Hope Through Overwhelming Firepower Interlude 15 The World 2
Letting out a breath of he didn't even know what, Armsmaster gently set Throweye's headset aside. The powerful coordination device Dragon had used to organize the efforts of all the many Tinker's involved in the construction and control of the power copier now pointless.
Around Armsmaster, dozens of other Tinkers leapt from their stations around the large power copying device. Cheering and exclamations of joy were heard.
Armsmaster, however, simply stared at the paused screen, head leaning on his fist.
A picture of the Simurgh, cleanly bisected and unmoving, remained frozen on the screen.
Several emotions broiled within Armsmaster. A part, in all honesty a significantly large part of him, was overjoyed. The Endbringers, apparently dead and gone, how could he not be happy about that.
In part, he was jealous, but it was a part easily squashed; he had been ignoring that part of him that screamed at the unfairness of the world for years.
In part, he was angry. She had stolen his moment, the moment of all Tinkers, everywhere, once again. Walked all over the hard work of everyone who had sacrificed hundreds of hours to build the device.
But mostly, he was resigned. It was done, the universe had bent over backwards, and given her enough power for... whatever she wanted. Whether by luck or cunning, Buster had gained enough strength that she no longer needed to answer to anyone anymore. "So, that's that. I guess you win, Taylor. No one is really capable of telling you otherwise." He murmured to himself.
Letting out another breath, this one clearly identifiable as a sigh, he pulled himself out of his chair and set off in search of something to drink.
* Topic: Holy Fuck. Just... what. Endbringers, gone.
In: BoardsWorld NewsMain
Bagrat (Original Poster) (Veteran Member) (The Guy in the Know)
Posted on April 16th, 2011:
Buster just dropped the Endbringers (See Link). I just... holy shit. We don't have confirmation yet but... ParaLook is damn reputable, I... I think this might just be true. If it is... holy shit.
Tinmother: Stickied and Confirmed; I've talked directly with Dragon.
(Showing Page 1 of 15)
Crigen (Veteran Member)
Replied on April 16th, 2011:
Yeah, I'm calling bullshit. Buster's strong, and ParaLook may be reputable, but it's been wrong before, and this is way too big.
Edit: Or not. Holy fuck, mod confirmation... BRB: contemplating the many ways the world will fucking flip.
Lasersmile
Replied on April 16th, 2011:
And that, my friends, is the sound of the status quo shattering. Shattering like fucking glass.
Clockblocker (Verified Cape)
Replied on April 16th, 2011:
Yeah, I'll provide my own alternate confirmation. I was there, after all.
Bagrat (Original Poster) (Veteran Member) (The Guy in the Know)
Replied on April 16th, 2011:
Really? Shit, maybe you can provide us some info on what the hell happened there? All ParaLook has is a picture of the Simurgh, bisected (which is, in and of itself, enough for quite the 'holy shit' (which is a word simultaneously under and over used in this topic) moment.))
Velocithor
Replied on April 16th, 2011:
Technically, she wasn't bisected. The actual split line was a bit above the chest area, so it's actually closer to ¾ and a ¼.
Bagrat (Original Poster) (Veteran Member) (The Guy in the Know)
Replied on April 16th, 2011:
Don't be pedantic.
Clockblocker (Verified Cape)
Replied on April 16th, 2011:
Not sure how much I'm allowed to provide, but I guess I can talk about the actual battle (as everyone there saw it).
Basically: The Endbringers managed to break through the various barriers we had holding them back and, well, went on a rampage. You all know (see link) how well anti-Endbringer efforts were working against them as they were. So, as you can imagine, things didn't go much better this time either. Eidolon made a damn good effort, but it wasn't enough, things were looking to be a repeat of the Toybox Incident.
Then the sky shatters.
I mean, literally. A portion of the skyline broke open into a bunch of shards that faded into nothingness shortly after. There's no hyperbole involved here, the hole in the sky is still sitting there like a creepy as fuck red jagged scar on an otherwise blue horizon. (Hopefully Buster can fix that.)
Anyway, sky goes the way of the status quo yada, yada. And then what I can only describe as a directed micro black hole (which a friend of mine assures me makes as little sense as you would think it would but, you know, Parahumans) forms to drag Leviathan halfway across the battlefield. Shortly after moving Leviathan to a, as far as I can tell, arbitrary location, the black hole dissipates and Leviathan finally manages to pick itself back up, only for Buster to smash down out of the shattered sky. A moment of shaking earth later, and all we can see is Buster standing on top of Leviathan's unmoving corpse, with her foot impaled somewhere deep inside it. After that, she had a brief conversation with Eidolon, vaporized Behemoth with another black hole (sentences I'd never thought I'd type), and lazered the Simurgh. After all was said and done, she made a brief statement (something to the effect of "Yeah, they're gone.") And asked to be left alone so she could head home and check on her father.
No one really felt like objecting.
Bagrat (Original Poster) (Veteran Member) (The Guy in the Know)
Replied on April 16th, 2011:
...Holy shit. Well, thanks.
Hectonkyhire
Replied on April 16th, 2011:
Damn, not even Scion could do that...
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Tinmother (Moderator)
Replied on April 16th, 2011:
All of the indicated users have been infracted; take it to the vs forums.
Hectonkyhire
Replied on April 16th, 2011:
*Is sad for what he started* Damn, 14 pages of derail... So, uh, what's the current listing for Buster's powers looking like?
User received a warning for this post: A bit too close to the previous topic, you're not in trouble, but I'll be keeping an eye out. That goes for everyone after this post too, keep it away from vs.
Bagrat (Original Poster) (Veteran Member) (The Guy in the Know)
Replied on April 16th, 2011:
Here's the updated list for the new information.
Absurd energy projection abilities (now updated to Endbringer slaying levels. What that means, nobody knows, but let's try and keep her from shattering a continent or something.)
Durabilty? How much is her being durable, and how much is her weird ability to cancel out kinetic force is questionable.
Weird ability to cancel out kinetic force (and maybe a bunch of other stuff too.)
Immunity to every power as far as anyone can tell.
Some sort of extrasensory perception that, if it continues to scale up, well soon encompass the entire planet. (Testimony from some... friends of mine put it well above seeing the entire city right now, and it used to be limited to a few blocks. And by 'used to' I means five days ago.)
Flight at some sort of speed.
Teleportation by shattering the fabric of reality or... something. (I seriously hope that gets cleaned up as it's described as rather jagged and I don't think anyone wants to experience firsthand the consequences of cutting themselves on shards of space-time.)
Black hole creation and manipulation, and at a really high level if the descriptions are anything to go by. (Directing their gravatic pull? Creating them around an Endbringer and then dissipating it and the Endbringer too? Ridiculous.)
And, yeah. I think that's everything. Assuming she hasn't gained super muffin powers or something by the morn.
EriktheGrave (Veteran Member)
Replied on April 16th, 2011:
Some sort of extrasensory perception that, if it continues to scale up, well soon encompass the entire planet.
She sees you when you're sleeping~ She knows, when you're awake~ She knows if you've been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake~
Lasersmile
Replied on April 16th, 2011:
EriktheGrave: You joke about that, but it's a serious thought. She's so far beyond anyone expect Scion (who it's questionable would even care about her, considering how he's acted in regards to every other non-Endbringer threat), that there's not much we can do about her. If Buster decides to go all Big Sister is Watching You, what do we do?
EriktheGrave (Veteran Member)
Replied on April 16th, 2011:
Bow? Supplicate? Prostrate thineself? There aren't a whole lot of answers here.
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He folded his behind his back, and began to speak. "Director Piggot, what can you tell me about Buster?"
Emily Piggot frowned slightly. "In what manner, Mr. President?"
"I would like to know about her, her motivations and her personality. To be frank, I want to know how likely she is to become an enemy of the United States, how to prevent that from happening, and what could possibly be done in the event that she does." He clarified. "As you are the Director of the Wards team she is a member of, you are the closest to her that I can be assured of discretion and accuracy regarding the topic."
Piggot nodded. "Your first two questions are... difficult to answer, for various reasons. However, your final one is quite simple. Nothing." A sour note entered her voice. "With her currently demonstrated abilities, and their seeming capability to override other powers where they should be canceled out, there exists, as far as I know, no possible way for anything the United States, or anyone for that matter, has access to in any fashion at all to stop Taylor Hebert from doing whatsoever she wants." She hesitated slightly. "Scion, could perhaps do something. But it's questionable, and on top of that he has shown a strong disinclination to get involved in the affairs of Parahumans. I would judge him as too unreliable on multiple levels."
The President of the United States of America sat down in his chair with a sigh. "Not what I wanted to hear, but I can't say it's unexpected. The best option then, would be to insure she never has a reason to oppose us, but you seem to be of the opinion that would be a rather difficult task, why is that?"
"You are aware of the fact that, for all intents and purposes, Taylor Hebert's trigger event turned her into some form of combat android, correct?" Piggot questioned.
"I am aware of information to the effect." The President acknowledged. "I do, however, remain unaware of the reasoning behind that decision."
Piggot nodded. "Conveniently, the answer to that ties neatly into the answer to your question. Namely, the mysterious 'combat protocols'."
He leaned forward in intrigue. "Combat protocols... so she has some sort of inbuilt system that handles combat?"
"As far we can tell that is precisely the case." Piggot answered.
"Hmm." He tapped his fingers across his desk. "I've watched some of her combat footage in the past, and failed to observe anything really striking. Is there some sort of extenuating circumstance I am not aware of?"
"Correct." Piggot confirmed. "These 'combat protocols' seem to spend most of their time in a dormant state of some sort. According to what we've heard from the protocols themselves, they only take command of Taylor when they are activated but she isn't in any actual combat herself."
"That seems rather... arbitrary." The President frowned.
"Quite." Piggot agreed. "Nonetheless, they're there, and we don't really understand their motives. They appear to maintain some sort of consistency with Taylor Hebert's own motives and beliefs, but in far more... binary fashion, almost, or so we think, as we only have one confirmed case of their appearance and we are entirely unaware of what causes them to activate."
He rubbed at the bridge of his nose. "So that leaves the obvious solution of 'insure they never activate' mostly untenable."
Piggot paused to consider something. "I am... unsure that would work either. It isn't something I truly noticed before, but the reveal of the combat protocols and her existence as some form of android or cyborg cast certain events in a different light."
The President suppressed the urge to groan. More likely-to-be-aggravating information about Buster. "Go on."
"Taylor Hebert was, before her trigger event, the target of a rather vicious bullying campaign." Piggot began. "Suffice to say, the culmination of this campaign was enough for her to trigger as a Parahuman. I imagine you are aware of exactly the kind of situations that bring about trigger events."
He nodded.
"Good. Then I trust no further explanation is needed for the fact that Taylor Hebert had extremely good reason to hate all those involved." She continued. "Now, to my eternal consternation, one of the most prominent members of the campaign was, in turn, a member of my own Wards team at the time. And Taylor eventually managed to discover this fact."
"I can't imagine that went well." He commented.
"Actually, it did. It went extremely well." She answered grimly. "That is, in fact, the impetus behind my belief. There was a brief confrontation where she demanded answers, and I gave them, and offered reparations. As the offender was, in fact, in my office at the same time, I was able to offer some immediate ones. Afterwards she... calmed down, and I never heard anything on the topic again. She never even vaguely acted like you would expect an abused teenager to in that situation, never blamed anyone involved but the actual perpetrators. At the time, I merely thought she was an unusually rational teenager, but with the revelation of the combat protocols, I began to think there might be more to it. After consulting a previously villain Thinker with Armsmaster's aid, I can be fairly confident that there is something... unusual to Taylor Hebert's mindset, she doesn't quite think like a normal human does. It's not the binary thinking of a computer, but there is a hint of inhuman rationality there, and the fact that it's there, and we're largely unaware of the extent of it, leaves any predictions based on her personality shaky."
And so the most powerful being alive was largely unpredictable. Absolutely wonderful. He could feel a headache coming on already. "Intriguing information. Thank your for your time, Director Piggot."
"A pleasure to serve, Mr. President." She nodded, and the screen shut off from her end.
With a long held in groan, the President of the United States of America leaned back into his chair. "What a fucking nightmare." What did he do now? He supposed that was a question that would go through his advisors, but still...
He rubbed at the bridge his noes again, and began penciling in plans to make an appointment for the discussion of all of... this.
It had always been tacitly acknowledged amongst the world power that if Scion ever decided he wanted to rule the world, it was best to let him. Of course, that tacit acknowledgment was a great deal easier when everyone was confident it would never happen, and in the face of the US potentially having to give up its sovereignty and the values of freedom it had been founded upon, all the cold hearted numbers about survival rates rang increasingly hollow.
And that was disregarding the fact that, with the deaths of the Endbringers, the population might welcome their new overlord with open arms.
And then there was the problem of no more Endbringers. Like, holy shit, what does that even mean? All of a sudden the military, assuming Buster decides to not go omnicidal or overlord, is semi-relevant again. Oceanic shipping can start once more, and the world wide economy might actually recover.
He penciled in an extension on that meeting. They were going to be there for days.
"See, see!" Clockblocker shouted triumphantly. "What did I tell you?" He lowered his voice into a sort of rumbling grunt. "She always wins!"
Browbeat shook his head. "I was never disagreeing with you on that, but on your usage. Sebulba lost that race, you know?"
"And yet." Clockblocker spread his arms apart. "She won." He finished with a flippant tone of voice.
Browbeat's eyebrow twitched. "You. Are. Misapplying. The quote. It can't be used in that context."
"Says who-"
"Ladies, ladies." Aegis dryly interrupted. "Calm down. Clockblocker, he's right. In the original context, that quote doesn't actually work. But, Browbeat, does it really matter?"
Browbeat stared at him as if he were crazy. "Yes."
Aegis threw his hands into the air. "Fine, whatever. Have your crazy debate. I, meanwhile, will be exiting the Parahumans Online Vs Forums section of reality."
"Speaking of which." Vista cut in. "Are we now the best Wards team in the world? I mean, it's kind of hard to beat having Buster as a team member."
"Does she really count as part of the team?" Gallant scratched his head. "I mean, we're basically just a cheerleading squad for all the difference we make."
"The same could be said of every Parahuman." Browbeat dryly remarked.
"Which is kind of a depressing thought." Clockblocker broke in. "Buster, considering the teleportation and extrasensory abilities, has basically invalidated the hero as a concept. We're all kind of pointless now."
"Is that... such a bad thing?" The previously quiet Kid Win spoke up somberly. "Being a Hero seems cool and all but it kind of sucks in all honesty. It's scary and dangerous; you're facing off against potential murderers every day of your life for what? A chance at fame? A meager paycheck? Some sort of Ill-defined duty to the people?" Kid Win began to get fired up. "So what? I'm perfectly happy with never having to go into combat against another Parahuman again."
"And so you would push all that duty and responsibility onto Buster?" Aegis pointed out.
Kid Win deflated. "Well, maybe I guess. She can probably handle it, can't she?"
"She may very well be able." Aegis acknowledged. "Doesn't mean she should, she needs a break too."
Kid Win sighed. "I guess I was being kind of selfish, wasn't I?"
"Pretty much, yep." Clockblocker replied without hesitation. "On the other hand, we are way too fucking depressed for the death of the Endbringers. So, you all are going to shut up, and we're going out to get something to eat at Fugly Bob's. Now."
"Hear ye, hear ye. That is something I can agree on." Browbeat spoke out.
"Shouldn't we like, go see the director or something?" Vista questioned hesitantly.
"Probably." Aegis agreed. "However, it appears that I've forgotten that detail. So I will allow this diversion."
Clockblocker let out a whoop of joy, while Vista just shook her head. "Oh whatever, as long as you're taking the blame."
"Well, if I'm taking the blame." Aegis began. "Then I am certainly not paying."
"Gallant." Clockblocker immediately spoke.
"Agreed." Echoed Vista, Browbeat, and Kid Win.
Aegis nodded sagely. "A wise choice."
"Hey!"