//------------------------------// // Chapter 12 // Story: Shard of Magic [Worm crossover] // by blake0831 //------------------------------// Aegis landed on the rooftop of the short office building. "So, what do you think?" he asked, turning towards the figure following behind him. Starburst hovered to a stop next to him. "...it's okay. I guess..." She said as she dropped a bit to land on the cement rooftop, the petals and halo of her Flight power fading away. "I'm thought there'll be more...." Aegis chuckled, "Rescuing people from crime? Don't get me wrong, even the Wards are empowered by law to intervene if we saw any crime in progress, like regular cops." He continued, "But general procedure for stuff like that is to call for backup from either the BBPD, PRT or the Protectorate, depending on the situation." He shook his head. "Vista may grumble about it sometimes, but the Wards usually don't go on patrols aiming to fight StormTiger or Victor." Starburst frowned, "But the newspaper articles..." She started, before changing her question. "Then what are these patrols by the Wards for." She absent-mindedly checked her pockets and pouch. Thankfully, the PR department finally came around and let her keep the original look of her costume, though they wanted to add some squadron patches to it (mostly her cape name and PRT Wards logo and the USA flag), to invoke an image of a military flightsuit. An Airforce Flightsuit to Miss Militia's Army BDUs. Aegis sighed. "The fights the Wards get dragged into occasionally... well, this is Brockton Bay. Can't throw a stone anywhere without it hitting a gang member or a supervillain." He straightened up." As for the patrols; crime deterrent and public morale boosting usually. Sort of like police cars roaming the streets. Criminals will think twice about doing any overt crime or gang activity if there could be a patrol nearby to stop them, and the general public likes it when they see heroes walking the streets or flying overhead. Makes them feel safer. Though its' usually the Protectorate and the PRT patrols that'll respond to cape crime first." "Hm..." Starburst hummed thoughtfully as she quickly checked both her own personal phone and the PRT issued phone that's sync-ed to it. Content that both had a decent amount of battery life remaining, she tucked them back into their pockets. "As for why have the Wards do patrols as well." Aegis elaborated. "I think it's a way to make sure the Wards don't get to separated from the civilians. Humanized them, instead of seeing them as a faceless mass of contradictory opinions." Starburst's mind flashed back to the crowds of students at Winslow. "Uh-huh..." she said skeptically. Aegis chuckled "And it's more fun than being stuck at PRT HQ downtown or the Protectorate Rig HQ out in the bay all day." Starburst let out a quick laugh. 'Superpowered teenagers stuck in one building with no chance to go out to do something? Anything? Yeah, that's a recipe for disaster...' "Speaking of which," Aegis spoke up, looking thoughtful. "What was on that lists your were reading before? And did Kid Win ran to the workshop for?" Starburst looked at him, idly leaning against an air conditioner unit, "The first list is from Armsmaster and Dragon. Some ideas for new powers. They said they're trying to learn to figure out how to make new power matrices to put into crystals without having to depend on my power to teach them. Also, they're trying to figure out if there's a pattern to how long it'll take for a power to be ready for me to use." She frowned. "It seems random. You would think the Accelloro power ('Accelloro: Enhanced movement and dexterity via temporal acceleration spell, with integrated inertia compensation bubble' spell, her power poked at her. ) that lets me be a knock-off Velocity would take longer to make than a power that just let me walk on water ('Enhanced Mobility via modifying surface tension of liquid surface' spell, her power reminded her.), and yet both just just... popped in ready to be used in no time flat." She took a breath. "Not sure about Kid Win. He asked about my Thinker power, and I was explaining how it translates my powers into something I can Tinker into crystals, how each section interlinked and yet can just slot in with each other when he got a funny look on his face and he just... took off." Starburst looked at Aegis in askance. "Was that normal for him?" Aegis rubbed the back of his head. "Well, sometimes when he got a new inspiration or idea to Tinker with, he gets like that. I heard Tinkers in general are like that." He paused. "So, what about the second list?" he prodded. Starburst sighed. "The second list is from the PR department. Just a list of ideas for 'PR-Friendly' powers, like non-lethal takedowns and so on." She pushed herself off and into a standing position with her arms crossed. "Mostly, I was thinking which between the two list I should work on next. Don't know how long it'll take after all. The one my power is working on now is already been at it since yesterday." She mumbled slightly. "I thought since the power to restrain a crowd ('Variable area multiple target stasis mana shell enclosed restraining field' spell, her power poked again at her.) popped up so quickly after asking, this one will be quick as well, but no...." "What power is did you asked for?" Aegis inquired curiously. Starburst said hesitated, "I... asked for a power that could disarm or made safe any hostile weaponry in a crowd or area." Aegis looked at her thoughtfully, "So... like the 'Expelliarmus'? The disarming charm? Like from those Harry Potter books?" "It's not a spell, it's a power." Starburst defensively, while internally groaning. 'It's only been a week since that interview...' Aegis held up both hands to ward off any anger. "Sorry. Since, you know, your power calls them spells and magic..." Starburst huffed. "My power is the magic geek, not me." She spoke defiantly. "I'm calling them powers." Aegis laughed while putting up a placating hand. "Whatever you say." He began to hover. "Ready to head to our next point?" Starburst grumbled a bit, before activating her Radar and Flight powers. "Yeah. Let's go." ************************** "Nervous bout your introduction ceremony tomorrow?" Aegis asked through Starburst's headset, him taking point while she flew at a higher vantage point. "A little." Starburst admitted. "Is... is it okay for me to do a patrol even before the announcement that I'm a Ward to the public?" she asked anxiously, following the rusty red figure ahead and below. "It's okay "Aegis reassured, banking around a corner. "PR sometimes like to do it this way. Stir up some excitement before the main event." He shook his head. "Gets the forums all a-buzz about you." "I guess-" Starburst stopped, the Radar power alerting her to something. "Aegis, I got something weird here." Aegis stopped and detoured to a convenient flat rooftop. "What is it?" Starburst landed facing him. "My Radar picked up some disturbance over there. It marked it as a 'Event of Interest' happening now." "I'll call it in." Aegis said, one head on his headset. "Come in, Console." "Console here." Clcokblocker's voice came through. "What'd you got?" Starburst focused on what the Radar power is telling her. "Alarms, shouting and gunshots." she reported. "Do we check it out? It's a bit out of our way here, but not too far." "Um..." Clockblocker hesitated. "I think you two should recon only." There's was some sounds of shuffling papers. "BBPD and PRT are alerted. Where is it?" Starburst looked at Aegis and shook her head. "I can't tell. We have to go closer to see where it is." There was a deep breath sound over the headset. "Okay. Just do a quick recon. Go in, identify the place, and go out. BBPD will send in someone as soon as possible. PRT is readying in case of cape activity there." "Roger." ************************** "It's here." Starburst announced as Aegis and her stopped on a rooftop across from the building marked by the Radar power. "Crap." Aegis swore as he looked at the building. "The Ruby Dreams Casino. PRT suspects it's an ABB front." "It sounds like something is happening in there." Taylor commented as she began to cycle through different viewing filters of her Radar power. "Huh." "What is it?" Aegis asked a little anxiously. "Nothing. My power just finished with the disarming power." Taylor said, pushing aside the mental notification ('Guard: Variable Area Nullification and Rendering Inactive of Harmful Objects via Telekinetic Manipulation and Self sustaining Mana Shell Enclosure' spell, her power informed her. She'll just call it Safe Guard). "Console, Starburst here. Seeing a lot of people in the building. Looks like chaos in there." There was a pause. "Wait, my Radar picked up some parahumans. Three moving in the building, One outside." "Roger, Starburst. PRT and Protectorate forces are notified." Clockblocker answered with a serious tone. "Recommend you leave the area." "Copy that," Aegis reported. "Come on, Starburst." he said before flying away from the casino. "Hang on" Starburst said, already hovering to a higher point. "I want to get a better vantage point. I might be able to tell who these parahumans are. So the backup doesn't get caught by surprise." "What-" Aegis exclaimed, already managing to put quite a distance between him and the casino street. "Starburst, get back here. Get out of there now!" "Hold on!" Starburst said, her eyes fixed on the one parahuman outside the casino. "I almost... Got it!" The Radar presented to Starburst a small window with zoomed in view. She watched as the other three parahuman signatures rejoined their friend outside. "The parahumans are The UnderSiders. Looks like they're robbing the casino." "Yes, that's good to hear. Now get away from there!" Aegis urged. Starburst watched as the Undersiders mounted their dogs, about to leave. She grimaced a bit at the thought of simply letting them get away with a crime. It grated on her nerves a bit. A part of her wanted to capture them and bring the team of teenage villains to justice. Maybe use that 'Crowd Stasis' power on them... "Starburst?" Aegis asked, with a bit urgency in his voice. Starburst sighed before turning away from the casino. "I- I copy. Moving away to safety now." She's going to prove that she's a team play- An itchy right ear lobe and a warning from her Radar interrupted her, before someone abruptly landed bodily on her back, one arm looping itself around her neck, the other black-clad arm swinging around a knife, aimed to stab it into her heart. Starburst, moving more on startled instinct than anything else, shoved her left arm over her chest and manifested a buckler shield. The knife's progress scrapped slightly on the shield before it halted. Before Starburst could do anything or react, the arms and body suddenly disintegrated into powder gray ash. She frantically looked around, before spotting Aegis in the distance. But before she could even begin to move, someone just appeared right in front of her and slightly above. Lithe body, black bodysuit, scowling red demon mask. Starburst's metaphorical heart dropped as she recognized (and her Radar helpfully assisted) who it was. The teleporting, self-cloning parahuman Oni Lee. One of the two currently known ABB capes. The cape before her seems to be glaring at her as he yanked something from the bandolier he wore around his chest. Radar identified it as a pin from a grenade- 'Oh, crap!' Eyes widening in panic, Starburst moved back as much distance as she she could, created a sturdy full-body Riot Shield and took cover.