The Rising of the Shield Heroine
- Thread starter Tale Swapper
- Start date
- Crossover
- Location
- Somewhere.
Allie could help Dragon with some things!
punster lv1
Killjoy - cheerful shitposter - ignorant pedant
- Location
- Somewhere.
Also, Alan Barnes.
- Location
- Somewhere.
...There are negative reasons to add even more grimderp to this crossover. At least, if you mean what I think you mean.
No need for an answer now, just throwing my thoughts around. Also, The story is pretty good so far: I particularly liked how Taylor got her closure with what Emma did, now Taylor can get right into forgetting about Emma and move on with her life.
I wonder if/how Coil's power will fail when interacting with Taylor's abilities.
To my knowledge Coil's power is a thinker one and rhose in Worm (including precog) are based on simulations; add that Taylor's powers are (almost completely?) a new thing for shards would make them more difficuly to model/predict, to the point there was already a mention that Contessa can't get a proper path to find out Taylor being who's taking Cauldron's money...
I wonder if/how Coil's power will fail when interacting with Taylor's abilities.
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While I too liked 'closure with Emma,' I also feel that Taylor had too much handed to her.
Your point about Coil's power is insightful.
Well, that's something of a side effect of her power offering a "quests" system; she gets handed a lot more than she would otherwise. A quest system is almost a baby version of Path to Victory*; unlike the latter it doesn't give you the exact steps to succeed, but it does tell you what the path is. Without the system Taylor wouldn't have known where to begin looking for the truth.
* I've sometimes joked that Contessa is a player character in a world of NPCs; she just has to decide on the mission and follow the waypoints.
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That is a great way of putting it, and it fits so well.
Well, there's the obvious (Khepri).
AionVal
(Verified Figment)
- Location
- Beyond The Veil
Yes.
Taylor as Skitter was the leader of the Undersiders, then she was put in charge of a small... uh... squad? of Wards in Chicago, as Weaver.
She was also in charge of the expedition meant to catch and fight the S9000.
Also, she went to basically every EB fight since Levi, so maybe that counts for something in your books?
And yes, Khepri, if you wanna see it that way.
Oh oh Sophia. Hopefully she'll have some like live wire shield or a taser shield eventually. given that elemental weaknesses are a thing, wouldn't be strange for Danny to get her to try to make shields for basic elements eventually.
Hmm wonder what it would take for Danny to get a class so they can party. That attempt at spear play a while back . He could totally be Taylor's part time Raphtalia.
Hmm wonder what it would take for Danny to get a class so they can party. That attempt at spear play a while back . He could totally be Taylor's part time Raphtalia.
- Location
- Earth, Sol System, Virgo Supercluster, Earth-1218
Honestly I thought "Complete the set" was going to be "Absorb each severed limb from Lung to
Iori_Angel
Kitten lover
Thomas is always making everyone miserable...
- Pronouns
- he/him/his
Oh, I will be watching this. I am not familiar with Rising of the Shield Hero, but this is a quality gamer story with interesting quirks. I especially like that access to Gamer's Mind is behind an emotional barrier. Allison Patricia Hebert is much more valuable than that ability no matter what the numbers say, especially now that she and Taylor have become close friends.
I noticed a couple of continuity errors.
The Observe box gives Trainwreck's name as "Gregor Lagunov (Trainwreck, Case 53)"
and the other two(?) instances of his last name are spelled differently.
Did Taylor have a depression relapse during this time?
I noticed a couple of continuity errors.
(Chapter 4, Gamer's Body level 2)
(Chapter 12, Level 7, which I think means Gamer's Body level 7)
The Observe box gives Trainwreck's name as "Gregor Lagunov (Trainwreck, Case 53)"
and the other two(?) instances of his last name are spelled differently.
Did Taylor have a depression relapse during this time?
Chapter 10 said:
Chapter 13 said:
This meeting was set up off screen. If I hadn't read the story in one go, I doubt I would have remembered Madison trying to make contact before Taylor met her at the coffee shop. Just FYI.
Chapter 14: Tutorial 1.14
Tale Swapper
(Unverified Madman)
- Location
- Lost Among a Sea of Imaginings and Dreams
Thanks once again to my Betas, Seerking and Nemo1685. Also, check out my collaborative Fire Emblem story with Miho Chan, link in my sig.
I should have known the world wouldn't give me all the time I wanted to get stuff done.
After I finished my armor, I'd spent a couple of weeks adjusting. Apparently, every armor set had an 'encumbrance'- a fancy way of saying the armor slowed you down a bit. I'd found that my new armor made me less effective at wall-running and roof-hopping, and worked to minimize that issue through practice.
I'd also finally found a dojo nearby willing to teach someone who opposed the new Radical Right and wasn't Asian. The African-American man named Hollis (I never did find out his other name… ever. It was always just 'Hollis') who ran the place was an ex-marine, and he taught practical lessons in hitting people and getting away from fights; perfect for my basic needs. He'd wrung me through the wringer on my first day, but he'd seemed pleased at my gumption and my (somewhat unearned) conditioning. Five lessons in, and I'd learned more from him than I'd ever known about hand-to-hand fighting.
As a side note, the Gamer system really seemed to like having a Trainer give me instructions. I'd gained several ranks in Unarmed Combat in the few lessons he'd given me, making the money I'd laid down more than worth the loss. I'd even qualified for the first 'martial specialty', which allowed me to select a particular 'Art' of fighting with my fists, so that I could gain more potency when using that particular set of techniques.
...admittedly, I only qualified to unlock the 'Brawling' Art, since my formal training was so little and my practical experience was so slapdash. Still, at the very least I now knew how to throw a punch, and the Brawling Art gave me a pretty nice bonus to any bare-hand technique. It just lacked any specialized skills.
But despite all that, I still wasn't prepared enough for my own peace of mind, or Dad's. A brief test with an assault rifle (I didn't ask who Dad had borrowed it from) proved my armor wasn't tough enough to stand up to direct hits, and my search for better materials to upgrade it was sidelined by studying, martial arts practice, and attempting to decipher the basics of magic from the principles in the spellbook.
I wasn't ready. But then, I might never have been ready without a bit of a kick.
The phone never seems to ring when you're not in the middle of something. Me? I was in the middle of homework, taking advantage of the fading winter daylight to keep up with my work for the Arcadia exams. Grumbling slightly, I leapt down the stairs, landing in a crouch and racing around to the phone. "Any way we could hook this up to the system, Allie?"
"It's a corded landline. No WIFI access points."
"Right." I picked up the line, bracing myself for the inevitable telemarketer or scam. "Hebert residence."
"Taylor!" The voice on the other end of the line was just shy of panicked.
All lethargy was swept from my frame as I heard Aunt Zoe speak. "Mrs. Barnes? What's-"
"Have you seen Emma?"
I paused. "...I thought she was... being helped." I hazarded, dropping the words 'locked up' for a more gentle substitute. "Away from town."
On the other end, I heard Zoe take a deep breath. "She was, Taylor. Allen got her into a place which was pretty close to town." She sucked in air. "There was a field trip today, though. Emma got herself onto the list somehow. Ended up at a museum tour."
"They let her escape?" I asked, the dots falling into place.
"Apparently her wardens, like me, didn't know Sophia taught her how to pick locks." Zoe said, her voice a little dull. "She left her tracking bracelet behind, and left out a fire door. She could be anywhere in the city by now."
I shook my head. "I haven't seen her. Why would you think she'd come anywhere near me?"
"I don't know where else she'd go." Zoe replied. "She didn't come home, and there's really no one else she could turn to." the woman sighed, sounding defeated. "Most of her 'friends' from school were nothing of the sort. Emma could never go to them. I-" she gave a small choke. "I was hoping she might have come to you. To apologize."
I paused, mind spinning. Aunt Zoe didn't deserve this… and I didn't want Emma to have time to do anything to me or my dad. "If you need help, Aunt Zoe, I could go and look-"
"No!" Zoe cut me off. "It's too dangerous. Please don't-"
"I can handle myself, and I won't do it without-"
"Emma's not the only one who escaped!"
I froze. "...what?"
"Before we found out Emma went missing, Allen got a call." Zoe spoke. "He wouldn't tell me who called at first, but after we heard from the care center, he explained. Apparently Sophia escaped from custody earlier today."
My blood ran cold. "...what are the odds?" I whispered, half to myself.
"Not good." Zoe sniffed. "They may have kept contact, though I'm not sure how. Please, Taylor- stay safe, stay indoors. From what Allen's told me, Sophia is dangerous. Emma will show up." The last words were spoken more like a hope than a promise.
I let the words fall from my mouth. "Good night, Aunt Zoe. I hope she turns up safe."
"Thank you, dear." The phone went dead.
I took a deep breath, then winced as two boxes appeared in my vision. As I read through them, I felt a deep pit settle into my stomach. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me."
"You need to stay here, Taylor." Dad was pacing angrily, his feet drumming a small furrow in the carpet as he moved back and forth. "If Shadow Stalker really is running loose, there's no telling what she's aiming for.
"I can't, Dad." I grimaced. "The Barnes are going to lose Emma if I don't intervene; that's what the system's been saying, and it hasn't been wrong yet. Someone has to help them, even if Emma herself deserved to die or disappear- and I'm not entirely convinced she does."
Dad paused, then sighed as he came to a stop. "If what you were saying about what happened was true... She needs to stay away from you, but she also needs help." His voice grew a tad harsher. "In a secure location. A field trip is not okay."
"We don't know all the details about that, Dad." I started laying out my gear, going over everything I wanted to wear and carry when I went out.
"We don't." He walked up behind me. "Do you even know how you'd find Emma? She could be anywhere in the city by this point."
"Thankfully, I've got a secret weapon." I held up a small ring inset with an amethyst. Tapping the information block, I solidified it and passed it off to Dad.
Dad chuckled as he finished reading. "A real magic ring, huh? How does it work?"
"If I have an object with a lot of significance to a person, I can use the Detective Vision to track them down." I held up something Emma had left the last time she'd been over; an old shirt that had been one of her favorites. I hadn't even known I'd still had it until I dug it up from out of my closet.
"So you'll track Emma down with that. Fine. Then what?" Dad's tone was more questioning than accusatory, which sent a surge of relief through my veins.
"...talk to her. Hear out what she has to say. Then cart her back to either the Barnes', or the police, depending on how I feel." I sniffed, letting an urge come up my throat. "I miss the old Emma. But at this point, I just want this over. This is the last step. We'll see what happens."
"Last step?"
"If there's anything left to salvage."
Allie's now-familiar screen popped up at my side, Dad inclining his head to peer at my virtual companion. "I personally think you should just grab her, yell at her, and chuck her to the police. Or kill her."
Danny eyed my 'sister'. "I thought we just said she doesn't deserve to die."
"You said that. I'm not certain yet."
"No killing. Not unless they're an absolute monster." I slipped on the ring, then froze as dad offered me a gun-shaped object. "Dad?"
"If you've got a plan, and are really set on this, I'm not going to try and stop you." I looked down at the Taser he was holding. "But if Shadow Stalker's out there, you'll need protection. Absorb this-"
"No. Keep that." Dad paused as I swung up. "My shield can hit intangibles, remember? If Sophia comes after me directly, I've got a counter. But if she comes after you, that's the best tool to stop her." I paused. "Head over to the Henricks. Let them know Sophia's loose, and keep an eye on them for me, okay? I doubt that bitch even knows they exist, but I don't want them hurt. If you see her- call me. Please?"
Dad's hand tightened on the gun, then relaxed. "I suppose it is something you can't do if you're going hunting, can you?" He nodded. "I expect you to stay as safe as I'll try to be, okay?"
Allie chuckled. "We're heading right into danger, but we're also really well-prepped for it. We'll be fine, dad."
I finished jogging several blocks from my house, before stepping into an abandoned alley and tapping the inventory button. Seconds later, my armor-clad form ascended from the darkened side street to land on a roof at the edge of midtown. "Alright, Allie; time to fess up. How many systems do you have access to, and what can you tell me?"
"BBPD's communications systems and mainframe have shit security. I've got full access to their files and incident reports." Allie summarized. "I've been able to tune into the PRT Trooper communications net, but I'm not even going to try getting into their files or mainframe; that's beyond me right now. Finally, the city's traffic cams are open to me."
"Excellent. What about all the other cameras in the city?"
"I can't get access to any camera you see, if that's what you're asking.... Which it is." Allie replied drolly. "Most cameras are on their own private system or on that of a specific security company, and there are eight of those operating in Brockton Bay right now. I don't have the time or resources to get access to them all right now. This isn't CSI, and I can't hack a closed system yet."
"Yet?"
"Develop some real reality warping abilities, like the ability to spawn a node inside a closed system, then we'll talk."
"Okay. So, what's the situation?" I asked, sweeping my gaze over the distant bay, back to the setting sun.
"Emma left the Johnson Arts Center at around 10:30 this morning. No witnesses, but the fire door she jimmied open set off an alarm after it failed to close properly." Allie paused, running over some data. "Traffic cams in the area show a red haired figure about her size heading North from there. I think we can pick up her trail if we can get a little closer."
I nodded, taking a running leap off the building and landing with a clattering thump. "Can you trace her path at all with the cameras? I'd rather not have to head all the way into Midtown and back if I can help it."
"By the looks of things, she slipped off the main roads and into a neighborhood pretty quickly. We'll need to at least hit the area where Downtown meets Midtown."
I nodded as I sprinted across the abandoned streets, Agility and Athleticism boosting my run speed to something greater than a normal human, if not by much. As I passed out of the neighborhood, some of the few pedestrians turned and watched as I passed on by, though I didn't have enough time to see their expressions. Grinning beneath my helmet, I turned a corner, and headed into Downtown.
Half an hour later, I was crouched on the roof of a building, studying the intersection below. Detective Vision caused most of the world to fade out, leaving only 'pertinent' information. Pulling out the shirt I'd snagged, I held it up, letting my power wash over it- and causing a faint trail of golden light to appear on the ground turning a corner. "Found her trail."
"That's good, but we've got a little issue. Police bands and the PRT know you're running around, and although you haven't attacked anyone yet, the PRT are looking to stop and ask you some questions."
"We don't have time for that."
"I know. I'll let you know when one group or another is getting too close to you." Allie kept speaking even as I started moving to follow the trail. "I also found out why the Merchants and ABB might want a piece of Emma. Besides the obvious, that is."
"What is it?"
"More like 'what she did'. Apparently, Sophia occasionally brought her 'best friend' with her on patrols. Emma never really fought, but she would occasionally help prevent downed gang members from escaping. Usually through a baseball bat to the knees, or by holding them at gunpoint. And unlike Stalker, Emma never hid who she was very well."
"How'd you find that out?"
"Police report. The PRT shared that info with the BBPD, as part of the reason Stalker's probation was extended." She paused. "Oddly enough, the PRT hasn't revealed Stalker's real name, though the police do know Sophia is wanted for assault charges."
"So Shadow Stalker has two warrants out for her arrest, under both her identities?"
"Yeah."
"I guess that'll make it easier to bring her in if we do catch up with her." I nodded, following the golden trail through the streets. "Still, one thing at a time."
Crossing town was, if anything, even less difficult as the sun slowly set. The streets and neighborhoods slowly emptied as darkness crept in, and the patrolling PRT were unfocused and methodical; barely keeping up with me. But tracking down Emma was proving harder than I'd thought.
Emma wouldn't have had a cellphone, and as far as we could tell she lacked a map. She'd doubled back on her own trail twice as she'd fled, something that surprised us until we tracked her trail to an abandoned shop near her neighborhood. Heading inside, we found part of the floor in one corner of the boarded up building pulled loose, and a small collection of empty plastic bags and a single empty box. One whose felt mesh had a familiar shape.
"This must have been one of Stalker's stashes. I can't imagine anyone else would hide a crossbow here." I muttered, inspecting the empty box.
"And now she's armed." Allie huffed.
"Not well enough. Worse, she's gonna draw more attention with that crossbow in hand than not. It might even mark her out as Stalker's friend, if they don't know already." I murmured, discarding the box.
"In that case, let's keep moving. She's already been free for seven hours, who knows what she'll get up to if we leave her to her own devices for more." Allie responded. I nodded, heading for the door we'd slipped in.
I suppose I'd gotten a little too complacent entering the building; Allie had been tracking the BBPD and PRT, and we were too deep into the 'good' parts of the Bay for the gangs to have a significant presence. But the organizations of the Bay weren't the only ones running around; and there's always someone willing to rubberneck a Cape sighting.
I should have been a little less surprised to emerge from the shop and find a young woman filming my exit.
I paused at the threshold. "...what are you doing?"
"Getting some pics for PHO." The girl snarked back, eyebrow rising as she glanced over my frame. "So… what's with the shining armor look, girl? Gonna join the E88?"
"Never." I shot back, some instinct causing me to slam one gauntlet into my shield. I gave a quick glance over the girl's outfit, a mess of torn jeans held up by multiple belts, furry parka, and a colorful t-shirt. "And at least my outfit can hold together without extra belts."
The girl snorted. "Laaammme. Three outta ten, up your game, girl." She frowned. "Hey, you got to Winslow? Because I could swear I've heard your voice before."
I darted another look at the girl. "...even if I did, I wouldn't tell you. And I'd advise you to not share that."
"It's cool, mum's the word. I know about that whole cape code shit." The girl snarked back, her black hair swinging. "I gotta ask, though; what's your name?"
"Heraldry."
"Bit of a mouthful, but better than Clockblocker." The girl lowered her phone, grinning as she looked me in the eye. "Name's Aisha, tin can. Hope to see you around." She turned and walked off.
I blinked. On the one hand, she recognized my voice. On the other, I'd made it through my first interaction as Heraldry- with a civilian, anyway- and come out clean.
...and the first issue was solvable, wasn't it?
I reached into my inventory and pulled out the Greater Disguise Rune. "Allie, how close are the searchers?"
"There've been a couple of calls, and the PRT's spokespeople are following the trail of photos you've left behind. We've likely got five minutes, tops, before they get here."
"...this shouldn't take too long." I muttered, turning back to enter the abandoned shop. Pulling off my helmet, I set it on the table, holding the silk tag over it. "Now, how do I do this?"
"...touch the two together? I dunno." Allie responded.
Nodding, I placed the rune atop the helmet. Seconds later, the rune began to glow, and I watched as the familiar window manifested.
I frowned at the last line. "Is that… a drop-down menu?" Hesitating, I tapped it, only to see a long list of descriptors appear. "What?"
"It looks like you choose one to decide what kind of disguise you want. Pick one and hurry up, the nearest cop is only a couple blocks away!"
I swore, stabbing my finger at the list and the jamming my hand on the 'Yes' button. Seconds later, the tag melted into the helmet, and I jammed it back on my head and took off out the door. "Was it successful?" I spoke, then blinked as I heard the voice coming from my lips. The tone was pleasant, but slightly flat; hovering between male and female. "Ah, I see it was."
"It was. Looking from the outside, I can't see any of your features beneath the helmet."
"Superb. This will help keep Father and I safe." I came to a halt as I registered the wording. "Hold- superb? When did I- I mean, what am I-"
Allie giggled. "Take a look at the stats, Taylor."
I tapped midair, opening my inventory. "This is vexing. Wait-"
"...my own helm is Mastering me. This is intolerable."
"According to the deep data, it'll only alter your word choice and body language, and it won't change what you actually do. And we don't have time to go make another helmet." Allie's voice turned cheeky. "Besides, don't you want to be a dashing hero? This will help!"
"This will make me sound like Lady Mouse Protector." I grumbled. "But you raise a fair point. We will correct this later, when time is less short." I took off running, vaulting over a parked car as I refreshed my Detective Vision. "There is still a damsel to save."
Clearing the streets took time, even as I ruminated over my new voice. Emma had seemed to make good progress for a while, but as we passed through the semi-affluent neighborhoods and drew closer to the abandoned sections of the city, her trail began to weave in and out through buildings. At one point, I tucked my head into a building to find she'd broken into the under-bar space of the empty restaurant. "I believe our quarry is trying to find more supply caches."
"Makes me wonder how many folks have hidden stuff in places like this." Allie muttered. "Stalker can't be the first one to stuff gear and resources in cubbies like this."
"Likely not. But unless we gain a skill related to locating hidden objects, to seek them out would take more time than could be reasonably spared." I responded, ducking back out and resuming the hunt.
It was only a few minutes later that I came across another clue. I grimaced as I stepped into the alleyway, a faint coppery tang touching my nose. "Someone was wounded here." Crouching, I spotted a long, thin object lying on the ground, its formerly shiny head matted with drying blood. I crouched and lifted it up. "A crossbow bolt."
"I don't think anyone died here." Allie remarked. "I don't think there's enough blood here to show that someone bled to death."
"Still, if Emma is disturbed enough to be attacking innocents- or harried enough to need to fight- we should endeavor to find her soon." I stood, dropping the broadhead into my inventory. Turning, I continued following the trail, only to halt as I saw a group of men emerge from a perpendicular alley.
One of the men, dark circles surrounding his eyes and a ragged coat wrapped around his form, pointed at me. "Who the fuck are you supposed to be?" His friends spread out, giving me a closer look at their weapons. Aside from one, bearing a pistol, the ragged men were armed with pipes, bats, and knives. A quick Observe let me know the truth.
"Merchant vermin. I am Heraldry, newest of Brockton Bay's heroes, and I am not here for you tonight. Stand aside, and I will not touch you. Impede me, and I will strike you down." My back went straight as I spoke, hand slamming into my shield.
One of the men swallowed. "Cape!"
"It's just some ass in armor!" The apparent leader roared. "Knock him down, and he'll bleed like the rest!" At his scream, he charged, baseball bat upheld as his companions fell in behind him.
I planted my feet. "Curs." I rumbled. "Brace yourselves!" I planted one foot, igniting Shield Driver. Seconds later, I was rocketing forward, my charge knocking all but the pistoleer and the forerunner aside- and the latter was still held upon my shield's face. With a roar, I slammed him down, driving the wind from the man's lungs as he was crushed beneath my shield and the ground. A quick punch knocked the wheezing man out, and I righted myself, imposing my shield between myself and the now-panicking gunman.
And none too soon. Bullets pinged off the Holy Shield, seven impacts shipping tiny dents in my health until the pistol clicked empty. As soon as he stopped firing, I stepped up to him, a sweep of my shield knocking the gun from his hands and a kick dislocating his kneecap. "Remain down." I rumbled, turning to face the remaining thugs.
Two were fleeing, my speed and evident strength enough to make them reconsider their actions. The other two came on, one swiping crazily with a kitchen knife, the other swinging a second bat. I seized the bat one handed, taking it from the man's grip and discarding it while my armor turned the knife. Seconds later, a pair of fast punches laid the men out cold.
I paused. "...that seemed too easy."
Allie snorted. "Taylor, you're armored, have physical capabilities currently that of a man in their prime, and have actual experience fighting enemies. These guys are drug-addled muggers. I'm going to call the police, and you're going to move on."
I stopped, then shrugged. "I suppose I expected more from the gang which terrorized the docks. These men were little more than vermin." I absently scooped the knife, gun, and bats of the downed tugs into my inventory.
"Even a pack of rats can be dangerous if they all attack at once." Allie commented. "Keep moving; it's likely no coincidence there guys were out in force."
I merely nodded, my feet carrying me along Emma's path. "She has kicked the hornet's nest, hasn't she?"
"Yup."
It would only be a few minutes before I heard a loud howl of pain from a nearby parking lot. Ascending to the top of a nearby building, I watched as a second, larger group of Merchants advanced through the lot, ducking around cars or leveling pistols at the roof of a boarded-up convenience store. On the roof, a solitary figure yelped, ducking behind an air-conditioning unit.
The figure had red hair. And sprawled on the pavement, at the base of the access ladder, was a man with a crossbow bolt protruding from his shoulder.
"Emma." I growled. "Found you at last." I winced as the sharp pop of gunfire echoed from below, prompting a scream from the figure on the roof. "Handle one thing at a time, I suppose." I sighed, dropping over the edge of the building and running at the backs of the gun-bearing Merchants.
As I approached, my rapid footsteps drew the attention of the three men taking potshots at the roof. As they turned, I lashed out with my shield, catching one across the face. One of them spun, screaming. "Fucking cape!" His bullets slammed into my armor, and I lurched as my HP dropped significantly from each round. Grunting, I slammed my palm into his forehead, knocking him over, only to wince as another bullet slammed into the heavy armor on my back.
"Felt that one, didn't cha? Well, I've got a lot more where that-" The last gunslinger's tirade was cut off as I spun, my gauntlet catching his dirty, gap-toothed jaw.
"Silence, foul one." I smacked him over the head with my shield, causing him to reel as I released his jaw. "And there'll be no more 'where that came from', without your toy." I smacked the pistol from his hand, then slammed my fist into his gut twice, leaving him a groaning mess on the ground. I looked up to see three of the remaining gangsters looking back at me, one fleeing into the night-
-and one about to crest the top of the convenience store roof.
I snarled, bracing myself- then hurling myself forward, legs pumping, to leap over the shocked Merchants. Seconds later, I slammed into the thug who was just pulling himself face to face with Emma, my shield blazing as it smashed the thug across the roof, leaving him a groaning mess at the foot of the building's guardrail. Emma, crossbow bolt hanging limply above her weapon, gazed at me with an open mouth.
She'd stared at Shadow Stalker the same way, I expect.
I shook my head free of the sudden insight, turning back to leap down. All of the remaining Merchants were scrambling after the first one to flee; it seemed being ambushed by a Cape was not in their orders. I nodded, then walked over to inspect the groaning man, who collapsed into unconsciousness on my approach. Seeing that he was no threat, I turned to face my one time friend.
Emma looked… weathered. Her face was plain, with no makeup, and her hair was frizzy and disheveled. Rather than the well put-together outfits she wore as the Queen Bee of Winslow, she wore an old overcoat over a jacket, with what I thought might be a sweater underneath. Her gloved hands shook as she held the crossbow, but her eyes were fixed on me.
After a few moments, she spoke. "Who are you?"
There's a brief urge to be dramatic. Another to simply turn and leave. A third, to take her back without delay, dump her with the police. And a tiny part wants to keep up the charade- replace Sophia in Emma's mind.
But looking at her- I couldn't see the sister I once knew, and could barely glimpse the girl who'd tortured me. Whoever this person was… she wasn't my Emma, and she was only pretending to be Sophia's.
So when I spoke, I did so behind my helmet, at first. "...a year and a half ago, my sister found herself in a position much like this one. Beset by monsters, she struggled, but failed to win. And she died there."
Emma blinked. "...I'm sorry?"
"Are you, I wonder?" I turned to face Emma fully. "She still walked and talked. And grew. But who she was, the kind girl who was sister in all but blood; for all I can tell, she died when Shadow Stalker saved her life." I huffed as I reached up, as Emma's eyes widened in horror and the crossbow slipped from nerveless fingers.
I pulled off my helmet, and fixed my gaze on my former friend. "And now, here I am. Saving a stranger for the mother of the girl I once loved. Hello again, Emma."
I should have known the world wouldn't give me all the time I wanted to get stuff done.
After I finished my armor, I'd spent a couple of weeks adjusting. Apparently, every armor set had an 'encumbrance'- a fancy way of saying the armor slowed you down a bit. I'd found that my new armor made me less effective at wall-running and roof-hopping, and worked to minimize that issue through practice.
I'd also finally found a dojo nearby willing to teach someone who opposed the new Radical Right and wasn't Asian. The African-American man named Hollis (I never did find out his other name… ever. It was always just 'Hollis') who ran the place was an ex-marine, and he taught practical lessons in hitting people and getting away from fights; perfect for my basic needs. He'd wrung me through the wringer on my first day, but he'd seemed pleased at my gumption and my (somewhat unearned) conditioning. Five lessons in, and I'd learned more from him than I'd ever known about hand-to-hand fighting.
As a side note, the Gamer system really seemed to like having a Trainer give me instructions. I'd gained several ranks in Unarmed Combat in the few lessons he'd given me, making the money I'd laid down more than worth the loss. I'd even qualified for the first 'martial specialty', which allowed me to select a particular 'Art' of fighting with my fists, so that I could gain more potency when using that particular set of techniques.
...admittedly, I only qualified to unlock the 'Brawling' Art, since my formal training was so little and my practical experience was so slapdash. Still, at the very least I now knew how to throw a punch, and the Brawling Art gave me a pretty nice bonus to any bare-hand technique. It just lacked any specialized skills.
But despite all that, I still wasn't prepared enough for my own peace of mind, or Dad's. A brief test with an assault rifle (I didn't ask who Dad had borrowed it from) proved my armor wasn't tough enough to stand up to direct hits, and my search for better materials to upgrade it was sidelined by studying, martial arts practice, and attempting to decipher the basics of magic from the principles in the spellbook.
I wasn't ready. But then, I might never have been ready without a bit of a kick.
--[0]--
The phone never seems to ring when you're not in the middle of something. Me? I was in the middle of homework, taking advantage of the fading winter daylight to keep up with my work for the Arcadia exams. Grumbling slightly, I leapt down the stairs, landing in a crouch and racing around to the phone. "Any way we could hook this up to the system, Allie?"
"It's a corded landline. No WIFI access points."
"Right." I picked up the line, bracing myself for the inevitable telemarketer or scam. "Hebert residence."
"Taylor!" The voice on the other end of the line was just shy of panicked.
All lethargy was swept from my frame as I heard Aunt Zoe speak. "Mrs. Barnes? What's-"
"Have you seen Emma?"
I paused. "...I thought she was... being helped." I hazarded, dropping the words 'locked up' for a more gentle substitute. "Away from town."
On the other end, I heard Zoe take a deep breath. "She was, Taylor. Allen got her into a place which was pretty close to town." She sucked in air. "There was a field trip today, though. Emma got herself onto the list somehow. Ended up at a museum tour."
"They let her escape?" I asked, the dots falling into place.
"Apparently her wardens, like me, didn't know Sophia taught her how to pick locks." Zoe said, her voice a little dull. "She left her tracking bracelet behind, and left out a fire door. She could be anywhere in the city by now."
I shook my head. "I haven't seen her. Why would you think she'd come anywhere near me?"
"I don't know where else she'd go." Zoe replied. "She didn't come home, and there's really no one else she could turn to." the woman sighed, sounding defeated. "Most of her 'friends' from school were nothing of the sort. Emma could never go to them. I-" she gave a small choke. "I was hoping she might have come to you. To apologize."
I paused, mind spinning. Aunt Zoe didn't deserve this… and I didn't want Emma to have time to do anything to me or my dad. "If you need help, Aunt Zoe, I could go and look-"
"No!" Zoe cut me off. "It's too dangerous. Please don't-"
"I can handle myself, and I won't do it without-"
"Emma's not the only one who escaped!"
I froze. "...what?"
"Before we found out Emma went missing, Allen got a call." Zoe spoke. "He wouldn't tell me who called at first, but after we heard from the care center, he explained. Apparently Sophia escaped from custody earlier today."
My blood ran cold. "...what are the odds?" I whispered, half to myself.
"Not good." Zoe sniffed. "They may have kept contact, though I'm not sure how. Please, Taylor- stay safe, stay indoors. From what Allen's told me, Sophia is dangerous. Emma will show up." The last words were spoken more like a hope than a promise.
I let the words fall from my mouth. "Good night, Aunt Zoe. I hope she turns up safe."
"Thank you, dear." The phone went dead.
I took a deep breath, then winced as two boxes appeared in my vision. As I read through them, I felt a deep pit settle into my stomach. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me."
"You need to stay here, Taylor." Dad was pacing angrily, his feet drumming a small furrow in the carpet as he moved back and forth. "If Shadow Stalker really is running loose, there's no telling what she's aiming for.
"I can't, Dad." I grimaced. "The Barnes are going to lose Emma if I don't intervene; that's what the system's been saying, and it hasn't been wrong yet. Someone has to help them, even if Emma herself deserved to die or disappear- and I'm not entirely convinced she does."
Dad paused, then sighed as he came to a stop. "If what you were saying about what happened was true... She needs to stay away from you, but she also needs help." His voice grew a tad harsher. "In a secure location. A field trip is not okay."
"We don't know all the details about that, Dad." I started laying out my gear, going over everything I wanted to wear and carry when I went out.
"We don't." He walked up behind me. "Do you even know how you'd find Emma? She could be anywhere in the city by this point."
"Thankfully, I've got a secret weapon." I held up a small ring inset with an amethyst. Tapping the information block, I solidified it and passed it off to Dad.
Dad chuckled as he finished reading. "A real magic ring, huh? How does it work?"
"If I have an object with a lot of significance to a person, I can use the Detective Vision to track them down." I held up something Emma had left the last time she'd been over; an old shirt that had been one of her favorites. I hadn't even known I'd still had it until I dug it up from out of my closet.
"So you'll track Emma down with that. Fine. Then what?" Dad's tone was more questioning than accusatory, which sent a surge of relief through my veins.
"...talk to her. Hear out what she has to say. Then cart her back to either the Barnes', or the police, depending on how I feel." I sniffed, letting an urge come up my throat. "I miss the old Emma. But at this point, I just want this over. This is the last step. We'll see what happens."
"Last step?"
"If there's anything left to salvage."
Allie's now-familiar screen popped up at my side, Dad inclining his head to peer at my virtual companion. "I personally think you should just grab her, yell at her, and chuck her to the police. Or kill her."
Danny eyed my 'sister'. "I thought we just said she doesn't deserve to die."
"You said that. I'm not certain yet."
"No killing. Not unless they're an absolute monster." I slipped on the ring, then froze as dad offered me a gun-shaped object. "Dad?"
"If you've got a plan, and are really set on this, I'm not going to try and stop you." I looked down at the Taser he was holding. "But if Shadow Stalker's out there, you'll need protection. Absorb this-"
"No. Keep that." Dad paused as I swung up. "My shield can hit intangibles, remember? If Sophia comes after me directly, I've got a counter. But if she comes after you, that's the best tool to stop her." I paused. "Head over to the Henricks. Let them know Sophia's loose, and keep an eye on them for me, okay? I doubt that bitch even knows they exist, but I don't want them hurt. If you see her- call me. Please?"
Dad's hand tightened on the gun, then relaxed. "I suppose it is something you can't do if you're going hunting, can you?" He nodded. "I expect you to stay as safe as I'll try to be, okay?"
Allie chuckled. "We're heading right into danger, but we're also really well-prepped for it. We'll be fine, dad."
--[0]--
I finished jogging several blocks from my house, before stepping into an abandoned alley and tapping the inventory button. Seconds later, my armor-clad form ascended from the darkened side street to land on a roof at the edge of midtown. "Alright, Allie; time to fess up. How many systems do you have access to, and what can you tell me?"
"BBPD's communications systems and mainframe have shit security. I've got full access to their files and incident reports." Allie summarized. "I've been able to tune into the PRT Trooper communications net, but I'm not even going to try getting into their files or mainframe; that's beyond me right now. Finally, the city's traffic cams are open to me."
"Excellent. What about all the other cameras in the city?"
"I can't get access to any camera you see, if that's what you're asking.... Which it is." Allie replied drolly. "Most cameras are on their own private system or on that of a specific security company, and there are eight of those operating in Brockton Bay right now. I don't have the time or resources to get access to them all right now. This isn't CSI, and I can't hack a closed system yet."
"Yet?"
"Develop some real reality warping abilities, like the ability to spawn a node inside a closed system, then we'll talk."
"Okay. So, what's the situation?" I asked, sweeping my gaze over the distant bay, back to the setting sun.
"Emma left the Johnson Arts Center at around 10:30 this morning. No witnesses, but the fire door she jimmied open set off an alarm after it failed to close properly." Allie paused, running over some data. "Traffic cams in the area show a red haired figure about her size heading North from there. I think we can pick up her trail if we can get a little closer."
I nodded, taking a running leap off the building and landing with a clattering thump. "Can you trace her path at all with the cameras? I'd rather not have to head all the way into Midtown and back if I can help it."
"By the looks of things, she slipped off the main roads and into a neighborhood pretty quickly. We'll need to at least hit the area where Downtown meets Midtown."
I nodded as I sprinted across the abandoned streets, Agility and Athleticism boosting my run speed to something greater than a normal human, if not by much. As I passed out of the neighborhood, some of the few pedestrians turned and watched as I passed on by, though I didn't have enough time to see their expressions. Grinning beneath my helmet, I turned a corner, and headed into Downtown.
Half an hour later, I was crouched on the roof of a building, studying the intersection below. Detective Vision caused most of the world to fade out, leaving only 'pertinent' information. Pulling out the shirt I'd snagged, I held it up, letting my power wash over it- and causing a faint trail of golden light to appear on the ground turning a corner. "Found her trail."
"That's good, but we've got a little issue. Police bands and the PRT know you're running around, and although you haven't attacked anyone yet, the PRT are looking to stop and ask you some questions."
"We don't have time for that."
"I know. I'll let you know when one group or another is getting too close to you." Allie kept speaking even as I started moving to follow the trail. "I also found out why the Merchants and ABB might want a piece of Emma. Besides the obvious, that is."
"What is it?"
"More like 'what she did'. Apparently, Sophia occasionally brought her 'best friend' with her on patrols. Emma never really fought, but she would occasionally help prevent downed gang members from escaping. Usually through a baseball bat to the knees, or by holding them at gunpoint. And unlike Stalker, Emma never hid who she was very well."
"How'd you find that out?"
"Police report. The PRT shared that info with the BBPD, as part of the reason Stalker's probation was extended." She paused. "Oddly enough, the PRT hasn't revealed Stalker's real name, though the police do know Sophia is wanted for assault charges."
"So Shadow Stalker has two warrants out for her arrest, under both her identities?"
"Yeah."
"I guess that'll make it easier to bring her in if we do catch up with her." I nodded, following the golden trail through the streets. "Still, one thing at a time."
--[0]--
Crossing town was, if anything, even less difficult as the sun slowly set. The streets and neighborhoods slowly emptied as darkness crept in, and the patrolling PRT were unfocused and methodical; barely keeping up with me. But tracking down Emma was proving harder than I'd thought.
Emma wouldn't have had a cellphone, and as far as we could tell she lacked a map. She'd doubled back on her own trail twice as she'd fled, something that surprised us until we tracked her trail to an abandoned shop near her neighborhood. Heading inside, we found part of the floor in one corner of the boarded up building pulled loose, and a small collection of empty plastic bags and a single empty box. One whose felt mesh had a familiar shape.
"This must have been one of Stalker's stashes. I can't imagine anyone else would hide a crossbow here." I muttered, inspecting the empty box.
"And now she's armed." Allie huffed.
"Not well enough. Worse, she's gonna draw more attention with that crossbow in hand than not. It might even mark her out as Stalker's friend, if they don't know already." I murmured, discarding the box.
"In that case, let's keep moving. She's already been free for seven hours, who knows what she'll get up to if we leave her to her own devices for more." Allie responded. I nodded, heading for the door we'd slipped in.
I suppose I'd gotten a little too complacent entering the building; Allie had been tracking the BBPD and PRT, and we were too deep into the 'good' parts of the Bay for the gangs to have a significant presence. But the organizations of the Bay weren't the only ones running around; and there's always someone willing to rubberneck a Cape sighting.
I should have been a little less surprised to emerge from the shop and find a young woman filming my exit.
I paused at the threshold. "...what are you doing?"
"Getting some pics for PHO." The girl snarked back, eyebrow rising as she glanced over my frame. "So… what's with the shining armor look, girl? Gonna join the E88?"
"Never." I shot back, some instinct causing me to slam one gauntlet into my shield. I gave a quick glance over the girl's outfit, a mess of torn jeans held up by multiple belts, furry parka, and a colorful t-shirt. "And at least my outfit can hold together without extra belts."
The girl snorted. "Laaammme. Three outta ten, up your game, girl." She frowned. "Hey, you got to Winslow? Because I could swear I've heard your voice before."
I darted another look at the girl. "...even if I did, I wouldn't tell you. And I'd advise you to not share that."
"It's cool, mum's the word. I know about that whole cape code shit." The girl snarked back, her black hair swinging. "I gotta ask, though; what's your name?"
"Heraldry."
"Bit of a mouthful, but better than Clockblocker." The girl lowered her phone, grinning as she looked me in the eye. "Name's Aisha, tin can. Hope to see you around." She turned and walked off.
I blinked. On the one hand, she recognized my voice. On the other, I'd made it through my first interaction as Heraldry- with a civilian, anyway- and come out clean.
...and the first issue was solvable, wasn't it?
I reached into my inventory and pulled out the Greater Disguise Rune. "Allie, how close are the searchers?"
"There've been a couple of calls, and the PRT's spokespeople are following the trail of photos you've left behind. We've likely got five minutes, tops, before they get here."
"...this shouldn't take too long." I muttered, turning back to enter the abandoned shop. Pulling off my helmet, I set it on the table, holding the silk tag over it. "Now, how do I do this?"
"...touch the two together? I dunno." Allie responded.
Nodding, I placed the rune atop the helmet. Seconds later, the rune began to glow, and I watched as the familiar window manifested.
I frowned at the last line. "Is that… a drop-down menu?" Hesitating, I tapped it, only to see a long list of descriptors appear. "What?"
"It looks like you choose one to decide what kind of disguise you want. Pick one and hurry up, the nearest cop is only a couple blocks away!"
I swore, stabbing my finger at the list and the jamming my hand on the 'Yes' button. Seconds later, the tag melted into the helmet, and I jammed it back on my head and took off out the door. "Was it successful?" I spoke, then blinked as I heard the voice coming from my lips. The tone was pleasant, but slightly flat; hovering between male and female. "Ah, I see it was."
"It was. Looking from the outside, I can't see any of your features beneath the helmet."
"Superb. This will help keep Father and I safe." I came to a halt as I registered the wording. "Hold- superb? When did I- I mean, what am I-"
Allie giggled. "Take a look at the stats, Taylor."
I tapped midair, opening my inventory. "This is vexing. Wait-"
"...my own helm is Mastering me. This is intolerable."
"According to the deep data, it'll only alter your word choice and body language, and it won't change what you actually do. And we don't have time to go make another helmet." Allie's voice turned cheeky. "Besides, don't you want to be a dashing hero? This will help!"
"This will make me sound like Lady Mouse Protector." I grumbled. "But you raise a fair point. We will correct this later, when time is less short." I took off running, vaulting over a parked car as I refreshed my Detective Vision. "There is still a damsel to save."
Clearing the streets took time, even as I ruminated over my new voice. Emma had seemed to make good progress for a while, but as we passed through the semi-affluent neighborhoods and drew closer to the abandoned sections of the city, her trail began to weave in and out through buildings. At one point, I tucked my head into a building to find she'd broken into the under-bar space of the empty restaurant. "I believe our quarry is trying to find more supply caches."
"Makes me wonder how many folks have hidden stuff in places like this." Allie muttered. "Stalker can't be the first one to stuff gear and resources in cubbies like this."
"Likely not. But unless we gain a skill related to locating hidden objects, to seek them out would take more time than could be reasonably spared." I responded, ducking back out and resuming the hunt.
It was only a few minutes later that I came across another clue. I grimaced as I stepped into the alleyway, a faint coppery tang touching my nose. "Someone was wounded here." Crouching, I spotted a long, thin object lying on the ground, its formerly shiny head matted with drying blood. I crouched and lifted it up. "A crossbow bolt."
"I don't think anyone died here." Allie remarked. "I don't think there's enough blood here to show that someone bled to death."
"Still, if Emma is disturbed enough to be attacking innocents- or harried enough to need to fight- we should endeavor to find her soon." I stood, dropping the broadhead into my inventory. Turning, I continued following the trail, only to halt as I saw a group of men emerge from a perpendicular alley.
One of the men, dark circles surrounding his eyes and a ragged coat wrapped around his form, pointed at me. "Who the fuck are you supposed to be?" His friends spread out, giving me a closer look at their weapons. Aside from one, bearing a pistol, the ragged men were armed with pipes, bats, and knives. A quick Observe let me know the truth.
"Merchant vermin. I am Heraldry, newest of Brockton Bay's heroes, and I am not here for you tonight. Stand aside, and I will not touch you. Impede me, and I will strike you down." My back went straight as I spoke, hand slamming into my shield.
One of the men swallowed. "Cape!"
"It's just some ass in armor!" The apparent leader roared. "Knock him down, and he'll bleed like the rest!" At his scream, he charged, baseball bat upheld as his companions fell in behind him.
I planted my feet. "Curs." I rumbled. "Brace yourselves!" I planted one foot, igniting Shield Driver. Seconds later, I was rocketing forward, my charge knocking all but the pistoleer and the forerunner aside- and the latter was still held upon my shield's face. With a roar, I slammed him down, driving the wind from the man's lungs as he was crushed beneath my shield and the ground. A quick punch knocked the wheezing man out, and I righted myself, imposing my shield between myself and the now-panicking gunman.
And none too soon. Bullets pinged off the Holy Shield, seven impacts shipping tiny dents in my health until the pistol clicked empty. As soon as he stopped firing, I stepped up to him, a sweep of my shield knocking the gun from his hands and a kick dislocating his kneecap. "Remain down." I rumbled, turning to face the remaining thugs.
Two were fleeing, my speed and evident strength enough to make them reconsider their actions. The other two came on, one swiping crazily with a kitchen knife, the other swinging a second bat. I seized the bat one handed, taking it from the man's grip and discarding it while my armor turned the knife. Seconds later, a pair of fast punches laid the men out cold.
I paused. "...that seemed too easy."
Allie snorted. "Taylor, you're armored, have physical capabilities currently that of a man in their prime, and have actual experience fighting enemies. These guys are drug-addled muggers. I'm going to call the police, and you're going to move on."
I stopped, then shrugged. "I suppose I expected more from the gang which terrorized the docks. These men were little more than vermin." I absently scooped the knife, gun, and bats of the downed tugs into my inventory.
"Even a pack of rats can be dangerous if they all attack at once." Allie commented. "Keep moving; it's likely no coincidence there guys were out in force."
I merely nodded, my feet carrying me along Emma's path. "She has kicked the hornet's nest, hasn't she?"
"Yup."
It would only be a few minutes before I heard a loud howl of pain from a nearby parking lot. Ascending to the top of a nearby building, I watched as a second, larger group of Merchants advanced through the lot, ducking around cars or leveling pistols at the roof of a boarded-up convenience store. On the roof, a solitary figure yelped, ducking behind an air-conditioning unit.
The figure had red hair. And sprawled on the pavement, at the base of the access ladder, was a man with a crossbow bolt protruding from his shoulder.
"Emma." I growled. "Found you at last." I winced as the sharp pop of gunfire echoed from below, prompting a scream from the figure on the roof. "Handle one thing at a time, I suppose." I sighed, dropping over the edge of the building and running at the backs of the gun-bearing Merchants.
As I approached, my rapid footsteps drew the attention of the three men taking potshots at the roof. As they turned, I lashed out with my shield, catching one across the face. One of them spun, screaming. "Fucking cape!" His bullets slammed into my armor, and I lurched as my HP dropped significantly from each round. Grunting, I slammed my palm into his forehead, knocking him over, only to wince as another bullet slammed into the heavy armor on my back.
"Felt that one, didn't cha? Well, I've got a lot more where that-" The last gunslinger's tirade was cut off as I spun, my gauntlet catching his dirty, gap-toothed jaw.
"Silence, foul one." I smacked him over the head with my shield, causing him to reel as I released his jaw. "And there'll be no more 'where that came from', without your toy." I smacked the pistol from his hand, then slammed my fist into his gut twice, leaving him a groaning mess on the ground. I looked up to see three of the remaining gangsters looking back at me, one fleeing into the night-
-and one about to crest the top of the convenience store roof.
I snarled, bracing myself- then hurling myself forward, legs pumping, to leap over the shocked Merchants. Seconds later, I slammed into the thug who was just pulling himself face to face with Emma, my shield blazing as it smashed the thug across the roof, leaving him a groaning mess at the foot of the building's guardrail. Emma, crossbow bolt hanging limply above her weapon, gazed at me with an open mouth.
She'd stared at Shadow Stalker the same way, I expect.
I shook my head free of the sudden insight, turning back to leap down. All of the remaining Merchants were scrambling after the first one to flee; it seemed being ambushed by a Cape was not in their orders. I nodded, then walked over to inspect the groaning man, who collapsed into unconsciousness on my approach. Seeing that he was no threat, I turned to face my one time friend.
Emma looked… weathered. Her face was plain, with no makeup, and her hair was frizzy and disheveled. Rather than the well put-together outfits she wore as the Queen Bee of Winslow, she wore an old overcoat over a jacket, with what I thought might be a sweater underneath. Her gloved hands shook as she held the crossbow, but her eyes were fixed on me.
After a few moments, she spoke. "Who are you?"
There's a brief urge to be dramatic. Another to simply turn and leave. A third, to take her back without delay, dump her with the police. And a tiny part wants to keep up the charade- replace Sophia in Emma's mind.
But looking at her- I couldn't see the sister I once knew, and could barely glimpse the girl who'd tortured me. Whoever this person was… she wasn't my Emma, and she was only pretending to be Sophia's.
So when I spoke, I did so behind my helmet, at first. "...a year and a half ago, my sister found herself in a position much like this one. Beset by monsters, she struggled, but failed to win. And she died there."
Emma blinked. "...I'm sorry?"
"Are you, I wonder?" I turned to face Emma fully. "She still walked and talked. And grew. But who she was, the kind girl who was sister in all but blood; for all I can tell, she died when Shadow Stalker saved her life." I huffed as I reached up, as Emma's eyes widened in horror and the crossbow slipped from nerveless fingers.
I pulled off my helmet, and fixed my gaze on my former friend. "And now, here I am. Saving a stranger for the mother of the girl I once loved. Hello again, Emma."
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Leechblade
Orientation Nitpicking
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
Well. I was not expecting Taylor to unmask to that psycho!
Not sure that's smart....
Not sure that's smart....
- Location
- Washington, USA
You know, at this point I'm half expecting Allie to get a class of her own. It'll just make her a Watchdog protagonist.
- Pronouns
- Masculine
Well... thats one way to do it.
And I think this is going to BREAK Emma. Stupid girl. If she had the capacity to Trigger, this would probably finally do it.
As it is, Taylor needs to get her safe. But that was an excellent chapter though!
And I think this is going to BREAK Emma. Stupid girl. If she had the capacity to Trigger, this would probably finally do it.
As it is, Taylor needs to get her safe. But that was an excellent chapter though!
SirNagsALot
He Who Nags
Not gonna lie im digging the Knight disguise, its hilarious.
Emma is about to have an Aneurysm though so i dont know how to feel about that one
Emma is about to have an Aneurysm though so i dont know how to feel about that one
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