endbringer, meet gun

[peterxy]

...Very unseasonable rains can be seen in the distance from the shores of Acapulco.

The Brockton Bay Protectorate starts organizing volunteers to be transported or teletransported in batches to it. Heroes, rogues, villains, anyone's assistance is appreciated. A rendez-vous point is set for non-Protectorate capes wishing to volunteer, and Protectorate capes are informed of the situation via communication devices.

Comments

[mxglam]

"Yeah, true enough."

[thinkering]

"My costume and Dad's are both concealing enough that E88 doesn't know if they should hate us or not, so that's fun."

[mxglam]

"Yes it is." Pause. "You're a girl, right?"

[thinkering]

"Don't let the lack of boobplate fool you."

[mxglam]

"I am pretty sure a boobplate's about as necessary as nipples on Eidolon's armor."

[thinkering]

"Worse than."

[mxglam]

"Though, I mean, I suppose some capes are invulnerable enough that they do it for the sexy. Which I don't complain about." Pause. "Or just clueless enough that they think it makes sense or should be used or something, in which case, well, no skin off my nose."

[thinkering]

"I can't actually think of anyone who uses the design off the top of my head."

[mxglam]

"I think I've seen a minor villain or two online."

[thinkering]

"Well, better them than someone I'd stop to wince about if they got their sternum broken."

[mxglam]

"I'd hope Branding was at least sane enough not to let them."

[thinkering]

"That's not Branding's job. Branding would probably love the authority to put somebody in a costume like that. But no, it's definitely not Protectorate-compatible."

[mxglam]

"It's not? You mean there will be multiple teams invested in changing how I look?"

[thinkering]

"There is one invested in how you look and one making sure you don't have major practical liabilities like boobplate."

[mxglam]

"...well I like the second one."

[thinkering]

"Ah-huh."

[mxglam]

"You know, this talk of cracked sternums made me wonder if I can deflect projectiles. Or even direct blows."

[thinkering]

"Ones you didn't originate, you mean? I can bring a bag of golf balls for bots to throw at you next time I'm patrolling."

[mxglam]

"Yeah. I mean, it's not just my stuff I affect, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to fix Santuario's forcefield thingy. And maybe if I walked into a fight and was like, 'don't even bother wasting bullets on me, it won't work, you'll just annoy me and make me like you even less' that could be enough."

[thinkering]

"If you can handle the golf balls we can upgrade to tranq darts - if you tell me where to put you to sleep it off - but I'm not going to fire bullets at you."

[mxglam]

"Yyyeah, low stakes first, being shot is probably not terribly fun."

[thinkering]

"Mm-hm."

[mxglam]

[thinkering]

Patrol patrol.

[alicornucopia]

A few nights later, some heroin is changing hands in an alley between a parking garage and an office building plastered with "FOR RENT" signs.