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Got the Grimoire, Chapter 21
🕑 Added 2024-12-01 07:43:04 +0000 UTCChapter 21
It had been a minute since I’d gotten some powers from the Grimoire. Well, relative to Canberra, not long, but that had been a case of investing the power into something I’d had waiting for weeks, but actually feeling the Grimoire reach out hadn’t happened in several days by this point. It was mildly refreshing to feel and accept the new magic as it rushed through my veins.
Psychic Abilities- Clairvoyance (One Dot) (World of Darkness, 100cp): In the World of Darkness, psychic abilities and mythic sorcery are, at first glance, completely different. However, both manipulate the same powers, albeit in very different ways, and are both considered forms of linear magic. While a sorcerer utilizes numerous tools and ceremonies to harness supernatural powers, a psychic makes do with lots, and lots, of willpower. Furthermore, the majority of psychic powers are innate, and can be improved, but not gained, without outside interference, in stark contrast to sorcery.
The psychic power to perceive a location of choice without being physically present. Unlike astral projectors, clairvoyants remain aware of their physical surroundings while using their abilities. Familiarity with a given local makes this power easier.
[1] The psychic sees some images of their target location, but they are hazy and indistinct. They can be no more than a mile from it.
Power Through Pain (Endless Legend, 200 cp): Through ritualistic self torture and sheer willpower, you are able to channel Dust magic. You require a foci to channel truly powerful spells but while unarmed you can still fling brilliant blue flames from your hands. You pain tolerance is increased greatly, and will further increase the more you inflict pain upon yourself. With enough practice, you could immolate yourself, and feel only a distracting tingle. How much are you willing to put yourself through for power?
1200cp-300cp= 900cp remaining
I blinked in somewhat of a daze at the rush of new power. Truth be told, I was rather pleased with the second one. While I didn’t know the setting, a higher pain tolerance and the ability to use more magic without foci (something I could already do, but more never hurt) was well worth the stored points. The first one I took more as an information gathering tool and because I figured I might be able to expand upon it in the future, especially when combined with my other magics.
I pushed thoughts of new strategies to the side for the moment as I approached Taylor and Lisa. Lisa was leaning in close, whispering conspiratorially and I was tempted to listen in, but I let the gal have her secrets. And Taylor… Taylor was actually smiling. I didn’t know the girl well on a personal level (unless you counted being in her head for many hours of reading, but I didn’t, that wasn’t the same), but I already had the sense that she didn’t smile much, mostly because she didn’t have many reasons to do so.
As I slid into the seat next to Lisa, I was pleased to see a dirty chai latte already waiting, steam still curling up from the surface. “You’re an angel.” I took a sip, closed my eyes and hummed happily.
“Does he always do that?” I heard Taylor ask Lisa.
“Yes. Claims it’s genetic,” Lisa confirmed.
“Do what?” I asked, partially opening my eyes.
“Your ‘happy food dance’.”
I blinked and then realized I was indeed bobbing from side to side ever so slightly in my seat. Dammit, I had to stop doing that in front of strangers. “You didn’t see anything,” I waved my hand in front of Taylor’s face.
She raised a single eyebrow, unimpressed. “Jedi mind-trick? Really?”
Heh, I probably could pull that off if I really wanted. “It only works on the weak-willed, so I suppose I shouldn’t be too surprised that you’re resistant.” I took another sip of my drink. “Sorry for being late, I pulled an all-nighter at work. Just woke up a few minutes ago.”
“It’s fine,” Taylor said.
“Twenty-three. You must take short showers,” Lisa said at the same time.
“I grew up in Southern California. Water conservation is pretty big around there. Not a lot of rain, especially in my hometown.” I took a bite out of the coffee cake that Lisa had also had waiting.
Taylor was giving Lisa an odd look, but the Thinker just gave a vulpine grin and shrugged innocently. “So why’d you ask us here?”
“I was supposed to meet Taylor here, not you too.”
“Aww c’mon, you don’t wanna let me in on your evil plans?”
Taylor coughed slightly and a sliver of amusement crossed her face. “I’m sorry, Lisa, but could you give us a minute? There was something we had to talk about privately.”
Lisa shot Taylor a look of betrayal, but sighed dramatically. “Fine, I suppose I can do some shopping for my roommates while I’m here. Text me later, Mak.”
“See ya,” I gave a parting wave as she left the cafe. I glanced around the cafe and then put up my usual sound baffle. “All right, we can speak freely. Thanks for agreeing to meet, Miss Bug.”
“It was the least I could do after you saved my life.” Taylor shifted nervously in her seat and then set her face into a serious expression. It looked incongruous with her youth. “How can I help?”
“Like I told you, pretty large ABB operation. I didn’t get specifics, but my contact says there are supposed to be guns, drugs, and,” my face pulled into a grimace, “girls in large numbers. Maybe a staging area for further distribution across their territory or something.” To me, it was screaming ‘trap’. After all, what better way to lure in independent heroes for the kill? “No matter what though, it’s too big of an operation for just one person to shut-down, so the independent I ran into asked for my help. Well, for Kage’s help at least.”
“Why do you have a separate identity anyways?” Taylor asked curiously. “I didn’t think too much about it at first, but the more I do, it seems a little… unethical.”
“Ah. It’s all about legal technicalities. There are specific laws in place that protect vigilantes and independent heroes, but those same laws don’t apply to Protectorate heroes since we’re government employees. So while I technically cannot act without orders or authorization as Magus, there’s a bit of a gray area of me acting in my capacity as a private-citizen. I’m technically not using any government resources when I act as ‘Kage’, so it’s a bit of a Schrodinger’s Cat situation: I both am and am not breaking the law until proven otherwise. If Kage ever got unmasked to the public, I’m sure it would cause a shitstorm of epic proportions. Also Director Piggot has made it clear that if I cross any lines, then all bets are off, technicalities won’t save me from her whooping my ass and tossing me out of Brockton Bay. But as long as I’m careful, then I can get away with being Kage as long as it’s on my own time.”
Taylor nodded along with explanation. “Okay, I get all of that I think, but… why do you need to do that in the first place?”
Oh boy. How to not ruin her impression of heroes, but also be truthful? “The heroes of the Protectorate seek to uphold the law as it stands, however, we are severely outnumbered and outgunned in many circumstances.” I folded my hands thoughtfully in front of myself. “I’m not pushing or prying and you can tell me to just piss off, but you remember when you got your powers?”
Taylor went tense and slowly nodded. “Yeah.”
“It wasn’t exactly the most peaceful of circumstances, was it?”
“...No, it wasn’t.”
“Well, it’s like that for all capes. One of, probably the single worst day of our lives. Trauma and circumstances like that tend to create more villains than heroes. We can’t always help make things better with the way things are. If the Protectorate ever tried to bring down the hammer seriously on the ABB or Empire 88, then we’d be looking at potential war in the streets.” I paused thoughtfully, tapping a fingernail against the side of my mug. “‘Course, now I’m here. We could probably- Well that’s a discussion for another time with the Director. Anyway, my point is, I can do more if I have two heroic identities. One to be the public face, who can inspire hope for the people and be a protector. And then another who is more focused on just plain getting shit done and not worry about how things look to the public.” I smiled sheepishly. “Truth be told, I wish I could just be the protector full time, but sometimes you gotta be scary instead of inspiring.”
Taylor mulled over my words for a while. “It sounds like things aren’t as simple as the comic books pretend, are they?”
I snorted and shook my head. “Understatement of the century. So anyway, think Miss Bug would like to team-up with a couple of other vigilantes and hit the ABB where it hurts?”
She bit her lip and considered for a while. “Who’s this other indpendent?”
“Purity,” I held up a forestalling hand as Taylor’s eyes went wide and mouth opened. “She isn’t exactly a good person by any estimation, but she left the Empire almost two years ago and has been trying to be a hero. Failing in a lot of ways, seeing as she only goes after the ABB and non-white criminals, but she’s made some small difference which could go even further if she had back-up.”
“Working with a Nazi… it just doesn’t seem like something a hero would do,” Taylor said flatly. Swarm-emotional suppression maybe?
“I’ll be honest with you at least: I don’t plan on this being a long-term arrangement. If she keeps up the change of heart and stays a hero, starts working on that stupid as hell racism of hers, then I’d probably consider letting her keep at it. But I have a feeling that won’t happen, I’m willing to bet she’s like, two or three steps away from running back to the Empire because she misses their resources or being on a team. If that happens, then I won’t hesitate to take her down. But for the moment… I like to think that people deserve second chances.” I gave a small shrug and a sheepish smile. “Naive of me, especially about a Nazi, I know, but I try to be optimistic.”
Taylor stared blankly at a point just over my shoulder and sipped her tea. Finally her eyes focused back onto me. “I’m willing to help, but if Purity takes a single step out of line, I’ll-” She faltered, but pressed on. “I’ll make her regret it!”
Ah, there’s the lack of self confidence combined with reckless disregard for her own safety.
Not that I didn’t think Taylor couldn’t hurt Purity, she 100% could if given the right swarm and prep time, but as she was at the moment? I gave it even odds that Purity disintegrated or cut her in half with one of her beams.
“I understand that it's a hard thing to ask. Thank you for trusting me. Now, onto preparations: Did you bring your costume?”
Her face brightened and she pulled her backpack from underneath the table. “Yeah. I was able to keep it in my locker now that Sophia isn’t around anymore.” She spread the half-completed and very damaged costume out in front of us. “I was wondering what I would do until I was able to get this repaired, but do you think you could…?” Her expression was a mix of guilt and excitement, both at having to ask me to do something for her, but also at the prospect of having a proper costume.
I understood the feeling, I didn’t like asking for assistance either if I could help it. “Sure thing. Let me just…”
I focused my mana upon the damaged material, scanning it thoroughly. It was damned impressive that even the bits in front of me had survived after Lung was through. Mana filled in the gaps of missing material, forming material as if from nothing, but I took it a step further, enhancing the properties that made the spider-silk strong and flexible, making it even moreso. I also added the carapace torso armor that Taylor hadn’t yet managed to form yet, but knew she’d have made eventually. All in all, I’m fairly certain that the armor would give her a minor Brute rating on top of her already scary Master and Thinker ones.
“There we are, Miss Bug 2.0. Unless you’ve got a new name picked out?” I asked.
Taylor actually blushed a bit as she pulled out a notebook from her backpack, flipped to a page and then frowned. “Shoot, I coded this, let me just…”
“No need,” I waved a hand and the letters on the page lit up before rearranging into their uncoded form. “They’ll go back in a minute. May I?”
She nodded as I began to scan the page. “These were just ideas I had, but some of them just seem a little pretentious or over the top. I like Monarch, but I feel like that’s just asking for someone to come challenge me. Weaver is nice too, but… simple. Ladybug is too girly and I don’t even use ladybugs.”
I pointed to one name on the list that I liked. “How about this one?”
She eyed it. “It’s not a little too… presumptuous? Do you know your mythology?”
“I was a geek growing up. Read a lot of the old myths and legends, the sanitized versions for kids anyway. I like it. You made your own costume with spiders and I’m not sure how you fight yet, but I’m sure it would involve spiders to some degree or another.” Plus I liked the whole ‘mortal who challenged a god and won’ story. It fit Taylor or at least, who she had the potential to become.
“I’ll try it tonight and see if it fits.”
I nodded. “Just remember that heroes are meant to have big names. Hero, Legend, Eidolon, Alexandria… They didn’t just one day wake up, choose those names, and immediately embody them. They set a goal and then strived towards it. Just because you don’t think you can’t live up to your name today, doesn’t mean you won’t one day.”
She smiled and once again the sincerity behind it, like I’d just handed her the world, made me feel terrible. No one should ever look like that from just… basic kindness.
“I’ll be ready. I um… kinda told my dad that I’d be studying late tonight, so I don’t have to worry about sneaking out.”
“Good, let’s-” I was cut off as my phone chimed. Not my normal one though, my burner, the number I’d only given to Purity. “One sec.” I answered the burner, altering my voice to that of Kage’s. “Yeah?”
“Hello. Is this the anonymous ‘friend’ I met last night?” Purity’s voice asked warily. At least she had the sense to not just go throwing out codenames.
“This is Kage. Are you already set to go?”
“I thought about going after dark, but as you noticed, my powers are fueled by daylight. We’d have better odds if we attacked within the hour.”
“I’ll be there, with company, so don’t go blasting.”
“So long as you do the same. Building on the corner of 8th and Hudson, you know it?”
“I can find it.”
“Thirty minutes or I’m going in alone.”
She hung up on me after that, leaving me glaring at my burner. I looked over at Taylor. “Purity is all set. You ready for your new debut?”
Taylor took in a deep breath, exhaled slowly, then allowed her face to fall into a mask of pure control. It was a mask like iron, strong, but brittle if hit too hard. “Yeah.”
“Good. Oh, one more thing for you.” I reached into my coat pocket and yanked out a handle. “I spent literally all night on this. Hold the first button and flick.”
She did as I instructed and a collapsible baton revealed itself. “You… made this? It’s tinker-tech?”
“Yup. Press the second button.” I was practically bouncing, hoping she’d like it.
Once again she did as I asked and the baton crackled with electricity up and down its length, a sound not unlike a taser being emitted. “I don’t mean to be rude, but… how is this tinker-tech?”
Well technically it was magitech, but I don’t think she’d have appreciated the difference. “Other than the power source that gives it virtually limitless battery life? Look at the pommel.”
“There’s a bunch of different symbols?”
“Yeah, so you can twist that. Whichever one aligns with the control buttons, will give the baton a different elemental effect.”
She twisted once to the right and flinched back as the electricity stopped and instead the baton superheated instantly until it was glowing. “Holy shit.”
“Yeah, I call that the ‘lightsaber’ mode, cause it’ll cut through almost anything. Careful with that one, that could easily kill someone, it’s the only lethal setting there.”
“Why is there even something like that?!” She asked hysterically.
“Because sometimes you need to cut through heavy objects, it just so happens that it can also be used on other things. Not everyone will play by the rules, Taylor, you’ve already seen that first hand.”
She glanced at the glowing hot baton and nodded slowly. “I’ll use it carefully.”
“I know you will.”
+-+-+-
We arrived in a burst of darkness upon the rooftop Purity had designated. I hadn’t actually been there, but I had jumped onto a rooftop near where we’d first met and then skipped with line of sight until landing at the correct place, partly thanks to Taylor’s knowledge as a Brockton/ Docks native. We barely had to wait a few minutes until a second sun appeared from above and Purity descended to meet us.
“Hello, Kage. Thank you again for agreeing to this. And who might you be?” Purity asked, her voice having changed from ‘timid and unsure’ to that of ‘I was the second in command of the second largest gang in Brockton Bay. Do not fuck with me.’ It was honestly a little impressive.
Taylor stepped forward and gave Purity a small nod. “I am Arachne.” Her tone was neutral, but I could hear just the vaguest bit of insects beginning to buzz. She was pushing her emotions or rather, her reactions into them so that she had the mother of all poker faces.
Purity floated above the rooftop for a moment before finally settling on her feet. “The warehouse I’ve found is six blocks to our north. I approached from the south, so hopefully none of their spotters know I’m in the area yet. Before we begin though, I need to know what you two can do. You obviously know who I am, so you know that I’m qualified for work like this. I’ve been able to run off both Lung and Oni-Lee on my own, but I don’t know how either of you can help at this point.”
Valid concerns, but did she have to be so bitchy about it? “I am Kage. Master of light and shadows.” That earned nothing but a blank stare. I sighed. “Illusions. Normal weaponry cannot hurt me.”
“Useful. And how about you?” She stared haughtily at Taylor.
“I control insects.”
I could see Purity raise an eyebrow through her glow, but knew Taylor wouldn’t be able to see it. “That seems… Not as useful.”
Taylor stared slightly to the side of Purity to avoid the glow, but I could see how her body went tense.
C’mon Tay, you got this. Don’t let the bitch get to you.
“...There are exactly four-hundred and eighty-one thousand, six-hundred and fifty-two insects within my range at this moment. Roughly half of those are poisonous or venomous to one degree or another. And I control every single one of them, down to their very breathing.” Taylor tilted her head to the side and when combined with the new mask, it looked really unnerving. “I also fought Lung. On my very first night out. As you can see, I survived and he ended up running.”
Heh, clever girl, telling the truth, but allowing your audience to come to their own conclusions. I approved.
Purity continued to stare imposingly… before something loosened in her stance. “I believe I can work with you both, if you can with me. This could prove to be a strong blow against the ABB if we succeed. I’ll trust you to watch my back tonight and I’ll watch yours, deal?” She offered her hand to Taylor.
Taylor slowly nodded and took the hand, giving one firm shake before disengaging. I realized that Purity had been testing us, seeing how we’d react to her attitude. I have to admit she was smarter than I gave her credit for.
Purity didn’t offer me a hand (touching a minority was one step too far apparently), but a small nod and then she began to float into the sky. “Six blocks north. Abandoned factory. You’ll know it when you see it. Message me when you’re in position and I’ll start raining fire from the sky, you two move in at the front from there.”
I didn’t like that she was calling the shots, but well, it was her operation and she had more experience than Taylor and I put together. “You got it.”
“Understood,” Taylor said.
As soon as Purity took off into the sky, she turned to me and crossed her arms. “I don’t like her.”
“Preaching to the converted, but if her intel is good, some irritation will be worth it. Now let’s go. I have a feeling our ‘friend’ isn’t the patient type.”
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A/N: Here's the next one for you guys. Once again, I greatly appreciate all of you so much. I was out of town visiting family for the holiday, but I really want to get ahead some more so that I can deliver you all more than just one extra chapter a week. Take care :)
