Amelia, Worm AU [Complete]

Amelia, Ch 234.5- Lisa


"Can we kill her?" Amelia asked me. She continued talking, but I focused more on my power. Finds her power repulsive, reminds her of Siberian, reminds her of when she was being hunted. Antithesis to everything she ever believed in, both as Amy trying to be a good hero, and as Amelia who spends her efforts fighting those like the Slaughterhouse Nine and Fallen. Deeper issues. Amelia is currently lacking Taylia bond. Passenger reasserting aggressive impulses. Desires conflict. Lack of sleep makes controlling impulses more difficult. Might cause scene. Might take action what would be viewed as a violation of the Endbringer truce. Unlikely. Will need resources, will return to Taylia. Might ask Victoria. Victoria wouldn't hesitate.


"More harm than good," I answered, phrasing my explanation in the most delicate way possible. "She's a celebrity in her region, viewed not unlike us. She predates on the guerillas and slavers that would harm her protected territory, and subsists upon the elderly and sickly that willingly offer themselves to her. If we take her away, then five thousand people will be murdered, or worse, in a weekend." Not, strictly, a lie. I simply left out a lot of details about what happens when Moord Nag doesn't have access to volunteers or 'acceptable targets'. If Victoria and Amelia weren't so exhausted, I might not have been able to fool them.


Amelia interrupted Moord Nag as she left, offering a grown alternative to human life. I must be tired, too, I didn't even think of that as an option. I didn't turn my power on the pod she created. I could make an educated guess, and there were so many more important events going on here. I hesitated for a single moment on the long term deal she'd made with Moord Nag. It went against what we understood of parahumans. Passenger damaged by 'Third Trigger'? No. Nothing occuring in host can harm Passenger. Connection damaged? No. Powers work as before, Passenger functioning as normal. Fears upsetting Taylor. Yes. Passenger worried about losing Taylia bond again. Oh. Oh wow. That is something.


Not a lot that could be done with it right now, but that is certainly something.


After Moord Nag's acceptance of Amelia's offer, the groups started breaking up some. The Elite approached a south american group that had also chosen to remain silent. Never intended to help, simply curious as to the dynamics. Sent thinkers. Shark, thinker specializing in finding ways to disrupt the plans an goals of others. He used that ability to economically ruin business rivals and acquire their assets on the cheap. Saw numerous weaknesses to exploit in this meeting. Opting not to use them. Knows that Cauldron and Pantheon, to say nothing of Moord Nag, would retaliate with physical force. Correction: ties with Cauldron. Aquired powers from Cauldron. Fears female bodyguard. Fears male bodyguard more.


The other was a thinker that bordered on a master known as 'Hype'. His ability? Knowing what people wanted, and knowing how to get them excited over things they didn't actually want. The former power, I was certain, they'd be putting to use at this meeting, and perhaps we'd be seeing an offer at some point in the near future. His secondary ability was more insidious. He didn't directly alter peoples' minds, he simply manipulated and tricked them. Not something that could easily be noticed by anti Master techniques.


Chevalier took the chance to talk to Cauldron. Concern over Case 53s. Hoping to gain access to Cauldron's records of creating them. Perhaps find their actual identities. Serious morale issues within Protectorate. Serious need for new members. Sees helping them as a means to recruit more of them. Hoping to encourage Cauldron to provide more artificial capes to the Protectorate cause.


Saint opted to talk to a man from the Birdcage. Emotional connection? Yes. Unusual. Familiar, not friendly. Light desperation. Need. Addicion? Similar. Subtle, power based, mind manipulation? No, not setting off Rapture's tech. Manipulation. Similar to Hype's. Saint is a tinker. Resource needed. Resource unique to the Birdcage? Useful information to have, and I was quite certain Hype knew it as well. Oh well, the Elite weren't really a concern and would regret making themselves a concern. A fact that they were no doubt very aware of.


I noted Marquis approaching. Hesitant, uncertain. No surprise. Doesn't have anything of significant value as leverage to 'earn' a conversation. No intent to disrupt or manipulate. Simply wants to talk to his daughter. Not a lot for me to use, there. Not until we started looking into opportunities to get certain people out of the Birdcage. I simply ducked off to speak with the Thanda members. Victoria would keep an eye out for Amelia.


<Greetings,> I spoke to them. <You spoke of a method to aid us in the fight?>


<Yes,> the leader agreed. <I am impressed that you know our language.>


<Tinker tech,> I admitted.


<I see,> he was a little disappointed, but hid it well enough. <Impressive technology, then. Now to speak of business. I and my followers are willing to help, as payment for slaying the Third and seeing to it that the devastation of our people was not in vain.> Doesn't blame us. Doesn't feel we were responsible for Simurgh's final farewell. Is not suspicious at all that we might be even partially responsible. Knows we're not. Knows who is. Person responsible is friend. Was friend. Died as a result of the attack. <We risk a great deal in doing so.>


I considered offering them, all of India, in fact, a place in our world. We needed the population, after all. Although, even if everyone accepted, it wouldn't even total another hundred million. Won't work. India as a culture still resents European imperialism. Will view our governing system, rightfully, as a mirror of that. Disdain for our leaders.Homosexuality still illegal. Viewed as a perversion practiced by degenerates, not unlike bestiality in the USA. While these 'dark' capes of India, whether hero or villain, were ironically enough more socially accepting than most, they certainly didn't speak for their people.


<We can minimize the risk,> I offered, instead. <Lie about your help. We prefer to be honest where possible, but we won't punish our allies for trying to help us. What can your cape do?>


<He creates bonds between things. If one is moved, the other moves as well,> the man informed me. That's an odd power to say the least. <He has no limit to weight, can take whole cities at once. It will work on the abominations. When he flees, everything connected to him will join.>


That seems almost perfect for this. Risky, but perfect. <That will do,> I agreed. <We can protect your ally, you won't need to risk your organization's safety and anonymity.>


<Except this one,> he added. <He will not like it.>


<You may use it to your advantage,> I suggested. <Implying that you have friends and allies within Pantheon may intimidate your foes.>


<No, I merely meant to correct,> he answered. <We will do it out of our obligation and to see that the abominations are destroyed. There is no need to compensate us further, our duty is enough.>


<Very well,> I agreed. <We are about to go anyway.>


....


Ablative layers. Forcefield reinforcement within layers. Laws of physics break down well before reaching core. Sacrificing majority of offensive abilities for defenses far greater than any prior Endbringer. Does not want to be destroyed. Creator fears destruction of the Endbringers. Creator more concerned with their ability to inspire fear than their ability to inflict harm.


The recruitment of Moord Nag was a huge boon for the battle. Her power really was on par with the Siberian in many ways, even stronger in some, and exponentially better on the offensive than our zerg. Better, even, than Alexandria in actual combat. Coupled with Thanda's strange 'attunement' cape, and from what I could decipher, that's what it was. Similar to Chevalier in its ability to interpose properties, only in this case the property was relative position in space and time.


The battle was, once we finally had a way to keep the pressure on the bastard, almost anticlimactic. Is this how future Endbringer battles are going to be? I wondered. Impossible, hopeless, conflicts until we discover the one perfect power that makes them seem nearly trivial? My power had nothing to offer me for the question. Still, it was an insight to consider for the future, a window into the minds of the Endmakers.


Alexandria landed next to us after the battle. "Do you have time for a debriefing?" she asked. Knows we don't, being polite. Establishing some level of superiority by implying she's capable of continuing if we wish.


"Sorry, we're all pretty much dead on our feet," Amelia spoke. She wasn't lying, she was a wreck and Taylor was barely functional. Fatigue, difficulty concentrating. Power strangely unaffected, zerg still function as normal despite controller's exhaustion. Power not relying on her mental condition. Taylia bond functioning normally, though both members of bond too tired to use it.


"I understand," Alexandria agreed. "I have things to deal with as well. I just want to find out if you are well enough. I heard about the barter you made to Moord Nag." Concerned about Moord Nag's opinion. Recognizes the warlord's capabilities. Has been aware for some time.


"I'll follow through before going home, don't worry," Amy answered. "Before I have time to think about exactly what I promised."


"She's one of the few that can actually make a difference in the final battle," Alexandria added. "I thank you for your efforts. On a more official note, you've been authorized to take some of the KEB tissue for your experiments. You're making better use of it than anyone else, after all." Official authorization. Not the Protectorate or PRT. Presidential approval. Cauldron has functional control over the US government. Wants us aware. Wanted to know if were were already aware. Wants to remind me of my various obligations as well.


"Which is pretty bizarre," I spoke up. "Considering our... new legal status... you might want to show us less obvious favoritism in the future. People will start to get suspicious. Oh, and no, I don't know anything more about the Endmakers that I think is useful. Maybe Dragon's tracking Khonsu's retreat will give us something useful in the long run, but that's on the Tinkers to handle. Other than that, I'm certain no one at the meeting was involved. The Elite know I was there for that purpose, by the way. If they find the source first, we're looking at a fucking nightmare. They'll try to take control of them."


"That's troubling," Alexandria replied. Suspected most of that, now knows we weren't surprised by implication that they control the President. "They're difficult enough for me to deal with as it is. I suppose it's too much to hope you have a way to prove it. Not showing at the Endbringer battles is, unfortunately, not enough to justify a full scale assault the way you've dealt with the Fallen and Teeth." Hoping for useful information, excuse to hit one of the few remaining organized villain groups with highest level of force. Some concern about loss of Pantheon's ability to police after Avalon becomes public. Hopes to remove remaining problem before that occurs.


"No, and there won't be," I admitted. "Sorry.


"I understand," Alexandria replied. Again aware. Is impressed by how I'm handling situation. Wants to discuss more. Sees me as a... friend? Well, that's a surprise and then some. Aaand now she knows what I just figured out. "The warning is appreciated, regardless. I'll make contact when you've had a chance to recover from this ordeal. Do you have any time you'd prefer?" Offering opportunity to talk about details. Including possible friendship.


"Well, it's only three days to Christmas, which is pretty much ruined for everyone on the planet," I started, mulling over responses. Wouldn't be upset if I reject. Would pretend not to notice, much as I do in similar circumstances. We really are a lot alike. Remind her that I have friends and obligations that come first, see how she handles it. "If you find a way to sneak away during the vacation time, feel free to come over. Amelia makes the best turkey."


"You cook?" Alexandria asked Amelia. "I can never find the time, myself." Took warning at face value. Willing to meet halfway. Not planning to manipulate us. Has no need to, considers Endbringers and Scion to be primary goals, knows that's our goal as well. Wants us to stop them. Correction: doesn't care who succeeds in stopping them, as long as they are stopped. Wouldn't view a friendship to be something that would further that goal any more than current alliance does. Personal reasons.


"No," she responded, struggling to stay awake. "I... uh... grow it."


"Other than the texture, you'd never be able to tell the difference," I answered. The words conveyed a lot of meanings. An approval of Amelia, a sort of territorial line. She understood immediately that I was accepting, more or less provisionally, her unspoken interest, and the underlying loneliness in it. When I was being honest, I was lonely as well. With exception to Rapture, I didn't have anyone I could relate to on a Thinker level. And in the case of Rapture, she didn't have the same concerns that I had. She didn't need to deal with the same responsibilities which Alexandria and I did.


"I might even take you up on that," she agreed. "Now, I won't keep you. Weight of the world and all that, as I'm sure you're quite familiar with." Alexandria took off. I didn't need my power to tell me she'd be there.


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A/N- No new events, but lots of new information.

... Some of which might be me "subtly" asking my readers how none of them thought of almost any of this stuff.