4.4

Reaching the Rig we were quickly ushered through the base. There was an efficient air of nervousness around us. While there was no one running around in panic, it was obvious that the potential was there. Yet instead of fear, it was excitement, determination and a sense of duty that kept people moving. I expected more injured survivors being carried around in a time of crisis but then reminded myself that this base was on top of water and away from the closest hospital.

The Rig had to have some sort of medical facility though right?

Going through the reception area I passed through the Wards area to get ready. Shadow Stalker needed to get some extra ammunition that could only be made and kept on site since it was Tinker tech. We were the first ones here apparently and I found it odd how empty the place felt without the other Wards. I decided to see if the other Heroes need any help. It wasn't just an excuse to meet with my favourite Heroes.

Well, I already met Armsmaster and he unmasked, the only other adult Hero I had ever met was Miss Militia but that was when I was trapped in containment foam with her shotgun in my face.

Hopefully we wouldn't need to repeat that experience.

Approaching a heavily armed PRT agent I asked for directions.

"Hello." I greeted him. "I'm kind of new here, can I get directions to see the other heroes?"

He looked down to me and nodded.

"Of course Vim, just head past the reception area and turn left down the hallway, there should be signs to the labs. Armsmaster should be around there." I thanked him and made my way through all of the staff. Overhead a helicopter flew past, it's rotors loudly whirring by piercing through even the walls of the Rig. I suppose we had windows and the fortifications didn't need to be too thick since we had a force field.

I wondered who built said force field?

Probably Armsmaster but I didn't want to assume. I wouldn't have to guess for much longer since I could just ask him once I see him. Maybe Kid Win or Gallant had built it? No, I was pretty sure that the Rig's force field was around even before they had joined so it was most likely Armsmaster who had set it up. Making my way through the hallways I managed to finally find my way to the laboratory section, though it smelt more like a mechanics workshop despite how clean it looked.

Getting access was easy, I had been given a card earlier before joining the Wards and it seemed that I had permission to go even here which made sense since I was technically a Tinker myself. On the wall was a picture of all the Heroes, lined up and posing with the Rig behind them. It must've been an old picture though since I couldn't see Triumph on it.

"Hello." A feminine voice called me. I turned to see Battery, one of my favourite heroes. "Vim was it?"

"Battery?" I asked, she used to be the leader of the Wards back in the day until she graduated to a full Hero. Her costume was a grey under suit covered in blue lines to make her look like a human circuit board. Her power allowed her to 'charge up' the longer that she stayed still. This made her faster, stronger and just like her name suggested, something to do with electricity.

"That's me." She replied easily.

Though she was older than me, I noted that she was only an inch or two taller. I was still growing but unlike her I'd always be a bean pole. The realisation that I'd never be as beautiful made me feel a bit depressed honestly.

"Uh hi." I greeted her. "I mean yes."

"Well it's nice to see you Vim, sorry for taking up you time but I wanted to ask you a few questions." She replied, I nodded dumbly for her to continue. "First of all, I was just wondering how long you've had your powers."

I tried to think back. Back to when I first ate dirt, literally. It was only shortly after I was let out of the hospital. The bullying didn't let up, it only emboldened the bullies, as if the worst I could do to them was useless. In hindsight, it was true. I was sent to the hospital, police got involved and not a single person was punished despite my testimony.

I still remember the day that I figured out that I had powers. I was walking to school after getting off the bus. However before I had even reached the front gates I was pushed into the dirt by someone off the footpath, they grinded my face into the ground. As I screamed and struggled something in my mind told me that I had eaten something that would 'damage stamina'. I wasn't worried about being poisoned, the idea that they could damage my stamina was a clinical thought at most.

At first I thought I was delirious, that this idea was just a desperate belief that I had powers but the thought was already planted in my head. I began to believe I had powers, that I had to test them, I had to do anything to believe that I mattered.

Throughout the week I began looking around for things to eat, to get the clinical feeling back. Eventually I found mushrooms, flowers, even raw eggs allowed me to get that clinical feeling of 'properties'. But properties for what? Everything I ate had a property that could be identified. I always imagined that each ingredient had at least four but at the time I could only detect one.

What was I supposed to do with these thoughts of 'damage stamina' or 'resist magic'? It wasn't until I ate a bit of wheat that I realized that I had something for 'restore health'. At first I thought I was some sort of food based Trump. That I'd eat some mushrooms and gain the power to drain someone's energy and put them to sleep but that was never the case.

I eventually came to the conclusion that I could make potions. With an old chemistry set, along with a mortar and pestle, I began grinding the ingredients. It was then I found that I could make bottles out of thin air and conclusive proof that I was not crazy, that I was in fact a Parahuman.

I began searching for ingredients and finding out what sorts of potions I could make with them all. It was something to distract me from school. As my stockpile grew, another question grew in my mind. What was I going to do with it all? The answer was obvious, I'd become a hero and so here I was.

"I've had my powers for months…" I answered her. "I've been making potions for almost the entire time."

She nodded in understanding. "I get it, it's hard not to use your powers once you have them." She demonstrated by having a small arc of lightning travel from her fingers. "It'd be like asking someone to not use their arms."

Not exactly where I was going with everything but sure, why not? "Uhh yeah." I weakly agreed, she wasn't wrong at least.

"So only been doing the whole potion thing for a month?" She asked again.

"Uhh a couple at least, I uhh didn't start until later after I got my powers." I told her again. She seemed to accept my answer when Armsmaster entered.

"Battery? What are you doing here? Something wrong with your suit?" He asked. "Oh, Vim, good to see you here, your iron bars are in storage over here, sorry for not telling you sooner."

Iron bars? Oh right, he offered to buy me some. Following Armsmaster I was disappointed to find that the lab had a lot less bubbling chemicals, robot arms and holograms then I first imagined. The coolest thing on display was a bunch of tools and a halberd. Walking up to a cupboard he pressed his palm against it revealing the contents as the door swung open.

Iron bars, stacks of them, up to my hips. Twenty of them all together.

"Apologies if I had purchased too little or not enough." He began. "I don't know what your method of production is but you're welcome to the lab, I'd be more then happy to help."

"Oh it's alright, I can make things instantly remember?" He nodded before pressing something on his helmet. "Uhh are you… are you recording me?"

"Of course." He didn't elaborate for a few seconds. "While most Tinkers cannot duplicate each other's works, we can however determine basics so that we can still help each other."

"Uhh, I don't think you understand, I make things instantly."

"It's alright, I have a high speed shutter cam installed." He easily replied. I shook my head in amusement and decided to show him exactly what I meant by instantly. Dropping my Anvil in the middle of the room I got to work. Putting all of the iron bars into my inventory I then pulled out my hammer. I noted that I only had two leather strips left which meant I couldn't do too many things with the iron. I did however have four sets of leather braces and helmets to spare. Perhaps I could get those cut up later for more strips?

Regardless I wanted to show off.

Within seconds I had a sword and shield. Smiling proudly I showed them off to the heroes. While I didn't really want to use the sword against people, I figured it looked heroic. Besides, I could always put it away to punch people to knock them out later.

"So what do you think?"

Armsmaster stood there, brushing his hand against his helmet repeatedly.

"They just vanish and appear." He began. "Just like the potions you put away and had given me before. Fascinating." When had he gotten so close? "Preliminary scans show that the shield and sword despite being made by you do not radiate the same energy signatures that your potions do."

I think I was being praised?

He grabbed my sword by the blade to inspect it more closely, obediently I let go.

"Not very sharp from what I can tell." Nope, not being praised, I deflated. "Still, I can't really let you out with this since it's technically Tinker tech." What? "We'll need to test the blade to ensure it has no unpredictable effects."

"It's just a normal sword." I told him. He paused, looking at me.

"Perhaps. However, protocol dictates that any weapon made by a Tinker must undergo a testing period to ensure the safety of it's wielder and those around it." Ah, rules. "If it makes you feel any better I still have a Halberd design that I'm not even allowed to build until it get's approval." That did make me feel better I supposed. Opening up a clear container he then carefully placed the sword within before closing the lid with a hiss.

"Can I at least take the shield?" It'd be useful for keeping dust off people, propping up loose rocks and the like during the search and rescue mission. He frowned again.

"Alright, just be careful, I've already taken a risk letting you wear your own leather armor and use your own potions."

*Beep beep beep*

It wasn't an alarm indicating an attack, rather it was a literal alarm clock that interrupted us.

"Hmm, our transport should be here soon." Armsmaster announced. "Battery, get Shadow Stalker and get to the helipad, Vim, you'll be coming with me." Wait, go with him? I know he said he'd look after me when Dad asked him to but the way he phrased it… was I his sidekick today? Oh my god, I was Armsmaster's sidekick! This was going to be awesome!

"Yes sir." Battery replied before departing to where Shadow Stalker was leaving me to follow Armsmaster's measured steps to an elevator.

"Won't Battery and Shadow Stalker be coming with us?" I asked him.

"They will, they have nine minutes until the transport arrives." He replied as we waited in the elevator.

"Nine minutes? I thought it was already here? Wasn't that what the alarm was for?"

"Of course not, the alarm was set early." Oh, duh. You didn't set an alarm to wake you up for the exact time you started work. I felt a bit dumb thinking about that but soon we exited the elevator and found ourselves on the roof to see Gallant already here.

"Hi Gallant." I waved.

"Oh hey Vim, nice shield, did you make that?" I nodded, glad that someone noticed.

Armsmaster approached us. "Gallant, why are you here on your own? Assault should be here with you."

"Uhh, he wanted to get some last minute snacks, told me to go wait on the roof without him an-"

"I'm here! I'm here!" Speak of the devil. Turning around I saw the subject of our conversation, the other half of Battery. Assault wore red armor with a visor that covered his eyes but revealed his hair and easy smile. "Oh hey, is that real leather?" He asked coming closer to me as he brushed away some crumbs from his mouth.

"You know it is Assault." Armsmaster replied, seemingly annoyed. "We went over this in the briefing."

Wait briefing?

"You guys had a meeting about me?"

"Of course, a new Parahuman requires attention." Armsmaster began. "Especially one with your set of powers." Oh, that made sense, the potion thing he mentioned again and again was pretty big.

It was then that Battery and Shadow Stalker turned up.

"YES!" Shouted Assault. "I GOT HERE BEFORE YOU!" He announced at Battery. "You gotta do the washing tonight!"

Battery for her part seemed to take it all in good humour.

"Yeah, yeah." She replied. Holy shit! They really were married! The PHO were going to explode over this! Wait. Was I allowed to tell people on the PHO that they were married? Would I get in trouble for it? Would it count as unmasking? The PHO already thought they were married, they were after all ranked as one the top ships.

"Alright, stow it." Armsmaster interrupted as a helicopter touched down on the helipad. Any further conversation was halted as the turbines drowned out all other noises.

Getting onto the helicopter I sat next to Gallant who sat in the middle dividing both me and Shadow Stalker. Seemed that she was still shy and depressed about me rejecting her. Through my helmet I gave Gallant a questioning stare and he nodded reassuringly. She'd probably be fine.

Putting on our seat belts we lifted off but not before I was given an ear piece that I used my powers to put on.

"Good." Armsmaster spoke into his helmet cutting through the whirring blades of the helicopter. "We'll be touching down outside of the threat zone on the off chance there are still bombs there." He began. "Vista, Dauntless, Clockblocker and Miss Militia are already on site disarming them and helping survivors, we'll provide support alongside other PRT agents, various disaster response teams and medical staff."

"Medical staff?" Assault asked. "Does that mean Panacea is coming around?"

"Unfortunately no, with the recent bank heist New Wave have been more protective of her and are only allowing her to visit the hospital under guard, which means Glory Girl." Bank heist? When did this happen? "This however will be Vim's first official mission as a healer."

Everyone turned to watch me, despite the sudden attention I noted that they weren't surprised. Armsmaster did say that they all did have a meeting about me earlier so the fact that I could heal was never going to be a secret. "Uhh I'll do my best." I told them nervously. It was then I felt a firm hand on my shoulder, it was Gallant.

"You'll do fine." He told me easily. Despite wearing power armor his grip was soft yet reassuring.

"Uhh.. uh yeah, you'll do gr-great!" Shadow Stalker called out. Both Battery and Assault were both nodding to me but paused for a moment to stare at Shadow Stalker.

"Hey uh.." Assault began. "You feeling okay there Shadow Stalker?"

"I'm fine!" She quickly replied.

"I only ask because you seem… off." I supposed I was the only girl her age on the team so she wouldn't have ever developed a crush on anyone else, at least not in the Wards.

"Don't worry about her." I told him. "She's just a bit nervous is all." Shadow Stalker slowly nodded before looking away from me.

"Wait a second." He piped up as if having an epiphany. "This doesn't have anything to do with what Clockblocker said? I thought he was joking but thi-" He was quickly shut up by a swift elbow from Battery. Shadow Stalker I noted had remained quiet throughout the ordeal as she steadfastly continued her staring competition with the wall.

Gallant shrugged towards me as the helicopter continued to fly towards to bomb zone.

The helicopter flew towards a bomb zone…

Wasn't there a theory that helicopters in movies existed to get blown up? It was just fiction right? There wasn't any truth to that theory right?

Right?