(Author's Note: I had hoped to be able to get a longer chapter out this week, particularly after the last delay. Unfortunately, the holidays seem to be the worst season for finding time to write. Between various commitments and other issues, I was only able to get an abbreviated chapter out, and it was down to wire. Hopefully things will calm down after Christmas, but I wanted to wish everyone happy holidays and thank them for the support of the story over this year.)
60 Summit Discussions
The impact of my words rippled across the table, and then the room. This was it, the formal declaration of my place in the wider cape community. Our place. Not as some lone gun or outlier parahuman, but as a force in our own right. One that could act in ways a single cape could never accomplish, no matter how strong he was. The informal declaration I had made by entering with my team, by coordinating and commanding them in the faceoff with the Empire, was now completely confirmed, and it changed everything.
The capes at the table were working to absorb both the literal and implied statement. I didn't doubt they wanted to launch into an interrogation regarding the nature of my team, our intentions, and any possible information that could be squeezed from us.
Fortunately, Uppercrust rolled with the news with the professionalism of a seasoned cape. He barely blinked in response to the information before he launched into his next point.
"Thank you." He said, addressing the entire group as if nothing of significance had been said. "With that I believe we can move on to the body of the discussions." I could feel Kaiser's indignation at the way Uppercrust was steering the conversation, as well as the general state of the rest of the attendees.
The line between offensive power use and expanded senses was thankfully a nebulous one. Doing something that adversely affected another member of the summit was obviously against the terms of the truce, but highly invasive scans and thinker powers were harder to regulate. Nobody was insisting that Tattletale should wear a blindfold, or commenting on Survey's demonstrated ability to detect parahuman powers.
Actually, they probably were commenting on that, just not publicly. The way my Analysis scanners could perfectly detect magic and parahuman abilities was borderline unprecedented. There were some thinkers with the ability to notice the use of powers, but not to the degree of precision that I could manage. That was probably what had been assumed to be the case with Survey, though with my team, people couldn't be sure if anything demonstrated was a power or piece of technology.
The point was that the massively intrusive amount of information I was getting from the other capes, and Saint, was not technically in violation of any of the terms of the summit. Through combined thermal and life senses I could feel out every aspect of their bodies, a sense that extended through the rest of the bar.
The only significant outlier was with Genesis, one of the Travelers. They were suspected to be a changer, but the effect in play suggested that a construct was more likely. If it was a projection it included a significant amount of actual biological functions, but not enough to really sustain it, and there was some kind of persistent link to a remote location, though not one I could sense with the range of my sensors. The sensors from my Analysis power were incredible, but had an unfortunately low range.
The bulk of my expanded senses came from my demigod nature and being able to detect the Dragon's Pulse. Through divine mandate I could feel out the various pieces of technology spread through the bars, from the advanced examples like the Undersiders' watches and the array of equipment carried by my own team, to the scattering of more conventional examples present on the other capes. Mostly cell phones with some more sophisticated equipment.
Coil had a military grade earpiece under his costume, but had refrained from transmitting anything since I arrived. The device was still active, cycling through reports from what I assumed to be a forward team. Survey had located their broadcast point pretty much immediately, the second floor of an abandoned building at the end of the block. Reconnaissance support for the meeting, but nothing I could use to trace to his base of operations or wider organization. Additionally, active counterintelligence DURING the summit would probably be a violation of at least the spirit of the truce.
Blasto's mask was an organic composite, with a precisely engineered form of moss providing a level of chemical and biological protection as well as a reserve of deployable spores that would be particularly unpleasant for anyone who breathed them in. He has some other custom plants or funguses on his person, though in a dormant state. Without both technology senses and the Dragon's pulse I wouldn't have been able to notice them. I was willing to bet anyone who thought the man was helpless while separated from his lab and creations was in for an unpleasant surprise.
Squealer was unsurprisingly devoid of any examples of significant technology, merely having a few advanced wrenches and other tools scattered across her costume. No, her work wasn't carried with her, it was parked outside in the form of an apparently disjointed but surprisingly advanced trailer. Squealer's tech might look like crap, but the technology level and functionality was as high as I had come to expect from the work of tinkers. Additionally, I wouldn't have been surprised if the time spent countering Bakuda's strikes hadn't pushed Squealer beyond the 'monster truck with machine guns' models that she tended to default to and into more advanced expressions of technology.
I could leave the analysis and monitoring of technology to my team, instead staying focused on the representatives present at the table. With the combination of my thermal senses and the Dragon's Pulse I could feel out biological activity to a precise degree. It wasn't exactly the same as being able to detect emotions, but I could pick up any reaction in someone's body. At least, that's how it used to function. Once again, recent changes in my powers had upset the board.
Miniaturization and Efficiency and Demigod Atelier were both immensely significant powers, but it was the smaller abilities that made the difference here. Minor Blessing and Unnatural Skill might have had their impact diminished through repetition, but they were still as strong as ever, and I was feeling the impact of that now.
The Blessing of Hades allowed me to feel and even manipulate metals, but that wasn't limited to refined metals. Metals bound to other compounds or suspended in solution could still be detected. That sense extending to calcium, sodium, potassium, and iron gave insight to biological functions that previously I could only guess at.
There was another effect, one tied to my latest Unnatural Skill, one that seemed both obvious and incredibly absurd. Unnatural Skill: Music was primarily concerned with the performance and composition of music. Like every version of that power, it took things well beyond conventional limits, allowing me to weave mental effects into music or shift the fabric of reality with a powerful enough song. It also expanded my awareness of musical principles, and like with the other aspects of the power, it took that element beyond conventional possibilities.
Music was one of those things that had a tendency to be projected onto everything. 'Music of' the whatever. Take any form or organized movement, any system with a repeating pattern, and people would say there was a music to it. It was something that annoyed me back when I was trying to hammer my way through violin pieces with no feel for the pitch or rhythm of what I was doing. As my awareness and understanding had expanded I started to appreciate the metaphor. I could see the elegance and artistry in things and understand why people saw them as musical.
Then I got Unnatural Skill: Music and suddenly it wasn't really a metaphor. That power extended to literal acts of music, even supernatural performances, but the abilities it granted spilled over to everything else. Anything that would require either recognizing or following a rhythm was suddenly as easy as breathing. The patterns of biology playing out before me were just the start of what could be gleaned from this kind of awareness.
Between the disciplined posture and concealed faces of the assembled representatives it would be easy to believe they were confident in their positions. Perhaps a bit serious, but otherwise secure. The reality was things were much less stable. Kaiser and Skidmark were the most on edge, which was to be expected given how much their organizations had to gain or lose based on the outcome of this meeting. Grue had the same cautious tension I had seen from him when facing down Bakuda's forces. There was less fear there and he lacked the spikes of reaction that emanated from the rest of the capes whenever I made an unexpected motion.
The capes from outside the city were less anxious, but still heavily stressed. They had major stakes in this meeting, just not the same kind of stakes as the city's remaining gang leaders. Well, except for Blasto. He was cautious, but didn't have that burning tension that seemed to come from everyone else.
Everyone but Coil. The thinker was alert and cautious, but seemed the calmest of the people at the table. Something about his position or his power had given him assurances that the rest of the representatives lacked. I didn't know what they were, but it seemed like something I should be concerned about.
"What's there to fucking discuss?" Skidmark cut in as the Alchemy constellation missed a connection. "In case anyone hasn't noticed, we kind of missed the fucking bus on this one. Bomber bitch is rotting in a hole somewhere and what's left of those fuckers couldn't hold a back-alley worth of territory."
"A state you are no doubt familiar with." Kaiser retorted. "Do not think to set the agenda for this summit. You are fortunate enough to be permitted a seat at the table." He glared across at Skidmark. The leaders of major established groups, Kaiser, Coil, Skidmark, and even Grue had managed to arrange themselves with at least one other cape separating them. I didn't think there was a risk of violence, but it was probably for the best if lifelong enemies weren't actually rubbing elbows.
Skidmark made a retching sound before replying. "Big surprise, coming from this asshole. Think you're so high and mighty? We hold territory in nearly half the fucking city."
"You hold nothing." Grue's echoing voice cut across the table from his seat next to Uppercrust. "You squat in ruins where no one can be bothered to dislodge you. Cowards hiding in places nobody cares about, making drugs and selling them to children."
I could feel his anger as he cut into Skidmark. This didn't seem like it was part of any strategy that the Undersiders had put together. The sense I got from Tattletale was that Grue was off script, though not in a particularly unexpected way.
My concerns of conflict breaking out between established groups didn't consider Brian to be an instigator. It would seem odd for him to have more issue with the Merchants than the Empire, but this was Brockton Bay. The Empire was horrible, but generally they were horrible for the South Docks and parts of Downtown. You had to deal with the damage that was being caused, not the ideology behind it. Brian was right about the Merchants seeping into any area where people had stopped caring, and that unfortunately covered a lot of territory in this city. My passenger was also indicating that this was personal, close and family related.
"So, what, you let every cape in two-hundred miles get a seat, but think you can kick out the guy who controls half the city?" Skidmark spat back, but he was eyeing Grue cautiously. Part of that could be his connection to me, but really the demonic helmet and costume that bled black mist was enough to give anyone pause.
"A quarter." Kaiser retorted. "And that's being generous, including the blackout field. And only because no one has seen fit to take it from you."
"They can try." The man growled through his raggedy mask. "In case you haven't noticed, the Merchants are on the rise." He gestured towards their crowded booth. A group that had traditionally had three capes was sitting with more than twice that number, including their own annihilator.
"It seems…" The table went dead silent as I began to speak. I didn't let the reactions interrupt me as I continued. "This is one of the matters we have gathered to discuss. If any decisions on the future of the city are to be reached, all invested parties should participate."
A smug grin began to grow on Skidmark's face, then wilted when he saw my own expression. The combination of my expression powers let me leave no doubt to the matter. Acknowledgement was not an endorsement.
Of course, some people would have to see if they could push things further.
"I find that to be a poor compromise." Kaiser said. Faultline sat between us and clearly didn't enjoy her position in the middle of this discussion. "Are you truly willing to share a table with such a reprehensible aspect of the cape community?"
I turned the same hard glare to Kaiser, then gestured towards him. "Evidently."
It was impressive that I could actually see the man bristle through his armor. The reactions of the rest of the table ranged from amused to concerned. This wasn't the best way to start a peace summit, but considering who was in attendance, it was probably the best we could hope for.
"I believe that provides grounds to address one of the primary concerns of this meeting." Uppercrust smoothly interjected. "The collapse of the ABB has left a substantial amount of territory untended." He looked around the table. "I, obviously, have no interest in the situation, as will likely be the case for several of the groups present." He phrased that almost as a question, turning things over to the floor.
From her seat next to mine Faultline leaned forward to address the group. "My team has no interest in holding territory. That said, we have no wish for a new ABB to form, or a resurgence of the previous group." I saw her posture harden, but it was nothing compared to the emotional turmoil she was actually containing. "I am also less dismissive of the current threat posed by the ABB and their allies." She said coolly. "Underestimation of Bakuda was what brought about this situation in the first place."
Blasto spoke up from his position on my other side. "You are proposing a united action? Some strike against the ABB?"
"And what would you direct such an action against?" Coil questioned from his seat next to Uppercrust. He swept his attention across the table, his gaunt appearance and tight costume creating an unnerving spectacle. "As has already been stated, the ABB holds no remaining territory. Not even front businesses remain, following the release of their financial records. There has been no word on Bakuda's location since the conclusion of the attacks, with the same being true for Oni Lee and both Uber and Leet. You could unify every cape in the city behind your cause, and it would do no good if you lack a place to strike."
"That's what we're here for." Blasto said, glancing back at his own group. The hooded woman, who most recently went by Rotten Apple, smiled at him, but the other capes seemed less engaged. "It may have been overshadowed by local affairs, but Uber and Leet attacked Lost Garden." The news wasn't really a surprise, but the consensus seemed to be to let him elaborate. Only a few people indicated any level of shock, and of them only Skidmark's reaction was actually authentic. I guess the Merchants don't have information resources on the level of the other groups.
"I am acting on behalf of Barrow." Blasto continued. "We have no interest in the city and are willing to act in conjunction with any local efforts, but Uber and Leet weren't acting alone. They were directed and coordinated by the ABB." He looked around the table, primarily focusing on Skidmark and Kaiser. "I'm sure you understand the nature of these things. The scales need to be balanced. After that, we have further no interest in the city."
Kaiser's armor creaked as he leaned back in his chair. "So, a pound of flesh, no more, no less. Then we are to believe you will simply depart the city, with no entanglements?"
The plant tinker turned towards Kaiser. "What are you implying?"
"Far be it for me to doubt the honor or professionalism of an organization of Lost Garden's esteem," There was a pause as shadows of amusement flickered through members of the group, contrasting with a tensing sensation from Blasto. "But with respect to your own history, your activities in Boston are well known. An established gang leader, recently divested of his territory, finding himself in a city in the midst of a power shift. We could be forgiven for not taking your word on this matter."
Blasto pressed a hand into the table and leaned towards Kaiser. "This may be news to you, but Brockton Bay is not the prize you seem to believe it to be." He paused and turned towards the rest of the group. "No offense to those who make their home here, but I believe there can be no argument that this is a turbulent city, even without taking recent events into consideration. I'm sure there are groups out there that would be happy to dive into such a… conflict." There was the definite sense that a more severe and less polite term had been self-censored. "But neither myself nor Lost Garden are among them."
"Which neatly brings us to the core of the problem." Coil said, smoothly inserting himself into the discussion. I had the distinct sense that he resented Uppercrust for taking the lead role, but was unable to directly counter any of the man's points. "Such an attempt is inevitable, and the ABB's former territory remains unclaimed and undefended, at least beyond the residual effects from Apeiron's conflict on Thursday evening."
There was a distinct reaction from both Kaiser and Skidmark. It was possibly the first point I'd sensed them agree on. It was easy to see Thursday and the Ungodly Hour as a conflict strictly between myself and the ABB, and what I'd gone through certainly lent itself to such an interpretation, but I was far from the only person fighting the ABB. Okay, I was the most effective person fighting the ABB and in plenty of areas I was essentially the only cape acting against them, but strikes had been launched into both Empire and Merchant territory. Both groups had been fighting tooth and nail from almost the moment the attacks started.
They just hadn't made much progress, or drawn-out responses from any or the ABB's capes. Or been able to hold the line against the attacks. Both established gangs had, at best, managed a fighting retreat in the face of a hoard of coordinated civilians armed with tinkertech.
Putting it in that perspective, the somewhat brittle attitude of both Kaiser and Skidmark made a lot more sense. The fact that I had basically fought an entire city's worth of parahuman battles didn't really sink in until that moment.
I had the sense that both of them wanted to reframe Coil's statement to include their own contributions to the conflict, but there wasn't an easy way to do so without looking weak or petty. Which was probably exactly what Coil intended, which was fairly impressive considering he had completely sat things out.
Instead, Skidmark looked to Trickster and then to Saint. "So, what's the deal with them?" He asked Uppercrust. "They here to sightsee, or do they actually have some stake in what the fuck happens with ABB turf?"
"We are acting on contract." Saint replied. "I'm sure Dragon's transfer to this city was quite the cause for concern. We have been hired to oppose her efforts. Our role here is only to counter Dragon's activities in the city. I'm sure you can appreciate the benefits of not having her attention devoted to any of your groups."
"I don't think we're the ones who have to worry about her attention." Skidmark managed to make the simple sentence sound obscene as he leered at me. The look I gave him brought that levity crashing down, with him quickly redirecting his attention.
I felt a conflicted reaction from Saint that I otherwise would never have picked up on through his fully concealing armor. Dragon's mastering and the Dragonslayers' connection to it. Another critical matter that I needed to deal with. Unfortunately, something that I had to delay until after the situation with the city, Tattletale and Coil, and Taylor's mission had been dealt with. The most famous and trusted tinker on the planet was compromised and I couldn't act because of local idiocy. Honestly I doubted my feelings on the situation could have been fully conveyed without the help of Scowl of Sparta. It was certainly enough to get Skidmark to shut up, which was probably worth at least a two-point bump on the PRT threat assessment scale.
Skidmark started to turn to Trickster as the Forge missed a connection to the Size constellation, but the cape jumped in before any obscene statements or accusations could be made.
"The Travelers, well, you could call us nomadic." He had a manner to him that reminded me of the more experienced car salesmen from when I first bought my bike. The idea that they'd be welcoming, friendly, and happy to chat, but no matter how well disposed they were you were still getting screwed. "We were headed to the city during the early part of this situation." He shrugged and smiled at the table. "Got here just as things blew over. Can't say that was part of the plan, but we're committed now."
Survey supplied me with a breakdown of the Travelers' history. The team was actually substantially more powerful than the jobs they took would imply. They had a few deaths connected to them, but given the power that was being thrown around it showed they were at least practicing restraint, and not taking the worst of the work that would be offered to a team of their caliber.
They started as a complete team with no solo appearances from any of them beforehand. The scale of the jobs they took or attempted had been growing over their career, a little under a year and a half. They'd also been relocating more frequently, possibly due to the heat of their higher profile work.
Previously there had been a fifth member of the group, a time manipulator that went by Perdition. He hadn't been seen since they moved from New York to Boston, their last stop before Brockton Bay. The New York departure was an outlier in the pattern of their movements, happening far too suddenly. That combined with the disappearance of their fifth member suggested a number of unpleasant possibilities.
So, high power itinerant mercenary capes that seemed to either be running from or chasing something, and some of the most serious warnings I had ever gotten from my passenger, just shy of Taylor's importance. This was bad. The fact that they saw the situation in the city, even the early days of it, and decided to jump in… well, there were capes who sought out conflicts like that, but they didn't match that profile. Something was very wrong here, and it seemed I was the only one who saw it.
No, not the only one. I could feel Tattletale's reaction to Trickster. There was only so much I could pull through my senses, but she clearly didn't like the situation. She also didn't like it when she realized I was aware of the situation. Just another thing we would need to discuss once things settled enough for some actual communication to happen between us.
"Well, I believe that is all visiting groups accounted for." Uppercrust calmly addressed the table. "With no declared interest from external powers the matter of what becomes of the ABB's former territory would lie with the city's established organizations."
"Are we expected to support a decision between gangs on how to carve up the city?" Faultline asked. "Because I'm seeing a situation where there's a massive payoff to whoever walks out with that territory and precisely no benefit for anyone else, save the fun of having to deal with whatever crazies get drawn to the city to make a grab at it."
"Without some organization defending it, the 'crazies' you speak of will have a foothold the instant they arrive in the city. The area must be claimed, defended." Kaiser responded.
"Says you." Spat Skidmark. "You actually know the state of that place, even outside the Dark Zone? Ain't nobody setting up in there." There was a well concealed reaction from Blasto.
"Of course, that would be your stance." Kaiser responded. "Unclaimed territory is essentially Merchant territory. You hardly maintain discipline within your organization that would respect any boundaries not enforced and spread anywhere you are not actively resisted."
"Now see, all I'm hearing is industrious and motherfucking expansive." Skidmark said with a wide gesture that neither Saint nor Blasto seem to appreciate. The chairs had a decent amount of space between them, but Skidmark tended to emphasize his statements with movements that brushed up against the limits of that generous buffer.
"Such a dispute seems overly forward." Coil cut in. "There is no denying the reality of the situation. You are arguing over a reward that was earned by another's hand." The near-skeletal cloth covered face turned towards me, drawing the attention of the rest of the table with it. It seemed the clouds of old animosities had caused them to momentarily forget about the metaphorical 800-pound gorilla in the room. And realize that, while most of the groups had waived claims on the ABB's territory, I hadn't.
"That is a valid point." Kaiser conceded. He appeared smooth, but being able to read someone's biometrics made it harder for them to bluff. He was sweating, metaphorically and literally. "Apeiron would have full justifications to claim the territory, as the one who killed Lung."
And that would put it between the Empire and the Merchants. I doubted Kaiser wanted to give up a third of the city, but he was probably counting on the arrangement allowing him to ignore the Merchants, while also betting on the Skidmark doing something stupid that would bring the wrath of tinker down on him.
"Are we doing law of conquest now?" Faultline asked. "Kill the king and claim the kingdom? Don't get me wrong, I see the logic, but if we're trying to keep unstable groups out of the city it's probably not the best idea to suggest that you claim everything just by killing the guy in charge."
"I wasn't the one who killed Lung." I said calmly. The words may have been delivered in a level voice, but they hit the table like a shockwave.
Faultline managed to recover first. "I'm sorry?"
"I'm not one to take credit for another's accomplishments." I gestured to my own table. "That goes to Fleet."
"Fleet?" Blasto asked nervously. The driving A.I. raised one hand and waved to the assembled villains, mercenaries, and rogue while keeping a cocky grin on his face.
"His plan, his design, and he was the one to pull the trigger." I said. "So to speak. I set things up, but credit goes to him."
"Indeed?" Uppercrust said with an intrigued expression on his face. "Setting aside matters of right of conquest, I believe there is some shared interest in the nature of your organization." That was putting it mildly. The assembled capes were hungry for information, and the spikes of interest from Tattletale at every new detail were bordering on distracting. "While any desired discretion on the matter would of course be respected, I assure you, we would be eager to hear any details you would be willing to share." He looked over at my table where the rest of the Celestial Forge was sitting.
It was a fair request. I wasn't about to give a breakdown of powers or weaknesses, though we had vanishingly few of those. They were my team and they deserved a proper introduction.
I leaned back and smiled. "I'm sure there will be plenty of chances to become acquainted in the future," It served well to remind them that we weren't going anywhere. "But I would be pleased to introduce my team, many of which you no doubt recognize from Thursday's battle."
"The armored suits." Trickster guessed.
"Lethe and the Matrix." I gestured back without looking, trusting the posing powers from Classy Contortionist to see me through. "Lethe assisted with recovery near the end of the fight, and I'm certain you remember the Matrix directly engaging Lung over the bay."
Everybody in the room probably suspected as much, but having it clearly and directly confirmed for them was a different matter. There was no explanation as to how the golden suit sitting across the bar managed to either become or deploy a machine that dwarfed Endbringers, but the stark reality of the situation had been laid before them. Kaiser wasn't the only one sweating, though the seasoned capes managed to keep the near panic off of their faces.
"Survey and Fleet have also been providing support for some time." I didn't bother to elaborate and didn't need to. They could freely theorize as to when they had begun to provide assistance, the nature of their help, and why they had refrained from public appearances until now.
"The… Mink." Blasto said, looking at Tetra. "It's connected to… to what was demonstrated after March's attack."
Blasto had almost no stake in the city, and was probably only pursuing the vendetta out of obligation. He was probably the only person who could freely raise questions without worrying about burning bridges. It had the advantages of not requiring any concessions in terms of treatment, technology, or territory.
I looked back at Tetra and smiled. She took advantage of other people's inability to hear her and shouted excitedly across the bar. From our table it looked like she was flashing molten fangs in a distinctly threatening way. Without being able to hear her cheerful voice it was probably a fairly disturbing scene.
She was absolutely bubbling with excitement, which unfortunately meant the fibers of her coat were flaring with both motion and energy, casting menacing red shadows out from the direction of our table "You're going to tell them, right? My cape name? And that we fought together?"
I nodded and turned back to the main table. "Proto Aima assisted me directly in that fight." I used a more conventional pronunciation of the ancient words I had spoken in a fit of pain and delirium. "Her assistance was instrumental in that victory."
"Her?" Trickster muttered under his breath, then quickly shut his mouth when he realized I'd noticed. Skidmark's tendency to make vulgar comments seemed to be at war with his survival instinct as he looked between me and the glowing mink the size of a small child. Blasto was giving the situation serious consideration and I could actually detect the activity of his tinker power at work, a type of parahuman ability I had never scanned before.
Probably would have been more useful before I got my own parahuman tinker powers.
As expected, Uppercrust took the news in stride and moved forward with no outward indication of his turbulent reaction to the news. "I believe that leaves one member of your group unaccounted for." He nodded towards Tybalt. "I take it he was indisposed during Thursday's events."
I couldn't help but smile at that, and judging by the reactions across the table it wasn't taken as a particularly comforting expression. "He wasn't present for that conflict." My smile grew wider as I imagined Thursday's events with Tybalt present. "If Kataklyzein had been available I would have just left the fight to him."
The uncomfortable reactions spiked into real fear in more than one case. It was Saint who managed to break through the shock and ask the question that was on everyone's mind.
"You're saying that he, Kataklyzein, would have been able to take on Lung? Alone?"
Actually, I was saying I would have left all the fighting across the city to him while I worked on technical solutions and cleanup, but that was only likely to derail things further. "He is a very formidable warrior."
Then Saint nodded his head slightly. "I guess cats are like that." There were a few scattered nods from the other members of the summit, including a surprisingly genuine one from Kaiser, before Uppercrust managed to steer the meeting back on track.
"You are undoubtedly fortunate to have found such reliable support, and I thank you for indulging our curiosity. Now, to the matter at hand. While there is no consensus as to the rights of territory to the contested area, the point has been raised, and the role of your organization in displacing the ABB lends significant weight to your position. Which does beg the question, what is your intention for the ABB territory." He paused and looked across the assembled capes. Numerous powerhouses, at least national level capes in most cases, and all caught at an impasse by my presence. "And, if I may strike to the heart of the matter, your intentions for the city at large."
The Magitech constellation passed by as I was considering my response. The common enough occurrence had additional weight now that I was monitoring the growth of my reach. This was the last possible miss before I was able to secure a major power. No matter what, my next opportunity would land a power, and possibly a game changing one. And right as I was taking center stage.
But there was nothing to be done about it. This was my chance, the reason I was here. A real opportunity to give the city some peace. Not peace as in a day and a half without things exploding, but the kind of stability that people needed to recover and get on with their lives. And it all relied on how well I could lay out my case, here and now.
I relaxed, letting every posing, appearance, and interaction power I had flow forth. All the unearned charisma the Forge had amassed was going to be unleashed in support of my case.
Faultline reacted like she's been pushed back, but I ignored it, and ignored the way her body temperature was rising, as I launched into my response.
"I can safely say that I personally and we as a group have no interest in the various revenue streams that such a territory can provide." The statement was accented by subtle displays of my costume and gear. Outside of the Undersiders there wasn't much to be said for the quality of equipment being displayed. The Travelers had a well-designed set of themed costumes, but both the material and construction was fairly basic. Uppercrust had spared no expense of his own costume and his team were at least as well equipped as Protectorate heroes, but like Protectorate heroes that was more flash than pure function.
I pressed on with my case, not leaving room for questions or interruptions. "That is not to say we're uninvested in this city. The state of Brockton following the attacks had been both tragic and inconvenient." I played up the second word. I don't know how much credence my mercenary persona still held, but it was something that was convenient to lean on at times like this. Even the most stone hearted bastard would recognize the difficulty that came with an inoperative airport and delivery trucks that could barely enter the city, much less navigate through it.
"You want to know my intentions for the city, and the intentions of my team?" I looked across the table, realizing I had everyone's rapt attention. "Peace." I said simply, then moved to elaborate before any of the reactions I could feel bubbling to the surface resulted in comment or challenge.
"I want a period of peace sufficient to allow the city to recover." I looked across the villains and mercenaries and people who blended the line between them. "No doubt many of you, and many groups from outside the city, see the situation as one that can easily be exploited for your benefit. Territory to be gained, easy recruitments, stronger positions within the city or community." I made a dismissive gesture. "Fine. Consolidate and recover. Reinforce your positions for all I care, but keep it contained."
My expression turned dark as I remembered the damage, the destruction, the lives lost and lives ruined. Frantic efforts to patch things up, hamstrung by the reach I could extend into the world. "This community is governed by a set of unwritten rules." This was shakier ground. I was about to preach conduct as an outsider. Lecture on rules I had little personal experience with. But the principle was there, and that was what I needed to press on. "One of which forbids attacks against civilians. That rule has been trampled to the mud over the course of the past week. Enough that you might think it no longer applies in this city."
Division between capes and civilians. Things were fine as long as that invisible wall held, as long as the worst impact of a cape battle was some road repairs or the accelerated demolition of an already condemned building. But that wall was an illusion, the work of a street performer, holding faith in a barrier that could be breached at any time. If the city was going to survive I needed to remind people that the wall existed, and there were penalties for crossing it.
"That's what I want. Civilians and recovery work off limits, the way it should be." I stated firmly, and let silence fill the bar. My voice had carried well, probably the effect of Unnatural Skill: Music, to the point where even the bartenders probably had heard it clearly. Once again, there was the ripple of awkwardness as things slowly sank in.
"So, business as usual?" Trickster said, earning himself stunned looks from the rest of the group. "I mean, none of us are going to go on a bombing spree…" He paused and looked around the table before apparently deciding that he was reasonably confident in that statement. "So, no real change for us. Everyone tries to minimize damage and bystander injuries-"
"No." I interrupted him. "Not 'minimize'. You can minimize damage in a healthy city, not one climbing out of a disaster like this. There's not an acceptable amount of damage that can be layered onto recovery and rebuilding efforts. The effective threshold here is zero."
There was another pause as the real magnitude of what I was demanding sank in. Kaiser was the next to speak, trying to appear reasonable. "This discussion concerned the allocation of recently opened territory. You stated no interest in it, but believe you can dictate terms across the breadth of the city?"
I allowed my amusement at that to flow freely. "I have no authority to dictate terms to anyone." I deliberately glanced towards Grue. "No one at this table reports to me in any official capacity. They are free to take whatever action they wish." I paused for half a beat before continuing. "When asked about my objectives I was open with them."
Uppercrust put the pieces together first and smiled. "Of course. So, anyone who wishes to act contrary to those objectives would be doing so with the knowledge that they would be acting in opposition to Apeiron's goals."
The weight of the threat settled heavily across the table. Kaiser turned between me and Uppercrust before speaking again. "This is a dictation of behavior across the entire community, one that can easily be exploited and leveraged against any organized group." It didn't escape his notice that this would be significantly harder to follow when an unpowered gang was added to the equation.
Uppercrust pivoted from Kaiser to address the group. "For those who are unaware, there are talks with the Governor's office regarding the possibility of retroactively declaring the Ungodly Hour an S-Class event." From the reactions it was clear not everyone had been apprised of that news. "While there are many elements that would be impacted by such a decision, one of the most significant would be the S-Class Truce. A rather more severe situation than the Unwritten Rules. While the logistics of any such action would no doubt be complex, the truce does typically extend into a portion of recovery efforts. Overly aggressive action during such time, particularly if it adversely impacts the recovery or treatment of survivors, could qualify as a violation."
I was honestly impressed. It was a wonderful bit of legalease, something that probably wouldn't stand up in any court or serious evaluation, but something that could insert enough uncertainty to keep people in line. In an ideal world the threat of a super powerful tinker and his team of mystery capes would do the trick, but even with what happened to Lung, it was something of an abstract threat. It would probably remain abstract until the next time someone ended up on the wrong end of an FTL drive.
Violation of the Truce was a more concrete threat. It was something that would get you shipped to the Birdcage or saddled with a Kill Order, assuming the surrounding capes didn't just end you on the spot. There were rumors that people could wriggle their way out of it, extenuating circumstances or powers valuable enough to buy some leeway, but that was more than the average villain could hope for.
"Fine." Skidmark broke in. "Who wants to mess with the chumps hauling rubble anyway? But, we're just talking capes, right?" Only Skidmark could manage to look both confident and desperately hopeful at the same time. "I mean, some of us run businesses. Those cross over to the general public."
"Drug dealing." Grue cut in. "Kidnapping. Prostitution."
Skidmark tried to give Grue a dirty look, but it was hard to stare down that mask. "Shit's in demand. Shit's always in demand, but demand spikes when things go to hell, and high demand means things get ugly." He glared at Kaiser. "Not like I'm the only one dealing with this. Territories mean keeping order, and that can get messy."
"Order." Grue spat. "That's what you call it?"
"Fuck yes. And where'd you get off being so high and mighty?" He looked from Grue to the rest of the Undersiders. "Notice you stayed nice and quiet while everyone was dropping their claims on the ABB territory. Anything you want to share there?"
"I don't know what you're talking about." And he meant it too. Unfortunately, both Skidmark and Kaiser didn't buy it. Something was going on, and it was serious.
"Drop the bullshit. Everyone knows you had Khepri out staking claims the moment Lung dropped. She was all over that damn place, chasing off anyone who got in her way. Not to mention that Bitch." He gestured towards Rachel's seat at the Undersiders' booth. "You might as well have put up an Undersider flag while you were at it."
The recovery work, the work I, or my duplicates, had sent them out on. It served to identify damage and locate survivors inside the I-field, but it seemed to have caused a ripple effect.
I hadn't considered this. Really, there hadn't been any indication of this, but presumed gang territories didn't exactly make it into official reports, not until they were well established. I really needed to hack the PRT more. It seemed like I was the only one in the city who didn't have a mole or backdoor already, so really it wouldn't make much difference.
Grue was in a bind. He could cite his work for me, but that would tie us closer together, something I know he was trying to avoid. I didn't want the Undersiders as presumed underlings any more than Grue did. The fact that they had another boss would only complicate things, meaning Coil would basically have a pass to deploy the Undersiders and implicate me in the process.
The alternative was accepting some level of responsibility for Taylor's actions, something I was familiar with. Taylor had chased off villains, probably with thousands of venomous insects inserted into places where they had no business being. The fact that I hadn't read about any piles of body parts showing up meant she had probably been more restrained with her knife, but seeing that both Kaiser and Skidmark accepted some level of Undersider aggression on the territory meant she had made quite an impact.
I was distracted from the situation by the arrival of the Toolkits constellation. I braced, ready for the guaranteed connection that would happen with reach equaling my largest motes. And then an even larger mote swung past, tearing free from the highest level of reach I had ever accumulated.
It was a power bigger than Master Craftsman, bigger than Build Rome, bigger than Always a Bigger Robot, Item Construction A+++, Infusionist, Feel It Out, Daedalus' Student, or Nano-technician. The scale went beyond the level of those powers, to a point I'd only seen with Tybalt's Glory To Me. There were powers like that in the Forge. Powers that would be incredibly difficult to obtain, but that would hold unbelievable amounts of power, power beyond even my strongest abilities.
But not power I'd obtain now. Or any time soon. The motes swung past and my reach continued to build, past any level I had reached before. I would need at least a second miss, another encounter with a major power of the major powers, to be able to secure one. Three in a row to actually land the connection. It was possible, but with the number of motes still in the Forge, not particularly likely, and I was now set for another major connection at my next opportunity.
"It was my understanding that many groups were active in that area." Grue countered smoothly. I wouldn't have pegged him as a debater, but he could hold his own when pressed. "Unless you are claiming some truce that has yet to be declared applies retroactively I don't see what you have to complain about."
Skidmark scoffed. "You've come up in the world, and fast. Makes it easy to look down on people, and miss that other people are rising as well. You want to dress things up, fine, but we all know what level you're playing at." His eyes jumped from Grue to me, carefully watching my reaction. If people were willing to challenge the Undersiders rather than roll over, it at least meant they were being seen as their own entity. On the downside, they were being seen as a potentially threatening entity, a situation that might lead to conflict. And conflict was the last thing the city of the group needed right now.
"So, are there any serious suggestions for what happens to the ABB territory?" Faultline asked. I could tell she was giving me sideways glances from her mask, but only thanks to my expanded senses. "As I said, we have no stake in it, but if we don't have an actual decision it's going to be open season, not to mention conflict over who has authority in it." She turned and faced me. "Hard to maintain peace if you have confusion leading to confrontations."
Tattletale had activated her watch and was silently transmitting to Grue's. He showed no reaction and I avoided eavesdropping even though I could easily do so without accessing the watch's system.
"No man's land." Grue said, looking around the table. Tattletale kept the link open, no doubt feeding him assessments and advice that only he could hear. "The only groups able to secure the territory are in opposition to each other and no one else has a vested interest in it. The area is still heavily damaged and more than half of it is blacked out for…"
Attention shifted to me. It was the first real prodding I had gotten about my technology since the meeting started. More reserved than I expected, and it wasn't like I needed to share any technical secrets.
"The field will hold for no more than four weeks. Portions of it have begun to decay at an accelerated pace due to water and salt exposure. Environmental effects could bring it down sooner, but it's unlikely to completely clear unless we have a major storm with significant wave action." And there was a notably concerned sensation from my passenger.
Grue nodded. "Even for the Merchants or the Empire, there's no value in the territory before then." That wasn't exactly true. Steps could be taken to secure it for either group, but I didn't have any long-term plans for the city that included the major gangs. For me, kicking this problem down the road was essentially the same as solving it.
"I can agree to that." I said, and it was immediately clear the kind of weight my words held at the table. There were advantages to taking a light touch, but once again, 800-pound gorilla. I wanted an agreement that people would follow out of their own interest rather than out of fear of getting disintegrated and flung into an elliptical orbit, but the threat of the latter did wonders for bringing people onboard for the former.
"It seems we have consensus on the broad directions of an agreement." Uppercrust said. "The details of the terms and responsibilities will still need to be discussed."
"You mean what will happen when people show up to make a grab." Faultline said. "Or test themselves against the local color."
"Wish I could say that's unlikely, but we've been around the country. Reasonable behavior isn't that common in this business." Trickster quipped.
"Such a pity." Kaiser said in what he probably thought was an imperious fashion. He twitched and turned towards Blasto. "Did I say something amusing?"
The tinker was clearly not intimidated by Kaiser's posturing, instead casting a glance towards the Empire contingent. "You brought the Damsel of Distress here. I think that pretty well disqualifies you from commenting on reasonable behavior."
Kaiser glowered through the visor of his helmet. "Miss Stillons is an accomplished cape and a valued member of the Empire."
"I'm well familiar with her accomplishments. Anyone who fought in the Boston Games is. This isn't the first time I've seen her at a gang summit." He scoffed. "It's clear why you wanted to recruit her, you're hardly the first in that, but this isn't going to go the way you're hoping."
Kaiser clenched a fist with a creak of metal. "I have no need for the advice of a drug-addled failure who was chased out of his own city by a disgraced Ward."
"The blackout triggered by the ABB had far reaching consequences." Uppercrust said diplomatically. "Ones felt throughout the north east. Trust me, even well beyond the bounds of this city, there is interest in seeing Brockton Bay stabilize. I believe we are making excellent progress towards that objective here."
It was phrased neutrally, but seemed almost like he was directing a compliment at me. Really, things were going better than I thought they would. Sure, there were spats, thrown accusations, veiled and unveiled insults, but things were actually moving towards a stable point for the future of the city.
"So, what exactly do we anticipate this large stretch of neutral territory looking like?" Asked Coil. "In terms of both boundaries, behavior, and response to aggression."
There was something about the man that made him feel like corruption incarnate. I'm sure a good portion of that was the concentrated disgust that radiated from my passenger with his every action. One thing I was fairly certain of was that he had no interest in a stable city. He didn't want to see the gangs come to an agreement, or emerge with fixed borders, or worse, a buffer zone between them. There was something about chaos that he was invested in.
Which meant the Undersiders were invested in it as well, or at least roped into it. I kept my behavior controlled, but my senses were working overtime charting out everything I could about the room even as discussions began.
"The primary stipulation of neutral territory would be an absence of deployed forces." Uppercrust proposed. "No patrols or active deployments. Pursuits are generally accepted, but entering into the area to instigate conflict would be out of line. Additionally, no financial ties should be made to the area. While this might be difficult given the nature of certain enterprises, due consideration should see things through."
"So, what, we drawing up paperwork, some fucking war treaty?" Skidmark asked. "I get it, stay the fuck out unless you have to and don't start shit. No need to overcomplicate this."
"That is a stance that is generally taken by those who wish to abuse ambiguity." Kaiser countered. "No doubt the territory will be flooded with Merchant associates and business partners, if not recent recruits operating under alternate colors."
"People go where they want." Skidmark spat back. "Something you should have realized after what happened this week, or did you think we were forcing everyone to show up and follow the only people who gave a shit about them?"
"You gave them shit because you are-" Kaiser cut himself off as the entire table rounded on me. The Resources and Durability constellation was approaching and I was braced for a potential game-changing power. Rather than let things play out to the mixed concern of the room and the table, I took a simple action that caused the discussion to stop dead.
As I focused on the expansion of my power I raised a hand with my index finger extended. The symbol for needing a minute to think, but more acknowledgement of the event than I had ever given before. Everyone at the table, everyone in the room watched me as the latest connection to the Celestial Forge formed.
Fortunately, it wasn't some world-shattering power that changed my fundamental nature. It wasn't even one of my greater powers. It was a mid-sized mote called Scavenger. A power that specialized in integrating disparate technologies into working systems.
The power was as much about repairs as it was upgrades or integrations. It was almost entirely designed to allow technology to function regardless of what was available, and allow free upgrades, repairs, and full self-sufficiency.
That was the real point. Self-sufficiency. Specifically, survival through repair and integration of technology. The way the power approached repair and salvage was closer to medical treatment and organ transplants than any form of conventional maintenance, and I understood why.
It was because this power was designed for a robot. I didn't have memories attached to it. There was no knowledge from a shifted perspective or memories of an electronic existence, but I recognized what it meant. This was from a world where the person who used it, possibly an alternate version of myself, was a robot.
That was only driven home by the free ability and item that came packaged with the power. The ability was called Warning. It gave a simple alert when a confrontation with a dangerous opponent was about to occur, and could fortunately be turned off if needed. The second ability was called Robotic Armor.
'Yep, it's definitely from Mega Man.' My duplicate transmitted, along with images of the armor. The easily recognized chest plate, helmet, boots, and bracers were unmistakable.
'The X series, most likely. Guess that's another one for the lists.' My second duplicate chimed in.
I relayed my acknowledgement. There was nothing special about the armor beyond the fact that I could summon it to me and send it back to my workshop with an instant of effort. It also easily integrated any upgrades or new technologies both through the benefits of my new Scavenger perk and the nature of its own construction.
I hadn't needed serious armor before, but being able to always have it on hand was a different matter. My duplicates were already working to upgrade the suit, and would be able to do so with any new technology I received while in the field. I could actually have the latest technology available to me at all times.
The table was getting nervous and I was about to lower my hand when Survey transferred me an alert. Her own sensor abilities were more advanced than any piece of equipment I could build and she was exceptionally vigilant. As such, she noticed the two vans full of parahumans approaching before then had even turned onto our block. She worked to identify them and was providing threat assessments and profiles on individual members of the approaching group.
It was something we should have anticipated. In all likelihood it wasn't an attack, merely late arrivals looking to make an entrance. From the looks of things, they were certainly going to achieve that goal.
I lowered my hand and looked at the capes assembled around the table. "We're about to have company."
The Teeth were back in Brockton Bay.
Jumpchain abilities this chapter:
Scavenger (Megaman Zero) 400:
You have a knack for integrating junk into your systems or gear and for using them to make field repairs. After all, self-repair systems only go so far. You're good at finding compatible parts and jerry-rigging them for the above purposes. That buster could replace the rifle in your arm, while that torso could be scavenged from to repair your own. Though these parts might not work fully if faulty, and you can't integrate parts too different from or incompatible with whatever you're integrating it into, this allows for free upgrades and repairs, as well as self-sufficiency. Perfect for long solo assignments or just survival. Waste not, want not.
Warning (Megaman Zero) Free:
This program gives your systems or sufficiently technologically advanced gear with displays the ability to display a warning before a fight with an exceptionally tough enemy by your standards. Said warning appears as a capitalized 'warning' in orange font accompanied with a three boop alarm sound. Though it may not be particularly helpful, it's certainly a neat thing to have. Can be turned on or off.
Robotic Armor (Megaman Zero) Free:
You become human again. If you were a robot, that is. Upgrades will be converted into their human equivalents, if not integrated into your armor. Previous powers will be restored to their original, organic equivalents. Your robotic armor can be materialized onto your skin or clothing at will. It will remain in your warehouse otherwise. On the bright side you're unaffected by incompatibilities robots have with magic and the like. Assume said incompatibilities do not exist unless mentioned to exist. Regain your humanity and embrace yourself as you are.