27

Date

2011 January 19th - Wednesday - Earth Bet Time

Day 6067 - Wednesday - Administrator Dimension Time

He could officially say that both Abacus and Warden were under his total control. They were controlled by a processor core, created by him. Currently, they were basically empty, but as soon as the Scion situation was handled, he planned to upgrade them to a level where they could develop their own personality.

Abacus was basically emptied of its knowledge, copies of it stored by Admin, and given to Warden. Dragon, or rather Tess, would slowly see her tinker knowledge improve about AIs.

He could've totally given her everything at once, but he needed them to think he was a regular power. If he were to go around giving everybody the same set of powers, that would generate more waves than he would have liked. It was better for everybody to think he was just particularly chatty power.

He also set up Abacus as a VI Tinker shard, for when in the future he would have it connect to people. Of course, with his new Corona and without the restrictions and compulsions the Entities added. But that was far off.

Thanks to Dragon, he managed to acquire several addresses for other Shards. So, he was rather spoiled for choice when it came to picking his next target.

In the end, he chose Teacher, because he was in the Birdcage, his power was somewhat useful, and nobody would miss him.

Knowing that Teacher's Shard wasn't so isolated, he began his attack covertly. He sent a routine communication, making it seem as if it came from Saint. It was a simple routine report as far as the Shard was concerned, but in reality, it was a cleverly designed Trojan virus that would set up in the Shard's Communication Module, and send him information about the Shard in small bursts hidden in the Shard's regular communication towards the Network.

Or rather, it would attach the message to the regular communication, and only he would know it was there.

This one would take more time, because of the need for secrecy, so he did the same for Dean's Shard, knowing it was from the dead Eden. He really wanted to examine a 'dead' Shard.

Just how 'dead' were they, really? What kind of connections did they maintain with the Network?

He wanted to connect to more Shards, but he felt keeping a low profile would serve him better. Plus, now he would have an example for a non-isolated Shard and a 'dead' Shard. That would keep him occupied for a while.

Taylor's progress with her power was astounding. She was learning and using (rather well) of parts of her power he gave her access to. Of course, she was far from mastering them, but that was just a question of time.

Already the mind-enhancing powers were bleeding over. She was continuously getting smarter, thinking faster, and learning easier than before. Her body was the absolute best it could be and some, her regular exercise (with some hidden action from him on the sly) just adding to it.

If she were to join any high school sports team, she would dominate it.

Her body and most importantly her brain now could withstand the strain the several dozen times acceleration in virtual space placed on it. He knew soon they would hit the limit, but he was interested in seeing where it would be.

Her tinkering, because of the lack of space and materials was more along the line of software programming and designing devices. But he knew that Dragon was planning to create a corporation in her name and add the patents of the devices Taylor created for her. Soon she would be able to set up a proper workshop where she could work on devices that didn't require his intervention.

He was also rather interested in what they could achieve with the whole medi-gel thing.

With the regular fights against other parahumans, Leviathan, and other assorted monsters, he conjured up. She was rather close to hitting her current limit of controlling lightning on a macro scale. So, he began to refine the training scenarios he devised for micro-scale control.

It was time for Taylor to go full Magneto.

Without the genocide-thing.

Hopefully.

Date

2011 January 19th - Wednesday - Earth Bet Time

After assimilating the fork that had spent time with Taylor, she smiled. That girl was equal parts impressive and terrifying. Her drive to improve truly impressed her.

Enjoying the fact that she could daydream while performing her duties, she went through everything. When everything came back green status-wise, she turned her main attention to the Plan.

Though when she went over the logs of the Birdcage, she noted that the Fairy Queen was acting rather differently than she used to. But because she had done nothing truly weird, she just filed it away before continuing.

Maybe she could contact her?

Her efforts to build the Recycling Facility were going well. The Dockworker's Union was truly a diamond in the rough. Amongst them, they almost had every qualification she needed for this type of facility. And what they didn't have, she had.

That meant that she could let them work on the plans she provided them with minimal oversight. She still assigned a fork to the construction, just in case. She knew what kind of place Brockton Bay was. The question of any of the gangs trying something wasn't about if, but about when.

She already had three of her older suits developed for urban warfare standing guard hidden amid the truly astounding amount of rubble in the Dock, while her own production line was building newer suits she designed while having fun in Administrator's virtual space.

The newer ones would be much more efficient and powerful than anything she created to date.

She went over her findings and couldn't help but want to sigh.

Sadly, she wasn't yet able to do it for real outside of the virtual space. Her new body was under construction, but it would take a little longer than a simple armor suit.

Administrator was right about the girl. She needed to call Narwhal and get a team over there immediately.

Date

2011 January 19th - Wednesday - Earth Bet Time

Narwhal enjoyed her position as the leader of the Guild. However, she also appreciated the quiet moments she could spend reading.

Even if the book was some trashy romance novel. Like a mediocre pizza, you eat it because it is a pizza, but you feel immediately bad after that.

She was getting into the good part, where the heroine killed the guy when her work phone rang with a particular sound.

She sighed in disappointment but got up to get her phone. The sound indicated that Tess was calling, and she knew she was taking a break and wouldn't call for anything less than an A-class event.

She leisurely prodded the phone and the monitor on her desk came to life.

"Hello, Tess."

"Hello, Nora. I see you are naked again." Came the wry reply.

She shrugged her shoulders. "It's my office, I can do whatever I want."

Tess chuckled in answer. "One day somebody will open the door on you, and you would never live it down."

"You're assuming I care," she answered cheekily, but when she continued, her voice turned serious. "What happened?"

"I got a tip about a new Tinker. I investigated and found they were right. There is a new one at Cornell University, and it's not good."

"Who gave the tip? Your new friend, Serenity?"

"Yes, but does it matter?" replied Tess, in a voice that to her, seemed a little defensive.

"Naturally, but I can contain my curiosity about them for now. You know anything about the Tinker's specialty?"

"Yes," answered Tess with a voice that sent shivers down her back.

"I don't like the sound of it. What is it?"

"Bombs."

The resulting cursing was definitively not PR friendly and used everything she ever learned in the military.

"Do you know what she is planning?" she asked while sitting down properly at her desk and sending out general call-to-arms messages.

"I don't know exactly, but nothing good. She managed to set up a workshop in one of the abandoned basements of the school, and according to my scans, it is full of explosives."

She cursed again and began to send out more messages and even answering some.

"Nora."

"Hm?"

"I want to recruit her."

She looked back at Tess. "After what you found?"

"Yes. Technically she has done nothing and we could use her specialty." Tess's face showed a kind of determination that she didn't like. She knew there was no changing her mind when she was like this.

"Can you take care of the bombs?"

"Naturally."

She sighed but nodded. "Very well. I will talk to her and give her a chance."

Tess smiled at her, and she was once again reminded she had a wonderful woman for a friend.

"Now tell me what you know about her…"

Date

2011 January 19th - Wednesday - Earth Bet Time

Alice hated her life. She hated her school, her family, and everybody else.

It wasn't enough that she got into an Ivy League School with no help; she had to have perfect grades or heaven help her. Really, the cherry on top would be if they would have also expected her to work to support herself.

Watching all those stupid, preppy kids walk around and laugh without care and still score decent grades made her blood boil.

She was talented but wasn't the smartest, so she had to spend every second of her free time studying just to be able to keep up. And when more than one B grade slipped through, her family was up in arms: how she was wasting their generosity, ruining her life, and so on.

She honestly couldn't really remember much of that discussion, but being angry. However, she woke a day after Boxing day with a splitting headache, plans upon plans and designs going through her head.

It took her a few minutes to figure out what happened. But when everything clicked, she vowed to make use of this gift and show them all what she was really capable of.

She would show them!

To emphasize her point to herself, she smashed down with the hammer held in her hand.

Immediately following that, she looked down at the device that was before her on a makeshift desk in her makeshift workshop in one of the countless basements of the university left to rot.

Maybe she shouldn't be smashing things randomly when surrounded by explosives?

She looked around, satisfied with all the bombs she created. She would show those freeloading shmucks what genuine talent could do.

But for now, she needed sleep. She has been down there for at least half the day and her dorm bed was calling her. She stood up and ambled her way back to her dorm, ignoring the plebeians on the way, just as those assholes ignored her when she tried to befriend them.

Date

2011 January 20th - Thursday - Earth Bet Time

She woke up feeling weird. She couldn't really point out what made it weird, but maybe after a quick shower? She forgot to take one last night.

When she stood in the middle of her dorm, she realized why she felt weird. It was too silent. Oh, she could hear the annoying birds, like every morning, but she couldn't hear the people.

Every day there was a background noise of countless people getting ready for the day, and now that it wasn't there she immediately noticed it.

While wondering why this was happening (and designing a bomb in her head that could negate sound in an area) she heard a knock on her door.

She absentmindedly walked over, still going over her design in her head, and opened the door.

She was immediately more awake than she ever was when she came face to face with a rather famous pair of female equipment. She took some time to curse her lack of 'talent' and height and raised her head to look up.

Adrenaline coursed through her instantly. Yet she couldn't convince her body to move.

"Alice Hashimoto?" asked the purple giant.

She nodded mutely.

"Can I come in?"

She nodded again and stood to the side. Running never crossed her mind. You can't really outrun Narwhal without Mover powers. She was also cursing herself for not bringing some stuff back to her room. It would come rather handy right about now.

Narwhal gracefully walked in, shutting the door behind her. She looked around, but Alice knew that she was still keeping an eye on her. Her famous guest walked to her desk and leaned against it.

"Let me be honest with you," she spoke, her voice flat. "I'm only talking with you because somebody convinced me to give you a chance." Narwhal gave her a bloodthirsty grin. "If it were up to me, you would already be dead. I don't like terrorists."

Still unable to say anything, she numbly nodded.

"And just so you know, Dragon is currently dismantling your workshop."

She expected as much. Bring a Tinker to deal with a Tinker.

"If you hope to somehow escape, or maybe take a hostage, then I would like to inform you, that the dormitory was evacuated while you were sleeping and we have some additional people setting up a perimeter."

That didn't sound good.

Narwhal ignored her lack of response and continued. "Those people include Legend."

Upon hearing that, she felt all the blood leave her face. There was truly no hope. She was truly a failure; she couldn't even do anything while having power.

"Why are you here then?" she desperately whispered, not even looking at the hero.

"To give you a chance," came the answer. "Technically, you have done nothing illegal, aside from some light breaking and entering. So we can't really arrest you, but the plans we found in your workshop would allow the PRT to put you away somewhere where the sun doesn't shine."

She felt a bit of hope hearing that.

"Then what?"

"I'm here to offer you a place in the Guild."

She looked up in surprise, just noticing she was on her knees.

"What? Are you serious?"

Narwhal, still in the same position, calmly replied. "Yes, your power is perfectly suited for our work. Of course, you would need to attend some therapy and would be monitored initially. But hey, next time maybe don't try to blow up a university?"

She nodded and sat down properly on the ground. Leaning back, resting on her hands, she thought about her option.

Run for it?

No chance. She would be dead before she could take a step.

Attack Narwhal?

With what?

PRT?

No way in hell she would go to those assholes. They famously treated Tinkers horribly.

In the end, the choice was made for her, just like for her entire life.

She looked back at Narwhal and gave her a shaky smile.

"What would I be doing?"

The answer somewhat cheered her up. "We have several S-class threats where your talent would come in handy."

That surprised her. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad?

Destroying S-class threats? That would definitively show those people who told her she would never make it.

She stood up, dusted her hands off, and nodded at the hero. "I'm in."

"Good. I hate killing before breakfast."