Capítulo 2739: 2.4
After lunch I was lead away to a large meeting room with a long table, a series of identical office seats and a widescreen TV at the end, honestly it felt too big for just the two of us. While inside I noted that everything outside was silent. It seemed that Armsmaster wanted some privacy and considering that he wanted to pay me FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS for each potion I could understand but why talk in privacy now and not earlier?
Taking a seat he began. "While it's not unusual for the Protectorate to purchase Tinkertech from unaffiliated individuals or organisations there is precedent." I nodded as I remembered the most obvious example being the Guild.
"However the original reason why we were simply discussing price and the effects of your potions in a casual setting such as the cafeteria and not a private meeting room such as now is because you are technically a minor." Wait, he offered all that money just to get my hopes up?
"For all intents and purposes we can't approve any official payment to a minor unless your legal guardians signs something, which is why we're discussing it here." He wanted to bring in dad? Okay if the money wasn't enough to warrant the privacy the secret identity stuff certainly did.
Okay Taylor think, what are the pros and cons?
Well I could bring in dad which would make me rich but worry him. If dad was worried I might not be able to use that money to buy an anvil to make armor and go out to fight bad guys. At best he would limit me to a support role. Besides being rich I suppose my relations with the official Heroes would be good as well but if I wasn't out there on the front lines making a difference then there was no point in my eyes.
I could walk away now and save up for the anvil, keep dad in the dark. However after all the trouble Armsmaster went to meet up with me, to show me around the base it could sour relations with the rest of the Protectorate.
There was a third option I soon realized.
"You can't approve payment right?" I asked to double check.
"Not legally without your parent's consent at least." He replied.
"What if, what if I didn't get paid?" I began now dedicated to this line of action. "What if I just gave you the potions to test and use? What if I could give them to you as a sort of demo?"
While I couldn't see his eyes I could tell that he was surprised by my offer.
"Vim." He began. "I'm not sure you understand the full impact of your work."
That was a little insulting, I made the stuff after all. Of course I knew it's full impact. Didn't I?
"Your serums if you haven't exaggerated their use have no expiry date, can be stockpiled and can be used by individuals with no training. This is Tinkertech that bypasses the average Tinkertech limitations."
I stared at him blankly. "What do you mean by limitations?" I asked.
It was then he pulled out his Halberd from his back and placed it on the table. Wait a second, that wasn't there before! Where was he keeping it? I mentally slapped myself. He was THE miniaturization Tinker, it would be logical to think that it was folded up on his back.
"Take my Halberd for example." He began. "On the surface it has a multitude of uses and features that places it above any modern day handheld weapon. However without the proper training on which buttons do what in what combination it might as well be an expensive high tech pointy stick." So my potions just being so simple to use made them better? "Only one person in the world can build this and only one person in the world can fix it."
Realization dawned on me. In theory a Tinker could spend all their time making high tech laser guns for the police force but without maintenance they would all start falling apart at best and self destruct at worst.
"My potions don't have that weakness!" I whispered. "The police force might not get halberds for everyone but they could all have temporary powers in a bottle!"
"Not the police force, the local PRT." He corrected me. "Containment foam had evened up the playing field for our non-Parahuman colleagues in the fight against crime but with these potions they can behave as if they're brutes depending on said potion's effectiveness." He smiled at that. "Not to mention the edge it can give me and the rest of our Cape roster."
Honestly I hadn't really thought of my potions that way before. I just figured they'd save lives or protect the heroes. I had no idea that they'd want to enhance their non-powered personal. If my potions got powerful enough I could in theory give the good guys the rough equivalent of another team of Capes.
"I don't understand." I told him. "Why are you telling me this? Shouldn't you be trying to get my stuff as cheap as possible?"
"I'm not a car salesman, I'm a Hero." He responded in an amused tone.
Armsmaster was refusing my donation figuring that I hadn't realized the true value of my work. Frankly if I could help the city, my home, then I didn't care. After a long pause I made my decision, I wasn't doing this for profit, I was here to help. Profit could come later.
"Here, take them." I said pulling out my potions. "Take two of each, you can pay me for my future work when I get everything sorted out." When I'm brave enough to tell dad about my powers, failing that I could always wait until I become an adult.
Though I couldn't see his eyes, the opened mouth was enough of a clue that he didn't expect this. I drew some joy from that.
"But-" He tried to argue with me but I interrupted him.
"I'm not a car salesman, I'm a Hero." I parroted his words from earlier. Was this how all Heroes were? If so I liked what I saw.
He paused before smiling at my response. "I think you'll look back on this day and find that you've made the right decision." Grabbing the potions he began putting them away into slots on his armor.
When he finished he spoke up again. "Vim, did you need a lift anywhere? I can't drop you off at school directly and risk your identity but I can drop you off somewhere close if you'd like."
Oh shit. School, this was my supposed lunch break. I couldn't tell him that I skipped out to use my powers more.
"I uhh can manage on my own, don't worry." I assured him. He didn't seem to take me turning down his offer very well and honestly I was kind of sad I wouldn't be able to ride his bike a second time. I wonder if I could build my own fantasy bike? The designs in my head unfortunately said no.
All I had were swords, armors and stuff for houses?
Okay the last one was a bit odd but the point remained, none of my stuff could really make me go faster.
"Are you sure?" Armsmaster asked. "If you need a ride I'm sure I can organise something, it's the least I can do in exchange for your potions."
"No no, completely fine I am good! Promise!" I told him. He didn't seem convinced but he had let the matter drop. "I'm just happy to go back to where you guys found me."
He seemed to just stare at me and for a moment I began to feel very small as if he was wondering if I truly was here out for lunch or if I was actually skipping school.
"YOUR NAME IS TAYLOR!" I imagined he would announce. "WINSLOW EMAILED US SAYING YOU WERE MISSING AND YOU HAVE THE SAME HAIR!" Then I would be thrown in detention where Emma, Sophia and Madison would laugh at me forever.
Instead he simply nodded. "If that's what you want." I relaxed slightly before being lead back to the entrance of the base.
I didn't like this silence, there was plenty of chatter around us from the other staff members but not another word was spoken between us. I remembered reading somewhere that criminals who said nothing were more likely to be seen as guilty. But what could I say or ask that I hadn't already? I already told him everything about my potions at lunch, what they could do and what I planned on making them do. What else could I talk about with him? I was a high school student and he was a thirty something year old celebrity.
We had just about nothing in common.
Wait, he was Armsmaster, a celebrity, someone I looked up to!
How did I miss this opportunity?
"Uhh, before we go." I piped up. "Can I get your autograph?"
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