this is crazy

[from_scratch]

Cam is watching a new recording of Atriama, tail swishing in the gap in his couch, and doesn't stop to pause the show when he feels a summons go by.

Comments

[from_scratch]

"Can someone who has been paying attention please report in to the Protectorate authorities."

[wormcan]

"Already done. As much as we'd collectively rather try her here, Chief Director Costa-Brown says otherwise. You can take responsibility for Bonesaw if you insist. In exchange she'd like to ask for whatever lists of parahumans they keep in the Thanda, Yangban, Dno, and Red Gauntlet, as well as a pile of less weaponized tinker tech than what you copied for Crawler."

[from_scratch]

"I wouldn't say I insist, but that sounds agreeable."

[wormcan]

"I'll forward you the list of devices they had in mind. If you need it forwarded.
Either way, enjoy having a captive member of the Slaughterhouse Nine. Any preferences on what we do with Crawler?"

[from_scratch]

"Not really, no. Would you like me to launch him into space for you on my way home?"

[wormcan]

"Works as well as anything else."

[from_scratch]

"...Actually, he might stay conscious and then float there for hundreds of years. Seems like overkill and I don't think he's going anywhere as-is."

[wormcan]

"He isn't. To whatever extent being immobile here is better than being immobile at escape velocity.
The only risk is that he's trapped in the same material that people the world over are trying to destroy. Without success, unfortunately, but he might be possible to rescue eventually."

[from_scratch]

"If someone manages it and then decides they want to rescue Crawler I will drop a Hatchet Face brain on him."

[wormcan]

"It's not a likely scenario. And that's a thing you can do now, isn't it. Welcome to being every cape's worst fear."

[from_scratch]

"Maybe fewer villains will decide Tokyo appeals. Even fewer than before, I mean."

Cam summons his spaceship.

[wormcan]

And the heroes start returning from what was at least a success, if mostly not theirs.

[from_scratch]

Cam hands the lists of parahumans to somebody as they leave. The pile of Tinkertech will need to await a precisely notated destination and a more itemized shopping list.

When the spaceship arrives: "Into the ship with you, Riley."

[wormcan]

"O.k.!" She doesn't comment on the lack of Hatchet Face brain.

[from_scratch]

Up they go.

"Out of curiosity, would it actually be possible for you to perform a brain transplant on yourself? I wasn't expecting you to be able to wriggle out of your encasement," Cam remarks as they ascend. "I might want to make you a vessel with no surprises. You could keep the pain thing."

[wormcan]

"I haven't done anything like that to myself before, but probably. I'm good at that kind of thing."

[from_scratch]

"Anything else you'd particularly want to keep?"

[wormcan]

"The immunity to everything, the immortality, the stuff to keep my hands perfectly stable, the vision upgrades... there's a lot."

[from_scratch]

"You can keep the vision upgrade."

[wormcan]

"Oh come on, that could be a hidden weapon at least as easily as the others!"

[from_scratch]

"If I try to make your vision upgrade and it is not a vision upgrade, then it won't appear."

[wormcan]

"Oh. What's the problem with the other things then?"

[from_scratch]

"They'd make you harder to put down if somebody other than me needs to do it and the hand stability presumably makes you faster at tinkering in a way that would become quickly inconvenient if you found a way to ditch the brain and skedaddle."

[wormcan]

"If I get recognized, I'd rather not be able to be killed by a little old bullet."

[from_scratch]

"So stay indoors. Go brunette, if you like, although key people will still know who you are."