The Mall Cluster

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   <default>The Mall Cluster</default>
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<image source="Image"></image> <image source="image"></image> <header>Information</header> <label>Alignment</label> <label>Leader(s)</label> <label>Leader(s)</label> <label>Allies</label> <label>Allies</label> <label>Status</label> <label>Location</label> <label>First Appearance</label> <header>First Appearance</header> <label>Worm Debut</label> <label>Ward Debut</label> </infobox> Rain's Cluster is the group he triggered in, also known as Wandering Hand or Clenched Fist, is a group of multi-triggers and a subject of Ward.

Goals and Methods

Like many multi-triggers, they suffered from Kill/Kiss syndrome toward the others in their multi-trigger; With all four members suffering from personality changes, majority of cluster gangs up to go after Rain.

Due to the set up of their trigger they all experience a shared dream while asleep. The space is divided into multiple sections for each member of the group.<ref name="I4aII e2">A scene faded, unremembered. Points of light became light. Darkness became shadows in a large, dark room.

There was no skylight, no corridor, no crowd or mall. In the center of the room was a spike of twisted metal and glass topped by what looked like a sundial without a marker. Light shone through the glass as if it was coming through the other side, but no source could be seen. The different tints of the red-blue-purple light divided the room into four sections, with a fifth left dark. Each section was littered with debris of different sorts.

Without even needing to look to check the position, Rain reached down for the chair. Always in the same place, the same position. The floor in his section was dilapidated. Uneven floorboards with spaces between them. There were scattered books, tools that looked like they hadn’t been touched in a while, and some assorted branches and dry pine needles, as if it was a space that had been exposed to the elements. He put the chair down on the ground. - Excerpt from Interlude 4a II</ref> Here they can hold discussions.<ref name="3.4 e1"/>

They have power tokens they can exchange with each other to strengthen specific aspects. If one of them dies, his tokens are divided randomly.

Power interactions

In general, everyone in the group is resistant to emotion affecting powers of their fellow cluster-mates.<ref>“We’re resistant to each other’s emotion powers,” the boy said, as he climbed to his feet with a groan. - Excerpt from Interlude 5y</ref> As well as, presumably, other emotion effecting powers to a greater or lesser degree.<ref name="R5">Having emotion manipulation usually appends a degree of emotion manipulation resistance. They'd probably both be pretty darn resistant to one another. That would include Gallant fuzzing Cherish's emotion map. His blast could theoretically knock her on her ass but wouldn't do much more than that (and against those she was controlling, would probably dash whatever effects were present to the winds, or sufficiently confuse/paralyze them to stop whatever Cherish had them doing).

When I say 'pretty darn resistant', I'd really say that the 80-100% resistance they had would veer one way or the other depending on how in concert they were with their passenger at the time of the encounter. - Comment by WildBow on Reddit</ref>

Every night they dream together and in these dreams they can share powers. Each member of the cluster is isolated in their own room with a dais at center. Their powers are represented by tokens and the members of the clusters can pass their tokens to one another at the dais, as each room is separated by an invisible barrier. It is unknown if each token represents a particular power or if each token represents a boost to all powers.

Members

Name:	Powers:
Snag	Can reorient gravity for himself, allowing among other things a pseudo-flight ability. (primary) Can "charge" objects with negative emotions; generally used on his tinker-tech. Tinker-tech that enhances his arms, augmenting reach, strength, and durability as well as providing a weapons platform. Easily breaks through inorganic objects, possibly touch-only. Time sensitive boost.
Love Lost	Wall runner, enhanced speed. Emotion-affecting scream, possibly augmented with Tinker tech mask. Makes people irrationally angry, and can cause them to disregard normal friendships and loyalties. (primary) Tinker-tech claws on all four limbs, which enhance her mover abilities. Unclear ability that seems to sharpen her claws. Time sensitive boost
Cradle	Unknown Mover ability  Unknown emotion manipulation ability "Limb" tinker; appears to create hand-themed drones. (primary) Unknown slice-like ability Time sensitive boost
Rain	Enhanced balance, ability to temporarily arrest his personal inertia for a brief moment.  Weak emotional-dampening effect over a small area, causing grief/depression with a set circular radius. Tinker ability allows for the creation of fragile extra arms, which can be combined with his cutting ability to create traps.   Blaster effect that produces a long cutting blade. Causes objects/organic beings to split along the affected areas if force is applied or the target moves too quickly (primary) Time sensitive boost
Red Herring	Unknown (possibly doesn't exist)

History

Background

There was a fire at a mall. This led to four, possibly five, people triggering.

The as with group triggers, they came together and then fell apart. Splitting up so it is essentially everyone against Rain.<ref name="P.4e3">17593Q183H17953R9713E714693: You’re clearly looking for info on multis.
of5: Yes
of5: I am.
17593Q183H17953R9713E714693: I can provide.
[...]
17593Q183H17953R9713E714693: You’re part of the new cluster from the mall.
of5: No comment.
[...]
17593Q183H17953R9713E714693: The one I talked to said there’s a woman, two boys, and him. I’m going to assume you’re the one I’ve termed the runt. The smallest, easiest target.
17593Q183H17953R9713E714693: The woman is gathering funds to hire mercenaries and come after you. The one I talked to hired an information broker to find you. Her name is Tattletale. She’s good. She has resources. including the mercenaries I just mentioned. She’s also preoccupied for now.
17593Q183H17953R9713E714693: A favor from me to you.
17593Q183H17953R9713E714693: That leaves you & the last one. It sounds like all 3 are coordinating vs. you. - Excerpt from Glow-worm P.4</ref><ref>Flare 2.5</ref><ref>Glare 3.4</ref>

They also share an unconscious connection with each other which causes them to exchange information and details, though they have some control over this process.<ref name="3.4 e1">“Yeah,” Rain said. “Again, it’s the dreams, I can pick up a little, and I can throw them off a little. The thing about being outnumbered in this situation is that I have a lot of opportunities to pick up details. One clue from any of them can help a lot.”

“Details like?”

“The woman is injured, and Snag wants to repair the arm you trashed. That buys me a few days. So, uh, thank you.”

“The third one won’t come after you alone?”

“He’s a guy, a little older than me. Glasses. He’s the person with the tinker power. I haven’t picked up much about him, but he doesn’t interact with people much. Less than Snag or the woman, and Snag is an asshole and the woman is mute, so that should tell you something.” - Excerpt from Glare 3.4</ref> to them it appears to be an abstract representation of the mall.<ref>Interlude 4a II</ref> Each section representing their respective natures.

Their powers are divided up as follows:

Powers Breakdown

Name:	Movement	Emotion	Tinker	Blaster	?	Dream Token
Snag	Phenomenal Mover ability	Emotional munitions	Large tinker claw arms	Punch through walls easily	Time sensitive boost	Glass
Love Lost	Wall runner	Emotion Scrambling Roar	Techno arms	Sharp claws	Time sensitive boost	Teeth
Cradle	???	???	Appendage Tinker	???	Time sensitive boost	Coin
Runt	Enhanced balance/inertia cancellation	Doubt Generation	Gimpy tinker arms	Can create a long cutting blade that can go through anything	Time sensitive boost	Metal Shards
Hypothetical fifth	???	???	???	???	Trump?	Random

Several groups took notice of the groups trigger and creation.<ref name="P.4e3"/>

Rain started making friends of his own.

The trigger group started gathering allies to go after Rain.

Rain decided to come clean.

Early-Ward

Still trying to get Rain. Recruiting villains and more to try and kill him.

Rain also tried recruiting people.

Trivia

• Wandering Hand and Clenched Fist or just Hand and Fist are proposed fan names for this cluster much like how The Stable has its term.

References

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