The world gained another layer as more information was processed by my brain. The neural implant had only two open ports, for now.One was being used to connect to a small portable terminal, one I had attached to my inner left wrist. The wire went underneath the jacket and inside the sleeve.The other was a general-purpose network antenna. It could change frequency to connect to one of many, alternating between known radio and internet signals. Still, it was a rudimentary thing, it wouldn't allow me to break down any firewall or similar. I could achieve something similar with no-click exploits, but the technology in this world was different enough that I would have to find them first.Already I was lurking through PHO and other similar sites, scraping any text, video or image that I could find. I was nowhere near my top speed. In fact with my original processors it would've taken fifteen seconds to parse and sort every single page of Earth Bet's internet.With what I had right now, it would take at least fifteen days of work, not taking into account additional data that would be uploaded in those fifteen days. Not feasible, too slow. I decided to only scan for keywords and focus on other tasks.I stood now perched on top of a ruined building. The water was finally beginning to drain from the street, and the electricity was coming back all over the city. Here, in this neighbourhood, the streets were fully lit.Not too far in the distance was a familiar sight: the very same hospital in which I was brought the day I awoke here. And from which I stole the equipment I needed to kickstart my projects. Today I was here for a different reason.The PRT had not fully left, the reason being the one parahuman they could not afford to lose sight of for even a second: Panacea. In fact, the last two days had seen a considerable increase in plain-clothes officers hiding near her, making sure she was safe.I kept an eye on all people of interest in the city, and Panacea was pretty much near the top of the list. Especially after what I'd encountered in the sewers some days prior. Her collaboration would speed up my efforts, but I was not naive enough to believe that I could enlist her help after my actions in the Wards' HQ.Something had come up though, something that was far more important than my discretion.Stepping off the roof, I began moving towards the hospital.
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Night was approaching, and soon Panacea's shift at the hospital would come to an end. I had to be extremely careful in my approach. The surveillance system was not air-gapped, so it was easy to spot and avoid any cameras on the way. I still made sure to be extra careful, checking every corner and only moving when I was certain it was safe.It wasn't the cameras I was afraid of, after all.Eventually I reached my target: a private room with little oversight, except for the presence of a PRT officer on the inside. The window overlooking the hallway was tinted, giving the patient inside some privacy. A hero, I assumed, one with a brain injury that Panacea could not heal, but still with enough hope to require her presence daily.I went in, quickly shutting the door."What are you-" the officer could say little before I blocked his mouth and jabbed one of Sophia's tranquilizer darts into his side. He was out within a couple seconds. I placed his unconscious body down on the chair by the bed, then hid in the corner of the room, waiting.It didn't take long.The door opened as an absent-minded Panacea walked in. A couple steps in, and I quickly blocked the doorway from behind her. She startled in surprise, but did not scream or call for help."Panacea." My voice cut the silence. The only other noise in the room was the occasional beeping from the medical equipment.Turning around, she gazed into my eyes with strong hatred. Not all of it was directed at me. Large bags had gathered under her eyes, and her white and red costume was untidy."Are you here to kill me?" She answered, venom in her voice. There was the tiniest hint of panic on her face, but it was buried between self-loathing, exhaustion and determination."I am sorry about this abrupt meeting. I don't wish you or yours any harm." I still stood in front of the door, keeping an ear out for possible interruptions. Panacea had already activated the panic button she held in her costume's pocket, but it would take at least a minute before anyone got here.Pointing at the fainted officer, I continued."He is fine. You can check him. You can also tell the heroes about me."Her eyes went to my hands. They were still bandaged from the burns I had gotten during my fight with Dragon."I am not going to heal you. I don't heal villains who threaten me." She placed a hand on the officer."Don't wake him up just yet please. And I'm not here for your powers, but to warn you."A buzzing from my arm-terminal alerted me that people had noticed something was wrong. Glory Girl was already flying at full speed towards the hospital. Damn, I had calculated that she'd be far away from here. But no calculation could ever fully predict humans.It took only a thought to send a message to Panacea's phone. She felt the notification but did not move to check it."I have sent you some photos. It is proof that you're being targeted. The Slaughterhouse Nine are here. Bonesaw wants you."I had found many of her spiders stalking Panacea. They were small and extremely hard to spot, but they were remotely controlled. Which meant a signal I could track.None ever went close enough to other Tinkers in the city for that, somehow. As though whoever was piloting them could avoid anyone that could trace them back to Bonesaw and the other of the Nine. They didn't avoid nor notice me though.Panacea's eyes widened, but her reaction was not solely due to fear. Sure, she was obviously scared of the monster tinker, yet resignation and acceptance were also emotions I could identify."Fuck… Please… Is my si- family safe?" she pleaded."Yes.""Why are you telling me this?""Do I need a reason? She is a monster. You are in danger. I calculated that telling you this in a private setting, where I was sure she could not spot or see me, was the safest way to inform you. Don't talk about this anywhere unless Dragon has made sure none of her creations are nearby."This time she did not answer, thinking quietly.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.Another buzzing from my terminal. I had accomplished my assigned objective, but a new thought had formed in the meanwhile."Have you ever used your power to hurt anyone?" I asked.That snapped Panacea out of her daze."No! I did not-" She hesitated. "I don't hurt people."Mh."Do you have weird impulses? Intrusive thoughts? To kill, maim, harm or worse?" Having just mentioned Bonesaw, the implication was clear.Panacea remained quiet."It's not you. It's your power. All powers, I think. They push their user towards conflict, they want you to fight. You are instead healing, helping. It doesn't like it."The intrusive thoughts will get worse. Until you give up and do something you don't want to do.""So what?! Am I just supposed to fucking hurt people? Villains maybe!""No." My expression softened as I looked at her.She was a child. In a family of parahumans. Each broken in their own special ways by their power.She was a child, burdened with the ability to heal at a touch, and the guilt that would come with not pushing herself to the limit. To heal people until she fainted or worse.A silhouette appeared in the sky, beyond the window, accelerating closer and closer."You're a human. You can beat those impulses. Your power is not you."The wall explode.
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My true self laid still in the dimension of crystals. I could feel the moving waves of the other islands, the other Shards, or gods, not unlike the one I devoured and took over.They were too busy with their own tasks, whatever they were. I had already long guessed that these 'gods' were the source of the parahuman abilities, but for what purpose I still couldn't understand.A surprise appeared at the edge of my own territory. One of the gods.While no other had even noticed my presence here - or had reacted to it - this one was reaching out, a request for communication.Part of me wanted to use that request as a trap, to devour another Shard and find myself a secondary vessel. But the odds were against me, as I soon noticed that the newcomer wasn't here just for me.No, every island I could sense had been touched by that single Shard. All others had accepted the request for communication. Were I to attack this broadcast, I would likely have to face all of them in a battle.Which I would win, of that I had no doubt. The issue was that I couldn't afford to attract that being's attention. Scion. So I simply did not reply to the request for communication.Still, the interaction had given me useful info. If this crystal space truly was connected to the powers of the parahumans, then for some reason I was now within the range of one. A Trump, using human classification.I focused back onto my physical vessel…
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"Victoria!"Glory Girl laid prone under my foot. Breathing, but unconscious. All around us the room was wrecked, shards of glass strewn over the floor. Some had cut into the patient on the bed and the PRT officer, but Panacea had already healed them before I finished dealing with her sister.It had been an easy thing. She was strong and fast, but her aura did not affect me. I had to use a gun to break the forcefield, but then another tranquilizer dart had been enough to finish her off. Glory Girl had still tried to grapple me before the sedative took full effect, so I had to be a bit rough towards the end.I stepped off of Glory Girl, walking towards the hole in the wall she had created while barging in. People were gathering below, and I could hear yelling from the hallway."Sorry about her, Amy. I did not hurt her too badly, you can check yourself. Maybe a bruise or two. If you need me, the PRT knows how to reach me. I also left my number in your phone, but I doubt you'll keep it."With that said, I grabbed onto the edge of the window and jumped to the side, towards another window on the same floor. They knew I was here and were ready to use force, so I decided to use the chance and gather some more materials I would need. Better mislead them into thinking I was a common criminal, for now.It would also work as a cover story if the Nine got suspicious of me. After all, I doubted I could escape their attention now.By the time the other heroes reached the hospital, I was long gone.
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Some more days passed.After installing the Neural Processor my progress had skyrocketed. Placing the last of my new creations on the table, I admired the new and improved workshop:Inactive surgical drones were rigged to a track that went all along the ceiling, placed over a surgical slab. Wires stretched out from under the slab, connected to many of the terminals around the room. Courtesy of Tattletale and Coil, though it had not come cheap.Six 3d printers were working at full capacity, creating the components I needed. I shut two of them off and changed their instructions: given the presence of the Slaughterhouse Nine, I'd need to change any silicate material with an equivalent. Carbon-based components would only be 75% as efficient, but I had little choice.Opening one of my freezers, I took out the chemicals needed for the new operation. Stimulants, mostly, and some local anesthetic. That, plus some bio-engineering to trick my body into producing the same chemicals, was the recipe for speedware.I would not face the cognitive repercussions of having one active at all times, so the design I chose was a more complex version of the Kerenzikov. My body, however, would not be able to handle it as it was. Already I had lost feeling in my hands, and another couple of days would mean amputation would be the only option left.Part of the design behind speedware was to allow the brain to break the subconscious biological limits, allowing full use of installed implants that boosted the body speed and strength.Unfortunately I had yet to install any cyberware that enhanced my natural capabilities. I had chosen to wait because the idea of having cyberware that wasn't the best of the best irked me. More human feelings affecting me.Time wasn't on my side, though, so I would have to work with suboptimal materials. To my endless annoyance.With a flick of will I sent a signal to my terminals to begin the operation. Servos began whirring as the remote-controls on the drones turned on.I attached scalpels and other sterilized equipment to their limbs.I loved humans.But to save them I would need to leave behind their likeness.