Taylor failed to Trigger in the locker. Her life had become a hell until the day the Simurgh attacked. Thrown into an unknowable future Taylor is forced to confront horrors beyond human understanding. Gods will be forced to move as the very multiverse trembles.
Re: Echoes
- Thread starter Slow Learner
- Start date
- Created
- Status
- Ongoing
- Watchers
- 45
- Recent readers
- 0
- Threadmarks
- 3
-
Statistics (3 threadmarks, 3.2k words)
User Total Slow Learner 3
Prologue
- Pronouns
- SL
Hello everyone! I am back after a long hiatus to bring you my latest work. Some of you might have read my league of legends oneshot, so I would like to present my latest work. This was something I had been thinking about for some time now. I hope you guys enjoy. If you amazing netizens could give an honest review after reading I would be happy. I am always trying to improve my writing.
Warning: The writing style for this is something I took on after reading the Re:Zero web novel. It is a bit unfamiliar for western audiences. I am still working on emulating this amazing author so don't be afraid to point out something if it seems sketchy. If you want to ease the colored text on your eyes try changing the page theme to starscape at the bottom left of the page.
The ground shook and cracked. Taylor hid behind a dumpster as the heroes battled the Simurgh. A headache bloomed as a discordant song echoed inside her head like a legion of drummers. She barely held onto the dumpster as Eidolon launched an orb of black that distorted its surroundings. Simurgh casually moved so that the attack missed her by a hair's breadth. She weaved through the defenders' attacks with an inhuman grace before responding with punishing telekinetic attacks that saw heroes crushed by falling buildings or cleanly decapitated by manhole covers.
[Taylor: God why did this have to happen?]
With her cheeks ruefully twisted she reached down at Danny's unmoving body.
How did this happen, she wondered. The spiraling shit hole that was her life started when she woke up from her coma. Sophia had stuffed Taylor in her own locker. Sure it got labeled as a prank gone wrong. How did that make it any better? She screamed and banged against her prison until the next morning when the janitor finally freed her. The trauma was so severe she fainted and did not wake for nine days.
There was no salvation. No powers as a reward for her suffering. Now her only remaining family was dead from one of Eidolons stray attacks.
[Simurgh: Assistance]
Just as Taylor gulped down a breath while her thoughts descended towards despair, a hot spike rammed into her head. Names and alien concepts slammed into her consciousness like a Tsunami, eliciting a scream. Once it ended Taylor leaned over and puked. A long time passed. The ground shook; looking up, her eyes widened.
The giant angel was falling. Simurgh's wings had been tarnished down to the bone and cracks covered even that. The angel's iconic serene face was ruined. The left half was unmarred but the right… only a ruined husk remained. Eidolon floated above the falling angel with an outstretched arm aimed directly at his fallen foe.
[Taylor: Oh shit!]
Hurricane force winds sent her tumbling. The explosion leveled the entire southern half of the city as the Endbringer impacted the shattered cityscape faster than sound. Taylor screamed as she felt her body rag doll through the air. Buildings evaporated and she didn't have the time to wonder why she was still alive as she skidded to a stop.
Taylor didn't know how long she laid there but with a grunt she forced herself up. Fear motivated her to push past her limits. She had to live, for dad if nothing else. Dying here would be letting them win.
Looking up, Taylor froze. The Endbringer laid less than a meter away, seemingly dead. Blue blood spewed from fist sized holes in her body. Taylor looking down at her own wounds saw rivets of red from beneath her tattered clothes. Holding up a shaking arm she saw half of it was sanded down to the bone. How was she still alive?
More importantly was the rising panic. Normal people would be screaming in pain right now, but she could not feel anything. Attempting to stand she felt nothing. Her legs were gone.
[Taylor: AHHHHHHHH!]
It was like being splashed with a glass of cold water. She was dying. A cold feeling began seeping into her body. Taking off her shirt with shaking hands she attempted to stop the bleeding, but it did nothing. Red flowed from her everything. Soon she began losing feeling in her arms.
[Taylor: It ends like this huh?]
What a shitty life. At least she would see Mom in the afterlife. Musing on it if there was one thing Taylor regretted it was not spending more time with her mom. Dad had been a wreck until the very end. What a waste of a life she had.
There was nothing to do but sit back and let the end come now. Taylor laid against Simurgh's body as the red and blue blood mixed. The night sky black and smoke clogged the air, but right then the clouds parted for the moon overhead.
[Simurgh: Sadness]
[Taylor: So even you can feel sad huh?]
Staring at the moon brought her a sense of serenity as she contemplated the concepts behind the word. How one word could encapsulate an argument's worth of information. Maybe in the end we realize who we really are. Even the devil herself felt regret at death's door.
Tasting that feeling she tried responding in kind.
[Simurgh: Shock, Disgust, Sorrow]
Tears fell from Taylors face, mixing with the rain. Her entire life had felt like only her parents and Emma understood her. All of them were dead and now the fourth person to truly understand her feelings was a monster. Taylor began laughing.
[Taylor: So why did you…]
[Simurgh: Anger]
[Taylor: Eidolon huh. Never imagined… well it doesn't matter now. Funny how in the end, things you thought were so important in the past seem so small now]
Her laughing cut off when she began coughing blood. It wouldn't be long now. She had lost all feeling in her body. The Endbringer wrapped a small wing around her. Giving a grateful nod Taylor relaxed. The headache had long disappeared and she felt at peace. Yes this was right. In death she had made a friend, when in life she had been ostracized. At least now she had no regrets.
Gazing at the luminescent body above, her eyes slowly closed.
[Simurgh: Goodbye Friend]
The Pale Princess bares a bloody smile
Ragnarok trails in her wake
Destiny is shattered as gods march for war
The Moon shall stand unbowed by the Sun's tyranny
Worlds collide when the seventh bell rings
Venus will lie with Terra as Saturn stands unchained
God brings down his wrath in all its fury
Prophecy of Luna by Unknown author
Warning: The writing style for this is something I took on after reading the Re:Zero web novel. It is a bit unfamiliar for western audiences. I am still working on emulating this amazing author so don't be afraid to point out something if it seems sketchy. If you want to ease the colored text on your eyes try changing the page theme to starscape at the bottom left of the page.
XxX
The ground shook and cracked. Taylor hid behind a dumpster as the heroes battled the Simurgh. A headache bloomed as a discordant song echoed inside her head like a legion of drummers. She barely held onto the dumpster as Eidolon launched an orb of black that distorted its surroundings. Simurgh casually moved so that the attack missed her by a hair's breadth. She weaved through the defenders' attacks with an inhuman grace before responding with punishing telekinetic attacks that saw heroes crushed by falling buildings or cleanly decapitated by manhole covers.
[Taylor: God why did this have to happen?]
With her cheeks ruefully twisted she reached down at Danny's unmoving body.
How did this happen, she wondered. The spiraling shit hole that was her life started when she woke up from her coma. Sophia had stuffed Taylor in her own locker. Sure it got labeled as a prank gone wrong. How did that make it any better? She screamed and banged against her prison until the next morning when the janitor finally freed her. The trauma was so severe she fainted and did not wake for nine days.
There was no salvation. No powers as a reward for her suffering. Now her only remaining family was dead from one of Eidolons stray attacks.
[Simurgh: Assistance]
Just as Taylor gulped down a breath while her thoughts descended towards despair, a hot spike rammed into her head. Names and alien concepts slammed into her consciousness like a Tsunami, eliciting a scream. Once it ended Taylor leaned over and puked. A long time passed. The ground shook; looking up, her eyes widened.
The giant angel was falling. Simurgh's wings had been tarnished down to the bone and cracks covered even that. The angel's iconic serene face was ruined. The left half was unmarred but the right… only a ruined husk remained. Eidolon floated above the falling angel with an outstretched arm aimed directly at his fallen foe.
[Taylor: Oh shit!]
Hurricane force winds sent her tumbling. The explosion leveled the entire southern half of the city as the Endbringer impacted the shattered cityscape faster than sound. Taylor screamed as she felt her body rag doll through the air. Buildings evaporated and she didn't have the time to wonder why she was still alive as she skidded to a stop.
Taylor didn't know how long she laid there but with a grunt she forced herself up. Fear motivated her to push past her limits. She had to live, for dad if nothing else. Dying here would be letting them win.
Looking up, Taylor froze. The Endbringer laid less than a meter away, seemingly dead. Blue blood spewed from fist sized holes in her body. Taylor looking down at her own wounds saw rivets of red from beneath her tattered clothes. Holding up a shaking arm she saw half of it was sanded down to the bone. How was she still alive?
More importantly was the rising panic. Normal people would be screaming in pain right now, but she could not feel anything. Attempting to stand she felt nothing. Her legs were gone.
[Taylor: AHHHHHHHH!]
It was like being splashed with a glass of cold water. She was dying. A cold feeling began seeping into her body. Taking off her shirt with shaking hands she attempted to stop the bleeding, but it did nothing. Red flowed from her everything. Soon she began losing feeling in her arms.
[Taylor: It ends like this huh?]
What a shitty life. At least she would see Mom in the afterlife. Musing on it if there was one thing Taylor regretted it was not spending more time with her mom. Dad had been a wreck until the very end. What a waste of a life she had.
There was nothing to do but sit back and let the end come now. Taylor laid against Simurgh's body as the red and blue blood mixed. The night sky black and smoke clogged the air, but right then the clouds parted for the moon overhead.
[Simurgh: Sadness]
[Taylor: So even you can feel sad huh?]
Staring at the moon brought her a sense of serenity as she contemplated the concepts behind the word. How one word could encapsulate an argument's worth of information. Maybe in the end we realize who we really are. Even the devil herself felt regret at death's door.
Tasting that feeling she tried responding in kind.
[Simurgh: Shock, Disgust, Sorrow]
Tears fell from Taylors face, mixing with the rain. Her entire life had felt like only her parents and Emma understood her. All of them were dead and now the fourth person to truly understand her feelings was a monster. Taylor began laughing.
[Taylor: So why did you…]
[Simurgh: Anger]
[Taylor: Eidolon huh. Never imagined… well it doesn't matter now. Funny how in the end, things you thought were so important in the past seem so small now]
Her laughing cut off when she began coughing blood. It wouldn't be long now. She had lost all feeling in her body. The Endbringer wrapped a small wing around her. Giving a grateful nod Taylor relaxed. The headache had long disappeared and she felt at peace. Yes this was right. In death she had made a friend, when in life she had been ostracized. At least now she had no regrets.
Gazing at the luminescent body above, her eyes slowly closed.
[Simurgh: Goodbye Friend]
The Pale Princess bares a bloody smile
Ragnarok trails in her wake
Destiny is shattered as gods march for war
The Moon shall stand unbowed by the Sun's tyranny
Worlds collide when the seventh bell rings
Venus will lie with Terra as Saturn stands unchained
God brings down his wrath in all its fury
Prophecy of Luna by Unknown author
Last edited:
Well this is exciting. I'm curious about where Taylor will end up. Will it be an alternate universe, a different reality, or something else all together? Just from the very last part of the chapter I got a lot of cool ideas. What if she wakes up in the near future, say 5 years or something. Within that time, eidolon could have destroyed the other endbringer sand with his arrogance, lord his might over the entire world, furthering Cauldron's goals by decades. Of course it would be a world ruled by the incompetent PRT and there would be all new problems including the new world leaders. Throughout this time, Taylor could be absorbing the Simurgh's powers, abilities, and knowledge while stuck in her 5 year coma. When she wakes up, she will know that Eidolon and Cauldron are to blame for the endbringers and all of the destruction they cause can be placed on them. Of course, Taylor will know everything about Cauldron and the entities as well as the consequences of killing an entity ghat has already seeded its shards throughout the Earths. I can see a story where she works to stop Cauldrons plans, punish them for their crimes, when find a way to either change Zion's ideology or find a way to safely get rid of him without the resulting fallout.
That is one truly, stunning complex prophecy. There are so many mythological strands woven together and so many layers of symbolism crammed together in that prophecy that I barely know how or where to start unpacking it.
However, it does remind me of the prophecy given in the final chapter of The Little Ship that Could.
Anyway, I am looking to reading how you manifest this prophecy in this story. Keep up the good work.
Character Interlude One: Eidolon
- Pronouns
- SL
It started with murder.
Glastig Uaine's cooling corpse laid before him. Power flooded his veins like a long separated lover coming home. His power slots expanded to five. Eidolon laughed.
[Eidolon: If only I knew about this aspect of my power before…]
There would be a reckoning. Contessa had proven her worth, or lack thereof with the discovery of his latest power up. It had begun innocently enough. He had visited the Fairy Queens abode to beg for knowledge of how to regain his lost power.
The results were beyond expectations.
Months flew by and he proved his newfound prowess by killing Behemoth. Some of the blood from the beast had gotten in his mouth. That is when he discovered the true nature of Endbringers. They were Agents in corporeal form. Their blood was the same hyperdense fluid that Cauldron used in it's vials, only there were thousands of vials worth of power in an Endbringer. Simply thinking of the possibilities for more power gave him chills.
[Eidolon: And now the curtain closes my old friends.]
Cauldron was no longer. The base was annihilated from his antimatter blasts as if a giant had scooped out a chunk of the earth and whisked it away. Contessa had committed suicide with Door maker and Clairvoyant rather than offer him their power for the greater good. The hypocrites! It was only by his strength that Earth Bet had lasted so long against the Endbringers. Now they call him a monster for doing the necessary evil?
Laughable, still his haul was beyond satisfying. With Eden's corpse he had ascended past his previous limitations. There was no discernable drain on his powers, for they were vast and beyond mortal comprehension.
xXx
It was raining. Victory had been announced only moments before. The Simurgh was dead.
[Eidolon: Where is the blood?]
Touching his chin and ruminating on these thoughts, Eidolon tilted his head to the exsanguinated body of the Endbringer.
Being someone who lives in the moment, Eidolon was frustrated that his foe had disappeared. The Endbringers body was merely a container for its Agent. Further compounding the issue was the sense of spatial distortion the area gave off. His thinker powers were surprisingly useless in understanding where the real body had gone.
[Alexandria: It's fortunate that we got to the grave before the others, but what are we supposed to do here?]
Standing next to Eidolon, Alexandria looked at the ruins, and asked Legend this question with a puzzled face. Eidolon had the same question as well, and directed his gaze onto the back of his longtime teammate. In response to this, Legend curled his top lip up as he looked back,
[Legend: We get Haywires tech out of storage, and then we go on a hunt]
Now that was something Eidolon could agree with.
Glastig Uaine's cooling corpse laid before him. Power flooded his veins like a long separated lover coming home. His power slots expanded to five. Eidolon laughed.
[Eidolon: If only I knew about this aspect of my power before…]
There would be a reckoning. Contessa had proven her worth, or lack thereof with the discovery of his latest power up. It had begun innocently enough. He had visited the Fairy Queens abode to beg for knowledge of how to regain his lost power.
The results were beyond expectations.
Months flew by and he proved his newfound prowess by killing Behemoth. Some of the blood from the beast had gotten in his mouth. That is when he discovered the true nature of Endbringers. They were Agents in corporeal form. Their blood was the same hyperdense fluid that Cauldron used in it's vials, only there were thousands of vials worth of power in an Endbringer. Simply thinking of the possibilities for more power gave him chills.
[Eidolon: And now the curtain closes my old friends.]
Cauldron was no longer. The base was annihilated from his antimatter blasts as if a giant had scooped out a chunk of the earth and whisked it away. Contessa had committed suicide with Door maker and Clairvoyant rather than offer him their power for the greater good. The hypocrites! It was only by his strength that Earth Bet had lasted so long against the Endbringers. Now they call him a monster for doing the necessary evil?
Laughable, still his haul was beyond satisfying. With Eden's corpse he had ascended past his previous limitations. There was no discernable drain on his powers, for they were vast and beyond mortal comprehension.
xXx
It was raining. Victory had been announced only moments before. The Simurgh was dead.
[Eidolon: Where is the blood?]
Touching his chin and ruminating on these thoughts, Eidolon tilted his head to the exsanguinated body of the Endbringer.
Being someone who lives in the moment, Eidolon was frustrated that his foe had disappeared. The Endbringers body was merely a container for its Agent. Further compounding the issue was the sense of spatial distortion the area gave off. His thinker powers were surprisingly useless in understanding where the real body had gone.
[Alexandria: It's fortunate that we got to the grave before the others, but what are we supposed to do here?]
Standing next to Eidolon, Alexandria looked at the ruins, and asked Legend this question with a puzzled face. Eidolon had the same question as well, and directed his gaze onto the back of his longtime teammate. In response to this, Legend curled his top lip up as he looked back,
[Legend: We get Haywires tech out of storage, and then we go on a hunt]
Now that was something Eidolon could agree with.
Chapter One
- Pronouns
- SL
Waking up was something Taylor did not expect to experience again.
Groaning, she slowly opened her eyes. Color, colors everywhere. The neglected alleyway was more detailed than anything she had ever seen. Taylor hesitated to scream Cape, but the evidence was overwhelming, literally. A chill breeze caused her to shiver. Feeling a dawning horror she ran a hand across her stomach and leg. She was naked!
Trying to get to her feet earned her another surprise,
[Taylor: What the hell!]
Gently she floated off the ground. Looking down at herself revealed white porcelain skin. Seeing a puddle nearby she hurried to confirm her suspicions. The dirty water was dyed a brownish tint that was opaque unless you had superhuman sight. Taylor's face scrunched in horror as she finally saw the person staring back from the water.
The woman was looking back with quiet confidence. Taylors face was sharp like royalty. Her eyes glimmered akin to sapphires under the moonlit light. White locks dangled from her head down to her midriff with hair so glossy it looked photoshopped. Taylor had always been jealous of Emma's figure, but now she had an hourglass figure and lithe frame standing at 5,6. Her body was flawless, as if someone had run a supermodel through a CGI airbrush, so much so that it began to enter the uncanny valley. If Taylor wanted to be honest her new body made Emma's look like a gremlin in comparison.
[Taylor: Are these for real?]
The hell? Who gets a power that gives them a B-cup? Taylor found this suspicious and knew who to blame. If it wasn't obvious from the dozens of wings springing from her body, covering her breasts and unmentionables. Some of the wings were large enough to span the entire alleyway in width, while others were small and covered her breasts and hips. No place was safe as many sprung from her sides, thighs, ankles, and arms.
[Taylor: This can't be happening. This must be a sick dream!]
How could she explain this to the authorities? Would anyone believe her if she claimed the Simurgh had bequeathed Taylor her powers in her dying breath. Yeah right. It sounded like one of Greg's bad fan-fics on PHO. A sound from the mouth of the alleyway alerted her,
[Taylor: Who's there?!]
No response. Mentally she tried to find reasons for staying in her current location. When that didn't work she decided she might as well try to talk to the PRT. She hoped they would assume she was a S9 victim instead of the truth.
After reaching the end of the alleyway, the strong scent of salt hit her, and Taylor realized only then that the alleyway had reeked of garbage, and she probably did too by association. Around her, Taylor could see dilapidated storefronts and abandoned warehouses. The road was littered with potholes and cracks from years of neglect. The area was on a hill and she could see the mouth of a bay filled with hulking freighters left to rust. She was in Brockton Bay. She was home.
What.The.Fuck!
xXx
Standing there gawking like an idiot may not have been the smartest thing.
[???: Hey you!]
A man yelled at her from an abandoned storefront. His dark skin was pockmarked with needle marks. His vicious smile showed his rotting teeth. Taylor took an unconscious step back. This was a real Villain, and one known for his depredations. Taylor had just died and woke up in a destitute alleyway, but like hell she would roll over. She had done that and seen where it would get her. She had to stand strong or else he would think she was an easy target. The thought of becoming this man's plaything sickened her.
[Taylor: I don't want trouble.]
She tried to stand tall but the glaring man sensed her fear. He licked his lips,
[Skidmark: Names' Skidmark, but you can call me Skids, babe.]
Skidmark had stopped a meter from Taylor. An uncomfortable distance from the disgusting man. The scent of rot and fecal matter on her enhanced senses almost made her gag. The fear that had crippled her slowly faded. Maybe it was some part of her new power but for some reason she felt in control right now. Deciding to test this she took a bold step forward, allowing her face to show exactly what she thought of Skidmark.
[Taylor: Skidmark huh. Can't say I remember you. Must be real small fry.]
[Skidmark: What did you say you cock slut wh-!]
Slut....Here Taylor decided to channel her inner Emma.
[Taylor: You heard me, gonna cry?]
Cutting in front of Skidmark, who might decide to call for backup, Taylor decided she was going to let her frustrations out on this scum. The thought had come when he called her a slut. The same word Emma used to Victimize Taylor. Emma wanted to make Taylor give in, accepting that she was nothing more than a whore who should know her place. Blood boiled at the thought of some pissant no name druggie treating her like a victim. Skidmark screamed and ranted,
[Skidmark: YOU MOTHERF*CKING WHORE I'LL MURDERFUCK YOU!]
[Taylor: I'll give you the beating your daddy should have!]
The time for talk was over. Skidmark's face burned red with rage as he created a blue line on the ground. Taylor dodged to the left as he threw a rock. Thunder boomed beside her head as the rock went supersonic. The warehouse behind Taylor was sporting a large hole. Weaving through his attacks, Taylor noticed how everything seemed.... So slow. It was like time was moving at a snail's pace. The effect was strong enough that she could see the rocks moving for seven seconds before they hit her.
Seeing that his attacks were useless Skidmark made a weird hand sign and two more Skidmark's appeared in puffs of smoke. One immediately began making more hand signs and the other jumped sideways and ran on the wall.
[Taylor: What the fuck?]
Skidmark 1# pelted her with rocks while 2# finished whatever strange thing he was doing and breathed out a truck sized wall of fire. Taylor allowed her body to move as it wished and she smoothly dodged both attacks with inhuman grace. She glided over the ground to confront Skidmark 3# who threw knives at her from a rooftop.
Since when was Skidmark a ninja?!
[Skidmark 2#: What's wrong with flabby tits? Got performance issues?]
[Skidmark 3#: Right?]
Taylor felt a foreign feeling. She wanted to smash that prick's face in. Like a dam breaking she wanted to utterly destroy this man.
Taylor felt an instinct prodding her, begging to be used, so she allowed it. Holding out a hand she grasped the real Skidmark's neck in an invisible vice-like grip. Reaching for his Neck, Skidmark's eyes opened in fear. He flailed like a worm on a hook. The clones began to move in but she held out her arms and unleashed a telekinetic blast that blew the abandoned storefronts into fine powder. That's when the begging began,
[Skidmark: Please don't kill me. I'm sorry! I'll do anything.]
[Taylor: Anything, truly? Then give me all your money, and a phone]
Skidmark nodded frantically. His voice was heavy with fear as he visibly wet himself. She was tempted to choke him for a while longer but then felt guilty. Dad would not approve. Taylor allowed her grip to relax and the man fell to his knees. Gasping and choking he eyed Taylor like she was a demon. Slightly spreading out his arms, it seems Skidmark swallowed his pride. Relieved that they were finally able to get some discussion going, Taylor wondered what she should ask first ––So then,
[Taylor: This is "Brockton Bay"….. meaning this is Earth Bet and you run the Merchants, is that right?]
[Skidmark: What the fuck? The only ones who ask something like that are?! But she doesn't have the tattoo! Are you one of them chakra beast freaks? Actually, I don't want to know. I want to forget your Bijuu looking ass ever existed. I run the Merchants and this is Brockton Bay. Here's my money now fuck off!]
The rather half-assed reply gave Taylor the feeling that something was out of place, but she gulped down this sense of discordance for now. Then, picking up on some words from his earlier remarks….
This might be on an alternate earth. Her new senses came with enhanced reasoning, which she had quickly discovered. It was impossible she traveled back in time. That broke conservation of energy. Even Parahuman powers had limits to their bullshit. The only explanation was she had been reborn in a parallel world.
That brought up a good point. Skidmark had recognized her as looking like a case-53, but he did not recognize the Endbringer herself. Meaning this world had Case-53's, but they used a different name. The possibilities were… well it was good she had a chance to start over. The legacy of Simurgh haunting her would have been horrific.
Now it was time to decide where she would go next. The PRT, or the Protectorate?
Groaning, she slowly opened her eyes. Color, colors everywhere. The neglected alleyway was more detailed than anything she had ever seen. Taylor hesitated to scream Cape, but the evidence was overwhelming, literally. A chill breeze caused her to shiver. Feeling a dawning horror she ran a hand across her stomach and leg. She was naked!
Trying to get to her feet earned her another surprise,
[Taylor: What the hell!]
Gently she floated off the ground. Looking down at herself revealed white porcelain skin. Seeing a puddle nearby she hurried to confirm her suspicions. The dirty water was dyed a brownish tint that was opaque unless you had superhuman sight. Taylor's face scrunched in horror as she finally saw the person staring back from the water.
The woman was looking back with quiet confidence. Taylors face was sharp like royalty. Her eyes glimmered akin to sapphires under the moonlit light. White locks dangled from her head down to her midriff with hair so glossy it looked photoshopped. Taylor had always been jealous of Emma's figure, but now she had an hourglass figure and lithe frame standing at 5,6. Her body was flawless, as if someone had run a supermodel through a CGI airbrush, so much so that it began to enter the uncanny valley. If Taylor wanted to be honest her new body made Emma's look like a gremlin in comparison.
[Taylor: Are these for real?]
The hell? Who gets a power that gives them a B-cup? Taylor found this suspicious and knew who to blame. If it wasn't obvious from the dozens of wings springing from her body, covering her breasts and unmentionables. Some of the wings were large enough to span the entire alleyway in width, while others were small and covered her breasts and hips. No place was safe as many sprung from her sides, thighs, ankles, and arms.
[Taylor: This can't be happening. This must be a sick dream!]
How could she explain this to the authorities? Would anyone believe her if she claimed the Simurgh had bequeathed Taylor her powers in her dying breath. Yeah right. It sounded like one of Greg's bad fan-fics on PHO. A sound from the mouth of the alleyway alerted her,
[Taylor: Who's there?!]
No response. Mentally she tried to find reasons for staying in her current location. When that didn't work she decided she might as well try to talk to the PRT. She hoped they would assume she was a S9 victim instead of the truth.
After reaching the end of the alleyway, the strong scent of salt hit her, and Taylor realized only then that the alleyway had reeked of garbage, and she probably did too by association. Around her, Taylor could see dilapidated storefronts and abandoned warehouses. The road was littered with potholes and cracks from years of neglect. The area was on a hill and she could see the mouth of a bay filled with hulking freighters left to rust. She was in Brockton Bay. She was home.
What.The.Fuck!
xXx
Standing there gawking like an idiot may not have been the smartest thing.
[???: Hey you!]
A man yelled at her from an abandoned storefront. His dark skin was pockmarked with needle marks. His vicious smile showed his rotting teeth. Taylor took an unconscious step back. This was a real Villain, and one known for his depredations. Taylor had just died and woke up in a destitute alleyway, but like hell she would roll over. She had done that and seen where it would get her. She had to stand strong or else he would think she was an easy target. The thought of becoming this man's plaything sickened her.
[Taylor: I don't want trouble.]
She tried to stand tall but the glaring man sensed her fear. He licked his lips,
[Skidmark: Names' Skidmark, but you can call me Skids, babe.]
Skidmark had stopped a meter from Taylor. An uncomfortable distance from the disgusting man. The scent of rot and fecal matter on her enhanced senses almost made her gag. The fear that had crippled her slowly faded. Maybe it was some part of her new power but for some reason she felt in control right now. Deciding to test this she took a bold step forward, allowing her face to show exactly what she thought of Skidmark.
[Taylor: Skidmark huh. Can't say I remember you. Must be real small fry.]
[Skidmark: What did you say you cock slut wh-!]
Slut....Here Taylor decided to channel her inner Emma.
[Taylor: You heard me, gonna cry?]
Cutting in front of Skidmark, who might decide to call for backup, Taylor decided she was going to let her frustrations out on this scum. The thought had come when he called her a slut. The same word Emma used to Victimize Taylor. Emma wanted to make Taylor give in, accepting that she was nothing more than a whore who should know her place. Blood boiled at the thought of some pissant no name druggie treating her like a victim. Skidmark screamed and ranted,
[Skidmark: YOU MOTHERF*CKING WHORE I'LL MURDERFUCK YOU!]
[Taylor: I'll give you the beating your daddy should have!]
The time for talk was over. Skidmark's face burned red with rage as he created a blue line on the ground. Taylor dodged to the left as he threw a rock. Thunder boomed beside her head as the rock went supersonic. The warehouse behind Taylor was sporting a large hole. Weaving through his attacks, Taylor noticed how everything seemed.... So slow. It was like time was moving at a snail's pace. The effect was strong enough that she could see the rocks moving for seven seconds before they hit her.
Seeing that his attacks were useless Skidmark made a weird hand sign and two more Skidmark's appeared in puffs of smoke. One immediately began making more hand signs and the other jumped sideways and ran on the wall.
[Taylor: What the fuck?]
Skidmark 1# pelted her with rocks while 2# finished whatever strange thing he was doing and breathed out a truck sized wall of fire. Taylor allowed her body to move as it wished and she smoothly dodged both attacks with inhuman grace. She glided over the ground to confront Skidmark 3# who threw knives at her from a rooftop.
Since when was Skidmark a ninja?!
[Skidmark 2#: What's wrong with flabby tits? Got performance issues?]
[Skidmark 3#: Right?]
Taylor felt a foreign feeling. She wanted to smash that prick's face in. Like a dam breaking she wanted to utterly destroy this man.
Taylor felt an instinct prodding her, begging to be used, so she allowed it. Holding out a hand she grasped the real Skidmark's neck in an invisible vice-like grip. Reaching for his Neck, Skidmark's eyes opened in fear. He flailed like a worm on a hook. The clones began to move in but she held out her arms and unleashed a telekinetic blast that blew the abandoned storefronts into fine powder. That's when the begging began,
[Skidmark: Please don't kill me. I'm sorry! I'll do anything.]
[Taylor: Anything, truly? Then give me all your money, and a phone]
Skidmark nodded frantically. His voice was heavy with fear as he visibly wet himself. She was tempted to choke him for a while longer but then felt guilty. Dad would not approve. Taylor allowed her grip to relax and the man fell to his knees. Gasping and choking he eyed Taylor like she was a demon. Slightly spreading out his arms, it seems Skidmark swallowed his pride. Relieved that they were finally able to get some discussion going, Taylor wondered what she should ask first ––So then,
[Taylor: This is "Brockton Bay"….. meaning this is Earth Bet and you run the Merchants, is that right?]
[Skidmark: What the fuck? The only ones who ask something like that are?! But she doesn't have the tattoo! Are you one of them chakra beast freaks? Actually, I don't want to know. I want to forget your Bijuu looking ass ever existed. I run the Merchants and this is Brockton Bay. Here's my money now fuck off!]
The rather half-assed reply gave Taylor the feeling that something was out of place, but she gulped down this sense of discordance for now. Then, picking up on some words from his earlier remarks….
This might be on an alternate earth. Her new senses came with enhanced reasoning, which she had quickly discovered. It was impossible she traveled back in time. That broke conservation of energy. Even Parahuman powers had limits to their bullshit. The only explanation was she had been reborn in a parallel world.
That brought up a good point. Skidmark had recognized her as looking like a case-53, but he did not recognize the Endbringer herself. Meaning this world had Case-53's, but they used a different name. The possibilities were… well it was good she had a chance to start over. The legacy of Simurgh haunting her would have been horrific.
Now it was time to decide where she would go next. The PRT, or the Protectorate?
Last edited:
- Pronouns
- He/His/Him
Well, shit. Maybe the entities had a deal with our bleached people with the Chakra Tree? Or just prediction at it's finest?
I'm just saying, I doubt Skidmark would be able to make that many Shadow Clones, because he probably has shit reserves and even shittier coils. His Yang is connected to his body, and let's be honest, he doesn't take cafe of crap...
Well, maybe they were born clones?
Anyway....
Naruto?! I though we were gonna start this with some mythological stuff, not this!
I'm just saying, I doubt Skidmark would be able to make that many Shadow Clones, because he probably has shit reserves and even shittier coils. His Yang is connected to his body, and let's be honest, he doesn't take cafe of crap...
Well, maybe they were born clones?
Anyway....
Naruto?! I though we were gonna start this with some mythological stuff, not this!
- Pronouns
- SL
Narutoverse has deities. I think the writer forgot they exist, but they do. This is an Alt earth bet that is similar enough people won't be too confused by what's happening. I want this story to be like a journey into the multiverse.
As for Skidmark… well any jounin can make two or three shadow clones. If I made him too weak the story would have no tension. This is going to be a world with both chakra and parahuman powers.
Last edited: