Note: I don't own anything


Chapter 2.2: Winging it


It's been two days since I met Parian and created a costume Fullbring. Last night I contacted Faultline through PHO, said that I'm a new Cape and asked for a meeting, which she agreed to. I don't have a plan, but I believe that I can somewhat predict her reactions and responses to what I'm going to say. Not because I'm good at psychology, cold reading or anything like that, but because Faultline is a pretty straightforward person, or at least I think so. Originally, I wanted to trade my knowledge about Case 53s and Cauldron in exchange for her help in setting up a new identity for me, but after I got my latest Fullbring this goal has changed. With this Fullbring's ability, a little bit of information and a lot of patience I will be able to kill Coil for sure. With his death, all of his resources would come right into my hands, which of course could be used to set up a new identity. I knew that I wasn't smart or competent enough to dig through and manage it all properly, it was just too much information. I needed someone to do that for me and to reach that person as soon as possible I'll need Faultline's help.

My costume Fullbring looked slightly fancier than two nights before. I kept the previous look of a shirt, gloves, trousers and shoes, but also added a tie and an asymmetric vest with no buttons. I also stole a grey bowler hat with a black ribbon from one of the clothing shops on my way to the nightclub. During the last two days, I figured that to activate the new Fullbrings main ability I needed physical contact with a solid object, but this object didn't have to be attached to the ground or anything else, which meant that I could activate the main ability midair as long as I had an object to "sacrifice", so to speak. As long as I was in physical contact with a solid object I could immediately turn into its second shadow, becoming attached to it, and long as I was attached to the object I could watch and listen to everything that was happening around it, even if the second shadow was far away for one reason or another.

What was more important and useful is that even though I was automatically attached to the item when the ability was activated, I could easily detach myself, my point of view transferring to the second shadow that automatically turned itself into the usual round spot of darkness. Basically, it was a very limited form of semi-random teleportation. One of the uses I figured out for it is flying up really high, activating the ability while making the object I was now attached to fall down, detaching myself from the object and reappearing somewhere below where the second shadow previously was. What was even better is that I could somewhat target where exactly I would appear, changing the position of the second shadow to aim. Of course, to do that the object would have to fall for a really long time, so that I would be able to find the shadow in the first place, then change its position.

I reached the Palanquin nightclub after just a few minutes of flying. Standing in the air, I looked down at the bouncer and a relatively small line of people near the main entrance. It wasn't surprising that not that many people came out to have some fun tonight when Empire was about to explode into action at any moment. Of course, I wouldn't do something as stupid as walking through the front door. Faultline told me that a man will be waiting near the back entrance and that I had to do something to prove I'm a cape. Obviously, this was just her way of getting some information about me for free. This was an almost unavoidable trap for any Cape that wanted to talk with her, and sadly, I didn't have the means to avoid it. The worst part about this trap is that the more you tried to avoid it, the more Faultline would learn about you in the end, so the only way was to just play along and decide which bit of information about yourself you would prefer to give her.

Landing on the roof, I started walking down the wall towards what I assumed to be the back entrance. A large, bald and obviously muscular man wearing a suit was standing by the closed metal door and smoking. Even though I should've made plenty of noise as I walked down, my steps didn't make any sound thanks to my new costume. I activated the precognition power just in case as I got closer.

'This will be hilarious' - I thought to myself.

'I know exactly what you're thinking, and its a bad idea.'

"Hey!" - I shouted, standing right above him.

"What the-!" - the man suddenly turned around, lost his balance and fell on his ass - "Oh, you're the Cape I was waiting for. Damn, don't do shit like that, I could've shot you."

'Pffthahaha! Fine, you were right, it was funny.'

'Hahaha! I know, and experiencing it twice almost at the same time only made it better!'

"Sorry." - I said before jumping down from the wall, then, after landing, gave the man a hand, helping him to get back up.

"Alright, follow me. Faultline's waiting for you in her office on the third floor." - he said as he opened the metal door. We entered what looked like a storage room, and it was much bigger than I expected. While there were a lot of crates and boxes stacked on top of each other, the room was mostly empty. I hated club music and even though it wasn't as loud here, the room was far from being soundproof. Even worse, because of how spacious and empty the room was it turned the club music into a muffled and echoey mess. My dislike for club music was also the main reason why I didn't check this place out without the mask. It was a petty and stupid reason, of course. We walked out of the storage room into a small corridor. To the left, there were two doors, one of them obviously leading to the main room, the door itself visibly shaking from the sound, while on the other end of the corridor were the stairs.

'Damn, that's a nice beat.'

'You've got to be fucking kidding me. You are literally me! We are the same person! How can you like this garbage?'

'I don't know, maybe deep down you like it as well and just don't want to admit it.'

'Ugh, whatever. Enjoy the ear rape while you can, because I'm not going back here if I don't have to once the business is done.'

"Hey, by the way, what's your name?" - the man asked as we were walking up the stairs.

"What."

"Your name. What do you call yourself?"

"Are you... stupid? I thought Faultline knew better than to hire those who ask questions instead of just doing what they're told."

Obviously enough, this was another trap. I didn't know if the man himself was aware how dangerously useful small talk could be, but in the end, it didn't matter, because it was just another way for Faultline to get some extra information on me for free. I could never be completely sure that Faultline wouldn't decide to put a knife in my back, so limiting the information about me that is available to her could potentially save my life.

"Calm down, I was just curious. If you don't wanna tell me, then just say so."

"If I find out that any information about me left the doors of this establishment then I will slaughter everyone here. Is that good enough for an answer?" - I replied, calmly.

"..."

"Thought so."

'Are you using him as a delayed message?'

'Yeah, I'm going to play nice with Faultline, but you can't be too nice with people like her. Once our meeting is over I have no doubt that these words will reach the boss lady's ears, make her think twice about betraying me. Not like I'm going to follow through with the threat though, at least not directly.'

We continued walking up the stairs in silence. My best strategy here would be to exploit the limited amount of knowledge that I had to create an illusion of being extremely well informed, while also limiting the amount of information about me to exploit the fear of the unknown. If all Faultline knew about me is that I know things then she wouldn't go against me until she learned more, and even if she did, I would have some advantage. Finally, we reached the third floor. Most of the floor was just a big room, a VIP lounge where Faultline's crew and a few other people were relaxing. Newter, the orange lizardman, was lying on one of the couches and reading something on his phone. Several civilian girls with stupid expressions on their faces were sitting on the other couch, probably drugged out of their minds by Newter. Gregor The Snail was at the bar, watching TV, a glass of some amber liquid in his translucent hand. Labyrinth and Spitfire were nowhere to be seen. I applied slightly more force as I closed the door behind me to get some attention in a natural way. Just walking past them wasn't an option, because it would be rude, and talking first to get their attention could be interpreted as a show of weakness.

"Oh, hey! You're the new guy, right? The one that Faultline was talking about?" - Newter asked. - "You probably already know that, but I'm Newter, and that's Gregor over there."

Instead of immediately replying, I tapped the guy who led me here on the shoulder and pointed at the door behind me. He looked at Gregor, silently asking if he should leave, and the snail man replied with a nod before turning his head back towards the TV screen. The man nodded in return and left. Before he did, I marked him with my gun's ability just in case if he decided to eavesdrop, which he didn't. I took it as a sign that his attempt at a small talk from before was indeed just one of Faultline's little traps, instead of natural curiosity. Taking the hat off I turned towards the Capes.

"Hello, nice to meet you. As you already know, I'm a new Cape. You can call me Borrow. I'd love to sit down and chat with you guys, but I'm sure that neither of us wants to keep your boss waiting." - I said as I moved closer to them.

"You're late." - Gregor said in a neutral tone of voice without turning his head. He was more interested in whatever was on the TV, and I found the lack of a greeting from him to be insulting.

"Well, if your men did their job instead of asking questions then I would've arrived a bit earlier." - I said dismissively - "Anyway, where's Faultline?"

"She's waiting in her office. It's that door in the corner." - Newter replied, pointing at the doors general direction with his thumb.

"Thanks."

I marked both Capes with my gun's ability as I walked towards the office door. I knocked on the door three times and waited for several seconds until I heard an irritated "Come in!" from the other side, then I walked inside and closed the door behind me. The office itself was pretty spacious, but because it had a lot of things in it, such as several bulky wooden cabinets to the left side of the entrance, or a map of Brockton Bay that had not only the gang territories marked on it but also the patrol areas of the Heroes and territories of individual parahumans, the room looked smaller than it actually was. To the right of the entrance there were several bookshelves, and judging by the few book names I caught with my passing glance, most, if not all of them were about Parahumans and things related to them. I doubted that Faultline actually read all of these. The boss lady herself was sitting behind a large wooden desk that had several small stacks of paper and a personal computer. The Palanquin leader was in full costume, minus the cape.

"You're late." - she said, and unlike Gregor, her tone of voice conveyed only irritation.

"You know that you look ridiculous, sitting there in a full costume, right?" - I answered as I walked closer. Because Faultline didn't say anything else I continued walking and sat down on the chair that was right in front of the desk. Faultline silently stared at me for a few seconds before finally speaking.

"You came late to the meeting you asked for, Borrow. Do you understand just how disrespectful it is?" - she asked in a cold monotone voice, leaning slightly forward.

"Sorry, I was too busy jumping through your hoops." - was my reply. I really didn't like her attempts to gather information.

'I thought we decided to play nice, no?'

'I am being nice.'

"Alright, why did you want to meet? If you want to join us, then I'm sorry, but you're not leaving the best of impressions right now."

"That's what you should've started with~" - I replied with false cheer in my voice - "I want to sell you some information about Case 53s."

"Hmm, and the price? What do you want in return?"

"Oh, not much, just a few little favours."

"Not money? I could be very generous if the information is worth it."

"No, while money is a useful tool, almost as good as a superpower, really, but I think a few little favours from you are much more valuable."

"Alright, let's hear what those favours are."

"First, you know Tattletale, right?

"Ugh."

"Yeah, I want you to help me set up a meeting with her, alone."

"Fine, I can help with that. Anything else?"

"Second, make sure that no information about me leaves this building. That includes my Cape name, my appearance, my visit here and everything else. Well, except for the information about Case 53s that I will give you. Do whatever you want with it as long as my name is not attached to it."

"Well, that should be easy as long as you don't reveal your presence on purpose, or if someone outside doesn't spot you going in or leaving. You've got more?"

"Hmm, there are two more, but those may not come up at all, so let's leave them be for now."

"I don't like such uncertainties."

"Ah, don't worry. You can refuse to do either of these last two favours, although I wouldn't if I were you."

"Is that a threat?"

"Hm? No, it's more of a friendly warning or advice, really."

"Fine then, If the information is worth it then I agree to these terms."

"Now, about my part of the deal. It would be much easier if you told me what you already do know so that I wouldn't waste everyone's time."

"Not much. I don't know where Case 53s come from, but they are definitely different from regular Capes. Not only because of their unusual appearance, but also because none of them have any memories about who they were before, and all of them have the same tattoo. This is definitely not a coincidence, and someone is behind it. That's everything I know for sure."

After Faultline was finished I didn't reply immediately, both for a dramatic pause effect as well as to make sure it was all she had to say. There were several ways how I could approach this, but because I was dealing with a mercenary that was loyal only to herself and her crew I decided that the best option would be to give her as little information as possible and to make sure she understood that I knew more, way more than that.

"Hmm, that's about as much as anyone knows, really, which is a little disappointing. I expected at least a little bit more, but I guess this is it."

"Just get on with the info already."

"Fine, here's how it is. All Case 53s are artificial parahumans. Almost all Case 53s are people from different Earths. That's one of the reasons why its impossible to restore their civilian identities even if the alterations to their bodies were minimal. As far as I know the tattoo is just a brand, similar to the cattle or slave brands, or bar codes we so commonly see in stores."

"So you're saying that all Case 53s are a result of human experiments?"

"Hmm, pretty much. Have you ever heard about Cauldron?"

"Yes, although all I heard are just some rumors. I know that Cauldron, whatever it may be, exists. It's almost impossible to find any traces or mentions of Cauldron on the internet because they always get completely erased. More often than not whenever Cauldron is mentioned, the rumors about powers in a bottle come up as well."

"Cauldron produces the so-called powers in a bottle - vials. They have multiple formulas, some more stable than others. Whenever someone drinks one of Cauldrons vials there is a small chance that it will... malfunction and turn them into a Case 53. Then Cauldron takes them, marks them with a tattoo, analyses them, and either keeps them contained until they are needed, turns them into a Cauldron agent, or simply wipes their memories and releases them in a different world."

Faultline was speechless for at least a minute, thinking about everything I just said, no doubt. It was a lot to take in. While this world was already crazy enough as it is, it had standards and norms. Creation of artificial parahumans was way out of the norm. Sure, there were some methods of achieving that, but none were as reliable and as hard to believe as powers in a bottle. It was fundamentally different from capes like Teacher who were able to grant powers, or methods used by China, Gesellschaft or The Fallen, who tortured people with the potential to become a parahuman, creating an artificial Trigger event.

"And do you have any hard evidence? Something confirming that everything you just said is true?"

"No."

"Then how am I supposed to trust this information of yours? It could all be just some mad man's fantasy for all I know."

"I don't have any evidence, but I know where you can find it."

"And where's that?"

"Now, that is the question, isn't it? I already told you a bit more than I originally planned, not to mention that it's not just about Case 53s anymore..."

"I don't know if I should or shouldn't call you a greedy bastard, considering how little you asked for in return previously. So, what's the price?"

"Ah, and now we return to the last two favours I mentioned earlier. In the next five to six months I may or may not contact you and ask for a favour or two. Help me with those and I'll tell you where to look. Alternatively, if I won't ask you for any favours, I'll tell you five months later anyway. Sounds good?"

Once again, Faultline was deep in thought. She could refuse, right here, right now, and I would be the only one to lose something by the end of this conversation. After all, I already gave her a pretty big chunk of juicy information.

"What if I refuse to do the last two favours?"

And this was the moment when I screamed 'Got her!' in my mind.

"Well, I would still give you some of the information, but I would deliberately make everything more difficult for you by omitting a few things. After all, we're not doing charity here, you and I. It's a business transaction like any other. You could even say that I'm trying to hire you right now."

"And what if I betray you? So far this deal seems to heavily favour my side, and I find it very suspicious. You're basically offering me valuable information almost for free. Sure, it's unconfirmed information, but such things are not that uncommon when dealing with Thinkers, and certainly more common than such sweet deals. I refuse to believe that there is no catch."

Faultline's suspicions were understandable and completely logical, yet it still irritated me. I was going out of my way to be nice here because I may need her help in the near future, not to mention that I planned to use one of the favours to make her sell the nightclub and leave the city about a month or two before Leviathan's attack. The other favour was reserved either for me or for Dinah and her family.

'She wants a catch? I'll give her a fucking catch.'

'Wait-'

"If you betray me, then I will tell you everything, and I mean everything, and you will break, and you will die." - I replied to her, keeping my voice calm, the cheerfulness from earlier completely gone - "Does that satisfy your curiosity?"

'Oh, fuck.'

"Are you threatening me?"

"Yes, obviously enough."

'Fuuuuuuuuck.'

The tense silence after my reply stretched for what seemed like minutes and my heart was beating so fast that I could swear it would jump out of my chest, but I tried my best to look calm and completely at ease, which would've been much harder without precognition.

"Alright, fine, It's a deal." - she said.

'Wait, it worked?!'

"I'll contact you on PHO about the meeting with Tattletale" - Faultline continued - "and I'll tell my men to keep their mouths shut about tonight. Not so sure about those surprise favours of yours, but as long as I can refuse to do these it should be fine as well. In return, I expect an organised text document containing all of the information about Case 53s and Cauldron that you are willing to share at the moment, including what you told me here today. Are you aware of our policies?"

'Holy shit, it actually worked.'

'Stop distracting me.'

"Well, I know about the two big ones: no murder, and no jobs in Brockton Bay." - I answered.

"Then we're done here if you don't have any other business with me."

'Don't forget about the last part, Canary and the warnings.'

By the time the other me reminded myself about that, I already stood up and walked half of the way to the door.

"Actually, I do have a question and several... gifts. Yeah, gifts, let's go with that."

"Go ahead."

"Would you abduct someone who was sentenced to the Birdcage in the middle of their transportation?"

"Doing something like this would be the same as publicly declaring ourselves enemies of the PRT and Protectorate if they catch even a glimpse of our costumes and abilities."

"So, would you do it?"

"Yes, for the right price. I hope this is not what you have in mind for one of your favours, because I can assure you that I will refuse. Too much heat for no monetary gain."

"Oh, I suspected as much. And no, this has nothing to do with those favours. So, what would be the price?"

"At least double, if not triple or quadruple the normal pay."

"And if I were to personally assist with the task?"

"Then we could negotiate a discount, depending on your contribution."

"Excellent!~ Now, about the gifts. It's just three friendly warnings, free of charge. First, don't trust the Number Man, he is your enemy. Second, don't trust Coil, he is the biggest fish around and plays all sides. Third, Undersiders work for Coil, so be careful with what you say to them. Anyways, nice doing business with you! Bye!~"

"Ugh, just leave already."

I left the office and closed the door behind me. Everything in the room looked exactly the same, except for one small change, Newter. Before I walked into the office he was scrolling through his phone and smiling, but now he was just staring at the screen, no expression on his face. I already knew why, of course. I felt Newter get closer to my position shortly after walking into the office. He was eavesdropping on our conversation. Because I wasn't busy with anything besides talking I could've probably created a sound barrier or something like that, but it would be suspicious and they would figure out a bit more about my ability and what I could use it for, and I didn't really care about him being there anyway. I started walking towards the door that led to the stairs, and just as I was about to reach it the same guy that led my here opened the door from the other side. Both Newter and Gregor seemed pretty out of it, so I didn't bother with goodbys and theatrics and followed the man towards the exit. As we were going down the stairs I heard a muffled sound of something wooden breaking and a young male voice, probably Newters, screaming "Fuck!". As soon as I was outside I walked up the wall to the roof.

'I still cant believe she agreed.'

'We probably have at least a few days until we get to talk with Tattletale. What should we do?'

'I say we spend a half of the time on training and experimenting, and the other half on planning the talk.'

'But what about my "do nothing" time? I can't give up on that.'

'Oh, by that you mean the time you waste on reading cape shipping fanfics on PHO?'

'Hey, how do you know about that?! You said you were sleeping!'

'Ahahahahahaha!'

And just like that my good mood was ruined. Sometimes I hate me that is him.


Author's note:

Surprise! I'm not dead!

I was kinda busy for the last several weeks, and it may get even worse soon. Installing Among us certainly didn't help, cause now it just swallows all of my free time like a black hole.

Anyways, now that this piece is done, I'm planning to write 2 or 3 interludes next instead of regular chapters, Tt, Taylor and Faultline PoVs, but I may change this decision depending on how it will go.