Ch 232
TanaNari
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Amelia, Ch 232
"I'd prefer we do not discuss the matter further," Doctor Mother interjected. "Those who are already aware can see the many dangers that can come of this information becoming public at an inopportune moment. Besides, we have a more immediate concern to worry about. Since we're close to the topic anyway, let us discuss the possibility of drawing on parahumans from the Birdcage to assist in this battle, and the new future Endbringers."
"I am uninterested in participating in your battle with the abominations," Glaistig Uaine responded. "The end comes no matter your actions, life and death are merely a diversion. A game that we play. I am choosing to live, and keep the company of the dead."
"There is nothing you desire?" the head of Cauldron asked. "We have significant resources, and can find some method of payment. I doubt money would be of value to one such as yourself, but there are other things, if you're willing to offer a price, we might be able to meet it."
She paused for a moment. "A sacrifice worthy of my efforts?" she mused. "A hundred thousand corpses, each naturally gifted by the faerie." Capes. She's demanding a hundred thousand dead parahumans.
"We don't have time to joke about this," the apparent leader of the cloaked capes
"I am not joking, Astrologer," she replied. She could be considered almost serene in an alien sort of way, but she was talking about functional genocide. "I would like to see their lights in the sky. I have seen only glimmers, fragments of the performance. To see it all at once… yes."
Their lights? "You mean the Trigger visions?" I asked. "The glimpse of the source of powers?"
"You are correct, Royal Artisan," she replied.
"We can provide you memories of the visions," I offered. "We have tinker tech which makes it possible to move memories from one person to another. We can take them from others whose eyes are opened like your own. Surely our sight would be greater than even thousands of ordinary parahumans could be?"
"We might be able to improve the offer," Cauldron added. "As I'm sure you're aware, parahumans get new visions when other parahumans trigger nearby. We could arrange for yourself and the others we know will retain their vision to witness them, a thousand such triggers over the course of a year, seen from multiple viewpoints. Would that be an acceptable offer?"
"An interesting one at least," she answered. "But not tempting enough for me to go to war. I am willing to provide insight and advice, perhaps even some power where it suits me. Would you find that acceptable?"
"We'd like more, but we will take everything you're willing to give," Doctor Mother replied. "This also predicates upon Pantheon's agreement. As well as the concerns of the others at this table. As powerful as you are, Faerie Queen, your conditional aid might not be as valuable to us as the others' support."
"I understand," she nodded. "You have my price, let me know when you're willing to pay it."
"If I may?" Marquis spoke up. "With your permission, Faerie Queen."
"Granted," Glaistig Uaine said.
"There are others who would accept freedom as a payment," he said. "Myself included. We'd fight that monster if you gave us the chance. We merely ask that few others are also released, and that you don't send us back to the Birdcage after the fact."
"No," Chevalier insisted, finally speaking up. "No, that is not an option."
"Some of the strongest parahumans reside therein," Marquis said. "Glaistig Uaine might be the most powerful, but there are others you could surely make use of. Lung, for example. Lustrum. Myself. I am willing to swear an end to my former ways, and I have never broken my word before."
"There are too many dangerous individuals in there," Chevalier countered. "Yourself and Lung are amongst the least dangerous, which is saying an awful lot. There are the Valefors and the Heartbreakers to also consider. Acidbath. Genoscythe. The list goes on."
"Heartbreaker and Valefor, as Dragon can assure you, are non factors," Marquis answered darkly. "Heartbreaker made the mistake of annoying the wrong parahuman. It ended poorly for him."
"Lustrum convinced him that I, as the most powerful of the Birdcage, was the most valuable target," Glaistig Uaine clarified. "The Corruptor sought to make me his toy, now he exists only as my puppet."
Oh shit, she has Heartbreaker's power, I realized. Then I wondered just why that frightened me so much. She already had some of the most terrifying and deadly capes in history, what was one more in the grand scheme of things? A lot, apparently.
"I again express my deepest apologies, Faerie Queen," an older looking woman replied.
"It doesn't matter, there are many others, opening the Birdcage must be a last resort," Chevalier continued. "Dragon, back me on this."
"I agree with Chevalier," Dragon said. "The prisoners must stay within the Baumann Parahuman Containment Center. If you attempt to release them, I'll deploy everything I have to stop you. Neither of us can afford the losses at this juncture."
"But if we did try," Saint said, "And if we succeeded in releasing some specific individuals, you wouldn't be especially unhappy, would you?"
Dragon hesitated long enough for everyone to get the impression he wasn't wrong before she spoke. "I sincerely doubt the individuals you would release are the ones I'd be happy to see getting their freedom. You associate with the wrong people, Saint."
"Those of us standing here," Marquis offered. "After all, we'd be doing the fighting, and that risk to our lives deserves some consideration. As would Lung and a few others who couldn't be here." Lung. What would he do if he was free? He would come for Taylor, that I was certain of. Stopping him would be difficult, even with the Zerg. Lily can kill him, but in her current emotional state... would she?
"There are others, as well," the woman who apologized spoke. "One of my girls was unfairly imprisoned, another needs psychiatric care that we can't provide. The only reason either is still alive is because of my protection. Their freedom is a condition of my involvement."
"We all have people we'd see freed," another man spoke. "Let's say two for each of us."
"I can guess who some of the cell block leaders would choose to release," Dragon spoke. "No, that is not and will never be an option. It is no secret that I have issues with the nature of the Birdcage, but this would only make matters worse."
"Their opinions don't decide this," Marquis said. "Cauldron, you have the means to send us back or not. It's your authority that matters."
Chevalier's weapon shifted some, but he didn't do anything violent. "If you do this, you make an enemy of the Protectorate and the Guild. Perhaps Pantheon as well," he glanced over at us.
I hesitated. On one hand, there were monsters like Lung and Bakuda who would kill my beloved were they free. On the other, there were those who could help us in this battle. Then there were those like Canary who never should have been imprisoned in the first place. This wasn't something I could decide easily. I did, however, nod an agreement with Chevalier after a moment. Enough to let them know I shared his opinion on this, but also that I might be persuaded to change my mind. As it stands I just can't see the Birdcage as a solution. Sorry, Dad.
"If you would do this," Chevalier continued. "We would be forced to look into all of Cauldron's activities publicly. Your secrets would come to light, as would those heroes and villains who purchased their powers from you."
"Understood," Doctor Mother replied. "I apologize, Marquis," she responded. "Your aid is not as valuable to us as keeping the peace. Certainly not as worth hurting our clients. There's little value in defeating the Endbringer if it results in a civil war."
"You'll be expecting us to return to our cage like songbirds, then?" one of the other men asked.
"Your other option is to stay here and die," she answered. "This facility is on a dead world. If you choose to stay, it is only a matter of time before you die, probably of thirst. Some of you may not have that concern, but you would be in for a lonely existence."
"I suppose it cannot be helped, then," Marquis sighed. "We'll be here when you need us."
"If it comes to the point where we need your help that desperately, then we've already lost," Chevalier remarked.
"So... see you next Tuesday, then?" Marquis quipped back.
===============
A/N- The more I reread canon and compare it to my style, the more I begin to suspect Wildbow of deliberately padding his word count.
"I'd prefer we do not discuss the matter further," Doctor Mother interjected. "Those who are already aware can see the many dangers that can come of this information becoming public at an inopportune moment. Besides, we have a more immediate concern to worry about. Since we're close to the topic anyway, let us discuss the possibility of drawing on parahumans from the Birdcage to assist in this battle, and the new future Endbringers."
"I am uninterested in participating in your battle with the abominations," Glaistig Uaine responded. "The end comes no matter your actions, life and death are merely a diversion. A game that we play. I am choosing to live, and keep the company of the dead."
"There is nothing you desire?" the head of Cauldron asked. "We have significant resources, and can find some method of payment. I doubt money would be of value to one such as yourself, but there are other things, if you're willing to offer a price, we might be able to meet it."
She paused for a moment. "A sacrifice worthy of my efforts?" she mused. "A hundred thousand corpses, each naturally gifted by the faerie." Capes. She's demanding a hundred thousand dead parahumans.
"We don't have time to joke about this," the apparent leader of the cloaked capes
"I am not joking, Astrologer," she replied. She could be considered almost serene in an alien sort of way, but she was talking about functional genocide. "I would like to see their lights in the sky. I have seen only glimmers, fragments of the performance. To see it all at once… yes."
Their lights? "You mean the Trigger visions?" I asked. "The glimpse of the source of powers?"
"You are correct, Royal Artisan," she replied.
"We can provide you memories of the visions," I offered. "We have tinker tech which makes it possible to move memories from one person to another. We can take them from others whose eyes are opened like your own. Surely our sight would be greater than even thousands of ordinary parahumans could be?"
"We might be able to improve the offer," Cauldron added. "As I'm sure you're aware, parahumans get new visions when other parahumans trigger nearby. We could arrange for yourself and the others we know will retain their vision to witness them, a thousand such triggers over the course of a year, seen from multiple viewpoints. Would that be an acceptable offer?"
"An interesting one at least," she answered. "But not tempting enough for me to go to war. I am willing to provide insight and advice, perhaps even some power where it suits me. Would you find that acceptable?"
"We'd like more, but we will take everything you're willing to give," Doctor Mother replied. "This also predicates upon Pantheon's agreement. As well as the concerns of the others at this table. As powerful as you are, Faerie Queen, your conditional aid might not be as valuable to us as the others' support."
"I understand," she nodded. "You have my price, let me know when you're willing to pay it."
"If I may?" Marquis spoke up. "With your permission, Faerie Queen."
"Granted," Glaistig Uaine said.
"There are others who would accept freedom as a payment," he said. "Myself included. We'd fight that monster if you gave us the chance. We merely ask that few others are also released, and that you don't send us back to the Birdcage after the fact."
"No," Chevalier insisted, finally speaking up. "No, that is not an option."
"Some of the strongest parahumans reside therein," Marquis said. "Glaistig Uaine might be the most powerful, but there are others you could surely make use of. Lung, for example. Lustrum. Myself. I am willing to swear an end to my former ways, and I have never broken my word before."
"There are too many dangerous individuals in there," Chevalier countered. "Yourself and Lung are amongst the least dangerous, which is saying an awful lot. There are the Valefors and the Heartbreakers to also consider. Acidbath. Genoscythe. The list goes on."
"Heartbreaker and Valefor, as Dragon can assure you, are non factors," Marquis answered darkly. "Heartbreaker made the mistake of annoying the wrong parahuman. It ended poorly for him."
"Lustrum convinced him that I, as the most powerful of the Birdcage, was the most valuable target," Glaistig Uaine clarified. "The Corruptor sought to make me his toy, now he exists only as my puppet."
Oh shit, she has Heartbreaker's power, I realized. Then I wondered just why that frightened me so much. She already had some of the most terrifying and deadly capes in history, what was one more in the grand scheme of things? A lot, apparently.
"I again express my deepest apologies, Faerie Queen," an older looking woman replied.
"It doesn't matter, there are many others, opening the Birdcage must be a last resort," Chevalier continued. "Dragon, back me on this."
"I agree with Chevalier," Dragon said. "The prisoners must stay within the Baumann Parahuman Containment Center. If you attempt to release them, I'll deploy everything I have to stop you. Neither of us can afford the losses at this juncture."
"But if we did try," Saint said, "And if we succeeded in releasing some specific individuals, you wouldn't be especially unhappy, would you?"
Dragon hesitated long enough for everyone to get the impression he wasn't wrong before she spoke. "I sincerely doubt the individuals you would release are the ones I'd be happy to see getting their freedom. You associate with the wrong people, Saint."
"Those of us standing here," Marquis offered. "After all, we'd be doing the fighting, and that risk to our lives deserves some consideration. As would Lung and a few others who couldn't be here." Lung. What would he do if he was free? He would come for Taylor, that I was certain of. Stopping him would be difficult, even with the Zerg. Lily can kill him, but in her current emotional state... would she?
"There are others, as well," the woman who apologized spoke. "One of my girls was unfairly imprisoned, another needs psychiatric care that we can't provide. The only reason either is still alive is because of my protection. Their freedom is a condition of my involvement."
"We all have people we'd see freed," another man spoke. "Let's say two for each of us."
"I can guess who some of the cell block leaders would choose to release," Dragon spoke. "No, that is not and will never be an option. It is no secret that I have issues with the nature of the Birdcage, but this would only make matters worse."
"Their opinions don't decide this," Marquis said. "Cauldron, you have the means to send us back or not. It's your authority that matters."
Chevalier's weapon shifted some, but he didn't do anything violent. "If you do this, you make an enemy of the Protectorate and the Guild. Perhaps Pantheon as well," he glanced over at us.
I hesitated. On one hand, there were monsters like Lung and Bakuda who would kill my beloved were they free. On the other, there were those who could help us in this battle. Then there were those like Canary who never should have been imprisoned in the first place. This wasn't something I could decide easily. I did, however, nod an agreement with Chevalier after a moment. Enough to let them know I shared his opinion on this, but also that I might be persuaded to change my mind. As it stands I just can't see the Birdcage as a solution. Sorry, Dad.
"If you would do this," Chevalier continued. "We would be forced to look into all of Cauldron's activities publicly. Your secrets would come to light, as would those heroes and villains who purchased their powers from you."
"Understood," Doctor Mother replied. "I apologize, Marquis," she responded. "Your aid is not as valuable to us as keeping the peace. Certainly not as worth hurting our clients. There's little value in defeating the Endbringer if it results in a civil war."
"You'll be expecting us to return to our cage like songbirds, then?" one of the other men asked.
"Your other option is to stay here and die," she answered. "This facility is on a dead world. If you choose to stay, it is only a matter of time before you die, probably of thirst. Some of you may not have that concern, but you would be in for a lonely existence."
"I suppose it cannot be helped, then," Marquis sighed. "We'll be here when you need us."
"If it comes to the point where we need your help that desperately, then we've already lost," Chevalier remarked.
"So... see you next Tuesday, then?" Marquis quipped back.
===============
A/N- The more I reread canon and compare it to my style, the more I begin to suspect Wildbow of deliberately padding his word count.
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