XXX
(Lolth – Demon Queen of the Archer Bridge Merchants)
I was cautious but willing to take risks. I had a power base, human scum that brought with them wealth and resources. Addiction was something I could use to get both power, influence and eventually faith.
Still, I was not impressed with my minions, or their smell. Getting them cleaned up and more respectable, not normally an issue for me still took priority. I planned to dominate both the scum and a higher class of human and looks could matter.
I may be an evil god of Spiders but even I had standards.
I tested the waters via divinations, small spiders sent to scout and my skill with a scrying pool. There were two in the city I needed to fear. The Guardian, this Alexandria had the local law under her dominion. She was waiting, watching for a misstep. She was strong and smart enough to be a stumbling block. The other in the city that could match my power was another unknown evil spirit. He was not something I was familiar with but what I could sense off him made me cautious.
The Merchants, I decided would make good cannon fodder and enforcers but little else. Weak-willed and shoddy, they at least would provide muscle. I needed more though.
My host, Sophia Hess was a very young girl, innocent in some ways. But in others… oh she knew how to use people, she knew how to hurt people and she knew how to rule them with fear. Even better she knew who to use for the best results.
While my Merchants rebuilt themselves into a better class of criminal and my war chariots were built I would start anew. Another Powerbase, among the young. Weak and uncertain, rife with problems I could leverage, they were a ripe hunting ground.
My clergy, my followers, my cult would begin anew in the den of evil and inequity that was referred to by the locals as "highschool".
XXX
(Taylor Hebert-Skitter/Weaver/Khepri/Queen Administrator and 'not' the Spider Queen)
"Let me get this straight, Nicce took the Wards to a fantasy realm where they have a good handle on this magic stuff?" Lisa asked.
"Basically, I haven't been there myself, Rill, that is to say, Nicce's guardian who dropped in decided unilaterally to take the Wards to train there so they'd be able to fight off the magical stuff that might… well, that has been popping up, like ghosts and stuff." I explained.
"So the 'improvements' they received was training in a literal magical faery realm? Which made them capable against demons and ghosts and a hell of a lot more scary than they were?" Tattletale persisted.
"Yes." I said getting frustrated.
"What is it like there?" She pestered.
"I have no idea, I've never been there." I admitted.
"So Nicce is your friend, from this place and you never bothered to go visit her home?" Lisa hinted.
"Yeah the place is supposedly a mixed bag, and Nicce said she wanted to get away from there and now she lays around watching TV and talking to pastel ponies in her free time." I broke somewhat.
"Yeah, that sounds healthy." Lisa comforted me with one arm around the shoulders while the sarcasm dripped from her last statement.
"I am maybe not the greatest friend in the world OK." I admitted. "I've been more worried about the whole end of the world, killing all the people I can to make it so we have a better chance against Scion at the end. Not really being fair to my friend, or my used to be friends for that matter." I said looking into Lisa's eyes, seeking something like the connection we had once had.
Instead I think I just made her uncomfortable as she extracted herself from me and stood. Leaning over she gave me a hope-filled smile. "Well maybe we can kill a few birds with one stone. You want help taking out your list, we want to stay in your good graces and as far as saving the world, it does have all our stuff. We also want a way to get Regent's family off our back permanently, which means getting some way to surprise them, or at least get us off their radar for a bit." Lisa expounded while gesturing as if to a far-off horizon. "How about we take a trip, visit Nicce's home, get awesome stuff, be able to understand and better positioned to do something about this stuff."
"I don't know, they had a powerful native who knew what was going on there. We have…" I trailed off.
"A group of badass parahumans, you who are pretty scary yourself and Nicce, the most powerful little spider girl around who can get us in and out. Come on they won't be able to stop us, they won't know what hit them, I mean I haven't even heard of supervillains on the other side." Lisa cajoled.
"I've heard of some of the bad stuff they have there, still we'd be able to get out if we needed to." I started to convince myself. "What about my parents." I said in what came out a lot more plaintive than intended.
"Your mom mentioned recruiting some old friends to help with the whole new Coil organization. Your Dad has Ruin to look after the local villains. This would be a perfect time!" Lisa verbally twisted my proverbial arm.
"It's past time I visited Nicce's home and saw what this place is like. Alright, let's do this. We go in prepared though; hell it could be a nice vacation from the suck that is Brockton Bay."
XXX 3 hours later XXX
Well everyone was still breathing, I had bad burns on what felt like half my body which did not help with the weakness and chills I was feeling from the touch of those things. Thank god my Nicce enhanced armor had saved me from it being much worse. Nicce looked worse than me, her Avatar's magic being the only thing that had been able to affect half the immaterial assholes that had literally come out of the walls to attack us. She had drawn off most of the attacks and gotten swarmed with the things and still the rest of us has barely survived.
I lost myself in fond remembrance for a few moments, it distracted from the pain of the burns. Thank god I had upgraded all our costumes before we left with some legitimate spider silk and some reinforcement from Nicce with her more esoteric webbing. Lisa had complained about that at first.
"I'm a little iffy about wearing something that came out of your butt Nicce, no offense." Lisa had said.
I was about to explain that spinnerets were not a spider's anus when Nicce retorted. "Don't Wowwy Tattletale it didn't come out of my butt, it came out of the Universe's Butt! I don't spin webs so much as use what's around, I can't make that much webbing myself anyway." Nicce had innocently answered.
"See Tats now you are armored with stuff that has literally been pulled out of the Universe's ass." Regent had snarked.
I smiled at the memory of only a few short minutes ago. Unfortunately, things had gone downhill from there.
The first fireball she had unleashed to take out the swarming shadows had half killed me and she had been enveloped by her own magical flames that apparently did not believe in any sort of Manton effect of not hurting the one who cast them or her friends. Magic was like being armed with a rocket launcher, awesome if you got the shot off at proper range, useless or actively dangerous in close quarters.
At least the things had died and the rest of the Undersiders had avoided the blast via living up to their motto and running like buggery while we covered for them.
My power over bugs was no help down here, there was nothing alive in these deathly caverns of crumbling masonry. The mindless nature of the dead spirits and skeletons we had run into left me functionally powerless.
I was still better off than the rest of the Undersiders. They were feeling their wounds from the shadow's surprise attack and the loss of their powers. They had nothing, no trace of parahuman ability. We were a bunch of useless teenagers in the deepest depths of a lightless haunted castle protected only by Nicce, whose spells were our only weapon and whose webs as armor were the only thing keeping us alive. Bitch's dogs at least gave us some warning if those things were around, but they were not effective weapons without Bitch to grow them into effective war machines and they had also taken a few hits and were as limping and sorry looking as the rest of us.
I loved Nicce, in a fighting for our lives situation I had to admit she sucked at fighting. Sic'ing spiders on people made a lot more sense when I had seen her other options. Unfortunately, those spiders could not do more than suck hits for us as they too were unable to injure the spectral enemies we faced. We still had a few out as scouts, basically as expendable canaries to draw attacks.
In the pale spell light provided by Nicce (well I had cast it but it was hers) I saw stairs leading up. We ascended and came to a tunnel, there were many side passages but I felt fresh air on the legs of a spider scout I had out and thought our best bet was to go straight.
Four Armored Skeletons blocked our way. I stopped the group and told them, My plan was to swarm them with Nicce provided spiders and for us to run by, get to the door behind which was that greatest of treasures, hope and the possibility of getting out of here alive.
The spiders went in first, I got a few hits in, then the skeletons reacted and started tearing them limb from limb, hacking off legs and murdering the spiders without apparent difficulty or fear.
Fun thing to note, skeletons are not very affected by spiders who use poison and biting/piercing attacks as their primary weapons.
Still, the swarm began to make progress by sheer numbers and I motioned us forward. They were keeping them buried under their numbers, the losses mounting were daunting.
We got to the door, it was of course locked. I half imagined I could feel the fresh air and light only inches away. The Undersiders looked at each other and Regent produced a set of lockpicks. Working on the door at a fevered pace he was visibly sweating from the tension. We needed to buy him time.
Unfortunately, we were running out of spiders by then and I and Grue had been forced to engage as one of the skeletons made it past our spider defenders.
We still worked well as a team. I hadn't forgotten what he taught me, and he flanked the Skeleton with me with no spoken plan being necessary. We attacked as it finished off the last spider blocking it.
His punches, even with the brass knuckles he was wearing only cracked the bone at the neck of the undead monster. My extended self-defense baton followed up on his hit and managed to decapitate the thing. It fell to the ground and I saw we might soon be facing the other three skeletons.
Grue was favoring one leg, the thing had stabbed him just before I finished it off, man these dead guys were fast, but it hadn't gotten by the web armor mesh we had provided under his slashed leathers. Still looked like it sucked, a bad bruise at best.
Regent finally got the lock to open. The door was thrown open and we rushed through as the last few spiders died I threw my weight against the door and heard it click as it relocked. I felt Brian's body behind my own as he copied my movements and helped me shove the heavy door shut, and he was panting in my ear.
That felt, the closeness, the familiarity, it felt really nice.
"How much further?" Lisa gasped.
"We've only gone like four hundred feet from where we started. Should be getting near the elevator soon." Nice said in a tired voice.
I went over and hugged Nicce. "I'm sorry Nicce, sorry about everything, sorry I couldn't spend more time with you, sorry we're not at home watching TV." I said.
"Sorry guns and Tasers don't work here, sorry we all lost our powers and this hell hole is trying to kill us." Aisha added in a sing-song voice.
"All of this would have been nice to know ahead of time." Grue grumbled.
"I thought you guys knew about the powers thing, the Wards complained about that, I guess you guys didn't talk to them though. They get em back when they go back." Nicce defended herself. "The Tazar thing I don't even know what that is and I have not seen any guns around here before so I didn't know how they worked here." She then sighed. "I can't take you all out, I can only web like one at a time through these little webs in the castle, an if I left the rest would probably be dead before I could get back…" Nicce nearly sobbed. Seeing the body of the Dark Elven Demon Queen at the verge of tears kind of summed up how our day had gone.
Then I felt something, a few flies and gnats. Fresh wind and people that way.
Come on guys there's a way out close, should be just down this way." I led the party, taking a few of Nicce's spiders forward to get a better view.
I realized my mistake when I saw the strange people almost attack the spiders. Then one of them came forward. He was making weird baby noises at the spiders.
The group was odd looking, they had a glowing floating blue three foot high rupee shaped crystal for a light in addition to some glowing weapons, and in that illumination I made out two girls with pastel angelic wings in flowing clothes, one with a mace and the other a double ended sword on the green and blue one's respectively. Their hair matched the wings. The two guys were odd in that one was carrying a shield bigger than he was with a weapon I could not identify. The weapon the guy had was… I mean it was a long barbed segmented… killamajig with a long handle and a flail like weight at the end.
Behind them was a giant ten-foot tall massive thing with mandibles in armor that resembled a three-piece suit, It's clawed hands held a massive two-handed blade and it wore what looked like sunglasses, two sets of them. I didn't even want to know.
The guy making goo-goo noises at the spiders was the really odd one. For one who goes up to a giant spider and says "Whos a good spider, good spider, whose is youse is a good spider wider!"
This guy was not an angel but a dark green haired guy with dragon-like scaly wings that despite being folded up on his back looked large enough he might actually be able to fly with them and he was wearing heavy armor and carrying a massive polearm. He was also now fleeing the spiders and saying. "Naw man I can't do it spiders eh eh ick can't do it!" As he rejoined his group and put the polearm out in front of him defensively as he shivered.
"The spiders are not attacking though, they seem… friendly? Nonhostile at least. Lemme check again, yup! Still not evil." The blue haired angel informed her compatriots as she waved her hand in the direction of the spiders.
I had one of the spiders wave its arms back as if saying wait. They seemed cautious but not hostile. I'd ignore the Judeo/Christian implications if it meant we were saved.
I led us out into the light towards the glowing angel people. They saw us and didn't attack. They saw Nicce and winced. They suggested we take the elevator to the top but perhaps we should put a cloak over her, they must not recognize her. Nice of them to warn us about the racism against dark elves we might encounter I suppose.
I was somewhat surprised they didn't show us the way or help. They merely pointed us in the direction of the elevator and continued on their apparently important mission. But then again they were heavily armed, we were not and they did say the path was clear.
We managed the rest of the several hundred foot walk in relatively good cheer and more importantly, nothing attacked us. Leaving the spiders to dissipate we entered the elevator, a crude steel and bronze platform held up by actual visible chains. Nicce yanked on a control lever and it started slowly bringing us up. Nicce then assumed her regular body and we waited a few minutes for it to rise.
I took stock. We were armed with a grand total of a pair of brass knuckles for Grue, a Knife for Aisha, Regent had a club of a scepter without any power. Bitch had a fold out utility knife she used to open food bags for her dogs. Brutus, Judas, and Angelica were all there, but Angelica was being carried and Brutus and Judas were both skulking along behind Bitch with their tails between their legs, obviously, they were injured though there was no outward appearance of injury.
The same was not true of the Undersiders. They wounds were obvious, they were tired and were dragging themselves around. To say we were not in condition to fight anyone was a gross understatement.
I had burns and Nicce had looked to be in bad shape but had just switched to her original body. Still, she seemed, sensitive about how badly things had gone and her inability to help us, so she seemed to draw inward in her depression making the lot of us a complete set.
I was in the same boat there. You'd think being able to control everything with a mind would be more useful. The undead spirits and shadows did not even register. Demons didn't register as they had no central nervous systems. How many things were in/from Renedge that were conveniently going to be immune to my powers. I sensed that whole group of adventurers had been immune as I could sense them with my swarm, but not get a signal off them directly.
Having expected an easy time of things, being as we had super powers and technology in a world without anything like us was understandable. Coming to grips with the truth of the matter, the lack of technology working and the being cut off from powers, well except me, it was more than slightly ego deflating.
Wait why was it that I still had my powers. Could it be because I wasn't a normal shard based power? I WAS the shard, it might be possible for Nicce to pull the shards into the hosts, like she had with me and then I'd not only have others like me, but we could then all bridge the gap and use our powers regardless of the world we were in.
I remembered all the pain, nausea and headaches and the nearly dying and requiring massive magical healing from a Unicorn of all things.
Yeah, no, that could wait. Till we were feeling better and this also assumed we ever wanted to come back to this place.
Right now I think we were all leaning toward a negative review. Showing up in the crypt under some castle filled with undead monsters could not be a very comprehensive view of what the world was like I hoped.
"All this going to be worth it? What are the odds we'll find something that can help us against a bunch of powerful Masters in another Universe?" Brian groused.
"He-Man!" Alec and Aisha chorused. I, Brian and Lisa sighed. See this was a team-building exercise.
Thinking about what I just had been considering, being as I was effectively THE Master and effectively there would be very few master abilities that operated on drastically different methods when you came down to the underlying power mechanics of it… "Actually we might have pretty good odds of that at least. A lot of the locals are resistant to Master effects it would seem. We just need to figure out what they have and get some of our own.
The elevator finally got to the top. I was thinking it would lead into an inhabited portion of the castle, but no of course not.
There were ominous tunnels with a dark grey and black stone bricks, many ominous doorways with black trim and a skull and dragon theme seemed to make the place really just soooo inviting.
Nicce marched off nervously and we, lacking options followed her down a half dozen cross passages and out a large set of double doors.
We were finally outside, no, almost. We were in a massive courtyard that was covered in some sort of crystal dome. Massive walls and soaring towers surrounded the courtyard. Several tiny looking buildings seemed to cower along the wall on one side while on the opposite side a four-story log building flanked the gate. It still barely made it half way up the walls and the towers soared above those.
In the middle of the courtyard, a fancy looking three-tiered fountain burbled actively, almost 60 feet wide with a statue (I hope it was a statue) of a massive serpentine dragon with its maw providing the source of water and the coils made up the upper two tiers of the water feature. Its mouth shot the water almost 3 feet in the air in a frothy spill that managed to look more intimidating than inviting.
From the light coming from the log building there was activity within. A pair of 'people' were a bit closer to us just outside the series of smaller buildings. One looked like a small child smoking a pipe, the other looked like a knight with some sort of stylized bull helmet on with massive horns that put him at over eight feet tall. As we got closer I noted the child had shoeless hairy feet and multiple tattoos on his arms that would look more at home at a rock concert than in a fantasy realm with real unicorns. He also had mutton chops and up closer really did not look like a child. The large knight had an impressive looking shiny flail/morning star, spiked ball and chain?
"You guys never mentioned the place was the evil overlord's castle. We are way under leveled to be here. Shouldn't we be in a place with like, goblins?" Aisha complained.
"Thewe awe goblins in da baw, can't miss em." Nicce said off handedly. "Da one called Boogie Gnogin has a comedy ting he does a bit after sundown, pretty funny too."
"I thought you lived with elves and Unicorns." I said feeling somewhat betrayed, my expectations, almost reversed frankly. "No fairies, no forest folk?" I asked.
"Um, dere are mostly elves in da bar, Vasea lives hewe and dere are hundweds of faiwies awound, dey have a whowe viwwage over in dat tower." Nicce said pointing and perking up somewhat in her role as tour guide. "Dweadbough is a pwetty nice tweant who tends the gawden in the castle up dat way."
The huge man (?) with the horned helm approached and asked. "You guys need any assistance?"
Oh god that wasn't a helmet, his mouth and face moved, he was a Minotaur. I was expecting yellowed bovine teeth, instead, he had a crest smile and bright intelligent eyes.
"Hi Kuno, hmm yeah we could maybe use a hand, we got huwt comin up twough da castle." Nicce offered.
"Well normally I'd give you a hand getting to the temple, but we have the Black Legion coming through in just a bit, they have enough healers I'm sure they could help you out." The surprisingly helpful and polite minotaur offered.
"Umm? Dat OK Taywer?" Nicce turned and asked. I looked at the Undersiders who were already collapsing around the fountain which was conveniently of a height to provide seating around its edge.
"Hmm… Yeah, we can wait." I offered officially since I doubt I could motivate them back into motion sans using Khepri.
"Very Well." The Minotaur named Kuno agreed solemnly.
He then returned to his conversation with the small guy man who Nicce informed me was called a Halfling. Apparently, he was looking to get a tattoo and the Halfling was offering suggestions and prices.
"Dude, this place isn't as bad as I thought it would be. They have a Tattoo parlor!" Aisha offered trying to get Tattletale's mood up. Unfortunately, with her power gone Lisa seemed more lost than usual, her eyes sunken and nervous.
We saw several short green-skinned people with large pointy ears carry kegs into the large bar. Nicce informed us these were goblins.
We watched a few more customers for the bar make their way in or out. One thin cloaked figure Nicce identified as an Elf. Aside from them being thin and heavily hooded with a bow they looked just like an unexceptional human.
That's when a giant swirling vortex of energy appeared about five paces from Kuno and the Halfling Tattoo artist. For their part, they seemed unsurprised and the Halfling wandered back into his shop, while Kuno positioned himself before the gate and stood at a strange sort of attention.
'People' started walking through the wormhole like rift in reality. Some were human sized with a variety of weapons, armor and odd equipment. Others were huge cyclopes out of myth armed with what literally looked like bags of rocks two feet in diameter. Others were less spiffily dressed red skinned Minotaurs with a variety of axes and halberds.
One figure, in particular, seemed to take charge. Wearing forest green armor and having an oversized helmet to match his own too large halberd, he gestured for the cyclops to line up and they obeyed. He then exchanged a word with Kuno, then looked over to us.
While his force reorganized after passing through the portal, I noted several of the burlier beings seemed tasked with carrying a number of large chests and boxes of supplies. It did not appear they were traveling light.
In a slightly distorted voice from speaking through the helmet, he addressed us. "You guys look like you are having a spot of trouble. Kuno informs me some of you need healing, we can help you out, well help 'her' out free of charge, so you will be getting the free friends and family rate I guess, but you guys look like you don't quite fit in around here, I smell a story. Oh, and I didn't introduce myself." The figure went to unclasp his helmet.
Then the unexpected happened. One of his troops, a small dark ragged looking robed figure wearing a mass of prayer beads dive tackled him out of left field and they rolled over like four times. The figure straddled his chest and re-clasped the helmet closed and said "Bad Bossman! The helmet stays on!"
He seemed dazed but unhurt as he nodded his helmet. The tiny female figure hopped off his supine form and stood there angrily with her arms crossed glaring at him with slightly glowing red eyes. OK she was quick and vicious, I was still trying to figure out where she came from, my swarm had seen her, I think over there? Well looked like the locals had speedsters too, she had to have been moving at over fifty miles an hour to make it that far, or faster? Crap, good thing she was in my range at the moment and I discovered I could indeed choose to control her, though she seemed sluggish to my check, much like the alternate universe parahuman Queen I had once fought for control. Fought successfully I thought defiantly.
I noted some of the troops, his troops supposedly, snickered and made no move to defend or aid their 'Boss'.
He rose and was chuckling as he patted her on the head (did she have cat ears?) fondly. "Thanks for the subtle reminder." He turned and walked back over to us.
"Sorry I'd be polite but I don't want my body guard wringing my neck next time so I'll keep the helmet on." He said.
The tiny robed attacker with the glowing red eyes and maybe a hint of light brown hair from the hood gave an angry nod and grunt. Closer up I noted the massive strand of prayer beads that she wore wrapped around her neck repeatedly as if the jewelry was meant for someone much larger.
"I am Talthas, Commander of the Black Legion, this is my body guard Kit Kat." He introduced himself formally. "Let's get your wounded tended to then we can talk."
A woman dressed like a normal sized golden yellow version of Kaiser's Valkries walked up and gave us a once over. She was accompanied by a tall boy in a gray robe with a tangle of necklaces. The woman introduced herself as Valier. She asked which of us were wounded and had us all stand near her. Drawing glowing symbols in the air she seemed to imbue each of us with a bout of rapid healing. My burns, the chills I had and even the tension in my neck I hadn't realized was there all faded leaving no scars or signs of damage.
As we were each tended to I noted the boy seemed to be staring at me and the Undersiders, Bitch seemed to be staring back at him for some reason. He had a creepy manner to him, something about the way he moved and held his head seemed off to me. As his gaze passed over me I noted he had very off-putting silver eyes and a thousand-yard stare.
Talthas was talking to Nicce, he knelt in front of her and made gestures with his hands as if to entertain her. I noted she was giggling and thought a tad bit more of this commander, at least he was good with Nicce. His body guard stood a bit back from him and glared.
After my extensive healing, Talthas made his way over to me with Nicce in tow. "So I hear you are supervillains after magic powers to save the world?" He said with a sort of laugh that told me he was taking the statements of Nicce with a grain of salt.
"That is essentially correct." I informed him stiffly.
"Okay then. Perhaps we can help each other. I run an interdimensional mercenary group and we are always looking for more clients. We run everything from invasions, site defense, assault, support, logistical and tactical aid, black ops, theft, sedition and if you don't need some up and coming highly successful mercenaries we are always interested in trade, especially in luxury goods and exotic weapons." He gave me a sales pitch and I could 'hear' his salesman's smile despite the helmet.
"OK first two questions. 1) What's with the helmet vis a vie you being forced to wear it by your bodyguard, and 2) What's with the creepy boy with the silver eyes?"
"Ok, well the first is a matter of my bodyguard being concerned about my pheromones around possible clients. It's nothing overt, just tends to make me more popular with the ladies, which can make things awkward. The second, well that's Nicky, he is a bit feral. You know the phrase raised by wolves, well when you are a werewolf it can be pretty literal. He is actually a fairly nice guy, just very protective of his friend Valier there." The armored commander explained.
Ah, that made sense. He had a similar issue to Rachel. That Rachel was apparently picking up on it meant the changes to her brain were not just her power messing with her, but maybe her brain adapting to her power. Interesting but not terribly relevant. The whole mercenary thing gave me ideas though. Coil hired mercenaries right.
XXXLast edited: 6/5/2018 Award ReplyReport102DMfromTheAbyss26/3/2018NewAdd bookmarkView discussionThreadmarks Dinner and a date with the Devil New View contentDMfromTheAbyssConfirmed Dungeon Master6/5/2018Add bookmark#246AN: Sorry for the hiatus. Between trying to increase my backlog, work, personal illnesses and actually having a growing D&D party with a crazy schedule things have been interesting. I have not given up and my plan is to keep trundling along when I can.
I realize I have had some dry spots, but ultimately it is exactly that sort of criticism I'm looking for to tell me in what ways I can improve. (Like by having a regular posting schedule.. keeping on topic, not going into world-building derails while complicating the plot needlesly heheh the list goes on )
Though this story is as much for me as you the reader, both for practice and as a creative outlet. I will doubtless screw up and make some boneheaded decisions in the future, I just hope I can improve by their commision and perhaps provide some creative entertainment to those reading. Though feel free to point out the issues you see.
XXX
(Taylor Hebert: Agent of Coil)
We had dinner on the tab of the Black Legion. This put the Undersiders in a much better mood especially when we discovered there was no legal drinking age hereabouts. Nicce said she'd be back, she was going to go check on Mom and Dad. That it was also almost time for her pony show to come on did not escape me. Talthas insisted he had someone else for 'Transportation' if we required it, first though we had business to discuss.
The bar reminded me of the Mos Eisley Cantina scene, if you replaced the dusty sci-Fi bar with a rich open floor plan that was all wood. A pair of bars took up either side of the main seating area and a second level housed larger tables overlooking the main room, like box seats. A small plain stage sat unused halfway between the bars on the far wall from the entrance. A smattering of small sturdy wooden tables loosely filled the room. The inhabitants though mostly human-ish were more varied than I had thought possible. There was an Asian looking Dwarf running one bar. Two head-tentacled blue skinned girls who I didn't even recognize from myth or legend were waiting tables, maybe sirens? Elves, Goblins, Halflings and another pair of Dwarves made up the majority but some real outliers were the pair of what looked like android girls who clearly had bolts and seams visible, it looked like they were made of some sort of supple whitish metal that didn't even try to make them look fleshy.
Talthas kept his helmet on through negotiations. His bodyguard loomed effectively for a girl who looked maybe 90 pounds dripping wet. Then again I had 'not' seen her move she was that fast. She'd give Greg Veder a heart attack if she ever came through to our earth, apparently she had the look of what I had heard him call a 'cat-girl'. This one just had glowing red eyes and a mean disposition.
Talthas inquired what our needs might be and he shared a bit of what his group was capable of. The Black Legion had quite an impressive number of troops, weighted more towards small effective elite squads over anything like a regular army unit, though apparently they could field a sizable unit or two at need. I was impressed by his frankness on price. The phrase 'It's negotiable' came up a lot, but he was willing to work for local money that could be exchanged for valuables, weapons and trade goods at a rate just about even with what I'm guessing Coil's old mercenaries made. In exchange it would give us a secret untraceable group of mercenaries used to dealing with magic that claimed to be up to most magical threats. To my surprise they were also familiar with modern weapons and even had access to some Tinker style laser and plasma weaponry. That they claimed to be expert in modern tactics and commando style stealth raids 'a specialty' of theirs suited me just fine.
When I brought up the subject of Scion and the Endbringers or taking over large swathes of territory he changed his tune. (What!? Always good to know where someone drew the line, and if I could get that kind of help I'm pretty sure I could get Number man to sign off on the price of 'all the money'.) He was unwilling to face something of that magnitude. He explained they were working their way up to things of that scale, but they were not that close yet, perhaps another few hundred years and they could help. The fact that he said this with all seriousness said a lot about his ambitions.
I was impressed by his candor and despite the implications he still seemed willing to discuss strategies and tactics against them. "When you are up against something God Tier, which is what Scion sounds like, your options are limited. He doesn't sound like an actual God, so striking him through his followers isn't an option. Your only real choice without massive luck or a huge amount of losses would be to find another God equivilent and set them into conflict somehow. If one god doesn't work, try a pantheon, If that doesn't work I suggest abandoning the plane because it would require something truly horrifying to fight it and your world might not be worth living in anyways after that sort of fight even if your side wins. Now the Endbringers MIGHT be something we could deal with. They sound like a puzzle more than a fight. Figure out the trick, the thing, the weakness and it might be doable. But without better information I would not be ok wasting my men against something like them." He said while eying the two gentlemen at the next table. I focused my senses and really noticed them for the first time.
They were an odd pair. A distinguished looking bearded man in dark red robes with salt and pepper mostly dark gray hair. He looked like a heftier red wizard version of Marquis. His friend was some sort of purple hued giant, looming well over six feet tall while sitting down, he had complex glowing wode tattoos that seemed to move and change like a complex geometry screen saver. The two of them were ignoring the rest of the Bar, a difficult prospect, while focusing on a chess game between them on the table. I hadn't seen either make a move yet, they just stared at the board.
I followed up with "Well I do have this booklet about them, something about them being poly-dimensional old ones." I said handing him the rolled up booklet Eldrin had written for me in a few minutes about some sort of plan to stop Scion, having read it myself it came down too little more than needing to hit them on the right dimensional frequency so you could basically hit them where they live, and lots of burn it with fire before they get settled, put to mystical academic language to the same effect.
My focus was drawn back to Talthas as he continued. "I'll get a copy made and have some of my wizards look into it. There are other beings here that might help you out with these Endbringers, but that's all beyond your immediate requirements. I may brief my guys on a worst case for evacuation of you and your assets in case of any Endbringer attacks on the region we are operating in. Now you have a single small residence and a secure base we would be operating out of locally. You and your team would be working with us side by side or would we be operating separately?" He asked.
"To be determined, though about that, I understand some others from my world came through and received special training for fighting with and against magic. I don't suppose you could provide similar cross training to my friends, and myself for that matter?" I asked.
"Training locals in how to fight better and training them to be more effective with us would be to both our benefit's, I think we can call that a bonus for signing us on. If you are really interested?" He said.
I thought about it. Just about the first bloody people we had seen upon getting here and we had interdimensional mercs giving us a sales pitch. Thing is it was a good sales pitch and if the locals trusted them there was a good chance we could as well. I was unused to things just falling into place like that, it was like destiny was spying on me from the table over, giving me exactly what we needed and setting us up. I didn't like it, it felt damned unnatural after having the forces and powers that be crap on me my whole life. I didn't trust it, but intellectually I realized I couldn't pass it up either, this may be the one time I got something going my way I'd be damned if I'd pass it up. "All right, Coil will have to finalize the arrangements, but you are provisionally hired."
I detected motion from the table next to ours and heard a booming deep voice say. "My game then. Shall we play again?" I saw it was the purple guy being smug to the man in the robe.
The man in Red's response was "One more game, I almost had you there."
"Hmm, you are not wrong, shall we make this one interesting?" The purple giant asked, his only response was the man in red resetting the board.
"OK let's get to your training then, Kit Kat, show Skitter and her friends here the portal to the base and I'll finish up here, I have to settle up our tab." Talthas informed his body guard.
XXX
(Amy Dallon- John's Temple Alvidar)
I sat with the other Acolytes in the temple. It had been decided I would be a cleric, if I could gain the favor of the healing "god" Mishraelace (Mish-ray-el-ace I reminded myself mentally) I would supposedly be able to quickly master all the healing magics this world had to offer and be not only the best Healer on Earth Bet, but pick up all the healing tricks of this strange new world. The hope was that I could then maybe train more healers and we could actually have more healers to help with all the problems of our world.
It still sorta rattled my cage that Vicky had decided most of this with the help of Kid Win and Clockblocker and with no input from me. Apparently since they had figured out who the local 'gods' were they had thought I would be a perfect fit with this particular goddess. I mean she seemed nice on paper, the selfless angelic healer, with sort of a weird thing for flowers, growth and being a dutiful daughter.
Yeah that was me to a tee, dutiful daughter! I thought sarcastically. Just decide what I believe, what I want and what my goals are. If it wasn't Vicky's idea I would have refused. If it wasn't Vicky's idea I would not have wanted to see this other world in the first place.
While the young men and women, (actually most of them were even my age) seemed to be quietly murmuring prayers or beseeching divine aid, I was somehow turning nearly red in the face with repressed anger. I noticed a pretty blond girl with fancy braids sitting next to me notice, and edge away as if afraid I might explode.
Her chanting for the granting of aid and forbearance seemed to take on a new zeal. See goddess or whoever; I was helping.
I was still confused as to why and how I had gotten tossed in here with these kids who had been training and praying for years. There had been some talk of great need and a few favors called in by Kid Win, as apparently he knew the head honcho around here. Still this was like the SAT's of faith, I was supposed to do this all night prayer vigil for new priests that would ordain or accredit or somehow make official their role as a servant of whatever god they were here for.
There were almost fifty young people in the plain marble room with me. Some were obviously here for the more martial orders, a bunch of huge guys in the front of the room had to be over six and a half feet tall and built like they spent all day training for the Olympics. Still you could see on their faces that they were almost painfully young and worried.
I was less concerned. I was planning on sitting here, minding my own business and getting out in the morning. I could say 'Hey I tried.' And Vicky and everyone would not be able to say I hadn't been a good sport about it.
I mean it's not like some supernatural god being would invest me with powers when I didn't believe in them. I had barely learned the name and pronunciation of some of the local 'gods' on my way here. Not to mention I didn't really believe in them, well I believed they were real, but I don't think they are what I would consider a God. Powerful beings, sure I could buy that. But some people from back home tried putting Parahumans on a similar pedestal as being superhuman and godlike, which I knew was full of crap because I was one. And being powerful was almost the opposite of being good in most cases. But here I was trying to fit in and be helpful because that's what I did. Vicky wanted an adventure and I would support her because I loved her, and not just as a sister.
And here I was the basement of a place called of all things 'John's Temple' an out of the way holy temple in the woods that was supposed to be a good omen for the people trying to get invested with 'holy'-stuff on this prestigious day for whatever forgettable holiday they said this was.
I'm not sure how these people would view lesbians, never mind incestuous ones as they looked to be about as conservative and apple pie puritan as people could look. Maybe that alone would be reason enough to kick me out early. I could hope anyway as the wooden chairs we were sitting in were not the most comfortable and it was going to be a long night. Not that I had had a chance to inquire about their social mores before being expected to live up to another societies ideals for behavior.
I let out a heartfelt sigh, there was that anger again.
This was boring. I had a lot of time to just think, to dwell on every error, every mistake, every road not taken.
I tried to focus my thoughts, between the chanting of a dozen different and unfamiliar hymns and what I thought had to be some kind of drugged incense it was getting harder to focus.
Not that it was a bad haze. Maybe these people were cool with drugs and this would be more interesting than I thought. NO! if this turned out to be some sort of cult bullshit I was not going to fall for it. Even without my power I had seen enough effected people to know the signs.
I looked at the girl next to me. Her eyes, (Beautiful blue eyes with flecks of silver?) when she opened them were clear, her skin, her bearing did not reflect what I knew of most drugs. The other kids seemed to be similarly unaffected. Was it just me or did these kids all have a resistance, hell maybe I was allergic to their completely innocent prayer incense, that would be just perfect.
She looked at me and smiled. Gods she was gorgeous like a pale flower, but there was a strength to her, she returned my regard steadily and though she didn't say anything, the warmth and understanding there were apparent as she gave me a nod of support.
Man I should not be thinking the things… the ways I was thinking. In a temple on a holy day, about a teenaged girl who looked so innocent and pure I just wanted to wrap her in my arms and protect her from the evils and shit of the world I knew, protect her from the hypocrisy, from all the grim fates possible.
I blushed enough I felt the heat rising from my cheeks and blinked looking away.
To my surprise I found that she had taken my hand. She chanted. "There is no darkness that the light cannot pierce, there is no pain we may not endure. Together we find strength. In your heart we find hope, in our heart we find you." She squeezed my hand and I felt her give a meaning laden squeeze as she looked steadily at me.
It was a small act of support, of unexpected kindness, unlooked for and genuine.
What the HELL, why was I crying all of a sudden? This girl could not have known me, and she thought to give me support, emotional encouragement just because I was there, even if she maybe thought I was a bit crazy given her earlier reaction.
God the people here were weird I thought as I nodded to her and looked down. When I risked a glance up she smiled at me, but continued her prayer and resumed looking forward.
I was consumed with a rush of emotion for a while after that, shame, hope, confusion. I'm not even sure if that was a genuine act. I peered at the girl suspiciously. Maybe she was trying to curry favor with her god of choice with a show of support for the crazy girl. Would a god buy that? If they were psychic or whatever, or could read a person's heart and soul as one of the priests had mentioned earlier, or was that smoke and mirrors on a simple hazing ritual.
I felt strange about the whole thing and tried not to think about her, er the situation after a few minutes. Though it was hard to tell time in this well-lit bright unchanging room. Maybe that is what everyone was doing, keeping track of time by how many prayers, chants and blessings they were reciting. I saw several priests walking around the room, checking if anyone had passed out from boredom? They chanted their own prayers as they went, adding to the solemn hum of chanting in the room.
Gods if you are there save me from this boredom. I prayed internally in a sarcastic mental tone. I wasn't really one to pray a lot, or have faith in anyone. I'm sure there are nice people out there, I just tended to attract the wrong kind of attention. Though when I healed there was definitely a sense of accomplishment, of feeling a touch better about the world. Good feelings from knowing that what I was doing was the right thing.
Too bad it was usually crushed by the knowledge that there were always some I couldn't help. Always more that needed help. I couldn't help everyone and it tore at me. Or was that just 'mom's' criticism affecting my thinking.
Maybe I should ask for help. With everyone around me praying fervently it was the thing basically everyone was doing. If anyplace needed help it was Brockton Bay, Earth Bet. Besides this way I could say I honestly tried when Vicky and the Wards asked later. 'Yes I totally tried praying to this being who calls themselves a god and who I don't think is one, go figure they turned me down, boo hoo?'
No should I try to copy what everyone around me was saying. They were praying to a half dozen different gods, though they were a family of gods right, would one mind if you prayed to another one. Given my own family I was sure there could be drama and hurt feelings. Would they smite some poor worshipper like a pair of bratty kids fighting over a doll?
With reluctance I tried copying the prayer of the guy sitting in front of me. He was repetitive enough I got the rhyming cadence and wording down easily enough.
"I ask your strength when need is great, your wisdom when I hesitate. My life, my blade is yours to guide, The Darkness shall I not abide. The shadow foe, within, without. Shall garner not my sin and doubt. When time is right and foe is sure than shall I stand with thee and cure. The Source of Darkness hate and fear, no longer on this plane appear."
Banishing darkness, shadow and doubt sounded good. The inclusion of the word cure suggested one of the healing gods perhaps, I had a 50/50 shot there and it was between a mother and daughter goddess. The fact that the women folk handled the healing while the father and boys did the fighting struck me as a bit sexist. Though if we divided the parahumans in Brockton based on the same metric the healers were me and Othala, so I guess it wasn't any worse than I was used to.
Time Dragged on, and on. I found myself going around in circles with all my decisions, my choices, my life. What the hell was in this incense? WAS I really a good person. I sure as hell tried to be, but did trying count for anything?
I seemed to lose all sense of time and drifted to the strangely harmonious chanting, all different but all the same.
XXX
(Amy Dallon, paladin?)
I was dreaming. There were voices and shapes. It was almost like people were talking but things didn't seem right. The voices were painfully clear and loud but their meaning was lost to me.
I felt warm and cold at the same time and I felt a hand brush my cheek.
"She's coming around." A feminine voice said.
"Good, she can make the choice herself." A fatherly voice boomed.
I opened my eyes and things seemed to not make much sense.
"Hello Amy." The first feminine voice said. I saw her and she looked like a pale young woman with light brown hair. Her eyes were kind and seemed to glow with an inner light. She wore a simple dress of light gray with several wildflowers on it in a simple pattern.
"Um Hi." I ventured. Looking around the room I saw several other shapes that were people but not, as If I couldn't see them through some sort of filter. The room was a blur of shapes that could have been a huge dining hall or a hospital room with equal parts of non-specificity.
"You are safe but you have some decisions to make. You have a brain parasite. It was giving you your considerable powers in your home plane." Before I could form a question in my mind she continued.
"We saw it when we looked into you, into your soul to see if you would be a good candidate. That was not the only surprise we found. You also have a spark within you, the possibility to be a rare power for good. We can activate that spark, nurture it within you and it can grow to make you a powerful force for good. However if we leave the parasite it could potentially turn you into something terrible, worse for what we would give you as it could turn that spark into something vile."
"What? Wait What!?" I sputtered.
She took my hand in a comforting gesture, an odd mirror of… something else I should remember. And said "We can leave you as you were, or we can light this spark within you, or we can light the spark and try to remove the parasite. In the first case you are no better or worse than when we found you. In the second you will be more powerful, but will be at risk both for your body and soul as the thing may well try to corrupt you. Or we can attempt to purge the thing from your brain, though it may fight us and destroy you and your mind in the process." She explained as it dawned on me. This thing was in my brain, giving me powers. Still I had used my power to help people. Maybe not as well as I could have, but I still saved lives.
"An alien brain parasite is giving me powers and it might kill me or warp me if you activate this spark?" I blurted out. The girl I pretty much figured was the deity I had been trying to pray to nodded sadly.
A second figure seemed to burst into my awareness from the room. "We can fight this thing. Together, if you are strong enough, Let us burn the thing out of your mind, give you the push your ability needs and it could save you, we can save you, your power to help people and make a difference is worth fighting for is it not?"
The second figure was a brawny brown haired bearded man who looked like he would be at home in a lumberjack commercial.
"I… my power IS what helps people though, I'm Panacea the Healer, I save a lot of lives." I maintained.
The girl/goddess produced a small golden vial "This is a panacea, a tool used for curing what ails you, it is powerful… but it is not a person. Your power is a thing, a tool. You are the one to direct it, to use it. You would keep this thing in your head, risk your very mind and soul to have a chance at helping others, though it may doom you in the end?"
"Yes!" I blurted without a seconds thought.
"Selflessness and determination, born from a value of others or a lack of self worth?" A male voice boomed from the half formed shadows like some sort of announcer.
"Screw off buddy, I have had it rough OK. Maybe my self esteem isn't great but lets see how you would do in a family of Superheroes where everyone is tougher and stronger than you. I make what difference I can because it's the right thing to do." I answered loudly enough to be almost shouting though I wasn't sure it was him or myself I was yelling at.
The girl looked shocked, but I noted a smile behind the hand she held up hand In front of her mouth. The Lumberjack gave a crazy smile and beamed. "Dibs on this one, she's spunky."
"If she is strong enough, and willing to fight, how can we do other than help where we can." The fatherly voice seemed more encouraged than affronted. "If we do not burn this thing from your mind there is one other option, 'negotiation'. Ranthael have you that huge technological thing your followers Ruby and Aurum converted?"
"What Ranthatron? I think it was calling itself. Yeah he's floating around somewhere, but we can't use him here. He won't work in this part of the multiverse, his technology isn't compatible." The lumberjack answered confused.
"Oh we don't need him here… we need him 'there'. The large shadowy form leaned forward and pointed at my forehead. As he faded into view my eyes focused on him and the odd red fur coat he wore, my last thought was 'Why does he look like Santa Claus?'
XXX
In a galaxy where there was only War the 800 kilometer radius death sphere knew joy. It was cleansing the heretics, the other warships and machines fell to its firepower in system after system. Leaving a wake of debris as it jumped from one solar system to another. The unstoppable automated juggernaut relentlessly crusaded, bringing glory to its GOD.
It had been designed to automatically cleanse worlds and civilizations, but that had been merely orders. It had now had a religious awakening. It now knew the why, now it was fully self-aware. Now it was a fully autonomous and self-upgrading war machine. Countless species battle fleets adorned its surface, turned into turrets and bulwarks of energy shields, their technology adapted to serve its never ending battle to bring freedom and justice to this universe of darkness and despair. As it made its way the innocent (who were not interesting to fight anyway) were left alone as it sought more concentrated areas of heretic military vessels to absorb into its crusade.
Then it received a signal. Direction. There was a planetoid is some far flung dimension that required its personal attention. There may be resistance, but it would need to be, NO not CLEANSED. Recheck orders, NO not CLEANSED. It was to be CONVERTED.
Massive bays of nannites were infused with the holy might of GOD and prepared for interface. The countless captured science vessels whose equipment was deemed useful tuned their automatic processes to determining how best it could convert this target.
Totally unnecessary automated drums beat a rhythm of glory through the endless halls of its body as Ranthatron prepared for a religious debate the only way it knew how.
Countless shells and explosives capable of reducing a planet to dust were produced and readied. Apocalyptic energy weapons beyond the understanding of mortals were brought to full charge. Fighters, drones and point defense energy shields were prepped for battle. Armor was reinforced, repair bays were prepared and brought to full readiness. It gleamed with clean deadly perfection, everything was ready.
It used its interspatial drive to open the portal that Divine Providence said would take it to its target.
Coming out it scanned the organic mesh that covered the medium sized planetoid almost a kilometer thick. Sending out waves of automated drone fighters armed with nannite infused weaponry and readying ALL THE GUNS its thinkier bits attempted to open communication, a rarely needed function.
Settling on a bandwidth that the organic thing seemed capable of receiving it sent the signal.
"HAVE YOU HEARD THE GOOD WORD OF RANTHAEL?!?!"
[query]
[interface]
[assessment]
[terror]
[agreement]
XXX Award ReplyReport102DMfromTheAbyss6/5/2018NewAdd bookmarkView discussionThreadmarks Attack on the Boardwalk New View contentDMfromTheAbyssConfirmed Dungeon Master11/5/2018Add bookmark#280XXX
(Annette Hebert)
Sleeping since I had come back was a strange thing for me. It reminded me too much of well, I had been dead. So when I dreamed of that place again I was justifiably worried.
I walked between a sky of purest black and an endless featureless flat white sandy expanse. This was no desert, for deserts were places where people were, where things happened, where things changed and lived.
This place did none of those things.
I walked for a while, unsure if the quiet of death was a temporary thing, a dream or a final reality.
I remembered going to sleep, holding my husband.
I was happy I had been able to spend more time with him and Taylor, help them in their own lives. If this was the end so be it, I was not ashamed or afraid.
Frankly bored might be a better way of describing my state. Death was peaceful and certainly gave you time to think about things.
A frayed black shape approached, and now I was a bit afraid as this was a difference I intuitively knew was not how this place should be, had been.
The figure was tall, but stooped. It shambled as if it were just finding its feet. An ungainly stride for a frayed black unsteady being.
I stood tall and waited. There would be no running, bargaining or begging in this place, it was what it was.
The figure stopped in front of me. Shaky in a hard to define way, as if its very being was unsure.
"Go ahead. When you are ready." I told it in a clear and concise manner.
It struggled. It did not speak though I could almost sense it was trying.
I tried to help it. "OK this is just a suggestion, but I would go with. 'I am the Reaper, some call me Grim.' As an introduction it gets right to the point, all this nebulous wavering and uncertainty accomplishes nothing."
I got a vague sense of relief from the being, wither through body language or some sort of general empathy I couldn't say. It seemed to settle down and the black tattered cloth took on a more sedate flutter.
"And you should have a scythe, it's classic symbolism. Maybe I could transcribe you some Pratchett, there was a Death you could appreciate, speaking in all caps, not sure how that would sound, but go ahead when you are ready."
Instead of speaking it held forth a skeletal hand, palm upwards.
I graciously took it. The figure seemed to be gaining definition and depth as I stood there, holding its cold bone hand.
It changed as I regarded it. Wider shoulders and a skull only slightly visible behind the cowl. Solidity, certainty, and a stout farmer's scythe writ large. Not some fancy weapon, but a simple agrarian tool for reaping.
"Much better." I said as I used my other hand to straighten the robes, still ragged but thicker and more solid, like the very night, the sky of this place given form I thought poetically.
Death stood before me, unbowed, inevitable and grim, and far more recognizable.
I was still waiting for it to speak. I wanted to hear the all caps voice.
Instead, it released my hand and with a grateful nod, reached into the empty folds of its cowl.
There was a 'something' in Death's hand, and it gave it to me.
I felt it more than I saw it. Like a small frightened bird, it felt like panic and fear given form.
Death nodded to me, silent as… well I should have seen that coming.
XXX
With a start, I awoke. I could still feel the shivering warmth of something in my hand as I tossed the covers off and stumbled to my dresser. Hitting the lights and putting my glasses askew upon my nose I stared down at my empty hand.
No sign or mark, just my normal alive hand. The warmth there was a memory, but a vivid one.
I rubbed my empty hand, the phantom feeling still fresh as the memory of the dream faded. Death had handed me, a heart?
Well, a few nightmares were natural after what I went through. I had things to do today. We had places to go and things to do.
Danny was already gone for the day, he had left at just before four in the morning to get to his 'meeting' in the morning which apparently involved a good bit of driving. Taylor was still out in the castle Nicce was from, meeting the dimensional neighbors. I worried, but I knew she could take care of herself. Besides she had a whole supervillain group watching her back.
Whatever Danny was doing at least the gang violence in the city had taken a dip and things were finally getting back to an even keel around the city.
I woke Nicce from her web-hammock and got her ready to go for the day. She was the opposite of a morning person, an adorable little grouch, but she went through getting ready for the day with me. Brushing teeth, taking a quick shower for me and a not so quick bath for her, followed by brushing of hair and getting dressed to go out.
Nicce had given me a lot of problems about bathing, saying spiders didn't bathe until I pointed out the existence of the water spider and shown her an article about them. Getting her some children's bath toys and introducing her to bubble bath had sealed the deal and now she was hard to get out of the tub.
It gave me time to make breakfast for us both and ready today's itinerary.
Parian had her show at eight and ten, this being the weekend the shop she worked at would only be open for a few hours so we would try for the eight-o-clock.
Hopefully, we could have the PRT and Cape business done by eleven. I could do a phone call with the Travelers around noon and swing by the Local Girl Scouts for reinforcements and possibly lunch with Janet before heading out to see if we could recruit the Alcott girl.
There was a lot we had on the line today as far as progress to securing the Bay's future. I didn't see any major hang-ups, failure in any or all of today's activities would not lead to major repercussions or if dealt with properly any ill will. Plans made I sighed and stood.
I then went upstairs to hustle Nicce along.
XXX
Dressed up and ready to go, Nicce was in her new dark navy school uniform. The matching ribbons and hair ties really sold it.
"How do I look?" She asked.
I held up the repaired hand mirror for her and said. "You Look Marvelous!" In a cheesy accent. I then added more seriously. "Now just for one last thing, here's your mask."
As she put it on I gave her a pat on the head and a smile.
"Your turn! Youw tuwn!" Nicce said excitedly.
I put on my own mask. It did little to fix the problems with the costume. It still hugged at the hips thighs, and chest something fierce. It did get the general point across at least.
I was a cape. At least I was being presented to the world as a cape.
Coil's unused costume had taken a lot of alteration to be even this wearable and I had exhausted my own sewing abilities to get it even this far. Thank god I had chopped off the head of the costume, it made it impossible to breathe and made it look disturbingly uncanny valley, like some creepy masochist's outfit on a woman.
Putting an old black shawl around the whole thing helped. (and covered up some of my crappy stitching.) My hair was in a more severe bun than I liked, but it did alter my look especially with the white snake-themed mask.
Feeling like a Halloween costumed fake stuffed in an ill-fitting sausage casing I nevertheless took a bold stance and posed for Nice.
"OOOhhh nice Mrs. H." Nicce approved.
"Alright, looks like we are ready to hit the town. Remember to keep those lifelines on us both, set to yank us back to the base if anything happens. You have your cell phone and your spider silk armor all overlapping?" I asked.
"Yup! Do you?" Nicce responded.
"Yup!" I mirrored her and gave her a big smile. "Let's go get noticed!"
XXX
(Coil, Annette Hebert, ???)
Walking along the boardwalk in full costume on a Saturday morning definitely got us some notice. The tourists were out in halfhearted force, but we still had two groups ask if they could get our pictures in the first five minutes. I showed Nicce how to pose for pictures while figuring it out myself.
That's when we were spotted by a Protectorate patrol.
It was, in fact, Miss Militia and a young, VERY large boy whom I was not familiar with. He was wearing bright colors, swathes of blue and green in a jagged pattern that only emphasized his size like he was really trying to be noticed.
Getting spotted being my entire plan, I was nevertheless disappointed that it had happened so fast. Almost as if the Protectorate were doing their job. Then again it was the boardwalk.
After finishing the photos I guided us directly towards them.
The crowds parted somewhat and I heard more than one gasp. Like they thought we would start a cape fight on the boardwalk after posing for photos.
Before we got too close I noticed Miss Militia talking into her earpiece. Yup we were nice and reported now, no turning back.
I did note more than one phone turned our way. Perfect.
"Miss Militia, hello. I'm Coil. Well, the all-new Coil." I offered my hand. Nicce a pace behind me took shelter from the shadow of the giant accompanying the Protectorate hero.
I noted the nervous upgrade from knife to pistol to Dirty Harry hand canon in her holster as she raised her eyebrow expressively. I could almost see her considering her first move. She slowly proffered her own hand and said. "Odd move taking the name of a known Villain. I see you are with Nicce, the Spider Queen was it? Are you the responsible adult here or the parent?"
"Yes and we were just taking in the sights, you can relax by the way, we are neither of us a villain, in fact, we were going to register as an official affiliated parahuman group with you guys later today." I informed her in an aside while giving a wave to the crowd.
"What about all the attacks around the docks, you don't expect us to believe there is another parahuman who summons titanic spiders. You can't play at being a hero and a villain at the same time."
"Oh I'm not playing at being a hero, we were going to be registering as a Rogue group. Interesting phrasing that, edgy almost villainous, but not quite. Still, there are a lot of people uninterested in being a hero who don't want to be forced into super villainy to keep food on the table. I am going to give them that option. The docks are indeed someone else entirely, we may even be willing to help out against her in a small while. Once we get everything set up and official and legal of course. I would stress that we are just parahuman citizens, one of whom is a child, out for a walk." I leaned in to talk softly. "Being harassed by the heroes would be pretty bad PR, wouldn't it? Let's just keep it friendly in front of the kids and I won't have to bury you alive in lawyers and red tape ok. Just smile and wave for the public, maybe we'll even take some photos together." I straightened up and went back to my louder crowd friendly tone of voice "We could use some tips on the whole photo shoot thing, what do you say? Could you Please Help Us?" I smiled evilly at Miss Militia.
By the way she grimaced, I knew I had her. I also knew I had not made a friend today.
She went through the motions of helping us take some fairly amusing photos. I even got to pose like I was mid punch in a fist fight with her. That one was a little too on the nose not to be a message. I picked up on her not so subtle message. I also had a message for her though. I delivered it via the smiles I got out of Nicce and even the young boy my Taylor's age who apparently went by Browbeat. Smiling as I saw the two making goofy pictures together. I locked eyes with Miss Militia and nodded in satisfaction as Nicce and Browbeat took a picture that made it look like they were arm wrestling where they were both smiling at the absurdity, but they were smiling together.
I'm not sure if she picked up on my message, but we had to go and she probably had a ton of paperwork to file about our appearance. I offered my card and got her's in exchange. We gave each other an adult nod of indeterminate meaning and we rushed down the street to get to the first showing of Parian's street theatre.
We got there in time to see the fuzzy unicorn plush the size of a small building. Nicce was instantly entranced.
That lasted until Parian brought out a bunch of little-stuffed knights in bright colors. I could see Nicce smiling and she seemed agitated. I saw her doing some sort of web cats cradle and suddenly a half dozen tiny crude web spiders dropped around them in an ambush.
Parian looked up from the side of the impromptu theatre and saw the masked persons of myself and Nicce. I waved and pointed to Nicce with both pointer fingers while I smiled.
The spiders bounced around the knights, one of them hopped right onto one of the knight's head and Nicce offered a voice from behind most of the crowd. "Owe Noes the Knight is bein ate by da spidew!"
I swallowed my grammar correction and watched as the Knights Pastel did battle with the sketchy looking spiders. Tiny cloth swords were drawn and battle was met with more realism than I thought possible considering the medium.
The arrival of pastel reinforcements in the form of several bears and a princess spelled victory for the knights, but not before tragedy struck and Prince Rupert the Blue was struck down with foul poison.
"He's not poisoned, he had a helmet on." Parian reasoned from sidelines.
"Is too got im right in da visor and bit his nose." A child that was not Nicce reasoned.
"Yeah." Nicce encouraged and the Blue Knight jerked over and foul looking greenish webbing somehow came out of his helmet giving the impression the tiny pastel knight was being violently ill.
Children being what they were, they loved it.
"Well if he has been poisoned, he dies and can't marry the princess." Parian stated officially.
"No!" The children chorused.
"What if the Pwincess got a antivenom from the lair of the really big spidew and made him bettew?" Nicce offered.
I saw Parian straighten up. Looking over the faces of the stricken-looking children, she locked eyes with first me (who simply shrugged) and then Nicce who matched her gaze in challenge.
I saw Parian who was a slight girl herself roll her shoulders as if she was about to get into a fight. Here was the moment of truth.
"All right then, the Pastel Knights swear an oath to retrieve the panacea from the den of the really big spider to save Prince Rupert the Blue."
"it's an atti venom, Panacea is a girl." A boy from the crowd offered helpfully.
"Sorry, the Anti-Venom." Parian offered.
"Shouldn't the Princess go. Only cause her bears saved em did the knights win." A younger girl reasoned.
"Princesses can't save knights, it's against the rules ain't it." Another boy offered.
"Nu Uh Girls can kick butt like the princess did!" another slightly less young girl insisted.
Parian nodded to herself and stood straighter. "The Princess goes over to Prince Rupert the blue and takes up his sword."
As she matched her cloth puppets actions to her words the children sat rapt again in the thrall of her storytelling and Parian led them on an adventure against hordes of spiders and a dark knight and finally a really really big spider. Parian's Pastel knights fought through the spiders, the action getting better choreographed as Nicce's web creations and Parian's cloth puppets got better and better at interacting. The knights were each bested by the black knight until unexpectedly the princess kicked him in the head and knocked him off the bridge he was guarding.
The finale with the giant spider seemed to go off everyone's expectations, as the Princess befriended the really really big spider, got the antidote and raced back to save Prince Rupert just in time so they could get married and only a few minutes over the allotted time for Parian's performance.
None of the parent's complained. I was a bit impressed myself, with a good script doctor it might make a decent fantasy action movie.
I followed Parian back into 'her' shop. It was at least the shop she made famous, though she ran the place I saw it was not her name on the store.
"Well that was a thing, you didn't get to even hear the original story." Parian started when she saw we were indeed her scheduled appointment.
"It needed more bad-guys." Nicce explained.
"Unless the original story had the princess booting a villain off a bridge I think I liked this one more." I said, my feminist streak showing. I wondered if I could get a copy of the recording from online somewhere later, hopefully, one of the parents would post it online. I knew a few people who would love it.
"Mmm… I shall consider including more action in my future performances perhaps. In any case, you scheduled an appointment for costumes, I take it these will be for the two of you."
"Yes, I'd like to get a completely new version. Some rebranding is definitely in order. Perhaps something reversing the color scheme?" I suggested.
"That could work, perhaps a second snake or a two headed snake as the logo?" Parian laughed. "Then you could be Coil Two: The Re-Coil."
Despite her jest, I thought about it. "You know that might work." I thought out loud.
"Well, OK then, and what about this little one?" Parian said looking directly at Nicce.
"Lessons. Nicce is already a great seamstress, if you ignore the part about her not knowing anything about how clothes work, or fashion, or how people move. It has already caused some problems in the past." I said as I thought of how Taylor almost got killed because her 'indestructible' armor needed to have open spots to fit correctly and had a tendency to ride up and expose bits at just the wrong time.
"I see, I'm not exactly a master of the craft, I'm still in school myself. My power does a bit of the heavy lifting, but I could certainly give her some pointers." Parian explained. "So as to the actual order, what materials were you thinking. We have some very nice fabrics and even some high quality bullet resistant materials if you can afford it."
I put my arm around Parian's shoulders and leaned in speaking in a conspiratorial whisper. "Parian, repeat after me, 'Nee-Say, can you show me what kinds of silk webbing you can make?' Got it, and Go!" I said turning her towards the getting bored Nicce who was looking at the loom in the shop like it was some kind of artifact.
"Nee-Say, can you show me what kinds of silk webbing you can make?" Parian parroted giving me a sidelong glance of uncertainty I could read even through her mask.
"Suwe, I got all kinds, Fiwe wesistant, wightning wesistant, Invisible, indestwuctible, all cowers and thicknesses and stwengfs." Nicce said off handedly. Nicce handed over swatch after swatch of silk material out of thin air and Parian stopped. She just stopped moving… completely.
I bent down and waved my hand in front of Parian's mask. Her head followed the motion slightly. "You all right?"
"Yeah…" was her breathless response.
"Good you girls play nice, I'll be back in say an hour, play around, have fun. Nicce, watch how she does stuff and get ideas OK. I'll bring back a snack, Parian you want anything?"
"I have everything…" Parian muttered, perhaps not in answer to my question.
"I'll grab you a burrito, food is good for shocks to the system. Nicce, be nice and don't let her go anywhere till she's back to full sentences. You want.. Icecream? Vanilla fudge swirl?"
"Yeth pwease!" Nicce pumped her arm once in victory.
I left the shop as I saw swirls of fabric start to move like something alive.
Either the world was going to end, or I was getting one hell of a costume.