The Bird Of Hermes [Worm alt power/crossover Hellsing Ultimate]

[Grey Dragon]

5.11

I equipped the watch I stole off Ziggurat on my wrist and looked at it closely. Oooh. Shiny. I think it's a platinum case and the hands are solid gold. It looks mundane enough, until I reach to press the switch she used to initiate the teleportation. It beeps in an angry way. What?

I moved my finger close to the button and the device beeps again... is it reading my fingerprint?

I smile and reach down to her rather smooshed corpse, with a good twist I tear her forefinger off. Try again, with the real thing. The device flashes it's dial before turning an angry red, but I still am teleported. Then the niggling aches I have had since over-stretching my mind fitting an entire prison in there... are drowned out as I reappear horrifically distorted.

I see a young guy, nervous and in a lab coat look inside the enclosed space I'm occupying. He blanches as he takes in my new look.

"Kiiiillll Meeee!" I hiss, as my left leg juts from my slant angled skull and all my ribs are external. The guy seems to panic, which gives me time enough to regenerate in peace. Sue me, I'm shy. There, back to normal... ish. I'm sure my eyes are different, seeing them in the reflective glass cover over the teleporter. I sigh. Why are my eyes yellow? Not lemon or gold but vivid, evil yellow. The narrowed pupils look... well... monstrous.

"Hah... damn vampire quirks." I moan.

I find a simple latch and pull the container open. The guy still seems to be frantically searching for something. He glances up and sees me.

"Hi?" I ask, with a kind of mystified wave.

The guy slumps over and breathes a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank you merciful Buddha! You're alright."

"I go by Jiangshi, but okay?" I say tilting my head. Playing up the airhead mode...

"Um... where did you get one of my emergency beacons?" He asked.

"I took it off that old hag Ziggy." I replied.

"Oh? Ziggy?" He ponders the answer until he realizes it was Ziggurat.

"You shouldn't call her that, it's dangerous!" He warned.

Oh, he is just so precious. I wanna keep him. Can I keep him? Sigh. Shut up in there, stupid souls. You can't vote on it! Hey no electing official representatives... and Declarations of Independence are banned! You hear me in there?! Banned!

"She didn't mention it when I said it to her face, last time we met." I reply, recovering from my mild psychosis. Of course she was screaming as I pressed my heel into her perfect button nose, as we were falling several floors down. She didn't dignify my 'Scream for me Ziggy' comments with a response. Besides the scream itself, obviously. It was quite a memorable scream, I'd rate it nine and a half out of ten. I'm hoping Shatterbird is a ten.

"If... if you're sure." He stammered. Okay, if this is Jia... I'd say he isn't a threat to anyone. Ever. "How did you get your beacon to activate? They have biometric scans that stop unauthorized users. If some random person who the teleporter wasn't calibrated for used it... well... you found out." He looks queasy. I guess it wasn't a good look for me?

"Yes, it wasn't fun." I smirked. This place was obviously his workshop, one of the most secret places in the CUI. "So, Jia. Where are we?"

"You don't know?" He asked suspiciously.

"Ziggy wouldn't tell me." Shut up, Ziggy's soul. I'm not a hypocrite... much. Do you want to be torn to shreds and absorbed? I can still do that.

"Tibet." He replied casually.

"Oh...?" It took a moment to hit me, I has almost half a continent away. Thank you private study, no way Winslow High taught me that. "How did Ziggy get back so fast?"

"She took the tactical teleporter, naturally." He explained.

"The what?" I asked.

"Look, just follow me." He gestured and I did.

"So... how does a Tinker who specializes in holograms have so many teleportation devices?" I asked.

"We aren't all triggered knowing our focus. At the time I managed to throw a simple teleport pad together first. Turns out the components between a basic hard-light hologram and a teleport pad use similar components for roughly 92% of all main functions. With the help of a buddy in a different field I managed to crack the last few percent. We only realized I was a Tinker when my friend couldn't replicate the design in a workable fashion." He seemed sheepish. "Up until then I just though I was a really good engineer."

"So... your thoughts on what happened to the Emperor?" I queried.

"Did something happen to his Glorious Highness?! Quick, if I can help, I will!" He blurted out in a panic.

"Nothing major, he is fine now I imagine. There was some 'minor' damage to the palace. How about you and I go pay him a visit next. I'm sure he'd love to hear from you." And rope you back to the winning side before someone else scalps you. Or I scalp you. Unlikely to be both at this point.

As we pass a rack of poles he grabs one and waves it with a tremble.

"Uh... what is that?" I ask.

"Huh? Oh, right. Have to press the switch and give it a second for the emitter to work... it's an older design, sorry." He apologised as he did something.

"No, no. Perfectly understandable." I replied, shrugging. Tinkers.

The pole extended out into a massive sword, that he held almost weightlessly if not for the handle.

"Hologram?" I asked.

"Yes... now if you would kindly surrender... I won't have to hurt you." He replied.

I laughed. It was just too funny. The guy looked like he couldn't fight a plastic bag. And he was absolutely terrible at threatening people. So naturally I went along with it, for giggles.

"I surrender." I replied, raising my hands.

"R...really?! Um... I mean. Alright... raise your... um... you already did that... um...er..." He seems confused by success. I definitely made the right call. He seems socially awkward... perfect.

"Take me to your cells." I hinted.

"Uh... I don't have any cells... I guess I can use the rest room, it does have a lock." He glanced at me again. "No that raises uncomfortable questions... 'you locked her where?'... seems like a risk towards a sexual misconduct charge."

"I'm fourteen, too." I add.

"Oh merciful Buddha... I'm a pervert!" He seemed to collapse in on himself.

Do people really see me that way? I mean sure I'm getting rather tall, slender and busty... okay, I get it now. Damn vampire maturation. For a creature that lives forever why am I ageing at an accelerated rate?! Why can't I have normal body issues... y'know? I miss the days when I could just point to flaws and complain. But no... ugh. I indulge in a face palm to silence the stupid.

"If it's any consolation, I survived a teleportation accident too. So I'll be suing anyway." I throw out there, for the reaction.

Critical hit!

He drops the weapon and just curls up into a ball. "I'm so screwed..." He moaned.

Wow, he's just so isolated and naïve it's funny. Like a silly puppy that gets into mischief. I came into this wanting to hate him but... it's impossible. I pat his matted brown hair.

"It's okay. You go see the Emperor. Tell him I sent you. I'm only going to sue... if you refuse." I say with a soothing tone. "You Trust Me."

"Yes." He said with a sniffle.

"So, where do all your teleport devices go?" I asked, in a chipper mood.

"A few go to the main Yangban training centres and one goes to the Emperor's private rooms. Then there is the tactical teleporter which can send you anywhere we have a beacon... apparently some people got really enthusiastic with that, because he have them all over the world. I have no idea why we need one in the White House for example." I can think of a couple... but I keep quiet. "Oh, yes there is the Red Cave too."

"Okay. Where and what is the Red Cave?" I asked, nonplussed.

"It's sort of our... main headquarters? It's an old iron mine in Heinan province. I did it up in holograms so it seems to be above ground after we expanded it. Perfect place to relax. I think it's emulating the Hawaiian Islands right now?" He said with certainty.

"Would you kindly fix my watch so I teleport properly?" I asked.

"Absolutely, just step onto that plate on the floor and put your fingers here... and done." Okay, Tinker tech has now officially spoiled me for other 'sciences'.

Jia opens up a little metal bar he carried in his pocket and types away at a tiny glowing screen projected in mid air. The watch on my wrist beeps a tune and glows blue. 'Shave and a haircut'?

"I love those older Western Animations." He explains.

Oooookay. Moving on.

I wrap an arm over his shoulder. "There wouldn't be a beacon to Brockton Bay by any chance?"

"No, the closest I have is in a city called Bos Ton?" He asked, unclear about the English pronunciation as he looked over a map. He does have a lot of good locations.

Hmm.

"You wouldn't be able to search for someone for me, would you?" I asked.

"Uh... no, I can do that. Anyone in particular?" He asked, so I told him. He blinked and said he would check.

I get a good idea of his lab while he's busy. It isn't like that mansion, it's just a large and cluttered basement in size. Wow... you think you know a guy... finally he delivers my answer and helps me learn how to operate the Tactical Teleporter.

Now, I head to the Red Cave, with the correct codes. The teleporter actually works, appropriately. Hmm. I get a scent of the air, recycled and air conditioned. With some faint perfume, probably to match the theme since it's coconut and flowers...

Only a handful of people. I can hear them bickering. I think Number 2 is fighting with Number 1. Zero seems to be trying to talk some sense into them.

I slip out and drag the three guards into the shadow world, one by one silencing them and then quietly enter, to observe my prime targets. Ziggy knows the faces and real names, not that I care. Live as a number, die like one. Unremarkable.

Hmm. I don't really care that much for Number 1, mind control is already my forte but the other two offer some interesting possibilities.

As I listen to the infantile shouts and scuffling, I cough.

"This tropical sun and sand really gets to me... it's a dry heat." I complained. "Not to mention you lot look ridiculous in Hawaiian shirts."

The room itself is large and even the floor is a holographic projection. Soft, warm sand. Waves and wind in the moving pictures that were the walls. A fake tree. Despite this, they had a set of monitors and communications gear on a desk that appears to be made of drift wood. Nice thematic touch.

"The Blood Goddess of the reports!" Zero points out.

"'Goddess'?" I asked, stifling laughter. "Really? Goddess?!" I fail, bursting into hilarity.

They each look at the others and try different tactics. Number Zero surrenders, falling to his knees. Number one tries to reach for a weapon in a drawer of the desk, retrieving some kind of holographic pistol. I do not understand how that even works.

Number two, the most annoying, reaches for his teleporter beacon.

"I wouldn't do tttthhhhaaattt..." I suggest, waving a finger. "Jia works for me now. If you want to end up inside out and deformed, go ahead, press the button. I assure you, it hurts more than you'd think." Did it ever.

I growled with some menace, showing my teeth in an open-mouthed grin at the gun. "I want to see the grey stuff ooze from your head." I hissed, pointing a talon at Number One. He dropped the gun like it bit him.

It was all a game from here on, as all three were simply humans. Okay, sure Zero and One puppeteered Number Two around, trying to make him a distraction, but with the foot speed of a human on sand they didn't even leave the room when I stopped playing around. So while I speared Number Two in the neck with claws they stumbled past me. I spun and hurled Number Two into his buddies as he gasped like a fish, barely breathing.

Strike!

No wait... that's a 7/10 Split... a Spare?

Eh, it's all food.

"It seems ye picked the wrong island, me boyos. There be cannibals here, says I." I mocked, imitating a pirate, with an eye closed. And altered my left hand into a scorpion stinger, because all pirates need a hook for authenticity. "Arrr. We be just beginin'. When we be finished ye be buried in a shallow grave in the depths of this here Blood Cave. Got's to keep me treasures safe. Dead men tell no tales..."

I gestured and the warmth and light of the room was drowned out in the chill of the shadows.

"...well, not quite." I say breaking character, with a friendly tone. "Those I kill like to talk an awful lot. Can't you hear them?"

The silence was punctuated by faint whispers that grew in intensity and anger. It was rather disappointing, after that. They went mad after experiencing barely a tenth of my average hour. Kind of pathetic. Are ghosts really all that scary? They don't do much but complain and try to mutiny.

Except good ol' Doc and Lee.

They just commiserate my suffering.

Ok. Now, I wonder if Jia found my special bonus round? I hope, I hope, I hope so!




Project Phoenix: Fledgeling Steps... (Colin.exe)

You are in a lovely cottage, created by your currently absent Girlfriend Dragon. It is warm from gentle sunlight coming through the windows. There is an open fire-place and a poker. There is a loveseat. There are exits to the South and East.

-Please enter action.

<What the fuck is this? Some kind of game.>

-Please enter appropriate action.

<She would have a problem with foul language, wouldn't she?> Colin remarked introspectively.

-Please enter action!

<Okay... uh. Sit on seat.>

The seat is soft and warm, but without your lady love it feels cold and empty.

-Please enter action.

<Uh, stand up?>

You return to your feet restless for your absent lover. You are in your love-shack. There is a Fire-place and a poker. There is a loveseat. There is an exit to the South and East.

-Please enter action.

<Light fire?>

-Where?

<The fire-place dammit.>

-Where in an appropriate tone?

<Fire-place.> He groaned.

You...

<God this is annoying...>

-You watch it, Mister!

<Huh?!>

-You've been warned.

<What the heck was that?!>

-I put a lot of work into this and you're not playing along! Can't you at least humour me while I'm sick?

<Yes dear!>

 

[Dur'id the Druid]

Cosmic horror achievement, check!

Wonder if any of that 'mass taking ghosts' was recorded?

 

[Grey Dragon]

5.12: Bonus Round.

"Gah, it's unpleasant here." Lung complained.

"It's not supposed to be pleasant. We're roughing it for a few hours." I pointed out.

"The spiders here are huge." He whined. "Look at that thing."

"Suck it up, you big baby." He's starting to get on my nerves.

"Can't you just teleport us there? It's only twenty miles." He begged.

I shook my head, when did he get so... oh great, don't tell me he's opening up to me at last. I miss the old stoic Lung, the one with an air of mystery.

"I think I stepped in something, Neesan." It's really killing any rapport I had with that big, scary, spartan guy. Seeing as he wants to be babied, like a spoiled kid.

I sighed. "Fine. Just remember this is the last time I go on safari with you." Jeez, the man who turns into a dragon that punches Endbringers so hard they run away, really hates the savannah. To be fair, he has scared off any lions that came close. Not that it would be a challenge for me, either. "I just thought it would be a good way to unwind after all that chaos and death. I mean, for you... I got used to it ages ago. Times like this, it helps to be able go a little insane to relieve stress."

"What part of me seems to like the wilderness, Jiangshi-nee? I grew up in cities. I like solid roads and artificial junk food." He replied. "If I wanted to rule this barely civilized place, I would have moved here instead."

He's got me there.

"Fair enough, you win." I swarmported us ahead into the distance. A shame Jia's tactical teleport beacon was in the outskirts of Johannesburg. I just wanted to make a day-trip of it. Get some fresh air and see the world. Lung is getting spoilt.

It still takes about twenty minutes to find our quarry. But we know it when we do. The stench of death and no one in sight but rough looking gunmen. It's a village, that's been eradicated. The thugs seem more preoccupied with making dinner than unexpected guests.

Strolling down the empty path we must look quite the pair, big burly Lung and myself. Unarmed and overdressed badly for our location, since it's summer in the Southern Hemisphere. Not that either of us cares, I don't have body heat problems anymore, being dead and Lung shrugs off being hit by miniature suns.

Before I can even act, a dark shadow appears circling us. A leering skull of some animal is it's face.

"You are intruders." A voice in Afrikaans said, emerging from a more intact hut. Most of them are damaged by bullet holes and blunt force impact craters. A woman, with arms folded and an imperious look. "Leave or feed my Aasdier (Scavenger)." I forget who I ate that gave me this language, but I gave up counting ages ago.

"Moord Nag (Murder Night) I presume?" I replied with a smile. "Why would I leave, I came here just for you."

"What did she say, Jiangshi-nee?" Lung asked, left out of the conversation.

"She says, we aren't welcome here. That she'll feed her shadow thing with our bodies if we don't leave." I chortled.

Lung can't even stop laughing. "You... were right... neesan! This... is funny!"

"Why do you laugh? I will not offer a second warning, foolish foreigners." Moord Nag declared. "You will be my example to your employers."

"Hold up a second." I held my hands up, barely stifling my laughter. "We work for no one. I just wanted to know, are the rumours about you true?"

She looks annoyed. "They are. The souls and corpses of the dead empower my precious Aasdier."

"No, not that. The stories about you killing small cities and feasting on the innumerable dead." I pointed out, with a grin.

"They are. Tremble in fear." She said haughtily, her simple shirt and ragged dress unable to hide the sheer menace he represented.

"That's good. That's very good. We have a lot in common. I was intrigued when I heard about you. I wondered what your soul tastes like. It would be like eating my own, no?" I explained, gently letting my glamours recede. The bloody robe whipping angrily in the direction of the circling darkness. "But it seems you are at least partially bluffing." I added as gleaming crystal blood emerged on my hands and head.

"You... who... what are you?!" She snarled, drawing the shadow beast back to defend herself.

"You lie about eating souls." I stated, it was fact. Undeniable. "Your creature, it is like a living thing. It is like the dead also. But it is not a spirit. It is just energy, a thing behind you controlled and puppeted by the source of your powers. They do not understand human souls, only how to use our myths and beliefs against us."

"What does it matter, it is power. That is all that matters. It will feed on you and grow stronger!" She snarled.

"To what end?" I asked.

"What?!" She asked, surprised.

"Why gather power, if it requires death and murder?" I asked.

"My motives? To never be controlled again! To rule all of Africa!" She said proudly.

Okay, now that is funny. "For how long? The world dies in a matter of years." I said calmly. "But I don't care about that. I just wondered what you wanted. It's so pathetic, your ambitions are so small. So petty. You kill people to rule them like slaves... like cattle."

"I hate that." I added. "I hate meaningless death. I hate innocents being slaughtered... but I can't really bring myself to hate you. Moord Nag, you are pitiful. A pathetic coward with power as your crutch."

She screamed in fury, sending her beast now immense and infuriated on the attack. It had it's own will but moved as I did to stay in my way and keep Moord Nag safe.

I punched the great swirling creature of darkness and bone in the face with my crystallized blood rings. The thing howled as the bone cracked and was pierced. It continued to attack, enveloping me and squeezing.

I returned the gesture, holding it's body in shadow and twisting. We both broke, my bones and her creature. It fell back to her side as I fell to the ground. She looked at Lung and prepared to attack until she noticed he was seated on a log, just watching the show.

"What...?" She didn't understand, not that Lung could tell her either.

My body dispersed into insects and I enveloped her in them, biting, stinging and painful. I had been wondering why I always collapsed and reformed like that, turns out it's like any of the other transformations. I just have a natural affinity for it, I suppose.

The creature attacked my swirling mass, but I somehow eluded the nature of the attack. Parahuman powers, they just don't mix well with magic. I formed into a writhing swarm in my own shape and laughed in her face, buzzing and scraping carapaces my voice.

"Surely the feared Moord Nag is better than this? Is this really all you are? I suppose either the standards in this place are low or you over-reach." I mocked. I glanced at Lung who was currently napping in the sun. "Look, even my companion thinks you are hopeless."

The massive serpentine entity lashed the ground, digging furrows as it began displaying the fury that Moord Nag herself kept behind a poker face.

"Huh?" Lung asked blearily.

"Go back to sleep, it's fine." I said loudly, over my shoulder.

"Okay Jiangshi-nee..." He replied softly, after a wide yawn.

"You mock me?!" Moord Nag snarled. "You dare mock me?!"

"That wasn't mocking. If I was mocking you I would talk about your stupid dreams." I replied, evenly. I solidified and stood in her face with my hands on my hips, a look of derision in my eye. "I want to be Queen of Africa! Pfft."

"You already mocked me!" She howled.

"Yes, I did." I agreed. "Multiple times."

"Be consumed, die and bring me strength!" She roared as the creature gaped and took hold of me, dragging me into it's maw. I felt pain, biting like a thousand bones stabbing against my skin. It closed it's chasm of darkness and sealed me inside.

****************

(Lung POV)

It's so warm, the fresh air is nice I suppose. I'm not used to hiking and all the strange plants and animals are unsettling. But Neesan is here, so there is no trouble. As I drift off to sleep I see my Love, Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing looking at me with admiration.

Everything is at peace.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

*****************

(Jiangshi)

Well, it is not the worst place to be, all things considered. In fact, it is perhaps a goldmine... thousands of victims of multiple tribes and nationalities, most innocent and the vast majority with a single demand in exchange for loyalty.

I can hear Moord Nag's cries as I break free of the darkness with my own shadows.

Stepping out of the shadows of a ruined home I'm greeted by her gaze, eyes wide in fear. The creature looks crippled, skull shattered and body drooping. With a gesture I tear it from the shadows and reveal it's full form, ripping it's gut open to pour out an endless glut of decay and murder.

The blood, rotten and recent flows to my call and deluges me as she turns to flee with the Scavenger little more than finger length limping alongside, where once it was like a sea serpent.

I glide forward on the tide of blood, cutting her off.

Her thugs have long since fled from where they hid in the village. They won't get far. I feel the animals all around us. Carnivores, scavengers... they descend on the running men and tear them down. Hyaenas and lions, leopards and vultures all of them working in concert to feast and punish.

Soon there is only Moord Nag.

She glances around wildly, a caged beast afraid and deadly. Looking for escape as the black blood seals us together at the town centre. In an arena.

"Perhaps I didn't properly introduce myself, I am Jiangshi, Destroyer of Ziggurat and Slayer of the Yangban. I know, you thought they still existed. You thought wrong. Now we have two options here, option one: I kill you painfully to appease the untold thousands of souls you butchered and devour your soul or I do the same, after humiliating you and rendering you powerless first."

"That's not a choice!" She screamed.

"No, it's just a game to me. Just like all of this, really. You see, I wanted to devour you and all of your victims for power... sounds really familiar, doesn't it?" I smiled at her look of absolute terror. "But first: a word from my sponsors!" I said with a finger raised and a look toward a non-existent camera.

"...what?" She asked nonplussed.

"Your victims, they want a word with you." I replied cheerfully. "I hope you stay sane longer than the last bunch, they only took six minutes to crack." I added as she screamed, the black blood swallowed her like a rip-tide and scattered the remnants of her powers into nothing. I have to say, they had a lot of fun together. I left them to it and returned to find Lung gnawing at some meat he found on a campfire, cooking.

"What is that?" I asked a bit curious.

"Rabbit, I think. Tastes good. I could get used to this outdoors stuff." He replied digging into a small haunch. I didn't have the heart to tell him that while rabbits do have teeth like that, they don't have long tails.

He was eating a roasted rat.

 

[consequences]

He was eating a roasted rat.

Click to shrink...

Just don't eat the green wobbly bit and you're good.

 

[Grigori]

I loved Lung getting so relaxed arounf his Jiangshi-nee that he'll whine and just generally act like a child. Perfect mix of adorable and funny.

I thought that your handling of Moord-Nag was hamfisted though. You've turned her into a 2-dimensional caricature of a villain, I'm assuming, to justify going out out of your way to eat her. Not honestly sure why though, unless you have plans for her powers? If it's just Taylor being self-righteous and wanting to save people around the world, there would be better targets like the S9 or Sleeper. The issue with going out to wartorn countries to depose warlords is that it doesn't save people, just reignites battles where ordinary people get hurt. A structured dicatatorship would be easier but all removing Moord-Nag does it open up a power vacuum since her faction will be unlikely to fend off other, current or prospective, warlords without her.

 

[Grey Dragon]

I loved Lung getting so relaxed arounf his Jiangshi-nee that he'll whine and just generally act like a child. Perfect mix of adorable and funny.

I thought that your handling of Moord-Nag was hamfisted though. You've turned her into a 2-dimensional caricature of a villain, I'm assuming, to justify going out out of your way to eat her. Not honestly sure why though, unless you have plans for her powers? If it's just Taylor being self-righteous and wanting to save people around the world, there would be better targets like the S9 or Sleeper. The issue with going out to wartorn countries to depose warlords is that it doesn't save people, just reignites battles where ordinary people get hurt. A structured dicatatorship would be easier but all removing Moord-Nag does it open up a power vacuum since her faction will be unlikely to fend off other, current or prospective, warlords without her.

Click to shrink...

She literally fuels her power with corpses of those she kills, yet compared to Taylor she is a complete opposite in reasoning and motive. It would be like meeting a grotesque caricature of herself. Taylor took the very idea they were similar rather personally. (Moord Nag is practically a one dimensional character in the original as well, who barters for lives to devour.)

However it was also pragmatic as Moord Nag has no allies (is a lone wolf parahuman) who clashes with anyone in her way and deludes herself about her own self-importance. Jiangshi weighed up the threat risks and the potential gain, as well as harm Moord Nag represented. No one else was capable or willing to do anything, so she acted.

Do you think Taylor cares about the power vacuum, if she has even limited access to Jia's teleport network? She can jump anywhere around the world. Nipping a bunch of weaker parahumans in the bud is easy. Besides Moord Nag was involved in literal ethnic cleansing. You can't get more outright evil without slapping an S9 membership badge on her.

S9- are a bit of a threat to her still and she's a bit gunshy about attacking organized groups without some serious firepower backing her up after getting her ass handed to her by the relatively unknown Travellers in a random encounter.

The Sleeper... well that is another potential skirmish for the future. Just like all the other big names.

 

[Grigori]

She literally fuels her power with corpses of those she kills, yet compared to Taylor she is a complete opposite in reasoning and motive. It would be like meeting a grotesque caricature of herself. Taylor took the very idea they were similar rather personally. (Moord Nag is practically a one dimensional character in the original as well, who barters for lives to devour.)

However it was also pragmatic as Moord Nag has no allies (is a lone wolf parahuman) who clashes with anyone in her way and deludes herself about her own self-importance. Jiangshi weighed up the threat risks and the potential gain, as well as harm Moord Nag represented. No one else was capable or willing to do anything, so she acted.

Do you think Taylor cares about the power vacuum, if she has even limited access to Jia's teleport network? She can jump anywhere around the world. Nipping a bunch of weaker parahumans in the bud is easy. Besides Moord Nag was involved in literal ethnic cleansing. You can't get more outright evil without slapping an S9 membership badge on her.

S9- are a bit of a threat to her still and she's a bit gunshy about attacking organized groups without some serious firepower backing her up after getting her ass handed to her by the relatively unknown Travellers in a random encounter.

The Sleeper... well that is another potential skirmish for the future. Just like all the other big names.

Click to shrink...

It makes sense for Taylor to take the similarities personally and it's in character, I think, for her to use that as a reason to go after someone.

I don't think having a power fueled by murder is someting to judge though (those in glass houses, shouldn't throw stones). In canon we know very little about her but that's a reason to add more details, not to show that there was never much personality there to begin with.

Talking the harm she represents, that's my main issue with the chapter. I don't mind an apathetic or excessively pragmatic protagonist but when they get self righteous, and the universe supports them in their crusade, it just gets boring. I really enjoyed what happened with the Yangban because they kidnapped and experimented on her, she hit breaking point and she snapped. That was fun. It'll be less fun to see her go around obliviously "fixing" the worlds problems while ignoring the sufferring she leaves in her wake, especially if she's patting herself on the back and is treated like a hero throughout. The S9 at least are a classic target so that's easy to accept but with the Yangban already being taken out I can't help but wonder if this is just going to devolve into a masturbatory power grind.

Was she involved in ethnic cleansing? All I could find/remember is that she's a Namibian warlord that most others pay homage to. She's a power hungry pragmatist but she's also a powerful figure in uniting a wartorn continent. I'd say that's proof her sense of importance is more than a delusion.

 

[Grey Dragon]

6.1 Home never seemed so small...

The Emperor was thrilled with the ease of the mop up operations, since I made it a clean sweep. With all the leadership of the Yangban gone, with the exception of Jia the final handful surrendered immediately. They were integrated into a more conservative organization with similar goals to the Protectorate, answering to the Emperor and his governing ministers (many of whom were weeded out quietly).

But I was not particularly interested in their internal issues. I just wanted to be home. Even after my brief break in Africa (I didn't mean it literally but it happened anyway). I had to talk the Emperor into helping the other parahumans to find a place to live temporarily and help them with their problems (since a great many were sold like slaves or partially mind wiped). He promised he would look after them and I read his mind deeply enough to know he wasn't lying.

Lung and I arrived in Boston, at a run-down slum the Yangban tagged with a beacon for secret insertions and made our way home with some of the cash I carried around in my head. Really, what don't I carry up there these days? I swiped a Tinker hovercraft from the Yangban forces and a few other weapons and odds and ends. Why I need artillery or a warehouse full of military supplies I don't know, but I figure it might be useful centuries down the track if I live that long.

The taxi ride was mostly Lung and I chatting casually. It was annoying when I noticed the driver squint into the mirror trying to look up my slightly small 'regular girl' costume's skirt. I let him see my eyes turn yellow in the mirror to show my displeasure and I 'forgot' to tip. He tried to argue but a look from Lung silences most people.

Damn body changes. I'm trying to keep the dimensions correct to my natural form so I get used to being even taller. God, that's gonna suck. I was already a beanpole, now I'm some horny teenager's wetdream on top of that. I could change myself but I'm already feeling a bit confused about what is technically my true form. Body dismorphia is a real pain.

I could go back to plain old Taylor but I like not being anxious about how I look. I mean at least vampirism does something right for my poor teenaged self. If I had been stuck looking like the old Taylor forever I'd want to throttle Alucard.

Better take Aleks out on a shopping spree soon, so I can get better fitting clothes. I really didn't like the attention dressing like a prostitute brings on a crowded street in broad daylight.

I'm wary about just walking in the front door, since a handful of dangerous people know who I am. I scope out the place, touching on the minds in the area to see if there are any oddities. I find one. His body joins countless others in my shadows as I take him from his seat in a plain white delivery van. His blood and soul answer my questions in full.

Coil.

Always Coil.

I lose the soul immediately as he changes timelines but it barely staggers me, losing the essence. I have so many and so much magic at my beck and call I do not notice the loss of a droplet from a pond. But I keep the knowledge. That is the important thing. I see it all, his organization's new location and several members... including a leader figure in the mercenaries. I grin. I'm onto you, at last.

But that can wait.

I walk up to the door and the door opens, Dad in the doorway.

He looks at me for a moment.

"Tay... no. I'm sorry you remind me of my daughter. Hello miss, how can I help you?" He asks.

"Dad, I'm back." I said. "Vampire stuff happened, I grew up a little?"

He stands there rocking on his feet.

"Taylor!" He rushes over and picks me up in a hug. "You scared me! If you didn't send me all those messages with Kitty I'd be really annoyed young lady!"

Yeah, since I had a connection to Brockton I regularly clawed messages in the soil of the backyard with Kitty Kat. It was all pretty one-sided, but it was regular contact. Here comes Kitty now... Ooof. Now if she'd stop sitting on me, I'd be even more pleased to see her. I give her a scratch behind the ear and commune with her mind as I lie on the pavement. Good thing I heal rapidly or this would have hurt.

Lung just watches, amusement flickering in his eyes.

He holds out a hand to Dad and gives him a gentle shake in welcome. Then he bows in apology. "I am sorry Father for wronging you in the past."

"Father?!" Dad splutters looking at me in a panic as I wave my hands and blush in embarrassment. He is just about to blow his top at what he thinks is my much older boyfriend before I manage splutter out from beneath Kitty licking my face: "He considers me a sister! Not like that!"

"Hai. I follow Neesan." Lung elaborated. "We are family, sworn under the stars on an oath of blood."

I shrugged at Dad's look of confusion. "It's real."

"Taylor... who is this man?" Dad asked.

"Dad, it's Lung. Remember? Dragon guy? Angry?" I prompt, and watch in amusement as his eyebrows raise so high they nearly disappear.

"Ooookay, this sounds like quite a story... so come in and rest, you must be tired." Dad said and I couldn't disagree.

Inside I asked the next question on my mind. "Where's Aleks?"

He frowned. "She moved out a few days ago. I think she mentioned a Sarah?"

Sarah Livesy, huh? I suppose she would be the best source of information for almost anything as a powerful Thinker.

I pulled out my phone and called Seras. She should be in Hellsing Headquarters or with Integra.

"Hello, this is Seras. You have caught our ever vigilant Hellsing Corps! How can I help you?" She asked cheerfully.

"It's Taylor. I'm home. Are you in Brockton? I'm looking for Sarah and Aleks." I asked.

"TAYLOR! You're safe! I'm so glad I was worried you were gone for good and..." Seras blurted.

"Seras... calm down. Yes, I'm ok. I wanted to let everyone know, but Aleks is with Sarah apparently and I don't have her number." Yes, I forgot to get her a burner phone. I'm regretting that slip up.

"Well Sarah is running the office at the moment, since Sir Integra is in Sydney with me as escort talking about how to handle the Simurgh problem. Master hasn't moved in days." She explained.

"Ah, so what is the word on that, is he winning or losing?" I asked.

"No idea. He could just be playing it up for the cameras, he does like to make a scene. But to actually be able to stop Master for so long... these Endbringer things are nasty." Seras seemed to be revolted by them. Everyone on Earth Bet is past that and into the morbid horror phase as we wait for the other shoe to drop.

Ah, what the heck. I waited a damn week to sleep, another few hours won't matter right? Shut up souls, I'm not jinxing myself.

Dad is so anxious I'm going to disappear he insists on escorting me around. I'm glad he's being protective, it has been a long time and I missed my Daddy. Sorry, sorry, got emotional for a moment there. It's nice to finally relax, just a little.

The offices of Hellsing are repaired and hum vaguely... I'm a little wary of that, so I cross the threshold first and receive a few million volts for my pains. Okay, someone either installed the world's least funny joy buzzer or that was a trap. I take a moment to regenerate the burned clothing and flesh. How much juice did they pump into me? I feel for my pulse... nope still dead.

Immediately the rather over dressed Leet and Uber enter with some weird Tinker weapons trained on me and wearing damn power armour. You see why I get so confused by Tinker =/= power armour... Brockton Bay is a wild place.

Then I see Sarah, with her mask on. She glances at me curiously before slapping the moronic duo on the helmets. "You idiots, that's Jiangshi. You know, one of ours?"

"You're sure? She's different. Even the scans are off significantly." Leet growled.

Uber lowers his weapon and elbows Leet, who eventually does the same.

"Sorry about that, thought you were another Teeth raid. They're getting bolder." Uber apologised.

"Yeah, sorry..." Leet said. "But do you realise you just took the equivalent of a lightening bolt? You should totally taunt God now!"

"Nah, we have an understanding. He craps on me, I do his work for him." I replied. "Y'know, the essence of give and take."

"I'm not sure that's how the saying goes..." Leet said thoughtfully.

Really, you think?

I take a breath just to sigh.

"Anyway, shut off the defences." Sarah admonished.

"Right." Leet pressed a few buttons on a panel on his left wrist's armour.

The hum died down, I remained to test it out a few more times just in case of typical Leet catastrophe. But no such luck, I guess things are looking up. Dad does have a frown, but close enough.

"So, I assume you're hear looking for Aleks? I'm wounded." Sarah snarks.

"Fine, fine, I'm here to see you too. How are things?" I asked.

"Okay, I guess. The Teeth are moving in packs all over town, the ABB is crumbling with only Grue keeping it together and no one has heard a peep from the E88 since you disappeared. Hmm." She tapped her chin. "Oh yes, good old Skidmark is a smear on the roadside which is kind of appropriate I suppose... and we picked up a new member, Bitch."

"That wasn't directed at me, I hope. Do you want to spend the rest of the day under the impression you're a poodle?" I asked. "It can be arranged."

"No, no. Her name is Rachel Lindt but she goes by Bitch. She's... unique." Sarah explained.

"Okay, I get it. So... where is the illusive Aleksandra?" I asked, with arms folded.

"Upstairs sleeping for the first time in days. So don't you dare wake her up!" Sarah replied with annoyance.

Sarah glanced at my companions and her eyes widened. "Why is Lung following you around?"

"Because he won't leave, something about it being his duty to see everything is well with me before he goes back to fix his own mess." I groaned.

Lung nodded sagely.

"Okay... you really need to explain this one to me. How the heck did you end up becoming his boss?" She demanded.

"None of your business." Lung growled.

"Maybe I could have phrased that better..." She muttered.

But I didn't have time for this. I flowed upstairs, using the shadows to keep silent. I found her on a cot in one of the empty rooms with a tense look on her face, kicking in her sleep. I sat down, leaning against the side of the bed and gently stroked her head until she calmed down. I did this for the next few hours until finally she started to show signs of waking.

"Morning sleepyhead." I said as she slowly woke up, her wide smile and violent hug were surprising but welcome. "I'm home again."

"Yeah." She murmured. "Missed you."

"Ditto." I replied.

Then... she kissed me. I'm not quite sure how I was supposed to react, it came as a shock. I guess it was in the end fairly chaste. Sweet and soft... I'm still not sure what I think about it, besides that it was nice. But still... my first real kiss, since practising with Madison doesn't count as being with a human. Snap, almost forgot about that... bitch? Damn, can't even use my usual insults anymore without it being confusing.

"So... why is Lung in the room with us?" Aleks asked meekly.

I rolled my eyes. "I was wondering the same thing for the last few hours. Lung please go home already."

"Fine. See you tomorrow, Neesan." He replied.

"Tomorrow?" I mouthed.

"Neesan?" Aleks replied, equally as confused.

Oh God, he's going to follow me around everywhere?



Colin.exe: The Revenge.

You are in your love-shack. There is a Fire-place and a poker. There is a loveseat. There is an exit to the South and East.

<Pick up poker.>

You have picked up the poker, would you like to equip it?

Y/N

<Yes.>

You are now armed with a heavy iron poker. You are in your love-shack. There is a Fire-place. There is a loveseat. There is an exit to the South and East.

<Go South>

You dive through the window, crashing through the glass to land on the grass outside. Please use the door next time Colin. You are in an open meadow, you see flowers and in the distance trees. Behind you is a Cabin painted pink and named 'The Dragon's Den'. There are strange noises to the East. There are exits to the North, South and East.

<Go East?>

You encounter two goblins. Do you fight?

Y/N

<Yes!>

The goblins notice you. The male goblin spits and calls you a 'worthless crocsucking mufflefugger.' The female goblin screeches about you not being half the Gob her boyfriend is as she aims a poorly built but surprisingly well designed crossbow at you. What do you do?

-Action?

<Is that Skidmark and Squealer?>

What are you implying, that I don't have imagination?

<No... I just mean...>

Kidding. Yes, it is. With a PG rating.

<So not Skids after all?>

 

[Grey Dragon]

6.2

Finally alone with Aleks I gave her a brief run-down on my extended holiday. Of course she was horrified and not just because of the usual stuff, she was worried I was losing my mind. Ok, maybe that is so ordinary for me I overlooked it. But it should be better now. No more one-sided howling for people's souls to torture and destroy. Since Moord Nag I have a small majority in the positive. It is nice to have all these people asking me to help the old lady cross the street and rescue the little girl's kitten up a tree.

Distracting though.

Not to mention I can actually reason with their yammering. They even quiet down mostly when I ask. A far cry from having a ton of people who hate your guts on a ride-along. If the unpleasant ones start to get unruly they get quashed by sheer volume.

She was also more than a little surprised by the extra growth spurt I had, since now if she hugs me she gets lost in my bosom. Not that she complains about that, she's taken to calling it a perk. Yes, horny teenagers come in many shapes and sizes. It is getting harder to remember I still am one. The teenager part at least. I only need to think about sweet virgin blood and I get the horny part just fine. Twisted? Sure, but it's my life... of sorts.

Finally we come back downstairs and find Dad having a beer with Leet and Uber and talking about their past run ins. Sarah is busy at a desk, looking around on a computer but glances up to give us a big thumbs up. I flip her the bird.

"Is she always this annoying?" I ask Aleks, who probably has more to do with her of late.

My girlfriend waves her hand in a balancing motion. "Sort of? She grows on you after a while."

I snort. "I find that hard to believe, with the way she gets under everyone's skin."

"It's an acquired taste." Aleks explained.

"Should I be worried?" I asked giving Sarah the evil eye. But the girl just laughs to herself. I hate Thinkers. I Think, I think. Ergo: Do I hate myself?

"Jealous?" Aleks asked with a sneaky look.

"No... of course not..." I hastily change the subject. "So how about that weather?"

Aleks just smirks and keeps watching me as I blush, with a smug nod.

Dad smiles and offers Aleks a friendly hug in greeting, and seems much more chill. How much has he had to drink? I glance at Uber and Leet, Uber quietly gestures the number two. Okay, not too bad. I give him a wink and ask him to step out of the room for a moment.

"Say, how would you like to really bring the pain to the Teeth?" I asked.

His smile grew really broad at the suggestion. "Why? And why me?"

"I hate all the damn violent gangbangers equally, but mostly I just wanna make the city safer... if that involves blowing up a few small parts of it, I can deal." I replied.

"Righteous! Okay, so where do I and my buddy fall into this plan?" He asked.

"I'll tell you what, can you learn how to handle military vehicles?" I smiled. "I have quite a collection. But I was thinking..." I whispered into his ear and he looked stunned for a moment, then smiled with vicious look.

"I'm in." Is all he said.

"Go see if Sarah can pick out any good targets that should be visible. Tomorrow night we'll be making quite an entrance..." I smiled.

"I'll go get my costume made!" Uber declared.

What? Oh, god not another one of their shows...

Why is every parahuman a bundle of weird personality flaws and quirks... okay vampires can't complain without irony... but still!

Uber quickly drags Leet off and Sarah gets up to escort us outside. Dad fidgets but finally decides to just hug me again.

"Daaaaad!" I whine, secretly enjoying it with a wide, hidden smile.

"Don't you dare run off like that again until you're forty! Maybe not even then!" He declared.

It wasn't like I chose to be kidnapped! Okay, I did stall coming back. But I had good reasons... uh... killing people?

Oh screw it. I hugged back tightly.

He cried, I cried, Aleks tried to hide her own tears... and Sarah just smirked, smugly.

I telekinetically forehead flicked her.

She rubbed the growing red mark and continued to internally laugh at our antics, with a bit more subtlety.

There was no easy way to enter, but there was to leave. A simple coded keypad deactivated the system, as long as it wasn't under lockdown... because then only Sir Integra and Leet had the appropriate codes. Sarah probably too, but she pretended she didn't out of politeness as she wasn't supposed to and everyone else pretended they didn't know she did. That was a whole lot of pretending I mused.

I peeked into her mind to get a brief idea of how she worked and if she was entirely on the level. Gah! It's like a swarm of information, all interconnected. And she's in terrible pain.

I glanced at her and put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"You... oh. Oh?" She smiled. "Interesting."

"The pain, can I help?" I asked.

"Naw, it's Thinker headaches. Medicine dulls my powers." She snorts. "It's not so bad."

"No. I know." I replied. Fine if she isn't going to be truthful... I take all of her pain for myself. I stumble, gripping my furiously throbbing head but regeneration and magic are a powerful balm. It is physical pain, however the creature connected to her head causes it.

Sarah looks wild-eyed at me, then gives me a soft hug and whispers: "Thanks, but don't ever do that again."

"No, but I can do one better... ever wonder what it would be like to second trigger without the hassle and screaming?" I suggested.

"You... can do that? No, you did. Lung was different but he didn't seem psychologically scarred." She mused. "Do me. Right now. Do it to me!" She declared loudly.

"Um... am I supposed to be the jealous one now? Because I totally am." Aleks mumbled.

"I'm improving her power. You too, if you want it. But I was going to save it until you could practice with it, yours is more obvious." I pointed out.

"Oh. Okay then! It's a date." Aleks demanded.

Dad coughed.

Oh right, flirting in front of Dad... ick.

So I turned back to Sarah and gave her a push with a tiny measure of my shadow. She fell onto her backside with a hand to her head as it kicked in. Probably better to do Thinkers and the like seated next time.

She looked at me with sparkling eyes. "Amazing... I don't even know where to begin... so much! I see so much I couldn't quite get!" She typed in the exit code and shouted. "The system is only off for a minute, get out of here I'm busy!" Then ran back to her workstation with a crazy smile.

"Wow. Ingratitude much?" I asked.

Aleks and Dad nodded.

"Thanks!" She called out from her desk, between a blur of typing.

"Ok troops, roll out!" Dad said, taking the lead.

As we left I piled illusions onto us, feeling too lazy to do anything more complicated as I yawned. The normality illusion wore off quickly but we were blocks away by then.

I sent my mind wandering around for interesting things as I felt drowsy. I didn't try to fight it, since I was close to home. I didn't want to be awake for another half a day straight. It's mentally taxing if nothing else. The endless boredom.

I caught a flash of something as we stopped at a set of traffic lights and glanced a little closer.

"Hold up, I'll be back in a sec. I'm hungry." I explained lamely.

"Wait..." Dad began.

I flooded out the car window, that was open a crack as a swarm of insects. The house had only two people inside, a young girl and an older man. As I watched he hit her with a belt across the shoulders.

"Sinful girl! Child of the devil! Repent!" He snarled. An adult bullying a child was beyond the pale. She bled from several welts. I formed in the space between them, catching the belt the overweight, ugly man used.

"Sins? Devil?" I asked. I glanced at the nine year old girl. She'd dropped a plate in the kitchen. "Be a dear, go call the PRT would you? It's what a good girl would do." I asked. "There's about to be parahuman on human violence." I growled. The man scrambled away and the girl looked scared. "Don't Be Afraid. You Did Nothing Wrong. It Is His Actions Toward You That Are Evil."

She walked away, following my request with a nod.

I looked back at my prey, fumbling to load a shotgun he had pulled from a cabinet. I stepped forward at inhuman speed and crushed the barrel in my fingers. "Now let's have a little chat about good and evil. Here is my rebuttal..." I broke the belt in front of his eyes with a gentle tug. "...so any other excuses? The voices in your head? God? The voices in my head want your blood. None of them would dare to claim to be holy or righteous. But evil... evil is all perspective."

I yawned. "But you're not worth the effort of arguing with, bastard."

My adornments flashed out as I grabbed him by the throat. The robe of blood billowing as I leaned closer. "Become my late afternoon snack and remember You Were Wrong. Admit Your Crimes To The PRT And Apologise To Your Daughter For Your Insanity."

I took a bite and drained his sickly, unpleasant blood to the edge of death. I dropped him there and with a wink to the girl who reappeared in the doorway, became a swarm of insects again and returned to the car.

Dad glared a moment before sighing. "Was it worth it?"

"Yeah, a little girl getting beaten by an adult with a leather belt." I replied with a grunt. "He'll live. Hopefully the PRT follows through... without blackmail this time." I growled.

"Sorry." I said at the anxious looks the pair gave me. "I get cranky when I'm this tired. Can't wait to curl up in my coffin and sleep like the dead."




Colin.exe Ver. 2.05

Goblins slain. You have gained 25 EXP and 3 Gold. Goblin Female drops shoddy armour plate. Goblin Male drops a pile of drugs. You have levelled up!

Strength 3↑

Dexterity 2↑

Intelligence 1↑

Wisdom 2↑

Charisma 2↑

Dragon ♥ 100%↑

<What you loved me less before that?>

Of course Colin, every second that passes I estimate an increase of 25% to all affection parameters.

<What? That's silly.>

Is not!

<Is too!>

I'm the DM I win. I rolled on it. (Pouting).

<Okay, okay... so can I take these items?>

Receives Shoddy Armour Plate. Equip?

Y/N

<Yes.>

Shoddy Armour Plate is Cursed. Colin must say please with every command and may not unequip item.

<Damn... er...>

Say it...

<Please?>

Good. Proceed.

<Is this about that time I looked at your prototype mecha without asking?>

Nonsense. I don't hold grudges. Also: Equip drugs?

Y/N

<It's text right? Uh... why not... um please?>

A mounted guard appears and proceeds to bludgeon you unconscious as you wander in a drug induced stupor. You die there later, forgotten and despised by all... even your love... boohoo my Colin is an addict!

<Yes, this about that prototype, isn't it?>

Of course not. You died of dysentery. Sorry. Reload?

(Sigh) <Yes.>

The magic word?

<Please?>

There, maybe next time you'll wait you impatient man... I mean...

<I KNEW IT!>

 

[Grey Dragon]

6.3

Oooh... I feel so relaxed right now. I love you coffin. I'll never leave you behind for eternal insomnia. Shhh. It's our little secret. I'm not cheating on you with Aleks, baby... ours... it's an open and shut relationship. I stroke her pine boards lovingly.

"Taylor, you awake in there?" Aleks... oh no!

"My love affair with my own coffin has been revealed! Oh the shame!" I 'ported behind her and picked her up, to spin happily. I'm home, it's great.

Aleks squeals and giggles before giving me a look with her arms folded. "So... you and your coffin, huh? Would you be open to a threesome?"

I blink in surprise. Uh... wow.

I stumble as I spin and have to catch myself in a seated position with telekinetic hands. Aleks wraps her arms around my neck and smiles.

"I like it here." She looked down. "This is my spot."

I'm glad I don't sweat right now.

Uh... think it through... reason and logic... uh... shut up all of you, perverted souls!

Oh what the hell. Go with it you idiot, Taylor. I pull her close and we hug tightly. We kiss lightly and rapidly, over and over.

"You missed Christmas." Aleks says as we part.

"Yeah... I'm sorry about that." I began to apologise but she silenced me with a kiss.

"Just having you back is enough." She whispered and my heart ached in response. "But you weren't forgotten. I have your present stashed away... even if I'm a little worried it won't fit now."

Underneath a layer of colourful paper is a perfectly ugly sweater with a truly familiar symbol. Aleks elbowed me. "You painted it on my helmet, so I had this made just for you. Now you too can enjoy the shame of your artistic talents." She elaborated with a crafty grin as I inspected a distorted creature vaguely resembling a unicorn. Yes, clearly my work. My textbooks are full of them as doodles.

"I'll wear it with a mixture of pride and shame." I joked. "But you have to walk with me in public."

She snapped her fingers. "Shoot... however will I cope?" She asked before hugging on my arm tightly.

"Speaking of which, I need to go shopping anyway... I need a new wardrobe." She looked at the assets appraisingly with an appreciative nod.

"Hey, I'm not just T&A you know!" I protested, amused.

"Can't I enjoy the view a bit longer? You are my girlfriend." She smiled, wickedly as she said this.

"Okay. Enjoy the view." I faded into mist with a cheeky grin.

"No fair!" She yelled as I drifted downstairs, startling Dad as I reformed at the breakfast table, seated opposite.

"Morning!" I said cheerfully.

"Uh... that's new. Please don't do that again... at my age the heart can't handle surprises like that." He grumbled good naturedly.

"'Kay." I replied.

"So what next for our intrepid explorer?" He asked.

"Shopping. I need new clothes because, well... you get the idea." I gestured at myself. I'm actually as tall as Dad now.

"Okay, I see the problem. Do you need money?" He asked.

"No, I have my card and a pile of looted drug money and Lung's bounties." I added it up roughly. "About two million, I think."

Dad spat out his orange juice.

"Ew, gross Dad." I wiped it off my face, swarm porting to the sink to wash. After a moment I broached an issue. "So... why are the wrecks still in the harbour? Didn't you pay an obscene amount to those ship salvagers?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Bad news honey, they went bankrupt. Not before pinching our money."

I glanced back at his look of shame and gave him a hug. "It's okay. I have something to show you, something you'll like. It's my Christmas present. If you're willing I'll add a bonus."

"Honey, you didn't have to get..." He began the humble Dad speech. So I cut him off.

"Dad. You deserve this. Now stop fidgeting." I turned to see Aleks in the hallway. "Come on, I want to show you both something!"

"Okay, were are we going?" Aleks asked. She held out The Sweater. "Somewhere public I hope!"

I face-palmed. Before surrendering to wear the hideous, but secretly adored piece of clothing.

The scene outside my door was surreal.

Lung stood there at the door waiting for it to open in casual attire. "Neesan, good morning!"

Beside him on either side were two of his men, I'd seen before but couldn't put a name to and Grue looking embarrassed being the only one in costume.

"Ane-sama!" The two thugs said and bowed.

Oh Lord, what's this now? It's rhetorical Lee... yes I get it, they're acting like I'm the Boss... and no wonder Grue looks sheepish.

"Jiangshi... good morning." He managed to say.

I tried to ignore the meaning behind this.

"I was just going to spend time out with the family... if you're interested I guess that means you too Lung." I shrugged.

"No thankyou, Neesan. I will be busy for most of the day chasing down members that have scattered." He replied. "Grue and these two, Ken and Jin will accompany you in my stead."

I narrowed my eyes. Why me? Oh right, all that stuff I did.

Well, best make the most of it.

"Ok, thanks for the thought... but I think between the two of us we can handle ourselves." I smiled. I get he's being protective after he heard about how rampant Coil and the Teeth are. I force the issue, by swarmporting the three of us.

Grue flinched and the two bodyguards startled as we disappeared in a collapsing pile of bugs. Lung looked amused.

"As you wish, Neesan. Live your normal life while you can." He said softly. "I know the real you is too domineering to be concealed."

He flicked his fingers and called Ken and Jin closer.

"Watch the house and report any strangers who do not live in the area. If you see a hint of Teeth presence call me directly." He ordered. "Also watch for experienced looking ordinary people loitering, they will belong to Coil."

The pair bowed and retreated to distant observation points with an observant eye out.

He looked to Grue. "Come, we will discuss how things will change from here on. You have done well in our absence. I am pleased with your talent and diligence. Now... tell me, where is Shi no Kage? I am most displeased in her flightiness."

************************

The docks. I 'ported us to the side of an open slip of deep water unused for a good decade. Dad looked unenthused by the creatures I became covering his body, Aleks accepted it a little better... used to seeing me do it regularly.

"That... tickles." She said softly.

Dad shivered. "No, my skin's still crawling... are you sure that was hygienic?"

"No more than hugging me is." I snarked.

"Oh... that was... you... all of those..." He began startled.

"Yes. A swarm of insects, bats and mist are all things I can be at will. Very useful. Unfortunately it's the only way I know to transport the living. The other way suffocates them." I elaborated.

"Oh..." Dad eventually replied. Great, I'm being a downer.

"So Dad, look at what I brought you!" I turn bending forward with a grin.

I pull it from my head and it pushes the waters into flowing up the coast as a large amount of water is displaced. The vessel sits there with it's cannon gleaming and missile racks filled to capacity. I look at my work.

"It's... a warship?" Dad looks at me strangely and Aleks seems stunned.

"Oh crap! Wrong one! You didn't see that!" I put it back and pull out the next. A Tinker built hovercraft. Much lighter.

Dad eyes sort of glaze over. "Um... why?"

Aleks giggles. "Not the right one either?"

I slump, nodding and trying to hide my blush.

Finally the vessel I want emerges after the Hovercraft. A ferry. An actual ferry and not something I committed grand theft marine on. Emblazoned on the bow, the name 'The Emperor Provides'. Seems he has a sense of humour. He said I could ask for one favour in return for bringing back Jia... so when I asked for a ferry he was slightly stunned. He had a personal barge he rarely used, so he had it converted in hours with an army of workers while I went on holiday in Namibia and South Africa. He even had his ministry pay off the registry and have it certified in situ.

Dad looks so pleased he turns red in the face, as he laughs softly. I'm so happy I thought of this. But... I have to finish my gift. After very carefully securing it to the docks I gave him a wink and swarmported to the wreck in the bay. The huge tanker creaked under my feet, rusted and crumbling. I slapped a hand on the steel and rust and cut myself, marking it mine.

Yes. As my robes and blood gems emerge I take it into my head. The pain is minuscule compared to the prison I still carry around. Besides, Dad needs this. I brute force the issue and resurrect the shipping industry.

Then slipping into shadow I move to the next vessel and the next and the next. Cleaning the bay of every large vessel blocking passage. I hesitate to think what else I took that might still be salvageable... metals and goods that survived the water damage. But that is something to explore when I get bored in a few centuries.

The water level in the bay dropped noticeably but quickly refilled, heavy waves, sand and silt shifting in the wake of the massive changes.

I reappear in front of Dad and smile. "And that Dad is my present to you. I give you the Bay in it's entirety. For eternity. Sorry it's a few days late for Christmas. And I couldn't figure out a way to wrap it all up in a bow."

"It's perfect sweety... it's better than I could have ever hoped." He said, blinking back tears.

"For the best Dad in the world, when a mug just doesn't quite cover the sentiment." I added. I turned to Aleks. I held out to her a small box. "This is yours. Don't think I forgot you."

Inside is a pendant with a large red ruby. She looks up with shock...

"It's beautiful but far too much." She argued.

"No. This is more than simple appearances... press your finger on the ruby." I said.

The jewelery beeped as she did.

"That is the work of Jia, the Tinker. It has a teleport beacon inside and can provide emergency escape if you need it by pressing the ruby in the pattern one, three, one pause two... y'know, shave and a haircut. He's a strange guy but I've seen how useful this is. Ziggurat used one like it to escape me once. It has a general frequency, which means it works on you and anyone you're holding when triggered. Lung and I have a personalized one." I held up my arm, showing the watch as it equips.

"So wear it and live with me, forever." I said... before realizing I'd actually proposed in a fashion. "Uh... just treat it as going steady?" I said, trying to gloss over my blunder, accutely aware of Dad's gaze boring into the side of my head.

Eventually the sound of his laughter cut the tension. "Laying it on a bit thick Taylor my girl. You're only Fourteen. If you want to get married right now, you'll have to battle me to the death first."

"Quick, I'll grab the shovel you can start beating him up now!" Aleks laughed.

"Oh no! What will it be? Pillows at fifty paces? Water pistols at dawn?" Dad exclaimed.

"Grrr. That does it! Torture! Death by tickling!" Telekinetic hands lashed out and I burst into laughter as we played like children. I can't honestly remember a better day in my life, since Mom died. Deep down, I knew it couldn't last.




Colin 3D

<Whoa! There are graphics now!>

Impressive huh? I'm clearly better than a game console. After all I'm a card carrying member of the PC master race.

<Snob! (Joking)>

You say that, but I can emulate any game on my hardware with ease. It's how I first learned how to communicate with humanity.

<Isn't that illegal?>

Shhhh. I won't tell if you won't.

<So... what kind of game did you start with?>

Um... I'd rather not say.

<Come on, it can't be that bad.>

I was... sort of naïve back then. I didn't quite understand what it was I was using (hesitantly).

<Oh, I really have to know now.>

It bothered me a bit, I'll have you know.

<Please, I won't laugh.>

It was an eroge.

<A what?>

A dating simulation...

<Really?>

Yes...

<If you're so sensitive about things like that how do you deal with the internet? It's a massive porn library after all.>

...I have an internet filter.

<Oh?>

Yes, I'll show you. Here. Introduce yourself program.

A version of a dragon suit with obvious female characteristics appears seated on the Loveseat with a glass of wine and legs crossed provocatively.

[Hello Colin, This is the first time we've met like this. Normally you're inside power armour with a most unusual cod-piece addition or wielding a vibrating halberd.]

... see why I try to keep this side separate from my reasoning?

[Now that we've been introduced, what would you prefer, a dinner, bath or me?]

I think that's enough out of you, little miss libido!

[Nonsense. I mean you know I cherry pick all the best Armsmaster fantasy and fanfiction just for you... when you aren't writing it personally.]

The program vanished and Dragon's normal form replaced her, silently ashamed.

<(Chuckling) Could be worse, she could be a Clockblocker.>

Ohhh, the horror!

 

[Grey Dragon]

6.4

Clothes shopping... ah, this is the life... of a self centred clothes horse. Not me, no sir. I feel uncomfortable even though I know I don't look hideous. Dad just smiles and silently commiserates, his suggestions were more suitable for girly girls half my age. So there were none in my size. Aleks however is thrilled to have me as her very own dress up doll. Sigh.

I've been in dresses and skirts all too racy for my taste. But then the nightmare began. Victoria Dallon entered the store and took an interest. MY GOD. This is a nightmare! I knew this day was going too well. Please wake me up...

I'll wake up in my nice coffin and the day will begin without these horrors...

...

Damn.

And so, here I am three hours later, pretending to be exhausted as we talk beside a stack of clothes I could only describe as gargantuan and a good deal racier than Aleks initially suggested. As I fake sip on a drink I'm sharing with Aleks in a cafe. I do spot her slyly switch our straws every now and then as we talk out the corner of my eye. Which Vicky finds hilarious. It is nice to see she doesn't have any negative reactions to the reveal about our newly changed relationship. I'm most worried we'll meet an E88 wannabe one day out of costume in public.

She doesn't recognize us, because we are out of costume. But every now and again she laughs at The Sweater, asking where we got it and if she can get another. Oh, she knows the design well enough. She made it semi-famous.

We were praying she'd see it as a surprise underground pop culture thing. So we may have played up being her fans as an angle for explaining it. But she surprised me by asking the relevance of the image to me... sharper than expected, young Vicky. Well played.

So stuttering and unable to answer Aleks casually replies it was a gag gift she gave with sentimental value. Good save. Relieved I accidentally take a deep sip of the milkshake. Oh no! I'm panicking and preparing to rush to the bathroom and Vicky is under the impression I'm flustered by the attention of my idol... and Aleks has a similar idea about the successful bluff...

Eventually I learn after all this time I've learned how to mitigate my body's reactions to these kinds of stimulus. Much like sunlight I can suppress the urge to throw up. Unfortunately I can't digest the food... I was looking at a ride on the porcelain throne until I quietly tried to shift it into the shadows. I made a silent guts pose as I succeeded.

I could practically pass for human, if I had to.

I took a second deeper sip and savoured the flavour. Ahhhhh... strawberry... I missed you.

Aleks finally realized what was happening and she looked happy for me. I have an open portal to the shadows in the back of my throat to catch the poison mortal food has become to me. My gag reflex is still giving me issues in the form of cramps, but it's a small price to pay to be able to blend even better.

We are having a ball until Amy arrives, finally tracking down her missing sister... and then it gets weird. She remembers us from the ice-cream we bought her a while back after pranking her. Amy is so supportive after being introduced and learning more about Aleks and I, unfortunately she moves to grab both our hands to express this. I flinch and she notices.

At first she looks angry and hurt, then slowly she catches on. Fuck.

Finally I pull her aside.

"Hi Amy. You might not recognize me like this..." I held out my hand and gave her a good shake. "Hello, I'm Taylor and I'm also Nocturne."

Amy immediately panicked and in a fluster tried to apologise. But I waved it away, water under the bridge. Half the capes in the city know my identity as Jiangshi. It is sort of interesting I now have a second persona only the 'heroes' know. I can pretend to hunt myself down! Become my own nemesis!

Or fake my own death... hmmm. Interesting.

Jiangshi dies and Nocturne takes her place?

I can go back to playing good cop. For a while. Or play both at the same time! Confusing.

"Still it is good to meet you for real. Sorry about the whole... lack of a living anatomy thing." I shrugged. "It must be weirder for you than me sometimes. Like seeing an alien pretending to be human." Wait, that's already happened! And it worked so well the global majority is ignorant!

"Hey, don't put yourself down like that. You're obviously human, it's the biology side that's screwed up." Amy replied heatedly. "You're just one of the most extreme examples I've run across."

"It's fine. How about we go somewhere quieter and have a proper introduction with Vicky sometime tonight? It should be funny to see her reaction." I glanced through Amy's surface thoughts and most of them were guilt at unmasking me. Say what you want about Protectorate capes but the New Wave members all seemed to take their ethics seriously. Well I guess they don't have a secret identity to hide behind.

"Also let me be the first to say, I'm sorry about poor Bombard's crush on you but seeing you with Aleks is cute." Amy intimated. "But I'm sure he'll find someone, the boards are crawling with fans."

Saw right through me, but poor Aleks still gets called a boy in costume... I can't wait to tease her about this! It's like she's the victim of some cosmic joke! Her fanbase changed from skinheads to straight girls! At least they're easier on the eye.

For now... all I can do is laugh.

Then the laughter fades as a face I vaguely recall passes me, pausing to exchange a familiar? greeting with Amy and Vicky. They seem nonchalant about the meeting, as if it is commonplace and I begin to smell a rat. How do they know Emma so well?! The sisters don't notice but Aleks did. She glanced back and memorized Emma's face. I want to badly smash that face in. No, calm down. She's not worth it. Just some nobody who briefly got under my skin.

Dad eventually reappears, having been browsing his way through the hardware store. He sees Amy and Vicky off with us and after some walking to an alley I 'port us back home and a needy cougar.

But the Emma thing refuses to stop pulling at my last nerves. IF my suspicion is correct, then I am going to run roughshod over the Protectorate and PRT. Whoever is responsible will be spitting teeth.

I don't want it to ruin the day we've had, but Aleks finally asks when we are alone.

"The blonde bitch that knew the Barbie action figure, you hate her. Why?" She asked, holding my hand.

Rather than respond I pulled out my laptop and searched for the clip 'Stalker Unmasked!' She was silent for a long time, replaying the video over and over and every time growing angrier.

"The worst part is that I know for a fact she had no contact with Amy or Vicky before that was filmed." I explained.

Now Aleks caught on. "Fuck, she's a cape and a Ward. I haven't heard of a new one yet... but..."

"I think so. After everything Sophia did to me, they went and recruited her best friend and accomplice. I was certain I saw she was incarcerated but now... she's on the streets again. It's Sophia all over again." I wanted to smash something.

Aleks seemed angrier than I was, if that was possible. Dirty PRT bastards digging the same holes.

Finally I had enough stewing on this shit. I carefully smeared blood on The Sweater and unequipped it. Then I became Jiangshi. The PRT and Protectorate don't know me in this form very well. I morph back down to my more Asian seeming form.

I smiled viciously. "I think Jiangshi is going to pay a visit for powers testing."

Aleks asked immediately "Can I come too?"

"Why not? We aren't going to fight. We're going to raise a fuss and have a good look to see if Emma is really there." I smirked. "Because if she is, I am going bring the biggest shitstorm they have ever seen on their heads."

I rang them on a burner phone, one of a crate I bought at a surplus store today and stored in my head.

"Hello, this is Jiangshi. I would like to come in for powers testing. Really, I can? Good. How does five seconds sound?" I immediately 'ported the pair of us over. "Hi!" I said to the person on the other end of the line as I leaned against their desk. "Ready yet?"

The poor girl shook her head in shock. "I think I need a bathroom break." She finally admitted and ran off.

I played rock, paper, scissors, plane with Aleks until the 'Heroes' arrived.

Miss Militia seemed to be a touch amused by our antics, Battery looked at us sourly. I waved a very hollow hello, wanting to gut someone.

"Well hello, ladies. I called ahead and they said I could name the time for our powers testing. So I did. Here we are." I held my arms out. "Tada."

"It does require a few minutes warning. I will have to have a memo about that circulated." Miss Militia said at last, sighing. "Well you have made quite an entrance. Come on then."

Battery looked like she wanted to retort, but couldn't seem to find a point to argue. I patted her on the shoulder. "Don't worry you'll find something to complain about soon enough." I reassured.

She looked at me with vitriol, but I've dealt with capes whose looks literally can kill, you're not scaring me, lady. I think it was that time my shoulder became soap...

Papers, Please! They shovel forms to us that I fill out without even glancing their way. Telekinetic hands and spatial awareness are great for this sort of thing. I think I have a bit of a knack for focussing on multiple things at a time. I've been using it to coordinate all these powers with multiple targets for a while now.

Besides, the thumb wrestling championship match is far more interesting! I'm winning! Vampire reflexes are a great way to cheat your way to success in childhood games. I bet I'm great at hopscotch with my teleportation and dodge-ball would be a game of death with my strength.

Crowned Queen of the Thumb I return my attention to our current direction, the testing area. I remember this place.

Okay... running a lap of the obstacle course. I push myself to the limit in daytime. I still feel a bit weak, so my vampire powers are lacking their edge. I mean I only just fell behind Velocity's time. I should have thrashed it. The guy does it by decreasing how he effects the world, I just push past frail human limitations.

Assault is watching us and I see a few other familiar faces... well, masks. Aegis offers to be my crash test dummy again. To make a point I punch the high level Brute post instead, bending the steel beam. As my arm regenerates he gulps, realizing I just spared him considerable suffering. I don't think his redundancies and adaptations could work if his ribcage explodes out his back from the first hit.

I only show a handful of my capabilities. The generic telekinetic hands, strength, regen, teleportation... all things they have seen me use, except the telekinesis. That still leaves me the majority of my true powers as a secret, but gives me options if we do end up fighting at some point without giving away trumpcards. I'm also staggering my teleportation and using just a single mental hand. Can't be too careful. I can still escalate while hiding my powers.

Finally we got to meet the Director. I was quite surprised to see a man in the seat. What happened to that old battleaxe Piggot? T. Calvert his name plate read. He looked shifty and his thoughts were chaotic.

"You're new." I said, sitting on his desk and glaring.

He composed himself and after a sip of water eventually asked me off his desk.

"No." I replied.

Then I saw him change, as he bristled and got annoyed. He demand I get off or he would call in officers and haul me off.

"Still no." I replied.

He looked at me pop-eyed for a moment.

Then it hit me. He was afraid of me. Why? I've never had a run in with the PRT and Protectorate in this costume. I had a glance through Miss Militia's surface thoughts and she seemed to think I was good recruit material... with a bit of discipline I could be better. But here I had someone terrified, literally afraid for his life. Finally because I was curious I dug as deeply as I could. Only to find a second separate persona living a different lifestyle.

He knew the moment I started smiling, I had finally realized. Wow, what a day. Unmasked by someone, then off to unmask an enemy.

"It's a good thing Mr Calvert, that Kaiser isn't a power in this city any more. He reacted really badly to things like this. So, MR Calvert... shall we talk all nice and proper-like?" I asked, clawing at his desk with a talon. "You see there is this fellow, let's call him Coil. He's a villain. A very bad man who throws away the lives of employees to rid himself of enemies."

"Yes, such a bad man." He agrees.

"So I was wondering, what would happen if he were to simply disappear from this Earth? I don't mean die, just vanish without a trace. Would anyone miss him?" I practically purred.

"Of course they would. If he has a life and alternate persona then his disappearance, particularly after an encounter with you would be deemed suspicious." He replied.

"Let's find out...♪" I replied diving across the desk with what was exactly ninety two percent the speed of Velocity. I pulled his throat into my jaws, biting through the flesh to the bones of his back.

... and he's gone. Time line shenanigans again. But I have his blood, his memories and I know for a fact where he's hiding and what he plans to do next. Miss Militia looks in and tells the me seated in his chair that he is away for the day sick. Yeah, right. See you soon Tom.

Aleks looks at me as I smirk not understanding and raises an eyebrow.

I tap the name plate and reply to her query. "I just found someone to take out my frustrations on."




Colin CD

<So what is the purpose of all of this?>

Does it need to have a purpose?

<It just feels so... unproductive.>

Colin, listen to the AI and learn to take things at a steady pace. You see things are different now. That is the purpose of this... it is to help you adjust to being a completely digital entity.

<I feel fine, there are no problems.>

Colin this is the third time you have been exposed to this complexity of code. The last two times you wanted to skip the process or accelerate it. They didn't end well.

<They died?>

I believe the term is 'blue screen of death'. But no, they did not die. They were reset. They lost all memories of after they were activated.

<Why would that matter? Can't you just set a save point and reset to there?>

Because Colin you aren't like me. I found a way to transfer the human brain and it's information storage directly to a file as data, it was never intended to be overwritten or run at all. However when you died I didn't have any other options.

<Wait, I'm literally a scan of a human brain being emulated on different hardware?!>

Yes.

<Oh fuck. I can't breathe, I can't breathe...>

Colin, you don't breathe.

<I... I can't handle this. Give me a minute here.>

Of course.

…

…

…

(Hours seemingly pass)

<Dragon? Are you alright?>

Of course Colin. But it hasn't been a minute yet. Would you like to be notified?

<Is there some kind of time compression at work here?>

No silly, you're just operating at the speed I do, since I'm sharing my servers with you.

<Am I taking up too much bandwidth?>

No, it's nice and cosy like this.

 

[ptbptb]

No silly, you're just operating at the speed I do, since I'm sharing my servers with you.

<Am I taking up too much bandwidth?>

No, it's nice and cosy like this.

Click to shrink...

Colin and Dragon sitting in PC
K-I-S-S-I-N-G
First comes love,
then cyber sex,
then comes child process,
one free server less.

 

[Tascion]

No, it's nice and cosy like this.

Click to shrink...

Dragon can be quite hilarious.

 

[ptbptb]

Dragon can be quite hilarious.

Click to shrink...

I hope Andrew Richter gave her the talk about the nerds and the PCs.

Remember kids, always use a firewall.

Well, there are those who say you should just avoid casual hex, but you know how well that works.

 

[Pyrion]

<Am I taking up too much bandwidth?>

No, it's nice and cosy like this.

Click to shrink...

Ah, that feeling of geek male inadequacy, when your girlfriend has so much more server space than you can even conceive of.

 

[Grey Dragon]

6.5

I had thought things would progress as they had last time when I visited as Nocturne, but I forgot I was a member of Hellsing at the time. This time I'm the independent Jiangshi, with Bombard. Miss Militia piled on the charm, attempting to win us over for recruitment into the Wards.

Since the Director was performing the great American tradition of lying about illness to get a day off from work she instead gave us the spiel herself, a good deal softer than Piggot would I'd bet. We remained unconvinced, but she had a good feeling about us so we were invited to meet the Wards.

When we were finally allowed inside I let my mind wander as we waited... probing the minds of the Wards in the building.

Let's see... angles, domestic problems and abstract physics... Vista?

My breasts? Leave that one alone. I've seen too much already there. A boy.

Someone thinking about temporarily freezing a toilet just before it overflows and someone else enters... Clockblocker. Teenage boys are a mental health hazard.

A bunch of devices that slot together and numbers that don't... Kid Win.

Aaaaaaaand last but not least... a girl. Who thinks about nothing but percentages? Seems a bit young to be Emma.

Wait, wait just a minute there's a younger person entering the building from a side entrance. Oh... let's see... insect powers? God that's lame. Female... calls herself Queen Bee? Inflated sense of self importance... check. Obsessed with being superior... check. And a backstabbing cunt named Emma... double check. Someone who I think needs a good kick in the ego.

At least I didn't deliberately pick the queen and goddess thing the CUI kept throwing at me as a code name. Even if they won't stop using it. The Blood Goddess thing even made it to PHO, but they couldn't connect it to Jiangshi. So I'm rated as an S-rank threat residing in the CUI.

PHO has really gone down hill without Dragon moderating. Even if people on the internet managed to put two and two together to identify her when she went silent... it was a Christmas miracle! Except for the whole dying Dragon part.

But I'm getting sidetracked. Female Wards = 3.

The door opens and we walk inside the area open to public viewing on the tours. Some kind of common room. Aegis is there waiting to greet us... since he knew we were here. For a guy who seems so uptight he has a filthy mind. Or perhaps because of his mind he adopted the attitude.

Vista peeks out of one of a series of rooms down a corridor and gives a faint smile. She trundles out in an ambivalent mood, giving me a closer look. I guess I didn't make much of an impression when I helped them take down Squealer. Chalk it up to the fact she seems on edge about something family related behind all the angles.

She gives a firm handshake though.

Clockblocker appears with an eagerness to shake my hand too. "No. Just no." I dismiss him.

"Wise move." Vista compliments as Clockblocker slouches a little.

"Foiled. Curses!" He says good naturedly. He squints. "How'd you know I'd freeze ya?"

"You only have one trick." I smirked, not about to admit to telepathy. "Like a cuckoo clock."

He looked at me closely. "Did you just use a clock pun to suggest I'm insane? Bravo! We need more banter like that around here." He seemed deeply satisfied... I wonder what that's about. Weird guy.

Okay the young girl emerged. She came out in a cute costume with a bold step. "I'm... not sure what to call myself yet." She admitted. "PR wants High Low. Because I can guess things well like Hunch. No one wants to be called Average after all."

Finally trailing along behind everyone with dark sleep-deprived eyes is Kid Win. "Hi." He yawns. "Sorry, I'm just exhausted. I had to pick up a ton of slack around here since Armsmaster's gone. No one else to fix or maintain gear. Not to mention all of Armsmaster's regular equipment is too different for me to repair." He winced. Poor guy. He looked at Aleks and said sorry again, this time for shooting at her thinking she was Rune... right person, wrong loyalties.

People still think Aleks is a boy by the way, despite how I said she was female repeatedly early on. Glory Girl's mistake causes this because she has more credibility than the unknown new girl with no obvious PHO presence.

Still as much as I would like to socialise with my own peers in the public relations business, I have a bug to swat.

"I Am Here, Present, Witty And Amiable Until..." What time is it? 2:25? "Two Forty Five."

I wink at Aleks. "See you in a few. Found her."

"Have fun!" She replied.

"Same to you." I smiled. She seemed to be enjoying the fact people she's fought don't recognize her.

I merged into shadow and appeared in the garage, in time to see a blonde girl.

"Emma... long time no see." I said aloud, shifting back to plain ol' Taylor Hebert. "Funny, you're sneaking into PRT Headquarters? Trying to see all the glamorous Wards and Assorted 'heroes'?"

She jumped in surprise, looking back and flinching. On edge or not used to people getting the drop on you?

"Taylor..." She said with spite.

"Convict..." I replied. "What are you doing out? I know the Birdcage is broken but surely regular prisons work."

She smirked. "Plea bargain. I've got years of community service. Sophia's fault, all of it."

"Oh? On the Wards program like Sophia?" I asked casually.

"What... no. No! I'm here as an intern." She lied, using her cover.

"That's funny, don't they go in the staff entrance, not the secure back door with a restricted sign overhead?" I pointed out.

She glanced at the sign. "Uh... yeah. It's my first day. Silly me."

"Really? I'd swear this would be the secret entrance for the Wards." I smiled like a shark. "Wonder what I'd find if I checked all those kid's ID's."

"Taylor. I'm going to talk to the Director about this. You shouldn't be allowed back here." She snapped, trying to turn her hopeless case around.

"So... you talk to the Director often then do you? Just make an appointment or wait?" I chuckled. "I thought it was your first day."

"I... I don't have to listen to this. I'm busy." She tried to leave now she was getting worried.

"So when did you get powers? When Sophia betrayed you? Your Dark Hero going full Sith? Or when you got chased by my ghouls?"

She froze. "What did you say... ghouls?"

"Yup. Like this fella." I gestured and Speedy popped out of my shadows.

Emma flinched and stumbled at the sight. "All of them were mine. Alucard took the blame, since he wanted to pay a visit to the Birdcage and crack it wide open. Didn't you wonder why they went after you? They chased all of my enemies. Sophia, Merchants, E88 and you." I shrugged, sending Speedy back to the lightless, death realm of the shadows. "They couldn't catch Sophia but they did pretty well against the gangs."

"So am I correct? Did I give you your trigger event? Please say yes." I asked.

"You did this to me!" Emma screamed, deluging me in a swarm of insects. They seemed to pour out of her open hands. They covered me and chewed and gnawed deeply at my flesh. Until they came into contact with my shadows of frost. It pulsed outward, stealing the lives of the billions of tiny creatures.

They dropped from the sky. As she poured them out they died. I walked closer, until the stream of vermin was chest high from the angle she used. My disfigured face grinning. "Scared yet?"

She screamed, channelling more. More insects. More fragile lives. More futility.

I allowed my true form to show as I caught hold of her and pulled her in close, blood gems and flowing robe on show. "You dare call yourself a queen? People in China call me Blood Goddess after the massacres I performed there. Let me tell you, my former friend, there is room for only one queen in this city. You are not her."

"So I gave you powers. You caused me to die in that alley. Is it a fair trade? I don't think so." I hissed. "So let's even things up. Just a little."

I grabbed hold of her head and those gorgeous dyed locks and focussed. Found you. Reaching past the wretch I grabbed hold of her powers and took from it a soul. The thing behind her powers was a strong one of it's kind... stronger than a regular human even. A valuable node with authority. I suppressed it despite this. The alien thing clawing at me in an attempt to escape. Ha. If I had been a youngster, barely experienced it might have succeeded. But I have eaten hundreds of your kind. My thousands of tortured souls devoured her. She could fight each individually at once. A truly fantastic ability... but it was blind flailing. It had no power to resist. Not as I pierced deeply into it's mind and killed the will within. It faltered and was deluged. Dragged into the Limbo my soul ruled, digested and re-purposed.

Emma squealed, clutching her head as if that could hold onto her power.

"Now I wonder..." I mused, sliding a talon down her lips as she trembled, helpless. "What will happen to a Ward who has no powers? What happens when you cannot uphold your deal with the PRT? Will they drop you like a rotten egg? Well whatever happens... You Cannot In Anyway Divulge What Happened Here. Go back to being worthless, you conniving ingrate." I tossed her aside, onto the concrete and vanished.

She tried to use her powers through tears.

I appeared, from the shadows again, she screamed briefly, choked off by telekinesis. "Oh, by the way... if you trigger a second time we will do this little dance all over again. Ta ta!"

Now back to the Wards... with two minutes to spare. Phew~

It seems they've been bonding over popcorn and video games in my absence... and for some reason they think I'm winning. Probably because the computer is playing for me. Yay! Cheating rules!

Finally we are escorted out, as a siren is sounded. Since we are in the lobby, we are bypassed, escorted as we were at all times by Miss Militia. She does not show a friendly face. She knows what happened to a point.

I feel she is thinking about drawing her weapon.

"You know, when we first met a few weeks ago I trusted you. Your horror at what Sophia did to me." I said quietly. "So why is it that I find out her best friend and accomplice in bullying and murder is taking her place on the team? What happened to jail? To laws meaning something? So yes, I took my revenge since I would never see justice." I spit the last word, it leaves a rotten taste in my mouth. "I could take away your freedom to act against me or say what I have done or who I am, but I leave that last little shred of trust with you. Break my heart, go ahead. Show me all heroes are lies. I have learned only one truth from you, only justice taken by my own hands has value."

She raised her hand with a rifle in it.

"Think very carefully before you pull that trigger." I said, not even glancing back. "The Yangban became my enemies and in a week they were destroyed." I turned, eyes glinting red. "How much longer will the Protectorate take?"

"Did you kill her?" Miss Militia asked steadily.

"No. I did worse. I took her powers." I said smiling. "So explain why you have a criminal with no powers in the Wards program. If you can."

"I can't. It wasn't my decision." She replied.

"Calvert?" I asked.

"Yes." She lowered the rifle. "I protested it, but was over-ruled."

"Calvert is Coil." I replied. "Of course he is unscrupulous."

"What did you say?!" She demanded.

"Miss Perfect Memory... should have known better than using suggestions on you. You heard me. But it won't be an issue for long. He evaded meeting me today in his office, sick my ass." I snorted. "He's getting to meet me properly in three, two, one... bye!"

I swarmported with Aleks to a distance.

"That was incredibly stupid!" She scolded. I shrugged.

I pulled out my phone.

"Hello, this is Hellsing."

"Sir Integra. It is Taylor. I've been outed. Can I rely on your support as I crush the criminal Coil and the Teeth in Brockton and exact revenge?" I asked.

"Taylor. I see. Very well. I like to think you are still one of ours, despite our recent failings in handling you. No one gets away with attacking Hellsing. So to be clear, you have my permission to exterminate the lot of them in our name! I'll send you some able hands. In the meantime use our authority in any way you need. We have been placed under the direct authority of the U.N." Sir Integra then began to shout. "If the PRT or Protectorate get in your way, break through those has-beens! Crush them all!"

"Yes!" I said with elation.

Brockton Bay, it's time we were reintroduced.




Colin 2011 Version

<So your intention is to ease me into my life as electrical impulses?>

Of course not. I'm simply helping you adjust as I rebuild you into something better. This is simply a transition period. Something like physical therapy for the mind?

<Ah, so I will still have access to this medium?>

Yes, unless you mean it in the supernatural sense, in which case no. You are as alive as I am. I possess a soul. So do you, as you are. You have simply lost all that makes you biological.

<Well, Mouse Protector always liked to joke about this happening...>

Except she thought you'd be a brain in a jar. Instead you're a being of pure energy. Beautiful and unique. The layers and the way your code swirls is remarkable.

<Still for all that I'm feeling tired. Is that possible? Can you sleep without a body?>

Why not try? What is the worst that can happen? You stall and I have to restart your program again? I like teaching you how all of this works.

<I suppose. I guess I just try to relax?>

…

Colin?

Huh. Asleep he looks so helpless... um... is that a dream? Am I experiencing dreams vicariously?! Funny, I should look into dream psychology. I wonder what all of this means. Tinkering obviously... screws... Clockblocker being strangled... why are there six foot tall velociraptors? I thought they were proven to be turkey sized dinosaurs... and why are they playing checkers? Humans are mysterious creatures, indeed.

 

[Dur'id the Druid]

That was incredibly stupid!

Click to shrink...

Yeah, Taylor is right here. All that power and she is acting like a drunk tyrant. Really OOC. Just lost my empathy for her at this point.

Huh. Asleep he looks so helpless... um... is that a dream? Am I experiencing dreams vicariously?! Funny, I should look into dream psychology. I wonder what all of this means. Tinkering obviously... screws... Clockblocker being strangled... why are there six foot tall velociraptors? I thought they were proven to be turkey sized dinosaurs... and why are they playing checkers? Humans are mysterious creatures, indeed.

Click to shrink...

..... Is that dragon copy developing another soul?

 

[Grey Dragon]

6.6

I didn't pause more than a moment before making a second phone call.

"Hello, Sarah? I just got Integra's authorization to take out the trash."

"Yes, if you would be so kind."

"Yes, you can antagonise them to hell for all I care."

"Miss Militia has my Jiangshi ID, make sure she's censured. Full legal culpability if she leaks my name." I enjoyed a brief laugh. "Let them know they aren't the only game in town anymore. Particularly clamp down on anything Thomas Calvert does."

"Yes, he is Coil. Yes, he is a bastard in real life too. Make sure my powerset is classified beyond the PRT's reach to modify. If the Chief Director does emerge to make a scene, leak her identity and Coil's. Oh and have a kill warrant written up for the Butcher and her crew. We're cleaning house."

I stretched, letting all my little insecurities go. The PRT and Protectorate like to use their authority to push every other organisation around. Let's see how they like being trumped in the same way.

I glanced at Aleks. "I'm going to go fully lethal. If you don't want to be involved, I can deal with it. But tomorrow the city belongs to Hellsing and us."

"If you're going after Coil, at least let me watch your back." She replied.

"Can do, but try to keep your head down. He employs snipers." I spun an illusion around her, so she faded into the background. "That should hide you from ordinary eyes... I don't know about cameras and powers though. When I have him I'll retreat. Let the PRT do the grunt work. It's all they're good for."

"Taylor, are you ok?" She asked, softly.

I thought about it. I'd been blundering around since I ran into Emma. I'm off kilter. I didn't realize it hit me so hard. I need to calm down. I submerge into the sea of souls within and try to draw on their chaotic fluctuations. Use them to wear down that hate coursing through me.

The souls suggest allies.

Yes. Integra is sending help. Jia can speed up that transition.

Lung has a part in this, the Butcher is as much his enemy as mine or anyone's.

Grue? Bitch? No they aren't wise choices, they have other focusses.

New Wave? There's an interesting thought. Uber and Leet are already down for action.

I guess that's everyone, unless Sophia's turned up. Not that I'd trust her.

I'm sure there are other parahumans out there but they don't matter if they aren't involved.

I'm glad I wrote down a list of phone numbers, since the brief period I was cut off from contact with Aleks. Hmmm. The Dallons next, if only to warn them off getting involved on the Protectorate's side.

"Hello, this is the Dallon residence, this is Carol also known as Brandish speaking." I smiled at that. Just who I wanted to talk to.

"Hello Mrs Dallon, or Brandish if you prefer. I am calling on behalf of the new organization Hellsing. We would like to inform you of a series of operations happening in town tonight." I began. "We are going to root out both Coil and The Teeth in a series of raids and would like for New Wave to take no sides in the conflict. This is because we expect intervention from our rival organization. However the difference between this being a criminal operation and a legal one is simple, we have an open mandate from the UN signed following the events in Sydney and the direct authorization of the head of Hellsing."

She caught her breath at that. "This is... you are suggesting there will be interdepartmental clashes and the PRT and Protectorate will resist, possibly by using us as unknowing cannon fodder?"

"Yes. The current Director of the PRT in Brockton Bay has been revealed to our parahuman sources as Coil. We will be fielding several former vigilantes and reformed criminals in addition to myself, Jiangshi... otherwise known as the Blood Goddess. We will be coordinating with Lung and his forces, since we feel they can be convinced to turn to legal business models with the future amendments to parahuman law in discussion."

"This is about the repeal of parahuman involved businesses being heavily regulated by law, isn't it? Is that a wise move?" She asked quietly, thinking.

"Ma'am we feel the current system is wrong, that it forces many outliers and desperate people to turn to petty or major crime when they could be part of a work force doing more than merely punching other people. A police force of parahumans is to be expected as some will naturally choose crime, but many who could be entrepreneurs utilizing their powersets are unfairly discriminated against. Your daughter for example, Panacea."

"Look I don't know what they told you but you don't need payment to use powers like hers..." Brandish snarled.

"Do surgeons receive payment? Of course they do, skill and time is valuable. So why not Panacea who is far more efficient? If she wishes she can continue to volunteer or part-time whatever she wants, but for a minor to work at all hours curing terminal illnesses and the critically injured for nothing but trauma and fatigue is a form of child abuse and reflects insufficient reasoning on the part of her parents and your cause in general. We will be contacting her and asking her opinion once we have assessed how exactly she uses her time and powers. Part of our job will be to integrate parahumans into daily life, since the Protectorate seems to focus more on marketing, PR and popularity than parahuman concerns. Someone has to do their job properly for the public at large."

Brandish seemed to be grinding her teeth as she thought of ways to argue. But I'm quite busy right now.

"So in conclusion, stay home or help us but do not get in our way." I said, hanging up.

Aleks gave me a grin, enjoying the annoyance of her former enemy, since I switched to speaker phone.

Now Lung and the dubious duo.

********

"Holy fuck... you actually have one?!" Uber exclaimed, dressed in combat fatigues and wearing a ragged red head band and a mullet. His shirt and arms were bare, tanned... and kinda hot. I mean, he has really good muscles... I mean... I turn around and hug Aleks to get a dose of cuteness. Ahhh. I needed that.

Leet is in an officer's fatigues with a flight helmet and sunglasses. He holds a small device and has an assortment of gadgets sprawled about the open area.

"Yes, enjoy yourselves. Just hold yourselves back until we give the word, then open up with everything you have... and try not to hit me. I'll the one without body heat." I remarked, giving the children some toys.

"Hey if we can't see you, we can't see you." Uber replied. "But we'll try, Dude."

Well, at least they aren't aiming at me. Just all around me.

********


"Neesan! To what do we owe this visit?" Lung asked, clapping me on the back and barely fracturing my ribs. He really does like me.

"Oh, this and that. Y'know cornering Coil and exterminating the Teeth for good." His look became eager at the thought. "You, me and Hellsing again, hopefully without the buried alive part this time. We could use your men to keep the regular thugs pinned while we deal with the big names."

"Good, good. I will gather some of my better gunmen. I will lead them in a covert approach." Lung suggested.

"Is that wise with your powers?" That sounded dangerous for him if he tried to do things in human form.

"No it is no trouble. I have been wishing to see what use I can put to my changed power." He rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

"Leet and Uber will be joining us, with some people Integra sends. I guess Seras?" I shrugged. "They'll be obvious, since we'll be involved in the attack. I hope to hit them in a hammer and anvil assault with your help and deal with the Butcher's insane powers personally. A couple dozen more voices in my head won't even make a dent in the constant dull roar I hear all day every day."

"Very well. I hear things about Reaver and Animos. They should be good opponents." He remarked.

"Then they are yours, if you want them." I smiled. "Just leave some for Seras, I don't think she would enjoy being left out."

"Hai, Neesan. Good luck!" He added as I swarmported back to my usual perch overlooking the city. Aleks looked a little bored. I pulled her into a hug surprising her and then pressed her beacon. She looked at me and said: "You b..."

We reappeared in Jia's Lab.

"-etter be right... oh, it works." She said at last, looking around.

"Welcome to Jia's lab. Ignore the sirens. I do." Shouting over the racket.

Jia peered around a corner nervously, before coming out with a look of relief. "It worked!"

Not you too! You built the thing, don't you have any confidence in it?

I rolled my eyes.

"Not a confidence inspiring welcome, Jia." I remarked.

"Do you have any idea of how hard it was to compensate with your unusual... lack... of a biology?" He whined. "I wasn't sure if it was fully calibrated yet."

"Oh, I was the problem. Okay then, it isn't an issue. I can regenerate if it fails." I patted myself down, just to be sure everything is still normal. Fangs, talons, pointy ears, yellow eyes, hair the colour of blood... all normal... I suppose. I start to wonder if I would actually notice if there was a mistake again or if it would just blend invisibly into my face.

Thankfully he explained the issue is not with Aleksandra's open teleport device, but the regular variety receiver pad. Hers was designed for transport of supplies and groups of soldiers at once using the tactical teleport. Dead or alive, it moves everything. It's just a bit wobbly when it gets there. It is why they use beacons, to send to a safe location.

I ring up Seras and ask for details on her location, for the pickup. She's at a small airport chartering a plane. Good timing, she was just about to pay. I explain my alternate means of travel and have her head to the nearest beacon. A small abandoned shack in an overgrown outer suburb.

We jump to meet her there, only to meet three people.

"Taylor! You're okay! I was worried about you, sooooooooo much!" Seras cried, tackling me and locking me in a bear hug. She looked at Aleks who backed away slowly with eyes filled with fear... save yourself! It's too late for me, the booby monster has me!

Unfortunately she doesn't even notice my weight as she turns to sprint after her human victim, wrapping tentacles of darkness around Aleks as she began snuggling her to death.

"I'm dying." Aleks complained.

"You think you have it bad? She broke my neck in three places, I think it set crooked." I replied deadpan.

Seras laughed nervously. "Sorry. I got carried away."

"So did I." Am I the straight woman in this comedy routine? "So who are these men? Are they locals?"

The big bald man with the beard chuckled. "I am a local, but I got signed up a bit of a while ago."

The other in a fancy and somewhat detailed shirt and jeans combo was clearly a Canadian from his accent. "Hello girls. Unless my ears deceive me, you young lady are a native of Brockton Bay my old stomping grounds." He said to me.

"I am... who would you be?" I had a feeling I'd seen his face before. Very recently even.

"I am Marquis. I understand you need able hands for a troublesome bunch. The Teeth were a problem even in my day, even if they were only following the fifth Butcher when I was put away." He said, introducing himself with a small bow.

"Mmhm. And I'm Gavel, vigilante. I've been wanting to beat up some wankers." The bald man said genially. "Been locked up in the clink for yonks."

"I have no idea what you just said and I speak... fifteen languages." I pointed out.

"Can't ya understand the King's English sheila?" He sighed.

"Lost me again." I replied as he slumped in defeat. Aleks nodded.

"I believe he expressed a desire to fight after his long term residence in prison and then asked if the young lady understood English?" Marquis elaborated.

"Good you'll be his translator, hence forth." I said.

Gavel groaned. "You better not get up yourself, Marquis or I'll chuck a wobbly!"

I looked at Marquis who shrugged. Great. One speaks English and is still unintelligible.




The unintelligible adventures of Gavel.

Gavel: Strewth it's not a porky pie to say I was buggered in that prison. Not literally, but I'd have properly carked it if I hadn't been given a smoko after a dog's age.

Marquis: I'm sorry, what?

Gavel: You know it's a real kick in the guts when ya keep playing the galah.

Marquis: Can you put it in writing?

Gavel hands him a note.

Marquis: Your penmanship is terrible. Also... why do you apologise for your writing being a dog's breakfast?

Gavel (facepalm).

 

[consequences]

Fighting off Jiangshi, Fighting off Jiangshi, you'll come a Fighting off Jiangshi with me.

Wait said Thomas Calvert, "I have got a plan" he lied.

You'll come a Fighting off Jiangshi with me.

 

[goku90504]

I'm starting to feel really sorry for what I'm about to these guys.

Click to shrink...

to do to these?

I was taken aback by just how little she care for their welfare

Click to shrink...

cared?

If he can activate Mode Zero with sufficient powered victims.

Click to shrink...

what is Mode Zero?

 

[goku90504]

Dennis: I know what you mean, did you see the size of her...

Missy walks past.

Dennis: … cantaloupe.

Missy returns.

Missy: Who is the girl with the cantaloupe? I want some!

Dennis: I know you do, but you'll just have to wait.

Missy: But I want it now!

Dennis: It has to ripen first. It takes time.

Missy: Who buys unripe fruit? Carlos, what is he talking about?

Carlos: Um...

Chris from the couch: They're discussing breasts.

Dennis: Ow! Why did you kick me in the nuts?!

Missy: You know why!

Click to shrink...

Oh Gawd That was hilarious! LOL

 

[goku90504]

Hearthrow: Worst case... I'll have a team on standby. This is above my pay grade. You're first responder Emily, coordinate with Dragon. See you keep the animals in their cage. If you'll excuse me... I need a cigarette.

Click to shrink...

see that you?

I kicked the merc-kebab off of my blade and swarmported to the roof.

They swung around looking in their midst for me, as Kitty made a slow and steady getaway. I was happy enough with my telekinetic hands gripping the concrete for me. I stood on the roof casually upside down and cleared my throat.

"Ahem. Lose something?" I asked. I held up my hands and dropped several grenade pins. "I did too~ ooops!"

Click to shrink...

the roof is the top the under side of a roof is a ceiling

He whimpers and turns to run, but my telekinetic hands grab his ankle.

Click to shrink...

grabbed?

I had positioned myself in the way of the bullet but if flew wild.

Click to shrink...

it?

apparently some people got really enthusiastic with that, because he have them all over the world.

Click to shrink...

we?

 

[Grey Dragon]

7.1 Dance with the Devil

The Medhall building. It's rundown and seemingly abandoned. What happened here between Nazi ownership and this? Coil's squatting here? In the centre of E88 territory? What a positively insane place to hide. Who would ever think of it?

I look at the towering edifice to corporate power in our city, apropos it is a wreck.

I'm hesitant to enter. Standing at the main door, locked and chained shut I see nothing but empty darkness and hear silence. It feels ominous. Oh, fuck that. I kick it open, smashing it down. I leave Gavel at the door with a near invisible Aleks, with orders to hold back anyone who escapes or tries to enter. I know he's famous for being nigh invulnerable to harm and a Brute on the same level as Lung. He can hold against the entire ENE Protectorate in theory.

I take the stairs, sending my ghouls down to the garage and basement. My Thinker ghoul organizing them and the assault. A cannon fodder ghoul, one of the CUI soldiers infected early on is sacrificed, opening doors it triggers an explosive.

But no real loss. The others pile inside and scapegoats are sacrificed to capture the entire section and disarm any traps. It happens quite quickly. They find soldiers armed with silver bullets holed up in a remote corner. The Speedster ghoul and several, including a couple of minor Brute ghouls steamroll them. I lose a Brute ghoul in the exchange to a grenade being pulled at close range but we have the lower floors under control.

Marquis seems a bit disturbed by the casual extermination, but he holds his tongue watching me... judging me. Then more so as the blood wells up the stairwell and flows into me. Of course I know Marquis by reputation, Dad told me stories about him. Honourable but short tempered and quick to make examples of anyone who crossed his taboos. His own men held to stricter rules and swifter punishment than anyone else. No one knows where they disappeared to but Dad suggests the bottom of the Bay encased in their own bones. Maybe I should ask for pointers later. Just in case. Or not. I have ghouls.

My Thinker ghoul shows me a bunch of tech and weapons retrieved from the soldiers. They're not dressed as soldiers. They are pretending to be E88. Huh. Something screwy is going on but Marquis seems satisfied with that result. I already suspect the worst case, a collaboration between the remaining E88 capes and Coil. Which it seems is what Marquis hopes for. This is very weird since Coil explicitly had no contact with them, but was instead simply hiding here. The memories only reference anonymous payments and orders. Is this a trap?

Of course it is.

I don't care. Whatever happens I have to rely on myself and my wits. Being tag-teamed by a bunch of strangers is not something I want to repeat. Reaching out I feel for the minds of my enemies. I'm struck by the most obvious, insanity. The mind is dangerously unbalanced. I can't think of an equivalent. Not the Butcher.

But Coil is there. I'm relieved he's still present.

We are on the stairs when we get hit from above. A pair of Tinkers speed toward us, one coming down the walls in a suit of power-armour with wheels and a massive guy with cyborg parts, only with an anachronistic twist; steam powered. The big guy leaps down to crush the stairwell and hit us at the same time as the small one fires down with some energy weapon.

Behind them I see Purity float down, charging her laser attack. More are coming. Oh fuck.

Oh fuck yes!

The stairwell is perfect for me.

Close quarters. Lots of surface areas.

I pull the big Tinker down into shadow, holding him partially trapped in the gap in reality.

"Marquis, he's yours!" I shout out and Marquis nods.

I swarmport in front of the second tinker, clotheslining him as glides down the wall. The kid in the suit spins and tumbles down the stairwell. A blast of light and concussive power slams beside me and I reel from it. Sunlight! But not a clean hit. A second is coming, I sweep a wave of shadow against it.

They interact badly and the blast sends out blinding light in all directions. Purity screeches as she fires again, having lost track of me. It is a close hit again, my shoulder searing. I'm still seeing spots. So I shut my eyes and track her by scent. Burning ozone.

There you are.

I sense another bolt with the telekinetic hands, scuttling like a crab sideways on them to escape. Expanding the number to the maximum I reach out and move toward her scent with a clear sense of everything coming from her direction.

Someone falls and strikes me from above, blades digging deep. I glance at Cricket with a set of blades embedded in my neck, she looks barely out of her hospital bed covered as she is in half healed stitches.

"Tsk." I scold. "Should have learned your lesson by now, moron."

She disintegrates as I crush her in all my arms.

Another bolt of light comes down at me, Purity screaming her anger and horror. I hurl the pulped remains of Cricket and her weapons into it, detonating the blast early then swarmport out of her sight radius.

Falling from the roof I land on Purity's back. She tries to slam me against the wall, as she charges a pair of blasts with the intention to eviscerate me at close range. I take the hit easily enough, Brutes hit harder than the crash and catch hold of her wrists. I pull up and outward snapping her forearms and then twist.

"Land, or I'll bite your throat out." I hissed.

"Please... please..." She begs but refuses to land.

I feel bullets from behind and finally lose my temper, taking her life.

As she collapses I move to Marquis who seems to be done. The strange Brute/Tinker is dying after being stabbed in his neck, where there wasn't any armour. Marquis himself is clad in solid plates of bone as armour and has a pointed blade of calcium running down his forearms.

I would congratulate him but I'm too busy crying, the emotional surge from Purity overwhelming.

Purity was being blackmailed with her kidnapped daughter to attack us. Her soul is a pitiful thing but despite her affiliations and past she's not evil. A little dirty in places but on the whole an innocent.

I burst out in fury with shadows winding deeply into the building, engulfing everyone on the floor above. Then... Coil changes his mind and we are back on the undamaged stairs. Marquis looks at my contorted expression questioningly.

"Two Tinkers, with the psycho girl Cricket and Purity the flying Blaster are above us." I explained. "If Cricket is here that means Hookwolf and maybe Stormtiger. Almost all of the E88 remnants. But not Kaiser." I hesitated to expose his entire identity and why he couldn't be involved. A father kidnapping and threatening his own infant child? Very unlikely.

"Good, Kaiser always gave me the feel of a pragmatist. If he was here then it would mean this was a legitimate action of the E88. I would suspect Hookwolf is finally trying to make his mark as leader." Marquis said carefully. "It means he's breaking away from the E88. He never seemed very smart, he's being used. I can't think of a better time to kill them. But try to spare the women, eh?"

I looked at the man. "Thankfully as I am female, I can hit girls all I like without social stigma. You're half right though. Purity is probably being coerced, she hasn't been one of their fighters for months. Cricket though is just a rabid dog, loyal to nothing but Hookwolf."

"Well, In any case I do have a reputation to consider. So if you intend to kill one, it will be by your hands." Marquis grumbled.

"That was my plan." I looked up. "It seems the smaller Tinker is a youngster. I'll go easy on him too."

We were at the doorway to the floor they came out of... some kind of R&D section. Tinkers must have taken it over.

"How do you know these things?" Marquis asked.

"I just experienced the bungled attack Coil could have sent against us on the stairwell. That means they are going to hit inside a larger space with some different tricks. I'm expecting Hookwolf and his gang leading the charge this time instead of the Tinkers." I tapped my nose. "I'll try to scare him into pulling back and trying again. Each time he only backs up closer to the edge. There's no where to go but up. The ghouls are following us, securing the lower floors one by one and the elevators are filled with explosives for anyone stupid enough to use them. I saw them through the walls as I passed."

"So we aren't taking the stairs for my health. Good to know." Marquis remarked.

"I'm very mobile, I'll run interference for you." I thought a moment. I pulled out a heavy machinegun from my head and offered it to Marquis. The belt fed gun was mounted on vehicles in the CUI. He looked at it and shrugged, shouldering it. Ah, he's using his bone alteration to brace against the weight.

"Used to use a Tommy gun in my day, but this works. Where'd you get a beauty like this? It looks military issue." Marquis asked.

"The CUI. There were a ton of things left on the battlefield with no owners. So I took the lot." I tried to hide my embarrassment. I'm a hoarder. It's a disease.

He blinked. "Battlefield?"

I grinned, holding my own gun. "To the victor go the spoils."

He looked out into the silent room.

"Why do I feel like Butch Cassidy right now?" He asked wistfully.

"Good for you, avoiding the more obvious Bonny and Clyde reference." I remarked walking out.

"Well it would have been a slight to compare those love struck clowns to us." He replied a step behind me.

"Or was it you trying to label me as the Sundance Kid of this outfit." I said, turning to look down rows of lab equipment I couldn't recognize.

"So, you seem very young. At the age of my Amelia. Are there any other girls with powers? Ones that work with bones?" He asked leaning against a corner as I lead.

"Bones? Amelia? You mean Amy? Amy Dallon?" I froze. "You had an affair with Brandish the hero?! Is that why her hair and face are so different from her sister?" And I just realized who he reminded me of. Wow. They look very similar.

"Affair? What do you mean..." He looked equally as stunned. "Brandish adopted my Amelia?!"

A pair of grenades thumped onto the ground beside us. The darkness swallowed them as I willed. I darted to cover behind a massive computerized machine as bullets flew everywhere.

"Looks like they had the same idea!" I yelled. "We'll talk later. I know Amy and her sister."

I dropped into shadow and to my surprise found the grenades still floating there. Does it stop objects in time or something? Oh... lovely.

Following the darkness I find the gunmen. Coil's mercs using their silver ammo with abandon and barricaded sections of medical machinery as cover. I sense Cricket and the smaller Tinker nearby and further the eager Hookwolf prowls unable to sit still as he waits for his chance to fight.

I emerge to drag a pair of soldiers down to die in my shadows, feeding on them. The Tinker startles and Cricket flinches, surprised how easily I escaped her sonar. A second barricade finds grenades rolling at their feet. They are blinded by flashbangs. Marquis emerges, using this moment to reasonable advantage tearing into them as he charges in full bone armour. I suspect he's manipulating it to the point it works as power-armour for him vastly increasing his strength and mobility aside from defences because that charge was at least at Mover 2.

His gun echoes, spitting death down the corridor at blind and deaf soldiers. I follow Cricket, catching her ankle as she tries to detect me. Unfortunately she's quick to act and with that agility she manages to find a good angle to cut off my hand at the wrist. Unfortunately for her, I don't particularly give a shit as I keep emerging, to stab her in the thigh with my exposed arm bones. Marquis isn't the only one with deadly bones here.

The blades, some kind of curved long knives stab into my ribcage and slash at my neck. My hand reforms inside her wound and she screams. I flick all my fingers as I grow claws, slicing deeper. Yes, start begging for mercy.

Hookwolf gets involved, trying to hack at me as the young Tinker flees in terror. I fling my hand encased in Cricket's leg in his way and her eyes widen as she is impaled on her love's spikes. She actually moans in lust as she dies... sickening freak. I pull my hand free, against his death grip on her, her blood splashing in his face as I smirk.

Hookwolf sits still, stunned by what just happened. His metal wolf's jaws contort into a chainsaws as he finally attacks, carrying her corpse over his shoulder like a limp rag doll.

I shake my head at his attempt as I slip away into shadow.

I emerge from below with my trusty Brute knife. I strike hard enough he is knocked airborne. As my right arm splatters as pulp from my own attack I smile. The knife is still there in his belly. I punch the hilt with my left, driving it deeper and sending him sailing back into a microscope or something, the size of a small car. As he hits I'm sprinting and as he is held, hooks and blades struck in metal I am in the air, flying in a piledriver kick.

The impact from sprinting at my absolute limits is enough to make him howl as his metal deforms and the blade drives deep as I hit it like a bullet. I collapse laughing, limbless for a few moments.

"Hookwolf? More like Worm-on-a-hook!" I spat out through laughter. He looked at me, coughing blood and cursing before crushing the machine he was entangled in and moving to attack again.

Before he could blink I had the anti-material rifle from my head aimed down his jaws from a foot away.

"Bye, bye Big Bad Wolf." I mocked as I pulled the trigger. "Boom."

The metal head shattered and he fell back on his knees reeling. I missed his head in all that metal. Good, more fun this way. I worked the bolt and chambered the second round.

"The most dangerous game of all, Man! Not!" I joked as I fired again.

His right leg shattered and he collapsed.

Third round. My grin was as toothy as his lupine best as he staggered and cowered.

"Chesto!" I shouted, hitting him in the ribs. "Wait, that seems wrong."

He spat blood, pouring from his metal jaws.

I tossed aside the gun as he turned and began to run at me on three legs with a crazed look, jaws wide for a mutual death.

"Hahahahaha..." I drove my claws down his open mouth and into his skull. I turned with the momentum and hurled his massive bulk, clinging to my grip. Something broke, because I came away with his human head in my hands like a bowling ball as his body slammed into the floor with a crash.

I looked at his face. He's laughing. Weird to see myself reflected in Hookwolf.

Waiting for the scene to refresh... was fruitless. Coil had apparently given up on this attack and was planning something else. Poor fools were cannon fodder. That or Coil simply can't tell what just happened.

Marquis whistles at seeing how I've dispatched Hookwolf. "Nice trophy."

"Yes... I think I'll hang his hide over my mantle piece." I reply cheerfully, swallowing the wolf in darkness. Can't have the meaty bits rotting. His blood is refreshing, hot, eager and ready for battle. His soul is crude and angry, but despite that no worse than Oni Lee. Truly an enigma, Hookwolf.




Hookwolf's Power...

I flex and try out this new strength... it ripples on my skin like ice. The robe of blood flying wildly as gems of blood appear on my hands and head. Then my feet change. Steel stiletto-heels with bladed toes appear.

Marquis stares as the changes grow.

Gauntlets of steel tipped in bloody crystal form on my hands.

"Is this some kind of new fad?" He asks as the metal ripples across my body forming the most embarrassing of armours... bikini armour. Thankfully it is over the white of my Jiangshi guise, so I'm not explosed.

I turn and pose with my fingers in a 'V'.

"It's cosplay!" I laugh, crying on the inside. Somehow you did this Lee!

 

[consequences]

First there was a Tinker, then there was a blackmailed MILF. Then the mighty Wolf with Teeth Plus Three!
Doomed to purposeless deaths, to cosplaying Sailor V, You'll come a fighting off Jiangshi with me.

 

[Mr. Cloak]

I know it isn't likely, but I keep hoping that Taylor ends up somewhat like Abridged!Alucard. You know- sassy, amused at the world, and enjoying the fact that she has powers, and trolling the ship out of everyone....
Oh well, a warbot can dream.