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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]
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characterquarry
wormcan
"We can't. Someone somewhere probably can, but I don't know who. There are other worlds, we're in contact with one, but the Tinker who made the portal died."
wormcan
The car drives up to a completely ordinary-looking house. "This isn't the base. Location's secret, and you still might not join," Senegal explains. (Of course the secretive paramilitary organization has a house. They have some of everything.)
characterquarry
It doesn't look ordinary to her, but at least it's the same as all the others. "Key?"
Presumably getting one, she unloads her gear into the garage, has a shower after being briefly confused about the plumbing, and sleeps for a solid twelve hours or until awoken.
Presumably getting one, she unloads her gear into the garage, has a shower after being briefly confused about the plumbing, and sleeps for a solid twelve hours or until awoken.
wormcan
Nobody interferes. When she wakes up, she'll find a change of clothes in her approximate size if she doesn't prefer the uniform, and one of Senegal's colleagues waiting downstairs.
characterquarry
The uniform is filthy. She changes clothes. (Jeans feel weird.)
When she comes downstairs, she opens with, "Giving me a nice place to sleep bought you my interest. At home I was necessary, if I didn't help the Witches, the Neuroi would glass one more city, turn another hundred farmsteads to ash. Here that doesn't seem to be a problem so you'll need to convince me to join this group instead of what seemed like at least a half a dozen other groups in this city."
When she comes downstairs, she opens with, "Giving me a nice place to sleep bought you my interest. At home I was necessary, if I didn't help the Witches, the Neuroi would glass one more city, turn another hundred farmsteads to ash. Here that doesn't seem to be a problem so you'll need to convince me to join this group instead of what seemed like at least a half a dozen other groups in this city."
wormcan
"First, some background. I'm not sure how much Senegal told you.
Half of the groups here are criminal gangs. Drugs, robberies, the occasional rape or murder, and different directions of racism. I'm assuming you don't want to join any of those.
Last night was one of the rare emergencies worse than turning a hundred farmsteads to ash. And the bombs were only a distraction while one of Bakuda's teammates broke another out of jail.
This organization, working for a man called Coil, is one of the groups opposing those. Unlike the official heroes, we operate more like a military than like a game of dodgeball. There is an elaborate system of unspoken rules, in which nobody kills one another or exposes secret identities, but it also involves nobody trying very hard to get their opponents arrested. This organization, staffed entirely by non-capes with the possible exception of you, is outside those rules and can make more progress."
Half of the groups here are criminal gangs. Drugs, robberies, the occasional rape or murder, and different directions of racism. I'm assuming you don't want to join any of those.
Last night was one of the rare emergencies worse than turning a hundred farmsteads to ash. And the bombs were only a distraction while one of Bakuda's teammates broke another out of jail.
This organization, working for a man called Coil, is one of the groups opposing those. Unlike the official heroes, we operate more like a military than like a game of dodgeball. There is an elaborate system of unspoken rules, in which nobody kills one another or exposes secret identities, but it also involves nobody trying very hard to get their opponents arrested. This organization, staffed entirely by non-capes with the possible exception of you, is outside those rules and can make more progress."
characterquarry
"It sounds like I'd be opposing people, not forces of nature or incomprehensible aliens. I'd have killed Bakuda if that was the only way to get her to stop exploding things, yes, but please take a moment to appreciate that human enemies are new to me. And I hardly believe you're composed entirely of non-capes, especially as you seem to be trying to recruit me."
wormcan
"The unstoppable forces of nature attack every few months. Against those, only capes fight.
Initially, we wanted to recruit you as a form of misdirection. With your powers, anything you did would appear to be friendly or accidental fire, and examination after the fact would bear that out. Knowledge of the opponent is crucial against capes, by the way, that might not be true of your aliens. And when facing a previously unknown cape, you would be able to tell us exactly what we're up against.
That's why we want you. One thing we can offer that other groups can't, is a better chance at getting home. Senegal mentioned telling you that no one knows how. Coil is in a better position than most to try to find out. Second best would be the Protectorate, but whether they would be willing to is another question."
Initially, we wanted to recruit you as a form of misdirection. With your powers, anything you did would appear to be friendly or accidental fire, and examination after the fact would bear that out. Knowledge of the opponent is crucial against capes, by the way, that might not be true of your aliens. And when facing a previously unknown cape, you would be able to tell us exactly what we're up against.
That's why we want you. One thing we can offer that other groups can't, is a better chance at getting home. Senegal mentioned telling you that no one knows how. Coil is in a better position than most to try to find out. Second best would be the Protectorate, but whether they would be willing to is another question."
characterquarry
"Yeah, well... This whole thing feels very sketchy. I do think you're acting in good faith here, giving me a roof and so on, but I didn't sign up to the Witch Wings to use my magic on humans. I might wait for the paralysis of rules you claim exists to show itself before considering options outside the law."
wormcan
"Oh, it's not exactly paralyzing. The capes who follow the unwritten rules do it because everyone else is, or because it's safer, or because it's more fun, depending on who you ask. The only ones with rules that explicitly tie them down are the Protectorate. Or Wards, for you, if you're as young as you look."
Here, there aren't many targets for magic other than humans. Except the Endbringers, and most of the time there isn't an attack going on. If that's the concern, you should be with whoever can get you to your home world fastest. And that's probably us."
Here, there aren't many targets for magic other than humans. Except the Endbringers, and most of the time there isn't an attack going on. If that's the concern, you should be with whoever can get you to your home world fastest. And that's probably us."
characterquarry
"Hm. Alright, I am provisionally willing to work with you in exchange for Coil looking into ways to get me home and - let's say double my salary in the Witches, plus a risk bonus when you send me into combat. I'll work out the equivalency later, it's not likely to be utterly ridiculous, they don't pay us that much. But I do not want to sign a contract at this time because your organization would likely just ignore it if you really felt like doing that. Oh, and if you can get lots of silver and gold and gemstones that would be nice, I can store mana for later use in those."
wormcan
"Silver and gold and gemstones? Was that intentionally designed to be expensive? We can get it, depending on the quantity you need, but that sounds like it would be inconvenient."
characterquarry
"It's not designed to be expensive, that's just how I work. I don't need literally tons of the stuff unless I want to store a year's worth of juice and use it all on one day, but it would allow me to save up power for emergency situations. I was damn near empty yesterday, but I could have kept healing for maybe another hour if I had a charged locket. Maybe I'll just buy 'em with what you pay me."
wormcan
"I'll tell the boss, he'll probably give you that as a signing bonus.
Can you describe your military experience? Superpowers are one thing, but competence is just as important."
Can you describe your military experience? Superpowers are one thing, but competence is just as important."
characterquarry
"Joined the United Forces at age 12, spent a year and a half in training at London Airbase before being assigned to the 42nd Wing as a Witch Third Class. Spent one month as a courier, three doing odd jobs, but by then I was 14 and powerful enough to go on patrols and combat missions. And I started accumulating enough copied magic that I was uncommonly adaptable. I have 39 personal Neuroi kills to my name over the course of about eight hundred engagements - but I usually acted in a support role, so the low count is normal. I've been severely wounded only once. Got promoted to Second Class somewhere in there."
characterquarry
"No. They're crystalline black things, supernaturally strong and firing red energy beams. All shapes and sizes. They regenerate from anything short of total disintegration, or the destruction of their core crystal. Other biggest thing is that they're aggressively unpredictable. The one thing you can be sure a Neuroi will do is suprise you. A full flight of Witches, twelve of us, against a lone Neuroi is no contest. Usually. One wing versus three is iffy. Our ground forces can't do much to them, but you've seen our tech level."
wormcan
"I heard you had a stack of flintlocks. How'd you like to switch those out for the kind from two hundred years later?"
characterquarry
"Breakfast first." Breakfast is had, and she follows to their car afterward.
Along the way, "Say, you probably don't have Steelwings, but they kinda-sorta operate on mechanical principles. Any old broom will do for flying, but Steelwings make us faster and more maneuverable, and they're better for endurance too. Do you think someone could make me a better one?"
Along the way, "Say, you probably don't have Steelwings, but they kinda-sorta operate on mechanical principles. Any old broom will do for flying, but Steelwings make us faster and more maneuverable, and they're better for endurance too. Do you think someone could make me a better one?"
wormcan
"Almost surely. We've got aerodynamics down to a science, and that's not even counting the people whose superpowers are to be good at building things. It'd take a bit of time, though."
characterquarry
"Of course. It's an exciting idea, though. Almost more exciting than a futuristic gun. My top speed on a plain old stick is about as fast as a galloping horse, but on the steelwing I can go fast enough I have to toughen myself against the wind. I wonder how much better it can get."
wormcan
"If we get Tinkers involved, it depends how well you can harden yourself against the wind."
They arrive at the range, and start testing modern weaponry. It's really Grendyne's abilities with it that are being tested, of course, but that's to be expected since she's joining a paramilitary organization.
They arrive at the range, and start testing modern weaponry. It's really Grendyne's abilities with it that are being tested, of course, but that's to be expected since she's joining a paramilitary organization.