Interlude 1.1
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[B] Topic: New Boston Ward[/B]
[B]In: Boards ► News ► America ► Boston[/B]
[B]Watchm n[/B] (Original Poster) (The Guy In The Know) (Cape Groupie) (Power Guru)
Posted on December 3, 2010:
So I'm sure just about everyone paying attention to Boston is aware by now, but for those not in the know, let me give you a brief summary:
About a week ago, local collateral damage epicenter Bulldozer was transferred to the Brockton Bay division of the Protectorate. At the time, myself and many others thought that the Boston Protectorate didn't have a need for a guy who's entire purpose was built around hitting as hard as possible as fast as possible. Fair enough, someone like Bulldozer would be more useful in a festering hole like Brockton Bay.
But here's the twist; turns out, it wasn't a transfer, it was a trade! Everyone, say hello to the newest Boston Ward, Djinn!
There was a big public event, can't remember all the details, but short of it is that the local Protectorate team showed up and unveiled their newest member in the Wards, pictures and video are at the bottom.
Official story, she's a Case 53 that they found wandering the woods between Boston and Brockton Bay, which might explain the trade. The Protectorate here really likes taking monstrous capes in under their wing. It looks like power wise, there's not too much of a difference; Djinn is a brute rating at the very least, though they're pretty vague on it. They had her lifting some weights to show off, but they're (understandably) keeping a lid on everything she can do.
So, what're your thoughts guys? Are we looking at another Bulldozer, or another Weld?
Pics and video
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[B]► Fawn_oNe[/B] (Cape Groupie)
Replied on December 3, 2010:
Oh my god she's adorable! Boston already had its share of monsters, but I always knew they needed a monster girl!
[B]► Spok-Brow[/B]
Replied on December 3, 2010:
Fawn_oNe
Remember dude, she's underage. Don't grab the Mod's attention.
Personally speaking, she kinda freaks me out. Peak uncanny valley given form. She also seems a bit nervous in her interview; we sure she's cut out for the cape scene?
[B]► 3t3rnal_Optimist[/B] (Cape Groupie)
Replied on December 3, 2010:
Eh, I can't say much at this point. She seems nice, but nervous. At the very least, starting in Boston will be good for her. It's not the safest city out there, but it's a hell of a lot better than Brockton Bay. I wish her the best of luck!
[B]► ln_Awe[/B]
Replied on December 3, 2010:
Anyone else see this video yet?
Girl has an appetite that would put locust to shame. I feel bad for the Protectorates food budget.
[B]► R3ch3r[/B]
Replied on December 3, 2010:
ln_Awe
Holy shit, that has to be at least forty empty dishes! Where does it all go!?
[B]► Jok3r_Man[/B] (Power Guru)
Replied on December 3, 2010:
Well, now we know her real power. Never thought I'd see a cape with 'super appetite' though.
Anyone else wonder if that's in Eidolon's list of powers?
[B]► 0fended[/B]
Replied on December 3, 2010:
Wow really dude? 'Monstrous Cape'? Just because she doesn't look like a normal human doesn't make her a monster. Some fucking people, smh.
[B]► Watchm n[/B] (The Guy In The Know) (Cape Groupie) (Power Guru)
Replied on December 3, 2010:
0fended
Sorry, poor choice of words. I of course don't think Djinn or any of the other Case 53's are monsters; the term is thrown around here so often that it just sticks with you after a a while. Sorry if I offended you.
[B]► Contra-Rian[/B] (Temp-banned)
Replied on December 3, 2010:
Watchm n
Sure, easy to say that when someone calls you out on it. Your post history says otherwise you racist twat.
[Mod Warning: He apologized for it, no need to to start flinging insults]
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[B]► GentlemanRogue[/B]
Replied on December 3, 2010:
Calling it now, pink is the new color of terror.
Seriously, think about it! We know she's a Brute and thanks to that vid, we know that she's super stretchy. I'm just imagining a Weld-strength punch assisted by physics and am getting chills. Not the good kind either, the kind that comes with mass destruction of public property! :sob::sob::sob:
[B]► Theo-Ret[/B] (Cape Groupie)
Replied on December 3, 2010:
Actually, that's a good point. The girl has some sort of super stretch power at work here. Anyone else ever seen a cape like that before?
[B]► Archlv3[/B] (Power Guru)
Replied on December 3, 2010:
TheoR-et
the few I can list off the top of my head:
Weld has a pretty moldable body
Dredlok can do that weird thing with his hair
Glacia can add more ice to her constructs to make them 'stretchy'.
Name half the things Blasto churns out ofhis lab
That's in Boston anyway, and nowhere near as stretchy as Djinn seems to be.
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[B]► Four_Sh dow[/B] (Cape Groupie) (Power Guru)
Replied on December 3, 2010:
I think we're all missing the most important question here though. New Ward, new cape, and it's in Boston. Calling it now, but we're going to see Accord and his Ambassadors on the move again to capitalize on it. Everyone there, stay safe, the next few weeks could get messy.
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-M-
"Well, as far as first public events go, that was… adequate" said Glenn Chambers.
Armstrong closed the tab and looked over at Glenn's face on the screen, making no effort to hide his annoyance at the man's statement. "Given her history, I think she performed above and beyond what was expected of her."
"Sure, sure." Glen admitted; Armstrong could hear the shuffling of papers off screen. Rare was the occasion when Glenn wasn't busy, and on that level, he and the man found their common ground.
Glenn returned his attention to Armstrong. "At her age, and with her history, she did fine. Better than I expected if I'm completely honest. Unfortunately her appearance is more of a hindrance than a help, and there's very little I can do to help her with that."
Personally, Armstrong still wasn't sure why Glenn had gone with a genie theme of all things, but he lacked the creative vision that Glenn possessed for better or worse. He would not try to interject his opinion, when it came to costume design. His level of expertise was concerned with the capes under his jurisdiction and their powers, and what he read from the PHO and had heard from his subordinates, supported a theory that he had been developing since meeting Miss Hebert.
"You've done what you can, Glenn." Armstrong said. "But you came in at the bottom of the ninth, there's only so much you can do at that point."
Glenn raised a brow, and Armstrong ignored it; it wasn't his fault that he couldn't appreciate a good baseball analogy. Armstrong continued, "I've discussed this with the capes and the PRT agents. My current theory is that the aversion everyone has to Miss Hebert on first meeting isn't related to her appearance, but to a low level shaker/trump ability. Capes in particular have said that she unsettles them in an instinctual manner when they first meet her. Non-powered individuals find her off putting but nowhere near the level that the Ward's have described."
He didn't mention that Weld and Hunch didn't fall into this category. It was an interesting correlation, but until he had more data to confirm it, he wasn't going to say anymore. Case 53's interacted oddly with other powers on occasion, and it could simply be coincidence that Miss Hebert didn't unsettle them like she did the other local capes.
"Hmm," Glenn steepled his fingers and furrowed his brow, "That could be troublesome in the future. If it's possible Armstrong, try to keep Taylor away from interviews for the moment. We may be looking at an Armsmaster situation where we have to let her actions speak for her instead of her words."
Oh, Armstrong certainly hoped not. Few remembered it now, but Armsmaster's early days had been a string of PR disasters that had very quickly forced the (at the time) young hero to hang up his old identity and adopt his current one, with a standing order that he wasn't allowed to talk to the press without prepared speeches on hand. His actions since graduating from the Wards to the Protectorate had been what earned his reputation; his personality, had not.
"I doubt it will come to that, but I do agree that keeping Miss Hebert away from the press would be in everyone's interest. I assume this means a cessation of public events like today's?"
Glenn nodded, "Yeah. If you ever think she could add to an event, call me first."
"Noted," Armstrong said, and turned his attention to several new emails that appeared on his screen. He sighed and rubbed his temples, feeling the length of the day finally taking its toll on him.
"Can I confide something in you, Glenn?"
The man smiled, "Of course."
Armstrong gestured at the screen with his palm up, "PR is the least of my worries. What has me concerned, is how Accord and his Ambassador's will react to this."
Glenn arched a brow, "Really? I would have assumed the Teeth would be on your mind; aren't they making a move back to Boston again?"
That made Armstrong snort, "The Teeth are an issue like a storm is an issue. As long as you can prepare for them, the most you'll have to deal with is a few lightning bolts and some rain. No, Accord is the one I'm worried about. The man has a mind like a maze and the resources of a small country at his beck and call. Every change or tactic we adopt, he adapts and plans around. If Bulldozer hadn't volunteered to trade for Miss Hebert, I wouldn't have taken it; we were finally starting to figure out what Accord was planning and now everything is going to shift again."
"Oh trust me, Armstrong, you should be thankful that Bulldozer is gone," Glenn snickered. "Or do you want me to read up the list of damages he's already accumulated in Brockton Bay?"
Armstrong covered his face, "God no, please. The next Director's meeting is tomorrow, I'm sure Piggot will have plenty to bitch about then, I don't need to know what it's about ahead of time."
Glenn let out a bark of laughter, "Okay then, your call."
A voice off screen caught the PR Director's attention, taking him off screen for a moment. When he returned, his face was a bit more solemn, "Sorry Armstrong, I'll have to cut our conversation short. You know how to contact me if you need me, and I wish you the best of luck."
Armstrong saluted with his index and middle finger, "You as well, Glenn. As always, your services are greatly appreciated."
Glenn grinned, "Now you're lying to my face, for shame."
The session ended with a soft beep, and Armstrong felt some of the humor leave his body. His concerns were real, and those who had been in Boston the longest would share them. There was a new hero in the Wards for certain, which meant that the entire cape dynamic was about to shift, and shift hard. Accord was going to be on the march, and the only question was what his first move would be.
-M-
Jean Brown was very concerned for her employer. It was the nature of things, the nature of his abilities. Accord was a man of immense talent, power, and flaws. His reach was as wide as his ambitions were lofty, and his limitations as grand as his designs. Jean, known to the public as Citrine, prided herself in how she managed to compensate for his limitations. He could provide the brilliance and the resources to accomplish whatever he deigned possible, and she provided the human stability to ensure that they weren't bankrupted in the process.
It was a balancing act, one that she walked carefully every day. Which was why she was very concerned when Accord began to miss his scheduled appointments. A scheduled break, a daily review of events in the city, etc. Accord did not interrupt his schedules, not lightly. If he did, something was very, very wrong.
Citrine stormed up to his office, the guards at his door seamlessly stepping aside. The doors opened silently of their own will, exposing his office. Neat, meticulous, clean. There was not a chair out of place, a smudge uncleaned. The large expansive office struck a chord between lavish and spartan that only a man like Accord could succeed in pulling off.
That was of no concern to Citrine though, as she nearly stopped dead in her tracks. Papers had been scattered across his desk, some even having fallen to the floor. Accord sat at it, his mask off and his hands grasping at his head with frustration.
He was a short man, barely reaching over five feet tall. His face was plain, clean shaven, and he was dressed in a well pressed suit. Normally he wore an expressive mask of silver and wood even in private, but it lay on its side now, haphazardly discarded amongst the rabble.
Citrine wasted no time gathering the paper even as she never took her eyes off her employer. She spoke carefully, cautiously, as if speaking to an animal lost to its rage.
"Sir, what happened?"
"The girl." Accord said, barely paying her any mind. "The girl. She doesn't fit. She has no shape, she has no form. She brings it all down, the structure cannot survive. I cannot account for her, she cannot be accounted for."
Citrine glanced at the papers in her hands, and understanding blossomed. The new Ward, Djinn. She had known Acord was going to take time to review what was known of her, from both public information and the information their infiltrators had taken from the PRT's records. This though, was hardly a reaction she expected from him.
Accord looked up suddenly, his eyes wide with fear. "We can't account for her. She is chaos, entropy. Every plan turns to dust before my eyes. Every contingency planned, every idea formed, it all fails to coalesce."
Citrine's lips tightened into a line and she spoke slowly, confidently. It could be said that Accord did not take it well when his power failed him. One of his many… quirks.
"Sir, if I may be so bold," she said, "perhaps you lack enough context. After all, your power can only work so well with the information available to it."
A spark, a return of brilliance to his eyes, and Citrine felt at ease once more. Accord nodded slowly, and reached for his mask, "Yes. Yes of course. Thank you Citrine. I was… startled; My apologies."
"You owe me no such thing sir," she handed him the papers that had fallen, neatly organized by page number and expertly stacked; he expected nothing less.
Accord took them with the caution and care of a technician handling a bomb, and set them to the side. "You may return to your duties. If I do not leave within the hour, please return for me; I have a call to make."
Citrine bowed her head, "Of course, sir."
She turned on her heel and left, hearing only the beginning of her employer's call. It was enough though, to know that their minds were once more operating on the same wavelength.
"Coil, my old friend. I'm in need of your tattletale for my services…"
A/N: I hope I got Accord down right, he's an odd one that's difficult to not flanderize. Sorry the interlude is so later, I wound up rewriting the PHO bit two times and the Armstrong bit three times. The initial ones were, well... awful, so I had to fix them. I hope the final product was worth the wait.
Next chapter we see the Arc starting up and Djinn/Taylor takes the City of Boston by storm! Gamikai have mercy on their souls.
Please let me know what you thought with comments or criticism below and I'll see you guys next time!
