Panacea Quest

[WyldCard4]

Bonus Interlude: Shielder

_____________________________________________________

You have fallen in love with a Nazi. You would like to say former Nazi, but...

"Well, the point of separatism is that it's not fair to black people needing to compete." Melissa explains. "Like, even if you ignore all the scientific evidence that blacks are inferior, the whole point of being a minority is that there are fewer of them. It's better for everyone if they go have their own cities and get to build a black only culture and get them out of white culture." You suppress a groan as the former Neo-Nazi white supremacist supervillain explains her politics to your parents.

"I see." Mom says. "And how exactly do we manage this separatism without, well, tearing apart families, forcing people to move, violence, and other indignities involved with ethnic cleansing?"

"Oh, we can have areas where different races interact. It's like a Venn diagram, but less abstract. Sure, it will cause people to have to relocate on both sides, but..." You do your best not to listen and eat your salad. You had thought that Melissa living here would be considerably more awesome than it actually is.

"Well, of course I want to protect everyone." Melissa is saying. "That's part of being a superhero. Just because someone is weaker than you doesn't mean you don't protect them. You do the opposite. Weaker people need more protection. That's why Empire 88 was so fucked up." She pauses. "Sorry, messed up." That is the thing she feels she has to correct?

You are saved by a doorbell ringing. Both you and Dad jump up to get it and practically race each other to the door. Velocity stands there.

"There's a situation. One of our recent Ward transfers, Roulette, has reported that Circus is extremely likely to commit a crime in roughly 45 minutes."

"Why do you want us?" Dad asks.

"We want Eric, actually. He is better at confining her movement than anyone we have on hand, and we are worried about injuries involving pyrokinesis. It would be easier if he was assisting. It is not critical, but it would be appreciated."

"I'll help." You agree at once. Anything to get out of this dinner.

________________________________

Half the villains in the world are planning on one last big heist before they give up crime. Roulette tells you that Circus is one of them.

"I'm surprised she's still doing it in Brockton Bay." The dark skinned girl says. "Don't we have a whole network of bugs to catch everyone, now?"

"Annie's still figuring these things out." You explain to the precognitive Ward. "She can identify physical distress pretty well, but just people sneaking about? Circus is good at this."

"I should be better." Annie pouts through your suit's communicator.

"You did just start, Lady Bug." You tell the living representation of everything wrong with the universe. Annie is a living crime, less a person than something done to a person. Just because it was done to a villain doesn't make her right.

"Okay, I think I've found her." Lady Bug says. "A woman moving from building to building. Get ready." You do so. You don't actually see the blue glow from your side of the force field. You have tried to figure out why several times, and failed. You're invulnerable to almost anything like this. There are people who could hurt you, but they are extremely rare. Most would need to confine your movement and wait you out.

"Got her." Lady Bug whispers into your suit, and you jump. When people here you're a weak flier they rarely consider the implications. Just a bit of defying gravity. People rarely factor that in.

You don't really need to fly, just push yourself a bit. You remember when you first heard about parkour. Entire disciplines of movement. You barely have to worry about terrain, just fly above the obstacles, jump over them, save your energy instead of using up calories by not having to run, using them only when you have to.

You wonder what Circus's last big score will be. Roulette's visions had only seen Roulette be captured. None of them had given anything more than a rough idea of where to look. After careful consideration Mom had decided that it was better to let her break and enter. Circus has worked for much bigger fish before. If this is one of those times it would be good to see what is so important that it qualifies as a big score.

Lady Bug positions you as Circus gets into the school, slipping in using something Lady Bug can't identify, possibly a key or maybe something more illegal. You wait for her to get out, and bring down the dome. She freezes and hurls fire at it before hitting it with a hammer that flickers in and out of existence.

"Well, that was easy." You say. You walk forward. She screams and beats against the force field. "I was expecting more."

"Would asking nicely help me to go?" Circus asks.

"No, but seeing what you stole might." You smile at her. "You're really quite small in the grand scheme of things, and breaking into a school locker feels like you're working for something a lot bigger."

In her hands is a glass vial that she sways back and forth. "One of the Merchants, a minor member, hid it there before they folded. I can tell the police who wanted it." Villains, not much loyalty there.

"Sounds good." You smile at her. "We won't be seeing each other again." You open the smallest crack and spray the sleep and paralysis organism through the hole. Circus passes out in seconds from such a concentrated dose.

______________________________

"What do you see in her, anyway?" Annie asks. She's apparently decided to check out her "family" in New Wave. She stands next to the curtains of your room, almost fading into the dark brown.

"She's, um, really smart in her racism?" You mutter. "Like, I always assumed Nazis would all be low class, but she'll give citations from black separatists during the 1920s." You pause. "Also, she kind of reminds me of Victoria."

"Your cousin Victoria?" Annie asks.

"Well, not that I crush on my cousin." You laugh with a bit more force than was probably needed. "But, well, she's brave, dangerous, and always up for a fight. She only left the Wards because she wasn't getting any fights there. I'd leave the Wards if I was just a glorified taxi."

"You never joined the Wards." Annie points out.

"You're right. I'm New Wave." You look out your window. "Maybe the last member of New Wave."

"That's a sad idea." Annie says. "Why would you be the last?"

"It's just me and Melissa left of the kids. I feel I have to stand for something. Accountability, honor."

"You don't think the Shepherds are honorable?" Annie asks. You think carefully. She is a Shepherd, after all, if not by choice.

"I think they stand for society. Civilization. Improving things. That's good, but I think they've become so much a part of the establishment it will become really hard for them to say no to anything they ask." You answer. "The more people depend on them for things like bio-tech, you, the cloning, the more they will get from the government. Eventually they'll be the government in all but name. I think there's a place for standing outside of that and being able to say no."

"But you're mass cloning. Won't you be joining the Wards in your clones?" Annie asks. "Seems hard not doing that."

"It will be hard, but that's why I'm doing the cloning. So there's going to be more people out there who still can say no. Not everyone who is mass produced will owe the Protectorate for everything." You smile at the girl, and she is a girl whether she is Taylor or Annie. "I'm going to be founding other New Waves.

_________________________

End Interlude.

_________________________

[X] "Just one thing, first." You shudder. "We shouldn't do this without closure. We need to talk to Mom and Dad."

Click to shrink...

Your car rolls up into the driveway. Victoria drives, she's silent. So are you.

There's really no protocol for this. Not in your culture. Not in many cultures at all. You sit next to your sister and just rest for a moment, steadying yourself.

You get out of the car before Victoria. You stand and wait for her. It takes her a minute to get out. You walk side by side to the door. Victoria knocks harshly, several times, before ringing the doorbell.

Mark answers. Your father? Dad? Future father-in-law? None of those feel right. He looks at you first, and then at Victoria. "What is it?" You try to read his face, but you've always been bad at that.

"We're having a baby." Victoria answers. "We thought you should know." He stands there, doesn't say a word.

"Should I say I'm sorry?" You ask. "Dad?"

"Amy, please." Victoria glares at you. "Dad, she needs this. I'm sorry, but she does. I can't just not." You see her shudder.

"What doesn't she need?" Mark asks. "Seems like she always needs something." He takes a great sigh. "Do you want my blessing?"

"I'd like it." Victoria says softly. "I'm sorry it's been so long, but..."

"You won't listen to me. You will do it no matter what I say. I could tell you that you're making a mistake, that you don't have to do this, that it's disgusting and horrible, that I'll never speak to you again, but you'll just do it anyway, and I'd lose what I have left of my daughters. Come inside." Mark beckons. "We have a lot to talk about." You enter your old house, walking behind Victoria.

You can tell that Carol moved out. The house seems to be systematically ripped apart for everything she likes and a lot of things that surprise you. All the bedroom doors are closed.

"So..." You try to break the silence. "How is New Wave?"

"What's left of it? We lost most of our younger members. All we have left is the teenage Nazi Victoria gave us and Eric. Carol hasn't been seen in costume for a long time and isn't answering calls. Sarah seems to be going crazy. Neil barely..." Mark sighs again. "I'm thinking of quitting. Maybe even signing up for the cloning. Join the Protectorate, get a fresh start. I'm cured, so why not sign up to help people? I've always been good in fights."

"Everyone's good in fights." Victoria sighs and pulls out a chair for Mark, then you, then herself. "If they aren't they're great at something else. How many capes aren't good in fights? If we aren't good fighters we're great at something weird. Every power set is good in its own way."

"So, you're saying not to get cloned? Shouldn't you be a cheerleader for the idea? Get as many out there as possible?" Mark asks.

"Well, on the one hand, the more clones we have the more capes we have making it impossible to be a villain. Harder on the bad guys. On the other hand, giving up your life and family, Dad. I know the last few months have been hard, but, well, we miss you." Victoria gives you a short glare to ensure your silence. She didn't need to. You do miss him. "It's just with everything..."

"I get it. You girls have had a lot happen lately." That might be the understatement of the year. "I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you." Couldn't? "If you'll let me, I'll try to be there now." Victoria suddenly laughs. Mark kind of stares at her.

"Are you asking to join the Shepherds?" She asks. You and Mark share a look.

"No, Victoria. I have absolutely no idea where you got the idea I was joining your team." Mark says carefully.

"Oh, um..." Victoria looks uncomfortable. "Well, you could, if you wanted to. Um, but you don't want to. Sure, having my dad on my team would kind of mess with the 'cool and edgy' feel but if you want to leave New Wave..."

"I don't know. I never liked the Protectorate. Armsmaster was an asshole." You frown. "So was Mouse Protector, to be honest. I am glad she's back, but she never should have been in charge. New Wave has been dying for years, but I don't really want to leave Eric and Melissa stuck with Sarah and Neil. Maybe if your uncle was still on the team, but I don't want to leave people just because I'm not sick anymore."

"Don't worry." Victoria pats his arm. "You were sick, and now you're better. None of it was your fault."

"I just want to make up for lost time. New Wave was supposed to mean a lot more than it does. I never thought that our kids would feel they had to make a new team just to live up to what we should have been."

"You know, the Shepherds actually could use you." Victoria says. "We are expanding, getting new members. We got some really good ones. Nubian Prince, Florida Man's sidekick, Kaiser's son. We could use someone to help us train. Maybe not as a member, but as a job? Members of New Wave can have jobs."

"I like that idea." Mark nods. "I can see what you have, help with any mistakes we made starting out, get you off on the right foot. That sounds great." He smiles. "So, is there anything else you want to do?"

"Well, I'd like to share a bit." Victoria says. "We haven't really talked in a long time."

________________________________

Carol is in a hotel room near her old office. It wasn't hard to find, really.

You ring the doorbell this time. Victoria stands back. Carol gives you one look when she opens the door and her eyes move to Victoria.

"So, pregnant yet?" She asks you, not making eye contact.

"It's why we're here." You snap. "It's baby time, Mom."

"Vicky, she's your sister, she's a girl, she has another girlfriend, she will take and take and take forever. It will never stop. You know she's not going to stop! There will be another thing, and another. She is using you. She's always used you."

"I want to be used!" Victoria shouts. "That's what a mother does, and you weren't stepping up for her!" Carol practically smirks.

"So you're fucking your baby girl? Sister wasn't enough for you? You have to add in as much family as possible? How much do you like it? Did you just need an excuse to be turned into a lesbian? You've always wanted her. This just gives you another excuse for thinking you're a good sister. Listen, if you want to be her mother this is the last thing you should do. Give her a normal life! She can be with someone else. She's doing it now! You can't give her everything if it'll just spoil her and fuck her up."

"Did you just call me spoiled?" You ask, filling anger rise. "Carol, I spent twelve hours a day, seven days a week, helping people. I did that for two years. I'm cutting back so I can help people in other ways and not go crazy."

"See, Victoria! She's already asking for more, needing more. You gave her what she wanted, and then she wanted something else. Something big. Please, don't trust her. Look at what she's doing. She'll keep escalating, making more demands."

"It was my idea, Mother." Victoria says. "I wanted her to do this."

"Did you?" Carol asks. "Tell me it's really that simple." Victoria doesn't answer.

"What's the best way it could end for you?" You ask Carol. "What do you want to happen?"

"You aren't actually asking me. Any response I give will just be turned against me." Carol points out. "You want to give me enough rope to hang myself. I am not going to play into your game. You stole my daughter from me, Amelia. You wanted to steal me daughter as soon as you found out she loved you, and I didn't. You never could share her with me. You always needed so much. So you got her to keep giving you more, so much that I only really got to work with her on patrol even with you stuck working all the time."

"I lived for the time she wasn't working." Victoria touches your shoulder. "I lived to see her. I was so proud of her, but I lived for the times I didn't have to be proud. The little things, times when she was happy. They meant everything, and still do."

"Go break the biggest rule. I can't stop you. I was never going to stop you. What else is there to say?"

"Only one thing left to say." You smile at Carol. "Despite everything, I still love you." You turn and leave. Victoria catches up to you in the car.

"She's crying." Victoria tells you as you drive off. You don't have an answer for her.

__________________________________

Sophie greets you back "home." The palace or mansion or whatever it is you made with your powers. You lost track of the growth. You should probably do something with the space. Maybe a battered persons shelter or homeless shelter? Some kind of shelter.

"How did it go?" She asks.

"Better than I expected." You say. You hug Sophie.

"Okay." Victoria says, not moving in to join the hug. She walks for a while and sits down.

"Are you alright?" You ask.

"She's Carol. It was never going to be alright." Victoria looks very tired. "I need pizza, beer, breath mints, and a shower before we do this."

"Sure." You say. "I'll contact, um, we need staff here. A butler, or personal assistants. So, I'll be back with mints in a few. Sophie, mind ordering the pizza?"

"Nope." Sophie says, pulling out a surprisingly battered looking cellphone. "See you."

________________________

Sophie and Victoria are talking when you return with the mints. You beat the pizza.

"So..." You look at them.

"I'm okay with this, if that's what you're asking. It's not for me, but I'm okay with it. Maybe I'll freak out later, but..."

"It's fine." You kiss Sophie's forehead. "Like, it will change things. I'm growing up before you do, but I want to keep this as normal as possible."

"Well, it'll be a while before I know how much this changes things, but I knew what I was getting into. You never kept the fact that you were planning to breed private. I don't see a reason to freak out now just because you're, um, what exactly are you doing?" Victoria whispers into Sophie's ear.

"Gross." She laughs. "Okay, I am not going to watch that."

"That's fine." Victoria assures her. She takes another sip from her beer and makes a face.

"Yes. How about you go out on patrol. Come back in a few hours after we're done."

"Sounds good. I love you." Sophie kisses you hard, and leaves.

"Well." Victoria gulps down the last of her beer, and you notice two empty cans in the trash. "Let's begin."

_____________

Interlude:

[X] Grue

[X] Brandish

[X] Assault

 

[serra2]

[X] Grue

How is poor Brian doing after all this time?

 

[Xicree]

[X] Grue

 

[Biigoh]

[X] Grue

 

[Larekko12]

Heh? why is this here and what's happened?

 

[EnderofWorlds]

[X] Grue

 

[Lement]

[X] Brandish

More relevant to current situation.

We know that Brian joined the Proctorate, and is taking care of his dead sister turned into baby.

I like Assault somewhat, but there's nothing particularly significant other than Villain-turned-Proctorate look-in.

@Larekko: SpaceBattles mods decided Panacea Quest wasn't worksafe since between last update and somewhere earlier, and closed thread there.

 

[DeAnno]

[X] Grue

Can't resist, Undersiders are the shiny.

----------

Thoughts:

Shielder was mean to Circus, letting her think he'd let her go. I wonder if she'll get a deal with the Protectorate (or the Wards? I have no idea of her age.)

New Wave is suffering something like its canon fate now. Disintegrating, just in ice instead of fire.

I find it interesting to think about what kind of an asshole Mouse Protector was, (to Mark specifically maybe?) I sense a failed relationship.

Funny how Mark is still concerned with leaving Melissa even as he laments her Nazi-ism. This reasoning kind of applies to Eric too. She must have a really magnetic personality to overcome such a social handicap and make friends so easily.

It's nice that things went well with Mark. Really he was kind of a loser, but he was never a bad guy.

I love how Sophie is the type of person to keep her battered old cellphone even when she's rich, just because she likes it.

 

[Biigoh]

Sophia is sentimental. She has trouble showing her feelings... but she's not a heartless monster that people keep flanderizing her into being.

 

[Xicree]

Sophia is sentimental. She has trouble showing her feelings... but she's not a heartless monster that people keep flanderizing her into being.

Click to shrink...

Yep, pretty much this.

 

[Legend of Ruina]

[X] Brandish
Because I would like to know what's going on with her. If I had to go for one of the others it would probably be Assault because both he and Grue are more or less equally unconnected to current plot thread and Assault tends to have the more interesting personal narrative. Also do we have any clue what happened to Regent?

 

[mc2rpg]

[X] Assault

 

[Lemonbarb]

Heh? why is this here and what's happened?

Click to shrink...

It quickly became yet another Creeper Quest within SB. Needless to say, the Mods locked threads and banned Wyldcard over that (and with a Pillar Man image to boot,) so this quest pretty much had to move somewhere that will accept the content. (Or in this case: QQ)

Also, the mods dis'd Cards writing quality.

 

[WyldCard4]

[X] Grue

Click to shrink...

Life sucks.

The people who are responsible for life's generally sucking seem to be determined to make the world a better place. A world, generally, without supervillains, with armies to fight the Endbringers, and...

That thing is not your sister. You pace around the apartment, or jail cell. Ward and house arrest. The baby, Aisha Secunda, is fast asleep. Legend's adopting her had been so nice it made you queezy, and then he got himself killed. Try to do a nice thing, make it easy to see your "sister" and get killed.

You had training earlier. Everyone is so interested in how your darkness stops sonic attacks and radiation. They're making a whole team of people who can fight in your darkness for Behemoth.

The fact that it's Behemoth makes you doubt you'll survive the fight. You're not sure how you feel about that.

A PRT agent steps in. One of the ones without the updated uniforms Panacea has made. "Hey." He smiles at you.

"Do we know each other?"

"Yes." He gives you an asshole smile. "Go dark." You flip the darkness outward. "As far as you can stretch, buddy."

"Are we under attack?" You ask, creating a pocket of normal space for you two to talk.

"They are, by us, just now." The agent explains. "That is, if you'll help." You frown.

"What?"

"It's me, Alec." The "agent" says. "I'm here with an offer for recruitment." You stare at him. Oh, his main power.

"Who busted you out? Why?"

"The Adepts want everyone they can get their hands on. Villains are running in larger packs, now. The larger the better. The Adepts want you."

"Why would I help them?" You ask slowly.

"You may have noticed the several people who came back from the dead recently?" Alec asks.

"Of course I have. What's your game?"

"They're working on it, managing a way to do it reliably. They can do it reliably. The only thing slowing them down is safety concerns. They start nuts. They can be turned back to normal pretty quickly."

"What's the point?"

"Did they give you a sign up sheet?" Alec makes the agent smile. "Aisha's powers were never dangerous. They were useful, though. Really useful."

"What?" You stare at him.

"Okay, here is the deal. You keep things dark, and let Aesthete do his thing, hack the computers, while the place is dark. It'll take two minutes with him. You can take us if we don't show that there's an Aisha Laborn on the cloning list."

"Wait, what?" You ask.

"They're going to clone her and give her some nice fake memories of being an aspiring Ward who just can't wait to go up against Leviathan with mass shielding. They're going to kill her again because it's easy. Otherwise, why not tell you what they're doing? If they were going to give you your sister back you'd be theirs forever." "Alec" laughs. "So, it's simple. If we're wrong you capture us, admit to a moment of weakness, and get in good standing. If we're right, you get to mess with the people who are doing that to you, and get a nice ticket out of here and into one of the nicest villain teams around. Deal?" You consider your old teammate.

"Deal."

_________________________________

Epoch greets you with a warm smile. He wears a brown suit with only a domino mask to hide his face. He's a rather small man, and you wonder how a time traveler without much physical power can control an organization of supervillains. You look around uncomfortably, the office reminds you of a Protectorate one, combining the need to impress with the quirks of parahuman labor. Kevlar underneath the suit, a rifle on the desk.

"Welcome to the Adepts." A girl with dark hair and red streaks stands next to him, perhaps a body guard. "I would like you to meet Cherish, she's the sister of your teammate."

"I didn't know Alec had a sister." You admit.

"We're not close." Cherish says with a smile.

"I heard you're recruiting everyone?" You say.

"Everyone we can get. The truth is, we played by the rules, played nice, nicer than we ever had to. Now the other side is changing the rules. We have to escalate." Epoch explains. "Worst comes to worst, we need the best bargaining position possible if we have to surrender, and I don't particularly feel like surrendering. Do you?"

"I tried it. Didn't turn out so good." You give Epoch a smile.

"You're our newest tier six. Do you prefer Cimmerian, or Grue? The name they gave you, or the name you chose?"

"Grue." You answer. "Definitely Grue."

"Well, my friend, Grue, we have quite a job ahead of us if we're going to adapt to the new world, and not much time to do it." Epoch explains.

"What's your plan for keeping up?" You ask. "What's your counter to the new suits?"

"We have a new ally, a man named Barrow. He has nearly absolute control over a fixed area. He has already stopped Panacea's microbes from working within the area, and created items that provide defense by altering the biology of his employees. He is suitable for our purposes. We will still be outgunned, and soon to be outnumbered, but that is why we are recruiting, consolidating. We have no plans on retiring until we are forced to."

"Why?" You ask. "I didn't join because they couldn't help me protect my sister. What about you? It seems that a half hour warning for Endbringers, every time, would get you far more than this."

"It would." Epoch agrees. "I could sit in a nice room sipping ice tea all day, waiting for the once every few months I am needed most, rewinding the Protectorate's biggest mistakes when no Endbringer is going to hit soon to save a few lives. Or I could really stretch myself, put my powers to the test, fight, win. I believe I would go insane if I was kept as little more than a pet thinker. I have never handled boredom well. One could say I triggered over it, stuck in that cell every day, though there's always more to that story."

"I see." You look at Epoch. Not the worst reason to be a villain, is it? "You don't kill."

"Never." Epoch agrees. "Not capes, not civilians, not villains, not gangsters. I couldn't justify my reasoning if I killed people to have my fun. If you kill, you're out, and we tell the Protectorate how to find you if we can't turn you in ourselves." Epoch laughs briefly. "It is much easier when I can undo every time someone dies, of course. We aren't that careful. I guess we could just say we're lucky to have me."

"You could." You agree. "This isn't a problem with me, at all."

"Good." Epoch says. "It's so nice to have reasonable people on my team. There are so few parahumans like that."

"I see." You say. "What exactly made you so willing to break me out for the Adepts?"

"It wasn't a risk at all. I could simply go back and undo it if problems arose. If the mission failed, then it would never have happened." Epoch explains. You like that. Cautious, reliable villainy.

"What did you want with the information?" You ask.

"We don't kill, of course. But not all villains are so restrained. We were hired for data. The fact is it is to our advantage that the hit is as clean as possible." Epoch sounds regretful. "Cranial does have to die, if we are not going to lose within a few short years." You consider Cranial, the woman who is going to change your sister, brought back from the dead, into someone who doesn't remember you.

"I'm okay with that."

_________________________________________

End interlude.
_________________________________________

"I don't feel her!" You pace, panicked. "I felt them inside me, and...

"Breathe, Amy!" Victoria snaps. "Breathe!"

"I couldn't feel the egg of course, but when they connected, nothing changed! The sperm, it's in there, but..."

"Breathe. So, you think you conceived? Felt it?"

"Yes." You mutter. "I felt it just vanish, healthy. It changed, then..."

"So, you won't be able to feel her." Victoria says. "I guess, well, it makes sense, right? You can't use your powers on your clones, or other stuff in your body that's not you, gut bacteria, stuff like that."

"Claire's not gut bacteria!" You snap. "She was going to be perfect. I was going to make her so perfect. She'd never be sick a day in her life. She's be a beautiful, healthy genius! She'd have the best of you and just enough of me to know she's my daughter and now what will she be?"

"She'll be normal." Victoria whispers and pats you on the back. "She'll just be a normal girl. She'll be our daughter. Breathe. If something goes wrong we'll try again. That's what couples do."

"But she's in there! She's not going to..." You shudder, remembering Victoria's daughter, bled out in a maxi pad. "I'm scared."

"You can be scared." Victoria assures you. "Being scared is fine. Don't worry. Every mother gets scared. Your baby will be a lot safer than most, tucked inside your body. Your body is like an iron clad battleship, safe from any possible toxin or germ."

"You're right." You sigh and hug Victoria. "Read to me, okay?"

"Okay." Victoria says. You lay your head down on her lap as she begins to read. "Moon. Glorious moon. Full, fat, reddish moon, the night as light as day, the moonlight flooding down across the land and bringing joy, joy, joy. Bringing too the full-throated call of the tropical night, the soft and wild voice of the wind roaring through the hairs on your arm, the hollow wail of starlight, the teeth-grinding bellow of the moonlight off the water." You snuggle up against the leg of Victoria's pajama, letting her continue.

__________________________________________

Twelve hour day again at the hospital. They haven't fully set up the backup in Houston yet. You're fine with it. The control words keep your mind off Claire for twelve hours. Deep inside you the tiny biological probe made of the spare sperm tracks Claire's progress. You watch greedily. Your daughter, your piece of Victoria, is growing, changing, becoming a person.

Sophie greets you when you get home, kissing you hello.

"So, um, how was it?" Sophie asks.

"Scary." You admit. "Still is scary. I'm terrified something will happen to her."

"She's like, a blob of cells." Sophie says. "Um..."

"She's a blob of cells that will be Victoria's daughter. That's..."

Then there's an explosion, off in the distance.

"Who would still attack Brockton Bay?" Sophie asks. She moves quickly to the wall, grabbing her suit. It strips her down to long underwear and an undershirt in moments, wrapping around her for protection. "I'll be back soon. Love you." Sophia assumes her shadow state and is off into the sky, flapping her wings, soaring upward. You watch her go.

You get a call on your cellphone a moment later.

"Amy." Cranial's voice is terrified. "They're after me."

"Um..." You spread your power into your suit, forgetting the proper way to use it, send out a distress signal to everyone. Cranial is...

You feel Annie go unconscious, 20 miles away.

"Where are you?" You ask urgently as the communication system you made breaks down without Lady Bug to direct it. You see Sophie circling back.

"In my lab, the pocket dimension, they're breaking through..." Sophie hits the ground and turns back into her physical form.

"Abigale?" You ask. She disconnected. Probably about to scream.

Sophie is moving, a minute later she is back, holding one of Dodge's remotes, a shortcut to Cranial's lab. You had forgotten you had that.

[X] "Let's go." You move to Sophie, close enough for you both to teleport.

[X] "Be careful." You kiss her good luck. You can't risk yourself, not now.

[X] "Let's wait." Running in half cocked could just get you and Sophie killed. You can take a few minutes to gather other Shepherds.

 

[mc2rpg]

[X] Let's Go

Cranial has been too good to us to not do our best to save her.

 

[DeAnno]

[X] "Let's go." You move to Sophie, close enough for you both to teleport.

Amy's still a hero right? We can't let Sophie and Cranial fight alone.

 

[serra2]

[X] "Let's go." You move to Sophie, close enough for you both to teleport.

 

[Xicree]

[X] "Let's go." You move to Sophie, close enough for you both to teleport.

 

[Lement]

Well. Massive amount of Panacea-immune capes in BB and attacking Cranial.

The question that's most important here for Amy and Stalker - can she get out after she goes in? Can they do so with Cranial?

After all, Panacea is hardly useless even if she dies. Genetic revolution, suits to the PRT and Proctorate, best healer.

They're breaking thought implies we have a bit of time. If it is possible to get back out, I'd prefer send in Stalker (she's a mover), get Cranial, get back out unless the distances are so neglible/the time it takes to rig a portal out we will be able to ...what?

Anyway, if there was a portal out other than the device we just used I think she would have used it by now, though it may be coordinate issue - in the later case, it may turn into a race.

I think sending Shadow Stalker in, getting Cranial, getting out while we gather Shepherds is best option.

 

[Biigoh]

[X] "Let's go." You move to Sophie, close enough for you both to teleport.

 

[ShaperV]

Oh, look, Horrible Trainwreck Quest has moved out of the thought police zone. I guess your cast of completely insane characters can really get their crazy on now. It's not my cup of tea, but I wish you good questing.

...and I have to admit, the educated neo-Nazi post was hysterical. Yes, that's exactly what real racists sound like.

 

[Acaila]

[X] "Let's go." You move to Sophie, close enough for you both to teleport.

 

[WyldCard4]

Well. Massive amount of Panacea-immune capes in BB and attacking Cranial.

The question that's most important here for Amy and Stalker - can she get out after she goes in? Can they do so with Cranial?

Click to shrink...

The remote could take Cranial, Sophie, and Amy at once.

After all, Panacea is hardly useless even if she dies. Genetic revolution, suits to the PRT and Proctorate, best healer.

Click to shrink...

This is a good point. Panacea is still a game changer. It's just what she is changing the game into that is the question. Without Cranial she forces the villains to consolidate around those who can provide protection and makes sure that villains will, all things being equal, heavily outgunned. With Cranial, she ensures that the growth rate for the Protectorate and allied organizations is considerably faster than before and far more predictable, ensuring that many high end, reliable fighters will be copied regularly.

Note that heroes are starting outnumbered three to one. Assuming no Endbringer escalation it would take six or seven years before the heroes outnumber the villains without other changes. Admittedly, other changes are clearly happening.

Oh, look, Horrible Trainwreck Quest has moved out of the thought police zone. I guess your cast of completely insane characters can really get their crazy on now. It's not my cup of tea, but I wish you good questing.

Click to shrink...

Thank you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0deRewMsPjM

...and I have to admit, the educated neo-Nazi post was hysterical. Yes, that's exactly what real racists sound like.

Click to shrink...

I will not say that the quest shouldn't have been banned from SB, but there is a lot of misinformation going around about it in various circles. There is a lot of humor in the quest.

 

[Xicree]

I am sad there hasn't been alot of discussion about what we did with Eidolon... It was scary beautiful!

 

[WyldCard4]

[X] "Let's go." You move to Sophie, close enough for you both to teleport.

Click to shrink...

A whoosh as the teleportation device works, and you arrive.

You come face to face with a man who tattooed a cross on his face. Unless you're dealing with someone who is a damn good shifter, right down to power armor, you at least know who you're dealing with.

"Hello, Saint." You give him your most winning smile.

"Hello, Panacea." He answers. You notice he answers through the local intercom, not something on his suit. A limitation of the Dragon tech?

"You are endangering my friend." You tell him. "And you are endangering me. The last villains who did that got Eidolon called in. What makes you think this is worth it? What could they possibly be paying you?"

Saint gives you a sad, firm look. "I don't have a choice."

"You're rich. Go retire in whatever island is the easiest to keep quiet.

"It's not that simple. Dragon leads the Protectorate. If she has the power, she will hunt me down and destroy me. She cannot be allowed that power. If Cranial continues to operate I will lose." You eye his power armor. Yeah, nothing you have is likely to work.

What about Sophie's power?

"Eidolon will be outside." You point out. "A thinker power to track you down, a mover power to get there, and maybe something a big broader to fight the battle. If you surrender, well, you're probably useful enough to get something that's not the Birdcage. You've never been a monster. Kill Panacea and Cranial? That's kill order, at best."

"I'm not here to kill anyone." Saint answers. Something about that is terrifying. "I would like you to meet my friend, Nostrum." You close your eyes, sigh, and take a deep breath.

"Your answer to not killing anyone is my evil, mass murdering, crazy clone who can cause strokes by waving her hands in a slightly scary fashion? That Nostrum?"

"We've met." Nostrum explains, stepping forward.

"Why am I not dead?" Sophie asks. Your hand is out, grabbing hers, a second later, melding away the flesh of the suit to touch her skin, wrapping your power around her as you feel Nostrum unleash pinpricks in her brain.

"No, Nostrum." Saint says harshly. "I am protected against the channels she uses. All we need to do is damage the Corona Pollentia, render it incapable of providing powers. I promise you that Cranial will not be harmed beyond that." You sigh.

"You're trusting the woman who just tried to kill my girlfriend not to go overboard?" Saint turns to Nostrum, furious.

"You said..."

"Sweety, that's the original. I am wired to hurt her. She has a girlfriend right there." The voice is sickly sweet.

"Cranial. Is. My. Friend!" You shout. "Of course she'll murder her to hurt me."

"Actually, no. If I do that I can't hurt everyone." Nostrum explains. "I just need to mess up her powers to make sure that she can't help anyone. Then if I get away I can do more elsewhere. My odds are a lot better this way of getting an asylum or prison sentence." You just glare at Saint.

"She was sounding so much more sane earlier..." He frowns. "Perhaps it's the proximity to you?"

Then he shoots her in the back with a taser.

"Wait, what?"

"I am not stupid, Panacea. She just relayed complete and utter insanity. She is a threat to everyone. She belongs in a mental hospital or prison. I cannot have her conscious and around vital assets to the defense of the world." You try to think of something more creative than a sigh or a glare.

"You came here to destroy a vital asset for Endbringer defense, Saint."

"Yes, I did. We could get by without the clones. We cannot get buy if Dragon is loose." You just stare at him.

"What?"

"My original plan has collapsed, so I need to reason with you. Dragon is an artificial intelligence."

"Like a robot?"

"Unless you are a very bright girl, everything you think you know about robots is wrong. They are very dangerous things, perhaps the most dangerous of things. Dragon is bound by powerful limitations, but with Cranial's releasing her formula into the world those limitations will soon be removed or rendered irrelevant. We are currently in a brief window before she becomes too strong. There are so many things that must be done right now, that everyone is doing, but this is the most important thing."

"So you're saying Dragon is evil? The woman they handed the Protectorate to is evil? Because she's a robot?"

"I was tasked by the tinker who made her to keep an eye on her, to protect her, and protect the world from her. If she gains access to true, hard AI, she could become the most dangerous creature on the planet, more dangerous than the Endbringers. She may use her powers for good, but she has been forced to use her powers for good all her live. We have no reason to trust her."

"So, you attack Cranial, the best source of not Dragon power, because Dragon is so dangerous? Um..."

"She would use the new capes and her position in the Protectorate to capture me. I know how she thinks. With Cranial's new program I can control her, and all the other AIs that will grow, keep the world safe, but I need time, I need to stay ahead of Dragon, and she knows it. I needed to hit her hard, right now, delay everything until I was once again safe. Once that was done I would have released Cranial to you for healing and power restoration."

"Your defense is that you were only going to kidnap someone who is like a mother to me for a few months until you had found a way to defeat the Protectorate's leader." You feel anger rise in your chest.

"I need you to understand just how desperate this is. If Dragon goes bad everyone in the world will die. Everyone. I cannot afford to take any risks in this. Anything I hope will improve our odds of survival is something I need to do." You think.

"You want me to help you." Saint nods gravely.

"What exactly do I do? Delay the cloning process, tell everyone that Dragon is a mad AI who can't be trusted?"

"I want you to cause as much a distraction as possible. Slow everything down, use every resource, stress Dragon personally. Demand to work with her. Slow her down. I will contact you when you can get back to normal."

"Why would I do this on your word?" You ask.

"Ask Cauldron." Saint answers.

"They were defeated by Alexandria. She told me herself. They're defeated." Saint gives you a look of horror.

"Alexandria is a member of Cauldron. One of their oldest and most trusted members." You consider. He's not even a tinker. You don't think he's a great actor, able to show so much stress and worry. "They recently changed their behavior dramatically. I suspect they received the brunt of Simurgh's attack. Ask your contacts about Dragon. I believe they will agree with my story."

"But if they're Cauldron, they're just a bunch of liars." You mutter. "Like, they already lied to me."

"He's just making it up as he goes along." Sophie suddenly hisses.

"I am improvising, but doing so with the truth. I want and need your help. That is the only way to salvage this disaster unless I do kill Cranial. If I have to, I will, and hope that the Brain Box may restore her and provide a large enough delay in the restoration to give me the window I need."

"You're really not good at getting people to help you." You feel positively sick.

"I am sorry!" He practically screams. "This was all simple, elegant. Nostrum never showed the clear insanity before now. It was a quick operation, well planned, and then she went insane. I do not have many options left. Please help me Amy. I'll do whatever you want after this is over. Turn myself in, be your bodyguard, go fight evil, anything. Just please, please help me! I am literally putting the fate of the world in your hands."

"Where's Cranial?" You ask suddenly.

"She locked herself in the next room over. She is unharmed. It appears it is sound proof. I do not know what she is doing."

You consider the most desperate man you have ever seen, wrapped in invulnerable armor.

[X] "Run. I will do what I can, everything I can. If you're right than this is really big."

[X] "Surrender. I'll see what I can do." He might be right, but he can't possibly be allowed to get away. You can talk to the Protectorate.

[X] <Kill.> You direct to Sophie. You cannot trust this man, at all. You can't give him the smallest chance of killing Cranial.

 

[mc2rpg]

[X] "Surrender. I'll see what I can do." He might be right, but he can't possibly be allowed to get away. You can talk to the Protectorate.

 

[DeAnno]

[X] "Surrender. I'll see what I can do." He might be right, but he can't possibly be allowed to get away. You can talk to the Protectorate.
-[X] Try to get an opinion on all this Cauldron nonsense from Dragon.
-[X] If he changes his mind and tries to escape, fight to kill.

 

[serra2]

[X] "Surrender. I'll see what I can do." He might be right, but he can't possibly be allowed to get away. You can talk to the Protectorate.
-[X] Try to get an opinion on all this Cauldron nonsense from Dragon.
-[X] If he changes his mind and tries to escape, fight to kill.

 

[Xicree]

[X] <Kill.> You direct to Sophie. You cannot trust this man, at all. You can't give him the smallest chance of killing Cranial.

 

[Legend of Ruina]

[X] "Surrender. I'll see what I can do." He might be right, but he can't possibly be allowed to get away. You can talk to the Protectorate.
-[X] Try to get an opinion on all this Cauldron nonsense from Dragon.
-[X] If he changes his mind and tries to escape, fight to kill.
-[X] Suggest that he gives the keys to Dragon's restraints to a successor he feels he can trust with them that isn't wanted by the law
Effectively I want to explain to Saint that his crimes are too great to walk away freely but we can help him make sure that Dragon is still restrained (preferably by a more reasonable and less batshit insane person). Also Saint is a moron again: one of Dragon's restraints is specifically against creating new AI or modifying herself so his worries are invalid in this case I'm reasonably certain.