Calamity Read-Along Chapters 5-9

Welcome back to another week! When we last left them, the Reckoners minus Prof were trying to break into the Knighthawk Foundry to steal Epic-derived tech. Someone just spoke to David out of the shadows...

Chapter 5

That meant I only got shot once.

Oh, yeah, like totally, nbd. Just once. In the leg. Not like that's gonna cripple you and make it hard to run away or anything. <end sarcasm>

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Firefight was looking at me, again. Through the flames of distortion, two black eyes met my own.

Okay, so that's kind of creepy too. The spectre from another world actually acknowledges the people in the world he's pulled into... I'm fairly certain that multiple science fiction books have been written about why it's a bad idea to warp realities.

Whatever she'd been fighting off when using her powers recently, it was coming for her in force.

What if... what if another world where she doesn't have David as a stabilizing influence is trying to get through to her? Or what if...
You know, I'm realizing the problem with someone who can pull alternate realities into existence--there are literally thousands of possibilities as to what's happening with Megan. And a thousand theories I could extrapolate. I think I'm going to stop now before my brain starts to hurt any more than it already does.

Chapter 6

 She didn't answer, but I knew who she meant. Calamity.

Ahhh, so even the powerful Epic that creates other Epics didn't know the connection between weaknesses and facing fears. That's interesting.

The robots, on the other hand, acted like a bunch of youthful dreams and got thoroughly crushed.

Honestly I don't have much to say here, I just... I really love this quote.

And part of being a man was learning to let your immortal girlfriend take a turn being the heroic one.

So, I want a t-shirt with this quote on it. Anyone else?
Seriously, though, this is one of the reasons I like Brandon Sanderson's books so much. Both men and women can be heroes (and we don't get a fake Strong Female Character who still can't survive unless she has a guy), and there's acknowledgment of the characters who are sometimes just better at something, whether they're male or female and whether or not it's a traditional role for that gender. It's kind of a refreshing attitude.

Chapter 7

"Sorry," I grumbled. "I'm usually more eloquent after getting shot."

Uh huh. Since when?

The man was older now, more bald and more paunched, with jowls hanging down beside his neck, like melted cheese sloughing off the top of a piece of bread in the microwave.

Dude. Stop it with the bread, already.

The mannequin continued to gesture while Knighthawk talked.

Okay, let's cut it out with the creepy moving mannequin, okay?

Chapter 8

It's not like that," I said. "I'm like a--"
"No," Knighthawk said.
"This makes sense. I am like--"
"No, really," Knighthawk interrupted. "Nobody wants to hear it, kid."

 Aww. Poor David.

 "Don't let yourself get drawn in by that. It can lead you to...difficult places."

Okay, seriously, Knighthawk? You're talking to the guy whose girlfriend is an Epic--plus, he's Steelslayer. And he turned down an offer of power from Calamity himself. I think he knows, already.

But, call me a fool, I still wanted to understand. I needed it to make sense.

Maybe this is why I love these books and identify with David so much. I get that, the driving need to understand what's going on.

Chapter 9

 "How do you get the fairies inside something that small?" Cody asked, pointing at the device. "Doesn't it crush their wee wings?"

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Cody...stop. It's gone too far now.

"Make sure everyone gets out safely, then try to save me from my stupidity if this goes sour."

 And par for the course.

So, what will Knighthawk reveal to David, if anything? Do you think it's actually possible to redeem Jonathon Phaedrus, as David seems to think?