Hugging bear?
Also, place your bets people, who will be fourth! My guess is on the Cosmic Child(issues with friends)
And the final… bees? hollow nest?(the locker, insects)
The Light of Brockton Bay (Taylor Hebert Alt-Power)
- Thread starter Alexandra_Revoe
- Start date
- Crossover
Also, place your bets people, who will be fourth! My guess is on the Cosmic Child(issues with friends)
And the final… bees? hollow nest?(the locker, insects)
Go Vicky prove you're that smart one there! Or at least emotionally intelligent one.
JVR
Contessa's #1 Fangirl
- Location
- Cauldron Compound
That's not the impression I got from this chapter. They look a hell of lot more like they're going straight into Cover Our Assess mode, where the name of the game is deny, deny, deny to avoid that nasty PR black eye in the press. As such, I rather suspect that Taylor's about to be thrown under the bus in short order when they hold a press conference about what happened. No chance in hell they'll admit wrongdoing, so Taylor just got nominated as the scapegoat.
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I suspect they will try that. Then Taylor will somehow end up joining new wave.
That or Panpan will go villain with her.
JVR
Contessa's #1 Fangirl
- Location
- Cauldron Compound
Either would be interesting. The PRT loses in both of those cases, however, so I suspect they won't take those outcomes lying down.
Yo, why is simmy in my thread
I'm fully expecting the PRT to go into ass coverage mode, the ENE wouldn't survive the Sophia induced political shitstorm when their biggest enemies are a small army if neo-nazis. Not to mention Piggot will probably start shrieking "biotinker" as soon as she hears about the blood room and try to pre-sign a kill order.
Most likely they quietly transfer Shadow Stalker somewhere she can't do much more damage and just quietly stop mentioning she even exists in the area while loudly proclaiming how evil Da'at is for "pretending to join the wards just to attack them". IRL feds have done it before often enough, and it's worked well enough for them.
Most likely they quietly transfer Shadow Stalker somewhere she can't do much more damage and just quietly stop mentioning she even exists in the area while loudly proclaiming how evil Da'at is for "pretending to join the wards just to attack them". IRL feds have done it before often enough, and it's worked well enough for them.
Tisaku
Head Chief Thinkomancer
Weird that it's still that for you. I edited that yesterday
- Location
- US
Labyrinth isn't a kid, she's older than Victoria. Very late teens or early twenties, since she's around Burnscar's age.
Teth 2.10
Note: Just a quick FYI. I'm handling the realization power level differently than the normal EGO power level. Taylor can almost use HE but can't just yet, so I toned the power levels of higher-rated EGO down. Technically it's possible; in Library of Ruina, Fairy Festival was just about as powerful as Snow White's Apple, and that's a WAW vs. ZAYIN. I also made a Twitter account. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it, but I put a link in my bio.
- Victoria's POV
The cracks in my vision widen as I feel the world around me both crumble and resolidify at the same time. I try to float back to the ground, but my sense of direction is messed up, and I land tilted. I feel around on the floor for a moment, trying to stand up. I can feel the smooth surface of tiles beneath my hands. The cracks slowly shrink before fading entirely. I'm now in a school hallway I don't recognize, not that I was expecting to recognize it.
The floor has pristine, mostly white tiles, with some coloured ones making decorative patterns. Perfectly clean blue lockers line white walls with an odd green tint. Panels above provide light to the hallway itself. It's a perfect school hallway. It has no marks, no litter, not even dust. The PRT heroes seem a little better off compared to the first time the scenery changed. We're still going good, Battery has a minor cut, and Armsmaster's equipment is looking a little beat up, especially his shoulder guard.
Everyone is on guard for obvious reasons, but Da'at is nowhere to be seen. There are a couple of doors in the hallway that are closed. Armsmaster takes the lead. "Dauntless and Battery take the rear guard. Glory Girl and I will be the vanguard. We don't know which direction Da'at will be coming from. Velocity will scout ahead."
This gets a nod from everyone. We all take our positions as Velocity speeds off to check the hallway and doors one by one.
"Miss Militia." I turn to the person in the middle of our formation. "I wasn't as forceful about it before, but after fighting whatever the fuck Da'at just was, I'm going to ask again." I glare at her while turning up my aura. "What exactly happened when Da'at was visiting the Wards? Armsmaster's tone is always a perfect neutral, so it's impossible to tell he's lying, but you looked ashamed when I mentioned Sophia."
"Glory Girl. I understand the situation is stressful, but I will not tolerate you assaulting a member of the Protectorate with your aura." I want to punch him so badly, but I'm smart enough not to. I lower my aura, for now at least. "Just remember, I will find out after this is done."
Velocity arrives back to the group. "Uh, I found Da'at, but it's weird. Here, just follow me." He beckons us forward. "The hallway just goes around in a square; every door leads to a classroom. I didn't find any exits either."
We are led to the only non-standard classroom door, covered with bright rainbows and suns and children's drawings. "You're so funny, Emma." I flinch at the voice before taking a peek inside. Inside is what seems to be a preschool. A puzzle piece mat takes up most of the room with a bunch of toys strewn on top. Paper snowflakes hang from the ceiling from long pieces of string. In the middle of the room is Da'at and... someone else?
Da'at looks like a giant stuffed bear. Her arms were brown, round, smooth, and thick, with giant metal claws at the end. Her torso had the same texture as her arms, but there was a section down the middle that had a thick fuzz like her paws with a stitched-on heart in the center. The lower part of the outfit transitioned into a frilly dress. Her eyes were mismatched, one green and one blue. She also had a pair of teddy bear ears near the top of her head that would've made me chuckle in any other circumstance.
Sitting across from her was someone who I had never seen before. She had her back turned to me, but I could see she was a redhead, with a grey shirt and blue jeans. She felt... off, though. Something about her just didn't seem right. I'm just going to call them Emma since Da'at did. Apparently being a stuffed bear came with a good sense of smell, because Da'at sniffed in the air before jerking her head to look directly at the door we were behind.
"Get behind me!" Da'at jumped up and got between us and the new person. Emma suddenly backs up behind her, giving me a good look at her face. It's not a person. It's a living, stuffed doll. With a quick closer inspection, I can faintly see the fabric that makes her body. The main thing that gives her away is the button eyes. "They're going to get me." It turns out the stuffed doll can speak and is a bitch too, because I can see her sport a devious smile. "I think they're going to hurt me. Could you please stop them, Taytay?"
Taylor puts on a wide smile and briefly looks back at Emma. "Anything for you." I can see Emma briefly put on a scared expression when Da'at looks back at her, only to put on her smile again when unobserved. The team of PRT heroes that have been looking through the door all jerk backward. "Into position!"
Da'at rams herself through the doorway, her thick arms a little too wide to fit normally. The concrete wall around the doorway gets obliterated into pieces. She slowly walks towards us with her arms dragging behind her. Emma follows closely behind her. Miss Militia opens fire with an assault rifle down the hall as Armsmaster and I flank Da'at on both her sides. The bullets pelted into Da'at, but the wounds quickly closed over, leaving little stitches.
Da'at swipes forward with both her arms at once. Armsmaster uses his halberd to cut the incoming arm off, and I try a retaliation punch. Armsmaster's counterstrike gets completely overwhelmed as the clash wins in Da'at's favour with no contest. I can feel my punch collide with something soft but unmovable, and my shield gets shattered. We both fly a few dozen feet back. I stop myself with my flight and grab Armsmaster before he can land. His chestplate has a decently sized dent in it.
"That was great, Taylor; you're my best friend." Da'at's name is Taylor? I feel bad that she isn't mentally stable enough to know she's outing herself. "I'm just happy to be wanted." I really don't like the smirk on Emma's face. There was a large cut on Taylor's right hand from Armsmaster's halberd. I can see it stitching back up, but the scar doesn't go away.
Assault takes the initiative by punching a locker door off its hinges and throwing it at Taylor. Taylor jumps to the side and swipes the locker door away with her arm. She quickly regrets doing so because it gave Miss Militia an open line of sight to shoot at Emma. In the blink of an eye, the spray of bullets gets quickly intercepted as Da'at moves to block them with her body. A single bullet makes it through and strikes Emma in her arm. "AAAAH!"
Da'at runs up to her. "Emma, are you hurt?"
Emma looks at Taylor with a scowl. "You idiot! Can't you block one attack?" I'm not sure how, but Emma takes an oversized nail and drives it through Taylor's arm. "Be stronger than that!
Unlike the hits from before, Taylor winces as the nail pierces her near the elbow of her arm. "I promise to do better. I know you care about me."
I turn around and speak with a quiet voice. "I think I know what to do. Da'at cares about the Emma puppet. Assault and Velocity should loop around and harass from the other side."
Armsmaster nods. "I agree. She hits harder than the previous fights. Stay away and stick to attacks with range."
Assault and Velocity race off down the hall behind us. Taylor has started to walk towards us, albeit a little faster now. "I forgive you; I deserve it."
Me and Armsmaster are standing on either side of the hall. Miss Militia and Dauntless are harassing Taylor to no avail. The previous stitches had faded as if they had never been cut or pierced. Even the one on her hand was gone. Taylor uses her claws to rip off an entire locker from the wall and hurls it at us like a baseball. I block it with a punch, but my shield still flickers off and on.
It only took a few seconds for both speedsters to reach the other side. Assault wastes no time and throws another locker door while Velocity runs up to attack Emma. Taylor gets a panicked look and jumps toward Velocity while annihilating the metal door mid-jump. Bullets make their way past Taylor's defence, and Dauntless' arclance burns Emma's fabric.
"I'm being hit over here!" Emma swipes at Taylor with a nail, leaving a large gash on the side of her stomach. Stuffing pops out, but no stitches appear. Emma isn't even reacting to being hurt anymore and is solely focused on hurting Taylor. After a few more seconds of Taylor running back and forth to protect both sides, she looks roughed up. Every cut from Emma doesn't heal like normal, and numerous nails are stuck into her body.
"Ugh, that's it. You're so weak I don't even want to bother." Emma scoffs as she turns towards a door beside her.
"NO! WAIT! I TRIED MY BEST! PLEASE! WHAT DID I DO WRONG?" But it was too late. Emma steps through the door and slams it behind her. The door fades, and Taylor bangs on the wall where it once was, leaving large indents in the wall. "Don't forget me too." Fuck, this is sad. Why can't this be like a regular breakdown where you knock them out like normal and talk later?
The walls start to become marked with various stains, cuts, and graffiti. The ceiling light goes from a pristine white to a slightly sickly yellow. Parts of the lockers rust, and their paint starts to chip. The hallway, once pristine and perfect, changed into something you would find at a much lower-income school. Probably something like Winslow High.
Taylor turns to us with arms open wide. "I need a hug. Please. Anyone?" Taylor lunges for me in an attempt to hug me. I quickly retreat, and everyone opens fire again. Taylor slowly gets back on her feet and starts sprinting into the rain of bullets. Stitches are no longer healing any of her wounds, and her burns are no longer fading. What I did not expect was for her to turn on a dime and rapidly increase speed with her arms stretched.
Velocity just barely twists his torso out of the way, but Taylor managed to hug his arm. "A nostalgic embrace." I heard the arm snap, and Velocity screamed before using his power to slide his arm out. The bone of Velocity's bicep was broken. I think it was called the humorous? His arm was bending at a point it shouldn't.
"EVERYONE STAND BACK." Miss Militia screamed as she held her arms in front of her like she was about to brawl. A fucking rocket launcher manifested in her hands. I didn't even know she could get one of those. I feel my heart race in panic as it dawns on me that there is only one reason she would bring it out. She shoots the rocket, and it races towards Taylor.
Taylor barely has a moment to turn before the rocket hits her and explodes in her face. Dust fills the hallway and my ears are ringing. A few small pieces of debris hit me after my shield went down, but nothing major. I look back to find everyone dazed but standing. The dust settles, and I start to worry we may have gone too far.
Pieces of cotton are strewn about on the ground. Taylor's left leg is completely blown off, and most of her left arm is gone as well. An eye is cut open, and I feel bad to think this, but I'm glad that stuffing is coming out and not... something else. "Go on. Forget about me. Just like everyone else has."
I'm about to say something, but I stop when I hear a loud cracking noise. Behind Assault and Velocity, I see something turn around the corner. Both of them decide to take their chances and sprint past the maimed Taylor. I can see Velocity taking some deep breaths as he stands still beside me, holding his arm.
What turns around the corner is Emma, but she looks different now. She's filled with rough patchwork that barely looks like it's holding her together. Red strings are tied around her arms, fingers, legs, and just about every other place I can think of. "Emma! You came back for me?"
Emma scowls. "I wouldn't come back for someone so weak. I'm just here to put you out of your misery. I'm strong now, and I wouldn't hang out with a weakling like you."
I see the strings move as another figure comes into view behind her. I can feel my heart sink as I see someone I actually recognize. It's an unmistakable Shadow Stalker doll. It has her black cape, her body armour, and even her signature crossbow. All it was missing was her mask, and while it was still made of fabric, the black, slender face looked very real. It started to speak. "C'mon Emma, enough talking; the locker's ready."
Shadow Stalker tossed Emma a crossbow bolt that looked like a large nail before weirdly moving her arms. That was when I saw the strings around her arms, pulling various parts of Emma's body to catch said bolt. Everything in the hallway was beginning to fade as Shadow Stalker moved Emma to throw the bolt at Taylor. It pierces the stitched heart in the middle of Taylor's chest, and she screams.
The hall is now empty of decoration except for a single locker beside Taylor. I want to stop this, but I can't. I feel like something is suffocating me and I just can't move my body when I try to. Emma and Shadow Stalker start to walk up on the unmoving but sobbing Taylor. Shadow Stalker opens the locker; I can smell it from here, and I can see it filled to the brim with disgusting filth. "Have a good time, Hebert," Shadow Stalker says, pulling her arm up, causing Emma to kick Taylor forward.
Taylor tumbles and lands inside the locker. "NO! NO! PLEASE! NOT AGAIN! ANYTHING BUT THIS AGAIN!" But it fell on deaf ears. Shadow Stalker laughs along with Emma. "That'll teach her to think twice before coming back to school again." Words can't describe how disgusted I feel. I want to beat those two to a pulp, but I know they aren't real. I have a feeling that the PRT will try to say this was all a delusional story from Taylor, but it's just too... vivid.
The two walk around the corner, out of sight, and I feel like I can move again. We all just sit and stare in silence. I know we can all move, but I can't think about anything right now, so I just stare at the one remaining locker. In fact, everyone is just staring at the locker too. Wait, this feels weird. My thoughts are interrupted when I hear the screeching of metal on metal.
The locker shakes and the metal bends. "All you do is just stand and watch. Does it make you feel good? Do you feel better knowing my life is worse?" The slits at the top of the locker warp and change. "I could have dealt with it all. The bullying would have been fine. But it was the fact that they derived such enjoyment from it that hurt the most." I began to feel the pressure in the air rise; the fabric of space wore thin. "They always looked at me with eyes filled with glee."
"I just wish they would look away." Cracks filled my vision as the room darkened.
-The Light of Brockton Bay-
- Victoria's POV
The cracks in my vision widen as I feel the world around me both crumble and resolidify at the same time. I try to float back to the ground, but my sense of direction is messed up, and I land tilted. I feel around on the floor for a moment, trying to stand up. I can feel the smooth surface of tiles beneath my hands. The cracks slowly shrink before fading entirely. I'm now in a school hallway I don't recognize, not that I was expecting to recognize it.
The floor has pristine, mostly white tiles, with some coloured ones making decorative patterns. Perfectly clean blue lockers line white walls with an odd green tint. Panels above provide light to the hallway itself. It's a perfect school hallway. It has no marks, no litter, not even dust. The PRT heroes seem a little better off compared to the first time the scenery changed. We're still going good, Battery has a minor cut, and Armsmaster's equipment is looking a little beat up, especially his shoulder guard.
Everyone is on guard for obvious reasons, but Da'at is nowhere to be seen. There are a couple of doors in the hallway that are closed. Armsmaster takes the lead. "Dauntless and Battery take the rear guard. Glory Girl and I will be the vanguard. We don't know which direction Da'at will be coming from. Velocity will scout ahead."
This gets a nod from everyone. We all take our positions as Velocity speeds off to check the hallway and doors one by one.
"Miss Militia." I turn to the person in the middle of our formation. "I wasn't as forceful about it before, but after fighting whatever the fuck Da'at just was, I'm going to ask again." I glare at her while turning up my aura. "What exactly happened when Da'at was visiting the Wards? Armsmaster's tone is always a perfect neutral, so it's impossible to tell he's lying, but you looked ashamed when I mentioned Sophia."
"Glory Girl. I understand the situation is stressful, but I will not tolerate you assaulting a member of the Protectorate with your aura." I want to punch him so badly, but I'm smart enough not to. I lower my aura, for now at least. "Just remember, I will find out after this is done."
Velocity arrives back to the group. "Uh, I found Da'at, but it's weird. Here, just follow me." He beckons us forward. "The hallway just goes around in a square; every door leads to a classroom. I didn't find any exits either."
We are led to the only non-standard classroom door, covered with bright rainbows and suns and children's drawings. "You're so funny, Emma." I flinch at the voice before taking a peek inside. Inside is what seems to be a preschool. A puzzle piece mat takes up most of the room with a bunch of toys strewn on top. Paper snowflakes hang from the ceiling from long pieces of string. In the middle of the room is Da'at and... someone else?
Da'at looks like a giant stuffed bear. Her arms were brown, round, smooth, and thick, with giant metal claws at the end. Her torso had the same texture as her arms, but there was a section down the middle that had a thick fuzz like her paws with a stitched-on heart in the center. The lower part of the outfit transitioned into a frilly dress. Her eyes were mismatched, one green and one blue. She also had a pair of teddy bear ears near the top of her head that would've made me chuckle in any other circumstance.
Sitting across from her was someone who I had never seen before. She had her back turned to me, but I could see she was a redhead, with a grey shirt and blue jeans. She felt... off, though. Something about her just didn't seem right. I'm just going to call them Emma since Da'at did. Apparently being a stuffed bear came with a good sense of smell, because Da'at sniffed in the air before jerking her head to look directly at the door we were behind.
"Get behind me!" Da'at jumped up and got between us and the new person. Emma suddenly backs up behind her, giving me a good look at her face. It's not a person. It's a living, stuffed doll. With a quick closer inspection, I can faintly see the fabric that makes her body. The main thing that gives her away is the button eyes. "They're going to get me." It turns out the stuffed doll can speak and is a bitch too, because I can see her sport a devious smile. "I think they're going to hurt me. Could you please stop them, Taytay?"
Taylor puts on a wide smile and briefly looks back at Emma. "Anything for you." I can see Emma briefly put on a scared expression when Da'at looks back at her, only to put on her smile again when unobserved. The team of PRT heroes that have been looking through the door all jerk backward. "Into position!"
Da'at rams herself through the doorway, her thick arms a little too wide to fit normally. The concrete wall around the doorway gets obliterated into pieces. She slowly walks towards us with her arms dragging behind her. Emma follows closely behind her. Miss Militia opens fire with an assault rifle down the hall as Armsmaster and I flank Da'at on both her sides. The bullets pelted into Da'at, but the wounds quickly closed over, leaving little stitches.
Da'at swipes forward with both her arms at once. Armsmaster uses his halberd to cut the incoming arm off, and I try a retaliation punch. Armsmaster's counterstrike gets completely overwhelmed as the clash wins in Da'at's favour with no contest. I can feel my punch collide with something soft but unmovable, and my shield gets shattered. We both fly a few dozen feet back. I stop myself with my flight and grab Armsmaster before he can land. His chestplate has a decently sized dent in it.
"That was great, Taylor; you're my best friend." Da'at's name is Taylor? I feel bad that she isn't mentally stable enough to know she's outing herself. "I'm just happy to be wanted." I really don't like the smirk on Emma's face. There was a large cut on Taylor's right hand from Armsmaster's halberd. I can see it stitching back up, but the scar doesn't go away.
Assault takes the initiative by punching a locker door off its hinges and throwing it at Taylor. Taylor jumps to the side and swipes the locker door away with her arm. She quickly regrets doing so because it gave Miss Militia an open line of sight to shoot at Emma. In the blink of an eye, the spray of bullets gets quickly intercepted as Da'at moves to block them with her body. A single bullet makes it through and strikes Emma in her arm. "AAAAH!"
Da'at runs up to her. "Emma, are you hurt?"
Emma looks at Taylor with a scowl. "You idiot! Can't you block one attack?" I'm not sure how, but Emma takes an oversized nail and drives it through Taylor's arm. "Be stronger than that!
Unlike the hits from before, Taylor winces as the nail pierces her near the elbow of her arm. "I promise to do better. I know you care about me."
I turn around and speak with a quiet voice. "I think I know what to do. Da'at cares about the Emma puppet. Assault and Velocity should loop around and harass from the other side."
Armsmaster nods. "I agree. She hits harder than the previous fights. Stay away and stick to attacks with range."
Assault and Velocity race off down the hall behind us. Taylor has started to walk towards us, albeit a little faster now. "I forgive you; I deserve it."
Me and Armsmaster are standing on either side of the hall. Miss Militia and Dauntless are harassing Taylor to no avail. The previous stitches had faded as if they had never been cut or pierced. Even the one on her hand was gone. Taylor uses her claws to rip off an entire locker from the wall and hurls it at us like a baseball. I block it with a punch, but my shield still flickers off and on.
It only took a few seconds for both speedsters to reach the other side. Assault wastes no time and throws another locker door while Velocity runs up to attack Emma. Taylor gets a panicked look and jumps toward Velocity while annihilating the metal door mid-jump. Bullets make their way past Taylor's defence, and Dauntless' arclance burns Emma's fabric.
"I'm being hit over here!" Emma swipes at Taylor with a nail, leaving a large gash on the side of her stomach. Stuffing pops out, but no stitches appear. Emma isn't even reacting to being hurt anymore and is solely focused on hurting Taylor. After a few more seconds of Taylor running back and forth to protect both sides, she looks roughed up. Every cut from Emma doesn't heal like normal, and numerous nails are stuck into her body.
"Ugh, that's it. You're so weak I don't even want to bother." Emma scoffs as she turns towards a door beside her.
"NO! WAIT! I TRIED MY BEST! PLEASE! WHAT DID I DO WRONG?" But it was too late. Emma steps through the door and slams it behind her. The door fades, and Taylor bangs on the wall where it once was, leaving large indents in the wall. "Don't forget me too." Fuck, this is sad. Why can't this be like a regular breakdown where you knock them out like normal and talk later?
The walls start to become marked with various stains, cuts, and graffiti. The ceiling light goes from a pristine white to a slightly sickly yellow. Parts of the lockers rust, and their paint starts to chip. The hallway, once pristine and perfect, changed into something you would find at a much lower-income school. Probably something like Winslow High.
Taylor turns to us with arms open wide. "I need a hug. Please. Anyone?" Taylor lunges for me in an attempt to hug me. I quickly retreat, and everyone opens fire again. Taylor slowly gets back on her feet and starts sprinting into the rain of bullets. Stitches are no longer healing any of her wounds, and her burns are no longer fading. What I did not expect was for her to turn on a dime and rapidly increase speed with her arms stretched.
Velocity just barely twists his torso out of the way, but Taylor managed to hug his arm. "A nostalgic embrace." I heard the arm snap, and Velocity screamed before using his power to slide his arm out. The bone of Velocity's bicep was broken. I think it was called the humorous? His arm was bending at a point it shouldn't.
"EVERYONE STAND BACK." Miss Militia screamed as she held her arms in front of her like she was about to brawl. A fucking rocket launcher manifested in her hands. I didn't even know she could get one of those. I feel my heart race in panic as it dawns on me that there is only one reason she would bring it out. She shoots the rocket, and it races towards Taylor.
Taylor barely has a moment to turn before the rocket hits her and explodes in her face. Dust fills the hallway and my ears are ringing. A few small pieces of debris hit me after my shield went down, but nothing major. I look back to find everyone dazed but standing. The dust settles, and I start to worry we may have gone too far.
Pieces of cotton are strewn about on the ground. Taylor's left leg is completely blown off, and most of her left arm is gone as well. An eye is cut open, and I feel bad to think this, but I'm glad that stuffing is coming out and not... something else. "Go on. Forget about me. Just like everyone else has."
I'm about to say something, but I stop when I hear a loud cracking noise. Behind Assault and Velocity, I see something turn around the corner. Both of them decide to take their chances and sprint past the maimed Taylor. I can see Velocity taking some deep breaths as he stands still beside me, holding his arm.
What turns around the corner is Emma, but she looks different now. She's filled with rough patchwork that barely looks like it's holding her together. Red strings are tied around her arms, fingers, legs, and just about every other place I can think of. "Emma! You came back for me?"
Emma scowls. "I wouldn't come back for someone so weak. I'm just here to put you out of your misery. I'm strong now, and I wouldn't hang out with a weakling like you."
I see the strings move as another figure comes into view behind her. I can feel my heart sink as I see someone I actually recognize. It's an unmistakable Shadow Stalker doll. It has her black cape, her body armour, and even her signature crossbow. All it was missing was her mask, and while it was still made of fabric, the black, slender face looked very real. It started to speak. "C'mon Emma, enough talking; the locker's ready."
Shadow Stalker tossed Emma a crossbow bolt that looked like a large nail before weirdly moving her arms. That was when I saw the strings around her arms, pulling various parts of Emma's body to catch said bolt. Everything in the hallway was beginning to fade as Shadow Stalker moved Emma to throw the bolt at Taylor. It pierces the stitched heart in the middle of Taylor's chest, and she screams.
The hall is now empty of decoration except for a single locker beside Taylor. I want to stop this, but I can't. I feel like something is suffocating me and I just can't move my body when I try to. Emma and Shadow Stalker start to walk up on the unmoving but sobbing Taylor. Shadow Stalker opens the locker; I can smell it from here, and I can see it filled to the brim with disgusting filth. "Have a good time, Hebert," Shadow Stalker says, pulling her arm up, causing Emma to kick Taylor forward.
Taylor tumbles and lands inside the locker. "NO! NO! PLEASE! NOT AGAIN! ANYTHING BUT THIS AGAIN!" But it fell on deaf ears. Shadow Stalker laughs along with Emma. "That'll teach her to think twice before coming back to school again." Words can't describe how disgusted I feel. I want to beat those two to a pulp, but I know they aren't real. I have a feeling that the PRT will try to say this was all a delusional story from Taylor, but it's just too... vivid.
The two walk around the corner, out of sight, and I feel like I can move again. We all just sit and stare in silence. I know we can all move, but I can't think about anything right now, so I just stare at the one remaining locker. In fact, everyone is just staring at the locker too. Wait, this feels weird. My thoughts are interrupted when I hear the screeching of metal on metal.
The locker shakes and the metal bends. "All you do is just stand and watch. Does it make you feel good? Do you feel better knowing my life is worse?" The slits at the top of the locker warp and change. "I could have dealt with it all. The bullying would have been fine. But it was the fact that they derived such enjoyment from it that hurt the most." I began to feel the pressure in the air rise; the fabric of space wore thin. "They always looked at me with eyes filled with glee."
"I just wish they would look away." Cracks filled my vision as the room darkened.
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- Location
- New Carollton, Maryland
Ah.
Schadenfreude. How unexpected.
Schadenfreude. How unexpected.
Well that's a whole lotta trauma. For everybody.
So what are the bets on GG and Panacea having some less then nice opinions about the PRT ene after they get all the details?
Mine is bad. With a dash of horror.
So what are the bets on GG and Panacea having some less then nice opinions about the PRT ene after they get all the details?
Mine is bad. With a dash of horror.
DoSomething
Trash in trash can
At least Taylor would feel better after everything is done. Maybe realise something about herself. Beating up manifestation of your trauma does that to you, I guess.
Edit: You could say that she's trauma dumping real hard right now
Edit: You could say that she's trauma dumping real hard right now
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It's not her beating them but but ya she is trauma dumping
Ow wow, missed!
Well then, if the fourth one is this shy lock hole, then I guess the final one will be about killing everyone who just inconvenienced her(I have no clue who it will be then), taking the mantle of the hunter herself to hunt down the trio(Litle Red Hooded Mercenary OR/AND Big and (might be) Bad Wolf), or issues with dad who never interacted with her since the incident(no clue either)
DoSomething
Trash in trash can
Guys, hear me out... Queen of Hatred as last one.
Because she's tried to be hero.
Yeah, good point. Or Knight of Despair(dead close one). Or Servant of Wrath(just fuckin HATES everything and ANGY)
Or fuck it—Train to Hell(because of everything that happened)
I'm wondering why the hell someone hasn't just walked up to Taylor and hugged her. She's literally been asking for it, and nobody is listening. Glory Girl would be perfect for it, she can take a hit without getting hurt.
When they saw her originally protecting Emma in the classroom, why did they immediately go for attacking and not try talking again? When target is not actively attacking you and things have obviously changed, isn't that the prime time to try talking them down?
This story is looking more like a simple variation on grimderp Worm where the only difference is how Taylor is in pain. May not stick with it much longer unless things start improving for her. Hell, I never read the original because I'm not looking to be more depressed from WB's setting.
When they saw her originally protecting Emma in the classroom, why did they immediately go for attacking and not try talking again? When target is not actively attacking you and things have obviously changed, isn't that the prime time to try talking them down?
This story is looking more like a simple variation on grimderp Worm where the only difference is how Taylor is in pain. May not stick with it much longer unless things start improving for her. Hell, I never read the original because I'm not looking to be more depressed from WB's setting.
Because GGs shield is a bubble, constantly applying pressure will weaken and break it
Cause capes and their shards—they see something new and want to research it, but the only way they know how is CONFLICT
I hope so too and if I'm right about realisations it's basically fighting your psychiatrist to resolve the issues, so she should be fine
Hugging her would be a death sentence. None of them can handle it. Glory Girl's shield breaks after one hit and also breaks from a continuous hit. Her shield would shatter, and a few seconds later she would shatter too.
The heroes did back up. Taylor broke a good section of a wall to bust through a doorway in pursuit. The heroes also don't expect to have a random talking moment since they have been fighting for a good few minutes now. Also adrenaline. Also Shards are also driven to conflict.
The only time Taylor has really been in pain is this realization. Which has only been the last 2 chapters and a little bit of the 2 before those. I also like how you say, "Unless things start improving for her." As if she hasn't made friends with Amy and is slowly improving her relationship with her dad. You're literally saying, "I don't want to read something too depressing," when reading a WORM and PROJECT MOON fanfiction.
Teth 2.11
Note: Sorry for the big gap; it's end-of-year university stuff. Teth is almost done. It's going to go 2.12, then a big interlude, and finally 2.13 before heading into HE.
- Victoria's POV
The cracks in reality stayed for longer this time around. I can only hope it means Da'at is running out of steam. The reconfiguration had taken about 10 seconds at first, but this time it took a full minute. The fractures slowly mend themselves, and my vision clears.
The room's walls, floor, and ceiling are all made of the same grey metal. A cold iron box now surrounds us, grey and lifeless. I almost think that it was the room's walls that gave the room the smell of iron. It was the smell of the blood, however. It was disgusting in the room; trash, used pads, blood, and vomit were all either scattered or in giant mounds. I instinctively float above the surface because I do not want to step on the ground if I don't have to.
The PRT heroes aren't looking so hot anymore. I can see they're trying to look as if they aren't getting tired, but there are a few telltale signs. It's not much, but exhaustion is slowly setting in. Velocity's arm looks bad; we're lucky that the broken arm didn't rip the skin, or else we would have a severe bleeding problem.
"Does this give you the enjoyment you crave?" Unlike the first three fights, our group barely has time to prepare before this one. Armsmaster stands in front; he looks annoyed, probably because he just got his ass handed to him. Velocity takes a step back, and the rest of the heroes get into formation. I set my eyes on Taylor, who has once again changed forms.
Taylor is completely covered from head to toe, with no discernible features; if I didn't already know who she was, I wouldn't even be able to tell her gender. On her head is a metal box that looks like a safe with no combination lock on it. What looks to be a camera lens is attached to the top left. At least I think it's a camera lens until it starts jittering around like it's an eye. I can see Taylor's eye through a keyhole where her right eye should be. I can see the eye though I shouldn't be able to with this lighting.
Her body is covered with an assortment of chains, barbed wire, razor wire, cable, and locks. Some of these go around the safe on her head as well, but not to the point where they completely obscure what is underneath. Minor amounts of blood drip from various points of her body, and I'm not sure if it's from her or the environment. Her right hand is replaced with a massive buzzsaw that is somehow held in place by her bindings, while the bindings on her left arm instead condense and refine into a sharp metal spike.
I see her just standing there, wallowing in her suffering. I feel drawn to stare at her and watch; maybe I should go and make her feel worse. She's just so pathetic looking; I can't help but feel happy that I'm not her. I just want to stare at this pathetic, miserable little runt and feel ecstatic that I'm not-. 'Wait, what the fuck am I thinking?'
My thoughts are being muddled. I can feel the desire to just watch Taylor suffer. Wait, does Taylor have a master power now, and all it does is make people want to watch her suffer, feel happy about it, and want to cause more? I swear if I didn't know she wasn't fully aware right now, I would've thought she was trying to get pity points. Luckily, I have a way less known power, which is resistance against emotional master effects, so I can resist whatever this is.
I hear giggling next to me and look over my shoulder to find the entire PRT roster looking at Taylor with the biggest smiles I've ever seen. Assault is snickering openly and pointing a finger. The only one who isn't is Armsmaster; instead, he looks slightly panicked and says, "Master stranger protocols." But the rest of them aren't even listening.
"I think it's sight-based," I interject as I attempt to cover Miss Militia's eyes. Taylor has other plans, though.
"Why do you enjoy my torment? Can you not reach happiness without anyone to step on?" Taylor swings her right arm's buzzsaw horizontally. The arm extends and stretches like a weight tied to a rubber band. The buzzsaw nails me in my side and grinds into my shield for a quarter of a second before I back up. It then continues moving before retracting back to her side. My shield takes longer to come back up because it got hit with a continuous attack.
Taylor's left arm spike shoots towards Armsmaster, who parries it with his halberd. The clash rings in my ears, and Armsmaster slides back from the impact, the wet ground providing less friction. I can see a flash of electricity travel up the mass of metal, but it is seemingly ineffective. I dodge another swipe of the sawblade, still without my shield. Armsmaster attempts to cut the thinned mass of metal holding the sawblade as it goes past him; that seems to do a little damage, but it's hard to tell.
Suddenly, every other PRT hero rushes into melee range at once, even Velocity with his broken arm and Miss Militia, who normally sticks to range. The 3 speedsters aren't even using their powers; they're running normally. 'Fuck they're mastered.' Thinking fast, I blast my aura as strong as I possibly can, targeting everyone except for Armsmaster. I can see Taylor's form get stunned, which brings me a hint of joy. Everyone else turns around to look at me with starry eyes, no longer looking at Taylor.
"Armsmaster, hold Da'at off." I look at the rest who are looking at me and lower my aura's effect gradually. Their awareness slowly blooms, and I shout before they look back towards the fight. "Da'at has a sight-based master effect. Don't get caught by it."
"Can't you just look away?" Armsmaster is a blur of parries and counter-attacks. Every clash has a spark of electricity. Taylor switches up her attack pattern and uses both arms at once instead of one after the other. Armsmaster is forced to roll out of the way of the sawblade's path, but the spike is now heading towards the group.
I'm about to shout, but the spike turns upwards and blasts upward like a bullet for me. I pivot in the air and punch the spike as it goes by. The trajectory changes, and it embeds itself in the nearby metal wall. Why had Taylor gone for me? There were several people between us, but the spike seemingly avoided everyone else. Wouldn't it be easier to hit someone who isn't looking? An idea flashes in my head.
"There's a chance Da'at can only attack those who are looking at her. It makes sense when paired with her master power." Armsmaster needs help. He can't deal with Taylor alone. I fly and weave around the flailing arms, making sure to keep my eyes on Taylor. The spike arm flies past me as I land a direct blow to the box around Taylor's head. The barbs cause my shield to shatter on impact. Taylor flies backwards, and her arms retract with her. I didn't notice her left arm had curved behind me, and it sliced into the side of my stomach. It wasn't deliberate, so it isn't deep, but it's still bleeding.
It's not often I get hurt; even after years of crime fighting, I'm still not immune to the shock that comes with injuries. I clutch my side with a shout and fly backwards. Miss Militia shouts, "OUT OF THE WAY." I open my eyes and see something fly through the air over me towards where Da'at is. It takes a second to recognize it. Miss Militia had thrown a smoke grenade with her eyes closed.
Armsmaster makes his way back to the group, and the smoke grenade lets out a hiss as it quickly fills the area behind us with smoke. I can't see Taylor because I knocked her behind one of the garbage piles, but the smoke should buy us a moment to plan.
I turn to Armsmaster. "How did you not get mastered?"
"The perception filter built into my visor happens to cancel out the effect that looking at Da'at causes." He replies.
Miss Militia throws another smoke grenade and throws it in the same direction. "I couldn't see the fight; did Da'at get hurt from either of your attacks?" We both shake our heads no to that question.
Dauntless points towards Miss Militia. "She's made of metal. Can't you make a thermite grenade?"
I hate that I have to do this. I can already feel that my emotions are about to boil over. I shakily nod my head. "It would be hard to hit it on target; I could carry it."
Armsmaster steps closer. "Everyone here is susceptible to Da'at's master influence. Me and Glory Girl will face off against Da'at by ourselves while the rest of you will set up behind cover, out of sight."
Miss Militia hands me a square, flat, and red brick. "This is a thermite charge. The bottom is sticky, so don't touch it there. After you plant it, pull the string and back the hell away. Also, don't look while it's burning, unless you want to burn your retinas."
I take the brick in my hand, and the group splits into two. I slowly inch my way into the smoke with Armsmaster beside me. My stomach is still in pain, but the adrenaline is kicking in. I can feel my heartbeat as I drift through the smoke. I can't hear or see where Taylor is, so for all I know I could bump into her randomly.
"The eyes are gone. Why do I still feel empty?" I slowly move towards Taylor's voice, and the smoke starts to clear as I exit the cloud. Almost instantly, her spike rushes at me. "Don't look at me!"
Armsmaster intercepts it with his halberd. "Plant the charge."
Da'at moves her arm back and throws the sawblade like a bowling ball. I evade to the side, but it kicks off the ground when it gets near me. It's barely a graze, but my shield flickers. I duck under the spike that tried to hit me from behind in the same manner as last time and do a barrel roll out of the way of both the incoming arms.
I blast my aura on Taylor again. It was a full stun last time, but now it's only a flinch. I only need that short moment, though. I fly up to her head and stick the charge on top. As I pass by, I pull the string and fly away. 'I'm so sorry, Taylor.' I can hear a loud 'Tch' followed by the sound of what I assume to be thermite burning.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-" The scream makes my stomach churn. 'She was half blown up when she was the stuffed bear. She's fine. She's fine. She's fine.' I try to convince myself that she'll be okay, but the gut-curdling scream won't let me. Tears flow down my cheeks as I try to ignore what's happening behind me.
Garbage piles nearby slowly fade into light. The blood stains dry up and disappear. I open my now slightly puffy eyes and see the PRT heroes walking towards me. The room slowly begins to brighten. All that's left is just a cold iron coffin of a room.
I turn back towards Taylor; she's glowing, but it's fading. She's sitting down with her legs in the shape of an 'M'; her knees are in front of her and bent so that she sits in between the two legs. Her arms are at her sides, and her hands are on the ground face up. Her body is leaning towards her right, her head hanging limp, face towards the ground. Blood soaks her clothes; her body is riddled with cuts and gashes that would kill a normal person.
She stirs and starts to talk. Her voice is raspy and hoarse. "I just wanted to live, but now... there's nothing left."
I take a step forward and try not to choke on my own words. "You don't have to fight; we can still fix this."
I can feel my heart break as Taylor lets out a sad chuckle. "No. I have already gone too far. My identity is leaked, I assaulted the entire Protectorate, my dad can barely keep himself together without even knowing my problems, my mom's dead, and my friends are gone."
Taylor brings one of her knees up to lean on. "There's nothing left for me. I have nothing to lose."
Fuck I'm going to cry again. "That doesn't mean you have to continue fighting, though."
Taylor looks up at me with a scowl. Her left eye has a cut over it, and her nose is bleeding profusely. "You're wrong. That's the only thing I can do. I hate the PRT for what they've allowed to happen to me. The only respite I have is knowing that I inflicted a little bit of the pain I felt back onto you. I don't hate you, and I get why you're helping them, but surely you can understand this from my point."
Armsmaster, like the uncaring robot that he is, decides it's time to interrupt. "That's enough. Are you surrendering? If not, then I will be forced to incapacitate you."
Taylor just ignores him and continues to speak to me directly. "Am I not justified to attack the people who ruined my life, even if unwittingly?"
Armsmaster goes to apprehend Taylor. I see a flash of light as a katana spontaneously materializes in her hands. Armsmaster has enough time to block it with the stick part of his halberd. The sword breaks it in half, and Armsmaster is pushed back. Taylor gets on her feet and points the sword directly at him. "I'm not done speaking yet, coward."
Taylor is now standing upright despite her injuries. "If you truly believe what you say, then put your life on the line for it." I'm not sure if she's telling this to Armsmaster, me, or the both of us.
"I hated the empty feeling I was forced to carry; I hated my life; I hated being abandoned; and I hated their jeers, but the thing I hated the most was the cowardice." Her outfit slowly begins to change for what feels like the last time.
"They always hid behind the protective authority I was denied if I ever thought of fighting back. They hid behind teachers, the principal, and now I learn that they hid behind the so-called heroes too." Plates made of black metal slowly extend over her arms and legs. The plates also made a helmet that slowly covered her head. The air starts to buzz.
"Now you will hide behind your PR teams and bury my story so that your reputation remains unaffected. If everyone has something to hide behind except for me, then my only option is to protect myself." A mask forms on her face. It has the form of a grotesque monster with a pair of giant white horns. The buzz increases to full-blown TV static.
"Even if I'm not strong enough, I don't care. A person with nothing left doesn't fear the loss of their life. So let us end this. Either I fall or you do. Trying to convince me otherwise-." A red lotus paints itself on her chest. The air is practically alive with the amount of energy in it. There is no spider web of cracks, just a single fissure down the middle of my vision.
"Is just reckless foolishness." The world splits apart.
-The Light of Brockton Bay-
- Victoria's POV
The cracks in reality stayed for longer this time around. I can only hope it means Da'at is running out of steam. The reconfiguration had taken about 10 seconds at first, but this time it took a full minute. The fractures slowly mend themselves, and my vision clears.
The room's walls, floor, and ceiling are all made of the same grey metal. A cold iron box now surrounds us, grey and lifeless. I almost think that it was the room's walls that gave the room the smell of iron. It was the smell of the blood, however. It was disgusting in the room; trash, used pads, blood, and vomit were all either scattered or in giant mounds. I instinctively float above the surface because I do not want to step on the ground if I don't have to.
The PRT heroes aren't looking so hot anymore. I can see they're trying to look as if they aren't getting tired, but there are a few telltale signs. It's not much, but exhaustion is slowly setting in. Velocity's arm looks bad; we're lucky that the broken arm didn't rip the skin, or else we would have a severe bleeding problem.
"Does this give you the enjoyment you crave?" Unlike the first three fights, our group barely has time to prepare before this one. Armsmaster stands in front; he looks annoyed, probably because he just got his ass handed to him. Velocity takes a step back, and the rest of the heroes get into formation. I set my eyes on Taylor, who has once again changed forms.
Taylor is completely covered from head to toe, with no discernible features; if I didn't already know who she was, I wouldn't even be able to tell her gender. On her head is a metal box that looks like a safe with no combination lock on it. What looks to be a camera lens is attached to the top left. At least I think it's a camera lens until it starts jittering around like it's an eye. I can see Taylor's eye through a keyhole where her right eye should be. I can see the eye though I shouldn't be able to with this lighting.
Her body is covered with an assortment of chains, barbed wire, razor wire, cable, and locks. Some of these go around the safe on her head as well, but not to the point where they completely obscure what is underneath. Minor amounts of blood drip from various points of her body, and I'm not sure if it's from her or the environment. Her right hand is replaced with a massive buzzsaw that is somehow held in place by her bindings, while the bindings on her left arm instead condense and refine into a sharp metal spike.
I see her just standing there, wallowing in her suffering. I feel drawn to stare at her and watch; maybe I should go and make her feel worse. She's just so pathetic looking; I can't help but feel happy that I'm not her. I just want to stare at this pathetic, miserable little runt and feel ecstatic that I'm not-. 'Wait, what the fuck am I thinking?'
My thoughts are being muddled. I can feel the desire to just watch Taylor suffer. Wait, does Taylor have a master power now, and all it does is make people want to watch her suffer, feel happy about it, and want to cause more? I swear if I didn't know she wasn't fully aware right now, I would've thought she was trying to get pity points. Luckily, I have a way less known power, which is resistance against emotional master effects, so I can resist whatever this is.
I hear giggling next to me and look over my shoulder to find the entire PRT roster looking at Taylor with the biggest smiles I've ever seen. Assault is snickering openly and pointing a finger. The only one who isn't is Armsmaster; instead, he looks slightly panicked and says, "Master stranger protocols." But the rest of them aren't even listening.
"I think it's sight-based," I interject as I attempt to cover Miss Militia's eyes. Taylor has other plans, though.
"Why do you enjoy my torment? Can you not reach happiness without anyone to step on?" Taylor swings her right arm's buzzsaw horizontally. The arm extends and stretches like a weight tied to a rubber band. The buzzsaw nails me in my side and grinds into my shield for a quarter of a second before I back up. It then continues moving before retracting back to her side. My shield takes longer to come back up because it got hit with a continuous attack.
Taylor's left arm spike shoots towards Armsmaster, who parries it with his halberd. The clash rings in my ears, and Armsmaster slides back from the impact, the wet ground providing less friction. I can see a flash of electricity travel up the mass of metal, but it is seemingly ineffective. I dodge another swipe of the sawblade, still without my shield. Armsmaster attempts to cut the thinned mass of metal holding the sawblade as it goes past him; that seems to do a little damage, but it's hard to tell.
Suddenly, every other PRT hero rushes into melee range at once, even Velocity with his broken arm and Miss Militia, who normally sticks to range. The 3 speedsters aren't even using their powers; they're running normally. 'Fuck they're mastered.' Thinking fast, I blast my aura as strong as I possibly can, targeting everyone except for Armsmaster. I can see Taylor's form get stunned, which brings me a hint of joy. Everyone else turns around to look at me with starry eyes, no longer looking at Taylor.
"Armsmaster, hold Da'at off." I look at the rest who are looking at me and lower my aura's effect gradually. Their awareness slowly blooms, and I shout before they look back towards the fight. "Da'at has a sight-based master effect. Don't get caught by it."
"Can't you just look away?" Armsmaster is a blur of parries and counter-attacks. Every clash has a spark of electricity. Taylor switches up her attack pattern and uses both arms at once instead of one after the other. Armsmaster is forced to roll out of the way of the sawblade's path, but the spike is now heading towards the group.
I'm about to shout, but the spike turns upwards and blasts upward like a bullet for me. I pivot in the air and punch the spike as it goes by. The trajectory changes, and it embeds itself in the nearby metal wall. Why had Taylor gone for me? There were several people between us, but the spike seemingly avoided everyone else. Wouldn't it be easier to hit someone who isn't looking? An idea flashes in my head.
"There's a chance Da'at can only attack those who are looking at her. It makes sense when paired with her master power." Armsmaster needs help. He can't deal with Taylor alone. I fly and weave around the flailing arms, making sure to keep my eyes on Taylor. The spike arm flies past me as I land a direct blow to the box around Taylor's head. The barbs cause my shield to shatter on impact. Taylor flies backwards, and her arms retract with her. I didn't notice her left arm had curved behind me, and it sliced into the side of my stomach. It wasn't deliberate, so it isn't deep, but it's still bleeding.
It's not often I get hurt; even after years of crime fighting, I'm still not immune to the shock that comes with injuries. I clutch my side with a shout and fly backwards. Miss Militia shouts, "OUT OF THE WAY." I open my eyes and see something fly through the air over me towards where Da'at is. It takes a second to recognize it. Miss Militia had thrown a smoke grenade with her eyes closed.
Armsmaster makes his way back to the group, and the smoke grenade lets out a hiss as it quickly fills the area behind us with smoke. I can't see Taylor because I knocked her behind one of the garbage piles, but the smoke should buy us a moment to plan.
I turn to Armsmaster. "How did you not get mastered?"
"The perception filter built into my visor happens to cancel out the effect that looking at Da'at causes." He replies.
Miss Militia throws another smoke grenade and throws it in the same direction. "I couldn't see the fight; did Da'at get hurt from either of your attacks?" We both shake our heads no to that question.
Dauntless points towards Miss Militia. "She's made of metal. Can't you make a thermite grenade?"
I hate that I have to do this. I can already feel that my emotions are about to boil over. I shakily nod my head. "It would be hard to hit it on target; I could carry it."
Armsmaster steps closer. "Everyone here is susceptible to Da'at's master influence. Me and Glory Girl will face off against Da'at by ourselves while the rest of you will set up behind cover, out of sight."
Miss Militia hands me a square, flat, and red brick. "This is a thermite charge. The bottom is sticky, so don't touch it there. After you plant it, pull the string and back the hell away. Also, don't look while it's burning, unless you want to burn your retinas."
I take the brick in my hand, and the group splits into two. I slowly inch my way into the smoke with Armsmaster beside me. My stomach is still in pain, but the adrenaline is kicking in. I can feel my heartbeat as I drift through the smoke. I can't hear or see where Taylor is, so for all I know I could bump into her randomly.
"The eyes are gone. Why do I still feel empty?" I slowly move towards Taylor's voice, and the smoke starts to clear as I exit the cloud. Almost instantly, her spike rushes at me. "Don't look at me!"
Armsmaster intercepts it with his halberd. "Plant the charge."
Da'at moves her arm back and throws the sawblade like a bowling ball. I evade to the side, but it kicks off the ground when it gets near me. It's barely a graze, but my shield flickers. I duck under the spike that tried to hit me from behind in the same manner as last time and do a barrel roll out of the way of both the incoming arms.
I blast my aura on Taylor again. It was a full stun last time, but now it's only a flinch. I only need that short moment, though. I fly up to her head and stick the charge on top. As I pass by, I pull the string and fly away. 'I'm so sorry, Taylor.' I can hear a loud 'Tch' followed by the sound of what I assume to be thermite burning.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-" The scream makes my stomach churn. 'She was half blown up when she was the stuffed bear. She's fine. She's fine. She's fine.' I try to convince myself that she'll be okay, but the gut-curdling scream won't let me. Tears flow down my cheeks as I try to ignore what's happening behind me.
Garbage piles nearby slowly fade into light. The blood stains dry up and disappear. I open my now slightly puffy eyes and see the PRT heroes walking towards me. The room slowly begins to brighten. All that's left is just a cold iron coffin of a room.
I turn back towards Taylor; she's glowing, but it's fading. She's sitting down with her legs in the shape of an 'M'; her knees are in front of her and bent so that she sits in between the two legs. Her arms are at her sides, and her hands are on the ground face up. Her body is leaning towards her right, her head hanging limp, face towards the ground. Blood soaks her clothes; her body is riddled with cuts and gashes that would kill a normal person.
She stirs and starts to talk. Her voice is raspy and hoarse. "I just wanted to live, but now... there's nothing left."
I take a step forward and try not to choke on my own words. "You don't have to fight; we can still fix this."
I can feel my heart break as Taylor lets out a sad chuckle. "No. I have already gone too far. My identity is leaked, I assaulted the entire Protectorate, my dad can barely keep himself together without even knowing my problems, my mom's dead, and my friends are gone."
Taylor brings one of her knees up to lean on. "There's nothing left for me. I have nothing to lose."
Fuck I'm going to cry again. "That doesn't mean you have to continue fighting, though."
Taylor looks up at me with a scowl. Her left eye has a cut over it, and her nose is bleeding profusely. "You're wrong. That's the only thing I can do. I hate the PRT for what they've allowed to happen to me. The only respite I have is knowing that I inflicted a little bit of the pain I felt back onto you. I don't hate you, and I get why you're helping them, but surely you can understand this from my point."
Armsmaster, like the uncaring robot that he is, decides it's time to interrupt. "That's enough. Are you surrendering? If not, then I will be forced to incapacitate you."
Taylor just ignores him and continues to speak to me directly. "Am I not justified to attack the people who ruined my life, even if unwittingly?"
Armsmaster goes to apprehend Taylor. I see a flash of light as a katana spontaneously materializes in her hands. Armsmaster has enough time to block it with the stick part of his halberd. The sword breaks it in half, and Armsmaster is pushed back. Taylor gets on her feet and points the sword directly at him. "I'm not done speaking yet, coward."
Taylor is now standing upright despite her injuries. "If you truly believe what you say, then put your life on the line for it." I'm not sure if she's telling this to Armsmaster, me, or the both of us.
"I hated the empty feeling I was forced to carry; I hated my life; I hated being abandoned; and I hated their jeers, but the thing I hated the most was the cowardice." Her outfit slowly begins to change for what feels like the last time.
"They always hid behind the protective authority I was denied if I ever thought of fighting back. They hid behind teachers, the principal, and now I learn that they hid behind the so-called heroes too." Plates made of black metal slowly extend over her arms and legs. The plates also made a helmet that slowly covered her head. The air starts to buzz.
"Now you will hide behind your PR teams and bury my story so that your reputation remains unaffected. If everyone has something to hide behind except for me, then my only option is to protect myself." A mask forms on her face. It has the form of a grotesque monster with a pair of giant white horns. The buzz increases to full-blown TV static.
"Even if I'm not strong enough, I don't care. A person with nothing left doesn't fear the loss of their life. So let us end this. Either I fall or you do. Trying to convince me otherwise-." A red lotus paints itself on her chest. The air is practically alive with the amount of energy in it. There is no spider web of cracks, just a single fissure down the middle of my vision.
"Is just reckless foolishness." The world splits apart.
Well I think Victoria's learned enough context to realize the PRT has fucked up on a monumental scale. Certainly enough to track down the information on what happened.
Can't see her not going fuck it and making the PRT's life hell.
Whether that be in the court room or in the court of public opinion is what's left to be decided.
Carol if she can get over herself will also see this as the perfect chance to make a political statement.
Can't see her not going fuck it and making the PRT's life hell.
Whether that be in the court room or in the court of public opinion is what's left to be decided.
Carol if she can get over herself will also see this as the perfect chance to make a political statement.