2.3

Brockton Bay

April 8th 2011

7:59 EST

Before I go away, I stop and search Grue and Regent and superspeed. Disappointingly, neither have much cash on them. I'm two blocks away when I realize that I still have the scepter. Whoops.

Still, this thing can't be cheap. I make a note to pawn it back to Regent later. It's not like he can't afford it, with the amount coil pays them in canon. Actually, how much does Coil pay them? I remember that he pays them 2,000 to stay together in canon, but that doesn't seem like that much. Maybe a bit more to than minimum wage, but I can't imagine that it pays that much better than a professional job. Must be a hell of a dental plan.

I flip open the phone that Tattletale gave me and scroll through the recorded calls log. None of the numbers register with me, though I'm willing to bet that at least some of these people are Undersiders/Coils men. I power it off for now, and start heading towards the ship graveyard. I've got powers to test.

The first thing I do upon reaching my destination is to observe my surroundings. The boat graveyard is more or less exactly what I expected it to be, full of boats that have certainly seen better days. I put Regents scepter down on the sand and consider my first objective. The first thing that I want to test that doesn't involve self harm is my phasing. Focusing on a section of the boats in front of me reveals the depressing time stamp of almost two years before its gone, and going back some more considerable time gets the metal out of there as well.

The real question I need answered is how easily I can do this on the fly. I let the effect fade into nothing before getting ready to run at the boat.

3...2..1..Go!

As I start out running the short distance between myself and the boat, I focus on the obstacle in front of me. I don't know if it's the panic or urgency, but I reach the disappearing point in record time. I jump through the hole that's just wide enough to accommodate me, only to to reach the wall just feet behind it.

As it turns out, running into a wall at subsonic speeds gets you what feels like a broken jaw and many lost teeth. As I lie on the floor, I think 'well, that went well'. And then a flash of power, and I'm back to normal again. A quick pat down reveals that I'm fine, and basically back to normal. A feel of my jaw confirms that there no lumps or anything from an awkward heal, and that all of my teeth are in place. That rules out regeneration, so my bet is that my body is somehow reverting back to the state it was in before it was injured, or something like that.

After many more mishaps with walls, I can confirm something strange. Sometimes I'll run into walls, but when flipping into the future, the impact that I leave is never there until I actually run into the wall. This gives me many theories, though only one seems plausible.

Flipping through time doesn't actually take into any changes I will make until I actually make them.

With that oddity out of the way, I decide to check my newly obtained phone and see what time it is. Oh shit, it's 9:21 right now. Tattletales message is displayed on the screen.

you never told me coils power. name a time and a date, and I'll give you the rest of what i owe u.

tt

I sent back the reply text, then leaned back.

same place tomorrow, if you have the money by then. i'll even sell back r's scepter. z

A reply comes in a minute or so later.

r says he'll pay 200$ for it.

That's going to be a thing isn't it.

can't possible be that cheap. the stun gun felt extra strong. 500$

Tattletale messages me back in just a few seconds.

r says he's up for it. sell it back when we meet?

Well, that wraps up that.

deal