brockton bay, meet glam

[mxglam]

It's the anniversary. Glam would very much not like to celebrate.

It’s their last day on Winslow High - they’re being transferred to Arcadia on Monday - and also their last day without a patrol schedule assigned.

And the PRT released a small announcement on its website about Glam joining the Wards. Now their wiki page doesn’t get erased, of course - they’re no longer speculative. They wonder what it’s got on them.

Comments

[thinkering]

"And if you stop deserving it you're in huge trouble. Be good."

[mxglam]

"You're doing that on purpose aren't you!"

[thinkering]

"Yes. Do tell me if you want me to stop."

[mxglam]

"No, don't, it's great." They grab their bot and hug it.

[thinkering]

Lorica giggles.

[mxglam]

A few days later, Glam is waiting at a new intersection, looking like a fidgety woman with severe withdrawal symptoms holding a bag with money.

[thinkering]

Lorica doesn't have a cloaking system working yet, so her bot is hiding inside a paper bag on the street.

[mxglam]

When the right time comes, someone arrives. Someone very, very short. With weirdly proportioned arms. And a black cloak. That someone looks a bit like a chimp, or a cross between a chimp and a weird plant and maybe a cat? It approaches Glam and extends an empty hand.

"W-where's t-t-the thin-ng? The drug! Where i-is it?" They shiver and sweat a bit, just because.

The hybrid thing shows its other hand, holding another vial. Glam makes to take it, but the hybrid closes its hand around it and shakes its head, then extends its other hand more insistently. Glam looks around, as if nervous, then gives the hybrid the bag with money.

"Now can you give it to me?" they ask, the pitch of their voice changing with affected nervousness.

The thing raises a finger in a "wait" gesture, opens the bag, and starts counting the money.

[thinkering]

The robot waits in its bag. Other robots hide along the direction whence the creature came.

[mxglam]

A small beetle lands on the hybrid's cloak. It doesn't notice the insect. After it finishes counting, it nods, closes the bag, and gives Glam the drug. It nods, then starts going away in silence.

[thinkering]

A paper bag blows into the air in a gust of wind. It spirals down the street, glancing off buildings and the sidewalk.

[peterxy]

The hybrid starts walking somewhere, with the bag of money, apparently not noticing either the beetle or the paper bag. The hybrid is actually much faster than one would naively expect, possibly courtesy of its modified legs, and pretty quiet to boot.

[thinkering]

Whoosh! goes the paper bag. Sometimes it lands and skids before being picked up by the wind again.

[peterxy]

The hybrid reaches a street that runs parallel to the beach, a spot too far north for the Boardwalk to still exist, and walks to a specific, fairly large storm drain. He removes its cover and jumps in.

[thinkering]

The paper bag goes down after it.

[peterxy]

Walk walk walk, take a bunch of turns, climb climb, leave, knock on the door of a warehouse in a very specific pattern.

[thinkering]

The paper bag listens.

[peterxy]

The door opens. The hybrid walks in. The door closes.

[thinkering]

Meanwhile, Lorica leads the way through non-storm-drain-based routes to the warehouse.

[mxglam]

Glam is following.

[thinkering]

"Big warehouse. And we don't know how many critters they have, but it's not so few that they weren't willing to make them self-destructible. Should call in some backup, just don't know whether it should be the other Wards or some of the adults."

[mxglam]

"Either bio-tinker or some kind of Master. Dunno about who to call, but Master protocols are in effect, might be best if we call the Wards just 'cause we have more practice training with each other and coordinating."

[thinkering]

"Yeah. Miracle Max doesn't make sense in the field however much he likes it... others might be useful, might not. You and I can go armored and airfiltered, and Boots and Windflower can take the drug antidote. Windflower might not even need it but it's not a good risk. Echo - not sure this is really her speed, but I guess we can get another prophylactic dose if she wants to come."

[mxglam]

"Kicking monster butt, pretty sure she'll like it." White armor starts appearing around their body, and their mask is now embedded in a helmet as opposed to just stuck onto the costume's fabric. "Could outfit your bots with tiny foam sprayers."

[thinkering]

"The foam won't last, will it?"