Grey Dragon
(Verified Squid God)
- Location
- Australia
(Evil Laughter) It's a secret...
The Bird Of Hermes [Worm alt power/crossover Hellsing Ultimate]
(Evil Laughter) It's a secret...
consequences
Not A Nice Person At All
- Location
- Jerkville
She did Trigger, with a Master power that only works on Greg.
No no no, even better. She triggers with a trump power that empowers only Greg into any 'persona' she wants and has to do what she tells him. Kinda like the master seals from Fate/Stay the Night.
lockingbane
If you're crazy and you know it clap your hands!
- Location
- Waxahachie tx
that would be a trump/master
- Location
- America
- Pronouns
- They/Them
This story has done a great job of capturing both the laugh out loud humor and grotesque horror of the original material! Keep up the good work!
Yeah and?
Emma would have to learn to be a super dork like Greg to truly use said power. And Greg's cooperation, mostly.
lockingbane
If you're crazy and you know it clap your hands!
- Location
- Waxahachie tx
I was just trying to help. Sorry if it bothered you.
Grounders10
Nine-Tailed Kitsune
- Location
- British Columbia, Canada, Mars
There would be no let.
Interlude: Z: Anarchy
Grey Dragon
(Verified Squid God)
- Location
- Australia
Interlude Z: Anarchy
Director Piggot clenched her hands, listening to the reports and orders of her people and the images they sent back. This was not as terrible as Ellisburg, but it was close. It was also fucking evil how it grew and acted. It was an unknown pathogen her expert thinkers suspected. Taking hold in the dead and reanimating them as programmed shock troops. Some of them were even using firearms and other weapons with low accuracy.
The really frustrating part was how durable the sickening creatures became, non-lethal weapons, with the exception of the containment foam had no effect. Even the foam didn't stop them completely, if they weren't fully contained they would rip off body parts to escape. Credit where it was due, Armsmaster did predict something like this but he was thinking in the opposite direction: high functioning infiltrators, not self replicating animated weapons.
She had already ordered the use of lethal weapons but these were only minimally effective at best. The damn things just wouldn't stay down. The best solution so far was simply to use explosives and concentrated fire to rip them to pieces. The problem was they had limitations on their ammunition supplies for these kinds of weapons, since they were not for common use.
Since the very beginning of the fight, some fifteen to twenty minutes ago Alabaster was still being attacked and at this point the PRT was glad he was acting as a distraction. Several more of the creatures had converged on him and the sight was gruesome, his blood and flesh was everywhere on the street around him. It looked like a dozen people had died there.
Victor was almost overrun when his invincibility ran out when he was surrounded. Stormtiger appeared to aid him, with difficulty the cape could reduce the creatures individually into hamburger with his air blades concentrated on the target. Othala was looking frazzled and begging Victor to order a retreat.
It was at this point that the PRT teams made contact and the two groups forged a temporary alliance in the face of the larger A-rank threat. So far the best solution to the creatures was to cripple their limbs to reduce their speed. They had no ability to evade so it was a turkey shoot, but the creatures kept coming. More were surging out of the Merchant territory in waves and several major fire-fights were occurring there.
The fight with Lung seemed to be using the creatures as an opportunity, but this had drawn them to the conflict there too and it was growing out of control. In addition a young girl and a young parahuman out of costume were found running down a street with the creatures after them. Dauntless managed to retrieve the girl and fly back to base, as she was their target. Hopefully they could get some decent answers from her.
Piggot glanced away from the live images to see an urgent message, the creatures were now advancing on the PRT building. The girl was a lure, she groaned. The mastermind played us like a harp. Targeting a child so we couldn't resist taking her into protective custody, to bring the creatures at us. Must be a flaw to their friend and foe identification, there were no casualties reported among civilians or the PRT. Yet.
She signalled a general order to repel the enemy, taking out a pistol from her desk. She also sent out the warning to the Wards. They were to provide support alongside Battery and Velocity. Dauntless was sent out to get an overview of the situation in Merchant territory and New Wave were contacted for support. Piggot snarled as her attempt to contact Chief Director Costa-Brown failed for the umpteenth time. That woman had been neglecting her duties recently, she was a liability now considering every major report had to pass her inspection and all requests for additional Protectorate aid and the help of the Triumvirate came from her desk.
******
Greg, all but forgotten in the scramble to resist the ghouls was met by a pair of PRT troopers in riot gear. They signalled him over. He walked closer, not quite understanding what was going on. He had saved Emma, fought demon pod people from an alternate planet Venus and was now going home to report his outstanding success. He even swiped a pair of underwear from Emma's room when she was busy.
So when they used his secret identity he jumped.
"Void Cowboy? Over here." The leader of the pair said.
"What? How do you know that I'm...?" Greg began.
"Someone told us you were out here. You predicted this didn't you, so you know how to fight them, right?" The man asked, hopefully.
"I think so." They were alien demons from Pluto right? "Silver bullets and holy water." Yes that made sense. Demons hate silver and Pluto is dry and evil.
"Holy water? Okay, I think we can test the silver idea but I don't know any priests..." The PRT man replied hesitantly. Still he reported it, sending a message to Miss Militia the only person on the battlefield that could alter her ammunition at will.
*****
"Silver bullets? Are you being serious? Okay, fine I'll try it. It can't be any less effective than anything else I've tried." Hannah stood up from cover and using a pistol fired a shot cleanly through a ghoul's head. It shocked her, as it fell over lifelessly and turned to sand or ash.
"Whoever this is, I'm recommending you for a commendation." She shouted, switching her weapon to a semi-automatic rifle and resumed her attack, as Othala applied invulnerability to her.
*****
The PRT officer looked at Greg with a wide smile.
"Yes, this is Thomas Calvert over and out." He replied before turning off the radio and moving his attention to Greg. "Now why don't we have a talk. How would you like to have some spending money?"
Greg looked at him confused, before understanding. "My parents did ask me to get a job to get me out of the house."
"Excellent, why don't we discuss this further. What do you say to consulting fees, fifty (thousand) a day." Calvert asked.
"A hundred, I need a new game." Greg haggled.
Calvert looked at him with frustration. He closed this timeline and in the other abducted Greg instead with a taser before reporting his 'discovery'. Greedy little shit wanted to play games with him, huh?
*****
Hearing the reports on the effectiveness of silver weaponry, even in hand to hand weapons as tested by Miss Militia, Kid Win had an idea and in a flurry whipped together an electroplating device that converted ordinary bullets into silver plated bullets by the hundreds. The difference in combat potential was enormous when they were used by the ragtag PRT officers defending the building.
Vista was grinning like mad, using an electroplated silver knife on the creatures through warped space to pick off stragglers like a sniper. She squealed in delight as they crumbled to foul dust every time.
Clockblocker on console duty reported a second wave, but by now the tide was turning on their front.
*****
Unfortunately with only a handful of silver bullets supplied by Velocity and Miss Militia's gun the Combined forces of the heroes and the Nazis was barely hanging on. They were shocked when intruding on the battle a hodgepodge of vehicles combined into something that looked like a truck and a bulldozer with rocket launchers and a machine-gun turret rolled into view.
Skidmark in typical fashion making an entrance with Squealer. They fired randomly, targeting everyone and everything with guns and missiles. A bullet clipped the ear of the ugly man in the turret wearing a bandanna over his face. Skidmark swore and screamed into a bullhorn about a murder attempt.
Assault spared a look at Miss Militia.
She looked sheepish and murmured "His pupils were so dilated and his aim was so bad I couldn't tell if he was alive or dead."
"Ah." Assault nodded. "He's always like that, the drugs aren't so good for reflexes and aim."
Then as if things weren't bad enough, the real threat was unveiled. It was enough to bump the threat up to an S-rank. Zombie Mush. They could use parahuman powers!
The colossal figure of debris and writhing corpses strode forward, thundering footsteps echoing as it continued to grow. It was easily twice the size of anything Mush had used in the past, with no fear of smothering under the heap of garbage and ghouls it grew endlessly. A rocket struck the thing in the chest, knocking it stumbling back a step and leaving an ugly burning crater that was replaced as it began to march through the battlefield.
With a single massive foot it smashed Alabaster, instantly killing him like a bug. At that moment all fire was concentrated on the great hulking creature. Miss Militia using grenades with silver shrapnel, rockets and machine-gun fire from Skidmark, as he screamed about traitors.
The grenades made it trip as part of it's right leg crumbled into dust, Stormtiger trying to assist, attacking the rubble and trash that was still there. But it was too much. The giant figure, over twenty feet tall and growing ploughed through the fire-power that was brought to bear. Smashing at buildings and hurling massive compressed projectiles like an oversized shotgun. Then to the horror of the allied group the rubble from the building joined the creature's body mass. It grew to close to thirty feet tall and trudged forward aiming to smash the cobbled together assault vehicle of the Merchants.
Squealer and Skidmark bailed out in a rocket propelled ejection pod as the machine was smashed into debris and added to the mass. Thirty five foot tall and still growing it lurched toward the PRT and Nazi combined position, the rubble grinding and roaring as it began a charge.
Assault under an invulnerability effect from Othala took the charge, using his power to redirect the kinetic energy of the massive figure and hurl it off course. However even as it fell and tumbled it grew and grew expanding. It was now ripping out pavement and taking cars off the street in one piece. It began a new charge, almost forty five feet tall now and beyond any attempt to resist. This was rapidly devolving into an Endbringer battle. But as it levelled a blow that would crush most of the resistance it stopped and fell apart. The only explanation that could be reached was that it had so overburdened itself that the Zombie Mush inside was crushed under his own weight. A cheer went up, until the pile of debris split and collapsed disgorging a massive flood of ghouls caught in Mush's effect. Right in front of the team.
Director Piggot clenched her hands, listening to the reports and orders of her people and the images they sent back. This was not as terrible as Ellisburg, but it was close. It was also fucking evil how it grew and acted. It was an unknown pathogen her expert thinkers suspected. Taking hold in the dead and reanimating them as programmed shock troops. Some of them were even using firearms and other weapons with low accuracy.
The really frustrating part was how durable the sickening creatures became, non-lethal weapons, with the exception of the containment foam had no effect. Even the foam didn't stop them completely, if they weren't fully contained they would rip off body parts to escape. Credit where it was due, Armsmaster did predict something like this but he was thinking in the opposite direction: high functioning infiltrators, not self replicating animated weapons.
She had already ordered the use of lethal weapons but these were only minimally effective at best. The damn things just wouldn't stay down. The best solution so far was simply to use explosives and concentrated fire to rip them to pieces. The problem was they had limitations on their ammunition supplies for these kinds of weapons, since they were not for common use.
Since the very beginning of the fight, some fifteen to twenty minutes ago Alabaster was still being attacked and at this point the PRT was glad he was acting as a distraction. Several more of the creatures had converged on him and the sight was gruesome, his blood and flesh was everywhere on the street around him. It looked like a dozen people had died there.
Victor was almost overrun when his invincibility ran out when he was surrounded. Stormtiger appeared to aid him, with difficulty the cape could reduce the creatures individually into hamburger with his air blades concentrated on the target. Othala was looking frazzled and begging Victor to order a retreat.
It was at this point that the PRT teams made contact and the two groups forged a temporary alliance in the face of the larger A-rank threat. So far the best solution to the creatures was to cripple their limbs to reduce their speed. They had no ability to evade so it was a turkey shoot, but the creatures kept coming. More were surging out of the Merchant territory in waves and several major fire-fights were occurring there.
The fight with Lung seemed to be using the creatures as an opportunity, but this had drawn them to the conflict there too and it was growing out of control. In addition a young girl and a young parahuman out of costume were found running down a street with the creatures after them. Dauntless managed to retrieve the girl and fly back to base, as she was their target. Hopefully they could get some decent answers from her.
Piggot glanced away from the live images to see an urgent message, the creatures were now advancing on the PRT building. The girl was a lure, she groaned. The mastermind played us like a harp. Targeting a child so we couldn't resist taking her into protective custody, to bring the creatures at us. Must be a flaw to their friend and foe identification, there were no casualties reported among civilians or the PRT. Yet.
She signalled a general order to repel the enemy, taking out a pistol from her desk. She also sent out the warning to the Wards. They were to provide support alongside Battery and Velocity. Dauntless was sent out to get an overview of the situation in Merchant territory and New Wave were contacted for support. Piggot snarled as her attempt to contact Chief Director Costa-Brown failed for the umpteenth time. That woman had been neglecting her duties recently, she was a liability now considering every major report had to pass her inspection and all requests for additional Protectorate aid and the help of the Triumvirate came from her desk.
******
Greg, all but forgotten in the scramble to resist the ghouls was met by a pair of PRT troopers in riot gear. They signalled him over. He walked closer, not quite understanding what was going on. He had saved Emma, fought demon pod people from an alternate planet Venus and was now going home to report his outstanding success. He even swiped a pair of underwear from Emma's room when she was busy.
So when they used his secret identity he jumped.
"Void Cowboy? Over here." The leader of the pair said.
"What? How do you know that I'm...?" Greg began.
"Someone told us you were out here. You predicted this didn't you, so you know how to fight them, right?" The man asked, hopefully.
"I think so." They were alien demons from Pluto right? "Silver bullets and holy water." Yes that made sense. Demons hate silver and Pluto is dry and evil.
"Holy water? Okay, I think we can test the silver idea but I don't know any priests..." The PRT man replied hesitantly. Still he reported it, sending a message to Miss Militia the only person on the battlefield that could alter her ammunition at will.
*****
"Silver bullets? Are you being serious? Okay, fine I'll try it. It can't be any less effective than anything else I've tried." Hannah stood up from cover and using a pistol fired a shot cleanly through a ghoul's head. It shocked her, as it fell over lifelessly and turned to sand or ash.
"Whoever this is, I'm recommending you for a commendation." She shouted, switching her weapon to a semi-automatic rifle and resumed her attack, as Othala applied invulnerability to her.
*****
The PRT officer looked at Greg with a wide smile.
"Yes, this is Thomas Calvert over and out." He replied before turning off the radio and moving his attention to Greg. "Now why don't we have a talk. How would you like to have some spending money?"
Greg looked at him confused, before understanding. "My parents did ask me to get a job to get me out of the house."
"Excellent, why don't we discuss this further. What do you say to consulting fees, fifty (thousand) a day." Calvert asked.
"A hundred, I need a new game." Greg haggled.
Calvert looked at him with frustration. He closed this timeline and in the other abducted Greg instead with a taser before reporting his 'discovery'. Greedy little shit wanted to play games with him, huh?
*****
Hearing the reports on the effectiveness of silver weaponry, even in hand to hand weapons as tested by Miss Militia, Kid Win had an idea and in a flurry whipped together an electroplating device that converted ordinary bullets into silver plated bullets by the hundreds. The difference in combat potential was enormous when they were used by the ragtag PRT officers defending the building.
Vista was grinning like mad, using an electroplated silver knife on the creatures through warped space to pick off stragglers like a sniper. She squealed in delight as they crumbled to foul dust every time.
Clockblocker on console duty reported a second wave, but by now the tide was turning on their front.
*****
Unfortunately with only a handful of silver bullets supplied by Velocity and Miss Militia's gun the Combined forces of the heroes and the Nazis was barely hanging on. They were shocked when intruding on the battle a hodgepodge of vehicles combined into something that looked like a truck and a bulldozer with rocket launchers and a machine-gun turret rolled into view.
Skidmark in typical fashion making an entrance with Squealer. They fired randomly, targeting everyone and everything with guns and missiles. A bullet clipped the ear of the ugly man in the turret wearing a bandanna over his face. Skidmark swore and screamed into a bullhorn about a murder attempt.
Assault spared a look at Miss Militia.
She looked sheepish and murmured "His pupils were so dilated and his aim was so bad I couldn't tell if he was alive or dead."
"Ah." Assault nodded. "He's always like that, the drugs aren't so good for reflexes and aim."
Then as if things weren't bad enough, the real threat was unveiled. It was enough to bump the threat up to an S-rank. Zombie Mush. They could use parahuman powers!
The colossal figure of debris and writhing corpses strode forward, thundering footsteps echoing as it continued to grow. It was easily twice the size of anything Mush had used in the past, with no fear of smothering under the heap of garbage and ghouls it grew endlessly. A rocket struck the thing in the chest, knocking it stumbling back a step and leaving an ugly burning crater that was replaced as it began to march through the battlefield.
With a single massive foot it smashed Alabaster, instantly killing him like a bug. At that moment all fire was concentrated on the great hulking creature. Miss Militia using grenades with silver shrapnel, rockets and machine-gun fire from Skidmark, as he screamed about traitors.
The grenades made it trip as part of it's right leg crumbled into dust, Stormtiger trying to assist, attacking the rubble and trash that was still there. But it was too much. The giant figure, over twenty feet tall and growing ploughed through the fire-power that was brought to bear. Smashing at buildings and hurling massive compressed projectiles like an oversized shotgun. Then to the horror of the allied group the rubble from the building joined the creature's body mass. It grew to close to thirty feet tall and trudged forward aiming to smash the cobbled together assault vehicle of the Merchants.
Squealer and Skidmark bailed out in a rocket propelled ejection pod as the machine was smashed into debris and added to the mass. Thirty five foot tall and still growing it lurched toward the PRT and Nazi combined position, the rubble grinding and roaring as it began a charge.
Assault under an invulnerability effect from Othala took the charge, using his power to redirect the kinetic energy of the massive figure and hurl it off course. However even as it fell and tumbled it grew and grew expanding. It was now ripping out pavement and taking cars off the street in one piece. It began a new charge, almost forty five feet tall now and beyond any attempt to resist. This was rapidly devolving into an Endbringer battle. But as it levelled a blow that would crush most of the resistance it stopped and fell apart. The only explanation that could be reached was that it had so overburdened itself that the Zombie Mush inside was crushed under his own weight. A cheer went up, until the pile of debris split and collapsed disgorging a massive flood of ghouls caught in Mush's effect. Right in front of the team.
lockingbane
If you're crazy and you know it clap your hands!
- Location
- Waxahachie tx
Dude, you have once again written something epic. This story freakin awesome and I pray to all that is holy (and unholy) that it keeps going for a very long time. So far every chapter has gotten better and more interesting. Keep writing and we'll keep reading, and I believe that applies to just about everyone on this thread. We'll be waiting excitedly for the next chapter. As they say on royalroadl "Thanks for the chappy!"
Grounders10
Nine-Tailed Kitsune
- Location
- British Columbia, Canada, Mars
... That is... What is Taylor going to think when she realizes she caused this?
lockingbane
If you're crazy and you know it clap your hands!
- Location
- Waxahachie tx
depends on whether alucard is willing to help calm her down and just how much vampirism has altered her viewpoint
ecs05norway
Zenryoku Zenkai!
Taylor has just willingly bought into working with Lung and Sophia. Now, admittedly, half of that is so she can get her jollies messing with Sophia and terrifying the poor girl, but still. Lung.
lockingbane
If you're crazy and you know it clap your hands!
- Location
- Waxahachie tx
So she is more "Grey" than "white" now. Got it. But didn't something similar happen in cannon? She joined a criminal gang to find it's sponsor and became a sort of anti-hero. Sounds rather similar to what's happening here right? Although, admittedly her moral structure changed faster due to vampirism and circumstances.
ecs05norway
Zenryoku Zenkai!
No, she doesn't seem to have any plans to take Lung down. She's working with him because of Lee. I think she's internalized some of Lee's respect for him, actually.
She's made it clear to him that she isn't signing on unconditionally - keeping up her 'Hero ID' alongside her new 'Villain ID' - and no double-cross planned or intended - after all, he knows who she is, and can target her civilian life with near-impunity.
I halfway think she's just in it for the lulz.
She's made it clear to him that she isn't signing on unconditionally - keeping up her 'Hero ID' alongside her new 'Villain ID' - and no double-cross planned or intended - after all, he knows who she is, and can target her civilian life with near-impunity.
I halfway think she's just in it for the lulz.
AkuArkaine
Guy Not in the Know
- Location
- Columbus, Ohio
She definitely seems to be getting a kick out of eating Nazi. Daddy Alucard should be so proud.
ecs05norway
Zenryoku Zenkai!
If she were working against the ABB instead of with them, would we be making jokes about her liking Chinese food? 
lockingbane
If you're crazy and you know it clap your hands!
- Location
- Waxahachie tx
Alucard: *watches her drain a nazi like four year old with a juice box* That's my girl....
If she were working against the ABB instead of with them, would we be making jokes about her liking Chinese food?
Taylor: Hmm, sweet and sour pork (fat thug) or general Tso's chicken (cowardly mid-ranking thug)? Eh, I'll take both.
lockingbane
If you're crazy and you know it clap your hands!
- Location
- Waxahachie tx
ever watched hellsing ultimate (not the abridged ones, the REAL show)? And have you ever read wildbow's Worm? If the answer to both questions is "Yes" then toss alucard into the subconscious part of Wormverse's collective humanity. Add in shadow stalker trying to kill Taylor and alucard seeing the whole thing. Alucard likes Taylor, turns her, and the story goes on from there.
apeljohn
Non-Player Character
- Location
- Earth Aleph
Right, no, I get that part. But how did we get from intimidating Rune to hugging her to seducing her? And where did the Nazis in the next scene come from?
It could be just that I'm sleep-deprived and not entirely sober, but the fic seems to have have a strong flavour of Hellsing Abridged's manic pace to it. ...And you know what? I'm OK with that.
lockingbane
If you're crazy and you know it clap your hands!
- Location
- Waxahachie tx
I think the seduction has something to do with a vampire's natural allure, maybe pheromone emmision?
2.9
Grey Dragon
(Verified Squid God)
- Location
- Australia
2.9
What did I forget... I mean I'm a vampire, I kill and drink blood... and I make other vampires from virgin males. "Lee was a virgin?!" I'm sure he wasn't, but didn't want to find out by looking too close...
[No, he was not. He became a ghoul.] Alucard agreed.
"I was so shaken up about killing him. When I checked he was already gone, I though it died in the sunlight or his body was retrieved by Lung's lackeys." I mean you said in your world they were also called zombies? I checked, a single zombie isn't all that dangerous. Internet, you have failed me.
[Ghouls have all the same resistances to conventional weapons as you do, additionally they can survive unhindered by daylight. They can breed by killing humans. They follow your will.] Alucard explained.
"My 'will'?" I asked, that was dubious. I mean all I want is to keep Dad safe, preserve the fragile peace with Lung, not hurt the heroes or innocents... destroy the other gangs?! Hurt Shadow Stalker and Emma?!! Oh, crap.
Face palming seemed the thing to do. "How bad is it?"
He seemed amused. [On a scale of one to ten, this would rate a three. Of course I have personally put cities to the sword and watched London burn, so...]
Okay, rating above a one is a catastrophe... and I hit three. Damn this is bad.
"How do I stop this?" I was panicking.
[Change what you desire.] He responded, as if it was so obvious. And it was, dammit.
"Um... happy thoughts? Rainbows and unicorns and fairy floss..." Oh wait, unicorns are a lie...
[Desires, not pleasant daydreams.] He remarked.
"Okay, um... no zombies in the city, killing people? If that's too complex, then that the zombies stop killing. Stop everything." I added.
[Better. But this is still a problem. The admirable Director Piggot has been convinced it is a disease. The 'heroes' know you are not alive in the usual sense. They will connect the two.] Alucard explained casually.
"So even if the zombies die, I'm in trouble? I don't really mind the fact the gangsters died, it kind of makes my job easier? Does that make me a horrible person? I do feel a little sorry I couldn't be discriminating about it." I think I'm losing my empathy.
[In the grand scheme of things, no. In a more localized sense, you're an abomination that slaughtered hundreds in a matter of hours.] He shrugged. [It's all perspective.]
"What do I do... I could hide out with Lung... no the Protectorate will tear the city apart looking for me. Even his patience only goes so far." I tried to focus on my options. "And what will I say to Dad?"
[I have a suggestion.] Alucard began.
"Maybe I could skip town? Move to Boston for a while and eat gangsters there. Would anyone really care if Accord accidentally lost the majority of his blood supply?" I asked rhetorically. "Or the Butcher for that matter."
[I said, I have an idea.] Alucard insisted, but I was too busy worrying to listen to his nonsense.
"Maybe I should move to Ellisburg and see if Nilbog's minions taste good? Not bad. Maybe take a roving tour of the countryside ala the Nine to find the Nine and eat them?" I nodded. It would be ironic if the murder hobos got murdered by a random hobo. Okay sure I couldn't take all of them, but who's to say what I can do after eating half the team?
Abruptly Alucard appeared in front of me, stepping out of the shadows. I blinked, surprised by seeing him.
"I said, Taylor Hebert that I have a plan. If you would be so kind as to take some time out of your blathering to listen, I will explain." He said, voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Okay, proceed." I replied, knowing it was not a request.
"I will take the blame. After all I did allow this to blow out of all proportion, without telling you for a purpose. It will require a little outside help to keep me on this side of reality. We need to have a few uninterrupted minutes with a particular parahuman." He snapped his fingers, drawing a map out of shadows. "Here is where this person is. The power they possess is not enough without my advice and your help. It may inconvenience you to some degree but if my plan works, you will be overlooked and I will no longer be a resident inside your mind. It is getting crowded in there, by the way."
"Yes, yes, squatters don't get to complain, old man." I shot back. "So who do you want?"
"Nobody you would know, they aren't in town often. But as it happens they are wrapped up in this mess." He smiled coldly. "We do not require their approval. Your talents with mesmerism would suffice. I don't say this lightly, you can do things I cannot."
Regardless, he just caught my attention, hook, line and sinker. I can finally get rid of him! I think I'll dance. Yes, it does deserve dancing.
"Oh, before you get upset again there is one other thing you should know." He added, eyes narrowing in amusement. "Did you honestly think that your little Nazi friend saw the error of her ways and divulged all of her deepest, darkest secrets to you for no reason? That love overcomes all? Or that it was love at first sight?"
"Okay, I'm not sure I like where this is heading..." I could already feel the hook.
"No doubt, because your hypnotic charms are stronger than they were as a mere infant." He chuckled softly. "Combined with the bite, you seduced the poor, innocent girl with your magic. In her eyes, before you all her greatest loves were candles in a breeze. Even orders cannot remove what is now an integral part of her personality."
Oh, God. I pulled a Heartbreaker on her.
Alucard nodded with a feral grin.
I hate you so much right now, you bastard!
"Hate, love, fear, courage: all of these make life interesting!" He laughed, vanishing again to return to my mind.
[Oh, and next time remember to clean up after you eat. We don't want a repeat in a hurry do we?] He remarked, twisting the knife.
"Okay, should I go now or help Lung first?" I asked.
[Lung, but make it quick. You have twenty minutes until they withdraw.] He elaborated.
Fast it is, then. Swarm-port to an overlooking building, then across the bay to the roof of a warehouse and... there!
I could see Lung's smoke and fire all billowing around him, Kaiser must be down there somewhere. And from the gunfire and crashing Sophia and Krieg. I can see one of the twins, either Fenja or Menja lying on the ground with one less hand. I don't know her, The gang members of both sides seem distracted by the ghouls. The Nazis in particular are trying to put them down for good while they sit still.
Phew, glad that the orders worked.
Let's see if we can play nicely with Sophia and Uncle Krieg, shall we? Lung is Lung, he wouldn't appreciate any help he didn't ask for and he'll never ask.
I see Krieg is on the road, behind a car. Oh, and there goes the car flying at that rooftop. Wow, I though he was just a kinetic manipulator but he did that physically with a kick. He's basically a brute on top of everything? Nasty. Still, it does depend on whether he can sense through his power if he really stands a chance.
I can see a shadowy form moving up there. I plot a good location and swarm-port. I popped up behind Sophia, so I shouted cheerfully. "HI!" Huh, I didn't know she could hit the high notes like that. She should work on that voice, much better career-wise than former vigilante, current fugitive, future meal.
"HEB... Jiangshi, you...I..." She's so mad she can't even talk straight.
"You're happy to see me? Great, I'm happy you're still in one piece! So I can kill you myself later!" I kept up the happy tone just to rub it in. It is just too much fun ticking off the human time bomb. She should be getting closer to explosion...
She slumped, shaking her head. "Look, Kreig can deflect my phased bullets just enough to stop them. If you distract him I'll take him out!"
"No. I'll deal with Kreig. You go hunt skinheads while they're distracted." Yes, lets see how he deals with someone similar.
I hopped down to street level and walked closer, calmly as my sandals clacked softly beneath me.
A street sign ripped from the pavement flew at my chest. With my hand and my telekinetic palm I gently turned it, without actually touching it. Hide the secret power within the act itself. I kept walking, a sneer on my lips.
He plucked several knives from his costume's bandoleers. They swirled around his body and with a thrusting gesture they launched, curving to come at me in a wave. I raised both hands and slowly intercepted the flood of blades with my telekinetic fingers, catching them without error thanks to the precise spatial sense they possessed. I splayed the knives out in between my real fingers like fans.
I like them, they're mine. I drop them at my sides, I'll retrieve them later and put them with the bag of equipment from the armoury in my head.
Krieg grunts something, through a thick German accent. He walks in closer, confident he's trying something different.
As we approach at a casual pace I keep my sneer. Finally we stop at arm's length. His look is priceless, as his eyes widen in his mask. Whatever he did was nothing to fear.
"What iz zis? You not haz to breathe?" He asked looking terrified.
"No. I don't breathe." I shrugged. "Return To Your Distant Home And Clan, Know That Family Is More Important Than Belief."
It hit him hard, he tried to fight my suggestion. I was tearing his deepest priorities out and rearranging them. He screamed as I repeated my words, once, twice, thr...
A gunshot rang out and Krieg's eyes rolled before falling dead at my feet.
Shit. What do I tell Rune?
I glanced at the source and saw Sophia grinning with a proud look. God dammit Sophia, you always screw me over, don't you? Her smile faded a second later as blades sprouted from the ground at her feet. She jumped, in her breaker form to avoid the deadly spikes of metal.
Kaiser came into view and he looked pissed off. He must have seen what happened. Fuck. He's glaring at me too.
"You!" He snapped. "Who are you?!"
"Jiangshi." I answered, boldly. I can tell he's going to kill someone as an example. He lost Sophia.
"Bold Jiangshi, bold. For one of the lesser races." He had to make it a racial insult, didn't he? I'm really glad I'm not one of them.
"Human is human." I replied. "They all live and die the same way."
He looked puzzled, before regaining control. "You're deluded like that animal Lung. Seeing yourself as beyond human."
"Is that not the very essence of the Nazi superman? If Lung is deluded so are you metal man." I taunted.
Yes, he doesn't care about dogma. Rune was right. He only cares that I'm sassing him. Blades sprout from the ground around me, poking at my neck, legs and torso in several places and entrapping me. The smile on my face doesn't fade. He's just a fraud.
"Who do you think you are, to talk like that to me, Kaiser? You caused the death of Krieg, my most loyal and honest lieutenant." His gaze hardened and in the next instant the spikes were inside me. I laughed through the pain. It wasn't enough to kill me. It didn't even touch my heart. I coughed sweet blood and mocked him.
"Kaiser, without followers what are you? I hope to hear the answer when next we meet." I choked out. I swarm-ported away to a distant building on the far shore. I was pleasantly surprised to find myself recovered fully when I reappeared. Swarm-porting negates damage? Or heals non-lethal injuries? My smile at the thought was feral. What couldn't I do?
I could try my hand at shooting him but really, I want to give him time to re-evaluate his choices and see his losses. To taste his despair. Um... did I really just think that? I'm giving myself chills. Damn Taylor, get a hold of yourself. I'm going all psycho alpha predator. We already have one Sophia, we don't need another.
Happy thoughts! Rainbows and kittens and make believe unicorns I wish were real and...
[Focus.] Alucard told me with disdain. [If you're finished here, let us go see about ending my captivity in this... sickeningly sweet prison you call a skull.]
"Are you actually seeing my daydreams?" I asked surprised.
[Yes, degrading as they are.] He gritted out.
I laughed with pure evil. I have you now! Taste my wrath!
"Puppies and fluffy bunnies and fields of wild flowers and storybook princesses and..." I cackled with delight as he squirmed and looked uncomfortable. I won! I finally won! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
The Adventures of Void Cowboy: Vampire Hunter and Farseer
Greg woke in a large, comfortable room sitting in an armchair. He felt a little stiff. He checked his equipment, Emma's stolen underwear, socks, shoes, his own soiled underwear... check. A thin man in a costume with twin snakes spiralling on his chest entered and addressed him.
Coil: Greg Veder, aka Void Cowboy.
Greg: How...? How do you know who I am?
Coil: I know everything about you Greg.
Greg: You're an agent of Ziz?!
Coil (spluttering): No! Of course not!
Greg: A likely story, that's what any of her agents would say!
Coil: She has agents?
Greg: Of course, she sends them signals from satellites in orbit. It's why she didn't shoot them all down.
Coil: Fascinating! Please, continue.
Greg: Really? Most of the time, when I tell people all this stuff they just tell me to shut up or go away.
Coil: No, I want to hear everything.
Greg (happily): Wow, is this what it feels like to have a captive audience?
Coil: Not very often, no.
What did I forget... I mean I'm a vampire, I kill and drink blood... and I make other vampires from virgin males. "Lee was a virgin?!" I'm sure he wasn't, but didn't want to find out by looking too close...
[No, he was not. He became a ghoul.] Alucard agreed.
"I was so shaken up about killing him. When I checked he was already gone, I though it died in the sunlight or his body was retrieved by Lung's lackeys." I mean you said in your world they were also called zombies? I checked, a single zombie isn't all that dangerous. Internet, you have failed me.
[Ghouls have all the same resistances to conventional weapons as you do, additionally they can survive unhindered by daylight. They can breed by killing humans. They follow your will.] Alucard explained.
"My 'will'?" I asked, that was dubious. I mean all I want is to keep Dad safe, preserve the fragile peace with Lung, not hurt the heroes or innocents... destroy the other gangs?! Hurt Shadow Stalker and Emma?!! Oh, crap.
Face palming seemed the thing to do. "How bad is it?"
He seemed amused. [On a scale of one to ten, this would rate a three. Of course I have personally put cities to the sword and watched London burn, so...]
Okay, rating above a one is a catastrophe... and I hit three. Damn this is bad.
"How do I stop this?" I was panicking.
[Change what you desire.] He responded, as if it was so obvious. And it was, dammit.
"Um... happy thoughts? Rainbows and unicorns and fairy floss..." Oh wait, unicorns are a lie...
[Desires, not pleasant daydreams.] He remarked.
"Okay, um... no zombies in the city, killing people? If that's too complex, then that the zombies stop killing. Stop everything." I added.
[Better. But this is still a problem. The admirable Director Piggot has been convinced it is a disease. The 'heroes' know you are not alive in the usual sense. They will connect the two.] Alucard explained casually.
"So even if the zombies die, I'm in trouble? I don't really mind the fact the gangsters died, it kind of makes my job easier? Does that make me a horrible person? I do feel a little sorry I couldn't be discriminating about it." I think I'm losing my empathy.
[In the grand scheme of things, no. In a more localized sense, you're an abomination that slaughtered hundreds in a matter of hours.] He shrugged. [It's all perspective.]
"What do I do... I could hide out with Lung... no the Protectorate will tear the city apart looking for me. Even his patience only goes so far." I tried to focus on my options. "And what will I say to Dad?"
[I have a suggestion.] Alucard began.
"Maybe I could skip town? Move to Boston for a while and eat gangsters there. Would anyone really care if Accord accidentally lost the majority of his blood supply?" I asked rhetorically. "Or the Butcher for that matter."
[I said, I have an idea.] Alucard insisted, but I was too busy worrying to listen to his nonsense.
"Maybe I should move to Ellisburg and see if Nilbog's minions taste good? Not bad. Maybe take a roving tour of the countryside ala the Nine to find the Nine and eat them?" I nodded. It would be ironic if the murder hobos got murdered by a random hobo. Okay sure I couldn't take all of them, but who's to say what I can do after eating half the team?
Abruptly Alucard appeared in front of me, stepping out of the shadows. I blinked, surprised by seeing him.
"I said, Taylor Hebert that I have a plan. If you would be so kind as to take some time out of your blathering to listen, I will explain." He said, voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Okay, proceed." I replied, knowing it was not a request.
"I will take the blame. After all I did allow this to blow out of all proportion, without telling you for a purpose. It will require a little outside help to keep me on this side of reality. We need to have a few uninterrupted minutes with a particular parahuman." He snapped his fingers, drawing a map out of shadows. "Here is where this person is. The power they possess is not enough without my advice and your help. It may inconvenience you to some degree but if my plan works, you will be overlooked and I will no longer be a resident inside your mind. It is getting crowded in there, by the way."
"Yes, yes, squatters don't get to complain, old man." I shot back. "So who do you want?"
"Nobody you would know, they aren't in town often. But as it happens they are wrapped up in this mess." He smiled coldly. "We do not require their approval. Your talents with mesmerism would suffice. I don't say this lightly, you can do things I cannot."
Regardless, he just caught my attention, hook, line and sinker. I can finally get rid of him! I think I'll dance. Yes, it does deserve dancing.
"Oh, before you get upset again there is one other thing you should know." He added, eyes narrowing in amusement. "Did you honestly think that your little Nazi friend saw the error of her ways and divulged all of her deepest, darkest secrets to you for no reason? That love overcomes all? Or that it was love at first sight?"
"Okay, I'm not sure I like where this is heading..." I could already feel the hook.
"No doubt, because your hypnotic charms are stronger than they were as a mere infant." He chuckled softly. "Combined with the bite, you seduced the poor, innocent girl with your magic. In her eyes, before you all her greatest loves were candles in a breeze. Even orders cannot remove what is now an integral part of her personality."
Oh, God. I pulled a Heartbreaker on her.
Alucard nodded with a feral grin.
I hate you so much right now, you bastard!
"Hate, love, fear, courage: all of these make life interesting!" He laughed, vanishing again to return to my mind.
[Oh, and next time remember to clean up after you eat. We don't want a repeat in a hurry do we?] He remarked, twisting the knife.
"Okay, should I go now or help Lung first?" I asked.
[Lung, but make it quick. You have twenty minutes until they withdraw.] He elaborated.
Fast it is, then. Swarm-port to an overlooking building, then across the bay to the roof of a warehouse and... there!
I could see Lung's smoke and fire all billowing around him, Kaiser must be down there somewhere. And from the gunfire and crashing Sophia and Krieg. I can see one of the twins, either Fenja or Menja lying on the ground with one less hand. I don't know her, The gang members of both sides seem distracted by the ghouls. The Nazis in particular are trying to put them down for good while they sit still.
Phew, glad that the orders worked.
Let's see if we can play nicely with Sophia and Uncle Krieg, shall we? Lung is Lung, he wouldn't appreciate any help he didn't ask for and he'll never ask.
I see Krieg is on the road, behind a car. Oh, and there goes the car flying at that rooftop. Wow, I though he was just a kinetic manipulator but he did that physically with a kick. He's basically a brute on top of everything? Nasty. Still, it does depend on whether he can sense through his power if he really stands a chance.
I can see a shadowy form moving up there. I plot a good location and swarm-port. I popped up behind Sophia, so I shouted cheerfully. "HI!" Huh, I didn't know she could hit the high notes like that. She should work on that voice, much better career-wise than former vigilante, current fugitive, future meal.
"HEB... Jiangshi, you...I..." She's so mad she can't even talk straight.
"You're happy to see me? Great, I'm happy you're still in one piece! So I can kill you myself later!" I kept up the happy tone just to rub it in. It is just too much fun ticking off the human time bomb. She should be getting closer to explosion...
She slumped, shaking her head. "Look, Kreig can deflect my phased bullets just enough to stop them. If you distract him I'll take him out!"
"No. I'll deal with Kreig. You go hunt skinheads while they're distracted." Yes, lets see how he deals with someone similar.
I hopped down to street level and walked closer, calmly as my sandals clacked softly beneath me.
A street sign ripped from the pavement flew at my chest. With my hand and my telekinetic palm I gently turned it, without actually touching it. Hide the secret power within the act itself. I kept walking, a sneer on my lips.
He plucked several knives from his costume's bandoleers. They swirled around his body and with a thrusting gesture they launched, curving to come at me in a wave. I raised both hands and slowly intercepted the flood of blades with my telekinetic fingers, catching them without error thanks to the precise spatial sense they possessed. I splayed the knives out in between my real fingers like fans.
I like them, they're mine. I drop them at my sides, I'll retrieve them later and put them with the bag of equipment from the armoury in my head.
Krieg grunts something, through a thick German accent. He walks in closer, confident he's trying something different.
As we approach at a casual pace I keep my sneer. Finally we stop at arm's length. His look is priceless, as his eyes widen in his mask. Whatever he did was nothing to fear.
"What iz zis? You not haz to breathe?" He asked looking terrified.
"No. I don't breathe." I shrugged. "Return To Your Distant Home And Clan, Know That Family Is More Important Than Belief."
It hit him hard, he tried to fight my suggestion. I was tearing his deepest priorities out and rearranging them. He screamed as I repeated my words, once, twice, thr...
A gunshot rang out and Krieg's eyes rolled before falling dead at my feet.
Shit. What do I tell Rune?
I glanced at the source and saw Sophia grinning with a proud look. God dammit Sophia, you always screw me over, don't you? Her smile faded a second later as blades sprouted from the ground at her feet. She jumped, in her breaker form to avoid the deadly spikes of metal.
Kaiser came into view and he looked pissed off. He must have seen what happened. Fuck. He's glaring at me too.
"You!" He snapped. "Who are you?!"
"Jiangshi." I answered, boldly. I can tell he's going to kill someone as an example. He lost Sophia.
"Bold Jiangshi, bold. For one of the lesser races." He had to make it a racial insult, didn't he? I'm really glad I'm not one of them.
"Human is human." I replied. "They all live and die the same way."
He looked puzzled, before regaining control. "You're deluded like that animal Lung. Seeing yourself as beyond human."
"Is that not the very essence of the Nazi superman? If Lung is deluded so are you metal man." I taunted.
Yes, he doesn't care about dogma. Rune was right. He only cares that I'm sassing him. Blades sprout from the ground around me, poking at my neck, legs and torso in several places and entrapping me. The smile on my face doesn't fade. He's just a fraud.
"Who do you think you are, to talk like that to me, Kaiser? You caused the death of Krieg, my most loyal and honest lieutenant." His gaze hardened and in the next instant the spikes were inside me. I laughed through the pain. It wasn't enough to kill me. It didn't even touch my heart. I coughed sweet blood and mocked him.
"Kaiser, without followers what are you? I hope to hear the answer when next we meet." I choked out. I swarm-ported away to a distant building on the far shore. I was pleasantly surprised to find myself recovered fully when I reappeared. Swarm-porting negates damage? Or heals non-lethal injuries? My smile at the thought was feral. What couldn't I do?
I could try my hand at shooting him but really, I want to give him time to re-evaluate his choices and see his losses. To taste his despair. Um... did I really just think that? I'm giving myself chills. Damn Taylor, get a hold of yourself. I'm going all psycho alpha predator. We already have one Sophia, we don't need another.
Happy thoughts! Rainbows and kittens and make believe unicorns I wish were real and...
[Focus.] Alucard told me with disdain. [If you're finished here, let us go see about ending my captivity in this... sickeningly sweet prison you call a skull.]
"Are you actually seeing my daydreams?" I asked surprised.
[Yes, degrading as they are.] He gritted out.
I laughed with pure evil. I have you now! Taste my wrath!
"Puppies and fluffy bunnies and fields of wild flowers and storybook princesses and..." I cackled with delight as he squirmed and looked uncomfortable. I won! I finally won! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
The Adventures of Void Cowboy: Vampire Hunter and Farseer
Greg woke in a large, comfortable room sitting in an armchair. He felt a little stiff. He checked his equipment, Emma's stolen underwear, socks, shoes, his own soiled underwear... check. A thin man in a costume with twin snakes spiralling on his chest entered and addressed him.
Coil: Greg Veder, aka Void Cowboy.
Greg: How...? How do you know who I am?
Coil: I know everything about you Greg.
Greg: You're an agent of Ziz?!
Coil (spluttering): No! Of course not!
Greg: A likely story, that's what any of her agents would say!
Coil: She has agents?
Greg: Of course, she sends them signals from satellites in orbit. It's why she didn't shoot them all down.
Coil: Fascinating! Please, continue.
Greg: Really? Most of the time, when I tell people all this stuff they just tell me to shut up or go away.
Coil: No, I want to hear everything.
Greg (happily): Wow, is this what it feels like to have a captive audience?
Coil: Not very often, no.
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