This post's authors have general content warnings that might apply to the current post.
View Flat HTML
View Metadata
Search Post
Grendyne groans and starts pulling on her boots when the alarm goes off. Again. She quick-marches to the broom hangar, sits on her machine and is handed a plethora of loaded weapons by attentive corporals.
"Two flyers in one day? They're getting way too common."
"It's worse," the commander informs them, "South Karlsland got hit with three at once. We're taking Lytee's express and sleeping there. You can sit out if you absolutely need to, but Freya's still recovering so we could use you as a comms relay."
"No, I'll come. I just reserve the right to complain about it."
The 42nd United Forces Witch Wing takes off and assembles into a perfect synchronized formation as Lytee charges her teleport power.
...This is not South Karlsland wilderness.
[note: halfway through this thread I created a unique account for Grendyne. Do not be alarmed by the change in account. -Rockeye]
characterquarry
wormcan
He does, occasionally, asking for clarification or justification where called for. Details on how her teleportation works, for instance, and whether Coil might have misdirected it to PRT HQ since he clearly already has some method of interfering.
When she's done, "The Undersiders. You said you suspected they were working for Coil? It was their attack that got Calvert his promotion, when Director Piggot had to step down. They said she was a target, and we never did find out what they meant."
When she's done, "The Undersiders. You said you suspected they were working for Coil? It was their attack that got Calvert his promotion, when Director Piggot had to step down. They said she was a target, and we never did find out what they meant."
witchwatcher
"Again, circumstantial. When I talked to Skitter a couple weeks ago she had a far more emotional reaction to my accusing Coil of things than I would expect from someone hearing about a random villain. Finding out her boss was doing that fits her reaction more.
And they have to be getting their money from somewhere. Tattletale's power said Tattletale was making glaring omissions when discussing Coil. It's possible he's redirecting my teleport since he's interfering with it at all. I don't know how much harder it would be to make the give a wrong answer than to fail to give a clear answer at all."
And they have to be getting their money from somewhere. Tattletale's power said Tattletale was making glaring omissions when discussing Coil. It's possible he's redirecting my teleport since he's interfering with it at all. I don't know how much harder it would be to make the give a wrong answer than to fail to give a clear answer at all."
wormcan
"Before making any moves that can't be taken back, you should try teleporting to Coil more often. You could try it now; the Director is out of the building. If it tracks his location, then he's either Coil or being very impressively framed."
witchwatcher
"Alright." She closes her eyes and tries to teleport to Coil. This time the frame of the world shrinks to a thin line of Downtown, stretching from PRT HQ to City Hall. She frowns and investigates the feeling of... Vague confusion? Ah. The teleport is trying to track two different people.
...She asks it for the man who dressed as Coil and asked her questions and gets a man at a desk, doing paperwork. She asks it for Coil, with the new knowledge that he probably used a body double, and gets Thomas Calvert listening to a speech in City Hall.
She reports all this to Armsmaster.
...She asks it for the man who dressed as Coil and asked her questions and gets a man at a desk, doing paperwork. She asks it for Coil, with the new knowledge that he probably used a body double, and gets Thomas Calvert listening to a speech in City Hall.
She reports all this to Armsmaster.
wormcan
"You can see people as well as tell whether it works?
You're right about the Director's location, and if the man who introduced himself as Coil is at the PRT it's verifiable without having to do anything drastic like arrest Director Calvert before being certain. Can you describe him?"
You're right about the Director's location, and if the man who introduced himself as Coil is at the PRT it's verifiable without having to do anything drastic like arrest Director Calvert before being certain. Can you describe him?"
witchwatcher
"I can't see anything around him, but he's maybe five foot eleven, rather thin-" She goes on to accurately describe one of the PRT's mid-level officers in significant detail.
wormcan
It's not anything like an exact description of Director Calvert, but if Gren is right this man would at all relevant times be wearing a full-body suit designed to make him look like the real Coil,
"I can talk to the mole, see how far I can get before he finds out he's a suspect. If you come it'll tip him off that something's out of the ordinary. Will you be able to keep an eye on Calvert remotely?"
"I can talk to the mole, see how far I can get before he finds out he's a suspect. If you come it'll tip him off that something's out of the ordinary. Will you be able to keep an eye on Calvert remotely?"
witchwatcher
"Using my teleport power as a scry is tricky as hell. Not what it's meant for. Like being about to move your arm, really meaning to, tensing the muscles, but not actually doing anything. I doubt I could hold it for an extended period of time but I can check every half hour or so. I have an actual scry - but that only targets areas, for some reason it won't meld with the teleport's person-targetting. Cape powers are much more finicky about combining with other things than Witch specials."
wormcan
"It's low priority, if he doesn't know he's suspected he'll probably keep acting as normal.
How good is Tattletale's power at finding out what people are hiding? I'll know if the suspect lies, or if he's hiding something, but might not catch what. If it would help, I can patch you in through a helmet camera."
How good is Tattletale's power at finding out what people are hiding? I'll know if the suspect lies, or if he's hiding something, but might not catch what. If it would help, I can patch you in through a helmet camera."
witchwatcher
"It's pretty good, especially if you ask pointed questions. I can't do it for more than five minutes at a time though, thinker headache. Audio only was enough for Tattletale and I to have a very, very subtext-laden conversation, but the helmet cam would help."
wormcan
"Good. We'll have to assume he knows to avoid direct lies at the very least, but five minutes should be enough."
He mounts his motorcycle and points it toward the PRT building. "Want a ride, or would you rather fly?"
He mounts his motorcycle and points it toward the PRT building. "Want a ride, or would you rather fly?"
witchwatcher
"I'll fly. Might have to leave suddenly, by the way. Unlikely but possible. I've got a few emergency medical response contracts, get called in about once a week. If that happens a recording will be better than nothing." Her steelwing picks itself up again.
wormcan
They arrive at the replacement PRT HQ in approximately no time at all. Before walking in as if nothing is wrong, Armsmaster hands her a screen showing the view from his helmet.
He finds the person Gren's teleportation thinks has masqueraded as Coil, addresses him by name, and asks about recent villain activity. Apparently this is one of the people to ask about that. Armsmaster pretends to be looking for information on some previously unaffiliated villains who allied against the Undersiders, and tries to lead him into consciously not saying that he has been to a truce like that one as a participant.
It'll be obvious to Gren-as-Tattletale that this was also Coil's stand-in when the alliance against the ABB was negotiated, but Armsmaster won't have that verified until she tells him.
He finds the person Gren's teleportation thinks has masqueraded as Coil, addresses him by name, and asks about recent villain activity. Apparently this is one of the people to ask about that. Armsmaster pretends to be looking for information on some previously unaffiliated villains who allied against the Undersiders, and tries to lead him into consciously not saying that he has been to a truce like that one as a participant.
It'll be obvious to Gren-as-Tattletale that this was also Coil's stand-in when the alliance against the ABB was negotiated, but Armsmaster won't have that verified until she tells him.
wormcan
That's apparently enough to stop worrying about whether the suspect knows he's suspected. Armsmaster switches to more direct questions, followed by arresting the guy and calling in Gren and the Deputy Director.
witchwatcher
Gren keeps herself stony-faced, only allowing the tiniest smirk to come through at what she hopes is her impending justice/revenge.
wormcan
Well, this is just a minion, even if it is the minion who was overseeing her imprisonment.
Acting Director Renick is easily convinced, between Armsmaster and Gren, but they don't have Coil himself yet. "We can't just accuse him publicly. It would be the worst PR move imaginable. But he isn't threatening anything or anyone right now, and we can arrest him more discreetly with no risk."
Acting Director Renick is easily convinced, between Armsmaster and Gren, but they don't have Coil himself yet. "We can't just accuse him publicly. It would be the worst PR move imaginable. But he isn't threatening anything or anyone right now, and we can arrest him more discreetly with no risk."
witchwatcher
"I'm normally not a vigilante, you know. I just have a grudge for Coil. I won't be trying to step on your toes."
witchwatcher
"I found out that he was still active somehow during a discussion with the Travelers after that incident with the clones in Horten. After that a borrowed Thinker power plus some good old-fashioned research connected the dots. Armsmaster has the full story."
wormcan
Renick mentally revises Gren's thinker rating. "Can find the skeletons in PRT directors' closets" is a highly relevant attribute.
A phone beeps. "He's gone. Left the building, tased McKay, disappeared. Copycat, can you get us to him?"
A phone beeps. "He's gone. Left the building, tased McKay, disappeared. Copycat, can you get us to him?"
witchwatcher
"Yes. Immediately?" She's already reaching to connect everyone present to her teleport-sense.
If they say 'yes,' Copycat, Armsmaster, the Deputy Director, and any officers present are surrounding Calvert from all sides except below within seconds.
If they say 'yes,' Copycat, Armsmaster, the Deputy Director, and any officers present are surrounding Calvert from all sides except below within seconds.
whole_new_can
The reasons to wait stopped applying when they lost track of him. (Hopefully Gren is the only one above him. None of the others can fly.)
Calvert waits for a conversationally excessive amount of time. Eventually he asks his former second in command, "I take it I'm under arrest?"
"Extremely."
Calvert waits for a conversationally excessive amount of time. Eventually he asks his former second in command, "I take it I'm under arrest?"
"Extremely."