Current Energy: 2
Current Training:
Magic Resistance (7/10)
Age of Heroes I - Activated! (Information on this upgrade can be found in Informational, Under Omake Shop)
[Taylor Anne Hebert / Nexus]
Thursday, February 24th, 2011
Winslow High School, Brockton Bay
She wanted to go. She wanted to grab stupid Greg, and leave. Unfortunately, she hadn't heard the entire warning system.
Endbringer sirens went off for every attack - but they held two distinct patterns. A continuous series of siren wails was the signal for an Endbringer attack, but a siren followed by a pause, then another siren was the signal for an attack somewhere else. The logic, as she had been taught in middle school, was that if an Endbringer was attacking the city you were in, you wanted to be able to hear other people giving you orders and directions. What went unspoken was the fact that the siren could be continuous in the case of a local attack because, honestly, you were probably screwed anyway.
Taylor couldn't tell if the students around her were acting panicked because the siren signalled a local attack - or because she was very clearly angry and doing something supernatural nearby.
So she waited for the long siren wail to proceed. She waited for the pause.
Around her, other students were hurrying to follow their teacher's directions to move towards the shelters - something they had to do for every attack, regardless of where it was happening. If she had a secret identity of any sort, she would be thankful for that. It wasn't exactly hard to get lost in the press of bodies exiting the building. She pointedly ignored Greg moving to ask her a question - she was too keyed up to pay him much attention - and finally released a sigh of relief when the siren stopped, and there was temporary silence.
"So do we - christ!" Greg started, then yelped in surprise when her sword appeared in her hand, cleaving a Gap open in the narrow aisle between the desks. She spared a glance for the boy in consideration, still trying to pick apart her anger at him, then caved to practicality and spoke.
"Where do you need to go?" She asked tersely. The Endbringer truce was one of those things she felt was terribly stupid, but that Vicky had explained to her in no uncertain terms was to be respected - no matter what. She might have taken greater issue with that if any of the local gangs even still had Parahumans. Fighting alongside literal Nazis - even in defence against an Endbringer - would probably make her sick to her stomach.
Greg stared blankly at her for a second, before then seemingly recalling she had a Mover power and brightening.
"Do you know where Barker street is? A few blocks from the Docks?" He asked quickly, glancing towards the other students who were watching Taylor curiously as they exited. It should be obvious that she wouldn't be joining them in hiding, but that might not necessarily be true for Greg. Not that she cared what the school thought of Greg. Irked she shot a glare their way, encouraging them to keep moving. She couldn't tell if she was more annoyed that she had to cover for Greg, or annoyed that she felt the need to do it in the first place.
Regardless, she did know where Barker street was, and more importantly, knew that if she wanted to go looking for the Undersiders - maybe while going on an enthusiastic walk or something - that was where she could start.
Without voicing any of this, she cleaved a second hole in the aisle opposite her own Gap to the PRT building, tilting her head towards it.
"Here. You going?" She asked bluntly. In general, she knew Greg was happy to involve himself in the Cape lifestyle. But she had always gotten the impression it was more of a game to the blonde boy than anything else. Endbringers weren't a game though, and so she had her doubts that he would actually go to the fight. Not that she blamed him. If she wasn't as powerful as she was, she probably wouldn't go either. After all, what could she do to an Endbringer with some other power, like bug control? Die, probably.
"Obviously." Greg shot back slightly affronted, then leapt through the Gap. Through the spectral eyes that resided in that hole in reality, she took a moment to watch the direction he ran in once he had oriented himself, then satisfied, she closed that Gap - and entered her own, Emmy following quickly behind her.
[Multiversal Emulator / Emmy]
Thursday, February 24th, 2011
PRT Headquarters, Brockton Bay
The PRT building, which you would assume should be in complete chaos presently, was oddly orderly given the blaring sirens and panicking people outside.
You are passingly familiar with the things called Endbringers. Your shard was never directly involved in making or controlling them, so at most you are familiar with their overall reason for existing - that being, mostly to shake things up in an area that was getting stagnant, and occasionally, to prevent the local species from doing something apocalyptically stupid. You don't know if that is still the case now or not, but given the bizarre occurrences and terrible balancing of some of the powers you've come across, you doubt it.
Regardless, the moment your Master steps through her portal into the street just outside the PRT building, she is met by an officer directing her to head inside. She isn't dressed in her costume - she obviously felt she didn't have time to make that change - but by now her appearance and in particular, her sword are somewhat emblematic of her cape identity. There can be no doubt as to why she is here and in what capacity.
'I wish I knew which one it was.' She sends to you idly as she marches forward, eventually being led to a room containing a number of PRT technicians setting up a table and a few other contrivances.
'Which... one?' You ask curiously. Again, you aren't overly familiar with the Terror Engines.
'If I knew which one it was, I could prepare ahead of time. I doubt we have hours to get ready though.' She says in frustration.
You consider that statement for a moment. You think about all the time your Master spends preparing. Training, practicing, innovating. Then you smile thinly at her because in your limited understanding of the Terror Engines, you distinctly don't recall any of them being powerful enough to simply shrug off your Master.
'I think you've prepared enough.' You say with utmost honesty. Your Master glances back at you for a moment - you are still forbidden from being invisible within the building after all - then smiles shyly at you.
'Thanks.' She says simply, before finding somewhere to wait for further instructions.
The first other Capes to arrive are obviously the Protectorate heroes. It's likely that the only reason they hadn't already been waiting here was that they had no need to. They worked in the building, after all. You can only assume that the optics of someone arriving before them must be less than pleasing because the majority of them hurry into the room in a barely coherent group that quickly splits up when they realize the technicians aren't ready yet. Armsmaster and Dauntless immediately move to help the beleaguered techs, while Velocity, Assault, and Battery mill about aimlessly but anxiously.
Miss Militia, however, briskly walks to your Master's side. She pauses to glance at you for a moment before shaking her head and speaking to Taylor.
"Nexus. We should have time before Strider arrives. You can change into your costume if you want." She says, posture falling into an easy parade rest seemingly without realizing it. Taylor gives an awkward laugh to the suggestion, however.
"I think I'll stick with these. I'm afraid if I go back to the Heap my team will want to come." She says awkwardly.
"You don't want them too?" Miss Militia asks, although there is no judgement in the question - just sympathy.
"...No not really," Taylor admits with a frown.
"Taylor... are you sure you should be here?" Miss Militia asks pointedly, turning to look down at your Master with an expression you want to call 'motherly' but not quite.
"Lung fought Leviathan to a standstill and I beat him when I was still green. Any cape that can survive an Endbringer should be fighting them." Taylor says, her tone going steely as her grip on the hilt of her sword tightens. As though to punctuate her point, most of New Wave chooses that moment to arrive. Brandish, Flashbang, Manpower and Lady Photon stride into the room in formation. They are notably lacking the younger generation, however. Brandish gives your Master a single nod of acknowledgement but otherwise, the team moves to a corner to wait together.
"Taylor - you're fifteen. This isn't your responsibility." Miss Militia tries again, ignoring your Master's previous point. It is only at this moment that it occurs to you that not a single Ward is present.
"That-" Taylor opens her mouth to counter only to freeze when the doors to the room blast open under the force of a too strong shove and Trainwreck stomps into the room.
"We're here to kill your monster assholes. Again." He says boisterously. He isn't wearing his usual Armor. Instead, he is wearing the oversized monstrosity he has been working on with your Master's infrequent help, the entire suit covered in polished smooth metal, it's workings and mechanisms perfectly covered by the thick plating. A matching helmet sits under one of his arms, and he pounds his fist against his chest as he speaks.
"I don't think you actually understand what an Endbringer is man." Oliver sighs, releasing his grip on the handles attached to Trainwreck's back and dropping to the floor. Oliver's Huntsman outfit isn't flashy. In fact, you would go so far as to say it is almost entirely nondescript - as far as Cape outfits go. His skintight grey suit is covered with a number of magically enchanted plates your Master provided for him, and the entire ensemble is covered by a gunmetal grey cloak that only just barely obscures the obscenely huge firearm he has sheathed at the small of his back. His face is obscured by a pair of goggles matching Trainwreck's and he looks so nervous he might actually vomit.
"It is unlikely we will be fighting directly regardless. I suggest we primarily assist in search and rescue or barring that, defend Nexus as she heals the injured." Aspirant says calmly, his bulk nearly matching Trainwrecks in his thicker combat form, swatting the Tinker across the back of the head as he passes him into the room.
"I don't think we should go at all. It's not even attacking us." Parian points out in mild annoyance, although you note that she not only has chosen to come anyway but that she has brought assistance in a form you honestly couldn't have expected. You are unsure of how the group arrived here, but if you had to guess it was by sprinting through the streets. Oliver obviously rode on Trainwrecks back. Aspirant could keep up on his own. And Parian... appears to have been carried here by a life-size stuffed doll version of one of your previous Emulations. Po, in specific, that dopey expression of carefree wonder having been so perfectly captured in the doll's countenance that it is almost uncanny to look at. Po is not the only facsimile of yourself present, however. Faux fabric versions of all your Emulations are present, shifting about to tidy Parian's clothes for her as she dismounts from the Po doll.
"Hey, I don't give a shit about the thing in the first place, but she obviously wasn't going to let it go, so what the fuck right?" Trainwreck answers the cloth manipulating cape with a snort, pausing to pull a package from his back that he throws at your Master, who is staring at them in a mixture of shock and surprise.
"What the fuck are you guys doing here? Go home." Taylor finally manages to yell at them, drawing the attention of everyone in the room from Trainwreck to herself.
"Hey, Boss. You mind opening a Gap to the Castle? The Munchkin Brigade couldn't keep up so we had to leave 'em behind." Trainwreck says blithely.
"No! None of you should be here!" Taylor replies immediately.
"-the hell do they feed you guys? I can teleport and I can't move that fast." Mouse Protector complains as she appears sitting on Trainwrecks shoulder. Trainwreck shoots her an annoyed look, but otherwise ignores her as he continues his conversation with your Master.
"The fuck not? I got my big boy pants on and everything!" Trainwreck answers jokingly, smirking down at her.
"Endbringers are dangerous you giant moron! You could die!" Taylor hisses at him.
"What about you? Ya got some kind of magic immortality power? Genuine question." Trainwreck asks placidly.
"No, but-" Taylor recoils slightly, obviously trying to find a way to phrase 'but I'm stronger than all of you combined' without sounding condescending. Trainwreck cuts her off by reaching his free hand down to flick her in the forehead, which, given his relative size and strength - is not dissimilar to just punching her in the face really. Jerking her head back at the strike, Taylor scowls up at him.
"Taylor, what Trainwreck is trying to say is - we're a team. We can't let you go without us." Parian moves to add.
"Besides um... you can do the uh... the thing if something happens to one of us." Oliver - Huntsman you suppose in costume - points out, glancing around the room as he alludes to your Master's ressurective abilities.
"And no one else is going to look out for you like we will." Aspirant points out, quietly fist-bumping Trainwreck.
Your Master goes through a string of extreme emotions at this point that spike through her Inner Peace to land squarely on her face. A mixture of anxiety and contentedness fills her, and she begins to tear up.
"You guys suck." She mutters as she struggles to master herself.
"Speaking of suckers. You gonna grab Dickhead, Invisibitch and the Munchkin Brigade or what?" Trainwreck chimes in again.