Side Story - The Wingman has been activated for 5 Points!
Current Energy: 13
Current Training: Right Hand of Destruction 9/10 - Complete!
Base Status
The Heap - Current Upgrades:
Tinkertech Castle
Friend or Foe Barrier
Friend In Need
Simple Shikigami Network
Improved Shikigami Network
Wizard Tower
Saturday, March 5th, 2011
The Heap, Brockton Bay
"Hey Dad," Your Master chirps with faux happiness as she hovers over his bed that morning, her smile - which is very plastic look - emanating nothing if not annoyance as she effortlessly balances a tray laden with breakfast foods and a particularly pungent smelling coffee mug. Your Master can't stand that stuff, preferring tea in almost any scenario where hot water is involved in her beverage, but her father swears by it so today, a day she has decided to spend time with him on, she deigned to prepare it.
Even if that carefully prepared beverage is slowly sliding to the right of the tray it is on, where it sits ominously above the barely dressed forms of both Mouse Protector - you really should get her actual name at some point - and Jess.
Both of whom are huddled in the bed together about an inch away from Danny, whose left arm and leg are hanging precipitously over the edge of his own bed in order to make room for them.
"Mm? Taylor and... Emmy? What's going on?" Danny asks blearily, pushing himself upright and squinting at the two of you without his glasses on. You notice a couple of things immediately. For one, Danny is looking much more physically healthy than you remember. Since the man sleeps without a shirt, the sheer amount of muscle definition in his upper torso is enough to give that away. For another, the elder Hebert makes absolutely no indication that he even notices Jess or Mouse Protector in the bed behind him. He merely continues to orient himself as he comes fully awake.
"Well I thought we hadn't had any family time in a while but if you're busy..." Taylor says woodenly, tilting her head to the side and indicating the two sleeping women with her chin.
"Huh? Oh, no it's fine. Kat will sleep in for as long as she has something to grab onto, and Jess doesn't have to get up for a few hours." He says airily, pushing aside his blanket and standing up. "Let me get dressed and I'll be right out. Probably shouldn't eat in bed."
Your Master blinks once at him before lifting a finger into the air and pointing it at him. Predictably, despite only holding the tray of food with one hand, it doesn't move an inch.
"Who's Kat?" She asks bluntly, leaving Danny blinking in confusion as he half reaches for his glasses nearby. He looks from her to the bed a few times before smacking himself in the face.
"It's- crud, look don't tell anyone because I don't know if I was allowed to tell you or not, but Katherine is Mouse Protectors real name." He explains.
"And... she told you that?" Your Master asks in a carefully neutral tone.
"Sort of. Since the thing with that monster you fought, she's been having nightmares. I kind of keep waking up with her having appeared in the bed to whimper and mutter in her sleep. I told her about it of course - just because I can't control it doesn't mean it's unfair that I pick up this kind of information from her. She told me not to worry about it so..." Danny shrugs.
"I see." Taylor responds neutrally, and despite the lack of malice in her tone or body language, something must have twigged for Danny, because he gulps and shrugs in an exaggeratedly nonchalant manner.
"A-anyway. I'll be right out." He deflects finally, sticking a thumb in the waistband of his sweatpants. This would normally have gotten any sane teenage daughter out of the room, but in this case just causes Taylor to cooly flick her gaze from her father to the two women behind him, in his bed, then back again as if to ask 'but it's okay in front of them?'.
Danny doesn't have a response to that, at least, not one he can articulate with words, so he just shrugs and waits for you and your Master to leave the room, which you do, very slowly.
"I thought you didn't mind your father dating again?" You query, turning to eyeing your now visibly annoyed Master.
"I don't mind him dating again - that doesn't mean I'm cool with every adult woman who passes by my castle sleeping in his bed!" She grouses.
"Well, Miss Militia wasn't there. And I don't think Danny is that way with Mouse." You point out.
"That makes it worse! He's somehow completely unaware that he's even dating anyone! How can he be so blistering oblivious to people literally throwing themselves at him!" She complains.
You stare at your Master. You could point out the sheer number of people around her that obviously hold romantic interest in her. You could. But do you dare?
Ultimately, the choice is one you don't have to make, as the door to the bedroom nearby opens and Danny finally steps out, wearing a pair of slacks and a dress shirt that no longer fit properly or - depending on who you ask - now fit perfectly.
"Thanks for this. I can't remember the last time I ate a full meal honestly." Danny admits, gently taking the tray your Master is holding as he arrives and then not even blinking when she promptly cleaves a gap open nearby.
"So, what's the plan?" Danny continues, after following both you and your Master through the Gap and into the kitchen, where he puts his tray down at the table and takes a seat, followed by a quick but blissful sip of his coffee.
"I didn't really have a plan. Just thought we could hang out and talk a bit." Your Master admits.
"If you take such issue with the situation, why not simply inform him?" You ask curiously.
"Because if it was me and someone else told the boy I like about me before I did, I would literally die." She returns to you primly.
"So... you're sparing Jess' feelings?" You ask, somewhat surprised. If you are being honest, you were sort of expecting your Master to bulldoze through this the same way she does through just about everything else. Subtlety isn't exactly her strong suit.
"Well yeah, but also, I super don't want to talk to my Dad about his love life. It's gross." She admits, shivering slightly at the thought.
"Okay well... how's school?" Danny asks easily, spearing a piece of his breakfast with a fork.
"S'okay. Probably the only time I wish I had a secret identity though. I don't think the other kids actually think of me as a person anymore. Just this... thing... that will smite them if they annoy me." Taylor answers with a shrug.
"But you wouldn't though." Danny points out, gesturing at her with a fork.
"Definitely not." Taylor says dryly.
"Think about it this way, anyone who doesn't see you as a person now, probably wouldn't have been a good friend to you even if you didn't have powers." Danny responds with a shrug. "They wouldn't have been your friends or actually liked you either way. The only difference is that now you sort of have power over them."
"I knooooow and it suuuuucks." Taylor moans, throwing herself forward to lazily lay her upper body across the table.
"Oh? I thought you had a whole thing about not liking people your age anyway." Danny says half jokingly.
"I don't! But it'd be nice to be able to go to school without everyone deciding how the day is going to go based solely on my mood when I walk in the door." She grumbles.
"There is Greg." You point out.
"He doesn't really count-" Taylor immediately moves to counter you but is cut off.
"A boy?" Danny asks, immediately turning to face you while urging you to continue, and ignoring his daughters spluttering attempts to change the topic.
"He is a bit of an idiot, but he does treat Taylor like a normal person. I believe he is the only person she talks to regularly since his return to school." You report with a shrug.
"That's not because he's actually normal it's because he lacks a basic survival instinct." Taylor annoyedly points out.
"But he is you friend." Danny states more so than actually asks for clarification.
"It's... ugh... it's complicated." Taylor says with a sigh, no doubt thinking about all of the truly boneheaded things Greg has done recently, while simultaneously not being able to bring herself to completely hold those things against him. Danny, being the over protective man he is, then does something you don't think you've ever seen him do before. His face goes blank, before a strangely mirthless smile spreads out across it, vaguely reminiscent of your Master's when she is decidedly not happy.
"Well, maybe you can bring him around for dinner sometime. I should be able to clear my schedule, and I'm sure Jess would love to cook for everyone." He says in probably the least inviting tone of voice imaginable.
Taylor - who obviously doesn't want to continue to talk about Greg at this exact moment, decides that this is the time for her to counterattack, her face becoming a similar smiling mask.
"That's sort of unfair of you, to just volunteer Jess like that - like she's your girlfriend or wife or something." Taylor says blandly, causing Danny to immediately become flustered, then start choking on a bit of toast.
"That- I mean- y-you're right Taylor. That was inappropriate of me. I should- I should definitely ask her next time. About... cooking." He finishes lamely.
The two stare blankly at each other across the table, and you can't help but think back to the times when they would have breakfast together while pointedly avoiding one topic or another so as not to set the other off on a tangent, or worry them. This is very reminiscent of that, even if the specifics are drastically different from when your Master was trying not to talk about the bullying she suffered before you entered her life.
Eventually, Danny breaks the silence.
"So, there was an uh, a bombing, in Boston. Apparently, that's a big deal since the city has been really quiet the last few months. Probably because the Butcher came here and all." He offers awkwardly.
"Did anyone get hurt?" Taylor asks, immediately sitting up and taking the offered change in topic with her characteristic focus once 'work' comes up.
"No, apparently the bomb went off early so no one was hurt, but the University there is missing a lecture hall. They're currently trying to find the culprit." He says with a shrug. Your Master considers that for a moment before wondering aloud;
"Do you think they could use my help?"
"I don't know. You would probably have to clear it with the leader of the local PRT. You can't solve everyone's problems for them kiddo." Danny responds after a moment of thought. Taylor frowns at that, but acknowledges the point. Danny, seemingly noticing his daughters change in mood, opts to change topics yet again.
"Actually, since we haven't been together in a while, there's something I could use your help with - if you don't mind." He says quickly, earning a raised eyebrow from Taylor.
Saturday, March 5th, 2011
The Heap, Brockton Bay
"Hey, Trainwreck. Wake up!" Danny calls out loudly, flicking the lights on in the garage and striding purposefully into the room.
"Dad, it's like nine am, Wreck probably isn't even-" Taylor councils, obviously slightly unwilling to wake up her teammate so early.
"I do this all the time. He doesn't mind." Danny responds, waving her off and stomping over to Trainwrecks trademark suit of armor - then proceeding to slam his fist into it hard enough to cause his aura to spark across the surface of his body in response to the Impact.
"Dad!" Taylor cries out in alarm, rushing forward.
"Danny boy, I swear to god if you weren't my bosses Dad the pipes would be a-fucking-calling a lot sooner than later." Trainwreck grumbles as the helmet covering his head retracts and he blinks blearily into the dim light of the garage.
"You woke me up at seven am two days ago because you heard a radio commercial for a limited time run of a specific brand of craft beer. Plus, your too lazy to learn to play bagpipes for a joke. Come on, wake up." Danny says with a snicker, slamming his open palm into Trainwrecks armor again to predictably little effect.
"Danny, buddy, I'm a fucking tinker. Gimme a week and I'll make a device that converts farts into bagpipe sounds." Trainwreck counters with a snicker, before his armor whirs to life with the telltale sound of steam coursing through the massive device.
"Sure buddy. Where's my baby?" Danny asks, looking around the disorganized mess that is Trainwrecks side of the garage.
"Gimme a minute." Trainwreck grumbles with a roll of his shoulders. "S'in here somewhere..." He mumbles to himself as he begins digging through one of the trash piles. Eventually, he makes an exclamation of success and yanks something out of the pile before presenting it to everyone else.
"It's a crummy looking hammer." Your Master notes, first and foremost.
You actually recognize this thing. It wasn't long ago that Trainwreck had woven together some rebar and stuck it in tinkertech reinforced block of concrete for Danny to use as a weapon. What you see before you is... almost the same thing. You recognize the woven rebar handle, but that is about all you recognize. For one, said rebar has visible bulges where it is clearly surrounding a much more advanced machine - working less as the handle itself, and more as shielding for whatever is underneath it. The only indication of the use for all that machinery is a square handle at one end of the machine with black and yellow hazard tape on it. Just past that is the actual hammerhead which appears to have undergone significant changes. For one, it isn't a block of concrete anymore. It's several segments of scrap metal, each over a foot and a half long individually, folded over each other like a puzzle box. The largest of the segments has a poorly scrawled phrase on it, clearly scraped into the metal with a knife of some sort, that reads 'End of the Line'.
""Hey!"" Trainwreck and Danny both yell at once in response to your Masters insult. Taylor blinks owlishly at the two of them before blushing slightly at the slight fauxpaus.
"Sorry. Nemesis doesn't like it when I look at other weapons so..." She trails off.
"Well, she's wrong. My baby just needs a little tlc to get her functional. Not that uh, not that I need a weapon really. I just like to see a project through to the end." Danny says with a wicked smile that he quickly dials back when you and your Master start to stare at him strangely.
"What's wrong with it?" She asks instead of commenting on whatever that was.
"Ran out of shit to make it with. I used most of the plating and crap you gave me with those portals on em to finish my Armor. Didn't wanna bug you about more for a side project." Trainwreck answers with a shrug.
"Come on Wreck, you know you can bug me about anything you want. I don't mind. Your like my cool uncle who drinks too much and encourages me to do drugs." Taylor says with a snicker, then laughs out loud when Danny whips around to stare at the Tinker with a betrayed look on his face.
"Hey I ain't ever said anything like that!" He defends himself instantly, lifting a metallic hand to scratch his head and hide the blush on his face.
"Uhuh. So you need me to put a few more Gaps on some stuff?" Taylor asks curiously.
"Sorta. Just the one thing really." Trainwreck answers after a moment to get his blush under control, tossing the hammer - which must weigh quite a bit given the materials it is made of - to Danny, who catches it lazily and hefts it over one shoulder.
"See, this sucker is a hammer one way, but when you pull the latch..." Trainwreck continues, gesturing to Danny who nods and does just that, grabbing the handle near the head of his hammer and holding the entire thing horizontally. Then he yanks back on the handle, and all of the metal plating making up the hammers head irises outward, becoming a massive metal shield that blocks Danny from sight. It looks like nothing if not the most useless umbrella you've ever seen in your life.
"It become this weird ass thing. Dunno if I'd call it a shield really, so much as a turret emplacement. See the hole in the middle? It's supposed to shoot explosive shells. For uh... recreational reasons." Trainwreck explains carefully.
"...Explosive shells." Taylor intones slowly, turning stare at her father as he returns the hammer to its resting state.
"I'm a forty year old man having a mid life crisis. It was this or a sports car." Danny says flatly.
"Whats with the 'End of the Line' thing?" Taylor asks, rolling her eyes at her father.
"S'what it's called. Aura is fucking weird about what it'll let you do with it. You gotta get all personal and shit with your gear if you wanna use it properly." Trainwreck states while Danny nods along.
"...you named your mid life crisis weapon End of the Line? Dad should I be worried or-"
"I thought it sounded cool! And it's got a railroad theme to it!" Danny yells back in embarrassment.
"Uhuh. Well, show me what needs doing with my Dads suspiciously violent weapon so we can get this over with." Your Master sighs, and the group quickly piles in to begin the work.
Saturday, March 5th, 2011
The Heap, Brockton Bay
"Um... is this... normal?" Aisha asks as she walks into the garage some time later that day. You, and pretty much every other occupant of the room, turn to look at her.
Which is how you find yourself staring at an Aisha who is literally covered in pigeons, half a dozen of the winged creatures perched all across her body - both her shoulders, atop her head, atop the large bag she carries her sword around in. Everywhere. As you watch, she attempts to shoo one of them away, only for the bird to hop over her attempted shove, then land on her hand already facing her with what you can only describe as an expression of smugness on its tiny head.
"I knew today was going to be worth it." Dinah snickers from next to her.
"Oh. Yeah I upgraded them the other day. I knew you were coming today so I asked them to keep an eye out for you. I didn't expect all this." Taylor snickers at the clearly beleaguered Aisha, before waving towards her that causes all of the birds to flap up and away, vanishing out the open doorway leading into the building with a decidedly un-birdlike level of intelligence. Aisha relaxes almost immediately, quickly brushing herself off with her hands as she checks for damage to her clothes or - heaven forbid - pigeon droppings.
"Here to do your unhelpful oracle thing again Dinah?" Taylor asks casually, stepping over the pair and allowing the younger girl to give her a quick hug.
"Just a little. Mostly I wanted to see my friends - and Munin." She says, mentioning her clone almost as an afterthought.
"You don't get along?" Taylor asks, suddenly worried.
"Totally the opposite. Mun messes with her, but she's also like, weirdly protective? A boy tried to talk to her yesterday Mun literally ran up and kicked him in the balls before sprinting away." Aisha explains, shooting a smug look at Dinah when the smaller girl pouts at her.
"I don't need her to babysit me. I have powers!" Dinah complains.
"What are the chances something bad happens to you because you're overconfident?" Taylor asks blandly.
"46.78- Hey! That's not fair! 'Bad' could mean anything! It could mean I step in dog poop on the way to school!" Dinah cries out in outrage.
"Not even trying to hide it from me anymore are you?" Aisha mutters before shrugging and pulling her sword out of her bag. She is dressed in surprisingly sensible workout clothing, form fitting enough not to hinder her movements, but not provocative in the way you have come to associate with the teen.
Several minutes later, your Master is casually swatting aside attacks from Aisha and her chainsword, while occasionally offering commentary on her stance or how she should have responded to something. Occasionally, she will physically grab Aisha's weapon just as it is about to hint, in order to halt the fight and explain how Aisha should follow up when her impractical weapon inevitably gets stuck in something. You don't even think she fully realizes that she is explaining how to use a chainsaw to swordfight to a thirteen year old - she's just fully dedicated to teaching at the moment, which is highly amusing to you as both Mem and Mun arrive shortly after the sparring begins, and all three of the little girls proceed to effectively use you as furniture while they observe things.
"You know, if you would actually turn this thing on you might have been able to inconvenience me by now." Taylor muses blandly as she flicks her sword out, causing Aisha's weapon to sail past her on the right.
"I can't! It hasn't turned on in ages now. I think jangles the tinker clown over there needs to look it over, but he told me to piss off last time I asked." Aisha grunts, moving with the motion of her missed attack and instead of retreating, leaning into it so that she is suddenly positioned to shoulder charge at your Master - whom predictable sidesteps the attack, but nods approvingly nonetheless.
"Yeah cus I ain't giving a teenager a fucking chainsaw you little lunatic!" Trainwreck yells back from where he and Danny are still fussing with End of the Line like a newborn baby.
"See? 'Train how you plan to fight'. Sigurd said that, probably, and I'm clearly not." Aisha huffs, pulling away from clashing blades with Taylor to point angrily at the big tinker.
"...what if we make her something and just keep it here, so she isn't running around with it in public?" Taylor offers after a moment of consideration.
"Boss!" Trainwreck yells in protest.
"Boss!" Aisha yells with glee.
"Yes, me." Taylor says with a roll of her eyes.
The pair continue to duel until the early afternoon rolls around, at which point your Master casually disarms Aisha and takes a step back with her sword in hand.
"Since this doesn't work anymore I'm giving it back to Wreck. We're done for the day." She states, ignoring the stricken look on Aishas face as she stares at her stolen weapon.
"Don't worry, trust me." Dinah chirps as she skips up to give Aisha a hug, then changes her mind and pats the dark skinned girl on the back when she realizes how sweaty her friend presently is.
"You only ever ask us to trust you when you are about to do something mischievous." Mem points out.
"I'm so ready for this." Mun adds.
Taylor ignores the gaggle of girls as they chat, walking over to drop Aishas weapon by Trainwreck, and then returning to them.
"I know you wanted to see your friends today Mem, but uh..." She trails off, obviously trying to puzzle out exactly how to phrase what she wants to say next.
Then, in a predictably 'Taylor' fashion, she just sort of says it as bluntly as possible.
"I found a way to Remnant and figured you'd want to come help me punt Salem into space." She explains plainly. Mem - who was watching your Master with her head tilted in question, immediately snaps to attention, grabbing Mun by the collar and dragging her away from Aisha and Dinah, who are watching without actually being surprised by the action - so you suppose it isn't that uncommon.
"I'll get my things." She says in a clipped tone as she hustles away.
"I- what- where the fuck are we going?" Mun cries out in distress as they disappear into the Heap.
"Sorry Dinah, I know you wanted to hang out today but I didn't want to put this off for too long. I sort of owe someone an apology." Taylor explains with a wince.
"It's fine, I already knew there were good odds something would happen. It was still fun." Dinah says with a smile.
"Can we hang out in the castle while your gone?" Aisha is quick to ask, her eyes glinting with interest as she tries not to look to obviously at all the weapons lining the walls of the garage.
"...sure..." Taylor says slowly, just as Mem returns with what looks like a backpack stuffed near to bursting with stuff, followed slowly by a put upon looking Mun as she slowly drags another such bag behind her.
"I am prepared." Mem declares.
"I am confused. You are so lucky you got to keep the powers." Mun whines towards Dinah, who sticks her tongue out at her. Taylor rolls her eyes at them, a gesture she seems to be getting a lot of use out of recently, before turning to yelling across the garage to her father.
"Going out Dad, be back tomorrow!" She exclaims as she cleaves open a Gap that Mem quickly drags Mun through.
"Where are you going?" Danny yells back at her.
"Going to another dimension to kill Satan!" She calls back to him before grabbing you and jumping in after her sort of a daughter.
"Really?" You ask her dryly as your vision clears and all four of you find yourself drifting near the gateway you recognize as heading to Oscars home on Remnant.
"Well it's sort of true." Taylor answers sheepishly.
"Still. You're being awfully blase about this." You point out, even as Mem impatiently stares at the gateway ahead of you. You actually aren't sure how you are talking or breathing right now, given that this place you are in is literally full of 'nothing', but you choose not to think over hard about it. It sounds like a problem for your Shard-Side to figure out anyway.
"Remnant is pretty much the only place I have memories of that I actually got to experience for myself. I don't even know how long I spent as a voice in that kids head. I just... I can help, and I'm pretty sure I'm the closest thing to a god that place is likely to see any time soon." She defends herself.
"Still..." You caution, more worried than you would otherwise be because of the completely new nature of this endeavour. Your species very specifically doesn't mess around in alternate dimensions like this - because you are terrified of the prospect of something dangerous finding you. Or worse, of the physics that govern an alternate dimension being inimical to your existence. Even you aren't supposed to mess about in them, your ability to do so more of a side effect of your purpose than an actual intended result.
"Hey, don't worry okay? I've come a long way from needing you to protect me." Taylor says with a warm smile, before diving through the portal.
You sigh, and follow after her, along with Mem and Mun, and all four of you emerge into what looks like a barn.
Well no, it doesn't... look like a barn. It is a barn. A familiar barn.
"I'm going to give it a second to see if any of us start melting." Taylor states when none of you move or say anything right away.
"I'm sorry, what?" Mun squawks in distress.
"I mean, I'm pretty sure I know why it happened last time so it should be fine now but-" Taylor starts to explain.
"Bitch, some fucking warning next time?!" Munin screeches in distress, dropping her bag full of presumably magical implements.
"Yeah, suddenly I feel like maybe this wasn't so good of an idea." Trainwrecks voice rings out, causing everyone to whip around to stare at his massive bulk as it and several other forms drop into existence in the barn - which is rapidly becoming congested with people.
"Trainwreck? Dad!?" Taylor yelps, even as Aisha and Dinah step out from behind the men.
"How!?" Taylor screeches at them.
"Well you know, you sort of instinctively keep those things open if there's a person part way through one, so it wasn't hard to stick a hand in after you." Dinah explains with a complete lack of shame or worry on her face, even as Trainwreck picks up the explanation.
"You also straight up said you were going to kill the Devil, Boss. I got concerns and shit." He says, and Danny nods along next to him, with his hammer hefted over one shoulder.
"I admit, I expected Hell to have more fire." Danny adds.
"We're not in hell! This is like- an alternate earth! Like where Emmy gets all his forms from!" Taylor hurriedly explains, cleaving a gap open to her left.
"Here, this will send everyone home. You guys can just-"
"Oh god, not again." A new voice cuts in as the barn door opens behind you and Oscar's pale face appears to stare in horror at you.
Of course, his stare of absolute terror is transfigured into one somewhere between embarrassed and confused when Long Memory and Taylor both practically materialize at his sides to draw him into a giant hug.
"So like... is it always like this with you guys?" Aisha turns to ask Trainwreck, who shrugs at her.
"Yeah, pretty much."
"I actually recognize this one," Danny adds in a pinched tone.
"Hey, Oscar. You don't know me but I know you - and everything is going to be okay." Taylor says, ignoring everyone around her, and indeed, Oscar himself as he attempts to push his face away from her chest where she is holding it firmly.
"Mm," Mem adds.
Now, since you once were Oscar, you don't need to be Dinah to know what is going to happen next.
"Three, two, one..." You count down out loud, finishing just as the poor boy blacks out, going limp in Taylor's arms.
Yeah, you really don't miss being your Master's favourite hug pillow in that emulation.