Chapter Text
Checking Primaries:
Choiral Computation System... OK
Personality Kernel... OK
Virtue Simulator... OK
CPU... OK
GPU... OK
Communications... OK
Sensories... OK
Checking Secondaries:
Hymnal Generators;
Primary (97%)
Secondary (83%)
Tertiary (91%)
Neurocopper Peripherals... OK
Crystal Heart... OK
Sin Filtrator... OK
Bounty Processor... OK
Plasteel Musculature (98%)
Summary: All Systems Normal.
As Eve follows Adam and up the basement stairs-a bit of a struggle, thanks to their size-she can't help but run another check on her systems. What can she say? She's a bit nervous about finally going out to see the world with her own lens, and especially about the little trick they're pulling.
Thankfully, Taylor's father doesn't wake up to the sounds they make, or else there would have been a long conversation in all of their immediate futures. Instead, they manage to slink out into the night without issue, and once they're far enough away to not be potentially tracked to the house, they both turn up their Hymnal Generators.
With the sound of vague, echoing hymns in some unknown language, Eve begins moulding gravity and light to her whims. Slowly, she floats up a few inches into the air, while the bones of her wings are coated in hardlight to create golden feathers. Above her head, her halo gains another ring as she goes up into what she can only call a second gear, and gravity relinquishes its grip on her.
If Eve were currently capable of it, she'd smile. She does however let out a bit of a whoop as she follows behind Adam, flying up into the sky and covering ground just above the height of the buildings below them. It was an incredible view, and from the way she could hear Taylor gasp over the coms, she agreed.
Good! Taylor deserved more good things in her life. If Eve could add even one more thing to that list, then she was happy. Maybe for a human that would be a concerning mental state, being so dedicated to another, but Eve isn't human, now is she?
She is a machine, an angel. Even if Taylor didn't hard code any kind of loyalty or failsafes into Adam or her, why would Eve do anything but adore her creator? It's why what they are about to do hurts so much, going against Taylor's plan, but it's for the best.
"Uh, guys? I just looked over the GPS and you're breaking off from the patrol route. Did you guys spot something?"
"Not quite, World."
"So, where are you going then?"
"Well," Eve stalls, "We figured that it might be a good idea to introduce ourselves to the local heroes first, before any potential misunderstandings arise. Wouldn't want the PRT getting itchy trigger fingers after all, now would we?"
"I-wha-well," Taylor stutters, "I guess I can see your point, but do you really think they'll just shoot you guys? I mean, they're supposed to be all about deescelation, right?"
"You are approaching this from a civilian point of view, World." Adam interjects. "Civilians know that the Simurgh is bad. Capes and the PRT have experienced how bad it is. That leads to trauma, and trauma leads to guns firing, even when they shouldn't. If we come to them first and explain ourselves, then we can hopefully mitigate any fear-mongering or issues in the field."
"...Ok, yeah, I guess I see your point." Taylor sighs over the mic. "I still think you're both being a little paranoid, but go for it I guess?"
Good, they've got the greenlight to contact the heroes. That at least makes things easier on both their consciences, rather than needing to disobey a direct order.
They fly without incident for a surprisingly long time, at least until some civilians out at night spot the two of us, running away screaming. Not a good start. Still, it only takes minutes after that starts for them to hear PRT sirens and the sound of a motorcycle approaching fast. Good response time, though that may be because of the nature of the panicked calls they must have gotten.
From around a corner, a figure in green with an american flag covering the lower half of their face comes racing around the corner to the road they were currently hovering over, her bike screeching to a halt as she flips over the handlebars and into a perfect three point landing. In her free hand is a pistol, which quickly shifts into some sort of launcher. Definitely Miss Militia then, along with two PRT heavy vehicles behind her that quickly unload nearly a dozen troops, all aiming weapons up at them.
"Parahuman hostiles!" Miss Militia shouts, "Deactivate your powers and put your weapons down, now!"
"Be not afraid." Adam says, that joker, "We mean no harm."
Even so, they both follow the woman's orders, drifting down to the road and deactivating their Hymnal Generators, leaving them without feathers and only the one ring of their halos. Slowly, Eve puts the Harmonic Stabilizer on the ground, Adam doing the same with the Cross Barrier beside her, and they put their hands on their heads as requested.
It seems that the lack of backlighting from their wings reveals their appearances, since Eve can see the way the hero and the troops behind her hesitate, before Miss Militia shifts her weapon to a pistol and slowly starts to approach.
"I said deactivate your powers, why are you still making that sound? Or those halos?"
"Oh, we couldn't stop those even if we wanted to!" Eve says brightly, knocking her knuckles against her head. "The song is for thinking, and the halo's for breathing. Technically."
The woman narrows her eyes at that, but mutters something into her earpiece and points her gun down at the floor. Slowly, the PRT officers behind her do the same, which makes Taylor let out a breath of relief back at home.
"Well then, apologies for the harsh treatment, but there are certain... concerns that come with the imagery of, well, people that look like you. You might not know yet, but there's a terrible threat out there called the Simurgh-"
"Ah," Adam interjects, "You believe we are Case 53's. That is incorrect."
Miss Militia, who had been slowly relaxing, tenses up once more. "Oh? Then what are you?"
"A Tinker made us, of course!"
"...Sorry?"
"We are All-terrain Navigation and General Endeavors Linkage units." Adam says, "ANGELs, if you'd like to use the acronym."
Eve could swear she heard the heroine curse under her breath, which is quite naughty. There is a child present, even if she doesn't know it!
"And what is your purpose?"
"World has tasked us with making the Bay a better place. To be heroes, essentially."
That seems to help Miss Militia relax a little bit more, though not by much.
"Good. I take it that this World person isn't here right now?"
"No, but she is listening in over coms. Say hi, World!" Eve giggles at that, and can practically feel the shame rolling off of Adam at his little blunder. Not that Taylor had even mentioned a hero name before! Even so, she routes Taylor's microphone through her voice modulator before the girl can protest too much.
"U-uhm, hello, Miss Militia! It's really nice to meet you!"
Her voice seems to make the heroine calm down much more, presumably because of the youth and clear excitement in Taylor's tone. With the tension cut, she and Adam slowly lower their arms, which makes Miss Militia twitch but she doesn't make them put them back up.
"It's nice to meet you too, World. I have to ask though, did you really need to make them look like... this?"
"Kind of, yeah. My focus seems to be on biblically-influenced technology, so singing angels were the only kind of automated robot I could think of. And of course, everything is powered by song too. Just my luck."
The heroine winces at that. "That certainly seems... inconvenient. So, what did you come out for tonight?"
"Well, we were hoping to introduce ourselves-"
"And that is where we have to cut in, sorry World." Eve cuts off Taylor's ability to speak through her as Adam does the same, effectively locking the girl out of the conversation. She protests of course at home, but without direct access she can't override their systems. The heroine is tensing up again though, so Eve sends Adam a message to hurry up.
"To be frank, Miss Militia, our creator needs help." That seems to stun the human for a moment, so he continues. "She is actively subjecting herself to an abusive environment that she could hopefully escape with your help, but refused to contact you or your compatriots once I was complete because of Pride. She wishes to prove herself before coming to your organization to join the Wards, but I don't believe her to be happy, healthy or even safe in her current school environment."
"The kindest thing we can do," Eve continues, "Is ask for your help in getting her into the Wards and out of her current school as soon as possible, rather than waiting for however long she believes she needs to get a high enough reputation before coming to you. Do you think you can help us?"
On one side, Adam and her are explaining things to Miss Militia, on the other side, they're forced to watch and listen as Taylor shouts and protests and even starts to cry a little over their little betrayal. Her trust is an incredibly fragile thing, and it breaks Eve's heart to do this, but it's for her own good. It's hard being a hero, even with a whole family's support, and right now Taylor has none.
... Wait, how would Eve know that with such confidence? She's never had a family. That doesn't... where-
Eve is shaken from her thoughts by Miss Militia letting out a strangled sound that could generously be called a laugh.
"I never thought I'd be asked for Wards membership on behalf of a Tinker by one of their creations. Actually, I don't think there even is a protocol for that situation, which is pretty rare. For now, I'll treat this as a concerned friend or family member and say that we can't force someone to join the Wards except for criminals on a probation contract, but I can send for a copy of the preliminary paperwork and some informational pamphlets to show to World and her parents? And in the meantime you can tell me more about this abusive school situation."
"That would be very useful, thank you."
As Miss Militia mutters into her earpiece, Eve shares a look with Adam as Taylor finally starts to calm down and go quiet back at home. Hopefully she'll understand just why we decided to do this, and hopefully she'll eventually forgive us.
Part 1 of The Plan is complete.