Shiro's Sanctum

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Betad by SkyCaptain502, Malcolm Tent, Priapus, Marethyu, Beans, Mike God of Lore, Old man of the mountain

The Guild of Gamers: The High Roller

Chapter 03: Quartermaster

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♦ Topic: Hot New Merchant?

In: Boards ► Locations ► America ► Brockton Bay

FlippinMads (Original Poster)

Posted On Jan 4th 2011:

I never thought I'd be saying this, but there is a really hot new cape in the Merchants. Does anyone know who he is?

[SexyMerchant? .png]

(Showing page 1 of 15)

►Laser Augment

Replied On Jan 4th 2011:

Damn, I thought all the Merchants were ugly, thanks to the drugs? He joined the wrong gang

then again, it's not like he could join the Empire or ABB because they don't like dark chocolate as much as I do

shame he's a villain

►Miraclemic

Replied On Jan 4th 2011:

Daaaaamn.

Saved to the fapbank, where you guys save every up-skirt pic of Glory Girl

►Bagrat (Veteran Member) (The Guy in the Know)

Replied On Jan 4th 2011:

Girls, I truly hate to do this to you, but that's just Skidmark.

Check [Sebastian] for more info, but a new Trump has buffed Skidmark, Mush and Squealer, along with other high-ranking merchants. Right now, the upper leadership of the Merchants all look like models.

►Mane Magenta

Replied On Jan 4th 2011:

Excuse me, I need to be sick

►FlippinMads (Original Poster)

Replied On Jan 4th 2011:

You have to be kidding, right? That's Skidmark?

Ugly, rotten teeth skidmark, has become that fucking hunk of a man?

I have extremely mixed feelings about this.

►Specific_Protagonist

Replied On Jan 4th 2011:

Would.

►Logs

Replied On Jan 4th 2011:

Eh, give it a month, and he'll ruin his looks again. It's actually quite sad because this power isn't super-good looks. It's just what he would have looked like if he hadn't ruined his body with countless drugs

...now, Amazonian Squealer? Merchant recruitment just skyrocketed because she's known for being easy as fuck, and now there are two of her.

►FlippinMads (Original Poster)

Replied On Jan 4th 2011:

...hot Skidmark can clone himself?

Excuse me, I have a fanfic to write.

End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 13, 14, 15

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– Lisa Wilbourne (Tattletale) –

Now that she'd had time to calm down, she had to admit this wasn't a bad set-up that her new boss had. The pocket dimension meant she was safe to do her work in peace, with no worries about being on the ground herself and risking her life when she was just better suited behind the scenes.

Closing PHO, she rolled her eyes at the thirsting for the new Merchants. They really were the perfect billboard for Sebastian to advertise what he could do; the differences before and after Sebastian were clear as day even for regular people.

Plus, they made a good group to use against the Empire because they were uniquely suited for avoiding repercussions; the Empire tried hitting Merchant territory after the Othala kidnapping, but they just went to ground.

Merchant territory was already trash; the Empire raging around it just drew PRT attention, while the Merchants just hid away. They actually had more territory than the other gangs; it was just worthless as territory. It meant there were countless places Skidmark and the other important Merchants could hide.

Of course, everyone was looking for Sebastian, but they were looking in the wrong place. He'd set off somewhere, leaving her to keep an eye on things (and Othala), but while she didn't know where he had gone, she knew he'd left the bay.

She'd made the Undersiders go to ground as well; they didn't even know their old secret boss was dead, so her taking Coil's place was just business as usual. The raging Empire meant that they were laying low, but the Empire was already being pushed back by the ABB testing their defences and the PRT trying to stop them from causing too much damage.

Still, where the hell had Sebastian gone? He'd left his clones to tinker and just wandered off, apparently to get someone new for their team. Looking at the cameras, she rolled her eyes at Othala trying to escape again. Didn't she understand that there was nothing out there but a large, hungry lion?

She'd be back in an hour or two; Sebastian had told the lion to drag her back if she fled. Either Othala would return, or the lion would bring her back mostly unharmed. Of course, the lion was a sadist, so it would also spend a while hunting her and making her fear for her life, but that was Othala's problem.

Going back to work, she paused as she considered Sebastian's plan. He was absolutely mad, but there may actually be a method to this insanity. Either way, she was getting dragged along for the ride. 

Not that she had a choice; she didn't want to be hunted by a massive lion either.

Hopefully, her boss would get his new recruit. She could use someone sane around here.

– Alice Satsuki –

"Hello!" the utter weirdo who had somehow gotten into her dorm room said, making her jump as she considered the less-than-legal items she had.

"Who the fuck are you?" Alice said, trying to calm her heart. She didn't know who this guy was, but he was entirely too close to one of her hidden bombs. If he set it off, she couldn't get out of the blast radius.

"My name is Sebastian Fairfax, and I've come a long way for you. You are Alice, a recently triggered tinker. Had I not interrupted, you'd have threatened to blow up this lovely little university, gotten recruited by an angry dragon and ended up in the Birdcage in short order," Sebastian said, making her blink in shock. Fuck, a Thinker.

How did he know what was going to happen to her? Was he telling the truth? If he was… the idea of going to the Birdcage made her entire body shudder. She'd only had her powers for a short while, but that still sent a wave of terror through her.

"Lemme guess, you have a better plan for me?" Alice asked, making him smile.

"A better offer, my dear. I am in need of a quartermaster, and I do believe you are the one. I want you to join my organisation; in exchange you will be given constant upgrades to your power and a level of safety that no other gang can provide," Sebastian said, before his smile grew wider. "So tell me, Alice. How would you like to become known as the greatest Tinker in the world?"

She went still as he spoke.

"Because I know you have the talents needed to do so, and they'd be so wasted with you locked away in the Birdcage," Sebastian continued.

"What do you mean?" Alice said, making him grin.

"I want you to kill the Endbringers for me, or to be more specific; I want you to make the weapons needed for the job. With your genius, your power, my upgrades and my guidance, you will become the Tinker who succeeded where everyone else failed. Better than Dragon, Armsmaster, better than Hero," Sebastian swore, the fervour in his voice making her heart race as she pictured it, the entire world in awe of what she had created. "Alternatively, I can leave. You can go through with your silly plan to threaten this place of learning; you'll be recruited by Lung, whether you want it or not, and then you'll find yourself locked away, forgotten in short order."

She glared at the insinuation that she would fail, but he clearly wasn't local… How had he known her plans? If he were right, she'd die in the Birdcage, whether from old age or just by being killed by any of the monsters in there. She wasn't that deluded, she knew that being locked away without any tinker-materials; she'd be easy pickings for the worst of the worst.

"What upgrades?" Alice asked, focusing for a moment.

"I am a Trump, the Trump. I develop new powers and now I can share them with other people. As it stands, I can offer two new Tinker powers and the ability to replicate yourself so you have a clone that can assist you with your tinkering. As my powers grow, my loyal followers will grow alongside me," Sebastian explained, casually creating a clone of himself. "We shall rise to the top of the cape world, leaving even the Triumvirate in our wake, such is my power."

It was an insanely bold claim, and yet… she believed him. 

Reaching out his hand, she hesitated for just a moment before reaching forward and taking it. She had to see where this was going, and the moment they touched, she felt a flood of information rush into her mind.

Sebastian just kept smiling as he granted her the promised power, new designs flooding her mind and overwhelming her, her old bombs seeming so utterly mundane compared to what she could do with two new specialities, even the new ability to clone herself paled compared to this.

"I take it I have your interest, Alice?" Sebastian asked as she stared up at him with zealous awe. He was telling the truth…

Something deep in the back of her mind snapped, and for the first time in a long time, she accepted that someone was better than her, her panties soaked as she stared at this god that had blessed her. 

"Take me with you," Alice pleaded, needing to see where this was going. She didn't know what he was planning, she didn't even care, she was in.

– Sebastian Fairfax –

Delivering Alice to the mansion, I promise to get her a workshop soon, but I think she's too busy admiring her gift to even listen to me. Lisa can get her the basics she needs, though having my Spymaster pull double-duty as our Treasurer makes me frown. I'll have to get a full-time one, given what else I plan to do.

She knows how to contact Toybox, and we have the money from Coil to buy Alice the stuff she needs to get set up, skipping the unfortunate early stages of being a Tinker. She's made an account for us with The Number Man, unaware of his Cauldron and Slaughterhouse connections, but I do not fear the power brokers, quite the opposite.

I want their attention.

Feat Achieved: [Peacefully Recruit Bakuda (Good Luck)]. Two Rolls Rewarded

Feat Achieved: [Take Control of the Undersiders]. Two Rolls Rewarded

Ah, Lisa has been busy, I see. I wonder how offended she'd be to know that the entirety of the Undersiders is valued the same as Bakuda alone?

Rolling. Result: Common Magic Tome, Uncommon Power, Common Pet, Rare Power.

[Tome of Household Magic (Generalised School)] - Common

Hm, perhaps I can find a way to teach this to Othala. I do need a maid, and she will need to earn her keep sooner or later. 

[Renewal] - Uncommon

You can restore damaged inanimate objects back to their newest forms. The larger and more complicated an object, the longer it takes. Repairing a normal sword can take minutes, but Tinker Tech can take hours.

Ah, quite the useful little tool. I do believe that Leet would sell his soul for a taste of this; we shall see if I find him worthy of my group.

[Bird: Toucan] - Common

How cute, I immediately let it loose in the house. The mansion comes with food for all its inhabitants, so we now have bird food. I'll send a note to Lisa to acquire a home worthy of my new pet.

[You are Spartacus] - Rare

You can change the appearance of everyone around you in a large radius to match your own.

But this is where the true reward lies; between this and Babel, I do believe I can cause quite the mass of mischief. Yes, indeed. 

But while I've achieved one of my goals for today, I have more to do, and after making sure Lisa and Alice are getting along, I set off again with a smile on my face.

– Lisa Wilbourne (Tattletale) –

…of course, he'd found someone as crazy as him and somehow already completely converted her to his cause. Alice was a fanatic, utterly convinced of her superiority over everyone except for Sebastian himself.

She worshipped him, both for saving her from some terrible fate and for empowering her. Still, this wasn't too bad; she was the only sane one around, but as Sebastian's spymaster, she had a lot of influence; she could keep them in line, and Alice would reluctantly listen to her.

She really needed to talk to her boss about bringing home problem children, but he'd disappeared again. Was it too much to hope that he'd stay out of trouble and not do anything reckless this time?

…he was carrying a burlap sack on his way out.

He was going to kidnap someone, wasn't he?

Oh well, maybe they wouldn't be too important.

– Dinah Alcott –

Sitting on her suitcase, she waited patiently. 

The man who stopped the numbers was coming soon; she was sure of it. 

Her family didn't believe her; maybe they just didn't want to believe her, but she knew she was going to be kidnapped. And then she wasn't because he broke the numbers. They couldn't predict him, but she could work around that to work out when she'd meet him.

Today, she'd asked what the chances someone was going to come for her were and she hadn't gotten a reply. He was coming for her, and she was ready for him. Her things were packed, and as he calmly strutted towards their house, she smiled at his funny moustache and hat.

Chances he'd hurt her? Nothing, but the chances she'd be hurt if she stayed here were too high. The best numbers had her go to the Wards, where the rules would prevent her from getting the painkillers she needed, and they'd keep her hidden away, asking question after question even when it hurt.

Her family was in danger if she stayed here, so as he locked eyes with her she calmly stood up and walked towards him with a smile.

"Hello, you're here to kidnap me," Dinah said cheerfully as Sebastian blinked.

"That I am. It's lovely to deal with someone so understanding," Sebastian agreed, making her smile grow. 

"I've already packed, but you can't ask me too many questions until you find a way to stop my headaches," Dinah said sternly, crossing her arms as she stared up at him. 

"Oh, I've already thought of a way. Shall we go?" Sebastian asked, offering her his hand, which she took easily.

"Do I get a top hat?" Dinah asked as they walked through the portal he opened, her suitcase behind her.

"Hm, we shall see. I'm not sure you can pull it off, to be honest," Sebastian said sadly. "We shall find you a hat that fits your style, fear not."

"Neat, can you give me superpowers? Cooler ones than asking questions?" Dinah asked, making him nod.

"Oh, of course. You shall be my Oracle but if you want to play the silly cape game, I'm sure we can arrange something," Sebastian agreed as she sent one last look towards her house, but didn't stop herself from following her new boss.

The numbers didn't lie, her family was safer if she wasn't with them. 

"...Sebastian, is that the mayor's niece?" a stressed-looking girl asked as the portal closed behind them, and Sebastian just nodded.

"Oh yes, Lisa, this is Dinah, our new Oracle. Dinah, this is Lisa, our Spymaster," Sebastian introduced.

"Chances, I'm a better thinker than you, 95.36%," Dinah said simply, Lisa's eyes widening in disbelief and anger.

"A precog, how did you find a precog? Wait, did you openly kidnap the Mayor's niece?" Lisa asked, making Dinah giggle at the panic in her tone.

"Chances the PRT finds out who took me, 93.21%," Dinah helpfully said, wincing slightly as Lisa sighed.

"Oh yes, your powers," Sebastian said, ruffling her hair as she frowned; she wasn't a child. Her annoyance didn't last however, power flooding her body. "Peace Zone will keep you safe, Replication so we can push the questions onto your unfeeling clone, and Tracker for some little fun."

"You realise you're painting a massive target on your back? They won't let this go," Lisa sighed, but her clone spoke up.

"Chances the PRT makes a serious effort to retrieve Dinah, 23.4%," the clone said, while Dinah poked it, curious to see herself.

"What, that can't be right…"

"Told you I was the better Thinker," Dinah said simply, giving the older girl a smug look. 

"Girls, behave. Lisa, I want you to start a new cape persona online. Make a Rogue Cape persona who can find anyone with a just face and a name, then solve some famous missing person cases to prove your skill. Dinah, I want you to work with Lisa on this," Sebastian ordered, her eyes widening.

"Oooh, I can be a super detective; that's so cool," Dinah agreed, flicking her clone on the head in amusement. 

"Fine, it should be a good source of income; I'll take care of it," Lisa agreed, seeming somewhat impressed despite her annoyance at not being able to read or control Sebastian.

Chances her family would hire her, to find herself? 89.43%. Chances she'd reunite with her family, safe and unharmed, one day? 97.54% 

Yeah, this was the best choice. The numbers didn't lie.

"Good girls, I'm sure I can trust you to take care of this. I do have one last little thing to take care of before I call it a day," Sebastian said, making Lisa sigh.

"Another kidnapping?" Lisa asked, making him shake his head.

"Oh no, I'm not that predictable. I just need to deal with a minor thorn in my side before it can truly inconvenience me," Sebastian said, turning and walking away as he hummed under his breath.

"...did you really just wait for him to come and kidnap you?" Lisa asked, making her smile.

"The numbers are better with him," Dinah explained with a shrug. "My family are safer if I go with him, and one day, I'll go back."

"Maybe he really does know what he's doing," Lisa sighed, rubbing her forehead. 

– Sebastian Fairfax –

Feat Achieved: [Recruit Dinah]. One Roll Rewarded

Hm, I wonder why Dinah is only worth one when her power is undeniably very useful? Perhaps it is based on how easy it is, given that she basically handed herself over on a silver platter. 

Did the system expect Alice to be harder to recruit? And to get the Undersiders, you do have to deal with Coil, while you could grab Dinah before Coil gets the chance.

Rolling. Result: Common Perk

[Steel Bladder] - Common

You no longer need to ever go to the toilet; where does it all go? Let's not ask questions that nobody wants the answer to.

Well, it wasn't a curse? I suppose it saves me some time. Of course, I don't need to eat either and given my lack of taste, I haven't been eating since I gained my powers.

Ah, well, they can't all be winners.

Humming to myself, I walk through the gang hideout, seeing the confused gang members wondering why they can't attack the interloper. Unfortunately for them, I go where I please. Peace Zone stops them from attacking me, and I know my target is here. Tracker has more than proven its worth; being able to simply track down anyone I want is a useful trick.

"Who the fuck are you?" he growls as I wander into his lair without care, giving the man in the metal mask a smile.

"Hello, I'm Sebastian," I say; there's no need to be rude just because I'm here to commit extreme violence.

The tattooed ganglord simply glares at me, confused and angered. 

"And you are Lung, the big bad dragon of the Bay," I say, making his eyes narrow.

"You knew that, and you still came here? You're cocky, but you'll regret it," he says, rising to his full height, but I can sense his confusion.

I had a theory, but it looks like I was right. Lung grows on conflict; Peace Zone says there will be no conflict. Therefore, he doesn't grow. He's as powerless as any other man until Peace Zone drops.

Walking towards him, I can sense his confusion which turns to panic as he realises that he can't attack me, rage burning in his chest tinged with fear at the realisation that he's been mastered.

If he was more observant, he'd probably wonder why I'm wearing such a gaudy belt; the heavy metal clashes terribly with my outfit. Then again, capes in this world wear such silly outfits. Lung's outfit consists of some dirty jeans and a metal mask, and it's one of the more practical ones I have seen.

"What the fuck do you want?" Lung spits out, his power failing him as I continue to approach, but he doesn't back away. He can't, not with his men watching. Lung rules by fear; he would lose that if he fled from me.

But Lung has made a mistake; he thinks I'm like the other capes in the city. That this is some show of power; maybe he thinks I'm going to take him down for the PRT to lock up; who knows what is going through his mind.

Until I clap my hands together on either side of his head, my Storm Giant strength causing them to crush his skull with utter ease. Now, the only thing going through his head is my hands, coating me in blood and grey matter.

Stepping back, I watch the mostly-headless body fall to the floor with indifference, turning to the ABB with a smile. They can attack me now, but the sight of Lung dead at my feet freezes everyone; even Oni Lee can only stare in shock.

"Lee, you serve me now," I say, making Lee blink behind his mask. "Kneel."

Oni Lee hesitates for a moment, utter shock filling the room before he falls to his knees. Oni Lee follows the strongest; he thought it was Lung, but now Lung is dead. The man behind the mask is gone, his mind scrambled by his constant suicides; he lacks the brainpower to challenge me with his boss dead.

I wondered if he'd kill me; he could do so easily, but I'd just move to one of my clones; my goal achieved all the same.

Tapping him on the shoulder, I give him Conditioning. The change isn't obvious; his body was already in very good shape, but mentally? Conditioning doesn't permit its host to be so very flawed, and he gasps in shock as his fractured mind is forcibly repaired.

"You lead this gang now, in my stead," I order, watching him rise, blinking as he tries to grapple with the forcibly restored memories. "Unless you'd rather lose your newfound sanity, going back to being a broken doll."

"I, I understand, Sebastian-dono," Lee says slowly, almost like he's testing the words. 

"You will rename the gang; Azn Bad Boyz is so… crass. Do away with all the sexual slavery. Prostitution is fine if the girls are willing. Also, eliminate the worst members of the gang. Prove your worth; you failed once; this is your chance to succeed," I say.

– Lee Hiraoka (Oni Lee) –

How long had it been since he had last thought for himself, not just obeying the orders of Lung. Lung, who had crushed his gang, killed his men and demanded his loyalty. His mind was dying before Lung; he'd followed because he couldn't think of a better way. Lung, whom Sebastian had crushed like an insect.

He had a sister; was she still alive? He'd forgotten her. 

"It will be done, but without Lung… the Empire and PRT will push on our territory," Lee warned, making Sebastian nod.

"I know. you will pick your best, most loyal men. I will grant them power, along with you. The Empire is living on borrowed time, Kaiser will die, and his gang of neo-nazis will bend the knee or join him in the afterlife. Leave the PRT to me; they'll make some minor patrols, and we may have to sacrifice some of the territory close to the Boardwalk while you restructure your gang. You'll claim more from the Empire; the Merchants are with us," Sebastian said, shaking his hands to get some of the brain matter off it. 

Even he had heard of the Merchant's new efficiency, and the theft of Othala. He'd attacked their territory and wounded Crusader and Stormtiger before being driven off on Lung's orders to take advantage of their lack of a healer. 

"It will be done," Lee said, bowing before his new Lord. He was not a proud man; he'd spent too long as a slave to feel prideful, Sebastian had returned his mind to him, and for that, he would serve, if in a different way than he had for Lung.

Sebastian could strip his returned mind, a fact which hung over his head like the sword of Damocles; he had been given the carrot, but a man like Sebastian wouldn't hesitate to beat him with the stick if he turned on him.

Picking up Lung's mask, Sebastian stared at it for a moment before he laughed and crushed it in his hands like he was crunching up a paper ball, not a hint of effort on his face. He tossed it aside uncaringly, not even finding Lung worthy of keeping a trophy.

"My Thinkers will contact you soon. If you require assistance, they are available for you," Sebastian said, making him nod calmly. "But I expect you to prove yourself, or I shall find another to lead in your stead."

Of course, such was the way of the world.

Sebastian left, and the shocked gang turned to him for leadership as he stared at them. He paused for a moment before he started to speak. They had work to do and needed to act fast before word spread of Lung's death.

– Lisa Wilbourne (Tattletale) –

A small thorn? A small fucking thorn?

Sebastian showed back up and casually mentioned he'd killed Lung, giving them Oni Lee's contact details so she could assist the new General in restructuring the ABB into a new, more effective organisation.

Coil had been trying to take over the city for years. Sebastian had two of the three major gangs by the balls in three days. The Empire were in danger, and the PRT were stumbling in the dark, trying to work out what the hell was going on.

If he kept this up, Brockton Bay would be his by the end of the week. He was already a major power, was this why the PRT wouldn't try and retrieve Dinah? One thing was sure, she'd made the right choice. 

"L-Lung is dead?" Othala asked, fear in her voice. Of course she was afraid, she'd just realised how strong Sebastian actually was, and how unlikely she was to ever get out of his grasp.

"Killed without even scratching Sebastian, the ABB's been taken over in a single swift move," Lisa confirmed. "The Empire is all that remains in between Sebastian and complete control of the Brockton Bay criminal underworld."

"They'll stop him," Othala said, making Lisa snort.

"No, they won't. Even you don't believe that. The only real question is whether Sebastian can solidify his position enough for the PRT to back off, or whether he ends up with a Birdcage or kill order," Lisa laughed. "You actually love Victor, don't you? You might want to start thinking of what you can do to get Sebastian to spare him, because if nothing changes he's going to make short work of the Empire capes."

"We have allies, he won't-"

"The Herren Clan and Gesellschaft. Gesellschaft won't attack Sebastian, his Trump power is more valuable to them than the Empire and the Herren Clan might try and help, or more likely they'll wash their hands of Kaiser's failure," Lisa replied, shrugging. "If they do, Sebastian will slaughter them with the same indifference that he just murdered Lung with. I'm more worried about what gangs will try and move into Brockton to fill the power vacuum."

Othala went quiet.

"Chances Victor survives the next month, 13.37%," Dinah piped up from where she was playing some fighting game, chewing on a candy bar. 

"Chances the Herren Clan helps the Empire, 4.93%," the clone said, playing as her player two. 

Othala went silent, paling as Dinah ruthlessly crushed her hopes. After a moment of silence, she stormed off without a word.

"Did you actually ask those questions or just make the answer up?" Lisa asked, making Dinah smile smugly.

"Chances I told the truth, no data available," Dinah said simply, making Lisa scoff. Her power worked on Dinah, she could already work out the answer.

She made up the numbers about Victor but had her clone predict the Herren clan. She rarely asked herself questions, because she didn't want the headaches but could pass the ones she actually wanted answering to her clone which didn't get headaches. 

Still, Sebastian was a rolling stone and he was quickly snowballing while the other factions struggled to keep up with his mad pace. His future plans would only make his influence grow stronger, glancing at the last message from Number Man.

If the PRT didn't stop him soon, they'd never be able to. 

– Sebastian Fairfax –

Showering to get the dragon bits off my body and out of my hair, I smile to myself. A well-spent day, two important capes secured, and one gang dealt with. Lee will succeed and become my first General, or he will fail and die, either way, the threat of the ABB has been well and truly dealt with before they can cause any mischief.

Feat Achieved: Kill Lung. Three Rolls Granted.

Feat Achieved: Take Over the ABB. Two Rolls Granted.

The system seems to think things have gone in my favour, and I've written out a set of rules and etiquette the new gang must follow. Lee agreed, but then he is a follower at heart. 

Whether the gang survives the transition is to be seen, either way, I have achieved my goal.

Rolling. Result: Rare Summon, Junk Knowledge (1 Pity Point Added), Mythical Power, Junk Artefact (1 Pity Point Added), Mythical Astral.

[Hellhound] - Rare

Ooh, another for my menagerie. Quite the interesting one at that. 

[Yo-Yo Mastery] - Junk

Eh, everyone needs a hobby.

[Injury Redistribution] – Mythical 

You can absorb the damage anyone within a large radius around you takes, inflicting it upon someone else within your radius. This goes up to and includes death; you can 'store' damage, but if you don't redistribute it within a day, it will be inflicted on you.

And this is why I was willing to go so aggressive, my gambit has already paid off. Lung's death was just a stepping stone to make sure I can truly begin my ascent to the ruler of this world. 

[Eyes in a Jar] - Junk

A dozen eyes floating in a jar full of greenish fluid, that will stare at whoever is in the room with them. 

…it's kinda cool. I'll find a place of honour for it, where they can stare unerringly at whoever visits.

[Building: Resurrection Chamber] - Mythical

A room with a sarcophagus within it; any corpse that is placed within it will be restored to life over the next twenty-four hours, depending upon the level of damage done.

Once more, Lung proves to be worthy prey. How fast will my faction grow when it becomes clear that death itself is no longer a concern? Ah, what a fun time we'll have.

Besides, there are so many dead capes just waiting for their second chance; in fact, there's one oh-so-close to Kaiser's heart. What a family reunion it will be.

– Emily Piggot –

"It's only been a day; Sebby can't have done that much," Assault said, seeing the second full-meeting called over the same man in two days.

"I'm afraid you are very much mistaken," Dragon explained with a sigh. "If I may, Director?"

"Go ahead," Emily said, still reeling from the chaos he'd inflicted on the city herself.

"Yesterday, Sebastian undertook two new courses of action that we are aware of. First, he kidnapped another person, we think," Dragon stressed with a sigh.

"We think?" Dauntless asked.

"He appeared close to the house of Mayor Alcott's brother, simply strolling forwards and picking up Dinah Alcott, the mayor's eleven-year-old niece. However, Dinah was waiting for him, all her things packed, she was sitting outside before he ever came close to her house, waiting. Interviews with her parents have led us to believe that she triggered, with a precognitive Thinker power," Dragon explained, Triumph barely restraining herself. "Watchdog does not believe that she was Mastered; it seems she went with him willingly. This is being treated as a kidnapping, but he had no contact with her as far as we can tell, and she clearly knew he was coming. She left a note explaining that she'd be back, eventually, and that her family was safer if she wasn't with them."

The room went silent, wondering what Dinah must have seen to drive her to make that decision. Why she hadn't come to them, even with her cousin in the Protectorate. She didn't like the implications.

"Normally, this would be our focus, but Sebastian's second operation has far more severe consequences," Dragon continued. "Shortly after he left with Dinah, he made a truly audacious move. We know he has some kind of master effect that prevents violence around him, and he used this to approach Lung. After a short conversation between the two, Sebastian displayed an immense amount of physical strength and crushed Lung's head. This was caught on camera by one of the ABB members who witnessed it. Lung needs conflict to grow, and with Sebastian's power suppressing his own, the blow was fatal, crushing his brain in a single swift movement. Lung is confirmed deceased."

Dragon paused to allow the whispers to calm down, but for once she didn't blame them. The biggest threat in the Bay, dead just like that. Even if this was a bad match-up for Lung, the sheer display of strength needed to crush a skull with such laughable ease as he had was worrying.

Dragon warned them of the gore, before playing the recovered clip as they watched how casually Lung was slain, Sebastian never dropping his smile. The clip ended, and the gang members were obviously terrified as Sebastian looked their way.

"We don't have footage, but we know roughly what happened afterwards," Dragon continued, making them all turn back to the screen her avatar was on. "He had a conversation with Oni Lee, during which he made Oni the new ruler of the gang, under him. He also set some rules for Oni Lee and the gang, which they seem to be following. In the early hours of this morning, several hundred girls were dropped off on the edge of the Boardwalk, with an Asian man calling in to tell us about them. Sebastian has outlawed Lung's practice of kidnapping and forcing girls into slavery, and on his orders, Lee released all their sex slaves, emptying the infamous 'farms'. We also have word that Lee has personally killed upwards of a hundred ABB members, with many more being killed in a brutal restructuring of the gang. Lee then announced that the gang would now go by the Hyakki Yagyō, which translates to the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons."

"What is the Empire doing?" Miss Militia asked, making Dragon turn to her.

"They didn't have time to react last night. We know that they have several injured capes, and Squealer made some hit-and-run attacks on several of their key locations in a cloaked Killdozer," Dragon explained. "Skidmark and Mush also hit some of Hookwolf's fighting rings, and the Undersiders robbed one of their hideouts."

"Wait, the Merchants and Undersiders are helping the AB- the Night Parade?" Battery asked, making Dragon nod.

"We know the Merchants are working with Sebastian, and it seems he's already recruited or hired the Undersiders as well. He's buying the Night Parade time to regroup, and it's working," Dragon agreed. 

"So, what are we going to do?" Triumph asked, agitation clear in his tone.

"Our orders have come from the Chief-Director herself, we are to do… nothing," Emily finally spoke up, seeing the shock around the room. "Trust me, I know. I double and triple checked. Costa Brown believes that the risks are too high to make an attack, so we are to continue our regular patrols but we are not to venture into gang territory until reinforcements arrive."

"W-what?" Triumph asked, anger and shock clear. "That lunatic has Dinah, and we're supposed to just stay in our lanes and ignore him?"

The sentiment seemed to be shared by everyone in the room, but she just nodded.

"Yes, that's exactly what we have been ordered to do. I have been told we will be getting considerable cape reinforcements by the end of the week, but until then we are not to enter the contested gang territory," Emily agreed, her own frustration clear as she glared at the picture of Sebastian.

Lung's death was not something that brought her even an ounce of sorrow, but this lunatic was going to see the city destroyed at this rate. 

— Bonus Scene — Thomas Calvert (Coil)

Blinking, he wondered how he was alive. 

He'd felt his body being torn apart by that damn lion before, but as he rose to his feet, he wondered. Was this the work of Cauldron? Had they found a way to return him to life since he still owed them?

Getting out of the surprisingly comfortable bed, he shuddered at the phantom pain as he stood up, utterly naked.

"You were telling the truth," a familiar voice said, making him blink as he turned to where his Tattletale was talking to his killer.

"I do that a lot," Sebastian said cheerfully.

Splitting the timelines, he went to speak. Sebastian's presence made his power fail, much to his anger and fear, and Lisa just turned to him and raised a pistol.

"Wait-" Thomas started, cut off by a gunshot.

Waking up in the comfortable sarcophagus, he rose to his feet and turned to see Lisa staring back at him, a lion and an unholy-looking dog that seemed to have literal fire in its eyes by her side.

"Dinner," Lisa said, and splitting the timelines did nothing to protect him as they descended on him.

Waking up in the comfortable sarcophagus-