70 Undersiders.

The first step to getting started on a heist was assembling a crew.

And I was gonna have some fun doing it.

I pressed a button on my anti mind control earpiece, inputting a code with technokinesis before I asked.

"Computer. Scan Brockton Bay. Find Lisa Wilbourn."

Lisa Wilbourn. Or Sarah Livsey as she was born, was known in her villain identity, Tattletale.

She had a very unique thinker power.

Pericognition.

Tattletale's power is Sherlock Holmes on crack and an IV of Red Bull, hooked directly into a super alien brain with information about everything on the planet. The way that it works is that it cascades; the original information does need to be available or logically deducible, but once she gets information from that, and she can use that information to get even more, which she can use to get even more, etc. etc., theoretically ad infinitum.

In the story, she was the one who figured out the method to kill Endbringers and exactly how much force was needed to do that.

She was an invaluable resource in some ways when it came to information gathering. I would have to see if I can extract her brain and upgrade it into a multiversal search engine. It would undoubtedly be useful.

Sure I could just take her along as a living human but I am not ready to deal with snark and sarcasm all day long once she becomes comfortable around me.

Nah. Brain in a vat it is. I joked.

By the time I was done creating my perfect shard, I wouldn't need her power anyway.

"Scanning. Lisa Wilbourn found. Displaying coordinates."

"Yup." I said, "Here we go."

I said, absentmindedly taking a sip of mega seed juice, as I reached for.....what was I reaching for?

Right the portal gun!

I nodded, checking the portal fluid.

Nearly full tank.

Good. I was going to need it.

Typing in the coordinates, I portaled over to Brockton Bay, stepping right into sewage.

I looked down, and sighed.

Of course. The city was still flooded from the attack by Leviathan a couple days back.

Time to recruit the first two crewmates.

.

The boss hadn't contacted her in a while now, and with the death of the Simurgh, and that alien spaceship.....tinker spaceship, her power corrected, Lisa was beginning to worry about her future.

Things were getting increasingly chaotic. Faster than she had predicted.

She looked at the flooded hideout once more as she carried what remained of her belongings in a soggy cardboard box.

Another building had collapsed on them. And it was only going to get worse. She had scarcely any cash, most of her liquid assets washing away when Leviathan attacked, still buried deep under water, with a bunker's worth of debris over them.

She had more in the bank of course, but the banks were...closed, let's just say, and given the disaster zone this had become, the network was a bit spotty and too public for her liking. She wasn't going to access illegal bank accounts from public wifi. That was just asking for a trip to the Birdcage. And she knew what happened to the parahumans who went to the Biidcage. None ever came out. It was the most secure parahuman detainment facility in the world, if it even was on world, rather than trapped in some pocket dimesnion within a pocket dimension.

She looked at the other Undersiders, her team, her friends. Almost family. But not quite.

Maybe they could claim territory in the city? Become a proper gang?

It would solve the immediate cash flow issues.

"Hey, Lisa babe...um...mind lending me some cash?" Alec asked.

"No." She replied firmly, "I'm strapped for cash as is. And don't call me babe."

"Aw man. C'mon! I wanna get some donuts." He whined.

"We are criminals Alec. Just .... Ugh.

You can literally hijack people. Go mug someone if you want and take it from them. But not now. We need to focus on putting a roof over our heads first." Lisa replied.

"You guys can stay at my place for a while if you want." Taylor suggested.

"No. We can't put you at risk. And I'm sure we'll find somewhere uphill that's still standing." Lisa said.

"Dogs need food." Bitch added, "Store in Empire territory. Want to raid?"

Lisa shook her head.

"No. We can't start unnecessary fights. We need to lay low."

"And we still need money for that." Brian said, "We can't go on like this. We need a job. Hasn't boss contacted you yet?"

"No." She replied, "But I'll find a way to make some money. Once we find shelter for the night."

"Maybe I can help with that." A voice came from behind them as a man in a labcoat walked out from the shadows, faint music playing with each step.

They all tensed up, as their eyes followed him carefully.

"Is that....the heist theme from Ocean's Eleven?" Alec muttered, confused.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Lisa asked.

"No one yet. But the question isn't what I want. It's what I can do for you." He said, circling them, hands behind his back.

"Oh boy. It's another jackass. Let me guess, you just triggered and now you have a power so feel you are a tough customer, like you can take on the world. And with that mystery man routine you've got going there you think you're being real slick, trying to force us into some sort of gang or something? In your dreams pal."

"Hey! I thought the mystery man routine was pretty cool! I even practiced in front of a mirror." The man replied, shaking his fist.

"Well it's not. It's like a high school drama kid who's too into it but doesn't know why the keeps getting roles like tree or wall clock in plays!" Alex cut into the stranger.

"Ackh!" The man pretended to double over, clutching his chest exaggeratedly, "You wound me!"

"Alec, stop pushing the stranger's buttons. And you, mister. Stop clowning around. You had a job for us?" Brian intervened.

"Oh right." The stranger leapt from the ground, dusting his coat, as he looked quizzically at them.

"What? Not going to ask for introductions? Mommy didn't teach you stranger danger?"

"She asked. You didn't answer. Figured you didn't want to, so I didn't pry." Brian replied, frustrated.

Lisa watched as her power filled in the details.

The man was acting this way, purposefully. For amusement.

She sighed. Another day, another psycho.

"Oh, she did, didn't she? But I think she can figure it out herself. Can't you, Sarah?" The stranger said.

A chill ran down her spine as she backed away from him.

"Did my parents send you?" She asked.

The man snorted.

"Your parents couldn't hire me if they sold their souls."

Derisive. Desires no money?

No. Has more money. Far more money. Doesn't need scraps.

How rich?

Very. Very. Very.

Lisa's power shorted out at the number.

Then it rebounded with one word.

Galactic.

And it was on again.

Suddenly the pieces began to fall into place in her mind.

"You're the alien?!" Lisa asked, shocked.

"Bingo! That's the power I was looking for." The man said, gleefully.

"He's the guy with massive ship?!" Brian gawked.

"Yup. And ease up, will you?

I killed the Simurgh for breakfast.

If I wanted you dead, you wouldn't stand a chance.

And yes, I need a crew, for a job.

Well actually, need is a strong word. I can turn a blackhole into a sun. I have created a whole universe with sentient life in a fish tank. I don't need shit.

But, I do want a crew." The man said.

Brian looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

And she shook her head.

"He's not lying. Not one bit." She replied.

"Why would I?" The man said, nonchalant.

"That's not possible. Even the best tinkers can't, even Dragon...." Taylor said, finally.

"Yeah. No." The man wagged a finger. "Your tinkers can't. What's the highest a tinker's gotten in your little cluster? A tinker 15, a couple realities that way, if I remember right. I think he built a tower that ate away his earth's atmosphere."

He paused for a moment to let that sink in.

This was planned. He had planned the whole thing.

AI?

Very likely.

Her power replied.

"I am not that kind of a tinker." The man continued.

"On your scales of power, I would be somewhere around....a tinker 40 or so."

Their jaws all but dropped, and she could feel herself dry swallow.

Tinker 40.

And he wasn't lying. Her power assured her of that. Thrice.

"Ohohoho!" The man laughed, holding his stomach.

"Those are some good reactions. I like that!"

He clapped his hands, breaking them out of their stupor.

"Well then, introductions are in order!" He said, handing a calling card to Lisa.

"Jay Walker. Inventor. Artist. Former senator. Ocassional hero and freedom fighter. Part time genius, full time Multiverse traveler. Nice to meetcha!"

"You are kidding me?" Brian asked in disbelief.

"He's not." Lisa interjected, flipping the card over. "You're being awfully open about it though."

"Well, given your power, it was only a matter of time till you figured it out. Then you'd probably try to steal my tech. And you'd fail. And I will have to kill you to keep your mouth shut. So let's just save ourselves the trouble and don't?" He shrugged.

He knew about her power. Of course he did.

Why wouldn't he? The others might have had trouble wrapping their heads around what a tinker 40 really meant but she knew.

Her power didn't allow her to not know.

"So, you guys up for a job?" He asked.

"A heist?" Lisa asked.

"Yes. And no. You guys will not take part in the heist itself. But you will provide some crucial support. And I say that with a good reason-"

"You're planning on stealing Dragon's tech. And more." Lisa finished for him.

"Damn!" He exclaimed, "You really are as good as I thought!

And don't use your power on that sentence unless you want an existential crisis in the middle of the day."

This time, she obeyed. Because her power told her.

He was right.

Horrifyingly right.

Even as she tried to scratch at what he meant by his words, deep dread filled her, and she found herself unable to use her power.

She paled, focusing harder until a thinker headache set in, her power itself rejecting the answer it had obtained.

Lisa shook her head, and looked back at the others, only to find them staring at her.

"Lisa? Are you okay?" Taylor leaned over her, and asked.

"Yes. Yeah. I'm ...ahem ..fine." Lisa replied.

"Told you." The man, Jay, said.

"You did." Lisa admitted.

"So you want us to help you steal tech from Dragon? That's crazy! We'll end up in the Birdcage for this." Brian asked.

"No. You won't. I will do the stealing. I just need a couple of you to run support. And help recruit some other crew members." Jay answered, "And if this goes right, Dragon will never even know what hit her. Of course, there's rewards for you too. I intend to make offers you can't refuse." The man smiled, turning to Brian.

"I can help you get custody of your little sister, and get a new identity, away from your family.

As for you, Lisa, I can free you from your boss, Coil.

For Alec, I can kill his father.

For Bitch, I can make her dogs immortal.

And for Taylor?

I can save Dinah Alcott. Help you undo the wrongs of the past.

And that's aside from the one million I'm willing to pay you, of course. One million dollars each. Appropriate pay for the job of robbing the best tinker in the world, wouldn't you agree?"

Already he was promising them the world and the worst part of it was...that he wasn't lying. At all.

Lisa got the feeling that she had already bitten off more than she could chew. And something told her it was only downhill from here.

"So, what do you say?" Jay asked.

And Brian answered for them.

"You son of a bitch. I'm in!"

.

I looked at the kids before me, considering the offer.

"You'll pay me to sit around? I don't believe that." Bitch was the first to ask.

She was right to be distrustful. Golden apples don't just fall out of the sky like this.

But really, this once, I wasn't lying.

"Yup. Your power is turning your dogs into monsters. You'll stick out like a sore thumb.

This is a mission that requires stealth and cunning. Not to insult you, but you possess neither."

She grunted in agreement, satisfied.

She was simple like that ever since her power fried her brain to the point that she can only think like a dog.

It was as tragic a backstory as any. Orphan girl, foster home, abusive matron, and a dead dog.

And she triggered into someone who could protect the dog she had failed before. By making him into a 6 foot monstrosity.

But I sympathized with her, if only out of sheer hatred for the matron character who killed her puppy.

That was a step too far, even for me.

"But I know your teammates won't just agree to the job without all of you included, so there. Consider it a convenience fee. Same for you Alec. I don't need bodies hijacked. I want to end this with the least amount of violence necessary."

"Hey man, I'm not looking the gift horse in the mouth. For a million bucks I'll sit upside down on the edge of the roof if you want." Alec shrugged.

"But there's no need to kill my father. I'll do it myself."

Alec Vasil. Son of the villain Heartbreaker who had genuine mind control powers that made anyone and everyone fall hopelessly in love with him. Alec was tortured by his father, pushed into insanity out of fear of losing control of himself until he triggered with the power to control people like puppets.

I smiled.

"As fun as it would be to make you do that, I'll pass. Any more questions?"

"About my sister, can she get a new identity too, if she wants?" Brian asked.

Brian Laborn. The villain Grue.

He was the second crew mate I wanted to recruit.

His backstory was fairly simple.

His family was dysfunctional, he and his sister having been abused by his mother's boyfriend. In fact that was how he had triggered first, desiring power to hide his sister away from their abuser.

And so he triggered with the power to generate clouds of smoke-like darkness that erase all light and mutes sounds, hiding those within.

It also interferes with microwaves, radio frequencies, radiation, and even disabling some shapeshifting and state shifting powers.

He once stopped a hero who could phase through solid matter and trapped her in his darkness.

A good choice for what I planned to do next.

"Sure." I replied.

"You really don't want me coming with you guys?" Taylor interjected, "I feel bad just taking the money for nothing."

I was almost compelled to scream 'No!' right then and there.

Bring the fucking queen of escalation, suburban warlord and future slayer of Alexandria on a delicate mission? Hell no!

I had read the story. I am no idiot.

No way was I taking miss main character anywhere near my targets. I wouldn't have even come here if my A.I. hadn't failed to find out the Dragonslayers' hiding spot.

"No need. Just sit tight and let me do the job. And hey, maybe, you can take a break from this life. Go home, spend some time with your dad. He'll appreciate it." I advised.

"Okay, nurse Jackie. If I wanted shitty counseling, I'd go back to school. It's still creepy how much you know about us." Taylor replied, rolling her eyes.

"Ooh, that's a good one. I'll have to remember that. And as for how I know?

My A.I. did a deep scan of the whole planet. I know just about everything about everybody." I said.

"Doesn't make it any better." Taylor rebutted.

"You don't want your one mil?" I teased.

"No. No." Taylor raised her hands, "I'll go. Thanks for the money, I guess?"

"Yeah. Shoo. We got work to do now." I smiled, waving her off.

With her gone I let out a sigh of relief.

"You're really tense about her." Lisa commented.

"Don't ask." I replied, "Just find the Dragonslayers."

"You didn't find them in your deep scan?" She asked.

"No. They have excellent defenses against A.I. Now I could build a better A.I. or try several other methids but I'm on a time crunch here. Besides, why would I be here if I had already found them?" I replied, handing her my transceiver so she could use my private internet proxy to look for them.

"Well, I can't find them either if they're settled down." She said, after a few minutes of searching, her shoulders slumping in defeat.

"I see." I said, "Then we just have to unsettle them, don't we?"

"How are you going to do that?" She asked.

"Leave that to me. Just be ready when we do." I told her.

"Brian, suit up. Let's go and recruit our final heist mate."

"Sure. But where?" He asked, unbuttoning his shirt to reveal his eighties heavy metal jacket villain costume, as he put on his skull mask.

I tracked a convoy on my contacts as I replied.

"Providence, Rhode Island, apparently." I replied.

"You're not saying what I think you're saying, right?" Lisa asked, as Brian realized it too.

"Yup. Let's break out some prisoners!"

.

[A/N : I know some of you haven't read worm.and are confused about what the power classifications are, like thinker, tinker, etc. I will explain it in a future chapter when MC confronts Scion. Till then I will try to explain just the powers instead of giving out power levels.

Thanks for reading.

Next chapter at either 900k views or 500 powerstones or at night as the regular chapter.

Till then, see ya! :-)]

[P.S. : Here you go!

Power Classifications and the accompanying number ratings are used by the PRT to quickly identify parahuman threats and strategize accordingly, although the system is used in non-American countries as well, including capes in India. Each classification is matched with a number indicating severity, where higher numbers mean a greater threat to public safety.

In theory, power classifications are only intended to rate the threat posed by the power itself, and not the user's own skill or any other factors.

Power classifications are also not intended to rate the "power levels", usefulness, or raw strength of an ability; only measuring the threat the power poses to PRT personnel and civilians.

There are twelve classifications.

Indicated in the paragraph comment here.