Current Energy:18
Current Training: Dragon Kind Modification EX (7/10)
Sunday, February 13th, 2011
The Heap, Brockton Bay
You Decide to awaken your Master sometime in the early afternoon. True to your word, you have been standing guard atop the Heap, remaining wary in case of any sudden attack that manages to get past the castles other defenses.
There are a number of benefits to this. For one, your Master - being able to observe everything you do while she is asleep - gets the benefit of sleeping while also getting to remain on watch. You are her power after all, and so anything you do can naturally be attributed to her. At least, when it would be beneficial to do so.
The downside however, is equally obvious. That being -
"I forgot how crappy this feels." Taylor grumbles from beneath the covers of her bed.
Your Master doesn't really get to enter REM sleep while you are active.
"I vote we never sleep without Emmy again!" Nemesis declares, appearing on your back as though she had always been there.
"You... do not sleep." You point out cautiously as the smaller version of your master shifts about to get a better grip on you.
"Can't prove it!" she declares childishly, releasing the hold her legs have on your upper back and swinging left and right as she haphazardly dangles from your neck. Taylor squints at this from her bed, having still not gotten up.
Her bedroom in the Heap isn't nearly as large or personalized as the one in her home. More of a waypoint in case of emergencies than anything else. Her use of Gaps and her general lack of interest in most worldly possessions means that has never had reason or opportunity to use the place. In fact, looking around the simple if wide bedroom, with a single four poster bed, a scratchy looking blue carpet, and not much else besides a door to it's own private bathroom, and presumably, a walk in closet, you realize that this may actually be the first time your Master has ever used this room. At least, since converting the Heap into a castle anyway.
"Why does she like you so much? She doesn't usually-" Taylor begins, still squinting at Nemesis' antics.
"S'cus he's hot, duh." She explains, having swung so much that she had come around to your front, forcing her to look backwards over her shoulder to look at your Master.
"...You're a sword." Taylor explains in a tired deadpan.
"A girl sword. Up!" She demands tugging on your collar.
Now, this is an interesting conundrum for you. At it's core, Nemesis is a piece of your Master. She is a distinct intelligence from your Master in every way that matters, but that simple fact remains. And so, to you, at least when you don't choose to think to hard about it, acquiescing to the swords demands is about as simple to you as doing what your Master wants.
Nemesis just hasn't wanted much from you before this.
Which is why your face remains completely blank as you lift your arms to grab her under her armpits, lifting her up. She giggles as you do so, and then uses the increased vantage point to scramble around on your torso until she is happily sitting on your shoulders.
At the accusing look from Taylor in response to your humoring of the swords antics, you just shrug, jostling her as she grabs your hair in order to keep her balance.
"She is technically part of you." You note, blinking once at your still resting Master.
"...This means nothing." She counters immediately, blushing slightly. Instead of commenting on that - because frankly, you don't really understand it and hence, don't really care about it, you move on to the reason you actually chose to wake your Master up.
"We have a meeting with the PRT in an hour." You explain, passing along the information Trainwreck gave you. When she doesn't immediately spring from bed to get ready, you continue.
"If necessary, Trainwreck has offered to stand in for you. He said, and I quote-" You state, clearing your throat before your Master cuts you off.
"Nope. I'm getting up. I'll go." She says with a grimace, springing up and heading towards the bathroom.
"Don't you want to know what he said?" You ask innocently.
"No. Let me guess. Something about Miss Militia's butt." Taylor sniffs in annoyance.
She's wrong of course.
It was Battery's butt.
Sunday, February 13th, 2011
PRT Headquarters, Brockton Bay
Ah, generic looking Protectorate boardroom. You've missed these. You also kind of wonder how many of these things exist given your positive this is on the opposite end of the building from the last time you were here but well... there just never seems to be a good time to ask about it. Which is unfortunate because it's actually starting to really bother you. Not Sigurd. Not the knight you are Emulating. You. It's a persistent sensation across all of your past Emulations that has nearly nothing to do with the Emulations themselves.
And well- you, you're getting distracted. Blinking once, you refocus on the people in the room instead of the room itself.
Piggot, as always, is standing at the head of the table, no doubt in an attempt to subtly place herself above anyone who chooses to sit - which is basically everyone here. It's the kind of power game that probably makes the woman herself feel better, but has nearly no meaning to a room full of people who can kill buildings using their powers.
Not that you will be the one to point that out.
The rest of the Protectorate is also present arrayed around Piggot at the head of the table. Most of them with a sort of grim set to their expressions that is subtly different to the one they wore during the Empire's attack on the city. You aren't sure what specifically has happened in your absence, but obviously something is bothering them greatly. More so than usual, at least.
Further down the table, between your Master and the Protectorate, are New Wave. Most of them don't appear to be much more out of sorts than normal. Vicky, however, is pointedly sitting slightly away from the rest of them, along with Laserdream and Shielder, her cousins. There is a definite divide between the adults and the children of New Wave preset, even if it isn't very overt just yet.
Well, except for the occasional mixed looks Brandish sends your Master periodically. At least it's not outright hostility you suppose. You really don't need to have the entire family mad at you right now.
Amy seems to be the only member of New Wave's younger generation that isn't sitting away from their parents, planted firmly beside Brandish with a stony expression on her face the refuses to shift, despite the furtive looks her sister sends her.
And then there is your Master. Dressed in her full costume, fidgeting with the brim of her hat while she waits for the meeting to start. When you had first arrived there had been the usual round of perfunctory greetings, except for Vicky, who had greeted your Master much more warmly. It was obvious the blond wanted to pull your Master aside to talk, but that now wasn't quite the time for it.
"Alright." Piggot states firmly, drawing everyone's attention and getting silencing the smattering of chatter that had been filling the room.
"Yesterday night, Nexus reported that someone had stolen and made use of one of her escape devices-" the Director screws her face up at this, obviously refusing to use your Master's preferred terminology, which is 'Magic Tags'. "-to deposit a corpse in her headquarters." She finishes, accompanying 'headquarters' with another mild scowl.
Director Piggot, apparently, bares a vehement hatred for your teams naming scheme for things, it would appear.
"That corpse was later identified as being nearly identical to one Dinah Alcott. The Mayor's niece." She goes on, clicking a device in one hand and causing a projector in the table, to flare to life and show an image of the girl in question on the wall behind her.
"Independent examination and Thinker confirmation were enough to confirm that the corpse was not in fact Dinah Alcott. We are however, working under the assumption that the girl has been captured and is currently being held. Nexus reports that her current projection was able to determine the corpse belonged to a clone, and we are currently working under the assumption that there may be more such clones running about even as we speak. The clones retain the memories of their originals correct?" Piggot asks, turning to your Master.
"Yes. They're also, for lack of a better word, evil." Taylor explains, passing on what Oliver told her.
"Meaning that Master/Stranger Protocol's are useless against them. Wonderful. Armsmaster?" Piggot queries, turning to the older hero - one of the few still standing.
"Director." He acknowledges, before turning to the rest of the table.
"Over the last few days a number of independents - both hero and villain - have gone missing off the streets. Originally we were investigating with an towards seeing if the Nine had come to town, but upon further examination, it would make sense for this Biotinker-" Armsmaster begins only for Taylor to cut him off.
"Not a Biotinker. Striker, I think." She corrects quickly, earning herself a blank stare from the man.
"Striker, then, to have been slowly capturing them - assuming they need capes in order to create copies of them." He continues with a frown.
"If my analysis is correct, the cape in question should only need skin contact to produce a clone of someone. The process takes seconds. If she keeps some in captivity there is no telling how many they could create." You put forth. Prior to this meeting, you and your Master had spoken, and you had agreed to bear the burden of providing all of this information to the Protectorate. Outing Oliver as a once member of this team of villains isn't on your list of things to do today, but you have to pass the information along somehow.
"Christ." You hear someone curse under their breath as you explain, drawing another scowl from Piggot who - you must admit - has gotten progressively less 'professional' about showing her displeasure since her recovery.
"For the moment, I'm declaring this an S class emergency. I've already sent a request for back up, but until we can locate this cape we can't act. We've already got the Undersiders here, so we can let the villains know through them." Piggot states.
Taylor stiffens slightly at the mention of Greg's team before leaning forward slightly and tentatively asking a question.
"You have the Undersiders here?" She asks, her voice neutral. Piggot nods once in acknowledgement of the question, but Armsmaster is the one who answers her.
"Early this morning we received a request for help from them. They had apparently been waylaid by a clone of Mouse Protector presenting itself as-" Armsmaster grimaces before continuing, "- Ratpack. Their Thinker was apparently able to discern the severity of the situation right away, so they turned themselves in. We will be releasing them to assist with the threat."
You can actually see the tension in the room shoot up at this. This won't be the first time the Undersiders have managed to escape or use the Protectorate by taking advantage of a truce. As much as they aren't particularly prolific villains, their continued record of getting away with being villains simultaneously reflects very well on their reputation - and very poorly on the Protectorates.
You can tell your Master wants to ask after Greg, maybe to see if he is okay, and if not that, then to strangle him, but she holds her tongue, knowing that this isn't the time for it.
"So if we can locate the threat, we can round everyone up and handle her?" Taylor asks instead.
"Yes. Preferably, we'll wait for a kill order - which should be arriving any time now - and the Triumvirate to arrive, sometime tonight or tomorrow. However-" The Director pauses to look around the room.
"No one in this room will be arrested if the threat is handled before that order is signed." She states grimly.
You can sense the sudden thrill of dread running down your Master's spine as the Director essentially authorizes the murder of another person, and it takes an effort of will to keep that distress off of her face. Your heart goes out to her. But you aren't really worried.
Your Master should never have to be responsible for murder. Not if she doesn't want to. That's what you are for.
The meeting finishes soon after that, and Vicky catches up with your Master as you leave - something only possible because she is forbidden from creating Gap's inside the PRT building.
"Hey." Vicky calls somewhat weakly as she hovers next to your Master in the hallway, watching the rest of her family heading down the hall, most of them shooting worried looks at her.
"Hey yourself. Are you... okay?" Taylor asks hesitantly, bumping Vicky with her shoulder and receiving a similar bump back for her troubles. A form of physical affection only possible because the two both possess enough strength and durability not to be concerned with accidentally maiming each other. It's something your sure Vicky appreciates. There are very few things the blond can interact with without worry for their durability.
Or people.
"Yeah. Things are a bit awkward with my Mom. Uncle Mike called." Vicky explains as your Master begins to slowly walk again, New Wave having gotten far enough ahead that there is no chance of bumping into them.
"Ah. I uh... heard about that." Taylor says awkwardly.
"Really? He was complaining to my Mom that Jess hired some guy they're calling Coldcock to attack him." Vicky asks curiously. You can simultaneously feel your Master's dire amusement at the name, and deep distress that her father is considered a villain warring with each other as she answers.
"Y-yeah. She's sort of living in my house so... she said she didn't hire anyone though. That uh, Coldcock guy just thought your Uncle was being a jackass." Taylor hastily defends. Vicky snorts.
"There's a manhunt for him up there. My Uncle's a Cape therapist so all his patients are pissed." She explains with a one armed shrug even as Taylor stops to star open mouthed at her.
"What?" Vicky asks once she realizes your Master isn't following her anymore.
"Nothing! I just- seriously? The whole city?" She asks with a sound of mild distress in her voice.
"Right? Don't worry, my Uncle made it clear Jess wasn't a bad guy. You're good." Vicky comforts your Master with a wan smile, obviously misinterpreting her distress.
"Uhuh... Um. How's... Dean?" She asks awkwardly changing the subject.
"Great! I hear his family is thinking of buying property near your castle. They were really impressed with your response time once they understood the situation." Vicky preens, reaching a hand around to hug your Master casually, just as happy for Taylor as she would be if the achievement was her own. Victoria is bizarrely supportive that way. Some would describe it as naive, which it is, but truthfully you have no problem with that. The young are entitled to a certain amount naivete. It falls to older fighters like yourself to defend that innocence.
"That's... nice. So you and your family are okay?" Taylor asks again, peering worriedly at her friend.
"Yeah. Sorry I couldn't convince them to stay with you. I'd come alone but I don't want to leave them alone you know?" Vicky answers apologetically.
"Just stay safe okay? You have the tag I gave you still?" Taylor asks, her tone shifting to one of almost motherly concern.
"Yes. God your worse than Amy." Vicky complains, rolling her eyes and drifting ahead.
"Anyway. I'll talk to you on PHO later okay? They're probably waiting for me out front." The blond states, waving to your Master as she zips off.
Your Master spends the rest of the evening on tenterhooks, finishing Oliver's loadout with Trainwreck - at least a very basic version of it - while constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop. She finalizes Triumph and Gallant's transfer to the Heap for their stint as your liaisons, but they don't come with you to the Heap, having other things to do before they leave.
That night, you sleep in the castle. Somehow, you doubt your Master is going to school tomorrow.