Whoooo! New chapter! Unfortunately there were only so many posts in PHO so not everyone is in there, I eventually settled on going mostly by 'number of replies to this thread'. Started out giving everyone a suitably witty/clever name, then progressed to 'eh, good enough' and eventually ended up with 'fuck it, whatever'. So not everyone might have a genius name here, but if anyone's upset about their names I take full responsibility and may or may not tell you I regret nothing before changing it because I don't want to piss people off. I'll be posting the SB <-> PHO name conversions later, to give everyone a chance at puzzling it out themselves if they want (not that it's that difficult in most cases).
Regardless, behold chapter 3.4, wherein Taylor finally takes that first step on the road towards unfucking her own life instead of just messing with the Merchants. Also, there's shipping involved, much to Shielders glee horror.
Thank you all for reading, and to Wobulator for the beta!
EDIT: Also, major kudos for whoever made the 'Myrrdin PHO generator' I used to make all this. I have no idea who you are, but you're a life saver!
3.4
It took me a couple of minutes to get the basic design of the 'Zapper' and turn it into something that I might be able to use for my drone. I didn't know for sure if it would still work after it was scaled-down, so I decided to simply build three or four different designs and test them this evening. I'd been building sensor arrays for days now, and my biggest obstacle now was how many of them I could move around and hide across the city without anyone noticing them. I didn't want to have the drones carry them automatically because they might be spotted more easily.
Still, that did mean I had construction time I could spend on things other than building more sensors. I also wasn't running out of ships to reclaim anytime soon, so resources weren't an issue. My drone's repairs and upgrades were finished earlier today, and it now carried a significantly thicker layer of armor. Even if Squealer had lost her most powerful weapon, I didn't want a repeat of that embarrassment just because a different Merchant gets a lucky shot in and blows out my engines.
Well, if I was actually going to do any fighting again. New Wave had backed out, after all, and I still didn't really know what to do about that. They were still allies, but it was different now. In a way I was preparing for a fight that might never come anymore, but the real threat I was facing I was helpless against.
Focusing back on my computer and pushing the chatter from the other students to the back of my mind, I fired up PHO and went to have a look at what the rest of the city thought of my actions.
=======================================================================
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♦ Topic: New Wave Attacks?
In: Boards ► Places ► America ► Brockton Bay
Hamlets_Quiz_Time (Original Poster)
Posted On Mar 23rd 2011:
Soooooo. For those not in the know, New Wave hit a Merchant den of sorts on Mason street yesterday. No videos as far as I know, but the place looks like a hurricane went through there. See some pics here. Pretty sure that's Mush's work, and whatever those tire tracks were they're not from your regular car so Squealer's been having fun as well. Anyone have any idea what's going on?
I thought New Wave didn't do offense or territory and mostly kept to patrols and such. Not that I mind of course, I don't think anyone would miss the Merchants.
EDIT: PRT did get involved but after battle.
EDIT: Current tally is two Merchant dens taken out. Mush is in custody from the first fight!
EDIT: Three hits now. Our resident celebrity team is not dicking around, people! Looks like New Wave's gotten in a funk and has started spring cleaning early!
(Showing page 1 of 17)
►SmokeySpiritFox
Replied On Mar 23rd 2011:
As someone who's uncle was run off the road by one of quealer's vehicles last month, all I can say is: ITS ABOUT DAMN TIME!
►Roc96
Replied On Mar 23rd 2011:
So that's what all the noise was about, I live not too far from Mason, woke up at fucking-hell-o'-clock to gunfire and explosions. I was expecting to hear Lung was taking a stroll around here TBH.
►SeeTheBoom
Replied On Mar 23rd 2011:
You get a laser! You get a laser! Everybody gets a laser!
►CowOfOw
Replied On Mar 23rd 2011:
What, did Panacea get groped by one of their druggies when she was working in the hospital or soemthing?
►WeakestHuff
Replied On Mar 23rd 2011:
@SeeTheBoom: needs more lasers. Also, punching people.
@CowOfOw: that would explain it, even if you don't believe all the rumors Glory Girl at least is known to be pretty 'enthusiastic' at times.
►He Who Rules An End To All Things
Replied On Mar 24th 2011:
PRT just went official. Big stockpile (yesss!), and Mush is in custody after New Wave kicked his ass. Squealer got away as usual though, apparently New Wave didn't appreciate getting shot at so they just left.
EDIT: I mean, they didn't fight Squealer, not that they just flew off or something. Went back a little while later to collect all the drugs. Hey, anyone know why didn't the Merchants get it all out themselves first?
►SeeTheBoom
Replied On Mar 24th 2011:
Huh, maybe it's part of some new joint effor twith the Protectorate? Were BB's finest were involved in other raids at the same time maybe?
►Piney305
Replied On Mar 24th 2011:
Don't think so, PRT didn't have any other press releases about it. Good job, ladies and gentlemen of the Protectorate, we can truly feel safe while you're on partol! /sarcasm
►Star_Alchemist
Replied On Mar 24th 2011:
Whoooooooo!
End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 15, 16, 17
(Showing page 5 of 17)
►imouRt
Replied On Mar 28th 2011:
Hey, how much would it cost to hire some E88 shithead to give the girl a squeeze, too? If that's what it takes to get NW off their asses and fight the gangs I'd say let's make it happen!
USER HAS RECEIVED A WARNING FOR THIS POST. Inciting violence is not OK, not even against criminals. -BW
►minibug
Replied On Mar 28th 2011:
Welp, looks like someone wants a thrashing. dafuq, not cool man.
►Bear_Well (Moderator)
Replied On Mar 28th 2011:
You did not just go there, advocating violence is NOT permitted. Anyone else feel like kicking off a gang war, PM me. I'll get you banned all quiet-like and nobody else needs to feel embarrassed for knowing you exist.
►Hamlets_Quiz_Time (Original Poster)
Replied On Mar 28th 2011:
Why aren't they getting the PRT involved in this, isn;t that what the blue hats are for? I mean, sure they help with the cleanup but not the fights. Don't want to see any of them get shot because they're working on their own.
►The_Blue_Alien (The Guy in the Know)
Replied On Mar 28th 2011:
They've hit a fourth location now, another drug house. See linky-link for extra fun.
Great that New Wave's getting more active again, but wherever they're getting the intel on the Merchants, it's not the PRT. For whatever reason, they're not working with the PRT at all on this one. Could be they've got a Merchant informant they want to protect, but smart money's on a new cape joining the team and providing them with the information. Thinker, Stranger, maybe Tinker or Mover. Might even be both; a Merchant triggers and decides to change his ways?
Still doesn't explain the PRT fuss or why New Wave's started a vendetta against the Merchants, but it at least gives some possible explanations.
►ICantSeeAndIMustSmile
Replied On Mar 28th 2011:
Naw, they don't have a new one. Nobody from outside the families has joined New Wave since they started. Besides, they haven't talked about it anywhere, and if anyone loves talking it's New Wave.
►Psychic Squidface
Replied On Mar 29th 2011:
Maybe they're not talking about it because the new cape doesn't have a public identity? Would suck if the new guy was like, I dunno, dating Panacea and that's how he joined but he doesn't want to reveal his face yet. Doesn't need to be a druggie to value their privacy.
►Thinker Omega (Not a Thinker)
Replied On Mar 29th 2011:
@ICantSeeAndIMustSmile: go up against the Blue Man at your own risk, dude. Crazy ideas or not, the guy seems to know stuff before everyone else does. PHO's very own Thinker 0 precog! (Disclaimer: he's not actually a precog. Or so he says.)
►WolfheartBB
Replied On Mar 29th 2011:
I used to think New Wave didn't have it in them to make a true stand against the rot of this city, but I stand corrected. My respect for them has been steadily growing this past week. I hope when they've finally scoured the city of the Merchants, they'll set their sights on the ABB as well. Drugs are not the only evil that infests Brockton Bay.
►Psychic Squidface
Replied On Mar 29th 2011:
Hey, does anyone know if Panacea is actually dating? Was just a random option but it would explain a lot.
End of Page. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 ... 15, 16, 17
(Showing page 9 of 17)
►Kami
Replied On Apr 1st 2011:
Mod Intervention in 3... 2... 1... anytime now?
►XyberKnight1
Replied On Apr 1st 2011:
Whatever the case, I volunteer. Girl's cute, man. Besides, even if she's not single anymore anything can be broken if you know what I mean.
►Far-red
Replied On Apr 2nd 2011:
Eh, I'd take Laserdream first. Tall blondes trump mousy brunettes all day every day.
►Bear_Well (Moderator)
Replied On Apr 2nd 2011:
Ladies and Gentlemen, many of the New Wave members are underage. You are treading on VERY thin ice right now. This keeps going, I'm dusting off the Banhammer.
tl;dr KNOCK IT OFF.
►Glory Girl (Verified Cape) (New Wave)
Replied On Apr 2nd 2011:
As someone who knows exactly how hard it is to find the Mr. Right for my sister, I can wholeheartedly say that she's got much higher standards than... whatever you're bringing. Also, she's not dating any new New Wave members, hypothetical or otherwise.
Also, why the hell do all the creeps always focus on us girls?
►Shielder (Verified Cape) (New Wave)
Replied On Apr 2nd 2011:
Yeah, I never seem to get any fangirls despite my best efforts! I'm starting to feal really unloved here...
►Therd
Replied On Apr 2nd 2011:
I think that's your problem right there, bro.
►Specific Protagonist
Replied On Apr 2nd 2011:
Hey Shielder, Gully over in Boston is 'in the market' so to speak, I'm sure the two of you would be lovely together! You're both Shakers too, so you'll have lots to talk about and you may just end up shaking some other things, too... *nudge nudge wink wink*
►Bear_Well (Moderator)
Replied On Apr 2nd 2011:
God, sometimes I wonder why I even try at all.
►SmokeySpiritFox
Replied On Apr 2nd 2011:
I'm running out of brain bleach over here... Can we maybe get back to the part where everyone's shooting Merchants? :wtf:
End of Page. 1, 2, 3, ... 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, ... 15, 16, 17
(Showing page 17 of 17)
►BlueWitch
Replied On Apr 5th 2011:
Holy shit people, you would not believe what they got out of it! See here and here, that place was actually Squealer's workshop!
►ConnectionTrader
Replied On Apr 5th 2011:
I for one welcome our new laser-shooting overlords!
►ForkDetective
Replied On Apr 5th 2011:
Did... did they just blow up a fucking TANK? My kingdom for a video recording of that fight!
EDIT: No, I'm not an Uber-alt.
►Thinker Omega (Not a Thinker)
Replied On Apr 5th 2011:
That thing was a goddamn abomination. Brockton Bay's roads sigh in relief, and they just made the day of every car insurance salesman on the East Coat!
Also, New Wave's grown some major cohones if they're going after a Tinker in their workshop. Or maybe they've suddenly turned suicidal.
►Cpt. Sniper
Replied On Apr 5th 2011:
inb4 'E88 mastered them with their scary brainwashing cape nobudy nows about'
End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 15, 16, 17
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=======================================================================
Well, if nothing else it looks like people do appreciate what we're doing. PHO wasn't the most dependable or... sane... source of information, but for someone who was actively trying to avoid attention from the major players in Brockton Bay, the tangled mess of conspiracy theories could prove remarkably enlightening. Rather than having monkeys type Shakespeare for me, hundreds of ignorant armchair generals spouting their ideas online could lead me to tactics for controlling my image. If their ideas could inspire me, help me figure out how to better handle New Wave and the PRT, I didn't care if 99% of everything they thought was wrong.
People were starting to figure out New Wave had a new cape on their roster, and the moment the Merchants or the PRT went public the game was up. Still, with the many competing rumors circulating now, I felt that if I hadn't been forced to intervene to protect Glory Girl I could have kept the deception going for much longer. Even better, New Wave seemed to be keeping their end of the bargain and that bit of information was, if anything, even more important for me.
Next stop: the rumor mill at the bottom end of the internet. Trolls, 'shipping', and the first place any news from the cape scene ended up becoming public. Thank god for my implant keeping me sane.
■
♦ Topic: Brockton Bay Cape Scene, thread XVII
In: Boards ► Places ► America ► Brockton Bay
Bagrat (The Guy in the Know) (Original Poster)
Posted On Dec 14th 2010:
The last thread OD'd on replies, so here's thread number SEVENTEEN! Discuss cape romances, tin-foil-hat theories and everything else parahuman-related in our lovely city of Brockton Bay!
Previous thread was Thread XVI.
(Showing page 179 of 182)
►Tripocalypse
Posted On Apr 5th 2011:
Wait, the bouncer guy? I never knew he worked with others, are you sure it's not just smoke grenades or something?
►AllSeeingEye
Replied On Apr 5th 2011:
No, they're definitely a new team. You can see here that apart from Grue there's at least one other member with a costume. I'll see if I can get any more info on their powers, see you on the wiki!
►FrothingAtTheMouth (Verified Tin Hat)
Replied On Apr 5th 2011:
I think they started a few months ago? Definitely have Grue and Hellhound in there, plus whoever that pic is from. Hey ASE, where'd you get that pic anyway?
►PTSDChimaera
Replied On Apr 5th 2011:
Great. Yet another maybe-villain-maybe-not cape group. Just what this city needfs.
►He Who Rules An End To All Things
Replied On Apr 5th 2011:
Sooooo... villain team then? Where's @Bagrat when you need him?
►Cpt. Sniper
Replied On Apr 5th 2011:
They robbed a casino, so yeah. I'd say it's pretty villainous.
►XyberKnight1
Replied On Apr 5th 2011:
ABB casino, man. Could be they're just vigilantes who teamed up, Grue ain't so bad.
►MangaFace
Replied On Apr 5th 2011:
Last I heard Hellhound's a murderer, so I'm pretty firmly in the 'villains' camp over here, myah.
►SkullMask
Replied On Apr 5th 2011:
Eh, Lung will deal with them. He always does. I just hope it's somewhere far away, I don't want my crib to get torched in the collateral.
►Creativity
Replied On Apr 5th 2011:
'crib'? Who the fuck even talks like that anymore?
End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 177, 178, 179, 180, 181, 182
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I made a note to do some more research on the various independents in the city. I hadn't heard anything about a new cape team, yet it seemed they were active for quite some time already. I was working on outdated information, and considering that my entire plan hinged on being up-to-date one everything that happened in the Docks, that was a problem.
Grue and Hellhound were a team now, with at least one unknown and possibly new cape. Faultline's crew had a new cape as well, a Blaster with a flamethrower attack called Spitfire. Next thing I knew the Merchants might pick up another cape like Biter, Senseless or Trainwreck and blindside me. I didn't even know what most of the other independents were doing and there were obviously some out there I didn't even know about.
I need to catch villains to prove myself to New Wave, I need New Wave to fight the PRT, and I need the PRT to follow my orders to stop Emma and Sophia... and throughout it all I had to keep my head down so nobody tracked me down before I was ready. Endure the pain, day after day. I couldn't keep going like this, it had to end or I'd go insane.
New Wave it is, then. Pull back the curtain, reveal the truth. It would make me vulnerable again, more than ever before, but at some point I'd have to make that step. I just hoped my work up to now would be enough for them.
And if it wasn't? New Wave had made it very clear that the civilian identities of capes were off-limits. I very much disagreed, considering those very same rules protected Sophia from facing justice, but I had accepted them so I could work with their team.
If they refused to help me when they learned of what was happening, well... the Protectorate has been going after me in my civilian life for almost two years now. If the unwritten rules didn't apply to me, maybe it was time they didn't apply to the so-called 'heroes' either. If they won't listen maybe the public will, and this was going to stop, no matter what.
=======================================================================
*KRRZAT*
A trail of smoke rose up from a white-hot crater, and a slow drip of molten steel started flowing down the ship's hull. The latest addition to my arsenal performed admirably, even if the smallest version I'd built didn't work right. The ...magnetic? I wasn't quite sure. The field it used to contain the electricity was too weak and whenever I turned it on all that happened was that sparks started flying everywhere. It might still be useful for scrambling cell phones or ruining someone's laptop, but it was impossible to aim or use as any kind of normal weapon.
The larger model I built however...
*KRRZAT*
A blinding white ray of lightning shot out from the Zapper's energy sphere, hitting a patch of ship hull a few feet to the left of the previous impact site. No smoke, and only a red-hot patch from the impact this time. I'd started with a number of roughly full-strength attacks to see if the weapon worked as it should, and I was now dialing it down hoping to get a non-lethal option out of it.
*KRRZAT*
I had also built a dome around the ship I was using for my target practice this night to avoid anyone from noticing the lights. The material for my walls was really useful for things like this, maybe next time I prepare for any fights I should plan for using engineering drones as well. A few wall segments in strategic areas could probably prevent any enemies from fleeing.
*krrzat*
That's more like it. Surveying the slowly lengthening trail of destruction I was leaving in the ship, I felt some measure of hope. It was still far too dangerous for use against humans, but the system seemed stable enough that reducing the charge even further didn't seem to be a problem. It was really tricky to downsize my tech, but this was something altogether different. The closest analogy I could come up with was using a battleship's cannons to fire pillows. The guns were just as big, but the shots themselves were much safer.
Well, as long as I turned the power down.
"You've been at it all evening, Taylor. Maybe it's better to call it a night and get some rest? I'll keep an eye on the sensors tonight."
"Yeah, I know. It's just taken me a bit longer to get the whole testing ground ready than I expected. I don't want to risk anyone spotting the firing range when we're using it and I had to look for a good secluded spot I could put some walls up to block the light."
I turned back towards the TV, blocking out the sound of some pointless advertisement
"It's not just the new weapon, kiddo. I can't help but notice you still haven't called New Wave."
"It's past midnight, dad. I'm not going to call them this late!"
"You told me you decided to call them when I got home from work, and you still haven't. You can't tell me you've been doing nothing but testing the lightning gun since you got home from school."
"No, it's..."
God damnit, dad.
"I was recording my introduction to the team. I was... I was telling them about what happened, why I need their help, but it's not something I like talking about. I know it's necessary, but I can't help but keep worrying about what to do if they'll say 'no'. I wanted it to be just right, to not look, you know... After that I just didn't feel up to it, and it was already getting late."
A few moments later, dad sat down next to me on the couch, giving me a one armed hug.
"You can't put off calling New Wave forever, Taylor. They've been in this business for years now, I'm pretty sure they've seen far worse. Seeing a teenager simply doing her best won't bias them against you."
"All right! All right. Just... leave me at it, okay. Stop hovering. I'll call Brandish tomorrow right after school, drop off the recordings with one of the drones."
"You might want to do it in the morning, or perhaps during lunch-time. After school, you'll be tired and on edge already. The earlier you call them, the more clear-headed you'll be."
I didn't respond, and we just sat there for a while, not saying anything.
"Thanks, Dad."
"Hey, just looking out for you. I figure I have some catching up to do on that front."
I spent a little longer testing the lightning gun, but I didn't really feel like putting in the effort anymore. Depending on how things went, this could be the last day in quite a while where we could just be ourselves. Well, as far as we could still be with everything that had changed. Better to be ready for whatever's coming, but there would be plenty of time to do Tinkering in the future and guns wouldn't help in a courtroom. Eventually, I quit and got up from the couch. I wished Dad a good night and decided to get ready for bed like he suggested.
Heading up the stairs, I realized we were still keeping the lights on inside. The curtains kept most of it out, but still, someone who was perceptive enough would realize we were still awake in the middle of the night. I doubt anyone would link it to a new Tinker in town, but if the gangs thought we were making our own weed greenhouse or meth lab they might come pay a visit.
Maybe my cybernetics had some kind of low-light vision? I hadn't done much with my designs for the more extensive implants because those would become visible under my skin, but there might be a solution in there.
I was just done flossing a particularly persistent bit of jerky from between my teeth when I heard dad yell up at me from the ground floor.
"Taylor? You need to call New Wave!"
"Wait, what? They're all asleep, it's past mid-
"No! The Merchants are on the move, we need to warn them! Wake them up, call them, now!"
3.5
Seventeen icons moved through the Docks, heading south towards Downtown. If the three larger icons that blinked in and out of my sensor view weren't enough of an indication that they weren't normal vehicles, their breakneck speed and complete disregard for traffic laws would have made it abundantly clear anyway. As I watched, I saw a few other late-night drivers get pushed off the road as the convoy passed them, their icons coming to a stop at the side of the roads.
The Merchants didn't normally fight with big groups against the other gangs, they relied on not being worth the effort to fight in the first place. Defensive combat, using hit and run tactics with Squealer's vehicles or heaps of trash and other disgusting attacks like Mush and Whirlygig favored. A massed attack like this... Dad was right, there was only one thing Merchants could want in the richer areas of the city: retaliation against New Wave. We'd pushed them hard the last few weeks, and now they'd decided to hit back.
The entire team was fast asleep tonight, if they were caught off guard it would be a massacre. Meanwhile, I was stuck at the northern end of the city after using the Boat Graveyard to avoid detection while I tested my new gear.
"Dad, take over for me for piloting the drone and head for New Wave as fast as you can! Bring two of the engineers, too, we might need them. I'm calling the team."
"Got it!"
Switching my acceleration to the highest level it could go, I rushed downstairs and took stock of my options. My sensors didn't have any normal radio capabilities, they only had the weird tinkertech comms all my tech used. The sensor that was stationed near the New Wave homes wouldn't be able to actually call their mobile phones like I had used my combat drone for during our raids against the Merchants. My combat drone was the only one that actually had a transmitter that could pretend to be a phone or cellphone tower, and I'd built it specifically so I could call New Wave without anyone tracing it back to me.
Unfortunately, my combat drone was way too far away to be able to reach them. I might be able to send a signal strong enough to contact their phones from the far end of the Docks, but all it would accomplish would be to ring half the phones in the city at the same time. Probably. I.. didn't really know how much power I could shunt into the drone's radio transmitter, and I wasn't an expert on phone signals to begin with.
Shit. I'd have to call them with a normal phone then. Considering I didn't actually have a cellphone on my drone, that meant I'd have to use our home phone. There wasn't a chance in hell the PRT wouldn't keep track of New Wave's phone lines, they'd know. I wasn't about to let my new allies die, but... fucking hell, I needed another option.
I dismissed Dad's note, it wasn't anything I didn't already expect. My drones couldn't even match a car at full speed, and the mechanical abominations Squealer put together were a lot faster still. Pretty much the only advantage I had was that I could move in a straight line without having to turn corners.
I'd already picked up our own phone when I was hit by a flash of inspiration. I did have a cellphone for my drone. I just had to use the same principle I used to connect to New Wave's phones, but in reverse.
I didn't even bother trying to make out his words through the distortions caused by the mental acceleration as the warped sound of his voice came back to me from the kitchen. Our kitchen table had more or less turned into our 'war room' whenever we were busy with cape work, and Dad was hurrying to unfold a map on it so we could keep track of everything based on street names.
Tracking down an active cellphone wasn't very difficult, even at this time of night. I copied the signal from the phone and overpowered it using my drone's transmitter. As expected, the tower that was servicing the cellphone easily switched to my signal. I heard a female voice for a moment before I disconnected the call and immediately started a new call to call the Pelham home's phone using the same signal the cellphone used before.
Yeah, I might be stealing someone's phone without even touching it, but desperate times call for desperate measures. I honestly had no idea what would happen to the person who was on this side of the line when I hijacked the line. Would all his attempted calls give a 'line busy' signal maybe?
Come on, pick up!
A few moments later, the line connected and I dropped back to normal speed of thoughts as I heard someone begin to speak on the other end.
"-have reached the Pelham residence. We're not available right now, please leave a messa-"
Disconnecting, I redialed and captured a second phone's signal to call the Dallon home at the same time. I sent my drone on towards Downtown, now that I had the cellphone signals I could easily overwhelm any signals sent by the original owners so I wouldn't lose the call when I moved on.
"You have reached the Pelham residence. We're not-"
"This is the voicemail for the Dallon residence. Please leave a message after the beep and we'll get-"
God damn it!
"Two minutes, Taylor."
"I KNOW! I just... they're not picking up."
Wait. The lines went straight to voicemail, some kind of caller block? That would mean I couldn't call them no matter what I tried, not even with our own phone. I still had the phone numbers of their personal phones though, from the first time we worked together before everyone switched to burner phones.
A moment later, I was calling Panacea and Laserdream with my hijacked phones. I caught a third as I raced south, and connected to the PRT's emergency line.
"Dad, do you know if the Merchants are going after the Dallons or Pelhams?"
"Not yet. Their homes are too close together."
The line to Laserdream's phone closed on it's own, without even going to voicemail. Ignore. I tried again, this time dialing Shielder instead. Hopefully all the phone alarms would make them realize something was off. Or at least wake up enough they'd hear the engines before everything was too late. Fortunately, Panacea did pick up after far too many rings. I felt a little bad when I realized her status as a healer probably meant she was far too used to mid-night calls.
"...gmrhhn.. ugh... stup'd... who'z this? Got an em'rgency or what?"
"Panacea, it's Revenant. Wake everyone up, you're about to be attacked by the Merchants!"
"Whah- Revenant, what time is... oh shit! OH SHIT!"
A series of crashes and rumbles came from the other side of the line before I heard the girl shouting for the rest of her family. Wow, just... how many swear words did that girl pick up at the hospital?
"Panacea, you need to call the Pelhams, I can't get through to them, my calls keep getting blocked."
"Yeah, we all have number screening after one too many-"
"This is the PRT emergency line, how can I help?"
"-late-night calls. Vicky! Call the others, Revenant's blocked!"
"This is Revenant, the Merchants are sending a large group of cars towards New Wave's homes, I've just managed to wake them up but they're going to need backup."
"Wait, what? Revenant what's...?"
"Could you repeat that, sir? Who did you say you were?"
"I'm linking everyone up. Panacea, the PRT emergency line is on the line as well. Are the others awake yet?"
"What? Yes they're awake. Vicky's got Neil and-"
"Sir, please repeat your emergency."
"Oh for... console, we're about to be attacked by Merchants! New Wave is! We're at home!"
"Understood, that's... you are New Wave?"
"YES! Everyone in your office knows stories about a guy called Bruce and everyone jokes about his middle name because it's Esther! This is really Panacea now fucking move! I am not getting shot today!"
"I... right. Dauntless and Miss Militia are on patrol and about ten minutes out. I'm arranging for PRT support now. Please stay on the line."
"Got it. Panacea, is your family ready?"
"Yeah, we're here, it's... Revenant, how the hell are you so calm about this?"
Calm? I was little more than nerves at this point, why did she... oh, right. The voice synthesizer. One of these days I'd have to listen to the way I sounded if I yelled or freaked out... probably still like a perfectly calm and charming gentleman. Regardless, we've got backup coming in, but way too late. The Dallons are up, Pelhams are getting pulled out of bed as we speak and we're almost out of time.
"Taylor, the Merchants just turned East. The Dallons' home, has to be. Maybe one minute out, I can't get the drones there in time!"
"That's not important right now. Panacea, the Merchants are heading towards your home, get the Pelhams over there as soon as possible! I'm on my way as well but I won't be there in time."
"Vicky! Get the Pelhams moving, they're co- ah! Revenant, I'm putting Mom on."
"..."
"Brandish here, which direction are they coming from? Amy, stay away from the windows."
"Main road, they're coming from your West. Can you get out of the house safely?"
"Don't have much choice, garden's cut off by hedges but Vicky can fly us out. Wait, are there other civilians in the area? How soon can you be here, we can't keep people safe and protect ourselves at the same time!"
"PRT and Protectorate are on their way, ma'am. Dauntless and Miss Militia will be there in... eight minutes."
"Ah good, we're already in a conference call. That'll help with the... what? We can hear them, everyone out the back! Revenant, are our-"
On my sensor view, I watched as the first of the Merchant cars curved onto the road just outside the Dallon house. A stream of yellow dots sprang to life between the vehicles and the homes on the side of the street where New Wave was still getting ready.
"GET DOWN!"
Before my eyes, the gunfire intensified and I watched as the Merchant convoy broke apart. Most of the cars came to a stop out in the street while one of the larger icons drove straight into the house, coming to a stop in what would probably be the Dallons' living room.
Without any nearby drones, I was all but blind to what was happening out there. I could hear gunfire and shouting from the other side of the line, but I couldn't see anything. At one point, I heard a loud clunk when the phone was apparently dropped, though the noise continued unabated. I knew Flashbang was at least still in the fight, as a steady barrage of yellow dots shot back from within the house at the Merchants out in the street.
"Taylor, the Pelhams are on their way."
Sparing a moment to check the readings from a little ways further into the city, I did see the four marked icons of the Pelhams taking to the sky and heading towards the others. Drawing a rough path towards the conflict, my implant told me they'd need about a minute and a half to get there. The families lived fairly close together, but Manpower was heavy enough they'd need both Lady Photon and Laserdream to carry him with any speed. I didn't have any tags on them yet, and they were too close together to really get any idea of who was who.
Turning my attention back to the battle, I saw the vehicle that had crashed into the house drive back out into the street. Definitely one of Squealer's vehicles, then, if it was tough enough to survive an impact like that without crippling itself.
"Vicky, grab the fridge for cover! Stay down!"
"Brandish?"
"Revenant, they're using molotov cocktails and throwing *coff* burning tires, we need a way out! We can't see where they are through the smoke, safest direction, as far away from civilians as you can find! We're heading out the back now!"
I couldn't see the smoke on my sensors, but I could see the team and the Merchants as they moved around the property. Streams of gunfire still arced into the house, but the initial wave of attacks had stopped as they'd realized New Wave was awake and fighting back. Several cars were moving to cut them off from escape, driving through the gardens and pathways between the houses in an attempt to get to the back gardens. Icons in the houses in the surrounding area began moving around as well, neighbors and other nearby civilians having woken up from the noise outside.
God, I hoped none of them were foolish enough to run outside. I doubted the Merchants would care enough to check their targets before they'd open fire.
"South, then East. That's... directly away from the street and your house, then left. The Merchants are moving to cut you off."
"Vicky, up! PRT, Amy got hit, get medical support. We're still moving, but the house wasn't made for protection."
"An ambulance is already dispatched and will arrive with the PRT. What injuries does Panacea have? I'll notify them so they're ready for her the moment they arrive. Fire Department's on it's way as well."
"Grazed in her leg, she's bleeding but no vital areas were hit."
I watched as the icons belonging to Brandish, Flashbang and Panacea were each lifted into the air and set down a little further by Glory Girl.
"Brandish, are the hedges high enough to hide you from the Merchants? I can't see them myself."
"Good enough for now, but we're going to keep moving. How are the... Victoria? Right, she says the Pelhams are almost here. Revenant, can you guide us to them?"
"You'll need to head back West, but head South first or you'll run into a group of Merchants that's circling around. Head into the street on the other side of the house you're next to, then head right. Call the Pelhams, tell them to head one street left of the one they're following now. That's Lincoln street."
The area was slowly being swamped with icons as more and more Merchants got out of their cars. To my horror, I watched as some of them went into other houses, groups of three or four at a time. I didn't see any gunfire inside any of the homes, but even then... they were looting. Goddamn Merchants, why couldn't they just... No, I need to stay focused, I need to stay calm.
One thing at a time. Keep New Wave safe, coordinate the counter attack. I couldn't stop any damage caused by the Merchants until we got there, but so long as no innocents were caught in the fight itself anything they stole could be recovered. Any non-lethal injuries could be tended to by Panacea so long as she didn't get hurt any further.
"Revenant, PRT, Glory Girl will head out to the Pelhams, she can carry Manpower more quickly than Lady Photon and Laserdream. The two of them can head around and hit them from... the East, I think, and the rest of us move in from the West. I'll give Glory Girl the phone, we'll stay in contact with the PRT."
"Stay safe, the Merchants haven't tracked you yet but they're still searching. Try to stay out of sight.
The drone should be able to connect to your phones in a few moments, switch to silent so the ringtones don't alert the Merchants. PRT, I'll also switch the connection to you so you'll need to answer the phone again."
"Understood. It'll be good to have some help. Here."
"Sorry, could you repeat that, please? Please stay on the line."
"Glory Girl here, heading off now!"
"Taylor, two minutes before the engineers get there."
I gave Dad a thumbs up, and saw Glory Girl lift off and speed towards the second half of New Wave, her phone line filling with the sound of wind rushing past her. My implant estimated she'd need twenty seconds before she reached the others.
"PRT, I have three remotely controlled drones heading to the Dallon home. I can link New Wave's phones together once they're close enough. I was forced to hijack a civilian's phone signal to connect, but I'll switch to one of New Wave's once I'm in range. I'll hang up, and call again from one of their numbers. After that, everyone will be able to speak through that one line to each other and to the PRT."
"Understood. We'll be ready for it."
"Found them! Revenant, giving the phone to Lady Photon!"
"..."
"Revenant, it's Lady Photon. We're almost there. What's the plan?"
"Brandish said to have Manpower and Glory Girl attack from the East. She, Flashbang and Panacea are to their West. Ah, one moment. PRT, I'm in range now, switching phone lines."
The combat drone was still almost two minutes out, but it was now close enough I could connect with everyone's phones again. Dropping the old connections to both Glory Girl's phone and the PRT, I immediately set out to reconnect with all the phones held by the team. The only one I didn't use was Brandish's phone, using her signal to call the PRT instead.
"Dad, can you handle the PRT for the moment?"
"No problem. Do you want me to pilot one drone once they arrive so you can use the other? At least until the combat model is there?"
"Go for it."
"Revenant?"
"We're merging lines now. Everyone should be connected with each other and the PRT in a moment. Brandish, is your group there?"
"We're here. Sarah, we'll start moving now, hit the Merchants from your direction and we'll attack them from behind as soon as they're distracted. With a little luck some of the house will still be standing. The sooner we get their attention the less danger to bystanders."
"No, your group is too fragile to stand up to gunfire, Carol. I've got a better idea. Shielder can protect the homes on the side of the road with his shields, you and Mark stay-"
"PRT is on the line now!"
"-out of the main fight to keep Panacea safe. I'm worried we'll need her powers tonight. If there are any stragglers the two of you can help take them down. The rest of us will hit them from above, very few people care to look up and we're all but invisible up here."
As she was speaking, four of the five icons of the group rose up into the air, heading towards the densest cluster of Merchants right outside the Dallon home. The fifth one began to fly as well, but moved considerably slower and stayed closer to the ground. Shielder, no doubt. I tagged his icon before turning my attention back to the rest of the group.
"Got it. Revenant, find a defensible spot where we can set up for Panacea."
"New Wave, this is the PRT. We would strongly advise you to hold back until support arrives."
"Fuck that! They're already looting, I'm not waiting around until they start killing people!"
"For once, I agree with my son. We can't afford to wait without risking civilian lives. Glory Girl and Manpower will hit them from above, Laserdream and I will provide ranged support. Shielder stays on the ground and provides cover for the nearby buildings at street level. Good luck everyone, and be careful."
As the Pelham group got ready to fight, I directed Brandish, Flashbang and Panacea to what I thought was a garage not too far from the battle. Brandish mumbled something about 'paying the owner back' before heading in, but I couldn't quite make it out. Not long after, Lady Photon's group reached a point right above the Merchant convoy. Two of them stayed behind, high up in the air, while Glory Girl and one other icon angled down in a sudden burst of speed. Her and Manpower, then, he was the only other close combat fighter in their group. I tagged him during his descent so I could keep track of his movements in the chaos to come.
"Touchdown! Get 'em, Neil!"
Aiming for one of the vehicles standing not far from the edge of the convoy, Glory Girl and Manpower hit the ground fast. The vehicle caught in their landing was sent skidding across the street, and one of the smaller icons that had been on it was sent flying. Some kind of pick-up truck, perhaps. I'd know for sure once I had line-of-sight.
Manpower's icon ran towards the crashed vehicle, and started pushing it towards the other Merchants further up the street. Meanwhile, Glory Girl had flown towards the last vehicle behind them, and said vehicle was now rapidly rising into the air. Their phone lines were filled with screams, some of twisting metal and some coming from the unlucky occupants of the two vehicles.
As if someone had disrupted an ant's nest, the Merchant icons started running in all directions. The larger Merchant group further up the street was thrown into disarray at the same time, and I watched numerous trails of projectiles flash into the air towards the point where Lady Photon and Laserdream were still flying. I couldn't see any of New Wave's attacks on my sensors, but they'd no doubt made their presence known.
"New Wave, be careful. I don't know if Squealer has brought any heavy weaponry. Lady Photon, are you above or below Laserdream? I need to tag you so I can keep track of you."
"Don't worry, Revenant. We're not staying in one place for long, it's just bullets for now. I'm below, that way I can keep her covered with my own shield."
All right, that was the last of New Wave's icons tagged. That just left the Merchants, and I was absolutely certain they'd brought their capes tonight.
"Taylor, we're almost there. It... it doesn't look good."
"Right. Switching over one of the drones now."
Taking control of one of the engineering drones as they approached the fight, I immediately spotted an orange glow further up ahead. Smoke trails lit by fire underneath. I had my drone rise further up in the air to get a better view of the combat while Dad's kept flying straight on. He wouldn't have any problems piloting it, but I needed to know what the Merchants were bringing to this fight. Knowledge is power, and the sensors just weren't cutting it right now. Maybe I'd have to find a better way to keep track of opponents, something with actual cameras.
As I reached a higher altitude, I finally got a good look at the street behind the two-story houses that blocked my view. I rushed on, heading for a flame-lit warzone that was rapidly descending into anarchy.