Call Me Collector (WORM)

[You have rolled…

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EXPLOITER: From now on you are a Master and your word is the Law.]

Foreign memories flowed into my head and I knew how to use Exploiter. I could Master people by simply talking to them, but I had to talk with them directly.

Talking to someone through a recording or a telephone wouldn't work and there was also a limit to the number of people I could Master at a time, but I was not aware of the limit.

Apparently, I had to experiment with my powers if I wanted to learn more…

I had so many questions, but a fucking Mater power? Well, I couldn't complain much. I was not a fighter. I have never fought in my past life.

Okay, I might have thrown a few punches when I was in high school in my world, but that was it. So, a Master power was right up my alley, but being a Master came with a huge stigma.

If the PRT came to learn about me then they would try their best to capture me and throw me inside some hole if I was unlucky or they might give me an offer I can't refuse if I was lucky.

I had read what happened to Canary in canon and as expected, I was highly reluctant to follow her footsteps…

However, there was something else I was worried about… I couldn't help but wonder if my power came from a Shard. If so, then did I have the Conflict Drive or is my Shard still connected to the Network?

I subconsciously closed the pop-up before looking around… I did not feel any urge to use EXPLOITER to gather DATA, which was a good thing, I suppose.

"Excuse me, can you point me toward Broadwalk?" I asked a passerby, who helpfully gave me the directions. I didn't even have to use my Master powers, but more than that, I was surprised to see that people were still willing to help strangers in this shithole.

"Thank you" I thanked the man politely before going on my merry way while wondering if I should spend my last roll or wait.

After pondering for a whole minute, I decided to roll. After all, getting a power didn't mean that I was going to become an expert at using that particular power instantly.

For example, I knew how to use Exploiter, but I did not know all of its perks or its limits. I needed to use it in the real world to learn more and I expected that to be the same case for every other power I acquired…

[You have rolled…

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CONCOCTION MAKER: You want a Potion? Make it yourself.]

Foreign memories flowed into my head and this time I winced thanks to the absurd amount of memories being shoved into my head. 

The pain didn't last for long, but I found myself reeling from all the knowledge I had acquired. Potion recipes of various kinds were residing inside my head, and I could invent more with more practice.

CONCOCTION MAKER was a Tinker power, but this was huge. I needed raw materials to make my potions, but the sheer potential left me reeling.

I have read about Armsmaster, Dragon, and Bakuda in the canon. All three of them were amazing, no arguments, but now that I was a Tinker myself, I could see why Tinkers were feared all over.

I could become unstoppable if given enough time and as long as I didn't tip my hand too early, I would become completely unstoppable.

Now, I needed to decide what to do… 

I finally arrived at Broadwalk and I had to admit, it felt relaxing to be here with the calm breeze hitting me on the face. 

It had been quite a morning, so I decided to sit down and enjoy the breeze before finally making a decision. 

Joining the PRT was the smartest option here. They would happily welcome a Tinker who could make Potions into their fold. After all, I could potentially replace Panacea and yes, I knew how to cook Healing Potions of various effects.

However, they would put sanctions on me… They would limit what I could make and what I couldn't. I would be forced to spend the rest of my life trotting for good PR.

Yeah, that would be worse than death…

Additionally, I had powers now and Project Terminus was a thing, which meant I could take over Brockton Bay as long as I played my cards right and being the ruler of a city, sounded really nice.

Even if the city was a steaming pile of shit right now… I could always fix it. With time, I was only going to grow stronger, so it was an obvious choice to make.

Only a fool would choose to join the PRT in my shoes…

In my world, I was just a guy… A guy who was better than average, but I was still just a guy. A somewhat memorable among others. I played sports in high school and college, but I was never able to enter the big leagues.

I had a 9-5 job and I was satisfied with it, but that was it…

There was nothing more to it. I wasn't going to leave a mark no matter what I did, but now I finally had an opportunity to mark my name in the annals of history.

Well, as long as I could earn more rolls… 

After all, even with both EXPLOITER and CONCOCTION MAKER, in the end, I was just a squishy human. Even an errant bullet could end my journey before it could even start.

I could use CONCOCTION MAKER to cook some Strengthening Potion for myself, but I lacked the raw materials to do so. 

Visiting any drugstore would solve my problem, but that would also force me to reveal my hand before I was prepared. If the canon was to be believed then the PRT and the other gangs were always on the lookout for new Tinkers.

A Tinker like me would have all of them salivating… Before materials to make it big, what I needed was protection and a workforce.

Thankfully, this was Brockton Bay and I knew a very good place to acquire one. Right at that moment, my stomach rumbled, reminding me that I hadn't eaten anything since I woke up.

However, before that, I needed to eat something… 

***

I wanted to try a burger from Fugly Bob's, but I didn't want to walk that far since according to the maps, Fugly Bob's was somewhere in the market and I was in Broadwalk.

Maybe some other time, but I was determined to try it even once…

In the various Worm Fanfictions, it was really easy to find the Merchants, but I didn't even know where to start. However, according to canon a lot of Homeless people were bunking around the Trainyard.

Homeless people were the easiest targets for Merchants, so I was hoping to find some Merchant members there. If that did not work, then I might need to start Mastering normal people and I didn't want to do that.

After all, I needed to draw a line somewhere… It was a slippery slope and all that. 

The Trainyard was a shithole… There was no other word for it. The difference between the Broadwalk and the Trainyard was like night and day, which was a good thing considering I was looking for a bunch of druggies.

I could already see some scantily dressed hookers waiting on the sides of the streets, beckoning and flirting with the people passing by. Some of the hookers noticed me along with some passers-by and started to frown immediately.

Oh my, looks like I was already drawing some attention…

"Hey, handsome…" One of the hookers called out as she approached me, trying to be as seductive as she could, but failed. "Did you lose your way or something?" The hooker asked with a grin and I noticed a lot of people watching me.

Most of the people were minding their own business, but some were watching me like a hawk. I realized that I might have miscalculated the ire my looks would earn me in this part of the city. 

Which meant that I needed to get away… Otherwise, one of the people watching me might pull a piece at me and that would be bad. Still a squishy human, remember?

Thankfully, the hooker had offered me a way out of here. Well, not a way out of here, but I could easily use her to find someplace more private. 

I wasn't planning to use any of her services, considering she was probably carrying a lot of diseases and even if she was clean, I wouldn't have touched her with a ten-foot pole.

Even if she was the last woman on this planet I wouldn't have fucked her…

"Or something" I answered back with a grin. "Would you mind if we find ourselves a…" I looked around "...a more private setting?" I finished.

"As long as you can pay, handsome" The hooker answered.

"Of course" I said and patted my back pocket. The hooker grinned widely and urged me to follow her. She led me into one of the back alleys and even though some of the people were still watching me dangerously, none of them approached me.

"Empty your pockets!" The hooker snapped and I felt my hackles raise as she turned around while holding a small gun.

Fuck! I cursed inside my head. I am really bad at reading people apparently. I wasn't expecting her to pull a gun at me. In fact, I didn't even think she was carrying a gun in the first place.

My path to domination was looking a lot more treacherous than I expected or I had a shitty luck…

"Didn't you hear me faggot?! Empty your pockets!" The hooker snarled and her shrill voice made me wince. 

I realized that it might be the time to finally start using EXPLOITER or I may not be able to use it ever…

"Lower your gun" I said while using EXPLOITER and while I didn't feel any different, the hooker sure lowered her gun, looking at me with wide and fearful eyes. 

"Don't scream, don't run, just stand there" I ordered again as soon as I realized that she was still completely aware. 

I realized how EXPLOITER worked. My Master powers allowed me to take control of someone's body, but their mind remained their own. Heartbreaker was different from me.

He not only took over their body, but he also took over their minds…

As for the limits of EXPLOTER, I could already feel a small pressure in my mind. It wasn't bothering me or something, but I could tell that it was there.

"Why did you target me?" I asked. The pressure I was feeling in my mind didn't change, which meant using EXPLOITER on someone who was already under my control didn't affect my limit.

The hooker obviously looked reluctant and I could see tears rolling out of her eyes, but the answer still flowed out of her mouth even though her voice trembled.

"You were an easy target. No one was going to help you here" The hooker answered before she burst into sobbing. Her legs trembled but her legs did not move an inch. It must be due to my order.

Good to know what EXPLOITER was capable of…

"Are you a member of the Merchants?" I asked.

"Yes" The hooker managed to answer in between her sobs. A part of me felt bad for her, but she was planning to rob me and then probably shoot me, so fuck her. 

"Do you have a pimp?" I asked. Leaving this alley with the hooker would draw attention, especially when she was she was such a mess, but going with a pimp may not draw that much attention. In fact, the other Merchants might ignore me completely.

"Yes" The girl answered again.

"Call him and tell him to come here. Act normally. Do not raise any suspicion" I ordered again and her whole body stiffened. 

It looked like something foreign had taken over her body. Tears were still rolling out of her eyes, but her body language was totally opposite. She pulled out a flip phone and made the call.

It looked like there were two different people stuffed inside that body. I am starting to believe that my power might be even more horrible than Heartbreaker's. 

He took over both mind and body, but my power could make someone a prisoner inside their own body.

On another note, the pressure I was feeling on my mind did not change, which meant my limit only depended on the number of people I was Mastering… It looks like I needed to conduct more experiments.

Geneva Conventions were nothing but a checklist…

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