[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/fUG0Ve0.png[/img][/center] [hr] [color=6655ff]"Power dampeners are a little hit-or-miss on if they work. They're hard to find, and harder to apply to one person in particular. I'll ask around, I know a tinker or two who can try and work something out. But I can't promise anything right now,"[/color] Ethan grit his teeth in annoyance. Of course it wouldn't be that easy - if it was, why aren't all the villains slapped with power dampeners the second they're arrested? [color=a36209]"Fine, whatever. But try and talk to them as soon as you can, got it?"[/color] [i]Abrasive, demanding - you're being an asshole. Keep it up an-[/i] [color=a36209]"...Please."[/color] From someone as socially obtuse as Ethan, that was about as pleasant as you could ask for. Grandmaster's commentary was a bit annoying, but Ethan felt that most Thinkers would feel that way when someone was a step ahead of them. Axiom removed her helmet, before having a heart-to-heart and reassuring the Wards. Her words did little to assuage Ethan's anxieties - he could see the platitudes and falsehoods, the little cracks whether known or unknown, the fact that it wasn't guaranteed they would make it to 18, let alone graduate to the Protectorate. But of the Heroes present, Axiom was probably the one whose attempt at comforting the youths was the least aggravating. [color=ff00c2]"Trained to do what exactly? Feds never gave me anything I didn't already know how to do. What exactly are we all workin' with here? What powers do we all have around here?"[/color] Ethan smirked. He actually found the training to be pretty helpful - over the last few weeks he got workout routine and dietary advice, experienced some basic close-quarter combat, and most importantly received first aid training. His power allowed him to make a lot faster progress than almost all of the other Wards in that regard, and while still a novice, he felt confident in his ability to stop someone from bleeding out. Ethan would have brought that up and tried making Shattercrash feel like a dumbass, but he was thankful she brought up the power question, so he let it slide. He was planning on broaching the subject after the meeting with each member, but this was a lot more convenient. The first to respond was the clone girl, one of her bodies speaking up. The fact she had multiple bodies was obvious enough, but her storage ability was unexpected. Some kind of pocket dimension? It was a great power for shoplifting and general thievery, especially if she could create clones through walls or barriers... [i]Thick barriers are a good counter - her items displace objects when drawn out of her storage space, allowing her to bypass locks and damage objects, but this doesn't matter if a large enough barrier impedes her. Avoid direct combat, has dangerous weapons within her storage that could prove lethal in close quarters. Clones must maintain a set distance from one another, area of effect attacks should prove use-[/i] Enough of that. Ethan grabbed a handful of the candy that the girl offered, shoving it into one of his many pockets absentmindedly. He couldn't eat any with his mask, and he sure as hell wasn't gonna be the first ward to take his mask off. He cringed as the massive canine-bird changer grabbed one of the candies that was offered, some kind of taffy or gum, shuffling about nervously and carefully placing the sweet in his mouth. He almost immediately relaxed, his form shrinking slightly and fur evening out. Clearly had some kind of effect on him, maybe his power was reliant on his mood? Positive emotions weakening him? [i]Could be useful, give him a false sense of security and then slit his throat, he might bleed out fast befo-[/i] The guy bowed and profusely thanked the clone girl for the sweets. The entire interaction lit him up like a Christmas tree to Ethan's power, and the boy's discomfort was clear despite the full body covering his costume provided. [color=a36209]"Jesus fucking christ, this guy..."[/color] Ethan muttered under his breath as he glowered at the Changer until another girl, the blond one in the dress, decided to introduce her power next - thankfully providing a distraction. She revealed that she was the Master who warranted the creation of the earpieces. He could have guessed that, considering his power was practically screaming at him to stop her from speaking at all costs... Masters were always a hot topic on the news - Ethan wasn't a big cape geek, and even he could recount incidents of Masters forming cults or trying to rig elections across the globe. At least this girl had the decency to give some warning about her powers, so she could be worse. And having a tinker-made device that rendered Ethan immune to her was some insurance. He wasn't sure how his power interacted with Master abilities like that, but Ethan felt confident it would provide at least some protection - at least enough to last the meeting, and let him put his earpiece on in private. The Changer decided to take initiative and go next, and Ethan was already biting his cheek to stop from verbally lashing out at the stuttering wreck. He couldn't speak for an entire sentence without pausing or inserting an 'um' or 'ah', and he kept glancing at everyone in the room as he spoke like some kind of prey animal. One of the only good things about him was that his desire for approval pushed him to share far more about his power than the other two - enhanced strength and durability, flight, silent movement, improved senses, and natural weapons in the form of talons. That, alongside what Ethan's power could pick out ([i]-form grows stronger the more anxious he is, calm him down and then go for the kill. Bash his knees in, his bones are hollow and will give way with a good wack from a club or tire iron. Grab the nearest chair, that can work if you hit him in the right s-[/i]) gave him a more detailed understanding of the Changer's power than any of the other wards present. Didn't make up for the constant stuttering, the hunched posture, the little neck turn thing he was trying to show off, and all the other little minor annoyances that meant nothing but still pissed Ethan the fuck off. As soon as he finished and awkwardly shuffled off behind the blond girl, Ethan couldn't help himself. [color=a36209]"Keep practicing, I'm sure you'll be able to do the neck thing eventually. Will definitely come in handy against guys like Necrophage and Sundown."[/color] Not missing a beat, Ethan took a small step forwards and continued speaking, his tone immediately shifting from sarcastic to nonchalant and uncaring. [color=a36209]"Keystone. Thinker. Hypersensitivity to flaws and vulnerabilities in systems. I know the best ways to break things, literally or metaphorically. I can crack most locks and passwords within seconds, bash a guy in the face with a bottle just the right way so the shards blind him, and can emotionally abuse someone into the fetal position if I get long enough to read them."[/color] He pointed a finger at the girl in the black catsuit and dress with the ponytail. [color=a36209]"I shouldn't get close enough for you to touch me, but other than that you're just a normal person - pepper spray you, throw a knife, anything to keep distance and keep others away from you. Definite Striker vibes, maybe Master or Trump ratings too?"[/color] [i]Not a trump, Striker/Master. Shoot her in the neck with your crossbow-[/i] Ethan's finger moved to the changer, rising a few inches until it was pointing at his chest. [color=a36209]"Your bones are hollow, so I hope you don't fly into any buildings. And avoid dudes with baseball bats or lead pipes."[/color] [color=a36209][i]And avoid me if you keep being a neurotic mess...[/i][/color] [color=a36209]"The first four digits of the admin computer account password is 4I82, the tinkertech material the walls are made of are great at absorbing kinetic energy but can be fucked up with rapid heating and cooling, and if I was suddenly bleeding out-"[/color] Ethan drew a knife and quickly pressed it against his own throat, pausing for a few seconds as he observed the reactions of the crowd. [color=a36209]"...At least three people here would have the first aid training necessary to attempt to save me, and the clone girl already has a first aid kit on hand. You win points for being prepared."[/color] Ethan smirked a little beneath his mask as he flashed a thumbs up in the girls direction. He could do this all day, but he had probably burned more bridges than he wanted to already with that - people didn't really like getting their flaws pointed out, even if he avoided the emotional and personal shit. [color=a36209]"I don't get Thinker headaches, but seeing a lot of this shit without pointing it out or attacking it really pisses me off. Can't turn my power off either, so if me knowing your computer password or emotional baggage creeps you out or you have a lot of shit going on around you that aggravates me, we should keep interactions to a minimum."[/color] Ethan stepped off to the side, not bothering with any other pleasantries now that he finished introducing himself. Even with the mask covering his face, his body language was notably more positive - clearly the chance to talk about brutally assaulting his fellow Wards had helped ease his mood.