Shafton City

filler borgi smorgi corgi

Jagger clenched his fists, which sparked up. In response, Minil-Jagger...threw Etherballs at the nearby buildings, causing rampant damage!

"(!) Hey - !" Jagger responded by rushing in close to Minil-Jagger and striking it into the ground with a flying axekick.

However, the Minil wasn't done - it aimed a hand at Jagger and blasted him back and across the ground with an Ionic Flare attack. Somewhat charred, and slamming against a lightpost, Jagger regained his composure and saw the fake approaching fast, then leaping into the air and hovering via Magnet Flight. It was about to deliver an aerial assault.

"I don't think so!" Jagger said, jumping above Minil-Jagger's electric pulse attack and trapping it in the zone of Ionic Freeze, the resulting flash-freeze solidifying the imposter and sending it falling to the ground, where it shattered to bits (which promptly vaporized).

"That...was definitely weirder than normal," Jagger muttered to himself, brushing off his gloves. "Where are they coming fr - ?"

It's then that he remembered that bug wasn't alone! There were more Minils flying into Shafton, assaulting people to take their life force. Many panicked and hurried to whatever shelter they could while swatting the bugs back however possible. There are several casualties in just the first few minutes!

Somewhere else in town, the sound of things getting frozen is heard...Jagger decides to check this out while seeing about any civilians on his way.

-----

Adam stayed in the ice cream parlor with Umbrella in response to the situation.

"Well, this stinks..." Umbrella moped. "Is it really no safer in Haven?"

"I...can't confirm that at the moment," Adam said, "but don't worry! I won't let those...whatever-they-are get near you!"

Ganymede does his best to fight off any bugs near him, either by roasting them with fireballs or crushing them with boulders.

---

Perrault and Killian, meanwhile, are safe in the shelter of the Research Institute.

Granth was fighting off Minils, striking them with hand-to-hand combat and freezing them with his icy psionics. Jagger arrived on the scene, striking a Minil (that was sneaking up on Granth) with an Etherball.

"(!) Jagger. You seem well," Granth commented. "Though...troubled."

"Yeah, I'd rather not talk about it," Jagger said. "And might I say, these bugs are NOT improving my day!" He joined Granth in fighting off the Minils.

"They...emerged from the corpse of Mt. Moon's key," Granth replied.

"Mt. Moon's k - ? Wait, are you talking about that legend about the destroyer?" Jagger reacted.

"The same. Though I doubt anything could have stopped that army from attacking it...Their view was impossibly black-and-white."

"Sounds like those idiots are begging for a black-and-blue makeover...!" Jagger growled while tearing through Minils with Ionic Flares from his palms.

Ganymede is still fighting Minils with various earth-and-fire based spells. Mostly hurling exploding/crushing things at them. Who can say if he's close enough to Granth and Jagger to intervene in their battle?

The swarm is thinning, thanks to their efforts. However, Jagger noticed a few Minils slipping into the research facility nearby, where Adriel and Perrault are hiding.

"(!) Hey! Get back here!" he shouted, giving chase into the facility.

Killian and Perrault are indeed holed up with other researchers in the facility. They notice on the security feed that the Minils have gotten through their impromptu barrier (a locked door).

"They've gotten in!" said a researcher.

"I told you they would ten minutes ago," said Perrault, the only one in the facility keeping his cool. "You didn't listen."

Assuming any Minils get close, Perrault uses his Nanite-based gravity powers to toss them around like rag dolls. Killian, in the meantime, stands in front of the researchers (but behind Perrault), keeping himself between them and the Minils.

This works with most of the Minils. Two of them, though, take on Perrault's form, and use his gravity powers to lift the researchers out from behind Killian and fling them violently into the walls. However, they were distracted from Jagger, who had pursued them and delivered a charged Dynamo Roundhouse to one of the Minil-Perraults, tearing through it.

The researchers that get thrown into the walls are not meant for such strenuous physical activity and at best have several broken bones, including shattered ribs. The real Perrault looks above the remaining Minil-Perrault and, with a wave of his hand, brings a section of the ceiling down on it.

Jagger nearly got hit by this falling piece of ceiling, jumping out of the way with shock.

"H-Hey, careful!" Jagger shouted in surprise. "This building's been damaged enough by that pirate!"

"Sacrifices doivent être faits," said Perrault, barely looking at Jagger.

"I'm sure what he means to say is, 'thanks, officer,'" said Killian, extending a hand to Jagger. "We couldn't have gotten rid of these creatures without you."

The stern position of Jagger's eyebrows hasn't relaxed. Instead, he just closed his eyes and turned his back to Killian, arms crossed.

"...Just using my abilities as responsibly as possible," Jagger said.

Killian paused for a second before putting his arm down. He was used to getting the cold shoulder from superpowered individuals. But he'd been through much worse.

"Would that everyone could use powers as responsibly as you," said Killian.

No sense being rude to him back, after all. It would be incredibly ungrateful to talk down to a police officer who just saved the lives of everyone in the building.

Those words only made Jagger's upper eyelids lower into a leer. He had received worse insults while growing up, but still, this cut him like a knife.

"I'll say...Some just want power for the sake of having power - without even realizing the curse they take upon themselves..." he responded as he left.

Killian turned to Perrault after Jagger left the station.

"Did I... say something wrong?" asked Killian.

"Non," said Perrault.

"I tried to compliment him," explained Killian.

"And yet he acted as if you killed 'is puppy," said Perrault. "It's mere jealousy talking."

"Ah, I see, another one of these 'occupy' people..." chuckled Killian.

"Non," corrected Perrault. "You promise power to the masses. Soon there will be 'undreds of people with the exact same powers as 'im. 'E just doesn't feel special anymore."

Meanwhile, Ganymede and Granth have by now taken care of the Minils outside. Ganymede is uncharacteristically quiet... usually he's a lot more exuberant after an 'exciting' battle.

Jagger's thoughts of turmoil only thickened as he left the facility. Why did he so oppose Killian's plan to grant everyone such powers? Was it being rendered "ordinary" in new standards? No...for a long time, he had prayed that he would just be ordinary rather than what he is. At least then, many would stop treating him like a freak or an outcast...and he wouldn't have to worry about the possibility of his powers getting out of his contr...

Wait, that was it. He was afraid of these soon-to-be newbies not being responsible with their new abilities and causing harm to others, or themselves. Without any proper mental checks or training, they'd likely sling their powers around willy-nilly, letting fear drive their every self-destructive move. They'd be consigning themselves to the kind of curse that he's under every single day.

"(That nut...!)" Jagger thought to himself. "(He doesn't even know what kind of hell he's opening up to these paranoid masses - !)"

It's then that he accidentally bumped into Princess Chaperon, whom had come into town along with Alastor.

"Oof - !" Chaperon nearly stumbled back, dropping her Fafnir parasol in the process.

"(!) O-Oh my! Uh, I...I'm sorry, Your Highness! I just...I..." Jagger's stammering ceased as he noticed Alastor giving him a death glare. "...I'm done for, aren't it."

"Oh! Not in the slightest, officer!" Chaperon said modestly, picking up Fafnir. "I should have watched where I was going, anyway."

"..." Alastor replied to Jagger.

"Anyway, I had heard that a swarm of shadowy creatures attacked Shafton recently," Chaperon continued, "so I came here to investigate the matter myself. Though I...guess we were too late to join the battle."

"That's... {clears throat} That's alright, Your Highness - "

"Please, call me Chaperon."

"Tha...That's...alright...C-Chaperon," Jagger said nervously. After his issues with Killian, he was more nervous than usual to be speaking with a leader. "Anyway...it seems these creatures emerged from a broken crystal key within the depths of Mt. Moon. They are reported as capable of draining life energy and mimicking the forms and abilities of lifeforms nearby."

"Really?" Chaperon said with surprise. "These sound dangerous...Moreso than anything else Fantasma has seen lately! But what could it...?"

"Who knows..." Jagger said in a bitter tone.

"(?) Is everything okay, Jagger?" Chaperon asked.

"...That bombing on Coronach...You've heard about it, right? And what spawned from the shrine's remains?"

"Unfortunately..." Chaperon said in a depressed manner.

"I just can't believe Haven would assault another nation for something they possibly didn't do. And Killian arriving her around that time doesn't help my nerves much..."

"(!) Adriel is here?"

"...I better get back to my patrols. Gotta get this off my mind..."

With that, Jagger walked off, checking on the damages caused by the Minils. Certainly, all these news didn't fare much better for Chaperon...

Ganymede heads back to the Core Embassy without much fanfare as Killian and Perrault conclude their investigation into the nanite robbery, finding the exact same things Jagger did - the sky pirates were behind it. Still, nothing said that Haven couldn't hire them, so if Uldritch asked and seemed particularly agitated, Killian thought that would be his excuse. The two headed back for their hotel to check on how the girls were doing in the penthouse when they came across Chaperon.

"Ah, Princess D'Hjerte!" said Killian, extending an arm and leaning on his cane. "Fancy running into you here!"

"Oh - !" Chaperon responded to Killian. Having better social skills than Jagger, she accepted the handshake with a pleasant smile. "Likewise, Mr. Killian. I've...heard a lot about you - your innovations have really brought improvement to life even here."

"I've always been of the belief that the 'haves' should give back to the 'have-nots'," said Killian with a small chuckle, releasing the handshake after a second so it doesn't become awkward. "And since I make in minutes what others might make in their lifetime, it's only fair I give some of that back to the great people of Unitas, borders be damned. But enough about me - how fare the people of Fantasma, in your opinion? I would assume they would be afraid war would spread to their borders, but you know what they say about when you assume."

"Us? Well...several are still worried about that incident at the university," Chaperon replied. "To think that one student actually managed to rig the entire campus under her control...! And intending to force all the other students to kill each other, at that..."

"Absolutely tragic, I agree," said Killian. "Which is why I'm sending over a shipment of the latest Killian Co. security devices. With any luck they should be able to prevent any more such incidents from happening."

"That would be much appreciated~" Chaperon replied. "But...why would you think war would spread here? There hasn't even been a major feud here with Haven."

"Senator Uldritch is..." began Killian.

He paused, looking for a diplomatic way to say 'crazy'.

"Senator Uldritch is not the most reasonable man," said Killian. "He has become paranoid after several recent attacks on Haven. I fear he may find some imaginary excuse to go to war with Fantasma as well."

"Uldri - ? Oh my..." Chaperon replied. "I feared as much...Many of us would be in danger, then."

"Not with my security measures you won't!" said Killian.

A pause. Killian laughs, mainly at himself.

"I apologize," said Killian. "That sounded like a poorly-timed pitch."