pretoria, meet behemoth

[mxglam]

Glam talks to Armsmaster about the possibility of maybe being given access to confidential files on the Slaughterhouse Nine and is, somewhat predictably, completely shut down, on grounds that the rules are there for a reason. They try sharing their strategies, Armsmaster thanks them for it and assures them he'll look into the raised matter, but they still need to wait until they're a full member of the Protectorate to take advantage of these resources.

And is that supposed to make them more likely to want to stick around? Ugh.

The three following weeks are fairly quiet and peaceful for a change. No major engagements, the Empire Eighty-Eight has been keeping quiet, the various Asian gangs reduced once more to fighting each other, the Teeth haven't yet rebuilt. Blasto, Lung, and Oni Lee are still awaiting trial, though it's likely the tinker will be given a lighter sentence in some parahuman containment center while the other two will be sent to the Birdcage.

And then, somewhat earlier than would normally be expected, telltale seismic activity is registered in Pretoria, South Africa. The capes wishing to help must make their way to New York, to depart in an hour - small aircraft is waiting at the PHQ for the trip there.

Comments

[thinkering]

Then copybots zoom in for a closer view of the Siberian to offer hypnotized Glam.

[acanofworms]

The Siberian slowed down a bit while the copybots weren't looking, but there's a Siberian-claw-shaped gouge along Behemoth's left forearm. The Endbringer tries throwing lightning at her, and she's completely unaffected by it, of course. She jumps into the air and tears through Behemoth's right leg, taking a chunk of meat off him.

[thinkering]

Lorica suggests that the Siberian could probably tunnel straight through Behemoth's center mass.

[acanofworms]

She could, couldn't she?

...and yet, she doesn't. She jumps again and lands on Behemoth's head, then starts digging into it with her hands. He tries to shake her off and fails, so he roars. More liquefied capes (and unevacuated civilians).

[thinkering]

They should have run more practice tests with hypnosis. Lorica rephrases the tunneling thing.

[acanofworms]

That, or perhaps the expectations of the hundreds of other capes watching the engagement are shaking out to this outcome. She continues digging, this time in the direction of Behemoth's center of mass, so the Endbringer digs into his own flesh with his claws so he can take the Siberian off him and throw her at some poor unwitting capes. Then arc lightning, jumping from cape to cape and not immediately killing, just burning them enough that they'll have slow, painful deaths.

[thinkering]

The Siberian won't hurt the capes ofcourseshe'sveryselectivelikethat. She will go straight back for Behemoth and deprive him of an arm won't she.

[acanofworms]

She sure will try! But Behemoth will also choose that moment to leap and get a dozen capes within his kill aura, a hundred feet from where the Siberian was. She looks around as if she's confused and then follows after him and grabs his arm. And hugs it. His arm is thick enough that she can't immediately deprive him of it with the hug, but now it's hanging by half as much mass as it was before.

[thinkering]

She will of course carry right on with that until the arm falls off. Bots flock after Behemoth.

[acanofworms]

Off Behemoth's arm goes! But with it goes the Siberian as he flings her once again, this time at the bots. To add insult to injury, he fries them all, and immediately burrows underground.

[thinkering]

Replace the bots, Glam, and then the Siberian is going to not hurt the bot that comes to give her a ride, she's going to be light and weightless as it flies her to the new Behemoth location.

[acanofworms]

She totally will.

...except there doesn't seem to be an immediate new Behemoth location. He's not emerging.

[thinkering]

The bot holds her up, waiting. Maybe losing an arm just sends him into retreat.

...Maybe he's really smart. C'mon Glam you and Lorica are going for a fly instead of sitting on this roof, she's gonna carry you, your suit does antigrav so you're quite light.

[mxglam]

Glam doesn't need to be carried, thank you very much, they can follow her alright.

...on the other hand, being carried by Lorica. Yeah, scratch that, they totally need to be carried.

(No sign of Behemoth yet. But some more seismic activity here and there makes it clear he's not gone.)

[thinkering]

Lorica doesn't want their attention divided. Her attention comes infinitely divisible thanks to the magic of software.

She goes up until they're out of vertical range of frying attacks if Behemoth should come up right under them.

[acanofworms]

"We can't find him," Alexandria's voice comes from the comm. "Can you map subtle seismic activity and help us trace him? I'm doing it but your software's probably better."

[thinkering]

"Can you give my software your data? It's not made to pick up seismics but it can chew arbitrary data."

[acanofworms]

"My data is gathered by my own eyes and brain. There are probably tinkers who can help you with that around." She sends a general request through the comm, and finds one whose specialty could be routed that way if you give him three minutes and a half.

[thinkering]

Three and a half minutes and conjured arbitrary tools from Glam?

[peterxy]

The arbitrary tools aren't strictly necessary, it's mostly a change in software, and then the guy has a map of seismic activity around the city and its environs.

[thinkering]

And the bot nibbles on it.

[peterxy]

The data are highly irregular. There are bubbles of consistent seismic activity here and there, but nothing that seems to point directly to "Behemoth is here."

Until, that is, a point at the eastern edge of the city starts concentrating a few of those bubbles.

[thinkering]

The bot relays its prediction across the comms.

[acanofworms]

The capes get ready to attack the appropriate place, most of them somewhat far from it to reduce the risk associated with being caught by Behemoth's kill aura. An earthquake happens, strong enough to topple a building, Behemoth emerges-

-five hundred feet from the predicted location, amidst the thickest cluster of people. Some twenty capes are incinerated from within, and another thirty are variously injured by this sudden appearance.

And the Triumvirate are on him.

[thinkering]

And the bot with the Siberian goes to drop her on the monster and Lorica resumes narrating about what's going to happen.