Brockton's Celestial Forge

by Lord Roustabout

The Celestial Forge is the greatest combination of crafting powers in Jumpchain, meaning it is the greatest combination of crafting abilities in all of fiction. In Brockton Bay a forgotten side character's trigger event ends with him linked to the Celestial Forge rather than his intended shard. His expanding collection of tinker abilities drag him into the city's cape conflicts.

37. 31 Consensus - PHO - Addendum Accord

Preamble: PHO

Topic: Apeiron vs Uber & Leet, Round 3 - Apeiron Analysis

In: Boards ► Places ► America ► Brockton Bay ► Capes

Tinker's Hoarder (Original Poster) (Wiki Warrior)

Posted On Apr 18th 2011:

Ok, we have another fight between Apeiron and Uber & Leet to pick over. Lots of new stuff here, so I'm making a new thread to handle the analysis so the main threads don't get clogged.

Reminder of the guidelines:

This is technical analysis of Apeiron only. No speculation of consequences. No debates about shipping. If you want to put forward a tinfoil hat theory at least back it up with something from the broadcast, and posts with content only. Let's not have six pages of reactions and shocked memes like on the Final Slash math thread.

(Showing page 1 of 32)

►Battlebot (Not a tinker)

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

But we can still react if we post content, right? Because HFS, that fight…

Alright content tax. New(?) tech shown in this fight:

Tripredacus Guardian upgrades/replacements

Better flight maneuverability/stability

Geokinetic cannons

Missile interception targeting (?)

Big fucking lasers that are absolutely terrifying

Tripredacus Scout upgrades/replacements

Faster, formation link with Guardian

Awesome invincible parrying cape

Sidearm/sword upgraded (?)

Sidearm/sword FIELD UPGRADED WITH LEET'S REPAIRED TECHNOLOGY

Red energy nightmare mode of you are already dead (tm)

Did I miss anything?

►Cobolt

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

Scanner for finding out Uber and Leet weren't in the suits and analyzing the micro missiles? And spotting the barrage coming? (Tripredacus Scouts?)

And we need to talk more about that field upgrade. What do people think? Tech, power, or insane tinker skill?

►The EDG

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

Tech or power for sure. Just watching the video, there's no way that's normal tinker work.

►CeFalon

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

*Apeiron*

*Normal*

See if you can spot the problem with putting these words together

►Quester

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

Field Upgrade is just Apeiron using his mom's speed to tinker. Also perfectly explains how he builds everything so fast

►The EDG

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

Fuck, not this again. Read the thread rules and take it to the shipping boards before you get banned.

►Quester

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

You just hate it because evidence is mounting against you. Apeiron basically showed up with a copy of his mother's cape for this fight. You have super speed, durability, and now even strength, and none of them with any evidence of a technological source. What more do you want?

►The EDG

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

We saw he wears that mechanical framework on his arms, from when Uber ripped his jacket in the first fight. That could be some crafting assist, program in blueprints and it takes your hands through the motions super-fast. Could probably help with combat too.

► Cobolt

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

If they help with combat that could be why he was fighting differently. I'm not an expert, but it looked more military-inspired during the storage locker fight. This was some kind of flowy martial art thing.

End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 30, 31, 32

(Showing page 2 of 32)

►Quester

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

Notice you didn't touch on the way he ended the fight. Is 'combat help' from the framework what let him move and hit like that?

►CeFalon

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

Ok, not that I'm on board with the theory (Frankly it seems kind of disrespectful) but if that was Apeiron's Alexandria powers at the end they don't look very healthy. Like, even putting aside how he behaved while using them, you don't activate a full body heal that's good enough to fix someone who's been spaghettied and leave it running all fight if you don't need to.

Did anyone else think it looked like his skin was cracking open and something was leaking through? Like, it obviously made him crazy strong, but whether it's power or technology, it doesn't look that friendly.

►Quester

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

Nobody knows how Alexandria's powers work. You only get half of them and you might miss out on a control or safety component. It could explain why it took this long for him to come forward.

►Tinker's Hoarder (Original Poster) (Wiki Warrior)

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

Alright, this is getting off topic. Can we stick to the mechanics at work here? Anyone have hard numbers for the strength/speed of the super mode thing, or any of the other displays?

►All Gyro Might

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

I can say there has to be some breaker effect with that boost. There wasn't enough reaction from the environment to how he was moving. Afterimages, delayed reactions, and flash steps like that don't happen outside of Hong Kong cartoons or old Japanese anime. Some part of it was letting him selectively ignore reaction forces.

Probably a point against the Hero/Alexandria theory. (I know it's a sweet idea, but the facts just aren't lining up) Alexandria always had a hard physics impact on the world, including sonic booms if she flies too fast. There were at least three points where Apeiron would have broken the sound barrier, but no reaction. This is a different effect at play.

But yeah, whatever it is it doesn't look good. That healing can give someone their arm back and he left it running the whole time that thing was active. What is it doing to his body?

►Rock Hard Physics

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

Letting him pile drive Uber and Leet?

Ok, hard to get definite numbers on what kind of force he was putting out because Leet's tech seemed to be borking physics as bad as Apeiron's. Actually, can we get some analysis on the Virtuaroids? And once again marvel that Leet of all people is becoming a credible threat? I mean, Leet?

►Tinker's Hoarder (Original Poster) (Wiki Warrior)

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

There's a separate thread for the Uber and Leet technical analysis from the fight here (link). Try to keep each on topic, beyond what you need to benchmark the other.

►Invar0

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

So is anyone actually going to talk about those lasers? I live south of Downtown and I nearly shit myself when the sky turned red. What kind of ordinance are we talking about here?

►Battlebot (Not a tinker)

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

Measuring from the scene of the fight to the estimated point where the missiles were destroyed gives us about 2 miles. Also, some reports of rooftop damage and air conditioning failures from taller buildings under the path, plus the light visible throughout the city (as seen in the press conference)

The shot angled out to sea, so we don't have data on how long the beams held cohesion. Best indication we have regarding their power was the fact that no missile debris has been found, so either vaporized or carried off by the blast.

►Lock Jock

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

2 miles? Jesus, the PRT isn't going to be happy about that.

End of Page. 1, 2, 3, 4 ... 30, 31, 32

(Showing page 3 of 32)

►Quester

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

You think they'd be more worried about the bomb villain that was able to set up a cross city rocket strike than about the guy who shot them down.

►Cobolt

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

Seems like we should probably be concerned about both of them. Welcome to Brockton Bay, a worry in every home and two ulcers for every PRT Director

►Kapefab

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

(piggot_press_conference_ )

►Lock Jock

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

To be fair, everyone in the city reacted like that. We just weren't on TV at the time.

►Sleeping Giant

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

So no way to get hard numbers on the lasers?

►Battlebot (Not a tinker)

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

If we can get a detailed damage report from the buildings that could at least let us guess the radiant energy of the beams from mapping to distance from the shot, but at the moment there's not enough information.

►Luftwaifu

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

What about for the cape? You know, the capey cape that caped through the whole fight? That cape?

►The EDG

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

Hey, if he's so invincible, why does he need a cape to block things for him?

►Quester

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

Rain can't hurt you, why carry an umbrella? You can see when he was fighting Uber's mech, auto blocking makes things easier (and it's sweet that he's taking after his mom)

►Cobolt

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

Right, not touching the shipping thing.

Any mechanism for how it works? I didn't see anything that looked like a control system. Is it set up automatically, like his drones? Did he actually program it to billow dramatically whenever he's standing still?

End of Page. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ... 30, 31, 32

(Showing page 4 of 32)

►Kapefab

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

I don't know, would a cape who engineered a situation where he brought his opponents to their knees, x-games motorcycle jumped over them, and flipped onto a lamppost all so he would have time to sneer down at them before combat really be the kind of person who would spend time and effort making sure his invincible combat cloak would "billow dramatically"?

►Luftwaifu

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

Right, this is Apeiron we're talking about. At this rate he'll probably have stage lighting and entry music by the end of the week.

►Kapefab

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

WWE sponsorship when?

►Lock Jock

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

Just what this city needs, more showmanship. Do we need to consider the anti-Squealer theory? Because, even if it isn't tied to the strength of his technology he's doing way more design work than the average tinker. I mean, there was filigree on the robot's clubs.

►Cobolt

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

I'd make a crack about where he finds the time to do that, but the field upgrade pretty much torpedo's every theory about his tech reserves and build rate.

►M&Mensa

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

Are we sure that's not a striker power? We could be looking at things all wrong.

What if he's someone like Chevalier, applying properties of one object to another? He wouldn't even need to tinker, just grab the tech he needs and mash it into his equipment.

I've been working on a spreadsheet of active and retired tinkers whose work could have been integrated into Apeiron's loadout to cover the feats we've seen so far. It's not complete and there are some holes, but you can see my work here (link).

►The EDG

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

Jesus Christ man. "not complete"? What, are you going for a research project? PhD Thesis? Nobel prize?

►Kapefab

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

Typical

Professional PRT Analyst Some Guy on PHO

►Tinker's Hoarder (Original Poster) (Wiki Warrior)

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

I'd recommend starting a new thread for that theory. This is about technical analysis, not sources of abilities, though we should probably consider the striker element. Can anyone clean up the video of when Apeiron worked on the Field Upgrade?

►Battlebot (Not a tinker)

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

Literally moving faster than the framerate, so no. Will say it at least looks technical rather than like a fusion effect.

End of Page. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 ... 30, 31, 32

(Showing page 5 of 32)

►Nevermore

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

Can we talk about the Geokinetic weapons? Opening strike was a lot more controlled and coordinated than before (more showing off?) but look at the ranged version in the fight. It wasn't just destabilizing the ground. I'm pretty sure some of those spikes were being generated by ricochets. That is terrifying battlefield control on display.

►Cobolt

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

Well, we know he has matter gen/fabrication for the Tripredacus Scouts. Did we ever get a consensus on how his pistol worked? The new Tripredacus Guardians (Tripredacus Praetorians?) guns seem to use the same effect, but without the shockwaves.

►Battlebot (Not a tinker)

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

No confirmed answer. Obviously kinetic rather than energy based. Glow is from friction/ionization of air, so high speed projectile with a low profile. Serious impact, you can see that in all the interactions. Still no idea how he's doing it, what he uses for ammo or if there even is ammo, or what the limitations are.

Obviously it can be scaled up, but it's hard to guess the power of the shots with all the defensive fields they were dealing with. Have some footage from them against Oni Lee, but that's just dust on every hit.

►The EDG

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

Somehow I doubt normal people would be much better than 'dust' after taking a hit like that. Have you seen the other reports from that fight? We're seeing more deployment of 'pouch item' effects, and a lot of them are weird and concerning.

►Cobolt

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

Worse than summoning giant bees?

►Kapefab

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

Security cam footage of part of the fight: (link)

►Lock Jock

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

Jesus, are they melting? That was what, 20 Oni Lee clones at once?

►Battlebot (Not a tinker)

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

I counted 23. And it didn't kill them. They ashed in sequence, so it just disabled them until their timer ran out.

►Cobolt

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

How the hell did Oni Lee survive that fight? I mean, the robots were going for the throat from minute one.

Also, how concerned should we be about the killer robots?

►Tinker's Hoarder (Original Poster) (Wiki Warrior)

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

There's a separate thread for that encounter (link). Let's stay focused on the Uber and Leet fight.

End of Page. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 ... 30, 31, 32

(Showing page 6 of 32)

►Oakey

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

Ok, I'm seconding Red Energy Nightmare Mode as an official name and advocate the use of the 'Nightmare' descriptor for all the tech on display that will have me waking up in a cold sweat for the next month, including:

Nightmare Hornets

Nightmare Quakestrike

Final Nightmare Slash

Nightmare Lasers

Melting Nightmare That You Can't See Coming And Is So Much Worse Because Somehow It's Not Enough To Kill You

Anything else?

►Luftwaifu

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

Nightmare Cape? It is sinister in its flappyness. Just look at the way it billows with malevolence. It was probably spun from the sulfurous locks of the devil himself.

►Kapefab

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

Even if we're not talking horror story nightmare stuff, I'm not thrilled about the idea of being crushed by a giant stone fist, and that's one of the milder ones. Someone's put together a compilation of pouch item effects here (link).

►Parker Ave

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

Hey, are we considering stuff from the leadup to the fight? Because if so this might be relevant.

(Financial Times – Watchdog Announces Major Bust on ABB Finances, Asset Seizures in Progress)

►All Gyro Might

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

Jesus Christ

Content Tax: Do we have any idea the skill level/technology needed to pull off something like that? I mean, we had assumed computer knowledge because of the robotics, but this needs separate evaluation.

►Lock Jock

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

Ok, if someone cost ME that much money I'd be launching missiles at them too.

Are we sure it was Apeiron? I mean, we don't have evidence beyond the timing, and the scale, and the response, and the showmanship…

Yeah, it was probably Apeiron.

►Quester

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

So he didn't steal any money, he just exposed them? Isn't that basically vigilante work?

►Kwincy

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

They aren't going to put Skidmark on a stamp just because he fights Nazis. Gangs and villains go after each other all the time. The real problem will be the fallout from this.

►Tinker's Hoarder (Original Poster) (Wiki Warrior)

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

We have speculation in the News boards. Unless anyone has an idea of the skills or technology it would take to pull something like this off, it's not really relevant to this thread.

►CeFalon

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

If we could get back to the 'super mode' thing, assuming it's not Alexandria heritage shining through, do we have any idea what that could have been? Because all we know is he started to glow, apparently needed his healing at full force, then suddenly decided he could run on missiles and dropkick mechs.

Seriously, I don't even know what kind of technology could pull that off, especially if he needs his healing tech to manage it.

End of Page. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 ... 30, 31, 32

(Showing page 7 of 32)

►The EDG

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

Lots of possibilities, but none of them line up with needing the healing tech. That implies it's doing something to his body that's causing damage, either directly or as a side effect. Everything is kind of pointing to wet tinkering, and that's not a path I want to start speculating on.

►Rock Hard Physics

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

Apeiron's had serious healing technology since both his first rumored and first confirmed appearance. I'm pretty sure the guy is knee deep in wet tinkering already.

►The EDG

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

There's a difference between healing tech and whatever bio amplification would let you fight like that and need constant repairs to stay functional.

►Rock Hard Physics

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

Apeiron's healing technology isn't like Cask's boo boo brew. He regrew limbs. He saved people who looked like video game graphical glitches. The guy cured a peanut allergy as an afterthought during a post-surgery patch job. Draw a line from zero to his current level and you're going to cross multiple tiers of 'bio amplification'. The real question is what else is he holding back?

►Oakey

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

PRT Rating

Tinker: Nightmare

Joking aside, I don't think we're going to be able to crack this one. Too little data. It's going to be up there with what the hell his glowing circuit lines of healing actually are. Barring a public statement or a scan and report from a Protectorate tinker I think we're in the dark.

►Kapefab

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

Lack of information has never stopped PHO before, why should it now? Bring on the mad theories! I'm leaning towards the idea that he spliced his genes with luminous jellyfish DNA. The strength and speed are from a second, unrelated gene splicing.

►Luftwaifu

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

Clearly he's half spliced with his cape and half with another unrelated item of clothing.

►Cobolt

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

I know those are jokes, but should we consider genetic enhancement? Can tinkers even do that kind of thing?

►Battlebot (Not a tinker)

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

Not in a stable fashion. Every example has broken down eventually, sometimes horrifically.

►The EDG

Replied On Apr 18th 2011:

Well, there's your answer.

Seriously, Apeiron doesn't seem like the kind of cape who's following the PRT's testing and evaluation guidelines for new tech.

Style guidelines to a T, but probably not safety

End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 ... 30, 31, 32

31 Consensus

I may have made the offer of tea somewhat in jest, but when I saw what Survey had served Aisha it became a much more serious matter. I mentally checked with the A.I. to find out what it had done.

'Tea has been prepared according to official standards.'

I suppressed as shudder as I looked over the procedure for ISO 3103. I mean, it had been followed with incredible precision, but that document hadn't been assembled with the intention of producing a quality product tailored to a specific blend or type of tea.

'That is for standardized comparison of tea brands, not palatability.' I informed the A.I. as I looked over the results sitting on the table.

Survey put an expression of distaste on the projected hologram's face and sent a message to my implant. 'Why would the standardized process not produce the ideal product?'

I replied digitally as I started gathering up the tea set. 'Variations between brands, external factors, and specific blends require subtle differences in preparation technique. Additionally, personalizing the product towards a specific consumer produces superior results that would not be possible with universal standardized procedures.'

The A.I. seemed to understand and signaled that through the projected character's behavior. I was about to start preparing a new batch when Aisha broke in.

"Wait, are you talking with her?"

She was looking between me and the projected hologram in slight confusion, but that had nothing on my own reaction.

Her?

Seriously, her?

"Her?" I asked Aisha.

"Survey." She pointed at the hologram. "The computer lady."

I blinked. "Lady?"

"Well, yeah." She gestured at the admittedly feminine hologram. I just hadn't keyed to it since Survey had slowly been refining the image since I assigned the task of generating a profile. "You have the computer girl and the car guy."

I blinked again. Had Aisha just gendered my A.I.? I linked with the main copies of both programs to review the interactions and check on them regarding this development.

Survey provided a comprehensive breakdown of perceived gender-based interactions both online and in person with a tabulated matrix of advantages and disadvantages connected with presumed gender, and sub-categories detailing variants due to non-gender conforming behavior. The analysis included projected interactions and an analysis of the benefits in various scenarios, with a final ruling that perception as female was 67.832% more likely to be beneficial in terms of expected tasks and interaction.

Fleet responded with simple acceptance of the idea, accompanied by a data file containing the ratios of male to female fighter pilots and formula one drivers.

Looking back, this had probably been developing for a while, and was probably inevitable once they entered the more advanced computational environment of the optical computer core. I'd just been so focused on immediate problems and the A.I.s' development in other areas that I had completely missed it.

Somehow that made me feel like I'd been negligent.

I congratulated them, unsure if that was the right response. Actually, it probably was. This was a big step towards cementing an identity, so even if I didn't see it coming it was still important. The fact that it was apparently initiated by Aisha was secondary to the development it represented.

I shook off the implications and turned towards the girl. I was beginning to feel self-consciousness about keeping my face concealed. Something about cape costumes helped you get lost in the spectacle of a parahuman fight, but the idea of having a personal discussion in them suddenly made them seem ridiculous.

Huh, it's almost as if the whole hero/villain pageantry is being held together by the assumption that it's normal, and falls apart on closer inspection.

I pulled off my facemask, cowl, and visor and set them on the table before looking at Aisha. She was still wearing her scarf mask, but had shifted it away from her face, so it currently sat as a fashionable accessory. Trust Garment to design something that worked equally well for both concealing a cape identity and complimenting an outfit.

"They are my Fleet Management Program and Environmental Analysis and Survey System. Fleet and Survey."

Aisha looked over at Survey's hologram, which did a decent impression of a pleased expression. "It is nice to meet you." The layered synthesized voices had converged into a specific and unique tone.

I took the opportunity to dump the old tea off the side of the balcony. I didn't actually know what happened to stuff that fell off this possibly simulated mountain peak, but the undrinkable attempt at tea was as good a test ground as any.

There was the slightest quirk of irritation sent from Survey at my act, but that shifted to interest as I took up the tea set and moved towards the forge's lava pool.

"Right, likewise." Aisha gave the hologram a polite nod, which I found a bit weird since I knew there were no sensors or computational elements present in the image. "But you were talking with them, right?"

This was a safe enough topic, at least in how I could phrase it. "I have a neural interface. It lets me interact with my systems without having to enter anything manually."

Aisha nodded along. "So like Bakuda?"

I paused by the edge of the forge. "What, that hasn't been cleared up yet?"

"What do you mean?" Aisha rose from her seat to see what I was doing. Survey mimicked the motion from 'her' hologram. I'd need to remember those designations if I didn't want to undercut their development.

I used the heat of the lava to bring the kettle to a quick boil, then pulled it back while monitoring the temperature with my omni-tool. "Bakuda doesn't have a neural interface in her mask. It's a basic heads up display she was controlling with toe rings. Simple tech that you don't even need to be a tinker to throw together. The neural interface thing was just for show. I thought someone would have pointed that out by now."

Aisha considered what I said. "I don't think the Protectorate really wants to downplay the person who wrecked them like that. Like, the bigger and badder that Bakuda looks the less bad they seem for getting their heads handed to them."

Wow, the PRT misrepresenting things to cover for their own failings? Perish the thought.

She glanced over at the hologram being projected from the drone floating slightly behind it. "But you built them, right? Like programed them, or whatever? Well enough that they can talk and do stuff and make fun of people for not liking their tea?"

That got a quick inquiry from me, to which Survey relayed that she had informed Aisha of the technical adequacy of the tea and offered suggestions regarding potential causes for a defective pallet.

"Basically, yes." I worked to brew a new batch of tea as I spoke, binding natural energy into tea leaves that were admittedly better than my usual stock. Apparently they had been produced by some side project of my duplicates. "There's more to it than that, but before we get into that there's something you should know."

I set the teapot down to steep and turned to face Aisha. "You probably have a lot of questions about how all this works." Her eyes darted up to the looming volcano then back to me. "I'm willing to answer them." I assured her. "We've kind of moved past the point of deniability. What you know now won't be much worse than the full story, at least for most cases. But the fringe cases, they can get bad, and you need to know what you're getting into."

Aisha swallowed before responding. "The Simurgh, right? That's what you mean?"

I nodded. Aisha might be flighty, impulsive, and immature, but she wasn't dumb. The Endbringers weren't a subject of casual conversation. Most people went out of their way to avoid mentioning or even thinking about them. I could tell she understood the implications of our previous talk. She wasn't taking this lightly.

"The ways I've been avoiding her, well her and other stuff on that level? It's delicate. I can give you the full story, but afterwards you're going to need the same precautions, or as close as possible. You need to know what you're getting into before you ask."

Aisha nodded slowly, but there was a slight trembling in her hands. "I want to know. Whatever needs to be done after that, I can deal with it."

"Alright." I watched her closely. "As long as you're sure."

She took a breath and forced a smile onto her face. "Besides, need to start paying you off for the rescue. Maybe we can take some of that as part of the installment plan?"

"Okay, fuck that." I countered immediately.

"What?" she seemed more than a little taken aback by my exclamation.

"Aisha, I'm not billing you for saving your life." I explained.

She looked confused. "But, that's what you do, right? The Undersiders…"

"The Undersiders had been diving into one stupid situation after another and it damn near got them killed. I'm billing them to the full level that contract allows because it's probably the only way I can get them to pump the brakes on an escalation curve that would probably have them dead in a month at most."

"Wait, that's why they owe you money?" She had a perplexed look on her face.

I gestured around me. "Do I look like I'm hard for cash?" The weird thing was, I kind of was. I had very limited liquid reserves and most of them were from illegal income. There was probably a threshold of off-the-books earnings I could get away with claiming without attracting attention, especially now that I had something of a reputation as a neighborhood mechanic, but there were limits and one audit would probably destroy me. I really needed to get that sorted out to some meaningful degree. However, none of that was relevant to the current situation.

Aisha was clearly having a hard time parsing my intentions. I could tell the situation was bothering her, not just from her behavior but from my connection to the dragon pulse. That sense didn't exactly give empathy, but it conveyed people's physical states, enough to tell me that there was a lot of tension that Aisha was keeping under the surface. She was a lot more concerned about this than she was letting on.

I considered for a moment before trying a different approach.

"Aisha, what do you think your life is worth?" My voice was flat as I asked the question.

"What?" She sputtered. However she thought this was going to go, I had clearly taken it off the rails. It was getting a bit more conceptual than I preferred, but I needed to get this out of the way.

"Do you have a dollar value for your life? Or anyone else? Some number you can quote? Because I don't." I mean, I'm not an actuary. Okay, bad joke. I sighed before continuing. "I'm not charging you for today, not for saving your life or any of the stuff around it. I did it because I didn't want you to die. I didn't want your father and brother to go through that, and I wanted you to be safe." That made her flinch slightly and look away.

There was a moment where she stared into the mountains before replying. "You seriously don't want anything for this?" She asked in an uncertain voice.

I let out a slow breath before continuing. "If you want to stick to financial terms, then I didn't buy your life, I invested in it. And now I have a vested interest in keeping you alive." And I God damn did. It was clear that letting a parahuman with Aisha's age, temperament, and powerset try to function on her own wasn't going to work. I wasn't enough of a bastard to cut ties and wash my hands of her, which meant I needed to put in the work to keep her alive.

Aisha didn't seem to know how to respond to that. She stood in silence while I attended to the tea, staying just out of the roaring heat of the forge that my reinforcement let me ignore. Just as the tea finished brewing I poured energy into it using Elven Enchantment. The basic level, I wasn't singing to the teapot, but it was enough to take the perfectly brewed tea beyond the limits of perfection.

The exact moment it was complete there was a subtle reaction from Aisha. She was clearly restraining herself, and the previous statement was still weighing on her, but there were furtive glances towards the teapot and slight sniffs as she drank in the scent. I smiled and poured a cup, which she took enthusiastically.

The girl's eyebrows shot up as soon as she took her first sip. "Damn." She took a few more sips of the hot beverage in rapid succession. "This is even better than last time." She inhaled the scent of the liquid and took a long sip.

I looked over the mountains of my Skyforge and the tea before me. The volcano continued to churn out smoke and lava. Alright, I remember coming back here because Aisha was in the workshop with the volcano. I came straight here, can't remember why. It seems like it would be because of Aisha, but it was hard to make that connection. I glanced at Survey's hologram.

"She's over there." The soft, slightly electronic voice spoke as the hologram gestured towards an empty space.

"Sorry, sorry." Aisha was suddenly in front of me and apologizing profusely.

"It's alright." I assured her. The situation was still annoying, but I knew it wasn't her fault. "You seem to be getting better with that."

She nodded. "You were right about it getting easier, or maybe it's an emotional thing, or even tied to that passenger stuff. I don't know. But I was able to have a whole conversation with my brother without him wandering off, so that was nice."

"I'm glad it's getting easier." I was. I knew about having to struggle with the side effects of a power. Nothing as severe as Aisha's troubles, but something I could empathize with.

"Yeah." She took another sip. "Just lost focus. This is really good tea."

"Thanks." I gathered up the tea set and moved back towards the table with Aisha trailing behind me.

"No, seriously, do you have any idea how hard it is to find good tea in this city?" She took another sip as she settled into her seat. "Coffee chains are crap, specialty stores are hardly any better. Only half decent stuff was what they bring out for the ABB bosses."

She dove into her cup without elaborating, but I was struck with the image of invisible Aisha swiping teacups from the hands of the ABB elite. It was hilarious and horrifying all at the same time.

"My crafting powers?" She looked up from her cup. "They cover more than just machines."

"Yeah." She nodded. "I already had that sense from last time. Then the volcano showed up."

It was an obviously leading point, and it was about time to finally get into it. "You have questions." She gave me a flat look. "You know what you're getting into. Go ahead and ask."

She looked at her cup, then back to me, then her eyes darted back and forth a few times before she forced herself to put the half full teacup on the table. Before she could start I topped up the cup, which brought a smile to her face, then filled my own, which caused the smile to slightly falter. I could practically see the volumetric calculations being performed behind her eyes and wouldn't be surprised if she was estimating the remaining volume of tea down to the milliliter.

"I can really ask anything?" She gave me an uncertain look.

"Generally, yes." I answered. "If I want to trust you then you have to trust me, and you're probably not going to do that if I'm keeping things from you. If something is too dangerous or complicated to get into I'll let you know why, but this is me being open with you. What do you want to know?"

I was sounding more certain with the situation that I really felt. My passenger, despite his occasionally off-putting trivialization of Aisha's situation, was utterly confident in her. I was honestly worried about this, what could happen if it went wrong, and the consequences both for Aisha and myself. The truth was that I wanted this to work out. I didn't see another way that wouldn't involve the imposing of another toxic power dynamic on a girl who had suffered through too many of those already.

Aisha considered things for a moment, then took a breath. "Okay. So, what the hell?"

I looked at her with a blank expression. "You'll have to be a little more specific than that."

"What?" she set down the cup after taking a quick sip between questions. "You can't just tell me everything?"

"Everything is too much and too vague. What do you want to hear about first?" I took a sip from my own cup. It was really good tea, somehow calming and energizing at the same time. The flavor was smooth, without the bitter tang you sometimes get. The taste wasn't buried under the temperature and was strong enough to come through clearly without being overwhelming.

"Fine." She said with a slight sneer. The volcano spat a plume of lava into the air, glowing red flecks cooling to black in the setting sun. "So, how about this place?"

"The mountains, the workshop, or the volcano?" She smiled and I suspected I was going to get a mathematician's answer from her. "Alright, it's basically another universe."

"Uh, yeah." She looked around. "I kind of figured that. So is it one of those lettered Earths? Like, did you make a door to another planet? Universe, whatever? And why did the volcano show up."

I shook my head. "It's not a whole planet, it's part of my power. I made the key, but when I started it was just the entry room and a metal shop. My power adds stuff to it sometimes. I think they're from other universes, but I'm not sure. Usually they have something to do with crafting, tinkering, or some kind of technology."

She nodded slowly. "So it's like Labyrinth. Serious shaker stuff."

I shrugged. "Sort of. It's huge now, but I was basically working out of a closet for a while. I can't control what shows up or when."

She seemed to key to that. "That's the strategy trance thing, right?" I nodded. "So each time you're getting something new for this place? And the volcano happened when you were out?" She thought for another second. "Wait, you said it was figuring out tinker stuff. It's not just things for this place is it?"

I nodded. "My power kind of expands erratically. When it started all I had was this place. Sometimes I get skills, or knowledge, or powers that make crafting easier."

"How often does it happen?" She asked. "I mean, each time we met, plus during those fights on camera…"

"It started slow, but it's been getting faster." I explained. "And it's not all top tier powers. A lot of the time it's just some mechanical knowledge, how to fix a car, or how to design things to fit a theme better."

"But they add up, right?" Her eyes were shining as she put things together. Aisha wasn't dumb. "They keep stacking with each other?"

I nodded.

"Shit, that's like Eidolon crossed with Dauntless." Something seemed to occur to her. "Oh God, PHO's been shipping the wrong member of the Triumvirate with Hero."

I gave her a sour look and she broke into giggles. "God, I hate that rumor." My statement did nothing to deter her giggles. "And it's not all sunshine."

She nodded dismissively. "Yeah, but winning the superpower lottery is worth having to deal with random volcanos." The phrase seemed to amuse her even more.

"I'm serious. There are some real problems with this." She restrained herself enough for me to continue, but still looked skeptical. "A lot of the powers, especially the strong ones, they come with more than just whatever ability, and that can be hard to deal with."

"What do you mean?" She leaned in, mostly in concern but also to extend her empty teacup. I refilled it before continuing.

I wondered if I should get into this, but I already extended too far. My statement about the drawbacks had mostly been to shoot down her response to the strength of my powers. I didn't really want to have to explain all the crap I'd been dealing with.

Actually, in a way, I did. I desperately did want that. Master Builder's inhuman mindset, the military experience of Class: Engineer, the way the implant had just forced itself into my brain, I'd had no one to talk to about any of it. And that wasn't even getting into things like aura and having multiple S-Class threats under my belt.

Looking up I could see the humor had vanished from Aisha's face and she was looking at me with real concern. Right, perceptive girl plus my own status as a terrible liar. Well, might as well get this over with.

"Okay, there is no standard form of how my power expresses itself. As far as I can tell, none of the abilities I've gotten work the way a 'normal' tinker does." Aisha nodded along. "Sometimes I get intuitive understanding, sometimes it's like a database, sometimes it's personal experience, sometimes it's almost like a power, it just makes things work." I swallowed. "But sometimes it's memories."

Aisha's eyebrows rose and she restrained herself from taking a sip from her cup while I continued.

"So, sometimes they're clear, like actual memories of training to learn something, and sometimes they're just this feeling, like instincts that I should be able to place but can't. Sometimes they're so… so alien that it makes it hard to think normally. I've had to start monitoring how I think, trying to make sure it doesn't affect me too much."

Silence fell over the table as we sat there and drank our tea. I could feel my cloak bunch in around me as Garment manipulated it into what was almost a hug. It was a little weird, but I appreciated the gesture.

"You know…" Aisha began. "Everyone online, they think you have it on easy mode."

I let out a harsh laugh at the idea.

"Yeah." She continued. "Fuck, you've got the Simurgh, power problems, PRT after you, ABB on your ass, babysitting the Undersiders." She smiled at the last statement and shook her head. "They have no idea."

"Probably better that way." Aisha nodded at my statement. I let out a chuckle. "Aren't you glad you fell in with this mess?"

"Yes." Her answer was so flat and sudden it completely jarred the mood of the table.

I looked over at the now very serious thirteen-year-old. "Right, sorry for complaining about power issues to you."

"Don't…" She began, then sighed. "It's fine. And thank you. Like, for saving me, and everything else. If you aren't charging you can at least take that."

I was nodding in response when I felt the Celestial forge connect to a larger mote from the Quality constellation. It was called Divine Child - Hephaestus. It was incredibly powerful, and it had horrifying implications.

With a single connection I wasn't human anymore. I was now a demigod, the child of Hephaestus. That implication would have been bad enough, but the mote came with another minor power called Old Traditions. It gave me knowledge and understanding of ancient Greece. Comprehensive understanding. I could speak and read ancient Greek, perform their rituals, and understand their mythology.

A mythology that I was now part of.

Old Traditions completely vanquished any ideas that this could have been a metaphorical connection. There was an actual Hephaestus, god of the forge, and I was his child. I was the half-blood demigod son of an Olympian deity. The powers and abilities that came with this mote weren't just dressed up tinker powers or parahuman quirks. They were the result of having a direct, familial link to a god.

And there were a lot of powers. Without even getting into the more esoteric aspects there were fundamental biological changes. There was a buzzing in my brain from enhanced instincts, kind of a drive to combat. Not enough to be distracting, but enough to provide guidance in battle. Physically there was a complete overhaul. The changes were severe enough to really drive home my concerns about what had happened.

Demigods were obviously beyond other humans on a physical scale. This varied from god to god, but that was about the expression of the enhancement, not its presence. It was almost like stat allocation in an RPG, which were the most enhanced areas and which were the 'dump stats'.

Hephaestus wasn't exactly known for beauty or speed, but everything else got at least some improvement. The standouts were strength, dexterity, and most of all stamina. Everything you'd need to do grueling, high detail forge work for hours on end. They were also the areas that were least helpful to me. My nanites could restore stamina, I had precise manual dexterity, and strength wouldn't save me from an annihilator effect. It was an excess of what I already had, not more of what I desperately needed.

But this was a comprehensive power, as expected from something with a mote as strong as Master Builder's. This power, and all its baggage, came with a phenomenal ability called Technokinesis. It was a mastery of technology beyond anything I'd considered before. This wasn't antiquated forge god stuff, it was understanding and control of any technological item in the world.

I could feel technology around me, in my own equipment, in the drone linked to Survey. It was like linking with the machinery on a spiritual level. I could understand its function and how to operate it to the peak of what was possible. It was expertise and understanding all in one package, even direct communication with no required medium. I could detect faults in machinery and would be able to sense any kind of constructed traps. And that wasn't even getting into what I could build.

This power was connected with Unnatural Skill: Smith. The abilities stacked with and complimented each other, taking things beyond what was otherwise possible. Beyond the magical metals and emulated technology, this would let me create true divine wonders. It was a level of skill for which the word magitech was irrelevant, because it didn't care about the merger of forces, only the purity of craft. The smith god power enhanced all of my technological abilities, from the most basic engine maintenance to the very highest limit of what Clarketech could accomplish.

And this wasn't even the limit of the power. There was a second mote that had slipped away, slightly smaller, called Fate finds you interesting. It worked to enhance every aspect of this power. If I ever secured it, it would take this ability beyond the level of the largest motes, to the strength of those rare outliers. One additional connection to a mote smaller than Divine Child was all that it would take to unlock truly godlike power.

And the only price was imposed inhumanity and a persistent confusion about what the hell was happening.

I didn't know. Seriously, I had no idea what was going on. I was absolutely certain that I was the child of Hephaestus, but what the hell did that actually mean? I would ask questions about genetics, but with a 'parent' who had a divine form that seemed like the wrong avenue to solve this. What the hell was my genealogy like? Were my parents still my parents? My family still my family? The forge had done some weird stuff before, but it had never struck this close to home.

"Hey?" I looked up from my musings at Aisha's concerned face. "Jozef? Are you all right?"

My over-pronounced full name served to pull me out of my ruminations. I had someone else here. I couldn't just sink into contemplation and freely agonize over things.

"It's fine. I'm just…" I trailed off, not knowing how to proceed.

"You got a new power, right?" She asked.

I nodded and took a breath. "It... it changed my genetics. Seriously, in a big way. I'm… I'm trying to figure out if I'm still related to both my parents."

"Shit." She exclaimed. Her hand trembled on the handle of the teapot, then she forced it out to refill my cup, watching the liquid pour with a forlorn expression. "It can do that? Seriously?"

I nodded and gestured in thanks for the tea. "Not often, but yeah. It can mess with my body. This is a big one though, bigger than anything before."

Aisha took a slow sip from her cup before nodding. "Your shoulders are broader. That was the power right?"

I quickly checked the visual feed from Survey's drone. Yep, slightly more build, particularly in the upper body. A build designed for forge work.

"Yeah, that was it." I confirmed.

"So it happened before?" I looked at her in confusion. "Your jacket? It hid your muscles. Really well, actually. Was that tinker tech or Garment?"

I shrugged. "Bit of both, actually."

"Yeah, it did a great job of hiding things. I had no idea until you took it off." She took another sip of tea and looked sadly at the level of her cup. "You know, you hear about how hard people have to train to get a 'hero' body type." She smiled in what seemed like an attempt to reassure me. "I think most of the Protectorate is on restricted diets and spends more time in the gym than on the street. Most people wouldn't care about the other stuff if it meant they got a body like a Greek god."

I did a terrible job of concealing my reaction to that particular word. I hadn't expected it, and after being this candid I wasn't properly on guard, Aisha latched on to the reaction and zeroed in.

"What? What was that?" She asked.

"Look, it's nothing." I explained.

"That wasn't nothing." She gave me a hard look. "You said you'd explain things if I asked. Well, I'm asking. What the hell was that?" Her expression was defiant and her cup was empty. I wondered if I could bribe her away from this line of discussion with more tea, but ultimately decided against it.

How the hell would I even start to explain this? The magical side of the Forge was complicated enough that even I had a hard time accepting it. Explaining it to someone else felt like complete crazy talk. Another glance at Aisha showed that there was no way out of this. I took a breath and tried to gather my thoughts.

I could practically feel the intensity of her focus through the dragon pulse. There was no way I was going to be able to deflect this. I could also feel Garment's reassurance, which was even more comforting than the cloak bundled around me. Strangely, there was a third spike of emotion.

I could feel Tetra. The life fibers didn't understand the situation or what was being attempted in this conversation, but they picked up on my discomfort and were practically radiating concern and support. But that wasn't all.

Tetra could tell something had happened to me. Life fibers were incredibly sensitive to biological changes. Even without direct contact they could sense the energy of lifeforms. Tetra knew something big had happened and was actually extremely excited about it.

It was a bit odd that there was a universally positive reaction to this transformation and it was from the alien parasite. All Tetra knew is something had happened to my biology that, from its perspective, was an absolute positive. There was a serious eagerness for the next time we could connect and well as continual good feelings about the transformation.

The reassurance was honestly helpful in dealing with my immediate concerns, or at least setting them aside for the moment. I turned to Aisha and did my best to explain things.

"Alright, this is getting into aspects of my power that I don't fully understand, so if it comes off as crazy or doesn't make sense I can't help you." Aisha nodded. "Right, right." I took another breath.

"So, my power, when it gives me a new ability I get some information on it, how it works and other details." Aisha gestured her understanding and I continued. "Sometimes it's basic, like little more than a name and a few details, and sometimes it's really comprehensive information."

"Wait," She interrupted. "All your powers have their own names?"

"That's right." I confirmed.

"Items too? Like stuff that shows up here?" She looked around as she asked.

"Yes." I assured her.

"So, what was that called." She pointed at the volcano.

"Volcanic Forge." She raised an eyebrow. "Speeds up metalwork and can make really good alloys."

"You got an entire mountain just for that?" She asked, incredulously.

I shrugged. "I don't control this stuff."

"Right." She looked around. "Hey, what was this place called? Before the Volcano showed up?"

"The Skyforge."

She nodded, taking in the setting sun across the mountains and the shadows of the eagle statue. "Good name. What about downstairs?"

"That was just called the Workshop."

She scrunched up her face at that. "Boring." She paused. "Wait, so this has something to do with that last power?"

I nodded apprehensively. I wasn't sure how I was even going to bring up an idea this crazy. "It's…"

"Are you a god?" She exclaimed, cutting me off.

I stuttered in response. "What?"

"You said it changed your genetics, then you reacted when I mentioned Greek gods. That's it right?" Her eyes were shining and I was reminded how annoyingly perceptive she could be. I decided to push forward.

"Alright, the power is called Divine Child Hephaestus. Apparently it's supposed to make me the demigod child of Hephaestus. He was the Greek god of…"

"God of smiths and the forge. I know." I gave her a look and she smiled. "Princess Gwenevere."

"Ah." I nodded. "Right. He made a bunch of the superweapons they used in the sequel show."

"Noble Phantasms." She corrected. "Figured you'd know more about that, seeing as you have a reality marble worthy of Shawn Emiya."

I blinked as the Forge missed a connection to the Alchemy constellation. "This isn't a reality marble. And I make more than swords."

"Fine." She waved dismissively. "Shawn Alter."

I was getting into unfamiliar ground and needed to pull back. "You do get what I was saying, right?"

"Sure." She shrugged as she tilted out her empty cup, checking for any missed drops of tea. "And it's crazy, but I mean, you have a mountain range in your closet. You fixed someone with a chair stuck in their chest. You're pretty much leading a one-man gang war. If your power says you're a demigod I'm not going to argue with it."

It was a level of trust and acceptance of impossible concepts that is pretty much only possible with an eighth grader. I'm pretty sure Myrddin would have called me to task for making this claim, but Aisha was willing to roll with it.

"So, what did you get from it? I mean, other than rocking shoulders?"

I sighed, but remembered my promise. "Bunch of physical buffs, strength, dexterity and stamina. Also a kind of technology sense power. I can understand and use machines better."

"Couldn't you already do that?" She asked.

I shook my head. "That was through actual analysis, this is an innate power. It's like a sense for how technology works and how to use it." I took a moment to focus. There were other, more subtle aspects to the power. I could sense metals and heat, and there was a particular connection to the volcano, which at least made thematic sense. I think there was some slight control over heat, but without the second mote to strengthen it I doubt anything practical could be done with it.

"So can YOU make god weapons?" The question was teasing, but there was a glimmer of excitement in her eyes.

"Sort of?" She looked at me expectantly and I continued. "This power lets me work to a level of quality a lot better than what I could manage before."

"Right." She said. "Because you were basically churning out Squealer tech before."

I grinned slightly at the joke. "You said it, they add up. I have a whole bunch of powers that make what I build slightly better. This is the first one that's like, divine class."

She nodded. "Do you get a lot of that Adept shit? Gods and magic and stuff?"

I shrugged. "There's a lot of stuff my power calls magic, but as far as I can tell it treats parahuman powers the same way. Maybe the Adepts are right, or maybe it's just shorthand for how this all works."

"So you can make like, magic-magic, like pacts and circuits and all that stuff?" She asked, leaning forward.

"Uh, no. Not like that." I explained. "The magic, or whatever it is, that comes from this power needs special metals to work. I had a related power for a while, but it's hard to get the materials I need."

"What are they?" She asked.

I went over the creation of celestial bronze. "Well, I need a special kind of base metal. This power pretty much covers that. Also I would have needed a volcano, but, you know." The mountain shot another shower of molten spray into the air and Aisha nodded. "Third part is the hardest. I need to cool the metal in special water. Should be from the River Lethe."

"Where's that?" She asked.

"The Greek underworld." I answered grimly. "It was a magic river that made people forget things. Also a spirit of forgetfulness."

"And it's called the Lethe?" She asked, pronouncing the word carefully.

I nodded. "I might be able to make the water, or something similar, and there are other types of metal that might work, but without them most of this 'god' magic isn't going to work."

"Lethe." She sounded out the word again before turning to me. "But that's 'this' magic. You have other kinds, right?"

"Yeah." I took out my pistol and put it on the table. "I can make runes that give weapons different properties. Elemental stuff, but I'm working on other effects. I've got another power that lets me use elemental weapons better. I got another enchanting power that lets me empower stuff as I make it, but it's still pretty basic. Just improving the quality. Outside of that I've got a few potions and some alchemy."

"So that was all the wind slashes and earthquakes and stuff?" I nodded. "And with the other enchanting, do you have to like circulate prana or something? Do a big ritual?"

I shook my head. "No, it's just channeling energy. I pretty much do it whenever I make something."

She nodded slowly, then her eyes dropped to the teapot. "Wait… you made the tea. Did you enchant the tea? Have you been serving magic tea?"

"Yeah?" I admitted. She seemed halfway between impressed and offended. "I mean, this time. I couldn't enchant stuff last time. That was just good teamaking. And natural alchemy."

"What was that?" she snapped.

"I can channel and bind natural energy. It lets me make potions, that's what changed my eye color the other night." She started glancing around, her eyes moving in a way that suggested she wanted to check her eyes but couldn't figure out how. "I used it to improve the tea leaves, up the quality."

"And it's safe?" She asked, while making a show of trying to check her eyes in the polished surface of her cup. I fabricated a small mirror and handed it to her. She shot me a glare as she took it, then checked her eyes in the reflection.

"It only affected the tea leaves." I assured her. "You get better quality tea from the same ingredients."

"Uh-huh." She seemed satisfied with her eye color, then noticed the workmanship on the mirror and almost dropped it. "Did you enchant this too? Is this a magic mirror?"

"No, that's just a good mirror that looks nice." Aisha slowly rotated the gleaming hand mirror taking in the design work. "I told you, I have a bunch of powers that make stuff better quality."

"Right." She said, gently setting the mirror on the table. "How did you make that anyway?"

I pulled up the now unnecessary holographic interface for my omni-tool. "This is called an omni-tool. It's a combination computer, scanner, and micro fabricator. I have a reserve of omni-gel, kind of a slurry of dissolved metals and plastics, that I can use to make basic items. That's what I did there."

"Right, basic." She looked down at the mirror like it might bite her. She had been a lot more cavalier when talking about this stuff in the abstract than upon seeing it in action. "So," She steeled herself and turned towards me. "How magic was that tea?"

I sighed and pushed my cup away. "It's just tea." She gave me a look suggesting she didn't believe me. "That level of enchantment doesn't do anything but basic improvements. It's more tea than you usually get, but that's it. More of the positive aspects of tea are there, but there's nothing beyond tea."

I was saying the word tea so much that it was starting to sound weird.

"So that's it? Just super tea?" She eyed the cup with a combination of eagerness and apprehension.

"Yes, basic level enchanting." I explained. "I didn't dictate its nature or sing unseen aspects of reality into its creation."

"Wait." Aisha gave me a hard look. "You can do that."

"No." I countered. "I can't. The power is supposed to be able to do that, but that takes practice, training, and someone who can sing without offending everyone in earshot."

She gave me a questioning look. "What the hell is that power called, anyway?"

"Elven Enchanting." I answered.

"Elven." She responded flatly. "You gave me elf tea?"

It took me a second to figure out where she was coming from. "Look, it's just a name?"

"Really, demigod?" she asked, indignantly.

"Damnit Aisha, it's just well made tea. It's not going to steal your soul or put you to sleep for a hundred years. I'm not some kind of fey."

"Are you sure? Have you tried this before?"

"Yes." She gave me a questioning look. "I had an elven sandwich for lunch."

That seemed to take the wind out of her sails. "Sandwich?"

"Turkey club." I replied. "It was really good."

"A… sandwich?" I nodded at her. "God, okay. I can't actually picture a sinister plot involving a turkey club."

"It was a really good turkey club."

She grinned at me. "Alright, I'm prepared to accept that your magic tea isn't actually some evil plot." She picked up the teapot and handed it to me. "But just to be sure you better make another pot, you know, so I can check."

With the smirk on her face I had to wonder how much of the early pageantry had been her pulling my leg. Still, I took the pot and carried the tea set back to the lava pool. Or course, I didn't need to brew my tea over molten lava, but seriously, who was going to use a camp stove or hot plate if they had a domestic volcano handy?

"So," Aisha called as I worked on the tea. "What's all this for?"

"What do you mean?" I asked as I set a second pot to brew.

"Like, what's the end goal? You're building up, getting more powerful all the time. You just became a god."

"Demigod." I corrected. "Still mortal." And still with concerns about what the Forge might have done to my genetics. It could change things retroactively, I knew that from the implant, so what did this mean about my parents?

"Fine, but you're strong and getting stronger. Where is this going?" The question was asked with a combination of excitement and concern, and more troubling, I didn't have an answer ready.

"I don't really know." I admitted. At her glance I continued. "Right now, it's about dealing with the ABB. Bakuda, Oni Lee, Leet, and the thinker. After that probably try to convince the Protectorate I haven't been mastering people, then I guess work through threats as I can manage them."

"What do you mean?" She asked while watching the steeping teapot like a hawk.

"Well, I get enough power and resources I should be able to counter threats other people haven't been able to deal with." This was getting into darker topics that I wasn't comfortable discussing with a thirteen-year-old, no matter what her life experience was like.

"So what, you're going to go around dealing with major threats, like a one-man Guild?" Aisha leaned forward just as the tea finished and I bound energy to it. I wondered how she got the timing so exact, but put the question aside and poured her a cup.

"Maybe. I've been dealing with things as they come, so I haven't really made long term plans. I've barely been keeping my gear up to date with my powers."

"Right." She drew out the word sarcastically as she smiled over her cup. "You've really been dragging your feet. Shoddy workmanship everywhere. I mean, this tea is just barely magically delicious. You really need to step up your wizardry."

I sighed. "Aisha, I have a handful of ways to apply what are probably dressed up parahuman effects to objects. I'm not actually some kind of fantasy wizard."

The girl pouted slightly into her cup and I felt the Celestial Forge move again. It was the Magitech constellation, the smallest mote from the Magitech constellation, but I connected. I finally had a second connection, a way to link magic and technology properly.

And the power was called Setup Wizard. And was accompanied by a slight rumble from deeper in the workshop.

"What was that?" Aisha asked.

I had no way around this. I swear, the Forge was taunting me at times like this. I know about confirmation bias, and how you can find patterns in truly random systems, and a large enough sample size will eventually produce results that can be taken as ordered. But none of that was a comfort when faced with what had just happened.

"That," I explained in a grim voice. "was my power giving me a magic wand."

So we found ourselves in the entryway of my workshop staring at the newly installed locker. I'd made a quick stop at the throne to renew my memory protection before checking on the wand's location. It was a small addition to the wall, barely a few inches square, and slid out in its entirety like a safe deposit box. On the front of it was a gold placard with elaborately engraved writing on it.

'Black Walnut and Unicorn Hair'

'11 ¼ inches'

Aisha watched me eagerly with her teacup in one hand and the entire pot in the other. Survey maintained 'her' hologram, mimicking Aisha's interest when I knew the A.I. already watched and recorded everything from every sensor available.

The girl made an encouraging gesture and I sighed before sliding out the case from the wall. It opened to reveal a thin stick of black walnut, elaborately carved and sculpted. Sculpted in a way that seemed just perfect for my hand.

I wanted to maintain my skepticism and frustration with the Forge, along with my irritation at having this moment turned into a spectator sport. I wanted to hold onto that mindset, but upon seeing the item in the box all my reservations disappeared.

My right hand moved before I even realized what was happening. My fingers closed around the dark brown wood. They brushed against the smooth texture, feeling just the barest hints of the grain before closing around the carved heartwood. As soon as the wand was in my hand I felt a surge of power like nothing before.

This wasn't the rush of life fiber energy, or the exhilaration of a new connection from the Forge. This was, well it was like coming home. It was like reconnecting with a friend that you had forgotten about, but within seconds you were as close as ever. Warmth flowed up my arm and a sense of security and confidence filled my body.

This was good. It was an unquestionably good thing in my life. Memories flooded me at the sensation, or warmth and light and beauty. It was the most unquestionably positive thing I had received from the Forge since that memory of the pair of trees on the hill.

I tightened my grip as my mind called that image to the forefront. I may have tried to play this off to Aisha as possible parahuman powers through an unusual method of application, but I knew I didn't really believe that. This was magic. True pure magic. It bubbled within me, waiting to be expressed.

I swung the wand in a graceful arc and a shower of gleaming silver sparks flowed forth, hanging in the air like moondust before fading into the background of the room. With that expression of magic I could feel the wand settle. Not receded, just held back, waiting for when it was needed.

I had a magic wand, and it was wonderful.

"So," Aisha grinned over her cup. "You're a wizard now?"

I sighed. I could feel the power in the wand, but accessing and directing it was another matter. "No." I countered her. "That was about the limit of what I can manage."

"Seriously?" She asked. "What kind of power was that?"

"That power was about getting magic and technology to work together." I explained. "The wand was a bonus. My power does that sometimes, adds little trinkets or minor abilities."

"Really?" She gave me a questioning look.

"Yeah." I admitted. "That demigod power came with the ability to speak ancient Greek. Usually they're slightly useful, entertaining, or the kind of thing that takes a lot of work to get any useful result."

"Okay," She conceded. "But you have your implement and your demesne. You just need your familiar and you'll be all set."

I blinked in surprise. "Wait, was that Maggie Holt?"

"You had sisters, right?" She asked. "You must have seen at least one of the movies growing up."

"Actually, I read the version from Earth Aleph." I admitted.

"Thornburn?" She accused.

"That's right." I nodded defiantly.

"So…" She looked up at me. "It's like that, is it?"

"I'm afraid so." I met her gaze without flinching.

We stared at each other, each fully prepared to dive into the most well-trodden debate in adolescent fiction.

Aisha was the one to crack first, bursting into a fit of giggles that was positively infectious. I found myself joining in, and then Survey made an attempt to emulate the behavior with her hologram. Seeing the result only made Aisha laugh harder, starting the cycle again.

Finally things calmed down enough for us to get a hold of ourselves. Aisha leaned against the wall, taking deep breaths with the occasional residual giggle breaking forth.

"Seriously." She panted. "How many capes end up arguing about the Maggie Holt series?"

"I don't know." I admitted. "It's been going since the eighties, so probably more than you'd think." I paused. "Wait, is that why you were worried about elf tea?"

"Sort of?" She shrugged. "I was mostly messing with you, but the thought did come up."

"Aisha, these are real powers. You can't use fictional series as the basis for how they'll work." I flicked my unicorn hair wand to accent the statement, sending out a small shower of sparks as it moved.

"Are you sure?" She asked. "I mean, you said you don't know where this stuff comes from, and it's probably all from different universes. That means your powers probably come from different universes as well. So maybe it would work to look at them that way, like from a universe based on something else?"

"That's not how the multiverse works." I clarified. "You have divergence points and different historical paths. There's no selection of historical events that's going to lead to the Blake Thornburn universe."

"Maggie Holt universe." She corrected. "And are you really sure? What about that Greek god power you just got?"

I sighed. The uncertainty of that situation was diminished with the feeling of confidence from having a wand in my hand, but there were still some major concerns. "I don't know." I admitted. "I know it works in a way that lines up with Greek mythology, but not more than that. This is getting into high level aspects of power expression, cause vs effect, and mechanics of the supernatural. I don't have a perfect handle on it, so I can't really explain it to you."

"I guess that's fair." She admitted. "Would have been cool, though."

"Yeah." I conceded as the Forge missed a link to the Time constellation.

Aisha glanced through the force fields and holograms that secured the entrance to my apartment in Brockton proper. "Uh, hey. I didn't ask, and feel kind of horrible for leaving it till now, but you know, volcano." I nodded. "How did things go after I left? Was everything alright?"

I considered her question. "It went okay. I got some of the ABB's assets, but their main accounts were too well protected. Some kind of parahuman banker blocked me. After that the ABB scrambled some capes, but I managed. No captures, but no fatalities, civilian or otherwise."

Aisha nodded. "I kind of wish I could have seen it."

I considered things, then checked with Survey. "Well, Uber and Leet streamed the fight. Do you want to watch it?"

"What, seriously?" She asked.

"Yeah, I have a new TV room I've been meaning to try out." One my duplicates had built. Still, might as well get some use out of it. Garment flapped on my back, reminding me I should probably get changed as well. "Survey can take you there. I'll meet you with Garment after I get changed."

I sent Aisha off, guided and watched by Survey, as I gathered the clothing I had discarded in my haste to rescue Aisha and made my way into the Laboratorium. Walking through the place with my new technology sense was an incredible experience. In addition to the chirps of communication from the skulls as they digitally announced their progress on various tasks I could feel a deeper connection to the technology of the place.

The Laboratorium was old. I don't think I really appreciated how old it was. There were elements of this place that had thousands of years of operation behind them. Even considering the machine spirits' commitment to not expanding beyond their design parameters that kind of experience has a weight behind it. Every piece of machinery in the room, from the most advanced computer to the most minor diagnostic tool, had weight, history, and an unbelievable amount of care behind it.

Almost instinctively I dipped a finger in a font of oil and traced a pattern along the seam of a diagnostic engine as I walked by. The action seemed arcane, but it displaced micro particles of dust that were beginning to impede secondary systems of the sensor array. The quick motion prevented any harm and brought the device back to peak performance.

The basic machine spirit of the engine sent out an electronic acknowledgement of the action and the skulls trilled thanks on its behalf. The coordination systems of the Laboratorium registered the monitoring of the system was no longer needed, logged the action, and shifted focus to other matters with the vague sense of appreciation for not having a noisy subordinate bothering them any more. The entire room seemed to shift slightly towards higher efficiency through a single act.

It was holistic maintenance. A decidedly odd concept, if surprisingly effective.

When I reached Tetra's stasis bay Garment stripped off my costume, folded off my hands, returned her dress from its cape form, and began spooling the fibers away from my body. It felt a bit callous to be using the temporal suspension system at this point, but I didn't sense any discomfort from Tetra. From their perspective it was a non-event. There had been no gaps where the fibers weren't being attended to by me. That was probably a big factor in their development.

Still, I brushed a hand against them as they pulled away from my body. There was the flare of energy, but it wasn't as draining or overwhelming as before. Divine stamina could endure life fibers better than human, and the fibers clearly enjoyed a divine host more than a human one.

The fibers wrapped briefly around my hand and I could feel the connection as our chi circulated. It was stronger and more stable than before. There wasn't even the mad hungry clamping of the first experiment. Tetra released my hand freely as Garment completed the spool and the stasis field activated. With that my sense of their energy ended.

This was a really big step forward, and it felt like I'd been dealing with a lot of them lately. Looking around I realized eventually I'd need to fill in Aisha on this place, Tetra, and the other high level threats I had access too.

After our initial conversation I was feeling better about this plan. She was still Aisha, but I could tell how hard she was working to restrain herself. I came into this with trust rather than derision, and Aisha seemed to be trying to measure up to the faith I put in her.

Really, I would really have liked to have torn into her about this whole mess. The plan was stupid and impulsive and nearly got her killed. Would have if not for me. And the only reason she had an out was her stealing my cell phone number from a text to my therapist. There was boiling frustration at the violation of that act, but I swallowed it. I knew where she was coming from. Chewing her out might make me feel better, but it wouldn't resolve any of the problems with this situation.

I sighed and made my way to the TV room, stopping briefly at the throne to secure my memories again. The TV room was a modification to part of the Hidden Hideaway house. I hadn't visited that part of the base since my initial tour, but it seemed it was a popular destination for duplicates to spend their 20% time.

The entire lower level had been remodeled, and I wouldn't be surprised if the upper floor had received the same treatment. The building had kept it's 1930s-1940s style while still being cleaned up and modernized. I could spot small improvements, conveniences, and the massive improvement of quality on every item in the house.

The TV room wasn't as ridiculous as I feared. Yes, the screen was basically an entire wall and I'm pretty sure the sound system would overpower those sonic cannons police used to break up riots, but there was none of the ridiculousness I was afraid of.

I entered with a heaping tray of snacks that had Aisha perk up immediately. My latest brush with Tetra reminded me how hungry the expenditure made me and I decided to head things off before I ended up drowning out the video with the rumbles of my stomach.

That might not have seemed possible with the strength of the sound system, but you have to consider just how famished I could get post life fiber. As a hint, the tray represented less than a third of the food I actually prepared.

"So, this more goblin food?" Aisha asked, but the way she grabbed a sandwich from the tray betrayed her real opinion on the matter.

"Yes it's enchanted." Though that clarification was probably unnecessary with the expression Aisha made as she took her first bite.

Garment slid onto the couch next to Aisha and began fussing over the holes in her costume. I took a seat on the other side of Garment, followed by a hologram of Survey appearing sitting next to me. I could tell Fleet was observing the interactions, but had no particular interest in projecting a hologram for simulated engagement.

There was a remote on the table that was completely unnecessary with my implant, but I picked it up anyway. It was child's play to link with the computer core and find Uber and Leet's broadcast. I made a show of turning on the TV with the remote and the opening image of Uber and Leet's robots moving down the street appeared. Before I could start the video Aisha leaned over and pointed at the remote.

"Hey what does that do?"

There was a large button in the center of the remote that was simply labeled IMAX. Aisha looked at me expectantly and I privately cursed my duplicates for putting me in this situation. It was another thing Aisha would have to find out about at some point, but not something I wanted to volunteer right now. Instead I put on a show of knowing what I was doing and pressed the button.

Darkness swallowed the room as the space seemed to bow around us. Before us stood a towering screen, easily 35 by 30 meters. The room had seemed to expand, leaving us sitting in the center of an oversized IMAX theater with Uber and Leet's broadcast projected on the screen.

Aisha's eyes glowed in the dim light. "You can make it look like we're in an IMAX theater?" Her voice was full of wonder.

"Yes." I answered stiffly, my technokinesis resonating with the excessive number of spatial engines currently in operation. Simple Scientific Solution. Household problems. Problems like not having enough space for a home IMAX theater. "That's what it looks like."

I ignored the way my voice echoed around the cavernous space and hoped Aisha would be too distracted to inquire about it. Instead I started the video.

The image of the pair of robots speeding down the street sprang to life, complete with better sound and cinematography than should have been possible from a live broadcast. The advantage of tinker tech camerawork.

"Jesus." Aisha exclaimed. "How the fuck did he build that stuff so fast?"

Survey answered before I could. "Virtuaroids were composite constructs primarily driven by recycled structural and defensive fields." A holographic outline of each robot with the massive amounts of empty space present appeared above Survey's projected hand. "Comparisons indicate composite equipment from at least seventeen prior projects. Construction work also indicates a partially completed frame that had been rapidly augmented."

Aisha watched the presentation play out. "So he took some failed projects and crammed them into some unfinished robots and called it a day?"

"That is an imprecise description of the situation." I nudged Survey through my implant. "Though no part of it was entirely incorrect."

Aisha seemed to take that as a win and turned back to the screen just in time to see my motoroids slam down and send Leet's robots flying on a wave of earth. The Size constellation passed by without a connection as I watched myself execute Fleet's maneuver, launching over them, flipping off and landing on a lamppost.

"Holy shit!" Aisha exclaimed at the spectacle. She gave me a questioning look.

"Fleet's idea. He wanted to test out a new maneuver." I felt the older A.I.'s satisfaction at the statement.

"God damn, Fleet doesn't mess around." She fell silent as the dialogue began, coming across clearly this time. Her smile grew wider with each exchange until it looked like her face might split in half.

By the time the fight broke out she was on the edge of her seat, following every blow on the giant screen. There was even a brief moment where I wondered why I was watching this in the TV theater before my awareness of Aisha flickered back. She quickly apologized before focusing back on the fight.

"Jesus fucking Christ!" She exclaimed as the lasers tore across the sky. "Why didn't you use those things earlier? They single shot or something?"

"No," I shook my head. "Too powerful. At the very least firing at the ground would have damaged the surrounding buildings."

"The least?" She asked.

"New system." I explained. "Wasn't sure how much I could throttle it back."

She let out a long whistle, then watched as the suits flew away.

"Going after the launch site." I explained.

"And you can handle them with just one…" She dropped off as the final suit rose into the air, away from the battlefield. Then her jaw dropped as I finished integrating Leet's sword rifle into my pistol.

"That's gotta piss him off." She smiled, a smile that faltered slightly when the red lines of the life fibers appeared over my body, and faltered more when the nanites activated. She was about to ask me something, but whatever the question it was forgotten in the spectacle of me entering the fight personally.

Aisha watched the display like the climax of an action movie. For me it was confirmation of various aspects I hadn't had time to analyze from my own readings. Yes, life fiber energy suspended or altered some aspects of classical physics. It hadn't just been the inertia system that failed, at least three of Uber's robot's defensive screens had burned out on the first hit. And yes, I actually did jump off of missiles to get the height for my final strike on Leet's machine.

Interestingly, I could read Aisha's reaction through the dragon pulse. It was just her physical state, probably tied to its medical applications, but I could feel every beat of excitement and apprehension through the fight. It was like being in a crowded theater where you got a sense of the people around you, only much more precise.

The fight ended with my final exchange with Leet followed by his overloaded plasma bomb which was enough to take out the sensors. Aisha took a moment to process the scene.

"What did Leet mean by that?" She asked. "What he said at the end?"

I shrugged. "Probably nothing good." She gave me a look and I continued. "Okay, Leet can build anything, right? But the closer it is to what he built before the more likely it is to fail. Now, between the thinker and some possible personal development he's pretty much bypassed that limit. He can make short-use technology for anything."

"But that wasn't what he was talking about?" She guessed.

"Probably not." I let out a breath. "Absolute worst case scenario? He goes for the technologies he's been staying away from."

"What kind of technologies?" Aisha looked concerned.

"There are some things that Protectorate won't tolerate. Exponential replicating technology is the only thing that guarantees an S-class rating, but there are dozens of other fields that are regarded as blanket threats."

"Like what?" She looked as interested by the idea as she was concerned by it.

"Well, anything to do with dimensional travel. Professor Haywire cemented that. In fact, any dimensional technology more advanced that Dodge's pocket universes would set off warning bells. There's also more aggressive temporal effects, a lot of nanotechnology, self improving A.I.s and nearly the entire field of wet tinkering. Also anything that messes with powers, enhances, suppresses or grants them."

Aisha let out a whistle. "Leet can make some of that stuff?"

"Leet can make all of that stuff." I replied grimly. "He's stayed away from it to avoid heat, but if he gets pushed enough he could end up going in that direction. It'll be worse if he gets lumped in with Bakuda's eventual kill order."

Aisha considered things, then the significance hit her. "He'd have no reason to hold back?" I shook my head. "Damn. That could get messy." That was something of an understatement. "Could you stop him if he went full S-Class?"

"Maybe?" She gave me an incredulous look. "Okay, probably. Especially if I have time to prepare and build up more. But with Leet I have no way of knowing what he can make or how bad it will be. I can build faster and better than him, but he still knows more fields than me. And that's not even touching on what the thinker can coordinate." Something occurred to me and I checked the timestamps.

"Fuck."

"What?" Aisha asked.

"The PRT was going to announce the thinker's identity at a press conference. That was at the same time I was fighting Uber and Leet. God, I hope I didn't screw up that announcement."

I linked with Survey and checked on the status of the broadcast. Her obsessive recording of everything proved a boon and she quickly loaded a record of the press event.

It was broadcast in standard resolution, a format that made Uber and Leet's broadcast look significantly more professional. Still, that probably made it easier for television broadcasts, and that's undoubtedly who they were playing for.

The conference had been held in front of the PRT headquarters. The front, with the nice plaza, sculpture, and tall lobby windows behind them. Not the garage entrance that apparently had burned for two days after the bombings. That was absent from the shots and I doubted anyone in the press corps would ask about it.

Director Piggot was standing at a podium flanked by Clockblocker, Browbeat, Kid Win, and Vista on her right and Triumph, Battery, and Weld on her left. Weld looked as professional as ever and was being kept adjacent to the director. Everything was set up so that he and Clockblocker would be at least partially within every shot of the conference.

I hadn't made any statements about recovering Weld and the PRT hadn't attributed the action to me either. For me it was something of a good will gesture to let them dress it up however they wanted, knowing that they couldn't push too far without embarrassing themselves.

Their chosen approach seemed to be just not mentioning it. Weld was back, look at him standing there. How did he get back? Wow, isn't it great that he's back? Look how back he is! No, I'm not avoiding anything. What questions?

Yeah, I was confident that the press corps would be carefully sidestepping that issue as well. I was fine with that as long as they didn't decide to dive into any questions about the altered finish of his skin or why he may have a sudden interest in Brockton's assortment of Thai restaurants.

They had done a decent job of setting up the scene but I could count at least five, well ten, okay more like thirty… A lot. I could see a lot of ways it could be improved, especially if you considered the effect they were going for. Actually, with a fully critical eye it was almost painful. Did they even direct this, or did they just center the shot on the building and hope for the best? They didn't even take into account the angle of the sun. Those shadows were practically highlighting the exhaustion on the Director and Protectorate capes, and not in a way that made them look earnest and hard working.

"That Director Piggo?" Aisha asked.

"Director Piggot." I corrected. "And yeah, it is."

The girl leaned forward slightly. "Is she, like, okay? Not to be a dick about it, but she doesn't look that healthy, and not just from the weight."

I nodded glumly. "There are rumors online about it, but no official statement about her condition. It's pretty severe, but the official policy is that it doesn't affect her ability to function in her role as director."

Aisha didn't look convinced, and I was right there with her. Even before I got my expanded abilities it was clear that something was wrong. Now I was getting a dozen warning signs. That was seriously bad health, and probably several unrelated injuries or conditions. There was no way it wasn't affecting her ability to function.

The Director began to talk, saving me from further analysis. The four of us, or five counting Fleet, fell silent as the recording of the conference began.

"Thank you for coming. This has been a challenging time for our city. We have endured hardship and tragedy on every level during the events of the last few days."

She knew how to handle herself at a press conference. Also, the PRT had a good makeup team. They did a good job of covering the weight of exhaustion on Director Piggot's face without it looking artificial or overdone.

"The monstrous actions of Bakuda and the ABB have sown chaos not just in our city, but across the entire north east. Protectorate teams across the region have been struggling with the damage and aftermath of the attack."

She paused for effect and a string of flashes caught her serious expression.

"Over the past few days we have seen mounting violence from the Undersiders, horrific brutality from the ABB and the rise of powerful new capes. But these forces have been met by the heroes of this city, both Protectorate and independent, working to restore order to our city."

She shifted slightly, letting the focus move towards the line of Wards.

"Today we gather to celebrate our youngest heroes. During the worst of the ABB attack, Brockton Bay's Wards defended the staff and guests of the Forsberg Gallery against a brutal kidnapping attempt. They were able to drive off the force of attacking villains and ensure the safety of the civilians under their care. Sadly, the gallery was destroyed in the attack, a tragic cultural and architectural loss for the people of this city."

Clockblocker's body language shifted slightly at that, but I couldn't tell exactly what the reaction was about.

"During the crisis, acting team leader Clockblocker displayed exceptional judgement and leadership. His quick thinking and resourcefulness ensured the safety of thirty-four civilians and coordinated a plan that nearly resulted in the capture of half of the attacking force. In recognition of his brave and selfless actions I am pleased to present him with an official commendation from Chief Director Costa-Brown."

Clockblocker stepped up and shook the director's hand. She passed him some kind of framed certificate. I guess medals would be a little too military for the image the protectorate was going for. She stepped slightly to the side to allow him to take the podium.

"Thank you Director Piggot. It is an honor to receive this commendation. On behalf of my team I would like to extend my condolences to all those harmed by these attacks and assure the people of this city that the Wards will be there for them."

He came across as a little coached, but was clearly putting in the effort. I was beginning to suspect that this conference was mainly designed to generate sound bites and clips that would look good outside of context.

"In addition to Clockblocker, special recognition has been awarded to the Brockton Wards' newest recruit. Browbeat was instrumental in saving a civilian from one of Bakuda's implanted devices, carrying out the procedure with minor assistance and no detrimental effects."

The big ward stepped forward but didn't approach the podium.

"I am pleased to announce that Browbeat has been recognized by the Protectorate as a class two trauma responder and will be undertaking expanded medical training along with his Wards curriculum."

There was a series of flashes from the assembled reporters as the purple clad cape held his pose like a statue before falling back into line at some unseen cue.

"I am also happy to announce Weld's return to service following his recovery from Saturday night's conflicts."

The metal teen smiled and waved at the cameras. I had to wonder if they were intentionally using recovery as a double meaning, or if they really committed to the idea that he was on medical leave. They never publicly stated he was at the bottom of the bay, but that didn't stop theories. I could see them burying this and hoping I didn't bring it up.

Shit, did they think I was holding this over them? Well, it was the kind of thing that would only be relevant in the short term. I could just sit back until the event got buried under the cape news cycle.

Oh, the Forge connected to a small mote from the Knowledge constellation. Analysis. It let me identify defects in hardware from casual observation. Any kind of hardware, from devices, to vehicles, or even buildings. It had the advantage of letting me ensure my own work avoided any flaws while letting me exploit defects in my opponents equipment. Not bad for one of the smallest motes.

I turned my attention back to the conference as Piggot continued.

"With the Wards returned to full strength and the Protectorate recovering, actions are being taken to ensure the continued peace of our city. The damage from the blackout was far reaching, but recovery and restoration has nearly been completed. The damage to our city, from the devastation of the Forsberg Gallery to the corner shop damaged by unrest, will take time to fully heal."

It was heartfelt, tender, and a stark example of the kind of bullshit that made me want to stay away from PR work. It was worse than lying, it was lying with the intent to manipulate. I understood the necessity of it, but that didn't mean I had to like it.

"We are ready to face the evolving cape environment of Brockton Bay. The ABB has proven themselves to be a dire threat that must be taken seriously. In addition to the established threats of Lung and Oni Lee the addition of Bakuda has presented a drastic and imminent threat. The actions of the last few days crossed every line of restraint and decency, creating a monstrous and personal threat that many of our citizens still find themselves subject to."

She was getting into current events and hamming it up for the cameras. I wondered how she would spin my own involvement, or the Undersiders? Still if she was going through the ABB the thinker would be announced soon.

"The ABB has made their ambition clear, and must be stopped. In addition to their established alliance with the duo of Uber and Leet, we have confirmed that prior to the attacks they recruited a minor villain from New York to bolster their numbers. The Protectorate will be focused on countering and containing the actions of this gang."

I leaned in as Piggot elaborated.

"Their latest recruit has been identified as March, a thinker-striker with a talent for coordination. We believe she was able to assist in the deployment of forces on Saturday night. This, coupled with unexpected synergy from Uber and Leet, has created an unexpected…"

Director Piggot kept droning on, spouting details of gang composition, the status of the city, and counter initiatives. I wasn't listening. Nothing she said had any bearing, not when compared to the pit of dread that had opened within my mind. I was getting a single feeling from my passenger, one so strong it dwarfed everything before it. Even the highest intensity that had been conveyed before the bank job didn't approach this level. It was a devastating fear of such complexity that I could only express it in two words.

Not right.

This was wrong. March was wrong. March here was wrong. Not now, not here, not with the ABB, not in this city. Whatever had stopped my passenger's analysis was completely torn away and every fear and concern hit me like a truck.

"Uh, Jozef?" Aisha asked. Garment was expressing concern and even Survey was trying to emote through her hologram. "Are you alright?"

"…no." The word was about all I could manage as I struggled under the weight of what my passenger was trying to convey.

"Is it like before? Did you get another bad power?" She was glancing at Garment, trying to figure out what she should be doing.

I just shook my head. "Thinker power." I stuttered. "March."

"The Rabbit." Aisha nodded. "She's really that bad?"

"I don't…" It took a breath and tried to sort through my passenger's reactions. "I'll try to find out."

It wasn't easy. The droning of the press conference didn't help, but I didn't care enough to turn it off. The Director was using the time to highlight various actions of PRT teams during the crisis and future plans for countering the ABB. I could tell they were mostly for show, but with March in the equation my passenger was absolutely convinced they would fail.

How the hell had this happened? March was apparently an incredible threat and my passenger hadn't seen her coming. Well, no. My passenger had, but not now. Whatever he knew, it wasn't right anymore. March was a threat from another time and place, but somehow she was here.

Before she was supposed to.

It answered a question about my passenger's predictions. I didn't have active precognition at my disposal. I had a single look into the future, probably from the time of my trigger event. That meant everything I did that changed things made the predictions less accurate. I could probably trust his assessment of people or past events, but my ability to see the future was crumbling.

I was losing a safety net I barely realized I'd been relying on. How long before things changed too much for any of the original predictions to be useful? Had it already happened? I was adrift with a monstrous threat with no idea what she was planning.

The fact that I was now in the same boat as every other cape on the planet provided no comfort at all.

That didn't help. I might not be able to predict her, but I could obviously assess her. My passenger knew how dangerous she was, so I just had to consider things and gauge his reaction and find out what I was dealing with.

I leaned forward and concentrated, considering comparisons, match ups, and counter powers. The comparison to the threat level of anyone else in Brockton Bay was almost laughable. March clearly worked on another level, and I had to find out what it was. What was her end goal? What was she working towards that was so terrible?

The answer hit me like a lightning bolt and I shot to my feet in a fit of shock and fury. The words were out of my mouth in a scream of rage and fear before I even had a chance to process them.

"HOW CAN IT BE WORSE THAN THE ENDBRINGERS?"

Aisha's expression of shock was mirrored by Director Piggot's as the press conference was bathed in red light and the sound of my magitek lasers could be heard through the recording. There was a scrambling of activity on the screen before the recording cut off. At this point I didn't even care about interrupting a live broadcast with a tactical weapon. I, somehow, had bigger problems.

"The Endbringers?" Aisha's voice was practically a whisper. People don't talk about the Endbringers casually. The fact that I had repeatedly mentioned them and had a concrete reason for doing so clearly made an impression.

I took a breath and reminded myself that I was dealing with a traumatized thirteen year old girl. Actually, that wasn't really relevant. Anyone who used the phrase 'worse than the Endbringers' and was serious about it was working in an area that would be too much for seasoned veterans, much less minors.

"I don't know exactly what." I explained. At this point I couldn't offer any assurance that wouldn't be an outright lie, and I was in no state to attempt convincing deception. All I could do was be open with her about the threat I, no the threat everyone was dealing with. "March, she's dangerous. Really, really dangerous. But she's working towards something, or messing with something, or just going to do something. And that thing is worse than the Endbringers."

I could see the blood drain from Aisha's face. Garment put a comforting hand on her arm and the girl grabbed it like it was a life line. I quickly canceled the IMAX expansion, bringing the room closer and banishing the darkness of the theater.

"But you can handle it, right?" She practically pleaded. "You're Hero Eidolon Dauntless. There's nothing that you can't stop, right?"

"I don't know. I…" I took a breath and checked with my passenger. Threat assessments, measuring March against various levels of the Celestial Forge, chances of victory, and confidence margins. My dread grew worse and worse the deeper I went.

"She can kill me." My voice was robotic.

"What?" Aisha's eyes were wide.

"I can't defend against her." I checked with my passenger again. "Nothing I have, nothing I can get, it won't be able to stop her." The penny dropped and I sent Survey on a desperate information gathering quest. "Striker. It must be her striker power."

"But if she was that strong they would have mentioned it." Aisha offered, somewhat desperately. "They wouldn't have called her a minor villain."

Results of Survey's search began filtering in, both as direct digital reports and projected on the screen. Assessments, evaluations, photographs, and the rare video of her in action.

One of the better shots played on the still large but no longer IMAX screen. Security video from some store being robbed. March strode into frame wearing an ill fitting marching band uniform with a store bought rabbit mask and a pair of ears glued to the cap. She sauntered towards a large case, reinforced with bulletproof glass, and drew a weapon.

I hesitate to call it a sword because that would be an insult to every sword crafting power I had. It was a gaudy stainless steel reproduction piece, the kind you see in mall kiosks. It was over-decorated with fake gems and gilt and I could tell from one glance the edge wasn't worth a damn.

She took an exaggerated fencing stance while some mottle dressed capes filed in behind her. Less than half a dozen with clear displays of their powers. Nothing major or dramatic. One had hair cycling through different colors and another was carrying a pink flame in one of his hands. There was one with the bulky look of a brute, or at least someone acting that role, while the last two had no visible displays, just cobbled together costumes.

March drew the tip of her sword around the edge of the case, leaving a shimmering trail like a bluish purple watermark. The trail started to spark as she turned and strode towards the rest of the group. Then the spark reached the end of the trail there was an explosion that tore the front of the case apart. The rest of the young capes rushed in to loot the contents while March stood back and watched.

I sent Survey to hunt down police files, news coverage, and insurance reports from that and any similar incident. Meanwhile I advanced the video frame by frame, observing both on the screen and in my head, balancing new information with what I was seeing in motion. Aisha hovered with Garment, watching me intently.

"Fuck." The pieces finally came together and they weren't good. I looked at Aisha's concerned expression and Garment's worried movements and took a breath before explaining.

"She's an annihilator." I explained. When that didn't resonate I dove deeper. "Capes with powerful attacks, all-or-nothing types. Damsel of Distress, Murderbeam, the Siberian, those types." Aisha nodded. "That attack is some kind of multi-dimensional explosion. If what my thinker power is telling me is right it might actually be an omni-dimensional explosion. No one can defend against it because there's no defense that covers infinity."

"So why was she rated so low?" Aisha asked.

I sighed. "The effect is restrained. Striker, low area, time delay, and most of all probably never went up against anyone who had really impressive defenses. If the Siberian only fought guys in body armor no one would know she could kill Alexandria." I looked over the information again. "March's thinker power is also a lot stronger than they're giving her credit for. Uber and Leet alone are proof of that. It wouldn't surprise me if that was intentional, if she was keeping beneath notice before she was ready to move."

The Forge connected to a power from the Time constellation called Researcher. It was a significant research booster. The process of designing and discovering technology was massively accelerated and it increased the frequency of moments of inspiration and breakthroughs. It was something I would need if I was going to counter this threat.

"New power?" Aisha asked. Honestly, it was kind of comforting to have someone to share this with, though in the face of a threat like March anything that wasn't a dire portent would seem comforting by comparison.

I nodded. "It's called Researcher. It speeds up development and discovery of new technology. Will probably help countering some of the ABB's nastier tricks."

"Is that the plan? You're going to build a counter to that?" She gestured at the frozen explosion on the screen.

"I… no, probably not." I shook my head. "Maybe I can come up with something if I get a closer look, more information, but I don't think I can properly counter it."

"So what is the plan?" Garment indicated her interest as well.

"Mostly don't get hit by it. Beyond that, try to catch her, stop her, and the rest of the ABB with her." Saying it like that it almost seemed reasonable, not like some desperate quest with the fate of the world on it.

Aisha rose to her feet and looked up at me. "I want to help." She said firmly. "If it's as bad as you think then you need all the help you can get. I know I can make a difference."

I took a slow breath and looked down at the girl. I figured something like this would come up, but didn't expect this particular sequence of events leading to it.

"Aisha, you're thirteen, untrained, and almost died earlier today. I'm not sending you out to get yourself killed..."

"But I can help." She interrupted me. "And if it's this bad I'm going to try with or without you."

I raised a hand and she restrained herself. "Yeah, I kind of put that together. You were lucky today, it could have gone much worse." Fuck, this felt like child exploitation, but I pressed forward. The options were Aisha goes out alone and repeats today's mess, or Aisha goes out with support and probably survives. "What I meant was I'm not sending you out unless I know you'll be safe, not without support and equipment."

Aisha's eyes glowed as she looked up at me. "You're going to make me a costume?"

I scowled. "Fuck that. You're getting a hardsuit."

Aisha looked confused. "What's a hardsuit?"

"The good power armor." Her grin spread so wide it could have split her face. "Aisha, You're right. I do need help. You have a very strong power and I hate to admit it, but it could make all the difference here. I will do everything to make sure you have what you need to be safe, but you work with me on this, not on your own and not at cross purposes."

"Yes, deal, whatever. I'm in." She was way too excited about joining a gang war. Then again, it was for the survival of the planet. What eighth grader didn't dream about that kind of thing?

I would really need to stop holding back. There were a lot of technologies I'd been apprehensive about or put at a lower priority because they didn't seem necessary. Well, they were necessary now. It was time to start pushing the limit of what the Celestial Forge could do.

"So what's next? Where do we start?" Aisha was bouncing on the balls of her feet as she asked. I had to wonder if I had just gotten a sidekick, a minion, or an extended babysitting job.

"Next I need to call the Undersiders." Aisha glanced at me. "March blocks Tattletale's power, so I need to warn them, make sure they stay safe." The girl seemed happy about that. "After that we can talk about equipment and tactics."

She beamed at that. Right, she had harassed me, privately exposed my identity, broken into my workshop, and then almost gotten me killed. As a result she was getting a full set of free tinker tech. Perfectly fair.

No, that wasn't right. That was residual frustrations coming up. As annoying as she had been initially it was never actually malicious. If it was she could have done a lot more damage very easily. It was a teenager acting out in a way that she would eventually know better than to try.

It was actually nice having someone else here, someone who knew about what was happening who I could talk to, I mean other than myself, in both senses. Aisha was smart enough to know that the gear I was building would come with strings attached, and she seemed to accept that.

Her stranger power was terrifyingly effective, and even a minor armament would turn her into an absolute nightmare. I did not like taking someone her age into dangerous situations, but she would be safer next to me wrapped in power armor than snooping around possibly trapped corridors in an isolated part of the city.

"I'll be back soon. Survey can help you if you want to review any part of the broadcasts, or just watch TV or something."

"I would be pleased to assist." The hologram offered, and a menu of viewing options appeared on the screen.

"Thanks." She settled down onto the couch, still bursting with energy. It was better than being seeped in dread over that 'worse than the Endbringers' prediction.

I slipped out to my office with Garment trailing me. Once I was away from Aisha the weight of the situation crashed down on me. I was grateful when Garment laid a hand on my shoulder.

"Thank you." I offered. "I appreciate it. I'll manage this, somehow."

She made a slightly offended gesture and indicated to herself.

"Okay, we'll manage this." I smiled at her contented gesture, then pulled up Tattletale's number.

The call was answered before the first ring was complete.

"Joe, what the fucking hell?" her voice was strained.

I quickly accessed the phone network. "Line secured. Hello Lisa." I came across as a little more sarcastic than I intended. "Did you see the press conference?"

"Yes, I saw the press conference, Uber and Leet's broadcast, compiled footage of your stunt downtown, and the commentary on both the national news and twenty-four-hour networks."

I pushed past her rant. This was more important. "So you know about March?"

"March? Yes, I know about March. I also know about the cluster fuck you just started. What the hell happened to 'nothing planned at the moment'?"

"Something came up. It was time sensitive and I had to act on it." I wasn't about to reveal Aisha's existence to the Undersiders. She was right at the age where they would make a recruitment pitch, had a valuable power, and I was still concerned about their mysterious boss. If not for the current crisis and March overshadowing everything I would have been digging into that point with a much higher priority. For now it was the least pressing of my many disaster level concerns.

"Did that 'time sensitive' matter involve gutting the ABB's finances?" she spat the words through the phone.

"That was a target of opportunity, and I wasn't able to drive it home anyway."

There was the sound of a heavy breath through the line before Lisa continued. "Look, Watchdog and federal agencies are already seizing or raiding the ABB's legitimate holdings. Do you know what that means?"

"They have fewer resources?" I offered.

"They have fewer connections." She barked. "They were trying to settle and consolidate, launder money and resecure their territory. It could have bought us a week before they moved again. You just cut all their roots to the city. At this point they're basically a better organized version of the Teeth. Do you know how the Teeth operates? Because that's what we're in for."

My expression hardened. "Lisa, Bakuda is still operating, both literally and figuratively. She brain bombed an entire office block. What does your power tell you about how far that would have spread with a full week to fester?"

"Fuck." She muttered. "There's a difference between civilians being grabbed and desperate villain battles in the streets." Lisa cut herself off, probably because she realized that wasn't the best approach to take with me. "Lung will be looking for reprisals. Before it would probably have been show, but with this he'll be going for real damage."

I grimaced. "I can…"

"No!" She practically shouted. "Fuck, just no. This will be between gangs, and they will at least try to keep things contained. After your stunt the city is a hair's breadth away from a state of emergency. If that happens there is a good chance Bakuda is going to go free for all with her bombing campaign. Please, just stay out of it for now."

My frown deepened. "If it stays limited to the gangs…"

"Fine. That's fine." I could hear her panting.

"Besides, there's March." I added.

"Okay, what about March?" She asked. "Did you get something from your power?"

"Yes." I replied. "Yes, I got something. And it's bad. You actually don't have to worry. I'm not moving against the ABB, not until I'm ready to deal with March."

"Deal with March?" She asked. "March is a coordination thinker from New York who chased around Flechette and probably followed her here. How much more firepower do you need to counter her?"

At the mention of Flechette things fell into place, and not in a good way. That importance of Flechette I got before? It just ramped up to eleven. Well, more like eleven thousand. Flechette was in danger from March, and losing Flechette was bad. Bad on a global scale. Bad like nearly Taylor level bad. This was even more serious than I thought.

"Fuck. I hadn't realized about Flechette." I muttered.

"What? What are you saying?" She actually sounded a little scared.

"This is actually a lot more serious than I thought." Taylor was a general concern, and still vaguely at risk. Flechette was being actively targeted. I needed to take action. There were serious technologies that I would have to start implementing, regardless of risks or consequences. The Magic constellation passed by as I spoke. "I'm going to have to take some steps to make sure…"

"Taylor!" Lisa interrupted me with a shout.

"What?" The non-sequitur caught me off guard.

"She wants to talk with you about that stuff from earlier, clear thing up, like you said." She spoke quickly. "Tomorrow. Just hold off, whatever you were planning, hold off until then."

Was Tattletale throwing Taylor at me as a distraction? Probably, but I wasn't going to call her on it. In the scope of this apocalyptic problem, the predictions for which may not even be accurate anymore, Taylor was slightly more vital than Flechette. Flechette's absence would make things a lot harder, while without Taylor the entire operation fell apart. It was frustrating trying to piece this together from murky impressions from a power that was becoming increasingly less reliable.

Still, I did need time to get ready. I could stay out of gang fights, deal with other problems, and try to prepare for March. Talking with Taylor, as much as I wanted to avoid that conversation, would let me meaningfully tackle online interaction, and possibly some PR as well. I wasn't sure if she wanted a blanket denial, no mention of supposed connection, or some other approach, but this mess really bothered me. I'd be alright with anything that put it to rest for good.

"Alright." I said. "Let me know the time and place. I'll hold off anything until then as long as it stays contained. I'm not letting the city burn over this."

"Trust me, that's what I'm trying to prevent." I could hear her breathing relax. "What you're getting from March, it's really that bad?"

"Yes." I confirmed. I wasn't getting into the 'worse than Endbringers' or Flechette's connection with Taylor's role in saving everything, but I needed to get across the severity. "As soon as I got her name things started coming together. Have you gotten anything?"

"She still blocks my power. I have some other sources that say they've been having trouble predicting the ABB as well. Looking at what I've been able to get from the PRT I think the effect extends to Protectorate thinkers. That might be why she's got such a low threat profile."

"I can see that." It was terrible and would make it hell to get anyone to take her seriously, but it made sense.

There was a pause before Lisa continued. "Are YOU sure your reading is right? She's spoofing everyone else. Isn't there a chance you're getting a false positive?"

She couldn't quite keep the hope out of her voice. I glanced at Garment as I considered the situation. Obviously my passenger's predictions weren't perfect, but I had no reason to think that problems with the future extended to the past or present. I had confirmed that March was a powerful annihilator cape. I'd seen what she'd pulled with the ABB and Uber and Leet. Even if the apocalyptic stuff wasn't happening she was still a major threat.

There was distance to those apocalypses. The 'worse than the Endbringers' thing was particularly distant, but it's scale kind of made up for it. Speaking of scale, the importance of Flechette was another matter. Even if she wasn't crucial to the survival of everything she was still a teenager with a crazy cape after them. That warranted some intervention.

"It might not be perfect, particularly going forward, but I'm confident of my assessment." I stated.

Tattletale let out a long breath. "Alright. I'll see what I can find for you. It will have to be from mundane sources." Meaning Survey will probably already have found them, analyzed the records, and categorized the results. Still a second set of eyes wouldn't hurt. "Just, please don't jump the gun before then. I'll make sure Taylor calls you with the details for the meeting."

Right. Taylor wanted to talk to me so badly that Tattletale had to make sure she called. This was clearly forcing the issue, but it was an issue that needed to be forced, so I wasn't going to complain. The image of the spiked and barbed mess of a shield jumped into my mind, settling so comfortably that it was unnerving. The exact picture of what I was trying to move past. I pushed it aside and focused on the call.

"Fine. I want the Undersiders to watch out as well. I'm not standing down if you're not."

"Deal. I can promise that. We can work out any more details when we meet on Wednesday."

Right. Taylor tomorrow, Undersiders on Wednesday, and a gang war running through the whole thing. Oh, and I had to get Aisha wrapped up in enough defensive technology to keep her safe in this city. Given the building situation that probably meant a nuclear proof suit with an emergency teleport.

"Right." The conversation hadn't gone the way I'd hoped, but at least things were moving forward. "Anything else?"

"Not as long as you keep your head down. Nothing that can't wait until Wednesday." She sighed. "We should be alright until then."

"Got it. Call me with the details of the meeting."

"I will."

The call disconnected without a goodbye. I don't think our relationship was as cordial as it had been, but honestly I saw most of that as pageantry on Tattletale's part. It was actually refreshing to hear her make her case without trying to leverage manufactured comradery in support of it. The Undersiders weren't terrible people, but whatever shine the group once had wasn't there anymore, rubbed off between the bank job and Bakuda rescue.

Now they were just people. A group of scared teenage capes with a tendency to get in over their head and a mysterious crime lord looming over them. Teenagers don't make the best decisions, teenage capes even less so. Hopefully I could prevent Aisha from getting pulled into a mess like that.

Not that my situation was that much better, but at least I could provide power armor, medical care, and on-site fashion consultations.

So this was it. Finally dealing with Taylor and facing the fact that I kept repeating the same mistakes. That was regrettably in line with the mindset I'd spent a lot of therapy time trying to counter. At least I was facing it rather than putting it off. With how adamant Tattletale had been I doubt she'd let this slip. She was probably afraid I'd challenge Lung to pistols at dawn if she didn't find some way to distract me.

Seriously, what the hell was happening with my reputation? I get the crazy extrapolation online, but even from Tattletale? At the moment it felt like the only people who treated me normally were the ones currently in my workshop.

I sighed and turned to Garment. "We should get back. There's a lot to do to prepare for this, and I don't…"

I fell silent as my phone rang again. Personal line, not my work phone. It was a recognized number as well. I checked the caller I.D. and froze.

'Alena Duris'

It was there, plain as day. Chicago area code, probably why I hadn't bothered blocking the number. She never called. Ever. But she was calling now.

Shit. That meant things had gotten bad, or were about to. I couldn't deal with this now. Every ring hit me like a funeral bell. I felt my heart speed up as the implications set in.

Fuck, I had to take this call. Something like this just screamed last resort. There was no way it would have come to this if every other avenue hadn't been attempted. It felt like answering the phone was going to open a backdraft, but that would be better than dealing with a landmine in a couple of days' time.

Actually, I'd be lucky if I had that long.

I would do what I always did. Endure. Push through. Keep going. I couldn't let this stop me. Not now. Not with everything riding on this situation.

I looked at Garment with a feeling of grim determination "Garment, can you give me some space? I need to take this call."

She made an inquiring gesture and I swallowed before responding.

"It's my sister."

It was time to deal with my family.

---

Addendum Accord

Accord sat in his workshop, laboring over his latest creation. It was the fifth in a series of identical projects, though the first two had needed to be reworked as he identified improvements through experience with the construction. It was the price of perfectionist work, and one he was willing to pay.

This particular project had started as vanity, a personal challenge coupled with genuine enjoyment of the activity. Carefully budgeted time, separated from the rest of his schedule. Little pleasures after a day of frustrations.

It had since become something more.

His eyes returned to the small item in a velvet case on the edge of his workbench. Once more his mind spun, plans upon plans building. Balanced spectrums of fabric, paired with the stylistic influences to prevent the garishness usually associated with such a gradient. There were multiple possibilities, too many to determine the ideal paring. He pulled his eyes away before he could begin to lament the possibilities that would need to be discarded.

A polite three beat knock sounded from the door. Perfectly timed and not in the slightest bit rushed and demanding. An adequate announcement of interruption.

He set down his tools and rose to face the door. "You may enter."

The door swung open to reveal a woman in a goldenrod yellow evening dress. The yellow gemstones on her mask complimented her delicate makeup and immaculately styled hair. She entered the room, softly shut the door, and waited for his acknowledgement.

"Citrine, I trust you have ample justifications for this interruption. You may present them."

"Thank you, sir." She stepped forward and opened an embossed leather bound folder, reading from the first sheet.

"The delivery and installation of the retrieved artifacts has been completed. I personally evaluated their placement and confirmed accordance with your specification."

That was excellent news. Enough for a slight shift in protocol. The unavoidable impact on social roles would be balanced by the improved efficiency of action, something his subordinates understood the need for.

"Very good." He turned back to the workbench. "You may continue your report as I work."

"Yes sir." She stated briskly as he returned to the engraving. After four previous items he knew the design perfectly, but checked the reference pictures for confirmation. It wouldn't do to introduce an error at this stage.

"Cauldron has completed their evaluation of potential candidates for the new position. In their assessment, the strongest match for the desired effect would Svetlana Vasiliev, formerly of the Moscow Ballet."

Accord frowned and glanced back at the delicate item. "She was rejected due to failure to meet performance standards. What is your reasoning for her inclusion as a candidate?"

He felt anger building. Looking at the hairpin didn't help this time. He could see the elegance of the design, the perfection of form and control. There were ways to improve it, but only laterally. Shifts to create an item that would be subjectively more suited to a situation, not a marked improvement.

It was a design principle he had only found in his own creations, the tools and projects he personally crafted. Everything in this room had been made by his own hand. It freed him from having to see the nagging imperfections that sullied the rest of the world, but it didn't remove his awareness of them.

Looking back at Citrine. She was clad in a dress and mask of his own design. Her hair, skin, and makeup were all applied with the care and precision he demanded of his Ambassadors. But she was suggesting something vile. The inductions of a sloppy, careless individual into his presence. His mind began to calculate plans, perfect arrangements of forces using the items of his workshop to end her life if it proved she had been lax in her duties.

"Sir, Miss Vasiliev's unacceptable performance has been attributed to the ongoing impact of an injury. I have personally verified the medical assessments. Cauldron has recommended vial 47-D-271. In addition to having a strong propensity for light-based powers it has an excellent record for restorative effects upon being administered. They have offered high confidence of inducing a full recovery. Given Miss Vasiliev's commitment to her craft I believe she will be able to function in accordance with your standards."

He considered Citrine's words as he made another adjustment to his work. It was an adequate assessment. Gratitude for a second chance at life could drive a person to a level of dedication that should prevent unfortunate disappointments. Being able to function in a ballet environment with a persistent injury indicated suitable strength of character. In the event she proved a disappointment, well the C.U.I. was always willing to purchase more capes. Cauldron looked after their customers and would no doubt offer a discount on her replacement.

He reached over and lifted the hairpin out of its case, turning it in the light. Behind him Citrine stopped breathing. The colors of the pin shifted, dancing across individual petals in a loose pattern that betrayed the subtle order enforced on the simple material.

He smiled. If not Miss Vasiliev someone else would be found. It was a project worthy of investment.

"You may proceed with Miss Vasiliev." Citrine began to breathe again, doing a commendable job of concealing the effort. "Inform Cauldron to begin preparation for administering the vial immediately and send me Miss Vasiliev's measurements. I will notify you of any modification needed."

That was an unlikely scenario. Ballerinas, even failed ballerinas, maintained a discipline over their body that was admirable. He remembered the last time an ambassador had requested to have one of his designs 'let out'.

That had been an exercise in creativity, though the clean up had been somewhat trying.

"Thank you sir." A small note was made in the folder. "I also have an update on Garment, the fabric cape who recently premiered in Brockton Bay."

That brought another small smile to Accord's face as he worked the crystal plates. Though the news report had been framed for excessive appeal it couldn't counter the grandeur on display at Garment's debut. It helped that it was being conducted in a historic building rather than one of the modern monstrosities that sprouted like tumors across the city's 'Downtown' area. In fact he had been able to watch the entire report without more than half a dozen aspects of the building infuriating him.

A situation easily rectified by an anonymous donation to be executed through competent contractors. Ostensibly to bring the building up to code, in reality it would address the handful of truly unacceptable design flaws that marred an otherwise immaculate event.

It was somewhat insulting for Garment to be referred to as a 'fabric cape'. He had recognized the skill of her work from her first appearance. The true peak of human accomplishment, bound in fabric. It was made even more blatant by her show of assembling needle lace on camera while simultaneously creating a bespoke jacket that managed to turn a brutish lug into someone fit to enter society.

He had actually needed to join a lacemaking forum to correct some erroneous assumptions being made about Garment's workmanship. It had resulted in a rather heated series of arguments with a cantankerous veteran member of the site. He smiled to himself as he recalled how easily they had been baited into breaking forum rules, anonymously reported, and subsequently banned.

Of course, the real secret was on display from the moment of Garment's arrival. Garment, and wasn't that an elegant name, worked to the limit of human ability. No one had seen it, though could an ant distinguish the heights of mountains? The public would need to be forgiven for failing to recognize the difference between perfect workmanship and something that went beyond that.

The dress had been dismissed as tinker tech, and perhaps it did fall into that category, but tinkers were concerned with technicalities, not aesthetics. There was a second influence in that dress. From one master to another the pattern was clear. It had been a collaborative effort.

Apeiron had assisted with that dress. It was as clear as Garment's workmanship on the tinker's costume. The stylistic difference between items the tinker made personally, the hairpin jumped into his mind, and those with Garment's influence, was obvious to anyone who looked. Garment had found a tinker patron before the Protectorate had even been able to make their first move.

"What are the recent developments on that matter?" His work was nearing completion as he made the final adjustments to the lighting assembly.

"The Protectorate is overseeing her registry, and providing initial legal and financial support to allow independent operation. Garment has expressed interest in opening a business in Brockton Bay. Given the restrictions of NEPEA-5 it will likely be a designer boutique offering custom works."

Accord's hands stopped moving and he considered the news. It was not unexpected, but confirmation was another matter. In any other situation he would have devised a plan to relocate Garment to Boston, but her connection with Apeiron made that untenable. As much as he detested Brockton Bay and its current circumstances he could accept this outcome.

"Have one of our holding companies purchase several properties in prospective locations, including the area of her debut. Use a disconnected shell company. It wouldn't do to arouse suspicion from Coil." The snake was exceptionally territorial. "When Garment formally announces her intentions, offer her a favorable lease-to-own arrangement, in recognition of her heroic works." It wouldn't do to have some Brockton landlord impeding her work. "I will need to review the locations personally before purchase." It also wouldn't do to have said boutique in an unacceptably displeasing location.

"Yes sir." Citrine made another small note in her folder. "Additionally, Apeiron has made another appearance. As requested, I have edited the stream to remove all commentary and advertisements."

Accord turned and drew up the video on his workshop terminal. Normally the prattling antics of the villain duo was insufferable. He would have delegated any required analysis of their streams in a heartbeat. The presence of Apeiron changed that.

From the cape's dramatic entrance to his derision before combat it was like watching a work of art. Accord didn't let himself get lost in the spectacle, there would be time for that later. New weapons, technology and tactics were being premiered. Citrine waited in silence as he watched the encounter play out.

No doubt most viewers would be focused on the upgraded autonomous drones, increased firepower, rapid field tinkering, heavy ordinance, and combat enhancement. All were striking abilities and would no doubt tie up hours of think tank analysis, but once again, they would be looking in the wrong place.

He scrolled back the video, freezing on a particular frame. That living cloak, sturdy enough to block a plasma blade from a twenty-four-foot-tall robot. People would be looking for technical elements, hidden wires, micro-servos, or smart materials. Nobody would be looking at the gloves.

They were a different design, but there was no hiding the purity of that shade of white. Accord was familiar with the difficulty of maintaining white clothing. He could recognize the unnaturally pure shade at a glance. Watching the interaction again it became clear exactly what was happening.

Apparently Garment was more than just Apeiron's tailor. He gently rubbed his hands together and considered what the experience must be like for the two capes. He had long since moved past the need for physical intimacy, but this seemed like something else. A joining of purpose? Such a fascinating concept.

"I will review this in more detail at a later time." He lifted his completed project and strode towards the door. Citrine opened it without needing any signal, then gently closed it before falling into step behind him.

"There is one final item sir." Citrine offered. At his signal she continued. "It has been confirmed that Blasto has fully withdrawn from Boston. Reports have shown him in contact with members of Lost Garden and it is believed he is relocating his lab to their territory."

So, the man had fallen in with Barrow. That could be a concerning situation if the shaker could move the area of his effect at more than a snail's pace. No doubt Blasto's creations would prove a headache for any municipality attempting to divert Lost Garden and their collection of runaways and misguided environmentalists.

As it stood it would be a relief to have the man out of his city. He had his doubts about the new Ward, particularly after his disastrous tactics and showing against Apeiron's works. The beauty of that knife contrasted drastically with the tangled mess that was the poor boy.

He had honestly expected a similar debacle to result from the cape's transfer. Instead Aegis had thoroughly squashed Blasto's attempt to take advantage of the power outage, resulting in the wet tinker being completely routed by the Protectorate during cleanup efforts. He would have to send his congratulations to Director Armstrong. Perhaps something for the boy as well. An anonymously redesigned costume? Or perhaps a friendly benefactor might cover the cost of a commission from a newly operating fashion cape in his hometown?

"That is most excellent news." He replied as he approached the latest addition to his lair. The circular room would normally have driven him to fury, but this was different and well worth the lost space on the floor plan. In fact, it allowed ample soundproofing, something essential to the design.

He carefully checked the layout, ensuring that Citrine had indeed followed his instructions. Everything was exactly as it had been in the original site. Four of his creations had already been installed and he moved forward with the fifth.

The pillar had a height that was not conducive to a man his size, but Citrine had the foresight of leaving an access ladder for his use. He climbed the steps and put the large orb of interlocking crystal sheets upon the pillar. Activating its internal lighting system it merged its orange glow with the orbs on the other pillars.

The combined light spread through the domed circular room, illuminating a pair of carved granite benches sitting on a sandy surface. Normally Accord detested attempts at the use of sand in interior design, but it was absolutely essential here, as was the faint projection of circling water on the dark dome of the room.

Citrine retrieved the ladder and retreated to the doorway, a device of his own design ensuring that no grain of sand was tracked into the rest of his hideout. Accord slowly moved through the room, appreciating the combination of sightlines, lighting, temperature, and design.

It was direction of purpose, the most admirable aspect of Apeiron's work. In the retrieval of Weld he had created a space that was both mentally soothing and conducive to discussion. This wasn't some cheap master effect like had been touted by the ignorant analysts in Brockton Bay. It was more than that. Control of details, removal of distractions, and design with clear intent.

You could see it in every aspect of the cape's work. What's more, it was getting stronger. The hairpin didn't have the unnatural fluidity and perfection of his later work, but still functioned ideally in its role as a demonstration of skill. Looking at the footage of the bank you could draw a progression line through the Undersiders' blades, charting the improvement in his workmanship, a trendline that progressed through the conflict with Bakuda and now expanded into his latest confrontation.

On first examination Accord had theorized as to what steps would be necessary to bring the tinker into his Ambassadors. Now it was clear he would be standing as a peer rather than a subordinate. It was unthinkably rare to have a cape who Accord knew he would be able to work with. Apeiron seemed fundamentally incapable of the type of sloppiness that drove Accord to rage, and effortlessly produced items of beauty and calm.

Apeiron. Limitless. The theory of Anaximander, positing the boundless chaos, subject to no decay, that produces fresh material from which all things are derived. Generating the opposites that act on the creation. The force from which everything is generated and everything returns.

He wondered if the Protectorate understood just how poignant the name actually was. He moved over and seated himself on one of the benches. The alignment of the room had a calming effect on his mind. Beyond the removal of distractions, it provided comforting perspectives everywhere one could look. He thought on his current operations. The fury was still there, the chaos and incompetence of a world that refused to allow him to help it, but it was manageable.

Yes, this had been worth the expense. The hiring of parahuman salvagers who normally looted Leviathan attacks had been costly, but facilitated the location and retrieval of the site before the local Protectorate had even thought to look for it. Rushed to Boston and recreated to the finest detail, and now he was free to reap the benefits.

"Citrine, you will retrieve my notebook and writing kit, and then not disturb me for a period of two hours for anything less than a direct attack."

"Right away, sir."

She departed quickly and Accord leaned back, once more drinking in the atmosphere of the room. Apeiron was fortunate that he could so easily manufacture peace of mind. Undoubtedly, that was the most valuable commodity for men of their station.

Jumpchain abilities this chapter:

Divine Child - Hephaestus (Percy Jackson) 400:

You are the direct child of a god of your associated pantheon and gain various benefits from this. You gain lesser manifestations of your parent's domains as well as generally being better than an ordinary mortal. You may take most any god as your parent but to take one of the heads of a pantheon as a parent you must take the "Fate finds you interesting" drawback receiving no points for it (you can also do this with a lesser god to get greater powers). Generally this will give you insight into and some control over your divine parent's domains, a son of Poseidon for example can control water and ships, talk to horses, cause minor earthquakes and is empowered within water.

Old Traditions (Percy Jackson) Free:

You are knowledgeable in the ways of the ancient civilization corresponding to whatever mythology you're most connected with. You can read their languages, know the proper ways to honor the gods, and have a decent grasp of their mythology. Otherwise unassociated Drop-ins may choose any one ancient culture to know of. You may purchase this multiple times, each time gaining insight into a new culture.

Setup Wizard (Harry Potter) 200:

You have a natural knack of melding technology and magic. You can easily jury-rig technology to work at Hogwarts. Your inventions could do considerable good for the magical world if they weren't all such luddites.

Wand (Harry Potter) Free:

A wand. You don't have it yet, mind you, but you'll get one soon enough on a trip to Ollivanders. You can choose the wood type and between one of the wand cores he produces wands with (Unicorn Hair, Dragon Heartstring and Phoenix Feather). You may instead choose a more exotic wand core (excluding Thestral Hair and limited to parts from other canonical magical creatures/beings of this world e.g. Thunderbird Tail Feather, Veela Hair, etc.) although the three previously mentioned are among the most reliable and powerful. Different cores and woods tend to act a little differently but regardless of what you choose the wand will choose you as soon as you are introduced. Different woods may alter your historical personality (for all but Drop-ins) and therefore tendencies very slightly (e.g. Cypress wands tend to choose brave people and you will as such have been a relatively brave child, Blackthorn may result in you being slightly more combative, etc.). If you already had a wand you may import it into this role and while it will keep it's wood and core it will gain a significant loyalty boost.

Analysis (Red Alert 3) 100:

You can immediately identify any defects in hardware upon casual observation. This is effective on devices, Vehicles, and buildings.

Researcher (Age of Mythology) 400:

You are far faster at designing and discovering new technologies. Inspiration and breakthroughs hit you far more often.