AN: 25K words. Moving on from the last mini-arc, tying up some loose plot threads I've left hanging - and setting up some more for the future. Should have had this out last week, just ran out of time to edit over the weekend.
--
What to do when you suddenly have more time in the day? It isn't a minor increase, when you think about it. On a weekend, sure - being a Noctis Cape just earned you an extra eight hours in your day. Pretty nice. Fifty-percent more time than you started with. But on a weekday? The difference was more drastic. When you already spend close to eight hours at school, with perhaps an hour or two on either side travelling, eating or preparing for school - you only have around six hours to yourself. Now, that six hours was closer to fourteen. Now that was a big difference.
Which meant that it wasn't quite so simple as just 'doing more of what I was doing'. This power had done the equivalent for me as removing school from the equation entirely. It had given me a full-time-job's worth of time to play around with. It almost seemed like a waste to patrol with it. Capes were people too, they rarely did much at night outside of special occasions - and I didn't really care that much about basic muggers and drug dealers. It was more important to be seen doing something about them, get my reputation as a vigilante rolling - than actually making a dent in crime statistics.
No. There were two real options that I could dedicate my new 'time' towards. The first, Tinkering. Squealer plus Leet - even if I didn't have the final level of power from either of them, I'm sure I can whip up something useful. The second option, finding challenge targets. The obvious downside of that was that pretty much everyone was asleep.
But, at the same time, the upside was that... pretty much everyone was asleep.
Alright, that sounded better in my head. It wasn't like I was actively planning on creeping into the Dallon household to spy on them in their sleep. Or, even doing the same to Taylor or Sophia to maximise challenge attempts. I'd thought about it, admittedly. Considered how effective the shadow state could be in such an endeavour. But I wasn't serious about it.
Not that serious. Only a little bit-
Okay, look - the security system in that house probably wasn't crazy. Maybe a few cameras, I could scout the entire place out via the WRLD modifier on random civilians and be peeking on the entire family at dinnertime, and spend eight-hours a night peering through the ceiling at Victoria Dallon trying to sleep. I'd be bouncing her on my cock before Monday. Probably with the rest of the family happily watching.
Assuming I didn't get caught. Which - maybe. I don't know. There was a reason I was chickening out of the idea, despite the feeling that I could probably get away with it. They had to have taken some measures after Fleur was killed, right? Something easily missed on a cursory glance. Or external support that wouldn't be noticed by my challenges - a Thinker or pre-cog looking out for intruders on Protectorate-aligned teams... no. That sounded so unlikely. But... I couldn't, right? It sounded crazy. There had to be something, right?
But my entire power was crazy.
No, no, no. I'm not playing this game - where everything is completely fucked if someone glances up and spots the shadowy face sticking out of their ceiling. This is real life, and even if I got away after getting caught - there would be no way of escaping the PRT long-term without joining the Empire for protection. Slow and steady. That was the plan. I'd played things slow so far, taken my time - consolidated my girls in a somewhat 'natural' way, kept my powers growing at a steady pace and my reputation was absolutely immaculate. I didn't need to throw that away just because Glory Girl had a fantastic pair of tits and I was feeling impatient.
It was just frustrating. The feeling of passing up on medium risk, massive reward. I'd take the chance every time if it was just a challenge, but it wasn't. The chance of failure was there, even if I had faith in my own abilities. Even if I considered it unlikely that any notable protections were unaccounted for. The metaphorical D20 might be stacked in my favour, but the possibility of hitting a 'one' was still there - the chance of death. Of furious questions and accusations from the PRT drawing in Thinker or pre-cogs probing my actions, at which point everything I'd worked for would implode. Was it cowardice? Or patience? It was hardly like my current path to power was entirely risk-free, and being slow risked exposure in its own way too.
I don't know. It was just frustrating, having this much time - no longer needing to sleep at all - and knowing the exact location of multiple Capes to challenge. Yes, I probably sounded pretty creepy salivating over the idea of watching someone sleep and whispering challenge every few minutes - but those are just the cards I've been dealt. New Wave was obviously the prime-target for that, but following Sophia home wouldn't be hard either. How much did the PRT really watch out for their Wards at home? Taylor was out, only because of the nature of her power - not a chance that I would go undetected sneaking around her house.
I'd feel so much better about this if I just had no idea where to find anyone, like most of the Protectorate and the gangs. It was only because I had the opportunity that I was having to talk myself out of the idea. Honestly, other Capes didn't realise just how good they had it. It was easy enough for them to be all judgemental about the mental battles going on in my head, but I bet most other Capes would make the same kind of decisions of choosing power over morals. If Armsmaster got to boost some aspect of his power by kicking puppies in the street? He'd have set up a fully-automatic puppy-kicking machine by now. If Velocity was given the option by his power to not be a useless jobber, but only if he knocked over some defenceless old lady every day? He wouldn't settle for a light push, he'd shove her into oncoming traffic with enthusiasm.
Probably. Wouldn't even get any extra benefit out of it, he just seemed like the type to enjoy it - getting back at the world for his sucky power.
Maybe that was a bad analogy. Metaphor. One of those.
Stop it, Greg. Focus up. Rather than trying to distract yourself from the - admittedly tempting - possibility of sneaking into houses to watch people sleep, there was an easier path to power. A better path to power. A more reliable path to power.
Tinkering. Technically, I'd had the option for a while already - but the initial level of both of my Tinkering powers had been more about understanding and building on what had already been made, rather than making some great innovation myself. Especially Leet's power. Because building up to some major, usable project that was also safe was something that even Leet took weeks and months to achieve, and even if some shortcuts were open to me - I didn't have her time, resources or expertise. I couldn't skip straight to making an awesome mech, I needed to build the engine, the wings, the weapons, the body - each part introducing a new quirk that I just didn't really have the time or resources to iterate on to my satisfaction.
But Squealer's power didn't have quirks. No hidden chance of failure - or of a critical hit - and even if that, perhaps, dampened the potential of the final product - it did make completing a larger 'Leet' project much more achievable. Keeping the wider, exotic elements from Leet's wider speciality, but constructing the minor parts through Squealer - in the example of the mech, making a Squealer-based engine and adding Squealer-based weapons, only combining it into the final product through the speciality of Leet right at the end, as Squealer's speciality starts to falter as the wider design strays away from her usual tanks and over-engineered monster trucks. Only one or two quirks to handle in the design, every part as reliable as a 'standard' Tinker - with all the absurdity that Leet at his- her - best can manage.
That was the dream. The ideal. It would be arrogant to just assume everything was going to go my way the first time. That every project would be a success. Especially now that I was looking to do more than simply adapt a superior design gift-wrapped for me. But the theory was sound.
I was excited at the possibilities. The haul that I'd extracted out of Squealer... well. I'll admit, I was a little impressed. I'd never have thought her capable of some of these things back in my days as just a PHO troll. I could see the flaws, see why they hadn't really seen active and regular use - but the ideas were there. And my Tinker powers were at their best when it came to stealing an idea and hacksawing it into something useful. Yes, that teleporter had some issues - I wasn't entirely sure I trusted it with my own body without seeing the full designs behind it, even if my power did merrily spell out what was wrong about it's functionality. But it did, fundamentally, transport matter. Ten, twenty metres for larger loads like a vehicle. Maybe up to a hundred for a human. And it only got better as you got smaller. That was amazing. That was, potentially, an entirely new power for me. If I could get it working. And fix the portability issue, and the range, and the side-effects-
Look. There was a reason Squealer wasn't using it everywhere. I could fix those things. Eventually. Probably.
And some of it, fortunately, I could do right from my own room. Coding functionality into each minor part of the beacon. Convenient, because even if I was a Noctis Cape now - I wasn't really sure whether or not I should trust Clara and Alice with my Cape status. Did I trust them to do what they thought was best and safest for me? Absolutely. Did that mean that I was sure I wouldn't get thrown to the PRT for 'safety' the minute they realised Lung was after my head? Hm. Tough one. Made tougher by the fact that I... didn't really know them. Not really. My power had twisted them, unrecognisably so. And that was a good thing. They were terrible before. Horrible people. Completely deserved it. But... they weren't really the people that they were. Closer to... distant roommates, with a certain fetish for pseudo-incest and the sexual appetite to act on it. I liked them, but I couldn't tell you their opinions on the PRT or certain vigilantes.
At a guess, their opinion would be something favourable to me - but I'd started doing all of my... stuff, long after I'd maxed them out. Which comes back to that question that's been on my mind for weeks now: Was my power a constant effect, reaffirming their loyalty towards me? Or was it a one-time thing, reshaping them into the kind of person who would follow me and be likely to continue following me? If I became an outright villain, would they turn on me if they found out? Would Taylor? Would Sophia? Or would I be immediately outed as a Master as multiple Capes immediately break away from their own groups to join me no matter what I did?
I couldn't say. And that meant assuming the worst for now - that revealing my identity to them was too much of a risk for not enough reward. The only real benefit would be a lack of suspicion when I'm out and about in the middle of the night, but I only needed to make it normal for me to not be around the house that much to get that benefit anyway. If they just assumed that anytime I was missing, I was at a party or some sleepover somewhere - that worked just as well, or maybe even better, than them fretting over news feeds talking about a vigilante brutalising villains downtown.
Enough thinking. I could argue with myself all day about the right thing to do here. Better to focus on actions. Like Tinkering. And the things I could do while sitting in my room at home, pretending that I still needed to sleep at all.
There were plenty of minor things I could work on, either on my own or by puppeting my ash clone. My more advanced Tinkering projects would need some element of coding behind them that would warrant sitting at the computer for a while, although I'm inclined to think that it would be smart to save that for last in any larger products - I'd rather do that with the power of Kid Win or Armsmaster, Squealer's speciality wasn't truly relevant enough despite what she'd managed to achieve and coding the early building blocks with Leet's power sounded like a disaster already.
But all of this talk about what bits of Tinkering I could and couldn't do ignored the central question. What should I do? What should I make? What was the most useful thing I could start building? The way I see it, I have three options:
Option one. An item, or multiple items, that I can use to fight in challenges. Limited, smaller-scale things that I can quickly gather the required resources for to recreate through the power of my paste-box - without triggering the anti-stalling measures from my power. The resource limitation would be the biggest thing here. If I can't build it from some half-empty toolboxes, some cables and a laptop or two - it's too complicated. Too unreliable to justify the effort.
Advantages, getting stronger faster by overcoming roadblocks on my currently accessible challenges. Just the one advantage, but it was a big one. Disadvantages, the lack of resources would be incredibly limiting on the amount of good shit that I could make - and I'd have to use Leet's power for most of it, which would mean either spending a lot of time working around the ever-increasing likelihood of 'quirks' in the simplest of designs, or simply accepting that my one-shot-per-challenge paste box might give me a tool with an increasingly high chance of failure. The tools would probably need to be pretty specific to the issues I was facing too, which wouldn't be much of an issue if I could reliably reach and challenge certain targets with any consistency. It was unfortunate that the paste-box was limited to Tinkertech, otherwise using it as a simple power to reshape metal would have its uses in making weapons - but, no. It couldn't be a knife, it had to be a fancy Tinkertech knife. Not a screwdriver to help with Tinkering, but a screwdriver with some silly Tinkertech function tucked away in it somewhere. Meh.
Option two. Something to help me fight in real life. I don't really have any major beef with the other gangs or the Protectorate right now, so really this was about building something to help fight Lung. A worthy goal, certainly. I was definitely lacking any easy access to powers that could drop Lung to the ground in a serious fight, and even simply surviving would be a tough ask unless I had the opportunity to flee in my speed-state. Advantages, not dying. Having the confidence to take the fight to Lung set me up for the possibility of seeking him out and challenging him 'safely' for one of the best powers in the Bay. Not dying. Easy to collaborate and bring in other Tinkers to help, no need to limit myself to resources or the size of my paste-box. Not dying. I could make something as esoteric and crazy as I liked, knowing that I only needed to make a single version. Not dying.
Ok, might be lingering too much on the 'not dying' aspect. I was just concerned. It was one thing for me to speculate that Lung was mad at me, but Miss Militia's fresh warning - and then my own browsing of recent sightings indicating that Lung really seemed to just be... 'silent', was making me increasingly concerned. Lung didn't just go missing. Lung didn't just 'ignore' incursions into his territory, like the last three days of clashes with the Empire seemed to indicate him doing. I didn't take him for a guy that would run just because he lost one Cape. To me, that said that he was either lying low - waiting to find someone - like me - in an ambush... or he just hadn't been here for a while. Why? Well. Wasn't that the question? What would Lung do if he wasn't busy defending his home turf. Making alliances? Getting resources? Reinforcements? Was he on the plane back from Japan right now, a half-dozen Yakuza-aligned Capes now at his beck-and-call? Was that even how Japan's Cape scene worked? I don't know. Maybe.
Moving on.
Option three. Make something to give me access to more challenges. Stealth, pure mobility or simple tricks to give me line-of-sight into areas that I wouldn't normally be able to discretely access. If it wasn't for the fact that my power didn't work through camera feeds, making a few drones or discrete cameras would be the most promising avenue by far - but unfortunately, any kind of 'remote' observation would have to be either a trick like the portals that one time in Australia, or some other kind of method to extend my vision into otherwise dangerous areas. Some well-placed mirrors and some binoculars? One-way see-through glass to hide behind undetected? Rework the invisibility of my new car into something more portable? Glasses to let me see through walls?
Okay, with the last one I was admittedly thinking of seeing through clothes first - but it was a serious idea! I didn't know how to really go about it, but whatever Armsmaster had done with Sophia's helmet to see electricity within walls was probably a good start.
I lean back with a quiet groan. Too much thinking. After a night that had already been... intense, by every definition of the word. Realistically, there was no particular reason that I couldn't do option one entirely within the simulations of my power - the anti-stalling measures would definitely kick in at some point, but with so many potential challenges on regular civilians to choose from that probably didn't matter much. I just needed designs that were Tinker-y enough to register to my power, without the material requirements being problematic for challenges that don't just hand me a workshop or a junkyard to work with - that wasn't something that could only be done in real life.
So, really - it was between option two and three. And as intriguing as the idea of three was - the idea of just getting the tiniest peek into the Wards lounge, or the Protectorate front door, or having reliable enough invisibility that I could just outright peer into the Dallon household all day - it seemed like a gamble and overcomplicating an issue. I had other ways to access those Capes, it just involved steps I wasn't ready for right now.
So. That settled it. Tinker objective: Anti-Lung equipment.
Easy to think. Easy to say.
Not so easy to execute.
I should probably refresh my memory, see what I'm getting into before I commit to an idea. This is where years of Cape research come in handy - I know exactly where to start looking.
Click. Click. Scroll. Click. Click.
My eyes alight on the familiar powerscaling boards of PHO. Yes, a toxic cesspool and my home-away-from-home - but also one of the single greatest concentration of hard facts, feats and videos for any given Cape could be found. Even I had a thread these days, and only around a third of the posts on it were from myself on sockpuppet accounts.
I click on the first video compilation, lean back and settle in to watch as my screen fills with footage of Purity firing her blasts down into the city towards an unseen target - the camera moving only when Lung appears out of the dust, smoke and debris, visibly growing larger with every passing second.
Ah. The failed ambush from the Empire. A classic. Maybe one of my favourite bits of Cape-battle footage ever. Even ignoring the need to document specifics about his power, I could genuinely watch this for fun.
And that was fine.
Who said research had to be boring?
--
"The problem-" I drum my fingers against the invisible sides of my car, now safely tucked away into a newly acquired garage with an original owner that didn't seem likely to ask questions in the face of cold, hard cash. "-is that there are too many problems. I don't hit hard enough to take him out, even when he's in his base form. I don't have the defensive abilities to meaningfully protect myself from a continuous assault - Glory Girl's shield will only take the first hit, and I don't even know how it will handle any concentrated amount of fire. I already know that Shadow Stalker's power can be hit by energy weapons and electricity, so I shouldn't discount the possibility that a sufficient amount of Cape-magic fire could hurt me." I'd tested on smaller flames and not noticed much, but that wasn't the same thing.
My newly-resummoned ash clone doesn't respond, quietly resuming its work of cleaning up the inside of my new car. I might be mulling over the idea of disassembling it, but returning after a few hours had reminded me that Taylor and I had made a bit of a mess in the back seats - and I certainly wasn't intending to clean up the soon-to-be work area myself.
"Vista, Clockblocker, Shadow Stalker, Glory Girl - they're all, like, resources. Things that I can expend for short-term safety, but Lung can just blast through them - probably get bigger and stronger in the process. That's made worse by the fact that he's both fast and bulky enough that I can't really escape on foot. Even if I put walls between us, he's strong enough to bulldoze through them without meaningfully falling behind. I don't actually get to safety if I jump through a wall, because he's still faster going through the same obstacle after like, a minute of growing." I hum. "I would have included Clockblocker as an offensive option - trapping him like I do with other Brutes and giants, but with my limits on size that only really works with string. He'll burn it up before I even get close, unless I set it up in advance and lead him into it - but, even then, he's more of a Brute than a speedster. I don't think he'd turn himself into dragon-sushi just by running into timelocked string."
The ash clone doesn't respond, quietly scrubbing away.
"No, the only actual safety I have is from Velocity's power. As long as I get time to activate it, I can escape - he's fast, but not that fast. And, by running away, I'm dropping aggro on him and he's probably not going to get any bigger and faster. Losing those enrage stacks, you know?" That was how the Protectorate liked to deal with him these days. Run away enough, and Lung would slink away in his own as his power started to de-escalate on its own. Whatever the limits on Lung's power were, he clearly couldn't be at full power all the time - eventually, he went back to being a normal- no, not normal - but a much weaker Brute. He wouldn't want to revert to that point in unfriendly territory, or in a place where Dauntless or someone could do their absolute-best to one-shot him before he could hide himself away.
But, as sensible and viable as that plan was... it leaned on superior mobility. I could be pretty tricky with my powers, finding three seconds to get into the speed-state might take some doing - but I trusted myself to make something work.
Taylor, on the other hand, was not that mobile.
In an ideal world, she wouldn't even be close enough for someone to consider her as a target - but I had to assume the worst was possible. A situation where Lung was just, there. Like an ambush on one of our patrols, or - as with Oni Lee - disrupting a regular gang operation only to realise the big boss was sitting at the table. A moment where I would have to stand and fight, rather than duck and run.
Or, duck and hang around - because if I got even a glimpse of Lung I was challenging that motherfucker on cooldown until he finished running home. I wanted that power. Point aside, it wasn't enough for me to be able to escape. I needed to be more than just a gnat that could be ignored - because, quite frankly, Taylor would be in an even worse position than me. I couldn't do much except escape when faced with Lung, but Taylor couldn't even do that.
I bite my lip at the thought. It was an annoying one. Taylor was simultaneously the weakest point in our operations, while also being the only reason that going out on patrol was even worthwhile in the first place. Running around like a lunatic in my speed-state trying to find an active mugging or Cape fight wasn't even a fraction as good as what she could do effortlessly in a wide area with her bugs - to say nothing of how much I enjoyed having her around against gunmen and Oni Lee. Yes, I had experience in my challenges - but I also had a lot of experience dying in my challenges. I wanted her around, even if it restricted my options in some ways.
A partner was good, I just... wasn't really used to the idea of covering for the weaknesses of someone else. I didn't really consider myself a team player like that. Usually, I'd think about how to take the fight to Lung personally - maybe find a way to modify my mecha-blade into something actually usable against an opponent capable of thinking, dodging and fighting back. But that wasn't even a simple task on its own, even ignoring the technical aspects - how could I transport a weapon like that, keep it to hand on patrol, actually use it on him without relying on the shadow state as that would drop it to the floor before I could reform?
No. I needed something simpler. Smaller. Easy to use, easy to conceal. The idea of making a gun flits through my mind briefly, as forbidden as it seemed to be in my challenges - would that restriction hold true out here in real life? Maybe, maybe not. But, even if I could probably make a pretty cool gun if I put the work in - I didn't think I could make a gun so cool that it would match a barrage from Purity on a Lung that had yet to even truly transform. If he could heal and thrive off of that, I doubted I could make anything that would help unless it literally decapitated him in his base form.
And then I wouldn't get his power. So even if I did manage to accomplish something that the majority of the superpowered population of the city had been trying to do for years, it would be a complete own-goal anyway.
So what did I want to do? If I couldn't one-shot him, any true offensive would be pointless. That left retreating, or stalling. Escape, or containment.
I could probably work something out, using Squealer's haul. Easier, if Leet got around to answering her DMs anytime soon. I wanted to arrange another meetup, and snag Uber while I was there - but she hasn't been online on PHO ever since our last interaction. Probably enjoying TInkering with a new understanding of her power, which was understandable - but I just wish she'd do that after telling me where to find her. Because the only Tinkers in the Bay that I'd trust to do anything about in the face of Lung were her and Armsmaster - and I doubted I was beating the absolute bullshit that were the modifiers on the latter anytime soon.
I pause. No, that wasn't quite true. I had a... semblance of an idea for Armsmaster. The makings of a plan. But, in the face of the CONT modifier, it needed to be perfect the first time I tried it - and, most annoyingly, it needed me to die at least once against him getting the information I needed for it to work. As his first challenge, that didn't actually amount to a huge cooldown - but seeing Armsmaster at all was not exactly a regular occurrence for me.
Something to help in a fight, but not to cause injury. No active electricity while I was carrying it around. Or, if I couldn't deal with that, I'd have to hand it off to Taylor and let her handle it. Think. Leet's power, activate! Except, no. No flash of brilliance - no insane idea that just might work, that might break open the world of Tinkering for me forever. I had ideas, sure - but ideas more in the line of 'this is better than a dedicated team of engineering students could build' than 'this is going to turn Lung into a frog with the wave of a hand'.
I cast a slightly sour glance at the discarded sack in the corner. My greatest Tinker invention, bar none, was built from basically stealing a tried-and-tested design from Leet and then bastardising it for my own use. Even with my power providing some shortcuts, my Tinker powers were clearly intended to work in concert with somebody else. I should probably accept that if I didn't want to spend weeks iterating and improving on a design - I needed to stick to my roots: Being a shameless leech.
The teleporter beacon, then. I fish it out of the bag, taking another few moments to find the paired device that comes with it. Beacon, target. Simple. Intended as an emergency escape tool, except for a glaring weakness where electrical energy disrupted the scanning and calibration steps, which then threw off the targeting system. Which was a great thing for my power to tell me, but actually fixing that was no easy feat - my power didn't make it easy for me to work out how to fix it, it just told me the nature of the problem and whether said problem was still there or not.
But it was fine. Because rather than doing the equivalent of taking over a senior coding developer's work - 10,000 lines in the making, no comments and a vague description of the bug at the top of the file - I could just work around it. Fine. It starts to fuck up if it tries to transport electricity, even organic things. No problem. How can I use that? The first idea - simply using it as an offensive weapon - goes out the window. Lung would melt the thing before he got close. And even if it did work, what if he died? What if he didn't and just came right back at me from the relatively-small range it would drop him off at?
I scratch my head, skimming through ideas as Squealer's power surges to the forefront of my mind. Too many ideas. Too many possibilities, that all ignored whether it was truly feasible for me or not. I couldn't afford to be a regular Tinker that could hide away for weeks on a project. I needed an idea that just worked. And, was also useful to me. That latter part was the biggest issue.
"It's not going on a monster truck, stop that." Just needed to finesse my way around her specialisation first. "Not a tank. Not an offroader." More and more ideas stream through my head. "Not a bike. Not a-" I pause. "Actually, hold that thought." I was never going to get the power to separate entirely from the idea of this thing attaching to a vehicle in some way, the trick was more about getting a great schematic that I could then rip out of the vehicle and attach to a person - even if I had to lean on Leet's power to do it. It was an awkward way to do things, the necessity of switching into different Tinkertech powers and iterating on the different designs and failures didn't play well with the lengthy cooldown on my paste-box - and I wanted to save that for any sudden meetup suggestions from Squealer or Leet anyway.
Good old Tinkering by hand. That was fine. I needed the practice, and I needed some way to pass the time anyway. I didn't have any real plans today, and the city was usually pretty quiet the day after a big fight like that happens. Neither Taylor or Sophia had raised the idea of another patrol this weekend, which made our next likely meetup Monday night.
That gave me most of the weekend, including the nights, to get this thing into functional shape.
Loads of time. Maybe I wasn't a true genius, but let's face it - I'm better off than most. My experience and knowledge, born from wading through pages and pages of threads discussing every change across every ArmsCycle version - would shine through here.
Resources? Not an issue. Probably. Squealer had offered up access to one of 'her' scrapyards during our 'negotiations'. I didn't really need much in raw materials, but if Squealer's power wasn't going to give me any ways to implement this design without having an oversized vehicle around it - then I may as well start with an actual vehicle.
I zip away from the garage in my speed state, scattered collection of tools and the oh-so-crucial teleport beacon from Squealer tucked under my arms. Small enough for my speed-state to register them as attached to me, fortunately - or this would be one awkward trip.
Ten seconds later, I zip back - and put on my mask. Not in a challenge right now Greg, pay attention.
Tinkering time.
---
It doesn't take long after I arrive at the unmarked, fenced-off location - which appeared to be something closer to an abandoned towing business - to realise that Squealer might have exaggerated the value of one of her 'premiere scrapyards' when negotiating for my assistance. Namely, that she'd already picked the place clean of all of the good stuff. There was hardly a vehicle in sight that hadn't been cored out for parts or general scrap, leaving behind hollow shells that barely helped with the designs in my head at all.
I couldn't be mad. I got everything I wanted out of that transaction anyway, and maybe it was a bit too much to expect a thriving scrapyard from a gang too weak to hold any territory worth holding at all. And, at the end of the day - it wasn't like she'd be able to hide her better scrapyards and resource stores from me once we were properly Tinkering together. I could be patient on that front. She'd come to me, I'm confident about that.
And the fact of the matter is, I could still use this place. It would just be a little more awkward. Nothing here was capable of being driven back to my 'workshop' - but I could build here just fine. Nobody seemed to be actively watching the place save for the stoned guard at the entrance that took one look at my mask and pointedly looked away to mind his own business, and it was tucked away enough from the main roads that I wasn't worried about any passers-by getting curious about any noise.
I take some time to peruse the small sea of dead vehicles. This was every bit as much about seeing something that could prompt Squealer's power to make the right kind of idea as it was about finding resources. It wasn't enough to just want to attach a teleportation feature onto an existing vehicle, I needed the feature to work in a certain way - to offer a certain level of utility or combat potential to me specifically. Sure, a car that could teleport to the other side of the road was generally useful, but it didn't change anything for me personally. I needed a game changer - and directing the flow of ideas was hard, it felt more along the lines of browsing through a photobook of half-related suggestions rather than specifying my needs to a mechanic.
Not a sports car. Not a monster truck. The half-hearted suggestions keep coming. Employing the teleportation beacon as a method of repeatedly building up speed on a straight line just wasn't that useful to me. Nor were the next half-a-dozen ideas that come as I roam through heaps of discarded, twisted metal. A 'digging machine' that simply transported the material in front of it away? Interesting, but still - useless.
Would I need to use Leet's power in the end after all? I didn't want to use it at this early stage. It added complexities and failure points that I didn't really have time to test against and mitigate. And as much as I loved the modified mechablade, there was little getting around the fact that it nearly killed me in the challenge - I didn't really want to test my luck in real life just because I had to lean on Leet's power to make not just the overall device, but the individual components. Not just one potential quirk, but dozens - even if the chances were low for now.
I eye up one gouged-out vehicle. A crane, of sorts - though not the type that would be found towering over the skyline. Smaller than that. Something to pick up heavy loads, swing them around and drop them somewhere - not too dissimilar to a forklift, except for the grabbing claws being clearly designed to pick up different loads from above rather than lifting from below. I'm about to dismiss the idea Squealer's power proposes again, until I pause in thought and consider it closer.
There was barely anything left of the vehicle. The inner workings that gave it any true lifting strength were long-gone - but that didn't matter. I had the vision. The spark of an idea as Squealer's power proposed the union of the Tinkertech in my hand, and the vehicle in front of me. I could see it. This vehicles cargo appearing directly within the clawed contraption, no need for any precision on the arm if you only ever needed to place materials down or drop them in place - for a moment, I can't help but be distracted by the idea of this becoming part of a larger manufacturing suite - but that's not what I'm looking for right now. The design was there. Not perfect, but a good enough start. I seize onto it. The way the teleportation beacon should be embedded within the arm itself, the extra power cable that would be required, affixing the destination-targeting markers onto the tips of each claw - and how to redesign the 'bracelets' to account for the new, non-human cargo.
Two problems. One, as expected, the design was too big for my paste-box. Not that I would have it back for another few hours still, but that was a problem. Two, even once I was done - everything would still be firmly attached to a vehicle that wouldn't move - and that I wouldn't want to use even if it would.
One thing at a time. That first part? Fine. I knew this was going to need some real Tinkering, and this wasn't going to be a one-man job anyway. My ash clone - and with it, the knight and the Brute rating that came with it - were the next best thing to powertools that I had without getting back to my workshop and the freshly-acquired collection inside. And, if I wanted, I could go and buy or find whatever I was missing while my ash clone took over the tinkering. The second part? Well. I could say the same thing about Leet's sword not being designed for anything other than a mech, and I managed to make that work - didn't I?
I could do that.
But of course, a vehicle like that didn't help me - but the actual utility might. Looking at what it actually does, ignoring what it is attached to? I could use it. Flip the script. Instead of transporting movable things away to a set beacon, transport fixed-in-place items towards me as I move around. I carry the beacon personally, slap target markers on whatever needed moving before my patrol and trigger it whenever I need it. I already have a few stashes of confiscated grenades lying around, the natural consequences of stumbling the hideouts of random gang members here and there - being able to teleport those, directly onto my location with no real warning, then phase out? That could be the 'oomph' that I was missing in my kit. Adding containment foam to the mix would be nice too, except - I didn't know where to get that.
Correction, I didn't know where to get that without being a thief. I knew exactly how to walk into the rig, and I'm confident at least some of the passwords I remember will work - it's just, it will be pretty obvious it was me once I use them - or just once they review the tape. Unlike my challenges, there were consequences here.
I'd have to work on that one. I couldn't exactly ask nicely to get containment foam. I don't think they even gave that to New Wave, and certainly wouldn't make them available to me - not while I was still skirting the line of vigilantism. Normal grenades for now. Just for Brutes, of course. I'd want some kind of mechanism to prime them before detonation - teleport a bundle at once for added effect. The range of the teleport beacon already scaled up as the objects got smaller, so with the right set-up I didn't need to limit myself to grenades. I could tag different items in advance, ensure I was never truly unarmed. Never truly that far away from my costume. Give myself access to tools, to first-aid kits, carry a phone without leaving it powered off all the time to carry it in the shadow state.
The more I think about it, the more I like it. It's not such a departure from the original purpose of the device that I was moving into uncharted territory. I was just making adjustments - moving the order of operations around a bit. Adding on minor features that didn't really affect the part of the device that was pure Tinkertech bullshit. I wouldn't need weeks of Tinkering and experimentation to complete it, all the hard work was already done.
And actually making it was simplicity itself. I couldn't skip straight to the final product, but I could build the working example on the vehicle frame as Squealer's power intended - and then strip it out and slim it down for personal use, in precisely the same way I did for the mechablade.
My ash clone stirs to life next to me, and a moment later, a stray tentacle ekes towards the nearest pile of broken metal and discarded nuts and bolts. The familiar image of my knight slowly forms as the tentacle folds over itself, increasingly coated in a rusty, metallic coating as more and more trash is gathered into itself.
I nod to myself as it starts to tear into the nearest car, Brute strength messily separating metal and plastic into different piles as it attempts to gather the resources I need to complete the design.
As for me... I'm going to need to see how many tools were left behind in my workshop from the previous owner, or maybe just buy some new ones. I might not need to get the complete design working, but this was certainly too big to leave in the hands of the paste-box.
But I could do it. And it would be amazing.
And everyone would be falling over themselves to see it first.
--
PHO Mobile:
You have accepted a friend request from HotWheels.
Displaying Recent Private and Group Chats (Last 10 messages):
Void Rangers Group Chat:
XxVoid_CowboyxX changed the name of the group to [Void Rangers].
XxVoid_CowboyxX: Anyone want to see my cool new Tinkertech?
XxVoid_CowboyxX: Don't be shy.
Arachne: Can't get away from my Dad, sorry. Show me on our next patrol?
XxVoid_CowboyxX: Fair enough. What about you Shadow? I know you read my last message. Limited time offer. I don't mean to brag but this is the coolest thing I've ever made - trialling it out is actually pretty fun. Might even let you two try it out if you ask nicely enough.
theDARKESTshadow: Who?
XxVoid_CowboyxX: What? You. I made it, you try it out. Can you read?
theDARKESTshadow: Asked?
XxVoid_CowboyxX: Fuck you.
XxVoid_CowboyxX: And stop changing the group name. Neither of you have anything better and you know it.
theDARKESTshadow: Go offline already. Got my finger held over the edit button right now.
Private Chat with HotWheels:
HotWheels: This is my personal account, probably smarter to keep unofficial deals to this one.
XxVoid_CowboyxX: And the Cape account has Skids looking over your shoulder and checking your messages?
HotWheels: Not answering that.
HotWheels: To be clear I'm not agreeing to a fucking thing you said before. I don't want anything from you. This is just to link up, if we're going to be working together at some point in the future.
XxVoid_CowboyxX: No pressure, it's all your decision at the end of the day. Just know that I'm here and we can do stuff together any time you like, for whatever reason you like. Tinker buddies, right?
HotWheels: I wouldn't call it Tinkering, but your power seems useful enough. I'm reworking a few designs of mine to fit inside the box, I'll be in touch.
XxVoid_CowboyxX: Not Tinkering? I won't stand for slander. What do you think of my latest creation? IMG
HotWheels: What the fuck is that? Is that supposed to be from my power? It's the ugliest thing I've seen in my life and I work for the Merchants.
HotWheels: You're going to drag my reputation into the dirt with that shit. Where are you right now?
XxVoid_CowboyxX: ...maybe another time. I'll work on the aesthetics for version two. Or we could work on it together?
HotWheels is offline.
Private Chat with Leet:
Leet: Hey sorry about making it kind of awkward at the end there. Just ignore all of that, got ahead of myself a bit XD.
Leet: We should definitely collab as soon as we can. I've just got a few things to look at on my end, got all kinds of ideas from what you were saying.
Leet: Just hit me up and we can do something cool together, if you want?
XxVoid_CowboyxX: Sure, anytime - is tomorrow good for you?
XxVoid_CowboyxX: ?
XxVoid_CowboyxX: Alright that was a bit short-notice of me. Thursday evening?
XxVoid_CowboyxX: How about Friday?
XxVoid_CowboyxX: Saturday?
XxVoid_CowboyxX: Okay you're not streaming so I'm guessing you're still Tinkering. I get it. Tinker Fugue and all of that.
XxVoid_CowboyxX: Just let me know when you're back online. Literally any time is good for me, I'll drop everything and come running.
Private Chat with Uber:
XxVoid_CowboyxX: Hey, dude - sorry about humiliating you in the mech the other day in front of thousands of your fans and Leet. Just watched the episode myself, I think it's maybe one of the best of all time - but maybe I'm biased.
XxVoid_CowboyxX: Anyway, just wanted to check if you could poke Leet for me? She wanted to collab at some point, two Tinkers linking up - but I appreciate she's a bit distracted right now. Can you grab her for me and remind her that I don't know how to reach her?
XxVoid_CowboyxX: Also, this is unrelated but kind of important - are you two smashing? I don't want to pry but, you're not, right? It's just a brother and sister thing, or something like that? I never got the impression that there was anything more there but I kind of need to know for personal reasons.
Uber: (AUTOMATIC) - Thank you for reaching out. Fan submissions for episode ideas are currently CLOSED. If you're interested in appearing on an episode, subscribe to our mailing list for a chance to compete for a spot! Please note that this account is for business purposes only and private messages are not monitored - please do not expect a reply. Instead, consider signing up for one of our fanmeets.
XxVoid_CowboyxX: Fine. I'll just show my awesome Tinkertech off to someone who will appreciate it more.
Uber: (AUTOMATIC) - Thank you for reaching out. Fan submissions for episode ideas are currently CLOSED. If you're interested in appearing on an episode, subscribe to our mailing list for a chance to compete for a spot! Please note that this account is for business purposes only and private messages are not monitored - please do not expect a reply. Instead, consider signing up for one of our fanmeets.
XxVoid_CowboyxX: And, for the record, Victor does everything you do - but better. Leet carries you.
Uber: (AUTOMATIC) - Thank you for reaching out. Fan submissions for episode ideas are currently CLOSED. If you're interested in appearing on an episode, subscribe to our mailing list for a chance to compete for a spot! Please note that this account is for business purposes only and private messages are not monitored - please do not expect a reply. Instead, consider signing up for one of our fanmeets.
Private Chat with Parian:
XxVoid_CowboyxX: Maybe with Armsmaster's colours? No, Eidolon might be a better look here. Got to give the right impression, and I'll clash with the Wards if it's too bright and cheerful. Need to be all 'Void-y', right? Dark green.
XxVoid_CowboyxX: Actually, green is terrible - maybe we could go with the black and blue, but keep the hooded look? It doesn't even need to fit onto the costume that well, just the hood and the cape to look edgy and cool, then the rest can just be blacks, silvers and greys for the armour and padding over the rest of the costume.
XxVoid_CowboyxX: Honestly, maybe not as much armour as we talked about last time though. More than just a stupid bodysuit thing, obviously - but, I'm kind of settling into the hyper-mobile niche right now with my powers and I should probably lean into the light-armour specialisation rather than weigh myself down too much.
XxVoid_CowboyxX: I need pockets as well. Should have mentioned that earlier.
XxVoid_CowboyxX: Actually, can the cape and the sleeves be something that are really easy to rip off? Ripping them off and freezing them could be a really cool trick in a pinch and it's kind of tiring packing random tissues into my pockets and foldable towels into my pockets all the time.
XxVoid_CowboyxX: Another idea - can I get one really solid thread running around the edge of the cape? And make the cape really light? So that if I moved just the one thread around, it would be like I had telekinesis?
Parian: Please stop adjusting your commission. I work primarily with textiles, I can't even do some of what you've been asking for. And even when I can do it, I don't have infinite time for it between all of my other requests. I will be billing you for everything I've changed.
XxVoid_CowboyxX: Oh yeah that's fine - I'll slip you double the price the next time I see you.
XxVoid_CowboyxX: Hey there's an idea, why don't I come over right now? Got something cool to show you.
XxVoid_CowboyxX: I see you haven't read my last chat yet, but just letting you know that I'm on my way!
---
Step. Waddle. Step. I fumble for the door handle somewhere in front of me. Somewhere- there. Push open.
"Gooood afternoon Parian!" I cheer through the open doorway, not spotting her at the counter.
A dark shadow looms over me, I tilt my head over my shoulder to note the imposing figure of an oversized gorilla hanging over me. Not quite up to her usual work, but the vague shape was there. And, presumably, the power. I knew how these things tended to scale with size. The arms might look soft, but that thing was probably in the top 3 Brutes in the Bay right now.
"I like your bouncer! Very cool!" I call out, absently stepping through the doorframe. Not that I had much choice. My mobility was... somewhat impaired like this, turning around at this point wasn't an option.
A pair of gigantic teddy bears flank me on this side of the doorway as Parian finally enters the room and steps towards me - every graceful, deliberate step leaning into her doll-like costumes theme.
Good enough for me to work with. I wasn't just here to show off, after all - getting a glimpse of the rogue was all I needed, and honestly was 90% of the reason I even showed up here.
Enough getting sidetracked. I don't know how long I have before Parian kicks me out, so getting attempts in early might be important here and let me squeeze an extra in before I leave. "Challenge."
Plus, challenging her before someone started talking always made things easier. Keeping track of where I was in the conversation when challenging someone mid-speech is deceptively hard - going straight from an all-out brawl in the dirt straight into an innocent questioning look at my extended silence? I'd like to see someone else try, that's all I was going to say on the matter.
I shake my head. Refresher. Parian. Level two. If I remember rightly, similar to the first - near-invisible tripwires all across multiple floors of a hotel, touching any of them can 'aggro' her and cause her to start making her usual inflatable dolls to defend and attack with. I'd relied on stealth to get close for the first challenge, not understanding what I was even dealing with at the time - but appreciating that giving her less warning to build her larger, more powerful dolls was a good thing.
In this second challenge, the only real difference seemed to be that she was already moving - not actively fighting, but moving between different rooms and acquiring materials to work with. Making smaller dolls, even if she wasn't actively in combat mode yet. That meant that speed, not just stealth, was important here.
Would have been important. To another Greg. A weaker Greg - one who would have struggled with that requirement more. At that time, I would have only had a single shadow state slot with a sizable cooldown to work with. Being perfectly stealthy would have taken too long, left me fighting an oversized doll that I had no means of beating by the time I finally climbed up to the fourth floor where I'd found her before.
With the extra shadow state charges? With the second level of administrator unlocking so much extra versatility and intelligence out of my ash clone? With the knight? With the extra tricks I had now with her own power and clockblocking? I knew my limitations clearly now. The danger wasn't from her knowing I was coming, it was from not having a true answer to her largest creations. I only had to reach her fast enough to deny her the materials that she needed to reach that point, and rely on my experience and powers to carry the rest.
So it shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that I choose to simply surge up through the floors with no regard for subtlety, jumping off a nearby ledger to give me the height needed to reach the ceiling. First floor. Second floor. Third floor. I pause. Two seconds. One second. Zero. The first shadow state charge comes back off cooldown. Fourth floor. I brush my hand through the stream of ash as it starts forming the second I leave the shadow state. Mush's powerset slips away from me, the tentacle already racing towards a nearby, half-open door before the figure is even fully humanoid.
"Parian!" I roar my challenge out, not immediately seeing my opponent. The REAL modifier was to my benefit here. She had previously preferred to send dolls out to attack - aiming to stall rather than simply hide and hope I didn't find her.
Which meant that the moment two teddybears start bouncing and drifting around a corner to meet me, I know exactly which direction to find my target in. I couldn't entirely ignore the smaller dolls, they still possessed enough of a Brute rating to cripple a limb with a lucky hit - but there was a reason I only feared the larger constructs. These were pretty slow and predictable, especially so far from the guidance of the Master behind them.
I duck and weave past them, juking to the side and sprinting past before they can halt their momentum and come back after me. A stray thread pulls free from my clothes as I manipulate Parian's own power into a ready-to-use string. And then, Parian is right in front of me - ripped curtains already spinning through the air and forming into an uneven shape as I burst through the door. A moment later, my manipulated string settles into the doorway in a brutish criss-cross pattern. A brief touch clockblocks the entire thing, sealing us both in for the time-being - and momentarily blocking off the efforts of the two teddy-bears from catching up to me. Not that they could be deterred, but I wasn't alone here. My ash clone pulls one away and hurls it into the wall, backing away to dodge the swipe from the second even as the knight moves to intercept.
The knight is small and weak compared to usual. Not enough of the right materials - a body consisting of half-used perfume bottles and loose bathroom tiles just didn't suit the power well.
But I didn't need a powerhouse. I just needed her current minions to not interfere, either by themselves or by Parian merging them into a larger form that could simply break through the wall.
I could handle Parian. And her incomplete project. I might have tried to clockblock the material she was using first, but her larger dolls did get forcefields and I had to make a split-second decision between blocking out the currently-formed dolls to take the 1v1 or settling into a more chaotic 3v3 where she would grow stronger over time and any stray hit on my ash clone would leave me alone against her growing group.
And I liked my chances in the 1v1. Until that doll grew limbs and could direct its own power properly, it was little more than an oversized brick trying to knock me into a wall. She'd shown that she could make a pretty respectable missile out of those before, but as far as her power went she could do much worse than be a budget blaster. I step towards the oversized, unshaped blob as it hurtles towards me - wielding enough force to kill any normal person - but I was far from normal. With my shadow state charges back, I had nothing to worry about. I pass through it seamlessly, lunging into melee range before she even registers my use of Shadow Stalker's powerset.
If she'd had time to finish the puppet locked inside the room with me, this would still have been a painful position. She was in costume, and I'd already found that her outfit offered pretty good protection from simple fists - I probably wouldn't fare well in an extended 2v1, not when one of those two had a Brute rating that I couldn't match.
But a mess like that? A simple ball, a boulder of force? Something like that couldn't discriminate in what it attacked. The moment I start grappling on the floor with Parian, she realises that fact too - that any attack with the orb potent enough to threaten me would also be enough to kill her in the process. And on her own? Not much of a fighter. I wrench at a poorly-placed arm as she seeks to defend herself, receiving a satisfying snap for my efforts. I slam my forehead directly into the centre of the mask, getting a stunned grunt of pain in response. I go back to swinging my fists at her as she flails under the assault.
To her credit, she doesn't slow or hesitate in changing tactics. The ball soars back across the room, slamming into the wall to open up a secondary pathway for her current dolls to arrive through - and in the meantime, I found myself assaulted with fabric as I try to find purchase on her costume. A pillow case attempts to blind me as I wrestle with her mask, a discarded shirt attempts to yank my hand away as I make an attempt to snap her neck. Expending a charge of my shadow state frees me again. I resume landing blows on her form. My hand was coming away streaked with red at this point. Mostly my own blood, her costume wasn't exactly a fun thing to hit - but that didn't matter. I doubted that the fancy aesthetics on her costume really did much to alleviate raw blunt force. She was hurting too, and the more she was hurting, the less she'd be able to apply her power in dangerous ways.
And the sloppier she gets with her power, the more openings I get. Again. Again. The resistance gets weaker and weaker - until the mask cracks entirely, exposing the unseeing expression of the person inside it.
SUCCESS
Reward: Parian+
I glance behind me as colour starts to bleach from the world - taking in the chaotic scene I'd been ignoring, and blinking at the realisation that the ball was... no longer a ball. Even in the midst of that beatdown, she hadn't given up on forming a complete bodyguard. My ash clone and the knight had succeeded in keeping the smaller bears away from me, but I'd clearly misunderstood her intentions. She hadn't intended to have the bears help her, or even for the ball to sway the secondary fight - it had been to have the ball, or perhaps I should call it the 'body' to link up with the smaller dolls into a larger one.
My knight had obstructed that plan, wedging itself directly in between the attempted merging between one doll and the other, with the ash clone doings its best to drag the third away without being dispelled.
"Nicely done, team." I murmur to myself. That would probably have been the end of the fight if the enhanced intelligence of the administrator-boosted ash clone hadn't recognised the threat and acted to stop it. I didn't have anti-Brute capabilities, so it would have turned into a game of cat-and-mouse around the hotel as I tried to flee and outmaneuver her pursuing minons to find the right moment to attack her, even as she generated more oversized bodyguards as personal protection. A hard ask, especially considering she had the HUNT modifier to help stop exactly that behaviour.
Reality filters back into my vision.
PARIAN
Rogue 3/6
(CAGE) (REAL)
That was... I'm not sure, actually. If she started with a powerful doll, it was bad - if she didn't, it was good. That was all there was to it. "Challenge."
I swear softly at the oversized feline standing next to my target. Hard to say what exact big cat it was supposed to be, maybe if she'd used coloured fabric instead of pure white - but the exact details didn't matter. What mattered was the size, and therefore, the speed and power it was capable of. Yes, it wasn't the absolute greatest doll I had ever seen her create - but it was big enough that I could expect it's physical stats to comfortably exceed mine, with none of the manoeuvrability issues that the incomplete giant I faced just a moment ago had.
And this time, I didn't have my knight. The CAGE modifiers tended to favour largely empty battlegrounds, and this was no exception - white and grey tiles beneath our feet, the slightly off-colour tint just enough to prevent her chosen bodyguard from gaining the advantage of camouflage as well as everything else. But no waste to be found. No debris. No broken walls or bricks, fallen trees or clusters of muddy rocks. Mush's power wouldn't do a thing here.
I tease a thread out from my shirt as I approach, Parian seeming reluctant to send her primary defence off to charge me prematurely.
I suppose, without the promise of immediately being able to make more - she's playing it more cautious than last challenge. She doesn't know exactly what powers I have, but she must be considering the possibility that I have a power capable of one-shotting the doll.
I don't. But she doesn't know that. Only the PREP modifier gets that. Or CONT, I suppose - in the right conditions.
I circle to the left, inching closer as both of my opponents follow my movements.
Clockblocking this string was my best bet here. I'd love to just get the cat itself, but at that size the forcefield-like effect was most likely active and I would never actually get to 'touch' the cloth directly even as it hit me. But I could trap it. If I could bait it into a certain area, or hold it in place long enough - my current version of Clockblocker's power had a few restrictions when the Manton Effect got involved, but that didn't apply to the cat. If I managed to form a loop around it, or encase it in a cage of string - I would be able to freeze it, even if the power would fail if Parian herself was in the exact same spot. The problem was that her dolls moved faster than I could move the string. Simply attempting to wrap it up mid-combat wouldn't help here - and any failure, even a partial success, would cost me my biggest trump card.
To say nothing of the fact that Parian might simply be able to force the single doll into two, if all I managed was to simply trap it with a simple overly-tight loop.
The cat starts to pad forward, Parian following slightly behind. Cautious.
I could head to the corner or one of the walls, see if I could bait it towards me - that would limit the amount of area I would have to cover successfully with a single string. Or, was that too obvious? Maybe it was. This wasn't waving a red flag at an unthinking bull, this was a thinking, breathing fighter that was already demonstrating a reluctance to make the first move. That was one of the disadvantages of the REAL modifier. The likelihood of an opponent like this. An enemy that is something a bit more than a murderous fighter with a certain powerset.
I press in closer, brushing my hand into the stream about to form into my ash clone as I do so - passing on Parian's power in the process and feeling the lengthy string finish pulling out from my shirt without my input. Just bait the cat in. Even if I take a beating, it's not like it actually had claws or teeth - the shape of the doll only affected the nature of how it could move and hit me, so really it was just a matter of surviving being beaten into the ground for long enough by a simple Brute.
I could do that. As the thought crosses my mind, both of my opponents move - the cat lunging forward to meet me. I don't try and dodge, I simply accept the charge head-on - falling backwards as it tries to bowl me over, a swipe of its paws already aiming at my head as I tank the first hit with my forcefield, dodge the next two with a use of my shadow-state - dipping and dodging under the furious onslaught just to buy my ash clone the few seconds it needed to-
I blink as my administrator and textile manipulation powers return to me, spending a new charge of the shadow state to escape from the furious swipes of the doll. My ash clone seems uninjured, save for the part where it's slowly disintegrating without any visible wound. I glance at Parian, noting the sharply pointed finger being pulled back and away from the clone.
Fuck. Ranged attack. An extremely-small doll that I had overlooked? Some kind of whip? Perhaps a subtle trap that I'd failed to notice, like the invisible tripwires in the previous challenges? It doesn't take much to dispel the clone, even a move intended to disable might have done it.
But that put me into a terrible position. My ash clone may not have been up for long, just a few seconds - but I didn't have a few seconds to wait.
I was fucked.
But that didn't mean that now was the time to give up. I was already intending on sticking around Parian long enough to get a second challenge in, I needed to force her to reveal her hand - even if it wasn't likely that I would be able to pull out the win this time. If it gave me the information I needed to keep my ash clone safe and execute my original plan, that was the next best thing to an actual win.
And besides, maybe actually winning wasn't even that impossible. Her costume was pretty good, but it wasn't like I'd never won a challenge off of a single clean punch or my opponent messing up a grapple and letting me snap necks or limbs with ease.
Shadow state directly through the cat to get the tiniest margin of space from my pursuer. Vista to stretch the space behind me to buy more time. Rip shirt off entirely, place it behind me and freeze in place - just in time for the Brute to slam into it at full speed and impale itself. For a moment, I wonder if the power holding it together might falter entirely at the impact - but I'd hoped for too much. It wasn't actually impaled, but rather indented, almost wrapped around the tiny obstacle. It remains intact, if momentarily struggling with what to do with its body and limbs to break free from its predicament.
It would work it out. But I had a few seconds. Maybe that would be enough for the win. I half-turn, only to let out an unconscious scream at the lances of pain searing into my exposed right side - pain sprouting from my torso, arm and face. I'm bodily yanked to the side, momentum killed entirely as I stumble - barely remaining standing at the sudden shift. I glower at Parian as she pulls her arm back through the air to retrieve her weapon, still a fair distance from me. Ranged attack. I eye the strings flowing back towards her, I was close enough to see them now - glints in the air, difficult to see against the general colour theme of the room.
Manipulating strings? I suppose it was just the same as manipulating textiles in general. Maybe my first power from her hadn't been that much of a stretch after all.
But I hadn't realised she could move them fast and hard enough to qualify as an actual weapon. There must be limits to it, a reason why she didn't just carry around hundreds and turn everything in front of her into a pincushion. A reason that I still had working eyes right now. Perhaps a Manton limit as well? If she could pierce skin from range, then there's no particular reason aside from the Manton Limit why she couldn't go all the way through my body and actually kill me - these minor wounds were painful, debilitating and numerous - but I could still keep moving.
No, that didn't make sense. Either I should have a pierced heart right now, or her only attack method with those strings should be strangling me, throwing me around or tying me up. I was missing something. This time, I catch the shift in the air as strings race out again - my final charge of the shadow state expended to dodge the barely-visible attack, swiping my arm through the air as I reform to attempt to gather a string for inspection. They slip through my grip, until I remember that I have a perfectly serviceable power that could just grab it for me. One string freezes in place, and I bring it up to my face for inspection as heavy footfalls thud behind me.
I consider the needle at the end of the string. I see. The string doesn't need to penetrate into my body, or even get propelled at any great speed - the sharpness of the needle does all the work, and the Manton Effect never comes into play until the string wrapped around and through the upper half of the needle reaches my skin.
At which point, attack successful.
It occurs to me that this is a pretty logical application of her power, one that I could probably have guessed at given her choice in business. I don't know, I only ever saw the videos of her dolls at work and left it at that - I just assumed the clothes-making side of her business was just branding and carving out a niche for herself in the market, not anything that she might actually use powers to help with. There were rules against that, I know that much.
Not that anyone was going to enforce that in Brockton Bay.
I attempt to juke to the side as the cat catches up to me. Useless. Too mobile. Shadow state right as the first charge comes off cooldown. Another ash clone, forming at a distance this time. She dispels it again instantly. Solid range.
The cat pivots and turns on me with impossible grace. One paw slams into my leg, pinning me in place as the rest of the body charges forward and then upwards - a flash of burning-hot agony and then a gaping, impossible absence tells me that the limb is gone before the rest of the pain fully registers.
Whatever. I send an annoyed look to Parian before I die, stretching out my ash clone to the maximum range I could summon it - to appear just behind her. She doesn't react.
She can't see through her dolls 'eyes' directly, I suppose - though I can't rule out a general extra sense of some kind - but that is a way to keep my ash clone alive. It's not entirely a perfect solution, because I needed to touch the clone to give it my string manipulation power and execute my original plan. Next time, I need to make the clone and set it up where she can't see - something done briefly up-close-and-personal, then I retreat to keep her eyes on me while the clone forms and sets up the trap.
I'm tackled from behind, my head jerking back from the impact-
FAILURE
-and subjecting me to the delightful sight of my body being smeared across the otherwise pristine floor.
Of course, I wouldn't need to do any fancy traps or plans if I had a more lethal power to give to the clone - or even use it myself - but I had to work with what I had.
Still annoyed at Miss Militia for that. But honestly, it's also my fault for prioritising other things over camping out in front of New Wave. It might feel slow and unproductive for an evening - only to get perhaps a single challenge as they entered the building - but maybe I would have that missing power by now if I'd done it for a week straight.
Or maybe I'd have hit a brick wall and been worse off than I am now, without the benefits of taking the extra time to advance Sophia and Taylor - without the patrols and outings that placed me around Oni Lee, the Merchants and Leet. I was stronger now, so perhaps I could get better value out of those limited opportunities. I couldn't deny that I was winning more than I used to, that the gains of the last two days dwarfed the gains of my first two weeks. Exponential. I'd considered that before, but it was the truth. A certain critical mass, before everything starts to change.
I dredge myself from my thoughts as Parian - the real one - starts to speak.
"Void Cowboy. I wasn't expecting you. Or, anyone, for that matter." She adds drily. "I don't typically meet customers on Sundays. Hence, the 'Closed' sign."
I half turn, angling my body forward to peer at the red sign. Fair. I didn't think to check - but the door was unlocked anyway, so who's fault was it really?
"Didn't see that." I admit without a trace of shame. "Just tried the door, and it opened! And I did send you a message ahead of time to let you know I was on the way!"
She makes a show of inspecting her phone. "On my day off, yes." I get the impression of pursed lips and an unimpressed expression behind the mask. Or maybe I'm just imagining things. "I can see why visibility would be a problem for you." The Cape drifts closer. "For a moment, I thought I was going to have to fend off a fresh Cape trying to prove themselves for a gang - your inept approach actually helped there, you don't really strike an intimidating figure fighting a doorway like that. Somehow, I knew it was you despite looking like a wannabe version of Kaiser."
"Kaiser?" I protest. "This is-" I gesture down at the heavy metal covering most of my torso. "-completely different."
"If you say so." She doesn't argue. She doesn't need to. I can see her argument, even if I don't want to.
Fine. Note to self, colour scheme is important here. People see a bunch of naked metal entering their vision and think 'Nazi'. I'll add a dash of paint next time, if only to avoid the Kaiser and Hookwolf comparisons.
I deflect the conversation back to where we started. "Probably should have called ahead, came here on a bit of a whim while I was in the area." I admit. "And, yeah - my view is a bit obstructed. Eye-level only for me. I can leave though, just thought I would swing by while I was in the area - just curious about how things were getting along since we last spoke." I didn't really care about my costume - it was all about getting another chance to challenge Parian. But I wasn't one to simply not use a great excuse like that. And with that timer ticking down right next to her... I could use a way to spend some time. "I don't suppose I could sneak a look at it?"
"Fine, just a quick look." The bears step away as she sighs. "You might as well, if only to spare my store the damage that would happen if you tried to turn around now." She peers at me, or rather, at the very obvious addition to my current 'costume'. "An... interesting design, but I hope you weren't going to ask me to remake the costume around that." Parian phrases her words carefully.
"It's not permanent." I grouse lightly, half-turning my body to inspect the grab-claw-like contraption seeming to grip my own torso, the arm sticking out directly forward and ending abruptly - in such a fashion that might lead an uninformed observer to assume it had been messily cut-off by an amateur. A reasonable assumption, but an incorrect one. I was a professional now. I did this for a living. I was a professional by definition. "It's a Tinker thing. Proof of concept, needed to take it out of the workshop to get the range to test it out properly - thought I would swing by while I tried it out. It obviously needs a redesign or two to properly fit around a person, not hang off some construction vehicle - I can't go on a real patrol like this. This version is just proof that I've managed to squeeze all of the necessary parts into something that can be carried around."
"I see." She acknowledges politely. A silence stretches between us for a moment. "Dare I ask what it does? It's hard to imagine you equipping yourself with something so cumbersome if it wasn't worth the cost."
I brighten considerably. "I'm glad you asked. Observe!" I retrieve the controller from my pocket. Turn on. Spin the dial to five. Activate. I hold my arm out in anticipation.
A screwdriver tumbles out of the air and lands on my foot.
I steal a glance with her immutable mask that gives nothing away. I cough. "Ahem. I was hoping that would land in my hand-"
"I gathered that." She nods placidly.
You didn't need to say it! "-but a bit of minor finetuning aside, by the power of my engineering genius - I have harnessed the power of teleportation! Teleporting things to me, specifically."
"Congratulations, Mr Cowboy." She claps politely. It's not the most enthusiastic applause I've ever received, but I'll take it. "Though, you'll have to forgive me if I ask that you don't continue to test your untested product in my establishment. I've grown quite attached to this place."
"It's not entirely untested, to be clear. It's not going to explode - I was just trying out the range-" I sigh in the face of her unyielding body language. "Don't worry, I get it. I'm pretty much done with it anyway. I have to tag the things to teleport in advance, and I only set up so many things to test, you know?"
"Excellent." She clasps her hands together. "Please do make sure to pick that up, it would be terrible if someone slipped on something they couldn't see."
I pointedly don't move. We stare at each other for a short while.
"Can't bend down?" She questions innocently.
"Can't bend down." I admit. Not a chance. I'd never get back up again.
"Unfortunate." She nods placidly. "Well, you'll have to take that thing off to see your costume's progress - I envy your determination for getting this far, but I think navigating the corners to my workspace would be a bit too difficult even for an engineering genius such as yourself."
Was that sass? Am I being sassed? I peer at the full-face mask and get no answer.
And, pointedly, don't make a move. I cough. "About that-"
"Can't get out of it?" I get the distinct impression that she already knew the answer to that, and just wanted to point it out. Was this revenge for stumbling into her store in the middle of a Sunday evening? Pointed barbs and all-too-innocent questions that only served to wound my pride? Sure, I didn't actually mind - but I was going to remember this treatment when I challenge her in a few seconds.
"It's a two-person job." I concede. Technically, my shadow state could get out of it - but it's delicate enough that I wouldn't really want to drop it suddenly. "And my second man is unavailable right now." For another... twenty-five minutes. Stopping myself from leaving the ash clone active for too long while Tinkering had been a good idea. An hour or two at most - I didn't want to end up in a situation where it was down for an entire day when I needed it.
Besides, even while Tinkering - I didn't need it all the time. As helpful as an assistant was, I only had one of each of my Tinker powers - or, to rephrase, if I gave Squealer's specialty to my administrator-boosted ash clone - I didn't have that specialty myself anymore. I technically had two with Leet, but that speciality added complications and considerations that I really didn't need for my first few projects. Leet's power was the last resort, preferably only used for the very final part of the design where no other specialities could help me - putting everything together with minimal 'extra features' clogging up the individual components was the smart thing to do where I could. Squealer's power was solid enough at getting everything else up to that point.
Even if I struggled to make any design through her power that didn't need to sit on top of a vehicle.
I didn't make this semi-portable version through her power, that was just... Greg. Any idiot can move a few components and cables around and keep most of a Tinker device functional, it was just a matter of breaking things for my purposes as a non-Tinker and then fixing anything important that was broken by re-activating her power again and following the newly suggested design. An awkward process. Probably something that could get a lot easier with more specialities under my belt to mix-and-match with, I was only having issues because I was trying to move away from the actual Tinker specialisation I was using.
She tilts her head at me. "Can't run, can't see in front of you, can't sit down, can't bend over, can't turn corners, can't remove it on your own - I confess, I'm not truly a Tinker so perhaps it's hard for me to understand, but it sounds like more of a strange, humiliating punishment than the glorious result of your hard work." She covers her 'mouth' in a pointless gesture. "Unless, is that the point? Mr Cowboy, don't tell me that you..." She trails off meaningfully.
"That I what?" I send her a suspicious look as she doesn't elaborate. "Whatever you're implying, I strongly object to it. This is not the final product. This was a compromise, just to test the fundamentals."
"Of course. Of course." She soothes in a far-too-understanding tone.
She's definitely implying that this is a fetish of some kind. Did beating her second challenge turn her into a pervert?
"It's not." I insist in the face of a Cape who doesn't quite seem to believe me. "What's with that tone? Finish the thought - go ahead!"
"Nothing, nothing. It's none of my business what you do in your free time." She waves at the air as if to brush off the question. "Now, what do I need to do to free you from your... device?"
"The tips of the claws at the back, I turned them into latches that can interlock with each other for stability - you can retract the lock, and then the claws can be moved again, once the supporting straps are loosened." I rattle off as she circles behind me. I let her peer at my back for a moment. "I really should clarify, this absolutely isn't a sex thing."
"I never said it was." She does a poor job of sounding shocked at the suggestion. I can hear the veiled amusement behind her words.
"Sure. Just thinking it. Needed to make it clear." I grumble, ignoring the way her hands linger on my back as she removes the latch pinning the claws in place - I bring my arms up to support the frame in case it suddenly falls.
"Mhm. I'll take your word for it, I don't want to pry into your personal life." She 'accepts' blandly.
"There's nothing to pry into." I attempt to glare at her over my shoulder.
"As you say." She agrees again as one claw loosens. "I will say, these are impressive knots. You and your friend must be very experienced-"
"Stop." I groan. "This is my greatest invention yet, and you're ruining it for me. I already apologised for barging in uninvited-"
"Must have missed that." A second claw comes loose, I stagger forward and rest the frame on a nearby table - easing myself away from the remaining claw.
"Huh? I did-" I pause. Did I? Maybe I didn't, actually. "Huh. I guess it didn't." I pause reluctantly. Maybe I was just bad at apologising. It felt a bit too much like conceding defeat, but it really shouldn't be a big deal. "I think I was at least apologetic-sounding?" The silence continues as I turn to face her. I raise my hands in the air. "Fine, fine. I'm sorry for barging in and scaring the daylights out of you. Happy now?"
"It's something." She retrieves a phone from... somewhere. Does that thing have secret pockets? "Although if you were really feeling apologetic, you could stop asking for last-second adjustments to your costume. Even if you're willing to pay, I do have other commitments than just you."
"In fairness-" I start. "-a good chunk of my requests, they're because of some new power I picked up that I didn't have before and it would be nice to have a costume that works well with all of my powers."
"I can understand that, but let's be honest, Mr Cowboy - most of your requests seem to be seeing another hero costume and trying to incorporate that into your own in some way." Parian steps away, gesturing for me to follow. "If you can't even settle on a colour scheme, let alone the design, how am I ever supposed to finish?"
You don't. I don't say that. But I think it. Until Parian and I became... either friends, teammates or fuckbuddies - the relationship of client and tailor would have to continue. Could I push for that now? I don't think so. As much as I had criticised myself for not pushing harder on Emma and Taylor at the time, I saw them every day - there were things to build on there, relationships shaped over time that just didn't exist here. I was only a customer. Perhaps, in her mind, a little more attractive than her usual - but no more than that.
And I didn't get the impression that she was as much of an introverted pushover as Mush, as exploitable and vulnerable as Squealer, or as grateful and excitable as Leet. I didn't have anything to work with here, not without potentially ruining what I had.
It really was a shame. Not being part of any real organisation or having any real friends around her made her a great target for me, even if I threw caution to the wind and went all-out on completing her challenges as fast as possible without even trying to help my power ease that reality into place... who would even notice if she became my personal slut overnight? I'd get more useful powers out of it, and fucking a Cape outside of my 'team' would be an achievement all on its own anyway.
Not that she would only be an achievement for me. I liked Parian. And I'd beaten her to death enough times to know that she was hiding a pretty rocking body under that costume too.
"Are you coming?" I blink at the question.
Pay attention, Greg. "Right, sorry." I follow her through to the back of the building.
"This one." Parian guides me into one specific room. I whistle softly at the costume propped-up in the centre. "If not for your most recent batch of requests to add things, I'd almost be ready to say that it was complete."
I step closer, considering the costume for a moment. Eidolon-style literal-cape on the outside, dominating the overall aesthetic and doubling up as a potential mask - and different sections seemingly marked as easy to rip away if placed under enough tension. Underneath that, the practical side of the costume. I'd always stand by my opinion that the only thing bodysuits are good for are to look good and appeal to a certain fetish. I should know, because I was the target audience in that case. But the only reason you should ever wear just a bodysuit is if your power is stronger than any conventional material. Alexandria? Fine. But there was a reason that the Wards of this city had actual armour on their costumes, because that was what actually protected you at the end of the day.
Now, I couldn't just walk around in a suit of metal. Not with the powers that I have. I need to move around, outmanoeuvre people and shift from one power to the next - fluidity and flexibility was more important than raw durability. But that just meant that I couldn't look like Gallant. While I had some complaints about them, the practical defensive properties of Vista, Shadow Stalker or Kid Win's costumes were closer. Free-moving, but capable of turning a blade - or even taking a bullet in the right circumstances. Not that I ever intended to count on that.
That was what I'd gone for here. A strong protective layer hidden under the cloak that didn't interfere with any of my current defensive powers. I'd tested things to be sure. Glory Girl's shield would 'stretch' as my clothes got thicker, but there was a limit before it refused to expand more. My speed-state obviously got slower as I got heavier. My shadow state has a weight-limit before it starts refusing to consider some things as 'me'.
That didn't mean I'd entirely abandoned looks. First impressions - or just impressions - were important. Dark colours across most of the design, not something that would look out of place next to Sophia - or even Taylor's original suit. On the inside, a mix of grey and silver with a slight trim of royal blue around the armoured padding and greaves is the splash of colour needed to make it look less... villainous. A little more heroic. Jagged diagonal streaks line one side to draw the eye, with the opposite side hiding the bulk of a utility belt.
"Can I try it out?" I glance at my escort with a questioning look.
She makes a dismissive gesture. "You may as well, I suppose I'd rather hear about any new ideas now than have to read messages trickling in over the next few days." She shrugs. "I can unlock one of the changing rooms if you'd like some privacy-"
"No need, nothing you haven't seen before." I dismiss, using one hand to hold my domino mask in place as I slip my shirt off. "I think I'd actually be flattered if you tried peeking, actually."
Her gaze snaps away from me as I look up to catch her gaze. "Please be serious, Mr Cowboy. I'm a professional." She murmurs, floating the costume towards me with a sharp motion - before firmly pointing her head in entirely the opposite direction.
"Just joking, I know you have perfectly pure reasons for ogling me." This was definitely a 'keep the under-layers-on' kind of costume, right? Probably. Best to assume so, if only for the sake of Parian's purity. "After all, if I rip something trying to get into this the wrong way - that will definitely be a pain for you."
She half-turns back to watch me mull over the costume. "It would be easier for me to see it in person, rather than as a series of vague requests on PHO over the course of the next week." I hide a smile at how easily she accepts the offered excuse.
"You can really just ignore me if I ask for anything too off-the-wall, I'll probably have forgotten it by the time we meet up next anyway. I just get ideas, and think - hey, why not pass those ideas on to the person who actually knows what they are doing?" I consider the best way to start slipping into the costume. Legs first? Ah, this part detached at the back- "I mean, you've clearly ended up with a pretty cool design here-" I'd need to test durability at some point, but perhaps I'd want multiple copies for that. "-so I think it worked out in the end, right?"
"It is nice to get back to designing costumes." Parian admits. "I'd do it full-time if there was demand, so I can't complain too much." She watches as I squeeze into the rest of the costume. "And you're certainly not the worst customer I've ever had. In fact, it's actually quite nice to be on good terms with a new Cape - the last few that have come asking weren't quite as pleasant to be around. And, at the end of the day, I'd rather a customer offer too much detail on what they want and need to compromise - as opposed to too little, only to leave unhappy anyway."
I nod in understanding. "I mostly think about ideas as I run into problems with what I'm wearing, or when I learn new aspects of my own grab-bag powers. I've just been using thrift store stuff, maybe some things criminals leave behind, some of my old clothes - you know how it is, whatever I had to hand when I needed to patrol. So, the issues I run into covered in an oversized hoodie and a bunch of scarves are different to the problems I have in full motorcycle leathers and a full-face helmet. Getting a more consistent costume would be nice."
This arm goes in here, pull up - and finally, flip the hood up and turn away to swap out the mask.
"Satisfactory?" She probes, gesturing towards a mirror.
"Mhm. It's-" I still my tongue, half-glancing at her challenge cooldown. Still twenty minutes. Not a lot, but I didn't exactly have much reason to stick around once we were done here - there were good odds that she would kick me out after this, getting back to whatever she does in her free time. Needed to stall. "-good, maybe a little tight around this area?" I make a gesture around the shoulder area, making some mock test swings and lunges. "Feels like I'm fighting it a bit when I move."
Parian makes a clicking noise behind her mask. "I can make some adjustments. It isn't an uncommon issue, plenty of teenage Capes have growth spurts at the wrong time - and the extra muscle from the lifestyle change among new Capes doesn't help either. I'd hoped my initial measurements would last a little longer, but I'll take some more precise ones now before you leave."
"That would be great." I'm a genius.
Under her impatient orders, I remove the costume again - hiding a grin at her poor attempt at covering her eyes throughout the process. I let her fuss over the measurements, and the adjustments. I'm not going to lie, I'd never been a fan of the concept of being fitted for clothing. That was a rich-people thing, or something that girls did in movies about becoming the secret prom queen or something like that. The thought of being surrounded by people with tape-measures and scissors didn't really fill me with the warm-and-fuzzies. But being fussed over by an attractive - even if that fact was hidden - Cape was something I could hardly complain over. Everything really did get more appealing when it was being done by the objects of a man's sexual fantasies.
And then there was the added bonus of feeling like I was in on an inside joke. I'd generally accepted it as a fact that, with two relationship boosts - most girls would be willing to fuck me, with enough exposure, appropriate encouragement and set-up. Parian had one. And while it wasn't an exact science and simply claiming that she was halfway there would certainly be wrong... it was pretty safe to assume that there was at least a little interest now. I wasn't going to push the issue... but even simply knowing that fact was fun. Were these innocent touches and additional measurements on my chest, waist and arms really all that necessary? Did she truly need to squeeze there? Run her hand across a muscle like that? Was it required for me to stand around half-naked for the entire process? Or could she just not resist getting a little handsy with her newfound crush when handed the perfect excuse that she'd likely never be called out on as the resident expert?
Maybe I was overthinking it. Maybe it all really was necessary. But I didn't think so. I didn't mind. Quite the opposite. I liked the attention. The feeling of power knowing that they were into me, and felt the need to hide that fact. This must be how normal girls felt literally all the time, at least when talking to me - before I got powers. I get it now, I do. The feeling of being wanted. Desired. A little intoxicating. A little addicting.
Except, unlike me and those girls so long ago - this story has a happier ending. Given enough time, I'd bring Parian over to my side and dick her down however much she liked. None of this self-imposed isolation to keep the peace and her current status as a Rogue in place - she'd be part of my team. My woman. Her current theme was a little creepy, the mask and costume would definitely need to change. Not too much. Seeing as she already had a vaguely Victorian theme and a certain way of speaking, I'm thinking a full-on maid theme would suit her prim-and-proper, yet still polite-and-serene attitude. Ideal for bending over and taking any time, any place. No harem was ever truly complete without at least one maid anyway.
I tilt my head as she works on the adjustments - interest piqued by the appearance of a half-dozen needles racing through the air in time with her own work. "I'm impressed, I didn't even know your power could do that - let alone that you could multitask with it so effectively." I lie smoothly. "It's incredible, really." That wasn't a lie. PHO would love to know about that, details on Parian were sparse - the consequence of not getting involved in fights on the street, where recordings, calculations and speculations did the work of fleshing out the information on the wiki.
"Hm? Oh." She follows my gaze to the needles. "You're quite kind, Mr Cowboy - but it's really just my power at work, rather than any great skill on my part. It's nothing really worth talking about."
I disagree. "I wouldn't say that, I'm quite sure if I could move around a half-dozen needles like that all at once I still wouldn't be able to manage so much as fixing holes in socks. "You shouldn't disparage your own talents like that. It's fine to brag sometimes, take it from me. I do it all the time."
"I don't think that would suit me." Parian drawls. "You can take the spotlight for both of us. I don't particularly enjoy attention from the public, I'm quite happy with what I've carved out for myself. My business is more important to me than any notoriety."
I wave her off. "I never suggested going on an ego trip on PHO, but there's nothing wrong with showing off in front of friends. Like when I came here with my Tinkertech thing? I had to show it off to a friend after finally getting it working - and really, you need a Cape to really appreciate Cape powers being used in cool ways." I make a gesture. "So. Have some pride. Is six your limit? How many can you use at once? Is it, like, willing the entire thing to move in a certain way like your dolls - or is it a puppetmaster thing, moving each of the strings in their own way manually?"
"A friend?" Her expression remains hidden by her mask, but she doesn't sound repulsed at the idea.
"Naturally." I nod firmly. "Anyone who puts up with me in their private messages for more than a week without blocking me automatically becomes a friend of mine. Those are the rules."
She seems to ponder that for a minute. "It seems sudden, but - if those are the rules, then it seems I have little choice but to accept it." Is she smiling? I choose to believe that she's smiling.
She's probably cute when she smiles. The full-face mask is really leaving my imagination room to work with here. Yes, I've seen under the mask - but her expressions in real life would obviously be markedly different to the bloodied, hate-filled rictus of fury that I'd seen previously. Getting a glimpse under the mask only helped fuel my imagination. Until proven otherwise, I was simply going to assume that everything I said was a critical hit on the romance chart and that she had a silly, lovestruck smile and a glowing blush under that mask. That's going to do wonders for my ego.
"As for your question-" Oh, right. I was trying to trick her into revealing information that I might be able to use to kill her easier. Almost forgot. "-it isn't that there's a hard limit, but it's as you said. Willing a mass of strings to move in a certain way. I can split my focus somewhat, but there's rarely a need to go above a few at once - it's directed by my thoughts rather than a mental muscle that I personally move, if that makes sense, and I can only focus on so many things at once. For something like this, I just don't have a need to use any more. Even if I had the room or inclination to set up dozens or a hundred needles like that, I couldn't employ them all usefully to, say, near-instantly complete one of my projects."
"You know that because you've tried." I surmise. Her weight shifts slightly, and I get the impression she feels a little sheepish about that. "But if you had to split your focus less, just throw a hundred needles into the face of someone you don't like - that would work?" I snap my fingers in the air. "If you used all of those strings to simply tie someone up? Or, if you tied those individual threads together into rope for more strength?"
"That isn't something I get the opportunity to try that often. Unlike you, I'm quite happy not looking for fights." She responds drily. "I suppose doing that would be achievable, though I think you'd be disappointed with the results. My power is more about creating containers to... 'pour' my telekinesis into. Without a container, it's difficult to apply any notable force - in the first example, it might be very painful for the unfortunate soul I'm targeting to have a hundred attacks like that thrown at them, but it would be a lot of effort for something that would have almost the same effect as a small handful of more precisely-controlled strings targeting sensitive areas. I can't push my power through living skin, so most of the effort would be surface-level at best."
I already knew most of that, but it was good to have it confirmed. "And the other examples? My teammate has her bugs carry strings around. One string doesn't do much, but fifty strings working together is a different story."
She sounds bemused. "Is my power really that interesting to you?" I shrug helplessly in response. "Tying people up or restraining people is possible, I suppose. But it's still just strings and threads without any added power behind them, I'd need to carry around previously-prepared material to tie them up with well enough that they couldn't just easily break out of. Doing that is hard to justify - I can only maintain so many dolls at once, I'd have to cut my numbers down just to be able to try it. And, frankly, even if I could push people around with my strings - any of my dolls could match and exceed that feat far more effectively than simple string could." She makes a gesture towards an inactive doll in the corner as if to make an example. Snake. It was easy to imagine the strength it might wield when constricting around a target.
I think she's not quite appreciating the power that quantity has in this case, but Taylor had taken a while to start appreciating the things her bugs could do too. And if Taylor wasn't so good at multi-tasking with her swarm, she'd probably drop the string-shenanigans in favour of the 'primary' power of drowning people with bugs too. Parian just... didn't have the need. She didn't go looking for fights, didn't need to struggle for her life - and thus, didn't appreciate the utility - and lethality - that this 'minor' use of her power had.
I should probably be happy with that. If she used that effectively, she could become a nightmarish opponent to close in on. If my version of that part of her power was any stronger, I'd be drowning in options the moment I had a sturdy enough bit of material to work with. Running away, and wrapping threads around my opponents legs, a ready-made noose around their neck just waiting to be weaponised - narrowly avoiding the Manton Limit by stitching through clothes instead of skin to restrict movement. My version of her power could take threads out of my own clothes with enough focus, could she do the same with other people? I don't know, but it seems that it doesn't matter what she 'could' do - it's about what she 'does' do. That's what the REAL modifier is about.
Although, it does raise the question - if her fighting tactics and morals changed today, would the challenge version be affected?
Maybe I should offer less suggestions.
She continues. "And, making rope doesn't change much as far as the uses of my power go - as I said, it's about being a container for my telekinesis. If I turn fifty different threads into a single combined piece, I don't have fifty times the power in the result, I just have a larger rope that can contain a little more of my power than any individual piece that I had before." She raises the adjusted costume critically, inspecting it for flaws. "Here. Try this. That will be a more productive use of our time than trying to make every part of my power into a deadly weapon."
I flush. Was I PHOing too hard? No, impossible. "Bad habit of mine. Maybe it's the nature of my own powers - I've got so many smaller ones, I can't help but look for ways to link them together." I tilt my head as I take the offered costume. "And, besides - you can't really say you aren't at all interested, right? If you thought I was some new Empire Cape, you were ready to fight then - not answer the door with a smile and an invitation. It's obvious that you aren't their type-" I pause as she stills. "-and I don't mean anything by that, by the way. I know I've got the looks, but I'm set on being a hero. I'm just saying, I can tell you were worried about what they might do. Adding a few tricks to your toolbox - and having an awesome friend on speeddial - might just give you some peace of mind."
"Kaiser's left me alone for a while now. I'm not expecting that to change anytime soon." She doesn't confirm or deny my 'assumption'. "And even if I was expecting trouble, I couldn't ask a customer to risk his life just to protect my business."
"A customer, sure. But a friend? Why not?" I counter, slipping the costume back on in the process.
"I still feel like you're throwing around that term a bit too casually." Parian shakes her head. "At the end of the day, this is just a business. I can just move, rebuild somewhere else. It would be frustrating to have it upended, but it's nothing worth risking someone else's life trying to protect."
"Just your own? You weren't looking to run when you saw me." I smile. "Let me worry about my own decisions. I'm a hero, saving damsels in distress is what I do - and I'm pretty much guaranteed to clash with the Empire at some point anyway. Even if it doesn't come to a fight - even if they just posture - having me show up and changing the maths might be enough to deter them. We'd make a good team."
"Is that where this is going? Recruiting for your team?" She doesn't sound offended. "I told you, not interested in being a fighter. I'm doing exactly what I want to be doing - as much as business allows, at least." Right. Puppet shows and birthday parties weren't the most glamorous form of side-job.
"I wouldn't say that - though I wouldn't turn you down if you wanted to." I finish getting into the costume, slapping the armoured padding before shifting into the shadow state, then the speed-state, then testing Glory Girl's shield. Perfect. "It's about common enemies. Or, call it selfishness if you really don't want to believe me - only one person in the world knows how to make my amazing new costume. I've got to keep that person in business, and that means not letting the Empire burn the place down when they throw a fit about your status as a Rogue near their territory."
She rests lightly against a nearby wall. "I have insurance for that. Burning it down might actually be beneficial for me, I could move to a nicer part of town."
My lips quirk upwards. "Again. Common enemies against the evils of the world. Dragons. Nazis. Insurance companies. If you need a match to get things started early, I can keep my mouth shut."
A noise from her is quickly smothered. The closest I'll get to a laugh while that mask is on. "I think one of those isn't quite like the others."
"Just the one dragon." I nod wisely. "In this city, there's always more of the other two no matter how hard you fight, but we might be able to scratch that one off the list at some stage."
"Not quite what I was thinking of." She crosses her arms. "And if it's all the same to you, I'd rather not test your grand theories about moving strings around being a secretly amazing power against the pyrokinetic dragon." She deadpans.
"I wasn't suggesting that." I concede. "Not that he has any reason to come here anyway, the last thing he wants right now is another enemy."
"No, you were suggesting I use strings against the Empire instead. The one where the majority of their Capes have some form of cutting ability or some other aspect of their power that would trivialise restraints." She amends serenely.
I open my mouth. I close it. "Okay. That's fair. I was a bit stuck on thinking how I would use it, but against the Empire specifically - maybe it wouldn't always be as optimal as it would be against some other opponents. I'll admit that much. I still think it's a cool skill worth working on though. Not just as a productivity cheat, but a combat tool."
"You're far more passionate about this than I would have expected." Parian seems bemused.
"What can I say?" I pull a face. "I like powers. I used to theorise about them every day before I got my own. Things are different now, but I haven't changed that much at least. If you're convinced the idea is doomed, what's the big weakness dragging it down?"
"I know it seems like an amazing thing on paper, but really it's often more trouble than its worth - for anything other than needlework or as a last resort, using my power properly and making dolls is the best option. As I mentioned, I don't really control threads as much as I control the power that my threads happen to hold well." She holds two needles in the air to make a point. "If the 'wires' cross, I'm not controlling two strings - I'm controlling two string-like shapes of my power, that have now collided into each other and aren't really distinct any more at the point of contact. It takes time and focus to untangle that if I can't separate them by moving either end, and if a knot forms it might just be impossible for me. It's more chaotic than it looks - and if I had time to prepare all of that for something that could be ruined on its first use, or even just by a sudden impact or harsh wind - then that likely means I had time to prepare a more effective bodyguard."
I raise an eyebrow. Knots? Was it really that simple? I could do that. I could easily do that.
Admittedly, I'd have to find an opportune moment to do that while not being killed by the tiger-thing in her challenge - but my control over the strings seemed to trump hers. I just needed her to extend her new ranged attack once, twist one in every direction around the others - then point and laugh at her inability to project a consistent ranged attack again.
While running from the cat. Let's not get ahead of myself.
Maybe she reads too much into my silent musings. "But, maybe you're right. It wouldn't be too troublesome to experiment more. Perhaps the next time you come, I'll be the one showing you something interesting." She straightens up. "I think those measurements will do. I've got a few finishing touches that I'll finish early in the coming week - leave it here, I'll show you out when you're ready. As pleasant as it's been, I refuse to entertain you all evening when I'm supposed to be closed. You'll make it a habit, I'm sure."
"I honestly forgot about that part." I flick my eyes to her challenge screen. Four minutes. Good enough. I get changed slowly anyway, something Parian doesn't seem inclined to complain about. There's no pretence at shyness this time, simply a slight tilt of her head off to the side - yet still at an angle where her eyes could see me if she looked. Alas, it was hard being a chaste male in a city full of perverts who think they can get away with anything just because I can't see their eyes. "I'll get out of your hair. Thanks for putting up with me, and for all of your work so far."
We walk back to the front of the building. "I'll let you know when the final product is ready to be picked up."
"Is it too early to order spares?"
"Yes." That was blunt. "Let me clear my backlog a bit first. I can't set everything aside forever just to handle express orders-" She sighs. "-especially when they came with so many modification requests mid-commission."
"I will try to contain myself." I promise solemnly.
"We'll see." The doubtful tone says it all. "Make sure to take your... device, with you."
"Right." My ash clone settles into life next to me, already heaving it into position around my chest. "Won't take a moment." That was a lie. It did take a moment. Not just because the method to attach it was clunky, but also because taking my time to tighten everything helped to tick down the final minute I had before Parian's challenge cooldown was up.
Parian watches the proceedings blankly. "Somehow, much less exciting than what I had pictured in my head."
I send her a suspicious look. "What exactly were you imagining?" She ignores me. Three. Two. One. "Challenge." I whisper.
Change of tactics. Minimising the downtime of my ash clone was important, which meant minimising the initial uptime - which meant baiting it to be killed almost as soon as it spawns. I charge forward the moment the challenge starts, ash clone spinning to life off to the side the moment the cat moves to intercept me. She seems content to ignore it for a moment, so I manually urge it forward - even as I hastily swap back to Glory Girl's powerset, sidestepping the charging big cat while waiting for my moment.
I don't have to wait for long. Understandably, she's not interested in a close-quarters battle. My ash clone stumbles and dies in an instant, a flash of silver in its chest the only sign anything happened at all. I couldn't see the strings from here, which meant I couldn't target them - a rapid swap to Vista's power fixes that, pinching space between us enough for me to spot the weapon that killed my ash clone. Switching back to Parian's power, I send one of the strings into a twisting, looping frenzy around the others - before switching to the next one in my vision and doing the same. I'm interrupted only by the arrival of the doll-cat - no longer blindly charging but seemingly intent on obliterating my limbs with targeted swipes instead.
That'll have to do then. My ash clone returns and I assign it as an administrator with Parian's power with a touch, then rapidly back away to lead the danger away from my more vulnerable partner. I invest a charge of my shadow state while backpedalling to avoid another deadly swipe, and can't stop the savage smile of satisfaction as my ash clone stays standing - Parian not even making an effort to approach it. Understandable. Without that weapon, the nature of this challenge worked against her - the initial set-up gave her a powerful doll from the outset, but unlike the previous challenges, no extra material sitting around to make more.
Now, if I was her, I'd start stripping and weaponising my costume right now - but this isn't the LUST modifier, but REAL. I've always considered REAL to be one of the more neutral modifiers, losing the benefits of having a more predictable enemy - but in turn, the weaknesses and hangups of the true individual start shining through. I suppose the only takeaway here is that Parian isn't the type to fight in her birthday suit - or at least, isn't the type to think about doing it in the heat of the moment.
Another shadow state charge to charge right through the doll, then back into Glory Girl's powerset to continue recharging her shield. Hurry up, ash clone. If you don't trap this thing, I'm going to run out of defensive options real fast. Another second bought. Vista's power is still on cooldown. A ghostly kick smashes into the charging Brute via my echo powerset. Another half second of distance, a little further to run - until, once again, I'm reluctantly forced into the shadow state again as the doll catches up to me.
I tab over to my administrator power, checking in on my ash clones perspective. A thread was partially wrapped around the target, at least - but at the pace we were both moving, it was spending most of its effort simply keeping the string from flying off or breaking rather than completing the pseudo-restraints.
Fine. I wait until it reaches me again, sliding under it's floaty charge and attempting to find a handhold on something, anything to keep away from the limbs. Nothing. I couldn't touch it. Forcefield. I already knew that, but I'd hoped for some kind of irregularity between the different parts that made up the construct that I could latch onto. No such luck. But my flailing does one thing, it stops us from racing around the room - both of us were still struggling for position, but doing so largely in one place. Exactly what my ash clone needs.
I'm tossed to the ground for the crime of attempting to climb atop my foe, accepting one glancing blow as the price for keeping it still for a moment as it reorients itself towards me and attempts to finish me off. Only then, as the limbs of the creature smash down on me - do I expend Glory Girl's forcefield. One hit. I get a glimpse of a string looping around its neck as I attempt to roll away from the next blow. I fail. My left arm takes the blow, and I feel something knock out of place in an instant. One charge of my shadow state returns. Not yet. I shield the next hit with my dislocated arm, I wasn't in any position to use it anyway - and the cat, or rather, Parian behind it - seems more than happy to accept the minor win of crippling me rather than driving forward for a chance at a more final victory.
Which leaves my right side completely free to brush up against the dangling thread hanging loosely off of the invisible forcefield around the head. Freeze. Only now do I use the shadow state, backing away and out of reach of the long limbs - a motion that would have been foolish just a few moments earlier, backing away just let it charge forward to keep pace with me and force me to use another defensive ability before I'd gained any time at all. But now, that attempted lunge is stopped in place - held by barely visible strings neatly looped around every limb and circling the torso twice over, all neatly clockblocked in place. Something I could never do to a human, but this thing didn't have the Manton Effect getting in the way.
My ash clone and I turn, as one, towards Parian. She's already running, perhaps realising exactly how much trouble she is in until her bodyguard frees itself. She's slower than me. I race towards her, one arm dangling uselessly - but it's fine. I'm confident, and my ash clone is more than capable of playing support while keeping itself unharmed in close melees like this. She doesn't get far.
Last challenge, she could use her power in different ways to slow me down and my ash clone was busy. This time, even with one arm useless - she has nothing. It's a 2v1, the result was assured the moment the doll was trapped. Crippling and restraining her is simplicity itself with the extra help and her lack of tools. I tear her mask away, idly noting the morphing tiger in the distance - seemingly attempting to split itself into smaller dolls, but evidently struggling to do it alone - perhaps because of the restraints, or perhaps some aspect of the design that made that difficult. Either way, too slow. Too late.
I jerk her head backwards, leaving her neck exposed. A needle rises up into the air, a tangled mess behind it - this one was under my control this time. I glance through my ash clones eyes as it thrusts at a throbbing vein highlighted on her neck.
It takes two jabs to get the result I wanted.
SUCCESS
Reward: Textile Manipulation (2)
"Told you." I flick blood off of my hands, a pointless gesture as reality fades away - but, whatever. It felt real. "Feeling real justified now." Another point for the REAL modifier actually being a nerf if the target was heroically-minded. Or, at least - reluctant enough to kill with a power well-capable of it that it formed part of their fighting style.
Next, before Parian can finish ushering me out of the building.
Parian
Rogue 4/6
(PREP) (ZONE) (ALRT)
"Challenge." Nasty combo. Parian used PREP well, similar to a Tinker in some ways - starting out the match with larger, complex dolls ready to go. ZONE prevented any escapes, and ALRT meant that the stealthy approach was out.
But she didn't have the HUNT modifier, so there was a chance that I could hide - only my initial location was revealed. I barely even register the fact that I'm back in a building before activating Vista's power and the shadow state to jump up to the next floor. No cables in the way, fortunately. Safe, for now.
The room shaking disabuses me of that notion - and then I have to correct that thought. The room wasn't shaking, the entire building was. A glance out through the window reveals the ZONE wall, and the continued shuddering and splintering noises reveal the truth of the situation. The ZONE restricted me to just this small, tall building, and Parian had dolls sizable enough to just tear the building down right from the bottom floor. Presumably, her dolls could protect her - and she'd just sift through the rubble after bringing the entire thing down on top of both of us by knocking down every wall and support structure she could find.
And I couldn't do a thing about it. Less than fifteen seconds after the challenge starts, everything collapses inwards. I fall - momentarily weighing up the option of clockblocking some debris, perhaps for some kind of ambush from above - then deciding against it. It was unclear exactly how high up I was, and it was unlikely that I would be able to achieve what the fall of an entire building failed to do - at least one doll was clearly dedicated to her personal protection. I tumble through the air, having to expend two charges of the shadow state just to survive the fall and the debris from above, then the third and final one to reach the surface of the debris pile at the bottom to avoid being crushed underneath it all.
As the dust starts to clear, I see them. Giants. All three of them. Gorilla. Octopus. Eagle. They don't notice me. Don't see me, even when looking straight at me. More proof that it was Parian that controlled them, and without touching her strings or the power of the HUNT modifier - she couldn't see me and set them on me. I could sneak around them.
Not for long though. The gorilla and octopus were both on the offensive, the former slamming suspicious-looking piles of debris that I might be hiding behind, while the Octopus sifts through rubble with pulverising force, aiming to foil any attempt from me to remain hidden. The eagle is on defence, with Parian tucked under one wing - guiding the demolition operation. None of the dolls even seem to register the collapse of the building, in fact, three nearby holes mark the fact that they simply pushed themselves up and free once the collapse was done.
I must have shifted my weight, made some kind of unconscious move, or perhaps the dust clears enough that I become visible - because her eyes abruptly snap to my location. If I can see her. She can see me. All three puppets turn to face me. No shadow state left for a few more seconds. My ash clone fruitlessly spins to life, Mush's power already starting to create my knight out of smaller pieces of rubble - but I knew the truth already.
I'm pretty much dead. I take the opportunity to mentally catalogue Parian's position, the speed and movement styles of her chosen creations. All the data points to one conclusion - the same kind of conclusion you reach when seeing an enemy in a game and seeing a skull instead of their exact level.
Try again later.
Level up a bit first.
I didn't have an answer to this. Even if I lined myself to descend on her directly from above - there was no way I could time any attack so well as to instantly kill Parian on landing. That was too precise, I'd have to hit her with neck-breaking force, an instant kill - after precisely passing through her guardian with the shadow state, a power that was still limited to 1-second bursts. That wasn't even in the realms of constant repetition, I'd need a Thinker power to get the win with what I had now.
But if I had a true offensive power that I could bring to bear in an instant. A gun. A blade. A blaster effect. I could ambush her. Find gaps in the search pattern of the two dolls that weren't guarding her, perhaps find pockets to traverse to underneath the rubble - make my way behind her, and strike a killing blow before she even registered that I was there. The trio of Brutes were clearly impossible to beat. The ground was shaking at their mere approach, and all three of them had effortlessly shaken off the weight of a building coming down on them without a trace of damage - I had to strike at the Master.
I just didn't have the tools, or the right approach. I needed more powers.
I stop my attempt to retreat as my ash clone is dispelled - I didn't see an obvious attack, but with all the shaking and the unstable nature of the fallen building - it could genuinely have just been glanced by anything falling into it or brushing against it. With it, my growing knight collapses - along with my last hope of a distraction that could keep me alive.
FAILURE
The gorilla claims the kill. A mass of debris crushed in its hands and hurled towards me at absurd speeds. Impossible to dodge. And even if I somehow did, it would only result in perishing to the charging Octopus a moment later - each tentacle alone twice the thickness of my own body, I didn't really want to see what it could do to me anyway.
I shake my head clear. Fine. I was no stranger to the latter stages of these challenges being... stacked against me. I was fine with it. Sometimes, I even benefitted from it - getting to see the full use-cases of the powers of my future teammates, hints at some aspects I might be able to use myself. And, ultimately, it wasn't like it was a true brick wall. There were plenty of powers in the Bay that could grant me the offensive power I needed. I just needed to meet the right people.
"Forget anything?" Her voice pierces through the fog as I return to the real world.
I make a show of patting my pockets as I step outside the door, taking care to not bash the protruding arm of the work-in-progress teleport beacon against the doorframe when I turn back around to face her. "Don't think so, unless I left some part of my outfit on the floor somewhere."
"That wasn't a question." She raises one hand in the air. A moment later, a screwdriver flies into it. "I told you, someone will trip on this if you just leave it around."
I stare at the object as she hands it off to me. No strings attached. Just telekinesis. "That's not made out of cloth."
"Very astute." She sounds amused. "Good night, Mr Cowboy."
"Your PHO entry really is just completely wrong. Maybe one of the most inaccurate ones in the city." I add absently. "Wait, so what actually is the limitation on your power? If you can move this, could you move, like - a grenade? Or, even-"
"Good night, Mr Cowboy." She repeats firmly. The undercurrent of amusement is still there, even as she closes the door and audibly locks it.
I glare at the door in faux-outrage.
She did that just to fuck with me. She knew speculating about her power would drive me crazy - and she was right, for more reasons than she knew. Because if her power wasn't textile-based, but simply works better with textiles - then how come my power rewards specified textiles only? I wanted general telekinesis too!
Alas. Nothing for it.
Time to head back. I hadn't only come here to see Parian, but to test out my Tinkertech. My little testing session had given me some ideas for the next step of my device, mostly working on slimming it down and refining it into something I can actually wear on patrol - but the controller for it was also probably a bit too clunky and easily waylaid. Not something I could rely on in an ambush, or easily fix and replace if it was destroyed.
Ideally, I'd make it something that was part of the design itself - but the 'part of the design' was still thinking it should be sitting on a disused construction vehicle. I'd need to lean on Leet's power to get the job done. Which was reasonable, so long as I was absolutely certain that I could handle the quirk that came out of it - and that I wasn't planning on iterating on the design afterwards. And I don't know if either of those points were true right now. I still had things that I could do with Squealer's power, as well as regular human ingenuity.
Actually, first thing I'm doing is swapping out the metal arms for something a little lighter. Or, even just a lighter metal. It was too heavy. Too bulky. The arm was obnoxious, but I was pretty sure I could just fold it down somewhere with relatively little effort - the only reason I hadn't already was because it was currently directing the approximate direction that the incoming teleports arrived in, and messing with that system without planning in advance seemed like a potential way to end up with something fused into my foot - or worse.
But those were all simple, relatively minor changes. In some cases, it wasn't even Tinkering - it was just, engineering. Moving one Tinkertech thing to connect with another. Once I'd stripped it down to the essentials - then I'd have something that was more than just a proof of concept. A weapon. A utility. The first of many, hopefully - even if I'd 'acquired' the most Tinker-y part of it from someone else, it was still mine.
I retrieve the remote. Change the dial to eight. Trigger. My ash clone catches the phone that tumbles out of the air, turning it on before passing it to me. Functional. If I could refine the targeting to become a bit more consistent as well, that would be great - but even like this, it was useful. A few limitations on total package size to consider, and the batteries would run flat at some point soon - they weren't exactly fresh when they went in - but not bad for a lazy weekend on my own, that's what I think.
I sigh. Back to Tinkering then. No such thing as a truly lazy day any more, even with school tomorrow - I still had a solid twelve hours ahead of me where I just didn't need to sleep. May as well use it. It could make a difference. Especially because refining this could result in a permanent armoury of sorts when out on patrol. Always having access to the modified mechablade if I could find the time to recreate it... well. I know it wasn't the most mobile or adaptable, and melee fighters had their own struggles against him - but even Lung or Hookwolf would have to fear and respect the power it could generate. It was the only anti-Brute weapon that I had aside from clockblocked strings, and teleporting it right on top of me was probably the only way I could bring it with me on patrol.
Were all of my Tinkertech toys going to have portability issues? I hope not. I need some smaller ones. Some fancy death-ray-pistol like the one that exploded in Leet's hands in their challenge. Something I can just tuck into my belt and have ready, without looking like I'm going to war.
I pause on that thought. Tools like that didn't have to be limited to Tinkertech - and I just got another one. A flex of will causes part of the seam holding my hoodie together unravel, enabling my ash clone to simply reach over and tear it off. I bring the upgraded textile manipulation power to the front of my mind as I inspect it. This one was different. A little stronger, yes - but I really needed to see if I could access a bit more of Parian's power. The real meat of it. The dolls.
I narrow my eyes at it. I know what I wanted, but it just wouldn't- I reach out to touch it. There we go. The hood folds in on itself in my hand, threads separating and binding to the opposing ends instead, forming a slightly off-shape ball.
A ball that slowly seems to inflate in my grip. I remove my hand, and the inflation stops - but the sensation of control remains. Touch limited for this part. Fine. I touch it again to resume letting the power seep in to the sphere - until, eventually, I hit a limit. Or, rather, until it seems like the amount I'm pumping into it is equal to the amount leaking out. I throw it from one hand to the other experimentally, bouncy - lightweight. And, most importantly, under my control - the same sensation of controlled manipulation as I had for the earlier thread-based power, except this was moving faster despite the extra size and mass. I have it float for a moment, then hurl it out to a nearby wall as fast as I can. About as fast as a child would throw a ball, nothing special.
Except it notably doesn't bounce off the wall to return to me. Instead, it makes a harsh thud and falls to the ground. I summon it back to me, the movement more sluggish than before - the power that I had poured into it already cut down by a third of what it had left my hand with. A problem with the materials? Distance from me? Some holes in the original hood that I simply hadn't fully closed?
I could work that out. What was more important was that - in my hand - I had a flexible ball again, greedily soaking more power back up into itself and reaching its limit again in just a few seconds. Soft and bouncy to me, but not to the rest of the world? That's how it seemed. On a whim, I toss it up into the air and slam my fist into it like I was hitting a volleyball. I use my control over the ball not to move it directly, but to guide it in a direction - preserving momentum while directing it towards my target rather than crashing uselessly into the ground.
The harsh sound of the impact on my target - an abandoned dumpster in an alleyway - resonates throughout the street. My ball limply collapses next to it, and I take a step closer to inspect the result. I trace out the side of the dumpster with a finger, marvelling at the near-perfect spherical indentation in the solid metal side of the container. Not quite piercing through, but drastically warping the thick metal all the same.
That had potential.
I scurry from the scene before anyone comes to investigate the sound, thoughts buzzing at the latest addition to my powerset. That was enough to kill a person if it hit them right, even if it might be a little difficult to aim at a moving target with the limited input the controlling part of the power had at those speeds. And it was a ranged attack. Not quite the one I was expecting or hoping to get first, but ranged all the same - with a bit of set-up, I would no longer need to be the one always obliged to close the gap as soon as possible in every fight. I might still be better off up-close depending on the matchup, but it wasn't because I had no other option any more.
My phone buzzes in my hand before I can consider the list of challenges where I could benefit from my recent power acquisitions. A new notification arriving the moment it finally finishes booting up.
The Brockton Tribune
PRT ENE set to announce new Ward!
In response to recent inquiries from the Brockton Tribune, the PRT ENE have confirmed that a reveal event has been scheduled for Tuesday the 5th of April at City Hall to announce the latest roster addition to the Brockton Bay Wards. While little is confirmed about the new hero and their powerset, we do have a name in advance - Browbeat! A name that certainly seems to evoke the feeling of an up-close-and-personal fighter. You can be certain that our reporters will be at City Hall to get all the juicy details about the newest addition to Brockton Bay's Cape scene, and perhaps, if we're lucky - snag an autograph in the meet-and-greet afterwards...
Well now. Isn't that interesting?
And here I was worried I'd have nothing to do this week.