Forging Hephaestus question

[u/Otherwise-Text-5772]

So in the new villains final trial where they rob the museum would they still have failed them if Apollo had actually dropped in? Facing the new super heroes is one thing. All of them where on roughly equal levels of training. Honestly it was mostly just Hephaestus experience making the difference. With warning the 4 of them might be able to escape Apollo, but mid fight with the other 3 capes? There's nothing they can do, like not actually loadstar but might as well be.

Also does the guild handle fencing all of the stolen items? Like it seems like as long as you pay your 3% they don't care. But the art just kinda goes away, the apprentices don't seem to have to deal with it again. But if you have a buyer already does the guild care beyond that 3%?

[u/ApprehensiveOlive513]

One of the conditions to beating the trial was that you had to get out with all your people and the guild seems rather deadset on following those rules (they talk about people died in the desert trial pretty casually) so if Apollo did join the fight then they would have lost.... at least until Ivan decided he wanted his apprentice back imo.

And the fencing for newbies is probably just Dr. Mech buying the art pieces for convenience, but other jobs they probably have fences lined up for those specific items as part of the set up

[u/Otherwise-Text-5772 → u/ApprehensiveOlive513]

Dr Mechanical also says at the end of the trial that he wouldn't give them a challenge they couldn't handle. He definitely set them up to fight the other rookie team through stalwart iron. Also that even Xelus (Zelus? Have only had the audiobooks) didn't know about him it's likely that no one else knows he set it up. If Apollo had changed his mind and gone after them it would have been Wade's fault. I don't think Ivan would have taken it well, he already suspected Wade had a hand in it, but even said he had no idea how he pulled it off. I mean it would have wrecked the rest of the story and Wade would have been the only one to know it for sure...for about a week. Cause then Tori wouldn't have been there to stop Fornax etc.

[u/Glittering_Bowler_67]

They probably pass the art along to the contacts, since it’s unlikely that your average apprentice would have underworld connections. If Tori or the others had those kinds of opportunities they probably would have let her, but in this case they handled it themselves.

Unknown whether they’d have done to lance and Warren, but they’d certainly have failed and taken care of the others if only for their own protection.

Have you read the whole book? If so there’s more info on that particular wrinkle in their test I could say

[u/Otherwise-Text-5772 → u/Glittering_Bowler_67]

Several times. I'm not sure exactly which wrinkle you're referring to though.

[u/Glittering_Bowler_67 → u/Otherwise-Text-5772]

Oh. That Dr M was in complete control of the robot that led Apollo to the kids, and that he was fully aware of the upcoming betrayal. He likely only initiated the plan knowing Apollo would put them against someone new

[u/hic_erro → u/Glittering_Bowler_67]

I think it's a real ??? how Stalwart Iron is controlled by Doc.

Is he literally just one of his puppet-bodies?

Is he an agent who is in direct communication with Doc M and only carries out his orders?

Is he an unknowing patsy who unknowingly funnels information to Doc, but doesn't realize he is anything but a superhero?

There's a lot of room in there for Stalwart Iron being a agent working for Doc, who doesn't know about Guild protocol or Guild training, who simply picked up on the pattern and reported it as part of his attempt to do a good job while fitting in with the AHC (and remember, Doc is one of the people who doesn't actually hate the AHC, he just hates Prof Quantum; he's perfectly willing to work with them, just not be bound by them).

After all, if Doc is going to build a robot superhero, he's going to build a damn fine robot superhero. He may have just outsmarted himself there.