Patrol wasn't as exciting as I thought it would be.
Brockton Bay was a cesspool, but for all the craziness and villains running around, there wasn't much happening. The Boardwalk was barren with almost no one around. The shops were all closed by now, and what few people that were out were the usual patrol officers. The market wasn't much better in that, while people did walk about the streets, there more officers.
I thought that I might be able to find someone, maybe even a Merchant druggie, but I found nothing.
Maybe it was just a quiet night?
"I wonder if the Wards are out?"
It might explain why there weren't any thugs out.
Then again, I've only been out for half an hour tops. I guess I could try and expand my route. I went over the map I stashed in my jacket. The Merchants had been trying to get establish a level of control in the Docks, but constant gang wars between the Empire and ABB prevented them from actually going through with it. Granted, the Docks by themselves don't have much influence, since the Bay had been on the decline when business imports and exports started going down, but the Docks did have some level of control over sea trade. If they got control of the Docks, a gang could start buying and selling illegal items via the sea trade routes.
For that reason alone, the Docks was the center of more than a few gang wars over the last couple of years. It eventually reached the point where capes started to pop up, causing the PRT to get involved almost regularly. By now, patrols around the Docks was nothing out of the ordinary.
Whenever I saw the news about the Docks being attacked or a fight breaking out near it, I always got so worried about Dad. I kept telling him that maybe it was time to find a new job. Of course, Dad shrugged off my concerns. He said he could handle it, and even if he could find a new job, he wouldn't. He cared for those under his employ and wanted to do everything in his power to ensure they were paid and cared for. That was Danny Hebert, the Daddy of the DWU and King Geek Supreme of House Hebert.
Alternatively, there was Downtown. Downtown was the frequent target of Empire and ABB skirmishes. The incident from earlier today came to mind immediately. Chances were that the Empire and the ABB were still pretty sore about what happened, so odds were high that both gangs were looking for payback.
So, which was I going to go to first? Just before I could give the matter some serious thoughts and consider the pros and cons, my visor lit up.
"What the…"
A map formed in front of my eyes. It was a map of Brockton Bay—more specifically a map of Downtown. Red marks dotted the north side of Downtown, along with what looked like a police report.
Was this thing showing me a crime in progress? What kind of Tinker friend did Parian have? I seriously hope she wasn't going to get herself in trouble for giving me this.
Either way, my decision was made for me. I made my way towards Downtown, barely able to hide my excitement. Hopefully, the goons wouldn't start shooting at me.
Surprise, surprise, they started shooting at me. Even more surprising was that it wasn't the ABB, Empire or even the Merchants. It was a couple of low-grade no-name thugs wearing hockey masks and paper bags. I
wish I was joking about that last one.
The fight was painfully short. It lasted all of maybe twenty or thirty seconds, ending with me pinning the thugs to a brick wall with glowing orange blades. None of the blades pierced anything vital and most of them only stabbed through the clothes, though that wasn't to say that the thugs were totally unharmed. A few were sporting a couple of black eyes and bruises and I think I might have broken one of their ribs? It was hard to tell, honestly.
I stayed behind long enough for a police car to arrive. To my surprise, it was my next door neighbor and the guy who caught me slicing up Winslow, Murphy.
"Officer," I said, keeping my voice was low as possible. I was really hoping my scarf was muffling my voice well enough since he was probably the only guy besides my dad who might recognize me by voice.
Murphy tipped his hat. "Vergil," he greeted. "Digging the new look." He looked at the thugs pinned to the wall and whistled. "Not bad. These things disappear?"
"One sec." I snapped my fingers. The summoned swords shattered into yellowish-red fragments and dissipated into nothing. The thugs slumped to the ground, groaning all the while. "There you go."
"Not bad. You, uh, thinking of join the Wards anytime soon?"
I nodded. "I'm planning on it. That is, if they'll have me."
"For their sake, they better," Murphy chortled. "By the way…you haven't been slicing up anymore schools lately, have ya? My boss is still asking me questions about you."
I cringed. "Y-yeah… Sorry about that, I just…"
"Hey, it's no skin off my back. Myself and a lot of other people are happy that Winslow's gone. Well, at least until someone decides to rebuild it." Murphy then turned to the other officers behind him. "Alright boys, let's cuff 'em and get 'em out of here."
The officers waved and thanked me for my services before hauling the thugs off. Satisfied, I leaped up to a build rooftop. To be honest, I thought I would feel a lot more giddy about stopping an attempted robbery. I mean, it was my first real thing as a hero. I should be happy and overwhelmed for stopping a couple of bad guys, even if they weren't hardcore criminals or capes.
Instead, all I could think was,
that's it?
I felt disappointed.
I was glad that I didn't run into a gang-affiliated cape, like Hookwolf or Oni Lee, but at the same time, I couldn't help but feel dissatisfied with how my patrol was going. I've only been out for maybe close to an hour, so there was plenty of chances for me to run into another couple of gangs or thugs asking to be caught and busted, but when I thought about how I was going to be only dealing with two-bit criminals, I got frustrated. Honestly speaking, I would very much prefer being shot at over, say, being carved up like a Thanksgiving turkey or thrown into a building at Mach 5, but I can't help but crave a challenge.
I wonder if it was because of what I was now. Boss said that being, well, half-demon was going to be a confusing experience for me, but if this is what he meant, then I was going to have learn how to tell my other half to suck it up.
Baby steps, Taylor. We start with baby steps, then work our way up the ladder before going after the big boys.
I was about to head off further in, but I was stopped by the sound of my cellphone going off. It took me by surprise for a second and nearly caused me to jump before I sighed and took out my phone. To my dread, it was Dad.
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I answered and prayed to whatever god existed in this world that he did not find out about my dummy. "Hello?"
"Hey, kiddo. How're you doing?" Dad didn't sound aggravated or confused, so that was a hint he didn't find out about my ruse. He might not even be home right now. "Everything okay at the house?"
"Yeah, totally. Just watching some cheap Aleph flicks on the TV right now. You know, the boring ones?"
"Did you eat?"
"Mm-hm. Had some leftovers." Having said that, I was felt a craving for the meatloaf sitting in my fridge. I should probably eat it before Dad noticed it was still there. "What's up? Did something happen?"
"Yeah, trouble at work. I'll probably be home late tonight. Don't bother waiting up for me. Make sure all the doors and windows are locked, okay?"
"I got it, Dad, don't worry. Did you want me to make something for you when you get home?"
Ever since the locker incident at Winslow, Dad had been bending over backwards for me, doing everything he could to make me feel better. When he told me that he pulled me from Winslow and managed to sue the school, not to mention pulling some strings to get me into Arcadia, I almost broke his ribs in a bear-crushing hug. He stayed home more often, and half the time we found ourselves talking about the old days. Mom even came up a few times, and despite the look of pain Dad had when it happened, he never stopped and continued. Little by little, the gap that formed between us was starting to close.
It was still there, but compared to how it was after mom died and the bullying at Winslow started, it had gotten smaller. Things between me and King Geek Supreme were still awkward, but he was getter better.
I was getting better.
"Nah, I think I'm good for food tonight, but thanks anyway, kiddo." I could practically hear the smile on the other end of the phone. "Make sure you get plenty of sleep, okay? You got a big day tomorrow."
"I know, I know. Love you, dad."
"Love you too, Taylor."
I ended the call with a smile on my face. That smile vanished moments later when I saw something flicker in the distance. Any other time before my trigger, I never would have noticed it since it was too far. But I saw it nonetheless; a faint trail of red vapor, weaving across the empty streets, up the side of a building, across the rooftop and fading into an alley.
"Heeellooo…"
Looks like my night just got a lot more interesting…
I followed the trail and found myself led away from Downtown and into Shantytown. I considered the possibility that this was a trap, but the further I went, the more I realized what I was following. I wasn't being led anywhere, but rather I was following the aftermath of a battle-in-progress. Some parts of Shantytown were damaged, walls caved in, pavement ripped apart and cars overturned and lying on their sides. The sidewalk was carved and in pieces like something sliced it apart. Chunks of debris were scattered about, some as big as boulders, one of which was lodged into a brick wall.
The police were already investigating the scenes, and I happen to see who I thought to be Miss Militia among their number. As much as I wanted to help out and point out the trail, I didn't think I could talk with them just yet. Too nervous and afraid that I might screw up my only chance of making a good impression. Instead, I chased after whatever or whoever was fighting.
My search eventually reached its end in an old subway tunnel. Shantytown used to have one, but it shut down years ago due to poor management and a railway accident that killed four people. The tracks showed signs of damage, but the management had done nothing to fix it. It had been a matter of time before the rot was discovered. Damages were filed and the subway was shut down, supposedly until new renovations were made, but that obviously wasn't going to happen anytime soon. Not when the Merchants had recently made the old subways their home, and from the looks of it, it was going to be a while before they thought about leaving.
My footsteps echoed as I made my way down the steps and into the old station platform. Dust particles floated in the air by the millions, the floors of the platform caked in a inch of the stuff. The walls showed signs of deterioration, cracks and holes decorating the place. There were several half-torn posters on the walls of old Aleph movies and Bet actresses and actors and whatnot, though why they were torn was none of my concern.
What
was my concern, however, was the body lying near the tracks.
I swore under my breath and dashed to their side. In a flash, I was right beside them. It took me only a second to realize the person on the ground was none other than Rune. She looked like she had been caught in an Endbringer attack and came out worse for wear; her clothes were in tatters, her hood reduced to shreds and bloodstained splattered all across her costume. More worrisome was that she had a cut in her left side. I couldn't tell how bad it was, but it was leaking blood profusely. Not helping matters was the fact that she was missing her left arm from the forearm down.
"H-help…" I stared in both shock and dismay when I saw Rune turn her head. Her face was completely exposed; fair skin, blue eyes and long blonde hair—the tell-tale picture of an Aryan white girl. She was younger than me by at least a year. "He-help me… please…"
Any other time, I would have marveled at the idea of an Empire cape begging for help. She was losing blood and fast. I'm sure the Bay would benefit having one-less cape to deal with, but I wasn't going to turn down someone asking for help, especially if they were on death's door. Without hesitation, I pulled out my phone and dialed 9-1-1.
I barely made it pass the third number when I heard something splash into a puddle of water from behind me. My instincts screamed
danger. I turned around, calling forth Orthros just in time to raise the scabbard and block a scarlet blade from separating my head from my shoulders. The force of the attack threw me off my feet and into a wall. Years of wear and tear caused the wall to give way upon impact, letting me spill out into an empty space. I quickly got back up on my feet and jumped out of the hole, my hand gripping my sword. The Summoned Swords flickered into my field of vision, floating at my side and ready to combat my enemy.
As soon as I saw my adversary, I paused and became filled with dread. It stood on its hind-legs, body leathery and covered in scales like a reptile. It was ten-feet tall with scales dyed blood red, a blade jutting out from its forearm. White eyes stared back at me, holding nothing but malice and loathing. Its jaw split into halves, revealing rows of sharp teeth and a forked tongue slithering out from its mouth as it hissed.
Anyone else would have thought it was a Case-53. I knew otherwise. Not too long ago, I fought its cousin and had Boss turn it into the sword that sat in my hand. The color of the scales and the blade growing out of its arm also told me of what, or rather
who this monster really was.
"Ah, fuck me sideways…"
The demon hissed and vanished in a flicker of red. In the next second, ice and fire roared in unison as I clashed blades with it once again.
Oh, holy shit. I actually updated this on Halloween.
Okay, so I lied about Taylor's partner being introduced this chapter. That will actually be next chapter, assuming Taylor can last that long. Let it be known that I FUCKING HATE FURIES! I've either gotten so annoyed by them teleporting around or gotten hit so many times and got a Devil Breaker smashed to pieces because of these fucking assholes!
Which, of course, makes it a perfect opponent for Taylor to fight. She will not, however, be getting a Devil's Arm out of the deal. Orthros will be her only Devil's Arm until way later down the line.
Anyways, meet the Bloody Cape. He's really nice. Just ask Rune.
I also have a new Worm fanfic up titled
Adapt. It's a crossover with Shin Megami Tensei, by the way. You thought OG Worm was bad? Wait until you see what Earth Bet on the verge of an apocalypse and in the middle of an angel-and-demon tug-o-war dick-measuring content looks like. Anyone who knows SMT will know what I am talking about. The first "chapter" is pretty short and is little more than a vague description of what you can expect, but I'd appreciate some feedback and thoughts nonetheless.
