Like Mother like Skitter (Worm AU-Complete)
- Thread starter LD1449
- Start date
-
- Tags
- worm daniel hebert humor
- Location
- Philippines
So did Marquis set the bombs off? Or is there a third player in this crazyness?
wertsir
Knower of the Unknown
- Location
- Lost in A Deep Fog
I am going to assume that Jack and Danny set the bombs off. (to what ends I know not)
That would be the 'Stupid Things' that Assault wanted to prevent. (Little did he know that the work faster than that).
The natural reaction to shit going south is 'Coil did it' and true enough we don't know what he's up to, but we ALSO didn't see Danny or Jack this update, which is quite suspicious. (it would also be funnier)
That would be the 'Stupid Things' that Assault wanted to prevent. (Little did he know that the work faster than that).
The natural reaction to shit going south is 'Coil did it' and true enough we don't know what he's up to, but we ALSO didn't see Danny or Jack this update, which is quite suspicious. (it would also be funnier)
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Mithrandir
Endurance and victory!
- Location
- Lighting the Blue Beacons.
Typos:
Extraneous ".
Why is "Trigger" capitalized?
Missing a period.
Another extraneous ".
Missing a ".
Why is "Wood" capitalized?
"answers"
"nonplussed"
I believe "all joking aside" should be 'all joking aside'.
Night_stalker
Slava Ukraini!
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Turns out Squealer's universal remote just happens to have a feature that operates on the same frequency as Bakuda's bombs, and she hit the wrong button.
- Location
- Kent, WA
"Yes, well, you might want to speed it up," she said.
I dunno. Consider the rest of the family. The only remotely Normal one is Emma.
And she's been drinking the water for years.
webxro
Benevolent Bystander
- Location
- Where you need me
No she isn't, give Emma a power similar with Parian and you bring her to Skitter levels.
HorrorEmma would wander the streets of BB and give everybody cool cloths without even noticing how creepy it is to rip clothing out of them and replace it in public.
CV12Hornet
Riter.
- Location
- Tacoma, Washington
Pff, you call that horror? Jackets that eat people to restrain them. And Emma's sold thousands. They're the new hot fashion. Clothes that track your every move and send the information back to her. Cloth-covered mannequins for minions.
I could go on.
RadioactiveSpoon
Rudimentary creature of blood and flesh
- Location
- Beyond the Black Stump
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- Location
- Tucson, AZ USA
if it is Danny and Jack it is likely Carols husband is there too and I could so see them just having fun cleaning up the Boat Graveyard for kicks
- Location
- Russia
I was reading this Eldritch Assistance(Worm Altpower) | Page 4 and there was [DR. Samuel N. Raichand] who once heal Marquis and he was so toal badass... I wonder what if he still family doctor here. For Heberts.
P.S. Water in Heberts home so strange because under their home lies the body of Eden. Or something like this.
P.S. Water in Heberts home so strange because under their home lies the body of Eden. Or something like this.
Epsilon Rose
The King of Unrest
I'm fairly certain that's an OC character for that fic and, thus, unlikely to appear here. The body of Eden thing is also likely unique to that fic.
Mate I'm fairly sure Coil decided that this city and all the power in the world wasn't worth this madness, and skipped town early on...
That said he was never accused of being smart.
Wonder what will remain of him when he finally sticks his head above water, if they even find a body...
Edit: And I just noticed that I, like an idiot, didn't note the last response date, sorry bout getting hopes up peeps.
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LD1449
To the last; Kill them all
- Location
- The other side of the labyrinth.
I'm not complaining
Brings it to the front page and brings some more readers. Who knows, maybe one of them will make another Omake In actual news, the next chapter is around 40% done. I haven't worked on it since the crap that happened in the house and my mused was crushed by a literal mountain as the readers of 'No Good Deed' know, but hopefully I'll be able to get back on the proverbial horse and get moving.
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Chapter 13
LD1449
To the last; Kill them all
- Location
- The other side of the labyrinth.
Chapter 13:
If an ordinary man were to approach the Brockton Bay Docks, an ordinary man would be inclined to get the hell away, rather quickly to boot.
The reason for this was because one could almost feel the static charge of hostility in the air. Almost forking like lightning across the open spaces between the building.
The angry shouting, crashing and general sounds of violence may have had something to do with it as well.
So for Lady Photon, AKA: Photon Mom, it was a Tuesday.
Hovering just above the warehouse, the woman mentally prepared herself to enter into the proverbial lion's den.
"Hold still!"
She winced. Hearing her sister's rage filled demand, which was followed shortly by the sound of rent and crashing metal.
"But that would just be unsporting of me dear. Then I'd actually have to fight back."
Lady Photon smacked her forehead, sighing in dismay.
Honestly. A part of her wanted to just fly away. Go elsewhere. Anywhere. At this point it was routine.
But if she left she'd just have to end up listening to Brandish complaining for a month about how 'She would have beaten that bastard if one of them had shown up to give her backup'
Which would then degenerate into her just generally pouting…
Then she would glare.
Then Marquis would do some other thing and they'd be back to square one and she'd charge off alone again, assured that this time she would get him.
Nevermind the fact that Marquis had beaten the shit out of the whole team on multiple occasions.
Hell, as far as she was concerned, Mark had only developed this depression issue after one too many fights with the bone wielder.
And it wasn't like…
She sighed.
To be honest- it was just after spending all day putting out fires and undoing a lot of the damage Bakuda's bombs had caused, the very last thing, she wanted to do was cap off her evening by needing to put an ice-pack over her eye for three days, or wake up tomorrow unable to move because everything hurt.
She just wanted to go home, lay down on the couch, let her husband give her a foot rub, if he wasn't dead tired himself, let him watch some TV while she read a book, drank some wine, sent the kids off to buy some Chinese or something and just try to relax for a solid month.
In the alternative, fake her death so people stopped bothering her.
It'd be easy with all the bombs that went off.
But no. No of course that couldn't happen. Because Marquis somehow had her goddamn phone number.
Now it wasn't just her sister who could call when rational thought beat past the haze of rage it was Marquis whenever he didn't want to beat the crap out of Brandish for...god only knows what reason…
Maybe she could switch phone numbers.
It wasn't like a lot of people called her.
There were her Kids. Her sister, her niece, her friends, the PRT, the Police, The local fire departments the...Ok...Scratch that, New phone wasn't gonna help.
Goddamn. On second thought how hadn't Marquis gotten hold of her number sooner than this?
Wasn't he like an information broker as well?
Man needed to check his contacts.
She shook her head, sighing in exasperation aggravation.
She didn't want to say it -Definitely not to Carol- But Marquis had a damn point.
This obsession her sister had on blaming the bone wielder for everything wrong under the sun was getting concerning.
Honestly he wasn't even that bad of a guy to be honest.
I mean. How many other supervillains would have called in potential backup for their enemies so they could come pick em up?
There was another massive crash down below and Lady Photon sighed.
Well… nothing for it.
She descended.
When she moved in through an open window, she came across a rather peculiar sight.
Carol, hacking away at a metal door with a hardlight axe.
"Really, Brandish dear, this is not healthy at all." Marquis, voice drifted out from the other side of the door.
Carol's response was prying out the axe head and burying it in another spot on the metal door.
"You really need to find a hobby."
"I'll do that." She promised, yanking out the axe head. "Just as soon as you're in a jail where you belong."
"With the way you're swinging that axe, I believe you mean "Casket" rather than 'Jail' dear."
Lady Photon tried not to notice that Brandish didn't actually deny it.
The axe swung again.
She cleared her throat.
"Photon? Is that you love?"
"Sarah! Good." Her sister practically preened. "We've got him cornered. We can finish this off once and for all."
She tried to not roll her eyes...she really really did.
"Brandish...look. It's been a really long day and-"
"He's right here Sarah!" She insisted, then kept hacking away at the door.
Sarah sighed.
She could already picture it. Sarah was gonna hack off the doorknob, the door was gonna open, she was gonna get a bone shard through the foot, a boot to the face, then Sarah was gonna spring up a force field, Marquis was gonna get around it, start landing hits, crack her across the face and dance right along out of here while the two of them had to go to the hospital until tomorrow or worse.
Goddamnit… Why couldn't one of their children have some kind of healing power?
Carol would love her.
Then she could go after Marquis every other day and just heal overnight. She'd probably become more loved than Victoria…
"Photon, listen dear, I know I'm prying but this is very concerning." Marquis said to the backdrop of an ax striking metal "Be honest with me. Is there trouble at home? How are the kids?"
"I'll show you trouble at home!" Carol answered with another hard thump of ax on metal.
Photon sighed, and sat down on the stairwell. "Not that I know of," she called back. "Everything's fine on my end, Carol how about you?"
Carol rounded on her, looking for all intents and purposes like Sarah had just stabbed her puppy or something.
"What!? Sarah!"
"My dear. If you do somehow...by some small miracle manage to arrest me it will hardly magically solve all of your problems. You'll just replace me with some other nasty little creature in your subconscious mind and hate him or her even more."
"He kinda has a point," Sarah put forward. "The therapist said talking about these things is important!"
"Oh. We're already seeking therapy? That's good sweet-heart, admitting there's a problem is the first step."
Carol growled, smashing the axe into the door, the knob hanging on by a thread. "I swear, the second I get through this door you are in for a world of pain."
"Tsk. Promises Promises darling."
A pause.
The axe crunched down and the whole chunk of door that held the knob to the rest of the frame came apart, a second before Carol yanked it open, the knob and door clattering to the ground.
Sarah stood up, surprised that there was no instant scream and spurt of blood by flying bone shard, no boot to the face or hectic rush of instant combat.
It was just Carol, staring into the room, slackjawed.
Sarah peered into the door.
And came face to face with a wall of criss-crossed bones. All of which, she knew, were harder than steel.
She groaned, slapping her forehead. "Goddamnit Marquis why! Can't you just let this be over quick?" She demanded looking to the walls of solid concrete that made up this back office Looking for any other way she could more easily get in. "It'll take us forever to get through these! Just get to the fighting already!"
"Well you two could always just...oh...I don't know. Go home?"
The second he said those words she saw Carol's face close up like a locked gate, the determination shining in her eyes. Convinced that he was 'pleading' or something and that they genuinely had him cornered.
Sarah groaned. A part of her just wanted to call Victoria down here. But honestly, no reason for three of them to get their asses handed to them tonight, especially when Vicky would still be useful as hell in the next few days clearing debris.
Carol kept hacking away.
Piece by piece, inch by inch, the bones were cracked open, split apart like chunks of really tough firewood. Sarah took over with her lasers when her sister could barely lift her arms anymore and they worked in shifts.
As half-hearted as she possibly could.
All the while they worked, it was followed by Marquis' delightful commentary.
"I have faith in you."
"Keep swinging, only another three feet to go."
"You're doing great."
"Did you guys see the news last night? Or maybe the documentary right after? Crazy stuff about the water. You think the Bay is affected too?"
"Go on, put your backs into it!"
If Sarah were perfectly honest, the witty back and forth Banter did help pass the time.
By the time they were at the last few inches, both of them were exhausted. Hell, if they managed to punch through the wall, Marquis wouldn't even have to fight, just walk really really fast to get away. She wouldn't have the energy to chase him.
"We're almost there Sarah," Carol panted.
Sarah rolled her eyes.
"Just so you know Carol, Sarah, I do consider you friends of a sort and I just want you to know-"
The axe came up, and back down with a crunch.
"All of this is for your own good. I do this because I want to be here for you and help you as much as I can. Truly."
Sarah got a sinking feeling in her gut.
Why did that voice sound off?
She stood up, looking into the hole just in time for the axe to finally punch straight through and give them a look into the room.
…
After tonight. For a long *long* time, Sarah would learn to hate Marquis, almost as much as her sister did.
All the work, effort, pain and aggravation...and all they found… was a walkie talkie on a chair. It's light on and mocking them.
"Yes. Right here….all the way over here safe and sound, at home, ready to relax with some wine..."
Sarah stared. "I'm going to murder you." She promised.
She wasn't sure how.
She wasn't sure when.
But this was happening. Marquis was going to pay for this…
"Remember, I do this because I love you."
He laughed...laughed.
"Have a lovely weekend ladies. Say hello to your children for me."
Sarah looked to her sister, who stared at the hole with a look of utter shock still plastered over her face.
Carol turned to her. "That walkie can't be very fa-"
"Finish that sentence." Sarah promised. "And I can't be held responsible for what I do to you, sister."
Again. Carol looked like she'd just kicked her puppy.
(X)(X)(X)
Meanwhile, just a few blocks away, Annette snickered, laughing as quietly as she could, having stuck around at the edge of the walkies range just for the punchline.
She could just imagine the look on the sisters' faces…
Turning off the walkie, she wiped her hands free of the imaginary dust as she shook her head.
"Ahh... " She sighed. "Pricele-"
She trailed off, the words falling away as a shadow fell over her and a buzzing reached her ears.
She looked up.
And her little baby girl was staring down at her, in full 'Skitter' regalia with the biblical locusts plague buzzing over her head.
Aww...She'd already learned the 'Ambush enemy at the most inopportune time' skill.
She was a natural at thi-
Wait…
Did Jack teach her?
Did Danny?!
Those bastards!
That was mother daughter time they stole from her!
"Hi!"
She was brought out of her thoughts, blinking as she looked up at Skitter again.
Her little girl waved.
Anne pushed the thoughts of imminent revenge away for the time being, slipping back into her persona, smiling behind her bone mask as she did a full proper stage bow. "Skitter. No escort today?"
"Nah, Miss Militia and Armsmaster are escorting Bakuda back to PRT HQ. I'm here to stop you from…" She paused...then shrugged. "I don't know. What were you doing here again?"
"You're just here for a rematch aren't you?" Was her dry response.
"Yup!" Taylor chirped, completely unrepentant.
"Not here to reconsider my offer?"
Her little girl seemed to start, and then, pause. Soon enough she held up a single finger before pressing the fingers of her other hand to her ear piece. "Ahem. No Marquis, I will not join the evil villain organization to gain more bugs!"
Then, with a tap of those two fingers against her ear the bug themed cape turned back to her.
"Now...as a strict hypothetical-"
Annette had to fight the urge to pump her fist and scream out a triumphant Yes! At the top of her lungs.
Then, a voice.
"Skitter...you turned off your earpiece but not your walkie..."
Annette knew her daughter well enough to know that Taylor would declare that anyone who said she squeaked in surprise was a lying liar who lies!
Militia's voice crackled through the walkie talkie her daughter nearly fumbled with as she fished it out of the back of her waist.
"Militia!" Taylor half squealed, half stuttered in dismayed surprise. "I...thought you...ummm… How're you? You good?"
Annette was reminded just why the star spangled cape could so thoroughly get on her nerves as she listened to her voice through the radio.
Militia was always the smartest one in that building, so she was always the one that usually did screw with her plans to some degree.
On most days it was a nice change of pace to be on the back foot.
Today she just wanted Militia to fuck off.
"I was," Annette heard the heroine drily droll through the radio. "Then I catch you ready to make a deal." A pause. Then a sigh. "Skitter, we talked about this. Marquis is…"
"A villain," her daughter answered the prompt, sulking with slumped shoulders and a shifting foot.
"And?" Militia insisted.
"And his deals come with strings attached..." Taylor answered. Annette felt her annoyance rise.
She could say she was genuinely offended.
She wasn't that bad...most of the time...some of the ti-...This time anyway!
"And…"
"And...I don't need superpowered bugs...The normal ones are effective enough."
"Yes they are."
Annette glared at the walkie, imagining her star spangled nemesis smirking on the other side at Annette's foiled plan. (Hag!)
Taylor slouched. "It was just hypotheticals." She whined, unconvincingly.
"Uh-huh," Militia deadpanned.
Then, Annette noticed her little girl looking around. "Ok well...this was a nice talk so I'll let you go so you can get back to guarding Bakuda. So we'll talk again soon ok?
Then, before she got an answer she clicked the radio off.
Annette's hopes flared to life again.
"Ok…" Taylor began, peering down at her with a smile she could feel behind that bug mask. "So strictly in hypotheti-"
"Skitter."
A squeak.
"That was the GPS button honey... Not the power button."
"Ummm...where's the power button?"
"Right next to 'Hell' and 'No'"
Her daughter's shoulders slumped. "Am I getting monitor duty again?"
"In dividends."
"I swear I didn't hear Lung's surrender that time! His voice gets weird! That shouldn't count!"
"Yes yes I know. You're still on monitor duty for trying to get superpowered bugs."
"But I'd be more effective!"
"You're effective enough."
Suddenly, Annette saw an opportunity.
"No she's not," she called up to the rooftop smoothly, interjecting into the conversation with a smooth, blase attitude, wishing for a moment that there was a way to climb up a fire escape without thoroughly breaking her mystique. "Why, I still beat her last time if I recall."
"Yeah he did!" Taylor protested. "Come oooon! If I just had some acid exploding bugs like-"
"No."
"What about the bone eating bu-"
"No."
"I promise to keep the flesh and/or metal eating bugs just for emergencie-"
"No."
"Militia you treat the girl too harshly," Annette pointed out in a sugary sweet voice.
"Oh no!" Militia demanded. "You stop that right now! I see what you're doing!"
"How does one see through a radio?"
"Quite easily in your case."
Annette glared. "I resent that accusation." She humphed. "I'm just trying to give the girl the most effective tools for her work. Which the PRT is clearly unwilling to provide."
Her smile was palpable behind her mask as she was greeted by silence.
For a long moment Militia didn't say anything.
"Skitter, hun. Listen. You can't have the bugs."
Her daughter sounded close to tears.
Poor thing.(YES!) "But-"
"Wait honey I'm not done. You can't have the bugs because, frankly, I don't think you need them. You're smart and strong enough to take out people like Lung! You can wipe the floor with every cape on the east coast. Marquis isn't offering you stronger bugs, he's offering you a crutch and a handicap just to manipulate you."
Annette stared slackjawed.
Oh….Oh that… that….fucking-
"So do me a favor. I'm on my way, but if you start fighting before I get there- Just because he thought he could take you for an idiot. Kick his ass for me!"
Annette heard the buzzing of the swarm above, saw her daughter square her shoulders standing up a little straighter as she looked down at her with those eerie yellow orbs of her mask.
"You got it!"
…
...
That…
That fucking who-
"That's my girl."
…
…
...
That…
That...
That does it!
She was dead! She took back every nice thing she ever thought or said about her!
Brockton Bay could say goodbye to its star spangled, red, white and foreign!
Annette was gonna kick her ass so bad her nonexistent children were going to feel the bruises!
Annette was going through the various means of righteous retribution available to her when the buzzing in the sky became so loud it drew her attention back to her daughter.
Taylor stood at the top of the building, in all her five foot nine inch glory, looking as intimidating as only the very best of villains could pull off.
That's my…
She glared.
She was gonna kill Militia!
As the swarm moved and writhed over their heads like a single Massive Organism, Annette braced herself for the incoming fight. She'd been in worse spots, but not having a set-up battlefield and traps ready to level the playing field was just going to be a pain.
Just as the swarm looked like it was about to descend over her head and kick off the fight, suddenly-
A voice.
A familiar voice.
"There you are!"
Both mother and daughter turned, blinking as they saw the white fluffball that was Mr. Fluffykins crawling his way up the side of the building to park himself on the rooftop.
"Uhhh…." Was her daughter's eloquent response.
"Skitter!" The great big fluffball cried out in Emma's voice. "I got you and Kid off the hook! Now get back home and get changed!"
"Umm...I'm confused." Once more, her daughter displayed her eloquence.
"Mr. Fluffykins now works as a two way radio! No time for details. You have reservations and you're gonna be late!"
"Reservations!?" Her daughter all but screeched. "We were just gonna go out to the movies!"
"Not good enough for you!" Fluffy-Emma screeched. ""I got the PRT agent to book you something nicer!"
…
"Wait...you got the PRT agent to-"
"Yes." Emma exclaimed. "He's made a life choice. He is switching to catering. There is no need to inquire further!"
"But…" Her daughter sounded confused enough for the both of them. "Did you-"
"No. Need. To. Inquire. Further. Taylor."
"...Uhhh...Is Riley ok?"
It said quite a bit about the situation that Annette fully agreed with Taylor's question in regards to asking if Bonesaw was ok…
…
"Of course she is."
"What's she doing?"
"Running tests on your faucet again. Now. Taylor, focus. The PRT agent who made a life choice booked you at a five star restaurant so you get back here quick. We've got a lot of work to do!"
...
Annette had to wonder if Emma was related to Brandish?
I mean really. The level of tenacious determination and commitment must have been genetics…
"But… I…" Skitter looked to her. "But… I was gonna have my rematch with Marquis. Marquis. Tell her I can't go!"
Suddenly...Annette was faced with a true, crushing dilemma.
On the one hand, the mother wanted to make her daughter happy. Taylor wanted to fight, get her rematch and be a good hero.
On the other hand, the Mother also wanted to do what was best for her daughter.
And first dates were special.
She opened her mouth to speak, confused as to what exactly she would answer when the decision was taken, quite literally, from her.
She only had time to notice a sound of cloth getting caught in pincers.
Taylor looked.
The corner of her cape/cloak, that she used to hide 'ambush' bugs incase anyone got close, was now in Mr. Fluffykins mouth, the genetically engineered bug insistently pulling her in the general direction of the house as Taylor tried to tug it free.
"Ems! Let go!"
"Skits. Don't fight it. I'm going to win."
"You can't make me go with you!"
"Yes I can!"
"Oh yeah!? How!" She yelled, still tugging at her cape. "Mr. Fluffykins." She hissed. "You're supposed to be my pet you know!?"
"Because I have blackmail honey. All those little secrets of our youth. I'm ready and willing to use them!"
Taylor paused. "Hah! Well I know secrets from you too! Remember that time you tried Piano lessons? And you ended up burning that big guys La-Z-Boy? Or that time you had a crush on Leet! Leet!"
Now it was Emma's turn to pause.
"Yes Taylor. You have as much ammo. If not more than I do. But I have an advantage you don't."
"And what's that?" Taylor taunted.
"Mr. Fluffykins doubles as a loudspeaker!" Emma's voice suddenly boomed across the rooftops.
Annette could just imagine Taylor's horrified face under her mask. "B-bu- That's cheating!"
"You'll thank me for this after you've had a good time on your date and are ready to go on your second date!"
"What if I don't like the date?" Taylor groaned. "What are you gonna do then huh?"
"Nothingyoucanprove."
"Huh?"
"I'll bring chocolate ice-cream and will help you kick Win's ass later!"
Mr. Fluffykins tugged on the cape.
Taylor groaned. "Okaaaay." She turned and looked at her. "Rain-check."
Annette smiled. "Of course my dear."
As Skitter shuffled off, bugs following after her, Annette stepped out of the alley, unsure of what to feel with her daughter going on her first date.
Oh! She had to call Danny. Make sure he left his crowbar where they buried it after that incident with that Bradley guy.
She pulled out her phone, ready to make a call when the squeal of tires drew her attention down the road.
She snapped the phone shut, eyes gleaming as she caught sight of Miss Militia.
She swears the star spangled cape raises an eyebrow in a blatant challenge. (Hag!)
Annette only has one response to all this...
Revenge
If an ordinary man were to approach the Brockton Bay Docks, an ordinary man would be inclined to get the hell away, rather quickly to boot.
The reason for this was because one could almost feel the static charge of hostility in the air. Almost forking like lightning across the open spaces between the building.
The angry shouting, crashing and general sounds of violence may have had something to do with it as well.
So for Lady Photon, AKA: Photon Mom, it was a Tuesday.
Hovering just above the warehouse, the woman mentally prepared herself to enter into the proverbial lion's den.
"Hold still!"
She winced. Hearing her sister's rage filled demand, which was followed shortly by the sound of rent and crashing metal.
"But that would just be unsporting of me dear. Then I'd actually have to fight back."
Lady Photon smacked her forehead, sighing in dismay.
Honestly. A part of her wanted to just fly away. Go elsewhere. Anywhere. At this point it was routine.
But if she left she'd just have to end up listening to Brandish complaining for a month about how 'She would have beaten that bastard if one of them had shown up to give her backup'
Which would then degenerate into her just generally pouting…
Then she would glare.
Then Marquis would do some other thing and they'd be back to square one and she'd charge off alone again, assured that this time she would get him.
Nevermind the fact that Marquis had beaten the shit out of the whole team on multiple occasions.
Hell, as far as she was concerned, Mark had only developed this depression issue after one too many fights with the bone wielder.
And it wasn't like…
She sighed.
To be honest- it was just after spending all day putting out fires and undoing a lot of the damage Bakuda's bombs had caused, the very last thing, she wanted to do was cap off her evening by needing to put an ice-pack over her eye for three days, or wake up tomorrow unable to move because everything hurt.
She just wanted to go home, lay down on the couch, let her husband give her a foot rub, if he wasn't dead tired himself, let him watch some TV while she read a book, drank some wine, sent the kids off to buy some Chinese or something and just try to relax for a solid month.
In the alternative, fake her death so people stopped bothering her.
It'd be easy with all the bombs that went off.
But no. No of course that couldn't happen. Because Marquis somehow had her goddamn phone number.
Now it wasn't just her sister who could call when rational thought beat past the haze of rage it was Marquis whenever he didn't want to beat the crap out of Brandish for...god only knows what reason…
Maybe she could switch phone numbers.
It wasn't like a lot of people called her.
There were her Kids. Her sister, her niece, her friends, the PRT, the Police, The local fire departments the...Ok...Scratch that, New phone wasn't gonna help.
Goddamn. On second thought how hadn't Marquis gotten hold of her number sooner than this?
Wasn't he like an information broker as well?
Man needed to check his contacts.
She shook her head, sighing in exasperation aggravation.
She didn't want to say it -Definitely not to Carol- But Marquis had a damn point.
This obsession her sister had on blaming the bone wielder for everything wrong under the sun was getting concerning.
Honestly he wasn't even that bad of a guy to be honest.
I mean. How many other supervillains would have called in potential backup for their enemies so they could come pick em up?
There was another massive crash down below and Lady Photon sighed.
Well… nothing for it.
She descended.
When she moved in through an open window, she came across a rather peculiar sight.
Carol, hacking away at a metal door with a hardlight axe.
"Really, Brandish dear, this is not healthy at all." Marquis, voice drifted out from the other side of the door.
Carol's response was prying out the axe head and burying it in another spot on the metal door.
"You really need to find a hobby."
"I'll do that." She promised, yanking out the axe head. "Just as soon as you're in a jail where you belong."
"With the way you're swinging that axe, I believe you mean "Casket" rather than 'Jail' dear."
Lady Photon tried not to notice that Brandish didn't actually deny it.
The axe swung again.
She cleared her throat.
"Photon? Is that you love?"
"Sarah! Good." Her sister practically preened. "We've got him cornered. We can finish this off once and for all."
She tried to not roll her eyes...she really really did.
"Brandish...look. It's been a really long day and-"
"He's right here Sarah!" She insisted, then kept hacking away at the door.
Sarah sighed.
She could already picture it. Sarah was gonna hack off the doorknob, the door was gonna open, she was gonna get a bone shard through the foot, a boot to the face, then Sarah was gonna spring up a force field, Marquis was gonna get around it, start landing hits, crack her across the face and dance right along out of here while the two of them had to go to the hospital until tomorrow or worse.
Goddamnit… Why couldn't one of their children have some kind of healing power?
Carol would love her.
Then she could go after Marquis every other day and just heal overnight. She'd probably become more loved than Victoria…
"Photon, listen dear, I know I'm prying but this is very concerning." Marquis said to the backdrop of an ax striking metal "Be honest with me. Is there trouble at home? How are the kids?"
"I'll show you trouble at home!" Carol answered with another hard thump of ax on metal.
Photon sighed, and sat down on the stairwell. "Not that I know of," she called back. "Everything's fine on my end, Carol how about you?"
Carol rounded on her, looking for all intents and purposes like Sarah had just stabbed her puppy or something.
"What!? Sarah!"
"My dear. If you do somehow...by some small miracle manage to arrest me it will hardly magically solve all of your problems. You'll just replace me with some other nasty little creature in your subconscious mind and hate him or her even more."
"He kinda has a point," Sarah put forward. "The therapist said talking about these things is important!"
"Oh. We're already seeking therapy? That's good sweet-heart, admitting there's a problem is the first step."
Carol growled, smashing the axe into the door, the knob hanging on by a thread. "I swear, the second I get through this door you are in for a world of pain."
"Tsk. Promises Promises darling."
A pause.
The axe crunched down and the whole chunk of door that held the knob to the rest of the frame came apart, a second before Carol yanked it open, the knob and door clattering to the ground.
Sarah stood up, surprised that there was no instant scream and spurt of blood by flying bone shard, no boot to the face or hectic rush of instant combat.
It was just Carol, staring into the room, slackjawed.
Sarah peered into the door.
And came face to face with a wall of criss-crossed bones. All of which, she knew, were harder than steel.
She groaned, slapping her forehead. "Goddamnit Marquis why! Can't you just let this be over quick?" She demanded looking to the walls of solid concrete that made up this back office Looking for any other way she could more easily get in. "It'll take us forever to get through these! Just get to the fighting already!"
"Well you two could always just...oh...I don't know. Go home?"
The second he said those words she saw Carol's face close up like a locked gate, the determination shining in her eyes. Convinced that he was 'pleading' or something and that they genuinely had him cornered.
Sarah groaned. A part of her just wanted to call Victoria down here. But honestly, no reason for three of them to get their asses handed to them tonight, especially when Vicky would still be useful as hell in the next few days clearing debris.
Carol kept hacking away.
Piece by piece, inch by inch, the bones were cracked open, split apart like chunks of really tough firewood. Sarah took over with her lasers when her sister could barely lift her arms anymore and they worked in shifts.
As half-hearted as she possibly could.
All the while they worked, it was followed by Marquis' delightful commentary.
"I have faith in you."
"Keep swinging, only another three feet to go."
"You're doing great."
"Did you guys see the news last night? Or maybe the documentary right after? Crazy stuff about the water. You think the Bay is affected too?"
"Go on, put your backs into it!"
If Sarah were perfectly honest, the witty back and forth Banter did help pass the time.
By the time they were at the last few inches, both of them were exhausted. Hell, if they managed to punch through the wall, Marquis wouldn't even have to fight, just walk really really fast to get away. She wouldn't have the energy to chase him.
"We're almost there Sarah," Carol panted.
Sarah rolled her eyes.
"Just so you know Carol, Sarah, I do consider you friends of a sort and I just want you to know-"
The axe came up, and back down with a crunch.
"All of this is for your own good. I do this because I want to be here for you and help you as much as I can. Truly."
Sarah got a sinking feeling in her gut.
Why did that voice sound off?
She stood up, looking into the hole just in time for the axe to finally punch straight through and give them a look into the room.
…
After tonight. For a long *long* time, Sarah would learn to hate Marquis, almost as much as her sister did.
All the work, effort, pain and aggravation...and all they found… was a walkie talkie on a chair. It's light on and mocking them.
"Yes. Right here….all the way over here safe and sound, at home, ready to relax with some wine..."
Sarah stared. "I'm going to murder you." She promised.
She wasn't sure how.
She wasn't sure when.
But this was happening. Marquis was going to pay for this…
"Remember, I do this because I love you."
He laughed...laughed.
"Have a lovely weekend ladies. Say hello to your children for me."
Sarah looked to her sister, who stared at the hole with a look of utter shock still plastered over her face.
Carol turned to her. "That walkie can't be very fa-"
"Finish that sentence." Sarah promised. "And I can't be held responsible for what I do to you, sister."
Again. Carol looked like she'd just kicked her puppy.
(X)(X)(X)
Meanwhile, just a few blocks away, Annette snickered, laughing as quietly as she could, having stuck around at the edge of the walkies range just for the punchline.
She could just imagine the look on the sisters' faces…
Turning off the walkie, she wiped her hands free of the imaginary dust as she shook her head.
"Ahh... " She sighed. "Pricele-"
She trailed off, the words falling away as a shadow fell over her and a buzzing reached her ears.
She looked up.
And her little baby girl was staring down at her, in full 'Skitter' regalia with the biblical locusts plague buzzing over her head.
Aww...She'd already learned the 'Ambush enemy at the most inopportune time' skill.
She was a natural at thi-
Wait…
Did Jack teach her?
Did Danny?!
Those bastards!
That was mother daughter time they stole from her!
"Hi!"
She was brought out of her thoughts, blinking as she looked up at Skitter again.
Her little girl waved.
Anne pushed the thoughts of imminent revenge away for the time being, slipping back into her persona, smiling behind her bone mask as she did a full proper stage bow. "Skitter. No escort today?"
"Nah, Miss Militia and Armsmaster are escorting Bakuda back to PRT HQ. I'm here to stop you from…" She paused...then shrugged. "I don't know. What were you doing here again?"
"You're just here for a rematch aren't you?" Was her dry response.
"Yup!" Taylor chirped, completely unrepentant.
"Not here to reconsider my offer?"
Her little girl seemed to start, and then, pause. Soon enough she held up a single finger before pressing the fingers of her other hand to her ear piece. "Ahem. No Marquis, I will not join the evil villain organization to gain more bugs!"
Then, with a tap of those two fingers against her ear the bug themed cape turned back to her.
"Now...as a strict hypothetical-"
Annette had to fight the urge to pump her fist and scream out a triumphant Yes! At the top of her lungs.
Then, a voice.
"Skitter...you turned off your earpiece but not your walkie..."
Annette knew her daughter well enough to know that Taylor would declare that anyone who said she squeaked in surprise was a lying liar who lies!
Militia's voice crackled through the walkie talkie her daughter nearly fumbled with as she fished it out of the back of her waist.
"Militia!" Taylor half squealed, half stuttered in dismayed surprise. "I...thought you...ummm… How're you? You good?"
Annette was reminded just why the star spangled cape could so thoroughly get on her nerves as she listened to her voice through the radio.
Militia was always the smartest one in that building, so she was always the one that usually did screw with her plans to some degree.
On most days it was a nice change of pace to be on the back foot.
Today she just wanted Militia to fuck off.
"I was," Annette heard the heroine drily droll through the radio. "Then I catch you ready to make a deal." A pause. Then a sigh. "Skitter, we talked about this. Marquis is…"
"A villain," her daughter answered the prompt, sulking with slumped shoulders and a shifting foot.
"And?" Militia insisted.
"And his deals come with strings attached..." Taylor answered. Annette felt her annoyance rise.
She could say she was genuinely offended.
She wasn't that bad...most of the time...some of the ti-...This time anyway!
"And…"
"And...I don't need superpowered bugs...The normal ones are effective enough."
"Yes they are."
Annette glared at the walkie, imagining her star spangled nemesis smirking on the other side at Annette's foiled plan. (Hag!)
Taylor slouched. "It was just hypotheticals." She whined, unconvincingly.
"Uh-huh," Militia deadpanned.
Then, Annette noticed her little girl looking around. "Ok well...this was a nice talk so I'll let you go so you can get back to guarding Bakuda. So we'll talk again soon ok?
Then, before she got an answer she clicked the radio off.
Annette's hopes flared to life again.
"Ok…" Taylor began, peering down at her with a smile she could feel behind that bug mask. "So strictly in hypotheti-"
"Skitter."
A squeak.
"That was the GPS button honey... Not the power button."
"Ummm...where's the power button?"
"Right next to 'Hell' and 'No'"
Her daughter's shoulders slumped. "Am I getting monitor duty again?"
"In dividends."
"I swear I didn't hear Lung's surrender that time! His voice gets weird! That shouldn't count!"
"Yes yes I know. You're still on monitor duty for trying to get superpowered bugs."
"But I'd be more effective!"
"You're effective enough."
Suddenly, Annette saw an opportunity.
"No she's not," she called up to the rooftop smoothly, interjecting into the conversation with a smooth, blase attitude, wishing for a moment that there was a way to climb up a fire escape without thoroughly breaking her mystique. "Why, I still beat her last time if I recall."
"Yeah he did!" Taylor protested. "Come oooon! If I just had some acid exploding bugs like-"
"No."
"What about the bone eating bu-"
"No."
"I promise to keep the flesh and/or metal eating bugs just for emergencie-"
"No."
"Militia you treat the girl too harshly," Annette pointed out in a sugary sweet voice.
"Oh no!" Militia demanded. "You stop that right now! I see what you're doing!"
"How does one see through a radio?"
"Quite easily in your case."
Annette glared. "I resent that accusation." She humphed. "I'm just trying to give the girl the most effective tools for her work. Which the PRT is clearly unwilling to provide."
Her smile was palpable behind her mask as she was greeted by silence.
For a long moment Militia didn't say anything.
"Skitter, hun. Listen. You can't have the bugs."
Her daughter sounded close to tears.
Poor thing.(YES!) "But-"
"Wait honey I'm not done. You can't have the bugs because, frankly, I don't think you need them. You're smart and strong enough to take out people like Lung! You can wipe the floor with every cape on the east coast. Marquis isn't offering you stronger bugs, he's offering you a crutch and a handicap just to manipulate you."
Annette stared slackjawed.
Oh….Oh that… that….fucking-
"So do me a favor. I'm on my way, but if you start fighting before I get there- Just because he thought he could take you for an idiot. Kick his ass for me!"
Annette heard the buzzing of the swarm above, saw her daughter square her shoulders standing up a little straighter as she looked down at her with those eerie yellow orbs of her mask.
"You got it!"
…
...
That…
That fucking who-
"That's my girl."
…
…
...
That…
That...
That does it!
She was dead! She took back every nice thing she ever thought or said about her!
Brockton Bay could say goodbye to its star spangled, red, white and foreign!
Annette was gonna kick her ass so bad her nonexistent children were going to feel the bruises!
Annette was going through the various means of righteous retribution available to her when the buzzing in the sky became so loud it drew her attention back to her daughter.
Taylor stood at the top of the building, in all her five foot nine inch glory, looking as intimidating as only the very best of villains could pull off.
That's my…
She glared.
She was gonna kill Militia!
As the swarm moved and writhed over their heads like a single Massive Organism, Annette braced herself for the incoming fight. She'd been in worse spots, but not having a set-up battlefield and traps ready to level the playing field was just going to be a pain.
Just as the swarm looked like it was about to descend over her head and kick off the fight, suddenly-
A voice.
A familiar voice.
"There you are!"
Both mother and daughter turned, blinking as they saw the white fluffball that was Mr. Fluffykins crawling his way up the side of the building to park himself on the rooftop.
"Uhhh…." Was her daughter's eloquent response.
"Skitter!" The great big fluffball cried out in Emma's voice. "I got you and Kid off the hook! Now get back home and get changed!"
"Umm...I'm confused." Once more, her daughter displayed her eloquence.
"Mr. Fluffykins now works as a two way radio! No time for details. You have reservations and you're gonna be late!"
"Reservations!?" Her daughter all but screeched. "We were just gonna go out to the movies!"
"Not good enough for you!" Fluffy-Emma screeched. ""I got the PRT agent to book you something nicer!"
…
"Wait...you got the PRT agent to-"
"Yes." Emma exclaimed. "He's made a life choice. He is switching to catering. There is no need to inquire further!"
"But…" Her daughter sounded confused enough for the both of them. "Did you-"
"No. Need. To. Inquire. Further. Taylor."
"...Uhhh...Is Riley ok?"
It said quite a bit about the situation that Annette fully agreed with Taylor's question in regards to asking if Bonesaw was ok…
…
"Of course she is."
"What's she doing?"
"Running tests on your faucet again. Now. Taylor, focus. The PRT agent who made a life choice booked you at a five star restaurant so you get back here quick. We've got a lot of work to do!"
...
Annette had to wonder if Emma was related to Brandish?
I mean really. The level of tenacious determination and commitment must have been genetics…
"But… I…" Skitter looked to her. "But… I was gonna have my rematch with Marquis. Marquis. Tell her I can't go!"
Suddenly...Annette was faced with a true, crushing dilemma.
On the one hand, the mother wanted to make her daughter happy. Taylor wanted to fight, get her rematch and be a good hero.
On the other hand, the Mother also wanted to do what was best for her daughter.
And first dates were special.
She opened her mouth to speak, confused as to what exactly she would answer when the decision was taken, quite literally, from her.
She only had time to notice a sound of cloth getting caught in pincers.
Taylor looked.
The corner of her cape/cloak, that she used to hide 'ambush' bugs incase anyone got close, was now in Mr. Fluffykins mouth, the genetically engineered bug insistently pulling her in the general direction of the house as Taylor tried to tug it free.
"Ems! Let go!"
"Skits. Don't fight it. I'm going to win."
"You can't make me go with you!"
"Yes I can!"
"Oh yeah!? How!" She yelled, still tugging at her cape. "Mr. Fluffykins." She hissed. "You're supposed to be my pet you know!?"
"Because I have blackmail honey. All those little secrets of our youth. I'm ready and willing to use them!"
Taylor paused. "Hah! Well I know secrets from you too! Remember that time you tried Piano lessons? And you ended up burning that big guys La-Z-Boy? Or that time you had a crush on Leet! Leet!"
Now it was Emma's turn to pause.
"Yes Taylor. You have as much ammo. If not more than I do. But I have an advantage you don't."
"And what's that?" Taylor taunted.
"Mr. Fluffykins doubles as a loudspeaker!" Emma's voice suddenly boomed across the rooftops.
Annette could just imagine Taylor's horrified face under her mask. "B-bu- That's cheating!"
"You'll thank me for this after you've had a good time on your date and are ready to go on your second date!"
"What if I don't like the date?" Taylor groaned. "What are you gonna do then huh?"
"Nothingyoucanprove."
"Huh?"
"I'll bring chocolate ice-cream and will help you kick Win's ass later!"
Mr. Fluffykins tugged on the cape.
Taylor groaned. "Okaaaay." She turned and looked at her. "Rain-check."
Annette smiled. "Of course my dear."
As Skitter shuffled off, bugs following after her, Annette stepped out of the alley, unsure of what to feel with her daughter going on her first date.
Oh! She had to call Danny. Make sure he left his crowbar where they buried it after that incident with that Bradley guy.
She pulled out her phone, ready to make a call when the squeal of tires drew her attention down the road.
She snapped the phone shut, eyes gleaming as she caught sight of Miss Militia.
She swears the star spangled cape raises an eyebrow in a blatant challenge. (Hag!)
Annette only has one response to all this...
Revenge
The Fourth Monado
S U B A R A S H I I
- Location
- Away
On one hand... ow the crack.
On the other... that was amazing.
On the other... that was amazing.
Older-than-Time
[Eating My Muse]
- Location
- Somewhere in the Sol System
- Pronouns
- He/Him/ThatIdiot
So much crack, I'm fairly sure I'm seeing the walls move...
Amazing as always!
Amazing as always!
Older-than-Time
[Eating My Muse]
- Location
- Somewhere in the Sol System
- Pronouns
- He/Him/ThatIdiot
Retires? Being Marquis is a life choice!Oh god I knew I just knew Annette wouldn't be there when Carol finally got through!
...
...
...my money will be on Taylor, using bullshit tinkertech from her husband Victory.