Fate/In Glory Of (Worm)
- Thread starter Jefardi
- Start date
- Crossover Modern Superhero
[X] Try and send the giant to the Endbringer fight. [+5, QA is dumping her votes right here]
i trust QA here
i trust QA here
[X] Stay home, don't fight the force of nature in a different postal code. Patrol the city while the heroes are away. Make sure there is a city for the true heroes to return to.
Aporia 03.27
[X] Try and send the giant to the Endbringer fight. [+5, QA is dumping her votes right here]
Taylor stared up at the giant.
He looked passively back, without any judgment.
Merely having him materialized quelled the fear that always boiled in her gut when the sirens sounded. It soothed the drumbeat that throbbed in her head at the thought that some city out there was being destroyed by the closest thing Earth Bet had to an act of god.
That it could have been her city just as easily.
"I-I'm going to send you there. To fight an Endbringer."
It occurred to Taylor that...
"I don't even know which one."
...she could be sending the giant to his death.
"Don't die. Please. Just… don't. Don't leave me. To be alone."
He was the only thing she knew that would never, ever betray her. She understood this to be a more accurate fact than gravity or space or time.
"I…"
Why was she falling apart at just the thought of him dying? It was her power. It was meant to fight. Probably. He seemed good at it, lik-
A hand larger than her torso rested on her head, lightly bopping it.
She stared up in wide eyes as she scooched out from underneath it. The giant still stared impassively at her, his yellow eyes still holding no judgment.
He could do this.
"Right. I'm going to send you after it." She had no idea how she was going to; did the heroes have transportation to it? Taylor was going to find a way, determination welled up in her. "Go to the Endbringer and kill it."
For once she gave an actual command to him.
A red light glowed on the back of her right hand.
Is that a tattoo…?
For a singular moment, time froze.
Then it multiplied.
It spread like water down her arm and across her body, the light glowing through her clothes as she saw weird symbols criss-crossing her body and join the crimson glow that the first one had.
With a pulse, the glow magnified and the giant was gone much like the glow.
In that same instance, the gauge for how long the giant could be active plummeted. Normally she had about an hour. Right now it felt like that indicator was in free-fall.
If Taylor had to guess, he was in active combat against the Endbringer.
...she also didn't have any of those markings that had been glowing a moment ago.
This raised… a number of questions. Like what that pulse of light had been. Or why something that she had never quite noticed before felt like it had just lost a third of its volume. A volume that ran parallel to the giant's materialized time yet not. It was linked in some way that she could not discern.
Though, perhaps, what stood out to Taylor was that the giant was now gone.
Not dead, but far, far away. The furthest he had ever been from her. Even when she had tested him, he could still hear her. Now he couldn't.
It made her feel deeply uneasy. In a way she hadn't felt since she had gotten her power.
She felt alone.
Vulnerable.
Alone in the locker.
The person she thought she could trust more than her dad had put her there.
That feeling; it sat heavy on her gut, weighing her down.
It scared Taylor.
Deeply.
On a primal level.
She didn't have someone Taylor knew would die before betraying her with her at the moment.
Taylor…
[] ...went to the school library. Try and read to cope with this feeling. It's always helped her in the past!
[] ...went to see if she could catch a ride with Joanna to go home. And to maybe be around another person.
[] ...called Nikki and talked to her. Nikki sent her a text saying she had to check in on her babushka after the siren ended. Maybe she wouldn't mind a call?
[INTEREST-RESEARCH.EXCITEMENT/PENDING RESULTS]
Queen Administrator would like to say something just occurred to her and she is going to do some research and get back to everyone on it.
Please hold on for the results of said research.
Author's note: Nothing too impressive to say this time.
There is a lot I want to say here but it would be spoilers so I shall keep it to myself.
It really feels good to get these updates out so frequently. Thank you for all forty people who voted! It made my week!
QA says hi.
Taylor stared up at the giant.
He looked passively back, without any judgment.
Merely having him materialized quelled the fear that always boiled in her gut when the sirens sounded. It soothed the drumbeat that throbbed in her head at the thought that some city out there was being destroyed by the closest thing Earth Bet had to an act of god.
That it could have been her city just as easily.
"I-I'm going to send you there. To fight an Endbringer."
It occurred to Taylor that...
"I don't even know which one."
...she could be sending the giant to his death.
"Don't die. Please. Just… don't. Don't leave me. To be alone."
He was the only thing she knew that would never, ever betray her. She understood this to be a more accurate fact than gravity or space or time.
"I…"
Why was she falling apart at just the thought of him dying? It was her power. It was meant to fight. Probably. He seemed good at it, lik-
A hand larger than her torso rested on her head, lightly bopping it.
She stared up in wide eyes as she scooched out from underneath it. The giant still stared impassively at her, his yellow eyes still holding no judgment.
He could do this.
"Right. I'm going to send you after it." She had no idea how she was going to; did the heroes have transportation to it? Taylor was going to find a way, determination welled up in her. "Go to the Endbringer and kill it."
For once she gave an actual command to him.
A red light glowed on the back of her right hand.
Is that a tattoo…?
For a singular moment, time froze.
Then it multiplied.
It spread like water down her arm and across her body, the light glowing through her clothes as she saw weird symbols criss-crossing her body and join the crimson glow that the first one had.
With a pulse, the glow magnified and the giant was gone much like the glow.
In that same instance, the gauge for how long the giant could be active plummeted. Normally she had about an hour. Right now it felt like that indicator was in free-fall.
If Taylor had to guess, he was in active combat against the Endbringer.
...she also didn't have any of those markings that had been glowing a moment ago.
This raised… a number of questions. Like what that pulse of light had been. Or why something that she had never quite noticed before felt like it had just lost a third of its volume. A volume that ran parallel to the giant's materialized time yet not. It was linked in some way that she could not discern.
Though, perhaps, what stood out to Taylor was that the giant was now gone.
Not dead, but far, far away. The furthest he had ever been from her. Even when she had tested him, he could still hear her. Now he couldn't.
It made her feel deeply uneasy. In a way she hadn't felt since she had gotten her power.
She felt alone.
Vulnerable.
Alone in the locker.
The person she thought she could trust more than her dad had put her there.
That feeling; it sat heavy on her gut, weighing her down.
It scared Taylor.
Deeply.
On a primal level.
She didn't have someone Taylor knew would die before betraying her with her at the moment.
Taylor…
[] ...went to the school library. Try and read to cope with this feeling. It's always helped her in the past!
[] ...went to see if she could catch a ride with Joanna to go home. And to maybe be around another person.
[] ...called Nikki and talked to her. Nikki sent her a text saying she had to check in on her babushka after the siren ended. Maybe she wouldn't mind a call?
[INTEREST-RESEARCH.EXCITEMENT/PENDING RESULTS]
Queen Administrator would like to say something just occurred to her and she is going to do some research and get back to everyone on it.
Please hold on for the results of said research.
Author's note: Nothing too impressive to say this time.
There is a lot I want to say here but it would be spoilers so I shall keep it to myself.
It really feels good to get these updates out so frequently. Thank you for all forty people who voted! It made my week!
QA says hi.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] ...went to see if she could catch a ride with Joanna to go home. And to maybe be around another person.
[X] ...went to see if she could catch a ride with Joanna to go home. And to maybe be around another person.
[X] ...called Nikki and talked to her. Nikki sent her a text saying she had to check in on her babushka after the siren ended. Maybe she wouldn't mind a call?
Glory to the fighters.
Glory to the fighters.
Iris-Iven-Ibis
Interested-Idiot-Immortal
- Location
- You know
[X] ...went to see if she could catch a ride with Joanna to go home. And to maybe be around another person.
Ferb_Ancos
The one under the table
- Pronouns
- He
[X] ...called Nikki and talked to her. Nikki sent her a text saying she had to check in on her babushka after the siren ended. Maybe she wouldn't mind a call?
Ok.. Taylor just awakened her Command Seals, she seems to have used one to send Berserker to where he needed to be.
Hopefully Taylor can regenerate her Command Seals.
Ok.. Taylor just awakened her Command Seals, she seems to have used one to send Berserker to where he needed to be.
Hopefully Taylor can regenerate her Command Seals.
Last edited:
- Location
- Oklahoma
[X] ...went to see if she could catch a ride with Joanna to go home. And to maybe be around another person.
GO Giant Smash till nothing is left.
GO Giant Smash till nothing is left.
Aporia 03.28
[X] ...went to see if she could catch a ride with Joanna to go home. And to maybe be around another person.
'Hey, have you left yet?'
Taylor stared at the cellphone after sending the text to Joanna.
When you got to highschool and the sirens went off, it was somewhat accepted that kids leaving the school was a thing that just happened. The teachers were usually stressed and unlike younger years, high schoolers could be expected to look after themselves. It wasn't written anywhere officially, but that had been the rule of thumb at Winslow and Clarendon wasn't seeming any different.
'Hurry up' came the reply, 'You're asking cause you need a ride right?'
Taylor blinked.
'Yeah. Thanks. What entrance are you at?'
'Right side facing front doors' came the answer.
'Be right there.'
Taylor pocketed her phone and let out a sigh before trudging towards her locker to grab her backpack. There was not much in the way of foot traffic in the hallways slowing her down as she power walked. Those who were going home had already grabbed their stuff. Mostly people were just loitering.
However, that wasn't what her mind was on.
She could feel the ephemeral gauge in freefall. Far faster than anything she had felt from the giant before.
The only conclusion that Taylor could draw was that the giant was currently fighting an Endbringer and probably getting torn into. The drain was increasing every second.
She really, really hoped it would be fine.
Joanna was not at the entrance.
Which made sense, given she was already in her mom's car.
Taylor jogged up, opening a door and clambering in.
"Hey."
The car started rolling forwards the moment Taylor shut the door.
The atmosphere in the car was tense, to a degree. Both mother and daughter were quiet.
"Its the Simurgh." Miss Alyssa stated, breaking the silence.
Taylor's guts twisted. She had sent the giant at the Hopekiller.
"Oh." Joanna huffed, a shiver trailing up her back.
"Yes. We'll still go after she leaves though." Miss Alyssa confirmed.
"Huh?"
The temperature in the car plummeted. Miss Alyssa's knuckles whitened as she gripped the steering wheel.
Taylor was not liking where this was going.
Joanna's head snapped to Taylor, her eyes like sharpened flint. "...technically company secrets. Don't go blabbing about what I'm about to tell you alright?" She started, voice slow after a long moment of silence.
The raven haired girl slowly nodded. She felt in danger. A feeling all the more acute without the giant there. She couldn't pinpoint why, but she felt it.
Joanna nodded just after Taylor did. "The subsidiary my mother works at is owned by Medhall. It's more of a shell company really. What it's used for is to deliver aide to where Endbringers attack. In the case of the Simurgh sometimes it hires cape teams off the record to help erect the containment zones. Do you understand this?" Joanna asked. "We would get a lot of jail time for the cape team thing, especially since it doesn't show up on our taxes. Don't talk about this with others."
"I-I won't." Joanna was staring at her with an intensity that was downright unsettling. The sense of danger she felt increased. It was a feeling akin to an uncanny valley effect. So close to a situation that was the usual, normal even. Yet that veneer of familiarity made it oh so more alien.
"Good. We aren't going to whack you or something like that for knowing Taylor. Just be a good friend and don't mention it alright? I can trust you?"
Taylor kind of felt like she was being threatened.
"Yeah, I won't tell anyone. Promise."
"Good." Joanna noted. "Ju-"
"Laying it on a bit thick, sweetie." Miss Alyssa broke in.
"Huh?" Joanna turned to her mother who was turning down the AC.
"You sound like you're threatening her." Miss Alyssa noted.
"I'm not!" Joanna denied, mortified.
"Taylor, do you feel like you're being threatened right now?" Miss Alyssa asked.
A beat of very telling silence.
"Taylor." Joanna turned to her. "Taylor, you have to be quicker when denying that kind of thing."
Taylor stared back at Joanna, raising an eyebrow. "I haven't denied anything."
"That wasn't a threat!" Joanna whined.
"You literally had to specify that you weren't going to have me whacked." Taylor pointed out after a moment, "I thought you were being self-aware."
Joanna groaned. "For god's sake Taylor, you and Nikki are my only friends. No, I am not threatening you. I don't want you or your ridiculous Russian mafia girlfriend to die."
"You got to work on being less, um… intense? You kind of looked like you were trying to explode me with your mind when you were talking." Taylor blinked slowly as she stared at the blonde. "Just, uh, be careful, I guess?" She knew this was all above her head, but still. "I think that's how they got Al Capone."
"Yes. Taxes." Joanna sighed softly. "Sorry. Last thing I want is for my mom to end up in jail cause we're spending money to help the white hats, you know?"
"Yeah, yeah. I get it." She really did. She wouldn't want her dad to go to jail… and she knew that there were at least some less than legal things he had done at some point.
Miss Alyssa tsked before playfully adding. "Threatening your friends. I thought I raised you better."
Joanna sputtered "You were the one who taught me how to flatten people!"
"Flatten or flatter?"
Joanna reached over, and poked the spot where Taylor's ribs joined and her stomach ended. "Solar plexus. Ever want to wind someone? Punch them there."
"Huh. I would just punch them in the face."
"Yeah but then you might kill them. Punches to head kill a looot of people, mostly because they fall over and hit their head on something hard." Joanna explained.
"Don't they go for headshots in boxing?"
"They have protective gear and aren't surrounded by concrete or rocks." Joanna rolled her eyes. "Isn't this your street?" She asked.
"Yeah."
Miss Alyssa didn't quite slow down enough for the SUV to fully stop before Taylor was out and the vehicle sped off.
Taylor was pretty sure it hit highway speeds in her subdivision before it left view.
...she was starting to worry for Joanna's safety.
Though, realistically, she was more worried about the giant. Over the last ten minutes, Taylor's sense of how much time he had left had halved and halved again. It was hard to tell exactly how much time he had left; can one accurately tell how empty their stomach was?
What she could tell was that the drain was happening faster and faster.
That boded ill as the only time she could think of that happening was when Kage cut off a hand or when Squealer had put a hole through his stomach.
Or when he tried to write something in the dirt… and Taylor was pretty sure he wasn't trying to communicate with an Endbringer.
The flow cut.
"What?"
Taylor hadn't relaxed the muscle. He should have still been manifested. What was going on?
Did he…
Before Taylor could go any further down that thoughtline, the flow resumed and with a ferocity.
She had seconds until she hit her time limit.
Taylor was going to push it as far as it could. The giant was fighting an Endbringer. Presumably. At least if he got hurt, he could heal. Other capes wouldn't have that luxury.
She hit the limit.
She persisted. A little pain was nothing.
She persisted. The capes fighting the Endbringer had to be suffering worse.
She persisted. Everyone who saw the Simurgh had gone through much worse than just this.
She persisted. Whole cities were condemned due to Ziz.
She persisted. Taylor could remember a local hero who had died to Ziz six years ago.
She persisted. She bet he had suffered a thousand times worse than this.
She persisted. She had to make a difference.
She persisted. Even one as insignificant and worthless as she was.
She persisted. She had t-
Taylor dreamed.
[] Of stars.
[] Of a castle.
[] Of the end.
Author's note: There will be one more chapter before this arc finishes, I think. I'm oddly happy with this chapter. It became a lot more than what I thought it would be.
Anywho, things happened. I can't imagine Taylor doing anything other than this and pushing herself as far as she could given the circumstances.
Please vote and discuss; I love the discussion the last few chapters have had and it makes me very happy!
'Hey, have you left yet?'
Taylor stared at the cellphone after sending the text to Joanna.
When you got to highschool and the sirens went off, it was somewhat accepted that kids leaving the school was a thing that just happened. The teachers were usually stressed and unlike younger years, high schoolers could be expected to look after themselves. It wasn't written anywhere officially, but that had been the rule of thumb at Winslow and Clarendon wasn't seeming any different.
'Hurry up' came the reply, 'You're asking cause you need a ride right?'
Taylor blinked.
'Yeah. Thanks. What entrance are you at?'
'Right side facing front doors' came the answer.
'Be right there.'
Taylor pocketed her phone and let out a sigh before trudging towards her locker to grab her backpack. There was not much in the way of foot traffic in the hallways slowing her down as she power walked. Those who were going home had already grabbed their stuff. Mostly people were just loitering.
However, that wasn't what her mind was on.
She could feel the ephemeral gauge in freefall. Far faster than anything she had felt from the giant before.
The only conclusion that Taylor could draw was that the giant was currently fighting an Endbringer and probably getting torn into. The drain was increasing every second.
She really, really hoped it would be fine.
Joanna was not at the entrance.
Which made sense, given she was already in her mom's car.
Taylor jogged up, opening a door and clambering in.
"Hey."
The car started rolling forwards the moment Taylor shut the door.
The atmosphere in the car was tense, to a degree. Both mother and daughter were quiet.
"Its the Simurgh." Miss Alyssa stated, breaking the silence.
Taylor's guts twisted. She had sent the giant at the Hopekiller.
"Oh." Joanna huffed, a shiver trailing up her back.
"Yes. We'll still go after she leaves though." Miss Alyssa confirmed.
"Huh?"
The temperature in the car plummeted. Miss Alyssa's knuckles whitened as she gripped the steering wheel.
Taylor was not liking where this was going.
Joanna's head snapped to Taylor, her eyes like sharpened flint. "...technically company secrets. Don't go blabbing about what I'm about to tell you alright?" She started, voice slow after a long moment of silence.
The raven haired girl slowly nodded. She felt in danger. A feeling all the more acute without the giant there. She couldn't pinpoint why, but she felt it.
Joanna nodded just after Taylor did. "The subsidiary my mother works at is owned by Medhall. It's more of a shell company really. What it's used for is to deliver aide to where Endbringers attack. In the case of the Simurgh sometimes it hires cape teams off the record to help erect the containment zones. Do you understand this?" Joanna asked. "We would get a lot of jail time for the cape team thing, especially since it doesn't show up on our taxes. Don't talk about this with others."
"I-I won't." Joanna was staring at her with an intensity that was downright unsettling. The sense of danger she felt increased. It was a feeling akin to an uncanny valley effect. So close to a situation that was the usual, normal even. Yet that veneer of familiarity made it oh so more alien.
"Good. We aren't going to whack you or something like that for knowing Taylor. Just be a good friend and don't mention it alright? I can trust you?"
Taylor kind of felt like she was being threatened.
"Yeah, I won't tell anyone. Promise."
"Good." Joanna noted. "Ju-"
"Laying it on a bit thick, sweetie." Miss Alyssa broke in.
"Huh?" Joanna turned to her mother who was turning down the AC.
"You sound like you're threatening her." Miss Alyssa noted.
"I'm not!" Joanna denied, mortified.
"Taylor, do you feel like you're being threatened right now?" Miss Alyssa asked.
A beat of very telling silence.
"Taylor." Joanna turned to her. "Taylor, you have to be quicker when denying that kind of thing."
Taylor stared back at Joanna, raising an eyebrow. "I haven't denied anything."
"That wasn't a threat!" Joanna whined.
"You literally had to specify that you weren't going to have me whacked." Taylor pointed out after a moment, "I thought you were being self-aware."
Joanna groaned. "For god's sake Taylor, you and Nikki are my only friends. No, I am not threatening you. I don't want you or your ridiculous Russian mafia girlfriend to die."
"You got to work on being less, um… intense? You kind of looked like you were trying to explode me with your mind when you were talking." Taylor blinked slowly as she stared at the blonde. "Just, uh, be careful, I guess?" She knew this was all above her head, but still. "I think that's how they got Al Capone."
"Yes. Taxes." Joanna sighed softly. "Sorry. Last thing I want is for my mom to end up in jail cause we're spending money to help the white hats, you know?"
"Yeah, yeah. I get it." She really did. She wouldn't want her dad to go to jail… and she knew that there were at least some less than legal things he had done at some point.
Miss Alyssa tsked before playfully adding. "Threatening your friends. I thought I raised you better."
Joanna sputtered "You were the one who taught me how to flatten people!"
"Flatten or flatter?"
Joanna reached over, and poked the spot where Taylor's ribs joined and her stomach ended. "Solar plexus. Ever want to wind someone? Punch them there."
"Huh. I would just punch them in the face."
"Yeah but then you might kill them. Punches to head kill a looot of people, mostly because they fall over and hit their head on something hard." Joanna explained.
"Don't they go for headshots in boxing?"
"They have protective gear and aren't surrounded by concrete or rocks." Joanna rolled her eyes. "Isn't this your street?" She asked.
"Yeah."
Miss Alyssa didn't quite slow down enough for the SUV to fully stop before Taylor was out and the vehicle sped off.
Taylor was pretty sure it hit highway speeds in her subdivision before it left view.
...she was starting to worry for Joanna's safety.
Though, realistically, she was more worried about the giant. Over the last ten minutes, Taylor's sense of how much time he had left had halved and halved again. It was hard to tell exactly how much time he had left; can one accurately tell how empty their stomach was?
What she could tell was that the drain was happening faster and faster.
That boded ill as the only time she could think of that happening was when Kage cut off a hand or when Squealer had put a hole through his stomach.
Or when he tried to write something in the dirt… and Taylor was pretty sure he wasn't trying to communicate with an Endbringer.
The flow cut.
"What?"
Taylor hadn't relaxed the muscle. He should have still been manifested. What was going on?
Did he…
Before Taylor could go any further down that thoughtline, the flow resumed and with a ferocity.
She had seconds until she hit her time limit.
Taylor was going to push it as far as it could. The giant was fighting an Endbringer. Presumably. At least if he got hurt, he could heal. Other capes wouldn't have that luxury.
She hit the limit.
At this point, her power usually started to make her feel… unwell.
She persisted. A little pain was nothing.
It was like having a railroad spike slowly being driven into Taylor's brain, twisting with every millimeter.
She persisted. The capes fighting the Endbringer had to be suffering worse.
Her legs started to wobble, trying to support her.
She persisted. Everyone who saw the Simurgh had gone through much worse than just this.
Her hands could barely support her against the wall.
She persisted. Whole cities were condemned due to Ziz.
Her legs gave out and she unceremoniously found herself on the ground.
She persisted. Taylor could remember a local hero who had died to Ziz six years ago.
Her heart strained, beating a mad tempo.
She persisted. She bet he had suffered a thousand times worse than this.
Her mind started to cloud.
She persisted. She had to make a difference.
Her heartbeat began to slow.
She persisted. Even one as insignificant and worthless as she was.
Her eyes started to close.
She persisted. She had t-
Blackness.
Taylor dreamed.
[] Of stars.
[] Of a castle.
[] Of the end.
Author's note: There will be one more chapter before this arc finishes, I think. I'm oddly happy with this chapter. It became a lot more than what I thought it would be.
Anywho, things happened. I can't imagine Taylor doing anything other than this and pushing herself as far as she could given the circumstances.
Please vote and discuss; I love the discussion the last few chapters have had and it makes me very happy!
Deadweight Hero
I can't beat the demon lord help-
[X] Of a castle.
Uhhhh, is Joanna with the empire? Foreshadowing?
Uhhhh, is Joanna with the empire? Foreshadowing?
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Of stars.
Because I've seen the castle, and I've seen the end.
Because I've seen the castle, and I've seen the end.