witch's cape, not hat

[characterquarry]

Grendyne groans and starts pulling on her boots when the alarm goes off. Again. She quick-marches to the broom hangar, sits on her machine and is handed a plethora of loaded weapons by attentive corporals.

"Two flyers in one day? They're getting way too common."

"It's worse," the commander informs them, "South Karlsland got hit with three at once. We're taking Lytee's express and sleeping there. You can sit out if you absolutely need to, but Freya's still recovering so we could use you as a comms relay."

"No, I'll come. I just reserve the right to complain about it."

The 42nd United Forces Witch Wing takes off and assembles into a perfect synchronized formation as Lytee charges her teleport power.



...This is not South Karlsland wilderness.

[note: halfway through this thread I created a unique account for Grendyne. Do not be alarmed by the change in account. -Rockeye]

Comments

[whole_new_can]

Skitter is alarmed that Copycat can find her from outside her range. She's supposed to be the one in that position.

"I think he left town when we took over," she lies.

[witchwatcher]

"Uh huh. You're getting your money from somewhere. I don't buy that you can run this place the way you do without a backer. And it fits Coil's modus operandi, doesn't it?"

[whole_new_can]

"You could say that about any successful team," she points out. "I'm not about to give away how we're really making our money."

[witchwatcher]

Sigh. "Look, is there anything you might want from me more than you want me to not know where Coil is? Healing, catching a bunch of gangbangers, repairing the sewers and draining all the floodwater?"

[whole_new_can]

"You can do that?
If Coil was still here and I knew where, I'd tell you. Or help take him down, if you found him first. But you realize this sounds kind of unlikely."

[witchwatcher]

"Well. My agent's number is public. I'll tell him to forward anything having to do with Coil immediately, if you find out something."

Time to visit Tattletale. Still invisible, and with a couple other Stranger effects besides. She's damnably observant. Gren starts copying that power over again - she doesn't care nearly as much about villains objecting to her copying things.

"Hullo, Tattletale. How's things?"

[whole_new_can]

Tattletale is only briefly surprised.

"Pretty well. Warlord of Brockton Bay. You're Copycat, now? How's that working out for you?"

She's not using her power yet. Copycat almost certainly is, and she probably doesn't know about the limits.

[witchwatcher]

Copycat does know the limits. She's copied it before. She isn't actively using Tattletale's power yet.

"I'm great. See the world, meet interesting capes, then copy them. And earn a lot of money curing the incurable, stop a falling Airbus in my spare time. But I have a bit of a grudge against the guy who kidnapped and drugged me, you see. I was hoping you could shed some light on what exactly went down between you and him."

[whole_new_can]

And if only Tattletale were using her power, she'd know that. Regular cold reading it is, then.

"Coil, right? Skitter told me.
We teamed up with him against the ABB, for a while. Most of the villains did. We were small fry then, barely earned a seat at the table. That was while he had you, going by when the other Witches arrived.

More recently, I got into some of his accounts. Locked him out, stole as many of his revenue streams as I could—not giving you any details there, sorry—even bribed some of his mercenaries." On the assumption that this is being examined with her own power, Tattletale has to assume Copycat knows where she's being evasive. She may be wrong, but better safe than sorry.

"Do you have a lead on what he's been doing since?"

[witchwatcher]

"I'm starting here 'cause Brockton Bay is the last place anybody's seen him as far as I know. Gather intel before trying to move on him, and all, though I've never been very good at intel." It's about time to start using the power, headache be damned.

[whole_new_can]

That's what Tattletale was waiting for. Now, to see if Copycat picks up on what she's doing.

"I've got...good information on what he was doing, if that would help."

The power informs Gren, Itentionally avoiding naming the source. Thinks it should be obvious. Coil's former employees. Expected me to guess that. Knows I did. Knows I know she expected me to guess. Knows I know she knows...
It'll keep giving her a steady flow of useless information until she focuses, stops, and starts again.

[witchwatcher]

"It would help. But I'm a bit nervous about the kind of things you might want in return."

[whole_new_can]

"You think the guy's still in Brockton Bay, and more criminal masterminds are not what this city needs. Get rid of him and I'd consider it a personal favor." Dislikes Coil, unstated reason, thinks Copycat would agree with the reason, not stating anyway, expects her power to try to find out. Is trying to distract it.

"He secretly hired the Travelers for cape muscle. Going by what he told his soldiers, his endgame was to clean up the city. Not unlike us, or at least Skitter, just with worse methods. And they would have worked for him regardless, so it's not like he had to lie to them." Her power picks up on the obvious implication, Undersiders have differing motives, Tattletale is in this for sport, successful attacks are counting coup. Fighting the ABB scores points against Lung, attacking PRT HQ was a goal against the heroes, many fights have secondary reasons... it got irrelevant again.

[witchwatcher]

"The Travelers are no longer relevant. They let some sort of evil-clone-making monster loose in my homeworld, then got arrested once we killed it. Trickster died, though. You got into his files. He would have abandoned or drained everything in them if he has any common sense, but can you give me a name or a location from them anyway?"

[whole_new_can]

"That was one of the Travelers' power. You killed Noelle?
When I hacked him I got most everything he knew at the time, but he knew I know it. I could point you to safe houses and backup bases, but they'd be empty. Never did get his secret identity." All statements true, incomplete, would be incomplete even if innocuous to cover for the real secrets, at least one omission isn't innocuous, already knew about the incident with the clones, has up to date information on the Protectorate.

Tattletale notices when she makes that connection. She starts using her own power to keep track of reactions and better direct Copycat's copy down more harmless trails.

[witchwatcher]

"Of course you do, that's your power. Ugh. Spy games. At least I'm careful with my passwords." Has an eidetic or otherwise improved memory. "You're starting to make me feel like I'll come out worse behind even if I find Coil and take him down." Dislikes complex plans, impatient with information gathering, might do something rash or unexpected, intends to fight the Slaughterhouse Nine.

[whole_new_can]

Tattletale reflexively hides her surprise at finding out that last bit of information. Not well enough, of course. "You might, I think he's got arrangements or influence with other villains, but even if they extend to bailing him out I wouldn't bet on them succeeding. I'd worry more about getting yourself killed with some other reckless plan." Knows about the plan to fight the Slaughterhouse Nine, considers it suicide.
Coil has dealt with out-of-town villains. Former employees went to some of those groups. Suspects this is him extending his reach, does not think he has enough influence to make them rescue him. Knows which groups. Adepts. Ambassadors. Elite.... Not exactly a relevant list, if this isn't part of any deals he has, but there goes the power again.

[witchwatcher]

"I might have a way to find him, but I wanted to clear the obvious leads first. It's just common sense, dealing with someone as slippery as him. Some things just need doing." Thinks she can teleport directly to Coil. Thinks Coil doesn't have a power. Thinks Coil is a genius of evasion. Thinks she can beat the Slaugherhouse Nine. Knows the Siberian's weakness. Fought a Siberian-clone. The Siberian is an alternate manifestation of Genesis's power. Has copied the Siberian.

[whole_new_can]

Well, that little detail about Copycat and the Siberian got left out of Tattletale's sources.
And then, since information gleaned by cheating doesn't come with the assumption that both people know it, "Well, that little detail about you and the Siberian got left out of my sources.
But this is bigger than Coil ever was, and it was never their powers that made the Nine dangerous." Sees cape life as a game, Slaughterhouse Nine don't play it. Expects attacking them to fail. Expects teleporting to Coil might succeed where other attacks would fail. Wouldn't mind if it did.

[witchwatcher]

"...This power is kind of bullshit." Thinker headache is starting. "If Coil really is small potatoes, then I could use the practice. But I take serious threats seriously, you don't play fair when losing is unacceptable." Disapproves of treating cape life as a game. Isn't going to push it. Has been discussing plans of attack on the Nine with Legend. Is much more willing to kill than when she was a Ward.

[whole_new_can]

"Okay, if people better informed than me think you've got a shot that's something else. You're still talking going from a local crime lord to the Slaughterhouse Nine, and that's a bit of a leap.

Must not have used her power heavily recently. Hasn't exerted it enough for a headache yet. Thinks hiding whatever she's hiding for this long means she's winning. Smug. Smug smug smug smug smug. Radiating an aura of smugness visible even without the power. From Vermont.

[witchwatcher]

"...There's something wrong here. You called him a local crime lord. As if he's still active, and still here. That's not much by itself, just a turn of phrase. But you're hiding something really hard." Suspects Undersiders have a detente or alliance with Coil. Doesn't trust her own conclusions. Is not used to plotting and information games. Not that Tattletale didn't know that last bit already.

[whole_new_can]

"Oh, I've got a pretty good guess he's still active. Especially now that I've seen how sure you are; you've got a source.
And of course I've got secrets. That's why all the effort to point your copy of my power away from them. Working well, if I do say so myself."

Used to this power. Knows what it will and won't latch on to without being carefully directed. Had this planned since finding out there was a power copier in the city.

[witchwatcher]

"You can be as clever as you like, I have no interest in your secrets. And I've had enough spy games for today. Bye." Has other obligations. Is suppressing thinker headache with healing, only somewhat effective. Doesn't want to lose any more of her own secrets.

[whole_new_can]

"Thanks for stopping by!"
Genuinely means that. Glad for the chance to go up against her own power. Messed with Copycat to see if she could. Not malicious, just kind of a jerk.