Main Content
Archive of Our Own betaArchive of Our OwnLog In
FandomsBrowseSearchAboutWork Search
tip: arthur merlin words>1000 sort:hits
Actions
Entire Work ← Previous Chapter Next Chapter → Chapter Index Comments Hide Creator's Style Share Download
Work Header
Rating:
Explicit
Archive Warnings:
Graphic Depictions Of ViolenceMajor Character DeathUnderage Sex
Categories:
F/MMulti
Fandom:
Parahumans Series - Wildbow
Relationships:
OC/Amy DallonOC/Multi
Characters:
OC - CharacterAmy Dallon | Panacea | Red QueenTaylor Hebert | Skitter | WeaverDragon (Parahumans)
Additional Tags:
Tags May ChangeOC ProtagonistChaotic GoodCharismatic Protagonistgame-like systemGhoul Protagonist (Tokyo Ghoul)Ghoul Cannibalism (Tokyo Ghoul)TortureSuffering IntensifiesReturn by Death (Re:Zero)this story is slightly less edgy than the tags imply I swearWorm Spoilers (Parahumans)Canon RelatedHaremPseudo Path to Victory
Language:
English
Stats:
Published:2023-08-07Updated:2024-04-28Words:141,557Chapters:11/?Comments:47Kudos:229Bookmarks:87Hits:18,877
A Guiding Hand
Crississ
Chapter 5: From Provocations to Proclamations and Back Again
Summary:
Kris learns people think he's scary for some reason.
Chapter Text
{Coil POV}
Thomas knew everything was going wrong the second his 'stress relief' timeline was violently ended after fucking Dragon came crashing into the base after his planted soldiers had failed to grab Missy and Sarah for… advanced interrogation training.
Shuddering at the feeling of his entire torso being caved in by a Tinker-suits full-powered punch, Thomas immediately split the timeline again and attempted to make contact with his plants that they were compromised.
And that was when the power in his base went out- in both timelines. Thomas immediately grabbed his walkie-talkie, and called both the Ground and Middle Floor squadrons for a report, in their receptive timelines of course.
"This is Ground Floor, we have an intruder- Oh god it's here!" The sounds of gunfire and the screams of the dying rang out in one timeline.
"This is Middle Floor, Ground has a parahuman intruder that's blendering them." The squadron leader in the other timeline stated calmly despite the muffled gunshots in the background. "We're assuming they haven't left, but the emergency power supplies aren't activated on either of our floors."
They must have an electricity-based power, possibly getting stronger by diverting existing electricity into themselves, he theorized while he armed himself with the pistol he hid under his desk in the first timeline. "Turn off the emergency power, it's making him stronger." Thomas hadn't been in the game for so little time as to show weakness to his mercenaries when facing an unknown threat, so as he spoke with the detached confidence his power made him notorious for.
For a split second, he wished he could call Accord and get him to deal with the cape- his attitude post-split was appealing to the man for some reason.
Shaking unnecessary thoughts from his head, he began going through all the possible capes that could interfere with his electricity and were capable of brutalizing his men without a care. But before he could do so, something happened in both of his timelines.
In the second, while the Middle squadron was blabbering on about the situation he suddenly screamed. "He came out from the floor! Shoot him down!" And a similar fight to the now-deceased Ground squadron took place in the second timeline, though he didn't even have time to hand up before the only audible thing there were the dying whimpers of the last of his on-hand army.
Thomas began to shake, terror rearing its head as he now found himself completely unprotected save for the gun in his hand, while an unknown cape had just gunned down his squadrons single-handedly in less time than it too for him to have a conversation.
Suddenly, the walkie talkie in the first timeline buzzed, and he grabbed it in a death grip. He turned it on at a distance from himself, concerned it would explode in his hands. And then, in both timelines, a damning noise erupted.
"Ḯ̵͔͈̍̈́ ̷̼̍̓͑k̸̛͍̋̄̉͋̀n̴̨͊͜o̸̢͔͉͔̠͇͐̈̌w̷̡̹̻̫̪̱̌̍͋ ̶̑̕ͅw̶̨͇͚͉̒h̵͌͜e̴̥̲͓̻̦͗̐͠r̷̺̳̳͔̳̈̅̍̉̊ͅe̶̹̬̤̐ ̶̖̻̺̺̠̄̌̇̚ÿ̶͖̞̫̄o̶̢̠̰͂u̴͕͕͔̪̇͒̋͐̇ ̵͉͕͙͆͐̍̕ä̷̢̨̠̞̱́̑̀̿͋r̵̫͚̋̋̐̃̕ͅë̶̻̫̺͗,̶͔̣̉̔́̇́̈ ̵̻̹͋̔̅͗͝Č̷̡̥͍̙̪̊̊̈̕ͅằ̵̭̱͙̻̲́̽͜l̴̨̓̄̓̄v̸̟͉͌̀̕̕e̶̤͇̼̿̃͌͝ȓ̸̙͚͖͙̳̮̇͛̕t̸̛̰̼͙̂̐ͅ.̸̼͑̓̕"
Thomas let out a scream as his power fizzed out with those words, and clamped both hands over his ears and almost firing off the gun in the process. On instinct, he tried to split the timeline again, but the echo of those words rang in his ears and for the first time his power failed to take hold.
Then, he heard a thump. And another. A continuous trail of thumps getting closer and closer at a sedate pace. Jittering with fear he hadn't let himself fear since he'd gained his power, he pointed his pistol at the door as the footsteps grew louder and nearer.
He almost started when the door slowly creaked open, and the second it was open enough for the door to stop protecting the intruder, he fired.
The sound rang with the demon's voice, echoing in the silent hallways as he breathed heavily.
He wasn't surprised when the door continued to move, and the demon who attacked him revealed himself. The first thing he saw was the abyssal black eye, with burning hellfire in the center. Of course, he fired at it again. And again. And again.
It never dodged, head and body twitching as his precious bullets were stopped by its skin. As he desperately fired, fear almost making aiming irrelevant, he continued to walk forward.
He didn't even have enough time to run out of bullets before something lashed out from behind the demon in front of him and sever his hand at the wrist. The dull thump of hand and gun was completely drowned out by the beginnings of a scream in his throat.
But Thomas wasn't even allowed that before a hand covered his mouth, and gripped hard enough he could feel his molars crack. The flash of agony made him look up to the thing that had done this to him, and the first thing he saw was a gumless smile on black leather.
"Shut the fuck up before I rip out your vocal cords. I need to make a call." Absolute bone-chilling fear filled every part of his mind and made him incapable of speaking. The demon pulled a phone out of his pocket and dialed as a sickly stench hung in the air.
Panic filled Thomas- what if the room was being filled with poison? Or natural gas? Or-
"Calm down, you just pissed yourself." It spoke, and Thomas paused, sitting stock still as the dull realization that he pissed his super suit settled in. Raw indignation filled him, but Thomas wasn't going to fight a Brute like this, power or no.
"Yo, Boss. Got your guy, want me to get you all his shit first, or am I free to deal with him?" It spoke, and the great and powerful Coil could only sit and watch as a bigger fish came in and was casually ruining everything he'd worked for. "Nope, his scrawny ass isn't worth doing that. Ahuh. Yeah, I can meet with the rest tomorrow. Wait, wait, I have an idea, it'll be sick."
It turned its damning eye towards him again, and Thomas found himself falling out of his chair in fear, the smell of his suit's material and urine only adding to his shame.
"It's for you." A foot slammed into the center of his chest, and he cried out in pain as the smartphone was placed beside his ear. Immediately doing what the terrifying Brute said, he focused completely on the phone. And then he heard her voice.
"'Sup, Bossman." And shame or fear he'd had faded in shock and rage as he could almost imagine the vulpine grin on the other end. He almost made to speak, but the sudden increase of the foot's pressure on his chest made him rethink any ranting he may have done. "I'd say this isn't how I wanted our last conversation to go, but even I'm not that much of a fucking liar!"
She laughed, true and free, and Thomas had to remember both the Brute and the countless times he'd broken, raped, and killed her just to keep himself from acting out and ending up like the dozens of leftover Sarah's from more fun timelines.
"God, this is my every dream coming true right now, Calvert." Ah, that was her game. "I almost wish I could be there to see the look on your face, but I trust your worst nightmare over there is more than making up for it." Calvert knew that if Sarah had a functioning libido she'd be vigorously fingering herself right about now.
"And besides, why not end our relationship exactly how it started, with one of us losing everything we ever had to a person with better connections than the other. Only this time, I don't need your power, and I didn't piss myself when I got held up." Again, Sarah laughed and the noise echoed tauntingly in his ears, as they both knew he couldn't and wouldn't lash out when her pet demon was standing over him.
"Unfortunately, Cally, I don't particularly want you stinking up my bases or costing me money to hire thugs to watch after you. So, instead, we're just going to turn you in to the organization you've been betraying this entire time. But don't you worry your balding little head about it, because my friend there's got a way to make sure you don't snitch on us!"
"Y'see, he's actually pretty skilled when it comes to brains, so he knows just enough to knock out your short-term memory so you won't know any of the specifics of what's happened today. Not who he is, not who betrayed and stole your organization is. The only thing you'll remember is how you pissed your little villain pajamas. But don't be scared. After all…"
"It'll only hurt the rest of your life." It spoke, and with the wave of a demon's fist, Thomas Calvert simply forgot.
I opened the door to my apartment, and collapsed on the nearest piece of furniture, which was thankfully my couch. God, Parian needs to make more furniture because I can feel my exhaustion literally seep out of me.
After getting my meal after all the bullshit that was yesterday, and using my brain to successfully get away with not starving myself like Piggot seems oh so fine with doing despite my statement about being perfectly capable of eating the dead as long as they haven't started composing.
Also dealing with Coil, which now leaves a bunch of things I need to handle now that canon has been fucked in the ass. Unfortunately most of those things, ironically, don't take place in Brockton Bay so as a member of the local PRT I can't just say 'Takin' my vacation days, see ya suckers'.
Well, I could, and it does sound funny, but if I don't want literally everyone to hate me for that I have to wait until I get a person for personal transportation. Apparently Narwhal is looking forward to it, since I have a shit ton of good PR since Dragon fucked up my social media presence.
Seriously, my PHO feed is filled with people calling me 'gap moe' despite Japan being at the bottom of the sea! And one guy, Void Cowboy, keeps shitposting about me probably getting thank you sex with Dinah's mother after being held by the crying woman for thirty minutes on camera.
And Dragon somehow turned that ice cream picture into a GIF! How did she even do that?!
My internal grumbling came to an end as my energy suddenly returned full force, and I pried myself off the couch and almost partook in the nectar of the gods before pausing. I haven't actually slept since I got here three days ago, so may as well try experimenting to see if I can actually get some sleep.
I dragged my sorry ass into my simple bedroom- haven't been around long enough to decorate it- and placed myself in the optimal position for comfortable sleeping, and attempted to succumb to Sloth.
… Embracing my Sins are always different. With Wrath it's a searing heat that cannot be put out and wishes to spread as far as possible. With Lust, it's a throbbing in my heart that can only be eased through flesh.
With Sloth, it's like letting myself swim underwater. A peaceful disconnect that fills my every sense if I allow it. But there's also a distant feeling of panic- what if I relax too much, and end up drowning?
So I can never truly be at peace with it, and if I cannot let myself drown again, I must eventually come up for air.
I danced the edge of waking and sleep numerous times, never quite breaching the bound between relaxation and true rest. Twice in my fitful desire for sleep, I received a message. One from Amy about her coming over, and another that came at a much less acceptable time that I sort of just responded to. I don't know, it was like one am, sue me.
So when I came to again and it was already seven, an hour before Amy was coming over I rightfully panicked.
After my Sloth finally took hold of me, I made sure to make the most of what was most likely going to occur. Now, it's time to play this fickle game of relations, and win.
But how do I seduce the repressed lesbian?
… Oh, I'm a fucking genius!
I perked up as I heard a knock on my door. "Door's unlocked, come in!" I called out, holding back a snicker as my master plan was about to pay off. Ignoring the absolutely atrocious smell I've exposed myself to, I moved out of the kitchen towards the living room and spoke with as much Lust as possible.
"So, Amy, how do I know you're over dreeee-" I trailed off as I saw Amy and Vicky staring at my form. The form clothed in only a frilly apron and boxers, with a hand on my hip and a seductive tone still leaving my mouth! "-eeessed… So, why's Vicky here for this?"
[+20 Lust]
At least it worked.
"Why are you dressed like that Kris?!" Amy screeched with a massive blush on her face, matched by Vicky who was caught between being pissed and laughing her ass off. I raised an eyebrow at the healer.
"You texted me at like nine pm, everyone knows that's booty call hours." I told her the obvious, getting out of my 'seduction pose'.
"That doesn't count! I talked about meeting up!" She told me, shaking her hands in embarrassment.
"Sounds like a dick appointment to me." I told her straight face, and watched as she struggled not to collapse under her own embarrassment while Vicky watched our byplay like a tennis match. "So, is she here to watch, or…?"
"I'm not having sex with you yet, Kris!" I had a shit-eating grin on my face at her phrasing, but decided to stop teasing the healer despite how fun it was.
"Alright alright, I made some breakfast, so just sit on the couch and we can eat." I did my best to ignore the full body flinches from the Dallon sisters, and walked into the kitchen. Pulling out the three affronts to God, I walked out and placed all three in front on the table.
We ended up making a Dallon sandwich with me in the middle, while the two sisters indiscreetly stared between me and the food.
"Are you sure… you didn't know I was coming? I mean, you have three plates of pancakes ready…" Vicky avoided saying what we all know she really wanted to ask. I looked at her.
"What can I say, I wanted to eat something. Amy, if you-" A love tap there and my plate was suddenly edible. "Thanks. I now present to you, the most glorious breakfast food of all time, bacon pancakes!"
"... That sounds like a heart attack waiting to happen." Amy said slowly, and I scoffed at the sacrilege that just left her mouth.
"You only get a pass because you're cute." I said, and finally dug into my first actual human meal that wasn't meant to poison me since I ended up on Earth Bet.
… It was over before I knew it, and a bit blander than I remembered but by God I have seen the light once more! As I came out of my mini-feeding frenzy, I eyed the two sitting on either side of me, and finally noticed the luggage outside my door.
"Alright, now that I feel like a person again, what's up?" I sighed happily, washing down my food with pure caffeine.
That apparently got their attention off me eating human food, and they both stiffened on the couch.
"After… yesterday, we sort of decided to… move out?" Vicky started, and I could already see how this was ending.
"You ran away, ran out of money, and want to crash at my place." It wasn't a question, and Vicky's nod gave me confirmation, alongside Amy's slight shaking. I took another sip (gulped the rest of my drink down) and leaned back into the couch.
"And the reason you're staying too is…?"
"Not leaving my sister alone with a strange man, no matter how chill you are, especially if you dress like that around her." Her saying that made me realize I had only taken off my apron and did not put on any more clothing. Though I wasn't the only one who just realized this.
[+10 Lust]
"In my defense, I was trying to sleep when I got that false dick appointment message."
"Stop calling it that!" Amy demanded.
"Never!" I refused, before holding back my teasing for later. "... Alright, I guess you two could fit on my bed, so you can stay. But, you're helping pay rent."
"You'd really make your girlfriend pay you rent to stay with you?" Vicky asked, visibly shocked while I shook my head.
"No, I'm making you pay rent to stay with me. She gets the girlfriend discount, so pay up you bum." The elbow to my side didn't even make me flinch as I gave a shit eating grin. "Nah, I'm just fucking with you, the Guild's paying for this apartment so bum here as you please." Vicky then hit me with the harshest glare I think she's ever given anyone.
I, in all my wisdom, immediately got off the couch and ran away- went to put on some actual clothes, ignoring the eyes on my retreating form. I returned dressed and confident, twirling a spare key on my finger.
"Amy, catch." She turned and had the key gently fall in front of her. "You're in charge of your key, make another spare if you want but if a non-parahuman breaks in here I'm never letting you live it down." She blinked, but nodded.
"Vicky, you guys can only go shopping once Amy agrees with your new heroing set up, considering you both probably won't be getting paid by the New Wave if you decide to not show up. Actually, now that I'm saying this out loud, call Photon Mom and explain the entire situation, and try working something out." Vicky dropped out of 'irritable sister mode' and nodded dumbly at my spitballed planning.
I tugged at my jacket as I continued to walk towards the door. "While you're doing that, I'm going to be at work so don't worry about awkward interruptions. Call me if you need anything, there's groceries in the fridge, touch my good coffee and die, and I'll hopefully be back by nine at the latest."
"'Good coffee'? It all tastes the same to me." Vicky uttered that unholy drivel, not knowing how lucky she was that I was out of backhanding range.
"Just for that you get to do the dishes, love you, bye!" I waved before slamming the door shut, snickering as I jogged away from my apartment. God that's way too much fun.
I opened up my phone to tell Parian I'll be working with her after I'm done with the Undersiders and Piggot and I agreed to what at seven tonight?!
… I'm so taking this out on the Undersiders.
My nose twitched at the smell of flowers filling the Undersider's base, having no actual defenses against lockpicking to speak of. Gonna need to fix that, but for now my sudden appearance should frighten them enough to get a word in, considering Taylor's on my side and I plan on taking off the mask once the conversation really gets going.
Right now, I was just relaxing on their couch, turned to face the main entrance and sipping some of their coffee with a healthy (for me) dosage of my own blood so I could stomach the sugars and cream in it.
I hummed a half-forgotten melody as I waited for their group to return from their outing, thanking everything above that the spread of two rookies beating down the big bad of the ABB delayed Bakuda's… explosive debut by a week or so.
… Just enough time for a 'mysterious tip' to urge Dragon to 'recruit' the offensive tinker herself. Because I've fucked the timeline enough that it's integrity is essentially nonexistent, and I am not going to essentially sacrifice future hostages and dealing with fucking time bombs just because I want to stress-test if Inverse Dominion would work on powers copied through tinkertech.
Spoilers, it only copies the main power, but if I get enough tinker powers together the 'scraps' of the unaltered power will combine with {Brewing of Power} like a supernatural cocktail. That way, I'll probably be able to craft things myself.
'But why do that when I have Dragon?' Well, other than bonding with my bestie over her favorite topic that doesn't involve me being laughed at… Yeah, that's my only reason. Not really the 'crafty' type, but that can change.
Either way, instead of letting a terrorist attack happen out of sheer convenience, a forewarned superheroine is dealing with the super-terrorist right about now.
… God what's taking these guys so long? They should be meeting up for their paychecks already, and most of them fucking live here.
My internal grumbling was put to a halt once I heard a group of… seven heartbeats, two being either animals or midgets, enter my auditory range. My senses were weird, and they were only easily worked when humans were involved. Not unexpected for what is their natural predator, but I still need to be able to use it more passively and without needing to focus.
But that'll be training for another day, as the group finally opened their front door with a creak. And I immediately went back to my human senses as the dogs began growling in tones I never realized they could make.
A sharp whistle followed, and two rapidly beating hearts charged towards me. But when the snarling dogs made into the room I lazed in, a single glare backed by my Wrath put me on the top of their food chain. Their whining apparently drove Bitch herself to charge through, the woman looking as savage as her dogs when they were on the attack- until my glare hit her as well.
The rest of her team flooded the room to see Bitch trying to curl into herself while still standing in front of her equally submissive dogs. Then there was an infernal buzzing that began to fill the entire building, and I decided accidentally fighting Taylor once was more than enough for me.
"Yo, remember me?" I raised a hand to them, the unholy mask on my face hiding my lazy grin. Grue was slowly wafting off smoke to cover the lot of them, despite still being able to hear their heartbeats.
"You're the one who saved the mayor's niece." Grue stated, voice distorting through his thick fog, and I rolled my eyes.
"I'm also the guy you left to die fighting Lung." The lot of them flinched, either out of guilt or the subtle bit of Wrath in my voice, and I took the chance to continue. "But I'm not here to fight, so take down the fog and let's have a chat."
"Why in the hell would I expose our unmasked faces to you?" Grue doubled down on the unwavering tough guy act, and I sighed. God this was going to be a pain in the ass, wasn't it?
[+10 Sloth]
Oh fuck off.
"Fine, I'll take off my mask too, and we can get this conversation started." I said firmly, removing my mask and placing it on the table. "Now hurry up and take the fog down." I said, the lack of muffling on my face seemed to convince their leader into taking down the fog. That and Lisa, most likely.
All in all, everyone I actually wanted to see I'd already met before, so I didn't really feel anything either way when the half I didn't want to fuck gave me the stink eye. But, because I did want to fuck the other half, I gave them a smile.
"There we go, now we're all face to face like civilized capes. Now, why don't we talk… employment." I waved them closer, noting the slightly quieter sound of insects that made my skin writhe.
"We already have a boss." Grue ground out, letting out just enough smoke to keep his voice 'intimidating', but I wasn't about to complain about free powers. I rolled my eyes as the rest of the Undersiders decided being closer to me was much more strategically sound for when Taylor 'eventually' swarmed me so I could be jumped.
The lot of them came and sat on the couch across from me, placed just at the right spot so they'd be close enough that my words would be effective but far enough that none of the untampered agents would refuse to get closer. Because, let's be honest, Lisa and Taylor are the smart ones of the group and the rest are just tactical advantages at best and extra bodies to use at worst.
At the very worst, I amended as a long dead future flitted about in my mind.
"And I'm not too partial on working for someone else." Lisa smarmed, and with Grue too busy maddogging me, Bitch still slumped submissively on the couch, and Alec just generally not giving enough a fuck to bother no one noticed it wasn't a defense mechanism and actual back chat.
"Shut up, Tattletale." The shadowy man warned his companion, words biting but without his mask he struggled to blot out the frazzled annoyance in his eyes.
"Speaking of your boss," I added, completely ignoring the outburst from the smirking Thinker. "I'd like you all to know that he's been… dealt with. Captured by the PRT after an anonymous tip from an ex-mole. Who would've thought?" I shrugged.
"That the government is riddled with mole holes? Half of the internet to begin with." Alec shrugged, completely composed as he assumed I wasn't about to murder all of them. I wasn't, but it's still rude to interrupt my 'evil recruitment speech-' Wait a second.
"Oh, I just realized how evil I sounded, fuck this. Your bank heist was a cover for his kidnapping of the mayor's niece, he was planning on using her as his on-call pre-cog after a good ole' round of torture with the aid of addictive drugs that would've ruined her life." The lot of them flinched, but I wasn't finished.
"So, considering what your mindless actions almost caused and the fact that none of you are outright malicious." Well, not enough to be an issue. Seriously, fuck Earth Bet. "I think I could use you guys to help the PRT. And before you lot do anything, I can offer full custody, oversight over all dog pounds in the city, a shit-ton of fun playing double agent, the riches of the man who wronged you, and the chance to be a hero all without losing your lifestyles."
I eyed their reactions, my lazy grin stretching as I recognized the all-encompassing look of Greed in their eyes. Unfortunately, they were all tempered by reason and logic. Good for them, bad for my plans.
"But before you talk to me about the dealings, I'm going to make this clear- this is an offer. I don't need you, and there will be no bargaining over dealings. You can ask for details by scheduling a meeting, I already sent Tats my number so she'll be handling that. But I will not be strong-arming or begging for your help. Stay villains and keep making random people's lives worse out of accident and ignorance, or take a gamble on me. Either way, make your choice." With that, I reached over and grabbed my mask and snapped the piece of black leather over my face again, before getting up and calmly walking away from the rest of them.
The three unfuckables- Fucking Rachel would be like fucking a super hardcore furry, and while I do not advocate kink-shaming I am not fucking someone while forced to bark along with having a dog-tail buttplug in me.- flinched and eyed me warily as I walked out of their base. Which was fair, as that entire encounter just about broke the Unwritten Rules over my knee.
But to be fair, no one actually plays by them, or at least the big players in this high-stakes game of Cops and Robber everyone is playing here. So, with a cheeky wave from behind, I left their base behind and immediately went to go convince Piggot hiring a team of villains isn't literally the worst plan.
But my worst fear would be that idea being just Grimdark enough that she'd actually agree to it.
Okay, good news and bad news. Good news, I haven't had the chance to get into an argument and subsequently thrown into a cell by Piggot yet. Bad news, considering the 'surprising' exposure of Calvert's stints as a major villain as he was one of the Directors of the local PRT and therefore had a fuck ton of power to abuse, Piggot is currently sending out the teams for 'patrolling'.
Basically, we're being sent around like superpowered show dogs to make sure the government doesn't take our funding and the local population doesn't completely turn on us. Kid Win and Tinhead are currently being forced to make designs for the Endbringer shelters so Dragon can buff them as well. I'm so impressed with the idea I'm almost not absolutely livid Piggot's only doing this to cover her ass.
I am also extremely glad I am not involved with that, because I'm not sure if Dragon's
going to cry or scream at being forced to interact with the metallic jackass again. I'm definitely making sure to hang out with her later to make up for it though. Actually, I can probably come up with something sweet enough to either give the mechanical woman a heart attack- agh, distracted!
Anyway, I heard through the walls that Gallant is definitely being strong armed into being more public with his relationship with Glory Girl- having the support of a team that is completely independent after our superiors fucked up to the highest degree, even subtly, will keep what newspapers hounding for exposed flesh off our backs. At least for now.
What am I doing? Well, considering I've helped the mayor's niece and inadvertently became internet famous for being good at kids, I am currently 'patrolling' with Assault, Clockblocker, and Vista. With the youngest Ward being forced to hold my hand the entire way, much to her hidden displeasure if the way she grit her teeth and cracked her finger bones trying to crush my hand were anything to go by.
Her grip has been increasing every time we've had to stop and let the pair of us be 'awww'd by the nearest woman. By her rapidly increasing heartbeat, I feel like the next person who tries to pinch her cheeks from the side she couldn't immediately defend herself was going to get motion sickness beaten into them.
Clockblocker and Assault dicking around off to the side was not helping the adorable weapon of mass destruction keep her cool. I reached up with my free hand and unzipped a tiny portion of my mask, mainly to grab her attention which it did. And also because it's spring, going to summer, and wearing leather over my face holes during this time is the worst.
"Sorry about all this." I whispered out of the corner of my mouth to the blonde. She gave me a questioning look behind her green visor, and I shrugged. "It's super demeaning, and you've kicked ass for far too long to be forced to be a showpony to cover Piggot's flabby ass."
She snorted, and I pointed at her with my free hand. "Ha! Made you laugh, that means you've been checking out the Director!" She blinked and then glared at me.
"What? No! I'm just- She's just-" She struggled to find an excuse that didn't leave her as either a pervert or smaller than average. "I'm just at a bad height!"
"Ah, to be young and at the perfect ass-gazing height. Don't even need to look down." I droned with false jealousy, placing my free hand on my head as Vista's embarrassment climbed at my words.
"I don't look at your- anyone's asses, okay?!" Wait, what?
[+5 Lust]
Oh. Well, at least I'm sure that Lust's beautifying features work if I'm picking up the girl with a crush on the emotion projector unconsciously. Or I just have a nice ass, who knows.
Either way, Brockton's age of consent is sixteen so I'll at least wait until then before testing out the side benefits of Lust. I'm trying to be a hero, not get Chris Hansen on my apparently nice ass.
"Yeah yeah, whatever you say." She bristled at my dismissive comment, but wisely decided to change the subject.
"It's not your fault everyone just sees me as a free PR machine." She commented, and like that the amusement drained from my body. "It's just… I've been a cape longer than anyone else on the team, and they're replacing me just because someone else is older. Everyone just looks at me like a kid who should be having fun playing in front of cameras, but I know what this job is about more than any of them!" I don't think she realized she was getting progressively closer to me as she ranted, nor that I silently told Assault and Clocky to fuck off.
"Do I have to wait six years before they take me fucking seriously?! Because that's the only thing that could possibly make what they're doing justifiable. Kid brought an untested weapon to a hostage situation, and got all our pay docked-" What?! "-but he isn't forced out of running for the next leader of the Wards. Gallant brought his girlfriend, and he gets grounded but is he forced to never show any public displays of intimacy with anyone the second he puts on his suit?"
She was being completely rhetorical, and ranting, but I could feel her Wrath ebbing and fading out of her.
[+5 Wrath]
Exactly.
"Clockblocker and Aegis switched costumes, but didn't get punished because that plan was so fucking stupid that Piggot could get away with not punishing them because she hates all of us! But since I'm not old and wrinkly I'm forced to wear a fucking dress because actual armor isn't motherfucking CUTE ENOUGH?!"
[+20 Wrath]
Vista panted, and I was about to comfort her when the last thing tumbled out of her mouth. "... And no one cares enough to change that?"
[+50 Wrath]
Clamping down my impotent rage, I stopped walking and dragged the girl into a hug. I didn't say anything, because talking right now would demean the very valid anger she felt. I have not heard her say one lie since she started ranting about the system she's trapped in. Any agreement would feel superficial, any argument would feel corrective.
So, hugs. And by the way she wrapped her arms around me in return, it was the correct decision.
"... Vis?" I said after a minute of hugging, and got a shifting of the youngest heroine in response. "I'm going to get you your armor, and start crippling those PR whoremonger cunts if they don't do what I say. Oh, and we should hang out more." She snorted at my words, probably thinking I wasn't going to do that. Adorable.
"... Should probably stop hugging before the press suspects you of liking 'em young." She wisely stated as the hug began dragging on. But, my wisdom trumps hers via Law of Tall.
"Fuck 'em." I aptly supplied, and got another laugh out of the space-warper.
"Definitely not helping your case." I chuckled dryly, before I pulled myself out of the hug and immediately tousled the blonde hair atop her head unrepentantly. "Stop messing with my hair, biker boy." She warned me despite not making a move to remove said hand. But Biker Boy- wearing all black, with gorey imagery and a leather mask.
… God fucking damn it Parian, this is why you're my PR manager! Note to self, make Parian my PR manager.
"I hate that I can't argue-" Three racing heartbeats suddenly breached my awareness, being both prominent enough from the crowd and close enough for my instincts to suddenly kick in right before a screeching whistling pried it's way into my ears.. With a tap of the heel of my hand, Vista was sent backwards just as a sheer blade of wind severed my arm at the elbow.
[+15 Gluttony]
Her eyes widened as I bit back a groan of pain and gave a quick glance at the cavalcade of jackasses who were jumping the two of us.
I spotted Cricket, the scarred blonde who was licking her lips at the sight of my blood, and a shirtless jackass with a tiger mask, Stormtiger.
My first though- God I hope that didn't add even more trauma to the child soldier I was just humanizing. My second- Who the fuck is trying to pincer attack us and where the fuck are Assault and Clockblocker.
"Get your hands of her you filthy-" The Furry Nazi began, and with all my animosity I grabbed my still falling arm and chucked the dismembered limb at him with all my strength.
My third though after he cut through the impromptu projectile in a shower of blood and gore- Why the fuck does this whitewashed El Tigre motherfucker have wind slashes that can cut through me?!
While I forced my healing to accelerate with Absolute Control, Stormtiger just clicked his tongue while Cricket eyed my arm like a cat gaining a new and particularly interesting toy. "Just like your ancestors, throwing shit at your betters." My rapidly healing muscles throbbed at the comment, before the thing behind us suddenly rushed at us from behind.
A glance from behind showed a mass of living blades rushing towards us, it's bladed features slowly piecing together to form a snarling wolf bounding towards us, knife-shaped claws outstretched towards Vista.
"You miss me, girlie-" Was all Hookwolf could say as the second he was in range my kagune burst out of my back and slammed into his bladed side while Vista twisted the space in the area I knocked him into and sent the beast spiralling off into an alley.
"Nice corkscrew." I idly comment, looking back towards the bum-rushing jackasses trying to get the jump on us twice.
"Don, you deal with Cricket, I can handle Stormtiger." She commanded, and for a split second I pondered why, before I realized that she'd probably have an easier time dealing with the mostly static fighter whose attacks she can move and not the trained gladiator who is likely the more difficult to defend.
"On it." I acquested, and ignored the slight disbelief in her expression as I rushed to meet Cricket. She was fast, but not inhumanly so, which was made obvious as I reached her in a blink of an eye and caught her almost completely off guard until my remaining fist swung up towards her face. But at the last second the scarred cape dodged and attempted to slash at my face with one of her hand-scythes.
Ducking beneath, I attempted to counter but she dodged at the last second again. Fuck, she's got some dodge-aid bullshit, this is going to suck. Plus side, I can finally make use of Devouring Fist!
I attempted to strike at her, but I was taken off balance by her consistent tendency to dodge out of the way at the last second every time, since I didn't really have a second limb to follow up with that would out me as more than a mindless berserker in a fight. Soon enough a rhythm was formed between us as she began targeting my open wound when she figured out I was far better at dodging when I actually knew where it was coming from.
Honestly speaking, this fight was the equivalent of slowing to a light jog after a sprint so I could focus on speed-healing the dismembered arm. I was more concerned with keeping an eye on Vista, and seeing her dealing with Stormtiger consistently was far more important than making sure the Nazi didn't break her Japanese weapons on my skin.
But then she started humming, and a buzzing sound tickled its way into my ears and forced me to pay my full attention onto her.
And then… she screamed.
[+5 Gluttony, +3 Wrath]
{Cricket(?)'s Audiokinesis has been negated.}
And she was now officially worthless, considering the scream had caused Vista to stop and cover her ears.
Cricket made the mistake of lashing out with a scythe the second her scream began, thinking I was going to even flinch at that. I caught her by the wrist, and just as her eyes got the slightest bit cocky, my barely healed elbow slammed into the side of her jaw, sending her reeling until a knee into the stomach knocked her into the air.
She, reasonably, let go of her scythes at that point, so I grabbed one with my free hand and with just a second of listening for the two fighting to the side, flung the weapon at what I guessed was Stormtiger.
By the distinctly unfeminine scream, I was right, and I celebrated by pushing the hanging nazi into the wall and knocking her unconscious. I turned towards Vista, before absently taking out one of my Containment Foam grenades- dispensers and dispensing the parahuman handcuff onto the cape.
I noted the fact that the Japanese weapon was buried deep into his shoulder, blade first. The giant jackass was bawling about the injury in front of the child soldier and torture victim, so I decided to put an end to the pathetic display by tossing another foam dispenser at him and giving him a good knock to the head to make him shut the fuck up.
"Alright, Vis, sit-rep." I rolled the injured arm, noting with pride the fact my arm had already healed halfway up my forearm. Damn, I love being a regenerator sometimes.
[+1 Pride]
Kiss my ass.
I glanced back at Vista, who hadn't spoken for a bit before she shook herself and looked up at me. "Are you still fighting ready, Don?" Ah, she was putting on a 'commander' voice. I raised an eyebrow and pointed with my remaining hand at the slumped-over visage of the designated German Attack Hound.
"At this point, I'd be disappointed if that was all I get today. So, mind telling me how Ass and Clock are handling German Attack Hound 2.0?" She held back a snort, before she straightened up.
"Assault and Clocky aren't handling Hookwolf well on their own, on account of both of them being Strikers." She noted as she began tapping at something on her belt.
"Torn to shreds, got it. Reinforcements are probably shot too because someone doesn't know what PRT actually fucking means." I cursed, shaking my rapidly reforming wrist out, expecting the ultimate lupine jackass to immediately gun for it. "So, we tag-teaming it or what?"
"... Or what, considering Hookwolf just escaped the two idiots," Vista said mildly, as the sound of metal scraping against stone rapidly made its way into my ears. I turned to the heroine, a deadpan look in my eyes.
"He's coming straight for us, isn't he?" She snapped her head at me, then apparently just began noticing the increasingly annoying sound a giant mass of sharpened metal makes when it walks on concrete.
"Motherfucker-" She cursed, just as Hookwolf's movements suddenly became far louder and he leaped at us through a building. As Vista predictably flinched as the giant knife monster flew through a mass of brick and shrapnel, the world began to lose it's color.
[{King of the Hill}]
[{Conqueror's Touch}]
… One of these is going to fucking end up with her dead, isn't it? Fuck, I should've saved before I woke up this morning. Wait, did I even save after the roof yesterday?!
Well, hesitation won't help anyone, and either way I'll just throw Vista out of the way and either die a courageous hero or a particularly depressing link in her PHO page. Now,
King me.
As the world regained its color, I rushed towards Vista, grabbed her by the back of her 'suit' with my kagune and tossed her out of the way before making a half-hearted attempt to cover my vitals with 1 and 3/4s of my arms.
Then I watched as the rapidly approaching claws shattered on my skin.
I paused.
Massive metal beast made of manmade weapons.
Inhuman creature with skin that breaks anything that isn't a high impact bullet.
For the first time, the grin beneath my mask was far more terrifying than the one on it, and I brought my newly recovered hand to the old one and cracked my knuckles.
"I'm gonna put some fuckin' dirt in your eye, skinhead." With a single, full force uppercut the menacing metallic wolf head was sheared off from the neck up and turned into a giant meteor. Within it, I saw a particularly terrified skinhead looking up at me from the center of his little dog-theme safety bubble. "Don't look so scared boy, I'm just going to rip your metallic hide off with my bare hands."
Hookwolf began rapidly flailing in an attempt to get me to back off long enough for his head to regrow, but instead of doing any of that dumbshit, I instead let him break his claws on my skin and began beating some sense into this man playing predator.
I can't quite remember when he started screaming, or when I started laughing, but I do remember that eventually the PRTroops came to find me finding that I could literally beat the power out of the Neo-Nazi outright hysterical, and Vista pointing and laughing along with me.
[Missy: +35/100 for being the most fun rookie to ever exist]
Overall, best superhero outing ever.
Alright, now that I'm standing in front of Piggot, the emotional high from earlier is starting to taper off.
"So, Cannibalist Case-53 that has just permanently crippled three people, what do you want to ask me?" God who fucking talk this bitch sarcasm, because they need to be shot for their crimes against… well, humanity is a bit of a stretch, but my point still stands.
"Well, stop being sarcastic and let me make my goddamn request before jumping down my throat for one, please and thank you." That time I wasn't even upset that I was casually giving my boss shit. Though I am particularly glad this 'meeting' holds only me and her, because holding back my disrespect would be far more difficult.
In any case, I should start my requests. "Firstly, get Vista some actual armor." I growled out at the pig, and she had the audacity to sigh at me.
"If we give our youngest Ward armor, it would imply-"
"That she isn't completely and utterly safe?" I interrupted, and my gaze sharpened as soon as Piggot attempted to cow me with one of her 'Obey your superior' glares. "We were jumped, in the middle of a PR patrol, when there were four capes around!"
"Assault and Clockblocker's comms record you shooing them in the middle of patrol, Abaddon, so I don't believe you have any ground to stand on there." Her eyes narrowed even more, like it was my fault we were attacked by a bunch of superpowered Nazis.
[+10 Wrath]
"Oh, because me wanting to talk to the obviously displeased parahuman is suddenly a crime?" I spoke heatedly, ignoring the fact my fists were clenched so hard behind my back I could feel the muscles and vein bursting under the strain. But, somehow, I grabbed my Sloth and smothered the rage at the… willful incompetence this woman was parading around.
[+10 Sloth]
I sighed, leaning back against the wall and looking at Piggot. "Director, today on a 'spontaneous' patrol through the edge of E33 territory-" Another blood vessel almost burst at the reminder that Nazis had a defined place in this city, but my muscles were still dosed in laziness. "- Our youngest member was almost mauled by Hookwolf. Even preventing that, she was still walking around in a fucking dress against cage-fighters and people who can cut buildings in half with the twitch of a finger. Are you telling me you care more about our PR than Vista's life and safety?"
"My Wards are all longtime capes, capable of dealing this long without an injury."
Scar on her foot, gash from the shoulder to the chest, various scrapes and bruises, a cut on the back of her right shoulder blade. All those injuries were clearly visible from just watching her walk when I was in full-Kagune.
[Preemptive Answer: Piggot is unaware of the exact injuries, but is aware of the fact Vista constantly lies on wellness reports after missions to prevent benching. Unaware of the severity of several injuries.]
"... This is getting nowhere." I bit out, drowning my mind in Sloth to keep myself from snapping and killing this bitch with my bare fucking hands. God I can't thank Dragon enough for hiring me, because I didn't expect Piggot to be this unbearable on my second day on the job! "What do you want?"
"What I want is for you to-" Bitch just won't listen.
[+20 Wrath]
"Shut the fuck up." Even Piggot had the insight to do exactly as I said when a portion of my new Wrath slipped out of me. Her jaw clicked shut automatically, but her glare renewed with newfound fuel. "... What do you want from me, that I'd actually do, to get Vista the armor she needs to keep herself safe." God I fucking hate that I have to bargain with her.
[+20 Pride]
"... Are you trying to blackmail your superior officer?" She asked guilely, and if I learned anything from this conversation so far it's that she looks even worse with a smile on her face than her usual glare. "Well, considering your claims of needing to consume human flesh for survival-" Oh this cunt. "- and the fact you've brutalized three villains, it isn't too hard to guess you took a bite when no one was looking."
She's fucking with me. I know, she knows it, but she's still smiling. God what I wouldn't give to put my hand through her skull like a fucking bowling ball.
"... It may be necessary to get Armsmaster to place a tracker underneath your skin…"
[+75 Pride]
God, what I wouldn't give to sell out my morals and buy a power to make dumbasses listen to what I say. But, while I am willing to do a lot to get Vista help, I am not letting myself get fucking chipped.
"Director." Again, she shut the fuck up, but at this point I couldn't even begin to consider my plans for the Undersiders being officialized under her if me having a private conversation about getting the youngest Ward in the country some proper armor ends with her trying to get me chipped for a 'favor'. "I think this conversation has gotten far off track. I'll leave you to your business, then." And with that, I walked out of the room, and slammed it behind me.
… Well, that plans going to need to be workshopped. But, considering the cavalcade of fucked up bullshit coming from both sides, I think instead of playing it safer I'll get a bit more… heavy-handed.
I pulled the phone away, an ear-piercing shriek that Inverse Dominion, unfortunately, couldn't help me resist as I gave Parian the news she was extremely glad to receive.
"Yeah yeah, you're welcome," I grumbled once she finished, leaning back into the taxi I was riding inside of. "Anyway, I personally recommend the tried and true suit- no one looks bad in a suit, trust me Pari. Also, you should try making furniture too-"
"Are you just using me to distract yourself from… Dragon's inevitable freakout?" I clicked my tongue at her words.
"I'm going to deal with that after I finish making all the stupid decisions she can berate me for today." It's not like I don't appreciate Dragon's protectiveness or her mother henning, it's just that it usually takes a while to get through being scolded and fussed over by the heroine. Best to get all the things I need to do immediately done before I'm coddled by the nearest AI controlled suit.
"And, remind me again what this dumb choice of yours is?" She asked dryly, her prior excitement compartmentalized to take potshots at me, which I could respect up to a point.
"Ha, nice try, you can't stop me anymore than my distaste of the place I'm going can." Suddenly, the car stopped, and I dug out a twenty and got the fuck out of there before he realized I carried cash on me. Not that I couldn't kick his ass, but beating up a taxi driver outside of fucking Winslow sounds way too Brockonite for me.
I ended the call with Parian before she could fish out more information on what the hell I was doing, because at this point I barely knew the answer either. So, with a check on the PtVS, I strode into the doors of this accursed building and felt my sins begin to build up.
This time, I have no intentions of hanging out with Taylor considering she skipped earlier and what kind of dumbass skips only the first half of class? Instead, I'm chasing after one very specific person here to send a subtle message to the two people who've made the horrible mistake of riling me up. Today, at least.
It was… surprisingly easy to sneak into a school as shitty as this when you looked like any other student as long as you didn't draw attention to yourself. At least, I assumed based on what the Will of The Fallen is giving me as I casually navigated the dilapidated hallways towards my target.
Since I don't think anything too dramatic- Why did the world shudder for a second- will happen, may as well take now to check out some of my newer abilities.
{King of the Hill}
[Among all things exists a hierarchy. This absolute truth applies to abilities as well. Through this methodology, any abilities that couldn't hurt even without you developing an immunity are automatically added to your repertoire.]
This… will end up being useful in the future, when I eventually become capable of no-selling attacks by merely existing in the direction of the attack. Though it had cost a MM in Pride, Greed, and Wrath to purchase, and I can't find Conqueror's Touch anywhere so I lost out on a bit for this skill. Besides that, no skills involving dogs, stabbing, or racism has appeared, so I feel scammed.
[+5 Pride, +20 Greed]
… I don't even care anymore, but there are more important things to be wondering about now. Like…
{Audible Presence}
[The ability to create sounds marks one's existence, as what is silent doesn't truly exist. This ability allows for the user to either amplify or minimize the sounds their body naturally produces. Whether on it's own or when aided by another.]
… The first thing I thought of when I read this may or may not involve some forms of… debauchery.
[+20 Lust, +30 Greed]
In any case, I've officially arrived. She was standing in a classroom, completely alone. Perfect for this encounter.
I let loose an uneasy breath, and pushed open the door to see the blonde, athletic girl whirl towards me and had an instance of disgust flash across her face at the sight of me. I walked in spite of that.
"What the hell do you want?" Tammi sneered at me, but I didn't stop moving towards her. "Hey, you got shit in your ears?" I kept walking, and my eyes sharpened at her.
"What is it? Do you want to fight, you fucking savage?" She growled at me, but I kept walking. She hurled more insults at me, but I kept walking.
Quickly realizing I wasn't stopping for mere words, she snarled before picking up the nearest object and hurling it at me as well. It was a mug full of pencils on a teacher's desk, but I kept walking. Then it was a stapler, and an apple, and anything she could throw at me in her ramping panic and rage.
I kept walking. I could see the absolute desire to use her power, to defend herself. But the fear of exposing herself was far greater, so she decided to rush me with a punch.
She slammed her fist in my cheek, and if it were anyone else that might have done something.
As it stood, it stopped me just as I gripped onto her wrist just as she raised another stabler into my temple.
It broke on my skin, and her eyes truly widened as she suddenly knew what she was dealing with. What this was.
Our eyes met, and I saw pure fear hiding disgust and rage and hate and disgust and hate and disgust and hatred without any purpose.
"Don't you fucking think this changes-" I interrupted her, and raised my free hand towards her face. She struggled, hurling abuse and slurs and more of her hatred, even raising the pencils back up to attack me. But even screaming and struggling like a dying animal couldn't free her from my grasp, and with a touch to her forehead-
It all stopped. Her objects fell, her rage fell, and she fell.
"I… Oh god." Her wrist still in my grasp, she fell to her knees and shook. Trembled like a branch in a hurricane as she immediately began choking back sobs. Tears fell to the floor, and ugly hiccups were forced down her throat. "W.. what did I… Why did I…"
She looked up at me, and tears flowed freely down her face as she looked, truly looked, at my face. My skin. What I was.
"I… I did so many things… for such fucking stupid reasons… I… you can't forgive me. No one can… I'm better off-"
"Don't." I cut off, my Wrath and Pride flaring instinctively at what we both knew she was about to say. "You… aren't her anymore. Those sins are… in the past, belonging to a different person." With that, I let go of her arm and kneeled down to her level to look her in the eye.
"The past is in the past, and that person has already died here." I brought her close to me, as she shook and trembled like a newborn lamb. "The only thing you owe them, owe anyone, is to be better."
My words were strong, and as true as they could possibly be. But she still rejected them, after all who wouldn't be a self-deprecating mess after figuring out how horrible you were first hand?
"N-no, I can't just be… forgiven for this. I need to be punished! I need to pay for my crimes, my sins, my evil with my blood! I need-"
"What do you want?" I interrupted her firmly, and she stopped her sorrowful ranting. "What do you want, Tammi? What drives you now, what do you believe in, what will you do now?" Her shuddering lessened as she considered my statement, as well as the fact I wouldn't accept an 'I don't know' from her.
"... I don't want to be a villain anymore." She uttered, like the mere act of thinking those thoughts was the most egregious evil in all the world. "I don't want to hurt or hate people anymore. I don't want to spit at people, I don't want to look down on people, I don't want to-"
"What do you want?" I asked again, and she stopped.
"... I want to be the opposite of that. But I can't, I shouldn't." She denied herself, right at the tipping point of what she needed to hear. So, I'd have to do it for her.
"... Tammi, in this new life you want to live, I want to give you your first sin." She tensed against me, but let me continue. "Not Lust, not Pride, not Wrath or any of those… Instead, I want you to feel Greed. I want you to want and crave the things in this world, and to never be ashamed of that want. I want you to be ambitious, voracious, avaricious!" He spoke powerfully, forcing her to etch the words he spoke into the bottom of her still-beating heart.
"And I want you to hear these words…" I was going to steal this words from a great hero, but I know he'd understand. I leaned into her, and wrapped her into a warm but strong hug.
"Tammi… even you can be a hero." Her breath hitched. "Want these words as hard as you can, strive to make that truth reality. Be the hero you so desperately want, make sure no one can make those same mistakes you did. Because out there… is someone only you can save. Not Legend, not Alexandria, not Eidolon, you. So, Tammi, what do you want?"
"... To be a hero." I shifted a hand up and held the back of her head.
"Then let's make you a hero." I stated, and that was apparently the last straw before Tammi's arms brought me into a tight hug and she began balling into my shoulder, apologizing for everyone she's ever wronged and vowing to save enough to be better than who she was.
And as I whispered sweet nothings into the ex-villains ears, rebuilding the shattered remains of what was once a girl no one could bother to redeem until after the end of the world, a part of me for just a second hoped that whatever remained of what once was Rune would find something for her wherever the scraps of the old self go afterwards.
But I wasn't going to hold my breath.
[Tammi: +45/100 for bringing out the best in her]
After thirty minutes of coaxing a person back out of Tammi, another hour and a half setting something up for my plans and Tammi's new living space (considering she lives with evil Nazis) while also getting fussed over/chewed out by Dragon over… Well basically everything that happened in the last half hour while also learning that conversation was basically just Piggot hamfisting a way to get me out of the building so she could start experimenting on my leftover arm and RC cells.
After convincing Dragon to only sabotage their experiments and not do anything else after she found the 'deleted' footage of her talking about chipping me, I was able to get to Parian's and promote her to my PR manager while also dumping- entrusting Tammi to her for the night, put on my new Sunday best and send a cheeky message to Amy and Vicky to turn on the news channel in my apartment.
All to end up with me on the backstage to some famous talk show with some sweaty PR manager giving me the ropes of professional ass kissing they call publicity mongering, which is something I would have been given earlier if Piggot didn't 'accidentally' forget that the apparently essential information would be hosted around the time I was manipulated to leaving the premises.
I'd be a lot more pissed if I didn't know most of that shit was useless, easily assumed knowledge. 'Don't talk about how dangerous your job is', 'Never act like you aren't getting enough free time', 'Always make sure to kiss every Director's asscheek in right, left, and center when onstage'.
I wish I was exaggerating more than I am, but this shit is boring and useless, and absolutely not dramatic enough for what I have planned. I obviously didn't tell the guy this, because he already looked like he was on the verge of a heart attack and I didn't want to be the guy the fucked him over.
So, when it was my time to appear, I confidently strode up onto the stage and had my eyes immediately adjust to the bright lights as an audience began clapping for my arrival. I waved and made vague pointing gestures to people in the crowd before I looked at the giant fluffy armchair-
"Ooh," It uttered gleefully, like a special secret was just revealed to him. "I haven't had the chance to use this yet, have I?" He lifted up a screwdriver, sized to fit in his small, unholy hands.
He went for my left side, and placed a hand on my shoulder while out of my field of vision. Then, slowly, a cool metal slid into my ear as he began speaking. "This is one of my favorites, but I can only use it so often. Before I got used to scraping off fingernails with knives, I pulled this baby out. Now, it's only reserved for this special thing." As he had spoken, my left ear had gotten more and more filled until I could only hear him from my right side.
He stopped moving inwards, and the guard I held within against any pain rose as-
A savage cry of agony escaped me as the boy with all his might slammed his elbow into the device as far as it could physically go. Piercing through my inner ear and sending burning sensations far beyond anything else he'd done throughout my brain.
The pain never got any easier to bear, any noise was like every nerve on the left side of my head was simultaneously lit ablaze and smashed into a pulp. And then it got far worse when he grabbed the handle and began madly twisting it every which way.
"Because always going for the ear makes them stop screaming, and that's just no fun." He whispered as he mutilated my left ear, the soft tones causing even worse pain than my own screams.
- And sat down on it, arms and legs crossed into an easy yet not too comfortable position, making an effort to smile with my eyes beyond the grisly mask on my face. Though it went well with the black suit and blood red dress shirt, along with the skull and crossbones on my tie. Though apparently my sense of fashion may have been compromised.
"Hey, thanks for having me here-"
[Scott]
"- Scott, it's a wonderful show you've got going on here." Can't be caught on a lie if you have no idea what the fuck you're talking about.
"No, no, thank you," A man with a dazzlingly fake smile commented mildly, as all talk show hosts do. "For coming here, Abaddon. It's not every day we get to meet an up and coming cape such as yourself."
I restrained an eye roll at the casual ego-stroking. I appreciated it, but I wasn't about to spill my guts over something so minor.
"Ah, anyone'd do the same thing." I waved off the compliment like smoke. "I mean, who'd just sit back and watch a child get kidnapped when you could do something?" I shrugged as the man's eyes began to gleam. Oh god I already hate this.
"No one of course, but I don't need to explain that to you of course. After all, you did help defend our youngest Ward from an attack by the E88 just a few hours ago." At that, the crowd began to clap on command once more, their scripted appreciation filling the air as I struggled not to yawn at how fake everyone around me was acting.
"I appreciate your appreciation, strangers I've never met before, but there is one thing I can't accept about that statement." At that, my lazy eyes sharpened at Scott or whatever the fuck. "Vista and I fought together, and besides that she is a veteran when it comes to cape activities. An adorable veteran, but she's been fighting these guys for ages, and I won't sit here and listen to you all disrespect her work by acting like she's just another child despite everything she's accomplished."
[+10 Pride]
His perfected smile faltered for a moment, before it returned with a more down-to-earth shape that I could easily tell was fake. God, at least my acting skills are shooting through the roof just sitting here.
"Sorry, I didn't know you were so passionate about how others saw Vista." Oh this bitch.
"She's fought criminals and endbringers since she was ten, if that doesn't deserve respect then I have no fucking clue what does." I am not being turned into pedo-bait on my first interview, especially with all the gifs about me carrying around a sleepy child floating about on the internet. Again, Chris Hansen in Worm sounds like the most evil timeline.
He raised his hands in surrender. "Alright alright, I apologize. Sorry for disrespecting one of our Wards." I leaned back into my chair and sighed.
"It's fine, I get it, it's difficult to be professional when someone is weapons grade adorable." We both nodded in sync at that bit of wisdom, and the interview finally continued onward. What my experiences in the PRT were like, how the others acted around me, and any dirt I'd found on my coworkers.
All in all, Scott seemed used to making people forget about the cameras and the live audience and drag them into some watercooler talk on the spot. But considering I was absently honing my hearing by tracking how many people were in the audience, I never truly forgot they were there, even as the talks turned a bit more introspective.
Until finally, the bombshell question I'd been waiting for arrived.
"Abaddon, how do you plan to do your cape work for the duration of your hopefully long and fulfilling career?" At that, I smiled behind my mask.
"Now you're asking a question, Scotty!" I laughed catching him off guard with my sedate attitude evaporating into thin air. "Honestly speaking, this is a question I want to take time to go through, so I'm going to take the long way."
With that, I pulled myself out of the chair, and relished the feeling of stretching my leg muscles after so long just sitting there. "First, let me tell you the difference between a cape, a policeman, and a soldier." I walked, paced more like, across the stage while ignoring the taken aback expressions on Scott's face.
"Firstly, a soldier fights for his country. A policeman is supposed to fight for his neighborhood. But, what does a cape fight for? Anyone?" I asked the audience, my eyes sweeping over the crowd, when someone raised their hand. "Yes?"
"Don't they fight for their neighborhoods too?" I snapped my fingers and pointed at the man.
"Yes! Exactly! Capes fight for the same things as policemen. But, doesn't that mean capes are just super-powered policemen? The PRT just the extreme version of the local police force?" I asked, and casually sowed the seeds of doubt and inspection into the world.
"But what does that make the big guys? The likes of Dragon and Legend and Narwhal, who go around saving as many people as possible beyond their immediate surroundings? The people who hold themselves to a universal standard?" I asked the crowd again, and this time the whispers amongst themselves lent to a lack of answers.
"Heroes." I stated simply, firmly. "The people who will save you if they can, when they can, without exceptions. I don't want to be just another suped up policeman. I want to be a Big Damn Hero!" I proclaimed to the world itself, with it's people as my witness.
After all, Dragon is currently twisting the signal to reach as many people as possible.
"But right now, I can't be that, can't save every person possible. What I can do is hunt down evil. People who deem themselves better than the rest by standards they make, people who make people hurt for shits and giggles, people who do as they please because no one can stop them."
[+5 Wrath]
"Basically, if you're evil, watch your fucking back." I grinned beneath my mask, before turning to the nearest camera. "And to the monsters of this world." I walked forward, confident and proud, my eyes never wavering from the camera. "Those whose forms and minds were twisted into something unrecognizable." I stepped even closer.
"The horrific beasts that fill this world, I promise you this." I raised my fist between me and the camera. "With all of my strength, all of my will, even if I were to die…" I tightened my fist, and locked eyes with the countless people beyond the glass and wires.
"I will definitely…" Slowly, I opened my hand and showed my palm. "Save you."
The world itself skid to a halt as once more I felt the world twist for a split second, as the people I could reach heard me. Whether they believed me or not was irrelevant. I was going to save them, even if I had to break every bone in their bodies to do so.
Once I was sure my message had reached the people I wanted to hear me, I turned away from the camera and sat back down. "Did I answer the question, Scott?"
"... You took drama in high school, didn't?" At that, nervous laughs filled the studio, and once again my reputation was kicked into the dirt before it could reach new heights.
… When I checked my phone when the show was over, my PRT rating had added a Master 2 onto it.
God fucking damn it.
Actions
↑ Top ← Previous Chapter Next Chapter →
Kudos
Awaven, HornyCat, AeroGnome, Teraten, jason1stlegion, Hermis79, McBehrer, TheRedZealot, LinkZ622, Art6272538917, FormlessOdeon, Kuzunetsu, Hanbunaku, Turkeyboyeli, MrGreysome, Sad_man23, Willow_Ford, PwnageHobo, Destructodog, Appreciator_of_Fiction, JasminUwU, iizafailure_69, Lord_CharlieJ, Tidazi, Prototype_109, Treyway, DU5T, SylineKZ, Noice6470318, TheThirdSky, UssaXellus, wwyd4akb, Prenicolado, MisterM1801, Trejan, KayZero, Shadowflare300, KnightTech, Wassss, TheAnswerIsBELLUM, Omistar, OverPower19, Ned_Talon, ShadowyMyths, Life_Coffee, Kronus, Wrathofdementer, EmptySolemnShadow, Kveldrunari, ExiaDark, and 65 more users as well as 114 guests left kudos on this work!
Comments
Post Comment
Note:
All fields are required. Your email address will not be published.
Guest name
Guest email
Plain text with limited HTML ? Embedded images ( tags) will be displayed as HTML, including the image's source link and any alt text.
Comment
10000 characters left
Footer
About the Archive
Site Map
Diversity Statement
Terms of Service
Content Policy
Privacy Policy
DMCA Policy
Site Status
Contact Us
Policy Questions & Abuse Reports
Technical Support & Feedback
Development
otwarchive v0.9.460.1
Known Issues
GPL-2.0-or-later by the OTW