the trajectory ability would make her an impressively well-rounded cape.

I spend a lot of time drafting the specs including the chassis, the flesh and skin covering. The weaponry, and most importantly the spells and potential spell and ritual modifications required.

While I am drafting on my Omni-tool, Clone C lets me know my new PC gear is all set up, and he is heading out to Sherrel with the manipulator. I have a personal PC in my quarters now plus one in the Warehouse.

I head over there to use my supercomputer with a much larger screen to write up my drafts.

I have a blueprint printer now, and the software to use it. No reason not to make proper plans and blueprints.

As I finish up today's work on one of many projects for the next week, the forge pings me again.

200CP are available.

Rolling…

Failed

Another failure..

Heading back into the warehouse I file my printed blueprints and spec sheets for the clones to get to work on the basic model after finishing their current jobs.

Now for the Archangel. I want my damn wings back.

I’m working on the hardsuit while clones a and b work on the wings. This will pretty much finish off my iridium reserves completely, I can use the chem synth to make more, but I need to use it on cooldown for the EFA project so I’m going to have to source some more from an actual seller.

I can’t buy it via the Protectorate, so if my wings get taken out again, I’m either going to need to trade with Dragon or Armsmaster privately, or source a private seller who isn’t tainted by the Elite. Better to solve this problem in advance rather than wait for it to become a problem later.

See. I am capable of learning.    

At least I don’t have to do this from scratch this time. I still have the majority of the structures needed in the omni-tool databanks so only the wing internal reweaving has to be done manually.

If I had to remake the halo, this would be a much more irritating project.

Fitting together the outer suit is a bit of a Zen experience the second time, the simple act of working with my hands without having to think too hard allows me a genuine feeling of relaxation. Some of the Stark bleed-through maybe.

On the subject of Stark. That perk is insistently poking the back of my mind that I really should be looking at making an Arc Reactor. I can’t say it’s wrong. I have the Palladium available from a multitude of repurposed catalytic converters and I don’t need to stick it in my body so I can avoid the poisoning.

It’s a choice between longevity and throughput. The heavy water reactor has the advantage of higher throughput, but a much shorter longevity, especially under stress.

The MK1 palladium Arc Reactor is lower on the throughput but is much longer lasting under stress.

This isn’t a cave, but I do have a box of scraps somewhere around here.

There’s no reason I can’t use both. Heavy water for the overdrive modes, and general power on the Arc Reactor.

I won’t be mounting mine on my chest though, I feel like giving people an energetic target to aim for on your chest is a rather poor idea.

If I had any choice in the matter I would make the badassium Arc Reactor and skip using any other power source but I don’t have a spare particle accelerator nor even half the incredibly rare resources required handy. Unfortunately.

 

…

 

Having my armour reconstituted is a good feeling. My final project of the day before I head out to relax is one that my last fight has made clear I need.

Energy shielding.

I would like to do a hybrid solid/energy shield-based system to harden against energy attacks, but the only solid materials I’ve seen with that profile made with terrestrial materials is the facility walls from Earth Parasite. And while I heal pretty quickly, I don’t think anyone would appreciate me wrapping myself in fissile material.

So, I’m going to for now use a solely energy shield-based system. Using the Arkonite crystals from the Draenei tech.

Previously I was limited to using my own magic to power the shields which means I had to use a wrist mounted buckler. Full body would have utterly drained me and left me without my point-to-point teleportation.

However, thanks to the Mystic and the Machine, with some work from my other Magitech perks, I have a route to electricity -> mana conversion with the crystals.

It’s far from one to one, it won’t be economical, and in all honesty without the arc reactor tech this first concept wouldn’t be viable for anything but a prototype to build upon.

But with access to a low throughput but high yield energy source it becomes much more viable.

Now, the shield isn’t directly connected to electricity, that’s unfortunately still on the irritating side of impossible until I get significantly more skilled than I am right now.

Instead, the interface connects the power systems to the crystal matrix which absorbs and slowly converts it to magical energy aspected to shielding via the crystal. This is then used to produce a full body energy shield.

In a passive rest state, the rate of recharge is marginally higher than the rate of use, so the shield will remain up all the time. However, when blocking the magical energy will be discharged. The charge will not build as fast as it is used up so there will be shield downtime if I try to block too much in too small of a time.

It will prevent me being sucker punched by a blaster though, which is the main point.

With my plans to release EFA it’s imperative that I implement multiple ways to block surprise attacks. As when EFA goes, it’s likely she takes her implementation of trajectory with her.

Grabbing a mortar and pestle, I get to work on powdering down some of the crystals for the interface matrix. It’s been a long day of crafting, but I wanted to prioritise getting my combat effectiveness back today.

Me and my clones work together in silence as we leverage all of my creation perks to make the upgrades needed to support the shield systems.

I wish I could say after I’ve everything I’ve already made myself that the MK1 Arc Reactor intended for powering the shielding array was just another thing checked off a list.

But it genuinely made me feel giddy.

This was tech I was intimately familiar with from a series I had originally followed.

The glowing white circle that Tony Stark made in a cave out in the desert.

And it was absolutely beautiful.

I had my own Arc Reactor. And it was going to be used to help power an armoured suit and an energy shielding array.

But there was still a little while to go to get to that.

“Okay, that’s enough from me on the personal gear today, I need to head over to the Garage and check out my new Bike, and then to Alchemy to chat with Hypatia. Please continue maintenance on all the gear, start reprogramming the interface between the undersuit and the new outer suit to prepare for the shielding. See if you can implement some holographic UI suites now we have access to lower-level Starktech, and then personal projects for the day.”

My clones don’t even look at me, they just nod and continue on with their own work.

I grab my new sword scythe on the way to the garage and start to apply weapon absorption as I walk. No reason not to have this even further enchanted.

Arriving at the Garage I take stock of my vehicles.

The Bike that Sherrel made me is present, the red and black sport bike gleaming off in the corner. That will be my civilian ride.

However, I’m here for the much bigger and more intimidating cousin in the bay next to it.

 And it is utterly beautiful.

The Black Thumb perk I have, I can feel the perk itself salivating at this machine in the back of my mind. The engine has infinite fuel. It’s some sort of magically powered combustion engine that makes absolutely no sense but when I key the ignition, it churns to life like an angry lion waking up.

The engine work is sublime, perfectly keyed and lined up and even Beauty in the Arts doesn’t suggest any real improvements to the bike.

I sit astride it and channel my intent to the bike and feel myself rise up as the bike turns into a very large charcoal black stallion.

It would look like a normal horse if not for the vivid red eyes, and the fact that it is slightly translucent.

I hoist my scythe and let out an evil cackle.

Damn is it too late to rebrand? I could go by “Reaper” and make myself into a budget death expy.

I catch a look at myself in the reflective shutter and decide that sometimes there can be just a bit too much edge. Chuckling to myself I ruffle the mane of the ghost horse and scratch behind his ears which he likes, and then promptly turns back into the motorbike.

Good to know how to get him to change forms again.

Ok, so no conversion work on this bike, though I may look into some automation, maybe see if I can’t give the spirit a little bit of control so the bike can come find me if needed.

Next I turn my abilities onto the scythe sword, channelling magic into the handles in both scythe and sword form.

While not quite as dangerous as the Jabberwock Claw, this blade is still insanely dangerous. It powers itself from slivers of life energy, not from humans, it seems to have safeties against that.

But everything else for sure. And the green glow I can initialise with my magic it seriously creepy. I’m unaffected by the aura it gives off, so I’ll need to test that later, maybe recruit Sherrel to help me.

But I think I’ll need to either come up with yet another suit type to use this gear in, or alternatively sponsor someone else as a hero with a theme based around this gear.

Thoughts for later, I muse on the nature of my rapidly growing array of weapons as I head over to the Alchemy lab. I still haven’t used my Rocket Hammer yet, I think I’ll put some time in on that later.

…

Heading into the Alchemy lab Hypatia is hard at work on a batch of potions. I check my lockbox while not interrupting her and collect my cash and a wide array of potions to store in the warehouse for later. Various tranquilizers and healing potions mostly, along with some mana potions.

She turns to me as she finishes quenching her cauldron.

“Do you need me for something Thomas?”

“Just a quick question, what kind of deeper genetic changes can be achieved with Alchemy. Don’t limit yourself to what I have access to, I mean in the wider sphere.”

She snorts.

“You really are clueless about this art aren’t you?”

To be honest, she isn’t wrong. I never got into FMA, and I never read into any other form of deeper alchemy other than the Philosophers stone. I get the feeling I won’t be ignorant for long, however.

I nod my head and attempt what I hope is an apologetic smile.

She finishes shaking her head and continues with a lecture.

“The Alchemy you have access to barely scratches the surface. In fact, this diluted potion making barely touches the surface of true alchemy. In truth you could simply call this ‘Potions’ and it would be more correct.”

She turns back to the alembic.

“This equipment is rudimentary, and quite I’ll-suited to the task but it will suffice if all you want is singular effect potions.”

She snorts again.

“And you have some quite good equipment for transferring your spells into potions, if you had anything other than your teleportation which would take you ingredients of such expense to alchemize that you could sooner buy a continent.”

She then turns back to the various alchemy station and waves her hand.

“This is not an alchemy lab. It’s called an alchemy lab. But it isn’t. This is a potions lab. Potions is the tip of the iceberg in alchemy. It’s the equivalent of opening a car wash and calling yourself a master mechanic.”

She gestures me to sit down, which I do, quite entranced by her lecture.

“Alchemy is at its core the art of understanding, comprehending and eventually reconstructing or even deconstructing matter and energy. Potions is a set formula, it’s alchemy in the sense that you take the ‘concept’ of a piece of matter, and the ‘concept’ of a piece of equipment and then condense them into a singular form that encapsulates this concept. But alchemy is so much more. You can use alchemy to do almost anything you can think of. As long as you have the will, the intellect. and the ingredients. And most importantly that you understand that Alchemy runs on the basis of give and take. We call it equivalent exchange. The acts you take have a price that must be paid and a cost that must be borne.”

She chuckles, more to herself than anything.

“Apologies, your question caught me off guard. When you gain access to the deeper mysteries come back and I will give you a real lesson. Anyway, your question was about deeper genetic changes with Alchemy? Yes it’s more than possible, some of the deeper alchemical precepts deal heavily with human transformation. Why do you ask?”

I quickly show her my data on the Case 53’s on my omni-tool.

She hums.

“If you have a copy of the original genetic material, then this should be possible, though not with anything you have access to as it stands. Depending on the alchemical branch you use though the power requirement could be truly monstrous, among other issues.”

I nod at her and make to leave.

“Thanks for your time Hypatia, I just needed to know my options.”

“No problem Thomas. When you make your attempt, however you do it, I shall attend and assist as I can. This is a noble task and not one that involves combat or imposing will upon others.”

“Thank you.”

As I head back into the forge, I get a perk warning.

300CP are available.

Rolling…

Failed

 

…

After a long day of crafting and analysing, I decide to head out into the city in my civilian guise for the evening. There are some nice restaurants I’ve been meaning to hit up on the boardwalk and I need some proper decompression time. Plus it doubles up as giving me a physical presence out in the Bay.

I pop Sherrel a call to see if she wants to hit up the town with me, she’s thankfully up for it and I throw some clothes on and wait for her in the atrium.

“Uh boss, not to complain but are you sure you are okay going out like that?”

“Like what?”

She goggles at me.

“Boss when was the last time you looked at yourself?”

“Today when I fixed my implants?”

She puts her hand on her hip and tilts her head at me with a look that says she thinks I am an utter moron.

“Okay, I’ll rephrase it. When was the last time you looked at yourself in a mirror?”

She’s asking and I'm thinking ‘the answer to that is easy right, surely it was this morning after my shower.’

And then I think back and the last time I looked at myself in the mirror was when I got ready for the trip to the Akropolis Tower in the other world.

I move to the Gym, which has the closest full body mirror and look at my reflection in shock.

My hair is entirely bone white. Not the white of age, pure untouched white.

Combined with my vivid blue eyes and now slightly Elven features, I look like a damned anime character.

“Sherrel, please use the matter manipulator to re-colour this to something normal thanks. I’m going to need to find a solution for this, but tonight is not the time.”

She chuckles and grabs the manipulator from its pedestal, directing at me she uses it to re-colour my hair to a very dark, almost black brown.

I may also need to make some contacts or modify the colour on the BP contacts because my eyes are far too vivid to be normal. I use my mental switch to draw back the nanobiotics which dims the glow and dulls the colour a little. But if I’m intending to make a civilian ID, some proper work will be needed on my appearance.

Appearance temporarily sorted, we head out on my bike and in no time at all we are holed up in a nice little Italian overlooking the bay.

 It’s surprisingly a lot harder to start a mundane conversation up when you don’t have much of a mundane life.

“I don’t think I asked you properly, but did you get everything sorted with your registration at the ‘library?’.

She catches on quickly.

“Yeah, they actually had some job openings, but I wasn’t interested, keeping my options open you know.”

I chuckle.

“Yeah, I know how that feels. They offered me a job too. Not for me though, too many rules.”

She returns the laugh.

“Yeah it’s a very restrictive job for people like us!”

We continue our meal making casual conversation and jokes at each other.

We are a few drinks in, and I’m quite thankful I didn’t make an artificial liver yet, as I can still enjoy the casual high proof liquor. My enhanced control of the nanobiotics after practice allows me to downscale their panic at the invading ‘poison’. And thanks to Mr kidney I don’t have to worry about hangovers.

It’s not ‘drunk’ drunk. But it’s quite a pleasant buzz. And one I don’t think I’ve experienced since my first life.

Sherrel is still teetotal after her experience with the Merchants but she said specifically she didn’t mind me drinking.

The meal is delicious, I’ll definitely be returning here at a later date.

“Not to pry Sherrel, but did you resolve your family situation satisfactorily?”

She smiles, a small thing but no less blinding in its pure honesty.

“I achieved what I wanted to achieve, and I finally feel free for the first time in 15 years.”

And I suppose you can’t ask for much more than that.

Chapter 36: Arc 4 - Chapter 3

Notes:

Sorry for the big delay in updating this, between neverending work, a kid at home, and seemingly catching covid at a whim (Twice since the last update ive been severely ill with it) and writing has taken a backburner. Especially in established stories.

Not 100% happy with the characterisation at Winslow, but i'm never going to release another chapter if i wait for that to be perfect. So relying on you guys to be helpfully critical!

Monday 4^th January 2011, 4 am.

 

My mind is still spinning with the possibilities of yesterday's perks.

I’m in a jittery mood, struggling to get myself back to sleep and yet still too tired to get to real work in the workshop.

As a compromise, I eat an early breakfast and then head to my new gym to check things out.

The gym is everything I could hope for and more, no more working out in the atrium for me! The gym is fully kitted out with every possible machine you could want for a workout on any part of the body you choose. In multiples. It even has a full martial arts sparring setup and mats. About the only thing it doesn’t have is a swimming pool.

All my rooms also now come with outlets wherever I want them. As I now have an inherent power supply for the entire workshop dimension capable of powering a city the size of New York. Even though this completely invalidates my work in upscaling the heavy water reactor, I can’t find myself caring. Fiat-backed power is a huge game-changer, and it makes moving into mass production instead of handmaking everything truly viable. It also means I don’t need to build a giant arc reactor.

Not that I won't of course, just that I don’t need to.

With that in mind I think I’ll go and strip down the reactor that was previously powering all my electronic tools and the new computer gear. With effectively infinite power as long as I don’t go well beyond overboard, I can get rid of the mess of cabling everywhere and reuse the reactor materials for another project.

Or Sherrel can take it to the resource dimension with her and use it for something there. Whatever works.

Other than potentially helping Danny with the Taylor situation, today is a day of design work.

Not all cape based either. I’m going to work on some of my initial Haletech gear today.

 

…

 

So if you were going to create tech that would mildly improve the world without bringing the Slaughterhouse or Ziz down on your head too quickly, what would you make?

I have a few options, but they have to be reproducible without improving the tech landscape *too* much. I’m going to run into issues very quickly if what I make even has a sniff of tinker tech in it.

The seed product for Hale industries has to be something that can make me a lot of money in a very short time, be viable to set up production in the real world, and also not touch too much on directly improving the world. I may be immune to precognition, but Ziz could still fuck me five ways from Sunday if she wanted to show up herself.

I initially conceived of making counter-parahuman SWAT gear for law enforcement and the armed forces, but I can’t think of many things that would get me on Cauldron's shit list as quickly as that. Even though I could theoretically gear a four-man squad to be the counter of damn near any regular parahuman on the planet.

But the quote of the day is “Slow and steady”.

I have multiple branches of study that I can outstrip any regular human and the majority of tinkers right now, with just regular, non-, black-boxed tech.

I need a seed product for my company. And something that ideally doesn’t overlap with the specialities I have shown as Archon.

If in doubt, hit people's wallets with a fun new commodity.

Mobile phones here are weird circular things with hybrid touch screens and physical keys and have spotty internet access outside of cities due to the whole “Ziz doesn’t like your satellite” deal. Most phones are boosted using land-based transmitters which are easy pickings for attacks. And the 3G protocol is seemingly non-existent here.

The UI of the majority of affordable mobile phones is also some clunky gesture-based system, nothing like the phones of our world, or even like phones from a decade before our time. There are the odd tinker tech innovations, but mostly those are limited to limited-run devices due to maintenance issues.

Communication is a great equaliser for humans everywhere. It’s something that will subtly improve the world. Not as outright world changing as medical tech, clean unlimited energy, or intellicrops.

But much less likely to bring a mountain of shit I’m not ready for down on my head. It will be a good proof of concept for manufacturing and distribution too. A modified StarkOS to run the phones, robust, long-range, land-based transmitters, and a rectangular smartphone design with haptic feedback buttons. A 2020s mostly Starktech phone for a 2010s world. Additionally with the right tweak to the OS, it gives me the potential for backdoors in the future. Should they ever be needed.

The components will be easy to fabricate, subtly using improved battery tech, better capacitors, and better tech fabrication all around. Slowly introducing improved mass manufacturing procedures to the world at large without doing anything radical.

Plus, it will give me a good reason to set up mass production on Bet proper. Which will have other benefits.

With the initial plan decided, I get to work on the first draft of an iterative design. I’m thinking a slide-out phone for the first model, something small and discreet that opens up into a bigger screen as needed. Now, heat dissipation for the improved battery –

I quickly lose myself in planning and drafting as I work to build my flagship product.

…

 

I’m interrupted from my drafting exercise by my Omni-Tool phone.

Damn is it 8 am already.

Looking down at my interface it looks like Danny is ringing me.

“Hey Danny, what’s up.”

EFA suddenly interrupts.

“Line is secure boss.”

“Thanks, EFA.”

I turn my attention back to the call.

“Hi Thomas, just wanted to check in for the plan today. I know you said you had arranged for PRT presence of some sort, possibly Armsmaster. Are you planning on attending yourself?”

“That’s completely up to you Danny. As I said, I’ll support the team in non-cape activities as much or as little as you need. You want me there as Archon, that’s fine. I can attend as myself but I’m having some appearance issues that I would prefer not to test against close scrutiny if I can avoid it. How do you want to play this?”

“If you attend as Archon you could end up accidentally outing me couldn’t you?”

“It’s a risk of course, Obviously I’m happy to attend in my civilian ID, what’s a little risk in life? What’s the backstory for our connection in case the PRT ask?”

“You are in town to open a company. It could be that you were hiring me and the workers for some help getting set up, and after I told you about it you insisted on being present in case your lawyers were needed?”

“That works for me. It has the benefit of being mostly true too, I will need workers to help me get set up so the dockworkers could definitely be up for some jobs.”

“Thanks, Thomas, it’s appreciated.”

“No problem Danny. As I said, I want this team to be a success, and that means clearing up any issues we all have so that nothing is distracting us from the work ahead.”

I hang up the call after exchanging goodbyes.

“EFA, I have a vague memory of a ‘Quinn Calle’ specialising in parahuman law who is supposed to be a pretty good lawyer if a bit of a hotshot. The other option is the Dallon firm but there’s a conflict of interest with Barnes just waiting for happen. Reach out with as much of my civilian cash as you need to get some good lawyers on retainer. Calle is mostly specialised in defence as far as I know but might take on the Heberts case against the School and the PRT if we frame it right. Carol Dallon can be a massive bitch if my memories are correct and our previous meeting didn’t leave me with a great impression of her, but she has a hard-on for institutional corruption cases that should make it easy to steer her. You have permission to act in my stead, please gather up a legal team in case we need it and put them on retainer today.”

“On it Boss.”

 I quickly check my appearance in the mirror, my eyes aren’t glowing anymore thankfully, the drugs from my surgery are now fully out of my system and the nanobiotics are fully restored to peak efficiency. My hair is still brown but the roots are already starting to turn white due to the seemingly rapid growth of my hair. The taper on my ears doesn’t seem to be getting any worse for now.

I can still pass as mostly human. A very tall, too-pretty human, especially for a guy, but still within the bounds of humanity.

I have to wonder how long that will last.

As if on cue I feel the forge build up power again in my head.

 

400CP remain.

Rolling…

Magical Large Scale – Success!

Metal of the Gods – The Death Mage Who Doesn’t Want a Fourth Time.

0CP remain.

… Are you fucking kidding me forge! Give me the mega metal perk BEFORE I rebuild all my gear.

This perk is my first that grants truly physics-breaking magical materials. Sure the Draenei perk had its crystals, and I still have a lot of work to do with those to get the best out of them. But I can't build armour and weapons out of them.

This perk gives me a yearly supply of three magical metals. About enough to make a set of plate armour and a set of weapons.

Adamantite, Mythril, and Orichalcum.

The three will also now appear in the resource dimension in raw form too, though I won't currently be able to properly or reliably work the ore for any of them at the moment, it's still a big advantage.

Adamantite is nearly physically invulnerable, failing only when against magical or highly energetic attacks.

Mythril is the opposite, physically weak, only slightly tougher than gold against a physical attack, but near utterly immune to magical attacks and highly resistant to energy-based attacks. It also can harm spirits or other intangible opponents.

Orichalcum combines the properties of the two and increases them.

The downsides are that currently, I have no reliable way to work Adamantite, nor Orichalcum. They are both incredibly tough metals with insanely high melting points and strict magical requirements to smith. Adamantite I could probably rig up a smelter that could get it to a forgeable state using copious amounts of magic, there’s some potential in both enchanting and alchemy that could help.

But orichalcum is beyond me until I get some perks involving magical, or divine blacksmithing of some sort.

Theoretically, with all of these materials, I can use Aura Surgeon to copy the qualities and traits of the material over to any material I like. Up to now, I’ve been holding off any heavy investment into Aura Surgeon as to do anything truly meaningful with it requires insane amounts of research and work and without having anything especially special, there wasn’t much return for the effort.

Finally receiving some truly out-of-this-world materials changes that though, and I’m going to have to put some real work into Aura reading and manipulation.

For many reasons, even though I can only currently reliably work with Mythril, this is an incredible perk.

If only I didn’t now have to completely rework everything I had only just made at some point very soon.

 

…

 

After I finish disconnecting the main reactor, I box it up with some instructions and drop it off with Sherrel at the home base in the resource dimension. I have to say I’m pretty impressed with the work over here. What once was a ramshackle steel shed, is now a levelled concrete and steel bunker, surrounded by massive steel bins. I even see the start of a rail system. Seems like Impulse’s passenger is pretty happy to make trains as well as heavy vehicles.

After taking the delivery and getting giddy about setting it up, Sherrel quickly gives me a once-over with the matter manipulator, recoloring my hair.

“Boss, if you keep changing like this you’ll have to cancel the company plans and go into modelling or something.”

I snort.

“Fat chance, I don’t think ‘Lord of the Rings chic’ is a category on the catwalk.”

She quickly talks me through her work while I have a little time.

“I’ve got transport set up, in and outbound, and your clone is currently out laying roadwork on the land I’ve flattened out.”

She waves the arm holding the manipulator gauntlet.

“We’ve got shipments of Iron and Copper already building up out at two of the mines, manual mining with the tool at the minute but some of my mining drone projects are starting to come online. I’ve not found much in the way of rare materials here, but once I get a few scanners up I’m going to put some real work in at the desert. There are a few craters there so I’m hoping that’s a good sign for Iridium, Rhenium and Osmium that you asked for as I had a quick net search and they’re all meteoric ores.”

I nod thankfully.

“Thanks for that, keep an eye out for the list I will email over to you, I’m looking for some exotic stuff, and there should be some new ore out here too that you might find difficult to extract so don’t worry too much if you do.”

She waves me off.

“I’m sure I’ll work something out. Your clone will probably do something stupid like try to lift the entire vein out or something.”

I laugh.

“That sounds like something I would try. See you later Sherrel, remember if you need to leave, the Garage only currently connects out to a small shutter out in the west of town so keep it quiet until I can enable a few more shutters for the connection later today. As long as my clone is around he should be able to let you back in.”

I head out to the Garage and grab my civilian bike, on a whim I decide to shrink down my black motorbike as I leave, just in case. Having the portal and a pocket-sized motorbike that can be resized is a huge boon, I’ll never truly be without motor transport again from now on.

 

…

 

Winslow High School, Monday 4^th January 2011, 9 am.

Arriving at the school on my civilian bike, I park up in the visitors car park and secure it best I can. It isn’t beyond the bounds of impossibility that someone will try to steal it in this area.

Not like they’ll succeed given the tinkertech engine, but I’d rather not encourage the attempt!

Students are finishing their weary trudge into the depths of the school as I arrive round at the front entrance. I spy Danny and Taylor stood by the sidewalk, seemingly waiting for me.

“Hey D, how’s it going?”

Taylor jumps round to look at me in shock, and I get my first up close look at the warlord of Brockton Bay.

There’s something about her I can’t quite put my finger on. She isn’t a parahuman that I can tell but she has a presence about her. Maybe I’m just mentally biased due to her being ‘the protagonist’ but still.

Trigger or not, I can see her making something of herself, even if she’s a little beaten down at the moment.

“Hi Thomas, meet my daughter Taylor. Taylor, this is a good friend of mine, and likely to be my new employer if things pan out.”

She turns a skeptical look at me but shakes my offered hand anyway.

“Nice to meet you, Taylor.”

She nods.

“Likewise. Don’t wanna be rude but why are you here?”

I laugh.

“Not rude, I’d ask the same thing. I’m here to back up your father. After he explained what your fellow students have planned for you I gathered up some resources. Recording devices, etc. And am present to back up your father.”

She looks at me dubiously but nods a single sharp nod and turns back to glaring at the door.

“Danny, you ok?”

He’s shaking, though from anger or anticipation I’m not sure.

“Yes.” He grits out. “It’s time to go in. I saw Armsmaster enter earlier. Before the students. You came through for me.”

Taylor looks up at him in shock as I facepalm.

“Danny. You need to keep a better lid on things mate.”

He looks at Taylor and pales. Before firming up his expression.

“I would likely have asked to tell her eventually anyway. Given the enormity of what she’s hidden from me up to now she can clearly keep a secret.”

Taylor is now rapidly switching between looking at me and her father in shock.

“I don’t have to impress upon you how important it is that you don’t even imply the connection that your father has just revealed right Taylor.”

She shakes her head rapidly before glaring at her father.

“You didn’t tell me you knew… people like that?” she questions him.

He chuckles.

“Well kiddo, you never asked. I can keep secrets too!”

We both chuckle as Taylor all but stamps her feet. Before we sober and I turn to Danny with the obvious question.

“So what’s the plan?”

He visibly calms himself, before replying.

“Taylor will enter. We will walk in not far behind her. I’m trusting that Armsmaster won’t let anything happen to her but I’ll be there to stop anything happening if it does. Taylor knows not to let them get her anywhere near the locker. And she knows what to expect. If questioned I am here to complain about this.”

He pulls out a large wad of photocopied sheets.

“And you are here to back me up with legal aid and to keep me calm as a friend.”

I nod.

“Sounds good. Taylor, are you fully on board with this plan? Its asking a lot of you.”

She squares her shoulders after taking a deep breath.

“I have to be. It has to end.”

I turn back to Danny.

“Are you getting her into Arcadia?”

He nods.

“Yes, I got the loans approved last week.”

“You don’t need the loans; don’t sign anything I’ll pay for it. It’ll be a standard benefit.”

He looks like he is going to argue, but he looks me in the eye and drops it before even wording the argument, as Taylor looks on in confusion.

“Thanks Tom. Taylor, it’s time.”

She drops her confused expression and swaps to a grim frown. Seemingly taking a moment to build her confidence, she marches up toward the school.

“Let’s go and fuck over a ward.”

Danny nods in return as we approach the doors.

 

…

 

As I enter the door, the room is really quiet for a pretty packed corridor. The reason is obvious though as I walk toward my classroom, following my script and ignoring my locker.

“Oh Taylor, how nice to see you alive. Didn’t kill yourself over the break then? Being so late I got my hopes up.” Emma titters, as her two goons slide up next to her.

“What do you want Emma?” I gasp out, trying not to look toward my locker.

“Well, we put a special gift together for you before the break but you got here so late today we thought you might miss it. But here you are! Let’s go and get your present!”

She grabs me by the hand and roughly tries to drag me toward my locker, I shake my head and yank my hand out of hers.

“No Thanks Emma, if it’s from you it probably won’t be anything I’d enjoy.”

She looks confused. I suppose I’m not following the usual script though. Having people in your corner does wonders for your confidence.

Sophia chooses this moment to pipe up.

“Good thing we weren’t asking, you worthless slut.”

She looks rough, like she hasn’t been sleeping well and she hasn’t had time to take care of herself properly.

I’m so caught up in noticing how different she looks that her punch to my stomach catches me off guard.

I fold double, barely managing to not vomit as she grabs my hair and drags me toward the lockers. Emma has her hands wrapped around my wrists and is helping her lead me over to the bank of lockers where mine is.

“Get off me!” I shriek, wrenching one of my arms out of Emma’s iron grip. I try to claw out at Sophia but she dodges and yanks my hair back.

“Madison, get the damn door, and get the padlock ready. Little bitch can stay in all day for that stunt.”

I hear Madison wrench my locker open, and a sickening smell reaches me as I increase the intensity of my struggles. Where the hell is dad and his friend.

I increase my struggling, desperately trying to break their grip as we get closer and closer to my locker.

“Enjoy your new home Hebert, probably cleaner than that trashhole you live in anyway.”

Madison holds open my locker and I can see the swimming morass of trash inside. The smell has an almost physical presence in the hallway, and the people closest are covering their noses.

 

“I really don’t think that’s a good idea do you?” A man’s voice sounds out from the crowd ahead of us.

I hear Sophia gasp, as her grip on my hair releases completely. As she pulls her arm away, I notice a strange metallic band on her arm.

Looking over at the source of the voice, I see cobalt blue metal, and a mask.

Armsmaster!

“I come to Winslow to assist with a surprise for the parahuman studies class and instead I get to witness three young women attempt to brazenly break multiple state laws. I’m afraid the three of you will need to come with me to the headmaster while your parents are called.”

Emma decided to show a little bravery.

“We didn’t do anything wrong!”

Before Armsmaster can reply though, dads voice sounds out from behind me.

“We heard everything Emma.”

She flinches, releasing my wrists and turning to see Dad and his friend glaring at her.

“M-m-mr Hebert…”

“Does Alan know what you’ve been up to this past year?” Dad spits out. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him look so aggressive before.

Emma flinches deeply but seems to find her courage as she puts that bitch mask I’m so used to on her face.

“I want to call my father.” She squeaks, attempting to keep her wavering voice steady, unsuccessfully.

Armsmaster nods.

“Don’t worry about that young lady. All of your parents and guardians will be called.

He leads the three of them away toward Blackwell’s office, as Dad comes over to hug me.

“I know that can’t have been easy little owl. But well done. This should give us everything we need.”

I slump into Dads arms as we turn to follow Armsmaster. Dads friend follows behind us with a look of satisfaction on his face. He notices me looking at him and winks at me in return.

 

…

 

 Watching Danny argue with the headmistress of this dump is a treat. Armsmaster has surprisingly already left, with a strange look at me and Danny, he hands over the girls to the staff and states that as non-parahumans he has no further jurisdiction in the case. Sophia was quickly dragged off with a ‘social worker’ though so I have no doubt the PRT are getting their pound of flesh.

Blackwell seems to be sat somewhere between what I expected from canon Worm, and some of the more idiotic fanon versions. Her tactic seems to be deflect, deny, decry, and this tactic failing her is seemingly something she never anticipated.

“Blackwell. I have written proof that Taylor has complained about this at least twenty times. I’ve got Hank Gerald from the teachers union ready to back me up and am quite willing to call in some of the other union contacts. If those three girls are still students by the end of the week, then you won’t need to worry about my lawsuit because when the union has finally crawled out of your ass you likely won’t be the one dealing with it. So shut the fuck up, sit down, and stop making out like suspending a couple of bullies would kill you.”

Her eyebrow twitches, and even Danny should have caught the catching of her breath.

She has no idea that Danny knows one of those kids is a Ward. She doesn’t want to lose the Ward payments, but now Danny has trapped her as she can’t act like the three are immune to consequences.

“Had they got Taylor into that locker, we would be having a very different conversation. As it is three of your students attempted to illegally detain and commit aggravated assault on my daughter. When the police get here, I absolutely will be pressing charges against them for it and the assault committed in the lead-up. Then I’m going to instruct my lawyer to initiate a lawsuit against you personally for allowing it. And against the school district for your complete and utter failure in protecting my daughter.”

He slams the photocopied notes down on the table.

“These actions I’m taking regardless of anything you say. What I want to know is, what did you get out of it?”

She sits stone-faced, unwilling to answer the question.

Then, a knock on the door as Alan Barnes enters the room.

“Hey Danny, how’s it going? The receptionist says there’s some pretty wild accusations being thrown at Emma, you got any more info?”

See I know Danny is a parahuman, and even still I’m surprised at how fast he moves in response to the question from his former best friend.

“I don’t know Alan, do I?”

He hands over some of the photocopies to Barnes who starts to quickly skim through them. Rapidly paling his eyes keep flickering between the sheets and Danny. For a moment, I think he’s about to attack Danny, but it passes quickly as he slumps.

“Alan. Did you know?”

He shakes his head numbly.

“So you weren’t at least a party to abuse, instead you were just a shit father. Go and deal with your daughter, the police are on their way and I don’t want to see your face.”

Barnes looks like he wants to reply, but looking between Blackwell, Danny and the photocopies on the table, he thinks better of it and simply leaves.

The receptionist bustles in to tell us the police are here, and I put my hand on Danny’s shoulder in solidarity.

We are interviewed on site by the police as witnesses. Danny and Taylor off in one room while I speak to an officer in another. After a short interview where I tell them exactly what I saw go down between the girls, I am told I can leave. Leaving my contact number and email for them to contact me as needed. I then drop a quick message over to Danny who is still in interview with Taylor.

“Danny, I’ll be outside when you are done, let me know if you need a hand with anything else in there.”

Making my way outside of the school, I have EFA scanning the various offices. One has Clements and what must be her parents, but interestingly the other one has Sophia Hess with four people, two who must be PRT and Armsmaster and what might be Miss Militia as well.

More interesting is the band wrapped around her forearm. It seems to carry an active electric current.

So Sophia actually got into trouble when I made my report then. It seems like disciplinary measures have been taken at least. Now let’s see what this incident will lead to. With her attempting to murder Grue I’m actually a little shocked she’s out unsupervised, but then if she can’t ease her frustration on the gangs of the city, that would have left Taylor as the only outlet. Silly of her to make this attempt while already under close watch though.

Suddenly I am even more glad I decided to interfere in Taylors trigger. I dread to think of the locker incident with an even more unhinged Shadow Stalker.

“EFA, what’s the update on Lawyers please?”

“I’ve reached out to Carol Dallon’s firm to put them on retainer for general counsel for the Archon ID, and I’ve contacted a firm called ‘Baker and Chase’ for your civilian ID. They specialise mostly in business law but I thought you would be interested in them as they have a separate firm for affairs where non-parahumans are negatively affected by parahumans. And they aren’t afraid of going up against the PRT either. “

“And Calle?”

“Some of his regular contacts lead me to infer he may have a connection with the Elite, I’m trying to tease it out before I make any contact.”

“Thanks EFA.”

“Don’t mention it boss.”

…

 

The first group out is surprisingly the trio. Emma and Madison are all but dragged off by their parents, and Sophia is not far behind in the company of two grim looking ‘social workers’ who quickly bundle her into a black SUV that screeches off downtown. I’m unsurprised that no arrests were made today, Brockton’s jails don’t exactly have room for a bunch of teen delinquents. EFA’s monitoring of the police band tells me they’ve been charged and released into the custody of their parents with a harsh warning to the parents as to what will happen if they attempt to leave town.

The wheels of justice may be square shaped in Brockton, but they can move occasionally.

Danny and Taylor are out around thirty minutes later.

“Taylor do you mind waiting in the car while me and Thomas wind things up here?”

“Okay, thanks Mr Hale, for coming today.”

I smile at her.

“No problem, Taylor.”

As she sidles off to Danny’s car, parked not far away, I turn to him questioningly.

“What’s the story Danny?”

He grimaces.

“They attempted to put Taylor in unlawful detention, and to commit aggravated assault against her. Combined with all of her notes, well. There’s a case for severe harassment and common assault too. With the witnesses we have, especially Armsmaster. Well, they’ve been charged with the attempted aggravated assault for now.”

He puts his hand on his forehead and looks fondly at his daughter.

“I’m going to sue them into the ground, and the school board has been updated now. The teachers union is going to back me based on a copy of Taylors notebook, and the janitors union is ready to quietly let it me know they’ll join if things don’t move quickly. You said you have access to a good lawyer?”

I nod, and reply.

“Yes, I’ll send you a referral and cover the costs in this instance.”

“I’ll pay you back out of the settlement.” He replies stubbornly.

I shake my head but decline to reply to him for now. He’s got that look about him.

“Did any of the parents speak with you?”

He looks mulish.

“That Sophia girl, her ‘case worker’ wants a private meeting, they’re coming to see me at home next week. I won’t need you there for that if I have a lawyer, and it would probably bring suspicion on you from them if you were there, but if you have any sort of hard to detect recording device, it would be appreciated.”

I nod, should be simplicity itself to set something up.

“I appreciate your support Thomas. I know I already gave you my reply previously but I’ll confirm It now. I’m in. Team and all.”

I smile.

“Good to have you on board. Now have you told Taylor about your… new perspective?”

He grimaces.

“She likely suspects, given what I accidentally let slip about you earlier, but not explicitly.”

I shake my head and groan.

“Danny. In the original pre-cog vision your relationship was ruined because she was incapable of opening up to you. Tell her and let the chips fall where they may. You can’t rebuild a healthy relationship on a foundation of lies.”

He looks at me pensively, before nodding curtly.

“I’ll take it under advisement.”

That’s all I can hope for.

Jumping on my bike and heading back out to my apartment to continue work on planning the supply chain for my first commodity, I am hit with a double hit from the forge.

Expansion deferred due to an active situation.

200CP remain.

Rolling…

Skills Clothing – Success!

Needlework – Earth Girls

100CP remain.

Rolling…

Quality Appearance – Success!

Her Majesty’s Majesty – Fate/Legends – Empire of Antiquity

0CP remain.

 

I feel a tingle, and then a ripple in my skin as my appearance is indelibly altered. It propagates up and down my body, removing any remaining imperfections and flaws, it’s… almost gentle in comparison to what the elder blood did to me. But no less life-altering.

I was already somewhat attractive. Being a half-elf, there was already an aura of inherent beauty interweaved into my genetics. Not to be arrogant but there aren’t really unattractive elves.

This takes that beauty and ramps it up to eleven. My civilian ID will be becoming a lot more popular put it that way. I can’t check myself, I’m currently sat on my bike, leathers on and helmeted up. But the perk gives me assurance that I am different.

The more impressive part is this perk doesn’t just affect me. It affects anything I make, or anything I have power over. That includes items but also conceptual things like empires. It even affects other people. Luckily I can choose the level of effect this perk has on things that aren’t myself or I would have a lot of explaining to do to Sherrel and Danny when they suddenly start changing appearance now they work for me. I turn the mental dial that deals with subordinates all the way down to zero for now.

The other perk, Needlework, is a basic tailoring perk. My first actual clothes making perk, that allows me to make rugged and functional clothing from basic materials, fur, leather, cloth, etc. It also lets me weave cloth and make thread and also leather from hides. If I ever get trapped somewhere where I have to hunt for resources then I am at least set for clothing. It’s nothing you would see in modern society, or in high society. But it’s functional clothing. It’s also just a raw infodump. No forge shenanigans here. I didn’t have the skills previously, and now I do.

Life-altering changes to my appearance aside, this is actually a useful set of perks to gain. The beauty one however will require some adaptation. The perk will actively change the appearance of gear that I use to become more beautiful in a heroic sense, so something I will need to keep watch for.

Arriving back at the apartment, as I walk up to the door EFA pings me an alert.

“Boss, I’m tracking two unconfirmed Lung sightings on PHO. I would usually have just filed for analysis against other sources but they’re both roughly in the same area. At the northern city limits where the trainyard meets the city outskirts, and the city gives way to scattered farmland and forest.”

Lung…

“EFA, I’m going to head back to the forge, can you keep an eye on any further sightings, If we only have two it could be coincidence or it could even be another parahuman altogether. I’m not confident in heading out there on a wild goose chase when I’ve got so much work to do.”

“I’ll keep an eye on it boss, I’m going to concentrate resources on breaking into surveillance in the area too.”

“Go ahead, keep me up to date.”

Heading back into the forge, I open up three new files. One on the new materials, especially concentrating on uses for Mythril in my current loadout. The second is for Danny’s costume and Sherrels new costume. Sherrel has her derivative of the old armour so I’ll also need to work on upgrades for that. The third is for a tattoo project now that I have magical materials to test with.

Putting them to the side for now, I pick the phone project back up, and get to work on planning the supply lines. This is old work, an original skill I bought in from my previous life and it’s… soothing. To be able to sink into familiarity, not something the forge has forced into my brain, but old familiar work.

Raw material costs are calculated, supply lines are explored. Everything about this project needs to be mundane except for the designer of course. I have the device itself designed. It’s ready for prototyping. Stark having done the work already made this a piece of cake. I need to get HaleOS written which is a side job I can work on between jobs, EFA can help with that too.

Then I need to get the business opened so I can explore corporate supply lines. Logistics is also something I need to sort out as this worlds shipping industry is completely different in scope. I’ll probably need to source materials first-country which means less in the way of duties and tariffs but conversely much more expensive in the base cost.

Heading into the workshops, I get to work on my prototype device. Steel, copper, gold, silver, lithium and a plethora of other common and rare resources are carried into the workshop by my clones as I prepare my omni tool for fabrication duties. My clones are going to build and test the alpha device while I work on Sherrel and Danny’s new costumes.

As I pass through, I catch a look at myself in one of the mirrors In the cybernetics medical area, but an eerie sense of disassociation hits me like vertigo. I briefly touch my face as my eyes start to well up unbidden.

I don’t remember my parents from my first life. And I now look I like I did when I first entered this realm. Something aching, deep inside my chest tells me that I no longer bear any resemblance to my family. The smooth contour of my jaw has given way to a chiselled strong jawline. My eyes, one used to be slightly bigger than the other, now they hold a strange symmetry. My own reflection looks off to me as I’m used to those minor imperfections that make my myself. Even my light spattering of freckles is gone, given way to smooth, nude coloured skin bereft of even my hard-earned laughter lines. High arched cheekbones finish off my look, something you wouldn’t see out of place on a Clark Kent, or a Captain America. A traditional heroic look. Even my facial hair is manicured and plucked seemingly automatically. Not a hair is out of place. My white-silver mane held in a naturally side parted, layered look that falls down to mid back.

If I ever managed to go back home, would I even be able to pick up where I left off?

Shaking off the growing sense of loss and disconnection, I move on to lose myself in my work. If I don’t think about it, then it isn’t happening right?

Right?

Working on the first draft of Danny’s costume, I find myself losing concentration every few minutes, until in disgust I slam my hands down on the desk and storm off to the kitchen.

After a magical cookpot enhanced meal, I manage to find a little calm. Hypatia is uncharacteristically out in the dining area and gives me a strange look as she passes.

“Are you well Thomas?”

I shake my head.

“Forge decided to steal my face. Having a bit of difficulty with it all things considered.”

Her face is sympathetic.

“The Forge has a tendency to treat concepts like ‘self’ with an uncaring brush. Do you need any assistance? I could put you to sleep with a potion for a few hours, give you a chance to dream it off?”

I smile at her, to which I receive a grin and a brush of red on her cheeks. This causes me to scowl again to which she looks taken aback.

“No thanks Hypatia, I’m just going to head back to work. Hopefully getting some magical food has allowed me to gain some clarity.”

She opens her mouth to speak, before shaking her head and seemingly choosing to let it go for now.

“Okay, apologies Thomas, I will see you later.”

As I get back to the workshop, I start to finally make some progress with Danny’s MK1 Atlas suit. Obviously he doesn’t need armour so I work on some thin strip batteries that can be hot swapped to give him nonlethal options and some energy shielding he can use in his thinker phase. My old standby, electric putdowns make a comeback as I lay out some utility belts with common tranquilizers and a loadout of stimpaks for emergency work.

The costume itself is a resin weave bodysuit with a thick silvery polymer outer shell for moulding. An open jaw mask with a full head cover finishes the look. I also integrate a stylised planet as an initial logo. The costume is silver and light blue and brings to mind Captain America’s suit from the Winter Soldier, though with a lot more silver.

It’s not perfect, but in all honesty it’s an MK1 so he can live with it. It’s nice to work on something that doesn’t really need to be protective, simply needing to be concealing and relatively heroic.

Sending off a rendered image of the suit to Danny for sign-off, I move on to work on Sherrels new armour. However before I can even put stylus to screen, EFA interrupts.

“Boss, I’m getting repeated reports of Lung sightings across the whole north of the city. I’ve had sightings in the outskirts of Brockton across the entire northern edge of the city limits. Unless Lung is suddenly a teleporter, someone is playing a game. Last sighting was out at the Burwell farms off the Route 1 Brockton turnpike. I think you are going to need to check this out.”

She’s right of course. I’ve been… wary of having to face off with Lung again. Every option I can leverage against him is either ineffective, or near guaranteed to be lethal, without much in between. But something is going on here.

I quickly put a mass message out to Danny and Sherrel warning them about the situation and letting them know I’m heading out to investigate. I ask them to standby in the city unless something kicks off while I’m in the northern outskirts.

I also send a message off to Assault giving him the same warning. I have to assume the Protectorate is aware, but ENE will rely on independents like Sere and Dovetail to deal with things on the outskirts quite so far out.

“EFA, I’m getting some big trap vibes here. The nature of the sightings makes me think someone is trying to lure in a flyer. And I doubt Lung is trying to draw in New Wave or the Protectorate. Not somewhere he can’t rely on collateral damage to hold them back.”

“I agree, be careful boss, keep your head on a swivel and I will do the same.”

Well then. Time to suit up.

The archangel MK2 wraps around me like a glove, the new interconnection with my cybernetics born from the refit makes me feel light as a feather as my wings engage. Deploying out of my most northern door I take to the skies and head toward the freeway.

As if to punctuate the start of my flight, the forge pings in my skull.

 

100CP remain.

Rolling…

Failed.

 

…

 

Notes:

Perks gained this chapter -

12.0100

 

Metal of the Gods

 

400

 

The Death Mage Who Doesn't Want A Fourth Time

 

Magical Large Scale

 

Adamantite. Mythril. Orichalcum. Magical metals of incredible power. Adamantite and Mythril are opposites, in a way. The first, incredibly sturdy, the perfect material to defend against the physical world. Mythril, on the other had, has anti-magic effects, defending against spells just as well as Adamantite does against physical blows, while also being capable of damaging spirits. Finally, there is Orichalcum, the metal of the Gods, having resistance against both physical and magical blows even greater than the other two. The metals of Gods, which are now at your hands. You have a replenishing supply of each material, enough to forge from their raw forms an entire suit of plate armor, a shield, a spear, and a sword. This supply, should it be used or sold, will replenish once every year, though it should be noted that those with the ability to forge from these great metals is far and few between. Post jump, you will also receive an equal supply of any other metals considered divine alongside the ones provided here from any setting's visited, including those created by you or others.

 

22.003

 

Needlework

 

100

 

Earth Girls

 

Skills Clothing

 

It wouldn't really be called tailoring, but that's basically what you do. Making thread and basic cloth from scratch, fashioning fur and leather into clothes, and fixing up all the rips and tears the others get running around. The clothing you make is always rugged and neatly made, too.

 

32.013

 

Her Majesty's Majesty

 

100

 

Fate/Legends - Empire of Antiquity

 

Quality Appearance

 

They say that every hero of these times was a marvel to look upon. The statues that remain from these years in modern times would seem to give that impression and should you eventually have one made of you, it won't fall short. Whether it's being beautiful or handsome, you stand out like a shining jewel even among heroes. Many can't help but gasp once they see your visage and it'll smooth out plenty of problems for you, not the least is finding a suitable partner. Your beauty will also affect the things that you make and rule over, even something as large as Rome itself, but this effect slowly takes hold over time. While a sword you wield may slowly become more ornate and fine over days of use, an empire might need years to be fully affected, but it and all it's people will be shining by the end. You can have this stop at a certain level if you like, whether that's to keep some parts of your empire ugly or just to stop everyone from maybe becoming self-obsessed snobs that never stop looking in mirrors.

 

+50 PRCP, 300PRCP available – Rolling.

Success!

Extra Key Store - 300PRCP - 100PRCP per key. - From now on, since gaining this perk, you may spend 100PRCP per key to create a subordinate key that will allow someone else to access your personal reality as needed. This access is logged in the security log and controlled by perk based/your own security systems. The keys have the same protection that yours do, they cannot be used or perceived by anyone but the assigned bearer. Be wary that your security is up to scratch however as there is no protection against mastery or stranger effects inherent to these keys. The perk comes with two complementary keys to hand out right now.

Chapter 37: Arc 4 - Chapter 4

Notes:

Finally got some time to actually write! Theres another chapter to follow shortly, just got some last minute editing to do! Hopefully not too bad, i've been agonising over this for months and its been rewritten multiple times. About 100k words written and discarded in total. Been a nasty bit of writers block and i still think the flow isnt quite right but its way passed time for me to release.

Arc 4 – Chapter 4

 

Monday 4^th January 2011, 2pm.

 

As I fly toward the northern outskirts, I get a very unusual ping from the forge.

My key now has an attached keyring. On this keyring are two more personal reality keys.

I can now hand out access to trusted teammates and subordinates at will. Sherrel will be getting one of these. I may need to wait a while before giving Danny access but giving Sherrel the ability to deploy and return at will is a huge advantage on its own. I can also spend the strange secondary forge power at will to make more keys.

Handy.

Speaking of Sherrel, she’s messaged that she has gathered her gear and is patrolling the downtown area in case anything kicks off. Danny is keeping an eye on the news and will deploy as needed. He also gives his ok to the new costume which at least takes one thing off my mind.

“EFA, feel free to maintain contact with Danny and Sherrel too, they know I have a thinker working with me so don’t feel like you are restricted to just talking to me.”

“Oh, never really thought of that boss. Uh, sure okay I’ll get to know my teammates.”

Once I get back to the workshop, I’m using some of the tech I developed for the new phone to make some proper long range live comms gear. No more of this mobile phone nonsense while on mission. I should have made it a priority after Kaiser.

In not much time at all I’m out over the freeway. The sightings of ‘Lung’ were at the isolated homesteads, farms and small groupings of industrial buildings across the northern outskirts of Brockton. Not wanting to take too much risk I’m flying high over the landscape, looking for any sign of trouble from a wide-angle view.

Just off the turnpike as EFA said, there is a small plume of smoke, billowing out of a burning ring of foliage deep in the woodland. An expanding circle of flame belching out smoke into the sky.

Taking a closer view, there are no life signs or signs of Lung specifically at all, but this is at least a clue.

Looking around the horizon, I notice a few more patches of smoke coming from the woods. There’s something weird going on here.

They’re too far apart.

But not a single sign of Lung anywhere. Scans are inconclusive, carbonized trees, signs of burned grass. Lots of crushed foliage.

It’s like a teleporting pyromaniac is practicing out in the wilderness. But that description doesn’t segue with a description of Lung at all. These spots literally cannot be down to the missing ABB leader, unless he suddenly got the ability to be in multiple places at once. Or spontaneously gained a serious mover power.

For a fleeting moment my mind turns to Burnscar. But I dismiss it as quickly. If the nine are in town there would be more to show for it than a bit of wilderness arson.

It’s a large area to cover, but as I soar over the woodland and scattered farms, it seems peaceful. There are a few scattered random burning tree sites, but scans show no nearby human presence at all. The only living presence that I scan is from the residences, as you would expect.

At a loss as to what could be going on, I locate a nearby service station and land behind it. I quickly grab a toilet door for future convenience, and head back into the sky for another sweep.

“It doesn’t make any sense EFA, the readings are clear, some sort of high temperature event, not a forest fire, too damp and far too cold at this time of year.  “

“I’ve been checking the sightings via the BBPD network, and all the sightings come from different sources for sure boss, so it’s not a single incident. The fire is seemingly just normal everyday fire, nothing special in the energy readings. I’m as stumped as you are.”

Maybe Faultline has an update for me.

“EFA get Faultline on the line please.”

She picks up almost immediately.

“Faultline sorry to bother you, is there anything going on in Brockton’s ‘darker side’ of import recently? I don’t need details, not asking you to give me info, just, anything of note.”

There's a short pause on the line, before she answers.

“I’ve been preparing an update for you. Per our previous agreement. Citrine and Othello of the Ambassadors were at the bar last night. Accord has reached out to us for a long-term job in Boston guarding some transports from being attacked by Blasto.”

That’s… not like Accord. At all. Order is his bread and butter, to have mercs out of his control guarding his personal jobs right inside his territory. That goes against his entire profile.

“Keep your guard up, something stinks.”

“You don’t need to tell me twice, pay and info is too good to pass up though so we are all going. We will be heading out shortly so if there’s anything you need doing in Boston. Let me know.”

“I will.”

The line goes dead as she hangs up. Not that I expected much of an update on Lung but more than “Heading out on a job”

Looking around, there are some more smoke plumes further out from town. With nothing else to go on I raise my shields, just in case, and head out to scan.

 

…

 

Two hours later and I’m no closer to anything resembling a resolution. I’m about ready to pack it in, when my phone rings.

Assault. Joy of joys.

“Archon speaking. What’s up Assault?”

“Hey man, Are you busy?”

He sounds… wary.

“I’m up at the northern outskirts, investigating rumours of Lung sightings, what’s up?”

“Panacea and Glory Girl are missing.”

“What!?”

 “They were last seen leaving Bay Central Bank on the way to the hospital, but then nothing. Completely disappeared into thin air. Armsmaster said your speciality includes some comprehensive computer analytics ability. Piggot’s given permission for you to come in on the investigation. You free? Theres a hell of a lot of surveillance data to go through and we could really use your help.”

“Sure, but what about the Lung sightings?”

“Velocity and Triumph are following up on them from our side. We can keep you in the loop.”

“…Fine, I’m on my way in. Helipad free?”

“I’ll get it authorised. Meet at the PRT building asap.”

Fucking hell what else is today going to throw at me.

I don’t have any wood to touch nearby, fuck.

“EFA pull what you can from public systems, light touch, I don’t doubt Dragon will be all over those systems given Panacea’s importance.”

“Already on it, boss.”

Pushing my wings to their limit I jet off toward the PRT Building at max speed.

“They at least left the bank area, I’ve got footage from publicly accessible surveillance of the outside of the bank. I have them exiting at 1pm and heading north-east on the main road toward the park.”

“Wait, on foot?”

“Yes.”

“But Glory Girl pretty much always flies her sister to the Hospitals helipad? And the hospital is to the south-east of the bank.”

“I’m just stating what I’ve got on camera boss. They leave the bank, walk to the end of the street, then turn left to head north-east. I don’t pick them up on any easily available cameras after that.”

“try to crack the banks systems subtly. Something's really not right here.”

“On it.”

While I fly pretty much on autopilot toward downtown, I analyse what I know. It’s well known that Glory Girl pretty much chauffeurs her sister to every shift. The two New Wave girls are part of Arcadias vocational student program, which allows them to be in education for half days and career learning the other half of the time. Glory Girl typically drops her sister off for her hospital shift at 1:30. Them walking down the street is highly irregular. Hell, I used to see them flying occasionally during my lunch, back in my construction worker days.

Something stinks. Seriously.

Landing at the PRT I take no time in rushing inside.

Assault meets me at the conference room. An uncharacteristically serious expression on his face.

“What’s the situation Assault?”

“The others are on their way in, let’s wait for them to arrive first.”

We sit down in the conference room to wait, a reinforced and widened chair helpfully offered to me by a PRT agent.

Armsmaster and Miss Militia file in, Followed by Director Piggot and Dauntless.

Piggot nods at me as she enters.

“Nice of you to join us Archon. I’m sure Assault has filled you in?”

I return her nod with a grim look.

“Glory Girl and Panacea missing?”

“Yes, as you can imagine the rest of New Wave are moments away from going on an all-out interrogation tour of the bay,” Assault interjects.

Piggot turns a withering look to him, and he settles back into his chair.

Armsmaster takes this moment to interject.

“I have terabytes of surveillance data from the surrounding areas to parse through, when you worked with myself and Dragon you showed a lot of familiarity with data analysis procedure, and we were hoping you would be willing to assist.”

“EFA set up a high security FTP link on the omni tool, reroute through an outside node and pass me the IP. Destroy the link when download is complete.”

“Done. Passing to Omni-Tool.”

I pull up my Omni-tool to a very interested look from Armsmaster.

“Passing you a high-speed FTP link to your main number now, send the data when ready.”

He nods, fiddling with a sleek tablet like device that he slides out of the side of his armour.

“Uploading.”

“Got it.”

I link the data into the integrated holo projector and over lay it to the middle of the table.

Multiple screens pop up over the table each with a different surveillance feed.

“EFA, I’m bringing you in on this, can you emulate your voice onto a fake phone call please?”

“On it.”

“One second Armsmaster. Bringing in a teammate.”

I initiate the fake phone call and the omni tool starts to ring.

“Overwatch, you seeing this?”

“Yes boss, parsing data now.” EFA’s Welsh accent comes through strong in external communications.

Armsmaster turns a perplexed, questioning look to me, but I ignore it in favour of watching the data stream.

“Okay, turn your attention to the highlighted screen.” EFA instructs, the main screen of the omni-tool enlarging in the center of the table as everyone looks on.

The screen shows Glory Girl and Panacea walking out of the bank and heading down the street as EFA told me earlier. However, the screen transitions to what looks like a high-resolution capture of Lord Street. This is the street that Panacea and Glory Girl should be entering now.

“Somewhere between the turn off and this camera the two of them disappeared into thin air. That’s obviously strange in and of itself. But theoretically Glory Girl could have started to fly off camera. But what would be the reason to walk at all in that case.”

A series of screens rotate around the central CCTV footage before settling around various surveillance images of the two girls.

“Additionally, I’ve noticed something even stranger in the footage. Look at these twelve images and you might see what I'm talking about.”

The people gathered round the table look in perplexed bemusement at the floating images. Even I'm not sure where EFA is going with this.

Then like a bolt of lightning it hits me. I let out a grunt of acknowledgement.

“Attention, EFA. It’s the level of attention.”

With a serious tone she continues on her briefing.

“Look at the civilians. Nobody is looking at the two of them. Now sure, New Wave are old hat now and rarely the center of attention. But no-one looking at Panacea? At all? One of the most famous capes to a Brockton local? No hangers on? No autograph chasers?” EFA finishes her presentation with a sigh.

“The footage is suspicious. And frankly the fact they walked at all is already setting off warning bells in my mind. In my opinion, Armsmaster. You need to secure and investigate the bank and the surroundings. I suspect either the footage is doctored, or you are looking at a Master/Stranger situation with a widespread effect.”

He nods with a grimace.

I turn to him with a grim frown.

“Need a partner, I need something to keep myself occupied?”

He nods thankfully.

“I will take my motorcycle; can you shadow from the air?”

“Yes.”

He nods, but before we leave, Director Piggot interjects.

“Archon, I know you aren’t one of mine, but thank you for assisting us especially after recent… difficulties.”

I turn a flat expression to her.

“Director, personal problems aside you couldn’t forcibly keep me off this. Panacea saved my life, and sure, we could pretend me returning the favour evened out the karma scales, but we both know that this kind of debt never shakes out like that. And even should we disregard personal debts, I am a hero. Independent I may be, but my morality and yours follow the exact same tracks. We just stop at different stations.”

She looks long and hard at me, before nodding her head with a thin smile.

“My thanks stand regardless. I’m authorising you to act alongside my Protectorate team for the duration of this investigation. You’ve shown a talent for making the right decisions in moments of stress and you’ve earned at least a little trust from me.”

“Thank you for your trust.”

I turn to leave as she starts coughing behind me. She looks even more unwell than last time, and I have to wonder, how much longer will I be dealing with Piggot. And will it be Calvert, or Tagg I have to deal with when her illness finally catches up to her?

As I head to the helipad, the forge makes itself known again.

Expansion deferred due to an active situation.

200CP remain.

Rolling…

Knowledge Reverse Engineering – Success!

Xenospecialist – Gears of War

0CP remain.

Well then. This is another one of those long-term skill perks that allows me to compound my knowledge over time. Specifically, this perk makes me very talented at learning languages and technology of alien species.

This perk is specifically useful given where and when I am. Given there’s only one alien species present in Worm, and only one example of their technology.

Entities, and Shards.

I think this perk will really come into its own as I work on the Case 53 problem. I’ll also have to see if I can find a decent way to investigate shard speech.

Thoughts for later however, here and now I have bigger things to worry about.

 

…

 

As I fly, shadowing Armsmaster’s motorbike, I make a call through to Danny and Sherrel, putting them in conference.

“Impulse, Atlas. Panacea and Glory Girl are missing. I’m heading with Armsmaster to investigate the place they were last seen. Impulse can you pick Atlas up and patrol downtown, keep to the area between Brockton Central, the PRT, and the Boardwalk. And Atlas, you might want to ramp up a little in advance. I’ve got a horrible feeling deep in my gut that isn’t going away.”

“Got it, let me just let Taylor know the script and I’ll meet you outside, Impulse.” Danny replies, as Sherrel replies with a simple “Got it boss.”

Below me, Armsmaster is just pulling his bike up to the front of the Bank. His bike by the way? Really cool and according to omni-tool scans, packed with enough electronics and gadgets for ten bikes. And as a side note, most definitely not called the ‘Armscycle’. Trust me, I asked him. He looked at me like I’d just shit out a traffic cone in front of him. In public.

Landing next to him to the surprised gasps of the surrounding public, we make our way inside quickly. Deferring to Armsmaster, I let him handle the talking while I start on passive scans.

While Armsmaster questions the teller and asks for the manager I start passive scans on the bank and the customers.

“EFA, if you have any insights let me know.”

“Will do.”

The scans are normal, for the given value of normal given I don’t exactly have a baseline for each of these people. The tellers are a little unusual as all of them are showing a low-level fever but no other signs of strangeness.

The manager finally arrives, red faced and breathing heavily, from somewhere in the back rooms.

“Armsmaster, Archon. Daryl Smith, Manager of Brockton Central. How can I help you?”

He’s short, especially compared to me and Armsmaster, and is in a very expensive tailored suit. Clearly working as a manager here pays well.

“Mr Smith, we have some questions of a sensitive nature to ask, can we go to your office to talk?” Armsmaster says sternly, but politely.

The managers eyes dart side to side, looking like he wants anything but what Armsmaster has just asked him?

“Boss, his heartbeat is sitting at 140 bpm. His stress hormones are off the charts. Be wary.”

Quickly messaging this over to Armsmaster, he must get updates on some sort of HUD because he turns back to the manager and states even more firmly.

“Now. Please Mr Smith.”

He starts to speak but seemingly aborts whatever he was going to say, and with a resigned sigh he leads us over to a side corridor, leading to a small, well-appointed office.

“Scans are clear boss, other than ambient temperatures being a little high, there are no signs of anything odd otherwise in the public areas of the bank. No signs of Glory Girl or Panacea either.”

“Can you scan any deeper?”

“I can go down close to the vaults, but the distance, elevation and thickness of the walls down there gives no real resolution of the inside. I’m assuming we don’t need the contents though.”

“Mr Smith, earlier today Glory Girl and Panacea visited this bank, and now both are missing.”

He nods his head rapidly.

“Yes they were here, but they left relatively quickly, only here for a few minutes.”

“What were they here for may I ask?”

He frowns.

“The bank takes its clients privacy very seriously.”

“Your clients are local independent heroes, underage, and missing. You can and will make an exception.” Armsmaster all but hisses.

The manager takes a step backward, before rallying himself.

“Panacea wanted to make a withdrawal but didn’t have funds available, Glory Girl said they were going to ask their parents for money, and they left.”

“Almost certainly a lie, going off biological tells. Though he’s a damn good liar.”

“Armsmaster might have his lie detector at this point. But message him anyway.”

Armsmaster touches his ear, before gritting his jaw.

“Archon, I need to go. PRT HQ is under attack by Lung.”

Fuck.

“Boss, Ambient temperatures in the lobby are spiking, one of the customers on the floor is pushing 150f.”

A rumble from the main hall and the sound of screaming. Armsmaster pulls his halberd from his back and points it at the manager.

Smith slumps in his chair and puts his head in his hands.

“I’m sorry, they said they would let us live if we got you to stay inside the bank.”

I turn back with a snarl.

“Who is we!?”

A roar from the main hall of the bank erupts.

“Boss, Lung is out there! One of the customers!”

“That’s impossible he’s attacking PRT HQ!”

Another roar and the sound of crashing glass and thudding footsteps.

I dash out of the office, Armsmaster hot on my heels.

“Armsmaster, Lung is out in the lobby. Get the customers and staff on the floor into the back offices while I try to push him out.”

“This is an inefficient use of our combat power.”

“The customers come first and they are more likely to listen to you. Get them to safety then come back me up.”

He grimaces.

“I have reports of Lung at PRT HQ, Lung at the entrance to the Rig bridge, and Lung now here. Be careful, this is obviously part of something much greater.”

I dart out to the Lobby to a nightmare.

Between me and the front door, a trail blood leading to Lung, stood at easily 8 feet tall, arms crossed and blocking the door.

Only this isn’t Lung. The fire doesn’t match. In fact, it isn’t even fire.

“EFA who the hell is this.”

“Scans are congruent with Lungs biological scans.”

“EFA, he’s spewing what looks like searing blue plasma, not fire.”

“Check the scans yourself. Surface genetic scans match. Everything. According to the scans this is Lung. However impossible that seems.”

“Run deeper analytics, this is not Lung.”

It’s not.

And if this means what I think it means, we are in big, big trouble.

Then Not-Lung is charging. No room to utilise my flight I instead teleport to his back, drawing my staff and lashing out with my plasma blade.

Only for Not-Lung to deflect it with an arc of violently sparking blue plasma.

He grins at me, fanged mouth leaking small globs of plasma that melt the marble floor at his feet.

“EFA, what’s the melting point of marble?”

“2440 Fahrenheit, roughly.”

The shield will hold. For a short while. The armour will not. I can take maybe 1500 in the new suit. Maybe. The suit itself can survive much hotter, but internal temperature defences and shielding will break down long before the suit does. And I do not fancy losing an arm today. Nor being cooked alive in my own armour. His plasma is far hotter than my blade. My blade being only a plasma blade using tricks and a specialised emitter, rather than the insane high kelvin temps of real contained plasma.

I cannot get into a melee war with this imposter.

“EFA, make a project note. Some sort of high caliber battle rifle or man-portable rail gun of some sort, with infinite ammo. For a future project.”

Then Not-Lung is charging me again, I go for another teleport, but he lashes out with a wide spray of cooler, but much wider spread liquid fire from his back forcing me to abort and go as high as I can with my wings instead. He reaches up to grab my leg, but I can now teleport to the teller’s counter and fire off shots with my energy pistol.

He doesn’t even attempt to dodge or block them. They hit, leaving small gouts of rendered flesh, but they close up near instantly. And he is still growing. And worse, my internal store of magical energy is halved. And I have to preserve as much of it as possible in case I need to shunt to emergency shielding. The teleports will need to be used sparingly in armour. Carrying the whole suit is amplifying the costs of the short range teleportation exponentially.

I can hear gunfire from deeper in the bank, and low-resolution scans show Armsmaster darting around like a maniac.

The beast in front of me laughs uproariously.

“A gift from mother. A plan to follow and an inconvenience to dispose of. A two for one offer on interfering heroes.”

The gunfire stops as the Lung copy in front of me starts to glow in that crackling blue haze.

He locks eyes with me and attempt to spray me with plasma from a distance again but with the gap between us as wide as it is they impotently land between us.

In the background, Armsmaster has finished with his escorting of the rest of the civilians and is returning to my side.

“The staff were plants.” He pants out. “They dissolved into some sort of liquid biomass once I had restrained them.”

Clones.

He turns to face the Lung clone blocking the door and readies his halberd. I read him in on the situation.

“Fighting him alone is a bust. It’s an imposter and putting out almost full-on plasma from its mouth. Are you temp rated for something that can melt marble?”

His mouth turns into a thin line.

“No. Close with the exotic tinker alloys my suit is made from, but that will turn me into a human oven.”

A choking laugh comes from the beast in front of us.

“So, this is the limit of the great Archon. I wonder why he fears you so. You aren’t much special it seems.”

“Aw Lung is afraid of little old me. I can’t say I’m surprised given his previous performance.”

It snorts.

“Lung? That weakling pissant soiling himself with the dregs of the dying sun and its worthless neighbours? No. I do not speak of that worthless thing.”

“Oh, a new fan? Who fears me so much they are willing to risk a kill order by engaging in bio-tinkering and attacking the PRT directly?”

He laughs outright.

“Bio-Tinkering? I am the glorious product of my mother. The most powerful and beautiful woman to ever exist. You aren’t fit to stain her presence. And you will meet your ‘fan’ when I am done with you. And I can assure you, you will not enjoy it.”

“Boss, it’s all a trick! He can’t sustain the plasma flow. It’s why he keeps giving you so much time between attacks. His power is unstable and barely controllable, in exchange for raw power and a much wider spread of fire-based attacks, his body is basically one big tumour that can barely channel his power. Force him to waste a big attack then go hard with the sword.”

I sheathe my staff and pull out the Jabberwock Claw.

“You aren’t much yourself it seems. All talking no action. Even Lung fought with a bit of intellect. You are a mindless wannabe desperately trying to be better than your progenitor.”

Its face twists into a rictus of fury.

“Armsmaster. Go hard on the tasers and sedatives when I give the signal.”

He looks at me in askance but nods a moment later.

Not-Lung lights up in blue fire once again before charging even faster at me, seemingly ignoring Armsmaster’s very existence. I square my shoulders and stand my ground which draws a mocking laugh from the beast.

“Brave Archon, but foolish.”

Armsmaster fires off some sort of pellet that expands into containment foam, but the foam just shrivels and dies before having any effect. Not-Lung glares at him in return.

“You are next, Armsmaster. Wait your turn.”

A retaliatory lance of plasma has Armsmaster firing off a cable into the ceiling before yanking himself off the ground with it and out of the way of the attack.

Continuing his charge through the bank, Not-Lung is almost on me. Engaging overdrive mode I blur forward while diverting all power to my shields.

He vomits a spray of the liquid blue fire at me, seemingly aiming to disable my limbs rather than outright kill me. The power usage is insane but I'm barely able to hold on.

“His internal temperature has plummeted, if you are going to act, do it now!”

The plasma stream cuts off as the beast looks down on his handiwork.

My armour is holding steady under the shield, but temperatures inside the shield are not supportive of human life. Even enhanced the way I am.

Thankfully, I’m not even inside the suit. Having teleported out of it after setting it to utilise its max power draw from the reactors to shield from being damaged, turning off all internal shielding against temperature to save the power draw.

Looking down at my empty suit in shock, Not-Lung starts to laugh uproariously.

“What, did you melt inside your suit little hero?”

“ARMSMASTER, NOW.”

Multiple wires and darts shoot down from the ceiling, where Armsmaster is stood. He immediately discharges massive amounts of electricity through the cables causing Not-Lung to seize in place. Dashing back in using the speed granted by my internal cybernetics and a mover wrap I quickly chowed down from my portal, I lash out violently with the Jabberwock claw, slashing and weaving around the temporarily cooled clone, removing his legs and arms before finally stabbing down through his chest.

He laughs uproariously, mouth pouring with blood.

“You think this will keep me down, little man of machines? I will heal and then I will end you. Fuck his desires.”

His legs and arms are not regenerating, and his chest is rapidly spurting blood.

His eyes start to dim and the life starts to fade from him.

“Have you abandoned me mother? Was this son not enough to please you?”

“Who sent you, Fake?”

He spits at me and I flinch reflexively, however all that hits me is heated blood.

“You will find out. The others are coming. And they will carve through the people in this city like a butcher for what you have done.”

He breathes his last on the floor of the bank, as Armsmaster lands next to me.

“Armsmaster go and back up the PRT, if they’re facing one of those, they’re going to need heavy ordinance. I’m going to evacuate the bank and then try to face whatever is coming outside so I can use my wings.”

As I re-engage my suit, I turn to him one last time.

“Take the bank manager with you. He clearly knows something.”

He nods at me.

“Good luck Archon. Reports are in that Dauntless, Assault and Battery have killed the Lung at the rig, but the PRT one has disappeared. I don’t doubt given what this one has said he is on his way here. I will try to send backup as soon as I am able.”

“Get the rest of New Wave in on it. These situations are connected. I’m certain of it.”

He leaves at speed as I head to the back offices of the bank to escort out the civilians.

“Deep scans of the Lung clone show cascading damage to the DNA, he’s effectively like an artificial Case 53 version of Lung.”

“How did we miss him in the Lobby?”

“Until he engaged his power he was a normal, albeit feverish human being.”

“It’s Echidna. I’m almost certain of it. But seemingly not under the control of Coil.”

“Boss I’m getting vague distant signals of biological origin from the Vaults, but it’s morphing and changing. Not big enough to be this ‘Echidna.’ But we should probably check it out, regardless.”

“Can we risk it with another Lung on the way?”

“If Panacea and Glory Girl are down there, can we risk leaving the world’s most powerful biokinetic under the threat of a clone maker?”

“Good point.”

After escorting the civilians out of the bank I make my way back inside toward the Vault descent. Brockton Central is an older style bank, probably built before Scion and parahuman ascension, and the vaults are deep. A couple of stories down deep.

I try to connect a call through to Coil before hitting the stairs but apparently the phone is turned off. I’m similarly having trouble getting through to Tattletale.

There's a deep chill of foreboding deep in my gut that is telling me something is severely wrong.

I only have one suspect. Noelle. Echidna. But why here, why now, and how would she even get hold of Lung?

Coil could have lied to me about pulling out of Brockton, but I’m almost certain he didn’t. the Travellers have no reason to do this on their own, well other than the whole ‘Panacea going missing’ thing, if they think she can heal Noelle. But Trickster can’t teleport Lung, and he’s from what I know, frankly not intelligent enough to pull off a synced attack on myself and the PRT like this. The bank was almost certainly a lure and given the powers of that Lung clone, a lure set for me. Somehow someone managed to plan around the fact that the PRT would call me in to help. Managed to get me on edge with Lung sightings on the outskirts of Brockton, and somehow account for the fact that it would put me on the back foot. Reacting instead of acting. His powerset was clearly sent to counter my preference for melee combat.

I call up three clones, dismissing the ones in my workshop. Receiving their memories, thankfully they weren’t on any important stages of current projects. Handing over one of the spare keys I start to instruct them.

“Grab a door here and head back to base. I need tranquilizers and dispensers ideally ranged with big-ass heat resistant needles. I need a high-powered ranged option, don’t overthink it, just ‘big bullet go bang’ for now. Clone 3. We are breaking one of our primary rules. I need a limited scope bioweapon, lean in to Magos: Genetic Engineering if need be. Pull samples of the Lung clone from the lobby and make me something targeted. Something on the lines of Foxdie though preferably not lethal. I need something to destroy Lung’s regeneration but ideally not him. I need things to counter Lung. And potentially Panacea, if my main worries come to pass. Think, broad spectrum antivirals and antibiotics. If you get time modify some of the stored nanobiotics as anti- prion hunter-killers. We will need the work eventually for the nine anyway and we’ve held off on the implications of this perk for long enough.”

They dart off without a word and get to work as my skin itches from the chakra usage. As a rule I don’t like using them to make completely new things, I get the memories back but they don’t really hit the same way as hands on experience, but now is not the time for min-maxing my power.

On my way to the back rooms and the stairway to the vaults I take time to scan the puddles that Armsmaster mentioned. Human DNA but massively damaged. Almost certainly clones of dubious stability. Someone has worked hard to make the bank seem as normal as possible until we arrived.

Making my way into the executive offices at the rear of the bank toward the vault stairs I quickly corral out a few remaining staff who were in hiding, scanning them one by one as they leave through a nearby reinforced fire exit to make sure they aren’t also clones. Thankfully they all pass.

 

Then I arrive at the stairwell that heads down into the vault. Heading slowly down into the depths, I take a deep breath and center myself.

 

…

 

The vaults are a horror show.

Panacea and Glory Girl are inside the furthest one. Scans show Panacea kneeling in the middle of the vault and Glory Girl… is not in a good way, lay prone by the back wall of the vault.

After making a perfunctory sweep of the other vaults and finding no ambush or anything particular of note, I arrive at the heavy steel door that holds the New Wave girls inside.

The vault resists my strength, so brute forcing it is out. Thankfully, EFA is able to hack the electronic locks with a local access port. Quickly pulling open the giant door, I am met with a scene of horror.

The entire inside of the vault is painted with blood, including Glory Girl. However Panacea is completely untouched.

Scans show a high fever. And a very slightly unstable cellular structure.

“You aren’t Panacea are you?”

She looks up with a bloodied grin.

“That sister-fucking whore? No, she’s away with our new benefactor. I’m just here to pass on a message.”

I ramp up my shield to full, isolating off any biologics at all from entering. To be safe, I isolate off oxygen too and use the limited hazard suite from my armour to breathe.

She titters, a laugh that crawls down my spine.

“Oh unclench ‘Archon’. I didn’t get the whores power over biology. Seems like I’m a little more connected to daddy than she is.

The blood on the floor starts to writhe, bone spike tipped tentacles seemingly made of dank, clotted blood rise up and slam into Glory Girls blood covered body, the blood I realise is restraining and biting her, preventing her shield from initialising.

She hits the wall with a dull moan.

“The whore was right, taking my frustrations out on this bitch is really good for my zen. Of course she wanted to fuck her, not beat her. But well. Beggars can’t be choosers.”

Not-Panacea turns to me as blood and bone tipped wings burst from her back. The blood wraps her, writhing and bubbling into a suit of clotted, bony armour.

“I can’t imagine being like that silly whore, non-combat applications only.” She spits toward Glory Girl. “What a waste. If I had her power instead of this one I’d own the world by now.” She charges at me, but as I go to run her through with the Jabberwock, she blurs into movement, a cloud of blood and bone spurting out around her and flaring off my shield, and after misting around my shielding a bit, she steps out of the mist further down the corridor.

“My brothers are coming, see you outside. ‘Hero’”

The blood around Glory Girl recedes, and she coughs and retches as it trickles down the corridor, following the path of its master.

“Glory Girl!”

I put my armoured hand on her shoulder, but she just stares off into space vacantly.

“Boss this isn’t good, there are shards of bone in her muscles and organs, and clots all through her system. That’s without even counting the broken bones, lacerations and contusions. You have to heal her now or she will stroke out long before you can wake her up.”

“What if she’s a clone?”

“Check the genetics, they all have that subtle corruption, similar to the Case 53 studies you did, but obviously not as large in scope.”

Running deep scans on her it’s evident that she’s clean. Cross-referencing the surface scans from Not-Panacea and Not-Lung things are clear. She’s in a bad way. But she’s Victoria Dallon.

As I’m healing her, I come to the realisation of what this is.

“If someone only had knowledge of my healing ability previous, without realising my abilities can grow, then this would specifically be an injury I would struggle with. This is designed to keep me here for a set amount of time. Whoever set this up doesn’t realise how easy this type of healing is for me now. They think this is going to keep me here. Or they think they are going to force me to sacrifice her to defend myself.”

“Then finish up and move!”

The damage is bad, but no worse than the damage Kaiser did to me and I cleared that up pretty quickly. Dissolving the bone shards and extracting them via her sweat glands is the trickiest part. The clots are relatively easy. There are some low-level blood infections too but nothing on the level that Panacea herself could put out.

She coughs and sputter as he eyesight finally focuses.

“A-Archon, where is A-a-amy?”

“That wasn’t Amy.”

She glares at me.

“I know that psycho wasn’t Amy, the big slug teleported in and ate her and that bitch popped out.”

Just one?

“Just one copy?”

She nods.

“Yes, she started screaming after that and spat Amy out. The blond girl stuck in its head was covered in warts and sores like Amy always threatened to do to people who tried to grope her… They teleported away with her still screaming. I think that’s why they didn’t eat me too.”

“Not to deflate your happiness or anything, but couldn’t it just be another clone?”

She shakes her head.

“It’s different, with the clones, they just formed out of her smoothly, walking and talking already. With Amy a hole literally opened and ejected her.”

So Echidna met Shaper and Shaper won. But not before she got a minion out of it. I wonder if that’s why the power was so divergent, same theme but nowhere near the power.

“Who put you in the vault then?”

She sniffs.

“The Panacea clone and the bank manager. She was doing everything he said. There were only a few customers in with us and they took them away too.”

I need to let Armsmaster know asap. Hopefully he got the manager.

“Victoria we need to leave, the slug has been cloning Lung too, and we don’t know who else they got.”

She pales.

“I think I do. The other person with them looked like Strider. I recognised him from doing search and rescue at Behemoth.”

Well fuck. That’s how they’re moving them around. How the fuck did they even get hold of Strider that guy is famously paranoid.

The ground rumbles a little, and I realise my time is up.

I don’t have time to think about it. It looks like it’s time for round two.

“You up for a fight Glory Girl? They won’t be expecting you to be healthy this fast.”

She shudders.

“I-I think so. My head is still fuzzy from whatever that manager injected into me.”

“I cleared out the tranquilizer don’t worry, it was just a standard tranquilizer. No special surprises.”

She curls in on herself.

“Okay, I understand. Stay here and stay safe. If you find your equilibrium, come back me up, It can't have been easy being cocooned like that.”

I put my hand on her shoulder.

“There was nothing you could have done.”

I turn and leave her there. Opening a line to Atlas and Impulse I call for emergency backup. The main lobby of the bank is empty, and as if to punctuate the moment, as I step toward the main doors, the forge pings again.

Expansion deferred due to an active situation.

200CP remain.

Rolling…

Database Magical – Success!

Inkgate Schemata – Van Helsing

0CP remain.

I now have the ability to make indestructible teleportation gates that are activated with words. Useless to me right now, but something very powerful for the future.

But I need to put it to the back of my mind. Multiple people are arrayed outside, and I don’t for one second doubt there could be more on the way.

Time to take this bull by the horns.

Notes:

Perks gained this chapter.

18.004 Xenospecialist 200 Gears of War Knowledge Reverse Engineering

The problem with fighting and violence is that it's no place for an egghead, and as a result valuable information could be lost to a wayward grenade before study. You've taken it upon yourself to bring that knowledge back, and as such you have an easier time understanding alien language and technology. It won't give you instant knowledge, but as you study further you will find it becomes easier to comprehend.

14.007 Inkgate Schemata 200 Van Helsing Database Magical

Normally one only finds these in Borgovia, where the 'veil' between the real world and the Ink is thinnest. Also mostly as the 'Ink' is practically unknown outside of Borgovia. Regardless, the Inkgates you can learn to create with this schematic will allow you to use the inky blackness between worlds as a method of teleportation. These gates, once made, are indestructible - but unfortunately(or fortunately)can be used by anyone so long as they know the command word. Note: Interplanetary Inkgate systems are slightly outside of the schematic parameters.

Chapter 38: Arc 4 - Chapter 5

Arc 4 – Chapter 5

 

Monday 4^th January 2011, 6pm.

 

Stepping out of the bank I take stock of the situation in front of me.

Not-Lung, the second. Cooler than his plasma based blue brother, but burning luminous, toxic yellow. Wafting sulphur-based fumes seem to be his theme. The air around him writhes and blurs. Whirls and eddies flow from his body into the air around us.

Not-Panacea, bone and blood manipulator.

Not-Strider, No idea what his powers are, but they are at least teleportation adjacent.

There's a fourth, but the surrounding air is distorted and out of focus. His visibility on scans is also… unusual. I’m struggling to work out who this could even be. There aren’t many strangers around in Brockton.

Not-Lung steps forward, his eyes burning yellow with a fierce and demented intellect.

“So the mighty Archon, bane of our father comes to meet us in battle.”

I step forward with an internal gulp. I’m frantically processing plays and discarding them as I think of them.

“The second Lung I have met today. Is there some kind of clone party going on? Where was my invite?”

He smirks.

“You wouldn’t enjoy our mothers tender mercies. And mothers employer wants you to disappear. Ideally quietly into the night, but now? There is no resource he will not expend to bring about your end.”

The Strider clone gestures at me, and a wide halo of a portal opens above me, sinking down to ensnare me, the other side, a pitch-black concrete box of some sort.

I teleport a few steps backward and the portal passes through where I was with a loud ‘plort’ sound as it disappears.

The Lung clone sighs.

“I was hoping you would have submitted to the easy path. You need not die, simply getting you out of the way, and as far away from the north-east as possible would have been enough for father.”

Not-Panacea cackles.

“It’s better this way anyway. The whore likes him and respects him as a healer. How better to break her further.”

Not-Strider shakes his head.

“Can we hurry this up? I need to meet with Craig’s mom soon. We have a date with a video camera and an active volcano.”

The rapid lash out of a metallic whip at my head is the fourth Clones answer and now I know my enemy, dodging out of the way I take to the skies, drawing my energy pistol as I do. Firing off three shots at Not-Panacea I am dismayed to see a portal open up in front of her, and trajectory blares as I have to dodge my own shots from behind me.

“Boss, he’s heavily Manton limited. Any biological tissue in an area shuts down his portal formation entirely. He attempted to open that portal closer to you, but the nearby tree seemed to interfere. He can send living beings through but cannot seem to form the portals anywhere near existing living matter.”

Good to know.

This team was selected to fight me. Or at least the me of a short while ago.

A biology manipulator. A powerful brute with a keep away power. A teleporter, and a stranger.

No. Not a stranger, the blurring, whirling field around him clarifies and I recognise him.

The fourth clone is Not-Hookwolf. I recognise the power, the grinding metal. His mask is a mockery of his predecessor. But his power? Four metallic tentacles made up of hundreds of shards and needles of steel. Like a demented Doctor Octopus on crack. His skin bulging and writhing around metal embedded inside his body.

What I don’t understand is why a Hookwolf clone has a stranger power. He’s barely even showing on scans. And certainly not as human.

No matter.

I can deal with any of them individually, but together, they cover the weaknesses I would exploit.

The intelligent thing to do would be to retreat. But some deep-seated instinct tells me they want me to retreat. Whoever sets this up knows I can fly. The Lung and Panacea clones can seemingly fly but it wouldn’t be enough to stop me getting away.

There's a deeper plan here. Something is being leveraged to keep me indecisive. My primary instinct is to retreat to the forge. Knock something together with my clones and come back with a counter. But a secondary voice keeps screaming at me that it would be a horrific idea.

“Boss, your heart-rate is spiking, and endorphin levels are off the charts. Are you okay?”

Quickly scanning myself I can’t see any signs of anything being wrong. I’m still in great health.

“It’s fine EFA, just battle lust or adrenaline I guess.”

“Guess? Boss, you are a doctor, you don’t ‘guess’. Diagnose yourself.”

I’m confident in my diagnosis. Scans show no unusual activity.

“Honestly, don’t worry about it EFA.”

Drawing my staff, I ignore the plasma blade and move to engage Sulfuric Lung. Without his brother Plasma he should be easy to take down first.

Putting on a burst of aerial speed I shoot toward him, only to be blocked by a curtain of blood shooting up from the street. It wraps around my shield, sizzling into powder as the Strider clone yells at the Panacea clone.

“Yo, Clot. Can you stop that I can’t port him if you keep putting this shit around him?

“Shut up Relay! You missed your shot now it’s my turn!”

Over-charging my shield I burn off the blood, only to come face to face with a cloud of a hyper-corrosive sulphuric compound. It’s strong, but not energy shield penetrating strong, so I ignore it and continue my mad charge at the Sulfuric Lung, intent on taking their tank down first.

The Hookwolf clone rushes passed him, using his tentacles as extra legs. But I disregard him. His progenitor was easy to deal with, And I can’t see much more of a threat here. I slam into him with the crashing of metal, as hooks and needles bounce from my shield. Grasping hands are met by the imperious grip of my far superior gauntlets and I crush his still fleshy hands in my grip.

“Fuck off.”

Bending backwards to dodge a charge from the Panacea clone, I use overdrive mode to yank the Hookwolf clone from his feet, launching him toward the freshly identified Relay. He yelps and drops into a portal, but the Hookwolf clone clips him and he falls awkwardly onto his ankle next to Sulfuric Lung.

Hissing in pain he turns to the one who ostensibly seems to be the leader.

“You even gonna help Brimstone, or just gonna let mothers great enemy kill us off?”

Brimstone chuckles.

“It’s all in hand.”

Trajectory goes wild, and I put everything I have into a teleport to the side, as a massive metallic missile fires straight through where I was previously. Grabbing hold of a trailing metallic tentacle, I yank the Hookwolf clone back into my range and stab the Jabberwock through his chest.

“Die!”

He separates into constituent metal parts, connected back to a central station that his lower torso opens up in to. Each one wrapping round a different segment of my armour. I try to teleport out but it’s registering as too heavy to teleport. And leaving my armour would not be ideal.

No. stupid thoughts. I don’t need this pissant armour, I can kill them all with my bare hands.

As I go to teleport out of the armour to face Brimstone however, EFA utilises her limited control of the suit system to shock me via the environmental systems.

“YOU ARE BEING MASTERED YOU IDIOT, RUN A GODDAMN DIAGNOSTIC ON YOURSELF!”

“I can’t be mastered. Deviant thoughts won’t work on an atypical mind.”

“Oh I must have missed you getting a master immunity perk! Run the damn diagnostic you arrogant arsehole! This isn’t you. Pride fits, but Vanity? Rage? Do you even realise how you are acting!?”

“Okay, if it will shut you up I will!”

Pulling up the full power of the nanobiotics inside me, I sweep every damn nodule of my nervous system and brain stem. Every single part I can access is swept for unusual activity. I feel EFA’s presence looking over the results, and I can’t resist the urge to be a little smug.

“See, no sign of mastery EFA, now unclench and watch me kill these four.”

“Are you blind? Look at your emotion centers! Everything is lit up like a Christmas tree! Someone is amplifying and morphing your emotions! How can you not see it?”

…

“EFA run heuristic baseline checks on all emotional control centers in my brain, concentrate on negative emotions.”

Pulling up the omni-tool interfaces that I can access from the helmet, I disregard my personal mental feedback from the nanobiotics, and instead rely on a purely technological solution.

She’s right.

But I can’t fix it. It’s self-propagating. Even if I flush it chemically with the nanobiotics, it will re-engage.

Is this Cherish? If it is, then it’s likely not a clone either given the power effect seems to be identical. Who the hell did I piss off so much that they are willing to go to these lengths to stop me? Plans within plots within plans. Multiple Parahumans completely out of place.

My scans all ping at the same time. My emotions are being yanked on from somewhere. Amplified and twisted. Pride, arrogance and anger primarily being tweaked to encourage me to fight without retreat and engage without planning.

“I’m sorry. You are right. The power effect is hiding itself from biologicals. The nanobiotics can’t pick it up.”

“Do you trust me?”

“Always, what’s your plan?”

“Pass off your emotional processing to me.”

My blood runs cold.

“You can do that??”

“Voluntarily? Yes, for a short time anyway. It won’t be nice, for either of us. And it’ll leave you with the mother of all headaches later.”

Pass off part of my mental processing to EFA? That’s a slippery slope.

But do I have a choice?

“I can’t, I’m sorry, it’s not the mastering speaking, my mind is sacrosanct.”

“Pfft, worth a try. Well just go ahead and die then why don’t you.”

“Wait what?”

“Hahahaha we are all going to die here because you forgot master’s exist. It’s hilarious, isn’t it?”

“EFA?”

A buzzing static sound emits directly into my ears, and the Hookwolf clone reconstitutes himself as I drop to my knees.

Brimstone stands over me, an unreadable look on his face.

“For what it’s worth, you are a quite impressive tinker if fathers memories are to be believed. They will sing your legend for a long time. But it must end here. We can’t risk you killing mother. Not now. Not ever.”

“I have nothing against your mother, I’m trying to cure the Case-53’s!”

He smiles sadly.

“Maybe you even believe that. But the bitch in the fedora is persuasive, and mother is a threat to their rule. One day she will come to you with an offer you can’t refuse, and you will kill mother for her. We would attempt to meld you with mother and grow a new sibling from your flesh. But our benefactor says you have contingencies that would end her. So, I’m sorry to say this is the end.”

His arm lights up, not a sickly yellow this time but a bright luminous green. The heat is above anything I’ve ever perceived, and I’m sweating even from here.

“Clot, Relay. Do not look away. Witness the death of an honourable warrior.”

He moves to thrust toward me, but an almighty squelching sound rings out as he thrusts his arm forward.

The smoke clears, and the sight in front of me is both the most disgusting, and most beautiful I have ever seen.

Danny Hebert you beautiful bastard.

Hookwolf clone is currently smeared up the front of Brockton Central, barely holding his top half to his bottom half. As he gurgles in the background, Atlas straightens up in front of me.

“Didn’t think you were stupid enough to go 1v4 Archon.”

I shake my head, rising to my feet, the strange buzzing disappearing but, in its place, a blank void where EFA used to be.

“EFA?”

Just static. Where the hell is she? It’s not like she can leave, and she’s backed by forge fiat, if I am alive.

“I didn’t intentionally. And it’s 1 v 5 Atlas, thanks for showing up. I was dead without you. Be careful, there’s a master in the field.”

He points behind me to a brunette in a pink and blue costume slumped next to a nearby hydrant.

“Not anymore. She was on the bank roof looking at you rather intently. So I introduced the back of her head to my fist. You might want to make sure she’s still alive.”

I make my way over to her slowly while pinging EFA over and over. She is alive, but I reach into the portal and inject her with as many tranquilizers as I safely can.

Bitch.

“EFA where the fuck are you!”

~Pssssssshhhhhhhhhhh~

I need to get back to the workshop asap.

Standing up, we turn to the three remaining clones.

“Who the fuck are you, blue boy.”

Danny glares at them all, the new costume working wonders for his confidence. It paints a wonderfully intimidating picture with the gore on his arm.

“Atlas. I’m new. And you four are under arrest.”

Clot laughs riotously.

“You might have knocked sulphur boy down and taken out the mouthy bitch over there. But it’s still 3v2.

Danny’s glare turns into a dark smirk.

His arm whips out, and he backhands me in the face, completely caught off guard I fly across the courtyard and smash into the front of the bank.

“Bss, boss, boss wake up!”

My vision is bleary, the world is black and white, and the setting sun is like a laser beam to my eyes.

Beeps from the armour tell me I’ve taken damage, though not as much as I would expect to, taking a hit from Atlas like that.

“Boss, it’s not Atlas. It’s the Lung copy. His power isn’t putting out sulphur, that’s just your perception. It’s putting out a seriously unusual energy signature. You are being mastered and remastered constantly.”

“And Cherish?”

“Not even here, I don’t think he sees what you see in here, it’s all automatic. You are seeing what you expect to see. Probably based on some sort of condition he sets.”

“He spoofed you too?”

“No, I’ve been trying to get your attention since you refused to self-diagnose. From what I can gather, his flames, once the energy field interacts with your neurons via your eyes it makes you see what you expect to see. Manipulates your core emotions. It ramps up in response to *your* emotion, not his. And the longer you are under it, the more all-encompassing it becomes. It was just emotion manipulation for the most part until I was shunted aside. The Hookwolf is fake, overlaid over Clot’s blood minion.”

“How are you talking to me now then? Am I still in an illusion?”

A pinch of electric shock spasms at my spine.

“Your nanobiotics are adapting. But you can’t look at him directly. They can clear out the atypical brain damage that lets him manipulate your vision eventually, but they can’t mitigate an active energetic effect manipulating your emotions. If you look at him again, he might not be able to mislead you, but he will definitely be able to manipulate your emotions again. He’s a memetic hazard.”

As I look up to the side, the Hookwolf clone shimmers, before disappearing. And the three clones, three real clones that is approach me.

“Good job on the tentacles Clot. Really managed to keep him off guard.”

Brimstone turns to me with a smirk.

“So, who did you see? I tried to direct the masking effect to ‘Parahuman you utterly disdain but still have a healthy respect for their power.’ But honestly. Big strong dragon is a much easier power to use. Just roar and crush some buildings and everyone flees. But where my worthless father was a physical powerhouse or fire, and my brother was granted dominion over energy. I instead was granted mastery of the mind.”

I chuckle, Eyes still closed, spitting out blood from a split lip.

“Hookwolf. Some sort of metal tentacled maniac.”

He laughs at that.

“How would we even have taken him? I do so love how my power interacts with intelligent capes and their precious logic. The Dallon girl hurt mother, but even now she lies in her coffin believing she is lay in bed at home. I wonder how long her air will last. I wonder when she will realise, she can’t breathe? I suppose monologuing to you is useless though. You won’t be here much longer.”

“One question before you do whatever you plan on doing?”

“Brimstone, this is a bad idea.”

“Shush, Relay. Do not presume to speak for me. Go ahead Archon. Ask your question.”

“What did Noelle gain from all this?”

He laughs, uproariously.

“So you do know mother somehow. How fascinating. Our benefactor said you seemed to have access to information you shouldn’t. Very well. I will indulge your last request. Our benefactor has contacts with the ability to remove parahuman powers. In exchange for removing her power and reforming her body, in a way that allows us to remain with her as her bodyguards, mother is to make new children only to the desire of the benefactor.”

“I really was working to heal the case 53’s you know.”

“We assumed so given your contact with Faultline. She was far too useful to kill or alienate, so we made sure to have her moved out of the way. Your contact was worrying, and we couldn’t risk matching mother against Labyrinth. That may have been a fight she couldn’t win.”

He doesn’t realise it right now. But he’s just made a massive mistake. Because I now know who my enemy is. I just don’t know why.

“One more-.”

“No more questions Archon. Open your eyes and face me like a man.”

“Make sure the Protectorate don’t come until he is dead, EFA, put out a memetic hazard warning and tell them I’ll need to be taken in to MS containment to get me cleared as soon as they can. Get Sherrel and Danny on board too. Is she almost ready?”

“She is. She also didn’t appreciate me trying to bribe her with clothes shopping. She said she’d do this for free.”

“Heh, you read my intentions even better than my words. Making her angry will get her moving. Almost time to go then?”

“Yes. Do it.”

“Kill me with my eyes closed, I don’t need your illusions.”

“Very well.”

A thwoosh and a splat ring out.

But not from me.

“YOU BITCH, YOU KILLED MY SISTER.”

“YOUR BITCH MOTHER ATE MY SISTER, NOW WE’RE EVEN!”

Grabbing my staff from its holster, I ignite the plasma blade and thrust it forward following EFA’s trajectory.

A dull roar erupts as a geyser of blood slams in to me. Yanking the staff away I stab forward with the Jabberwock claw, trusting my AI to be mine, and not an illusion.

The trust pays dividends, as my sword pierces Brimstone’s heart.

Opening my eyes as he gurgles and sinks down in front of me, his heart cloven into two pieces. Blood pools around my feet as the flames around him gutter out, and the buzzing static at the back of my mind starts to slowly dissipate.

Glory girl is enraged in the background, stomping on the remains of her sisters clone with venom.

I look up at Relay dispassionately.

“Where is Panacea?”

He snorts. Looking warily over at where Glory Girl has finished dismantling her sisters clone. Or what’s left of it anyway.

“Gotta go, sorry lads and ladies. People to kill. People to see. You know how it goes.”

I teleport into his face and hold him to the sky with my sword to his throat.

“Not the only teleporter and I have zero patience for your bullshit. I’m scanning for your power to activate and if I feel one fucking portal, I will teleport us both to whatever volcano you were talking about earlier and we can see which one off us has better heat shielding.”

He laughs, a grating and goading sound.

“You can’t interrogate us, tinker. Mother protects us.”

“If you don’t give me Panaceas location, your mother is my next target.”

He snorts. But I feel the portal form even without scanning. It’s a grating feeling on the edge of my aura senses when it forms this close.

It’s not moving though. And through the gap I can see a graveyard. Under the portal, a freshly dug grave.

“Theres your precious healer. In her grave, where she belongs.”

Scanning through the portal, she’s still alive. If barely. Six feet down in a steel coffin. But it is one hundred percent a trap. I don’t need scans to tell me that.

“AMY!”

Glory Girl bulls her way through the portal without a second thought, plowing into the ground and frantically digging away at the mound. The edges of the portal start to shrink as the portal starts to destabilise.

“EFA, Theres no chance I can abandon her to whatever lies on the other side. Get a message out about where we will be.”

“Done it boss, Protectorate cannot send anyone, multiple attacks downtown. The Undersiders have teamed up with the uninjured members of the Protectorate that weren’t at the Rig. Boss. Arcadia is under attack, I can’t send Danny your way, he’s the one holding the fort there. Sherrel is heading out to Captains Hill but the attacks are radiating out through the city and she might not make it in time. We are looking at a plan B or C here. Unknown civilian mercenaries are holding up stores and businesses across town. Here. Boston. Chicago. New York. Black cloaked parahumans who definitely aren’t locals are alongside them. I’m sorry boss but your clones and Glory Girl are the only reliable backup you have.”

“I just have to hope it’s enough. Apologising in advance if I get you killed. I can’t abandon these two. I won’t.”

“In for a dollar boss, in for a dollar.”

I drop into the portal, dragging the Strider clone with me. As I pass the threshold, his nervous system dissolves and his heart stops.

If I see anything that even smells like a clone now. It dies. No holding back in case I’m wrong.

…

 

Dropping through the other side I immediately start scanning.

Glory Girl is almost done with extracting her sister, and I am cursing myself for giving Sherrel the manipulator as I would have her out by now if I had it. I will for sure be expending resources to get another one made as soon as the current crisis is over.

Most of my tools are useless in this situation, but thankfully I realise quickly that I can absorb the earth with my Omni Tool as a resource. That speeds things up and we reach the coffin in record time. Dragging it out of the hole between us, I get to scanning Amy while Glory Girl peels the steel coffin like a can opener.

She’s in a bad way, but better than her sister was. I can see tears up and down her cellular structures, but not the same way as the clones. Whatever Noelle does to clone people, it isn’t friendly to the people being cloned. My healing makes short work of the damage, and she starts to stir.

Deeper scans confirm this is definitely the real Amy Dallon. Thank whoever is out there for small mercies.

“We need to hurry it up Glory Girl. It’s dark, I don’t have any reasonable intel in the area, and it’s been too easy.”

She’s looking up at the sky, with a strange look on her face.

“Where are the stars?”

Looking up at the sky I realise she’s not having me on.

The sky is completely starless. No moon, just a dull emerald glow.

“EFA?”

“No internet boss. No wireless signals at all. No radio. No mobile. Nothing.”

Looking over at the church and the hill, this is clearly captains hill.

Rising into the sky on my wings, I take a look over the city.

No traffic, no cars, no people.

No lights in the windows.

“EFA, run background scans, I’m going to try the church door, see if I can get us back to the workshop.”

“Glory Girl, we need to move. Panacea has some swelling in her brain but she’s otherwise healthy. Help me get her up to the church. I’m going to attempt to open a door to my workshop.”

As I reach the door of the church however, something has other plans.

A twitch on my sensors has me grabbing Glory Girl and leaping into the air using my wings. Out of nowhere, a grenade hits the floor and the door to the church splinters in a powerful explosion.

Scans show nothing but a minor blip! A tiny spike or energy!

“EFA, Back me up, I’m activating aura reading.”

“Got you boss.”

Hovering in the night sky, Glory Girl takes Panacea and hovers with me.

“What the fuck was that Archon?”

“I have no idea, but we are being observed somehow. And wherever we are, this isn’t Brockton.”

Another blip as I activate Aura reading, and another grenade flickers into being, as if thrown from the ground.

Still no sign of anyone.

Another blip, and this one I manage to get a quick look at the Aura.

“This mean anything to you EFA?”

“Yes but the symbols are dense. I’m getting space-time, mirror, occlusion.”

I think I know what’s going on. But much like the person who has me on their shit list, I don’t know how.

“Glory Girl, follow me as high as you can.”

As we move upwards, I hold my hand up above my head, slowly rising into the sky, until I meet an impassible barrier.

“I think I know who’s behind all this. I even think I know where we are. I’m not sure how we can get out, but my key should work. If we can find a door they missed. Bringing us here was no mistake. This is the only building for a good clip, and the door was used as bait.”

“Who the fuck did this to us Archon?”

“I’m almost certain that Accord is behind this. That Lung clone let something slip. And If that’s the case, I suspect that we are in the parahuman side of the power of the ambassador. Othello.”

A loud clapping sound echoes around us.

“He said you would work it out. But between myself and Relay we were sure it would not matter.”

“Where the fuck are you.” Glory girl all but spits.

“Ah-ah. That would be telling. But don’t worry. I’m a kind and adequate warden. Once you pass out from hunger and thirst, I’m sure we can get you situated in more comfortable lodgings.”

“Good luck with that jackass.”

I palm a mover wrap from the pocket portal. Good news for me as it confirms my key should work here.

“I have infinite food.”

I juggle the wrap with two more I pull out, before allowing them to disappear back into the portal.

“Ah, how disappointing. I suppose we will just have to hound you until you pass out from lack of sleep then. Ta-ta now hero.”

Two more grenades drop from just above us, but I sweep them away with my staff as they appear, and they explode off in the distance.

“We can’t assume we are safe anywhere. Or that we aren’t being overheard. I either need a door, or time to try to tear a hole.”

“EFA I have an idea.”

“I’m listening.”

“Can we get a message to my clones?”

“Yes, we can hand write a message on something and pass it through.”

I quickly tear off an outer decoration plate from my hip armour and start scratching.

“Let’s hope they get it.”

Dropping it through the portal, I just have to pray.

“Keep moving Glory Girl. Let’s keep our eye out for something interesting. We need to try to escape before Echidna can spit out any more clones and end up destroying Brockton.”

She catches the tone of my voice and nods, moving to fly in formation with me after checking on her sister again.

A coughing sputter comes from Panacea as Glory Girl hugs her tight.

“Bitch can’t make clones. Neutered her. Corona mangled. Only control ones out already.”

She slams her hand into her head as if trying to perform brain surgery.

Putting my hand on her forehead, I channel nanobiotics directly into her skull via her eyes.

She relaxes at my touch.

“That’s the good shit Archon. And don’t think I don’t notice all those little guys. We need to talk about those later, I’ve got some ideas.”

“Later. You are basically drunk on adrenaline right now. Let’s at least try to get home safe.”

She snuggles into her sister, out like a light.

She probably didn’t mean to say that, but she’s had so many different forms of tranquilizer and narcotic injected into her today she probably doesn’t remember what day it is.

But at least I know Noelle is neutered. At least for now. I remember her being a pretty good regenerator in canon. Let’s hope the mangling was enough.

 

…

 

It’s strange being a clone. There's this nihilistic sense of approaching doom and it doesn’t matter one bit because we just become one with the boss again and then it restarts all over again. Never dead, just better.

My brothers are working on more mundane uses of the bosses power. Number one has made something he calls “The Arcrail Cannon.” It’s a joke though. Just a stupid railgun firing tungsten crossbow bolts powered by an arc reactor. Can barely even man carry the damn thing. Probably has to be used in armour to be used safely, and can’t be used through a shield. I told him boss is too risk averse to use a weapon that forces him to down shields, but he wouldn’t listen.

Plus, it’s boring, any pleb could make that.

Ok maybe that’s hyperbole, but still!

Number two is putting together some truly heinous potions. I wouldn’t want to have them injected, but they’ll utterly demolish any virus or prion in the host body. Even those tricky ones that like to hide in the nerves, or marrow. Downside is, you’ll feel like you are burning alive for 144 hours while they work.

And I mean burning alive. Flesh melting like a candle type burning alive.

My project is much more impressive.

A vector virus that comes in two parts. Stab extract with one side of the injector. Shake like a glowstick. Stab with the other side of the injector. Instant coma virus for whoever got part one. And they won’t be able to wake up until you stab them again with part one! How cool is that! Self propagating too!

Uh maybe I should remove that part on second thoughts. Wouldn’t want to get the boss a kill order by proxy.

But damn he never uses the interesting stuff. Rocket hammer just lying around like an antique. Rack of vibrating missiles that never get used.

A loud clank from the middle of the workshop takes all of our attention.

“Uh, number three, is that a piece of primes armour?”

I nod at him.

“Definitely. Let’s see what he’s managed to blow up this time.”

Picking up the plate, There's no real damage just some scratching.

Actually, is that… writing.

Squinting a little, I make out tiny, immensely detailed calligraphy.

“Well shit, prime got himself stuck in the mirror dimension.”

“You’re shitting me!”

“No. Come look at this he’s got a plan.”

Reading over the bosses plan, we all get identical smirks.

“Well, we have the time. But we need to get a message out to the team in case we fail. One, can you make what he’s asked for here? He’s said you can cannibalise everything else for it?”

“But I want to help with phase 2! I’m always stuck crafting, I want action baby!”

“What do you mean, ‘Always?’ We are a few hours old.”

“And what proportion of that life has been spent crafting, jackass?”

“Fine you know what. I’m not arguing. Take your shitty arcrail cannon. Take some shit from in here. And take one of those vibro torpedoes just in case.”

“What is with your obsession with the damn vibrating torpedoes jackass.”

“Your mum didn’t complain about my vibrating torpedo dickhead.”

“WE BOTH HAVE THE SAME MOTHER, DICKHOLE.”

“Oh yeah…”

Number two, bored with us arguing snaps his fingers.

“You two finished?”

“Yes dad.”

“Yes dad.”

“Let’s get to work. Making this self-deploying is going to be an absolute ballache. I’ll do it seeing as though you two can’t be mature. Take some gear from in here and get to that damn church. If you see anything that looks vaguely like an ambassador, kill it. But keep Othello alive. We don’t know what happens to the boss if he dies with them trapped in there. And for gods sakes let the team know before you go tearing off and getting popped. We don’t have special flying armour remember. Just old prototypes. If you two pop and boss is still in there, we have a serious problem.”

We leave without further fanfare. Number One grabs his precious arcrail cannon. And I can’t use my bioweapons so I suppose I get to test some of the other gear.

 

…

 

Another punch, another exploding clone.

I don’t know how long I can keep this up. Armsmaster is here with some blocky scanner which is giving us our targets. Keeping the kids inside was the hard part. I know some of them are wards, but kids shouldn’t have to see this.

I shouldn’t have to see this. But the thought of the kids in danger at least lets me keep my anger close to the surface.

My phone beeps, then beeps again. I hate carrying one of these damned things after Annette but well.

Had to stop living in the past at some point. Especially now I have a team.

Wasn’t sure what to make of Tom at first. But he has that infuriating charm, not that he even does anything special with it, but he has this strange aura that tells you even if he doesn’t have the answer right now, it won’t be far away.

He wants to make a cape union of sorts. And I can get behind that.

“Yo Atlas. Boss got himself caught in a mirror dimension. Spread the word. The attacks are Accord’s responsibility. Boss thinks he’s hiding somewhere in Brockton. Need you at the churchyard at Captains Hill asap. Tell the Protectorate that the cloner has been neutered by Panacea. Tell New Wave the girls are alive but in danger. Gotta go sorry. Got to try to save that noble idiots life. Sincerely. Backup 1.”

“Armsmaster.”

He turns to me, exhaustion clear on his face.

“Atlas?”

I show him my phone, and he scans it rapidly.

“Accord?”

“Never known him to be wrong when he’s sure.”

He frowns.

“I trust him. Are you heading out to the churchyard?”

“Kinda have to, if this is true he could die out there. You calling in the Accord thing.”

“If he’s wrong…”

“Trust him.”

He stalls for a moment. Before finally nodding.

“I suppose some things are more valuable than reputation.”

He fiddles with his armour for a moment, before stating firmly into a pop-up mic.

“This is Armsmaster to all Protectorate and PRT feeds. The perpetrator of tonight’s attacks is Accord. I repeat. The perpetrator of tonight’s attacks is Accord. The Cloner has been potentially neutered by Panacea. I want an APB out on Accord and his ambassadors. I’m calling full emergency protocols.”

Out of his speaker I hear Emily Piggot’s voice.

“S-Rank, Armsmaster?”

“Not yet but make up the paperwork anyway. We need to find Accord asap. Before he gets more time to plan.”

He turns to me and nods.

“Thanks for your help, Atlas, find your teammate, and save Archon and the girls. We will find Accord.”

Rising into the sky, I jet off towards captains hill, messaging Sherrel on the way.

She’s not answering.

I hope she sees the messages soon.

 

 

Notes:

I know, no rolls. But i hate it when fics do rolls in the middle of situations most of the time, so i'll do a big reward roll at the end as he has like 400 points at the min.

Chapter 39: Interlude: PRT Boston

Notes:

New chapter incoming as well shortly after this.

Interlude: PRT Boston

 

“Are the attackers secured?”

“The mercenaries are sir, the parahumans, uh... they melted. Sir.”

“Melted?”

“Yes sir. Never seen anything like it.”

...Melted?

This reeks of biotinkering.

“Get in contact with Blasto and ask him nicely to explain if he knows anything about this.”

“Yes sir.”

The ringing of my emergency phone distracts me from my musing.

“Armstrong here.”

“Armstrong. It’s Hearthrow.”

“Director Hearthrow. I have a bit of a situation here and we are a little busy, how can I help you?”

“Bunch of unknown mercs and melting parahumans?”

…

“Yes.”

“Same. New York and Philly got hit too. The strangest thing though? All the mercs are using beanbag launchers and rubber slugs. And the capes are only engaging in property destruction and robbery. Not one serious injury as yet. Not a single death. What about your side?”

“We are processing them currently, but no deaths as yet.”

My other line starts to ring.

“One second Hearthrow, I’ve got New York calling, Patching them in.”

“Wilkins, Hearthrow is on call too. What’s going on?”

“What the fuck is going on in Brockton?”

So, the bays been hit too?

“We’ve just had a priority all hands message from Armsmaster of all people. Looks like Accord is off the reservation, Armstrong. And if Armsmaster is to be believed, masterminding these attacks and apparently hiding out somewhere in the bay. Armstrong, did one of your villains slip the net without anyone in PRT Boston having a clue?”

“Wilkins, you do remember that Accords power is believed to be infinitely complex plans right? If Watchdog couldn’t heel him what chance do you think we have? Do you want to sign the cage or kill order? Are your Protectorate teams going to hunt him down?”

She hmpfs audibly down the phone.

“Well it looks like things are coming to a head in Brockton. One of their locals is the target it seems. And they’ve somehow lost half of the New Wave kids.”

“Are we sending support?”

“Absolutely not. Do you have the political capital to send your teams out to another state while your key cities have recently been attacked by what looks to the public like a mad biotinker?”

“You realise that’s probably the point?”

“So? Does a trap become any less dangerous if you choose to lie down in it even though you are fully aware of it?”

“Good point. So Brockton are on their own?”

“Is that really any different to usual? It’s a cesspit anyway.”

“Those are living people, you are aware Wilkins?” Hearthrow interjects.

“Do you know the population of New York, Hearthrow? I don’t care if they were firing rubber slugs or if they suddenly started to throw ice cream sandwiches. I’m not sending anyone out of state until this is resolved.”

The desk phone rings again. I hear the ringing echoing across the call. The Chief Director is calling.

“See you in the call. Let’s hope Rebecca is in one of the rare charitable moods today.”

 

…

 

 

The video conference call starts with one single statement.

“Emily. What in gods name is going on in Brockton?”

Piggot is straight on the attack. She only seems to have one mode in these meetings, and it seems today isn’t going to break that streak.

“Armstrong. Care to explain why one of your villains has somehow mysteriously migrated to my city and is somehow duplicating my existing villains?”

“Emily. I’ll say to you what I said to Hearthrow. Watchdog couldn’t control Accord. Why would you think I could? He's been happy to sit in his ordered little fife and keep the local area stable. Until now. What did your local do to provoke him is what you should be asking.”

“Archon is a trusted independent and an ally of this command. He has been nothing but helpful over the passing months and even preliminary Watchdog assessment has him as an ally.”

That’s basically a gold medal of praise from Piggot. And it seems Hearthrow agrees,

“Wow, Emily Piggot praising a non-Protectorate parahuman, should we be calling for a screening?”

She does not look amused.

“When I spend half of my time asking for reinforcement from the rest of this group, given I have two of the largest Parahuman criminal enterprises in the US outside the Elite running out of my city, only to be told transfers in aren't available, I have to get creative with where I take my help from.”

Nobody has an answer for that. Not like she’s wrong. Nobody wants to send their people to Brockton.

The Chief Director gets us back on subject.

“Do we have proof that Accord is involved?”

Piggot sighs.

“Archon’s word. Armsmaster trusts him and has backed it up.”

“Armstrong, do we know if Accord and the Ambassadors are in Boston, and if they aren’t, do we have a single clue when they left?”

“None, Chief Director. Accord isn’t well known for public appearances as it is, and there has been no indication of movement from that district recently.”

She steeples her fingers, before looking up at the camera with a glare.

“Armstrong. Liaise with Watchdog. I want tracking on Accord yesterday. Wilkins. Co-ordinate with Chicago and Philadelphia on the current attacks. I want a central point of command on this. Find out where they are deploying from.”

Piggot chooses now to pipe up.

“And reinforcements for the bay, Chief Director?”

“Once the attacks on the other north-eastern cities are resolved, I will see what resource we have spare to send. As things stand, if Accord is focused in on your local independent, and the clones have truly been neutered, then it should resolve in our favour one way or another. I’ll authorise extra budget for overtime in the meantime.”

Piggot doesn’t look happy. But she knows better than to argue.

Tagg decides now is the best time to put his 2c in.

“And Accord? He’s clearly involved in some sort of bio tinkering even if it is via another parahuman. Are we looking at any real censure there? We’d better be! This is Birdcage at a minimum!”

Can always count on James to go for the nuclear option.

“If any of the clones could reproduce, then I would look for a kill order. But as it stands, they are seemingly temporary. If that stands, then I wouldn’t be looking at a kill order. However, five simultaneous attacks on five different PRT districts. If we count each as its own strike, then the answer is obvious.”

Left unsaid is that Accord will likely never see the inside of the birdcage. He’s never been successfully held in captivity for longer than a day.

I suppose it’s the thought that counts.

Chapter 40: Arc 4 – Chapter 6

Notes:

A bit delayed. Working in international shipping is both interesting and very busy at the minute... Hopefully worth the wait. There was originally another interlude to go with this, to show Danny and Sherrels perspective, but it felt too much like an Archon wank fest so ive left it out for now. I may cover some of that in future flashbacks.

Arc 4 – Chapter 6

 

So, trapped in a sub-dimension, generated by a shard. Can’t risk killing the bearer of the shard, or I might collapse the dimension with us in it. That means I can’t retaliate at any of the small tears that show up when our captor attempts to attack us.

Worst part is, my scans seem to be worse than useless. If Othello’s power works how I recall, then there has to be one copy here, and one copy there.

But there’s no sign of him anywhere.

Glory Girl is flagging. Panacea isn’t doing any better. And even with ranged healing I can’t get any real work done on fixing up the litany of minor issues they both have without a random grenade coming through the dimension to stop us.

They have to run out of grenades eventually, right?

I have to hope my clones have the message.

“It’s ok to give up you know Archon. We won’t kill you and once you are out of the way the two girls can go home free.”

I ignore the voice, scanning and aura reading taking up all my time as I search for a way to tear out of here.

“Ok fine, Glory Girl, Panacea, if you pacify Archon, you can go free without consequence.”

Panacea’s head twitches toward me for just a moment, but Glory Girls face screws up in a rictus of anger.

“Take your offer and shove it, jerkwad.”

The voice comes from a different point in space every time. Could Othello bring other people into his sub dimension in canon? Or did he just never get the opportunity…

Regardless, I have to delay, and hope the clones got the message.

Another grenade flies through a portal, as me and Glory Girl scatter.

“Seriously EFA, what’s the trick here. There should be a shadow here?”

“Honestly boss? Unless Accord has somehow ‘planned’ to second trigger Othello, none of this makes sense. At least not if your original memories of this place are correct. We know that the timeline is indelibly altered now, but parahuman powers should still be the same as they were. Especially given the time since the divergence point.”

Another grenade falls out of nowhere, and I can see Glory Girl flagging.

A quick burst of blue from my staff engulfs her, and she perks up a little, looking over at me gratefully.

Hurry up clones…

 

…

“Get out of the road fuckers!”

When your tinker specialty is heavy vehicles and the shit that comes with heavy vehicles, it’s really fuckin hard to not kill shit accidentally.

The boss has gone radio silent, the other dude he picked up. Atlas? I really need to sit down and have a proper conversation with that guy one day.

He said boss is trapped in some ‘Alternate dimension’.

That makes what, five dimensions boss has visited since I met him? Seems like boss has a bit of a theme.

My RV has a gatling taser. Yeah, bosses obsession with making shit spark rubbed off on me. What can I say.

It’s about as nonlethal as I can go.

Waves of clones just dissolve in front of the RV as the tiny electric darts slam into them.

Occasionally, a bit of ‘friendly fire’ happens, and a civvy goes down. My scanners aren’t near as good as the bosses, but well, I make do.

Getting to the church is going to be a nightmare. The PRT and the Protectorate are about as useful as a big bag of hot air as usual. The boss has some kinda soft spot for them, but me? I know what those guys really are.

Then something big shows up on the sensors and I really have to haul ass.

Some sort of giant slug woman is out on the street glaring at me. Her face is crumbling, and the smooth, writing body is filled with open puss filled sores. She looks like one of those ‘centaur’ things, only a slug instead of a horse.

Honestly, she looks like someone crossed a crack whore with Jabba the Hutt. Bunch of random limbs poking out of her slug part complete the look.

She shrieks at me, before charging at me her face twisted up in hate.

Deploying the real Gatling gun, I send 30 rounds per second of hot death into her.

She tanks it. Tanks a fucking .50 rotary cannon and keeps coming. As fast as I am damaging her, she’s regenerating around the wounds that barely scratch the surface.

Fuck any part of this.

Pulling out bosses arm mounted earth mover; I raise the ground around her while opening a hole into the sewer below. She drops into the disgusting mass below as I dump all the earth and asphalt on top of her, compressing it as much as I can.

Slamming the RV into turbo mode, I floor it, heading toward the church that Atlas pointed out.

The street explodes behind me, as the slug explodes out of the ground and starts to chase me.

And she’s as fast as I am and might even be slightly gaining on me.

Putting the RV in to auto drive, I man the 8” Cannon. Didn’t want to deploy this thing in the city but well.

Giant slug thing wasn’t on the cards.

It almost feels like she was waiting for me…

The first round takes her low in the stomach, and her human eyes widen in pain.

The slog part then vomits a corpse at me.

Wait, not a corpse. Is that fucking Lung??

I don’t have time to check as he lies groaning in the street as we speed off towards Captains Hill.

I feel like I’ve been hitting some of Ski - Adams good shit again.

 

…

 

Being able to fly, is not convenient when it’s faster to take a bicycle.

I probably shouldn’t complain. I have powers. They’re pretty strong all things considered. I’m immune to the majority of things that could threaten me day to day. Which is good. Means Taylor is that much more unlikely to become completely parentless.

My power lets me choose where I am at any given point. And allows me to minorly alter my ‘reference frame’. That is, I can change my location at any given point. It also makes me pretty strong. More so the angrier I get. Though I get dumber very quickly. Tom said I need to maintain my temper at a baseline.

I think he forgets not everyone is some sort of ultra-tinker like him.

I should thank him properly. I really should. I’d have been lost without him this past few weeks.

I think I need to land and grab a car, I’m not usually one for carjacking but Annette taught me how to hotwire back in the day. And well, you know. Emergencies trump everything else. I need to get to the church.

As I move to land, a bullet shatters against my chest.

A kid in a top hat is stood down on the ground, a rifle in hand, as a girl next to him swirls a giant fireball in her hand.

“Atlas. Our boss said you would likely take this route from Arcadia.”

“And what If I hadn’t?”

He smirks at me.

“We had other teammates waiting for you on the only other route. The boss likes to plan for any possible contingency.”

“Seems like a lot of work to intercept me.”

He smirks again.

“Well, boss doesn’t want anyone interfering with Archons lesson. If you stay there, nothing has to happen.”

Something brushes against my back, but my power rejects the attempt completely.

A woman in a yellow dress and theatre mask collapses against the wall next to Top Hat.

“That all you got Citrine? Thought you were some sort of trump?”

She coughs, before rising to her feet with a glare.

“His power rejected mine somehow. I attempted to increase his localised gravity. It failed.”

The difference between ‘flight’ and ‘position manipulation’ is now much clearer.

“Tut tut. Looks like Accords little helpers aren’t so hot shit after all.” Trickster retorts with a wide grin on his face.

Then he grimaces, as his knees shake under him.

“Be careful Trickster. He may be immune until I find his frequency. You are not.”

The world around me starts to shimmer yellow. That’s probably not a good sign. Rising up in the air, I manage to outpace the field.

“Trickster you idiot. Bring him back down. I can’t counteract his power if he leaves the field. Our orders are clear. Prevent him reaching the church before the allotted time.”

Trickster however is having problems of his own.

His nose is bleeding, almost a river of blood, as his friend with the fireball dissipates it and runs to help him.

“Can’t.. affect.. him. Rejected… switch. Tried again… violent.”

He sinks to the floor boneless, as the fireball girl screams his name.

Citrine glares up at me.

“What are your powers I wonder Atlas. No matter. Once I work out what you do, I will have your frequency, and you will be helpless before us.”

Putting her hand on the back of Tricksters head, he starts to rapidly vibrate, almost as if he is speeding up in time. Until finally his nose stops bleeding.

She picks up her phone and starts immediately speaking.

“This is a bust. We will follow Atlas from the ground instead and make sure he can’t land. At this speed he won’t get there in time to change much anyway.”

Turning to Trickster, she seemingly doesn’t care that I am listening.

“Send Genesis and Ballistic to cause trouble in the south of Downtown. That should muddy the water with the PRT and the last few remaining clones and allow us to keep them out of things until the contingency is armed.”

He nods, with a final glare up at me, before picking up his own phone and typing out a message.

I need to go.

I just hope I get there in time, given the speed I am limited to.

Hold on Thomas.

 

…

 

“Be careful with that crate you imbecile.”

It is hard to get help of adequate quality in this den of sin. I am stuck with ex members of that fading memory of presumptive neo-nazism who are easily swayed with the promise of cash, and worthless clones.

Damn him.

DAMN HIM.

“Sir. It’s almost time. Iago can’t keep the portals going much longer, Noelle is chasing the tinker, Atlas has avoided Citrine, as you expected.”

“Everything is going to plan.”

“Bos-.”

“EVERYTHING IS GOING TO PLAN WILL YOU MAKE ME REPEAT MYSELF?!”

He quietens down as I point the gun at him.

“Noted. The contingency is in place in the church. Noelle has apparently ejected Lung if our men on scene are being accurate. It’s only a matter of time until she loses Othello given what Panacea did to her. Then we likely lose Iago. Are you prepared for the consequences of the contingency sir?”

I turn to him, resisting the urge to shoot him in his ugly scaled head.

“Lizardtail. If I want a critic to run over my plans, I will hire another thinker and shoot them when I am done. However, I have never needed one and I am resisting the urge right now. Is the contingency secure?”

He’s taken aback, but he covers it well.

“Reasonably. We cannot override the base timer as it is an old, hardwired contingency from the original manufacture. Maybe if we had a tinker on site, we could amend it. But as things stand if you trigger it, there is at least three minutes before it can arm. The fallen made a lot of modifications, but this one is hard set. And they didn’t bother to override it.”

Not insurmountable. Fingering the trigger in my hand, I prepare myself for the road ahead.

“They will compare us to the Slaughterhouse Nine once this is over, should I need to use the contingency. Leave once Impulse arrives on scene. The tinker contingencies will deal with her. No reason for you to get added to the kill order, should Archon be unwilling to see reason after a period of imprisonment.”

He shakes his head at me.

“No thank you sir. You made me what I am. If you go down, we go down together.”

At least one of them is worth something. Fingering the scar on my once perfect cheek, where that filthy traitor Othello lashed out at me for daring to consider the contingency, I can’t help but muse back to simpler times.

When plans worked, and the world was ordered.

Ah well. I’ve managed to keep things mostly non-lethal up to now. But it seems even that plan was doomed to fail. Minimising casualties with my power is worthless if my power is worthless.

Another thing to lay at that devil of chaos’ feet.

“Have the North Carolina sect been paid? I do not need them showing up in Boston should I not be around to protect it. To cause more chaos because some Wayne County miners didn’t get paid in time.”

“The Fallen have been appeased. We gave them Cassiterite in addition to the mission, but she was worthless anyway.”

She was a nice girl. But nice girls don’t make good bodyguards. It’s a pity. The Fallen aren’t gentle with their women. But it is a worthy sacrifice to get my power back in working order.

Maybe I can layer a plan to bring her back once the tinker is dealt with.

It would be a pity to kill him, but well. If my plans aren’t working. Better him dead. I’d prefer a live capture. No telling what I could do with a counter thinker field that works against even the Simurgh. But he cannot exist outside of my control. Avatar of chaos that he is.

As I turn to give Lizardtail our final orders, a swish of air and a spray of gore interrupts me as Lizardtails torso explodes.

Another swish of air and something huge flies past my face and takes out one of the equipment trucks.

Lizardtail finishes regenerating the left side of his torso and pulls me down to the ground.

“Boss, did Archon have other teammates?”

I wrack my mind. He had help with the empire attack at the docks but that was a localised power effect.

“Alley-oop!”

A silver-haired man with a rocket propelled hammer leaps over our cover and smashes the hammer into Lizardtails head, launching him away from us.

“Damn. Boss should have used this thing sooner.”

He looks me over, seemingly marking me as not a threat. Not wearing my costume may have been one of the better plans today.

Another swish of displaced air and a small explosion.

“The damn arcrail exploded.”

“I told you not to rush the damn thing. None of the magnetocoils were ready for full deployment. It takes days to dope them properly.”

Another identical silver haired man in a full face mask leaps over the table with a sparking rifle of some sort. Pressing a button on the side, the rifle seemingly disassembles itself into blocks of material. The blocks disappear into the man’s pocket.

“Where is number three?”

“He’s sending the boss a package, come on let’s take out all these gangbangers. And the scaled dude regenerates so hit him harder.”

“Righto!”

I need to get inside the church. It seems my final gambit has failed.

But when you plan to fail, is it really failing anymore?

Maybe I am just deluding myself. But if I am to be remembered as a monster, then I am going out on my own terms. And taking that damned Avatar of Chaos with me.

…

“Boss, it’s time. I’m getting an encoded signal through the portal.”

“What does it say.”

“Grab the shaft.”

“Excuse me.”

“That’s what it says!”

Fucking clones exist to troll me.

Reaching my hand through the portal, I feel a smooth metallic shaft, like a slightly thicker broom handle. Pulling it through and out of my pocket, a quick scan shows my clones genius.

“I love those guys.”

Glory girl turns to me with a skeptical look.

“Excuse me?”

I ignore her with a smirk.

“You ready to leave?”

She looks at the long metal rod in my hand in wonder.

“You made that in here?”

A shake of my head and a smile is all she gets from me as I initiate deployment.

A blaring siren erupts from the pole.

“Step away from the hazard lines, deployment in progress.”

Shields pop up around a rectangular shaped area as the Arc-Reactor powered shield generator kicks in. The poles then unfold into an array of doors in various shapes, all shielded by the array.

My goddamn clone made an automatic door deployment device.

“Glory Girl, time to go!”

She flies towards me at max speed as multiple grenades fall out of portals all around the area, but anything that materialises inside the shield is wrapped in another layer of shielding and ejected.

Inserting my key, I open the fold-out door and direct Glory Girl in. Quickly dashing after her and Panacea, I send back a self-destruct signal, before opening a portal to the transformer hut at outskirts of downtown, a quick flight to the Churchyard.

“Let’s go Archon.” Glory girl is furious and absolutely ramped up ready to battle, but neither her, nor her sister are in fit health to fight a dust bunny, let alone an insane rogue thinker.

“No. Glory Girl, get yourself and Panacea to hospital now. Neither of you are in any shape to be fighting. Trust me. You’ve done enough.

She hesitates, looking between me, her sister, and the sky.

After what feels like an age, she finally nods.

“Give him a- no sorry, five kicks in the balls, full strength for me okay.”

“Consider it done.”

“Are you ready boss?”

As I receive two of my clones memories, I have to acknowledge, this is almost certainly a trap.

But it has to end here.

 

…

 

The Churchyard is a mess. Bodies lay strewn about. The regenerating healer, Lizardtail, is lying in three pieces. And roars from the other side of the graveyard do not bode well.

Arriving quickly over there, I find Atlas holding an unconscious Sherrel in the air, while the Travellers lay unconscious or severely wounded. My last remaining clone, wielding my rocket hammer, is currently kiting Noelle on a mad rampage through the gravestones.

Pulling up my nanobiotics, and every speck of knowledge I have from Magos: Designation, I connect a carrier wave to her.

It’s no good. She can't clone anymore, but anything biologic that touches her is still immediately entrapped. My nanobiotics commit suicide, as green blotches appear on her skin.

She turns to me in a rage.

“Archon. Heal them. Now.”

“Why, so you can assist a terrorist thinker with a mad plan to kill me again?”

“He said he would cure my hunger.”

I chuckle drily.

“If you are dead, will you still be hungry? Because I suspect that’s the only cure that Accord intended for you.”

She snarls.

“You lie.”

Crossing my arms, I look down at her sadly.

“I’ve been working on a cure for the Case 53’s. It’s possible, but even with my speciality syncing with it, it’s close to the hardest thing I’ve ever worked on. There is close to a zero chance Accord could heal you.”

She stops charging my clone.

“You have a cure?”

I shake my head sadly.

“Not yet. Close. But like I said. It’s very hard. Had you come to me I would have helped you.”

“But not now.” She spits out.

“You’d have to eject everybody you have inside you, and submit to imprisonment with the Protectorate. And persuade them to let me help you.”

She sighs.

“So no choice at all then. All that I have to look forward to is the birdcage.”

She ejects a bunch of bodies from inside her. Othello, Strider, a few unpowered civilians I don’t recognise. No Lung strangely.

Then colossal, fleshy and stringy tentacles erupt from her back, as she attempts to pull me out of the sky, a long keening screech erupting from her mania twisted mouth.

Flicking on the Jabberwock Claw, and taking up my plasma blade in my other hand, I slice and dice my way through the storm of flesh, Trajectory and EFA guiding me on my path as I overclock my cybernetics, push my armour to the max, and slice through Noelle at the waist, the human body separating from the slug mass in a spray of blood from an unhealable wound.

The slug mass starts to immediately and rapidly decompose, smelling like a morgue after a power cut as it does so. Her human half slowly crawls over to Trickster in the meantime.

Touching him on the bare cheek, a single tear drips down her face as she whispers to him her final words.

“I love you Krouse. Wait for me ok.”

She slumps over his unmoving chest, another casualty of Accords insane schemes.

The remaining Travellers are alive. Signalling Atlas and Impulse to come down I approach them blade out. Sundancer is staring glassy eyed over at the corpses of Noelle and Trickster, as Genesis groans in pain.

“Was it worth it?”

Sundancer turns a questioning look to me.

“Was a potential cure for your friend worth all this?”

She looks away.

“It never was. But it’s not like we had any c-.”

“Don’t tell me you had no choice. Any one of you could have pulled out of this. When they take you down to the Birdcage, I want you to remember this moment. Your friends lie dead because none of you were strong enough to say no. And Ballistic, I swear if you fire that phone at me with your power I will shove it so far up your ass that you’ll be able to burp your text messages.”

He quickly puts down the phone, while glaring at me sullenly. Firing off a healing beam, at Impulse, I clear out her concussion. Looks like she took on a minefield and managed a tie. She opens her eyes with a groan.

“Boss. Do we get hazard pay?”

“Only when you aren’t the hazard. Where is Accord?”

Atlas turns to me with a grimace.

“We haven’t seen him.”

A voice interjects. Othello is dragging himself over to us.

“He’s inside the church. Archon, be careful. He’s gone completely off the reservation. He pushed me into that thing himself after I tried to kill him to stop this.”

“What was his endgame?”

He slumps down against a tree.

“Honestly. He said he wanted you captured. But I think more than anything he wants you dead. The way he was ranting. It was like you were his great rival or something. He tried to take out Blasto. He hired out Faultline to get her out of the city. Hell, he’s even bribed half of the senate parahuman committee. He was going to blame all of this on you, he thought he had the perfect, unbreakable plan.”

He shrugs and reaches into the pocket of a nearby mook. Pulling out a packet of cigarettes he lights one up and takes a drag.

“That’s the good shit. Not smoked since I was sold to Accord. Never realise how much you miss it.”

I turn towards the church.

“Atlas. Impulse. Othello. Secure the prisoners. Make sure they don’t escape. Othello if you help I will vouch for you.”

He nods.

“Fine by me. Not like I have a boss anymore.”

As I march toward the church Impulse yells out.

“You going alone boss?”

I nod with a grimace.

“No idea what he has planned, and he tried to account for all of us. Stay out here. Secure the area. Number three, with me.”

Calling up two more clones to the amazement of Othello, the four of us march towards the church.

 

…

I enter to a single persons applause.

Sat on a wooden chair at the altar, is a man I recognise.

“The bank manager?”

He smirks.

“A common ruse. Easy enough to bribe people when you have my resources. Even if it is just to take part in a play.”

“And what was the script?”

His face darkens.

“Don’t mock me you worthless minion of chaos.”

I hold my hands up in appeasement.

“Wasn’t mocking you Accord. We are a little past that.”

He looks over my three clones.

“Taking a leaf from Noelle’s book are we. Biotinkering. Naughty of you Archon.”

I dismiss a clone and re-call them.

“Actually a power.”

He looks astounded.

“A Tinker/Shaker/Master/Trump? Unheard of but you’ve bucked many trends. I almost thought you may have gained a power effect from Noelle. It always seemed like you were pulling out derivatives of other cape powers.”

I shrug.

“I can emulate most of them to be honest. Thinkers are trickier. Not when you aren’t willing to break the PRT’s rules anyway.”

He smirks at me again.

“Pesky aren’t they. Strangely I feel like you would have made a good villain. Probably even more so than a hero.”

I nod self-deprecatingly.

“Too easy to fall down a slippery slope when you can do what I can. In all honestly, I’d prefer to spend all my time tinkering. But what can you do?”

I look around the church. No obvious traps.

“Anyway enough banter. What was this all in aid of?”

He all but growls at me.

“Wha-.”

He looks left and right as if looking for backup, but I realise he’s genuinely taken aback by my question and searching for a reason.

“Do you understand what you are, Archon?”

I shake my head in exasperation.

“How could I, it’s not like you ever contacted me and asked me to stop whatever the hell has set you off so badly?”

He looks, almost fearful.

“I don’t know what is worse. That I believe you, or that you have no idea what you represent?”

He murmurs to himself, a wild look coming across his face as he fidgets with a box in his hand.

“Thanks to you, everything I have ever worked on throughout my entire existence as a cape is gone. You and that stupid power of yours.”

He thumbs a switch on the box in his hand, before seemingly changing his mind.

“You are chaos incarnate. The fly in the ointment. The oil in the water. Everything you are destabilises what was once so orderly.”

I stay quiet, watching carefully as he starts to unravel in front of me.

“I don’t know exactly when you triggered. But I do know when the initial interference started. November. Something about you is different. Something… unplannable. Chaos inserted into the system at just the right spots to destabilise it. I induce Coil to investigate you. He goes radio silent. I invest in turning the local villains on to you. You win, even when all appearances say you shouldn’t have. Then I get involved directly after you go from something I actively have to plan around, to something that cannot be planned around. I lure you out to the outskirts of Brockton. After your beautifully aesthetic armour is destroyed.”

He looks at me, a fearsome and manic grin growing on his face.

“And you fly in. As if nothing had ever happened to your precious suit. No tinker works at speeds of your level. None of them. Another plan, destroyed. Chaos inserted as easy as taking a breath.”

Grabbing a hunk of his perfectly coiffed blonde hair, he starts worrying the strands he teased loose. Manically and almost hypnotically.

“And that is when I realised what you are. You aren’t a man. You are an avatar. An avatar of everything I have spent my parahuman career fighting against.”

He thumbs the switches on the control in his hand again, his muscles twitching and his face screwed up in a rictus of fury.

“Nothing else matters. Every plan you broke, made the world worse. The Butcher now roams free in half of Boston. Because I was not able to counter her excesses. The counterplan for the Nine? Dead in the wind. Blasto? Unrestrained. The only good thing I managed to plan was to kill that bastard Coil before he could destabilise everything again.”

That pulls me up short.

“Coil is dead?”

He laughs manically.

“He’s been dead for a good while. It turns out making false promises to the Travellers was one of his less thought out ideas. He thought he could challenge me in a duel of plans. ME! That halfwit had two options. I HAD THOUSANDS UNTIL YOU CAME ALONG.”

He points his pistol at me. Before chuckling and re-holstering it.

“Not like it would do anything to you anyway.”

Then he smirks.

“I have bigger ideas for making sure you aren’t able to corrupt the world with your existence. The last great plan of Accord. Avatar of Order.”

He holds up the black box in his hand, and I notice it is handcuffed to his wrist.

“Do you know the term, ‘Broken Arrow’ Archon?

A cold chill shivers down my back. I do know that term.

“When a Nuclear capable weapon is lost…”

He nods, the manic smile plastered to his face.

“It’s well known that upon his appearance, Scion travelled the world destroying every active nuclear weapon. But well. He wasn’t perfect. It was only the armable ones of course.”

He twitches, expression twisting and turning as he tries to get hold of his mania.

“In 1961 the US accidentally dropped two nuclear weapons on Wayne County in North Carolina due to plane failure. One was retrieved. The other had its parachute fail and lay buried and dormant. Until the Fallen retrieved it.”

He chuckles to himself.

“Without continuous access to a Tinker the bomb was utterly useless to them. However the little cult of Behemoth worshippers was easy to manipulate. In exchange for the death of Christine Mathers, so that their leader could make a play on the overall leadership of the Fallen, they would give me the symbol of their god.”

Holy shit, Mathers is dead?

“It wasn’t easy of course. What a powerful counter thinker she was. But with the right usage of resources. Well. Any parahuman can be countered. I almost considered feeding her to Noelle.”

He looks me dead in the eye.

“That would have birthed an unending catastrophe.”

He leans back in his chair, completely relaxed.

“EFA, scan that remote in his hand and intercept any signals it releases.”

“It’s completely inert boss.”

He looks at the direction of my glare and chuckles again.

“Quantum paired. Quite unblockable. Well I wouldn’t put much past you, but you have not yet shown any inclination in that regard. The tinkers that I managed to source for the fallen were quite thorough. While they were still with us of course.”

He starts to rock gently in his chair.

“I intended to capture you. Put you to work in Russia, or maybe northern Europe. An entire half planet away. You keep messing up the Simurghs plots, I get to keep making my own.”

I wonder if he realises he just compared himself to Ziz.

Then he laughs.

“Now. I will end your threat before you destabilise everything. They will blame you of course. I will be blamed for bringing the bomb here. But when I release information on your chaos, they will be quick to turn on you. The man half responsible for the destruction of Brockton Bay.”

Now it’s my turn to laugh.

“You call yourself an ‘avatar of order’ and yet you are about to launch a nuclear attack on US soil. On your own. You think that won’t be chaos.”

He nods seriously.

“Much like chemotherapy is almost more damaging than the cancer itself, sometimes, you have to inject a little chaos to counter a bigger source.”

“If that’s the case then why haven’t you already pressed that button.”

“I pressed the button two minutes ago Archon. Those old bombs take a few minutes to arm. I just had to keep you here, in the interdiction field so that no aspect of you could release more chaos into the plan before I was ready. You were a willing listener. For that I thank you.”

He leans back in his chair.

“It was good speaking with you Archon. Maybe if there is life after all this we will meet again in hell.”

He puts his gun to his head and pulls the trigger. I ignore the splatter of his brains on the far wall as I start to scan the whole structure.

“EFA, find that damn bomb.”

“It’s under us boss, under the Church in the catacombs. Clear signal.”

Charging the nearby door, I curse myself for giving Sherrel the matter manipulator. The way down into the Church basement is thankfully easy to find using the scanners in the manipulator, and as I kick down a rotted wooden door, the bomb is right in front of me.

“Talk to me EFA, what are we looking at?”

“4 Megaton. Half the city will be destroyed. The other half uninhabitable.”

I need to move it.

As I step toward the bomb, EFA stops me.

“1:31 on the clock. When you stepped towards it, the clock got faster.”

“How much time if I grab it.”

“Extrapolating it out, about 25 seconds at best.”

“Can we disarm it?”

“In 25 seconds? No guarantees. It’s been worked on by a tinker for sure. Lots of abstracted tech. If it wasn’t Tinkertech, we could definitely disarm it. As it stands I have no idea how he’s even gotten it working. It’s not even in the original casing. It’s heavily energy shielded internally too so we can’t even just rip out the fissile material.”

Only one option then. Turning to a nearby alcove door, I insert my key and turn. Diving through, I open the portal to the resource dimension, and rush back to the catacombs.

“You ready EFA.”

“… after this I want a vacation boss.”

“Anywhere you want.”

Grabbing the bomb on both sides, I heave it up into my hands and rush through my doorway. As I pass the threshold, EFA panics.

“FIVE SECONDS. HURRY!”

What!

Without even thinking, I grab the bomb and bodily throw it through the resource dimension portal. Quickly slamming my hand into the control panel, I close off the portal on my side.

The display flickers before going dark.

“Looks like we lost the portal on the other side. It should reappear in seven days. Hopefully not on the dirty bomb irradiated land.”

Then I remember.

“Hah you know what the worst part of this is EFA?”

“What.”

“I just nuked Sherrels base. She’s going to fucking kill me.”

She’s not amused with me.

“Next time you choose to grab a nuke like the worlds most hardcore game of football, let a girl know first.”

All I can do is laugh.

And dread the upcoming AAR with the PRT.

Notes:

And thats a wrap. 600 points to roll next chapter, the final chapter and possibly one more interlude in addition of Act 4, then we start moving away from the street level stuff once a few pieces of development are in place for Act 5.

Chapter 41: Interlude: Armsmaster

Notes:

I can't promise that further chapters will arrive any faster than this one but i wanted to put this out. Was supposed to release at christmas but life gets in the way. Was also supposed to be longer but i ended up rolling a lot of the perspective back into Thomas's in the next chapter.

Sorry for the huge delay but between writers block, ill health and insane workload (working in international trade is not conducive to free time with the global political situation the past few years.), and not a small amount of disgust at my earlier workwith this fic, i've struggled to get new chapters edited.

In addition to this update, i have cleaned up over 4000 SPAG errors in the first 4 arcs. I was doing one of my regular refresher rereads and was disgusted at the quality of the earlier chapters. Sure the writing itself could be better, but these were basics dammit.

Not letting perfect be the enemy of good any more so you guys will just have to deal with my writing! Hoping to have the next main chapter out by the 4th. It's fully written, just in editing which takes three times as long as wriitng these days it feels like.

Interlude – Armsmaster

 

“Armsmaster, get back to HQ, we are under heavy fire.”

I look off into the distance as Atlas disappears around the building. Something deep in my gut is telling me to follow him.

I sigh, HUD showing me the status of HQ.

“PRT deployment concentration is down to thirty percent efficiency, Director. I’m on my way in at full speed but we may need to upgrade to a higher level of alert.”

“Armsmaster, I’ll take it under advisement but at the moment we do not need to be handing off more decision-making power to New York.”

She has what Assault would probably call a “stick up her ass” about Director Wilkins in Legends region. Probably because she likes to act like having one of the Triumvirate in her Protectorate team makes her de facto head of the entire northeastern US.

“Noted Director.”

Weaving through stationary vehicles, I cannot even begin to contemplate what could have possessed Accord to go on a rampage like this. He’s always been unstable when challenged, but for the most part sat in his ordered kingdom in Boston, if not happy, at least content. We barely even have engagement procedure for him!

It’s irrelevant. People are hurting, the city is gridlocked. And while most of the attacks are seemingly intended to be nonlethal, people are dying anyway. And Accord had to have known this would happen. You can’t bring a city to a stop and not understand that shutting down emergency response like this would have an impact. People are dying slowly, but surely as the entire city grinds to a halt.

Turning into the main runup to the front of the PRT building, I am greeted by a scene of horror.

Hannah is crouched by Battery’s prone form, firing off what looks to be an anti-tank rifle at a black carapaced Lung clone. She’s all but shrieking as she fires off round after round, her skin literally rippling from the recoil.

This Lung clone looks like something out of a nightmare, scanners show his blood replaced with a virulent acid that spreads among biological vectors. Activating my biohazard procedures my suit locks up like an environment suit and my visor lights up with a one-eighty-degree panoramic forward view.

As the Lung clone starts to charge Hannah, his carapace shattering and reforming constantly, Assault appears from the sky, plowing into the clone with a roar. The clone slams into the ground, cratering it, but the jet-black carapace just grows back.

I have to pray the original tranquilizer project works. Or failing that, the emergency syringe I took from Archon’s PAX project comes through.

Loading the technically illegal syringe, I use my bike as a springboard, launching up into the air and slamming my halberd into the back of the clones head. The Halberd, empowered by Archons self-improvement matrix, slices through the carapace with ease, parting the plates at his back and injecting the payload.

A sizzle tells me at least one of the things I injected was probably useless.

Throwing my arm to the side, I grapple to the front of the PRT HQ, firing off my taser spike from the haft of my halberd as I do.

Throwing caution to the wind, I unload the full voltage. Uncaring for the life of the clone, ten thousand volts, the maximum output of the onboard battery discharges itself. A last resort measure for powerful brutes. Inspired by some work my fellow tinker shared with me.

The clone shrieks, sparking lines drawing themselves up and down its carapace from the point of impact.

“It’s weak to electrical attacks, where is Dauntless!”

Hannah coughs to my right.

“He was covering the Wards retreat from the building.”

I grimace. I have no more electrical attacks. Assault is flagging too, I can see him gasping for breath, half of his face corroded by this things acid.

The clone is out of sorts, snorting and spitting acid around its feet, seemingly blind, vitreous fluid from its bulbous eyes leaking onto the street, corroding the pavement as it splashes everywhere.

Looking over Hannah, she’s in a bad way, shivering in place, arms red and clearly exhausted.

“Militia. Assault. Retreat, take Battery and go.”

“No-“

“I wasn’t asking. Any aid you can give me here is overridden by the fact you and Battery will likely die. It’s not logical. Go. That’s a direct order.”

A rasping chuckle from the Lung clone chills my blood.

“Mother dead, mother dead. You all die, all all die all die!”

They killed the cloner! Finally some good news!

The Lung clone is sluggish, stumbling toward us and twitching as he attempts to attack.

The Pax!

“Militia, we have three minutes, get the three of you out of here now!”

She nods, stricken, heaving Battery’s prone form into a carry between her and Ethan and stumbling off towards the building where she can bunker down in on of the safe rooms if need be. Ethan looks back at me with one final nod, his mouth all but melted closed.

As she leaves I charge at the clone in order to take advantage of his curtailed aggression, sliding between his lags I lash out at his groin, scoring a deep hit into the junction of his thigh and hip, bubbling acidic blood hitting the ground but missing me as I slide out the other side. Firing off my grapple to pull me further away from him I engage my flamethrower and dump the entire modified napalm onto him.

I’ll deal with the PR implications of that later. Now is not the time to be conservative.

He erupts screaming in an utter conflagration as the first real injuries appear on his deep black carapace. The fire burns him and even where he heals, there is still scarred, charred armour.

Fire and lightning. I have no more of either.

Shaking his head, the clone sniffs, before emitting an utterly terrifying growl. And his beady yellow eyes glare at me with utter hatred.

“For mother!”

He charges at me faster than I expect, firing off my grapple I expect to be pulled away but he spits a stream of virulent acid at the guideline, melting it near instantly and preventing my escape. Engaging my alpha predictive algorithm, I attempt to enter into melee combat with him.

It’s no good, the software is nowhere near finished, and after a flurry of frantically dodged and parried blows, he catches me in the head as I hit the ground hard. He stamps on my leg for good measure, cracking the armour and my leg as well.

He then stomps on my arm and my vision goes white as I hear the crunch of the bone. My autoinjectors kick in injecting a cocktail of barely legal stimulants and coagulants.

He chuckles deeply, before letting out a string of gibberish and lining up his foot over my head.

Is this how I go out? I thought I’d be famous for my victories. Instead I go out saving lives? Saving Militia and Battery as my final act?

I feel a wry grin on my face as I realise, I’m okay with that. If that was to be my final act, then at least it meant something.

His foot only makes it halfway to my face as Assault plows into him in a football tackle, the kinetic energy of his charge pulsing through the clone and rippling his skin. He must have gotten a charge from Battery on her way into the building.

The sky alights, Dauntless bracketed in the sky above carrying what looks to be one of young Chris’ projects.

Throwing out my last grapple I yank Ethan out of the fight as a colossal beam all but vaporises the area where the clone is stood. As my vision dims I see Ethan give me the thumbs up, as Dauntless plummets towards us.

Victory did not come cheap today, but we won the day once again. As Dauntless fusses over the two of us, I can’t help but smile.

Maybe he isn’t so bad after all.

Chapter 42: Arc 4 - Chapter 7

 

“Archon, given the current situation I cannot allow you to heal Protectorate personnel. This is not a permanent state of affairs, just not right now. Once everything is cleared up, if Panacea is still unavailable, we can look to initiate a second tier power testing to get you clearance you to act as a general healer for the Protectorate.”

I end the call with a disgusted snarl. I wish I had a physical handset I could slam down in order to show how irritated I am with everything.

Armsmaster has splintered bones in his right arm and leg. Assault is all but missing a lung. Lost to the Lung clone downtown ironically. Battery is in a coma. Miss Militia is covered in sixty percent burns. The local Protectorate has been gutted. The only uninjured parahumans ENE has at the moment are Dauntless, Triumph and the Wards. And only because for the most part they were kept out of the fighting completely.

Things didn’t go too well for the Protectorate after my team made a mad dash for the churchyard. Between mercenaries, remaining clones and out of town parahumans working for the Ambassadors, the Protectorate were whittled down. It took a combination of Dauntless and Kid Win to finally end the stalemate with some sort of last chance collaboration.

Kid Win is apparently still refusing to leave the PRT HQ after watching a piece of his tech evaporate a crowd of clones.

New Wave didn’t come out of the situation too hot either, but they are in a much better state than the Protectorate are for sure.

And now Piggot is playing politics. She’s always been eminently reasonable with me, so much so I was on the back foot from the moment I met her. And now, now her damn pig-headed stubbornness comes to the fore.

And I’m still stuck analysing what the fuck happened.

Staring blankly around the plain hospital room, my only active thought is still that the data doesn’t make any sense.

Sitting here in the aftermath of the destruction of the resource dimension staging point, I find myself wondering what the point was.

Any of it.

Accord lies dead. That’s not to say I wasn’t planning to take him down myself after what he did. But why kill himself? He had leverage. Had he not armed the bomb, I probably wouldn’t have risked an outright attack.

Why choose to die, when had he killed me, he would have been free?

Why go for a nuke in the first place? It’s completely outside of his usual type of operation. Was my power sending him that insane? Did Blank send him over the edge? Am I potentially looking at other thinkers going insane and attacking me?

“EFA, when did the timer jump to five seconds?”

“Scan history shows that pre-entry to the workshop, you had 14 seconds. As soon as you crossed the threshold, the timer jumped to five seconds.”

“Pull up the deep scan logs from the moment we entered the catacombs.”

“On it.”

Okay. We have the standard fissile material held inert, triggering circuits. Abstracted technology handling shielding. More tinker bullshit. Not that I have any room to talk.

What’s the trick? What was the point in this? Why the theatrical timer, why try to get me to ground zero and tell me that the bomb is present instead of just letting it blow up while I’m outside the church. I’d be dead as would my entire team. So why waste the nuke?

Most of this morning has been spent agonising over this simple question.

Then it hits me. Like a truck. And it’s obvious in retrospect.

This was never an attack on Brockton. From the almost non-lethality of the initial attacks on anyone but me. And even then, it was mostly attempts to kidnap me. This was a contingency plan.

The target wasn’t even me. It was my production capacity. It was an attack on the workshop.

Had he really deduced that far?

He had to have. Why else would the time have jumped? Was he so unconvinced that he could kill me that he instead made an insane plan to cripple me?

“Can we make any headway on what the hell the original tinker’s shard has abstracted here?”

“Not much boss. Shielding is obvious, but you are significantly advanced in shielding tech so it isn’t difficult to see the connections there. But the nodes connected to the triggering mechanism may as well be held together with chewing gum and used foil. Maybe a conditional trigger. Possibly the proximity circuit that caused the quick count when you approached.”

The more I analyse, the surer I am.

Accord was aiming to take out my workshop, even if he didn’t take me out, he expected me to make the choice I did. It wasn’t even power backed. He knew that I would make the choice to portal the bomb rather than leave it in Brockton. Hell, he all but lured me into that choice. Why else leave the door there.

“EFA, ch-.”

A truly massive swell of power grows inside my skull, as a dam bursts and power floods into me. Stars start to dance in my vision as the built up forge power drains into the very core of my being. The image of the galaxy that was long since abstracted away by the Celestial Forge returns, this time a core system and a truly colossal planet jumps out at me.

Expansion deferred due to an active situation.

600CP remain.

Rolling… Failed!

Rolling… Failed!

Rolling… Success! – Crafting Magitech

Man Made World – Fate/Grand Order

0CP remain.

Sparks of power flood through my body, as the power of a major perk modifies the very impact of my existence on reality. The world swirls around me as a fundamental aspect of existence is grafted on to my soul.

My technology is now backed by divinity. Not any particular god but instead all of my tech is supernaturally backed. And extremely effective against divine opposition. Not only that, but any technology that I make that becomes widespread in use, and has at least some element of novelty, grants me a self-perpetuating buff to the same type of tech.

In Fate, Tesla spread the secrets of electricity far and wide and in return gained the ability to create electrical devices and weapons that could put him on par with even the mightiest servants.

This same power now rests inside my soul. The ability to self-perpetuate myself within any subject as long as I improve general human interaction and understanding of that subject.

I wish I could truly give this the attention it deserves right this moment, but the events of the past few days are still taking up center stage in my brain. This will probably have serious implication on my communications plan as well as any work I do for the general public in future. But fuck it I intended to be the name in comms anyway.

But the perk is distracting me from the here and now. I have work to do.

“EFA, run a full, detailed parametric analysis on the extrapolated results of the bomb going off in Brockton, and in the workshop. Pull any resources you need to, hell monopolise the omni-tool’s processing buffers and the workshop computer systems if you need to. I have to attend an AAR with the PRT while on video call with the Chief’s office today and I need to make damn sure they don’t have any reason to think I kept that bomb. Overdo it if you need to but I need to be able to show absolutely that the bomb exploded.”

“On it boss, can we send a drone through to the resource scouting R.V door to scan for radiation, once we get back into the workshop?”

“No, it’s twelve hundred miles out from the central base, we wouldn’t get there in time for anything meaningful before I need to leave. An idea for later though until the main portal reforms. Hopefully not in the middle of a radioactive crater. That was an old, not well-maintained bomb and I have no idea what corners they needed to cut to get it working.”

Realistically, the PRT won’t be able to fault my conduct. I assisted Armsmaster, Saved Glory Girl and Panacea, and didn’t escalate past established rules of engagement.

But the existence of a live nuclear weapon on US soil, even if only my team, Othello, Armsmaster and the PRT are aware of it. It’s going to make some very powerful people very nervous.

Let’s just hope people can be reasonable about the circumstances.

 

…

 

“Archon, you are free to check out, your tests have come back clean. Glory Girl has asked to speak with you if possible. You have authorisation to enter their rooms.”

The nurse turns and leaves busily after giving me a once over. I wonder how their relatively primitive tech reads my vitals. My heart alone must read a very unusual beat given how much extra blood volume I have in my system to help run the cybernetics.

Since the incident I’ve been confined to a room at Brockton General. Not in a legal sense but Piggot asked me to stick around while they ‘make absolutely sure I’m not radioactive’, actually meaning the PRT wants me available and visible while their thinkers investigate. It’s minorly irritating but I’ve spent most of it reviewing the scans of the fight.

As far as the team goes, Sherrel went back to the workshop at my request and Danny went home after a quick debrief. Outside of the team Othello was taken by the PRT. The rest of the Travellers were also taken into custody. I kept my word and stood up for Othello with Velocity and Renick on scene, so hopefully that at least goes somewhere. Be a pity if he ended up in trouble over all this given he genuinely seems to be innocent.

Lung is apparently missing, and by all accounts was extracted from the town by Oni Lee.

With the Empire mostly taken down, the ABB defunct and the Merchants long since gone, hopefully I can have a little time to breathe before the next crisis hits. There is a critical lack of villains in the city and I need to get rid of all this political bullshit so I can start preparing in case we end up with another Boston situation.

Making my way down the secure wing of the hospital, I hesitantly approach the room containing Glory Girl and Panacea.

They’re mostly healed. For the given value of healed. Glory Girl will likely suffer from PTSD and Panacea…

She’s not well, I knew she wasn’t playing with an entirely full deck going into this. I knew I was eventually going to have to make a difficult choice with her and I put it off due to how inundated I’ve been.

But she’s not mentally sound and I don’t know how to fix it.

I got a general idea when we pulled her from that grave and instead of worrying about our situation, she hyper-focused on the nanobiotics. She’s got a severe issue with underutilising her power and she’s no fewer steps away from cracking as she was in canon.

How to solve her situation has always been a bugbear for me here. Less so than Taylor’s but an issue for entirely different reasons. I obviously am not going to let her turn her sister into a flesh cocoon and I’m certainly not going to let her crack to the point she… well I’m not going to let things go how they did in canon.

But like the majority of primary triggers, she’s fundamentally broken. Just significantly more than most. You always wonder about these things when this is just a story, just words on a page. People used to debate endlessly about ‘aura theory’ and counter with ‘personal responsibility!’ but being here with these people as actual people? It makes things harder to abstract in such simple ways.

From what I can see the main issue with Panacea is that her corona is one of the biggest I’ve ever seen, and it is ridiculously active in her brain. She may believe she’s inevitably going to become a villain, and in all honesty, I can see why. The ‘conflict drive’ is not easy to scan for but using my budding Aura reading I can see the shearing effect whenever a shard is doing something with their host. With most parahumans this could happen once or twice an hour.

Panacea can clear that in a minute. Easily. It’s one of the most active and pushy shards I’ve seen.

If I drop the ball with Panacea, especially with what she and her sister have just been through, a lot of people will die. I can counter Panacea herself as things stand, but even I can’t counter an unrestricted Shaper for long if she goes off the reservation. Not as I am right now.

I’ve tasked a clone on continuing the work on all forms of biological countermeasures in the short term. In the medium term, I need to speak to her parents. If she doesn’t start exercising Shaper soon, we will end up with a localised bio-apocalypse. It’s not a question of if, but when.

The worst thing is, at least right now in the time before the Nine break her, she’s a nice kid. She has that sense of duty about her, even if it does act as a weight, instead of a cloak. She actually does care about healing people. She isn’t an inherently evil person.

But Shaper won’t let her waste her trigger. And I won’t let her become a threat.

Opening the door to the secure room in the wing that has been set aside for capes in the aftermath of Accords ‘Night of Plots’ I walk in the room to one smiling girl and one frowning girl.

And strangely it’s the opposite way round to what I expected.

Panacea nods over at me from behind a glass wall, gently smiling while rolling one of her arms.

I get a short nod from Glory Girl, before she returns her attention to her phone with a fearsome frown.

Opening the sliding glass door that separates the two sisters, I sidle over to Panacea and sit in the seat next to her bed. Glory girl’s conversation inaudible on the other side of the glass.

“What’s up with Glory Girl?”

She chuckles. “Just call us by our names out of costume Archon. And she broke up with Dean.”

I sigh.

“Not because of the whole situation, right?”

She shakes her head.

“Apparently he implied she shouldn’t have left the fight and should have stayed to take Accord into custody rather than him dying.”

I slump back into my chair with a groan.

“What did he expect her to do?”

She shrugs, before returning her attention to some sort of medical magazine in her lap.

“He’s always been a bit black and white like that, you know what Vicky is like. She can be clumsy sometimes, but she’s got a good heart. She’s results focused, where Dean is very much a goody two-shoes.”

I’m not supposed to know Dean is Gallant so I kinda have to be careful about what I say. So, I simply nod in commiseration.

“And how are you doing Amy?”

She sighs, wringing her hands together and looking back and forth as if debating whether to tell me or not.

“My head hasn’t been right since the bank. When that bitch ate me… I saw my whole trigger again. And my power has been… itchy? I think that’s the best way to describe it. I’m struggling to bring up the energy I had previously to go and heal.”

She looks tired, drawn out.

“Would you like me to check you over?”

She looks me in the eye with a strange expression on her face.

“With your little ‘helpers’ right?”

I nod.

“For some reason I couldn’t do anything with them. Even though I should have been able to.”

I chuckle.

“Technically tinker tech, and it’s very hard to interfere with my tech if that interference would take it off task. Let me guess, you could see the effects they left behind and the surface detail, but not the inner workings?”

Black Boxing is not the only perk I have that locks down my tech, but in this instance, having put every protection I had available on the nanobiotics, it’s certainly the most relevant.

She nods with a frown.

“Ok fine, even if only to get a look at those guys again.”

I reach out and put my hand on her bare arm and I can literally see her pupils dilate as she checks my health as I check hers.

She goes to yell, but I shush her gently and put my finger over my lip.

“Secret okay, I’m letting you see because I trust you.”

She glares, before softening her expression.

“This is a lot of internal work Archon, this is like Bonesaw level stuff.”

She dips her tone at Bonesaw, so soft I can barely hear her.

“Yeah, my main speciality is enhancement, improvement and restoration of people. My speciality seems to be very similar to hers. You have a pretty strong control of biology, right? Your clone was one of the more powerful ones and seemed to be a branch of that.”

She nods, hesitantly, as if letting out the world’s biggest secret.

“Well, that’s good. The more of us there are on this side, the less effect little psychos like her can have on the world, right?”

She hums, deeply engrossed in what she is seeing.

“You have a lot of inflammation markers around the muscles but nothing causing it that I can see?”

I smile at her

“That’s why I added the third kidney, you have to account for rhabdomyolysis if you push human musculature too far past the baseline. It’s technically less efficient than if I just replaced the whole thing with artificial muscle in the first place, but not only was I not quite ready to go full cyber or bioware replacements, I also didn’t have the materials on hand to make it as strong as I would like. It’s not exactly easy to plug and play so I want to get that kind of thing right the first time.”

She seems… pensive.

“Do you not worry about going past human normal? It’s not really right to improve things so drastically right?”

“Why?”

“It’s biotinkering?”

I nod.

“Technically? Yes of course it is. Is elective or cosmetic surgery any different just because a parahuman isn’t doing it? Surely, it’s the intent of the modification that matters right? If I did this to someone against their will, or used unsafe methods then yes it would be villainous but Amy. Theres nothing inherently wrong with biotinkering. Not at all. It’s what you do with it that matters.”

She leans back with a considering look in her eyes. Had I given her this spiel before the events of a few days ago she would have railed against it. Now she’s at least thinking about it.

Taking my hand off her arm I adopt a cheerier tone.

“I cleared up the inflammation in your meninges. You had a low-level bacterial infection which could have escalated to meningitis if we weren’t careful. I’ve also finished off the recovery of your legs. I’m telling you now. Do not push yourself healing people the way you were, for at least a month. You are spent. I can’t replace what doesn’t exist and after what you’ve been through recently, you are on a break. Clear?”

She nods sullenly.

“One last thing. You mentioned your power. Powers… they want to be used. You know this. I know this. The asylums are crawling with people who were so afraid of their powers that they went legitimately insane trying to avoid using them. You feel down? Depressed? You ever feel like you just aren’t getting enjoyment out of life anymore. You know why. So, look at yourself in a mirror and ask yourself if you want to be the reason you eventually snap.”

She sighs, staring blankly off into the distance. But she is at least listening.

“I can see the stress on you, and I don’t even need my power. You have an incredibly strong power Panacea. Don’t let it twist you into something you aren’t because you are so afraid of it that you spend half of your time suppressing it. There are a million different ways to make a touch bio-manipulation power work. I can think of multiple ways you could go out and be a hero with just that power. Hell, make a bio-slime that you can wear as armour, enhance it as you wear it to gain different abilities. There are a ton of ways you can develop your power that rely only on using it on yourself. Have you ever considered using it on yourself via proxy? There are mould forms and vector viruses that can hot edit genetics, and you could fully control them.”

She leans back in her bed, eyes shadowed as she looks out of the window.

“I’ll think about it. Thank you.”

She smiles at me. Thin but a smile nonetheless.

“I’m going to check on Victoria. Call me if you need anything right Amy. I promise you, you’ll never get any judgement for anything off me as long as you are trying to be a hero.”

Leaving the bedside, I head out of Amy’s private bubble and into Victoria’s

She’s staring wistfully out the window as I enter. She flicks her eyes towards me but keeps staring out the window.

“You ok Victoria?”

She snorts.

“Just call me Vicky unless you want me to start calling you mom.”

I laugh, sitting down in the chair next to her bed.

“You wanted to see me before I left Vicky?”

She sits silently staring out of the window to her left, with me sat on the right side of her bed all I can see is the back of her head at the moment. Until I notice her shoulders shaking.

Reaching out to put my hand on her shoulder she pulls away rapidly and turns to look at me.

“Sorry, I’m not big on touch at the moment.”

Pulling my hand away I give her what I hope is a disarming smile.

“That’s fine, are you okay Vicky you seem tense?”

She isn’t wearing makeup, the first time I’ve seen her like this. Her eyes are red rimmed and a single tear is still trailing down her left cheek.

“Did Accord need to die? Could I have saved him if I stayed?”

“No. Absolutely not. He committed suicide while sat on top of a nuclear bomb. If you had stayed, and stopped or delayed me from entering, we’d all be dead.”

She sniffs again.

“I broke up with Dean. He said ‘I had a responsibility to stay and make sure the situation was controlled’. Dean, I- He hates death. He’s got trauma in his past about people dying when they didn’t need to. He never got help for it.”

I sigh.

“Dean… he’s trying to be a knight in a world without castles or royalty.”

She looks at me strangely. I realise I’m hitting a little close to Gallant here, but I don’t care.

“In an… ideal world. No-one would die in combat. That’s obscenely naïve to even contemplate happening, but that’s the ideal. In utopia, people only die of old age. Dean isn’t wrong entirely. I’d like to avoid anyone dying, even my enemies. I don’t even want Skidmark to die, even after everything he did to me. But it’s just not a realistic way to see things. I didn’t kill Accord, but I won’t pretend I wasn’t responsible for his death. I left him with no way out but leaving him any way out meant I would be dead, captured or enslaved. And sorry. If I have to pick me or him, I’m picking me. As should you. Dean needs a little time to realise this for himself. If the PRT lets it get out into the general media one day, then maybe the full story will change his mind. If not, well he’s a kid. One day he will grow up.”

She chuckles at that.

“You have a way with words.”

She looks over at Amy, through the glass.

“Is she okay?”

I shake my head.

“She’s got too much responsibility, a power far too powerful for her age, and not enough time or space to develop it. You need to make sure to advocate for her to get a break. And if you can swing it. Therapy. It’s not a magic ‘I win’ button, but it helps and I think after this week all of us could use some.”

She nods.

“Mom is looking into someone the PRT recommended. Amy broke down with her yesterday and mom looked really spooked. I told mom to sort it out and get her some help so that’s why she’s not here today. The reason we have the separated room is because of Mom.”

She looks over at Amy pensively.

“I wanted to talk to you about Amy. I need the truth.”

She looks me dead in the eyes.

“The Amy clone said some things I can’t bleach out of my mind. I love Amy, but as a sister. But the clone implied that Amy… that Amy wanted more than that?”

I sigh, this is going to be a landmine filled conversation I see.

“Do you know what the Westermarck effect is?”

She shakes her head.

“It’s the effect that essentially prevents siblings from finding each other attractive in ‘that’ way. You have to grow up with each other from birth to around the age of six for it to kick in though and I don’t think you did, did you?”

She shakes her head, the pensive look still on her face.

“You are an attractive girl and Amy… well she’s so far in the closet that she probably hangs out with a lion and a witch in her spare time.”

Despite the subject, Vicky snorts, crinkling her eyes in mirth as I continue.

“Listen, her finding you attractive is not your responsibility okay. It’s hers. Don’t confront her on it as she’s under enough stress as it is and the last thing she needs is a shame spiral. try to get her into spaces where she can mingle with other like-minded girls, she’s quite introverted, she doesn’t exactly have other options to focus in on. Again, none of this is your responsibility. But helping her come out of her shell will help everyone.”

“She finds me attractive in that way then?”

“She’s gay and has eyes. Of course she does.”

She laughs again, a light blush on her cheeks as I chuckle along with her.

“That’s not me attempting a cheesy line by the way, just to make things clear. I’m approaching my late twenties, and into older partners than me. I don’t want you thinking I’m trying something inappropriate with you here.”

She nods.

“Don’t worry, I didn’t get the perv vibe off you. I don’t know how to deal with this with Amy ya know, she’s my sister. It feels…icky?”

“Like I said, it’s not something that needs to be confronted right now. It’s perfectly normal for you to find it icky and it’s normal for a girl in the stage of puberty she’s in to find an attractive girl attractive. I’m trying to help her with her power stress issues, so just don’t confuse her. And definitely don’t confront her. Let her know you know she’s gay or bi or wherever she falls, and you accept her. But don’t confront her about her crush on you right now.”

She sighs.

“I just need to exercise the good sister things and try to get her laid so she can move on. Got it.”

“That’s not-.”

“No I get it, it’s fine. I have some ideas. I won’t hurt her. It’s weird, but I still love her, she’s my sister.”

Slumping in my seat I can only get the utter chills at what I’ve just unleased upon the Dallon household.

“Thanks for coming to see me Archon. I know you must be busy.”

I laugh at that.

“I’ve been stuck here like you! All I want to do is get back to my workshop and get working on repairing and replacing my gear and the Protectorate had me stuck here on medical leave because they want every thinker and tinker in the area to have a scan of me to make sure I’m not radioactive or in ownership of a nuclear bomb and asking me to stay in the hospital is politer than a cell after I stopped Captains Hill and northern Brockton from joining the ‘top ten craters’ list.”

‘Boss, You have texts from the PRT and Danny. You need to leave they are holding the debrief in an hour and want you there ASAP.’

“On that note. I need to go.”

She nods at me.

“Thanks for coming to talk to me Archon, I really do appreciate it. And thanks for saving us, I don’t know what I would have done in that vault in the dark with all that blood…”

It feels harsh to leave but I really need to go.

“Don’t worry about it Vicky. If you need my help, you have my number. Never be afraid to call.”

She smiles and as I turn to leave, she picks her phone up with an unholy look of plotting on her face. Surreptitious looks over at her sister let me know exactly what she is doing to distract herself from the memories.

“Let Danny know I’m busy with the PRT please EFA.”

“Already done, He wants you to call him when you are done.”

That’s comfortably ominous.

Notes:

Perks this chapter -
Man Made World - 600 - Fate/Grand Order - Crafting Magitech

When Nikola Tesla took the secret of lightning to humanity, he spat in the face of Gods and Magicians alike. He had taken the divine and made it mundane for the sake of humanity and that act gave him genuine, immense power. While some may point to the ridiculousness of his science becoming supernatural, one can't ignore the power that technology gained, especially against the supernatural.
You are a true creator in the same vein as Tesla himself now. The technology you create is supernaturally empowered, becoming more and more so the wider spread your technology is in the world you are in and the more your technology advances that world. If you created and spread around the world the secret of electricity, which revolutionised the entire world, you would then be able to create electrical devices that allowed you to do battle with even some of the mightiest Servants in history. Your technology is also imbued with even greater power than normal when used against Divine opponents, as the Gods seem to have an innate aversion to the progress you bring..

Chapter 43: Arc 4 - Chapter 8

Arc 4 – Chapter 8

 

Sitting around the conference table in the PRT HQ I have to wonder about the direction my life has taken since I arrived on Bet.

Around this table, not even counting the monitors on the far end of the room that are now switched on unlike last time I was here, are a group of people whom a year ago were fictional characters to me.

The senior local Protectorate that aren’t hospital bound are present. Dauntless, Velocity and Triumph. As are the Director, and her assistant Renick. Along with a two people in suits I don’t recognise. Close range scans tell me they are equipped with powerful concealed tinkertech weaponry and equipment though. So, I have to assume secret service. Maybe FBI or CIA.

On the monitors are the directors of every northern PRT branch, and the Chief Director herself. Costa-Brown. Alexandria.

I’m seemingly the only outsider.

The Chief Director kicks of the meeting with a clear of her throat that has every single person present, remote or otherwise straightening themselves.

“Archon. Let me just get to the point so we don’t waste too much of your time. You’ve done us a service. And people within this command, both PRT and Protectorate, who we respect have vouched for you.”

Director Piggot inclines her head towards me.

“Usually if we had even a sniff of a chance that an unaligned tinker could have gained control of a live nuclear armament, well. This conversation would be going differently. However we have tapped every thinker, we have pulled every tinker resource we have access to. And your initial statement holds. You will be compensated for the loss of your workshop and an award is due from the governor. There is talk of a presidential award in addition.”

I interrupt her at this.

“Chief Director let me interrupt you sorry. I lost a satellite sub-dimensional workshop that will be relatively trivial for me to replace. I’m working on the ability to portal back to my original if at all possible so that I can get you confirmatory scans of the destruction or explosion of the warhead. I don’t need compensation for saving my own life. If the president wants me to accept a civilian award, I will accept it in the spirit it is offered, but I refuse to be paid for doing something I would have done anyway.”

She smirks.

“It isn’t a question Archon. Accept it because it will be held for you, regardless.”

 I slump. As I do, the assorted people present start to applaud.

“I honestly expected this to be an interrogation, not an award ceremony.”

The Chief Director smirks again.

“The interrogation comes later, I’m sure you’ve noticed the gentlemen opposite you. They are agents from the DHS, who work under the auspices of Senator Brownhaven. The Senate Parahuman Committee are very interested in Othello’s statement that some of the experts advising the office of the President are open to being bribed by villainous thinkers. However, that comes later. For now, we thank you for your help.”

I slump in my seat. I was interrogated in hospital at length by a cavalcade of people. I expected this would just be a more formal version of that.

The applause levels off.

“Have you given any thought to joining the Protectorate Archon?”

I shake my head.

“Not for me Chief Director, I apologise. I will never allow PR to dictate the speed at which I move. It’s directly in opposition to my morals.”

She smiles thinly and nods her head in acquiescence.

“Fair enough, I want to take this opportunity to formally offer you your countries thanks for your work. It’s astounding we got out of this with so few deaths.”

“And to have the various thinkers give you a triple confirmation that I have been telling the truth, correct?”

She smirks as one of the suited agents moves to sit next to me. Shaking my hand, he introduces himself while the directors look on.

“Archon, Agent Stern of SPC, are you aware of our work?”

“No, I apologise, not until Othello mentioned you.”

He smiles disarmingly.

“The SPC leadership is a nonpartisan group of ex PRT directors, retired Protectorate key assets, and ex letter agency experts who work with the PRT directorate to provide advice and recommendations for military, legal and fiscal matters that the executive engages in, that may cross or coordinate with parahuman activity. Technically, we aren’t an agency so to speak, we have no legal power over you. But our recommendations go far. It was us, for instance, that prevented Tinkers like yourself from being able to access to common commodities market due to the adverse effect that spikes of overbuying has on the stock market.”

I nod.

“I actually believed that was for safety reasons originally, but I quickly realised how easy it actually is to get access to immensely dangerous things even when you are working fully legitimately, let alone if you are a villain and willing to steal what you need.”

He smiles but doesn’t explain any further before continuing on with his spiel.

“We are involved today, because there has been a nuclear event on American soil. That’s one of the three big bads. We won’t go into the others for now though I am sure you can imagine. The president wants answers. And he wants assurances. Now, you said that Accord was certain that the Fallen had a tinker capable of modifying nuclear weaponry?”

I nod.

“Yes, and it was specifically past tense too. I suspect they don’t exist anymore.”

He hums but continues.

“Could you modify a nuclear weapon to be functional from nonfunctional Archon?”

It’s easy to answer because at the moment I couldn’t. Not without practice. I have the technical skill but technically so does a talented mechanic going off what Accord, or the Fallen’s people did.

“On a technical level I could probably learn. I was an inventor before I was a tinker after all, it wouldn’t be difficult I suppose. But as a part of my tinker ability today? No. I mostly specialise in people, healing, etc. I can make weaponry but as you have seen from my kit, it’s heavily biased to melee as it is as things stand. The only truly powerful ranged weapon I have made is a railgun, and it exploded the third time I fired it. I’ll be honest and say that if I really wanted to develop powerful missile tech it would probably be trivial, but until I get my workshop back up and start working on my Endbringer fight tech again, it isn’t likely.”

He nods.

“That’s roughly what we expected. And from the voice in my ear, you didn’t lie, or at least believed everything you were saying which is a good thing.”

He sits back in the chair next to me and sighs.

“At the moment, you aren’t under suspicion, but there were two broken arrows unaccounted for. One was the one that took out your workshop as you have claimed. That one was excavated from down south and was the more powerful of the two. However, there is also a second missing. Was there any sign at all of a second warhead or did Accord even hint at the existence of one?”

I sit back and think back to the fight as a chill goes down the back of my neck. Another bomb… Was there anything at all… Maybe there was. Mathers…

“Only one thing I can think of. Accord said that he got the bomb from a cell of Fallen Behemoth worshippers that wanted the head of the Simurgh branch dead. He implied she was a serious threat to thinkers specifically. Accord said that he had caused Mathers death, so that the Behemoth branch could push for overall leadership of all three branches. But he didn’t say who for. He did say they were worshipping the bomb as a gift from Behemoth, however. The only clue you have is to find the Behemoth branch of the Fallen. There was no sign at all of another bomb on site.”

His face drops slightly, but he puts his finger to his ear and nods, a look of disgust on his face. Turning to the Chief Director on the monitor opposite her nods toward her as well.

“He’s clean. Rebecca, can we get Eidolon to make a strong push on actually finding Tezcatlipoca now? Given the Behemoth lot run from his region?”

The chief director nods firmly.

“EFA run a search on Tezcatlipoca please.”

“Texan ex gun-runner turned Behemoth Worshipper. Triggered at Behemoths attack on Mexico City as a dynakinetic with the power to absorb any kinetic or electrical energy in her area and expel it as an extremely potent blaster or shaker type attack. Immune to her own attacks, she wears a jaguar mask and is known to be a member of the upper echelons of the Behemoth branch of the Fallen. Suspected to be based out of south-eastern Texas, her branch is responsible for multiple attacks on energy infrastructure, and military weapon storage facilities. They follow a set pattern, going mostly dormant to the public until Behemoth attacks, after which they run a three to six-week campaign of copycat attacks on any similar infrastructure to that which Behemoth destroyed on his latest slow walk of destruction, before going completely dormant until the next Behemoth attack. One of four known parahumans to face Eidolon and not get utterly steamrolled. She walked away both times, albeit in full retreat. Not many can say that boss.”

The agent turns back to me with a wry grin.

“It seems you are as clean as you presented, even with the difficulties our more esoteric thinkers have in even knowing you are alive.”

“Hence the meeting today in person.”

His eyes glow blue for a second as he smirks.

“Deductive type thinkers might be second class in most other circumstances, but we have our place.”

I laugh outright.

“You might want to look into a friendly recruitment of Tattletale then. Given she’s probably the strongest deductive thinker on the planet.”

He glances at me sharply, before inclining his head in agreement.

“Noted, thanks for the tip Archon. I will certainly look into that.”

Turning to his partner he inclines his head to the door.

“We need to catch a flight to Houston. Let’s go.”

Turning back to me he hands me a card.

“We will be in touch in future. I may call you if we run into any… difficulties, shall we say. Are you open to future collaboration?”

I nod, bemused.

“Of course, as I said to the director here.” I incline my head towards Piggot. “I might not be a member but I’m always willing to help out where I am needed.”

“Appreciated. Brown, come on.”

His partner leaves behind him without even a single glance in my direction. He’s stone cold and gives me the creeps.

Piggot clears her throat as I realise, I’ve been staring after the two agents as they left.

“Archon, we won’t be performing a public ceremony, and while you certainly deserve one, there will not be any medals handed out at least today. Mostly because we do not want to draw attention to what almost happened. Is this an issue for you?”

“No, none at all. I agree it would cause undue panic if the civilian population were to find out what almost happened.”

She smiles thinly.

“We are publicly crediting you with taking down Accord, the clones, and most of the Travellers. But we are passing it off as a power play. The paperwork for the story we wish to tell is on the table in front of you, are you willing to follow our lead? You will need to sign a comprehensive NDA before you leave.”

Quickly scanning over the paperwork in front of me, it’s basically a PR exercise. They’re giving me full credit and bigging up the situation as much as they are willing to give me deserved credit. Without mentioning that the government lost control of a nuke of course. The four million dollars will be a nice nest egg for resource procurement though it does feel a lot like hush money rather than a reward. They’re contrite within the paperwork that I deserve more, but this is all they can agree to and still be able to easily cover up exactly what happened.

It doesn’t matter, I didn’t really do this for money. This is more than enough for now.

Grabbing a nearby pen I start signing pages under the eyes of the people present. Finally finishing the final page with a flourish, and a ridiculously ornate signature, I slide the papers down to Velocity, who moves them to the director. After quickly flicking through them she looks up at the Chief Directors monitor.

“Confirmed Chief-Director. All in order.”

The woman on the screen turns a satisfied smirk to me. Knowing she’s Alexandria does not make her any easier to deal with.

“Archon. It was nice to meet you, unfortunately I have work to get back to.” Costa-Brown speaks from the monitor with a firm nod. “The local office will handle disbursement from here. Thank you.”

The monitors wink out as the various Directors say their goodbyes.

With what seems like intentional speed I am rushed out of the building with barely a word said by the Protectorate or Piggot, I don’t even get time to push about healing the rest of the Protectorate.

It’s worrying how much Piggot seems to want me out of her presence… but if they don’t want my help then there isn’t much I can do about it.

Bundles of paperwork in hand I all but storm out of the PRT building and take to the skies.

Now this malarkey is dealt with, now it’s time to get Danny sorted out, and then get some real work done. I’ve held off on some projects for far too long, and the way these threats are ramping up I need to be prepared.

 

…

 

After chucking my gear into the workshop and throwing on my civvies, I exit the workshop not far from Danny’s house on my civilian motorbike. It sounded like he wanted to see me pretty urgently, so better to get his issues out of the way before I get engrossed with upgrades.

Parking up outside his house I push my bike close to the door so I can keep it in scanning range in case someone tries something. It’s not likely in the broad daylight but you never know in this town.

I’m waiting at the door barely ten seconds when he opens it.

“Hi Ar-Tom. Come in I’ll grab you a drink.”

Nodding and smiling I follow him to a homely living room.”

“I’ve got juice, coffee, or beer. What’s your preference?”

Looking at the clock it’s barely 1pm.

“Coffee for me please.”

With a nod of acknowledgement he heads off into the kitchen to make my drink, and for a short while I am sat in a silence only punctuated by clinks from the kitchen.

When he returns he looks… pensive. Deciding to let him take his time with whatever he wants to tell me, I let him know the good news as he sits on a couch across from me, placing a drink in front of me. I decide to break the uneasy silence myself.

“We have a decent chunk of money coming our way for our work stopping Accord. I’ll split it four ways between you, Impulse, Overwatch and myself. Should be about a mil each.”

He gapes at me in response.

“A million… that’s too much Tom, I didn’t do anything.”

I cut him off.

“You did plenty. You kept Citrine and Trickster off my back at a minimum. I might not have been able to get to the bomb on time if not for them. So just take it.”

He leans back in his chair and looks blankly at the ceiling.

“This doesn’t make my news any easier to tell you.”

“Danny, are you okay? This really seems to be weighing on you. Just tell me, how hard could it be?”

“It’s dif-“

He is cut off by Taylor from the kitchen door.

“Dad. Just tell him.”

Danny sighs again as Taylor sits down next to him and gives me a grim smile. Seriously what the hell happened to them?

Taylor loses her patience at Dannys dithering and ends up stamping her foot. Danny looks up at her in alarm but she just ignores him.

“Tom we are leaving Brockton. Dad spoke to the local assistant director and asked about the possibility of a Protectorate job somewhere else.”

She seems incensed which makes sense, she’s a Brockton girl through and through plus the memories of her mother…

“Danny, is this true?”

He nods.

“I didn’t know how to tell you but with an attack like what we went through… I had to reprioritise things.”

He glances at Taylor and back at me.

“I hope you can forgive me.”

I get the feeling that’s aimed more at Taylor than me, but he carries on regardless.

“I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, I really do, but the Protectorate in Colorado offers me a lot more stability. Less villains, smaller town, better schools and more prospects.”

He trains off as Taylor sniffs angrily.

“Not like I had a say in this or anything. You just rip me out of my life here and drag me off across the country.”

“What life Taylor? After what you went through at that damn school I should have considered this weeks ago! Especially after we found out it was a damn ward!”

Taylor isn’t backing down and her famous temper jumps right into action.

“You know what. It doesn’t matter. Screw all of my memories of Mom is that what you are saying, just drag me off to the middle of nowhere because you are scared. You’re just a coward and mom would be disappointed in you running off.”

She stomps off up the stairs, tears in her eyes.

A sigh from Danny brings my attention right back to him.

“Danny let me be clear, I don’t care if you are leaving.”

He looks hurt but I carry on regardless.

“It’s not about your ability; I was clear from the start that this was more of a union than a formal team. I just wish you’d had the balls to tell me yourself. I wouldn’t have gotten mad, or even sad. I would have congratulated you. Now I’ve got a bad taste in my mouth because your fifteen year old daughter had to tell me instead of my middle aged teammate.”

His shoulders slump, but I have no time for his self-pity party. He reaches over and pulls a large gym bag from the side of his chair.

“I think I should return this. I really appreciate everything you did for me Tom.”

Opening the bag the flash of blue and the material tell me this is the costume I made for him. Heaving the bag up I throw it back over to him.

“This was a gift, not a uniform. This isn’t like quitting a job at the supermarket Danny where you have to return your uniforms. Keep the costume. Base your new one on it or have the PRT in Colorado cannibalise it. Whatever you want. But do not give it me back. It wasn’t something to be taken back.”

He nods sadly and puts the bag down the side of the couch again.

“Honestly I wish I never got these powers. I feel like I’m too old now to learn how to use them properly. I always wondered why we saw more kids with powers than old people, and I kinda get why now.”

I shrug.

“Well you have them now. So you better learn quickly. The Protectorate is good at that at least.”

Standing up, I reach my hand out to shake his.

“I’ll arrange for the funds to be transferred as soon as the PRT pay me. In the meantime you have my number. Make sure you keep in touch.”

I turn to leave before remembering something important.

“The only thing I need back off you is my key please Danny. As it’s tied into my defences.”

He nods sadly, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the access key I allowed him to use. The thrum of power from the key hits me as I pick it up and I pocket it. Maybe I’ll have another teammate for it one day.

As I reach the front door, I turn back one last time.

“Danny, even though you are leaving the team, I’ll still have your back. When I get the actual union going properly I hope you’ll consider joining regardless of your career too. If anyone gives you any trouble you know how to get hold of me. Don’t hesitate.”

I turn and leave, refusing to look back. It stings a little… that he trusts the Protectorate to protect Taylor more than me, after everything I did for him. But I didn’t lie. This wasn’t some lifelong commitment I asked him to make. I think I’m more annoyed at the fact he was too cowardly to tell me himself.

Pulling out of his drive on my bike my mind is running a million miles a second. As I hit the first red light I feel the planets in my brain align again and quickly slam on the brake as another perk hits me.

I can feel this one synergising with some other perks, and the planets in my head are spinning as the knowledge drains itself into my mind.

 

200CP remain.

Rolling…

Crafting - Metallurgy – Success!

Blacksmithing – Golden Sun

0CP remain.

 

This is it. This is a key perk I needed to link a bunch of previous perks together.

On it’s own this perk allows me to create powerful enchanted weapons, equipment and artifacts. But I could do a lot of that anyway via other perks.

That’s not why I am excited.

The main thing this perk gives me that I didn’t already have was intimate knowledge of how to process magical materials. I had perks that allowed me to utilise said materials. But the processing of them was not included anywhere so I was limited to extrapolation and experimentation.

No longer. I have designs in my head for smelteries specifically designed for magical materials. Foundries and refineries that allow for advanced alloying. All in aid of creating magical weaponry.

In addition to all that I can feel a strange energy flowing through my body, as the perk whispers that I am aligned with something called ‘Jupiter’, a magical aspect aligned with wind and lightning, representing curiosity and willpower and granting resistance to magical effects. I don’t have the psynergy abilities of a full on adept mage, at least right now, but I can imbue my equipment enchantments with these aspects much easier now.

It may seem strange to be more excited for this low cost perk now, than say something like ‘Man Made World’ which is a major keystone perk. But the difference is that this perk affects me right now and it affects almost everything. Better cybernetics, better armour, better weaponry. Even things like advanced magitech and the ‘EFA project.’ Now become significantly more viable. Whereas ‘Man Made World’ won’t have much effect until I get truly international in scope.

Heading back into my workshop, I make my way over to my private projects bay to check the growth of the bio cells I need to make the first puppet body.

My checklist has grown. I need to get working on a new iteration of my cybernetics, plot out some armour upgrades and start research on the ‘Inkgates’ that I unlocked while the whole alternate Othello situation was ongoing. I also need to start my Endbringer response gear development as it’s been on the backburner while I didn’t have a steady of combination of perks that could make a real difference. Now that I do I at least want a search and rescue rig set up for the upcoming Canberra attack.

Finally I need to put a significant amount of development into Aura Surgeon. Of all my perks up to now it’s by far the one with the most potential to make a major difference, I’ve just had it on the backburner due to the sheer difficulty and time investment needed when working with the Aura manipulation aspect of it. Mostly concentrating on the Aura reading aspect to back up my scans.

But with the ability to manipulate the very fabric of the world around me it would be stupid to leave it unfulfilled given the level of challenge I have faced recently.

Finally I need to finish this puppet and present it to EFA. I think she will love it but I want it to be a surprise. I wanted to wait until I could interact with Mithril and Adamantium first so that I could make it a truly special body, and now I can so I have no excuse any more.

Once this is finished I can start working on getting a real-world supply chain up and running. The workshop is incredible and the resource world even more so, but I need something actually on Bet in order to truly expand my reach.

It’s time to drop any illusion of normality and truly embrace the more esoteric options I have. A lesson was learned at the foot of an atomic bomb, and now I need to catch up to where I should have been all along. There are a lot of perks I have that I’ve only really scratched the surface off, too caught up in where I was to pay attention to where I should be.

No more. It’s time to get EFA added to the team properly. And then?

Then we start making some real change.

Notes:

Blacksmithing - 200 - Golden Sun - Crafting Metallurgy

You gain understanding of Weyard blacksmithing. While skilled in smithing typical metals, you also learn how to use strange and magical materials to forge powerful enchanted weapons, equipment, and artifacts. Power is decided by your personal skill, the magic of the material involved, and the quality of your forge. Items created with materials from Weyard typically require the user to be an adept to tap into their strength.

Current Perk List by request! - https://i.imgur (dot) com/NaaPTjW.png