Part 1

Research and Development

Seed 1-1

My watch alarm rang, and I sighed. An hour was barely enough time to do anything useful during lunch.

I logged off of the website, and set my watch alarm for an hour. I stretched my legs to rub some feeling back into them. I had been sitting in that chair for too long.

I pushed play on the CD player, and the audio book started up on again where I had left off. Having more free time to read made up a little for the lack of social interaction now that I wasn't going to Winslow. The postings on PHO did help to meet my some of biological social needs. Research showed that healthy social interactions could help decrease my depressive feelings in addition to my self-medication.

I yawned as I walked to the kitchen and pulled out the bread. I could make and eat a sandwich in an average time of five minutes and twenty-three seconds. Looking in the fridge made me realize that I had forgotten to buy more mayonnaise. I made a note for myself on the fridge-writing pad to buy it, as I poured the last of the coffee in a mug.

The SX-1 tightened a bit around my waist as I chugged down the coffee. Too much caffeine was bad for a growing body, but I needed a stimulant since I had been staying up alot lately. I checked my watch again as I cleaned up my mess. I had fifty five minutes to look over my preparations for the SX-2 and finish creating the venom they would develop.

Then I had to get back and upload the rest of today's school assignments. After today I will have finished all the reports and projects that will be due for the rest of the year. Then my schedule allowed a three-hour power nap before I made dinner for Dad and me. I would go to the basement after he was asleep and start growing the SX-2 until I found a form that met my needs.

Next year could not come fast enough when I could finally test out of school and focus on my real work. I knew I shouldn't be complaining. School was a breeze now that I didn't have to worry about Emma and the others stealing all my assignments. Just being able to focus on my lessons and reading had caused my grades to soar without the side benefits of being a Tinker.

Biology and Science were so easy now that having to do the assignments seemed like pointless busywork. I had already checked out and read most of the biology and animal science books in the library anyway. I could teach the class better than the teachers had at Winslow.

Now that I think about it that was a good idea for earning some extra money. I pulled out my ideas notebook, volume 2 and wrote Tutor by the hour next to moneymaking ideas. I needed some extra money for future projects, but I felt guilty asking dad for more after he gave me so much already with a large allowance.

After the settlement money from the lawsuits had come in, I thought we would have enough to meet all my needs for equipment and materials. But that had very quickly been proven false as I used all of my allowance, including an advance, just buying the basic materials for making the most basic seed.

I sighed again as I finished cleaning up and started to disinfect my hands, thinking of all the lab equipment I wanted. I hadn't realized how expensive and hard to get basic lab equipment was. Everything that was sold was carefully tracked because others could use the equipment to cook drugs and worse.

I had an idea of taking on a job at the hospital that would let me watch patients and doctors do their work. But I would have to convince dad first. He wouldn't like the idea of me working late at night. But that was when the hospital needed people to watch patients in their rooms, and paid the most. He might be more open to the idea when I showed him that I had finished all the years school work already, and reminded him of my stated plan to be a neurologist.

Glancing at my watch, I unlocked the door to the basement and turned on the light. I remembered to step over the broken step as I put on my gloves. I had cleaned up the basement a bit, but it was still filled with old boxes of mom's stuff that dad couldn't bring himself to get rid of. We really should buy a storage space, but dad didn't want to waste money when the basement was big enough for our needs.

I moved a few boxes, and crawled under through a little tunnel to the hidden alcove where I stored my first generation lab equipment. It wasn't much, just the terrarium, my chemistry kit, the glass box made from an old aquarium, and my custom made computer. I still kept it around mostly for convenience sake so I could tinker a bit without having to go to the lab.

I picked up the pheromone bottle that attracted the SX-1 and sprayed the terrarium. It immediately began uncurling from around my waist and went down my arm to rest under the sun lamp while slowly coming out of my sleeve.

I couldn't help but feel a bit of pride looking at it, despite it looking rather ugly. I had spent a whole day growing it from the second seed I had ever made. I had never grown a Lusus before, and my impatience was the cause for how weird it looked.

It was a darkish green color, about 3 and half feet long, and looked like an unusual snake. Though the differences became rather more obvious after a second look. Its eyes were way too small for one thing. It looked blind at first glance, but it did have tiny eyes that were both on the left side of its face. The body proportions were a little off compared to other snakes. The most obvious difference was the rattle, which was a bit too over sized compared to a regular rattlesnake.

It rarely used the rattle when threatened, even when I sprayed the attack pheromone. I wasn't sure yet why it never rattled it as a warning like I intended. I didn't yet know if most of its instinct came from the base form of a garden snake, or the rattlesnake DNA I added to the seed it was grown from.

I wouldn't find out until I examined its brain after it died and compared it to the brain of a normal garden and rattle snake. That might be a few weeks off based on how healthy it was at the moment. It had lasted much longer than I had predicted based off the crappy quality of the materials and the seed I used to make it.

The poor quality did have an effect on its behavior though. It still bumped into things, and would lunge suddenly at the air for no reason. The first time it did that had caused me to flail and fall on my butt. While I knew it was friendly, I had removed its fangs and venom sacks almost immediately after that little episode.

While the pheromones kept it docile, I didn't want to dad to freak out if he found it.

Trying to explain that I had another new hobby besides the vegetable and flower garden in the backyard would be unusual. It involving taking care of weird snakes would be a big red flag besides it having huge fangs.

I walked over to the cage nearby and pulled out a mouse to feed it. The SX-1 was enough of a plant that it got part of its energy needs from my upgraded UV lamp, but it still needed to eat regular mice to supplement its diet. The mice were self-replicating, and the clones would breed fast once I activated that sequence in them. I could save money by not having to buy more mice to feed the future SX models I would grow.

I really needed to grow a Lusus to a sufficient size before I could use it as a base form for even larger creations. I couldn't just bulk buy monkeys, farm animals, and bears from the pet store after all. Besides while my power seems to have given me a strong stomach against blood and guts, I don't think I could bring myself to kill a monkey or dog. That was a bit hypocritical since I was killing snakes, but no one kept snakes for cuddly pets.

My plan was to grow young or adolescent versions of base forms and manipulate them to grow quickly. If I made it a certain size while having it mature, I was positive I could cause it to grow to a much more useful size. But that could take weeks of trimming seed forms, and I didn't have the time yet in my schedule until all my schoolwork was finally finished.

I had to be very concise in my schedule to do all of the schoolwork ahead of time, eat, and tinker while moving things around to sleep and work when dad was not at work or asleep himself. For once I was glad that he was so busy that he had to work late all the time. Things had been so busy and hard for him ever since the economy had started tanking.

Brockton Bay had benefited greatly when Boston had been sealed after the Simurgh attacked it when I was little. But things were still pretty bad despite the extra benefits from the ships at the dock coming in. There were talks of a strike if the governor made good on his threat to pass something to stop the Unions bargaining power.

Dad usually ate dinner and talked with me when he got home, spent an hour relaxing or watching TV, than went straight to sleep. The lawsuit money had improved our finances dramatically but he still pushed himself to work hard to try and help the dockworkers, as work got harder to find. Though at least part of it was probably also to keep out of the house that had so many memories of mom.

I walked to the small clear aquarium where my next batch of first generation seeds was being grown. I almost had enough seeds to grow what I wanted. Being a Tinker was a little weird in that I could visualize exactly what I wanted and could make already without experimentation. The problem was figuring out how to backtrack and make the idea work with what I had.

I envisioned having a half dozen SX models wrapped around my body that I could hide under my clothes. I would give the pheromone to attack, and they would move away from me to deal with whomever I sprayed. Though I would put the pheromone into a breakable paper ball instead of a sprayer for long range. They could also rattle and make noise to scare off anyone who tried to mess with me. Hopefully they would think I could grow snakes out of my body. That way everyone would guess I was a master rather than a Tinker.

Of course I had no intention of going out as a hero yet. The snakes were just for self-defense when I went out at night to gather materials, and build at my lab. Brockton Bay was dangerous at night, and I wanted something to defend myself before I started sneaking out more. All my other ideas of Lusus with night vision, and something I could ride to escape trouble had to wait. I just didn't have the equipment or materials yet to even begin something like that. I had to go slowly and stay under the radar for as long as possible.

I had done the research on Tinkers and it was pretty depressing. Most didn't last long by themselves. They were forcibly recruited by gangs, killed to keep someone else from recruiting them, or affiliated in some way with the PRT though they had a lot of restrictions. Only a very few actually seemed to join Toybox, and it was a much smaller organization than I had first pictured.

I really didn't want to work under the PRT, at least not yet. I would have been required to join the wards, and I had enough teen drama when I was at Winslow. This wasn't getting into the fact that my specialty would scare people with how similar it was to what Nilbog could do. They would be suspicious of and restrict anything I made if I joined them, and I knew that I could make a difference in the city.

I had been both excited and filled with apprehension when I figured out my specialty. I had just uploaded all of the hidden video footage to a DVD to show a lawyer, and had a stray thought of using a bird to fly around with my camera for some cool footage. I remember the shock and excitement when I realized that I had several ideas on exactly how to make a bird.

My specialty lets me literally create life from raw materials. I can fashion homunculus from stuff you buy at the garden and drug store. I decided to call my creations Lusus Naturae, or Lusus for short, which was latin for whim of nature. I had a million ideas for Lusus to protect people walking the streets at night, and specially made farm animals that required little to take care of them and would help feed people.

I knew how the PRT felt about self-producing creations, but they would surely be okay with helping to feed the world. I'd take numerous precautions and I wouldn't mention the self-replication until I was a trusted hero. I would hide that I was a Tinker until I had enough power to defend myself, and create something useful to sell to the PRT.

Researching capes had made me very cautious about not going out until I was ready. There were a grand total of two independent Tinkers that had lasted longer than three years in the United States right now. Though both were villains, and I was going to be a hero.

Void was a tinker in New Orleans whose specialty was a variety of short ranged teleporters. He had lasted so long by being hard to catch, and rumor on PHO was that even his lab moved around. His MO was a high tech thief, teleporting into rich people's houses and various tech places to steal what he wanted. Though it was reported that he had quickly became used to the finer things in life based off the fact that not everything he stole was fenced. He seemed to become more versatile the more familiar he was with an area. He wasn't as effective outside his territory, and a local group of hero shifters had been his main rivals for years. He was seen as strictly small time until recently when he gained a very high blaster rating. It seemed he had devised a way to teleport a portion of a person away and had killed a powerful local Brute. He had started charging protection for parahumans who entered his territory and tried to assassinate anyone who didn't pay.

Overmind on the other hand was some type of hive mind tinker in Seattle, with drones and implanted henchman. There was a lot more information on her. She had started as a prostitute called Leshawna Wilson before triggering and being forced to join a local street gang called the Ballers almost immediately. The gang had very quickly risen in power with its members becoming similar to commandos, and acting amazingly coordinated against rivals and cops. It seemed they could share skills, communicate information between each other, and had improved reaction times with drones acting as spies and mobile defense platforms. They had quickly taken over the local projects and gangs, swelling in membership and being led by a low level Thinker called Three C. Many local teens had started piercing once side of their forehead with gold jewelry to copy the old implants that weren't internal like the higher-level members. Despite their power they didn't really try to expand their territories or operations because of other powerful villains in the city.

No one knows if it was because they weren't expanding anymore, or she just didn't like not being in charge but Leshawna, now calling herself Overmind, had simply notified every member of the network that she was now calling the shots. When people tried to fight her, she simply lobotomized or fried the brain of anyone who didn't follow her orders. Scarily enough there were also rumors that she had limited control of the motor abilities of those she killed. Under her control, the gang had started to aggressively expand and she was fond of siege tactics that were hard to root out. She had become such a nuisance that the PRT had moved team members around to create a custom team to deal specifically with her, which was starting to prove effective at ousting her forces.

Luckily I didn't require as much mechanical equipment as other Tinkers since I worked with biological material. Clumps of earth, distilled water, some drugs from the drug stores, and a custom computer that I bought parts for and managed to put together myself. My main issue had been lab equipment, and a machine shop to build stuff. It had taken me two weeks of carefully mixing a few things with some samples to make my first seeds. While the seeds were amazing they had a lot of flaws since they were only first generation and all my Lusus simply would not last longer than a few weeks. I didn't have the tools yet to create the next generation of seed, and it would take money and time to build the basic equipment I wanted to really get started.

I had stolen my basic lab stuff from Winslow, after the principal had refused to take action against Emma and Sophia. It was weird but I felt horribly guilty not at the fact that I stole from the school, but that I didn't feel guilty at stealing from them. The school had completely failed in its duty to protect me, but it wasn't like that excused stealing. Dad had raised me better than that, and mom would have lectured me but I just couldn't feel bad about it. I promised myself that once I was a trusted hero with plenty of sponsors I would pay them back with interest.

And things were finally starting to come together on the state of my equipment to build what I needed to be a hero. It was almost torture to not immediately grab the equipment and materials I needed and start making what I wanted. I had a million ideas for Lusus, but I learned my lessons from studying Overmind and Void. I took my time gathering materials to not arouse suspicion, trusted no one, and would try to hide what I was capable of whenever possible. I promised myself that I would not go out until my equipment was ready.

Once my snakes were grown, I already knew what my first stop would be. I had spent the first week after had confirmed that I had a power just wandering around and taking notes of my tech tree, and what it would take to build up to it. I had carefully made a note of things I could use, and I remembered an old hospital that had closed down on the north end of town a few years ago.

I had read about it in a local haunted places of Brockton Bay book, and based on my research they had to have some neuro imaging equipment that I needed to help build something to help "program" my Lusus.

The information I could give them right now was very limited, and was sort of like teaching rats how to run a maze but done in a few seconds after creating them. I couldn't reprogram minds already "programmed", so I had to create brand new SX Lusus to program them to curl around me, and come when I gave a signal. I couldn't be a good hero if I couldn't control my creations, and there was no way I was going create intelligent ones.

I was also hoping to find some copper wire to salvage in the walls, and I could teach the Lusus to move into and gather it without making holes. I really needed the money for materials before I could build my first human sized model. I had an idea for getting around not having a human sized base for it after watching a documentary on the future of food and scientists efforts to grow meat in a lab.

I figured I could grow a living, and expanding organism that I could grow as big as needed for a base for my Lusus. While I needed something living for my current seeds to work, my "meat moss" should qualify.

I carefully poured the distilled water into the tank, and spent the rest of the hour organizing my samples and materials. I had the seed carefully suspended in the large former fish tank, and checked on the portable generator I had made from a car battery.

I looked at a slide of the venom I had extracted from the SX-1, and compared it to other genetic samples of snake venom and drugs on my computer. I got most of my research from a few medical databases that didn't have good security. I needed venom that would stop a person, but there was no such thing as a perfect tranquilizer for every person. Too little and it did nothing, but too much could be deadly. I had spent almost a week but I had finally thought I had something that would paralyze the nerves without causing pain, but wouldn't have another other side affects. It still wasn't completely perfect, but I would have some anti-venom in case someone had a bad reaction.

Now I just had to create the template for the venom, and copy it in the right place of the DNA of the seed and a copy of the SX-1. Unfortunately I couldn't directly create or modify something from the start yet. That wasn't until the very end of the tech tree, and could take years to build up to. Right now I would be stuck using trial and error, while carefully trimming the biological growths of the seed as they developed until I had a form that used that venom. I had a pair of very sharp knives I had turned into scalpels to remove the growths I didn't want. I would then bury them into the garden in the backyard. Luckily the Lusus were enough of a plant that there wouldn't be unusual dead animal smells to rouse suspicion from the neighbors.

Since the SX-1 forms were not that big, it would not take long to grow and trim forms, but it could still take many hours before I had a form that had the right makeup of venom and shape that would meet my purposes. I could slow the seeds growth but couldn't stop it from splitting and growing once I started. I would start it tomorrow after dad left in the morning. Now that I didn't have to worry about schoolwork I had more than enough time to grow the right form. Then I could simply clone some more seeds and clone at least half a dozen more SX-2s to defend myself with when I started to go to my lab at night. I had spent time doing nothing but making sure it was hidden. I was so excited to finally being able to make what I imagined. I'm going to change this city for the better. I know it.

Dad arrived at 7:32 and I gave him a hug as he came in. Research showed that strong family relationships could help people with depressive symptoms cope better, so I made it a point to try and spend time with dad.

"Its not that I don't appreciate it, but you don't have to hug me every time Taylor," he said with a laugh.

I ignored him but released my hold. "Dinner is ready. I made a marinated, grilled fish, and a salad from the garden."

He put his bag next to the door, and immediately started to eat.

"Wash your hands, you animal." I joked. "How was your day dad?"

"Busy and I had to deal with a lot of angry and frustrated people. If the governor makes good on passing his bill, then a strike is a sure thing."

"How long do you think it could last?"

"I'm not sure Taylor. But people are underestimating how angry everyone is. I know that it won't be too hard to shut down the dock and they can't force us out. But don't worry about work Taylor, how was your day?"

"I'm a week ahead in my assignments. I know I would pass if I took that test today.", I said with confidence.

"That's great Taylor, but you are on the waiting list for arcadia. A new school will be a fresh start. You don't have to graduate so early. You should be out making friends."

"It could be awhile before I get in, and it just feels so pointless at this point. My grades have never been higher, and I intend to test out when I turn 16."

"Well if it really doesn't work, I promise you can just take the test and get your GED." he said as he put his hand on my shoulder. "But I would still like for you to try and make some friends. Not everyone is like Emma. Regardless, once all this labor trouble is over, why don't we take a vacation? Just the two of us."

"I'd love that dad."

I felt a new flash of guilt at Dad as he smiled at me. I returned the smile in turn, and we made small talk while we ate.

Should I just tell him everything? I gave it a lot of thought as dad ate. He'd probably insist I join the wards or tell the PRT. Especially because I'm a Tinker, and he would get scared at how dangerous is was for new Tinkers. If I imagined myself in the PRT shoes, I would be the last hero they would want. A Tinker with abilities similar to Nilbog, who can't control her creations? Yeah the PRT would just love to support me.

No, I wouldn't tell dad until I was trusted hero. Then I would tell him everything.

We ate in relative silence while we watched the news. There was a small piece on the governors proposed bill. Some Dutch aristocrat had been assassinated by the Blasphemies, and there was some kind of scandal with the hero Bastion, who had shouted a racial slur on camera.

It was around 8:00 when I kissed dad good night, and went to my room. Dad usually fell asleep around 8:30 since he had started to get up earlier. I would wait until 9 before I left. The buses ran until 10:00 on Fridays and started at 6:30 on Saturday.

I figured I could ride the bus to the lab, get off and spend a few hours growing the Lusus. Then take the first bus back home. Dad usually slept in until noon on Saturday, so I would have plenty of time to sneak back in and clean up.

Then I would tell Dad I was going to the library and sleep in the lab. Then head home and do the whole thing over again while collecting what I needed at the hospital. I quickly set my watch alarm and went to sleep.

I really, really need to get a car.

Dad had taken me driving twice already, and there had been strong hints that he would buy a car for me when I turned sixteen. He already said that I was a natural. I was confident that I could purchase a cheap clunker for a few hundred in disguise and fix it up. I had already read a few books detailing car repair and maintenance and my Tinker abilities seemed to give me a gift for basic mechanical knowledge. But I just didn't have the money for that right now. I was reminded of a quote by Salinger, "Goddam money. It always ends up making you blue as hell."

I was always a night owl, and staying out late tinkering had become second nature at this point, but I had never walked the streets of the docks at night. This was the real docks not the relatively safe area where my house was. I had gone to Winslow, so it wasn't as if I wasn't used to the gangs. You had to learn how to spot things and not draw attention to yourself. It was just a very different experience walking the streets at night. Despite the presence of the Lusus, I felt a little afraid.

Fear is an important survival trait of course. There are usually very good reasons to be afraid of something, and your chance of survival goes up by avoiding it. So intellectually I know why it's a normal and useful thing for people to be apprehensive in the dark. But that doesn't change the fact that being out in the open like this was very distressing. I felt like I was back at Winslow, unable to relax for a moment and being wary of everything.

The SX-2's squeezed in response and I felt a touch of reassurance at their presence. I had ended up bringing all six of them out with me. They curled around my waist and arms hidden under my oversized coat. I also had two of them hidden in my backpack and gym bag. I knew that I probably wouldn't be bothered too much. I was tall enough, and "sigh" flat enough that with my hood over my head I could be mistaken for a boy so I wouldn't seem like an easy victim.

The fact that I currently had an older male face also made it easy to hide who I was. One of my very first inventions had been a fungus with a human skin like quality. It had taken some practice, but growing and shaping it into a face hadn't been too hard. If I ever failed as a hero I could probably make a killing as a plastic surgeon.

I had ended up copying my regular face, but changed things around enough to seem like an older male. I could pass for close relative pretty easily. It wasn't completely perfect though. There was a little bit of an uncanny valley effect despite my best efforts. Though as long as no one looked too closely, it would pass inspection.

It was a little chilly tonight, which may have been why the streets were mostly empty with hardly any ABB members around. During the day there were large groups of them swaggering around wearing their colors proudly. But right now the sidewalks were almost empty which made everything seem so much more ominous.

This part of the docks showed that the Brockton was going through some tough times with the large amount of abandoned and boarded up buildings.

I sighed as I walked up to the bust stop. Someone was peeing in it. Lovely. I glanced at my watch. The bus should be here another five minutes. I wisely decided to wait well away from the bus stop while the man who looked like a junkie with his shaky hands was sitting down.

I imagined Emma laughing at a superhero waiting for the bus. I'd make a joke about a bus themed superhero called The Bus Driver. Then we'd laugh and start talking about something stupid.

It still comes so easily to me thinking that we are still friends. Imagining me joking and laughing with her. I can so easily picture sharing with her that I'm a parahuman and my plans to be a hero. I imagine her excitement, her showing of support and insistence on helping to make me a costume, and scheduling brainstorming sessions together at her house. Just the two of us, like always.

I forcibly push those thoughts aside. That was a far different Taylor, and a far different life. My friend is gone, and I need to stop living in the past.

Where the hell is the stupid bus?

The Lusus tighten suddenly when I hear a gunshot. Thankfully it's far away, and they relax as my breathing slows down. It's been too long since I have been out of the house and I have to get used to gunshots again. Things aren't too bad right now with the Butcher trying to expand in Saint Louis. The Teeth tend to just defend their borders when the Butcher is gone. Skidmark and Spree cared more about selling product than expanding territory.

PHO liked to say that Brockton Bay had seasonal hot and cold periods. During cold seasons the gangs tended to avoid fighting and trying to expand borders. There were occasional border skirmishes but very little open fighting. They usually entered a cold period when an Endbringer was due to arrive, or when the gangs were recovering from a nasty fight.

Then something would happen and set off a hot season. The Butcher would arrive and try to expand, the Empire would go out and do something nasty, someone major would go down like the Marquis, or Accord would try to force the Teeth out of Brockton again.

The bus is late, and I feel self-conscious standing alone here. Having nothing better to do, I started to picture what I would need to move my Lusus around. They'd bring too much attention just wandering the streets at night. The ability to move my Lusus where they were needed would be big issue in my effectiveness as a hero. I imagined having a series of non-nondescript trucks that I could hide them in as I moved them where needed.

I couldn't think of a way to make one that was big enough to transport others and also fly. There were limits to what I could grow, and making a tank big enough to grow something that size would be a giant waste of resources.

I turn and can't help but think finally when the bus rolls up. The SX-2 were a bit startled when the bus stopped suddenly in front of me. Thankfully I had programmed them to not rattle their tails without the little whistle sound I could make with my lips. I made a mental note to work on how skittish they were for future versions. I didn't want them freaking out at every loud noise. The older female driver stared at me a little as my coat moved, but didn't say anything as I climbed aboard.

In Brockton you learn to not say anything and not bring attention to yourself. Knowing this city, I honestly would not be surprised if she had seen weirder things at night. There were always rumors going around about weird stuff at night. The latest rumor on PHO was some kind of time holes that pushed you a few seconds forward and backward in time.

There was a large group of young looking ABB members in the back laughing and smoking despite the no smoking sign. I sat in the front, and looked at my watch again. The bus being late had put me behind schedule and I only had few hours before the buses closed, so I would have to be quick. I planned to take this bus to the last stop at the north part of town, then move through the patches of undeveloped land to the back of the hospital.

At my current walking speed, I should have roughly an hour to grab what I could find and be back in time. I had already scouted during the day, and knew there was a tree I could use to climb over the fence.

I sat and felt a little flustered that I had nothing to do. I hadn't brought my cell or ID, so I had nothing to distract me about my nervousness. There were of course so many things that could go wrong. The areas above and below the docks was Teeth territory, and I had heard all the stories about how the teeth liked to abduct people and make them fight with prospective members in big groups hoping for one of them to trigger. I could get caught and arrested for trespassing and any number of other nasty scenarios.

No, I said to myself. Stop and take ten deep breaths. I had already taken my medication, and I had practiced organizing my thoughts. The book I read on depression said to try and stop accentuating the negative. No one knew who I was, and I would be fine. I was going to find the equipment I needed to build a better way to program the Lusus and be back in time.

Despite trying to relax my muscles, I couldn't help but tense up as the bus moved. It really was like I was back in school.

I jumped despite myself as the ABB members started catcalling and for a second I thought it was at me. But they were focused on a pretty Asian woman who was obviously very uncomfortable. She and the other passengers didn't react despite the rather lewd remarks, continuing to stare straight ahead. It was well known that the ABB liked to force new immigrants to work off their debt they owed to the ABB in brothels. She decided to get off at the next stop and it looked like she was crying.

I feel this rage building up inside me. I carefully stared straight ahead to not show it despite the fact that I am nearly grinding my teeth. This is why I wanted to be a hero. It wasn't right that bastards like them made people afraid and I find myself thinking of Emma and Sophia.

When the bullying had started, I had tried to be a pacifist by not fighting back. I didn't want anyone to get hurt, and at least a part of me thought Emma might go back to being my friend. I didn't fight or react, I just tried to run away and read. But of course it didn't work. They escalated and started destroying my stuff, making me feel miserable, and wouldn't leave me alone.

Things didn't really change until mom had her accident and was in the hospital. I still didn't realize how bullies really worked until Emma had cornered me one day and started to make fun of my mother. She blamed me for causing her accident and said horrible things about her. And I snapped.

I finally realized that Bullies don't pick social outcasts to send a message, or even make it harder for them to make friends although Emma had Sophia had done that to me. They did it because social outcasts like me are more vulnerable. Bullies are weak and pathetic. They're just taking out their own issues on the weakest target around. I didn't know what caused Emma to change, or why Sophia was a psycho, but I officially stopped caring. I couldn't care less what they did to me, but you don't fuck with my mother.

So I tried to fight back. I kept a journal detailing everything they did to me. I went to teachers and asked them to step in and asked them why they did nothing. I made appointments with the principal, and tried to insult Emma back. I had been her best friend at one point too, so I also had info that I knew would hurt. But nothing worked.

The teachers did nothing, Emma and Sophia escalated their behavior, and mom died. I'm not sure but I was fairly sure that was when I triggered as I struggled to figure out a way to stop them. I refused to let those bitches win. I found a small camera, installed it in my glasses, and recorded everything I did. From my attempts to seek help, and everything they did to me. I got a lawyer and I gave the school an out. I wouldn't sue them if they expelled Emma and Sophia or made them attend counseling, and they had to bring in a bullying specialist to change their ways.

I had won, but I knew that there people all over the world that couldn't defend themselves. People who are weaker than their bullies, and need help. These gang banger motherfuckers deserved to be afraid to ride the bus, and to be scared to walk the streets at night. It wouldn't even be hard. I already had designs for the humanoid models that could blend in and harass the gangs. The ABB would be easy to fight because they always wore their colors. It should be relatively easy to get the Lusus to only attack those colors. I silently thanked the assholes in the back of the bus. They had caused all my doubts and fear to melt away.

We continued to ride for a few minutes, when the gang members pointed and yelled out the window. I turned and saw Slake streaking down the street clad in her signature motorcycle helmet and leathers.

Slake was one of the many rogues the city. She was dressed in dark motorcycle leathers, with a custom blue motorcycle helmet depicting water droplets. Her legs were moving like she was ice skating, surrounded by her breaker field that looked like suspended rain. She was a mover and long-range teleporter that ran a personal delivery company. She charged a thousand dollars just for a meeting, and it was rumored on PHO that she ran deliveries for Toybox and other tinkers.

I felt a brief pang of jealousy as she skated up the side of a building. It would be nice to have such a straightforward power. She got to speed through the city, while I had to go and steal copper for money.

Though once I had my equipment going I did have a few plans to make some money. I'm sure plenty of people would like custom built pets. A miniature elephant, or a panda dog had to sell very well. Still that was the future and it was time to focus on the present I thought to myself as the bus finally reached my stop. I walked slowly out of the bus and pointedly ignored the driver giving me a weird look.

I checked my watch again as I started to walk at a brisk pace. I was thankful I had continued my running routine to build up my stamina and distract my thoughts. Though walking through old lots was different than my treadmill.

I found myself relaxing as the buildings gave way to woods and there were less potential eyes on me. Though I could feel my legs starting to get tired. Perhaps I should increase my workout, but I was still worried about my schedule. Most of my free time was spent tinkering, and wasting another hour to exercise didn't seem worth it. I wondered how a Tinker like Armsmaster had time to work out while working on his equipment and being a hero. I'd buy any book he had on time management.

I slowed down to a crawl as I neared the back of the old hospital. I peered at it with my binoculars I had borrowed from dad. There was just enough moonlight to illuminate the whole building. No one was sure why this building had been abandoned, as it was still relatively new when it closed.

The whole area was supposed to start seeing major development, but that had completely stalled. There were rumors of the 9 and the Marquis fighting here, but that was probably just the same old PHO rumors.

I moved slowly toward the nearby tree by the fence. I had snuck a little stool I had found in a dumpster nearby on my previous scouting visit, and used it climb up on a branch. I awkwardly shimmied over the fence and jumped down with a thud. I glanced around, but nothing made a sound.

The building had a small maintenance door on the side that I was able to pick without too much trouble. The building was much cooler inside, though it was pitch black. I turned on my flashlight that I had put fresh batteries in preparation for this trip.

I walked slowly down the hall, carefully scanning the walls as I neared what had to have been a lobby. I finally found a map and spent a few minutes memorizing where I needed to go and how to get back.

I was headed for the Acute Assessment Unit, which should have most of the hospitals old medical machinery. I needed the parts to work on my brain scanner and re-programmer. I also made a note to myself to think of a better name for it then that.

The hospital was a little stuffy, but I enjoyed the solitude. It reminded me of my lab. Nothing but silence and muted light.

I walked for about five minutes before I found the right department. The door was locked, put didn't take too long to pick. I swept my flashlight over and smiled.

"Jackpot".

There were numerous old scanning machines, and plenty of old computer equipment I could salvage for parts. I unpacked my tools and got to work. I only took the most useful of stuff since I didn't have a lot of room, and I would have to carry it all back on a bus. I thought of punching a hole and sending the Lusus through the wall, but I was already running out of room, and I could always come back for the copper later.

I check my watch again. I was actually ahead of schedule for once, and I should be done early.

After some time unscrewing quite a few tiny screws, my gym bag was full, and I was having some trouble zipping up my backpack. That's when I heard the voices and froze.

It sounded like at least two people and they didn't sound that far away. I turned off my flashlight, and crawled to the door. I knew I should just take my stuff and run but sounds carried weird in the building. I'd have trouble moving quickly or quietly with all of my loot. It would be better to get a good idea of how many of them there are and where they were before I made a decision.

I crept silently through the door and tried to breathe as quietly as I could.

As I got closer I could hear voices arguing and laughing. They sounded like they had been drinking. As I heard a crash, I upgraded my assessment to drinking heavily. I crawled on my belly and stuck my head around the corner and immediately pulled it back in.

There were three of them facing away from me. They were drinking and passing around a bag of something. I wasn't sure but it looked like they were wearing colored tags, which meant the Teeth. They liked to display trophies.

I cursed my rotten luck. What the hell were they doing here? Whatever the reason, things were too dangerous to stay. The Teeth might not be very active with the Butcher gone, but I knew plenty of nasty scenarios that could play out if they found out I was here.

I ran the odds in my head as I walked quickly away. There were only three of them, and they were not in the best mental state. I should have enough time to gather my stuff and get away as long as I was quiet and quick. I can salvage this.

Of course that was when I turned the corner and ran right into another one. I couldn't see too much of his face in the dark, but he stepped back in surprise.

"There's somebody here", he shouted as he rushed toward me. I tried to move but he was too fast as he pushed me against the wall. He looked like he was about to say something, but I didn't give him the chance as I let out a loud whistle. The Lusus stirred and came alive.

He didn't have a flashlight, which was probably why he didn't react immediately as the Lusus put their heads out my coat. The ones on my arms were quick enough to bite him a few times, but the ones around my waist couldn't get out in time.

He fell back and screamed clutching at his arms where they had bit him and I kicked him as hard as I could between his legs, which caused him to fall on his back. He cried out and started to rise but his head was the perfect height to kick again.

He jolted back to the floor and didn't get up. Based off his size and seeming weight, the venom should already be having an effect paralyzing him. I could already hear his buddies coming. Should I try to run or confront them?

I quickly weighed my options and decided to try and scare them.

Most people when confronted with a cape would run away especially with someone whose power was unknown. I could run, but they knew I was here and there was no way I could lug my stuff and remain hidden with them looking for me. If I could scare them, they might just run away and let me take what I needed

I unzipped my jacket and gently placed a Lusus around my head. Then had the others crawl around me as I whistled a different note and the Lusus began to rattle.

The flashlight was a little blinding so I couldn't get a good look at them, but I must have made quite a sight as they backed away. I imagined what I looked like. An eerily perfect male face, with six oversized green snakes rattling at them as they coiled around me.

"LEAVE" I said as loudly as I could to be heard over the rattling. Note to self, if I get away make sure to work on my cape voice.

"Cape," one of them shouted. One of them turned and ran immediately, but the other two advanced as I saw one of them start to pull something out his pocket.

Shit, I threw one of the Lusus at him, and ran as fast as I could.

I could hear the guy with the gun jump back panicked, and started firing at the Lusus. I wasn't prepared for how loud the gun was, but I didn't look back.

Shit, shit, shit. I frantically pulled out my sprayer and sprayed the ground as I ran. Then I dropped off two of the Lusus around the corner and kept running.

I made it around another corner when I heard cursing and the gun firing again. I wasn't' sure if the gunman could hit a small, fast Lusus like the SX-2 while inebriated, but considering my luck so far I didn't want to bet on it.

I stopped to take a breath and tried to think of plan. I could hear yelling and it sounded like one of them was throwing chairs at the other two Lusus. Hopefully they might decide to leave, but I needed a plan.

I quickly went through a nearby double door, propped one open, and gently wrapped a Lusus around the handle on the other side of the closed door. I also placed another on top of the door that was open. I quickly sprayed the area, and walked at a brisk pace.

I figured I should double back, and be quiet. The hospital was a maze in the dark, and the Lusus could attack in the dark. I was breathing hard, but I tried to slow down and listen.

Several minutes went by before I heard slow walking. Sounded like it was just one person, but I couldn't be sure from where I was. I stayed still and wrapped the Lusus around my hand.

I heard the door open and a scream, as the door was wretched back closed. I could hear the footsteps running away before there was curse and horrible screaming. Whoever it was screamed for almost a minute before he finally shut up.

I waited two more minutes before I decided to go and investigate from the back. I sprayed myself so that the Lusus would follow me, and pulled out the little paper balls I had filled with the attack pheromone.

I glanced down the hallway, and saw a body lying next to a dropped flashlight. I walked cautiously as the Lusus followed at my feet. I gently prodded the big guy with the my foot but he didn't move.

I hope he wasn't dead. I needed both hands to turn the body over, and reveal an older, shirtless, man with a weird face tattoo. He wasn't moving and the venom had worked as intended, and I could hear his weak breathing. His pulse was a little weak though. I saw his eyes track me in fear while I searched his pockets. A gun, one extra magazine, a bag of I what I assume is meth, and a wallet with two hundred dollars in cash.

"Blink twice if you have any known allergies and once for no".

The man, who smelled like he hadn't shower in a year, quickly blinked once. Okay he should be fine. I made another mental note to work on a version of venom that will incapacitate someone and still let them talk.

That leaves two more to check, and a third possibly still around. I examined the gun, and was careful to point it away from me. I didn't know a lot about guns, but I think the safety was off. I didn't turn on my flashlight as I walked slowly down the hall. I could hear the guy on the ground rapidly have hushed breathing as the Lusus crawled over him after me.

Strange I thought. Why am I so calm? I was nervous all night about taking the bus, but not when guns are going off? Note to self-Study research on parahuman resilience and mental states.

I was cautious as I peered around another corner but I saw another unmoving body and several hastily thrown chairs. This guy had actually managed to hit one of the Lusus with a bullet, but the other one had gotten close enough to bite him. Though it seems like he had stomped it to death before the paralysis took effect. I quickly picked up the dead Lusus, and went over the dropped man.

Breathing and pulse was okay, though he was out cold. Seems he fainted. I was wary as I went to man I had kicked, but no one else showed up.

The other two members netted me some empty wallets and some keys, which I quickly took. I weighed my options and hurried back to my bags. There was no sign of the fourth guy, but he could be on his way with help. I didn't have a phone to call the cops, so I decided to leave the Teeth members there. Someone might have heard the gunshots and the screaming.

Hopefully the cops or the heroes were on their way. The paralysis should wear off and they would be all right in few hours. I quickly ran back and starting taking all of my salvage and made my way back.

I carefully looked out through the door, and didn't see anyone. But I did discover a truck that the teeth had apparently come in. It looked old but useable. I glanced quickly around, and decided to take it. I wouldn't get any weird looks on the bus, and I could use it in the future. I hauled my stuff to the bed of the truck, and put the Lusus under my coat again. I sighed in relief as the truck started.

I was very gentle with the accelerator as I drove to the open front gate, and drove slowly back to town trying to remember Dad's few lessons. I kept to the side streets and made sure to stop at every stop sign.

I felt a little safer as I neared my lab. Though I was still shocked at how calm I was. I should never have investigated the noise, and instead should have left immediately. Still I did get a car out of it.

I decided to drive and park the truck near the house so I could take it back to the lab later. It would save me from having to take the bus. The teeth might be looking for it, but I would only drive late at night, and I would work on making it unrecognizable.

So I was down three SX Lusus, but I had gained the parts I needed and got a car. But things had been too dangerous. I promised myself that I wouldn't take any more stupid risks. I need to be careful and build things up. When I'm done, the ABB and the Teeth will be the ones feeling wary in the dark.

Last edited: Dec 13, 2016

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TheAnt

May 17, 2015

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TheAnt

TheAnt

May 17, 2015

#3

Seed 1-2

Well so much for that job. I crossed it off of my list and kept walking down the boardwalk. How could I get experience if every entry-level position required experience? Just as well, I don't think that uniform would have been very flattering on my figure. Still I was feeling a bit dejected. Another place turned me down because I was only fifteen. I had applied to several places and none of them had panned out for one reason or another.

If I was being honest, it didn't really matter anyway. Not a single one of the jobs I had applied to paid anywhere near enough to meet my needs. I needed substantially more than minimum wage to buy what I needed to expand and experiment. The hospital had paid a decent wage, but Dad had put his foot down about me staying out so late, and that was the time they really needed someone to watch patients. Dad had pressured me to quit, and I reluctantly agreed since I really wasn't learning much anyway. Tutoring was nice, but it didn't give me that many hours. I had thought of a scheme of trying to clone and give out blood, but I had given up after realizing that hospitals would pick up some weird observations on it. I could forget about using my own blood after my recent upgrades.

My idea for collecting scrap and copper had some unfortunate complications. Dad had laughed himself silly at all the newspapers with the headlines of monkey sightings. The monkey Lusus had seemed like a good idea at the time. I had made them nocturnal and given them instincts to hide and avoid people. I programmed them to gather old bottles and cans to turn in for change. I'd be cleaning up the streets and making some extra cash on the side. But they had worked a little too well.

They had started stealing bottles and cans from people's homes and stores causing people to think something weird was going on. My attempts to tweak their behavior had backfired. They had started overturning trashcans to get cans, and they had started taking more chances causing people to catch glimpses of them. Fuzzy photographs and reports of them snatching bottles out of peoples hands pushed the rumors of escaped monkeys in Brockton Bay into accepted fact.

I had reluctantly recycled them, as they were bringing in too much attention. I remembered the PHO thread for advice for new Tinkers, and its number one suggestion of being as paranoid as possible about people tracing your activities to you. While the chances of someone putting together the sighting of a snake master attacking some Teeth and weird monkeys showing up were very small, it was better to be safe than sorry. Just as well since I couldn't really afford to feed them anymore anyway. I had already spent almost all of the profits from that little idea.

I stopped for a bit and admired the sun reflecting off the ocean. I felt my skin tingle as I basked in the rays and felt energized. At least my new skin was working. I would need to stop by the lab to run a few tests, but my internal sensors didn't show any abnormalities in my body when I looked them up on my phone.

With nothing better to do I mostly wandered the Lords Market. I enjoyed looking at all the stuff people had to sell since I had come across some great deals before. I ended up buying a great white tooth necklace since it was so cheap. I could drill it open and get a great DNA sample. After wandering out for an hour, I decided to call it a day and go back to the lab. I had a few things to check, and I might as well finish replacing the rest of the skin on my legs. Being in the pool was also pretty relaxing and I was a little stressed at the moment.

I walked with a brisk pace to the parking lot and found my truck. I had spent quite a bit of time fixing it up, and it was almost unrecognizable to when I had taken it from the Teeth. The single Lusus I had on me stirred as I put my seatbelt on, and I patted it affectionately through my shirt. I made sure to check my mirrors as I backed up and drove out of the parking lot. I was very careful to be the safest driver possible so I didn't bring attention to myself. I had quickly discovered that you didn't actually need a license to drive in the United States. All you had to do was stay off the main roads, drive carefully, and no one looked twice. It made the commute to the lab much easier with a car.

My lab was in the dead part of town, north of the docks. There wasn't much if any construction here, and a lot of crumbling infrastructure compared to the nicer part of town in the south part of the city. Quite a few buildings were abandoned, and I didn't have to worry too much about people. I was technically in Teeth territory, but they were never active this early in the morning, and I felt safe enough. Especially since there was a large PHO thread about them attacking Accord. They'd pull all their forces to wait for the inevitable counterattack to reclaim territory from the Ambassadors.

I had discovered the building when I had been hunting for some mechanical parts for some robotic arms in a nearby factory. I had discovered an old basement that seemed to predate the building that connected to the sewers and it had been the perfect size for my lab. With a little work I had made the door hidden, and placed the two cameras I had made dealing with Emma in the factory itself and at the door. I carefully got out and parked the car into a nearby ally and pulled the camouflaged tarp over it.

I checked the camera fee with my phone to make sure no one was nearby and then whistled. Nothing happened for a while before I heard a scraping, and the wall started to open up toward me. I still felt a small thrill every time the wall opened. Who didn't want a secret door to your own hidden lab?

I waited patiently for the SX-18 to crawl back into his hidey-hole, and then moved through the open passage at a light job. I had spent time supplanting it's programming, but the SX-18 was still prone to releasing the pulley and closing the wall almost immediately after it was opened. I could have wiped the mind and started over again, but I wanted to study its brain since there was a possibility of managing to grow it even bigger.

The SX-18 had been the culmination of all my research on the SX model and my artificial growth experiments. It was more of a worm than a snake, about sixteen feet long and as high as my waist. It was a dark brown color, looking almost like a tree root when its mouth wasn't open. It had taken weeks of careful managing of its body but I managed to grow it far larger than its base forms had started. I wanted to see how much further I could get it too grow, but the research wasn't vital enough to justify spending my limited budge on it.

The walk into my lab was always a little claustrophobic and I had to duck a bit when I walked down the tunnel. I walked carefully in the dark with my hand on the wall, as I traced the path into my lab. I had memorized the route and a few obstacles I had placed to make it more treacherous. Though I was a little annoyed that there wasn't any rattling. I whistled as loud as I could and I was reward with several previous SX models starting to rattle. They were supposed to rattle if they heard anyone move, but I hadn't quite got the programming right. The next version of the small model should be able to function properly but it wasn't enough of an issue to recycle them and create an entire new line.

I hugged the left wall to avoid the pit, and held my arm out until I finally felt the door. I braced myself and pushed it open with a shove. I could feel the empty space and clapped my hands twice and the lab lights turned on.

My lab was about as big as the school gym at Winslow had been. It wasn't much too look at it, but it was mine. I had arranged my equipment in a circle around the main tank in the center of the room. I had tried my best to keep things organized but there was a hodgepodge of old equipment and experiments scattered around. There was uneven lighting since I had scavenged whatever I could find. Old Christmas lights, old searchlights, my custom built UV lamps, and desk lamps all connected to my battery bank showed floor and walls made of muted stone. The lab was filled with the satisfying smell of pine needles everywhere. That meant the newest composition of biofuel was mixing like it should. The last batch hadn't mixed right and the smell had been so putrid, I had thrown it out instead of using it.

I took off my coat as it was a little warm and started to make my rounds. I carefully checked the generator, and made sure the gas tank was full before I turned it on. The generator had been my very first purchase for the lab, and I had gotten a great deal from the market since it had been broken when I bought it. It hadn't taken too long to fix up, and easily recharged my battery bank that was made up of upgraded car batteries. While it was a bit of fuel hog, that had stopped being a problem now I that I could make my own gas.

I picked up a nearby canister and slowly started spraying another dose of pheromones, while occasionally stepping over a few stray SX Lusus. I wanted them free to protect the lab, but I didn't want them running around everywhere and leading people to it. After I was satisfied, I moved to the DNA extractor and viewed my latest acquisition under the microscope. I took a nearby hammer and unceremoniously smashed it. Then I sprayed a special solution and wiped the inside with a q-tip. I rubbed it on a slide, and was rewarded with some useable Great White DNA. I scanned it to the computer, and put the sample in my fridge with the others. The market had been a gold mine for useable samples. I had bought old bear claws, a wolf skull, and an actual monkey's paw.

I sat down and pulled out a coke from my mini fridge while I waited for my computer to boot up. I admired Panacea's autograph hanging on the front as I drank. Panacea had been the one spot of good luck from working at the hospital. I should really write her a letter of thanks or bake her a pie or something. She had given me so many great ideas just from witnessing her work with her power. I hoped we could work together once I was a hero. She could make my work infinitely easier, and ours powers had great synergy.

Her ability to be able to tell with a touch every single thing about a living organism from its history to its projected future, had given me some ideas for biological sensors pre-built into my Lusus. The sensors would be connected to a computer program that built a sophisticated model of them that I could use to carefully scan, track, and predict changes to the Lusus as I made adjustments to their genes. It saved me an incredible amount of time in pruning the seed growths, and helped to streamline my design work. They had proven so useful I had installed a few for myself to continually monitor my health and brain activity.

But the real inspiration had been when I saw her use a pig for biological material to grow extra mass for a patient. That had been eye opening, and I practically shook from envy. The things I could do with that power. Seeing her breaking apart a pig had given me a great idea for programmable biological matter. The possibilities for the medical field and my own work were huge. I envisioned putting a solution into a cut or wound, and watch it scan and grow into what was missing. Or being able to instantly create a custom built Lusus. I envisioned making a solution made from breaking down seeds and a few other ingredients into biological ooze, and teaching it how to become whatever I wanted.

Of course I had very quickly run into problems with resources. To make even the smallest amount of such a solution would take a truly ridiculous number of seeds. To achieve the quality necessary would also require a far more pure and advanced seed than what I had now. I didn't have anywhere near the tools to even try and make it. Even if I made them though, I still needed a way to mass-produce them. Cloning such a seed would degrade it too much for my purposes. That meant that it would require very large amounts of expensive materials.

Despite that I had started experimenting and the research had been very fruitful when I decided to combine it with my growth and artificial meat projects by creating what I called project G. It's tank took up a entire corner of lab, and I pulled up its internal sensors to make sure there wasn't anything requiring my attention. Project G was essentially a giant, living, growing, blob of meat. I had modeled it after simple cells and used a fungal base crossed with the simplest organisms I could find.

Project G had been my greatest work so far, and a solution to several of my problems. It acted as my garbage disposal, was the main ingredient in my bio fuel, and I could even use it as a living base for the creation of my Lusus. No more wondering if I could bring myself to capture, caring for, and then murder animals to make my Lusus. Portions of project G were alive enough to use as a base for my Lusus, and it regrew as I fed it my failures. Despite my happiness at Project G, the euphoria had proven short lived, as I hadn't made anything that great since then. My most recent crowning achievement had been making an injector that didn't require needles by virtue of going right through the skin.

The bug research had proven to be a dead end. To save money and try a few things on a smaller scale I had started experimenting with creating bug hybrids. There were a huge variety of bugs, with a vast amount of different abilities that could prove useful in larger Lusus models. But I couldn't get them to grow big enough to be useful. They just weren't built for it thanks to their exoskeletons and lack of lungs. I had tried to make a model that could theoretically survive if was much bigger but had failure after failure. While it opened up a few new interesting lines of research, the project hadn't produced any real useable results.

Then there was the brain programming failures. Despite my best efforts, I couldn't ignore the fact that my control of the Lusus wasn't that great. I could use pheromones to instruct them to be attracted or repelled and thus herd them toward something. I could also cause them to go wild and attack, but that's when I ran into trouble. Their brains just weren't able to take that much information and there was a limit to what I could teach them. While I had some success in figuring out a way to reprogram them with new instructions, I hadn't been able to improve their cognitive abilities to carry out even simple instructions.

Well that wasn't technically true. I could theoretically make them sapiant, but the ethical issues were too great. Besides, I was way too young to be a mother. As it was, the Lusus were really only good for guarding something. Having them out in the open was too dangerous for civilians as they would be unable to differentiate from friend or foe. So I wouldn't be using them to be a hero anytime soon. I needed something I could more definitely control and that would not hurt civilians under any circumstances.

That was where the exoskeleton idea had come in. I had seen some of the richer senior citizens use custom built exoskeletons to make moving around easier at the hospital. I could make a humanoid Lusus, connect it to a very advanced exoskeleton, and program the exoskeleton to follow more complicated directions. At least that was the theory. Connecting my Lusus was a little outside my tinker specialization, and I wasn't sure if I could do it or not. I'd need to experiment and take if from there.

But of course the main issue, as always, was money. To build an exoskeleton from scratch would cost a pretty penny, and I was already at a breaking point with funds. Even finding two jobs, in addition to my allowance would only give me just enough to maintain the bare minimum of upkeep and repair on my equipment. Saving to build new equipment and start building a exoskeleton prototype was unbearably slow. I was at my wits end trying to figure out a way to make more money. Maybe I will think of something in the tank I thought as I stripped down to my underwear.

There had been one benefit to running into a roadblock in my Lusus research. In my quest to find something to do without wasting too much of my funds on growing Lusus, I had stumbled on a great new line of research and experimentation. Namely studying my own body and brain. I had started by getting a full diagnostic of my entire body, scanning anything and everything. I gave myself the works getting a full genetic makeup, brain scans, and complete computer model on my body. Then I had spent weeks working on ways to improve myself and had come up with a few ideas.

First I had made some custom gene therapies to improve my health based off a few extraordinary but completely human research subjects from other medical studies. My white and red blood count was now much higher after seeing a few studies on gold winning Olympic athletes. I had seen studies of children regrowing fingertips and did some great work on improving my body's natural regenerative abilities. By far the best idea had been changing my genes so I only required few hours of sleep a night. That had been a godsend since I had started to stay out all the time, since my first human sized Lusus was a perfect replica of me and took my place every night in my bed.

I greatly enjoyed improving my own body, and I hadn't had so much fun in a long time. Trying to figure out ways to push things farther and given me an idea on trying to copy some of the abilities of my Lusus. All of my Lusus models required far less food and rest since they were able to intake some of their energy requirement from UV radiation. I made a few clones and tried different methods of making it work in regular human body. The gene work took awhile, but I managed to find something that worked without side effects. I used my first generation and most easily made seeds to make a custom skin that allow me to take some energy from being out in the sun. It took a little while to make it my natural skin color instead of green, but I was largely ready to replace my skin.

Modern medical science already had biological 3d printers and a method to regrow skin for burn victims. My skin gun hadn't taken too long to create and was as good or better than what others had. I had built two robotic arms with parts from the nearby factory to do the surgery more safely than my own hands could. The finished version of my skin was ready to graft on and replace my old one. I already had an effective painkiller without side effects, and my new skin was easily able to repair any damage so no one would be able to tell. Once the full process was complete, I would require less food, even less sleep, and skin blemishes would be a thing of the past. I had already completed the procedure with one of my clones and no issues had arisen.

I had come to enjoy lying down in the tank while the arms did the surgery. It was relaxing feeling my body go numb, reading up on PHO, and knowing my work was helping me. I carefully lay down on my back, gave myself an injection, pulled over the computer, and activated the arms. They would be finishing up my legs today. They made a nice little whirring sound as they got to work.

I closed my eyes and listened to the sound of the machines.

Just relax.

Try to think Taylor. What can you do that is worth money? Well my upgrades work, and I'm sure people will pay for it. But it is very intensive, and takes while. Not to mention keeping myself a secret is supposed to be priority until I can properly defend myself. A tinker is too juicy a target for the gangs to not to chances. But no matter how much I wrack my brain, I can't think of anything. Wish I could swap my brain for a better one.

That's when it comes to me. I actually can replace a brain.

I can grow replacement organs! People should still pay good money for replacement organs. With a little work, I can make even better versions. I pull my computer over and start to research all that I can.

While 3d printing of organs greatly saved a large number of lives, it was very expensive. Not too many hospitals or places had access to such tech, and usually only the people on the top of the waiting list got to use it. Then there is the large tax break the government gave for organ donors in response to the Endbringer attacks. While not as many people became organ donors as I pictured, there was still a much larger pool of organ donors.

Despite all of that, there was still a waiting list. While is was much shorter than it used to be, there were still plenty of people that died waiting for one to show up. Mostly the people at the bottom of the list who were older, had other conditions that complicated things, or didn't take care of their bodies. So there was a ready-made market for my work.

I do the figures in my head. Resources are stretched, but with some minimal investment I can build a simple organ farm. While I have to grow a full clone to get a decent organ, eventually I might be able to just grow the organ itself after some more research into the next generation of seeds. Surely the people on the list would donate if meant they were at the top of my waiting list, right?

I'd do things properly. A sliding pay scale so people could pay what they could afford. Still there was something like ten thousand people on the list right now. Just using the bottom third added up to few thousand organs. With the right equipment I could grow lets say three clones at once, then harvest the organs, and have project G recycle everything else. With the right resources I could grow three to six clones in a day. Though even that was pushing it, as I had to carefully monitor things by myself.

Setting up a business might be difficult. I wasn't sure how things worked, and even a cursory search on rogues showed that they got a bad deal. I really didn't want to reveal my identity. I loved having the freedom to do what I wanted and not having to worry about PRT regulations. Not to mention I had read the Tinker horror stories on PHO. Be paranoid and trust no one. Plenty of rogues were killed, ended up working for the Elite, or were forced to join a gang. I would wait to contact the PRT until I knew more and I hired a lawyer for his time. I knew my specialty would not be liked by the PRT, but it could save a lot of lives after all.

But first I will need results, and proof that what I can do is safe. If I contact the people on the waiting list, tell them what I can do, ask for a sample, and give them an organ perfectly suited to their body, I can make some money to set up a true operation. Performing the surgery shouldn't be too difficult but I wanted to keep interaction between us to the minimum. I'm sure they could find someone to perform the surgery without me. There were plenty of doctors in the world after all.

Okay, I have a plan. The next step will be finding who is actually on the waiting list and that could be an issue. I already know from trying to get access to medical studies that medical records have a crazy amount of security. You can use them to identify parahumans so a lot of stuff had encryption made by Dragon. But there should still be plenty of people who have access to that list.

Physical records should also still exist and be in filing cabinets somewhere. I just have to find out how to access them. I had heard of information brokers on PHO who bought and sold information, maybe I could buy the waiting list off of them.

I quickly went back to PHO and started looking up people who bought or sold information. There was plenty of stuff on Thinkers who acted that way, but nothing much for how to contact them. I spent a few hours looking over PHO, while soaking my legs in a solution, until I found something that looked promising.

There was a thread buried deep that described people who buy and sell information. Most of the people involved seemed fake, or part of some type of scam. But reading through it showed one name that most accepted as being genuine. A user with a handle of TrueAristotle would hear a question, then ignore it or private message the person who asked it. Those who had been private messaged swore he was the real deal and made some money or gotten information from him.

He seemed useful, but I had my doubts. Weighting the pros and cons in my mind I decided to message him. What could it hurt? I made a new username with a new email, and used it to send him a message.

GreenHands- Hello, I am not sure if you are real or not but there are plenty of people who state you really can get them information. So I thought I would check and see if you can give me some information.

While I waited for a reply, I got up and started drying myself off with a towel. My legs were itchy as the nerves started regrowing, and I wanted to scan them to make sure there were no abnormalities. After about twenty minutes, I check back and there was a private message.

TrueAristotle- I have decided your question will be worth my time. I say the same thing to you that I tell everyone. Use this email service with a throwaway account and email me at this email. They do not keep records, and it is much more private that PHO. Email me your question, and I will give you a figure for that information. What do you want to know?

This seemed a little too easy, but there was no way for them to know who I was or track me. I had made the computer personally with the individual parts bought with cash, and I was using the Brockton Bay free Internet. It could save me a considerable amount of time and effort to find it on my own, but I would be suspicious of someone trying to find out that information. Still nothing ventured nothing gained. I set up an account and asked.

To: ARI532u1@swanswan.

From: GreenHands@swanswan.

Subject: Question

Hello, can you get me the complete and current organ donor waiting list?

I noticed right away that these emails didn't show a time and date when the message was sent. He responded almost immediately.

From: ARI532u1@swanswan.

To: GreenHands@swanswan.

Subject: Answer and question

The cost for that information is 3, 168 dollars and 23 cents. Or you can sell me why you want this information and I will buy it for 12,422 dollars while giving you the information for free. To show you I am genuine I will pay you a portion right now. Send me an address and I will mail it in cash, or I can write a check. I have also used credit gift cards that you can use online and are transferred by email. If you do not have an email or address you trust, name a time and place in a city of your choice, and I will have a package waiting for you at the location. If you do not have a bank account, I can make arrangements for you to join a discrete bank service.

That was far quicker and more thorough than I was expecting. He just offered me twelve thousand dollars just for an answer? I was both excited and even more suspicious. He certainly gave the impression of being a thinker. Did he actually know what questions were worth his attention ahead of time? I could really use that money and I already had a plan to pick it up safely.

One of my previous moneymaking ideas had involved copying Slake and making a delivery company with messenger hawks that could pick up and drop off packages. I had never done it mostly because I didn't want people to guess my specialty and there was a limit to how many locations I could program into a hawk's brain and not lose the ability to fly. But I should easily be able to create a few, and program them to pick up a package from a certain spot. Then have them drop off the organs the same way. I wouldn't be anywhere near whoever dropped it off. I could even make it so they looked exactly like regular hawks. But how to answer in a way to protect what I can do? In case he was a thinker I decided to say a half-truth.

To: ARI532u1@swanswan.

From: GreenHands@swanswan.

I am a parahuman who can grow parts of the body out of myself to strengthen my natural abilities. I wish to make some money by selling grown organs as rogue to people at the bottom of the donor list. But before I go into business, I need a large amount of start up money. I plan to message a few people on the list, and offer to sell them a compatible organ.

He or she didn't respond right away. I refreshed over and over, but there was nothing. I was just about to go distract myself when I got another email.

From: ARI532u1@swanswan.

To: GreenHands@swanswan.

Here is the updated list. It will change as time goes on. I have also made you a list of both the most desperate and wealthy on this list. If you wish for this to be the end of our dealings, just list a place to drop off the money and in what form.

If you wish, I can make contact with the people you choose on the list and arrange the transaction with whatever instructions you give for a fee of 10%.

Here is some more information that I have found very useful for new parahumans in case you want to continue to do business down the line. If you are interested, send me another email, and I will offer a price.

The unwritten rules about being a parahuman.

Parahuman law explanations.

Advice and information on useful people to know for parahumans.

Information on specific parahumans and people that isn't well known.

If you ask a question and I don't know it, I can point you to somebody who might be able to help.

For just a moment I am stunned. It had barely taken them ten minutes to give me what I wanted to know. He had given me a huge list of names and addresses. As well as three specific people who were especially wealthy and sick. A simple search on their names showed that. They were waiting for a new heart, liver, and kidney. My money troubles could be over.

It would make things easier, and I could ask for half of the money up front to make sure he didn't try to cheat me. But this all seemed too easy and good to be true. Few thing usually were. But I should be safe and I can use the Lusus to pick up the money and drop off the organs. But how to ensure it is safe? Maybe I can use Slake as the courier. Her power is distinctive and she wouldn't have any reason to try something. She had made a big show on her website of purchasing a lie detector from kid win and asking clients if what she delivered was a weapon, or illegal. I made my decision.

To: ARI532u1@swanswan.

From: GreenHands@swanswan.

I will take you up on your service. Contact the three you have picked and offer it for what they would be worth to anyone else. I require a sample of their blood to grow what I need. I want the blood and half of the money to be dropped off by Slake in a plain brown package. Have her drop off the blood and money here at noon and inform her to not be alarmed when a hawk picks it up. I will drop off the organs in the same way in two days at the same spot. What is the estimated worth of a new heart, liver, and kidney?

He again sent me a reply almost immediately, and didn't ask further questions.

From: ARI532u1@swanswan.

To: GreenHands@swanswan.

Depends on if you are talking black market or legal prices. Legal is worth more. Current black market prices, and what I will quote to the three chosen are as follows.

60,000 for the heart.

80,000 for the liver.

200,000 for the kidney.

Combined it totals 340,000. Those three can afford it, and I can sell them some information on a doctor who can do the surgeries discreetly.

Give me two days to make the arrangements with the three I mentioned. The blood and money will be dropped off by Slake there in one week, and I will have her pick up the organs in two days. I have a suggestion for a bank that will handle your money with no questions asked and is very profitable with your money. The man who runs it is called the Number Man, and he can set up an easy to use account for you. You can contact him here. It was a pleasure doing business with you.

Feel free to email this account in the future if you have some information you wish to buy or sell.

I'm a little excited as I wait for the Lusus to come back. Aristotle sent me an email in two days confirming the deal and I had a hidden camera that saw Slake arrive and wait. I sent out all three new hawk Lusus to make sure they can carry the package safely. All the materials were ready to make the clones and harvest the organs.

I still couldn't believe it. Three hundred and forty thousand dollars made in less than a week! I practically drooled at the possibilities this could open up. A new lab with all the equipment and materials I wanted. It might take a while but I now had all the time in the world to make a Lusus that could more easily be controlled. I'd pay a lawyer for their time, and see how I could set things up for my business. Even if it didn't work out, with the list and Aristotle's help I could make plenty of money without the PRT knowing what I could do and still help people.

That's when I hear the strained flapping and see all three Lusus lugging a large package through the roof of the building. They set it down gently on the cart and I whistle for the 18 to drag it to the lab. I feel a thrill at the sight of so much cash, but I force myself to check every inch for bugs or tracking devices. I want to make sure no one is trying to double cross or kidnap me. Then I do the same with the blood vials that are wrapped carefully in bubble tape. Everything checks out, and I immediately take the blood and head to the tubes. For once things are looking up.

Last edited: Dec 13, 2016

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TheAnt

May 17, 2015

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TheAnt

TheAnt

May 17, 2015

#4

Seed 1-3

Things had been going so well. I had started taking on more clients with Aristotle's help and I had several million in the Number Man's account. I could use him or Slake to deliver parts I needed discreetly, and my lab had improved dramatically. I had multiple glass cases for Lusus, could afford to build tools I never would have dared, and had numerous interesting animal samples. I had it all planned out. I would devote all my time until I could create a Lusus that would let be a hero, earn a trustworthy reputation from the heroes, and fully set up a business with dad in on it.

But it had all gone wrong.

The Exoskeleton project had been a complete dead end. I thought that my power would let me fill in the blanks, but it was just too far out of my specialization. I could grow the bodies just fine, but I just couldn't connect them to the machine right. Even worse was the programming that had ended up being required was simply beyond my understanding. My prototypes were full of glitches and could barely move. They were far from a perfect police force capable of working with civilians in the city.

Then my depression had started to act up. I had thought I was doing fine, but then I started to get moments where I just become full of panic and anxiety while doing nothing. I was so forgetful, and it was just impossible to concentrate on my work. It reminded me back Sophia and Emma and all my old doubts had started to come back. What if I can never be a hero? I had so many plans and ideas for Lusus, but I couldn't use them. They were just too unsafe to use. I couldn't be sure they wouldn't attack an innocent, kill someone, or destroy property.

Things had gotten even worse when I saw a mugging on one of the new cameras I had installed around the building. Three men had cornered another and beaten him very badly. He had literally been on the floor for hours before I saw him gradually get up and stagger away. I couldn't even give the footage to the police because it had been too dark to get a good look at their faces. What kind of hero couldn't save someone in trouble right outside her own door?

The gangs had started fighting again. We were entering another hot period according to PHO. The Empire had led a massive attack against Coil and Lung to take territory. Lung had taken them head on and the fighting had been really bad the last week. Quire a few deaths and casualties among gang members, and a large fire that had spread to a few buildings before they managed to put it out. Civilian casualties were mercifully light, except for a poor driver who had been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Coil had led a counterattack yesterday with Accord targeting several of the Empire's parahumans and manage to retake most of downtown. Accord had a few new parahumans involved. It seemed he was starting to rebuild his ranks before the Butcher came back. Lung pretty much owned the docks at this point, and Accord had made great gains against the Teeth with the Butcher gone. But The Elite had kicked her out of Saint Louis and she usually went back to cities that the Teeth had lost territory in to take it back and get revenge. While she wasn't as bad as the last Butcher, the Teeth always got much more nasty when she was back in town.

The PRT was doing what it could. They had made a statement about sending two new heroes and a new wards member in response to the fighting. Though the response on PHO had been very muted. There were rumors going around that we were getting two heroes who no one else wanted due to controversy, and most were pessimistic that it was going to change anything. Unless Alexandria herself moved here, I don't really see anything changing too much. The people in the docks aren't going to notice that we have a few more heroes.

To make matters worse, Dad was going through a rough time at work. I barely saw him anymore. The governor was making good on his threat to pass a bill to strip some of the Union's bargaining power. There was talk of a strike and closing down the docks. Dad was out almost all day, and he told me that he had to make a trip to the capitol soon. But he was waiting until things cooled down at home first since he wasn't comfortable leaving me alone for a week.

I tried to avoid sleeping at all now since I was starting to have nightmares all the time. Despite my modifications, my body still required at least some rest. I was really starting to feel the effects of my lack of sleep. I imagined myself back at school being tormented by Emma, or seeing my mom wasting away as dad struggled with deciding to pull the plug before all our savings were gone.

It had been almost a week, but I hadn't done a single bit of Tinkering. I just had no idea what to do anymore. All I had done today was clean up my Lusus's waste for recycling. I was just sitting at my workbench feeling stiff and awkward.

I couldn't help but think that this was it. In the end I couldn't be a hero. The extra money I got with my organ farm could be used to help people by donating to good causes, but I couldn't do a thing about the gangs.

I cursed my power. Why couldn't I have gotten something more straightforward? Something like Glory Girl who just had to put on a costume and go help people? Instead I got a power that let me create amazing creatures that were simply too dangerous to use.

I wish I had another power.

Keep dreaming Taylor I thought to myself. Its not like you can just give yourself another power.

That's when I got the idea. It just sort of came to me as I put my head down on the workbench. I suddenly shot up with my eye wide. There were moments of inspiration, hope, fear, and panic at all once. My mind raced with possibilities.

It couldn't be that simple could it? I ran to my computer startling a few Lusus on the ground. I sat down, opened up PHO, and started researching known capes.

It isn't like I hadn't thought of cloning parahumans before. I thought of doing it roughly an hour after figuring out my specialty, but I quickly discarded the idea. It was obvious that any clones I made of parahumans wouldn't be able to use their powers without being sentient. That was the main reason people believed that humans triggered and nothing else did. I thought of it like a computer with parahumans being made up of hardware and software. Without an operating system or software, a computer was just a hunk of junk.

I had still tried to figure out a way to get parahuman DNA though. There were numerous potential applications just from cloning parahuman bodies. A brute's skin grafted to a Lusus, Aegis redundant biology could give me clues on making my creations harder to put down, or Panacea's inability to get sick helping me to figure out a way to cure a disease.

The problem was that there was no easy source of parahuman DNA. Finding or buying old equipment or costumes might net me a lucky find of a stray hair or something similar. But those were important collector items, and most weren't for sale. I couldn't exactly go to a parahuman's home and root thought their stuff since everyone's identities were kept secret. Then I thought of wearing a sharp glove and accidently cutting a hero's skin when I shook hands with them at a public appearance. But that didn't exactly scream hero behavior, and I wanted the PRT to trust me since my power was so scary.

The only idea I could see worth looking into was taking DNA from dead parahumans, but that had its own issues beyond the obvious ethical ones. Many dead parahuman's identities were kept secret, villains were often cremated if no one claimed their bodies, and relatives of infamous villains with known identities often had secret funeral arrangements to keep things private.

I'm sure I could have found the graves of some parahumans without too much trouble. Not everyone chose to go around with mask. Then there were those whose identities were found out after they died or they had stupidly let others find out. Many of the fallen during Endbringer fights made arrangements to let everyone know who they really were after they died. But I just didn't have a good enough reason to go grave robbing. The negatives outweighed any potential positives.

Until now that it is as I thought with a mix of excitement and dread as I confirmed that the parahuman I wanted was indeed buried at a cemetery in the city.

Then I spent an hour researching other parahumans with known identities and checked where they were buried. If I was going to go through with my idea, I needed to run some experiments first. There were so many ways for things to go wrong. I had to find out certain things first and for that I needed at least two or three more parahumans for my experiments.

I found three other names at the same cemetery. Fluer from New Wave, a old Empire cape called Wulf, and a parahuman who had gone nuts at their business a day after triggering. The cemetery was thankfully nowhere near mom's. I don't think I could go through with it if it was in the same graveyard. But I was going to need some new Lusus.

I went to the tanks and started to fill it out with the mixture, selected some old SX samples, pulled out a seed, and started up the sequence. The mechanical arm came to life and started placing the samples together. Growing a Lusus had never seemed so slow. I selected for a hardened mouth. I wanted to them to have a sort of beak that was as strong as possible, and selected for a physiology more for a worm than a snake. Despite going as fast as I could, it still took several hours to grow four of them. I connected the electrodes to my temple and gave them instructions.

They were built to dig down through the dirt as quickly as possible without leaving too much of trace. Then break open the wooden coffins just enough to squeeze in and take a piece of bone. I carefully and liberally sprayed myself before I whistled and they wrapped themselves around me. I pulled on a heavy coat, and took my umbrella as it had been raining off and on all day.

Despite the urgency I felt, I forced myself to take my time. I drove slowly as I weighed my options.

Should I do this?

There is absolutely no question I am committing a crime. Desecrating and robbing a grave, especially a hero's is a shitty thing to do. If the heroes saw me they would try to stop me. Especially if they knew what I intended to do. I could think of several worst-case scenarios that could happen.

But the possibilities! If it works, this could change everything. It could give me the power to make a real difference in the city. To make it so people felt safe to go out at night.

I made my decision. I am going to go through with it but I am going to run some experiments first. If it turns out to be too dangerous I will stop. But I have to know.

The cemetery is in the south side of town. It is big and fancy compared to where my mother is buried. Covered with beautiful mausoleums and statues. The big iron gates are open and there is a funeral procession going in right now that I follow behind. It suddenly starts to rain heavily so I drive at a crawl, looking at the map and memorizing where I need to go and search. I park and wait as everyone in the funeral procession is getting out. I check up on the Lusus one more time, and open my umbrella before I get out.

The rain is pouring as I walk around. It is raining so hard that the water seems to be coming from the ground as it bounces on me. I can barely see so I have to go slowly and carefully check each grave. My shoes are covered in mud before too long. I look at the mourners crowded in a little atrium for a blessing and final viewing. At least the weather is perfect for a funeral.

It doesn't take long to find Fleur's grave. Her grave was the most famous and visited. She has a large gravestone with a statue depicting her in costume. Her first name was the same as her hero name. I hold the umbrella over the dirt, and gently put one of the Lusus on the ground. I whistle and it gets to work burrowing down below.

My family was never very religious. I had even more trouble believing after mom, but for Fleur I say a prayer. I apologize for disturbing her rest, and promise that I will make sure her sacrifice means something. I had always admired New Wave. They had tried to make a meaningful change so things would get better. I put the bouquet of flowers I had specially grown for her. They are white and violet roses, the same colors as her costume. I swear to her that I will make it up to New Wave somehow.

It doesn't take too long for the Lusus to come back up. I push some mud over the small hole with my foot, and make a note to change where I put them so no one notices and connects the dots.

No one else is walking around in the rain and the mud. I am all alone as far a I can see. Despite the umbrella, I'm getting soaked as I search for the next two names on my list.

Wulf, real name Gilbert Sieghard, was an Empire Brute with a very short career. He was during All Father's time leading the 88. He had been arrogant, and drunk with his own power. There hadn't been as many parahumans during his life, and it made him very overconfident. He had been a brute that got tougher the more people were near him. It hadn't helped him much when a large group of unidentified men overpowered him and drowned him in a small pool of water.

Remigio Zusman, didn't live long enough to gain a cape name. He had worked as a salesman before his wife divorced him and he lost his job in the same week. The day after he triggerered, he had gone back to his old work and killed three people including his boss before taking his own life. Reports by witnesses said he connected to people with some type of beam that made him stronger as the other got weaker. He had made his boss so frail that he had managed to kill him with a regular old file folder.

I repeat the procedure and have the Lusus burrow down. I feel dirty and gross with the Lusus under my coat covered in mud. But considering what I'm doing, I find it appropriate.

It takes a long time to find the cape I had come for. I spent over an hour looking at every grave and moving on until I finally found it. I look down at the grave of the person I have come for. Whose power is going to change everything.

Rupert Alexander. The First Butcher.

--

Far away, a winged figure slowly turns.

Last edited: Dec 13, 2016

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TheAnt

May 17, 2015

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TheAnt

May 17, 2015

#5

Seed 1-4

I was going to take as many precautions as I could think of. I had researched everything I could find on The Butcher, and I think I have a way to kill the clones without their power transferring over to me. I was going to design the clones so that they would not live for very long, and I would not include a digestive system to ensure that wouldn't live long enough to be killed by someone. Of course there was still the possibility that its power would transfer to me since I had made it so that it didn't live for too long.

So my excitement was mixed with a healthy sense of palpable danger. The worst-case scenario was that I became a minor brute with a limited ability to cause intense pain in people. For mental changes, I wasn't sure how much would change if my efforts caused the clone's power to transfer. The previous Butchers had experienced a sharp increase in aggressive behavior, and the Third Butcher had a psychotic breakdown that forced him to run at the Teeth. On the bright side I might be conscious in the mind of whoever killed me if this works so I have a better idea about what would happen if I died.

Based off of previous info on the butcher from other capes, at least part of the previous Butcher's memories and personality also made the transfer. That was probably the only way that the newer Butcher could use the previous version's powers so well. But my clones would have no memories and would not be sentient. So there shouldn't be much to transfer and affect my mental processes. So it was a tossup just what would happen to me if my plan succeeded. The plan was to find a cape whose power would greatly expand my own power or knowledge, clone it, have the clone kill a Butcher clone, and personally kill it in turn with a premade kill switch. In theory, I would gain a portion of both previous powers.

Of course I first had to find out just how the process worked, and I would not go through with it until I found out more. I wasn't sure if a clone had to be at least partially sentient to transfer its power. I was going to give some of the later versions similar intellectual ability to an animal so that they decided they were threatened and chose to attack the Butcher on its own. I would not in any way force or compel one of the clones to kill the butcher clone. If my first few experiments went well and I didn't accidentally create a new Butcher, I would continue to experiment. If it didn't work, well I'd cross that bridge when I came to it.

Before I started, I would scan every inch of the clones, and fill them up with as many sensors as I could to fit in them to record data. That way I could see what changed after the Butcher power or collective transferred. I would measure changes by carefully recording how strong and tough the clones were both before and after killing the Butcher. I would only make a Fleur clone if I needed more data. Her power was going to be hard to measure changes with, as it wasn't as straightforward to use like Brute abilities.

Fleur's power was being able to create tiny floating spheres of light the started the size of a tennis ball and grew as they were hit. She could eventually choose to have them explode with the force of the explosion going up as the sphere grew. She had a weakness in that her power wasn't too useful until she or a teammate hit her spheres to make them bigger and easier to block attacks. They had been too small to block the gunman who ultimately killed her when he surprised her in her home. I doubted I would be able to create a clone able to use her power instinctively.

No matter how much I wanted to, I did not start the experiments right away. I knew how comparatively little I actually knew about parahumans and I did nothing for but study up on current research. I read anything and everything I could get my hands on. I paid Aristotle for every medical study, textbook, or private notes on parahumans he could get me. I read every theory from Glastig's fairies explanation, to Bonesaw's passengers that she had been nice enough to "share". When I finally felt like I knew as much as any regular researcher, I decided it was time to get to work. I found researching parahumans fascinating, and I had my own theories now. Though I was going to wait until after my experiments were done before I finalized my thoughts.

I created a new lab for my Butcher experiments out in the woods north of town. I didn't want to be in the middle of the city in case things went wrong. Having money had made things so much easier to discreetly buy and set up equipment hidden underground. The Lusus had spent weeks doing nothing but digging and building a hidden bunker to run my experiments. My newest creation was a special plant that was cross between a fast moving weed and a tree. I used it to help build the structure and walls of my new temporary lab in record time. I covered the inside with plastic wrap and made cells of concrete to hold any clones I made. I also made a small area to sleep and live in while I experimented.

Dad was going to be leaving soon to the capital due to the anti-union legislation looking like it would pass soon. He was helping to lead demonstrations and trying to calm the dockworkers down. I had one bar but I able to get cell coverage outside of the bunker and I could talk with him whenever he called. With he finally left, I could spend over a week doing nothing but experimenting and sleeping at the lab.

I was sure that no one would actually stumble onto me since there was only one small dirt road into the area, and nothing for miles except what looked like an old deserted barn. I had created a few humanoid Lusus to pack equipment in a rented truck and I made several trips bringing equipment for them to upload. Despite all the equipment and preparation, the lab was very sparten compared to my regular lab. It was filled only with a single tank and the bare minimum equipment to do my experiments.

After all the preparation, and all the trouble I went through, it was finally time to start. I carefully selected the sample of the Butcher and the robotic arm came to life and combined it with a seed. Watching it slowly grow was the single scariest and most thrilling moment of my life. I felt like I was working on a powerful bomb that could explode at any minute.

To start things off, I was making a single clone of the Butcher that was designed to die in a few hours. I couldn't do any more experiments until I was sure I had a method for them to die and not transfer their power to me.

After it was fully-grown I was surprised that the first Butcher had been a surprisingly short but good-looking man. He reminded me of a cross between Danny Devito and the new guy they had picked to play James Bond. His hair was a dirty blond, and he had actual dimples. By all accounts the original Butcher had been characterized as a sadistic bully who got off on causing others pain. He hadn't looked anything like I had pictured him. But his blank eyes staring through the tube were a bit disturbing to see. I pushed a button and the robotic arm gently placed a mask over his face.

I had a large pile of masks nearby for the next set of clones. I had originally been planning to remove the first clone from the tank, but I decided to leave it where it was. This clone was not sapient nor did it even have an animal intelligence. It was nothing more than a vegetable. But future clones would have to be similar to an animal with enough instinct to choose to attack one another without any input or direction from me. For them I intended to put masks on their faces as soon they came out of the tank.

The masks were for my own benefit. While the clones were more like biological machines than people, it still seemed wrong somehow to create something that looked like a human being and experiment on it. The masks helped to distance myself from what I was doing. They might be clones, but they had bodies of real people who had lived their own lives. I had purposely made sure the clones for harvesting organs were never fully formed, and still mixed them with other DNA. They were never alive in the first place.

But these clones would be moving, walking, and killing each other. The masks had been prototypes for my own hero costume. They looked like they had been carved from a green wood, and were featureless, with nothing but small slits for the eyes. They were all covered in geometric patterns that looked like they had been carved into the material. I had been going for something ethereal and mysterious when I worked on them.

My first experiment involved nothing but observing the Butcher clone until it expired. I confirmed that it was alive and that it was a parahuman. It had a Corona Pollentia in its brain, and was significantly stronger than a normal human male around the same developmental age. I started the clock and waited for it to die.

As the hours went on, I got more and more anxious. I eventually took a mild sedative to calm myself down. It ultimately took four hours and twenty-three minutes for the clone to expire due to a heart attack. I thought I could feel something as it died, but that might have been paranoia and stress talking. I hooked myself up to my scanners and waited for several hours doing nothing. It had taken several days for the third butcher to show mental symptoms, while all other Butchers changed much faster in less than a day.

For two days, I checked my body periodically. I looked for signs of increased strength or toughness, changes in brain scans, and unusual thoughts or feelings. This was the hardest part of the experiment, not knowing what could happen.

After another day I breathed a sigh of relief, and decided that the experiment had been a success. Designing Butcher clones to quickly expire would not transfer its power to me. Which meant that I could now truly being my experiments on how the Butcher's power worked. I pushed down my feelings of excitement I felt and continued.

The second experiment was designed to see if I could transfer the Butcher's power to another clone that killed it. I again made a new Butcher clone and put it in a cell with a connecting see through door. I chose to make a clone of Mr. Zusman to see if I could get the Butcher's power to transfer.

The real Zusman had been a middle aged balding man who had looked like the boring accountant he was. But his clone was much younger and I took steps to improve it's body as I needed a clone capable of killing the Butcher. The Zusman clone in contrast to the Butcher did not show evidence of a brute body. The body was normal despite the presence of a Corona Pollentia. I was curious why the Zusman clone did not show evidence of having active powers in its brain. The Butcher had been a parahuman with a brute body from conception, but no the Zusman clone. Did it require a trigger event?

I had the SX-19 wrap itself around the unconscious Zusman clone and drag it to a holding cell. I sent one of the monkey Lusus to go and give it an injection to wake it up. It slowly lifted its masked head and looked around. It got up slowly and took a few tentative steps around. For the next hour it paced pack and forth occasionally running into walls. Interestingly the Zusman clone had a far different size and shape of the Corona Pollentia in its brain.

For the purposes of the experiment, I had given the Zusman some limited instincts to attack and it was designed to be extremely aggressive. I had considered training it to push a button that would kill the Butcher clone, but I had a feeling that would cause the power to transfer to me.

This experiment was a day of firsts. The first time I made something that was intended to lose control, the first time I turned on the video camera to record everything during the experiment, and the very first time I wore my costume to hide my identity. I wore a strong belt and harness under a coat that looked like a mix of a lab and trench coat. The whole thing was colored a reasonably bright green, and had numerous pockets to carry items, and had a open flap on my lower back so that my Lusus could hide around me and leave without anyone being the wiser. I wore dark green pants, and wore black two toed shoes that I had bought for my jogging routine.

My mask had been my masterwork and left my hair flowing free. Made from a combination of a fungus and quick growing plant, the mask would shift around by growing and jutting out, then fading and dying before it grew too far, and then started the whole process over again. It had taken forever but I had eventually got it to repeat the same geometric patterns as the masks I used for the clones, but it was constantly changing to different versions and colors that plants went through in nature. Bright greens, autumn reds, a strange white that looked like petrified wood, and even black as if my mask was decomposing. It was little more intimidating and scary then I had intended but I had to admit that it looked cool.

I did not intend to talk while the video was recording. But I wanted to make sure that I had a record in case something went wrong. I learned that lesson after Winslow had done nothing to stop Sophia and Emma. In case someone found this video later, I didn't want him or her to know my real identity.

The new Butcher clone was standing and not moving a muscle, while the Zusman stared riveted at it through a glass door. With some trepidation, I lowered the door.

At first nothing happened. The Zusman clone continued to stare at the Butcher for almost ten minutes doing nothing. Eventually it started to walk slowly until it was almost touching nose to nose with the Butcher clone. Then without warning it starts to pummel the Butcher with wild swings while not making a single sound. Beyond a spiking in its heart rate, the Butcher clone does nothing.

The fact that the Butcher clone does nothing is odd since I had designed to be territorial and defend itself when threatened. Yet it does not move as its body is pummeled and broken. Eventually I use pheromones to lure the Zusman clone back to its cell and away from the Butcher when I determine that the Butcher clone won't survive its wounds. The Zusman clone is in a bit of a bad shape itself, as it had broken both its hands and arms punching the Butcher. There are actual bones poking outside of its arms.

I carefully study the Butcher clone as its heart rate slowly stops. I brace myself as it finally dies.

Nothing happens and I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. The expected strange hallucinations and behavior that other parahumans experience during trigger events hasn't occurred. I carefully examine the Zusman clone, but it does not show signs of increased strength or toughness. But the shape of its Corona Pollentia has changed and it had done so in less than two minutes. Its brain is much more active with neurons firing in the Corona. Did killing the Butcher count as a trigger event when it got the power that was transferred? It was fascinating to watch a sensor record of its brain as it literally morphed and changed.

I pour myself a cup of tea, and sit watching. I am going to keep it under close observation for the rest of the night.

By the second day there have been obvious physical changes. The arms have not been healed, but it somehow seems to be in a better condition then yesterday. It has noticeably more muscle mass, and its skin is tougher. It has also become more aggressive with its eyes constantly tracking movement and its heart rate constantly spiking when something enters its field of vision. It once again begins to aggressively pace around at the cell.

For another test I spray one of the monkey Lusus with the pheromone to make other Lusus friendly toward it. I give it instructions to simply walk around it once and then leave in small hole that the Zusman clone cannot fit into.

Almost immediately it rushes at the monkey and flings it around as it shrieks trying to bite it. Again without makes a single sound, it methodically traps and stomps it to death. It continues to stomp over and over until there is almost nothing left of the monkey and only then does it stop.

There was an unanticipated and unwelcome side effect. The Zusman clone had also been designed to expire very quickly. But the weakness in its body has been decreased after the transferring of the Butcher power. While it should still die relatively soon without medical attention, I'm curious about the rules its power follows. Would not feeding or healing it despite my ability to do so count as murder?

I decide to minimize my interaction with it. I place food and water into its cell, and am again intrigued that it does not eat or drink. It should have the instincts to eat or drink but it makes absolutely no move toward the food or water. It takes almost a full day before it eventually dies.

The autopsy reveals interesting changes that the sensors didn't fully pick up. The heart has become noticeably more rubbery and seems designed to move at a pressure that would be deadly to normal humans. Its canines are also more pronounced, and I'm curious how the Butcher's power caused such physical changes so rapidly. It gives me great ideas for future upgrades toward organs though.

Just to be on the safe side, I again wait for several days to make sure there is no transfer of the Butchers power. When nothing happens, I continue on undaunted.

For the third experiment I wish to see if I can transfer the power from a Zusman clone to a Fleur clone. I intentionally make the Fleur clone much tougher than normal, with transplanted muscle, hardened bones, and poisonous claws instead of fingernails. This way it can beat the Butcher empowered Zusman clone.

I make a few design changes so that the clones waste water extremely quickly, and hope that they continue to lack the instinct to drink. If it doesn't work, then I will simply wait until it starves to death and hope that doesn't count as murdering it.

Growing the Fleur clone is depressing. Despite the mask it still seems like she is accusing me with her eyes. I ignore the feeling that it is watching me as I grow a new Butcher.

I repeat the previous experiment and wait until the Butcher Zusman is at its weakest before opening the door between it and the Fleur clone.

Just like before the Zusman clone rushes at her, but she was designed to resist blunt force trauma and her claws inject it over and over again. Within seconds it starts slowing down before she sticks her claws through its throat. Unlike the previous clones it does not show nearly as much aggression after the transfer.

She does show even more pronounced evidence of a Brute physiology one she becomes the Butcher. The increase in strength and toughness is exactly the same percentage as the Zusman clone when it was empowered by the Butcher. It also shows similar but unique changes to its brain.

She does nothing but stand perfectly still, not reacting to many stimuli. Thankfully, my modifications work perfectly and the Fleur clone dies of thirst in a few hours. For all future experiments I will let them die of thirst while providing water.

For the fourth experiment I repeat the third but use a Wulf clone in place of a Zusman clone. The Wulf clone is surprisingly skinny considering Wulf's reputation. He is almost rail thin, with what my dad liked to call chicken legs, and a very hawkish nose.

I expected the Butcher to keep the same behavior as the previous experiment but am surprised when it charges forward and tries to bit open the neck of the Wulf clone despite the masks. The fight is short and brutal and the butcher wins with disturbing ease. I look over the data but the Butcher clone is exactly the same as the last one. Why did the Butcher's behavior change so drastically? Its behavior raises an interesting theory on the Butcher. Does the Butcher's power want to transfer only to strong opponents? The first clone practically put itself on the Zusman's clone's fists to die, but against a weaker opponent it went for the kill. Could the Butcher naturally have suicidal behavior in front of stronger opponents?

For the second Wulf clone I design it with muscles as big as I can make naturally and give it poisonous claws similar to what I did with the Fleur clone in the last experiment. To ensure the Fleur clone wins, I make it immune to the Wulf Clones toxins and weak to the Fleur clone's personal poison.

There is a far more dramatic result in the Fleur clone when it kills the Wulf. It's strength and toughness is noticeably superior to when it killed the empowered Zusman clone. Interestingly she has shared features of Wulf's power that he himself had not shown until after he killed the Butcher. Her body becomes noticeably tougher the closer that other clones or I get to it. More questions are raised but I continue my experiments.

For the fifth experiment, I decide to use a hybrid clone combing both Zusman and Wulf traits that will kill a Butcher. This experiment takes a while since I have never made a hybrid before and I am distracted by the novelty of the work. All of the viable clones show huge changes from each other in physiology and the shape of the Corona Pollentia. Several do not are completely missing that component in their brain all together. Why do only some of the hybrids seem to not be parahumans? It is getting increasingly hard to not be distracted but I only have a few days and resources left so despite my fascination, I continue.

I ultimately decide to use two different hybrid clones with different but similar scans. After they kill the Butcher, they show similar but different powers. One of them grows in strength in proximity to people, and the other gains greater enhanced reflexes. Both powers are again transferred to the Fleur clones, but there is a huge change in behavior compared to killing non-hybrid clones. The Fleur clones show significant cognitive and motor difficulties. One of the Fleur clone starts running everywhere and smashing into anything. It eventually crushes its own skull against the wall and I am a little disturbed that I did not so much as gag. The other clone can't seem to figure out how to stand anymore and starts to have several severe seizures. That one eventually dies after choking on its own tongue. Again I am left with questions.

Why did the hybrid cause such debilitating behavior to the Fleur clones when killed? It is completely different from using a Butcher hybrid at the start. Could a hybrid Butcher be natural somehow?

For the Sixth experiment, I design three different trials where Zusman and Wulf clones attack each other after having the Butcher's power transferred to both of them and giving them what I assume is an artificial trigger event. The purpose of this experiment is to observe what happens when one Butcher collective kills another.

Despite my expectations, none of the victors show any sign of increased strength or toughness. In fact there is no change in the brain at all after killing each other. It seems that the Butcher's power will not transfer to a clone that already has it. Could this be a way to permanently get rid of the Butcher?

For the seventh experiment I create a hybrid clone of the Butcher and Wulf. It takes several tries but eventually it is killed by a regular Zusman clone. The empowered Zusman clones for the first time shows much stronger traces of both the Butcher and the Wulf's powers in its physical body. This has huge implications and I repeat the experiment with different hybrids. Could I gain portions of two powers from killing a single hybrid Butcher? I have the Fleur clone with two new powers killed by a nonparahuman Zusman clone and both powers do seem to transfer.

For the eighth experiment I create a new hybrid clone of Wulf and Zusman. It again kills a Butcher, and shows signs of both of their parent's powers, but now I have it killed by a regular Zusman clone. I'm curious what happens when a portion of a Zusman clone's power transfers to another Zusman with the same ability. I am not expecting much based off how the Butcher powers acted when they killed each other. I release the combatants and check to make sure….

I groggily open my eyes and stare up the ceiling. What I am doing on the floor? I carefully stand and check my vitals and confirm no changes. Based off the time stamp I have short-term memory loss of almost a minute and I start to panic. I immediately begin to check myself for the Butcher transferring to me, but I again show no symptoms, but that could change in the future.

I rewind the recording and watch the recording. There I am moving to check my screen as the clone kills the hybrid and then I pause. I stare transfixed as I see myself start to babble and shake my head. What am I saying? I increase the volume and I can barely make out three words. I say the words, "shard, seeds, and growth.". I am saying something else under my breath but I keep repeating those words. I seem to be in a trance and I start to walk toward the clone, but trip and fall back on the floor.

This is unprecedented. I share the same characteristics of other parahumans in the presence of a trigger. But why did I only experience this now when a Zusman clone gained a portion of a Butcher that already had part of the same power? Did I just witness a second trigger? I carefully examine the Zusman clone, and stare in surprise at its brain scans.

The Zusman clone's brain is eerily similar to several Butcher empowered Wulf/Zusman hybrids brains already on file. But it differs in that its Corona Pollentia is huge, going all the way through to the back of the brain. The clone is also completely wild in its behavior. It isn't able to sit still for longer than three seconds and I had to sedate it so it wouldn't crush its own head against the wall. Most impressively it has a brand new power that I have never recorded in any of the clones, hybrid or otherwise. It has the ability to weaken any living thing that it is near it. I can feel myself grow sluggish and tired the closer I get to it.

Its body has also incredibly healed. It no longer has the weakness I designed into it that causes it to waste water quickly. How did it know to fix its genes so precisely? This type of healing is much more complicated than simple regeneration.

I carefully record every bit of data I have and think about my reaction to its triggering. I am struck with indecision. Should I repeat the experiment to see if I can say anything else? No one remembers their trigger events and this could be a huge chance to truly learn something about where powers come from. But I can't help but think about my actions while I was in a trance. I was walking toward the clone that almost certainly would have killed me if I opened its door. I remember my mantra of being paranoid and decide to not do it again. Not having control of my actions was too dangerous when I had no one else that could make sure I didn't do something stupid. But this gives me new ideas for something to try. Instead of making a hybrid of powers to transfer, could I give myself a 2nd trigger by making a Butcher hybrid with my own DNA and kill it?

For my ninth and final experiment, I create almost a dozen Fleur clones. Their purpose will be to continuously attack all at once until they manage to kill the Zusman clone from my last experiment. It kills all but two of the Fleurs before it dies, and I stare at the Fleur who killed it but nothing happens. To my surprise there is absolutely no transferring of abilities or changes in the Fleur clones brain. Why doesn't the new hybrid power transfer like the other Butchers?

While I have plenty of new ideas for future experiments, I have no choice but to stop. I am running out of resources, and I am exhausted mentally and physically. For the next few days I do nothing but look over my data, and reread previous research on parahumans and weigh my options.

I think I have a theory now about how powers work, and it is a little scary. Based off of my own experiments and common traits of parahumans, I think we are just an experiment for something else. We are essentially lab rats and the earth is essentially a giant Petri dish for powers. This intelligence wants powers to spread to gain more data about them. But the question remains why?

I imagine that I am an alien intelligence with the same goals as I did with the Butcher experiment. See what powers transfer, how things change, and why. This could explain why all parahuman powers are combat related in some way. Well if I was running an experiment I would want my specimens to only kill each other in controlled conditions, and to keep them from being destroyed, as I would lose valuable data. So Scion is almost certainly involved somehow.

Powers did not start to spread until after he arrived, he is the biggest difference between our realities and other ones where powers exist but are few. My guess is that he acts as a safety feature to keep the experiment running smoothly. He destroyed nuclear weapons, stops volcanoes from erupting, and fights the Endbringers so that not too many of us are killed off and the experiment is ruined.

Its possible he isn't even sapient and is a projection or platform for this alien intelligence to ensure the experiment isn't ruined. But there are a few things that still don't make sense.

What is the Endbringers purpose in this experiment? Their behavior has never made sense to anyone else. Despite the destruction and death it is obvious that they are holding back. If I were Leviathan I would simply stay away from the mainland and constantly cause huge Tsunamis. But he comes onto land where we can drive him off and force him to stop while he heals. It is a very similar situation to how Behemoth acts when he does not come up right under its target. Instead he appears well away and gives us a chance to stop him. But despite the fact that they are essentially jobbing fights, the damage is still too huge for it to be good for the experiment. If I was running it I would like to keep us isolated, stable, and have constant border skirmishes for the right amount of data without sacrificing too many of my specimens. Is it possible the Endbringers are from another rival different from those that back Scion?

It could explain why they are so different but similar in power to Scion. Perhaps Scion, and the Endbringers are the end goals of powers with the purpose to gain new data to build more? Perhaps powers are similar to seeds. They plant them in humans and like plants they grow depending on what you cross them with and where. They watch them grow over time, then make a cut and plant it anew in a person nearby, and collect the data when it dies. That could explain why children of parahumans and others near them are more likely to trigger. They already have data that they are similar enough for a good harvest.

Considering my plant analogy perhaps they gather the material when we die to build something else. In the end I had more questions than answers, and it was still only a theory. Quite a crazy one at that, and it didn't change too much for me. The Endbringers still need to be stopped, villains need to be defeated, and Scion is still going to protect us for whatever purpose he has. But the question now was what to do with my data.

I am reminded of a game that Emma and pretty much every school child has liked to play at some point where you are asked what power you would like to have. Besides the obvious answer of Eidolon who has every power. Emma had always wanted to be like Alexandria. Being able to fly and there being nothing capable of hurting her. I had always wanted a power that let me makes stuff. I had always loved art, and despite my grumbling I really did love my power. Having the power to be able to picture impossible designs and make them a reality was very fulfilling.

I had not yet created my flying pony, or panda dog mostly because I knew a pet was a big responsibility and I would not be around enough to give it the attention such a being would deserve. But now I had a choice to make. I could right now give myself a portion of one or two powers, or possibly give myself another trigger event.

Based off of what happened in the experiments I think it would be safer to give myself a portion of other powers via Butcher transfer. Based off of my research those that had 2nd triggers tended to not last that long, and the resulting changes in the clones were more extreme. But the issue was safety.

I was no fool. I am well aware that some people are really screwed by their power and there are numerous examples of negative effects that powers can give you. There are several side effects that worry me. All of the clones showed increased aggression, and I am reminded of what the Third Butcher went through. If there is no consciousness to transfer over, I don't think I will have to worry about other voices in my head driving me mad. But I do need to plan for suddenly gaining a nastier temperament.

There are drugs I can take for mood, but I can't be on them twenty-four hours a day without certain side effects. There are some brain modifications I could try. I could use some of my seeds to increase the growth or ability of parts of my brain responsible for managing emotion and logic. That might be enough to compensate for any increased aggression from the new powers.

I already had planned to operate on my own brain via remote. But I never went through with it because there were quite a few things that could go wrong. Panacea might be able to help me, but she doesn't know who I am and she famously can't work on brains. She would never go near me if she finds out what I am doing. I doubt I would find a volunteer to practice and observe.

I have to decide if I can risk the increased aggression or other side effects from killing a Butcher clone. There are ways to control having a short temper. Despite everyone telling me that dad has a nasty temper, he never showed it to mom or me. I think that I can be coherent enough to recognize that my mind is suffering from too many side effects and risk taking actions to try and fix myself. I did make it this far.

Perhaps I can try to figure out how to weaken the Butcher's power, or the seed as I had come to think of powers, from having too much influence. The power connects through the brain after all. Perhaps there is someway I can weaken or modify that connection to fit my purposes. Though that requires more experimentation and I am tired of waiting. If I don't try to be a hero now, too many things will distract me.

Though now that I think of it, how much of those thoughts are mine? I had made the Butcher clones more aggressive to suit my experiment, was it possible that the source of my power had done the same so I would use and experiment with it? That is a nasty thought but again, it doesn't really change anything. The gangs have too much power and I know that I can change that with the right abilities.

The plan is to create two clones. One clone will be a completely unaltered Butcher and the other will be a hybrid of two capes. I will have the hybrid kill the Butcher clone, and then I will kill the hybrid with a pre-installed kill switch. Based off my experiments that should transfer a portion of three powers to me. It should give me a portion of a brute ability, and the ability to affect the nervous system of others to cause pleasure or pain from the Butcher. The main question now is whom do I use to make up the hybrid?

It is easy to just say that giving myself a portion of Alexandria, or Eidolon's power would be best but it would never work. I require DNA and I will never be able to get a sample of theirs. My best bet is to again try for dead parahumans or capes with open identities like criminals. I can gain samples from cemeteries, and known criminals usually have their DNA on file somewhere for law enforcement to compare to.

Thinking about it, I feel that the best way to improve myself would be powers that naturally enhance or support my own Tinkering. So what would make my own power better?

Well a way to more easily control or program my Lusus would be great. Making it so I could use them in the field would give me the numbers to compete with the gangs, and I could modify them based on what I face. Another Tinkering power would also work. I am already used to being a Tinker, and I have not noticed any mental side effects from it. So another Tinker power wouldn't be too hard to get used to. The question is again, what powers are out there that I can use?

After some research I make a list of names. Biological or wetware Tinkers are my top choices. Bonesaw would let me push the abilities of my Lusus to further heights, would greatly improve my power, and there is plenty of disgusting evidence that she can control the bodies of others. Labrat's ability to create powerful transformations could also enhance my Lusus, and I could use clones for experimentation. I can't pronounce her name, but Japan has a famous Hero who is some kind of Tinker Herbalist with plants. That could have interesting synergy with what my Lusus could do.

For programming or controlling my Lusus there were far fewer names. Teacher or Overmind would let me control and direct my Lusus. Teacher would let me give abilities to my Lusus and greatly improve my ability to program what they could do. Overmind would let me monitor and direct every Lusus implanted in real time from a connected network and was a powerful Tinker. Hijack could allow me to directly control the bodies of one of them, and I could make a huge variety of parahuman clones that I could directly control.

But the issue is finding DNA for them. I had already paid Aristotle for all the information he could find on several of these names. I was a little worried he might be suspicious of why I wanted it, but he didn't ask any questions. There was no sample of Teacher or Hijack around. Knowing Teacher he probably took steps to erase every trace of himself. But after researching every possible choice, there were two names that fit my needs in that they were useful, and I had a good chance of getting access to their DNA.

At first glance Bonesaw's DNA seemed like it would be the hardest to get a hold of. She changed and transplanted other parts into herself all the time and was fond of leaving traps of disease for people to find. But she did have a birth certificate and a record of which hospital she was born in. It wasn't well known but every baby had a sample of blood taken at birth to screen for disease. They often kept this sample for quite awhile and Bonesaw's blood was in storage in a clinic only four hours away.

Security shouldn't be that tight. I can create a clone of a doctor or put a new face on to steal it. I could also bribe a worker or a janitor with a large amount of money to steal or take it for me. At most I would encounter two locked doors and a camera. I would have to commit a burglary but I am reasonably sure I can get hold of Bonesaw's DNA.

The other name on my list was Overmind. She had a prior arrest record that I had looked up. The law said that the government could keep a sample of you DNA forever once you entered the criminal justice system. I found her arrest record, and again found where these samples are stored. That lab was quite a bit farther but the building is very small with hardly any employees. It shouldn't be too hard for me to break in and take a sample and I would just have to worry about the long drive

Maybe I could pay someone else to break in? Faultline is famous for being a competent mercenary and she is in the city at a well-known club. I have money to afford her now, and it shouldn't actually be too hard for them. She might be suspicious about why I am stealing it but I can just say I am researching the DNA of powerful Tinkers looking for common markers if asked. Which is technically the truth.

Considering how useful Aristotle has been, it can't hurt to see how much it would cost. I look up the Palanquin website online and send them an email as a customer interested in renting their services. If they want to talk I will send a messenger bird describing what I want them to do and asking for a price that they can send back.

I use the same email I use with Aristotle and send them the details of wanting to meet and include a money order just to buy a few moments of their time.

While waiting, I spend the rest of the day cleaning up my previous experiments. The Lusus are pretty busy burying the clones in deep mass graves. I plant a few trees that should be able to have a slightly accelerated growth to hide them. I do not intend to keep working here. The lab is far too small and isolated for my needs. But having a back up lab could be useful. Don't want to put all my eggs in one basket after all.

After a few hours and covered in sweat I check up on my email and am pleasantly surprised that she has responded with interest. I send another email and make a quick Lusus of a crow to deliver a message by waiting outside a window. It is colored green but I think it looks rather cool. I leave all the information of what I want, where the samples are located, and ask them to give me a figure. My savings have taken a hit from all these experiments but I am willing to go as high as one or two million. I send the bird on its way, and just take nap on the ground for a few hours.

When I wake up, I decide to lay there enjoying the sky for a while. Its just relaxing to just soak up the suns rays and think. It's a perfect day with a gentle breeze, and just the right amount of clouds. I have already decided to go through with this. If it works I will have a portion of Bonesaw and Overmind's ability, but there could be side effects. Would I lose my empathy like Bonesaw? Would I become obsessed with defending my territory like Overmind? But then I think of what I can do with their powers. An army of modified Lusus directly controlled by me. That would make a difference in this city.

I don't have my watch, so I am not sure how long I was thinking, but I am interrupted out of my thoughts by the arrival of my bird. I gently sit up and take the message from its leg. Faultline wrote it by hand as a contract, and did it with impeccable penmanship. Faultline has agreed to do it for 250,000 dollars. Which is chump change for me now. I carefully write a message where she can pick up her money and where she can drop off the samples when she has them. Then I write to make sure she is not alarmed when large hawks come to pick up the sample. Then I decide to finally go home and clean the place up. Dad should be home tomorrow.

I make a big dinner for dad welcoming him home. I ask him to play a board game with me, and we have a good time. I thank him for being so patient with me and tell him I love him. He says the same. I am too well energized from my small nap and the sun to sleep. I think of mom and stare at the ceiling.

--

Today is the day.

I have everything ready to perform the procedure. Another Butcher clone is sedated in a cell while I grow the hybrid from the samples provided by Faultline. I take my time growing two dead clones of both of them. Bonesaw is surprisingly young looking and even cute. She wouldn't look out of place in a kid's magazine. Hard to believe what she is now.

Overmind is a tall and beautiful black woman. She looks nothing like the police photos of her. Her two faces are like a before and after drug ad. I carefully study their brains, and start to grow the hybrid. I choose the most stable looking one, and cut extra growths for hours before I am satisfied.

I carefully sedate the clone, and open its chest to install the devices that will kill it quickly and instantly. Then I place her opposite the Bucher and wake it up. The Butcher has been given a weak body so there is no question who is going to win the fight. I open the door and for once do not look as I hear fighting. It doesn't take long before I hear the sound of struggling stop. A glance at my screen confirms the Butcher clone is dead.

I put off killing it for a little while. I know I am stalling but I am still nervous. I gather all the mechanical parts I could find or buy. I place them together with a great set of tools that should handle the basics of what a normal Tinker should need for their first builds. I leave a message to Dad in case something goes wrong telling him my story and giving him my love. Then I carefully sit down at my desk, and trigger the switch. Despite myself I flinch as I hear the flat lining of the heart.

I don't do anything but wait for the rest of the day. I have no physical changes, but based off my experiments they can happen in a few minutes. As the hours go buy, I decide to try and relax by looking at my newest attempt to create a Bug Lusus that can survive at a greater size. I am not having much luck, but I still love trying to figure things out and growing new attempts.

I don't notice for almost ten minutes that I am having a much easier time performing the autopsy of my latest failure. Before I always had trouble with navigating in bodies of new clones that I had never used before. But now I am going through without any thought and with startling speed. Realizing what this means, I carefully look at the corpse of the dead bug and start to get ideas. I think of ways to build some machines to handle its energy intake, maybe some type of artificial lungs to breathe despite the exoskeleton. I look at my old exoskeleton failures and again I get ideas. I think of ways to better program and control it, which leads to how to make a transmitter and implant so I can observe the data whenever I need to. It isn't until I look at all my research and have a moment of inspiration that I start to laugh.

I am not sure why I am laughing. I try to stop but I can't help myself. It sounds embarrassing to my ears, full of snorts and I have tears in my eyes.

I think about everything that brought me to this point. I think of Emma and Sophia and all they did to me. I think of the woman on the bus who felt unsafe around the ABB proudly wearing their colors. I turn on the police scanner and hear a report of a body found at the docks.

I start laughing harder. I sound like a lunatic at this point.

I start forming a plan as I laugh. Thinking of it, I start laughing so hard I can't even take the air in to make the sound of laughter anymore. But I can't help it. It's just so damn funny.

The gangs have no idea what is coming.

I am going to hurt them.

I am going to hurt them so badly.

Last edited: Dec 13, 2016

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TheAnt

May 17, 2015

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TheAnt

TheAnt

May 17, 2015

#6

Seed1-5

"Just set a trap", I said, "We give them a target and ambush them when they show up." I answered while helping myself to seconds. The silverware was a little fancy for my tastes, but Kayden did make a good living. Though her house was like something out of a designer magazine. Weird sofas, paintings, and tiny pillows as far as the eye could see.

"We already did set several traps that worked perfectly," Victor snorted. "We have destroyed almost a dozen of the things at this point, but until we find the source of them, it doesn't matter how many we destroy. After a few days the things show up again and continue attacking."

"So then we just need to find the parahuman who is making them and teach the stupid bastard what happens when they mess with the Empire." I said as I helped myself to a generous helping of syrup for the pancakes." Victor was a arrogant bastard at times, but he was a good cook. Even better he and Mary were on some health kick, which meant more for me.

"You make it sound so easy", Mary, said with a laugh as she put her hand on Victors. "How exactly are you planning on doing that Justin? Whoever this master is, they can control their minions while being far away."

"Does it really matter?," Kayden asked with a yawn. She carefully poured some more coffee before looking annoyed at me for using all the cream earlier. "The most this guy is doing is just annoying Max. A few stolen cars, some smashed windows, and a few assaults on people that probably should have been more discrete with their beliefs. It's hardly a threat to the Empire."

"Its the principal of the thing Kayden. People should not be afraid to show their respect to the cause. It makes us look weak that we have allowed this to go unpunished for so long. " Victor said with that annoyingly good speaking voice he had going on. Mary actually looked impressed and beamed at him.

"Well than what exactly does Max want from me now?" Kayden asked. "Its not like I am any better at catching this guy. Despite my better judgment I helped him when Lung started to grow too big so his people could get away."

"Our people Kayden", I said. " Even if you don't want to work with Max I know you still believe in the cause and like to get things done on a more personal level. You remind me of a old time detective on the block. It's why I like to work with you. Besides we don't want anything. We just wanted to eat and keep you in the loop. If you hadn't held off Lung, things could have gotten worse".

"He's right," Mary said. " Despite any differences you have with Kaiser, we are still your friends."

Kayden looked like she wanted to say something, but thought better of it. She really looks like a completely different person compared Purity. It's hard to believe that the mousy and plain looking woman, was the same person who held off Lung single handily. But I see the same fierceness in her eyes, and I can see that she wants to say something to me without the other two there.

"Mary, Victor, do you mind if I speak to Kayden privately?"

Victor, of course, took the hint pretty quickly. "Of course, we have to go see if we can help a few of the victim of the last attack anyway." He puts his arm out and Mary took it with a smile. More of their sickening love dovey act. I feel a touch of pity for Mary. Its obvious that she loves Victor more than Victor loves her. They walk out and I wait until I hear their car start up before I relax. Considering how many skills Victor has and his power, I can never relax around him.

"So why are you really here," Kayden asked. "What haven't I been told? Max has been trying to keep me out of the loop ever since I stopped working with him. "

"Well the attacks have been a bit more frequent and serious than anyone knows. Max has been paying people to help them with repairs and to keep them quiet. He always was a big picture kind of guy who liked to help our people."

"More likely he just doesn't want to look weaker after the last debacle with Coil. He barely gained any territory despite all those speeches and preparation. What do we have to show for the attack and all our losses? A few new blocks of territory that we probably won't be able to hold for very long, a few of Lung's dealers off the streets, and Tony being shot by Coil's new Tinker toys."

"Well a few weeks ago we started to get reports of people getting attacked in our territory. Just a few people who weren't afraid to show their pride. A guy sweeping at a flower shop was pulled into an alley and had both of his legs broken. One of our recruiters was trying to hand out flyers to some students at the park when he got tackled and they broke his arms in three places."

"It was always the same mo. Three guys in big coats and hats who weren't afraid to attack in broad daylight. As time went on the attacks started to increase and they started to steal cars. We figured it was just some thug who wanted to make a quick buck. We couldn't get any info until we got a lucky break."

"The owner of a mechanic shop loyal to our cause was attacked at work and managed to get a shot off with a pistol he kept at his desk." I take a sip of my coffee before it got cold. "He said that he was sure his attackers weren't human. They went after him with no hesitation and no fear. He put several bullets in at least one chest but it just kept coming. They broke his hands and forced some kind of liquid down his throat. He called us instead of the cops and we found some green shit at the scene. We got some people to take it to a lab and they said it was filled with some kind of chlorophyll. Definite parahuman minion."

"I was just messing with Victor, but he was telling the truth about how traps aren't working. We managed to set a trap the next week and had Hookwolf waiting for them. They completely ignored him and went after the bait instead. Managed to break several ribs before Hookwolf tore them apart. They were green, and made of some type of material tougher than skin. Almost like tree bark. We didn't get too much of a good look since they melted after they died."

"They melted?"

"Yeah they just started to decompose really fast. Reminded me of fighting Spree. His dead clones decompose in a few hours. Anyway, Stormtiger said they smelled like plants when they decomposed, so our best guess is that our unknown master is making humanoid and walking plants. Victor is probably right. Until we figure out where they are coming from, we can't really stop them. They aren't very strong, but that kind of continuous damage can hurt us in the long run. Othala can't be everywhere."

"So what is Max's plan? He never was the type to ask for help."

"We are doing the same thing as before and setting up several obvious targets to attack, but this time we have inserted a hidden transmitter in a few cars the targets will be seen driving. We're going to let it get stolen and see where it goes. Then show the stupid bastards what happens to those who cross us."

"Max doesn't want me there does he?"

"No he doesn't. You took a bit of the spotlight away from him when you fought off Lung and he wants to be seen handling this personally. "

"Fine. But be careful."

"I'm always careful. Besides it's just a weak master who can make three minions who aren't that strong. We're going in force mostly to make him an example. The bastard isn't going to know what hit him."

I swear I am going to kill whoever this is just for making me hike through these damn woods at night. I had already tripped over two tree roots, and I was far from alone. Though we were far enough away from the city so that the woods were scary dark, it was still a little too bright out for me to fly and not be noticed. Kaiser had vetoed the idea so we didn't tip the guy off and have him try to run away. Victor had scouted the place out beforehand, and there was only one dirt road in, but he hadn't found the stolen cars so it was possible he had a getaway vehicle hidden under a tarp. He had carefully crawled along the clearing checking with a small metal detector and made sure there weren't any mines or traps.

I had kindly asked why Victor didn't just go in and capture the guy, but it seemed his minions were up and stripping a car while he slept in a back room. He wasn't sure what else they could do and there were at least six of them, so he suggested caution. Kaiser of course wanted his theater for everyone so we were going to gather in the clearing in front of his house and give him a hell of wake up call.

So here we were walking down a shitty dirt road in the fucking woods without flashlights. While it was only a short walk to the clearing from where we ditched the cars, at least that was Victor claimed, I was still wary. Anyone walking in the dark would be. Though it was comforting being surrounded by people dedicated to the cause. We had gone in force. A dozen of the Empire's parahumans, and the hand picked of the Empire's finest armed with guns. Kaiser was at least here with us, leading from the front walking with his hands behind his back. It looked like he didn't have a care in the world.

The plan had gone off without a hitch. One of our marked cars got stolen and we tracked it to the woods north of the city. Victor had scouted it out beforehand and found a large building at the edge of clearing with just a single dirt road. Kaiser had placed out the call and we gathered ready for some righteous fury. We didn't bring everyone of course. We needed someone back in case Lung or Coil tried something, and Rune had a test tomorrow. Or today technically since it was past midnight.

The clearing was surprisingly big, being as wide as two football fields, with a large building that looked like it could have been a barn at some point nestled at the far end. There was evidence the guy had his minions cutting down trees and fixing it up. The construction looked brand new, and there was recent wooden garage on the side where we could see lights through the windows at the top.

Kaiser raised his hand, and we slowly spread out along the tree line. Then with a wave we spread out. It was quite a dramatic sight with everyone out in full costume almost like we were on parade. The twins sauntered out and slowly grew taller. They took up positions in the center, scanning for threats. I stood still and other ghostly me's began to step out and take to the air. When I had them all out they surrounded me and slowly lifted me into the sky. Our new recruit Andrew, or Gischt, had started to set patches of the ground on fire that didn't spread to give us light. Kaiser without moving his arms started to grow thin spears for my ghosts to use, and started to surround the building with huge slabs of metal to cut off any escape. Then he created a throne with a wave of his hand, and calmly too a seat. When everyone was spread out beside him, he made his move. Huge slabs of metal rose with a bang, and took off the front the house before they slowly retreated back beneath the ground.

Almost immediately a half a dozen of the minions that been annoying us the last few weeks came after us at a sort of jog. Getting a clear look at them made it obvious how inhuman they were. They were muscled like weightlifters, and looked like they were made of a plant that looked almost like celery. They didn't have mouth or noses making me curious if they could eat, but their eyes were huge and reminded me of a owl's. They had no hair or eyebrows, and their arms were weirdly long with two joints. They didn't make a sound or move with any sort of emotion.

"Gischt, if you would be so kind," Kaiser said.

Andrew moved forward eagerly and a huge wave of fire shot out from his body toward the slow moving freaks. It covered the ground for an instant lighting up the night, before it died down, replaced by a huge column of steam and smoke. "Well if he didn't know we were here yet, he sure does now" I said with a laugh looking down.

Then without missing a beat Kaiser calmly started to talk. "You who have dared to raise your hand against the Empire, it is time for your judgment. Come out now, or I will take your knees and make you crawl to your judgment."

For a second nothing happens, and all we here is silence. That's when we hear laughter. It starts as weird cackling, and the voice sounds like it is constantly changing to different people with every syllable. Then it starts to rise in volume and we start to hear a rattling sound that grows louder as it gets nearer and a figure comes into the light.

She is wearing what looks like a cross between a lab coat and robe colored bright green. Considering the long, feminine black hair, and the large chest it is almost certainly female. Below her waist is the reason she laughed at Kaiser. She has the body of what looks like a dark colored rattlesnake and is covered with rough looking scales ending in a huge rattle covered in spikes. A case 53? Her face is disturbing. It just shows a plant that makes a weird pattern as it constantly grows and dies. She has to be at least twenty feet long and she raises herself to her full height to look down on Kaiser while still laughing.

"Hello my little lab rats," she says with a sneer. "If you get down on your knees, and swear to leave my city and never come back, I promise I will not chase you down like the dogs you are in the future."

Kaiser seems taken aback for a few second and then composes himself. "Men of the Empire. Show her what happens to those that dare to attack us." He motions to Hookwolf who starts running at her at full speed.

"Very well, you've made your choice," she said as she started to laugh hysterically.

Hookwolf's skin is churning like a chainsaw and he is just about to reach her when she promptly explodes and the ground follows her. Huge giant pimple things start sprouting out of the field and exploding into huge geysers of blood and gore. Kaisers' throne is bowled over and he flips head over heels several times before tumbling onto the ground. People are thrown violently into the air and Menja actually slips and falls. The blood reaches so high that even I am splashed and I gag at the smell.

A skunk has sprayed me in the past when I was kid and this was worse. It was like fresh dog shit mixed with rotten eggs. As far away as I was it still burned my throat and I started coughing. If this affected me this badly when I'm so high up, I couldn't' imagine what the others were feeling.

I was trying to breathe when one of my ghosts spotted movements in the trees and I moved it closer for a better look and reacted in alarm. I quickly shouted a warning and moved my ghosts down to the ground and at the trees that surrounded the clearing.

The tree line was alive with movement. Huge green wolves with their backs covered in grass were running full tilt at us, what look like huge apes covered in branches started loping forward, and the ground is alive with what look like dozens of snakes all moving as fast as they can at everyone else. But it's what looks like four armed monkeys in the trees that I try to stop. The damn things are carrying and loading small things objects into long tubes.

Menja and Fenja's heads were up high, so they managed to escape the worse of it and they quickly order the gunmen to fire. But nobody was in any condition to follow it right away except Alabaster who picks up a gun and starts firing. Everyone else is either retching on the ground or slipping in the blood. Menja moves to pick up Kaiser and Fenja holds her shield at an angle to try and shield whoever is near her. Krieg manages to knock several of them away but they're too hard too see and they start to hit the ground in explosions of light and sound. Definitely Flash bangs and what smelled like tear gas started to block my view.

Hookwolf rushes toward a group of wolves, and Andrew makes a line of fire and pushes it up high to block off a side. A few people start to fire into the rushing line of monsters. Victor managed to score several headshots with his rifle. My ghosts try to stab at the monkey things with their spears, but they are too agile to hit. I start to move myself lower to the ground when I spot movement in the air.

A flock of what looks like eagles are moving toward me in formation and I pull a few ghosts into formation around me. I pull out my gun and start to fire at them as they duck and weave trying to get past my ghosts. I manage to hit one of them and it falls to the ground but there are too many of them and they're more maneuverable than my ghosts. I start lowering myself to the ground when one of them crashes into me and starts to peck at my arm.

My costume is tough enough to take the worst of it but my face gets badly cut before I manage to fire at it point blank. It rocks back and falls to the ground. There is no time to think as three more get near me and I keep firing. I don't even have to curse, as I run out of ammo and the three of them crash into me causing me to fall.

I land on my legs and scream as I feel my left one break and I painfully roll upright. My ghosts manage to skewer one of the wolves as it jumps at me and I feel its blood spray my face. Despite being stuck with four spears it still tries to get at me before it dies.

The things are fighting among us now and the monkeys do not seem to care that they are now starting to hit the rest of the monsters. It hurts to move but I manage to reload and shoot another wolf as it goes after Krieg who is keeping most of the mortar's rounds from hitting us. It's chaos with all the noise, and smoke. My ghosts spot Menja swinging her spear and taking out three of the apes before two of the eagles hit her in the face causing her to fall back on her butt. She waves her arms in panic in front of her face as they go for her eyes. Kaiser is held up high by Fenja and is busy making a wall of metal to protect our flanks.

But they come at us without fear, impaling themselves on my spears, through gunfire, and running through the flames to get to us. Andrew is unprepared for them to go through the fire and turns to run when he is dog piled. His costume was made to protect himself from fire so he can probably hold out for a little while, but he still has burning wolves mauling him. Cricket manages to take out two of them with her kama, and kicks a third away. They go after her but most are too injured to move and she is too agile. Stormtiger is pushing the smoke away and moving to the edge to try and hit the small snakes before the reach us on one side. Hookwolf is trying to help, but the things are actively avoiding him and moving closer to everyone else. The gunmen are firing in small groups and we are holding our own now. Which is when the snakes hit us.

Kaiser's wall keeps out most of them, but enough of them manage to get in before it closes the clearing off. Despite the pain I raise myself up in the air in time but the snakes go straight for everyone else's legs. They snakes are hard to hit with rifles and pistols and several gunmen start screaming as they go down. The others start to stomp and wield their guns like clubs trying to hit them. Cricket is hopping back and forth moving like she is some elaborate dance with her sickles taking off heads.

Fenja is hit in the face by a flash bang and manages to put Kaiser down without falling in pain. The light, and noise still affect her no matter how big she is. Menja screams her sister names and takes a running jump over the wall and rolls over and over. She uses her bulk to crush the things trying to get in, and keeps rolling while ignoring the motor fire. She hits the trees like a battering ram, knocking them down. The monkeys seem to be thankfully running out of ammo as their fire rate starts to wind down. The tide seems to have turned now. The clearing is blocked off and most of the things are dead.

I curse that I only brought two clips as I run out of ammo and move my ghosts among the main group, spearing anything that looks green. As the smoke clears it's easier to see, but the snakes are hard to hit while moving through the blood. Move and stab, move and stab. I don't really remember too much beyond screaming and smoke.

After what seems like hours, but what is really only a few minutes the fighting stops. I push my ghosts through Kaisers wall and start to finish off the few snakes on the other side. While there I lower myself closer to the ground and wince when I accidentally move my leg.

We got hit pretty hard. Bodies of the things litter the ground, and those that are standing move to keep the casualties face up so they don't drown in the blood that has pooled in the box made by Kaiser's power. Kaiser is sitting on the ground and panting with his helmet off as he examines the head of one of the apes. The twins are towering above him nearby, with Menja examining Fenja's face. Cricket is helping Andrew sit up, as it seems his legs got bit pretty badly where his costume was thinnest. The only one who looks no worse for wear is Alabaster in his spotless suit.

Krieg is using his power to clear away the blood and bodies of the things away from us. His costume is covered in blood and it seems some of Andrew's fire hit him at some point. Even Victor seems out of it, looking like he just ran a marathon. Othala for once isn't near him, and is standing over a guy with broken glasses who got bitten in his neck by one of the snakes. I think his name is Brad? Hookwolf is pacing back and forth full of energy, and looking like he is ready for round two.

Despite the pain I breathe a sigh of relief. We got hurt but whomever that bitch was she didn't kill anybody. Though considering what we just faced, she probably could have killed at least a few of us with ease. Was that freak a hero?

We probably need to get to the cars and go soon. People heard that in the next county and the heroes will be on their way soon. My leg is fucked up. At least one broken bone, but once its set Othala can fix me up in a few minutes. She is going to be busy tonight. As I scan the battlefield, Othala suddenly stands up and starts walking toward Kaiser. He waves her off, but she keeps walking straight toward him with confidence through the blood and stepping on several of those thing's corpses. Then she suddenly stops near him as everyone stares at her. I feel myself tense wondering what's wrong.

"I am Faust", she says quietly.

Then several things happened at once. Menja lunges her body down and tries to block Kaiser, while Kaiser starts to scramble away, and Alabaster starts to fire at it. The fake Othala vomits out a huge stream of clear liquid with such force it takes off its mask revealing another one of the things that first came out of the damned house. It splashes all over Kaiser's face and armor despite jerking as bullets hit it. Menja's spear skewers it to the ground and almost cuts it in half as Kaiser starts to scream.

Even as Fenja is shrinking, she is trying to get the armor off of him as he is thrashing around trying to muffle his screams. Everyone is standing apart in groups, looking shocked. It hits me that everyone's hearing is probably gone considering how loud the flash bangs had been. Most probably didn't hear what that thing said. From their perspective Othala suddenly started vomiting on Kaiser. But it's obvious now that it wasn't Othala. The thing wearing Othala's costume is bleeding green from the lower half of its torn body.

Victor is running around screaming Mary's name. He desperately looks over the ground, kicking over bodies on the ground before Cricket calls him over. I float over and spot them staring at a large hole in the ground.

"There's a tunnel" Cricket says in the robotic tone of her electrolarynx. She starts to run looking at the ground. Victor follows after her looking he wants to hit her to go faster. They start to run well into the trees with Hookwolf and Stormtiger right behind them. I move one of nearby ghosts from above to see if I can spot something when I hear Victor call up at it.

"There's another hole and signs of what looks like Othala being dragged to some kind of vehicle. It has to be something small to maneuver, and having to move through all the trees will slow them down. My invincibility should let me go without tiring for at least another twenty minutes. I am going after it." I have the ghost give him thumbs up before I relay the information to everyone else.

Hookwolf, Cricket, and Stormtiger come running back. "We need to get out of here", Hookwolf says with authority. "We need to get our wounded and Kaiser to a doctor. The cops and the heroes will be on their way soon".

We start to pack up and go. I use my ghosts to pick up a few people that have been paralyzed by snakebites and I keep low to the ground in case there are more flying birds under that bitch's control. We make our way back to the cars down the road when I hear someone yell they slashed the tires.

"Call for people to come and pick us up" Krieg shouts, "We had cell coverage earlier, look up how far we are too another road." I pull out my work cell and struggle to stop the growing panic when I see I don't have any bars. I have a ghost take my phone up high but I still can't get a signal. Very soon everyone else realizes the same thing. We're sitting ducks out here. We can't call for help and we are miles away from the nearest road. The heroes should be on their way, and Faust can hit us the entire time. With Othala gone we are weak and slow with our casualties. But we have no choice but to try.

The twins and I can cover more ground so we go ahead with my ghosts barely keeping pace with their strides toward the nearest road that a map we had brought said was closest. Kaiser was in bad shape. He actually blacked out from the pain and was being carefully cradled by worried looking Fenja. We haven't been moving for very long when my phone starts to ring and we stop in our tracks. Menja and Fenja look at me expectantly as I look at my phone. It's the emergency line. I quickly open it and put it to my ear.

"Hello"

"You need to call Kaiser, we're under attack." The man is panicked and I can gunfire in the background. Then a sudden scream causes whoever it is to curse and I can hear more gunfire.

"Who is under attack? Who is this?"

"This is Gerry at the storehouse on the 16th street." He's practically screaming at me now. "Someone cut the power and they crashed a car through the wall. There are these fucking monsters trying to get at us! They managed to go straight for the gun stash, and we are running out of ammo to hold them off. We need help right now!"

That's when I hear something in the background growing louder. It sounds like a crowd chanting. I put my ear closer and I can hear chants of Faust over and over.

"Oh God", Gerry says. I hear gunfire and then the line goes dead. Menja and Fenja look like they heard it too.

I am about to make another call when I hear the same strange voice come in through the line.

"Hello Crusader. I want you to pass a message to Kaiser when he wakes up. I used a variant of Platupus venom that is going to give him a heightened sense of pain for a few weeks. It should hopefully wear off by then, but he will be in constant pain for awhile. Tell Kaiser and the rest of your fucking cowards that this is my city. I am the rats in the walls, the birds in the sky, and the stranger on your corner. I am always watching you. I will be seeing all of you very, very, soon." Then the line goes dead.

All I can think is, "Shit".

Tarou Jirou or Tar to his friends was having a bad day. He had been woken up really early and yelled at by his boss that his quota was low this month. He got to hear all kinds of ill thought out verbal abuse for ten minutes about how inadequate he was and how he needed to make sure his dealers shaped up.

Tar really hated his boss. The only reason he had been promoted was because he had triggered. The fact that he was a young uneducated idiot, who knew absolutely nothing about management or money made things worse. He had gone to college for business and had seen the potential for money to be made working for the Asian Bad Boys or the ABB. Thanks to his expertise he had been promoted and made his group of dealers the most profitable in the docks. Considering the Brockton was considered by many to be the heroin capital of the United States that said a lot.

But things had gotten a little harder recently. There was more competition from the Teeth who had started to bring in extremely cheap meth and heroin, which was cutting into their profits despite the fact that they now owned the docks. There were two new heroes who had shown up and started to go after his dealers. Though he had managed to fend them off without too much trouble, it was eating into his profit margins. Some asshole that could time travel, and a cunt that kept coming back no matter how many times they killed her.

Did his boss understand or care? Nope, all the high asshole knew was that there was less money than last month, and that he looked bad for it. It galled Tar that he had to listen to some uneducated 20-year-old asshole whose only ability was weakening whatever he looked at. Of course the lazy fuck would get a power that let me just have to look at someone for it too work, and then bitch about it to whoever wanted to listen.

The news that the Butcher might be heading back to Brockton had made his day worse. That meant he had to deal with all his soldiers asking for more money in compensation since there was almost certain to be a fight from the Teeth when she showed up. So he could expect dozens of phone calls in his immediate future. He also had to deal with arranging for a few hard to find mechanical parts for Bakuda, which meant he had to talk to her.

She scared Tar with the look in her eyes. She was very much like the bombs she made. Strange, intimidating, and you didn't know what set her off. She found any excuse to hurt people, and as long as she didn't kill them, Lung didn't care what she did. She had used some kind of pain tech on him just so he would know what it felt like if he didn't do exactly what she said. The fact that he was always polite, never looked her in the eye, and did a good job getting what she needed meant she often preferred to work with him to his detriment.

It wasn't all bad though. No matter what his boss said, he was a rising star in the gang. Lung himself had asked him to look at their finances since he was one of the few educated members of the gang. He had always been good at calculation and he was almost certainly going to move up the next time things were reorganized. He was also making ridiculously good money. It was a lot more money that he ever would have made legally. Despite his girlfriend giving him a hard time, he really didn't need her. It was easy to get cheap pussy from girls who knew who he was, or for free from a few of the brothels where a few of prettier immigrants had to pay back what they owed.

Tar took his time getting dressed. The clouds looked ugly and there was a high chance of rain. He dressed in a regular coat and carefully checked to make sure his gun was in good working order. He didn't dress in red and green since he tried to keep a low profile. While the chances were weak that someone would look twice at him, it was better to have insurance just in case. The Teeth were the Teeth, and Accord was more active when he got new parahumans to test them out. Tar's operations were close to his border, but Accord usually did not care too much about territory.

Tar disliked walking down the docks during the day. He had always been a night owl, and it was easier to see the desperation during the day. With the exception of the pier for tourists, the docks had seen better days. Dilapidated buildings, homeless, and decay everywhere you looked. Most of the people were worried about the upcoming strike to close the docks in response to the governor's bill. Tar had lived through Leviathan's attack, and he knew what riots looked like. He planned to be holding up in one of their safe houses if things got too heated. He never forgot the woman who was beaten by police in Japan during a nasty nationalist riot. She had triggered and somehow flayed them alive before she was quickly shot. That had been the incident that had finally convinced him to leave Japan for greener pastures.

Tar slowly started to make his rounds. While he usually called, he found it useful to do visual inspections and talk to his dealers face to face. None of them were stupid enough to try and steal from the ABB, Lung and Bakuda had made it quite clear what happened to those that did. He had personally got rid of any dealers that touched their own product. There were plenty of people who wanted to take their place after all. He also gave an occasional nod to a few of their lookouts hanging out on steps or street corners. He always paid them well, since they were the gang's early warning system in case of a raid. They had an important duty to call and warn us, and fire on anyone who showed up. The ABB currently lacked the heavy weaponry to deal with Spree if he showed up, but Bakuda was currently working on a simple to use grenade to use if they or the Empire tried to raid again.

Tar sighed as it started to rain. He opened up his umbrella and kept walking. He could have taken a car, but he was trying to lose weight and put on some muscle. The ABB didn't like weaklings, no matter how smart they were. He was making progress, but it was slow. Bakuda had seen his step counter on his belt and offered to help him. He had politely declined, and silently prayed that Bakuda was not interested in him. Knowing her, she would try to light his fat on fire or something.

Tar hated the rain. It meant fewer people would go to buy, and that meant they would be short today. Nearing the second stop, he carefully called out to his men in Chinese, and English to ask them how they were doing. Ping was still living with his mother, and he was just about ready to become a dealer. Tar had bought him the books he needed to read, and he intended to test him on them later. He had made it clear that he wouldn't be a dealer if he didn't pass.

Walking along the rain suddenly started to really start come down hard. Despite his umbrella he was starting to get wet and he took refuge under an alcove in an alley until the rain let up a little. He was checking his phone to make sure it wasn't wet when he first saw him.

He was hard to see hiding in the shadow of the alley. It was too dark to see his face, but the man was standing in the middle of the alley and looking straight at Tar. He was disgustingly skinny, and wearing some type of trench coat. He did not look that tough, but something about him set Tar on edge. He carefully put his hand on the gun and stared him down. The man did nothing but stand there. After a minute or so, Tar decided to find somewhere else to take shelter.

You could never be too careful in this city. There were always rumors of weird shit happening. He had heard the rumors of a homeless woman who could turn into snakes and had supposedly attacked a few of the Teeth. There were also rumors about a gang of organ thieves operating in the city. You'd be having a drink that was spiked and later wake up in a bathtub full of ice, missing your liver. Tar was sure it was all bullshit, but it was better safe than sorry.

Tar quickly decided that this would be his last stop for the day. He'd borrow a car and head back home. No one was going to be doing much business in this weather, and it would take too long to walk back. He called ahead and made arrangements with Lao to borrow the company car. It was a little too ostentatious for his tastes, but beggars can't be choosers. Lao said he'd be waiting with it in front of the pawnshop he owned.

It took him almost five minutes before he realized he was being followed. He had just had a feeling of being watched, turned around, and there he was. The guy from the alley was back. He was walking at a calm pace in the heavy rain until he saw that Tar had stopped moving and stood still looking straight at him.

Tar felt his adrenaline and fear start to rise as he put his hand on his gun and pullet out his phone. He never took his eyes off the man in the rain. He opened it up and quick dialed Lao's number, unsure if he should run or not. He was only two blocks away, but it might be better for Lao to get the men stationed nearby and drive to him. He reacted with shock when he realized the phone wasn't dialing and quickly glanced down at his screen. He didn't have any bars. But that was impossible; he had just called Lao less than a minute ago.

The man in the rain suddenly started to walk again at a slow pace. Tar pulled out his gun and started to walk quickly in the other direction, while taking occasional glances behind him. The man was too far away for Tar to hit, and he wasn't the best shot. No, Tar thought, it would be better to just get to Lao's. There were men on lookout right across from the pawnshop and they would have guns.

Tar was trying to stay focused and kept walking as a brisk pace. The man behind him would speed up or slow down depending on how fast he went. He never tried to close the distance, and then started to make a loud clicking noise. It reminded Tar of a street musician he had seen once who made noises with spoons on his shoe. He could now hear a constant click, click, click that could barely be heard over the rain.

Tar was just about to ditch his umbrella and run when the clicking stopped. He turned around and the man was gone. Tar raised his gun and carefully scanned around but he was nowhere to be seen. Tar kept his hand on his gun despite putting it back in his holster. He took deep breaths for a few minutes while waiting to see if the man came back. He was still on edge, but slowly felt himself relax, as it seemed the man was gone. Lao's should be just around the corner after one more block.

He pushed the button for the crosswalk and debated what he should do. Should he tell someone that he had been followed? Thinking about it now made it seem so stupid. A thin man in a trench coat walked behind you while clicking scared you? He'd embellish just a little so that two men were following him and report it to his boss. They'd probably make sure he had guards and that he used a car. Both of which seemed like great ideas. He was working on a good lie when he heard the clicking again right in front of him.

Right across the street was the same skinny man in the coat. But he could get a closer look now and it looked like he was bald and wearing a detailed mask that had a bust of someone's face. Tar started to panic when he recognized that it was his own face. The man then twisted his head around in a complete circle, and started to make a weird wheezing noise. It took Tar a few seconds to realize he was laughing.

Tar turned and ran as fast as he could. He threw the umbrella to the side and tried to get his gun out. Behind him he could the clicking getting closer, and he didn't dare look. He hadn't noticed before but there wasn't anyone else on the street. He wasn't sure how long he ran, but he managed to get his gun out and turn around. He pointed it at the man and saw him stop.

"That's right", Tar shouted. "You fuck with me, you die."

"You fuck with me you die". Tar was momentarily confused. That was his voice but he hadn't said it. He turned around and saw another man no less than twenty feet away. He was the exact same as the first, all the way down the bust of his face. But he was swaying back and forth.

"You fuck with me you die. You fuck with me you die. You fuck with me you die." He just kept repeating it like a parrot but it was in his own voice. Then the first man started to say it and when Tar looked back he started to scream.

The man had split his face open and fallen to the ground with the halves of his face ending in new legs. His coat had opened up and turned into wings, and new sharp looking arms appeared. A bug's head had come out of the chest, and it had a long and sharp looking stinger in its face. It looked like a cross between a cockroach and those green insects they had in one of the Chinese martial arts places. It started to make a rapid faced clicking noise before it started to scream exactly as he just had.

Tar lost it. He screamed and fired over and over again with the pistol sounding shockingly loud. The bullets hit it and it started to go into a frenzy of movement, twisting back and forth as it moved forward and screamed in Tar's voice. Tar turned to the second monster, but it just stayed still where it was and kept repeating his scream. Tar fired the rest of his magazine into it as he ran for the nearby alley.

Tar didn't dare to look back but he was breathing hard as he managed to reload a fresh clip and pointed his gun at the entrance to the alley. He could hear them start to click but they didn't appear. Why weren't they going after him? Could they be scared of the gun? Tar slowly backed up into the alley, before he recognized it as being the very first one he had sought shelter in no more than a few minutes ago. He kept his gun trained on the entrance. They'd have no room to dodge if they came after him in here.

Tar suddenly felt a sharp pain in his leg and screamed as he fell to the floor. He turned and saw some type of snake had bitten him. It was dark green and had oversized fangs. It bit him again as Tar pointed his gun and managed to hit it when he fired. With growing horror, Tar realized he could barely move. He struggled to push himself up when he felt another bit on his other leg and Tar felt back down paralyzed. His eyes darted back and forth as he heard movement behind him. He felt something grab his legs and start to drag him.

No, No, No, NO, NO, NO. Tar tried to scream as he was dragged down the alley by something strong, but he couldn't move. The last sight he saw before the darkness took him was the bug thing in the light of the tunnel looking at him.

Tar groggily opened his eyes. His body hurt and he couldn't move his arms. It took him a few minutes to realize he was strapped down to some kind of upright table. He tried to see but there was a powerful light shining down on his face. He couldn't see anything but he could hear movement.

Tar tried desperately to keep it together. Whoever had taken him, obviously didn't want to kill him. But he was so scared and struggling not to have a panic attack. Despite himself he started to scream as he heard what sounded like something was eating meat, his mind filled with horrible possibilities.

"I see you are awake Mr. Jirou". Tar twisted his head around. The voice sounded like it had come from all around him. It was like there were a dozen people speaking at once, with everything from old men to young girls speaking in perfect unison.

Tar tried to speak but found he couldn't. He started to cry in fear when he realized his voice was gone.

"Now, now Mr. Jirou, there is no point to that." the voice said. "You will speak only when I allow it. Now I am going to ask you some questions Mr. Jirou. If you answer me honestly and to the best of your abilities, we won't have any problems. I have a new procedure that should keep your short-term memories from going into long-term storage. So if you answer all my questions, and don't lie to me, then you are going to wake up safe and sound in your bed. With everything seeming like a bad dream."

"But if you lie to me Mr. Jirou, we are going to have problems. I can look directly into your brain, and I will know if you try to lie. I promise you that if you do lie to me, you are going to remember the next hour every waking moment for the rest of your natural life. Do we have an understanding?"

Tar quickly nodded his head.

"Good. Now Mr. Jirou, I want you tell me everything you know about the ABB. Dealers, schedules, addresses, faces, personalities, everything. I also advise you that you speak quickly when I give your voice back. Now don't worry Mr. Jirou, this won't hurt a bit."

Tar awoke with start. He quickly started to feel around his head but didn't feel a scar. He sighed in relief.

It had just been a bad dream.

Dinah Alcott was having another restless sleep. She had been having nightmares every night and her parents were getting worried. It had gotten to the point that they were considering taking her to a therapist because of how strange her behavior had been lately. She didn't want to do anything but stay in her room.

Dinah dreamt of a strange white snake that squeezed around her and whispered sweet nothings into her ear. She pictured a giant covered in screaming mouths, and a vast ocean that threatened to drown her. No matter what she did, she couldn't get away.

But for the first time, something new had started to show up. She saw a strange tree on a hill. It was huge, so high that she could barely see the top. Closer inspection revealed a figure connected to it. She was carved from wood and was growing beautiful flowers that on closer inspection were filled with teeth and flesh. She wasn't sure why but she found herself at peace beneath the shade.

For the first time in weeks, Dinah Alcott slept soundly.

Far away, a figure sat engrossed at a map of the docks. She had a strange mask. Her mind reached far and wide touching various strange looking animals connected to machines. The construction of her lab, and her network was almost complete. Her drones were built to be small and hidden to spy from the sky. Her mapping of the docks would be finished by the end of the week. She would wait until she knew how foot traffic moved better before she started building the hidden maintenance and feeding stations for her Lusus.

She was distracted from her thoughts by an alert from one of her birds. A group of men wearing red and green were following close behind one of her mimic models. She assumed direct control of it and gave instructions for two other mimics hidden on nearby rooftops to move behind them. The gang members were armed with knives and a pipe but had no visible guns. They strutted and puffed up their chests. They felt so confident here in the middle of their territory. They were completely unaware of what was about to happen.

Taylor Hebert smiled.

End Part 1

Upcoming

Part 2- Warlord

Last edited: Dec 13, 2016

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TheAnt

May 17, 2015

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TheAnt

TheAnt

May 24, 2015

#109

Seed 2-1

I stood over the head of the Lusus and carefully modified the implants. One of the older humanoid or HX Lusus held my mask for me wile I worked. The mask narrowed my field of vision, and my new eyes took everything in despite the back of the truck having very little light.

I had never worked with bear DNA before yesterday, and the large bear Lusus wasn't fully connecting to the network through its implants. It needed to be able to share the processing power of the central server to do more than hide or defend it self for tonight's opening attack against the ABB.

There was a small click and the S.C.I.O.N. pinged as I suddenly took full control of it. I made it stand up and stretch to test its response time and make sure there was no lag.

Satisfied, I began to close the wound and opened the back of the truck to let it out. It looked like a skinny grizzly bear without its fur, but with a thickened black hide and much tougher bones. It sauntered out to the alley and the hiding place my helper monkeys had prepared for it earlier. If all went according to plan, it'd be a nasty surprise for one of the ABB's parahumans.

One of the Lusus with hands and thumbs closed the door and the convoy started up again. There was a slight tremor as the truck started to move, but it barely affected me with the improved balance provided by my new spine. I put my mask back on and tested it to make sure it was still providing oxygen as otherwise it got too stuffy after a while.

It was just deserted enough to finish some last minute movements of Lusus around. No one was around to notice anything weird about strange human or animal shaped things going in and out the back of trucks or the fact that the drivers all had the same face. I actually did find a use for that stupid pen Mr. Gladly gave me.

My convoy moved carefully through the docks. With all the cargo coming to and fro from the ships, no one looked twice at three non-nondescript trucks even at this hour.

I felt the bear leave my direct control as we passed the three-block mark. I probably could have increased the range of what I could directly feel or control, but not without a large number of sentient minds connecting to the central server like Overmind's network. Her original version was designed to increase her own thinker abilities through adding the processing power of her soldiers and tech. While my version did the exact opposite by working to increase what my Lusus could do.

Through the control towers the Lusus could "share" processing power with each other, and with the central server made up of cloned grey matter. By distributing low-level processes like motor control and visual identification, they freed up bandwidth for higher reasoning and more complex thought. This also allowed me to control them directly when nearby.

Overmind's tech had also given me several fringe benefits that I hadn't foreseen. The self-driving cars had been so easy to make, I wondered why they never caught on except in Silicon Valley. It was nice to relax while the truck went on its way. The S.C.I.O.N beeped me a reminder of the time while continuing to play a soothing beat.

I felt my attention shift to the rear most truck as we neared my next stop. A hidden trapdoor opened up and my helper monkeys dropped down and headed to the nearby building. The drone overhead showed no one nearby on infrared. They quickly scaled up the side of the building to put the finishing touches on the relay tower. I was particularly proud of their little tool vests.

They were close enough from the truck to control them and I used their hands to finish the tower, and check the connection to the central server. When it was done, almost the entire dock would be in my network's sphere of influence. They finished and moved them back to the truck and we got moving again to my next stop.

The drones swept over my route and confirmed no issues as we drove to the unknowing informant's apartment. The facial recognition software on the drones pinged me an alert and the S.C.I.O.N. displayed the video through my optical nerves. A known drug dealer, and he was one of Shin's guys according to my intelligence data. I ignored him for now, but marked his current location.

The trucks stopped two blocks away, and I released the helper monkeys to travel to the apartment building. They'd break in, open up his cell to copy the SIM card, and place a tracker in his shoe.

Thanks to my intelligence interrogations I now knew who the ABB dealers were, and where they tended to operate. But I had been quite surprised at how sophisticated and secretive they kept their operations. Despite interrogating several individuals they didn't have too much knowledge of operations or where drugs were manufactured. Everything was compartmentalized, which had ruined my timetable as I assumed gaining intelligence would be relatively easy.

When I asked why they went to such lengths, they only answered "Coil".

Coil was the most mysterious and moral for lack of a better term of the gang leaders. He was some type of high-end thinker who hired normal human mercenaries and armed them with tinker equipment, though rumors on PHO were that several of his mercenaries were minor thinkers themselves.

He was in an alliance with Accord whose intelligence was thought to increase with the complexity of the issue. It made him great at coming up with detailed plans and counterattacks. Accord seemed to make his money through legitimate businesses, and crime decreased significantly after he took over his territory. Though he was also a known as a parahuman trafficker and there were many reports of people disappearing in his territory.

Thankfully neither of them seemed interested in trying to expand what they controlled. Back when the Teeth ran the docks, the ABB fought Coil all the time to try and expand downtown, but he largely left them alone after they stopped attacking him.

Coil and Accord had once been seen as the weakest of groups back in the days of the Marquis and the newly immigrant Chain Gang from Boston, but that had changed after they managed to stop the last Butcher. They mostly fought the Empire, and the Teeth since both of them kept trying to expand into their territory.

Due to all the added secrecy I had decided to change my plans. I would not be attacking every dealer just yet. I wanted to give the illusion that my range and numbers were smaller than they were until I was ready. My new plan involved attacking the docks section-by-section, and I would let a few of the dealers think they got away

That let me track them to their homes, bug their phones, and infiltrate the higher-ups. I'd build up a list of who the important personnel were, where all their locations were, and everything I could find out about their parahumans.

Once I had the locations, I'd start hiding and building up my forces with specific programing to attack those locations with a list of targets. That way I wouldn't have to constantly travel around directing everything in my personal range. I wanted to take them down in one devastating strike that they would not recover from.

Until then, I'd only occasionally hit a big target of theirs while spying on it and trying to find others. While doing that, I would have the drones map and scan the docks from up high to build a register of faces, movements, and vehicles.

I wasn't going to use the drones as mobile defense platforms as they were more useful to me if no one knew they were there. I also wanted to build a few relay drones as a mobile emergency network but they were so complicated and expensive I had decided to put them off until I planned to start raiding the other gangs after I took over the docks.

I felt the monkeys finish their work, and ordered them to return to their hiding place and enter hibernation. With that all my preparations for tonight were complete.

I opened up my mind and identified two large groups of ABB in the general area through the drones and my birds. About a dozen walking down the street a block over, and thirty-eight others in the nearby warehouse, which I had previously identified as a drug lab. I started gathering the Lusus nearby from their hiding spots in the alleys and abandoned buildings.

I only had one Lusus close enough to ambush the dozen walking down the street, but it was fine if I didn't get them all. The purpose of tonight was to confirm my existence from rumor, and see how they reacted when I put pressure on them.

The nearby Lusus was one of my new newer HX models. I had designed it to have extremely flexible ligaments and for its body to act like a shock absorber from kinetic impacts. The particular unit nearby also had a secret weapon for emergencies I had added in a fit of whimsy. It was dressed as a homeless man and in hibernation behind the dumpster. I waited until the first group was past and then surged it forward.

One of the guys in the back heard the running and turned around just in time to be kicked in the stomach and fly backward in a nearby-parked car. His buddies reacted and moved forward to grab my Lusus as it turned and punched another causing him to fall to the ground.

I jumped the Lusus back as another guy took a swing at him and head butted him in retaliation. The Lusus was too fast for everyone to hit at once and their punches didn't do much while its return punches were knocking them down hard. One of the them yelled an order and they tackled and dog piled it on the ground. Once they were all up close I released the secret weapon.

The chemical I had designed from a skunk's odor poured out from the glands of the Lusus all around it in a large spray. The people on it started to heave and cough as they got up and ran away. I took the time to keep one from standing up, and got him into an arm lock before breaking the arm. One of them had started to vomit and dry heave on their knees. I stepped on his back driving him into the group and threw the Lusus sideways to knock a group of three into the wall.

My Lusus bounced up before they did and I made sure it used powerful directed punches on the men on the ground while avoiding the head. The Lusus were now well programmed enough that they would never kill humans even without the extra processing power of the network.

One of the men farthest from the smell started to pull out a gun, and I signaled the Lusus to rush at him. I felt it take three bullets to the chest but it didn't hit anything vital. The guy with the gun realized a second too late that he should have run as the Lusus went into a flying jump kick that sent the man sailing into the street.

It then turned and went back for the rest of the men who realized what it was from the green blood covering its clothes. They scattered and I ordered it into hunting mode before it left my range. It would now chase and attack any ABB it detected until it was killed or had no more enemies before trying to find a place to hide.

I ordered the trucks to change positions so that the warehouse and the second group were in the middle of my range. I ordered one of the nearby Lusus to move toward my prepared battering ram that used to belong to a nearby dealer. It calmly opened the door, and put on its seat belt. The alarm activated and it started to drive to the warehouse.

I carefully had it maneuver and turn the car around so that it faced the front of the warehouse. Two men that looked like they were guards had guns out. They stared warily at the car. I had it rev the engines and ordered the Lusus to floor it.

It drove full speed heading right for them. Both of the guards' start yelling and shooting and they even mange hit the Lusus a few times through the glass. But a few bullets aren't going to stop it, especially now that the car is going full tilt. They dive out of the way as it plows through the wall and I see people inside reacting with shock and alarm before I lose the connection as the head hits the dashboard.

I observe through the eyes of one my birds looking through the windows. It seems most of the group is composed of workers in their underwear with a few guards stationed nearby. The guards are cautiously moving toward it and that is when I order the snakes inside to start rattling. The guards freeze and I let them see the snakes as they start to swarm out of the bottom of the car before I have the helper monkey on the roof cut the power. That is when the screaming starts.

The two guards at the front are looking at the hole in the wall and jump back when they hear the yelling. They keep looking into the darkened space, which is why they do not see the mimics silently moving toward them. I decide to see how long it takes them to notice, and two of the mimics stand directly behind them without making a noise.

After almost a minute, one of the guards finally turns around and bumps into one of them and for half a second he looks confused. There there is a moment of dawning comprehension before he yells and stumbles back. Which is when I order the mimics to take them. They envelope them in their wings and limbs before injecting them with my latest version of venom that works faster to paralyze.

Inside people are panicking as the rattling continues to spread, and they make a break for the back. A few of the stupider or more desperate guards have started firing at the floor. The muzzle flashes illuminates the tide of snakes and most make a run for it. I can feel the snakes biting at least a few of them as they trip in the dark.

One of the guards is looking frantically for an escape route with a flashlight. As the screaming started going silent, he gets a desperate look on his face while glancing at the window. It took him several seconds to build up the courage, but he makes a run for it after grabbing a nearby coat. He wraps it around himself and dives head first through the glass before crashing through the ground.

I cursed and activated the emergency response drone to go to his location. Going through windows isn't like the movies. You can easily hurt or kill yourself. I move the helper monkey to his location, and curse again when I see all the blood coming from his neck. I have the monkey reach in and pinch the artery shut while the mimics hold him down. I have them tell him to not move, though he starts trying to scream when he sees them. With a sigh, I have them the mimics inject him and I would reiterate again that I am going to heal him. He continues to try and gurgle something as he stops struggling.

The drone arrives kicking up trash, and the three medical spiders drop off and hurry forward. I had made my spiders out of clear plastic to better differentiate them from Bonesaw's. They quickly climb over the man who seems a tad scared and start to treat him. They sew the wound closed, scan his body for other pieces of glass, and inject him with a pain reliever. I have the Mimic hold him down as they break his leg, and autodial 911.

The spiders' head back to the drone just as I get an alert from another in the sky confirming somebody moving over the roofs.

Finally. One of the ABB's parahumans has shown up. Looking through the drone's camera it looks like Oboro from the bald head. Oboro was a six on the Brute scale with a one in the Mover and Breaker scales according to the PRT's power ratings.

He wore a sort of black robe similar to a monk with a large red Japanese character emblazoned on the back. His mask looked like pictures I had seen of old samurai masks but left room to show his baldhead and thick moustache. From what I remember from Aristotle's file, his power involved a small energy field around him that essentially copied his movements and increases the force of them while also decreasing the force of things entering it. His field also let him decrease the weight his body put on him and whatever he touched making him very light when he wanted to be so he could climb walls and jump with little effort. His brute rating was one higher than normal due to his expertise with Chinese Kenpo.

The convoy started up again and I instructed the trucks to move a little faster. The plan was to cut Oboro off before he could link up with other ABB members. I wanted to observe him fight my Lusus one on one if possible.

Oboro was still running across the rooftop and making fifteen foot jumps between them with ease. I moved two mimics to a building east of him and had them start laughing. If I can get him to the ground, my bear Lusus can hit him head on.

Oboro stops and looks at the mimics. He looks ridiculous with the large moustache hanging out of his mask. He seems to weigh his options for a bit before deciding to fight them. He takes a running leap and clears the street. He lands with a roll and charges at them as they start shrieking as high-pitched as I could make them.

I also order two more of my shock absorber HX models to start climbing the nearby fire escape. If they can get him in a chokehold, he might not be able to leverage his strength.

The mimics stop pretending and rush him as one. I laugh out loud as he reacts in shock. He still looks a little shaken but manages to hit one of them just as they start to envelop him. It pushes it back and crushes part of its light chest.

I can't seem to get a hold on him with the mimics. Their limbs can't penetrate his robe and his strikes force me have the mimics keep their distance so they aren't destroyed.

He suddenly jumps forward and puts his whole body into a two-step strike with a cry crushing the head of the hurt one, and throwing the other back. It takes to the air and goes right back at him. He stands his ground and stops the charge cold while throwing it over his head. I struggle for it to move, but it manages to rip off one of its arms and the injector of the other while it moves in a frenzy trying to hit him. But the light limbs aren't doing much damage thanks to his field. He yells some kind of cry and smashes its head, but jumps back in shock as it keeps moving. I place it toward the edge and hope he takes the bait with the two HX models waiting on the fire escape.

He yells in triumph and surprises me when jumps straight up into the air and slams down on the mimic with both legs and cracking part of the roof. Thought the triumph changes to shock as he is pulled down on to the fire escape by the HX models and a chaotic melee ensues. His field makes him too strong and the HX too slow for them to get a good hold on him, but they are too close for him to give a really powerful punch. The ones that hit are absorbed like they were designed to.

I manage for one of them to get his arms around Oboro's neck and it starts squeezing, though I can't put too much force on his body with his stupid field. The other begins to wail at his head as fast as I can move its arms. He yells his war cry and hits the fire escape with his leg. It causes it to lurch making the Lusus stumble but the one on his back manages to hold on. Emboldened, Oboro aims for the connections to the wall and the fire escape disconnects form the top and starts to tip over.

The balance of the HX is not good enough to compensate and they lose their footing. Oboro manages to jumps up as it falls and grabs a nearby air conditioner. The air conditioner seems fine despite how big he is compared to it.

The Lusus fall to the ground as the fire escape crashes around them. One has a broken arm, but I take pride in the fact that they are remarkably intact. Oboro falls back down and squishes the body of one of them. Can he increase his weight? He roars in triumph and I cue the bear.

I laugh hysterically as the bear barrels into him from behind sending head over heels a fair distance. He manages to look up as it runs at him. If I can get it on top of him, the weight should incapacitate him. If he could use his field to negate the weight of other living things he would have just thrown my Lusus or the mimics far more easily.

I have it roar in his face, but credit where it is due; he roars right back and punches it just as it reaches him. It rocks the head and a few teeth away but it was moving too fast to negate his momentum and he wheezes as it falls on him.

There is some lag due to the the head wound as I have the bear raise up and start punching in a very un bear like manner. He puts his arms up and manages to negate most of the force, but the punches are adding up. He tries to roll away but I just had the bear grapple and squeeze him.

I could have just bitten his neck, but that could kill him. So I have the remaining HX move over and press down on his throat with a knee. I'm curious how long it will take him to lose consciousness with his field.

Before I can congratulate myself I suddenly lose my connection to the bear, and the HX turns and sees a knife through its eye held by Oni Lee before it starts to crumble and I feel two more knives enter the HX through its ears. I move a nearby bird and watch Lee as he starts to cut the head off the bear before it starts to melt. He seems strangely wooden and unconcerned, but Oboro reacts with disgust. He doesn't help Oboro up and instead looks down and says something. Oboro looks furious, but manages to stand up and coughing out the remains of the bear. Then Lee turns and disappears.

I decide to move on, I have twelve more areas of the docks to visit and I give the order for half of the hidden Lusus in the docks to enter hunter mode. They will lose, but I can always replace them later on.

I enjoy the openness of my lab after staying in that stuffy truck all night. My mask is planted in a special spot nearby, and I have a warm cup of tea in my hands. My works station is lit up with screens showing various angles of the fights from the camera feeds of the birds and the drones.

It had been an educational and productive night. I had hit twenty-seven dealers, five large groups of ABB, and had some new people to spy on after the warehouse was hit. I did lose more Lusus than I had planned since Lung had personally started sweeping the alleys with the other parahumans to root out them out. Three out of four were dead, but I had enjoyed enraging him when the Lusus ran from him like they were programmed to and went after normal ABB members.

Though Lung really wasn't the problem. He couldn't be everywhere. No the real issue were the guns the ABB had and their movers. I had lost most of my Lusus to simple concentrated arms fire. Once the ABB knew I was in the area, it was hard to take them by surprise. My attempts to isolate and trap them had failed due to Oni Lee and Boli Dun.

Lee acted like a fast response unit. Appearing where he was needed and vanishing to ambush Lusus that were not under my direct control. Boli Dun had been even more of an issue. Her portals transported Lung and Oboro quickly over the battlefield since they were tough enough to take the pressure from them. She was also almost impossible to hit. She reacted too fast before the Lusus could get to her, and seemed unaffected when she transported herself.

I looked over the message Aristotle had sent me on their personal files.

From: ARI532u1@swanswan.

To: GreenHands@swanswan.

Boli Dun- Real name Wei Bai

Shaker 8, Mover 2, Thinker 1

Chinese national who was part of the original Yangban before they started separating powers. Quit and went into hiding after Behemoth hit Beijing and the civil war started. She came to America to try and earn money to bring her extended family here and agreed to work for Lung in exchange. Very short, with a dancers build, and she has just become a young grandmother.

She can create large force fields that look like large panes of glass in her line of sight. They have two modes, one is your standard solid force field, and the second can act like portals between each other. While she can transport people through them, she usually only transports Lung as the space between portals are very cold and crushing. Lung has used her portals as a punishment to give you an idea. So far there has yet to be a ranged attack that can't be blocked or redirected in some way by her, but she does have limit of three force fields up at one time. My gut tells me she also has a minor thinker rating for enhanced reflexes.

She doesn't show much of a personality and doesn't seem to want to be a cape. She would probably leave if you could guarantee safety for her family. She never talks unless spoken to, and does not have an official name. Her name was given by the PRT. She acts as Lung's bodyguard to protect him while he bulks up and never leave Lung's side while wearing one of his old masks.

Kamaitachi. – Real name Haneul Jin

Shaker 7

Has a narrow build, but has put a lot of weight on it recently giving him a large gut combined with his large height. He was part of a previous Korean gang which was defeated and absorbed by Lung. Telekinetic Wind cape. –shifter/mover. Has a powerful telekinetic wind that is powerful over a wide area but he is not too precise with it as he can only push or pull. Has shown the ability to use his power over him in a kind of bubble that can deflect attacks but leaves him stuck for awhile as it takes him time to stop it. He also has to spend time winding up his power periodically to make more wind. He is vulnerable during those times.

Hates Lung and other Japanese members of the gang. He acts arrogant and entitled to those around him and he is not well liked. He was the only parahuman in his gang. Would probably be willing to give you information for the right price as long as it isn't traced back to him.

Oboro- Real name unknown

Brute 6 Mover 1, Breaker 1

Has been a loyal follow of Lung for at least two years. Wears a very stupid mask that shows his bald head, and lets his log moustache hang out. Is not very imaginative or intelligent. Tends to charge straight at nearest enemies without thinking, and has no personal life to speak of.

Has a small energy field around him that essentially copies his movements and increases the force of them while also decreasing the force of things entering it. His field lets him decrease his weight on himself and objects he touches. This lets him move very quickly and he can climb walls with little effort. Is more dangerous than is ratings suggest as he has been practicing Chinese Kenpo for years for hours every day, as he never gets tired.

Gorgon also known as Jagan. Real name is unknown

Height, Weight, and general description are unknown. Powers are reportedly to make something temporarily and progressively weaker/slower and stronger/faster the longer he stares at something. He is new, so there is not too much information on him.

A word of advice. Be careful. I can tell you are going to stir up the hornets nest and remember that for every action there is an equal or opposite reaction. Lung tends to gather his forces after a major attack and strikes out in a large war party that follows his lead. Don't forget I have confirmation. Lung fought off Leviathan.

I know I shouldn't trust Aristotle, but we had sort of become partners. I at least trusted that he liked the money he earned acting as the middleman for the organ farm. He was a little more open, and even jokey compared to the last few months. He no longer charged me for information.

Based off Aristotle, it was estimated that there were around 1,300 ABB gang members in the city, with most packed in the docks. Most of their income came from drugs, "massage" parlors, and smuggling. They also charged protection money and had several moving gambling dens.

Going over my data and the files, I decide I'm going to need some new Lusus. I need a model with a ranged attack to deal with their movers and slow down Lung. Boli Dun can move and react too fast for my Lusus to get near her. But If I can force her to have to constantly block something, she wouldn't be nearly as effective. I'd like to offer safety for her family, but I can't guarantee it just yet.

It was going to take time to put the ABB out of commission, and strengthened my hold on the docks. Since making another central server didn't look feasible for the moment, the docks were going to be my home base for the time being.

I take a big gulp of my latest solution to keep me hydrated and then get up to head toward the glass tubes. My schedule has a few extra hours for cutting seeds, since Dad is probably going to sleep in for once after celebrating with Kurt and Lacey. The dockworkers were in a bit of a festive mood ever since the governor's bill had been defeated to the media and everyone's surprise.

It had seemed like a sure thing, but the votes weren't enough to pass and the governor had been backpedaling ever since. The Union and dad got a lot of credit for the victory, and it gave me warm feelings in my heart to see him so proud and happy.

I took control of two other HX models nearby and they locked in step behind me. I had designed this particular model to help me build on a much larger scale. They allowed me to build, repair, and design large amounts of Overmind's implants by being in several places at once.

The S.C.I.O.N. reacted to my thoughts and the holographic computer turned on as I started researching various animals with powerful ranged attacks. The poison glue of certain termites looked promising, or perhaps I could use a spider model to make traps with web. Actually that gives me an idea for using spider silk for my costume. I remember reading it was stronger than Kevlar.

The robotic arms pick my samples, add them to the seed, and use a small electric charge to start the process. In one tube the projected seed growth paths are put on display for how the large termite will look if allowed to fully grow. In the other tube I decided to grow a cow with some spider genes added so I can have enough protein to use for possible upgrades to my costume through its milk.

That done I leave the HX models so I can still observe the new growths and walk to my latest two clones of Othala. She had confirmed that she did have a secondary power that she told no one about. It had taken a little convincing, but I found out what I needed before I sent her to the PRT office in New York. She had a minor master effect with those she gave powers to. The more they used her powers, the more likely they were to listen to her.

That was very similar to my portion of the original Butcher shard. It didn't allow me to just cause pain; I could also manipulate nerves to cause intense pleasure. My hypothesis was the original Butcher created the beginnings of the Teeth by building up an army of addicts with his power.

One of the clones was made using the hybrid method. It was a hybrid of the Butcher and Othala. It had the same motor skills deficiencies, and its brain did not work right when I tried to control it. It had taken me almost the entire week just to get it to stand. I had carefully mapped its brain and gone step by step to see what power it had, but hadn't had any luck until recently.

Just to see what would happen I removed the Corona Pollentia, and was surprised when it suddenly began to show active use of a power when the small wounds it had started to close. It seemed removing that part of the brain made its power use more instinctual. Sort of like a baby knowing how to suck or someone moving their hand away from a flame.

I had made several other hybrid clones, but this one was still the only one that had a viable power to use. It seemed to be able to give Othala's powers but only to itself. I had yet to figure out how to make it give itself something else beyond regeneration. Though it did give me some good ideas for self-healing Lusus in the future, my dream of an army of parahuman clones was still far off if was even possible.

This was evident by the other clone. Which was just a normal clone that was exactly like Othala in every way. It had a Corona Pollentia, and the same shape of the brain but showed no active power use. If I could figure out a way to give it a trigger event without having it kill a Butcher that could solve all my problems.

There were a few things I could try. Aristotle had offered to contact Toybox and get in touch with some kind of memory Tinker. Though I was skeptical and unsure if I wouldn't make it sapient if I improved its memories and thinking ability.

I could also try and give myself another power that would let me give powers to the Lusus. It would be a question of finding the right DNA sample, but I already had proof it was possible after my latest experiment.

When one Butcher collective killed another, no power transferred. But when I had a hybrid Butcher killed by a regular one, it did transfer. But the same brain issues resulted, and I had no interest in testing that on myself anytime soon.

Especially because I wasn't sure how much I was currently being affected by my new seeds as it was. My Strategic Command Integration and Outreach Node reacted to my thoughts, and I checked my diagnostics more from habit than anything. But again there had been no changes in brain chemistry besides that first night.

I had originally designed the extra implant to monitor my brain for abnormalities. But it was now also designed to periodically give me reminders to focus and make sure I thought things through if I got angry, since my temper had gotten worse.

I had made a few tweaks to my brain, and increased the size of certain parts with my medigel prototype to increase my empathy, and problems solving. But unfortunately it hadn't worked quite as much as I had hoped.

I still took a little too much pleasure in hurting people that deserved it. But beyond that and the sharper temper, I didn't notice any major effects. No voices in my head, no strange urges or tics. My sense of humor had improved according to dad, and I noticed the same thing. It was easier to laugh and I liked to laugh more. But that seemed an unusual response to the presence of two new partial seeds.

I don't think I have become a sociopath. I had gone over studies that had examined how sociopath's brains were different. Their brains didn't fire or react the same way to emotionally charged words like death, liar, or rape for example. While my own brain was now completely unique, it still triggered like it had from previous experiments.

Of course that could change in the future. I was now convinced that the Butcher seed had a very specific purpose in the grand experiment of parahumans. Its job was to spread conflict and trigger events, and help seeds to mature and reproduce. I was still unsure what happened to Butchers when their seeds matured. Did they reproduce and expand into others like normal?

I was a little worried, but I refused to let my paranoia and fears stop me anymore when I chose the name Faust. My name was a symbol and a reminder of what I had risked to make a difference. I would use my powers as I damned well pleased regardless of whatever was behind parahumans thought.

That had the been reason I designed the S.C.I.O.N. implant in the first place. It would periodically send me music, inspiring quotes, and even the sound of my mothers voice if it detected abnormal changes in my brain. Behavioral therapy with the right combination of drugs had shown in numerous studies that anger, depression, and unwanted thoughts could be controlled through practice.

I knew that seeds had some mind of their own and could influence the thought processes of the people they were connected to. So in response I was running a few experiments to see if I could somehow cut off or weaken that connection. The brain was the key since that was the seat of human consciousness, and the right implants could change how a seed connects to the brain. Hopefully the research might even lead to a way to temporarily weaken or even cut off a parahuman from their powers.

Last edited: Dec 13, 2016

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TheAnt

May 24, 2015

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TheAnt

TheAnt

Jun 8, 2015

#152

Seed 2-2

The ABB has been busy the last few days as they reacted to my presence. They have taken to traveling in large groups at night with all of them heavily armed. Thankfully they lack the heavier firepower of the Teeth or the Empire.

Groups are patrolling the alleys and inspecting old buildings to kill any Lusus they can find. The smarter dealers had moved indoors off the streets, while the more brave or stupid ones continued to deal the same way but have surrounded themselves with well armed body guards in nearby cars.

There efforts were annoyingly effective in many ways, but it was far from perfect. They still required far more sleep than I did, and I could track their movements to have my Lusus avoid them with my eyes in the sky.

But their efforts were making it much more difficult to build up the number of Lusus. I hated to admit it, but I just couldn't concentrate the force needed to deal with their parahumans. So I had decided to try a few ideas to cut their patrols down without my Lusus having to be nearby.

My termites Lusus were much larger than I had first intended to make them. They looked vaguely like huge termites but I had designed them to be more crablike and to shoot a glob of glue from their tail instead of the head. They were about as tall as a medium sized dog, but much wider and heavier. It took a bit of work to give them the ability to shoot a wad of their glue, and they needed certain mechanical parts in their tail to provide the acceleration to give them a good range. The drones had to be upgraded a bit to act as spotters, but the termites could now around 300 feet depending on the wind.

They were not the most agile of beings, but they were small enough to slowly climb up fire escapes onto roofs. I carefully coordinated three groups of three to face several dealers and their protectors while I worked on my new avatar in one of my trucks.

My decoy body took a little too long to make with all the implants and weapons, not to mention it was still a bit too scary to send the right message of a hero. In hindsight my attack against the Empire might have been a tad excessive going by PHO.

I was a bit surprised at how scared civilians were of me since I had gone out of way to avoid them while I went after ABB members. Not to mention there were reports of my spiders fixing some of the more serious wounded so they had to know I didn't kill anyone.

But despite all of that, there were numerous calls for Heroes to start patrolling the docks more in response to me. I decided that I needed to work on my image a bit if they were comparing me to Nilbog.

My new avatar to meet people would be a large bird. I felt it would give me the right image of mysterious without being seen as too scary.

The voice had taken some work, but now it would randomly start to change voices after a few words or sentences. It would be making contact with the heroes who would start patrolling the docks more. I finished closing the bird up and activated the S.C.I.O.N.

While the bird looked organic, it was really more of a drone than a normal Lusus. I had built it to be able to act a long distance away from the network, and to be my face to others. It was small and nonthreatening and was mobile enough to get away if someone tried to shoot it.

I had decided to give out the location of another drug lab I had located to the first hero I saw. I wanted to show I could be a useful resource, and to encourage cooperation.

My main focus at the moment was just keeping up the pressure on the ABB and targeting the dealers. I wanted to make it clear that Lung could not protect them from me in any way, shape, or form. Eventually there wouldn't be anyone willing to work as a dealer for the ABB. Not when it came with a guarantee of being attacked. That would give more business to the Empire or the Teeth, but I would deal with them in the future.

The drones moved overhead for fire support, and identified several targets to hit. Two dealers, two nearby cars full of ABB, and large group in an alley were all in range. I gave the command and the termites got to work. They picked up the premade globs of glue with their claws and moved their long tails to push them in. They adjusted the height, and made a "whump" sound as they shot them into the sky.

The ABB were too mobile with Boli Dun and Oni Lee for the termites to get off of the roof in time so I limited their numbers. The termites' bombardment of the dealers was just a decoy anyway. Since the number of Lusus in the docks was still low, I decided to remodel the HX Lusus a bit to give Lung and the ABB a surprise.

The first shots were direct hits on the two dealers and they made a wet smacking sound as they hit them. One was knocked off his feet as a shot hit him in the side of the head, while the other took two shots to the chest causing him to fall down on his back.

The glue was designed to slow down and drug people to sleep with quickly dissipating fumes. They were soft enough that they wouldn't break bones, but I had engineered them to smell terrible and sting.

The first car quickly emptied out with guns drawn. One of them was looking up at nearby buildings, and I laughed as a new shot hit him full in the face flipping him over. That was going to smell terrible when he regained consciousness.

The others ran back to the car with one of them trying to serpentine as the next volley came down. I missed them but some of the glue splashed on them, and the fumes should still affect them after awhile. One of my birds moved to give me a better angle and I could see that the driver was struggling to stay up.

I aimed the next volley at the other car whose passengers had decided to stay put, though they had left the windows open to look at the sky. I timed it so two shots went through the windows simultaneously and was rewarded with shouting. They got out of the car coughing before slumping over.

Before I started firing at the group in the alley, I took the time to start calling several ABB foot soldiers numbers in their boss's voices. I gave short and simple instructions to gather reinforcements and start sweeping the streets in the termites range.

I made a PHO account and started a new thread while I waited for the reinforcements to show up. I wanted to try and dispel the rumors about me. At the very least I wanted to give them my chosen cape name. I hated the PRT's choice of Echidna for me.

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Topic: Brockton Bay Safety Tips

In: Boards Places America Brockton Bay Discussion (Public Board)

Faust (Original Poster)

Hello Brockton Bay, my name is Faust.

I am the new cape who has started to fight the ABB in the docks. I started this thread to dispel some rumors about me and to give some helpful tips for keeping safe in the docks.

I want to start by saying I am a Hero. I will never attack civilians, and I do not kill. My creations are called Lusus Naturae. They do not self-replicate and they do not kill under any circumstances either. That said here a few safety tips for those in the docks

1. If you do not mess with the Lusus, they will not mess with you. The Lusus are naturally shy around people and will try to go away from you unless they are under my specific control. As long as you do not attack them, they will avoid or ignore you.

2. If you are member of the ABB, Teeth, or the Empire 88 you should avoid being out in public from the hours of 12am to 12pm, and 12pm to 12 am. I can't guarantee your safety otherwise.

3. If you are truly worried about the Lusus, please put on anything smelling of Lilacs. They actively avoid anything smelling it.

4. If you wish for assistance from the Lusus, please use a whistle and they will come running if nearby. Though if you are trying to ambush them, I have a special surprise prepared just for you.

I knew that my power would never be trusted by the PRT, and that is why for the longest time I never used my power. I was content to keep my head down, and try to avoid everyone. But the gangs forced my hand. I am sick and tired of people being afraid of walking the streets at night. I am sick of people being worried about being attacked for being seen as different, because they're vulnerable, or because the PRT doesn't want things to escalate. Well the gangs escalated first and if they won't hold back, then neither will I.

Hopefully that got my point across. I wanted to be seen as strong, but not crazy.

My attention shifted as the drones picked up all the new targets in shooting range. Most of them came by car, and got out with guns drawn. They were cautious as they started looking at their fallen members.

Their reaction time impressed me. Lung must have ordered them to be on alert for another attack. Though their coordination was still abysmal. There was no one taking command or trying to organize things. Just random groups people waving guns around.

I waited until most were in my range, and opened up with all three groups firing.

Thanks to the darkness and near silence of the glue hitting, there was almost no reaction at first. I aimed for isolated groups and I managed to down a few before people started to realize that others were falling down.

Those that realized what was happening started yelling warnings and moved for cover besides buildings and cars. A handful of them started to fire ineffectually in the air. I focused my fire on those idiots since their bullets could hit someone. I was thankful it was late enough that few people should be outside.

I had positioned the three groups of termites so they could hit several gang members in cover from the opposite side. The gang members started to run around when they started getting hit in cover. It was too dark for them to tell what direction the shots were coming from.

I had to admit that simple firearms were annoying effective when focused on my Lusus. But this way I could hit them, while they couldn't hit me. I would send in my humanoid Lusus to start breaking bones when they fell back.

Eventually they finally started to break and make for their cars. I kept up the rate of fire mostly to keep heads down and to encourage them to leave since I was going to be out of ammo soon.

My drone sent me an alert, and my attention focused on their video showing one of Boli Dun's portals open up a block away and Lung himself pop out. He seemed angry as he rushed forward over roofs heading straight at my group.

I focused all my fire on him, and saw him falter as the glue hit home. It knocked him down and I was momentarily hopeful he would be knocked unconscious before he just exploded. The fire swept over the roof left a bright glare. The flames were being used to counteract the fumes, but the glue was still slowing him down. I kept up the pressure, and I could see Lung visibly fight to stay wake.

That was when I lost connection to one of my groups of termites. A drone shifted its view and I saw a tall figure in a gasmask and covered in what looked like grenades. They had a large grenade launcher resting on their shoulder. From the broken windows it looked like she had used some type of sonic weapon to melt the termites, and their charges. The fumes were covering the area but the gasmask protected her.

Bakuda was the ABB's only tinker and she had a bomber specialization. Lung had given her shelter after she brought too much heat down on herself with the bombings at her alma mater. I motioned a drone to try and track her.

I doubt I would find her location, but I might be able to narrow down the area her lab was in. She was the main priority after Lung since she had started to give her bombs for regular ABB members to use.

Lung struggled to his feet and lit himself on fire to burn off the glue as he ran toward the termites. I moved the two cloaked HX to a building overlooking them and waited.

Lung took no time in smashing the termites. He seemed to relish being able to actually hit my creations for once since most ran or ignored him. After a few minutes I ordered the HX models to start yelling and mocking Lung, and Lung's head instantly went up in their direction.

I made a mental note that he had superhuman senses as he powered up. Though that reinforced the same basic strategy I already had for him.

It involved separating him from his bodyguard, and hitting him hard before he could toughen up. I wanted to make a custom poison for him, but until I could get a better read on his physiology it would be guesswork at best. But his fire prevented me from getting a DNA sample.

Lung started to yell at nothing and I observed that the building was too far to jump across. Lung had brief moment of indecision before he dropped down. I made another note that Lung has become a bit too over reliant on his bodyguard's ability to transport himself.

He was still on fire, and he had started to acquire silver looking scales. His neck was stretching as he leapt up the side of the building. I ordered the HX to remove their cloaks just as he made it up.

Lung's face was blocked with his mask but he was still human looking enough for his body language to show surprise and confusion as he stared at two identical copies of himself. Well not completely identical. The tattoos all over the arms weren't exact since I had greatly enjoyed making tattoo designs. I intended to get one myself I if lived to my eighteenth birthday.

Lung actually took a step back as they started to scream in his voice and jerk back and forth. Large bugs and snakes erupted from under the skin as they started to eat his copies from the inside out. I had them scream in mortal terror and pain as their spines were broken and they were devoured.

Lung blasted them with fire but they were tough enough that I had them suddenly stand still and talk before they were incinerated.

"I am coming for you Lung," they say in his own voice.

I switched my attention away from Lung as I had gotten my point across. There was still a few more hours before dawn to sow paranoia in the ABB's ranks before the warnings of imposters spread. The other dozen Lung look-alikes would now start attacking any ABB they saw and breaking the bones of downed members. The ABB wouldn't shoot at Lung, which allowed me to avoid their gunfire and get close enough to attack them.

I moved the crow into a holding pattern above the docks to wait for the heroes. I wanted to make a good first impression.

Hannah rode in the back of the PRT van as they sped to the docks. The seat was uncomfortable but she tried not to shift too much. The construct in her hand shifted back and forth between a gun and knife betraying her awkwardness.

Triumph was strangely silent. He usually tried to make small talk to ease tension when we were traveling to a fight. But he seemed to be making a point to not talk with Bastion. Hannah hadn't been in town the last few weeks but from what Battery had said, it seemed that not too many people were making an effort to work with him except for Armsmaster.

Bastion had been one of the top stars in the Protectorate just two months ago. He led his own team, and was seen as having a very versatile and useful power. But that all changed when he was caught on video calling a fan a racial slur who had come up for a simple autograph.

Overnight he had lost all his popularity and been shunned by his team. Director Piggot had always been the practical sort and had invited him to the Bay despite a few objections including Triumph. Bastion had accepted and had arrived at the same time as Weld and Lily in response to the escalating gang violence in the city.

Hannah glanced him over from the corner of her eye. He was wearing his rebranded costume that had been recolored grey with blue highlights. His costume seemed similar to an aviator outfit, and he was one of the few heroes to wear an actual cape. His was a short blue one that covered his left arm. His helmet had been redesigned to be less fancy and he no longer wore his old symbol on the side of it. Kid win had said Bastion had designed if off of an old radio drama about a hero with a jetpack.

Well if Triumph won't ease the tension, then I will she thought. I might not like him either, but we will have to work together. "Bastion, I haven't had a chance to work with you yet, so I wanted to know how tough your fields are."

He looked up and paused for a second before he started to reply. Hard to tell what he was feeling with his helmet. "Depends on how I use them but I can stop a car accelerating at 60 flat though it gives me a little strain. If you are talking about Lung, Armsmaster's calculations say I should be able to contain him for three to four minutes based off his regular growth rate. "

He pauses looking like he is trying to figure out what to say. "Where is Armsmaster? Considering how interested the Director is in this new cape, I thought he would have volunteered to be here."

"Yeah, considering how cloak and dagger he and the Director have been lately about this new cape, its weird he isn't coming with us," Triumph said. He stops crossing his arms and leans forward. "We could really use Adamant, Sere, and him tonight. What is so important that they had to leave with the fighting going on right now?"

She forcibility made her construct a knife before putting it in a holster. "Well keep this quiet for now, but we got an anonymous call that the Butcher is back in town. We just got confirmation from Shadow Stalker that the Teeth are holding a pit fight right now with the Butcher in attendance. Armsmaster wanted to take advantage of the fact that they will be unprepared and to test his new tranquilizer on the Butcher."

"That's just what we need." Triumph says with a groan.

"Is Armsmaster skilled enough to take on the Butcher and the Teeth with just Adamant and Sere?" Bastion asked with skepticism.

"Armsmaster has been fighting the Butcher for years and he has a new program that allows him to predict how she fights very accurately." Hannah answered. "He is probably the only person in the city who can take her one on one besides a pumped up Lung. He also a new tranquilizer that he is confident can put her out without killing her. He is hoping that her danger sense will not register it as a threat allowing him to inject her. According to Shadow Stalker there are only two other parahumans present. Skinslip to heal the winners and Spree to provide some extra opponents."

"I still think it's a mistake to let Shadow Stalker back out in the field so soon," Triumph said.

"I personally agree with you, but it was not my decision," Hannah said suppressing a sigh. "The therapist agrees that she is headed for a mental break of some kind if she is stuck doing nothing but console duty. I suggested patrolling the quarantine walls in Boston, but there is worry she would run."

"Based off the reports it might be better for her to just be sent to Juvie," Bastion replied. "Why go through so much effort to work with someone so anti-social and who will probably be a problem in the future?"

That is pretty ironic coming from you Hannah thought.

"Politics, and keeping the youth guard from showing up most likely," Triumph said with a sneer. "

Hannah moved her scarf away from her so it was easier to talk. "We didn't know until the video how many issues she actually had. By all accounts she was making progress. She was going to school with decent grades, was part of the track team, and was working with us. She is getting therapy now even if she isn't making much progress, and the PRT doesn't need the image problems right now. I don't like or agree with it, but I can understand why the director chose to let her back into the field if the pit fights are starting again."

"Are the pit fights really so bad?" Bastion asked with curiosity.

"Yes," Hannah answered. "Skidmark came up with the idea for large scale fights to get people to trigger during the sixteenth's reign, but Quarrel has really expanded the concept. She likes to kidnap and force people to fight to build up their forces. You win you get money, drugs, or sex. You lose they heal you just enough to not kill you and force you to fight again.

She paused briefly thinking of all the injuries she had seen. "If you win enough, or they think you aren't worth it they let you go. She is smart enough to keep the deaths down so there isn't too much attention but she had been more brazen in recent times. Kidnapping parahumans for the Teeth to fight, or kidnapping people to bolster numbers. If you trigger they force you to fight for them in the pits if you don't join. They always move locations and no one has had much luck stopping the fights for took long with the exception of Grue drugging Spree to cause his clones to go ballistic. The director wants us in force in response to Echidna, but we can't ignore the pit fight in case there are kidnapped people there."

"So is Echidna the official name for her then?" Triumph asked.

"Until we find out what she is calling herself, the New York office decided to name her that based off of Othala's testimony. All we know right now is that she is going after the ABB, but we should be on guard in case something changes," Hannah warned. " We have been getting numerous conflicting reports about what her power is."

Her ear bud beeped and she quickly tapped it. "Miss Militia here. What is it Vista?"

"We have a report of Kamaitachi pinning down two police officers in your vicinity. At least two other armed gang members are also on site, but no other parahumans reported." Hannah inwardly smiled at the fact that Vista always tried to make her voice sound deeper and more professional when she had console duty. She looked at the Triumph and Bastion who nodded their heads and answered that they were on their way.

Hannah signalled the driver and he turned to accelerate toward the officers pinned down. She tapped her earpiece and ordered Assault and Battery to meet up with Velocity and Dauntless on the east end. They'd move in from the opposite direction after they put Kamaitachi in custody and meet in the middle.

They drove for only a few minutes before the driver stopped and they got out. Hannah scanned down the street and saw Kamaitachi standing in the middle of the street with his arms down. He had on his narrow mask, but was wearing what looked a bathrobe instead of his costume with his large gut jutting through it.

All around him things bent and moved like they were in a hurricane but without any sound of heavy wind. Debris was being thrown at the two officers taking cover behind their patrol car with a third lying on the ground. The mute wind was too strong for them to fully stand up, and four ABB members were taking pot-shots at them with pistols.

"Bastion provide cover for us from the wind and head at your best pace to the officers position. We will be right behind you." Hannah ordered. Her knife turned into a large rifle filled with less lethal rubber bullets. She took aim and fired off shot after shot with her power reloading automatically.

Kamaitachi screamed as his knees were hit and he fell on his arms. His wind gave him some protection but not enough for that not to have hurt. He waved his arms and a bubble of debris was gathered and moved around him with surprising speed before her next few shots hit him. While her shots had failed to penetrate his shield, the wind affecting the street had stopped. He shouted orders to the gunmen as he limped to cover.

They switched targets to us, but Bastion had put his arms up and a bluish light appeared as the bullets were stopped right in front of him. He took off at a light jog with Triumph and I right behind him.

Triumph took the time to use his power when we passed an overturned car. He shouted with a loud scream and it was sent tumbling toward the gunmen. They stopped firing and backed away in panic but it stopped just in front of them to give us more cover. I took the time to put one of them down after he moved out of cover.

Bastion took position in front of the patrol car and Hannah checked on the downed officer. "What happened?" she asked the officers as checked him over.

"He was got hit in the head," the one with the large moustache answered.

"Sir can you hear me," Hannah asked. Getting no response she rubbed the bony part of her knuckles on his sternum to check for pain. Getting no response again she checked and felt a pulse. She turned her gun back into a knife and placed it under his nose and saw he wasn't breathing.

At that moment Kamaitachi started his mute hurricane again though Bastion's shield kept the worst of it off of us.

Hannah used the jaw thrust maneuver to open up his airway in case he had a neck injury, and was relieved that he had started to weakly breathe again. She motioned to the ABB who had started to run after seeing the wind wasn't affecting them. "Go after them, I will take care of him until the ambulance gets here."

Bastion nodded once in acknowledgement and took off after the retreating gunmen. The police officers looked torn between staying and helping but decided to go when Hannah pulled on the EMT bag she had attached to her back.

Hannah pulled on the penlight and checked his pupils. She was just about give him an injection when she realized he had stopped breathing again. She cursed and pulled out the bag-valve mask and started to squeeze to air into his lungs.

"I can help," a voice behind her said.

Hannah twirled around and an automatic shotgun appeared in her hands. A bird she thought in confusion?

It looked like a large crow, but was a dark and mossy green. What most stood out was the human eye blinking in the middle of its forehead. It was perched on the police siren, and its voice sounded like an old mans.

"You going to fight me," she asked while keeping the gun trained on it. She desperately wanted to get back to helping the injured officer, but she couldn't take a chance in case they were attacked.

"Of course not. I'm a hero", the crow said. It was extremely disconcerting to hear it change voices. "Quickly keep pumping the bag until my medical unit gets here. I am a very good healer, and I promise you I will not attack you".

Hannah kept her gun trained, but after a moment of thought relented. She immediately went back to pumping the bag.

The bird flapped near the head of the officer and stared intently at his head. "There is some swelling and some possible internal bleeding," it said with a young man's voice now.

Hannah kept pumping as she heard a mechanical whirring sound. She managed to stay calm as six large mechanical looking spiders came running out of a nearby alley. They looked like they were made of a clear green plastic, and they had equipment built into them. They stopped just behind the bird and spread around the down officer.

"I will take it from here," the bird said.

After some hesitation Hannah stopped pumping and stood up. Another shotgun appeared in her hands as she pointed it at her feet.

The spiders got to work in a hurry. One of them expanded something from its front to make a mask on his face. Another made a whirring sound as a red light went over the officer's head.

The bird hopped onto one of the spiders. "I have to operate. Please do not fire as I open him up."

Hannah pointed her gun up briefly before nodding.

One of the spiders let out arms ending in tools and Hannah winced as she heard the skull being drilled open. The spiders moved quickly and methodically. In only a few minutes they had stopped. Another sprayed some sort of foam before they closed him up. Afterward the bird looked intently at his head before the spiders took off back to the alley. "He will be fine now," the bird said in relief. "You might want to take to the hospital to make sure, but he will make a full recovery."

For a moment Hannah wondered at the surreal situation before asking, "Are you really a hero?"

The bird flew back up to the police siren before turning back around. "Yes, you may call me Faust."

"You don't act like a hero."

"What do you mean?" Faust or what Hannah assumed was some kind of avatar twisted its head on its side to look at her quizzically. "I have been fighting villains and I do not kill. I have also started intelligence operations to sniff out their secrets. In fact I was looking for you or other heroes to tell you that there is a drug lab three streets over at the end of the street. My Lusus are currently busy attacking isolated groups of ABB members and I currently lack the force to attack it right now."

Hannah narrowed her eyes. " You have been picking fights that is escalating violence in the city and seriously injuring people. You have been openly attacking ABB members, and civilians with ties to the Empire in the street. While capturing wanted villains is fine, you can't just go around attacking whomever you feel like. There are rules and laws to be followed and they have rights.

"RIGHTS? What about the right to not be scared of walking down the street at night!" the bird screamed. "They support organizations that murder, that poison the minds of others, that make victims of innocents. What city do you live in?"

"Look" Hannah said. "You say you are a hero. A hero works with the PRT and has training; they follow rules, and regulations. If a policeman or a hero crosses a line there are consequences. Without those you are a vigilante. There is nothing stopping you from abusing your power and deciding what justice is."

"Isn't basic self defense vigilante justice?" the bird asks. "Should the people of the docks wait for you to act while they are being attacked?"

"But it isn't the people of the docks. It is just you deciding on your definition of justice. Look I think you mean well, and I won't deny that we could use some help. But you have to realize that you are scaring people. Do not pretend that you do not notice similarities with your power and Nilbog's"

"I AM NOT NILBOG!" The bird screams in rage with the voice of small girl, and Hannah instinctively puts her hand on her gun.

"Then prove it. Prove to people that you are a hero, and come with me to the PRT headquarters. You can talk things over with the director, and show people they don't' have to be afraid of you."

The bird is quiet for a moment. "I apologize for scaring anyone, but I can't right now. There are still a few things I must do tonight. But I do want to meet. Contact me on PHO, and we can arrange a meeting. "

With a final look at Hannah, the bird flew away.

I woke up at the sound of the alarm and lazily turned if off. I got up and stretched as I went over phone records, and video of last nights attack.

The S.C.I.O.N. gave me a quick update on the status of my Lusus, and my most recent intelligence summary. One of the ABB I had under surveillance had made a call to someone asking to work for them. Seems he didn't think working, as a dealer was the safest profession.

I walked to the bathroom to brush my teeth as I searched the name through a few public databases. I had over a dozen matches in the Brockton bay area, and I would have it narrowed down by the end of the day. This could be a good lead on the ABB's smuggling operations.

I yawned as I read up on the news. Yawning is a little surreal to me since I think I have the capability to completely remove my need to sleep at this point. But I decided to maintain an hour or two and make sure I can enter REM sleep quicker. There was the theory that sleep can help clear negative emotions, and considering how I had acted just after my experiment, I thought it couldn't hurt. I was curious if Noctis cases or parahumans who did not require sleep had similarities in their brains.

I splashed some cold water in my face and activated my internal scanner as I brushed. My teeth were in good health, though I would want to have a spider do some basic maintenance when I got back to the lab. The spiders had been used to do a little dental surgery to improve my smile. I didn't anything too noticeable since I didn't want Dad to get suspicious.

I took a moment to admire my body in the mirror. I really loved Bonesaw's seed. All the enhancements, as well as one or two cosmetic changes, looked completely natural. You couldn't tell anything was different. Though my left eye implant was acting up again when I tried to replay video of last nights skirmish through my optical nerve.

I walked back to my room and opened the closet. I removed the hidden panel in the back and pulled out the suitcase to retrieve the mechanical arms that I could wear over my regular ones. I had made them to let me do surgery more quickly and efficiently. I put on the left one, and the mechanical tools attached sprang to life. I turned off my pain and carefully removed my right eye. The scan showed everything was fine, but I gently peeled back the skin to check to make sure. I tweaked the mechanical components a little, put everything back in, and added a little of my prototype medigel to help accelerate the healing process.

My vision was much better than a normal person, with a few improvements including superior night vision and telescopic sight. I didn't need glasses anymore, but I was so used to them that my face felt a little weird without them. Not to mention dad would wonder when I got contacts.

I carefully packed the arm back in the suitcase, and closed the panel back up. My body decoy Lusus had been recycled so there was plenty of room. I needed to work on a better way to keep it hidden and update its programming so it seemed more natural while it slept. I needed to record myself sleeping to see if I really snored like Dad insisted was true.

I picked a simple blouse, and pants to wear today. Now that money was no longer an issue, I could have afforded some new clothes, but I wanted to hide my income from Dad. I had never been much of a shopper anyway. Though Dad insisted I needed some new clothes due to my recent growth spurt.

I started to brush my hair my hair in the mirror by my door. I was surprised that I couldn't smell Dad's cooking. He usually insisted on cooking me breakfast if he had the day off. I did get a trace of what smelled like new cologne. That was curious. When had Dad started wearing cologne?

I walked down the stairs and stopped in the middle to stare at Dad. He was drinking a cup of coffee while he read the paper. He had still dressed like he was going to work even though he was off today.

I stared because he had completely shaved his head, which was very suspicious. He had been talking about fully shaving it ever since he had started going bald. But he had never done it until know. Thinking of it, he had been uncharacteristically happy recently. I had thought it was in celebration of the defeat of the governors bill but was it possible Dad had met someone on his trip?

I greeted Dad with a smile. Dad had never been a big talker but my efforts to improve our connection and do activities together had been very fruitful. We were much more open with each other than we had been in years.

"What no breakfast?" I asked.

He carefully folded up the paper, and looked up at me. "I thought we'd eat out today kiddo".

Okay he definitely met someone I thought. He had spent a considerable effort shaving and grooming his face. I tried not to let my suspicions show. "That sounds great. Where at, Fugly Bobs?"

"I'm thinking Italian. Maybe someplace nice like Valentino's. "

"Ohhhh fancy. You want me to drive? "

"I'd like to not have a heart attack so no. If I ever need to destroy trashcans, I'll know who to call."

"One time dad. That happened one time." I said with a laugh as I went to get my shoes.

I ran upstairs to get my shoes, and on a whim checked up on my PHO thread, which had 30 pages already. I took my time to read over a few posts. Most were asking me questions or debating my actions. There was also numerous photos and video showing a few of my Lusus including my spiders fixing the policeman.

It seemed there was a lively debate about my actions, and quite a few comparisons to Nilbog. The thread seemed split between those that applauded my taking the fight to the ABB and the Empire, and those that thought I was escalating things.

I searched through the thread and found a message from Miss Militia asking to meet. I messaged her through the drones that I would let her know as soon as I had time to meet her.

I needed to plan where and how to meet the PRT. I could use the network drones I built to let me operate a small number of Lusus without the central server. Should I go in my costume or use the bird avatar again?

Thinking of Miss Militia's accusations of not acting like a hero made my implant say a mantra about control in my own voice. She had made me so angry. I wouldn't have done anything if the PRT was more effective. It was obvious that they weren't protecting anyone to any great degree. They had failed to stop the Butcher in the past, and the gangs were as strong as ever. What progress had they made?

Despite my less than perfect first meeting, the night had been a success overall. I had taken out even more ABB foot soldiers and the video of the heroes in action had been inspiring. My Lusus were much more effective when the Protectorate could distract and occupy the ABB parahumans. Still going from what Miss Militia had said and the fact that the drug lab hadn't been hit yet, I don't think the heroes are anxious to work with me.

But last night had proved that having parahuman allies would make things easier and I did have other options. If they wouldn't work with me, maybe the other independent heroes would. New Wave might be open to a meeting, and I do still owe them a debt to repay. There were also two independent heroes in the city besides New Wave right now.

Epoch was supposed to be some kind of time traveler, and was supposed to be really strong. He was very active on PHO and he had made it clear he wasn't interested in joining the Protectorate.

The other independent hero was Phoenix. There was actual video of her in action fighting the Teeth and the ABB. There was currently a debate on PHO about her chosen name since there were already other heroes with a Phoenix name or theme. She was minor changer and brute, but her main ability had the main reason there was a debate because it matched Phoenix very well. She couldn't die. Killing her caused her body to disappear, and she usually showed back up three days with no issue.

Working with them could make me more effective and improve my chances of taking down Bakuda and Lung. If they were gone, I was positive I could take the docks outright after some more preparation.

Once I knew where to hit and if I could get project X to work, I was going to…

"Taylor are you cobbling shoes? You coming or what?"

"Coming," I said suppressing a sigh as a melody went off in my ears. I wasn't angry I thought at the S.C.I.O.N. I would have to tweak it some more so it could tell the difference between annoyance and anger. I quickly put on my shoes and got into the car.

Dad whistled with the radio as we drove. It was a new experience traveling somewhere else besides downtown or the docks. Everything is much cleaner somehow in the Downs with well-manicured lawns, fresh painted stores, no graffiti or trash. It was nice but seemed a little sterile and without character.

I browsed the web, and checked the latest foot traffic data while we waited to be seated. I really loved Overmind's seed even if her tech didn't work exactly as I would have liked all the time. The restaurant was a lot nicer than I was used to. Live music was playing, and there was hint of flowers in the air. We ordered and Dad sat across from me.

"So how was the capitol?" I asked biting into a breadstick. I had strategically moved the basket closer to me since I was hungrier than usual.

"A real mess to be honest," Dad said with a grim face. "We weren't the only group there protesting the bill, and there were a few scuffles with police. I'm not sure how it didn't pass, but I'm thankful it did. I was worried a few of the dockworkers would have done something rash without thinking things through."

The waiter comes and we order. Dad gets a fishplate andI order pasta. "So Dad." I carefully drink my lemonade and try to keep my face normal. "What is her name?"

"What? Her who?" He tries to look puzzled but I can see that he is trying to hide something. He always touches the back of his neck when he lies. Mom told me that in confidence a long time ago.

"Come on Dad, I can see the signs," I said holding up my fingers. "You finally shaved your head after years of inaction, you are wearing cologne for the first time in who knows how long, and I know how you are. I know you would be happy from the bill being defeated, but you wouldn't be in such a good mood from that alone. You seem much happier than normal."

"I'm happy? You have to tell me what you've done with my daughter. I haven't seen you so relaxed in forever Taylor. You're smiling all the time, and you have this pep in your step. I haven't seen you like this since the time you got to see big bird in person," he said jokingly.

"I've just had a lot of good luck lately," I said keeping my face straight. Dad had gotten better at reading me since we had grown a little closer, but the S.C.I.O.N had helpfully analyze my micro expressions and helped to build a database to better read people. So I had a little experience at lying convincingly.

I turned things around and looked at him suspiciously. "Don't think I haven't noticed you are trying to change the subject. Spill."

"Well yes I did meet someone and we sort of hit it off," Dad said growing a little red. He had crossed his arms and was leaning a bit back in his chair. The S.C.I.O.N. helpfully pointed out he was a little embarrassed.

I mind whirled with astonishment. Oh my god, my dad was blushing! I can't remember the last time he had blushed. Who was this woman? Whoever they were Dad really liked her. "I knew it," I said with triumph. "So come on, details."

"Well, she was a PRT officer who was a strong supporter of what we were trying to do, and we got to talking, and it turns out she is from Brockton. We saw each other a few times during the week, and we got to talking for hours without realizing it.

"Who asked who?" I said with a smile.

"Let me finish." Dad said waving a breadstick at me. He was still a little red, but he had relaxed. "So we started to talk about the economy, and you came up quite a bit. One thing led to another and I asked her to get a cup of coffee. Which turned into dinner and another coffee date." Dad actually looked a little proud.

"What does she look like?"

"She's about 5ft 8, light brown skin, with a short and wavy brown hair. She is has a bit of an athlete's build, with a very pretty face," he said. "Look I wanted to talk with you first."

He leaned forward and held my hands. "Are you okay with me dating? I know I didn't really talk about it and it hasn't been that long since your mom passed. If you aren't comfortable with it I'll understand. I will tell her we have to take it slow"

He looks me right in the eye and I am touched that he is completely sincere. He really would hold things off for me I realized feeling guilty.

"Dad, I know mom would want you to be happy, and I feel the same way," I said giving his hands a squeeze. "I love seeing you with a smile on your face. If you like her, I'm sure she is amazing. She'd be lucky to have you. When do I get to meet her?"

"Well we were talking about having dinner at the house later this week depending on what you said," he says a little teary eyed.

Dammit dad. If you get teary, I'm going to get teary.

"I think that is a wonderful idea Dad," I say with a smile. "I'll cook if you don't mind."

"I don't mind at all. Besides your cooking has far surpassed mine at this point." He looks so relieved and happy.

I put a grave scowl over my face as I put my hand over his. I look him straight in the eye with a stern expression. "Dad, there is something we do have to talk about".

"Yes, Taylor?" he asks. He is looking a little concerned.

"Do I have to give you the talk?"

"What"? He starts cracking up and laughs really hard before throwing a napkin at me. "Smartass".

"So what's her name?" I ask with a grin.

Dad looks momentarily embarrassed. "I don't actually know what her last name is, but her first name is Hannah."

Last edited: Jun 9, 2015

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TheAnt

Jun 8, 2015

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TheAnt

TheAnt

Jun 20, 2015

#184

Seed 2-3

I have been in the lab for too long. I hadn't even realized what I was missing out on. I laughed as I coiled and launched myself across a gap to another buildings. Behind me half a dozen mimics followed close behind.

Moving with the body of snake taking the place of my legs is amazing. It hadn't taken any time at all to remove my legs and graft it on for tonight. I'm so fast, and it's a joy to just move.

I occasionally mistime a jump and land on the side of a building, but a few grippers I added on the tail let me climb up without too much trouble. My tail isn't perfect but it gets the job done.

Above me the network drones expand my control so that the mimics move as one with me. The mimics are not that tough, but they are the fastest and most agile of my creations. The feeling of their wings as they travel through the night air feels great.

The birds are a different story. For the umpteenth time tonight I accidently push one out of range, and am thankful that I tweaked them to automatically move back toward me. Without access to the central server, I was much more limited in what I could control in both range and response time.

The mobile network essentially turned my own brain into a server that boosted the processing power of nearby Lusus. Trying to control too many was dangerous, so I was limited in what I could bring with me to look for Epoch and Phoenix. I had opted for more recon ability than more Lusus capable of combat since I was personally present. I almost wanted to be attacked to see what my new body could do.

While I was confident about my combat abilities, I should be able to outrun all of the Empire's parahumans if it came to it. Purity could be a problem, but I had a few contingencies for her.

I had a few new birds in the truck following me that were ready to spray out a paralytic from hidden hoses in their throats. I also had a small bomb made from a custom plant extract that would produce a hallucinogenic fog in a large range to allow me to escape. The Empire would learn that they should be in full protective gear whenever they fought me.

If worse came to worse, I could just take my mask off and change my face. The truck and the Lusus were easily replaceable after all.

A beep from the S.C.I.O.N. confirmed another negative sweep. My regular drones had been searching for me but I haven't had too much luck finding either of the heroes so far. The S.C.I.O.N. had analyzed listed sightings of them but I hadn't been able to find much of a pattern for Epoch. He changed where he operated too often.

Thankfully Phoenix did have a pattern and she was the one I was looking for. She typically operated in Empire or ABB territory and had a MO of openly attacking members of a gang until she was killed. One to three days later she would show up again and go after the person who killed her.

If things become too difficult or they were too prepared for her she sought out a new target. Previous attempts to capture her had failed since she reportedly bit off her tongue causing her body to disappear if things went against her.

Three days ago she had attacked a few members of the Empire and was killed by Cricket. Going from her previous pattern she would probably try at least one more time to attack Cricket or a few gang members in the same area before moving on.

The Empire had been lying low recently, but it was well known that Othala had failed to show up at her court date after paying her rather large bail. I wasn't too surprised but I was kicking myself for not tagging her when I got the chance. From now on any criminal parahuman I beat was getting a tracker installed.

From my experiments on how Othala's clones healed, broken or shattered bones would be difficult to heal with her power. So keeping my usual methods against the 88 would still prove effective for the most part. Not to mention that her healing wouldn't have any effect on what I had done to Kaiser, though the venom I had used should be wearing off.

I wasn't sure how I was going to do it yet, but I was going to dose Kaiser again. I started to chuckle imagining that moment of comprehension when he realized what I had done and what he would have to experience again.

While the Empire would be more active again thanks to Othala, I didn't mind. Their efforts would further weaken the ABB, and they'd never be able to hold the docks while Lung was still around. Once I had the forces capable of defending the docks on my own, I'd look for where Lung slept and deal with him.

The S.C.I.O.N. showed me that I was a little dehydrated so I decided to take a break near the Medhall tower.

I pulled out my hydration pack and hooked it up to the access point in my neck. The mimics took flanking positions on nearby buildings. I really need to focus on upgrading my mobile network for future raids outside of the docks. As the pack drained into me, I studied the map in my head.

This particular area exchanged hands frequently between Coil and the Empire. The Empire would take it without much of a fight, then Coil's mercenaries would attack forcing them back. Coil seemed to have a knack for hitting them where they were weakest. He did not seem to want the place at the moment, so the Empire was moving back into the area. Their recent movements had probably pushed Phoenix to focus her efforts here.

My drones were actively looking for lone females wearing hand me down and mismatched clothes. Phoenix was supposed to have a decent changer rating and her power caused her to go through clothes quickly. So she didn't really wear a costume which made identifying her difficult.

I just was about to move and look somewhere else when a drone spotted a lone white female walking through an alley. Three white males were following close behind.

They didn't look like Empire. Kaiser took a very hard stance against what they were doing. I immediately sent the mimics to intercept, while I followed close behind.

They were just far enough away that I wasn't too sure if I could make it before they tried anything. I instructed a drone to start to descend. If I couldn't make it in time, the drone would intervene. It didn't have any weapons but crashing it into people would work just as well.

The woman turned to look back and suddenly broke into a run. The men went after her and seemed to be a bit faster that she was. The drone was hard to see but was positioned just above the alley.

One of the men was just about to reach her when the woman suddenly turned around, dropped down on one knee, and punched him in his crotch so hard his legs flew back. The man grimaced and the woman kicked him in the side of the head. The drone could make out what looked like teeth flying out. The other two froze as she started to grow in height.

Realizing what was happening, I maneuvered the mimics to take positions to make sure they couldn't escape. The woman's hair changed from a dark brown to blonde and her arms visibly thickened in width as she charged the other two men.

One of them turned and ran. He didn't get far before a mimic enveloped him from behind. I didn't want to make too big of a scene in Empire territory, so I just had it envelop him like a lover and inject him. The mimic had supported his limb body and made it look like he was drunk.

While this was going on, the other man had pulled out a knife and called her a whore as she charged him. Phoenix pulled back one of her arms like she was winding up for a pitch and it suddenly stretched forward almost four feet. She grabbed his arm and pushed his own knife into his shoulder.

He didn't have a chance to cry out as the next moment her arms wrapped around his waist and squeezed which muffled his cries. She pivoted and threw him over her shoulder onto the ground with a large thud. He definitely broke a few ribs.

The drone moved back up as I peered down into the alley with my head sticking over the ledge.

Looking at her up close, she was wearing clothes that looked they had come from a garage sale. She was wearing an oversized and dirty coat, what looked like work out pants, and a plain red shirt. She was over six feet tall, and her face was stretched so that she had a doll like but freaky face. Like those people you see who had bad plastic surgery.

Phoenix was currently rummaging through pockets and emptying wallets. How to approach her?

This would be the first time I had talked to someone else with my own mouth that was not dad in months. I don't think I can scare her. It's hard to scare someone who literally can't be killed.

I decided to use my mom's voice. That was the most authoritative and diplomatic voice I knew.

Phoenix had thrown the wallets on the ground pulled out a cellphone that one of the men had. She was trying to use it but it required a password. She tried for a few minutes before her arm stretched out and pulled up the man with the knife wound by his neck. She positioned him so that he was forced to look up to her.

"I need to call the cops and an ambulance for you pieces of shit. What's your password?"

The man spit on her which surprised her so much she dropped him. Phoenix wiped the spit from her face as she looked down at him. She smiled with perfect teeth that looked a little weird on that face. She carefully pulled out the man's knife, showed it to him, and forced his arm up. He struggled and cursed but his palm was forced open and she pushed the knife through his palm in one fast motion causing him to scream.

"What is your password to the phone?" she asked like she was flirting with him.

"1030", the man yelled. "1030, you fucking bitch".

"Thank you. Was that so hard?" Her arm then stretched out and grabbed his other arm. He screamed and tried to fight her off but she carefully showed him the knife and waved it in front of his face. She took her time putting it through his other hand.

"You should be careful. You could permanently injure his tendons or the nerves," I said.

Phoenix twisted around and brought her knife up in a defensive stance. She also noticeably shrunk to make herself a smaller target.

"Whose there?" she asked with confidence looking up. Her arm holding the knife has started to twist around itself like a spring. I was dying to get a sample of her DNA, but I had made a promise to never use hero DNA without permission after Fleur.

"You can call me Faust."

Her face was frozen in place making it almost impossible to get a good read on her. She might as well have been wearing a mask. "The new hero? Prove it." Her arm keeps steadily twisting, but she has slowed it down.

I anchor my tail on the edge and stretch myself down the side of the building. I grab a pipe to help anchor me and go a little slow so I don't startle her. I'm not sure how much penetrating power her coiled arm could produce, but I am almost insulted that she thinks she can hurt me with a knife.

Her plastic face changes just enough to show what I think is surprise before it is quickly hidden. "What do you want?" she asks defensively.

"I was wondering if you wanted to work together. I feel we can accomplish more combining our resources than we would alone. But first I want to look at the men who attacked you." Phoenix backs up with her back to the wall, as I look over the man with the holy wrists.

He freezes when I look down him, and I decide to just shoot a dart out of my wrist instead of giving him an injection. He shouts but his face relaxes in relief as the painkiller takes effect. In a few seconds he is unconscious.

"Did you kill him?" Phoenix asks in a very matter of fact way. Her voice also changes in pitch. I can't place it, but it sound familiar somehow.

"No, just a pain killer and sedative. I don't particularly value his wellbeing, but I do not kill anyone." My hands move to utility compartment and pull out the mechanical hands covered in tools. I slip them on as I examine the patient.

I use my own personal disinfectant and do a little touch up. A quick spray of bio foam, and seed paste closes up most of the wounds. It will leave a scar but I make sure the damage to his hands won't be permanent. I give his body another once over and then break his legs.

"Why did you fix his hands then break his leg?" Phoenix asked. She hasn't run yet, which is a good sign. Her face is still difficult to read emotions on but the S.C.I.O.N.'s best guess is curiosity by the sound of her voice. I might have to rethink my voice changing if it is this strange.

"I am trying to improve my reputation to the PRT," I answer as I move to the other man. I can tell from that he is playing dead. He has a broken jaw, and swollen testicles. I give him a sedative and repeat the process on his legs. I could have fixed his jaw, but I was worried surgery wouldn't look good in front of Phoenix.

"I usually break bones because it puts them out of commission for several months and is easily repaired without long-term damage. I have a very good memory. If I find out they didn't take the warning, I will escalate the damage so they physically can't commit crimes for a longer period of time."

"You aren't at all what I was expecting," she says.

"In a good way?"

She laughs and walks back to the man she stabbed. She pulls up his arms and for a second I worry that she is going to undue my work. But instead she just examines his hands and turns to me. "I actually was a fan of your work. You've done more to hurt the Empire and the ABB in a few weeks than the PRT has in years. I was expecting another Shadow Stalker, but you are surprisingly calm."

"Thank you, I think. Can I see that phone?" I ask.

She looks at me for a few seconds before handing it over. I quickly open it up and pull out the SIM card. I open my coat and plug it into a machine to copy the data. I will do a background check to see if these men are affiliated with Coil or Kaiser in some way. I also make sure to get a good look at their faces. The facial recognition software is still buggy, but future drones will have a perfected version.

Phoenix seems to have relaxed, and has stretched back up in height. Actually she seems to be a little taller than she was before. "What do you mean work together? You don't seem like someone who needs much help."

I shrug my shoulders and say, "My efforts against the ABB have shown that I lack the ability to concentrate the force necessary to beat their parahumans. With your help and others I think we can isolate and deal with them."

"Look, I like what you're doing. I love the fact that there is another hero really going after the gangs, but I can't really afford to attack them right now." She sweeps her arm over herself. "I'm running out of clothes just fighting regular idiots. Not to mention that what you're describing isn't so easy. You have to find the parahumans first, and if you could do that why didn't you just call the PRT to fight them?"

"Well finding them is easy. Lung is very anxious to stop me, not to mention I have certain methods of intelligence gathering that the PRT does not possess. As for asking the PRT, I did mention that they do not have a good impression of me. Thanks to Boli Dun, I usually only have a small window to stop them before they get away."

Looking at the empty wallets and Phoenix's clothes, I am reminded of my old money troubles. While it is legal to take spoils from criminals, nobody carriers cash anymore so it is probably difficult for her support herself while crime fighting. "I could easily compensate you for your time and efforts. Lets say ten or twenty thousand to help me?"

Phoenix's face changes a bit, but she gives a clear smile. "I'm not going to shake your hand, but you have a deal. Though if you screw with me I will keep coming after you. What exactly do you need me to do?"

"Just help me when I find a target to attack." I pack up my arms and realize that I don't have a way to clean up blood without my spiders. Another things I have to work on. I mentally command the truck to come to our location. "I could also use some help gathering other allies. You wouldn't happen to know how to contact Epoch do you?"

Phoenix makes what looks like a face of disgust. "I really don't want to work with that idiot".

"Why? Has his power been exaggerated?" The mimics enter the back of the truck, and it waits for a few people get further away before moving.

"No, his power is really strong. That's the only reason he has lasted as long as he has. But he's an arrogant moron who doesn't take things seriously."

I turn to her and try to keep myself level at her height, which is harder than it sounds with my tail. "Will you be unable to work with him?"

"If you're paying me what you say you are, I will work with him. But I don't actually know how to contact him anymore."

"Anymore?" I ask.

She hesitates, and her eyes look away from me. "We….used to run in the same circles. But that was months ago, and I didn't know him very well."

"You say you used to run in the same circles. Do you know someone who could contact him?"

"There is someone. But I really don't know how comfortable you will be talking to him. He'll probably require that we pay him or ask for a favor, and I already owe that bastard a favor."

I didn't think there were any other independent heroes in Brockton besides New Wave. "Who?"

Phoenix visibly sighs. "Grue."

"The villain Grue?"

"You know another Grue?" Her voice sounded like she thought I seriously knew someone else named Grue.

"How do you know Grue?"

"I'll tell you but do you mind if we get out of here? The guy who got away will be calling for reinforcements, and I really don't want to lose this coat in a fight if he calls the Empire for a reward."

The truck finally pulls up next to the alley. I motion for Phoenix to follow as I head toward the truck after the drones don't show anyone nearby. "The other man didn't get away, one of my Lusus stopped him before he got too far. Do you mind if we take my truck?"

"Not at all. I'm jealous, I usually have to take the bus." She purposefully and casually walks onto the downed gang members while heading to the truck.

Feeling the mimics in the back, I realize that she might not like being next to them. "Actually, do you mind if you sit in the cab? I need to transport the mimics, and I have a feeling you might be uncomfortable in their presence."

"What are mimics?"

"Genetically modified plant/animal hybrids made from a variety of various insect DNA designed to hide amongst normal civilians without causing alarm."

She looks at me for a moment. "I'll sit in the cab." Her face changes again as she opens the door and sits on the passenger side. I enter through the back and place myself near the front. The walls are thin enough for us to talk.

I hear phoenix call out, "Do you want me to drive?"

"The truck actually drives itself." Which on cue is when it turns on and pulls back onto the street. I have a drone send to the police after the S.C.I.O.N. badgers me with a reminder.

"Really? I should have asked for more money if you could afford that. Only the rich can afford Tinker tech. "

I resist the urge to take my mask off while I order the truck to do a circle around the area. The truck gets on its way as I look up everything known on Grue.

Grue is an independent villain who has been active for almost seven months in Brockton Bay. He was thought to be a hero when he first debuted as he went after drug dealers and members of the Teeth. He was considered remarkable by PHO for how long he had lasted by himself. Most independents try to keep their heads down, but he actively went after others. His biggest claim to fame was breaking up a Teeth pit fight with the Butcher herself present and freeing quite a few people including Shadow Stalker back when she was a vigilante.

His power is listed as darkness generation but most believe that he has to have another power to have taken on the Teeth and fought Spree by himself. There were many strange burglaries blamed on him, but nothing definite on what else he could do.

I move my tail so I can sort of sit on it, and address Phoenix. "So how did you meet Grue?"

"I hate to admit it but he saved my life," she called from the front.

"Saved your life? I thought you couldn't die?"

"He saved my quality of life, or my mind if you want to get technical. I take it you aren't familiar with Codex of the Ambassadors.

"No I don't know her very well what can she do?" I look her up while Phoenix continues to talk.

"She's a blaster and a thinker. Whatever is hit by her attack gets permanent brain damage and she get a temporary increase in her intelligence. She is the one who actually beat the sixteenth Butcher for Coil and Accord. I don't know why, but Grue came to help me. Which was weird since he was supposedly working for Accord at the time. He 's a nasty piece of work, especially after what he did to Shadow Stalker. Still I do owe him a favor, and he isn't as bad as some of the others."

A picture is brought up of a woman in a plain white mask and a white dress. Considering what her power can do, she is probably the reason Lung obtained a bodyguard. "There is a new throw away phone in the glove compartment for you to contact him. What do you mean what he did to Shadow Stalker? I thought he helped her escape the last pit fight?"

I hear her open up the glove compartment and pull out the phone. "Grue is a major rival for Shadow Stalker since their powers have a weird effect on each other. She is a hero, and he is a criminal. Of course she tried to arrest him. One good deed doesn't erase a list of bad ones. She badly underestimated him though and he put her in the hospital. Are you sure you want me to call and ask him?"

I decide to take off my mask since she can't see me right now. "Yes, just tell him we need to contact Epoch and what he wants in return."

"Okay". I hear her push in the numbers and her voice changed as the line picked up. I was curious how similar her vocal chords were to mine.

"Hello, Yes it's me."

"No I am going to take you up on your offer."

"I haven't forgotten what you are."

"Look I have someone who wants to ask you a few questions."

"It's Faust. "

"Yes really."

I hear her turn and I assume look back at me. "No I don't think so. She wants to know how to contact Epoch."

"How the hell should I know?

"Fine, I'll ask." I hear her shift again. "He says he will contact Epoch if you meet with him at the same time, and promise not to try and attack him."

I weigh my options. I already knew from Aristotle that there were places that you didn't fight when you negotiated. Losing the sincerity of my word could make things difficult in future negotiations. I could always fight him later, and he could have some useful information. Looking at the mimics gave me confidence. He'd regret it if he tried to double cross me. "Alright I agree to meet him. When and where?"

"She agrees to meet. Just name the time and place."

" Really? We're in the same area. Fine, see you in ten."

I hear her close the phone and put it back in the glove compartment. "He will call Epoch right now and he wants to meet in an abandoned building a few blocks away."

That was far closer than I thought. Did he live in this area? The truck was given new instructions and we got on our way.

We drove in relative silence. Phoenix did not start another conversation, so I wondered if I should since the silence felt awkward. It had been some time since I had actually had a conversation with someone else. Should I try to talk to her more?

"So how long have you been a hero?" I finally asked.

"A few months. You?" she called back.

"Four weeks or so."

She is silent again for several moments. "Are you okay?" I ask.

"Yeah, no worries" she finally says.

She still is a little standoffish, but I can't exactly blame her considering the rumors I have see on PHO about me.

I'm saved from more awkwardness by an unusual image from one of my drones. It shows a very blurry figure walking down the street, and it is the only thing blurry and distorted in the drones view. I make a few adjustments to the camera but I can't seem to get a good look.

Whoever they are, they are very skinny, and bit short but I can't tell more than that. I motion for a bird to get a closer look and I finally get a clear picture through the bird's eyes.

He is wearing one of the stupidest costumes I have ever seen. He is wearing a tuxedo jump suit, with old and tacky looking white dress shoes, and sequenced silver gloves. His helmet looks hand made and not by a professional. It looks sort of like a robot with a black visor that takes up most of the front with the screen looking like it came from a TV. On his back is a baseball bat that has been spray-painted silver.

"I see a man in a jumpsuit with a robot head. Is that Epoch?"

Phoenix snorts. "Yeah that's him. Let me guess, he is not even attempting to keep a low profile?"

"He is currently walking down the middle of the street with people attempting to take pictures."

"That jackass. The 88 are going to attack him and bring unwanted attention on us."

I direct the truck to head toward Epoch's location and send my bird closer.

Epoch has already gained quite a bit of attention from people on the street trying to take pictures and looking disappointed. A group of men are jeering next to him, and he simply flicks them off while walking at the same pace.

One of them is wearing a thin muscle shirt that shows off his tattoos showing his allegiance to the Empire 88. The youngest one, who seems about my age, suddenly pulls a gun causing others on the street to run. He is saying something while pointing it at him, but I can't hear it. The bird moves to rest on a streetlight overlooking the group for a better look.

"A man with a gun is threatening him," I tell to Phoenix.

"Don't worry about it. He is hard to hurt."

"Epoch is a brute?"

"No, just watch. Bet you he starts saying the same stupid baseball puns though."

The teen with the gun suddenly starts firing and Epoch goes down after being hit several times. One second he is crumbled on the floor, and the next he is in front of the group with his bat on his shoulder.

"You shoot like a girl," he says in a very familiar voice. He must have some kind of voice changer in his helmet. I never liked the new prequels, but dad thought they were okay.

The next moment he appears with his bat out swinging at the older guy at the back of the group who looks like the leader. The man is too slow to duck and he goes down hard as the bat hits him. "Batter up", Epoch says.

The group is briefly shocked before they try to tackle him but he disappears back to where he was a few seconds ago with the bat over his shoulder. He looks at the group and the next moment the kid who shot him is right back in front of him. He is in the same pose with the gun out and a look of confusion on his face. Before he can start firing, Epoch has ducked and hits his arm with the bat. He drops it and curses. A moment later he freezes in motion.

The rest of the men are more wary now, and Epoch loudly states, "So who else wants a taste of the stick of justice?" The group rushes him again but the man in the lead freezes and the rest barrel into him stopping them. Epoch takes an exaggerated swing at the leg of one of them before jumping back from a wild swing.

A moment later Epoch reappears with his bat in mid swing where the kid with the gun is still frozen. He spins around and brings his bat down on the kid just as he unfreezes mid curse. He is struck hard in the head and goes down. Epoch picks up the gun and raises it at the group. He fires once at them, and they scatter.

He rubs his chest and then looks down at the kid. A moment later he is back into position firing, but this time Epoch swings his bat into his arm from behind. He brings his bat down a few times as the kid starts crying before the kid reappears back where he was and Epoch tells him to go. He then looks at his bat which reappears in mid air where it was a few second ago without any damage.

He walks over, picks it up off the ground, and continues to walk like he did before with absolute confidence.

The truck parks at the end of the street and I continue to observe him. He sees a bench and seems to tries what I assume to be a flip over it. He misses and ends up onto his face. The next moment he reappears back down the street and goes around it like nothing happened. Does his power automatically force him back in time when he takes damage?

I become aware of a large group coming fast a few blocks away. Hookwolf, Stormtiger, and Cricket are leading a well-armed and more professional looking group.

"A large group of 88 are heading toward Epoch and are led by Hookwolf." I call to Phoenix.

"Shit, we should let him deal with the consequence of his stupidity. But if you really want to fight the ABB we could use his power. All right, lets go save the stupid bastard. I'll meet you in the same alley in three days if I die."

She gets out as I open the back of the truck. Phoenix makes it a point to look away as the mimics come out. I give them instructions to move quickly and get behind the 88. They'd hit the group to buy us some time. My bird avatar flaps and lands on a trashcan in front of Epoch.

"The Empire has sent a force in pursuit of you."

Epoch fall back onto his but and yells. I try very hard not to laugh as reappears back down the street. "Are you Faust?" he yells down the street.

"Yes, this is Faust."

He runs forward and starts staring at my avatar. "That is so cool." He starts talking extremely fast, which is a little weird with that voice. "Are you a Tinker like some on PHO think? Why did you choose the Faust? Do you design your Lusus or do you make them by thought like Nilbog is suspected to? What's your range?"

"I will answer a few of your questions later, but we really should relocate. A few of my Lusus are attacking the 88 to delay them."

He looks around quickly but relaxes after seeing no one. "I have no fear of the Nazis."

"They will overwhelm you and I do not believe you have the ability to stop Hookwolf. There is a truck with Phoenix and I up ahead. If you hurry we can avoid them."

"Very well, lead on." I inform Phoenix and focus on the mimics as they drop down a block away from the group that is actually running despite not knowing Epoch's exact position.

Cricket detects the mimics before they get into position and shouts a warning. The mimics scream as they stop pretending to be human. They charge the mundane members from behind who react with shock but a few are quick enough to start firing at them.

I have molded the mimic's blades to be blunt, but I can still accidently kill people if strike in the wrong place. The natural human aversion to insects acts to my advantage as they react in shock and horror, as they get close enough for the 88 to get a good look at them. One of them is badly hurt, but manages to make it into their midst.

They can't maneuver too well in the crush of bodies, but they move in a frenzy of unnatural jerking that takes a toll on the regular members. The 88 are packed in too tight to get good shots at.

Hookwolf revs his whole body up and charges the nearest group as the 88 fall back. I have them jump over him but Stormtiger knocks them out of they air before they can land. Two of them are killed outright, and the response time of the others goes down.

They are immediately fired upon and a shotgun kills another. Hookwolf make short work of the rest of them, and I make a note to bring termites the next time I raid the Empire. Their glue would be a good way to restrict Hookwolf.

Hookwolf makes a show of putting his leg down on the last thrashing mimic and says, "You're next snake bitch."

I order the mimic to stop thrashing and look up at him. "Tell Othala I warned her what would happen if she came back." Hookwolf revs the hooks and blades on his leg up and pushes it down making me lose connection to it."

Epoch is running and periodically popping ahead several feet. It appears he can't affect something for two seconds after he pushes it through to time based off of the lag before he teleports himself. He is not the best runner, and he is a little winded as he puts his arm on the truck. He sees Phoenix and I can practically hear the contempt in the voice changer as he says, "Well if it isn't garbage pail Barbie."

Phoenix does not change faces and I can see the look of disgust on her face. "Fuck you."

"You couldn't pay me enough. Stabbed someone else in the back lately?"

I slide between them as Phoenix takes a step toward him, and Epoch jumps back in surprise. "Please try to be professional."

Epoch is briefly stunned, and then suddenly moves right toward with his hand outstretched. I rise up in warning, but he steps right next to me without concern. "This body is beautiful. Are you a case 53? Is this you're real body? Where did you get that mask?"

I put my hands in a stopping motion in front of him and he steps back. "This is not the place to answer questions. We need to go."

Epoch nods. "Yes we should go and meet Grue. He will help a fellow hero."

"Grue is not a hero you idiot," Phoenix says.

"I'm wearing him down. I'm certain he will join my noble cause."

"You're delusional."

"Like you know anything about loyalty."

I am just about to say something when there is a rumble under our feet that causes us to stumble. A moment later a large purple head that looks almost like a large, glowing balloon pops out of the ground before quickly ducking back underneath. Two large purple tentacles pop out of the ground and feel around until they grab the tires and rip them off.

"It's Grabrauber, " Epoch yells. He looks at the tires and they are suddenly reattached. "He can travel underground in his breaker state, but can't see very well."

Epoch moves toward the truck and a moment later appears standing on the hood looking down. The tentacles come out under the truck and pull off part of the axel-causing Epoch to slip and fall.

I initiated the self-destruct of the components that I didn't want anyone finding, and yell to Epoch that we were ditching the truck.

He reappears next to me and nods his head. He turns as the tentacles come out of the ground near us and they freeze in place.

My avatar sees Hookwolf and his group turning a corner onto the other end of the street. He sees us and starts running at us full tilt.

Should I fight? If it came down to it, I could carry Epoch and Phoenix would just show up three days later if I infected her as trap for Hookwolf. If Epoch kept freezing Hookwolf, we should be able to get away.

If Hookwolf still requires air, the airborne parasite should deal with him. There was a bacterium that did nasty thing to metal that I had also prepared for him, but it hasn't been tested yet. I decided to try a bit of everything and see what sticks.

I pull out the right vials from the inside my lab coat and was just about to start mixing when I see the building just ahead of us growing dark.

It wasn't like a shadow or an absence of light, but almost like a hole in reality was slowly growing out of the building. It reminded me of a dark void like pictures of deep space.

Cricket sees it and yells another warning before the darkness bursts forth like water from a broken dam engulfing the street. It was eerie to see everything disappear and I lose the connection with my avatar.

I feel Phoenix tense next to me, and her face was normal enough to look wary.

I try several times to fix the connection, but it seemed that Grue's darkness blocked my signals. Based off the pictures seen on PHO when Grue took on the Teeth, he could generate and maintain his darkness over a large area. He'd be a troublesome enemy to fight.

"How do you know Grue," I ask Epoch. He is still staring and periodically freezing one of the tentacles.

"He gave me some good advice and we teamed up raiding a drug den. Grue knows everybody."

I was just about to ask him another question when Grue himself came out holding my avatar that was limp in one of his hands.

He was wearing a costume that seemed bio-mechanical, with a skull connected to some kind of machine or crown that seemed surreal as the darkness came off of it. His body was made to give the sense of bones and ended in points and spikes that caused the darkness to swirl as it came off of him.

He had two large spikes extended over his arms covered in blood, and I saw them retract as he walked toward us. He had a large pistol that looked custom built and was made of some kind of black metal hanging on his side. The skull seemed to be made of interlocking plates of some kind that moved. It somehow smiled as he saw us.

"What took you so long," Epoch asked jokingly over his shoulder.

"Cricket was able to see me somehow," he said. His voice was eerie and echoed like he was in a cave. Without meaning too, my tail shuddered a little at his voice.

"So what did you do?" Epoch asked.

"I shot her, obviously," he answered. "Non lethally," he directed at me. "Killing her would have brought too much attention on me. Kaiser has been extra touchy about looking weak after your attack."

He turned back around to look in the dark before turning and starting to run with more darkness being created behind him. "Follow me. I stabbed Hookwolf, and I think he killed a few of his own men trying to find me. He isn't a threat to me in the dark, but he will keep going after us."

Phoenix and I exchanged looks before we followed after Grue with Epoch right behind us. He pulled out a phone and made a quick call while running. We ran for almost five minutes and Epoch was breathing very hard when Grue took a turn into an alley.

I had the drones keep tracking the Empire and where the truck should be in the dark. The darkness hadn't dissipated yet, and Hookwolf kept going inside it. He alone was still searching for us in his regular form, while the rest of the group had split up as sirens started being heard. Several of them were carrying a limp Cricket who was bleeding from her stomach and forehead.

A homeless man looked up and waved at Grue. He pulled out a key from his pocket and unlocked a door hidden behind some boxes. Grue slowed down and turned to him. "Thanks Frank. Your payment is in the usual spot. Keep me posted if anyone comes down this way." He turned back to us and motioned for us to follow him inside.

I stopped for a second to place a call to another truck. For half a second I thought I saw a short figure with a scarf next to the homeless man. I freeze and Phoenix stops to look at me as I stare at "Frank". He seems to not find my presence unusual, and but my playing back the video didn't show anything. I gave one last look at the alley before going inside.

The building was surprisingly well lit with old lamps and freshly painted white walls everywhere. Based off the mattresses and the smells, people were living here. Ever since Boston was sealed the homeless population of Brockton had grown, but there were enough abandoned buildings for it too not be too noticeable.

I coiled my tail and put my back to the wall, and Phoenix moved right beside me. I noticed that she had beefed up more and had her knife out for easy access.

Epoch had gone back to sitting on the floor and was breathing very hard in his helmet. Grue stood opposite of me, and was texting someone before snapping his phone shut and facing me.

He didn't say anything, so I decided to be diplomatic and start things off. "Thank you for providing assistance."

"No problem. It's nice to finally meet you. Your reputation precedes you." His voice came out normal without the darkness. He sounded much younger than I had first pictured. "Thank you for meeting with me."

"What did you want to meet me for?"

"Just to have a talk about how things work in the city. Do you know about the unwritten rules?"

"Yes, I am familiar."

"Well Brockton Bay has a unique rule."

"The rule of outlaws", Epoch exclaims.

"You are the only one who calls it that," Phoenix said.

Grue ignored them and continued. "Basically independents, villain or hero, tend to stick together and help each other out when we can. At least as long, as you aren't too crazy or kill for no reason. Its dangerous to act on your own in this town."

I looked carefully at Grue. "That seems more convenient for the villains in this town, than the heroes."

Grue shrugs. "Actually Dissonant was the one who really started the rule back in the day."

I almost laugh. "The seventeenth Butcher, who used to be a vigilante who killed villains started this trend? I find that hard to believe."

"I got the info from a good source, and it actually makes sense for independents to team up against the more established gangs. They go after all independents hard. The Empire kills or makes an example out of you, Accord sells you or causes you to disappear, the Teeth make you fight for them, Lung goes out of his way to hunt you down, and you can never be sure what the hell Coil will do. Dissonant knew that having a few allies when things get rough is very useful. Anyone that doesn't learn that doesn't tend to last too long. Just ask Browbeat."

"Who is Browbeat?" I ask.

"Exactly" Grue says with a grimace.

I look at his hand, which is still holding my avatar, and Grue looks down at it. He seems to think things over and tosses it at my feet. I pick it up and examine it. He broke its neck when he picked it up. "You managed to last okay by yourself".

"That is mostly because I have been able to keep most of what I can do hidden. A parahuman is at their most dangerous when you don't know what they can fully do. Eventually people change tactics once they gain more information on your capabilities. I also made it a point to try and team up with others."

"Whom else have you worked with?"

His skull mask actually shifts to give the impression of thinking over the question. His mask is creepy but very impressive. "I've worked with Damsel the last time she was in town, though I'm never doing that again. I've run a job with Uber and Leet when they were hunting a bounty. I've run two jobs with Circus and Bombshell. I've even worked with heroes including Glitter and New Wave. They all understood that it pays to have allies, especially when the Butcher is in town and the pit fights start up again."

"Do you know Uber and Leet?" Epoch asks me.

"The mercenaries?"

"Yeah they used to have a great web show where they did stunts based off of videogames. It was ahead of its time and only lasted a year, but it stopped after they got conscripted for the pit fights by the Butcher. They won enough to be set free, but they weren't the same afterward."

"There are rumors the pit fights have started up again," Phoenix says. I had almost forgotten she was there. "If the Butcher isn't here yet, she will be soon."

Grue turns to look at her. "My offer still stands if you or Epoch are interested. I am joining a team to pool our resources and strength. Things are going to be even more dangerous for independents in the near future. With that in mind I want you to keep things in perspective Faust."

"Perspective?"

"Look, most people become criminals become they don't have a choice. They can't get a job, they don't have opportunities, or they were raised in a shitty place. I just want you to keep that in mind when you go after people. We aren't all bad, and my team can help you in the future. We are only going to be robbing from other criminals or from people that can easily afford it. We can help each other."

His mask is preventing me from seeing his real expression, but the S.C.I.O.N. is giving a strong chance that he is telling the truth. Having more allies could come in handy, especially if this rule is true. But the PRT already doesn't trust me, and working with villains isn't going to change that. "I will keep that in mind, but I have one more question for you." Grue nods. "Why did you agree to meet with me? You had to have at least considered the possibility that I would have attacked you."

"That's mostly because of my newest teammate. She is annoying and does not know when to shut up, but she knows her stuff. From her I learned that my power is a good counter to yours, so I could defend myself. Besides my gut told me that you wouldn't attack under a white flag. If you want to make a deal or need a hand give me a call."

"Don't misunderstand. I said I will consider your offer, not that I would accept it. I make no promises. How am I supposed to contact you?"

Grue actually laughs and some of his darkness comes off his body making it sound periodically creepier. "Check the envelope on the inside of your coat."

I quickly open up my coat and find a folded up black envelop to my surprise. I pull it out and notice that it has white skull on the front, and a sticker with a goofy looking cartoon demon underneath it. How did he get that in there?

"I'll see you around Faust," Grue said as his darkness enveloped his body. I could just make out his skull before it was suddenly gone. He could teleport too?

Epoch slowly gets up with a groan and Phoenix seemed to lose some of tenseness.

"Are you going to take him up on his offer?" Epoch asked.

"I don't think I need his help, but I won't say no to non violent allies if I need it. Especially if the Butcher stirs things up."

Phoenix walked to where Grue was and studied the darkness that was left over before calling back to me. "Be careful dealing with him. The PRT doesn't like anyone dealing with any villain."

She carefully stuck her hand in before turning toward us. "You can contact me on PHO under the username P-bird. I'm headed home." She took out her knife and with no hesitation thrust it through her forehead. There was a bright flash, and I felt intense heat as her body disappeared.

"Showoff," Epoch said. He turned toward me. "I better go to. My significant other is probably waiting to hear from me. It was nice meeting you. You can contact me on PHO with the username Tick-Tock. He turned and started to walk slowly back to the entrance.

The truck would not arrive for a few more minutes, so I decided to look over Grue's darkness. It seemed to block sight, sound, and even touch. I looked closely at the envelope before deciding to wait outside.

Friday morning found me back in the lab. The last few trials of the upgraded drone mobile network had been less than successful but there were still a few things I could try.

I was working in my old lab for once, where I handled most of the mechanical components and basic upkeep of my equipment. I was putting off building some new tools until I could upgrade the drones I had. My recent adventure outside of the docks had shown a strong need for it.

I had three of my multi-armed Lusus making adjustments to the drones, another two working on my menu for the big dinner with Hannah this weekend, and I was personally going over the latest Lusus experiment to help me travel around the city.

My first attempt was a large bird and insect hybrid but it had come out dead. I am a little disappointed, but I still enjoy taking its body apart to learn a few lessons for my next attempt. Future attempts would have to wait since I had to cut back on my experiments since I was running out of supplies and my flying mount was non essential.

I had already made arrangements with someone suggested by Aristotle, and they would be bringing in supplies by boat in a few days. My trucks would be waiting to pick them up, and I paid a substantial amount to ensure silence and no questions were asked.

Despite wanting to continue working on project X, and the next round of Butcher experiments, I had to cut back numbers of Lusus for a little while. To compensate I had decided to go with quality over quantity with my latest Lusus. I had decided to expand on my imposter Lusus concept after getting inspired by Phoenix to make a series of Trojan horses.

I had designed them to look like normal people in a variety of ages, sexes, and races. I had spent much more time than usual making them as tough as I could with my limited resources. I spent a considerable amount of time on their faces to make them seem more human.

They looked normal to me but people seemed put off by them when I tested them during the day. They instinctively felt uneasy or avoided them without realizing it. Until I figure out a way to cut back on the uncanny valley effect, I would just be using them at night.

PHO had made the observation that I only seemed to operate at night, and I was keeping to that pattern on purpose. Once the ABB started taking the safety of the day for granted, I would suddenly start attacking in broad daylight to catch them off guard.

The infiltrators were programmed to walk around the nastier areas of the docks looking like easy victims so they would get attacked. Once engaged in combat their real mouths would open vertically down their faces, and they were programmed to roar while attacking. The psychological effect of not knowing if an ordinary civilian was an infiltrator would be very useful once word spread of them.

I smelled that my latest attempt was done in the kitchen, and got out of my chair to go taste it. Hannah had told Dad she was fine with eating anything, but after some prodding had admitted that she had a fondness for quail.

I had personally cloned the quail and the vegetables for the meal. Quail did not taste as good as hummingbird despite being similar, but it wasn't that bad. I had decided to stick with more ordinary ingredients after a particular incident using nano pure water to cook.

While I was looking forward to meeting Hannah, the extra effort toward cooking was really just a bit of a distraction while I mulled over what Grue had said. I hated to admit it, but I don't think I am ready to fight him just yet.

Without the network, most of the Lusus had very basic programming. At most they could hide or defend themselves non-lethally. I'm not sure how Grue fights or what else he is capable of, but he could probably pick off the Lusus one by one as they entered his darkness.

I'd need something that could see in the dark or had a good sense of smell to fight him. It would also have to be independent enough to act without my control. Something with echolocation might work like a bat/bear hybrid.

Having him as an ally was preferable to having him as an enemy. He also was relatively tame compared to the other villains in the city. For now I would keep the possibility of an alliance open. I could focus on him when the nastier villains were dealt with.

As for Epoch and Phoenix, I had a few plans to use them. I wanted them to see working with me as useful, so I was planning a raid on a gun shipment that the ABB was moving. Lung had made arrangements for heavier firepower in response to my recent efforts against him.

I knew the date for the shipment, but not where the meeting was being held yet. My intelligence suggested that Gorgon and a few of his men were providing security. I had a lead on someone who worked with him, and bugging him would get me the location of the deal.

I wiped my mouth and had the Lusus start cleaning up. I didn't want to eat too much since I was going to have lunch with Dad again. I put the drones on standby, and headed for the exit.

Last edited: Jun 20, 2015

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TheAnt

Jun 20, 2015

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TheAnt

TheAnt

Jun 20, 2015

#200

Character List

Ambassadors

Jacklight-same as canon. Capable of creating globes of light that grow as they fly, then stop in mid-air; the orbs have a space-warping effect, causing accelerating motions alongside other increases to certain kinds of energy.

Citrine- same as canon. Power allows her to attune areas to specific functions — increasing gravity, decreasing friction, changing the progression of time and, if someone powered is in the area, provided she has twenty or thirty seconds to get ready, interfering with their powers.

Othello- same as canon. Possesses a 'mirror self' that travels in another world that only has limited interactions with the first. He can drive himself into the mirror world, bringing his other self in from that world at the same time — producing an effect that could be mistaken for teleportation — and he can control the nature of the interactions between his 'mirror self' and the world to attack while remaining apparently invisible and intangible.

Ligeia- same as canon. Power has two modes — creating geysers of water out of empty space, and sucking water (and, possibly, whatever flows with it) back into wherever her water came from.

Codex- Same as canon. She is Accord's top lieutenant besides Citrine and his most infamous cape. Codex is a blaster/thinker hybrid that strikes anyone within its area of effect with permanent brain damage and memory loss in exchange for granting her a temporary boost to her mental power. Her area of effect can be seen in the glowing of her victims' eyes. According to Tattletale, Codex is good at administration, is a fantastic cook, and skilled when it comes to managing people. Was the reason Butcher 15 was stopped, and the reason Lung finally decided to procure a bodyguard.

Phalanx- Has a slow moving but very, very, strong force field that covers a wide space that can shoot out portions of it like spears a certain distance before they come back. Moves very slowly sort of like he is in heavy gravity when his force field is up. Will often keep his field down to rush forward and quickly put field back up to stop from being outmaneuvered.

Unnamed Teleporter- Can choose to create a stunning field when he teleports near people that messes with electronics and people's nervous systems. Great distance/speed of teleports but use of power tires him out very quickly leaving him weak to protracted fights and is only partially immune to own stunning field. Is unable to teleport anyone beside himself due to limited volume. Wields a sword like a fencer, and uses a beautiful pistol made by Accord with custom ammunition

BaroTrauma- Probably Accord's most sadistic cape. Very prim and proper, but likes to maim people with her power. Can make floating shapes that look like a very cloudy substance compressed. Can change the space/pressure of whatever it hits and her favorite shape to use are spikes. Has made someone's arms literally compress into the size of a soda can. Power can be used for controlled demolition and is precise enough with it to take out a puddle of blood without damaging the floor. As a side effect of her power she does not have to breathe. She is a canon cape from Blasto's interlude. She is the one that wore the black dress and pendant with spikes around it while complaining that one of canon Blasto's creations broke her leg.

Pace- power from Vials spreadsheet. Has enhanced durability and greatly enhanced physical speed, but no increase in reflexes or speed in mental perception to match. Can only move at normal speed through deliberate concentration.

Foundry- She can create grey shape shifting and featureless clones. Picture T-1000's but not nearly as tough and can't be put back together if too much mass is lost. Can be used to slowly heal others but takes large amount of mass and it is a very slow process that can take days.

Blueshift- creates a large field that looks and apparently tastes blue to those in it. Has a limited volume to the field but she can change the shape of it. Field is very hard to change once it is set up and she can't forcibly end it. She has to wait until it slowly fades usually over fifteen to twenty minutes. Everything inside field moves slower and she can change how slowly though it is harder/tiring to slow down organic objects. Can move freely and fly inside of field despite slow down. Usually uses a small pistol to wound or execute people caught in field.

Ashburn- Power from Vials list. Power includes a personal field with very short range pyrokinesis growing more intense after shielding a hit, superheated punches. Uncontrolled flares of heal with small, localized, explosions, manifested in subjects' surroundings, particularly as combat grows more heated.

Lagrange- Power from Vials list. Specializes in objects that redirect and generate artificial gravity rapidly. He is the only cape of Accord that has combat experience. Former wounded veteran who's OCD has gotten under more control since working for Accord. He is Accord's favorite employee and was carefully modeled by Coil to be picked by Accord and to act as a spy.

Hawthorne- only case 53 member, and power is from Vials list. His power is so useful Accord lets him stay as long as he never enters his presence. Gained the ability to visually and aurally perceive the surrounding of things touched within the past month. Doesn't work on living things. Used to spy on territory of rivals and gain data for Accord's plan.

Coil

3 minor thinkers as squad leaders from weak vials purchased by Accord for him.

Unnamed captain but nicknamed Creep- thinker ability that shows him the quickest path to obtaining a state goal. Limited in that it can only be used a few times a day before giving subject migraines. Power does not show subject the fallout of taking path, only presents one solution. Only person who knows Coil's real identity. Coil's driver from canon. Has reduced emotions as side effect of power.

Unnamed captain- Increased accuracy beyond the norm leading to maiming attacks. Sniper from canon who fought Oni Lee.

Captain Minor- Canon captain who worked for Tattletale. Every few minutes can look out the eyes of others in his range.

The Teeth

Butchers- Based off of Butcher's Bill OCs

1 – enhanced strength/toughness, ability to induce pain on a scale to cause cardiac arrest, or pleasure to a degree to make addicts out of people who are desperate to experience it again.

2 – Lancet, striker/thinker Ability to see cardiovascular systems through walls, can control the flow of blood through touch, minor regeneration.

3- ForeArmed- Hero Brute- vast strength compared to relatively minor toughness and a powerful danger sense against attacks

4-Rotmonger- Striker, Ability to inflict wounds that fester, and poison. Almost complete immunity to disease and sickness

5- Mongrel- Case 53 –regeneration, extremely tough bones, very loud scream, and enhanced agility.

6- Devil Child. Explosive Teleportation and super strength. Youngest Butcher at 14.

7- Tripwire- Minor Tinker with specialty on various types of wires.

8 – Flint- Ability to shape unreformed matter into objects

9-Ulfserker- Former 88 cape in Allfathers time. Superstrength/toughness, and ability to induce mindless rage in people.

10- Commando- Thinker/Tinker- advanced weapons with a focus on long range fighting/traps.

11- Leverage- Super strength and ability to decrease the mass of objects in his range.

12- Rhinohide- Feels no pain, Extremely Tough skin.

13- Red Ronin- Ability to enhance objects such as making a sword capable of cutting almost anything, enhanced reflexes.

14- Chaos Factor- Thinker, power unknown but believed to be precog of some kind

15- Carnal- Brute/Healer, healing ability improved more by bathing in blood.

16- Vehemence – Ability to power herself from violence in her vicinity which acts like a natural high. Can empower strength, speed, various thinking abilities, etc. Inspired from webcomic Grrrl power.

17- Dissonant-Hero and violent vigilante. Can twist local sounds into a discordant mess that induces vertigo and disorientation, the effects proportional to the amount of sound used.

18-Quarrel- Current Butcher. Ability to always hit target in her power's range.

Spree: Current leader of the Teeth in Brockton when the Butcher is absent. Spree has the ability to make rapid-fire duplicate generation. The clones he creates become increasingly stupid after they are created. After a few moments they lack the knowledge of how to fire a gun, and are barely able to walk. But he can calm them down and slow the process if he is near them.

Skinslip: Canon S9 member, who joined the Teeth instead. Skinslip has the ability to manipulate his own skin and regenerate. He can extend this ability by flaying people and stitching or stapling their skin to his own. Skinslips' regeneration connected the tissues and extended his power's breadth and reach, but it didn't prevent all rejection or decay, forcing him to replenish it from time to time.

Vex: Can make tiny force fields that are razor sharp in empty space. They aren't that strong alone, but gain a cumulative resistance.

Animos: Has the ability to transform into a four-legged beast that packs a power-nullification scream. Has a time limit as to how long he can remain in that form.

Hemorrhagia: Has limited hemokinesis and some personal biokinesis. She mainly uses these abilities to control her blood; hardening and shaping it into weapons she can use as well to congeal into broad scabs to protect and reduce the damage she takes.

Reaver: New recruit from Detroit. Brute with a 5 point system he can put into toughness or strength. Toughness 4 and strength 2 or Toughness2/Strength3 etc.

Rebar: Arguably the most dangerous member of the Teeth besides the Butcher. Can make blocky forcefields that hit people with a force of a powerful battering ram. Has killed three of Accord's ambassadors in the past. Life saved by Skidmark when he was given a cauldron formula he found. Never takes off his mask or talks. Kaiser's archenemy and the one he believes killed his wife.

Squealer: Tinker that specializes in vehicles. She goes for size, augmentations and additions when she builds her vehicles. Used to date Skidmark before the Butcher moved her to Detroit.

Fog- has the ability to partially or wholly become a living mist, with solidity varying depending on his wishes and the ability to erode living matter. Can deliver horrific internal damage should a subject inhale the mist that comprises his other form. Joined the Teeth after being captured by the Butcher.

Night: While unseen, Night transforms into a horrifying monster. Her second form has enhanced speed, strength, and durability. Changing between forms instantly heals her. Because her transformation only occurs when she is unseen, she uses an assortment of tools to blind her foes, including flash bang grenades and a cloak designed to cover her enemies. Joined the Teeth after being captured by the Butcher.

Mush: Shifter who can form an expanded body out of loose debris.

Skidmark: One of the very few surviving members of the previous generation of the Teeth and has lived through 4 Butchers. Joined under Carnal who fed off the blood of his subordinates and forbid them from taking drugs. Quiet, methodical, and patient.

New Heroes

Bastion – Powerful force field user. Fields can be layered onto people/objects that can move far away from him. But the more he layers others the weaker all his fields become.

Dissonant- Violent vigilante from a cloudy path. Worked with Coil/Accord to stop Butcher 16's rampage and became the seventeenth Butcher before being killed by Quarrel later.

Phoenix- Power came from WOG of other possible powers from Echidna vial. Minor Brute, changer rating. Can stretch/compact her body. Can create a sack that she is reborn naked into when she dies. She can only have one at a time and it usually takes her one to three days to make another one.

Epoch- Canon power, but different person. Capable of rewinding, pushing forward, or pausing time by ten seconds. He uses this power to move things to where they were ten seconds ago, move things to where they're slated to be ten seconds in the future, or pauses for up to ten seconds, releasing at a whim. Power automatically rewinds him in case of damage. Can't affect something he traveled for two seconds including himself. So is vulnerable for two seconds after rewinding himself.

New Independents

13th hour- Villain- can forcibly fall asleep, causing everyone in range to fall asleep with her though a large jolt can force people to stay awake. Had a very public trigger event and has recently stopped being an independent hero to be a villain. Did not like the director of her old city and came to Brockton seeking her fortune. Canon character. Partner to Felix.

Felix- Villain- Can program birds to move in certain paths and patterns while adding a variety of effects to them. Canon character

Glitter- Independent hero who can change light around to make realistic looking projections or project it into a powerful lazer. Main issue is that she is not that great of an artist. Is really a rogue but helps to stop any crime committed in front of her. OC from a cloudy path

The Trio- Older group rogues who had a rare group trigger event. Work as private investigators. Conspiracy theorists and modeled after the lone gunmen.

Multitool- Tinker taht can make machines that fulfill numerous functions but require a lot of maintenance. A gun that can switch from grenades, armor piercing, a machine gun, etc. A van that can drive, travel on water, or briefly float. One of the Trio.

Ringo- No cape name. Power unknown, but rumored to be a striker. One of the Trio

Melvin- Shaker that can turn off electricity and vehicles from a distance. Actual power unknown. One of the Trio.

Slake- Works as a courier. Long range teleporter and has a breaker field that looks like suspended rain that lets her sort of skate off solid matter

Damsel of Distress- Same as canon, but periodically comes to Brockton to try and claim territory. Worked as a safe breaker once with Grue but she tried to double cross him and take his share. Her power caused Grue's darkness to act weird, and he badly hurt her. Grue became well known for keeping his word when he still gave her a fair share of the loot.

Uber and Leet- Mercenaries with a semi-popular bounty hunter web show. Leet was badly tortured and hurt in the Teeth pit fights. Is more in tune with his shard and more competent in a fight. Have secretly paid villains to be beaten to look better and give a cut of the proceeds.

Parian- largely unchanged.

Glacier – Villain-Former 88 member who is loyal to their cause but was part of a coup against the Kaiser that failed. Blaster that uses Ice and Electricity.

Schattenritter- Villain- Former 88 member who is loyal to their cause but was part of coup against Kaiser that failed. Grab bag cape that can suck vitality from people, create humanoid low level brutes in his black armor, and a striker ability to heavily distort the sense that he uses in an emergency.

Soapstone- Rogue. Has ability to create messages on any 2nd surface that people are compelled to listen to. Following orders gives a pleasurable feeling. Used to work for 88 but didn't know it. Now trying to use powers to help people lose weight.

Escultor- Rogue. Can create fast moving, purple, amoeba like creations that can form limbs to cut or grab things. Also have a secondary mode that makes them bigger/slower and explode on command. Uses power as a landscaper and sculptor.

Queue- Thinker Rogue. Can grade people up to six pre chosen options by arbitrary criterion. Stuff like people in this room by most dangerousness, most likely to lie, etc.

Cold Storage - Villain, Breaker 4. Can change his own body so as to absorb all heat near him, at a set - but fairly high - rate. Not technically immune to fire or other extremely high temperatures due to the limits of heat absorption, but fairly resistant. Wears a suit of insulated refrigerator themed armor with a variety of useful objects the benefit from being extremely cold, internal spaces can sustain liquid nitrogen after a short period of power use. Generally works as a smash-and-grab criminal. 28 years old, has been a villain for 4 years. OC from a cloudy path

Mouthpiece - Villain, Blaster 3. Can constantly refract the sound of her own voice within her mouth, constantly adding to it and increasing it's volume, then release it in a directed attack. Short buildups, 10-15 seconds, can cause minor injuries. Buildups of over a minute can kill or deal significant damage. Buildups beyond that level cause damage to Mouthpiece herself, and an undirected release of energy as soon as she loses control. Generally works as a smash-and-grab criminal with Cold Storage, him making objects brittle with cold and her destroying them. Wears a white bodysuit with a stylized black sound pattern spreading out from her chest. 21 years old, has been a villain for 2 years. OC from cloudy path.

Stress-Test- Male villain, - Ability is Kinetic Proxy. He can redirect the kinetic energy inflicted on anything he is touching to an object or area he is focusing on. The area itself is small, but he can stretch it but the power loses effectiveness as he focuses on larger areas and more objects. The more area or objects he tries to focus on at once while redirecting energy causes the redirected kinetic force to split instead of hitting a target with a 1-to-1 ratio. From OC worm thread

Ember-Female who wears an ornate metal visor. Seen with both villains and Rogues. Powers unknown.

Martyr – Rogue. heavy-duty brute who can soak up the damage of anyone he had touched in the last hour. Works as a bodyguard for hire. From OC worm thread

Decon- male rogue - Striker - His card advertises his power as the ability to sanitize any object or surface by touch; he has a range limit of about ten feet from the point of contact, and it must be a single object or a continuous surface. Works in hospitals. Actual power is an instant death touch through a medium and can kill anything living, so far as he knows, though he hasn't tested it on humans

Joyride- Villain- Can swap two people's sensory data, so they have the senses and are in control of each other's bodies (and powers). No limit on maximum total swaps except range. Works on animals, too, but only animals with highly compatible sensory data -- no swapping people with dogs, for example, but two dogs could be swapped with each other. He has a range of 400 meters. If either person leaves his range, the effect ends.

Flashdrive- Female, Blaster/Trump. Can fire hard, concussive beams of light from her hands, and is able to focus the size and intensity. Her beams can either feel like a light tap or knock someone off their feet, and she can fire small beams from her fingertips or large ones through her palms or fists. Trump power manifests in a form of solid light balls (think grenades in terms of form and function, with a small blast radius), and causes powers to backfire (range is decreased, different effects, physical/mental backlash from power use, etc.) Effects last for thirty minutes. Cannot control who is affected by the blast and what kind of backlash they experience. No backlash is entirely the same, even if used consecutively on the same cape. From OC thread

Hemlock- Rogue- touch degrades and destroys either organic or physical materials but not both at once. Brief contact is only painful (and may be entirely non-harmful if the subject is suitably insulated by non-organic material), prolonged contact is extremely dangerous, destroying limbs or causing tissue and organ damage that's lethal without immediate excisions, transplantation, or other drastic treatment. Cannot turn ability off. Transgender and partially transitioned from male to female. Works to clear out old and hard to move junk for a fee.

Wrinkle- Rogue Can compress or wrinkle space. Trying to figure out how power to make a profit. From OC worm thread.

Watson- Rogue- passively boosts intelligence and problem solving skill in short radius around him, not including himself.

Ambush- Not particularly sane homeless woman. Is a low level Brute who can cloak herself and anything twenty feet around her. Just wants to be left alone but has killed several people including cops who mess with homeless people. OC character

The Troupe- New villain group formed for protection and work mostly in robbery and thievery

Circus- Same as canon, but was part of the same pit fight as Uber and Leet. Forced to team up with other to survive and formed her own group instead of joining Grue.

Bombshell- from OC thread. Stranger. Is seen as the most attractive, fascinating person in a room while being able to shift people's attention toward and away from objects with certain limits.

Trainwreck- Same as canon, but stopped being a spy for Coil after the Butcher found out and he nearly died.

Goodyear-Tinker that Specializes in resilient flexible polymers and inflatable tech, and great at shock absorption. Long white Beard, and large gut make him look like Santa in a Gimp Suit. From Worm OC thread.

Impulse- Lone surviving member of the Chain Gang. Easily startled and nervous. Has the power to control people for brief periods when he touches them. From

The Travelers- same as canon though they came out of Boston.

Faultline- Runs a well known security company. Provides bodyguards/protection for the wealthy in response to well known tactic of the Teeth of kidnapping people for a ransom.

Mr. Grim- has two powers. Extremely powerful regeneration to the point he can regrow a head in a few seconds with no side effects. Issue is that regeneration only works that fast for a few seconds, and then is very slow. After injuries will typically look like a corpse for weeks until he fully heals. Also has the ability to fly. One of Accords ambassador candidates who was rejected for being a case 53. OC from discontinued fanfic that was found on worm's original website.

The Undersiders- Kept as spoilers until Coil Interlude. Backgrounds different except for Bitch

Spoiler

The Fallen:

Browbeat- killed by Accord after acting rude in a meeting.

Fleur- Past member of the New Wave who was murdered by an Empire recruit eager to join while she was at home. Her death seemed to mark the end of New Wave's movement. Can create tiny floating spheres of light the start the size of a tennis ball and grow as they absorb kinetic and other forms of energy. She could eventually choose to have them explode with the force of the explosion going up as the sphere grew. She had a weakness in that her power wasn't too useful until she or a teammate hit her spheres to make them bigger and made it easier to block attacks. They had been too small to block the gunfire which ultimately killed her.

Wulf- One of the original members of the Empire in All Father's time. One of the very first parahumans, which made him arrogant and overconfident. Brute that got tougher the more people that were near him. A small but strong group of unidentified men overpowered him and drowned him in a small pool of water.

Remigio Zusman-didn't live long enough to gain a cape name. Triggered when his wife divorced him and he lost his job in the same week. The day after he triggered, he went back to his old work and killed three people including his boss. Made a type of beam that connected to people that made him stronger as others got weaker. He made his boss so frail that he managed to kill him with a regular old file folder. Killed by police sniper.

Last edited: Nov 25, 2015

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TheAnt

Jun 20, 2015

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TheAnt

TheAnt

Jul 20, 2015

#233

Seed 2-4

I never thought I'd see a day where I found it annoying to only have two hands, but here we are. I honestly can't fathom how I ever got anything done being forced to do things one-step at a time.

For just a moment I seriously contemplate adding a few extra appendages. My neural pathways are a little more flexible, and it wouldn't take that long to train my brain to use them with my implants helping to smooth process.

No, I better not. It would be too easy to compromise my secret identity and constantly adding and removing extra arms every time I went home would be a pain. But I am seriously getting annoyed at how crappy our kitchen setup is.

I had made a mistake in becoming used to cooking in multiple bodies and in my lab's small but very advanced kitchen. Compared to my personal kitchen, our oven and stove were antiquated piles of scrap that couldn't cook nearly as evenly or control their temperature so precisely.

It didn't change things too much but I was surprisingly irritated at not having nearly as much control over the creation process. I wasn't sure if that was just a personal hang up or just a thing all Tinkers in general had.

I cook all the time now for Dad and I, so I would be the only one to notice if I made a few upgrades to our kitchen. My mind suddenly starts filling with possibilities.

I can work on the plumbing so we use nanopure water, and a small computer with one sensor would let me more accurately control the temperature. Oh, making it electric would be even better and safer. Wait our electric bill could go up and Dad would be suspicious. Should I just add my one of my own generators to our house?

"No", I say to myself. Remember the rules I set for myself. Never do suspicious improvements to your home or workspace. I shouldn't do anything to bring attention to myself. Dad might decide to cook once in a while

Hannah should be here any minute and everything should be ready when she arrives. Dad has been uncharacteristically nervous, which had made me nervous in turn. I had spent a little more time than usual dressing up and we were using the good china.

I had looked up Hannah Fitzgerald just to verify who she was and I had learned a few things. She was adopted at the age of 11, a straight A student in school, and went right into the police academy after graduating high school. She transferred to the PRT after two years. She had also earned two commendations for bravery in the field.

She was active in politics and volunteered for the local chapter of the Bull Moose Party in her free time. She periodically bought plane tickets to visit her family in Virginia, and had a prescription of sleeping pills for insomnia. Beyond that there wasn't too much else I could learn about her.

Having a chance to really reflect on it, I was glad that Dad was starting to date again. I was a little worried about her being on a PRT strike team, as I knew firsthand how dangerous things could be in this city. I didn't want Dad to get close to someone only to lose them again later.

My home recon drone alerted me that a car was parking in the driveway. Speak of the devil, I thought. I made one more quick check on the food and my appearance before walking out of sight of Dad. He was sitting in the living room pretending to watch TV while trying not to make it obvious that he kept checking the clock.

Hannah was driving a new looking white Camry, and was checking her reflection in the car mirror. She seemed a little nervous herself as she touched up her makeup in the car. She took a deep breath and stepped out, giving me a chance to do a quick non-invasive scan from afar.

She was dressed in a dark notch collared jacket and pants. Despite her slim and feminine build, she was very well toned, even ripped. Which must have been very difficult considering her age and slower metabolism. She wore her hair short, and just a small amount of makeup that emphasized her eyes and lips.

I approved of Dad's choice, and was filled with curiosity on how they got together. I know that Dad is a great guy, but she seemed a bit out of his league.

She had the air of someone with military training in how she moved. I couldn't put my finger on it exactly, but she seemed a bit too aware of her surroundings.

She had a gun in a shoulder holster under her jacket, which I thought was a little weird. Though from all I knew it was probably normal for policeman to always wear a gun.

The doorbell rang, and I decide to wait out of sight while Dad went to greet her.

Should I hug her? No hugging could be weird for a first meeting, better make it a handshake. But is that too impersonal?

I hear Dad call for me, and try to look composed as I greet her in person. She smiles and says, "You must be Taylor, I've heard quite a bit about you."

"All good things I hope" I say as I return the smile and move toward her.

At the last minute I decide to give her a sort of awkward half hug. She has a strange smell on her that is like a mix of ozone and something familiar that I can't quite place. A perfume?

"Of course." she says.

"Would you like to sit down," Dad asks her.

"I'd love to Daniel." Dad held out the chair at the table as she sat down, while pushing her coat out so she didn't sit on it. .

"Daniel?" I think as Dad went to get the meal.

"It looks delicious", she says as Dad starts giving out portions.

I smile at that comment since I was particularly proud of the presentation of the quail. I had spent a day just watching cooking shows to see what I could do to make it look great.

"Taylor actually made it.", Dad says as he glances in my direction.

"Really? This looks really good." She carefully cut off a piece and slowly chewed it. "It tastes like it was professionally made."

"Taylor always was a good cook, but she's improved recently. She pretty much makes dinner all the time now", Dad says with pride.

I feel my cheeks go a little red and try to focus on Hannah to distract myself.

The dinner was a little awkward at first, since I wasn't sure how to talk to her. I kicked myself for not creating a list of topics before hand. I also had the S.C.I.O.N. make a mental note for me to work on updating my social interactions program.

Dad was a big help, breaking the ice by sharing the story of one of his old workers joining Uber and Leet for some extra money back when all they did was videogames. We made small talk after that and the atmosphere got a little more relaxed.

"So Hannah, what is it like being part of the PRT?" I finally ask.

"It's full of good people trying to make a positive difference in the lives of the people of this city," she answers.

Dad started laughing, causing Hannah to glare at him, clearly annoyed. "Hannah, it's okay to talk open with Taylor. You don't have to give her the official sound byte."

She looks a little embarrassed and flashes Dad a grin before turning back to me. "To be honest Taylor, its mostly boredom and training. I spend most of the time preparing and running drills. I clean and maintain our gear and we train all the time in tactics. I don't work every day, as there's a rotation for who is on call. The few times we see action can be scary, but you do your best to help when the time comes."

"Do you know any heroes?", I ask.

Hannah smiles, "I've met one or two of them in passing. Do you have a favorite?"

"Well, I used to like Armsmaster when I was younger."

"She had underwear with his face on it." Dad adds.

"DAD, why would you say that?" I say, as I struggled to stop myself from blushing as Hannah stifled a laugh. I made a mental note to work on a way to control my automatic blush response.

I ponder for a bit, as I hadn't actually thought about this topic in quite some time. "My favorite hero would probably be Alexandria," I finally answer.

"No big surprise there. Everyone loves the Triumvirate and all they have done for the world," Hannah answers. "I'm a fan of Legend myself. What about in Brockton Bay?"

"Probably Dovetail"

"Dovetail?" she echoes with a small hint of surprise. "That isn't a name I hear that often. Can I ask why?"

"Because she really doesn't have that great a power, but she trained and found a way to make it useful. I respect that kind of creativity and dedication. She goes at Lung or the Butcher with no hesitation. She's also considered to be Spree's arch enemy by a lot of people on PHO."

"I'll see if I can get you an autograph," she says. "Though you really shouldn't trust everything you read on PHO. A lot of their info is based on rumor."

"Do you know any juicy gossip that happens to be real," I ask.

"I hear a few things while on the clock," she says with a smile.

"Do you know anything about this Faust in the docks?" Dad asks. "I've gotten more Asian workers looking for work ever since he showed up."

I manage to keep my face calm as I initiate the mask protocol. The S.C.I.O.N. takes full control over my facial muscles and forcibly makes it so I appear calm. "Who is Faust?" I ask quizzically at Dad.

"He's a new villain who showed up a few weeks ago and has been attacking the ABB in the street." Dad says as he helps himself to more gravy. "He's all people have been talking about at work. There are the usual crazy rumors that go around for every new parahuman."

"Well I don't know too much myself" Hannah says. "All we have been told is that Faust is a powerful master who can create a variety of minions and can control them in relatively large numbers."

"I thought it was confirmed Faust was a hero and female?" I ask innocently.

"I thought you didn't know who Faust was," Dad says.

The S.C.I.O.N. helped me pull of the perfect sheepish grin. "Well….I might have read a few rumors about her on PHO."

"Well from certain witness statements, we think Faust is female." Hannah says. "But it's hard to say for sure since he or she can make or appear in different bodies."

"Is Faust a hero?" Dad asks.

"Are they fighting villains? Yes. I'm not sure I would call them a hero though." Hannah says.

"Why not?" I ask.

"Because they are a vigilante", she says.

"Wait, so a vigilante can't be a hero?" I say. "What about New Wave?" I update the S.C.I.O.N. to work on keeping my voice level. I didn't want to seem too passionate about it.

"New Wave shows their real identities and train with the PRT. They follow the same rules and regulations as other heroes do." Hannah says. "A vigilante is wrong because they can have differing opinions on what is moral. Kaiser and the 88 consider themselves heroes for example."

"But Faust seems to be attacking gang members and making the city safer," I counter.

"But Faust isn't the police." Hannah says. "Something that makes America great is that no matter who you are and what you are being accused of, you get treated the same before the law. You have the right to know what you are being accused of, and the right for a lawyer to defend you. Faust is taking the law into his or her own hands. They have no role in punishing people for committing a crime. "

"What does Faust mean," Dad asks changing the subject. "It sounds a little villainous."

"Faust is the main character in an old German legend" Hannah answers. "He is a scholar that sells his soul to the devil for unlimited knowledge and earthly pleasures."

"That isn't really a good name for a hero." Dad says.

"Actually, a past member of the Fallen used to have that name," Hannah says.

Wait, What? One of those attention seeking, Endbringer worshiping bastards is using my name!

"Really? Who are the Fallen?" I ask. I mentally congratulate myself for the exceptional acting.

Hannah gets an angry look in her eyes, but quickly hides it. "A large family run group of self proclaimed Endbringer worshipers. Most of them just want attention, but there are a few nasty parahumans among them."

"I'm surprised I haven't heard of them," Dad says. "Something like that would be all over the news."

"The PRT asked news stations not to give them any coverage or attention since that's what they want. They've tried to take over broadcast stations in the past to spread their message, but they aren't heard of much outside of certain areas in the South. We almost arrested two of their members who tried to buy some guns from an undercover officer a few months ago."

"What were their names?" I ask.

She starts laughing. "Xenu and Gozer believe it or not."

Dad and I share a good laugh at that, which causes Hannah to start laughing with us.

Hannah told me a few stories about some of the heroes she had worked with, which was fascinating considering that I theoretically could have joined the Wards.

"So Taylor, your Dad mentioned that you have really improved since you started being home schooled." Hannah says. "Are you happy where you are?"

"It can get boring at times, but I can't complain. Being able to focus has made things much easier." I say.

"The only reason I asked, is that I happen to know the principal of Arcadia and I think I can get you to the front of the line."

"What do you think Taylor?" Dad adds. "You can get into the best school in the city and have a fresh start."

I curse myself for turning off the mask protocol since something must have shown in my face for Hannah to look at me like that. She gave me this look of hesitance, and what almost seems like guilt. But why should she…..

Everything is so vivid. The dirt under my feet, the scrapes of pine needles against my dress, and the sun heating my skin.

I feel the cuts and pain from trying to dig Kovan free. I hear his screaming and see him thrashing as we try to dig him out of the trap. I hear his desperate wailing before one of the soldiers shoots him to silence him. It isn't like the movies. There is no flinging back or huge explosion of gore. Just a boy I went to school with and who used to call me names, slumping over.

A soldier jams his gun into my back and forces me to walk.

It was my turn to go next. I will be the third child to test the path.

I'm going to be the third to die.

I put my head under the table and just manage to not throw up. I'm shaking a little and I look at my fingers to make sure they aren't cut.

What the hell was that?

"Taylor, are you all right?" Hannah has gotten out of her chair and is looking at me with concern. "I didn't mean to upset you."

I mentally command the S.C.I.O.N. to re-initiate the mask protocol. The muscles of my face are forcibly restructured to give the appearance of being calm and collected. "I'm fine, I just had a bit of stomach issue," I say with false calm.

"Taylor I know you don't want to go to school" Dad says. "But you need to see more of the world then just this house. I want you to forget about Emma and make some new friends. You're funny, beautiful, and you have a good heart. I know you will do great at a new school. I don't want to push, but I think joining would be the best thing for you."

"I…I will give it some thought. I won't lie and say I don't think more social interactions would be good for me. On the other hand, things really have improved since I stopped going to school. I like being able to focus on my assignments and not have to worry about teen tra...drama. How long until I have to decide?"

"There is no need to rush," Hannah says. "You are already ahead of your classmates, so joining in the middle of the year shouldn't be too difficult. But it might be easier if you join at the start of the new semester."

Dad changes subjects to recent concerns about the education budget, and I try to reassure Hannah, who seems a little mortified she upset me. I am never more thankful for the S.C.I.O.N., which lets me follow the conversation while thinking on other topics

I definitely saw something that seemed very real and vivid. Based off of skin tone and projected growth from the brief glimpse, I am going to assume that was Hannah's past when she was a child.

I look at her as she occasionally snuck a glance in my direction and feel sympathy. I couldn't imagine what she had gone through, and I had so many questions I wanted to ask. How did she escape and come to America? What happened to the other kids she was with?

But the more important question was why did I see a traumatic memory from her past? Most likely, it is some kind of side effect from my new Seeds, but I had never heard of the Butcher, Bonesaw, or Overmind being able to see the memories of others. Why did it only start now?

My personal stats show elevated heart and stress rate, but no unusual brain activity was recorded. I have to get to the lab. My supplies have been restocked and I have put off working on a countermeasure for seed mental influence for too long.

I can't even think about possibly going to school at Arcadia right now. All I can think about is what I saw and what it could mean.

The rest of the dinner was uneventful. Hannah was going to get me autographs from Armsmaster and Dovetail. She also invited us to her place, promising this time she was going to cook dinner for us.

Thinking of what I had seen, I gave her a big hug, which surprises her briefly before she returned it full force. No one should have to go through that, much less a child. I take a little comfort in how normal and well adjusted Hannah is. If she can go through that and be okay, then I would be okay after losing Emma and mom.

I mention that all that eating made me sleepy, so I tell Dad I'm going to go to bed early. Considering how late Hannah ended up staying and my past data, Dad should be going to bed soon as well.

I spy on them with the drone while I wash the dishes.

"I'm really sorry about upsetting her Daniel", Hannah says.

"It really is okay. It was something she needed to hear. Beyond that I think it went well, don't you think?" Dad asks.

"I think so too. I'm surprised she gave me a hug."

"I'm not surprised at all. I wasn't lying when I said Taylor has a big heart. Besides who wouldn't like you" Dad says. He moves in close and put his hand on her face. She put her hand over his and Dad moves closer, blocking their faces from view.

Ohhhh, they were kissing! I feel a little embarrassed watching them, and turn off the feed to give them privacy.

I finish cleaning and take one last look at our shitty stove before heading up to bed. A little while later, I hear Dad come up. I wait until I can hear him start to lightly snore before I get up and head to my closet.

The false wall opens up and my newest decoy model untangles itself and crawls into bed. It's still a little freaky to see an exact copy of me have such inhuman movement, but I have gotten used to it, for the most part.

I take a few moments to do a little touch up to its hair and have it take my place in bed. I had gotten in the habit of pretending to go to sleep early in front of Dad so I would have more time at night to work.

The S.C.I.O.N. starts to upload the update for the Turing program to the decoy's implants. It isn't as good as I would like, but if Dad should come in, it could pass for me in the short term. Tomorrow was Saturday so dad would sleep in tomorrow.

The drones take a moment to scan for people looking and I carefully climb out of the window. I drop with a small thud and head to the street as one my trucks pulls to a stop.

I change into my costume and check previous scans from the drones while the truck heads through the docks to my lab. I find very few ABB have been out on the streets tonight, except for the guards at the border.

Bakuda has started giving out a few of her Tinker grenades to use, but most have gotten wise to the fact that I specifically try to make an example of anyone who uses them. Bakuda seems to have never heard of the word restraint, considering the damage some of them have done.

It seems no one has attacked any of my infiltrator Lusus for the third night in a row. I was a little disappointed that my infiltrators were not having too big of an impact. I had tried several times to make them look like easy victims, but word had apparently gotten around after the first two times I used them successfully.

While they weren't making much of a dent in the ABB's numbers, the paranoia they were generating was a complete success. My unwitting informants chatter suggested that there were at least a few cases of the ABB attacking each other.

The downside of the infiltrators had been that Lung had changed the time and location of the guns shipment he had ordered. After I had dropped off a payment to Epoch and Phoenix, they had been more than enthusiastic about teaming up to stop the sale.

I was planning to kidnap an ABB member, who was apparently ex Chinese military and had given some training to several ABB members. He would probably be part of the deal's security or knew who would be acting as security for the deal. I didn't know where he lived, but I did know he was going to be betting in some kind of cricket fighting tournament this weekend. I'd follow him and take him while he slept so he was none the wiser.

My own shipment of supplies had come in on time, and I paid a bonus to the men after I wiped their memory for the hour it took to deliver the goods to my trucks. Most of the supplies were already sorted out, and it was time to finally start tinkering again.

I put my mask on as the truck finally pulls into the side street where my hotel was. The monkey Lusus had worked on making sure the streetlights flickered, and it was very easy to miss where the street was.

Most of the lights were burned out, but you could make out the sign over the door reading the Step Back Inn. In contrast, the no vacancies sign was brand new and clearly visible on the darkened street. The building was four stories tall and looked dingy. Graffiti covered the walls, there was trash everywhere, and cockroaches swarmed near the storm drain.

When I had bought the place under a new identity, it hadn't taken much for it to look like the last place you would want to stay. I had already bought the buildings next to it, and was working to make the street as dangerous looking as possible.

The cameras and thermal imaging check for people looking, before I step out and head to the door. An infiltrator model opens it for me as I approach. I had tried to make this particular Lusus as shady looking as possible. It had the form of an older, creepy looking man with bad teeth. He didn't wear a shirt, and was covered in weird tattoos and badly placed piercings. A nametag reading Terrance was pierced through the skin over its chest.

I usually had it sit behind a closed and bulletproof screen while an older Turing program spoke through a loudspeaker. It had taken some work but the program fit my needs for making it seem like a real person, and to be as hostile as possible.

I was proud of the fact that despite being open for almost a month no one had come in. The hallways were dirty and unkempt, though a few rooms on the fourth floor were covered in plastic and equipment. I had interrogated more than a few ABB members there.

The entrance to my lab was hidden behind an out of order vending machine at the back of the hotel. It swung open as I approached, revealing a descending staircase. The small kitchen of the hotel was actually an entire elevator that went underground to my lab. I chose the kitchen since it was next to the loading dock, where I could park my trucks and move freshly grown Lusus from my Lab.

The stairwell opened up into a large cavern, filled with tall supporting columns. It was so wide that you couldn't see the walls. The Lusus and a few automated digging machines had been working day and night so I had all the space I could want. Most of my trucks had been busy just hauling away the dirt to be dumped elsewhere.

One of the Arachnid warrior model Lusus moved out my path as I descend and I had it bow to me in a fit of whimsy. The Arachnid warriors are four-legged bugs approximately two to three meters long with very tough exoskeletons. The rearmost pairs of legs are much longer than the two front forelegs, and serve as the primary locomotion, the forelegs being 1/3 shorter. They were built to use a powerful pincer-like mandible that is capable of crushing rock, metal and severing limbs as a means of attack. The two upper forelegs or "side mandibles" are utilized in the manner of swords for attack as well as defense.

I didn't use them because they were simply too deadly, and cost too much to make. But I was loath to recycle them, so the two prototype models I had ended up making now guarded my lab.

The modified golf cart opens its door and I step inside. It takes off with a jolt as I awaken the lab assistants. I take direct control of them and move them to the control center.

The cart stops in front of my large workstation consisting of an oversized chair in front of custom built computers. Beyond the chair and holographic display, the center of my lab was empty. Most of the real work went on in stations all over the cavern.

One of the assistants brings me a cup of fresh tea with a few drops of honey as I settle down in my chair. I remove my mask and take a sip as the holographic display is brought up to compare my brain scans.

I'm not sure whether to frown or sigh in relief that there is no change from past scans. But something definitely happened. I definitely saw what looks like a dramatic memory of Hannah from her childhood.

But the question remains why did it happen with her and no one else? It didn't happen with Dad, or anyone else I was near recently.

Thinking back, I definitely remember a feeling of guilt that she couldn't save the boy.

Looking over my recordings of the dinner, her face also showed traces of guilt when she looked at me. Could feeling guilty have caused her to send me a traumatic memory involving guilt? I didn't have a sure way to test it, but it was a good reminder to get to work on finding a way to combat a seed's influence.

After some experimentation I had thought of using Prions as a way to affect the brain. Prions were small infections disease-causing agents that are the smallest known infectious particle. It isn't bacterial, fungal, or viral and contains no genetic material while still being responsible for several brain degenerative diseases.

The mechanical arms at two of my stations start pulling genetic samples to combine with my newest generation of seed. It allows for more rapid growth in return for less longevity. I am going to start cloning a few parahumans and use different Prion infections to experiment with the Gemma Corona of parahuman clones.

It seems to be impossible to completely remove a power from a parahuman through technological means, but I think I can confuse the brain enough to temporarily disable a seed without permanent damage. My current tech just uses electroshocks on the right parts of my brain that should temporarily disable my seeds in an emergency.

The end goal is to keep a Butcher from transferring over when it dies. If I can accomplish that I can start using clones of Butcher hybrids in the field.

Unfortunately, microscopic biology was something I didn't fully pick up from Bonesaw's seed. There were parts that I could understand far beyond the norm, but making it work was taking a lot longer than I had anticipated.

I was having some success with project X, but I still paled at the projected costs in resources to fully grow the damn thing. I cursed my lack of judgment when I started it. I had started building it because I could, without thinking of the long-term consequences.

But the possibility of connecting its nervous system with an Othala clone was too tempting. I had finally managed to make a hybrid that could give one power to itself reliably.

The real Othala had four powers she could give out, but all of her clones differed in the number and type of power they could give. All told, I had seen examples of danger sense, invulnerably, regeneration, flight, super speed, and small pyrokinesis.

None of the hybrids could stand and it took extensive work to keep then from expiring. But Project X would take care of moving and keeping it alive. Project X was in suspended animation, but I would need to move it soon before it got too big to fit through the exit of my lab. If I didn't bankrupt myself growing it to it's projected full size.

Speaking of finances, I check my bank balance am pleasantly surprised to see that my profits balance had gone up considerably more than expected. Whoever the Number Man was, they knew their stuff. It still seemed a little surreal, just how much money I actually had.

Aristotle had advised me to start cutting back on the number of organs I was selling. I was selling so many, that I was having a noticeable effect on the size of the donor waiting list and in black markets around the world.

Aristotle had heard of several ongoing investigations on finding the source of my organs. He had concerns that one or two nasty people might come to the city to try and find me.

I laugh a little at that. They'd be in for a surprise if they came to Brockton Bay looking for trouble. But I decide to take Aristotle's advice to heart. It wasn't like I needed the money.

My attention shifts to the readouts as the new Lusus started growing. They wouldn't be ready until tomorrow so I put most my focus on my anti-mover concept. Oni Lee and Boli Dun were my biggest obstacles, and were still being giant thorns in my side despite my best efforts. Oni Lee always attacked from a distance now, so I couldn't catch him with a trap and Boli Dun moved too fast in her portals for me to catch her.

I had gotten inspired watching videos of fish swarm and move in amazing displays of speed and coordination as one. I had decided to recreate the same displays, but with birds that would swarm and move after movers over long distances.

Their beaks would be made as tough as possible and deliver a toxin that would incapacitate whoever they cut. A few would try to insert a tracking device I could hone in on. The bird model I ended up with was made from a mix of hummingbird and peregrine falcon DNA.

I had been unable to make a model capable of being tough enough to take the predicted stress of Boli Dun's portals and still be able to fly. They probably wouldn't' take her down, but they'd be Oni Lee's worst nightmare. I had yet to find where Oni Lee slept, but he liked to teleport to the same buildings in the docks for the best view of the surrounding area. The next time he was sighted, he was in for a nasty surprise.

I had taken Grue's advice to heart about not how many criminals were forced into crime, and was working on an alternative method for dealing with Boli Dun. She just wanted to help her family, but my attempts at trying to talk with her to make a deal hadn't worked.

She only spoke some kind of rare Chinese dialect, and my translation program couldn't reliably translate. I didn't really need to contact her anyway. The plan was to capture her, install a tracker, and then follow her to Lung. Once I took care of Lung in his sleep, I'd make a deal with her.

The flock itself was ready, but I needed them capable of directing themselves without too much input from me. The flock was only two hundred or so, but coordinating it and a large number of other Lusus wasn't feasible with my current server.

I had thought of upgrading the central server hidden at the top of an office building, but I decided to focus on my anti-seed technology first. It had become an even bigger priority after tonight.

My assistants went off without a word to the inactive swarm and started working on each birds implant. It was tedious but not difficult work. They should be done in an hour or two, and I started looking at the possibility of attacking a target to draw out Lee.

Unlike me, the ABB required rest and forcing Lung to get out of bed almost every night was taking its toll. Lung didn't bother anymore, unless I attacked an important target, since I was largely refraining from attacking indoor targets. I had the locations of two drug labs, and several meeting points, but I left them alone.

I'd only attack one or two to give the illusion that I was having a hard time finding targets to attack. When I built up my forces and identified them all, I would move in one devastating strike. I could preprogram Lusus to attack a target in a certain way without needing to directly control them. That way, I could focus on the parahumans while the Lusus dealt with the normal members.

For all intents and purposes, the docks were mine during the night. All the ABB were indoors and I was slowly but surely building up a map of ABB locations and vital personal. In another month or two I would be ready, and the docks would be mine.

I made a note to work on finding better ways to force my brain to stay attentive. Working on each implant for the flock was unbelievably boring and took far longer than I anticipated since I kept getting distracted picturing different infectious agents for the brain.

The S.C.I.O.N. helpfully read my mind and informed me it was exactly 5:00 am. I was just about done with the flock. I decided to wait until tomorrow to hunt for Lee since he was probably in bed by now. I'd spend an hour in the UV room for a quick recharge and then head home.

I was just about to disrobe when the drones sent me an alert about a fire. I walk back to the main terminal and bring it up in the holographic display. The drone shows a tall column of smoke next to the wreckage of what looks like a car.

The remains of several ABB members are sprawled out nearby. Someone blew up one of the cars used by ABB border guards.

Is the Empire on a raid? I check the area and it is nowhere near the Empire's border, which gives me a sickening feeling in my stomach.

A drone alerts me to another fire and I shift views in time to show a tall figure hefting a huge bow. She casually pulls from her back what looks like an explosive tipped arrow and looses it after a fleeing ABB member. It hits him dead on and explodes, sending pieces of him everywhere.

She is wearing what looks like a cross between a badly beaten version of samurai armor and some kind of armored plate covered in spikes. Around her waist hangs a bloodied blue cape. On her back is a large pole shooting up from her armor with three heads displayed prominently on them. Mannequin's blank faced head from the Slaughterhouse 9, her predecessor Dissonant with his rotted mask still on, and what looks like Ario from Haven. She smiles with a mouth full of sharpened teeth and vanishes a moment later.

The Butcher.

She wasn't supposed to be in town yet, I think in a panic. There hadn't been any warnings or reports by the PRT. I wasn't ready for her yet.

I give the command to scramble all available drones to start looking for signs of the Butcher and the Teeth. Her projected teleport range is supposed to be a quarter of a mile, but she doesn't need to see where she is going. Studying how the Butcher acted in previous raids she should be focusing on attacking isolated parahumans to kill or capture.

A quick inventory reveals sixteen infiltrators, one Titanoboa model, my two arachnid warriors, three of my termite launchers, a fully upgraded and costumed decoy, and thirty-six spiders geared for healing or surgery. Though everything but the infiltrators are in the lab.

I order everything I have to head for the large elevator to meet waiting trucks at the top. I push my assistants to move as fast as possible to finish the bird flock. I put on my mask and head to a nearby stool.

I command several spiders to drag my surgical suite behind me. They work together and it is grafted onto my back in premade points on my spine. I feel a jolt as they connect my nerves to it and then add the long, mult-jointed appendages made of steel.

Each limb can be heated to prevent infection, and is tipped with a device designed to aid me in my work. These devices run the gamut from precision scalpels, grasping appendages, saws, and injectors. I move them experimentally and am glad that they are dexterous enough to be useful. I hurriedly join my assistant model Lusus in finishing the flock.

It won't be able to take down the Butcher thanks the Seventh's almost complete immunity to disease and decay. The swarm would distract her though, and I could hopefully attach a tracker. Then I could direct the heroes to her location and let them fight her. Armsmaster had been able to fight her off several times in the past.

One of the drones calls the PRT and keeps them on the line to give them up to date information on parahuman locations while I work on locating the Butcher.

I spy a large and growing mob coming fast from the Teeth's territory into the docks. Zooming in shows that they all looked exactly alike. That had to be Spree, the leader of the Teeth in Brockton when the Butcher wasn't in town.

He was a muscular man with a buzz cut, and his clones carried a mixture of weapons and armor. I observed a few of his clones shoot up from somewhere in the middle of the mob like they had been launched from a cannon.

He shot out four new clones in as many seconds. Thankfully the only thing his clones could do was mindlessly attack. I saw several with guns trying to use them like clubs.

The Spree clones were breaking everything that could be broken on the street while moving further into the docks. With the border guards down, Boli Dun should be waking up and moving right about now. Past response time for Lung was four to five minutes now. He had gotten a lot of practice since I showed up.

The Lusus are going up the elevator and the trucks should be at the loading dock in a few minutes. The clone mob is outside of my control radius. If I move the network drones into a straight line from my lab to the border, I should just be in range.

I finish the flock just as I spy two cars carrying ABB members pull up and start firing from the windows. A few of the clones go down, but there were far too many for a few pistols to deal with them.

I open the hidden door and the front door of the hotel as I activate the flock. It's a little bit of strain controlling them all at once, but I get them to start flapping and they shoot across the cavern. I have them fly above my lab while the network drones get into position and I move up the stairs.

I can see Kamaitachi get out of the car and walk around so it is between him and the rushing mob. He stands still as the air starts to twirl around him. The other ABB spread out in a firing line and keep firing as fast as they can reload. Most of them have pistols, but a few have what look like LMGs.

The mob was almost upon them when Kamaitachi suddenly explodes the wind outward and hurls the cars away. They go tumbling end over end, crushing several of the mobs.

The rest of the clones stop moving after that. Any that got too close to Kamaitachi gets blown off their feet and pushed back. Spree responds by upping the number of clones and the street started to fill up more and more.

But there wasn't enough space for all of them and the clones hindered each other as the front line fell down to the wind. Kamaitachi periodically waved his hand at any group that got too close and they were launched into the air.

While this is going on, I finally enter my truck and head off. Behind me a convoy filled with Lusus and overhead the flock moves as one.

Kamaitachi was still holding off Spree, but his power didn't last forever. Eventually he'd have to build up more wind and he wouldn't last long. Most likely he was just holding him down until Lung or Bakuda could get there to devastate Spree's clones in mass.

He never got the chance.

With a huge bang the Butcher appeared next to him with the explosive teleportation from the Sixth, throwing him into the side of the building so hard I briefly thought he died. She quickly lifts him over her shoulder and teleports away.

She took him alive. That means she is gathering people for a pit fight to build up the Teeth's numbers. She couldn't have gotten far and I notice that there was a temperature increase in the area she teleports to. I have the drones search for increased temperature locations and widen my consciousness in a larger search pattern.

I get two locations with unusual temperature spikes and spy two large moving vans at them. Both are in isolated spots, and look completely normal. I spot the license plate numbers and inform the PRT of their location. The drones alert me to the nearest temperature spike and I see that the Butcher has returned to the Spree mob.

The ABB members had turned and ran when Kamaitachi went down. But strangely the Spree mob had stopped running and instead was walking slowly down the road.

I realized why, when the Butcher appeared in front the ABB guards and they skidded to a stop and looked around for an exit in panic. They were just about to run when they all suddenly fell down screaming. They twitched on the ground in agony like they were being electrified, but I knew better. While I never used it, I had inherited the same ability to project pain from the First Butcher.

The Butcher walked forward and the screaming died, as she got closer. The Spree clones stopped to give the Butcher a wide berth in front of them.

She walked up to one of the men who was breathing heavily, and smiled down at him bearing her teeth. With a single motion she lifted her foot up and brought it down, crushing his head in.

She looked like she was about to say something when the rest of the men suddenly exploded with a high shrieking sound that broke windows and generated enough force to kill the nearest Spree clones. The Butcher was knocked onto her back and the street under her feet cracked from the explosion.

The drone changed positions and I saw the Butcher slowly roll over to her front with her long hair blocking part of her face. She was coughing and heaved blood onto the ground. She struggled to get up before falling back on her knees. She was hurt badly but wasn't dead. Though she looked pissed.

I wrinkle my mouth in disgust at Bakuda's use of Kamikazes. I feel a little guilty that I don't feel anything at their deaths. I remember Grue's comment that few choose to willingly become criminals. I doubt they chose to become bombs willingly.

I decide to up my threat assessment of Bakuda. She was clever enough to predict how the Butcher would react, and set a trap that would incapacitate without killing her. The theory that the Butcher's danger sense from the Third only reacted to attacks that could kill seemed to be true. The Butcher never saw that attack coming.

But Bakuda hadn't counted on Spree being near her. Spree supporting the Butcher gave too high a boost to the Sixteenth's power. Realizing what was about to happen I sent the flock surging ahead to try and stop it.

The clones parted and the real Spree walked forward to stand in front of her. Spree kneeled down to her and the Butcher nodded. The huge crowd of clones began to surround her and grew even larger as even more clones were spawned.

The street suddenly began to shimmer like wind hitting the water. As if it was made of clay, parts of the street slowly moved up and swirled around the Butcher. She was using the Eighth's ability to shape matter to form a protective ball around her. It grew until the Butcher was completely cut off from view.

Spree looked on and without a word the clones turned and began to kill each other. I had guessed right. She was going to use the Sixteenth's power to heal herself. While thankfully the Sixteenth's power in its weakened state could not be used to create a feedback loop of violence, it could still be used to temporarily power up past Butcher's abilities if a fight went on long enough.

Screams of anger and rage fill the air and a sea of thrashing limbs spread further and further as even more clones started to tear each other apart. While the clone's bodies disappeared in a few hours, the sheer amount of bodies covering the street was shocking.

I aimed the flock at Spree and he never saw it coming. They circle around him cutting with their beaks and flapping around him. He curses and puts his hands up collectively as new clones shot up from him.

The flock flew up and away with its job done. Spree struggles to stand up before falling down unconscious. The attack had worked, but I felt a surge of anger and disappointment since it had been for nothing. Despite Spree being unconscious, the clones continued to fight and kill each other.

The sheer viciousness brought up painful memories of Brockton Bay's Bloody Tuesday. That was the day when the Sixteenth Butcher arrived to drive the city insane.

My family had gotten lucky and been outside of the Sixteenth's range, but I remember the sheer terror on my mother's face when we started to hear the screaming in the streets. I was too young to really understand what was going on, but I remember how scared I was when I realized that Emma's house was in range.

The final death toll was believed to be around sixteen thousand in a morbid sense of irony, with most being the very young or old. They were the ones who weren't strong enough to last long against healthy adults before the effect wore off.

Emma's dad had managed to save his daughter's lives by locking them in the bathroom and throwing away the key. He couldn't lock himself away in time and he nearly beat his wife to death before the effect wore off.

Vehemence had been a relatively new member of the Teeth and that was why no one tried to take her out early in the very first pit fight. The Teeth had gathered from all over to fight for the right to succeed the fifteenth Butcher after what I now know was Codex's attack that rendered him a vegetable.

Vehemence had the ability to upgrade herself with violence committed in her powers range. She could power up a variety of physical and mental abilities and she had been similar to Lung in that the longer a fight went on, the stronger she got. Her main weakness was that it took quite a bit of violence for her to upgrade herself to a useful level and most fights didn't last that long. She had taken a dive early in the pit fight and waited until the fight went on long enough that she could easily deal with those that were left.

It was now believed that Vehemence had been the target of the Simurgh's attack on Boston considering the damage Vehemence as the sixteenth Butcher did. Her power in combination with the Ninth's ability to induce murderous rage was a nasty combination. Especially once it was discovered that Vehemence could power up past Butcher's abilities to unheard of levels once she powered herself up enough. Once she got going, Vehemence could create a growing feedback loop of violence that pushed her ability to the point she could affect several city blocks at the same time.

She led the Teeth on raids in different cities getting into large fights to power up the Ninths power then forcing numerous parahumans to join them or die. She had been smart enough to limit their activities until she had the numbers to stand against the inevitable backlash. Her nature as the Butcher made a Kill order impossible.

It was only when their numbers were high enough that the Teeth headed to Brockton in full force for revenge of the loss of the Fifteenth. She had been declared an S class threat and reinforcements had been quick to reinforce the city. The Triumphant tried to stop her and instead came very close to killing each other once they entered her growing range. Eidolon was unaffected but he was nearly killed by Legend and Alexandria.

No one was sure how he did it, but the vigilante Dissonant managed to kill the Butcher just when it seemed like the city was done for. With her power turned off, everyone focused on the Teeth with most being killed or captured right afterward. Though it was hard to differentiate the true Teeth members from those that had been press ganged. For all intents and purposes the Teeth were destroyed. The current Teeth have only the name in common.

People were still arguing about whether Dissonant went after the 9 to stop them as a hero or the Butcher collective was pushing him to commit suicide so they could get a better host. Quarrel took her chance while they fought and managed to kill him.

Quarrel was in some ways the most successful Butcher. She had focused on rebuilding and improving the teeth as a whole while taking steps from bringing too much heat down on them. Under her leadership the Teeth had been completely rebuilt and they were currently active in six different cities.

I am awakened from my memories as the Butcher starts doing something new. The blood from the Spree corpses has started to flow and pool around the sphere. The Butcher was using the Sixteenth's power to boost the Fifteenth's ability to heal herself. Carnal had been able to greatly expand his ability to heal by bathing in blood and it seemed his upgraded power was able to control blood in some way.

I saw a familiar portal open up down the street and Lung himself finally arrived with Boli Dun close behind him. The few Spree clones left alive ignore him as they finish each other off.

Lung runs with his head down and smashes through the Spree like they aren't even there before crashing through the empty sphere. He stops himself and looks around in anger. He screams in rage while killing several Spree clones that get near him.

The Butcher appears a moment later from behind him with the explosion being larger than normal but it barely phases a rapidly growing Lung. He tries to turn but she swings what looks like an over sized trench knife with both arms that severs his spine. Lung goes down and that is when I make my move.

The flock aims for the Butcher's eyes and I have them make one pass with their beaks. She looks up just in time for the flock to hit her in the face. Her face shows almost no emotion as one of the birds cuts open an eye and they pick at her. She doesn't even bother to put her hands up as her eye and cuts heals in moments

A moment later Lung explodes with fire and several of the birds go down while the Butcher thrusts with her knife at his face.

Lung actually opens his jaw impossibly wide and bites her hand as the Butcher's knife goes through his neck. He ignores the knife and starts swinging with his clawed hands while keeping his mouth shut over her wrist.

The Butcher puts her face into the fire in front of Lung and for a brief moment I think she is about to kiss him. Instead she screams impossibly loud using the Fifth's power and Lung falls back with his hands over his ears.

My flock suddenly finds it impossible to fly and they start falling from the sky.

The Butcher stands up without a care in the world as her burned face goes back to normal.

Lung jumps back up but promptly trips and falls down again. He acts woozy and seems unable to stand as the Butcher screams again. She is using the Seventeenth's ability to turn sounds into a discordant mess that induces vertigo and disorientation.

A portal opens up below Lung and he falls through it to land in front of Boli Dun. Lung shakes his head while the Butcher picks up Spree and drapes him over her shoulder.

The Butcher blows Lung a kiss as she teleports away.

I swear loudly and stop the convoy. Just when my forces were getting into position she leaves.

I direct what is left of the flock to move in a holding pattern. They would be useless with Lung there, and sure enough he steps into a portal with Boil Dun that closes behind them.

I feel this rage building up slowly as I look at the damage to the docks. How could I have been so stupid? I turn and start punching the side of the truck so hard that it dents. The S.C.I.O.N. send me a warning and I take deep breaths. Slowly I feel myself calm down.

Think Taylor. What did I do wrong?

I kept my forces in a centralized location and couldn't move them fast enough to fight the Butcher. I didn't have a countermeasure prepared in case the Butcher or Spree attacked.

Most importantly, the Butcher and the Teeth weren't afraid of me.

The normal ABB members knew who I was and what would happen if I caught them in the open. But the Teeth could care less about me. That would need to change. I wanted them to know what would happen if they invaded my territory.

I smile in relief as the tracker one of the birds managed to get on Spree sends a strong signal. I check his location against my map and the convoy moves out.

I pull up the relevant recordings from the police scanner as we drive past several police cars and a PRT van.

The docks hadn't been the only place hit. Accord's territory had been invaded, and most of the Teeth's forces had been in that attack. The Butcher knew from experience that new parahumans were the best way to surprise Accord. Considering the reports of a large fire spreading over several buildings, that was probably where most of the heroes were.

The Butcher was doing the same thing she always did when she came home to the Bay. She kidnapped people and parahumans for the pit fight to try and build up the Teeth's numbers.

I am just about to call the PRT when the signal goes dead.

I scream in frustration and I give myself a sedative to calm down. Don't get angry.

Remember what happened with Emma and the school. Getting angry solves nothing and helps no one. Clear you head and think about solutions.

Spree was moving at a speed that suggested he was in a car and he would have gone along a certain route. I pull up the route and breath slowly as I notice there are traffic cameras at certain lights.

The traffic cams do not take long to hack into, and I fast forward look at the right time. I compare every car to a list of stolen vehicles and get a match. I pull up the image and see Spree in the passenger seat.

I've got him. I call the PRT and leave a message about the make and model of the car Spree is in.

It takes fifteen minutes for the convoy to move to the same neighborhood Spree was last seen in. The drones move overhead and scout the area but I don't see the car.

But I do spot the driver of the car. The drones track him as he walks with coffee in his hands. I follow him as he goes to a restaurant with a large closed sign on the front door.

He knocks on the door and yells something. A moment later the door opens and he walks inside.

I feel my rage building again as I study the building. The S.C.I.O.N. injects a neurotransmitter into my brain to calm me down and gives me a warning about excessive mood swings.

I struggle to calm down and take deep breaths. I have never wanted to hurt something so badly in my entire life. Those stupid, fucking bastards are so unworried about retaliation that they can get coffee?

I can't get a good scan due the structure of the building, so I send out my specially grown rats to scout ahead.

They looked like regular rats but they had far superior eyesight, and their implants were some of the most sophisticated work I had ever made due to how small they had to be.

They crawl through small openings in the wall and looking through the rat's eyes shows me fifteen Teeth members with a mix of guns. All of them show physical signs of drug use, but they are all alert for the most part

In the basement is a large cage with almost a dozen people packed inside. They are mixed group of different ages and genders. A large man with glasses is trying to comfort a boy who looks terrified. I feel even angrier as I notice he is around my age.

I decide to use my airborne parasite. My robotic limbs quickly pull out the box and I introduce the chemical to activate them. I had designed them to be breathed through the lungs and to paralyze subjects. I didn't use it often because while it wasn't painful, the feeling of your lungs seeming to fill up with something moving had a large psychological toll.

I step outside and take a deep breath before putting on my mask. The rest of the Lusus are on standby while the spiders and I move in since the parasite won't affect them.

One of my trucks moves so its back is facing the entrance and it floors itself. It crashes through the wall and there are shouts of alarm as the doors open and I trigger the canister.

A dark, green cloud quickly begins to fill the room, and a few of the Teeth start firing at the truck as it pulls back. They start coughing and falling down as I send the spiders inside. The parasite should take care of everyone but there was no such thing as impossible when parahumans are concerned.

A few of the Teeth back away but the cloud moves too fast and the spiders start firing darts at anything that moves. One of them manages to shoot one of the spiders, but he falls over before he can aim at another. I walk forward slowly and look down in disgust at the Teeth.

They are motley and disgusting group. All them have different colored strips of cloth on their arms as trophies for accomplishments. Almost like merit badges that you'd see in the boy scouts. Looking down at them makes me angry but I manage to suppress it and I ignore them as I suddenly hear a strange buzzing.

I bring both of the warrior models beside me and the drones look around. I'm on guard as the buzzing gets even louder. It sounds familiar.

I hear someone shouting for help. One of them is screaming hysterically and I send one of the Warriors rushing to the basement. It breaks down the door and I see a woman scream at the sight of it.

Screaming.

There is someone else screaming. Where?

The Warrior pulls open the cage and the people crowd to the back. I move it back but don't see anyone injured. The Butcher would want healthy people to fight.

Who is screaming?

I feel a little dizzy and my face starts to go numb. I can hear one of the Teeth trying to say something but his words don't make sense.

I suddenly feel a massive headache and put my heads to my temple as I start breathing very hard. I had almost forgotten what pain is like.

I take two deep breaths and struggle to get my bearings as the parasite cloud slowly clears. I reconnect to the Lusus and freeze in shock.

The Spiders are tearing the Teeth into pieces.

They are screaming and wailing as their limbs are amputated.

Three of the spiders have opened up the ribcage of another who has passed out from the pain.

I scream STOP as loud as I can and am dimly aware I did it in my mother's voice without meaning to. The spiders freeze.

The S.C.I.O.N. gives me a warning and I immediately have the spiders inject everyone so the pain stops. I run to the to the man who drove Spree and personally start to close him up.

None of the Teeth are in danger of dying I notice with a dark thought. The spiders kept to their programming and didn't kill anyone.

Don't think about it just fix them. Don't think about what you just did and just fix them.

I move the spiders back and personally reattach everyone's appendages and close their wounds. My limbs move with quick precision and I feel see their eyes looking at me with horror. I am thankful for the mask to hide my shocked expression.

Why did I do this? The spiders wouldn't do anything without my orders and I didn't order this.

Or at least I don't remember it. I playback the last few minutes from the perspective of the warrior model guarding the hole the truck made. I actually gasp as I watch myself stand unfeeling as the spiders start to work.

I cut off the feed and I realize that I haven't been doing anything for several minutes. I can feel the Teeth looking at me and can see the looks of fear.

I have to get out of here. I immediately move to the stairs and try to figure out what I should do. Make sure the civilians are okay first.

Going down the stairs I hear panicked shouts and can see the men and women backed against the cage.

Ah, I didn't notice the lights are off. I feel for the light switch and turn it on. I look at the boy barely older than me, and move toward him when I notice he has a cut on his arm. My mechanical arms go up instinctively as I move forward to assure him.

He screams as he jumps back. "Get ba….

I hear the most terrible sounds of cutting mixed in with the screaming. They are begging for mercy and shouting everything they know.

I hear something huge move upstairs and Forest pushes us to the back of the cage while standing in front of us.

I feel my skin crawl as a giant six legged shape rumbles down the stairs in the dark and stops in front of the cage. It looks vaguely like a giant insect but towers over us and has giant mandibles, which tear apart the cage. Several people scream and I realize I am one of them.

Whatever it is immediately stops and heads back upstairs and I hear a woman's voice suddenly scream, "STOP". I can vaguely make out sobbing and movement. Forest is holding my arm so hard it hurts and I can sudden hear movement on the stairs.

The shadow is slender but has multiple arms on its back. The lights turn on and all I can do is stare.

Most of her body is obscured by long, leathery garments, which look similar to a laboratory coat or butcher's apron. Behind her back are six robotic limbs that move in an inhuman jerking motion all around her. Her mask encircles her face but allows her long hair to flow freely. It looks like a large fungus that is shaped to look like someone screaming.

She is completely covered in fresh and dripping blood.

She moves slowly to look at us and I realize with growing horror what is about to happen.

I am going to die.

….ack" the boy finished as he raised his hand up.

I see something unbelievably huge.

They took up the entire sky and they were constantly moving. They were grotesque and yet beautiful at the same time. They were like living sculptures of body parts that were constantly changing and moving. They scraped against each other and I saw pieces break off as they touched. They changed as they moved and I felt a mix of desire with disgust.

They're breeding, I realized. I see pieces of one of them flaking off and breaking into fragments. They phased in and out of the world as they swam through the sky leaving glowing ether in their wake. Like a giant dandelion breaking apart I saw their seeds burst apart in a cloud.

One of them kept getting bigger and bigger as it headed right for me till it was right over me before falling onto the boy into the cage.

A clear droplet of light was flung away from him and I feel my arm go numb.

I look down to see that my arm and parts of my chest are gone. But I ignore it since it isn't fatal and I have more important things to worry about.

I am certain I just saw a trigger event and the intelligence behind parahumans. I feel the memory fading and I wondered if I had dreamt the whole thing. It was like a thought at the tip of your tongue but you just can't seem to remember it.

I hear the sound of movement and focus back on the boy who I caused to have a trigger event. His eyes are darting between his hands and me.

"I am not going to hurt you", I say as gently as I could.

"Who are you?" one of the men asks. He moves to stand in front of the boy with his hands raised.

"I'm Faust." I say. I almost said I'm a hero, but I wasn't sure if I deserved such a label anymore.

"You are all safe now". They didn't look very convinced.

"What are you going to do with us?" the man asks. He was tall and his face looked like it hadn't been easy for the Teeth to capture him. His glasses were broken and he had a large cut on his forehead.

"Give you medical attention if you need it. Then let you go. But I want you to stay down here until I call the police." I say. I turn and walk back up the stairs.

"You do not want to go upstairs just yet." I say in a whisper as I change voices. I didn't want to hear my mother's voice anymore

I had propped the Teeth members up against the wall. None of them are saying anything and they have their eyes closed. One of them is crying.

I feel disgusted with myself. I'm no different than Emma or Sophia. I desperately want to get to the lab. I can't be certain if I am still dangerous to others yet.

Remember my rules, I say to myself. Civilian safety is first priority. Which means I have to get as much information out of them as I can. I will decide what to do with myself afterward. Even if it involves turning myself in to the PRT and coming clean about everything.

"Look at me", I say quietly. I command the S.C.I.O.N. to initiate the mask protocol to keep myself from crying.

Their eyes slowly open and look up at me.

I decide to take inspiration from what Emma told me the day my mother died.

"I really do not care about any of you. I don't care about your well being, about if you can turn over a new leaf, or your circumstances. I think you barely count as human beings, and I have to admit that I derive a significant amount of pleasure in seeing you in intense pain.

"But I will not kill you. I never kill people."

"Instead I am going to cripple all of you. It will last several years but it will not be permanent. First I'm going to make it impossible for you to gain an erection. Then your bones will be weakened to the point you might as well be made of glass. All of you will be given something similar to arthritis so you have crippling pain that never goes away. Every day, you will have terrible migraines and you will feel sick all the time. I will take away your vision and hearing to the point that your ability to experience or enjoy the world will be non-existent. Finally, I'm going to go into your brain so that you literally will be unable to experience pleasure like normal people ever again."

"But if you are honest with me, and your knowledge helps me save people I will not do as much, and it will not last nearly as long. Now I will take each of you one at a time where none of you can hear and start asking you questions. Answer me truthfully or don't. If this doesn't work, I have another method of extracting information from you. Though I'm not sure you will meet the definition of sentient at the end it."

It took me roughly thirty minutes to interrogate them all.

I get the names of two other sites, a list of contacts, and addresses. I heal every single one of them back to normal with no changes.

I place them back against the wall and make it so they will be paralyzed for the rest of the day.

Looking at the blood I wonder if I should clean it up before deciding not to. It isn't like it will make much of a difference anyway.

I instruct the Lusus to fill the trucks and go down the steps one more time.

The prisoners are still wary but are slightly more relaxed than they used to be. I place a memory drive with a list of everything I know about the Teeth and the ABB on the floor in front of them.

"Give this to the police." I say in barely a whisper. I walk to the boy and bow my head to him. "I'm sorry,".

I walk slowly up the steps and out to the trucks. None of the Teeth look up at me as I walk past them.

I take one last look at the building before I climb inside the truck.

I stare at my bloody hands as the truck heads home.

Last edited: Jul 20, 2015

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TheAnt

Jul 20, 2015

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