Shard of Magic [Worm crossover]

by blake0831

Interlude 7

Soft singing could be heard near one of the internment cells onboard the Rig, where a young blonde woman with feathers in her hair stood, dressed in orange slacks. She swayed in place, singing to herself while tapping a pencil onto the notebook she was holding, most of her attention on composing new lyrics and harmonies.

A screen mounted on a wall within the cell flickered on. "Good afternoon, Paige." greeted Dragon. "That sounds lovely."

Paige McAbee stopped singing and turned her head towards the device. "Oh, Hello." she said in surprise. "What brings you here?"

Dragon let out a good-natured chuckle. "Just here to keep you up to date with current proceedings." she reassured that slightly worried detainee. Considering what the woman had been through during her time with Boston PRT, there was no wonder to the reason for her worry. "We're currently discreetly petitioning to a Federal judge to grant you a lighter sentence, considering your willing cooperation in testing promising Anti-Master devices. Things are progressing smoothly. How is the new restraint?"

"Oh." Paige said in relief, one hand absently brushing lightly over the large steel gorget that was securely locked around her neck. Said gorget was that was inlaid with one large round white crystal bracketed by two smaller trapezoid crystal. She smiled. "Compared to the heavy restraints before, where I couldn't even talk or move properly; this little thing is a luxury. I can actually sing well with this." A worried look came over her face. "What about the power for this? I've been wearing and testing this for a few days, but I didn't see any way to recharge it or anyone else doing it the whole time."

"Don't worry about power." Dragon gently informed her. "The thaumaturgic energy battery array we've developed and implemented in your gorget will keep it powered as long as you are alive." Dragon asked concernedly. "Are you feeling anything? Discomfort? Weariness?"

Paige shook her head. "Then... as long as I have this on, I can sing freely without Mastering anyone?" she asked, a little anxiously.

Dragon smiled warmly. "Yes. That and the very low maintenance needs of the restraint will tilt the judges in your favor, especially the new... inconsistencies of the accused that had arisen now. You might be able to walk free and return to your performance career soon." She paused. "Though you'll have to do it without the more... 'enchanting' aspects of your voice." she teased.

Paige let a giggle around a happy smile. "I never needed my power to be a good singer and song writer. The loss doesn't bother me anyway." She looked at Dragon. "Though I'll have to update my concert dresses to better fit the style."

Dragon beamed at her. "It's good to hear that. We'll keep you updated. I look forward to your next concert." The screen winked off.

Paige smiled to herself and returned to her lyrics notes. 'What would be a good title for this?' she thought as she swayed in place, softly singing to herself. 'Maybe 'Now Free to Spread My Wings' sounds decent...'

**************************

Assault happened to look back at the Brockton Bay PRT HQ building as he stood up from his landing on a downtown office building rooftop, witnessing a soft teal shockwave spreading outwards harmlessly through the buildings. "Huh. Guess PRT HQ is Shatterbird-proof now." he commented idly.

"Pardon?" Battery asked as she approached him.

The predominately red suited hero turned his head towards his wife, who was clad mostly in black bodysuit with blue glowing lines running all over her body. "Heard ol' HalBeard talking about talking to Starburst on my way out. Since she just gave him the schematics for that Anti-Shatterbird field power, he wanted her use her power to put the same fields on PRT HQ, the Rig and a few other spots."

"Huh" Battery said, looking at the building and squinting, trying to see any differences now. None to be had. "Does she have to keep it up? Maintain it or something?"

Assault shook his head. "Nope. Remember that anti-teleport thing near the Docks? It'll stay up even without her there and it'll do so until she takes it down, or there's no living things around."

Battery raised an eyebrow. "Living things? It gets energy from living things?"

Assault laughed a bit. "No, the field isn't some sort of energy vampire. Most of it flew over my head when Halbeard explains it to me, but the energy is more like... that living things constantly generates a passive energy aura that the body isn't using. Dragon calls it a 'Thaumaturgic Life-field' ." He grinned. "Sounds straight out of a D&D campaign." He then continued. "Armsy and Dragon did some testing when that anti-teleport field was still up. Other than Strider, it did nothing to anyone in the area, even after nearly two weeks until Starburst 'undo' it."

Battery was silent as she looked at the HQ building. "Any ideas what will bring it down?"

Assault shook his head. "Haven't test it to breaking point yet. It'll hold up unless you turn the entire cityblock to as dead as Mars or something. Even down to plantlife and insects."

"Huh." Battery said thoughtfully. "If it's that permanent, wonder why Dragon and Armsmaster wanted the schematics?" she mused. "And why only a few spots? Why couldn't Starburst cover the whole city?"

Assault shrugged. "Starburst couldn't be everywhere. I heard the ones they'll make can be put on a Dragon-suit and be a movable field instead of being stuck in one place." He paused. "From what I heard from Dragon, energy supply issue. Apparently you can't have two active field effects too close to each other, or else they'll compete over the limited energy in the area and both fields will weaken, making them much less effective." He shrugged. "They mentioned something about using crystal batteries to get around the issue, but most of the conversation turned into Tinker babble to me."

Battery gave the building one last glance before turning and grabbing her husband. "Come on. We should get to our patrol."

Assault grinned and followed her. "Right away, beautiful."

**************************

A few knocks on the workshop door caused Chris to look up from his current project on the worktable. At the door, Dean's tall teenaged frame was standing in the hallway, leaning his head into the workshop. "Chris? It's nearly time for our study group session."

Chris looked blankly at the teen for the moment, before his eyes widened. "Already? It didn't feel that long." he said, standing up from the bench. "Can I skipped it for today? I really want to finish this!" he begged Dean.

Dean shook his head, chuckling. "No can do. Remember, these new group sessions is supposed to help us get closer together as a team. Plus, you, Dennis and Taylor needed a bit extra boost in your studies."

Chris petulantly grumbled. "These sessions are your idea."

Dean sighed. "Come on. We're supposed to make sure you don't waste yourself away on a Tinker fugue as well." He stepped into the workshop. "What are you working on these days, anyway?"

Chris brightened and quickly grabbed Dean's arm. "Oh.Oh. Come here! I want to show you something!" He excitedly dragged the older boy to a different worktable. "What do you think?" Chris gestured to the table.

Dean surveyed the items on the table. The table was cleared except for two identical items, complete with attachment holsters that presumably goes onto the hips of the Kid Win armour. The items looked like twin futuristic guns, except the resemblance to Kid Win's previous laserguns ended at the general looks. These guns looked like truncated revolvers, with their cylinder sections that would normally housed bullets enlarged. The handgrip seems to be hollow, presumably to accommodate the ammo cartridge-like objects lying close by on the table.

"What is it?" Dean prodded.

In response, Chris proudly picked one up. "This is my new arsenal! I call them 'multi-mode guns'." He pointed at the cartridges. "Those are energy batteries, I based them on Taylor's tech." he then pointed at the five barrel cylinder. "This gun can shoot multiple energy types. When this one is locked in. " The cylinder rotates and locked in a barrel. In the rear of the gun, a previously unnoticed red light lit up. "I can shoot the usual lasers. Well, not exactly like my old ones. I have to cribbed ones that worked on the new battery from Dragon. When I swap in this." The barrel unlocked and the cylinder rotates and slid a different barrel into place. The indicator light turns yellow."Now I can shoot kinetic energy blasts to knock down people. I can adjust the strength too! And when I use this one." A new barrel and a blue light. "I'll shoot these energy blasts that makes people sleep! Got this from Dragon's new prototype 'sleep guns' for the Troopers!" he excitedly finished.

One part of Dean wondered how did Chris say that without pausing for breath. "So, what's the other two for?"

Chris glanced down at the gun. "Oh, those are empty at the moment. I'll think of new modes to put in them later." he said dismissively.

"You certainly had been busy." Dean observed.

"I know!" Chris exclaimed with a huge smile. "I have so many ideas now. New designs. New concepts. All flowing in like water!" Now the smile turns a bit manic. "I feel like I'm really close to figuring out my Tinker specialty!"

Dean smile at his friend, while hiding his discomfort at said friend's sudden resemblance to Mad Scientists. "That's great. Are you still working on these?"

Chris shook his head quickly. "No, no! Those are done. Just need the okay from PR and Piggot!" He put down the gun and dragged Dean to the other table. "This what I'm working on now." Chris said while gesturing excitedly at the half-finished shell. "Power gauntlets. I can do different stuff like make hardlight shields or punch really hard when swap these parts in and out!"

Dean looked at the work in progress. "That's pretty neat." He paused. "While this is all nice and all, maybe you need to take a break. Rest a bit."

"What? No?" Chris looked a bit aghast. "Please! I just want to finish this!"

Dean shook his head. "Chris." he patiently started. "I know that Tinkering is important, but so is socializing and connecting with your teammates." he said firmly. "Come on and join us in the study session, okay?"

"But- but-" Chris sputtered, before he slumped a bit. "Okay, okay. I'll come." he said in a defeated voice.

"That's the spirit." Dean said cheerfully. "Come on. Everyone else is in the common room." He said as he move towards the hallway leading the the Wards common room.

Chris sighed a little despondently as he followed.

**************************

"Hello, Miss Militia." Triumph greeted as he strode into the PRT HQ shooting range, still clad in his leonine costume.

"Hello." The bandanna masked woman replied, looking up from her task of cleaning one of the guns from the armory.

Triumph smiled at her. "Rough day?" he asked. He knows that Miss Militia would sometimes do the weapon maintenance as a way to center herself and calming her nerves.

Miss Militia was silent for a while. "Do you think the Wards need an on-call therapists" she abruptly said.

Triumph blinked at the odd statement. "Therapist?" he parroted.

Miss Militia put down the parts she was holding and took a deep breath. "Taylor- Starburst came to me. She said she hadn't been sleeping well since her encounter with Hookwolf."

Triumph winced at the mention of the villain. Hookwolf's current state had perplexed the Protectorate and PRT. Though he was alive (in the most technical of the term. They had to bring in Panacea to confirm it.), Hookwolf seems to have... somehow encased his vital organs into a small sphere and appears to be in a comatose state. There was some argument as to what to do with the oddity before the matter was settled, by letting Dragon transport him away to carry out his court sentence in the Baumann Detainment Centre; aka The Birdcage.

"I see?" he ventured.

"We've talked about how she felt." Miss Militia continued. "I also pointed her to other people in the building and also the PRT Troopers counselor to get different perspectives. Get her talking more."

"Hm..." Triumph said, not quite seeing the issue.

"...I started thinking that we need something more. Better trained." Miss Militia confessed.

Triumph frowned. "The first Wards didn't need therapist. And the other branches now seem to be doing fine." he pointed out.

Miss Militia looked away, leaning against the table. "But any emotional support was informal. Talk to friends and colleagues sort of thing." She paused, collecting herself. "But I can't help thinking.... about Shadow Stalker. If we had a proper trained therapist in place, she probably wouldn't go down the path she did...." she trailed off.

Triumph bit his lip. Clearly, the fate of the former Probationary Ward bothered Miss Militia. "...maybe we do." he cautiously admitted. "Any ideas?"

Miss Militia stood up and turned towards him. "Maybe. We can't keep piggybacking off the Trooper's counselor. But I'll have a talk with him to get some ideas." She paused, thinking to herself a bit. "Maybe get input from Dragon and Armsmaster as well. Then I'll take it up to Director Piggot. See if we can change things. Institute a new formal mechanism to allow the Wards ready access to trusted dedicated therapists." She blinked and took a deep breath. "Maybe open the option for us Protectorate Members as well."

Triumph tilted his head. Part of the PR training to emote more obviously. "Us?"

Miss Militia nodded firmly. "Yes. You know that getting powers is... traumatic." A flash of discomfort ran through Triumph's face, though unnoticed by Miss Militia as she was absorbed in her own thoughts. "Even though we are adults, it'll be... good for us to see someone to help us with our issues. Help us heal our mental wounds."

"That's sounds... like a good idea." Triumph said, composing himself.

Miss Militia walked past him, heading to the exit. "I'll get started on working the idea now. Excuse me."

"See you later." he called out to Miss Militia's retreating back.

Comments

[Ether Space]

9727512
Thank you, stranger. This comment was what made me go "Screw it, I'll give this a shot."

[Ether Space]

Aw, pity. I ran out of story, already.