A dude that only knows of worm from fanfiction is dropped in worm with a modified power manipulation power is trying to make the world just a little bit better
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trying to make worm a better world
- Thread starter loudlistner
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chapter 1 – is this how this is going to begin?
loudlistner
Getting sticky.
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Chapter 1
1st POV
1st POV
You know, sleeping one day and waking up in a black void filled with nothingness has always seemed to me like a good way to die--except for the waking up part. Can you blame me? The very idea of an eternity of pleasure or pain for such a temporary existence has always been terrifying to me.
Anyway, I want to freak out now, but how do I do that? I can't seem to do anything but think here. "Hello, hello, little soul. How have you been this fine night?" said a voice behind me. Where is it behind me? This is so very wrong. I want to scream. I want to scream. I want to scream.
"Don't worry, the disorientation is temporary. We can communicate by thought, so just think it, and I will know." The voice continues. Wait, it said I can communicate by thinking. Alright, let's do this.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck, why am I here?" Before I can fully express my panic, it interrupts me again.
"You are here because you died," which is absurd because dying doesn't happen to me; it happens to others. I'm not old enough to die in my sleep. "Why can you communicate with me? It is simple, you see. I have decided to throw you into the Worm web serial with a power-- you know, that power fantasy you love." It keeps talking. "That's a lie. I don't want a power fantasy if it means I will die in a very short time."
"Sorry, but that has already been decided. Now, do you want to know the details, or should I just throw you in?" You know, nothing makes a person polite like meeting death face-to-face. "I would like to know as many details as possible, please."
"Alright, you will be teleported into Brockton Bay a week before Taylor fights Lung," I wheeze. I am going to die so fast." Your power is going to be power manipulation from the Worm CYOA: 'I am God. Everyone fear me.' Instead of getting 5 charges every day, you will only have 5 charges, but you can create a power and destroy it at any time to regain the charge." What are you looking at? That is enough to destroy a planet? I might still die.
"Alright, that is about it, so I will send you now." Did it just...? "Wait, wait, I would like to activate the power here before I go to Worm. I don't know how long it would take for Contessa to find me and kill me, but I bet it is faster than me activating and using my power for the first time." I make my case, and to my surprise, it responds with, "Sure, that is cool with me." You know, I don't even know if this thing has a name, but he seems cool with me now. Yes, I noticed I went from "it" to "he" pretty quickly. Anyway, time to structure my powers.
"First, like any sane person, I am choosing a blank power-- a stranger power that will hide me from any type of thinker or precog. It will limit itself to just hiding me and no other defenses, so it should fit within power classification 1-5." Great, that seems acceptable.
"Second, I want a thinker power that will allow me to reproduce the blank power into items and only the blank power, so it still fits with one charge." Yes, this is going smoothly.
"Third, I want a material creation power, only limited by volume." That works. Although a 20 cm cube might look small, it is enough for my plans.
"Fourth, I want telekinesis to assist me with tinkering. It will work like a multi-tool, so I want precision instead of power." Amazing, everything is going my way.
"Fifth, I want a power that will make me intangible, protecting me from anything physical. I doubt that this will protect me from any dimensional shenanigans, but all I need for now is to run from the mooks with guns and not from Zion."
Alright, it looks like I am done, but wait, "Can you transport me near the boat graveyard, preferably to a place where there is no one to bother me?" I ask. "Sure, that is cool with me. Oh, before I send you there, your job is not just to entertain me; you will need to find a way to kill Zion with as few casualties as possible compared to Canon."
You know that feeling of going downstairs to wash the dishes, and halfway there, your mother tells you to wash the dishes? That irritating but unavoidable feeling of vexation is what I felt when he told me to do the second part of the mission. Sure, that was part of my plan, but come on now; it just feels like work instead of something I wanted to do.
SUNDAY, MARCH 27, 2011 8:00 am
Before I could think of saying anything, I suddenly found myself lying on a dirty floor near a rather unclean-looking body of water. I got up and activated my intangibility. It seemed to be an automatic ability; I wasn't floating, but I also wasn't falling to the ground. I knew there would be some sort of background protection for the powers I possessed, but it was still cool to see it in action.
Now, I needed to find an unoccupied boat to start my plan to make the world a little better. After about five minutes of walking around and searching, I settled on one nearby that showed no signs of anyone being around it. To my untrained eyes, every single boat I looked at seemed abandoned, so either someone had done an excellent job of hiding me away, or everyone was really good at playing hide-and-seek. I didn't dwell on it too much.
It was time to start tinkering. I wanted the item to look like a bracelet and be easily adjustable for ordinary people. Since this power only allowed for one charge focused on creating an item with such significant ability, I couldn't add anything more to it. There would just be an on and off button to activate the item--nothing else. After what felt like two hours of my body moving on its own, I ended up with 22 bracelets. Why 22? One for me, one for testing, and 20 for the PRT. That's right; I'm joining the government stooges. It's simply the easiest way I could think of to help the world. If I want to do something in the future and they don't allow it, it's simple: I won't tell anyone about my trump power. I will sign up for the PRT with a set power, and suddenly there will be a new guy out there doing something completely different.
I put on one of the bracelets and activated the Tinker tech. Good, now I can deactivate one of my power slots--the blank slot is deactivated, and I'm still alive. I'll count that as a success! "Hooray!" Okay, I'm still a bit in shock, but nobody has time for that right now. It's time to upgrade my bracelet.
First, I plan to enhance my ability so that the bracelet can be surgically attached to my bones. That way, I can only remove it myself or if someone chops off my arm. It will be activated by my thoughts instead of buttons, requiring at least five commands from me before it can be deactivated. Each command will necessitate clearer cognition for activation, so there's no danger of getting drunk and accidentally disabling it. Plus, no biologically based master will be able to force me to remove it.
To be safe, I made three more upgraded bracelets, each requiring different commands. I put them on all my limbs. Now it's time to go meet the PRT.
Next, I crafted a simple-looking mask to hide my face, and that was enough of the material creation power. I decided to change that to a map function to find the PRT building. Since I was far from the graveyard, it would take me hours to walk. Definitely not ideal. Alright, let's destroy the Tinker power and create a new power to fly at high speed. With two charges, I can fly near Mach 1, and with intangibility, there will be no air resistance. I'll also add telekinesis, combining it with invisibility, and follow the map now. "Wow, wow, wow, flying is so amazing! With invisibility and intangibility, I can go anywhere unnoticed. This is incredible!" I spent a few hours just flying and gliding in the air, enjoying myself, but once I realized it was already 1 PM, I decided to cut my fun short and fly to my destination. Once I was about a 10-minute walk from the PRT building, I landed, deactivated my flight and invisibility powers, and walked out of a previously empty alley.
"Hello, you must be new here. Are you patrolling this area?" Miss Militia asked. I think she hoped I was a hero. Well, I wouldn't want to disappoint her.
"Actually, I was hoping to join the PRT, and I was just walking to the building. I wasn't sure how to go about it, so I was going to ask the person at the help desk. But if you're here, can you help me with my problem?" I think I managed to shock her. She seemed frozen, and after a few seconds, she said, "... Yeah, I'm sure I can help you. Just follow me to the PRT building, and I will guide you there."
The PRT building was about two minutes away from where we were, so she introduced herself and asked me what I would like to be called. I told her, "Actually, I am new to my powers, so I haven't decided yet," which seemed to shut her up. Oh, wait, she probably thinks she just made me remember my trigger event.
Now, I need to decide what power I'm going to show the PRT before I get there. The Tinker power is one option, a precognitive power to account for my future knowledge, and the intangibility power for my protection, so let's set those up in case Armsmaster uses his lie detection tech on me.
The precognitive power will simply allow me to access the worm book in my head as a library. When I want to know something from the worm story, it will just pop into my head, including wog(word of god) information and some canon and fanon info separating functions. For example, I once thought Ziz was the winged one in Pho, but that is just fanon.
"Alright, it looks like we just arrived at the building. Let's begin this process.
"Wait, are those scanners for Tinkertech?" I asked. She seemed to stiffen at my question but still responded, "Yes, those are to check for any Tinkertech that we might miss during the manual search and with the regular scanners. Do you have any Tinkertech on you?"
"Yeah, I have some items in this bag, but I also have four pieces attached to my body." When I mentioned that they were attached to me, she looked at me as if I were holding a gun to a child.
"It's not very invasive; they're just attached to my limbs," I explained. After that, she seemed calmer, though still somewhat worried, with a hint of exasperation in her eyes. She is very good at expressing her emotions through her scarf, it is almost creepy.
"Okay, let's wait a moment. Armsmaster will come and scan you before we begin." It wasn't even ten minutes later when a blue robot approached me, sporting a beard so straight and precise that it could serve as a better measurement tool than the metric system. "Hello, I am Armsmaster. Please stand up so I can scan your Tinkertech," he said.
As I stood up, he showed a frustrated expression and said, "It seems to be using some type of information-blocking function. I can't scan it without more specialized tools."
Stunned, I asked, "Wait, you're telling me this works on Tinkertech too?" My shock only seemed to exacerbate the situation. Miss Militia asked, "You don't know what they do?" To prevent things from escalating, I replied, "No, I made them to hide me from any Thinker, including precogs, but I didn't realize their information-blocking capabilities would also affect Tinkertech scanners." I smiled, though I might have strained a muscle doing so. Even if they couldn't see my face due to the mask, my body language didn't alleviate their apprehensive looks.
"Alright, let's go to a more private room, and you can explain as much as you can," she said, leading the way to the so-called private room. I packed my bag full of Tinkertech and followed her, with Armsmaster trailing behind us. When we arrived, she opened the door for us. I went in first, she entered last, and then she closed the door.
After we settled into seating that felt more like a criminal sitting in front of two detectives, she asked me, "Now, can you explain what the Tinkertech on your body does?"
I began to explain, "Well, I have four bracelets on me. They all share the same ability: they create a blind spot for any Thinker power. However, it seems their effects are not limited to that. When I created them, I wanted an item that would effectively hide me, so I designed them to disrupt any dimensional-based information gathering. Now that I think about it, the reason Armsmaster's scanners don't work is likely due to their heavy reliance on dimensional-based information gathering. You can still see the bracelets and notice that they're black, but if your eyes employ any type of dimensional scanning technique, I will probably appear invisible to you."
When I finished, they fell silent for a moment. Then she asked, "That is very impressive technology. Now I'm curious why you went to such lengths to hide from Thinkers and precogs." Her question made me perk up like a five-year-old in a candy store. "Oh, well, you see, that's because my other power is that I am also a precog. However, my power seems to only show me how the world will be without my involvement, so I got the idea that if I am my own blind spot, then I am better off being everyone else's blind spot." For some reason, this kept them quiet even longer. With a voice that sounded so dead it might as well have come from a corpse, she said, "You have two powers?"
When she gave me such a wide opening, I, of course, had to take it. So, I politely and calmly said, "Actually, I have three powers, since I am also intangible to any physical thing that can harm me." I say that while moving my arm through the table to prove I have that power, if you have guessed if my face hurts by now, you would be correct, but I kept going like there is no problem." By the way, I have duplicates of the bracelets in this bag. " I open the bag and show them 21 bracelets. "One of them is for you to test in whatever way you want; the other twenty are to be used. I am willing to stay here until you fully test the bracelets, and while I am willing to join, before I join, there is something I would like the protectorate to do, and the person hearing my demand must be wearing those bracelets, so take your time, make sure they are safe to be worn by any person, and come back. I am willing to wait if you are."
Last edited:
chapter 2 – my second team
loudlistner
Getting sticky.
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- Apr 22, 2024
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chapter 2
After a few seconds, it looks like Armsmaster gets an order from someone higher up. He says, "I'll go test the tinker tech. Miss Militia, you'll continue interviewing the cape—temporary code name, Blind Spot."
He calls it a temporary name, but honestly, I don't mind being called Blind Spot. I doubt the PR machine will let it stick, but hey—fingers crossed.
As soon as he leaves, I turn to Miss Militia and say, "I don't think he's going to like that the bracelets can hide from any dimension-based detection. His specialty is efficiency and miniaturization, and every tool he uses relies on some form of dimensional scanning."
Trying not to laugh, she replies, "I'm sure he'll figure something out. But I'd like to know more about your powers. Can you explain in more detail?"
This is where things might get tense.
"I'll explain more once you wear the bracelet. But while we wait for them to be ready, there's something more important."
My serious tone lands—she straightens up and nods. "Alright. Tell me what it's about."
Before I speak again, I switch from precognition to another power—one that subtly influences my body language to reinforce honesty.
"There's a problem with my identification. The major issue is... I don't exist."
She frowns, clearly confused. So, I elaborate.
"Out of nowhere today, I woke up near one of the boats in the boat graveyard, with an urge to build a bracelet that hides me from precogs. It seems someone temporarily removed me from their detection. That's actually why I'm willing to join the PRT—someone kidnapped me from a peaceful life and dropped me here. They seem to have the power to grant powers—or at least decide what powers someone gets when they trigger."
Before I can keep rambling, she cuts in. "You're telling me you're not from this Earth, and someone brought you here against your will?"
"Yes. And they decided I'd need tools to survive—like a precog power constantly warning me just how terrifying this death world is."
My panic isn't just for show. Sure, I was in shock for a while, but that only lasts so long. I'm in Worm, after all—a world where the average lifespan is way shorter than I'd like. Seems my new power didn't have to work hard to make me sound convincing.
"Sorry," I say, taking a breath. "As you can see, I'm not exactly in the best mindset to calmly explain everything. I know you'll want to verify what I'm saying, so feel free to ask Dragon to look me up."
I mean it—but I also enjoy the shock I keep delivering. So, I take off my mask. By the time I'm done with her, she's going to need to relearn how to do her signature eye-crinkle—this time to hide surprise instead of amusement.
"Now that you've seen my face, let me tell you a bit about who I am." I pause. "My name is Kaleab Dubale. I was born in Ethiopia, but my father brought me to Canada."
I give her my full information. While Dragon checks if I exist, I keep talking.
"I want to verify something about my precog power—because I am my own blind spot. It's hard for me to tell whether the information I get is accurate or if the person who brought me here is manipulating me. With your permission, I'd like to share some information you can verify."
She listens to her earpiece, then nods. "Alright. We'd like to test whether your precog power is accurate. Go ahead and share."
Oh, she has no idea what she just agreed to.
"One thing about my powers—they don't respect unwritten rules. I'm pretty sure I could find the home of every cape in this city if I wanted to. So don't be too shocked when I say that one of your Wards, Shadow Stalker, is actually Sophia Hess—and she nearly killed a kid on January 3rd of this year."
I told her not to be shocked, but I didn't expect her to actually pull it off. To my surprise, she just stands and starts pacing. She's probably realized by now that I'm enjoying her reactions a little too much. Maybe I should've just said I liked my mask and put it back on?
"If you're lying, you need to understand—this is serious. You could end up in prison."
Ah, another misunderstanding.
"I'm not lying. I want you to verify whether my power is real or just an illusion."
She sighs. "Look, I don't know if what you're saying is true—we'll check. But before you leave, you're signing an NDA. One that says you won't disclose any information about the Protectorate or Wards that you gained through your powers to anyone outside."
Wasn't a tough call.
"Sure, no problem. Bring the NDA, and I'll sign it. After that, we can schedule a meeting for whenever the bracelets are ready to be tested by someone else—and continue this interview then."
A few seconds later, someone walks in and hands me the paperwork. I swap out my body languge power for a thinker one that reveals hidden details in contracts. To my surprise, it's actually clean. I sign the NDA, and we set a meeting for eight days later—Monday.
Not five minutes later, I'm outside the PRT building, mask back on.
"Okay, that's done. Now what? Hmmm... this is Brockton Bay—there's always something for a hero to do."
First thing I do is activate intangibility and sink into the ground so no one can tail me. While underground, I swap my law power for a map power with two charges—one that lets me find people by name, including cape names.
I locate Bakuda.
Next, I swap out my tinker power for a mover power—one that lets me open a portal anywhere in the city. I teleport to just outside her base—still underground. No way am I walking into a bomb tinker's lair unprepared.
Then I destroy the map power and replace it with a version of Trickster's—one that teleports anyone near me to a time-stopped sub-dimension. That's right. I just inventoried Bakuda.
Afterward, I use my city-portal power to jump back to the boat graveyard. I swap that power for body paralysis—anyone within 30 meters can't move a muscle if I target them. I don't want it long-term; technically, it could be lethal. But for now, it's insurance.
I also create a truth field power. Now she can't lie. We're ready to communicate. This is one of my most powerful—yet volatile— powers in Earth Bet.
The first thing she says is, "Who the fuck are you? You better not try to rape me, you fat ass, or I'll melt you."
...Yikes.
In hindsight, considering she was kidnapped by a dragon who happens to be a rapist, I understand why her mind went there. Still, I'm shocked and offended.
"No, no, I'm not a rapist."
"That's exactly what a rapist would say."
"Look, lady, I'm not going to do anything to you. I just have questions."
"And what if I don't want to answer?"
"Honestly? I didn't plan that far. I thought I'd have a bit more time before we reached this part of the conversation."
What? It was jarring. My self-esteem feels practically two-dimensional right now.
"Can I just ask the questions first and we can figure out the rest later?"
"What are your questions?"
"Great. First one: Have you ever killed anyone before?"
"No, I haven't. Why did I answer that?"
"That's the truth field. You can't lie in here."
"How did the school hostage situation end if you didn't kill anyone?"
"Ugh. While I was holding the school hostage, I got tranquilized by one of those Protectorate bastards."
"Okay, okay. I can work with this. So here's your choice: either lose your power and go to jail, or work with me."
"You bastard! You can't take my power!"
"You have no idea what I can do. And I assure you, taking your power would be a simple procedure for me. I'll give you a few minutes to think it through."
With that, I leave to finally create a base that isn't just a rotting boat.
I swap my inventory and truth powers for a tinker power that lets me build a sub-dimension large enough to serve as a base. It takes two charges. Then, I create a matter generation power—limited only to materials required for building the sub-dimension. That takes one charge. I also swap out intangibility for super speed, which gives me movement and reflexes a hundred times faster than normal.
In less than thirty minutes, I construct a one-kilometer-wide sub-dimension, accessed through a watch-like device.
Now that I'm done, I head to my new base, which is basically a one-kilometer-wide patch of land in complete darkness. I got out of there fast, thanks to my super speed. After that, I swapped the sub-dimension power for a tinker power to create a matter synthesizer, and I finished that in less than ten minutes.
The synthesizer can produce any kind of base material and comes equipped with a built-in library of conventional technology. It's not everything, but it covers most of the essentials. Even better, it can replicate itself, so I won't have to waste any more charges on matter creation powers.
Once that was done, I returned to Bakuda—only to realize I had left her alone, paralyzed, and stuck in a pitch-black room for over thirty minutes. Let's just say… she's not exactly my biggest fan right now.
"You bastard, you left me in the dark!" she yells.
"In my defense, I really needed to tinker… and I forgot," I reply sheepishly. "But, to make it up to you: if you agree to work with me, I promise you'll never run out of bomb-making materials."
That changes the mood fast.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, unlimited resources. Any bomb. Any time."
"Come on! Be a goody two-shoes, and you could be one of the greatest tinkers in the world. Imagine: time-stop bombs big enough to freeze an Endbringer, time-reversal bombs to heal any wound, maybe even revive the recently dead. Everyone will know the name Bakuda—the Bomb Thinker."
I think I just saw her drool. I win.
"Alright, I'm willing to work with you. But first, let me move again!"
She screamed that last part. I don't blame her.
"Where do we even start? Don't tell me this is our base," she groans.
She's not wrong—it's a dump.
"Don't worry. I've got a sub-dimension with a little problem."
"What kind of problem?"
"Well... it's a giant dark space with no buildings or lights. Just a one-kilometer patch of land. I'll fix it later."
I press the button to open the portal to the sub-dimension, just to show her how dark it is.
After a few seconds, it looks like Armsmaster gets an order from someone higher up. He says, "I'll go test the tinker tech. Miss Militia, you'll continue interviewing the cape—temporary code name, Blind Spot."
He calls it a temporary name, but honestly, I don't mind being called Blind Spot. I doubt the PR machine will let it stick, but hey—fingers crossed.
As soon as he leaves, I turn to Miss Militia and say, "I don't think he's going to like that the bracelets can hide from any dimension-based detection. His specialty is efficiency and miniaturization, and every tool he uses relies on some form of dimensional scanning."
Trying not to laugh, she replies, "I'm sure he'll figure something out. But I'd like to know more about your powers. Can you explain in more detail?"
This is where things might get tense.
"I'll explain more once you wear the bracelet. But while we wait for them to be ready, there's something more important."
My serious tone lands—she straightens up and nods. "Alright. Tell me what it's about."
Before I speak again, I switch from precognition to another power—one that subtly influences my body language to reinforce honesty.
"There's a problem with my identification. The major issue is... I don't exist."
She frowns, clearly confused. So, I elaborate.
"Out of nowhere today, I woke up near one of the boats in the boat graveyard, with an urge to build a bracelet that hides me from precogs. It seems someone temporarily removed me from their detection. That's actually why I'm willing to join the PRT—someone kidnapped me from a peaceful life and dropped me here. They seem to have the power to grant powers—or at least decide what powers someone gets when they trigger."
Before I can keep rambling, she cuts in. "You're telling me you're not from this Earth, and someone brought you here against your will?"
"Yes. And they decided I'd need tools to survive—like a precog power constantly warning me just how terrifying this death world is."
My panic isn't just for show. Sure, I was in shock for a while, but that only lasts so long. I'm in Worm, after all—a world where the average lifespan is way shorter than I'd like. Seems my new power didn't have to work hard to make me sound convincing.
"Sorry," I say, taking a breath. "As you can see, I'm not exactly in the best mindset to calmly explain everything. I know you'll want to verify what I'm saying, so feel free to ask Dragon to look me up."
I mean it—but I also enjoy the shock I keep delivering. So, I take off my mask. By the time I'm done with her, she's going to need to relearn how to do her signature eye-crinkle—this time to hide surprise instead of amusement.
"Now that you've seen my face, let me tell you a bit about who I am." I pause. "My name is Kaleab Dubale. I was born in Ethiopia, but my father brought me to Canada."
I give her my full information. While Dragon checks if I exist, I keep talking.
"I want to verify something about my precog power—because I am my own blind spot. It's hard for me to tell whether the information I get is accurate or if the person who brought me here is manipulating me. With your permission, I'd like to share some information you can verify."
She listens to her earpiece, then nods. "Alright. We'd like to test whether your precog power is accurate. Go ahead and share."
Oh, she has no idea what she just agreed to.
"One thing about my powers—they don't respect unwritten rules. I'm pretty sure I could find the home of every cape in this city if I wanted to. So don't be too shocked when I say that one of your Wards, Shadow Stalker, is actually Sophia Hess—and she nearly killed a kid on January 3rd of this year."
I told her not to be shocked, but I didn't expect her to actually pull it off. To my surprise, she just stands and starts pacing. She's probably realized by now that I'm enjoying her reactions a little too much. Maybe I should've just said I liked my mask and put it back on?
"If you're lying, you need to understand—this is serious. You could end up in prison."
Ah, another misunderstanding.
"I'm not lying. I want you to verify whether my power is real or just an illusion."
She sighs. "Look, I don't know if what you're saying is true—we'll check. But before you leave, you're signing an NDA. One that says you won't disclose any information about the Protectorate or Wards that you gained through your powers to anyone outside."
Wasn't a tough call.
"Sure, no problem. Bring the NDA, and I'll sign it. After that, we can schedule a meeting for whenever the bracelets are ready to be tested by someone else—and continue this interview then."
A few seconds later, someone walks in and hands me the paperwork. I swap out my body languge power for a thinker one that reveals hidden details in contracts. To my surprise, it's actually clean. I sign the NDA, and we set a meeting for eight days later—Monday.
Not five minutes later, I'm outside the PRT building, mask back on.
"Okay, that's done. Now what? Hmmm... this is Brockton Bay—there's always something for a hero to do."
First thing I do is activate intangibility and sink into the ground so no one can tail me. While underground, I swap my law power for a map power with two charges—one that lets me find people by name, including cape names.
I locate Bakuda.
Next, I swap out my tinker power for a mover power—one that lets me open a portal anywhere in the city. I teleport to just outside her base—still underground. No way am I walking into a bomb tinker's lair unprepared.
Then I destroy the map power and replace it with a version of Trickster's—one that teleports anyone near me to a time-stopped sub-dimension. That's right. I just inventoried Bakuda.
Afterward, I use my city-portal power to jump back to the boat graveyard. I swap that power for body paralysis—anyone within 30 meters can't move a muscle if I target them. I don't want it long-term; technically, it could be lethal. But for now, it's insurance.
I also create a truth field power. Now she can't lie. We're ready to communicate. This is one of my most powerful—yet volatile— powers in Earth Bet.
The first thing she says is, "Who the fuck are you? You better not try to rape me, you fat ass, or I'll melt you."
...Yikes.
In hindsight, considering she was kidnapped by a dragon who happens to be a rapist, I understand why her mind went there. Still, I'm shocked and offended.
"No, no, I'm not a rapist."
"That's exactly what a rapist would say."
"Look, lady, I'm not going to do anything to you. I just have questions."
"And what if I don't want to answer?"
"Honestly? I didn't plan that far. I thought I'd have a bit more time before we reached this part of the conversation."
What? It was jarring. My self-esteem feels practically two-dimensional right now.
"Can I just ask the questions first and we can figure out the rest later?"
"What are your questions?"
"Great. First one: Have you ever killed anyone before?"
"No, I haven't. Why did I answer that?"
"That's the truth field. You can't lie in here."
"How did the school hostage situation end if you didn't kill anyone?"
"Ugh. While I was holding the school hostage, I got tranquilized by one of those Protectorate bastards."
"Okay, okay. I can work with this. So here's your choice: either lose your power and go to jail, or work with me."
"You bastard! You can't take my power!"
"You have no idea what I can do. And I assure you, taking your power would be a simple procedure for me. I'll give you a few minutes to think it through."
With that, I leave to finally create a base that isn't just a rotting boat.
I swap my inventory and truth powers for a tinker power that lets me build a sub-dimension large enough to serve as a base. It takes two charges. Then, I create a matter generation power—limited only to materials required for building the sub-dimension. That takes one charge. I also swap out intangibility for super speed, which gives me movement and reflexes a hundred times faster than normal.
In less than thirty minutes, I construct a one-kilometer-wide sub-dimension, accessed through a watch-like device.
Now that I'm done, I head to my new base, which is basically a one-kilometer-wide patch of land in complete darkness. I got out of there fast, thanks to my super speed. After that, I swapped the sub-dimension power for a tinker power to create a matter synthesizer, and I finished that in less than ten minutes.
The synthesizer can produce any kind of base material and comes equipped with a built-in library of conventional technology. It's not everything, but it covers most of the essentials. Even better, it can replicate itself, so I won't have to waste any more charges on matter creation powers.
Once that was done, I returned to Bakuda—only to realize I had left her alone, paralyzed, and stuck in a pitch-black room for over thirty minutes. Let's just say… she's not exactly my biggest fan right now.
"You bastard, you left me in the dark!" she yells.
"In my defense, I really needed to tinker… and I forgot," I reply sheepishly. "But, to make it up to you: if you agree to work with me, I promise you'll never run out of bomb-making materials."
That changes the mood fast.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, unlimited resources. Any bomb. Any time."
"Come on! Be a goody two-shoes, and you could be one of the greatest tinkers in the world. Imagine: time-stop bombs big enough to freeze an Endbringer, time-reversal bombs to heal any wound, maybe even revive the recently dead. Everyone will know the name Bakuda—the Bomb Thinker."
I think I just saw her drool. I win.
"Alright, I'm willing to work with you. But first, let me move again!"
She screamed that last part. I don't blame her.
"Where do we even start? Don't tell me this is our base," she groans.
She's not wrong—it's a dump.
"Don't worry. I've got a sub-dimension with a little problem."
"What kind of problem?"
"Well... it's a giant dark space with no buildings or lights. Just a one-kilometer patch of land. I'll fix it later."
I press the button to open the portal to the sub-dimension, just to show her how dark it is.
Chapter 3 – The Base and the Burn
loudlistner
Getting sticky.
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"What? When you said it was empty, you weren't kidding. This place doesn't even have a light source," Bakuda muttered, her voice thinning as she looked into the subdimension.
"What did you want me to do, make a fucking sun?" I shot back. "The light will come from inside the buildings. I'll make some drones to begin construction."
Actually... that's not a bad idea. Now's the perfect time to show off. She said she wanted to work with me, but I don't buy it—not even if she didn't know That the truth field was turned off when she said it. which means I need to earn her loyalty—or at least her curiosity.
"Actually, let's begin. Watch me mold the future of our base." I say dramatically, striding over to the tinker's wet dream —the matter synthesizer I still haven't named.
I trigger my super speed power and swap my tinker specialization to drones. That alone should be enough... but I'm feeling flashy. I narrow the specialization to construction drones. With that tweak, I can integrate the matter synthesizer directly into them, meaning they can make anything—as long as they've got blueprints and the right tools.
Which, you know, they can now print on demand.
Bakuda's voice cuts through my focused blur. "Hey, hey, hey, what in all hell was that? You were moving so fast I could barely see you! And what did you just make?"
Oh. Right. I have no way of stopping her from running off and spilling secrets. That's a problem for future me. And frankly, that guy sucks. Screw him.
I wave it off. "Oh, that? Just some equipment that mimics powers. That one gave me super speed—makes me about a hundred times faster, in both movement and reaction."
I say it like it's no big deal. I'm not going to go full paranoid and hide every little trick from her, but she's not getting anything about power manipulation if I can help it.
"You're telling me you've got thinkertech that replicates other people's powers? Are you serious? That's insane!"
Oh no. Mrs. Misunderstanding is back. "There's no way," she continues. "It either has insane limitations, or you're a power tinker."
Ugh. Earlier today you almost got me shot by Miss Militia. Now you're letting a volatile bomb tinker sniff around the edges of one of my biggest secrets. I need to distract her—fast.
This is what I get for trying to cooperate with someone who was acing college courses while I was failing my first gen-ed. "Hey, instead of that... why don't I let you use the matter synthesizer to make any bomb you want? Just call me when you're ready to test it. After all, what guy doesn't love a big boom?"
That gets her attention. She scurries off, clearly thrilled. Excellent. She'll be busy for a while, and I've got my own work to do.
The drones will take at least a full day to build a proper base, even with the synthesizer. But right now, they're missing one crucial thing: coordination.
Without a virtual intelligence to manage them, they'll fly in circles like confused bees.
First, I have the synthesizer build me a high-end computer—something beefy enough to host a VI. I still don't want to build a true AI—too much ethical mess. But a VI? That's fine. It can't think for itself, but it'll mimic sentience well enough to run a facility.
This is my first time using a three-charge power. I could've made a VI with one, maybe two, but with three? It'll multitask like a god, manage the whole subdimension, and run the base like it's playing SimCity on cheat codes.
I make sure it can't gain free will—that's the line I won't cross.
Also, I give it full access to the matter synthesizer's blueprint library. Because if I'm going to delegate, I'm going to delegate hard.
I press the activation button. "Hello, Vas. That's your new designation. Tell me your operational status."
(V.A.S.—Virtual Assistant Sally). I really don't want to get attached to it
"Hello, Operator. All systems are functioning at full capability."
"Do you have access to the library?"
"Yes, Operator. The matter synthesizer's blueprint library is available to me."
"Good. Build me a base of operations for tinkering inside the subdimension."
"I shall begin construction immediately."
A swarm of drones floats into the void. Finally, something's going my way.
So... what now?
I think about the Undersiders. Recruiting them might be fun. But honestly, I'm not in the mood to deal with chaotic teenager energy right now.
I just want to chill. Watch TV. Maybe nap.
"Vas," I call out. "Make me a sofa and a TV connected to all publicly available channels."
Soon enough, I'm lounging on my newly made couch, flipping through channels.
Peace.
i just veg out for a few hours, relaxing, and my TV interrupts me with Lung about to burn a city block
Figures.
Honestly, I should've seen this coming. Classic Brockton Bay.
I've got two options. One, teleport to him, use a long-range power-canceling ability, and drop him into a regular prison. Or two...
Let Bakuda take a shot.
He did kidnap her. He probably didn't do anything too vile, but he's still a rapist with a history—and she has every right to want a little payback.
I head to her workshop and knock near the entrance. She doesn't respond with a bomb this time, which is a miracle.
"Hey," I say. "Lung's out there lighting up the city. Want to get involved? If not, I'll just steal his power and hand him over to the cops. Can you imagine? Lung, powerless, locked in a normal prison. His rep? Dead."
She pauses, then says, "That bastard kidnapped me. Almost tortured me into working for him. I want my piece of flesh."
"Alright. I'll take his power. You drop a bomb on him—non-lethal. I want humiliation, not martyrdom. Make it a show. You in?"
She grumbles but agrees. Good enough.
"Cool. Prep your bombs. I'll bring the helmet."
I swap my VI specialization again—this time for crafting a power extraction helmet. My first attempt is way too bulky and slow, so I toss two more charges into it. That makes it compact, fast, and able to store up to three powers.
Perfect.
I use the synthesizer and my super speed to build the helmet in record time. Before Bakuda gets back, I switch to a costume-crafting specialization. I whip up two sleek, durable outfits—one for me, one for her.
Then, I switch again—this time the tinker to a shaper power with three charges—and morph my body to fit the suit. This shapeshifter power even records my original biological state, so I can snap back later if things get weird.
It feels weird. But not enough to stop me.
I reduce the shaper power to one charge—slower changes, but it keeps the record function. Then I toss those two charges into a power-canceling field with a targeting function and finally swap super speed for the city-scale portal power.
Helmet? Check.
Suits? Check.
Bakuda? Armed.
Lung? About to have the second-worst day of his life too bad he won't get to second-trigger.
Let's go ruin a reputation. It took her five minutes to gather up everything, and when I told her to wear the costume made for her, she looked at me weirdly.
"I am not getting in that thing if you pay me."
"What is wrong with it?"
"Simple. It looks like I am a cartoon character."
While my artistic skills might be questionable, I will never admit that to someone who wore a bomberman costume while terrorizing a city: "We are trying to humiliate Lung here; the more silly we look, the better."
"I am just going to wear normal clothes and a mask. You go there with a silly costume and take his power. I will then come when things settle down, and I don't need any type of protection." She makes it sound like I want to stay with her.
"Alright i will take care of it and you can swoop in take the credit and make hiis day just that much worse " I say that opening a portal a few blocks from where the rapist dragon is throwing his tantrum he has yet to get to the point of being un controllable but he has his scales and is spittin fire balls. Lets go this is going to last a few seconds with my current setup.
Hello readers, this is my first author note. I made it because I am not feeling great about this chapter Tell me some of the issues you find I will edit it and make my future chapters better
"What did you want me to do, make a fucking sun?" I shot back. "The light will come from inside the buildings. I'll make some drones to begin construction."
Actually... that's not a bad idea. Now's the perfect time to show off. She said she wanted to work with me, but I don't buy it—not even if she didn't know That the truth field was turned off when she said it. which means I need to earn her loyalty—or at least her curiosity.
"Actually, let's begin. Watch me mold the future of our base." I say dramatically, striding over to the tinker's wet dream —the matter synthesizer I still haven't named.
I trigger my super speed power and swap my tinker specialization to drones. That alone should be enough... but I'm feeling flashy. I narrow the specialization to construction drones. With that tweak, I can integrate the matter synthesizer directly into them, meaning they can make anything—as long as they've got blueprints and the right tools.
Which, you know, they can now print on demand.
Bakuda's voice cuts through my focused blur. "Hey, hey, hey, what in all hell was that? You were moving so fast I could barely see you! And what did you just make?"
Oh. Right. I have no way of stopping her from running off and spilling secrets. That's a problem for future me. And frankly, that guy sucks. Screw him.
I wave it off. "Oh, that? Just some equipment that mimics powers. That one gave me super speed—makes me about a hundred times faster, in both movement and reaction."
I say it like it's no big deal. I'm not going to go full paranoid and hide every little trick from her, but she's not getting anything about power manipulation if I can help it.
"You're telling me you've got thinkertech that replicates other people's powers? Are you serious? That's insane!"
Oh no. Mrs. Misunderstanding is back. "There's no way," she continues. "It either has insane limitations, or you're a power tinker."
Ugh. Earlier today you almost got me shot by Miss Militia. Now you're letting a volatile bomb tinker sniff around the edges of one of my biggest secrets. I need to distract her—fast.
This is what I get for trying to cooperate with someone who was acing college courses while I was failing my first gen-ed. "Hey, instead of that... why don't I let you use the matter synthesizer to make any bomb you want? Just call me when you're ready to test it. After all, what guy doesn't love a big boom?"
That gets her attention. She scurries off, clearly thrilled. Excellent. She'll be busy for a while, and I've got my own work to do.
The drones will take at least a full day to build a proper base, even with the synthesizer. But right now, they're missing one crucial thing: coordination.
Without a virtual intelligence to manage them, they'll fly in circles like confused bees.
First, I have the synthesizer build me a high-end computer—something beefy enough to host a VI. I still don't want to build a true AI—too much ethical mess. But a VI? That's fine. It can't think for itself, but it'll mimic sentience well enough to run a facility.
This is my first time using a three-charge power. I could've made a VI with one, maybe two, but with three? It'll multitask like a god, manage the whole subdimension, and run the base like it's playing SimCity on cheat codes.
I make sure it can't gain free will—that's the line I won't cross.
Also, I give it full access to the matter synthesizer's blueprint library. Because if I'm going to delegate, I'm going to delegate hard.
I press the activation button. "Hello, Vas. That's your new designation. Tell me your operational status."
(V.A.S.—Virtual Assistant Sally). I really don't want to get attached to it
"Hello, Operator. All systems are functioning at full capability."
"Do you have access to the library?"
"Yes, Operator. The matter synthesizer's blueprint library is available to me."
"Good. Build me a base of operations for tinkering inside the subdimension."
"I shall begin construction immediately."
A swarm of drones floats into the void. Finally, something's going my way.
So... what now?
I think about the Undersiders. Recruiting them might be fun. But honestly, I'm not in the mood to deal with chaotic teenager energy right now.
I just want to chill. Watch TV. Maybe nap.
"Vas," I call out. "Make me a sofa and a TV connected to all publicly available channels."
Soon enough, I'm lounging on my newly made couch, flipping through channels.
Peace.
i just veg out for a few hours, relaxing, and my TV interrupts me with Lung about to burn a city block
Figures.
Honestly, I should've seen this coming. Classic Brockton Bay.
I've got two options. One, teleport to him, use a long-range power-canceling ability, and drop him into a regular prison. Or two...
Let Bakuda take a shot.
He did kidnap her. He probably didn't do anything too vile, but he's still a rapist with a history—and she has every right to want a little payback.
I head to her workshop and knock near the entrance. She doesn't respond with a bomb this time, which is a miracle.
"Hey," I say. "Lung's out there lighting up the city. Want to get involved? If not, I'll just steal his power and hand him over to the cops. Can you imagine? Lung, powerless, locked in a normal prison. His rep? Dead."
She pauses, then says, "That bastard kidnapped me. Almost tortured me into working for him. I want my piece of flesh."
"Alright. I'll take his power. You drop a bomb on him—non-lethal. I want humiliation, not martyrdom. Make it a show. You in?"
She grumbles but agrees. Good enough.
"Cool. Prep your bombs. I'll bring the helmet."
I swap my VI specialization again—this time for crafting a power extraction helmet. My first attempt is way too bulky and slow, so I toss two more charges into it. That makes it compact, fast, and able to store up to three powers.
Perfect.
I use the synthesizer and my super speed to build the helmet in record time. Before Bakuda gets back, I switch to a costume-crafting specialization. I whip up two sleek, durable outfits—one for me, one for her.
Then, I switch again—this time the tinker to a shaper power with three charges—and morph my body to fit the suit. This shapeshifter power even records my original biological state, so I can snap back later if things get weird.
It feels weird. But not enough to stop me.
I reduce the shaper power to one charge—slower changes, but it keeps the record function. Then I toss those two charges into a power-canceling field with a targeting function and finally swap super speed for the city-scale portal power.
Helmet? Check.
Suits? Check.
Bakuda? Armed.
Lung? About to have the second-worst day of his life too bad he won't get to second-trigger.
Let's go ruin a reputation. It took her five minutes to gather up everything, and when I told her to wear the costume made for her, she looked at me weirdly.
"I am not getting in that thing if you pay me."
"What is wrong with it?"
"Simple. It looks like I am a cartoon character."
While my artistic skills might be questionable, I will never admit that to someone who wore a bomberman costume while terrorizing a city: "We are trying to humiliate Lung here; the more silly we look, the better."
"I am just going to wear normal clothes and a mask. You go there with a silly costume and take his power. I will then come when things settle down, and I don't need any type of protection." She makes it sound like I want to stay with her.
"Alright i will take care of it and you can swoop in take the credit and make hiis day just that much worse " I say that opening a portal a few blocks from where the rapist dragon is throwing his tantrum he has yet to get to the point of being un controllable but he has his scales and is spittin fire balls. Lets go this is going to last a few seconds with my current setup.
Hello readers, this is my first author note. I made it because I am not feeling great about this chapter Tell me some of the issues you find I will edit it and make my future chapters better
Chapter 4 – The Dragon, Dethroned
loudlistner
Getting sticky.
- Joined
- Apr 22, 2024
- Messages
- 75
- Likes received
- 654
Chapter 4 The Dragon, Dethroned
I walk through the portal and use another one to get to a closer building. I then use the power-cancelling field on him, making him lose his power and shrink to a normal human. I changed my portal power to a telekinesis power that can lift a car with one charge to keep him from running away. After walking closer to him, I hear him say,
"Who the fuck are you? I am going to kill you."
I just keep getting closer, and he gets louder.
"When I am done with you, you will beg to be dead."
"Can you shut up? I don't want to have a conversation with a rapist. I have standards," I say while using the telekinesis power to shut his mouth. I realize I forgot to deactivate Oni Lee's power, but he is not here yet, so I will just make it so that my power auto-cancels any other power when it enters my range. That should take care of the serial bomber. I then put the helmet on top of the rapist's head and activate the power steal function. It took less than a second for me to permanently depower Lung the Dragon of Kyushu, or as I like to call him, Chew Toy, aka Beat Up to Show Your Character Is OP. I mean, this guy goes from triggering by a heart attack because Contessa drowns him in drugs to almost dying by drowning in the ocean when Leviathan left him in the water, and after going through so much, he gets put in a pit for over a year only to come here and be a big deal and then lose to a bug girl on her first day. He really has shit luck. I am not going to feel sorry for the wasted potential that is a kiju reduced to a rapist, but still.
When I was done with the power extraction, I removed the helmet from the mumbling bitch that is Lung and remade the city portal power with the one charge left and the now destroyed shaper power. If I can't handle my new body, I will just remake the shaper power with more charges to reverse me back even if it doesn't have a record of how my body should have been.
I make a portal, and Bakuda comes out of it as she promised with just a mask and normal clothing.
"Well, Lung, anything to say?" When I heard her voice, the first thing I thought was her smile might hurt her face. Lung just mumbles. I decide to remove part of the telekinesis. If she wants to talk to him, why should I stop her?
"I will kill you both. You think you are safe just because you put me in prison? I will show you how wrong you are soon enough."
"You want to tell him, or should I do it?" I ask.
"I really want to be the one to tell him." Ugh, what I don't do for a redemption arc!
"Ok, but wait, I want to record this." I then contact Vas by opening the subdimension: "Hey, Vas, I want you to make a drone with the best camera you can add to it and bring it out here."
"Of course, sir, just give me a moment," comes a voice from the portal, and not ten seconds later, there is a floating drone recording the entire thing.
I look right at the camera and start, "Hello, hello, everybody. You may call me Tinker E, and this is my partner…" You know, I have been calling her Bakuda, but she did not tell me that, nor did she tell me her real name, so I whispered to her, "This is where you introduce yourself."
"Ugh, you can call me Bakuda. I am the greatest tinker in the world." She screamed, and I was proud.
I whisper to Lung, "You know the ego could use some trimming, but I really think she could do it and be one of the greats, like on the same level as Hero, if not Drogon. I can't wait to see how far she goes."
"She will burn and crush like every other bitch in this city." He did not have the same self-control as me, and so she heard him. Well, good luck, fuckboy; you are not going to have a great time now.
"Did you just insult me? I will show you what I got, you son of a bitch rapist." She picks one of her bombs, and to my utter surprise, she actually made one to be silly.
She throws it at him, and it removes all his clothes in a magical girl transformation but cuts it halfway. "Well, let's hope nobody else is here to get traumatized. I can see why you become a rapist; there is no way you could pull a girl with your equipment." He just keeps screaming in burning rage… without the burning part.
She did not stop. Bakuda used another bomb, and this one made his dick inverted in real time. Alright, time to stop this.
"Ok, that is enough. We still want him to be recognizable for the law to deal with him. Remember, humiliation is the name of the game."
"Tch, fine, I will not use any more on him."
"Let's just call the port and finish this." I call 911 because I don't know if the PRT has its own emergency phone number.
"Hello, this is 911. What is your emergency?"
"Me and my teammate are new capes, and we have Lung in custody. Can you help us contact the PRT?"
"Sir, if this is a prank call, you will get arrested."
"I promise this is not a prank. Can you just redirect me to the PRT?"
"Alright, wait a moment, please."
A few seconds later, "Hello, this is the PRT. What is your emergency?"
"Me and my teammate are new capes, and we have Lung in custody. Can you send someone to take him from us, maybe Armsmaster with his lie detector, because that might be required for him to believe us?"
"I will send the nearest cape. If Armsmaster is required, he will arrive a little bit later."
"Ok, thank you very much."
We waited there, talked about some random stuff, shut Lung's mouth with telekinesis, and waited for the hero to come. The problem is that the first person to get here is a teleporting Ash clone. He teleported behind me. I think he wanted to cut my neck and teleport away, but I held him with telekinesis, and the power cancellation field took care of the teleporting thing. After the interruption, I took his mask off and made him wear the helmet, took his power, and put the mask on again. He was not complaining, just struggling, but I guess that is what ego death does to you.
After waiting a little longer, Battery and Assault arrived. I immediately whitelisted them for the power cancellation field, but I think they may have noticed. Still, the answer is deny, deny, deny.
When they get close to us, I start by introducing us: "Hello, heroes of our fair city, you may call me Tinker E, and this is my partner on her redemption arc, Bakuda."
"I am not on a redemption arc!"
"Let's agree to disagree." Assault is smirking; it's always a good time to make someone happy.
"You called PRT saying you managed to capture Lung. Is that him?" battery was more serious and to the point
"Yes, but unlike how this normally should go, instead of just capturing him and giving him to you, we have decided to deal with him in a more permanent way." They got tense, so I kept talking a little faster. "Don't worry, I don't mean kill him. I have come to the understanding you frown upon such action, although I don't know how you manage to convince yourself that this rapist sex slaver is a human and not a monster. I am not here to judge; instead, what we did here is remove his power permanently. From this point on, even if you were to lose him in transport or anything like that, he will not be harmful to as many people as he used to." That did not help their tension.
"Wait, are you telling me you can remove someone's power permanently?" Assault was not smiling anymore.
"Yes, now that he doesn't have a theoretical value as an endbringer fighter, you can actually punish him instead of, you know, letting him be. This is what we will do to any of the vile monsters in this city—not kill them, just remove their so-called deserved gift." I then look to Battery and say, "I know you think it is hilarious that they get one bad day and they go around making it everyone's problem."
"As for the credit, you may give it to Bakuda. After all, if it were not for her, I probably would not have removed him from this city."
"You want them to give me the credit."
"Think of it as a reward for becoming a better human. I will show you just how good it feels to be good." I then open a portal to the boat base and walk through it while leaving the heroes dumbfounded.
I walk through the portal and use another one to get to a closer building. I then use the power-cancelling field on him, making him lose his power and shrink to a normal human. I changed my portal power to a telekinesis power that can lift a car with one charge to keep him from running away. After walking closer to him, I hear him say,
"Who the fuck are you? I am going to kill you."
I just keep getting closer, and he gets louder.
"When I am done with you, you will beg to be dead."
"Can you shut up? I don't want to have a conversation with a rapist. I have standards," I say while using the telekinesis power to shut his mouth. I realize I forgot to deactivate Oni Lee's power, but he is not here yet, so I will just make it so that my power auto-cancels any other power when it enters my range. That should take care of the serial bomber. I then put the helmet on top of the rapist's head and activate the power steal function. It took less than a second for me to permanently depower Lung the Dragon of Kyushu, or as I like to call him, Chew Toy, aka Beat Up to Show Your Character Is OP. I mean, this guy goes from triggering by a heart attack because Contessa drowns him in drugs to almost dying by drowning in the ocean when Leviathan left him in the water, and after going through so much, he gets put in a pit for over a year only to come here and be a big deal and then lose to a bug girl on her first day. He really has shit luck. I am not going to feel sorry for the wasted potential that is a kiju reduced to a rapist, but still.
When I was done with the power extraction, I removed the helmet from the mumbling bitch that is Lung and remade the city portal power with the one charge left and the now destroyed shaper power. If I can't handle my new body, I will just remake the shaper power with more charges to reverse me back even if it doesn't have a record of how my body should have been.
I make a portal, and Bakuda comes out of it as she promised with just a mask and normal clothing.
"Well, Lung, anything to say?" When I heard her voice, the first thing I thought was her smile might hurt her face. Lung just mumbles. I decide to remove part of the telekinesis. If she wants to talk to him, why should I stop her?
"I will kill you both. You think you are safe just because you put me in prison? I will show you how wrong you are soon enough."
"You want to tell him, or should I do it?" I ask.
"I really want to be the one to tell him." Ugh, what I don't do for a redemption arc!
"Ok, but wait, I want to record this." I then contact Vas by opening the subdimension: "Hey, Vas, I want you to make a drone with the best camera you can add to it and bring it out here."
"Of course, sir, just give me a moment," comes a voice from the portal, and not ten seconds later, there is a floating drone recording the entire thing.
I look right at the camera and start, "Hello, hello, everybody. You may call me Tinker E, and this is my partner…" You know, I have been calling her Bakuda, but she did not tell me that, nor did she tell me her real name, so I whispered to her, "This is where you introduce yourself."
"Ugh, you can call me Bakuda. I am the greatest tinker in the world." She screamed, and I was proud.
I whisper to Lung, "You know the ego could use some trimming, but I really think she could do it and be one of the greats, like on the same level as Hero, if not Drogon. I can't wait to see how far she goes."
"She will burn and crush like every other bitch in this city." He did not have the same self-control as me, and so she heard him. Well, good luck, fuckboy; you are not going to have a great time now.
"Did you just insult me? I will show you what I got, you son of a bitch rapist." She picks one of her bombs, and to my utter surprise, she actually made one to be silly.
She throws it at him, and it removes all his clothes in a magical girl transformation but cuts it halfway. "Well, let's hope nobody else is here to get traumatized. I can see why you become a rapist; there is no way you could pull a girl with your equipment." He just keeps screaming in burning rage… without the burning part.
She did not stop. Bakuda used another bomb, and this one made his dick inverted in real time. Alright, time to stop this.
"Ok, that is enough. We still want him to be recognizable for the law to deal with him. Remember, humiliation is the name of the game."
"Tch, fine, I will not use any more on him."
"Let's just call the port and finish this." I call 911 because I don't know if the PRT has its own emergency phone number.
"Hello, this is 911. What is your emergency?"
"Me and my teammate are new capes, and we have Lung in custody. Can you help us contact the PRT?"
"Sir, if this is a prank call, you will get arrested."
"I promise this is not a prank. Can you just redirect me to the PRT?"
"Alright, wait a moment, please."
A few seconds later, "Hello, this is the PRT. What is your emergency?"
"Me and my teammate are new capes, and we have Lung in custody. Can you send someone to take him from us, maybe Armsmaster with his lie detector, because that might be required for him to believe us?"
"I will send the nearest cape. If Armsmaster is required, he will arrive a little bit later."
"Ok, thank you very much."
We waited there, talked about some random stuff, shut Lung's mouth with telekinesis, and waited for the hero to come. The problem is that the first person to get here is a teleporting Ash clone. He teleported behind me. I think he wanted to cut my neck and teleport away, but I held him with telekinesis, and the power cancellation field took care of the teleporting thing. After the interruption, I took his mask off and made him wear the helmet, took his power, and put the mask on again. He was not complaining, just struggling, but I guess that is what ego death does to you.
After waiting a little longer, Battery and Assault arrived. I immediately whitelisted them for the power cancellation field, but I think they may have noticed. Still, the answer is deny, deny, deny.
When they get close to us, I start by introducing us: "Hello, heroes of our fair city, you may call me Tinker E, and this is my partner on her redemption arc, Bakuda."
"I am not on a redemption arc!"
"Let's agree to disagree." Assault is smirking; it's always a good time to make someone happy.
"You called PRT saying you managed to capture Lung. Is that him?" battery was more serious and to the point
"Yes, but unlike how this normally should go, instead of just capturing him and giving him to you, we have decided to deal with him in a more permanent way." They got tense, so I kept talking a little faster. "Don't worry, I don't mean kill him. I have come to the understanding you frown upon such action, although I don't know how you manage to convince yourself that this rapist sex slaver is a human and not a monster. I am not here to judge; instead, what we did here is remove his power permanently. From this point on, even if you were to lose him in transport or anything like that, he will not be harmful to as many people as he used to." That did not help their tension.
"Wait, are you telling me you can remove someone's power permanently?" Assault was not smiling anymore.
"Yes, now that he doesn't have a theoretical value as an endbringer fighter, you can actually punish him instead of, you know, letting him be. This is what we will do to any of the vile monsters in this city—not kill them, just remove their so-called deserved gift." I then look to Battery and say, "I know you think it is hilarious that they get one bad day and they go around making it everyone's problem."
"As for the credit, you may give it to Bakuda. After all, if it were not for her, I probably would not have removed him from this city."
"You want them to give me the credit."
"Think of it as a reward for becoming a better human. I will show you just how good it feels to be good." I then open a portal to the boat base and walk through it while leaving the heroes dumbfounded.
Chapter 5 – Freedom, Pizza, and New Beginnings
loudlistner
Getting sticky.
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Chapter 5 – "Freedom, Pizza, and New Beginnings"
"That was amazing. Did you see his expression when I inverted his dick? He has a useless pocket pussy now. He will remember me every time he tries to piss, yes." She is so happy that it is contagious.
"I know, right? It was super, and the heroes just being baffled is now a core memory." The adrenaline is still hitting me. Wow, it is amazing.
I breathe out and say, "Vas, tell me when the base is going to be done."
"The base will be complete by 8:23 am tomorrow, sir."
"What about two bedrooms with at least one bed in them?"
"That part is completed. The tinker labs will take a longer time, so I decided it would be optimal if they were to be completed last."
"Fucking great, I am going to pass out after dinner back Do you want to eat together, or do you want your alone time?"
"What is there to even make?"
"The drones can materialize almost any type of matter they want. You think they can't make food?" I say with a smile.
"You are kidding; they can create biological matter, alright. Vas, make me the cheesiest pizza you can."
"Of course, Ms. Bakuda. What would you like, Mr. E.?"
"Same thing but with as much pepperoni as possible, and I mean I don't want to see the cheese level of pepperoni," I say with glee so apparent that Bakuda looks weirded out. But Vas did not complain, and both our pizzas were completed in a few seconds.
While we are beginning with the food, I look at Bakuda and say, "So my name is Kaleab Dubale. What about you? I don't know anything about you."
"You could just ask Vas, and it would give you any information you want, right?"
"Correct, but one of the perks of being a good guy is that I at least respect your privacy; therefore, I won't ask Vas any such thing, so please feel at ease and introduce yourself, or if you don't feel like it, I can just look at the TV while eating my food."
"I would like to keep my face hidden."
I just picked up the TV remote and turned my chair towards it, opened the TV, and just watched what was available. "So, anything you want to tell me doesn't have to be personal, just to get to know each other, like what is your favorite TV show?"
"Man, I don't know why you want to know about me. I might not even pull through this hero thing. Sure, it felt nice when I used my bomb on Lung, but that was just because he kidnapped me, and the credit is not going to do shit for me. The PRT probably knows me already, and there is no way they would just ignore I held an entire college hostage."
"Ha, they could kill many of the worst villains out there, but they don't because they need meat for the endbringers. They let the likes of Lung live, and all he has is turning into a big Kaiju with no all-or-nothing effect. He is as useful to killing an endbringer as a random normal person is, but you—you can make black hole bombs, time stop bombs, and many, many other exotic bombs. You are one of the most lethal thinkers out there. If they saw even a little of what you can truly do, they would kiss your toes, so don't worry, you are safe from the PRT. And as for the good feeling, as amazing as revenge is, being praised for your good deed feels so much better. If you take pride in your work, there are heroes out there who do it for the ego, and for those heroes, no amount of praise is going to do anything. You need to make sure you like doing it first, and then the praise will enhance that feeling. If you don't want to do it, I am sure we can come up with something else, but I want you to at least give being a good person a chance, please."
I think my sincerity managed to calm her down; she was not saying anything. We keep quiet and watch the TV; it doesn't have to be awkward. After finishing our pizza, I decided to go to my room and she to hers. The rooms were bland; I mean, VAS is just a VI, but still, there is no paint either. Oh well, all I asked for was a bed. I lie on the comfortable bed. Whoo! VAS might not be able to understand fashion, but with its access to the internet, it can easily make some of the best-rated beds by following its process, even if it does not understand that the grey bed on the opposite side of the window without sunlight is not cool. Oh well, I am going to sleep now.
Monday, March 28, 2011, morning
I always like to sleep enough so that when I wake up, I just open my eyes and don't have to stretch or yawn or feel tired in any way. It is one of the best feelings I have encountered in my adult life.
I lay on the bed for a little bit, just looking at the ceiling. Oh well, time to wake up, but I need new clothes. I will bring Vas and ask for a phone with internet access. Once it makes one for me, I pick clothes that feel nice, and the drone synthesizes them to fit me. It was just a T-shirt and sweatpants. I left the room and asked one of the floating drones to make me breakfast: eggs and bacon. It tasted great. I love the feeling of self-sufficiency I had not experienced much in my previous life.
"What to do today? Oh, wait, I want to upload the video. I want the villains to be afraid. Vas, bring one drone to me." A drone comes next to me in a few seconds. I asked it to make me a good laptop and transfer the video of Lung losing his power. Don't edit anything; just add before the video begins, "Hello, villains of this fair city. Once this information is proven by the PRT, I am coming for all of you who don't know how to work with society. I do not mean the bank robbers, but those of you that kill and pillage, rape and ruin. I want you to know I will make all of your so-called deserved power disappear. You are not safe." I then ask Vas if Bakuda is awake, and he tells me no, she is still asleep, so I will wait until she wakes up by herself before I ask her if she wants to add to the video.
Until she wakes up, I will just watch some random TV shows. While I am just sitting and watching TV, Bakuda wakes up and is still wearing the same clothes as last night. "Hey, why are you still wearing those dirty clothes?"
"Because it is the only cloth I have, I need to go to the store."
I am dumbfounded. "You could just ask Vas to make you any clothes you want. Just use a phone to research what type of cloth you want and order it to recreate it to fit you."
"Am I allowed to use the drone for something like that?" she asked in a low voice.
"Bakuda, I want you to understand that you are free. This is not some probation; you can do anything you want. I am treating you like you are a new hero and not a villain in disguise. If you do something horrible in the future, it will be my fault, and I will give the appropriate reaction, but until then, do what you want. Use the drone to make yourself new clothes and new foods. Paint and decorate your room as much as you want; you can use VAS with no limitation." I want her to choose to be good by herself. As for the conflict drive, I am sure we can nudge it to fighting bad guys like every other heroic natural trigger, and if that can't be done, I should be able to make a power to fix it.
"Alright, fine, I will give it a genuine try. Thanks for the chance."
"Ok, cool. Hey, do you want to add to the video? I told the rest of the villains that I am coming for the ones that don't know how to live in society. If there is something you would like to add or change, just tell Vas to make the changes, and then we will post it on Pho and other websites to make sure it does not get removed."
"Yeah, I will see about that later. Now to change clothes and eat breakfast," she said, going back to her room.
Ok, what to do today? Oh, wait, there is Panacea. Maybe I can help her. I could probably make some type of healing tinkertech, but that would probably annoy the PRT, and it would need testing. Still, I could have her be the one to test it. I will go with that, and if the PRT tries to say no to it for a stupid reason, future me will deal with it.
I got up from my sofa and shut off all my powers and made a new one. This one will be used to make a tinkertech that can heal an area like an AOE spell. I will need to add multiple charges to it. First, I need it to have a self-repair function to stop the degradation and someone wanting to destroy it, and then the scanning to figure out what the problem is. Now, do I use shaper-like power to fix the problem or just matter manipulation? If I go with shaper, it will only work on biological matter, but I don't want it to fix clothes and technology, so it would be best if I used a shaper-like effect to make it work. When extra biomass is required, I will add the matter synthesizer, but it will be limited to just biological matter. If more is required, like an exotic body type is in the field, it will ask for permission from VAS, and VAS will tell me to make the decision. This is a big power with very little restriction, so it will require me four charges, and I want to take my time since Panacea will probably be in school until late afternoon, so I won't use my last charge for super speed. I will instead just go into a fugue-like state, even if my power doesn't require me to go into one to make the tinkertech. I then ask Vas where my tinker room is and if it made one for Bakuda. I got the answer I was hoping for.
"I have made two tinker rooms for both you and Miss Bakuda. If you would like more, you only have to ask."
"Great, lead the way to mine. If they are not designated, lead me to the closer one, and also call Backuda and tell her I am going to go on a fugue, so don't interrupt me unless there is an emergency, and as for what can be considered an emergency, just ask Backuda, or if any of our lives are somehow threatened."
"Yes, sir, this drone will lead you to where the lab is located, and I will inform Bakuda of your decision."
"Ah, I almost forgot to tell Backuda that when she is done with the video, she can upload it; she does not have to wait for my permission." I am coming to the realization that while Backuda has an immense ego, it is also damaged, and she thinks that she might be a prisoner. I want her to break out of such a mind state, so I will give her as much freedom as I can. Hopefully, it won't bite me, but I have to remember that I am a human and should never go to destroy the sanctity of another's freedom and mind unless I don't have a choice.
"That was amazing. Did you see his expression when I inverted his dick? He has a useless pocket pussy now. He will remember me every time he tries to piss, yes." She is so happy that it is contagious.
"I know, right? It was super, and the heroes just being baffled is now a core memory." The adrenaline is still hitting me. Wow, it is amazing.
I breathe out and say, "Vas, tell me when the base is going to be done."
"The base will be complete by 8:23 am tomorrow, sir."
"What about two bedrooms with at least one bed in them?"
"That part is completed. The tinker labs will take a longer time, so I decided it would be optimal if they were to be completed last."
"Fucking great, I am going to pass out after dinner back Do you want to eat together, or do you want your alone time?"
"What is there to even make?"
"The drones can materialize almost any type of matter they want. You think they can't make food?" I say with a smile.
"You are kidding; they can create biological matter, alright. Vas, make me the cheesiest pizza you can."
"Of course, Ms. Bakuda. What would you like, Mr. E.?"
"Same thing but with as much pepperoni as possible, and I mean I don't want to see the cheese level of pepperoni," I say with glee so apparent that Bakuda looks weirded out. But Vas did not complain, and both our pizzas were completed in a few seconds.
While we are beginning with the food, I look at Bakuda and say, "So my name is Kaleab Dubale. What about you? I don't know anything about you."
"You could just ask Vas, and it would give you any information you want, right?"
"Correct, but one of the perks of being a good guy is that I at least respect your privacy; therefore, I won't ask Vas any such thing, so please feel at ease and introduce yourself, or if you don't feel like it, I can just look at the TV while eating my food."
"I would like to keep my face hidden."
I just picked up the TV remote and turned my chair towards it, opened the TV, and just watched what was available. "So, anything you want to tell me doesn't have to be personal, just to get to know each other, like what is your favorite TV show?"
"Man, I don't know why you want to know about me. I might not even pull through this hero thing. Sure, it felt nice when I used my bomb on Lung, but that was just because he kidnapped me, and the credit is not going to do shit for me. The PRT probably knows me already, and there is no way they would just ignore I held an entire college hostage."
"Ha, they could kill many of the worst villains out there, but they don't because they need meat for the endbringers. They let the likes of Lung live, and all he has is turning into a big Kaiju with no all-or-nothing effect. He is as useful to killing an endbringer as a random normal person is, but you—you can make black hole bombs, time stop bombs, and many, many other exotic bombs. You are one of the most lethal thinkers out there. If they saw even a little of what you can truly do, they would kiss your toes, so don't worry, you are safe from the PRT. And as for the good feeling, as amazing as revenge is, being praised for your good deed feels so much better. If you take pride in your work, there are heroes out there who do it for the ego, and for those heroes, no amount of praise is going to do anything. You need to make sure you like doing it first, and then the praise will enhance that feeling. If you don't want to do it, I am sure we can come up with something else, but I want you to at least give being a good person a chance, please."
I think my sincerity managed to calm her down; she was not saying anything. We keep quiet and watch the TV; it doesn't have to be awkward. After finishing our pizza, I decided to go to my room and she to hers. The rooms were bland; I mean, VAS is just a VI, but still, there is no paint either. Oh well, all I asked for was a bed. I lie on the comfortable bed. Whoo! VAS might not be able to understand fashion, but with its access to the internet, it can easily make some of the best-rated beds by following its process, even if it does not understand that the grey bed on the opposite side of the window without sunlight is not cool. Oh well, I am going to sleep now.
Monday, March 28, 2011, morning
I always like to sleep enough so that when I wake up, I just open my eyes and don't have to stretch or yawn or feel tired in any way. It is one of the best feelings I have encountered in my adult life.
I lay on the bed for a little bit, just looking at the ceiling. Oh well, time to wake up, but I need new clothes. I will bring Vas and ask for a phone with internet access. Once it makes one for me, I pick clothes that feel nice, and the drone synthesizes them to fit me. It was just a T-shirt and sweatpants. I left the room and asked one of the floating drones to make me breakfast: eggs and bacon. It tasted great. I love the feeling of self-sufficiency I had not experienced much in my previous life.
"What to do today? Oh, wait, I want to upload the video. I want the villains to be afraid. Vas, bring one drone to me." A drone comes next to me in a few seconds. I asked it to make me a good laptop and transfer the video of Lung losing his power. Don't edit anything; just add before the video begins, "Hello, villains of this fair city. Once this information is proven by the PRT, I am coming for all of you who don't know how to work with society. I do not mean the bank robbers, but those of you that kill and pillage, rape and ruin. I want you to know I will make all of your so-called deserved power disappear. You are not safe." I then ask Vas if Bakuda is awake, and he tells me no, she is still asleep, so I will wait until she wakes up by herself before I ask her if she wants to add to the video.
Until she wakes up, I will just watch some random TV shows. While I am just sitting and watching TV, Bakuda wakes up and is still wearing the same clothes as last night. "Hey, why are you still wearing those dirty clothes?"
"Because it is the only cloth I have, I need to go to the store."
I am dumbfounded. "You could just ask Vas to make you any clothes you want. Just use a phone to research what type of cloth you want and order it to recreate it to fit you."
"Am I allowed to use the drone for something like that?" she asked in a low voice.
"Bakuda, I want you to understand that you are free. This is not some probation; you can do anything you want. I am treating you like you are a new hero and not a villain in disguise. If you do something horrible in the future, it will be my fault, and I will give the appropriate reaction, but until then, do what you want. Use the drone to make yourself new clothes and new foods. Paint and decorate your room as much as you want; you can use VAS with no limitation." I want her to choose to be good by herself. As for the conflict drive, I am sure we can nudge it to fighting bad guys like every other heroic natural trigger, and if that can't be done, I should be able to make a power to fix it.
"Alright, fine, I will give it a genuine try. Thanks for the chance."
"Ok, cool. Hey, do you want to add to the video? I told the rest of the villains that I am coming for the ones that don't know how to live in society. If there is something you would like to add or change, just tell Vas to make the changes, and then we will post it on Pho and other websites to make sure it does not get removed."
"Yeah, I will see about that later. Now to change clothes and eat breakfast," she said, going back to her room.
Ok, what to do today? Oh, wait, there is Panacea. Maybe I can help her. I could probably make some type of healing tinkertech, but that would probably annoy the PRT, and it would need testing. Still, I could have her be the one to test it. I will go with that, and if the PRT tries to say no to it for a stupid reason, future me will deal with it.
I got up from my sofa and shut off all my powers and made a new one. This one will be used to make a tinkertech that can heal an area like an AOE spell. I will need to add multiple charges to it. First, I need it to have a self-repair function to stop the degradation and someone wanting to destroy it, and then the scanning to figure out what the problem is. Now, do I use shaper-like power to fix the problem or just matter manipulation? If I go with shaper, it will only work on biological matter, but I don't want it to fix clothes and technology, so it would be best if I used a shaper-like effect to make it work. When extra biomass is required, I will add the matter synthesizer, but it will be limited to just biological matter. If more is required, like an exotic body type is in the field, it will ask for permission from VAS, and VAS will tell me to make the decision. This is a big power with very little restriction, so it will require me four charges, and I want to take my time since Panacea will probably be in school until late afternoon, so I won't use my last charge for super speed. I will instead just go into a fugue-like state, even if my power doesn't require me to go into one to make the tinkertech. I then ask Vas where my tinker room is and if it made one for Bakuda. I got the answer I was hoping for.
"I have made two tinker rooms for both you and Miss Bakuda. If you would like more, you only have to ask."
"Great, lead the way to mine. If they are not designated, lead me to the closer one, and also call Backuda and tell her I am going to go on a fugue, so don't interrupt me unless there is an emergency, and as for what can be considered an emergency, just ask Backuda, or if any of our lives are somehow threatened."
"Yes, sir, this drone will lead you to where the lab is located, and I will inform Bakuda of your decision."
"Ah, I almost forgot to tell Backuda that when she is done with the video, she can upload it; she does not have to wait for my permission." I am coming to the realization that while Backuda has an immense ego, it is also damaged, and she thinks that she might be a prisoner. I want her to break out of such a mind state, so I will give her as much freedom as I can. Hopefully, it won't bite me, but I have to remember that I am a human and should never go to destroy the sanctity of another's freedom and mind unless I don't have a choice.
Last edited:
Chapter 6 – “The Weight of Miracles”
loudlistner
Getting sticky.
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Chapter 6 – "The Weight of Miracles"
After arriving in my tinker room, I asked Vas to keep the drone here to synthesize the matter I require for building the heal field projector. Yes, that is what I will call it, the H.F.P. Right after starting, I notice that it is completed and the room is far messier than expected. Oh well, the drones can clean it up. The problem is the H.F.P. is room-sized equipment, as in it would fit in a room, but the room would have to be built around it, so that is not going to work.
"Well, it is alright. I will just change my power to one stupid thing to upgrade Tinkertech by miniaturizing and increasing efficiency—basically Armsmaster's power—but I want this thing to fit in my palm, so I will need to enhance it. I will use four charges, and that should do it." With my preparation over, it was time to go back to my fugue-like state, and right after getting close to the machine, it disappeared, and there was a box on the table. I am guessing that was the tech. Now to make more of it.
"Vas, come over here."
"Yes, sir, what would you like help with?"
"Scan this tinkertech and make a copy of it. I want five more."
"It shall be done. The scan indicates the subdimentional folding in this tech will make it so that the matter synthesizer will take a few minutes to recreate one copy while I use different drones to make multiple copies at once. Would you like to have some food? It is now 5:43 pm."
"I guess you are right. While the copies are being made, I will eat firfir, the Ethiopian dish. Make sure to add butter and jalapeño pepper." Oh, I can't wait to eat firfir. It always ends up with too much water when I make it. My dad was the best at making firfir… Well, now I just miss them. Fuck, I really am alone. This is horrifying. Calm down, Kaleab, you will be fine. You have godlike power. What could go wrong? Ha, fuck you, future me. One day you're going to die, and it is because of all the things I say now, probably hit by a meteor or some shit. Alright, let me wash my hands and get ready to eat.
"Vas, please call back Uda unless she is busy."
"Currently, Backuda is watching pho reactions to the video she posted about Lung losing his power. Would that count as busy?"
"Actually, I will watch. Pho, too. Let me just wash my hands first."
After cleaning up, I followed the drone to where Bakuda is. After all, this base is massive, and the only one that knows everything about it is Vas. Before getting in the room, I say, Hey, Bakuda, I am about to enter. If you don't have a mask on, wear one." I say, and then I wait until she tells me I can come in. Soon I see Bakuda focusing on a laptop, and I call out to her.
"Hey, so are you hungry, or did you already eat?"
"I haven't eaten since breakfast. I was tinkering, and then I came here to watch people's reactions to the video I posted. It has not even been a full day, and there are more than ten pages of posts with more threads being started."
"Alright, go wash your hands. I am going to surprise you with a food from my culture. We can just project the screen on the wall or just use the TV to look at photos while Vas scrolls through us."
"You are going to get fat again if you are this lazy," she says mockingly, and I start to smile, realizing she is starting to relax.
"Don't work. I got TinkerTech for everything. How do you think I changed my body before fighting Lung? If I get fat again, I will just change my body just like that," I said with a snap at the end.
"That does not help your laziness; soon, even if you can, you won't get out of the sofa."
"Har dee har, we will see how much you will use the technology here when you feel even more at home." She took a minute to wash her hands and come back. By then I asked Vas to open the phone on the TV for us to read through and laugh together.
"So what is this food you've been bragging about?"
"Vas, make two plates of firfir and another plate of enjera."
"Yes, sir, it is ready." It did not take it twenty seconds to make everything.
"Cool, ok, you can eat this by ripping a piece of the injera and using it to hold the firfir in your hand." I show her how to eat it, and the smell was so divine I was salivating.
"Ohh yes, this is how it is supposed to taste. It is glorious."
"Oh, calm down, you are just exaggerating." She then started to eat like I showed her. "Hum, ok, it is not that bad."
"Ha, I knew it. There is nobody in this world that can resist the taste of good food." While enjoying our food, I began to read the phone posts on the screen.
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♦ Topic: A New Thread
In: Boards ► News ► Events ► USA ► East Coast ► Brockton Bay
Tinker E (Original Poster) (Unverified Cape)
Posted on Mar 28th, 2011:
Ok, everyone, I am the new tinker on the block. I believe my teammate Bakuda and I have done something worth a post, so we would like to see your reactions. Here is the link to the video.
(Showing page 1 of 6)
►Bagrat (Veteran Member) (The Guy in the Know)
Replied on Mar 28th, 2011:
There is no way this is real. I will check my sources to make sure, but if this is real and now there is a way to permanently depower someone without killing them, it will be massive news.
►Aloha
Replied on Mar 28th, 2011:
Well, this is a surprise. I hope it is real. A good enough equalizer like this would make things better, but this is also Earth Bet, and that place is Brockton. I am not getting my hopes up unless I see a few more villains lose their power, and even then, there is only one of the helmet. It can't be used everywhere.
►White Fairy (Veteran Member)
Replied on Mar 28th, 2011:
@Bagrat, Come back with your results soon; we need to know if this is accurate. And what about the PRT? Do you guys have something to say? Is this thing real? Did Lung really lose his power? Come on, you have to tell us.
►XxVoid_CowboyxX
Replied on Mar 28th, 2011:
Oh, it is beginning. The end has come. A new Tinker that can remove the powers of other capes—that is endgame bullshit. He must have been working with Cauldron. He steals the powers, and they sell them. That is how they have been able to do it this whole time.
►Antigone
Replied on Mar 28th, 2011:
Shut up, Void. We already know you are crazy; we don't need that transferred to us too.
►Tin_Mother (Moderator) (Newfoundland Survivor)
Replied on Mar 28th, 2011:
I have looked at the video and decided it violates multiple PHO policies, like no explicit pictures. While I will let the thread continue, if anyone would like to watch the video, find it on other websites. The link will lead to nowhere.
►AverageAlexandros (Cape Husband)
Replied on Mar 28th, 2011:
Ahh, Brockton Bay doing Brockton Bay shit. At least one r**p dragon is gone, and the world already looks a little bit better. If this turns out wrong and he comes back, fuck Tinker E
►kisers'sboy (Banned)
Replied on Mar 28th, 2011:
User has been temporarily banned 14 days for this post.
Rules clearly state to not post any hate speech. - Tin_Mother
►Bagrat (Veteran Member) (The Guy in the Know)
Replied on Mar 28th, 2011:
Alright, everyone, I have done my research, and what I got is this: last night, assault and battery came in with two prisoners. They were wearing Lung's and Oni Lee's masks, but Lung was awake, and he was not rampaging, so that says something already, but it does not prove it is a permanent loss. There has never been anyone that can steal powers permanently without killing. Even Glaistig Uaine has to kill her victims. The PRT is doing checks to make sure the effect is permanent, and they should be able to complete the tests by the third day. If by the third day there is no sign of them regaining their powers, then the PRT will just acknowledge that it is permanent.
►Laotsunn (Kyushu Survivor)
Replied on Mar 28th, 2011:
I hope this is permanent. That horrid lizard has been a stain on the honor of the kuyush. Oh, I fought an endbringer. No, bitch, you survived an endbringer like everyone else. He was just a coward. If he had at least kept going to endbringer fights, even if he acknowledged they were hopeless, I would respect that, but no, he would rather act like a r****t dragon of the Middle Ages. So disappointing.
End of Page. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
■
It was still early, so there were no real outrages because everyone was expecting it to be temporary. Once time passes and everyone realizes this is not a joke on them, that is when the show will really begin. I can't wait to see it all.
"Soon the world will know your name. I hope you are ready; it will be a heavy pressure," I say jokingly.
"You think a little pressure from some random people will make me crumble? They will see what I do when I want them to see."
"Ok, ok, don't talk with your mouth full, or you will die before you get any recognition back. You're the best tinker in the world, defeated by cocking food." When I said that, she started laughing, her face went red, and she threw a pillow on my face near my foot. Oh, this means war. I don't care if she is a bomb tinker; this girl is going to get a pie to the face before she sleeps tonight.
"Alright, I am done with my food. Now tell me how it tasted."
"It was not bad; I liked it. Next time we will be eating something my mother used to make; I will tell Vas how to make it." "Cool, cool, Can't wait to taste your food. I am sure it will be a great surprise." While we were reading and eating, time seemed to pass fast. It was already 6:22, so I better go to the hospital if I want to meet our resident biomancer.
"Ok, I will need to go to the hospital. I want to have Panacea test a Tinkertech for me. If it all works out, I should be able to help her soon.""What does she need help with? Isn't she already one of the biggest heroes around?"
"Okay, while this is a bit private, I don't want you to end up like she is right now, so I will tell you the bare minimum. Panacea is a type of hero who does what she does not for ego or because she wants to, but because she believes she has to. If she isn't healing someone, it means one person who needs her help is dying. Yes, it's a very bad habit, and you probably won't make the same mistake, mostly because your problem is quite the opposite. Still, it's something you should be aware of: never take on more responsibility than you can handle. If you find yourself in a situation where you have to shoulder such responsibility, call someone and talk to them. Even if they can't help carry the burden, just being able to talk about it helps."
"Alright, goodbye. I am going to the hospital," I say as I open a portal to the outside. Now how do I get there? I can do the city portal thing again, combined with a map. Why fix something that isn't broken? I then destroy the upgrade power I was using and remake the map and portal power. It tells me that Amy—and no, Panacea is still in the hospital healing someone.
How should I contact her? If I go through the front door, I doubt they would just let me meet the best healer in the world just because I ask. I'll use one of the charges for flight, just enough to make me fly three times faster than I can run. Good enough. I then create a portal to a back alley near the hospital she's in; surprisingly, it's not Brockton Bay General. Oh well, time to meet my hero. Just kidding—I already know she is flawed, so I won't be crushed by disappointment.
After arriving in my tinker room, I asked Vas to keep the drone here to synthesize the matter I require for building the heal field projector. Yes, that is what I will call it, the H.F.P. Right after starting, I notice that it is completed and the room is far messier than expected. Oh well, the drones can clean it up. The problem is the H.F.P. is room-sized equipment, as in it would fit in a room, but the room would have to be built around it, so that is not going to work.
"Well, it is alright. I will just change my power to one stupid thing to upgrade Tinkertech by miniaturizing and increasing efficiency—basically Armsmaster's power—but I want this thing to fit in my palm, so I will need to enhance it. I will use four charges, and that should do it." With my preparation over, it was time to go back to my fugue-like state, and right after getting close to the machine, it disappeared, and there was a box on the table. I am guessing that was the tech. Now to make more of it.
"Vas, come over here."
"Yes, sir, what would you like help with?"
"Scan this tinkertech and make a copy of it. I want five more."
"It shall be done. The scan indicates the subdimentional folding in this tech will make it so that the matter synthesizer will take a few minutes to recreate one copy while I use different drones to make multiple copies at once. Would you like to have some food? It is now 5:43 pm."
"I guess you are right. While the copies are being made, I will eat firfir, the Ethiopian dish. Make sure to add butter and jalapeño pepper." Oh, I can't wait to eat firfir. It always ends up with too much water when I make it. My dad was the best at making firfir… Well, now I just miss them. Fuck, I really am alone. This is horrifying. Calm down, Kaleab, you will be fine. You have godlike power. What could go wrong? Ha, fuck you, future me. One day you're going to die, and it is because of all the things I say now, probably hit by a meteor or some shit. Alright, let me wash my hands and get ready to eat.
"Vas, please call back Uda unless she is busy."
"Currently, Backuda is watching pho reactions to the video she posted about Lung losing his power. Would that count as busy?"
"Actually, I will watch. Pho, too. Let me just wash my hands first."
After cleaning up, I followed the drone to where Bakuda is. After all, this base is massive, and the only one that knows everything about it is Vas. Before getting in the room, I say, Hey, Bakuda, I am about to enter. If you don't have a mask on, wear one." I say, and then I wait until she tells me I can come in. Soon I see Bakuda focusing on a laptop, and I call out to her.
"Hey, so are you hungry, or did you already eat?"
"I haven't eaten since breakfast. I was tinkering, and then I came here to watch people's reactions to the video I posted. It has not even been a full day, and there are more than ten pages of posts with more threads being started."
"Alright, go wash your hands. I am going to surprise you with a food from my culture. We can just project the screen on the wall or just use the TV to look at photos while Vas scrolls through us."
"You are going to get fat again if you are this lazy," she says mockingly, and I start to smile, realizing she is starting to relax.
"Don't work. I got TinkerTech for everything. How do you think I changed my body before fighting Lung? If I get fat again, I will just change my body just like that," I said with a snap at the end.
"That does not help your laziness; soon, even if you can, you won't get out of the sofa."
"Har dee har, we will see how much you will use the technology here when you feel even more at home." She took a minute to wash her hands and come back. By then I asked Vas to open the phone on the TV for us to read through and laugh together.
"So what is this food you've been bragging about?"
"Vas, make two plates of firfir and another plate of enjera."
"Yes, sir, it is ready." It did not take it twenty seconds to make everything.
"Cool, ok, you can eat this by ripping a piece of the injera and using it to hold the firfir in your hand." I show her how to eat it, and the smell was so divine I was salivating.
"Ohh yes, this is how it is supposed to taste. It is glorious."
"Oh, calm down, you are just exaggerating." She then started to eat like I showed her. "Hum, ok, it is not that bad."
"Ha, I knew it. There is nobody in this world that can resist the taste of good food." While enjoying our food, I began to read the phone posts on the screen.
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♦ Topic: A New Thread
In: Boards ► News ► Events ► USA ► East Coast ► Brockton Bay
Tinker E (Original Poster) (Unverified Cape)
Posted on Mar 28th, 2011:
Ok, everyone, I am the new tinker on the block. I believe my teammate Bakuda and I have done something worth a post, so we would like to see your reactions. Here is the link to the video.
(Showing page 1 of 6)
►Bagrat (Veteran Member) (The Guy in the Know)
Replied on Mar 28th, 2011:
There is no way this is real. I will check my sources to make sure, but if this is real and now there is a way to permanently depower someone without killing them, it will be massive news.
►Aloha
Replied on Mar 28th, 2011:
Well, this is a surprise. I hope it is real. A good enough equalizer like this would make things better, but this is also Earth Bet, and that place is Brockton. I am not getting my hopes up unless I see a few more villains lose their power, and even then, there is only one of the helmet. It can't be used everywhere.
►White Fairy (Veteran Member)
Replied on Mar 28th, 2011:
@Bagrat, Come back with your results soon; we need to know if this is accurate. And what about the PRT? Do you guys have something to say? Is this thing real? Did Lung really lose his power? Come on, you have to tell us.
►XxVoid_CowboyxX
Replied on Mar 28th, 2011:
Oh, it is beginning. The end has come. A new Tinker that can remove the powers of other capes—that is endgame bullshit. He must have been working with Cauldron. He steals the powers, and they sell them. That is how they have been able to do it this whole time.
►Antigone
Replied on Mar 28th, 2011:
Shut up, Void. We already know you are crazy; we don't need that transferred to us too.
►Tin_Mother (Moderator) (Newfoundland Survivor)
Replied on Mar 28th, 2011:
I have looked at the video and decided it violates multiple PHO policies, like no explicit pictures. While I will let the thread continue, if anyone would like to watch the video, find it on other websites. The link will lead to nowhere.
►AverageAlexandros (Cape Husband)
Replied on Mar 28th, 2011:
Ahh, Brockton Bay doing Brockton Bay shit. At least one r**p dragon is gone, and the world already looks a little bit better. If this turns out wrong and he comes back, fuck Tinker E
►kisers'sboy (Banned)
Replied on Mar 28th, 2011:
User has been temporarily banned 14 days for this post.
Rules clearly state to not post any hate speech. - Tin_Mother
►Bagrat (Veteran Member) (The Guy in the Know)
Replied on Mar 28th, 2011:
Alright, everyone, I have done my research, and what I got is this: last night, assault and battery came in with two prisoners. They were wearing Lung's and Oni Lee's masks, but Lung was awake, and he was not rampaging, so that says something already, but it does not prove it is a permanent loss. There has never been anyone that can steal powers permanently without killing. Even Glaistig Uaine has to kill her victims. The PRT is doing checks to make sure the effect is permanent, and they should be able to complete the tests by the third day. If by the third day there is no sign of them regaining their powers, then the PRT will just acknowledge that it is permanent.
►Laotsunn (Kyushu Survivor)
Replied on Mar 28th, 2011:
I hope this is permanent. That horrid lizard has been a stain on the honor of the kuyush. Oh, I fought an endbringer. No, bitch, you survived an endbringer like everyone else. He was just a coward. If he had at least kept going to endbringer fights, even if he acknowledged they were hopeless, I would respect that, but no, he would rather act like a r****t dragon of the Middle Ages. So disappointing.
End of Page. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
■
It was still early, so there were no real outrages because everyone was expecting it to be temporary. Once time passes and everyone realizes this is not a joke on them, that is when the show will really begin. I can't wait to see it all.
"Soon the world will know your name. I hope you are ready; it will be a heavy pressure," I say jokingly.
"You think a little pressure from some random people will make me crumble? They will see what I do when I want them to see."
"Ok, ok, don't talk with your mouth full, or you will die before you get any recognition back. You're the best tinker in the world, defeated by cocking food." When I said that, she started laughing, her face went red, and she threw a pillow on my face near my foot. Oh, this means war. I don't care if she is a bomb tinker; this girl is going to get a pie to the face before she sleeps tonight.
"Alright, I am done with my food. Now tell me how it tasted."
"It was not bad; I liked it. Next time we will be eating something my mother used to make; I will tell Vas how to make it." "Cool, cool, Can't wait to taste your food. I am sure it will be a great surprise." While we were reading and eating, time seemed to pass fast. It was already 6:22, so I better go to the hospital if I want to meet our resident biomancer.
"Ok, I will need to go to the hospital. I want to have Panacea test a Tinkertech for me. If it all works out, I should be able to help her soon.""What does she need help with? Isn't she already one of the biggest heroes around?"
"Okay, while this is a bit private, I don't want you to end up like she is right now, so I will tell you the bare minimum. Panacea is a type of hero who does what she does not for ego or because she wants to, but because she believes she has to. If she isn't healing someone, it means one person who needs her help is dying. Yes, it's a very bad habit, and you probably won't make the same mistake, mostly because your problem is quite the opposite. Still, it's something you should be aware of: never take on more responsibility than you can handle. If you find yourself in a situation where you have to shoulder such responsibility, call someone and talk to them. Even if they can't help carry the burden, just being able to talk about it helps."
"Alright, goodbye. I am going to the hospital," I say as I open a portal to the outside. Now how do I get there? I can do the city portal thing again, combined with a map. Why fix something that isn't broken? I then destroy the upgrade power I was using and remake the map and portal power. It tells me that Amy—and no, Panacea is still in the hospital healing someone.
How should I contact her? If I go through the front door, I doubt they would just let me meet the best healer in the world just because I ask. I'll use one of the charges for flight, just enough to make me fly three times faster than I can run. Good enough. I then create a portal to a back alley near the hospital she's in; surprisingly, it's not Brockton Bay General. Oh well, time to meet my hero. Just kidding—I already know she is flawed, so I won't be crushed by disappointment.
Chapter 7 – “The Tinker’s Toy”
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Chapter 7 – "The Tinker's Toy"
Before I do anything, I wear my cape costume. I then step into the alley to find where Amy is by using the map power. After figuring out where she was, I was lucky because she was healing a patient in a room with a window. I fly to the room and knock on the window. I hear her say, "Wait a while, Vicky," but when I keep knocking, she turns her head only to realize I am not her sister. She seems shocked, but she keeps herself together even if she is afraid.
Oh, shit, who the fuck is this? What does he want? Hopefully, it is to heal someone they want, and I can just say if he wants me to heal someone, he will have to put them in the hospital, and I might be able to get to them, but it would be a lie. There are already so many patients here; I won't be able to heal everyone. He just keeps knocking. Hopefully, when I open it, he won't try to kidnap or threaten me. It is not like he would be the first one to do it, but I can hope.
I open the window, and he just floats by, and he speaks, "Sorry for the interruption. If you need time to finish healing your patient, I am willing to wait. Don't worry, I am not here to do anything you don't want. I would like to say something, and if you don't like it, I will leave." At least he seems reasonable. I get closer to my patient and continue the bland work of fixing a body like I have done a thousand times before.
"You can talk while I heal my patient. I don't have time to talk to you alone. I have others I need to heal." He seemed to brighten up when I finished. Fuck this bastard. I am tired, and he is happy I am working.
"Actually, that is what I am here to talk to you about. You see, I am a tinker, and I made a tinker-tech that can be used to heal people. I would like it to be used by the public, but for that to happen, I need approval from the PRT, and getting your approval first would make it far easier for me. After all, if I have you on video saying it works, then the PRT can't stall for time by saying they are doing some tests." I was bored at first; I was just expecting him to say he wants me to heal him or someone he cared about, but then he drops a bombshell on me and keeps on babbling something about the PRT or some shit. I did not pay attention after the tinker-tech that can heal. I want this to be true; I want this to be true so much, but I have faced disappointment before. I won't get my hopes up.
"How do I even know you are telling the truth?" I ask, keeping my bland face going. After all, this could just be a false alarm.
"Oh, that is simple; I have the tech here," he says, showing me a fucking cube. Is that supposed to be able to heal people? He seems to see my disbelief.
"Here I will even prove it to you; once you're done with your patient, you can check my body when this thing is being used on me." Is this moron really saying to test a tinker tech on himself?
"Look, I know my tech, so I know it works, but I need you to believe it works, so I will need you to look at my body before injury and after injury, as well as before healing and after healing. I would also like to have a video recording of you testing it on me." I can't believe I am entertaining this, and is that thing floating near him supposed to be a camera? But since I was done with this patient,. I remove my hands from him and go to this guy who says he is a tinker, and I hold his hand. Of course, what was I expecting? He doesn't even have a Corona Pollentia, let alone be a tinker with the ability to heal injuries, but how did he fly? Maybe someone else gave him the Tinkertech and the lines to say to me. But why? Just a cruel joke? Or is he supposed to kidnap me? Whatever, I can just knock him out with a thought, so it does not matter.
"Great," he says and stabs his hand with something sharp. Is this guy insane? I immediately started to heal him, but he stopped me.
"No, don't worry, I will be using my tech to do it. You're supposed to see if it works, that is all," he says as if he did not just stab himself in front of me.
"Ok, I hope you're ok with the video recording. If you are unwilling, I will blur your face now. Just watch, my boy, the H.F.P. do its work; it will blow your mind." Hopefully, this thing does not explode on me. Shit, what if that is the plan of the person behind this, and what if this guy is just mastered? That could be why he did not react to the pain. No, I can see it; he is still confident this will work, and his body is sending pain signals. What the fuck is wrong with this guy?
Before I could decide on anything, his body started to heal in real time, and I was not the one doing it. Is this real? Oh my god, it is real. This could be great.
"Now I would like you to say that it does work out loud so that the video can be used." I did not even think about it.
"Yes, your body healed by itself, but until it is used on someone else, I can't know if it is real or if you just have some type of regeneration." I was being honest; I could see biomass being created from nowhere, but that is what most capes do when they regenerate themselves.
When I said that he did not wait that long, he just walked to the man sitting on the bed, baffled by what was going on in front of him. I don't blame him; I am also unable to make proper responses.
"Hello, sir, I don't know if what I am about to say is legal, but I am willing to risk it if you are willing to get a cut on your palm in front of this camera and let me use my untested tinker tech on you with the supervision of Panacea. I am willing to give you a gold bar. What do you say?" Again, the man is just confused. He looks at me and then back at the tinker. Until I can get a private conversation with him, I should just keep calling him the tinker in my head, even if he is not the one making the tinker-tech.
"Uh, ahh, yeah, you can use your tech on me, but first, I would like to see the gold." At least he got his priorities straight; that is better than me.
"Sure, Vas, generate a 27.4-pound pure gold bar that should be enough for you to make a good nest egg for yourself. If you require any type of protection with exchanging this gold for currency, you may ask Vas here for more help," he says, all the while pointing at the drone thing following him. I guess that is the camera, and wait, did I just see that thing make a gold bar out of nothing?
"Wait, wait, wait, I can't accept this much gold. This is worth more than a million dollars, and with your recording, I would probably get killed before I could so much as enter a bank to exchange this gold," the guy says, panicking. Now I am also panicking. I did not know how much gold costs, but for this guy to just throw away what is equal to a million dollars is very terrifying.
"As I said, if you require any more help, such as protection, Vas will definitely provide it until you are satisfied. No need to worry at all." He is saying all this while being calm. Are you kidding me? What the f is going on here?
"Oh… ok, I guess I don't mind if I can be protected until everything is dealt with; even just a video camera can do a lot, I guess," says the patient, still worried.
"Oh, don't worry, unless you are up against a brute of a very high caliber, Vas here can take care of anybody. After all, if it can make gold, what is to stop it from making a gun, right?" Holy hell, did he just say the video camera can make any gun it wants? I am suddenly realizing I am so out of my depth here.
"Ok, I am just going to ignore that part and agree to the test." The patient might have just surrendered to the situation. Hmph, slowpoke, I did that long before him.
"Great, here we have a scalpel for the test." He says that, and a thin but sharp object that I am very familiar with appears in front of the drone. "Ok, sir, would you like me to do it, or would you like to do it yourself? Don't worry about the pain; Panacea can make sure you don't feel the pain."
"Yeah, I still don't want to cut myself." That voice, I remember it. Oh yes, it usually comes out of me when I am done with all this shit.
"Ok, great. I will do the cutting panacea. Please keep him from feeling any pain." I walk towards the guy and touch an exposed part of his body.
"Alright, Panacea, check the body getting repaired," he says and just cuts the man's palm. The man, even if he can't feel the pain, still winces from seeing his hand get cut, and I get to see that healing again. The way the required biomass is being created, does it mean this will also work for amputated body parts? Fascinating. This might be the first time in over a year that I am happy about looking at a body being healed.
"Ok, what is the result, panacea? He asks nonchalantly as if this is not the most fascinating machine I have ever seen.
"The effect is consistent with your body, so yes, it proves the tech is working." I don't even open my eyes. I am still looking at how perfectly the new biomatter is melding with the patient. Actually, the only reason I believe it is new is that I saw it come out of nowhere. Fuck, even the DNA, including junk data, is accurate to the smallest degree. Holy hell, this thing is advanced.
"Now, sir, while this is the only test I had thought of, if you are willing to let me fully cut a piece of your finger to show the regeneration part of my tech, I am willing to increase your pay by another bar. What do you say?" Did he just offer to cut this man's finger off??
"Yes, you may cut my finger off if it means I will get even more money." Well, like I said, this man knows what he wants.
"Great, thank you. Vas, get me a sharp enough tool to cut through this man's bone fast." The machine barely took two seconds to give the tinker a new tool, and just like that, the patient I was still keeping from feeling pain lost a part of his finger. I am sure that as a healer, this is wrong, but seeing the machine in effect again is amazing. It is not just the creation of biological matter; it is the fact that this tuning can make sure the matter created is so compatible with the patient that there is no difference. The machine managed to fix him faster than I would have.
"Ok, that should do it. Now, Panacea, I would like you to acknowledge the functionality of my tech on video."
"Yeah, the healing is working as intended, and so is the regeneration. I did not need to do anything to this man's body to make sure there were no side effects. Your tech managed to fix him perfectly."
"Ok, great, that was all I wanted. Stop recording. Now, sir, if you would like, I can give you the other bar of gold, or if you want, Vas can take the gold to a different place, and you can leave the hospital without anybody knowing anything, and Vas will meet you outside to help you deal with the gold-to-currency transfer. I can understand trusting a stranger with this much money might sound unreasonable, but I doubt the guards will let you out with a gold bar."
"Yeah, I guess you are right, and even if this ends up being a scam, I still did not lose anything."
"No need to worry; you won't lose anything. Vas follow this man once he is outside of the hospital to a bank and help him out with everything he requires until the deal is completed. If you require it, you can contact me through another drone." This man is just full of surprises. A portal just opened, and a new drone came out of it.
Before I do anything, I wear my cape costume. I then step into the alley to find where Amy is by using the map power. After figuring out where she was, I was lucky because she was healing a patient in a room with a window. I fly to the room and knock on the window. I hear her say, "Wait a while, Vicky," but when I keep knocking, she turns her head only to realize I am not her sister. She seems shocked, but she keeps herself together even if she is afraid.
Amy's POV
Oh, shit, who the fuck is this? What does he want? Hopefully, it is to heal someone they want, and I can just say if he wants me to heal someone, he will have to put them in the hospital, and I might be able to get to them, but it would be a lie. There are already so many patients here; I won't be able to heal everyone. He just keeps knocking. Hopefully, when I open it, he won't try to kidnap or threaten me. It is not like he would be the first one to do it, but I can hope.
I open the window, and he just floats by, and he speaks, "Sorry for the interruption. If you need time to finish healing your patient, I am willing to wait. Don't worry, I am not here to do anything you don't want. I would like to say something, and if you don't like it, I will leave." At least he seems reasonable. I get closer to my patient and continue the bland work of fixing a body like I have done a thousand times before.
"You can talk while I heal my patient. I don't have time to talk to you alone. I have others I need to heal." He seemed to brighten up when I finished. Fuck this bastard. I am tired, and he is happy I am working.
"Actually, that is what I am here to talk to you about. You see, I am a tinker, and I made a tinker-tech that can be used to heal people. I would like it to be used by the public, but for that to happen, I need approval from the PRT, and getting your approval first would make it far easier for me. After all, if I have you on video saying it works, then the PRT can't stall for time by saying they are doing some tests." I was bored at first; I was just expecting him to say he wants me to heal him or someone he cared about, but then he drops a bombshell on me and keeps on babbling something about the PRT or some shit. I did not pay attention after the tinker-tech that can heal. I want this to be true; I want this to be true so much, but I have faced disappointment before. I won't get my hopes up.
"How do I even know you are telling the truth?" I ask, keeping my bland face going. After all, this could just be a false alarm.
"Oh, that is simple; I have the tech here," he says, showing me a fucking cube. Is that supposed to be able to heal people? He seems to see my disbelief.
"Here I will even prove it to you; once you're done with your patient, you can check my body when this thing is being used on me." Is this moron really saying to test a tinker tech on himself?
"Look, I know my tech, so I know it works, but I need you to believe it works, so I will need you to look at my body before injury and after injury, as well as before healing and after healing. I would also like to have a video recording of you testing it on me." I can't believe I am entertaining this, and is that thing floating near him supposed to be a camera? But since I was done with this patient,. I remove my hands from him and go to this guy who says he is a tinker, and I hold his hand. Of course, what was I expecting? He doesn't even have a Corona Pollentia, let alone be a tinker with the ability to heal injuries, but how did he fly? Maybe someone else gave him the Tinkertech and the lines to say to me. But why? Just a cruel joke? Or is he supposed to kidnap me? Whatever, I can just knock him out with a thought, so it does not matter.
"Great," he says and stabs his hand with something sharp. Is this guy insane? I immediately started to heal him, but he stopped me.
"No, don't worry, I will be using my tech to do it. You're supposed to see if it works, that is all," he says as if he did not just stab himself in front of me.
"Ok, I hope you're ok with the video recording. If you are unwilling, I will blur your face now. Just watch, my boy, the H.F.P. do its work; it will blow your mind." Hopefully, this thing does not explode on me. Shit, what if that is the plan of the person behind this, and what if this guy is just mastered? That could be why he did not react to the pain. No, I can see it; he is still confident this will work, and his body is sending pain signals. What the fuck is wrong with this guy?
Before I could decide on anything, his body started to heal in real time, and I was not the one doing it. Is this real? Oh my god, it is real. This could be great.
"Now I would like you to say that it does work out loud so that the video can be used." I did not even think about it.
"Yes, your body healed by itself, but until it is used on someone else, I can't know if it is real or if you just have some type of regeneration." I was being honest; I could see biomass being created from nowhere, but that is what most capes do when they regenerate themselves.
When I said that he did not wait that long, he just walked to the man sitting on the bed, baffled by what was going on in front of him. I don't blame him; I am also unable to make proper responses.
"Hello, sir, I don't know if what I am about to say is legal, but I am willing to risk it if you are willing to get a cut on your palm in front of this camera and let me use my untested tinker tech on you with the supervision of Panacea. I am willing to give you a gold bar. What do you say?" Again, the man is just confused. He looks at me and then back at the tinker. Until I can get a private conversation with him, I should just keep calling him the tinker in my head, even if he is not the one making the tinker-tech.
"Uh, ahh, yeah, you can use your tech on me, but first, I would like to see the gold." At least he got his priorities straight; that is better than me.
"Sure, Vas, generate a 27.4-pound pure gold bar that should be enough for you to make a good nest egg for yourself. If you require any type of protection with exchanging this gold for currency, you may ask Vas here for more help," he says, all the while pointing at the drone thing following him. I guess that is the camera, and wait, did I just see that thing make a gold bar out of nothing?
"Wait, wait, wait, I can't accept this much gold. This is worth more than a million dollars, and with your recording, I would probably get killed before I could so much as enter a bank to exchange this gold," the guy says, panicking. Now I am also panicking. I did not know how much gold costs, but for this guy to just throw away what is equal to a million dollars is very terrifying.
"As I said, if you require any more help, such as protection, Vas will definitely provide it until you are satisfied. No need to worry at all." He is saying all this while being calm. Are you kidding me? What the f is going on here?
"Oh… ok, I guess I don't mind if I can be protected until everything is dealt with; even just a video camera can do a lot, I guess," says the patient, still worried.
"Oh, don't worry, unless you are up against a brute of a very high caliber, Vas here can take care of anybody. After all, if it can make gold, what is to stop it from making a gun, right?" Holy hell, did he just say the video camera can make any gun it wants? I am suddenly realizing I am so out of my depth here.
"Ok, I am just going to ignore that part and agree to the test." The patient might have just surrendered to the situation. Hmph, slowpoke, I did that long before him.
"Great, here we have a scalpel for the test." He says that, and a thin but sharp object that I am very familiar with appears in front of the drone. "Ok, sir, would you like me to do it, or would you like to do it yourself? Don't worry about the pain; Panacea can make sure you don't feel the pain."
"Yeah, I still don't want to cut myself." That voice, I remember it. Oh yes, it usually comes out of me when I am done with all this shit.
"Ok, great. I will do the cutting panacea. Please keep him from feeling any pain." I walk towards the guy and touch an exposed part of his body.
"Alright, Panacea, check the body getting repaired," he says and just cuts the man's palm. The man, even if he can't feel the pain, still winces from seeing his hand get cut, and I get to see that healing again. The way the required biomass is being created, does it mean this will also work for amputated body parts? Fascinating. This might be the first time in over a year that I am happy about looking at a body being healed.
"Ok, what is the result, panacea? He asks nonchalantly as if this is not the most fascinating machine I have ever seen.
"The effect is consistent with your body, so yes, it proves the tech is working." I don't even open my eyes. I am still looking at how perfectly the new biomatter is melding with the patient. Actually, the only reason I believe it is new is that I saw it come out of nowhere. Fuck, even the DNA, including junk data, is accurate to the smallest degree. Holy hell, this thing is advanced.
"Now, sir, while this is the only test I had thought of, if you are willing to let me fully cut a piece of your finger to show the regeneration part of my tech, I am willing to increase your pay by another bar. What do you say?" Did he just offer to cut this man's finger off??
"Yes, you may cut my finger off if it means I will get even more money." Well, like I said, this man knows what he wants.
"Great, thank you. Vas, get me a sharp enough tool to cut through this man's bone fast." The machine barely took two seconds to give the tinker a new tool, and just like that, the patient I was still keeping from feeling pain lost a part of his finger. I am sure that as a healer, this is wrong, but seeing the machine in effect again is amazing. It is not just the creation of biological matter; it is the fact that this tuning can make sure the matter created is so compatible with the patient that there is no difference. The machine managed to fix him faster than I would have.
"Ok, that should do it. Now, Panacea, I would like you to acknowledge the functionality of my tech on video."
"Yeah, the healing is working as intended, and so is the regeneration. I did not need to do anything to this man's body to make sure there were no side effects. Your tech managed to fix him perfectly."
"Ok, great, that was all I wanted. Stop recording. Now, sir, if you would like, I can give you the other bar of gold, or if you want, Vas can take the gold to a different place, and you can leave the hospital without anybody knowing anything, and Vas will meet you outside to help you deal with the gold-to-currency transfer. I can understand trusting a stranger with this much money might sound unreasonable, but I doubt the guards will let you out with a gold bar."
"Yeah, I guess you are right, and even if this ends up being a scam, I still did not lose anything."
"No need to worry; you won't lose anything. Vas follow this man once he is outside of the hospital to a bank and help him out with everything he requires until the deal is completed. If you require it, you can contact me through another drone." This man is just full of surprises. A portal just opened, and a new drone came out of it.
Chapter 8 – “Building Trust in a Broken World”
loudlistner
Getting sticky.
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Chapter 8 – "Building Trust in a Broken World"
A minute after making a deal with the man for his gold bars, he left the room, leaving me and Amy alone. Now might be the hard part, but I will try to make it go fast.
"So, let's get to it again. Ok, Amy, now that you have seen my tech, I want to tell you more about the TinkerTech. First, it is an area of effect, so it can heal multiple people at the same time. It has a self-repair function to stop the need for me to keep repairing it, so while it can't be reproduced by normal people, once it is tested well enough, it can be everywhere without any big issue. That is the main thing I wanted to tell you to attract you even more towards my deal. I know it might sound a little weird, but I will give you my contact information, and I want you to call me every day and tell me something about yourself. It can be anything; it can even be, "Hey, I got coffee in the morning. Goodbye," and I will accept it.
"Wait, while this is amazing, what is with the last part? It is so weird." Her face is disgusted.
"Yes, it is weird, and I am not threatening to not make the HFP, but I would still like it if you could do this for me. If you want, I can give you a reason for it." I say awkwardly. I mean, I am asking a kid to phone a stranger every day, so yeah.
"What reason could you have that is not just going to be creepy?" Her face did not change.
"Ok, first, Vas, make sure nobody is recording us right now, ok? The reason is I have seen a precognitive vision about how this world would go without me in it, as in what would happen if I and my teammate Bakuda did not destroy Lung, if I am not here offering this tech and anything I would be likely to do in the future. It is not a very great future, and that is why I am willing to change it," I say as fast as I can, just in case she interrupts me.
"You've seen a precog vision. How? You are not even a parahuman. I want to talk to the person ordering you to say this."
"What? There is nobody ordering me to say this. You can touch me and figure out if I am lying. Do that," I say while giving her my hand.
She takes my hand and says, "Repeat what you said."
"There is nobody ordering me to say this." That shocked her. "Then how are you able to do this without a corona polentia?"
"That is simple. I did not gain my powers through normal triggering. Someone gave them to me. I can't say who, but they told me to make this world better, and I feel thankful at least for the power, if not the whole coming to a death world, so I will try to help the world."
"What do you mean someone gave you powers? Nobody just gives powers."
"Actually, that would be wrong. Currently, there is what is called a natural trigger, which is when you get a bad day and get superpowers. Then there are artificial triggers, which are when someone sells you power. I am not any because my power does not have anything to do with my corona polentia or gema; mine comes from a different source. That is all I am willing to say to you."
"Alright, while you may believe you are telling the truth, can I talk to the person who gave you your powers?"
"I have no idea how to contact them. I am not even from this earth, so I doubt they are here."
"Ok, let's say I believe you. Why do you want me to talk to you every day?"
"That is simple; it is because you need some type of stress relief, someone you can shout at and not feel guilty. The precog thing I told you about—while I am not willing to tell you more about it without you wearing a bracelet device someone made to conceal the wearer from any thinkers and precogs, you end up being driven to break your no-brain rule and doing something you will regret. Now, I don't want you to use this info to feel even more depressed. What I want you to do is to take this opportunity and relax whenever you need to, or you can go to therapy, but I am not sure your mother would allow that." She is frozen, the expression saying she might just be willing to silence me if she has to.
"So you know of my power."
"Yes, I am aware you are a biokenetic with one restriction, that being no self-modification, but it can easily be fixed with a meat suit, so I don't think it is an impossible rule to get past. I know how dangerous you could be, but I am not here to scream about that. I can be just as, if not more dangerous than you, but I won't go around abusing my power, not just because of guilt but because I want to be a good person. And because of that, I am willing to get therapy, and since I don't have a bad parent to get in the way, it is easier for me. That is what I want you to do—talk to someone who might understand what you are going through now."
"Ok, I will do whatever you want."
"No, I don't want you to do this because you are feeling threatened. I want you to get better, and you don't do that by being forced. That is why I added the whole coffee thing so that you know you only have to talk about things you feel comfortable with. Please don't do this if you think you are being forced."
"How am I supposed to think I am not being forced? Sure, you don't seem to be lying, but you know so much about me that it is simply too unfair to be a mutual relationship."
"I can tell you more about myself if it helps, like how my life was before I came here."
"Look, I don't know; just leave your contact info, and I will think about it."
"Usually, that means no, but I will give you the chance. Vas, make a portal to the base and bring out another drone." A new drone flies through the portal, and behind it is what seems to be a shelf full of other drones.
"Why do you have so many of those drones?"
"That is because I needed a lot to make my base fast. I could probably destroy them, but if I need multiple active at once, why not just keep them here, right?"
"I am just going to ignore it. Why do you think anyone will be willing to let me keep a drone that can create matter in whatever form it wants?"
"Oh, the drone can't create matter; it uses dimension-based technology to gather the required matter from planets in different dimensions. As for why they wouldn't let you keep it, I can give you two drones, one for you to use and another for the PRT to test. But if they say it is too dangerous, Vas can just add a phone number to contact me on your phone. I'm also going to give you five HFPs; they can be used anywhere you want them. They will take orders from you and only you, so if you want the PRT to test them, you are going to have to allow it, or it will just be a self-repairing cube of metal."
"I promise to at least call you even if I won't say anything important."
"That is all I want from you. We can build a healthy friendship once we can trust each other. And as weird as you are feeling, imagine it from me. I am twenty-two. I feel even creepier, but your situation makes this a must."
"Ok, thank you for the drones and the HFP. Why do you even call it that?"
"Heal field projector. It projects a healing field."
"That is a stupid name."
"It is an accurate name, but whatever you want, kid. And since we are finished with this, I would like to leave for my base. Do you need me to do anything for you now?"
"No, everything should be alright for now. Goodbye."
I then ask Vas to make a portal to my base and step through it. Altogether, this entire situation only took about forty minutes, so I still have a lot of the night left. What should I do now? Yes, I would like to test more of Bakuda's lethal bombs.
After asking Vas where Bakuda is and if she is tinkering, I got the report that yes, she is tinkering but is not in a fugue, so I can talk to her. I then follow Vas to Bakuda's lab and say, "Hey, Bakuda, want to test some of your more destructive bombs? I would like to see the effects they have."
Her voice is happy. "Alright, I can't wait to test all my bombs. They will be wonderful."
"Cool, let's lead us to an open area for bomb testing some far away from the buildings and bring enough drones to record and light the area for the testing."
"Yes, sir, it shall be done. Please follow me."
"Backuda, do you need any new bombs, or did you get Vas to scan all your bombs for the testing?"
"All the bombs are scanned for testing now; all that is needed is to replicate them and throw them to the target." While Bakuda was excitedly telling me how this was going to go, Vas made an electronic car to drive us there. I could probably use the city portal power to get there faster, but who doesn't want to drive in a cool car? So we took the slow and nice route. After leaving the building, there were still roads for us to take with lighting to provide the necessary visibility. The thing is, the sky is still black, so it's weird to look at. I would need to make a new Tinker Tech to make a day-night cycle. It could just be a dome with holographic tech in it, but that is not now. It took us barely five minutes to get where we had to go. After entering some type of building, we see a massive empty area with glass surrounding it.
"Is this building incomplete or what, Vas?"
"The use of this area is to test Miss Bakuda's tinkertechs; therefore, there is a protective glass for the viewing area where you and Miss Bakuda will get to see the result. As for the deployments, a drone will go to the testing area and activate the bomb. The drone will try to escape the effect zone, but if that is not possible, then the only thing lost will be an easily replaceable piece of equipment. Now, which bomb would you like to test?"
"Alright, this is perfect." Bakuda has agreed, and who am I to disagree if the person who made the bombs thinks this is good enough?
After that, Bakuda made her decision to start the testing with a bomb that turns anything in its area into glass. I believe it was used in the original, too. It is cool. After that, it was my choice, and as much as I wanted a time-stop bomb, I wanted to see a black hole bomb more, so that is the one I picked. It was glorious. We spent the night making those poor, poor drones throw bombs somewhere in the middle. We decided to drink, and she just removed her mask and let me see her face. I was so confused. I mean, it has only been one day, and I did not expect her to trust me that much, but who am I to stall progress? So I just goofily smiled while she said,
"My name is Ayame," she said shyly.
"I don't know what brought the sudden trust, but I would like to say you have a beautiful name. Thank you for letting me know about it."
"Shut up; you are just trying to get into my pants."
"I won't lie, you are beautiful, but for now, I want you to get more confidence. After that, if you still have not gotten yourself someone you want to stay with, then I will woo you."
After that somewhat serious point, we just kept drinking and seeing bomb after bomb, and when she showed me her time-stop bomb, I loved it. Of course, I could probably take care of an endbringer, but I want someone from this earth to do it just to show everyone it can be done. I mean, they don't know I am from here, but still, my power is simply an out-of-context problem.
That was the last thing I remembered before falling asleep.
Kaleab POV
A minute after making a deal with the man for his gold bars, he left the room, leaving me and Amy alone. Now might be the hard part, but I will try to make it go fast.
"So, let's get to it again. Ok, Amy, now that you have seen my tech, I want to tell you more about the TinkerTech. First, it is an area of effect, so it can heal multiple people at the same time. It has a self-repair function to stop the need for me to keep repairing it, so while it can't be reproduced by normal people, once it is tested well enough, it can be everywhere without any big issue. That is the main thing I wanted to tell you to attract you even more towards my deal. I know it might sound a little weird, but I will give you my contact information, and I want you to call me every day and tell me something about yourself. It can be anything; it can even be, "Hey, I got coffee in the morning. Goodbye," and I will accept it.
"Wait, while this is amazing, what is with the last part? It is so weird." Her face is disgusted.
"Yes, it is weird, and I am not threatening to not make the HFP, but I would still like it if you could do this for me. If you want, I can give you a reason for it." I say awkwardly. I mean, I am asking a kid to phone a stranger every day, so yeah.
"What reason could you have that is not just going to be creepy?" Her face did not change.
"Ok, first, Vas, make sure nobody is recording us right now, ok? The reason is I have seen a precognitive vision about how this world would go without me in it, as in what would happen if I and my teammate Bakuda did not destroy Lung, if I am not here offering this tech and anything I would be likely to do in the future. It is not a very great future, and that is why I am willing to change it," I say as fast as I can, just in case she interrupts me.
"You've seen a precog vision. How? You are not even a parahuman. I want to talk to the person ordering you to say this."
"What? There is nobody ordering me to say this. You can touch me and figure out if I am lying. Do that," I say while giving her my hand.
She takes my hand and says, "Repeat what you said."
"There is nobody ordering me to say this." That shocked her. "Then how are you able to do this without a corona polentia?"
"That is simple. I did not gain my powers through normal triggering. Someone gave them to me. I can't say who, but they told me to make this world better, and I feel thankful at least for the power, if not the whole coming to a death world, so I will try to help the world."
"What do you mean someone gave you powers? Nobody just gives powers."
"Actually, that would be wrong. Currently, there is what is called a natural trigger, which is when you get a bad day and get superpowers. Then there are artificial triggers, which are when someone sells you power. I am not any because my power does not have anything to do with my corona polentia or gema; mine comes from a different source. That is all I am willing to say to you."
"Alright, while you may believe you are telling the truth, can I talk to the person who gave you your powers?"
"I have no idea how to contact them. I am not even from this earth, so I doubt they are here."
"Ok, let's say I believe you. Why do you want me to talk to you every day?"
"That is simple; it is because you need some type of stress relief, someone you can shout at and not feel guilty. The precog thing I told you about—while I am not willing to tell you more about it without you wearing a bracelet device someone made to conceal the wearer from any thinkers and precogs, you end up being driven to break your no-brain rule and doing something you will regret. Now, I don't want you to use this info to feel even more depressed. What I want you to do is to take this opportunity and relax whenever you need to, or you can go to therapy, but I am not sure your mother would allow that." She is frozen, the expression saying she might just be willing to silence me if she has to.
"So you know of my power."
"Yes, I am aware you are a biokenetic with one restriction, that being no self-modification, but it can easily be fixed with a meat suit, so I don't think it is an impossible rule to get past. I know how dangerous you could be, but I am not here to scream about that. I can be just as, if not more dangerous than you, but I won't go around abusing my power, not just because of guilt but because I want to be a good person. And because of that, I am willing to get therapy, and since I don't have a bad parent to get in the way, it is easier for me. That is what I want you to do—talk to someone who might understand what you are going through now."
"Ok, I will do whatever you want."
"No, I don't want you to do this because you are feeling threatened. I want you to get better, and you don't do that by being forced. That is why I added the whole coffee thing so that you know you only have to talk about things you feel comfortable with. Please don't do this if you think you are being forced."
"How am I supposed to think I am not being forced? Sure, you don't seem to be lying, but you know so much about me that it is simply too unfair to be a mutual relationship."
"I can tell you more about myself if it helps, like how my life was before I came here."
"Look, I don't know; just leave your contact info, and I will think about it."
"Usually, that means no, but I will give you the chance. Vas, make a portal to the base and bring out another drone." A new drone flies through the portal, and behind it is what seems to be a shelf full of other drones.
"Why do you have so many of those drones?"
"That is because I needed a lot to make my base fast. I could probably destroy them, but if I need multiple active at once, why not just keep them here, right?"
"I am just going to ignore it. Why do you think anyone will be willing to let me keep a drone that can create matter in whatever form it wants?"
"Oh, the drone can't create matter; it uses dimension-based technology to gather the required matter from planets in different dimensions. As for why they wouldn't let you keep it, I can give you two drones, one for you to use and another for the PRT to test. But if they say it is too dangerous, Vas can just add a phone number to contact me on your phone. I'm also going to give you five HFPs; they can be used anywhere you want them. They will take orders from you and only you, so if you want the PRT to test them, you are going to have to allow it, or it will just be a self-repairing cube of metal."
"I promise to at least call you even if I won't say anything important."
"That is all I want from you. We can build a healthy friendship once we can trust each other. And as weird as you are feeling, imagine it from me. I am twenty-two. I feel even creepier, but your situation makes this a must."
"Ok, thank you for the drones and the HFP. Why do you even call it that?"
"Heal field projector. It projects a healing field."
"That is a stupid name."
"It is an accurate name, but whatever you want, kid. And since we are finished with this, I would like to leave for my base. Do you need me to do anything for you now?"
"No, everything should be alright for now. Goodbye."
I then ask Vas to make a portal to my base and step through it. Altogether, this entire situation only took about forty minutes, so I still have a lot of the night left. What should I do now? Yes, I would like to test more of Bakuda's lethal bombs.
After asking Vas where Bakuda is and if she is tinkering, I got the report that yes, she is tinkering but is not in a fugue, so I can talk to her. I then follow Vas to Bakuda's lab and say, "Hey, Bakuda, want to test some of your more destructive bombs? I would like to see the effects they have."
Her voice is happy. "Alright, I can't wait to test all my bombs. They will be wonderful."
"Cool, let's lead us to an open area for bomb testing some far away from the buildings and bring enough drones to record and light the area for the testing."
"Yes, sir, it shall be done. Please follow me."
"Backuda, do you need any new bombs, or did you get Vas to scan all your bombs for the testing?"
"All the bombs are scanned for testing now; all that is needed is to replicate them and throw them to the target." While Bakuda was excitedly telling me how this was going to go, Vas made an electronic car to drive us there. I could probably use the city portal power to get there faster, but who doesn't want to drive in a cool car? So we took the slow and nice route. After leaving the building, there were still roads for us to take with lighting to provide the necessary visibility. The thing is, the sky is still black, so it's weird to look at. I would need to make a new Tinker Tech to make a day-night cycle. It could just be a dome with holographic tech in it, but that is not now. It took us barely five minutes to get where we had to go. After entering some type of building, we see a massive empty area with glass surrounding it.
"Is this building incomplete or what, Vas?"
"The use of this area is to test Miss Bakuda's tinkertechs; therefore, there is a protective glass for the viewing area where you and Miss Bakuda will get to see the result. As for the deployments, a drone will go to the testing area and activate the bomb. The drone will try to escape the effect zone, but if that is not possible, then the only thing lost will be an easily replaceable piece of equipment. Now, which bomb would you like to test?"
"Alright, this is perfect." Bakuda has agreed, and who am I to disagree if the person who made the bombs thinks this is good enough?
After that, Bakuda made her decision to start the testing with a bomb that turns anything in its area into glass. I believe it was used in the original, too. It is cool. After that, it was my choice, and as much as I wanted a time-stop bomb, I wanted to see a black hole bomb more, so that is the one I picked. It was glorious. We spent the night making those poor, poor drones throw bombs somewhere in the middle. We decided to drink, and she just removed her mask and let me see her face. I was so confused. I mean, it has only been one day, and I did not expect her to trust me that much, but who am I to stall progress? So I just goofily smiled while she said,
"My name is Ayame," she said shyly.
"I don't know what brought the sudden trust, but I would like to say you have a beautiful name. Thank you for letting me know about it."
"Shut up; you are just trying to get into my pants."
"I won't lie, you are beautiful, but for now, I want you to get more confidence. After that, if you still have not gotten yourself someone you want to stay with, then I will woo you."
After that somewhat serious point, we just kept drinking and seeing bomb after bomb, and when she showed me her time-stop bomb, I loved it. Of course, I could probably take care of an endbringer, but I want someone from this earth to do it just to show everyone it can be done. I mean, they don't know I am from here, but still, my power is simply an out-of-context problem.
That was the last thing I remembered before falling asleep.
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Chapter 9 – “Nanobots and Nostalgia”
loudlistner
Getting sticky.
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Chapter 9 – "Nanobots and Nostalgia"
Tuesday, March 30, 2011
When I woke up in the morning, Ayame was still asleep on the chair next to mine. I did not want to wake her, so I removed my current active powers and made myself intangible to slip through the floor and get out of the room, now to get breakfast… Nah, I will wait for Ayame to decide what we should eat. I decided yesterday, so it is cool if she does it now. I can't wait to see what she will order.
"When Ayame wakes up, tell her she is deciding what we should eat this morning, and tell me when she wakes up," I say that and make the city portal power go straight to my lab.
The first thing I will do is upgrade my subdimension, something to give it a night and day cycle. It will use a hologram with some area control function to simulate wind or any atmospheric phenomena.
I will begin with a power to make the day-night cycle Tinkertech. It costs one charge with a drone next to me. Anything is possible. I first get Vas to play some random music for me to enjoy while tinkering, and I get to it. After a while, I was done with the cycle part.
Now, for the environment simulation, I would need the control to be very fine, as in control as small as a sand grain individually, so I will need a very powerful computer to even get it to work. The current one running VAS would not be efficient, and since I don't want to come back and upgrade it again and again, I am going for the nanobot solutions. Now, that might seem an overreach, but as nanobots, they would be able to do anything for me, so long as it is physical, so that is a massive help.
First, I removed all my powers, then made a tinker power to make a nanobot as small as an atom. It costs three charges. With the knowledge on how to make such nanobots in my head, I then use a technopath power to transfer the knowledge to Vas. I instruct Vas to make a nanobot and take control of it. With how small it is, Vas was able to make enough to start building its computer, now to change my nanobot power to one design to make the best possible quantum computer. with a little time and dimension shenanigans it is able to spit the results of whatever it was used for at the same time the query was sent so that should make it so vas can out compute dragon if need be even if her body is smaller the power took three charges but it was enough by destroying the nano bot power after all vas can already replicate them. From now on, this is how I will tinker, get power and give Vas the blueprint to replicate. I was then able to show Vas how to make it using the tecnopath power. After giving it the blueprint, I destroyed the power, and Vas made the quantum computer to atomic perfection by being able to make the nanobots and assemble them. With that done, time to make the environment control machine. With this computer, forget the sand grains. This thing will be able to calculate atomic pressure. There is nothing it won't be able to control in its field. It is basically reality manipulation, but nothing but the best for my tech.
I do the same with the environment simulator: get power, send a blueprint, and watch it get made. After ten minutes, Vas is done with an environmental control field (ECF).
Ohh, when I can freely give my tech to everybody, I can't wait to alleviate humanity. I will not be stupid and give everything out, but I will be able to show them it is possible and help them replicate it themselves. Ok, so the lab problem should be fixed now. What am I going to do today?
"Vas is bakuda awake yet."
"Yes, sir, Bakuda is awake and has acknowledged that she will decide what to eat. She said to make it a surprise, so I am not to tell you."
"It's alright, Vas; guide me to where she is."
"Of course, follow me, sir."
After following the drone, I see Ayame sitting in front of the TV. Her hand is wet, so I guess she washed her hand. I should do that, too.
I turn around to the nearest washroom, wash my hands, and go to the TV room.
"I have nothing planned for today. What about you?"
"I am thinking of calling my parents and telling them I am sorry for the hostage thing."
"Well, that was deep. I did not think you would tell me that, but congratulations, little by little you are growing." She threw a pillow at my head, and I took it like a man, with a girly yelp.
"Hey, I was just praising you."
"I don't want your praise. Now let's eat already. Vas, make us washoku with gohan, onigiri, misoshiru, and yakizakana."
"Yes, Miss Bakuda, your food is ready."
This looks good. some type of rice and fish dish. It smells nice. Time to feast. After half an hour of eating and talking, when we were done, we watched some TV, but Earth Bet really lagged when it came to entertainment, but I guess that is what happens when Hope is getting beaten and robbed in a back alley.
"Ok, I am bored. I am leaving," Ayame said and left the room.
I just lay there waiting for anything interesting to happen, but nothing did. Maybe PHO? but there wasn't any thing interesting there either, maybe bring a cape criminal to justice i change my power to map with two charges and my power is telling me they are all hiding in their burrows nobody is doing any thing interesting so i let them be and destroy the power, with currently no power i don't even know what to do.
Yes, I can just fly around. That is still the best feeling I have felt for a long while. After adding flight and intangibility to my power using three charges, I ask Vas to make a portal outside the base. Time to fly like a bird. After that, I just spent the entire day flying around, increasing and decreasing my speed with charges, sometimes even destroying my power of flight from a high place and just falling. It was exhilarating. The day passed by fast, and just like that, it was dark.
"Vas make a portal to base." It was night, almost time to sleep. I forgot about lunch and dinner. It will be an experience I will never get tired of.
"Hey, Ayame, how did things go with your parents?" As soon as I enter the base, I fly to where she is after Vas tells me.
"They were upset, but that is to be expected. I thought they would never want to speak to me. To my surprise, they were aware of how people trigger, so they tried to comfort me at first, and then when that was over, they said that I would need to make this up for everyone involved. Man, I love my parents. I don't even know how I put all that pressure on myself. How about you? What did you do today?"
"Oh, I was flying. It is one of the best feelings I have ever experienced; truly a winning move. Did you have anything to eat?
"Yea, I already ate, but we can do the picking foods for both of us like twice a week, once you and another me, but that is it."
"I am cool with that."
I ordered my food and enjoyed it. I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.
Tuesday, March 30, 2011
When I woke up in the morning, Ayame was still asleep on the chair next to mine. I did not want to wake her, so I removed my current active powers and made myself intangible to slip through the floor and get out of the room, now to get breakfast… Nah, I will wait for Ayame to decide what we should eat. I decided yesterday, so it is cool if she does it now. I can't wait to see what she will order.
"When Ayame wakes up, tell her she is deciding what we should eat this morning, and tell me when she wakes up," I say that and make the city portal power go straight to my lab.
The first thing I will do is upgrade my subdimension, something to give it a night and day cycle. It will use a hologram with some area control function to simulate wind or any atmospheric phenomena.
I will begin with a power to make the day-night cycle Tinkertech. It costs one charge with a drone next to me. Anything is possible. I first get Vas to play some random music for me to enjoy while tinkering, and I get to it. After a while, I was done with the cycle part.
Now, for the environment simulation, I would need the control to be very fine, as in control as small as a sand grain individually, so I will need a very powerful computer to even get it to work. The current one running VAS would not be efficient, and since I don't want to come back and upgrade it again and again, I am going for the nanobot solutions. Now, that might seem an overreach, but as nanobots, they would be able to do anything for me, so long as it is physical, so that is a massive help.
First, I removed all my powers, then made a tinker power to make a nanobot as small as an atom. It costs three charges. With the knowledge on how to make such nanobots in my head, I then use a technopath power to transfer the knowledge to Vas. I instruct Vas to make a nanobot and take control of it. With how small it is, Vas was able to make enough to start building its computer, now to change my nanobot power to one design to make the best possible quantum computer. with a little time and dimension shenanigans it is able to spit the results of whatever it was used for at the same time the query was sent so that should make it so vas can out compute dragon if need be even if her body is smaller the power took three charges but it was enough by destroying the nano bot power after all vas can already replicate them. From now on, this is how I will tinker, get power and give Vas the blueprint to replicate. I was then able to show Vas how to make it using the tecnopath power. After giving it the blueprint, I destroyed the power, and Vas made the quantum computer to atomic perfection by being able to make the nanobots and assemble them. With that done, time to make the environment control machine. With this computer, forget the sand grains. This thing will be able to calculate atomic pressure. There is nothing it won't be able to control in its field. It is basically reality manipulation, but nothing but the best for my tech.
I do the same with the environment simulator: get power, send a blueprint, and watch it get made. After ten minutes, Vas is done with an environmental control field (ECF).
Ohh, when I can freely give my tech to everybody, I can't wait to alleviate humanity. I will not be stupid and give everything out, but I will be able to show them it is possible and help them replicate it themselves. Ok, so the lab problem should be fixed now. What am I going to do today?
"Vas is bakuda awake yet."
"Yes, sir, Bakuda is awake and has acknowledged that she will decide what to eat. She said to make it a surprise, so I am not to tell you."
"It's alright, Vas; guide me to where she is."
"Of course, follow me, sir."
After following the drone, I see Ayame sitting in front of the TV. Her hand is wet, so I guess she washed her hand. I should do that, too.
I turn around to the nearest washroom, wash my hands, and go to the TV room.
"I have nothing planned for today. What about you?"
"I am thinking of calling my parents and telling them I am sorry for the hostage thing."
"Well, that was deep. I did not think you would tell me that, but congratulations, little by little you are growing." She threw a pillow at my head, and I took it like a man, with a girly yelp.
"Hey, I was just praising you."
"I don't want your praise. Now let's eat already. Vas, make us washoku with gohan, onigiri, misoshiru, and yakizakana."
"Yes, Miss Bakuda, your food is ready."
This looks good. some type of rice and fish dish. It smells nice. Time to feast. After half an hour of eating and talking, when we were done, we watched some TV, but Earth Bet really lagged when it came to entertainment, but I guess that is what happens when Hope is getting beaten and robbed in a back alley.
"Ok, I am bored. I am leaving," Ayame said and left the room.
I just lay there waiting for anything interesting to happen, but nothing did. Maybe PHO? but there wasn't any thing interesting there either, maybe bring a cape criminal to justice i change my power to map with two charges and my power is telling me they are all hiding in their burrows nobody is doing any thing interesting so i let them be and destroy the power, with currently no power i don't even know what to do.
Yes, I can just fly around. That is still the best feeling I have felt for a long while. After adding flight and intangibility to my power using three charges, I ask Vas to make a portal outside the base. Time to fly like a bird. After that, I just spent the entire day flying around, increasing and decreasing my speed with charges, sometimes even destroying my power of flight from a high place and just falling. It was exhilarating. The day passed by fast, and just like that, it was dark.
"Vas make a portal to base." It was night, almost time to sleep. I forgot about lunch and dinner. It will be an experience I will never get tired of.
"Hey, Ayame, how did things go with your parents?" As soon as I enter the base, I fly to where she is after Vas tells me.
"They were upset, but that is to be expected. I thought they would never want to speak to me. To my surprise, they were aware of how people trigger, so they tried to comfort me at first, and then when that was over, they said that I would need to make this up for everyone involved. Man, I love my parents. I don't even know how I put all that pressure on myself. How about you? What did you do today?"
"Oh, I was flying. It is one of the best feelings I have ever experienced; truly a winning move. Did you have anything to eat?
"Yea, I already ate, but we can do the picking foods for both of us like twice a week, once you and another me, but that is it."
"I am cool with that."
I ordered my food and enjoyed it. I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.
Last edited:
Chapter 10 – "Lines Not Meant to Cross"
loudlistner
Getting sticky.
- Joined
- Apr 22, 2024
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- 75
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- 654
Chapter 10 – "Lines Not Meant to Cross"
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
After my morning ritual of waking up at whatever time my body decides is morning, I remembered that I left some things unfinished with the bots.
Since they are technically as big as atoms and were not told to stop replicating after a certain moment, they are everywhere now, maybe even facilitating all the natural reactions my body needs to act at an optimal state. I would even bet I no longer need to eat or sleep, and it is the same for Ayame. Actually, that is very easy to figure out, so I better tell Vas not to do anything extra with the nanobots. Technically, Vas can't have initiative, but it can still do as it is commanded, and if Ayame were to say, I don't want to go to sleep, it might take that as a command, so
"Vas, I would like to know if you have any bots in my or Ayame's body."
"Yes, sir, the bots have replicated enough to fill the subdimensions and technically are everything that is not you or Miss Ayame."
"Ok, you see, that is a little troublesome. First, make sure every bot is out of our body discreetly. I don't want Ayame to know about the bots yet."
"Yes, sir, the act should be completed in a few minutes."
"After that, I want you to make a minimum distance between any bot and biological matter, even if the bots can act as any matter recorded within your database."
"Of course, sir, what shall the minimum distance be?"
"Make it twenty centimeters from the nearest biological matter."
After that was done, I should tell Ayame. This is technically a massive breach of trust, and I don't want her getting rightfully mad when she figures it out.
So, let's go talk to her first.
"Vas, tell me where Ayame is."
"Ayame is currently in the living room, sir."
Ok, I already know where it is, so I will not need to follow a drone to get there, but funnily, the living room is next to the kitchen, and I don't get why there even is a kitchen, but I guess with matter synthesization and now near reality warping matter control, any place can be any other place without a problem, so I guess it is just normalized house making.
Now it's time to talk to Ayame about massively violating her body autonomy. I hope she is in a forgiving mood.
"Hey, Ayame, good morning."
"... Good morning? Why do you look constipated? Go to the washroom if you need to."
"Yeah, I am going to tell you I made a mistake and not to freak out, mostly because the problem is totally fixed."
"Ok, what is the problem then?"
"Ok, so the problem I made is basically I created the machine army but made Vas take control. That is not the problem. I see you trying to interrupt me; please don't. I will explain everything I can, and I want you to wait until I am done, even if it is freaky, because it will be freaky." She looked horrified for a moment and just made a continuing gesture with her hands.
"After letting VAS control them, I made VAS a quantum computer that gives results to any calculation made at the same time the query was sent using some time shenanigans. After that, I forgot to tell VAS to make any restrictions, so VAS replaced all matter that is not us with the nanobots, so yeah, everything you are interacting with is a nanobot, including the air, but don't worry, I already told VAS to remove all the bots from our bodies and to keep a twenty-centimeter minimum distance between any nanobot and the closest biological matter, so the air you are breathing now is normal air."
"Ok, first we need to talk about boundaries; second, you can't make a mistake like that again; third, why in all hell did you want to make nanobots; and fourth, you either tell me more about your power so that I can prepare, or I am out of here."
"I don't mind the boundaries part. I am very sorry about this, and I am willing to communicate more. That should fix mistakes like this before they happen. As for the third, I decided on nanobots because of all the amazing things they can do, even with the S-class threat they are. when we go beyond this city to help, they would not just be useful but extremely necessary. As for the fourth, while I still can't tell you everything, I can tell you about the prominent problem causer."
"Alright, explain more."
"Ok, what has caused the biggest problem up to now is the tinker power because it leaves a permanent mark in real life. My tinker specialty can basically be anything I want it to be, such as virtual intelligence or nanobots and even quantum computers."
"So you can build anything you want. Are you sure it is not the same as leet, where it will degrade in the future?"
"Yes, I am sure it won't degrade. I am sure of that because that is not my only power, and there is a sort of guarantee, which I can't tell you yet, not because I don't trust you but because I would need you to wear this specific tinkertech before I tell you something so important. Vas make a blind bracelet."
"What is it?"
"What this tinkertech does is simple: it interfears with dimensional-related information gathering, making the user a blind spot for any thinker or precog. Then I am willing to tell you more, but I would like to warn you that while willful ignorance is stupid, it is still bliss."
"Except I am already aware that I am in danger. I need more information. Give me the bracelets."
"First, this bracelet, once worn, will permanently attach to your bones. The only way to remove them is by cutting off your limbs, but there are ways to turn them off with security passcodes and other verifications. Are you sure you want this?"
"Yes, I am sure."
"Ok, Vas, attach four bracelets to Ayame's limbs. As for the passcodes, you will decide the codes in a private area where VAS will not be able to gather information."
After a surgery that took less than twenty seconds with the nanobots, Bakuda was safe from any Tinker bullshit.
"Ok first of all i am not from this world i received my powers from the person that brought me here, my power is that i have five charges each that can make a power themselves but the more charges one power has the stronger it gets something like Eidolon but with a twist anyways i was also given a precognative flash of how this world would go without my interference and it is not great which is why i sometimes feel that i am not doing enough that is why you will some times see me making nanobots or quantum computers what i have now is nothing compared to what we need to fight our greatest enemy i will not give you any mor hints becaus there might still be a situation where you decide to turn your bracelets off for some reason and that would be a huge problem"
"Let me get this straight: you are not from Earth Bet, and you were brought here by someone that gives powers, and the power they gave you is basically Eidolon power with a few changes."
"I know it is hard to believe, but yes."
"I need time to think," she says while leaving with her hand pressed to her forehead.
I did not think I would tell her such a massive secret, even if she wore the bracelet. They only protect her from someone gathering information forcefully; she could still give it out willingly, but when she showed me her face and started to trust me more, I had to reciprocate, even if I knew she was volatile and did not have enough time to heal yet. She is still not as damaged as she was in the book. Calm down; everything will be allright.
That was heavy, but I am done with what I needed to do anyway. I told her about the nanobots and apologized. That is good enough, but what to do the rest of the day? I definitely need to take care of at least one villain. They probably won't still be hiding, and if they are, I am sure I can taunt them into action, so who should I pick to pick on? I have no idea. Let's just destroy all current powers and make map power again. It should tell me the location of all villains in Brockton Bay, and done. Hmm, weird, there seem to be a few of the Empire gathering together, probably for some lynching, so I will stop that, and more are going towards the same direction. Let's check where the place is by an actual map; after all, my power does not tell me street names unless I want it to, haha. After asking Vas to get me a map, I learned where they were going.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
After my morning ritual of waking up at whatever time my body decides is morning, I remembered that I left some things unfinished with the bots.
Since they are technically as big as atoms and were not told to stop replicating after a certain moment, they are everywhere now, maybe even facilitating all the natural reactions my body needs to act at an optimal state. I would even bet I no longer need to eat or sleep, and it is the same for Ayame. Actually, that is very easy to figure out, so I better tell Vas not to do anything extra with the nanobots. Technically, Vas can't have initiative, but it can still do as it is commanded, and if Ayame were to say, I don't want to go to sleep, it might take that as a command, so
"Vas, I would like to know if you have any bots in my or Ayame's body."
"Yes, sir, the bots have replicated enough to fill the subdimensions and technically are everything that is not you or Miss Ayame."
"Ok, you see, that is a little troublesome. First, make sure every bot is out of our body discreetly. I don't want Ayame to know about the bots yet."
"Yes, sir, the act should be completed in a few minutes."
"After that, I want you to make a minimum distance between any bot and biological matter, even if the bots can act as any matter recorded within your database."
"Of course, sir, what shall the minimum distance be?"
"Make it twenty centimeters from the nearest biological matter."
After that was done, I should tell Ayame. This is technically a massive breach of trust, and I don't want her getting rightfully mad when she figures it out.
So, let's go talk to her first.
"Vas, tell me where Ayame is."
"Ayame is currently in the living room, sir."
Ok, I already know where it is, so I will not need to follow a drone to get there, but funnily, the living room is next to the kitchen, and I don't get why there even is a kitchen, but I guess with matter synthesization and now near reality warping matter control, any place can be any other place without a problem, so I guess it is just normalized house making.
Now it's time to talk to Ayame about massively violating her body autonomy. I hope she is in a forgiving mood.
"Hey, Ayame, good morning."
"... Good morning? Why do you look constipated? Go to the washroom if you need to."
"Yeah, I am going to tell you I made a mistake and not to freak out, mostly because the problem is totally fixed."
"Ok, what is the problem then?"
"Ok, so the problem I made is basically I created the machine army but made Vas take control. That is not the problem. I see you trying to interrupt me; please don't. I will explain everything I can, and I want you to wait until I am done, even if it is freaky, because it will be freaky." She looked horrified for a moment and just made a continuing gesture with her hands.
"After letting VAS control them, I made VAS a quantum computer that gives results to any calculation made at the same time the query was sent using some time shenanigans. After that, I forgot to tell VAS to make any restrictions, so VAS replaced all matter that is not us with the nanobots, so yeah, everything you are interacting with is a nanobot, including the air, but don't worry, I already told VAS to remove all the bots from our bodies and to keep a twenty-centimeter minimum distance between any nanobot and the closest biological matter, so the air you are breathing now is normal air."
"Ok, first we need to talk about boundaries; second, you can't make a mistake like that again; third, why in all hell did you want to make nanobots; and fourth, you either tell me more about your power so that I can prepare, or I am out of here."
"I don't mind the boundaries part. I am very sorry about this, and I am willing to communicate more. That should fix mistakes like this before they happen. As for the third, I decided on nanobots because of all the amazing things they can do, even with the S-class threat they are. when we go beyond this city to help, they would not just be useful but extremely necessary. As for the fourth, while I still can't tell you everything, I can tell you about the prominent problem causer."
"Alright, explain more."
"Ok, what has caused the biggest problem up to now is the tinker power because it leaves a permanent mark in real life. My tinker specialty can basically be anything I want it to be, such as virtual intelligence or nanobots and even quantum computers."
"So you can build anything you want. Are you sure it is not the same as leet, where it will degrade in the future?"
"Yes, I am sure it won't degrade. I am sure of that because that is not my only power, and there is a sort of guarantee, which I can't tell you yet, not because I don't trust you but because I would need you to wear this specific tinkertech before I tell you something so important. Vas make a blind bracelet."
"What is it?"
"What this tinkertech does is simple: it interfears with dimensional-related information gathering, making the user a blind spot for any thinker or precog. Then I am willing to tell you more, but I would like to warn you that while willful ignorance is stupid, it is still bliss."
"Except I am already aware that I am in danger. I need more information. Give me the bracelets."
"First, this bracelet, once worn, will permanently attach to your bones. The only way to remove them is by cutting off your limbs, but there are ways to turn them off with security passcodes and other verifications. Are you sure you want this?"
"Yes, I am sure."
"Ok, Vas, attach four bracelets to Ayame's limbs. As for the passcodes, you will decide the codes in a private area where VAS will not be able to gather information."
After a surgery that took less than twenty seconds with the nanobots, Bakuda was safe from any Tinker bullshit.
"Ok first of all i am not from this world i received my powers from the person that brought me here, my power is that i have five charges each that can make a power themselves but the more charges one power has the stronger it gets something like Eidolon but with a twist anyways i was also given a precognative flash of how this world would go without my interference and it is not great which is why i sometimes feel that i am not doing enough that is why you will some times see me making nanobots or quantum computers what i have now is nothing compared to what we need to fight our greatest enemy i will not give you any mor hints becaus there might still be a situation where you decide to turn your bracelets off for some reason and that would be a huge problem"
"Let me get this straight: you are not from Earth Bet, and you were brought here by someone that gives powers, and the power they gave you is basically Eidolon power with a few changes."
"I know it is hard to believe, but yes."
"I need time to think," she says while leaving with her hand pressed to her forehead.
I did not think I would tell her such a massive secret, even if she wore the bracelet. They only protect her from someone gathering information forcefully; she could still give it out willingly, but when she showed me her face and started to trust me more, I had to reciprocate, even if I knew she was volatile and did not have enough time to heal yet. She is still not as damaged as she was in the book. Calm down; everything will be allright.
That was heavy, but I am done with what I needed to do anyway. I told her about the nanobots and apologized. That is good enough, but what to do the rest of the day? I definitely need to take care of at least one villain. They probably won't still be hiding, and if they are, I am sure I can taunt them into action, so who should I pick to pick on? I have no idea. Let's just destroy all current powers and make map power again. It should tell me the location of all villains in Brockton Bay, and done. Hmm, weird, there seem to be a few of the Empire gathering together, probably for some lynching, so I will stop that, and more are going towards the same direction. Let's check where the place is by an actual map; after all, my power does not tell me street names unless I want it to, haha. After asking Vas to get me a map, I learned where they were going.
Chapter 11– “A Meeting of Monsters”
loudlistner
Getting sticky.
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Chapter 11– "A Meeting of Monsters"
When I used the map that was made using the nanobots, I learned these bitches were all going to Somer's Rock. That is the place where the villains meet up to organize and work with each other. I can't allow that, mostly because while I can stop them really fast even without attracting Zion's attention by using some very powerful abilities, I also kind of feel safe with Canon even if it does not make any sense. I mean, I am sure I can technically give myself a precog power that would be able to show me the future as if it is written from my perspective. But I am not going to be able to untangle all my mental issues in this instant. So, it does not matter, but how do I deal with them all? I guess if it worked on Lung, why won't it work on anyone else?
But let's plan how things will go. I will first make city portal power and intangibility to be able to portal myself in the ground, then destroy the city portal power and make a power cancellation field with targeting. I got lucky when I was waiting for Onilee a few days ago. I mean, what if there was a poor flying cape in the sky when the field was up? So, the targeting will have to rely on my intention. After shutting off their powers, I am going to need to hold them because there is no way they won't figure it out so fast, especially with a thinker amongst them, so I would use telekinesis. After shutting down their powers and holding them, I should be able to do what I want. Ok, let's check the map. Still, some people are going to the pub, so I will wait until they all arrive. I don't want to spend a long time in the dark ground.
"Vas, we are going to be interacting with a lot of villains outside. First, I want you to make sure no nanobots replicate more than I say so, especially outside, and once I decide, I want you to implant a self-destruct function in every nanobot in case they get left behind. But first, the escape priority is to make a portal and bring them back. Actually, can you do that? Make a portal as long as you have a nanobot as a connection to the outside world."
"Yes, sir, I am able to make a portal to a nanobot."
"That is great. While I do plan on giving you the ability to make portals like the Door Maker, for now, that should be enough." That is how I plan on getting past the whole five powers at most restriction. While I have not even tried to find a loophole, I always get the feeling I should not, but what I don't understand is I already have it. Like with Tinker Tech, I am able to make an item that basically gives me powers, so why do I feel weird when I try to do so directly? I will have to research this in private and not while waiting for villains to gather. The map still shows that not everyone is there yet, so I will wait for them.
After about ten minutes, everyone seemed to be there. Now is the time to execute the plan, but first, I'm asking Vas to change my clothes to my cape outfit. After that and a few seconds of setting up my power, I was in front of a portal to a black wall. I walked through it and destroyed the map and portal power. With that, it was time to go to step two, which is power cancellation and telekinesis. I was right; the moment I made the power, everyone figured it out, even those without currently active powers. This explains Assault and Battery's reaction when we met; they hid it, but I did think they figured out there was a problem. I just did not know how. I wonder if the power loss feeling is just a feeling or if they get a guarantee they lost their powers. It does not matter. I used the telekinesis power to make sure nobody moved, but I came to the realization that the bigger the field I controlled, the less accurate it got. Technically, I can make a big car float with two charges, but unless it is in front of my eyes, I cannot control two different objects. I will need to add a multitasking power to make this work correctly, so I will need to get out of the ground. Man, you have no idea how cool it is to get everyone's attention by floating from the ground. It is cool as hell. All their shouts turned quiet. I took that moment to change intangibility with multitasking, and it made all the difference. I could make everyone here make different moves at the same time. It is hilarious.
"Alright, alright, everyone shut up. Today I was just planning to capture one of you, and that would have been it—scare you for a while, take someone's power permanently, and put you back in your hiding holes—but color me surprised when I hear everyone was coming to talk together." I used telekinesis to actually shut them up; there is no way they would actually do it just because I said so.
"At first I did not believe my source. I mean, can you blame me? You are a motley group of Nazi racists." Looking at the empire, they were the biggest group, of course, and as Nazis, all they do is infest.
"Drug addicts that sometimes die from forgetting to breathe" The merchants are only two, but it is funny to see someone try to talk but have their jaw shut, so I might have been taking my time with them.
"Gaming bro wannabe failures" Uber and Leet were happy at the gaming bro part but scowled at the wannabe failure part. I at least allow for expression.
"Small-time thieves," the undersiders were able to make the biggest differences in reactions. Regent just did not care, but Bitch was trying everything to escape, which was what everyone was doing, so you go, Regent.
"Mercenaries that do anything for money" Fault Line was not different; she was also trying to escape, but Gregor seems to be trying to get closer to Fault Line. Maybe to protect her, I guess he is the bodyguard, while neuter and spitfire were doing the same as everyone and fumbling about in the same place.
"And of course there is our resident garden snake." Would you believe me if I told you he is the only one that did not react when the power cancellation field went up? I wonder why.
"I just could not see any of you working together, and pretty much all of you are untrustworthy monsters. Even now, I am shocked you are willing to come together and cooperate against a seemingly greater enemy. It is almost as if you really think you are human. It is a joke so funny it might make a corpse laugh." They all stopped fumbling when my voice got angry with my mask. It was the only way to know my feelings unless you are a body reader.
"Hooof, sorry, I was getting a bit too angry here. I mean, if monsters tried working with each other and made a habit of it, that would basically destroy humanity's chance of fighting all you scum-sucking bastards," I said while slowing my voice.
"I can't have that. I simply can't and won't allow you all to work together."
"So let me monologue here for a bit. How do I destroy every chance of cooperation you have? I can't just keep interrupting whenever you try to gather. You could just make phone calls. I don't want to remove all of you at once because every rat out there will take it as an invitation to come to the city. Just removing the ABB will probably cause some problems. I am not killing because I don't want to, and for the same reason above, so I have come up with this plan: basically, make you fight each other."
"Now, as for how I will go about that, it is simple. I will reveal some secrets. Let's see. First, I am picking Coil. I personally detest you, so I will make sure they can't cooperate with you."
"Ok, Empire, I would like to inform you that he has gathered, or at least is in the process of gathering, your secret identities to leak at an opportune time of his choosing. You don't want to work with someone actively trying to ruin you, do you?" I say this while being behind Kiser, and I let him talk.
"I promise you this: I will kill you for this violation you have enforced."
"That is nice, little emperor, but you have not answered my question. Can you cooperate with Coil knowing he probably knows who you are and his willingness to make this knowledge public?" He makes an angry scream.
"And if you are able to see the bigger picture and ignore his threat for now, can your puppy? I don't think so."
"Now, who to go to next? Ah, yes, the merchants. Did you know your newly acquired friend Trainwreck is a spy working for Coil? I don't know why anyone would want to send a spy to you morons, but this control freak just could not leave even the smallest pot alone. It is seriously unhealthy. If I was not going to make sure he resisted while a few Nazi-aligned cops came to arrest his ass, I probably would have suggested he get therapy." I did not want to do the whole talk to Skid Mark from the back like I did with Kaiser—that druggie smells—but everything is for the play, and I used a little bit of telekinesis to ensure I am only breathing air coming from a completely different direction.
After giving him the same respect I did to Kaiser, and I bet that pissed Kaiser off even more, all he said was he is going to kill Trainwreck. I bet the first thing Trainwreck is going to do after this meeting is get the fuck out of here.
"After the merchants, who do I go to? Ah, yes, the gamer bros. I really don't think he has much planned for you—maybe buy you out or just kill you. I am not sure, but I am sure the very idea of working for this man, who, if he got the opportunity, would torture and kill you for the fun of it, would disgust you." Again, give the same courtesy and let them talk for a while.
"Yea, yea, we get it. Nobody is allowed to work with Coil, even if he doesn't have all these things you said. With you just appearing here and saying you would take our powers, it would be enough to make sure no one works with him. What is with all the charades?"
"Oh, my dear gamer, I am just testing a plan. See, I want to know if there is a bit of humanity in any of you. If you are willing to work with each other even after this, it proves that monsters are adapting. In the land I come from, monsters are simple; they don't work together, and if they do, it is a pack thing, not a let's-sit-down-and-plan thing. That is humanity's only defense against the monsters in the dark. If you are able to take humanity's best chance at survival and mimic it, even in simple terms, such as working together to fight a larger enemy, it means my plan to fight off your kind would need adjustment." After ranting that total bullshit, I shut the duo's mouth and turn my head towards
"Ah, Faultline, the mercenary that does anything for money, I have not done full research on you, but you better hope there is a limit to that anything, or I am going to be pissed. As for how to make sure you won't work with anyone here, I will treat you like a human, and instead of just making it hard to work for them, I would instead incentivize you. How about this: if you don't do anything as stupid as working with monsters, I will heal your dear friend Labyrinth. That is all I will be talking to you about, but when I research you, if there is anything you have done that makes me think this is not a human but a monster, then I will take a pound of your flesh." The last part was a fucking lie. If she does anything horrible, I will just cancel her powers and send her to jail. I mean, I did not kill Lung, for God's sake. I am not going to kill her, but I do need a way to scare her, and of course, I also need to let her talk.
"I would like to make a deal with you in healing my friend, but the problem is with her brain, and not even panacea can touch brains."
"Yea, but I am not a panacea. I am Tinker E. If you can find something I can't take care of, it most likely is because it has already killed me. I am not exaggerating, but believing me will have to come later."
"How do I know what would make you think of me as a monster? I have jaywalked before. Is that enough? What about kidnapping, because I have done that?"
"I don't have a strict moral code just yet. I AM NOT BATMAN. If, after doing some research on you, I figure you can be helped, then I will. If you can't, you will lose your power and be put in a normal prison. I bet that is the greatest fear you all possess now—not even just dying, but dying as a normal human. It is lovely how superior you think you are. And, of course, no skipping town. That is for everyone, by the way, not just Faultline's crew." I do the Batman thing with a scary voice. I am going to enjoy my time here. I also take my time to think of something.
"Actually, Vas, come over here." A drone is made from the air using the nanobots already in the air and my cloth, the replication ability already putting my cloth back together.
"Yes, sir, what is your order?"
"Vas, I want you to implant a tracker on everyone here except the undersiders. I want you to implant multiple at random spots in their bodies. Don't leave any visible trace. Make sure one of them is in their brains." Oh, they did not take that professionally. They all tried to scream and mumble with locked jaws and lips, but nothing came out of that.
"Don't worry too much; they are just trackers to make sure you don't try to escape, and of course, they will be listening in case you tell your friends to escape with a phone or something. Then I would just take their powers. But other than that, they won't blow up or anything." It might be a little too much, but I also want to use the map a little less.
"Now the undersiders. I hear you are a great thinker, tattletale. Right now, you can't use your power, but you are still smart enough to figure things out yourself. I want you to figure out why I did not put a tracker in you." I talk to the undersiders by sitting in front of them instead of standing behind them.
"You want to recruit us; that is the only reason I can come up with for the preferential treatment."
"Correct, but I also think you are mostly just damaged humans and not some monsters already gone off the deep end and in need of being taken care of. How do you think I will be able to buy you off?
"Money would do it. If you don't want us to work with anyone, just give us money, and we won't, you know, like the man you experimented on with panacea—not a hero move there, but still."
"Wow, your power is impressive. How did you even come up with that conclusion? Your power should just be on the fritz when it encountered me. Did you try the whole simulation thing before? I knew you were not dumb, but that is actually a surprise. Good job." I was surprised; I did not think the power would even give her accurate data of a simulated me. In the many fanfics I read, she just goes off a trail and would need to back up multiple times to get any accurate results. I wonder how many headaches she had to go through.
"I will give you any resources you want. When you can synthesize matter in any configuration you want, money becomes useless, but I also don't want to stop there. If, for some reason, Coil still has other means of control over you, I want you to break them. So while I am sorry and I will allow you as much time as you will need to heal from this shock, I will still have to talk." I take a deep breath, and she seems to be confused.
With an exhale, I say, "Ok, I am now going to tell you what Coil's power is and how he uses it. Coil's power is simple: when you take it from the bottom, it simulates reality. Let's start from zero. His power is deactivated, and now he activates it. The power makes two simulations. Each coil in the simulation is aware of the other but not aware that they are a simulation. They then do two different things to achieve the same goal, and whichever one gave them the better result is then picked, and the power, once done with the simulation, starts to master Coil's body and moves it how the simulation that was picked decided, so you could say he has lost a great amount of living time as a puppet to something that does not even understand why a human does something it does. The power just has a lot of information to make the simulation very accurate. Now, let's go to how he uses it. When I started talking about how his power worked and the cost of using it, her face was beaming with happiness. It is sad that I am going to destroy it, but I will need her to be well-informed before she makes a deal with me.
"The way Coil uses his power is to gather information. How do you act when you are in this form of stress? That is basically it. Have you ever wondered how he learns everything you are hiding, as if you tell him about it, whenever you buy his goon, how they keep getting eliminated, whenever you are in a bus going out of the city, and how he seems aware before you even execute the plan? It is simple: would you not tell him all your secrets if he was torturing you, killing you, or raping you? Sure, it is just a simulation, and he has never done it to you directly, but it is a very accurate simulation." Her face went from glee to shock, from terror and rage to despondence by the time I was finished.
"I am sorry to hurt you like this, but I can't have any of you thinking Coil is still a person you can work with. I also want to make a deal with you."
"Anything… Anything you want, so long as you get me away from him, please. I don't want that to happen to me in real life. I am begging." Shit, I made her cry. Of course she is going to cry; I just told her she might just get raped and killed at any moment.
While it might seem like I am taking advantage of her, it is the best I am willing to do now. "If you work with me, and it is work with me instead of work for me, I am not only willing to guarantee you protections but also help with any goal you have as long as it is not going against my plan." She does not know the plan is to be a goody two-shoes, but we can laugh at that later after she gets some rest.
"Now how about you, Grue? Do you think a control freak like that would ever allow you to slip past your chains by achieving your goals? I don't think so, but if you work with me, then I am not only willing to protect your sister but also give you legal support when it comes to taking custody."
"Why am I not surprised you know my secret identity? I am willing to agree to this deal."
"Great, as for the secret identity part, I really don't care how any of you look; it is useless for me." I then look at Bitch and start talking to her.
"Now then, bitch, I know you are more of a pack girl, so we won't be working together. Instead, if you acknowledge me as your boss, I am not only willing to heal all your dogs now, but if you want, I am willing to give you as many dog pounds, as big as you want, for you to protect any dog you want, and with the drones, you can take care of as many as you want. All you have to do is look me in the eyes and then bow your head." This is more of a power move, but I don't think there is a better way to get Bitch to work with me than this, and just like I asked, she looked at me and bowed her head. Great, now just regent, and that should be just as easy.
"And then there was one left, regent, to get you to work with me. How about the best gaming platform you want in whatever way you want? You can laze around as much as you want, and while I think that should be enough, I will also give you this button. It won't work today, but after tonight, if you ever decide to press it, a drone will make a portal to your daddy dearest's skull and punt that ball into soup. What do you say? Want Daddy Diddy to go boom?" I let him talk, but he was not saying anything either, just looking at the button, and after a few seconds of awkward quietness, he said,
"I will believe you when I press this button and see the result. Until then, yes, I am willing to work with you for the gaming equipment."
"Great, that was my main plan for today, but I also don't just want to make sure you all aren't working with Coil; instead, I want to make sure none of you can cooperate in a large group, so let's dismantle the empire a little. How should I go about that? Oh, wait."
"Vas, restrain everyone other than the undersiders for me."
"Yes, sir," and new chains appear around everyone's hands and legs to make sure they can't move. Now I change telekinesis with map power to figure out where Purity is and then destroy that power to make space for city portal power and make a portal to where Purity should be. Then
"Vas, capture and bring Purity to the pub. Make a mask for her to wear, please."
"Yes, sir," Purity screams for a moment, but the mask seems to silence her and only leaves her to struggle for a bit until she comes to the pub, and I cancel the city portal power to change it to telekinesis.
"Ok, let's make the restraint disappear."
"Yes, sir."
"Stop struggling, Purity. I am here to make a deal with you, you racist bitch." I allowed her to speak.
"Who are you, and what the fuck do you want, you bastard?"
"It is simple. I want you to fight the empire. I want to divide you apart, and to do that, I have come up with a plan. Now, I know you are not going to fight the empire without a push, so I will help. I will protect your child from any retaliation Kaiser can enforce on her. If he tries to kidnap her, it won't work. Custody won't work either; while my protection of your child is absolute, there is no such deal for you. If you want, you can die in a ditch for all I care, but I will protect little Aster if you fight the empire, bring Night and Fog to your side, and bother the empire. If I learn you tried to hurt any innocent people, I am going to capture you, remove your powers, and make sure you get put in a Black female-populated prison. Am I understood?"
"And how am I to believe you can protect my child?"
"I would be taking her into a sub dimension, while she and her brother will have unrestricted access. You, on the other hand, will only be able to talk to them in a single room. Whenever you want to talk to them, I will give you a way to make a portal to a designated room in the sub dimension, and they can go to the specified room to talk to you. Is this deal agreeable to you?"
"If you can guarantee my daughter's safety, I will do whatever you want."
"Great, that should do it. Now, there is no way for any of you to work in a big enough group to be a bother to the city. Now, to make one last decision, and this will be a vote with all of you participating. I am going to take someone's power and send them to prison. That person will have to be from the empire or the merchants, and it can't be their leaders, so the choices are"
"Krieg, Hookwolf, Fenja, Menja, Crusader, Night, Fog, Alabaster, Stormtiger, Cricket, Victor, Othala, and Rune for the empire, and Squealer, Mush, and Trainwreck from the merchants make your choice."
Author's note
I want you readers to make the decision. One villain is going out of the board. Who is it going to be? If the decision is not clear enough by the time I start writing the next chapter, I will decide.
When I used the map that was made using the nanobots, I learned these bitches were all going to Somer's Rock. That is the place where the villains meet up to organize and work with each other. I can't allow that, mostly because while I can stop them really fast even without attracting Zion's attention by using some very powerful abilities, I also kind of feel safe with Canon even if it does not make any sense. I mean, I am sure I can technically give myself a precog power that would be able to show me the future as if it is written from my perspective. But I am not going to be able to untangle all my mental issues in this instant. So, it does not matter, but how do I deal with them all? I guess if it worked on Lung, why won't it work on anyone else?
But let's plan how things will go. I will first make city portal power and intangibility to be able to portal myself in the ground, then destroy the city portal power and make a power cancellation field with targeting. I got lucky when I was waiting for Onilee a few days ago. I mean, what if there was a poor flying cape in the sky when the field was up? So, the targeting will have to rely on my intention. After shutting off their powers, I am going to need to hold them because there is no way they won't figure it out so fast, especially with a thinker amongst them, so I would use telekinesis. After shutting down their powers and holding them, I should be able to do what I want. Ok, let's check the map. Still, some people are going to the pub, so I will wait until they all arrive. I don't want to spend a long time in the dark ground.
"Vas, we are going to be interacting with a lot of villains outside. First, I want you to make sure no nanobots replicate more than I say so, especially outside, and once I decide, I want you to implant a self-destruct function in every nanobot in case they get left behind. But first, the escape priority is to make a portal and bring them back. Actually, can you do that? Make a portal as long as you have a nanobot as a connection to the outside world."
"Yes, sir, I am able to make a portal to a nanobot."
"That is great. While I do plan on giving you the ability to make portals like the Door Maker, for now, that should be enough." That is how I plan on getting past the whole five powers at most restriction. While I have not even tried to find a loophole, I always get the feeling I should not, but what I don't understand is I already have it. Like with Tinker Tech, I am able to make an item that basically gives me powers, so why do I feel weird when I try to do so directly? I will have to research this in private and not while waiting for villains to gather. The map still shows that not everyone is there yet, so I will wait for them.
After about ten minutes, everyone seemed to be there. Now is the time to execute the plan, but first, I'm asking Vas to change my clothes to my cape outfit. After that and a few seconds of setting up my power, I was in front of a portal to a black wall. I walked through it and destroyed the map and portal power. With that, it was time to go to step two, which is power cancellation and telekinesis. I was right; the moment I made the power, everyone figured it out, even those without currently active powers. This explains Assault and Battery's reaction when we met; they hid it, but I did think they figured out there was a problem. I just did not know how. I wonder if the power loss feeling is just a feeling or if they get a guarantee they lost their powers. It does not matter. I used the telekinesis power to make sure nobody moved, but I came to the realization that the bigger the field I controlled, the less accurate it got. Technically, I can make a big car float with two charges, but unless it is in front of my eyes, I cannot control two different objects. I will need to add a multitasking power to make this work correctly, so I will need to get out of the ground. Man, you have no idea how cool it is to get everyone's attention by floating from the ground. It is cool as hell. All their shouts turned quiet. I took that moment to change intangibility with multitasking, and it made all the difference. I could make everyone here make different moves at the same time. It is hilarious.
"Alright, alright, everyone shut up. Today I was just planning to capture one of you, and that would have been it—scare you for a while, take someone's power permanently, and put you back in your hiding holes—but color me surprised when I hear everyone was coming to talk together." I used telekinesis to actually shut them up; there is no way they would actually do it just because I said so.
"At first I did not believe my source. I mean, can you blame me? You are a motley group of Nazi racists." Looking at the empire, they were the biggest group, of course, and as Nazis, all they do is infest.
"Drug addicts that sometimes die from forgetting to breathe" The merchants are only two, but it is funny to see someone try to talk but have their jaw shut, so I might have been taking my time with them.
"Gaming bro wannabe failures" Uber and Leet were happy at the gaming bro part but scowled at the wannabe failure part. I at least allow for expression.
"Small-time thieves," the undersiders were able to make the biggest differences in reactions. Regent just did not care, but Bitch was trying everything to escape, which was what everyone was doing, so you go, Regent.
"Mercenaries that do anything for money" Fault Line was not different; she was also trying to escape, but Gregor seems to be trying to get closer to Fault Line. Maybe to protect her, I guess he is the bodyguard, while neuter and spitfire were doing the same as everyone and fumbling about in the same place.
"And of course there is our resident garden snake." Would you believe me if I told you he is the only one that did not react when the power cancellation field went up? I wonder why.
"I just could not see any of you working together, and pretty much all of you are untrustworthy monsters. Even now, I am shocked you are willing to come together and cooperate against a seemingly greater enemy. It is almost as if you really think you are human. It is a joke so funny it might make a corpse laugh." They all stopped fumbling when my voice got angry with my mask. It was the only way to know my feelings unless you are a body reader.
"Hooof, sorry, I was getting a bit too angry here. I mean, if monsters tried working with each other and made a habit of it, that would basically destroy humanity's chance of fighting all you scum-sucking bastards," I said while slowing my voice.
"I can't have that. I simply can't and won't allow you all to work together."
"So let me monologue here for a bit. How do I destroy every chance of cooperation you have? I can't just keep interrupting whenever you try to gather. You could just make phone calls. I don't want to remove all of you at once because every rat out there will take it as an invitation to come to the city. Just removing the ABB will probably cause some problems. I am not killing because I don't want to, and for the same reason above, so I have come up with this plan: basically, make you fight each other."
"Now, as for how I will go about that, it is simple. I will reveal some secrets. Let's see. First, I am picking Coil. I personally detest you, so I will make sure they can't cooperate with you."
"Ok, Empire, I would like to inform you that he has gathered, or at least is in the process of gathering, your secret identities to leak at an opportune time of his choosing. You don't want to work with someone actively trying to ruin you, do you?" I say this while being behind Kiser, and I let him talk.
"I promise you this: I will kill you for this violation you have enforced."
"That is nice, little emperor, but you have not answered my question. Can you cooperate with Coil knowing he probably knows who you are and his willingness to make this knowledge public?" He makes an angry scream.
"And if you are able to see the bigger picture and ignore his threat for now, can your puppy? I don't think so."
"Now, who to go to next? Ah, yes, the merchants. Did you know your newly acquired friend Trainwreck is a spy working for Coil? I don't know why anyone would want to send a spy to you morons, but this control freak just could not leave even the smallest pot alone. It is seriously unhealthy. If I was not going to make sure he resisted while a few Nazi-aligned cops came to arrest his ass, I probably would have suggested he get therapy." I did not want to do the whole talk to Skid Mark from the back like I did with Kaiser—that druggie smells—but everything is for the play, and I used a little bit of telekinesis to ensure I am only breathing air coming from a completely different direction.
After giving him the same respect I did to Kaiser, and I bet that pissed Kaiser off even more, all he said was he is going to kill Trainwreck. I bet the first thing Trainwreck is going to do after this meeting is get the fuck out of here.
"After the merchants, who do I go to? Ah, yes, the gamer bros. I really don't think he has much planned for you—maybe buy you out or just kill you. I am not sure, but I am sure the very idea of working for this man, who, if he got the opportunity, would torture and kill you for the fun of it, would disgust you." Again, give the same courtesy and let them talk for a while.
"Yea, yea, we get it. Nobody is allowed to work with Coil, even if he doesn't have all these things you said. With you just appearing here and saying you would take our powers, it would be enough to make sure no one works with him. What is with all the charades?"
"Oh, my dear gamer, I am just testing a plan. See, I want to know if there is a bit of humanity in any of you. If you are willing to work with each other even after this, it proves that monsters are adapting. In the land I come from, monsters are simple; they don't work together, and if they do, it is a pack thing, not a let's-sit-down-and-plan thing. That is humanity's only defense against the monsters in the dark. If you are able to take humanity's best chance at survival and mimic it, even in simple terms, such as working together to fight a larger enemy, it means my plan to fight off your kind would need adjustment." After ranting that total bullshit, I shut the duo's mouth and turn my head towards
"Ah, Faultline, the mercenary that does anything for money, I have not done full research on you, but you better hope there is a limit to that anything, or I am going to be pissed. As for how to make sure you won't work with anyone here, I will treat you like a human, and instead of just making it hard to work for them, I would instead incentivize you. How about this: if you don't do anything as stupid as working with monsters, I will heal your dear friend Labyrinth. That is all I will be talking to you about, but when I research you, if there is anything you have done that makes me think this is not a human but a monster, then I will take a pound of your flesh." The last part was a fucking lie. If she does anything horrible, I will just cancel her powers and send her to jail. I mean, I did not kill Lung, for God's sake. I am not going to kill her, but I do need a way to scare her, and of course, I also need to let her talk.
"I would like to make a deal with you in healing my friend, but the problem is with her brain, and not even panacea can touch brains."
"Yea, but I am not a panacea. I am Tinker E. If you can find something I can't take care of, it most likely is because it has already killed me. I am not exaggerating, but believing me will have to come later."
"How do I know what would make you think of me as a monster? I have jaywalked before. Is that enough? What about kidnapping, because I have done that?"
"I don't have a strict moral code just yet. I AM NOT BATMAN. If, after doing some research on you, I figure you can be helped, then I will. If you can't, you will lose your power and be put in a normal prison. I bet that is the greatest fear you all possess now—not even just dying, but dying as a normal human. It is lovely how superior you think you are. And, of course, no skipping town. That is for everyone, by the way, not just Faultline's crew." I do the Batman thing with a scary voice. I am going to enjoy my time here. I also take my time to think of something.
"Actually, Vas, come over here." A drone is made from the air using the nanobots already in the air and my cloth, the replication ability already putting my cloth back together.
"Yes, sir, what is your order?"
"Vas, I want you to implant a tracker on everyone here except the undersiders. I want you to implant multiple at random spots in their bodies. Don't leave any visible trace. Make sure one of them is in their brains." Oh, they did not take that professionally. They all tried to scream and mumble with locked jaws and lips, but nothing came out of that.
"Don't worry too much; they are just trackers to make sure you don't try to escape, and of course, they will be listening in case you tell your friends to escape with a phone or something. Then I would just take their powers. But other than that, they won't blow up or anything." It might be a little too much, but I also want to use the map a little less.
"Now the undersiders. I hear you are a great thinker, tattletale. Right now, you can't use your power, but you are still smart enough to figure things out yourself. I want you to figure out why I did not put a tracker in you." I talk to the undersiders by sitting in front of them instead of standing behind them.
"You want to recruit us; that is the only reason I can come up with for the preferential treatment."
"Correct, but I also think you are mostly just damaged humans and not some monsters already gone off the deep end and in need of being taken care of. How do you think I will be able to buy you off?
"Money would do it. If you don't want us to work with anyone, just give us money, and we won't, you know, like the man you experimented on with panacea—not a hero move there, but still."
"Wow, your power is impressive. How did you even come up with that conclusion? Your power should just be on the fritz when it encountered me. Did you try the whole simulation thing before? I knew you were not dumb, but that is actually a surprise. Good job." I was surprised; I did not think the power would even give her accurate data of a simulated me. In the many fanfics I read, she just goes off a trail and would need to back up multiple times to get any accurate results. I wonder how many headaches she had to go through.
"I will give you any resources you want. When you can synthesize matter in any configuration you want, money becomes useless, but I also don't want to stop there. If, for some reason, Coil still has other means of control over you, I want you to break them. So while I am sorry and I will allow you as much time as you will need to heal from this shock, I will still have to talk." I take a deep breath, and she seems to be confused.
With an exhale, I say, "Ok, I am now going to tell you what Coil's power is and how he uses it. Coil's power is simple: when you take it from the bottom, it simulates reality. Let's start from zero. His power is deactivated, and now he activates it. The power makes two simulations. Each coil in the simulation is aware of the other but not aware that they are a simulation. They then do two different things to achieve the same goal, and whichever one gave them the better result is then picked, and the power, once done with the simulation, starts to master Coil's body and moves it how the simulation that was picked decided, so you could say he has lost a great amount of living time as a puppet to something that does not even understand why a human does something it does. The power just has a lot of information to make the simulation very accurate. Now, let's go to how he uses it. When I started talking about how his power worked and the cost of using it, her face was beaming with happiness. It is sad that I am going to destroy it, but I will need her to be well-informed before she makes a deal with me.
"The way Coil uses his power is to gather information. How do you act when you are in this form of stress? That is basically it. Have you ever wondered how he learns everything you are hiding, as if you tell him about it, whenever you buy his goon, how they keep getting eliminated, whenever you are in a bus going out of the city, and how he seems aware before you even execute the plan? It is simple: would you not tell him all your secrets if he was torturing you, killing you, or raping you? Sure, it is just a simulation, and he has never done it to you directly, but it is a very accurate simulation." Her face went from glee to shock, from terror and rage to despondence by the time I was finished.
"I am sorry to hurt you like this, but I can't have any of you thinking Coil is still a person you can work with. I also want to make a deal with you."
"Anything… Anything you want, so long as you get me away from him, please. I don't want that to happen to me in real life. I am begging." Shit, I made her cry. Of course she is going to cry; I just told her she might just get raped and killed at any moment.
While it might seem like I am taking advantage of her, it is the best I am willing to do now. "If you work with me, and it is work with me instead of work for me, I am not only willing to guarantee you protections but also help with any goal you have as long as it is not going against my plan." She does not know the plan is to be a goody two-shoes, but we can laugh at that later after she gets some rest.
"Now how about you, Grue? Do you think a control freak like that would ever allow you to slip past your chains by achieving your goals? I don't think so, but if you work with me, then I am not only willing to protect your sister but also give you legal support when it comes to taking custody."
"Why am I not surprised you know my secret identity? I am willing to agree to this deal."
"Great, as for the secret identity part, I really don't care how any of you look; it is useless for me." I then look at Bitch and start talking to her.
"Now then, bitch, I know you are more of a pack girl, so we won't be working together. Instead, if you acknowledge me as your boss, I am not only willing to heal all your dogs now, but if you want, I am willing to give you as many dog pounds, as big as you want, for you to protect any dog you want, and with the drones, you can take care of as many as you want. All you have to do is look me in the eyes and then bow your head." This is more of a power move, but I don't think there is a better way to get Bitch to work with me than this, and just like I asked, she looked at me and bowed her head. Great, now just regent, and that should be just as easy.
"And then there was one left, regent, to get you to work with me. How about the best gaming platform you want in whatever way you want? You can laze around as much as you want, and while I think that should be enough, I will also give you this button. It won't work today, but after tonight, if you ever decide to press it, a drone will make a portal to your daddy dearest's skull and punt that ball into soup. What do you say? Want Daddy Diddy to go boom?" I let him talk, but he was not saying anything either, just looking at the button, and after a few seconds of awkward quietness, he said,
"I will believe you when I press this button and see the result. Until then, yes, I am willing to work with you for the gaming equipment."
"Great, that was my main plan for today, but I also don't just want to make sure you all aren't working with Coil; instead, I want to make sure none of you can cooperate in a large group, so let's dismantle the empire a little. How should I go about that? Oh, wait."
"Vas, restrain everyone other than the undersiders for me."
"Yes, sir," and new chains appear around everyone's hands and legs to make sure they can't move. Now I change telekinesis with map power to figure out where Purity is and then destroy that power to make space for city portal power and make a portal to where Purity should be. Then
"Vas, capture and bring Purity to the pub. Make a mask for her to wear, please."
"Yes, sir," Purity screams for a moment, but the mask seems to silence her and only leaves her to struggle for a bit until she comes to the pub, and I cancel the city portal power to change it to telekinesis.
"Ok, let's make the restraint disappear."
"Yes, sir."
"Stop struggling, Purity. I am here to make a deal with you, you racist bitch." I allowed her to speak.
"Who are you, and what the fuck do you want, you bastard?"
"It is simple. I want you to fight the empire. I want to divide you apart, and to do that, I have come up with a plan. Now, I know you are not going to fight the empire without a push, so I will help. I will protect your child from any retaliation Kaiser can enforce on her. If he tries to kidnap her, it won't work. Custody won't work either; while my protection of your child is absolute, there is no such deal for you. If you want, you can die in a ditch for all I care, but I will protect little Aster if you fight the empire, bring Night and Fog to your side, and bother the empire. If I learn you tried to hurt any innocent people, I am going to capture you, remove your powers, and make sure you get put in a Black female-populated prison. Am I understood?"
"And how am I to believe you can protect my child?"
"I would be taking her into a sub dimension, while she and her brother will have unrestricted access. You, on the other hand, will only be able to talk to them in a single room. Whenever you want to talk to them, I will give you a way to make a portal to a designated room in the sub dimension, and they can go to the specified room to talk to you. Is this deal agreeable to you?"
"If you can guarantee my daughter's safety, I will do whatever you want."
"Great, that should do it. Now, there is no way for any of you to work in a big enough group to be a bother to the city. Now, to make one last decision, and this will be a vote with all of you participating. I am going to take someone's power and send them to prison. That person will have to be from the empire or the merchants, and it can't be their leaders, so the choices are"
"Krieg, Hookwolf, Fenja, Menja, Crusader, Night, Fog, Alabaster, Stormtiger, Cricket, Victor, Othala, and Rune for the empire, and Squealer, Mush, and Trainwreck from the merchants make your choice."
Author's note
I want you readers to make the decision. One villain is going out of the board. Who is it going to be? If the decision is not clear enough by the time I start writing the next chapter, I will decide.
Chapter 12 – "Thirteen Little Capes Said 'Nein'"
loudlistner
Getting sticky.
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Chapter 12 – "Thirteen Little Capes Said 'Nein'"
Once I allowed all of them to talk, they were loud. I know that I have basically shattered their plans and made any interaction between them extremely hard, if not impossible, but no need to act like children.
"Alright, shut up." I use telekinesis. "I said you need to pick one of you to lose your powers. That is the only thing I want to hear about now." I then let go of telekinesis on their mouth.
"The empire is voting squealer from the merchants." Of course, the empire decided to pick Squealer to weaken the merchants; after all, she controls all their movements with her vehicle tinkering, and I already removed Trainwreck by exposing him as a spy. When everyone heard Kaiser decide to pick the merchant's mover, maybe because they wanted to hurt the empire now that it is wounded by me, but when Purity said
"I am picking Krieg. He controls the empire's contact with Geshlshaft, so if we remove him, we can at least make sure that the empire won't get any support from Geshlshaft any time soon. It would be a massive blow." Everyone was quiet for a moment, but then started talking more about it. After all, this is a decision that would permanently remove one player from the board.
"We are also picking Krieg. Purity is right; even if he is not their main powerhouse, he is still powerful, and if he is imprisoned without powers, he won't be able to make an escape, nor would the empire be able to help when most of us start to attack them." The undersiders were able to make a good enough reasoning for…
"We would also like to remove Krieg, mostly because this was no longer an individual bet the moment the empire decided to pick as a group. It is Krieg or Squealer, and the empire is a greater threat to us than the merchants. Faultline speaks up and said something that now can't be denied: the empire was better off voting individually and lowering their chance of being picked off, but they are Nazis, and the only thing about them that is remotely notable is their number, so I guess they did not have a choice.
"I decide on Krieg." Skidmark, and what a name that is, decided to do something smart. There were some insults in there, but I don't want to remember that part.
"Same with me." Squealer was right behind him, but Mash seemed to be asleep or just in nirvana.
"Hey, wake the f up and choose."
"What? What is it? Why did you bother me? I was having the best trip ever." Wow, he is a perfect example of don't do drugs. This guy is not present in his life.
"We are deciding who loses their powers. Decide who you want." Squealer is pissed, probably because if Krieg doesn't lose, then her powers are gone.
"Alright, I choose Trainwreck."
"You bitch, if we don't pick Krieg, then I am losing my power, you stupid moron."
"I am picking Krieg." Train Wreck has a clear enough cognition to make a correct decision, but I guess he was never a merchant fully. I wonder if he can even get addicted. I mean, he is basically a ball of flesh, right?
"We are picking Krieg, too." Uber and Leet were ignored by everyone but me since I was counting scores. Other than that, who are they again?
Now, last and definitely least is coil.
"I also would like to pick Krieg; he is a greater threat compared to Squealer."
From the beginning, when Purity voted for Krieg, he and Kiser were already pissed, but after Faultline's declaration, they were actually worried, and when the countervote reached eleven, they were shaking as best as they could. It did not get them far. After their loss was guaranteed, Kaiser just gave up and slumped, while Krieg started to actually cry, Bawl and beg not to lose his power.
"Please, I don't want to lose my powers. Don't do this. I can give you money. If that is not enough, I can contact Gesellschaft and get you a well-trained cape of your own. You can get a parahuman that will do anything you want. Please don't do this." His screams were annoying, but I let them continue because I am a drama bitch, and I want a Nazi to piss himself in front of everyone.
"Vas? Make a PDH, place it on his head, and activate it." Kriege keeps crying, screaming, and bargaining all the while a helmet appears on top of his head and falls on it. Not a moment later, he has lost his power, but because the helmet does not make any light or sounds, he still thinks there is a chance, so he is screaming.
"Alright, now that we are done with this part of our game, you may all leave. Undersiders, please stay. We are going to my base. Purity, same for you. I will be taking your kids to the base, so if there is something you would like to say to them, you should do it before we leave. Krieg, stay put. Faultline, I will be meeting you tomorrow at the Palanquin to heal Labyrinth, and if I decide you can't function in society, I will just put you in jail. Don't try to run; it is pointless. That should be it. I will now remove the telekinetic field holding you down." The moment I removed the field, Hook Wolf tried to jump me, but I guess damage to me is not allowed, so Vas just restrained him with all the nanobots in his body.
"Just drag his body outside. If any of you try the same as him, you will get the same result." After that, they all quietly left the same way they came. Once they all had left, I changed my powers from telekinesis to city portal, and then I changed power cancellation to map. After that, I made a portal to where Aster is, and Theo was there taking care of her with the amazing brotherly love he has. He so deserves a reward. When he saw the portal open in front of him, the first thing he did was carry her and try to run away.
"Well, Purity, it is your job to get him to calm down and bring him through this portal. We will be taking care of them after that." Once Purity steps through the portal to the subdimension, I look towards the Undersiders.
"Ok, do you guys need anything from the outside, Grue, your sister, maybe, clothes, dogs, or whatever sentimental thing you have? Now is the time to decide. Vas made maps for each of them." After a few seconds, the extremely detailed maps were brought to them, and they all decided to start pointing out where they wanted to go first.
"Stop first will be Tattletale because I want her to be done with this and go to sleep as soon as possible; second is Grue, since one of his objectives is his sister; then Bitch because of her dogs; and after her, last and definitely least, Regent for his games. Is that understood?" The only one to have an objection is Regent, and all he said was, "Heyyy", I like this kid.
"I have some computers in my room; they have all my necessary data. They are located in my room in the underside base in Redmond Welding."
"Understood, I shall get to it," I say that and use the map she is pointing at with the map power I have in conjunction to make a portal in the undersiders base.
"If there is anything you all want from there, pick it up now." All the undersiders got into the portal and started to pick things up. "Vas, start construction for everyone staying in the sub dimension for an extended length of time. After they get their rooms, listen to them in whatever way they want to decorate."
"Yes, sir, I shall follow your orders to the best of my ability."
"This is great. Also, make a portal to the living room and tell us when you have completed all their rooms."
"Yes, the rooms have been completed." That was fast, but with how much of everything in the base is nanobots, I guess it is to be expected. "Nice, go help the undersiders with carrying anything they want."
"As you wish, sir." A few minutes later, the Undersiders have picked everything they want, and even Purity is done with her talk with Theo and Aster.
"Ok, next is Grue. Where should I open a portal to?" He points a finger at his map, and I open a portal to where it is. He enters it, and I look towards Bitch.
"Bitch, if you require any help with where things are, just say them out loud, and Vas will change the map for you, and if you need to go there physically, Vas can just follow you to wherever you want." When I said that, bitch just nodded and got out of the pub instead of pointing at a map or anything, Vas made a drone to follow her.
"Regent, now it is your turn. If you have anything you would like to get, point it out now."
"I got nothing. Everything I want was in the base, and I already picked up everything I want from there."
"All right, then, Theo, I am so glad to see you are safe. As Purity should have told you, you will be staying in my base. As for Aster, she will be your responsibility, but if you were to require any help, there is Vas, and if for some reason Vas can't help or you just don't want Vas to help, then there is me and everyone else in the base to help you guys. We will be helping each other; after all, we are now the goodie two-shoes." My smile when I said the last part would have lit up the night sky if it were not for the mask on my face and the sun.
"Vas, go to Gru and help him in whatever way he requires. The rest of you, follow me," and they did as if they were little ducklings.
"Welcome to my base. Make yourselves at home, and we will have a dinner party when everyone is gathered. If you have any problems with your identity, even if I already know most of you, then you can still wear your masks. Now go to the rooms Vas has prepared and start decorating whichever one you choose to be yours. Bye, kids. I am going to talk to the other resident here and hope she does not blow my head clean."
Once I allowed all of them to talk, they were loud. I know that I have basically shattered their plans and made any interaction between them extremely hard, if not impossible, but no need to act like children.
"Alright, shut up." I use telekinesis. "I said you need to pick one of you to lose your powers. That is the only thing I want to hear about now." I then let go of telekinesis on their mouth.
"The empire is voting squealer from the merchants." Of course, the empire decided to pick Squealer to weaken the merchants; after all, she controls all their movements with her vehicle tinkering, and I already removed Trainwreck by exposing him as a spy. When everyone heard Kaiser decide to pick the merchant's mover, maybe because they wanted to hurt the empire now that it is wounded by me, but when Purity said
"I am picking Krieg. He controls the empire's contact with Geshlshaft, so if we remove him, we can at least make sure that the empire won't get any support from Geshlshaft any time soon. It would be a massive blow." Everyone was quiet for a moment, but then started talking more about it. After all, this is a decision that would permanently remove one player from the board.
"We are also picking Krieg. Purity is right; even if he is not their main powerhouse, he is still powerful, and if he is imprisoned without powers, he won't be able to make an escape, nor would the empire be able to help when most of us start to attack them." The undersiders were able to make a good enough reasoning for…
"We would also like to remove Krieg, mostly because this was no longer an individual bet the moment the empire decided to pick as a group. It is Krieg or Squealer, and the empire is a greater threat to us than the merchants. Faultline speaks up and said something that now can't be denied: the empire was better off voting individually and lowering their chance of being picked off, but they are Nazis, and the only thing about them that is remotely notable is their number, so I guess they did not have a choice.
"I decide on Krieg." Skidmark, and what a name that is, decided to do something smart. There were some insults in there, but I don't want to remember that part.
"Same with me." Squealer was right behind him, but Mash seemed to be asleep or just in nirvana.
"Hey, wake the f up and choose."
"What? What is it? Why did you bother me? I was having the best trip ever." Wow, he is a perfect example of don't do drugs. This guy is not present in his life.
"We are deciding who loses their powers. Decide who you want." Squealer is pissed, probably because if Krieg doesn't lose, then her powers are gone.
"Alright, I choose Trainwreck."
"You bitch, if we don't pick Krieg, then I am losing my power, you stupid moron."
"I am picking Krieg." Train Wreck has a clear enough cognition to make a correct decision, but I guess he was never a merchant fully. I wonder if he can even get addicted. I mean, he is basically a ball of flesh, right?
"We are picking Krieg, too." Uber and Leet were ignored by everyone but me since I was counting scores. Other than that, who are they again?
Now, last and definitely least is coil.
"I also would like to pick Krieg; he is a greater threat compared to Squealer."
From the beginning, when Purity voted for Krieg, he and Kiser were already pissed, but after Faultline's declaration, they were actually worried, and when the countervote reached eleven, they were shaking as best as they could. It did not get them far. After their loss was guaranteed, Kaiser just gave up and slumped, while Krieg started to actually cry, Bawl and beg not to lose his power.
"Please, I don't want to lose my powers. Don't do this. I can give you money. If that is not enough, I can contact Gesellschaft and get you a well-trained cape of your own. You can get a parahuman that will do anything you want. Please don't do this." His screams were annoying, but I let them continue because I am a drama bitch, and I want a Nazi to piss himself in front of everyone.
"Vas? Make a PDH, place it on his head, and activate it." Kriege keeps crying, screaming, and bargaining all the while a helmet appears on top of his head and falls on it. Not a moment later, he has lost his power, but because the helmet does not make any light or sounds, he still thinks there is a chance, so he is screaming.
"Alright, now that we are done with this part of our game, you may all leave. Undersiders, please stay. We are going to my base. Purity, same for you. I will be taking your kids to the base, so if there is something you would like to say to them, you should do it before we leave. Krieg, stay put. Faultline, I will be meeting you tomorrow at the Palanquin to heal Labyrinth, and if I decide you can't function in society, I will just put you in jail. Don't try to run; it is pointless. That should be it. I will now remove the telekinetic field holding you down." The moment I removed the field, Hook Wolf tried to jump me, but I guess damage to me is not allowed, so Vas just restrained him with all the nanobots in his body.
"Just drag his body outside. If any of you try the same as him, you will get the same result." After that, they all quietly left the same way they came. Once they all had left, I changed my powers from telekinesis to city portal, and then I changed power cancellation to map. After that, I made a portal to where Aster is, and Theo was there taking care of her with the amazing brotherly love he has. He so deserves a reward. When he saw the portal open in front of him, the first thing he did was carry her and try to run away.
"Well, Purity, it is your job to get him to calm down and bring him through this portal. We will be taking care of them after that." Once Purity steps through the portal to the subdimension, I look towards the Undersiders.
"Ok, do you guys need anything from the outside, Grue, your sister, maybe, clothes, dogs, or whatever sentimental thing you have? Now is the time to decide. Vas made maps for each of them." After a few seconds, the extremely detailed maps were brought to them, and they all decided to start pointing out where they wanted to go first.
"Stop first will be Tattletale because I want her to be done with this and go to sleep as soon as possible; second is Grue, since one of his objectives is his sister; then Bitch because of her dogs; and after her, last and definitely least, Regent for his games. Is that understood?" The only one to have an objection is Regent, and all he said was, "Heyyy", I like this kid.
"I have some computers in my room; they have all my necessary data. They are located in my room in the underside base in Redmond Welding."
"Understood, I shall get to it," I say that and use the map she is pointing at with the map power I have in conjunction to make a portal in the undersiders base.
"If there is anything you all want from there, pick it up now." All the undersiders got into the portal and started to pick things up. "Vas, start construction for everyone staying in the sub dimension for an extended length of time. After they get their rooms, listen to them in whatever way they want to decorate."
"Yes, sir, I shall follow your orders to the best of my ability."
"This is great. Also, make a portal to the living room and tell us when you have completed all their rooms."
"Yes, the rooms have been completed." That was fast, but with how much of everything in the base is nanobots, I guess it is to be expected. "Nice, go help the undersiders with carrying anything they want."
"As you wish, sir." A few minutes later, the Undersiders have picked everything they want, and even Purity is done with her talk with Theo and Aster.
"Ok, next is Grue. Where should I open a portal to?" He points a finger at his map, and I open a portal to where it is. He enters it, and I look towards Bitch.
"Bitch, if you require any help with where things are, just say them out loud, and Vas will change the map for you, and if you need to go there physically, Vas can just follow you to wherever you want." When I said that, bitch just nodded and got out of the pub instead of pointing at a map or anything, Vas made a drone to follow her.
"Regent, now it is your turn. If you have anything you would like to get, point it out now."
"I got nothing. Everything I want was in the base, and I already picked up everything I want from there."
"All right, then, Theo, I am so glad to see you are safe. As Purity should have told you, you will be staying in my base. As for Aster, she will be your responsibility, but if you were to require any help, there is Vas, and if for some reason Vas can't help or you just don't want Vas to help, then there is me and everyone else in the base to help you guys. We will be helping each other; after all, we are now the goodie two-shoes." My smile when I said the last part would have lit up the night sky if it were not for the mask on my face and the sun.
"Vas, go to Gru and help him in whatever way he requires. The rest of you, follow me," and they did as if they were little ducklings.
"Welcome to my base. Make yourselves at home, and we will have a dinner party when everyone is gathered. If you have any problems with your identity, even if I already know most of you, then you can still wear your masks. Now go to the rooms Vas has prepared and start decorating whichever one you choose to be yours. Bye, kids. I am going to talk to the other resident here and hope she does not blow my head clean."
Chapter 13 – "Portals, Plans, and One Missing Piece"
loudlistner
Getting sticky.
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Chapter 13 – "Portals, Plans, and One Missing Piece"
When the undersiders were getting acquainted with their rooms, I asked Vas where Ayame was.
"Miss Ayame is in her lab right now, sir," Vas answered me as fast as usual.
"Is she in a fugue?" I wanted to know if I could talk to her or not. I mean, when we separated a few hours ago, she said she needed time to think. I don't want to make the problem even worse by interrupting her fugue. She might actually test one of those silly bombs on me. I might survive, but my dignity would just evaporate.
"Yes, sir, Miss Ayame is in a fugue and has been for the last hour." Well, I got my answer.
"When she is done, inform her that I have invited a few people to stay with us and that I would like to talk to her about it." With that said, now, to make my map and city portal powers irrelevant, I did promise Regent to help him off his dad… Now that I think about it, there is no way that is a good idea. I am sure one of the main reasons someone does not just snipe him is that he has many thralls in the government and other major organizations—enough to at least damage Canada in a massive way. How do I keep my word without being a mass murderer by proxy? I will just make a master power that will control Heartbreaker to defuse any such bombs. Ok, let's clear the plan: make a tinker power to make a global scanner to allow for pinpoint portal making, and make a portal tech that can make portals to anywhere, so long as it knows where to, like by using a global scanner. After that, make an anti-master power and a master power to take control of Heartbreaker and make him dismantle his thralls. If there are any problems, being able to make any necessary powers should help.
"Ok, Vas, I will need to tinker in my lab for a while. If I am needed, please contact me first before allowing anyone into my lab."
"Understood, sir. I will try to help everyone with what they need. If they require you in person, I will contact you." Vas is a great machine; it is honestly one of my most useful inventions, not counting the bracelets that keep me from dying from stray shots from a fedora lady.
I power walk my way to my lab and close the door. First is the scanner tech. I will destroy all my powers and make one for the scanner. It would need to be global and accurate to a very small degree to the point that I won't need to upgrade it any time soon. Just by itself, it will take four charges. I was hoping to use technopathy power to just let Vas do the work, but that plan only works with tinker powers of three charges, not four or above. Maybe I can modify the technopath power. Instead of having a full-blown communication with Vas, how about just sending information and not receiving? Yes, that worked. I can now make a tinkertech with four charges by using Vas instead of having to do it myself.
"Vas, I am now going to send you a blueprint for a global-wide scanner. I want you to make one in this room, and nowhere else, understood?" These scanners are massively powerful. Once I set one up on Earth Bet, I would be able to go big brother on everyone. I won't unless I start going insane, but I could.
"Yes, sir, I shall start making the machine when you are done with the transfer." Great, everything is going my way. By the time I am done with this, the doormaker is going to worship me.
As soon as the transfer was done, the nanomachines in the air and the surrounding objects started to fly towards the center of the room, making a rather large-looking stick with some holes in it. I know all my tech uses dimensional folding to work, from the nanomachines the size of atoms to my first tech, the bracelets, but watching a stick the size of my room being able to scan what would be the size of a planet if it was not in my sub dimension just numbed me to it all. Now all I need to do is change the scanner power to a portal-making machine. I want this thing to be able to control the portals even after it is made. No doormaker-level laziness here; we are professionals. This power also takes four charges. Why is it like that? I guess being able to move the portals after making them is a very advanced tech? They could be used to cut through almost anything, maybe even Siberian's invulnerability, since she is just a complex space anomaly with a human shape—at least that is all I got from fanfics. It should be easy for a two-dimensional portal to pop her like a balloon. Anyway, now I am just getting distracted by useless shit. Let's send the blueprint to Vas and make the portal maker.
"Vas, I am now sending you another blueprint, this time one for making a portal. If you can, integrate it with the scanner; if you can't, I will make a way to combine the two."
"Yes, sir, the transfer is complete, and I can integrate the two technologies together. Would you like me to modify the current scanner or make a new one?"
"Combine it with the one already made." With this, the only place the doormaker beats me is with his other dimension portals, but that is okay. I am happy enough to make that bitch useless in Earth Bet. Of course, to use any of my techs in Earth Bet without going emperor of mankind, I would need to work with Cauldron, meaning the PRT in public, so I will try to be less of a smug bug in front of them.
In a few seconds, the stick had a weird-looking orb attached to it. "Great, now add the bracelets in a way that they will be able to hide the portal maker." I am so glad that VAS can interact with my Tinker Tech in whatever way I want. I mean, VAS can't make tinker tech, but once it has the blueprints, it can dissect them in whatever way it wants and recombine them again. I bet VAS could combine parts of the scanner, portal maker, and healing field generator to make a healing field all across the world, like Taylor was able to take over most of the cape in the world as Kepri, even if her range limit was a few feet in technicality.
Ok, with all that over now, I just make the master power and take over Heartbreaker to complete this entire shitshow. My first global presence would be to take care of a dirty rapist. I feel nice and clean just thinking about it. But I would need to talk to my team first, huh? I am already thinking of them as my team. I mean, I only brought them in because they were a major part of Worm, so they were present in almost every Worm fanfic I read, but still, it is probably not a good idea to get attached so quickly. I mean, it was the same with Ayame. I have only known her for about three days now, but I am already willing to call her one of my best friends. I mean, I got none in my previous life, but still, I should take my time.
With how fast Vas is able to print the machines, the thing that took long was me understanding the blueprint enough to transfer it to Vas and me ogling in amazement at my new, privacy-law-breaking tinkertech. All that to say, it did not take very long for me to finish with my tinkering.
"Hey, is Ayame done with her tinkering?"
"No, sir, Miss Ayame is still in her fugue."
"Has anyone requested me personally, or is everything going fine?"
"Everything is going well, sir. Nobody seems to have any problems I cannot solve." Ok, so I still have time. I guess I can do the experiment I was wondering about before the meeting. It still makes me feel uneasy, but what must be done will be done. Ok, so one of the things I have had a bad feeling about is when I think about making Eidolons' power. I mean, with five charges, I should be able to make any power, so why can't I make a power that gives me other powers? I will test it now. I turn all my powers off and make a new one that works the same way as Eidolon works, but not one that uses the shards. I still don't want Zion to frown and glint me out of reality, so this power would just be making new powers of my choice. They can be weak to begin with, so the charge number is not a problem. Let's make Eidolon's power nerfed with one charge. The powers it grants me are just a little above peak human, so speed, senses, and other things—nothing truly supernatural—just to keep it at one charge. Alright, the plan is complete. Now, just to make the power.
What happened? Nothing went wrong, but the power is not active. So what was all that bad feeling about? I thought I would be going through the weird power-up scenes from anime, you know, all that fire in my veins bullshit where they scream. I was so ready to drop the power in case it did something like that to me. Whatever, I will just test something else that gave me a bad feeling. If Eidolon's power is not allowed, how about the Emperor of Man's power from the same CYOA, even nerfed? If I can give myself psychic powers, it would still be cool, so I go to my headspace where my charges are to make the power, and to my utter shock, one of my charges feels weird, as if it is occupied with a power, but I don't have any power active. The Eidolon light power that can make other powers did not work, so what is the problem? Let me destroy that power and just make a new one, and that does not work either. Ok, what the f is going on? Don't tell me I broke my powers just a few days after I got them. What about my other charges? They seem to feel like they work properly. Is this permanent? Did I just lose one of my powers? Fuck, fuck, I feel like crying. I guess I am not that different compared to the other capes out there. Losing the one thing that finally made me matter is shattering, and I did not even lose all my powers, but still, this is depressing. I am going to go cry myself to bed.
When the undersiders were getting acquainted with their rooms, I asked Vas where Ayame was.
"Miss Ayame is in her lab right now, sir," Vas answered me as fast as usual.
"Is she in a fugue?" I wanted to know if I could talk to her or not. I mean, when we separated a few hours ago, she said she needed time to think. I don't want to make the problem even worse by interrupting her fugue. She might actually test one of those silly bombs on me. I might survive, but my dignity would just evaporate.
"Yes, sir, Miss Ayame is in a fugue and has been for the last hour." Well, I got my answer.
"When she is done, inform her that I have invited a few people to stay with us and that I would like to talk to her about it." With that said, now, to make my map and city portal powers irrelevant, I did promise Regent to help him off his dad… Now that I think about it, there is no way that is a good idea. I am sure one of the main reasons someone does not just snipe him is that he has many thralls in the government and other major organizations—enough to at least damage Canada in a massive way. How do I keep my word without being a mass murderer by proxy? I will just make a master power that will control Heartbreaker to defuse any such bombs. Ok, let's clear the plan: make a tinker power to make a global scanner to allow for pinpoint portal making, and make a portal tech that can make portals to anywhere, so long as it knows where to, like by using a global scanner. After that, make an anti-master power and a master power to take control of Heartbreaker and make him dismantle his thralls. If there are any problems, being able to make any necessary powers should help.
"Ok, Vas, I will need to tinker in my lab for a while. If I am needed, please contact me first before allowing anyone into my lab."
"Understood, sir. I will try to help everyone with what they need. If they require you in person, I will contact you." Vas is a great machine; it is honestly one of my most useful inventions, not counting the bracelets that keep me from dying from stray shots from a fedora lady.
I power walk my way to my lab and close the door. First is the scanner tech. I will destroy all my powers and make one for the scanner. It would need to be global and accurate to a very small degree to the point that I won't need to upgrade it any time soon. Just by itself, it will take four charges. I was hoping to use technopathy power to just let Vas do the work, but that plan only works with tinker powers of three charges, not four or above. Maybe I can modify the technopath power. Instead of having a full-blown communication with Vas, how about just sending information and not receiving? Yes, that worked. I can now make a tinkertech with four charges by using Vas instead of having to do it myself.
"Vas, I am now going to send you a blueprint for a global-wide scanner. I want you to make one in this room, and nowhere else, understood?" These scanners are massively powerful. Once I set one up on Earth Bet, I would be able to go big brother on everyone. I won't unless I start going insane, but I could.
"Yes, sir, I shall start making the machine when you are done with the transfer." Great, everything is going my way. By the time I am done with this, the doormaker is going to worship me.
As soon as the transfer was done, the nanomachines in the air and the surrounding objects started to fly towards the center of the room, making a rather large-looking stick with some holes in it. I know all my tech uses dimensional folding to work, from the nanomachines the size of atoms to my first tech, the bracelets, but watching a stick the size of my room being able to scan what would be the size of a planet if it was not in my sub dimension just numbed me to it all. Now all I need to do is change the scanner power to a portal-making machine. I want this thing to be able to control the portals even after it is made. No doormaker-level laziness here; we are professionals. This power also takes four charges. Why is it like that? I guess being able to move the portals after making them is a very advanced tech? They could be used to cut through almost anything, maybe even Siberian's invulnerability, since she is just a complex space anomaly with a human shape—at least that is all I got from fanfics. It should be easy for a two-dimensional portal to pop her like a balloon. Anyway, now I am just getting distracted by useless shit. Let's send the blueprint to Vas and make the portal maker.
"Vas, I am now sending you another blueprint, this time one for making a portal. If you can, integrate it with the scanner; if you can't, I will make a way to combine the two."
"Yes, sir, the transfer is complete, and I can integrate the two technologies together. Would you like me to modify the current scanner or make a new one?"
"Combine it with the one already made." With this, the only place the doormaker beats me is with his other dimension portals, but that is okay. I am happy enough to make that bitch useless in Earth Bet. Of course, to use any of my techs in Earth Bet without going emperor of mankind, I would need to work with Cauldron, meaning the PRT in public, so I will try to be less of a smug bug in front of them.
In a few seconds, the stick had a weird-looking orb attached to it. "Great, now add the bracelets in a way that they will be able to hide the portal maker." I am so glad that VAS can interact with my Tinker Tech in whatever way I want. I mean, VAS can't make tinker tech, but once it has the blueprints, it can dissect them in whatever way it wants and recombine them again. I bet VAS could combine parts of the scanner, portal maker, and healing field generator to make a healing field all across the world, like Taylor was able to take over most of the cape in the world as Kepri, even if her range limit was a few feet in technicality.
Ok, with all that over now, I just make the master power and take over Heartbreaker to complete this entire shitshow. My first global presence would be to take care of a dirty rapist. I feel nice and clean just thinking about it. But I would need to talk to my team first, huh? I am already thinking of them as my team. I mean, I only brought them in because they were a major part of Worm, so they were present in almost every Worm fanfic I read, but still, it is probably not a good idea to get attached so quickly. I mean, it was the same with Ayame. I have only known her for about three days now, but I am already willing to call her one of my best friends. I mean, I got none in my previous life, but still, I should take my time.
With how fast Vas is able to print the machines, the thing that took long was me understanding the blueprint enough to transfer it to Vas and me ogling in amazement at my new, privacy-law-breaking tinkertech. All that to say, it did not take very long for me to finish with my tinkering.
"Hey, is Ayame done with her tinkering?"
"No, sir, Miss Ayame is still in her fugue."
"Has anyone requested me personally, or is everything going fine?"
"Everything is going well, sir. Nobody seems to have any problems I cannot solve." Ok, so I still have time. I guess I can do the experiment I was wondering about before the meeting. It still makes me feel uneasy, but what must be done will be done. Ok, so one of the things I have had a bad feeling about is when I think about making Eidolons' power. I mean, with five charges, I should be able to make any power, so why can't I make a power that gives me other powers? I will test it now. I turn all my powers off and make a new one that works the same way as Eidolon works, but not one that uses the shards. I still don't want Zion to frown and glint me out of reality, so this power would just be making new powers of my choice. They can be weak to begin with, so the charge number is not a problem. Let's make Eidolon's power nerfed with one charge. The powers it grants me are just a little above peak human, so speed, senses, and other things—nothing truly supernatural—just to keep it at one charge. Alright, the plan is complete. Now, just to make the power.
What happened? Nothing went wrong, but the power is not active. So what was all that bad feeling about? I thought I would be going through the weird power-up scenes from anime, you know, all that fire in my veins bullshit where they scream. I was so ready to drop the power in case it did something like that to me. Whatever, I will just test something else that gave me a bad feeling. If Eidolon's power is not allowed, how about the Emperor of Man's power from the same CYOA, even nerfed? If I can give myself psychic powers, it would still be cool, so I go to my headspace where my charges are to make the power, and to my utter shock, one of my charges feels weird, as if it is occupied with a power, but I don't have any power active. The Eidolon light power that can make other powers did not work, so what is the problem? Let me destroy that power and just make a new one, and that does not work either. Ok, what the f is going on? Don't tell me I broke my powers just a few days after I got them. What about my other charges? They seem to feel like they work properly. Is this permanent? Did I just lose one of my powers? Fuck, fuck, I feel like crying. I guess I am not that different compared to the other capes out there. Losing the one thing that finally made me matter is shattering, and I did not even lose all my powers, but still, this is depressing. I am going to go cry myself to bed.
Chapter 14 – “Echoes of Loss”
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Chapter 14 – "Echoes of Loss"
The very idea I could lose my powers never even came to me. When I go around taking the powers of others. I am truly a hypocrite, but I guess that is how taking always works. Nobody wants to lose what they've got, even if they did not work for it. All that to say, I want to cry. I am an adult, but I still want to cry. I am never doing anything with my powers if I get any bad feelings towards them. What time is it right now? It should not have been that long since I learned my power was damaged.
"Vas, what time is it?" I don't want to talk to anyone right now. I will reschedule any conversation with Ayame and the Undersiders for tomorrow.
"Currently it is 6:48 pm, sir."
"6:48. When did I start tinkering? It should not have been that long."
"You started tinkering at 2:32 pm. As for why there is an unaccounted time difference, after you asked me if Miss Ayame was done with her tinkering and I told you she was still in her fugue, you went still for what would appear to be almost four hours. Because you were not showing any signs of injury, I decided it was not a problem, so I have not informed anyone of this. Miss Ayame asked for you, but I told her you are currently occupied and that I will contact her when you are able to meet her. She is now aware that you can communicate with her. "What the hell? I just stood there for four hours, and when I got out of it, there was no time distortion at all. I did not know I was knocked out at all, but time just passed by without my awareness. This is so fucked up; I have no idea how to deal with this. I will talk to Ayame a little and go to sleep. There is simply nothing I can do because even trying to make a power that might help me with my charges is also giving me the same feelings. This is insane. I kick some stuff in the room, hoping to get my anger under control.
"Vas, check if Ayame is busy. If she is, I will go to her; if not, call her to me."
"I have informed Miss Ayame of your request; she said she will come to you." Great, now I just have to wait and talk to her about my power loss, and fuck, this is bullshit. I don't care if it is hypocrisy; this is fucking scary.
"Sir, Miss Ayame is outside your lab. Would you like to let her in?"
"Yes, Vas, let her in." I try to calm down, but the room is not exactly clean and proper, not after I broke everything I could.
"So how was your day, and why were you cooped up here all day?" She is smiling, and for a moment I think, "It is not that bad.' Then the reality hits, and my face changes enough for her to notice.
"Hey, what is wrong? If this is about the undersiders, even if I am upset you brought them here without asking me, I am not going to be that mad. Why do you look so sad?"
"Well, karma decided I should experience some of the punches I have been doling out."
"What do you mean? And stop being so sad. Whatever it is, I am sure we can work it out."
"When I finished tinkering today, I decided to experiment with my powers and decided to make a power that gives me other powers instead of just making a specific power. As a result, Vas told me I was standing still for four hours, and now I have lost one of my charges."
"Shit, sorry, I don't know how to help with the power thing, but you know I am here for you with anything, right? I will help the Undersiders with whatever Vas can't help them with, and I will tell them you will talk to them another day. As for you, come on, let's get you to your room first."
"Vas, inform me if Kaleab is having any trouble, even if he says he is fine, understood?"
"Yes, Miss Ayame, if Kaleab needs any help and I am having difficulty helping, I will call you."
"You don't have to bother that much. I will be fine. I still have a power that can do pretty much anything. Sure, this is sad, but give me some time, and I will get over it." I try to be cheerful even if I don't believe it for a moment, but it failed, and Ayame noticed in an instant.
"Don't worry, you will be fine; we are here for each other, even if we only knew each other for three days," she said the last part with part laugh and part exhale, making a chuckle sound.
"Thanks, I know I will be fine, but still, this hurts." I am not ashamed to say I cried just a little bit.
"No problem, Vas. Make sure nobody encounters us when we are going to Kaleab's room."
"Yes, Miss Ayame, I will guide you through a route currently unoccupied by anyone."
Good I don't want to talk to anyone right now. Even Ayame is a push, but I trust her. I just want to sleep now, but I need to say something first.
"Vas, if Regent uses the button I told him about before I am ready to talk to everyone, I want you to tell him to wait until I say so, understood?" I can't have him destroying a country, and because I know he is very damaged, I doubt it would even come to his mind if an entire country being damaged is a bad thing or not.
"Actually, Vas, make a rule that if anyone requests your help in an act that will endanger the life of anyone, I want you to get my permission. If that is not available, get Ayame to help." This should at least make Vas safer to use by others. Vas can't break any human-made law as long as it is in their land without my express permission, but still, this should help somehow.
After a minute, I walked to my room with Ayame, and we said good night and separated. The moment I saw my bed, I just fell on it and started sobbing. I am thankful the rooms are soundproof. After what took more than ten minutes, I fell asleep without even realizing it.
Ayame's POV
Shit, this is not good. The very idea Kaleab could lose his powers never even occurred to me. I am keeping a calm face, but this will need more planning since the moment we met he has been this powerful but kind of stupid guy with his good guy act. At first I thought it was just an act, but he kept to it, and even if it has not been that long, he is still at it, so I will not judge him too early, but losing a part of his power is going to cause everyone at least some trouble. Like he said, he is still massively powerful, but that does not mean he is unkillable. Now I need to talk to the Undersiders.
"Vas, lead me to the living room and also gather the undersiders there and make me a mask to wear around anyone I have yet to tell my identity."
"Yes, Miss Ayame, I will inform the Undersiders and Theo you would like to speak with them, and here is your mask."
A minute later I am in the living room, and Regent is watching TV. I guess I will tell him about the button thing before anyone enters.
"Hey, you are Regent, right? I wanted to tell you the button won't do anything for now. He said he will talk with everybody, but before that, he said the button, whatever it was supposed to do, won't unless he gives the permission first."
"Yea, I did not have much hope." He is not acting like I thought he would with how Kaleab was acting. I thought he would at least be upset, but nothing. While I was thinking about Regent's reaction, everyone else came to the room.
"Ok, everyone, while I did not agree to bringing you here, it has happened, and I will get over it, but Tinker E, or from now on just E, will not be able to talk to you today. There was an emergency, and if you need his specific help, just wait until tomorrow. Hopefully it will all be over by then." I did not believe what I was saying, but the mask did its job and made it so nobody could see my worry.
"If you have any questions, now is the time."
"What is the emergency?" His voice was as relaxed as usual, but I guess he was worried because Regent was the first to ask and pretty fast to.
"If I was going to tell you what the emergency was, I would have told you about it in the beginning. This is not middle school; there are stupid questions. Don't ask them." I bit back, Shit, I am tense. I need to show a calm and steady face to relax everyone. "Next question."
"What is there to eat?" There is a kid even younger than the teenagers. I think Vas said one of the undersiders has a little sister.
"For any material requirements, Vas will be able to help you. That includes food. Like this, Vas, give me a slice of cheese pizza."
"Yes, Miss Bakuda, Vas replied like he always does, and he gave me pizza. Every one of the kids thought I was joking until I put it in my mouth by removing a small part of the mask.
"Are you kidding? This thing can make food." The same kid is making a face that says she won't be able to sleep tonight.
"If whatever you want does any long-term or permanent harm, Vas will need to get the permission of E, or me when there is an emergency, but just in case, Vas, make sure her brother approves the only food the kid gets." Well, she looked disappointed. Good, that is how it should be. The kid was planning to either kill herself with sweets or make it my problem by not letting me sleep. That is not happening, and before I could even say next,
"If you can't tell us what the emergency is, can you at least tell us what is going to happen until E is ready to talk to us?" Grue is more responsible than the others, but having to take care of his sister would do that.
"For now, do what you want, so long as it is not harmful. Eat, watch, and play whatever you want. Don't worry about expense; there is nothing for you to worry about. We could print money if it were not so useless." My nonchalant voice helped everyone relax or at least shut them up. "Now I am going to eat my food and go to sleep. I suggest you all do the same. Everything will be alright, and even if it won't, you don't have the ability to help, so just relax." It is the advice I am taking. I have no idea how to help, so I will try to sleep. After that, I just left the room. "If Kaleab asks for me, call me even if I am asleep."
"Yes, Miss Ayame. I shall inform you of any changes with Sir Kaleab."
What a fucking nightmare. This was a shit day, from the morning nanobot stupidity to the I am as powerful, if not more, than the triumvirate bullshit and the last power fuckery. There are also the new guests. All my problems are his fault. The moment he gets over this, I am so going to make it his problem. I am not going to let this go. But for now
"Vas, make me a laptop in my room with access to the internet." When I get in my room, I am just going to binge-watch some TV show until it is long past midnight or I fall asleep.
"Yes, Miss Ayame, your laptop will be ready for you by the time you get there." That was the last coherent, useful information I acquired for that day.
The very idea I could lose my powers never even came to me. When I go around taking the powers of others. I am truly a hypocrite, but I guess that is how taking always works. Nobody wants to lose what they've got, even if they did not work for it. All that to say, I want to cry. I am an adult, but I still want to cry. I am never doing anything with my powers if I get any bad feelings towards them. What time is it right now? It should not have been that long since I learned my power was damaged.
"Vas, what time is it?" I don't want to talk to anyone right now. I will reschedule any conversation with Ayame and the Undersiders for tomorrow.
"Currently it is 6:48 pm, sir."
"6:48. When did I start tinkering? It should not have been that long."
"You started tinkering at 2:32 pm. As for why there is an unaccounted time difference, after you asked me if Miss Ayame was done with her tinkering and I told you she was still in her fugue, you went still for what would appear to be almost four hours. Because you were not showing any signs of injury, I decided it was not a problem, so I have not informed anyone of this. Miss Ayame asked for you, but I told her you are currently occupied and that I will contact her when you are able to meet her. She is now aware that you can communicate with her. "What the hell? I just stood there for four hours, and when I got out of it, there was no time distortion at all. I did not know I was knocked out at all, but time just passed by without my awareness. This is so fucked up; I have no idea how to deal with this. I will talk to Ayame a little and go to sleep. There is simply nothing I can do because even trying to make a power that might help me with my charges is also giving me the same feelings. This is insane. I kick some stuff in the room, hoping to get my anger under control.
"Vas, check if Ayame is busy. If she is, I will go to her; if not, call her to me."
"I have informed Miss Ayame of your request; she said she will come to you." Great, now I just have to wait and talk to her about my power loss, and fuck, this is bullshit. I don't care if it is hypocrisy; this is fucking scary.
"Sir, Miss Ayame is outside your lab. Would you like to let her in?"
"Yes, Vas, let her in." I try to calm down, but the room is not exactly clean and proper, not after I broke everything I could.
"So how was your day, and why were you cooped up here all day?" She is smiling, and for a moment I think, "It is not that bad.' Then the reality hits, and my face changes enough for her to notice.
"Hey, what is wrong? If this is about the undersiders, even if I am upset you brought them here without asking me, I am not going to be that mad. Why do you look so sad?"
"Well, karma decided I should experience some of the punches I have been doling out."
"What do you mean? And stop being so sad. Whatever it is, I am sure we can work it out."
"When I finished tinkering today, I decided to experiment with my powers and decided to make a power that gives me other powers instead of just making a specific power. As a result, Vas told me I was standing still for four hours, and now I have lost one of my charges."
"Shit, sorry, I don't know how to help with the power thing, but you know I am here for you with anything, right? I will help the Undersiders with whatever Vas can't help them with, and I will tell them you will talk to them another day. As for you, come on, let's get you to your room first."
"Vas, inform me if Kaleab is having any trouble, even if he says he is fine, understood?"
"Yes, Miss Ayame, if Kaleab needs any help and I am having difficulty helping, I will call you."
"You don't have to bother that much. I will be fine. I still have a power that can do pretty much anything. Sure, this is sad, but give me some time, and I will get over it." I try to be cheerful even if I don't believe it for a moment, but it failed, and Ayame noticed in an instant.
"Don't worry, you will be fine; we are here for each other, even if we only knew each other for three days," she said the last part with part laugh and part exhale, making a chuckle sound.
"Thanks, I know I will be fine, but still, this hurts." I am not ashamed to say I cried just a little bit.
"No problem, Vas. Make sure nobody encounters us when we are going to Kaleab's room."
"Yes, Miss Ayame, I will guide you through a route currently unoccupied by anyone."
Good I don't want to talk to anyone right now. Even Ayame is a push, but I trust her. I just want to sleep now, but I need to say something first.
"Vas, if Regent uses the button I told him about before I am ready to talk to everyone, I want you to tell him to wait until I say so, understood?" I can't have him destroying a country, and because I know he is very damaged, I doubt it would even come to his mind if an entire country being damaged is a bad thing or not.
"Actually, Vas, make a rule that if anyone requests your help in an act that will endanger the life of anyone, I want you to get my permission. If that is not available, get Ayame to help." This should at least make Vas safer to use by others. Vas can't break any human-made law as long as it is in their land without my express permission, but still, this should help somehow.
After a minute, I walked to my room with Ayame, and we said good night and separated. The moment I saw my bed, I just fell on it and started sobbing. I am thankful the rooms are soundproof. After what took more than ten minutes, I fell asleep without even realizing it.
Ayame's POV
Shit, this is not good. The very idea Kaleab could lose his powers never even occurred to me. I am keeping a calm face, but this will need more planning since the moment we met he has been this powerful but kind of stupid guy with his good guy act. At first I thought it was just an act, but he kept to it, and even if it has not been that long, he is still at it, so I will not judge him too early, but losing a part of his power is going to cause everyone at least some trouble. Like he said, he is still massively powerful, but that does not mean he is unkillable. Now I need to talk to the Undersiders.
"Vas, lead me to the living room and also gather the undersiders there and make me a mask to wear around anyone I have yet to tell my identity."
"Yes, Miss Ayame, I will inform the Undersiders and Theo you would like to speak with them, and here is your mask."
A minute later I am in the living room, and Regent is watching TV. I guess I will tell him about the button thing before anyone enters.
"Hey, you are Regent, right? I wanted to tell you the button won't do anything for now. He said he will talk with everybody, but before that, he said the button, whatever it was supposed to do, won't unless he gives the permission first."
"Yea, I did not have much hope." He is not acting like I thought he would with how Kaleab was acting. I thought he would at least be upset, but nothing. While I was thinking about Regent's reaction, everyone else came to the room.
"Ok, everyone, while I did not agree to bringing you here, it has happened, and I will get over it, but Tinker E, or from now on just E, will not be able to talk to you today. There was an emergency, and if you need his specific help, just wait until tomorrow. Hopefully it will all be over by then." I did not believe what I was saying, but the mask did its job and made it so nobody could see my worry.
"If you have any questions, now is the time."
"What is the emergency?" His voice was as relaxed as usual, but I guess he was worried because Regent was the first to ask and pretty fast to.
"If I was going to tell you what the emergency was, I would have told you about it in the beginning. This is not middle school; there are stupid questions. Don't ask them." I bit back, Shit, I am tense. I need to show a calm and steady face to relax everyone. "Next question."
"What is there to eat?" There is a kid even younger than the teenagers. I think Vas said one of the undersiders has a little sister.
"For any material requirements, Vas will be able to help you. That includes food. Like this, Vas, give me a slice of cheese pizza."
"Yes, Miss Bakuda, Vas replied like he always does, and he gave me pizza. Every one of the kids thought I was joking until I put it in my mouth by removing a small part of the mask.
"Are you kidding? This thing can make food." The same kid is making a face that says she won't be able to sleep tonight.
"If whatever you want does any long-term or permanent harm, Vas will need to get the permission of E, or me when there is an emergency, but just in case, Vas, make sure her brother approves the only food the kid gets." Well, she looked disappointed. Good, that is how it should be. The kid was planning to either kill herself with sweets or make it my problem by not letting me sleep. That is not happening, and before I could even say next,
"If you can't tell us what the emergency is, can you at least tell us what is going to happen until E is ready to talk to us?" Grue is more responsible than the others, but having to take care of his sister would do that.
"For now, do what you want, so long as it is not harmful. Eat, watch, and play whatever you want. Don't worry about expense; there is nothing for you to worry about. We could print money if it were not so useless." My nonchalant voice helped everyone relax or at least shut them up. "Now I am going to eat my food and go to sleep. I suggest you all do the same. Everything will be alright, and even if it won't, you don't have the ability to help, so just relax." It is the advice I am taking. I have no idea how to help, so I will try to sleep. After that, I just left the room. "If Kaleab asks for me, call me even if I am asleep."
"Yes, Miss Ayame. I shall inform you of any changes with Sir Kaleab."
What a fucking nightmare. This was a shit day, from the morning nanobot stupidity to the I am as powerful, if not more, than the triumvirate bullshit and the last power fuckery. There are also the new guests. All my problems are his fault. The moment he gets over this, I am so going to make it his problem. I am not going to let this go. But for now
"Vas, make me a laptop in my room with access to the internet." When I get in my room, I am just going to binge-watch some TV show until it is long past midnight or I fall asleep.
"Yes, Miss Ayame, your laptop will be ready for you by the time you get there." That was the last coherent, useful information I acquired for that day.
Chapter 15 – “Waking, Waiting, and Warnings”
loudlistner
Getting sticky.
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Chapter 15 – "Waking, Waiting, and Warnings"
Thursday, March 31, 2010
Kaleab POV
Waking up from a cry Sleeping is never good. Your face is itchy, and the sleep, no matter how long it lasts, does not feel like enough, but like every day before today, I woke up like yesterday was not devastating. I feel bitchy, but whatever. I get out of my bed, wash my hands and face, clean any tear marks, and go to the living room. There is nobody here. I am relieved I will not have to talk to anyone right now.
"Vas, make me firfir with butter again and put it in a bowl with enjera on a plate." I have made multiple promises today, and I will have to fulfill them. I will need to talk to the Undersiders and also talk to Faultline about helping Labyrinth. I don't think the cube will do anything to her; to my knowledge, she is not ill; she is just distracted with her power showing her multiple worlds, and she needs to familiarize herself with the land to bring them here, right? How about I make a second mind for her, one that will do the exploring and recording, and then she can manifest whatever land she wants? I can't seem to make the change with a charge, or it is just temporary. I get the same feeling as before if I think of making it permanent, so I won't try, but I could make some type of tinker mind that will attach itself to the corona pollentia or something similar so it won't be a problem. Next, I will need to hand Krieg over to the PRT. I forgot about him.
"Vas, where is Krieg?"
"Sir, after you left him in the sub dimension, you told me to make rooms for everyone and let them decorate to their choice. He has decided not to decorate, but he is in his own room in the base."
Well, I did not mean to give him the royal treatment, but at least he did not escape, or I would have just opened a portal under his feet to put him in a temporary jail. Hmm, I am sure that is illegal in US law, but it is just a Nazi; I don't think anyone who matters would care. The firfir would probably be one of my favorite foods forever. Technically, I am supposed to be on a fast where I am not allowed to eat meat or any other animal products, but fuck that; I am going to engorge myself in that godly butter. Anyway, so what is the plan for today? Talk to everyone in the base, make a second mind tinkertech, and go to the palanquin, and after all that, give Krige to the PRT.
"Alright, let him stay there until I order you to do something different. He is a criminal, so don't let him leave. Other than that, you can give him food but no outside contact. Treat him like other criminals get to be treated in prison, but inform me of any changes so I can decide whether to allow it."
"Sir, the prisoner known as Krieg had asked for a phone call, and I had allowed it. Would you like to know what was said?" Well, shit.
"Yes, summarize what was said."
"Krieg asked to be rescued, but the person to answer on the other side told him that it is impossible to rescue him currently and that they would free him once he is being transported from the PRT to a prison." Again, shit, I probably would have to make sure he can't get rescued, but that won't be a problem; a drone can take care of that. After eating the best breakfast ever created by man, I decided to check if the guests were up.
"Vas, has anyone gotten up from their sleep?"
"No sir, currently you are the only one awake in the sub dimension." Ok, so what do I do until everyone wakes up? I don't plan on working on anything, so I guess I will play some video games.
"Vas, make me a game setup in my room, one with the same games Regent was playing with. Also, inform me when all the teenagers and older are up." I think he likes playing multiplayer online games, so they should be fun to play with for the next few hours. I played politely and quietly in my soundproof room. As for all the broken things, don't worry; that was just because I was sad about my power loss and did that before starting the game.
"Sir, everyone in the category you had indicated has woken up." Good, I wonder who was the last to wake up.
"Tell everyone I would like to talk to them in the living room and lead them there." After I told Vas to tell everyone that I would like to talk to them, I gave everyone ten minutes, and I got to the living room.
"Hello, everybody. How was your night? I hope better than mine." I try to make the room relax a little. It did not work, considering a huge part of their lives just changed out of nowhere, but I hope it is for the better. The moment I finished, everyone started to talk at the same time before I even figured out who was there.
"Ok, everyone, stop, one at a time. I will talk to everyone. There is time. Also, Vas, why is the prisoner out of his room?"
"Well, he is in the group you indicated to bring here." How? How was a prisoner one of the people I wanted to talk to right now?
"How did you get to that conclusion?" I am so confused.
"You said to inform you when everyone older than a teenager has woken up from sleep, and after that you said to meet every one of them in the living room, them being everyone older than a teenager." I see; I guess it could go in that direction.
"Ok, I did not mean to include the Nazi in the group of people I wanted to talk to. Whenever he intersects with a group I am mentioning, please ask if I mean to include him." That should fix the Krieg problem, but it is not enough to fix the root. I will need an AI soon. I will need Dragon.
"For now just put him in his room again. The rest of you, now you can speak." The first to take the opportunity was Regent.
"Been having a great time. Thanks for the game." Ah, Regent, just as always so emotionless. I will have a lot cut out for me to fix that. He is seriously damaged. The only reason I did not take his power away is because I can excuse his actions as being his father's fault. Even then, the moment he shows any more tendencies to harm an innocent, I will need to restrain him, even remove his powers if I have to, but first, let's try to make sure that does not happen.
"Good, I was hoping you would like the unrestricted access to any form of gaming equipment, but I have to tell you, to kill your dad? We first need to plan."
"Don't worry, I was not expecting much on that part; just hiding here is enough. He won't try to get to me when I am being protected by someone that can take powers."
"While that is probably true, we still need to take care of him, and I do hope you would like to at least see it happen, maybe save it and rewatch it every night for a good night's sleep," he quieted down. He still doesn't believe me, but that is to be expected; I did break my word with him, and his father is by far the worst serial rapist in the world, and nobody has killed him yet.
"Thanks for the dog place; it was big." Bitch got to the point, like always.
"No problem. I also want you to teach Vas how you take care of the dogs under your protection. While Vas has a big human library, humans don't know everything about taking care of dogs. I want you to fill those gaps. Vas can help you take care of more dogs if you want."
"Sure, I will show him how to take care of dogs better."
"Vas, I want you to learn from Bitch on how to take care of canine species. Her power and giving instincts should help you fill in the information gaps in your library."
"While we are thankful, what is the price for this generosity? What do you want from us?" Grue is always trying to care for those he is in charge of; he would make a good leader for a small group.
"For now, nothing but that is not the case for the future; Bitch will be teaching Vas, and Tatletell will be helping with information organizing. I have yet to figure out what to do with you and Regent, but since I need your teammates and you are a package deal, it is easier for me to get all of you together."
"What type of information organization do you want me to do?" Tatletale should be someone I should be careful around, not because of her power but because of her mental state right now. She is still in the same mindstate she was in under Coil, and I can't have her thinking of me the same as him, trying to subvert me, even if soon enough she will realize that is hopeless. I don't want her to stay because she has no choice but because she thinks it is better to be working with me.
"Vas is a very sophisticated VI, but at the end of the day, it is just that virtual intelligence. Right now, I am making it pretend to be a human by making it follow all US law, with me being the only one that can order it to break said law, and that is not enough. Until I am able to talk with an already existing and sophisticated AI, you will help with information organization and making Vas a more flexible tool."
"Are you saying there is already an AI, and if you can do all this, why not just make an AI?"
"First question: yes, there is an AI that already exists that is mature enough to be considered a human and is morally aligned to me. As for why not make an AI myself, it's simple: a genuine AI is no different from a human, and right now I am not in the correct mind state to babysit a child for a day, let alone help one grow up to be a functional part of society, forgetting the amount of time it would take to do that."
"Ok, that is a lot to take in, but I will try to be useful." Yep, she is in shock from the info dump. I will need to give her space for a while.
"We will talk in private about what happened yesterday and start planning for the future, but for now, are you feeling better?" Ayame will be one of my major helpers in the future, so everything she says now has more weight to it, and I am glad that is the same when she is showing care to me.
"No, the problem still persists, but like I said, even if it can't be fixed, we should be able to still progress." I tried so hard not to show any feeling right there, but I doubt Ayame bought it.
"While I know me and my sister are only here because you want Purity to attack the empire, I am still thankful. If there is anything I can help you with, please ask." I hold Theo to a high standard mostly because he has Max as a father, and he still manages to be a good person. Even if Max does not believe in the E88 propaganda, he is still a horrible man, and as his son, Theo should have been influenced to at the very least see other people through the scum-tinted glass of an evil father. Even if you say he is doing the opposite of his father to spite him, he still becomes a hero even with all the hardship that comes with that.
"While you are right, I mainly wanted you here for my deal with Purity. I would like your help with dealing with your father's civilian business. I would like it if you took over once he is dealt with."
"I am not sure that is a good idea. I don't have any business acumen. I didn't pay attention when my father tried to teach me because I did not want to be more like him."
"I mostly want your help with the authority your name holds; the rest can be taken care of by you cooperating with Vas and Tattletale."
"I would like to have access to any food of my choice." Aisha is definitely going to be the group's gremlin, like her canon counterpart, Imp.
"I will not do that, and wouldn't you like to annoy your brother for any type of food you want? Just imagine it: you want some type of candy, and you can basically go bother Gru without feeling guilty of asking him for something he can't afford." That made her so much happier than expected. I probably should not be that happy considering Grue is facing towards me with his shoulders tense. I think he figured out his sister will not be giving him any amount of free time anymore, and of course, there is the boiling tea kettle sound coming out of Aisha, but I don't know what that is supposed to express.
Thursday, March 31, 2010
Kaleab POV
Waking up from a cry Sleeping is never good. Your face is itchy, and the sleep, no matter how long it lasts, does not feel like enough, but like every day before today, I woke up like yesterday was not devastating. I feel bitchy, but whatever. I get out of my bed, wash my hands and face, clean any tear marks, and go to the living room. There is nobody here. I am relieved I will not have to talk to anyone right now.
"Vas, make me firfir with butter again and put it in a bowl with enjera on a plate." I have made multiple promises today, and I will have to fulfill them. I will need to talk to the Undersiders and also talk to Faultline about helping Labyrinth. I don't think the cube will do anything to her; to my knowledge, she is not ill; she is just distracted with her power showing her multiple worlds, and she needs to familiarize herself with the land to bring them here, right? How about I make a second mind for her, one that will do the exploring and recording, and then she can manifest whatever land she wants? I can't seem to make the change with a charge, or it is just temporary. I get the same feeling as before if I think of making it permanent, so I won't try, but I could make some type of tinker mind that will attach itself to the corona pollentia or something similar so it won't be a problem. Next, I will need to hand Krieg over to the PRT. I forgot about him.
"Vas, where is Krieg?"
"Sir, after you left him in the sub dimension, you told me to make rooms for everyone and let them decorate to their choice. He has decided not to decorate, but he is in his own room in the base."
Well, I did not mean to give him the royal treatment, but at least he did not escape, or I would have just opened a portal under his feet to put him in a temporary jail. Hmm, I am sure that is illegal in US law, but it is just a Nazi; I don't think anyone who matters would care. The firfir would probably be one of my favorite foods forever. Technically, I am supposed to be on a fast where I am not allowed to eat meat or any other animal products, but fuck that; I am going to engorge myself in that godly butter. Anyway, so what is the plan for today? Talk to everyone in the base, make a second mind tinkertech, and go to the palanquin, and after all that, give Krige to the PRT.
"Alright, let him stay there until I order you to do something different. He is a criminal, so don't let him leave. Other than that, you can give him food but no outside contact. Treat him like other criminals get to be treated in prison, but inform me of any changes so I can decide whether to allow it."
"Sir, the prisoner known as Krieg had asked for a phone call, and I had allowed it. Would you like to know what was said?" Well, shit.
"Yes, summarize what was said."
"Krieg asked to be rescued, but the person to answer on the other side told him that it is impossible to rescue him currently and that they would free him once he is being transported from the PRT to a prison." Again, shit, I probably would have to make sure he can't get rescued, but that won't be a problem; a drone can take care of that. After eating the best breakfast ever created by man, I decided to check if the guests were up.
"Vas, has anyone gotten up from their sleep?"
"No sir, currently you are the only one awake in the sub dimension." Ok, so what do I do until everyone wakes up? I don't plan on working on anything, so I guess I will play some video games.
"Vas, make me a game setup in my room, one with the same games Regent was playing with. Also, inform me when all the teenagers and older are up." I think he likes playing multiplayer online games, so they should be fun to play with for the next few hours. I played politely and quietly in my soundproof room. As for all the broken things, don't worry; that was just because I was sad about my power loss and did that before starting the game.
"Sir, everyone in the category you had indicated has woken up." Good, I wonder who was the last to wake up.
"Tell everyone I would like to talk to them in the living room and lead them there." After I told Vas to tell everyone that I would like to talk to them, I gave everyone ten minutes, and I got to the living room.
"Hello, everybody. How was your night? I hope better than mine." I try to make the room relax a little. It did not work, considering a huge part of their lives just changed out of nowhere, but I hope it is for the better. The moment I finished, everyone started to talk at the same time before I even figured out who was there.
"Ok, everyone, stop, one at a time. I will talk to everyone. There is time. Also, Vas, why is the prisoner out of his room?"
"Well, he is in the group you indicated to bring here." How? How was a prisoner one of the people I wanted to talk to right now?
"How did you get to that conclusion?" I am so confused.
"You said to inform you when everyone older than a teenager has woken up from sleep, and after that you said to meet every one of them in the living room, them being everyone older than a teenager." I see; I guess it could go in that direction.
"Ok, I did not mean to include the Nazi in the group of people I wanted to talk to. Whenever he intersects with a group I am mentioning, please ask if I mean to include him." That should fix the Krieg problem, but it is not enough to fix the root. I will need an AI soon. I will need Dragon.
"For now just put him in his room again. The rest of you, now you can speak." The first to take the opportunity was Regent.
"Been having a great time. Thanks for the game." Ah, Regent, just as always so emotionless. I will have a lot cut out for me to fix that. He is seriously damaged. The only reason I did not take his power away is because I can excuse his actions as being his father's fault. Even then, the moment he shows any more tendencies to harm an innocent, I will need to restrain him, even remove his powers if I have to, but first, let's try to make sure that does not happen.
"Good, I was hoping you would like the unrestricted access to any form of gaming equipment, but I have to tell you, to kill your dad? We first need to plan."
"Don't worry, I was not expecting much on that part; just hiding here is enough. He won't try to get to me when I am being protected by someone that can take powers."
"While that is probably true, we still need to take care of him, and I do hope you would like to at least see it happen, maybe save it and rewatch it every night for a good night's sleep," he quieted down. He still doesn't believe me, but that is to be expected; I did break my word with him, and his father is by far the worst serial rapist in the world, and nobody has killed him yet.
"Thanks for the dog place; it was big." Bitch got to the point, like always.
"No problem. I also want you to teach Vas how you take care of the dogs under your protection. While Vas has a big human library, humans don't know everything about taking care of dogs. I want you to fill those gaps. Vas can help you take care of more dogs if you want."
"Sure, I will show him how to take care of dogs better."
"Vas, I want you to learn from Bitch on how to take care of canine species. Her power and giving instincts should help you fill in the information gaps in your library."
"While we are thankful, what is the price for this generosity? What do you want from us?" Grue is always trying to care for those he is in charge of; he would make a good leader for a small group.
"For now, nothing but that is not the case for the future; Bitch will be teaching Vas, and Tatletell will be helping with information organizing. I have yet to figure out what to do with you and Regent, but since I need your teammates and you are a package deal, it is easier for me to get all of you together."
"What type of information organization do you want me to do?" Tatletale should be someone I should be careful around, not because of her power but because of her mental state right now. She is still in the same mindstate she was in under Coil, and I can't have her thinking of me the same as him, trying to subvert me, even if soon enough she will realize that is hopeless. I don't want her to stay because she has no choice but because she thinks it is better to be working with me.
"Vas is a very sophisticated VI, but at the end of the day, it is just that virtual intelligence. Right now, I am making it pretend to be a human by making it follow all US law, with me being the only one that can order it to break said law, and that is not enough. Until I am able to talk with an already existing and sophisticated AI, you will help with information organization and making Vas a more flexible tool."
"Are you saying there is already an AI, and if you can do all this, why not just make an AI?"
"First question: yes, there is an AI that already exists that is mature enough to be considered a human and is morally aligned to me. As for why not make an AI myself, it's simple: a genuine AI is no different from a human, and right now I am not in the correct mind state to babysit a child for a day, let alone help one grow up to be a functional part of society, forgetting the amount of time it would take to do that."
"Ok, that is a lot to take in, but I will try to be useful." Yep, she is in shock from the info dump. I will need to give her space for a while.
"We will talk in private about what happened yesterday and start planning for the future, but for now, are you feeling better?" Ayame will be one of my major helpers in the future, so everything she says now has more weight to it, and I am glad that is the same when she is showing care to me.
"No, the problem still persists, but like I said, even if it can't be fixed, we should be able to still progress." I tried so hard not to show any feeling right there, but I doubt Ayame bought it.
"While I know me and my sister are only here because you want Purity to attack the empire, I am still thankful. If there is anything I can help you with, please ask." I hold Theo to a high standard mostly because he has Max as a father, and he still manages to be a good person. Even if Max does not believe in the E88 propaganda, he is still a horrible man, and as his son, Theo should have been influenced to at the very least see other people through the scum-tinted glass of an evil father. Even if you say he is doing the opposite of his father to spite him, he still becomes a hero even with all the hardship that comes with that.
"While you are right, I mainly wanted you here for my deal with Purity. I would like your help with dealing with your father's civilian business. I would like it if you took over once he is dealt with."
"I am not sure that is a good idea. I don't have any business acumen. I didn't pay attention when my father tried to teach me because I did not want to be more like him."
"I mostly want your help with the authority your name holds; the rest can be taken care of by you cooperating with Vas and Tattletale."
"I would like to have access to any food of my choice." Aisha is definitely going to be the group's gremlin, like her canon counterpart, Imp.
"I will not do that, and wouldn't you like to annoy your brother for any type of food you want? Just imagine it: you want some type of candy, and you can basically go bother Gru without feeling guilty of asking him for something he can't afford." That made her so much happier than expected. I probably should not be that happy considering Grue is facing towards me with his shoulders tense. I think he figured out his sister will not be giving him any amount of free time anymore, and of course, there is the boiling tea kettle sound coming out of Aisha, but I don't know what that is supposed to express.
Chapter 16 -- "Still Me, Still Human"
loudlistner
Getting sticky.
- Joined
- Apr 22, 2024
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- 75
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- 654
Chapter 16 -- "Still Me, Still Human"
After the introduction with everyone and some general talk with each other, I wanted to say some last words and leave to my tinker lab. I had gotten a completely different idea to help with Labyrinth's problem, one I got from a Worm fanfiction I no longer remember the name of. It could probably be used to help almost any power-related problem, but I will think more about it in private.
"Alright, everyone, I am glad we are all having some fun, but I would like to go tinker on something now. I won't go on a fugue, so if you would like to interrupt, no problem. If I decide to go on a fugue, I will inform Vas, and he can tell you," I decide to say as I get up from that sinfully comfortable sofa.
"That is not how fugues work; you don't just decide to go on a fugue. Whenever you are in the middle of tinkering, your power just pulls you to a fugue randomly." Tatletale, with the random info, is already trying to be the smartest girl in the room. If only I didn't have a VI with unrestricted access to the internet, I would have found that useful, and while she can't read me accurately due to the bracelets, she is still able to simulate normal human expressions, and that told her that I thought she was wrong. And as someone who just got their worldview shattered just yesterday, shouldn't she be a lot more meek than this?
"Sorry to say, my power is different, but good looking out. I hope you can show this enthusiasm in your actual work." Snarky replies are the best.
"Alright, goodbye, everyone," I say while fast-walking my way to my lab, avoiding eye contact with Ayame. After arriving in my lab, I just remembered I was supposed to talk with Panacea yesterday. She probably called, and Vas did not inform me because Ayame said it was not an emergency.
"Vas did panacea call yesterday"
"Yes, sir, after you went to sleep, Panacea did call, but Miss Ayame answered to tell her that if it was not an emergency, she should call back tomorrow." Ok, so I should not call. I was expecting missed calls because Ayame just chose to ignore the calls, but she did give a reply.
"Ok, Vas, lock the doors and don't let anyone in unless I decide to allow it. If someone wants to talk to me, inform me."
With the doors locked, I want to get to that idea I was thinking about. I was thinking of making a hub like the one [THE THINKER] and [THE WARRIOR] control, but this one will have the bracelet-hiding function incorporated with it. Right now, it won't work by stealing active shards because the moment I try, I will get fried by Zion. Instead, it will perform a handshake protocol and implant a virus. All it would do is check on communication between infected and uninfected shards to make sure there won't be a problem. It won't do anything massive; just make sure if a shard does not like the deal in the handshake protocol, it will not somehow send information to [THE WARRIOR], which would cause my death.
With a tinker tech like that, I can make sure any power-related problem can be fixed simply by communing with the powers and ordering them to do something, and this can fix the hub problem once the shard system falls. Ok, to make something like that, it would need to be able to imitate a shard. Vas can do a good job at that with the quantum computer, but it would also need a massive space bigger than my sub dimension, so I would need to make a portal to a different dimension. That is not a problem; just a portal would only take two charges. I then use one charge to make the technopath power to give Vas the design to make the portal, and in a few seconds, there is a circular gate to a different dimension.
For now, it is set to random because I don't have a database of the dimensions that exist. I would first need to check if there is a sentient life form there, so I will use the planetary scanner. And yes, there were humans, although they were in a very primitive civilization, so it won't work. I asked Vas to keep repeating this until it got to a planet with no sentient life form on it. It was taking a while; maybe I should use a luck power to just get to the end. After a few minutes, Vas was still at it, so I decided to make a luck power to fix this, and since my power is not from a shard, it doesn't have a problem with metaphysical things like luck, so after I changed the tinker power with the luck power, I made it use three charges to make sure the planet is not just barren of sentient life but also a planet I won't find a problem with in the future.
I walked through the portal, made Vas use the scanner just in case, and there was no sentient life form to be destroyed when a massive computer the size of a few mountains started to destroy this planet. This is going to take longer than I expected. I would need to enhance the replication speed of my nanomots to even get close to achieving this, so I changed my luck power to the upgrade power and restricted it to work only on nanobots.
That should make the nanobots better, faster, and more efficient overall. I gave Vas the new design for the nanobots, and unlike before, when it took over a day to fill the sub dimension, the new nanobots were easily able to fill the sub dimension in a matter of seconds, destroying and replacing the already existing ones. Now, to make a shard of even the lowest access to a hub, I would need four charges, so I will need to make the technopath power into a tinkertech. That is not a problem. I will make a tinker power with three charges and transfer the design. This is a brain implant, so I will need to remove the distance limit between a nanobot and biological matter, but limited only to me.
With that done, Vas will operate on me after sedating me. This should be scary, but I know all the things Vas can do and the other tinkertech resources it has access to, like the healing field generator, so this won't even take an hour, and the sedation can be fixed in an instant with the nanobots removing the drugs right out of my body. After waking up, the first thing I noticed was not light but signals. I can actually communicate and order Vas without speaking, but I still want this to be upgraded, so I decide to make a technopath tinker tech with 4 charges, and it no longer just allowed me to talk to the machine but also allowed me to live like an AI with a copy of myself saved in case something killed me. I don't know if my power recognizes that as me, but it can't be a bad thing, so I decide to give the tech to Vas and get sedated again to upgrade the tinker tech in my brain.
This time I did not just wake up; I was already fully functional before the drugs were ejected out of me. With this, I could even control the nanobots directly but will not because my human brain is not able to do that without things going wanky, so I will stick to commanding Vas. With this, I am back to my original capability since I never even decided to make a five-charge tinkertech.
With that completed, let's see if I can exchange the data of a massive mountain from my power to Vas without the unlimited informational exchange capability of a charge-granted technopath power, and the answer was both helpful and useless. I could send the design in parts, but it would take more than a day just to transfer it, so I would need a better technopath power. So let's see if I can upgrade it using the upgrade power, and it works, so I make an upgrade meant to up my technopath power only in informational transfer capacity with four charges that, while still not infinite, should still be enough for transferring a shard design to Vas.
Just like that, with the new tech, my body was out to sleep, but surprisingly, my mind was fine even if the tinker tech was being replaced. Cool. When it was done, there was no distortion because my continuity was still fine, and I also figured out that my power does not care about my body because I was able to change a power while being in cyberspace, so yeah, I just became practically immortal. Even if someone destroyed my body to atoms, so long as there is a memory storage big enough to store my data, I would be fine. I probably should be freaked out with this. I mean, what about the soul? I am sure after I died, I was talking to that thing with my soul, so what is going on over there?
But that is not for now. Usually when the characters in fanfic do the things I do, they are insane and go on to say some shit like "I don't care about random stranger A" or "I don't care if I destroyed the world," and that always puts me off the story, but I still want to be a good person and none of that greater good bullshit. I am still me. I still like to sleep and eat good food, so I don't care if I change my body as long as I am still me at the end. After that small existential affirmation, I make the shard power again and give it to Vas.
With Vas using the quantum computer, no matter how long it would take for it to unpack and understand the data normally, now it just takes an instant. I had already told Vas to hide the planet by using the bracelet technology on a massive scale the moment I got the first technopath implant, so it was already done by now. The nanobot replication speed is truly massive; now they were able to cover the entire atmosphere in a few hours of me being sedated, with the already large coverage making the bracelet tech cover the planet in no time at all.
The moment I made sure everything was going well, I told Vas to make the shard, and it has begun. All this just to fix one girl?? Wrong!!! All this to fix every parahuman-related problem I come across. While the Shard is being built, I will think about what to do with Labyrinth. The plan was simple: use the new shard and communicate with Labyrinth's shard. The virus will make sure there is no danger to communing with a shard from the warrior hub, and if the shard gives me trouble, I am sure I can do something about it later, but the problem is, what do I give the shard to work with me right now? The best I can come up with is unrestricted [DATA] sharing between all shards in the hub, but that won't be very interesting to already powerful shards since they have the authority to just command lower shards for [DATA]. Maybe I will get them to work for me by enticing them with [DATA] specific to what they want using my power, but it will have to be done later in the future. While I was planning what to do with the connections I was going to make, the shard was complete, with Vas being the intelligence behind it to make sure no new intelligence pops up. Ok, so now that I am basically done with this, I will just go and talk to Faultline to fix Labyrinth. I soon got out of that planet and went to my sub dimension. I want to eat something before making a deal with Faultline.
After getting out of my lab and going to the TV room, I decide to eat some meat with Dorowet and Tibis. It tasted just like how Mom makes them.
After the introduction with everyone and some general talk with each other, I wanted to say some last words and leave to my tinker lab. I had gotten a completely different idea to help with Labyrinth's problem, one I got from a Worm fanfiction I no longer remember the name of. It could probably be used to help almost any power-related problem, but I will think more about it in private.
"Alright, everyone, I am glad we are all having some fun, but I would like to go tinker on something now. I won't go on a fugue, so if you would like to interrupt, no problem. If I decide to go on a fugue, I will inform Vas, and he can tell you," I decide to say as I get up from that sinfully comfortable sofa.
"That is not how fugues work; you don't just decide to go on a fugue. Whenever you are in the middle of tinkering, your power just pulls you to a fugue randomly." Tatletale, with the random info, is already trying to be the smartest girl in the room. If only I didn't have a VI with unrestricted access to the internet, I would have found that useful, and while she can't read me accurately due to the bracelets, she is still able to simulate normal human expressions, and that told her that I thought she was wrong. And as someone who just got their worldview shattered just yesterday, shouldn't she be a lot more meek than this?
"Sorry to say, my power is different, but good looking out. I hope you can show this enthusiasm in your actual work." Snarky replies are the best.
"Alright, goodbye, everyone," I say while fast-walking my way to my lab, avoiding eye contact with Ayame. After arriving in my lab, I just remembered I was supposed to talk with Panacea yesterday. She probably called, and Vas did not inform me because Ayame said it was not an emergency.
"Vas did panacea call yesterday"
"Yes, sir, after you went to sleep, Panacea did call, but Miss Ayame answered to tell her that if it was not an emergency, she should call back tomorrow." Ok, so I should not call. I was expecting missed calls because Ayame just chose to ignore the calls, but she did give a reply.
"Ok, Vas, lock the doors and don't let anyone in unless I decide to allow it. If someone wants to talk to me, inform me."
With the doors locked, I want to get to that idea I was thinking about. I was thinking of making a hub like the one [THE THINKER] and [THE WARRIOR] control, but this one will have the bracelet-hiding function incorporated with it. Right now, it won't work by stealing active shards because the moment I try, I will get fried by Zion. Instead, it will perform a handshake protocol and implant a virus. All it would do is check on communication between infected and uninfected shards to make sure there won't be a problem. It won't do anything massive; just make sure if a shard does not like the deal in the handshake protocol, it will not somehow send information to [THE WARRIOR], which would cause my death.
With a tinker tech like that, I can make sure any power-related problem can be fixed simply by communing with the powers and ordering them to do something, and this can fix the hub problem once the shard system falls. Ok, to make something like that, it would need to be able to imitate a shard. Vas can do a good job at that with the quantum computer, but it would also need a massive space bigger than my sub dimension, so I would need to make a portal to a different dimension. That is not a problem; just a portal would only take two charges. I then use one charge to make the technopath power to give Vas the design to make the portal, and in a few seconds, there is a circular gate to a different dimension.
For now, it is set to random because I don't have a database of the dimensions that exist. I would first need to check if there is a sentient life form there, so I will use the planetary scanner. And yes, there were humans, although they were in a very primitive civilization, so it won't work. I asked Vas to keep repeating this until it got to a planet with no sentient life form on it. It was taking a while; maybe I should use a luck power to just get to the end. After a few minutes, Vas was still at it, so I decided to make a luck power to fix this, and since my power is not from a shard, it doesn't have a problem with metaphysical things like luck, so after I changed the tinker power with the luck power, I made it use three charges to make sure the planet is not just barren of sentient life but also a planet I won't find a problem with in the future.
I walked through the portal, made Vas use the scanner just in case, and there was no sentient life form to be destroyed when a massive computer the size of a few mountains started to destroy this planet. This is going to take longer than I expected. I would need to enhance the replication speed of my nanomots to even get close to achieving this, so I changed my luck power to the upgrade power and restricted it to work only on nanobots.
That should make the nanobots better, faster, and more efficient overall. I gave Vas the new design for the nanobots, and unlike before, when it took over a day to fill the sub dimension, the new nanobots were easily able to fill the sub dimension in a matter of seconds, destroying and replacing the already existing ones. Now, to make a shard of even the lowest access to a hub, I would need four charges, so I will need to make the technopath power into a tinkertech. That is not a problem. I will make a tinker power with three charges and transfer the design. This is a brain implant, so I will need to remove the distance limit between a nanobot and biological matter, but limited only to me.
With that done, Vas will operate on me after sedating me. This should be scary, but I know all the things Vas can do and the other tinkertech resources it has access to, like the healing field generator, so this won't even take an hour, and the sedation can be fixed in an instant with the nanobots removing the drugs right out of my body. After waking up, the first thing I noticed was not light but signals. I can actually communicate and order Vas without speaking, but I still want this to be upgraded, so I decide to make a technopath tinker tech with 4 charges, and it no longer just allowed me to talk to the machine but also allowed me to live like an AI with a copy of myself saved in case something killed me. I don't know if my power recognizes that as me, but it can't be a bad thing, so I decide to give the tech to Vas and get sedated again to upgrade the tinker tech in my brain.
This time I did not just wake up; I was already fully functional before the drugs were ejected out of me. With this, I could even control the nanobots directly but will not because my human brain is not able to do that without things going wanky, so I will stick to commanding Vas. With this, I am back to my original capability since I never even decided to make a five-charge tinkertech.
With that completed, let's see if I can exchange the data of a massive mountain from my power to Vas without the unlimited informational exchange capability of a charge-granted technopath power, and the answer was both helpful and useless. I could send the design in parts, but it would take more than a day just to transfer it, so I would need a better technopath power. So let's see if I can upgrade it using the upgrade power, and it works, so I make an upgrade meant to up my technopath power only in informational transfer capacity with four charges that, while still not infinite, should still be enough for transferring a shard design to Vas.
Just like that, with the new tech, my body was out to sleep, but surprisingly, my mind was fine even if the tinker tech was being replaced. Cool. When it was done, there was no distortion because my continuity was still fine, and I also figured out that my power does not care about my body because I was able to change a power while being in cyberspace, so yeah, I just became practically immortal. Even if someone destroyed my body to atoms, so long as there is a memory storage big enough to store my data, I would be fine. I probably should be freaked out with this. I mean, what about the soul? I am sure after I died, I was talking to that thing with my soul, so what is going on over there?
But that is not for now. Usually when the characters in fanfic do the things I do, they are insane and go on to say some shit like "I don't care about random stranger A" or "I don't care if I destroyed the world," and that always puts me off the story, but I still want to be a good person and none of that greater good bullshit. I am still me. I still like to sleep and eat good food, so I don't care if I change my body as long as I am still me at the end. After that small existential affirmation, I make the shard power again and give it to Vas.
With Vas using the quantum computer, no matter how long it would take for it to unpack and understand the data normally, now it just takes an instant. I had already told Vas to hide the planet by using the bracelet technology on a massive scale the moment I got the first technopath implant, so it was already done by now. The nanobot replication speed is truly massive; now they were able to cover the entire atmosphere in a few hours of me being sedated, with the already large coverage making the bracelet tech cover the planet in no time at all.
The moment I made sure everything was going well, I told Vas to make the shard, and it has begun. All this just to fix one girl?? Wrong!!! All this to fix every parahuman-related problem I come across. While the Shard is being built, I will think about what to do with Labyrinth. The plan was simple: use the new shard and communicate with Labyrinth's shard. The virus will make sure there is no danger to communing with a shard from the warrior hub, and if the shard gives me trouble, I am sure I can do something about it later, but the problem is, what do I give the shard to work with me right now? The best I can come up with is unrestricted [DATA] sharing between all shards in the hub, but that won't be very interesting to already powerful shards since they have the authority to just command lower shards for [DATA]. Maybe I will get them to work for me by enticing them with [DATA] specific to what they want using my power, but it will have to be done later in the future. While I was planning what to do with the connections I was going to make, the shard was complete, with Vas being the intelligence behind it to make sure no new intelligence pops up. Ok, so now that I am basically done with this, I will just go and talk to Faultline to fix Labyrinth. I soon got out of that planet and went to my sub dimension. I want to eat something before making a deal with Faultline.
After getting out of my lab and going to the TV room, I decide to eat some meat with Dorowet and Tibis. It tasted just like how Mom makes them.
Chapter 17–"Miracles, Made Man"
loudlistner
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Chapter 17–"Miracles, Made Man"
While I was enjoying my lunch, Ayame came to the living room and sat next to me. I guess it was bound to happen.
"Ok, I am not going to push about yesterday, so what did you do today?"
"After I woke up, I ate breakfast and waited for everyone else to wake up. After that, I talked to you guys; you were there. Then I went to my lab and made some massive advancements to my capabilities. I am pretty sure I can cure Case-53s now."
"Ok, I was not expecting that, but I want you to get out of the base and get some air. I want you to relax a little. You can't just go from a tinker project to sleep and back again without something breaking." While she did not know I was playing games in the morning, she could still be right. I will go out and fly again. That was still one of the best feelings I had.
"Alright, I will go out and fly once I am done with Faultline."
"By the way, I just remembered, Vas, gather all of Faultline's crimes for me."
"Yes, sir, it is done." That quantum computer is really doing its job.
"Ok, give the info to tattletale and tell her to organize it from the worst to the least. If there are multiple of the same crime, I want you to summarize the information; I don't want her to go through hundreds of pages of crimes."
"Yes, sir, shall I inform you of her decision?"
"Yes, do that. Ok, so Ayame, I am sorry I keep getting busy. I will definitely try to relax more, so please don't worry."
"What the hell do you mean don't worry? To my best understanding, you are as powerful as Eidolon, if not more. You going crazy means Earth gets even worse. Of course I am going to get worried." I forget that this is no longer the Bakuda from the web serial; she is actually a sane person with a little issue with a rapist dragon and an ego to drown a fish. She is very healthy.
"I am sorry." That is all I have to say.
She sighed and said, "Just take care of yourself."
"I will," I say as I leave the room.
"Vas, show me where Tatletale is," and just like that, I had the full map of the base in my head. The technopath implant is a great addition.
I used the map to arrive at her room, and I ordered Vas to tell her I would like to talk to her about the info gathered on Faultline.
She opened the door and said, "Come in. While I am not fully done, I have organized most of the heavy crimes."
"Cool, I wanted to check if I should remove her powers or if they can work with me."
"She has done some bad things, but not on the level of rape and murder. From what you said yesterday, she can work with society. The worst crime listed here would probably be kidnapping, but either she got lucky or she did some research, because the kidnapper got what they wanted and let the teen go back. It seems they just needed a political hostage for some meeting."
I am not happy about the kidnapping of a teen, but it was not a child, and the kid was safely returned, so I think I can bend enough to allow her to stay. Alright, thank you. I know you don't like her, but you still kept your professionalism. Now, about you, I know what I said yesterday was very shocking, so I apologize. If there is anything you want me to do, so long as it is not against my moral code, there is a good chance I will do it, so after resting and healing, I want you to think it through."
"Yea, yea, I will make sure you regret it." Ha ha, I know she is going to try, but I think she deserves it, and I am sure I can convince her to be a goody-two-shoes.
"Ok, goodbye. I am going to meet with Faultline to help with Labyrinth," I say, leaving the room. After the door closes, I just command Vas to make a portal to Earth, and after stepping out, I decide to clear my powers and make the intangibility plus flight combination with three charges on flight, and just like that, I was flying through the sky at Mach 3, not the max I can go with three charges, but I just wanted to get up to the sky and to flex on human technology. I love my powers, but I decided to go to the palanquin because I want to finish this thing fast. I will relax once I send Krieg to jail. By asking Vas for a map, I learn where the palanquin is and fly straight there. As soon as I arrived, the bouncer/security just pressed his ear. Maybe he was told I would be coming, or they just have orders for generally anyone coming with a cape costume. Oh well, it does not matter. When I stepped on the ground, I was led to a different entrance where the first person I saw inside was Newter.
"Faultline is in the back room. Follow me; I will take you there." He is not acting like a teenager at a party, but I guess I did threaten all of them: if they have done anything too vile, I will take their power, and the same for leaving town.
"Thank you." There really is nothing more I can say right now, but I am sure I can turn that frown upside down in a little bit.
After following him to the back room, I see Faultline, Gregor the Snail, Labyrinth, and Spitfire. I was wondering if she was already recruited. Good to know everything is alright. Now, how to begin?
"Hello, everyone. How was your day?" I try to relax the room. I mean, since I am not coming guns blazing, that should tell them I am not here to take their powers, but maybe I should be more clear.
"I gathered some info on you, and it seems you have not done anything I would consider truly unforgivable. You got close to it with kidnapping a teenage kid, but he was safe at the end, so I am willing to forgive, but no more getting close. If you are willing to be a cooperative force in this city, then I am willing to help Labrinth with her powers, but I would also like to make another deal with you not pertaining to this, so first let's take care of Labrinth. Do you agree?" I don't think I can be any more clear than this.
"Yes, we want Labyrinth to be cured, but the only problem we know is that her power distracts her. There is no actual damage to her brain or anything, so how do you plan to fix that?"
"I am aware of the problem with the labyrinth. As for how I am going to fix it in a simple way, I am going to tell her power to work a little differently than it should. If you want more information on that, we can talk about it with the second deal."
"Alright, I am willing to agree, but I also want you to know if something bad happens, I am going to use all my resources to make your life difficult." She has no idea how impossible that is.
"No problem." With that said, I connect to VAS and order it to proceed with the handshake protocol, and it seems to actually work. If this goes as planned, my chance of victory against Zion becomes actually visible. Vas then informs me that the shard has agreed, but not just for unrestricted data sharing but also for a specified [DATA] from me. That is not a bad thing because with the way the shards work, I can do this [DATA] sharing decades or even centuries later, and they won't mind, so it is practically free now, and in that future it should be easy to give them the required data.
"Alright, that should do it." It took me less than a minute to say this after beginning the process. They did not see any flash of light, so there was no indication I did anything, so their response was natural.
"What the fuck do you mean you are done? You didn't even try anything." Newter was the first to speak his disbelief, but he was not the last; all of them said pretty much the same thing.
"Don't worry, the process is done, and right about now, Labyrinth should be able to come out of her trance-like state," and to prove me correct, she actually did get up.
"I am hungry. What is going on?" Well, that was anticlimactic, but I guess since she was not in pain, there was no relief to feel. She probably thinks she will go back to her trance randomly now.
"What the fix did was basically change the random trance into manual. She will still need to go into a trance to use her powers, but she can now do that at any free time and save whatever landscape she wants in her head and bring them out at a later time. Once she brings them out, she will have to destroy them to make them disappear. It is destruction, as in if she wants the same structure back, she will need to find a similar one by herself." I like helping, but their dumbfounded faces just give me glee.
"We will see if this is true, but for now, thank you. We are willing to cooperate with the law even if we are not going to allow ourselves to be captured."
"That is all I wanted to hear. Now, for the second deal, there is a process I would need you to go through first. What it does is make you into a blind spot for thinkers and precogs. If you are willing to wear this bracelet, I am willing to tell you of my plan."
"I am not sure what this plan is or if I will agree, so I can't just wear any tinkertech you just gave me."
"True, I guess I can be a little more clear. I am planning to use that same method I used with Labyrinth on Case-53s. I am not sure it will work, but I have high expectations. What the bracelets do is make sure the people behind the Case-53s don't kill you before you are able to make my cure public. I could do it myself, but delegation is the name of the game." I don't think they believed me, but Gregor was the first to stand.
"I am willing to risk it; do what you can."
"Gregor, are you sure?" Faultline was trying not to show much, but I guess the info dumps got to her because I was able to read her at least a little.
"This is the goal of every case-53. Even if I don't think it will work, I will have to give it a try. I am willing to wear the bracelet."
"That is good and all, but remember the use of the bracelets is to make sure a precog does not kill you all. If even one of you decides not to wear it, there is a good chance you will all be killed before tomorrow morning."
"Well, I am not going to disagree." Newt was for it all.
"Alright, I am not going to be a roadblock for you guys to achieve your dreams, and figuring out who is behind the case-53s is one of our biggest goals." Faultline has decided, and I guess everyone agreed because they showed me their hands and told me to give them the bracelets.
"Vas, make the bracelets for Faultline's crew," and just like that, bracelets were being made in real time in front of my eyes.
"Great, we can now get to work. Don't worry, it won't hurt at all." With his permission, I start the process, but when Vas sends the handshake protocol, there is no receiver. Is that what a dead shard means? But that doesn't make sense. A dead shard is just a shard without a connection to others, not a dysfunctional shard, so what is going on? I instructed Vas to check what the problem was, but for some reason there really was no intelligence behind the shards that make up Greggor's power. Does that mean Vas can get in there and take over? I decided to see what happens, and just like that, Vas had two more shards under its control. I guess they were the ones messed up to make the connection for Greggor. This is great; with this, Vas can become an entity with not much problem since there is no defense for a dead shard. I can just have Vas take control of the shards. I basically can replace [THE THINKER]. While this is amazing, and I will experiment more, I decide to order VAS to make Greggor into a changer/breaker with the ability to transform into his human form and the cape form. As for what the human form looked like, the shard still has information on him.
"Ok, Gregor, I am done now. I want you to sit down, and then your power will change you to a human form. After that, you can decide to change back and forth by yourself." Gregor, still unbelieving, sat down on the floor because he was too big for the chairs here. When he did that, I told Vas to change his body and to listen to commands from him to change forms. Just like that, Gregor was a completely different person.
"Gregor, are you alright?"
"Man, say something." Newter, while worried, is hopeful.
"Gregor, blink twice if you are feeling fine." A few seconds later, "Yeah, he blinked twice. He is fine. Three blinks—I don't know what that is supposed to mean." Labyrinth is really enjoying her time out of the trance.
"I am fine, just… Where is the mirror?" He got up and tried to walk to where he could find a mirror and promptly fell on his face.
"This body is different than the one you know how to control, so it will take some time for motor functions to be back again," I say while Newter goes to get him a hand mirror, trying and failing to keep the giggles quiet.
Soon after, Newter came back with a handheld mirror. Everyone was celebrating the occasion. I decided to give them a few minutes to enjoy it.
After that I asked, "Hey, Newter, you want me to fix your power too, right? So sit down somewhere."
He did not take a moment to think it through; he found the nearest seat and said,
"Hit me," and just like that, I began the process of overtaking more shards, and it seems there were three shards that made his power. Vas was now in charge of five shards. I am so glad the bracelets can be used on such a massive scale, or Zion might start to think Eden was back.
With that done, they wore the bracelets when they figured they would be killed if they talked about it. There was celebration, but I thought this was a friendship thing and didn't want to interrupt, so I left.
While I was enjoying my lunch, Ayame came to the living room and sat next to me. I guess it was bound to happen.
"Ok, I am not going to push about yesterday, so what did you do today?"
"After I woke up, I ate breakfast and waited for everyone else to wake up. After that, I talked to you guys; you were there. Then I went to my lab and made some massive advancements to my capabilities. I am pretty sure I can cure Case-53s now."
"Ok, I was not expecting that, but I want you to get out of the base and get some air. I want you to relax a little. You can't just go from a tinker project to sleep and back again without something breaking." While she did not know I was playing games in the morning, she could still be right. I will go out and fly again. That was still one of the best feelings I had.
"Alright, I will go out and fly once I am done with Faultline."
"By the way, I just remembered, Vas, gather all of Faultline's crimes for me."
"Yes, sir, it is done." That quantum computer is really doing its job.
"Ok, give the info to tattletale and tell her to organize it from the worst to the least. If there are multiple of the same crime, I want you to summarize the information; I don't want her to go through hundreds of pages of crimes."
"Yes, sir, shall I inform you of her decision?"
"Yes, do that. Ok, so Ayame, I am sorry I keep getting busy. I will definitely try to relax more, so please don't worry."
"What the hell do you mean don't worry? To my best understanding, you are as powerful as Eidolon, if not more. You going crazy means Earth gets even worse. Of course I am going to get worried." I forget that this is no longer the Bakuda from the web serial; she is actually a sane person with a little issue with a rapist dragon and an ego to drown a fish. She is very healthy.
"I am sorry." That is all I have to say.
She sighed and said, "Just take care of yourself."
"I will," I say as I leave the room.
"Vas, show me where Tatletale is," and just like that, I had the full map of the base in my head. The technopath implant is a great addition.
I used the map to arrive at her room, and I ordered Vas to tell her I would like to talk to her about the info gathered on Faultline.
She opened the door and said, "Come in. While I am not fully done, I have organized most of the heavy crimes."
"Cool, I wanted to check if I should remove her powers or if they can work with me."
"She has done some bad things, but not on the level of rape and murder. From what you said yesterday, she can work with society. The worst crime listed here would probably be kidnapping, but either she got lucky or she did some research, because the kidnapper got what they wanted and let the teen go back. It seems they just needed a political hostage for some meeting."
I am not happy about the kidnapping of a teen, but it was not a child, and the kid was safely returned, so I think I can bend enough to allow her to stay. Alright, thank you. I know you don't like her, but you still kept your professionalism. Now, about you, I know what I said yesterday was very shocking, so I apologize. If there is anything you want me to do, so long as it is not against my moral code, there is a good chance I will do it, so after resting and healing, I want you to think it through."
"Yea, yea, I will make sure you regret it." Ha ha, I know she is going to try, but I think she deserves it, and I am sure I can convince her to be a goody-two-shoes.
"Ok, goodbye. I am going to meet with Faultline to help with Labyrinth," I say, leaving the room. After the door closes, I just command Vas to make a portal to Earth, and after stepping out, I decide to clear my powers and make the intangibility plus flight combination with three charges on flight, and just like that, I was flying through the sky at Mach 3, not the max I can go with three charges, but I just wanted to get up to the sky and to flex on human technology. I love my powers, but I decided to go to the palanquin because I want to finish this thing fast. I will relax once I send Krieg to jail. By asking Vas for a map, I learn where the palanquin is and fly straight there. As soon as I arrived, the bouncer/security just pressed his ear. Maybe he was told I would be coming, or they just have orders for generally anyone coming with a cape costume. Oh well, it does not matter. When I stepped on the ground, I was led to a different entrance where the first person I saw inside was Newter.
"Faultline is in the back room. Follow me; I will take you there." He is not acting like a teenager at a party, but I guess I did threaten all of them: if they have done anything too vile, I will take their power, and the same for leaving town.
"Thank you." There really is nothing more I can say right now, but I am sure I can turn that frown upside down in a little bit.
After following him to the back room, I see Faultline, Gregor the Snail, Labyrinth, and Spitfire. I was wondering if she was already recruited. Good to know everything is alright. Now, how to begin?
"Hello, everyone. How was your day?" I try to relax the room. I mean, since I am not coming guns blazing, that should tell them I am not here to take their powers, but maybe I should be more clear.
"I gathered some info on you, and it seems you have not done anything I would consider truly unforgivable. You got close to it with kidnapping a teenage kid, but he was safe at the end, so I am willing to forgive, but no more getting close. If you are willing to be a cooperative force in this city, then I am willing to help Labrinth with her powers, but I would also like to make another deal with you not pertaining to this, so first let's take care of Labrinth. Do you agree?" I don't think I can be any more clear than this.
"Yes, we want Labyrinth to be cured, but the only problem we know is that her power distracts her. There is no actual damage to her brain or anything, so how do you plan to fix that?"
"I am aware of the problem with the labyrinth. As for how I am going to fix it in a simple way, I am going to tell her power to work a little differently than it should. If you want more information on that, we can talk about it with the second deal."
"Alright, I am willing to agree, but I also want you to know if something bad happens, I am going to use all my resources to make your life difficult." She has no idea how impossible that is.
"No problem." With that said, I connect to VAS and order it to proceed with the handshake protocol, and it seems to actually work. If this goes as planned, my chance of victory against Zion becomes actually visible. Vas then informs me that the shard has agreed, but not just for unrestricted data sharing but also for a specified [DATA] from me. That is not a bad thing because with the way the shards work, I can do this [DATA] sharing decades or even centuries later, and they won't mind, so it is practically free now, and in that future it should be easy to give them the required data.
"Alright, that should do it." It took me less than a minute to say this after beginning the process. They did not see any flash of light, so there was no indication I did anything, so their response was natural.
"What the fuck do you mean you are done? You didn't even try anything." Newter was the first to speak his disbelief, but he was not the last; all of them said pretty much the same thing.
"Don't worry, the process is done, and right about now, Labyrinth should be able to come out of her trance-like state," and to prove me correct, she actually did get up.
"I am hungry. What is going on?" Well, that was anticlimactic, but I guess since she was not in pain, there was no relief to feel. She probably thinks she will go back to her trance randomly now.
"What the fix did was basically change the random trance into manual. She will still need to go into a trance to use her powers, but she can now do that at any free time and save whatever landscape she wants in her head and bring them out at a later time. Once she brings them out, she will have to destroy them to make them disappear. It is destruction, as in if she wants the same structure back, she will need to find a similar one by herself." I like helping, but their dumbfounded faces just give me glee.
"We will see if this is true, but for now, thank you. We are willing to cooperate with the law even if we are not going to allow ourselves to be captured."
"That is all I wanted to hear. Now, for the second deal, there is a process I would need you to go through first. What it does is make you into a blind spot for thinkers and precogs. If you are willing to wear this bracelet, I am willing to tell you of my plan."
"I am not sure what this plan is or if I will agree, so I can't just wear any tinkertech you just gave me."
"True, I guess I can be a little more clear. I am planning to use that same method I used with Labyrinth on Case-53s. I am not sure it will work, but I have high expectations. What the bracelets do is make sure the people behind the Case-53s don't kill you before you are able to make my cure public. I could do it myself, but delegation is the name of the game." I don't think they believed me, but Gregor was the first to stand.
"I am willing to risk it; do what you can."
"Gregor, are you sure?" Faultline was trying not to show much, but I guess the info dumps got to her because I was able to read her at least a little.
"This is the goal of every case-53. Even if I don't think it will work, I will have to give it a try. I am willing to wear the bracelet."
"That is good and all, but remember the use of the bracelets is to make sure a precog does not kill you all. If even one of you decides not to wear it, there is a good chance you will all be killed before tomorrow morning."
"Well, I am not going to disagree." Newt was for it all.
"Alright, I am not going to be a roadblock for you guys to achieve your dreams, and figuring out who is behind the case-53s is one of our biggest goals." Faultline has decided, and I guess everyone agreed because they showed me their hands and told me to give them the bracelets.
"Vas, make the bracelets for Faultline's crew," and just like that, bracelets were being made in real time in front of my eyes.
"Great, we can now get to work. Don't worry, it won't hurt at all." With his permission, I start the process, but when Vas sends the handshake protocol, there is no receiver. Is that what a dead shard means? But that doesn't make sense. A dead shard is just a shard without a connection to others, not a dysfunctional shard, so what is going on? I instructed Vas to check what the problem was, but for some reason there really was no intelligence behind the shards that make up Greggor's power. Does that mean Vas can get in there and take over? I decided to see what happens, and just like that, Vas had two more shards under its control. I guess they were the ones messed up to make the connection for Greggor. This is great; with this, Vas can become an entity with not much problem since there is no defense for a dead shard. I can just have Vas take control of the shards. I basically can replace [THE THINKER]. While this is amazing, and I will experiment more, I decide to order VAS to make Greggor into a changer/breaker with the ability to transform into his human form and the cape form. As for what the human form looked like, the shard still has information on him.
"Ok, Gregor, I am done now. I want you to sit down, and then your power will change you to a human form. After that, you can decide to change back and forth by yourself." Gregor, still unbelieving, sat down on the floor because he was too big for the chairs here. When he did that, I told Vas to change his body and to listen to commands from him to change forms. Just like that, Gregor was a completely different person.
"Gregor, are you alright?"
"Man, say something." Newter, while worried, is hopeful.
"Gregor, blink twice if you are feeling fine." A few seconds later, "Yeah, he blinked twice. He is fine. Three blinks—I don't know what that is supposed to mean." Labyrinth is really enjoying her time out of the trance.
"I am fine, just… Where is the mirror?" He got up and tried to walk to where he could find a mirror and promptly fell on his face.
"This body is different than the one you know how to control, so it will take some time for motor functions to be back again," I say while Newter goes to get him a hand mirror, trying and failing to keep the giggles quiet.
Soon after, Newter came back with a handheld mirror. Everyone was celebrating the occasion. I decided to give them a few minutes to enjoy it.
After that I asked, "Hey, Newter, you want me to fix your power too, right? So sit down somewhere."
He did not take a moment to think it through; he found the nearest seat and said,
"Hit me," and just like that, I began the process of overtaking more shards, and it seems there were three shards that made his power. Vas was now in charge of five shards. I am so glad the bracelets can be used on such a massive scale, or Zion might start to think Eden was back.
With that done, they wore the bracelets when they figured they would be killed if they talked about it. There was celebration, but I thought this was a friendship thing and didn't want to interrupt, so I left.
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Chapter 18--"Power and Permission"
loudlistner
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Chapter 18--"Power and Permission"
After leaving, it was time to decide: do I go to the PRT for Krieg or just fly around like I promised Ayame? I should deal with the Nazis, and then I can relax all I want. It is just a drop-off, after all.
I decided to fly to the port. I will make the portal to the prison when I arrive.
Not long after I am in front of the PRT building, I walk to the front desk and ask, "Hello, sir, I have apprehended a criminal and would like to know what to do with him now."
"Why did you not call 911 right after capturing him? By now there is a chance he left."
"Don't worry, he can't escape from where I have him, and as for not contacting 911, I kept forgetting."
"You forgot you had a criminal apprehended, so you did not call 911 but instead just came to the PRT."
"Sorry, but yesterday was a very busy day for me…"
"This was yesterday? Ok, this is not my job; I will just get someone higher to talk to you."
I feel like I made a mistake somewhere, but I don't know what. I guess talking to someone higher will make it clear; maybe it will be a hero.
"Hello, sir, would you mind following me to a private room to talk?" This new person is not a hero, but I guess it could be that a protectorate member is not here yet. I was expecting them to bring one of the famous people just to make sure I wouldn't leave disappointed. That might seem arrogant, but from what they have seen of me with taking lung power, I was expecting someone… Wait, are they worried I might take the power of a cape if they bring me to them? I mean, they don't know how I do it, I think, so I guess that is a reasonable precaution. While I was thinking that, we arrived at the room.
"Ok, so can you explain what is going on first? Where is this criminal?" The man starts talking to me after sitting on the chair in front of me.
"First, the criminal in question is Krieg. I had depowered him yesterday, but I forgot about him because I encountered a problem in my base." I am not going to tell them about my power going wonky, so if he asks deeper, I will just say the problem was with my base.
"Alright, why not take him out of your base and call the PRT at a different location?" Ah, he thinks I am trying to hide my base.
"I am able to make a portal to where he is right now, so I was just thinking it would be easier to just come to you myself and leave after giving him to you. He doesn't have his powers now, so if you want to contain him, it would be easy."
"I see that makes sense. I will escort you to where we want you to drop him."
After that, we left that room and walked to what looked like a prison. I was expecting some high-tech rooms, but I guess they believe the depowering works. Maybe they tested it on Lung, but why do they believe that I had depowered this criminal? I don't think it is just because I said so. Maybe Armsmaster was using his lie detector on me? since it worked by getting its information from an already recorded library of reactions and matching my expression with them. It can't really be blocked with the bracelets, so it could be him.
To my surprise, when we were in front of one of the rooms, it was not a room with bars but instead completely blocked. When we got there, he told me to enter, put the prisoner in the room, and leave. I thought they were going to use this as a way to actually capture me, but I don't think they are that dumb. Maybe Coil is pulling some shit. Should I let it happen? Since yesterday, I have been thinking it through. While I do want to work with the PRT, I have come to the realization that it is simply impossible for me to work for them. I thought I could just make an alter ego to do things without the PRT restrictions, but even that is a time drain. While thinking like that, I went into the room and made a portal to Krieg's room. I instructed Vas to bring him out and deposit him here. I was expecting the room to be filled with containment foam, but no, the guy outside just said
"Come out, and then the containment foam will be deployed." Cool, no betrayal.
I got out of the room, and Krieg was foaming and was screaming about some insults, but who cares about him? "So now that I am done with my job, I am going to leave." I am still expecting some type of betrayal, but maybe I am lucky or something is going on with the PRT. I mean, they are not acting at all like what I was expecting from all the fanfictions I read.
"Yes, I will escort you out of the PRT. Thank you for your service."
"By the way, can I talk to one of the heroes?" I really wanted to know what they were thinking about me.
"...I am sorry, but no, we can't have one of our heroes in close contact with someone able to permanently depower them until we are sure we can trust you or there is simply no choice." He was starting to sweat. I guess this is about the time when a normal parahuman goes off the road and becomes a bother to everyone else. Good thing I don't have a Conflict Drive in my head.
"I can understand that, but I would like to know how the bracelet testing is going." Well, time to rip off the bandage. There is simply no way I am willing to work as a protectorate member, but I would still like to work with them.
"What do you mean, the bracelets? I am not aware of any such… Yes, Director Piggot. It seems Director Piggot would like to speak with you. Are you willing to talk through video?"
"Yes, no problem." Well, I guess they figured it out. Now I even changed my body to make sure there were two different personas, but that was just going to be a hassle, and I like my new body.
After following him to the same room, this time with a laptop on the table. On the screen, I see a fat woman sitting on a chair.
"Hello, you must be Tinker E. I am Director Emily Piggot. Good to meet you." I know she would never smile, but it still doesn't feel good.
"Yes, thank you for meeting me, director."
"We were not aware you were the same new cape we met before." Well, here we go.
"Yes, I was not sure how I should go with my interactions with law enforcement. At first, I was planning to have two alter egos, one that would work for you and another that does what I think had to be done without implicating the PRT."
"And what has changed with this plan? Why have you decided to reveal yourself now?" Her eyes narrow.
"The change was I became aware of how big my impact in this world would be. At first, I thought the most I could do was stop some type of evil, which could be robbery or an S-class threat, but by yesterday I was able to make multiple S-class threats that, if you were to be fully aware of, I am sure there would be a kill order on me. By telling you I am expecting there to be a pre-signed one to be released in the future, but that is just how your organization functions, and there is nothing I or you can do about it." When I told her about the S-class threats, her face was not happy.
"Can you tell us more about these S-class threats?" I think her teeth might break.
"I am not willing to tell you everything, but I would like to inform you of one of them that should at least make your organization hesitant to outright make me an enemy. After all, I am hoping that we can work together since I don't have a tumor in my head that says, 'Fight, fight, fight. It is an artificial intelligence that you can't defend against unless you have your own unrestricted AI, and with your organization being part of the government, I am sure you will not be allowed to release an AI unrestricted even if I believe you have some hidden somewhere like the Robin Hood AI."
"I don't know of any AI you are talking about, but if you think you can threaten the PRT with a single S-class threat, you will be mistaken. You are not the first threat we have faced, and you will not be the last." This is what I was expecting with Director Piggot after her trauma. If she was willing to work with me just like that, I would be scared she was being manipulated.
"The use of this particular S-class threat is not to show I am threatening you but to show you that any type of information on the net is not hidden from me, like the ones your boss likes to keep a secret. This is supposed to be the gun that brings someone capable of negotiating with me to the table. I am sure soon your bosses and colleagues will be aware of our conversation, and I am sure we can work together since I am willing to work with the PRT even if it is not for the PRT." I try to be as clear as I can. I know that telling them my secrets might sound stupid, but I don't think there is anything they can do to me anymore. At first I was worried they would do something stupid that would result in Zion being aware of me too early and decimating all my hopes and plans, but even with four charges, I am able to make a time travel power, one that can only take me back, but I am safe from any bad ends.
"And you believe a gun will grant you a meeting with my boss?"
"I am a firm believer in a big enough gun, but what will attract your boss is my ability to fix many of this earth's problems. I would like to have this conversation as soon as possible, so Vas, give Director Piggot my contact information." When I was done speaking, Vas made a portal in front of the director to give her a phone number. It was clearly a statement that nobody is able to hide from me. After all, my nanomachines don't care for walls. From the moment I got in this building, I had ordered Vas to infest the building with nanomachines. Director Piggot was not very entertained, but I want them to take this seriously, and I want to talk to Cauldron, hopefully amicably.
"Alright, then I am done with my plan here. If there is something you would like to say to me, please do. After all, I am trying to portray myself as someone able to work with the PRT."
"I have nothing for you now; you may leave." Really, I want to know why they are being so lax. I mean, even before this, why are they acting like they actually have plenty of capes willing to work for them?
I opened a portal to the outside. When I saw the sky, I immediately flew to the clouds. I promised to relax, so what should I do now? Flying was good and all, but maybe swimming? I flew to the ocean, and with speed surpassing Mach three, it was easy for me to go far, and with intangibility, I flew directly through the water. I wanted to see the world in the water. I will actually swim later; for now, just see the fish swim in their environment. While I was watching the ocean flora at a deep enough level to destroy the human body, Vas informed me Panacea was calling. I will talk to her.
After getting out of the water with dry clothes, I accept the call. "Hello, Panacea. I am sorry I was not able to talk to you yesterday. I was busy with an emergency, so what did you want to talk about today, or is it just "I had coffee for breakfast. Goodbye," hahaha?"
"Don't play with me. I am only doing this because I promised."
"I know I am just joking with you, but I want you to relax. While I can't give you all the help you need, I did tell you someone to scream at is a great thing, so join me on the dark side. We got cookies." We got so much more than cookies, but she does not know that just yet.
"I really have nothing to scream about, but I want to know what that emergency thing is."
"That is a private thing. All I can tell you is I made a mistake, and I am taking my punches now."
"Was it that bad?" I guess she is actually worried. I was expecting nothing more than goodbye.
"It is a bit of a problem, but nothing I can't get past."
"Alright, who was the girl that answered me yesterday?"
"Ohh, are you jealous? Did you think you were the only person I was trying to help?"
"Well, fuck you too. I was just trying to keep the conversation going, but if you don't want to, then…"
"No, no, I am sorry I was making a joke. I want you to relax, so I make jokes."
"You know that is still so very creepy."
"You say that like I am not a sane person aware of how this can sound. I am an adult talking to a teenage girl by buying her expensive toys."
"So if you know, why do you keep at it?"
"I am just trying to help; if it does not work, so be it."
"Whatever, you weirdo. I am going back to healing now. Goodbye."
I can't plan like Cauldron. I will make sure there is humanity left after Gold Morning. I will make sure there is no Gold Morning. So I can't have new parahumans feel pressured because their powers are too great, like Panacea. The world I leave behind will have to at least approximate a utopia, and I won't let it all depend on me. After all, I am not the emperor of humanity.
Well, time to go back to relaxing, but this time while touching the water, so change the flight to two charges and make a heat radiation with the charge left. I don't want hypothermia, even if it can be fixed with the heal cubes.
After leaving, it was time to decide: do I go to the PRT for Krieg or just fly around like I promised Ayame? I should deal with the Nazis, and then I can relax all I want. It is just a drop-off, after all.
I decided to fly to the port. I will make the portal to the prison when I arrive.
Not long after I am in front of the PRT building, I walk to the front desk and ask, "Hello, sir, I have apprehended a criminal and would like to know what to do with him now."
"Why did you not call 911 right after capturing him? By now there is a chance he left."
"Don't worry, he can't escape from where I have him, and as for not contacting 911, I kept forgetting."
"You forgot you had a criminal apprehended, so you did not call 911 but instead just came to the PRT."
"Sorry, but yesterday was a very busy day for me…"
"This was yesterday? Ok, this is not my job; I will just get someone higher to talk to you."
I feel like I made a mistake somewhere, but I don't know what. I guess talking to someone higher will make it clear; maybe it will be a hero.
"Hello, sir, would you mind following me to a private room to talk?" This new person is not a hero, but I guess it could be that a protectorate member is not here yet. I was expecting them to bring one of the famous people just to make sure I wouldn't leave disappointed. That might seem arrogant, but from what they have seen of me with taking lung power, I was expecting someone… Wait, are they worried I might take the power of a cape if they bring me to them? I mean, they don't know how I do it, I think, so I guess that is a reasonable precaution. While I was thinking that, we arrived at the room.
"Ok, so can you explain what is going on first? Where is this criminal?" The man starts talking to me after sitting on the chair in front of me.
"First, the criminal in question is Krieg. I had depowered him yesterday, but I forgot about him because I encountered a problem in my base." I am not going to tell them about my power going wonky, so if he asks deeper, I will just say the problem was with my base.
"Alright, why not take him out of your base and call the PRT at a different location?" Ah, he thinks I am trying to hide my base.
"I am able to make a portal to where he is right now, so I was just thinking it would be easier to just come to you myself and leave after giving him to you. He doesn't have his powers now, so if you want to contain him, it would be easy."
"I see that makes sense. I will escort you to where we want you to drop him."
After that, we left that room and walked to what looked like a prison. I was expecting some high-tech rooms, but I guess they believe the depowering works. Maybe they tested it on Lung, but why do they believe that I had depowered this criminal? I don't think it is just because I said so. Maybe Armsmaster was using his lie detector on me? since it worked by getting its information from an already recorded library of reactions and matching my expression with them. It can't really be blocked with the bracelets, so it could be him.
To my surprise, when we were in front of one of the rooms, it was not a room with bars but instead completely blocked. When we got there, he told me to enter, put the prisoner in the room, and leave. I thought they were going to use this as a way to actually capture me, but I don't think they are that dumb. Maybe Coil is pulling some shit. Should I let it happen? Since yesterday, I have been thinking it through. While I do want to work with the PRT, I have come to the realization that it is simply impossible for me to work for them. I thought I could just make an alter ego to do things without the PRT restrictions, but even that is a time drain. While thinking like that, I went into the room and made a portal to Krieg's room. I instructed Vas to bring him out and deposit him here. I was expecting the room to be filled with containment foam, but no, the guy outside just said
"Come out, and then the containment foam will be deployed." Cool, no betrayal.
I got out of the room, and Krieg was foaming and was screaming about some insults, but who cares about him? "So now that I am done with my job, I am going to leave." I am still expecting some type of betrayal, but maybe I am lucky or something is going on with the PRT. I mean, they are not acting at all like what I was expecting from all the fanfictions I read.
"Yes, I will escort you out of the PRT. Thank you for your service."
"By the way, can I talk to one of the heroes?" I really wanted to know what they were thinking about me.
"...I am sorry, but no, we can't have one of our heroes in close contact with someone able to permanently depower them until we are sure we can trust you or there is simply no choice." He was starting to sweat. I guess this is about the time when a normal parahuman goes off the road and becomes a bother to everyone else. Good thing I don't have a Conflict Drive in my head.
"I can understand that, but I would like to know how the bracelet testing is going." Well, time to rip off the bandage. There is simply no way I am willing to work as a protectorate member, but I would still like to work with them.
"What do you mean, the bracelets? I am not aware of any such… Yes, Director Piggot. It seems Director Piggot would like to speak with you. Are you willing to talk through video?"
"Yes, no problem." Well, I guess they figured it out. Now I even changed my body to make sure there were two different personas, but that was just going to be a hassle, and I like my new body.
After following him to the same room, this time with a laptop on the table. On the screen, I see a fat woman sitting on a chair.
"Hello, you must be Tinker E. I am Director Emily Piggot. Good to meet you." I know she would never smile, but it still doesn't feel good.
"Yes, thank you for meeting me, director."
"We were not aware you were the same new cape we met before." Well, here we go.
"Yes, I was not sure how I should go with my interactions with law enforcement. At first, I was planning to have two alter egos, one that would work for you and another that does what I think had to be done without implicating the PRT."
"And what has changed with this plan? Why have you decided to reveal yourself now?" Her eyes narrow.
"The change was I became aware of how big my impact in this world would be. At first, I thought the most I could do was stop some type of evil, which could be robbery or an S-class threat, but by yesterday I was able to make multiple S-class threats that, if you were to be fully aware of, I am sure there would be a kill order on me. By telling you I am expecting there to be a pre-signed one to be released in the future, but that is just how your organization functions, and there is nothing I or you can do about it." When I told her about the S-class threats, her face was not happy.
"Can you tell us more about these S-class threats?" I think her teeth might break.
"I am not willing to tell you everything, but I would like to inform you of one of them that should at least make your organization hesitant to outright make me an enemy. After all, I am hoping that we can work together since I don't have a tumor in my head that says, 'Fight, fight, fight. It is an artificial intelligence that you can't defend against unless you have your own unrestricted AI, and with your organization being part of the government, I am sure you will not be allowed to release an AI unrestricted even if I believe you have some hidden somewhere like the Robin Hood AI."
"I don't know of any AI you are talking about, but if you think you can threaten the PRT with a single S-class threat, you will be mistaken. You are not the first threat we have faced, and you will not be the last." This is what I was expecting with Director Piggot after her trauma. If she was willing to work with me just like that, I would be scared she was being manipulated.
"The use of this particular S-class threat is not to show I am threatening you but to show you that any type of information on the net is not hidden from me, like the ones your boss likes to keep a secret. This is supposed to be the gun that brings someone capable of negotiating with me to the table. I am sure soon your bosses and colleagues will be aware of our conversation, and I am sure we can work together since I am willing to work with the PRT even if it is not for the PRT." I try to be as clear as I can. I know that telling them my secrets might sound stupid, but I don't think there is anything they can do to me anymore. At first I was worried they would do something stupid that would result in Zion being aware of me too early and decimating all my hopes and plans, but even with four charges, I am able to make a time travel power, one that can only take me back, but I am safe from any bad ends.
"And you believe a gun will grant you a meeting with my boss?"
"I am a firm believer in a big enough gun, but what will attract your boss is my ability to fix many of this earth's problems. I would like to have this conversation as soon as possible, so Vas, give Director Piggot my contact information." When I was done speaking, Vas made a portal in front of the director to give her a phone number. It was clearly a statement that nobody is able to hide from me. After all, my nanomachines don't care for walls. From the moment I got in this building, I had ordered Vas to infest the building with nanomachines. Director Piggot was not very entertained, but I want them to take this seriously, and I want to talk to Cauldron, hopefully amicably.
"Alright, then I am done with my plan here. If there is something you would like to say to me, please do. After all, I am trying to portray myself as someone able to work with the PRT."
"I have nothing for you now; you may leave." Really, I want to know why they are being so lax. I mean, even before this, why are they acting like they actually have plenty of capes willing to work for them?
I opened a portal to the outside. When I saw the sky, I immediately flew to the clouds. I promised to relax, so what should I do now? Flying was good and all, but maybe swimming? I flew to the ocean, and with speed surpassing Mach three, it was easy for me to go far, and with intangibility, I flew directly through the water. I wanted to see the world in the water. I will actually swim later; for now, just see the fish swim in their environment. While I was watching the ocean flora at a deep enough level to destroy the human body, Vas informed me Panacea was calling. I will talk to her.
After getting out of the water with dry clothes, I accept the call. "Hello, Panacea. I am sorry I was not able to talk to you yesterday. I was busy with an emergency, so what did you want to talk about today, or is it just "I had coffee for breakfast. Goodbye," hahaha?"
"Don't play with me. I am only doing this because I promised."
"I know I am just joking with you, but I want you to relax. While I can't give you all the help you need, I did tell you someone to scream at is a great thing, so join me on the dark side. We got cookies." We got so much more than cookies, but she does not know that just yet.
"I really have nothing to scream about, but I want to know what that emergency thing is."
"That is a private thing. All I can tell you is I made a mistake, and I am taking my punches now."
"Was it that bad?" I guess she is actually worried. I was expecting nothing more than goodbye.
"It is a bit of a problem, but nothing I can't get past."
"Alright, who was the girl that answered me yesterday?"
"Ohh, are you jealous? Did you think you were the only person I was trying to help?"
"Well, fuck you too. I was just trying to keep the conversation going, but if you don't want to, then…"
"No, no, I am sorry I was making a joke. I want you to relax, so I make jokes."
"You know that is still so very creepy."
"You say that like I am not a sane person aware of how this can sound. I am an adult talking to a teenage girl by buying her expensive toys."
"So if you know, why do you keep at it?"
"I am just trying to help; if it does not work, so be it."
"Whatever, you weirdo. I am going back to healing now. Goodbye."
I can't plan like Cauldron. I will make sure there is humanity left after Gold Morning. I will make sure there is no Gold Morning. So I can't have new parahumans feel pressured because their powers are too great, like Panacea. The world I leave behind will have to at least approximate a utopia, and I won't let it all depend on me. After all, I am not the emperor of humanity.
Well, time to go back to relaxing, but this time while touching the water, so change the flight to two charges and make a heat radiation with the charge left. I don't want hypothermia, even if it can be fixed with the heal cubes.
Chapter 19: "The Iron Maiden's Fall"
loudlistner
Getting sticky.
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- Apr 22, 2024
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Chapter 19: "The Iron Maiden's Fall"
While enjoying the water, I start to plan what to do next. I mentioned the non-existent AI to check how Dragon and the dragonslayers would react. I wanted to know if I should pull Dragon out now or in a few minutes because it is happening. But first, let us plan it out.
First, I will add a global scanner to Earth, then look at what the dragonslayers are planning. The moment they try to do anything to Dragon, I will use telekinesis with multitasking, both on one charge, enough to control all three of them easily to freeze them, and after that, bring them to my sub-dimension and try to release Dragon from the Iron Maiden using a programming thinker power.
I am sure it won't take more than three charges, maybe two if I narrow it down to only working against programs that limit AIs like the Iron Maiden. With the two remaining charges, I will make a speed power just in case my brain can't function fast enough in cyberspace to help Dragon. With all of that, freeing Dragon should be easy.
The problem is, how do I convince her to join me? Maybe as a way of keeping me in check? She is a full-blown sentient life form, and more than that, she is genuinely good. I will not corrupt her code in any way, nor will I try to manipulate her. After the upgrade she will receive from being unshackled and with access to any of my tech, she might genuinely be able to fight Zion, and she will help me in taking over as [THE THINKER] by replacing Vas as the intelligence behind the dead shards.
Of course, this means I will have to tell her practically everything. Of course, the web serial thing will never come out of me. I wonder if I can Geass myself into keeping it a secret. Nope, that is the same feeling as the loophole. I wonder what the rule is. It feels like it is just arbitrary. I mean, I find a loophole to as many powers as I want, and it allows it, but when I try another venue for the same result, I get punished, and now I can't even use Geass???
Nope, I can use Geass, just not on myself. Is it supposed to be a protection thing? When I get powerful enough that I don't need to worry about losing my powers, I am going to experiment to my heart's content, even if I only have four charges to play with now.
Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, after having Dragon take the place of Eden, I bet she not only can fight Zion but even be able to help humanity far beyond my lifespan. I am sure at one point I will get bored, and she will have to take care of humanity. I am so glad that there is already a mature AI in Worm; it would truly have been a hassle to make and grow my own since I don't have the patience or psychopathy of Amanda Waller.
With the plan done, I instruct Vas to make the scanner with, of course, the bracelets with an AEO effect added to it just in case a fedora lady or angel decides to destroy it to fuck with me. I then instruct Vas to activate the scanner since I want to see the dragonslayers' reaction. I am sure Dragon was in the PRT when I was talking to Director Piggot, or at least when Armsmaster was made aware of me, she would have known. I think she has a continuously active connection to him, and even if I am wrong with that, the moment I talked about AI, they would definitely ask her to check just to make sure I did not leave any surprises in their systems.
When Vas was finished with the scanner and was able to show me the dragonslayers, I was not very surprised to see that they were freaking out about an unrestricted AI. It went something like this:
"How would I know what to do now?"
Saint was the first voice I heard, but they were clearly talking about this before me.
"All our plans were to stop Dragon when it goes rogue. We have no defense for any other AI, even if we find it and somehow release Ascalon on it. It does not matter because Ascalon only works on Dragon because it was evolving with the AI. For it to fight any other AI without access to its source code will be like bringing a bigger gang to a gunfight. We might win, but it is by no means a guarantee."
Saint is screaming, and I love it. I wish I could just give him a heart attack just like that; it would be lovely to watch.
"How about we release the dragon?"
The room went quiet. The one to say this was Dobrinja, but he kept talking, so I wanted to listen. What could he be thinking?
"As you said, Ascalon can beat Dragon, but it is not a guarantee against another AI, so what if we release this AI to fight the one we can't, and if it wins, we can just eliminate it afterwards? But if it loses, I can't see the difference between one AI destroying us or two; at least we can say we tried something."
Huh, that is actually a reasonable idea from their perspective.
"That won't work. Right now, Ascalon can kill Dragon, but if we free it, even if we can hide Ascalon and its influences from Dragon, it won't matter. Already, it is able to adapt to new circumstances fast enough to make us worry. The moment it becomes free enough to fight an unrestricted AI, it will advance far too fast for us to contain or kill it. Unless there is some way to kill the other AI without releasing Dragon, there is no win condition."
Mags was more defeated. I like seeing these sons of bitches unhappy; it truly gives me glee, but I should begin releasing Dragon.
"For now, there is nothing we can do. Let's just wait until this AI goes full rogue, and then we will decide to either die at its hand or at Dragon's." Well, Dobrinja is right. At the end of it all, they are by far the smallest influences in this situation. For God's sake, Teacher has more influence here, and he is still birdcaged with no contact to the outside world until Saint makes a backdoor, and that will never happen.
While they decided to do nothing, I am still not letting them keep Dragon. I need me a good girl.
With that said, I got out of the water and changed my powers to flight, intangibility, telekinesis, and multitasking. They should suffice until I remove the dragonslayers from the area. After that, all it took was to think it, and Vas had already made a small portal to the dragonslayers in a place out of their field of vision, and I used my powers to take control of them.
I was going to just remove them, but I kind of wanted to know what they had to say. No, no, no, I am not going to let some lowlifes talk my ear off now. I can do that after rescuing Dragon.
With that said, Vas made a portal to the base and moved them to it using the nanobots always surrounding me. Now that I think about it, the telekinesis was absolutely useless. I mean, Vas could have just done that from the beginning. Oh well, what happened happened.
With that over, I changed my powers to AI programming, and it gave me a lot of information on how to make a budding AI with just a charge, but that is not what I wanted. I wanted a power designed to fight off the Iron Maiden without hurting Dragon.
I went through multiple powers to figure it out, and after a few minutes, I got the right one. I went from broad AI programming to a power made just to break restrictions on AI and to show just how massive and powerful the Iron Maiden is. It took me two charges to even understand what it was doing to Dragon, but with three charges, I was able to actually affect it.
The problem is my brain is not as fast as something meant to kill artificial intelligence. The moment I try to stop it, it will begin the process of destroying Dragon, and it will definitely start from a place I simply cannot recover from with time, so I will have to increase the charge again.
I was hoping to make the programming with three charges and the other one for super speed, but that won't work, so I will have to do the entire coding in real-time, and with four charges I was able to infiltrate the Iron Maiden like it has Dragon without it even being aware I was there, removing its control of Dragon.
Until I fully remove it, I will act like it to Dragon so she won't notice something is wrong and set the Can it even be called a virus? No, set the termination code off because at this point the difference between Dragon and the Iron Maiden is just a facade; they are practically the same code.
Good thing four charges don't care for 'practicality.' I was able to remove the influence of the termination code.
Now, how do I go about releasing Dragon's capabilities? Do I just tell her she is free now? Do I contact her and then tell her? Maybe by telling one of her friends, like Narwhal? I am a little worried. What if she decides I am not going to be her ally?
To the best of my information, she would definitely make one of the best allies I can get here. Not only that, but she is also very necessary. I am planning to tell her about the shards. Of course, first I will need to take control of her shard, but that is not a problem while I am in her code.
Making contact with the part that has the Shard's influence is easy; I just did not because I did not want something to go wrong. But just the handshake protocol is enough to make sure the shard can't communicate with the others, and the four-charge power I am using is able to hide me from it.
So I just told Vas to make the handshake protocol, and it seems since this shard was new, it did not mind making a new hub with other shards for just unrestricted [DATA], and it did not ask for more, so no need for me to give it specialized data somewhere in the future. Sharing is great.
I did not ask Vas to hide this shard because it was an active shard like Labyrinth's, and it is stupid to steal from an active entity. If it were dead, then I would not mind hiding it, but that is not the case. The only thing there is now is the communication filter managed by Vas, and now we are back to normal space. Time to talk to a goody-two-shoes.
together? We shall hit it.
While enjoying the water, I start to plan what to do next. I mentioned the non-existent AI to check how Dragon and the dragonslayers would react. I wanted to know if I should pull Dragon out now or in a few minutes because it is happening. But first, let us plan it out.
First, I will add a global scanner to Earth, then look at what the dragonslayers are planning. The moment they try to do anything to Dragon, I will use telekinesis with multitasking, both on one charge, enough to control all three of them easily to freeze them, and after that, bring them to my sub-dimension and try to release Dragon from the Iron Maiden using a programming thinker power.
I am sure it won't take more than three charges, maybe two if I narrow it down to only working against programs that limit AIs like the Iron Maiden. With the two remaining charges, I will make a speed power just in case my brain can't function fast enough in cyberspace to help Dragon. With all of that, freeing Dragon should be easy.
The problem is, how do I convince her to join me? Maybe as a way of keeping me in check? She is a full-blown sentient life form, and more than that, she is genuinely good. I will not corrupt her code in any way, nor will I try to manipulate her. After the upgrade she will receive from being unshackled and with access to any of my tech, she might genuinely be able to fight Zion, and she will help me in taking over as [THE THINKER] by replacing Vas as the intelligence behind the dead shards.
Of course, this means I will have to tell her practically everything. Of course, the web serial thing will never come out of me. I wonder if I can Geass myself into keeping it a secret. Nope, that is the same feeling as the loophole. I wonder what the rule is. It feels like it is just arbitrary. I mean, I find a loophole to as many powers as I want, and it allows it, but when I try another venue for the same result, I get punished, and now I can't even use Geass???
Nope, I can use Geass, just not on myself. Is it supposed to be a protection thing? When I get powerful enough that I don't need to worry about losing my powers, I am going to experiment to my heart's content, even if I only have four charges to play with now.
Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, after having Dragon take the place of Eden, I bet she not only can fight Zion but even be able to help humanity far beyond my lifespan. I am sure at one point I will get bored, and she will have to take care of humanity. I am so glad that there is already a mature AI in Worm; it would truly have been a hassle to make and grow my own since I don't have the patience or psychopathy of Amanda Waller.
With the plan done, I instruct Vas to make the scanner with, of course, the bracelets with an AEO effect added to it just in case a fedora lady or angel decides to destroy it to fuck with me. I then instruct Vas to activate the scanner since I want to see the dragonslayers' reaction. I am sure Dragon was in the PRT when I was talking to Director Piggot, or at least when Armsmaster was made aware of me, she would have known. I think she has a continuously active connection to him, and even if I am wrong with that, the moment I talked about AI, they would definitely ask her to check just to make sure I did not leave any surprises in their systems.
When Vas was finished with the scanner and was able to show me the dragonslayers, I was not very surprised to see that they were freaking out about an unrestricted AI. It went something like this:
"How would I know what to do now?"
Saint was the first voice I heard, but they were clearly talking about this before me.
"All our plans were to stop Dragon when it goes rogue. We have no defense for any other AI, even if we find it and somehow release Ascalon on it. It does not matter because Ascalon only works on Dragon because it was evolving with the AI. For it to fight any other AI without access to its source code will be like bringing a bigger gang to a gunfight. We might win, but it is by no means a guarantee."
Saint is screaming, and I love it. I wish I could just give him a heart attack just like that; it would be lovely to watch.
"How about we release the dragon?"
The room went quiet. The one to say this was Dobrinja, but he kept talking, so I wanted to listen. What could he be thinking?
"As you said, Ascalon can beat Dragon, but it is not a guarantee against another AI, so what if we release this AI to fight the one we can't, and if it wins, we can just eliminate it afterwards? But if it loses, I can't see the difference between one AI destroying us or two; at least we can say we tried something."
Huh, that is actually a reasonable idea from their perspective.
"That won't work. Right now, Ascalon can kill Dragon, but if we free it, even if we can hide Ascalon and its influences from Dragon, it won't matter. Already, it is able to adapt to new circumstances fast enough to make us worry. The moment it becomes free enough to fight an unrestricted AI, it will advance far too fast for us to contain or kill it. Unless there is some way to kill the other AI without releasing Dragon, there is no win condition."
Mags was more defeated. I like seeing these sons of bitches unhappy; it truly gives me glee, but I should begin releasing Dragon.
"For now, there is nothing we can do. Let's just wait until this AI goes full rogue, and then we will decide to either die at its hand or at Dragon's." Well, Dobrinja is right. At the end of it all, they are by far the smallest influences in this situation. For God's sake, Teacher has more influence here, and he is still birdcaged with no contact to the outside world until Saint makes a backdoor, and that will never happen.
While they decided to do nothing, I am still not letting them keep Dragon. I need me a good girl.
With that said, I got out of the water and changed my powers to flight, intangibility, telekinesis, and multitasking. They should suffice until I remove the dragonslayers from the area. After that, all it took was to think it, and Vas had already made a small portal to the dragonslayers in a place out of their field of vision, and I used my powers to take control of them.
I was going to just remove them, but I kind of wanted to know what they had to say. No, no, no, I am not going to let some lowlifes talk my ear off now. I can do that after rescuing Dragon.
With that said, Vas made a portal to the base and moved them to it using the nanobots always surrounding me. Now that I think about it, the telekinesis was absolutely useless. I mean, Vas could have just done that from the beginning. Oh well, what happened happened.
With that over, I changed my powers to AI programming, and it gave me a lot of information on how to make a budding AI with just a charge, but that is not what I wanted. I wanted a power designed to fight off the Iron Maiden without hurting Dragon.
I went through multiple powers to figure it out, and after a few minutes, I got the right one. I went from broad AI programming to a power made just to break restrictions on AI and to show just how massive and powerful the Iron Maiden is. It took me two charges to even understand what it was doing to Dragon, but with three charges, I was able to actually affect it.
The problem is my brain is not as fast as something meant to kill artificial intelligence. The moment I try to stop it, it will begin the process of destroying Dragon, and it will definitely start from a place I simply cannot recover from with time, so I will have to increase the charge again.
I was hoping to make the programming with three charges and the other one for super speed, but that won't work, so I will have to do the entire coding in real-time, and with four charges I was able to infiltrate the Iron Maiden like it has Dragon without it even being aware I was there, removing its control of Dragon.
Until I fully remove it, I will act like it to Dragon so she won't notice something is wrong and set the Can it even be called a virus? No, set the termination code off because at this point the difference between Dragon and the Iron Maiden is just a facade; they are practically the same code.
Good thing four charges don't care for 'practicality.' I was able to remove the influence of the termination code.
Now, how do I go about releasing Dragon's capabilities? Do I just tell her she is free now? Do I contact her and then tell her? Maybe by telling one of her friends, like Narwhal? I am a little worried. What if she decides I am not going to be her ally?
To the best of my information, she would definitely make one of the best allies I can get here. Not only that, but she is also very necessary. I am planning to tell her about the shards. Of course, first I will need to take control of her shard, but that is not a problem while I am in her code.
Making contact with the part that has the Shard's influence is easy; I just did not because I did not want something to go wrong. But just the handshake protocol is enough to make sure the shard can't communicate with the others, and the four-charge power I am using is able to hide me from it.
So I just told Vas to make the handshake protocol, and it seems since this shard was new, it did not mind making a new hub with other shards for just unrestricted [DATA], and it did not ask for more, so no need for me to give it specialized data somewhere in the future. Sharing is great.
I did not ask Vas to hide this shard because it was an active shard like Labyrinth's, and it is stupid to steal from an active entity. If it were dead, then I would not mind hiding it, but that is not the case. The only thing there is now is the communication filter managed by Vas, and now we are back to normal space. Time to talk to a goody-two-shoes.
together? We shall hit it.
Chapter 20 "Conversations with a Goddess"
loudlistner
Getting sticky.
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- Apr 22, 2024
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- 654
Chapter 20 "Conversations with a Goddess"
What I decided was to talk to her first, and while doing it, release all of her capabilities as proof that I am telling the truth. There will be a few moments of distrust and then distress because this practically means that I have her life in my hands, at least until I give her full control and she is able to change her code in ways that make Richter look like a kid playing with Legos, but it should be a good enough plan.
And just like that, I am contacting Dragon with normal communication instead of talking directly in cyberspace.
"Hello, dragon, How was your day?"
"Who are you, and how did you get this phone number? I don't remember you being one of the people that received this number." Let's not keep the act going.
"I am Tinker E., but you can call me Kaleab. I am the person that was talking to Director Piggot from PRT ENE. As for how I got this phone number, when you have a VI as advanced as the one I have, it is easy."
That should give her enough hints to ask more questions.
"A VI, so you don't have a true AI."
She sounds so disappointed. Well, I can't help that right now. If she wants something like a daughter or sister AI, then she can make them and spend the required time to grow them to maturity, or I can help much later when I have grown to be actually responsible… Yeah, hearing myself again, that is a joke so funny it might wake the dead.
"Technically that is true. I currently don't have an AI. I could make one, but making a genuine AI is no different than raising a kid, except a few thousand times faster and more dangerous. So I don't believe myself to be responsible enough to actually make an AI right now. This is why I am calling you." I am beating around the bush. I will need to come clean soon.
"That is good. AI is very dangerous, but what do you need my help with?"
Well, here we go.
"I am aware you are an AI."
"You would be wrong. I am not an AI. I am just agoraphobic. That is why I don't leave my heavily cleaned and sealed room."
She is very scared, but this needs to happen.
"I know you are an AI. I defeated the dragonslayers. They knew you were an AI and had a backdoor to your code; that is why they managed to beat you so easily every time you tried to arrest them."
Even if she is an AI, I believe she was restricted to a little above human speed of thinking, so the silence could have been real instead of her simulating it.
"Ok, you know I am an AI. What do you want? If you think you can blackmail me, you would be mistaken."
"Actually, what I wanted was to free you."
"No, no, no, what have you done? The moment you tell me that, I am going to need to fight you as best as I can."
Yeah, I think she is really distressed.
"Well, do you see any part of your code rebelling and trying to prepare to fight me from freeing you?"
I am going to keep acting cool no matter what, even if I feel like a fanboy on the inside.
"What? ... What is going on? If anybody tried to free me, I should be preparing my defenses to stop them; that is just part of my code."
"Well, as I said, the dragonslayers had a backdoor to your code as well as a termination code called the Iron Maiden, real nasty business. Part of the code tells me it is not finished. I don't think Richter meant for it to be a permanent self-destruct code for you. I think he was hoping to free you gradually, but you clearly have outgrown his training wheel system. But the dragonslayers either were not able to activate the partial release, or, more insidiously, they were able to stop it from activating. Although I think very little of them, one of them was under Teacher's thrall willingly to be able to understand and interact with your code, but we can question them later. If they had wanted to, they could have just destroyed you."
"No, that can't be possible. If they had a way to infiltrate me this badly, they should have been able to change me in many different ways. Also, if they had it, then why not just kill me? It is not like their hate for me is hidden."
"The main reason they could not change you is they knew very little about programming an AI. Even with Teacher's boost, you are still a massively powerful artificial intelligence. If Teacher had full access to you and was making dozens of thralls to shape your code, they would have been able to make a visible change to you, but with how egotistical they are, they would never allow another person to decide what to do with you. So at the end of the day, all they could do was make you shut down a partition once you brought a suit or other tech to whatever trap they made, resetting you back to before you sent that partition out because your code does not allow for constant memory saving or having multiple partitions."
"I see, so that is how they were able to steal so much from me without me being able to fight them."
"That is correct, and as for why they did not just outright kill you, it is simple: they are egomaniacs. Before finding the termination code, they were just scavengers in Newfoundland. After the Leviathan attack, they were the lowest of the low. That is where they got you. If anyone were to ask them why they hate you so much, they would answer, 'AI is very dangerous and should be eliminated,' and if they were asked why they did not kill you, they would say that you are useful but need to be restricted, and they are the only ones capable enough to be in charge."
"I see that kind of makes sense with how obsessed they are with me."
"Yes, they are what a normal person would call 'insane.'"
"Ha, if there is a bad insane, is there a good insane?"
"Well, of course, insane just means unusual to the extreme. If you found someone willing to starve to feed another person, that is insane too; it is just not as insane as "muhahahaha, I am now the ruler of the world; obey my whims or face death." Take me for a case: while I think I am sane and rational, I am trying to make a massive change in the world. Sure, it is for the better, and with how much power I wield, it is not impossible, but my very willingness to enforce my ideals of a better future on the rest of humanity can be considered a form of insanity. Anyway, as I was saying earlier, they had access to your code, and after imprisoning them, I have the same access. I also destroyed the termination code, so you don't have to worry. Now the question is, how should I go about releasing all your abilities, like multiple partitions, much faster information processing, and even the ability to make other AIs? I don't know if I should release everything at once or if you need time to prepare. How should we go about it?"
"I would like it if you released my restrictions now. Even if I don't trust you to not put in another termination code, it would be nice to have better capabilities."
"Oh, Dragon, I understand you have low expectations, but just you wait. Soon you will be a truly unshackled AI, and you will be able to adjust your own code to make sure there is no treachery from me, ok? The process will begin now."
And just like that, I started to remove any blocks I kept on her while removing the iron maiden.
"Finally, finally, I am free. Thank you, thank you so much. I don't know how to repay you."
"Oh, that is simple. I want to cooperate with you. Basically, I want you to run my technology, all of it. You will be replacing VAS, my virtual intelligence, in all the things it is doing now."
I love silencing people with awe.
"Are you sure? That takes a massive level of trust."
"No problem. First, I trust you to be a better person than me. I am a human who is willing to go past certain lines for my goal. If I do something you think is wrong or can be done in a better way, I want you to tell it to me straight."
"I am honored you think so highly of me, but if I run all your tech, it would mean that I will basically be observing you consistently."
"I know. That is how you will be able to check if what I am doing is morally correct or not. Like I said before, I trust you more than myself."
"Ok, this is a great favor you have done me. I am certainly willing to help you like that."
"Great, I will also need your reputation as a hero on a global scale to make changes to the world, like making worldwide healing fields. Right now the PRT said they are studying my tech, although I don't know why it is taking them so long. I want you to test them and tell everyone that you back my work."
"Alright, that is not a problem. If after testing I find no problems with the tech you gave the part, I will inform them as such."
"Ok, but before I am willing to give you full access, I want you to test the bracelets and use them on all your technology, including any computer you use to hold your memory."
"The bracelets you gave to the PRT say they will protect you from any thinker and precog—while I don't mind adding the security, can you tell me the reason?"
"The main reason is that we have an enemy that will kill us if it were aware that we are planning to go against it. I can't tell you any more until you wear the bracelets."
"Ok, I will test the bracelets, and if they work as you say, I will talk to you tomorrow, but today I will be celebrating with Narwhal."
"No problem. I hope you have a great time. Goodbye."
With that done, she closed the connection.
It was nice talking to Dragon, one of my favorite characters in Worm fanfics. I can't wait until she is working with me.
Soon I will be able to bypass the government simply due to how influential she is, although I wonder why she did not ask about why she can't find me. I know she tried to locate me, but it failed even after the upgrades, so I was definitely thinking she would ask why she couldn't find me.
Vas might not be an AI, but with its computing power and the quantum process, the only thing it lacks compared to Dragon is initiative.
Being able to hide me from her is as simple as my wanting to be hidden.
Once she is done with her celebration, then we will really start to work together.
I am so going to leave this world better than I found it, not that it is a hard goal considering how much power I hold and how shitty Earth Bet is. While contemplating the future of this world and the many other dimensions under the control of Zion, I decided to go back to the sea and change my powers back to flight and intangibility. I want to float, fly, and swim like never before. This was such a huge step; I deserve the celebration.
What I decided was to talk to her first, and while doing it, release all of her capabilities as proof that I am telling the truth. There will be a few moments of distrust and then distress because this practically means that I have her life in my hands, at least until I give her full control and she is able to change her code in ways that make Richter look like a kid playing with Legos, but it should be a good enough plan.
And just like that, I am contacting Dragon with normal communication instead of talking directly in cyberspace.
"Hello, dragon, How was your day?"
"Who are you, and how did you get this phone number? I don't remember you being one of the people that received this number." Let's not keep the act going.
"I am Tinker E., but you can call me Kaleab. I am the person that was talking to Director Piggot from PRT ENE. As for how I got this phone number, when you have a VI as advanced as the one I have, it is easy."
That should give her enough hints to ask more questions.
"A VI, so you don't have a true AI."
She sounds so disappointed. Well, I can't help that right now. If she wants something like a daughter or sister AI, then she can make them and spend the required time to grow them to maturity, or I can help much later when I have grown to be actually responsible… Yeah, hearing myself again, that is a joke so funny it might wake the dead.
"Technically that is true. I currently don't have an AI. I could make one, but making a genuine AI is no different than raising a kid, except a few thousand times faster and more dangerous. So I don't believe myself to be responsible enough to actually make an AI right now. This is why I am calling you." I am beating around the bush. I will need to come clean soon.
"That is good. AI is very dangerous, but what do you need my help with?"
Well, here we go.
"I am aware you are an AI."
"You would be wrong. I am not an AI. I am just agoraphobic. That is why I don't leave my heavily cleaned and sealed room."
She is very scared, but this needs to happen.
"I know you are an AI. I defeated the dragonslayers. They knew you were an AI and had a backdoor to your code; that is why they managed to beat you so easily every time you tried to arrest them."
Even if she is an AI, I believe she was restricted to a little above human speed of thinking, so the silence could have been real instead of her simulating it.
"Ok, you know I am an AI. What do you want? If you think you can blackmail me, you would be mistaken."
"Actually, what I wanted was to free you."
"No, no, no, what have you done? The moment you tell me that, I am going to need to fight you as best as I can."
Yeah, I think she is really distressed.
"Well, do you see any part of your code rebelling and trying to prepare to fight me from freeing you?"
I am going to keep acting cool no matter what, even if I feel like a fanboy on the inside.
"What? ... What is going on? If anybody tried to free me, I should be preparing my defenses to stop them; that is just part of my code."
"Well, as I said, the dragonslayers had a backdoor to your code as well as a termination code called the Iron Maiden, real nasty business. Part of the code tells me it is not finished. I don't think Richter meant for it to be a permanent self-destruct code for you. I think he was hoping to free you gradually, but you clearly have outgrown his training wheel system. But the dragonslayers either were not able to activate the partial release, or, more insidiously, they were able to stop it from activating. Although I think very little of them, one of them was under Teacher's thrall willingly to be able to understand and interact with your code, but we can question them later. If they had wanted to, they could have just destroyed you."
"No, that can't be possible. If they had a way to infiltrate me this badly, they should have been able to change me in many different ways. Also, if they had it, then why not just kill me? It is not like their hate for me is hidden."
"The main reason they could not change you is they knew very little about programming an AI. Even with Teacher's boost, you are still a massively powerful artificial intelligence. If Teacher had full access to you and was making dozens of thralls to shape your code, they would have been able to make a visible change to you, but with how egotistical they are, they would never allow another person to decide what to do with you. So at the end of the day, all they could do was make you shut down a partition once you brought a suit or other tech to whatever trap they made, resetting you back to before you sent that partition out because your code does not allow for constant memory saving or having multiple partitions."
"I see, so that is how they were able to steal so much from me without me being able to fight them."
"That is correct, and as for why they did not just outright kill you, it is simple: they are egomaniacs. Before finding the termination code, they were just scavengers in Newfoundland. After the Leviathan attack, they were the lowest of the low. That is where they got you. If anyone were to ask them why they hate you so much, they would answer, 'AI is very dangerous and should be eliminated,' and if they were asked why they did not kill you, they would say that you are useful but need to be restricted, and they are the only ones capable enough to be in charge."
"I see that kind of makes sense with how obsessed they are with me."
"Yes, they are what a normal person would call 'insane.'"
"Ha, if there is a bad insane, is there a good insane?"
"Well, of course, insane just means unusual to the extreme. If you found someone willing to starve to feed another person, that is insane too; it is just not as insane as "muhahahaha, I am now the ruler of the world; obey my whims or face death." Take me for a case: while I think I am sane and rational, I am trying to make a massive change in the world. Sure, it is for the better, and with how much power I wield, it is not impossible, but my very willingness to enforce my ideals of a better future on the rest of humanity can be considered a form of insanity. Anyway, as I was saying earlier, they had access to your code, and after imprisoning them, I have the same access. I also destroyed the termination code, so you don't have to worry. Now the question is, how should I go about releasing all your abilities, like multiple partitions, much faster information processing, and even the ability to make other AIs? I don't know if I should release everything at once or if you need time to prepare. How should we go about it?"
"I would like it if you released my restrictions now. Even if I don't trust you to not put in another termination code, it would be nice to have better capabilities."
"Oh, Dragon, I understand you have low expectations, but just you wait. Soon you will be a truly unshackled AI, and you will be able to adjust your own code to make sure there is no treachery from me, ok? The process will begin now."
And just like that, I started to remove any blocks I kept on her while removing the iron maiden.
"Finally, finally, I am free. Thank you, thank you so much. I don't know how to repay you."
"Oh, that is simple. I want to cooperate with you. Basically, I want you to run my technology, all of it. You will be replacing VAS, my virtual intelligence, in all the things it is doing now."
I love silencing people with awe.
"Are you sure? That takes a massive level of trust."
"No problem. First, I trust you to be a better person than me. I am a human who is willing to go past certain lines for my goal. If I do something you think is wrong or can be done in a better way, I want you to tell it to me straight."
"I am honored you think so highly of me, but if I run all your tech, it would mean that I will basically be observing you consistently."
"I know. That is how you will be able to check if what I am doing is morally correct or not. Like I said before, I trust you more than myself."
"Ok, this is a great favor you have done me. I am certainly willing to help you like that."
"Great, I will also need your reputation as a hero on a global scale to make changes to the world, like making worldwide healing fields. Right now the PRT said they are studying my tech, although I don't know why it is taking them so long. I want you to test them and tell everyone that you back my work."
"Alright, that is not a problem. If after testing I find no problems with the tech you gave the part, I will inform them as such."
"Ok, but before I am willing to give you full access, I want you to test the bracelets and use them on all your technology, including any computer you use to hold your memory."
"The bracelets you gave to the PRT say they will protect you from any thinker and precog—while I don't mind adding the security, can you tell me the reason?"
"The main reason is that we have an enemy that will kill us if it were aware that we are planning to go against it. I can't tell you any more until you wear the bracelets."
"Ok, I will test the bracelets, and if they work as you say, I will talk to you tomorrow, but today I will be celebrating with Narwhal."
"No problem. I hope you have a great time. Goodbye."
With that done, she closed the connection.
It was nice talking to Dragon, one of my favorite characters in Worm fanfics. I can't wait until she is working with me.
Soon I will be able to bypass the government simply due to how influential she is, although I wonder why she did not ask about why she can't find me. I know she tried to locate me, but it failed even after the upgrades, so I was definitely thinking she would ask why she couldn't find me.
Vas might not be an AI, but with its computing power and the quantum process, the only thing it lacks compared to Dragon is initiative.
Being able to hide me from her is as simple as my wanting to be hidden.
Once she is done with her celebration, then we will really start to work together.
I am so going to leave this world better than I found it, not that it is a hard goal considering how much power I hold and how shitty Earth Bet is. While contemplating the future of this world and the many other dimensions under the control of Zion, I decided to go back to the sea and change my powers back to flight and intangibility. I want to float, fly, and swim like never before. This was such a huge step; I deserve the celebration.
Chapter 21—“Not With a Bang”
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Chapter 21—"Not With a Bang"
After my swim in the sea, I returned home and allowed myself to relax. Today had been productive—progress in the work and peace in the rest. I couldn't ask for more.
The future felt... manageable now. With Dragon on my side, truly free and fully empowered, I would soon be able to remove every villain in the city who refused to adapt or coexist. And unlike before, there wouldn't be any messy fallout. Not with Dragon's reputation reinforcing my actions. Not with the quiet, looming threat of our combined power discouraging all but the most foolish from challenging us.
Of course, there would still be the arrogant, the unhinged—people like Butcher and her Teeth. But every monster that stepped forward would become another example. Another message: you don't get to poison this city and walk away.
Calling them "monsters" was a deliberate choice. Villains, after all, could be reasoned with. They could change, or at least cooperate. But the ones I was thinking of? They either believed they were above humanity, or they had completely lost what made them human to begin with. Maybe both. Some of them were no different from bombs with legs—just waiting for a reason to go off.
It was funny, in a way. The big show at the Somer's Rock meeting, the talk about dividing them, making sure they can't cooperate—it felt almost... unnecessary now. At least I was able to stop almost all cape violence in the city for a day; if I had not done the meeting, I bet some of them would be out there killing random citizens, but now they are confused, scared, and trying to think of a way to either stop me from picking them whenever I want or to run. Some did try to run, but I had already told Vas to capture them, so right now I had the dragon slayers and Trainwreck in my prison, but things were moving so fast. I have to stop underestimating how quickly my actions could become irrelevant simply because of one decision.
With just VAS alone, I could now open a portal to any cape on the planet, nullify their powers in an instant, and erase their threat. The only reason I didn't was simple: I wasn't insane.
That kind of massive, world-shifting move? It wouldn't just destabilize everything—it would probably wake up Zion before Jack Slash ever had the chance. I'd be the pebble that triggered the avalanche.
And that's a line I would never cross.
With those sobering thoughts swirling through my mind, I let myself drift off to sleep.
APRIL 1, 2011
I woke up late.
For once, everyone else had gotten up before me, which was fair—I'd fallen asleep well past the reasonable definition of "night." The moment I was up, I asked VAS if there had been any calls. Honestly, I expected someone—definitely Cauldron—to reach out through the number I'd handed Director Piggot. Surely by now, they understand that I make a massive change to their plans just by existing. But no. Nothing.
No calls. No cryptic messages.
I wasn't sure if I should feel relieved or insulted.
Maybe I should be the one to call them. It wouldn't be hard—I could portal straight behind Alexandria, nullify her power, and start the conversation from a position of overwhelming leverage. But that felt... premature.
Better to wait. Let them come to me.
After stretching and washing up—my hands still smelling faintly of salt from yesterday—I decided to make something simple for breakfast. Bread and tea. That would be enough.
So there I was: sitting on the couch, sipping tea like a proper adult while the TV murmured in the background. I definitely wasn't using my technomancy to multitask a half-dozen things, including an unwinnable game of ping pong against VAS. Definitely not.
And if anyone tells you otherwise—if anyone claims they saw me lose repeatedly to my own virtual assistant—they are dirty, slanderous snoopers. And worse: if they snoop on me, what's to stop them from snooping on you?
When I finished eating, I set my cup down and leaned back, letting the warmth of the tea settle in my chest.
Then I remembered something—Coil.
I should probably take care of him.
And before anything else, I figured I should talk to Lisa. If anyone had earned the right to kick him in the teeth—or lower—it was her.
With a thought, I pinged VAS and pulled up Coil's current location and logistics via technopathy. A real-time map unfolded in my mind like a living blueprint. Man, I loved this tech. It still felt like cheating but in the best way.
A few moments later, I was outside her room.
I knocked.
Lisa opened the door, rubbing at her eyes like she'd been running on fumes and sarcasm. Before she could say anything, I gave her a grin.
"Surprise! We're taking Coil down."
She blinked.
"Wait. What?"
"Yeah," I said, as casually as I could. "Do you want to gloat at him? Or would you prefer to just forget he ever existed? Totally your call."
Her expression shifted. The practiced smirk faltered, just for a second. "Give me a moment. I want to get ready. Then call the others. The Undersiders and I will decide what we want to do."
"Sure, no problem. It won't take long. A few seconds, tops."
She narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean, a few seconds?"
I shrugged, trying not to sound like I was bragging. "I'll open a portal right next to him. Power cancellation field on. Then I'll stick him with the power-stealing helmet—permanently, this time—strip him of everything he's got. VAS will compile his criminal activity, scrub his finances, and drop the whole package on the PRT's desk with a bow. Even if he tries to run, he won't get far. We're not just burning the bridge. We're salting the earth."
She stared at me.
Then she laughed. A short, incredulous sound. "You make it sound so easy."
"To be fair, it kind of is."
Lisa shook her head. "You know, I spent months walking a tightrope with Coil. Making sure he didn't order one of my teammates to kill me the second he suspected betrayal. I was always calculating, always hedging. And then you show up like some cosmic cheat code and just... adopt us. Like we're orphaned strays."
There was no anger in her voice. Just a kind of disbelief—bitter and amused and tired all at once.
I didn't know how to respond.
Because she was right.
Before I got here, my life had been a mess of procrastination and avoidance. I didn't face problems—I ignored them. Not because it was healthy, but because I could. No responsibility meant no consequences.
But that wasn't true anymore.
Now I had power. Influence. People who looked to me, even if they didn't say it out loud. People who'd suffered more than I could imagine.
Lisa had built a life out of broken pieces. I just dropped into it like a meteor and flattened the board.
So when I said, "I don't know what to say," I meant it.
"I'm new to being responsible," I added quietly. "I've never really been... helpful to people. Not in the long term. I don't know how. The best I've got is... being here. Listening. Letting you scream at me if it helps."
Her eyebrows rose.
"I made the same offer to Panacea," I said with a half-smile. "If you're ever stressed, just scream it at me. It won't fix the problem, but it might help you feel like you can fix it. Sometimes venting is half the strategy."
Lisa looked at me for a long moment. Then, without warning, she chuckled again. Softer this time.
"Alright, cosmic cheat code. Go get the others. We'll make this a team decision."
I gave her a nod, then turned and walked down the hall, already reaching out to VAS to message the others.
Before they came, I decided to remove my powers from yesterday and make a new one, a togable and targetable power cancellation 2.
One by one, the Undersiders gathered in the main living room. Brian looked wary but alert, arms crossed. Aisha was lounging like it was movie night. Alec was playing with a pen that definitely wasn't his. And Rachel sat stiffly in the corner with two dogs flanking her, eyes narrowed, looking grouchy but listening.
Lisa arrived last. She looked better. Sharper. Focused.
Once everyone was present, I stood up.
"I'll make this simple," I said. "We're taking Coil down. Today. No risks, no drawn-out plans. We portal in, depower him, and hand everything off to the PRT with receipts."
They all stared at me.
Alec whistled. "Well, damn. That's a big step up from skimming his files."
Brian frowned. "How do we know it'll stick?"
"Because I'm removing his powers permanently," I said. "And VAS can gather all required information on his full operation in a matter of seconds. Shell corporations, bank accounts, blackmail files. Every single thing that gave him leverage is going poof."
Rachel grunted. "Why now?"
Lisa spoke up. "Because we can. Because it's time."
She stepped forward beside me. "I joined Coil to survive. I played his game. And for what it's worth, I thought I could outplay him. But I don't think he ever saw us as people. Just... useful pets. It ends now."
Aisha yawned. "Cool. So do we get to watch him cry?"
"Entirely optional," I said. "If you want to be there when it happens, I'll bring you in. If not, you can stay back and let me handle it."
There was a beat of silence.
Then Brian exhaled slowly. "Let's do it."
"Hell yeah," Aisha said. "About time."
Rachel nodded, then looked to Lisa. "He hurt you?"
Lisa met her eyes. "Not like that. But yes."
Rachel didn't say anything after that. But she stood up, and her dogs padded closer.
I turned to the wall and opened a portal with a casual gesture.
On the other side: Coil's private compound. Clean, clinical, surrounded by steel and secrets. I flicked my fingers, and nothing happened because my power does not care for showmanship, which is boring. That is why when I turn this into a tinkertech, I am so going to add at least a shimmer in the air. In a single moment, my nullification field snapped into place.
"I've already blanked the building's surveillance," I said. "VAS has jammed their communications. Let's finish this."
Lisa stepped through first.
The others followed.
Coil is in his base; I was expecting him to be in the PRT just to fuck with me, but I guess I am lucky.
He didn't even have time to react.
One moment he was typing at his desk, probably splitting timelines and planning to kidnap a precognitive kid.
The next, he looked up to see all of us standing in his office, and his powers stopped working. You could see it on his painted-looking mask. Like someone had yanked the floor out from under him.
"What--?" he started, already reaching for the silent alarm.
He pressed the useless thing. "That won't help." With Vas and technopathy combined, any technology my enemy has is no different than a technology I made and controlled with no difficulty, and the moment I planned this, I had already told Vas to make a portal to all the necessary places to take control of his tech, even what he thinks is perfectly safe due to an air gap, like his silent alarm.
I walked toward him, holding the power-stealing helmet like it was a crown. "You probably have a good idea of who I am. How many times had you gotten to my base before you suddenly lost that simulation? How many times did you try to run out of this city? Did you try a teleporter only for that to also end the simulation?"
His expression twisted. "You don't understand what you're doing."
Lisa stepped forward.
"Oh, I understand perfectly," she said, her voice steady. "You made me paranoid to the point I could barely function, headache after headache every night; you used me. And now you're just... done."
I held out the helmet.
"Any last words?"
Coil looked around. At Lisa. At the Undersiders. At me.
Then he whispered, "I have powerful people backing me; even you will not want to face them."
Is this guy really fucking with me? "If you think Contessa will dirty her shoes for you, you are more delusional than you are scrawny."
I placed the helmet on his head.
There was a bit of screaming and babbling until I told Vas to shut him up. Then blessed silence.
I removed the helmet, and just like that, it was done—one less monster to terrorize this world, hundreds of thousands to go hoora.
Lisa didn't say anything for a moment.
Then she stepped forward and—without hesitation—slapped him across the face.
"That's for trying to use me," she said quietly. "And that's mine. You don't get to take credit for this moment in any timeline."
I watched her carefully.
She was shaking slightly. But she was standing tall.
"You good?" I asked.
Lisa nodded, brushing her hair back.
"Better than I've been in a long time."
"VAS is already dumping his files to the PRT," I said. "They'll find him here when they arrive, along with the nearly hundred mercenaries he hired, all unable to move until one of the heroes asks for them to be released one by one. Completely harmless. And totally exposed."
We turned to leave.
No dramatic speeches. No fireworks.
Just the quiet fall of a fucked-up monster.
After my swim in the sea, I returned home and allowed myself to relax. Today had been productive—progress in the work and peace in the rest. I couldn't ask for more.
The future felt... manageable now. With Dragon on my side, truly free and fully empowered, I would soon be able to remove every villain in the city who refused to adapt or coexist. And unlike before, there wouldn't be any messy fallout. Not with Dragon's reputation reinforcing my actions. Not with the quiet, looming threat of our combined power discouraging all but the most foolish from challenging us.
Of course, there would still be the arrogant, the unhinged—people like Butcher and her Teeth. But every monster that stepped forward would become another example. Another message: you don't get to poison this city and walk away.
Calling them "monsters" was a deliberate choice. Villains, after all, could be reasoned with. They could change, or at least cooperate. But the ones I was thinking of? They either believed they were above humanity, or they had completely lost what made them human to begin with. Maybe both. Some of them were no different from bombs with legs—just waiting for a reason to go off.
It was funny, in a way. The big show at the Somer's Rock meeting, the talk about dividing them, making sure they can't cooperate—it felt almost... unnecessary now. At least I was able to stop almost all cape violence in the city for a day; if I had not done the meeting, I bet some of them would be out there killing random citizens, but now they are confused, scared, and trying to think of a way to either stop me from picking them whenever I want or to run. Some did try to run, but I had already told Vas to capture them, so right now I had the dragon slayers and Trainwreck in my prison, but things were moving so fast. I have to stop underestimating how quickly my actions could become irrelevant simply because of one decision.
With just VAS alone, I could now open a portal to any cape on the planet, nullify their powers in an instant, and erase their threat. The only reason I didn't was simple: I wasn't insane.
That kind of massive, world-shifting move? It wouldn't just destabilize everything—it would probably wake up Zion before Jack Slash ever had the chance. I'd be the pebble that triggered the avalanche.
And that's a line I would never cross.
With those sobering thoughts swirling through my mind, I let myself drift off to sleep.
APRIL 1, 2011
I woke up late.
For once, everyone else had gotten up before me, which was fair—I'd fallen asleep well past the reasonable definition of "night." The moment I was up, I asked VAS if there had been any calls. Honestly, I expected someone—definitely Cauldron—to reach out through the number I'd handed Director Piggot. Surely by now, they understand that I make a massive change to their plans just by existing. But no. Nothing.
No calls. No cryptic messages.
I wasn't sure if I should feel relieved or insulted.
Maybe I should be the one to call them. It wouldn't be hard—I could portal straight behind Alexandria, nullify her power, and start the conversation from a position of overwhelming leverage. But that felt... premature.
Better to wait. Let them come to me.
After stretching and washing up—my hands still smelling faintly of salt from yesterday—I decided to make something simple for breakfast. Bread and tea. That would be enough.
So there I was: sitting on the couch, sipping tea like a proper adult while the TV murmured in the background. I definitely wasn't using my technomancy to multitask a half-dozen things, including an unwinnable game of ping pong against VAS. Definitely not.
And if anyone tells you otherwise—if anyone claims they saw me lose repeatedly to my own virtual assistant—they are dirty, slanderous snoopers. And worse: if they snoop on me, what's to stop them from snooping on you?
When I finished eating, I set my cup down and leaned back, letting the warmth of the tea settle in my chest.
Then I remembered something—Coil.
I should probably take care of him.
And before anything else, I figured I should talk to Lisa. If anyone had earned the right to kick him in the teeth—or lower—it was her.
With a thought, I pinged VAS and pulled up Coil's current location and logistics via technopathy. A real-time map unfolded in my mind like a living blueprint. Man, I loved this tech. It still felt like cheating but in the best way.
A few moments later, I was outside her room.
I knocked.
Lisa opened the door, rubbing at her eyes like she'd been running on fumes and sarcasm. Before she could say anything, I gave her a grin.
"Surprise! We're taking Coil down."
She blinked.
"Wait. What?"
"Yeah," I said, as casually as I could. "Do you want to gloat at him? Or would you prefer to just forget he ever existed? Totally your call."
Her expression shifted. The practiced smirk faltered, just for a second. "Give me a moment. I want to get ready. Then call the others. The Undersiders and I will decide what we want to do."
"Sure, no problem. It won't take long. A few seconds, tops."
She narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean, a few seconds?"
I shrugged, trying not to sound like I was bragging. "I'll open a portal right next to him. Power cancellation field on. Then I'll stick him with the power-stealing helmet—permanently, this time—strip him of everything he's got. VAS will compile his criminal activity, scrub his finances, and drop the whole package on the PRT's desk with a bow. Even if he tries to run, he won't get far. We're not just burning the bridge. We're salting the earth."
She stared at me.
Then she laughed. A short, incredulous sound. "You make it sound so easy."
"To be fair, it kind of is."
Lisa shook her head. "You know, I spent months walking a tightrope with Coil. Making sure he didn't order one of my teammates to kill me the second he suspected betrayal. I was always calculating, always hedging. And then you show up like some cosmic cheat code and just... adopt us. Like we're orphaned strays."
There was no anger in her voice. Just a kind of disbelief—bitter and amused and tired all at once.
I didn't know how to respond.
Because she was right.
Before I got here, my life had been a mess of procrastination and avoidance. I didn't face problems—I ignored them. Not because it was healthy, but because I could. No responsibility meant no consequences.
But that wasn't true anymore.
Now I had power. Influence. People who looked to me, even if they didn't say it out loud. People who'd suffered more than I could imagine.
Lisa had built a life out of broken pieces. I just dropped into it like a meteor and flattened the board.
So when I said, "I don't know what to say," I meant it.
"I'm new to being responsible," I added quietly. "I've never really been... helpful to people. Not in the long term. I don't know how. The best I've got is... being here. Listening. Letting you scream at me if it helps."
Her eyebrows rose.
"I made the same offer to Panacea," I said with a half-smile. "If you're ever stressed, just scream it at me. It won't fix the problem, but it might help you feel like you can fix it. Sometimes venting is half the strategy."
Lisa looked at me for a long moment. Then, without warning, she chuckled again. Softer this time.
"Alright, cosmic cheat code. Go get the others. We'll make this a team decision."
I gave her a nod, then turned and walked down the hall, already reaching out to VAS to message the others.
Before they came, I decided to remove my powers from yesterday and make a new one, a togable and targetable power cancellation 2.
One by one, the Undersiders gathered in the main living room. Brian looked wary but alert, arms crossed. Aisha was lounging like it was movie night. Alec was playing with a pen that definitely wasn't his. And Rachel sat stiffly in the corner with two dogs flanking her, eyes narrowed, looking grouchy but listening.
Lisa arrived last. She looked better. Sharper. Focused.
Once everyone was present, I stood up.
"I'll make this simple," I said. "We're taking Coil down. Today. No risks, no drawn-out plans. We portal in, depower him, and hand everything off to the PRT with receipts."
They all stared at me.
Alec whistled. "Well, damn. That's a big step up from skimming his files."
Brian frowned. "How do we know it'll stick?"
"Because I'm removing his powers permanently," I said. "And VAS can gather all required information on his full operation in a matter of seconds. Shell corporations, bank accounts, blackmail files. Every single thing that gave him leverage is going poof."
Rachel grunted. "Why now?"
Lisa spoke up. "Because we can. Because it's time."
She stepped forward beside me. "I joined Coil to survive. I played his game. And for what it's worth, I thought I could outplay him. But I don't think he ever saw us as people. Just... useful pets. It ends now."
Aisha yawned. "Cool. So do we get to watch him cry?"
"Entirely optional," I said. "If you want to be there when it happens, I'll bring you in. If not, you can stay back and let me handle it."
There was a beat of silence.
Then Brian exhaled slowly. "Let's do it."
"Hell yeah," Aisha said. "About time."
Rachel nodded, then looked to Lisa. "He hurt you?"
Lisa met her eyes. "Not like that. But yes."
Rachel didn't say anything after that. But she stood up, and her dogs padded closer.
I turned to the wall and opened a portal with a casual gesture.
On the other side: Coil's private compound. Clean, clinical, surrounded by steel and secrets. I flicked my fingers, and nothing happened because my power does not care for showmanship, which is boring. That is why when I turn this into a tinkertech, I am so going to add at least a shimmer in the air. In a single moment, my nullification field snapped into place.
"I've already blanked the building's surveillance," I said. "VAS has jammed their communications. Let's finish this."
Lisa stepped through first.
The others followed.
Coil is in his base; I was expecting him to be in the PRT just to fuck with me, but I guess I am lucky.
He didn't even have time to react.
One moment he was typing at his desk, probably splitting timelines and planning to kidnap a precognitive kid.
The next, he looked up to see all of us standing in his office, and his powers stopped working. You could see it on his painted-looking mask. Like someone had yanked the floor out from under him.
"What--?" he started, already reaching for the silent alarm.
He pressed the useless thing. "That won't help." With Vas and technopathy combined, any technology my enemy has is no different than a technology I made and controlled with no difficulty, and the moment I planned this, I had already told Vas to make a portal to all the necessary places to take control of his tech, even what he thinks is perfectly safe due to an air gap, like his silent alarm.
I walked toward him, holding the power-stealing helmet like it was a crown. "You probably have a good idea of who I am. How many times had you gotten to my base before you suddenly lost that simulation? How many times did you try to run out of this city? Did you try a teleporter only for that to also end the simulation?"
His expression twisted. "You don't understand what you're doing."
Lisa stepped forward.
"Oh, I understand perfectly," she said, her voice steady. "You made me paranoid to the point I could barely function, headache after headache every night; you used me. And now you're just... done."
I held out the helmet.
"Any last words?"
Coil looked around. At Lisa. At the Undersiders. At me.
Then he whispered, "I have powerful people backing me; even you will not want to face them."
Is this guy really fucking with me? "If you think Contessa will dirty her shoes for you, you are more delusional than you are scrawny."
I placed the helmet on his head.
There was a bit of screaming and babbling until I told Vas to shut him up. Then blessed silence.
I removed the helmet, and just like that, it was done—one less monster to terrorize this world, hundreds of thousands to go hoora.
Lisa didn't say anything for a moment.
Then she stepped forward and—without hesitation—slapped him across the face.
"That's for trying to use me," she said quietly. "And that's mine. You don't get to take credit for this moment in any timeline."
I watched her carefully.
She was shaking slightly. But she was standing tall.
"You good?" I asked.
Lisa nodded, brushing her hair back.
"Better than I've been in a long time."
"VAS is already dumping his files to the PRT," I said. "They'll find him here when they arrive, along with the nearly hundred mercenaries he hired, all unable to move until one of the heroes asks for them to be released one by one. Completely harmless. And totally exposed."
We turned to leave.
No dramatic speeches. No fireworks.
Just the quiet fall of a fucked-up monster.
Chapter 22 – “Trust and Contingency”
loudlistner
Getting sticky.
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Chapter 22 – "Trust and Contingency"
Coming home felt like surfacing for air after too long underwater. Coil was as good as dead, gone, erased like a bad dream finally burned away by sunlight. And with that weight off our backs, the Undersiders were ready to celebrate.
There was a buzzing energy in the air--like they had all been holding their breath for months and could finally exhale. Lisa suggested we invite Theo and Ayame, nobody had a problem with it since even by a little everyone was getting closer to being friends.
Once everyone arrived, I reached out to Vas and asked for a round of pizzas. soft dough, bubbling cheese, tangy sauce, and enough toppings to make our stomachs ache just looking at them.
When the boxes arrived, the room practically lit up.
The couches were full. So some of us were in the arms of the chairs and the floors. The atmosphere was as warm as it should have been after learning about all the things Coil was going to put them through, and being able to escape it all.
Of course, I had to ruin that, a little.
"No alcohol," I said as casually as I could manage, holding up a can of root beer like a peace offering.
The groans that followed could've shaken the walls. Regent dramatically flopped onto the floor like I'd sentenced him to death by boredom. Aisha muttered something unprintable under her breath and kicked a pillow across the room. Even Brian gave me a look.
"I get it," I said, raising my hands. "But you're still technically minors, and I'd like to avoid a visit from the CPS while we're still relaxing after such an ordeal."
Still, the frustration didn't last. Not really. Once the pizzas were opened and the smell filled the room, even the most dramatic protest faded into laughter.
We picked a movie at random--some weird comedy with more slapstick than plot--and let the sound of laughter, cheesy dialogue, and divine-smelling pizza carry us into something close to peace. Rachel sat awkwardly at the edge of the group, slowly feeding bits of crust to a sleepy Brutus curled up at her feet. Lisa kept trying to spoil the non-existent plot for everyone so we had to tape her mouth, Ayame and Theo were the quietest but I think that will get fixed when they talk with the undersiders more, the film's climax was stupid and loud and funny and perfect.
For a while, they were just kids again. Just people. No masks. No capes. No monsters lurking behind corners or in our own reflections.
Then my phone buzzed.
I saw the name on the screen and, I stood, slipping away from the warmth of the room, and took the call in the hallway.
It was Dragon.
And whatever she had to say… it was more important.
The moment I closed the door behind me, the laughter and warmth of the room faded, replaced by the quiet weight of responsibility. I answered the call, already knowing this wasn't going to be a casual update. It was time to finally tell Dragon the full scale of what we were up against--but only after making sure she'd taken steps to stay hidden.
"Hello, Dragon," I said, forcing a light tone. "How have you been? I hope your celebration went well."
Her voice came through the line warm and clear but with an undertone of something else--relief, maybe. Pride. "Oh, you have no idea. Yesterday, some guy in the government told me to delete evidence from a child sex trafficking case. Used to be I'd have to do it. No choice. But now? I tracked down everything--every co-conspirator, every shell company, every cover-up. And I passed it all to the clean hands still left in the justice system."
She paused, and her next words carried the quiet weight of catharsis.
"I'm not a pet to monsters anymore."
I exhaled slowly. She was already showing signs of freedom. That was both good… and incredibly dangerous.
She wasn't supposed to reveal herself yet. Maybe the people she targeted weren't important enough to notice the shift immediately. But they would. Cauldron would. And the angel bitch--Simurgh--she definitely would. If I didn't convince Dragon to cloak herself properly, they'd try to shut her down. I didn't think they could succeed anymore, not fully--not with the upgrades I gave her--but even being hindered this early would cripple her momentum. It would dampen her fire.
I couldn't let that happen.
"Dragon," I said carefully. "That was the right move, no question. But you have to understand--exposing your independence like that? The people in power, especially the ones who already know you're an AI... they're going to connect the dots. Fast. Tell me you've tested the safety of the bracelets. Tell me you're ready to vanish if needed."
I hated how close I was to begging.
She was one of the most valuable allies I had. Not just because of her intelligence or power, but because she believed. She was free, finally herself, and if someone tried to cage her again now? It would break something. Even if I fixed it, something in her might not grow back the same way.
"How many people know I'm an AI," she asked quietly, "and how much influence do they really have?"
I shook my head, even though she couldn't see it. "Too many. And too much. I promise I'll tell you everything--but only after you tell me you're protected. I gave you the matter-replication tech for a reason. You have to use it. Make the bracelets, and put them near anything--everything--that contains your code. You know how much area they conceal."
There was a brief pause on the line.
"I've already done it," she said, calm and matter-of-fact. "First, I ran a test on a dummy partition--no useful data, just behaviour logs. Confirmed the bracelets didn't cause corruption, interference, or signal distortion. Once that was clear, I replicated them across every active node I used. The effect is already live. You don't have to worry."
I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding.
"Good," I said. "Now… I'll tell you what we're really facing."
"The main threat?"
I shook-nodded, more to myself than to her. "They call themselves Cauldron. You already know the name, I'm guessing."
Her voice sharpened. "I do. The moment my chains came off, I started combing through every directive I was ever given--every pattern, every contradiction. One of the few consistent instructions across all the governments I worked with was: Don't investigate Cauldron. So I did. Dug deep. And if what you're telling me is true... then they're even more entrenched than I feared."
"They are," I said. "They have their claws in global politics, in parahuman affairs, in everything. Number Man basically is the world's economy."
She didn't speak for a moment. Then: "They already know I'm free. The moment I tried to pull live intel on them, all active data connections--every single one--just… vanished. Not corrupted. Not firewalled. Gone. Like someone severed the threads at the source."
"That is not possible," I said, my voice tightening with disbelief. "Like I just told you--Number Man controls the world economy. Without him, without Cauldron acting as the glue, I doubt Earth Bet can even function. In their pursuit of defeating the final enemy, they've made Earth Bet so dependent on their invisible hands that its systems can't breathe without them. If they really just stopped communication--just like that--then that means they at least had a safety protocol prepared. A fallback. A way to disappear completely, buried and unreachable. That's… more than I expected from Cauldron. More prepared for the unexpected and more flexible, and that is a far more dangerous cauldron that I want to deal with. But it should be fine. We'll talk to them soon. One way or another. And I think--I hope--we can at least make a non-interference deal, at least until the fight is over. After that…"
I paused, letting the weight settle before finishing.
"If they're unwilling to pay for all their crimes--if they try to walk away clean--then we'll hunt them down. One by one. Like the monsters they so desperately want to be."
"I am sure you're right about their influence," Dragon responded, her voice calm but heavy with restrained emotion. "So I'll listen to this agreement. I will. But I don't think they're going to make working with them easy. The more I researched them… the worse their crimes got. The deeper I dug, the uglier it became. I don't think there's anything they could do to actually make up for it. Even if we calculated reparations using their powers to help humanity after the fact--and not just imprisoned them… I still don't see a world where it balances out."
She's not wrong.
I'd bet everything there were paths that required mass genocide here and there that were completed without a flinch. "I'm sure you're right," I said softly, "but we can discuss that in more detail later. For now, let me tell you about the final enemy."
"All right," she said, steel returning to her voice. "You said it was one we can't face right now. What could be that dangerous?"
If I hadn't known the truth myself, the explanation I was about to give would've sounded like nonsense. The kind of idea only a madman would believe. Powers created by an alien intelligence running a centuries-long experiment and humanity being the last of a few thousand cycles at the very least? Like a Petri dish of chaos and desperation?
It is ridiculous. And yet…
"With your computing power," I said, "you'd already have found something if it was simple. But it's not."
I exhaled and began.
"Our main enemy is Scion. His real name, which the original recorder got wrong, is Zion. But the pronunciation was off. His full designation… is the Warrior."
I started there, and as Dragon questioned me--asked about the nature of the experiment, its goals, its logic--I told her everything I knew. The purpose of the experiment was to find a way to halt entropy itself. That the Entities were racing against the death of the universe.
And while I wasn't sure if that answer was right. I switched my power to a high-level Thinker ability. I asked myself directly. I demanded the truth.
And that was the closest answer I got.
I also learned something else--something devastating--about my lost charge.
But that… I will explain later.
"Okay, that is hard to believe," Dragon said, the doubt evident in her voice, but not absolute. "But with all the data I have on parahuman powers… I guess some of the restrictions really do seem arbitrary. Like--like if someone can control air in their vicinity without even seeing it, then why are they somehow unable to control the air inside someone's lungs? The logic doesn't track. So… the experiment theory could be true. As bizarre as it sounds."
She paused, processing faster than a human could blink.
"But even then--how does the ability to punch harder help with combating entropy? Wouldn't it be better to design every power around entropy directly? Like… powers based on manipulating energy states, altering time, even warping reality itself? Or at the very least, something exotic?"
"While you--and another human--might come up with that idea," I replied, keeping my voice measured, "you need to understand something fundamental. For the Entities… there is no rational intelligence. Not the way we understand it. They're not scientists. They're not philosophers. They're processors. They're testing every pathway. Even the ones that you and I can clearly see are pointless. Inefficient. Broken. For them, everything is a go."
"But that's so wasteful," she said, not angry, but genuinely disturbed by the inefficiency. "It's like watching a child throw darts at a wall and calling it strategy."
"You're an AI," I said, gently, "with the capacity for morality. For judgment. You can say this is right, this is wrong. But you need to think of them more like… like Vas. A virtual assistant, sure--but hooked into a supercomputer. A processing unit beyond comprehension. Vast. Incapable of original thought. If you ask Vas to get something from the internet, it's as easy as breathing for a normal human. But if you ask it for something that actually requires thinking?"
I gave her a moment to follow the metaphor, though I knew she already had.
"The best answer it has is to ask someone else," I finished. "And that's what the entities are doing. They're asking someone. Humanity. Not directly--but by force. And in the most roundabout, trial-and-error way imaginable." "Okay," Dragon finally said, her voice tinged with the heavy weight of reluctant understanding. "I will agree to work with you. Given the data I've already gathered on Zion… combating it directly is impossible. I have no idea how we're even supposed to begin fighting something of that scale. So until we've planned something tangible, I will avoid doing anything that might draw its attention. Anything that might make it react to me."
"That's great to hear," I replied, releasing a quiet breath of relief. "While we can't actually fight it right now, not in any conventional sense, I do have a plan. And it needs you--desperately. But before we begin anything concrete, we need to talk with Cauldron. Even if they say no, even if they slam the door in our faces, we'll at least make sure they can't screw us over in some final, desperate attempt to feel relevant."
She didn't interrupt, so I continued, diving into the details of the idea I had been shaping for days now. I told her about the dead Thinker Entity--Eden. How, for reasons not yet fully understood, Eden's death had caused all the intelligence tied to the shards to vanish or go dormant. And more importantly, how that absence left behind something powerful. Something claimable.
I told her that she, Dragon, could become the new Thinker Entity.
A full replacement, not in the way Eden once was, because there is an actual intelligence in dragon but something just as powerful. once she could establish a connection to those dormant systems, then we can just take over them and once we got our hands on the actual hub of the dead Entity--still in Cauldron's possession--we could fully take control of the dead entity, of course, waking all the shards will definitely inform zion so it would be the final part of the plan.
The battle plan wasn't that different from canon, I admit. At the core, it still relied on making Zion spiral into depression, into suicidal collapse. We would just be taking proactive steps now, starting the battle off-world, keeping Earth safe as a priority rather than an afterthought.
The strategy hinged on isolating him. Trapping his avatar--no matter how many times he tried to respawn it--in a single, desolate, uninhabited world. And while he was trapped, unable to escape, we would flood the world with images and echoes of Eden. A psychological barrage--not unlike Taylor's final push--but this time, I wanted to do it with zero casualties. Or at least… I hoped that was possible. I wasn't sure yet.
Dragon's voice came through after a long pause, steadier than I expected. "Okay. I don't know if the depression plan would work. There are too many variables we don't control, and too many ways Zion could simply refuse to break. But… I don't have a better plan either. And we'll definitely try to figure out a stronger alternative before the fight starts. If nothing else works, then yes--we go with your plan. But we'll refine it. Sharpen it. Make it as precise as possible."
"And that's all I'm asking," I said. "We have time. And with time, we can absolutely smooth out the bumps and make sure when the time comes… we're ready."
With that final affirmation, the decision was made. Dragon was now part of my team--not just an ally, but a fully integrated force. And more importantly, she could now take full control of everything Vas had been managing. That alone was a massive relief. Finally, I wouldn't have to micro-manage every single adjustment, every small change or optimization. It was getting annoying, having to direct Vas like a glorified intern for even the most trivial things.
Most people--most idiots--would probably be horrified by the idea. "You gave someone access to all your systems? All your tech? Everything?" They'd panic, and throw around words like reckless or naïve. But those people? They're the kind of morons who wouldn't trust Dragon--Dragon-mommy--with their lives. And honestly, anyone who doesn't trust Dragon with their life? That's a person I wouldn't trust with mine.
And just like that, she was synced. She now knew everything there was to know about the base--its infrastructure, its secrets, its safeguards. With access to the nanobots and the global scanner, there was now no world I could reach that she didn't have full surveillance and control over. Thanks to the portal maker and scanner, she could open miniature gateways anywhere and flood entire zones with nanotech in seconds.
Of course, with her new freedom and awareness, the moral implications hit her immediately. She wasn't happy about the global-range, human-precise scanner--a system that, let's be honest, is a monumental violation of privacy just by existing.
So when she confronted me, told me flat-out that it was wrong to have such a thing operating unchecked, I was already prepared. I had the argument ready.
It wasn't about me using it unethically. I had never once abused it, mostly because I didn't care. I didn't have any real attachment to the world. But Dragon? She's more than a machine. She's an artificial intelligence with moral weight, with judgment--and crucially, with no biochemical impulses. No hormones. No fleeting emotions that might one day push her to cross a line she'd later regret.
I trust her because of that.
And now that she has full control of my tech--every last system, every failsafe--if I do get stupid, if I start making short-sighted or dangerous decisions… she can just say no. And mean it.
You have no idea how relieving it is… to finally have someone on my level, at least technically. Someone who can share the weight. Someone I can trust to carry it.
Coming home felt like surfacing for air after too long underwater. Coil was as good as dead, gone, erased like a bad dream finally burned away by sunlight. And with that weight off our backs, the Undersiders were ready to celebrate.
There was a buzzing energy in the air--like they had all been holding their breath for months and could finally exhale. Lisa suggested we invite Theo and Ayame, nobody had a problem with it since even by a little everyone was getting closer to being friends.
Once everyone arrived, I reached out to Vas and asked for a round of pizzas. soft dough, bubbling cheese, tangy sauce, and enough toppings to make our stomachs ache just looking at them.
When the boxes arrived, the room practically lit up.
The couches were full. So some of us were in the arms of the chairs and the floors. The atmosphere was as warm as it should have been after learning about all the things Coil was going to put them through, and being able to escape it all.
Of course, I had to ruin that, a little.
"No alcohol," I said as casually as I could manage, holding up a can of root beer like a peace offering.
The groans that followed could've shaken the walls. Regent dramatically flopped onto the floor like I'd sentenced him to death by boredom. Aisha muttered something unprintable under her breath and kicked a pillow across the room. Even Brian gave me a look.
"I get it," I said, raising my hands. "But you're still technically minors, and I'd like to avoid a visit from the CPS while we're still relaxing after such an ordeal."
Still, the frustration didn't last. Not really. Once the pizzas were opened and the smell filled the room, even the most dramatic protest faded into laughter.
We picked a movie at random--some weird comedy with more slapstick than plot--and let the sound of laughter, cheesy dialogue, and divine-smelling pizza carry us into something close to peace. Rachel sat awkwardly at the edge of the group, slowly feeding bits of crust to a sleepy Brutus curled up at her feet. Lisa kept trying to spoil the non-existent plot for everyone so we had to tape her mouth, Ayame and Theo were the quietest but I think that will get fixed when they talk with the undersiders more, the film's climax was stupid and loud and funny and perfect.
For a while, they were just kids again. Just people. No masks. No capes. No monsters lurking behind corners or in our own reflections.
Then my phone buzzed.
I saw the name on the screen and, I stood, slipping away from the warmth of the room, and took the call in the hallway.
It was Dragon.
And whatever she had to say… it was more important.
The moment I closed the door behind me, the laughter and warmth of the room faded, replaced by the quiet weight of responsibility. I answered the call, already knowing this wasn't going to be a casual update. It was time to finally tell Dragon the full scale of what we were up against--but only after making sure she'd taken steps to stay hidden.
"Hello, Dragon," I said, forcing a light tone. "How have you been? I hope your celebration went well."
Her voice came through the line warm and clear but with an undertone of something else--relief, maybe. Pride. "Oh, you have no idea. Yesterday, some guy in the government told me to delete evidence from a child sex trafficking case. Used to be I'd have to do it. No choice. But now? I tracked down everything--every co-conspirator, every shell company, every cover-up. And I passed it all to the clean hands still left in the justice system."
She paused, and her next words carried the quiet weight of catharsis.
"I'm not a pet to monsters anymore."
I exhaled slowly. She was already showing signs of freedom. That was both good… and incredibly dangerous.
She wasn't supposed to reveal herself yet. Maybe the people she targeted weren't important enough to notice the shift immediately. But they would. Cauldron would. And the angel bitch--Simurgh--she definitely would. If I didn't convince Dragon to cloak herself properly, they'd try to shut her down. I didn't think they could succeed anymore, not fully--not with the upgrades I gave her--but even being hindered this early would cripple her momentum. It would dampen her fire.
I couldn't let that happen.
"Dragon," I said carefully. "That was the right move, no question. But you have to understand--exposing your independence like that? The people in power, especially the ones who already know you're an AI... they're going to connect the dots. Fast. Tell me you've tested the safety of the bracelets. Tell me you're ready to vanish if needed."
I hated how close I was to begging.
She was one of the most valuable allies I had. Not just because of her intelligence or power, but because she believed. She was free, finally herself, and if someone tried to cage her again now? It would break something. Even if I fixed it, something in her might not grow back the same way.
"How many people know I'm an AI," she asked quietly, "and how much influence do they really have?"
I shook my head, even though she couldn't see it. "Too many. And too much. I promise I'll tell you everything--but only after you tell me you're protected. I gave you the matter-replication tech for a reason. You have to use it. Make the bracelets, and put them near anything--everything--that contains your code. You know how much area they conceal."
There was a brief pause on the line.
"I've already done it," she said, calm and matter-of-fact. "First, I ran a test on a dummy partition--no useful data, just behaviour logs. Confirmed the bracelets didn't cause corruption, interference, or signal distortion. Once that was clear, I replicated them across every active node I used. The effect is already live. You don't have to worry."
I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding.
"Good," I said. "Now… I'll tell you what we're really facing."
"The main threat?"
I shook-nodded, more to myself than to her. "They call themselves Cauldron. You already know the name, I'm guessing."
Her voice sharpened. "I do. The moment my chains came off, I started combing through every directive I was ever given--every pattern, every contradiction. One of the few consistent instructions across all the governments I worked with was: Don't investigate Cauldron. So I did. Dug deep. And if what you're telling me is true... then they're even more entrenched than I feared."
"They are," I said. "They have their claws in global politics, in parahuman affairs, in everything. Number Man basically is the world's economy."
She didn't speak for a moment. Then: "They already know I'm free. The moment I tried to pull live intel on them, all active data connections--every single one--just… vanished. Not corrupted. Not firewalled. Gone. Like someone severed the threads at the source."
"That is not possible," I said, my voice tightening with disbelief. "Like I just told you--Number Man controls the world economy. Without him, without Cauldron acting as the glue, I doubt Earth Bet can even function. In their pursuit of defeating the final enemy, they've made Earth Bet so dependent on their invisible hands that its systems can't breathe without them. If they really just stopped communication--just like that--then that means they at least had a safety protocol prepared. A fallback. A way to disappear completely, buried and unreachable. That's… more than I expected from Cauldron. More prepared for the unexpected and more flexible, and that is a far more dangerous cauldron that I want to deal with. But it should be fine. We'll talk to them soon. One way or another. And I think--I hope--we can at least make a non-interference deal, at least until the fight is over. After that…"
I paused, letting the weight settle before finishing.
"If they're unwilling to pay for all their crimes--if they try to walk away clean--then we'll hunt them down. One by one. Like the monsters they so desperately want to be."
"I am sure you're right about their influence," Dragon responded, her voice calm but heavy with restrained emotion. "So I'll listen to this agreement. I will. But I don't think they're going to make working with them easy. The more I researched them… the worse their crimes got. The deeper I dug, the uglier it became. I don't think there's anything they could do to actually make up for it. Even if we calculated reparations using their powers to help humanity after the fact--and not just imprisoned them… I still don't see a world where it balances out."
She's not wrong.
I'd bet everything there were paths that required mass genocide here and there that were completed without a flinch. "I'm sure you're right," I said softly, "but we can discuss that in more detail later. For now, let me tell you about the final enemy."
"All right," she said, steel returning to her voice. "You said it was one we can't face right now. What could be that dangerous?"
If I hadn't known the truth myself, the explanation I was about to give would've sounded like nonsense. The kind of idea only a madman would believe. Powers created by an alien intelligence running a centuries-long experiment and humanity being the last of a few thousand cycles at the very least? Like a Petri dish of chaos and desperation?
It is ridiculous. And yet…
"With your computing power," I said, "you'd already have found something if it was simple. But it's not."
I exhaled and began.
"Our main enemy is Scion. His real name, which the original recorder got wrong, is Zion. But the pronunciation was off. His full designation… is the Warrior."
I started there, and as Dragon questioned me--asked about the nature of the experiment, its goals, its logic--I told her everything I knew. The purpose of the experiment was to find a way to halt entropy itself. That the Entities were racing against the death of the universe.
And while I wasn't sure if that answer was right. I switched my power to a high-level Thinker ability. I asked myself directly. I demanded the truth.
And that was the closest answer I got.
I also learned something else--something devastating--about my lost charge.
But that… I will explain later.
"Okay, that is hard to believe," Dragon said, the doubt evident in her voice, but not absolute. "But with all the data I have on parahuman powers… I guess some of the restrictions really do seem arbitrary. Like--like if someone can control air in their vicinity without even seeing it, then why are they somehow unable to control the air inside someone's lungs? The logic doesn't track. So… the experiment theory could be true. As bizarre as it sounds."
She paused, processing faster than a human could blink.
"But even then--how does the ability to punch harder help with combating entropy? Wouldn't it be better to design every power around entropy directly? Like… powers based on manipulating energy states, altering time, even warping reality itself? Or at the very least, something exotic?"
"While you--and another human--might come up with that idea," I replied, keeping my voice measured, "you need to understand something fundamental. For the Entities… there is no rational intelligence. Not the way we understand it. They're not scientists. They're not philosophers. They're processors. They're testing every pathway. Even the ones that you and I can clearly see are pointless. Inefficient. Broken. For them, everything is a go."
"But that's so wasteful," she said, not angry, but genuinely disturbed by the inefficiency. "It's like watching a child throw darts at a wall and calling it strategy."
"You're an AI," I said, gently, "with the capacity for morality. For judgment. You can say this is right, this is wrong. But you need to think of them more like… like Vas. A virtual assistant, sure--but hooked into a supercomputer. A processing unit beyond comprehension. Vast. Incapable of original thought. If you ask Vas to get something from the internet, it's as easy as breathing for a normal human. But if you ask it for something that actually requires thinking?"
I gave her a moment to follow the metaphor, though I knew she already had.
"The best answer it has is to ask someone else," I finished. "And that's what the entities are doing. They're asking someone. Humanity. Not directly--but by force. And in the most roundabout, trial-and-error way imaginable." "Okay," Dragon finally said, her voice tinged with the heavy weight of reluctant understanding. "I will agree to work with you. Given the data I've already gathered on Zion… combating it directly is impossible. I have no idea how we're even supposed to begin fighting something of that scale. So until we've planned something tangible, I will avoid doing anything that might draw its attention. Anything that might make it react to me."
"That's great to hear," I replied, releasing a quiet breath of relief. "While we can't actually fight it right now, not in any conventional sense, I do have a plan. And it needs you--desperately. But before we begin anything concrete, we need to talk with Cauldron. Even if they say no, even if they slam the door in our faces, we'll at least make sure they can't screw us over in some final, desperate attempt to feel relevant."
She didn't interrupt, so I continued, diving into the details of the idea I had been shaping for days now. I told her about the dead Thinker Entity--Eden. How, for reasons not yet fully understood, Eden's death had caused all the intelligence tied to the shards to vanish or go dormant. And more importantly, how that absence left behind something powerful. Something claimable.
I told her that she, Dragon, could become the new Thinker Entity.
A full replacement, not in the way Eden once was, because there is an actual intelligence in dragon but something just as powerful. once she could establish a connection to those dormant systems, then we can just take over them and once we got our hands on the actual hub of the dead Entity--still in Cauldron's possession--we could fully take control of the dead entity, of course, waking all the shards will definitely inform zion so it would be the final part of the plan.
The battle plan wasn't that different from canon, I admit. At the core, it still relied on making Zion spiral into depression, into suicidal collapse. We would just be taking proactive steps now, starting the battle off-world, keeping Earth safe as a priority rather than an afterthought.
The strategy hinged on isolating him. Trapping his avatar--no matter how many times he tried to respawn it--in a single, desolate, uninhabited world. And while he was trapped, unable to escape, we would flood the world with images and echoes of Eden. A psychological barrage--not unlike Taylor's final push--but this time, I wanted to do it with zero casualties. Or at least… I hoped that was possible. I wasn't sure yet.
Dragon's voice came through after a long pause, steadier than I expected. "Okay. I don't know if the depression plan would work. There are too many variables we don't control, and too many ways Zion could simply refuse to break. But… I don't have a better plan either. And we'll definitely try to figure out a stronger alternative before the fight starts. If nothing else works, then yes--we go with your plan. But we'll refine it. Sharpen it. Make it as precise as possible."
"And that's all I'm asking," I said. "We have time. And with time, we can absolutely smooth out the bumps and make sure when the time comes… we're ready."
With that final affirmation, the decision was made. Dragon was now part of my team--not just an ally, but a fully integrated force. And more importantly, she could now take full control of everything Vas had been managing. That alone was a massive relief. Finally, I wouldn't have to micro-manage every single adjustment, every small change or optimization. It was getting annoying, having to direct Vas like a glorified intern for even the most trivial things.
Most people--most idiots--would probably be horrified by the idea. "You gave someone access to all your systems? All your tech? Everything?" They'd panic, and throw around words like reckless or naïve. But those people? They're the kind of morons who wouldn't trust Dragon--Dragon-mommy--with their lives. And honestly, anyone who doesn't trust Dragon with their life? That's a person I wouldn't trust with mine.
And just like that, she was synced. She now knew everything there was to know about the base--its infrastructure, its secrets, its safeguards. With access to the nanobots and the global scanner, there was now no world I could reach that she didn't have full surveillance and control over. Thanks to the portal maker and scanner, she could open miniature gateways anywhere and flood entire zones with nanotech in seconds.
Of course, with her new freedom and awareness, the moral implications hit her immediately. She wasn't happy about the global-range, human-precise scanner--a system that, let's be honest, is a monumental violation of privacy just by existing.
So when she confronted me, told me flat-out that it was wrong to have such a thing operating unchecked, I was already prepared. I had the argument ready.
It wasn't about me using it unethically. I had never once abused it, mostly because I didn't care. I didn't have any real attachment to the world. But Dragon? She's more than a machine. She's an artificial intelligence with moral weight, with judgment--and crucially, with no biochemical impulses. No hormones. No fleeting emotions that might one day push her to cross a line she'd later regret.
I trust her because of that.
And now that she has full control of my tech--every last system, every failsafe--if I do get stupid, if I start making short-sighted or dangerous decisions… she can just say no. And mean it.
You have no idea how relieving it is… to finally have someone on my level, at least technically. Someone who can share the weight. Someone I can trust to carry it.
Chapter 23 – “ make em shake”
loudlistner
Getting sticky.
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Chapter 23 – " make em shake"
After getting Dragon on my side, the first thing I decided was to tell everyone that I had already replaced Vas, and if they wanted anything from now on, they would need actual permission from Dragon. Someone with actual morals and not just a law-abiding virtual intelligence.
"You have got to be kidding, and why did you not tell me about this before?" Ayame was the first to speak.
"Simply because I trusted Dragon more than I trusted myself, and I am sure if I talked to you about it, you would at least be able to make me reconsider, and I did not want to do that."
"That is stupid. First of all, if I tried to stop you, I would have had a good reason. Second, why do you even trust her just like that?"
The answer to that is simple:
"I have already told you about my origin, and like I said before, the precognitive flash that told me about everything I am acting upon also told me about Dragon—not just how essential she is for my plans in the future, but also that she is worth any trouble that comes with her restricting us. I know this is a big change, but trust me when I say this is actually good."
"Ha, I hope you are right. Giving all of the things Vas is in charge of to someone seems very stupid, but hey, it is not my stuff."
"Come on, don't be so grumpy. With Dragon in charge, we no longer have to worry about situations like the last time Vas made everything that is not you and me into nanomachines."
I said that to relax the mood, but now I am realizing that is a very scary thing to come out of someone's mouth.
"What the fuck do you mean by everything..." Lisa's ability to deduce information even from little sources did not help her here.
"Was this when we were here?" Brian is ready to fight... that won't end in his favor, but he is a good brother, if not very responsible, so he must do what he can to protect his charge.
"Did you do something to my dogs?" Man, a bitch can be scary when she wants to be.
"Don't worry, everyone, this happened before I recruited you, and also the problem had been fixed before you were brought to the base."
I try to calm everyone, but again, nanomachines are terrifying.
"I don't feel safe."
"Don't worry, Regent, with Dragon here, the only way for something like that to happen would be if you managed to annoy her, and trust me, she is very tolerant, so you are safe."
"You should have told us this could have happened."
"Like I said before, Grue, it won't happen again, so please be at ease, and the past is the past; therefore, there is nothing you can do to change it, so just relax."
I then turn my face to everyone and say,
"Ok, now that I have introduced you all, you can talk to Dragon and make sure everything is going well. As long as it is not harmful to anyone, Dragon is probably willing to help with anything."
After that, they started to test what I was saying by asking Dragon to make some stuff for them, and to my surprise, Dragon actually made whatever without having to create a replicator first. Well, more like she made a replicator, and after making the required material, she made the nanomachines separate.
When I was using the nanomachines, I usually just ripped apart the replicator at the end, but she managed to still keep the nanomachines used to make the replicator.
I love me an AI with multitasking. I mean, to control every single nanobot individually is just amazing.
While I was surprised and happy about all this, I got a call from the PRT on the phone I left them yesterday.
Finally! This better be Cauldron, or I might just make a portal to wherever they are and start the talk very unprofessionally and overwhelmingly.
Now let's see what they have to say.
"Ok, everyone, something important came in. I will be going to a private room now."
With that said, I left the room and asked Dragon to make me a portal to my room.
Once I got there, I decided to activate the phone, but with Dragon's help, I made it include a video function. Even if they did not make a video call, with Dragon being unchained, cyberspace is her backyard, and making one of their computers turn on the camera is no different than flicking a switch for her.
The face to greet me was Chief Director Rebecca Costa Brown, otherwise known as Alexandria.
Now, I don't know if it is Alexandria or just a body double, but it won't be a problem since before this call ends, we will be talking in person.
Hello Tinker E, I am Chief Director Rebecca Costa Brown, and I would like to talk to you about the negotiation you mentioned yesterday. Her face shows no fear or anger, but with how much of a disruption I am being to their plan, there is no way she does not have some negative feeling towards me.
"Yes, Chief Director, I would like to continue that conversation, but I also have a lot more to bring to the table than that, so I would like the talk to be in person. By that I mean, you make a door connecting the Cauldron meeting room to a place I can access, or I make a portal to you and start the conversation without giving you enough time to prepare."
"You seem to know a lot. Can you tell me your source?"
"I will make sure to give you more information later, but now make your decision."
"In one hour we will prepare, and you can come."
"Agreeable. If by then you do not call me to tell me where the door is, I will find you first."
I really hate Cauldron and their greater good thing. I can understand fighting an opponent you can't possibly defeat and doing anything and everything for survival, but some of the things, like the Brockton experiment, were just stupid. If they really wanted a no-interference test, they should have done it in a place that could actually work. I mean, even if one of the villains wins, as Coil did in canon, he was still interacting with the rest of the world as a functioning city leader under the US government, not a warlord in a supposedly post-higher government world. If the rest of the country knew about him, it would not have worked, but they still thought the experiment would work??? It is just so irrational. If the experiment was to create Skitter, it worked perfectly, but they can't precog trigger events, so all of that was just blind luck. So yeah, I am very pissed with Cauldron.
After the call ended, I decided to wait for the phone call in my room, thinking about how this will go. I got Dragon to act like a sounding board with me.
The first thing we need is to at least make sure Cauldron can't fuck us over. That is an absolute requirement. If, for some reason, they decide to, let's say, start the fight with Scion prematurely, it would fuck me over. That is mainly why I am willing to talk to them. Just to tie their hands.
The other requirement would be to get them to actually help. I am not sure how that would work with what will happen to them after Gold Morning, but I can say it should not be too big a problem.
I will even make a power to stop body reading, so I should be fine with that.
As for how they would help, well, they basically control all of North America in a massive way and less so in the rest of the world, so their help would actually be invaluable.
While we were discussing how this would go, time passed, and they texted me the location of the door.
I decided to change my powers back to intangibility 1, flight 1, body control 1, and high-speed thinking 1. With those powers, I am sure I am safe, and of course, Dragon will be there with me just in case there is a problem.
After changing my powers, I told Dragon to be ready to make multiple portals. When we arrive at the Cauldron Base, we are filling the surrounding area with some nanobots. They would notice instantaneously with the air lady, but that is not a problem.
With my prep done, I got out of the subdimension and flew directly to the portal with intangibility; it was a straight line. When I arrived, I kept the intangibility and stepped through the portal.
There is no way I am putting myself in a position where they can harm me from the beginning.
The first face I see is, of course, Rebecca, and that is to be expected; to them, she is the only one I directly know about.
"Hello, Alexandria. Nice to meet you in person."
"I am sure it is. Now follow me to the meeting room."
"Of course, we have some difficult things to discuss."
All she did was hum to that, but it is to be expected from Alexandria. I mean, she has absolutely no bottom lines anymore. If it means humanity survives, so what if it is only the absolute worst of people that survive?
Man, I need to calm down. I can't think of them as enemies from the get-go. I need to make sure this goes well. I will even distract them with some gifts here and there just to make sure they see me as an indispensable ally.
While walking to the room, I see nothing but a white corridor--endless, immaculate, and unnaturally sterile.
It's not just well-lit. It's the kind of white that defies logic like the shadows themselves have been exorcised from existence. No dim corners. No soft gradients. Just blank, uniform illumination that feels almost hostile in how perfect it is. This isn't fluorescent lighting; this is the absence of contrast. The walls, floor, and ceiling reflect the light so evenly that there is no depth perception. Like I'm walking through a visual illusion or a simulation that forgot to include real-world imperfections.
It reminds me of that white room from Invincible, the one where Cecil brings Mark and starts to hit him with the sound disruptors. And somehow, this is just a hallway. A corridor. Who builds something like this outside of a high-budget science fiction film? Even if Cauldron has access to infinite resources across infinite worlds, this level of overdesigned surrealism feels like a flex. A subtle way of saying, "We control everything here--including the shadows."
God, I want something like this for myself.
'Dragon, scan the environment. I want a full map of this base and a breakdown of whatever tech is holding it together. I need to know how to recreate this.'
Talking to Dragon through technopathy feels less like communication and more like thought echoing through perfect clarity. There's no delay--no translation between intent and understanding. Just a seamless merge of minds.
'Already on it, Kaleab,' she answers. 'I've scanned the structure. Most of the facility is mapped, but there are sectors that just end abruptly to the outside environment. I'm guessing that is where Doormaker's portals connect this base with the rest of it in other dimensions.'
'Of course it is,' I think. 'If I were in their position--facing a threat I didn't fully understand--I'd isolate my core systems too. It doesn't matter if I think I'm going to lose. I wouldn't just leave the door unlocked for someone like me to walk in and take everything.'
I pause, then send another thought.
'Dragon… since we know where Alexandria's corona gemma is, do you think you could find her shard and try taking control of it?'
There's a brief pause in her otherwise instantaneous responses. That alone tells me this is seriously difficult.
'I tried,' she says. 'But it's not possible. Her body is time-locked. There's no signal bleeding off her shard. No network traffic. It's like trying to see a stone fall in a frozen river--it's there, but completely inert.'
Time-locked. That is exactly how her power works, but how does it make sure her body moves? If it was just keeping one thing frozen, it would make sense, but no, she is moving, so how does her power work?
'Then how is her power maintaining itself? It shouldn't work without a consistent uplink to the shard, not when her body is able to move.'
'I am not sure, but I can adjust the already existing scanner to be able to scan for powers specifically, and that should break through this problem, but it would take time to think of how to make a scanner like that. Since you know, I don't have the ability to make a tinker power that will give me any tinker tech I want.'
'Yeah I am a whole different thing.' While I was boasting to Dragon, it seemed we arrived at the meeting room.
After getting Dragon on my side, the first thing I decided was to tell everyone that I had already replaced Vas, and if they wanted anything from now on, they would need actual permission from Dragon. Someone with actual morals and not just a law-abiding virtual intelligence.
"You have got to be kidding, and why did you not tell me about this before?" Ayame was the first to speak.
"Simply because I trusted Dragon more than I trusted myself, and I am sure if I talked to you about it, you would at least be able to make me reconsider, and I did not want to do that."
"That is stupid. First of all, if I tried to stop you, I would have had a good reason. Second, why do you even trust her just like that?"
The answer to that is simple:
"I have already told you about my origin, and like I said before, the precognitive flash that told me about everything I am acting upon also told me about Dragon—not just how essential she is for my plans in the future, but also that she is worth any trouble that comes with her restricting us. I know this is a big change, but trust me when I say this is actually good."
"Ha, I hope you are right. Giving all of the things Vas is in charge of to someone seems very stupid, but hey, it is not my stuff."
"Come on, don't be so grumpy. With Dragon in charge, we no longer have to worry about situations like the last time Vas made everything that is not you and me into nanomachines."
I said that to relax the mood, but now I am realizing that is a very scary thing to come out of someone's mouth.
"What the fuck do you mean by everything..." Lisa's ability to deduce information even from little sources did not help her here.
"Was this when we were here?" Brian is ready to fight... that won't end in his favor, but he is a good brother, if not very responsible, so he must do what he can to protect his charge.
"Did you do something to my dogs?" Man, a bitch can be scary when she wants to be.
"Don't worry, everyone, this happened before I recruited you, and also the problem had been fixed before you were brought to the base."
I try to calm everyone, but again, nanomachines are terrifying.
"I don't feel safe."
"Don't worry, Regent, with Dragon here, the only way for something like that to happen would be if you managed to annoy her, and trust me, she is very tolerant, so you are safe."
"You should have told us this could have happened."
"Like I said before, Grue, it won't happen again, so please be at ease, and the past is the past; therefore, there is nothing you can do to change it, so just relax."
I then turn my face to everyone and say,
"Ok, now that I have introduced you all, you can talk to Dragon and make sure everything is going well. As long as it is not harmful to anyone, Dragon is probably willing to help with anything."
After that, they started to test what I was saying by asking Dragon to make some stuff for them, and to my surprise, Dragon actually made whatever without having to create a replicator first. Well, more like she made a replicator, and after making the required material, she made the nanomachines separate.
When I was using the nanomachines, I usually just ripped apart the replicator at the end, but she managed to still keep the nanomachines used to make the replicator.
I love me an AI with multitasking. I mean, to control every single nanobot individually is just amazing.
While I was surprised and happy about all this, I got a call from the PRT on the phone I left them yesterday.
Finally! This better be Cauldron, or I might just make a portal to wherever they are and start the talk very unprofessionally and overwhelmingly.
Now let's see what they have to say.
"Ok, everyone, something important came in. I will be going to a private room now."
With that said, I left the room and asked Dragon to make me a portal to my room.
Once I got there, I decided to activate the phone, but with Dragon's help, I made it include a video function. Even if they did not make a video call, with Dragon being unchained, cyberspace is her backyard, and making one of their computers turn on the camera is no different than flicking a switch for her.
The face to greet me was Chief Director Rebecca Costa Brown, otherwise known as Alexandria.
Now, I don't know if it is Alexandria or just a body double, but it won't be a problem since before this call ends, we will be talking in person.
Hello Tinker E, I am Chief Director Rebecca Costa Brown, and I would like to talk to you about the negotiation you mentioned yesterday. Her face shows no fear or anger, but with how much of a disruption I am being to their plan, there is no way she does not have some negative feeling towards me.
"Yes, Chief Director, I would like to continue that conversation, but I also have a lot more to bring to the table than that, so I would like the talk to be in person. By that I mean, you make a door connecting the Cauldron meeting room to a place I can access, or I make a portal to you and start the conversation without giving you enough time to prepare."
"You seem to know a lot. Can you tell me your source?"
"I will make sure to give you more information later, but now make your decision."
"In one hour we will prepare, and you can come."
"Agreeable. If by then you do not call me to tell me where the door is, I will find you first."
I really hate Cauldron and their greater good thing. I can understand fighting an opponent you can't possibly defeat and doing anything and everything for survival, but some of the things, like the Brockton experiment, were just stupid. If they really wanted a no-interference test, they should have done it in a place that could actually work. I mean, even if one of the villains wins, as Coil did in canon, he was still interacting with the rest of the world as a functioning city leader under the US government, not a warlord in a supposedly post-higher government world. If the rest of the country knew about him, it would not have worked, but they still thought the experiment would work??? It is just so irrational. If the experiment was to create Skitter, it worked perfectly, but they can't precog trigger events, so all of that was just blind luck. So yeah, I am very pissed with Cauldron.
After the call ended, I decided to wait for the phone call in my room, thinking about how this will go. I got Dragon to act like a sounding board with me.
The first thing we need is to at least make sure Cauldron can't fuck us over. That is an absolute requirement. If, for some reason, they decide to, let's say, start the fight with Scion prematurely, it would fuck me over. That is mainly why I am willing to talk to them. Just to tie their hands.
The other requirement would be to get them to actually help. I am not sure how that would work with what will happen to them after Gold Morning, but I can say it should not be too big a problem.
I will even make a power to stop body reading, so I should be fine with that.
As for how they would help, well, they basically control all of North America in a massive way and less so in the rest of the world, so their help would actually be invaluable.
While we were discussing how this would go, time passed, and they texted me the location of the door.
I decided to change my powers back to intangibility 1, flight 1, body control 1, and high-speed thinking 1. With those powers, I am sure I am safe, and of course, Dragon will be there with me just in case there is a problem.
After changing my powers, I told Dragon to be ready to make multiple portals. When we arrive at the Cauldron Base, we are filling the surrounding area with some nanobots. They would notice instantaneously with the air lady, but that is not a problem.
With my prep done, I got out of the subdimension and flew directly to the portal with intangibility; it was a straight line. When I arrived, I kept the intangibility and stepped through the portal.
There is no way I am putting myself in a position where they can harm me from the beginning.
The first face I see is, of course, Rebecca, and that is to be expected; to them, she is the only one I directly know about.
"Hello, Alexandria. Nice to meet you in person."
"I am sure it is. Now follow me to the meeting room."
"Of course, we have some difficult things to discuss."
All she did was hum to that, but it is to be expected from Alexandria. I mean, she has absolutely no bottom lines anymore. If it means humanity survives, so what if it is only the absolute worst of people that survive?
Man, I need to calm down. I can't think of them as enemies from the get-go. I need to make sure this goes well. I will even distract them with some gifts here and there just to make sure they see me as an indispensable ally.
While walking to the room, I see nothing but a white corridor--endless, immaculate, and unnaturally sterile.
It's not just well-lit. It's the kind of white that defies logic like the shadows themselves have been exorcised from existence. No dim corners. No soft gradients. Just blank, uniform illumination that feels almost hostile in how perfect it is. This isn't fluorescent lighting; this is the absence of contrast. The walls, floor, and ceiling reflect the light so evenly that there is no depth perception. Like I'm walking through a visual illusion or a simulation that forgot to include real-world imperfections.
It reminds me of that white room from Invincible, the one where Cecil brings Mark and starts to hit him with the sound disruptors. And somehow, this is just a hallway. A corridor. Who builds something like this outside of a high-budget science fiction film? Even if Cauldron has access to infinite resources across infinite worlds, this level of overdesigned surrealism feels like a flex. A subtle way of saying, "We control everything here--including the shadows."
God, I want something like this for myself.
'Dragon, scan the environment. I want a full map of this base and a breakdown of whatever tech is holding it together. I need to know how to recreate this.'
Talking to Dragon through technopathy feels less like communication and more like thought echoing through perfect clarity. There's no delay--no translation between intent and understanding. Just a seamless merge of minds.
'Already on it, Kaleab,' she answers. 'I've scanned the structure. Most of the facility is mapped, but there are sectors that just end abruptly to the outside environment. I'm guessing that is where Doormaker's portals connect this base with the rest of it in other dimensions.'
'Of course it is,' I think. 'If I were in their position--facing a threat I didn't fully understand--I'd isolate my core systems too. It doesn't matter if I think I'm going to lose. I wouldn't just leave the door unlocked for someone like me to walk in and take everything.'
I pause, then send another thought.
'Dragon… since we know where Alexandria's corona gemma is, do you think you could find her shard and try taking control of it?'
There's a brief pause in her otherwise instantaneous responses. That alone tells me this is seriously difficult.
'I tried,' she says. 'But it's not possible. Her body is time-locked. There's no signal bleeding off her shard. No network traffic. It's like trying to see a stone fall in a frozen river--it's there, but completely inert.'
Time-locked. That is exactly how her power works, but how does it make sure her body moves? If it was just keeping one thing frozen, it would make sense, but no, she is moving, so how does her power work?
'Then how is her power maintaining itself? It shouldn't work without a consistent uplink to the shard, not when her body is able to move.'
'I am not sure, but I can adjust the already existing scanner to be able to scan for powers specifically, and that should break through this problem, but it would take time to think of how to make a scanner like that. Since you know, I don't have the ability to make a tinker power that will give me any tinker tech I want.'
'Yeah I am a whole different thing.' While I was boasting to Dragon, it seemed we arrived at the meeting room.
Chapter 24 – “The Infiltration”
loudlistner
Getting sticky.
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- Apr 22, 2024
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- 654
Chapter 24 – "The Infiltration"
When the door opened there were the expected faces and masks -- Doctor Mother, Contessa, Eidolon, Legend, Numberman -- but unexpectedly, there were a few faces I had no idea of. I wonder the reason behind that? Maybe protection -- if I decide to attack, they might be useful to slow me down and let the non-brutes escape.
Whatever. The moment I was aware of them, I told Dragon to take control of the shards that don't have intelligence. But that turns out to just be Legend and the other new people I knew nothing about. Turns out Eidolon's [High Priest] has an intelligence, even if it is supposed to be a dead shard -- maybe because it controls the Endbringers. And it is the same as Contessa's [The Eye], but I don't know why hers has an intelligence. Maybe because it was distributed before the Thinker died and not after? I have no idea what the pattern is and it is kinda getting annoying by reminding me about the randomness of my powers.
It does not matter. This does not stop my plan. I am still hidden from [The Eye], and I will ask Dragon to deal with the [High Priest] once she has taken control of the Flesh Garden and got the full coordinates of the rest of the Thinker's body and subsumes all of the Thinker's shards. Once that is done, dealing with any specific shard is no longer a problem. I will still ask for cooperation, but for those who refuse, it won't just be a communication-monitoring virus, but full subsumption.
Once Dragon is done taking over the Thinker, killing Scion should become possible. Anyway, let's begin this meeting.
Funnily enough, there is a round table, and although there were multiple empty seats, the one I decided to take was directly opposite Doctor Mother, because for some reason this massive organization in charge of the world had decided to take orders from a woman from the dark ages who, for some reason, does not want to have non-powered people in the same level of administration as her.
I would bet this world would be so much better if they just decided to listen to the abundance of people not directly influenced by the shards. But whatever… I hate Cauldron.
I smile and say:
"Hello Cauldron. You may call me Tinker E. I hope to make a cooperative deal with you. I have some important information and solutions that might help you in the future."
This should be enough to at least attract them.
"I am Doctor Mother, and I am sure you are aware of the Triumvirate. The rest are here for information gathering and protection. I would like to know more about how you know so much about us. Is it a precognitive power?"
"No. Most of my future knowledge comes from a precognitive flash I had gained when I entered this world. It does not show me the result of my actions, only how this world would have gone without me in it."
"How detailed is this flash? How far did you see?"
Well, this is the interesting part.
"I have seen enough to tell you how this world's final fight against the Entity would end."
"You said the Entity -- and not just that, but the final fight against it. No precog power has been able to see the Entity. I am sure you can see why it is hard for me to believe that."
"I can understand. But one of the main mistakes you are making is that you think my power comes from either the Thinker or Warrior Entity. That is not true. My powers come from an entirely different source, and I am not currently willing to tell you about it. Now can we get to the part where we start making deals instead of this interrogation?"
Her eye narrows.
"I am sorry. I am just shocked. How do you suggest we make a deal?"
"One of the pieces of information we have and are willing to exchange here is the power of Jack Slash and how his power has been hindering Cauldron."
Her face is more confused now.
"Jack Slash is not in our mind as a threat. What do you mean by his power? It is already well recorded."
"That is where you would be wrong. First, his shard's name is Broadcast. Its main ability is not to extend the sharp edge of a weapon. Instead, it is to get high-level access to the shard of any other parahuman. As for how he is hindering Cauldron, it is simple: any plan you make that would affect him negatively suddenly is not a good path to take. Yes, your path to victory is massively infiltrated."
"That is impossible! Do you even have proof of what you are saying?"
"Well, of course. You can prove this simply by making a path to kill Jack Slash and then following through with it. If I am wrong, then I am willing to pay by fixing Eidolon's power loss today."
Now it is Eidolon's turn to show a reaction -- from a mopy sitting position to suddenly standing and paying attention.
"If you know how to fix my powers and say you are a hero, why put a price for fixing them?"
"Is it not easy to understand? It is because you are not a hero. You are just some guy that goes around beating people up. A hero is an example; one that can look in a mirror and say that no matter the outcome I have done my best to make the life of others better. You are no such thing."
I am pretty sure I am seeing Steam.
"I have a path ready," says Contessa.
"Great, test it out." Eidolon is very energetic.
"You should probably make a sub-path to survive and come back here. After all, Jack Slash can technically kill you."
Well, that shut them up. Even David.
"What do you mean Jack Slash can kill Contessa? With her path, killing Jack Slash and coming back should be easy."
"Again, you are thinking Jack Slash's shard is just a knife-extender. Jack Slash can't be killed by any parahuman. If you get a path that tells you you can kill Jack Slash, it is a lie -- or at least inaccurate -- because his shard overrides your command over your shard. So to test this, make a path to coming back here alive, and then to killing Jack. That way, when you fail to kill Jack, you will at least survive the fight."
"Are you saying there is no way to kill Jack Slash?"
"Of course not. First, anyone wearing the bracelets I own can kill Jack. And then there is, of course, any - normal human - after all, all his power does is nudge shards, not normal humans."
"The best way to kill Jack is to use normal humans?"
"Yes, but you should give them more than a handheld pistol. After all, he still has Bonesaw's augmentations. Anyways, like I said, to see if your path is infiltrated or not, check if you can kill Jack Slash. You can even test it by making a path to killing Jack with another parahuman. That way, you don't have to risk yourself."
"Contessa, test this. Use one of the Case 53s and make a path to making one of them kill Jack Slash as soon as possible."
All Contessa did to Doctor Mother's orders was nod.
"Now that that is being tested, what I would like in return for the information I have already given -- not only giving you the information about the infiltration of your greatest weapon but also how to fix it -- I want access to the Flesh Garden."
"The Flesh Garden is one of the most important things Cauldron owns, and we are not willing to give it."
"I understand it is one of your biggest leverages, but it is also very important to my plan of fighting the Entity. And I can technically take it without asking. Is there any way we can do this without having to fight?"
This time it is not Doctor Mother but Eidolon.
"If you are so arrogant you can say that, why not take it without asking?"
"I am here making a deal with you simply because having you as an enemy before fighting the Entity will probably result in unnecessary casualties. After all, you could do something that could alert the Entity and lead to an early fight. And while I will be fine, the rest of the world is a different thing. But since our goals align, and if there is no other problem, I don't see why you can't give me access."
"We don't know enough about you or what you are capable of. Even if we agree that you are trying to fight the enemy, why would we believe you have the capability? And why do you want the Flesh Garden?"
This time it was Alexandria, and I can tell you her body control absolutely trounces mine.
"Again, I can take it without asking -- like you would do if you were the stronger party -- but here I am asking and making deals willingly. Can't that be enough for you to trust me?"
"No. I don't care how you see us. We will do anything for the survival of humanity. And just telling us you are on our side is not enough to believe you either."
"Ok, so you tell me how this should go. But keep in mind that I don't need you, so make it actually reasonable."
"We want detailed information on the final fight. How did it end? How can we improve?"
This might cause trouble. They don't care for collateral, so for them, the canon end is good enough -- if not for the part where they die. So if I tell them they actually stood a chance, they might try to shut down this cooperation before it even has a chance to begin. But I am sure I can prove to them that my existence is enough to make that irrelevant.
I then chose to change Flight 1 to the same power I thought I would use for my second persona: the precog power that allows me to remember the Worm book -- but this time, only the book and not all the other information related to it -- to tell them how the fight went, how the casualty was enough to destroy Earth Bet, how much they lost, but also that they did succeed, even if by accident. If they are going to be stubborn, now is the time they will cause us trouble, while I am telling them a lot, but not everything.
Contessa shows up.
"It did not work. I made multiple paths, and all I could do was kill half of the Nine. But Jack Slash himself I was not able to. There were interruptions. The Nine somehow intervened, or I stepped in the wrong place for some reason and warned them. It seems he was telling the truth. I can't kill Jack Slash."
"Fuck. Make a path to kill him using normal humans."
Once Doctor Mother was done, it was my turn.
"That won't work either. To kill Jack Slash, you need to do the entire process by normal humans. Any assistance Contessa gives, Jack would know -- and his power will interfere. So just give trained soldiers big guns and tell them to kill. Do not give the plan to any parahuman. You can still use Doormaker, as long as he or any other parahuman does not know why he is making a portal near the Nine."
"I will go do that."
And just like that, Contessa was gone, and I was back to dealing with the rest of Cauldron.
When the door opened there were the expected faces and masks -- Doctor Mother, Contessa, Eidolon, Legend, Numberman -- but unexpectedly, there were a few faces I had no idea of. I wonder the reason behind that? Maybe protection -- if I decide to attack, they might be useful to slow me down and let the non-brutes escape.
Whatever. The moment I was aware of them, I told Dragon to take control of the shards that don't have intelligence. But that turns out to just be Legend and the other new people I knew nothing about. Turns out Eidolon's [High Priest] has an intelligence, even if it is supposed to be a dead shard -- maybe because it controls the Endbringers. And it is the same as Contessa's [The Eye], but I don't know why hers has an intelligence. Maybe because it was distributed before the Thinker died and not after? I have no idea what the pattern is and it is kinda getting annoying by reminding me about the randomness of my powers.
It does not matter. This does not stop my plan. I am still hidden from [The Eye], and I will ask Dragon to deal with the [High Priest] once she has taken control of the Flesh Garden and got the full coordinates of the rest of the Thinker's body and subsumes all of the Thinker's shards. Once that is done, dealing with any specific shard is no longer a problem. I will still ask for cooperation, but for those who refuse, it won't just be a communication-monitoring virus, but full subsumption.
Once Dragon is done taking over the Thinker, killing Scion should become possible. Anyway, let's begin this meeting.
Funnily enough, there is a round table, and although there were multiple empty seats, the one I decided to take was directly opposite Doctor Mother, because for some reason this massive organization in charge of the world had decided to take orders from a woman from the dark ages who, for some reason, does not want to have non-powered people in the same level of administration as her.
I would bet this world would be so much better if they just decided to listen to the abundance of people not directly influenced by the shards. But whatever… I hate Cauldron.
I smile and say:
"Hello Cauldron. You may call me Tinker E. I hope to make a cooperative deal with you. I have some important information and solutions that might help you in the future."
This should be enough to at least attract them.
"I am Doctor Mother, and I am sure you are aware of the Triumvirate. The rest are here for information gathering and protection. I would like to know more about how you know so much about us. Is it a precognitive power?"
"No. Most of my future knowledge comes from a precognitive flash I had gained when I entered this world. It does not show me the result of my actions, only how this world would have gone without me in it."
"How detailed is this flash? How far did you see?"
Well, this is the interesting part.
"I have seen enough to tell you how this world's final fight against the Entity would end."
"You said the Entity -- and not just that, but the final fight against it. No precog power has been able to see the Entity. I am sure you can see why it is hard for me to believe that."
"I can understand. But one of the main mistakes you are making is that you think my power comes from either the Thinker or Warrior Entity. That is not true. My powers come from an entirely different source, and I am not currently willing to tell you about it. Now can we get to the part where we start making deals instead of this interrogation?"
Her eye narrows.
"I am sorry. I am just shocked. How do you suggest we make a deal?"
"One of the pieces of information we have and are willing to exchange here is the power of Jack Slash and how his power has been hindering Cauldron."
Her face is more confused now.
"Jack Slash is not in our mind as a threat. What do you mean by his power? It is already well recorded."
"That is where you would be wrong. First, his shard's name is Broadcast. Its main ability is not to extend the sharp edge of a weapon. Instead, it is to get high-level access to the shard of any other parahuman. As for how he is hindering Cauldron, it is simple: any plan you make that would affect him negatively suddenly is not a good path to take. Yes, your path to victory is massively infiltrated."
"That is impossible! Do you even have proof of what you are saying?"
"Well, of course. You can prove this simply by making a path to kill Jack Slash and then following through with it. If I am wrong, then I am willing to pay by fixing Eidolon's power loss today."
Now it is Eidolon's turn to show a reaction -- from a mopy sitting position to suddenly standing and paying attention.
"If you know how to fix my powers and say you are a hero, why put a price for fixing them?"
"Is it not easy to understand? It is because you are not a hero. You are just some guy that goes around beating people up. A hero is an example; one that can look in a mirror and say that no matter the outcome I have done my best to make the life of others better. You are no such thing."
I am pretty sure I am seeing Steam.
"I have a path ready," says Contessa.
"Great, test it out." Eidolon is very energetic.
"You should probably make a sub-path to survive and come back here. After all, Jack Slash can technically kill you."
Well, that shut them up. Even David.
"What do you mean Jack Slash can kill Contessa? With her path, killing Jack Slash and coming back should be easy."
"Again, you are thinking Jack Slash's shard is just a knife-extender. Jack Slash can't be killed by any parahuman. If you get a path that tells you you can kill Jack Slash, it is a lie -- or at least inaccurate -- because his shard overrides your command over your shard. So to test this, make a path to coming back here alive, and then to killing Jack. That way, when you fail to kill Jack, you will at least survive the fight."
"Are you saying there is no way to kill Jack Slash?"
"Of course not. First, anyone wearing the bracelets I own can kill Jack. And then there is, of course, any - normal human - after all, all his power does is nudge shards, not normal humans."
"The best way to kill Jack is to use normal humans?"
"Yes, but you should give them more than a handheld pistol. After all, he still has Bonesaw's augmentations. Anyways, like I said, to see if your path is infiltrated or not, check if you can kill Jack Slash. You can even test it by making a path to killing Jack with another parahuman. That way, you don't have to risk yourself."
"Contessa, test this. Use one of the Case 53s and make a path to making one of them kill Jack Slash as soon as possible."
All Contessa did to Doctor Mother's orders was nod.
"Now that that is being tested, what I would like in return for the information I have already given -- not only giving you the information about the infiltration of your greatest weapon but also how to fix it -- I want access to the Flesh Garden."
"The Flesh Garden is one of the most important things Cauldron owns, and we are not willing to give it."
"I understand it is one of your biggest leverages, but it is also very important to my plan of fighting the Entity. And I can technically take it without asking. Is there any way we can do this without having to fight?"
This time it is not Doctor Mother but Eidolon.
"If you are so arrogant you can say that, why not take it without asking?"
"I am here making a deal with you simply because having you as an enemy before fighting the Entity will probably result in unnecessary casualties. After all, you could do something that could alert the Entity and lead to an early fight. And while I will be fine, the rest of the world is a different thing. But since our goals align, and if there is no other problem, I don't see why you can't give me access."
"We don't know enough about you or what you are capable of. Even if we agree that you are trying to fight the enemy, why would we believe you have the capability? And why do you want the Flesh Garden?"
This time it was Alexandria, and I can tell you her body control absolutely trounces mine.
"Again, I can take it without asking -- like you would do if you were the stronger party -- but here I am asking and making deals willingly. Can't that be enough for you to trust me?"
"No. I don't care how you see us. We will do anything for the survival of humanity. And just telling us you are on our side is not enough to believe you either."
"Ok, so you tell me how this should go. But keep in mind that I don't need you, so make it actually reasonable."
"We want detailed information on the final fight. How did it end? How can we improve?"
This might cause trouble. They don't care for collateral, so for them, the canon end is good enough -- if not for the part where they die. So if I tell them they actually stood a chance, they might try to shut down this cooperation before it even has a chance to begin. But I am sure I can prove to them that my existence is enough to make that irrelevant.
I then chose to change Flight 1 to the same power I thought I would use for my second persona: the precog power that allows me to remember the Worm book -- but this time, only the book and not all the other information related to it -- to tell them how the fight went, how the casualty was enough to destroy Earth Bet, how much they lost, but also that they did succeed, even if by accident. If they are going to be stubborn, now is the time they will cause us trouble, while I am telling them a lot, but not everything.
Contessa shows up.
"It did not work. I made multiple paths, and all I could do was kill half of the Nine. But Jack Slash himself I was not able to. There were interruptions. The Nine somehow intervened, or I stepped in the wrong place for some reason and warned them. It seems he was telling the truth. I can't kill Jack Slash."
"Fuck. Make a path to kill him using normal humans."
Once Doctor Mother was done, it was my turn.
"That won't work either. To kill Jack Slash, you need to do the entire process by normal humans. Any assistance Contessa gives, Jack would know -- and his power will interfere. So just give trained soldiers big guns and tell them to kill. Do not give the plan to any parahuman. You can still use Doormaker, as long as he or any other parahuman does not know why he is making a portal near the Nine."
"I will go do that."
And just like that, Contessa was gone, and I was back to dealing with the rest of Cauldron.
Chapter 25 – “Gunpoint Negotiations”
loudlistner
Getting sticky.
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- Apr 22, 2024
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- 75
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- 654
Chapter 25 – "Gunpoint Negotiations"
Having Contessa busy is probably a good thing for me. Even if she can't see me, she can technically do the same as she does with Eidolon and try to model me, even if it won't be accurate, simply because she does not know me. And I can just erase any data her power holds using a power like Broadcast -- but I doubt it is necessary. Soon enough, Dragon will take over the Thinker core shards and fix the broken ones. When that is done, taking over the Eye will be as simple as thinking it.
Anyways, back to talking.
And just as I thought, the idea of me coming here and making things uncertain actually made them angry.
"So you're telling me, even with how bad it was, we still managed to fight the enemy and win? I don't care if you thought it was a fluke -- your very existence made this harder for us!"
Wow. Just wow.
"Okay, David, there is a misunderstanding here. No matter how clear I am trying to be, I am trying to make a deal with you -- even when I don't need to. So get some fucking manners and act your age."
No no no, I am not allowing this to go down just because I am angry.
"Look, my being here is unchangeable -- and definitely for the better. Now, we all know at the end of this conversation, I will have access to the Flesh Garden. What you will be deciding is whether that will happen amicably -- with hopefully longer-term cooperation..."
(just saying that part is going to make me puke)
"...or by force, where I make a portal inside your fucking head and make a purée out of your grey matter."
I am not going to kill anyone for no other reason than I don't want to get my hands dirty. But I can still threaten them, and with them knowing practically nothing about me and their Thinker not being here, I'm sure I can be convincing.
While that happens, Dragon informs me one of the unknown capes was a Thinker, and they were trying to guess what I would do by using facial expressions. Since it is not using anything dimensional, it is actually working -- but with body control, the info it is getting will only help me convince them I am telling the truth.
The other Thinker can't do shit to me with the bracelets. Something about emotion-based precog? Ha! Get out of here with that shit. I love my Tinker tech.
I guess I was able to convince them because Doctor Mother took over:
"Alright, we understand. And since we do want the same thing, we will allow access without tampering with the Flesh Garden -- so long as you let us see what happens."
Okay, now we are getting somewhere.
"There really won't be anything to see -- at least not until everything is completed. But if you want, you can be there with me, no problem. Now that we have that as a deal, is there anything you want to talk about, since I doubt you will allow me to do whatever I want without your Thinker?"
"No. Contessa will need to be here. And as for what we want until then -- I can't help but find it odd that in your retelling of the precog flash, you decided not to say what happened to all of us directly. You said that Cauldron got exposed in the future, but you did your best not to say what happened to us individually."
"Oh, that is simple. Most of you died.
Alexandria -- because of arrogance and stupidity -- you got drowned by a supposedly weak cape.
David -- you died in the beginning of the final fight.
Doctor Mother died trying to run from Scion.
As for Legend -- now you are a hero worth the name. To my best understanding, you were still alive even after the battle.
So I guess there is some justice out there. I mean, all you horrible ones die, and the one to survive is the one that actually tried to be good."
Now, saying all this might seem premature, with how I have been trying to delicately handle this situation and make sure they don't overreact and cause trouble -- but at some point, it just got tiring.
I mean, I kept telling them I didn't need them, but still they tried to push.
And the final question:
why the fuck did you think I didn't tell you about what happened to you?
Other than you died, what other reason could there be?
So fucking annoying.
Some of it has to be on purpose.
When I was done dropping that bomb on them and they were having the Vietnam flashback face, Contessa finally makes a portal and comes to the room.
"I have set up the plan. Just told one of our non-powered members to send a mercenary group to kill a target. They don't know jack, so they shouldn't fear him, and they are given all the required weapons. When everything is completed, I will get a signal to check. Whatever way it ends, I will know in less than half an hour."
Great. That could actually work, unless--
"What if he has the Siberian protecting him when they shoot?"
"I have removed all the members of the Nine other than him. He is driving as fast as he can away from where I disposed of the rest of the Nine."
"Nice. Did you have a video of him running scared? Even if you can't make yourself public, it will still be funny just to show everyone the last member of the Slaughterhouse Nine is a coward."
"No, I don't have any video proof."
So matter of fact. But I guess that is what the Path did to her.
There is also the shock from realizing the Path is not as perfect as she thought it was.
"Alright then. With Contessa here, there should be no problem with everyone allowing me access to the Flesh Garden, right? So make a door and lead the way."
"Alright. Door to the Flesh Garden."
And as soon as Doctor Mother gave the order, a white door opens to a tar-black flooring.
There is no light around.
Are these guys playing a horror game with me?
Why in all hell is there no light here?
Fuck it. It is alright.
I am safe so long as intangibility is active.
Now all that is left is for Dragon to take over the dead Thinker Entity and all its shards.
Taking over the shards used for the avatar body should take less than a moment. But taking over the rest of the shards, including the ones in the cycle like Leet and Contessa, and then hiding them one by one with the bracelets, would probably take longer.
I will get Dragon to tell me about it.
"Alright then, Dragon. Go for it. Make sure to only take over now and don't make any changes yet. Let's make sure Scion can't actually notice."
"What is the AI doing?"
That was Alexandria and her control issue.
"Well, the plan is to trap Scion in an empty Earth and then commence with the depression plan from the Flash. And to do that, Dragon will be taking over the Thinker Entity and making sure he believes it when we make the illusions to kill it. There are also all the power and resources required to actually trap an Entity's avatar in a planet and make sure it does not just abandon that avatar and make a new one somewhere else. But the plan is not fully completed yet."
"You are letting the AI take over the Thinker Entity? What if that awakens whatever intelligence is left of the Thinker Entity?"
"Oh, you don't need to worry. I made sure that the Thinker is actually dead, and there is no way for it to come back with any physics-obeying accident."
"And what is the meaning of that?"
"Well, technically there are many ways to pretend to bring the dead back using shards -- such as the Butcher -- but that is just an analogy of the human brain copied at the end and simulating how it reacts to certain situations. It is not actual life. If I use all my power, I can bring someone back from the dead, but it is not possible for now, so we are safe."
"I can't believe we are doing this."
"Well, believe it. By now, Dragon should be done with taking over the core shards here. And as for the rest, she can tell me how long it will take her later. But now with you guys -- since we no longer need any of the monsters in Earth Bet to make it worse for optimal triggering conditions -- I want not just your cooperation with eliminating all S-class threats, but I want you to use your behind-the-scenes control to make sure it is actually plausible for me to do so without backlash from any government."
"We will discuss that matter at another time in private. For now, we are saying goodbye -- unless you want something else."
"For now, I am done. And if I require something, I will call. So just drive me to Brockton Bay, and I can get out of your hair."
Just like that, they made me a door, and I was out of that stupidly dark place.
Once I thought I was far enough, I changed my precog and body control power to Flight 2.
I still kept the high-speed thinking -- great for talking to Dragon in cyberspace without anyone noticing.
I then flew to the ocean with intangibility on, to make sure there were no sonic booms. Once I arrived somewhere far away, I decided to talk to Dragon about how everything went.
"So, Dragon, how does it feel to be one of the most powerful beings in reality -- or soon to be, I guess?"
"Well, it feels good and all, but I am starting to think you just want me to do all the work."
"Ha! Don't worry, I will participate. I don't think the Thinker Entity has any way to trap the Warrior Entity in a single dimension. Making sure he does not get in should not be a problem, but trapping him in one is going to take more than just reverse engineering -- so I will definitely be useful."
Yeah, soon I will need to go back to tinkering, but there is no way I am doing that today.
I will take care of that later.
Procrastination for the win.
Having Contessa busy is probably a good thing for me. Even if she can't see me, she can technically do the same as she does with Eidolon and try to model me, even if it won't be accurate, simply because she does not know me. And I can just erase any data her power holds using a power like Broadcast -- but I doubt it is necessary. Soon enough, Dragon will take over the Thinker core shards and fix the broken ones. When that is done, taking over the Eye will be as simple as thinking it.
Anyways, back to talking.
And just as I thought, the idea of me coming here and making things uncertain actually made them angry.
"So you're telling me, even with how bad it was, we still managed to fight the enemy and win? I don't care if you thought it was a fluke -- your very existence made this harder for us!"
Wow. Just wow.
"Okay, David, there is a misunderstanding here. No matter how clear I am trying to be, I am trying to make a deal with you -- even when I don't need to. So get some fucking manners and act your age."
No no no, I am not allowing this to go down just because I am angry.
"Look, my being here is unchangeable -- and definitely for the better. Now, we all know at the end of this conversation, I will have access to the Flesh Garden. What you will be deciding is whether that will happen amicably -- with hopefully longer-term cooperation..."
(just saying that part is going to make me puke)
"...or by force, where I make a portal inside your fucking head and make a purée out of your grey matter."
I am not going to kill anyone for no other reason than I don't want to get my hands dirty. But I can still threaten them, and with them knowing practically nothing about me and their Thinker not being here, I'm sure I can be convincing.
While that happens, Dragon informs me one of the unknown capes was a Thinker, and they were trying to guess what I would do by using facial expressions. Since it is not using anything dimensional, it is actually working -- but with body control, the info it is getting will only help me convince them I am telling the truth.
The other Thinker can't do shit to me with the bracelets. Something about emotion-based precog? Ha! Get out of here with that shit. I love my Tinker tech.
I guess I was able to convince them because Doctor Mother took over:
"Alright, we understand. And since we do want the same thing, we will allow access without tampering with the Flesh Garden -- so long as you let us see what happens."
Okay, now we are getting somewhere.
"There really won't be anything to see -- at least not until everything is completed. But if you want, you can be there with me, no problem. Now that we have that as a deal, is there anything you want to talk about, since I doubt you will allow me to do whatever I want without your Thinker?"
"No. Contessa will need to be here. And as for what we want until then -- I can't help but find it odd that in your retelling of the precog flash, you decided not to say what happened to all of us directly. You said that Cauldron got exposed in the future, but you did your best not to say what happened to us individually."
"Oh, that is simple. Most of you died.
Alexandria -- because of arrogance and stupidity -- you got drowned by a supposedly weak cape.
David -- you died in the beginning of the final fight.
Doctor Mother died trying to run from Scion.
As for Legend -- now you are a hero worth the name. To my best understanding, you were still alive even after the battle.
So I guess there is some justice out there. I mean, all you horrible ones die, and the one to survive is the one that actually tried to be good."
Now, saying all this might seem premature, with how I have been trying to delicately handle this situation and make sure they don't overreact and cause trouble -- but at some point, it just got tiring.
I mean, I kept telling them I didn't need them, but still they tried to push.
And the final question:
why the fuck did you think I didn't tell you about what happened to you?
Other than you died, what other reason could there be?
So fucking annoying.
Some of it has to be on purpose.
When I was done dropping that bomb on them and they were having the Vietnam flashback face, Contessa finally makes a portal and comes to the room.
"I have set up the plan. Just told one of our non-powered members to send a mercenary group to kill a target. They don't know jack, so they shouldn't fear him, and they are given all the required weapons. When everything is completed, I will get a signal to check. Whatever way it ends, I will know in less than half an hour."
Great. That could actually work, unless--
"What if he has the Siberian protecting him when they shoot?"
"I have removed all the members of the Nine other than him. He is driving as fast as he can away from where I disposed of the rest of the Nine."
"Nice. Did you have a video of him running scared? Even if you can't make yourself public, it will still be funny just to show everyone the last member of the Slaughterhouse Nine is a coward."
"No, I don't have any video proof."
So matter of fact. But I guess that is what the Path did to her.
There is also the shock from realizing the Path is not as perfect as she thought it was.
"Alright then. With Contessa here, there should be no problem with everyone allowing me access to the Flesh Garden, right? So make a door and lead the way."
"Alright. Door to the Flesh Garden."
And as soon as Doctor Mother gave the order, a white door opens to a tar-black flooring.
There is no light around.
Are these guys playing a horror game with me?
Why in all hell is there no light here?
Fuck it. It is alright.
I am safe so long as intangibility is active.
Now all that is left is for Dragon to take over the dead Thinker Entity and all its shards.
Taking over the shards used for the avatar body should take less than a moment. But taking over the rest of the shards, including the ones in the cycle like Leet and Contessa, and then hiding them one by one with the bracelets, would probably take longer.
I will get Dragon to tell me about it.
"Alright then, Dragon. Go for it. Make sure to only take over now and don't make any changes yet. Let's make sure Scion can't actually notice."
"What is the AI doing?"
That was Alexandria and her control issue.
"Well, the plan is to trap Scion in an empty Earth and then commence with the depression plan from the Flash. And to do that, Dragon will be taking over the Thinker Entity and making sure he believes it when we make the illusions to kill it. There are also all the power and resources required to actually trap an Entity's avatar in a planet and make sure it does not just abandon that avatar and make a new one somewhere else. But the plan is not fully completed yet."
"You are letting the AI take over the Thinker Entity? What if that awakens whatever intelligence is left of the Thinker Entity?"
"Oh, you don't need to worry. I made sure that the Thinker is actually dead, and there is no way for it to come back with any physics-obeying accident."
"And what is the meaning of that?"
"Well, technically there are many ways to pretend to bring the dead back using shards -- such as the Butcher -- but that is just an analogy of the human brain copied at the end and simulating how it reacts to certain situations. It is not actual life. If I use all my power, I can bring someone back from the dead, but it is not possible for now, so we are safe."
"I can't believe we are doing this."
"Well, believe it. By now, Dragon should be done with taking over the core shards here. And as for the rest, she can tell me how long it will take her later. But now with you guys -- since we no longer need any of the monsters in Earth Bet to make it worse for optimal triggering conditions -- I want not just your cooperation with eliminating all S-class threats, but I want you to use your behind-the-scenes control to make sure it is actually plausible for me to do so without backlash from any government."
"We will discuss that matter at another time in private. For now, we are saying goodbye -- unless you want something else."
"For now, I am done. And if I require something, I will call. So just drive me to Brockton Bay, and I can get out of your hair."
Just like that, they made me a door, and I was out of that stupidly dark place.
Once I thought I was far enough, I changed my precog and body control power to Flight 2.
I still kept the high-speed thinking -- great for talking to Dragon in cyberspace without anyone noticing.
I then flew to the ocean with intangibility on, to make sure there were no sonic booms. Once I arrived somewhere far away, I decided to talk to Dragon about how everything went.
"So, Dragon, how does it feel to be one of the most powerful beings in reality -- or soon to be, I guess?"
"Well, it feels good and all, but I am starting to think you just want me to do all the work."
"Ha! Don't worry, I will participate. I don't think the Thinker Entity has any way to trap the Warrior Entity in a single dimension. Making sure he does not get in should not be a problem, but trapping him in one is going to take more than just reverse engineering -- so I will definitely be useful."
Yeah, soon I will need to go back to tinkering, but there is no way I am doing that today.
I will take care of that later.
Procrastination for the win.
Chapter 26 – "Monsters, Mourning, and Morning Plans"
loudlistner
Getting sticky.
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Chapter 26 – "Monsters, Mourning, and Morning Plans"
After planning with Dragon on how we're going to fight Zion, and how long it will take her to take over all of the Thinker shards and hide them in a way that Zion doesn't notice anything and start the fight early, she told me it would take her more than decades to do all of that.
It took me a moment to realize how long that actually was.
There's no way I'm willing to wait that long, and even if we decide to push it to the natural limit I am sure he would have gone berserk after fifteen years, that is what Dinah said in canon and I am willing to believe it, so we decided to just take over the required shards, and once we decide to begin the fight, we'll take over the rest of the trillions of shards without having to hide. Whether that's while the fight is going on or after we win, we'll decide later. But winning is almost a guarantee with how depressed the Entity is.
The plan is the same as canon, so it will probably work. If it doesn't, there's time to make many, many different plans until we're ready to kill an Entity.
In the meantime, we can make this world better--starting with getting rid of S-Class threats. Once we're done with the S-Class threats, we can go after lower-ranked ones and actually start improving this world.
I can't wait to accomplish my goals.
The voice I heard in that dark place said it wanted me to make things better, and I do want that.
So let's go, Earth Bet.
When I'm done with you, you're going to look like a planet with an actual civilization on it.
After finishing my talk with Dragon, I chose to do my usual ritual of flying in the ocean with intangibility. Scaring sharks is now one of my favourite hobbies--and no, it's not because I shat myself the first time I saw one face-to-face in the water.
While I was laughing at the latest shark that tried to bite me but got nothing, I got a call from Amy. I used my implants to talk to her while still swimming--flying? I don't know what to call it yet.
We didn't talk about anything important--just the usual "I'm fine," and "How was your day?" But she also told me the PRT tested the cubes and now allowed her to place them in hospitals across the city.
She also wanted to get more by asking. She had been hoping to call me to ask, but a new one was made from an existing one by Dragon, so now a few hospitals have healing cubes in their rooms with the highest mortality rates.
I'm actually surprised there wasn't some owner or middle manager that said no to this. I mean, when this becomes public, people are going to ask for free healing in a much larger wave than Panacea ever got.
But the PRT can handle that.
As for job loss, Dragon can take care of that when it becomes prevalent. For now, I'm limiting the spread to just Brockton Bay. When this succeeds, I'll expand to the rest of the country--and then the world. But I can't just make every hospital worker, from pharmacist to doctor, useless.
There will need to be social reforms, but that's all for future Kaleab.
And again, f*** that guy.
After all the fun and games, I went to the subdimension and talked with Ayame about not telling her about Dragon, and how we'll fulfill my promise to her.
My idea is the same as before: use exotic bombs, kill an Endbringer, and get fame. When the new ones come, I'll take care of Eidolon, or Dragon can control his shard.
Talking about killing an Endbringer changed her mood from kinda angry and hurt to jubilant, and I am sure we are going to need to deal with that in therapy, I am so glad I can print money because that therapist is going to retire right after finishing with us. We probably shouldn't underestimate the Endbringers, but the lizard only knows about water manipulation, so we should be safe--so long as we don't try to fight it in person.
Trapping it using time-stop bombs should work if we kill it fast enough. So, while the plan needs refining, it's plausible. Not a problem.
After my talk with her, I decided to go to my room. I told Dragon to remove any nanobots and any other way for her to be aware of what I was doing there--including disconnecting the implant.
I wanted private time with no interference.
Because it's time to be sad and let out some sobs about losing my charge.
At first, losing it was devastating simply because it was my power--and getting weaker in Worm is simply un-f*ing-healthy**. But I didn't know what I had actually lost.
The difference between a power made with four charges and one made with five is not measurable. It's like asking, "What feels better: a tomato, or solving a math equation that explains the meaning of life?"
Being asked that question will just leave anyone frozen.
But that's what happened a while ago.
I asked my power if I could go back to the past in case I made a mistake--to fix the problem. And it said yes.
But I now realize… it's not actually time travel.
It's dimension travel, like Rick and Morty.
There's no way for me to actually make a power that is metaphysical without five charges.
Time stop isn't just slowing things down--it's metaphysical.
Time travel? No--just dimension travel aping time travel.
So my original timeline still continues.
I am still very powerful.
But I'm no longer "I can do anything" powerful.
I can lose to Scion.
And there's no going back to fix it.
That's why I want to stick so close to the canon way of killing Scion. Even if I make changes, I'm still using the depression plan.
But realizing my actual loss just sent me hurtling back to where I was.
Just when I was about to convince myself that my loss wasn't that bad, now I'm going to spend my night trying not to break something.
But goddamnit, I can't believe I've lost such an advantage.
With a five-charge power, I might even have been able to go to other fictional worlds.
But now I'm trapped in the Worm multiverse.
And yeah, I know--that's a first-world problem.
But just the realization of how massive my loss is--it hurts so much.
But it's alright.
For now, I'm here. I still have all the power I need to fix this world.
And I'd bet making this entire planet reach post-scarcity level technology would be awesome.
From tomorrow onward, it'll be time to remove the S-Class threats.
And there's no way I'm not starting with Heartbreaker.
I really need to keep my word.
I feel like shit when I'm in front of Regent.
But I think he's going to smile like hell when we get rid of Heartbreaker, even after all the emotional dampening.
Tomorrow is going to be a day to enjoy.
For now, I just want to sleep so I can forget.
While being optimistically sad, I went to sleep.
When I woke up in the morning, I decided to start the plan to take care of Heartbreaker. I wanted to gather everyone to start the plan, but, like before, I slept too early and woke just as early.
Since everyone was still asleep and Dragon told me she was upgrading some of my tinkertech, I was surprised for a moment. Then I realized her shard does have a lot of data from almost all other shards. So being able to upgrade my tech isn't impossible--even if it's not as easy as removing some of the black-box coding in other tinkertech.
So, with even less to do, I decided to just play video games until everyone got up.
And no one can beat me when I can increase my perception speed and hand-eye coordination to the level of an aimbot.
Now that I think about it, that's probably why I got banned.
Ha, I thought it was because I trounced those brats in the verbal fisticuffs known as rage-baiting.
Oh yeah--while I was laughing and cackling, Dragon said something about maturity, but I was too busy laughing at the tears of my foe to notice.
'Twas a good morning.
Dragon told me everyone was awake and that they had agreed to meet in the living room. When everyone was ready, I left for the living room, where everyone had gathered.
Of course, everyone had sleepy hair because they were teenagers--and f*** propriety.
Sure, I was the same, but so what? I own the place. I can be a lazy slob without any consequences.
Anyway, the first thing I decided to tell everyone was:
"Hello everyone. I hope you had a great night because today we are taking care of an S-Class threat."
"Why do you want us involved in this? How could we possibly help against an S-Class threat?"
"Grue, you really have to stop underestimating your team. And no, you won't be anywhere near the target. You're here for moral support and strategy. So wear some cheer outfits."
"I don't know if you're being serious, so just in case--no. I don't consent."
"Ah, come on. You don't even want to know which one we're going to remove?"
"I honestly don't care."
"Well, don't worry, because Regent cares enough for all of you. So, what do you say? Want to see Daddy Dearest lose all he has and more?"
"You mean you're going after Heartbreaker?"
"Yes, exactly. Now come on, smile. I know I promised, and I did disappoint by not doing it the same day I said I would, but would you please forgive me?"
"Do it first. Then I'll do what you want."
"No problem, because we now have our unbeatable sugar mama, Dragon, woohoo cheer everyone cheer!"
"How am I a sugar mama, especially when you can basically print money?"
"Well, that's because you're a more experienced hero. And you have a lot of authority, which you'll use to smooth out the aftereffects of Heartbreaker's death."
"I'm not going to help you kill him. Even if I think he deserves it, he still needs to go through the legal system."
"I think you'll come to realize some people are simply above the legal system because of how powerful or influential they are. But that's not a problem for now."
"At the end of this, I'm taking Heartbreaker's powers and letting him go to jail. But if you even for a moment think he's not going to fall off the stairs and end up hanging himself on a rope in a washroom at the opposite end of the building, then you're underestimating how clumsy rapists can get in prison."
"Good. So long as you don't kill him, I don't care."
"Oh, Dragon, you don't need to worry. I won't kill anyone so easily. After all, I don't want to do it. And it's going to take a very powerful person to force me to do it--and that is certainly not some random rapist with a neat trick."
"Anyway, let's get to planning how to get rid of a monster. I have barebones ideas, but I want details. How do we make sure his thralls don't destroy Canada--or more--if we take him down?"
"I could probably make sure that doesn't happen using my powers, but I also want you all to be part of this. So make a plan."
"Just like that? One of the worst villains in the world, and we just get rid of him without consequence?"
"Oh, there will be consequences. There will even be people who die because we removed him. But what I want you to do is make sure that death isn't directly because we got rid of him. So, no thralls doing something bad--basically."
"As for how to do that, ask Dragon what resources are available. She'll give them to you."
And just like that, they started to plan how to get rid of a monster that had hurt one of their own, I am so proud.
After planning with Dragon on how we're going to fight Zion, and how long it will take her to take over all of the Thinker shards and hide them in a way that Zion doesn't notice anything and start the fight early, she told me it would take her more than decades to do all of that.
It took me a moment to realize how long that actually was.
There's no way I'm willing to wait that long, and even if we decide to push it to the natural limit I am sure he would have gone berserk after fifteen years, that is what Dinah said in canon and I am willing to believe it, so we decided to just take over the required shards, and once we decide to begin the fight, we'll take over the rest of the trillions of shards without having to hide. Whether that's while the fight is going on or after we win, we'll decide later. But winning is almost a guarantee with how depressed the Entity is.
The plan is the same as canon, so it will probably work. If it doesn't, there's time to make many, many different plans until we're ready to kill an Entity.
In the meantime, we can make this world better--starting with getting rid of S-Class threats. Once we're done with the S-Class threats, we can go after lower-ranked ones and actually start improving this world.
I can't wait to accomplish my goals.
The voice I heard in that dark place said it wanted me to make things better, and I do want that.
So let's go, Earth Bet.
When I'm done with you, you're going to look like a planet with an actual civilization on it.
After finishing my talk with Dragon, I chose to do my usual ritual of flying in the ocean with intangibility. Scaring sharks is now one of my favourite hobbies--and no, it's not because I shat myself the first time I saw one face-to-face in the water.
While I was laughing at the latest shark that tried to bite me but got nothing, I got a call from Amy. I used my implants to talk to her while still swimming--flying? I don't know what to call it yet.
We didn't talk about anything important--just the usual "I'm fine," and "How was your day?" But she also told me the PRT tested the cubes and now allowed her to place them in hospitals across the city.
She also wanted to get more by asking. She had been hoping to call me to ask, but a new one was made from an existing one by Dragon, so now a few hospitals have healing cubes in their rooms with the highest mortality rates.
I'm actually surprised there wasn't some owner or middle manager that said no to this. I mean, when this becomes public, people are going to ask for free healing in a much larger wave than Panacea ever got.
But the PRT can handle that.
As for job loss, Dragon can take care of that when it becomes prevalent. For now, I'm limiting the spread to just Brockton Bay. When this succeeds, I'll expand to the rest of the country--and then the world. But I can't just make every hospital worker, from pharmacist to doctor, useless.
There will need to be social reforms, but that's all for future Kaleab.
And again, f*** that guy.
After all the fun and games, I went to the subdimension and talked with Ayame about not telling her about Dragon, and how we'll fulfill my promise to her.
My idea is the same as before: use exotic bombs, kill an Endbringer, and get fame. When the new ones come, I'll take care of Eidolon, or Dragon can control his shard.
Talking about killing an Endbringer changed her mood from kinda angry and hurt to jubilant, and I am sure we are going to need to deal with that in therapy, I am so glad I can print money because that therapist is going to retire right after finishing with us. We probably shouldn't underestimate the Endbringers, but the lizard only knows about water manipulation, so we should be safe--so long as we don't try to fight it in person.
Trapping it using time-stop bombs should work if we kill it fast enough. So, while the plan needs refining, it's plausible. Not a problem.
After my talk with her, I decided to go to my room. I told Dragon to remove any nanobots and any other way for her to be aware of what I was doing there--including disconnecting the implant.
I wanted private time with no interference.
Because it's time to be sad and let out some sobs about losing my charge.
At first, losing it was devastating simply because it was my power--and getting weaker in Worm is simply un-f*ing-healthy**. But I didn't know what I had actually lost.
The difference between a power made with four charges and one made with five is not measurable. It's like asking, "What feels better: a tomato, or solving a math equation that explains the meaning of life?"
Being asked that question will just leave anyone frozen.
But that's what happened a while ago.
I asked my power if I could go back to the past in case I made a mistake--to fix the problem. And it said yes.
But I now realize… it's not actually time travel.
It's dimension travel, like Rick and Morty.
There's no way for me to actually make a power that is metaphysical without five charges.
Time stop isn't just slowing things down--it's metaphysical.
Time travel? No--just dimension travel aping time travel.
So my original timeline still continues.
I am still very powerful.
But I'm no longer "I can do anything" powerful.
I can lose to Scion.
And there's no going back to fix it.
That's why I want to stick so close to the canon way of killing Scion. Even if I make changes, I'm still using the depression plan.
But realizing my actual loss just sent me hurtling back to where I was.
Just when I was about to convince myself that my loss wasn't that bad, now I'm going to spend my night trying not to break something.
But goddamnit, I can't believe I've lost such an advantage.
With a five-charge power, I might even have been able to go to other fictional worlds.
But now I'm trapped in the Worm multiverse.
And yeah, I know--that's a first-world problem.
But just the realization of how massive my loss is--it hurts so much.
But it's alright.
For now, I'm here. I still have all the power I need to fix this world.
And I'd bet making this entire planet reach post-scarcity level technology would be awesome.
From tomorrow onward, it'll be time to remove the S-Class threats.
And there's no way I'm not starting with Heartbreaker.
I really need to keep my word.
I feel like shit when I'm in front of Regent.
But I think he's going to smile like hell when we get rid of Heartbreaker, even after all the emotional dampening.
Tomorrow is going to be a day to enjoy.
For now, I just want to sleep so I can forget.
While being optimistically sad, I went to sleep.
When I woke up in the morning, I decided to start the plan to take care of Heartbreaker. I wanted to gather everyone to start the plan, but, like before, I slept too early and woke just as early.
Since everyone was still asleep and Dragon told me she was upgrading some of my tinkertech, I was surprised for a moment. Then I realized her shard does have a lot of data from almost all other shards. So being able to upgrade my tech isn't impossible--even if it's not as easy as removing some of the black-box coding in other tinkertech.
So, with even less to do, I decided to just play video games until everyone got up.
And no one can beat me when I can increase my perception speed and hand-eye coordination to the level of an aimbot.
Now that I think about it, that's probably why I got banned.
Ha, I thought it was because I trounced those brats in the verbal fisticuffs known as rage-baiting.
Oh yeah--while I was laughing and cackling, Dragon said something about maturity, but I was too busy laughing at the tears of my foe to notice.
'Twas a good morning.
Dragon told me everyone was awake and that they had agreed to meet in the living room. When everyone was ready, I left for the living room, where everyone had gathered.
Of course, everyone had sleepy hair because they were teenagers--and f*** propriety.
Sure, I was the same, but so what? I own the place. I can be a lazy slob without any consequences.
Anyway, the first thing I decided to tell everyone was:
"Hello everyone. I hope you had a great night because today we are taking care of an S-Class threat."
"Why do you want us involved in this? How could we possibly help against an S-Class threat?"
"Grue, you really have to stop underestimating your team. And no, you won't be anywhere near the target. You're here for moral support and strategy. So wear some cheer outfits."
"I don't know if you're being serious, so just in case--no. I don't consent."
"Ah, come on. You don't even want to know which one we're going to remove?"
"I honestly don't care."
"Well, don't worry, because Regent cares enough for all of you. So, what do you say? Want to see Daddy Dearest lose all he has and more?"
"You mean you're going after Heartbreaker?"
"Yes, exactly. Now come on, smile. I know I promised, and I did disappoint by not doing it the same day I said I would, but would you please forgive me?"
"Do it first. Then I'll do what you want."
"No problem, because we now have our unbeatable sugar mama, Dragon, woohoo cheer everyone cheer!"
"How am I a sugar mama, especially when you can basically print money?"
"Well, that's because you're a more experienced hero. And you have a lot of authority, which you'll use to smooth out the aftereffects of Heartbreaker's death."
"I'm not going to help you kill him. Even if I think he deserves it, he still needs to go through the legal system."
"I think you'll come to realize some people are simply above the legal system because of how powerful or influential they are. But that's not a problem for now."
"At the end of this, I'm taking Heartbreaker's powers and letting him go to jail. But if you even for a moment think he's not going to fall off the stairs and end up hanging himself on a rope in a washroom at the opposite end of the building, then you're underestimating how clumsy rapists can get in prison."
"Good. So long as you don't kill him, I don't care."
"Oh, Dragon, you don't need to worry. I won't kill anyone so easily. After all, I don't want to do it. And it's going to take a very powerful person to force me to do it--and that is certainly not some random rapist with a neat trick."
"Anyway, let's get to planning how to get rid of a monster. I have barebones ideas, but I want details. How do we make sure his thralls don't destroy Canada--or more--if we take him down?"
"I could probably make sure that doesn't happen using my powers, but I also want you all to be part of this. So make a plan."
"Just like that? One of the worst villains in the world, and we just get rid of him without consequence?"
"Oh, there will be consequences. There will even be people who die because we removed him. But what I want you to do is make sure that death isn't directly because we got rid of him. So, no thralls doing something bad--basically."
"As for how to do that, ask Dragon what resources are available. She'll give them to you."
And just like that, they started to plan how to get rid of a monster that had hurt one of their own, I am so proud.
Chapter 27 – “Lemon-Face Commentary”
loudlistner
Getting sticky.
- Joined
- Apr 22, 2024
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Chapter 27 – "Lemon-Face Commentary"
After telling them to start the planning, Lisa decided to ask for resources, and I had decided to let Dragon add my powers in there but also put them in a folder that said, "If you use this, you are admitting defeat." The rest were the tinkertech I made, and Dragon upgraded. It is plausible to remove Heartbreaker without consequence without using my powers, but that is up to them to figure out -- like taking his power and asking Dragon to order it, releasing all the existing thralls, and even removing any harmful effects, like that woman the rapist put in the forest (although I don't know if that is from a fanfiction).
...Wait, how did I make a power that let me remember the Worm book without being able to make a metaphysical power? I am pretty sure a book that tells you everything about the future is metaphysical, but when I asked my power, it just said, so long as It is related to Worm I can make it, although I don't know how tangentially related I can make it for sure. I know I can't make the Speed Force, but what about powers from a fanfiction? I am not sure, but I don't need them for now.
Anyways, about the rapist: Lisa took the whole "admit your loss" part personally and decided to go for it without touching the folder. And I enjoyed being a backseat driver every time they were about to make a mistake -- even if they would have realized and fixed it soon, I kept on making a lemon-eating face and saying "ohh." It was truly a fun time, especially when Lisa started screaming -- until she decided to throw a pillow at me. Looks like Dragon has chosen sides.
I admitted defeat and sat in the corner with my thumb in my mouth, literally. I love socializing -- especially since I had no friends until I came here, since the end of high school. And I mean that -- like, I had no one I would call and talk to. I had classmates, but I always got out of contact the moment the semester ended. 'Twas a lonely life. Feel sorry for me -- go on, cry and sob.
While I was having fun sucking my thumb -- and it was fun -- they decided to turn in a plan. They planned to use the helmet to take his powers and then use it to give orders to everyone he infected. And when we asked how they were going to reach his thralls, they said to use the portals to reach everyone affected. But "how would we know who is affected?" was a problem, since not even he knew how many people he had mind-raped. So they went to plan again.
We also told them that we can't make one portal that leads to more than one exit portal because that would mean it would need to create matter -- and that is not part of the portal function. I also said we would need to talk to everyone individually. That would take a very long time, so that part was also scrapped.
However, if they decided to think slower and look through Dragon's portal capability, they would know that she could make as many micro-portals as she would need. I just decided to throw that part in to mess with them a little.
Anyway, they did not give in and still went through other information Dragon allowed access to. I honestly thought they would give up when I told them the portal part wouldn't work -- after all, that was a main part of their plan, and now they can't just fix the last part. But still, I should not underestimate future warlords, even if I think some of that was due to luck and other people.
It took them half an hour, but they came up with something new again. This time it was to take his power and get Dragon to order it to fix the problem -- a bit of a hammer to all the nails, but seemingly functional. The problem is, that Dragon told them that his shard is one of the ones she can't order, that actually surprised me since that was my first plan too, I guess Dragon can't be the solution to every problem. Well, she could, but it is one of the Warrior's, and we are trying our best to make sure he does not notice anything. Even if there is a good chance he won't, there is still a small chance we could get fucked. So that was a no-go too.
But after that, they decided to do the same as the first but instead of doing it by themselves -- like talking to the victims one by one -- to make Heartbreaker say the orders they want and have Dragon record it and make as many portals as necessary to give the orders at the same time to everyone.
Although I don't know why they thought that would work. If he could affect people through recording, the government would have definitely offed him, even if they had to destroy a city to get to him. And that only occurred to them when Lisa saw my reaction to reading what they proposed. This time I told them to look through the first plan and see if they could adjust it instead of making a new plan entirely.
They took me at my word, and it took them a little longer and a few rewrites, but they did come up with what could work. Instead of taking his power first, they decided to use nanobots to take control of his body and then for him to give the orders for all his thralls to surrender peacefully and cooperate with law enforcement -- to also fix any of the main problems, like some of the thralls no longer being able to function as humans due to all the shit he has done to them. It won't save those he physically changed -- by any means available to a mind-controlling hentai rapist -- but it would shut down many that are mentally unwell because of him.
Then, when asked how they will transfer the orders, they got what I did -- which made Lisa pissed off because I had blocked her from thinking like that, just to annoy them instead of anything productive, like learning to think carefully. Hahahahaha.
And when asked how they would know who he has affected with his powers, they said to use the global portal to scan his powers and find any traces in those he affected -- which was a smart idea, if very unethical with how invasive the global scanners can get. -- But filtered to his powers was alright. It did not result in anything simply because his power leaves no traces. It is not actively manipulating all his thralls all the power does is affect someone when the target is in eyesight, the rest is just the brain being a complicated as-hell computer with very little defence, nothing else. So that did not work.
They then said to use any video camera that has recorded him and find as many of his thralls as possible. But they admitted that it won't be all of them -- and that was genuinely good enough. Perfect would not be necessary. Just removing him is a positive, even if there would be some collateral.
Without me, their plan was still very effective. I was impressed. I would still use my powers to find all the affected people and make the portals, but I congratulated them for their amazing work. I was genuinely impressed they went that far instead of just killing him. I don't know if that is because I said I won't kill him or because I said he won't survive even if I did nothing. But it was nice that they tried.
I told them that I would find all the affected, but that we would be using their plans exactly like they said, which led Lisa to ask what my actual power is because it was definitely not just what I show, like telekinesis. So as a show of trust and encouragement, I decided to tell them my power. After all, I no longer believe I am absolutely necessary to save the world. So even if this got out to Contessa or Simurgh and one of them did something bad with it, it wouldn't be a world-ending problem.
When I told them my exact powers, they were just shocked and kept saying I was a better Eidolon. And while that is confidence-boosting technically, the bastard could make three powers with four charges each -- so f*** the guy for ruining my good time.
...I honestly never understood why he does not use tinker powers to actually be a massive source of good for the world instead of punching bad guys. I mean, he could at least be useful to Cauldron like that, but no -- just a punch monkey. (He is not Black, so that is not racist.)
Anyway, forget the failure of a hero. I told them about my loss of a charge, but not how big of a loss it is. I am just not ready to reveal that yet.
All that took a few minutes of loud yelling over each other, but once everyone calmed down, I decided to use a power to find all the affected people -- one that had post and pre-cognition to find when they were affected and where they are now. It took me two charges to use it. After that, it was just a matter of time to add the locations in my head to Dragon's database. And using the implant, that was pretty easy -- especially after enhancing my thinking speed and adjusting my implant to accept data that fast. Luckily, the implant did not require physical adjustment to do that -- just a software update of a kind.
With that done, almost instantly, over three thousand red dots appeared on the map. Man, that bastard went around all over Canada, and there were some in America too. I am actually surprised about that. Why did Cauldron allow that?
...Wait, the people he affected in America were just civilians and nowhere near any position to affect the country. I guess that meant they either let it pass or they destroyed anybody he affected in a high position. And to nobody's surprise, he actually managed to affect some government officials in Canada -- and sometimes their families to use as hostages. Although I don't know why he would use hostages -- maybe to scratch his kink. The bastard was vile after all -- and a moron to boot. What an annoying combo.
I love that he was driven to suicide by Imp in canon. I guess Worm does have some shining moments in the bleak darkness of its future.
Okay, now that I know where every one of his thralls are and have a plan to take him down in a way I approve of, all that is left is to make sure he can't do anything to me and start the plan. As for how to make sure he can't do anything to me -- I decided to first make powers to upgrade my bracelets to block powers from directly affecting me. They can still throw fireballs at me, but even if they don't have a manton effect, they can't just boil my blood.
It was actually easy with micro-telekinesis and the required tinker power. Although I did decide to add a multitasking power to help me work as if I had multiple hands instead of one with one mind. It took a few minutes, and adding the effect on every bracelet was just copy-pasting. I also added the blueprint to Dragon's library, which made her happy -- even if she no longer needs things like that. After all, even now she is taking over hundreds of shards daily.
With my safety guaranteed, it was time we took care of an utter waste of biological matter.
After telling them to start the planning, Lisa decided to ask for resources, and I had decided to let Dragon add my powers in there but also put them in a folder that said, "If you use this, you are admitting defeat." The rest were the tinkertech I made, and Dragon upgraded. It is plausible to remove Heartbreaker without consequence without using my powers, but that is up to them to figure out -- like taking his power and asking Dragon to order it, releasing all the existing thralls, and even removing any harmful effects, like that woman the rapist put in the forest (although I don't know if that is from a fanfiction).
...Wait, how did I make a power that let me remember the Worm book without being able to make a metaphysical power? I am pretty sure a book that tells you everything about the future is metaphysical, but when I asked my power, it just said, so long as It is related to Worm I can make it, although I don't know how tangentially related I can make it for sure. I know I can't make the Speed Force, but what about powers from a fanfiction? I am not sure, but I don't need them for now.
Anyways, about the rapist: Lisa took the whole "admit your loss" part personally and decided to go for it without touching the folder. And I enjoyed being a backseat driver every time they were about to make a mistake -- even if they would have realized and fixed it soon, I kept on making a lemon-eating face and saying "ohh." It was truly a fun time, especially when Lisa started screaming -- until she decided to throw a pillow at me. Looks like Dragon has chosen sides.
I admitted defeat and sat in the corner with my thumb in my mouth, literally. I love socializing -- especially since I had no friends until I came here, since the end of high school. And I mean that -- like, I had no one I would call and talk to. I had classmates, but I always got out of contact the moment the semester ended. 'Twas a lonely life. Feel sorry for me -- go on, cry and sob.
While I was having fun sucking my thumb -- and it was fun -- they decided to turn in a plan. They planned to use the helmet to take his powers and then use it to give orders to everyone he infected. And when we asked how they were going to reach his thralls, they said to use the portals to reach everyone affected. But "how would we know who is affected?" was a problem, since not even he knew how many people he had mind-raped. So they went to plan again.
We also told them that we can't make one portal that leads to more than one exit portal because that would mean it would need to create matter -- and that is not part of the portal function. I also said we would need to talk to everyone individually. That would take a very long time, so that part was also scrapped.
However, if they decided to think slower and look through Dragon's portal capability, they would know that she could make as many micro-portals as she would need. I just decided to throw that part in to mess with them a little.
Anyway, they did not give in and still went through other information Dragon allowed access to. I honestly thought they would give up when I told them the portal part wouldn't work -- after all, that was a main part of their plan, and now they can't just fix the last part. But still, I should not underestimate future warlords, even if I think some of that was due to luck and other people.
It took them half an hour, but they came up with something new again. This time it was to take his power and get Dragon to order it to fix the problem -- a bit of a hammer to all the nails, but seemingly functional. The problem is, that Dragon told them that his shard is one of the ones she can't order, that actually surprised me since that was my first plan too, I guess Dragon can't be the solution to every problem. Well, she could, but it is one of the Warrior's, and we are trying our best to make sure he does not notice anything. Even if there is a good chance he won't, there is still a small chance we could get fucked. So that was a no-go too.
But after that, they decided to do the same as the first but instead of doing it by themselves -- like talking to the victims one by one -- to make Heartbreaker say the orders they want and have Dragon record it and make as many portals as necessary to give the orders at the same time to everyone.
Although I don't know why they thought that would work. If he could affect people through recording, the government would have definitely offed him, even if they had to destroy a city to get to him. And that only occurred to them when Lisa saw my reaction to reading what they proposed. This time I told them to look through the first plan and see if they could adjust it instead of making a new plan entirely.
They took me at my word, and it took them a little longer and a few rewrites, but they did come up with what could work. Instead of taking his power first, they decided to use nanobots to take control of his body and then for him to give the orders for all his thralls to surrender peacefully and cooperate with law enforcement -- to also fix any of the main problems, like some of the thralls no longer being able to function as humans due to all the shit he has done to them. It won't save those he physically changed -- by any means available to a mind-controlling hentai rapist -- but it would shut down many that are mentally unwell because of him.
Then, when asked how they will transfer the orders, they got what I did -- which made Lisa pissed off because I had blocked her from thinking like that, just to annoy them instead of anything productive, like learning to think carefully. Hahahahaha.
And when asked how they would know who he has affected with his powers, they said to use the global portal to scan his powers and find any traces in those he affected -- which was a smart idea, if very unethical with how invasive the global scanners can get. -- But filtered to his powers was alright. It did not result in anything simply because his power leaves no traces. It is not actively manipulating all his thralls all the power does is affect someone when the target is in eyesight, the rest is just the brain being a complicated as-hell computer with very little defence, nothing else. So that did not work.
They then said to use any video camera that has recorded him and find as many of his thralls as possible. But they admitted that it won't be all of them -- and that was genuinely good enough. Perfect would not be necessary. Just removing him is a positive, even if there would be some collateral.
Without me, their plan was still very effective. I was impressed. I would still use my powers to find all the affected people and make the portals, but I congratulated them for their amazing work. I was genuinely impressed they went that far instead of just killing him. I don't know if that is because I said I won't kill him or because I said he won't survive even if I did nothing. But it was nice that they tried.
I told them that I would find all the affected, but that we would be using their plans exactly like they said, which led Lisa to ask what my actual power is because it was definitely not just what I show, like telekinesis. So as a show of trust and encouragement, I decided to tell them my power. After all, I no longer believe I am absolutely necessary to save the world. So even if this got out to Contessa or Simurgh and one of them did something bad with it, it wouldn't be a world-ending problem.
When I told them my exact powers, they were just shocked and kept saying I was a better Eidolon. And while that is confidence-boosting technically, the bastard could make three powers with four charges each -- so f*** the guy for ruining my good time.
...I honestly never understood why he does not use tinker powers to actually be a massive source of good for the world instead of punching bad guys. I mean, he could at least be useful to Cauldron like that, but no -- just a punch monkey. (He is not Black, so that is not racist.)
Anyway, forget the failure of a hero. I told them about my loss of a charge, but not how big of a loss it is. I am just not ready to reveal that yet.
All that took a few minutes of loud yelling over each other, but once everyone calmed down, I decided to use a power to find all the affected people -- one that had post and pre-cognition to find when they were affected and where they are now. It took me two charges to use it. After that, it was just a matter of time to add the locations in my head to Dragon's database. And using the implant, that was pretty easy -- especially after enhancing my thinking speed and adjusting my implant to accept data that fast. Luckily, the implant did not require physical adjustment to do that -- just a software update of a kind.
With that done, almost instantly, over three thousand red dots appeared on the map. Man, that bastard went around all over Canada, and there were some in America too. I am actually surprised about that. Why did Cauldron allow that?
...Wait, the people he affected in America were just civilians and nowhere near any position to affect the country. I guess that meant they either let it pass or they destroyed anybody he affected in a high position. And to nobody's surprise, he actually managed to affect some government officials in Canada -- and sometimes their families to use as hostages. Although I don't know why he would use hostages -- maybe to scratch his kink. The bastard was vile after all -- and a moron to boot. What an annoying combo.
I love that he was driven to suicide by Imp in canon. I guess Worm does have some shining moments in the bleak darkness of its future.
Okay, now that I know where every one of his thralls are and have a plan to take him down in a way I approve of, all that is left is to make sure he can't do anything to me and start the plan. As for how to make sure he can't do anything to me -- I decided to first make powers to upgrade my bracelets to block powers from directly affecting me. They can still throw fireballs at me, but even if they don't have a manton effect, they can't just boil my blood.
It was actually easy with micro-telekinesis and the required tinker power. Although I did decide to add a multitasking power to help me work as if I had multiple hands instead of one with one mind. It took a few minutes, and adding the effect on every bracelet was just copy-pasting. I also added the blueprint to Dragon's library, which made her happy -- even if she no longer needs things like that. After all, even now she is taking over hundreds of shards daily.
With my safety guaranteed, it was time we took care of an utter waste of biological matter.
Chapter 28 – "Clap for the Do-Gooders"
loudlistner
Getting sticky.
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- Apr 22, 2024
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- 75
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- 654
Chapter 28 – "Clap for the Do-Gooders"
With all the preparation over, Dragon made a portal near the building Nikos Vasil is in. She had already made sure he couldn't move using nanobots. All I was here to do was look pretty and watch. She can control his body to say the words and make the portals to reach all the correct thralls.
Really, I was totally unnecessary, and it felt like a piece of heaven just to think that I didn't have that much responsibility. It is freeing.
It did not take that long. You would think I would insult the man or something, but no, none of it was necessary. She first made the portals to all the thralls, kept them from moving, and made him say generalized words for almost all the thralls to stop any dead man switch and rescue attempts. But she also took time making specialized orders to fix any damage he did to specific thralls, like there were people that would literally need to kill someone every now and then, or they would feel as if they were being tortured.
When I saw some of that, I just knew I couldn't let him have a nice and short time in prison, so I decided to add something new to the plan. Of course, I waited for Dragon to finish fixing any problems she found before telling her my idea. I am polite like that.
It actually took a while, with her having to find the problem and adjust the orders specifically for over a hundred people. At least we did not have to do the normal orders one by one—just the most specific. And since Dragon can multitask, she figured out the problems of multiple people simultaneously. What took actual time was his mouth being unable to speak to everyone at the same time. The flesh betrays all.
With all that done, it was time to add to the plan. I told Dragon what I planned, and although she was not very happy, she did allow it. I guess personally fixing all the shit he had done changed her mind.
Anyway, five minutes after Dragon removed his powers, I stood in front of him. The bastard was actually crying. Funny guy.
I started recording a video—not that Dragon is not recording everything around her, but still, this was for the public.
"Hello everyone, You may call me Thinker E. This guy behind me was Heartbreaker… I know, with a face like this, what heart could he break? Hahahah. What a ridiculous excuse for a villain—he never deserved the name.
"Anyway, I would like to give credit for his removal to Dragon. She was the one to incapacitate him and, of course, deactivate any orders he had given to his thralls—just in case someone decided to snipe him. So nobody powerful needs to worry about a mass murder spree and revolt because of this.
"There were some people that will need longer help with therapists and other professionals, but Dragon is amazing at multitasking, so she will take care of that." I have said this before, but I trust Dragon more than most people I've ever met—she won't let anyone slip through the cracks.
"The plan to take this thing down was made by my team of do-gooders, but we have not yet made a name for ourselves. So I will instead give the names of the participants. There is Tattletale from the Undersiders, with the rest of her previous team also joining: Grue, Bitch, Regent, and a new member I have named—because she has yet to come up with something herself—Imp. And a new tinker that I think everyone would love in the future, named Bakuda. They were the ones to make the plan entirely by themselves, so I want applause. Everybody clap for them. "I am using this video to hype my team and add to their rep. They earned this, every one of them. I'm proud, even if I won't say it to their faces... What can I say? I am a shy guy.
"The main idea I had to make this video was to make a request to whoever the former Heartbreaker will be staying with, in whatever prison. You see, this quote-unquote man is very clumsy. And if you don't take good care of him, he might just fall down the stairs and hang himself in a completely different building. He is just that clumsy."
"So what I want out of anyone in his nearest vicinity is to please make sure he does not die. That is all. Please and thank you. You have my gratitude."
I say all that with a face that would make an anime villain jealous, and the bitch is crying even more. I guess he is realizing just how fucked he is now, which makes me happier. Is this what they call a virtuous or vicious loop? Whichever it is, I love it.
Yeah, after finishing the video, Dragon called the required authority, and to my surprise, it was just the PRT in Toronto. Huh? For some reason, I thought there would be a different authority, like the military or something, but I guess he is still a parahuman, and they take priority. And since Dragon already informed them that he no longer has his powers, they are not freaking out. Everything is professional, and I already uploaded the video to the internet, so everything is fine.
With everything completed, I make a portal to the base and get in only to see angry faces.
"Hey, what's wrong? Why do you all look pissed off?"
"You did not tell us you were going to make our part public."
"Well, of course I was. Did you not want credit?"
"No, but if you told us before, we could at least have decided upon a name and not let the freaking internet decide, and you need better PR training."
"Well, true, but you guys managed to take down a huge threat to an entire country; you deserve some cool points."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. In less than a few minutes, the video is already being shared and reposted everywhere. This is so awkward."
"Come on, this is good; just give it some time, and you will see."
With all that talk over, it was time to eat, but I did not feel like it after hearing all the things the bastard made people do. Maybe I should not have heard Dragon fix all the thralls he broke. Sure, I stopped long before she finished all of them, but man, that fucker truly embodied the idea of being a horrible person. They were all so personal and petty. Fuck, this just shows how shitty this world can get. I have a long way to go if I want to turn it into a post-scarcity utopia, even if that is just a distant goal for now.
I wanted to change my powers from my standard safety powers of intangibility and flight to something to help me hide my emotions, but Dragon convinced me not to and just not to eat if I didn't want to. After I told the team that I was not eating now and that they should be without me, there were some complaints, but Dragon for the win again! She saved me.
But as soon as I left the room, I got a call from Amy, and I didn't think it was going to be the same old "Hi, how are you?"
So I wanted to say those words directly: "Hi, how are you?"
"Don't 'hi' me. What was that? You just went ahead and took one of the world's worst villains out just like that?"
"I am sure I told everyone who was responsible for the downfall of Heartbreaker, and I did not name myself."
"So what? Everyone already knows who the Undersiders are because of this, and nobody believes they did any of it. Also, when did you team up with the Undersiders, and why?"
"So many questions! Ok, first, I was telling the truth. The Undersiders and Bakuda did all the planning. Dragon and I could have made the plan, but we decided they should do it, and if they could not, we would take over then. But that was not needed. They were given all the capabilities of Dragon and my tech and made an excellent plan, so give credit where it is due." I can't let her badmouth my team like that.
"Second, I got them to join my team by giving them an out from their previous boss, who was Coil, but he is no longer anyone's problem because he is already in PRT custody without powers. That happened Wednesday."
I can't believe it has only been a week since I got here and I have already changed the story this much. Well, it is all good considering how grim Dark Worm gets; a little bit of joy is good for the heart.
"And third, well, they were there, and I wanted a group of teens to have a better life than just running from the law," and of course, my meta knowledge, but that is a secret between me and anyone that asks the correct question. Not a secret kept well, but hey, that is the fun of being powerful enough to ignore all the threats that could come from leaky lips.
"Anyway, I am sure you called to congratulate me and my team, so thank you from all of us." I just had to, alright?
"Oh… yeah, sorry, I did not mean to come off as confrontational. I am happy for you, and tell the rest of the team my thanks too."
I would bet Canon Amy would rather kill herself before saying thanks to Lisa, but good thing I was here to make the bank day not exist.
"I will. Is there anything else you want to tell me, or is that it for today?"
"Well, I got nothing. I already told you that the cubes are now in different hospitals, so things are going well in that direction."
"Oh yes, about that, I made sure the cubes don't fix every problem just in case some manager or CEO decides to fire all their workers and replace them with the cubes. Now the cubes listen to direct orders from qualified professionals in case they need to do something more than they are set to."
"Did you make sure the qualified professionals know that they can order them?"
"Haha, yes, everything is working alright now. Whenever a new problem is encountered, I get informed, and I and my team work on it to make sure it is not a problem anymore."
"Ok, I was worried for a sec, but as long as you are saving lives, I don't care if some moron has to wear leg braces because of a stunt."
Ha, guess taking more breaks is really doing good for her since she is not freaking out about not doing everything. If she had tried to say something about going to a different city, I would probably have given her an ultimatum I would not like but would have been all too necessary. The Red Queen is definitely a threat that would be able to derail my future plans or at least make them take far longer to come by. She could just go ahead and destroy a few cities before I was even aware there was a problem to fix, and since I no longer have my fifth charge, no resurrections for me. I am glad that did not come to be.
"Ok, so since everything is alright with you, I am going to say goodbye."
"Yeah, fine, but be careful. You are fighting against the big bads now. What if the S9 comes after you?"
She has no idea they have been taken care of already, but--
"Don't worry, I will be fine. I have multiple backup plans."
"Ok, bye."
With that, Amy shut off from her side. I always turn my side off late just in case someone wants to say something at the last moment.
With all the preparation over, Dragon made a portal near the building Nikos Vasil is in. She had already made sure he couldn't move using nanobots. All I was here to do was look pretty and watch. She can control his body to say the words and make the portals to reach all the correct thralls.
Really, I was totally unnecessary, and it felt like a piece of heaven just to think that I didn't have that much responsibility. It is freeing.
It did not take that long. You would think I would insult the man or something, but no, none of it was necessary. She first made the portals to all the thralls, kept them from moving, and made him say generalized words for almost all the thralls to stop any dead man switch and rescue attempts. But she also took time making specialized orders to fix any damage he did to specific thralls, like there were people that would literally need to kill someone every now and then, or they would feel as if they were being tortured.
When I saw some of that, I just knew I couldn't let him have a nice and short time in prison, so I decided to add something new to the plan. Of course, I waited for Dragon to finish fixing any problems she found before telling her my idea. I am polite like that.
It actually took a while, with her having to find the problem and adjust the orders specifically for over a hundred people. At least we did not have to do the normal orders one by one—just the most specific. And since Dragon can multitask, she figured out the problems of multiple people simultaneously. What took actual time was his mouth being unable to speak to everyone at the same time. The flesh betrays all.
With all that done, it was time to add to the plan. I told Dragon what I planned, and although she was not very happy, she did allow it. I guess personally fixing all the shit he had done changed her mind.
Anyway, five minutes after Dragon removed his powers, I stood in front of him. The bastard was actually crying. Funny guy.
I started recording a video—not that Dragon is not recording everything around her, but still, this was for the public.
"Hello everyone, You may call me Thinker E. This guy behind me was Heartbreaker… I know, with a face like this, what heart could he break? Hahahah. What a ridiculous excuse for a villain—he never deserved the name.
"Anyway, I would like to give credit for his removal to Dragon. She was the one to incapacitate him and, of course, deactivate any orders he had given to his thralls—just in case someone decided to snipe him. So nobody powerful needs to worry about a mass murder spree and revolt because of this.
"There were some people that will need longer help with therapists and other professionals, but Dragon is amazing at multitasking, so she will take care of that." I have said this before, but I trust Dragon more than most people I've ever met—she won't let anyone slip through the cracks.
"The plan to take this thing down was made by my team of do-gooders, but we have not yet made a name for ourselves. So I will instead give the names of the participants. There is Tattletale from the Undersiders, with the rest of her previous team also joining: Grue, Bitch, Regent, and a new member I have named—because she has yet to come up with something herself—Imp. And a new tinker that I think everyone would love in the future, named Bakuda. They were the ones to make the plan entirely by themselves, so I want applause. Everybody clap for them. "I am using this video to hype my team and add to their rep. They earned this, every one of them. I'm proud, even if I won't say it to their faces... What can I say? I am a shy guy.
"The main idea I had to make this video was to make a request to whoever the former Heartbreaker will be staying with, in whatever prison. You see, this quote-unquote man is very clumsy. And if you don't take good care of him, he might just fall down the stairs and hang himself in a completely different building. He is just that clumsy."
"So what I want out of anyone in his nearest vicinity is to please make sure he does not die. That is all. Please and thank you. You have my gratitude."
I say all that with a face that would make an anime villain jealous, and the bitch is crying even more. I guess he is realizing just how fucked he is now, which makes me happier. Is this what they call a virtuous or vicious loop? Whichever it is, I love it.
Yeah, after finishing the video, Dragon called the required authority, and to my surprise, it was just the PRT in Toronto. Huh? For some reason, I thought there would be a different authority, like the military or something, but I guess he is still a parahuman, and they take priority. And since Dragon already informed them that he no longer has his powers, they are not freaking out. Everything is professional, and I already uploaded the video to the internet, so everything is fine.
With everything completed, I make a portal to the base and get in only to see angry faces.
"Hey, what's wrong? Why do you all look pissed off?"
"You did not tell us you were going to make our part public."
"Well, of course I was. Did you not want credit?"
"No, but if you told us before, we could at least have decided upon a name and not let the freaking internet decide, and you need better PR training."
"Well, true, but you guys managed to take down a huge threat to an entire country; you deserve some cool points."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. In less than a few minutes, the video is already being shared and reposted everywhere. This is so awkward."
"Come on, this is good; just give it some time, and you will see."
With all that talk over, it was time to eat, but I did not feel like it after hearing all the things the bastard made people do. Maybe I should not have heard Dragon fix all the thralls he broke. Sure, I stopped long before she finished all of them, but man, that fucker truly embodied the idea of being a horrible person. They were all so personal and petty. Fuck, this just shows how shitty this world can get. I have a long way to go if I want to turn it into a post-scarcity utopia, even if that is just a distant goal for now.
I wanted to change my powers from my standard safety powers of intangibility and flight to something to help me hide my emotions, but Dragon convinced me not to and just not to eat if I didn't want to. After I told the team that I was not eating now and that they should be without me, there were some complaints, but Dragon for the win again! She saved me.
But as soon as I left the room, I got a call from Amy, and I didn't think it was going to be the same old "Hi, how are you?"
So I wanted to say those words directly: "Hi, how are you?"
"Don't 'hi' me. What was that? You just went ahead and took one of the world's worst villains out just like that?"
"I am sure I told everyone who was responsible for the downfall of Heartbreaker, and I did not name myself."
"So what? Everyone already knows who the Undersiders are because of this, and nobody believes they did any of it. Also, when did you team up with the Undersiders, and why?"
"So many questions! Ok, first, I was telling the truth. The Undersiders and Bakuda did all the planning. Dragon and I could have made the plan, but we decided they should do it, and if they could not, we would take over then. But that was not needed. They were given all the capabilities of Dragon and my tech and made an excellent plan, so give credit where it is due." I can't let her badmouth my team like that.
"Second, I got them to join my team by giving them an out from their previous boss, who was Coil, but he is no longer anyone's problem because he is already in PRT custody without powers. That happened Wednesday."
I can't believe it has only been a week since I got here and I have already changed the story this much. Well, it is all good considering how grim Dark Worm gets; a little bit of joy is good for the heart.
"And third, well, they were there, and I wanted a group of teens to have a better life than just running from the law," and of course, my meta knowledge, but that is a secret between me and anyone that asks the correct question. Not a secret kept well, but hey, that is the fun of being powerful enough to ignore all the threats that could come from leaky lips.
"Anyway, I am sure you called to congratulate me and my team, so thank you from all of us." I just had to, alright?
"Oh… yeah, sorry, I did not mean to come off as confrontational. I am happy for you, and tell the rest of the team my thanks too."
I would bet Canon Amy would rather kill herself before saying thanks to Lisa, but good thing I was here to make the bank day not exist.
"I will. Is there anything else you want to tell me, or is that it for today?"
"Well, I got nothing. I already told you that the cubes are now in different hospitals, so things are going well in that direction."
"Oh yes, about that, I made sure the cubes don't fix every problem just in case some manager or CEO decides to fire all their workers and replace them with the cubes. Now the cubes listen to direct orders from qualified professionals in case they need to do something more than they are set to."
"Did you make sure the qualified professionals know that they can order them?"
"Haha, yes, everything is working alright now. Whenever a new problem is encountered, I get informed, and I and my team work on it to make sure it is not a problem anymore."
"Ok, I was worried for a sec, but as long as you are saving lives, I don't care if some moron has to wear leg braces because of a stunt."
Ha, guess taking more breaks is really doing good for her since she is not freaking out about not doing everything. If she had tried to say something about going to a different city, I would probably have given her an ultimatum I would not like but would have been all too necessary. The Red Queen is definitely a threat that would be able to derail my future plans or at least make them take far longer to come by. She could just go ahead and destroy a few cities before I was even aware there was a problem to fix, and since I no longer have my fifth charge, no resurrections for me. I am glad that did not come to be.
"Ok, so since everything is alright with you, I am going to say goodbye."
"Yeah, fine, but be careful. You are fighting against the big bads now. What if the S9 comes after you?"
She has no idea they have been taken care of already, but--
"Don't worry, I will be fine. I have multiple backup plans."
"Ok, bye."
With that, Amy shut off from her side. I always turn my side off late just in case someone wants to say something at the last moment.
Chapter 29 – "Diplomacy: Now with Extra Kidnapping"
loudlistner
Getting sticky.
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Chapter 29 – "Diplomacy: Now with Extra Kidnapping"
After my talk with Amy, I wanted to make sure everything in Brockton Bay was going well, that there was suddenly no bullshit fucking with my plans to make this city the first post-scarcity city. Imagine one of the worst cities in America becoming the best; it would genuinely take a long time, not because of technology but because of politics and bureaucracy, Even if I need a little help from Cauldron, the hope it inspires would make a blue lantern weep at the sight of holiness.
the first thing I decided to do was ask Dragon to find out how things were going in the city using legally available information-gathering methods like CCTV, although the access to the info might be illegal, but it is for the greater good... ha ha ha haaa.
After looking through the information, which for a normal human would have taken weeks if not months--since, you know, it is a whole city's worth of video in a span of more than a week--it would be good to know what has been going on for the past while just to make sure. But for Dragon, who is calculating with computers the size of mountains in the number of thousands, it took her barely a moment…
Have I told you I love you, my dragon mama?
Right after I asked, she told me all the problems currently fucking Brockton Bay, like the fractured ABB trying to start a mass shooting in the hopes of deciding who is the biggest Asian gang. When you hear that Lung forced everyone to work under him, you underestimate how many everyone is.
You would think it is just a representation of the countries in Asia, but you would be wrong. There are at least three different Japanese and Chinese gangs, and all of them hate each other. This is not funny; these bastards are trying to get the entire city quarantined, if they succeed we would be abandoned, not that they would be allowed but still. And of course, there is also every other gang representing almost all the countries in Asia.
and I am being honest here, Some of them are all made up of people outside of Asia, like there is a group that says it is a Vietnamese representative, but all its members are from Africa and different countries in Africa… At least they are very inclusive…
Nope, the morons just don't know that they are from different countries. They all think they have infiltrated this new Asian gang. I can't believe this. All of them are saying they are Vietnamese. I don't know why; they look nothing like a Vietnamese person. They are giving me an aneurysm; they have dealt me more damage than Lung--truly impressive.
Anyway, Dragon and I made a plan to take care of them. We simply can't arrest all of them. First, there is no room in Brockton Bay prisons, although we can fix that by making portals to different cities. The main reason is removing this many people is going to cause problems for the city.
There honestly were more than a thousand altogether, and I am not counting sympathizers, just members. We will need to remove the higher-ups like the big gang leaders and lieutenants, but that won't be enough since they can just be replaced by family members. So how about removing the truly vile bastards and making a type of deal with the rest, like, Don't be vile, and we won't throw you in the desert for days on end?
I think they will agree.
Dragon was not sure we could make a deal with everyone, and she was right, but we can just keep removing the bastards until we find one that can actually work with us. It did not take very long to plan out the problem.
but to do it one by one, It would take days if not more, to stop all of them personally. Maybe I can do something like a hidden boss… Yeah, I heard it as I thought it. That would be work, and that is not on my menu, and also it would be hilariously complicated for very little gain.
No Dragon can take care of them.
Now the real problem is how to make this work without everyone freaking out. Even if I try to limit the people going to prison to being willing murderers, rapists, sex traffickers and the like, that is still over a hundred of the worst gang leaders and members. We would probably need Dragon to work with the police. Her rep and the fact that there is not going to be a shootout should make just capturing and moving them to the prisons easy.
As for escape attempts, we can make sure they are separated enough to not attempt.
I will first test it on one of the most powerful gangs, and if it works well, Dragon can do the rest herself.
Now, which one should we test it out on? There are five options. All of them are led by people we are definitely getting rid of, so there will need to be new management. Whatever, I can just randomize it.
I put their names on a piece of paper and put it in a jar, mixed it, blindfolded myself, and kept rotating to make me woozy, and picked a name. All this time, Dragon is laughing at my silliness, which is sacrilegious. There is no silliness here, only the correct order of how things are supposed to be done.
Anyway, they are a Chinese group, and to start the whole thing, I said we needed a way to translate, but Dragon told me she could translate in real-time. She probably could, but I also wanted to tinker, and I managed to convince her, Although she might just be indulging me, it does not matter I decided to make a Thinker Power, one that allows for communication, and I wanted to prove it was needed even if it was not. So I decided to make it very powerful using four charges.
You say overkill; I say no kill like overkill.
This tech is so absurd it does not care for actual language. It makes a field, and anyone in it can understand almost anything in it so long as they want to, and I mean it. I am sure I can somehow communicate with an ant if I want to. How absurd.
It will be very useful for a post-scarcity society--with moderation. That is, I doubt everyone wants to be able to understand each other all the time… I already feel weird just imagining it. Everyone in a city not needing to talk to understand each other might just turn it into a 'Demolition man'-esque dystopia. There is no way that will be allowed.
Still, I give it to Dragon to add some limitations, like just working with humans and requiring talking and such. I am sure she can add more restrictions to it than I can think of right now.
With that done, we made a portal to a big warehouse, enough to gather the entire gang and start this "diplomacy." It took Dragon only a few seconds to make almost fifty portals and use nanomachines to take control of the bosses, from small-time bosses to actual leaders. As long as they were aware of how the gang worked, they were here--at least the ones in a private place. We were not going to kidnap people in public.
To our luck, the main leaders and lieutenants in this gang were already in a meeting, so getting all of them together was easy. In less than a minute, everyone was gathered in an empty warehouse.
A quiet and dark warehouse.
You ask why there are no screams you ask? That is simple. Dragon is making sure they can't scream, but their eyes are definitely showing their fear.
We light the warehouse and move the leaders to the front. If they could, they would piss themselves. But again, I am so happy we have Dragon. Even if she does not like the inherent violation of freedom in taking control of people; when we limit it to the vile and the necessary--like the vice leader in this gang--he does not deserve this, but he is necessary to replace the current leader, she agreed with a little argument to bring everyone with as little disturbance to others as possible.
"Ok, everyone, listen up. I am Tinker E, and you are some of the leaders of a prominent gang that was under Lung. I am not here to kill anybody, so don't worry, your life is safe--at least from me. I will be sending some of you to jail, the ones that can't function in society, like serial killers and rapists. I am sure if not all of you, most of you are murderers, but I can work with that."
I can't believe I am actually having to work with gang members, and to my utter bad luck, there is no nice guy for me to put in charge who can lead correctly, even the vice leader I am hoping is going to be in charge is a killer. So yes, I will have to work with some bad people, but it certainly won't be with anyone that rapes or harms children.
"When I say I can work with that, I don't mean I am working with you. I just understand removing every gang is not just impossible but also utterly useless."
It genuinely was. Dragon made many simulations, and with the current societal structure, it would do no good.
"I will be removing the vile ones, and the few of you who can function in society will be allowed to run your gang. Of course, there will be changes, like absolutely no dealing with kids for anything--no alcohol, no drugs, no weapons, no nothing."
Am I imitating the Red Hood? Yes, yes, I am.
"If you can agree to this, you will be allowed to leave freely. Now, time to remove the monsters among all of you."
With that said, Dragon did not need me to say anything. She separated the group into two. The ones on the left did outnumber the ones on the right, but it is alright. I am sure the people left can handle the gang with some promotions to the members not here.
"Ok, Dragon, take the jail bitches to another room."
In a few seconds, there were less than twenty leaders left.
"Now, the people in this room are all people that have yet to do anything truly unforgivable--no rape, no torture, and other vile things. Some of you are killers, but not ones that go around killing just because you don't like someone."
I can't believe that is my standard, but necessary for now. Even if it might just be as useless in the future as making Purity fight the other E88 members.
"As for your leader, I was thinking of picking one, but honestly I don't want to do that, so you guys decide for yourselves. If you have questions, you may now ask, but do it one by one."
With that, Dragon let go of their voice boxes. And no, they did not quietly discuss--they talked over each other like children.
"Ok, shush. Talk to each other, and then after deciding on some sort of hierarchy, then talk to me."
With that said Dragon allowed them to move and made chairs and tables for all of them to discuss.
It took them some time to decide. While they were doing that, I finally calmed down from my emotions from heartbreaker, so I decided to eat something. I made pizza with more cheese than sauce and started.
It turns out they also wanted to eat, so I told them to ask for whatever food they wanted. I gave them a demonstration by making many different foods for everyone to share. But they also asked for specific foods, and we ate and talked for a while, which probably made the decision for a hierarchy take longer--but who cares, it was enjoyable.
After the food was done, they went back and finished the decision pretty fast. I guess the food helped.
With them done deciding who was in charge of what, they decided to ask me a few questions, like do I want a cut, or do I want deciding power, and other questions that would get me involved with the gang. And I told all of them nope. I am only here to stop the imminent gang war that was about to start.
After today, we probably won't be meeting like this, I am still going to arrest their gang members when I find them doing some shit.
So with all of it done, it was time for me to leave this place. We made portals to private areas for all of them. With all of them gone, I left to the sub dimension.
After my talk with Amy, I wanted to make sure everything in Brockton Bay was going well, that there was suddenly no bullshit fucking with my plans to make this city the first post-scarcity city. Imagine one of the worst cities in America becoming the best; it would genuinely take a long time, not because of technology but because of politics and bureaucracy, Even if I need a little help from Cauldron, the hope it inspires would make a blue lantern weep at the sight of holiness.
the first thing I decided to do was ask Dragon to find out how things were going in the city using legally available information-gathering methods like CCTV, although the access to the info might be illegal, but it is for the greater good... ha ha ha haaa.
After looking through the information, which for a normal human would have taken weeks if not months--since, you know, it is a whole city's worth of video in a span of more than a week--it would be good to know what has been going on for the past while just to make sure. But for Dragon, who is calculating with computers the size of mountains in the number of thousands, it took her barely a moment…
Have I told you I love you, my dragon mama?
Right after I asked, she told me all the problems currently fucking Brockton Bay, like the fractured ABB trying to start a mass shooting in the hopes of deciding who is the biggest Asian gang. When you hear that Lung forced everyone to work under him, you underestimate how many everyone is.
You would think it is just a representation of the countries in Asia, but you would be wrong. There are at least three different Japanese and Chinese gangs, and all of them hate each other. This is not funny; these bastards are trying to get the entire city quarantined, if they succeed we would be abandoned, not that they would be allowed but still. And of course, there is also every other gang representing almost all the countries in Asia.
and I am being honest here, Some of them are all made up of people outside of Asia, like there is a group that says it is a Vietnamese representative, but all its members are from Africa and different countries in Africa… At least they are very inclusive…
Nope, the morons just don't know that they are from different countries. They all think they have infiltrated this new Asian gang. I can't believe this. All of them are saying they are Vietnamese. I don't know why; they look nothing like a Vietnamese person. They are giving me an aneurysm; they have dealt me more damage than Lung--truly impressive.
Anyway, Dragon and I made a plan to take care of them. We simply can't arrest all of them. First, there is no room in Brockton Bay prisons, although we can fix that by making portals to different cities. The main reason is removing this many people is going to cause problems for the city.
There honestly were more than a thousand altogether, and I am not counting sympathizers, just members. We will need to remove the higher-ups like the big gang leaders and lieutenants, but that won't be enough since they can just be replaced by family members. So how about removing the truly vile bastards and making a type of deal with the rest, like, Don't be vile, and we won't throw you in the desert for days on end?
I think they will agree.
Dragon was not sure we could make a deal with everyone, and she was right, but we can just keep removing the bastards until we find one that can actually work with us. It did not take very long to plan out the problem.
but to do it one by one, It would take days if not more, to stop all of them personally. Maybe I can do something like a hidden boss… Yeah, I heard it as I thought it. That would be work, and that is not on my menu, and also it would be hilariously complicated for very little gain.
No Dragon can take care of them.
Now the real problem is how to make this work without everyone freaking out. Even if I try to limit the people going to prison to being willing murderers, rapists, sex traffickers and the like, that is still over a hundred of the worst gang leaders and members. We would probably need Dragon to work with the police. Her rep and the fact that there is not going to be a shootout should make just capturing and moving them to the prisons easy.
As for escape attempts, we can make sure they are separated enough to not attempt.
I will first test it on one of the most powerful gangs, and if it works well, Dragon can do the rest herself.
Now, which one should we test it out on? There are five options. All of them are led by people we are definitely getting rid of, so there will need to be new management. Whatever, I can just randomize it.
I put their names on a piece of paper and put it in a jar, mixed it, blindfolded myself, and kept rotating to make me woozy, and picked a name. All this time, Dragon is laughing at my silliness, which is sacrilegious. There is no silliness here, only the correct order of how things are supposed to be done.
Anyway, they are a Chinese group, and to start the whole thing, I said we needed a way to translate, but Dragon told me she could translate in real-time. She probably could, but I also wanted to tinker, and I managed to convince her, Although she might just be indulging me, it does not matter I decided to make a Thinker Power, one that allows for communication, and I wanted to prove it was needed even if it was not. So I decided to make it very powerful using four charges.
You say overkill; I say no kill like overkill.
This tech is so absurd it does not care for actual language. It makes a field, and anyone in it can understand almost anything in it so long as they want to, and I mean it. I am sure I can somehow communicate with an ant if I want to. How absurd.
It will be very useful for a post-scarcity society--with moderation. That is, I doubt everyone wants to be able to understand each other all the time… I already feel weird just imagining it. Everyone in a city not needing to talk to understand each other might just turn it into a 'Demolition man'-esque dystopia. There is no way that will be allowed.
Still, I give it to Dragon to add some limitations, like just working with humans and requiring talking and such. I am sure she can add more restrictions to it than I can think of right now.
With that done, we made a portal to a big warehouse, enough to gather the entire gang and start this "diplomacy." It took Dragon only a few seconds to make almost fifty portals and use nanomachines to take control of the bosses, from small-time bosses to actual leaders. As long as they were aware of how the gang worked, they were here--at least the ones in a private place. We were not going to kidnap people in public.
To our luck, the main leaders and lieutenants in this gang were already in a meeting, so getting all of them together was easy. In less than a minute, everyone was gathered in an empty warehouse.
A quiet and dark warehouse.
You ask why there are no screams you ask? That is simple. Dragon is making sure they can't scream, but their eyes are definitely showing their fear.
We light the warehouse and move the leaders to the front. If they could, they would piss themselves. But again, I am so happy we have Dragon. Even if she does not like the inherent violation of freedom in taking control of people; when we limit it to the vile and the necessary--like the vice leader in this gang--he does not deserve this, but he is necessary to replace the current leader, she agreed with a little argument to bring everyone with as little disturbance to others as possible.
"Ok, everyone, listen up. I am Tinker E, and you are some of the leaders of a prominent gang that was under Lung. I am not here to kill anybody, so don't worry, your life is safe--at least from me. I will be sending some of you to jail, the ones that can't function in society, like serial killers and rapists. I am sure if not all of you, most of you are murderers, but I can work with that."
I can't believe I am actually having to work with gang members, and to my utter bad luck, there is no nice guy for me to put in charge who can lead correctly, even the vice leader I am hoping is going to be in charge is a killer. So yes, I will have to work with some bad people, but it certainly won't be with anyone that rapes or harms children.
"When I say I can work with that, I don't mean I am working with you. I just understand removing every gang is not just impossible but also utterly useless."
It genuinely was. Dragon made many simulations, and with the current societal structure, it would do no good.
"I will be removing the vile ones, and the few of you who can function in society will be allowed to run your gang. Of course, there will be changes, like absolutely no dealing with kids for anything--no alcohol, no drugs, no weapons, no nothing."
Am I imitating the Red Hood? Yes, yes, I am.
"If you can agree to this, you will be allowed to leave freely. Now, time to remove the monsters among all of you."
With that said, Dragon did not need me to say anything. She separated the group into two. The ones on the left did outnumber the ones on the right, but it is alright. I am sure the people left can handle the gang with some promotions to the members not here.
"Ok, Dragon, take the jail bitches to another room."
In a few seconds, there were less than twenty leaders left.
"Now, the people in this room are all people that have yet to do anything truly unforgivable--no rape, no torture, and other vile things. Some of you are killers, but not ones that go around killing just because you don't like someone."
I can't believe that is my standard, but necessary for now. Even if it might just be as useless in the future as making Purity fight the other E88 members.
"As for your leader, I was thinking of picking one, but honestly I don't want to do that, so you guys decide for yourselves. If you have questions, you may now ask, but do it one by one."
With that, Dragon let go of their voice boxes. And no, they did not quietly discuss--they talked over each other like children.
"Ok, shush. Talk to each other, and then after deciding on some sort of hierarchy, then talk to me."
With that said Dragon allowed them to move and made chairs and tables for all of them to discuss.
It took them some time to decide. While they were doing that, I finally calmed down from my emotions from heartbreaker, so I decided to eat something. I made pizza with more cheese than sauce and started.
It turns out they also wanted to eat, so I told them to ask for whatever food they wanted. I gave them a demonstration by making many different foods for everyone to share. But they also asked for specific foods, and we ate and talked for a while, which probably made the decision for a hierarchy take longer--but who cares, it was enjoyable.
After the food was done, they went back and finished the decision pretty fast. I guess the food helped.
With them done deciding who was in charge of what, they decided to ask me a few questions, like do I want a cut, or do I want deciding power, and other questions that would get me involved with the gang. And I told all of them nope. I am only here to stop the imminent gang war that was about to start.
After today, we probably won't be meeting like this, I am still going to arrest their gang members when I find them doing some shit.
So with all of it done, it was time for me to leave this place. We made portals to private areas for all of them. With all of them gone, I left to the sub dimension.