Kirunax
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Chapter 11
🕑 Added 2025-04-08 19:57:45 +0000 UTCA/N Added another tier with 2 additional chapters. Look it up if you are interested.
Emiya
The helmet was irritating. There was a reason he never bothered with one, preferring an unobstructed line of sight over additional protection. Reinforcement his flesh did not make Emiya completely bulletproof, but it was enough to deflect handgun rounds, as well as debris and shrapnel. Basically, it's all you can hope for when it comes to helmets in a world where high-velocity rifle rounds exist.
Sure, Emiya could Reinforce a helmet to heighten its defensive properties, but there was a ceiling to his magecraft, largely dictated by the materials he was working with. Considering the helmet he was provided with was shiny aluminum plating over plastic and expanded polystyrene foam, it simply wasn’t worth the trouble.
Not to mention that heat dissipation was also a concern for him, given how magic circuits raised his body temperature. Combine that with active combat exertion and the heat in the regions he was primarily operating in during his life, and there was a real risk of passing out from heat stroke in the middle of combat.
Brockton Bay was no Middle East, but the point remained.
The visor blocked his vision too much for his liking, the overall structure just begged for a blade to catch on one of the ridges of the ‘winged helmet’-inspired design.
He would be more content with an ordinary motorcycle helmet, if he had to wear one at all.
But no, American superheroes wore masks, and his mask had to be an open-jawed helmet for some reason.
Emiya consoled himself with the fact that he spared himself from dressing up like a bootleg Hound of Ulster. With his luck, it would end up somehow being recorded onto his Saint Graph, and that’s how he would have to meet Lancer again.
“Relax, Armiger. People will notice you being in a mood,” said Gallant, who walked alongside him.
They were on another patrol through the Boardwalk. This time it was without Miss Militia present. This route should take them to the Lord Street Market and eventually to the hospital, where they would pick up Tanya and return to the HQ.
“Did they pair us up on this patrol because of the shared theme, or because you are the designated mood manager on this team?”
“You noticed?”
“It’s difficult not to, when you constantly wedge yourself into every situation.”
Dean sighed. “I’d say it’s very observant of you, but I suppose I do make it obvious.”
“I also noticed that you pay particularly close attention to me and my sister.”
“It’s nothing,” Dean turned his head away.
“You lie.”
“You are new. Obviously, I would pay close attention to how you two settle in.”
“And that’s the reason you are moments away from leaping into action each time someone so much as starts a conversation with us?”
Each time Missy sits on the sofa with Tanya, Dean’s eyes lock onto them. The same happens when Dennis says something inane to me.
“Maybe you are very observant after all.”
“You are not even trying to conceal your body language. Frankly, you may be the singular worst liar I have ever met. It’s putting T-Argent on edge,” Emiya stumbled, still not used to calling his sister by her new alias.
For someone who could see the emotions of other people, the boy was strangely bad at hiding his own feelings. His face constantly shifted when he used his power, but even with a helmet on, Dean’s body practically screamed his discomfort.
“Look, I don’t want to lie to you...”
“You just did.”
“... but I am under orders to see if anything weird is going on with you two.”
“Weird?”
“There’s... a thing with capes who have multiple powers. Usually, it’s a result of a cluster-trigger.”
“I have no idea what that is.”
“It’s... when capes get their powers simultaneously and in close proximity to each other. The theory is that their powers somehow mesh with each other, resulting in a cape with multiple similar powers.”
Mildly curious, but since Emiya wasn’t a parahuman and definitely didn’t get ‘powers’ at the same time as Tanya, Dean’s theory wasn’t applicable.
“And how does that lead to you watching us?”
“Well, all known instances of cluster capes show weird emotional dynamics. Obsession, fixation, hatred, personality bleed, you name it. It never ends up well.”
Personality bleed?
“Is it common?”
“No. Not at all. Rarely comes outside parahuman studies. I had to ask Glory Girl about it, and...” he went silent.
“What?”
“During our conversation, she got pretty deep into power theory and somehow convinced herself that her emotional aura comes from me.”
“You got powers at the same time?”
“No. I got mine earlier. I was just there at the basketball game to support her.”
“Why does she think you are a cluster then?
“She doesn’t think that exactly, but... No one in her family has any kind of emotional powers. Glory Girl is a second-generation cape, so her powers are supposed to be similar to her family members,” Dean frowned. “But they weren’t there. She told me they left earlier because of an emergency. I was. So she convinced herself that the power comes from me, and now every time we argue and take a break means we are on some kind of kiss-kill emotional dynamic,” he ran a hand over his helmet.
“You believe that?”
“I don’t know. Maybe?” Dean shrugged. “No one knows how powers work, so it could be that her power somehow pinged off of mine. I mean, for example, it’s widely known that Trump powers happen when other capes are involved in a trigger event. I had to look it up after Vicky mentioned it.” He looked pensive. “So maybe our powers are connected somehow. Possibly even. Her aura doesn’t work all that well on me, and I can’t see her emotions clearly. There could be other explanations, though,” he shook his head.
“And is there a personality bleed?”
“No,” Dean’s voice was firm. “We argue and make up, but it’s normal for any relationship. There are no power-induced emotions or personality changes. If anything, we are resistant to those kinds of things. And I definitely don’t think I am acting like Vicky, or that she is acting like me.”
“Yet your girlfriend thinks differently.”
“She is a cape geek and takes courses on parahuman studies. She’s just... sometimes she gets an idea and runs off with it, and when you are into that stuff, it’s easy to see obscure power stuff in anything. Especially if it makes you worry.”
Or, she is right, and there was something. Emiya had even less of a picture about the mechanics of parahuman powers than Dean, but his girlfriend sounded like she knew more about it. She was sure that she gained powers similar to Dean, who was close and already had his own.
“You know, you are taking this awfully well,” Dean pointed out.
Emiya couldn’t help but notice some similarities between Tanya’s powers and his own abilities. Sure, most of her abilities were beyond him... but not beyond the weapons in his Reality Marble.
“Hm?”
Could it be? Could Tanya’s powers somehow ‘pinged off’ of his soul? His Saint Graph?
“This talk about trigger events. Most capes would rather pretend they don’t exist.”
He didn’t think it was possible... or perhaps he didn’t want to believe it.
Personality bleed?
“Why?” Emiya asked distractedly.
“...The worst day of your life? Getting powers is... usually traumatic,” Dean’s eyes bored into him with something resembling suspicion.
Worst day of his life, huh? If Emiya had to guess, that would be the Fuyuki Fire. He remembered it well, even after all this time. Pleading eyes and melting bodies consumed by flames and six billion curses seeping from the skies. One step after another, away from the dark tower, until nothing human remained.
He did not get any superpowers that day. Only a curse.
And even then, what was the worst day of his life compared to the Hell he entered through the loop of a noose?
Emiya chuckled. “I’ve had plenty of time to get over it.”
They had to get around a blond girl who spilled hot coffee all over herself. Emiya threw her a towel.
Dean’s eyes were peeled to him all the way to the hospital. The boy was silent, and walked a little further from him than before.
***
When they finally made it to their destination, they had to ask around to find Tanya. It turned out she had long finished healing patients and was taking a coffee break on the roof, enjoying the view of the sunset city while waiting for us.
“How is the coffee, sister?” he asked in lieu of greeting.
“Cheap swivel, but it’s serviceable for the moment. You are making me a cup the moment we return to HQ,” she said matter-of-factly.
Emiya almost snorted. Tanya was really spoiled by the expensive coffee roasts Dean had been bringing from home. Honestly, at the rate his sister consumed them, by this point one could say Dean was bringing them solely for her enjoyment. There was hardly any left for the boy himself. Emiya expected him to start objecting any day now, but so far Dean had been diligently supplying Tanya with roasted delights. And he even started to leave Swiss chocolates in the fridge.
Well, if the boy was so insistent on being the team’s emotional sponge, Emiya had no reason to object, as long as it kept Tanya happy.
At the moment, however, he could see that his little sister was annoyed. She always wanted to portray herself as a calm and collected individual, which was true for the most part, but in reality, she was as emotional as any young girl. Her prickly personality was visibly seeping out of her every time something sufficiently irritated her: rigid posture, grinding of teeth, glares. Often, they were aimed at Emiya himself, admittedly.
“Something the matter?” he probed.
“The patients seemed to be awfully spoiled by Panacea. They hear that their treatment will be administered by a new parahuman healer and their expectations immediately jump through the roof,” she huffed. “And then they get very disappointed when it turns out I’m nowhere near as proficient in the medical field as the local miracle worker.”
“I take it explaining the situation didn’t work?”
“What do you think? Medical care is a business, and patients are consumers who pay money for services. They don’t care about details, only quality. And in this case, their idea of quality service far exceeds my capabilities! I can deal with wounds, blood loss, and broken bones. That’s about it. Severe organ damage? Neurological issues? Disease? Cancer? Forget it.”
“And my healing will not save patients from a hospital stay. Straining a freshly healed bone would only break it again. Fused tissue is weak and requires time for the body to finish the healing process, unless I stay right by the patient’s side to continuously apply my healing power for hours on end! Unlike Panacea, who can just touch your hand and finish in minutes, after which you're good to go with a recommendation to stop by a steakhouse to replenish fat!”
“And when I had to stop healing, because I was on my last calculator, I was called to the hospital administrator’s office to get reminded of my civil duties and poor dying children! Apparently, my volunteering time was extremely short compared to Panacea’s!”
He and Dean just stood there, waiting for Tanya to finish her rant. Well, Emiya stood there. Dean was frozen.
“Such is the nature of being a hero, sister. Sometimes, the people you help aren’t in any hurry to thank you. Most times, really. Even free healing isn’t enough to...”
“What free healing? The patients are still charged by the hospital! Do I need to educate you on how the insurance works as well?!”
Alright, Tanya was clearly not in the mood for words of wisdom. Better to let her get it out of her system. Still, it was good for her to get a clear view of what being a Hero of Justice truly meant. Better that she sees it here, than from the gallows. Emiya carefully hid his smirk, so as to not show his satisfaction.
Dean spared him a glance and cleared his throat.
“I will tell the Director to inform the hospitals about your limitations,” he awkwardly said. “Better they are warned not to pressure you.”
Tanya took a deep breath.
“Thank you, Gallant,” she said with outward calm. “My apologies for the emotional display. I can hardly blame the patients, since they don’t have a clear picture of my abilities, but I don’t enjoy being treated as a low-end product. The point of this hospital visit is to generate good publicity, and while my being here would look good for the press, in the long run, word of mouth will ensure that I am only known as the poor man’s Panacea. Perhaps it would be better to send me in with EMTs, since that is where my healing abilities would have more impact. Also, perhaps it would be better to inform hospitals in a way that doesn’t advertise my reliance on hardware. I had to endure the smell of burnt plastic specifically for that reason.”
Emiya came closer to Tanya and took a sniff, getting a glare and a shove for his trouble. Had she kept them on her all this time?
“Right,” Dean nodded, not relaxing in the slightest.
It looked like he wanted to say more, but was interrupted by two girls literally flying onto the scene.
“Gallant!” the blond greeted Dean, clearly pleased to see him. She wore civilian clothes and no mask, despite openly using her power. In her arms, she held another girl in a bridal carry. That one was in costume, but still had no mask. Although her red scarf partially hid her lower face.
“Hey, Vicky,” Dean waved his hand. “Dropping off Amy?”
So that was his girlfriend, the one who was supposedly knowledgeable about this cluster business. Emiya tried to recall if he knew anything more about her, but all he got was that she was part of the New Age family of capes and that Carlos complained about her during their last team meeting. That would make the other girl her sister, Panacea.
“Yeah, didn’t expect to run into you. What are you doing here?” The girl landed and let go of her sister, who complied reluctantly and gave Dean a side-eye.
“Picking up Argent on the way back to HQ. She was volunteering for healing.”
Panacea’s head snapped to Tanya. “You can heal?” she asked in a grumpy voice.
“Good evening, Panacea,” Tanya said, ever polite. “And yes, I can. Although not as good as you, as I was being kept reminded today. Most everything you can do is beyond me,” she explained somewhat dryly.
“Do you plan on coming here often?”
“I don’t know yet. I am more useful as a combat medic or emergency responder than anything else. Me being here is mostly a PR stunt.”
Panacea grunted but didn’t add anything more.
Her sister, however, decided to chime in.
“So, you are Armsmaster’s kids, huh? That announcement made a lot of noise on PHO.”
“That is correct, Glory Girl. Although personally, I did not have an opportunity to gauge public reception. It is positive, I hope?”
“You bet! Dadmaster memes are going crazy. They don’t have images of the three of you together yet, though. When they do, you can expect even more.”
“I see. Thank you for informing me.”
“Ah, you are even cuter in person. Like a miniature Vista, who is also all prim and proper.”
Emiya smirked, since being seen as ‘cute’ was definitely not what Tanya was going for. His sister should be grateful for that breastplate and vambraces; otherwise, she would be just a girl in a short summer dress and fancy boots. Although even with armor on, her size worked against the impression she desperately wanted to cultivate.
He would know. Emiya tried to make her wear skirts for years.
Glory Girl turned to him. “You look cute too, little guy. Cool costume. That helmet makes you look like a mini-Armsmaster.”
Emiya’s smirk disappeared. He had no idea how Armsmaster looked, but getting cooed at by teenagers was not enjoyable.
“Yep, even more now. All you need is a beard and a halberd. Can you make one?”
“Yes,” he answered. Any other time, he would have ignored the girl, but he might have questions for her later. And unlike what his sister thought, he could bite his tongue and be polite if he felt it was necessary. He could even be charming.
“Cool.”
Thankfully, Glory Girl seemed to be satisfied with his monosyllabic answer, and more interested in her boyfriend.
“Hey Gallant, can I join you on the way back? Had some things I wanted to talk about.”
“Sorry, Vicky,” Dean shook his head. “Aegis got on my case after the last time. Let’s put a hold on joint patrols for a while.”
“Oh, come on! I promise, I won’t grab you this time,” she pleaded.
“No, Vicky. I promised Carlos not to do that. Let me keep my promise for a while, at least. Until he calms down and cuts me some slack.”
“He doesn’t have to know,” Glory Girl pouted.
“Vicky, that makes no sense. Even if I was willing to lie, Armiger and Argent are right here,” Dean pointed at me and Tanya.
Vicky dashed to Tanya and grabbed her shoulders.
“You won’t tell on us, right?”
Emiya pulsed his mana to dispel mental intrusion because suddenly he was hit with an unnatural sense of awe. It brought back memories of the night he summoned Artoria. It was disorienting because of how unexpected it was, but old reflexes worked fast. Unfortunately, it did nothing, either because the effect was too strong or because that technique was primarily meant to be used against things like hypnosis and perception-based bounded fields.
A glowing blue blade rebounded against the side of Glory Girl’s neck, making the girl instantly rush into the air. Emiya was surprised that her head was still attached, given what he knew about Tanya’s Mage Blade.
Powering through the even greater desire to continue gawking at Vicky with sheer willpower, he grabbed Tanya’s hand, which was forming a finger gun with a light ball at the end, and pulled it away from her target. He had to use all of his not-Reinforced strength to do that. The attack safely discharged into the empty sky.
“VICKY! AURA!” Gallant roared.
Realization seemed to hit the blonde, and the mental intrusion ceased as quickly as it appeared. She landed with a guilty look in her eyes.
“Vicky, are you ok?!” her sister rushed to her side and hastily put a hand on Glory Girl’s neck.
“I am fine, Amy,” she tried to calm Panacea down.
“You...” she turned to us, “You fucking psycho! What the fuck are you doing?!” Panacea screamed at Tanya.
Tanya, who seemed to snap out of a daze, looked at Panacea and then at Glory Girl.
“She attacked me!” his sister screamed back.
Emiya could already tell it was going to be a long evening.
Comments
Ержан Жусанбаев
Yes. Have you received a notification that chapter 14 is live and chapter 12 is released for Avid Enjoyer Tier?
Christian E. Y.
Updates are once a week right?
James Smith
This is amazing and perfectly predictable
