Wait, is Sam leaving? I said I would be only a few-
Beebee? And Kaitlyn and bunch of other high schoolers. Ugh.
"Hey, Andromeda, looks like the party has some crashers," Chroknight notes, nodding their way. "I'd deal with it, but I shouldn't linger. And you should dance with the people you like, whoever they are."
Trying not to feel like they've made an error, Chroknight leaves the venue in order to try and locate where Sam has gone. Which is more difficult than it should be. Which means that she's actively avoiding her. Which means she's upset, but why? She supposes that texting is the only way she might consider letting her know where she's gone.
Sam:
Chloe: Where'd you go off to? I needed to make an appearance as Chroknight so I could spend the rest of the night with you.
Chloe: My stepsister and Beebee have just crashed the party too. I'm worried what they might say if they see me here.
Chloe: Can you let me know where you are? Please? I'm sorry if I upset you. I'd like to talk to you face to face.
"Theme party. Wow, way to make themselves out to be corny adults," Chroknight says next to Andromeda, having appeared seemingly out of nowhere. They are already dancing with her at arms' length, glancing around as if looking for someone. They look at her and tilt their helmeted head. "You look different. Almost like you're having fun." A beat. "Good, you deserve it."
They spin around, waving at Gui and Indarius. "I can't stay long, but figured that I should make an appearance before I get back to my date. I'm hoping they won't be mad I made this detour." Another wave, this time at Max and Joy. "I hope that you'll find a better dance partner than me. Someone you actually like and-slash-or harbor unresolved tension towards. Maybe someone in this very room!"
Chloe does her best to play herself as cool as possible in front of this crowd, though she can't control her face as Sam clings to her arm. "Nice to meet you," She says as she introduces herself to everyone. "Sam's pretty great, so you know. Did you know she is utterly unbeatable at Mario Kart? It's so frustrating, but I like that she doesn't go easy on me. I can't improve unless I can see how much closer I get to winning against her," She notes. Trying her best to blend in and avoid awkward questions with small talk.
Though part of her wanted to check in with Andromeda and Indarius and the rest. Maybe Chroknight should make a casual appearance for a few minutes. "Hey, I got to go to the washroom. I'll see you in a few," She tells Sam with a squeeze of her hand, slipping off to do a quick change.
"Huh...hmm. Noted. Though it's hard to kiss someone wearing a full helmet."
Chloe dares a little to give Sam a quick peck right under her ear, before pulling back to continue their conversation. She could blame the redness on her face from exerting herself on the dance floor. "S-so, um...are there any other new students along with you? I mean, closer to our ages. Who might be friends."
It was either that or try and cozy back up with the currently older crowd that might see her as little more than a child playing dress-up. But she can't spend the whole dance taking up all of Sam's time, right?
"You're still enhanced. Or do people with cybernetic implants not count?" Chloe asks, resting her forehead against Sam's. It would be really nice to get permission to come here, and room with Sam. "After we're done here, lets watch some Infiniflix together. I'm kind of in the mood for a rewatch of She-Ra right now."
She takes Sam off along the edges of the dance floor and pauses for a couple minutes to get them both some punch refreshments. It's a lovely theme and time. There's a lot of people she'd like to interact with, but it would probably be strange as Chloe and not Chroknight.
She ponders something for a moment as she hands Sam her cup, before leaning close to whisper to her.
Whisper:
"Can I ask, do you find me attractive in the armor? Like, are you kind of into that?"
Chloe is aggressively putting up signals regardless of what Sam indicated. She has a possessive stance with Sam, holding her close as they dance and trying to make herself seem as impressive as possible. Which, being probably the youngest person here was an exercise in bluffing.
Maybe she could see herself attending here in secret. But that would mean getting her Dad on board. Did she really want to do that when he was happy right now with her stepmom? It would get her away from the awkwardness of home life.
She thinks about this as she holds onto Sam's waist, swaying along with the music. "...I'll admit, I was wary of this place from the start, but it's far less sinister than I expected it to be," She admits. "I'm wondering if they'll open it up to people who are just talented. You know, your regular vigilantes with no superpowers but amazing skills and athletic prowess. I could put my old gymnastic moves to the test." Not that she'd done any since she was eleven.
Chloe checks herself one last time in her phone to make sure her makeup is okay. She's made sure her dad knows she's visiting Sam so he doesn't fret. She feels cute in her punk-lite outfit and is willing to even go to the Rumpus if Sam wants to go. Maybe as friends. Maybe...
She pushes the stray bad thought out of her head and knocks on Sam's dorm room door. Checking one last time for errant hairs or lint.
Sam's head shoots up, having gotten lost in the timestream data, searching searching searching for patterns that will match. A feeling her matrix tells her is guilt is eating away at her insides, driving her to continue even though her brain is near shut down, but even for that she will not miss this.
One last look around her room, then in a mirror, she then opens the door, her green eyes widen in a good way a seeing who she had expected (instead of a new problem to solve). "Hi" she smiles, a little nervous in the pretty beaming.
"H-hey, you," Chloe says, attempting confidence and stumbling a bit as she catches Sam's eyes. She hesitates briefly before boldly stepping inside. "No roommate?" She asks, glancing around.
"A requirement from my father, since I am a minor." she noted. The small room is dimmed and covered in holiday lights, Sam had done research into movies involving 'dates' and statistically they have a special moment with string of holiday lights. She hasn't gotten any farther since the gnawing in her stomach had her at her computers working on her mistakes.
Chloe looks at the strings of colored lights in some amusement, facing away from Sam so she could keep up the mystique. "Cool. So no chance that we'll be interrupted?" She asks as she approaches the computer terminal.
Her eyes linger around where any visible cameras are on the monitors or peripherals, tucking a small sticky paper booklet from her jacket pocket to implement some low tech privacy. "So...how much does your dad know?"
"He has a high school education but is well versed in several subjects. Is there a specific area of interest?" Sam clearly did not understand the reason for the question
"I mean, about you. Your studies and your extracurriculars and...the kinds of people that you're attracted to," Chloe rephrased the query as she turns to look at Sam. Her gaze looks past her at the still open door.
"I guess I'm asking if he would be worried about you having someone as dangerous and daring as myself stride into your room and ask you to close the door," Chloe suggests. She's trying her best to put on a strong act when her hands feel slick and she's trying not to let her flip-flopping stomach show.
Sam nods then "He knows what I am." she says but then amends "He knows my abilities and who I am working with, and that there will be times I am alone with them." she pauses "He doesn't think I am dangerous, and if he did understand the magnitude of it, that concern would eclipse all else."
She shuts the door, but her brow furrows a moment "Does that answer the question?" once again feeling she is missing some part of Chloe's meaning.
She went by gut feeling here and hoped that Sam remembered all those K-drama shows they'd watched in this timeline. She gets up close, before slapping the door with one open palm, doing her best to use the height advantage given by her boots to look down into Sam's face. The kabedon maneuver was successful!
However, she hadn't thought about what to do now that she was here. "...d-do I make you nervous? Your heart f-flutter?" Chloe asks, failing to do so without a slight stammer coming from her own rising heart rate.
"Do you want to k-" her tongue felt leaden as she tried to form the word, only the shape of her lips managing to finish expressing it. She clears her throat, glad the low light helps hide her blushing cheeks. "Kiss...I mean. Uh. Yeah. That. If....if you think that you've earned one."
Sam's eyes go the rest of the way wide, stepping back instinctively but being trapped by the door and her guest. Part of her understands the contrast between stating she is dangerous and retreating as she did, but most of her is instead focusing on the face of the trapper.
Her head tilts, red waves denting on her green sweater. She doesn't need the tilt so starts to shake away the command and stops as the question is asked.
No, the answer is no, she does not deserve this, not at all. She didn't kill that girl, she knows this, but still her belly burns with it.
But no is not the answer she wants to give, she knows if she....
She stops thinking and nods, whispering a simple "Yes"
Chloe hesitates, her rapid overthinking warring with impulse. She reaches out to stroke a thumb from Sam's chin along her jawline and behind her ear, getting the rest of her fingers tangled in her hair.
"...I'm going to kiss you." Chloe says. "Now." She feels awkward and worries she's doing this wrong and Sam's only being polite, but she can't help but want to rush in, pressing her mouth to this cute girl's-
click
Chloe recoils, the unexpected impact of her teeth on Sam's ruining the moment. "Shit, sorry - you okay?"
"Physics" Samantha says a little breathless. "Based on our height differential and spinal curvatures, we should intersect at an angle of plus/minus 32." one could practically see the equations being drawn in the air around them. "Like this" her hands rest softly on the sides of Chloe's head, under the sheets of her hair, tilting as she tilts, then she leans forward, forgetting the whirls of negative emotions wishing to batter down her dampners and drown her.
Chloe's carefully planned control of events slips from her grasp as Sam takes the initiative. She resists the temptation to redo it. She's not certain she has the mental capacity with Sam's lips locked with hers.
She kisses back with a murmur of frustration, pressing herself closer into Sam's space. Now she's annoyed with craning her neck, so Chloe uses some of that super strength to good purpose to lift her up closer. She wonders if Sam likes melon taste of her lip gloss, and then she's not so much thinking as just going with the flow of things.
The smallest of squeaks is lost in Chloe's mouth as Sam is lifted with such ease. Intensive scientific knowledge of 'super strength' does not prepare one to be lifted by it.
Her hands slips from her face, wrapping around the neck, and her mind... well she knows it should turn off at this moment, to be lost utterly in the emotions, of the heart thunder, of the feeling her socked feet hooking around a thigh... but her mind never ever Ever shuts off, so instead it focuses, remembers everything, from the taste of melons, to the soft heat of their shared breath, to the door knob digging into her side.
A minute - an eternity? - later, Chloe comes up for air, breathing heavily as she presses her cheek to Sam's, the heat almost scorching. "...you're a good kisser," She admits in a soft whisper.
She glances down and notices how she's got Sam pressed up against the doorknob, a gasp escaping her as she steps back while still holding her. "Oh, crap, you should had said something - I didn't hurt you, did I?"
Samantha had researched this, this timeline version of herself ever since she grew to understand she was attracted to her friend and the possibility that Kissing could be something she could do. Sam, the other timeline had not.
After a moment of minor panic of being dropped, Samantha stumbles out "The bruise was collateral damage from my muscular collapse after mind melding with the... ... I mean No, you did not. Discomfort is from the proximity to a previous wound." she holds on, arms, not legs around, her face still so close.
"Mind melding?" Chloe whispers, the brief confusion appearing in her face before she met Sam's eyes with her own. She thought about following up here, having a proper discussion. But she didn't want to ruin the mood completely. She'd prepared for her after all. "...you'll tell me about that later. But you also tell me if I'm being too rough with you," She requests of her.
For now, she picks Sam up by her waist again, gently supporting her before sitting on her bed with her nestled on top of her lap. The better way for them to keep close without Chloe adding more bruises. "Now then. Kiss me until you're satisfied," She invites her with a coy smile.
Samantha's face narrows, her mind catching on the word and she is simple unable to say "That is too imprecise a metric."
"All right," Chloe relents, taking her phone out of her jacket pocket. Then thinking about it, she shrugs off her jacket, leaving her in her sleeveless top. "Kiss me until the alarm on my phone goes off. Then we can discuss where we go from there," She says as she tenderly strokes the top of Sam's head.
A smile graces Samantha's lips at having parameter passed on. Then she tilts her head to the optimal angle and does exactly that, ignoring all the other worries, stresses, or orders from that force.
About fifteen minutes later, Chloe's phone starts to chime. Chloe was worried it would be too much time, or too little - though how things were going, she was now worried about how her makeup was holding up after making out for so long. She definitely needed a touch up. And they both needed to actually talk. She pulls free from Sam's face, sighing contently.
"Okay...two things." Her hands were resting on Sam's hips, playing with the hem of her sweater. "One. I'm comfortable with this level of...uh, intimacy, when we're together alone. Let me know if you want to level up and we'll discuss it." She shivers a little bit. "Two. I kind of...want to go to the Rumpus with you. As me. Together. Like, presenting as together." She waits for Sam's response nervously.
"Which you?" Samantha asks as she rises a little unsteady. Her body is fatigued, which is an interesting measure. A side process in her mind calculates caloric expenditure. The question is simple and complex at the same time. Samantha waits for the answer as she retrieves her sneakers.
"Well. This me. The cute, femme presenting version that's age appropriate and gives me an excuse to be here on campus," Chloe says, checking her phone and using it to help with touching up her makeup. "Do you want to put on a little makeup before going? I can help."
Samantha tilts her head to process the answer, deciding she means Chloe not her alternate identity. "Statistical analysis of ascetics eludes me." she says as she laces her shoes on. Her gaze drifts to her monitors for a moment, then shakes them off, and rolls her chair over to sit in front of Chloe. "Okay."
Chloe had come prepared for this. She leaned in and worked on enhancing the natural cuteness that Sam brought. A little eyeliner and that melon flavored lip gloss did just enough to help bring that out. "You are just so cute, Sam," Chloe compliments her.
There is a twitch, as if Samantha just resisted a head tilt. She doesn't understand, doesn't know, is in a word flummoxed. Her matrix still suggests even with her stillness. Reams of suggestions. "You are as well, Chloe." she finally says, ignoring the suggestions completely.
"If I didn't want to mess up your make up right now..." Chloe stares, her dark brown eyes meeting Sam's green. "Ugh. I need to not wind myself up. I had way too many late nights at this age thinking about...things I wanted."
She clasps her hand on top of Sam's. "I know that...this new timeline, it's not perfectly the same. Being younger certainly makes it harder to sneak out. But despite the differences, you're my lifeline. The person I can hold onto and be steady. So...I'm being corny, but I really like you, Sam. You want to go to the dance with me?"
This time her large language model fails her completely. It probably is spewing out suggestions but Samantha cannot hear/read/see. Instead she smiles, bright as a summer day "Yes" she says simply.
Ignoring the monitors or notes on how to request interfacing with the time shifting armor to make modifications, ones that she is uncertain she would risk.
Now all she wants is to dance with Chloe.
"I was not expecting a theme. Or chaperones," Chloe comments as she looks in the hall. The flower child Ms. Yamada was kind of amusing. But she was feeling good about this. Confident, capable, and holding onto Sam's hand, like she belonged here.
She leans in to whisper to the redhead. "We can stay as long as you want. I just..." She hesitates a little. "...I wanted to make sure that...people here knew that you were already in a relationship. In case they got too interested with you. So let's dance, all right?"
"Chitin, I did go into the Deathcap. So considering I was at the source of a lot of gnarly gross contamination, I'm going to spend like two hours boiling myself in shower water. Maybe I'll show up after I'm sure there's nothing left."
They look to Indarius. "But you definitely should go and do something fun. Rumpus seems like what everyone who doesn't have to worry about their secret identity are doing," They say, leaning in to whisper in Indarius' ear. "Nobody is going to blame you for stuff you did under the influence of alien fungal spores. But if it makes you feel better, show up in person to apologize to their faces to see for yourself."
They lean back, stretching out their arms above them before turning to look at the city. "Okay, see you in a moment." They're no longer standing there by the time the last words reach Indarius' ears.
Chloe's Home
"Why don't I still feel clean, I've been showering since I got back-"
You could not shower at hyper-relativistic speeds. Thankfully she'd checked to ensure that when the armor went into whatever extradimensional storage it did in her ring it also decontaminated the equipment for her. She was happy about that. Scrubbing herself until she was completely clean was the next step.
The last bit would be deciding what to wear for Sam. Which, as her new tastes seemed to indicate, allotted for some feminine attire. Plaid skirt, black and white thigh socks, Protomen tank top and a kickass black leather jacket that was slightly too big because her dad wanted her to grow into it. Some light make up and she was ready.
Chloe: Cleaned up pretty well if I say so
Chloe: Chloepic19.img
Chloe: I'll sneak on campus, meet you at your dorm room
Chloe: Can't wait gonna jet
Chloe: Awesome, we'll set it up for later.
Chloe: Looks like there's a school sponsored celebration
Chloe: I don't think I'm up to rumpus in public
Chloe: We could rumpus in private
Chloe: I mean NOT that
Chloe: Just, whatever's comfortable for you
Chloe: After I shower until I'm out of extra layers of skin
Chroknight stops by Indarius brooding away from the crowd, tucking a phone back into their armor. [b]"...So, we kind of actually worked as a team this time. Andromeda actually gave me praise, Aquarelle stepped up in a big way, Statian used her brain powers excellently, Joy supported wherever she could. We saved the day. Hope you're enjoying the accomplishments."
They stretch their arms out over their head. "On the other hand, I'm not feeling the whole partying on campus deal. Need to decompress in a different way. What about you?"
"...I'll admit I kind of didn't expect that you'd step up like that, Aqua," Chroknight comments. "But, I'm glad you did spur me to act. Because I wouldn't have done the coolest stunt ever of running through the Deathcap and escaping alive if you hadn't." They put their ego up as a mask here, distancing themself from humility and normalcy.
Striking out 'pull off a ridiculous stunt' to clear Afraid.
"...I'm going to make some rounds, check in on everyone." They can see they're being a third wheel here, leaving Andromeda and Gui alone to go find their other teammates.
They wave down Joy when they see her. "So, couldn't have been helpful without you. I'm happy you're okay. Guess the fungus couldn't get past your body's defenses. I really owe you one. Please, let me know if there's something I can do for you."
Sam:
Chloe: You should come to my next band practice
Chloe: I'd love for you to see me in action
Chloe: Though maybe that's weird to ask
Chroknight had plenty of time while plummeting to respond to the multiple texts sent their way by Sam.
Text Chain:
Sam: I am alive. Are you? Please be.
Sam: Statistically neither of us should be. I have modules I have ran that led to 72% population desolation from this event. My projections are disrupted continuously due to Time Control powers. I am not complaining.
Sam: I need to not think. Too much, it hurts to think. You are okay?"
Sam: Gothic allowed telepathic linking to project a lie. 2.453 percent possibility of understanding. 1.322 percent possibility it would believe. 0.129918 percent either made a difference.
Sam: Are you okay? Chloe: I just ran through a fungus the size of a city and helped shoot it back to space
Chloe: I also want to shower for an hour straight until I'm sure I'm spore free
Chloe: You should know though - we did it in one. No reset needed. You did good.
Chloe: Gonna land in a few seconds - see you tonight Sam gets Influence, has it already, so go ahead and shift Chloe's labels
"Wha- oh, come on!" Chroknight seems a little miffed as there's suddenly interference with what they were planning to be the coolest Three-Point Landing in the history of Halcyon City. They take it in stride though, using the air cushion and satellite to do a couple double jumps before landing. They stand up and brush off some invisible dust from their shoulder pauldron, before looking back at Andromeda.
"Bah. You...are. Uh." They fumble for words for a moment. "I'm not a lone wolf by choice. You did good too. I mean...God, this feels awkward. Look, I know you got your ideas about me. Just, are you going to take me as I am? Utterly cool, dark-feathered, and Most Mysterious Teammate of the Year?"
When you share a triumphant celebration with someone, ask them if they see you as the person wearing the mask or the person underneath. If the former, mark potential and clear a condition. If the latter, take Influence over them if you reveal yourself.
The agony that suffuses Chroknight slams them back to normal relativity, clutching their helmed head and retching. It was like someone had just stabbed hot needles into every nerve ending of their body. They knew they needed to move, the tentacles whipping up closer and threatening them with a fate worse than death.
Seeing Andromeda burst through, they pull together and rally. "I'm sorry, I was about ready to hurl from the psychic backwash, but no, let's- left two yards, now!"
They dip back after seeing Andromeda getting stuck in some sticky sludge from the ceiling, preventing her from getting caught up. They're moving and calling back to her. "Keep up and don't argue, just do what I - low, two yards!" The tentacle that would have smashed them together hits nothing but air with Chroknight's warning as they lurch towards the exit.
"Bank right - up, five feet! Right six! Left up eight!" Their instructions get more curt and frantic as they go, seeing every death trap that Andromeda gets caught up in and narrowly preventing her from getting stuck. "Don't want to - down four - go to space - faster now! - in a mushroom."
It's excruciatingly slow compared to running by themself, but they can feel a thrumming now as they hit a section where the wall seems to be vibrating. "Atmosphere outside - punch through!" They direct Andromeda. The sudden sucking air that blasts out from the hole created would normally be something that Chroknight would resist - but they need to get out of there and surrender themselves to the whims of the wind.
Now they were free-falling away from the Deathcap, plummeting towards the ground. Which was not as big of a concern for them as getting up here had been. They couldn't fly, but they could certainly slow their fall more than enough to avoid pancaking onto the street.
Still, if Andromeda wanted to give them a ride, they'd allow it, twisting to salute the Bull above them as they fall.
Given the command, Chroknight punches the nodes as hard as they can, then starts rushing to leave in relatively the same direction that they had come from. At least at these relativistic speeds they were unlikely to get lost long enough to end up riding the Deathcap into space.
What did she see? She's Gothic, she probably already knew. No privacy but what they let you have. Not like she's going to blab to anyone. She probably knows all the big secret identities, who would care about yours? Not your team, that's for sure-
Chroknight nearly slams into a mycelium wall that had not been there when they'd come through before. It was shifting. Changing, and something had happened when the nodes were struck. A sense of unease lurches in their stomach as they get a sense of the noose tightening around their neck. Time to get out of here before it goes to space. This is not my first choice of space jaunt!
"Gothic, please tell me I'm getting close to an exit," Chroknight pleads.
Oh, great. The world's most powerful telepath is in my head. Keep it out of the gutter, Chloe. Wait, shit!
Trying to avoid the panic on probably being exposed to Gothic's thoughts, Chroknight makes it to the node chamber - and stares blankly at its guardians. Chloe's mind takes a quick trip down the gutter she had been avoiding before blanching and shaking bad internet searches out of Chroknight's head.
"Nope, not some magical girl here, don't even have the figure for it...yes, I know not to touch the tentacles, they are gross and full of gross things!" Chroknight isn't sure she can hear them, as they look in here for a way to strike the nodes at range. Some bits of gravel stuck in the soles of their boots? But they don't know which ones to even hit!
"Okay, could use some more guidance here. I'm a monkey in a spaceship, just need to teach me the right buttons to press..." They pause, before slipping into slow time, the tentacles practically stopping in place. They aren't sure Gothic can keep up with their thoughts at this relative speed. But any slower and they run the risk of getting nabbed by a tentacle. Could they hope to strike a balance here?
It turns out, they can. Barely. Slow enough for Gothic to still be able to transmit, fast enough to avoid the tentacles. Though she's remembering some memory of a jerk in middle school who'd objectified her and using it as fuel to push herself forward. Chroknight gets past, now amongst the nodes.
"Done! Tell me which ones to punch and then I'll run to leave before it escapes orbit!" They shout and think to Gothic.
"Oh, no, no, no, getitoff!" Chroknight freaks as they feel one of the moving bits of the Deathcap managing to get into the seam where the neck meets their helmet. They swiftly tear it off, their HUD flashing a warning and then suddenly feeling a shift - their body changing temporal positions with their body from several seconds ago. "That was close - oh, carp."
They peer off the edge of the chunk of Deathcap they're keeping temporarily from falling, seeing the main body has halted its momentum. Miraculous - but they still needed to get it back out of orbit. A lot of its internal workings seemed to be exposed now. It couldn't really be killed or contained.
"...this will likely be the dumbest thing I do all year."
They hop off their fragment of fungus, letting it start to plummet back to the main body - Chroknight's own momentum takes them inside, CORVIS following them inside the massive space monster.
"Okay, CORVIS, we're going to be looking for some kind of control hub or cluster or something to get this to lift off back into space...let's not let people scream at us for recklessness because we put ourselves in harm's way."
"I am both glad that my armor protects me and that I can't feel the spores trying to burrow into it," Chroknight comments as they ascend higher. They grab Empyrean and pull them into their relative time, as everything slows around them - and yet, a giant mushroom plummetting at the city is still coming at a higher pace than desired.
"Get me to touch the main bit. I'll slow it down as much as I can!" They breathe slowly, concentrating, waiting for the moment they reach it. Finding their chance to reach out and touch the nightmarish space fungus.
"Bet you know all about relativity, right?" They concentrate. Chloe was not needed here - the world needed Chroknight, front and center. Embracing the Mask to swap Danger with Mundane.
Directly Engage (Game Face, Afraid):2d6 + 3 + 1 - 2 ⇒ (5, 5) + 3 + 1 - 2 = 12Shearing a piece off to reduce it by 1 permanently.
"OH! TOO BIG!" Chroknight screams as they attempt to slow the whole mass down at once. Something funky happens instead as suddenly, the section that Chroknight touched is moving much slower than the rest of the mass - and the main body tears past it, leaving a huge chunk falling incredibly slow that Chroknight is keeping at a reasonable descent velocity.
Which of course means they can't leave it or it'll fall and probably wreck more stuff. "Go help the others, I got this bit!" They tell Empyrean.
"Haha, yes, it's great. I'm bringing our relative speed down to one second per one hundredth of a second. Which I'm likely going to have to reverse when we reach the Deathcap, one hundredth second per second."
Chroknight breathes in deeply, letting it out. Game time. Could they really do this? Marking Insecure for Game Face, giving them +1 to their rolls in pursuit of the goal of protecting the city from the Deathcap.
"Slow it down - like with the plane? That was forty tons not including passengers - that is at least a million tons, probably more."
They consider it briefly.
"...I'll buy relative seconds at best. That's still probably worth it, dammit. Empyrean, if you please!" They hold up their arms to the sky for a lift off.
Going back earlier wasn't going to change the million metric tons of fungal mass barreling down towards the city apocalyptically. They turn to look at Aquarelle.
"I could probably shove everyone down here into Alliance HQ. Probably safer than the park for surviving. All that alien non-euclidean geometry should be good for something..."
Assess the situation:2d6 - 1 ⇒ (2, 2) - 1 = 3
Chroknight is under some heavy decision paralysis, looking at the dozens of AEGIS agents and HPD officers who are also frozen in fear.
Chroknight is helping out by passing n95 masks out to the people who aren't already armored or sealed up. "Best to avoid breathing in too much."
They listen to the role distribution before putting in their two cents. "If it's all the same, I want to be out on the ground to get any of the civilians still around out of harm's way. I can join up with the spore chasers earlier after I finish that."
Everyone scrambles to prepare for the incoming fungal invasion. Chloe for her part heads back home to her familiar (unfamiliar) room and changes into her most comfortable pajamas, lies her head down onto a pillow and commits herself to sleep.
Sleep was terrifying. Anything that happened when she was asleep was something she couldn't do anything to change. Even when she was awake and stepping back in time or slowing things down around her, she still had to be conscious. And she still got tired, she still got hungry and thirsty. Not quite a goddess of time.
She got tired faster now. Was it because of the paved over cracks, or because her body was younger? She just knew that if she wanted to be the best for her team, she needed to sleep.
Even knowing her dreams lately were plagued by a Beebee clutching the bloodied tail severed from her, staring at Chloe with betrayal.
Chroknight has shown up again at the end of the path, handing Delphi a convenience store bag. Inside are a couple pieces of whole fruit, a package of hummus chips and dip, a couple of water bottles and some premade sandwiches - a PB&J along with a ham & cheese.
"What? I could hear your stomach from the floor. It's what I could afford to buy. And, you know, sorry for poking and prodding you. Just eat, because you're obviously not able to read the bones properly if you're hungry."
They hand it off to Delphi, glancing at Sam. "She's going to need a place to stay," They tell her. "I am gonna get back to my regular scheduled secrets. See you all at the fungus festival. Bye."
"...that was so cool I'm not even gonna redo that," Chroknight says as they lay flat on the floor for a few moments. "...Except nearly snapping my wrist, that kind of sucked."
They wait for another couple of appropriate moments before slowly kipping themselves up. "Okay, interesting...you baited me just as much as I was baiting you. That was awesome! Those moves aren't what I'd call normal for someone to know at your age..."
They think about Xaiara, and then Shayera, and then Andromeda. "...feel like there's too many bastards willing to experiment on kids to turn them into weapons."
Chroknight enters the med bay and rushes at Delphi. And suddenly they tumble over her bed across her to the other side, before popping up and then touching the runaway on the tip of her nose. "Boop."
Ten seconds before that
"Hey!"
Chroknight enters the med bay and rushes at Delphi. And suddenly they tumble over her bed across her to the other side, before popping up and watching as Delphi suddenly guards her nose, before giving her a pat on the head.
"You knew what I was going to do before, but I guess you're not used to people stepping back and redoing things. This is kind of fun!"
Ten seconds after that
"Just so you know, I'm going to flick your ear five seconds ago."
Six seconds before that
"Aha! Gotcha, you guarded your ear," Chroknight points at her reflexive moment. "Okay, any headaches? Nausea? We do want to make sure you don't pop an aneurysm here."
"Hey, Andromeda. I know I promised no do-overs, but I need to check this girl's precognition and that would mean breaking my vow. Are you okay for me to test her?"
Chroknight stands next to her. Awkwardly so, tugging on their left ring finger while waiting for her response.
"Are you for real life a damn prophet?" Chroknight exclaims in shock and horror that the Deathcap would be arriving soon. "Damn. Guess that means I'm not taking tomorrow off." They try not to focus on the comments about them being an 'embolistic tangle'. "Okay, if that's the case...we got to keep you here on observation."
Chroknight's not 100% certain what's what in the medbay, but there's a nifty looking console labeled 'AUTODOC', so turning that on and asking it to examine Delphi's bed sounded about right. "Do you have precognitive moments often? That's got to be a headache - I've done that before and looking into the infinite stream of possibilities really messes you up. And I'm also realizing you might not know who I am. Chroknight, Halcyon hero and temporal agent. Oh, wait, is that what's causing your seizures? I'm by definition unpredictable, and your brain probably's going crazy trying to suss me out - hang on-"
They poke their head out. "Sam, I need you to come in here and hold this girl's hand. I think I might what's making her sick. Can you do that while calculating?"
"...Mycelial vengeance? Wait, she's not talking about the Deathcap? Thought that it got dealt with a few months ago," Chroknight says, looking at the girl's eyes. The splash pattern that has discolored her skin makes Chroknight wonder if she's blind. But she hadn't seemed like it when they had found her. Other than what seemed like a hard brimmed hat tucked in her hoodie, she didn't have much.
"Look, Delphie, were you hurt during the Deathcap attack? Is that what happened to your eyes?" Chroknight glares back at Andromeda as she continues to assume the worst. "That's a line of thinking I wouldn't have put on you to assume. You want to dial it back a notch?"
By the time that Andromeda has suggested the hospital, Chroknight is already in the base carrying the convulsing girl in their arms. "Med bay is here," They say as they bring her into the facility and lay her on a bed.
"Don't see a med bracelet on her. Need to watch her until this episode ends," Chroknight says. They wonder what could have happen to her. "She's definitely a runaway. Doesn't have any ID on her, and her phone's a burner."
"Hold up, my friends are asking me to ask you why you were in the tunnels." Chroknight stops and replies to Samantha.
"She's just a lost girl. Doesn't appear to be hurt. Likely was just exploring. I'm going to get her out of here and make sure she can't find her way back. I'll ask a couple questions, see if she might be in trouble here."
They turn down towards Delphi. "So, let me guess, your friends think you've got some kind of intuition and some of your predictions come true? Can't think of another reason someone would call you an oracle," They speak, trying to get her to be at ease around them. It seems like she's afraid of Chroknight, but probably because they're an armored shadow in the dim lighting.
"Let me help you back to the surface. Where's your neighborhood, Rustside? City Center? The Heights?"
Pierce the Mask:2d6 + 3 ⇒ (2, 4) + 3 = 9What are you really planning?
"Please, Gui, I'll be back before we even had this conversation," Chroknight says before racing off in the direction Sam and Indarius described.
Once they reach the right tunnel, Chroknight speaks up to the teen girl, whose face they can't quite make out in the dark. "Hey, it's dangerous to stumble around in the dark like this. You're lucky you didn't run into something worse than some magic force field. You need an escort to the surface? What's your name?"
Chroknight cools off as they listen to Indarius - though also getting some spare clothing for the two of them that had been left here so they could change out of their evening wear. They were deliberately avoiding Andromeda and Gui, giving them a wide berth for now.
"Well, that's just dandy, seeing as we've got you, and the angel/demon pair who are likely going to be targets for indoctrination. Or your dragon rival. Seriously, it's both weird and oddly thematic to have a dragon as the head of a multinational corporation of bad guys."
They sigh, before noticing a little warning sign flashing on their HUD. Which was weird, because they had no idea what that symbol meant. They ignore it for now - if it was really important, it would be telling them audibly.
"Okay, so, let's go talk to the old dude and ask where he stashed the thing. Since it was the 80s, I'm guessing it's been converted into a wicked keytar." They look over at Samantha. "...bit of a trip to go to Canada. I don't suppose there's a secret jet-"
Indarius announces the intruder, and Chroknight straightens up. "Which tunnel? I'll check it out. If it's real bad, I can warn you right now."
"Come on, Chro! You want to tell everyone because you need help and people to talk to, but you decided you are only doing it if people tell you they want to know your secret." He shakes his head, angry and desperate.
Gui cups his hands together, as if he was holding something hidden inside, and then-
"You're right. I decided that. But that was wrong of me to do." Chroknight's hand is on Gui's cupped hands.
"I will tell them when I need to tell them. The moment passed. Another one will come. But that will be my decision to make. I don't want the choice to come out taken from me again. Are you going to be that person?"
"...Wow. I didn't realize I hadn't come out to you guys yet." Chloe buries her face in her hands. "Oh, I'm dumb. My stupid brain makes me dumb and want to do dumb things like kiss girls and forget to tell my friends I like the idea of kissing girls and boys and- and I'm going to stop talking about that and go to the bathroom," Chloe says as she hops up to run into the house.
She pauses just long enough to say, "Sam," before vanishing for five minutes - relatively.
She would return after that, calm and with the redness on her face gone. Mostly because she'd realized a horrible thing. She had come out to her dad the year before becoming Chroknight. Which meant...
"I'm going to have to come out to my dad."Again.
Unity Station
"Wait, hold that pose for a moment." Chroknight frames the awkward pile of inhuman girl parts with their fingers. "...okay, let me help you up there. Did you really just life raft the time river? That's crazy," They say as they reach out and help them to their feet.
"...I really wanted to prank you about being like a year overdue, but it's not the time for that. Updates - you may have some conflicting memories because your personal histories have likely changed, mostly relationships. Also, some people you might remember as dead are alive, and vice versa. Statian's back to being ineligible to get a learner's permit. And on a personal note...I'm really sorry about all of this and getting my powers used against you. I'm stoked that the chronowraith only diplaced you and didn't wipe you from existence."
They sigh, stepping back towards one of the exit tunnels to the newer subway - they needed a longer route to get home now. "Chief, anything else we need to discuss here? Kind of getting antsy, and no one cares who I am, so I might just go punch some bad guys on patrol."
"Just got lost in some bad memories," Chloe admits to Brie. She hesitates before replying to Ainsley. "Trayvon is nice - and really hot - but, uh. Well. I mean...I might be crushing on someone else?"
Her face turns red as she admits this. "So. Yeah. I don't think that I could date anyone else until I either get over this crush or confess to her."
Unity Station
"Nope, not touching the freaky device there," Chroknight says as they back away from the tube. "All yours chief."
Then they were between Statian and Andromeda. "Hey, stop sniping each other. If you should be mad at anyone, be mad at me. It was my responsibility to protect the timeline and I failed. Any consequences are a direct result of my failure. Any deaths that have happened...are on me. I have to live with it. I have to live with all the mistakes."
Odium was a darker piece. Chloe had mostly written it with help from the rest of the band. Starting out in 6/8 time, a frenetic waltz that would pick up to 9/8 midway through. The anger, discontented and emotional instrumental made Chloe recall her new life's memories. How she lashed out more than withdrew after her mother's death. Blaming her for dying, in a twisted view of the event. But then she was younger in this timeline when she died. Of course she'd feel differently.
The drum solo came as Chloe used the fifteen seconds and rolled across the toms and Snare, cymbals crashing as if screaming at the audience. Her drumstick snapped, as she dropped it and grabbed the spare just in time to transition to the coda.
Unity Station
Chroknight's attention was fully switched from Andromeda to Sam. Their posture was frozen for a moment, and not due to any use of their time powers. "Pru...?"
They came out of their shock as the light began to flash. Striding over to it and glad for the distraction to avoid the conversation, they call out to Indarius. "Hey, is this machine supposed to do this?"
"No do-overs today. No third options. But if you don't want to know, I need you to tell me that."
They glance from Andromeda to Samantha. "Daedalus isn't the den of brainwashing evil I thought it was going to be when we first learned about it. As much as I pride myself on being self-sufficient - and having my own adventures outside of the team - I am struggling with a ton of stuff. I need help from people with more experience than myself. I can't try to compress a year into a day to cram it all, I need ...instruction."
"Why are you looking at me? I know enough to attract wraiths; you couldn't keep me 'safe' if you wanted to."
"That's not what I asked. Do you want to know who I am?" Chroknight reiterates. They glance at Indarius with his big dragon hand on their shoulder.
They sigh. "I'm...also considering attending Daedalus full-time now, because of the changes. I no longer have certain obligations that were erased or altered. Having more people who attend there being able to help me avoid revealing my secret identity to the entire campus would be a boon over a burden."Clearing Insecure for opening up.
"Roundabout way to say she save-scummed the timeline. Which wouldn't be a problem at the moment by moment level, but she pushed to find a result where I would be unable to interfere and stop her, which ended up with changing things so massively it attracted chronowraiths. And even this stabilized timeline has hints of her fingers in its conception."
They look at the attendees, and decide that maybe it's about time. "Look, part of the reason I keep my identity secret from all of you is that I'm trying to protect the people I care about. But I've also been trying to protect all of you, because the more you're aware of temporal disturbances, the greater the odds you'll attract a chronowraith that wants to fix you. And knowing who I am actually seems to offer you the ability to realize those changes."
They nervously tug on their left ring finger. "...half the people in this room already know. So I'll ask you all: knowing the risks, do you want to know who I am?"
"Hey, chief." Chroknight appears out of nowhere next to Indarius. "Quick note - timeline is more or less patched up. Some people are probably lost in another timeline. The good news is that they're likely in a timeline similar to our own, so they'll have people to reach out to help them return here. Or, if they're still in our timeline but up or down the line, probably a variance between twenty to a hundred years, so same difference."
They look at the desk with materials out. "...my suit seems to be purged of Governess influence. Though a lot of it I still don't understand how it works or how she got into it in the first place. Maybe when Ava blasted me? I'm not even sure how she used the armor to tear up the timeline. I'm mostly certain I couldn't do that now. But then again, she probably could have spent a long time relatively condensed in a standard second learning how to operate it better than me."
They cross their arms. "I've always seen my armor as having multiple functions. Limiting me from overextending my powers, protecting me physically and from the effects of temporal shifting, giving me training and assistance. But the idea that someone else who got their hands on it could use my powers for themselves is scary."
Tugging on their left ring finger, they continue. "Barring reaching out to other teams and members of the community to help our castaway, there's nothing else I think this team can do to clean up. Though it might still help to talk it out, since any memories we might have gained from this new timeline could be stressful."
"I'm good for it. I can handle this," Chloe says. She's getting into her groove, placing her drumsticks onto the set and remembering how to play their songs. "Let's start with Fibonacci on three, two, one-"
This was amusing in how they decided to try and play a song in actual Fibonacci sequence. Starting off with Chloe on 1/1 heavy beats, stepping up into 2/2 before the first fee measures in waltz time. This was fully instrumental, the beat flowing from her as she worked her arms out on the drums, kicking the bass as they skip over common time to go into 5/4. From there, the bridge hit 8/8 time, the pulse quickening as she looks to how they will reverse the order now, until the coda when they finish back on 3/4, then a measure at 2/2 and finally 1/1.
The polyrhythmic sections of the songs they do are wild and fun, Chloe getting to enjoy listening to Brie's bass links and Dhalia's frenetic guitar riffs outpace her rhythm. Ainsley keeps them anchored with her keyboard like a futuristic programmer directing the flow of the music.
After an hour of playing, Chloe has to chill, her arms burning as she takes a drink of water. Looking at these familiar and unfamiliar faces that conflict with her.
"Hey, so...I'm sorry I've missed so many practices. I've been able to catch up in my spare time at least. It's fun playing together."
"Two things before you jet off again. Phone number for me and Andromeda so we can contact you and you can reach out to us. Andromeda should show you a place you can crash so that you can rest there after you're done exploring the city. It's probably much different from your own. But welcome." They step back. "Now I'm going to go back to date so they don't think I stood them up."
A blur in motion, a trick of the light, and they're gone.
Band Practice
Oh, f&$@. New Chloe, memories please!
Chloe smiles and tries to not show any anxiety to these girls - her band -and looks at her drum kit. The logo that's been stencil-sprayed for Cosmogenesis on the bass drum, the worn out drumsticks and the new ones waiting to be abused.
The flyer brings her out of her thoughts as she looks down at it and panic sets in. "Uh, this is a high school competition? We'll be probably against real deal super students." She sits at her kit, all the heights adjusted perfectly.
"They need just one song or a set?" She asks. "I'm thinking Last Day to start, followed by Why Ask The Sky and finish with Odium." How she knew those songs was a damn miracle, as well as the fact that she knew how to dress like this younger version of herself. Whose style was very much throwing a dart in a punk store and grabbing whatever it landed on.
"Okay, thank you! Hold on a second," Chroknight says before whipping out their burner phone and quickly sending a message to Andromeda.
They sigh, looking at the rest of the Finals (Except Pallor, who might be next to them and they wouldn't know it). "...So. Did everyone enjoy the Praetorium? Pretty cool, amirite?"
They glance around awkwardly. "Yeah, just weird waiting for her to get out of the loo... so, uh, are you planning to put that back? Kind of public property," They point to the bike rack.
Andromeda's phone lights up with a message from Chroknight.
Chroknight: Crisis averted
Chroknight: Shayera's in the restroom now
Chroknight: They're understanding of the sitch
Chroknight: Like I said, just a conversation
"Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Okay, that tickles a little - no, now it's hurting," Chroknight comments with dry affection as they are dragged over. "Oh, wow, you're like, really strong. Can you show off your muscles with all that fur?" They aren't resisting and look to the rest of the Finals as relaxed as possible in their held position.
"You know you could have just asked and I'd have come over. Look, I'm not here to fight, I'm just doing a wellness check for our temporal immigrant here. Also, hi, I'm Chroknight. I'm partially responsible for you being stranded here, real sorry about that, evil nanny AI with zero ethical programming stole my powers. Anyways," They speak to Valence next, helmet turned as much as possible to look at him.
"I'd ask you let us go for a few reasons. One, I could not give less of a rat's ass about whatever perceived rivalry you guys have with my team. I don't want to fight. I do want to fix what I can fix, which involves helping her switch back. That isn't something I can do immediately, but I can work on it. Finally, your location is compromised and I expect that Andromeda's probably going to level this place if you don't let her go. You can probably keep me and she won't care."
They look back at Ne'vaeh. "Hey, I'm curious, can you taste sweet things anymore? I heard cats can't taste sweetness, which probably sucks for you."
CORVIS lands next to Shayera, cawing and pecking at the bike rack. It looks intelligently at Valence, as if he can see deep into his soul.
Provoke Valence to let them go (C'MON CORVIS):2d6 - 1 + 1 ⇒ (4, 3) - 1 + 1 = 7
Chroknight: So she's chatting with the Finals
Chroknight: It's a little heavy, but I think it's calming down
Chroknight: I'll reveal myself once things are stable
Chroknight: Best to stay put there
The Heights:
Chroknight deliberately left out the bicycle rack caging Shayera - not just to avoid Andromeda going all Meteor but because they were fairly certain she could cut herself free at any point. They post themselves up and watch, considering all of the angles and if there was anything off about their first impressions. Maybe they were thinking about drowning her in the pool? That would be crazy...right?
Chroknight comes back into real time. It's been a matter of a few moments for Andromeda and Indarius, but Chroknight's text comes in for them with an urgent buzz.
Chroknight: Dropping a pin
Chroknight: Found her here, will update
A location pin for an address in the Heights shows up for them.
The Heights:
The location revealed to their teammates, Chroknight slips back into the slowed world. It's easy enough to avoid security cameras so long as you moved at a pace faster than their frames per second. Sensors were trickier, and avoiding them would take some feats of acrobatics for a non-flier like them.
"Oh, CORVIS buddy, get that camera there?" Chroknight asks the bird to assist as they nearly stay too long and get spotted - but thankfully CORVIS is capable of nudging the camera enough to let them stay in its blind spot.
They slip forward past the security measures and follow CORVIS' lead to where Shayera is located. Hoping she's not at a weird high school party where they do designer drugs and hook up.
"We'll talk later about that, but you should know that any memories you have of this timeline may not come about until you encounter something in relation to the change. Don't be surprised when it happens," They tell Indarius before replying to Andromeda.
"Fine. I'll look for her." Chroknight's body language seems deflated as they back down, listening to Ava. "North Heights? I'll be back in a relative minute."
They all freeze in place from Chroknight's perspective as they rush out of the Praetorium and into the night. Trying to find a lead even with all of the time they had for Shayera's presence would be difficult, but at least CORVIS could help cover the aerial angles.
"CORVIS, all I wanted tonight was to show off in a hot dress and dance with a pretty girl. Instead I got my powers jacked by a nanny-bot AI, nearly got the timeline destroyed, and had said pretty girl reset it with my dad married to a nice woman with a mean daughter who is now my best friend's best friend, since apparently that pretty girl decided on her own to erase the last two years of our lives for reasons I'm having trouble being mad at her for because of her stupid pretty green eyes. And now I'm searching for someone else's pretty girl surrogate from another universe that somehow got dumped here. Not to mention that Deedee and Empyrean have apparently vanished and no one else seems to care - or possibly even consider-"
They stop between cars, gently pulling back a pedestrian who was about to step into traffic back onto the curb. "We really can't assume that Shayera's the only one that's been stranded here. I spend a relative year trying to avoid this kind of disaster and didn't even think someone would steal my powers and do it on purpose. Fine. Let's pick up the pieces then get back so Dad doesn't panic if I'm not there."
They race towards the Heights, hoping to scout it out swiftly, confirm that Shayera was just taking time to be alone and gather herself so she could alleviate Andromeda's anxiety.
"Not that strange to her if she's also from a Halcyon City. I'm saying she could know of a hundred places we don't to hide out if she doesn't want to be found, some of which probably still exist in this timeline. I'm telling you, for real - you are turning molehills out of mountains. And it's been less than an hour. If she hasn't gotten in touch by tomorrow, then we can follow up with Valence."
They pause, a scathing comment about her true feelings dying on their tongue. "I get it, you're feeling like crap because you're worried about your friend and feeling like you need to do something instead of enjoying the party here. If you think we should go after her, I just want to know if we're doing it for her sake, or if it's to make you feel better. Either way I'm with you, but be honest with us."
"You realize who you're asking to keep secrets, right?" Chroknight shrugs their shoulders. "But slow it down. Things have changed. And you probably don't realize just how much if you still remember the time twister."
They think about it for a moment, but twist in the knife. Someone who could take a hit should be the devil's advocate. "And to be clear, if she is a different person from Xaiara, then we don't know anything about her. You're acting as if she's your best friend but you just met less than an hour ago. She could have taken the first chance to rabbit she saw once the invulnerable force field user wasn't around to stop her."
"Dunno about taking her, but CORVIS did spot Not-Xaiara leaving the building and then Valence slipping through the wall a couple minutes after the fact. If things have shifted around so relationships have changed, might be that he knows Xaiara well enough to spot an imposter. Which given that without proper context means he could think she's anything from an Androidian to a shapeshifter to a clone."
They look to Andromeda. "Let's look outside. Best case, I figure they're having a talk where she's explaining the situation to him."
"Okay, best you don't think too hard about it. If you find yourself having an existential crisis, remember the old adage: 'The only reality that matters is your own'," Chroknight tells the two. "Also, love the dresses."
They see Andromeda flip a switch on for herself, their armored helm nodding. "Don't know what Indarius could do, but hey, you know, there's other methods of tracking her down."
Okay, you said that, now make it happen. CORVIS, I need you little buddy. Help me track the temporal tourist.
"Hey, it would help me if you could give me some of her differences? It'll make for a more accurate reading. Why would Valence take her?"Please don't just ignore me out of hand...Will mark Insecure unless they get a Team here.
