Disclaimer: Worm is owned by Wildbow. This fanfiction is a creative outlet and is completely non-profit.
Notes: I apologize for taking over a year to update. I had school and a lot of work that needed to be done, but this fanfic was always on the back of my mind. I would like to thank everyone that has been part of this journey so far. Chapters will be smaller now so as to not be too tiring to read. As always, please feel free to point out any grammatical errors! Thank you and much love to all my new and returning readers!
Betareader: My best friend Rurichiy.
[Scarletta/Vladimira/? - The Midnight Zone - 04/11/2011 - 2:06 PM]
It had taken some metaphorical elbow grease to prepare what I needed for my little outing. I was about to step into the streets of Boston after all. I required certain assets if I were to encounter the local Protectorate, the Teeth, or the Ambassadors. I may be a strong independent Endbringer with huge knockers and badonkers, but I was also delicate and precocious. As for Blasto and his Blastgerm, I was unconcerned. Not because I didn't see them as a threat, but because I had no intention of antagonizing a potential customer.
I thought of all these things as I sat within the confines of my dressing room. Deep within my castle with no name, I began to dress to impress. Still, I had time to appreciate the lavish baroque style of my newly erected abode. The twisting halls and grand rooms were decorated with ornate golden gildings of vines, and expensive furniture with velvet carpeting lining the checkered marble floors, particularly within its foyers. Tall columns and pillars support the high domed ceilings of many chambers. I had also taken the liberty of filling the interior with statues, paintings, and crests bearing the history of the Endbringers.
During my detailed description of my dreamy digs, I had slipped into a more iconic attire. I outfitted myself with a large, black wide-brimmed hat, black leather gloves, black stiletto heels that ended in pitchforks, and a large black rose pin. In sharp contrast to my dark adornments, I slipped into my flowing white empire waist gown and wrapped three pearl necklaces around my neck. Each necklace had a unique size from small, medium, and large, with the biggest accessory holding a 20-pointed star encrusted with diamonds at the center.
My makeup was classic and fit for a lady. Matter cherry red lipstick, black wingtip eyeliner, and a little mauve eyeshadow to complete a seductive and smoky look. To complete my look, I equipped myself with a pair of pearl earrings.
I smirked as I took in my outfit as a whole. You see the look I described was almost the same as that of Lady Alcina Dimitrescu. From head to toe, I was a dead-ringer for the vampiric queen. There were some distinct differences though, such as the shoes, the necklace, and my current hairstyle. Lady Dimitrescu wore black boots, a necklace with her clan's symbol, and had short dark hair that ended in wavy curls. In contrast to this, I wore black stiletto heels, a necklace symbolizing the 20 Endbringers, and I had dark wavy hair that was braided midway.
Of course, there were other imperceptible differences, such as the hidden horrors, gadgets, and magic items I currently held on my person.
I broke myself out of my reverie as I gave a quick 'glance' at my surroundings. I had new names ready, my outfit was immaculate, and my makeup was divine. Only one more issue was left untouched by my busybodied work. It was quite an important matter at that time. A conundrum that figuratively required a lot of my core's near-infinite processing power.
Should I leave the store open while I go off to galavant around the city of Boston? There were many benefits to leaving the store open. More customers, more profit, more clout, and more of everything. However, without my guidance and general sexy self, I feared I would miss out on potential interactions with capes. There was also the matter of Coil who may or may not be planning a raid of my store. After all, the advertisements didn't get to choose who to advertise to. I decided to forego the Subliminal Draw perk, as such the arrival of capes wouldn't be constant, and instead left to random chance.
Such a conundrum left me standing there for God knows how long. Time felt different here in the Midnight Zone. My store was connected to different countries after all. Currently, the storefront is located in Stockholm Sweden, Asunción Paraguay, and Brockton Bay. That meant that two gates lead to an afternoon sun while the other led to a night under the moon. It was exciting in a way. To not need to go through airport debacles and dizzying flights to travel the world. All I needed was a little bit of time.
I had spent an inordinate amount of time deciding whilst floating my thoughts elsewhere ever so often. It was a difficult decision, but due to my fear of missing out, or fomo as many would call it, I decided to close up shop.
The main reason was that I feared I would miss interactions with capes and the prolific agents of chaos that Cauldron and Coil employed. There were other capes and factions that I wanted to meet as well, so the decision to close up shop for the day came without risk. No civilians nor capes would gain sudden boons until I finished enjoying Boston, Massachusetts.
With my decision finally made, it was time to call in the big guns. One of my managers within the store, this eldritch entity that could be described as a 'Karen with superpowers'. Empowered by the Eldritch Theme, this Manager was one of the 4 managers I could bust out within the confines of The Midnight Zone.
"Manager Assistant Eldritch," I call out as an old white woman with an enormous and garish bob cut appears. She had features depicting a middle-aged white woman with a stern if not displeased look on her face. Her outfit consisted of a white short-sleeved button-up, gray rubber gloves, dark grey slacks, and black boat shoes with white soles. However, her black apron had gold letters embroidered at the center of the chest area.
There was an ominous feel to this abomination of a manager. Her very shadow casts inhuman and amorphous shapes all with a multitude of tentacles and teeth. Her dark purple eyes were constantly moving in two different directions, much like a chameleon. Her teeth individually shifted from human to canine, to needle-like, to shark teeth whenever she spoke. Her limbs moved as if they had no bones and her voice grated on my ears like nails on a chalkboard. Ever so often, something would move underneath her hair, as if a writhing mass was living underneath all those bleached dead follicles.
"What do you want?" Manager Assistant Eldritch's tone was aggressive and almost sounded like she didn't want to listen to me. Unlike the normal assistants, I had gained these thematic enigmas when I had taken the Shattered Limiter perk. They along with my available stock would get stronger each year. However, I knew for a fact that once items were sold, their power ceiling wouldn't increase outside the walls of The Midnight Zone.
"Take care of the shop while I'm away. Make sure nobody tries to break in while the store is closed." I say this to her as she rolls her eyes in two different directions while giving me a nod. I smile at her rebellious act, it was nice to see some uniqueness and autonomy from the more powerful assistants.
My smile never left my features as I walked toward the entrance of The Midnight Zone. It was more akin to a pier than an entrance, however, I was not perturbed by such discrepancies. I had some fun waiting for me in Boston and I wasn't about to let my reverie get in the way of that. Time was of the essence, especially if I wanted to visit Dear Taylor later tonight. Knowing that sweet and silly little girl, she'd probably go out with Rose on patrol. Pitted against Lung of all things, all the while helping villainous scoundrels who aid a madman for selfish reasons.
Still, the Undersiders were a tricky bunch, loveable in some ways, and irritating in others. I needed to be there to help steer Taylor in the right direction otherwise she'd fall in with them and canon worm would start all over again.
"Tsk," I suck in some air in disappointment as I realize I was stuck in my own thoughts again. Life has become quite difficult and different ever since I list all my bodily systems in place of a core. Either way, I had a city to explore and people to advertise to, and it was time to move on to Boston.
I was at the edge of the peer where three portals resided. With one stroke of my hands, the world around the Asunción Paraguay portal began to shift, swirling in an instant until the view transformed. Gone were the South American trees and architecture and in its place were the many brick walls of Boston Massachusetts. You could almost smell the crisp sea air just outside the portal entrance. It seems I landed somewhere in Long Wharf, a fitting place for one such as me.
I took a deep breath as I readied my magical tour pamphlet of Boston. Swiped from the Topnotch Travel and Vehicles building. It had the special ability to teleport me to the locations depicted within the paper's folds. I simply needed to remove the seal on each location and a teleportation circle would appear. It was all very convenient.
A smirk makes its way to my face as I phased through the portal and into Boston.
[Scarletta/Vladimira/? - Museum of Fine Arts, Boston - 04/11/2011 - 3:13 PM]
"What do you mean my pose was indecent?!" I ask this with delighted fury as I bend over to place myself face-to-face with the security guard who I asked to take my picture with my The Midnight Zone brand Camera.
"Maam motorboating a statue with your breasts IS indecent. There are children present. Not to mention the fact that touching the statues is punishable by law, I won't warn you again," The middle aged man in a gray collared uniform berates me with a disappointed and chastising tone.
My amusement dropped the moment I realized what he implied! There WERE children present! Tykes and little kiddies are all on field trips with their parents and teachers. I neglected my surroundings as I thoroughly debauched myself in front of the crowd by pressing my boulder-sized bosoms into the face of Zeus.
"I-I apologize profusely for what I've done. Please forgive me." I said as I bowed before the gathering crowd. It seems that a 'tall sexy vampire cape' was spotted at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.
"You're not the first to try and touch the statues, but you're definitely the first one to try what you just did." He says with an amused look as his glances lingers on my chest.
"Right. I think I'll be going now" I say this as I pull out my tour pamphlet whilst walking towards the exit of the exhibit. It was time to make my way to the aquarium.
I vanish just as I round the corner, leaving not a trace, except for a few flyers advertising the midnight zone, fluttering around the museum.
[Scarletta/Vladimira/? - New England Aquarium, Boston - 04/11/2011 - 3:13 PM]
"Hello~." I hear a voice call for me from behind. It was a child, a little boy dressed in a blue and white striped sweater and jogging pants. He had the tiniest little rubber shoes, though I knew there were smaller sizes fit for infants. He seemed to be in awe of me as he was staring at me in wonder and bewilderment.
"Why hello there little one. What can I do for you?" I say this as I give the boy's parents a reassuring smile. They seemed unsure about letting their child approach me, but relented when the boy stepped closer.
"You're tall." The child gives me the sweetest grin. What a nice kid.
"Yes, yes I am," I say this as a matter of factly before kneeling down and failing to put myself eye to eye with the boy.
"What's your name?" The kid asks with curiosity brimming in his eyes.
"Call me Vladimira," I say this with a kind smile as I see someone in my peripheral take a picture of the jellyfish display using a camera.
"I'm Tommy," The boy, now named Tommy, reaches out to shake my hand. I, being a courteous and elegant woman, take his hand gently and shake it.
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance Tommy. What can I do for you?" I ask with a quizzical look on my face as I prop my hands below my chin whilst tilting my head.
"What's your favorite fish? Mine's the puffer fish! I think they're neat!" Tommy beams at me with a bright smile.
"Ah yes, the puffer is my favorite too. Though for different reasons," I say this with a coy smirk before continuing, "I personally prefer the Fugu puffer fish due to its taste. The excitement that comes from gambling with one's life as you devour the flesh of a creature whose poison could kill a man thirty times over is a true thrill. Truly the Fugu puffer is one of the kings of food thrills. One's life hanging on the line as you savor what could be your last bite of tetrodotoxin."
I will neither confirm nor deny the semi-psychotic expression that totally didn't appear on my face as I attempted to #traumatizethechildren.
"You eat puffer fish?!" Tommy is as he backs away a little with a horrified look on his. "COOL!" His expression suddenly shifts to one of pure amazement. I was utterly floored by this.
To my surprise, not only was he excited by me eating his favorite fish, but he was also mouthing off a multitude of questions for me. It was a constant barrage of curious questions aimed at figuring out taste, location and price. I had underestimated this world's kinder and their desensitization to violence. Perhaps this boy was an avid reader of the PHO. Either way, I had my work cut out for me as I answered his questions. This was going to take a while, after all, I was if not a gracious and informative hostess.
[Scarletta/Vladimira/? - Freedom Trail, Boston - 04/11/2011 - 6:49 PM]
In the end I managed to gain many potential customers as I toured the New England Aquarium with Tommy and his parents. His mother and father were a lovely couple of doctors who asked about me. They mentioned capes and case 53s and asked if I was one such case, I of course gave them the truthful answer much to their confusion.
I didn't care whether people believed me about not being a case 53, after all, it wasn't as if I could go ahead telling people I was an Endbringer. The rumors and chaos that could come from such a revelation would truly be fun though I wasn't in the mood for it.
Either way, I was about done with walking the Freedom Trail when an explosion rang through my ears. The blast was enough to send many flying and more running in panic. In my peripheral, I could see multiple figures duking out in an all-out no-holds-barred cape fight, now with more explosions. I of course was not bothered by any of the commotions, though the civilians around me were running and screaming.
Instead of focusing on the dangers of the area, I chose to allow myself a moment of bliss. The sky was a perfect shade of purplish orange as the sun was setting. The perfect lighting for a Mexican Standoff. Everything was coated in rainwater, as it had rained while I was exploring the New England Aquarium with Tommy and his family. The rain itself left a lovely humid feel in the air. Most people would be in jackets due to the sudden possibility of rain, combined with the cool spring air of April.
I, being a creature of a new alien form, did not feel discomfort. Instead I felt only sensation. I felt the chilling winds blow past my face as the cool wet air sets itself upon the streets of Boston. I could feel tingles on my layered alien nerves as I stretched my arms out in wonder. I could stare deep into the setting sun without burning my eyes, watching as each ray flittered out in place of darkness. The colors of the scenery melded with the grey brick walls of the USS Constitution Museum where the Freedom Trail ended. The trees were basked with orange light and street lamps were beginning to open, truly Boston is a wonderful place.
You could almost taste the feel of tourism as you basked in the glory of this scenic moment. Birds fleeing up above, the screams of the unpowered hordes, the explosions, and blasts of sheer power emanating from the capes who cared not for the safety of others. It was all so lovely really, to live the dream of a child. To witness a battle between villains and would-be heroes. All the while experiencing the glory of Boston's Freedom Trail. Perhaps I should visit Salem nex-!
'RIIIIIIIP' My metaphorical blood runs cold as I hear and feel my dress tear. I could see the culprit too. A singular arrow, aimed at my chest. Who dares to sully my dress?! Who dares to take aim at my breastacular boobas?! Who dares to take an attempt at my life with such cheap weaponry?!
The air became heavy, cloying, and tense as I could hear all fighting cease. I let loose so much killing intent in that moment, that it sent the seven unknown capes into a standstill. I slowly turned my head to them, my yellow eyes glowing with murderous rage. How dare this pathetic creature make fire at me. These broken playthings of the entities would soon learn their lesson.
I could see the four capes clearly now. My eyes immediately zoned in on the ones that attacked me to the left of the ruined field. The first was none other than the Butcher, a tall asian woman in crimson stylized samurai armor, accentuated with spikes and skulls. Her hair was long, black, and straight, tied into a messy and bloody ponytail. She had her bow proudly pointed at me with another arrow notched. Clearly she didn't know who she was messing with.
The second was a hideous four legged creature with a multitude of spikes and other bone-like protrusions exiting its skins. They were the size of an average SUV and had a worried look on its maw-like face. This thing was most likely Animos, the changer with a power-nullifying screech.
The third was dressed much like the rest of the rotten Teeth. Bones, spikes, blades, armor, and body parts, all mishmashed together into one fashion disaster. With streaks of blood coated hair and garrish scabs covering their body like armor, one could surmise that this pathetic excuse for a female was Hemmorhagia.
The fourth was a set of lackeys all with the same facial features and semi-muscular build. All dressed in gauche yellow plating with bones, spikes, and blades. All with a set of small severed arms attached to their shoulders. I didn't have the time to count how many of them I had frozen in fear, but it didn't matter, for I now knew that this lackey was none other than Spree. He who could multiply every three seconds, creating an orgy of bodies to bury enemies with his numbers. How amusing.
The three on the right then took my attention, unlike the Teeth who had all faced my rather tall self with aggressive stances, these three were on guard. I knew their looks by heart just by seeing them, they were dressed in garbs just like the CYOA had depicted. The first was a man dressed in a black cloak with three arching yellow stripes and no hood. He was garbed in kevlar combat gear beneath it all, topped with a pilot-like gasmask on his face. He was surrounded by a dangerous looking mustard colored gas that swirled arounds his entire body. I knew him, only from pictures and words though. His name was Riot, and was the strategist of The Renegades.
The second was a tall knight dressed from head to toe in dark ice-like metallic armor with blue energy crackling from every crack and crevice. He wielded a great sword and shield made entirely out of the densest ice I have ever seen. So deep and dense were these weapons that it was almost like staring into an abyss of cold when you looked deep into them. He was known as Frost, the frontliner and 'tank' of the Renegades.
The last of the three was one that left me particularly excited. He was a man dressed in bandages and a tattered gray cloak. He was very very muscular with greatly toned tan skin and sickly crimson flames emanating from his fists. He wore a skeletal mask with crimson eye sockets. He was known as Warlock, the leader and strongest fighter of the Renegades.
Truly the setting sun was perfect for this tense superpowered mexican standoff. However I digress, I couldn't savor the moment due to the heathen that made an attempt at my life just now. I glare with burning indignation towards the Butcher and her posse of pussies. Cowards who couldn't fight without lapping at the feet of their worthless leader.
"Apologize." I say this loud and clear as I turn towards all of them in my full glory. Towering above them all like the titan of titty terror that I was.
"What?" The Butcher asks this in a raspy and confused voice as she nearly lowers her guard but quickly resumes her aim. She looked tense, unsure as to why her body had stopped, her psychosis truly was a wonder with fourteen personalities all meshes into one.
"I said," I say whilst flash teleporting right in front of her, the shadows and bats all swirling and fluttering around me as I do so. "Apologize."
Before anyone could react, I was already bitchslapping the Butcher, who was too stunned by my speed to defend herself. Her body is flung across the street as she collides with the lamp post, a sickening crack resounding through the area as one of her legs breaks from the impact.
"Apologize for ruining my dress, you worthless sack of maggot manure!" I say this with all the distaste I can muster as I spit in the Butcher's general direction. Lower life forms such as her deserved such punishment.
All hell breaks loose from there as I calmly fix my hat. After all, I can't go into a fight looking disheveled, that was the Teeth's job.
Author's Note:
Thank you for reading this chapter! I hope you enjoyed the interactions and conversations I wrote! The next chapter is already in the works!
Please feel free to ask me any questions. Also, if there are any grammatical errors, please point them out!
