Shard of Magic [Worm crossover]

by blake0831

Chapter 23

Starburst yawned tiredly as she swooped down to join the white-suited boy on the rooftop of an office building.

"Still tired out?" Clockblocker asked as he waited for his patrol partner for the afternoon to land. "They're really working on you and Kid Win over the accident the other day." he commented.

Starburst simply nodded as she landed, her body slumping a bit. The extra 'punishment detail' training sessions for her and Chris over the last two days were mentally exhausting. Extensively reading and studying the proper testing protocols, undergoing the pop quizzes and submitted essays. She was lucky she managed to scrap together enough time and energy to compile and submit the Element Telekinesis Extraction array and all of hers and Chris's notes about it to Dragon yesterday (Dragon seems particularly excited about it for some reason.).

"So glad the E88 captures are getting shipped out to prison today." Clockblocker remarked.

The prisoner transfer today was why Kid Win's and Starburst's 3-day retraining session was put on hold just two days into the training. Crusader, Victor, StormTiger and Cricket, along with more notorious gang members were being transferred out of the Brockton Bay PRT HQ cells and the BBPD cells into high security prisons out of state. Starburst remembered having heard Forecast said that E88 had a 78.4% likelihood of trying something to free their fellows, particularly their parahumans.

The PRT decided to minimize the risk of the prisoner convoys being intercepted by sending out several decoy convoys at the same time, all going on different routes. Since there was not enough manpower to provide cape escorts for each convoy, Protectorate members were deployed on field patrol in such a way that they could quickly respond to any convoys in distress. The Wards were kept as an emergency backup just in case. To keep up normal appearances, some Wards still patrol the city as usual. And it's Starburst and Clockblocker's turn this afternoon.

Starburst scanned the skyline with her Radar as ClockBlocker radioed in their current point of the patrol. A part of her wondered which one of the handful of convoys traveling out right now has the E88 capes, another questioned if the hardcore non-parahuman crooks being transported as well were part of a decoy as well.

Suddenly, as Starburst swept her gaze around, two tags appeared. Her hand immediately toggled the headset communicator. "Console, I got two 'Location of Interest' tags." she reported. "Prior experience suggest these are sites of active fighting. Please advise."

"Console here." Vista answered. "Convoy Delta is under attack by the E88. Alabaster, Rune and an unknown cape is reported to be supporting the attack."

"Assault and Battery here." Assault called in. The Wards and the Protectorate usually share the same patrol frequency line. "We're close by and responding. On our way to reinforce on-site Troopers at Convoy Delta." A quick thought and a marker showing the duo's location appeared in Starburst's vision, heading towards the 'Location of Interest' at the northern outskirts of the city.

"Triumph and Velocity here. Heading to Convoy Delta now." Triumph reported, sounds of whooshing air can be heard in the background.

So, what was the other tag? The one closer to Starburst and Clockblocker, in one of the poorer commercial areas?

As if on cue, the radio cackled again. "Armsmaster here." The Protectorate Leader's gruff voice grunted out. "Large conflict between ABB and E88. Lung and new ABB cape sighted. E88 deployed new unknown cape and more numerous gang members. ABB members armed with grenade launchers loaded with exotic ammunition." He reported. Then there's a roaring sound. "I'm onsite and have attempted to observe covertly. Lung has spotted me and engaged. Lung is ramped up. Requesting backup." he panted heavily over the radio.

As Starburst's heartrate spiked at the thought of a ramped up Lung, the radio sounded again. "Miss Militia and Dauntless here. On route to assist Armsmaster. ETA 3 minutes." Their marker was much further out than where the patrolling Wards were.

Starburst and Clockblocker looked at each other, wondering what to do. On impulse, Starburst keyed the mike. "Starburst and Clockblocker here. We are much closer and we can help." she said as Clockblocker looked at her with wide eyes.

"Negative. Return to HQ." Armsmaster's curt response came almost immediately. A part of Starburst wilted at the shift turn down, while another part was annoyed of the turn in events. He needed help, and they were nearby. Why couldn't they help?

"Acknowledged." Vista started. "Star- Hey!" There were struggling sounds coming over the line from Console, before a new voice chimed in with a rush of words. "67.4% chance of a better outcome if Starburst helped Armsmaster."

Forecast?

Starburst and Clockblocker shared a look, faintly not quite hearing the repeated requests from Console for them to return to HQ and protests from other Protectorate heroes. Clockblocker looked conflicted, before sighing resignedly. "Well, we're supposed to be heroes, right?" he quipped nervously. "Besides, we got a precog on our side that gave us good odds."

Starburst gave her fellow Ward a (hopefully) reassuring grin, and keyed the mike. "Starburst and Clockblocker here. We're helping."

There was a silence over the airwaves, before Armsmaster gritted out. "Fine." he grudgingly and reluctantly said. Was he gasping for breath now? "The Wards focus on suppressing and neutralizing the ABB and E88 Gang members. Protectorate will focus on the capes."

As Starburst activated her Flight power and zip over to carry Clockblocker by his (thankfully, reinforced and padded) arms, a call from Console came over the line, over-riding the protesting calls. "Starburst," Forecast's voice said in a serious tone. "If you see a woman in a gasmask, get to the ground as soon as you can."

Starburst raised an eyebrow at the cryptic message as she carried Clockblocker up and towards the 'Location of Interest' tag.

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

It was chaos on the streets when Starburst had arrived above the fight (Clockblocker asked to be dropped off one street over and asked for a Hardlight Shield.).

There were a few clumps of fighting. On one end of the street, ABB and E88 gangbangers were exchanging gunfire from around parked cars or inside storefronts. On another side was a man in a silver armored garb and hood flanked by regular E88 gangsters facing against a line of ABB men. The oddly costumed man was gesturing his arms, and shadowy wolves leaped out from him and charged the ABB line. The ABB responded with their guns, rifles and grenade launchers.

Armsmaster wasn't kidding about 'exotic' effects. One of the newly fired grenades had somehow imploded into a black ball that sucked in a few of the wolves. One part of the street was covered in ice. There was a sphere of distortion near the back of the E88 crowd that's has stuff floating in it. Starburst resolutely tried not to throw up at the sight of dead and mangled bodies lying about (the few times she regretted that her Radar has a 'Zoom-In' function).

Speaking of Armsmaster, he was fighting against Lung in the middle of the street. Lung positively towered over the blue power armored figure, and has metallic black silver scales covering his body. The ABB leader looks very bestial, with heavily muscled (and claws!) arms and legs, the torso had bulked up into a massive trunk of bone and muscle and the head had elongated into a reptilian snout. That breaths fire.

'Right. Provide air support. Okay..' Starburst thought.

Starburst flew over to above the ABB and E88 firefight at the end of the street and unleashed shortranged Safeguard (can't let the power affect Armsmaster's weapons.) as she flew past that battlefield. As she zoomed down the street, she quickly swerved around a retaliatory blast of flames Lung sent her way. She quickly left them behind (There was a roar of pain behind her. A quick glance showed Armsmaster had taken advantage of the brief distraction and had sliced off one of Lung's arms, before blasting the off-balanced dragonic cape with some sort of sustained energy beam from his chest.) and once she reached the other melee, she lets loose a twin blast of 'Sleep Blast' at the unknown cape as she flew by.

As she pulled up and around for another strafing run, Radar alerted her to a grenade launched at her. Alarmed, she climbed for attitude to escape the explosive.

The grenade exploded slightly below her with an oddly muted bang and an even stranger case of no shrapnel; and Starburst suddenly uncontrollably dropped a meter as her Flight power suddenly flickered and her Radar showed a burst of static. She caught herself before she could fall any further as her Flight power re stabilized and strengthen itself back to normal. 'What was that?' the confused Ward thought.

"Oi, Eidolon Junior!" a shout caught her attention.

Radar pointed her to a woman standing on one of the flat roof tops of a row of small warehouses. A jumpsuit-clad woman, toting a grenade launcher with a rotary ammo barrel in one hand and holding a free grenade in another. And she was wearing a gasmask.

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

As Forecast's warning flash through Starburst's mind, the gasmasked woman launched another grenade at her. Eyes widening, Starburst dropped down and headed for the rooftops.

The grenade detonated in that same strange way just as Starburst was about to land. She landed not too gently as the Flight power sputtered out and she rolled to bleed off some momentum. Getting to her knees, she looked at the gasmasked woman. "Who are you?" she asked while creating a Hardlight Shield and discretely charging up a 'Sleep Blast'.

The woman cockily stood on the rooftop, lazily holding her grenade launcher propped up on one shoulder. "Who am I?" she arrogantly started. There was a hint of Asian lilt under the Boston accent. "I'm Bakuda of the ABB! The world's greatest-"

Starburst fired an overcharged 'Sleep Blast' at the woman mid-introduction. The woman simply brought her launcher to bear and fired off a round at Starburst's direction. Starburst ducked and took cover behind her riot shield.

The ball of energy was two thirds the way there when the grenade exploded, the shockwave of the explosion causing the 'Sleep Blast' to fizzle out of existence. That same shockwave hit the covering figure of Starburst and caused deep cracks to appear like cracking glass on her shield.

"As I was saying," Bakuda continued, somehow having both an annoyed tone and am arrogant swagger in her voice. "I'm the world's greatest Tinker!" she lightly tossed up and caught the grenade in her other hand. "It took me only one look at your gun-shell gimmick to figure out how to counter it!"

Starburst gritted her teeth as she thought quickly, taking the chance to dismiss the damaged shield and making a new one. Bakuda made a counter to her power?

Explosion shockwave disrupts lesser spells.
Explosion shockwave causes interference in higher level spells.
Explosion shockwave effect is not constant, single pulse effect.
There's a delay between launch and mid-air denotation.
Delayed arming. There's a minimum distance where the grenade will explode away from her.
She needs to get in close.
There's a lot of distance between them.
She needs to get in close fast.

"-and I so wanted to test myself against a Trump like you!" Bakuda bragged, seemingly not noticing the Ward furiously thinking while huddling behind the shield. Bakuda held the grenade launcher lazily at her side. "I've even got a few surprises for you, based on the powers of your fellow Ward-"

Starburst dropped the shield and sprinted across the rooftops towards Bakuda. As she does so, she roared out, "Accelloro!" and activated the power.

Starburst's movements and perception speed up immensely. The world around her seems to be moving by her sluggishly, at snail pace. Sounds became deeper, more distorted. Light began to turn into streaks.

One third the way there, as Starburst jumped over a low concrete wall, she could see Bakuda startled in surprise of the sudden move by the Ward.

Halfway there. Starburst's legs were pumping hard. Bakuda was bringing up the grenade launcher.

Two third the way there. Bakuda leveled the launcher at Starburst.

Quarter of the way there. Bakuda's hand gripping the gun grip, and the gun grip itself exploded in a burst of metal, plastic, blood and gore. There was a muted report of a loud gun shot. A sniper?

Finally, Starburst reached Bakuda, who was in the process of recoiling in pain. On instinct, Starburst spun around, braced her grounded leg and landed a textbook perfect back kick straight into Bakuda's stomach.

As the Accelloro power wore off, Starburst's perceptions returned back to normal and she collapsed to her knees, panting heavily. As Bakuda's limp body landed back down onto the rooftop, Starburst's headset cackled. "Starburst! Are you alright? Status!" a woman's voice asked.

Starburst blinked in surprise, stumbling mentally before managing to place the voice. It was Miss Militia.

"Yes?" Starburst said. "I mean. Yes, I'm fine." she continued, idly noting that Bakuda was still conscious (from a hit like that?) and had curled up in pain. Starburst gave Bakuda a 'Sleep Blast' as she stood up and reactivated her Radar. "Just a bit shaken."

"That's good to hear." Miss Militia responded. The Radar pointed Starburst to a rooftop across the street. Starburst zoomed in at the distant figure to see the bandanna flag wearing heroine standing there, holding a rather intimidating jade green sniper rifle.

"Wait!" Starburst's eyes widened as she remembered. "Armsmaster! Does he need-"

"It's alright." Miss Militia interrupted, trying to reassure her. "The fight's over. Both here and at the convoy. The enemy has retreated."

Curious, Starburst made her way to the edge of the rooftop and peeked into the street.

Down there, in the middle of the street, an exhausted and dented Armsmaster was perched atop the body of an unconscious Lung, who was already shrinking down back to human form. She could see Dauntless and Clockblocker (Did he lose the shield? No wait, she could see it locked in mid air near an alley.) going around and tying restrains the few surviving gangsters lying on the street. The unknown cape was laid out on his back, snoozing away. She could see the PRT vans turning the corner.

"Huh." Starburst said intelligently as she took in the sight.

"Do you need anything?" Miss Militia asked.

Starburst glanced at the still form of the ABB cape. "Yeah." she admitted. "Get a medic up here. I've hit Bakuda here pretty hard." She paused as something occurred to her. "...we're in trouble, aren't we?"

Starburst could practically hear the frown in Miss Militia's voice. "How much trouble is up to Director Piggot to decide. Your hearts may be in the right place, but involving yourselves in situations like this is very dangerous."

Starburst sat down tiredly. "But we're heroes. Pretty much in the job description." she retorted. "Can't exactly let ABB and E88 rampage."

There was a pause, then a sigh from Miss Militia. "We will discuss about this back at PRT HQ."

As Starburst tiredly sat down, she felt the rummaging stopped and the new power, no, wait, two new powers slid in. Huh. She wonders if this could be a pattern emerging with her Trump power.

(Medical: Full body Physical Health Diagnostic Analysis spell matrix, with integrated Heredity Traits Analysis and Modeling and Comparative State Analysis via Temporal Scrying.

(Medical: (Administration Permission and Priority Override) Complete Physical Health Restoration to Prime Physical State following Biological Human Template Obtained via Simulated Hereditary Instructional Traits Modelling and Comparative State Analysis through Temporal Past Scrying spell matrix, with Integrated Biological and [SHARD] Matter Replacement/Regeneration via Transmogrification Synthesis from Common Atmospheric Matter.)

...she'll just name them 'Diagnose' and 'Restore'.

Comments

[Spellflame]

Did she just hack shaper?