Armsmaster stepped off his motorcycle in front of the storefront belonging to the rogue. It was highly unlikely that this rogue will join the Protectorate if they already declared rogue status. Nevertheless, he brought both forms just in case. They were loaded into his armor, ready to be printed out. A PRT van stopped behind him as a PRT captain left it. The captain was reading the report regarding Lung.

"We have no clue on how Ahamkara grants wishes. But it is assumed to be a striker effect seeing as she keeps a shopfront." the captain says. "Do you want us to accompany you for potential recruitment?"

"No." Armsmaster grunted, "I'll be fine. Just make sure that no villain decides to attack the store while I'm here. Keep comms open."

Dragon was still watching through his camera as he approached the shop. It appeared to be a stereotypical fortune teller storefront. Those of frauds and rogue Parahuman Thinkers. They usually don't last long.

The rumors in the PHO thread show that she has been operating for one week now. A rumor that the PRT has chosen to ignore until her wish's effect on Lung. A bit embarrassing, but if the PRT reacted to every rumor to ever exist, then they will be stretched too thin. Especially in such a fragile city like Brockton Bay. But now, if they do manage to recruit her, the PRT will have such an upper hand in the power scale of this city. If her power is as overt as just powering up Lung, then Colin himself would become famous for bringing in the parahuman. Maybe she could even boost his efficiency.

He entered. The odd bones made a dull banging noise as he passed through him. He had later analyzed them and discovered that they were of no species on Earth. And on a lounge chair, there sat Ahamkara.

"Hello Ahamkara." he said, "The PRT would like to-"

She held up a hand, interrupting his pitch.

"Take a seat and have some tea," she quietly responded, looking at him with a curious tilt. "Then we can talk."

She stood up and picked up a kettle that was boiling on the table next to them. She picked it up and poured two measured amounts of the liquid into a porcelain cup. Taking the two cups, she sat down and placed it on the table, looking at him expectantly.

Colin grimaced as he looked down. What was she planning? Was this a simple nicety or is she abusing her privilege as a host?

"Just drink the tea, Colin." Dragon spoke into his comm unit.

Ahamkara seemed to smile even more as he reluctantly took a sip of the tea. This was a power play. Then again, it is often easier to satisfy an unknown parahuman's ego rather than to be confronting. He paused in thought at the meaning behind the word that the rogue's name is based on. It is Sanskrit for, in its simplest definition, the human ego. The illusion of power. Where reality and thought are indiscernible to the one in the state of Ahamkara.

The girl continued to look at him while taking momentary sips. Armsmaster sighed. She wasn't going to start the conversation. Something about her is unnerving as if she is just observing his very self. Judging him. And she found him wanting.

"The PRT would like to offer affiliation or recruitment of Ahamkara," he said as he placed down the barely-sipped tea.

Ahamkara sighed and placed her tea down. "You're a hero that I had admired since I was young," she admitted, "For that, I'll keep a more open mind. Do you know what my power is?"

"We were hoping that you would at the very least come by for testing," Colin answered. He wished that he had built his social interaction module. Why would she open with that phrase?

"It's a shame. Because your determination is so great. Your greed would be so filling. But I can't afford it." she emoted some displeasure before continuing, "Have you ever heard of W. W. Jacob's story?"

"W. W. Jacobs is an English writer who wrote many short stories. His most notable one is The Monkey's Paw, where wishes are often tricks. It's a cautionary tale on defying fate" Dragon answered as the tone of her voice by the end seemed to trail off in shock.

"Oh." Armsmaster immediately realized just what Ahamkara's power is. Her name. That story. She is an illusionist that gives the hallucination of a perfect wish. But how was Lung capable of beating Simurgh. It is extremely different from its sibling Endbringer, yet Lung barely twitched to the Simurgh's telekinesis even while he was ripping its wings apart.

"You recognize it?" Ahamkara continued, "So, do you still want it?"

Wait. What. How did she? "What is my wish?" he clamped down on his shock.

"A wish for fame and knowledge?" she tilted her head. Her amusement returning. "I can easily grant that, O' inventor mine."

He flinched at the phrase. By what exactly did she mean by that? He was very tempted. He felt lost. Dragon seemed to be lost in thought, not responding to his queries.

"It's just a gift." Ahamkara said, "You don't even need to use it. You can look at it and admire its existence. No fall until you dip your toes into it."

He gave in. It's way too tempting. Once she gives him whatever he "wished for", he'll just…. She gave him a blueprint that she materialized in her hand. It was a booklet. Thick with a bloody red symbol on it. The book was on the table. She gestured at it before she held out her hand. Probably for the papers. He handed her the affiliation and the hero form as he snatched the booklet and latched it to one of his pockets.

"Is there any payment?" he asked.

"No," Ahamkara smiled, "It's paid when you use it."

After Armsmaster left, Ahamkara chuckled as she relished in what has been and his determination. Oh, how single-minded he is. He doesn't know it, but he was already caged the moment they spoke with each other. Ensnared in a gilded cage.


-0-


Armsmaster returned to his lab after informing the Director of his encounter. She simply told him to write up a report and preliminary threat assessment. There was a turf war between the E88 and ABB. And that was more important.

Dragon had already left his system to check up on other things. He knew that one of her programs are still watching him like the overprotective friend she is. He smiled before he grabbed the book. He opened the page and started to read it. What was it? As he continued to read it, his face blanched as he realized just what it was. This is asking for a Kill Order! So that's the monkey's paw.

But, if he were to repurpose some of the functions and altered them, then maybe, he can conspicuously create some new tech. After all, their matter reconfiguration ability can help him create nano-edge technology. Lung can be incapacitated after his evolution. Armsmaster, the Conquerer of Lung.

He copied the book in his printer before throwing the original into a case box. The machine next to it woke up before efficiently packing up the book and labeling it. The book's title shone brightly in the now darkened lab as the lights turned off while Colin left to request some materials. On it, there wrote SIVA.

Oh, how polluted a mind infected by ambition can be. O' reader mine, how egotistical can a man be. Their hubris? I hope the reader will not fall to their ambitions. Corrupted and lost.


-0-


Oh. How easy it is for Worm canon to die. Pretty sure that Armsmaster would never be this reckless. Hopefully, Dragon will do something about it. Now then, I continue to research how absurd Ahamkara's wishes are as long as it is related to a person. Like seriously, Mara Sov's Ascendant Realm was woven by the aid of Riven of A Thousand Voices. That's pretty much the creation of a Reality Marble, except a dimension. Like, Nani? Also, Ahamkara has meta-knowledge. This will very much affect this story.