Built To Last

[We Just Write]

(Marcus)
Date Point: 0455, April 28th, 2011. Thursday.

Once I'd been repaired, I had immediately launched into tracking down the Travelers' hide-out. Tracking cell phones only got me so far, since the Travelers were rapidly cycling through burner phones, and evidently removing the battery when they were preparing to enter or leave their hideout. Still, that got me a general neighborhood of "somewhere downtown". From there, I had other methods available.

Courtesy of the same illusion technology that went into making me, we had highly stealthy surveillance drones available. While they were firmly in the category of deniable assets, those drones had been instrumental in several of the information coups I'd pulled off before. Even better, courtesy of Taylor's surveillance, we knew what Krouse looked like when not in costume. So it hadn't been terribly difficult to identify and begin tracking the rest of the Travelers - with the exception of the elusive Noelle.

So in just a few hours, I'd managed to identify the exact location the Travelers were operating out of. Namely, Coil's old bunker - the PRT had long-since stripped the place bare as part of their investigation of Coil's activities, but it was still a formidable underground structure.

I couldn't help but groan, even as I got up from my chair and started on my way to PRT HQ, to deliver the bad news. If the PRT had left the assorted electronics and security systems in place, it would have been trivial to just take over the base electronically, lock all the doors, and pump in sedative gasses. But with just dumb electrical lighting and basic ventilation still in place, we didn't have that easy option available.

Still, we couldn't just leave the Travelers dug in there. We had to pry them out.

---

(Rachel)
Date Point: 0545, April 28th, 2011. Thursday.

No-one in the briefing room with me looked happy. Andrea was notably angry, Miss Militia was anxious, Armsmaster looked ticked off, Velocity was frowning, Assault had gone utterly stoic, Battery's eyebrow was twitching, Dauntless was facepalming, Triumph definitely seemed annoyed, and Director Piggot? Piggot was utterly furious.

As soon as Mister E ceded the floor - having shared his information about the Travelers' location, the Director was fairly quick to speak.

"Given the layout of the facility, trying to storm that bunker would quickly result in utterly horrendous casualties, given what we're up against. Fortunately, we won't have to."

"We know exactly where the bunker's air intakes are, and we've known since we used them to flush out Coil's remaining mercenaries after he was arrested. Throw some smoke grenades down there, and we can force them to leave or asphyxiate."

While Piggot's logic could have been sound in other circumstances, I could spot a flaw that prompted me to speak up.

"Director. We already know that the Travelers cannot be trusted to act reasonably. Just smoking them out is highly likely to panic them, and their powers are sufficiently destructive for that to present a massive problem. We also need to consider that at least one of the Travelers is paraplegic, and the elusive Noelle likely has some sort of mobility problem as well. That will only increase the stress they're placed under, and increase the odds of a destructive panic."

That seemed to provoke some actual thought on the Director's part.

"Very well, in that case, we can start by threatening to smoke them out using the ventilation system in order to get them to surrender, and make clear that we have all the exits covered. That should hopefully result in a reduced risk the Travelers doing something stupid."

---

(Andrea)
Date Point: 0720, April 28th, 2011. Thursday.

Ultimately, Mic Duty fell to Captain Adam Smith of the PRT. It made sense, the man was a trained hostage negotiator, and us capes were far more valuable guarding the exits. Speaking of which, it had been decided to just use a loudspeaker at the door instead of sending in something that could be mistaken for an attack drone.

So I could hear very clearly when Adam began speaking.

"Attention Travelers, this is the PRT speaking! We have all exits to the bunker surrounded, including the ventilation system! Surrender within ten minutes, or we'll smoke you out!"

What followed was Genesis' projection coming to the door, carrying a cell phone. After quickly verifying that it wasn't rigged to blow up or something, Adam wound up in a prolonged and entirely unhelpful phone call

The PRT troops were just about to chuck smoke grenades down the air intakes, when suddenly we all got a priority transmission from Dragon.

"To all members of PRT ENE, Leviathan is coming to Brockton Bay, based on tracking of its movements. Estimated time of arrival some time between 1000 and 1030 hours. Initiate preparations for anti-Endbringer operations immediately."

Miss Militia actually swore out loud. The siege of the Travelers in the bunker was quickly abandoned, much to everyone's chagrin. We were this close to rounding them all up, and then this happened. But if we wasted any time that could be used to prepare for Leviathan coming here, that could easily translate into unacceptable numbers of civilian casualties.

As I flew away towards the Rig to get more information on preparations, I heard air raid sirens begin to wail.

 

[We Just Write]

(Marcus)
Date Point: 0802, April 28th, 2011. Tuesday.

I very obviously attended the briefing for Search And Rescue personnel in the upcoming Leviathan fight; it was the task I was best suited for, after all. Also, knowing what I did of Endbringer physiology, I knew I didn't have a chance of seriously hurting Leviathan without a Shear, of which there were only two. One being used by Armsmaster, and the other by Andrea.

As I was waiting for the briefing to start, I noticed someone lurking around that I had been trying to talk to for days now. Trickster, also known as one Francis Krouse. So I took the opportunity presented, and started walking towards him.

Trickster noticed my approach of course, starting back and practically shouting,

"Endbringer truce, Endbringer truce!"

I grumbled.

"Yes, there's an Endbringer Truce in effect. That's why I'm talking to you now, since you've apparently got it into your head that I'm some sort of assassin when that's literally the opposite of my job! My job is making backroom deals with villains to get them to stop causing problems, not killing them! You and your crew have been stalking one of my employers' good friends with intent to kidnap them, and I want to know why. What do you want that's so important that you think you need to kidnap someone to get leverage?"

There was a tense silence for several moments, Krouse seeming to not believe that the question could have possibly been meant in earnest. Then one of his teammates - Sundancer - put her hand on his shoulder.

"Trickster, we'd need to tell them eventually anyway. Why not do it now?"

Eventually, Trickster sighed.

"One of our teammates, Noelle. Her power has mutated her really badly, and screwed up her mind. She's barely in control of herself now. We were hoping Ruggedizer could build a new body for her."

I blinked, everything clicking into place.

"You could have just asked, and we'd have done it for free. We've even got a public phone number for exactly this sort of request for aid!"

Sundancer whirled on Trickster, then.

"YOU SAID NOT TO CALL THAT NUMBER! What the fuck was I thinking, listening to you!? The worst that could have happened is Ruggedizer saying no, and it sounds like that wouldn't have been the case at all!"

I calmly interjected,

"Can this please wait until after Leviathan? While I understand being upset with your teammate, we have a much bigger problem coming our way."

"Fine."

---

(Melissa)
Date Point: 0830, April 28th, 2011. Tuesday.

Both to keep up public appearances and for strategic reasons, Herman, Emmy and myself were sitting out Leviathan by taking the teleporter to Manchester. As were most of the newly employed Reliabuilt tinkers, for that matter. However, I was still involved in the defense of Brockton Bay, via telepresence. More particularly, Dragon had delegated strategic command to me; she'd be taking her own Shear-equipped platform into battle.

"Right, I've finished updating the firmware for the armbands. From the command center here in Manchester, we'll be able to collate all the information the combatants on the ground report, and specifically task instructions and information to relevant individuals."

Dragon's reply was immediate.

"That's good. I'm fully aware that the previous setup for communications and overall command during Endbringer battles was extremely bad, though with my shackles I couldn't have really done any better. That being fixed is a major relief."

I nodded.

---

(Armsmaster)
Date Point: 1021, April 28th, 2011. Tuesday.

Leviathan was making landfall at this very moment. Rain was hammering down, the first wave was crashing against the shore, and I was on my motorcycle with Shear #1 at the ready. The instant Leviathan's location became known, I would move to intercept. I was one of three with a Shear who had interception as their role; I was covering the southern flank of Brockton Bay's coastline, while Laniakea took the north and Dragon the center.

I barely had to wait three minutes - and momentarily retreat to evade the first wave - before I heard Ruggedizer's voice over the communications channel.

"Leviathan has made landfall in Z-3. Armsmaster to intercept. Opening data stream."

Just like that, I now had continuous tracking of Leviathan's position, courtesy of the battle's drone coverage. I immediately turned south and accelerated to maximum speed. I had to move quickly; between Leviathan's sheer speed and the ongoing damage to the road network, I had a very narrow window of opportunity to make contact.

Fortunately for me, my earlier retreat actually played to my advantage, as I rode out onto the street ahead of Leviathan. All four of the monster's - entirely cosmetic - eyes locked onto my position, even as I activated the Shear's decoy hard light blade. By seeming mutual agreement, we began charging at each other, almost like an old medieval joust.

Just before contact, Leviathan whipped to the side, its tail and associated water blade crashing towards me. I simply ducked as low as I could, angling the Shear's projected blade upward, at Leviathan's center-mass. I got a notification from the Shear that QDF mode was active, even as scything water sliced away most of the armor on my left arm and shredded my motorcycle's tires.

Then I saw Leviathan's tail again, rapidly receding into the distance. Without the rest of the Endbringer. I briefly looked behind me, and got confirmation that I'd chopped Leviathan's butt off, including the Endbringer's tail. The body of Leviathan was slumped over and apparently lifeless.

...Which meant the core was in the tail!

I tried to give pursuit, but it was too late. Even with Andrea and Dragon giving chase, Leviathan's tail had reached the waterfront and escaped into the safety of the ocean before another intercept could be completed.

While cheers were already starting to go up at the shortest and least damaging Endbringer attack on record, I couldn't help but feel kind of bitter. I was so, so close to personally killing one of those monsters. And with Rachel's missile program now well underway, I couldn't help but feel I would never get another opportunity like this.

 

[We Just Write]

(Noelle)
Date Point: 0832, April 30th, 2011. Thursday.

I snapped to awareness in a hospital bed. And... I could think clearly. There were no urges to eat people, nothing of the sort. I looked down, and I had actual human legs. No horrible mass of monster mouths and fucked up... stuff. But... something was off.

That tube plugged into my arm wasn't an IV. It was a cable. Why would a cable be plugged into someone?

Before I could think myself into a panic, someone spoke.

"Noelle Meinhardt? I'm Ruggedizer, and I'd like to know how you're doing."

I blinked, turning to see a woman in lightweight armor. The upper half of her face was covered by a visor with cartoony eye graphics on it, conveying well-meaning concern.

"Mostly, I'm just confused. What happened? Where is Krouse? Why am..."

Why am I not a monster.

Ruggedizer nodded.

"Let's start with what happened. A while back, I developed the technology to transfer people's minds into newly built robotic bodies; we call that process uploading. Trickster cut a deal that got you uploaded and your mind repaired, but as a condition he had to turn himself and Ballistic in to the PRT for their crimes."

...That would explain the cable.

"So... I'm a robot now?"

"Yes, though aside from setting off metal detectors and being three times the density of a human, you can basically live a normal life. You can unplug that cable now, by the way."

That was a major improvement from what I'd previously had to deal with. As Ruggedizer suggested, I unplugged the cable from my arm, and sat up on the edge of the hospital bed. As I got into a sitting position, something occurred to me.

"Um, Ruggedizer? What happened to my old body. You know, once I was out of it."

Ruggedizer took a breath, then answered.

"Your old body went berserk immediately after the uploading machine fired. Fortunately we'd prepared for that sort of outcome, so it wasn't able to hurt anyone before it was incinerated. I'd ask if you wanted the cremains, but you'd need a box the size of a refrigerator."

...Wait a moment, why couldn't I remember any of this!? Even though I was only sometimes lucid back in my old body, I definitely had at least some idea what was going on. And I just blurted that out loud...

Ruggedizer seemed startled. But she quickly regained her composure.

"Unfortunately, your power was not the only source of damage to your mind. After uploading you, but before waking you up, we examined your mind in extreme detail, and found extensive signs of tampering. Most likely by the Simurgh. After extensive consultation with the PRT and your teammates, it was decided to err on the side of caution."

"Ruggedizer, how bad was it?"

"As of right now, approximately a fifth of your mind is bespoke code replacing sabotaged or otherwise damaged sections. At their own request, Sundancer and Genesis have been uploaded and received similar treatment. Though they were able to retain a larger portion of their original minds."

"Are Genesis and Sundancer going to jail too?"

"No. They're currently in the process of signing up with the Protectorate."

Then something utterly horrible occurred to me.

"Am I still at risk of making evil clones if I touch people?"

There was a brief pause, before Ruggedizer answered.

"We tested while you were out; you don't make clones by touching people anymore. I can definitively state that you still have a parahuman ability, but I cannot tell you any particular details of the power you have."

"I guess I'll have to go through power testing, then."

Another horrible possibility came to mind.

"Um, I'm not under arrest, am I?"

"No. Upon consultation with legal professionals, all the charges against you were thrown out on grounds of insanity. You weren't in control of yourself, and since you've been brought back to sanity, there's no reason to view you as an ongoing danger."

One last question, then.

"Where am I?"

"You're in the Reliabuilt factory complex, in Brockton Bay."

---

(Herman)
Date Point: 0710, April 30th, 2011. Thursday.

Screw 'untiring robot body', I was exhausted. But I had completed the task assigned to me.

"Melissa, I've finished reprogramming Noelle's Dynalith."

My senior nodded in contemplation.

"Thank you, Herman. I know it was a major job on very short notice, but it really needed to be done."

"Here's the report on Noelle's new power. I'm taking today off."

As it turned out, Noelle's power only slightly relied on connections to other Dynaliths. Most of it was all her, given that her Dynalith was an extremely powerful emulator for exotic phenomena. Not as efficient as a more specialized Dynalith, but able to copy nearly anything you threw at it on very short notice. And given that it was one of those Dynaliths Cauldron had utterly botched reconfiguring, it was burning through its energy reserves at an entirely unsustainable rate.

To solve the problem, I'd activated the "deploy energy collectors" subroutine of the Dynalith. I'd also turned Noelle into a Tinker, one specialized in robot duplicates replicating the abilities of extant parahumans - though notably not robots that were themselves Tinkers. That offloaded most of the more basic capabilities onto hardware distinct from the Dynalith itself - while still giving us access to the extreme potential that Dynalith had.

All those thoughts aside, I was going to bed now.