บท 27: 5
5
Thursday 24th November 2010
I've never flown parahuman style before.
And I'm not now really, instead I feel like one of those water carriers held under a helicopter that they use to fight fires.
The speed is insane, and Glory Girl has me lifted by one arm.
Like a children's toy.
But damn flying is fun. I really need some flight capable armour. Or some other form of flight.
EFA interrupts my musing.
"ETA 20 seconds, Scattered news reports show Dauntless is engaged in combat with Whirlygig and Squealer inside some monstrosity of a tank, While Velocity tries to harry a very large Mush. The PRT are desperately trying to defend from behind the gutted remains of a PRT vehicle. A heavily restrained Skidmark is currently still in the back of a PRT van."
"Glory Girl, drop a little lower, then drop me directly next to Mush, then assist the PRT in keeping the bystanders safe. Squealer isn't being shy about spraying that machine gun everywhere she can."
"But what about Squealer and Whirlygig?"
"Dauntless has them covered, and Velocity can back him up when I take Mush's attention, but the PRT are heavily pinned down by the merchant gang members and we need to keep the civilians out of the line of fire."
She doesn't look initially look happy, but then she nods.
"OK agreed, are you sure you want me to drop you?"
"Yes. My inertial dampeners can easily absorb a drop from a second story.
She flies in close to Mush and drops me as requested.
I quickly angle myself and hit right on the trash golems left arm.
Direct hit!
I hit the ground and immediately jump into action. My baton is out, and I activate the matter manipulator.
Most people would be disgusted by all the trash and probably hesitate.
Not me though. 2 weeks ago, I was eating this shit for breakfast.
Literally.
I charge directly at Mush's main body and engage the matter manipulator. I use it to start recycling the metal trash off his body.
He yells at me and immediately tries to punch me, I limbo under the limb that flails at me, and lash out with the baton in extension mode towards his exposed face. He flinches back and immediately starts pulling trash to armour his face. I hit his remaining arm three times in quick succession which causes large chunks of it to fall off. He attempts to engulf me, but I jump back using the powered legs of the armour and lash out again with the baton extended. I aim directly for the main body and discharge a huge charge into it. Even if it doesn't fully conduct through, he could get some feedback. There is a huge burst of electricity at the point of contact.
I wait to see a reaction which is a mistake. I assumed he had to use only his two limbs to attack.
A massive ball of solid trash attached to his arm hits me hard in the chest, no damage to the armour but the force causes me to fly back towards the merchant mooks that Glory Girl is protecting the PRT from.
I hear a huge explosion, and Dauntless yell out in anger, Squealer starts to shriek.
"Whirlygig get back in this fucking tank you useless cunt, Mush, grab Skids quickly and leave, fights too much for us now with these shitstains joining in," She glares directly at me with wild eyes.
A heavy machine gun emerges from the side of the tank and takes aim at the PRT agents guarding Skidmark's van. Fuck, I need to decide between defending the agents and preventing the Merchants from grabbing him.
In the end, it's no contest.
I quickly engage the matter manipulator to raise a huge earth and clay barrier in front of the agents, doing so blocks my view of Skidmark, however.
Mush quickly grabs Skidmark and passes him straight to Squealer. A wave of trash erupts off his body as he also lands on the tank.
They speed off down the main boulevard shimmering out of view as Squealer engages her cloak. No-one pursues.
"FUCK," I yell. "We could have stopped them!"
I kick a piece of discarded trash.
Glory Girl lands next to me.
"Good job on the barrier Archon, you saved those agents lives."
"Yeah but the prick who tried to enslave me is now free again!" I yell.
"We did the best we could Archon. Sometimes our only victory is we stopped other people from dying."
Dauntless lands in front of me.
"Archon, Velocity got injured by shrapnel when I blew up part of Squealers tank, it's why I couldn't pursue. Are you able to stabilise him?"
"Is my tech approved?" I question.
"No, but I'll take full responsibility with the witnesses here." He replies.
"Glory Girl, can you go grab some water please he will need it after this?"
"Got it," she flies off towards a local store.
I move over to Velocity who is sat next to an overturned car.
I signal a PRT agent. "Please bring over any injured agents who are willing to accept my healing as well, if anyone needs my immediate intervention let me know."
"Will do."
I kneel down next to Velocity.
"Are you ok?, where are you injured?"
"Caught shrapnel in my arm and shoulder. Shouldn't have stopped."
I think the Stimpak will eject the shrapnel, but just in case I use the omni-tool and scanner to recycle the shrapnel in his shoulder. I immediately inject him with the stimpak.
He sighs in relief as the regeneration kicks in, the wounds visibly start to close. And he nods at me.
"Thanks Archon, appreciated.
Three PRT agents also need assistance, one of them critical. I use stimpaks on all three and Glory Girl brings me more water over as I give them strict instructions to finish the whole bottle.
Dauntless walks over to me as I am tidying up my hastily raised walls and smoothing out the street. The civil authority will need to re-lay the asphalt, but this rough patch job will hold for now.
"Thanks for your assistance Archon." He holds his hand out for me to shake. "You didn't have to respond, but you did, and I appreciated it."
I shake his hand; I hear cameras in the background, and it irritates me more than I expect it to that people are taking pictures and rubbernecking rather than helping.
"No problem Dauntless. I'll always respond to a call for aid if I am able."
He nods approvingly.
"You did a good job for your second time in cape combat, and your first actual combat you chose to enter."
I shake my head in disagreement.
"I disagree. A good job would be Skidmark still behind bars and the other three chased off or in custody."
Dauntless gives me a 'look'.
"There was nothing we could do to keep them in combat and keep innocent lives safe. If you hadn't raised that wall, half of the agents would likely be dead. Skidmark was facing a stretch in a regular cape prison, not the birdcage. And while it burns that justice is now delayed in his case, making the choice to save lives over both winning a fight AND your own personal stake in the situation speaks well of you."
I contemplate this. I still disagree of course; I should have come up with a way to win. But I see his point.
"There's only so many places we can be Archon. Had you not arrived, Whirlygig and Squealer would likely have caused me to have to retreat to protect the Agents, Velocity would be having to divert Mush alone, Skidmark would have gotten away regardless only with a bunch more injuries on our side. Not to mention the civilian injuries we would likely be facing. You made one of the better choices you could have made."
I realise my arrogance too late.
I should have directed Glory Girl to take down Mush, while I set up static defences against the gang members.
I was thinking more of fighting a parahuman member of a gang I now despise more than anything else, than I was truly thinking of the safety of the bystanders.
I made a tactical sacrifice in the heat of the moment to allow myself the chance at a small bit of revenge, and it doesn't sit well with me.
Something to work on going forward.
Dauntless finishes putting his hand on the shoulder of my armour.
"Them getting away annoys me too. But there will be other opportunities to bring them to justice. Let a civilian die and their families don't get second opportunities. That's a parent, or a mother, or a sibling lost to someone somewhere."
A cynical part of me thinks that this is a great story to give to PR for why you lost a prisoner in transit. But I quash it, slightly disgusted at myself. I'm more interested in how the merchants did the intercept in the first place. Coil? Some other infiltrators?
"How did they know where you were going to be Dauntless?"
"The route isn't exactly a well-kept secret, we don't use this route for bigger gangs like the E88 or the ABB for instance, those get much more stringent measures attached to them, but we didn't think the merchants were big enough, or bold enough to launch an attack in broad daylight on a PRT op."
Am I looking for conspiracy where none exists?
He continues.
"We will probably be upgrading the Merchants threat ratings in the next few days and moving them up in the priorities. Another major gang was the last thing we needed…"
I feel a little sorry for him. I decide to try to change the subject slightly.
"Didn't they have another member too? I thought they had that tinker. Train something I think his name is. I wonder why he wasn't here."
He laughs at that.
"Trainwreck? Didn't Assault tell you? When they came to rescue you, they ended up bulldozing through him as if he wasn't there. He was the one guarding the downstairs. They didn't capture him, as they rushed upstairs. He was taken away by the gang members in the area, and he's still out injured from what we currently know. He really didn't expect to be facing those two."
No, they didn't tell me. And now I owe both of them even more of a debt.
"No, they didn't tell me thanks for letting me know."
I turn to leave
"Would you be available for a debrief tomorrow? I think the boss will probably want to go through this situation with you."
I don't know if he means Piggot or Armsmaster. And I don't think it really changes much.
"What time?" I reply.
"Come in at noon, I'll need to book a time internally, but I'll make it after then and if they aren't about, then you could maybe discuss your submitted tinker review with Armsmaster as he was going to contact you today I believe."
I get the feeling Armsmaster will not appreciate Dauntless stealing his thunder by telling me.
"Ok I'll be at the PRT building tomorrow at Noon."
"Thanks Archon, and thanks for helping clean up. I'll see you around."
I walk towards the PRT tape barrier and let myself out, the PRT Agent on guard nods at me.
"Thanks for the assist, Archon."
As I'm leaving, I experience something new.
Autographs.
A few of the younger crowd members approach me.
"Are you joining the Protectorate." "Please will you sign this?" "OMG Can I take a selfie with you!" "Can I try your armour?" "IS THAT A SWORD COOL!"
Maybe a charm offensive is exactly what I need now.
"Ok everyone calm down please, too many questions too quickly."
I disengage my combat mode, so my face is visible, only covered by my domino mask. I smile at them.
"Who wants an autograph?"
Quite a few people it turns out. I sign everything from books to toys.
I can see why people get addicted to this. The acclaim is, heady.
However, I put my foot down on answering too many questions and just make a generic statement.
"Ok everyone I need to leave, I'll answer a few of your questions quickly. I'm an independent hero and plan to remain so for the immediate future. I have no plans on joining the Protectorate but will be there to help them and the PRT and more importantly the people of the city. If they need it. However, for now I need to leave. Thank you for coming over and speaking to me and I hope you all have a great day."
I walk over to Glory Girl, who is doing much the same as me.
"Hey Glory Girl, I need to leave, thanks for the lift down here."
She smirks and addresses me and the crowd.
"No problem, Glory Girl airlines is always happy to accommodate!"
I chuckle and shake my head.
"I'll take you up on that in future if I need to drop on someone's head again."
She returns the laugh as I leave.
I decide to move down to a nearby alleyway and utilise a convenient building rear door to jump back into my workshop.
EFA contacts me with a piece of bad news as I go to enter the workshop.
"Sir, from monitoring local BBPD news sources I have caught an alert that one 'David Brewer' has been broken out of BBPD custody by the Merchants. It seems to have happened just after the Skidmark breakout. ID is confirmed as the 'Dave' that attempted to harm you."
I just can't catch a break today.
The forge hits me as I enter.
Forge expansion deferred by active combat.
200CP are available.
Rolling
Facilities Mundane – Success!
Workshop/3D Fabricator.
0CP remain!
The workshop shakes as a new facility is added.
This is an amazing perk. And my first perk barring my initial blacksmithing forge I started with that comes with actual tech crafting materials.
Workshop/3D Fabricator is a companion perk to my Cybernetics perk that I gained earlier in the week. It gives me a special cybernetic workshop that includes a diagnostics computer, special tools and equipment for cybernetic and cyborg disassembly and maintenance. Ten kilograms of miscellaneous spare parts per week, and an extremely rare 3D fabricator capable of making customised components and printing and repairing circuitry. It also comes with a free rocket hammer.
It's everything I need to really get started on cybernetics.
And it's currently useless to me.
All the tools bar and workbenches are powered, and my workshop is currently completely unpowered.
I'm going to need to either make some fuel cell interfaces to start allowing me to use tools or concept a power source that can power the entire facility until I manage to grab a perk from PR or otherwise that comes with a power source.
For now, the facility has been added as an expansion to the room my forge is in, so thankfully keeping all of my crafting stations together.
I decide not to go and look in on it for now, just to look at what I can't use.
There's a few hours of the day left, I decide to go check on my Shadow Clone in the alchemy lab and see if he's ready to dispel.
He's currently getting a lesson from Hypatia. I sit back and observe for a while.
He notices my presence.
"Hey boss, I'm just finishing up tinctures with Hypatia and then I will dispel and pass you the knowledge."
"Ok thanks for the warning, nice to see you Hypatia. Thanks for the lesson."
She waves me away and gets back to teaching my clone how to make slow acting healing creams.
I move to my warehouse and drop off my armour and gear. It's too early to sleep but I need a little R&R. First however I have some planning to do.
"EFA"
"Yes sir."
"How goes progress on the software development front?"
"I have currently completed multiple tutorials and free courses that enable me to pass myself as a development specialist in security and software troubleshooting. Progress is slower as I can only work on it when you are out of the workshop as there isn't a connection in here currently."
"Are you at a point you can start utilising this to raise funds for us?"
"Yes, I can definitely do that would you like me to proceed?"
"Yes please, split your software time now 75/25. 75% of the time working on software solutions that raise funds and 25% researching and developing new techniques, how goes progress on hacking?"
"I wouldn't be able to do anything against tinker software or high-end security, but I think I could break into the majority of other systems now, is there a job you would like me to work on?"
"I need a legitimate identification to move on from where I am now. I need an identity outside of the forge and a way to work among the civilian populace as other heroes do. I have three choices. Make my own, find someone to make it for me, or approach the PRT with my extradimensional status and have them do it. "
"Ok sir I will look into if there are ways that we can achieve this and will also look for other contacts who may be capable of it."
"Thanks, EFA"
The dilemma of my identity troubles me. Skidmark knows my real face is a parahuman for sure. They know my name, but currently I have zero presence out in the world.
Thomas Hale needs to become a real person. A real American citizen.
I need an identity to be my public face if I am to create a company dedicated to progress.
And therefore, I need to deal with Skidmark and the Merchants.
I gave everything else up to come here. I refuse to give up my name and face too.
Time for some reconnaissance and information gathering while night falls. And I know just where to start. Dave's arrogance and attitude previously tell me he is definitely the type to return home after escaping.
I call another shadow clone up tasked with using his copy of the omni-tool to go and get more resources for more power cells for the armour. I switch in my last set of 60% cells in the meantime and prep the door to step out into my old apartment.
I send the clone in first, in case its booby-trapped, while he is checking the apartment I quickly dull the silver parts of my armour to a dark grey with the matter manipulator.
The clone returns and gives me all clear, no tech showing on scanners and no life signs on the top few floors either.
I send him out to the ship graveyard and Northside docks to grab the aforementioned resources with instruction to prioritise returning over staying out for more resources..
I step through to my old horrible apartment. It's just like I remember it an unfortunately for Dave the power is on, which gives me an amazing idea.
I quickly pull through my power interface and spend half an hour recharging my cells off Dave's electricity bill. Because fuck him.
I manage to get two sets of 4 at 80% and the worst 4 at 60%. That's enough for now. Even if none of my other objectives come off tonight, this alone made the trip worth it.
I engage my scanners and inform EFA to keep an eye on life signs especially, I do not want to be caught off guard.
I probably should be trying infiltration out of armour to avoid the sound, but I'm not quite that brave yet.
Time to interrogate a drug dealer.
If I remember correctly, Dave's apartment is the entire right side ground floor of the apartment building opposite this one. Breaking in is easy enough, a quick scan to check for alarms and my blade makes short work of the rear access doors lock. The sun has fallen by the time I make my way in.
There are two men loitering in the lobby, but a quick shock with the baton and some omni tool plastic restraints puts them down. I gag and blindfold them both with their own shirts and put them both in a cleaning cupboard.
I quickly move on to breaking into the nearby apartment. Scanners show one life sign, and currently no sign of electronic surveillance. I make quick work of the front door lock and make my way inside.
As I thought, Dave is currently home, and alone too!
He's sat watching tv in his living room without a care in the world. I quietly approach where h is sat, the volume from the set covers my approach.
I take out my baton and place it on his shoulder.
"So give me a good reason not to haul your ass back down to the BBPD and make sure it sticks."
His eyes widen in shock.
"T?"
"Surprised to see me?"
He looks me up and down.
"Knew you were a tinker. Didn't know you were this advanced. Told Skids he never should have gone for you. He got too greedy, and you didn't have the eyes for it."
"That's the only reason you are still conscious to be honest. If I thought you were one of the threats to me, I would have knocked you out and taken you straight to the BBPD."
He looks around.
"So what do you want, I doubt you are here to hang out and busting a drug dealer to the BBPD doesn't really seem your level now after what you've been up to recently? Apparently Mush still didn't get full feeling back in his legs after you shoved thunder up his ass."
I snort involuntarily.
"I'll only ask you once. Where is Skidmark and where is Squealer?"
He closes his eyes and sighs.
"So you can kill them?"
Do I really seem that angry?
"No, so I can bring them to justice. I don't do the killing thing unless I have no other choice."
Now he seems angry.
"You think any of us here have a choice? This is a dog eat dog city. Sometimes literally. You walked into my place in your fancy armour and thought I'd give up Skids and his drug bitch on something as weak as 'I'm going to bring them to justice'? Skids has things on people in this fuckin slum you couldn't imagine. You think Squealers the only one round here who has no other option?"
He starts to pace back and forth, hand twitching all the while.
"You take down Skids and what happens? Trainwreck aint taking over, Whirlygig is a drugged up kid who thinks she's a lot better than she is. Squealer is so drugged up most of the time she don't even know what's real. The Merchants collapse and then some other fuckin cape gang moves in and nothing changes. You think I work for that cunt because I like it. You white hat fucks think it's so easy in this place?"
He spits at the floor.
"I rent these apartments to the lowest of the low. Scum and down and outs like you were when Ben arranged for Jerry to send you my way. Those useless fucks at Fortress might pay like shit but we look after the homeless and the lost. Better workin for some jumped up Boston construction company that thinks its hot shit trying to save money by hiring illegals than not eating?"
Wait, Bens connected to all this?
"Ben is a merchant?"
He laughs, an ugly thing hoarse and gasping.
"No you tit, Ben is fucking Empire. They run most of the work crews in this shithole. 'Nigger', 'Spic' and 'Retard' might be too tainted and wrong to work good jobs and live in good neighbourhoods but even the Nazis won't turn their nose up if they can skim 50% off the top and fund their own shit."
Now I'm even more confused.
"But you said Ben arranged for me to meet you through Jerry? Is Jerry Empire? And why would Jerry send me to a Merchant if he was?"
"You are white. Nazis don't like vagrants and illegals, but you were white enough that Ben wanted to make sure a white boy wasn't staying with the less savoury skin colours in the halfway house." He laughs again "Like any of that matters, Skids a fucking black brit and he's had Hookwolf chasing his tail for the past four weeks."
He pauses for breath.
"As for why the merchants? Jerrys not one of us or them but every fucker in town knows him. Ben doesn't know I'm a merchant, and neither does Jerry. All Ben knows is Jerry knows an apartment owner who rented to illegals." He finds this hilarious and I have to wait for him to continue as he wheezes out choked laughter.
"That prick Ben thought he would be more likely to keep you workin and healthy if you were employed and livin in better conditions and then maybe he could recruit you for the Empire. Ya might be the only fuckin homeless non-cape to have two gangs trying to recruit you at the same time in this dump. And then you turned out to be a fuckin tinker and everything changed."
So it turns out I had a lot more eyes on me at the start than I thought. I'm stuck on another point in particular.
"Fortress is from Boston?"
He looks at me strangely.
"Yea, Boston company does a lot of the jobs in the richer parts of Brockton, been about for decades? Why the fuck you care about them?"
So Fortress wasn't Coil then? A red herring maybe?
"EFA, please look into Fortress Construction, see if you can find a link to Coil or more likely, Thomas Calvert. Something isn't right here."
"On It."
"Oh someone told me they had a link to one of the gangs in town here."
"Hah that's rich, if they did they'd be fucked they do work for the PRT sometimes."
He chuckles and looks me in the eye.
"Listen, you might as well arrest me. I won't give up Skids for 'brought to justice' my own life will be on the line."
"I don't care about arresting you, I care about my identity and making sure you and Skidmark can't spread it about!"
"Skidmark won't. You know his ID too and he dealt with the other guy who knew your ID permanently. And I might not be a cape but I follow the rules. I'm not ending up like the guy who did in Fleur."
I stare into his eyes.
"You know I won't give up on sorting Skidmark out right. Not after what he tried to do to me?"
He stares back.
"Don't blame ya kid. It never sat right what he did to Squealer. But until you have a better option for me that isn't 'Bow down to the next gang to take over the trainyard or pray if it's Lung he doesn't incinerate me and steal my buildings' then I aint risking myself for you."
I contemplate this for a second. A seed of an idea is starting to grow.
"Ok, take my number," I rattle it off for him "Don't tell Skidmark I was here. I have some ideas. Pass me intel and be my informant and I'll forget about the BBPD warrant for now."
"Not making any promises. I'll tell him if it's you or me. And I won't pass you info if it could reveal me."
"Fair enough. If you do have to tell him about me visiting you, tell him to stay the fuck out of my way and business."
I turn and leave. Dave has one last thing to say.
"Piece of advice don't mess with Ben kid. He's connected in ways you don't want to piss off."
"I don't intend to; I'll deal with the Empire when I'm ready."
When I'm geared enough to do it without reprisal.
I leave his apartment after telling him about his two guards in the cupboard. I use my key to leave via the apartment door opposite before he can see me leave.
As I step into the workshop, the forge hits me with a double strike.
Forge expansion deferred by active situation.
200CP are available.
Rolling…
Failed
On the back of the failed roll, I head to bed, contemplating solutions to removing the Merchants without leaving the territory free and prime for the ABB and the E88.
I'm starting to sympathise with the PRT even more. How the hell do I clean up the city as a hero when it's a delicately balanced Jenga tower.
Notes:
Perks Gained this Chapter
Workshop/3D Fabricator – GUNNM – 200CP - Facilities Mundane
Powered tools for cyborg disassembly and repair. Bulky diagnostic computer, ten kilograms of miscellaneous spare parts, very rare compact 3D fabricator capable of milling custom components and printing or repairing circuitry. Free Rocket Hammer
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