It was three o'clock by the time I wrapped up my salvaging expedition. Starting with several other open containers, I jumped between stacks, seeking materials on different levels, opening doors while hanging from cross beams and perching on ledges. My agility grew by three points as I carefully balanced on edges and leapt from stack to stack. Observe, meanwhile, let me know which containers to crack open- and which to leave well enough alone.
Most of the containers had little of use. Some were filled with rotten fruit or vegetables, and one bulged with rancid, water-logged rice. Others held items which had withstood the test of time, but which were useless for my needs; crates of drywall, wooden furniture, and warped board games. More than once, I happened across a container which had once held something of value, only to find that another scavenger had tracked down and cracked them open first- empty husks where cell phones or bolts of linen had once filled the space.
But for every six or seven containers of trash and empty space, there would be one or two which stood out to my search. A shipment for a hardware store yielded nails, sheet metal, and tools, which I stuffed in my inventory. One container held construction equipment, allowing me to break down jackhammers, and salvage welding torches and torque wrenches. One container held a shipment of motorcycles, and I quickly salvaged all but one- the last of which I carefully broke down into parts, and stowed each one in my inventory. I wasn't going to pass up a free bike. I salvaged cloth from a shipment of musty clothes, and collected a selection of kitchenware. Most of the stuff wasn't immediately valuable, but I did find a shipment of hand tools which might be worth some bank. One toy shipment yielded some water-damaged game systems, and I was able to salvage some parts.
Still, all good things must come to an end. I'd left the house at seven, soon after dad's departure, and if I didn't get back to do my studying, I'd run out of time to finish. Ten EXP might not be a lot, but getting into Arcadia had a lot of promise.
As I left the Boat Graveyard, I let my mind wander over the next few steps I'd have to take in order to finish my plans. I ducked into an alleyway to pull off my knit cap. As I moved down to take cover behind a dumpster, I heard footsteps echo behind me, and without thinking about it, ducked down. I didn't know who was following me, but it would be a good idea to stay quiet.
"Stalker, get back here." A bold voice, echoing with a hint of command, rang around the corner. "You know you're not supposed to run off on your own."
"Fuck off, Aegis. I know I saw someone."
I froze. I knew that voice.
"Stalker, there's been no reports of any illegal activity down here, and if someone's talking a shortcut, that doesn't mean run off on your own."
"They were wearing a fucking mask!"
Sophia Hess was Shadow Stalker? She was a fucking Ward? That would explain a lot, but then why-
"Did you recognize them? Get a good look at their costume?"
"...no." Stalker's surly growl was nearly inaudible from my hiding place.
"Then they could be a new hero, a new villain, or someone bundled up against the cold." I heard him shift around. "And I didn't see anyone. That alleyway takes us down a side street. They're off our route, and console says to stay on it, unless it's to stop a crime in progress, without cape presence."
Was that why she got away with so much? But then why did anyone take our side? Why was Emma getting punished?
"Fuck the console, I want some action."
"Without disabling your ankle monitor?"
I froze. What?
"...you wouldn't. Without my powers-"
"With what you did, Stalker?" Aegis' voice was curt. "The rest of the Wards may not know, but I certainly do. You could've killed that girl. If we weren't so short-handed-"
"I'm a better fucking fighter than any of you, bastard! Hebert was a worm, and if-"
Aegis cut her off. "If you weren't so good at your job, you'd be in Juvie right now. That's the long and short of it. And since we can't trust you, you wear the shock bracelet. It'll disable if I hit my panic button or the console okays it, but it's not coming off anytime soon."
"Chaining me to protocol ain't going to work forever, tight-assed bastard."
"We trusted you out of uniform, Stalker. You broke that trust. It's still better than prison."
One set of footsteps left the area. With a muttered oath, I heard Sophia lash out, the clatter of a kicked garbage can. Peering out, I watched a black-clad figure round the corner, following her leader.
As I stood, I dismissed the popup that let me know I'd earned the Stealth skill, creeping forward. Glancing out the alley, I watched Sophia's back for a moment, then muttered to myself. "Observe."
Sophia Hess [Shadow Stalker, Probationary Ward ENE]
Level 2 Assassin (12)
Race: Human (Parahuman)
HP: 200 (160 + 40 Armor)
Str: 17
End: 16
Agl: 38 (18 + 20)
Int: 12
Wis: 2 (9 - 7)
Luk: ?
Status Effects:
Parahuman: Phase Walker (Agl +20, grants 'Shadow Phase' as a Physical Ability)
Power Anxiety: Increased Aggression (-7 Wis)
Shock Collared [Active] (Deals 2-5 points of electrical damage on use of the 'Shadow Phase' ability)
A probationary member of the ENE Wards, Shadow Stalker's abilities are considered too useful to be sidelined. However, her poor attitude and teamwork, as well as her prior crimes, has alienated her from her peers and much of the Protectorate command structure. She has taken out her aggression on other targets whenever possible- but recent events have curtailed her solo patrols and left her with few outlets for her anger.
Click to expand...
I swallowed, ducking back into the alleyway. This… it raised more questions than it answered, but it did explain the PRT's involvement in the fiasco at Winslow. Still, how did she join the Wards in the first place? What happened with Emma?
Pulling of my mask, I quickly tapped the icon to switch between my temporary cape gear and my normal cold-weather gear. I needed to think about this…
--[0]--
Sighing, I finished my work and sat back. Although Thoughts of Sophia and the PRT were still haunting my thoughts, but I had no idea how to move forward on figuring out what happened at Winslow. More importantly, how did a former vigilante meet up with Emma? And what happened to turn Emma on me?
Sitting back, I tried stringing together the series of events as I knew them. Sophia joined the Wards in September of last year- and she hasn't made a good impression on their leader in that time. But she was operating as a vigilante before that. Emma didn't know Sophia before I went off to camp, but knew her well enough to start coordinating attacks on me by the first day of school. Whatever happened between Emma and Sophia happened over the summer.
So, something happened. Sophia met Emma, and… what? Why turn me into a target?
Shelve that for now. I need more information. And I have other questions.
Emma turned on me, but when I reported to Blackwell, to the teachers, they did nothing. But why would they protect Sophia? Maybe Blackwell knew Sophia was Shadow Stalker? That doesn't quite hang together, though. What could a vigilante provide a High School principal?
I need to know why Blackwell covered for Sophia, and why Emma turned on me. The PRT are involved, somehow- but there was a year's gap between her joining the Wards and the beginning of my torment.
...though things really didn't escalate until the beginning of this school year. It was bad, but nothing like the locker.
My eyes narrowed. I knew one person who might have answers about Blackwell- and another who might have answers about Emma. All I needed was the right approach.
Standing, I cracked my knuckles. There wasn't anything I could do tonight- and I'd need to call ahead to speak to at least one of my potential information sources. For now, I needed to work on dinner for dad.
--[0]--
Thursday dawned bright and early. Dad had given me the gimlet eye once or twice over dinner when I'd temporalized over the day's activities, but he didn't pressure me for information. This morning, he simply asked me to stay safe when I told him I was planning to go out again today. After I saw him off, I spent a few hours and got my homework out of the way, then pulled on a set of nice clothes.
Or rather, tried to. As I pulled on my dress pants, I realized they were too tight in some places, and not tight enough in others. I'd been used to pulling on my baggy jeans and hoodies without really looking at myself, and tossing my altered clothes into my inventory to make them fit my frame. But I hadn't done anything with my dress pants, and something seemed… off.
Stepping up to the mirror, I looked over myself, blanching at the sight before me. My stick-like limbs and pudgy belly were gone- replaced by a set of toned legs, thin middle and whipcord limbs. I wasn't extremely fit, but I looked like I took care of my body, and it showed. My dress pants were too tight- they weren't meant for the muscles which covered my legs.
Reaching out, I tossed my pants into and out of my inventory, then repeated the same for my blouse. Donning my clothes, I stared at the face in the mirror. It was unmistakably me; same too-wide mouth and glasses, same hair, same green eyes. But in properly fitting clothes and absent my less flattering features, I looked… decent.
Smiling, I turned back to the door, pulling my hair back. Time to go confront my first target.
--[0]--
"Taylor! Oh, you look sharp, dear. Please, come in, Joseph was just talking about you."
Stepping into the Henrick's house I was almost surprised at how little it had changed since I was last here. Just after mom died, Mary Henrick had brought me here for a cup of tea and a bit of advice. She'd been close to mom, before the accident, although Dad and I had drifted away from her. Still, in two years, the rooms we passed through were still familiar; pictures hanging from the walls and faded upholstery mixing with knick-knacks and table lamps.
Stepping into their living room, I watched Mrs. Henrick stride into the kitchen, calling back over her shoulder that she'd "Have a cup of tea waiting for you soon, dear." As she walked through to the kitchen, a stout figure walk past her, giving her a glare.
"Old busybody, not everyone likes tea you know." Mr Henrick growled at his wife. Though the tone was harsh, he had a wry smirk as the words left his lips.
"I'll put on coffee for you, Joseph. Don't fret." Mrs. Henrick's response was much in kind to her husband's, and for a moment, I saw my parents arrayed in much the same way- a dance in which each knew their partner's word and actions enough to say and mean every word, without having to really think about it. Not for the first time, it made me think back to how much Dad had lost when mom passed.
"Hmph." Turning back to me, Joseph Henrick studied me through his thick glasses. Raising a bushy eyebrow, he moved to take a seat, letting out a sigh as I took up one across from him. "Didn't expect to see you here, Taylor. Would've thought you were still taking it easy after what happened to you." His gaze fixed on mine as he leaned back into his easy chair.
I grimaced. "I spent a week recovering, Mr. Henrick. I can't stay still any longer." Leaning forward, I let my grimace fall from my face. "Getting out of that locker- and Winslow- it means I have a lot I can do to improve myself. Not taking advantage of that would be wasteful."
He smiled, nodding. "Well said." Tilting his head, the smile dropped. "Taylor, I taught kids like you for twenty years, and managed them for another ten as a principal. I can tell when someone wants something, and-"
He cut off as Mrs. Henrick yelled from the kitchen. "Joseph, she'll talk to you on her own time! Don't go scaring her off!" Walking in from the kitchen, she placed a tray of teacups and two carafes on the coffee table. "It is good to see you again, Taylor. Daniel's been looking much better as well, recently."
I smiled back at her. "That's in part thanks to help, ma'am. Mr. Henrick's, anyway." Turning to him, I inclined my head a little. "If you hadn't stepped in to help me out- well, things could have gone really poorly for us, with Blackwell and Mr. Barnes set against us." Watching Mr. Henrick, I saw his fingers tighten for a brief instance around his coffee cup at the mention of Winslow's principal. He did know something, I was sure of it.
Mrs. Henrick frowned. "I remember Emma Barnes quite well, from the few times I met her. She seemed like such a sweet girl; I can't imagine why she would do such a thing to you."
I let a hint of my old pain leak into my voice. "Neither can I- or the Emma I once knew. Something happened to her, changed her. She… turned on me." Pouring myself a cup of tea, I took a long sip, before setting the cup down. Looking up at Mrs. Henrick, I swallowed my pride. "When it happened- I assumed I'd done something, made some mistake. I believed her when she told me she hated me. Now- I'm not so sure." Looking towards Mr. Henrick, I paused, then spoke softly. "Getting into Arcadia is one of my major goals right now, sir. But- I want closure first. Why Emma betrayed me. And why no one intervened- even when I asked."
Joseph's gaze was sharp, but he slowly nodded. "Closure. I can't tell you what happened with Emma, Taylor. I don't know anything about that." He paused. "And- as for Winslow- there's some things I can't talk about."
I nodded in turn, then played my trump card. "I… suspect Sophia Hess had something to do with it. That her… side job may have had something to do with why Blackwell looked the other way since September. But- I don't know why she wouldn't listen to me before that."
As I spoke, Mrs. Henrick grew more confused- but Mr. Henrick's eyes widened, then narrowed. "Taylor- do you know about-"
I looked at Mrs. Henrick. "I'm not certain I should-"
"Feh." He snorted. "You can trust her. Hell, the only reason I haven't is because of one of those blasted NDA's her employers slapped on me."
Nodding, I straightened. "Sophia Hess is Shadow Stalker. Blackwell looked the other way, even as she escalated her campaign against me, because she was a Ward."
As Mrs. Henrick choked back a curse, Mr. Hernick tilted his head back and forth. "Close- but she was supposed to report Hess' sins up the trail. Honestly, Blackwell caught herself in a bit of a trap." Leaning back, he downed a gulp of coffee. "Blackwell has been using her track stars and other A-list students to draw donations to Winslow for years. Hess was a potential ace in Track- so Blackwell capitalized on her fame to draw some more cash. To keep her around, she covered up as much as she could about her actions."
I frowned, even as Mrs. Henrick spoke up. "That little hellion is a Ward? How did that happen?" The sheer level of incredulousness in her voice matched my own ire over the situation.
"She pinned a druggie to a wall with a crossbow bolt." Mr. Henrick snapped back, glaring up over his coffee cup. "And when she was caught, made a plea bargain to get out of Juvie. She'd join the Wards, and they'd get a new member." He set his cup down. "Blackwell was well in the shit because of that. If she admitted that her track star, whom she'd been giving glowing recommendations and special treatment to, was really a thug- well, she might lose her job, and she'd certainly lose Hess to the system. So she lied her ass off, and had to cover anything else Hess did to maintain her cover."
"...lies beget other lies." I muttered.
Mrs. Henrick huffed. "True enough, Taylor." Staring at me, she shook her head. "Dear, next time something like that happens- and it will, for all that I pray it won't," she knocked her fist on the wooden table. "Please, tell someone. Joseph helped you here, and others could help should it happen again."
I smiled at her, then abruptly stood up, moving in to hug her. "...thank you. I needed that."
She chuckled. "Don't mention it, dear." Pushing me back, she turned a baleful glare on Mr. Henrick. "So Blackwell sold out Taylor for money and a track star."
He scowled, nodding. "Hess' handler was even willing to slip her some money under the table, and work with her to ensure Hess stayed on at Winslow. The handler got a cushy job, Hess got to stay with her friends and avoid prison, and Blackwell got money to keep Winslow running without changing anything."
"Everyone won but me." I snarled out.
"Until the truth came out." At this, Mr. Henrick chuckled darkly. "All it took was one failure to let everything break." More seriously, he fixed me with a glare. "Blackwell's lost her job, and won't get another anytime soon. She's also facing quiet perjury and fraud charges. She's gone, Taylor. You don't need to worry about her any more. But you need to stay quiet. The PRT clamped down on me, Blackwell, and everyone else involved. What Hess did is a PR nightmare, and they've already indirectly offered you a carrot to keep your silence. I hate it, but you should probably stay mum about what you figured out."
I felt myself nod. THat might explain why the PRT was mildly peeved at me- I'd almost caused a massive scandal and cost them a Ward. Still, that shredded any chance they had to recruit me, though that might change if they came clean and tossed Sophia in a cell. Looking up, I sighed. "Thank you for confirming and explaining things for me, sir."
"You had a right to know." Mr. Henrick's eyes were hard. "I can't say I don't understand them both- the PRT and Blackwell. Resources are tight in both organizations; you look for any way you can get to get more supplies. Still, I can't agree with either of them- there are some lines you don't cross."
I nodded, then turned back to Mrs. Henrick, noting her obvious discomfort. "Enough about this. It's over, and I've got what I needed." Motioning towards her, I let a small smile cross my face. "Enough shop talk. It's been too long since we talked, ma'am; anything you want to ask me?"
Her eyes lighting up, Mrs. Henrick chuckled as Mr. Henrick sloughed deep into his chair. "That I do, young lady. First of all, how's your father doing?"
--[0]--
Mr. Henrick eventually left the conversation, but gave me a clap on the shoulder on the way past. I got the briefest sense that he was pleased at my rebound from the locker incident, and he seemed to want me well.
As I wrapped up with Mrs. Henrick, she grew a little quiet. Eventually, she put her teacup down. Looking up, she paused for a long moment. "Taylor, what happened with Emma- I've seen something like it before."
I tensed. "Really?"
She tilted her head back and forth. "In a way, yes. My sister, years ago, cut all ties with our family. Said some absolutely horrible things." She sighed, leaning back. "It was only later that we learned that she'd been going through a bad time, and someone had convinced her that only by starting fresh could she move on." She swallowed. "We only found out when the group she'd fallen in with was arrested for kidnapping." Looking up, she met my gaze. "I can't say it's the same as what you went through, but someone convinced her to sever ties. It's the only thing that makes sense."
I looked down at my empty cup. "...then why did she attack me?" I shook my head. "If she just wanted me gone-"
I felt a hand on my shoulder. "She may have wanted to drive you away, not just run herself." Mrs. Henrick sounded tired. "I can't tell you why she did it. You'd have to ask her yourself."
I nodded, then stood. "Thanks for the tea, Mrs. Henrick. And the advice."
Pulling me into a hug, she smiled over my head. "Anytime, dear. I'm glad to see you and your father doing better."
Stepping out onto the front porch, I was surprised when a popup appeared before me.
Event: Meeting the Henricks Complete
Diplomacy is now Level 4
Unlocked new Knowledge Skill: Bluff Level 1 (08.3% to next level)
Earned 50 EXP
Relationship with Mary Henrick improved
Relationship with Joseph Henrick improved
For being a courteous and polite guest, you have been granted two points of Wis and one point of Int
Click to expand...
I frowned. "Events?" I muttered under my breath, stepping forward.
Halp: Events
Events are non-combat encounters in which the ability to switch shields, modify abilities, and adjust powers are locked down. Events measure your ability to reason and think with the powers you have at hand, and often require Knowledge skills, levelled reputations, or certain levels of raw stats to emerge triumphant.
This particular event went very smoothly, since all the parties involved were amiable to one another. Other events may not be so easy to navigate.
Click to expand...
Walking back inside, I let my muttering increase. "Why the hell does the system even have events?"
Halp: Events (cont.)
To keep arrogant Gamer users from stat dumping or equipping their 'social' gear when confronted by a conversation. It's a bit rude to change your clothes when talking to someone, after all. Be more than just an extension of your powers- be social!
Click to expand...
"Allie, are you trolling me again?"
New Message
Allie: Maybe. Still, events are a real thing. You'll need to be ready for the one with Dad.
Tapping my inventory, I grumpily switched outfits into my jogging gear. "Yeah, yeah. Come on, let's go see about pawning some of that junk we salvaged."New Message
Allie: Look, I know telling your dad is important, but he might just flat out forbid you from going out. Wouldn't it be better to have the costume first?
I sighed, staring up at the ceiling. "We don't know how long making the armor will take, and we'll be operating out of an area claimed by the Merchants. If something happened, Dad would be furious- if I came back okay. Doing this without at least telling him would shatter what his trust in me." I shook my head. "I promised him I'd tell him- and I will."
New Message
Allie: I suppose. Still, going to the graveyard was nearly as bad, and that turned out okay.
I snorted. "Barely. If Stalker had caught me, or Aegis decided to pursue, Dad's first knowledge of my cape persona would have come through the PRT. We were careful, but we aren't really ready yet."
New Message
Allie: ...you could just wait until the deadline tomorrow.. Talking to Ms. Barnes might be enough to level you up a couple of times. That might help.
I shook my head. "No. No matter how strong I am, Dad would worry. There's no point in putting it off any further."
New Message
Allie: Do you think you can convince him?
I let a small smile slip across my face. "Pretty sure. With what Mr. Henrick told me… I think I can convince him to let us go solo for a while."
New Message
Allie: Us?
I nodded. "You and me."
There was a long pause before the next message came through.
New Message
Allie: Thanks, Taylor.
"Don't mention it."
--[0]--
Dad had never been the most perceptive of people (something mom had lamented on numerous occasions, usually right before she straightened his tie or picked up one of his messes), but even he noticed my tendency towards silence. Finally, as we finished up dinner, he sat back, frowning.
"Taylor? Is something wrong?"
"...yeah." I took a deep breath. "I- remember when I told you that I needed to tell you something? I don't think I can put it off any longer."
Dad set hos fork down, leaning back in his chair. "Little owl, you can trust me."
I swallowed. "Yeah, I know. It's just- this is big, something that- well, could change everything."
Dad smiled at me. "Taylor, I doubt it could be that bad."
"It's not that it's bad it's just-"
Both of us stopped as a loud ringing could be heard. Dad glanced over at the phone, then followed my own gaze to the floating green box.
Incoming Video Conference Call
Allie Hebert
Accept? Y/N
Dad's mouth dropped open. "What- is that- Allie Hebert?"
My own mouth snapped shut, and I growled as I jammed my finger into the 'Y' symbol. "That's part of my powers, actually."
"...you're a cape." Dad sounded a little shell shocked. "I thought you might be gay."
Turning, I felt my eyebrows rise as the green box resolved into Allie's grinning face. "Wait, so you heard 'we need to talk,' and thought I might be a lesbian?"
"Pretty sure she's about a 2 on the Kinsey Scale, actually." Allie said. "Also, hello Mr. Hebert! I'm part of Taylor's powers!"
My head snapped around. "What the hell's the Kinsey scale?"
Dad spoke at almost the same time. "Part of her powers? What the hell does that mean?"
Allie's smile fell. "Umm…"
--[0]--
"So. Let me get this straight."
Dad was sitting on the couch, a mostly untouched bottle of beer sitting between his knees.
"You… have powers. Not entirely normal powers, since you didn't break when you were supposed to."
Allie winced. "That's… a very crude way of putting it, but yes."
Dad took a small sip of his beer. He'd told me once that alcohol was like lubricant- a little made things spin freely, too much caused things to fly apart. Nice to see that he was taking this seriously.
"You've been going around for the last week, using your powers to learn new skills- like lockpicking, blacksmithing, and hacking- and slowly leveling your primary attributes to make yourself stronger."
I nodded. "Yep."
"Yesterday, you went to the boat graveyard, snagged enough raw steel to make several suits of armor, and enough scrap to sell."
"Uh-huh."
Glancing up at me, his brow knitted together. "And your powers take the form of a hypothetical daughter I never had."
I slowly nodded. "That- that's almost everything."
"Almost?"
"Sophia Hess is Shadow Stalker."
Dad glanced at the ceiling for a minute, then dropped his face into his hands. "Shit."
Allie nodded. "That about sums it up."
Dad was silent for a long moment. "I don't know how you know, but I think I can trust you. I assume you won't be joining the Wards, then?"
"Nope."
He nodded. "Right then." He set his beer aside, then leaned forward. "I have no idea how to handle this. Your mother knew cape lore better than I do." He gave a grin. "Your powers sound useful for more than just combat, though. Can't you just-"
"Dad, this city's a mess." I cut off the objection he was going for. "I'm not going to run off and fight Lung on my first day, but I'm not going to just sit idle until things get worse." I sat back, pulling my shield into being. "With this? I've got something I can use- something that can protect others. I'm not going to squander that if I can help it."
Dad glanced at my shield, his eyes moving over its silver surface. "...so much like your mother." He sighed again. "You're right. This does change a lot of things- but I'm going to have to insist that you hold off on going out and crime fighting, Taylor."
I grimaced. "Dad-"
"Let me finish." His voice was hard. I sat back, eyes wide. "I know full well that you could do some good, little owl- but there's been more than one time the Union men have brought a corpse back to the yard." I went still. "Most of the time, its wearing gang colors or some schmuck down on their luck- but three times, they've brought back people in costumes."
My blood went cold as he continued. "Being a cape is dangerous. I'd never even heard of two of the capes- they'd only been running around a few weeks before someone put a bullet in them. But the third was a rookie hero, a kid called Discus." He shook his head. "I don't want that for you, little owl. If you're going to fight crime- you need to be ready."
I let out a deep breath, then nodded. "Yeah- actually, that's why I wanted to talk to you." As he tilted his head, I continued. "There's a quest system included with my powers, and if gives me advice on how to become better. One of the quests was to build a set of armor for myself. For that, I need a forge- an old fashioned blacksmith's workshop."
Dad blinked a couple of times. "Wait- a quest system? Like something out of Dungeons and Dragons?" He glanced at the green box hanging in midair, Allie's face still visible on screen. "You're a player character from a tabletop game?"
Allie responded. "Actually, the system Taylor's using seems to be based off of an Eastern-style role-playing video game, with elements from western style RPG mixed in. Both of those were in part based off of early pencil-and-paper tabletop games, but they've evolved in different directions since then." As I turned to look at Allie, she shrugged. "The more research I do on how your powers might work, the better I understand how to game the system in your favor."
Dad slowly nodded. "Okay. I… think I've heard of weirder powers. So, you need access to a forge, right? Do you want to use the workshops down at the Union?"
I winced. "Dad, I don't know how long it would take me to finish my armor. If I worked down at the Union, it'd be near impossible to hide what I was doing, and the last thing I want is to have the Empire or PRT find out about me before I'm ready."
Hesitating, Dad let out a short sigh. "Fair enough. Do you have a plan?"
"There's a forge out in the Trainyards. It should have what I need to make my armor." I winced. "But-"
"The Trainyards are Merchant turf." Dad finished. "Is that why you're telling me this?"
"Yeah." I let out a breath. "If something happened to me out there- you would have no idea where I vanished to. I needed to tell you, before I did something so dangerous."
Dad stood, walking over to me. Crouching down, he stared into my eyes for a moment, before drawing me into a hug. "I don't want you to do this, little owl. But- thank you for trusting me."
I tensed. "Dad-"
Dad released me, rising to his full height. "Tell me exactly where this forge is. We will have checkups every hour, on the hour as long as you're out there. If you don't check in, Sophia be damned I will call the PRT and tell them everything, if it means you'll be safe." His eyes bored into mine. "I can't stop you, Taylor. But I will do everything in my power to make sure you're alright" He sighed. "I am glad you told me before you got into any fights, though. I don't think my heart could take it if you started fighting capes right off the bat."
"Not planning on fighting any parahumans anytime soon, Dad." I studied my father, then relaxed my tongue. "Still going to punch Sophia in the face if I ever get the chance."
Dad gave me a weak grin. "I give you my permission to put her through a wall, if you can."
Allie coughed. "Since she's intangible, that might be easier than you think, sir."
Dad's smile dropped. "Right. God damn, how did a Ward-" He took a deep breath. "No, I know better than that."
All three of us nodded. The Bay was in bad shape- there was no way the PRT would pass up an apparently willing cape. Mind you , that hadn't worked out well, but Dad and I had lived her long enough to know the heroes were outnumbered.
Allie glanced at something, then winced. "Listen, I'm going to have to cut this conversation short. Taylor's almost out of mana."
I blinked. "Wait, Allie, you still haven't told me what the Kinsey scale is-"
"Gotta go, bye!" The window closed.
There was silence for a few moments before Dad spoke up. "So… how much energy does it cost to do a sending, anyway?"
"What's a sending?"
He paused. "You know, if your power really does work like a tabletop game, maybe I should give you my old GM materials, see what you can imitate. You might learn some tricks." Shaking his head, he coughed. "And a sending is a spell which allows you to send a message to anyone you've met, within certain constraints."
I nodded, frowning. "I don't know if I can call anyone. Just Allie, thus far."
Dad tilted his head. "Do you have any idea why she decided to look like your sister?"
"I don't think even she knows. She doesn't remember being a… partner very well." I hesitated. "Though she's not human, not entirely."
Dad paused. "What makes you say that?"
"She's had internet access for maybe six hours. In that time, she tried to figure out my sexuality, worked her way through information on both tabletop and video games, and made a dossier on the know capes in the Bay. And I have no idea what else she's done in that time."
Dad hummed. "Maybe she's just a really good multitasker?"
I snorted. "Multitasking is a myth, dad."
Dad nodded, then shrugged. "And superpowers have to make sense how?" As I grimaced, he nodded at my shield. "So, besides the shield, have you figured out what other weapons you'll pair with it? Kind of weird for your power to just give you a shield and no weapon."
I sighed. "I literally cannot carry another weapon, actually."
Dad frowned. "That's poor class balance. In that case, do you have magic or unarmed combat skills? Or the analogue, I suppose, since magic doesn't exist."
"Actually, apparently my powers are magic. According to Allie, anyway." I rolled my head back and forth at Dad's speculative look. "And no, I haven't looked into any unarmed combat techniques."
Dad sat up in his chair. "I'd think, with all your focus on getting proper armor, you would have put some thought into actually training with your new powers."
"...in hindsight, that makes a lot of sense."
He sighed. "And this is why I'm really glad you were willing to talk to me. Having another person to bounce ideas off of is never a bad thing. I'm going to have to ask that you pick up some techniques beyond punching things, Taylor."
*Ding*New Quest!
Path of the Fist and Shield
Questgiver: Danny Hebert
Dad has asked you to actually learn to throw a punch, preferably before you get yourself hurt fighting someone. That seems like good advice!
Task: Unlock passives and skills to aid in non-magical combat
*Unlock and advance Basic Martial Arts to level 4, and pick your first subskill
*Unlock the 'Shield Bash' Passive Skill and 'Shield Driver' ability
*Do not engage a hostile human before you finish this quest
Reward: 200 EXP
Failure: Dad will be quite upset
Accept? Y/N
Click to shrink...
Looking up, I saw Dad watch me right through the box. "Huh. I just got a new quest. And you're the questgiver."
Dad blinked. "That means I'm an NPC." Sitting back, he reached for his beer. "Let's hope the GM lets me live."
I let out a nervous chuckle as I tap 'Y'. That was… a little dark.
*Ding*
Event 'A Discussion of Futures' Resolved
You have Earned 100 EXP
Relationship with Daniel Hebert Improved
You've unlocked a new contact: Daniel Hebert
Diplomacy skill increased: Level 4
Click to shrink...
Congratulations! You're now Level 3!
Mastery Bleed applied to 'Aegis of Entry'
'Aegis of Entry' Mastered
You've gained two points of END
You've gained 5 Stat points. Spend them wisely.
New Passive Unlocked: Shield Bash (Level 1)
You've gained 1 SP.
For leveling up, The Gamer's Body has increased by 1
Click to shrink...
Tapping out to the main menu, I started leafing through my skill list. Hmm…
Shield Bash (Level 1: 00.0% to next level)
Channels the power inside you into your shield offensively, enabling it to damage enemies more effectively. Increases damage for all shield-based physical attacks with each level.
Bonuses:
Level 4: Unlocks the 'Shield Driver' Ability
Level 6: Allows the shield to damage intangible enemies when used as a weapon
Level 9: Unlocks the 'Shield Throw' Ability
Level 12: Adds the damage of any 'Thorns' skills to the damage of any shield attack
Level 15: Unlocks the 'Shield Shockwave' Ability
Level 20: Unlocks the 'Layered Shield' Active Skill
Click to shrink...
This would definitely be useful....