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A Darker Path [Worm Fanfic]

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Ack said:
"Let me tell you a story," I said. "Once upon a time, a farmer was driving his cart home from market, and he had a new mule pulling it. They came to a gentle hill, and the mule stopped. The farmer said, "that's one", and smacked the mule on the rump, and the mule went on. Then they came to a shallow creek, and the mule stopped again. This time, the farmer said, "that's two", and smacked the mule on the head with his shotgun butt, and the mule went on. And then …" I paused to draw it out and take a drink of juice. "As the cart rolled into the farmyard, it came to a big mud puddle, and the mule stopped a third time. This time, the farmer said, "that's three". Then he shot the mule in the head."
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I'm doing a re-read and must say... That farmer is an IDIOT, with how much the mule could have cost... he wasted plenty of money and looks quite foolish. Mules are such a stubborn animal, calling someone a mule is to call them stubborn.

Works for the purpose of what Taylor used it for though, I just think the farmer sounds like a fool.

Also, I forgot about the intention radar thing that alerts her to threats coming for their executions.
 
silentorphan said:
Honestly? I'm more curious why PtE outfitted Taylor with a Bluetooth headset. "To answer Dragon's phone call" is the obvious answer, but Dragon is completely superfluous in this battle, unlike the time with the S9. And Canary didn't register on Atropos' radar until Dragon mentioned her. So exactly what End is being Pathed towards?
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zzfanz said:
Dragon was talking to her both before and after Butcher got killed. She got no indication of change after Butcher died to Atropos, and Atropos was reasonable and being totally herself in the conversation with Dragon afterwards. Goes a long way in convincing people that Atropos didn't get the Butcher power or curse.
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Exactly this.

CmptrWz said:
"You're going to get a call, so ensure you have a headset on so that your hands can remain free to End the Teeth. That you're casually chatting on the phone while Ending the Teeth just makes it more badass. As a side bonus, the conversation will help convince Dragon that the Butcher is actually dead and isn't working to drive you insane."
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And more or less this, as well. Dragon is a great character witness.

Now, the actual reason for the call, she didn't know about. It wasn't something she had a stake in. But she knew she'd find out.

godzillahomer said:
I'm doing a re-read and must say... That farmer is an IDIOT, with how much the mule could have cost... he wasted plenty of money and looks quite foolish. Mules are such a stubborn animal, calling someone a mule is to call them stubborn.

Works for the purpose of what Taylor used it for though, I just think the farmer sounds like a fool.

Also, I forgot about the intention radar thing that alerts her to threats coming for their executions.
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The original joke had the farmer's new wife sitting beside him. When he shoots the mule, she starts yelling at him. He says, "That's one."
 
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Butcher butchered, Teeth pulled
  • Sidestory
    • 0715 Hours, Tuesday Morning
    Director Piggot's Office

    Emily sat down at her desk, arguing with herself about the unexpected text message that had set everyone into a tizzy this morning, before opening up a secure phone line. "Report, Armsmaster."

    "Velocity and Battery have just finished securing the site, and we're waiting on forensics to collect the remains. I can confirm that the Butcher, Animos, Spree, Vex and Hemorhaggia are all very deceased."

    "I shouldn't ask, but I'm also morbidly curious as to HOW Atropos managed to take out the Teeth, and if we should be worried if she's Butcher Fifteen."

    "The van they were traveling in was struck by an AT-4 munition. All except possibly the Butcher managed to get out of the van before it was destroyed. The launcher tube was near Animos' body. He was killed at close range by a single small caliber round through the throat and out the back of his spine."

    "Of course he was, because of his power nullification roar. What about the others?"

    "Vex was killed by multiple throwing knives."

    "Death by a thousand cuts."

    "Spree and several clones were killed by multiple shells from a 12-gauge shotgun."

    "A shooting spree. Hemorhaggia?"

    "Her wounds would not be immediately fatal in and of themselves. My sensors were able to determine she instead died from a massive overdose of fentanyl."

    "Blood poisoning."

    "Butcher was... dismembered. Neck, shoulders, hips, elbows, knees, ankles and wrists. Except for the neck, all were cleanly severed in single blows by a heavy blade."

    Emily remembered that Hatchet Face had been using an oversized meat cleaver known as a 'hog splitter' as his trademark weapon when he'd died, and it had been used to very messily decapitate Jack Slash. Butcher's Brute rating would've made it just as difficult...

    She sighed and squeezed the bridge of her nose. "Fine. Clean up the area. I suspect Atropos will be posting a video showing off her particular brand of bullshit before the end of the day."

    AN: Fixed the killing blows on Butcher bit.
     
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  • Sidestory
    • Ack said:
    Any other day, there would've been no question of even suspecting Hebert of being able to give Emma a proper tuning up.
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    Was going to question if that 'tuning up' was AU slang, but a google search showed it was US slang. Must be a regional thing, never heard that before.

    Ack said:
    The original joke had the farmer's new wife sitting beside him. When he shoots the mule, she starts yelling at him. He says, "That's one."
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    Dark humor with a touch of baby boomer wife hate

    Ack said:
    But it was only Madison, though she looked almost as rattled as Emma. Leaning against the wall, she fought for breath, her face chalk-white under her makeup.
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    So, she looks more like a clown than usual.

    YuffieK said:
    She sighed and squeezed the bridge of her nose. "Fine. Clean up the area. I suspect Atropos will be posting a video showing off her particular brand of bullshit before the end of the day."
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    Brockton needs a new Director. Piggot has gained Thinker powers. ;)
     
    ThrawnCA said:
    That's a big part of why she has a List. She could plan the End of all those people without it, but by calling them out, she gets a heads-up on which ones are mad enough to do something about it.
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    Plus it splits them into the ones who can stay the hell out of her interests and the ones who really want tickets on the Natural Selection Express. The first group might even not have to die!
     
    YuffieK said:
    I was thinking the multiple blows were Taylor chopping Butcher up rather than just the beheading strike. With Butcher under the effect of that nullification roar, she wasn't that tough.
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    True, but the initial blow was merely described as "hewing deeply into the side of her neck" and a "mortal wound," neither of which sounds like how you would describe a complete decapitation.
     
    Avernus said:
    Thinker powers are pretty rare, after all.

    So capes are generally going to have problems with pattern recognition, social skills, common sense, object permanence...
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    You know, this might explain why the E88 is still around instead of having been decapitated by New Wave. Or at least the kids. Fleur having been murdered? Yeah, she's 'just a story'.
     
    godzillahomer said:
    Was going to question if that 'tuning up' was AU slang, but a google search showed it was US slang. Must be a regional thing, never heard that before.
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    You might want to check out NYPD Blue or similar police procedurals set in NY or the NE portion of the USA — sometimes there'll be references to the worse brands of police officers 'tuning up a suspect' to obtain a confession (i.e. beating it out of them).
     
    Avernus said:
    And why masks work so well to hide identities.


    Villain: "I'll get you, if it's the last thing I-"

    Hero: <removes mask>

    Villain: "...Where'd he go?! Dammit, he can teleport? I didn't know that."
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    Plot twist: the villain does, in fact, recognize that the hero took off their mask but is pretending not to as a polite fiction so as to keep to the Unwritten Rules.
     
    Crazael said:
    Plot twist: the villain does, in fact, recognize that the hero took off their mask but is pretending not to as a polite fiction so as to keep to the Unwritten Rules.
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    Ack said:
    Uno Reverse plot twist: the villain is not in fact a cape, but is playing along with what the capes do so as not to be noticed.
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    A couple more plot twists and we can get a proper helicoid DNA strand going.
     
    Double Reverse Uno Plot Twist of the Second Kind: The Villain does in fact have powers though, they're from another dimension where everyone has (Non-Alien Brain Parasite Based) super powers.
     
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