Hope Through Overwhelming Firepower 6.1
Taylor stepped off the corpse of Crawler.
Target demonstrated extensive regeneration capabilities, survival unlikely, but not outside possibility.
Course of Action: Maintain watch until confirmation of elimination.
Crawler continued to disintegrate.
"Hey, Buster, stop ignoring me!" Clockblocker shouted.
Clockblocker: Designation: Ally: Access Level 1
Request: Feasible
Taylor looked directly at Clockblocker, and spoke. "You have this unit's attention."
There was a pause. Clockblocker stepped to the right, Taylor's head followed him. Clockblocker stepped to the left, Taylor's head followed him.
"...Kinda creepy." Clockblocker stated.
"Is there something you require?" Taylor questioned.
"Erm... What was that 'collider' thing?" Clockblocker asked.
Ally Clockblocker requesting information upon the Buster Collider.
Information Access: Moderate
"It is a device that removes neutrons from a target, leaving positively charged anti-protons behind. Subsequently, the positively charged anti-protons collide with the negatively charged electrons, resulting in both being eliminated. The target thereafter disintegrates." Taylor explained.
Armsmaster let out a choking sound. "Positively charged what?"
Armsmaster: Designation: Ally/Superior?: Access Level 2
"Anti-protons." Taylor repeated.
"I... No. You just... No." Armsmaster struggled to communicate his objections. "You can't have a positively charged anti-proton, they're inherently negatively charged. If you positively charged one, you would just have a proton. And that's not getting into all of the other problems with that statement. It's not even Tinker babble, it's wrong."
"It's not like that's anything new, really." Clockblocker jumped in. "I mean, Parahuman powers violate the laws of physics all the time."
"Not necessarily. Most everything we've seen out of Parahumans so far could be reasonably explained by Clarketech." Browbeat commented. "The tendency for sufficiently advanced technology to be indistinguishable from magic, it's a reference to Arthur C. Clarke's third law." He explained at the confused looks he got. "Point is, we understand the laws of physics and terms that she's using. And they're, apparently, wrong."
He continued to get odd looks.
"What? I just like science fiction." Browbeat spoke.
"While I'm sure the ins and outs of Buster's powers are absolutely fascinating, there's a far more important issue here." Alexandria spoke, as she landed carrying someone over her shoulder. "Namely, who are you?"
Alexandria: Designation: Ally/Superior: Access Level 4
"The Combat Protocols for this unit." Taylor answered.
"Combat Protocols? Well, why are you still here then, and why did we not see you during Leviathan?" Alexandria questioned.
Ally/Superior Alexandria requesting information upon the Combat Protocols and triggers.
Information Access: Full
"The Combat Protocols will remain the primary decision maker until Target Crawler has been confirmed eliminated. The Combat Protocols only hold priority when activated out of combat." Taylor answered.
"How long until Crawler can be confirmed dead?" Alexandria asked.
Target's body has 82% decomposed.
Estimate: 3:26
"Approximately three minutes and twenty six seconds." Taylor replied.
"And when that time is up, Buster will regain control?" Alexandria queried.
"There is no 'control' to regain, the Combat Protocols are just that. The Combat Protocols will recede back to their usual level of priority in consciousness after that time is up, nothing more."
Alexandria frowned sharply at that, but said nothing more.
An awkward pause followed for a moment after. "Uh, so who's that?" Clockblocker pointed at the girl on Alexandria's shoulder.
"Cherish, a previously unknown member of the Slaughterhouse Nine." Alexandria replied.
Slaughterhouse Nine member survived.
"Apologies for missing her, the local Protectorate data banks have no data, would you like me to eliminate her as well?" Taylor questioned.
"That won't be necessary, Buster." Alexandria firmly answered.
"Wait, as well? You mean you took down the rest of the Slaughterhouse Nine too?" Vista blurted.
"Correct." Taylor stated
"...Even the Siberian?" Vista continued.
"Ye-" Taylor paused.
Siberian detected
"The Siberian seems to have survived somehow, Target incoming in four point three seconds." Taylor stated.
There was a pause. "Wait, what?" Was heard out of Clockblocker.
A wall shattered to pieces, as the white and black figure of the Siberian dashed through, a snarl of rage on her face.
Taylor looked at her.
Physical Canceler: Spike
The Siberian popped.
"...Did she just glare the Siberian to death?" Clockblocker questioned in a daze.
Second time Siberian has appeared.
Analyzing: Figure detected to stumble and scream out when Siberian destroyed, severed dimensional connection attached to him.
Analyzing: Figure possess' connection with Siberian, Siberian projection of figure.
Taylor reached a hand into the air, and another beam of red light curved through the air, and struck down the van the figure resided in.
Taylor lowered her hand.
"Not that the Legend impression wasn't... impressive, but what was the point?" Clockblocker questioned.
"The Siberian was the projection of a figure point zero, zero, zero, zero, zero, zero, zero, two Astronomical Units north east, the figure was eliminated." Taylor answered.
"Astro-what?" Vista questioned.
"Astronomical Units, or AU, are a system of measurement derived from the distance between the sun and the earth. Although in recent years it has been standardized to be roughly one hundred and fifty million kilometers, or ninety three million miles." Browbeat explained.
"Surrounded by dorks." Vista muttered.
"Not really living up to the dumb part of dumb brute, are you?" Clockblocker spoke, only to cringe from the glare Alexandria gave him.
0:23 until Target can be confirmed eliminated.
"A more important question." Browbeat began to speak. "Is why you used Astronomical Units for a distance so small?"
"It is the default unit of measurement for the Combat Protocols." Taylor answered.
Browbeat opened his mouth, and then closed it. "Well, if that doesn't have wonderful implications." He spoke after a moments thought.
Vista looked around. "Hey, where's Armsmaster?"
"He stomped off halfway through Browbeat going full nerd." Clockblocker replied.
"You're one to talk." Browbeat cut in with a frown.
Clockblocker ignored the interruption. "Presumably, Taylor had done enough damage to his psyche for the day."
Target is confirmed eliminated.
"No trace of Target Crawler remains." Taylor spoke.
"Huh?" Clockblocker made a confused sound.
Protocol's receding.