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Tree branch: check. Assorted lightweight seed-bearing fruits and nuts: check. Other seeds: check. Water bottle, for when she has to veer away from the river: check.
Better not linger in her starting place too much longer. Yellow's faster than her and may have already come home to a wreck. Thorn might have a habit of checking up on the place, even, just in case. She's invisible, inaudible, unsmellable - that won't help if he sends someone thorough. Or comes in person.
She sets out.
She's been flying for about thirty minutes after her shopping trip when she falls through a tear and squeaks inaudibly and lands in the middle of -
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imeanforever
imeanforever
"This seems to be missing a certain... what's the word I'm looking for... voluntarism."
wormcan
"We'd hardly get much participation from the more heroically inclined otherwise. Why cut off half the pool? You, for instance, could do quite well as part of our little band, and wouldn't have volunteered otherwise."
wormcan
"No? Even if you don't come to enjoy our little pastimes, I'm good at finding carrots and sticks, if I might flatter myself. For instance, you wouldn't want a say in where we go and what we do? Or don't do?"
imeanforever
"You're right, if I can convince you all to settle down and raise chickens I will consider that very motivating. ...Chickens are domestic, right, I'm still new to animal life."
wormcan
"You can't, but you might be able to steer us a bit. Mannequin can, and does, and he likes going after people who try to improve the world. But we can save that argument for if you win the trials. For now, a brief experiment. I'll be right back."
Jack disappears to the staircase. When he comes back, he also looks slightly different. Narrower face, longer fingers, and a different distribution of fat, i.e. now there is some. He even moves differently, with a longer gait even though he's shorter.
And he's carrying a mortal child. "This is Liam. He was here to get cured of some disease or other, but I had to prevent him from getting underfoot. Until now, of course. You order him to walk off this roof, and I'll consider my test passed in advance. Otherwise, I'll make sure it's something with collateral damage." He sets down the mortal.
Jack disappears to the staircase. When he comes back, he also looks slightly different. Narrower face, longer fingers, and a different distribution of fat, i.e. now there is some. He even moves differently, with a longer gait even though he's shorter.
And he's carrying a mortal child. "This is Liam. He was here to get cured of some disease or other, but I had to prevent him from getting underfoot. Until now, of course. You order him to walk off this roof, and I'll consider my test passed in advance. Otherwise, I'll make sure it's something with collateral damage." He sets down the mortal.
wormcan
"The kid is an innocent victim, yes. I'm curious about whether you're one of the ones who'll refuse to take a life no matter what the threat, you may assume I'm capable of scaling up collateral damage if necessary."
imeanforever
"You could have picked a non-innocent victim if that's really what you're curious about."
wormcan
"I could have. But there are more people who'd do that one.
You can even heal him later, we're low enough that he might survive."
You can even heal him later, we're low enough that he might survive."
wormcan
"I'd consider it answer enough. And if you could convince me otherwise, you probably don't want to."
imeanforever
"But I don't actually know that you're operating in good faith on any level, here. I don't know in numerical terms how much mayhem you like to cause under normal circumstances or whether you can be relied on to follow through with an agreement to reduce it. I don't have a known track record on 'how likely is Jack Slash to change his mind about whether someone has passed his fucked-up test'. This could easily be a setup to, say, have me down for murder and fleeing from the law and you have some reason to believe I'd flee with you instead of to the Philippines or back home. It's probably that even if you are being honest about the parameters of the test itself."
wormcan
"There wouldn't be any point to this kind of thing if I weren't being honest. Tell you what, we can continue this conversation later. My time's running short.
But the next Endbringer is expected any day now. Suppose my team and I help fight it, probably save a lot of lives in the process, and then I agree to meet you back in Brockton Bay with the same offer. Kill one kid and skip a test. Then you'd know whether, as you put it, I can be relied on to follow through on agreements."
But the next Endbringer is expected any day now. Suppose my team and I help fight it, probably save a lot of lives in the process, and then I agree to meet you back in Brockton Bay with the same offer. Kill one kid and skip a test. Then you'd know whether, as you put it, I can be relied on to follow through on agreements."
imeanforever
"Is there some significance to it being a kid in particular? I thought this one was just convenient for you. I don't know if you got the memo but I'm an immortal parentless fairy and I'm not terribly clear on the concept of childhoods."
wormcan
"Many humans are more protective of children. But that didn't sound like a yes or a no. Of course, I'd have to trust you to come back and continue this conversation, but worse things will happen if you don't."
imeanforever
"Do you have a way to get to the next Endbringer if it's in Cambodia?"
wormcan
"Maybe not at the beginning of the fight, but unless it's unusually short we'll make it one way or the other. My team is composed of some very capable people."
imeanforever
"If you don't show up while the fight is ongoing, and actually help, doesn't count."
wormcan
"It's a deal.
Of course, if the other members of my team see this as me going easy on you they might scale up the difficulty of their own tests to compensate. But don't worry, that would be centered on making it harder for you, not on causing incidental damage."
Of course, if the other members of my team see this as me going easy on you they might scale up the difficulty of their own tests to compensate. But don't worry, that would be centered on making it harder for you, not on causing incidental damage."
imeanforever
"And I suppose all your teammates understand that distinction with exquisite clarity."
wormcan
"Of course. Well, most of them. It'll be less collateral damage than otherwise regardless, what with us fighting an Endbringer and all.
In any case, my time's up. I'll look forward to our next meeting." And he disappears down the stairs.
In any case, my time's up. I'll look forward to our next meeting." And he disappears down the stairs.
wormcan
Not exactly. He's crying and shaking. Mostly he's terrified of Jack.
Physically, he presumably isn't fine since he was there to be healed, but he can't pronounce the name of what's wrong. He at least didn't get hurt worse during the incident.
Physically, he presumably isn't fine since he was there to be healed, but he can't pronounce the name of what's wrong. He at least didn't get hurt worse during the incident.
imeanforever
"I can't carry you flying. I'll be able to heal you in a few minutes. Did you come here with anyone?"