Grrl Power VI: Stripping The Hero Doesnt Work

[Kantaki]

Keeping the shield orb in her hand all the time isn't very practical either. What if she needs both hands?

[Traab]

Keeping the shield orb in her hand all the time isn't very practical either. What if she needs both hands?

Sure maybe a better way to put it is, keep it in hand whenever you dont need to use it for something else. Its funny that all her orbs pretty much, could be useful to have in hand for a variety of scenarios, I just think the shield is the overall best option to keep handy at all times. Like, say concretia trapped her inside a cocoon of cement, she could use her ppo to blast her way out, she could use the lighthook to smash her way out, she could use the teleorb to teleport her way out or even send a message calling for help, and of course, her shield orb to keep from being captured or assaulted. But then again, her other orbs wont protect her from a direct attack, just aid her in escaping after BEING attacked. The shield is in general her best bet for staying safe until backup can arrive.

[TeChameleon]

In response to all the people saying that Sydney was crazy for jamming her gun in Concretia's mouth... the author's notes below clarified that Sydney knew Concretia (the two met during the super-brawl at the restaurant) and that having her golem-head blown off was a temporary inconvenience. It's not Sydney being psychotic.

... I wonder what would happen if Sydney ran and jumped out of the building? It's been made clear that it's physically impossible for her to be separated from the orbs by more than a certain distance (maybe 7 metres or so?), at least by any force that's been shown in the comic thus far. Would she just end up hanging from the side of the building, or would the orbs smash out of the cocoon? Seems like it could possibly go either way.

[The Glyphstone]

Based on how they shackled her at the bank in the very beginning, when the tube was pinned under the car, she would hang off the side of the building. They will move to her if they can, but weren't able to break out of a leather carrying case.

[Traab]

Its a strange effect as they will switch between what gets halted based on which is moving away from the other. Sydney got stopped dead when she left them in the car, but maxima got stopped dead when she tried to move the tube away from sydney while sydney felt nothing. So yeah, sydney would be dangling out the window.

[Ibrinar]

Thats rather beside the point. Access to her orbs was cut off and she still had a weapon which she knew how to use safely and (relatively) effectively.

Yeah I think this has rather effectively illustrated the case of the anti gun focus faction. :P Not because the gun didn't work, but because if someone had instilled some caution into her instead she would have at least put her shield up while taking pictures. The problem here was her behavior. You could say there is no way to predict that concretia is there but Sidney comes from an active super fight to stash alien high tech. Someone tailing her could definitely happen. She needs some training about general behavior, and in Sidney's case one of the central messages should be "if there is any possibility of danger and you dons't have to use two other orbs, always bubble up."

Edit: About the new page, unless their organization kinda sucks and they have no oversight from base (and i don't think we have seen any? but they should have enough military and other roots to not skimp on something obvious like that) what she said should be plenty and her position is probably tracked unless they decided to not have gps. But of course the rest is occupied so could be trouble.

[Traab]

Yeah it should be a matter of seconds to track down and locate sydney just by her last known coordinates. That arm guard of hers has gps in it automatically. Only downside is figuring out where in this high rise she is. And what precisely concretia has in mind. if its just a snatch and grab of the tech then fine, if she intends to deliver a brief monologue then kill sydney, then she is in trouble.

[Dragonus45]

Given her powers, if she plans to not be a moron about it Concretia should be out before even max could disengage from the other fight and get there. Her powers are pretty wild for being mobile and staying hidden in an urban environment.

[HandofShadows]

Why is Sydney in a chair? Something else is going on here methinks.

[Traab]

Why is Sydney in a chair? Something else is going on here methinks.

That is a very good point. She doesnt even seem restrained to the chair in any way. Its literally just a concrete (and very uncomfortable) seat. There might be a quick bit of info being passed on. Think Angel from Buffy She might be here to pass on some cryptic info then vanish into the shadows as max or whoever, shows up to "save" sydney. "When the dog howls at the dawn, cucumbers shall roam the forest. Then loose the crocodile of hearth and home."

[tyckspoon]

That is a very good point. She doesnt even seem restrained to the chair in any way. Its literally just a concrete (and very uncomfortable) seat.

The orbs were also moved a little bit further back and away - Concretia shoved them down to the floor. Sydney is restrained by being at the maximum permitted separation between her and the orbs now - she doesn't need any further physical restraints because even leaning forward to try to stand up out of the chair moves her too far from the orbs.

[Radar]

(...) "When the dog howls at the dawn, cucumbers shall roam the forest. Then loose the crocodile of hearth and home."

Heh, sounds like some proverb Cho from No Need for Bushido would try to use. Brings back good memories.

[Forum Explorer]

That is a very good point. She doesnt even seem restrained to the chair in any way. Its literally just a concrete (and very uncomfortable) seat. There might be a quick bit of info being passed on. Think Angel from Buffy She might be here to pass on some cryptic info then vanish into the shadows as max or whoever, shows up to "save" sydney. "When the dog howls at the dawn, cucumbers shall roam the forest. Then loose the crocodile of hearth and home."

I wouldn't necessarily go that far, but she has certainly made an effort to keep Sydney relatively unharmed and conscious. Like I said earlier, her first move could've been disabling Sydney. So her wanting to talk to Sydney seems likely.

[lord_khaine]

Considering Concretia's strenght. Yeah she could absolutely have hurt Sydney if she wanted to.
So she does not. That kinda leaves a talk as the remaining option.

[Dragonus45]

Talk is far from the only option. "Politely and nonlethally disable unharmed so no one wants to vaporize me." is pretty much the top of the list.

[lord_khaine]

Talk is far from the only option. "Politely and nonlethally disable unharmed so no one wants to vaporize me." is pretty much the top of the list.

Your thinking about the fear of Maxima retaliating.
I think its quite evident she is far to professional to take the law into her own hands.

And i also think, everyone can agree on that with a combination of super strenght and concrete control there are much simpler ways of no leathally disabling someone.

Concretia literally made a chair for her captive...
Besides showing off i think its a rather clear sign she want to negotiate something.

[Shining Wrath]

Either she wants to send a message to Archon via Sydney - which seems like a lot of work - or she wants something only Sydney can provide. Which is probably the orbs. Which may mean trying to figure out if the orbs can be separated from Sydney without killing her because you don't want all of Archon after you.

[lord_khaine]

Attempting to steal the orbs is also not a unreasonable goal.
But again you hardly need to create a chair for Sydney if your doing that.

[The Glyphstone]

Option 3 then, attempted kidnapping?

[Forum Explorer]

Option 3 then, attempted kidnapping?

In which case she should've done more to disable Sydney. Like a stone casing around the upper half of her head. There's no reason to allow Sydney to see or hear anything if you are kidnapping her.

[lord_khaine]

Even for a kidnapping its weird?
If your going to try and steal a heroine, you stuff her into a bag and fly off at high speed.
You dont leave her in a comfy chair, while iddling around.

This most of all look like a recruitment attemp. Or at least an interview with some shadowy mastermind.
Since at the moment, it does not matter if Max shows up. Concretia's cement body is expendable.
And her energy projection has the perfect location to slip away in.

[Radar]

Even for a kidnapping its weird?
If your going to try and steal a heroine, you stuff her into a bag and fly off at high speed.
You dont leave her in a comfy chair, while iddling around.

This most of all look like a recruitment attemp. Or at least an interview with some shadowy mastermind.
Since at the moment, it does not matter if Max shows up. Concretia's cement body is expendable.
And her energy projection has the perfect location to slip away in.

It does look as if Concretia wanted to talk.

If it was a kidnapping though, it might still make sense. Quite obviously in that case Sydney is a target of opportunity, so they did not prepare extraction from that particular place and the call Concretia made might be related to that.

[Traab]

Its entirely possible this is a kidnapping attempt, concretia might remain behind to be this person. Hopefully it ends better for her. Or she is calling for pickup seeing as she isnt the type to make quick getaways with cargo. Remember this whole thing started as an attempt to capture maxima and has spiraled into an attempt to grab valuable people or tech free for all.

[sihnfahl]

Aaand, this being a geeky ref, we're probably due for a 'Sword of Omens, Come To My Hand' moment.

[Radar]

Its entirely possible this is a kidnapping attempt, concretia might remain behind to be this person. Hopefully it ends better for her. Or she is calling for pickup seeing as she isnt the type to make quick getaways with cargo. Remember this whole thing started as an attempt to capture maxima and has spiraled into an attempt to grab valuable people or tech free for all.

Keep in mind that the kidnapping group is different than the later loot whatever you can group, so if the latter group decided for kidnapping, they might not have been prepared for the occasion.

If we are going by Commando scenario (and I hope not as Concretia seems to be fairly inteligent and that is a good trait for both protagonists and antagonists), she could be unfortunate to be this person, or that one, but most likely not this one - she is too level-headed for that.

[TeChameleon]

As a largely irrelevant tangent... what, exactly, is up with Concretia's hair? Her spirit form (or whatever) has that as well, which would theoretically mean that either her flesh-and-blood body has (or had) that same hairstyle, or else that hairstyle is so strongly rooted in her self-image that it manifests on her psychic manifestation or whatever that is.

In either case... wut

[lord_khaine]

If it was a kidnapping though, it might still make sense. Quite obviously in that case Sydney is a target of opportunity, so they did not prepare extraction from that particular place and the call Concretia made might be related to that.

Well i think the point remains, that if this was a kidnapping, Concretia would be preparing Sydney for transportation.
Not preparing her a comfy seat.

Concretia is likely calling for extraction. Of the stasis pod Sydney had stolen earlier.
As such that thing is a lot more valuable.

And stealing it wont provoke Archon nearly as much as stealing Sydney. Placing her in a "comfy" chair is likely just showing off then.

[Radar]

Well i think the point remains, that if this was a kidnapping, Concretia would be preparing Sydney for transportation.
Not preparing her a comfy seat.

Concretia is likely calling for extraction. Of the stasis pod Sydney had stolen earlier.
As such that thing is a lot more valuable.

And stealing it wont provoke Archon nearly as much as stealing Sydney. Placing her in a "comfy" chair is likely just showing off then.

You do have a point. Stealing something only makes sens, if you will be able to get away with it. Stealing alien technology gathers less attention than stealing an Archon member however valuable those orbs and Sydney might be.

[Lapak]

I'm now wondering what would happen if someone targeted Sydney (but not the orbs) with some kind of teleportation technology. Can you beam her up without the orbs? What if the closing portal that cut her off on that other world/time had closed when she was on one side and the orbs were on the other?

[Keltest]

I'm now wondering what would happen if someone targeted Sydney (but not the orbs) with some kind of teleportation technology. Can you beam her up without the orbs? What if the closing portal that cut her off on that other world/time had closed when she was on one side and the orbs were on the other?

We know that she's gone through portals before, so i assume that the orbs get teleported with her whether theyre targeted or not.