Nothing could have prepared me for what happened inside the Watcher. I think…I think the simple truth of it broke me.

It took another week of recovery before Vincent was able to move freely around the compound, and slowly begin training with his body and powers once again. It was another week of just that before he felt confident in resuming his mission in the city. Operation Usurper was falling behind, and Vincent had to admit to himself that he might have overestimated his ability to bring the NTC villains into the fold.

Polvane had been a wakeup call. The Erasers were meant to be a lower tier gang, and in terms of their influence that was true. He’d failed to consider, however, that a suitably motivated and selfish leader would be both capable, and willing to monopolize all the Gamma for themself. Encountering a Reactive Level threat, a full rank ahead of himself had been a death sentence.

As Vincent slowly buttoned a dark red shirt over the scars on his chest, he promised himself that he’d be more diligent in the future. As he looked into his own mismatched eyes in his room’s mirror, green and brown respectively, he considered that the Crew might be lacking. Throwing the long black coat over his shoulders, he made his way to the central chamber.

Unsurprisingly, Arthur was waiting for him at the conference table. Robert’s presence had been less of a given, and Vincent paused to inspect the man. Sitting in the massive, reinforced chair made for a giant of his size, the Berserker was seemingly unchanged. His dark hair was slicked back in the same way, the custom suit was still struggling to contain his enormous, muscled frame, but the scale was off.

“Robert, have you gotten taller?” Vincent asked.

Robert smiled broadly, a rarity. “Another half a foot. It came with my advancement.” Vincent’s eyebrows raised in surprise, and he activated his K-Device eagerly.

Class: Berserker (Super-strength Variant)

Rank: Reactive (A)

“You’ve hit Reactive Rank,” Vincent said in disbelief. “Just what have you been doing out there?”

Robert’s blank expression returned. “Cleaning up messes. The territory claimed for Veridicus is notably empty, and the smaller gangs were bound to see that eventually. A few started moving in; I helped them understand what a bad idea that would be.”

Vincent looked over to Arthur, who clearly wasn’t surprised. “Were you aware of this?”

“I would have told you, if I were. I take our arrangement as seriously as you do. I had my suspicions, of course. Mr. Haufman hasn’t been quiet about the examples he’s been making, but I felt it was better to allow him to discuss the matter with you directly, if he was indeed behind all the rumors.”

“I see,” Vincent said, looking back and forth between the two, seemingly stoic men. Neither of them were who they appeared to be on the surface, of course, though what lay beneath was as different as their current demeanor was similar. He let his gaze rest on Robert, “This also gave you a chance to reach a new level of strength. Do you know what it means to be Reactive?”

“I knew it meant power, but I’ll admit I didn’t expect…this.” He punctuated the statement by holding up one colossal hand and squeezing a tight fist.

It was Arthur who responded, well-versed in the might that Robert was only just discovering. “Each rank represents a new way for your body to process the Watcher’s radiation. Adepts and Basics can funnel that energy into their physical body, reaching beyond human limitations. Initiates are those whose bodies have taken that energy in a new, and novel way, like Mr. Villari’s conjured limbs.”

“Each rank has its quirks beyond Initiate,” Vincent said, picking up the thread, “but they have one thing in common.”

“Power,” Robert said simply, a quiver in his voice. A few green sparks burst from his tightened fist.

“Indeed,” Arthur said. “Reactive is the first rank in which the Watcher’s power is actually amplified within your body. The ‘reaction’, as it were, is quite literal. The power reacts within your body, with explosive results.”

Robert was nodding, as if expecting the explanation. “That makes sense. I feel like I’m vibrating. Like the power wants to be used, wants to burst every time I throw a punch.”

Arthur chuckled softly. “Just wait, my young friend. They say that those who reach the final rank actually create the energy within them. The power emanates from them like a walking radstorm.” Robert finally looked away from his fist at that, mouth falling open slightly at the thought.

“You have a century before you need to worry about that,” Vincent said, ending the discussion. “We have more immediate concerns, like Dollar Bill, and Veridicus. Arthur?”

“As you’ve clearly surmised, Dollar Bill has become aware of your absence. The arrangement you made with him to take control of the smaller Villain gangs was contingent on your ability to keep the Gamma flowing.”

Vincent sighed as he took a seat at the round conference table. “And despite Robert’s efforts, I presume some of the shipments have been intercepted when coming through Veridicus’ territory.”

“Indeed. The impressive pace of your previous successes also set a certain precedent, one that Dollar Bill feels should be maintained.”

Vincent drummed his fingers on the table. “That surprises me. The man didn’t seem like the type to expect miracles quickly.”

“That’s my assessment as well. Despite the proverbial ‘word on the street’, I suspect his actual concerns come from your unfortunate, and rather public loss to Polvane. Thankfully that problem has been–” he glanced at Robert, “–dealt with. But Dollar Bill is still in a position where he must choose between backing Veridicus’ fallen champion, or making an example of him.”

“I’ll make sure he realizes there’s only one right answer,” Robert said, a dangerous look on his face.

“I appreciate the sentiment,” Vincent replied, “but even if you have reached Reactive rank, Dollar Bill is believed to be the only one in NTC to have ascended even higher. That’s why we went to him in the first place.”

Robert grunted, before cocking his head to one side curiously. “You said ‘the only one in the city’, what about Tecnico?”

Arthur answered, though he looked distracted by his tablet. “Tecnico doesn’t have a rank. He’s one of the Originals, like Legacy. No harness, no rank, no limits–”

“No end to his shitty ideas,” Emi said as she walked into the central room, rubbing her wet hair with a towel.

“I’d been hoping for an update today, Sato, is this it?” Vincent asked.

“Essentially. I’ve only been at K-Tech for two weeks, so I didn’t expect to have anything to report beyond how terrible the cafeteria is.”

Arthur’s curiosity was clearly piqued as he put down his tablet. “That you have any kind of information on Tecnico is remarkable. Most reports are that he never leaves the top floors of the Tower.”

“That’s what everyone says, but his presence is definitely felt.” She flopped into the chair opposite Robert, tossing the towel aside. “A few days ago the low-level techs were all gathered for a staff meeting. Mostly the same nonsense as usual, weekly numbers, incident reports, yada, yada. But then our supervisor brought up ‘an opportunity of a lifetime’.”

“Your tone implies this was false advertisement,” Arthur pressed.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

“So I’ve learned. He said that there was an opening in Tecnico’s private line of inventions. I put my hand up, not really expecting anything. There are forty other Techs in my department alone, and they’re all senior to me.”

“But you were chosen, somehow?” Arthur asked.

“Yeah, they could tell I was something special. I just have this air of competence that I can’t hide. Plus mine was the only hand up.”

“What?”

“Apparently I’m not the first newbie to be pulled in by this particular work detail. It sounds exciting and glamorous. The greatest Tech in the world handing off his most precious designs directly to me, and a chance to see the upper floors. It’s like a dream come true.”

“But?” Vincent prompted.

Emi leaned back in her chair, rubbing tired eyes. “‘But’ just about everything. First of all, I’m in the basement. Why? Because that’s where Tecnico’s trash ends up. Apparently he isn’t so much handing me his brightest new inventions, and he is throwing away old crap. Crap so far removed from anything we’d recognize that it may as well be from another century–and I’m not sure if that’s the future or the past.”

“I don’t get it,” Robert rumbled. “If it’s trash, why do they need you?”

“Because Tecnico’s worst ideas are still lightyears ahead of what anyone else can do, even the Tech Knights. Some of K-Tech’s best products are actually based on the small parts of his inventions we can figure out. The problem is they can barely be considered ideas. They’re mostly just pieces of stuff that only he could possibly understand–like he’s building a car and tossing out chunks of an engine that aren’t up to spec. I haven’t seen anything that I could connect to a single obvious purpose, and I have to go through dozens each day.”

Vincent sighed, “This is unfortunate. Your part of the plan was already the one with the fewest advantages. Our best hope was you finding an excuse to get near the top floors, but this is literally sending you in the opposite direction.”

“It may not be as bad as it seems,” Emi said to Vincent’s surprise. ‘Optimist’ wasn’t a word that would be readily attributed to the Tech. “It’s early days, but some of what I’m seeing is oddly familiar,” she gestured to the Prophet’s book resting on the nearby dais, Tecnico’s blueprints still held within.

Arthur’s eyebrows lowered, “You can’t be suggesting that he’s rebuilding the weapon?”

Emi leaned forward, pulling out her own tablet and projecting some completely inscrutable diagrams into the air. “No, nothing that impossibly convenient. But I am noticing patterns. See these? They’re reproductions of what I’ve managed to scan from some of the more esoteric devices I’ve gone through. Notice anything?” she asked expectantly.

“If we did, we’d be Techs,” Robert replied. “Do I look like a Tech?”

“You look like you ate several Techs, but I take your point. These formulas and diagrams, they all follow the same patterns as the blueprints in the book. I think that Tecnico invented his own ‘language’ so to speak, and he still uses it to this day.”

“I take it you’re hoping to learn this language?” Vincent said. “Perhaps reproduce Tecnico’s piece of the weapon yourself?”

Emi burst out laughing. “Dear God no. I’m not Tecnico, and the more I see of his work, the more certain I am that no one else will ever be Tecnico. However, I do have a unique advantage over the other Techs who go over his trash: I have a completed blueprint, written by the man himself to use as reference.”

“And what will that give us?” Vincent prompted.

“At the least, it should be enough to help me put the pieces together if we somehow manage to get them. If I have enough time, it might even help me understand exactly what the device does.”

Vincent stopped himself from asserting that the plan would definitely succeed. Optimism and confidence were important in a leader, but there were still so many risks and unknowns that it would look more like hubris. He stood up, “Very well, I’d consider that excellent progress. Keep working, keep learning, and keep us informed.”

“Aye aye, Captain Spooky,” Emi replied before striding back toward the living quarters.

Noticing the other two men staring at him expectantly, Vincent shrugged. “She earned that one. Now, onto other business,” he said, moving to the ever-present whiteboard and gesturing at the list of goals. “We know Emi’s status, and we’ll have to be content for now. On to Lucia, have we heard anything since the business with my ‘Uncle’?”

“Yes and no,” Arthur replied. “She’s active and well, and has been in contact, but not with any updates about the cult. Instead,” he projected an exceptionally long list of notes from his tablet, “she’s been writing feedback for Veridicus.”

“Interesting,” Vincent said, but he didn’t bother trying to read the endlessly scrolling projection. “Is it valuable? Verdicus’ following is enormous, but the tone of the broadcasts hasn’t been ideal.”

Arthur cleared his throat at that, “I believe your sister used the term ‘nutbag-conspiracy-peddling-jackass’. Regardless, her feedback should help with that immensely. It focuses on emotional appeals, and shifting the viewership from a passive group, into an active force. We’ll have to be gradual about it, but she accounts for the changes quite effectively.”

“How so?” Vincent prompted. “People have been watching Veridicus behave this way for years.”

“As your sister puts it, ‘this is what it looks like when Veridicus readies for war’,” Arthur replied. “Hopefully the viewers will be convinced.”

Vincent nodded, “I trust Lucia to know how to get inside peoples’ heads.”

Robert barked a laugh, “Alright, I admit you’re getting better.”

“At what?” Vincent asked with an eyebrow raised. Robert glanced at Arthur, who shrugged.

“Never mind.”

“Very well, then onto Operation Glass. Have we heard from Danny?”

“We have,” Arthur confirmed. “Apparently he felt confident enough to finally leave Infinity Headquarters, if only briefly. He made a recording and left it at one of my dead drops.” Once again Arthur fiddled with his tablet, and this time a projection of Danny appeared, looking only slightly awkward in a navy blue tracksuit.

“Hey guys!” the projection of Danny said, sounding cheerful even if he was continuously glancing around himself with obvious paranoia. “So uh, things are going…mixed? Mixed. I made it to Infinity Tower with a few bumps along the way, but I Mimicked Legacy’s powers and got admitted into the program. Those are very much the high points, I think.”

He paused for a moment, “Actually, the food is also a high point. Oh! And Legacy likes me! That’s definitely in the old ‘pros’ column. He’s even started giving me private lessons. I’m trying not to rush things, but he’s totally nice, and seems like he won’t mind me asking weird questions.”

Another, longer pause, as Danny seemed to be glaring at something unseen to one side. “Right, so, uh, low points. Legacy is apparently something called a ‘Power Shaper’, which means that’s what I’m pretending to be too. Oh and Emi’s scrambler thingie wasn’t necessary after all; apparently Power Shaper is so restricted it doesn’t show up on K-Devices.”

Vincent narrowed his eyes, he knew what Danny sounded like when he was stalling. “So, I guess that’s another pro? But I’m on the cons now…Look, Legacy’s powers are nuts, man, okay? I don’t think most people know a shred of what that dude must really be capable of. I can only Mimic a fraction of what he has, and I spend most of my time trying to not kill everyone. Seriously, like, everyone.”

“There’ve been a couple of training accidents, which people were pretty cool about. But when Legacy tried to teach me to do something more than just blast energy around…well, I may have carved a tunnel six floors down into the building? It wasn’t my fault, Vince!”

Danny ran his hands through his brown hair. “This power is nuts, dude. No one should be able to do that kinda stuff by accident. Legacy smoothed things over, and a Mender managed to reattach that one guy’s arm like, basically right away, but it’s been rough.”

He let out a long breath, then slowed down. “Part of me is worried they’ll kick me out, and another part is worried the NGG will find a way to have me killed. I’m not sleeping great. But look, I’m doing it, okay? I’m gonna keep working hard, and I am going to earn my place on Young Infinity.”

Danny looked back off camera again, then spoke in a whisper. “Okay, shady dudes approaching, I gotta go. I’ll check for messages in a few days. Miss you guys!” With that, the feed cut off, and Vincent covered his eyes with a weary hand for a long moment.

“Arthur, I’d like to record a response. Are you ready?” The man nodded instantly, no doubt expecting this, and he adjusted the camera on his tablet. Vincent glared for a long moment as he collected himself.

“Danny, we’re all very happy to see that you’re alright, and that you managed to infiltrate Infinity Tower. I’m sorry you’re struggling with Legacy’s power, but maybe that’s for the best if it’s keeping his attention on you. I would like to remind you of something you seem to have forgotten, however.”

Vincent leaned forward, both fists resting knuckles down on the table. “You are not actually there to join Young Infinity. This is a mission, Danny, this is the plan. I need you to focus, and remember who you really are, and what you’re fighting for.”

“You are not training to be a Hero, Danny. There are no heroes.”