Brockton Bay, March 19, 14:16
Planning in the basement was a calming thing to do—it was just a matter of analyzing and thinking analytically in a comfortable place that I was already familiar with and working on improving.
It had gotten much better with the help of my grandmother, who helped me organize the basement due to the huge amount of time I spent down here.
"Why do you need so much old stuff, kid?" my grandmother asked as she opened one of the many dusty cardboard boxes in the basement, pulling out some old childhood toys and giving them a look-over.
"They're memories, Grandma. I want to keep them for the good feeling they bring; there's a lot of history here." I replied with a smile as I dusted off some things in the basement.
"Sure," she said, rolling her eyes as she placed an action figure back in the box and closed it.
I'd asked her for help a little while ago to clean the basement since I wanted to make it my own space and organize some things. The funny part was that we found many interesting things—some really old, broken cell phones, old clothes, stuff we no longer used, and various other items.
"Grandma, why on earth do we have so many board games down here? And all of them are covered in dust." I pulled a folding chessboard out of a box filled with other games; there was even a Ouija board in there.
"Your mom really liked them when she was younger, so she bought loads, but eventually, she didn't know what to do with them and left them here."
(I guess we're probably a bit of a hoarding family.)
I looked at the chessboard; it would make a nice decoration for the basement. The pieces looked like real wood, and the paint on them seemed of great quality. This made me think of something I hadn't considered before.
"Grandma..."
"What is it?"
"What did you use to do for work? I mean, we have so much stuff and a lot of stability; I got curious." I said, putting the box aside and looking at her.
She smiled slightly as she stacked a box on top of two others.
"I used to work as a surgeon. It wasn't the healthiest environment back in the day, but it paid really well. I worked for a long time before I retired, you know." Nostalgia was evident in her eyes. "Your grandpa worked with me, too—a softie like jelly, that one."
Well, that explains a lot. So, technically, our family is pretty stable in the grand scheme of things. Grandma probably has a good retirement, and my mom earns a lot working at the PRT.
"And what was Grandpa like?" I asked, curious.
"Hehe, he was a lot like you—soft-hearted, kind, and quite scatterbrained most of the time. If it weren't for me, he probably would have been a doormat for a lot of people." She rolled her eyes as she arranged more boxes. "The two of you probably would've gotten along very well."
Grandma spoke of him with a joyful, contagious nostalgia; it wasn't that usual tone people have when talking about someone who's passed on. She probably had a lot of time to reflect on it.
"Yeah, probably."
We continued tidying up the basement. It was nice having conversations like this with my grandmother and mom. It reminded me why I shouldn't fall into that endless spiral of leveling up at any cost but also not neglecting this power.
(This city's going to hell soon, and I at least have to be able to save the two of them.)
I looked around the basement as we cleaned. We'd gotten a lot done in the meantime, moving boxes here and there, setting up some furniture, and organizing things.
My grandmother arranged some of the items on the shelves down here and set up a few old pieces of furniture.
"Are you sure there's no rat nest in this couch?" I asked hesitantly.
"100% sure, kid; it's just old and a bit broken."
Calling it "a bit broken" was an understatement. One of the wooden supports on this small couch had snapped, leaving a part of the seat too low. The fabric was rough and somewhat dirty, with a huge tear on the side and a couple of nail tips that we had hammered down.
"Hmm... I see..."
"Look, it's in great condition. Just throw a cover over it, and it'll look much better."
I nodded silently; it was better to keep going without arguing. Things had gone pretty well so far. The basement now had some stacked boxes on the left, a dilapidated couch against the wall adjacent to the stairs, an old-looking cabinet to the right of the couch (my grandmother said it was put here to store odds and ends), and a small table in the center, near the couch. Calling it a "table" was generous—it was more like four stacks of boxes at the corners with a large wooden board on top.
"Perfect!" My grandmother clapped her hands to dust them off, smiling.
"I think it's good." I walked over to the couch and sat down. It wasn't the most comfortable, but it was decent; I just needed to change its yellow and orange stripes to something else.
"Do you need anything else moved around?"
"I think that's all for now. Thanks for the help, Grandma."
"No need to thank me, kid. I actually needed to get moving to help my circulation." She cracked her back as she walked toward the stairs. "If you need me, I'll be in the garden tending to my rose seedlings."
I waved as she headed back to the first floor. Now, I had my own little lair in the house, and it was time to plan carefully.
The first phase of my beloved plan was somewhat simple but at the same time difficult. First, the plan itself was somewhat broken since it relied on building ties with certain factions in Brockton Bay. However, the only factions on my list right now were the Undersiders and the Palanquin; I wouldn't touch the ABB or the Empire with a twenty-foot pole, and the Merchants would be more trouble than they were worth.
I could try to create some sort of partnership with the Protectorate and the PRT, but that was more of an illusion than a reality. They would likely see it as the formation of a new Elite, so they probably wouldn't be on my side at all.
And worst of all, this plan would have to unfold quickly due to upcoming events.
Not all the events from Worm might happen, but I could probably count on Leviathan showing up here, and I didn't have a way to stop Coil from bringing the Travelers to town. I also didn't remember exactly when they arrived in Brockton Bay, but at least I could try to avoid the whole issue with Noelle breaking loose and causing chaos.
The bombings are probably already avoided, as I've managed to help Taylor indirectly with the bullying, and I'll probably prevent her from nearly attempting suicide by using Lung as a method, so I'll scratch that off my list for now.
The rest are much more distant things, like the Slaughterhouse cloning themselves, Golden Morning, and whatever events came after that. I don't remember much of Ward, but I'll probably have enough power by then.
There were many other events that were somewhat in the background and inevitable, like the deaths of several people in the fight against Leviathan, which I wanted to avoid, even knowing it was impossible. There was also Amy's hyper-destructive and self-deprecating workaholic tendency, trying to be basically perfect as Panacea.
(Sorry, Amy, but I really don't have a way to help you…)
I sighed as I pulled out some of my notebooks from [Inventory]. Some contained plans, others had costume sketches, and one—I don't remember which—was just for practicing drawing.
I picked up a notebook with a blue cover and started flipping through it. I quickly found the page I was looking for. The first phase of the Bay Ties plan is to meet other parahumans. I need to be known somehow, even if only slightly, and for that, I'll use the easiest thing on planet Earth: human curiosity.
Unknown and non-hostile parahumans are pretty much the same as celebrities. All it takes is attracting attention, and people will focus on you like moths to a flame. So, my first step is to do just that, using a persona I named Prismstroke.
And this time, there wouldn't be a chance of getting shot and dying. Instead, I would just sit in a chair on the Boardwalk and start painting the base of the Protectorate, clearly using parahuman powers. Someone would most likely notify the PRT, and a hero would be sent, which would bring even more attention to me.
But I need to take precautions against dangers too. My luck isn't exactly the best.
"Maybe…"
I opened the store and searched for a few things quickly but soon gave up on the idea. Luck-related Perks and Traits all seemed pretty expensive, with the cheapest one costing 20 times the CP I had, or 20,000 CP.
It was easier to just keep going with the plan I initially had. I even had an idea about how to make my life easier—the store had a wide variety, and one thing it had plenty of was not just supernatural items from other universes but also regular items, like, for example...
Old CRT TV
Description: Produced around 1934 and dominating the market until the 90s, these beauties can broadcast plenty of channels—not in the best quality, but that's not the point.
Price: 100 CP
Somehow, more mundane objects were pretty affordable, and the older they were, the cheaper they became. I literally saw a Stone Age spear for 10 CP, but it seems that the more advanced the technology, the pricier it gets—and let's not even talk about raw materials and weapons.
But why this matters is because of one of the two abilities I was considering buying.
Dia (Persona/Megami Tensei)(Active) Lv. 1 (Exp: 0%) (MP: 15)
Description: A skill with the ability to moderately heal physical damage inflicted on someone.
Price: 400 CP
Simple and straightforward, a healing skill that only cost 400 CP. Before the adjustments, it was more expensive, and I hadn't thought much of it, but I think it's always good to have healing available. However, the second ability really shines for me.
Tech Zone: Gadgets (Totally Spies!) (Passive) Lv. 1 (Exp: 0%)
I don't think lasers work that way…
Description: With great ingenuity and a touch of creativity, you've unlocked the technology behind the world's trendiest spies' gadgets. With this ability, you know how to create and build some of the existing gadgets or your own.
Price: 800 CP
Yes, this is amazing and only costs 800 CP—probably because of the discrepancy between some gadgets in the series and the villains' machines, and because some are single-use items, like the "Ice Queen" perfume.
The Totally Spies! universe has a lot of interesting abilities, by the way; they seem to cover nearly all kinds of specializations. I saw dental technology, sonic mind-control technology, literally something about turning fingernails into multifaceted weapons, and another about cloning.
Director Piggot would probably have a heart attack if I showed her anything remotely resembling tinker work. So, for now, I'll limit myself to the spies' gadgets.
The one I most wanted to make right now was the spies' Compowder. It was basically a miniature computer in your hand, and it would also give me a reason to pay more attention in Ms. Knott's classes.
I glanced at the notebook—it already seemed to have a decent plan, so I could set it aside for now and focus on other things. By other things, I meant that cursed Perk point.
Spoiler: [Obtainable Perks]
Looking at each one, I didn't really need things like [Owl Eyes] or [Avoid Looks] right now. Two levels in a skill sounded good, but I could save it for when [Sneak] gets harder to level. [Mana Adept] looked good, but I felt like I could wait a bit? I quickly ruled out [Spotlight Stealer] for being similar to [Avoid Looks].
What I was left with were [Great Handyman], [Expertise Unleashed], [Always Upgrading], [Steel Bones], and [Determined]; the last two would help me avoid things that would likely happen quite often, and the first three would be very useful for the skills I wanted.
[Great Handyman] seemed useful for everything, as it increased both speed and quality by a decent percentage. However, [Always Upgrading] could literally enhance something I created by 15% in total, significantly boosting the quality of certain things for me, especially in the beginning. [Expertise Unleashed] was also perfect for leveling a crafting skill quickly.
But the question was—which one to choose?
I pondered for a few moments. Out of all the options, [Great Handyman] seemed like the best choice. I could get the other perks later, but this one felt like the most practical for now. Decided, I tapped the perk's name. A small confirmation screen popped up, asking if this was my final choice. I confirmed, and the perk vanished from the [Obtainable Perks] tab.
"Well... now what?"
I had my plan, debated a purchase, and chose a perk. So, what else was left?
(Wait... Did I allocate my stat points?)
Taking a quick look, I realized I hadn't, so I resolved that right away.
Spoiler: Stats +2 WIS, +1 CHA
This time, I'd neglected Intelligence a bit. According to the description, Wisdom was a good stat to have high overall.
And… eighteen points were already enough to spot some holes in my current plans… Maybe, just maybe, tagging the PRT building wasn't the smartest idea.
I opened the [Quests] tab and looked at the mission [The 5 Colors of Brockton Bay]. For some reason, the title rang a bell, but I couldn't quite place it. Ignoring that, I reread the mission description. It stated that the artwork had to be visible but didn't specify what kind of art it had to be.
"So technically… if I gave something to my mom and she took it to the PRT headquarters, it might count!"
Damn, how had I not thought of this sooner? I could have solved it on the first day!
Smiling, I quickly grabbed my sketchbook. I had a great idea of what to make right now, and if it didn't work out today, who said I couldn't make other pieces for her later?
Spoiler: Stats
This chapter was primarily meant to justify some things, delve deeper into the protagonist's family, set up certain elements, and prepare for upcoming events in this arc.
Brockton Bay, March 19, 19:49
Drawing has become therapeutic for me at this point. I've been doing it so consistently that it's turned into both a routine and a hobby, and doing it to make my mom happy made this hobby even better. Sure, I had ulterior motives, but what really mattered was the feeling behind my latest piece.
"I'll call you... Landscape of Tomorrow."
I'd painted this on one of the three canvases my mom bought for me—a scene of a green field dotted with small white flowers. One side of the field was sunny, while the other was at night, both calm and balanced.
"And to think you can already see the art's good quality."
The quality was pretty decent; it still felt amateurish to me, but at least it looked somewhat decent from my point of view. And a 21% boost in quality didn't hurt.
I smiled as I hid the painting behind some boxes in the corner of the basement. I was excited for Mom to get home, as she'd see my painting, and I'd finally have a chance to learn what she does at the PRT by using the bug I planted in her bag.
In the meantime, I'd also decided which skill to pick first from the shop, and it would be [Day]. Having a healing ability on hand is never a bad idea, but I should keep it out of sight from other capes—there aren't many healers, and most are already part of some organization.
I walked over to the couch and sat down. There wasn't much else to do but wait. I might take a look at the old phones and the rest of the boxes; Grandma was making dinner upstairs. I'd even offered to help, but she shooed me out, saying she'd handle it herself.
I figured it'd be a good idea to check out the boxes anyway. I got up from the couch—not sure why I sat down if I was just going to get up again—and headed to a few of the boxes. I opened some of them and soon found the old phones, along with something else that caught my attention: a box with some worn books and notebooks.
"What the heck are you guys?"
I picked up one of the books and looked at its cover. The title read "Notes #1" in a white box at the top of a hardcover. Out of curiosity, I opened it to the first page and started reading. It seemed to be one of Grandma's old notebooks.
"Wow, she was so organized, huh."
I closed the notebook and placed it on the floor beside me. I began pulling out a few more books and notebooks, finding more notebooks of notes and some books on biology.
"A quick read won't hurt."
I gathered the books, notebooks, and phones and placed them on the table. I could look at the phones later, but the books seemed more interesting for now.
I picked up the first notebook and started reading. It had a lot of interesting information, well explained and organized. I had to admit, Grandma's handwriting was beautiful.
New skill created!
Biology (Passive) Lv. 1 (Exp: 0%)
Yes, surprisingly viruses aren't considered living beings.
Description: The study of the constitution of living beings, whether human, animal, or plant, viruses included despite their anomaly. (Creations related to living beings and viruses gain a 1% quality and creation speed boost.)
I kept reading through the books, finding lots of fascinating things, especially about human biology. Continuing to read those notes for a while even earned me two more levels in [Biology].
"I'm home!" I heard Mom call from the first floor, along with the sound of the door opening and closing.
I smiled and set the book aside. I could continue reading later; there were more important things to do now.
"On my way!"
I quickly climbed the stairs and reached the living room, where I saw Mom placing her bag on the couch and letting her hair down from a bun.
"Good evening, Mom, how was your day?"
"Normal, not much has been happening lately, you know." She smiled as she walked toward the stairs. "And you? How was your day, honey?"
"Normal, but I do have a surprise for you in the basement," I said cheerfully.
"Oh, I just got home, and there's already a surprise." She smiled as she headed upstairs. "I can't wait to see what it is!"
Well, she was already on the second floor, and Grandma was in the kitchen, so the coast was clear to grab the Grub from Mom's bag. I sat on the couch and placed her bag on my lap, starting to rummage through it.
At first, I was excited; it felt like everything was going smoothly, and my plan had gone quite well. But gradually, I started to feel anxious. I began searching frantically in every corner of that bag, and in the end, I came to a horrible realization.
The Grub was nowhere to be found inside the bag. This was a bad sign—a very, very bad sign.
(Damn, where did I mess up? Did someone spot it, or did it get lost?)
This was terrible. I had no idea if someone at the PRT had found it, but if they had, it could mean serious trouble. I'd been avoiding thinking about the Shards all this time since there wasn't much I could do about them, but if the PRT took the Grub, they might want to analyze it, and there's a good chance Armsmaster would be the one doing it, which, by extension, means his Shard would know too.
"What the hell..."
"Son?"
I jumped a bit on the couch and quickly turned around. Mom was already in different clothes—a red shirt and black shorts—and looked confused.
"Lose something?"
(Think fast, think fast, think fast!)
"I was just tidying up your bag."
"Really?" She raised an eyebrow, disbelief plain on her face.
"... No... I was trying to grab a little money to buy some things I needed..." Better to get in trouble for that than to hint that I was the one behind those Grubs.
"Son, you know you can ask me if you need anything." She looked a bit sad and disappointed, and it hurt my heart to see her like that.
"Sorry, Mom..." I said, looking down.
"It's okay, but please don't do that again. It's not nice to invade others' personal space, and stealing is wrong." She sighed.
I just nodded, and we went to dinner. Moments like these reminded me that even though I had been an adult before coming here, I still had a child's body, was seen as a child by others, and even my own mind acted childishly from time to time.
Mom and Grandma made small talk while I ate in silence. They tried to draw me into the conversation a few times, but I wasn't in the mood. I could be as wise or smart as I wanted, but I still felt really bad when I made people I cared about sad.
After we finished dinner, I eagerly led Mom down to the basement. I was sure she'd love the painting, even if taking it to the PRT headquarters would be a different matter.
"So, what's this surprise going to be?" she asked with a smile as I walked over to where the painting was hidden behind the basement boxes.
"Something I made to decorate and brighten up your workspace."
With a big grin on my face, I dramatically revealed the painting to Mom.
"It's beautiful, honey!" she beamed, looking at the painting up close.
"I wanted to make something to brighten up where you work, you know? Grandma said you worked at the PRT, so I figured there weren't many colors there. I made something for you to enjoy!"
"Oh, honey, that's so lovely of you. I bet the people I work with will love having a bit of decoration there." Smiling, she stepped closer to the painting and held it in her hands. "It's so beautiful; you're very talented at art."
"Thanks! It's a hobby I really enjoy."
"I'm glad you found something you like, honey. If you want, we can go to that art store again if you need more supplies."
"No need, Mom, I still have plenty left," I replied with a smile.
"Alright then, but if you ever need more, just let me know, okay?"
"Got it."
She smiled and gave me a quick hug, then headed upstairs happily. It felt good to know I'd brightened her day. For now, I just had to hope that wherever she decided to place it would count as visible. I looked around the basement; it was time to continue my reading and plan out a few more things for this coming week.
Brockton Bay, 20 March, 13:23
Biology (Passive) Lv. 11 (Exp: 39%)
Yes, surprisingly viruses aren't considered living beings.
Description: The study of the constitution of living beings, whether human, animal, or plant, with viruses included despite their anomaly. (Creations related to living beings and viruses receive an 11% bonus in quality and creation speed.)
[You received 1 INT for studying rigorously]
Indeed, reading through Grandma's notes since I woke up has really helped level up [Biology] and earn 4 points in INT—5 counting this one now. It also revealed just how much of a perfectionist she used to be.
I placed notebook #5 on the makeshift table and sat on the couch. I spent a lot of time down here in the basement, and I hated lying down all the time. I was a bit lazy, but lying down constantly made me restless, so I preferred sitting here on the couch.
I thought about what to do next. I was going to create the costume for my Prismstroke persona and build up his cape personality.
"So far, I've got a name and a costume, but what about the rest?" I muttered to myself.
I'd come up with a personality for Bear King, but I hadn't really had the chance to use it much. This time, I would, so I planned to work on it properly.
Maybe I could try making him outgoing. I was already going to use bright colors in his costume anyway, so that could reflect in his personality. It wouldn't be too hard to pretend to be cheerful and friendly, so I could try that.
Yes, that sounded good, but then there's my social anxiety—I had to account for that. Since I'd be performing all this in front of a bunch of people, I'd be drawing a lot of attention to myself.
Maybe I could try something else, like... pretending to be mute? Not the ideal approach, but it would mean I wouldn't need to speak, making things a thousand times easier.
"So, silent it is."
Then there was the power. I already had a pretty good idea of what to do—a really, really good one. I'd make most of my personas rely on group triggers, so I could disguise it if my personas ended up using similar or identical powers. Group triggers don't work exactly like that, but nobody knows much about them, so it's easy to overlook.
With that in mind, I'd use [Mana Shaping] as Prismstroke's main power. Bear King already had [Mana Bullet], so it would be easy to draw a parallel between those two skills as similar abilities.
Well, Bear King isn't exactly public yet, but he probably will be at some point.
With all that in mind, there wasn't much more to do for now. Grandma had gone out with some friends, and Mom had gone to a salon to get her hair done. Yep, they left a kid home alone—technically a teenager, but still a kid.
And, like any kid alone at home, I was about to do the most responsible thing possible—mess around in the kitchen and see what I could find.
I got up from the couch, quickly climbed the stairs out of the basement, and walked into the kitchen. I hadn't had many opportunities here with Grandma's overprotectiveness about the stove and sharp utensils, so it was a great chance to test things out.
One idea had come to mind. You see, being Brazilian in my past life, I was pretty curious about my country, which led me to research the Indigenous peoples of my beloved nation.
This led me to some interesting information, like their culture, religions, differences among them, and many other things. One of these things was the body paint used by some of these peoples, specifically made from natural components.
Which brings me to why I had a bunch of fruits on the kitchen counter and some other ingredients—I was going to use my current skills and intelligence to make paint using fruit, since they're the closest components for natural pigments.
"Let's start with what seems easiest."
Strawberries were red, so I could make red paint using some from home. I grabbed a few, put them in a bowl with a bit of water from the sink, and found a masher in the cutlery drawer.
The whole process was a bit tedious, honestly, but it worked well in the end. Sure, I had to use a few other things like flour and oil to make the paint more consistent, but the final result was a good red liquid.
I smiled and started doing the same with the other fruits I'd gathered. In the end, I had yellow paint, though it looked more like an off-white yellow, but it would work. I also made blue, purple, green, and pink, so now I had plenty of paint to work with.
[Chemistry leveled up!]
With the paints made, a level gained in one skill, and a good use of creativity, it seemed like everything had gone well. I looked around the kitchen at the mess I'd made in the process of creating the paints, and a wave of irritation hit me.
"Ugh, I'm going to have to clean all this up..."
I sighed and started tidying up. It didn't take long, so I was quickly able to head back down to the basement with my paints.
All I had left to do now was read, exercise, and plan. Today was Sunday, so I could start putting some things in motion tomorrow.
"Well, times of calm and times of work, right?"
I couldn't keep doing so little, so it was time to get my hands dirty again. I grabbed some of the clothes boxes piled up in the corner and some of the newly made paints—it was time to get back to doing cape-related things.
Spoiler: Stats +5 INT
To everyone who thought I had abandoned this work, or, as people in my country like to say, "I've gone Vasco," "become a shirt of eternal memories," or "turned into a black-and-white photo," I'm doing well—or at least as well as I can be.
The reason for the delay with this chapter is that I was robbed a few days ago. I write my stories on my phone because it works better for me, and after being robbed, I couldn't post for a while. Technically, I still had my PC, but it's very old, and I just can't write using the keyboard because I don't have the speed for it. Thankfully, I managed to find an old phone of mine, and here I am. The speed of my posts might slow down a bit because this phone is pretty slow and laggy, but I'm not giving up on this story that easily.
Brockton Bay, March 21, 11:42
Today was supposed to be a good day. Supposed to be.
"Thiago, calm down. It's not like she's some seven-headed monster or anything."
At that moment, I was on the rooftop with Jayne, having a mild panic attack about how to talk to a certain insect-themed world savior about something she probably wouldn't want to discuss.
"Easy for you to say. I'm the one who has to talk to her."
"But I'll be there with you." She shot back.
I had put off this whole mission to help Taylor deal with the Trio for far too long. Initially, I didn't have many useful ideas for ending the bullying that didn't involve directly confronting the girls. But then I thought of something that had been staring me in the face the whole time: what if I had Taylor's support?
It sounds easy enough in theory, but in practice, it involves dealing with her rampant paranoia and significant distrust of me, which didn't exactly improve my odds. Jayne was the only person I could ask for help without completely unraveling my plan, and I definitely needed her assistance.
"Look, Thiago, it's simple: you go up to her, talk to her, tell her you want to help her, and that's it. I doubt she'll turn down help to get rid of those girls."
Sure, that would make sense if we weren't talking about Taylor Hebert. I can't even blame Jayne—to her, Taylor is just a shy, bullied teenager. But to me, she's a ticking time bomb waiting for a justifiable target to unleash her fury on. And frankly, I'm more than happy to leave that to the villains of Brockton Bay.
"Yeah, but she could easily distrust us. For all I know, Emma might've already done something to give her hope, only to shatter it."
"That's just a guess. But even if that's true, don't you want to help the girl? You'll just have to deal with her paranoia." She crossed her arms as she spoke.
Damn, she had a point—a very good one. No matter how much I tried to convince myself otherwise, Taylor would still be suspicious of me, probably no matter the circumstances.
"…Fine." I exhaled deeply as I got up from the rooftop floor. "But can you talk to her first? Like, bring her here or to a place where we can talk?"
"Sure, I can try. But I'm telling you now, I'm no miracle worker. She might refuse and not want to talk to either of us."
"That's fine. We can try talking to her later. She's probably in the girls' restroom having lunch right now. But if she's not there… well, we can talk to her after school."
"Dude, knowing where she is right now is a little creepy, you know," Jayne said as she walked toward the rooftop door.
"I know…" I sighed, leaning against the wall near the door.
Jayne was on her way to talk to Taylor, so I had some time to rehearse what I was going to say. First off, I couldn't let her know I was scared—that might give away the fact that I knew she had powers. Second, I had to be honest, at least as much as I could. If she thought she could pull the rug out from under me, maybe she'd be more willing to talk.
I couldn't stop myself from stressing over all the ways this could go wrong. In Worm, everything had the potential to spiral out of control on a massive scale. This conversation could easily end with both of us being forced into the Wards for using parahuman abilities in a conflict.
Damn Shards and their stupid hunger for conflict just to gather data. I don't know how those things haven't self-destructed yet with such a terrible system for gathering information.
"Thiago!"
"Eeeek!" I yelped in surprise.
Damn it. I hadn't even noticed Jayne's return. And, surprisingly, she had managed to bring Taylor with her. The girl didn't look particularly thrilled to be here, though.
"She said you wanted to talk to me." Damn, I don't think anyone could look more tense or cornered than she did right now.
I swallowed hard and let go of the hem of my shirt—stupid habit of mine.
"Well… To be honest with you, Taylor…" Not stuttering was something I had some control over, but the tradeoff was that everything I said came out in a slightly robotic tone. "I want to help you with the bullying."
We both stood in silence for a few seconds. She seemed to be processing my words slowly, completely caught off guard and unsure of how to react.
"Well, I even have a pla—"
"Why?" she cut me off with a question.
"Uh, why what?"
"Why... ugh, why do you want to help me? Why now? Why not before?" Each question was full of both anger and utter distrust, and I didn't even know it was possible to make that so evident in your voice.
"Oh... well... I guess there's no simple answer to that. But I can answer the most important one of those questions." I took a deep breath and prepared myself—it was now or never. "Because what's happening to you isn't right in any way. I don't need to be a philanthropist or some kind of savior to know that what those girls are doing to you is utterly sick."
She looked at me with complete disbelief, and I couldn't blame her. That answer boiled down to me saying I was doing this out of the goodness of my heart—and, honestly, I was.
"Yeah, it's hard to believe when everyone in this school seems completely horrible or negligent..." I ignored Jayne's accusatory glare and kept my focus on Taylor, trying my best to convey sincerity. "But I really do want to help you, honestly. Even if you don't believe me, I want to help."
"That's it? Just that?"
"Yes."
The atmosphere was awful. Jayne looked tense, and Taylor was staring at me like I was completely insane—which, honestly, I probably was.
"So that's why you started approaching me? Kept striking up conversations and even pushing the Trio away from me? Just for that?"
"The answer to all of those questions is yes. Pure and simple. Like I said—and I'll say it again—you have no reason to trust me or even believe what I'm saying. But I just want to help, even if, in the end, we don't become friends or I gain nothing from it."
Jayne just stood there silently, watching us. She seemed to be growing more and more concerned and even a little confused at times.
"You at least... have a plan for this?"
Okay, that was a good first step.
"Yes, and that's exactly why I asked Jayne to bring you here. I didn't want to do this behind your back. I want to help you with this, and I'll be 100% honest from start to finish."
She took a deep breath, still seeming conflicted about everything I'd said. I waited patiently for her response. I wasn't going to pressure her—not even a little. If I wanted her help, I needed to make it clear I was being honest and straightforward, leaving no room for doubt or hesitation.
"I… I accept your help," she said hesitantly.
I smiled. Finally, I could do more to help her. She had probably only agreed so she could keep a closer eye on me and figure things out, but a victory was a victory.
"Yes!" Jayne whispered excitedly.
I just exhaled and shook my head. Taylor still seemed on edge, even though things had lightened up a bit. It was time for the finishing touch, and I already knew how.
"Now that you've accepted our help, how about hearing my plan?"
Brockton Bay, March 21, 15:58
I hummed happily as I stepped off the bus, Taylor following close behind as we walked toward our respective homes. We had managed to put together a decent plan while we were on the rooftop. Well, she hadn't been entirely thrilled with the beginning of it, but I'd managed to get her to listen before anything disastrous could happen.
"See you tomorrow, Taylor!" I waved cheerfully at her as I headed toward my house.
She just gave a small wave back as she went to hers. We weren't exactly friends—not yet, at least—and we probably wouldn't be for a while. But I appreciated that she was willing to let me stick around.
I walked into my house with a spring in my step, spotting my grandmother sitting on the couch with a book in her hands while the TV played something random in the background.
"Good afternoon, Grandma!"
"Good afternoon, kid. How was school?" She closed the book and looked at me.
"It was good. The usual, you know. But I have a feeling things are about to get a lot better," I replied, smiling as I headed for the stairs.
She chuckled softly and went back to reading. I headed up to my room and quickly changed my clothes. Today was the day to test my plan as Prismstroke and see if it could work. I'd even managed to put together a half-decent costume.
I opened my inventory and looked at the outfit: a white jacket painted with colorful lines in green, red, yellow, and blue running along the sleeves and down the back, a blue-painted plague doctor mask, a black shirt to wear underneath, jeans with various paint splatter-like stains, and white sneakers.
"Looks decent enough."
I smiled as I put on the clothes. They were a bit loose on me; I'd even stitched some parts, but I hadn't been able to make any major changes. As they say, some days are struggles, and some are victories.
I opened my wardrobe and quickly changed into another set of clothes—basically the same as before: a black-and-white striped shirt, black pants, and sandals instead of shoes. I had everything ready in my inventory: a chair, my painting and drawing supplies, a canvas with its stand, and a lot of determination.
Okay, I just needed to head to the boardwalk. No big deal.
Nodding to myself, I left my room and hurried down to the living room.
"Changed pretty fast, huh? Going somewhere?"
"Yeah, Grandma. Just going for a walk on the boardwalk, you know, to explore and check out the place." I walked toward the door.
"Oh, I see…" She gave me a skeptical look. "But wouldn't it be better to wait and go with your mom? It'd be safer."
"I know it'd be safer, Grandma, but I can't just stay inside all day, you know? Maybe we can get some pepper spray later if that'd make you feel better."
"Tch, pepper spray is useless. Tasers are just as bad. They make such a big deal about these things, but in the end, they're impractical..." She replied with some disdain. "Actually, you know what? You're going to learn martial arts! That's it!" She seemed to have a sudden burst of inspiration.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Isn't that a bit sudden, Grandma?"
"No! Not at all. It's decided! You're going to learn martial arts, and I already know who to call!" She said, pulling out her phone.
Crap, I needed to get out of there before she roped me into something. I quickly walked to the door and stepped outside. It was time to put my plan into action.
Now that I thought about it, I realized how often I repeated that word. Eh, whatever. I walked to the bus stop and stood there waiting, taking the moment to check some things in the system. The first thing I opened was the [Quests] tab.
Spoiler: [The 5 Colors of Brockton Bay]
And yes, the painting my mom brought to the PRT totally counted.
"Hell yeah!" I cheered.
"One less, which leaves me wondering where on earth my mom put that painting. I'll probably never find out."
I snapped out of my daydream as I saw the bus I needed approaching. I waved to it, and it stopped so I could board. It was a bit crowded, but I managed to find a seat at the back where I could look out the window. It still felt surreal to see a city so different from the one I used to live in—a city that, frankly, shouldn't even exist—right outside the bus window.
I should take some time to explore other parts of the city, like the ship graveyard or maybe Arcadia. It wouldn't be too hard; I could just say I was checking out a school I might attend next year.
It was funny to think about the future. Even with so much power at my disposal, I couldn't help but feel a gnawing fear at the possibility of a bombing in Brockton Bay. When you think about it, the Undersiders would still face Lung's wrath even without Taylor in their group since they caused him plenty of trouble anyway. That means there's still a chance of an Undersiders vs. Bakuda clash, if only because she's a lunatic who thinks killing them would somehow improve her reputation.
I sighed deeply. Just considering this spiral of events was exhausting. And the worst part was that it actually could happen. But it was better to focus on other things. I noticed that my stop was coming up, and soon enough, the bus arrived, and I got off.
It was only a few minutes' walk to the Boardwalk, so I started looking for a hidden spot nearby to change. That wasn't likely to go well, though—there weren't many alleys around, and the ones that did exist didn't seem very useful.
I wandered for a bit until I found a somewhat decent spot: an alley next to a 24-hour convenience store. It didn't seem to have any security cameras, and there was just a large green trash bin inside, so it was serviceable for a quick costume change.
I ducked into the alley and hid beside the trash bin—it was big enough to shield me. Quickly, I opened my inventory and equipped each piece of my costume. Sadly, they didn't count much as "items" beforehand, and the adjustments I made to them didn't seem to do much besides making them look nicer.
After waiting a few minutes, I finally stood up and left the alley. I hadn't even started walking toward the Boardwalk properly when I began noticing a few glances in my direction. It wasn't surprising, but it was still a bit unnerving.
The walk to the Boardwalk didn't take long, but it felt like an eternity with so many eyes on me. Damn, I even saw a few people taking pictures when they thought I wasn't looking. At least I quickly reached my intended spot—the one with the best view of the Protectorate HQ.
"Alright, time to put on a little show. [Acting], don't fail me now."
With a bit of flair, I pulled a chair, my easel, and a canvas out of my inventory. Calmly, I set them up, glanced at the view of the PHQ, and retrieved some paints. I sat down and started thinking.
I could create a painting that simply captured what I was seeing, or I could add some embellishments—maybe include something with a deeper meaning. But I had to be careful if I chose the latter. Nothing that resembled an Endbringer, or anything with golden light. Especially nothing that could be interpreted as a premonition; that would definitely put me on Coil's radar.
With an idea in mind, I dramatically pulled a brush from my inventory and began painting. My goal was to create something that symbolized a bastion of hope, while also grounding it with a touch of reality.
[Drawing] leveled up!
Each brushstroke seemed infused with creativity. The paint perfectly complemented the scene unfolding on the canvas. A sense of fulfillment was slowly settling over me as the painting neared completion.
With a few final touches, I finished my painting. I gazed at it with a smile, soaking in its radiance. It wasn't perfectly stunning, but it still looked beautiful to me.
[Drawing] leveled up!
The painting depicted the PHQ, surrounded by an array of multicolored light beams—each representing a member of the Protectorate ENE. Dark blue for Armsmaster, green for Miss Militia, deep red for Assault, light blue for Battery, silver for Dauntless, bright red for Velocity, and yellow for Triumph.
These colors encircled the PHQ, creating a blend that I managed to make at least somewhat harmonious to the eye. Smiling, I stood up from my chair.
"It's quite a beautiful painting."
I flinched slightly at the voice and turned around. A small crowd had gathered in a semi-circle, watching me. Some held up their phones, either recording or snapping photos. But most importantly, at the front of the group stood two very familiar figures: one slightly shorter than me, wearing a red and silver costume with a matching helmet and a shield emblem on the chest; the other clad in a black cape, black bodysuit, and a mask resembling a feminine face.
Aegis and Shadow Stalker. And judging by the compliment, I could tell it wasn't Shadow Stalker who had spoken.
I almost thanked him, but I quickly remembered that Prismstroke was supposed to be mute. After a moment's thought, I came up with an idea. I used [Mana Shaping] to create a stencil that read 'Thank you'. A perfect way to communicate while staying on-theme with the artistic persona.
Aegis looked slightly confused for a moment, glancing quickly in Shadow Stalker's direction. She seemed about to say something, but I immediately replaced the first stencil with another one.
'I can't speak.'
"Oh! Sorry, I didn't realize," he replied, sounding a bit embarrassed.
'It's okay, it happens.'
"So, you're not a face we usually see around here. A new cape?"
'Yep.'
"I see. So you decided to be an artist? That's a pretty cool idea—you seem to have a lot of talent for it." His expression seemed to shift into a smile, even through the mask. So the whole "smiling with your eyes" thing really is true.
Shadow Stalker, on the other hand, had been silent the entire time, which struck me as odd. The part about "talent" rubbed me the wrong way a bit, but it wasn't worth dwelling on.
'Thank you. I wanted the painting to have meaning.' I walked over to the painting and picked it up, an idea sparking in my mind for a moment.
I approached Aegis with the painting in hand and extended it toward him.
"Uh, is this for me?"
'Yes, a gift.'
[Acting] leveled up!
Aegis seemed taken aback for a moment, staring at the painting before carefully taking it from me.
"Thank you. I think this will brighten up the PHQ."
'Art is meant to be shared.'
Shadow Stalker let out a scoff, clearly unimpressed with the exchange. Probably mocking me for being so sentimental.
"By the way, you haven't mentioned your cape name," Aegis said, holding the painting carefully to avoid smudging the still-drying paint.
'Prismstroke.' I held up the stencil with one hand while creating a dramatic mana brush in the other.
"Cool name."
I nodded in agreement. Staying silent and pretending to be mute was surprisingly easy—far more comfortable than the idea of using my voice in front of such a large crowd.
"Well, have you thought about doing a power test?" he asked cautiously.
'Power test?' Pretending I didn't know what that was seemed like a good strategy to figure out what he wanted.
"To test the capabilities of your power. You could take one of those tests to better understand what you can do."
I paused, feigning deep thought, though I already knew my answer: a big, resounding no. Sure, taking the test would earn me some goodwill with the Protectorate and PRT, but I was still paranoid about the missing Grub and the possibility of being linked to him, even without evidence.
'I'm busy right now, but I might do it later.'
"Great! It's always good to learn more about what we're capable of," he responded cheerfully.
Looking around, I realized I'd taken longer painting than I thought. Some of the crowd had dispersed, but a sizeable group remained. It was... intimidating.
'I think I'll be heading out now.'
"Of course, no problem. But before you go—and I know this might sound a bit awkward—have you thought about joining the Wards?" He asked quickly, probably following some directive to extend the invitation.
'I have, and I'm interested, but not just yet.'
"I see. That's fair. Just know that we're always open to new members. It would be great to have more people helping the city."
Okay, good mini-speech. The fact that he talked about helping the city instead of just the PRT or Protectorate was a solid touch—it'd definitely make someone more inclined to join.
I paused for a moment and nodded enthusiastically, trying to make it seem like his words had swayed me slightly toward the idea. Then I quickly began gathering my things to leave.
'See you later!'
Aegis waved as I walked away, threading through the crowd and distancing myself from the spot where I'd been painting. As I walked, I opened the [Graphic] tab in my interface—and wow, I should've checked it earlier. There was so much going on there:
Spoiler: [Graphic]
Holy crap, I wasn't expecting this. There definitely weren't that many people in the crowd, so it's safe to assume a lot of these views came from people sharing it online—probably the ones with their phones out earlier.
Best of all, I could finally continue with my shopping plans. Smiling to myself, I walked away, realizing I was already some distance from the Boardwalk. I took the first alley I could find and slipped into it, moving stealthily. Soon, I'd be home and resting.
"Whoops!"
Lost in thought, I accidentally bumped into someone and lost my balance, falling to the ground. Thankfully, I wasn't hurt much.
"Sorry about that!"
I almost responded but quickly shut my mouth, remembering I was supposed to be mute. I glanced up at the extended hand and then at the person offering it. My heart sank, heavy as lead and cold as dry ice. Blonde hair tied back, green eyes, freckles across the bridge of the nose, and a vulpine smile on their face.
"What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?"
And to make matters worse, I noticed a few other figures turning the corner deeper in the alley—people I really didn't want to recognize right now.
"Crap…"
[You received 1 LUC for having an immense amount of both bad luck and good luck at the same time.]
Spoiler: Stats +5 INT
And it seems that the favorites of most people are finally making their first appearance in this beautiful work.
Brockton Bay, March 21st, 17:55
"So? Are you going to accept the help or not?" She said, still waiting for me to take her hand.
I was scared, really scared. This is one of the things I don't like about myself — my panic about privacy and secrets being exposed. Lisa felt like a boogeyman to me in this moment.
I mechanically took her hand, and with a bit of effort, she helped me get up from the ground.
"Lisa! Why did you run off like that?" A dark-skinned boy with a muscular build, wearing a black jacket, a gray tank top underneath, black pants, and black-and-white sneakers, definitely Brian.
"Maybe she was chasing after love at first sight, had a little fall and everything." A handsome teenager with light blue eyes, brown hair, wearing a white shirt, gray pants, and white shoes, eating an ice cream while watching the alley events unfold — this was probably Alec.
Lisa and Brian both rolled their eyes at Alec's comment.
"I just wanted to talk to our friend here." She said, gesturing toward me with her shoulder.
I stayed silent for a few seconds, still thinking about what to say. Most people in my situation would be just as scared and paranoid about Miss Know-It-All here with me. I needed to think of something quickly.
"Hey hey hey! Calm down, I just wanted to talk, nothing to worry about!" The blonde said, raising both hands.
Damn, I forgot that even silence could count as information for her power. I took a deep breath and looked at her. If she just wanted to talk, then this might be a good chance to do something.
"T-Okay." Damn, the stutter.
"Alright, how about we introduce ourselves then? Nice to meet you, you can call me Lisa." She said with a smile, which felt a bit strange. We barely knew each other, and she was acting like this.
I wasn't stupid, she wanted something from me, that was easy to tell, but the important thing was to figure out what. If it was for me to join them, I would have to refuse, but I could use this to my advantage. I shifted my attention from Lisa to Brian, and he returned my gaze for a few seconds before speaking as well.
"Brian, nice to meet you." He said, extending his hand toward me.
I hesitated for a moment before accepting the handshake, and damn, he had some strength. Even though he seemed to try to be friendly, I released his hand and then looked at the last person in the alley.
"Hey, call me the grand, marvelous, incredible, and perfect Alec." He said with flair while eating his ice cream.
"It's just Alec." Lisa replied, rolling her eyes. "Well, now that we're all introduced, we can talk better."
"But... About what?" I asked hesitantly. During my question, I noticed surprise from Brian and Alec, but not from Lisa.
"Well, we noticed you're new to all this cape stuff and everything, so we wanted to make an offer."
I was a bit surprised. This was strange, didn't make sense, but at least she was being honest with me. It could be much worse.
Mission Acquired!
[A Golden Opportunity]
Opportunity favors the bold.
Description: You are being offered something, and I don't need to say what, to join the Undersiders, but that's not something you want... Or is it? Why not take advantage of this situation? Your objective is to make a counteroffer that they will accept.
Reward: 600 Exp, 500 CP, Undersiders become allies.
Failure: Undersiders do not become allies.
Accept?
[Y/N]
I focused on yes. It was a good opportunity, and this mission meant I had a chance to pull this off, so I'd go for it. But first, it was better to keep up the act for now, to avoid raising suspicions.
"An offer? Wait, does that mean you're capes too?" But I should keep acting.
One thing came to mind in that moment, something I hadn't used much lately. While waiting for Lisa's response, I activated [Analyze] on her.
[Lisa Wilbourn] Lvl. 14 (HP: 240) (MP: 80)
Focused on something, possibly using her power?
Hopeful, probably about you?
Curious.
MP: 675/680 (+60 MP per minute)
Okay, she's using her power during this conversation, which was expected, but she's hopeful and curious, which makes me a bit worried. Why hope? I tried to remember something that could explain this, but it probably had nothing to do with Coil. She didn't know that I knew about him, so I ruled that out.
"Yes, we are. You've probably heard of us before, but before we tell you who we are, we need to know if you're willing to hear our offer." Lisa seemed to be taking the lead in the conversation, which was a bit strange. Brian seemed more on the sidelines than actively participating.
This was another thing to note: why not wait to meet me later? Why now? I couldn't be that valuable, right? The most powers I had shown were my inventory and the ability to create mana-based objects, but other than that, nothing more.
"Well, listening can't hurt, right?"
"Very good then, but before everything, we'd like to know more about your powers." Brian said. "We saw you using a few of them, but we want to know more."
"Well, I can create some fully blue objects like this." I said, creating a brush using [Mana Shaping].
[Mana Shaping] leveled up!
MP: 661/680 (+60 MP per minute)
"And I can also put things in a pocket space." I said, dissolving the brush, opening my inventory, and pulling out a real brush. "And that's pretty much it."
Lisa raised an eyebrow when I finished talking about my "powers," which was a bit strange. It was something I'd add to the pile of things making me a bit paranoid.
"That's it?" Lisa asked questioningly.
Well, one of two things: either she thinks I have an additional power, or somehow she noticed me looking at the system screens. The first is technically good news, as it reminded me that her power has flaws — meaning she has likely gone down the wrong path. The second option reminded me that even her power has limits. It's not just pulling everything about something out of nowhere, so she probably just suspects a third power.
"Well, I don't think so, at least." I said shyly. It was better to stay timid and scared, it might help make them be a bit lighter with me and let their guard down.
"Well, we can test your powers more later, but for now, let's get back to the offer. As we said, we're a group of parahumans, specifically the Undersiders." Brian said calmly. "We're more specialized in stealing and escaping, so powers like yours would make a great addition to the team, and we even get a salary at the end of the month."
"Wait, a salary? How does that work?" I asked, trying to keep up the façade.
"Well, since you said you were willing to hear our proposal, I'll answer that." Lisa said, taking charge of the conversation. "Let's just say our group has a sponsor, someone who gives us jobs."
I faked a look of understanding. Not much of a surprise, Coil needed his little act to dominate Brockton Bay like a villain from a cheesy spy series, and the Undersiders served well as a group that the heroes would go easy on because they were just thieves.
"So, if I join, I get 2,000 a month?"
[Acting] leveled up!
"Yep, and you also get a place to stay without paying rent, but the video games are mine, so those aren't included." Alec said, finishing his ice cream.
"What Alec meant is that we have a base that we share." Brian said.
It was a well-formed offer, too bad I'd have to refuse it. Not only to avoid pulling the ABB's anger toward me, since the Undersiders were probably already on Lung's radar, but also because I wanted to avoid getting on their boss's radar for now.
"Look, it's a really good offer, honestly, but I can't accept." I said apologetically. "But I have an idea that could still help us, well, more like a kind of deal, actually."
"A deal? What kind of deal?" Lisa asked.
"Well, I might have hidden a small part of my power, but it was more out of paranoia, you know." I said with a hint of shame, hoping my acting was convincing. "This power is basically a tinkerer's power, you know, and I thought, since you're a group of capes, I could give you the technology I make, and in exchange, you could provide me with materials and a base, and preferably, not yours, of course."
Lisa and Brian seemed surprised by my answer.
"Wait, really, tinkerer tech?" Brian asked seriously.
"Well, yes, you can call it Tinkertech for short." It was a bit strange that they referred to it as "tinker technology" instead of Tinkertech, but it was normal since it was a fanon name.
"But what kind of… Tinkertech?" Lisa questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"Well… I'm not exactly sure yet, but from what I understand, I can make a fair amount of things, but there doesn't seem to be a specific connection between them. The only problem is that everything seems a bit… how can I say, plain, but it can still be pretty useful."
"And all you're asking in return is a base and materials to build more?" Brian asked, sounding skeptical.
"Exactly."
Lisa and Brian seemed thoughtful about the response. They exchanged a glance and then moved away a little, seemingly whispering in low voices.
"Looks like the chairs have changed, huh?" Alec said as he approached me. "But so, what about the costume? A target for the empire?"
"Uh, what do you mean?" This time, I was genuinely confused.
"Don't joke, you really didn't notice? You're a guy in a costume with basically a rainbow and multicolored clothes walking through a city full of Nazis." He said, laughing lightly.
"... Oh." I hadn't noticed that, and I realized I was basically a walking target like this. "Damn, I guess I'll have to change the costume then..."
"You'll owe me one for this."
Well, technically, I would anyway; at least he warned me about the chance of some random Nazi shooting me for wearing more than four colors on my clothes. While I thought about that, I glanced at Brian and Lisa approaching us, took the chance, and used [Analyze] again.
[Lisa Wilbourn] Lvl. 14 (HP: 240) (MP: 80)
Happy, possibly with the agreement?
Hopeful, possibly regarding the agreement?
Focused.
[Brian Labor] Lvl. 17 (HP: 270) (MP: 80)
Serious.
Hopeful, possibly regarding the agreement.
Curious, possibly about your powers?
"We talked and reached a consensus, we accept the proposal, but first we want to know if what you're saying is true, since getting materials and a base will take a while." Brian said seriously, makes sense.
"Well, I can create something and then take it to a location you want, just set a date." I could take advantage and already use the CP I got earlier to create something and buy a few skills too.
"We've already thought about that." Lisa said while showing me her phone. "Through this disposable account on PHO, you'll contact us, and I'll send you the location and date, but of course, I'll ask a few questions first, just for security."
"Alright, then, is that all? Can I go now?" I asked shyly.
"Well, of course, you can." Brian replied, a bit confused.
"Alright, see you then."
I quickly ran deeper into the alleys, randomly taking the first paths I saw, putting on the gray and black striped shirt, black pants, and sandals while I ran. I quickly came out onto a random street and stopped on the sidewalk to catch my breath, barely noticing the screen that had popped up a moment ago.
Mission completed!
[Golden Opportunity]
Opportunity favors the bold
Description: You managed to get them to accept your proposal, which was a great start. All that's left now is to enjoy the future fruits of this partnership and strengthen it.
Received 600 EXP, 500 CP, Undersiders became allies.
Bonus: By getting them to accept your proposal without changing anything in it, you received 500 EXP and 500 CP.
Okay, good, more CP and more EXP, but now I really need to get home and rest for a bit. But before I could properly think about resting, a new screen appeared in front of me.
New mission obtained!
[A Deal Made]
The first step toward becoming a great inventor
Description: You agreed to create "Tinkertech" to prove your worth to the Undersiders. Your goal is to create this piece of technology in just one day, and preferably, it should be functional.
Reward: 500 EXP, 400 CP, 1 Perk Point.
Accept? [Y/N]
I groaned in annoyance while focusing on the yes option, another thing that would cause me work.
Brockton Bay, March 21st, 23:40
Everything had gone well, I managed to contact Lisa through the PHO, and we were going to meet near their base in 3 days. Well, not that they knew I knew where their base was, but that was something I remembered very well.
So, I could already start creating something and finish this damn mission. I was so excited about it that I barely waited for my relatives to fall asleep before sneaking down to the basement, where I currently had a list of things to buy from the [Store].
I realized it would be much more useful to buy old things through the system's store and then use them to create any technology I needed. I had already added a few things to my list, like some really old flip phones, the kind that were so big they looked like bricks, old rotary phones, radios, and other stuff.
All of it together cost me about 1000 CP, but I already had enough to work with, and with that, came the ability I had looked at before and a couple of items that would be useful to me.
Tech Zone: Gadgets (Totally Spies!) (Passive) Lv. 1 (Exp: 0%)
I don't think lasers work that way…
Description: With great ingenuity and a touch of creativity, you've unlocked the technology behind the world's trendiest spies' gadgets. With this ability, you know how to create and build some of the existing gadgets or your own.
Price: 800
Basic Electronics
Description: A book that gives a basic understanding of electronics and all the nuances behind it, a good book for beginners.
Price: 200
Basic Metallurgy for Jewelers and Designers: From Metal to Jewelry
Description: A book that provides basic information about metallurgy, a good start for those wanting to learn more about the basics in the field.
Price: 200
I looked at the books on the table. I still hadn't tested if I could just dismantle the book and learn its content, so now was the time for that.
I picked up the book on metallurgy, waited a moment, nothing happened. I focused on the book, and soon a screen appeared in front of me.
Skill book detected, do you want to learn the skill [Metallurgy]?
[Y/N]
I quickly extended my hand and pressed yes. The book in my hand glowed blue and disintegrated into sparkling particles. Suddenly, a flood of information entered my mind. I was shocked for a few seconds before returning to normal.
You learned the skill [Metallurgy]!
Metallurgy (Passive) Lv. 1 (Exp: 0%)
Forging steel and metal into art.
Description: The study of metals, from when they come directly from the earth to when they are formed and shaped into different forms. (Creations that contain large or medium amounts of metals have a 1% increase in quality).
Well, I now had a good basis for working with metals. I picked up the book on electronics and repeated the same process of focusing on it. A similar message appeared in the air, but this time the learned skill would be [Electronics]. I confirmed, and the book disintegrated into blue lights.
You learned the skill [Electronics]!
Electronics (Passive) Lv. 1 (Exp: 0%)
This damn computer and its bad contact.
Description: Electronics is the science behind things that rely on electrons to function, whether through semiconductors, vacuum, or gases. (Creations using electrical energy have a 1% increase in quality).
Well, it was time to work, and my first project was something I had already thought a lot about. I got up from the couch and went to the pile of boxes. I had stored the toolbox I bought with my mom in them, and this would be the first time I'd use it, and I thanked everything for it being well-equipped.
I took it out of a box along with the various old cell phones we had stored here. It was time to create, and I was going to work well with this.
I placed the cell phones on the table and began opening each one, observing their components one by one and organizing them on the table. It didn't take long for each phone to be properly opened, and its components organized.
I opened my inventory and took out some of the old rotary phones I bought using the system. I took the wires and cut them with pliers, removing each wire from the phones and began working with them and the phone components.
[Electronics] leveled up!
My goal was simple: to create a type of super phone. Of course, the way I was working, it looked more like a Frankenstein monster than a phone, but it still worked decently.
I kept working with the components, occasionally opening a few things and quickly putting others together. In the end, what I got was a large object, in the shape of a brick, but a bit lighter. It wasn't pretty at all because it was mostly tied together with black tape and had a small screen.
"Well, at least I made it with my own abilities, so I'm a bit ahead of most repairmen."
I managed to attach some of the buttons near the screen using tape, so it was perfectly functional for me. I pressed the button that was supposed to turn it on and waited. The screen slowly turned on, showing the logo of a company that made one of the phones I used, and then the lock screen appeared.
"Looks good."
I unlocked the phone and fiddled with it for a bit. Everything seemed perfectly fine until I noticed one thing: the device was generating a lot, a lot of heat. I could feel it very strongly in my hand, and then the device shut off on its own.
"Too good to be true."
And there went my first creation. This reminded me that unlike Tinkers, my creations didn't need to go through a testing process before they were completely made. They could basically invent something, and their Shard would make it work—or explode in their face if we count Leet.
With that in mind, I'd have plenty of time to put this device through testing and really make it work without having the laws of physics and our universe scream bloody murder.
Spoiler: Stats
This chapter took a while because I had quite a few issues with our favorite blonde thinker, and I have to say, I officially hate writing dialogues with Tattletale. It's so much mind games and reading between the lines.
By the way, I feel like this chapter turned out a bit lackluster, so if you want to give any constructive criticism, feel free to go ahead.