"I had to ask."
"I told you."
"Could I inspect you weapon at one point?"
"I have not taken my saber apart in some time perhaps later. Now please guide me to my master before I break my word."
"Then follow me." Miss Militia pointed to the open hatch. Skye used all her willpower not to rush in to find him on her own. As they entered the hatch Miss Militia stopped.
"What is wrong?"
"This weapon what is it?" Skye looked at it and blinked a few times adjusting to the contrast between the light outside compared to the passageway lights.
"That is a G-203 Needler if I am correct. It creates a tiny entrance burn, but boils more of the internal flesh then an average blaster. Its stun setting is not as reliable to not inflict injury. Rapier carries one."
"Oh okay." Her power rotated through more weapons as she continued to lead Skye through the Rig. A few times another weapon would appear in her hand, and she would ask her what it was and each time the name was followed by what it did to one that was shot with it.
They were very brutal weapons but seeing the armor they wore it was no wonder. She had seen several parts of different videos where they ignore the incoming bullets. With the shielding and the special armor, a kinetic impact did little. Of course she did not know about the bruising that Skye and Foliage had to heal.
As they entered the medical bay Skye no longer held back as the various curtain fluttered in the wake of her sudden burst of speed. As she got to the bed the strange dog alien was in the quarantine bubble was ripped down and the girl was holding his hand with a hand on his forehead. Only the steady slow beat of its heart the only sound remaining. Her hands began to glow as the heart rate increased from her master. Then it leveled off to one that was normal before being disconnected.
They talked in a language that was elegant and flowing. Neither rushed their word as Skye let a river of tears drop from her face. Then Master Edriagt sat up as she presented his blade to him.
"I will take it later." His hand rested on the hilt and Miss Militia got a headache every time she focused on one of the lightsabers. It was as if her power did not know how it functioned. She focused on a few of the blasters she knew and then let her known weapons rotate again. Then she blinked as she had understood him.
"He knows English?"
"I was not cut off from the world around me child, and Skye shared her knowledge with me."
"Child?"
"Yes, when you are as old as I am everyone looks like a youngling. Strange these humans are."
"Master Miss Militia is a parahuman. They have a power that allows them to do impossible things."
"Of two minds they are. Dangerous this thing in their heads are." The girl spoke in their language which with how calmly they spoke as he flexed his limbs and tore off the paper gown he wore. Miss Militia rushed to the side and opened a drawer as he was now naked. The clothing that was in the drawer flew out before she could even grab it and she turned fast enough to see him dress as if several invisible servants were helping him.
"Thank you. This clothing will do. I want my armor returned to me. My robes, my former padawan has. We have much work to do, and I have much to learn about your people if we are to help you."
"We could use your assistance, but I am not sure how cooperative the Protectorate and the US government will be. They will just see you as another cape."
"I have a feeling our efforts will change their minds. Now I want to see this ship graveyard that dangles in your mind."
"You can..."
"Master these sentients fear anyone who can read the mind. The being that attacked us on the way in is the reason." He clasped his hand behind his back as he began to walk.
"That thing is not a being. I feel it even now quietly searching the future and the past. Never in the present it is. Fascinating as she is, a problem she will be. Do not be alarm child. The Force is my ally and a Jedi I am. Your thoughts are your alone, but your impressions are easy to see without a shielded mind."
"I will take that into consideration, but others will not react kindly."
"I am not worried. Now I have a craving for what you call a steak, yes? Lead me to the galley and we shall talk over food. I find it calms the body while the mind discusses things of importance."
"You can smell steak cooking?"
"My master's sense of smell is almost better than his eyes as most Bothans have acute hearing and smell."
Discussions lasted nearly a week and involved the PRT HQ with the Protectorate and the Wards, The Mayor and his board, the Bay's police chief, fire chief and marine patrol chief. Then there was the Dock Workers Union as several other construction companies brought it. To include the school boards at times and the state representatives at the end. Even the Governor was linked in on much of the discussions. The various groups still in the Bay had their say as well.
Enter the Cauldron
Coil had held off on his plans as every time he asked if he should reveal the identities of the former Empire capes it resulted in his likely death. He was currently in his role of Thomas Calvert and in the other timeline, he was hiding in his base. So far, he had resisted the Travelers and their need for him to act on his promises, but he was running out of time.
That Jedi and her alien master had leaned heavily on him to allow him access to his base. Thankfully they did not know where it was, but that like many things was a matter of time. That they did so not knowing or not explaining why would be revealed soon if Trickster was smart enough to ask as he was standing right next to the former Panacea.
In fact, his group was mixing in with the Undersiders and the Praxeum was not to his liking. What was worse was that Genesis was sitting not that far from Foliage or the Jedi as she was near the edge of the largest dock in the bay. If they offered to heal her the subject of Noelle surely would come up, but Dinah had insisted through her numbers that he should be here.
The governor was here with the mayor, and they watched as those that could flew above the ship graveyard. Even Kaiser in his role as the CEO of Medhall was here. Several members of Sherwood limited were here as well as a dozen other members of the upper echelons of the city. The most attention was drawn to the the fighter sitting on the end of the pier. Though the news crews showed little attention as they were focused on the two meditating Jedi. Then the crowd gasped. Coil moved to a better position as so did others.
He caught in glimpses through brief gaps of one of the smallest ships floating up out of the water slowly. Then it moved causing the crowd and the cameras to shift. That was amazing and impossible in his eyes but was not the only thing as a few of the ships still floated were moving as well without the aid of a tug or the derelict engines inside.
A large series of explosions brought everyone their attention to the largest ship in the bay. The nine-hundred-foot cargo carrier was clouded in a spray of water and smoke. It took time for all of it to settle, but the ship was still there. Then the levitated ship crashed back into the water as the fighter rose into the air. Two bright flashes launched from the fighter as everyone looked suddenly to the ground if they were not wearing the special glasses.
Coil pulled the welding shield down he had as the people on the dock ducked down. The streaks of light burst into two points almost too bright for the thick darkened lens. The light expanded and grew longer as the connected from two spheres to nearly cover most of the ship. The flash vanished and he quickly lifted the shield to see that the center of the ship was gone. The shock wave pushed him over and into the people behind him.
He missed the water crashing back together against the remains of the ship, but he heard the following waves crashing again the pier as he struggled to his feet. Sundancer grew a sun and shot it out to former bow of the ship. It melted as the girl struggle to control it. She did the same to the former stern leaving no trace of the ship above the water line. The crowd was cheering as a Coast Guard cutter ship moved slowly into the bay after fifteen years. That was not the end of the event as more ships were moved, but he saw none of that as Amelia Lavere was holding Jess's hand as she stood for the first time.
He closed that timeline to watch the rest of the event appear on the screen in front of him. He had a lot of work to do. Starting another timeline, he ordered his men to quietly evacuate the base. While his otherself contemplated the possible consequences of the girl being healed enough to stand.
"You called boss." Dinah was in front of him with his hands on her shoulders to steady her.
"Yes, I did. Pet I have some questions."
"Candy?" Coil grinned under his outfit.
"Not yet pet questions first."
"Okay?"
"What are the chances that the Jedi and Foliage or Panacea of healing Noelle if I let them?"
"76.5398%"
"And if I leave."
"76.5398%"
"What would the chance be if I killed the rest of the travelers?"
"Zero percent. Candy? My head hurts." Coil was stunned was their someone in the group that could help Noelle? Had they had the solution the entire time? Trickster was a teleporter and Noelle was possible to be moved by him, but he had no other abilities. The same with Sundancer. She could burn away part of her body, but that would not solve anything. Ballistic was the same. Perdition had some form of time manipulation so maybe him.
"Is it Perdition that will help Noelle?"
"0.5873%"
"Hmm, that would leave only Oliver, but I can't..."
"86.9453% chance of Oliver helping to heal Noelle. Candy please?" He waved them away dismissing that timeline and starting another asking similar questions over and over making sure it was correct. He canceled the evacuation calling it a test in one timeline as the other left the city.
He was quickly losing control to the Undersiders to the Jedi Praxeum. With Genesis healed by Amelia it was clear he lost any control over the Travelers. His carefully constructed plans unraveled the more and more the Jedi got in the way. The girl had been completely unpredictable and her master more so once Thomas knew about him. The PRT labeled him as a case 53 even pointing to a pattern in his fur as an Omega symbol, but it was clear he was not one.
Coil was in a truck on the way out of the city as his otherself sat back down at his desk. It was not the first time he had abandoned his base only to shut that timeline down. He jerked as the truck suddenly braked hard. It came to a stop, and he looked outside to see Alexandria rising out of the asphalt over the lead truck. He was not too worried she might not be, nope she was, as in a flash she picked up the first vehicle and flipped it over.
"Get out here Coil!" He shut that timeline down and then froze. A barrel of a pistol was suddenly pressed into the back of his neck.
"Contessa." He could feel the smile she wore.
"Coil you have failed, time to serve Cauldron."
"I can still recover."
"Perhaps, but what you will do is dismiss your men."
"And if I don't?"
"You die." Coil touched his intercom.
"Evacuate and leave without me. Confirmation code Alpha, Alpha, Charlie, five, tree, eight."
"Door to my office." A door appeared beside the desk and Contessa pushed Coil through after he stood.
Taylor was still on the pier watching the ship, first of many, to pull up to one of the long disused docks. Her father was right next her blocking a bit of the breeze that was coming behind her. Brian was on the other side. Close, but not as close as she wanted him. Regent and Imp were off to the side laughing as they talked. Lisa and Rachel tossed a frisbees as the dogs chased after them. There were still capes moving around the smaller vessels. It felt so surreal that something that had been such a fixture of the Bay was now no more than melted slag and piled scrap metal. Another sun appeared as it grew larger to hover over one of the derelict ships. She shivered as it melted.
"To believe that you can do something like that, kiddo." Danny suddenly spoke as he looked down at the sand. Several crabs moved around until Taylor focused on them. They began to circle as they all came together. Once they made a complete circle, she let go of them.
"I don't want to think about it."
"It is done and over. We can't change the past. None of can we just have to live as we can." Brian stated.
"I still wish it had been me and not my little owl." Taylor felt her face heat up as she shoved against her father. He put his arm around her had hugged her closer. For once things were going good and he so wished that Annette could be here to see how proud he felt of his daughter. Scared too, but what father isn't as they watch the precious little girl, grow up to be the woman she was meant to become.
"Dad, you would look like a stick in spandex." They all laughed and turned their attention back to the water.
A week is a long time for a city that was under constant threat for Villains and their gangs. Now the port was open again and construction crews had more jobs than people to fill them. Ex-gang members were the most likely pool to pull from and strangely they might complain, but they worked while doing it. In time they might just stay out of jail. With two Jedi and their teams roaming the streets and with the Derelict buildings getting fixed or torn down it was hard for a gang to just come in and set up shop.
The teeth had sent in a few members to the city, but they were picked up within hours. Armsmaster had his people patrolling everywhere and this was with members of the growing Jedi Praxeum. That the Undersiders moved into Skye's old warehouse nearly confirmed they were on her side. The travelers remained inside of Coil's base.
It was not Skye or Amelia that helped Noelle become normal but Oliver to as it was discovered that somehow, she could do nothing to him. Like he was a ghost. Amelia used this by merging his hand to hers. It gave her the protection she needed. Then she used a bit of mass to help restore Jess before she was able to tell Noelle to shrink. This was at the same time that the two Jedi focused healing on the girl. Noelle's lower half consumed itself as it reversed the process that had made her grow so large.
Then Oliver was pulled through Noelle. Once out he had changed dramatically. His face was perfect as well as his skin and complexion. His hair at a length that would be normal for a girl or a boy to have, but with a few strokes of a brush he could look more boyish or very much like a girl. He was pretty. Perfectly average in every way, but with a few differences. He was faster and stronger even with a very high reaction time. The duality of his head was no longer there.
Noelle on the other hand grew to six feet and her skin changed to a silver that glowed. Every imperfection she could have had was gone. Long white hair grew down to her ankles as her eyes turned a shade of green that nearly glowed. Her Gemma and Corona Pollentia as with Oliver's was now in active.
Dinah opened her eyes as she looked around. She saw her master and then stood up to walk over to him. He did not react until she came right up to him.
"Candy?"
"No child, here." He held out his hand and she took it. A warmth flowed through her and around her mind. It dulled the passenger in her head and the addiction, so that the future was not so noticeable. She could still ask questions but was less likely to give her a headache. Even so Master Edriagt or Knight Skye could turn the headache off. Foliage still refused to do anything to someone head.
"Master do you want to ask me any questions?"
"I have several requests."
"Four questions."
"Youngling I only ever have three. Chance in the next week that Brockton Bay will experience an earthquake?"
"0.1397%"
"Chance in the next week that Brockton Bay would be quarantined?"
"5.7633%"
"Very good now. Chance that boardwalk will be closed in the next week due to water damage?"
"25.4982%" Dinah looked to the board as the marker squeaked. She looked over the results from the last week and the difference was up by twenty percent.
"How are you feeling?"
"My head hurts a bit, but I am okay."
"Good to hear. Focus on building your mental shields and join me again tomorrow morning." Dinah looked at the board again.
"Shouldn't you ask another question?"
"The Force tells me just as much. The future is always in motion you will see that we are prepared." She felt good as he radiated his presence strong enough that she could feel it. She then took off running as soon as she got out the door. Her parents were waiting on her. She might not be able to leave, but they did not stop her parents from visiting.