Orphans [Worm/CWoD] DEAD

[AkatsukiL13]

Posting up my Worm/Classic World of Darkness fanfic from Spacebattles up here. Unlike my Quest it doesn't matter if I have it up in multiple sites. When I update one copy of it, I'll update the other right after. But for those who have decided to move here entirely I won't rob you of enjoying my works.

Disclaimer: I do not own Worm or the Old World of Darkness, wish I did but I don't.

Chapter Index
Interlude X.0
Awakening 1.1
Awakening 1.2
Awakening 1.3
Awakening 1.4
Awakening 1.5
Interlude X.1



Interlude X.0

"Well this is certainly a fine mess you've gotten yourself into," I muttered to myself as I absently tapped on one of the handcuffs chaining me to the table.

The room was about as typical as any interrogation room I suppose. Other than the table and chairs the room was empty, the walls a drab grey with florescent light in the ceiling. Well there was one of those one way window-mirror things on the wall in front of me too. They were probably watching me right now.

After months evading the Protectorate and the PRT my luck had finally run out and now I was in chains waiting for them to declare whatever punishment they had cooked up. I didn't know if I wanted to curl up in a ball and cry or tear out my hair and scream my lungs out. Everything we had worked towards, everything we had done to get here, everything I sacrificed all for nothing. I wouldn't end up in the Birdcage but I wasn't under any illusion that I wouldn't end up in prison.

The door opened pulling me from my miserable thoughts. In the doorway stood Miss Militia, second-in-command of the local Protectorate, sizing me up like any cop would a two-bit crook. There was a folder tucked under an arm and her signature knife was missing. Another time, another place I would have loved to actually meet Miss Militia but like so many other things tonight this left a bad taste in my mouth. Without a word she walked into the room, closing the door behind her and sat down across from me. Her eyes bore into me like a drill and I couldn't help but recoil a little. There wasn't really any anger or hostility in her eyes, just something I couldn't identify. Sadness? Pity?

Miss Militia opened up the folder, my cape name written on the side. "Weaver of the Orphans, real name: Taylor Hebert, age 16," she read off flipping through the contents of the folder. "Daughter of Annette and Daniel Hebert. And a former student of Winslow High."

Yep that was me, Taylor Hebert, founding member of the Orphans, aspiring Mage...and fugitive cape.

"Wanted on multiple accounts of assault, destruction of property, breaking and entering, theft and vandalism," the hero finished, flipping the folder shut and turning her gaze back to me. "I won't lie to you; you're in a lot of trouble Taylor. I can call you Taylor right? Or do you prefer Weaver?"

"Don't care," I muttered.

"I'm curious why did you choose the name Weaver? It's a strange name given your power set."

I blinked and just stared at her for a moment. Why ask about that? Why not ask about the others? What we've done? Or where our hideout is? It didn't make sense yet she seemed to be genuinely curious. "You wouldn't believe me if I tried to explain it," I replied with the only answer I knew.

That provoked an amused smile to spread across Miss Militia's lips. "Try me. I've seen plenty of unbelievable things throughout my career."

My mouth opened but nothing came out. Would she really believe the truth? I didn't doubt that she had seen strange things but compared to what I had seen, compared to what I knew I doubted they could compare. How did you tell someone that there were ghosts out there? That there were vampires who used people like cattle and playthings? That the monsters under your bed and in your closest were real? That Magic was real and you could wield it?

Yeah… there was no way she was going to believe that. If I told her the truth she'd think I was crazy and I'd end up in a psych ward instead of a prison cell. Honestly wasn't sure what would be worse. I'd probably have better odds of escaping a psych ward but I really didn't want to end up there. Of course what would I say instead? Could I really pass my Magic off as a parahuman ability? Maybe but could I take the chance? If only they hadn't taken my foci when they arrested me, I could divine what she really knew about me and how to answer her.

Miss Militia seemed to sense my hesitation. "Don't worry about it Taylor. If you're uncomfortable you don't-"

"Because I can use Magic to reweave the universe," I answered truthfully.

The name Weaver was something I thought up of after reading one of my mother's old books. It spoke of the universe as one vast tapestry and that Magic—regardless of its form—wove the threads of that tapestry into a new pattern as the user desired. The metaphor struck with me and when it came time to pick a name 'Weaver' was the only one that seemed to fit.

And in the lying or trying to hide things probably wasn't going to help me now though I doubted the truth would help either. No matter what I said I was screwed so might as well be honest. It'd save me the trouble of thinking up something up say.

Miss Militia seemed to take as well I thought she would. "That's a rather...bold statement," she commented an incredulous look in her eyes.

"I told you," I sighed looking down at my bound hands.

"Well why don't you try and help me understand."

I couldn't help but chuckle at that. The others didn't really understand my 'Magical Realty-Bending Bullshit' and they had been with me for months. They got the idea of what my Magic was doing but not so much how I was able to do it. Of course it wasn't like my own knowledge was complete. There was plenty I didn't understand and I had a lot of questions about everything. "I barely understand it myself. I doubt I could explain as someone that could be readily understood. But I do know there are more things out there than you can imagine."

Neither of us said anything for moment, we just stared at each. I was really starting to wish I had my foci right now if just so I could get an idea of what Miss Militia was thinking right. Did she think I was crazy? A liar? Or did she actually believe me? "You've been very busy these past nine months," she said, placing her interlocked hands on the folder. "You and the rest of the Orphans managed to earn not just the enmity of the Protectorate and the PRT but most of the gangs in the Brockton Bay, raided the local offices of DNA, burned down a rehab facility, suspected involvement in several ongoing cases and most recently the-"

"Can we get to the point?" I interrupted, growing annoyed. "Why don't you just tell me what you want to know so we can get to the point?"

The truth was I didn't like everything we had done. Yeah we had helped people and even saved them but some of the things we had seen and done… They still haunted my nightmares from time to time. I didn't want to be reminded of them.

Miss Militia paused and once again seemed to study me briefly. "I've read all the reports on you and the rest of the Orphans. Plenty think you're nothing more than a band of teenage thugs on a rampage but I don't. "There are contradictions in your actions. Thugs do not go out of their way to save people's lives. I don't believe you're a bad person Taylor much less a thug and a villain like some have claimed."

Wait… What?

She didn't believe we were villains? I mean I had seen our pages online and the PRT had us labeled as villains and dangerous. I had expected everyone in the Protectorate to see me as nothing more than any other villain to have Miss Militia, one of the top heroes of Brockton Bay, saying I wasn't… I was stunned, awestruck and a little relieved.

"I want to hear your side of things Taylor. Will you tell me everything that happened?"

A part of me wanted to speak, to spill everything I experienced since my Awakening, to get that load off my chest but I hesitated. Much like my Magic some of it was pretty unbelievable and if she was a skeptic about that I doubted she would believe it. But she wanted to hear it.

I let out a breath I wasn't aware I was holding. "Alright I'll tell you. I can't promise you'll believe it all but I'll tell you."

"Understood."

"Then I suppose I should start at the beginning," I said, old memories resurfacing as I thought back to those days. "It all started back in November…"

 

[AkatsukiL13]

Awakening 1.1

"Crap, crap, crap," I whispered to myself as I ran, not daring to look back.

Behind me I could hear the shouts and taunts of my pursuers. They were ABB, Azn Bad Boys, one of Brockton Bay's most notorious gangs, howling for my blood. If they caught me…

I didn't want to think about it.

Sometimes I have to wonder if the entire world was just out to get me. My school life had become a nightmare, my best and only friend had abandoned me to join my other tormentors, my grades were slipping because of it and none of the teachers gave a damn. Now I had this mess staring down on me. The morning had begun like any other, with me out on my morning run. The same route I always took, the same time I always left, the same everything. It was just my abysmal luck that I had run into these creeps. Of course it didn't help that I had pepper sprayed one before I realized that he had friends. So I didn't just have some punks after me, I had some pissed-off punks after me.

I rounded the corner of a building and quickly ducked into alley, hoping I could find somewhere to hide only to stop dead in my tracks. Halfway through the alley was a transparent wall. It looked like a normal brick wall, the same as the two walls it was between, save that I could see the alley continue beyond it. I lifted up my hand and placed on the wall only for it to pass through thin air. Whatever this was it wasn't a real wall.

With nothing left to lose I ran through it just as the thugs reached the alley. Terror stopped me in my tracks as I heard the sound of a gun cocking. Against my better judgment I looked back. One of them was holding a pistol.

My heart skipped a beat at the sight of it as my hands shot up in surrender. There was nothing else I could do. Maybe I could keep outrunning them but I couldn't outrun a bullet.

But they didn't. The three of them just stood there, looking around the alley for me. Their eyes all glanced at me but they didn't seem to notice me. "Where'd the bitch go?!" the one with the gun, their leader exclaimed.

"She went this way!"

"Do you fucking see her?!"

Slowly my arms dropped as the crushing weight in the pit of my stomach faded away as they stood there looking for me. I couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. Whatever this fake wall thing was they couldn't see through it. At least at the moment anyway, I wasn't about to push my typically abysmal luck. I turned and left, heading further down the alley to wherever it led as quickly and as quietly as I could.

At the end of the alleyway was a broken, rusted out chain-link fence. Part of it had been torn leaving a sizable gap, more than enough for someone to squeeze through. Without moment of hesitation I slipped through the opening. I found myself on the edge of a courtyard belonging to an old apartment complex. The complex was made up of two four-story L-shaped buildings surrounding a courtyard. Everything looked like it had seen better days. The brickwork was old and filthy, stained with who knows how many years of dirt. Some of the buildings windows were broken or boarded up but there were lights in a few others. The courtyard itself was unkempt and overgrown with leafless tree and dead bushes all over the place. In the center was a round paved area with old, broken benches and a fountain that looked like it hadn't had any water in it in years. There was a pathway of cracked and weathered blocks running from one end of the yard to the other, crossing through the fountain area.

In the middle of it all was ten people in the middle of a conversation though I couldn't quite make out what they were saying. Half of them looked like a bunch of FBI agents, complete with black suits and in the case of two of them dark sunglasses despite the fact the sun was only just beginning to rise. The rest were a mixed bunch of people, one looked like an aging college professor with his graying hair tied back in a loose ponytail. Another was a young Asian man in a leather coat was off to one side with only woman in the second group, a blond haired girl who maybe a year or two older than me. The last two had their backs to me so all I could tell was that one was wearing a hoodie and the other wore an old tattered coat and hat.

Unease crept into me as I watched them from a distance. The professor took a step forward and offered his hand to one of the FBI agents, a bald headed dark skinned man. For an instant no one moved, everyone was staring at the two of them then the fed reached out and took something from the professor's hand and put it inside his coat before handing the professor something in return. Honestly I wasn't sure what this was all about but something told me I didn't want to get caught here. For all I know it could some kind of illegal deal people would kill to hidden. Fortunately they seemed so fixated on each other that they notice me. All I had to do was lay low and not draw any attention to myself. Eventually they'd go and I could finally get back home.

Suddenly two men entered the courtyard from an opening by the apartment buildings, their movements slow and methodical. They were tall and broad, large, rippling muscles barely contained in dark trenchcoats. With pale skin, shaved heads and broad, hard features they looked eerily identical. They could have been brothers but there was just something about them that screamed unnatural. "Halt!" one of the men commanded, his voice booming and emotionless. "All deviants are under arrest! Refusal will result in termination!"

"I told you it was a set up!" the Asian man exclaimed, glaring at the feds.

"This wasn't us," the black FBI man calmly replied, drawing a pistol from inside his coat his comrades doing the same. "And I suggest you run."

The man fired his gun twice and the pale giant staggered back, the side of his face torn open. I let out a stunned gasp as I stared at him. There wasn't much blood and beneath it I could see something dark like metal. Completely oblivious to what had happened the man and those with him raised their arms up, their limbs unfolding to reveal guns…

Guns inside their arms…

The things that weren't men raised their weapons at the group who were already scrambling for cover and drawing their own weapons. The group in suits all had handguns as did two of the other group while the Asian man drew out a long dagger from within his coat and the older man pulled out a strange silver rod in the image of a serpent. "Terminate all Deviants," the inhuman giant uttered.

But I wasn't about to stick around for the firefight. In an instant I was running back to the alley, the thunder of machinegun fire filling the air along with other, harder to place sound. There was a scream just as I rounded a corner but I didn't look back, I was too afraid to. At speeds that could have earned me a spot on the track team I reached the alley and the fake wall only to come across another nightmare.

There was a man standing the alley behind the illusionary wall but he wasn't alone. The three thugs that had been chasing me were a bloody mess on the ground. Whether they were alive or dead I couldn't tell, all my attention was on the large man, he looked just like those things with gun arms. "Deviant located," it said in a deep monotone, its eyes glowing red. "Commencing termination."

The man raised his hand up, his palm opening up and a trio of spinning gun barrels emerged…

***

It's actually kind of funny I've never spent as much time rewriting anything as much as I've done this chapter. My very first draft of this, which I didn't like at all, would have the ABB thugs grab her and that lead to her Awakening but I felt that it didn't fit Mage: the Ascension all that much. The couple of versions had her, and sometimes the thugs, getting caught in the crossfire of a fight between WoD supernaturals and beginning the process of Awakening her to the realty of the world. I liked those ideas better I still felt that she needed a bit more and it was a friend in my RP group who suggested some things to me I hadn't considered before. I'm not going to say what they are right now due to spoilers but she's given me some whole new ideas with what to do with Taylor.

But the scene Taylor stumbled onto is actually from a Technocrat game I recently ran, with some tweaks added. The five in suits were the PCs meeting with some Traditionalist mages over a string of unusual murders and events. Both this world and that of my game were set in the post-Avatar Storm/Dimensional Anomaly world, where the Technocracy and the Traditions are in a cold war state with skirmishes and other small conflicts going on but none of the major fighting they had in the past. And if there's a mutual danger they aren't above setting aside their animosity for a time to deal with it.

Of course in a world of Capes and Endbringers they have even more reason to stop fighting with each other. Not like that's going to happen though. Too much bad blood.

 

[AkatsukiL13]

Awakening 1.2

My entire body seized up as I stared at the spinning guns. Every thought in my head stopped, my mind going blank, save for one that repeated without end.

I was about to die.

At fifteen I was going to die. And all I could think about was that it was too early, there was so much more I wanted to do. Finish high school, escaping the trio, college, living my life and everything else that followed. I wanted that, I wanted to do all that, to live it. Hell I even wanted to get back at Emma, Sophia and Madison for all the torment they had put me through.

Yet at the same time that wasn't enough, I wanted more. So many things I had never done, things I hadn't even considered, things that made everything I had thought about doing before seem so trivial and pointless. I couldn't describe the feeling or knew where it came from. Maybe it had always been there and only now that I was on the verge of death that I could see it. But now that I could see it I didn't want to let it go. It couldn't end now, I wouldn't allow it. Somehow my fear began to slip away, anger replacing it. I was going to survive this, just like I had survived my tormentor's abuse, just like I survived Emma's betrayal, mom's death. Not only would I survive but I would go out and do all those things I had never thought about before.

I tried to back away, to run but I ended up tripping over my own feet. The thing-that-wasn't-a-man didn't react save for lowering its gun arm to keep it trained on me. With a face completely devoid of expression and life the giant towered over me. It was going to fire…

Suddenly the giant stopped, its whole body twitching and shuddering. It let out a mechanical groan as it seemed to struggle against some invisible force. Whatever that force was something told me it wouldn't hold it for long, I needed to escape while I could. But before I could even get up a pair of people walked past me.

It was the aging professor and the black agent from the courtyard. The professor had blood on his clothes but no sign of any injuries. In his right hand he held that weird serpentine rod. The agent still had his sunglasses and handgun as well as a cellphone in his other hand. Strangely enough he was pointing it at the giant.

"How long will that scramble it?" the professor asked, his free hand rummaging through his pockets for something.

The agent was already pocketing his phone while raising his gun on the giant. "Less than a minute."

Shots rang out, the agent firing off at the giant's head. Its left eye exploded as chunks of flesh was torn apart by the bullets. Despite that the giant just stood there completely unphased.

The professor pulled out a small bottle of a reddish-pink liquid. He placed the tip of rip against the side of the bottle and began to chant in a strange language. It wasn't English or any language I had heard before. But I could see the liquid beginning to bubble. Then the professor tossed the bottle. It stuck the giant and shattered. Almost instantly the substance inside ignited and exploded into a huge ball of fire, consuming the giant entirely and forcing me two shield my eyes from the bright light. A deep, metallic screeching filled the air as I could see the shape of the giant in the fire stagger forward onto one knee.

But it didn't stay down for long. Like a living nightmare the giant slowly rose back up and then stepped out of the flames. The clothing it had been incinerated along with much of its skin, revealing the metallic form beneath it all. It looked human, its face almost skeletal in its appearance, its right eye a glowing crimson orb the other a mangled hole. The metal it was made from had been scorched black in areas but looked otherwise undamaged. "Terminate," it spoke, its voice now completely mechanical.

Its weapon began to spin but immediately started sputtering, the sounds of electrical crackles and scrapping metal. The fire must have damaged something in the gun. After a moment of trying to fire its weapon, the machine's other hand reached out and grabbed the barrels, pulling the gun off its arm. There was no tearing or shearing of metal, the weapon neatly disconnected itself and fell to the ground. Its right arm than reassembled itself as the fingers on its left hand opened up, metal blades erupting out of each one. Then the giant started moving, faster than I thought something that big could move, rushing headlong for the three of us.

There was a loud, electrical shriek and a pulse of light lanced through the center of its chest. The machine slowed, almost stopping in its tracks. I turned to the source of the noise and the shot. It was the agent, a strange pistol in his left hand. The weapon was unlike anything I had ever seen before, sleek, futuristic and undoubtedly Tinkertech.

It had burnt a small hole through the machine's chest but this only seemed to stall it for a moment as it was already moving again. Before the agent could fire another shot it was on us. It backhanded the agent, throwing him violently to the ground before turning to the professor. The man was chanting something but before could finish whatever he was trying the machine's right hand grabbed the professor by the throat, lifting him up. He fought back, thrashing against it as he gasped for breath only for the giant to stab him in the chest.

While the others disposed of the giant turned to me, murder in its lifeless crimson eye. Quickly I looked around for a weapon, anything I could use to protect myself. The agent's Tinkertech gun was lying nearby on the ground. I scrambled for it as the machine moved towards, its heavy footsteps like rumbling thunder. My fingers wrapped around it and in an instant I flipped over onto my back and fired. The shot struck its left hip, tearing a chuck out of it. This stopped the machine its stance becoming unsteady but remained upright. I squeezed the trigger again but nothing happened, a small red light flashing on the back of the gun. Cursing I started shaking the gun, hoping I could get it to work again. Maybe the gun had only two shots in its clip, battery, whatever. Or maybe it needed time between shots. Either way I couldn't fire again.

The man-shaped machine started moving again, this time slower, careful to maintain its balance. Its bladed arm raised up, intending to dice me into little pieces. Frantically I started crawling away from it, trying desperately to stay out of its reach. I was doing a good job of it until I came up to the slowly dying fires. The fires stopped me long enough for the machine to reach me. I could help but tremble in terror. There was nothing stopping it now…

But then for the second time it suddenly froze, shuttering and shaking in place. I couldn't believe it. What had saved me this time?

"What are you waiting for?!" a voice called out.

It was the agent, still lying on the ground behind us, blood pouring down the side of his face and holding up his phone. "Aim for the head or the heart!" he shouted. "Shoot it!"

Out of the corner of my eye I could see the light on the gun had turned from red to green. With my arms still trembling I lifted the weapon up, aiming at its head and hoping I wouldn't miss.

"Shoot it!"

So I did. Letting out a silent prayer I squeezed the trigger…

 

[AkatsukiL13]

Awakening 1.3

The shrieking shot pierced through the machine's forehead, right just above its left eye. For a second it froze completely only to start violently trembling an instant later. The shaking machine fell to its knees before toppling over, falling towards me. Just barely I managed to roll out its path before it hit the ground in a heavy clatter and stopped moving. Quickly I raised up the Tinkertech gun, keeping it trained on the machine's still form. I couldn't tell if that thing was truly dead or not but I wasn't about to take the chance. If it was going to get up again I'd shoot it again. But it just laid there, a bit of smoke billowing out of the hole in the back of its head.

"Don't bother girl, it won't be getting up again," the man in the suit said, back up on his feet and walking towards me. There was blood running down the side of his face and his clothing was ruffled and a bit of a mess but otherwise he looked fine. Surprisingly he was still wearing his sunglasses which looked completely undamaged. His hand extended towards me and for a moment I thought he was offering to help me up. "The gun girl."

I nodded my head, handing him the gun. Undoubtedly he didn't want the Tinkertech weapon getting into the wrong hands. Didn't blame him. I had just seen firsthand the damage it could do. He took the weapon from my still trembling hands and returned it to a holster inside his coat. "Your name?"

"Taylor…Taylor Hebert," I answered staggering back up to her feet.

The agent stared at me for a moment and I couldn't help but feel a little uneasy at the intensity of his gaze. It wasn't like the leering look those ABB thugs had given me, it was more like he was looking through me, assessing every part of me. And I couldn't even see his eyes behind those dark sunglasses of his. But then the moment passed and turned to the robot. "Damn," he muttered after a short examination of him. "I was afraid of this."

"What?" I asked as he started moving away from the fallen machine.

"The failsafe has been triggered. Its reactor is going to explode," the man nonchalantly replied. "The blast will incinerate the whole alley."

Dread filled me as my darted back to the prone form of the robot that had been trying to kill us. Even dead it was still trying to kill us. But how did he know? There was no sign that it was going to explode. No noises coming from it, no sudden movements, no anything really. "How do you know that?"

The man ignored me, heading towards where the professor laid. He knelt down next to him and grabbed a shoulder before turning back to me. "Help me with him."

A part of me considered running but I didn't. These saved my life so this was the least I could do for them. I rushed over to them and together we helped the older man up to his feet. "I'm getting too old for all this," the professor wheezed, clutching his bleeding side as we helped him up to his feet. Unfortunately he needed our support to remain upright as we guided him towards the street. "Doesn't look like it will matter much more though."

I saw the agent's other hand reach into his coat and pulled out a white tube the size of a pen. "Here," he said, jabbing the tube into the side of the older man's neck. There was a soft hiss and the professor let out a sigh. A few moments later his steps became stronger, faster and steadier. "This will buy you some time."

The professor chuckled at that as we left the alley and turned right on the sidewalk. "Saved by a Man in Black. I can hear the kids mocking me now."

"If you don't get proper treatment soon you won't survive the night," the agent replied. "If you die I doubt your associates will react kindly to that. The last thing either of us want is for fighting to break out here in Brockton Bay."

"No we do not-"

KABOOM!!!

The deafening blast knocked us off our feet, the three of us crashing onto the pavement. For seemed like an eternity I just laid there, my ears ringing. How had I gotten into this mess? How had running from street thugs led to spying on a meeting between a team of secret agents and a group of random people only to be attacked by robots disguised as people? And just what had those people been meeting about? Why were they attacked by a robot death squad? Most importantly why wasn't I screaming my lungs off about all this?

Slowly I rolled over onto my back and sat up. The agent had gotten up and set the wounded professor up against the front of a building. He pulled out his cellphone and pushed a button, bringing it up to his ear. "This is Morrison," he said. "We've been ambushed and I've been cut off from the rest of the amalgam. Their status is unknown."

Amalgam? Is that what he called his team? Strange name.

"They used HIT Marks. Yes, I think its thieves that raided up the armory last month," the agent continued, turning back to the professor. "Maxwell is with me. He's been injured pretty badly. He needs immediate medical attention. I have no idea about the others that were with him."

More and more the feeling that I shouldn't be here grew. The things I had seen… well this was clearly top secret business, maybe cape business too, the kind that normal people like me weren't supposed to see. Quickly and quietly I got up to my feet, ready to get out of here only for the agent to turn around and face me. "There's a civilian girl here too," he said, his eyes never leaving me. "She got caught in the crossfire. Should I bring her in?"

I tensed at that, images of disappearing into black bags filling my head. It was silly to think like that but after everything that had just happened, I wasn't entirely sure if I should take the chance. I could have tried running but the agent didn't look like the type to take that.

"I understand," the agent said, pulling the phone from his ear. "Go, get out of here. The authorities and the capes will be here soon. You don't want to be here for that."

"You're lying," Miss Militia said, interrupting my story.

"What?"

"You just started lying Taylor," the hero explained. "I can't help you unless you are completely honest with me."

"…Fine."

"There's a civilian girl here. She got caught in the crossfire. Should I bring her in?"

Bring me in? What was he talking about? Did he want to question me about what had happened? What I had seen?

"Taylor Hebert," the man said, answering whoever he was talking to.

Suddenly a frown crossed the man's impassive face while a crease ran across his brow. "Ma'am? But…" The agent paused for a few seconds, his face becoming increasingly displeased. "I understand." With that he pulled his phone from his ear and held it out. "She wants to speak with you."

As if this couldn't get any more confusing. With no other option I took the phone. If nothing else it was a very nice, looked like a new model too. The kind I could never hope to afford. Slowly I lifted it up to the side of my face, unsure of what to expect. "Hello?" I said into it.

"Hello Taylor."

My heart skipped a beat and all I could was stand there clutching the phone in a death-grip. I knew that voice but it was impossible… I had be mistaken there was no way that it could be her, that it could be my mother. She was dead, I was at her funeral. I saw her body in the casket. So then how could I be hearing her voice? I wanted to cry tears of joy to hear her again while screaming out at the top of my lungs in anger at her abandonment but I couldn't, I couldn't do anything.

"Don't say anything but yes or no," the woman, my mother continued, rousing me from my stupor. "Things are…complicated right now and saying the wrong thing right now could endanger us both. Do you understand Taylor?"

"…Yes," I somehow managed to utter despite the millions of other things I wanted to say.

"Good. Tell Morrison that backup is on the way and that you are leaving with his phone. We much to discuss and little time to do so."

***

I had always intended from the get go to have Taylor's mother return in this as one of the CWoD splats. I played around with her as different creatures, mage as shown here of course, but also as a vampire, an Orpheus-style ghost*, an Imbued, a Fallen, even a Fera** at one point. But ultimately I felt having her as a mage fit better than than the rest.

Though originally I didn't plan on Annette being revealed this early on but as I developed the outlines for the first couple of arcs I knew I needed Taylor to get certain things before the end of this arc before I could have her really start delving into Magic. And as I leaned more and more towards Annette as a mage the more and more I knew she would have a hand in Taylor's development, putting her on the beginning of her path. Plus I wasn't all that crazy about most of my other ideas explaining to Taylor the ABC's of Magic.

*Don't get me wrong, I love Wraith: the Oblivion and will back the Wr20 Kickstarter when it happens. But I have a soft spot for Orpheus and I like to support it when I can. Plus it fits a bit better with the state of this universe.

**A non-werewolf shapeshifter.

 

[AkatsukiL13]

Awakening 1.4

"So are you going to tell me why you faked your death?" I asked as I waited around the bus stop mom had led me to.

"It's safer if you don't know," Mom plainly answered.

Yet more cryptic answers. Despite being on the line with her for a good five minutes she had told me absolutely nothing. It was getting frustrating to say the least. "I assume I'm coming to meet you."

"No."

"But…Mom you're alive," I blurted. I couldn't believe that she didn't want to see me. Didn't she miss me like I missed her?

"Annette Hebert is dead Taylor, dead and buried," she coldly answered. "Do you understand that? I can't be your mother anymore."

"But-"

"Yes or no Taylor."

"No!" I shouted back. If I wasn't meeting her than I wanted to know why! "I deserve some answers! Do you have any idea what we went through?! You died and it tore us apart! So why?! Why did you do it to us?!"

"Wait here for the bus," Mom calmly said, completely ignoring my outburst. "Take it to Wildbow Drive. I will call you when you get there."

With that the line went dead and in my anger I kicked the bus stop bench…

…and immediately regretted it, having stubbed my toe on it.

***

I let out a sigh as stepped off the bus onto Wildbow Drive. It was one of the nicer neighborhoods in town, a few blocks from Arcadia. Good houses on good streets in good neighborhoods. A far cry from my neighborhood.

The ride had been long and dull but at least it allowed me time to stop and gather my thoughts. With everything that had been happening I hadn't thought about it. Transparent walls that I could see through but not others, men in black meeting with random people in secluded places, Terminator death squads, my mom back from the dead, all things I couldn't fully explain. I mean Tinkers could do some amazing things but those robots were made to look human, covered in flesh or at least something that looked like flesh. While wasn't an expert on Tinkers or anything like that if there was one that created something like those robots it would have been a pretty big deal. Unless the Tinker worked for some secret group like those men in black seemed to work for. The agent—Morrison I think he said his name was—mentioned those robots had been stolen. Were they part of some secret government organization that dealt with parahumans?

And why was my mom involved with such a group? She was an English professor, not exactly secret agent material. At least I thought she was an English professor. After her return from the grave I wasn't so sure about anything anymore.

Just as the bus started leaving the phone rang. In an instant the phone was out of my pocket and back at my ear. "Mom?"

"Head left," Mom emotionlessly instructed. "You're looking for Thirty-Nine Wildbow Drive."

But I didn't move. There were too many unanswered questions. I wanted answers and I was going to get them. "Are you ever going to answer my questions?" I demanded.

"Not those ones Taylor."

Anger, betrayal, frustration, sorrow all whirled around inside me threatening to completely overwhelm me. I wanted to cry my eyes out, to scream at the top of my lungs, to smash the phone on the ground and run off. How could she do this to me, to her own daughter? She left us, made us think was dead and she wouldn't even tell me why. I felt tears beginning to well up in the corners of my eyes. "Please Mom… just give me something," I pleaded. "After everything that's happened I need something, anything."

"Grow up Taylor," Mother coldly shot back. "The time when you could be a child is over. Get moving or you will get no help from me."

"Why?! What is so important about going to this place?!" I practically screamed into the phone, completely fed up with her silent act. "What was meeting all about?! What were those robot things that tried to kill me?! Why are you alive?! Tell me!"

For a moment the line was silent. "I'm trying to keep you alive Taylor. It may seem unreasonable but you have to trust me. Start walking."

"…Fine," I huffed as I started walking as she instructed, keeping an eye on the house numbers as I passed them.

A minute or so passed before Mom spoke again. "You should not have been there in the courtyard Taylor," she admitted. "The Traditionalists had placed wards there to hide themselves from capes and normal people yet you managed to stumble onto them."

Wards? Was that what that was supposed to be? "You mean the transparent wall?"

"Yes. For normal people and most capes wouldn't be able to see through the illusion. And unless you triggered before coming there then you should not have been able to see through it."

"So what does that mean then?"

"It could mean something or it could mean nothing," she cryptically answered. "Magic can fail just as much as anything else."

I stopped, pulling the phone from ear and staring at it. "Magic? As pulling rabbits out of hats magic?"

"Yes, Magic," Mom replied as serious as she had been for everything else. "But don't confuse it with those kinds of cheap parlor tricks. The closest comparison is what the parahumans are capable of. But even that is a pale imitation of it. Magic is…complicated and greater than anything you can imagine."

If it had been anyone else I would have said they were crazy or lying but when your dead mother comes back from the grave you kind of have to give her the benefit of the doubt. Besides was it really all that unusual compared to what capes could do? Then again she was claiming that their power were inferior to 'Magic'. That I really hard to believe. What about the big names in the Protectorate? Triumvirate? Scion? They were capable of truly amazing things. How there be anyone greater than them?

"Regardless you've step into something you were not meant to," Mom continued. "I would bring you in through normal channels but it would raise suspicion and I cannot afford that at the moment."

"What do you mean?"

"You're there." I looked up from the phone and indeed I was standing in front of Thirty-Nine Wildbow Drive. It was fairly average-looking two-story house. A small yard with a garage on the side, a single tree off to one side and a flower bed by the door. Like the rest of the neighborhood the house looked well maintained and reasonably new. "This is a safe house of mine, one I could afford to burn. There are things here that can help you."

Safe houses? Just what was mom involved in? I shook my head as I started walked towards the front door. Yet more questions without answers. I'd probably go mad if I kept on thinking about it. Reaching the door I turned the door knob but it didn't budge. "Is there a key?" I asked.

"Look under the frog statue in flower bed left of the door."

The statue was tacky little thing of a grinning green frog sitting on a rock. Not the kind of thing I'd ever buy and Mom certainly never had such terrible taste. I reached out and lifted it up. Underneath it was a small wooden box, a house key resting inside. I put the frog back and went back to the door, trying the key in the lock. The latch unlocked, granting me access to the house.

Just like the outside the inside was pretty normal if sparsely furnished and decorated. There was a thin layer of dust on the surfaces and tarps covering what furniture there was. It must not have been lived in for a while. "Okay I'm in."

"Second floor, first door on the left," Mom instructed.

Following her instructions I walked up stairs and entered the first door on the left. Inside was a room a little smaller than my bedroom. The room was a simple library, shelves lining opposite walls, a small desk with a lamp and chair resting against the window. Books and boxes of all shapes and sizes filling the shelves. Though I noticed a strange pattern to the books. The shelves on the left were filled with older tomes, leather-bound texts and tattered books while ones on the right were largely binders and newer looking textbooks. Unlike the books however the boxes were a random assortment of small chests and rubber tubs. "A library? I don't get it. What's so special about this?"

"Knowledge, something I've been acquiring since I was your age and the key to your survival," Mom explained. "If you can comprehend it. For most these text might as written in gibberish but for those Enlightened few these tools are greater than anything the Tinkers can create. I believe you have that potential for Enlightenment just as I did years ago."

A sense of unease began to rise in my chest, images of that death machine flashing in mind. "I don't understand. What do you mean by survival?"

"For what it's worth Taylor I'm sorry," Mother answered, her voice taking a sad, solemn tone. "I've seen this life from both sides and this isn't the life I wanted for you. That's why I'm giving you what was never given to me, a choice to choose your own path."

Okay this was starting to look a little strange…and scary. "What?"

"This, this library, this house, all of it I'm giving to you. Think of it as one final inheritance from me."

"What? But how am I supposed-"

"The paperwork will be dealt with in the next few days. As for the payments and utilities, all of that has been handled. You won't have to spend a dime on it. The only thing I ask is that you tell none of this to your father."

"But-"

"Promise me Taylor. He's good man and doesn't deserve to be dragged into this. All this would destroy him."

Her voice had taken a desperate edge. And I kind of understood where she was coming from. He had been just as torn up as I was—had been over Mom's death. Telling that she's alive and had left us for some secret organization… I don't know if he'd believe me much less how he'd take if he did believe it all. But could I lie to him about all this? That Mom was alive? I suppose I didn't have much. What could he really do if I told him the truth?

"Okay, I promise," I said with a sigh.

"Goodbye Taylor," Mom replied before I could say anything else. "I don't know if we'll ever speak again but I want you know that I've always been proud of you. No matter what happens I will always be proud of you."

The line went dead and I was alone, truly alone. I pulled the phone down from my ear and stared at until a drop of water landed on the screen. Once again my mother had left me and just like before it was by her choice, only this time I knew it. That only made it worse. I kind of felt like an orphan, unwanted and kicked to the curb by the very person who was supposed to love and care for me.

Yet at same time I couldn't help gaze up at all the books and feel a sense of…excitement. The things I had seen today were amazing, cape-level amazing. My feelings from earlier—the desire for more—returned, resonating And made if I could get powers, Magic, whatever from these books than maybe I could become a cape, a hero. And if I could become a cape I could join the Wards and get transferred to Arcadia where I'd could escape Emma, Sophia and Madison. I grinned as I reached out into one of the shelves and started pulling out books.

And just maybe, just maybe I find mom again and reunite with her properly…

 

[AkatsukiL13]

Awakening 1.5

Needles dance across the fabric of Creation. Magick's loom weaves new cloth from old fibers. The hand of the magus is at work, guiding her Arts; from the designs she crafts, we take the term weavery—a metaphor for magickal spells.

I let out a sigh as I leaned back in the chair, pulling my glasses off before rubbing the bridge of my nose. All this reading had been a bit tiring but I found I just couldn't stop, I wanted—needed to read more. The topics seemed to be all over the place, ranging from spirituality and mysticism to scientific principles and technical manuals. However despite the wide array of subjects some of the ideas, especially those on the more mystical side, were similar. One idea in particular seemed to get thrown around in a few of them was that you could manipulate the Universe. It wasn't some philosophical or motivational nonsense but a literal bending of the universe to one's own design. Of course the means to do so varied from book to book. One spoke of using Magic to do it, another talked about meditation and force of will, technology and science, one even mentioned using drugs to get high or something like that to do it. And they spoke of the price of being careless with that power to shape the Universe, some kind of backlash that could cause all kinds of damage and strange effects.

Yet the strange thing was that the more I skimmed over these books the more bits of it were making sense. Tiny pieces that were slowly sliding into place bit by tiny bit. I wasn't really sure where it was all headed but I was a little excited to see where it could go.

I had also opened up some of the boxes. Inside one of them had been some bronze, silver and gold talismans, some with strange writing and symbols etched on them, others with gems inlaid in them. Another held what I could only describe as metal wands and small rods kinda like what that man had been using. In the third and fourth boxes were various Thinkertech gadgets, no weapons like that gun though.

But all of that paled in comparison to the journal I found, an old tattered thing that had seen much better days. It had been written by a girl starting her first year of high school and in the beginning it had been completely normal. But then just before her first year ended she was in a bus accident and everything changed for her.

While she couldn't remember the accident itself clearly she remembered completely a vivid dream that she had experienced. In the dream she had found herself in an 'impossible' city of towering marble spires and skyscrapers made of steel and crystal floating in a starry void. According to the diary the city appeared empty save for an angel with solid gold wings and face that was 'strangely familiar'. He spoke only a single riddle that the author couldn't remember after waking up and when she was unable to answer the riddle, the girl woke from the dream.

From there the entries got stranger and the writing started taking a stressed, almost frantic tone. She described teachers, students and even her friends at times completely forgetting about her, unusual things happening whenever she scared or nervous, and a sense that there was 'something more' out there. But I hadn't gotten any further than that. Still it would be an interesting to see what had happened to the author.

Strangely though there wasn't any mention of capes, Endbringers or anything like that. Then again it wasn't dated either so it's possible that it was written before capes started appearing. But that would mean that…

No, that couldn't be right.

I glanced down at the cellphone, dispelling those thoughts as I checked the time.

1:24 PM

"Oh crap…"

I couldn't believe it! Somehow I had missed the entire morning! It may have been Friday but I had still had school today and I had practically missed it all. More importantly, Dad would have expected me home from my run for breakfast. How was I going to explain where I had been?

Mentally cursing out myself I started piling up the books and stuff. I wanted to take some of these books but I didn't have a bag and there was no way I was going to waste more time looking for one. I'd have to come back later with a bag, after whatever grounding Dad was going to give me was over.

Grabbing the phone and the house keys I got up from the desk and was about to head for the door when I stopped and glanced back down at the books. They were just too tempting to leave here. Screw it, I was going to take at least one of them with me. At least then I'd have something to read while I was grounded. I could hide it before I entered the house and retrieve it later on. Without a second look I grabbed one of the books and headed out the door, hoping Dad wasn't going to be too ticked off at me.

 

[AkatsukiL13]

Interlude X.1

"And that's how it all began," I said, finishing the story. "When I got home Dad was worried but not for the reasons I thought he'd be. Apparently the police had called and told him that I had witnessed some fight betwwen the Empire and the ABB and was being questioned by… well by you and the PRT. I assume that was Mom's doing."

"And your mother, she's alive?" Miss Militia cautiously asked.

I shrugged my shoulders. She didn't want to offend me I guess but truthfully I had moved on. If that really was my mother I doubt I'd ever actually see her again so why worry about it. Perhaps she was right and it was better off thinking of her as dead. "Maybe. I don't really know for sure. I never actually seen her in person since the funeral."

"And this group she's working for? What were they trying to do there?"

"I don't much about them beyond rumors and conspiracy theories," I answered, mostly truthfully. If half the rumors were true they had eyes and ears in the PRT and Protectorate so I was not about to risk their attention and end up in some super max prison like the Birdcage. "And I know even less about what they were doing there."

"And those machines?"

"Don't ask me. I haven't seen any of those things since that night. And I don't want to see them again. Once was more than enough for me."

"We found no trace of any such machines or the people you described," Miss Militia replied. "Nothing but shell casings, bomb fragments and the bodies of three ABB members at the primary blast site. Now you're telling me that it wasn't but rather a fight between those machines disguised as humans and an unknown group of parahumans-"

"They aren't parahumans," I interrupted. "They're mages like me."

Miss Militia gave me a funny look and that's when I realized it. She didn't know, she honestly didn't know about everything that was out there. But how couldn't she? She was the Number Two of the Bay's Protectorate, fought against the various gangs in the city, survived Endbringer battles yet had no idea about any of things actually lurking in the city and the rest of the world. If she had no idea than what were the odds that Armsmaster and Piggot knew anything? Isn't that a scary thought? I could actually know more about what's really going on in the world than the local PRT and Protectorate heads. "There are others with your power set?"

Once again I shrugged. "Yeah. I couldn't tell you how many but yeah there are other mages out there. And I think they've been around… well forever."

Miss Militia shook her head. "Then why don't we know about them? Surely if these…mages had been around for so long we would have known about them."

"Don't ask me. I've met only a handful of other mages. I don't really know why they keep themselves hidden like they do."

The few mages I had met kept a low profile because they didn't want trouble from capes, the gangs and the other stuff out there. Looking back on my life ever since my Awakening I can get where they were coming from. Certainly becoming a cape and being out in the open like that hadn't made things any better for me. Between what I lost and what I gained by becoming a cape it was hard to say which came out on top in the end.

"Well then would you like to continue?" the older cape asked. "Your first nights as a cape as well as your first encounter with Shadow Stalker."

I couldn't help but chuckle a little. "Well in the mask so to speak," I replied. "As you're no doubt aware we both went to the same school. Before you ask no, we weren't friends back then and I certainly didn't know she was Shadow Stalker. If I had known I would have stayed as far away from her as I could."

Miss Militia arched an eyebrow. "Yet you helped her with a raid on DNA," she pointed out. "And later the two of you created the Orphans alongside Watcher, Geist and Freak."

"Well it was…complicated and a long story. I didn't know who she was until after all that and by then there weren't a lot of options," I replied. "It seemed like the most sensible thing at the time."

There had been a lot of bad blood between us and I didn't exactly like her but… well she wasn't a total bitch most of the time. She could even person from time to time. And I guess I had gotten use to her after all these months. Though to be fair if had you told me I'd think that a year ago I'd call you crazy.

"Then tell me how it happened Taylor."

 

[AkatsukiL13]

Seeking 2.1

"Come on, come on," I urged, concentrating as hard as I could on the talisman in my hands. It was a copper-colored disc that fit in the palm of my hand, its surface engraved with the image of a serpent coiled around a golden round stone. The stone flickered with a pale golden light but it wasn't doing anything else.

With a frustrated sigh I stopped, letting the talisman slip form my hands onto the bed. I could say the words and focus my mind as the book explained but I just couldn't do it. It was like was missing something, something vital that was holding me back from further expanding what I could do.

Ever since that day I had spent much of my free time pouring over the books I had brought from the house, experimenting with the Magic they described. At first I couldn't do anything but eventually I began to achieve a few small successes. With a silver ring and an incantation I could focus my mind to a level I had never imagined possible. I could think clearer and sharper as well as read more in less time. Or with the same ring and a different incantation I sense the emotions of those around me for a short time. Anger, joy, sadness, I could sense it all. Of course it was harder to focus on a single person in a crowd, the emotions of everyone bubbling up together, the strong ones covering the weak ones. Unfortunately the headaches it caused were unpleasant and I only stand a handful of moments before getting overwhelmed. Still they were useful tricks.

Just not the kind I could really use if I wanted to be a Cape.

I needed something with some actual kick to it. Unfortunately I wasn't having much luck with those spells. At least for the time being. Given how far I had come in the past month I'd probably have those spells working by February.

But it was getting late and tomorrow was the first day of school after the holidays. It would cut into my studies but at least the Trio had gotten bored of tormenting me weeks ago. So yay for that. Plus it was good place to test out some of my mind tricks and work on my endurance.

I scooped up the talisman I had been experimented with and put it back on the nightstand next to the stack of books I had been reading from, the books I had managed to take with me from Mom's house. And at the top of the stack was the old journal.

The journal had gotten more interesting as time passed. The author had slowly begun to piece things together but on her own and without any help like these books it had gone slowly. But despite that she had begun to grasp the same concepts that I had only managed to do because I had the books. An impressive feat.

Then a university professor had come to her high school for some presentation and approached her in private. The man, Professor Nathaniel Davis, spoke of 'Magic', of being a 'mage' like him and that she was now more than a normal human. Claiming to be a member of something called the 'Order of Hermes' he offered a place in the Order so she could learn how to properly use her gifts. At first she thought he was crazy but then the professor created a ball of fire in his hands and changed her mind.

Once she finished high school she joined up with them, leaving behind her old life altogether. She came to live in an aging Rhode Island estate that belonged to the Order, a place where they taught newcomers like her. Though during her time there she was basically forced to be a shut-in. And it didn't help that she was the youngest of three students there who didn't really care about her while being taught by a 'harsh, vindictive bastard of a man' or so she claimed. Still despite that what she learned and witnessed there left a deep mark on her.

But then the journal abruptly ended, the last entries written by an anxious, almost frantic hand. The girl spoke of a nightmare she had about a terrible battle between golden figures, monstrous shadows and an impossible leviathan, ending in a firestorm that consumed everything. But that was only the beginning of things. Older mages began speaking of some kind of storm raging beyond Earth. The masters of the mages had nearly all disappeared at the same time, leaving those beneath them scrambling to pick up the pieces. And then within days of the nightmare the chantry had been raided by the 'Technocracy', enemies of the Order and their allies. While the author had managed to escape but she was alone, the others missing or dead. Unfortunately that was where it ended, leaving her fate a mystery.

But I hopped she made it.