12 Hopebringer

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works; all other characters and worlds belong to their respective owners. I'm just playing with them.

Betad by Beans Malcolm Tent, Mike God of Lore, Priapus, Old man of the mountain

The Guild of Gamers: The Gambler

Chapter 11: Hopebringer

– Rebecca Costa-Brown (Alexandria) –

If there was ever proof of how important Sett was, Canberra was it. The Simurgh was driven away without a single casualty, no quarantine zone, and the Hopekiller was more injured than they'd ever seen before.

All because of Sett.

His Gates allowed them to gather their forces so much faster; his weapon dealt the blow that caused the Simurgh to flee beyond the moon in fear. The nickname 'the Hopebringer' was being thrown around; Sett was already world-famous for this.

She ignored how much Eidolon seemed upset that someone else was getting all the renown from this battle.

"So, did you get any more powers from attending?" Rebecca asked, making the man of the hour perk up with a wide grin.

"Yup, and I got a good one. I got eight new rolls, and some of them are kinda useless, but some are amazing," Sett explained happily. She'd noticed he called his power growing 'rolls' for some reason, but he was acutely connected to his power and had a very good understanding of it.

"Useless?" Rebecca asked, making Sett chuckle as he shifted. His body changed, muscles fading as his chest grew. Sett's features shifted, the handsome devil replaced with a seductive demoness, large breasts, and full lips. His sleeveless top struggled to restrain his new breasts, which he poked curiously.

"All it does is shift my form to what I'd look like as a girl," Sett explained, his voice sultry and exotic. "I also got the ability to sense the nearest penguin, a hot spring and a desolate wasteland in a pocket dimension. Cool, but not massively useful."

"I see," Rebecca said, a frown on her face. His power just made a pocket dimension… and a hot spring? "And the useful ones?"

"You know how I get tired casting my Salvation? Yeah, I don't anymore. I'm Mana Incarnate; I can overpower my spells and never run out of mana. I also have a Tinker power for repairing and the ability to find anyone, anywhere, as long as I know their names or faces," Sett said cheerfully before frowning.

"What's wrong?" Rebecca asked. That last one might raise concerns on Sett's interaction with the unwritten rules if it became widely known. "And I suggest you keep that last power under wraps, it's a spit to the face of the Unwritten Rules."

"Oh, my curse is making me tell you more than I wanted to," Sett said, blinking and facepalming.

"Curse?" Rebecca prompted, making him roll his eyes as his body shifted back.

"When I roll, there's a small chance it'll give me a curse instead—something bad, like my increased lust and greed. One of them is the Curse of Honesty, so I can't outright lie anymore—not that I lie much anyway," Sett said, shrugging. "It's not that bad; when I get a curse, my power gives me a set of objectives to complete to turn the curse into a perk, that's a passive power," Sett admitted. "I'm working on it, and I got a new perk to help with curses."

His power could 'roll' negative traits? The more she saw his power in action, the more convinced she was that something was very different about him and his source of power. Scion didn't recognise it, and the only vial that was missing was supposed to be Eden's version of Lung's Escalation. Where were all these extra powers coming from?

Her theory? Sett had already triggered before Contessa fed him the vial to remove his memories. Triggered how? She didn't know. Could there be another entity involved? A terrifying concept, but Contessa's path was convinced Sett would save the world. 

They'd put so much hope on the Path so far; they couldn't stop now.

"Hm, your power is certainly unique," Rebecca agreed. "So, do you require assistance with your 'curses'? I think it's in the PRT's best interests to make sure you don't have them hanging over your head, lust and greed, you said?" 

"The lust is a minor curse; it just makes me horny more often. Greed is a major curse, and it makes it very hard for me to do things without being rewarded for my efforts," Sett admitted. "Most of the objectives are just about becoming rich and having servants. Obviously, the Lust ones are related to sex. I'm almost done."

"Enlighten me, what else do you have to do?" Rebecca asked, taking advantage of his inability to lie. She couldn't have the silver bullet riddled with curses, especially not if they kept adding up. Sett was very reasonable, and she didn't need his power ruining that.

Still, many people had their personalities altered by their powers. Sett simply had the opportunity to fix it. Was he drawing the personality drawbacks from the same place that other people's personality changes came from?

"I need to have sex with one more Cape, have sex fourteen more times, sleep with a pair of sisters and sleep with a mother-daughter pair," Sett admitted, looking embarrassed as she chuckled. 

"Your power is certainly odd," Rebecca said, making him shrug. "Would you like me to arrange for a liaison to help with that?"

Sett blinked, but she just stared back. She needed Sett to keep growing; his power growth was only going to help the PRT, and she wanted to see what else he would get. Contessa wanted him to grow, and arranging for a pair of Cape sisters or a mother-daughter pair to sleep with Sett shouldn't be too hard.

She knew a pair of villainous sisters in Ohio looking at potentially being Birdcaged the next time they were captured; if she grabbed them, she was sure they could be convinced to earn a less severe sentence on their backs. Hell, this city had a pair of neo-nazi giantess twins, and Elastigirl and her daughter, but that might be harder to pull off.

"Maybe, but I think I've got this handled for now," Sett finally said, making her nod easily.

"As for wealth, that I can certainly help with. Have you considered using your gate power to set up a transport hub? Even if you charge a small amount for using it, a teleportation network would become a massive source of income for you," Rebecca suggested, making him nod. "Leviathan caused sea-based transport to skyrocket in price, after all. Air freight is far more expensive, so any intercontinental transport is extremely expensive in our current world.

"I thought about it, but isn't there some law in place to stop capes from monopolising industries?" Sett asked, making her nod.

"NEPEA-5, but that won't be a problem. How about this: the PRT will handle everything except you setting up the portals, you won't have to deal with the actual logistical or economical side of things, and we'll take care of the security as well, in exchange for a small piece of the profits to cover our costs and for you to set up a secondary teleportation nexus, connecting the various PRT headquarters. Once set up, beyond occasionally needing to open a new portal, it will be a regular source of passive income for you," Rebecca suggested, already planning it out in her head. "It would help fix an issue the Endbringers have caused, ensure the PRT remains in a position of power, supply much-needed funding, and make you very rich."

She needed Sett to keep growing stronger and stay with the PRT, where she could influence him. This would tie him to them nicely, showing him how useful her knowledge and connections could be as they easily sidestepped NEPEA-5. If Contessa was right, he was the solution to their ultimate problem. For that, she'd do more than just arrange some one-night stands and set up a money-making business for him.

"That sounds great," Sett beamed. "What do I need to do?"

"Nothing. I will discuss the rest with Brandish since she has made it clear she is your attorney, and we can look at the figures when a contract is ready. You just focus on your time in the Wards; you can leave the rest to me," Rebecca said with a smile under her mask, patting him on the shoulder. 

Now, he said he needed servants. What counted? If she hired him a full-time maid, would that count as him getting a servant? It was something to think about later; for now, she had work to do.

– Sett –

I'm a little annoyed that she used my curse to get more information, but if it helps me solve the curses, then maybe it is a good thing. The fact is, I do actually trust that she is being honest for one simple reason.

Feat Achieved: Get Alexandria as an Ally, Two Rolls Granted.

She genuinely plans to help me because my system wouldn't lie to me. She obviously wants me to continue growing stronger, which makes sense, given the state of the world. The Simurgh will be back, and she has two big friends, and villains are running rampant. If my growth helps the PRT get the world back into some semblance of order, then why wouldn't she want to see how far I can go?

Rolling. Result: Uncommon Perk. Minor Curse (Coin Flip Won, Turned into a Junk Power)

[Free from Sustenance] - Uncommon

You no longer need to eat or drink to survive.

But I like eating, my food is amazing. Eh, better to have it and not need it and all that.

[Flatulence Control] - Junk Power

You can control the intensity and volume of your farts, able to make the most disgusting-smelling fart as silent as the grave at will or ear-deafeningly loud farts on command.

Heh. Hey, my new perk came in useful straight away. Don't mind if I do.

"Sett, you're okay!" Emma says, crashing into me as I smile and return her hug. "We've been following the posts. What were you thinking, playing bait for the Simurgh?"

"I know, but not a single person died, and the Simurgh ran away with her tail between her legs, so it was worth it," I say, hugging her tightly and placing a kiss on her forehead. 

"Chill out, Emma. Sett kicked ass, showed the world who was boss and sent the Simurgh running. Our man kicked ass, took names and had one hell of an international debut," Sophia scoffs, giving me a respectful nod. Despite her words, I can see that she physically relaxes at the sight of me.

The other Wards rush me, asking questions and praising me as I smile. I was the big damn hero, and it felt pretty good. I also get to meet Incrediboy (or Dash as he prefers) and Aegis, so I think I've met all the Brockton Bay Wards except for Dash's sister, Violet, now.

"Honestly, Armsmaster did more than me. It might have been my gun, but I sure as fuck couldn't have made that shot," I admit. The man might be a bit awkward, but damn is he good at his job. "Speaking of, has anyone seen him? I need to talk to him."

"He got back earlier; I think he's in his lab again," Kid Win replies.

"Thanks, Kid," I say, giving Emma one last kiss to calm her down. "I'll be back soon; I'll tell you more about the fight afterwards," I promise, smiling.

– Colin Wallis (Armsmaster) –

"Another one, already?" Colin asked, making Sett nod easily.

"Turns out that Endbringer fights are a good way to get my power to grow. I got another Tinker power, and I still don't have the time to focus on it. Plus, this one is definitely meant to work alongside other Tinker powers. The specialisation is called 'Repair'. It gives you the ability to easily repair, maintain, and know how to use any Tinkertech. Any tech you maintain should keep working for far longer as well, which made me think of you. Kid said you spend a lot of time working on your gear," Sett explained happily, Colin's eyes widening at Sett's explanation. "We were both the MVPs of the Simurgh fight so it's only fair we both get to share the rewards."

"That does sound like a power that synergies very well with mine. My miniaturisation speciality is very varied, but the more things I put into one item the more often it requires maintenance. My halberd is the biggest offender, needing maintenance after every fight," Colin admitted, giving Sett a genuine smile. "Are you sure?"

He really wanted this power, but he was also well aware that Alexandria hoped to use Sett to spread powers out to other capes. 

"I am. Maybe someone else will get it eventually, but it is doing no good, stuck with me. I don't have any tech to maintain, so you might as well have it for now," Sett explained, making him nod. That was an extremely logical decision. "So, are you ready?"

"Of course, my thanks, Sett," Colin said, watching Sett reach out and touch his chest again. 

"You're welcome, Armsmaster. Cool name, by the way," Sett praised, making him smile slightly.

"I got in early before all the good names were taken. But you can call me Colin when we are alone," Colin offered, giving Sett a genuine smile as Sett smiled back. 

Sett excused himself, and Colin watched the newest star leave with a satisfied smile. Sett had been active online, and he'd made sure to credit him for actually landing such a difficult shot on the Simurgh. Sett cared little for fame, sharing the renown he got with those around him.

Looking around his lab, his mind raced with ideas. Already, he could see ways to make the maintenance cycle infinitely more efficient. Looking over his Halberd, he frowned as he saw places where he had been inefficient in its design and ways he could improve it to cut repair time down to less than half of what it was currently.

Every piece he looked at told him the same: how inefficient he had been. Between his ideas to augment himself to remove the need for sleep and this, he would have so much more time to focus on his tinkering.

"Sett is certainly a unique one, isn't he?" Dragon said, the screen turning on as Colin nodded easily. "Not many would share power so freely. It's admirable."

"Indeed, he is a fine addition to the Wards. I'm looking forward to seeing how far he will go," Colin agreed, smiling to himself as he got to work. His hitherto-waning star was on the rise once more; Sett had given him a wonderful gift… if only Dragon and Piggot weren't so determined to prevent him from improving himself, life might just be perfect.

Ah well, Alexandria had already mentioned speaking with the Chief Director about the possibility of making a squad of Augmented PRT troopers; it was only a matter of time before he proved that his tech was reliable enough for them to let him augment himself.

Sett was rapidly becoming a household name, but he was taking those close to him up there with him. 

– Sett –

After spending some more time with the Wards, the others went to bed, and I've been left with time to kill. So I got to work; it turns out being the star of an Endbringer attack can get you a lot, so when I requested the PRT get me a large amount of high-quality marble, Alexandria just had it delivered within the day (with the help of a Gate).

With [God of Crafting] buffing my crafting, my hands blur as I make my masterpiece. I've had the blueprints for Healing Spires for a while but never had the time or resources to make one. We didn't need it this time, but things might not be so simple at the next Endbringer attack or just the next major villain fight.

I can't be everywhere, even with Gate, but if some prep work can save lives, it is worth spending a few hours carving some Spires. This is just the start; joining the PRT has already paid off considerably.

"An interesting design, but I take it you haven't decided to take up sculpting for fun," Alexandria says, making me grin as I look over the three spires I have prepared.

"Nope, watch this," I say, focusing as I call upon my Light. Infusing each pillar, the carved indentations start to glow with a soft golden light as I imbue my power into them. "This is something I learnt how to make from the same Tome that gave me Salvation. These pillars are called Healing Spires and they do something similar to Salvation. When someone is injured near one, it will heal that person and grant them the same small boost of endurance that Salvation does. I don't think it'll heal quite as much as Salvation, and it is certainly slower, but I can't be everywhere."

Her breath hitches as she realises I'm serious.

"How many can you make?" Alexandria asks, making me smile smugly.

"How many do you need? With Mana Incarnate, I no longer have a limit on these. I can make as many of these, summon as many Blessed Souls as I want, and grant as many enchantments as needed," I boast. God, I love my new perk. "I figure we can send one to each PRT headquarters; it's not like these things are easy to move. So every PRT department will have their own healer, in a way."

The pillars are massive, around twelve feet tall, and they weigh a ton. Stealing one wouldn't be easy without the help of a pretty strong brute.

Healers are very rare; it is why Amy is so damn overworked. Even rarer is a healer who doesn't have weird side-effects to their powers, so I can help turn the tables across the PRT territory.

"You know, you might just change everything," Alexandria says, giving me a look that's hidden by her helmet. "Do you know how many PRT agents and heroes die because they lack access to Parahuman healing? I do, and it is a horrifying number. You might have saved more lives in the long run with your late-night sculpting than you did by helping at Canberra."

"That's the plan. I can't be everywhere, and neither can Amy, but this means I don't have to be," I say with a grin.

"I'll speak to the Chief Director. She can work out which departments need them the most. I'll also make sure you are very well paid for your time," Alexandria promises. The ugly feeling in my chest lessens at the promise of a reward for my hard work. "We should be able to rush testing. Any other ideas to utterly shake up the PRT while you're at it?"

"Well, now that I have infinite mana I can start spreading out Keeper's Mark?" I say, making her blink. "Oh, I forgot to tell you about Keeper's Mark and Anointed People. Anointed People gives the people I grant it to a slight resistance to powers and disease, along with a very minor brute rating. Keeper's Mark is a once-per-day protective, healing stasis that occurs if they would have taken fatal damage. Keeper's Mark is costly on my mana pools, so I couldn't use it on many people and had just used it on Emma and Sophia so far."

"Ah, of course, you've got to keep your girls safe," Alexandria says with a teasing tone, not quite hiding her shock. "Once again, if you are willing, we can rush testing for that and start spreading it out. Granting our Agents a resistance to cape effects would certainly let us start to turn the tide."

"That's the plan; I'm a prideful guy, you know? If I'm doing this hero thing, then I'm going to be the biggest damn hero around. That doesn't just mean punching villains; that's just the fun part," I say, making her laugh. "I plan to offer them to New Wave as well."

"Of course, they're useful allies to have," Alexandria agrees. "I think one day, maybe not so far in the future, your name is going to be placed even higher than mine. The Hopebringer, indeed."

Ah, I heard that nickname being thrown around after Canberra. Mostly, I figured people were just making fun of the Simurgh since she's supposed to be the Hopekiller. 

"Eh, I don't think I've earned such a fancy title yet. Maybe I'll grow into it," I say, making her nod.

"It is a little gaudy for a single Endbringer fight, even one as successful as this. The public loves their heroes, but they enjoy seeing them fall even more. The world has big expectations for you already, ones I intend to help you meet," Alexandria agrees, patting me on the shoulder. "With that in mind, given that you seem to understand your power very well. Is there anything you can think of that would make your power grow faster?"

I think Alexandria understands something, the importance of rolls.

"Hm, my power grants me rolls when I achieve 'feats'. Obviously, stopping the Simurgh was worth a lot because we drove her away, the city wasn't quarantined, and finally, we dealt massive damage to her, which were three separate great feats worth multiple rolls each. The other biggest source came from Alice; both 'defeating' her and recruiting her into the Wards was worth a lot because, apparently, she would have become a major villain known as Bakuda, so I guess taking down more villains and maybe getting some to switch to the side of angels? Since that basically doubles my rolls from what I can tell," I admit, seeing an opportunity to get a powerful ally who loves rolls as much as I do.

Enable my roll addiction, Alexy, and you'll have a loyal hero in me.

"Hm, I can certainly see how Alice would have become such a threat. Bomb Tinker is a worrying combination in the hands of someone ready to blow up a school over a mediocre grade," Alexandria agrees. 

– Rebecca Costa-Brown (Alexandria) –

Sett's power was precognitive, which didn't really surprise her. However, it rewarded him for preventing Canberra from being quarantined. Did that mean it was able to predict the Endbringers? Would they have failed, the city being quarantined, if Sett wasn't involved? 

She didn't know, but if he didn't have the same blindspots, then would the Thinker powers he could get also not have those blindspots? Could they see Endbringers? Could they see Scion? He'd said he had gained an ability to locate people, which sounded like a Thinker power to her; a good test would be to see if he could find Eidolon with it later on.

But first, she wanted to spread out these miracle pillars, along with the 'enchantments' he could grant people. Cauldron had put a lot of work into maintaining the status quo, but only as long as it served them. She had no qualms about tipping the scales back in favour of the heroes if it meant buffing the heroes to make up for the potentially lost villains.

With Scion's rampage seemingly delayed for decades, they suddenly had a lot of time on their hands. All they had to do was have Sett grow and spread his powers and buffs to all the heroes, and they'd be better prepared for the final battle.

Fuck making him rich; she'd have him declared King of Earth Bet and organise a harem of the most beautiful heroines and villainesses if he could truly save things, with her replacing her cape outfit for a harem girl outfit.

"Fortunately, Brockton Bay has an excess of villains for us to test that theory on. Alice has actually given me an idea, but I want to work on it a little before I run it by you," Rebecca said, making Sett nod easily. His carefree attitude was helpful in times like this; he was happy not to ask questions. "I have one last thing I wish to discuss with you. As you know, the Case 53 problem has no current solution, and while we have no real proof you can fix it, people are already pushing for you to try. We need to test if any of your powers can help with that, preferably before a horde descends upon Brockton, believing you are their miracle."

"I genuinely don't know what Salvation would do to them, and I don't think exchanging their power with someone else is exactly going to help," Sett said, making her nod.

"Neither do I, but whenever a cape with the possibility of curing Case 53s shows up, desperate people migrate towards them. The same happened when Panacea triggered; once it became clear she couldn't help them, things calmed down again. I simply want to get ahead of things, one way or another," Rebecca replied.

Sett was very nice, so if a Case 53 approached him and asked for healing, he'd do it. What if it returned their memories? Blew the lid of Cauldron? She needed to be there to make sure their secret stayed secret. 

"Sure, if you arrange for one to come here, I'll see what I can do," Sett said with a smile. 

"Thank you, Sett. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to discuss things with the Chief Director," Rebecca lied. 

"No worries, I'll leave these three here. Just lemme know when you wanna move them; they aren't exactly going to fit through the doors," Sett joked, making her nod with a smile. Leaving, she considered how things were going to change from now on.

Sett had said turning Alice to the side of good was worth more rolls, and that gave her an idea. Brockton Bay's Ward team was already very large, and Sett was too powerful to limit to one city, but with the upcoming teleportation nexus, letting Sett remain in this city would be easy enough.

So, her idea was to form a new team that wasn't limited to any one city, and was built around Sett. With Armsmaster building a squad of augmented super-troopers and Sett building a group of powerful heroes around him, they could have a powerful and diverse team able to travel anywhere in PRT territory, giving Sett access to plenty of villains.

But first, it was time the villains of Brockton Bay proved themselves useful for once. Sett needed more rolls, after all.

– Sett –

Hmm.

Feats Achieved: Gain Armsmaster's Trust and Approval (One Roll). Gain Cauldron's Support (Two Rolls). Become an Internationally Famous Hero (Two Rolls).

The first, I understand. Colin is having fun with his new powers; I'm happy for him. But what the fuck is Cauldron, and why do I think it's related to Alexandria? Also, yay, go me. I'm a celebrity now.

Rolling. Result: Uncommon Power, Uncommon Consumable, Uncommon Perk, Minor Curse (Coin Toss Lost, 10 Pity Points Added) Ultimate Curse (Coin Toss Lost, 100 Pity Point Added)

Being famous sucks; who needs fame anyway?

[Self Sacrificing] - Uncommon

You absorb all damage done to every ally within a large radius around you before they can even notice it, causing them no damage or pain. You may selectively choose what damage to take.

Okay, that's good since I regenerate passively and can heal myself.

System Note: All consumable respawn timers have been reduced.

[Potion of Giant's Strength] - Uncommon

Source: None

This potion triples the drinker's physical strength for three hours. 

Huh, my uncommon consumables respawn in a single day now. I wonder what caused that. I'm getting quite the collection.

[Conditioning] - Uncommon

You are in great condition for your species, in great shape in every way that matters. You are as strong as a lifelong bodybuilder and as fast as a professional runner; your senses are great for your species, and you have no inherent physical flaws.

Hey, I was already great. Still, I can feel the improvements, so I won't say no to being in better shape without needing to work for it… but now the curses.

[The Bushes of Love] - Minor Curse

We all have a chicken-duck-woman thing waiting for us; yours is just more literal. 

…what?

What does that even mean?

Quest Added

[Chicken-Duck-Woman Slayer]

Objective: Slay your hunter

Reward: Curse removed, two rolls.

I… I don't get it. 

[The Curse of Enmity (Goddess)]

A powerful figure in your new world has it out for you. Who they are, why they are after you and whether they want you dead or alive is up to chance, but they are far stronger than you are at the moment, among the most dangerous people in your world.

Okay, but with a name like Goddess, I figure she's probably a bitch anyway. Still, how powerful must she be to be worthy of an Ultimate curse? I only know who she is because of Curse Master.

Quest Added

[Defeat Goddess]

Objective: Defeat Goddess

Reward: Five Rolls, ???

I no longer give a shit who she is. Five rolls and a mystery gift? I'll fist-fight God for that. Bring it, you megalomaniacal bitch; you're just free rolls to me. 

Hell, you gave me enough Pity Points to get a new Mythical roll, but I'm considering whether it is worth holding out for a Divine instead. Yeah, I'm over halfway there. Worst case, I spend them mid-fight and pull some mythical power out of my ass and confuse the ever-loving shit out of my opponent.

Sulking back to my room, I head to my bedroom and immediately perk up again as I find two girls waiting for me. Oh yeah, why am I pouting? My life is great! 

Tomorrow, we officially get announced as part of the Wards, and then I can start my patrols—otherwise known as me ruthlessly hunting villains for rolls.

– Emily Piggot – Next Day –

Watching the three Wards take to the stage, she listened as the reporters hurled a barrage of questions their way. Sett seemed calm, and his carefree attitude and 'golden retriever energy', as she had heard some people call it, won over the reporters. He got the majority of the questions, but that was inevitable, with Canberra happening literally yesterday.

Still, for once, she didn't frown at the overpowered teenager. Anointed People and Keeper's Mark, she'd heard of Alexandria's discoveries from the Chief Director herself. Powers that could make every PRT trooper a minor brute without the added trauma, grant them a minor resistance to cape powers, and protect them from even death itself? Would her unit have survived Ellisburg with those upgrades?

She still wasn't entirely convinced that there weren't any side effects, but the discovery was that both Emma and Sophia already had the upgrades with no effects, had sped up testing this morning (once they'd made sure he hadn't Heartbreakered them and they were just horny teenagers). 

Brockton Bay would soon have the first 'enchanted' squad, and these upgrades would be spread throughout the department. She thought they were rushing things (obviously, the Chief Director didn't agree), but despite her misgivings?

This gave the troopers a better chance against Capes, and if Keeper's Mark meant that she had to write fewer letters to her agent's loved ones explaining that their family member had been ripped apart by Hookwolf, she couldn't bring herself to hate it. 'Died nobly in the line of duty' sounded nice on paper until their family saw the body. There was nothing 'noble' about being torn apart in a futile battle against some mad cape. Nilbog had taught her that.

Testing was still ongoing even now, with her secretly checking the updates. People granted 'Anointed People' even gained a minor resistance to Master powers, which they'd just finished testing. 

Emma, or Supernova now, spoke up as someone asked about her closeness to Sett. Emma was born for this kind of work, beautiful and popular. She knew what people wanted to hear, was entirely used to public speaking and was good at leading the crowd. She openly admitted to dating Sett but admitted that Sett had another girlfriend, making jokes about his stamina. Oddly, despite one reporter from a Christian newspaper (that was a big supporter of Haven), most people were strangely positive about Sett building a harem.

She knew the Youth Guard had already tried to pitch a fit about it, but the Chief Director herself had come down on them for it. She didn't even know the results of that encounter, but she knew that the Youth Guard had come out worse and wouldn't be getting involved with Sett's case anymore.

Alice (Bombshell, as they finally settled on) got the least attention, and she didn't seem to be able to decide whether she was happy about it or not. She was an arrogant brat, but she also was well aware that she was sitting next to the next Eidolon, as some people liked to call Sett. The Hopebringer himself. She knew Haven was frothing at the mouth over Sett's new worldwide popularity.

Sett and Emma had made sure to include her- Emma, as a form of blatant social manipulation to gain Alice's affection, and Sett because that was just what he was like. Both were highly effective against Alice, making Emily roll her eyes. Teenagers.

Still, the reception seemed very positive, and the crowd was eating up the three new Wards. Her funding would see a large rise, her troops would be getting the first set of enchantments, and maybe, just maybe, they'd be able to finally start pushing back against the villains.

She wasn't that hopeful.

– Sett –

Dealing with the press is tiring, but thankfully, Emma did enough talking for all three of us. She loves the spotlight, and I'm happy to let her have it. Sure, I got plenty of questions, but nothing I couldn't handle.

Answering a text from Vicky, I see Alexandria waiting for us as we get to a private backroom.

"I'd say it'll calm down, but honestly, it'll probably get worse for you, Sett," Alexandria explained; she told the press that she's here to mentor a new cape with extreme potential. "Renown has its downsides, but you all handled it well. I-"

"Excuse me," someone cuts in, making everyone freeze at someone interrupting Alexandria, of all people.

Turning, I see Alexandria freeze up as an attractive woman in a suit and fedora approaches us.

"Hi! Something I can do for you?" I ask since she's focused on me. 

"Oh, I'm just a big fan. I've been following your career since day one; I just wanted to know if you'd sign my hat," she asks, making me blink before I shrug. "I'm Fortuna, by the way. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Hi, Fortuna. Sure, I don't mind. It's a very stylish hat," I compliment, making her smile as she passes me her hat and what looks like a tinkertech pen. Shrugging mentally, I sign my signature on the hat with a flourish; oddly enough, God of Crafting counts writing as art, so it makes my handwriting even better.

"Thanks; it's my favourite. I'll be watching, but if you'll excuse me, I need to see my pet snake. Door me," Fortuna says, turning and walking away as she puts the hat back on and walks through the portal that forms behind her.

"Huh, so did I imagine that?" I ask, making Emma and Alice shake their heads. "That wasn't one of my Gates; was she a Cape?"

"Yes, and she wasn't supposed to be here. You three, Fortuna is very classified. You are not to mention her presence here, and if you'll excuse me, I need to go and shake some answers out of her," Alexandria says seriously, making us all nod at her very stern words. "Good work today, but I need to track down where Fortuna has run off to."

Watching her leave, a brief, awkward silence fills the room before I snort.

"I don't even wanna know," I decide, making Emma giggle.

Feat Achieved: Survive a Contessa Encounter (Two Rolls).

I will sign as many of her hats as she wants.

Rolling. Results: Common Power, Uncommon Power

[Bullseye] - Common 

You have an intuitive understanding of angles and trajectories, granting you nearly perfect aim. You can line up your shots nearly instantly, even for complex trajectories where the projectile bounces. You are still capable of missing if your aim is thrown off.

[Sneak Attack] - Uncommon 

Unseen attacks from you deal twice the damage they normally would. This can apply to any form of attack so long as the target is not aware of its existence.

Huh, I have never seen a set of rolls that so clearly said, 'Give us to Sophia'. I don't do ranged combat since I escalate faster in close combat, and I don't exactly sneak.

– Sophia Hess (Shadow Stalker) –

Sitting at the Console, she closed the press conference feed as Sett, Emma, and Alice arrived. 

"Oh, hey, guys. Did it go well?" Sophia asked, making Emma nod with a wide grin. She was enjoying her newfound fame and the public's attention. Sophia had always found it annoying, but then she preferred the actual hero part of being a hero, not the constant PR bullshit.

"Oh, it went great. Anyway, here's two new powers," Sett said, poking her in the chest as she blinked, her mind racing. "Super accuracy for your crossbows and double damage when you strike unseen; I thought it suited our sneaky shadow," Sett joked, making her gasp as she shuddered.

"Ooh, that will be useful," Emma agreed. Alice just seemed dumbstruck. Sophia definitely understood Alice's confusion.

"Two powers, just like that?" Sophia asked, getting a playful grin from Sett.

"Of course, you're one of my girls, and I take care of my girls," Sett agreed, making her blush as she looked up at him. She shared a look with Emma, both sharing a silent conversation before she grabbed Sett's shirt and pulled him down for a rough kiss. "Glad you like it."

"Damn right, I like it," Sophia agreed, giving him a hungry look. He'd promised they wouldn't leave her behind, and already he'd proven that he meant it. She was their stealth expert, and she could already tell she'd be able to hit some truly bullshit shots as trajectories filled her mind.

She might have to bully the Tinker fucks into making her a much longer-range crossbow because she could probably outshoot Miss Militia now. 

"So, how's console duty going?" Emma asked, making Sophia shrug.

"The city is pretty quiet; I guess the villains were all watching the conference," Sophia half-joked. They were probably shitting themselves at the idea of these three staying in Brockton Bay.

Bombshell was the least threatening of the three, and she made mines that came in every shape and flavour. 

Smirking, she turned back to the city map with a dark look. The villains might want to find a new place to live; things were changing around here.

— Bonus Scene — Amy Dallon (Panacea)

Being the city's premier healer meant that whenever something needed testing, she was usually the first to know. Her reputation meant that the PRT trusted her judgement when it came to testing things, so while Sett was finally being officially announced, she was back with the PRT, once more doing testing.

And once more because of Sett.

Sett was a better healer than her; this was now something she had to admit. Before, he'd had a cooldown, so he couldn't heal as much as her; he needed breaks. But this? How the hell did he just casually make giant marble healing pillars? 

They weren't as good as Salvation, as Sett called it, but it was close. The pillars could cure any injury, including missing limbs, but unlike Salvation, they wouldn't cure any diseases. There was already talk about deploying a dozen of these to Endbringer fights, spreading them out across PRT departments and maybe even sending them to hospitals.

They couldn't do everything, but they could deal with so much stuff that she would have been needed for before. With these, she wouldn't need to go across the country to heal some hero who got fucked up because they'd have a pillar that could do the same thing in their headquarters. Once more, Sett had just casually made her life just that bit better.

Despite being surrounded by PRT scientists and agents, she subtly rubbed her thighs together. Sett better hurry up and come back home for another movie night because she had some unfinished business with that horny bastard.

– Taylor Hebert –

Why did fate hate her?

Was it not enough to give her such a villainous power? Why, in the name of whatever god was laughing at her, did Emma get a power that was a hard counter for hers?! There was no bug in existence that could even approach Emma when she turned into a fucking miniature sun!

What bullshit was this?!

No, it was fine. As much as she fantasised about swarming the trio with insects, her plan was never to become a villain, which was a guarantee if she attacked a Ward. No, she needed to become a hero so she could approach Sett and have him actually listen to her… somehow.

But Emma was sleeping with him, openly admitting they were dating; why would Sett take her word over Emma's? Especially if her suspicions about Shadow Stalker's identity were right, she'd be asking the Hopebringer to take her word over the word of his two girlfriends.

No, she needed a new plan. Either way, she needed to become a hero so she could even get close to him. That meant she needed to start her career as a cape sooner than she expected. She had work to do.