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The Most Dangerous Gamer by chimmon
Books » Worm Rated: M, English, Adventure, OC, Bonesaw, Siberian, Words: 431k+, Favs: 3k+, Follows: 3k+, Published: Mar 8, 2021 Updated: Feb 27, 2023
1,328Chapter 13: On the Run 1
[Endbringer Assault I
Assist in driving off Behemoth.
Bonus: Inconvenience Behemoth
Bonus2: Damage Behemoth
Success: +10,000 exp, increased reputation with the PRT, increased reputation with the Protectorate, increased reputation with ?
Bonus Success: +10,000 exp, increased reputation with the PRT, increased reputation with the Protectorate, increased reputation with ?
Bonus2 Success: +20,000 exp, increased reputation with the PRT, increased reputation with the Protectorate, increased reputation with ?, ?]
I can't help but notice there is no bonus for killing Behemoth. Glad my power has some sense of my limitations. I also fail to see how either of the two bonus requirements can be accomplished. It takes people like Alexandria, Legend, or Eidolon to hurt those things. As impressive as my little bombs are, they can't SINK JAPAN!
Ok, breathe, breathe.
"Hey man, just breathe, okay?" As if reading my mind the bathrobe wearing cape in front of me puts his hand on my shoulder. "Nothing to be worried about, man. It's the alarm for volunteers."
"What?"
He smiles. "A tourist eh? I dig your style, you got the whole cowboy thing going." I look at him. "No? Don't get the quote? It's cool." He slaps my shoulder. "There are a couple of us independent heroes and villains here in Shreveport. We have powers that are good for that sort of... uhm... unfortunate business. So we show up and help, we all live on this rock right? So, uhm, they can't just call us." His phone rings. "Excuse me." He holds up a finger and answers the phone. "Huh? Yep. I'm right outside. No. Yeah." He puts the phone in his bathrobe pocket. "Sorry 'bout that. As I was saying, they can't call the villains, because they're 'villains'" He makes air quotes. "Which is a bunch of bullshit if you ask me. They live by their own rules, and sure, they make a mess of things sometimes, and harass people. Nothing too bad. They don't, like, murder people man. Anyways, as I was saying, why would 'villains' help out people in other cities? It's because labels are bullshit and arbitrary distinctions are bullshit. Excuse my French."
"Doesn't it panic everyone?"
"Huh? Yeah, no. See that's the on-base alarm we're hearing. It's to let all the people to get ready. Like, I'd assume that in an actual attack alarms would be blaring all over the place." The Dude scratches his beard. "Of course, now that you mention it, never did ask Mr. Micro and Peek-a-boo how they get contacted." He tilts his head back and looks up into the sky. "I mean, I get called. But they obviously tap MY phone, they did give it to me. So the same wouldn't work for people on the out with the PRT. Just makes things harder, but the Dude abides. Peek-a-boo probably finds out on her own. You know how it is." I didn't. "Mr. Micro? Now I'm curious. I'll have to ask him."
"So you're a hero?" I pull up my bandanna to cover my nose and mouth.
"I'm just the Dude. I guess you got powers too?" He motions at my face. "Gonna help out?"
That's the question isn't it? I have a quest for it. Great exp. Assuming I don't die. Then it hits me. "If the alarm isn't for this city, how do you help?"
"Oh, that's easy. There's this cool guy. He's not Protectorate, but still a hero right? I think the 'label' they gave him was 'Rogue' which is just shameful. That word carried a lot of baggage. Not as much as 'villain', but enough to sour, like, the populous or whatever. Anyways, this guy, Strider, he teleports capes from all over the world to help out in the good fight." He pauses. "On second thought, he might be called an independent hero. Not sure. I'll have to ask him."
"Oh." Teleporting to another city? THAT would get me plenty far from Jack. "I don't suppose he'd be willing to teleport me somewhere else after the fight?"
The Dude shrugs. "I don't see why not." He smiles. "I'll even put in a good word for you. Least they can do if you're showing up when it matters most." He rubs his head. "Probably will have to be to a Protectorate city. Strider's good, but he only has so much juice, you know what I'm saying?"
"Yeah." That... was tempting. I was tough. Not Behemoth-tough, but possibly random-damage-from-being-anywhere-close-to-Behemoth-tough. This might be stupid, but I won't live to regret it. "Sure." Better the devil you don't know than the Jack Slash you do. Plus, this might have the heroes actually try to bring me in alive when the other shoe drops.
No Int or Wis increase. That's not a good sign.
He drapes his arm over my shoulder and starts walking towards the building across the street. "So what can I call you partner?"
Uh.
"Tex."
"Heh." He chuckles. "It fits. Not sure it's available, but I won't tell anyone if you don't."
* +10 reputation with The Dude.
As we approach the gate, an armored PRT agent steps out. "Hey Carl!" The Dude lets go of me and waves. "Got a fresh recruit for the fight!"
The guard waves back and motions with his head. "They're setting up on the roof. I'll escort you there."
"Sure thing man."
Carl looks me up and down. "You know the Endbringer Truce is in effect? Any violence will not be looked upon kindly. So we're not going to search you, but if you take any hostile action, not limited to attacking anyone, sabotage, or espionage... Well, it won't just be the heroes on your ass."
The Dude waves his hand. "We know the drill."
Speak for yourself. I'm pretty sure I have a Kill Order.
On the roof, there are 6 adults and 3 teenagers. I Observe them all. Two more that got their powers from a vial. One of which has a 'Cauldron' faction in addition to the 'Protectorate'. Her bio also mentioned getting it from them. Interesting, but apparently not interesting enough for another point in Parahuman Lore.
"What's the ETA man?" The Dude goes up to a guy in red armor. "I got time for a drink?"
"I wish you'd take this seriously Lebowski."
"I am serious. Which is why I'd like to be as fucked up as possible before dealing with this shit."
That does make a certain sense, considering his power. Must be nice to be completely invincible.
The armored man turns to me. He has the ability to duplicate fire and explosions within 60 feet. Each use results in twice as much energy, at the expense of the original source. A pretty nice ability against Behemoth, assuming he doesn't get fried by one of the other types of energy the Endbringer can manipulate. He holds out his hand. "I'm Dupe. Nice to have you on board. What's your name son? Think you can help out?"
Summoning things? No, still too visually distinct. I don't want to associate that with myself until I establish another identity. Brute? That's generic enough. Inventory? Not useful, no need to reveal it. My bombs? Potent, but they aren't going to do jack against an Endbringer. Still, not an ability I plan on using often. Healing? That's a really nice ability. People pay close attention to healers, but at the same time they PROTECT the healers.
I shake his hand. "My name's Tex. I'm pretty durable. Not sure how much. Doubt I can withstand an Endbringer, but most other stuff can't hurt me. I can make these... compressed air time bombs, and I can heal."
The group noticeably straightens up at that last bit. Am I too valuable now?
"Sounds like quite the package. Wish we had time to test your limits before throwing you into the thick of it. Still, a healer that can be in the field? That's rare!"
Shoot. I was going for useful, but non-memorable. Should I have just stuck with the (probably) useless bombs? Actually, I shouldn't have mentioned them in the first place. If I wasn't going to use them, they didn't need to know. Plus they didn't make for a simple theme. Tough and heals? Both physical stuff. Seeing as how my 'healing' was just sharing my Rapid Regeneration, that wasn't even far from the truth.
Hopefully no one will ask about the air bombs.
Dupe motions for me to move away from the group. "While we can't do any real power testing, I'd feel bad if I didn't confirm your toughness."
"Sure, that makes sense. What do you want to do?"
"We have some time until the villains show up."
Behind us the Dude says "Hey! Man! Like, knock it off with the, uh, judgment!"
Dupe takes a deep breath before continuing. "I can ramp up pretty quick, so let me know before it becomes an issue."
I take off the glove on my right hand, and roll up the sleeve. "No worries. I've regrown this arm before." I stopped for a second. "You can limit the tests to here right?"
"Of course. If your power doesn't hold up, we'll want the damage to be as little as possible." He points to the corner of the roof. "Stand over there if you would."
I nod, and move to the specified location.
"Now hold out your arm." I raise my right arm to the side. Dupe extends his palm and a blue jet of flame emerges from a nozzle on his wrist. It flickers, and then the same flame is below my arm.
-0 HP
He nods, and the flames both flicker for a second. Now three of them surround my arm.
-0 HP
Riley's torch scalpel was hotter than this. The flames flicker and the number increases. 7, 15, 31. They now cover my exposed 'flesh', and are getting close to my rolled up sleeve.
-0 HP
"Could you watch the clothes?"
Dupe nods and the flame on his wrist shrinks and disappears. All the floating flames vanish in the same way at the same time. He then motions me towards him, and looks at my unburnt flesh. "No discomfort?"
I shake my head. "I think you could cover me head to toe with those and it wouldn't hurt. Except for my clothes."
Dupe smiles. "Good enough for me."
"You don't want to test my healing?"
He shakes his head. "No need. I did this to make sure you weren't over-estimating yourself, not because I didn't believe you." We walk back to the group. "Status."
One of the teenagers with her purple hair up in a ponytail and wearing a matching outfit replies. "Strider ETA 3 minutes. Peek-a-boo is in the building and on her way up. No sign of Mr. Micro yet."
[Amy Fara (Sorority)
Projection
Gender: Female
Age: 16
Race: Human (Parahuman)
Faction: Protectorate (Wards)/Cauldron
Amy Fara was born in California, but moved to Louisiana when she was eight. She was always a shy child, and after moving she had trouble making friends. She tried, but always came off awkward and weird. As she grew up, the stigma of the 'weird girl' stayed with her.
Even around other social outcasts, she couldn't bring herself to speak. Sad and alone, she began looking up solutions on-line. Various self-help columns and websites did nothing. Her searches grew more broad. She decided that if she couldn't talk to people as she was, then she'd have to change. Her searches led her to some shady sites that promised to give people power.
Amy didn't have anywhere close to the amount of money they were asking for. At her end, she gave up and grew depressed. That was when Cauldron contacted her. In exchange for giving her powers, they asked that she join the Wards program and relay any information they requested. In addition, they would have three favors they could cash in for classified info or treacherous actions.
Amy said yes.
Her power changed her hair, which she hides with a wig. The Projections she makes are very encouraging, and have helped her socialize with her peers immensely. As a Ward she's happy. She gets the social interaction she always craved, and her projections do most of the work.
Sorority can create up to three projections within arm's reach. Her projections are idealized versions of herself and can move and act independently. The projections personalities and abilities change, depending on what Sorority feels she lacks at the moment. Their attributes and skills are all limited to what their creator's peak would be.
Debuffs:
Memory Removal
Low Self-Esteem]
She was the one with the dual factions. Cauldron? Is that another department, like the FBI? Why would they need information from the Protectorate? Seems fishy.
*A new quest has triggered: Stay Off The Path
[Stay Off The Path
Do not mention Cauldron until you are powerful enough to handle a confrontation.
Success: +50,000 exp, ?]
Well, THAT'S ominous. The exp is worth more than what I'd get from hurting Behemoth. Does that mean it's harder to do? Even the title sounds like 'don't get in their way, or else'.
Sorority raises a hand to her ear and tilts her head. "A car is pulling up... It's Mr. Micro."
Dupe's shoulders relax a little. "Good. He's cutting it close."
The Dude, who's gotten a glass filled with a white liquid from somewhere, speaks up. "Hey, uh, he's like, doing his best. This rapid response stuff is hard, you know?"
Dupe ignores him.
I roll down my sleeve and put my glove back on. We waited and I didn't know what to do with myself. There was every chance that my involvement with the Slaughterhouse Nine hadn't been noticed yet. I might not have a kill order. If that was the case, I could just come clean to the Protectorate. I'd have to pay for killing Mr. Price, and probably those cultists. I couldn't complain. They're dead and my punishment would be justice.
Riley was another matter. She had too much blood on her hands - literally. No way was I going to hand her over. They wouldn't understand her. She'd be sent to the Birdcage or killed outright. Neither option was acceptable. So no easy way out. At least if I survived the fight I could go anywhere. Riley and I would escape Jack.
*You gain +1 Cha.
Ok. Now I'm really confused. How did I get a charisma gain from going over my future options in my head? Was I inadvertently pulling off some kind of cool brooding cowboy look? I swear. I don't like 'learn as you play' games. Give me a good old instruction manual any day.
A hand on my shoulder roused me from my introspection. "Hey, the gang's all here." The Dude motioned with his glass. "Let me introduce you to them." He pulled me over to a woman with a smooth white mask and a black bodysuit who stood next to a man in surgical scrubs, a medical mask, and red tinted goggles. "These, my new Texan compadre, are Peek-a-boo and Mr. Micro. Fellow volunteers for the good fight." He turn to them and pushed me forward a little bit. "This strapping young lad goes by Tex."
I Observed them both.
[Darlene Marielle (Peek-a-boo)
Sensation
Gender: Female
Age: 52
Race: Human (Parahuman)
Faction: Prying Eyes
Darlene was born in Asheville, North Carolina. She was always described as a smart, young girl. She led a happy life. High school and college were fun times for her. She made new friends, learned things, and got a job as an accountant.
She never married, instead she lived for her job. Others called her severe, but they respected her professionality.
Her job took had her travel to help audit other companies. She enjoyed visiting new places, especially on the company's dime. It was in Shreveport that her world fell apart. Her company went bankrupt, and the federal investigators came in. Word was there was an embezzler that had stolen the payroll.
Darlene cooperated fully, and was found guilty. Her passwords were used to ok transfers. There were emails from her to other collaborators. Her bank accounts that showed suspicious transactions. Darlene couldn't believe it. She was innocent and someone had framed her. She Triggered.
Her new power let her do her own investigating from her prison cell. She used money from her parents to hire a private investigator to physically track down the leads she'd found. With his help, she was exonerated and let go. The damage had been done. Her formal social circle had denounced her, and their apologies fell on deaf ears.
With no job, and lack of faith in the system, Peek-a-boo turned to a life of crime. Specifically secrets. Her power lets her know things she shouldn't. Corporate espionage, black market deals, spying, providing intel to gangs - all things that she excels at and which pay good money. She now heads up her own gang in Shreveport. Since she deals mainly in white collar crime and shows up to Endbringer fights, the Protectorate is willing to let her be. Instead focusing on worse elements in the city.
Peek-a-boo can access the senses of anyone she senses. She can, in turn, jump to anyone those people sense. She has no theoretical limit, but does have to focus on one set of senses at a time. In addition, she loses connections when people sleep or are knocked unconscious. Links not only remove themselves, but her whole network collapses when she goes to sleep.
Debuffs:
Driven to Conflict
Memory Removal
Paranoid Personality Disorder]
[Holger Elwyn (Mr. Micro)
Telekinesis
Gender: Male
Age: 25
Race: Human (Parahuman)
Faction: The Red Eyes
Holger Elwyn was eight when Leviathan attacked Oslo, Norway. His family lived inland, and managed to avoid the flooding. Their house was still destroyed in the attack. Holger's mother was killed, and his father was trapped under rubble. Holger managed to pull him out, only to watch him slowly bleed to death. His father was a surgeon and tried to talk his son through the steps necessary to save his life. Holger's hands wouldn't stop shaking, and he didn't dare try to operate. Torn between watching his father die and killing him with his lack of skill, Holger Triggered.
The instruments his father had flew through the air and performed the steps exactly as Dr. Elwyn described them. Holger had saved his father's life, but their struggle had just begun. The two moved from Norway to the United Kingdom to America before winding up in Shreveport, Louisiana. Dr. Elwyn managed to scape together enough money for the two of them to survive, while Holger studied to follow in his footsteps.
When the Red Eye gang moved in, they pressured Dr. Elwyn into paying protection. Either with cash or barter. The Elwyn's still had little money so Holger's father agreed to patch up any members that came to him. This included their parahumans. Unfortunately, this led to them finding out that Holger had powers. They pressed him to join, and while his ability didn't make him very dangerous in a fight, it allowed him to be a skilled surgeon.
They agreed to pay for his college, if he joined the gang. With his father's life being not-so-subtly threatened, Holger agreed. He proved to be both intelligent and highly motivated, becoming a skilled surgeon. The Red Eyes let him open his own practice after a few years of loyal service. His primary job is still to patch their members' wounds.
Mr. Micro has short range, weak, but very precise telekinesis. While he is Manton limited, his medical knowledge allows him to leverage his skills much more effectively. He is capable of feats that no regular human surgeon could accomplish. His power also provides a defensive shield. It can blunt physical damage he might take.
Debuffs:
Driven to Conflict
Memory Removal
Perfectionist]
The two villains wave at me, but don't speak. The Dude is about to say something when there's a whomp of air being displaced. "Oh, hey, it's Strider. Talk about good timing. Say, where are we going anyways?"
The person who'd just appeared wore a blue and black outfit, with a cap and blue tinted goggles. He gave a quick wave our direction. "Hey Dude." He then turned to Dupe. "Everyone here and ready?"
Dupe glanced around doing a quick double-check. "Yeah, looks like everyone."
Strider nods. "Behemoth came up quick this time. The fighting's already started, and you're one of the last groups."
Dupe nods. "We know the score."
"Give me a moment." Strider looks around, and then closes his eyes. A look of concentration came over his face and then... *pop*
*Due to exposure to a new power type, the skill Resistance (Spacial) has been created.
*Calculating...
*Run Away! Run Away! complete! +20,000 exp.
*You have leveled up! You gain +5 ability points! You gain +1 Perk!
*You have leveled up! You gain +5 ability points!
We were suddenly in a large tent that seemed to have been placed on top of burned ground. Dupe and his team moved forward and began talking with some other costumed people.
The Dude finished his drink with a big swig, and then fumbled the glass into one of his bathrobe's pockets. "So Tex, here's the deal for us non-corporate guys. See those armbands they're handing out? They'll keep you up-to-date on what's going on. My advice, just follow Mr. Micro and do what he says." He waves the villain over. "He's been to one of these before and he'll show you the ropes. I gotta run." The Dude pats me on the back, and then vanishes.
I turn to Mr. Micro. "So, what do we do?"
He focus his red tinted goggles on me and says. "Get an armband, set up your id, and follow me." I listen to the brief instructions, but I don't plan on saying anything so I don't need to know how to use the buttons. Mr. Micro and I separate from everyone else and leave the tent. Outside, I see a huge firestorm that fills the sky. There's a strobe effect as lightening flashes throughout it. The view doesn't last for long as we're escorted to another, larger tent. Inside there are already a dozen heroes laying on cots.
Mr. Micro walks up to man in a white outfit with a blue cross on his chest. The man nods at us, and I Observe him. Huh, his cape name is actually 'Blue Cross'. Was 'Red Cross' already taken? In any case, he motions us over.
"Mr. Micro, always a pleasure." He shakes the doctor's hand. "We've set things up like last time. A lot more burns and soft tissue damage."
The villain nods. "I understand. Do you have tools that I may use?"
"Of course." Blue Cross moves to a small chest, pulls out several packages, and hands them to Mr. Micro. "And you? Do you need any tools? Tell me what you can do so I can assign you to where you can do the most good."
I clear my throat. "No, I don't need any tools. I can grant people regenerative powers."
"Any limitations?"
I do some quick calculations. "I can only affect one person at a time." Not sure if that's true, but more than one would drain my MP too quickly. "I'll run out of power after about 5 minutes, and it will take me roughly that long to recharge."
"Can you heal while recharging or does the power vanish completely."
"I can still heal. It's like I have a limited pool, but it's constantly refilling."
Blue Cross nods. "Ok, and your regeneration, how strong is it?"
I frown. This is hard to put into words. It takes me about an hour to regrow a hand, but I don't know if that's the same for other people. Best to be honest. "I'm not sure. I can regrow my own limbs, but I haven't tested that on other people. Injuries heal fast, but regrowing flesh takes time."
He lets out a low whistle. "That you can do it at all is pretty amazing. I'll put you on the Red and Green tags. You know how this works?" I shake my head. "When a new casualty arrives, I'll scan them and assign a tag." He holds up three papers with string looped through them. "Red means urgent care. They'll die without immediate intervention. They're your first priority. Regeneration tends to work best for stabilizing, so I'll assume that holds true with your power for now. Once they're stable, tell me and I'll upgrade them to yellow." He holds up the yellow tag. "Yellow means out of action, but not in immediate threat of dying. We'll work on those to fix what's wrong and bring them back to consciousness." He holds up the green tag. "Finally, green means healthy, but still unable to fight. If there are no red tags, help them. Make sure to keep your battery at least 80% while working on the greens. We don't want you to run out of juice when a red comes in. Got it?"
*A new quest has triggered: Triage
[Triage
Heal as many heroes as possible.
Success: +1,000 exp per red tag, +500 exp per yellow tag, +250 exp per green tag]
I nodded. There was a rush of air, and suddenly the Dude was there with another cape in his arms. "Incoming." The Dude lays him on an open cot, and then vanishes.
Blue Cross rushes over and pulls out a small electronic device. "3rd degree burns across his face and chest. Signs of electrical damage. RED TAG!"
I give a small jump at his shout and rush over. I activate Rapid Regeneration, and watch as his wounds close before my eyes. Burnt flesh begins to knit itself back together. It takes only 30 seconds for Blue Cross to shout "Clear!" By that time, 3 more red tags had arrived.
Holger calmly manipulated the Tinkertech surgery tools. It was a shame he only had access to them here, they would make his operations much simpler. Both legitimate or otherwise. With a thought, the scalpel cut through Magnificent-Man's throat. He mentally held the skin apart as the floating tube entered the hero's trachea. That was the main worry about burns. If they didn't kill you, then the swelling around the site was the pressing issue. Keeping people breathing was the first priority.
Mr. Micro moved on to his charge's arms and chest. A few quick cuts moved through the skin that was contracting and allowed his patient to breath. Hopefully, it would also let him keep his limbs. He would need skin grafts if he couldn't get another healer to treat him. Holger occasionally felt a little jealous towards capes who needed no medical skill to heal, but he also pitied them. They were handed a gift with no idea how it worked. Like that new kid, Tex. Obviously a runaway from Texas. Most likely bought his costume at a corner store. He wouldn't last a week before being grabbed by some gang. The Protectorate usually. If he was honest, that would probably be for the best. The Red Eyes treated him well once he'd proven his worth, but others hadn't been so lucky.
Whatever. Regenerators were simple and effective, but they could only fix obvious wounds. Cancer, immune disorders, brain conditions, the list of illnesses they couldn't help with was long. Not that Mr. Micro could do all of that, but he sure could do more than some teenager with no medical knowledge.
The Dude brought in a new batch and he sighed. Two more dead on arrival. The Endbringer simply did too much damage. Most capes died instantly and never had a chance to be evacuated to their aid station.
Mr. Micro shook his head and went back to work. He couldn't control that. All he could do was focus on what was in his power. The world may be chaotic, but he would impose his own order on his own life.
This is boring.
Behemoth is deadly, and trying to stop him is a good thing. Apparently he's after the Itaipu Dam, which provides significant power to Brazil and Paraguay. The 2nd largest hydro-electric dam in the world. If you believe what the Dude has to say. After I figured out that Rapid Regeneration can heal fatigue, I'd spend a minute every so often topping him off. During that time, he brought me up to speed.
The Itaipu Dam was not only a massive source of clean energy, it was also politically important. I was an ignorant American, so I just nodded along when the Dude explained that to me. The fight was going well, since we were in a relatively unpopulated area. Not a lot of need for search and rescue, and not a lot for the Endbringer to burn. The downside was that the fight was spread out over a massive area. Good for us, since we got to stay far away from the monster. Bad for all the search and rescue since they had a larger area to cover. With no physical objects in his way, the Endbringer was doing nasty stuff with his power. Combining different attacks to get more range than he usually shows. At least according to the Dude. The theory was that the dam was too far inland for Leviathan to hit, so Behemoth did it instead.
Makes sense, I guess. At any rate, we were actually on top of the injuries. We'd only lost a few heroes, which felt good. Chatting with the green tags was nice too I guess. Got a smattering of reputation increases. I guess the problem was Gamer's Mind. I hadn't seen Behemoth. I KNEW that I was in danger, but I just didn't worry about it.
Blue Cross had actually complimented me for keeping a cool head under pressure. I felt like I could be doing more, but I didn't know what.
*Due to Observing 100 parahumans, your Observe skill has gained a level!
Oh? That's nice. Let's see what's new.
[Holger Elwyn (Mr. Micro)
Telekinesis
Gender: Male
Age: 25
Race: Human (Parahuman)
Faction: The Red Eyes
Origin: ?]
There's a new line, but it only has question marks. I Observe everyone else. They all have the new line, and it's all the same. Though I do get a strange feeling. '?' is the same as '?', but somehow different from '?'. Which makes no sense. Same font, same size, same color, but something is off. I just don't know what. It's like looking at something blurry though a telescope. Two different things might look the same when they're out of focus. I need a better telescope or better control.
**Scion is bored.
What?
**Scion is depressed.
Am I picking up Scion like I had Jack? What did that mean? A cheer came over the armband. Scion had finally arrived!
I rushed outside with the rest of the staff. We only had green tags left, and everyone wanted to see Scion in action. The actual fight was taking place miles away. Behemoth moved in a straight line, so we were off to the side. Still ready to pack up and retreat at a moment's notice - Strider had hung around for that exact contingency. The fire breaks that the heroes had setup before I arrived worked. With the ground already scorched, there wasn't much Behemoth could do to us, without diverting from his trek to the dam. He'd done something with lightening and his shout twice, but the heroes outside had deflected it with a hundred feet to spare.
**Scion is bored.
I needed to see more. From where we were, all I could make out was the massive firewall and lightening storm fading away under a golden light. This was a chance I couldn't pass up. I summoned a one-eyed bat. Pale blue, to try and blend in with the sky. It flew up behind the group. No one shouted or pointed. The bat flew closer, and I Observed Scion.
[Kevin Greenhouse (Killer/Tex)
The Gamer
Gender: Male
Age: 15
Race: Human (Parahuman)
Faction: None
Title: Thief II (+100% to stealth checks)
Level: 16 (4,500/16,000 Exp)
Mover: 4
Shaker: 2
Brute: 5
Breaker: 10
Master: 5
Tinker: 0
Blaster: 0
Thinker: 8
Striker: 0
Changer: 1
Trump: 5
Stranger: 7
HP: 551 (506)
MP: 232
Primary Attributes
STR: 65
AGI: 32
CON: 65 (56)
INT: 21
PER: 21
WIS: 17
CHA: 16
LUC: 96
Unspent Points: 25
Traits:
Gamer's Body lvl Max
Gamer's Mind lvl Max
Observe lvl 4
Inventory lvl 2
Party System
Transposition
Perks Selected (2/3):
Rapid Regeneration lvl 2
Summoning lvl 3
Perks Available:
Solid as a Rock
Power Drain
Fire Control
Silica Control
Juggernaut
Lucky Fate
Skills:
Acting: 13
Athletics: 21
Basic Academics: 2
Computers: 1
Cooking: 2
Damage Resistance (Acid): 100 - 100%
Damage Resistance (Disease): 100 - 100%
Damage Resistance (Electricity): 65 - 99.3%
Damage Resistance (Heat): 64 - 99.25%
Damage Resistance (Light): 64 - 99.25%
Damage Resistance (Physical): 25 - 95.6%
Damage Resistance (Poison): 100 - 100%
Meditation: 38
Melee Weapon: 17
Pain Resistance: 64 - 99.25%
Parahuman Lore: 7
Ranged Weapon: 21
Resistance (Spacial): 1 - 5%
Stealth: 9
Unarmed Combat: 32
Video Games: 26
Ongoing Quests:
Passing on the Torch
Best Served Cold
Stay Off The Path
Triage
Debuffs:
Tired x9 -9 Con]
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The Most Dangerous Gamer by chimmon
Books » Worm Rated: M, English, Adventure, OC, Bonesaw, Siberian, Words: 431k+, Favs: 3k+, Follows: 3k+, Published: Mar 8, 2021 Updated: Feb 27, 2023
1,328Chapter 14: On the Run 2
[? (Scion)
Gender: ?
Age: ?
Race: ?
Faction: ?
? is a ? that came from ?. ? and ? are a pair and travel together. Upon entering ? they encountered another ?. ? agreed to ? with the new ?. During the process ? caused ? to ?.
? was worried, but ? was confident. Upon their descent, ? lost contact with ?. ? prepared the Shards. They were modified to not harm their hosts, and to grant their abilities at the time and place that would lead to the most conflict.
? fashioned a facsimile of a human in order to better watch over the ?. ? was to be his counterpart, but never appeared. ? waited. Eventually ? realized ? was missing or dead. This realization, along with his new human brain, caused him to experience a level of sadness and despair he'd never known before.
Dejected, he simply let the ? continue. His only action was to destroy damaged ? on sight.
Eventually, a human named Kevin Norton came to him. ? didn't understand at first, but soon realized what Kevin's meaning was. ? decided to follow his advice. ? continues to perform heroic acts and save people in the hope that it will make him feel better.
It hasn't.
? can ?. His primary power is ?. This allows him to ? ? ? ? ? ?.
Debuffs:
Crippling Sadness
Despair
Suicidal]
**Scion is annoyed.
There was a small flash of gold, and my bat ceased to be.
The next instant, Scion was floating in front of our group.
**Scion is puzzled.
**Scion is upset.
*A new quest has triggered: Scion
[Scion
Find a solution for Scion.
Success: Victory, ?
Failure: Death, ?]
He stayed there for several long seconds before moving into the tent. There were gasps of surprise. Everyone was frozen. I walked over to Mr. Micro. "Is this normal?"
He shook his head. "Scion has never visited the healing area before."
There was another golden flash, and Scion vanished into the sky. Cautiously, we entered the tent. All the remaining heroes were awake. Blue Cross began to move from one to another. "All damage is gone. All scaring, all pre-existing conditions, everything." One of the other medical capes gave a cheer.
*Triage complete! +13,000 exp.
*Endbringer Assault I complete! +10,000 exp, +100 reputation with the Protectorate, +10 reputation with the PRT, +10 reputation with Cauldron
*You have leveled up! You gain +5 ability points!
Behind us, there were the sounds of people landing. I turned and saw the Triumvirate! Legend! Alexandria! Eidolon! Everyone stared. I took the opportunity to Observe them.
[Rebecca Costa-Brown (Alexandria)
Permanence
Gender: Female
Age: 42 (18)
Race: Human (Parahuman)
Faction: Cauldron/Protectorate/PRT
Origin: ?
Rebecca grew up in a new and changing world. She was only 13 when Scion first appeared. The first heroes started making waves, but Rebecca didn't care. She had been diagnosed with cancer. Her parents and doctors told her she'd be ok. That the treatments would help her improve.
They were lying, and she knew it. So when Doctor Mother came with a proposition, she listened. The deal was simple. Get powers (or at least a chance at them) in exchange for service. The vial was successful, and Alexandria was born. She served as Doctor Mother's bodyguard at first.
When she was introduced to the other members of Cauldron, she proposed a plan. It was her idea to create the Protectorate and the PRT. So that heroes could operate inside the laws of the United States, and have oversight by non-parahumans. Of course, she would lead both in order to smooth any difficulties that might arrive.
Things were going according to plan, until the Siberian struck. Alexandria was hurt - something that hadn't happened since she got powers. Hero died. The Siberian got away. All of this began to crush her spirit. Especially when she learned the Siberian was the result of Cauldron.
Doctor Mother convinced her to let the Siberian live. Alexandria grew increasingly erratic. When a minor villain wouldn't back down in a desperate situation, Alexandria killed him. She turns her eye from the increasingly amoral acts that Cauldron performs - believing that the ends will justify them.
She continues to try and save as many lives as possible, but her concept of 'justifiable losses' is growing with each atrocity she witnesses.
Alexandria's body has been rendered permanent. This grants her near-invulnerability and super strength. In order to continue behaving like a human, her Shard has provided her flight alongside increased mental processes.
Debuffs:
Memory Removal
Physical Deformity]
[David Taft (Eidolon)
Cross
Gender: Male
Age: 54
Race: Human (Parahuman)
Faction: Cauldron/Protectorate
Origin: ?
David Taft was born with a congenital disease. This kept him bed-ridden as a child, and confined to a wheelchair as a teenager. He sought independence and tried to live without the help of anyone else. After graduating, he tried to enlist. The army turned him down. Depressed, David tried to kill himself.
When Doctor Mother approached him, he accepted her offer. The vial that David drank gave him a vision that most parahumans forget. This information helped to shape Cauldron's goals. Eidolon was always one of the less idealistic members. His life had been suffering before, and as a result his sense of what people should be forced to handle has been skewed.
While he wants to save people, and dedicates nearly every waking moment to this effort, he still allows Cauldron's schemes and experiments to continue. He tries to forget or rationalize his involvement, preferring to live as a superhero.
Eidolon can call up a wide variety of powers. Each one occupies a 'slot', but multiple weaker powers can count as one slot. He has no choice as to what exact power he gets, instead each power will help with a specific goal or need that he currently has. This can lead to powers being chosen based on subconscious desires. Over time, the enormous drain of keeping a slot open constantly has caused his powers to weaken.
Debuffs:
Depressed
Suicidal - Suppressed]
[Keith Barns (Legend)
Photokinesis
Gender: Male
Age: 35
Race: Human (Parahuman)
Faction: Protectorate/Cauldron
Origin: ?
Keith Barns was a young man who had a big secret. He was gay. This caused him a lot of stress, that turned out to be pointless. His family and friends accepted him when he came out, and Keith was happy to no longer live a lie. All this came crashing down when he was involved in a hit and run accident.
Hospitalized, Keith was in critical condition for weeks. He came to long enough for a stranger to make him an offer. Doctor Mother would give him a chance at living and getting superpowers, in exchange for his cooperation. Keith accepted.
Legend was one of the youngest superheroes when he debuted. His power let him join the Triumvirate alongside Alexandria, Eidolon, and Hero. When the team was shattered by the Siberian, Legend formed a smaller team in New York. He still is a leader of Cauldron, but isn't privy to most of their inner workings.
Legend can manifest virtually any sort of light. He can control these emissions with pin-point accuracy, even having them curve around obstacles. The effects of his beams can also vary in intensity and effect. Additionally, Legend can turn his body into light. This lets him fly at incredible speed. It also provides a near-impervious defense. This state is triggered from taking any damage. The transformation happens so fast that even bullets can't do any real damage before he shifts. The energy of any impact he takes is used to heal him.
Debuffs:
Memory Removal]
Fuck.
Oh fuck me.
There are some people I really shouldn't Observe. Scion for one, what was I thinking? Now the Triumvirate. If they found out I was fucked. I had my character stay calm. The Triumvirate were Cauldron! They got their powers from vials! They controlled both the Protectorate and PRT! Observe didn't go into details, but it specifically said that Alexandria and Eidolon had been party to numerous atrocities, schemes and experiments!
I needed to get out of here, NOW!
The Triumvirate walked into the tent and began to discuss things with Blue Cross. I moved next to the Dude. "Hey, do you think you can put in that good word with Strider for me now? I'm kinda nervous being around such powerhouses."
He smiled at me and laughed. "Got a bit of hero worship going on?" He shook his head. "You shouldn't worry about that, they're good folk. Always show up to these things."
"It's not that, I just don't want to be pressured into anything."
The Dude pulls down his shades and looks at me for a moment. "The Dude gets it. Sometimes you just have leave everything behind you, right?" He pats my shoulder. "I'll go talk to him, he should be around here somewhere." The Dude vanishes. I wait for about a minute before the two of them appear in front of me.
Strider gives me a handshake. "The Dude's told me that you did a good job healing people and that you had something you wanted to ask of me?"
I Observed him. Likes freedom. Doesn't want to be tied to one group. Respects the Protectorate, but doesn't want to join them. I can work with that.
I pull down my bandanna. A show of trust, of giving him a little access to my real identity. A gift that wasn't asked for, but one he'll feel some obligation to return. I also now mirror his appearance - eye-wear and a hat. "To be honest, Mr. Strider, sir, I had bit of a rough patch when I gained my powers." Strider got his powers from a Trigger and not a vial, he'll relate. "Home just isn't what it was, and so I decided I wanted to see the world. Well, the United States at least. I never thought I'd find someone that could go wherever they wanted to, and I, uh, wanted to see if you'd drop me off somewhere?"
Strider rubs his chin. "Well, I don't see the harm. I could take you with another group, but the Protectorate doesn't like random people showing up in their bases."
I nodded. "I was thinking of the Big Apple. 'If I can make it there, I can make it anywhere.' All that stuff." I looked over my shoulder. "Legend seems nice, but I don't really want the hard-sell to join the Wards or anything." That, and of the three he seemed less likely to silence me. Whatever Cauldron was up to, his profile indicated he wasn't let in on the worst of it. Going to his town was a bit of a risk, but Legend was the biggest shield to Jack I could hope for.
Strider nods. "I can relate." He looks left and right. "Tell you what. Things are winding down here. People are about to want to go back home, but I think Scion's change in habits is going to cause some discussion first. I can drop you off and still have time to get back and recharge before the rush. Sound good?"
I smile. "Sounds great! I'll owe you one."
Strider smiles. "Can't have too many favors from healers." He extends his hand. "Let's go." I grab it.
*Your Resistance (Spacial) has increased 1 lvl.
The Dude watched the teenager vanish. It was obvious why he wanted to get away from the Protectorate. Still, he seemed like a good kid. It took guts to come to an Endbringer fight. Even more so if you had a Kill Order.
Harold rubbed his head. "Man, what to do?" He said out loud. He couldn't snitch on him, but he was still a murderer. Must've been forced into it.
No. Better for him to find his own way. It'd probably work out. Healers were rare, and he'd never heard of a Healer/Brute combo before. Might get to plead temporary insanity or something. The Protectorate for all their judgmental ways were a pretty 'doors open' sort of place.
Yeah, it'd all work out. He needed a break. As horrible as these things were for everyone else, he'd been dealing with this shit subjectively for more than a week.
The Entity flew down and lifted the car up. The humans inside said something as it placed it gently down on the road. It let its senses expand before heading to the next opportunity to do 'good'.
As it flew, it went over the recent events. After fighting the largest puppet, it had encountered something that couldn't exist. What was that Shard? The Entity didn't recognize it, even if the Cluster it had formed was from its own body. The Shard was alive, which should be impossible. Even attaching through living Shards would fail to bring Life. Otherwise it would not have disposed of the Dead Shards it noticed.
Puzzling.
What's more, it had made a request. It had a mission to heal the wounded hosts that were nearby. The Entity decided that such an action wouldn't go against Kevin Norton's rules, so it complied.
It was confused. Shards did not behave that way. Its counterpart would have been able to understand the situation. The Entity was tempted to search for that host, but that wouldn't be 'helping' people.
Would the irregular Shard help the cycle? The Entity couldn't see how. It did not want to burn away the life that seeking the answer would cost. It could contemplate the possibilities. It had little better to do, but it didn't feel like doing so. It still missed the presence of its counterpart. Calculations that involved its lost were unpleasant.
So Scion flew and looked for his next task.
One second we're shaking in South America, the next we're on top of a wooden structure surrounded by trees and grass. Strider notices my confusion. "Marine Park. Don't know of any other places that I could be sure there wouldn't be people in the way."
"On top of a... wall-less house?"
He smiles. "It's a gazebo. Sorry for the public drop-off, but all the private rooms belong to other groups. This is the smallest park I know in New York. You should see Central."
I give him a wave. "No problem. You did me a solid. Thanks again."
He waves back. "See ya." And vanishes.
*Perception check passed.
There were a lot of people here, and a number of them were pulling phones out. Nope. I jump down and sprint off. It takes only a few seconds before I'm out on the sidewalk and lost in the crowd. Time to take stock.
My 'costume' is basic enough that I don't look like a cape. At least I hope so. Instead I look like an out-of-town yokel. I need to be wary of muggers. I guess.
Whatever. Something like that is so low on my list of things to worry about that it might as well not even be there. Scion. Scion is... an alien? Observe was being really odd. Let's see, can I put in words that make sense otherwise? 'Bob is a mailman that came from New Hampshire.' Yeah, no. Even with the missing bits, it clearly says 'prepared the Shards'. It even mentions 'his new human brain'. That would imply that he wasn't human to start with. So what? An alien? A rogue AI? A dimensional traveler from an Earth where dinosaurs evolved instead of humans?
There were literally infinite options. Especially since there had to be an untold number that I haven't thought of. Still, Scion was a hero. He helped people, even if it wasn't making him feel better. Did that make him more of a hero? Or less of a human?
What was his relationship with Cauldron? Scion was either responsible for powers, or a result of whatever was. Cauldron was doing something similar with the vials. I didn't know many details. The only concrete one was that they let the Siberian live. That meant that they let the Slaughterhouse Nine exist.
I had... mixed feeling to say the least. I'd read about the Siberian and Bonesaw before, and there was no doubt that they had done horrible things. Killed hundreds, thousands of people. But I kinda considered them friends? Not that I could condone what they'd done. In Riley's case, I hoped to stop it, but the Siberian would kill and kill and kill. She was a force of nature, and the people who could stop her chose not to.
No. She was a projection. They couldn't stop HER, but they could track down her Master. That made more sense.
So I was blaming things on Cauldron, but what exactly? Was I a hypocrite? Was I blaming them for doing something that I wasn't going to do myself? Without knowing their reasons, I couldn't judge. They did try and stop Endbringers, so it wasn't like they were secretly evil.
I'm getting nowhere. I should concentrate on what I personally can do.
For that, I had two new quests: Stay Off The Path and Scion. The 1st one seemed like a clear warning. Cauldron was a secret organization. Letting them know I knew would lead to a confrontation. One I'd lose. Who knew what resources they had at their disposal? I couldn't dare breath a word of it to anyone.
The other new quest was annoyingly ambiguous. Find a solution for Scion. That could be read in a lot of ways. Did it mean to help Scion? Do what? Save people? Rescue cats from trees? Find a bunch of question marks? Or did it mean a solution in regard to Scion? Kill him? Keep him from granting more powers? Is that what Cauldron is trying to accomplish? The world does seem to be worse off since parahumans appeared. But if that was Cauldron's goal, why would they make more parahumans? Perhaps they shared a mission with Scion?
Or, even more outlandish, were they competitors? Did they want a monopoly on powers?
That was possible, I guess. They also might be motivated by fear of him cooking humans, or leading an invasion force of lizard-people, or something. A valid fear? No idea.
*A new hidden quest has triggered: A Hero's Legacy
[A Hero's Legacy
?
Success: ?]
And here I thought that my quests couldn't get any more ambiguous. Thanks power. What in the world even triggered that? I was walking down some random street thinking. What gives?
*Perception check passed.
I heard a scream. I moved toward the corner and looked down the boulevard. People were running away from something. There! A woman in red armor with a bow was being chased by a large man wearing green. Both wore masks. Both of them also had spikes jutting out from all over their armor. As she ran, the Asian looking woman drew back on a huge bow. She shot an arrow into the air, but it curved to hit the person chasing her. People were running, and several bounced off of me. I Observed the two combatants.
The one with the bow was named Quarrel. Her power let her bend space to always hit. Her opponent was the Butcher. He... took control of whoever killed him? What the hell? They were both members of the same gang. The Teeth. The Butcher had been killed twelve times in the past! One hero was driven insane and wound up launching a suicide attack against the Teeth. Others were members of the Teeth who challenged the Butcher. They won and became the new one.
Ah, the previous Butchers just cared about the teeth. Kill them in a straight-up fight, and you got their powers and leadership. Kill them in any other way, and the voices in your head drove you crazy. That was one way of ensuring there was a clear transference of power.
Quarrel seemed to be doing pretty good. Kiting seems like a valid strategy. They made the Butcher look like a pin-cushion. Those arrows had to be slowing him down. His HP gauge was in the red. Why hadn't the heroes stepped in?
Oh, right. Behemoth. Legend was out of town.
I pulled up my bandanna. I didn't want to make trouble, but keeping the Butcher from consolidating power seemed like a no-brainer.
*A new quest has triggered: Kill Stealing
[Kill Stealing
Gamer's Mind will protect you. So the best way to get rid of the Butcher is to kill him. You're their only hope.
Success: +10,000 exp, ?]
Oh? The quest makes a good point. I'm immune to bullshit like what the Butcher pulls. This is a good opportunity. I'd never be able to fight an entire gang. Not that I'd heard of the Teeth before. No parahuman gangs in Brooke's Creek. Though I did wonder how they managed to exist in Legend's city. Surely the Butcher's power would only deter them so much. They must not show their faces too often.
Of course, that's if I believe the quest text. I only 'know' he steals bodies because of my power. Am I willing to test it? Yeah, it hasn't led me wrong yet.
Well, far be it from me to turn down a rare spawn. I pulled up my bandanna and charged.
The man looked at me, and I felt a slight tingling all over my body. His brow creased. "Begone hero!"
I smirked under my mask. 'Begone?' Without the fear of him possessing me, this guy was a chump. From what I read in his bio, Gamer's Mind and Gamer's Body should negate 90% of his tricks. In the end it would Brute vs. Brute, and I had confidence in my stats. Quarrel continued running, but her next arrow bounced off of me. It didn't even do one damage. I kept sprinting towards the Butcher, and the arrow exploded where it landed.
*Mindless rage effect negated by Gamer's Mind.
Heh. I swung... and he flowed around my punch. His return hit landed on my stomach. How? He had some pretty impressive arrow wounds that had to be slowing him down. Observe said he only had increased durability and pain resistance. There was an arrow that went right through his knee! He shouldn't be standing, much less dodging my punches.
-2 HP
Crawler hits much harder than him. If that was all he had, this would be over quick. I punched again and again. He kept dodging and retaliating. Arrow after arrow struck me, and I Inventoried them. No point in seeing just what other Tinkertech she had up her sleeves.
No matter what I tried, he seemed to be two steps ahead of me. Precognition? It must be his Danger Sense. Did that count? I had a Perk point. Should I spend it on Lucky Fate? No. I'd rather save it for a rainy day, and I wasn't in any trouble. I was too tough for him to handle.
-2 HP
-3 HP
My regeneration wasn't even necessary. I could fight for hours before he managed so much as making me bleed. An explosion washed over my back, doing no damage, but obscuring my vision.
-0 HP
-2 HP
-2 HP
A blow hammered me from behind as that same tingling sensation came over me. I think it was supposed to be pain, but I'd built up so much of a resistance from Sibby's snack-time that I barely registered it. I turned to face him, but my right foot was stuck. It had sunk into the asphalt in the street.
No. The asphalt had crept up around it. Another explosion flared around me. Then my arms were twisted behind my back. Alright, I admit it. He's a better fighter than I am. In my defense he'd been doing this for how long? I had my powers for less than two weeks.
*Opposed Strength check failed.
"You're a tough one, I'll give you that." A deep voice whispered in my ear. "Still a bit green I wager. Too bad your power is only defensive."
The asphalt was up to my knees. I tried to Inventory it, but it was too heavy. The cocoon that was enveloping me was still connected to the street. It was all one piece. "I got plenty of offensive power. Let me show you." A solid black cube appeared above his head. I heard a satisfying thunk as it fell. Unfortunately, his grip didn't waver.
The Butcher chuckled. "You can drop weights on peoples heads?" I was now covered up to my chest. My arms were completely pinned. "Not the worst power I've ever seen, but it's close."
He moved in front of me. I glared at him and strained against my bonds.
*Strength check passed.
They began to crack.
-3 HP
-2 HP
-2 HP
He laughed and began hitting me repeatedly in my face. The cracks I just made resealed themselves. I played the part of a punching bag as my prison continued to creep up my body. That's when my bomb ran out of MP and vanished.
*BOOM!*
Pretty sure that was a sonic boom. Definitely shattered a bunch of windows. Whoops. I should NOT have used that in a city. Even if it was weaker than my previous ones. Not that it would be the worst thing I'd ever done. Still, I just did a lot of property damage. I hope there's insurance for that sort of thing, and that everyone here has some.
*Strength check passed.
I had no leverage, but I slowly made progress.
-2 HP
The Butcher appeared in an explosion next to me and began hitting me again. My pressure wave had just knocked him back. The statue that was my body had shielded him from the full brunt. Not that I was sure how powerful it was. I didn't even take any damage. Car alarms had started blaring.
"That little stunt is going to cause a commotion." He cracked his neck. "It won't save you though. We'll crack you open back at base." The asphalt resealed itself and began to creep over my face. "That is if you can hold your breath that long!" The last sound I heard was his laughter.
...
Well, shoot.
Honestly, I'm still not that worried. Didn't even get any notifications about Gamer's Mind preventing panic or claustrophobia. The Butcher might be an insane anarchist who loves violence, but he's got nothing on the Nine or Behemoth. Not that I even saw the Endbringer.
None of his powers could hurt me. If I'd paid more attention then I wouldn't be in this mess. ...But I was in this mess. I'd rushed in without any plan aside from 'punch him in the face'. I'd assumed that he couldn't hurt me and that eventually I'd win.
Eh? I think we stopped moving. Honestly, I should've at least made a rat or something first. Then I could've swapped places. Actually, this thing isn't a foot thick is it? Let's see. My mouse appears, and I Party with it.
"My challenge still stands!" My mouse is hidden, so I have to go by voice. I bet that's Quarrel.
"No! No outside interference!" The other voice is deeper, more agitated. "You could've hired that kid."
"Pst. Like I needed to. You were on your last leg." She sounds angry.
"Oh? So you want to go right now? It took me a while to chase you off that building. Up close and personal like this, you don't stand a chance."
"Now who's disregarding the challenge? You attacking me right here and now is weakness, plain and simple."
"Weak? I'll show you weak!"
If this keeps up, one of them's going to off the other one. I'd root for the Butcher, since that will leave the Teeth weaker. That's probably why he's not going to do it. Y'know? It is kinda odd how onboard I am with killing the guy? Does that make me a bad person? Would I do it if I didn't have a quest?
...Yes. If I've learned anything from my short life as a parahuman, it's that some people have to be put down. Riley can change, she can stop hurting people and help them instead. (I hope.) Jack on the other hand... If I could press a button and he died, I do it in a heartbeat.
So where does the Butcher stand? He hasn't done anything to me personally, but his bio is damning. I guess that makes me judge and jury. Now for the execution.
My mouse scurries over to the larger gang member. Transposing with it is expensive, but not that much considering the distance. I appear in front of him. He opens his mouth to say something, and I Inventory the drop of Crawler's drool inside his mouth.
[Kevin Greenhouse (Killer/Tex)
The Gamer
Gender: Male
Age: 15
Race: Human (Parahuman)
Faction: None
Title: Thief II (+100% to stealth checks)
Level: 17 (11,500/17,000 Exp)
Mover: 4
Shaker: 2
Brute: 5
Breaker: 10
Master: 5
Tinker: 0
Blaster: 0
Thinker: 8
Striker: 0
Changer: 1
Trump: 5
Stranger: 7
HP: 551 (506)
MP: 232
Primary Attributes
STR: 65
AGI: 32
CON: 65 (56)
INT: 21
PER: 21
WIS: 17
CHA: 16
LUC: 96
Unspent Points: 30
Traits:
Gamer's Body lvl Max
Gamer's Mind lvl Max
Observe lvl 4
Inventory lvl 2
Party System
Transposition
Perks Selected (2/3):
Rapid Regeneration lvl 2
Summoning lvl 3
Perks Available:
Solid as a Rock
Power Drain
Fire Control
Silica Control
Juggernaut
Lucky Fate
Skills:
Acting: 13
Athletics: 21
Basic Academics: 2
Computers: 1
Cooking: 2
Damage Resistance (Acid): 100 - 100%
Damage Resistance (Disease): 100 - 100%
Damage Resistance (Electricity): 65 - 99.3%
Damage Resistance (Heat): 64 - 99.25%
Damage Resistance (Light): 64 - 99.25%
Damage Resistance (Physical): 25 - 95.6%
Damage Resistance (Poison): 100 - 100%
Meditation: 38
Melee Weapon: 17
Pain Resistance: 64 - 99.25%
Parahuman Lore: 7
Ranged Weapon: 21
Resistance (Spacial): 2 - 10%
Stealth: 9
Unarmed Combat: 32
Video Games: 26
Ongoing Quests:
Passing on the Torch
Best Served Cold
Stay Off The Path
Scion
A Hero's Legacy
Kill Stealing
Debuffs:
Tired x9 -9 Con]
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