Hope Through Overwhelming Firepower 3.1
Despite it actually taking a full day for them to get back to her, Taylor walked out of the PRT building fairly satisfied with everything that had happened. She had walked in, given her statement, gotten a commendation from the Director, talked with the Wards for a bit, and received a listing of her new power classifications as well as information on what they all meant.
Blaster 7+: Hearsay not apparently being enough to get an actual raise.
Brute 3: Bulletproof was, according to them, "good, but nothing exceptional." The enhanced strength moving it up an extra point from two.
Thinker 2: The area scan was useful enough to get a thinker rating without any actual mental enhancements.
Breaker 1: For whatever had kept her clothes immune to Lung's fire. She honestly hadn't even noticed. A further comment mentioning that it would get folded under Brute in the full report.
Trump ?: A highly tentative rating as they had no idea what was with her power null, or if she was pulling new abilities as required.
She closed the text file on her phone, because apparently phones could run text editors now, and turned to leave.
That was when the explosions started.
Taylor braced herself on a nearby wall as Brockton Bay lit up with fire and other more... esoteric things. Another shock wave shook the city. And a building nearby crumbled into fire and dust.
Taylor activated her scan to look through the building, and sure enough, there were a few people still inside.
Taylor looked at the currently burning down building, thought back to her power classification, and sighed. "Fireproof eh? Well, nothing to do but confirm it." Taylor mumbled to herself.
Briefly bracing herself, Taylor dashed into the building.
As fire surrounded her without real effect, Taylor internally confirmed that she was indeed fireproof. Confirming with her senses the location of the nearest person, an average man as far as she could tell, she moved towards him.
A few seconds later she found the man. As soon as he sighted her, he called out. "Hey, you're a hero right, get this out of my way!" Sure enough, he was trapped behind a broken banister.
"Ah, yes." Moving to assist, Taylor lifted the banister clear. "We're near the entrance, can you get out on your own?"
"There's fire all around!" The man replied. "As a hero, shouldn't you help me get out?"
Taylor scowled. "There's other people still in here, you know."
The man scowled back. "Well then, what are you doing still here? Get going!"
His complete roundabout threw Taylor. "Uh, okay than." Taylor walked off towards the next person, a youngish woman. "Rudely telling me to go save someone? People can be so weird." Taylor mumbled to herself.
Four people, several more banisters, pieces of roof, broken legs, and a guy who had fallen asleep and somehow managed to stay asleep through the explosions later, Taylor breathed a sigh of relief. Walking out of the increasingly structurally unstable building, Taylor observed that someone had called 911 and the paramedics had arrived.
Scowls on their faces, they hurriedly rushed the actually injured patients inside, while telling the ones less so that 'they were fine'.
Taylor presumed that they had a lot of work piled up behind them.
Her phones began buzzing in her pocket. She took it out, and noticed that Clockblocker had apparently sent her a message.
From: Clockblocker
Hey, Buster. How willing to test that new Trump rating are you? Some of those bombs did some really weird things, and all other attempts to deal with it have failed. As the only Trump rated hero in the city, the Director already gave permission to call you in. So you don't need to worry about 'stepping on any toes' or the like.
Taylor fiddled with the phone for a bit, before finally remembering how to respond.
From: Buster
Yeah, I'll be there.
Taylor put the phone away. She gave one last glance towards the burning buildings before leaving back towards the PRT headquarters.
Taylor's time in the PRT headquarters was short, as she was immediately directed to the areas where the worst of the bombs had gone off.
Taylor arrived at an area that seemed to be frozen in time. Images of fire frozen in the air, pieces of nearby building just floating in the air, and several people locked in place with looks of dawning horror.
Clockblocker and Armsmaster were nearby. Clockblocker, pressing his hands against the frozen air, presumably in hope that his power would enable him to do something.
So far, it looked hopeless.
Muttering in frustration, Clockblocker looked up, and finally noticed her. "Yo, Buster! So they sent you over here first."
Armsmaster briefly looked up from the portable computer he had brought, and offered a nod of acknowledgement.
Nodding in greeting in turn, Taylor walked up to the bubble of frozen time. "So, what do you want me to do here?"
"Not sure, poke it? Shoot a laser?" Clockblocker shrugged.
"If you could refrain from lasers for the time being." Armsmaster spoke.
Clockblocker pouted in response.
Ignoring the byplay, Taylor decided to follow Clockblockers first suggestion, and poked it.
Her finger passed through the bubble with ease.
"...Kind of anticlimactic." Clockblocker commented.
"Hmm." Armsmaster didn't comment further.
"You want to go and try dragging those guys out of there?" Clocblocker continued with a wave of his hand towards the frozen individuals.
"Alright." Taylor said, moving towards the time stopped people. She grabbed the arm of a tall woman, and pulled.
At first, nothing much happened. However, slowly but surely, she began to move as if being pulled through a hefty sludge.
Just before she began pulling her out, Armasmaster raised his hand into the air.
"What is it?" Taylor questioned.
Armsmaster frowned, motioning towards his lips.
With a start Taylor realized that they must not be able to communicate through the bubble. Leaving the woman behind, Taylor exited the time bubble.
Taylor repeated her question upon exiting.
"Save dragging them out for a last resort. I doubt the human body would deal well with part of it not existing for all intents and purposes." Armsmaster answered.
Taylor paled slightly. "That would be... bad."
"Well, since that plan was shot down too, maybe you can just, try and break it or something? Concentrate deeply and all that?" Postulated Clockblocker.
"I'll give it a try." Taylor responded.
Taylor awkwardly raised a hand in the air, and concentrated on... popping it? &^*error
It felt like she was pushing at something that was... Broken? Off? Wrong? She knew she should be able to do this, but she couldn't anyway. An angry scowl fell across her face. "I should be able to do this. I know it. So why. Won't. It. Work!" Roaring out the last syllable, Taylor pushed until something gave.
Phys*&^&cel. Sing)()# nt. Power Overdraw.
Taylor dropped on to her hands and knees as the world turned dark. She felt like she was out of breath, but no matter how deeply she breathed none was coming to her. A coldness swept over her body.
Taylor completely collapsed there, privately wondering if she had killed herself. She briefly cursed Shadow Stalker for lying to her about capes not hurting themselves.
But all these thoughts were interrupted by warmth rapidly returning to her body. Awareness returning, as she noticed Clockblocker standing over her saying something.
A few seconds later, she could finally make sense of his wording. "-it, shit, shit. Where's my phone when I need it." He was rummaging through a bag attached to his waste while doing so.
With a wave of her hand, Taylor managed to gasp out. "I-I'm okay. T-that was... an interesting experience."
"Oh thank god. I didn't know what happened." Clockblocker breathed a sigh of relief. "Armsmaster, she's okay!" He shouted towards him.
Armamaster turned from whatever conversation he was having to look at her. "You're awake, good. What happened there?"
"I'm not sure." Taylor replied hesitantly. "I sort of, hit a barrier, and then managed to push through it. After which, I sort of blacked out."
"Interesting." Armsmaster mused. "So you can push out your power nullification at the cost of knocking yourself out? Situational, but useful." He concluded.
"Wait, do you mean-" Taylor turned to look, and sure enough, the time bubble was gone. Replaced with several groaning individuals as they pulled themselves off the ground. And one severely confused woman.
Taylor smiled a bit, her spontaneous blackout hadn't gone to waste.
As she took in a deep breath, Taylor paused as she considered exactly how necessary doing so was anymore.
Taylor resolved to think on it later, as she had other problems at the moment.