Chapter 105 - They Grow Up So Fast

While Miss Calculated carefully navigates the ruined remnants of the supply room, heading over to mark the wall for Miss Masher's breakthrough, Lucas is busy raiding the now-doorless fridge.

[...It isn't going to be that much longer before lunch, do you really need to resort to this? Also, she did specify that the fridge is unreliable, it might not be such a good idea to eat anything from it.]

'Psh, a soda should still be fine though.'

[It still will-]

Before 427 can finish pointing out that it is a GDV loss, Lucas has already opened a can of root beer and immediately began chugging it.

While Lucas was making his beverage selection, the studious office worker had discovered his recent viral popularity. Deciding to contribute to the budding community, she covertly started up her own stream, documenting his petty theft.

Smashing the emptied can into a flattened disc on his forehead, he tosses it to his right, making it bounce off of a wall and land in a waiting trashcan in a flawless trickshot.

'Fuck, I really like this new power.'

[...I'm not entirely sure why that earned back the GDV you lost for stealing it in the first place, but it did. Oh, perhaps it's because you're being streamed, yet again. I suppose you motivated some people to try their own creative throws into garbage cans, instead of… Simply littering? Though I'm surprised anyone has even started viewing it yet, as she just started.]

'Wait, what?'

Before Lucas has a chance to turn around to look at the middle-aged woman recording him with her phone, 427 replicates the sound of loudly clearing his throat.

[If they know that you know you're being recorded, that changes how they'll perceive your actions.]

'So..? Oh, we're about to go stop a murderer, shouldn't make it look scripted, yeah?'

[Right, make it seem like a candid recording, which it technically is.]

Taking 427's suggestion to heart, Lucas unreservedly belches loudly.

[...]

'...What? Mmm, root beer, round two.'

Miss Masher's distinct laughter echoes out of the wrecked supply room, and shortly after, Miss Calculated steps back into the break room.

She quickly glances at the recording employee, quickly noticing the angle her phone is being held at and immediately speculating as to what she's doing. Deciding similarly as 427, she is pointedly unresponsive and just turns her attention to Lucas, which was her goal in coming back into the break room anyway.

"All right, Mash is now in position. There's no time like the present, right?" As Miss Calculated announces Miss Masher's level of preparedness, Willy trots over to stand in the gap in the wall dividing the two rooms, now standing beside her.

Lucas nods once and then rips off the freezer door, idly tossing it back over his shoulder. His casual movements make it seem like it's a coincidence that it has also, somehow, made it into the large garbage can.

"Hey, watch out for a sec you two." Lucas glances at Miss Calculated and Willy for a moment, then begins pulling the fridge away from the wall. While it isn't outwardly obvious to anyone else, he is cautious when tugging it along, intentionally ensuring it is unplugged, as opposed to ripping the power cord apart.

"Hey Mash, ya want a drink?" Shouting out as he grabs hold of the refrigerator from both its front and rear, he casually shakes the contents of it into the supply room through the hole in the wall. He did at least double-check that there's no one in firing range first, and had earned additional laughter from Miss Masher as a reward.

[...Perhaps you're more well-suited for having an audience than I previously thought. Are you even intentionally exaggerating your showmanship, or would you have done that the same regardless?]

'Ehhh, probably the same. It was pretty funny though, wasn't it?'

While Lucas grins to himself, 427 merely groans.

As Lucas repositions the now-empty fridge to prepare for his brick breaching bonanza, Miss Calculated does actually start picking through the emptied contents, eventually tossing a water bottle over to Miss Masher, as well as opening one for herself.

[...How!?]

'What?'

[...All I can assume is that it was because you dumped it in a convenient location for her, which is the reason why. I know you'll ask, so I'll just say it; you gained .01 GDV each for both bottles of water she just picked up. Regardless, you just lost another .05 GDV as the girl outside killed another person.]

'Sheesh, way to be a killjoy.'

[...You're the one that's taking your sweet time to finish this task. At least Jonathan is gaining GDV at a steady clip while he keeps cleaning up your mess.]

'...They grow up so fast. I remember back when it used to be the other way around.'

[That was literally yesterday.]

'Tch, you really are a killjoy.'

[...Angle the refrigerator a bit more, don't go at the wall flat. No, the other way. A bit more... There you are.]

Miss Calculated is watching as Lucas wiggles the empty fridge around while following 427's directions, nearly speaking up a few times to say something quite similar to his instructions. Once it is positioned to both of their satisfaction, she clears her throat to get his and Miss Masher's attention.

"Well, I believe we're good to go. Get ready Mash, I'll say when. Whenever you're ready, Lucas." As Miss Calculated says this to get the ball rolling, she has positioned herself so as to have the best possible available field of view of the area Lucas is about to smash through, all while taking into account the girl's line of sight from her estimated position.

'You know, she's just totally taken over leading this little adventure, hasn't she?'

[...She has been for a while now. Can you really blame her for just automatically assuming she should treat you similarly to how she treats Miss Masher?]

'I… Uh… Okay, no. This is just a normal day for her, isn't it?'

[That is the impression I have been getting.]

Chuckling to himself quietly, Lucas leans back slightly as he establishes a firm grip. His thumbs are tucked inside the two upper corners of the fridge section while his other fingers are tightly gripping the bottom of the freezer section, clenched tightly enough that his fingers are crushing small indents in the cold metal.

Satisfied with his hold, he lunges forward, shoving the unit through the wall almost effortlessly. Accompanied by his signature super-strength-related-nonsense brand of crazed hysterical laughter, he starts charging in a straight line towards the girl settled on the stack of crates. He's hunched so that his body is in no way visible to her, merely presenting a loudly laughing sliding metal box accompanied by some rogue bricks.

Needless to say, the suddenly exploding section of the wall birthing the aggressive appliance greatly startles the girl, causing her to misfire the marble she had just had queued up. It ends up uselessly ricocheting off of the wall of the alley before she stops supporting it with her power.

"Mash, now!" Miss Calculated was on the alert, so the moment she saw the accidentally fired shot she immediately calls Miss Masher to action.

Ready and waiting, Miss Masher delivers her own delighted cheers of destruction as she bursts through the wall with the help of the fridge door. Confident in the instructions her sister gave, she simply charges in a straight line, holding the door up in front of her as an improvised tower shield.

Thanks to the distant point Lucas originally started from, she cuts in front of him with room to spare, directly crashing through the stack of crates at full speed.

The offending supe railgun releases a startled shriek which transitions into a blood-curdling scream from among the shattering wood, but it is very short-lived. Following a sickening wet crunch, Miss Masher continues charging right through the opposing wall, accompanied by the crash of metal against brick. She leaves a scattering of bits of splintered wood in her wake, as well as a streak of blood, with one little tatter of yellow cloth slowly fluttering down to the ground.

[...Congratulations on completing your moderate GDV task for a reward of 1.33 GDV, although that is not accounting for the various penalties you already suffered along the way. Rather than the value being diminished from having multiple participating parties, it was increased, as you had managed to gain the legitimate participation of established supervillains. This… Tactic..? May prove useful in the future for increased gains, and perhaps even for converting others.]

Having stopped his own charge, Lucas notices the bag of marbles that fell to the ground a short distance to the side, two marbles slowly rolling out towards him when he looks down at it.

'...I guess she won't be needing those anymore.'

-----

Lucas kills this chapter: 0

Lucas total kills: 7

Lucas deaths this chapter: 0

Lucas total deaths: 11

Lucas assists: 1 (lol KDA, should this stay as a future metric, with per-chapter too?)

Lucas current GDV: 11.64 (-.01 +.01 +.01 +.02 -.05 -.01 +1.33 = +1.3 net change)

Lucas's fame level: 4* (Beyond just local, viral meme tier. Local levels are fairly high.)

Lucas's hero suspicion level: 2* (More than just passing suspicion for only a few paranoid individuals)

Jonathan kills this chapter: 0

Jonathan total kills: 6

Jonathan deaths this chapter: 0

Jonathan total deaths: 2

Jonathan current GDV: 3.38 (+.1 +.1 +.1 +.11 +.1 = +.51 net change)

Jonathan's fame level: 2.5* (Mostly just local)

Jonathan's hero suspicion level: 2.25* (More than just passing suspicion for a few paranoid individuals)

Willy's fame level: 1* (Anonymous meme fame, local fame as 'Xenoclast's dog')

Supervillain social circle size: 11

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Little character theater:

Jonathan, still trapped in minor GDV hell, helping person after person. At least he was able to start making his way over towards Lucas's task, about to go see if he could help, just as they finished. It was enough for partial credit for intent, at least, aaand then another minor task: Aaargh! There are too many people watching, stop giving me tasks 011!

Willy has trotted over to stand next to Lucas once he stopped his charge, gently headbutting his leg, then looking up at him: Bark?

Lucas, at a loss as to what Willy is trying to convey: Uhh, what is it, buddy?

427, examining the extent of damage that Miss Masher has merrily made: [Well… It's a good thing she gained as much credit from the task as she did...]

Author, shrugging: Mash may or may not have continued charging much further than necessary. Who could say?

Mr. Quacks, on the roof of a mangled car in the middle of a pileup, cheering Jonathan on during his task spree: Quack!