Factions 4.5

"While I really am serious about owing you both, I need to ask for your help first." Really? Is she trying to pull a Nigerian Prince(ss) on us?

"What kind of help?" Taylor sounds even more suspicious of this turn of events than I feel.

Sarah stares at me. Serious, her eyes are just so green. I blink and she's inspecting Taylor's masked face. "You may as well take off your mask, Lady Bug. I already know your identity." Does she really think we'd fall for that? "More importantly, my 'employer' already knows your identity - Taylor Hebert," fuck, "daughter of Danny Hebert, currently enrolled at Winslow High School."

"Was that a threat?" Sarah should be happy she can't see Taylor's face. Her scary voice seems to have gotten even more impressive lately. "You know there are rules about that. They're unwritten, but they're pretty damn clear. Secret identities are off limits."

While the aptly named Tattletale is distracted, I silently activate [Observe]. It may be sketchy, but hey, she started it.

[A mischievous teenager hiding from her past. Civilian identity of the Parahuman villainess known as Tattletale, member of the Undersiders. Apparently possesses Thinker powers.]

That wasn't very useful. But it does tell me that her real name is a pressure point. Time to play hardball. There's a certain meaningfully careful tone that should work here. A few of the D&D geeks at Winslow say it makes me sound like a Ventrue. Not really sure what that means, but it should work here. "Do you really want to be naming names, Miss Sarah Livsey?"

She smiles at me, looking more amused than anything. "Well, I guess that's fair. Which makes it your turn. My 'employer' also suspects that you're James Barron." Dammit, how? And what's with that emphasis on 'employer'? "While he isn't sure yet, he will be soon. I can never keep what I know from him for long. I'm not here to blackmail you. I'm here to warn you. Given enough time I probably could have worked out your identities, but I'm not your problem. It's my employer."

"Who is your employer and why shouldn't we shoot the messenger?" Sarah is really getting on Taylor's nerves.

"His name is Coil. He pretends to be a minor player, but he has a powerful Thinker ability." Are you threatening us? After you saw us beat Lung? "He wants to force you to work for him, like how he did me. If you help me get away from him, I can help you stay out of his grasp." Oh. That changes things. If she's being honest. "I'm at your mercy here. With your power I'm basically standing in a minefield that is completely under your control." She never drops eye contact (such as it is) with Taylor while subtly gesturing at the insects buzzing around her and… are those black widows on her socks? When did they get there?

[New Quest Alert: Save Tattletale]

[Help Tattletale escape from Coil's clutches without getting trapped yourself]

[Reward: 25,000 XP, Increased reputation with Undersiders, and a new teammate.]

[Failure: Capture, imprisonment, torture, forced servitude, and possible death of yourself, Taylor Hebert, Tattletale, and multiple innocent parties.]

[Bonus Goals: Remove Coil as a threat by any means necessary.]

[Bonus Reward: 50,000 XP]

[Accept?]

[Yes] [No]

Guess that confirms it. Torture? Possible death of Taylor and Sarah? Innocent Parties? Sounds like Coil isn't playing by the rules. Even without the XP reward, removing him would be my pleasure. Now how to get Taylor on board...

"[Yes]." I know that inflection. Taylor must have the quest too. That was easy. "We'll help you. Beetle Knight, I think we should trust her."

It'll be a lot harder to work with her if we don't trust her. "[Yes], I agree." A muttered command, a single flick, and my helmet disappears. "James Barron at your service. You'll have to tell me how you figured it out sometime." And then I can make sure no one else does. Seriously, one day out in costume and villains are already figuring out my identity.

"And sometime I'll tell you." Sarah's grin promises more than that. No, I must be reading too much into it.

Taylor detaches her face mask, leaving her helmet in place. Kinda wish I had that option. Her face can only be seen from one angle. "And I am Taylor Hebert."

"My real name is Sarah Livsey, but I don't use that name any longer. My friends call me Lisa." Sa- ah, Lisa's smile makes it clear she wants to consider us friends.

Taylor isn't quite ready for that. "Nice to meet you, Lisa. Now, tell us everything you know about Coil." I know that glare. Lisa should really start talkin- Taylor suddenly flinches harshly. "Oh shit. Damn."

"Taylor!" Crap. "I mean, Lady B-" Wait, everyone here already knows, and if anyone else is watching, kinda too late by now. My partner is in pain. "Screw it. Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"Just a cramp." She bends and starts kneading her calf.

"Muscles spasms," Lisa offers. "She's not a Brute like you. You both ran all the way here. Most people can't just sprint half-way across the city like that." Oh, crap. "A rub down should help, ice or rest would also work. You need to cut yourself some slack." It's odd to see a normal, if rather pretty, girl lecturing an armored superheroine. "Pushing yourself like this will only lead to injury. As it is you might have to take a few days off to heal. Lay down and I'll see what I can do."

That's nice of her, offering to lend a hand. Trying to handle something like that for yourself just isn't as effective, and there's only two options here. Getting help from someone of the op- of the gender you find attractive is awkward, to say the least. I don't think Taylor would be happy with me even offering.

"Thank you, but no. James, would you mind? Please?"

...what? But... girl… legs… guy… legs… awkward… Oh! Taylor thinks I'm gay. Eh, happened before. Actually, I think Mom thinks I'm gay. Would explain the rainbow colored Bert and Ernie shirt she got me last Christmas. Taking care of Taylor's leg is still awkward for me, but she needs my help. "Of course."

I crack my knuckles while Taylor stretches out face down on the gravel. Really not necessary. I could have done this with her seated, there was no need to go all prone. Still, it is a little easier from this angle. The cloth is thicker than expected under my fingers. Oh wow. Considering how many layers are in the fabric, it's impressive I can feel the knot through them all. This will be a challenge.

Taylor and Lisa chat for a bit while I struggle at Taylor's leg. Apparently Lisa's got some kind of kickass enhanced intuition but likes to joke about being psychic, she doesn't know how Coil beat her to Taylor's identity, and Taylor's legs are really toned. Also, it's rather difficult to ease the tension out of her calf while Lisa keeps riling her up.

[A skill has been created through a special action.]

[A skill to sooth aching muscles, {Massage}, has been created.]

[Massage (Passive) Lvl 1 Exp 0.0%]

[Massage is an ancient skill that allows you to take fatigue away from the flesh of humans. It's possible to cure body or joint related negative status effects.]

[Gets rid of 0.05% fatigue per second.]

[You're welcome.]

"So tell me how did Coil…" Everything suddenly clicks. The knot I could barely effect before practically melts under my fingers. "Oooh. Aaaah. Oh, don't stop."

[Relationship with Taylor Hebert has increased!]

Lisa falls over laughing. "Maybe you two should get a room."

I want my helmet back. I'm probably glowing right now. "Is…" this okay? Is she okay with me… She's… I'm… "that better?" I chicken out. I can't possibly admit I know this is… enjoyable and offer to continue. At least it should take too long… 0.05% per second, 100% total, divide, again by 60, 33.3 repeating… That's over half an hour. Not sure I can… listen to that for that long. Not without difficulty.

"It's better, but still hurts, please keep going." Does she not hear what she's saying? "And you, grow up. Regardless of my cramp, this is serious."

"Wow, that's…" Lisa snaps at me, suddenly more serious than I've seen her. "I knew you were underselling with the whole Thinker/Brute combo thing. You're a Trump aren't you?" Well, that's part of it. "You're getting new powers when you need them." That would be so much easier. "No… that's Uber's schtick. You get them as you use them. However…" She shifts her attention to Taylor. "You just mumbled 'intimidate' and suddenly got scary. That doesn't match your powers." Kinda does. Swarms of insects of all kinds, completely under her control. Scary fits. "Plus both of you did a tandem flip-flop in your attitudes toward me. Not to mention the way both of you keep flicking your eyes away. What are you two seeing that I'm not?"

"That's why you wanted us to unmask," Taylor accuses. "You can read us better when you can see our faces."

"Looks like I've got some competition for the Miss Sherlock Holmes contest." Lisa seems more amused than anything. "You're right. Body language gives me a lot to go on, but I can read more from faces. Now that I've answered your questions, it's your turn."

"It's not really my secret to tell. Should we tell her?" That's a surprise. Wasn't she against letting heroes know about my powers?

[New Quest Alert: To Trust or Not to Trust?]

[Choose whether or not to trust Tattletale with the truth about your powers.]

['Trust' Reward: 2,500 XP, increased relationship with Lisa Wilbourn, improved team synergy]

['Not' Reward: 2,500 XP, increased relationship with Taylor Hebert, improved rate of relationship increases with Taylor Hebert]

That's new. Essentially free XP, and a reminder that it's best to trust your teammates. Relationship boosts are nice and all, but if we're already going to be working with Lisa it only makes sense. I dismiss the window and see Lisa leaning forward inquisitively. Her top… I turn back to Taylor. "With her power, I don't think we can stop her from finding out. Besides we both got the same quest, didn't we?"

[Quest Completed!]

[You have earned 2,500 XP]

[Relationship with Lisa Wilbourn has increased!]

[Relationship with Lisa Wilbourn has advanced from 'Peer' to 'Friend']

"We did." Good. We're on the same page about saving Lisa. Now how on earth do I begin explaining my powers? 'I'm a videogame character. No, really. I promise, I'm not Myrddin-level crazy.' "I'll tell her. Would you please do both my legs and up to my thighs?"

...yeah, she thinks I'm gay. No other way a girl lets me touch her like that, let along ask me to while knowing I could be… interested. Maybe I shouldn't do this until I've… corrected her? Preferably when Lisa isn't around? Or should I just calm down and help her? "You should. She overextended herself. You're not just relieving that cramp, you're actually repairing torn muscles. That's a low-grade healing ability." Well, if the Thinker say to keep going, I guess I should.

"It's a very limited healing ability. It's mostly good for fatigue, but it will get faster with practice." If it gets another 0.05% per level, it would only take 20 seconds at level 100 to fix whatever counts as '100% fatigue'. Can't feel the knot here any more, so I shift to her other calf.

[Massage's level increased by 1!]

"Very well, I'll tell you about our powers and you'll tell us everything about Coil. We'll do everything we can to help you get free and stop him. Agreed?" Taylor is remarkably business-like despite everything.

"Agreed. You scratch my back." Maybe Lisa needs a massage later? "I scratch yours. Your secrets are safe with me. It's all copacetic." The words fall out of her mouth a bit faster than necessary.

"[Invite Lisa]," intones Taylor. There's a long pause. Lisa gives me a questioning look. "You have to do it, James."

Ah. Guess that's a Gamer-only thing. "[Invite Lisa Wilbourn]."

Lisa screams. "What. The. Fuck?! This… This is…"

"Bullshit?" Taylor and I chorus, purely on accident. I almost call out 'jinx', but it's not really the time.

"Yes, glorious bullshit."

[Sarah "Lisa Wilbourn" Livsey has joined the party.]

[Mini Tutorial Start]

[Teams]

[Now that you have a party of three members The Gamer has the ability to form a Team.]

[While only active party of members can gain and increase stats and skills, forming a Team has several advantages]

[To create a Team, The Gamer must propose a Team Name and a minimum of two additional party members must accept.]

[As a team you are more than individuals. The actions of each team member impact the {Reputation} of the team.]

"Pure, glorious, 100% concentrated bullshit." The dumbfounded look on Lisa's face as she stares at her invisible screen is oddly satisfying.

"James, it says you have to do it."

"I saw that. Just thinking what to put there. I just don't want another lame name like [Tutorial?], and we've never really discussed team names." I don't want us to end up with the first thing to pop into my head. We'd end up with something reflexively rhyme-y ('Team Dream') or ill-advised ('Team Threesome'). Maybe something more along the same theme as our cape names? Insect Kingdom? As far as I can tell, both of Taylor's calves are perfect, so… I do her thighs now? I tentatively slide my hands past her knee. She doesn't protest, but I'm stopping well short of anything… objectionable.

"Monarchs," Lisa suggests. "It works for both your insect and Lady/Knight themes."

Taylor approves almost instantly. "I like it."

Can't think of anything better. It's got some gravitas to it, but doesn't sound too aggressive. "Agreed. [Create Team Monarchs]."

Beat. "[Yes]." Lisa verbally approves as Taylor jabs a finger at thin air.

[Name Approved]

[Team Monarchs Created]

Shouldn't I be getting-

[Quest Completed!] [You have earned 7,500 XP] [You've gained 1 level.] [Relationship with Taylor Hebert has increased!] [Relationship with Taylor Hebert has changed from 'Partner' to 'Teammate'] [Relationship with Lisa Wilbourn has increased!] [As you have chosen to create your own team, {Secret Base Key} has been added to your inventory.] [Use the {Secret Base Key} in a safe location to create a permanent portal to a Illusion Barrier and continue Team Mini Tutorial]

Ah. There it is. Most of it isn't particularly important, but the last bit is interesting. I'm almost curious enough to activate it here, but 'permanent' and 'secret' don't mix well with 'random rooftop'.

"So your power is basically being a videogame character." Lisa ends my musing with a disbelieving shake of her head. "You shouldn't be embarrassed about it, though. Myrddin is mocked because he says his powers are magic, not because he dresses up as a wizard. It's not even like his powers have the weirdest theme out there. Lung turns into a literal dragon: wings, scales, and fire-breath included." I think she's been building up this rant for awhile now. "There's no way that was random. There's another cape, Taurus, who turns into a minotaur, horns and all. Powers are weird. Hydrokinesis doesn't make any sense."

"Or that I can only control bugs?" Taylor's interruption comes at the perfect time. Lisa was really working herself up there.

[Massage's level increased by 1!]

"Exactly… wait. Not just bugs? All invertebrates? Really underselling yourself with 'Lady Bug'. Regardless, the point is a parahuman's subconscious seems to guide how their powers manifest when they trigger. There's not good scientific reason for a telekinetic to be able to control only water, or be unable to control water inside living creatures." I've actually run into this line of thought before. Oddly enough, it's the cornerstone of the best reasoned argument I've seen for powers being magical. "It has to be a subconscious block. James, your powers are about augmenting yourself and others. You gave it the videogame theme."

I guess tabletop games would make even less sense as a theme. What would I do, manifest sheets of paper that keep track of people's stats? "It could be worse. At least I like RPGs and not dating sim games." Taylor and Lisa both give me a dirty look. I grin back, switching legs one last time.

"Not to change the subject or anything, but I brought something to give you two. It's nothing compared to what I suspect you've just given me, but it's a start." Lisa opens a large paper bag and pulls out two lunch boxes. She hands Taylor one with Alexandria plastered all over it. She slides a plain tin box over by me. It looks to be good quality though. Lisa gives me an apologetic look. "All they had left was Armsmaster. Each has two thousand dollars in it." Lisa pauses, then sighs. "I have to be honest. It's not even from me. Coil thought he could lure you into joining the Undersiders by showing just how lucrative being a villain can be. But money is money, and I'm sure you two can find a good use for it. James should at least finish his costume."

Taylor pops hers open. Holy crap. That's a lot of money. She thumbs through her money, making happy noises. "Oh, the skill books we can buy with this!"

"...I'm going to have to call home and let them know I'll be out late." That's not thigh. I pull my hands back to safe territory. Technically, those muscles could also be sore, but I'm not going there without an engraved invitation.

"Skill books?!" Lisa blinks. "You can get powers by reading books? And you're sharing that power? That's just…"

"Bullshit!" "Bullshit!" I'm half a second behind Taylor this time.

"No, this isn't just bullshit. Bullshit is Scion speaking again. This is the kind of bullshit that makes Scion say 'bullshit'." [First Aid] is telling me that Lisa is seconds away from hyperventilating.

"Try saying [Status]." Taylor's tone is much too innocent.

Lisa's smugness is gone, instead there's a hint of trepidation in her voice. Looks like she's learning. "[Status]." Her eyes bug. "No fucking way."

As Lisa starts gesturing Taylor leans back to look at me. "I think my legs are good now." She's a little red in the face, but smiling. Crap, she noticed. I stand back and offer her an apologetic smile. "I was going to suggest introducing her to some zombies, but now I think we should hit some used bookstores."

"Used?" Lisa replies, but she's clearly distracted by the screens she's browsing. "I drop four grand on you, and you're going to buy used books? No, we're hitting the major bookstores. Better selection, and anything they don't have we can order. If we run out of cash, I've got my own savings. It's just money." She locks eyes with each of us before continuing seriously. "Listen carefully: Coil doesn't play by the rules. He recruited me at gunpoint. When, not if, he finds out about James' powers, he'll do anything to control you. Torture, rape, and murder are the best case scenario. Your friends, family, even pets will be in danger. If we can buy powers, then we spend the damn money."

When she puts it that way, neither of us can argue against heading to the less touristy end of the Boardwalk for some shopping. Taylor suggests we take turns changing between the dumpsters in the alley while the others act as look outs. On the way to the stores, Lisa insists on hearing about every skill we have and how we got them on the way there. I think she's hurt herself laughing about [Fool's Act]. When I explain how I got [Intimidate], she changes to asking for more information about Winslow. Taylor doesn't seem comfortable talking about it, but the chance to get a Thinker's help on it is priceless so I explain things as delicately as I can. She's still asking questions when we reach our first shop.

New books just don't smell as booky, but it's still amazing the variety of books on hand. We eventually split up to take on different areas. Even if we don't have the INT to learn everything we want right away, I can just save the books in my inventory for as soon as we can learn them. Taylor takes on the Home and Science sections. Lisa decides that Self-Help and References are a good place to start. Since I'm apparently the only one who can use [Observe], I'm supposed to check out the rest of the store. We loot the crap out of three stores, finding less new stuff worth getting each time, but not a single one of them is wasted time.

Books can get heavy, especially since we're getting three of a lot of things. Lisa even gets her first point of STR hauling a pile of history texts. We end up with volumes on every subject that seems fairly useful: math, programming languages, ciphers, strategy, chemistry, literature theory, every language in popular use around here (and a few that aren't), the newest edition of Grey's Anatomy, locksmithing, specialized cookbooks (I notice Taylor grab on vegetarian recipes), entomology, textiles, a book about hunting with snares, layman's law guides, self-hypnosis, speedreading (not every interesting book offers a prompt to instantly learn it), music theory, sleight of hand, meditation, and even dancing. By the end I swear we're just grabbing every skill book we find. We end up getting so many books, I'm a little surprised the counters hold up under it all.

After each store we find an alley and shove the lot into my inventory for later, but there's no way I'm missing Lisa's first skill book. "The sooner you learn [Capoeira] the sooner you can master it, right?"

"Uh huh." Okay, I'm incapable of fooling the Thinker. Not really a surprise. "I'm not sure what the trick is, but you do have a point." She takes the book I'm offering. "This isn't going to hurt, and I don't need to sit down or anything… what's the trick?"

It's odd seeing Lisa's smirk on Taylor's face. "Oh, you'll figure it out."

Lisa gives us both a very suspicious look before staring at the book for a long moment. "[Yes]." She shrieks when the book lights up, throwing it away as she dives for cover behind a dumpster. The sparks from the dissolving paperback follow behind her. Not exactly what I was expecting, but Taylor and I both have to laugh as Lisa crawls back into sight, pulling a burger wrapper from her hair. "You do know I just learned how to kick your asses, right?"

Game Mechanics:

James: [+3 Massage]

Lisa: [+1 STR], [+1 Capoeira]

Author's Note: Shopping scenes suck, but it would be completely unrealistic to not have them go nuts at this point. Just one more to go this arc