Ignition

Examining Noelle's power was strange. It didn't feel like any power I had studied before. I always knew I wasn't seeing all of a power when I studied it, but I never knew just how much I was missing. I'm almost certain that there was even more that I still couldn't see.

Her power was constantly active, even when she wasn't doing anything. I could see it animating the heads and limbs covering her lower body, and I could just about make out how the power was looped back into her database somehow.

From what I could tell, the power had a database of things it had absorbed. There was a part of the power missing, probably related to the other guy's power that her power was supposed to link to, but when that part went missing, it linked into its databases and started pulling information directly.

When the door opened next to me, I turned to examine the Traveller whose name I still didn't know. We greeted each other, I asked for permission to examin him, and put my hand on his shoulder.

Examining his power was strange, because I knew that there were parts of it that were missing. There had to be connection points that would allow it to fit into Noelle's power, but I couldn't see them, they just weren't active. My power lab worked by letting me follow the effects of powers back into the power, eventually building up to an understanding of everything involved in the power.

I could manually search beyond that, as I did to scan the databases of powers, and I could use my knowledge of powers to target parts of the power, but without that I couldn't map it out.

But Noelle's power wasn't working properly, and that showed me something I hadn't seen before.

It's kind of like seeing a car and then seeing one with all the body panels taken out. I used to be able to see that when you turned the steering wheel, the wheels moved, or if you pushed down on the accelerator, the car would go faster, but with the body panels off, I could see how it was connected, I could examine the motors. There were still parts that were missing, but I had enough information to peel back more, and learn more.

And that's what I did. My new insight guided me, I searched the darkness that hid more of the unknown Traveller's power, looking for the linkups that I was previously missing. It took me a while, but I was eventually able to find something. Power Lab took in more information, feeding me information and expanding my knowledge. Every power I had access to was being analysed.

I was starting to get a sense of the mechanics of the powers, and I was starting to see what I needed to do. A few of the powers I had access to were actually quite similar to the powers of the Travellers. With my new understanding of powers, I could see that Triumph, Battery and Gallant's powers all showed signs of coming from Vials. I was starting to suspect that the PRT might actually be responsible for those vials.

Maybe they figured out how to make parahumans somehow, and they weren't telling anyone. I don't know why though. Maybe there's something I'm missing?

I could tell that the vial powers were different, they seemed more… modular? Kind of like my powers, where there were different things working together. The other powers seemed more like one finished thing. Yes, there were parts, but it seemed more like one thing with parts and less like someone had put together different things that fit together.

I began playing with my carbon rod again.

"I think I'm going to have to immobilise her, please, everyone, come here. Trickster, would you please prepare something to switch me out with if she breaks free?"

They nodded, and Trickster quickly headed over to somewhere they had stashed a few rolled-up rugs that they apparently used for their own purposes.

As I floated over, I lashed out with my power and froze her lower body in place, turning not only my biokinetics but my telekinetic abilities to stop her from lashing out. And then I touched her.

At this point, it was mainly for show, I already knew what was going on, but I still needed to hide the fact I could mess with biology at range from others.

I hopped back over to the gantry and nodded to the others, "I'm going to have to ask you to keep this a secret for now, but I believe I can do something for her."

"What do you mean?" Trickster asked.

I looked at Noelle, "I'll have to discuss this with some people, but I believe that there might be a way for me to fix this situation."

I'd have to reveal my ability to mess with powers. Hell, I'd have to create powers specifically for messing with other powers. Using what I know about powers, I could probably get away with a fifth-tier power to make a basic system that would allow me to alter powers… maybe? The power wasn't being processed normally by my Evaluator so I think I need to work on that. I'd have to figure out a few things, but sixteen charges wasn't cheap. Plus, I'd need… two? Two more charges to make something to fill in for the part of the power that had been given to the other guy. It wouldn't be the same thing, but it would be enough to fill in for that power?

I'd have to think about it some more. I could tell that there was something about the powers that would let me fix them - maybe an intervening configuration layer? I know I can't change powers, I've tried in the past, but Vial powers felt a little like mine, with distinct parts, more like they had multiple powers working together as opposed to a single power.

I think I could work with that?

Other cape powers were different, but I think I can do something about that too. I'll have to think about it. I'd have to study them more, but I think I might be able to figure out something. If I was investing in powers that let me work on other powers, I was going to do it right. Those powers weren't cheap, and I'm not wasting charges on powers that can't be used half the time.

I took a moment to ponder over Vista's power…

"Yes, I'll have to consider my findings and get back to you in a little while. Would you be interested in a consultation on Thursday? Perhaps at four PM?" I had an empty slot last period on Thursday, so I should be able to get home early and head off. "I'll be able to handle your case before my existing appointments."

Internally, I started examining Shadow Stalker's powers. There were two very separate sections of that power, interlinked. But it all seemed like one final product. I should be able to see the bits that are connected to each other.

After confirming my appointment, I disappeared into the night, vanishing into a system of storm drains under the city until I was able to get home.

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Powers were strange.

I finally managed to figure out where the connections were in Shadow Stalker's power, but I could already tell that there was a lot more that I wasn't seeing. I was starting to see more in The Tinker powers too.

On the plus side, I figured out where I went wrong in making my Tinker power, so I think I've figured out how to fix that problem.

On the downside, I don't think I can change normal powers.

Non-vial powers felt more like my thinker power. My Mental Lanes had distinct components that all worked together, but I couldn't touch them. I couldn't even make powers that could.

Vial powers had distinct parts, it seemed like they had different powers shoved together. Something about that must have meant that Noelle got only got the powers without the last part that the other guy drank.

Her configuration was more or less a single power, I couldn't tear it apart, even if she was a Vial cape, but it was incomplete and I could find the edges.

And more importantly, I could find the connection points.

I couldn't actually change her powers, but I could connect it to other powers. It turns out, that I could create powers that would let me… reconfigure powers, tweak them a little, and I could use that to link them to other powers using those connection points.

I actually figured that out by studying Noelle's power. Hers actually did something similar when it made copies of other capes. It linked the clones to that other person's power with some changes to that link.

I would have to give up… basically, only one charge to make a simple power that would let me stabilise Noelle's power, though I would be spending… roughly four charges? To make the powers that would let me do a basic reconfiguration of another cape's power and link it to other powers. Anything more than that, anything more than some simple editing would make it so that the power cost jumped, horrendously. Actually changing anything important about a target power was a sixth level power, things like editing Manton limits, or making powers more controllable.

Technically, that would be enough to fix Noelle's power, or at least make it so that she didn't end up stuck as a giant flesh monster, but the weaker power would do a better job, and honestly, I wasn't really too interested in that sort of power. It might be useful, but right now, it wasn't worth it.

It might be interesting in the future though. So I might make sure to put aside some charges to figure that power out, but I think I have a plan of attack.

That is if I actually do this.

I talked about this with mom and Jenny, and I still wasn't sure that I wanted to reveal to the Travellers that I could mess with powers. I could just tell them that I had tried to figure it out, but I was mistaken. That my powers couldn't explain how hers worked and how I thought that I might have been able to copy the other guys powers to stabilise hers.

But, having six capes that liked me sounded pretty cool. If they worked for me, I would have a proper super team.

I'd actually have more capes on my side than one of the gangs too! Two if I counted the undersiders. And New Wave!

I kinda wish I put off making my power granting power. I could have made it so that, instead of just automatically revoking a power when they broke the agreement, I had a power that would let me know when someone broke an agreement with me, and I could have used the freed up charge to do something else, like letting me grant people who already had powers other powers… or I could have done something like making anyone who I gave powers to a Target, or something.

I fell back into bed. Damn it. That would have been a way better power. I mean, the targets thing would have been awesome!

I took stock of my charges, thirty-three, and growing pretty fast. Faster than most days at least.

I could make a power like that, I could even make a new power granter. But then I would be wasting those two charges I used to make the first power granting power.

It's not like I would ever want to give that power to anyone else… and I'm not even sure if I could. The power worked because it was my own powers I was handing out, and that was important somehow.

Though, I guess it would be nice to have other people to talk to about power stuff. I mean, Amy is nice, but she doesn't know everything about my power. I'd basically have to reveal that I was a trump. It's not my biggest secret, but it would be enough to actually talk about my powers with people. People who have been capes for a while too.

They fought quite well, back against the merchants.

Getting some other capes to help me practice how to fight would be nice. I didn't really know how to deal with that other Merchant, honestly I hadn't really thought of how to deal with most Brutes. I mean, if they were human enough, I could stun them with my biokinetic abilities, but I still wanted to keep that a secret and I wouldn't know what to do against any brute that was sufficiently inhuman that wasn't murder.

I… didn't want to do that just yet.

I spun the carbon rod between my fingers as I stared at the ceiling.

Jenny had been all for the idea when we discussed things. Given everything, Noelle was not in the best shape, and as far as we could tell, if she got worse she would be pretty dangerous.

I mean, her power was arguably worse than the Fairy Queen's. I mean, sure she didn't kill people, but rather than just getting one projection with a Cape's powers, she could keep spitting out more and more clones just as powerful as the original cape for basically as long as she had access to the the original.

And with the impact her power was having on her brain, it would only be so long before the dismophia, psychoactive hormones and multiple interlinked brains drove her insane.

Mom, on the other hand didn't want me to risk myself. My real powers was the sort of thing that would easily make it worth it for the Empire even the more dangerous parts of the Elite to come after me.

Jenny was wondering if I could hide my actual powers and say that i fixed it some other way. Maybe that I had managed to figure out why her powers went wrong and fixed her that way.

The only problem with that plan is that we knew why her power went wrong, she only got part of a power. The rest was in the other guy. Anything that actually worked would reveal myself as able to manipulate powers.

That said, it might not be the worst thing in the world if that leaks.

I had looked up other 'monster capes' on my flight back from the warehouse as I considered her problem. There were a few people who were permanently changed by their powers, like Crawler. Those seemed to be normal powers, but there were also a lot of people that were different.

But I also ffound what the PRT called Case 53s. These people didn't have memories from before they had powers, they were also marked with a strange symbol, one that the Travellers were able to recognise when I showed it to them before I left.

If I could fix Noelle, I could probably fix Case 53s. There were even a bunch of them nearby - Faultline was a leader of a mercenary group that had a bunch of Case 53s.

Letting it get out there that I could cure Case 53s would probably make me really important to a lot of very powerful capes. A lot of Case 53s were quite powerful capes, and they were all over the place. I'm not sure I could heal them, but I'm fairly certain I can at least make things better, even without investing way too many charges into that more powerful power configurer.

Actually… If I'm considering that…

Summoned a piece of paper and reconfigured the tip of my carbon rod back into the graphite it was originally made from as I began to start sketching out a new layout for the power configurator.

Studying Noelle's power was really important, since it was the first power I had seen that I could really call a Trump power. I still hadn't managed to find Othala, but Noelle had clued me in on something that I wish I had known about when I made mom and Jenny's powers.

A person didn't necessarily need to have powers to use them.

I had almost realised it when I was thinking of giving powers to items like Dauntless, but it didn't need to end there. Instead of giving someone a power, or trying to make a temporary copy of a power for someone to use, I could instead, set up a link to that person so that they could access my powers, or the powers I gave to someone else.

With Targets on them as channels for Projector, It didn't even change all that much. Sure, having more people using a power together would mean that the energy generation would become even more of a bottleneck, but I had also gotten another idea.

Assault's power was interesting, because instead of making a lot of energy, he absorbed it. With a shared power, people could be absorbing power, adding it into the system while other people sent that power out.

Sure, I would probably have to set up specific reserves for stuff like kinetic energy and light, but that just made the reserves way more efficient than the generic reserves.

I could mark dozens of people and not have to spend a single extra charge.

That said, I still wanted to find Othalla before I made that power. Hers must be similar, and if I could study that I bet I could make the system better.

From what I could tell, studying Noelle's power was that there was actually a biological component to powers, the Corona Pollentia and Gemma. I was weird in that I didn't have those parts, or at least, not that I could tell, while most other capes had it.

Noelle's powers basically relied on the fact that since she was copying those parts from the original cape, the connection process was much easier.

It was… kind of like connecting a computer to a server. There was all the parts already there, and you just did the right commands. I didn't know all the commands, but I think I know the part of Noelle's power that has those codes in them.

Now, with my own powers, I don't think it will be an issue, but I wanted to learn more about that. I think that with the right commands, I might be able to bring down the cost of that reconfiguration power and turn it into something worth the price tag.

But I'd have to find more Trumps that could modify powers somehow. Those were actually pretty rare. I still hadn't managed to crack the encryption the PRT used on their files, despite studying their Console for weeks now, but I think I'm getting close. Unfortunately, I didn't dare try to actively hack the system, since I sure that unlike the public internet, they are probably tracking communications and data access properly.

Still PHo was helpful. There were a few capes that might be useful, even if the ones that were the most interesting were all in the Birdcage.

Citrine worked for Accord, and was able to create zones that effected other powers. Hatchetface could nullify other powers. The Butcher was able to bring the powers of previous hosts to a new host. Upperhand was a bit of a maybe. He could copy powers sort of, but it was still using the same base power - some sort of gravity thing.

Still, that was something to decide after the Noelle situation.