The Superhuman Gambit

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

Sooner or later, someone will clean up the dead ants in the street where the Mechanist and the AntAgonizer fought. It's not a big priority right now, though. Not with Dominic and Machete getting ready to go out for the day's hunting, and Joe opening up the diner and counting over his available bottles of water, and Derek looking for something to do or someone to talk to. For the moment, at least, it's pretty placid in Canterbury Commons.

We'll just have to see how long that lasts.

Comments

[basic_powers]

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Moon Shadow is making his saving throw against falling down laughing. For now, because who talks like tha- oh right the crazy people.

"Your elevator wasn't that hard to fix," Bluff, "No, I am not with that crazy ant-lady," Truth. ...Pause. "My name is Moon Shadow, and I'm here cause between you and the crazy ant lady, no caravans have been coming into Canterbury Commons."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"A deeply, deeply regrettable situation," the Mechanist answers. "And proof of how deluded, how inhuman the AntAgonizer is. Sadly, sometimes the scaly claw of tyranny must be destroyed by the cold, unfeeling pincers of justice!"

Even with the helmet on, it's evident that he's saying it with a perfectly straight face.

[basic_powers]

...There's a small noise, like that of a strangled fart or burp.

Did we mention that he's fighting really hard not to fall over laughing? Well, five more seconds and he's still stifling giggles.

"Was she chasing off caravans before?"

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"Not yet. But she would have done, if she hadn't been thwarted in her vile ambitions!"

[basic_powers]

"When'd she start doing this stuff?"

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"A goodly while back," says the Mechanist; the mun can't find a time frame, alas. "It's only recently that her harassment's truly gone too far."

[basic_powers]

"What did she do?" He has a feeling he knows this story already but...let the guy keep talking, it gives him more time to figure out what to do about leaving.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"It was before I donned the mask of the Mechanist for the first time, during one of her raids against the good townspeople of Canterbury Commons," the Mechanist says. "She'd set her ants to undermining a building at the edge of town, and the first tower of bricks to crumble brought down a robot who'd never done any harm, only served the citizenry to the best of its ability..."

[basic_powers]

"Sir, if you'd stop with the speeches, I think I'll have an easier time understanding what happened." Moon Shadow says, in a patient even voice.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"Oh, very well," says the Mechanist almost petulantly. "She dropped a ceiling and part of a wall on my favorite robot and killed it when it was standing guard duty."

[basic_powers]

"Thank you, Mr. Mechanist." Tyler replies politely. "Before that was anyone else hurt?"

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"Nothing serious," says the Mechanist. "But it wouldn't have been long before somebody really did get hurt."

[basic_powers]

"Just enough to drive off the trade caravans then."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"Maybe," says the Mechanist. "I don't think I ever really noticed..."

[basic_powers]

"Someone mentioned that they hadn't been coming at all for a couple of weeks now," He does feel the need to mention this. "Part of why I'm here."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"Really? That's peculiar," says the Mechanist. "I do recall them coming on a fairly regular basis..."

[basic_powers]

"From what I've heard from Mr. Roe and some others, they were driven off by some of the fighting here."

No one likes to try selling goods in a place where explosions are a daily occurance.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"What, all of them?" says the Mechanist. "Even... all of them?"

[basic_powers]

"No merchant has come in for about fifteen days now." And Moon Shadow's kind of figuring that if the caravan riders came every two weeks, it's more likely that each trader would arrive on a different schedule. "And a different one would show up every few days was how I understood it."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"That's... not a good sign at all," says the Mechanist. "That's pretty much what this town depends on- apart from heroic protection, of course."

[basic_powers]

"Maybe if the fighting stopped taking place in the middle of town everyday, the caravans would come back."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

The Mechanist's bucket-helmet tilts forward a little; he's looking down at the workbench in front of him. "I... I never meant to hurt anyone in the town," he confesses. "Am I really that much of a danger to the people around me?"

[basic_powers]

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.

.

Whatever was going to happen to this guy, this wasn't anywhere near what Moon Shadow had in mind for happening. And if the Mechanist can see his little jaw opening and closing in a search for something to say that could actually help.

"...I...i..."

Imaginary talking Revenant, where is your advice for the poor child?

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"I've heard enough," says Ellen from behind Tyler.

The Mechanist's head comes up immediately as she deactivates her stealth field and shimmers into view, the headpiece still down. "Who are you? Was this some kind of trick?"

"Enough!" Ellen repeats. "Sir, Moon Shadow and I are on a tight schedule here. If you really love this town the way you say you do, you'll go to Uncle Roe's place tonight, as soon as the moon is up, and you'll apologize to him completely and unconditionally. I'm really, really tired of troublemakers who can't see that there's more than one way out of a bad situation!"

"But the AntAgonizer-"

"By the time you get to Uncle Roe tonight she won't be a problem any more," Ellen says. "We'll see to her ourselves. That way the town can go back to business and you can go back to a decent life doing what you do best. Do I make myself clear?"

Tyler has very probably never seen her this angry.

[basic_powers]

No sir he had not, and he is doing what wise little boys do and shutting his mouth. He has seen other women this angry, and experience has taught him well.

He also didn't know Ellen's suit did that.

"Ms. Night Ghost and I just want this all to end with as few tears and as many happy people as possible."

For what it's worth, he's good at thinking on his feet.