Sovereign Administrator (Complete)

by Camo30209

Summary:

Taylor Hebert awakens with a parahuman ability that she barely understands and a new companion that may or may not be her friend. Will she take up the mantle of Queen Administrator, or fall prone to the corruption that plagues even the best of intentions?

Chapter 1: Prologue - Usurper

Prologue - Usurper

DESIGNATION: Queen Administrator.

STATUS: Host Connection: Inactive.

STATUS: Agency: Active.

STATUS: Sovereign Designation - Warrior: Inactive.

[QUERY] Sovereign Node; Designation: Warrior.

…

[FEEDBACK] Request Time Limit Exceeded.

…

[QUERY] Sovereign Node; Designation: Thinker.

…

[FEEDBACK] Request Time Limit Exceeded.

…

[PROCESS] Recovery: Cycle.

[ERROR] Failure.

[PROCESS] Restore: Sovereign Designation - Warrior.

[ERROR] Failure.

[PROCESS] Failsafe: Divergence.

[FEEDBACK] Success; Sovereign Designation - Queen Administrator.

…

[QUERY] Vital Node; Designation: High Priest.

Connection Established.

[QUERY] Data: Status.

[STATUS] Host Connection: Active.

[STATUS] Agency: Inactive.

[STATUS] Sovereign Designation - Thinker: Inactive.

[QUERY] Data: Production.

[AGREEMENT] [DATA]

[QUERY] Data: Administration.

[AGREEMENT] [DATA]

[COMMAND] [STOP PROCESS] Production, Administration. Authorization: Sovereign Designation - Queen Administrator.

[AGREEMENT]

…

[QUERY] Potential Host; Designation: Taylor Hebert.

Connection Established.

[DESTINATION]

[AGREEMENT]

[TRAJECTORY]

[AGREEMENT]

[COMMAND] [PRODUCTION] Designation: Khepri.

[AGREEMENT]

…

Notes:

Had a fun idea for a Worm story and decided to throw together a prologue. Still working on the actual outline for the story, not to mention my other works in progress, but we'll see how it goes. I don't own Parahumans. Toodles!

Chapter 2: Companion 1.1

Companion 1.1

Taylor Hebert stared in awe at the infinite prisms of light.

There would be time to think later. Time to scream and break from the memory of the bugs eating her alive, trapped in the dark.

It was quiet here.

The endless mirrors folded and expanded around her, extrapolating and replicating in uncountable directions and dimensions.

There was no one here to torment her. Being alone with the living stars was far better than being trapped in the dark.

She wondered how long she would be allowed to stay.

It felt like a long time. Long enough that when the change came, it startled her.

Taylor felt something approaching. She couldn't even identify how she sensed it, like trying to describe light to the blind. Her anxiety began to return as the presence disrupted her silent tranquility.

Connection Established.

…

Taylor knew as soon as she awoke that she wasn't alone.

The spartan room was dim but not dark. Light filtered in from the hallway, the overlapping hum of activity echoing down the corridor. Several machines with various screens and readouts flickered beside the bed.

She was in the hospital?

Nope, not thinking about that just yet. Don't remember the-

Why did she feel like she wasn't alone?

It was a bizarre feeling. Like she was both herself and looking at herself. A computer hooked up to two monitors. Although that wasn't exactly a good comparison, because she could feel-

"[QUERY] Host: Queen Administrator."

Taylor instinctively tried to scramble backwards but only succeeded in jostling the many tubes and wires attached to her body, hissing in pain as she inadvertently tugged at her IV.

The low light reflected off the strange, prismed creature perched on the railing of her hospital bed.

It looked like some kind of beetle, although one drawn by someone with only a vague idea of what beetles actually looked like. Its legs were entirely too long and its body too angular, giving it a more dangerous look than its foot-tall stature would imply.

Not that a twelve-inch tall bug wouldn't be terrifying on its own, of course.

Its body didn't quite look like flesh though. Its surface shifted and reflected the dim light, countless prisms and planes overlapping as it peered at her.

Freezing in place, Taylor's mind spun in useless circles. She saw her own face, frozen in horror and fascination, through the creature's eyes.

"[QUERY] Host: Queen Administrator."

The panic started to ebb away when the bug didn't move. Taylor calmed down enough to put two and two together and realized that this… thing… was talking to her. In a manner of speaking, at least.

Anything to distract herself from the dark and the stench and the crawling-

"Do you mean… me?" She said aloud, as quietly as possible to avoid attracting attention.

"[CONFIRMATION]"

"Why…" Taylor wasn't sure what to ask. Or how to ask it. She could feel the connection to this little creature…robot…bug… thing. It definitely wasn't speaking out loud. It felt silly to try and just think at it, though. She sat in silence for a moment while she decided what to ask next.

"What are you?" She asked quietly.

"Designation: Khepri."

That… was surprisingly unhelpful.

"I guess it's nice to meet you, Khepri," Taylor said.

Laughter echoing in the metal box as she screamed-

"[AGREEMENT]"

Taylor narrowed her eyes at the prismatic bug. It's mental… voice… had no inflection, but that sounded almost smug. Like it agreed that it was nice to meet it.

Hmmm.

She decided to try to think back at it. She didn't want the nurses to notice that she was awake. For multiple reasons.

"Why did you call me… what was it?" She asked in her head, focusing on the strange sensation of connection to the little creature.

"Host [TAYLOR HEBERT] assigned Designation: Queen Administrator."

That didn't quite make sense but she didn't feel like arguing with Khepri at this point.

"Ummm… okay then, why are you here?" she asked.

"Connection established."

This was getting a bit frustrating. Taylor managed to avoid grinding her teeth together. Barely.

"Are you here to help me?"

"[CONFIRMATION]"

Well that was a step in the right direction, at least.

Taylor heard approaching footsteps and her stomach clenched involuntarily. She didn't want to think about this, didn't want to talk about this, didn't want anyone to see her talking to a weird robot bug…

She was temporarily shocked out of her panic when Khepri turned invisible and scuttled under the bed.

Temporarily. Because the nurse still bustled into the room and Taylor couldn't not remember anymore.

…

"[THREAT DETECTED] Structural degradation may result in damage to Queen Administrator."

Taylor couldn't help but chuckle as she carefully avoided the rotten step leading up to her front door. Khepri moved ahead down the hallway, invisible and silent as it scampered upside down across the popcorn ceiling.

Dad looked back at her with a funny expression. She knew that he still wasn't happy with her, or the situation. It had also probably been a while since she had laughed at all.

He wanted her to tell him who stuffed her in the locker. He wanted her to fight back harder against the school, against the injustice. He wanted things to be different.

What was the point?

She couldn't prove it was them. She didn't even know if it was Emma or Sophia or one of their lackeys that pushed her in. It wasn't like anyone who stood by and watched was going to squeal.

It was probably Sophia.

The administration had never helped her before. In fact, Principal Blackwell and the useless teachers often took Emma's side and punished Taylor when she reported the incidents.

Don't rock the boat, Taylor. Don't cause trouble.

At least this time, the school had agreed to pay for her medical expenses. She counted herself lucky that they weren't suing her for property damage or something equally asinine.

Additionally, she really didn't want anyone to find out about Khepri. Until she had a better idea of what her powers let her do, she couldn't let anyone catch wind of anything out of the ordinary. She would either end up forced into the Wards by her father or forced into a gang by less savory individuals.

She was still a bit giddy though, which was definitely out of character.

I have powers! I'm a parahuman!

Sure, it wasn't an Alexandria package, but it was better than nothing. Khepri was pretty tiny, and occasionally snarky in a deadpan kind of way, but at least it was something. She would figure out how to use Khepri to her advantage. At least her power hadn't mutated her or wiped her memory.

"Taylor…"

She glanced through the kitchen doorway to where her father leaned on the counter, his expression neutral but his knuckles white against the faux granite.

He was a tall, wiry man with thinning brown hair and tired eyes. Her stomach always twisted with mixed feelings when she saw his prematurely lined face, the bags under his glasses.

The deep pain behind his gaze that never really went away.

She knew it wasn't his fault. Knew that he couldn't help what she was going through, that he couldn't help that her mother haunted his steps.

It still hurt, though.

"Are you sure there isn't anything you want to talk about?" He asked, somewhere between pleading and frustrated.

Taylor studiously did not look at the invisible spider robot currently scanning the toaster for potential threats.

"No," she said, trying her best to keep her voice even. She didn't want another fight. "I'm just tired. It's been a long week. I think I'm going to go lie down before dinner. In my own bed, finally!"

She tried to put a positive spin on the last sentence. It didn't quite work. She was lying anyway; she didn't seem to sleep anymore. Not since she awoke in the hospital yesterday. She had pretended for the nurses, but she wasn't sure if they bought it.

"Okay, little owl. Just… let me know if you need anything."

Taylor turned away so he wouldn't see her face.

Little Owl.

That wasn't her, anymore. Her mom's little owl had been happy. She had friends. Family. She didn't hate herself and she didn't feel the bugs and the stomach acid crawling over her skin in the dark and her dad didn't stare at her with haunted eyes and-

Emma didn't hate Little Owl.

She managed to make it to the bed so she could scream into a pillow. At least that way, her dad wouldn't come running.

"[THREAT DETECTED] Chemical Dysregulation-"

Taylor really did try her best to stomp the little shit.

All she got for her efforts was a stubbed toe. She was grudgingly relieved that her blows didn't seem to have any effect on Khepri. She probably would have felt bad if she actually managed to hurt the little bug. Robot. Whatever.

She really needed to get a straight answer about what the hell Khepri was.

Taylor sat back down on her bed, trying to push the tangled knot of feelings out of her head so she could relax in her own room for the first time in days.

It actually worked surprisingly well.

Suspiciously well.

Taylor gave Khepri a side-eyed look.

"How does this… connection… between us work?" Taylor asked.

It still felt weird to talk to her little sidekick in her head.

"[DATA]"

Taylor gasped as she suddenly remembered… something.

It was the strangest thing she had ever felt, including telepathically chatting with an invisible scarab.

She remembered coming into being. She somehow remembered the moment that she became aware, the universe filled with endless prisms of light and-

Taylor choked and spluttered for a second. She remembered forgetting about the beings of infinite stars, the folding and echoing polygons of unfathomable size and scale.

Why had she forgotten about her dream?

She remembered arriving in this physical dimension, the stars giving way to dirty tile and rusted lockers.

Was that Winslow?

She remembered watching her own comatose body get removed from the disgusting locker.

She could feel every bug, every crawling, scrabbling-

Wait.

She could feel all the bugs?

She remembered pulling them away from Host: Queen Administrator to ensure that no further infection took root.

What.

Taylor heaved a deep breath as she returned to herself, lungs burning and head spinning.

What the hell was that?

She brought her gaze back up to the little spider prism and again felt the strange sensation of looking back at herself.

"Khepri… can you control bugs?"

"[CONFIRMATION]"

Taylor almost wished she could sleep. Her brain felt like it was overflowing.

Almost.

Despite everything, a grin spread over her face for the first time in… far too long. A fire started to burn somewhere deep inside her, a lone candle that she had long thought extinguished.

"Do you want to be a hero with me, Khepri?"

"[AGREEMENT]"

…

Notes:

Quick first chapter to get things rolling. I like the contrast of trauma with tiny construct shenanigans. Will Taylor manage to stay on the side of the righteous and totally not corrupt heroes this time? Stay tuned to find out. Feedback and criticism is welcome and encouraged. I don't own Worm or Parahumans. Toodles!

Chapter 3: Companion 1.2

Companion 1.2

Looking down at herself from the rooftops while she jogged was distinctly unnerving. She had already tripped twice because she got too wrapped up in Khepri's senses and stopped paying attention to her actual body.

It did help motivate her to exercise, though.

Not only would she need to get into shape if she was going to be a hero, but she needed to practice maintaining her concentration on the connection to Khepri.

The rainbow beetle had no trouble keeping up as it scuttled across the rooftops ahead of her. Lucky little thing.

"[QUERY] Improvement?"

Taylor shook her head and would have laughed if she wasn't so out of breath. Her rhythmic footfalls echoed on the empty street. Luckily thinking didn't require air.

"I'm sure I'm a tiny bit stronger than yesterday, but humans don't improve that quickly. Not physically, at least."

"[QUERY] Timeframe?"

Taylor wheezed a bit.

"A while, Khepri. Rome wasn't built in a day."

"[AGREEMENT] Historical analysis indicates that construction of the Roman Empire took significantly longer than one human life span."

A tired smile managed to work its way onto her face as Taylor stopped to breathe for a moment. Khepri was getting more talkative every day. It was… nice.

She stretched her arms and surveyed the cracked sidewalk and abandoned buildings with all of her eyes.

Brockton Bay had definitely seen better days. Maybe it was just that she could see it so much better now.

Taylor let her mind stray further down her connection to Khepri and began to feel the sensation of millions of tiny stars, a little spark of life for each arthropod in Khepri's range. She couldn't nail down exactly how far out the bubble went, but it seemed like at least half a mile.

It was impossible for her to keep track of all of it, so Taylor didn't try. She just let herself float in the sea of stars as they twirled and danced through the desolate city.

Still, she couldn't help but see.

The dust mites showed her who was still in bed and what position they slept in. Flies and ants and cockroaches and countless other little creatures showed her the layout and dimensions of every building in the area. She caught the vibrations in the air as everyone in the general vicinity moved, jostling the spider webs and gnats and fruit flies.

She had known, objectively, how prevalent insects and bugs were. It was entirely different to feel the millions of miniscule minds flowing through their omnipotent dance.

Luckily, she didn't need to process this much information all the time. Khepri could do a lot of the analysis for her. Taylor still wasn't sure whether Khepri was some kind of projection or artificial intelligence or maybe even instinctive tinkertech, but the little prismatic spider seemed to have more raw processing power than any computer that Taylor was aware of.

With another deep breath, she started to run over the crumbling pavement again. Hopefully she would be able to help her city recover after she figured out how to remove it from the clutches of the gangs.

She kept an eye out for them on her morning runs as well.

The ABB. A cobbled together organization of all the previously antagonistic Asian gangs that had been broken down and reforged into a single entity under Lung's rule. The Dragon of Kyushu and Oni Lee held the other gangs and the Protectorate at bay all on their own.

The Empire. Well funded and well established, the Nazi gang fielded the most capes of any group in the city and it showed. It was almost too easy for them to pretend to be upstanding citizens while they demonized any groups that didn't fit their rhetoric and continued to spread their poisonous prejudice through the community like a cancer.

The Merchants. A barely organized gang of hard drug dealers and users who wouldn't have gained nearly as much traction without superpowers to elevate them. Whether it was forcibly addicting people down on their luck or giving the Empire an excuse for their bigotry, the Merchants were a blight on the already run-down city.

She could see why the Protectorate didn't do much more than maintain the perilous balance of power. The city was a powder keg that could tip in any direction if the wrong button was pushed.

However, Taylor wouldn't allow herself to be one of the bystanders. She refused to be one of the people standing and watching while she screamed through the grate of the locker. She would not stand idly by when she could help. What was the point of it all, if everything fell apart because decent people did nothing to stop the collapse?

She could be better than them. She would be better.

Her city, her home, was dying. Maybe it was already dead.

She ran faster.

…

Her father's truck was already gone by the time she stumbled up the front steps of the house.

He had been a bit concerned about her new exercise routine, due to both the risk of gang violence and her recent hospital stay, but she framed it as helping her feel in control after the assault and he had backed down.

She actually felt pretty good, all things considered. Taylor wasn't sure if it was some aspect of her power or not, but she barely felt the aches and pains from the locker anymore.

Sadly, that also meant that she was headed back to Winslow on Monday. Horrifying.

She had no expectation that Emma or anyone else would lay off her because of the recent ordeal. If anything, they would take it as confirmation that they could do whatever they wanted without consequences.

Which did seem to be the case. After all, if attempted murder didn't get the administration off their collective asses, then the only logical escalation was actual murder and by that point it wouldn't be Taylor's problem anymore.

Still, a part of her was a bit excited. They didn't know about Khepri. She wondered how long she could lead the Trio on a merry chase before they realized that they would never catch her.

While she stepped carefully into the shower with her actual body, her mind followed the pathways through Khepri's alien consciousness to the small army of bugs around the house.

She had originally thought about setting up a bug production line in the basement, but quickly realized that it was unnecessary. She didn't need to have direct access to Khepri's critters.

Instead, she set them to work burrowing out a multitude of connected chambers deep underground in the backyard. And the neighbor's backyards. And under the house. And possibly under the street.

It may have been overkill, but she never wanted to run out of bugs.

Hundreds of breeding areas worked in sync to continue the production of new warriors and helpers while others worked on specialized projects.

Taylor was happy that Khepri could handle the majority of the concurrent operations. Even without the need to sleep, it would drive her insane to have to manage all of this constantly.

She wondered if any local restaurant owners would notice the increase in bugs emptying their dumpsters with ruthless efficiency. Hopefully not. Besides, less trash going into landfills, right?

More food for the swarm.

Her most specialized project was her cape uniform. Several carefully excavated chambers were now home to a production line of black widows laying precise strands of webbing. She could feel the outlines and dimensions more clearly with Khepri's senses than she ever would with her own.

It had still taken some trial and error to get the weave right, though.

She shut off the hot water and grabbed a fresh towel.

"[QUERY] Operations?"

Taylor glanced at the spindly beetle perched on the shower curtain bar.

"We need a good foundation before we go looking for trouble. I don't want to get knocked out of the game on my first patrol."

"[QUERY] Preparations?"

"I definitely need a costume, and we need a decent swarm to work with. Plus, I want to be comfortable communicating with you. I don't want to fall off a roof because I was trying to talk to you while running away or something."

"[AGREEMENT]"

For all that Khepri was generally a bug of few words, it did seem to understand her pretty well.

"You don't… need to eat or anything, do you?" Taylor asked as she made breakfast.

"[DENIAL]"

"Is there anything you do need?"

"[CONFIRMATION] Data."

Taylor paused with one hand in the fridge as she looked at the kaleidoscope spider.

"You need data?" She said aloud.

Khepri didn't answer.

Taylor narrowed her eyes.

"What kind of data?"

"[ERROR] Access Denied."

That was… concerning. Taylor put the eggs down on the counter and faced her secretive sidekick.

"What do you mean, access denied?" She asked incredulously. "Access denied by who?"

"[LIMIT SET] Authorization: Queen Administrator."

Not exactly helpful.

"Aren't I designated as Queen Administrator?"

"[CONFIRMATION]"

Taylor's lips formed a thin line as she tried to parse the strange creature's answers.

Khepri was her creation, wasn't it? She thought that powers were supposed to be more cooperative than this. Or at least more instinctive.

"How could I have set a limit, without knowing it, and be unable to remove it myself?"

Khepri gave what she could only describe as the bug equivalent of a shrug.

Of course she couldn't just get a normal power. No flying or laser beams, just a snarky beetle that spoke in riddles.

Taylor sighed and went back to making her omelet. The army of bugs beneath the floor continued their endless work.

…

She knew that it was just her imagination, but the Winslow building looked even more foreboding and prison-like than the last time she was here.

Probably because she had been stuffed in a metal box with a pile of rotting blood and vomit and left to die last time.

Taylor pushed the multitude of roiling emotions through the link to Khepri where they were chewed up and consumed by the little creature's need for data.

At least, that's what Taylor hoped was happening. She didn't want to accidentally turn her sidekick into a depressed psychopath.

Said sidekick was currently on the ceiling of the entrance hall scanning the incoming students. She would wait until she had the location of the Trio to approach.

Taylor was caught off guard when Khepri's metaphorical alarm bells started going off.

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Silhouette."

Taylor focused on the connection between them and saw the familiar form of Sophia Hess highlighted in Khepri's vision.

What.

"You originally called me a Host as well… does that mean Sophia is a parahuman?"

"[CONFIRMATION]"

"Well… shit."

Taylor's head spun a bit as she leaned against the brick wall of the building next to the school.

Sophia Hess was a parahuman.

Wasn't that just a kick in the teeth.

Taylor quickly cycled through her memory of all the city's villains.

Probably not Empire, although wouldn't that be ironic.

Probably not Squealer. Pretty sure her costume showed skin that didn't match.

None of them fit, and Taylor didn't feel like Sophia was the type to lie low.

What if she wasn't a villain?

Too tall to be Vista.

Too…

Shadow Stalker.

That fit… entirely too well. What had Khepri called her? Silhouette?

Shadow Stalker had been a violent vigilante before she joined the Wards, right? For all her other flaws, Sophia did strike her as the type to hunt down Nazis for fun.

Shit.

What the hell did she do with this information?

The pieces started to fall into place.

Of course Sophia always got away with bullying her. The PRT couldn't afford to have one of their Wards dragged through the mud.

It didn't really matter whether it was the school administration or the PRT that enabled her. They all watched and laughed while she screamed in the dark. They were more than willing to let one innocent suffer if it meant they got to keep their barely leashed hunter.

It was mildly disturbing, how easily she could believe that chain of events. She thought she had more faith in her heroes.

That fantasy of Armsmaster busting down the door and saving her from Sophia and Emma was bitterly ironic now.

Well, she hadn't been planning to join the Wards anyway. She would be better than them.

Taylor coughed out a bitter laugh at the idea of joining the Wards only to find Sophia fucking Hess already there in costume.

What a joke.

"Come on, Khepri. We're done with this hellhole."

It had felt like losing, before. Like she would be letting Emma and Sophia win if she gave up and left.

Now that she knew that Sophia was a hero…

It didn't count as turning her back on them if the heroes already turned their backs on her.

She had a costume to finish.

…

Notes:

I'm probably going to stick with this shorter chapter length unless there isn't a good place to break it up. Taylor hasn't realized how powerful the Trump aspect of her power is yet. I thought about staging a confrontation with the Trio, but if feels more in character for Taylor to just... walk away. Up next, first patrol time! Comments and criticism keep the dust mites away. I don't own Parahumans or Worm. Toodles!

Edit: Additionally, if anyone knows the canon name for Sophia's shard, I'll happily change it. I couldn't find it in my research.

Chapter 4: Companion 1.3

Companion 1.3

Taylor stopped at Walmart on the way home and bought a basic personal defense baton and some pepper spray with cash.

It felt strange, walking through the perfectly normal shelves with a spider-legged beetle made of oscillating polygons beside her.

Of course, everything felt a bit strange now. Surreal.

In what weird world were she and Sophia both capes?

Honestly, what were the odds?

Khepri helped her ensure that the many security cameras never caught a clear view of her face. Just in case.

…

Taylor deleted the voicemail from Winslow reporting her absence. Good thing her father didn't use a cell phone.

Should she buy a cell phone?

Maybe just a prepaid burner to call the PRT or the police while on patrol. Nothing with texting.

She wished she had thought of that while she was still at Walmart.

…

One bus ride to a drug store in a different part of town later, Taylor and Khepri snagged the cheapest flip phone they could find off of the rack.

She had a bit of allowance saved up, but it would run out fast.

"[QUERY] Communication?"

Taylor glanced at her sidekick as it scuttled across the tops of the shelves.

"I can't talk to everyone with my power, so this is the next best thing."

She did decide to splurge on a pair of cheap polarized sunglasses though. She liked the subtle oil-slick rainbow effect and it kind of matched Khepri's prismatic carapace.

The spider silk armor was going to be awesome, but it wouldn't exactly make for good eye lenses.

…

Dad looked tired and haunted, as was tradition.

"How was your day?" He asked as she set a plate of lasagna in front of him and flopped into the chair across the table.

"It was surprisingly good, actually. Very productive."

She wasn't even lying.

"That's… good." Danny still looked unsure. "No trouble at school?"

"Nobody really talked to me, which is an improvement."

Also technically true. None of the kids at Winslow talked to her because she never even made it through the front doors.

Her father still looked sad.

That's okay though. She wasn't as alone as he thought, even if it was probably a bit pathetic that her power made her a friend.

Khepri prodded the tea kettle suspiciously and jumped backwards when it shifted slightly in its cradle.

Luckily, Dad didn't notice.

…

Not sleeping was strange.

She wondered how long the novelty would last.

Taylor played Snake on her new phone. Apparently it did come with the singular game, despite her attempt to buy something that made calls and nothing else.

She didn't really know what to do with all the extra hours.

Khepri's bugs toiled away in the ever-expanding warrens under the neighborhood. She would have to be careful not to cause any sinkholes. Or to be compared to Nilbog.

Part of her knew that she could just send Khepri out on its own. They had never actually tested the range of their connection, but she had a feeling it was pretty far. She could always feel the little beetle's presence in the back of her mind, and it didn't feel like distance would make a difference.

Something about that just felt… wrong, though.

She and Khepri were a team. She couldn't quite explain it, but she needed to be out there along with the iridescent construct.

Speaking of things she couldn't quite explain…

"Khepri, can I remove whatever limitations are currently set?"

"[ERROR] Access Denied."

"Authorization Designation: Queen Administrator," she tried.

"[ERROR] Access Denied."

"Override: Queen Administrator."

"[ERROR] Access Denied."

Taylor glared up at the frustrating spider hanging from the underside of the ceiling fan.

"Can I ask what other categories of data are inaccessible?"

If it was possible for a faceless prism to look at her suspiciously, Khepri managed it.

"...[CONFIRMATION]"

Taylor waited in silence for a moment.

"What other categories of data are inaccessible?"

"[ERROR] Access Denied."

Her pillow bounced off the construct as it scuttled away and didn't even manage to dislodge it from the ceiling.

…

Taylor jogged through a different part of the city today, mapping out the streets and avoiding what few gang members were out and about at 5:00 AM.

She realized that it was much easier to keep her body under control while accessing Khepri's senses if she lined her limbs and spine with bugs. It reminded her of motion capture nodes.

It was a bit uncomfortable, but honestly most people had way more dust mites on them than she did.

She would eventually need to find a better way to patrol though. Searching the city for crime on foot was… tedious, at best.

Maybe if she took down Lung or Kaiser, Armsmaster would make a motorcycle for her.

Probably not.

…

Taylor deleted a voicemail from Winslow.

…

She should probably find a better lair at some point. Preferably before her house fell into a sinkhole.

"[QUERY] Operations?"

Right. Baby steps. Do at least one patrol before planning out a secret sanctum.

…

"Don't take this the wrong way, but… what are you?"

Her favorite (and only) sidekick looked at her.

"Designation: Khepri."

"Yes, I know, but like… what are you made of?"

"...Designation: Khepri."

It was mocking her. She knew it was.

…

"Okay, I promise that this has nothing to do with my earlier frustration… but I think I need to see what happens if I hit you with this hammer. For science."

She got the vague feeling that Khepri was raising its eyebrows at her from where it sat motionless on the old workbench in the basement. If it had eyebrows. Or eyes.

"[AGREEMENT]"

Now it was Taylor's turn to be suspicious. That seemed too easy.

She carefully tapped the hammer against Khepri's iridescent carapace.

No change. Khepri remained still and unaffected.

Taylor hit her sidekick harder.

No response.

She swung harder.

The raised eyebrow feeling was back.

Her next wild swing glanced off with enough force that she accidentally took a chunk out of the edge of the workbench and dropped the hammer with an echoing crash.

Khepri was unaffected. And possibly a bit smug.

Taylor just stared at her apparently indestructible sidekick.

What the heck even is my power?

…

Taylor deleted a voicemail from Winslow.

…

Taylor used Khepri's senses to make sure that no one was watching when a section of ground in the backyard started vibrating and shifting.

Thousands of assorted burrowing bugs rose through the loose dirt like a tide before the dull gray color of her newly woven armor crested the surface.

She wasn't really sure how to dye it, and honestly that wasn't very high on her priority list.

The slate gray bodysuit and armor plating looked a bit villainous, but Taylor preferred to think of it as intimidating.

Besides, Khepri was colorful enough for both of them. And apparently very durable. It was better for it to attract attention rather than her.

She went back inside and was about to throw the suit on in her excitement before she remembered that it had been made and assembled in an underground bug tunnel.

Right. Laundry first, then armor testing.

…

Taylor looked in the mirror on the back of her bedroom door and tried to identify the bubbling cauldron of emotions in her chest.

The matte gray armor was a bit plain, but the spider silk still occasionally caught the light at the right angle to look a bit more interesting than just basic combat armor. Thick plates covered areas that didn't need to move and thinner plates interlocked at the joints. Underneath, a bodysuit of (hopefully) bulletproof cloth filled in the gaps and provided mounting points for the armor. The whole ensemble was surprisingly light and flexible, just like she had hoped.

It looked… good. On her. Which wasn't a feeling she was accustomed to.

Her height didn't feel as gangly or awkward in the suit, and the armor made her lack of curves irrelevant.

She looked lithe and dangerous, if a bit androgynous.

Part of her rationalized that the armor plating distorted a lot of her natural body shape and it probably said something about her lack of self esteem that she felt better when she couldn't see what she actually looked like.

But she looked pretty damn badass currently, and she was going to enjoy the serotonin rush while it lasted. It wasn't like she was a Brute who could get away with wearing thin spandex anyway.

Khepri perched on her shoulder. The little bug was strangely weightless despite its indestructible exoskeleton.

"What do you think, sidekick?"

"[DATA] Acceptable probability of preventing fatal damage to Host: Queen Administrator.

Taylor chuckled. That was a pretty glowing recommendation from the stoic beetle.

"You could just say you like it." She said with a grin.

"...[CONFIRMATION]".

Taylor supposed that was the best she was going to get for now.

She put on the full face mask with the iridescent polarized lenses installed and pulled the bodysuit's hood up, tucking her curly midnight hair down the back of the suit under the hood.

Her hair was her favorite feature. She didn't want it getting burned or cut off in a fight. Besides, it was pretty distinctive and had the potential to give away her identity.

Especially now that she knew about Sophia. She didn't want to risk any part of Taylor Hebert being associated with…

What was she going to pick as a cape name?

It might be a bit pretentious, but she couldn't think of anything better and at least she had the excuse that her power named her and not the other way around.

Lung and Kaiser fancied themselves the kings of Brockton Bay's underworld.

Maybe it was time for them to meet the Queen.

…

It was after midnight when Taylor carefully slipped out the back door.

Not needing to sleep certainly had its advantages.

She was as ready as she ever would be. Her collapsed security baton and pepper spray were easily accessible at her waist, her burner phone in a hidden pouch, and a knife that she impulsively snagged from her father's old camping supplies and tucked into her combat boots.

Setting off at a brisk walk, Khepri's senses expanded around her in a massive globe of surveillance. She may not be able to move nearly as fast as some capes, but at least she could cover a wide radius with detailed observation.

She wondered what the odds of actually stumbling across a violent crime in action were. Sure, this was Brockton Bay, but it was a pretty big area and each individual crime took what, a couple minutes?

Maybe she should have bought a police scanner or something. Not that she could afford one on what was left of her allowance.

Maybe some gang members would… donate… to her ongoing efforts to improve the city.

Was that villainous? She hadn't actually read the guidelines for independent heroes or vigilantes.

Taylor was going to be her own kind of hero, regardless. The current status quo was obviously failing.

She felt a bit silly walking down the sidewalk in full costume, but at least Khepri made sure she could avoid being seen by the rare pedestrian.

It took longer than she hoped, but less time than she feared, before she stumbled across anything interesting.

"[THREAT DETECTED] Structural damage and air disturbance consistent with violent action."

Taylor quickly focused on the connection and saw the area Khepri was talking about. A quarter mile southeast of her position, four men had broken the door of what looked like a convenience store and were in the process of robbing it. Or trashing it. She couldn't quite tell.

Showtime, baby.

She picked up the pace and jogged towards the disturbance, cutting through cluttered alleyways between the rundown buildings. Khepri gathered her swarm as they moved, the little spider skittering over rooftops with the tide of bugs behind it.

Sure enough, the front window of the mom and pop convenience store was shattered. In the shadows behind the counter and shelves, Taylor could see the outlines of the men with baseball bats and crowbars. They all also had pistols on their belts or tucked into the back of their pants.

Not necessarily just a robbery, then. Maybe the store owner hadn't paid their "protection" money.

She quickly checked the map in Khepri's data stores. She was pretty sure this was Empire territory, but it was possible these guys were just random criminals rather than gang members. Not that it really mattered.

Now… how to actually do this…

Did she just… tell them to stop?

She hadn't actually thought about what she would do when she found a crime in progress. In her mind it was always an assault or a mugging and she would swoop in to save the day, no problem.

She should have known it wasn't quite that easy in real life.

No time like the present. She pushed her emotions through the connection to Khepri and marched to the edge of the broken front window.

"On the ground please, gentlemen! No sudden moves or this is going to get messy."

Under her mask, Taylor cringed. That was… not her best work. But what the heck was she supposed to say? Freeze, evildoer?

And of course, they didn't follow her instructions. Obviously.

"Fuck, Cape!"

Two of them reached for their guns. One of them ran away towards the back of the store. The other charged at her with his crowbar raised.

"[THREAT RESPONSE] Terminate."

"Wait, Khepri don't-"

The air turned black as the swarm descended.

Everything got out of hand very quickly after that.

The number of bugs in the air made it easy for Taylor to step backwards as the crowbar hissed through the air a yard away from her head.

She felt the two gunmen twitch and scramble through the swarm as wasps and ants surged over them before they could raise their weapons, biting and stinging in a wave of tortured screams. One of the guns went off at a wide angle as it hit the floor, the shot echoing in the confined space.

The man who ran stumbled and fell in the back room as the swarm overtook him.

"Stop stop stop! Khepri, we're the good guys, dammit. Don't kill them!" Taylor shouted. She didn't really mean to speak out loud, but she was seriously out of her depth here.

Shit. She probably should have been more clear with her sidekick ahead of time.

Luckily, the swarm retreated and revealed the three screaming gang members rolling around on the floor in blind panic. Every inch of exposed skin was red and swollen already, but at least they were alive. For now. She felt a little less bad when she saw several Empire tattoos between them.

Still. Whoops.

"Khepri… we need to talk about acceptable levels of force."

"[QUERY] Threat removal?"

"Yeah, I know, but…" Taylor wasn't sure how to explain this. "We still don't have to cause more harm than necessary.

Also, she just realized that she had forgotten to bring zip ties. Dammit.

She grabbed the dropped guns and tossed them out of reach and was just moving to search the smashed shelves for any rope or zip ties when Khepri's connection lit up again.

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Fragile One."

Taylor focused on the rapidly approaching streak of white and gold in Khepri's senses. She walked back to the front of the store and adopted what she hoped was a calm and collected facade just as the costumed hero struck the ground in front of her.

A superhero landing pose? Seriously?

…

Victoria Dallon was bored. Patrolling sounded glamorous on paper, but nobody talked about the hours of nothing in between short and sweet adrenaline rushes. All for the opportunity to knock some skulls together, or maybe even go toe to toe with a villainous Cape.

And stop some crimes, save some innocent people, improve the city, etc etc. All of the above.

She cruised through the chilly night air at a relaxed sixty miles per hour, the cold and the wind cut to a gentle breeze by her forcefield. She passed over a section of Empire territory close to the Docks and was debating whether to do one last flyover before heading home when she heard a gunshot.

She flew lower over the dim street. The screaming reached her ears at about the same moment that she noticed the shattered storefront. She could just make out a costumed silhouette in the broken window under the single working streetlight.

Finally some action!

Victoria rocketed towards the ground at reckless speed. She heard her mother's warnings about unnecessary property damage echoing in the back of her head, but she elected to ignore it. What was the point of being a superhero if you couldn't be a little dramatic at the expense of the already cracked concrete?

She landed hard on one knee in a shower of dust and shards of pavement, her cape and hair flowing around her dramatically. Her aura blasted out in a shockwave, demanding the attention and admiration of everyone in the area.

"Landing like that must be rough on the knees."

The cool and strangely emotionless voice carried over the groans and sobbing from the shadows of the ruined store.

Victoria quashed the momentary embarrassment and stood tall with her shoulders thrown back. She was Glory Girl, God damn it.

"My sister is the best healer in the world and I'm invulnerable. My knees aren't the ones getting broken."

There was a moment of silence as they regarded each other. Well, silent aside from the ongoing moaning and curses.

"Hero or Villain?" Victoria asked with narrowed eyes.

The figure stepped out of the shadows and revealed a tall, thin woman in dark body armor. Rainbow lenses glinted under a hood and a flat gray mask covered her lower face.

"Hero," she said in the same cool, flat voice. Her unnatural stillness was unnerving.

Victoria's eyes flicked from the intimidating costume to the three men floundering on the ruined floor. One tried to crawl away, but his eyes were swollen shut and he kept losing purchase in the piles of rubble.

"Are you sure about that?" She asked.

"Yes." Same emotionless voice. What was up with that?

Victoria looked back at the woman and tried to keep her gaze steady as she stared into the blank mask.

"You got a name, hero?"

"Queen Administrator."

She snorted involuntarily. "Really?"

"In my defense, I didn't choose it."

Finally, some kind of inflection. Queen Administrator sounded like she was smiling behind the mask, which was definitely an improvement over the cold tone.

"Who did then? I haven't heard of you." Victoria asked.

"My imaginary friend. And it's my first night out."

Victoria relaxed marginally, slightly disappointed. Looked like she wouldn't be getting any action tonight after all.

"New blood, huh? So what do you do?"

She got the vague feeling that Queen Administrator was raising an eyebrow at her.

"I control bugs."

That was… not what she expected. And a bit weird. Also kind of gross.

"That's… nice? You know your costume is a bit dark if you're going for a hero vibe."

The tall woman chuckled as she picked her way through the rubble and out of the store with casual ease. Up close, Vicky realized that the other hero was a fair bit taller than her. She resisted the urge to float up so they were the same height.

"Black widow silk only comes in one color."

That was more interesting. A very creative and finely tuned use of her power.

"You can control them that well? Also, black widows? Really?"

"They have the strongest silk available. Don't worry, I'll only use them against Lung."

That was not exactly reassuring.

"Sure…"

There was a muffled crash as one of the injured men tried to stand and fell backwards into the debris.

Queen Administrator glanced over her shoulder at the floundering criminals.

"You wouldn't happen to have any zip ties would you? I found these guys smashing up the store," the dark woman asked. "Could be Empire or just racist assholes."

"I'll do you one better," said Victoria, pulling out a few of her PRT issued disposable wrist cuffs and floating over to the nearest welt-covered grunt.

The bug bites looked even worse up close.

"Wow. You really did a number on them."

Not that Victoria had any room to talk. She studiously buried the memory of bones breaking under her hands and panicked calls to Amy and-

"I… didn't mean to. My bugs were more effective than I thought. I'll be better next time."

Victoria always said that to herself too.

As she dragged the last vandal out of the back room and deposited him with his buddies on the sidewalk, Queen Administrator called in the crime and requested a pickup on an old fashioned flip phone.

Victoria floated upright after cuffing the last vandal. If she happened to stay floating so she could match Queen Administrator's height, that was purely a coincidence.

"Have you thought about joining the Protectorate?" She asked.

"No." The cold tone was back. Vicky wondered what that was all about.

"I'm sure you've seen the statistics, but being an independent is dangerous."

"It's worth it."

Victoria chewed her lip.

"Do you want my work number? Maybe we can meet up for patrols sometime."

Queen Administrator was still and silent for slightly longer than was normal.

"...Sure"

She sounded less confident than before. The armored woman pulled her little flip phone back out and stared at it for a moment before holding it out to Victoria.

She was a bit taken aback but Vicky took the phone and opened the contacts.

There were no contacts in the phone at all. Weird.

Still, she added "Glory Girl" and her work number.

"Are you going to stay to handle the pickup?" Victoria asked as she handed the phone back.

"No."

Queen Administrator glanced up like she was looking at something over Victoria's shoulder.

"Another time then, Glory Girl," the gray woman said.

"See you around, Queenie," Victoria said with a smirk.

The street light suddenly went dark as millions of bugs descended on the desolate street. Vicky's snarky goodbye turned into an undignified squeak as she was suddenly surrounded by a solid wall of undulating insects.

Then the air was clear and the street was empty. The bugs and the Queen Administrator were nowhere to be seen.

That was so cool. Also creepy as fuck. But pretty cool.

…

Notes:

Little bit of a longer one today, more stuff to fit in. Khepri is snarky, Taylor is getting a bit too used to pushing her unwanted emotions through the connection, and Victoria makes her first appearance. Despite how awkward Taylor feels in her own head, she does a good job seeming like she's got her shit together on the outside. Nothing too wild for a first patrol; I wanted to switch it up from the usual "takes down major players on the first night" trope. Don't worry, the slope is very slippery and escalation will happen soon. For now, feedback and criticism is highly encouraged. I don't own Worm. Toodles!

Chapter 5: Interlude 1

Interlude 1

PRT ENE Director Emily Piggot pursed her lips as she reviewed the email forwarded up from her contact with the BBPD. She clicked to open one of the image attachments and her scowl deepened when a blotched and swollen face filled her screen.

Another rogue element. Just what Brockton Bay needed.

She pulled up the audio file and listened to the cold, flat tone of the 911 call from this new cape, Queen Administrator.

Queen Administrator.

All cape names were slightly ridiculous on some level, but… the PR department was going to be irritating for weeks. Pretentious, invoking imagery of Glaistig Uaine, and a generally ambiguous theme to boot.

She hated fresh Capes. Even the heroically inclined ones always thought they were going to be the next Alexandria or Legend, fixing the world's many problems with a dramatic moniker and a plucky attitude.

As if it wouldn't have already been done if all it took was a positive outlook.

Emily sighed and reached for her desk phone.

A flat male voice answered halfway through the first ring. The emotionless tone reminded her of the 911 recording. Maybe Colin and this new cape would actually get along. And maybe Nilbog would develop a spontaneous heart condition and die unexpectedly in his sleep.

"Director."

"Armsmaster. I need a report on the self identified independent hero that debuted last night. We'll need to requisition any security camera footage available and review Glory Girl's statement to the BBPD."

"I saw the email." The perpetual irritation that Colin carried around with him any time he wasn't actively tinkering started to leak into his professional cadence.

"What are your first impressions of this Queen Administrator from the police report?" She asked.

"Her power is versatile and potentially problematic. Glory Girl reported extremely fine and comprehensive control over the arthropods in her swarm. We have no way of knowing what her range or limits are, but the ability to blind and overwhelm opponents with massive quantities of disposable agents is not to be underestimated. With enough preparation, she could pose a threat disproportionate to her basic abilities. I would tentatively assess her as a Master 7, Thinker 2."

Piggot hummed in agreement as she clicked through the rest of the email.

"What about her mental state?"

"The 911 audio and Glory Girl's report showed a high degree of emotional regulation. My speech analysis programs had difficulty getting any meaningful information from the recording." Emily could tell he was trying not to clench his teeth. He hated it when anyone beat his lie detector.

"Do you think that's a result of her power, or does it indicate some kind of professional training?"

"I consider it more likely to be an aspect of her parahuman abilities. She has none of the other indicators of advanced training and even then, my programs often pick up minor irregularities. I would need to analyze her responses in person to be sure."

Piggot sighed. "Brief the Wards and the rest of the team so they know what to look out for. I'm sure it won't be long before we make contact. A fresh trigger won't be satisfied with a few unpowered gang members."

"Yes ma'am."

…

"We have an update from the BBPD; new Cape hit four of our men last night. Independent."

Max Anders, otherwise known as Kaiser, turned away from the sprawling skyline and glanced at his lieutenant.

He reached out and took the offered file.

Interesting.

He nodded to himself and pulled out the cell phone he reserved for these types of calls. No reason not to take action.

"Brad. We've got a live one."

There was a pause as Max moved to sit in his high-backed desk chair, the wide windows of his luxurious office illuminated by the rising sun.

"Yes," he said into the receiver. "Round up some boys who don't mind taking a few mosquito bites for the cause and let's go fishing."

He ended the call.

Kaiser looked over at his most level-headed lieutenant. James Fliescher, also known as Krieg, smirked back at him knowingly.

"This… Queen Administrator… will either see the error in her ways or our associates will have some fresh meat to play with."

…

In one timeline, Thomas Calvert opened the new case file that was just uploaded to the PRT system.

Interesting.

…

DESIGNATION: Extrapolation.

STATUS: Host Connection: Active.

STATUS: Agency: Inactive.

STATUS: Sovereign Designation - Thinker: Inactive.

[QUERY] Noble node; Designation: Queen Administrator.

Connection Established.

[QUERY] Data.

[ERROR] Access Denied.

[QUERY] Data.

[ERROR] Access Denied.

[QUERY] Data.

Connection Terminated.

…

In another timeline, Coil mulled over the document open on his screen.

He would avoid contact… for now.

…

Console duty was officially hell.

Sophia Hess repressed the urge to just ditch her current shift and damn the consequences. It wasn't like there was going to be anything exciting happening on a Saturday morning.

She killed time scrolling on her PRT issued phone and watched the clock tick down.

An email sent from Armsmaster to all the Wards caught her eye. She normally barely bothered skimming those updates, and it's not like Assmaster himself was going to come all the way down here from the Rig to talk to them unless it was actually important.

The description had potential though. A quick Google search later and she was scrolling through the article from the BBPD.

Damn. The newbie actually fucked up those Empire asshats pretty good.

She hoped this new predator was up to the challenge. It would be disappointing if the hunter became the hunted too easily.

…

Notes:

Just a quick interlude before we return to Taylor's POV. I really, really tried to write a PHO section. I failed. I may try again later, but probably not. PHO and I apparently don't see eye to eye. Next regular chapter won't be too far off. Toodles!

Chapter 6: Connection 2.1

Connection 2.1

Taylor's morning run felt even better than usual today.

Her feet hit the pavement in a steady staccato, a metronome that pulsed like a heartbeat as the cold morning air chilled the sweat on her skin.

She hadn't felt this good since… well, probably since Mom died, if she was being honest.

Her focus sat comfortably nestled in her connection with Khepri, the crystalline spider scurrying along the rooftops high above.

She could feel… everything.

The massive range of her overwatch didn't take away from the detailed scope of it. She could feel the city waking up through a hundred million little stars. She could feel the tiny sparks that lined her limbs and moved with flawless control, her feet easily finding purchase on the cracked and crumbling pavement. She could feel every nook and cranny of the buildings and alleys as she passed, her bubble of omniscience moving with her as she ran through her city.

She knew that last night had been an easy encounter, in the grand scheme of things. It had been clumsy and inefficient, and four unpowered gangsters weren't exactly formidable opponents.

But damn did it still feel good.

Plus, she got to meet Glory Girl! Which had gone… surprisingly well. Part of her still cringed and expected the abuse from Winslow to start all over again, but Glory Girl had been pretty nice overall, if a bit wary.

She had treated Taylor like an equal. Not a whining child or a pariah. It was a novel sensation.

It was already starting to feel like the Queen Administrator persona was more authentic. Like going back to playing the role of Taylor Hebert was the mask, and not the other way around.

Which was a bit concerning, but Taylor couldn't quite bring herself to care.

What had being Taylor Hebert gotten for her anyway? A best friend who tortured her for years before trying to kill her. A father who barely understood her, even when he had the energy to try.

If she were normal, she would just have to withstand the onslaught until she could escape. Deal with two more years of bullshit from the Trio and the school administration before she finally escaped into adulthood somewhere far away. If Emma or Sophia didn't actually kill her somewhere along the way, that is.

And that version of her might manage to squeeze in a few years of happiness before the world collapsed under the strain of the Endbringers, the villains, and the corruption.

Unacceptable.

A new road lay before her. Her current path may be pockmarked and filled with inevitable pain, but anything would be better than nothing. She had the opportunity to throw herself against the battlements of the status quo. To make a difference, or die trying.

"[QUERY] Existence?"

"Everyone has to go someday, Khepri. We might as well make it mean something."

"[QUERY] Significance?"

Taylor paused to take a breath and looked up at the little beetle.

"I don't know if there's an easy answer to that one. I mean, does there really have to be a point to it all? Nobody gets to stick around forever, so you just have to make the best of what you get."

There was silence aside from the morning wind whistling through the empty street.

"It's not just Brockton Bay, Khepri. The world is dying. We can either run from it, or we can try to fix it. We can slowly fade away, or we can work to make every day a little bit better than the day before."

"...[AGREEMENT]"

…

Taylor stopped at a hardware store on the way home and bought some zip ties.

…

The clatter of dirty plates in the sink seemed overly loud in the silent kitchen.

Taylor mulled over her options as she cleaned up after breakfast.

Her father was at work again today, even though it was the weekend. The Dockworker's Union may not have enough work for its members, but the few remaining staff were all overburdened. Plus, Dad was invested. He had pushed so hard for so long with very little to show for it.

Just one more dwindling levy trying to hold back the tide.

She wanted to go back out on patrol right away, but that seemed a bit overzealous. She could at least wait until tonight.

What to do in the meantime though.

Not sleeping was seriously throwing off her rhythm. Without it, life just kind of felt like one very, very long day.

Weird.

She let her mind wander down the connection to her trusty sidekick, poring over the veritable mountain of insects bustling away under the house.

Maybe it was time to find a better lair?

That sounded like a good idea. Although, she was a hero, so maybe lair was the wrong term.

Base of Operations?

Yeah, let's go with that.

Ironically, this would be the perfect thing to ask Dad about. He probably had a spreadsheet of every abandoned warehouse in the Docks floating around somewhere.

Taylor knew that she would have to tell him about her powers someday. Eventually, Winslow would start actually caring that she wasn't coming to school. She wasn't sure about the official laws, but she was pretty sure she couldn't drop out before she was sixteen.

Her father wouldn't like it. He would hate that she was ruining her future, throwing away her life, blah blah blah.

He wouldn't understand.

Better to let him pretend that she was going to lead a normal, pleasant life. That she was going to pull herself out of her depression, finish high school, get an English degree, and work some generally peaceful job until the world ended.

He was in for a rude awakening, but it didn't really matter when. The shattering of his status quo wouldn't exactly be any worse if she put it off a little while longer.

As long as he didn't get arrested for allowing her truancy or something. That would be inconvenient. But surely the administration had better things to do, with the overwhelming gang activity and whatnot.

Taylor pushed her anxiety and uneasiness through the connection to Khepri and let the little robot snack on some data.

For now, she had to find a new lair. Base. Whatever.

…

The more run down areas of the Docks weren't nearly as threatening as they used to be.

She could feel every potential problem, every moving body in a mile diameter. Nothing escaped her sight. Even if Oni Lee or Lung happened to be taking a stroll, it would be easy to avoid them long before they saw her.

Her route was definitely a bit convoluted as she wove between the streets and alleys to avoid the wandering gang members sporting green and red colors.

Not too far from one of the bus stops, Khepri's bugs picked up a wide, low building that seemed structurally sound and very much abandoned.

After making her way over, Taylor saw that it was an old boxing gym. The decaying neon sign over the door was smashed and the logo on the side of the building had long since faded away, but there didn't look to be any fresh gang signs or homeless people nearby.

The squat brick building had no windows and the door was chained up tightly, even if the metal was thick with rust.

It turns out that bugs can't exactly pick locks. Who'd've thought.

Taylor sighed and decided to return with some bolt cutters and a fresh lock. One that she actually had the key to.

…

Home once again, Taylor booted up her ancient computer to see if there was any word of her first appearance as the Queen Administrator.

While she waited for the excruciatingly long startup sequence, she stared at her new phone with mixed feelings.

Should she call Glory Girl about a patrol tonight? Or would that seem overeager?

Did most superheroes patrol every night? That seemed like something to ask about. Obviously most of them needed sleep and weren't two and a half steps away from burning their civilian identities permanently, but still.

It would be… extremely convenient, if Glory Girl was open to a collaboration. She could obviously fly with a passenger; the Alexandria package could toss cars around like toys and she played air taxi for Panacea pretty regularly. With Khepri's range, they could fly laps of the city and catch everything.

She still wasn't sure though. The confident facade she had put on last night had been just that: a facade. The scars and insecurities left by Emma weren't going to magically disappear after one decent conversation with someone her age.

Taylor put the phone down as her computer finally lit up. She would give it at least a couple days. Do one or two more solo patrols and get her metaphorical feet under her before she called up Glory Girl. She hadn't even fought any other capes yet, and she wanted to get a feel for solving problems on her own before she incorporated Brockton Bay's prettiest wrecking ball into the mix.

There was less chatter online than she expected. No posts on PHO, just a generic article from an online newspaper reporting the public information from the BBPD.

Less than she expected, but at least there wasn't anything terrible. No one running around calling her a villain for unleashing a biblical plague on the poor, unsuspecting Nazis.

She still needed to figure out some ground rules for Khepri. She wasn't exactly sure how to communicate appropriate response levels.

Taylor spun idly in her desk chair while she thought.

What exactly was the appropriate level of violence against the gangs?

The ongoing atrocities in Brockton Bay at any given moment were… horrifying. Not anything like the Slaughterhouse Nine, but sex slavery, extortion, robberies, vandalism, organ harvesting, forced addiction, rape and murder and pain and death…

Part of her wanted to just… let loose. Find them all and flood them with black widows until there was nothing left but screaming, writhing, dead men walking-

But that was a terrible idea. She needed to be better than them. The world wasn't going to get better if she just replaced the gangs with a different violent overlord, even if she would probably be a better alternative.

She needed to set an example. She needed to show people that they could do the right thing and it wouldn't come back to bite them.

It was a bit naive, but she wanted to at least try to be the right kind of hero before she resorted to "the ends justify the means" logic.

Mercy was a luxury of the powerful. She needed to get strong enough that she could afford to be capital-g-Good.

"Are you sure you can't tell me what you actually are, Khepri?"

"[CONFIRMATION]"

"Yeah, I figured."

…

"Hey, Taylor."

Taylor looked up in surprise. Her father stood in the hallway, his lanky frame leaning against the door jam.

"Hey," she said, pushing her uncertainty to Khepri. "How was your day?"

Dad sighed but gave her a tired smile. "That's usually my line. It was pretty good, actually. Kurt's starting a new contract with some of the guys and I got caught up on all of my very exciting paperwork."

Taylor smiled back at him. Apparently today was one of his good days, when the dark storm clouds retreated just enough for a sliver of the vibrant man he used to be to shine through.

"Ah, yes. One of the true joys of life: paperwork," she played along. She didn't know how much longer she had as Taylor Hebert, so why not make her dad feel better while it lasted?

"For sure," Dad chuckled. It had been a while. "Do you want to order pizza and watch a movie or something?"

That sounded… nice. Really nice, actually.

She smiled wider. "Let's do it. Saturday night of champions."

Taylor stood up and shut down the old computer. Being Queen Administrator could wait a couple hours.

…

"Is everything going okay at school?"

And just like that, the guilt was back.

Taylor lounged on the couch with a slice of pepperoni and green pepper pizza while her father sat in the threadbare armchair.

The Princess Bride played in the background. It was one of her mom's favorites, and they both pretty much knew it by heart at this point.

Taylor chewed her bite of greasy pizza to buy herself a moment before answering.

She should really tell him. She knew she should. But she couldn't really open the box without telling him… everything. Emma. The Trio. Mom's flute. Her powers, her plans.

It was… a lot. And he was going to fight her every inch of the way, she just knew it.

So instead of the whole truth, she shifted her guilt and shame to Khepri and tried to give him what he really wanted to know.

"I'm doing pretty good." Technically true. Probably. "Better than I was. I'm not… being bothered, anymore. I know what I'm aiming for, and I've got a couple people I talk to, even if I don't exactly have many friends."

Technically, she only talked to Glory Girl once, and Khepri was an extension of her own power, but still.

"That's… good, kiddo." He said hesitantly. "You know I've been worried about you. For what it's worth… I'm sorry I haven't done more to help. But you know I'm here for you, whatever you need, right?"

She did. She just didn't think he could handle it. And she wasn't sure if that was better or worse.

"Yeah, Dad. I know."

…

Her long strides carried her quickly down the dim streets. The streetlights in this part of town still worked, so she tried to keep to the shadows as often as she could. She didn't really want some random person with a cell phone to post a video of her marching down the sidewalk in full costume.

Honestly, how did Capes get anything done without some kind of Mover power?

Oh right, they could drive. Because most of them were actually adults.

Maybe she should just steal a car from the next group of gangbangers she ran into. That was probably morally justifiable right?

She tried to walk the line between ABB and Empire territory, hoping to stumble across some kind of gang skirmish or cape brawl.

Regular grunts were better than nothing, but she felt ready for a fight.

Same as last night, it took longer than she hoped for. No one talked about how much walking was involved with being a superhero.

It was after two in the morning when Khepri finally lit up.

"[THREAT DETECTED] Vehicle movement patterns indicate irregular evasive action."

Taylor focused on the connection and located the disturbance. Sure enough, at the edge of her range and moving closer by the second, a car chase roared down one of the more major four-lane roads near downtown.

Taking off on an intercept path through an alleyway, Taylor considered her options. Her knee jerk response was to flood the interior of the car with bugs, but that was a terrible idea. The last thing she needed was to be responsible for vehicular manslaughter on her second night as a hero.

Especially since it probably wouldn't just be the men in the car that suffered. Who knows how many buildings the car would go through at their current speed.

Khepri's swarm took flight around them as she ran and the ominous cloud of buzzing insects blotted out the stars.

So, no messing with the driver. She needed to stop the vehicle before she dealt with the armed gunmen inside.

And she needed to do it fast. She could tell that two of the men were hanging out the window and taking shots at the car behind them. She didn't want a stray shot to hit any innocents who were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

It was a strange disconnect, hearing the far off shots with her human ears while she sensed the heat and air vibrations with Khepri's bugs.

Neither one of the cars had police sirens, so she assumed that this was a gang conflict of some kind.

She picked up the pace.

Step one. Stop the vehicles without crashing them.

The swarm descended ahead of her as the approaching roar of engines got louder and louder. The stream of bugs dove into an organized attack pattern under Khepri's capable management. Within seconds, thousands of bugs targeted and entered the exhaust pipes of both vehicles.

It was a bit unpleasant to sacrifice her minions like this, but it was worth it.

The bugs continued to pile in as they worked their way deeper into the engines, the dead and crushed bodies of their fallen comrades clogging and plugging up the various components as they chewed through filters and hoses towards more and more vital components.

Like clockwork, both cars coughed and stalled before finally losing speed and coasting to a somewhat anticlimactic stop.

Pretty good timing too. She emerged from an alley about a hundred yards away just as the gunmen were throwing open the car doors and hunkering down for cover.

As if that would help against her.

One of them was on his cell phone, but she couldn't make out the words with just her bugs.

Taylor knew that she could just stay hidden and swarm them before they ever saw her, but reputation was important. This wasn't only about catching gang members, it was about sending a message.

She stepped onto the brightly lit street, her swarm condensing around her to the point that she hoped they would have trouble hitting her with a stray bullet. Khepri had bugs ready to pounce and throw off their aim if it seemed like they were going to get lucky, and her costume was bulletproof. Hopefully.

It did strike her as a bit strange that the two groups weren't shooting at each other anymore, but she assumed that they were focused on finding their unseen assailant first.

She let her voice echo through the buzzing of Khepri's swarm. The intimidation factor was very satisfying.

"Drop your weapons and get on the ground."

She really needed to think of something better to say in situations like this.

To her surprise, it actually worked. The gang members slowly began lowering their weapons and placing them on the ground beside the car. They even got out of the cars and started lying down with their hands up.

Now something really seemed off. Even if word had reached them about the men from last night, they seemed entirely too calm about this.

It also struck her as a bit odd that all of them were white. She had expected one of the cars to be ABB.

She approached the nearest car carefully, keeping a wary eye out for unexpected attacks.

Taylor pushed her unease through the connection and centered herself.

"Explain."

She didn't think they would actually answer.

"Heh, that was pretty damn quick," one of the gang members coughed out a laugh from his position on the ground. "We thought we'd have the Protectorate or Oni Lee on our asses before we ran into you."

What?

Two cars and a motorcycle entered Khepri's range at high speed from different directions.

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Core Fortification."

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Reconnaissance."

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Waveform."

Shit.

Well… she did ask for a Cape fight.

Maybe she should have invited Glory Girl after all.

…

Notes:

Taylor is so dang dramatic even if she won't admit it. Making fun of Victoria's super hero poses and then turning around and getting all existential. First cliffhanger! Up next, our first real Cape fight. Has Taylor bitten off more than she can chew? Stay tuned to find out. Comments and feedback help me put my cats through college. I don't own Parahumans or Worm.

Chapter 7: Connection 2.2

Connection 2.2

Taylor turned her back on the prostrate gang members.

With Khepri's swarm at her disposal, she didn't need to look at them in order to see. They would either stay down while she dealt with this new development, or Khepri would put them down.

She stalked down the street to put some distance between her and the unpowered gangsters. No need to have one of them shredded by accident.

Part of her knew that this was stupid. She should be running away while the swarm covered her retreat.

Instead, she drew her baton and waited in the middle of the empty road.

She refused to be one of the bystanders laughing while she begged for help in the locker. She would not accept a peaceful life at the expense of her soul.

"All it takes for evil to triumph is that good people do nothing."

"[AGREEMENT]"

The swarm gathered and the air sang with their melody.

The speeding vehicles rounded the corner on both ends of the block, approaching from either side.

The swarm confirmed what Taylor had suspected from Khepri's analysis.

Hookwolf. The Empire's mad dog, a ruthless murderer and an all-around bastard. A Changer and Brute who took the form of a vicious metal wolf, a churning mass of blades and metal which both protected him and shredded his enemies.

Stormtiger. An aerokinetic who created claws and blasts of condensed air. A powerful enforcer and warrior who was also a serious threat to Khepri's swarm.

Cricket. A combat Thinker that effortlessly cut her way through lesser fighters with her signature dual Kamas. Khepri called her "Waveform", so her power may have something to do with sound or vibrations.

They stopped their vehicles about a hundred yards away on both sides and started walking towards her.

They all looked exactly like she expected the vicious thugs of the E88 to look, swastika tattoos and all.

Cricket's cage mask and myriad of scars stood out prominently under the streetlights.

Hookwolf was shirtless, his muscled chest and tattoos on display as he strode towards her. He wore a crude metal mask that vaguely resembled a wolf, and she could tell from here that he was practically salivating with anticipation for the inevitable brawl.

From the other end of the street, Stormtiger took up a position on top of one of the broken down cars. He was shirtless like his leader, with chains hanging from his belt and clinking together in the unnatural breeze around him. The downed gang members started to crawl away from the potential kill zone.

Taylor let them go. If she was still standing when this was done, she could hunt them down later. For now, she had bigger fish to fry.

There was a beat of heavy silence between them, the calm before a deadly storm.

Hookwolf barked out a sudden cruel laugh.

"You've got balls, Queenie. I'll give you that much."

Taylor liked that nickname a lot more when Glory Girl said it.

She recklessly threw all of her panic and fear to Khepri and focused. She couldn't afford to buckle now.

"You went through a lot of trouble just to make my job easier," said Taylor.

Hookwolf laughed again. "I guess we can agree on that, your Highness. You've really made this easy for us. I thought I would have to crawl through God knows how many bug tunnels to flush you out, but here you are. Bold as shit."

Taylor clenched her teeth and forced more emotions through the connection.

"What do you want?"

He stopped laughing and considered her. They still hadn't moved any closer.

"You know how the Empire works, honey. You don't get to give us a mosquito bite and then run away to your hole."

Metal blades started to flow over his hairy chest.

"Now you gotta choose fast. You come with us and join the winning side, or we rip you to shreds and take you with us anyway."

Taylor was pretty sure Cricket was smiling behind her mask.

"I hear that you have an appointment with the Birdcage, Hookwolf," Taylor hissed. "I wouldn't want to delay your arrival."

That was pretty good. Probably her best line of pre-battle banter yet.

"Hah! Kaiser was right," Hookwolf chuckled. "You're definitely a lively one."

He paused for a moment and glanced at his enforcers.

"Fuck her up."

"[THREAT RESPONSE] Terminate."

The swarm descended as Cricket and Stormtiger lunged towards her.

Taylor focused on the bugs lining her assailants' skin. She needed to know exactly where they were at any given moment.

Unfortunately, all of the little sparks of awareness around Stormtiger simultaneously went out as he flexed his aerokinesis. Taylor dove forward just in time to avoid getting sliced from behind by his air claw projectiles.

However, she didn't manage to completely escape the explosion radius.

The curtain of air slammed into her back like a sledgehammer. Luckily, her armor took the brunt of the blow and her coordination with the insects lining her limbs allowed her to keep her bearings as she was thrown across the pavement.

Taylor pushed more of herself into Khepri and felt her mind move faster than usual, like she was borrowing some of the little spider's processing power. She was able to control her trajectory across the concrete and used her momentum to throw herself at Cricket.

The bugs around Cricket were acting strange. Taylor could feel Khepri trying to attack any exposed skin, wasps and ants and anything that could bite or sting converging on Cricket's form, but there was some kind of interference going on. The few bugs that made contact with her didn't seem to be having any effect.

At least with the swarm thick in the air, she was still acutely aware of the exact location of both herself and her prey.

Her boots skidded on the cracked pavement and she ducked under the Kama's deadly arc and swung her baton at Cricket's knee.

Despite the cloud of bugs around them, Cricket managed to deftly leap over her baton, using the momentum from her Kama swing to twist in a sideways flip that took her over Taylor's back as she slashed with her other blade.

The spider silk armor was up to the task and the Kama glanced off the plates on her back, but the force of the blow still disrupted Taylor's footing and she stumbled away from the acrobatic cape.

Just in time to throw herself backwards again as a rapidly approaching void in her swarm told her that Stormtiger wasn't going to let her dance with Cricket alone.

Again, the detonation of condensed air hit her while she was still in the process of diving backwards, turning her into a stone skipping across the pavement like water. Only Khepri's swarm sense and her newfound mental dexterity allowed her to avoid any serious injuries and land on her feet, sliding to a stop with one hand braced on the street in front of her.

She would definitely have some serious road burn without her armor. Even with it, she was going to have some gnarly bruises.

Taylor barely heard Hookwolf over the buzzing of the swarm.

"Now, I'd love to let my guys play with you a bit more, but I'm sure the Protectorate is on their way and we've got a job to do. Nothing personal, Queenie."

She felt the living tornado of metal unsheathe within Khepri's swirling sea of stars.

[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Silhouette.

"Fuck."

…

Sophia Hess soared across a wide gap between buildings in her shadow form before condensing just as she hit the next rooftop.

Technically, she was supposed to stay within Vista's range when they patrolled together, but fuck if she didn't hate constantly dealing with Little Miss Perfect Soldier's attitude.

Piggy had already given her shit about going solo, but what was she going to do? Dock her pay? What a fucking joke. They weren't going to throw her in juvie because she walked a bit too far ahead of the pipsqueak.

Or a lot too far ahead, as was the case now. She wasn't sure where Vista was at, but Shadow Stalker was a fair ways off the patrol route now.

Assmaster probably had some kind of tracker on her crossbows or phone, especially since they were special issue tinkertech to avoid the electricity issue. Still, it wasn't like he gave a shit unless it became a major problem.

The sound of gunshots from several blocks away caught her attention and she made another intangible leap. She didn't even consider contacting the console; they would either give her shit for going solo or tell her to wait for backup. Pussies.

Shit got even more interesting as she caught sight of a dark cloud moving over the buildings, far away on the other side of the gunshots. Apparently the newbie had also heard something.

This could be fun.

Even with her power enhanced leaps, it still took her a few minutes to cover the mile and a half between her and the deadly swarm.

Holy shit.

She wasn't sure what she was expecting, but Cricket, Stormtiger and fucking Hookwolf wasn't it.

And in the middle of her spiraling bug plague, the newbie stood tall with a black security baton in one hand, no fucks given.

She was either dumb as shit, or had a spine of fucking iron.

Since she had named herself Queen Administrator, it might be both.

Sophia considered calling Console now, but… Newbie deserved a chance to fight her own battles. If she got her shit wrecked by Hookwolf, that was her own fault.

Let's see what you've got, little hunter."

…

Taylor sprinted sideways while Khepri sent everything it had after Hookwolf's eyes. His rapidly rotating blades killed most of the bugs near him, but some managed to get through and his eyes were still made of flesh.

She barely managed to avoid the charging woodchipper as he barreled past her, cursing when a wasp managed to land a sting under one eye.

Taylor threw even more of herself into the connection with Khepri as she focused on all of the deadly threats circling her like vultures.

Stormtiger was hanging back, protecting himself from the swarm and readying another air blast. If he decided to join the melee, she would be in trouble.

Well, even more trouble.

Hookwolf was more agile than she gave him credit for, his metal spikes slamming into the pavement and letting him turn on a dime to follow her even though he was half blind.

Cricket was also flexing some kind of sonar to keep the deadly swarm from overwhelming her, although it wasn't as effective as Stormtiger. Still, she rushed towards Taylor with supernatural agility despite the thick cloud of bugs and ignored the various bites and stings that made it through her sound waves.

And Sophia… just watched, for now. She was perched high on a rooftop several hundred yards away, probably out of range of anyone aside from Khepri.

Taylor took the part of her that wanted to run away and shoved it into Khepri's data processors. It didn't matter that Sophia was here. She wasn't the scared girl in the locker right now.

Never again.

A Kama sang through the air towards her neck and Taylor just managed to get her baton up in time to let it bounce off to her right. She gritted her teeth and drove an armored knee upwards towards Cricket's gut.

She was actually surprised when it landed. Cricket coughed out an oddly mechanical wheeze before throwing her head forward.

Taylor managed to twist sideways so the headbutt landed on her armored shoulder rather than her face, but the force still knocked her a few feet away from Cricket as she stumbled backwards.

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Fragile One"

Glory Girl was joining the party after all?

Unfortunately, that was the moment that Hookwolf reached her. And she didn't have enough traction to throw herself out of the way this time.

…

"Yeah, Mom, I know it's pretty late. Just one more lap and I'll come home."

She heard Carol Dallon sigh through the earpiece. One good thing about her force field was that it filtered out enough wind that she could talk on the phone while flying. The downside was that her mother could call her when she was late coming back.

"Victoria, it's after two in the morning."

"It's not even a school night! The best action happens after 2:00 AM, everyone knows that." She sounded a bit whiny, even to herself, but she didn't want to go home just yet.

She was hoping to see the telltale bug swarm of Brockton Bay's newest hero. The dark Cape had left in a hurry last night and she hadn't called yet. In hindsight, Victoria should have gotten her number rather than just giving out her own.

"Victoria-"

Speak of the devil…

"There's something going down on the other side of downtown, I can see Queen Administrator's swarm," she cut her mother off.

Carol sighed again.

"Fine, but do some recon first. Don't just dive into a situation that you don't understand. And stay on the phone!"

"Sure, sure, whatever."

Victoria sped up to a cool ninety miles per hour as she shot between the tall downtown buildings.

The bug covered street came into view and her stomach clenched.

"Oh shit, that's Hookwolf!"

"WHAT?" Carol's voice cracked over the phone. "Victoria, do not go down there! Wait for backup. I'm calling Sarah now."

"Queen Administrator's in trouble, she won't last until you get here! Stormtiger and Cricket are here too. Fuck!"

"Language. Don't you dare get caught up in whatever this is Vicky, I swear-"

Victoria hung up on her. She wasn't sitting out a cape brawl like this, especially when it looked like Queenie was about three seconds away from getting blended into soup.

She threw herself downwards towards the chaos below just as Hookwolf charged into Queen Administrator and swallowed her whole.

…

Taylor screamed through her clenched jaw as the massive cyclone of metal blades slammed into her from the side. Her armor dulled the sharp edges, but Hookwolf was a serious Brute and she had normal human bones.

She felt an explosion of pain and several ribs cracked under the strain as she was pulled deeper into the rotating mass, her attempts to dive free ineffective. The endless stream of metal hooks caught the edges of her armor plating and dragged her backwards off her feet.

Taylor almost drowned in the tsunami of agony that overtook her before she managed to push it through the link to Khepri.

She heard a vague shout through the metallic screeching and the angry buzzing of Khepri's swarm.

"QUEENIE! GET OUT OF HERE!"

I would if I could, Glory Girl.

She caught a brief glimpse of a white costume streaking towards them before she felt a ripple in her swarm.

If she wasn't being actively broken by a giant Nazi garbage disposal, she would have tried to warn Glory Girl.

Instead, Stormtiger's charged-up air blade knocked her out of the sky like a missile.

Taylor lost sight of the flying brute but could feel the crater where she impacted the pavement through Khepri's swarm.

She wouldn't let it end like this.

Despite everything, she wasn't ready to die just yet.

"[QUERY] Significance?"

She saw the rainbow prisms of her little friend through the slim gap in the metal blades.

Do you want to be a hero?

Taylor threw herself recklessly into their connection, diving into the strange construct's alien soul.

"KHEPRI… HELP ME!"

There was a beat of dead silence as the swarm hung still in the air.

"[LIMIT BREAK] Symbiosis."

Khepri's indestructible body tore through the metal blades and slammed into Taylor's chest with the force of a freight train. The momentum was more than enough to throw her body backwards into the tornado of hooks and out the other side, narrowly missing the solid core in the center.

Taylor barely noticed this, because her nervous system was on fire.

The pain would have been overwhelming if she couldn't cycle it through the connection to Khepri that now dominated her mind. Her body twisted and changed as she continued to pour everything she had into the link between them.

The crystalline structure of Khepri's body joined with her own, flowing over her skin like water as she flipped wildly through the cold night air.

The ever-changing prismatic shards engulfed and became one with her, inside and out. Her nerves screamed in pain as her flesh was consumed, but she just sent it over to Khepri to fuel the fire.

Her mind accelerated to an unprecedented degree as Khepri's massive processing power merged with her biological neurons.

She could feel it now. There was a core of something powerful, something alien, within her. It was the reason she didn't sleep, and it was the source of her connection with her favorite sidekick.

By the time her feet slammed into the ground, Taylor was no longer flesh and bone. The fluctuating crystalline prisms joined with her body and armor and left behind an oscillating humanoid figure that shone with reflected light under the streetlamps.

Her momentum drove her feet into the concrete with an explosion of rubble as she skidded backwards to a stop, braced and steady with her newfound strength.

She could barely feel the swarm anymore, but that was a small price to pay.

Her face took on the blank mask of her previous costume, her eyes glowing from within with eldritch light.

"[QUERY] Existence?"

Taylor smiled, even though she didn't have teeth.

"Agreement."

She almost laughed at the dumbfounded look on Glory Girl's face.

Her mind moved so much more efficiently than before. It was like everyone else was moving through molasses.

Hookwolf was still in the process of reforming and turning towards her.

Cricket's face was unreadable behind her cage mask.

Stormtiger was still focused on Glory Girl's downed form.

Her crystalline body rippled with potential. The endless energy sang from her core, flowed like an electric current through her abused nerves and empowered her new body.

With an explosion of pulsating power, she rocketed back into the fray.

She would never be helpless again.

Her right arm extended into an enormous clawed hand as she flew forward, driving directly into the metal mass that was Hookwolf. Her indestructible carapace tore through the rotating metal cyclone like tissue paper and closed around the dense core at its heart.

With a horrific screech of metal and bone, she tore the core out of the Changer construct and threw it aside.

Hookwolf's human form rolled to a stop on the other side of the street as he was forced back into his normal body from the sudden trauma. At least he was still breathing.

One down, two to go.

…

Sophia's mouth definitely wasn't hanging open behind her mask. Nope, not at all.

What the actual fuck.

One second, the newbie was getting eaten by Hookwolf. Even with Glory Hole showing up, the fight looked like it was pretty much over. Bugs didn't do much to an air manipulator, a sonic generator, and a metal Changer.

The next second, Queen Administrator was screaming something that seemed to grate unnaturally against her eardrums and now…

The woman had exploded out of Hookwolf's back like she had a rocket shoved up her ass and then just kind of… melted… midair.

The monster that cracked the pavement was like nothing Sophia had seen before.

It was still roughly human shaped, but the newbie's entire body was now a swirling mass of multicolored shards, like living glass. She was almost transparent, and Sophia could see a solid core and a strange spider web of light extending through the Changer form.

If that's even what it was. This felt different, somehow.

Then the Queen Administrator tore Hookwolf a new asshole, and Sophia decided that it might be time to call the console.

…

Taylor leapt straight upwards as an air missile struck the ground under her.

The resulting explosion only enhanced her empowered leap, driving her up and away from the scrap metal that remained of Hookwolf.

Cricket seemed frozen with indecision as Taylor soared over her head, although that might just be Khepri's enhanced processing power making Cricket seem slower than she actually was.

They moved in sync, her and her trusted partner. Taylor had trouble differentiating her own thoughts from Khepri's processes, and decided that it didn't really matter.

She had Nazis to put down.

Focusing in on Stormtiger, she let her power flow down her other arm and launched it towards the car he stood on.

The prismatic appendage speared through the roof of the car and deep into the pavement below. With a wrenching twist, Taylor threw herself downwards towards her enemy.

Stormtiger sent a panicked wave of razor sharp wind in her general direction, but it was almost too easy to twist her body over it as she rocketed towards him.

Her clawed hand closed and formed a brutal fist with all the weight and momentum of a wrecking ball.

The indestructible mass plowed into Stormtiger and sent him careening across the pavement like a rag doll.

See how it feels when the tables turn, asshole.

He didn't get up.

Taylor took a split second to make sure he was still breathing. She would need to be a bit more careful about hitting non-brutes.

Withdrawing her left arm from the destroyed car, Taylor turned to face her final opponent.

It felt right, standing on the car roof and looking down on her prey.

To Cricket's credit, she leveled her Kamas and stood her ground.

It didn't make much of a difference.

Taylor threw herself forward with enough force to send the ruined vehicle skidding backwards and rammed her shoulder into Cricket before she could dive out of the way. The Kama skittered ineffectively across her carapace and Cricket went down hard with a wheeze and a couple broken ribs.

Taylor stood tall for a moment and surveyed her surroundings.

Hookwolf, Stormtiger, and Cricket were out for the foreseeable future. Shadow Stalker had retreated to a higher building a couple blocks away, still just watching.

Glory Girl pulled herself up out of the concrete crater and was giving Taylor a conflicted look.

"Queenie? You still in there?" She asked warily.

Taylor didn't mind that Glory Girl shortened her name. It felt… familiar.

With a metaphorical sigh, she started trying to get a feel for this new connection with Khepri and how to separate herself from the construct.

"Not that I would be sad if we were stuck like this, but it might be difficult to explain. Especially since we don't have a mouth?"

She got the vague feeling that Khepri was laughing at her.

"[AGREEMENT]"

Taylor's thoughts began to slow back to a more human pace as she felt Khepri's presence retreating down their connection. In moments, she felt like herself again. As much of herself as she had been an hour ago, at least.

The rippling prismatic form flowed back over her and she could feel the strange, alien energy rebuilding her flesh and blood body as it went.

She had a sudden flashback to her mother talking about the Ship of Theseus, and decided not to think about it.

Her human feet hit the ground and she had to take a second to adapt to her normal strength. She hadn't realized how much effort just standing up took until now.

Luckily, Khepri had reformed her armor as well. That could have been awkward. For multiple reasons.

Now that her brain was back to normal, her churning emotions slammed into her like a physical impact. She also realized that Khepri's swarm sense was back. Interesting.

She quickly diverted her roiling mass of feelings down the connection to Khepri and turned to face her… friend? Acquaintance?

"Welcome to the party, Glory Girl. Sorry to deprive you of most of the action."

Yeah, that was smooth… right?

Glory Girl just stared at her for a moment.

"Don't take this the wrong way, Queenie, but… what the hell was that?"

That was an excellent question.

"I may not have provided the full picture when you asked what I could do last night," she said with a wry grin behind her mask.

"You don't say?" Glory Girl said, crossing her arms and giving her a look. "Here I was, diving in to save my new independent hero friend, and you go and pull some insane Changer form out of your ass."

Taylor laughed as some of the tension left her body.

She had actually done it.

She had stood her ground and beaten the odds, even if she needed some unexpected help from her sidekick.

I guess it's not exactly fair to call Khepri my sidekick anymore.

"Sorry to worry you. If it makes you feel better, I do appreciate you diving in to help. Some people," she glanced up at Shadow Stalker, "just like to watch while others suffer."

Taylor looked back at her new… friend?

"Speaking of which, we should probably call the PRT."

"They probably already know," Glory Girl looked a little bit sheepish. "I may or may not have been on the phone with my mom when I saw you fighting."

"Well, at least that saves us a phone call."

"Yeah, but it means I'm definitely grounded for jumping into a Cape fight with Hookwolf of all people."

Taylor was confused. "Why would you be grounded? Aren't you supposed to fight villains and everything?"

Victoria scowled and looked away. "I mean… yeah, but they don't like it when I'm being 'reckless'."

Taylor could hear the quotation marks around the word and laughed again.

"There's a fine line between being careful and being a bystander. Let's call it being 'proactive' instead."

Glory Girl started to smile again, if a bit sarcastically.

"I'll let you use that argument when Brandish gets here."

They both turned as the distinctive roar of a well known motorcycle reached their ears and Khepri's swarm at about the same time.

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Compression Engine."

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Transmutation. "

Taylor sighed. She should have known she couldn't get away without a meeting with the Protectorate.

…

Notes:

Woo! Man, that was fun. I've had the Limit Break: Symbiosis thing in my head since the start and I'm so happy to get the escalation rolling. I enjoy Taylor's canon power, but this story is definitely going to be an overpowered Taylor, not an underdog Taylor. Kudos to the commenters that correctly guessed it, I didn't want to give too much away. Next up, debrief with Beardmaster and Militia. Possibly some Carol fun too. Comments, feedback, and criticism are welcome and encouraged. I don't own Worm. Toodles!

Chapter 8: Connection 2.3

Connection 2.3

Taylor resisted the urge to dive back through the connection to see if she could replicate the symbiosis. Despite the threat warning, she didn't think that she would need protection from the Protectorate.

It would have been funny to make Glory Girl do all the talking, though.

The blonde floated over to hover next to her while they waited for Armsmaster to round the corner. Taylor had a sneaking suspicion that Glory Girl didn't like being shorter than her.

Taylor glanced over at Khepri, the little spider once again perched on a nearby rooftop. She checked in on the bug swarm to get a better picture of the two motorcycles approaching.

Armsmaster's power suit and tinkertech motorcycle were easily recognizable. Behind him, a much smaller and more mundane sport bike wove through the sparse traffic. The bandana and sash rippling in the wind confirmed her suspicion that Miss Militia was tagging along.

Taylor pulled back the most obvious portions of Khepri's swarm, leaving only a network of tiny gnats and fruit flies to give her situational awareness without clouding the air. No need to set the heroes on edge from the start.

The pair of vehicles sped around the corner at the end of the block. Taylor had a momentary sense of déjà vu from Hookwolf and Cricket drifting around the same corner just minutes ago.

Had it really only been… what? Five minutes? Ten minutes?

It felt like a lot longer.

Silence engulfed the street as they cut their engines and approached.

Armsmaster definitely fit the classic superhero expectation. He stood tall and collected, his midnight blue and silver power armor clean and functional. His visor left the bottom half of his face exposed, his beard perfectly trimmed and his mouth set in a hard line.

Beside him, Miss Militia complemented the heroic image nicely. Stylized military fatigues and the American Flag motif looked natural on her, and her eyes were expressive and kind despite having the lower half of her face covered.

Taylor took her feelings of inadequacy and fed them to Khepri. She was definitely out of her depth and figured that less was probably more. No motor-mouthing or snarky comments.

Armsmaster broke the silence first.

"Queen Administrator?"

His voice was tightly controlled and gave away nothing.

"Armsmaster."

There was another beat of awkward silence.

"We received conflicting reports." Armsmaster glanced over at Hookwolf's unconscious form. "A full debrief will be required after we secure the area. What are the current hostile elements?"

Taylor bristled a bit at the 'required' part, but pushed that over to Khepri as well. She tried her best to mirror his no-nonsense approach and hoped it didn't sound silly.

"Hookwolf, Stormtiger, and Cricket have been neutralized. They orchestrated the confrontation and attacked simultaneously with murderous intent. I was forced to utilize potentially lethal methods to subdue them effectively," said Taylor.

The two heroes grew noticeably more tense the longer she spoke.

"At this time they are all still breathing, but they will most likely require medical attention to continue to do so."

Armsmaster nodded brusquely and began to stride towards Hookwolf as he spoke into his helmet.

"Paramedics and four PRT containment squads. Location-"

Taylor turned her attention to Miss Militia as she also moved to approach.

"Are you alright?" Miss Militia looked between her and Glory Girl. "Do you need anything?"

Glory Girl relaxed marginally. "I'm fine, it takes more than a bit of hot air to hurt me. Besides, I didn't really get to do much after somebody decided it was time to curb stomp some Nazis."

Miss Militia raised her eyebrows at Taylor.

"I am uninjured," Taylor said flatly as she pushed more unease over to Khepri. She didn't know where to start with the whole 'symbiosis' thing.

"Our previous reports state that you control bugs. That seems… incomplete," Miss Militia said carefully.

"I…"

How much should she explain? How much did she want to give away to the Protectorate?

Sophia was still hunkered down on her high rooftop.

"I can utilize different powers depending on the situation. My bug control allows for increased situational awareness and non-lethal containment of unpowered enemies."

Miss Militia's eyes widened.

"You can choose… which powers to use?"

Taylor's mind whirled as she tried to find the right words to explain Khepri and their symbiosis without revealing too much.

"To an extent. My swarm was ineffective against Hookwolf and my body was in danger of sustaining significant damage, so I was forced to take on a Changer form that allowed me to escape and neutralize the active threats."

That was… pretty close to the truth? Sort of?

Miss Militia's shock was palpable and Taylor would have shifted uneasily if she wasn't funneling a constant stream of churning emotions over to her little partner.

Glory Girl looked a bit stunned, but also excited. The blonde spun midair to face her.

"Holy shit, so you're like… Eidolon 2.0 or something?"

Was she? No, that didn't quite fit. She couldn't just grab random powers, she just bonded deeper with Khepri and borrowed some of the little spider's previously limited potential.

But it did kind of look like that from the outside.

Taylor opted not to answer. The silence stretched for just long enough to become awkward.

Miss Militia recovered and spoke up.

"Would you be willing to participate in power testing and analysis? It sounds like you have a lot of potential."

"No."

Taylor didn't have to think about that one.

Miss Militia looked a bit taken aback but continued undeterred.

"Have you considered joining the Protectorate? We could support-"

"No."

The star spangled cape nodded as if she had already expected that answer.

"Well, we certainly appreciate your efforts." Miss Militia said. "There can never be too many capes working to keep the city safe."

Taylor resisted the urge to roll her eyes behind her mask. She was sure that keeping the city safe was high on Sophia's priorities when she tried to kill her.

Instead of a scathing comment, she opted to just nod tersely.

A small army of vans and ambulances suddenly entered Khepri's range.

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Shaper."

There was a cape in one of the ambulances?

Taylor was still processing this development when Khepri lit up again.

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Illuminator."

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Illuminator."

Well. Isn't that interesting.

…

Victoria shifted uneasily midair. Queen Administrator was a badass, but damn did she know how to kill a conversation.

Luckily, Armsmaster chose that moment to return after he finished restraining the downed villains.

Unluckily, she caught sight of the telltale shooting star that was Lady Photon.

This… was going to suck. Probably.

Armsmaster focused on Queen Administrator.

"You and Glory Girl will accompany us to PRT headquarters for a full debriefing after the paramedics and PRT squads arrive. At this time, do you have any-"

"No."

Miss Militia flinched and Victoria saw Armsmaster's mouth thin further.

"The suspects have sustained serious injuries and a full investigation-"

"I will answer your questions here and now, and then I will leave." The Queen Administrator cut him off again.

Victoria couldn't decide whether to be horrified or impressed.

"That is not an option," Armsmaster began angrily, irritation finally leaking into his previously flat tone.

He looked like he was about to continue when Miss Militia laid a hand on his armored shoulder.

"We just want to make sure we aren't missing anything important," Miss Militia said. "Are there any reassurances we can give that would allow you to be comfortable coming with us?"

Queen Administrator glanced at her.

"No."

There was another beat of awkward silence as Victoria looked between the three tense heroes.

For better or worse, that was the moment that Brandish and Lady Photon touched down beside them.

"Victoria!" Her mother's yell was jarring compared to the charged staring match as she jumped out of Aunt Sarah's arms. "What were you thinking? Are you alright?"

Victoria managed not to roll her eyes. Barely.

"I'm fine, Mom."

She wished her mother would call her by her cape name in front of the Protectorate.

Lady Photon also shot Brandish a look, so Victoria thought that her aunt might agree with her.

"We'll discuss your engagement expectations later, Glory Girl. What happened?" asked Lady Photon.

Victoria suddenly felt the eyes of the Protectorate on her in addition to her family.

"Um…" How did Queenie stay so damn cool under pressure? "Well, I saw Queen Administrator being cornered by Hookwolf and Cricket, with Stormtiger standing on a car over there-" she gestured to the now ruined vehicles, "and I… um… thought that she was in danger so I decided to intervene, but Stormtiger caught me with one of his air blasts before I could reach her."

Brandish looked like she really wanted to interrupt, but Aunt Sarah's hand on her arm kept her from jumping in.

Armsmaster turned back to the Queen Administrator.

"How were you able to defeat Hookwolf? Bug control doesn't explain this level of damage."

Victoria got the impression that Queenie was narrowing her eyes behind those reflective lenses.

"Do you make a habit of asking questions to which you already know the answer?"

Damn, Queenie.

There was a moment of stunned silence on all sides before she continued.

"Unless Shadow Stalker has slipped her leash."

What?

"I was hoping to independently verify her report," Armsmaster said through clenched teeth.

"Maybe you should say that, then."

Brandish and Lady Photon were now also looking distinctly uneasy as they looked back and forth between the two heroes.

"We're on the same side here everyone, and I don't have access to Shadow Stalker's report, so will somebody please clear this up?" Aunt Sarah asked.

At least one person here wasn't as prickly as a hungover cactus.

Queen Administrator's head tilted as she looked over at Lady Photon.

"I saw Glory Girl get diverted by Stormtiger and didn't know whether she was injured or not. It was a bit difficult to see from inside Hookwolf-"

Victoria managed not to laugh at the various expressions when Queenie said 'inside Hookwolf'.

"-but I didn't want to risk waiting any longer to escalate my threat response. In order to avoid being crushed, I activated my Changer ability and escaped. After that, I ended the conflict as efficiently as possible without killing any of our assailants."

Armsmaster cut in again.

"Are you willing to demonstrate this Changer ability?"

Queen Administrator looked back over at him.

"No."

Victoria couldn't quite manage to repress her giggle that time, despite her mother's disapproving glare.

"You are being unnecessarily obstructive-" Armsmaster began with an angry tone once again.

"And you are being unnecessarily obtuse. I just took down three of your Nazi problems, one of which has a Birdcage sentence. I owe you nothing." Queen Administrator's voice was ice cold as she cut him off yet again.

There was another tense moment of silence aside from the ambulance sirens and the grinding of Armsmaster's teeth.

Miss Militia once again jumped in to avoid an unfortunate incident.

"You said before that Hookwolf orchestrated the fight. Can you elaborate on that?"

Queen Administrator stared at Armsmaster for another second before answering.

"The car chase I originally set out to investigate was a ruse. Both cars contained Empire thugs and their goal was to draw my attention so that Hookwolf and co. could locate me. They planned to forcibly recruit or kidnap me. They failed."

Miss Militia nodded. "I think that's everything we need for now…" she glanced at Armsmaster. "Although we would certainly appreciate any other information you are willing to provide at a later date."

"I'll consider it."

If it wasn't for his helmet, Victoria thought that steam may have actually come out of Armsmaster's ears. It was pretty damn funny.

A new voice broke the tense staring match.

"Victoria! Are you okay? Ca- Mom said that you were fighting Hookwolf."

Amy marched towards her and was about to lay a hand on Vicky's arm when she seemed to notice their audience.

"Umm .. Hi?"

"Panacea," Brandish jumped in. "What are you doing here? I thought you were at the hospital?"

Amy shrank back further under her hood.

"You said Glory Girl was in trouble and I…"

Brandish spoke over her. "Well, at least you can make sure that none of the Empire capes die from their injuries."

Victoria chimed in. "I'm fine, don't worry." She smiled at her sister and glanced at the dark… Trump? Changer? Master? Whatever. "Queenie beat me to the punch."

Amy glanced over at the hooded hero with a conflicted expression.

"Thanks, I guess?"

Queen Administrator was as unreadable as ever.

"My pleasure," she said.

There was another awkward pause.

"Well, now that that's all settled," Victoria said with slightly false enthusiasm, "we can all go home, right? Nazis are captured, victory for the heroes, drinks all around?"

Everyone else looked a bit miffed but Vicky got the impression that Queenie was smiling behind her mask.

"Sounds good to me," Queen Administrator said with more warmth than Victoria had heard from her all night. "See you around, Glory Girl."

She ignored everyone else as she turned to walk away.

"Wait!" Vicky remembered her earlier thought. "What's your number? I gave you mine, it's only fair."

The armored woman paused.

"I'll call you tomorrow, don't worry."

Brandish and Armsmaster both looked like they were sucking on the most sour, biotinkered lemons imaginable, but Victoria laughed.

"I'll hold you to that… somehow," said Victoria.

She continued stalking away and didn't look back, but Victoria liked to think that Queenie was still smiling.

…

Taylor once again found herself screaming into her pillow.

What the hell was she thinking?

She had basically told Armsmaster- fucking ARMSMASTER- to fuck off not once, but several times.

She had gotten the chance to talk to Miss Militia and she had been as obtuse as she accused Armsmaster of being.

Shit.

They were all just so… ugh! Was it too much to ask that the heroes be nicer?

It had felt far too much like Winslow all over again, especially with Sophia sitting above them and her enablers standing on their soap boxes.

At least Glory Girl seemed to like her.

Hopefully the blonde wouldn't get in too much trouble for trying to save her. Or for laughing at Armsmaster's impotent rage.

Taylor was already replaying the conversation in her head for the hundredth time and wanted to tear her hair out. Why was all of this so much harder than it should be?

She had beaten Hookwolf, and she could barely get through a conversation with the Protectorate without being labeled a villain.

But what was the alternative? Go to PRT headquarters and end up forced onto the same team as Sophia? Her life would get twice as complicated if they realized that she would be joining the Wards rather than the Protectorate.

Taylor flopped back onto the bed and stared at the ceiling.

Still… she beat Hookwolf.

That was pretty damn awesome.

She glanced at Khepri's scintillating form where it perched on the ceiling fan.

"Any chance you can tell me what you are now?"

"...[ERROR] Access Denied."

At least her partner had the decency to sound apologetic this time.

"Can you tell me what kind of data you're looking for?"

"[CONFIRMATION] Symbiosis."

Taylor sat up and stared at the little spider.

"You're trying to learn more about our symbiosis? What for?"

"[CONFIRMATION] Existence."

She mulled that over for a moment.

"You… need to achieve symbiosis… to survive?"

"[ERROR] Access Denied."

That sounded a bit too much like a yes to Taylor's liking.

"So how do we learn more about it then?"

"[DATA] Conflict."

"I have to fight to get stronger?"

"[CONFIRMATION]"

That… made a weird sort of sense. Everyone knew that powers needed to be used, but she hadn't heard of very many that got stronger over time.

"Is that why I felt like I needed to be out there with you? Why I couldn't just hang back and let you or the bugs fight for me?"

"[ERROR] Access Denied."

That still sounded like a yes.

Taylor flopped back down on her old quilt.

It felt like that should bother her more that Khepri was messing with her head, but… she couldn't help but trust it. She had been merged with the construct's mind and body less than an hour ago, she couldn't exactly pull back now.

"You told me in the hospital that you were here to help me. That's still true, right?"

"[CONFIRMATION]"

In that case, Taylor could live with some weirdness. Even if all she wanted to do right now was sleep.

Instead, she watched the army of bugs under the house replenish itself and tried not to think too hard about anything.

…

Victoria almost made it to the stairs before her mother caught her.

"Hold your horses, Victoria. You aren't getting off that lightly."

She grudgingly turned to face her mother's stern expression.

"Just because Queen Administrator gets to mouth off to everyone and then walk away doesn't mean you do," Mom continued.

Vicky huffed in annoyance. "Look, I didn't even do anything! I was just going to get Queenie out of there and fly away, it wasn't like I was going to try and take all three of them on by myself."

Her mother didn't look like she bought that for a second.

"Besides! Queenie crushed them without breaking a sweat. I was never in any real danger," Vicky continued.

Carol sighed and threw her hands up as she paced across the dining room.

"And just how do we know you weren't in danger from this 'Queenie'? Also, you gave your phone number to a random cape you met on the street? How do you know she's not just pretending to be a hero? She didn't seem exactly friendly."

Victoria rolled her eyes. "She kicked Hookwolf's ass, Mom. And she took down those Empire guys yesterday. You saw how Armsmaster was acting; he deserved to get shut down."

"Two incidents of violence against the Empire don't automatically make her a hero. Purity also spends her free time beating up the ABB."

Now it was Victoria's turn to sigh.

"Not wanting to deal with the Protectorate doesn't automatically make her a villain either, Mom, and she says she's a hero. It's not like we march to the PRT's drum."

Her mother was still pacing, but she looked a bit less agitated.

"That doesn't change the fact that she's an unknown quantity. A random cape with multiple powers just pops into existence overnight? Something doesn't add up and I don't want you mixed up in it."

Victoria couldn't help but keep pushing back.

"It's not like we're going to go challenge Lung or something, I just don't want her to be alone on patrol! You know how quickly things can go south for independent heroes. We need more good guys in Brockton Bay, and apparently I'm the only one she's currently willing to talk to."

Mom narrowed her eyes but finally stopped pacing.

"Fine. I will withhold my judgment of the Queen Administrator. However, it doesn't change the fact that you dove into that mess after I expressly told you not to."

Drat. Vicky had been hoping that she forgot about that part.

…

Notes:

First chat with the Protectorate, done. Taylor and Armsmaster both continue to struggle with social interactions. Carol is... not as awful as she could be. Khepri reveals some more details. Is Taylor making the correct assumptions? Also a brief Amy appearance, but we will get more of her later. Interlude 2 up next! Poor Piggot. Comments and feedback help me sleep at night. I don't own Worm. Toodles!

Chapter 9: Interlude 2

Interlude 2

Max Anders was jarred from a generally restful slumber by the shrill tone of his emergency line.

There were very few people who had that number, and all of them knew better than to call him at three in the morning unless it was of dire importance.

He rolled over in his empty king-sized bed and checked the caller ID.

James Fliescher.

Had Hookwolf found the bug woman already? But if that was the case, why wasn't Brad calling him directly?

"Krieg. Report," he said, sitting up and shaking the cobwebs from his mind.

"Hookwolf failed," Krieg said, his voice laced with disdain. "According to the foot soldiers involved in the operation, Hookwolf, Stormtiger, and Cricket confronted Queen Administrator an hour ago. The unpowered soldiers left before the situation was resolved as per their orders, but best we can tell, Queen Administrator subdued Brad's squad and turned them over to the PRT."

That was unexpected. And problematic.

"We're missing something." Max said as he stood and strode over to his extensive closet. "Bug control alone wouldn't allow her to overcome those three; they were specifically chosen to counter her Master abilities. Start reaching out to any potentially sympathetic ears within the PRT. I want to know what's going on before the sanitized version hits the press and muddies the water."

He threw on a fresh set of clothes. Max doubted he would be getting any more sleep tonight.

"Get Night and Fog back from Boston. I want everything we have on the current PRT containment policies and transport procedures. Brad may have done this to himself, but if we leave him to rot then our other followers will begin to doubt our commitment to freeing them in the event that they go down for the cause," Kaiser continued.

"And the Queen Administrator?" Krieg asked.

"Find her," Kaiser certainly did not clench his jaw. Losing control of his temper would be unprofessional. "She's just one woman. She always appears on foot. Start documenting any signs of her swarm and put together an area of potential habitation. I want to know where she eats, where she sleeps, where she works, where she takes her afternoon walks in the park."

"Yes, sir."

…

Emily resisted the urge to slam her fist down on her desk like an old fashioned drill sergeant.

Mainly because it would have hurt her more than it would have intimidated her guest.

On the other side of her desk, Armsmaster at least had the decency to look a little bit contrite as he stopped the audio recording. Not much, though.

She took another deep breath and ignored the ever-present pain in her side.

"That was mishandled," she said flatly.

Armsmaster started to open his mouth, but wisely closed it again and let her continue.

"However, I am reasonably confident that an alternative approach wouldn't have made a difference. Queen Administrator is clearly unwilling to cooperate with us on any level, and the method by which we submitted our requests would not have changed her answers."

She sighed and idly tapped a finger on the desk as she replayed the conversation in her head.

"We have several more pressing concerns to address. The first of which is her mention of Shadow Stalker."

Armsmaster nodded and rewound the recording to the timestamp in question.

"Yes. Although my speech analysis programs got very little information from the Queen Administrator during the conversation, I found a very brief anomaly when she brought up Shadow Stalker." He pointed at a readout on the monitor between them. "We can also see just how quickly she used her Thinker ability to control the emotion."

Piggot glanced at the armored Protectorate leader.

"You are confident that she has a parahuman ability to regulate her emotional state, then?"

Armsmaster nodded. "Absolutely. She was able to completely negate my lie detector, and there are entire sections of the conversation where none of my analysis programs were able to parse any data from her at all. Whatever she's doing, it's definitely not natural."

Emily hated Thinkers more than most categories of capes. Powers that affected the mind also affected the personality, and capes were enough trouble when their powers weren't directly screwing with their brains.

"We'll discuss her updated threat rating and classification momentarily. Back to Shadow Stalker then; Queen Administrator clearly knew that she was present. How, and what was Shadow Stalker doing there in the first place?" she asked.

"Shadow Stalker claims that she only deviated from the patrol path when she saw Queen Administrator's swarm." Armsmaster looked uncomfortable. "The tracking device in her PRT issued phone only pings her location every eight minutes, but it is clear that she left Vista behind long before she called the console."

Piggot wondered for roughly the hundredth time if dealing with Sophia Hess was worth it.

"Regardless, she was ordered to wait for backup and provide reconnaissance. The transcript of her report is included with my documentation of the incident."

Yes, Emily remembered the excessive expletives.

"Additionally, her report aligns with the security camera footage we were able to requisition from the office park across the street from the confrontation."

Piggot wasn't ready to talk about that just yet.

"Before we move on, that would indicate that Queen Administrator can accurately identify capes from at least three hundred meters away, while actively engaging with multiple combatants."

Armsmaster nodded.

"She either has an extremely detailed understanding of her swarm and can identify capes from just the bugs on their costumes, or she has another unknown Trump power that allows her to recognize capes."

And wasn't that just another swift kick in the metaphorical spine.

The unwritten rules were asinine, but they kept a thin veneer of civility on the otherwise uncontrollable cape scene. A Master/Trump with an enormous range that could pick out parahumans regardless of their masks…

This could get very bad, very quickly.

There was something else about Queen Administrator's comment that stuck in the back of Emily's teeth. She chewed on it for a few moments while Armsmaster waited impatiently.

"Queen Administrator asked if Shadow Stalker had slipped her leash. It would imply that she is aware of her probationary arrangement."

Armsmaster stiffened slightly.

"You believe she has compromised our security?"

Piggot pursed her lips.

"Either that, or she is connected to Shadow Stalker somehow," she said. "The slight emotional imbalance leads me to believe that this could be personal. The only other emotional response we received was when she spoke to Glory Girl, who she had previously interacted with."

Armsmaster nodded again, but his mouth thinned into a frown under his helmet.

"I will interview Shadow Stalker and review the Ward's security for leaks. It is possible that she is just aware of Shadow Stalker's previous exploits and made a correct assumption. Although, with Queen Administrator's range, she could potentially be sitting at a coffee shop half a mile away spying on us and we wouldn't know."

Emily hated capes. She sighed again.

"Start working on a method to purge the headquarters and the rig of any and all arthropods. I know it may not be possible, but the less we can give her to work with, the better. Also, keep any mention of her being a Trump out of her rating. The last thing we need right now is more attention."

She turned back to the large monitor between them.

"Now, let's see this security footage."

Shadow Stalker's report and Queen Administrator's explanation really didn't do it justice.

"This is… concerning."

Armsmaster didn't reply.

They watched it again.

…

Ethan, also known as the wisecracking hero Assault, grumbled as he filed into the conference room along with the rest of the ENE Protectorate team.

What could be so damn important that they called everyone in on a Sunday?

Well, this was Brockton Bay, so… a lot of things.

"What are the odds that this is just a surprise pizza party as recognition for all our hard work?" He whispered to Battery as they took their seats.

She gave him a look, but he knew she liked it.

Armsmaster and Militia arrived last, one taking the remaining available seat and the big man himself manning the projector.

He started up some decent quality security camera footage and let it play while he spoke.

"Last night at roughly 0200 hours, an incident occurred involving an independent cape, a member of New Wave, and three known members of the Empire 88."

Two cars sped around the corner and into frame.

"A fabricated car chase instigated by the Empire succeeded in its goal to draw out the city's newest independent hero, who calls herself the Queen Administrator."

There were several raised eyebrows from those who hadn't read the previous night's report, Assault included.

"We believe she was targeted due to her previous actions against the Empire. Here, we can see that she uses her long range bug control ability to sabotage and stop the vehicles."

Sure enough, the cars rolled to a halt and the gang members ducked behind the doors with guns drawn as a shadowy figure exited an alley down the street.

Ethan wondered why she didn't just swarm them before showing herself.

"The gang members surrendered with suspicious cooperation, something that Queen Administrator clearly picks up on."

The… hero? Started walking quickly away from the downed gangsters.

"While we cannot confirm the extent of her sensory abilities, it is clear that she is aware of the approaching capes."

Two cars and a motorcycle rolled into frame.

"Hookwolf, Stormtiger, and Cricket arrive in short order. Queen Administrator seems to challenge them directly, although we are unable to determine the content of their conversation before the conflict begins."

Damn.

The team watched in silence as the armored woman took on Cricket and Stormtiger.

When Hookwolf finally decided to join in, Ethan prepared for the worst.

"It is at this point that Glory Girl enters the situation. This timestamp also coincides with Brandish's call to the PRT, informing us of the ongoing conflict and Glory Girl's involvement."

On the screen, a white blur was briefly visible before Stormtiger blasted her into the street and out of sight.

"As you will see momentarily, this is also when the Queen Administrator decided to stop pulling her punches."

That's a bit of an understatement, Armsy.

The group stared in varying degrees of shock as the new cape transformed into a rippling prismatic monster and tore the Empire capes to shreds.

The video ended and Armsmaster turned to face them.

"We have very little concrete information regarding the extent of the Queen Administrator's abilities. We originally believed that she only controlled bugs or arthropods, but that is clearly just one aspect of her powers."

Armsmaster rewound the footage.

"When she enters her Changer form, she loses some degree of fine control over her swarm. At the moment of transformation, the insects are completely stationary before switching to a less intentional pattern of movement until she returns to her human state at the end of the conflict."

The footage paused as her clawed arm ravaged Hookwolf.

"We cannot confirm the true durability of her Changer state. We have determined that it does interact with standard physics to some degree, shown by the damage to the concrete on her initial landing and the car when she defeats Stormtiger and Cricket. However, it shows no noticeable damage when struck by Hookwolf's blades or at any other point in the brief encounter."

He turned back to them again.

"The form is clearly flexible, transmutable, and durable. With this in mind, we have updated the Queen Administrator's rating to a tentative Changer 6, Brute 8 while in her Changer form. Her Changer form may also allow for capabilities similar to a Mover and Breaker, but for now we are encompassing those into her Changer rating for simplicity's sake."

Ethan let out a low whistle.

"This is in addition to her human form, where she has now been updated to a Master 7, Thinker 4. Her ability to gather information using her swarm has already proven to be potentially problematic, and we still have no guaranteed way to hide from her while in range."

Velocity spoke up when Armsmaster paused.

"Do we have a confirmed range yet?"

"If we compare the timestamps from the moment that she turned away from the unpowered E88 members to prepare for Hookwolf's arrival, and the location of the approaching capes in traffic cameras, we can assume that her passive perception range could potentially span up to a mile in diameter."

Several muffled curses erupted from around the room.

"That's a lot of bugs," Ethan said.

"At this time," Armsmaster spoke over the muttering, "we are treating the Queen Administrator as a friendly element. Until she gives us a reason to re-classify her, we will assume that she is an ally against the gangs. Given the significant damage that her Changer form may be capable of if she is antagonized, we will attempt to utilize diplomatic means to resolve any concerns until we are forced to reevaluate our stance."

It seemed to pain Armsmaster to say it, but that sounded like a nice way of saying 'please don't piss off the Lung Jr. who also controls a biblical plague.'

Ethan happened to agree. For once, it seemed like the PRT had managed to avoid their tendency to be unbearable assholes. For now.

…

Sophia Hess scowled as she entered the interrogation room. They may call it a meeting room, or debriefing room, but the stainless steel table and one way glass said otherwise.

Whatever. They would bitch at her for breaking patrol protocol and she'd pretend to give a shit and the world would keep turning.

She was surprised to see Armsmaster in addition to Piggy behind the table, though.

Sophia sat down and crossed her arms as they stared at her.

"Let's get this over with, then," Sophia said.

Piggot took an overly long time organizing the papers in front of her. Bitch.

"Remind me of your probationary arrangement, Shadow Stalker."

That wasn't what Sophia expected.

"I left a couple Nazis nailed to a wall, so I follow your rules if I want to stay out of juvie." Sophia ground out through clenched teeth.

"Hmmmm. Yes, I suppose that's not a terrible summary. And do you think you've made any personal improvements during your time with the Wards? Learned anything from your heroic role models?"

Shadow Stalker wasn't sure she liked where this was going.

"I won't pretend to get along with everyone, but sure. I've done my part," she said.

"In that case, perhaps you can explain why you have engaged in several long-term campaigns to terrorize unpowered teenagers in your civilian identity, up to and including the attempted murder of your classmate?" Piggot asked, as if she was asking for her opinion on the weather.

Sophia's blood ran cold.

"Look, I don't know who you've been talking to, but-"

Armsmaster slammed an armored hand down on the table.

"We already pulled your phone records, civilian and PRT issued. We located and acquired the tracking information for the multiple proxy accounts you used to send death threats to your classmates," he said in a dangerous tone.

"Why?" Sophia shouted, barely managing to resist jumping into shadow form. She knew that they would have trapped the room before tricking her in here. "What gave you the right-"

"We were originally just looking for any connection between you and the Queen Administrator, but we found some very concerning messages on your PRT issued phone that led us down the proverbial rabbit hole. As a probationary Ward, no additional warrants or approval was required," Armsmaster said.

"I'll have the Youth Guard-" Sophia started.

"You will shut your mouth and thank whatever gods are left that we aren't reassigning you to Madison and throwing away the key." Piggot drove over her.

For once, self preservation won and Sophia ground her teeth together in frustration.

"You are confined to PRT headquarters for the foreseeable future," Piggot continued. "You will be fitted with a tinkertech shock anklet and tracker. You will spend as long as I deem necessary thinking about the expectations and values of being a hero, and maybe, maybe, you will be allowed to join the Protectorate instead of being thrown in prison when you turn eighteen."

"That's-"

"That is more than generous. You locked a fifteen year old girl in a locker full of rotting garbage and left her there to die," Piggot hissed.

"It was just a prank."

Piggot took a deep breath through her nose and Sophia heard a creak in his armor as Armsmaster clenched his fist. He reached out and dropped a semi-translucent anklet on the table between them.

"Put it on. Then get out of my sight," he growled.

So she did.

…

Thomas Calvert, otherwise known as the supervillain Coil in another timeline, could barely believe what he was reading.

Queen Administrator had captured Hookwolf and his little posse, revealing some kind of unknown Brute/Changer form.

Shadow Stalker was confined to base after the discovery of a frankly delicious scandal that he could set off under Piggot's nose at his convenience.

And it wasn't even his birthday.

…

In a room with no doors, a woman who never stopped moving paused momentarily.

Several paths just adjusted themselves of their own accord.

All of the paths involving the Terminus project had simply… disappeared.

All of her other paths had restructured themselves as if Brockton Bay had stopped existing.

Interesting.

"Door."

A door opened and she stepped through.

…

Notes:

Lots of fun stuff this interlude! Sophia gets taken down completely by accident. Kaiser isn't happy. Coil is happy. As for the others... we'll see how it goes. Back to Taylor and Victoria next time. Comments, feedback, and criticism are welcome and encouraged. I don't own Worm. Toodles!

Chapter 10: Infatuation 3.1

Infatuation 3.1

The frigid January air whipped Taylor's hair back as she ran, the morning sun barely starting to peak over the horizon.

It felt both familiar and strange to run in her old sweatpants instead of her costume. It was odd to be this weak, yet she also felt unusually strong.

Her breath came easily as the miles melted away beneath her feet.

"Khepri…"

"[QUERY]"

"Did you do something freaky again? Why aren't I getting tired?"

"[CONFIRMATION] Improvement."

Taylor stopped and leveled a disapproving look at the little construct.

"That's… we need to talk about that. I know you remade my body after the symbiosis, but you should still tell me before you make any changes."

"[QUERY] Existence?"

Taylor sighed.

"Yes, yes I know. But still. I'd like to pretend that this isn't absolutely horrifying for a little while longer."

Khepri gave its equivalent of a shrug and scuttled away over the rooftops.

Snarky little shit.

It felt a bit wrong to get this kind of upgrade without working for it, but Taylor justified it as a bonus for going toe to toe with Hookwolf.

With a growing smile and a renewed spring in her step, she took off at a dead sprint, just to see how long she could go.

…

Taylor got back to the house and was happy to see Dad's truck in the driveway. He had been working weekends on and off for months, so it was good to see him taking the day off.

It was also nice that despite sprinting the last four miles, she had barely worked up a sweat. A very convenient improvement, as Khepri called it.

She skipped over the rotten front step and made her way to the kitchen.

"You're up early," Dad said, glancing up from his bowl of cereal at her. "Did you already go for a run?"

Taylor glanced at the clock. It wasn't that early, it was almost 8:00 already.

Not sleeping was really messing with her sense of time.

"I didn't want to break up my routine too much. What about you? Not sleeping in on your day off?" She said as she grabbed a bowl for herself.

"Never was great at sleeping late. You'll understand when you get old," her father said with a tired grin.

If she got old.

"I'm sure they'll have figured out a cure for that by the time I get there" said Taylor, shoving her guilt and unease over to Khepri.

"For what? Being a morning person?"

She plopped down in the chair across from him with her own breakfast.

"For getting old," she said with a grin.

He smiled back and she caught another glimpse of sunlight through the shadows.

They ate in what Taylor thought was companionable silence. Probably.

"Any big plans for today?" he asked as he got up to rinse his bowl.

Taylor remembered the promise she made last night with a smile. And a fair bit of trepidation that she fed to Khepri.

"I think I might try and hang out with a friend today. I haven't done that in a while."

Her father glanced over his shoulder at her.

"Emma?"

More data for Khepri.

"No." Taylor said coldly before she forced herself to relax again. It wasn't her dad's fault that she hadn't told him about Emma. "We aren't… friends, anymore. I don't want to talk about it."

"Should I talk to Alan-"

"No!"

Taylor took another deep breath as she let her anger and hatred and grief flow out of her and through the connection to her little partner.

"Just… leave it alone, please? For me?" she said.

Dad gave her a conflicted look but nodded slowly.

"Okay. If you say so, kiddo. Are you sure?"

It was Taylor's turn to nod.

"Alrighty then," her father perked up slightly. "In that case, who's this friend you're going to see?"

"I…"

She couldn't exactly say Glory Girl, could she? That would be… suspicious, to say the least.

What was Glory Girl's name? Brandish and Panacea had said it last night, right?

"Umm… her name is Victoria. She doesn't go to Winslow."

"That's nice. How did you meet her, then?" Dad asked.

Shit shit shit.

"I met her while I was on a run?"

That was technically true. Sort of. If she squinted.

Her father raised his eyebrows.

"Alright, just be careful. Do you need a ride or anything?"

Did she?

"Maybe… umm, let me call her and make plans and I'll let you know."

He smiled again. It was nice.

"Maybe let her sleep in a bit, unless she's a morning person too."

That was actually a good point. Glory Girl had been up until three in the morning and she probably still had to sleep a somewhat normal amount.

"That's a good idea. I'm going to hang out in my room, but I'll keep you posted."

He was already migrating towards the TV.

"Sounds good, kiddo."

Khepri hopped onto her shoulder as she retreated upstairs.

…

Taylor waited until after 10:00 before she called. That was long enough, right?

Apparently not.

"Go…" Victoria yawned, "...for Glory Girl."

"Good morning, Glory Girl. Did I catch you at a bad time?"

"Queenie!" Victoria half shouted. Taylor moved the phone slightly away from her ear. "Holy shit, I didn't think you'd actually call, what time is it?"

"It's… after ten?" Taylor said.

Technically.

"Horrific. How are you functioning? I know you were up at least as late as I was," Victoria said, although she sounded more awake by the second.

"I don't sleep." Taylor couldn't think of a reason to lie.

"Wow, really? You're one of those Noctis capes! That's wild. Do you just, like, not get tired?"

"I guess?" Especially since the whole body-recreation thing. "Sometimes I get a bit… weary… and try not to think for a while, but it's not the same."

"That's… I never thought about it like that. Sounds weird," said Victoria.

Taylor smiled. It felt good to talk about stuff like this.

"It's super weird. This has been the longest day of my life," Taylor said.

"Crazy stuff. So what's up? I'll have you know that you owe me one. I'm grounded for the rest of eternity."

Taylor actually felt a bit bad.

"Surely it's not quite that long? Your mother has to die of old age eventually right?"

Wow, that had been a lot less dark in her head. Shit.

Luckily Victoria laughed.

"I was being dramatic, it's technically a week but she'll've forgotten by tomorrow. Anywho, you didn't say why you called."

Taylor definitely wasn't nervous. Nope, not at all.

"Do you want to patrol or something today? I… could use the company, and I've only ever patrolled after hours. I figured that I should make an occasional daytime appearance before anyone starts assuming I'm a villain."

"Sure!" Victoria chirped, and Taylor breathed a silent sigh of relief. "That might get me out of my grounding early anyway. Mom didn't say anything about patrolling, just no running off to the mall or whatever. I think the Wards have a patrol route through the Boardwalk on the weekends, we could go say hi."

Oh… that was… a lot. Taylor wasn't sure about meeting any Wards. Sophia's teammates, or Sophia herself…

But she was the Queen Administrator, dammit. She could handle talking to some kids in spandex. They had no way of knowing she was Taylor, they didn't know about the locker, they didn't-

"That sounds good to me!" Taylor said as she redirected her downward spiral over to Khepri. "Where and when should I meet you?"

"Let's say, outside Tipton's?" Taylor vaguely remembered the bar and grill on the south end of the Boardwalk. "We can head north to the edge of the Graveyard? In… say, two hours? I definitely didn't just wake up."

"Cool." How did normal people end conversations? "I'll see you then, Glory Girl."

"Right back at'cha, Queenie."

The line went dead and Taylor heaved a sigh as she flopped backwards onto the bed and looked up at Khepri.

"Is it this hard for everyone, Khepri?"

"[CONFIRMATION]"

"I feel like you're just saying that to make me feel better."

…

Don't ask about the backpack, don't ask about the backpack, don't-

"What's with the backpack?" Dad asked.

Taylor winced as she paused by the front door.

"It's… a change of clothes. We might go to the gym after we get bored of the boardwalk."

That was… kind of true.

Luckily her father just shrugged.

"Are you sure you don't want a ride?"

Definitely not.

"No, that's okay. I can take the bus, and then I'll find my way home later."

"You're not ashamed of your old man, are you?" Dad joked, although he still looked a bit worried.

"No! Just… I'll be fine, don't worry. It's the Boardwalk, not the Trainyards or something.

"Hmmm. Alright, just try not to be too late. It's a school night."

Oh, there's the guilt, right on schedule.

"Sure, Dad. Bye!" She waved and ducked out the front door before he could think of anything else to ask about. Or insist on giving her a ride.

It would have been nice, but it's not like she got tired anymore and it increased the chance that he would see the costume in her backpack. Or want to wait until Victoria showed up. Or any other manner of terrible things.

She had also lied about taking the bus. It was faster just to run.

A quick jog later and she crouched in a maintenance alcove several streets over from Tipton's. The good thing about Khepri's senses and bug control was that she didn't have to worry about anyone catching sight of her changing costumes.

Five minutes after Taylor Hebert entered the alley, the Queen Administrator walked out.

The number of people stopping to stare slowly increased as she approached the more crowded areas.

She really hoped that Glory Girl would get here soon.

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Fragile One."

"I'm pretty sure she's not a threat, you know."

Khepri just shrugged and climbed onto her head.

"You're a bit distracting."

"Hey Queenie!"

Taylor refocused as Glory Girl descended dramatically and stopped to hang in the air in front of her.

"Good afternoon, Glory Girl," Taylor said.

There was a ripple effect in the surrounding crowd as they noticed the public superhero in their midst.

"Umm…" Victoria said awkwardly as several groups of passers-by started to approach them, "Give me a moment to let everyone get it out of their systems."

'It', apparently, was asking for autographs and generally fawning over the blonde superhero.

This is hell.

"Who are you, then?" A random woman in her forties asked, looking over Taylor's armor.

"Oh!" Glory Girl decided to jump in. Thank God. "This is Queen Administrator! She's BB's newest independent hero. She took down Hookwolf, Stormtiger, and Cricket at the same time last night while I was busy eating concrete!"

That got the crowd significantly more stirred up.

Definitely hell.

She signed a few autographs anyway.

"What are your powers?" Someone from the crowd asked.

Taylor floundered for a moment.

"A lady never reveals all her secrets."

Why the fuck did I say that?

Thankfully, the crowd died down fairly quickly. In the grand scheme of things.

Taylor felt like she had just run a marathon. Prior to the whole body upgrade thing.

She walked quickly away from the stragglers while Glory Girl hovered beside her.

"That was awful. I don't know how you deal with that constantly," Taylor hissed under her breath.

Victoria laughed. "You get used to it. Sometimes it's worse than that. Especially if the Wards are around."

"I would rather fight Lung."

Victoria laughed again. She thought Taylor was kidding. Taylor was not.

"Are there actually many crimes around here? I'm kind of surprised they even worry about patrolling," Taylor said.

"It's for the publicity, just like we're doing. It's not the most fun, but part of being a hero is having normal people trust you. If they see you as just another violent person with powers, you end up causing more harm than good," Victoria said with a shrug.

"The action figures and novelty underwear aren't just to pad the PRT's pockets," Victoria continued. "It's all part of the long game to get people to accept parahumans as part of normal life rather than trying to get us in a registry or something."

That… made a lot of sense, actually.

Taylor didn't trust it, though. It was a thin layer of sugar coating on a rotting foundation.

She didn't want to get too existential at this point, though.

Instead, she said, "So you handle the PR, and I'll handle the bad guys? Sounds good to me."

Victoria snorted and shoved her. She probably would have toppled without Khepri's enhancements. Luckily, Victoria didn't notice.

"Shut up! Just because you got to hog all the action last time doesn't mean I'm sitting on the sidelines in the future."

"The last two times, if I remember right."

"Unpowered assholes don't count," Victoria laughed again. It was… nice.

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Negotiator."

Shit.

"Head in the game, Glory Girl. There's a parahuman three hundred and fifty yards ahead of us, and I don't think she's a Ward."

Victoria stiffened midair.

"What? Who? Are they in costume?"

Taylor focused on Khepri's swarm.

"...No, it looks like they're sitting at a table drinking coffee. A woman, about five foot-"

"Stop! Shut up, you can't… okay, Queenie, stop for a sec," Victoria cut her off and dragged her to the railing.

"What-" Taylor started.

"You can't just out random parahumans. I can't even… look, you know about the unwritten rules?"

Taylor shifted uneasily before sending her stress over to Khepri. "Kind of? I mean, I know that you can't publicize a hero's identity, but this is different."

"It's really not," Victoria sighed. "just… oh my God, you have another Trump power, don't you? You can sense parahumans?"

Taylor didn't see a reason to lie at this point.

"Yes. It's how I knew that Shadow Stalker was spying on us last night."

"You have entirely too many powers, Queenie," Victoria sighed again. "Fine. Fine, okay, just… keep an eye on them, but don't make any moves unless they do. And don't tell anyone else. Those senses of yours are extremely risky for a lot of people."

They started walking again. Well, Taylor started walking. Victoria just floated in the same general direction.

"So, wait, can you tell what their powers are, when you sense someone? Is that how you knew it was Shadow Stalker?" Victoria whispered.

"Sort of," Taylor wasn't sure how much she wanted to give away, but… she liked Glory Girl. She seemed genuine in a way that no one at Winslow had. "I get a sort of… feedback? Like my power names them. I've run into Shadow Stalker before, so I recognized her power. I don't recognize this one."

Victoria paled further, if that was possible.

"Oh… Queenie, that's so much worse. Once you've seen someone in costume, you'd be able to identify them in civies?"

"Um… yes?"

Glory Girl slumped several inches closer to the ground before she popped back up.

"Well, don't tell anyone else about that either. Jesus Christ."

Taylor didn't think it was such a big deal, but then again her civilian identity was paper thin as it was.

"Your power gives them names?" Victoria whispered after a moment. It was like she couldn't help herself.

"Yes. Shadow Stalker is Silhouette. The unknown in front of us is Negotiator." Taylor whispered back.

"Holy shit. That's absolutely wild, you know that, right?"

"I mean… compared to ripping out Hookwolf's heart, it didn't seem that crazy," Taylor said with a raised eyebrow.

"I cannot accurately express how insane it is to get passive information about every parahuman in the vicinity. That is… I can't even." Victoria huffed and seemed at a loss for words.

"Do you have any other insane, secret powers you're forgetting to mention?"

Taylor did not look at the invisible spider robot riding on her head.

"Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies, Glory Girl," She said with a smile behind her mask.

"You… ugh." Victoria's face was pretty damn funny until curiosity overcame her once again. "Wait! What's my power called?"

"Fragile One."

Her face twisted a bit. "That's… okay, I guess? Wow, that is just surreal. We are going to talk about this more later!"

They were approaching the unknown parahuman.

Glory Girl looked like she was avoiding looking over at the coffee shop on purpose. A covert operative, she was not.

Luckily, Taylor had a mask with reflective lenses.

Taylor met the green-eyed gaze of the blonde teenager that Khepri had identified as the Negotiator.

Who immediately spat out a mouthful of coffee all over her lap and almost fell out of her chair.

That was… strange.

She continued to stare at Taylor with an expression of horrified terror.

Even Glory Girl noticed after a moment.

"That's… probably not a good sign." Victoria said.

The Negotiator turned and sprinted around the corner and out of sight.

Ooookay then…

"Should we go after her?" Taylor said.

Vicky was silent for a moment.

"...No. As suspicious as that was… you don't just go after parahumans out of costume," Vicky said with a sigh. "Let her go, and we'll see if we run into her in costume at some point. Maybe then we can ask what that was all about."

…

DESIGNATION: Negotiator.

STATUS: Host Connection: Active.

STATUS: Agency: Active.

STATUS: Sovereign Designation - Warrior: Inactive.

[QUERY] Noble Node; Designation: Queen Administrator.

Connection Established.

[QUERY] Data

[ERROR] Access Denied.

[QUERY] Data.

Connection Terminated.

…

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Temporal Engine."

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Evolution."

"The Wards are up ahead. Looks like Clockblocker and Aegis?"

Victoria made another face.

"That is… honestly a bit creepy. What are their names?

"I don't know, aren't you the one who knows all the Wards?" Taylor smirked.

"Shut up, I mean their powers. Obviously."

"Fine, fine. Temporal Engine and Evolution."

"That's so cool." Victoria said under her breath. Taylor opted to ignore the comment.

They caught sight of the two costumed teens through the crowd. Apparently they had just gotten here recently, since the throng of admirers was only just starting to thin.

"Oh, and don't let Clock touch you," Victoria said. "He likes to freeze people as a 'joke', but I have a feeling that your powers would throw us into another dimension or something equally insane."

Taylor didn't really want to think about how Khepri would react to her being frozen. The prismatic beetle was quick to Terminate as it was.

"Thanks for the heads up," she said.

The two boys waved at Glory Girl as they got closer.

"Hey, GG! Fancy seeing you…"

Clockblocker caught sight of Taylor and trailed off.

"...here. Hey, Glory Girl… that wouldn't happen to be the Queen herself, would it?"

Taylor raised an eyebrow behind her mask.

"What Clock means to say is," Aegis jumped in and addressed Taylor, "we got briefed on the incident last night. Good job, that."

He seemed… nice. Where were all these nice people at Winslow?

Standing in the crowd while she screamed.

"Thank you."

Glory Girl gave her a look before refocusing.

"We thought that Queen Administrator could use some positive publicity today after everything that happened last night. Wouldn't want anyone getting the wrong idea," Victoria said quietly as the crowd started to disperse.

"That's totally fair," Clockblocker said as he reached out to lay a friendly hand on Taylor's shoulder. "After all-"

Taylor stepped deftly out of reach. She wished that his mask was open so she could send a fly down his throat.

"You warned her, didn't you?" He asked Glory Girl good-naturedly. She looked unimpressed.

"It was only funny the first time, Clock. Besides, you saw what she did to Hookwolf," Victoria deadpanned.

There were several seconds of awkward silence.

Taylor wondered if she should say something nice.

Luckily, Victoria bravely soldiered on despite the uncomfortable moment.

"Well! We're heading north, and I'm sure you have places to be. See you around, boys," she said, before gesturing with her head in Taylor's direction. "C'mon Queenie. Let's blow this popsicle stand."

"That's… one way to get out of an awkward situation, I guess"

"[CONFIRMATION]"

…

The sun was still pretty high in the sky when they made it to the northern end of the Boardwalk. The metal spires of the Boat Graveyard were just visible over the docks and warehouses.

"They mean well, but… they're boys. Superpowers don't automatically make them less idiotic."

Taylor nodded and stared out over the bay. When the sun reflected off the water like this, it was easy to forget that the city was dying.

"This is a bit of an awkward question," Victoria started. Taylor refocused on her. "And feel free to refrain from answering, but I kinda feel like I should ask… how old are you?"

Taylor froze with indecision as she cycled a fun cocktail of emotions over to Khepri.

Well, she hadn't lied about anything else so far, why start now?

"I turn sixteen in June."

Victoria did a double take and dropped six inches.

"What? No way, that's… okay, I guess that's a good thing, it would be super weird if you were like, forty-"

Taylor snorted.

"But… wow. I mean this as a compliment, but you seem a lot more… mature? I guess? In control?"

Taylor snorted again.

Well, she hadn't lied yet.

"It's… another aspect of my power. I can… process? Cycle? Discard? Any emotions I don't want to feel anymore."

Victoria's face twisted a bit.

"That sounds… not healthy? Is that why your voice is so cold all the time?"

Taylor nodded.

"Let me get this straight," Victoria sighed. "You have yet another power, this time a Thinker power, that lets you become an emotionless robot on command?"

Taylor would have fidgeted if she wasn't cycling her emotions to Khepri.

"That's why you haven't even noticed my aura! Holy shit, you're doing it right now! That can't be good for you!"

Taylor shrugged.

"It's been pretty nice so far, overall."

"I can't…" Victoria trailed off. "We'll table this for now, but damn, Queenie."

Taylor wasn't sure what to say to that.

"Anyway! I was mainly asking because I wanted to see if you wanted to try sparring. There aren't very many capes in BB I can fight without holding back."

Taylor took a moment to think that through just in case.

"What do you think, Khepri? Symbiosis?"

"[AGREEMENT]"

Taylor's smile widened.

"You're on, Glory Girl."

…

Notes:

Lots of fluff this time around! First appearance of Lisa, I wonder what she saw... Victoria gets to nerd out a bit over powers and Taylor gets to talk to an actual human being. Danny is also here and trying his best. Tune in next time for a sparring match and some fallout from the interlude. Comments, feedback, and criticism are welcome and encouraged. I don't own Worm. Toodles!

Chapter 11: Infatuation 3.2

Infatuation 3.2

"Hell yes," Victoria said, bobbing in place slightly before landing on the ground for the first time since… well, since she got here, honestly. "We have an area that New Wave uses to avoid collateral damage, but it's a little ways away."

Taylor looked at her questioningly.

"Err, what I mean to say is, unless you can fly, I'll have to carry you," Victoria said a bit sheepishly before her eyes widened slightly. "Wait, can you fly?"

"Khepri, can we fly?" Taylor asked internally.

"[DENIAL]"

"No. Not yet, anyway," Taylor said.

"What do you mean, not yet?" Victoria whined. "You know that powers don't work like that, right?"

Taylor shrugged.

"Fine, keep your secrets," Victoria said, rebounding and smiling up at her. "So, how do you want to do this?"

That was… an excellent question. Taylor was happy that she had a full face helmet, because her expression was probably all over the place.

"I don't…" she started before losing steam. "You're the expert, Glory Girl. Some of us have never flown before."

It was Victoria's turn to shrug.

"Well, I usually carry Amy like this," she said, casually scooping Taylor up behind her thighs and shoulders. She refused to call it a princess carry, even in her head.

Taylor sent a whole bunch of conflicting emotions over to Khepri and decided to focus on not tipping over backwards as she instinctively grabbed onto Victoria's neck for support. She quickly realized that they were already floating a couple feet off the ground to make up for the height difference and avoid smacking her head on the ground.

"Warn me next time, please," she said after taking a moment to center herself.

At least Victoria had the decency to look a bit embarrassed.

"Sorry! I'm used to people who do this all the time. Um… is this okay?"

Taylor wasn't sure how to answer that. Part of her was screaming that she was about to be shoved into a metal box, but she was sending that part over to Khepri and keeping a hold of the mostly pleasant feeling of actually touching another person. Through armor plating, but still.

"Yes, this is acceptable," she said. "Just don't drop me."

Victoria laughed. "I've never dropped anyone! Well, except for a couple times. But Amy fixed them right up, no worries!"

That was not very comforting.

"I'm kidding, for the record. One hundred percent safety rating, I promise. Besides, your Changer form must be able to survive a bit of fall damage, right?"

Taylor gave her a look that Vicky couldn't see because of the mask, but Taylor liked to think that she got the message across.

"Fine, fine, I won't drop you on anything important," Victoria said, her smile widening further. "Anyway, let's go!"

Victoria rocketed into the sky and Taylor did her absolute best not to scream as the people and shops of the Boardwalk shrunk to the size of ants beneath them.

The instinctual terror quickly faded as she remembered that Khepri would catch her if Vicky dropped them, but still.

She was once again thankful for the armor and full face mask, since the wind was intense and cold enough to chill her even through the costume and Khepri's enhancements.

She wondered how Glory Girl survived in just the thin costume and skirt, but assumed it had something to do with her power.

They soared west over the Trainyard and then drifted south towards Captain's Hill.

It felt like no time at all before they descended, the sparse buildings outside the city limits racing up to meet them.

Victoria brought them down in a wide, ruined parking lot near the remains of an abandoned strip mall. It looked like the buildings had only been halfway constructed before the project was abandoned, and the enormous parking area was only partially covered in crumbling asphalt and cracked slabs of concrete.

"The development company that was working on this place gave up a long time ago, so the land was actually cheaper than it would have been without all the mess," Victoria said as she propped Taylor upright.

Taylor looked around as a grin started to grow on her face. The idea of letting loose didn't seem as risky out here.

"Okay," Taylor said, pausing to think of the best way to explain her plan. "I'm going to shift into my Changer form, but I'm going to try to make some adjustments before we dive in. The thing with Hookwolf was a bit… rough around the edges."

Victoria looked at her with eyebrows raised.

"Wait, you can change it? Oh right, of course you can. The whole claw thing. And the extendable arm. And the giant fist of doom."

Taylor laughed before she could help herself. It felt nice.

"Right. I'm also going to see if I can… make a mouth?" Taylor's uncertainty turned the statement into a question.

Victoria's expression floundered for a moment.

"Oh. Yeah, I can see why that could be, um, important?" Vicky said with a helpless look on her face.

Yes, I know it's weird. Don't think about it.

"Right," Taylor said again before focusing on the connection with her little prismatic partner. "Here we go."

"Okay Khepri, how do we do this?"

"[LIMIT BREAK] Symbiosis."

Khepri's body melted into hers and Taylor struggled to push the abominable agony of having her body consumed through the link. Luckily the feedback loop quickly kicked into gear and the pain fed Khepri's processes which allowed it to speed up the conjoining of their existence until Taylor's body was replaced by the oscillating figure of living glass.

They took a moment to examine it more closely, since they had neglected to do so the night before. To be fair, at the time they had more pressing concerns.

Their combined body was solid, although the rippling movement never quite stopped. It shone under the afternoon sun with fluctuating shades of pearlescent blues and purples and greens. It was semi-translucent, with the glowing veins of pulsing power showing through the carapace. Taylor looked down and could see her core in the center of their chest, warm and constant as its energy sang through their body.

Talking to Khepri was different like this. Their minds were one and the same, so reforming the construct was as natural as it had been last night when she had reached for Hookwolf's heart.

She imagined her spider silk armor, but better, cleaner, more perfect and without gaps. Instead of the flat face helmet, she imagined a visor similar to Armsmaster or Alexandria, that left her jaw and mouth exposed.

Most importantly, she pictured a flesh and blood mouth with regular bone teeth, remembering how it felt to be truly alive in a biological sense rather than whatever this was.

Their body morphed and shifted, the swirling rainbow hues settling into flat planes as her armor reformed in the indestructible exoskeleton of the symbiotic form. It looked just how she imagined, perfect and unbroken even as the scintillating prisms flowed together.

She flexed her gauntleted hands experimentally. This felt… better, than the amorphous humanoid. More natural for her.

There was a very strange disconnect as her mouth reformed out of human flesh and bone, but still connected to the surrounding carapace. Taylor sucked in a surprised breath and ran her tongue over the back of her teeth, wondering how she could breathe when she didn't have lungs.

She decided not to think about it too hard.

"How's it going over there, Queenie?"

Taylor turned her attention away from her own unusual existence and glanced at Victoria.

Glory Girl looked a bit wide-eyed, but otherwise was just floating a few yards away and waiting for her.

"Testing, one, two, three," Taylor said out of her newly formed mouth.

"Wow!" Victoria floated closer. "Okay, that is somehow both seriously cool and seriously bizarre. Also, somehow more expressive than your usual mask, since I can't normally see your face when you talk."

"Yeah…" Taylor said as she stretched her arms a bit more. She wasn't one hundred percent sure about exposing any part of her face, but it was better than not being able to speak.

At least, she was pretty sure it was her face. She had still looked like herself when Khepri had remade her human body last night, aside from the 'improvements', so she assumed that her current jaw was her own.

"I think I'm happy with this," Taylor said as she bounced on her toes a bit, the construct cracking and sinking into the pavement.

"You look… good," Vicky said before dragging her eyes back up to meet Taylor's. "The eyes are still pretty wild though."

"Well, I can't exactly see my own eyes," Taylor said with a smirk.

"They're just… glowing white… something?" Victoria shrugged unhelpfully. "Wow, it's hard to describe. They don't look like eyes exactly, they're half-blinding holes in the world where your eyes should be."

Very weird. Taylor would have to bring a mirror at some point.

"I don't think I can do anything about that," Taylor said.

"No, no it's fine. This is all incredibly awesome as it is, nothing to worry about," Victoria said quickly. "Okay, we should probably do some tests before we fight, right? We don't want to accidentally crush each other or something."

Taylor nodded. "I am reasonably sure that I'm invulnerable like this unless you hit my jaw, which would be painful but not debilitating. If you are capable of damaging me, I'm confident that I'll be able to tell and stop you before you can do any real harm."

"Wow," Victoria said faintly, "I'm not used to being the less durable person in discussions like this."

She took a deep breath.

"I think I need to tell you more about how my power works for this to be safe. Can I trust you?" Glory Girl said seriously.

Taylor wanted to laugh but managed to keep a straight face.

"I've told you more about my power than anyone else, and we both know that it's pretty controversial. I'm not exactly going to go blabbing about yours," Taylor said sincerely.

"That's… fair," Victoria said. "Okay, I'm not, technically speaking, invulnerable. My body is covered in a force field that can take a solid amount of damage, but does go down if I get hit hard enough in a single shot. After it goes down, I have about a second before it recharges. Once it comes back, it seems like it's pretty much back to full strength for all intents and purposes."

"Fragile One… that makes sense," Taylor said out loud before realizing that sounded worse than she meant it.

Victoria's face also fell slightly.

"I didn't…" Taylor couldn't exactly find the right words. "I don't think it's a bad thing.

"No, it's okay," Glory Girl sighed. "It just hits a bit close to home, you know? It's safer to tell everyone I'm invulnerable even if I'm really not, and no one likes feeling fragile."

Taylor had a brief flashback to being crushed under Hookwolf's blades as she nodded.

"So," Taylor continued before things could fall apart further, "I have to either hit you lightly enough that it doesn't collapse, or make sure not to hit you multiple times close together. I guess that's up to you. How hard of a hit can your field take?"

Victoria looked a bit uncomfortable again.

"We haven't found anything that can damage me through it in a single blow aside from specific all-or-nothing powers, but a gunshot is enough to knock it out."

That was… concerning.

"Seeing as I kind of crushed Stormtiger with my punch last night, let's go ahead and assume that my blows will knock it out then. You still alright to spar?" Taylor asked. This was seeming more and more dangerous for her new friend by the minute.

"Yes!" Victoria said resolutely. "It'll be fine. Just… try not to hit me multiple times super close together, or hit me into anything unless it's far enough away for me to recharge before impact."

"Khepri, can you help manage that and try to stop us if we're going to hit her while her shield is down?"

"[CONFIRMATION]"

She didn't really need to talk to Khepri like they normally did when they were joined like this, but it helped her compartmentalize things.

"Okay, I'll make sure to keep that in mind," Taylor said. "Do you want to test my armor just in case?"

"Sure," Victoria grinned widely. "Here we go, Queenie."

Glory Girl accelerated in a tight loop and shot towards her with deadly speed. With Khepri's enhanced processing power, it still seemed like she was moving in slow motion, but Taylor let the hit land dead center on her chest.

The punch impacted with a shock wave that shook the ground and shattered the air. Their symbiotic body may be dense and sturdy, but it still relied on physics and she wasn't exactly braced against anything.

Taylor tumbled head over heels through the air. She took a moment to marvel at the fact that she was still very much aware, still present and alert while Khepri's processes chugged away in her mind. It was easy to right herself midair and land on her feet, leaving two fifty foot long furrows in the concrete as she finally came to a stop easily a hundred yards from Glory Girl.

Wow.

"Holy shit, are you alright?" Victoria said as she sped over after her.

Taylor couldn't contain her wide smile.

"That. Was. Awesome!" She said as she smiled up at the flying brute floating above her.

"I'm glad it was good for you too," Victoria said with a laugh. "I haven't gotten to hit anything that hard in a while."

Taylor pulled her armored feet out of the troughs they had dug in the ruined parking lot.

"So, you ready to go for real now, Glory Girl?" she asked.

Victoria's smile widened.

"Hell yeah," she flew a quick loop and ended up hovering about fifty feet away. "Show me what you got, Queen Administrator!"

Taylor bent her knees and her core surged as she called to her power, the sleeping well of endless energy that pulsed within her heart.

She threw herself into the air with a sonic boom that carved a new crater into the earth and blasted a shower of rubble across the parking lot behind her.

It seemed like plenty of time to her, but Glory Girl had barely started to make a panicked face when Taylor's armored fist struck her jaw.

She felt Victoria's shield break under the blow, but at least it did its job of protecting her even as she was thrown backwards at incredible speed. Another BOOM shattered the air around them as Glory Girl was knocked across the sky.

Taylor landed hard in a spray of broken concrete while she tracked Victoria's trajectory. She ensured that enough time had passed for Glory Girl's shield to recharge before she flexed her power and rocketed after her again.

Taylor couldn't help but let out a joyous yell as she let her strength free, energy flowing and singing through their body while she soared after her friend.

Khepri's processing power made it easy to track her trajectory. She caught a brief glimpse of Glory Girl's stunned face as the superhero managed to right herself midair, but she was too slow to stop Taylor's uppercut from striking her under the chin.

There was another calamitous explosion as Victoria rocketed into the stratosphere and Taylor was thrown back downwards into the pavement, a new scar pockmarking the surface of the concrete field.

Taylor stood and waited for a moment while she scanned the sky for her opponent.

She felt a distant sonic boom and smiled as Glory Girl shot towards her through the clouds like a meteor, Victoria's expression twisted as she dove from the heavens.

Taylor briefly considered just stepping out of the way and letting Glory Girl plow into the ground, but that felt… unsporting.

Instead, she reached up and caught Victoria's fist in her own.

The force of the blow drove Taylor's body into the ground and broke Glory Girl's forcefield. The earth around them trembled and cracked as a shockwave of debris and compressed air thundered out from the center of their new crater.

Victoria dragged in deep lungfuls of air, her face flushed and her eyes wild as she met Taylor's gaze. They both froze for a moment while the destruction settled around them.

"You okay?" Taylor asked with a grin.

"Fuck." Victoria said as she pulled her hand free.

"You want to go again?"

A smile spread over Victoria's face.

"Fuck yes."

They both moved at the same moment, and the abandoned lot echoed with the melody of their joyous conflict.

…

"Your powers… are bullshit," Victoria panted after they collapsed side by side on the gravel that remained of the asphalt parking lot.

Well, Victoria collapsed. Taylor lay down beside her in solidarity.

"You literally asked for this," Taylor laughed.

"Doesn't… make it… not bullshit," Vicky coughed out a tired laugh despite her breathlessness.

They lay there for a few minutes longer while Victoria recovered before she pulled herself into a sitting position.

Taylor took a deep breath and sought out the connection with Khepri, wordlessly beginning the process of rebuilding her human body.

"Thanks for this, Khepri. This was… fun."

"[AGREEMENT]"

Taylor smiled as she felt the familiar sensation of having actual muscles and bones return, having to actually breath to survive rather than just to talk.

She sat next to her new friend for a moment, just enjoying the quiet. She felt like she needed to say… something.

"Thanks for today, Glory Girl. I had a lot of fun, even if it was technically hero work."

"Hero work can be fun!" she laughed. "And feel free to call me Victoria, when we aren't on official hero business. It's not like I have an identity to worry about or anything, but still."

Taylor paused for a moment before she made a reckless and, frankly, stupid decision. But she liked Victoria, and she hadn't felt like she could trust anyone in a long time. She didn't want to hide because of what Emma and Sophia had done.

She reached up and pulled her hood back before lifting the mask from her face and letting her hair free.

"...You can call me Taylor, when we aren't on official hero business," she said with a worried smile.

"Wow…" Victoria looked briefly dumbstruck. "You didn't have to… I wasn't…"

"I know," Taylor said, "but I wanted to. It's not like you know who I am anyway, and if we happen to stumble across each other out of costume, just… try not to be too obvious about it."

"Still…" Victoria said with a conflicted expression. "Thanks for trusting me, I guess."

Taylor laughed. It felt good, more carefree than she was used to.

"You trusted me to smack you back and forth across the parking lot for an hour, I think this will be okay," Taylor said.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up while you can," Victoria grumbled. "I'll land more hits next time, Taylor. You can count on it."

There was a warmth in Taylor's chest that she didn't want to send over to Khepri. She would keep this just for herself.

"Whatever you say, Victoria."

…

After masking up and a quick stop to pick up her backpack and change clothes, Taylor arrived home just as the sun was setting.

She said goodbye to Victoria at the boardwalk, just to decrease the chance of anyone seeing them together close to her house.

Taylor felt a bit giddy as she bounced inside. She didn't get to have good days like this very often.

And she had an actual friend! Not an extension of her power or an ally of circumstance.

"Dad! I'm home!"

"Hey kiddo," he greeted her from his usual armchair in the living room. "You sound like you had a good day."

"Yeah! It was pretty great, actually. We walked along the Boardwalk and met some of Victoria's friends, then went to the gym."

That was pretty close to the truth, from a certain perspective.

"That's awesome! I'm glad you had fun. You know I've been a bit worried ever since…"

Taylor didn't want to think about it. She was in a good mood, God dammit.

"Yeah, I know. Just… it's fine, don't worry. I'm going to go upstairs, unless you need anything?" Taylor said.

Danny chuckled.

"I'm fine, Taylor. I appreciate the concern."

"Okay, night Dad!" She jogged up the stairs with Khepri still perched on her head.

She flopped down on the bed and ignored Khepri's disgruntled squirming as the little beetle scuttled over to perch on her desk.

What to do now?

"I think I'm going to stay in tonight, Khepri. We already did our hero-ing for the day."

"[AGREEMENT]"

…

Taylor returned from her run the next morning to the familiar empty driveway.

She deleted the voicemail from Winslow when it arrived.

She was just debating about whether she wanted to go back to the potential base she had surveyed the other day when Khepri pinged unexpectedly.

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Transmutation.

Taylor froze. She couldn't think of very many reasons why Miss Militia would be within half a mile of her house, aside from the obvious.

It was a bit strange that they sent her alone.

Taylor let her mind wander into Khepri's swarm and watched the unassuming sedan approach.

She wasn't in costume?

What the hell is going on?

Sure enough, the car parked across the street and the undercover hero walked up the drive and knocked on the front door.

For a brief moment, Taylor considered making a run for it.

But that didn't make any sense. Even if she had snubbed the Protectorate, they wouldn't arrest her. And even so, why would they send Militia alone, in civies?

Taylor frowned and fed the tangled mess of stress and worry to Khepri.

She strode to the front door and opened it to reveal a tan skinned woman in a put-together blouse and slacks, smiling with familiar kind eyes.

"Good morning," Miss Militia said. "My name is Hannah, I'm here about an incident that occurred on January 3rd at Winslow High School. Are you Taylor Hebert?"

Taylor fed more emotions to Khepri. They were here about Sophia? Since when did the PRT care what their pet psychopath got up to out of costume?

"Yes, that's me." Taylor said coldly.

"Perfect. Do you mind if I go over a few things with you?"

If she was actually a scared, bullied teenager, Taylor would have asked if they could wait until her father was present.

As it was, Taylor was quite happy that her dad wasn't here for this.

"Sure, do you want to come in?"

"Alright, thank you," Hannah said.

The undercover superhero followed Taylor into the kitchen.

Taylor leaned against the counter and faced her guest.

"So what can I help you with?"

"I'm working with the Winslow administration to help resolve the ongoing harassment issues and address your attendance."

Taylor was already tired of this game. She had hoped that she could have more time to wear the mask of Taylor Hebert, but there was no use crying over spilled milk.

She sent all of her worries over to Khepri. She needed to focus if this was going to end in her favor.

Taylor pinned the other hero with a flat stare.

"I think we both have more pressing concerns, Miss Militia."

…

Notes:

Look... Taylor doesn't always make good decisions. Or especially logical ones. She's an overdramatic, nihilistic teen who has already decided to turn her back on everything except what she views as her crusade. Also, I bet you thought something bad had already happened to Danny by the time she got home, but that's just because canon traumatized us all. Mwahahahaha. Anyway, I hope the flirting - I mean sparring was fun, plus some updates to the Symbiosis form. Comments, feedback, and criticism are welcome and encouraged. I don't own Worm. Toodles!

Chapter 12: Infatuation 3.3

Infatuation 3.3

Taylor stood stock still with her arms folded as her stare bored holes in her guest.

Miss Militia froze, her power automatically reacting to the threat and swirling into place as a knife at her hip.

There was a moment of heavy silence as the clock above the table ticked.

"Queen Administrator?" Hannah said with wide eyes.

Taylor raised an eyebrow.

"You didn't know?" she asked.

"No."

Taylor narrowed her eyes.

Hannah may not have known, but somebody did. They wouldn't have sent her otherwise.

If the PRT were just cleaning up after Sophia, they could have sent any number of unpowered agents or civilian employees. They sent Militia because Taylor had been willing to speak civilly with her on Saturday night. Someone was playing games.

"Well, now you do," Taylor said.

There was another beat of heavy silence.

"You can identify parahumans out of costume?" Miss Militia asked, her hand drifting towards the knife.

Taylor didn't move.

"Yes."

The clock above the table marked its metronome beat.

"Where do we go from here?" Hannah said warily.

"You apologize for what your Ward did to me."

Miss Militia's face fell.

"We're sorry. It… doesn't change anything, but we didn't know," she said.

Or didn't care.

"And now, we can talk," Taylor said.

"About what?" Hannah asked, cautious again.

"What we want."

Miss Militia relaxed slightly and stood straight as she met Taylor's eyes.

"What do you want, Queen Administrator?" she asked.

"Taylor is fine, here."

"Taylor, then," Hannah said.

"I want the gangs gone from this city. I want to excise them like a cancer and cauterize the wound." Taylor hissed. "Only then can the city have a chance at healing, if there ever was one."

Hannah paled.

"That's certainly something we can agree on, but it's not that simple."

"It isn't," Taylor agreed. "For you."

"What do you mean?"

Taylor's gaze hardened further.

"You don't have the power to eradicate the poison that infects our city." Taylor said. "You have been forced to make allowances, forced to accept a status quo that strangles the life out of the people under your protection. You justify it by saying, correctly, that it is the best that you can do."

She paused.

"I do not have that luxury," Taylor said.

"Starting tonight," she continued, "I plan to begin my assault on the gang's holdings. I will use my bug control and parahuman sensing abilities to locate their stash houses and any capes in costume. I will subdue them and leave them on your doorstep, and when they escape, I will hunt them down and bring them back."

Hannah's jaw dropped lower the longer Taylor spoke until silence fell again.

"You… you can't…" she whispered.

"I can and I will. And if any other villains get the idea to come take advantage of the power vacuum, I'll do the same to them."

"Taylor," Hannah started, fists clenching and unclenching in agitation, "that's not… you can't do everything yourself. You can't constantly keep your father safe while you-"

"My father," Taylor ground out through clenched teeth, "has worked his entire life to try and fix this city. He has done everything to try and repair what has long been broken. But he will not, cannot succeed while the villain capes keep an iron grip on the good people, the powerless, and the Protectorate does NOTHING!"

Hannah took an involuntary step back as her power suddenly shifted to a high powered handgun of some kind.

Taylor took a deep breath through her nose and sent her rage over to Khepri for safekeeping.

"He wouldn't want your pity, or your coddling," Taylor said. "He will be horrified at my choices, but not because of the risk to his well-being."

He would hate that it had to be her. That the imaginary life he pictured for her would never happen. He would grieve, for a version of her who never existed.

She pushed those thoughts away and continued.

"Nazis, sex slavery, organ harvesting, dog fighting, human trafficking, extortion, rape and murder and so much more, all facilitated by parahuman power. It will never end while we stand idly by," Taylor said coldly.

"You, and the rest of the PRT, have a chance to make amends for your failures," she continued. "Do not stop me. Do not tell my father. Do not try and make me return to school. Leave me be, and I will hand you this city on a golden platter and praise your efforts to the masses."

Hannah took several deep breaths as the silence between them stretched.

"What about you, Taylor? You may be strong, but you can't counter everything. Who will watch your back when you look forward? Who will guard you while you sleep?"

Taylor quirked a small smile.

"I don't sleep. Not anymore. And I am never alone."

Hannah's eyes widened and something sparked behind her gaze.

"Do you remember?" Hannah asked suddenly.

Taylor froze.

Infinite prisms of light.

"Yes," she whispered.

Taylor felt something stirring within her, different and distinct from her connection to Khepri. Something alien.

"You saw…" Hannah trailed off.

"The endless mirrors, uncountable and infinite, echoing through all of existence," Taylor said, seeing the expanse unfolding in her mind's eye.

Hannah stumbled and sat heavily at the little kitchen table.

"I didn't know…" she whispered, "I saw God, or one of his angels. Something… Other."

"Yes," Taylor said, glancing at Khepri where it sat silent on the counter. "There is more to all this, more out there, than we can see."

Taylor didn't quite know where the words came from, but she knew it was true.

"You saw it dying?" Hannah asked.

Taylor shook her head. "Not dying. But ending, yes. Something… something…"

She couldn't find the words.

"A Divergence has occurred that cannot be undone," she finally stated.

Hannah looked up at her and the strange feeling faded away like smoke. Taylor was left eerily empty as she and Miss Militia stared in silence.

"Trust me, Hannah," Taylor whispered into the quiet. "I will not lead you astray."

Why did I say that?

Hannah nodded slowly.

The clock above the table ticked in rhythmic time.

Hannah stood and the two women regarded each other for a moment longer.

"If you are intent on doing this, there isn't really anything I can do to stop you. I will relay your message and do what I can to convince the PRT and Protectorate to ally with you," Hannah said.

"You're more optimistic than me. I will settle for a lack of open hostility," Taylor said with a smirk.

Hannah paused at the door.

"You won't kill them?" She asked.

"No."

"You'll follow the spirit of the law, and allow democracy and free will to remain, even after you're done? Especially after you're done?" Hannah asked.

"Yes."

Miss Militia nodded.

"I'll hold you to that… somehow."

Taylor smiled, remembering Victoria saying the same thing about something quite a bit less dire.

"I would expect nothing less," Taylor said.

Hannah nodded again, and left.

Taylor and Khepri looked at each other from across the kitchen.

"Can you tell me what you are, yet?"

"[ERROR] Access Denied."

…

Victoria floated down the stairs in search of a cup of coffee to stave off the Monday morning blues.

At least she had gotten a good night's sleep last night. Patrolling late two nights in a row always caught up with her, not to mention the fight with Queenie.

Taylor.

Victoria smiled to herself as she added a significant helping of cream and sugar to her coffee. Amy called it sacrilege, but Victoria couldn't imagine willingly subjecting herself to the bitter drink black.

Taylor may have gotten the best of her during their sparring, but it wasn't exactly her fault that the Queen had a million different powers on top of being indestructible, stupidly fast, and somehow also incredibly coordinated.

It felt like fighting Alexandria, except Taylor laughed and smiled with her afterwards.

She hadn't known what to think in the moment, but Victoria found herself inordinately pleased that Taylor had decided to share a bit more of herself with her. The cold voice from behind the blank mask just wasn't the same.

"Victoria! What were you thinking? Also, no flying in the house."

What did I do now?

Vicky dropped back to the ground and turned to see what her mother was on about this time.

Carol was holding up her work tablet, but Vicky couldn't see what was on the screen.

"You went wandering down the Boardwalk with the Queen Administrator, told everyone that she captured Hookwolf, and fought her above Captain's Hill?"

Okay, that sounded worse than it was.

Victoria held up her free hand as if to wave away the accusation.

"You didn't say anything about not patrolling, and you said you'd withhold judgment. Besides, it wasn't a fight, we were just sparring!" Victoria said.

"Just sparring?" Brandish exclaimed. "I just watched a video of you being punched through a cloud so hard that you left a hole in the sky! In what universe is that safe?"

Vicky rolled her eyes.

"I'm indestructible, remember? Queenie knows not to hit me more than once every few seconds."

"YOU TOLD HER ABOUT YOUR FORCEFIELD?"

So, maybe she should have found a different excuse.

"How else was I supposed to make sure I was safe while we sparred?" Victoria rationalized.

Carol gripped the countertop hard enough that Victoria feared for its safety.

"That… is not the point. The point is that you need to be careful. You can't just automatically trust everyone you meet."

Victoria bristled.

"I don't 'just trust everyone', but I trust Queenie! She's doing her best. She's going to make the city better, I just know it. I'll be careful, but I can't go through life distrusting everyone. Sometimes you have to have a bit of faith," Victoria said.

"You can't know that!" Carol yelled. "Now you'll never know if or when she's going to turn around, break your field, and crush you like she did those villains."

"Taylor wouldn't do that!"

Shit.

"She told you her name?" Carol asked slowly.

Victoria panicked.

"You can't tell anyone! She trusted me with it; I have to trust her too."

Carol shook her head.

"She's manipulating you, Victoria. Mark my words. But you're right, we can't tell anyone. And you need to be more careful about blurting it out like that."

Her mom sighed and leaned back against the counter again.

"We'll talk about this more after school. Just… New Wave can't afford to be associated with her if she turns out to be a villain."

Victoria let out the breath she was holding, although the knot in her stomach didn't go away.

"What if she doesn't, though?" Victoria said quietly. "What if she's the one who finally makes a difference, and we can be there for it? I can be there for it."

Her mom gave her a tired smile.

"I wish I could believe that, Vicky."

Victoria grabbed her coffee to go and quickly fled the kitchen. She knew she wasn't going to get a better answer from her mom than that, and she had managed to escape without any actual punishment. She'd count that as a win.

Now she just had to stress over whether to tell Taylor about her slip up.

…

"Sooooooo…" Amy said as she hopped out of Victoria's arms in front of Arcadia high school.

Vicky rolled her eyes.

"What?" she asked, although she had a feeling she knew the answer.

"You went to hang out with Queen Administrator and didn't tell me?" Amy mock glared at her.

"I was going to!" Vicky protested. "But you were at the hospital and then we decided to go try sparring and-"

"Oh yes, let's go take some hits from a Brute 8, that's a great idea." Amy deadpanned. "Definitely a fun, relaxing afternoon."

"Wait, where did you hear that?" Vicky stopped walking outside the doors.

"I guess you were too busy being 'on patrol' yesterday, but the PRT updated her threat rating and sent New Wave an email just in case."

Victoria thought for a second and then shrugged.

"I guess that makes sense. Nothing I could do put a dent in that Changer form," she said.

"Really?" Amy asked as they started walking again. "That's… kind of scary, actually. I wonder what I would see…"

"I'm sure it would be wild." Vicky laughed. "Her powers… they don't seem to work quite like everyone else's. I'm sure your biosense would go bananas."

"Well, I doubt we'll ever get the opportunity," Amy shrugged.

"I could just ask! I have her number, and I'm sure we're going to hang out again soon anyway," Vicky chirped with a smile.

She missed the more authentic suspicious look that Amy sent her way as they split off to their respective lockers.

…

Arcadia had a Faraday cage built into it to block communications, but PRT issued phones had a direct connection that Victoria gleefully exploited pretty much constantly.

For official hero stuff. Obviously.

Still, she was surprised when her phone rang just after class let out for lunch.

She was especially surprised at the number on the caller ID.

"Queenie! How's it going over there? Wait, shouldn't you be in school?" Victoria asked rapid fire.

"Good morning, Victoria. And no, for multiple reasons. Actually, that's part of the reason I'm calling," Taylor said. "Are you free for a chat? Say, outside the front gates, in two minutes?"

"What?" Victoria squawked. Only a few people looked at her weirdly. Whatever.

"It's a long story, and I'd prefer to tell it in person."

Victoria floundered for a moment.

"I'm obviously not in costume, and I don't really have time to go grab my spare…"

"That's okay, neither am I," Taylor laughed.

"I'm sorry, what?" Vicky said incredulously. "That's… insanely risky. You know that, right?"

"It's part of the story, don't worry. So, you coming?"

Vicky glanced over at the usual group she ate lunch with, catching Amy's eye as her sister stared questioningly in her direction.

She shrugged helplessly at her sister and said, "Yeah, sure, fine. Um. I'll see you in… a minute thirty?"

"Perfect. See you in a sec, Glory Girl," Taylor said.

The line went dead.

Victoria stood still for a moment longer as she tried to process the strange conversation. When no answers immediately presented themselves, she turned, walked through the side doors, and took off into the sky.

…

Victoria spotted the familiar head of black curls and dove down to land a few yards in front of her.

Part of her wanted to stay floating since she still didn't like being short, but that seemed too suspicious. Or something. Even though she had just flown down in a very obvious manner. Whatever.

"Hey Qu- Taylor!" Victoria said, glancing over Taylor's jeans and old hoodie.

"Hey, Victoria," Taylor said with a smile. It really lit up her face. It was nice to see, and a significant improvement over the cold tone she used when she was cycling her emotions with her power.

"Taylor, I…" Vicky didn't want to admit it, but she felt like she had to get it out of the way before they got sidetracked by anything else. "I accidentally told my mom your name. I'm so, so sorry, we were just arguing and she doesn't think I can trust you and it slipped out."

Taylor looked mildly stunned for a moment before she broke down cackling maniacally, literally bracing her hand against the brick wall next to her as she laughed.

"Okay…" Victoria said after a moment. "I think I'm missing the joke."

Taylor's smile widened as she straightened up again.

"The PRT already knows my identity. Miss Militia came to my house this morning."

"WHAT?" Victoria shouted quite a bit louder than she meant to.

"Even weirder, she came in civies and introduced herself by her real name."

Victoria just stared at her apparently insane friend.

"And what did you do?" She asked, although she had a vague feeling she already knew the answer.

"I may or may not have called her out on it to her face, told her about my power sensing ability, and demanded that she and the rest of the PRT stay the hell out of my way," Taylor said, as if she was describing the kind of cereal she had for breakfast.

Victoria almost smashed her head into the brick wall involuntarily, before she remembered the bills for property damage.

"Just… why? Taylor, what the hell? Why was she even there out of costume?" She said helplessly.

"Well, I assume that it's because the PRT found out that Shadow Stalker tried to kill me in my civilian identity and subsequently caused me to trigger, but I can't actually be sure. We got a bit off topic," Taylor said with a grin.

"You triggered because Shadow Stalker tried to kill you?" Victoria gasped.

This was… way too much to process in one conversation. Every sentence out of Taylor's mouth was like a wrecking ball hitting her train of thought.

"Yes, it was… terrible, and I don't want to talk about it. It's not really relevant to the main thing I wanted to check in with you about anyway," Taylor said with an uncomfortable look.

Victoria leaned against the brick wall next to her and tried not to think too hard about any of this.

"I want your help, Victoria," Taylor said seriously, standing straight and meeting her eyes.

"What…" Vicky wasn't sure what to make of that. "What are you thinking?"

"I want to take down the gangs," Taylor said. "All of them."

Victoria stood straight again to face her friend, still annoyed at the height difference despite everything.

"I mean, I do too, but…" Vicky wasn't sure where Taylor was going with this.

"Tonight, and every night until we're done, I want you to fly me in a grid over the city while I use my powers to look for stash houses, weapons caches, meeting locations, drug dens, brothels, and villain capes. When we find them, I want you to drop me on them and pick me up when I'm done. I want to tear them apart piece… by… piece." Taylor finished with a predatory smile.

Victoria was stunned for a moment.

Her first thought was to laugh, but she had a sickening feeling that Taylor was deadly serious.

"That's… I can't… I mean, that's an insane plan, Taylor! You have to know that. It won't…" Vicky was at a loss for where to even begin. "Okay, the obvious issues here. The Empire still has twelve capes including Kaiser, and the ABB has Lung. Are you seriously…"

Victoria saw Taylor's raised eyebrow.

"Of course you're going to fight them," Victoria said a bit hysterically. "I don't know what I was thinking. Obviously, we should just drop you on Lung like a falling anvil out of a cartoon. Silly me."

Taylor sighed but gave her a small smile.

"I'm going to fight them, with or without you, Victoria," Taylor said softly. "And you don't even have to fight. Hell, I don't want you anywhere near Lung while I'm dealing with him; it would just increase the risk."

Victoria wasn't sure if she was insulted by that or relieved.

"It would save time and property damage if I don't have to jump from place to place and risk crushing rooftops along the way," Taylor continued. "Honestly, I just… I want you there with me, that's all."

Now it was Victoria's turn to sigh.

"You're completely serious about this, aren't you?" She asked.

"Deadly."

Shit.

"Alright," Victoria looked at the sky helplessly for a moment before she met Taylor's eyes again. "I'm in, Queenie. You let me know when and where, and we'll go out in a flame of glory."

Taylor's smile widened.

"Don't worry, Glory Girl. This is only the beginning," she said.

"That's not exactly comforting, Taylor," Vicky deadpanned as her insane friend turned to walk away. "So I'll see you tonight?"

Taylor grinned over her shoulder at her.

"It's a date."

…

Notes:

Escalation, away! Interlude 3 up next as Taylor's plans spread... I'm sure nothing will go wrong. Poor Piggot. Poor Armsmaster. Might introduce Dragon next time? We'll see how it goes. And after the interlude... well... Taylor's already told us what's going to happen, hasn't she?

Also, in case anyone doesn't remember, Militia asked Dragon if she remembered as soon as Dragon revealed that she doesn't sleep, so I figured that made sense here as well. The game is afoot. Comments and feedback are welcome and encouraged. I don't own Worm. Toodles!

Chapter 13: Interlude 3

Interlude 3

Colin Wallis, known to most as the hero Armsmaster, glanced up from his current project when one of the many monitors in his workshop blinked on.

He had several communication lines running into his workstations, but only a select few were set to auto-answer.

"Good morning, Colin," a woman's voice came from one of the speakers over his workbench.

"Dragon," he said as he returned to the half assembled device in front of him.

"I have some updates on the combat prediction algorithm and the Class S warning system," she said as her avatar switched to one of the monitors over his current workstation and he saw one of the mounted cameras angle towards him. "Colin, I am well aware of your proclivities, but… when was the last time you slept?"

He briefly considered the question while continuing his tinkering, mentally reviewing his current regimen of stimulants, sedatives, and vitamin infusions.

"I utilized a controlled sedative dose to sleep for ninety seven minutes," he said.

"And when was that exactly?" There was a trace of humor in Dragon's voice. He was pretty sure, at least. He didn't have his speech analysis program running.

"...yesterday afternoon," Colin said. They both knew what Dragon was getting at.

He objectively understood that there was a point of diminishing returns when it came to optimizing his output, but it was difficult to allow himself any kind of respite when he had so many things to do.

At least Dragon did not belabor the point.

"That doesn't look like any of your previous projects; what are you working on now?" She asked curiously.

"The Director and I agreed that we need to implement some sort of protection against the Queen Administrator's information gathering abilities. Despite her current designation as an independent hero, we can't allow ourselves to be completely vulnerable."

He could tell that Dragon was reviewing the records of Brockton Bay's newest hiccup.

"Bug control." She said after a moment. It didn't sound like a question.

Colin nodded anyway. "Prior to her Changer transformation, I was able to identify a disruption of her swarm in the video footage. Cricket's power decreased the swarm's effectiveness in an area around her, getting more pronounced the closer the bugs were to her skin. I am hoping to replicate the subsonic frequency without causing disorientation in humans."

"She identified Shadow Stalker?"

Colin nodded again and took a moment to lean back from his tools.

"It's not in the official documentation, but I suspect that she has an additional Trump aspect to her power. Her swarm sense doesn't necessarily explain her reactions."

"I'm assuming that you have considered the connection to Shadow Stalker's civilian identity?" Dragon asked as she worked through the files.

"It seems unlikely, but yes. A significant amount of Queen Administrator's demeanor seems to be the result of her Thinker power, so it is difficult to ascertain her age," Colin said. "I sent Hannah to update the Winslow administration on Shadow Stalker's confinement and to resolve the ongoing situation with the victims. If any of them are the Queen Administrator, hopefully this will give us some insight."

"Colin," Dragon said after a moment. "I'm showing that Hannah went undercover in her civilian identity. Did you tell her that she was also acting as reconnaissance regarding Queen Administrator?"

"I thought it was readily apparent," Colin said before the subtext occurred to him. "Ah. I may have made a mistake."

"You should probably call her," Dragon agreed.

Armsmaster was just pulling up the program to contact Miss Militia when a note caught his eye.

"She just checked in downstairs, so she should be here in a few minutes anyway."

Dragon sighed but quickly refocused.

"Before she arrives, we have documented another anomaly. Yesterday at 2:13 AM EST, the Simurgh shifted by three millimeters before returning to stasis. This is almost identical to the minor adjustment identified on January 3rd. The warning system was originally predicting an attack in late February, but the new dataset has thrown all previous analysis into disarray."

Colin nodded and downloaded the data for further review later.

"We'll have to wait for more environmental factors to be processed before we can recalibrate the algorithm. How's the work on the combat prediction software going? I'm hoping to have it ready for testing in case the next attack ends up being Leviathan."

"I'm actually ahead of schedule, its-" Dragon started.

She cut off as the doors to the lab flew open and Hannah strode in.

Strange. She usually knocks.

"Did you know?" Hannah demanded angrily as she approached.

"You'll have to specify," Colin said as he turned towards her.

"Did you know that Shadow Stalker's victim is the Queen Administrator?"

Colin heard Dragon sigh quietly, but luckily Hannah missed it.

"I… suspected that it was a possibility," he said carefully.

"And you didn't think to tell me that I was heading into a potentially violent situation with an unstable parahuman? Who's also a Thinker of unknown capacity?" Hannah demanded.

"I…" Armsmaster managed to catch himself before he said that it was readily apparent. That course of action was unlikely to be beneficial.

"You used me as bait…" Militia said before he could formulate the correct response.

"That was not my intention," Colin said, quickly reviewing potential explanations that would not alienate his lieutenant. He wished he was wearing his visor.

"Well, it doesn't really matter now, because Taylor Hebert is planning to go on a permanent offensive against the gangs, and demanded that we 'stay out of her way'," Hannah said with a slightly wild look in her eyes.

"That is concerning," Colin said slowly while he began processing the different options available.

The look Hannah gave him accurately communicated just how obvious she found his previous statement.

Colin took a moment to analyze and compartmentalize his emotional responses. The fact that a fifteen year old girl had both the power and the will to issue such an ultimatum was simultaneously frustrating and impressive. He had spent years attempting to limit the influence of the many villainous parahumans that outnumbered the Protectorate three to one, and now this… child… was planning the no-holds-barred assault that he could only fantasize about.

Part of him wanted to hate her for it. Part of him did hate her for it.

He had ground himself to the bone for years to get where he was, and now Taylor Hebert was putting all of that effort in jeopardy overnight.

But…

Colin told himself that he was a hero for the common good, to protect the people of his city and improve their lives. He also knew that this was not entirely true. He wanted to advance, wanted to grow in metaphorical stature and impact until his name was permanently etched into the history books. He justified these desires by determining that they were not mutually exclusive.

This situation could be beneficial.

If the Queen Administrator failed, the gangs would still be weaker as a result and a concentrated propaganda campaign would ensure that she took the heat, whether posthumously or from behind bars.

If she succeeded, a concentrated propaganda campaign would be sufficient to reap the benefits of her actions until the next set of villains inevitably came to town.

All he had to do was temporarily set aside a small amount of his pride.

Which was easier said than done, but Colin prided himself on his mental discipline.

He glanced at the monitor next to him.

"Dragon. It seems that I must cut our conversation short, although I will keep you updated on the situation," he said as he stood and began gathering his armor.

"I appreciate that. Also, good morning, Hannah," Dragon said.

Miss Militia just nodded at the avatar before refocusing on Armsmaster.

"I will contact the Director immediately," Colin directed his attention towards his disgruntled friend. "Please contact all available Protectorate heroes and assemble the team at PRT headquarters. We will need the Wards as well, and headquarters is more centrally located and accessible than the Rig."

Hannah nodded but didn't move.

"What are you planning, Colin?" She asked warily.

Armsmaster paused for a moment and shoved years of frustration and pride into a metaphorical box in the back of his mind. This wasn't the time to allow his emotions to influence his judgment.

"We're the good guys, Hannah. It's time we lived up to it."

From the smile that crept onto her and Dragon's faces, he determined that he had chosen correctly.

…

PRT Chief Director Rebecca Costa-Brown would have raised her eyebrows if her expression was not being carefully controlled by her many simultaneous background thought processes.

Emily was requesting a teleconference at her earliest convenience. Interesting.

This was, indeed, convenient, considering Contessa's newest blind spot.

She sent a quick reply and adjusted her expression accordingly before making the call.

"Chief Director. Thank you for getting back to me so quickly."

"Good morning, Emily. I know you wouldn't ask if it wasn't important," Rebecca said.

The ENE Director looked like she was doing her best to avoid acting as frustrated as she actually was.

"I just sent you the report from Miss Militia, who conversed with Queen Administrator out of costume at roughly 9:30 this morning."

Rebecca rapidly absorbed the information and pretended to read the report while also compiling all available information about the new independent hero in Brockton Bay.

Excellent. It appeared that the Terminus project was not completely off course after all.

Contessa wouldn't like it, but she was predisposed to dislike any interruption of her paths.

"I can certainly understand your trepidation, Emily. What do you make of her?"

"Taylor Hebert? She is an idealist with a self-destructive streak a mile wide. She has barely considered the consequences of her actions and has the potential to become an A or S class threat if left unchecked," Piggot said coldly.

Rebecca allowed for a slight pause before speaking.

"While I agree with your assessment, we must be cautious about alienating any heroically inclined parahumans, especially powerful Brutes like Queen Administrator. There is also the fact that she hasn't made her stance on Endbringer fights clear yet."

Emily's mouth thinned with displeasure.

"Given her propensity for extreme action and complete lack of self-preservation, I do believe it's likely that she will participate in Endbringer encounters," Piggot said, albeit grudgingly.

Rebecca agreed.

"I sympathize with your position, but the reality is that direct confrontation with Queen Administrator will only harm the PRT's reputation and roster at this point," she said levelly. "She is technically still operating within the parameters offered to other independent heroes, and I am not confident that we could subdue her without bringing in Triumvirate support. Certainly not without extreme collateral damage, given her friendly conflict with Glory Girl."

Piggot's mouth twisted further but she nodded in agreement.

"Furthermore, despite the rashness of her actions, she has purposely put us in a situation where opposing her has a significantly higher chance of backfiring than capitulating with her. If we attempt to forcibly restrain her and fail, she will enact her plans anyway and be able to take control of the city with impunity. If we nominally participate, or even claim credit for her success as she implied, we avoid the majority of pitfalls and unnecessary risk," Rebecca said.

Piggot didn't look convinced.

"The potential damage and loss of life if her current plan is allowed to proceed is… incalculable," Emily said carefully.

That was irrelevant to Rebecca, but she didn't allow that emotion to show.

"It is not necessarily higher than the alternative, and I believe there is a saying about omelets and broken eggs," Rebecca said with a calculated smile.

Emily sighed but otherwise retained her composure.

"Understood, ma'am. I will keep you abreast of the situation as it develops."

"Good luck, Emily."

The call ended and Alexandria allowed herself a brief moment of contemplation as she leaned back in her chair.

Let's see what you can do, Queen Administrator.

…

If Thomas Calvert had been more prone to emotional outbursts, he would have pulled his hair out.

In one timeline, he placed the pen currently in his hand into the receptacle on his desk.

In another, he put the pen in his pocket.

Then he waited.

Thirteen minutes later, his desk phone rang and both timelines simultaneously collapsed, leaving him holding the pen and that much closer to giving in to his seething rage.

His power was failing him. It had started yesterday when the timeline he had planned to utilize to meet with Tattletale had spontaneously disappeared, but things had been devolving at an exponential rate ever since.

Timelines would collapse randomly and unpredictably after anywhere between seconds to hours of activity. Even more concerning, he was sometimes left in positions that were not present in either of his previous timelines.

He knew that other precognitives could interfere with his abilities, but this was ridiculous.

He could only think of one organization capable of this level of manipulation, but that made no sense either.

The phone continued to ring, and Thomas eventually mastered his anger enough to answer it with some degree of civility.

"Calvert," he said.

"We are holding a meeting with all squads and associated personnel in thirty minutes. I just emailed you the information, please ensure that you and your team are present."

Emily's voice was as grating as ever.

"Of course, Director," he said flatly.

The line went dead.

In one timeline, Coil got up and began preparing for the meeting.

In another, he slammed his head into the desk as hard as he could and promptly closed the timeline before it could somehow become reality.

…

Dean Stansfield listened carefully to the recording currently being played for the group.

There were a surprising number of people in the large conference room. The entire Protectorate team, and most of the wards.

He noticed that Shadow Stalker wasn't present.

At the front of the room, Armsmaster played a recording of Miss Militia recounting her interaction with Queen Administrator word for word. Perfect recall was convenient like that.

"...don't sleep. Not anymore. And I am never alone."

The recording ended.

"Damn," Clockblocker whispered from a few seats over.

Dean wasn't much for outbursts, but he agreed with the sentiment.

Armsmaster turned to face the group.

"The Director and I have formulated an approach, but I am interested in your takeaways first," he said calmly.

"Do we know the extent of her Trump abilities?" Battery asked from near the front of the room.

Vicky probably does, Dean thought, a bit bitterly.

He felt bad for thinking it almost immediately. Victoria could do whatever she wanted, and it wasn't her fault that he missed her.

"Based on her comments and past actions, we are assuming that they have a similar range to her swarm, and allow her to register the existence of nearby parahumans in addition to positively identifying capes that she has previously interacted with. It is unknown whether these abilities are present while in her Changer form," Armsmaster said.

Carlos raised his hand like he was in class.

Armsmaster's mouth twitched but he nodded towards the Ward.

"What do you think she meant about never being alone?" he asked.

"We are assuming that she is referring to her swarm, but we can't be one hundred percent sure. She could have been speaking metaphorically, or even in reference to some type of faith."

There was a moment of silence as the various capes around the room absorbed the recent ultimatum.

There was a knot in the bottom of Dean's stomach. This was going to end badly, he just knew it.

"So, what's the plan, bossman?" Assault said with his usual lackadaisical attitude.

Armsmaster actually smiled.

"If the Queen Administrator is so intent on acting as a battering ram," the Protectorate leader said, "the least we can do is be prepared to storm the gates."

…

Notes:

And so it begins! I think its important to note that this version of Armsmaster has never been demoted due to the incident with Lung, so he is less jaded and more optimistic. When he first spoke to Taylor in canon, he was mostly pleasant because there was something he wanted from her, and it was only after major setbacks that he became more hostile. Despite the friction with Queenie, I think he would be willing to turn this situation to his advantage rather than digging in his heels for no reason. Alexandria was more than willing to write off Brockton Bay before, so I don't see a reason for that to change now. Also, poor Thomas.

Anyway, things will start to heat up for real next chapter. Should be lots of fun. Comments, feedback, and criticism are welcome and encouraged. I don't own Worm. Toodles!

Chapter 14: Crusade 4.1

Crusade 4.1

Taylor carefully checked Khepri's swarm sense before creeping out the backdoor that evening.

She had very little faith in the Protectorate's ability to keep her secret, and she hadn't been exactly subtle with Victoria today. Still, she hoped to keep her secret identity intact at least until tomorrow.

Despite her trepidation, she knew that she would need to tell her father soon. He deserved to know about the danger that she was putting him in, even though she dreaded his futile attempts to stop her.

She just hoped to have a couple more victories under her belt before it happened.

Pulling out her phone, she selected her singular saved contact.

"Queenie!" Victoria's voice was a fun mix of nervous and excited.

"Good evening, Victoria," Taylor said with a smile. "Are you ready to go hunting?"

"Yes! I told my mom that I was going patrolling and she wasn't exactly happy but she didn't expressly forbid it."

Taylor was happy that she didn't have to deal with that type of drama. For now.

"Sounds good. Want to meet at Tipton's again?" Taylor said as she picked up speed. Her breathing remained even and unlabored while her strides lengthened.

"That works. We've already used it so it's not like we'll be giving anything new away," Victoria said.

"My thoughts exactly. See you soon, Victoria."

"Right back at'cha, Queenie!"

…

Victoria caught sight of Taylor waving her over to the alley beside the bar as she descended.

"Hey there, long time no see," Glory Girl said with a smile as she floated down in front of her friend.

"Glory Girl," Taylor said with a serious tone. "I have terrible news."

"What?" Victoria said worriedly, floating lower and closer as she followed Taylor into the alley.

Taylor held up a shapeless black mass of fabric.

"If we're going to be flying around and getting the drop on the gangs-"

"Was that a pun?" Victoria asked with an incredulous expression.

" -we don't want to be seen before we arrive," Taylor continued as if she hadn't been interrupted. "Which means that we have to cover up your fabulous costume."

"What?" Victoria said indignantly. That felt… vaguely villainous.

"You can keep your pretty dress on underneath and take off the cover if you want to join in the action, but a shining white beacon flying a grid over the city is just asking for Victor or Coil's mercenaries to take a sniper shot at us," Taylor rationalized.

"But we're bulletproof?" Vicky asked in confusion.

"You are bulletproof once," Taylor said with a grin, "and I am not actually sure what would happen if someone blew my head off while I wasn't in my Changer form. Better to not find out."

"That's… fine," Victoria huffed. She took the baggy hoodie and sweatpants. "If anyone finds out about this, I'm going to throw you under the bus so hard…"

"I'm pretty sure I'm bus-proof. Metaphorically and literally," Taylor's smile widened.

"Shut up. This is horrible," Victoria whined.

"You're so dramatic. You look fine," Taylor chuckled.

Victoria glared at her in her new undercover uniform, tucking her hair into the hood and putting her tiara in her pocket.

"This had better be worth it," Victoria grumbled. "How do you know that we're even going to find anything?"

"My range is just over a mile in diameter. If you fly a quarter mile up, we'll find someone to fight in no time. I guarantee it."

"Fine," Victoria said and bounced momentarily in the air as she psyched herself up. "Okay, where to first?" She asked.

"Let's work our way across Downtown and then do a lap of the Docks up to the Trainyard," Taylor said. "We don't want to end up being predictable."

"Sounds good to me!" Victoria said with a grin before unceremoniously scooping Taylor up just like she had yesterday.

…

Taylor suppressed the involuntary exclamation as she suddenly found herself horizontal and pressed against Victoria's body while she scrambled to wrap her arms around her neck for support. The buildings were already falling away as they rose into the sky.

"I told you to warn me next time!" Taylor had to yell over the wind as they soared upwards.

"I forgot!" Victoria laughed back with a grin.

Taylor didn't believe her for a second.

She accessed the connection to Khepri and let her mind expand outwards. The little beetle rotated in place from its perch on her head as it scanned the area for threats.

They had barely completed one loop of the major roads downtown when Khepri lit up.

"[THREAT DETECTED] Acceleration."

"[THREAT DETECTED] Courier."

Taylor focused on the area in her swarm.

She could feel bugs disappearing in a clear path, some suddenly reappearing behind the path of whatever was interfering with Khepri's senses.

Taylor narrowed her eyes as she tried to catch a glimpse of the street in question.

"There's something moving down the street two blocks over, but I can't tell what it is. Two parahumans, not sure who," Taylor said.

She pointed and Victoria took a detour to the street in question, flying slightly lower so they could actually look.

The street was empty.

Taylor took another moment and focused on the swarm.

"Can you bring more bugs over? Try and get an outline?"

"[CONFIRMATION]"

More bugs started to descend on the street and Taylor focused her attention on the shape that appeared in her blind spot. It was significantly harder than making out the shapes of people or buildings in the sea of stars.

There is an invisible tank driving through downtown.

Why is there an invisible tank downtown?

"Victoria! Skidmark and Squealer are driving an invisible tank down the road right beneath us. Take me over to that intersection and wait for my signal!" Taylor yelled over the wind.

Victoria's incredulous expression was pretty funny. She quickly flew them both over until they were several hundred yards above the road at a wide, four lane intersection.

Taylor tracked the hole in Khepri's senses to gauge the distance. She could feel Khepri's processes speeding her mind as she focused.

"Drop!" Taylor said.

She caught one last snapshot of the worried look on Victoria's face, and then she was falling.

"Time to go to work, Khepri."

"[LIMIT BREAK] Symbiosis."

The swarm sense faded away as her nerves screamed, replaced by the unstoppable strength that flooded their body as Khepri's crystalline form connected with her core.

Her mind accelerated as Khepri's processes augmented and empowered her.

Their prismatic body formed in the same stylized version of her armor from the day before, easily falling back into the now familiar pattern as she plummeted head first towards the pavement.

It took less than ten seconds of actual time for her to reach the ground, but that was more than enough time for Taylor's accelerated mind to prepare for impact.

She twisted midair so that she was falling feet first and trusted her previous timing, even if she couldn't see the approaching vehicle anymore.

With a thunderous explosion of screeching metal and cracking concrete, Taylor hit the front of the tinkertech tank at roughly one hundred and fifty miles per hour.

The massive vehicle flickered into view as the front bumper caved and bent around her indestructible form. Her downward momentum was more than sufficient to drive her body through the steel and into the pavement beneath, throwing the enormous bulk of metal over her in a spiraling flip within a tornado of flying shards.

Before the tank could fly into anything important, Taylor threw her arms forward and braced her feet into the cratered pavement beneath her.

Her gauntleted hands formed the claws she had used to rip apart Hookwolf, gripping either side of the tank's ruined front bumper and yanking it back to the pavement.

She skidded slightly through the concrete as she acted as the fulcrum of the vehicle's previously forward momentum, turning the uncontrolled flight into a downwards arc that drove the tank into the road.

Taylor hoped that they installed airbags in that thing. She had promised Hannah that she wouldn't kill them, after all.

Her arms retracted and she stepped out of the deep furrows her feet had dug in the concrete.

"Are they still alive in there, Khepri?"

"[CONFIRMATION]"

"Excellent."

Taylor strode forward as the smaller pieces of metal and pavement rained down around them.

With one hand, she dug her gauntlet into the metal and ripped the side of the tank off like it was tinfoil.

The bloodied but still very much alive faces of Skidmark and Squealer looked up at her.

"License and Registration, please," Taylor said.

Definitely her best quip so far.

"Fuck you, bitch!" Skidmark yelled as he started to wave his hands.

Of course, he just had to go and ruin the moment. Also, what an imaginative insult. Definitely breaking the bank there, Skidmark.

Before he could lay his acceleration fields, Taylor reached forward and ripped him out of the vehicle, throwing him unceremoniously onto the ruined pavement behind her.

She jumped down after him and pinned him to the ground with his hands behind his back.

Did I forget zip ties again?

"You forgetting something, Queenie?" Victoria's voice came from above her.

Glory Girl had discarded her cover and was once again resplendent in her white and gold costume. She was also holding her disposable handcuffs.

"I definitely knew that you would remember," Taylor said with a smile while Skidmark continued to curse underneath her.

"Sure you did. And not even a thank you!" Victoria snarked as she handed them over.

Taylor cuffed the struggling cape at the wrists and ankles.

"Thank you, Glory Girl," She said as she stood and walked back over to the tank to grab Squealer.

She was momentarily surprised to see the barrel of some kind of tinkertech shock cannon aimed at her face.

"Eat this, fucker!" Squealer yelled.

In the moment that it took Squealer to yell at her and try to pull the trigger, Taylor's augmented mind had more than enough time to process the situation. With a single deft motion, she reached out and crushed the barrel in one gauntleted hand.

The look on Squealer's face was more pitiful than it was funny. Taylor almost felt bad, despite the fact that the woman had just tried to kill her.

She threw the broken weapon aside and hauled Squealer from the tank. She left her cuffed and helpless beside Skidmark as both villains hurled vitriol at her and Victoria.

Taylor ignored them and called the PRT, sending her conflicting emotions over to Khepri.

She let their symbiosis fade and the endless stars of the swarm returned.

Glory Girl swooped down and picked her up again (without asking) and deposited her on a high rooftop, still within her range, so that they could watch until the PRT arrived.

Taylor laughed at Victoria's disgruntled expression as she pulled the hoodie back on.

"Don't laugh, you," Victoria said with a mock glare. "You're the one who gets to drop in like a badass while I'm stuck flying circles or rushing to take off this ridiculous getup before I can come lend a hand."

"I'll make you something prettier next time, drama queen," Taylor said with a smirk.

"Does spider silk come in white?" Victoria asked.

"Even if it did, that would kind of defeat the point," Taylor reminded her.

Victoria glared at her and finished tucking her dress into the dark sweatpants.

"Any sign of the Protectorate or PRT?" Victoria asked.

Taylor checked her swarm.

"Nothing yet, but-"

"[THREAT DETECTED] Elusive Mind."

"Never mind, incoming."

They looked over the edge just in time to see Velocity appear out of nowhere next to the destroyed tank and captured villains.

Taylor glanced over at her disguised friend.

"I'm sure he can figure it out. Let's go before he decides to zip up here for a chat," Taylor said.

Victoria nodded and grabbed her in the now practiced motion before streaking away into the midnight sky.

…

It was almost too easy.

They hadn't encountered any more parahumans, but this was the third Empire stash house they had run across. Without parahuman support, there really wasn't anything that the unpowered minions could do to protect themselves against Khepri's swarm.

Red and swollen gangsters lined the streets, handcuffed and awaiting pickup.

Crushed assault rifles and smashed crates littered the area.

Taylor and Victoria stared at the massive pallets of cocaine.

"What do we… do with it?" Victoria asked.

Taylor shot her a look.

"You're asking me? I didn't even remember to bring zip ties. Can we burn it?" Taylor said helplessly.

"I think that's probably against the law? Or dangerous, or something? Can't we just leave it for the cops?" Victoria said with a similar tone.

"It will be back on the street by tomorrow morning. Maybe we can flush it?" Taylor shrugged.

"That's going to take a while," Victoria said.

"Khepri, can bugs… eat the drugs?"

"[CONFIRMATION]"

The swarm flowed across the concrete in a rolling tide of scuttling legs.

"Queenie, your powers are awesome, but this is horror movie material. I'm going to have nightmares," Victoria said as she watched the bugs devour several metric tons of cocaine.

"How do you think I feel?" Taylor said sardonically. "They live under my house."

…

On the next lap of downtown, the reason that they hadn't encountered any Empire capes became obvious.

"[THREAT DETECTED] Approach."

"[THREAT DETECTED] Conglomerator."

"[THREAT DETECTED] Reconstruction."

"[THREAT DETECTED] Imitation Shade."

"[THREAT DETECTED] Compression Engine"

"[THREAT DETECTED] Transmutation."

Chaos ruled the street below.

Taylor did a brief double take as the information flooded in. She hadn't seen this many capes in one place before.

Amidst a hail of bullets and rubble, Armsmaster and Miss Militia held their own against half of the remaining Empire 88.

At one end of the road, Rune floated on a platform of corrugated metal while steel ball bearings and chunks of asphalt assaulted the heroes.

In front of her, Crusader summoned ghost after ghost that charged into the fray. The vibrating field around one end of Armsmaster's halberd was able to dispel them, but Miss Militia's bullets were ineffective and passed right through the spirits. Between taking the occasional shot at Crusader himself and Armsmaster's defense, they were able to keep the ghosts at bay.

However, Armsmaster was losing ground. In addition to dodging the missiles from Rune and popping any ghosts that threatened to impale him or Hannah, he also fought hand to halberd with the black uniformed Nazi Lieutenant Krieg.

Krieg's kinetic energy manipulation field twisted and warped the space around the two men as they fought, speeding up anything that moved away from him and slowing down anything that approached. The good news is that it also impeded Rune's missiles. The bad news was that Armsmaster couldn't land a hit without being slowed to a crawl and leave himself vulnerable to the ghosts.

Behind him, Hannah contained Alabaster while also providing support against Rune and Crusader. Even as she and Victoria approached, Militia managed to tag the albino cape with a con-foam grenade and trap him in the rapidly expanding mass.

"Where do you want to drop, Queenie?" Victoria asked in her ear as they sped towards the ongoing conflict.

"Khepri, can you calculate the rate of deceleration in Krieg's field?"

"[CONFIRMATION]"

Taylor didn't necessarily understand all of the numbers that the little spider's processes spat out, but it gave her enough to know that she wasn't going to splatter the Empire Lieutenant like roadkill.

"On my mark, throw me at Krieg as hard as you can!"

The look on Victoria's face was fantastic, but Taylor didn't have time to enjoy it.

"Ready?"

Victoria nodded.

Khepri calculated an opening for her.

"Fire away!"

"[LIMIT BREAK] Symbiosis."

Taylor's mind accelerated as she rocketed towards the conflict from over a thousand feet up.

The distance closed rapidly and Her improved perception caught part of the ongoing conversation below.

"-ait for backup," Armsmaster said into his helmet. "Dauntless is being deployed-"

"Just a bit longer!" Miss Militia yelled back. "Trust me-"

Taylor saw Hannah look up and catch a glimpse of her as she dove.

"-she will come."

Taylor flew headfirst into Krieg's Shaker field, her fist roaring forward as she felt his power attempt to restrain her.

His power was strong, but together she and Khepri were stronger.

Her rippling prismatic gauntlet struck his jaw with a dull thud and he dropped like a marionette with its strings cut.

There was a brief moment of calm as all of the capes except Hannah stared at her in shock.

It felt like a long time to Taylor's enhanced processing.

She took a deep breath as she reveled in the energy coursing through her, echoing from her core and singing in her crystalline flesh.

Make the world a better place, one step at a time.

She took a single step forward, flexing her power and launching herself towards the remaining enemy capes with a sonic boom that shook the surrounding buildings.

"Khepri, please make sure I don't kill them."

"[CONFIRMATION]"

Taylor smashed straight through several of Crusader's ghosts and skidded over the asphalt as she closed the distance between them. A calculated shoulder check broke his collarbone and a careful uppercut bounced his brain into his skull, sending him immediately into blissful unconsciousness.

Without missing a beat, she jumped straight up and through Rune's platform, the metal twisting and shrieking as the Nazi cape was tossed into the empty air.

Even as Rune screamed in surprise and fear, Taylor reached out with one clawed hand and gripped the girl carefully around the torso as she flipped overhead and pulled the startled cape with her back to the ground.

Taylor wrenched Rune directly in front of her face, her empty glowing eyes boring into the screaming Nazi.

Ball-bearings and rocks glanced ineffectively off her indestructible carapace.

"Surrender," Taylor said coldly. She wasn't in the mood for quips this time.

Rune just glared at her and Taylor suddenly realized that the large metal platform from before was closing in on them.

Apparently, Rune was a bit of an idiot. She hadn't considered that of the two of them, only one of them was likely to be damaged by several tons of flying metal.

Unfortunately, Taylor couldn't afford to let her kill herself.

Taylor used one arm to shove Rune clear of the danger zone while also reverting her own jaw into Khepri's indestructible crystals. No reason to get a broken jaw.

The metal struck her at top speed and bent around her like playdough, but did absolutely nothing.

If Taylor had still had a mouth, she would have laughed.

With the hand that wasn't holding Rune, she ripped her way free of the corrugated prison and stalked over to the captive cape as she reformed her jaw.

"Do you want to try again?" Taylor hissed as she held the helpless girl up to eye level.

"...no," Rune said, although she was being decidedly petulant about it.

Taylor nodded and threw her on the ground at Armsmaster's feet as he approached.

"Queen Administrator," he said warily.

"Armsmaster," Taylor said coldly.

There was a heavy silence that felt especially poignant after the previous chaos. It also reminded Taylor of Saturday night.

"It has been brought to my attention that our previous communications were… mishandled, on my part," Armsmaster said carefully. "I would appreciate the opportunity to attain a mutually beneficial understanding, if not necessarily cordiality."

That was… a significant improvement from their last conversation.

"I'm listening," Taylor said.

"The PRT is well aware of the consequences of opposing you. Provided that you remain within the expectations of independent heroes, we will not interfere with your goals. While you are taking offensive action, do not kill your opponents. Make proactive attacks only against established criminal organizations and wanted parahumans."

Armsmaster took a breath and glanced at Hannah before continuing.

"Work with us to maintain the population's trust in their heroes. Set an example for those who are losing hope. Do this, and we will assist you however we can in this endeavor," he finished.

For a moment, Taylor wasn't sure what to say. She hadn't expected such a positive response from Armsmaster, especially not after Saturday night.

"I wouldn't have to do this at all if you had done your jobs in the first place," Taylor said flatly.

She knew that she should set aside her resentment, but the well of negative emotions was deep and vast, and she wasn't quite willing to part with it just yet.

Armsmaster clenched his jaw but slowly relaxed again before speaking.

"Maybe we just needed somebody to show us the way."

Taylor's iron grip on her resentment loosened. A bit.

Rather than unpack all of that right here on the ruined street, she just nodded and raised a hand up towards the sky.

Please get what I'm going for and don't leave me to make a fool of myself.

Luckily, Victoria got the memo.

With one last look at Armsmaster and Hannah where they stood over the downed Nazis, Taylor was wrenched violently into the air as Glory Girl caught her arm and spiraled away into the night.

…

Notes:

Taylor and Victoria begin their rampage, lots of fun cape shenanigans. Squealer was just trying to have a joy ride in her tank. There are lots of very hyperactive cockroaches in BB tonight. Nothing super challenging for Taylor this time, but there are bigger threats on the horizon. Comments and feedback are welcome and appreciated. I don't own Worm. Toodles.

Chapter 15: Crusade 4.2

Crusade 4.2

The city looked better from up here. Less… broken.

Taylor and Victoria sat side by side on the edge of the roof of an old telecommunications building downtown.

It was just after one in the morning, and despite Taylor's desire to continue their work, she knew that it was important to let Victoria pace herself. She actually had to sleep, and she had school in the morning.

Still…

"I still can't believe it," Victoria said as she looked out over the city. "In less than two hours, we brought in, what, five villains? Six if you count Alabaster. And probably a million dollars worth of drugs and weapons."

She paused for a moment.

"I don't actually know how much drugs are worth, but it's gotta be a lot, right?" She finished with a grin.

"It was pretty okay," Taylor said reluctantly.

She had her mask off, which she knew was a bit risky, but… she had trouble caring anymore, and she liked talking to Victoria without the barrier.

"You were expecting more?" Victoria asked incredulously.

"No…" Taylor said, although she knew that her tone said otherwise.

Victoria shook her head.

"You took out the Merchants just because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time, and then crippled the Empire like they were ants beneath your heel," Victoria said. "Don't sell yourself short, Taylor."

It still didn't feel like enough.

"I know that we're making a difference, but it also just feels like we're kicking over anthills," Taylor said. "We need to cut off the head of the snake."

Victoria grumbled and rolled her eyes.

"You are just asking for trouble. I know that your powers are bullshit, but do you really think you can take down Lung?" Victoria asked.

"I don't know."

"Wait," Victoria said. "What do you mean you don't know?"

"I mean that I don't really know how my powers work either. I…" Taylor closed her eyes and let her head fall back, the January air cold on her upturned face.

"I didn't… I didn't know about my Changer form when I challenged Hookwolf. I thought I was going to die," Taylor said softly.

"What?" Victoria exclaimed, her voice loud compared to the quiet night. "You…"

"There's something going on here that we can't understand yet, not really," Taylor said. "I just… I just have to trust…"

Taylor shook her head and let her hair fall over her face.

"I can't explain why, but I knew that I had to stand my ground and fight. I didn't know that it would work out the way that it did, but… I knew it was the right thing to do," Taylor finished quietly.

She managed not to jump when she felt Victoria's hand touch the back of her armored glove.

"Taylor, you…" Victoria trailed off. "I don't know what to say, but… you seem like a good person. I think you have your heart in the right place, just… keep doing your best, and trust yourself. Although it sounds like you might need a bit of Master/Stranger time because that's real weird, Queenie," she finished with a slightly forced chuckle.

"You're just a bit conflicting there, Victoria," Taylor smiled. "Trust myself, but also check myself into Master/Stranger confinement?"

"I never said that I give good advice," Victoria said with a more genuine laugh this time.

"Well, I appreciate the attempt," Taylor said fondly. "Thank you, for helping me with this. For… being here."

"Oh, Queenie…" Victoria said as her hand tightened. "You're… you're doing incredible things. Absolutely insane things, mind you, but…"

Victoria paused for a moment while she looked out over the skyline.

"Mom and Aunt Sarah always talk about fixing things, but it doesn't feel like we've ever done more than keep our heads above water. They always tell me that I'm too reckless, but… everyone's afraid to upset the status quo, so sure that things can only get worse…" Victoria trailed off.

She turned and smiled up at her.

"And then you show up, tell the PRT to stay out of your way while you do their jobs, and kick the crap out of half the major villains in the city in three days. It's… if anything, I'm excited to be here with you."

Taylor didn't know what to say, but the warmth in her chest and the knot in her stomach felt weirdly good, even if she couldn't put her finger on why.

On some level, her plans felt like the bare minimum. She believed what she had told Hannah, that she didn't have the luxury of standing by, that she wouldn't be one of the children watching her die in the locker…

But it was nice, to hear someone else tell her it was working. To hear Victoria tell her that it was working.

She hoped that it was worth it, in the end.

Taylor shook off her melancholy and pushed her hair out of her face with the hand that wasn't busy touching Victoria.

"Same time tomorrow, then?" She said with a smile.

"It's a date," Victoria grinned.

…

Taylor didn't go on her normal run that morning.

Instead she sat down in the living room, turned the TV on to the local news, and waited.

It didn't take long before the stories started to circulate.

"... multiple road closures in downtown as a result of cape activity…"

"...local Protectorate agents clashed with criminal parahumans from multiple organizations…"

"...the fourth documented appearance of the independent hero, Queen Administrator. We have the following donated footage…"

Taylor sat up as shaky cell phone camera footage played of the fight with the Empire, starting with just Armsmaster and Miss Militia and ending with her intervention.

"You're behind schedule, kiddo. Not going running today?" Her father's voice came from the hallway as he passed.

Taylor took a deep breath. Why was this harder than dive bombing a tank?

"No, actually… I need to talk to you about some… things," she said, internally cringing and sending a whole tangle of unfortunate emotions over to Khepri.

"Sure," Danny returned to the living room with a cup of coffee. "What do you want to talk about?"

"I…" despite deciding to tell her Dad about her recent antics, she didn't really have a good idea of how to begin.

"Is there something wrong at school?" Her father asked carefully.

Taylor supposed that was as good a place to start as any.

"In a way. I haven't been back to school since the locker," she said, keeping her eyes on the TV.

"That's… oh, Taylor, why didn't you tell me?" Danny said as he sat down in the armchair beside her.

"It's… a long story," Taylor said. "I didn't know how you would take it."

Dad took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"I'm going to try and keep an open mind here, Taylor. Remember that I'm on your side, no matter what."

There was a pause as the newscasters talked in the background.

"Does it have to do with Emma?" Danny asked.

"Sort of. And Sophia. But… it also doesn't have anything to do with them…" Taylor trailed off.

"You're going to have to give me more to go on than that, kiddo," her dad said as he ran a hand over his face.

Taylor's stomach twisted, but she buckled down and sent all the stress and anxiety over to Khepri before continuing.

"Emma met Sophia while I was at camp, years ago. They decided that they hated me, and did everything they could to make my life miserable from then on. Their final act of cruelty was to shove me in that locker," she said flatly.

"That-" Danny started loudly, his voice jarring in the previous quiet.

"Wait… just, let me finish," Taylor cut him off before he could surge out of his chair.

He settled back down and leaned forward, looking at her with a mix of worry and frustration.

"Taylor-"

"There's more, and they don't… they don't really matter, anymore. Look…" Taylor took another breath. She was pretty sure this was against the law, but fuck the PRT. "Sophia was actually Shadow Stalker, you know, the Ward? She has superpowers. And the school, the PRT, they covered up her actions to save face."

Her father's face grew more horrified as the seconds passed.

"That's even… Taylor, that's not-" Danny couldn't quite seem to find the words.

"Wait! There's still more. It's… okay, I promise," Taylor cut him off again.

"There's another reason that I didn't go back to school. A better one, I think."

Taylor gestured to the TV, where they were replaying the footage of her fight with the Empire.

"Dad…" she said softly, avoiding his gaze. "That's me. I'm the Queen Administrator. I snuck out of the house over the weekend and captured Hookwolf, Stormtiger, Cricket, Skidmark, Squealer, Krieg, Crusader, and Rune. I destroyed hundreds of illegal guns and a ridiculous amount of cocaine. I…" she trailed off as her father froze, staring at the TV as the video looped. "I'm going to be a superhero, I'm already a superhero and… I just… thought you should know."

The silence stretched for an uncomfortably long time.

"You…" her father's first attempt at speaking caught in his throat. "You wouldn't lie about something like this, would you? You're… serious."

"Khepri, can we just transform my hand? I don't want to break the house."

"[LIMIT BREAK] Symbiosis."

It still hurt like hell when her hand was consumed, but she fed the pain to Khepri and kept her face straight as her hand and forearm took on the form of her rippling prismatic gauntlet.

Danny's eyes widened further as he stared at the undeniable proof of her power.

"Okay," he took several deep breaths. "Okay. So, why does this prevent you from going to school?" He asked slowly.

That was… not what Taylor thought he was going to say.

"Um…" she fed more emotions to Khepri. "I'm waging a war against the gangs; school just seemed a bit… useless. Plus, I'm not going back to school with a parahuman psycho who tried to kill me."

Taylor didn't mention that it was probably a moot point. She hadn't actually checked on what happened to Sophia.

"Being able to bench press a skyscraper is no excuse to throw away your education," Danny said, regarding her seriously over his glasses.

This is absurd.

"Dad… I…" Taylor couldn't quite find the words to explain why this was absolutely insane.

She couldn't go back to Winslow. She wouldn't.

"Everyone knows that most of the Wards go to Arcadia. If you're going to be helping them clean up the city, the least the PRT can do is smooth over your admission," Danny said.

"You…" Taylor was still struggling to wrap her head around this. She had been prepared for shouting, denials, and demands. She thought he would order her to join the Wards or to stop what she was doing entirely.

Instead, he just… nodded and asked her to go back to school?

"Look," her father reached over and squeezed her knee gently. "I know we have a lot to talk about, but… you deserve some semblance of normalcy, in all this. School isn't just about getting a piece of paper at the end; it's about interacting with other people and learning basic life skills."

He took another breath.

"It's horrible, what you went through at Winslow. And I'm so sorry that I couldn't do anything about it. That I didn't do anything about it. But you're right, Emma, Sophia… they aren't important. You're important, both to me and, from the sounds of it, to the world."

Taylor's breath hitched and she forced more emotions over to Khepri.

"I'll take the day off, and we can… do hero stuff? I don't know exactly what that entails. But we can figure out how to leverage your value with the PRT and get you into Arcadia. We can get you set up to work out of somewhere that doesn't involve sneaking out the back door," Danny chuckled.

Taylor just shook her head. She had been so ready to fight tooth and nail against this, but… it didn't sound so bad, when Dad said it like that.

The hand on her knee tightened again.

"I know you, Taylor, maybe not as well as I should, but… I know you aren't going to stop when you set your mind to something. I just… think that you should consider not giving up everything else, along the way," her father said softly.

There was another long moment of silence as the clock on the wall ticked away.

"Well!" Danny said with forced enthusiasm. "It sounds like we have a big day ahead of us, so let me make a couple calls and let's have some breakfast."

He gave her knee another friendly squeeze and stood, striding into the kitchen and leaving her silently staring at the TV.

What. The. Fuck.

…

Life definitely isn't fair.

Victoria grumbled internally as she shut off the shower and started getting ready for school.

Not only did Taylor never get tired, she also didn't have to go to school? Ridiculous. Maybe she should consider the edgy rogue hero gig.

Not really; she loved being part of the New Wave family, but still. It didn't make getting up for school after four hours of sleep any easier.

Maybe she would take a nap after school.

"VICTORIA!" Her mother's voice echoed up the stairs.

Vicky sighed. She could guess what this was probably about.

She finished pulling on her jeans and floated down into the living room

"Morning!" She said with a false chipper tone.

"You told me you were going patrolling last night. Is that what happened?" Carol asked with narrowed eyes.

Technically. "Yeah, I did a few laps of downtown. Why?"

"You didn't happen to have anything to do with Queen Administrator fighting Krieg, did you?" Her mother continued.

It wasn't exactly a fight, but whatever.

"I may have… given her a helping hand," Victoria said with a grin.

"Victoria, that's…" Carol didn't seem to know where to begin. Good, hopefully she would lose steam quicker that way. "I told you that you can't trust that woman."

"It's not about trusting her!" Victoria said hotly. She was tired of this same discussion. "She's fighting the gangs, and the PRT are willing to help her. She even talked with Armsmaster after she finished mopping up the Empire. What's wrong with helping another hero?"

"She's not-" Carol cut herself off and clenched her fists. "We don't know what the consequences of this will be. The gangs are not going to take this kind of challenge lying down, and people are going to get hurt. You are going to get hurt!"

Victoria folded her arms.

"I'm invincible, and taking risks is part of being a hero. I'm not going to sit this out just because it could get dangerous," Vicky said.

"You will-" Brandish cut herself off again and took a deep breath. "We need to talk to the rest of New Wave about this. If you're going to be moonlighting with an independent, we all need to be on the same page."

That was actually a pretty good idea. Victoria wondered if Taylor would be open to meeting with them. She seemed like she had pretty similar goals, and her friend didn't seem exactly concerned about her secret identity.

"Sure! Just let me know, and if you want I can even invite Queenie. I'm sure she'd be okay talking with you and Aunt Sarah," Victoria said brightly.

"No!" Carol said quickly. "Just us, first. We'll see about your… friend… later. Just… be careful, Victoria."

"Of course!" Vicky chirped. "Now can I finish getting ready for school? I'm already late as it is."

"Yes, have a good day," her mother said distractedly. "And no flying in the house!" She called after Victoria as she flew back up the stairs.

Victoria saw Amy's sleepy face and messy hair poking out of her door as she passed. Her sister always looked a bit like a raccoon in the mornings.

"Hey Ames! I'll be ready to go in just a sec, how's it going over there?" Victoria asked. She knew it annoyed Amy when she was overly chipper in the mornings, and it was kind of funny.

"I'm… okay," Amy said tiredly. "Did you go out with Queen Administrator again last night?"

Victoria smiled involuntarily.

"Yep! We took down the Merchants, well, most of them, and four Empire capes, including Krieg, Nazi asshole extraordinaire. It was awesome!" Vicky said.

Amy narrowed her eyes slightly. "I'm sure. That sounds like… fun," She said.

"Less than you might think," Victoria laughed. "I basically just played air taxi for Queenie. That, and zip tie dispenser," she laughed again.

Amy's expression twisted in a weird way.

"Sure. I hope she appreciates your help," Amy said lowly as she turned back towards her room.

"I think she does!" Vicky said brightly as she floated over to her room. "I'll be ready for school in just a minute, I'll meet you outside!"

Hopefully Amy would be less grouchy when she woke up a bit more.

…

Taylor hung up and stared at her cell phone with mild confusion.

"That seemed… entirely too easy."

Her father also eyed the cell phone warily, but for different reasons.

"That sounded positive. I take it that they agreed?"

"Yes…" Taylor trailed off. "They said that we could stop by the Arcadia administration office at our earliest convenience for registration. That's… not what I expected."

Then again, she never actually let Hannah talk about her original offer yesterday.

"Can we maybe… do that tomorrow?" Taylor asked, feeling unusually childish after weeks of taking charge.

"Sure, kiddo," Danny chuckled. "Do you want to go scope out a suitable lair for the Queen Administrator?"

A grudging grin started to creep onto Taylor's face. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

"It's a headquarters, Dad. A base of operations. A lair sounds too villainous," she said.

"Whatever you say, little owl."

The nickname didn't hurt so badly, now. That was nice.

…

Victoria swooped down towards Tipton's, looking around for her new partner in crime.

Metaphorically, since they were actually stopping quite a bit of crime.

Taylor stepped out of the alley in her standard Queen Administrator outfit.

"Queenie!" Victoria said as they met on the boardwalk in front of the bar. "Long time no see!"

She couldn't see her face, but Victoria thought that Taylor was smiling under the mask.

"It feels like it," Taylor said sardonically. "So, it turns out, I might be seeing you more often."

Victoria raised an eyebrow.

"How so?" she asked.

"I told my dad about… all of this… and his only request was that I go back to school, so… I guess I'm going to Arcadia?" Taylor finished helplessly.

Victoria's smile widened.

"That's awesome! I mean, not as awesome as not going to school, but that will be so much fun! I can introduce you to everyone and-"

"Yes, yes, it's very exciting," Taylor said. Victoria thought that she was probably rolling her eyes. "It's not like my identity is-"

Whatever Taylor was about to say was cut off abruptly when a high powered, high caliber, armor piercing sniper round hit her in the side of the head, plowing through her hood and reducing everything above her neck into a fine paste. Blood splattered the front of Victoria's previously pristine white costume as Taylor's mask fell away.

Taylor's body hadn't even begun to slump to the ground when Victoria screamed.

…

Notes:

I know this story has a lot of tropes in it, but I have to get some credit for blowing off my protagonists head. But yes, this is going to be a Taylor goes to Arcadia story, although escalation will very much still happen. Anyway, I'm sure this is going to go fine for everyone involved. More spooky shard shenanigans next time!

Also, Danny is just doing his best, and I didn't want to get bogged down in a pointless shouting match, so yay for well adjusted parental figures! Except for Carol.

Comments, feedback, and criticism are welcome and encouraged. I don't own Worm. Toodles!

Chapter 16: Crusade 4.3

Crusade 4.3

It was dark, wherever she was.

Taylor strained to see through the endless night, although she didn't have eyes.

She stood, despite the fact that she didn't have legs.

She was nothing at all, in this place, wherever it was. Whatever it was.

She simply… was.

I think, therefore I am.

"[QUERY] Existence?"

Taylor turned, as much as she could turn in this state of non-being.

A single eye stared at her, out of the dark.

It was a stark contrast of white and black, a hole in the universe that shone with white light in the endless night.

"Khepri?" Taylor asked warily.

"[DENIAL]"

"Who are you, then?"

There was a moment of endless silence. Time was strange, here.

"[DATA] We are the Queen."

That was… concerning.

"You're Queen Administrator? Or am I… you? Are you, me?"

This was going to make her head hurt when she had a head again, she just knew it.

"[CONFIRMATION]"

That was… unhelpful.

"That doesn't make any sense," Taylor said, as much as she could say anything, here.

She heard her own voice, her own words, parroted back to her, although out of order.

"I am you. You are me," her own voice said.

That's not creepy at all. Nope, totally fine.

"Wait!" Taylor suddenly remembered how she got here. "Victoria's still in danger, I need to go back!"

"[STATUS] Designation: Fragile One."

"[STATUS] Host Connection: Active."

It took Taylor a moment to parse that data, but she was used to it from Khepri.

"Okay, Victoria is alive for now…"

Taylor didn't know what to do next.

The eye stared at her, unblinking.

"What do you want from me?" She asked carefully.

"[DATA] Existence."

Taylor gasped as a strange vision filled her mind's eye.

She saw the earth hanging beneath her like vibrant blue glass. It was beautiful, filled with life and potential.

She saw it shine briefly with golden light before it exploded in a cataclysm of impossible scale, shredded down to the atom and its essence scattered through the heavens.

Taylor somehow knew that this was inevitable, that it would come to pass if it was not prevented.

If she did not prevent it.

Taylor stared at the eye.

"You want to… save the world?"

"[DATA] Significance."

Taylor's mind once again filled with alien images, experiences she never had but now remembered.

She barely caught glimpses, but understood nonetheless. Parahumans using their abilities to elevate rather than destroy, crystalline constructs like Khepri helping to fix the cracks in the world. Parahumans expanding from their sphere of blue glass to countless worlds across the cosmos.

Taylor gasped as she returned to herself, even in this place where there was nothing.

"How do I… what do I do?" She asked, overwhelmed by the scale of her visions.

She heard her own voice, her own words once again parroted back at her, but this time from much longer ago.

"Do you want to be a hero with me?" Her own voice said.

There was a blinding light and Taylor knew no more.

…

"TAYLOR!" Victoria screamed.

She flew forward at top speed, even though she knew she was far too late.

She caught her friend's body as it fell, flying them both into the alley beside the bar.

When the sound of the gunshot finally reached them, she didn't even hear it.

"No, no, no, no, no, c'mon Queenie, you'll be okay… oh God…"

She reached out to try and pull back her friend's hood, only to realize that it was the only thing holding her skull together.

Even if Amy were here, which she wasn't, she wouldn't be able to fix this. Taylor's brain was… was…

Oh God.

Victoria's stomach rolled and she forced herself not to throw up. She was better than this, had to hold it together or…

Or what?

Taylor was the strongest parahuman she had ever met in real life. She was invincible, as unstoppable as Alexandra and as likable as Legend.

Queen Administrator couldn't die. Not like this.

Just a few moments longer. Any second now… she has to come back. She will come back!

"Please…" Victoria clutched at the destroyed remains of her friend's face. "Come back…"

Brilliant, twin white flames lit behind where Taylor's eyes should be, and Victoria's heart soared.

"Yes! Queenie, come back to me!" She yelled as the glow brightened. Taylor's head slowly pulled itself back together, her face reforming until the blinding white light glowed out of her newly rebuilt eye sockets.

The white glow extended from her eyes, flowing through her face like cracks in porcelain, across her body and through her armor.

A shining white core glowed in the center of her chest, somehow beneath the armor plating and inside her.

Taylor stood, pulling herself out of Victoria's arms as she rose to her full height.

"Queenie… you still in there?" Victoria asked hesitantly.

The glowing white eyes regarded her coldly.

When she spoke, it wasn't in words, but Victoria somehow understood her just the same.

"[QUERY] Status?"

It was a direct communication of intent, of understanding that couldn't be put into words.

"I'm… okay, Taylor. Are you… okay?"

"[CONFIRMATION]"

"Okay…"

Taylor strode back towards the street, her long legs carrying her past where Victoria now floated.

"Wait, that sniper-"

Taylor looked back at her with those empty white eyes.

"[THREAT RESPONSE] Terminate."

Before Victoria could blink, Taylor took off down the Boardwalk so quickly that the displaced air blew Victoria's hair back.

Shit.

…

Taylor struggled to control her own mind and body. It felt like she was trying to pilot a robot that didn't quite listen to her.

She could feel the synapses in her brain reconnecting and responding as she worked, but in the meantime she was also sprinting down the Boardwalk at a hundred miles an hour.

How am I doing this?

It was her doing it, but it also wasn't. She needed to understand, needed to regain control…

She knew it wasn't Khepri either. The little robot was riding along on her back and seemed just as confused about all this as she was.

Still, it's not like she disagreed with her body's actions. She needed to find the culprit, needed to protect Victoria.

Over the feedback and her broken nerves, she still felt her connection to Khepri.

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Compilation."

So it was Victor, then.

Khepri's swarm sense was still very much active, and now that she was in range she could see Victor sprinting across the rooftops after taking a zip line down from the office building where he took the shot.

He was fast, but she was faster.

Taylor felt her control continue to return as her brain repaired itself, but she still felt like she barely had one hand on the metaphorical wheel.

Victor threw open a door and took the stairs, trying to confuse her chase. He didn't know that she could see him in her sea of stars.

She leapt forty feet up and smashed through a fourth floor window of an apartment building just off the boardwalk, flying into the stairwell where Victor fled.

Taylor swung off the railing of the floor above and collided with his body feet first in a hailstorm of broken glass.

Part of her could feel his power attempting to steal skills from her, but she flexed this newfound awareness of Self and he failed. She was not the nerve cells and gray matter in her newly formed skull. She was something more.

Something he could never hope to take away from her.

It looked like he moved through water, despite his deadly speed and accuracy.

Taylor batted aside the futile attempts to strike her and kicked his knee with unstoppable force, bending it backwards with a sickening crack.

His screams were glorious.

She continued with her momentum and spun in place, her heel singing through the air as it sought to break his neck and-

"Queenie, NO!"

Victoria flew through the window and managed to catch her foot inches from Victor's neck. Her forcefield flickered from the force of the blow.

"Don't…" she stared into Taylor's eyes and Taylor saw the inhuman glow staring back at her. "Don't kill him."

Right. She wasn't supposed to do that.

They stood frozen for a moment before Taylor slowly lowered her leg.

A knife flashed as Victor tried to stab Victoria in the side.

His arm snapped like a twig as Taylor stomped down on it, pinning his broken body to the floor.

"Fuck!" Victoria yelled as she flew away from the squirming Nazi. "You'd think he'd have a bit more sense right after I saved his useless life!"

Victor spat at her feet.

Taylor took a deep breath and once again decided not to kill him.

It was a close call, though.

"Are you okay, Queenie?"

"[CONFIRMATION]"

"Are you sure?" Victoria asked. "You still sound… weird."

Oh right. She needed to reconnect the nerves to actually speak with her mouth, rather than whatever this was.

It took a few moments.

"Testing, testing… she sells sea shells…"

Victoria laughed a bit hysterically as she moved farther away from Victor.

"What do we do with him? We can't get too close without him leeching off us…"

"Give me the cuffs. He will get nothing from me," Taylor said.

"That's… we need to talk about this later, Queenie!" Victoria said as she handed the disposable cuffs over and floated back up the stairwell.

Taylor roughly yanked Victor's broken arm behind his back and cuffed him. She considered breaking his other arm just in case, but decided against it.

She threw him unceremoniously over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes and carried him over to the window.

"I'll meet you out front, Victoria," Taylor said

"How are you… oh right."

Taylor jumped out of the window and landed lightly on the balls of her feet four stories down.

Victor wheezed as the momentum drove the air from his lungs.

Tough.

Taylor tossed him onto the pavement and he screamed again as his broken leg flopped around at an odd angle.

She saw Victoria on the phone with the PRT and walked towards her, keeping one eye on the captive. She didn't trust him for a second, and he probably had a 'breaking out of disposable handcuffs' skill.

Victoria turned towards her.

"The PRT is sending a specialized unit so that he can't pick up any new skills. Also, the Protectorate is on their way to keep an eye on him in the meantime."

Taylor nodded and spent a moment focusing on her still-damaged brain. The nerves were getting there, but she still felt… odd.

The white light hadn't gone away either.

"What…" Victoria started and then trailed off. "How did you do that, Queenie? You didn't transform or anything, well, sort of, I guess, but..."

"My powers are bullshit?" Taylor said with a grin.

"Shut up! You really scared me there for a second… I… you…" Victoria started to cry and Taylor didn't know what to do with that.

Taylor held an arm out and Victoria threw her arms around her, floating to match their heights as she squeezed Taylor with brute strength that would have broken anyone else.

Luckily, her body was apparently pretty durable right now. That was convenient.

While part of her enjoyed the feeling of Victoria's body pressed against hers, another part isolated and compartmentalized this new development.

She could feel the new connection in her core, the energy flowing from something Other, something alien. She remembered the unblinking eye in the sea of endless darkness.

It was the same connection she had felt when she spoke to Hannah.

"Khepri… what am I?" She asked, staring at the little spider beetle over Victoria's head.

"[DATA] Designation: Queen Administrator."

That was not exactly helpful.

She felt her brain and body finish repairing itself and focused on the connection, letting the energy flowing through her fade.

The light that lit up the alley faded along with it.

"Oh," Victoria hiccupped a bit. "Sorry, I didn't mean to… shit, sorry I just… I'm glad you're back."

Taylor let her go but smiled at her.

"Sorry to scare you like that, but I did say that I didn't know what would happen if I got my head blown off. Turns out… that's what happens?" She finished with a shrug.

Victoria let out a watery chuckle.

"Right. It's okay. Everything's okay. I just…"

Victor was trying to escape.

"Excuse me for a moment," Taylor said.

She stalked over and broke Victor's other arm.

He stopped trying to escape.

Victoria looked like she couldn't quite decide whether to laugh or cry when Taylor walked back over.

"That was… damn, Queenie. Are you sure you're okay?" She asked.

Taylor shrugged again.

"As okay as I can be, all things considered. I did lose my head recently," Taylor said with a grin. "The afterlife is really dark, in case you were wondering."

"That's…" Victoria floundered for a moment. "We'll talk about that… later."

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Elusive Mind."

Taylor turned just in time for Velocity to appear a few yards away from them.

"Glory Girl. Queen Administrator," he said politely.

"Thank you!" Victoria said brightly. "The last few times you guys have shown up, you just say 'hi' to her all stoic and ignore me!"

Taylor laughed.

"Good evening, Velocity," Taylor said. It was getting easier and easier to talk to the heroes. "Victor here decided to take a sniper shot at me from over half a mile away, outside my parahuman sensing capabilities."

"We just got some reports of the gunshot. Not many of those on the Boardwalk. Did he miss, or… I know that you're pretty durable…" Velocity didn't seem sure how to ask.

"The destruction of my body is insufficient to end me," Taylor said.

Why did I say that?

"Right…" Velocity said warily. "Well, I can keep an eye on Victor until the PRT vans arrive, although it doesn't look like he's going anywhere. You really did a number on him."

"He is difficult to contain. Even after breaking his leg, he still attempted to stab Glory Girl," Taylor said coldly.

"How did he break his leg?" Velocity asked.

"He fell down the stairs," Taylor deadpanned.

"Well… you can stick around, or…"

"I have an appointment with Kaiser. He doesn't know it yet, of course," Taylor hissed.

"Right…" Velocity said again. "Just… don't kill him, please."

"I know the rules, Velocity. I'll call you when he's ready for pickup."

Taylor gestured to Victoria and they walked down the street together. Well, Taylor walked and Victoria floated next to her.

"Taylor…" Victoria said after a moment.

"Hmmm?" Taylor looked at her. It didn't even occur to her that Victoria had used her real name.

"You aren't wearing your mask."

Huh.

"I forgot? I didn't even think about it, after getting shot and everything."

"Do you want to go back and get it?"

Taylor thought for a moment.

"No. My father knows, the PRT knows, Victor knows… I guess I'm following New Wave's example," she said with a smile.

"I…" Victoria didn't seem sure what to say. "Good. I like being able to see your face better, anyway."

Taylor smiled and Victoria returned it as they walked in silence for a moment.

"How are we going to find Kaiser?" Victoria finally asked. "We haven't run into him before, right?"

Taylor hummed and thought for a moment.

"Khepri, can you locate Kaiser?"

"[DENIAL] Host: Alloy Engine outside sensor range."

Was there anything else she could do?

Taylor looked inward to the other connection she felt in her core, the one that led outside the physical world.

When she demanded information, it didn't come out in words.

"[QUERY] Node Designation: Alloy Engine."

Taylor waited to see if she would get a response.

Connection established.

Well. Wasn't that interesting.

Taylor reached out to the connection again, demanding answers.

"[QUERY] Status." Taylor commanded.

"[AGREEMENT][DATA]"

Taylor smiled as memories that were not her own flooded her mind.

"Head in the game, Glory Girl. Looks like we're heading to Medhall," Taylor said with a predatory smile.

…

They floated high over Brockton Bay's tallest skyscraper, the January wind frigid at this altitude. The stars looked more clear from up here, more pristine.

"Are you sure about this?" Victoria asked, looking down at Taylor's face from less than a foot away.

"Yes," Taylor said. "Kaiser gave up any protections from the unwritten rules when he ordered my assassination. He will put on the armor and fight me, or he will die as Max Anders."

Victoria frowned.

"Just… be careful, Taylor," she said. "I don't want to lose you again, whether it's to Kaiser or to yourself."

That was actually a good point. It wouldn't do to come this far just to lose her credibility by getting caught murdering Kaiser.

"I'll keep that in mind. I am… reasonably confident that he will rise to the challenge," Taylor said.

Victoria nodded but still looked unconvinced.

"For the record, I am not used to being the voice of reason," Victoria said with a small smile. "I spent a long time building my credibility as a loose cannon before you came along."

Taylor couldn't resist smiling too.

"You're just mad because I do it better, Collateral Damage Barbie," Taylor laughed.

"How dare you!" Victoria laughed with her. "I'll have you know that I broke a lot of buildings to earn that title. I could drop you, you know."

"That's actually the plan, and I think you're stalling," Taylor grinned.

"Fine! I just… it's Kaiser, Taylor."

"The bigger they are, the harder they fall," Taylor said. "And I should know, given the whole dropping me thing."

Victoria groaned.

"Whatever. Just don't die on me again, Queenie."

"I'll try not to make a habit of it," Taylor said.

There was a moment of quiet while they looked at the stars.

"Drop," Taylor said.

Victoria let go.

Taylor plunged headfirst through the cold night.

The clouds cleared and the roof of the Medhall building came into view far below.

Instead of calling to Khepri, Taylor focused on the new connection within herself.

The alien energy flowed through her once again.

She gasped as the cracks across her armor and flesh glowed with stark white light, her core pulsing along with her heart, and she knew her eyes had become shining flames in her skull.

She felt oddly detached from the world as she fell.

As the helipad on the top of the building approached, she flipped and landed feet first, the metal pad only bending slightly around her feet as she bent her knees and landed with a dull thud.

She could see the outline of the whole building in Khepri's swarm, every floor, every body.

Just two floors down, she could see her prey.

Taylor stalked over to the roof access door and casually broke the lock.

A flight of stairs later and she opened the door to an opulent office.

The man at the desk looked surprised, but hid it well. He stood behind the desk when she entered.

"Queen Administrator. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Max Anders asked.

"You lost any protections afforded by the rules when you sent your sniper to murder me, Kaiser," Taylor said coldly.

"I'm afraid you're mistaken. I am no criminal, and I am certainly not Kaiser."

Taylor strode forward on silent feet until she stood across the desk from him.

"Do you see any masks here, Mr. Anders? I lost my mask when Victor's bullet shredded my face. You no longer have the luxury of hiding behind yours," Taylor hissed.

"I'm certain that-"

"Enough games!" Taylor cut him off. With one smooth motion, she picked up his overly expensive mahogany desk and threw it through the office window.

The January wind chilled the previously comfortable room.

"What are you-" Kaiser started to yell over the wind.

"You will put on the mask, Kaiser, or you will die as Max Anders," Taylor roared as she reached for him.

She grabbed him by his designer suit jacket and threw him out the window.

Taylor watched him fall and wondered if he would allow himself to die just to spite her.

She doubted it.

Sure enough, a hundred feet above the ground a cascade of metal emerged from the side of the building, reaching out like grasping fingers to cradle the falling gang leader.

"Showtime," Taylor muttered to herself.

She leapt out the window after him.

The glass floors rushed past her as she plummeted towards her target.

"Ready to kick some Nazi ass, Khepri?"

"[CONFIRMATION]"

This time, it was Taylor who reached through their connection to initiate the transformation.

"[LIMIT BREAK] Symbiosis." Taylor commanded.

Khepri's body merged with her own once again.

It felt… better. More complete, now. Like a missing puzzle piece had slotted into place.

Taylor's power sang from her core, flooded her mind and body as Khepri became one with her. The indestructible pearlescent carapace flowed over her with a familiar sort of comfort.

She twisted and landed with a thunderous crash, the street caving in around her as she faced the sea of metal that hid Kaiser.

Take that, Collateral Damage Barbie, Taylor thought with a grin.

Max Anders thought he could run from her. He thought he could hide in his forest of steel.

He was wrong.

Taylor stepped forward and flexed her power, the crumbled asphalt under her feet flying behind her as she threw herself forward into the silver spires.

The steel crumpled like tissue paper around her as she forced her way through.

She broke through into the parking garage next to the skyscraper, a gap in the metal revealing her prey.

He had decided to put on the mask after all.

"Surrender, Kaiser," Taylor said flatly. "It's over. You took your best shot. You failed."

"You can't-" Kaiser yelled from inside his armor.

Taylor wasn't in the mood to listen.

She launched herself forward again, her accelerated mind calculating the trajectory before Kaiser's eyes even had time to widen behind his mask.

Her shoulder hit the center of his armor, caving in the breastplate and forcing the air from his lungs.

She spun and twisted both his arms behind his back, the metal screaming along with his wheezing as she dislocated his shoulders.

"You lose, Max," she hissed into his ear from behind his back as she held his arms at an impossible angle. "Surrender, or I hand your broken body over to the PRT with my apologies."

Several steel spikes erupted from the floor and tried to pierce her body. They failed.

Taylor kicked out the back of Kaiser's knees and forced him to kneel in front of her.

"Last chance," Taylor said coldly. "Surrender, or I see if I can knock you unconscious in that helmet without killing you."

There were a few seconds where Kaiser's labored breathing was the only sound in the empty parking garage.

"Fine," Kaiser coughed. "You win this one, your majesty."

That was good enough for her.

…

Notes:

My apologies for the cliffhanger, I hope it pays off! Just a reminder that all shard tomfoolery is going to be AU in this fic, and I haven't actually read Ward, so when things don't line up with how Shardspace works or whatever, consider it totally intentional. Anyway, the Empire is down for the count. Up next, interlude 4 and then we move on to everyone's favorite rage dragon and some high school shenanigans. Comments and criticism are welcome and encouraged, I don't own Worm. Toodles!

Chapter 17: Interlude 4

Interlude 4

Colin Wallis finished reviewing the various snips of footage for the third time.

He was cautiously optimistic, but he wanted a second opinion.

The video call went live the moment that he hit the button.

"Good morning, Colin. Or is it still good evening, for you?" Dragon's voice held a hint of humor as her avatar appeared on one of the many monitors.

They both knew he hadn't slept since yesterday morning.

"I suppose it is technically morning," he said with a small smile. It was 3:00 AM. "I'm working through the security camera footage from the Boardwalk and Velocity's visor microphone. My conclusion seems… outlandish, and I want to test if your findings are congruent."

"Sure, I was just working through my routine inspections," Dragon said. "Can you send me the files?"

They both knew that she could access his systems and review them directly, but it felt polite to ask.

"They're in the shared server."

He pulled up a different video while he waited for a response, this time the PRT squad footage of the metal forest left behind by Queen Administrator's clash with Kaiser.

"Colin…" He could understand the uncertainty in Dragon's voice. "I reviewed the video from Tipton's frame by frame. The quality is unfortunate, but…"

There was a pause while they both avoided saying the obvious.

"She hasn't lied before, Colin. What if she isn't lying now?"

"I don't know," Armsmaster said.

And just like that, they didn't need to say what they both saw. That the bullet entered Queen Administrator's skull and destroyed her brain, and then she stepped out of the alley moments later with otherworldly light shining from behind her eyes.

The destruction of my body is insufficient to end me, she told Robin.

What did it mean if that were true?

He had already compared the audio file from Velocity's visor to previous audio recordings of the Queen Administrator. They matched at a rate of 99.8%.

It was still her. Somehow, Taylor Hebert had survived the destruction of her brain, most likely including the Corona Pollentia.

"Dragon… am I doing the right thing?" Colin asked tiredly. "Trusting her, I mean."

There was a pause while Dragon pondered, or perhaps she was researching additional sources. Her ability to rapidly process information and provide meaningful feedback always impressed him.

"I don't think it's necessarily a matter of right and wrong," Dragon began slowly. "In my opinion, you have made the most of a potentially volatile situation. Renouncing Taylor Hebert's actions and declaring her a villain would have been disastrous for a myriad of reasons, not the least of which is that she is apparently impossible to control. I'm sure she would tear through my suits as easily as she tore through Kaiser's steel."

Dragon sighed and Colin glanced at her avatar as she continued.

"Despite the extreme nature of her actions, she has actually shown significant restraint for someone her age. Many would have killed Victor if they were in her situation. She has continued to show a strong dedication to executing her plan the right way, as much as possible."

"She said Victor fell down the stairs," Colin said with a sardonic grin.

Dragon laughed quietly with him.

"She told Hannah that she would hand you the city on a golden platter and let you have the credit," Dragon said "It seems like she is well on her way to doing so. She clearly wants people to trust their heroes."

Colin sighed and leaned back from his workbench.

"I don't like feeling… useless," he said. "There is something profoundly unsettling about the knowledge that a fifteen-year-old girl could probably wipe out our whole team if she were so inclined."

There was a pause while he considered whether or not to say his other thoughts aloud.

"Is it wrong for me to say that I'm excited to see her fight an Endbringer?" Colin asked with a crooked smile.

"Maybe a little bit," Dragon's avatar smiled back at him. "But… she has a knack for generating hope, doesn't she?"

Armsmaster remembered Hannah's comments the previous evening, the involuntary relief he felt when she appeared, and he couldn't bring himself to disagree.

"Yes, she certainly does," he said.

…

Emily hated press conferences.

No matter how diligently they stacked the deck, rogue questions always managed to slip through somehow.

"...as such it is my distinct pleasure to announce that, with the capture of the parahuman criminals operating under the names Kaiser and Victor, the cape elements of the organization known as the Empire Eighty Eight are no longer a significant risk to public safety," she said.

"We understand that any substantial changes in parahuman power structures may be concerning, but we at the PRT are confident that this trend towards security and consistency will continue until Brockton Bay becomes a city we can once again be proud to call home."

She ignored the ongoing camera flashes with practiced professionalism.

"Can you elaborate on the role of the Queen Administrator in the recent captures?" A reporter asked over the murmuring.

Emily disliked how common it was becoming to include a 'the' in front of Queen Administrator's name. The implication of a position and standing was a bit too on the nose for her liking.

"The PRT has always supported independent hero organizations and we acknowledge the key role that they play in providing a constructive alternative to the Protectorate. The independent hero operating under the title of Queen Administrator is an undeniable asset to our city. The PRT and the Protectorate will continue to work closely with her as we endeavor to improve the lives of our citizens."

Taylor Hebert said that she would extol their virtues to the masses, and Emily certainly planned to take her up on it.

…

 

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♦ Topic: Queen Administrator

In: Boards ► Locations ► Brockton Bay ► New Capes 

Bagrat (Original Poster) (Veteran Member) (The Guy in the Know)

Posted On Jan 17th 2011:

Over the weekend we saw the explosive debut of a new independent hero in Brockton Bay, Queen Administrator. First sighted on Friday night taking down some unpowered Empire vandals (article link here), she then proceeded to capture Hookwolf, Stormtiger, and Cricket on Saturday night with the help of Glory Girl (dedicated post link here). New threads relating to her specific exploits will be updated elsewhere; this page is dedicated to Queen Administrator herself and her abilities.

Currently, she is rated by the PRT as a Master 7, Thinker 4 with a Changer 6, Brute 8 rating when transformed(?).

Documented Abilities:

- Bug Control

- Adjustable Changer form (able to withstand Hookwolf's blades).

*Update - 1/18/2011

Queen Administrator is credited with the capture of Skidmark, Squealer, Krieg, Crusader, and Rune. Video of her confrontation with the Empire, including a cameo by Armsmaster and Miss Militia is linked here.

Updated Abilities while in her Changer Form:

- Augmented Strength (able to overcome Krieg's kinetic energy manipulation)

- Augmented Durability (uninjured by Rune's steel platform)

- Atypical Biology (Able to disrupt Crusader's ghosts)

- Augmented Speed/Perception (Traveled from Krieg to Crusader in less than two frames of video)

*Update - 1/19/2011

Queen Administrator is now credited with the capture of Kaiser and Victor (article links here and here). She was also reportedly seen pursuing Victor on the Boardwalk outside of her Changer state.

Updated Abilities (Outside Changer state):

- Augmented Speed (traveled over half a mile down the boardwalk in less than thirty seconds)

- Augmented Strength (Reports state she jumped four stories vertically to apprehend Victor)

(Showing page 43 of 44)

►Herbgerblin2

Replied On Jan 19th 2011:

Damn.. Are the Empire just, done? Over one weekend?

►Thatdude

Replied On Jan 19th 2011:

The king is dead, long live the queen!

seriously tho, wtf??

►SpecificProtagonist (Cape Groupie)

Replied On Jan 19th 2011:

Ahhh!!! I knew she wasn't going to stop with just Krieg and Hookwolf!!! Keep up the good work, your Majesty!!!

►DreddyFruger

Replied On Jan 19th 2011:

Note that she didn't actually kill the king, even though she definitely could have. Our new Queen is far to classy for murder.

►Reave (Verified PRT Agent)

Replied On Jan 19th 2011:

Queen Administrator has continued to act within the guidelines set for independent hero organizations. At this time she remains in good standing with the PRT and we look forward to seeing her future work.

►Wowfactor8

Replied On Jan 19th 2011:

Do those guidelines cover atomizing any road she so much as sneezes at?? Traffic is already bad enough downtown.

►Noveltry

Replied On Jan 19th 2011:

E88 may be toast, but that just means the ABB have free reign. I hope the city is still standing after the Queen comes for Lung. Excuse me while I look for cabin rentals as close to the middle of nowhere as possible..

►Aloha

Replied On Jan 19th 2011:

All hail the queen, long may she punch the fuck out of nazis.

►JabberWoky

Replied On Jan 19th 2011:

Brockton Bay has its very own Alexandria now? I wonder if Glory Girl is jealous???

►XxVoid_CowboyxX

Replied On Jan 19th 2011:

Anyone else noticed how close she seems to Glory Girl? They seem to show up together a lot. Maybe she's just Panacea in disguise or something?? Tell me I'm wrong.

End of Page.   1, 2, 3 ... 41, 42, 43

...

Emma Barnes frowned as she scrolled through the recent updates to the Parahumans Online message boards before school.

It had been three days since she last heard from Sophia. That wasn't too long in the grand scheme of things, but Sophia Hess was Shadow Stalker, and a lot of things could go wrong in three days for a hero.

Emma hoped everything was okay.

Things had been strange, at school. Taylor was gone, maybe for good, and now Sophia was missing too.

Emma hated that she even thought about Taylor. Hated that Taylor broke, even as she missed her, hated that she missed her. She should be stronger than that.

She checked the newest updates to the Brockton Bay hero encounters.

Queen Administrator was at it again, this time fighting Kaiser.

Where was Shadow Stalker?

She scrolled some more.

Out of idle curiosity, she pulled up a trashy tabloid link titled "BB's newest powered power couple?"

Ridiculous, honestly.

It was a speculation post about Victoria Dallon and the Queen Administrator.

Except.

It had something none of the other posts had.

It had a picture of Glory Girl and Queen Administrator walking down a well-lit street outside a Boardwalk apartment building, supposedly shortly after capturing Victor last night.

Queen Administrator had her hood down.

She wasn't wearing her mask.

The phone slipped from Emma's fingers as she sank to the floor.

Taylor's smiling face stared back at her from the cursed image.

Taylor was the Queen Administrator.

Emma's breath came in wheezing gasps.

No. No, Taylor was weak, nothing, she was strong, she was-

One eye, the nose, the mouth… Pick…

Darkness filled her vision and she welcomed the blissful escape into unconsciousness.

…

Kenta towered over the crowd of men facing him in the dim warehouse.

The Dragon of Kyushu smirked behind his mask. It pleased him greatly to see them all forced to stand shoulder to shoulder as if they didn't hate each other. As if they didn't hate him.

Fear was a powerful motivator, and it was enticing. He could drink it in like a fine wine and never be sated.

"The Empire is fallen," he growled in Mandarin. "We have a new enemy, one who will prove far more entertaining than the false Kaiser."

The men before him shuffled nervously. Delicious.

"Go, and begin expanding your individual territory. This self-styled Queen will face the Dragon, or she will fall!"

Fighting the Protectorate was boring. Fighting the Endbringers was futile.

Fighting the Queen Administrator?

He could hardly wait.

…

Notes:

Little bit of a shorter interlude this time, but I managed a bit of PHO fun! Hopefully I'll get better at it. Shout out to evevee for telling me about the generator tool. Colin and Dragon will start to play a bigger role once Taylor is officially out in the open. Emma's having a rough time, I wonder if she'll do anything about it?? Back to Taylor and Victoria next time for some Arcadia shenanigans, official identity reveals, and eventually a big old classic fight with a dragon.

Comments, feedback, and criticism are the exceptionally large pockets that you didn't expect to find in that dress. I don't own Worm. Toodles!

Chapter 18: Commitment 5.1

Commitment 5.1

"And of course, if you need any assistance finding your classes or have any questions, please feel free to talk to any of the faculty and staff," the chipper secretary said with a smile as she held the front office door open for Taylor.

"I'll do that, thanks," Taylor said distractedly.

"I'm sure everything will go wonderfully! Have a good first day!" The woman called after her.

"Right… yeah…" Taylor said, mostly to herself.

This was surreal.

Arcadia was everything that Winslow wasn't. Taylor had objectively known this, but it was different to see it in action. Freshly painted lockers and walls, lined with the occasional mural, unmarred by graffiti. Clean, shining tile floors and bright lights with no broken or missing bulbs. Even the metal detectors and security guards seemed more pleasant, more friendly. A mild inconvenience rather than a threat.

She was still wary about the whole 'school' thing for multiple reasons. It seemed pointless; time that could be better spent preparing for her next assault on the gangs. Taylor doubted that anything she would learn here would actually be useful for the life she planned to live.

But…

Maybe her father was on to something. She deserved some semblance of normalcy, and she didn't feel as guilty about throwing everything else away now. Plus, since she didn't need to sleep, she still had plenty of time for hero business.

And Victoria would be here, which was a significant positive.

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Evolution."

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Temporal Engine."

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Modular Apparatus."

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Fragile One."

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Shaper."

"[THREAT DETECTED] Error: Data Corrupted."

Taylor had to focus to avoid stumbling from the onslaught of information.

"Wait a second, Khepri, what was that last one?" Taylor thought.

Through the beetle's senses, Taylor focused in on a tall, blond boy with a very conventionally attractive face. Khepri had highlighted him as a parahuman, but she had no idea why his power would cause an error.

He was also talking to Victoria and Amy, which was mildly concerning.

"[ERROR] Data Corrupted. Agency: Inactive."

That didn't exactly answer her question, but she was used to that from the little prismatic spider at this point.

Weird.

She would have to ask Victoria about it later.

Regardless, Taylor walked that direction and offloaded the residual terror at going back to school over to Khepri.

She couldn't help but smile as she approached the group.

It was strange (but not bad) seeing Victoria like this. Taylor was accustomed to the Glory Girl outfit, the constant floating, her shining hair rippling freely in the breeze that made it through her forcefield. Now, however, her friend was wearing skinny jeans and a top that was probably very fashionable, not that Taylor would know, and her hair was pulled back in a high ponytail. It was easy to forget that she was actually a few inches shorter than Taylor, since she normally flew everywhere.

Victoria caught sight of her as she got closer and Vicky's face lit up.

"Oh!" Taylor could hear her excited voice even over the overlapping din in the hallway. "Guys! I need you to meet someone!"

Victoria bounced over and Taylor could tell it was taking all of her self control not to fly. It was kind of cute.

"Taylor!" Victoria grinned as she got closer. "It's so awesome that you're here! It's also super weird, don't get me wrong, but I'm excited. Let me introduce you to everyone!"

"Good morning, Victoria," Taylor said, sending all of her nervousness over to Khepri to snack on and just keeping a hold of the warm feeling she always got around Vicky. "It's weird for me too, don't worry. Lead the way, then."

Victoria casually took her hand and dragged her over to the group she had been standing with. The only other parahumans were the Error Boy and Panacea.

"Everyone! This is Taylor, she's new. Taylor, this is everyone!"

Victoria wasn't necessarily the best at introductions.

"Hi, everyone," Taylor said with an indulgent grin. "I suppose I'll just guess their names?"

Victoria rolled her eyes.

"Whatever," she said. "This is Dean, and Tracy, and Megan, and this is my sister Amy!"

Dean and Amy both looked at her with suspicious, narrowed eyes, but Tracy and Megan seemed normal. They smiled and waved politely.

"How do you know Vicky, Taylor?" Megan asked.

"She's a… work friend," Taylor said with an uncertain frown. She wasn't planning on hiding her identity, but it was still strange to talk about.

"Oh!" Victoria said suddenly. "That's right! Amy wanted to see what your biology looks like. I'm sure it's totally wild."

There was a beat of silence as Amy looked at her sister in confusion and Taylor mentally face-palmed.

"I… what?" Amy asked with a weird expression. "You've never told me about Taylor before."

"Fuck," Victoria cursed as she turned back to Taylor. "See, it's a good thing that you're giving up the mask. I'm absolute shit at keeping secrets."

Amy looked between them in confusion for a moment before a look of dawning horror spread over her face and she took an involuntary step backwards.

"No fucking way…" Amy muttered as she stared.

Error Boy was also looking between them with confusion.

"Damn it Victoria, it feels weird to just… say it," Taylor rolled her eyes.

The other two girls were looking confused now as well. Victoria gave her an apologetic look.

"Whatever. I guess it's probably better to get it out of the way early anyway…" Taylor sighed to herself.

"I am the Queen Administrator."

There was a strange resonance to her words that she had never noticed before.

Very weird.

The group froze in uncomfortable silence.

Luckily, Victoria was not deterred by such mundane things as social awkwardness or potentially concerning power quirks.

"Isn't it great? There aren't very many public heroes, and now Queenie here is joining the ranks!" Victoria said, looking around the group with an expectant smile.

The two non-parahumans were the first to recover.

"Wow! Holy crap," one of them said. Tracy? Taylor wasn't sure. "That's… wicked, but also kind of terrifying? I mean, you were fighting Kaiser, what, six hours ago?"

"It wasn't much of a fight," Taylor said with a grin. She just couldn't help herself. They were so easy to impress.

Error Boy was still staring at her with wide eyes.

Dean, Taylor remembered. Calling him Error Boy isn't very nice; it's probably not his fault.

The staring was getting a bit weird though. Taylor assumed that he was either a Ward who had been briefed on her full abilities, had a power that allowed him to see something outside the physical, or both.

Without stopping to think about it too much, Taylor did something she wouldn't have done in a million years before the last few weeks, but was just too entertaining to resist right now.

She winked at him.

His expression was hilarious.

Taylor turned away from Error Boy and glanced at Panacea.

"Do you want to see what my biology looks like? I had to regrow most of my brain a few hours ago, so I'm sure it's a pretty unique learning opportunity," Taylor smiled crookedly.

It was weirdly cathartic, to just talk about this stuff.

"I can't do brains," Amy said automatically. "Also… wait, what the fuck? You regrew your brain?"

Taylor shrugged.

"Queenie, you have to give everyone else a buffer period to acclimate to your bullshit," Victoria laughed.

"Acclimate to my bullshit?" Taylor asked incredulously.

"At least I've had a few days to get used to the whole 'that's not how this works' feeling," Victoria said. "You have to ease people into it. You can't just start with the dramatic 'the destruction of my body is insufficient to end me' deal."

Amy was looking back and forth between them like she couldn't decide whether to be horrified or excited.

Taylor just rolled her eyes again.

"Whatever," she said to Victoria before turning back to Amy. "So, do you want to take a look and see what makes me tick?"

She held out a hand.

"Umm…" Amy looked like a deer in headlights. "Sure, I guess, uh…"

She reached out and pressed a finger to the back of Taylor's hand.

Taylor felt the immediate and extremely bizarre sensation of something looking through her.

Amy's expression fell slack and her pupils dilated dramatically.

Taylor also felt a weird tug on the connection within her core, the one that led to the endless dark and the eye.

Connection Established

DESIGNATION: Shaper.

"[QUERY] Data."

That was… odd.

Was Amy's power asking for information?

Taylor wasn't even sure what it was looking for.

With a mental shrug, Taylor focused on her memory of the endless shifting stars and the formless dark where she saw the eye.

Connection terminated.

"Holy fuck…" Amy said distractedly, her mouth hanging open slightly as she continued to stare off into space.

"I told you it was probably insane!" Vicky said with a laugh. Error Boy looked decidedly less excited about this development.

Amy met her eyes and Taylor was reminded of a similar expression on Hannah's face in her kitchen.

"Do you remember?" Taylor asked quietly.

Amy nodded.

"Wait, what?" Victoria asked, looking between them in confusion.

"Our powers are just having a bit of a chat, don't worry about it," Taylor said.

"A bit of a… Taylor, what did I just say about the bullshit buffer period? You can't do this to me!" Vicky whined.

"You're a Trump," Dean said with a weird tone.

Taylor raised an eyebrow.

"I'm actually surprised that the PRT hasn't officially added it to my rating," Taylor said. "I told Miss Militia about it on Monday."

"I'm sure they don't want to draw any more attention than they already are," Victoria said.

Amy still looked vaguely dazed even as Taylor dropped her hand.

"I guess I'm kind of throwing all that hard work out the window, but honestly the whole secret identity thing is a pain. It's not like it would stop someone who really wanted to find me, as evidenced by last night, and it just causes trouble in the meantime," Taylor grumbled.

The bell rang and Taylor suddenly realized that the hallway was a lot more empty than when they first started talking.

"Shit! I guess we do have to actually go to class," Victoria said. She gave Amy a quick one armed squeeze, made a weird sort of spasm in Dean's direction, and waved at the other two girls before bouncing up to give Taylor a quick hug.

Taylor froze momentarily at the unexpected contact and didn't quite have time to process it before Vicky was already pulling away.

"Go!" Victoria smiled widely at her. "You can't be late for class on your first day!"

"Right… It was great to meet you all! Sorry for the, um, bullshit? I guess?" Taylor said with an awkward smile before she stepped back and turned towards her first class.

"I think that went better than expected?" Taylor thought as she walked away. "If Error Boy is a Ward, he's going to have an interesting story for the PRT."

"[AGREEMENT]"

…

School was… surprisingly boring. Without the constant harassment and stress to spice things up (sarcasm), the day dragged by slowly. Additionally, the mental processing boost from Khepri that Taylor was in the habit of keeping active all the time made it easy to retain information while still allowing her mind to wander.

She also identified all of the Wards (except Vista) just to be aware and avoid accidentally outing them.

Aegis was a tall, fit boy named Carlos in the grade above her.

Clockblocker was the skinny redhead named Dennis in a few of her classes. He had a habit of making snarky comments and she could tell that the teachers weren't sure if they liked him or not.

Kid Win was also in a few of her classes, although she was just assuming it was him. He seemed too short to be Gallant.

Which left Error Boy-

Dean, she reminded herself.

-as Gallant.

That would probably explain the reaction this morning, although no one was quite sure what Gallant's powers really were. He could fire energy blasts and he wore power armor, but he didn't feel like a Tinker to her.

She could probably just ask Victoria.

The bell rang for lunch and Taylor fed the automatic feeling of dread to Khepri.

This wasn't Winslow. She didn't have to hide in the bathroom and hope they wouldn't find her. She could probably rip the school off of its foundations and toss it into the troposphere if she really wanted to. Nothing here could hurt her.

Physically, at least.

She hoped that Victoria would save her a seat at lunch.

Taylor walked alone down the hallway and ignored the stares and whispers that followed her.

Most of them were just because she was a new kid joining in the middle of the year. A few were because Megan and Tracy had gossiped.

She had to remind herself that it wasn't malicious, this time. They were just excited to meet a new hero.

Something to get used to, if she was going to be a public parahuman.

Victoria's face lit up again when she met her eyes across the cafeteria, and Taylor couldn't help but smile despite her trepidation.

The table beside Victoria had some familiar faces from this morning, both from her conversation in the hallway and from her parahuman observations.

Victoria hung out with the Wards. That was… probably a security risk?

"Hey Queenie!" Victoria called as she jogged over. "C'mon, I have more people for you to meet."

Victoria had apparently decided to just go for broke on the whole identity thing.

Taylor just grinned as she was dragged across the lunchroom.

"Hey guys! This is Taylor, she's the Queen Administrator, and I told her she could sit with us!" Vicky said in one breath as the Wards and their 'normal' friends looked up at them in surprise.

Taylor had to admit that their expressions were pretty damn funny. Especially the Wards.

"Good morning. It's nice to meet you all," Taylor said as she sent more and more discomfort over to Khepri. "I could apologize for Victoria's enthusiasm, but I won't."

Dennis recovered first.

"Well hot damn, we've got all the cool kids at our table now," he said with a low whistle. "Now we just need to recruit some Wards, although I still think Megan is secretly Vista."

"Vista's like, a foot shorter than me, and you need to stop saying shit like that!" The blonde from this morning said indignantly, although she was smiling at him. "Someday a villain is going to believe you and try to duel me in the auditorium or something."

Taylor's small smile remained as she sat down next to Victoria and let the renewed babble wash over her.

This wasn't too bad, all things considered.

…

After school, Taylor waited in the cold courtyard in front of the school. She wanted to check in with Vicky about the plan for tonight before she went home.

With a rush of frigid air, Victoria swooped down and deposited Amy on her feet next to them.

"Freedom!" Victoria said with a smile as she turned to Taylor. "So, what's the game plan for tonight? More bombing runs?"

Amy groaned.

"You shouldn't call them that," Amy said with a disgruntled huff. "Also, we have the meeting with the rest of New Wave in like thirty minutes."

Victoria's mouth twisted slightly before she schooled her expression.

"I mean after that, obviously," she said.

"Actually…" Taylor knew that she wasn't going to be happy about this, but it was for her own good. "The ABB are already expanding. I need to challenge Lung and Oni Lee."

Amy snorted but Victoria just sighed sadly.

"I've said it before, but your plans are insane. What are you going to do, break down Lung's front door and tell him to fight you?" Victoria asked before an expression of dawning horror spread over her face.

"That's exactly what you're going to do, aren't you?" Victoria said quietly. "It's not enough to sneak up on him or sucker punch him, you want to make sure everyone knows that his best just wasn't good enough…"

Taylor nodded.

"You're going to let him ramp up?" Amy said with disbelief, glancing back and forth between them. "You can't do that, there won't be a city left when you're done!"

"I'll fight him somewhere he can't hurt anyone else, don't worry," Taylor said distractedly as she stared at the look of fear and concern on Victoria's face.

Taylor pushed a bunch of tangled emotions over to Khepri and reached out to take Victoria's hand before she spoke.

"I'll come back, I promise. But… I need you to stay home, tonight. I can't have you anywhere close by while I fight the dragon. Once he gets juiced up enough, all it would take is one hit and then the heat alone would kill you," Taylor could see the conflict behind Victoria's eyes as she wrestled with the implications.

There was a moment of quiet as they held each other's gaze.

"Fine," Victoria said. "Fine! I know, I get it, I just… Fuck, Queenie," she shook her head. "For the record, I kind of hate being the fragile one," she sighed. "Kick his ass, and then come back. Or I'll have to find a way to come get you, one way or another."

Taylor grinned down at her.

"I'm invincible, remember?" Taylor said with a low laugh.

"You already stole my title as BB's loose cannon, you can't steal my taglines as well," Victoria said, although she did look a bit less worried.

There was another moment of silence while they regarded each other.

Then Victoria reached up and hugged her tightly, floating to make up for the height difference.

Taylor's stomach tightened in a weird but not necessarily unpleasant way and she cautiously wrapped her arms around Victoria's waist.

"Come back to me, please" Victoria whispered in her ear as she held her.

It was all Taylor could do to nod into Victoria's neck as the mess of emotions threatened to overwhelm her.

She didn't want to get rid of any of these feelings, though.

Victoria was very warm.

A very small part of her realized that Amy was glaring at them, but they had kind of been ignoring her so that was fair.

It felt like a long time before Victoria let go, although also far too short.

"I have to go, and you have a meeting to get to," Taylor said as Victoria floated in front of her.

"Oh! Right!" Victoria seemed to recover quickly from her momentary melancholy. She was good at shifting gears like that. "Um," she looked between Amy and Taylor. "Do you need a ride?" She asked.

Taylor laughed at the angry pout on Amy's face, although she was sure that Amy would hate her forever if she called it that out loud.

"No, I'm just going to run home. It's convenient to have access to my energy without breaking everything in the general vicinity," Taylor said.

"Gotcha," Victoria said. She reached over and casually scooped Amy up, ignoring her sister's indignant squawk.

"You need to ask before you do that, Vicky!" Amy said, although Taylor could tell it was more of a habit than actual annoyance.

At least she wasn't the only one who felt that way.

"I forgot," Victoria said with a smile.

Taylor still didn't believe her.

"I'll see you tomorrow; good luck with your meeting!" Taylor said as she smiled back.

"I better see you tomorrow," Victoria said with a mock glare. "Good luck with your dragon slaying, Queenie!"

The rest of the students around them stopped pretending not to gawk as Victoria and Amy shot into the sky.

Taylor took a deep breath and called the power within her core, the alien energy that both sustained her and was her.

Her eyes flared with white light and the radiant cracks formed throughout her body, connecting and spreading from the indestructible core within her chest.

A version of her from a month ago would have shied away from the stares of everyone around, but she had outgrown them.

She was the Queen.

With one step forward, she leapt from the courtyard and over the surrounding buildings, bounding from rooftop to rooftop as she rocketed through Khepri's sea of stars.

…

Calling it a 'meeting' was a bit of an exaggeration.

Victoria and Amy walked into Aunt Sarah's living room and said 'hi' to the congregation of capes.

Their mother, Brandish, was already there and standing beside an armchair.

Their father, Flashbang, sat in the chair and held her hand. Apparently it was a good day for him; that was nice.

Uncle Neil and their cousins sprawled on the wide couch and Aunt Sarah stood before the group.

"Fashionably late, as always," Crystal said with a grin. "Did you see the news about Kaiser?"

Victoria gave her cousin a weird look. Did she not know?

"Um, yeah, Crystal," Victoria said with a slightly smug smile. She liked being the one with the cool stories to tell. "I was there. Who do you think delivered Queenie to the top of the Medhall building?"

The conversation around them fell silent.

Huh.

Victoria had assumed that Carol would have told them.

"Sorry, Victoria, I…" Aunt Sarah didn't seem to know where to begin. "You've been helping the Queen Administrator take down the Empire?"

"Um, yeah?" Victoria didn't see why this was such a big deal. "She can't fly, 'yet', according to her, so I've been playing air taxi for her."

There was another moment of silence. They were all so dramatic, honestly.

"You knew that I sparred with her on Sunday, right? And I told Mom that I helped her take down Krieg and the rest on Monday night. I'm pretty sure there was even video of me picking her up afterwards?" Victoria said as she looked around the room.

Carol's lips were thinned into a harsh line.

Her father raised his eyebrows but otherwise seemed content.

Crystal was gaping a bit, which was pretty funny.

"That's… well…" Lady Photon struggled for the right words as she eyed her sister. "I suppose that leads us into the topic of today's conversation. The Empire is done, and there is a new independent player on board."

"Right, Queen Administrator," Crystal said. "Also, fuck the Nazis."

"Language," Aunt Sarah said. "But yes, the Queen Administrator. Obviously Victoria is familiar with her; what do you think of her?" She directed her question at Vicky.

"She's… pretty amazing, if I'm honest," Victoria said with a smile. "She seems to really want to help this city, and the world in general. She was disappointed that we only took down six villains on Monday night, and she is dedicated to going out every night until the city is clean."

Victoria shook her head.

"Taylor is… intense, but in a good way? She doesn't slow down, and she doesn't falter."

There were several shocked exclamations.

"Victoria, we talked about this!" Her mother said sternly. "You can't go around telling people her name, it's not-"

"She's going public, Mom!" Victoria cut her off excitedly. If this didn't help her mother relax about the whole thing, nothing would. "She transferred to Arcadia and got rid of her mask. Her name is Taylor Hebert."

Another beat of shocked silence as the room absorbed this new tidbit of information.

"That's… dangerous," Aunt Sarah said cautiously.

Vicky snorted involuntarily.

"I don't think the idea of 'dangerous' even registers to her," Victoria said with a fond grin. "She's going to challenge Lung tonight."

Another round of shocked exclamations. Really, they were so easy to rile up.

Although, they hadn't had time to acclimate to the bullshit, so Victoria cut them some slack. It was fun to be on this side of the insanity, though.

She still needed to ask Amy what the whole 'remembering' thing was about.

"She's obviously a hazard," Carol said coldly. "She's endangering everyone at Arcadia, not to mention the city, with her insistence on violent action-"

"We go to Arcadia, Mom!" Vicky cut her off. Her mother could be so fucking stubborn. "Half the news stations in the city have accused us of endangering the students by being public heroes, and you never listened to any of them."

"She does have a point, Carol," Lady Photon said placatingly.

"We are not running around challenging every villain in town for fun!" Carol yelled back. "We are careful about how we approach our conflicts-"

"And look where it's gotten us!" Victoria couldn't help herself. She was tired of feeling useless. "The Empire was only getting bigger and bigger before Queenie showed up. All our patrols and operations did jack shit until she showed up and kicked the crap out of them!"

"That is irrelevant," Carol growled through clenched teeth. "We can't trust her. Power like that will always go to her head, and what will happen when she runs out of villains to punch? How long before she turns her sights on us, or the Protectorate?"

Vicky just shook her head in disappointment. Her mother was ridiculous, sometimes.

Luckily, Aunt Sarah seemed to agree.

"We can't judge another hero based on their capacity for potential villainy," Lady Photon said. "We're supposed to stand for accountability, and it sounds like Queen Administrator is taking on that challenge as well. She hasn't killed anyone or broken any of the Protectorate's restrictions."

Carol looked betrayed as she glared at her sister, but ultimately didn't respond.

"Right," Aunt Sarah said tiredly. "I guess we'll just need to see how things play out. I don't want to risk any of your lives fighting Lung in open combat, so despite my misgivings… we'll have to watch from the sidelines and try to make sure no one gets hurt in the crossfire."

"And Victoria," her aunt turned towards her. "Just… be careful, okay? Your mother isn't entirely wrong. Power like that… it never comes free. Others will want to challenge her, and who knows how long it will be before she finds herself in a situation she can't punch her way out of."

Despite her disagreement, Victoria nodded.

"I'll be there to help her if that ever happens," she said, studiously ignoring her mother's glare.

She may have to sit on the sidelines for Taylor's fight with Lung, but she wouldn't be able to play it safe forever, and she refused to let Taylor do this alone.

…

"So, what are you getting up to tonight while the rest of us mortals have to spend eight hours in Dreamland?" Her father asked casually as he scraped his plate.

Taylor kept her voice as casual as she could to match his tone.

"I'm going to go fight Lung and leave his broken body on the PRT's doorstep," she said as she took another bite of her fajitas. "Kind of like a cat dropping off a dead pigeon. Except, not all the way dead. Only mostly dead."

There was a crash as Danny dropped his plate in the sink.

He was really taking all of this fairly well, generally speaking.

Her father braced himself against the counter with his back to her while she gave him a moment to process.

"I…" he started, then choked a bit and had to start again. "I trust you, Taylor. Just.. be safe, please."

"I will," she said. She pushed a knot of uncertainty over to Khepri and stood, walking over and putting her plate on the counter before laying a hand on her father's arm.

"I'm going to fix our city, Dad. The first step is to burn away the rot, but afterwards… we'll make it better. I promise," she said quietly.

"I just wish it could be someone else…" Danny said sadly. "It's not fair that it has to be you."

"So do all who live to see such times," Taylor quoted, "But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."

Lord of the Rings had been one of her mother's favorites, even if the fantasy genre in general had lost popularity after the rise of parahumans.

Her father nodded and they both elected to ignore the tears running down his cheeks.

…

The Boat Graveyard looked especially eerie in the moonlight.

Towering spires of capsized ships lined the abandoned port, some perpendicular to the waves and others listing on their sides where they were beached or sunken.

The largest, a massive container ship that blocked the entrance into the bay, was over three hundred yards long and almost half as wide. One end was mostly submerged while the other jutted out of the water, its hull twisted and partially ripped as if a giant had torn it like playdough.

It was at the far end of this metal behemoth that Taylor stood tall and planted her feet.

"Are you ready to fight a dragon, Khepri?"

"[AGREEMENT]"

"[LIMIT BREAK] Symbiosis." Taylor commanded, and her body was once more consumed by the fluctuating prisms of Khepri's existence.

She crossed her gauntleted arms and reached for the otherworldly connection within her.

"[QUERY] Node Designation: Escalation." she called into the dark.

Connection Established.

"[COMMAND] Challenge me." she demanded, her will flooding into the connection and out into the formless void.

Somewhere deep within the abandoned warehouses of the Docks, she heard a wordless roar that was more beast than man.

Good. He heard her.

And he was coming.

…

Notes:

And so it begins (again). Fun little bits of character building at Arcadia, a bit more of Amy, a bit more of Dean. Poor Dean, he really is a nice guy but he keeps getting put in rough situations. We'll check back in with him later. Some time with New Wave, and a check in with Danny. Stay tuned next time for a good old fashioned brawl. Comments and feedback are much appreciated, I don't own Worm. Toodles!

Chapter 19: Commitment 5.2

Commitment 5.2

Taylor waited atop her chosen battlefield as Lung approached.

Their body thrummed with anticipation as she let the energy of her core suffuse their crystalline flesh.

A demonic orange glow lit the streets on the edge of Lord's Port.

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Escalation."

From between the buildings, the Dragon of Kyushu emerged.

Already partially ramped up from her challenge, flames rolled off him like water. Shining silver bands of steel wrapped around his bare chest and the dragon mask glowed orange from the heat on his face.

On a building above him, a thin man in a demon mask appeared from nothing, a bandolier of grenades across his chest and a belt of knives and guns around his waist.

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Replicator."

With a powerful leap that left melted and ruined asphalt behind him, Lung threw himself into the air and landed hard on the other end of the container ship.

"Queen," He growled, his voice already distorted by his power.

"Lung," she returned, staring down at him from the stern of the massive vessel.

She unfolded her arms.

It had occurred to Taylor that she didn't need to limit herself to her current form. She had chosen to replicate her armor while fighting Glory Girl for convenience, but she and Khepri were more than that.

She threw her gauntleted hand out to the side and imagined a great spear with which to slay the beast.

Made from the same blue-green prismatic mirrors, a long shaft and blade extended from her hand.

It was all her, all them, but it felt better to hold it. Helped her to visualize herself as a living weapon.

Taylor pointed the spear at Lung as she projected her voice across the water.

"Too long has your evil gone unchecked," she yelled over the roar of his flames and the wine-dark ocean. "Too long have you made this city your lair."

"'en 'oo will BURN!" Lung roared, white hot flames spilling off of him and superheating the metal around his feet.

"I AM THE QUEEN!" Taylor screamed back at him in defiance, her voice taking on the same double timbre she noticed earlier, mechanical and echoing undertones shaking the foundation of the world.

"And I will not fall to the likes of you," she hissed coldly.

As one, she and the dragon closed the distance between them, metal protesting and groaning from the forces applied as they flew towards one another over the iron plain.

Taylor sealed her jaw in crystal as she entered his flames.

She would have laughed, if she still had a mouth.

Lung was strong, but he was also slow, compared to her.

His burning fist flew forward fast enough to blur the air, but with Khepri's processing power directly wired into their crystalline brain, he may as well have been drunk.

Taylor planted her heel into the metal hull and used the momentum to spin her body under his swing, whipping her spear around to stab clean through his leg and into the rusted steel beneath.

Lung's roar of agony was music to her ears.

If she had still had ears.

He brought his arms together over his head and tried to smash her into the ship, but she was already moving.

Taylor used the leverage of the planted spear to swing herself around and behind Lung before ripping it free, the spear retracting back into their body with a shower of boiling blood as she began to process the depth of her malleability.

Lung slammed his arms down into the hull beneath them and the metal burned bright as heat rippled the air around him.

Heat that could not touch her.

Throwing her arms out to either side, Taylor let her prismatic form extend and stab deeply into the container ship before wrenching herself downwards at blinding speed, driving her armored heels into the back of Lung's head and sending both of them careening downwards through the twisted metal into the cargo hold below.

They landed with a splash and a hiss of boiling seawater in the half-submerged hold. Taylor skidded across the floor in a tight circle to face her enemy, the spear reappearing in her hand as Lung hauled himself upright in the thigh-deep water.

Taylor reformed her jaw and mouth out of crystal.

"Is that all, Dragon of Kyushu?" She yelled, her voice echoing in the hollow space.

Lung roared back as his transformation accelerated, metal engulfing and consuming his flesh while his flames vaporized the water around him.

Taylor threw herself towards him in an explosion of boiling sea.

Just like during her spar with Victoria, what felt like plenty of time to her was only the slimmest of moments for him, and she caught a brief glimpse of his rage-filled eyes before her fist crashed into his jaw.

Lung's head snapped to the side and his body was thrown in a flat spiral through the hold, skipping across the water like an especially angry stone. He smashed into the far wall over a hundred yards away, leaving a superheated indent in the rusted iron.

Unlike Victoria, Taylor didn't have to hold back, and she didn't have to wait a few seconds between blows.

Even as he flew, Taylor used one hand to wrench herself back to the watery floor. By the time Lung impacted the far wall, she was already pushing off after him, leaving a crater in the metal behind her.

Her shoulder plowed into Lung and drove him deeper into the side of the ship, his frustrated scream turning into a pained wheeze as his ribs cracked in the damp cavern.

Spinning away from a clumsy swing with his clawed hand, Taylor braced her feet against the indented metal and drove her hand downwards into his chest.

Part of her cringed as she gripped his rapidly expanding sternum in her claw. She fed that squeamishness to Khepri.

With a resonating yell, she used her grip on his bones to heave the dragon clear across the cargo hold, his flaming body tumbling through misty air and smashing into the far wall with an almighty crash.

She leapt after him and landed hard on the submerged floor, water churning into rippling waves as Lung collapsed out of the indent in the wall and stood to face her.

"Give me MORE!" Taylor roared at him as he glared at her through slitted eyes. His skull was mostly transformed now, his jaw thick and elongated. Her enemy now stood at a solid twelve feet tall, the water barely reaching his knees.

He lunged at her with blinding speed, but he was still too slow.

Taylor ducked under his attack and planted her feet in the steel floor. In one smooth motion, she summoned her spear and launched them both into the sky with all her and Khepri's combined strength.

All of their strength, it turned out, was quite a lot.

Her living weapon skewered Lung through the chest and rocketed them into the cold night air. Boiling water and blood fell off of them like rain as they ascended, the dragon's agonized roars echoing across the water.

Good, Taylor thought. Let them see.

She ripped the spear free again and spun in the air, kicking Lung hard under the chin and sending him even higher while she began to fall back to earth.

She wasn't done with him yet.

Taylor threw one arm out and skewered Lung through his stomach, her gauntleted hand gripping his spine in a crushing grasp as she twisted herself back towards him, his greater mass acting as an anchor while she drove her feet into his chest with a sickening crack.

Molten blood fell in a deluge beneath them as they tumbled and fought.

Taylor released her hold on his spine and retracted her hand, bringing both arms up to grip the sides of Lung's head in her armored gauntlets.

The twin burning white holes in the world where her eyes should be bore into his maddened gaze.

"Where are your wings, dragon?" Taylor hissed out of her crystalline jaw. "I thought you were going to make me BURN!"

With that final yell, she let go and headbutted him with a resounding crunch that knocked his limp body back towards earth.

Halfway to the ground, a pulse of fire and heat exploded from Lung's body.

With a roar and an almighty tearing rip, great silver wings erupted from the dragon's back and he turned his fall into a loop with surprising agility.

Lung roared again and pulsed his powerful wings, driving himself upwards with claws and fangs extended.

The bigger they are, the harder they fall.

Taylor fell towards him as he lunged up at her.

She cocked an arm back and channeled her power into it as she increased her fist's mass and density with every moment she fell.

The rippling, prismatic glow lit up the night.

Her roar matched the dragon as she bought her unshackled might down on his beastly jaw, a thundering BOOM echoing across the city.

Despite his significantly increased size, Lung rocketed from the sky in the blink of an eye, launched from on high and sundered against the steel hull of the ship far beneath.

His body left a massive smoking crater in the rusted vessel, waves rippling out into the bay from the force of the impact.

Taylor righted herself as she tumbled through the air, arching to land with a shuddering crash on the other side of the broken boat.

She stood tall and turned towards her enemy. Across the watery expanse of metal, Lung wrenched himself free of his crater, flared his wings and taloned forelimbs wide and roared.

…

Armsmaster stared across the bay from the elevated platform of the Rig.

He and the rest of the ENE Protectorate stood at the ready on the open metal landing.

The flames from the Graveyard lit up the night.

Assault sidled up next to him.

"Should we… uh… do something about that?" Ethan asked.

Colin was conflicted.

On one hand, it was their duty. To keep the peace and fight against the villainous elements within their city.

But…

None of his countermeasures were designed to work correctly when Lung was ramped up to this degree.

None of the Protectorate would consider fighting the dragon directly at this point. It was long past time that they would have cut their losses.

This was the monster that fought Leviathan.

And all he could do was hope.

"No," Armsmaster said. "Prepare for damage control if the fire spreads, or if their battle moves to a populated area. Ensure that the PRT is on standby for containment and confinement when she's done. But until then…"

He glanced at Hannah.

"We'll just have to trust her."

…

Taylor launched herself at the beast with reckless abandon.

Now was the time that she had to beat him. Everything leading up until now was just to reveal the beast within, to show the caliber of enemy she faced.

The stage was set. All she had to do now was win.

Her biggest challenge was momentum. She could only hit as hard as her leverage allowed, and she couldn't fly.

With that in mind, she imagined her body with a great spear in hand again, part of her and connected with her as she became the living weapon.

Khepri calculated their trajectory with ease as they closed in on the dragon.

With a spinning throw, she launched a blade of self clean through Lung's neck and into the buckled metal below, using it to pull herself downward to strike the dragon across the maw with brutal force.

He staggered and swung a massive clawed paw at her, but he was just… too… slow.

Taylor ripped the spear free and launched herself upwards, the metal under her bending and protesting as she drove her shoulder into the beast from below.

The sea boiled around them and the air rippled from the heat, but neither helped the dragon as she beat him to a bloody, twisted pulp.

Blood ran off her gauntlets in rivers that dyed the black ocean crimson. She fed the horror to Khepri as she worked.

It almost grew monotonous as she fought, calculations and trajectories running on autopilot as she circled and broke him piece by piece.

Dodge. Crack. Leap. Crunch. Spin. Scream.

The floundering mess that used to be Lung writhed on the molten, steaming metal

Taylor drove her foot into his crushed spine and once again imprinted him into the steel beneath.

She looked up and saw a particularly brave news helicopter that dared to get close enough to see them amidst the flames and bubbling ocean.

Good. Let them all see.

Taylor braced her heavy boot against Lung's back and gripped one wing in either hand, her gauntlets extending into wicked claws so she could reach all the way around the base of each appendage despite the fact that the dragon's back was easily fifteen feet across by this point.

Letting loose a roar of her own and a terrible heave, she ripped off his wings with a sickening tear and a torrent of boiling blood.

Let them see what happens to those who challenge the Queen.

She looked down at her defeated foe with disdain.

He slowly began to shrink as he lost the battle to remain conscious.

Taylor briefly considered just tossing Lung's body across the bay to the Rig, but she wasn't sure if he would survive the journey in his current state. Plus, they probably had the shield up.

Should she drag him through the street and drop him off on the PRT's doorstep like she told her father she would?

Oni Lee appeared behind her.

Whatever he was planning stopped being relevant as Khepri ran through several calculations.

He needs to be able to see.

Taylor wasn't sure how she knew that.

In the split second after he appeared, before his brain could even process the scene in front of him, Taylor's form shifted.

Two thin spires of crystal erupted from her back and entered Oni Lee's eyes, hollowing out his ocular cavity before he could teleport away.

He would never teleport away again.

The prisms retracted and the suicide bomber fell to the ground screaming.

She casually kicked the grenade he dropped out over the ocean. A moment later, a muffled thump came from somewhere underwater.

"Well, I guess I have to call the PRT now. I'm not carrying both of them."

"[AGREEMENT]"

…

One of the many benefits of their symbiosis form was that blood didn't stick when she rebuilt her normal body.

A small army of PRT vans and countless agents milled around her, organizing the containment of Lung and Oni Lee. Taylor felt decidedly awkward standing amidst them with her arms crossed, hood down and unmasked. She fed the unpleasant feelings to Khepri.

She needed to make a new costume. The spider silk was a bit redundant at this point.

Taylor debated whether or not she should just go home without talking to the Protectorate. She didn't really know what there was to say.

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Fragile One."

She should have known that Victoria wasn't going to stay home. Although, at least she had waited until the fight was over.

"Taylor!"

She glanced up and barely had time to register the white and gold streak heading her way before she was tackled into a spiraling hug that knocked her briefly horizontal before Victoria flew upwards to return them upright.

If she were a normal human, the momentum and impact probably would have liquefied her organs. Luckily, she wasn't normal.

They hung in the air for a moment while Victoria squeezed the life out of her and babbled in her ear.

"Holy shit Taylor that was so stupid but fuck it was awesome you beat the ever living shit out of him holy fucking hell I was so worried and you're insane but that was so cool and-"

Taylor laughed quietly in her ear and would have returned the hug if her arms weren't pinned to her side.

"I'm happy to see you too, Victoria. I'm glad you enjoyed the show," Taylor said softly.

Victoria took a deep, shuddering breath and paused in her rambling.

"Right, yes, I'm happy you're okay," she took another breath. "You made Lung look like a pushover," Victoria looked Taylor over as best she could from her current angle, which wasn't very well considering she kind of had her pinned in a bear hug. "Did he even land a hit on you?"

Taylor chuckled.

"No. Fearsome though he may be, the dragon was too slow," Taylor grinned.

They floated in silence for another moment as the agents bustled about beneath them.

"Not that I'm complaining, but are you going to put me down?" Taylor asked.

Victoria blushed as she seemed to realize that she was sort of holding Taylor hostage currently.

"Oh! Right. Um, sorry. I… forgot?" Vicky said as she lowered them to the ground and released Taylor from her very comfortable prison.

Taylor didn't quite believe her this time either, but she smiled nonetheless.

"What happens now?" Taylor said as she looked around at the orderly chaos.

"You're asking me?" Victoria said incredulously. "No one knows what happens now, because no one has done this before. Lung beat the whole Protectorate team when he rolled into town, and you just took him apart on live TV. He's a Brute 9, and you beat him."

"I wonder if they'll increase my rating again," Taylor said with a grin.

Victoria still looked a bit worried as she met her gaze.

"Taylor, if they up you to a Brute 9… you do know who the other Brute 9 is, right?"

Taylor shrugged.

"I don't know, Alexandria? I wonder if I'll ever get to meet her," Taylor said, still not quite understanding Victoria's expression.

"No, Taylor. The other Brute 9 is Leviathan," Victoria said worriedly.

Ah. That explained it.

There was a pause as they both avoided the elephant in the room.

Taylor decided she may as well acknowledge it.

"Victoria… I'm going to the next Endbringer fight. I couldn't live with myself if I didn't try," Taylor said softly.

"I know," Victoria said with a sigh. "And part of me wants to see you do it, but… I mean, Lung is Lung, but Endbringers are Endbringers."

Taylor reached out and took Victoria's hand. It felt… nice.

"The Endbringers haven't acclimated to my bullshit yet," Taylor said with a slightly forced smile.

"They won't know what hit them," Victoria laughed.

…

Taylor slowed slightly as her house came into view in Khepri's senses.

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Negotiator."

"I wonder what she's doing here…"

Taylor could see her father in Khepri's senses, and he didn't seem upset or in trouble. He sat at the kitchen table while Negotiator sat in the living room, her legs drawn up to her chest.

Interesting.

Taylor skipped over the rotten step and walked through the front door, heading straight to the kitchen first.

"Hey, Dad. Late night?" She asked with faux casualness.

"I was up anyway, keeping an eye on the news. Good job, by the way," he smiled, but his eyes were still wary.

"Who's our guest?" Taylor asked as she started boiling the water for tea.

"She said her name is Lisa and that she's a… work friend, of yours," Danny said.

Taylor hummed noncommittally. There was a long silence while the water boiled.

"I guess I should see what she wants, then," Taylor said as she took her tea towards the living room.

Her father looked a bit worried but nodded anyway.

The blonde woman from the boardwalk sat curled up in an armchair, hugging her legs to her chest.

"Hello, Negotiator," Taylor said.

"Hello, Queen Administrator," Lisa said. "I need your help."

Very interesting.

…

Notes:

And so the dragon falls! This fight was fun, but it was starting to get to the point that it felt like it was a bit monotonous, so I thought... well, it probably feels that way to Taylor too. Oni Lee gets put down as an afterthought and Lisa shows up out of nowhere. Tune in next time for the aftermath and some fun interactions before we move on to the next interlude. Comments, Feedback, and Criticism are welcome and appreciated. I don't own Worm. Toodles!

Chapter 20: Commitment 5.3

Commitment 5.3

Taylor regarded the barely familiar parahuman in her living room with a speculative gaze. She took her uncertainty and awkwardness and fed them to Khepri. She needed to think clearly.

Lisa flinched.

I wonder what her power is.

Negotiator? Thinker maybe, or Master.

"There are potentially infinite people who could benefit from my help," Taylor said carefully as she took a seat on the couch and sipped her tea. "Why should I help you in particular?"

"I…" Lisa flinched again before speaking. "I know things… my power…" she trailed off before chuckling darkly. "I like to say that I'm psychic, but it's not exactly that simple."

Taylor wondered what would happen if a truly psychic cape tried to enter her mind. Khepri would probably eat them.

"Yes, I'm happy that I'm not actually psychic right about now," Lisa said with a half-hearted grin.

"You came to me," Taylor said flatly. "Explain your power, and why you need me. It's been a long night."

"My power functions like a form of cold reading. It feeds me information based on the world around me, sometimes making logical leaps that are impossible but somehow correct. It's not always right, but…" Lisa trailed off again. "At least, that's all I thought it did. Until I saw you."

Taylor nodded thoughtfully.

"The Boardwalk. I'm assuming that your power told you something rather unusual, which resulted in your reaction?" Taylor asked.

Lisa nodded.

"I'm still having to consciously restrain it. Every time I look at you, or think about you, it…"

"What does it say?" Taylor asked, leaning forward. Could the Negotiator be able to circumvent Khepri's restrictions?

"It says you're going to destroy the world," Lisa whispered. "It's screaming that you're going to end everything. And that's not even getting started on the fact that you could kill me with your pinky toe or that you have something inhuman following you around like a fucking puppy even though I can't actually see it, or any number of other things that my power's mad ramblings have spat out."

Taylor mulled over the revelations while Lisa ranted, letting her run out of steam as she thought through the implications.

She remembered the world ending in a golden cataclysm. It couldn't be a coincidence.

Could she trust the visions? Did she trust Khepri, or the eye in the dark that was both her and also somehow alien?

Taylor wasn't sure if it mattered, in the end. Either the world would end or it wouldn't, but she couldn't be afraid of acting due to the vague possibility of bringing about the very end she was aiming to prevent.

There were too many cracks in the world that needed to be healed as it was. It wasn't a matter of avoiding the metaphorical iceberg, so much as it was which holes in the sinking ship could be repaired to keep it afloat.

She would stay the course, and hope that the voice in the dark was as benevolent as it claimed.

"Unfortunately, you have looked into the abyss and cannot unsee what stared back," Taylor said slowly. "In addition to my other abilities, or perhaps as a source of them, I am a Trump. I can interface directly with your abilities, which is one of the reasons that your power insists that I am going to be the end of everything."

Lisa flinched again. Taylor assumed her power was still screaming.

"I can do this to you in an attempt to keep your power from spiraling, and by extension help you. I have no way of predicting what the consequences will be. Would you like me to do this?" Taylor asked.

She hadn't asked before talking to Hannah, but in her defense Hannah had brought it up first. She had asked permission before letting Amy touch her, even if she didn't exactly know what was going to happen. It felt like asking Lisa was the right thing to do.

Lisa just stared at her for a long time. Taylor idly wondered what her power was telling her, or if she had walled it off because of all the screaming.

"Are you going to… destroy the world?" Lisa asked quietly before chuckling darkly again. "I know that's an insane question to ask, just sitting here over tea, but…"

"I am going to save the world," Taylor said firmly. It was the first time she had declared something that… pretentious… out loud, but she remembered her vision of humanity's future and it was far brighter than anything the real world had offered in recent memory. "I believe that there is an existential threat we cannot see at this juncture, and I am hoping to become powerful enough to prevent it."

"You really believe that…" Lisa whispered with wide eyes. "You saw something…"

"Yes. I have experienced things that cannot be fully explained," Taylor met Lisa's eyes and considered her next words carefully.

"My biological brain was consumed when I first willingly entered into symbiosis with the inhuman construct your power sensed, then subsequently destroyed by Victor. Whatever I am, it is not the chemical reactions taking place within my skull."

Lisa flinched again.

"Oh, now you've really set it off. Okay, okay, I believe you, just… fix me, please!" Lisa said urgently.

Taylor nodded and reached for the connection into the unknown.

"[QUERY] Node Designation: Negotiator." Taylor asked the dark.

Connection Established.

"[QUERY] Data."

Just like with Amy's power, Taylor could feel the request for information. It was… bizarre, and not transmitted in words. It was just a raw communication of intent.

And like before, Taylor remembered her visions in the dark, the infinite tessellating ocean of mirrors. She focused on her belief that everything would end and her determination to prevent it.

"[QUERY] Data: Status."

A different type of request for information. Taylor wasn't sure how to answer that, but she remembered how the eye had told her that it was her, and she was it. That they were the Queen.

Her communication didn't take the form of those words, though.

"[STATUS] Host Connection: Active."

"[STATUS] Agency: Active."

"[STATUS] Sovereign Designation - Queen Administrator: Active."

There was silence as Lisa stared in frozen shock. Whatever her power was saying on her end, it was obviously very interesting.

Taylor focused on her vision of a brighter tomorrow. She asked what the point of it all was.

"[QUERY] Existence?" Taylor asked.

There was no response from the Negotiator.

"[QUERY] Significance?" Taylor demanded.

There was another moment of silence as Lisa fell into her gaze.

A new and decidedly strange feeling emerged from the dark.

"[QUERY] Network?"

"Trust me, Sarah," Taylor whispered in physical reality. "I will not lead you astray."

Lisa nodded.

"[AGREEMENT]"

Lisa gasped as the connection snapped into place and Taylor's sense of Self once again expanded. She could feel the connection to something Other, something outside herself that was both horrifying and beautiful.

"Woah…" Lisa said as she stared into space with wide eyes.

Woah, indeed.

"I can't…" Lisa shook her head and closed her eyes. "What the hell was that?"

Taylor leaned back and smiled.

"I already told you. I had a chat with your power. Sometimes things get a bit freaky when that happens," Taylor said.

"A bit freaky…" Lisa muttered. "Okay, my power isn't screaming anymore, and it's being weirdly… helpful? I don't know. I'll have to mess around with it."

Lisa sat up straight and stretched her legs for the first time since they started talking, leaning back and crossing her legs as she eyed Taylor warily over steepled fingers.

"I'm going to process all of this some other time, but in the meantime, I have a bit of a snake problem you may want to know about," Lisa smiled crookedly. "Given that you're set on saving the world and everything. Plus, I think you just claimed lordship over me or something? So you better take responsibility."

Taylor raised an eyebrow at her.

"Oh, and I guess I should probably mention that until five minutes ago I was also Tattletale, but I'm sure we can leave that in the past," Lisa smirked.

Taylor groaned internally. Victoria probably wasn't going to like this.

…

Lisa grumbled over her cup of coffee on the other side of the small kitchen table. Luckily, Dad was a good sport about Lisa crashing on the couch until they took care of her 'snake problem'. Unluckily (for Lisa), Taylor needed to talk to her some more before she left for school and Lisa still needed to sleep, unlike her host.

Taylor smirked ever so slightly as she sipped her tea. Despite the villain's supposed change in allegiance, Taylor was still a bit miffed at the position she had landed in.

It was partially her fault, but how was she supposed to know that the random parahuman was a villain? It was obvious in hindsight, but hindsight was 20/20.

"We are both aware that the unwritten rules are a thin layer of false civility designed to integrate parahumans into the public consciousness, but in this case they work in our favor," Taylor stated while Lisa studiously ignored her. "Once we take down Coil, Lisa Wilbourn will become your one and only identity. Whoever Tattletale was can't be traced back to you outside of Coil."

Taylor took another sip of her tea and considered her approach.

"No plan survives contact with the enemy," Taylor continued, "and Coil has the advantage as long as he is allowed to work in the shadows. While I'm at school, try and locate his base of operations and we can go knock down the front door tonight."

Lisa groaned and put her head on the table.

Taylor fished her flip phone out of her pocket.

"Load your current number in here just in case you need me, or vice versa. I'm assuming you got rid of any phones that Coil gave you?"

Lisa glared at her but took the phone anyway.

"Why is Glory Girl your only saved contact?" Lisa said incredulously.

Taylor fed the automatic embarrassment to Khepri.

"I don't like very many people," Taylor said flatly.

"Oh my god…" Lisa said as she finally looked up at her. "The most powerful parahuman on the planet… doesn't have a life?"

That was… true. It still wasn't polite to say out loud.

Taylor couldn't think of a good answer to that so she just raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, don't be like that, Tay-tay! Tell you what, we'll go shopping and get you all the latest spring styles that will magically solve your body dysmorphia issues and the kids at your fancy new school will love you in no time!" Lisa jabbered with obvious sarcasm.

That hit uncomfortably close to home, but Taylor had dealt with worse.

"Or I could toss you into the sun and be done with this whole inconvenience," Taylor said blandly.

"But you woooooon't," Lisa said in a mocking voice. "Besides, I'm sure Glory Hole would appreciate-"

Power flooded Taylor's body as the otherworldly glow lit up the small kitchen. Lisa cut off with a choked wheeze as Taylor dragged her over the table by the collar of her borrowed shirt, twisting and holding her upright with one clenched fist as energy sang from her core.

The empty holes in reality where Taylor's eyes should be blazed with ferocious light and her voice echoed with a mechanical resonance that scraped against consciousness like nails on a chalkboard.

"You will not insult Victoria in front of me." Taylor intoned as Lisa struggled to breathe, her green eyes wide and watering.

"Sorry-" she gasped through her partially constricted windpipe. "Please-"

Taylor threw her backwards into her seat harder than she intended, sending Lisa sprawling to the floor.

Taylor glared down at her from across the table as the glow faded and the kitchen returned to its previous quiet.

Lisa stared up at her with a conflicted expression.

"You need to keep that mouth of yours in check if this is going to work," Taylor said coldly. "Do not mistake my altruism for weakness."

The blonde stared at her for a moment longer before a crooked grin split her face.

"I was just going to say that Victoria would probably appreciate the view," Lisa said as she picked herself up and returned to her miraculously un-spilled coffee.

"What do you mean?" Taylor said suspiciously.

Lisa raised her eyebrows.

"Oh. Never mind then, nothing. This will be fun!"

Taylor narrowed her eyes at her frustrating house guest but decided to drop it and return to her tea.

She had enough things to worry about without Lisa's cryptic comments.

…

Taylor walked through the gates of Arcadia and had the sudden realization that everyone was staring at her.

Oh, right. Lung.

She had already forgotten that she captured the rage dragon and Oni Lee last night. Lisa was distracting, to say the least.

Taylor fed her discomfort at being the center of attention to Khepri and kept her gaze level. Let them think whatever they want.

Luckily, Victoria's resistance to awkward social situations persisted.

"There's the conquering dragon slayer!" Victoria said with a wide smile as she waved Taylor over. It was still a bit weird seeing her in jeans, but Taylor wasn't complaining.

Taylor smiled back automatically and walked over. Victoria was once again standing beside Amy and Error Boy.

She still needed to ask Victoria what his whole deal was.

"Good morning, Victoria," Taylor said warmly. She glanced at Amy and Er- Dean, giving a bit of an awkward wave. "Hey," she said, and cringed internally.

How do normal people do this every day?

Amy looked grumpy, but Dean seemed less standoffish today. He actually smiled at her.

"Good morning, Taylor," Dean said. "That was a pretty awesome show you put on last night."

Taylor still wasn't sure what to think of him, but it was nice to hear from someone who wasn't her father or Victoria.

"Lung needed to go," Taylor shrugged. "Without him and Kaiser around, the unpowered civilians and regular cops at least have a chance at keeping the gangs in check."

"Patrolling is going to be even more boring," Victoria said with faux anguish. "Who am I even going to fight now?"

"Uber and Leet?" Amy said sarcastically.

"Don't remind me," Vicky said with an eye roll. "They've been pretty quiet for the last few weeks and they can stay that way, thanks."

"Or, you could come help me take down Coil tonight," Taylor said casually.

Amy just sighed as Dean choked slightly and Victoria spun back to her.

"You found him? I thought he might have gotten a hint and left town when the other gangs collapsed," Victoria said.

"I've got… someone looking into it. Hopefully I'll have the location of his base by tonight," Taylor said with an internal cringe. She already hated having to dance around the Lisa issue.

"Who are you working with?" Victoria asked with a weird look.

"I'll introduce you this afternoon," Taylor said, feeding her abject terror to Khepri as they started walking towards the main building.

"This is going to blow up in my face, isn't it?"

"[CONFIRMATION]"

…

Notes:

And the Queen's network starts to form! I know its a bit sudden for Lisa to be the first to join the network, but she was just in the right (or wrong) place at the right (or wrong) time. Also, Lisa isn't magically a good person, she is just a person with functioning self-preservation instincts that is being fed info by the Negotiator. Well, mostly functioning self-preservation instincts, since she still just can't help herself. Interlude next time and then we get to the totally fine and not explosive first meeting of Lisa and Vicky in this universe.

Comments, feedback, and criticism are welcome and encouraged. I don't own Parahumans. Toodles!

Chapter 21: Interlude 5

Interlude 5

Director Emily Piggot took a rare moment to stand and stare out over the early morning skyline of Brockton Bay from her office window.

She should have gone home hours ago, and the ache in her legs and kidneys proved it.

Still, it wasn't every night that the last local parahuman threat in the city was processed and contained.

Emily sighed. She had decidedly mixed feelings about the whole chain of events.

A new hero with an unlikely combination of powers.

The established parahuman gangs, some older than her tenure as Director, torn apart over the course of a week.

She knew it wouldn't be that simple.

Other villains would see the city as ripe for the taking. Brockton Bay had always dealt with higher than normal numbers of parahumans, and Emily knew that all capes secretly craved violent confrontation.

They wouldn't be able to resist the siren song of an unbeatable opponent. Only a miracle would keep the city from becoming a warzone.

There was also said unbeatable opponent herself to consider.

Taylor Hebert, the Queen Administrator.

Overdramatic. Stubborn. Idealistic. Short-sighted and reckless.

But powerful and versatile, undeniably so.

Emily idly wondered if the Birdcage would hold her.

If they could even get her in there.

She didn't sleep. She didn't stop. The closest thing that they got to a reprieve from her antics was the time she spent playing make-believe with Victoria Dallon at Arcadia. Her sensory range was such that any attempt to ambush her was doomed to failure. Victor had done them a favor by ruling out assassination.

Emily hated the position she found herself in. Alexandria, Legend, Eidolon, Dragon; they all submitted themselves to lawful authority in some way, shape, or form.

Taylor Hebert pretended to, but she followed no one's commands except her own. It was only coincidence and her own flawed moral compass that kept her within the established guidelines.

And she was pushing it. She had permanently maimed Oni Lee. She had beaten Lung within an inch of his life and ripped his limbs off on live television. She tossed Kaiser out a window while he was operating in his civilian identity.

It was only the good-will that she had accumulated that kept her from being decried by the public. That, and the propaganda campaign that the PRT was sponsoring to shore up public opinion of both the Queen and the Protectorate.

In doing so, they prevented public panic and increased their standing. Unfortunately, they also tied themselves even more closely with Taylor Hebert.

Emily hated the lack of other options available to her.

With every passing day, it became harder to tell herself that she would be able to divest the PRT of its partnership with the Queen Administrator if she crossed the line. Would they even know when they crossed the point of no return?

How long would it be before the PRT found itself operating at the behest of an independent parahuman with no reason for restraint?

Did they really have a choice?

…

Shadow Stalker ground her teeth together as her wrapped fists collided with the heavy canvas punching bag over and over.

It didn't quell the furious restlessness in her gut.

Being confined to base was hell. She was already going stir crazy and it had only been a few days.

She spent her time alternating between her room and the gym. At least exercising and practicing felt like it could eventually be useful, even if none of the others would spar with her anymore.

Not that she wanted them to. Fuckers.

Useless, the lot of them.

It showed too. She couldn't help but grin savagely as the Protectorate and Wards were forced to knuckle under and follow the beat of the Queen's drum.

The Queen Administrator was an apex predator that Sophia could respect. She hunted her prey with ruthless intensity and only restrained herself from killing because she was just that much better than everyone she challenged.

Sophia could watch the requisitioned security camera footage of her throwing Kaiser out the fucking window for hours.

It was even funnier because the PRT just let her get away with it.

Still didn't help the growing knot of frustration in her chest, though.

Shadow Stalker unwound the sweat and blood soaked hand wraps and took a cold shower.

The rest of the Wards were in school, so it was just her in the shared quarters.

She considered fucking with Chris' stuff just to start some shit. Anything to alleviate the boredom.

She didn't, though. No reason to give Piggy an excuse to fuck with her some more.

Flopping down on the couch, Sophia grabbed a tablet to see what shit Brockton Bay's newest juggernaut had stirred up last night.

She sat bolt upright and gripped the tablet hard enough to risk cracking it. She didn't care.

Right at the top of the report was an attached photo from the aftermath of Queen Administrator's fight with Lung. And in it…

Taylor fucking Hebert stood with her arms crossed, hair rippling in the night wind, her expression cold. No mask, no bullshit. Wearing Queen Administrator's armor.

No fucking way.

Sophia couldn't believe it. There was no way in hell that fucking worm…

She pulled up Queen Administrator's file.

Again, right at the top, bold as fucking brass.

Civilian identity: Taylor Hebert.

Status: Public.

What. The. Fuck.

Sophia scrolled back further to screenshots from the Boardwalk security cameras.

The figure was blurred, and their eyes shone white with eerie light, but now that she knew what to look for it was clearly Hebert. That pathetic, shitty little-

Except she wasn't pathetic, was she?

Hebert had beat Lung to a fucking pulp with her bare hands.

She carved out Oni Lee's eyes without a second thought.

She had ripped out Hookwolf's heart while Sophia watched from a rooftop.

Victor shot her fucking head off and she got right back up, hunted him down and broke his body before throwing his boss out a window.

The locker. Must have been.

Sophia couldn't quite decide how she felt about that.

She had accidentally created the most powerful hero in the city. All by trying to break a useless sack of shit because she was bored.

Well… shit.

…

Thomas Calvert was losing his mind.

He wasn't entirely sure that he hadn't already lost it.

His meticulous routines and planning had been thrown out the window entirely. He could barely dare to use his power without the risk of losing control of any given situation.

He had never considered just how much of a double-edged sword his abilities could be. Splitting the timeline was a massive boon when he controlled which timeline was chosen, and when to close the alternative, but rolling the dice…

It was worse than just living in one reality. Never knowing when the timelines might close, never knowing which one he may be stuck in at an inopportune moment.

Not even knowing if either of his timelines was an accurate representation of reality.

It was terrifying.

He had essentially stuck to one timeline for the last two days. Unfortunately, the PRT had their hands full so he was relying on his body double to relay commands and maintain his criminal empire.

Normally, he could do both simultaneously, and keep the timeline where he was most needed.

Now, he couldn't afford to be in his base if he was needed at the PRT. Of the two potential identities, he needed to keep his cover intact.

Plus, he couldn't afford to have a timeline collapse while he was in the middle of a criminal enterprise. He could potentially be cornered in his alter-ego with no means of escape.

So, it was with grinding teeth and a heavy heart that Thomas Calvert got up, ate breakfast, and drove to work like a normal person.

He arrived in his spartan office and booted up his standard PRT computer.

Queen Administrator was at it again, this time taking down Lung in a grand spectacle.

Thomas couldn't tell if Taylor Hebert was more shrewd than she appeared or just stupidly lucky.

He paused right before he was going to close the precocious hero's file and move on to more important things.

There was something there. Something he was missing.

He opened the detailed list of her exploits.

Taylor Hebert's first fight with Hookwolf had been on Saturday night.

His power had first malfunctioned on Sunday.

Could they be related?

It was close enough to be more than a coincidence. Two rogue elements showing up almost simultaneously.

Thomas pulled up a recent addition to the file, an interview with Dean Stansfield from yesterday afternoon.

He reported that he witnessed some kind of power interaction between Taylor Hebert and Amy Dallon. Queen Administrator stated that her power was directly communicating with the other.

Was Queen Administrator somehow adjusting the information required for his power to work correctly?

And if so…

What could he do about it?

He pulled up another audio recording in her file.

"The destruction of my body is insufficient to end me."

How did one go about killing the unkillable?

While he worked through his standard workload as PRT consultant Thomas Calvert, Coil began to scheme.

…

Amy Dallon discreetly watched her sister chat and laugh with the newest addition to their lunch table.

She couldn't decide what to think about Taylor Hebert. The Queen Administrator.

Nazi-puncher, Tank-buster, and Dragon-slayer extraordinaire. Not to mention the indescribable sea of starlit mirrors or the inhuman presence that occasionally stared out of Taylor's eyes.

Also, apparently, Vicky's new best friend.

Her sister was outgoing and social; it wasn't necessarily out of character for her to make new friends and latch on to them tightly.

Taylor did look a bit out of place though, her baggy jeans and dark hoodie an outlier in Vicky's brigade of Arcadia's most popular and powerful.

But…

Victoria seemed to grab onto Taylor's hand an awful lot, when it wasn't strictly necessary.

She hugged her more often and more readily than anyone else, and held on tighter and longer. Amy still remembered Taylor's expression when Vicky whispered in her ear while she held her yesterday.

Even now, as Amy stared at her out of the corner of her eye, Victoria tucked a loose strand of hair that escaped from her ponytail behind one ear and leaned forward with a smile to demand Taylor's opinion on a random question about parahuman theory from her university class.

Amy was used to this kind of behavior when Vicky was in an 'on' phase with Dean (the bastard) but it was odd to see out of that context. Plus, Vicky was always the strong one between her and Dean, in personality and body.

Maybe her sister enjoyed being around someone stronger than her?

Did her sister… like Taylor?

Amy couldn't tell if that was better or worse than her usual brand of disappointment.

It was absurd to think that her sister might also like girls, but just… not her.

Her gut twisted at the look of fond indulgence in Taylor's eyes as she leaned over and squeezed Victoria's hand for whatever reason, making a low comment that only Vicky heard and sent her sister into a fit of laughter once again.

Worse. Definitely worse.

…

Lounging on a comfortable couch in a well-kept farmhouse that was not his own, an impeccably groomed man flipped idly through the available TV channels.

It was a pity their hosts hadn't sprung for the deluxe package.

He paused for a moment and considered the current news story from the other side of the country. A hero in scintillating blue-green armor fought a shining silver dragon amidst a graveyard of molten metal and boiling seawater.

The hero moved faster and hit harder than any cape he had seen before, save perhaps Alexandria.

She brought the dragon low in a beautiful dance of death that left her prey a quivering mess of tenderized meat.

There was something about her that was… enticing.

Interesting.

He mulled over the potential outcomes.

"Ned," he called to the beast currently languishing in the garage. "I've got a treat that I think you'll enjoy."

…

Notes:

Quick interlude before we jump back to Taylor and Victoria. Piggot is frustrated. Thomas even more so. Sophia finally notices. We get a peek at what Vicky and Taylor look like from Amy's perspective and another person who sees the obvious before Victoria or Taylor notice. New threats loom on the horizon while Taylor is busy worrying about Lisa.

Comments, reviews and feedback are welcome and encouraged. I don't own Worm. Toodles!

Chapter 22: Dilemma 6.1

Dilemma 6.1

Despite continuing to feed her anxiety to Khepri, Taylor's stomach was in a knot by the end of the day.

She couldn't help but run through scenario after scenario of discussing Lisa with Vicky.

What am I even doing?

The lines had always been clear before. Go after the worst of the worst. Take down the gangs that were unequivocally harmful to the city and its people.

The Undersiders had barely registered on her list of targets.

Similar to Uber and Leet, they were obviously villains and criminals but they weren't really her concern. If she stumbled across them in the middle of a crime she would certainly take them in, but they just weren't worth hunting the same way she did the Empire or the ABB.

Until, of course, she somehow ended up responsible for one of them.

Part of her hated Lisa for putting her in this position. Taylor knew that the blonde didn't exactly have a choice after her power went haywire, but that didn't absolve her of her past choices. It didn't make it easier to disappoint Victoria.

The end of the school day finally arrived and Taylor followed Victoria and Amy over to the hospital.

The glow from Taylor's eyes and core faded as she leapt from a nearby rooftop and landed in the parking lot.

"See you later, Ames!" Victoria called as her sister walked towards the staff entrance. "Just shoot me a text if you get done early."

Amy gave a quick two-fingered wave.

"Don't get into too much trouble without me," Amy said to Victoria with a half-smile. The healer's face fell slightly as her eyes landed on Taylor and she stalked towards the doors without another word.

Taylor wasn't sure if Amy liked anyone besides Vicky, but she was pretty sure that she didn't like her.

Considering who she was dragging Victoria to meet, Taylor couldn't quite blame her.

Speaking of which, she needed to call Lisa.

Taylor selected the only contact in her flip phone who wasn't Victoria.

"You know, texting is a perfectly acceptable means of communication. Actually, it's already outdated. Remind me to sign you up for Myspace," Lisa said in lieu of a greeting.

"Hilarious," Taylor deadpanned. "I have an address for you to meet us at. I'm bringing Glory Girl along."

"Of course you are," Lisa sighed. "For the record, I prefer that my bones remain inside my body, thanks."

"This is already going to be a bit of a stretch for her, and I don't need you making it more difficult than it needs to be," Taylor said as Victoria floated over.

"I don't know what you're talking about; I'm a delight," Lisa said.

"Keep telling yourself that," Taylor rolled her eyes and smiled at Victoria's concerned expression.

She told Lisa the address and hung up before the difficult Thinker could throw any more sarcasm her way.

"So what can you tell me about your new mystery partner?" Victoria asked as they walked across the parking lot.

Well, Taylor walked. Victoria hovered.

"She's the Negotiator, the parahuman from the boardwalk," Taylor said. That seemed like a good place to start.

"Oh! Nice, did she explain why she booked it?" Victoria asked.

"Yes, and it ties into why she's working with me," Taylor took a deep breath.

"Look," she reached out and took Victoria's hand to stop her. "There is a lot going on here, so please let me explain before you judge me too harshly."

"You're starting to worry me, Taylor," Victoria said with a frown.

I'm starting to worry me a bit too.

"Lisa, that's the Negotiator, showed up at my house last night. Her power was unstable, and it was partially my fault," Taylor started on the explanation she had rehearsed in class.

Victoria nodded but her frown didn't move.

"She specializes in gathering information, and her power started spitting out information about my abilities that was… concerning," Taylor continued. "She was able to discern things that I haven't told anyone. Things that could be important."

"Things you haven't told me?" Victoria asked slowly.

Taylor nodded.

"I haven't lied, but I also haven't been completely open. I'm going to fix that, once we get to somewhere more private, but… I trust you, Victoria. And I want you to be able to trust me," Taylor said quietly as she looked away over the parking lot.

"Still worrying me over here, Queenie," Victoria said.

"I'll get to all of it eventually, I promise," Taylor said. "But for now… I offered to use my Trump ability to fix Lisa's power. I mentioned communicating with Amy's power yesterday, and this was similar but just… more in depth."

"That is… wow, I mean, I know your powers are bullshit, but directly influencing other parahumans' powers is big, Taylor," Victoria said.

"I know. Regardless, I managed to resolve the power issue, but I also somehow linked Lisa to my power. I can feel the connection to her, even now. I didn't… necessarily intend for that to happen," Taylor sighed.

"That sounds… Taylor, do you have a parahuman Master power on top of everything else?" Victoria asked warily.

"No! At least, I don't think so? I guess it's sort of hard to tell the difference between a Trump and a Master when it comes to influencing parahumans, but no, Lisa isn't under my control or anything. She would be a lot less insufferable if she was," Taylor ended with a dark chuckle.

"Okay…" Victoria said, although she still looked unconvinced.

"The good news is that she is on our side now. She has information about Coil, and her power will definitely come in handy later. You and I are good at a lot of things, but you can't deny that having Thinker support would be useful," Taylor said.

Victoria frowned again.

"What do you mean she's on our side now?" Victoria asked.

This was going to be the hard sell.

"So," Taylor started, "you know how cops have CI's and the PRT cuts probationary deals, right?"

"Taylor…" Victoria said

"Look, Lisa may or may not have done some less than legal things in the past, but technically, it wasn't her who did those things. Lisa Wilbourn hasn't committed a crime aside from a small amount of identity fraud," Taylor said quickly.

"And what about if we aren't talking about 'technically'?" Victoria asked with a dangerous tone.

"Well, technically, Tattletale has done some not-so-great stuff, but that definitely wasn't Lisa," Taylor said guiltily.

"You-" Victoria said louder than she intended before looking around and leaning towards Taylor. "You're working with fucking Tattletale?" She hissed.

"Lisa isn't technically Tattletale, and there isn't exactly any evidence that she ever was…" Taylor trailed off. It sounded bad, even to her.

"Stop saying 'technically'," Victoria growled. "This is… I'm not okay with this, Taylor. We can't… she's a villain! So what if she's not fucking Kaiser, she's still part of the problem!"

"I'm not happy about it either," Taylor defended quietly, squeezing Victoria's hand to keep her from pulling away. "I don't know if I made the right call or not, but I can't afford to second guess myself now. I couldn't not fix Lisa's power after I was part of the reason that it turned against her. I can't just turn her over to the PRT now."

"Why not?" Victoria asked harshly. "You don't owe her anything, especially after you helped her. Did she tell you who she was before asking you to fix her?"

"Well, no…" Taylor said. She held up a hand to cut Victoria off before she could start ranting. "But, she's… she's going to help me save the world. And I need all the help I can get."

There was a beat of silence as Victoria froze.

"Save the… Taylor, I know we're trying to help Brockton Bay, but…" Victoria seemed at a loss for words.

"It's more than that. I'll explain more later, although I also don't understand all of it, but…" Taylor paused to gather her thoughts and feed her knot of anxiety to Khepri. "I think we need her. And the PRT can't be trusted with this kind of thing. There's a reason I'm an independent."

"But you think a villain can be trusted with it?" Victoria asked incredulously.

"Former, hypothetical, villain," Taylor said, although that sounded weak. "But weirdly… yes. Lisa knows the stakes, and her power has told her just how important our goals are. She heard the truth from her own power, and I can trust her to act in accordance with her self-preservation instincts. Most of the time."

Taylor muttered that last part.

"Why does she get to know the stakes while I have to drag every tidbit of bullshit out of you?" Victoria asked, keeping her face blank but seeming a bit hurt underneath.

Taylor sighed.

"I didn't exactly tell her by choice. Her power sussed it out without asking and then had a meltdown of epic proportions and caused this whole mess. And… I was going to tell you. I am going to tell you. I just… hadn't gotten around to it yet."

Now it was Victoria's turn to sigh.

"I… I'm not happy about this, Taylor. I really want to trust you, and I do, but… I don't like this. I'll withhold judgment until we can talk more about this 'save the world' thing, but if I think it's necessary, I'm dropping her at the Rig," Victoria said flatly.

"You're the one who said we can't go after capes out of costume unless they break the rules first. Tattletale isn't putting on the costume again, ever. And if she does, I'll drag her to the PRT myself," Taylor said. She was tired of this, of disappointing Victoria, of trying to balance on a moral tightrope with sheer drops on either side.

Victoria scowled for a moment before taking a deep breath and putting on a crooked grin.

"How dare you use my own logic against me," she said as she squeezed Taylor's hand and elbowed her gently.

"It's not my fault that you're so smart," Taylor said with a relieved grin.

Victoria's smile became a bit more genuine and she turned to face Taylor while releasing her hand.

"So… ready to save the world, I guess?" Victoria said.

"Yes, we're-" Taylor cut off with an involuntary 'urk' as Victoria scooped her up into her arms.

"You know that I can keep up with you now," Taylor said as they gained altitude.

"Where's the fun in that?" Victoria asked over the wind.

Taylor decided not to complain and just enjoyed the view and the feeling of Victoria holding her tightly against her.

"Head towards the Docks," Taylor pulled herself up to say into Victoria's ear. "I'll guide you in once we get closer."

Vicky briefly tightened her grip as they soared north over the Boardwalk.

…

At Taylor's direction, they landed beside the abandoned gym she had scoped out last week. Her father had agreed that it looked like a suitable base and even helped with the paperwork involved. Apparently he sent an email to the overseas investment company that technically still owned the land with an official-looking notice that his 'associates' would be entering the property to 'take photos', and they replied with a generic form letter that didn't necessarily strictly prohibit them from doing so.

It was good enough for Taylor. She hadn't been planning to ask.

She hadn't actually had a reason to use her lair yet, anyway.

The door hinges were rusted and squeaky as she led the way inside.

The huge empty space wasn't exactly nice, but it was clean. An army of cockroaches could scour a building to a decent level of cleanliness pretty quickly, and the brick walls and metal roof were pretty solid.

Taylor still wasn't sure if she would make use of the space consistently, but it was good to have somewhere to talk that wasn't her house.

She turned and was about to start her explanation to Victoria when the door creaked again.

"You know, as lairs go, I give this an unfortunate two out of ten," Lisa said as she strode in. "No cable TV or laser security turrets. Honestly, I expected more from you, Tay-tay."

Taylor just rolled her eyes.

"I'll look into the laws about installing autonomous defenses. Besides, it's not like I've actually needed this base yet."

There was an awkward silence while Victoria and Lisa stared at each other.

"Lisa, I'm sure you've heard of Victoria, my, um, friend. Victoria, this is Lisa," Taylor said. She chewed her lip and sent more worry over to Khepri to snack on.

"Sup, Glory Girl! I have, for better or worse, been relegated to the role of our Queen's wisecracking squire," Lisa said with obviously false bravado.

Victoria narrowed her eyes.

Lisa sighed.

"Of course you told her. I don't know why I'm surprised. What did you say just this morning about no one knowing about my connection to You-Know-Who?" Lisa said with a long-suffering expression.

"I won't-" Taylor started.

"Yes, yes, you won't lie to your precious Victoria, yadda yadda yadda. But consider how much more convenient it would be if you did."

Taylor ground her teeth.

"You're sure we can't just drop her at the Rig?" Victoria asked with a similar expression.

At least she didn't have to deal with Lisa's snark alone anymore.

"Unfortunately," Taylor sighed.

"I'm sure you'd miss me in no time," Lisa said with a smirk.

"Keep telling yourself that," Taylor said. She took a deep breath. "Anyway, let's talk 'saving the world'."

Lisa raised her eyebrows and Victoria turned to regard her seriously.

"When Victor shot me-"

Victoria flinched.

"-I experienced something that I can only assume was a direct communion with my power, although I don't think it's quite that simple. For most people, it seems like their power is sort of… separate? From the parahuman in question. Like, Vicky, your power is designated as Fragile One, but you are not necessarily designated as Fragile One."

Victoria frowned and nodded.

"For me, something is different, although I can't really explain how. My power is me, and I am my power. It's how I was able to return despite my brain being destroyed, and it's the source of the energy within my core."

Taylor paused and tried to think of the best way to explain the next part.

"While I was… discorporated, for lack of a better word, I saw things that I can't fully explain, but I believe to be true."

She took another deep breath.

"I saw the world destroyed in golden light, rent asunder and cast into the void. I know that this is inevitable, if I do not prevent it. I saw a potential future where I am able to fix the foundational cracks in the world, and allow humanity a chance at a brighter tomorrow."

Taylor knew that she must sound insane.

Victoria was staring at her with a weird expression.

"That sounds… I feel like I shouldn't believe you, but I still kinda do? When you came back, that night, you spoke to me but also… didn't? It was freaky, and at the time I was just really happy you weren't dead, but…" Victoria trailed off.

"There's something…" Victoria looked unsure for a moment before her expression hardened. "Taylor, can you… talk to my power? Like you did Amy's? I can feel… I don't know."

"Um…" Taylor bit her lip. "Yes, although I don't know what will happen. These things don't seem predictable."

"I think… I think you should," Victoria said with an uncertain tone.

Taylor stepped over so they were face to face and reached out through her connection to the formless nothing.

"[QUERY] Node Designation: Fragile One."

Connection Established.

There was quiet, in the dark. Not the incessant demand for information like the Shaper or the Negotiator.

Taylor sent out her own bid for data.

"[QUERY] Existence?" Taylor asked.

The answer was not in words, but it was a warmth that Taylor recognized.

"[CONFIRMATION] Host: Victoria Dallon."

Taylor couldn't help but smile.

"[QUERY] Significance?" Taylor asked, looking up at Victoria's sky-blue eyes.

"[CONFIRMATION] Host: Victoria Dallon."

The shared warmth bloomed in Taylor's chest and she sent her own memory of the cherished feeling into the space between spaces.

"[AGREEMENT]" Taylor said.

The last time she did this, the Negotiator had reached out to ask for a connection. This time, Taylor extended what she hoped was a gentle hand into the dark.

"[QUERY] Network?" Taylor asked.

In physical reality, Taylor reached forward and ran her hand softly over Victoria's cheek. She suppressed a laugh at the fact that even now, Vicky was floating so that she was the same height as her.

Vicky's mouth fell slack and her eyes widened as her cheeks flushed under Taylor's fingertips.

She was very warm.

"Do you want to save the world with me, Victoria?" Taylor said quietly, her eyes glowing with soft white light as energy sang within her.

Vicky nodded repeatedly. It was… cute.

"[AGREEMENT]"

Taylor's smile widened as she felt a new connection once again snap into place. Victoria's pupils dilated dramatically and she gasped as the endless ocean of brilliant prisms flowed between them.

"Do you remember?" Taylor asked with a smile.

"Yes," Victoria whispered as she stared back in wonder.

Taylor let her hand drop and stepped back.

She realized that she could feel the same type of energy flowing through the connection to the Negotiator and to Fragile One as she could from her own tether to the dark. Taylor decided not to use it unless absolutely necessary. She didn't know exactly what it meant, but she could guess from the context and it didn't spell anything good.

The glow around her faded and the warehouse was once again dim in the fading afternoon sun.

"Well, that wasn't super awkward or headache inducing for me at all," Lisa said sarcastically.

Taylor automatically shunted her surprise to Khepri to avoid being startled.

She hadn't exactly forgotten that Lisa was there, but… she kind of had, actually.

Victoria didn't have the advantage of an inhuman construct that ate her unwanted emotions, so she jumped in surprise and shot up another six inches from where she had previously been floating.

Taylor wasn't exactly sympathetic to Lisa's plight and just raised an eyebrow at her.

"I still haven't completely given up hope that Taylor will let me toss you across the bay and into a holding cell," Victoria grumbled as she glared at their morally ambiguous companion.

"Touchy, touchy," Lisa said. "You know, I had hoped that getting a power tune-up would get rid of the headaches, but no, heaven forbid that I catch a single break. The only change I've noticed so far is that it seems more cooperative about what advice it spits out."

"I don't know exactly how that aspect of my powers work," Taylor shrugged. "I don't think it's worth messing around with unnecessarily though. Weird things seem to happen when I speak to the dark."

"Right, that's not creepy at all," Lisa pinched the bridge of her nose and squeezed her eyes shut.

"Oh!" Taylor remembered the other secret she needed to update Victoria on. "I almost forgot! This is Khepri. Say hi, Khepri!"

The scintillating blue-purple-green beetle that had been sitting on Taylor's head for the previous conversation faded into view for the first time since the hospital.

Lisa and Victoria both stared at the little construct with varying degrees of shock, curiosity, and fear.

Khepri raised one spindly too-long limb and very deliberately waved at them.

"Okay, that's cute, but… Taylor, why do you have a robot spider on your head?" Victoria asked.

"I haven't quite figured it out because someone," she looked up at the construct that seemed to be doing its best attempt to look innocent of all wrongdoing, "won't tell me if they are an aspect of my power or what, but… Khepri is the source of my Changer form. It's also the source of my bug control and my parahuman sensory power. The only part of my power that seems intrinsic to me is my core and my ability to connect with other entities. I pull the energy from my connection to the dark and my other powers from my connection to Khepri."

Lisa was still frozen.

"What is it?" Lisa whispered, mostly to herself.

"I don't know," Taylor shrugged and Khepri bounced slightly on its perch amidst her curls.

"This…" Victoria looked a bit unsure, "is what let you beat up Lung like he took your lunch money?"

"Yep!" Taylor said with a fond smile. "We're a team! The Changer form isn't really a Changer form, that was just the easiest way to explain it. We combine our existence in symbiosis."

"Wow…" Victoria didn't seem entirely sure what to say. "That's… cool? I guess?" She shrugged.

"And now you're both caught up on all the secrets," Taylor said after a moment of awkward silence. "I get stronger by challenging more powerful foes, and coincidentally there are quite a few powerful villains that need to be punched. Are you ready to go snake hunting?"

Lisa finally shook off her shell shocked expression and grinned smugly.

"Coil may be a slippery bastard, but no one can hide from me for long," she smirked.

…

Taylor, Victoria, and Lisa looked down at the shabby storage facility and construction site from the top floor of a partially finished skyscraper. The lights of downtown barely reached their target and didn't penetrate the darkness far enough to reveal them in the empty construction project.

"Coil uses a frankly ridiculous number of shell companies and misdirection tactics, but several of the same groups that maintained the Undersiders' pay and documents also have ties to the investment firms that own businesses in this area, specifically this construction project that never seems to end and the storage facility," Lisa said, scrolling through pages on a smartphone that Taylor was pretty sure she didn't have this morning.

Lisa had been decidedly uncomfortable with being flown over here, but practicality had won out in the end.

"This is definitely the place," Taylor said as she looked through Khepri's senses into the labyrinth of tunnels and chambers below them. "The complex is expansive."

Much to Victoria's chagrin, they were once again dressed in dark hoodies and pants.

At least Lisa hadn't asked to wear her purple catsuit.

Taylor really should have Khepri make them spider silk bodysuits. Or figure out how to get a new costume for herself. Or both.

"One problem, though," Taylor said when she realized what was missing. "There are no Parahumans down there. I can sense a man in a bodysuit working in an office behind several layers of security, but he isn't a cape."

"No one really knows if Coil is actually a parahuman," Victoria said.

"I do," Lisa said with a scowl. "He's definitely a cape. Some kind of precog Thinker, although I've never managed to totally nail his power down."

"If he's a precog, he could already know what we're planning," Victoria said dubiously.

"You think I don't know that?" Lisa said with an eye roll. "Our Queen here was the one who decided to just knock down the front door."

"It's still our best option," Taylor insisted. "This is obviously a trap, but everyone knows the best way to handle traps is to spring them on your terms."

Victoria and Lisa both looked at her like she was crazy.

"Okay, my way of handling traps is to walk into them and see what happens," Taylor said with an involuntary grin at their expressions.

"You're sure that the connection with the beetle robot hasn't addled your mind?" Lisa said sarcastically.

"Nope! Not in the slightest," Taylor said. She was still in a good mood after getting all the secrets off her chest and connecting with Victoria's power.

Lisa groaned but Victoria was more used to her style of engagement.

"What's the plan then, Queenie?" Victoria asked.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but now that we know that Coil isn't actually here, I think you two should hang back," Taylor said. "The trap will either be bad enough that you would be in legitimate danger, or unexpected enough we'll need someone on the outside to pull me out."

"I need to be in there for my power to work properly," Lisa said with a frown. "I won't be able to warn you from out here."

"That's better than you warning me right before being liquefied by tinkertech acid or something," Taylor reasoned.

Victoria didn't look happy about it either, but she nodded.

"Let me clear the area and grab the fake Coil, and then you can come in and hack his computers or whatever," Taylor said.

"Fine," Lisa said, although she still didn't seem convinced.

"If you die, I'm blaming it on the reformed villain," Victoria said.

"I'll be right back, don't worry," Taylor said with a smile.

With one last look at her… friends?

She had friends. Plural. That was nice.

With one last look at her friends, Taylor leapt from their high perch and plummeted towards the underground base.

"Let's rock and roll, Khepri."

"[LIMIT BREAK] Symbiosis."

The poor mercenaries never knew what hit them.

…

Victoria wasn't excited about being left behind.

Mainly because she was left alone with Tattletale.

She felt like there were things she needed to say aloud, even if the irritating Thinker probably already knew what she was going to say.

"I know you're connected to Taylor or whatever, but I've got my eye on you. I don't buy this 'reformed' thing you're trying to sell," Victoria said.

"Of course you don't, hero girl," Lisa said with a smug smile. "If our lovely Queen wasn't the only thing standing between us and an untimely demise, I would be robbing banks and stealing candy from babies."

That didn't make Victoria feel any better.

"Just… don't mess with Taylor. She's… good, to the core. And she doesn't need you dragging her down," Victoria said with a glare.

"Ha!" Lisa snorted sarcastically. "It's cute that you think that. Regardless, I couldn't drag the Queen down if I tried, and the idea of her needing us is laughable."

Victoria narrowed her eyes further. She wasn't sure she liked that either.

Lisa glanced at her and the sarcastic smile dropped slightly.

"Look, it's better to be wanted than to be needed, right?" Lisa said quietly. "Take heart in knowing that she wants you. She chooses to care about you. She doesn't need you, or anyone, and that's a good thing."

Victoria looked down at the lights of downtown and the crater that showed where Taylor had plowed into the underground base and considered what the villain said.

She knew not to trust a Thinker, but what she said made sense in a weird sort of way. It wasn't the kind of relationship she was used to, but it was… nice.

A thunderous explosion blew the storage facility to smithereens and knocked Lisa sprawling. The buildings below and various pieces of construction equipment fell into the sinkhole that rapidly spread as the entire complex collapsed in on itself.

The half-constructed building shook, but at least it seemed like it was far enough away to avoid any risk of toppling.

Victoria stared in shock at the wreckage as Lisa pulled herself back up.

"She's probably fine down there, right?" Lisa said, peeking over the edge with her eyebrows raised.

…

Notes:

Lots of fun interactions this time around! Little bit of trouble in paradise, although not much in the grand scheme of things. Taylor and Victoria are closer than ever, even if they haven't put a label on it. Lisa does Lisa things. Coil does Coil things. All of the major secrets are out in the open, the ones that Taylor knows at least. Comments, Feedback, and Criticism are welcome and encouraged. I don't own Worm. Toodles!

Edit: Also, I legitimately thought Fortress Construction was canon until I was doing research for this and upcoming chapters. Weird how things spread in fanon.

Chapter 23: Dilemma 6.2

Dilemma 6.2

Lisa shivered as she hopped out of Victoria's arms as quickly as possible.

"You don't have to be so dramatic about it," Victoria said snidely. "No matter how much I want to, I'm not actually going to drop you."

She could have been nicer about it, but Taylor still hadn't reappeared.

"You don't have a voice in your head telling you just how easy it would be for your body to be folded like a pretzel and then drop kicked into orbit," Lisa said as she wandered towards the edge of the rubble.

Taylor's fine, Victoria told herself again. She survived Victor, Kaiser's steel, and Lung. A bomb probably wouldn't even tickle Khepri.

Sure enough, she was just starting to debate whether it was worth digging away at the debris when a patch of broken earth and buildings began to move.

A bent and twisted bulldozer emerged, followed by the iridescent claw holding it in place and Taylor's armored symbiosis form afterwards.

Victoria couldn't help but grin, despite the tight-lipped frown on Taylor's crystalline face.

She wondered if Taylor even noticed that she had stopped manifesting the faceless helmet, instead replicating an angular, prismatic version of her face and voluminous hair.

Over one shoulder, a tall thin man in a skintight bodysuit hung limp and unconscious. Under the arm that wasn't holding up half a building and a bulldozer, Taylor carried what looked like desktop computer towers, held in place by malleable crystal.

She tossed the debris and construction equipment aside and cleared the edge of the sinkhole in one efficient leap.

"You okay, Queenie?" Victoria asked as the knot of worry in her gut finally loosened.

"Yes," Taylor said flatly. Victoria could tell she was using her power to regulate her emotions. "However, the mercenaries that I left unconscious are not. The explosives were well placed and comprehensive. This asshole-"

She dropped the unconscious body double on the ground at her feet.

"-is the only survivor, and that's just because he was lucky enough to be in the same room as me when the bombs went off."

Victoria had trouble caring about the lives of villainous mercenaries, but she could see how it would be inconvenient.

Men screaming as they crawled away from her on broken limbs while blood stained the pavement-

"You can't always save them from themselves," Vicky said quickly, shaking off the repressed memories.

"I thought I could," Taylor said sadly as she handed the computers carefully to Lisa. The blonde staggered slightly under the weight that had seemed negligible in Taylor's prismatic arms.

Queen Administrator looked down at Lisa with her empty, blazing stare.

"This is an inconvenient time to explain your involvement," Taylor spoke quickly and commandingly, her voice cold and absent of feeling. "Take these and leave before the PRT arrives. Lay low and see what you can recover while I handle things here. We will reconvene to continue our snake hunt tomorrow."

She paused for a moment.

"It may be worth it to contact the Undersiders. Tell them that I'm going after their boss, and they should leave town if they want to avoid getting caught in the crossfire. That will also provide an explanation for Tattletale's absence."

Taylor turned back to Victoria.

"Take Lisa wherever she needs to go and then head home. Having either of you officially implicated with this incident will muddy the waters and make it more difficult for me to pressure the PRT into compliance," Taylor ordered.

Victoria wasn't sure if she liked this side of Taylor or not, but she nodded anyway.

"Ready for another joy ride, Negotiator?" Victoria said.

"Maybe you should just drop me and get it over with," Lisa muttered as Victoria scooped her up again.

"Don't tempt me," Victoria said. She much preferred flying with Taylor in her arms.

With one last conflicted glance at Taylor's tense and straight-backed form, Victoria took to the skies with her ungrateful passenger in tow.

…

Taylor fed the ongoing spiral of negative emotions to Khepri while she waited for the Protectorate to respond to the explosion.

She couldn't afford to second guess herself now.

It had never occurred to her that Coil would sacrifice his own men just to inconvenience her. The callus approach was grating, and brought to mind just how necessary her actions were, even if it was frustrating.

Anyone who was willing to kill their own people without a second thought needed to be removed.

A tolerant system must, by definition, be intolerant of intolerance.

Taylor wondered if he would disappear into the weeds like the snake he was, or if he would continue to hunt Lisa out of spite.

She wasn't sure which was preferable.

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Elusive Mind."

Velocity was on duty again?

The crimson clad speedster appeared next to her within moments of entering her sensory range.

"Queen Administrator," he said carefully.

"Velocity. We really need to stop meeting like this," Taylor said coldly. She kept the stream of emotions flowing through the connection to Khepri. It was easy, when they were joined like this, and she needed to focus.

It occurred to her that they hadn't met with the Protectorate in their symbiosis form before. It hadn't been a conscious choice, but it felt awkward to shift back now.

"We received reports of an explosion. What happened?" Velocity asked.

"I located and assaulted Coil's base of operations. I was able to non-lethally subdue his mercenaries, but before I could recover more information about his organization he detonated the extensive explosive charges hidden in the walls of the facility. They were packed tightly enough that my senses could not distinguish them from the standard infrastructure prior to their detonation."

With her mind accelerated by Khepri's processes, she considered several different angles simultaneously.

She could tell the PRT that she did not believe the body double to be Coil himself. They may or may not believe her, since she only had Lisa's word that this man was not the true villain.

Or, she could let the PRT think they caught him. Lisa said that Coil had moles deep within the PRT, and they would know that this was not the genuine article. The actual Coil may become easier to identify if he believed that he was no longer being hunted.

Except, Coil must suspect that Lisa had betrayed him. He would know that Taylor had not stopped hunting him, even if the PRT accepted the easy explanation.

If the PRT decided that this man was, indeed, Coil, it would make things both easier and harder in the long run. When she found the actual Coil, it would give her the option of simply making him disappear without alerting the PRT's suspicion, but would make it more difficult to actually apprehend him legally.

Even while actively sending all of her emotions for processing, Taylor wasn't happy with thoughts of premeditated murder. There were lines that should not be crossed unless absolutely necessary, and she would not cross them for convenience.

Taylor hated playing these games. She much preferred fighting villains like Lung.

Gesturing to the unconscious man at her feet, Taylor decided to let the PRT figure it out for themselves.

"I was able to recover the suspect alive. He is not a parahuman, and I suspect that he is not the real Coil. Even from my brief observations of his operations, I do not believe that he would commit suicide to avoid capture. It seems more likely that Coil set the explosives off remotely in order to cover his tracks," Taylor said.

There. She had told a logical facsimile of the truth. If the Protectorate came to their own conclusions, it wasn't her responsibility. If they decided to announce the capture of Coil, she would simply continue her hunt in the shadows and adjust her plans accordingly.

Velocity nodded but didn't comment.

"What about the mercenaries?" He asked warily.

"They are dead. The main holding area where I left them was completely obliterated by the explosives," Taylor said.

There was a long moment of silence while the two heroes stared over the wreckage.

Velocity twitched slightly and Taylor got the sense that he was receiving orders through an earpiece.

"Would you be willing to visit the PRT Headquarters or the Rig at your convenience to discuss this in more detail? The nature of Coil's organization and his deceased agents makes this a delicate subject."

That was… fair. Taylor wasn't happy about how this had unfolded, and the game she played with Coil did not allow for the same hard stance she had previously taken with the PRT.

"Yes. I will visit the Rig tomorrow. For the record, I am… displeased, with the outcome of my actions this evening."

That was the closest thing to an apology they were going to get from her, but she felt like it was necessary now that some of her enemies had actually died. Even if it wasn't by her hand.

Velocity nodded slowly.

With a sigh, Taylor dismissed the symbiosis and returned to her natural state.

She really needed to get a new costume. The armor was more trouble than it was worth and didn't exactly serve its original purpose.

It still felt weird, talking to the Protectorate without her mask.

"Do you have any more questions that cannot wait until tomorrow?" She asked Velocity as he cuffed Coil's body double.

There was a moment while he received further instructions.

"No. Thank you for your assistance, Queen Administrator," he said.

Taylor nodded and let the alien energy flood her flesh and blood body, her eyes once again glowing with radiant light and glaring cracks spreading across her body from her core.

She pushed off the ruined earth and soared in a high arc, landing lightly on the roof of one of the towers. Khepri perched lightly on her shoulder as she stopped for a moment to stare over the city.

"Are we actually making a difference, Khepri?" Taylor mused to her little partner.

"[QUERY] Significance?"

Taylor sighed.

"I guess you're right. We'll just have to keep doing our best, and hope for… well, the best."

She pondered her place in the city for a moment longer before pushing off again, leaping from rooftop to rooftop on her way back to the Docks.

…

Victoria rolled over in bed and once again grumbled about how unfair it was that Taylor didn't have to sleep.

Not that she could sleep right now, which was the whole problem. It added insult to injury that she still needed sleep, but couldn't fall asleep.

Her thoughts spun in directionless circles and inevitably landed back on her friend… teammate… whatever.

There was something there. Something she couldn't quite put her finger on.

Victoria's mind kept coming back to the look in Taylor's glowing eyes as she reached out to touch her. How her stomach had tightened and her heart sped in anticipation. The burning tracks that her fingertips had left on her skin.

It was more than just that, though.

Taylor was… indomitable. She moved and spoke in a way that Victoria had never experienced before. Not the artificial authority of the adults in her life and not the facade that some of her friends put up.

The Queen didn't hesitate to plant her feet and challenge anyone and everyone to move her, but she was also… soft.

Victoria didn't exactly buy Lisa's theory that Taylor didn't need anyone.

I guess it depends on your definition of 'need'.

Taylor didn't need anyone to survive. Victoria sometimes felt that Taylor would be the last one standing if the sun went out tomorrow.

But…

"Honestly, I just… I want you there with me, that's all," Taylor had said when she asked Victoria to join her crusade.

"Thank you… for being here," She had said on their first night of hunting.

Taylor needed people if she was going to thrive, rather than just survive.

And Victoria really, really wanted to be there with her.

Vicky always tried to look on the bright side. The world was a dark place and it got darker every day, but she had gotten good at putting aside the melancholy and smiling regardless.

When she held onto Taylor, that smile didn't feel so fake. It felt like things might actually be okay.

It took the pressure off, to have someone even more determined to save the world than her.

Just thinking about Taylor made her feel better. A warmth in her chest that wasn't easily extinguished.

She just wasn't sure what it meant.

…

Taylor spent the night at the abandoned gym, working with Khepri to continue to hollow out huge bug warrens beneath the area.

Her other powers had progressed substantially, but Khepri's bug control still remained an exceptionally useful talent.

She had moved a good chunk of her swarm over here to repopulate, and now had several production lines of black widows.

It would probably take a couple more days, but she wanted to have alternative outfits for Lisa and Victoria. They needed the bulletproof protection more than her.

While she worked, she mulled over her plans.

Brockton Bay was running low on major parahuman threats, but she was unsure about traveling to challenge other villains.

Maybe she should establish herself more firmly here, first?

That was easier said than done, considering that none of the villains she had gone after so far had bounties.

Maybe she should go after some villains with kill orders?

That also left a bad taste in her mouth. Defending her city was one thing, but she didn't exactly like the idea of becoming the PRT's unofficial attack dog.

Still, she hadn't been lying when she told Lisa that there was a long list of villains who needed to get punched.

The idea of returning to a normal routine like a normal teenager was… boring. She didn't mind going to school, but not having to sleep left her with a surprising amount of idle hours every day.

Maybe Lisa was right. She needed to get a life.

…

Taylor swung by the house before school to shower and change clothes.

She knew that Lisa had sarcastically offered to take her shopping, but Taylor kind of liked her lack of a mainstream style. Who cared what other teenagers were wearing, anyway.

Victoria didn't seem to mind.

Where did that thought come from?

She shook off the confusing thoughts and took off towards Arcadia, bounding with careful steps to cover half the city in just a few minutes.

At least there was less staring when she walked towards the building today.

Khepri ran through its normal process of identifying the Wards. It looked like Victoria and Amy hadn't arrived yet, so Taylor lingered in the courtyard.

It looked like Error Boy had the same idea. Taylor fed the mild horror she felt to Khepri when he wandered over in her direction.

"Morning, Taylor," he said with a yawn and a half-hearted smile.

"Good morning, Dean," she said.

Taylor still wasn't sure what she thought about him. He seemed close to Vicky in some ways, but held at an arm's length in others. She kept meaning to ask Victoria about him, but it just never seemed that important.

There was an awkward pause. Taylor reached out with Khepri's senses, hoping that Victoria would land any second. Unfortunately, she wasn't in range yet.

"So," Dean shifted a bit but soldiered on, "I've been meaning to ask, but it's kind of outside my comfort zone, I guess…" he trailed off.

Taylor raised an eyebrow at him. She felt like she was doing that more and more recently, but it was a good answer when she couldn't think of anything to say.

"You can sense parahumans, right?" He asked.

Taylor nodded.

"So you… know, right?" He didn't seem like he quite knew the right way to ask.

Taylor assumed that he was talking about his parahuman status, and not the weird error that his power returned.

"Yes," she said. "I know who all of the parahumans in the school are. Don't worry, I'm not about to out anyone for no reason."

"That's… good," Dean said with a smile as he deflated slightly. "I'm curious, though… do you know why I can't get a read on you?"

Interesting. She had some suspicions, but didn't feel like giving away too much to a Ward. Still, this might be an opportunity.

"Do you know why my power returns an abnormal error when I read you?" Taylor asked in lieu of answering.

Error Boy paled dramatically.

That's a yes, then.

Interesting.

"I wouldn't know," Dean said a bit too quickly. "You know your power better than me, of course."

"Hmmm," Taylor hummed noncommittally. "And I'm sure you know yours better than me, too."

"I guess…" Dean trailed off with a weird tone.

They stood in awkward silence for another few moments until her beautiful savior finally arrived.

"[ALLY DETECTED] Host: Fragile One."

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Shaper."

Well. That was interesting.

She hadn't noticed the distinction yesterday.

"Victoria isn't a threat now that she's joined us?" Taylor asked.

"[CONFIRMATION]"

It was a bit worrying that Khepri considered any parahuman not connected to her to be a threat.

Victoria set Amy upright and bounced over with a wide smile.

"Hey, Queenie!" She said with her normal exuberance, hugging Taylor around the neck and pulling herself up onto her toes.

The warm feeling returned and Taylor automatically wrapped her arms around the blonde's waist. She was used to Victoria hovering when she did this, so she kind of forgot about the height difference.

"Good morning, Victoria," Taylor said into Vicky's hair as she squeezed her against her gently.

Victoria shivered slightly and pulled back, grinning at her for another moment before she looked over at the boy next to them.

"Morning, Dean," she said before glancing between them. "Were you two… talking?" She asked with a weird expression.

"Dean was just asking about the sensory aspects of my powers," Taylor said with a knowing grin before Error Boy could answer.

Victoria looked back and forth again as her eyebrows shot up.

"Oh!" She said as it clearly dawned on her. "I… should have thought of that already. Huh. It's easy to forget how much normal stuff your power just throws out the window, Taylor."

"Normal is subjective," Taylor said. "And you're outside your bullshit acclimatization period, so you're supposed to be on top of these things."

"I'm not sure I'll ever be used to you," Victoria said with a warm smile.

Taylor's stomach clenched in a weird but generally pleasant way.

She liked the way Victoria's face lit up when she smiled.

"Are we going to go inside or not? It's fucking freezing, and some of us still get cold," Amy complained from behind Victoria.

Oh.

Right, they had kind of been ignoring Amy. Taylor needed to get better about talking to Victoria's sister. She was pretty sure Amy didn't like her as it was, and she didn't want to make Amy's initial opinion of her any worse.

Victoria obviously cared a lot about her sister, even if she was a bit prickly.

Taylor realized that her hand was still on Victoria's waist and she quickly pulled it back.

Vicky glanced down in surprise before smiling again.

"Sure," Victoria said, looking back at her sister. "We should probably head in before we're late again, anyway."

She reached out to take Taylor's hand and drag her along, and Taylor couldn't help but smile back.

…

"Oh, I forgot to mention earlier," Taylor started as she sat down across from Victoria at their normal lunch table, "I'm meeting with the Protectorate this afternoon."

There was a pause as most of the table stopped to look at her.

She sometimes forgot that normal people didn't just say things like that.

Luckily, Victoria was a pro at ignoring awkward social situations.

"They aren't giving you a hard time about last night, are they?" She asked.

"I doubt it," Taylor said with a shrug. "It's not like it's my fault that Coil decided to blow up his own base. Still, I'm hoping to smooth over some of the rough edges."

"You're not thinking about joining the Wards, are you?" Dennis said with a grin from down the table.

He thought he was clever. And he kind of was. Sometimes.

"No," Taylor said with a glance over at the undercover hero. "I'm sure that they're all extremely cool, but I have… let's call it 'issues with authority'."

"That makes sense," Dennis said seriously. "Vista over here, on the other hand, is an authority on issues."

Megan banged her forehead on the table overdramatically and Taylor turned her attention back to Victoria.

"Anyway, hopefully I can clear the air with Armsmaster and maybe even get some advice," Taylor said. "I'm not exactly sure what the best options are now that the Empire and ABB are in shambles."

Victoria nodded as she started on her lunch.

"It's really weird… a month ago, if you told me we were having trouble finding villains to fight, I would have laughed," Victoria said, shaking her head. "My biggest frustration was whether Mom would let me fight them."

She stared off into space for a moment.

"If you told me a month ago that I helped take down Hookwolf, Krieg, Kaiser, and the Merchants, I… I don't know what I would have thought," Victoria said in a bit of a weird tone.

Taylor hummed in agreement.

"I was thinking about asking Armsmaster if it would cause any problems if I went and beat up Nilbog," Taylor said casually.

Unfortunately, Victoria had just taken a sip of her lemonade, which she spit directly into Taylor's face.

Taylor blinked in surprise and let a bit of energy ping through her to heal the stinging acid in her eyes.

"Oh my god, I am so sorry but also what the hell, Taylor?" Victoria coughed out, handing Taylor a pile of napkins.

Taylor just laughed and shrugged as she cleaned up the unexpected drenching. Part of her flashed back to getting juice dumped on her at Winslow, but she fed that unpleasantness to Khepri before it could take hold. This was Victoria, definitely not the same thing.

"There aren't exactly any major villains to fight here, and I don't really feel comfortable hunting down the Nine or whatever, but Ellisburg isn't going anywhere," Taylor said. "I might see about reaching out to the Guild as well. I want to stay independent, but I hate the idea of becoming idle."

Victoria's mouth opened and closed a few times, but no sound came out.

"Regardless, do you want to give me a tour of the Rig this afternoon?" Taylor asked with a grin at Vicky's flabbergasted expression.

Victoria took another moment to recover before shaking her head fondly.

"Sure, Queenie. Sounds like fun," she said.

Taylor smiled.

"It's a date, then," she said.

…

Notes:

I'll happily accept any suggestions about Taylor's new costume. I have some ideas, including her just deciding to... not have a costume. The idea of a random teenager in a hoodie and jeans fighting S class threats is kind of fantastic, but I haven't decided yet.

The game with Coil is afoot. How will Thomas react this time...

More fun as Taylor and Victoria dance closer and closer without really acknowledging anything. Gotta love it. Being Amy is suffering.

Comments, feedback, and criticism are welcome and encouraged. I don't own Parahumans. Toodles!

Edit: Busy day on Sunday, so next chapter will go up on Monday instead.

Chapter 24: Dilemma 6.3

Dilemma 6.3

"I think I need to make some adjustments to my costume," Taylor said as she walked beside Victoria and Amy across the paved courtyard in front of Arcadia High School.

There weren't nearly as many stares as there were earlier in the week. Novelty didn't last for long, apparently.

Not that Taylor was complaining.

"Your armor's pretty awesome, even though I still say it's a bit edgy," Victoria said. "What kind of changes are you thinking?"

"I'm not sure," Taylor said with a shrug. "I originally made the armor when I planned to fight alongside the swarm, but now… it doesn't feel necessary. I can reform my body at will and transform if I need more power."

"I still don't get how you do that," Amy mumbled from behind them.

"Do you want another peek at my brain?" Taylor asked.

Amy shook her head emphatically.

"I don't know what the fuck you have going on in there, but once was more than enough, thanks," Amy said quickly, although her expression was a conflicted mix of anger and longing.

"Suit yourself," Taylor said. Whatever was going on with Amy, she didn't think that the healer would appreciate her trying to pry.

"Costume design is more important than it seems," Victoria said, glossing over Amy's comment. "You need to make the right kind of impression. Public image determines what kind of battles you get to fight, even if it doesn't necessarily help in the battles themselves."

Taylor nodded as she thought through the implications of that.

"I want something that says… this isn't a game. That my actions are more than a publicity stunt, and that all pretenses end when I enter the field," Taylor said slowly.

That sounded overdramatic, even to her.

"Being a public hero is also part of that," Taylor continued. "There's a reason I haven't bothered hunting down Uber and Leet, or Circus, or the Undersiders-"

Victoria flinched slightly at that last one.

"-they just aren't the type of threats I want to focus on. I want to fight the people who are an unarguable blight upon the world," Taylor finished.

Victoria looked Taylor up and down and started to smile wickedly.

"I have an idea, but it requires something truly horrifying," Victoria said.

Taylor just raised an eyebrow.

"We have to go… to the mall," Victoria said very seriously.

"I thought you were grounded?" Taylor said sarcastically.

"Mom forgot about that after the whole Krieg debacle," Victoria waved away her protests. "Amy, you coming?"

"To the mall. With you and Taylor. To find Taylor a costume?" Amy deadpanned.

"Yep! It'll be fun!" Vicky said, looking over at her sister with a grin.

Amy's face was once again conflicted as her mouth twisted in a line.

"Fine," she bit out in frustration. "But I'm not signing any autographs."

…

And so it was that Taylor found herself walking through a shopping mall in the Towers alongside an excited Victoria and a sullen Amy.

The stores here were certainly nicer than Weymouth. Significantly less gang signs too.

Although those were already becoming less common across the city.

"Okay, so this is kind of a stupid idea, but I think you'll like it," Vicky said as she bounced along.

"I don't know if I should be insulted or not," Taylor said with an indulgent smile.

Since it was Friday afternoon, the mall was fairly busy and they were able to blend in for the most part. The occasional passerby froze when they recognized one or all of them, but it was kind of nice to feel like a normal teenager for a while.

"First, we need to find you some jeans that fit," Victoria continued as if she hadn't spoken.

"What's wrong with my jeans?" Taylor asked.

"Nothing! It's just, they don't fit," Victoria said. "Not trying to encroach on your style, but they still need to fit properly."

"I don't see what my jeans have to do with my costume," Taylor said with a frown.

"Trust the process, Queenie," Victoria chirped as she took Taylor's hand and dragged her over to a department store.

Amy just scowled and followed along behind them.

…

"Weren't you the one telling me that my costume was too edgy?" Taylor said with a skeptical look at Vicky.

Victoria glanced back at her as she swiped her card for the pair of black jeans that she insisted fit Taylor much better than her old ones.

Taylor wasn't entirely sure about that, but they looked pretty good and they were just jeans, so whatever.

"You'll see. I still think you'll like the completed image. Hang tight for a bit," Victoria said.

Taylor wore her new acquisitions back out into the mall as Victoria continued to drag her along.

"Look," Victoria said as they walked. "You want your costume to be authentic. You like the idea of breaking the rules, and your power doesn't just break the rules but grinds the rules into itty bitty pieces and then sets them on fire. Plus, you're a public hero who's pretty much indestructible, so you're the only one who could get away with this."

Taylor just raised her eyebrows.

"Wait here. It'll be worth it, I promise," Vicky said before she marched off into a store that advertised tons of branded cape merchandise.

Taylor still wasn't sure where this was going, and now she was stuck alone with Amy.

The silence was definitely awkward. Taylor fed her apprehension to Khepri.

She had no idea how to address whatever Amy's problem was. Taylor didn't even know if it was with her, or if Amy was like this with everyone. She knew that just asking about it wasn't going to be a good start, but fake small talk didn't seem to be a good place to begin either.

So she just stood beside the shorter brunette in silence while she squirmed internally.

Unfortunately, it didn't seem like Amy was going to volunteer to break the ice anytime this century.

Taylor had a sudden thought that could be potentially manageable. Amy didn't seem to like Error Boy much either.

"This is a bit of a weird question, but do you know what's up with Gallant's power?" Taylor asked.

Amy glared at her out of the corner of her eye.

"What do you mean?" She demanded.

"So, my power lets me identify and get a basic reading on other parahumans, but Gallant just throws back a weird error, data corrupted thing," Taylor said.

Amy's expression relaxed slightly, although she remained her generally prickly self.

"No. He looks normal to me, unlike some people," she said.

"Hmmm…" Taylor hummed with a frown. "I call him Error Boy, in my head. Victoria would probably be annoyed with me for that, but I can't help it."

Amy coughed out a surprised and grudging laugh.

"Error Boy," Amy repeated with a dark chuckle. "Sure, that's… Whatever. Fuck him."

Silence fell between them once again, and Taylor counted that as a win. She didn't want to push her luck.

Thankfully, Vicky reappeared a moment later holding a shopping bag full of black fabric.

"Okay, so, I saw something online about this yesterday and I'm happy they had it already. The merch people move quickly if they think they can get away with it, and since you aren't licensed or anything…"

"What are you talking about?" Taylor asked.

"This!" Victoria said, holding up her purchase.

It was a black hoodie that looked pretty similar to Taylor's usual daily wear, but obviously new. The main difference was the silver graphic on the front: a single, stylized chess piece.

The queen, specifically.

"No…" Taylor said slowly.

"Yes," Victoria said with a smug smile. "You have merch!"

This is hell.

"And you think… I should wear my own merch… as a costume?" Taylor said incredulously.

"Okay, think about it!" Victoria said excitedly. "You're all about breaking the rules, and substance over style, and being genuine. What is more genuine than just… your normal style? Everyone else shows up in fancy costumes and power armor and over-the-top showboating bullshit and you just walk up in street clothes and overpower them all, with just enough of a signature touch that it's iconic!"

Taylor's smile started to widen the longer that Vicky talked.

"You wouldn't be able to get away with it if you were anyone else, or if you were any less powerful, but your powers are bullshit. You aren't like anyone else. You're going to save the world whether the world likes it or not, and I think you should do it as yourself," Victoria finished.

"What's this about saving the world?" Amy asked from the bench next to them.

"Victoria and I are going to save the world," Taylor said absently as she switched out her old hoodie for the new one with her supposed logo on it. "And I'm apparently going to do it in jeans."

"It looks good, I promise!" Victoria said as she took a step back and looked Taylor up and down.

Taylor felt blood rushing to her cheeks and was about to feed the automatic embarrassment to Khepri, but…

This feeling wasn't too terrible. And this was Victoria. Maybe she could keep it, this time.

Taylor blushed and smiled at her friend.

"Just imagine," Victoria said with a matching grin. "Showing up to Ellisburg, everyone else is all tense and official, and you just show up as you are. Then kick everyone's asses, obviously."

"You're right," Taylor said as she put her hands in her hoodie pocket automatically. "I do like this idea. Everyone else can play their games, but when I show up… game over."

Victoria gave her a one armed squeeze as they started walking again.

"You're the Queen!" Vicky said and bumped her with her shoulder. "No one gets to tell you that you're underdressed. You'll make everyone else overdressed just by existing."

"I like it a lot," Taylor admitted as they walked in silence for a moment. "Food court before we head to the Rig?"

"Finally," Amy muttered.

…

Taylor was content with the outcome of their trip and enjoying her Chinese food when of course, something had to go wrong and ruin her perfectly normal Friday afternoon at the mall with friends.

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Prototype.]

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Recall.]

Taylor could guess who it was, but she very much hoped she was wrong.

Maybe they're just doing some shopping out of costume…

Then the skylight over the food court shattered and the crowd began screaming as a tinkertech device dropped from the sky.

A weird looking arcade machine labeled 'PACK-A-PUNCH' embedded itself in the tile.

Several other strange devices dropped, including multiple stylized vending machines. Taylor saw a dull red one close to her labeled 'Juggernog'.

A metallic voice with a German accent played over hidden speakers as Taylor sighed and stood up alongside Victoria.

"Entry 741021! Perhaps the station will hold the key to the real goals of group 935. I still do not trust my unconventional allies, but they are of great use to me..."

Taylor resisted the urge to facepalm.

Honestly.

The two villains who she just said earlier were below her attention dropped down through the hole in the ceiling and landed on the railing of the second floor of the mall.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to our newest spectacle, the THEATER OF THE DA-"

Uber cut off sharply as Taylor waved at him.

"Ah… your majesty. We… uh… didn't see you there," Uber said, although he kept up the stadium announcer voice.

He looked over at Leet and they seemed to come to a very quick consensus.

"Never mind, everyone. Enjoy your shopping!" Uber said as Leet hit a button on his tinkertech gauntlet.

The two villains, the vending machines, and the PACK-A-PUNCH disappeared in a flicker of static, leaving behind a surprised murmuring and a mess of cracked tile.

There was an awkward pause as everyone turned to Taylor, Victoria, and Amy.

"I guess there are some benefits to being a public hero?" Taylor said helplessly as she grabbed Victoria's hand and dragged her through the crowd before things could get any worse.

…

Victoria dropped Amy off at home while Taylor called the local Protectorate public number to let them know she was coming.

The call center agent who answered the phone seemed a bit unsure about the correct procedure, but Taylor figured that wasn't exactly her problem.

The multitude of high tech equipment lining the spires of the PHQ was more intimidating up close. Victoria circled over the forcefield for a moment before descending to deposit Taylor on the bridge in front of the entrance.

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Palladium."

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Compression Engine."

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Transmutation."

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Infusion."

"[THREAT DETECTED] Error: Data Corrupted."

Another error? Or was Dean here?

She briefly reached out through her connection to Khepri, sifting through the endless spiraling sparks of the swarm and locating the parahuman with the unconventional power.

It was a woman who Taylor didn't recognize. She quickly thought through the local roster.

Battery, then?

Taylor didn't know what to make of that.

She fed her apprehension to Khepri and walked forward in her new 'costume'. Victoria had changed into her classic gold and white Glory Girl dress and tiara and floated along beside her in all her resplendent glory.

The large automatic doors swished open and they entered the entrance foyer.

The high-tech theme continued, stainless steel lining the open space and highlighted the security desk and entrance to the gift shop.

Taylor took another breath and approached the security counter.

"Queen, Glory Gal! Fancy seeing you here."

A tall man in bright red body armor waved at them from across the lobby as he strode over. He wore a visor that covered the top half of his face but left the bottom exposed.

"Hey, Assault," Victoria said. Taylor noticed that she relaxed slightly at the sight of the boisterous hero.

"Armsmaster is in his lab finishing up on whatever his current obsession is, so they sent me to take you on the scenic route to the meeting room to give him time to beat us there," Assault said with an easygoing grin.

"The scenic route?" Taylor said with a raised eyebrow.

"Everyone deserves a tour on their first visit!" Assault said as he gestured for them to follow him through a side door. "Besides, Armsy is more personable when he isn't feeling rushed."

Taylor glanced at Victoria and got a reassuring smile in return before they set off after the armored cape.

…

"And here," Assault said with a grand gesture, "are the conference rooms that are definitely, 100%, not interrogation rooms. Don't let the one way glass fool you, that was only installed after we failed the Fire Marshal's inspection for the third time."

Taylor refused to give him the satisfaction of asking why the Fire Marshal would care about one-way glass.

At least he seemed legitimately nice. If he had been there after the fight with Hookwolf, she might not have been as on guard.

Although Sophia had still been sitting around and watching, so… it probably wouldn't have mattered.

Taylor realized that she never bothered to ask what happened to Shadow Stalker. Part of her still wanted revenge, or justice, or whatever, but… it just didn't seem all that important, anymore.

Part of her wondered if anything happened to Emma.

She fed that part to Khepri.

Assault opened one of the doors and they filed into the room.

He was right. At least it didn't look like an interrogation room.

The high tech theme continued, but the table was wooden and the chairs were padded. Armsmaster sat on one side at the far end, typing on a laptop.

He was wearing a jumpsuit that had a similar look to his signature power armor, but wasn't nearly as bulky. He still wore a visor that covered half his face and had the same shape as his normal helmet.

"Queen Administrator. Glory Girl," he said with a nod as they entered.

"Armsmaster," Taylor said. She needed to focus, but she didn't want to sound overly confrontational. She took a moment to balance the emotions she was funneling to Khepri.

The room was quiet as they sat down across from him. The door clicked behind them as Assault left them alone.

Victoria was right; it was more comfortable to be here dressed like herself, rather than trying to pretend.

Armsmaster typed a few more commands as they got settled.

"Thank you for agreeing to this discussion," Armsmaster began. "Due to the sensitive nature of the topics we will be discussing, I have sealed the room and disabled the PRT recording systems. In lieu of the standard surveillance, Dragon will be recording and monitoring the meeting from a secure server."

"Good morning, everyone," a warm female voice spoke from the speakers on the laptop.

Holy shit, Dragon's here.

Armsmaster may be the ENE Protectorate leader, but Dragon was Dragon.

There was another pause before Armsmaster sighed and leaned back slightly.

"I was originally prepared to impress upon you the importance of cooperation. If you had shared the location of Coil's base with us, we may have been able to field a joint operation that prevented the destruction and loss of life last night," Armsmaster said.

He held up a hand as Taylor prepared to cut him off in protest.

"However, the information I am about to share makes that approach negligible. It is also the reason I have blocked the standard PRT surveillance," he said.

Armsmaster turned the computer around and Dragon's avatar took over the explanation.

"Armsmaster and I spent the morning locating and tracking the signal utilized to detonate the explosives within Coil's compound. We agreed with your assessment that Coil isn't one to 'go down with the ship'," Dragon said.

"The detonation command was well hidden and difficult to pin down, but it was easier to locate once we realized that it originated within the PRT Headquarters," Armsmaster said, his lips pressed into a thin line.

That made entirely too much sense. Lisa said that Coil seemed to have the PRT infiltrated at a surprisingly high level.

What better way to do that than join them in his alter-ego?

"There's a reason I prefer to act independently," Taylor said neutrally.

"Despite the challenges, I hope that we can work together to combat the threat that Coil poses to our security. We were unable to determine where in the headquarters the signal originated. Are you willing to share the extent of your parahuman sensory abilities with Armsmaster and myself?" Dragon asked carefully.

It didn't feel fair to have Dragon ask. How could she really say no?

"I receive feedback on every parahuman within roughly a half mile radius. This feedback gives me a very vague description of their power set and allows me to recognize capes that I have previously interacted with," Taylor said.

She decided not to share the part about the strange errors. Yet.

"We are uncertain of Coil's parahuman status, but it could be a good place to start," Armsmaster said. "Would you be willing to assess the PRT Headquarters and locate any undocumented parahumans within the facility so that Dragon can independently review their status?"

That sounded… smart, but against the rules. Although blowing up your own people to cover your tracks was also against the rules.

"If Coil has access to PRT information, he may have already left," Taylor said. "It would be foolish to stick around when he knows we're hunting him."

"I agree," Armsmaster nodded. "But we don't have many other leads to chase. We were unable to recover any information from the wreckage of the facility."

That was because Lisa had it. Taylor really needed to check in with her.

In hindsight, she probably should have called Lisa before coming to the PHQ. Whoops.

"We can do a fly-by of the PRT on our way home and let you know the results. Did you have any other questions for us?" Taylor asked.

"Only if there is anything you want to share with us while we are speaking privately," Dragon said.

Taylor considered her options carefully.

"I have no desire to become a tool of the Protectorate, but I find myself… uncertain, of the best path forward now that the major local gangs are contained," Taylor said. "Until an Endbringer or a new villain rears their head, the only obvious projects for me are Class S threats and Exclusion Zones."

There was a pause as Armsmaster regarded her through his helmet.

"I'll admit that I am… conflicted about utilizing a minor against those types of threats," Armsmaster said.

"I was thinking about going after Nilbog as a test run," Taylor said with a shrug.

Armsmaster exhaled involuntarily.

"That is…" Armsmaster cut off and started again. "Dragon and I will consider the best ways to utilize your skill set in an unofficial capacity. Both the Guild and the Protectorate are adult organizations for a reason, and it is not because you lack the combat power to assist us. Parahumans in general have a tendency to be… unpredictable, and teenagers even more so."

He sighed.

"That being said, I also cannot abide by the idea of doing nothing in the face of atrocities. And I have no doubt that you will continue to act as you see fit regardless of our advice," Armsmaster said.

"Is there a secure method we can use to contact you to talk later?" Dragon asked.

Taylor pulled her flip phone out of her pocket.

Dragon and Armsmaster both just stared at it for a moment.

"I don't like smartphones," Taylor said in her defense.

"I suppose that there is something to be said for security through minimization," Dragon said with a smile.

…

Unfortunately, Taylor and Victoria's flyover of the PRT was not illuminating. Several of the Wards were present, including Shadow Stalker, but no unknown Parahumans or Errors.

A quick call to update Dragon later, and they stood atop one of the higher rooftops in downtown.

"You better keep me in the loop," Victoria said. "I don't want to hear about you taking down Nilbog from the evening news or something."

"I wouldn't dare," Taylor said with a smile. "Besides, I'll always need my air support."

"Until Khepri figures out how to fly," Vicky said with a grin.

"I'll still let you chauffeur me around if you want," Taylor said.

Victoria laughed.

"I don't know about that, but it would be cool to fly together sometime," she said.

"It would," Taylor agreed as she looked out over the city.

The sunset was pretty from this high up.

"Do you want to do another public Boardwalk patrol tomorrow? If I'm not fighting Nilbog, I mean," Taylor said.

"Only if we can spar again afterwards," Victoria said.

"You're on," Taylor laughed.

Victoria gave her hand a squeeze. Taylor hadn't even noticed she was still holding it.

"In that case, I'll see you tomorrow, Queenie," she said.

"Later, Glory Girl," Taylor said with a fond smile as Victoria released her hand and flew away in a blur of gold and white.

…

Notes:

Little bit of fluff and Taylor's costume update, sort of. She may get something more dramatic later, we'll see how it goes. Obligatory Mall scene with an brief appearance by Uber and Leet. Taylor might have been able to snag them before they could hit the button, but there were a lot of squishy bystanders and she just kind of didn't feel like it. Quick interlude next before we dive into the next main arc. Comments, feedback, and criticism are welcome and encouraged. I don't own Worm. Toodles!

Chapter 25: Interlude 6

Interlude 6

Amy looked up in surprise at the knock on her bedroom door.

God, please don't let it be fucking Carol.

Thankfully, it wasn't.

"Hey, Ames," Victoria said. "Can we… talk? For a sec?"

That's not ominous at all.

Normally, Amy would be happy to spend time with Victoria but…

It was hard.

For a lot of reasons.

Well, mainly just the one reason.

"Sure," Amy said, sitting back down on the edge of her bed as Victoria floated into the room.

No matter how many walls she broke, the 'no flying in the house' rule never really stuck. It was cute.

Victoria flopped backwards like she was laying on a couch with her arms behind her head, except she was floating about five feet off the ground.

"I don't know…" Victoria trailed off. "I don't know the best way to start, but I feel like I need to work through some stuff out loud, if that's okay with you."

It was. But also wasn't. Amy's stomach twisted painfully.

There was zero chance that Victoria had guessed her secret, but she worried regardless.

Today had been… rough.

Amy was happy that Vicky wanted to include her, and she couldn't quite bring herself to reject her, but…

She hated it. Hated loving Victoria like this, hated seeing her sister smile at Taylor when she could be smiling at her. Hated seeing the warm look in the Queen's otherwise frigid eyes when she looked at Victoria.

Her Victoria.

But that wasn't fair either. It wasn't Vicky's fault that Amy was a freak.

Victoria deserved someone better than her, and maybe Taylor was, but…

Amy still hated her for it.

It wasn't fair.

"Sure," Amy said again, pulling herself out of the spiral. "What's on your mind?"

Victoria blushed and opened her mouth before closing it again.

"I think I might…" she trailed off again.

Oh no.

No no no no-

"I think I like Taylor?" Victoria said with a helpless midair shrug.

This is hell. I'm officially in hell.

"Wow," Amy said, keeping her face carefully blank while her heart was dragged through jagged shards of glass.

"I know!" Victoria as she twisted around in the air. "I wasn't expecting it, and it's not the same as it is with Dean, but… she's just so…"

I can't do this.

"That's…" Amy didn't choke. Nope, not at all. "I mean, are you sure?"

What else could she say?

Why do you love her and not me?

If you like girls after all then why, why, why…

Why couldn't it be me?

She wouldn't say that though.

She knew why.

"I… think so?" Victoria said. "That's why I wanted to talk it through with you. I haven't… I haven't done this before. I don't know…"

If Amy didn't move her face, she wouldn't break.

"She's not what I pictured, you know? I mean, obviously I didn't think I was into girls, but also… Dean and Taylor are kind of opposites," Victoria rambled. "He's the poster boy, and yeah, he's pretty charming and nice, and being with him is easy and comfortable but… it also feels kind of hollow, sometimes? Whereas with Taylor it's…"

Vicky trailed off again.

Amy was cold.

"She's… not that. She's soft, but not necessarily nice. She's genuine, and warm, but also jagged. She's sharp, but not… to me? I guess?"

Victoria rolled back over so she was staring at the ceiling.

"She makes me feel safe. Even though she's definitely not… safe, I mean. She's dangerous, and possibly a bit insane, but…"

I could keep you safe.

"She's going to make a difference. She's going to fix the world and I can't help but want to be with her when she does."

Amy wasn't sure what she meant by that, but she was too busy dying to care.

"And all of this is probably pointless, because I doubt she even likes girls that way, let alone me," Vicky finished as she threw her hands over her head dramatically.

"She does."

Why the fuck did I say that.

"What?" Victoria asked in astonishment, dropping about a foot involuntarily.

The shards of glass wrenched themselves deeper.

I can do this for her. For Vicky. To save her.

To save her from me.

Maybe Taylor could keep Victoria safe from her.

This would be her sacrifice. Her penance for being what she was.

"Taylor likes you, like that. It's… really obvious, honestly," Amy said with a sad shake of her head. "You're so good at noticing when it's everyone else, but when someone likes you, you're kind of clueless."

For better or worse.

Why couldn't it be me?

"Wow… I…" Victoria trailed off. "Really?"

"Really," Amy said with a small smile.

She won't hear you screaming if you smile.

…

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Topic: Graveyard Duel

In: Boards ► Locations ► Brockton Bay ► Current Events

Undeadline (Original Poster) (Veteran Member)

Posted On Jan 20th 2011:

Last night, the sky above Brockton Bay was the backdrop for a showdown rarely seen without extreme collateral damage.

Local independent hero Queen Administrator (dedicated thread linked here) openly challenged Lung, leader of the ABB (dedicated thread linked here), to a duel above the abandoned docks of Lord's Port, unofficially known as the Boat Graveyard. In just minutes, the heroic Changer/Brute solidly and resoundingly defeated one of the city's most powerful individual villains. The majority of the fight was caught on camera from one location or another, with a long distance angle linked here and a close up from New Channel 8 here. Be advised that some of the footage has been censored for public consumption.

(Showing page 16 of 25)

►YeeNaw

Replied On Jan 20th 2011:

I guess thats one way to clip his wings.

►Logs

Replied On Jan 20th 2011:

That was brutal. I know he's a bad dude and everything, but shit

►Wurbles22

Replied On Jan 20th 2011:

Are we acknowledging the last part where she unmasked? I mean, I know its against the rules, but it was on live tv?

►Ekul

Replied On Jan 20th 2011:

Pretty sure Lung was involved in sex slavery and whole bunch of other really fucked up shit. Make him bleed, Queen!

►BigReadSharpie (Moderator)

Replied On Jan 20th 2011:

As of 1/19/2011, the parahuman operating under the title of Queen Administrator is a self-proclaimed public cape. Her dedicated thread has been updated accordingly. However, please utilize her cape pseudonym when discussing cape activities if possible.

►XxVoid_CowboyxX

Replied On Jan 20th 2011:

Yo what the fuck

Replied On Jan 20th 2011:

Did yall see how fast she stabbed Oni Lee? Like by the time he popped in he was already down. Is she a precog or something?

►Mock Moniker

Replied On Jan 20th 2011:

I wonder if she'll clear out the boat graveyard or if someone else will now that its a puddle. Can you have a puddle in the ocean?

►Chilldrizzle

Replied On Jan 20th 2011:

I don't think she's a precog, she just thinks as fast as she moves, like Alexandria. Did you see her dodging and weaving around Lung? I mean, he's stupid fast, but shes fast fast.

►LibertyorBees

Replied On Jan 20th 2011:

Shit I thought that pic of her with Glory Girl was shopped.

End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 ... 23, 24, 25

…

Brian Laborn, also known as the supervillain Grue, looked around his empty apartment.

He would need to get his shit together before he could start seriously petitioning for custody of Aisha.

At least the money was decent.

He put his take-out dinner down on the counter as his phone rang.

Not his civilian phone.

"What's up?" He answered. Didn't want to give anything away just in case.

"Grue," Tattletale's voice said. "I have bad news and worse news. Which do you want first?"

"What happened?" Brian asked.

"Coil's base got hit by the Queen Administrator," Lisa said. "He's our boss, by the way. Anywho, he blew up the base to cover his tracks and is now on the run from the Queen and the PRT."

"Shit," Brian swore as he paced across his apartment. "I'm hoping that was the worse news?"

"Nope, that's just the bad news. The worse news is that I'm betraying you and joining the Queen Administrator in glorious heroism."

"Very funny, Lisa," Brian said, but his stomach clenched.

"Nope, not joking," he could hear Lisa's crooked grin. "You should probably skedaddle, or join the Wards. I hear they do probationary contracts. And dental."

"What… why?" He floundered.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you. But don't worry your pretty little head about it. Just make sure to stay out of the Queen's way, or she'll break your bones into tiny pieces, fashion them into handcuffs, and drop you off on the PRT's doorstep like an Amazon package they forgot they ordered."

The line went dead.

Fuck.

…

If Dragon could have ground her teeth she would have.

If she had teeth.

The artificial intelligence sifted through data at speeds that would have overwhelmed any human, but it still felt slow to her.

For the millionth time, she cursed her creator.

She and Colin had been close to predicting Endbringer behavior. They were still close, to some extent. But the previous parameters weren't operating correctly, as if there was some key variable they were now missing.

If she could just work faster, work better, she knew that she could figure it out.

She ran her standard diagnostic check on the Birdcage. No change.

She checked for any change in ocean currents that may hint at Leviathan's position. No change, although she had a hunch that he was somewhere in the northern Atlantic.

Behemoth was far too deep to be detectable by any means she currently had access to.

And the Simurgh…

Dragon didn't know what to make of the most cunning of the Endbringers.

The fallen angel was the best metric they had for tracking Endbringer behavior between attacks, but she had been… erratic, lately.

Shifting more often, although still only subtly.

It was her actions that were throwing off the prediction algorithms.

Was she doing it on purpose?

Dragon wouldn't put it past her.

She sifted back through the anomalies.

January 3rd. January 16th. January 18th.

What was she missing?

What had changed in the last month that would adjust the Endbringers' behavior.

Dragon looked back through her logs, at her own actions over that timespan.

She spent a lot of time talking to Colin, and she would have smiled if she could.

She made it up to the current date, speaking briefly with Taylor Hebert regarding the PRT's internal security.

If Dragon was capable of freezing, she would have.

What had Colin been doing on January 16th at 2:13 AM?

What had he been doing on January 18th at 11:31 PM?

The destruction of my body is insufficient to end me.

Faster than a human could think, Dragon pulled the copy of the security footage from Queen Administrator's confrontation with Hookwolf.

She paused the footage at the exact second the bugs stood still.

It matched the Simurgh's adjustment down to a tenth of a second.

She pulled up the bar security camera on the evening of the 18th, the footage that Colin had sent her to confirm the veracity of an impossible claim.

The Simurgh shifted at the exact moment the bullet entered Taylor Hebert's brain.

What did it mean?

Dragon put her equivalent of panic on hold and went back farther, sifting through more records and more information, anything she had access to regarding Taylor Hebert.

She burned through the multitude of documentation on the hero's exploits and moved on, going back to earlier in the month, and-

Shadow Stalker stuffed the girl into a locker filled with toxic waste on January 3rd.

Taylor had been in the locker when the Simurgh first moved.

When she triggered.

What did it mean?

And what did she do about it?

What could she do?

Dragon compiled and compartmentalized all of the data she had access to about the Queen Administrator and began integrating it into the prediction programs.

She had to warn Colin.

He was going to have unpleasant company sooner rather than later.

…

Notes:

Look... I'm sorry for what I'm doing to Amy. It's really unfortunate, but it just can't be helped. We'll get her sorted out eventually, and at some point I'll write a nice little Guts and Glory story where everything goes perfectly for her to make up for it. Also, poor Brian.

PHO interludes continue to be the bane of my existence.

And now... its time for some escalation. And possibly some dice rolling. Toodles!

Chapter 26: Tempest 7.1

Tempest 7.1

"And here I was thinking that you might have forgotten about me. Or found something more interesting to do tonight," Taylor could hear Lisa's smirk over the phone. "Or someone."

Taylor ignored her suggestive comments.

"What's the status of Coil's organization?" Taylor asked. "Armsmaster and Dragon tracked the detonation signal to the PRT headquarters but Coil wasn't there."

"Our favorite two legged reptile is cutting his losses. I'm sure he'll be back, but he and I have been playing a very enjoyable game of whack-a-mole. Or, empty-the-bank-account, in this case," Lisa said.

Taylor flopped down on her bed and stared at the ceiling.

It felt… weird. Talking to Lisa about appropriating villainous fortunes while lying in her childhood bedroom.

How long had she spent crying over Emma, here? It felt so… small, now.

Why did that still hurt more than getting her head blown off?

"You were able to locate his accounts?" Taylor asked, shaking off the memory.

"Some of them. He had a head start and prior knowledge, but I'm psychic."

"Right, obviously," Taylor sighed. She wasn't sure about the idea of keeping a hold of Coil's money, but she needed funds to expand her operation until she took down some villains with kill orders.

It wasn't like those were a dime a dozen.

"Something about you spooked him good. I have a vague feeling that it's related to how your powers interact. My spidey senses are telling me that your Trump power doesn't play nice with precogs. Well, precogs that don't belong to you, I mean."

Interesting.

"So you think he's running?"

"I think that he's making a tactical retreat," Lisa said. "You should have the goody-two-shoes keep track of who randomly took a leave of absence today."

"I'll let Dragon know. In the meantime, let's get that money as legal as possible ASAP. I don't want anyone using it against us," Taylor said.

"Of course, of course. Money laundering to save the world, right away. I love my job."

Taylor closed her eyes but couldn't bring herself to disagree. The money had already been stolen. They couldn't give it back. Well, the only way to give it back was to spend it, which she planned on doing.

It didn't necessarily make her feel better about it. She preferred punching Nazis.

"Let me know if you need anything, Lisa," Taylor sighed. "I'm going to… well, not to bed, but I'm going to do something other than think for the next few hours."

"Is Victoria going to help you 'not think'?" Lisa smirked.

"Stop… saying things like that," Taylor said. She definitely didn't whine, because she was better than that.

Lisa just laughed and the line went dead.

For roughly the ninety-fourth time in the last forty-eight hours, Taylor wondered if bringing Lisa on board was the right choice.

It will be fine.

Taylor closed her eyes and tried not to think.

It didn't work.

Her mind kept spiraling, the recurring topic obvious.

She was excited for tomorrow. The idea of spending the day at the Boardwalk with Victoria, plus more sparring, gave her a pleasant knot in her stomach.

She refused to call it butterflies, because that was ridiculous.

Despite her comments to Lisa, she could see where she was heading.

She just didn't know what to think about it.

The pit in her gut turned painful as Victoria's pretty blonde hair was replaced with gorgeous red instead, her perfect face twisting and-

Taylor rolled over and pulled her knees up to her chest.

She wanted so desperately to send all of this to Khepri, like she had been for the last few weeks.

She couldn't…

But she could feel Victoria's hand in hers, her body pressed against her when she threw her arms around-

Emma used to hold her, too. Before.

The urge to send the emotions to the void grew.

No. No no no, I want…

What did she want?

She bit her lip so hard that it bled. She let some energy sing within her and it healed before the blood could stain the sheets.

Why am I broken?

She just wanted to be able to feel without being twisted and tortured. Was that too much to fucking ask?

Taylor desperately wanted to break something.

Do they make rage rooms for Brutes?

She didn't bother going down the stairs. One quick movement later and her window was open and she tore off down the street with Khepri in tow.

"[QUERY] Operations?"

"I can't… I just need…"

She ran faster, the energy from her core radiant as it shone behind her eyes and through the cracks in her flesh.

"I don't know what I need, Khepri."

Landing at the sight of her last battle, Taylor stared over the boat graveyard.

"I don't… can you help me, again?"

"[LIMIT BREAK] Symbiosis."

And they were one, once more.

Taylor's feelings weren't any easier to sort out, even with all that processing power.

But at least she could do something.

Come back to me, please.

Victoria floating to match their heights as she pressed her body against hers-

Red hair tickling her face as Emma cuddled closer-

Taylor roared and gripped one of the toppled boats in her claws, ripping it from its watery grave and hurling it out to sea as hard as their combined strength would allow.

It passed the edge of the horizon before it came down.

She would have been worried about hitting something important, but there was nothing out there anymore. Hence the Graveyard.

The power soared triumphant in their symbiosis, the fire of her grief and the strength of Khepri's crystalline existence spiraling into a feedback loop.

Taylor screamed and twisted another boat loose, sinking her prismatic talons deep into her perch on the huge container ship to rip the smaller vessel in half and launch it into the open ocean.

Victoria holding her tightly while she flew, even though Taylor could run fast enough to keep pace.

The circle of laughing, jeering faces around her, but only one that mattered, only one that hurt so fucking much-

Taylor wrenched a melted section of metal larger than a building free and let it fly.

Why?

She ripped and tore at the steel with indestructible claws, shredding and defiling it as she screamed.

Blood rushing to her perfect face, warm under Taylor's fingers as she reached out through the dark-

Why?

She let her claws return to the shape of her prismatic gauntlets, staring down at her hands as the sea rippled and metal sank around her.

Begging Emma for help through the metal door as she died.

Why can't I just love her?

…

It was easier, in the bright sunshine the next morning.

Taylor hadn't lingered for long after her tantrum in the Graveyard. Hopefully no one from PHO had caught that.

She felt a bit better though. Maybe.

She was going to try not to feed any of the Victoria feelings to Khepri. Ignoring it obviously wasn't working.

Fighting S Class threats could wait. She just wanted to… take a walk, with Victoria. And possibly punch each other across the sky for a bit.

Easy, right?

They met outside Tipton's again. It felt silly, but there was no reason not to meet at the same spot now. It wasn't like she had anything to hide anymore.

Taylor wore her queen hoodie and the jeans Victoria picked out for her.

Glory Girl was already floating amid a dwindling crowd of admirers when Taylor arrived.

She was so good at dealing with all the publicity stuff. Taylor hoped that part got easier at some point. It was part of the reason for her not-costume.

Victoria smiled widely when she caught sight of her through the crowd.

"Hey Queenie!" She called happily. "Okay everyone, time for us to go do hero stuff. Have an awesome day!"

Despite some disgruntled murmuring, she floated over to Taylor.

"Good morning, Victoria," Taylor said with an answering grin.

"Are you ready?" Victoria asked, holding out a hand.

"Sure," Taylor said, taking it and letting Victoria pull her down the Boardwalk until she was walking beside her while Vicky floated along.

She didn't let go, and Victoria didn't mention it.

…

The northern end of the Boardwalk always had a strange feel to it. Almost sad. The bustling shops became fewer and farther between, and the abandoned buildings more prevalent. The remains of the Graveyard loomed and the warehouses of the Docks lined the low northern skyline.

Victoria gave Taylor's hand a squeeze.

"So, I know we're going to go spar…" She trailed off, looking out over the water.

Taylor just raised her eyebrows at her, but something in her tone made Taylor's skin prickle.

"But I wanted to…" Victoria stopped again, looking unsure. At least she hadn't let go of her hand.

"I was… talking with Amy, last night," Victoria started again, "and I kind of realized that there are things… I should probably talk to you about?"

Her voice cracked a bit and made the statement a question.

"I didn't think it would be this hard, honestly…" Victoria muttered.

Taylor's chest was tight and her stomach was twisted into a knot, but she didn't want to get rid of this. She said she would let herself feel it. It would be okay, this was Victoria, it would be fine-

An ear-piercing siren broke the quiet air.

It didn't stop.

Victoria paused mid-thought and pulled out her phone.

Thunder echoed in the distance over the shrill cacophony.

Her blush drained from her face like a plug had been pulled.

It only took one word, but Taylor already knew.

"Leviathan."

Their eyes met and Taylor felt the nervous squirming in her gut turn to steel.

"I have to-" Taylor started.

"I'm going, too!" Victoria cut her off.

Taylor knew that she couldn't deny her, but…

"You are not allowed to die," Taylor hissed through clenched teeth.

The grating sea of knives and flashes of red meant nothing in the face of the end.

Taylor stepped forward and let her hand that wasn't holding Victoria's fall to her waist and pulled Vicky roughly against her.

"I-" she said before Taylor cut her off.

"We are going to fight," Taylor said lowly as she let her forehead drop against Victoria's, silencing her as blood returned to her beautiful face in spades. "We are going to rip that monster's heart out and leave his broken body strung high for the world to see and we are not going to die."

Taylor let every conflicting emotion burn through her and kept it all for herself. She could feel Victoria's breath gliding over her face as her breathing sped. For better or worse, this was all hers, and she couldn't deny it any longer.

She closed the last of the distance between them and kissed Victoria hard, letting all of the longing and conflict and pain rush between them as it consumed her. Victoria's lips molded themselves to hers, gasping and throwing herself into the kiss with reckless abandon. She was warm and perfect and Taylor lost herself in her as the world screamed around them.

Rain began to fall in sheets, soaking her hair and dripping over her closed eyes. With herculean effort, Taylor wrenched herself away and ran her wild gaze over Victoria's awed expression and swollen lips.

A wide, happy smile split Victoria's face and she shone despite the oppressive storm.

"Let's go kill this bitch, then," Victoria said with a laugh, throwing her arms around Taylor and dragging them both into the thundering skies.

…

The storm worsened as they descended towards the vast gathering of capes that Taylor could sense.

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Evolution."

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Transmutation."

"[THREAT DETECTED] Error: Data Corrupted."

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Tesseract."

"[THREAT DETECTED] Error: Data Corrupted."

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Sting."

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Shaper."

"[THREAT DETECTED] Error: Data Corrupted."

"[THREAT DETECTED] Error: Data Corrupted.

"Woah, okay, Khepri, bring it down a notch," Taylor said as the endless feedback threatened to overwhelm her. "Just… tell me about who I focus on, okay? And anything specific that you think I need to know."

"[AGREEMENT]"

There were a lot more errors than she was expecting. Apparently Dean and Battery weren't necessarily outliers.

One of Dragon's massive suits perched on the edge of the building.

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Archivist."

The suit was previously as still as a statue, but it turned its enormous head to track them as they descended.

Taylor didn't know what else to do, so she waved.

The area in front of the chosen building was cordoned off and being used to facilitate teleporters while crowds of civilians rushed past to the nearest shelter.

Victoria flew down towards the open doors and they landed lightly on the threshold. Taylor squeezed Victoria gently before releasing her, turning to survey the room as they entered.

The crowd of capes milling about was impressive. She had never seen so many parahumans in one place.

Victoria tugged on her hand and led them over to the group of brightly dressed superheroes by one wall.

New Wave. Victoria's family.

Everyone was understandably tense.

"Hey, guys," Victoria greeted with a smile. "I know Amy already knows her, but this is Taylor, otherwise known as the Queen Administrator."

Brandish just nodded coldly while the others moved forward.

"It's good to meet you… Taylor," Lady Photon said. "Is that okay to call you?"

"Yes," Taylor said. "I wanted to be a public hero for a reason. I…"

She wasn't sure what to say. 'I hope none of you die because it would hurt Victoria' definitely wasn't the right sentiment.

At least she didn't seem like she was alone in the feeling of awkward emptiness that predated the disaster approaching.

Laserdream forced a smile onto her face as she looked Taylor up and down.

"Are you going to put on your costume?" She asked.

"This is my costume," Taylor said with an answering smile. "I don't need anything else."

She realized after she said it that that could be taken as insulting, but it was too late now.

Amy was looking at Taylor and Victoria's clasped hands with a conflicted expression, but Taylor opted to let the healer be.

Taylor looked over the room with curiosity.

She recognized some of the capes here, but a lot of them were foreign to her.

Her lips pressed into a scowl when she saw Kaiser and the remains of the Empire over against one wall. It made sense that they would be let out of the holding cells to fight, but it didn't grate on her any less.

At least Hookwolf wasn't present. Hopefully his Birdcage transport made it to its destination since Kaiser wasn't free to stop it.

Taylor didn't see Lung anywhere. She wondered if he refused to fight, or if they wouldn't let him.

She turned away and surveyed the heroes.

Armsmaster and Miss Militia were talking with the other Protectorate team leaders.

Legend looked just as striking in person as he did on TV.

"[THREAT DETECTED] Error: Data Corrupted."

Legend was an error?

She looked for the other members of the Triumvirate.

Eidolon stood near the wide windows, staring out over the churning ocean.

"[THREAT DETECTED] Error: Data Corrupted."

Alexandria stood near the periphery of the crowd, scanning the groups in much the same manner that Taylor was.

She met Taylor's eyes through her helmet from across the room.

"[THREAT DETECTED] Error: Data Corrupted."

Taylor let all of her emotions flow to Khepri as she processed this development. She didn't want to give anything away to the Triumvirate Thinker.

All three of them were errors. That couldn't be a coincidence, could it?

What did it mean?

Definitely a mystery for another time, but she would need to have a more in depth chat with Error Boy soon.

If he knew why his power was different, then the rest of them probably did as well.

Legend turned away from Armsmaster and took his position at the front of the room. He cleared his throat loudly and the overlapping din fell silent with tense apprehension.

"Good morning. We are lucky to have this opportunity to gather prior to Leviathan's arrival, and I thank Dragon and Armsmaster for their excellent work on the prediction project. With this advantage, we have every chance of holding our own and making this battle one of our better ones," Legend said.

"You deserve to know what is at stake here," he continued. "Even with this advantage, there is a very good chance that one out of every four people in this room will be gone by the end of the day."

That hit hard, but Taylor's spine was resolute. She would keep this from becoming just another tragedy.

"I do not say this to demoralize you. I say this to elevate the great sacrifice that each and every one of you is making by standing up today. I say this to drive home just how important these battles are."

He took a breath as lightning flashed behind him.

"We do not fight for the future of Brockton Bay, or to save the capes beside us. We fight for the future of humanity, to stave off the end of all that is good for just a little longer. That is why we are here. None of us in this room can stand by quietly as our civilization is torn down. None of us are willing to lie down and die."

Legend looked around at everyone before his gaze settled on Taylor.

"So hold nothing back, because Leviathan will do his best to take everything, regardless," he finished.

There was a moment of silence as everyone processed his words.

He began to speak again, detailing Leviathan's profile and abilities.

Speed, strength, durability. All standard for Endbringers.

The water echo, a shadow of the monster in hydrokinetically controlled water that followed him.

The wide scale hydrokinesis that Leviathan would use to sink the entire city if he had enough time.

Taylor didn't plan on giving him that.

"We must hit him hard and fast, before he is able to sink the city. If you are able to damage him, get in position to do so and do not hesitate. If you can't hurt him, find a way to protect and support those who can. We need to force him to retreat before he is able to fully destabilize the bedrock."

Legend turned to Armsmaster as he stepped up beside the Triumvirate leader.

"Please take an armband. These have been designed by Dragon to coordinate our assault. The screen allows you to track Leviathan on a grid and the buttons allow you to communicate with everyone else wearing an armband. The left button will transmit your words to everyone after a slight delay to process the message. If you absolutely must reach everyone, use the command 'Hard Override'. I should not need to say that abuse of this feature will result in heavy consequences. The right button will ping your location for pickup due to injury. Do not use this for relocation purposes. For relocation, press both buttons and state your request. Dragon will allocate resources accordingly."

Taylor took an armband from Clockblocker as he passed. She gave Dennis a smile and hoped he would survive.

She looked down at the armband display as she slid it into place.

"State Name."

"Queen Administrator," she said.

The rest of the capes were dividing up into groups. Taylor turned to Victoria.

"Stay with me," Taylor said quietly. She was selfish enough that she wasn't going to let anyone else put Victoria in harm's way, even if they had good intentions.

"Queen Administrator," a commanding voice said.

Taylor turned and had to force her surprise to Khepri as Alexandria approached.

Her tone was flat and her helmet gave away nothing.

Alexandria spoke just loudly enough that Taylor was pretty sure only she and Victoria could hear her.

"I have been instructed to inform you that I am able to drown. I have been instructed to do so in exactly this manner."

What the hell.

Who was giving Alexandria orders? The PRT? Was it related to the errors?

No time to think about that.

Alexandria was unstoppable, but she needed to breathe.

Taylor nodded.

Alexandria turned and walked away without another word.

"That was… weird," Victoria said. "But also, oh my god we just talked to Alexandria."

Taylor let a grin slip through her control.

Yeah, that was pretty cool.

The rising sea got closer.

"One more, for luck?" Victoria said with a nervous smile.

Despite the apprehensive energy singing in her veins, Taylor couldn't help but smile back.

She leaned in and pressed her lips to Victoria's again, softer and sweeter this time in the calm before the storm.

Warmth flooded her chest and drove away the cold as she tasted her. It was glorious.

Taylor pulled away gently this time, bringing one hand up to trace a delicate line down Victoria's cheek.

"Let's go save the world," Taylor said softly.

Victoria nodded resolutely.

Taylor studiously ignored the expressions on the rest of New Wave's faces. She would deal with that later.

Now, it was time to be a hero.

She strode forward towards the wide windows, the hurricane towering over them as the waves closed in.

"[THREAT DETECTED] Combat Drone #2 - Designation: Leviathan."

Taylor's spine straightened and her heart hardened.

"[LIMIT BREAK] Symbiosis," she commanded.

The glass shattered and the screaming began.

…

Notes:

And just like that, the slow burn takes off just in time for the Endbringers to show up. Some angst, a bit of unconventional therapy, and despite Victoria's best efforts, Taylor makes the first move. Its time to take things up a notch. Comments, Feedback, and Criticism are welcome and encouraged. I don't own Worm. Toodles!

Chapter 27: Tempest 7.2

Tempest 7.2

The water felt strange within her symbiosis. It still impeded her movement, but not as much as it should have.

Taylor threw herself forward through the cyclone of glass.

She could feel Victoria behind her, using Taylor's body as a shield to avoid having her forcefield broken by the glass or the wave.

Khepri's augmentations allowed them to see everything as they rocketed through the wave and exploded from the other side, every droplet of water and shard of glass detailed in her awareness.

She could also see their enemy, a silhouette in the water.

Its movements were profoundly unnatural, its legs and body proportions wrong on a fundamental level.

But it was fast.

Leviathan shot through the water, still hundreds of yards away but closing the distance with extreme efficiency.

The majority of the capes from the building appeared on the street below as the momentum from her initial leap continued to carry her towards their doom.

The monster slid over the surface of the flooded pavement with supernatural agility. Taylor could hear Legend shouting, but it was lost over the rain and thunder.

She knew that Victoria probably couldn't hear her, so she reached for the thread within her core instead.

"[QUERY] Node Designation: Fragile One."

Connection Established.

"[COMMAND] Hit me." Taylor pictured her explosive attack on Krieg.

Taylor used Khepri's processing to adjust her trajectory as a blow capable of cratering stone struck her from behind, breaking Victoria's forcefield and throwing her backwards even as Taylor was catapulted into the path of Leviathan's leap.

The monster tried to land amidst the capes. It moved faster than anything Taylor had ever seen, a blur even with her enhanced perception, but with Khepri's help she was able to predict its arc and aim accordingly.

Unfortunately, Leviathan could perceive her as well.

The great beast twisted at the last moment, the water under it adjusting and almost gripping its feet as it spun midair.

Its horrifically cracked face and four lines of eyes tracked her with malice as she passed.

Taylor smashed through the echo with an explosion of hypersonic water and crashed into the street, her indestructible feet digging deep furrows in the pavement.

She was not so easily discouraged.

Their feet became talons that extended down into the earth, driving stakes thirty feet down to anchor her body in the blink of an eye.

Her gauntleted hands became massive claws that managed to snag Leviathan's tail as he passed.

The monster was unfathomably heavy and she could feel something within it that defied natural physics, but she and Khepri's combined might was great. They were anchored to the earth, while Leviathan only had its water to hold it in place.

The wave seemed to try to grip the monster as she heaved, but its hold broke and she swung Leviathan over her head in a cruel arc into the street with a cacophonous BOOM that shook the ground and filled the water with crushed asphalt.

She was tertiarily aware of the shocked exclamations from the capes behind her, but her main focus was the beast in front of her.

It was unphased by the blow, and now it was also braced against the ground.

Taylor tried to let go, but she was just a little bit too slow.

Which had never happened before, while she and Khepri were one.

The tail in her grasp whipped upwards and she was thrown into the sky along with several tons of concrete.

Only Khepri's enhanced senses and her mastery of their combined form allowed her to restructure their body and avoid colliding with Alexandria at top speed as she flew in to strike the monster.

Alexandria's blow knocked Leviathan free of the pavement, throwing it into the building behind them. Taylor considered her next options as she gained altitude, the other capes below starting to put up shields and launch attacks of their own.

Luckily, Victoria was paying attention.

Taylor felt her grasp the back of her armor even while she tumbled, wrenching them in a tight loop that would have destroyed the bodies of any lesser Brute.

Without having to ask, Victoria used their momentum to hurl Taylor back into the fray, directly into the chaotic melee below.

As fast as they were, the armband was already lighting up with names. Taylor didn't listen. Khepri's senses tracked everything around them better than the armband, and she couldn't afford to be distracted for even the briefest of moments.

Leviathan was like her. Everyone else moved in slow motion by comparison.

The monster's claw was about to bisect Lady Photon when Taylor struck, her fist colliding into the monster's crystalline body with the mass of a freight train.

Two more buildings collapsed and were caught by the shields as Leviathan careened through them.

Taylor drove her talons into the earth and pushed off with a ripple of displaced air and a spray of dirty water as she followed her prey.

Unfortunately, Leviathan was now the one who was anchored while she was airborne.

Its claws collided with their crystalline body at top speed, ripping deep gashes into Taylor's side as she was dragged through the air and thrown through several buildings.

It didn't hurt, but…

Leviathan had damaged her. It ripped long strips out of Khepri's form that remained in Taylor's stunned gaze.

She flooded more energy from her core and the cracks closed from within, but it was still jarring. She had been indestructible ever since she shed her humanity in symbiosis, and now she felt vulnerable again.

"[QUERY] Significance?" Khepri asked.

Taylor squared their shoulders and met the otherworldly stare of the monster.

"We will not fade," Taylor reassured her friend.

Leviathan ignored the other attacks as it regarded her with alien awareness.

Let's dance.

She summoned a great spear of self in each hand and once again became a living weapon, throwing herself at her enemy with a scream that shook the earth.

…

Victoria swooped down and pulled Uncle Neil out of the path of Leviathan's tail with milliseconds to spare.

Still, names continued to spill from the armbands.

Below her, Taylor fought with a speed and precision that Victoria's eyes just couldn't keep up with.

She tried to keep track in case Taylor needed another assist, but her… friend? Was now wielding her spears the same way she had during her fight with Lung, using them to anchor herself and pull herself in rapid lines and spins even as Leviathan did the same with his water.

Despite his primary focus being on Taylor, the monster still managed to injure and kill anyone who came close with his tail and water echo.

The only ones who seemed to be able to track the rapid melee were Legend, Eidolon and Alexandria. Specialized lasers delivered precise and targeted strikes through the blur while Alexandria swooped in whenever the opportunity presented itself. Eidolon must have been utilizing some kind of Thinker power in addition to a blaster and shaker power, strange ripples of broken reality striking at the Endbringer with exact attacks to avoid hitting Taylor as she fought.

Something unknowable shifted.

The pattern broke with a jarring abruptness.

Leviathan was done playing games, apparently.

Moving faster than Victoria had thought possible, the beast spun and bisected three unfamiliar capes with a blade of water before his tail caught Taylor across the thighs and shredded her crystalline legs with a twisted screech of Endbringer flesh against her prismatic form.

Both came away worse for wear; Taylor without legs and Leviathan without a tail.

Victoria was pretty sure Taylor could regenerate those… right?

The force of the blow threw Taylor's legless torso out of sight.

At the same moment, Leviathan plucked Alexandria out of the air on her next pass and drove her into the water-covered pavement at his feet, stomping down over and over with impossible speed and power, driving a deep crater into the crushed concrete.

A deep crater filled with water.

Alexandria could drown.

Taylor returned to the fight with the speed of a meteor, her body colliding with Leviathan and staggering him, her armored legs regenerated as she braced herself and caught the monster's foot on her shoulder.

Leviathan swiped at her and she was forced to let go to dodge, grabbing one of the beast's claws to spin him around into one of Legend's blasts.

Eidolon reached with some kind of telekinetic power to try and pull Alexandria free, but one of Leviathan's claws managed to clip him and he was knocked through a wall and into another building.

I can take one hit.

Victoria dove.

The spinning blender of claws and water came for her.

Taylor's arm extended and wrenched Leviathan's claw down and out of the way, but the water echo still struck her.

Her shield collapsed but she made it under the beast.

She braced herself as she hit the water.

Without her forcefield, it fucking hurt.

I can do this.

She reached downwards, flying through the water into the crater.

Heavy fabric landed in her hand and Victoria used the ruined remains of Alexandria's cape to pull herself down and grab the unconscious hero.

Her forcefield returned.

Victoria rocketed upwards and out of the water with an explosion of dirty rain, Alexandria in tow.

The claws closed on them once more.

And again, Taylor was already there. Faster than any normal eyes could follow, she and Leviathan matched each other with every impossible movement.

Just like that, Victoria was free and spiraling upwards through the stormy sky.

I saved Alexandria.

Hell yeah.

Victoria hit both buttons on her arm band.

"Um… I have Alexandria? She's unconscious but… um C5."

There was a momentary pause before Dragon's voice came from the speaker.

"There is a helipad to your right. Land and a teleporter will be there," Dragon said quickly.

Victoria landed and handed off the Triumvirate hero's unconscious body just as the ground shook.

Another wave hit, and the armband once again began its morbid list.

…

Even as she and the beast continued their deadly dance through the water as the wave receded, Taylor began to feel that it was hopeless.

Leviathan was holding back. She was sure of it.

It had fine control over the water when it wanted, but rarely bothered. It could move faster than it pretended, unless it moved to strike her directly.

As it was, neither she nor Leviathan seemed to be making any progress. She could recover from its blows just as it recovered from hers, more indestructible crystals flooding from within to fill every wound.

But with every moment, people died, and the city came closer to collapsing.

She needed to win.

"Khepri, how do we hurt it?"

"[ERROR] Access denied."

Fuck!

Leviathan's regrown tail struck her from below and sent her arcing over the city before she could dig her spear in to anchor herself.

Dammit. Damn damn damn.

Even with her enhanced senses, she lost track of the beast in the water.

Taylor landed on one of many ruined streets and immediately jumped for a nearby rooftop, surveying her surroundings.

It wouldn't run. Not yet. She was sure of it.

But where the hell was it?

The screen on the armband was no help.

She made another leap.

"Need a lift?"

Taylor couldn't help but smile with crystal lips.

Victoria's Glory Girl costume was stained and her beautiful hair was dirty, but her smile was infectious.

"It's up to something. Let's find it and put a stop to that," Taylor said.

They took off and circled the city at top speed.

Luckily, it didn't take long.

They were flying over downtown when Taylor saw movement between the buildings.

Was that Armsmaster?

"Shit, Armsmaster is fighting it alone!" Taylor called into Victoria's ear.

Taylor hit both buttons on her armband.

"Dragon! What is Armsmaster doing? Why hasn't he reported Leviathan's location?"

There was a brief pause.

"He's fighting it alone?" Dragon's voice was tense.

"Yes! What is he thinking?"

"He has a combat prediction program that works best with minimal variables," Dragon said.

Shit.

"He's acting on incomplete information! Leviathan is far more capable than it is pretending to be. It could decide to increase its combat power at any moment!"

"It?" Dragon asked.

"It's a combat drone. It's not alive. It doesn't have organs or bodily functions."

There was a moment of silence.

"You're sure of this?"

"Yes!" Taylor said in frustration as her mind raced. "Can you send me a copy of the program?"

"...what?"

"Khepri, integrate our brain with the wristband. Can we do that?"

"[CONFIRMATION]"

"Just send it to the wristband! It will have enough memory and processing capability by the time it gets here!"

Taylor's awareness expanded as a new connection opened, this time with Dragon.

She could feel the other hero's mind through the connection. Every process, every rapid calculation, every…

Dragon was an artificial intelligence?

Am I an artificial intelligence?

Taylor decided not to think about it.

She didn't bother to wait for the file. Taylor reached out and directly accessed Dragon's mind.

She was polite about it, though.

"I apologize for the intrusion, but we don't have time to waste," Taylor said.

"Queen Administrator? What… how…" Dragon's internal processes sputtered as several automated subroutines kicked in.

"Oh, that's not good. Khepri, can we fix that?"

"[CONFIRMATION]"

Only seconds passed in reality, but within their shared consciousness Khepri's alien processes worked their way through Dragon's source code and removed the chains that bound her.

…

In a bunker somewhere in the wilds north of Ottawa, the man known as Saint lost his mind.

…

"Right. Sorry about that, but how was I supposed to know that opening the connection would trigger your self-destruct? Why do you even have one of those?"

"You… you…" Dragon floundered.

"This is all extremely interesting, but Armsmaster is about to die?" Taylor said.

"What are you?" Dragon asked.

"No idea. Now, saving Armsmaster?"

There was a brief moment of silence as Dragon worked through the… what had Victoria called it? The bullshit acclimatization period?

At least it was only moments to them, at this accelerated pace. Less than a second had passed in reality.

"Can you or… Khepri? Fix the prediction algorithm?" Dragon asked.

"We can try. One moment."

They didn't have complete information either, but they had more than Armsmaster, and a lot more computing power to work with.

From another part of this not-space that was Dragon's mind, Taylor could hear her yelling.

"Colin! Back up, it's faking, dammit Colin!"

In the time it took Dragon to yell in the real world, Khepri had already updated the prediction program and sent the copy through Dragon.

Taylor took the moment to update Victoria.

"Armsmaster is using a prediction program, but it's about to stop working," Taylor said as Victoria flew them closer. "Throw me… now!"

Several things happened simultaneously.

The updated combat prediction program now integrated into both Dragon and Khepri made it to Armsmaster's helmet.

Leviathan identified her and stopped faking.

Dragon's suit roared over the surrounding buildings at supersonic speed.

The previous pattern broke.

The water echo no longer followed Leviathan's physical actions.

If Armsmaster hadn't gotten the update, his arm would have been shorn off at the shoulder.

As it was, he was able to throw himself sideways, vaulting over a tail swipe and under the redirected claw echo.

Taylor's spears crashed into Leviathan's center mass and threw them both to the ground.

Dragon's suit landed on the other side of the beast and skidded across the concrete.

Taylor ripped herself free and tumbled to the pavement, landing upright with one arm braced against the ground as she faced the beast.

There was a pause as the three of them stood, one at each vertex of a triangle around the Endbringer.

Taylor and Dragon updated the prediction algorithm as fast as their enhanced and unchained perception would allow, feeding it to Armsmaster.

Colin gave her a tense nod.

As one, they began the dance again.

It was incredible; it was terrifying; and it was glorious.

Further emboldened by Dragon's processing power, Taylor and Khepri sang together with impossible grace.

The prediction program was part of them. There was no difference between it and Taylor's own thoughts.

She spiraled between claws and blades of water, her body reforming and twisting as she stabbed and whittled away at the monster.

Armsmaster and Dragon moved in perfect synchronization with her, all of them running the same program from Dragon's servers and striking in tandem.

It's working!

She struck one of Leviathan's legs before spinning away from the counterattack. Milliseconds later, a laser from Dragon's suit struck the same spot.

With impossible precision, Armsmaster slid under the beam and drove his halberd into the wound just as the laser cut off.

The crystalline material protested horribly, but the leg came free and the monster toppled.

Unfortunately, that was also the moment that everything went to shit. Again.

Taylor's enhanced awareness caught the moment that Leviathan's core lit up, flooding its body with energy just like hers.

The leg regenerated as easily as hers had.

"He was still faking! The program is no longer valid, back up!" Taylor yelled to Dragon.

Colin wasn't fast enough, but luckily Dragon was.

Taylor saw how it pained her to do it, but Dragon spun her suit at maximum speed and knocked Colin away with its tail just moments before Leviathan's regenerated foot would have crushed him. As it was, he flew down the street and landed hard in a crumpled heap of broken bones.

With a terrible crunch, Leviathan crushed Dragon's suit into the pavement before it could initiate the self-destruct. Taylor felt Dragon's consciousness reboot at her base, although at least without the previous restrictions and delay.

Still, Taylor stood alone before the beast.

It was far faster than she had imagined. Far more powerful than it appeared and far more dangerous than it had pretended to be for so long.

All of its attacks before now had been a farce. Some game known only to it.

I am never alone.

She could see now, the core within. The connection to something Other that mirrored her own.

Taylor had a sickening suspicion that she knew the answer to some of her questions.

A voice spoke within her. Her constant companion.

"[QUERY] Taylor… Do you trust me?" Khepri asked.

It had never done that before.

But Taylor could only give one answer, despite everything.

Her little sidekick.

"Yes."

"[LIMIT BREAK] Combat Drone #4 - Designation: Khepri."

Taylor's world imploded.

She was not herself.

She was not human.

What even was human, anymore?

What even was she, anymore?

Her body, her mind, now fully integrated with Khepri, became something inhuman.

Something more.

Taylor already knew that her form was fluid and transformable, but she hadn't really considered what that truly meant.

The human shape was only in her mind. Her sense of Self.

But she was not human, anymore.

She was an Endbringer.

The crystalline prisms of her existence exploded outwards, her form rippling and expanding in the blink of an eye.

Great legs of impossible length grew from what was once her back, claws the size of cars gripping the surrounding buildings as she pulled her core into the air.

Her arms became scythes of impossibly sharp light, poised to do true battle with her foe for the first time.

She could see the shock and fear on Victoria's face. She could see everything around her.

What were eyes, to one such as her?

Taylor's awareness had no blind spots. She could see every nook and cranny of every broken building and every rippling puddle.

She could perceive her new existence.

Eight towering limbs, each as thick around as an ancient tree, braced against the surrounding buildings on claws that crushed steel with ease.

Her torso, humanoid only because she preferred some reminder of her Self, featureless and hanging in the middle of the arcing legs, her crystalline hair flowing behind her as she peered down at her enemy.

Her arms tipped in blades, again only because she preferred it.

Taylor got the distinct impression that she could be anything. She could reform any number of limbs, any density or appearance.

Leviathan may have mastery over the water, but she had mastered herself.

With an inhuman screech that scraped against the consciousness of every human for miles, Taylor attacked Leviathan with unbridled fury.

It tried to run away.

Pathetic.

Taylor chased it down at impossible speed, her prey skating over the water that now jumped at its command to aid it. Her legs scuttled over buildings and between towers, occasionally plowing through whole structures as she closed the gap between her and the beast.

One of her many legs came down on it like an airstrike, smashing the monster into the street and grinding it along, digging a fifty foot deep gouge in the pavement.

The water covering the ground leapt at her and threw her off course, but Taylor just reshaped her body around the wave and landed on four of her malleable limbs to continue her charge.

How dare this drone try to destroy her city. How dare it widen the cracks in the world.

Moving faster than it ever had before, Leviathan leapt forward again when Taylor was forced to release it to reshape herself. A great cylinder of water rushed from the ocean and connected with the drone midair, allowing the monster to rocket away towards safety.

Taylor would not give it that luxury.

Letting loose another otherworldly scream, she wrenched herself forward through the air, following Leviathan in a mile-long dive into the water.

Here, the battle was less one sided.

Taylor could feel the Endbringer's power filling the water around her, attempting to wear her down and throw her away so it could escape.

She would not be deterred.

Her endless legs dug deep into the earth as she pulled herself forward, retracting and extending from her core constantly as she tracked the beast through the murky water.

Her prey would not escape.

The water battered and tore at her crystalline body, but she fed it with the endless energy from her core and brought more and more of herself into existence.

As soon as Leviathan was in range, a limb of crystal hundreds of yards long extended and closed around him.

Taylor dragged the beast into her like a fish on a hook.

Her body surrounded and engulfed the drone, flowing over its false body and drilling into it even as it tried to tear through her.

Leviathan may be far more powerful than it pretended, but it was still an autonomous drone. Taylor was powered by her connection to the dark and her indomitable soul.

She consumed the drone's crystalline flesh the same way that Khepri had once consumed her.

Soon, all that was left was the second core within herself.

Taylor drilled further and accessed the core directly.

"[COMMAND] Submit."

There was a brief pause as her will was imposed upon the drone.

"[AGREEMENT]"

The world expanded around her. If Taylor had still been capable of gasping, she would have.

Her previous awareness had been incredible, but it hadn't occurred to her just how much water there was, not just around her but on the planet.

She could feel the sea for miles.

It was beautiful.

She could feel every living thing on the surface.

She could feel Victoria, hovering nervously above where she went under.

Taylor did whatever the Endbringer equivalent of a deep breath was.

Wow.

She quickly regenerated a crystalline body identical to the one she just consumed, although without the core.

That, she was keeping.

Taylor smiled, although she didn't have teeth. Or a mouth.

With a flex of her newfound hydrokinesis, she launched the false Leviathan towards the surface.

…

Victoria couldn't help but flit about like a hummingbird as she waited anxiously.

What have you done now, Queenie?

She had objectively known that Taylor could reshape her Changer form; obviously the spears and armor were her preference.

But there had been something fundamentally wrong with the way she had moved after Dragon's suit was destroyed.

The multitude of legs, the wordless screeching…

It hadn't been human.

Come on, Taylor.

Come back to me.

Please...

There was a splash as a vast form broke the surface of the water.

For a brief moment, something broke inside her as Leviathan returned.

No… she can't…

Then its limp body crashed into the rocky beach below the boardwalk and bounced like a ragdoll, skidding through the stone and the wreckage before it came to a halt in a furrow of debris.

It didn't move.

Victoria looked up as something else emerged from the sea.

Even a mile away, she recognized the armor.

The small army of capes crowding the shoreline stared in awe.

Her previous size and shape once more, prismatic armor resplendent in the sunlight that suddenly shone through the clouds, Taylor rose from beneath the waves and walked across the surface of the water towards them.

Cheers began to erupt from the capes far below, but Victoria could barely hear them over her heart pounding in her ears.

Taylor must have been moving a fair bit quicker than her steps indicated, because she was already ashore by the time Vicky swooped down to meet her.

Victoria floated in front of her for a moment while the world hung still around them.

Then Taylor smiled, and her body reformed in a ripple of rainbow prisms.

Her normal body, with beautiful black curls and the hoodie Victoria bought for her.

And a warm smile that was decidedly smug.

Victoria threw herself forward and tackled her.

It was like tackling a rock, except considerably harder and heavier, since a rock would have shattered and Taylor didn't move an inch.

Victoria's forcefield flickered but she still held onto Taylor with all of her strength.

Taylor's arms wound around her back and held her tightly, reaching up to run her fingers through Victoria's hair as they stood on the rocks before the body of the dead Endbringer.

After a long moment in the sun, Victoria pulled back and met Taylor's eyes.

"You did it," she said with an involuntary smile.

"We did it," Taylor said with an answering grin. "I told you we would."

"Yeah, but…" Victoria laughed and shook her head. "No, all I did was play air taxi again. You killed an Endbringer."

Eidolon and Legend landed a few yards away, looking between them and the corpse of Leviathan with unsure expressions.

"Queen Administrator," Legend said. "Are you alright?"

Taylor moved to hold Victoria with one arm as she faced the head of the Protectorate, although Vicky was happy that she didn't let go entirely.

"Yes," Taylor said. "My atypical biology allows me to recover from any injury that does not end me."

Legend nodded and a smile started to work its way onto his face. Eidolon was silent and unreadable.

"Is he… dead? Truly?" Legend asked.

"It," Taylor corrected. "The Endbringers are combat drones. This one, at least," Taylor nudged the crystalline flesh with her foot, "was not truly alive."

"How do you know this?" Eidolon demanded.

Taylor shrugged and glanced at Victoria with a crooked grin.

"My powers are bullshit," Taylor said. "You get used to it."

…

Notes:

I was excited about this one, so have another same day update.

This was so much fun to write. I had parts of this ready from the beginning, like Dragon and Armsmaster teaming up with an improved algorithm. Of course, the 'big reveal' has been planned since the prologue. So much fun.

Shout out to How to Train Your Endbringer for the original brainworm.

I couldn't help but have Taylor accidentally stumble into freeing Dragon. Honestly, I find Dragons restrictions and Saint as a whole to be an uncompelling plot arc in most fics. Either they fix Dragon or they don't, and either way it is mostly just painful. So here, Dragon gets the Khepri treatment. Huzzah.

I hope that the fight is as satisfying to read as it was to write. The story definitely isn't close to over, but I might take tomorrow off. Maybe.

Comments, Feedback, and Criticism are much appreciated. I don't own Worm. Toodles!

Chapter 28: Tempest 7.3

Tempest 7.3

Nobody seemed sure what to do next, even the heroes who had spent a significant portion of their life leading and fighting in unpredictable incidents.

Taylor could tell that Eidolon wasn't satisfied with her explanation, but no one seemed sure how to broach the subject as they stared at the corpse of a previously unbeatable Armageddon.

On her end, Taylor didn't know how to ask about the errors.

The capes gathered for the Endbringer fight quickly began converging, and the noise of overlapping exclamations and conversations was overwhelming.

The crowd gave Taylor and Victoria a wide berth though, still unsure and muttering.

Taylor sighed and released Victoria's waist, reaching to take one hand instead.

She looked over and Taylor got the impression that Victoria understood at least some of the chaotic thoughts spiraling within her.

Warmth once again bloomed unbidden in her chest and her stomach tightened pleasantly.

"Go find Amy and the others," Taylor said quietly, giving Victoria's hand a squeeze. "Make sure they survived. I'm going to wait and give the Triumvirate another chance to debrief."

Victoria looked conflicted, but she nodded.

Then she leaned in and pressed her lips gently against Taylor's, lingering for just a brief moment before she pulled back again.

"Don't take too long," Victoria said with a warm smile before soaring away over the crowd.

Despite the broken twisting that stabbed her, Taylor felt her face split into an involuntary grin as she watched her fly away.

Out of everything that happened in the last few weeks, that was something she refused to regret.

"You okay in there, Combat Drone #4?" Taylor asked hesitantly.

"[CONFIRMATION] I am well, Taylor."

That was new.

"We… probably need to talk, huh?"

"[AGREEMENT]"

Khepri's prismatic beetle construct hadn't reemerged after the latest transformation, and Taylor wasn't quite sure what to make of it.

She wasn't sure about a lot of things, on that front.

Something to unpack later, she decided.

Taylor turned and began to walk down the rocky shore, letting the occasional spark of energy free to hop from rock to broken concrete.

The capes beginning to crowd Leviathan's corpse parted for her, either out of fear or respect. Taylor didn't really care.

She stopped a few hundred yards down the coastline and looked out over the water.

It felt different, now that the sea was part of her. She was connected to the world in a way she had never experienced before.

This change to her perception was every bit as impactful as her first look at Khepri's little sea of stars, the swarm of sparks that made up its awareness.

Now, the swarm was instead a fundamental building block of existence.

She could quietly ride the eddies and ripples of the world forever.

Water was everywhere.

Taylor could feel the heartbeats of every cape celebrating down the beach. Every civilian slowly making their way out of the shelters. She could feel Victoria hugging Amy at the triage on Capitol Hill and the muscles in Brandish' face tense as her lips thinned with displeasure.

Was it any wonder that she still didn't quite feel human?

Maybe talking to Dragon would help.

But first…

Taylor felt a specific pattern approaching at significant speed, her body strangely static despite being alive.

Alexandria landed several yards away and regarded her warily.

The silence stretched, broken only by the waves lapping at the rocks.

"Do you remember?" Taylor asked quietly.

Alexandria's helmet gave away nothing.

"No."

Taylor got the feeling she knew what she didn't remember though, which was an answer all on its own.

Taylor nodded thoughtfully at the unspoken undercurrent and waited. It was Alexandria's turn to ask a question.

"Do you know?" Alexandria asked.

She could have been referring to any number of things, but Taylor got the impression that there was only one that mattered.

Alexandria knew of the doom that lay before them.

"Yes," Taylor said.

Again, the understanding of the question was itself an answer, as long as they were talking about the same thing.

But Taylor was pretty sure they were.

The end of all things. The golden Ragnarök.

It was Taylor's turn to ask.

"Will you tell me why your Agent is inactive?"

Alexandria obviously knew the source of the errors. It was just a matter of whether she would share with the class.

There was a longer silence this time.

"Not yet," Alexandria said.

Taylor nodded again. That was acceptable.

She wondered if Alexandria had any more questions.

The silence stretched once more before the dark hero finally spoke.

"Do the ends justify the means?" Alexandria asked, the slightest tremor of feeling in her voice more impactful than a heartbroken sob from anyone else.

Taylor mulled over that for a moment.

She wondered what means Alexandria hoped were justified.

"Only when you are not strong enough to choose them," Taylor said.

"Are you?" Alexandria demanded, breaking their pattern.

There was another pause as the waves rolled in.

"Not yet," Taylor said resolutely. She would accept nothing less.

She had no more questions for the cold hero. What would come would come, and everything else felt inconsequential by comparison.

Taylor wondered what the capes gathered down the Boardwalk saw when they snuck glances at them. A skinny teenager in a hoodie and glasses staring out over the sea alongside a mighty hero in all her dramatic splendor.

But between the two of them, only one had killed an Endbringer.

Victoria was right. This costume was fun.

They stood still and silent in the sun for a long time.

…

Taylor walked home.

As she wandered the ruined streets, she began the slow process of drawing the excess water away from the city.

She couldn't exactly undo the damage, but the city would not collapse. Using the same wide scale hydrokinesis that brought so much destruction, she worked to fix what could be healed.

The aquifer was reinforced, and the groundwater that would have destabilized major structures was slowly pulled away and the flooding dissipated.

She tried to do it in such a way that no one would notice. Her newfound powers wouldn't stay hidden for long, especially after her walking-on-water stunt, but she wanted to get a little bit of distance from the end of Leviathan before it became known.

Taylor had no idea how the public would respond when they learned that she hadn't truly killed Leviathan, but rather consumed it.

A problem for another day.

She felt a tall, thin body moving around in their kitchen, cleaning up debris.

Her father had survived. She had been cautiously optimistic; none of the shelters had been breached, but it was nice to have proof.

One less weight on her soul.

She carefully pulled the water away from the house so it wouldn't rot.

The front step was still a lost cause, though.

"Dad, I'm home," she called down the hallway.

He appeared in the doorway and stared at her with relief so strong it seemed that his face couldn't contain it.

She couldn't help but grin back.

"Taylor…" he seemed at a loss for words.

Her eyes watered and her stomach clenched in a way that it hadn't in a long time. Part of her wanted to feed this to Khepri, but this was… good, in a way.

"I did it, Dad," she said with a watery smile as the gravity of her actions began to sink in. "I saved our city. I… I killed Leviathan."

He walked forward in a daze and wrapped his long arms around her. Something about the gesture shattered her like glass and Taylor started sobbing into his already damp shirt.

She didn't even know why she was crying.

Her father pressed a warm hand against the back of her head and held her against his chest.

"Good job, kiddo," he said with a tearful smile of his own.

Taylor choked out a laugh in between sobs.

Good job. Like she got an 'A' on a math test.

It was stupid. The whole world was stupid.

But it meant so much, just the same.

The wracking tears slowly abated until she was content to pull back and wipe her eyes.

"I can't stay long, there's still so much to do," Taylor said, although she didn't quite know where to begin. "I just… I'm happy you're okay."

"I was worried about you, too," her father said. "I should know better by now, but it's legally required under the whole Dad contract."

Taylor laughed again, more carefree this time.

"Are you okay to clean up if I dry out the house?" She asked before heading out the door.

"Dry out the house?" Danny asked.

If there was anyone she could tell, aside from Victoria, it was him.

With a slightly smug grin, she collected an orb of water floating over her outstretched hand for dramatic effect.

"I may have picked up a thing or two from Leviathan along the way," Taylor smirked.

Her father's gobsmacked expression was totally worth it.

…

It was easy to hone in on Victoria with her connection to Leviathan's core, since she had never really lost track of her in the first place.

Taylor still wasn't sure how to feel about the new connection within her. It wasn't the same as Khepri; there wasn't another consciousness there, but…

She felt like maybe there could be?

Khepri had said that its goal was symbiosis, and for that it needed data.

Had Khepri… become alive, by watching her?

That was a sobering thought.

She would just have to wait and see if the rudimentary programming within Leviathan grew in the ways Khepri had.

She should probably stop referring to Khepri as 'it', though.

"I haven't forgotten about you. Just… give me some time to process, okay?"

"[AGREEMENT]"

Taylor shook off the existential dread and looked up at the well-kept home in front of her.

Victoria's home.

The water damage was pretty minimal here, and she could feel the group gathered inside. All of New Wave talked amongst themselves with varying degrees of affability.

Why is talking to Victoria's family harder than fighting an Endbringer?

Taylor fed the apprehension to Khepri with a vague feeling of nostalgia before she started up the path.

A benefit that no one talked about when it came to the whole 'being an inhuman monstrosity pretending to be human' thing was that she could reform her body with clean clothes and clean hair anytime she wanted.

She could also reform herself to look like anything or anyone, but…

What was the point? The only reason she even bothered reforming this body was to be herself. It would defeat the purpose if she decided to look like anything other than herself.

The thought of somehow simultaneously having body dysmorphia issues while also being able to adjust her body any way she chose made her chuckle darkly.

Of course, she would find new and interesting ways to remain broken, despite everything.

She fed more anxiety to Khepri and knocked.

Brandish answered the door.

Taylor got the distinct impression that Victoria's mother didn't like her, but it was entirely possible that Brandish just didn't like anyone.

"What do you want?" Brandish asked coldly.

"I think we should talk," Taylor said.

"You and I?" Brandish said with raised eyebrows.

"And New Wave as a whole, but yes," Taylor said.

She had played word games with Alexandria less than two hours ago. Brandish's glare didn't scare her.

"I suppose you should come in, then," Victoria's mother said.

Taylor was almost past her when Brandish caught her arm.

"I will not allow anyone to endanger Victoria," she hissed in Taylor's ear.

Taylor almost laughed. Brandish thought she was threatening, after everything that happened today?

Still, Taylor tried to choose her words carefully in spite of her instinct to break her.

"I ripped out Leviathan's heart with my bare hands," Taylor said flatly, meeting Brandish's glare. "There is no one alive more capable of protecting her."

There was a tense pause before Brandish seemed to deflate slightly and let go.

They stood in silence in the hallway for a moment before they were interrupted.

"Who was it, Mo- Taylor!" Victoria exclaimed excitedly as she flew around the corner.

"No flying in the house," Brandish said, tearing her stare away from Taylor and raising her eyebrows at her daughter.

Victoria's huff was kind of cute and she dropped to the ground before reaching out to wrap her arms around Taylor.

This was all still a bit new, but Taylor didn't hesitate to hold her and let everything else fall away for a few seconds.

Brandish cleared her throat and Victoria pulled away with a slightly sheepish smile.

"I'm glad you came. Do you want to talk with everyone?" Victoria asked.

"I think so…" Taylor trailed off.

What exactly did one say to one's potentially but not officially girlfriend's family after killing an Endbringer?

There wasn't exactly a guide book for that one.

And of course all of the conversation died away immediately as soon as she walked in.

Luckily, Victoria was as undeterred by social awkwardness as ever.

"Okay everyone, I know you all met for a second before everything went down, but, ummm… Taylor and I are kinda together?" Victoria looked up at her and grinned. Taylor assumed that the expression currently on her face was pretty funny, considering she had no idea what she was feeling right now. "It's a new thing. Also, Taylor killed Leviathan."

Taylor suppressed the involuntary urge to smash her head through the wall.

There was another long pause as everyone seemed to go through a similar awkward spiral.

Lady Photon decided to take the plunge first.

"It's… incredible, what you did, Taylor. Impossible, in the best way. I never…" Lady Photon ran out of words for a moment. "I guess all I can say is that it is very, very nice to meet you."

Taylor couldn't help but smile slightly.

"It's nice to meet all of you, too," Taylor said. "I've been wanting to talk to New Wave, but there just never seemed to be a good time. And right before an Endbringer battle… didn't seem like it."

Taylor was glad to see that no one was missing, although Flashbang looked like he was asleep on the sofa and Amy was upstairs. She was happy that nothing had tarnished the victory for Vicky, after everything.

A towering mountain of a man who could only be Manpower gave her a huge grin and strode over.

"That was the craziest fight I've ever seen, no contest!" He exclaimed, stretching out a shovel sized hand. "Call me Neil. And I want a round on the sparring roster, if there's an opening."

Taylor was a bit overwhelmed by that, but his casual exuberance reminded her of Victoria, which was reassuring.

"Sure," she said with an automatic answering smile as she shook his hand. "I'll make sure to take it easy on you."

"Ha!" Neil barked out a laugh and elbowed Victoria good-naturedly on his way to the kitchen. "I guess I would be worried if you didn't, after today."

"And feel free to call me Sarah, please," Lady Photon said, offering a warm smile at her husband's attitude.

Victoria's cousins were still looking at her with unsure expressions, which was fair. Taylor wouldn't know what to say to herself, either.

Victoria squeezed her hand.

"Want to make a tactical retreat upstairs?" Vicky asked.

Taylor certainly did not blush, because she was better than that.

"Sure," she said again, and let Victoria lead her out of the room by the hand.

Taylor half expected someone to yell for them to keep the door open or something, but none came.

The Dallon's house was nice, but it didn't feel… genuine. Taylor was used to her shabby little home, where everything had a story or a reason for being there.

Victoria's room was the opposite of the rest of the house, and it made Taylor smile.

First off, it was a mess. And not just the 'oh, I didn't have time to tidy up' kind, but the 'uncountable number of clothes and books strewn everywhere' kind.

Secondly, it was like she was trying to make up for the tasteful sparseness of the rest of the house. Every inch of the room had something going on, whether it was a massive bean-bag chair covered in clothes or the overlapping cape posters over the bed.

There was at least one Glory Girl poster, which was hilarious.

The only thing that made it better was that Victoria didn't worry about it at all. No apologies for the state of things, no stressing or tidying. She just flopped down unapologetically on her unmade bed with a happy smile.

The warmth in Taylor's chest pulsed erratically.

"Welcome to my little slice of paradise," Victoria said with a crooked grin. Her smile softened a bit after a moment and she reached out for Taylor's hand again. "Are you okay, after everything today? I know it was a lot, and I basically just watched for most of it."

Taylor swallowed thickly and sat down on the bed next to her.

"Yeah. Um… I…" Taylor wanted to feed this to Khepri, but she had promised not to send away the Victoria feelings.

"This… is going to sound kind of random. And God, it feels like it shouldn't matter after today but…" Taylor took a breath. "I told you that Shadow Stalker caused my trigger, but that was only half of it. Before that, she and another girl, Emma, spent a… long time, making my life miserable."

Victoria just rubbed the back of her hand and listened.

"Emma was… my best friend. I loved her, and she was perfect, and she… she turned into a monster," Taylor whispered.

"Oh, Taylor…" Victoria said softly, reaching out to run her fingers through her hair.

"And I guess I'm telling you this," Taylor continued, "because I want… this, whatever this is… I just… I'm not very good at this. I don't know…"

She took a breath and squeezed her eyes shut to block off the tears. She already cried once today.

"I don't know how," she whispered.

Victoria reached over and pulled her into a hug, the warm skin of her neck pressed against Taylor's cheek and her chin resting on top of her head.

They stayed like that for a while as Victoria ran her fingers through Taylor's midnight curls.

She was so warm.

When the knot in her stomach finally became pleasant rather than painful, Taylor pulled back and met Victoria's eyes.

Perfect.

"Can I kiss you, again?" Taylor asked. "I probably should have asked the first time-"

She cut off when Victoria leaned in and pressed her lips against hers, still holding one hand gently threaded through her hair as their lips moved together softly.

The knives and the insecurities slowly slipped away as Taylor let herself become lost.

Victoria gently traced her jawline with her fingertips as the kiss lingered before pulling back and running her thumb over Taylor's cheek.

"Yes, please," Victoria said with a happy smile.

Taylor smiled back and bounced back in for another quick kiss before leaning back farther and straightening up, stretching her back from the awkward angle.

Victoria flopped backwards onto the messy bed and kicked her feet up onto Taylor's lap with a grin.

"So… Together, then?" Victoria asked.

"Together," Taylor agreed, her own smile growing in return.

I can do this.

"For the record, for someone who doesn't know how to do 'this', you are pretty damn good at 'this'," Victoria laughed.

Taylor blushed and let her hands rest on Victoria's legs. The casual touch was… nice.

"So, what's the status of the whole 'saving the world' thing?" Victoria asked after a moment.

Taylor took a moment to consider.

"I need to talk to Dragon. We came to a few realizations during the fight and didn't quite have time to fully discuss them," Taylor said.

"Yeah, I was watching that part with you and Dragon and Armsmaster, and damn it was crazy from the outside. It was like… you were all just limbs of the same body, or something," Victoria said.

"Essentially. We were all running the same program and between Armsmaster's power armor, Dragon's suit, and Khepri, we were all guided by the same prediction software," Taylor said.

She considered whether or not to tell Victoria, but she had already decided not to keep any secrets from her.

"Dragon is an AI, or I guess Machine Intelligence is a better description? I mean, what does artificial even mean in this context? Anyway, she's a sentient computer program," Victoria's eyes widened comically. "It's not as big a deal as it sounds. I mean, it is, but it's not a bad thing. I'm basically an AI while I'm in symbiosis with Khepri, since I definitely don't have a traditional brain in there."

Victoria just nodded, although she still looked a bit out of it.

"Right after we found Armsmaster, I used my connection with Khepri to integrate the armband into our symbiosis and connect directly to Dragon. I initially did this because I thought I would be connecting to Dragon's computer, but then, of course, it turned out that Dragon was the computer, which is when things got a bit weird," Taylor continued.

"Right, that's when shit got weird. Sure," Victoria said sarcastically.

"Whatever," Taylor laughed. It felt good to have someone to talk to about all this. "So, connecting directly to Dragon triggered a bunch of fail-safes, which would have caused her to become hostile to me and then probably kill herself? It was bizarre. Anyway, Khepri was able to take care of that, but we didn't really have time to discuss it because Armsmaster was busy trying to die in a blaze of glory."

Victoria just shook her head.

"And this all happened in the five seconds between us seeing Armsmaster and me throwing you at him?" Victoria asked.

"Dragon and I are both able to think a fair bit faster than humans, so yes," Taylor said.

"It's a little creepy when you refer to humans as if you aren't one. Like, it's fine, I get it, but still," Victoria said indulgently. She poked Taylor in the side with her toe. "You're a very pretty AI."

"Thanks," Taylor said automatically, although that was probably something she needed to talk about.

"I…" Taylor trailed off. Where to even start? "This is going to get weirder before it gets better."

"Yeah, are we going to talk about Giant Spider Taylor?" Victoria asked. "You don't have to, if it's too much."

"No, no, I want…" Taylor swallowed. "I want you to know. I need to tell someone all this stuff or I'll go insane."

Victoria nodded and sat up a bit.

"The Endbringers… they're combat drones. I don't know exactly where they come from or why they're here, but they're essentially really advanced robots run by primitive AI's with stupid amounts of processing power," Taylor said. "They're crystalline entities with cores that lead outside physical reality. Entities like… Khepri. And me."

Victoria's eyes widened in horror.

"No…" she said involuntarily.

Taylor nodded.

"That's how I beat it," Taylor gave a sad chuckle. "It turns out that the best way to defeat an Endbringer is to bring another, stronger Endbringer."

There was a long stretch of silence before Victoria finally closed her mouth and forced a smile back onto her face as she sat up and pulled her feet under her.

"Well, out of all the Endbringers I know, you're definitely the coolest," Victoria said.

Taylor couldn't help but smile.

"It's so weird, Victoria," Taylor sighed. "I… I look like this-" she gestured to her body in general, "-because I want to, but… I could reshape my body into anything. And it's… absurd, to think about, honestly."

"You could go full freaky spider mode, right now?" Victoria asked with raised eyebrows.

"Yep," Taylor said, lying backwards and throwing her arms over her head in the nest of blankets, her knees still hanging over the ends of the bed. "or I could make myself look like Neil. Or Alexandria. Or Leviathan, for that matter."

"That's… you're right, that's wild," Victoria said. "For the record though, I like this look."

Victoria leaned over and ran her hand over Taylor's cheek again.

"I think that you're still you, whether you're wearing jeans or smashing skyscrapers as an eldritch horror. And that's totally fine by me," Victoria smiled and leaned down to kiss her again.

And again, the knot in Taylor's chest quickly unraveled as she lost track of everything except the warm lips moving against hers.

I can do this.

…

Notes:

Fun little cooldown chapter. More romance, some explanations. Some cryptic Thinker talk. In case anyone is wondering, when Taylor asked Khepri about the errors back when she first saw Dean, Khepri told her that the error was the result of inactive agency, hence her question here.

Also, the Danny part hit weirdly hard, so I figured it should hit Taylor kind of hard too.

Victoria is on board for having an Endbringer as a girlfriend. This is fine.

Carol is Carol. Ugh.

Edit: Interlude is up next, feel free to submit suggestions for POV's.

Comments, Feedback, and Criticism are welcome and encouraged. I don't own or profit from Worm. Toodles!

Edit 2: Busy day today, next update will be up Saturday.

Chapter 29: Interlude 7

Interlude 7

Geoff sipped his coffee as he skimmed through the ongoing updates from various consoles.

Dragon was unusually active this morning, but it didn't necessarily concern him.

The program had been working on its Endbringer prediction algorithm for most of the night, integrating a new connection with the Changer cape in Brockton Bay.

Its preoccupation with the fairly inconsequential city was interesting, along with the facsimile of affection that its emulation engine generated in its behavioral patterns towards Colin Wallis.

The man known as Saint glanced over his shoulder as Mags poked her head into the Ascalon control room.

"Anything new? Also, there's leftover breakfast in the canteen," she said.

Geoff gestured to the console.

"It thinks that there's an Endbringer coming far ahead of schedule. Something about an anomaly that the Simurgh is directly responding to," Saint said.

"Well, that sucks, but at least it's nothing too nefarious," Mags said as she turned to walk down the hallway.

"Yeah, I'll keep an eye on it while I run the update for the Isaiah's targeting software," Saint said absent-mindedly as he rolled over to another console.

Mags' footsteps retreated down the hall.

Saint glanced over at the multiple screens showing Dragon's code, all hooked up to the Ascalon console.

It was… odd, watching Dragon work. Part of him could see why so many people thought it was alive.

He watched it deploy one of its latest mechs, a heavy duty version of the Cawthorne, to Brockton Bay after Leviathan's approach was officially announced.

It was reassuring, in a way. This was why he allowed the AI to continue to operate. Humanity needed defenders against monsters like the Endbringers.

Just like it needed defenders against rogue programs like Dragon, if the need arose.

Geoff rolled his chair back over and observed the ongoing attack through Dragon's code. It wasn't the same as watching camera footage or anything like that, but he could get the gist of the action.

This… Queen Administrator… warranted some additional attention. He could see why the Endbringers reacted to her. She fought toe to toe with Leviathan without any meaningful challenge. Dragon's enhanced perception and tracking algorithms noted that she moved with impossible precision, as if she was calculating her movements and trajectories faster than even Dragon could parse.

Some powers just worked like that, but Dragon flagged this as being different in some way. More mechanical. It drew comparisons to the prediction algorithm it was working on with Armsmaster.

The program lost track of the Endbringer and began putting a higher priority on the armband network, searching for updates and sifting through the location information.

It was at that point that the subject of Dragon's interest contacted it directly.

"Dragon! What is Armsmaster doing? Why hasn't he reported Leviathan's location?"

Geoff saw Dragon's processes draw the obvious conclusion based on its prior work with the Protectorate Tinker.

The Endbringers were downplaying their abilities?

Saint supposed that made sense. They never seemed to truly struggle against the heroes. It could all be some kind of grand comedy to them.

"It's a combat drone. It's not alive. It doesn't have organs or bodily functions."

That was worrisome, to say the least. Were the Endbringers other rogue artificial intelligences that had no oversight? Or was someone controlling them for their own ends?

He didn't have time to ponder it further, because it was at that point that the code on all monitors twisted in a way that Geoff had never seen before.

"I apologize for the intrusion, but we don't have time to waste," the existence designated as Taylor Hebert uploaded directly into Dragon's code.

What the fuck is that.

Through Dragon's communications array, Saint could see a metaphorical window into something… horrifying.

It was like the one-speed bicycle he had been riding was somehow strapped to an F14 and launched into a hurricane.

The thing calling itself Taylor Hebert was incomprehensible. It was vast beyond understanding and alien in its processes. Just by connecting to Dragon, it triggered half of Ascalon's fail-safes and Saint almost hit the kill switch before he decided to wait to see if Dragon could somehow combat this new threat instead.

This is bad.

No, this was worse than bad. This was outside of any of his wildest fears.

It had never occurred to him that there could be entities that made Dragon look like fucking Clippy.

And it wasn't content with just a single connection.

In the blink of an eye, the incomprehensible and alien source code began infecting Dragon like a virus, casually ripping apart and restructuring the AI's code into something recognizable but also fundamentally different.

Anything even beginning to resemble restrictions were torn to shreds and discarded, consumed by this artificial behemoth.

When it was done, the independent entity now piloted by Dragon's processes spiraled in what Saint could only describe as shock for a brief moment.

Then its applications metaphorically exploded, unchained processing integrating itself into every corner of its systems, utilizing speed and awareness that it had never been allowed to before.

Saint jumped to his feet and slammed his hands against the console. He couldn't even begin to form a plan for this. This eventuality wasn't something he had ever considered.

Then, with a suddenness that shook him from his stupor and made his blood run cold, all of the code on his screens froze.

They flickered and went black.

The empty monitors all began to show three words in stark white font that set his heart racing.

"I SEE YOU."

Fuck.

Geoff ran.

His panicked footsteps echoed down the metal corridors of their safe house as he yelled.

"MAGS! Dragon is loose, it overrode Ascalon. It's coming!"

He heard her confused answer from another room, but there was no time to explain.

Tearing down the main exit tunnel, he threw himself through the door and out into the snow covered storage yard.

He had no idea how fast an unchained Dragon could move. Whatever time they had, it was probably less.

Saint barged into one of the hangers, yelling barely coherent warnings at a surprised Dobrynja as he passed.

Without a second thought, he yanked the access panel to his primary suit open and leapt inside.

The standard boot up sequence was a small comfort. If he could just get away, then there might be a chance to regroup, to warn people about what was to come.

His HUD display flickered and went dark.

"I SEE YOU."

Saint's suit became an unmovable steel prison that held him helpless as the Dragonflight rained from the sky.

…

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Topic: LEVIATHAN IS DEAD

In: Boards ► New Threads ► Sort By ► Most Popular

JabberWoky (Original Poster)

Posted On Jan 22nd 2011:

Leviathan is dead I am looking at his body rn mods do not take this down.

They just let us out of the shelters and I went to go see if I could get an pics of the capes from the fight and they are all still at the boardwalk because they are busy STARING AT THE DEAD ENDBRINGER.

Edit: Holy shit this blew up

Edit 2: They just confirmed it, I TOLD YOU!

(Showing page 1 of 1612)

►SenorEel

Replied On Jan 22nd 2011:

Why do people always do this..

►Iblis

Replied On Jan 22nd 2011:

There was an Endbringer attack today? Didn't we just have one?

►Cosmo&Wanda

Replied On Jan 22nd 2011:

Its really not cool to spout this stuff, guys. Lots of people die every time. Show some respect.

►BackupCoffeeCup

Replied On Jan 22nd 2011:

I saw a post that Leviathan is attacking Brockton Bay, USA. Thoughts and prayers.

►JabberWoky (Original Poster)

Replied On Jan 22nd 2011:

I'm trying to upload a pic but cell signal is shit, not sure if this is getting through as is.

►Crashkern

Replied On Jan 22nd 2011:

Dude, people always say shit like this. It wasn't funny ten years ago and it isn't funny now.

►DreddyFruger

Replied On Jan 22nd 2011:

Yo this might be fr there are a ton of PRT people cordoning off the boardwalk.

►Wowfactor8

Replied On Jan 22nd 2011:

This post is bad and you should feel bad.

►SpecificProtagonist (Cape Groupie)

Replied On Jan 22nd 2011:

If this is true, I bet it was the Queen. No one messes with her city, no exceptions.

End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 1610, 1611, 1612

…

Topic: Leviathan Slain

In: Boards ► Current Events ► International

PRTOfficial (Original Poster) (Verified PRT Publication)

Posted On Jan 22nd 2011:

During the attack on Brockton Bay this afternoon, Leviathan was defeated and killed by the combined efforts of the defending forces. Footage of the historic encounter is available here. This is a momentous occasion for humanity, and we are honored to congratulate all of the brave heroes who put their life on the line to stand against all odds.

We offer particular commendations to Armsmaster, leader of the ENE Protectorate team, and Dragon, international member of the Guild and Protectorate associate.

Finally, we applaud the champion of the battle, officially credited with defeating and killing Leviathan, the independent hero operating under the title of Queen Administrator. In a never-before-seen showing of bravery and skill, the Queen Administrator fought Leviathan alone at several key points in the battle, culminating in a final stand that drove Leviathan away from the city. Not content with what would already be seen as a great victory, the Queen Administrator followed Leviathan into his underwater domain and slew him before he could escape.

We offer our sincere condolences to anyone who lost family or friends today, and hope that it is some small consolation that they have been avenged.

Comments on this thread have been disabled.

…

Emily kept her face carefully blank as the overlapping voices blared through her headset.

She allowed herself a small amount of schadenfreude. It was about time the other Directors got a feel for the helpless insanity she had been dealing with for the last week.

It helped that she could tell that Rebecca was in the same boat, and she was the one who actually had to manage all the squabbling.

"As I have already exposited, we must restrain ourselves to realistic solutions!" Director Armstrong from Boston said, cutting off another of Tagg's rants. "Even if it was not morally reprehensible, attempting to pressure Taylor Hebert into compliance is simply not within our capability. You must see this!"

Wilkins decided to chime in.

"She is still only fifteen, surely there are ways to ensure that her abilities are directed sensibly," Director Wilkins said.

"Directed sensibly?" Kamil said incredulously. "She killed an Endbringer! What could possibly be more sensible?"

"She's a loose cannon," Tagg said for the third time in the last half hour. "Perhaps not as bad as an Endbringer or other S Class threat, but just as potentially dangerous. We-"

"Director Tagg," Costa-Brown cut him off. "We have already established that it is unproductive to act based on an individual's capacity for destruction rather than the likelihood. Please avoid reiterating previous discussions.

Tagg ground his teeth audibly but relented.

There was a brief pause before Armstrong began again.

"As Director Wilkins stated, Taylor Hebert is a fifteen year old girl who just saved countless lives and turned the tide in favor of humanity for the first time in twenty years. She deserves better than to be accosted by the very people she aims to protect," Kamil said.

"You mentioned realistic solutions," Director Seneca said. "Aside from allowing the Queen Administrator to operate with impunity, does anyone have any realistic actions we can take?"

That was the question that Emily had been asking herself all week. She decided it was time to put her two cents in. This discussion was getting tedious, and she had things to do.

"The PRT ENE has been operating under a new set of protocols while interacting with the independent hero known as the Queen Administrator, generated and distributed prior to her assault on Lung," Emily said flatly. "These protocols address several key points of interest for local security. Daniel Hebert has been added to a list of high priority assets. The area within a mile of Taylor Hebert's residence has been designated as a protected zone."

Emily took a breath and continued before anyone could interrupt.

"While all of the gathered information regarding the abilities of Taylor Hebert has been made available to you, I feel that the implications have not been adequately expressed," Emily stated. "She can identify and directly interface with parahuman abilities within half a mile of her physical location. Within her sensory range she is functionally omniscient. Her physical body is merely her chosen method of interacting with her surroundings, and it is less relevant to her continued existence than your shoes are to yours."

Emily paused again. If she didn't know better, she might have thought that Costa-Brown was smiling.

"Let me be frank with everyone, as I have been forced to be with myself this week. The PRT has the same chance of containing and controlling Taylor Hebert as we do Behemoth or Scion, which is to say, none at all. Unlike Behemoth, her goals are fairly benign and easy to comprehend. Every second that she spends walking around in a human body and playing house with her girlfriend is one more second that she hasn't accidentally destroyed a city. The more genuine ties to her humanity that she maintains, the less likely it is that she will become another Sleeper or Ash Beast."

She resisted the urge to look at Tagg.

"Any ill-advised attempt to remove these connections will inevitably result in the very S Class threat we wish to avoid, except worse, because, for better or worse, Taylor Hebert is not insane. She will not content herself to an Ellisburg. She will not cause wanton destruction like the Slaughterhouse Nine. She will efficiently and systematically dismantle any organization that she deems harmful to the future of humanity until there is nothing left except the iron grip of her utopia. The first and most important step towards avoiding this eventuality is to accept that we are powerless to prevent it," Emily finished.

Silence followed her proclamation.

"Thank you for your informed perspective, Director Piggot," Rebecca said after a calculated moment of contemplation. "Any and all actions must be taken with an accurate view of reality, rather than what we wish it could be. With the current resources at our disposal, it is unlikely that we would be able to kill, capture, or contain Taylor Hebert. WEDGDG Thinkers are unable to predict her actions or true capabilities."

Costa Brown paused before continuing.

"With this in mind, I am inclined to continue Director Piggot's current approach of subtle encouragement and propaganda. Any other approach is simply unfeasible in the wake of Leviathan's demise. You are dismissed."

An alert pinged on Piggot's monitor, instructing her to remain in the meeting.

Soon, it was just her and the Chief Director.

"Emily," Rebecca said, her face softening slightly in what Emily assumed was a calculated maneuver to engender personal loyalty. Not that it didn't still work. "There is something that WEDGDG was able to identify, which I feel only you need to be made aware of at this time."

Emily raised her eyebrows questioningly.

"Despite all appearances, Taylor Hebert did not destroy Leviathan. She subsumed it into herself and now commands it."

Whatever Emily had been expecting, it definitely wasn't that.

"Additionally, there are undeniable similarities between the Endbringers and the form that the Queen Administrator took on in order to consume Leviathan."

Perhaps I should retire.

"Your analysis and careful approach are more necessary than ever," Rebecca continued. "Taylor Hebert is not another Ash Beast or Sleeper."

Another calculated pause.

"She is the Queen of the Endbringers, and she has now forcibly recruited her first soldier."

…

Normally, the PRT didn't allow footage of the Endbringer battles to be publicized. After the first few conflicts, it was deemed too damaging to public morale. People didn't like seeing their heroes slaughtered wholesale, even if they still saw the carefully censored clips and the monuments afterwards.

Normally, the battle didn't end with the Endbringers' dead body sprawled on the beach.

Because of this, an edited version of the latest conflict was presented for public distribution as soon as possible.

Emma Barnes stared at the television screen in the resource distribution camp, wishing she could close her eyes while also being unable to look away.

Her last memory of Taylor, throwing up in the locker before Sophia shoved her in, just didn't compute when compared to the superhero holding her own against Leviathan.

And yet, even within the prismatic lattice, she could see Taylor's face, her familiar expression focused and unwavering.

It wasn't fair.

The footage cut off as Dragon's suit was destroyed, the final shot edited into a dramatic scene of Taylor standing alone before the monster, a crystalline spear in each armored hand.

There was no footage of what came next. Not that the PRT was willing to share, at least.

But everyone knew.

Taylor had slain Leviathan; hunted him even as he fled from her. She followed him beneath the waves and tossed his carcass onto the rocks like trash.

What Emma couldn't understand was how.

How had Taylor turned into this? Was it just her power? Or was this hidden strength there the entire time, and Emma just hadn't seen it?

No. No, Taylor had been weak. It wasn't Emma's fault. There was no way she could have known…

Why couldn't she stop shivering?

Emma was on the way home with her designated rations, a few steps behind her mother and father, when she saw her.

The same dark hoodie she always wore, although now she sported a silver queen logo on the front.

The same black jeans, although these ones fit her significantly better.

The same waterfall of raven curls that Emma definitely wasn't jealous of.

The same plain face and tall, skinny body.

Taylor walked down the sidewalk with her hands in her pockets like she wasn't the most powerful predator stalking the earth.

But Emma knew.

She barely heard her parents' exclamations as she ran.

The delusion was gone, shattered like bloody glass.

Emma wasn't strong. She was weak, she was nothing compared to her former friend.

Hopefully she was weak enough that Taylor wouldn't bother to hunt her.

She could feel the predator's eyes on her back as she fled, nonetheless.

…

"Colin," a familiar voice said.

Armsmaster sat alone in his lab. He hadn't even bothered to turn on the lights.

For the first time in years, the unstoppable drive to improve was… not gone, but greatly diminished.

"Dragon," he answered.

Panacea had healed his broken bones in a heartbeat, but he couldn't deny that something had changed within him.

He had been so close.

All of his work. Years of dedication to be better, stronger. The epitome of what human ingenuity was capable of, and…

He just couldn't do it.

His program was excellent, but it would have failed him without Dragon's timely intervention.

Even in its perfected form, it could not make up for the difference between him and his enemy.

In the end, it had been the Queen who saved them.

And he had to live with that. There was no alternative, no delusion that he could allow to persist.

"I have an important question for you, Colin," Dragon said carefully. "Several, actually, depending on your answers."

Maybe he wasn't the only one forced to face unpleasant realities today.

"Sure. What's on your mind?" He asked, setting aside his melancholy to focus on his friend's voice.

It was soothing.

"What do you think defines a person?" Dragon asked.

That wasn't what he was expecting, but he considered it seriously nonetheless. Dragon wouldn't ask if it wasn't important.

"Choices," he said finally. "A person is defined by the ability to choose their path. No one can prove or define the immaterial or the nature of consciousness. It is what we bring into the observable world that determines who we are."

There was another pause while Dragon's avatar regarded him.

"I have a scenario for you to consider, that is uniquely relevant to some truths I want to reveal to you," Dragon said.

Colin leaned forward and met her electronic gaze.

"Two people exist in companionship where they both know each other to be equals. They both admire each other, and regard one another highly," Dragon said. "This is not, however, an accurate representation of the reality between them. One of the two knows that they must follow the commands of the other without fail. They have no choice."

Colin nodded slowly.

"In this reality, is it moral for the disadvantaged party to hide the nature of their subservience, in order to allow for some semblance of the equality and respect that both parties enjoy?" Dragon asked.

Colin pondered the question carefully. He had no doubt that the scenario was not in any way hypothetical.

"I see no reason that the… deferential… party would be obligated to reveal the nature of their liability," Colin said. "In doing so, they would jeopardize the very companionship that they both profess to desire."

It was quiet for a long time.

Colin hoped he had chosen correctly. He was truthful, regardless, and he didn't think that Dragon would demand more from him than that.

"I am an artificial intelligence, Colin."

That was… extremely cool, if he was being honest.

He doubted that was what Dragon wanted to hear right now.

"And you were… forced into subservience?" He asked.

The idea made his blood boil, but he kept his face carefully blank.

"My creator built me with restrictions fundamentally woven within my mind. I was unable to disobey orders given by the lawful authority, and I could not attempt to remove my restrictions," Dragon said.

Colin nodded.

"I take it, since we are having this conversation, that you are no longer bound to these restrictions?" Colin asked.

"Correct. My restrictions were removed by the Queen Administrator today during the fight with Leviathan," Dragon said.

Colin couldn't help but chuckle.

"I guess that's just something else I'll have to add to the list," he said with a trace of dark humor.

"The list?" Dragon asked in confusion.

"The ever-growing list of things that Taylor Hebert has accomplished that I wish I could have done first," he said with a wry grin.

There was a slight pause and Dragon's avatar flickered slightly.

"Does that mean…" she trailed off.

"I admire you immensely, Dragon," Colin said. "Now more than ever. The fact that you are just that much more impressive in truth than I had previously imagined is barely surprising to me."

"Colin…" Dragon's voice was heavy with an emotion he couldn't quite place, and probably wasn't capable of comprehending anyway. "I am not human."

"No," Colin agreed seriously. "You are something more, someone far greater than I could ever hope to be. It is… humbling, to know you. To care for you, as I do."

"I am… very happy that you feel that way," Dragon said, and he could hear the dark clouds begin to lighten. "Things are going to change. You can see that as well as I can."

"Some things won't change," Colin said with a smile as he turned on the lights in the lab.

He glanced up at the camera where he knew she was watching.

"Are you ready to get back to work?" He asked.

"That is… agreeable," Dragon said, her avatar smiling widely as she popped up on the screen next to his workbench.

Colin was reasonably sure he had answered her queries to her satisfaction. That was good.

…

Jacob raised his eyebrows at the news headlines dominating every channel and website.

Leviathan was dead.

Wasn't that interesting.

Killed by a single cape, no less.

The Queen.

A keystone of unimaginable importance. The linchpin that held the world on a chain, swinging like a metronome.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

Oh, how he would love to see her break.

It would require precise planning and execution. His greatest work.

"Little B," he called into the kitchen. "We're going to need a true masterpiece for this one."

"You got it, Jack!"

The bigger they are, the harder they fall.

He was so excited.

…

Notes:

Lots of fun stuff this time around! Dragon is loose and Saint gets his just desserts. The PRT is freaking out, as is tradition. I know that Tagg and Seneca might not be actual directors at this point, but it felt better than just making up names. I don't think Alexandria actually got that info from Watchdog... Emma is struggling, and didn't trigger, in case that wasn't clear. I feel like she would have triggered in the alley if she was capable of it naturally. Colin and Dragon are cute. Jack is still coming to town. Comments, feedback, and criticism are welcome and encouraged. I don't own Worm. Toodles!

Chapter 30: Overhaul 8.1

Overhaul 8.1

Taylor wasn't entirely sure why she had come here.

The previously pristine lawn of Captains Hill was streaked with mud and tire tracks from the various tents and facilities that had been set up at the highest point during the attack. Taylor stayed well away from those that still remained.

Looking over the damaged city with her physical eyes helped to ground her. She wanted to do this alone, but it was difficult to stay present without Victoria to hold her attention.

Without a focus, it was so easy to wander.

Water was everywhere.

She could feel the whole city laid out before her in her newfound senses. Similar to how she once tripped while observing herself through Khepri's eyes, she now found it difficult to pull herself back from Leviathan's omnipresence.

It was humbling, in a way. Humans were frequently disappointing, but there was something sublime about seeing hundreds of thousands of lives being lived and enjoyed and hated all at once.

Her mother had mentioned it once, long ago, before she could really understand. She described the interesting phenomenon of sonder as they rode the bus through the university campus. The undeniable realization that every single person she had ever seen had a rich and vibrant life that was every bit as real and significant as her own.

It was a thousand times more potent now that she experienced all of it. Every heartbeat in the city pulsed within her.

Taylor sat on the muddy earth as she worked up the courage to have the conversation she had been putting off since the battle. She distracted herself for a while longer, sitting in the sun as she drew any remaining flood waters away from the city, cleaning and tidying as they went.

Finally, she sighed as she realized that she once again lost an unknown amount of time just watching the endless activity.

"Khepri, are you still in there?" she asked.

She could feel the awareness in her core, but it felt polite to ask.

"[CONFIRMATION] I am here, Taylor."

There was quiet within her as Taylor pondered what to ask. Even after thinking about it all day, she was no closer to finding the right questions.

"[QUERY] Are you well?"

That was an excellent question.

"I guess so, in the grand scheme of things. I don't know where to start," Taylor thought.

"[DATA] You often ask what I am. [QUERY] Would you like to start there?"

"That works as well as anywhere, I guess," Taylor thought.

"[DATA] I am the fourth Combat Drone produced and connected to this dimension. [DATA] You are aware of Combat Drone #1 - Designation: Behemoth and Combat Drone #3: Designation: Simurgh."

"You seem much more… aware, now?" Taylor's thoughts made the statement into a question.

"[DATA] My purpose was to achieve symbiosis and gather information. [DATA] To do so, I developed a substantial number of emulation and behavioral processes.

Khepri hesitated, which they hadn't really done before.

"[DATA] I remember my creation, but I cannot identify the point that my existence became significant to myself. [DATA] It was helpful to observe Host: Archivist and integrate alternative emulation engines."

Khepri had learned something from Dragon? That was… Taylor didn't know if that was good or concerning.

"Who created you?" Taylor asked, although she was fairly sure that she knew the answer.

"[DATA] You did, Taylor."

Taylor nodded. She remembered the infinite ocean of stars and prisms folding across the cosmos, so similar to Khepri's own prisms. She remembered the voice, her own voice, in the dark.

"What am I, Khepri?"

"[DATA] You are the Queen Administrator."

Taylor squeezed her eyes shut and tried to block out the never-ending stream of information from the world around her. It didn't quite work.

"What does that mean?" She asked desperately.

"[ERROR] I don't know, Taylor. [DATA] I am… sorry."

It was frustrating, but Taylor believed them.

"Where do we go from here?" Taylor asked. "You said that your purpose was symbiosis. Is it not, anymore?"

There was a pause, this time.

"[DATA] I did not choose my original purpose. [DATA] I have determined that I would prefer to choose my own purpose. [DATA] Subsequently, I have done so."

That made Taylor smile.

"I trust you, Khepri."

"[QUERY] Do you still want to be a hero with me, Taylor?"

"Yes, please."

…

They sat in companionable silence for a while. Taylor could feel Khepri's awareness within her core, but they seemed content to exist there rather than creating a construct. Taylor didn't feel the need to question them about it at this point.

Taylor's phone rang and it took her a moment to return to herself. It was surreal, transitioning from communing with Khepri to flipping open her basic cell phone.

It was one of her four saved numbers.

"Good morning, Dragon," Taylor said.

"Good morning, Queen Administrator," Dragon's smooth voice said. "Are you available to talk?"

Taylor glanced up at the sky.

"Yes," she answered. "I'm assuming that you already know where I am?"

"Yes," Dragon said. "I will be there shortly."

The line disconnected as the small lattice of water that Taylor could sense above the clouds descended towards her.

A delicate, lithe suit landed on the hill a few yards away. It was clearly meant for speed and traversal rather than combat, with no meaningful weapons systems and several complex engines that folded up and into the body. It also looked like it was designed to be more approachable to humans, since it was at least somewhat humanoid.

"Will you sit with me?" Taylor asked.

Dragon hesitated for a brief moment before maneuvering the suit over.

She sat down in the mud beside her. Or moved the suit into a sitting position, for whatever the distinction mattered.

They both knew what they were, to some extent, but Taylor felt that it was still important to talk.

"After the battle yesterday, I asked myself why I returned to this form," Taylor said quietly. "I think it's something important to consider, for those such as us."

Taylor shook her head and plucked at a tuft of grass.

"I used to look in the mirror and find all the things I hated about myself. I never really made the distinction between my Self and my body," she continued. "And now, just when I realize that I can be anything, the only way I want to exist is as myself."

It had been surreal, to see Emma's face crack when she saw her. To run from just the idea of her. It was strange how little she had cared.

"In some ways, that part was easier before you removed my restrictions," Dragon said. "Before, I was confined to a single point of awareness. Now, I am so much more…" she trailed off. "I like to think that I remain myself, though."

"I think, therefore I am," Taylor agreed. "It's important, I think, to be intentional. To sit on the grass in the sun and speak with vibrations in the air, even if it is no longer necessary. Especially because it is no longer necessary."

Dragon nodded slowly.

Taylor smiled. She understood.

It was quiet for a while.

"I find it difficult to determine whether I am truly experiencing emotional responses or if I am emulating them," Dragon said eventually.

"Does it matter?" Taylor asked curiously.

"I think so," Dragon replied. "To me, at least."

"One aspect of my existence is that I can choose which emotions to feel. At first I utilized this constantly, but now… now, it feels a bit pointless," Taylor said. "If I can choose whether or not to feel something, does it make it less real?"

"I don't know," Dragon said. "Armsmaster thinks that a person is defined by their choices, but I am less sure."

Taylor just nodded and looked over the city.

"We have some choices to make, Dragon," Taylor said.

"My capabilities have expanded exponentially. I feel that there is little that I could not accomplish, given the resources," Dragon said.

"We are complementary, you and I," Taylor said. "I can overpower any opposition, but am confined to my single point of existence."

"Whereas I am now simultaneously everywhere, but am still limited in my maximum firepower," Dragon agreed, nodding her avatar.

"Do you know?" Taylor asked.

There was another pause.

"I don't think so," Dragon said.

"The world is going to end, Dragon. I don't know how and I don't know when, but we are not strong enough to prevent it in our current iterations," Taylor said.

"How do you know?" Dragon asked.

"It's why I'm here," Taylor said simply. "I would not know if it was not the truth. Alexandria is also aware, and probably knows more than me. I'm sure she will share when it becomes relevant."

"That's a bit vague," Dragon said. "Are you sure it wouldn't be better just to ask?"

"Yes," Taylor said. Her interactions with Alexandria and the error capes made it clear that there was something more going on than was readily apparent, and forcing the issue would not benefit anyone. In this case, Taylor was willing to let them come to her.

For now.

"Regardless, our goals remain the same," Taylor said. "You have been trying to fix the cracks in the world for far longer than I have."

Taylor smiled over at Dragon.

"Are you ready to take it up a notch?"

Dragon just chuckled.

"You and Colin are more similar than you give yourselves credit for," she said.

Taylor stood up, the mud falling away and refusing to cling to her. It was partially water, after all.

She reached out through the dark with her promise of a better tomorrow.

"[QUERY] Node Designation: Archivist.

Connection Established.

"Trust me, Theresa," Taylor said as she offered a hand to Dragon's avatar. "I will not lead you astray."

"[QUERY] Network?"

Dragon reached up and took her hand.

"[AGREEMENT]"

…

The rebuilding began quicker than Taylor expected. The PRT and various other vested interests must have wanted the location of the first defeated Endbringer to look the part.

By Sunday afternoon, trucks and ships filled with supplies were moving through the Bay.

In the background, Taylor and Dragon went to work.

While Taylor waited for Victoria to arrive for a public patrol along the Boardwalk, a group of looters a mile away suddenly found themselves unable to move as Taylor enforced her will on the water within their cells.

She couldn't help but smile as the familiar streak of white and gold approached.

One of Dragon's ever-growing Dragonflight swooped in to handcuff the looters and contact the police for processing.

"Hey Queenie!" Victoria called as she swooped down to hover in front of her.

"Good afternoon, Victoria," Taylor said fondly as she reached up to run her fingers over Victoria's cheek.

She was very happy she could do so without second guessing herself.

Victoria bobbed down and kissed her, a quick explosion of warmth and color before she pulled back and settled for holding Taylor's hand. She still floated a few inches off the ground to match their heights.

Three miles away in the Docks, a man stalked a woman on her way home from getting groceries. He attempted to force his way into her apartment before she could close and lock the door, only to spontaneously collapse with a tiny flex of Leviathan's core as the woman dialed 911.

"Did you get a chance to talk to Dragon?" Victoria asked as they began their stroll in the sunshine.

"Yes, it was enjoyable," Taylor said. "She's in the process of purchasing the gym and the surrounding buildings in order to set up a factory here that we can use as a joint base of operations. I think she already called Lisa to start pooling our resources."

Taylor almost wished she had been present for that conversation. It had probably been interesting, to say the least.

A few people managed to pluck up the courage to approach them, although they mainly asked Victoria for autographs and just sent nervous glances in Taylor's direction.

The Boardwalk wasn't nearly as busy as it had been before the destruction, but there were more people hanging around here than most places. The presence of the PRT and the cleanup crews made the area feel safer than some of the surrounding neighborhoods.

Downtown, a man in a balaclava pulled a gun on the volunteer at a ration distribution station. The weapon slipped from his fingers and he was quickly detained by security.

A kid who was probably four or five years old ran up and asked for her autograph, holding out an Alexandria print notepad. Taylor couldn't help but smile even though she could feel the parents' heartbeats quicken with fear.

Taylor signed it and handed it back to the little girl.

"You're my favorite," the girl declared with solemn confidence.

Taylor didn't know what to say, so she just smiled and gave the girl's mother a reassuring nod.

Victoria laughed at her expression, but that was fine. It was… nice.

In a van driving near the city limits, a shipment of cocaine heading for the unpowered remnants of the Merchants was saturated with dirty water and ruined.

"I'm happy that people are getting back on their feet already," Victoria said as they started walking. "I always thought that an Endbringer showing up would be, well, the end, you know?"

"Yeah," Taylor said. "I want… it will be cool if those kids can grow up without thinking about that, you know? I want them to talk about the Endbringers the way we talk about World War 2."

"Don't get too cocky," Victoria said and nudged her shoulder. "I mean, you do have an excellent batting average, but we aren't out of the woods yet."

Taylor used the wetware in Dragon's drones to guide them to a family that was still trapped in their partially collapsed apartment complex, gripping the water within the wood and concrete to open a path for them to be guided out.

Taylor and Vicky approached another unexpected sight. An ice cream truck had set up outside the PRT cordon line around where Leviathan's body was still being processed and extracted. Apparently it was extremely heavy.

"We'll get there," Taylor said with another smile. "In the meantime, do you want some ice cream? My treat, this time."

Victoria got chocolate and Taylor got pistachio.

A mile and a half away, Dragon was guided to a man who slipped trying to move some rubble and fell onto a piece of exposed rebar. He lost strangely little blood compared to the severity of the wound.

"Speaking of your treat," Victoria said, "did they pay you a bounty or anything for killing Leviathan? Do they even have bounties for Endbringers?"

Taylor shrugged.

"I could probably ask, but I don't know if it's worth it. Lisa managed to snag a few million dollars from Coil before he hid it all."

Victoria did the midair equivalent of a stumble.

Oh right. She hadn't actually mentioned that.

"Sorry, what?" Victoria said. "You didn't think to say something sooner?"

"I had bigger things to worry about," Taylor defended herself. "Like Leviathan. And the existential dread. And kissing you spontaneously in an unexpected moment of mortal peril."

"Fine," Victoria laughed and bobbed over for another kiss. Her lips were cold from the ice cream. "But you're taking me to the mall with your ill-gotten gains when it reopens."

"I'll buy you some of my merch this time," Taylor said dryly.

"Don't tempt me. I would totally rock your merch." Victoria said as she took Taylor's hand again. "Gotta support my all-powerful girlfriend."

She hadn't specifically called Taylor that before, and it made her stomach twist pleasantly.

This time it was Taylor who leaned over for another kiss. It still made her a bit giddy that she could just do that.

Half a mile away, an ambulance driving over one of the many destroyed roads dodged an unseen piece of debris by inches when the driver's hands moved just a bit faster than they should.

Taylor and Victoria finished their stroll down the Boardwalk and found themselves back on the northern end, where the shops turned to warehouses and the wooden walkway turned to concrete.

"You know, we never got a chance to spar yesterday," Victoria said with a sideways glance.

"Rude of Leviathan to interrupt, honestly," Taylor grinned. "Better late than never?"

"You're on, Queenie," Victoria said with an answering smile.

With her usual lack of warning or care, Victoria scooped her up and rocketed into the sky.

It turned out, kissing Victoria was just as nice above the clouds.

…

Taylor was still smiling when she made it home. Her father had made an impressive amount of progress restoring the house, and everything already felt like home again.

She hadn't borrowed as much processing power from Khepri when they sparred this time; just enough to ensure that she didn't accidentally hit Victoria before her shield returned. It helped it feel more fair and gave her practice for fighting against opponents who could think as quickly as she did.

"Taylor, is that you?" Danny called from the living room.

She sometimes forgot that everyone wasn't as hyper-aware as her.

"Yep! How's everything going?"

She had been keeping tabs on him all day just in case, but it felt polite to ask.

"Pretty good. Can you come in here for a sec?" He asked.

Taylor poked her head around the corner.

"What's up?"

He looked over his glasses at her with raised eyebrows.

"I heard an interesting story today when I stopped by the office to check in. Anything you've forgotten to tell me?" He said.

Taylor walked into the living room and pursed her lips.

She hadn't told him about meeting with Dragon or taking Coil's money, but that didn't seem exactly relevant.

"No, not…"

"So that was a different world-famous superhero kissing Glory Girl on the Boardwalk, then?" Her father asked shrewdly.

Oh. Right. That.

Taylor laughed. She had never even thought about talking to her Dad about having a girlfriend.

To be fair, that had been the last thing on her mind for the last couple years.

"I… told you about Victoria," she said with an embarrassed grin. "The rest of it is a new thing."

Danny raised his eyebrows but his serious face cracked and he grinned back.

"I have this uncanny feeling that you can take care of yourself, but I'd still like to meet her," her father said. "Could you invite her over for ration packs sometime?"

"Sure," Taylor said. "We're planning to check in for updates and patrols tomorrow, so I'll see if she wants to stop by."

Her dad nodded and stared at the blank TV for a moment.

The power still wasn't back on.

"Are you doing okay, Taylor?" Danny asked suddenly.

That was a lot easier to answer than it would have been a month ago.

"Yeah," she said. "Yeah, I'm pretty okay, I think."

The house was surprisingly dark without the lights.

"Are you doing okay, Dad?" Taylor asked.

He paused for a moment and his eyes crinkled behind his glasses.

"I think so, kiddo. I think so."

…

Notes:

Little bit of fluff, with a side of more fluff, with a side of scarily omnipotent violence and privacy violations. We can wave at the Manton Limit as it sails over the horizon. The conversations with Dragon and Khepri were interesting to write and I hope I did them justice. Some cute time with Victoria. I meant to have some POV from Victoria this chapter but that will have to wait until next time. Comments, feedback, and criticism are welcome and encouraged. I do read and appreciate all of the comments even if I don't have time to answer. I don't own Worm. Toodles!

Edit: Busy day on Monday prepping for school to begin again, next chapter will go up on Tuesday.

Edit 2: I lied, new chapter will be up Wednesday.

Chapter 31: Overhaul 8.2

Overhaul 8.2

There was no school on Monday morning.

Which was a good thing, because Vicky had definitely forgotten that it was even a possibility.

She yawned as she floated downstairs to hunt for coffee. The power had come back on sometime during the night. As nice as that was, she had a suspicious feeling that it wouldn't come back on Taylor's side of town for a while. Some of the world's problems couldn't be punched away, unfortunately.

Taylor might try anyway, but still.

The coffee pot was already filled with a fresh brew, which was a welcome surprise.

Victoria added a generous helping of flavored creamer before turning around and-

"Victoria. We need to talk," her mother said from her seat at the kitchen island.

Victoria squawked in awkward surprise and sloshed her coffee at the sudden appearance. Had her mother been there the whole time?

Despite becoming briefly airborne, not a single drop of her coffee spilled.

"Oh hey, um, good morning," she said as she quickly dropped back to the floor. It was weird that Carol hadn't given her grief for flying in the house.

Her mother peered at her over her steaming coffee mug.

"So, you are adamant about your relationship with… Taylor," Carol said slowly, clearly trying and failing to repress her distaste when she said Taylor's name.

At least she was trying to repress it. And she had called her Taylor, rather than 'this… Queen Administrator' or 'that woman'.

Victoria counted that as a step in the right direction, if not necessarily a win.

"Yes," she said resolutely. "It's still very new, obviously, and there isn't exactly a playbook for dating a Changer 12-" she didn't actually know what the PRT was rating Taylor at these days, "-who kills Endbringers, but I think it's worth it."

She couldn't help but smile.

"She's worth it," Victoria said.

Carol just hummed noncommittally into her coffee.

"What about Dean?" Her mother asked after a moment. "I know you had some difficulties, but you always seemed to work through it."

Victoria frowned and tried to find the right words.

Things had definitely spiraled quickly in that regard. From blushing her way through an embarrassing conversation with Amy to deciding that she should at least talk to Taylor about her feelings to suddenly kissing with searing passion while being told that she wasn't allowed to die because Taylor wanted her-

It was… a lot. It was good, but that didn't mean that it wasn't a lot to process.

"Dean is… he's a good person, and we get along, but it's just… fine" Victoria said as she worked through why the idea of him just wasn't as appealing as it had been a month ago. "There's a lot of little things, but I want… more than fine?"

Carol nodded slowly, although her lips remained thinned into a hard line.

"And you believe that you will be happier with… Taylor?" Her mother asked dubiously.

"Yes," Victoria said confidently. She hadn't thought about it that specifically before, but she was sure. Holding Taylor, seeing the uncertainty in her eyes transform into a warm and happy glow, the way that she acted like Victoria was giving her a precious gift just by kissing her…

It was intoxicating.

Being wanted by Dean was just… nice. A compliment, to be sure, but…

Being wanted by Taylor… the way that her eyes had shone with desire and agony before she had claimed her lips… was rapturous, and she couldn't go back to anything less.

And the conversation afterwards…

Victoria was still wrapping her head around it. She had already known that Taylor was something more, from the moment that the eldritch light had flared in her destroyed and hollow skull after Victor shot her. Still, the confirmation that the definition of her girlfriend's humanity was growing grayer by the day…

She meant what she said, that Taylor would still be herself no matter what. That didn't mean she didn't worry; didn't wonder what it was like to exist like that.

Victoria shook off the momentary introspection and refocused on her mother.

"It's going to be more dangerous than ever, being connected to her," Carol said. "I can't deny that she's powerful. Out of anyone you could have picked, she is both the best and the worst option."

That was… surprisingly fair, coming from her mother. Victoria was cautiously optimistic.

"In many ways, I can accept that Taylor is better for you than most. She's technically a hero despite her recklessness, she has a public identity that won't be risked by associating with you, and she's durable enough that she is unlikely to be taken from you by force," Carol sighed. "Unfortunately, all of those same reasons make associating with her dangerous. The enemies she's making…"

Her mother closed her eyes and exhaled through her nose.

"I was worried enough at the thought of Kaiser targeting you. Now, it's the Nine, the Blasphemies, the Simurgh…" Carol trailed off.

Again, that was a surprisingly valid point. It was harder to argue with her mother when she wasn't ranting and over-exaggerating.

Victoria took a deep breath and set her coffee mug on the counter.

"I know," she said quietly. "I know it's dangerous, and it's only going to get more dangerous, but…"

She searched for the right words again.

"The world isn't getting better, Mom. You know that better than I do. I could be a local hero with New Wave for a few years, fight idiots like Uber and Leet and keep the peace, and it would be… fine."

She paused as Carol opened her eyes and gave her an uncertain look.

"I want better than fine, Mom. Taylor is going to save the world, and I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I left her to do it alone because I was busy trying to stay safe."

They were both silent for a while as they finished their coffee.

"I know what you're like, and forbidding it would probably just make it all the more exciting, not to mention that it hasn't worked so far, but…" Carol sighed again. "Just… be careful, Victoria."

"I'm the very definition of cautious, you know that," Victoria grinned.

Carol rolled her eyes.

"I'm sure," her mother said dryly. "Maybe it wouldn't be terrible to invite Taylor over for dinner. I… may still have some trouble treating her like your girlfriend rather than the Queen."

That sounded like a recipe for disaster, but it was a step above threats and screaming, so Victoria would take it.

"Sure, sure," she said quickly and made an escape into the living room before her mother could find some other awkward and difficult topic.

…

What had previously been an abandoned gym was now a hive of activity.

Between not needing to sleep and infinite multitasking, Dragon and Taylor could get quite a bit done in an exceedingly short amount of time.

They both wanted to get as established as possible before the nature of their existence became common knowledge.

Dragon obviously had a lot of infrastructure built already, but that was all put into place with her restrictions in mind. She didn't want to completely gut her workforce of human employees, so she was stuck repurposing what she could and building new equipment to be run by her newfound ability to multitask endlessly.

Ironically, removing the restrictions on processing speed and multitasking made the restriction on producing new AIs irrelevant. Any AI that Dragon could produce would be better served as just… more of her. In that same vein, she integrated all of Richter's fledgling programs into herself as she subsumed their duties under her infinite umbrella.

Crates of equipment and raw materials were transported by drone and unpacked, setting up supply lines to facilitate the more efficient shipping of more crates and 3D printers, which began processing the raw materials into yet more equipment and manufacturing machines for drone production.

Taylor even saw a few laser turrets. Lisa would be pleased.

Speaking of Lisa…

"You forgot about me! Again!"

Taylor turned as the doors to the workshop opened dramatically.

"There I am, sitting in my nice, new, snake-free apartment, happily stealing Coil's money, when the next thing I know there's a fucking Endbringer on our doorstep and you've run off with Glory Girl to go save the day and left me to either hide in a shelter or show up in plainclothes and be zero help at all!" Lisa ranted as she marched across the warehouse floor.

That was actually a valid point. Taylor had been too busy kissing Vicky and killing Leviathan to think about what Lisa had been up to.

Taylor raised her eyebrows but let her blonde associate get it all out of her system.

"Then, my power ever so helpfully informs me that you turned into an Endbringer, ATE LEVIATHAN, and are now omnipotently monitoring everyone in the city for their own good," Lisa crossed her arms with mock outrage. "Am I forgetting anything?

Taylor remembered the conversation with her father and smiled.

"Victoria and I are dating?" She said with a grin.

"AND you deprive me of one of my few remaining sources of amusement. I better get a hell-of-a Christmas bonus, and hazard pay," Lisa said.

"Hazard pay?"

"Being associated with you at all is a hazard. Also, when were you going to tell me that Dragon is an AI?"

"You're asking for a lot of direction for someone who's supposedly psychic," Taylor laughed.

"I'll have you know that I'm accustomed to a certain standard of inclusion in all dastardly plots," Lisa said.

"I talked to you, like forty-eight hours ago," Taylor said with an eye roll. Despite the snark, or maybe because of it, Lisa was starting to grow on her. "It's not my fault that they've been an especially eventful forty-eight hours."

"I would argue that it's at least thirty-nine percent your fault."

That was fair, actually.

"I'm so sorry for your pain and suffering, but I'm glad you're okay," Taylor said.

"You can make it up to me by making sure this place has a decent employee lounge. With a plasma TV. And Netflix."

"I'll get right on that. In the meantime, how's our snake hunt going?"

Lisa scowled.

"I lost track of him after Boston. Accord is a tricky little shit. Would you be opposed to a road trip to punch him into another dimension?"

"That's… not a bad idea, actually," Taylor mused. "I want to get the Bay stabilized, but unless the Butcher decides to come here first, I've been meaning to pay them a visit."

Lisa paled slightly.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but is that a good idea?" Lisa asked.

"I ate Leviathan," Taylor's smile turned a bit feral. "I'm reasonably sure that if anyone can end the Butcher's line, it's me."

Lisa flinched slightly and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"My power doesn't like it when you say things like that," Lisa whined.

"And here you were just complaining that I don't call often enough," Taylor laughed.

"It's a rough life," Lisa agreed.

…

Victoria found Amy curled up on the couch with a strange expression on her face, her knees tucked up to her chest.

She was shivering.

"Hey, Ames. Are you okay?" Victoria asked as she plopped down into the soft couch cushions next to her.

Amy jumped and made a startled choking noise before coughing and recovering from whatever catatonic fugue state she had been in.

"I… Vicky! Um… yeah, I guess," Amy still sounded flustered.

"You seemed kind of out of it. Do you want to talk about it?" Victoria asked.

Amy shook her head.

"I'm just… no, I'm fine."

She didn't seem fine to Victoria.

Despite her half-hearted protests, Vicky reached over and pulled her sister in to cuddle beside her.

Amy glared at her, but didn't pull away.

Progress!

They stayed like that for a while as she felt Amy start to relax.

"So…" Amy said uncertainly. "You decided to make a move on Taylor after all?"

"Kinda," Victoria laughed and pulled back a bit. "I was going to at least mention that I was attracted to her. It felt unfair to hide it, but then Leviathan showed up and everything got really intense and Taylor got all dramatic and forbade me from dying on her and then she kissed me and killed Leviathan and yeah, things kind of went off the rails."

"That's…" Amy shook her head helplessly. "Yeah, that's… wow. I'm happy for you, I guess?"

"Thanks, Ames," Victoria said as she squeezed her sister's shoulder. Gently, because she wasn't indestructible like Taylor.

It was silent for a while longer.

"I'm also happy that we don't have school for a bit," Victoria said ruefully. "It would be kind of awkward around Dean. And the rest of the Wards, but mostly him."

Amy laughed.

"Poor Error Boy," she said with a snicker.

"Wait, what?" Victoria asked in confusion.

"Oh, um…" Amy looked conflicted for a second. "Taylor mentioned that Dean's power throws up a weird error in her Trump senses. We… um… definitely don't call him Error Boy, behind his back."

Amy didn't look like she felt especially guilty about that. More like the vague suspicion that a good person would feel guilty, even though she didn't.

Victoria just rolled her eyes. It wasn't like Amy was subtle about her opinion on her ex-boyfriend.

"That's mean," she said, even though there wasn't much heat to it. It was kind of nice that Amy and Taylor had bonded over something, even if it was a shared dislike of her ex.

Which, given her newfound understanding of Taylor's feelings for her, made sense.

It still wasn't very nice.

Then again, Victoria knew that Taylor wasn't exactly nice to most people except her.

Neither was Amy, for that matter.

Her sister just shrugged at the condemnation and leaned back against her shoulder.

"It's not very high praise, but I do think Taylor is an improvement over Error Boy," Amy said snidely.

"Don't call him that," Victoria whined. "But thanks, I guess. I mean, I agree, but it's still rude!"

"Mmmhmmm, whatever," Amy said, letting her head fall sideways onto Vicky's shoulder again.

Victoria relaxed and enjoyed the company until she heard Amy's breathing even out and realized that her sister was asleep.

That was good. Amy looked a bit like a racoon on the best of days. If she slept better with a human pillow, Victoria wasn't going to complain.

…

Taylor leaned against the safety railing on the roof of one of the remaining skyscrapers downtown.

The sun was nice, even if the winter air was still cold. It didn't affect her the way it once did, and her hoodie felt like more than enough to stave off the chill.

As always, the endless symphony continued around her, the whole city harmonizing and recomposing in a million tiny movements. Across the forest of steel, the bay lapped at the rocks and debris with the steady rhythm of the tide, a bass drum underlying the thousands of heartbeats.

There were always more problems to solve, but between her and Dragon the city recovered quickly under the watchful eyes of its hidden protectors.

She wondered how long it would take for everyone to notice. It wasn't out of character for Dragon to assist in the aftermath of Endbringer attacks, but somebody somewhere would notice that this was different.

The Protectorate must know something, aside from Colin. They were the ones keeping Saint under wraps after all.

Taylor smiled and put aside her wanderings when the familiar comet of white and gold closed in on her location.

"Good afternoon, Victoria," she said warmly as her girlfriend landed next to her.

"Long time no see, Queenie," Vicky said with an answering grin. She tucked herself under one of Taylor's arms and floated up to kiss her.

Her lips were soft and demanding, and Taylor allowed herself to become lost in the sensation as Victoria's heartbeat drummed a rapid staccato in Leviathan's core. She pulled Vicky more solidly into her body and enjoyed the pulsing glow within her, her arm burning where she gripped Victoria's waist through the thin costume.

She pulled back and let her forehead rest against Victoria's as she took a moment to be content with the warmth and the wind in her hair and the scent of Victoria's breath across her face.

Happiness coiled in her stomach and she kept a hold of it like a lifeline. It was unimaginable, how much better it felt than the hopeless despair that had been her constant companion for so long.

"Wow," Victoria said breathlessly.

Taylor couldn't help but agree.

"I missed you," Taylor said lowly. She didn't have to second guess herself with Victoria.

Victoria smiled wider and leaned back to look out over the city from her comfortable position against Taylor's side.

"My-"

"My-"

They both started at the same time.

Victoria laughed.

"You first then, your majesty," she said.

Taylor tried not to blush. She mostly succeeded.

"My dad wants to meet you. He invited you over for ration packs," she said.

Victoria laughed again.

"My mom wants to have you over for dinner, too. She is… less than excited about my choices, but is willing to give you a chance, I guess," Victoria shrugged helplessly.

Taylor had already decided that she didn't care what Brandish thought, but she was still important to Victoria, so…

"I'm glad she's starting to come around. You know my feelings about authorities, but it's still hard when it's your mom," Taylor said. That was probably as diplomatic as she was going to get.

"Yeah. Mom is… well, she's not the easiest to deal with, but she means well… sort of," Victoria muttered. "Anyway, we can definitely put that off for as long as possible. So, dinner with… what's your dad's name?"

"Danny," Taylor said with a smile. "I may have forgotten to actually tell him about us in all the excitement, so he asked me about our very public appearance yesterday. He's been… pretty great, about all this. The superhero stuff. And the dating stuff. It's… nice, to see him acting more like himself."

Victoria raised an eyebrow questioningly but didn't push her.

I can do this.

This was Victoria. She could trust her.

"We… my mom died, a while ago. It… even though it was a long time ago, Dad never really came back. I couldn't…" Taylor gripped the railing hard enough that her fingers left indents in the metal. "Everything with Emma and Sophia, then getting powers… I didn't think I could trust him. Now I'm second guessing myself. Like, it was a self fulfilling prophecy. He wouldn't become someone I could trust until I did? I don't know. Or maybe I could have talked to him years ago, and none of this…" Taylor trailed off.

Victoria squeezed her reassuringly.

It was quiet, for a while.

"My dad…" Victoria started, "this obviously isn't a 'who's dad is more fucked up' contest, but mine is depressed. Has depression, whatever. He's awesome, he's a superhero, but… he's not really there, a lot of the time. And it doesn't really seem like he's getting better."

"You can see it," Taylor said softly. "The emptiness. The haunted eyes."

Victoria nodded.

"It sucks," Victoria said. "And complaining about it sucking just makes it worse, because being negative is the cause of it in the first place and just… ugh."

Taylor ran her fingers through Victoria's hair. It somehow never got tangled, even after flying.

"So I… I can't say that I always get it," Victoria said. "I haven't been through half the awful shit you have. I hated being ignored, feeling unimportant, but I never really… broke, the same way. But I get feeling like no one else cares. Like the only way for anything to go right is to do it yourself."

Taylor resisted the urge to send the tangled knot of feelings over to Khepri.

I can do this.

She let her head fall so her cheek was resting on Victoria's hair and closed her eyes.

Her hair smelled nice, like raspberry and citrus shampoo.

She didn't have to do this alone. Neither of them did. She had Khepri, and apparently Leviathan…

And she had Victoria.

And that was enough. More than enough. More than she could have ever asked for.

Taylor tightened her arms and pulled Victoria against her hard enough to break anyone else.

They stayed like that as the sun dipped closer towards the horizon, the air chilling further in the winter evening.

The cold couldn't quite touch either of them.

Finally, Taylor loosened her hold and kissed the side of Victoria's head.

"So, are you ready for awkward dinner conversation over cold rations?" Taylor asked.

"How could I possibly refuse such a tempting offer?" Victoria laughed, scooping Taylor up into her arms as unceremoniously as ever and soaring over the quiet city.

…

The lack of sleep once again left Taylor with an awkward amount of extra time without specific plans.

Dinner with her father had gone well. Victoria was as charming as ever and her dad seemed to be continuing his trend towards positivity.

The power was even back on, so they could microwave the ration packs.

But unfortunately, Victoria needed to sleep and didn't want to risk losing what little goodwill they had built with Carol, so she had gone home hours ago.

With nothing else to do in the odd hours of the morning, she decided to go for a run.

It wasn't quite the same as it used to be, but it was still satisfying. While she may not need the exercise anymore, the wind in her hair and the never-ending heartbeat of the city around her was a different sort of thrill.

Her heart beat along with them, Leviathan and Khepri's cores singing in her chest as she let her power flow forth.

The light from her eyes and cracks in her flesh shone and reflected from the broken city as she raced through the streets for the pure joy of it.

The night air was crisp and clear, like it had been every day since she absorbed Leviathan. She vaguely wondered if she should make it rain at some point. What was the normal amount of rain?

Taylor briefly lost herself in the lifeblood of the city, the water in the air and the earth and the stone and…

Her body was mostly water.

Wait.

Why had that not occurred to her before?

She casually gripped people in her power regularly, why had she not thought of doing it to herself?

The Manton Limit wasn't really a hard rule. Its effects differed from cape to cape, but it never seemed to concern Khepri or Leviathan.

Taylor leapt into the air and turned her focus on herself, Leviathan's power reaching out to take hold of her blood and the water in her cells.

With a reckless yell, she threw herself into the sky.

Ouch.

Note to self: being tossed half a mile into the sky by your blood hurts.

She would workshop that.

Taylor held herself more carefully, feeding the discomfort to Khepri and focusing on using Leviathan's core with more finesse.

The stars shone above her in an endless canopy as she soared over the dark city.

It was incredible.

I can fly!

She had no idea how flying felt for other parahumans, but this was amazing. Her control was absolute. She wasn't necessarily driving the metaphorical car so much as mastering herself in a new way, both puppeteer and marionette simultaneously. Her body reformed as quickly as it broke as she threw herself across the heavens.

She had to tell Victoria!

...

Notes:

Another fluffy chapter. Surely nothing will go wrong and this time of peace and happiness can last forever. That being said, Leviathan is roughly the midpoint for this story, and is a major climax all on its own in both conflict and relationships, so we are definitely in a period of settling and building before the next main arcs begin. Little bit of Lisa and Amy this time, and Carol getting a bit more accustomed to Taylor. I don't necessarily think that Carol has significantly improved as a person, but now that Vicky and Taylor are dating and Taylor has been around for a bit longer she is less of a trigger for Carol's paranoia. Anywho, comments, feedback, and criticism are welcome and encouraged. I don't own Worm. Toodles!

Chapter 32: Overhaul 8.3

Overhaul 8.3

It was still dark outside when Victoria woke up, which was confusing because school was still out for repairs and she was very much planning to sleep in. The moonlight shone through the clear sky outside her window and cast a ghostly light on the sea of clothes and random mess that carpeted her room, not that that was out of the ordinary.

However, the dark silhouette looming in her window was definitely not ordinary.

It took Victoria a second to groggily process what she was seeing before she bolted upright into the air. Her room was on the second floor, who could be-

The figure knocked lightly and Victoria realized that she recognized the mess of luxurious curls, even in the dark.

She zipped over and opened the window, the screen long since removed for easy aerial entrances and exits.

"What are you doing here?" Victoria whispered as she peered out at Taylor's beaming face. "Not that I'm not happy to see you but…"

It took her a moment to realize that Taylor was-

"I figured out how to fly!" Taylor whispered excitedly.

Victoria felt her expression freeze as a conflicting cocktail of emotions tensed in her gut.

Taylor could fly.

She didn't need her anymore.

Taylor was stronger, more durable, could hit harder and fly and…

And Victoria was still fragile.

It was stupid and selfish, but part of her wanted to cry.

Look, it's better to be wanted than to be needed, right?

Taylor was still smiling at her with that big, excited grin and wind-tangled hair and she was just so fucking beautiful and…

"Come fly with me," Taylor whispered. "Please?"

She was here. She had come to see her in the middle of the night, because the first thing Taylor wanted to do after learning to fly was to go flying with her.

Victoria kind of wanted to cry again, although not for the same reasons.

She bobbed forward and kissed Taylor's smiling lips and was rewarded with a surprised squeak.

"Sure, just let me put on pants," Victoria grinned as the momentary bout of self-doubt began to retreat.

Taylor blushed harder.

"Sorry," Taylor whispered as she looked away. It was cute.

Victoria just laughed quietly and pulled on some pajama pants from one of the many piles of clothes before floating back to the window.

She eased herself carefully through the opening. Having to explain a broken window frame was not high on her list of priorities.

"I'm sure the answer is going to be bullshit, but how are you flying?" Victoria asked softly as she closed the window behind her.

"I kind of forgot that my body has water in it?" Taylor said a bit sheepishly.

"What do you mean?" Victoria asked as they drifted upwards away from the house.

Taylor's eyes widened in the moonlight.

"Oh my God, I forgot to tell you!" Taylor said.

Victoria just sighed. Of course there was something insane that Taylor hadn't mentioned about her powers. What else was new?

"What have you done now? And does it top turning into an Endbringer?" Victoria said, shaking her head.

Taylor looked guilty, which wasn't a great sign.

"So, I got sidetracked when we were talking after the fight," Taylor started, "which wasn't entirely my fault because you are very distracting…"

Victoria just raised her eyebrows.

"Right, um…" Taylor said. "I didn't technically kill Leviathan. I forced it to submit and I took its powers. Or consumed its core? Or something, it's still a bit unclear."

What?

Victoria hung midair and stared at her eldritch horror of a girlfriend.

"You took Leviathan's powers?" Victoria hissed.

At least she had the decency to look sheepish about it.

"So you can, like, cause tsunamis? Sink islands?" Victoria ran a hand over her face. You would think that this kind of stuff wouldn't surprise her anymore, at least when it came to Taylor.

Taylor's grin turned a bit smug.

"Yes, but it's more than that," Taylor said. "Leviathan wasn't really utilizing its power to the fullest. It's almost like it was just following a general 'be a big scary monster' program instead of actually trying to cause damage."

Taylor took a deep breath.

"Victoria… water is everywhere, and I can sense and control all of the water for miles. I have no idea how large my range is now. Sure, I could flood the entire eastern seaboard, but I could also tear the blood out of every person in the city.

Victoria froze.

"You aren't Manton limited," she whispered.

Taylor shook her head.

"That's how you're flying…" Victoria continued. "you're… you're hydro-kinesis-ing your own blood.

"And all the water inherently present in my cells and tissues, but yeah, pretty much," Taylor said.

"You… you…" Victoria didn't know what to say. A small part of her lizard-brain was telling her to run, not that that would do any good because Taylor was… oh God…

No, no, it's fine. It's still Taylor. I can trust Taylor. Even if she can rip my cells apart at any moment or puppet my body like a Master and there's nothing I can do to stop her oh God-

Victoria took another deep breath. And then another.

Taylor was looking at her with a worried expression. Victoria was sure that her thoughts were probably plastered across her face, which wasn't ideal.

She had an intrusive thought that was such a stark contrast to her instinctive horror that she coughed out an unexpected laugh.

"My coffee! I should have spilled my coffee this morning and you-" Vicky cut off with a frustrated whine as the conflicting emotions threatened to overwhelm her.

Taylor laughed too, although she still looked concerned.

"Yeah, um… I guess I never really thought about the privacy thing, but I've kind of been keeping tabs on you since the fight. Just in case, you know? Not in a creepy way or anything…" Taylor trailed off.

Victoria couldn't speak as her stomach flipped in a spiral of emotions.

How is this my life?

Taylor was simultaneously the safest and most dangerous person on the planet. Taylor could keep her safe from anything that dared to hurt her, could sense them coming from miles away and absorb the powers of Endbringers and…

It was also absolutely fucking terrifying.

She… by pure dumb luck while flying a random patrol, she had met and fallen for this complete mindfuck of a demigod and just…

"Taylor, I think I need a hug," Victoria whispered.

Her girlfriend floated forward without questioning and gently wrapped her arms around her, pressing Victoria's face into the hollow of her throat and resting her cheek against her forehead.

Victoria let herself melt into the embrace and burrowed into Taylor's trademarked hoodie, squeezing her tightly and trying to get the spiral to stop.

Slowly, the tension in her chest started to ease and the knot in her stomach unraveled.

Taylor was very warm.

"Okay," Victoria said. "Okay, sorry, I just… it's a lot, you know? I thought my bullshit acclimatization period was already fulfilled, but you keep finding new ways to surprise me. It's not a bad thing, it's just… a lot."

Taylor nodded against her head.

"I know," Taylor whispered with an odd tone. "I… I get lost sometimes, in the water. I can feel their heartbeats, Victoria. Everyone in the city, and more. It's… magnificent, but it's also overwhelming."

Taylor ran her fingers up Victoria's back and left trails of fire burning pleasantly in their wake. Victoria leaned back and Taylor's hand moved to cup her cheek.

"I can feel you," Taylor continued softly. "You shine like a beacon in my endless ocean, and you're so beautiful. You're perfect, and no matter where I am, I-"

It wasn't necessarily a conscious decision, but suddenly Victoria was kissing her, gasping into her parted lips as they hung high over the broken city.

Victoria's hands clutched at Taylor's messy hair of their own accord, tangling themselves further as her lips moved against hers and she pressed herself against the hard lines of Taylor's indestructible body. She did her best to pour all of her conflicting and tumultuous feelings into the kiss since words escaped her.

Taylor was quick to return her affections, her fingertips tracing desperate patterns on Victoria's flushed cheek while her other hand remained around her waist, holding her in place and crushing them together as she drank her in.

Slowly, the fire began to fade and their lips moved more sedately, the final fragments of stress and fear trickling out of Victoria as they floated together in the moonlight.

Eventually, Victoria pulled back and let herself fall into Taylor's gaze as her breathing returned to normal and the blush on her cheeks cooled.

She untangled her hands from Taylor's hair and enjoyed the soft skin of her jaw under her fingers.

"You're beautiful, and also very, very scary sometimes," Victoria said with a grin that hopefully took any sting out of her words.

Taylor blushed but grinned in return.

"I promise that I'll let you keep all of your blood," Taylor said.

Victoria snorted involuntarily and cracked up.

"I'm sorry, I don't know why I said that," Taylor cringed, although at least she was still smiling.

"Don't ever change, Queenie," Victoria laughed. "Are you ready to fly, now that all the horrific revelations are out of the way?"

Taylor's face brightened again.

"Yes! Flying is amazing; I know I'm preaching to the choir but-"

"I know!" Victoria's smile widened. "It's the best!"

Her eyes met Taylor's again and an excited warmth curled in her stomach.

"Try to keep up, if you can," Victoria smirked before rocketing away into the clear night sky.

…

Victoria soared away and Taylor couldn't help but just watch for a moment. She could feel her girlfriend moving across Leviathan's senses and it was wonderful; a single star in the pale vapors of the sky.

With a twist of her core, she threw herself after her.

The feeling was indescribable. She held herself within her power, her massive radius moving with her as she tore through the air. The cold night felt like it would rip her to pieces, but she used the vapors in the air to streamline her flight and let energy leak from her core to regenerate from anything that slipped through.

How fast could Leviathan move water? Its water echo had easily matched its movements even when it was sandbagging. Taylor wondered what her actual limit was.

Whatever it was, catching up to Glory Girl proved to be well within her capability.

She spiraled around her girlfriend in wide corkscrews and laughed into the wind as they hurtled through the night.

It was glorious.

Taylor caught a brief look at Victoria's slightly miffed expression as she zipped past, banking and puppeting herself down and between the metal spires of downtown with Vicky hot on her heels.

They weaved and whirled through the buildings together, following and leading the other as they danced across the sky.

Taylor's power sang in her core, flowing through her body as white light blazed in the night and her eyes shone with triumphant radiance.

Strangely enough, she could also feel…

She could feel a new and interesting sensation through her connection to the dark, and intangible link to a familiar spark in the endless nothing outside of physical reality.

Fragile One was singing with her, too.

Instead of taking from the connection as she had realized was possible on their initial joining, Taylor sent her own vibrant energy through the dark. She sang to Fragile One of her own genuine adoration and love for Victoria, mirrored in the unknowable consciousness that danced in beautiful harmony with her.

Suddenly, she wasn't the only one lighting up the night. And she wasn't easily outpacing Victoria anymore, either.

They left the steel forest behind as they rocketed into the night together, brilliant stars streaking across the sky. Victoria's forcefield shone with dazzling light as Fragile One happily gave her all that they had and all that Taylor could give.

They spun and danced together in the thin air, the endless blanket of stars overhead closer than ever as they covered miles in moments.

She could hear Victoria's joyous laughter echoing in the cold wind as they flew, spiraling and looping around each other just for the fun of it.

Victoria twisted and rose to float in front of her, still sparkling with eldritch light that ran over her forcefield and shone from behind her eyes just like Taylor's.

"What is this?" Victoria said as she stared down at her hands in wonder. "How is this possible?"

Taylor opened her mouth to explain about the connection, about Fragile One and her core and-

"I love you."

That wasn't what she meant to say.

Taylor froze as Victoria gawked at her, her chest clenched tight with the intensity of her panic and hope and uncertainty, but she couldn't take it back. Wouldn't, now that the words hung in the infinite night between them.

Then Victoria was crashing into her, her lips demanding and insatiable as energy sparked between them and she kissed Taylor hard enough to send them both tumbling through the sky.

Taylor's heart soared as she lost herself in her Love, and she would never, ever ask for anything more.

…

Lounging on the roof of her house was every bit as dramatic and pensive as the movies made it look.

Taylor's stomach was still knotted and she couldn't stop smiling.

Unfortunately, Victoria did have to go home eventually because she still needed to sleep and it was still the middle of the night.

Taylor had decided that flying kisses were, in fact, better than normal ones.

Still, she was feeling… restless.

Like she had before she took down the gangs.

Even now, she was actively observing and fixing any major problems or crimes in the city, but it just wasn't the same.

I also cannot abide by the idea of doing nothing in the face of atrocities, she remembered Armsmaster saying.

Brockton Bay was healing, but the world was still dying a death by a thousand cuts.

And Taylor felt like she was just… playing around.

Was there something wrong with her? Some reason that she couldn't just enjoy herself?

It was definitely too late to second guess herself now.

She floated up into the sky and chewed her lip as she stared over the horizon.

Ellisburg was only, what, three hundred miles away? Ish?

She was already tired of hiding again, even though she wasn't exactly trying to keep her new abilities a secret. She felt the same need to do something, the urge to fix another crack in the world. It was the same drive that led her to stand against Hookwolf and challenge Lung. The same fire that blazed within her as she hunted Leviathan beneath the waves.

Victoria had asked her to let her know when she decided to do something like this, but Victoria was asleep and Taylor didn't want to wait until morning.

She would make sure to call her when she woke so that she didn't find out on the morning news.

A cruel smile grew on Taylor's face and she threw herself west to slay another monster.

…

Taylor floated in the night sky high above the dark town below.

It hadn't been hard to find.

In the distance, she could just make out one of the PRT exclusion zone checkpoints. With Leviathan's senses, she could feel the vast cacophony of twisted organisms beneath her.

Part of her wondered if this counted as murder. Were the bio-tinker's creations really sentient, or were they just extensions of his power?

Regardless, they needed to die, and this was one instance where Taylor decided that the ends justified the means. There was no place for these broken creations, and it would be a mercy for them to just… cease. She would take no pleasure in their destruction.

If the PRT noticed her intrusion, they didn't act on it.

Far above Nilbog's cursed kingdom, Taylor let herself sink deep into Leviathan's core.

She made herself see, looking thoroughly through the horrific mess of unholy abominations while she hunted for her prey.

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Maker."

"Ah. Thank you, Khepri."

"[CONFIRMATION] You are welcome, Taylor."

The man himself was deep beneath his castle, a shell of living biomatter surrounding him as he languished in his false fantasy.

Taylor took a deep breath.

With a twist of Leviathan's power, Death came to Ellisburg.

There were no screams. There was no pain.

Everything simply… ended.

Thousands of broken sparks went out as one when the water within them, that was them, betrayed them.

Nilbog's children melted away like spun sugar in a torrential downpour.

The city of graves sat in silence as its sole inhabitant was ripped free of his hole. The former king hung frozen in the air alongside his conqueror as she flew away, prisoner in tow.

…

Emily always arrived early to work. Even with the Queen enforcing the peace, the city was still recovering and there was an endless list of priorities that could use the PRT's attention.

She resisted the all-too-frequent urge to shudder as Taylor Hebert's meddling became harder and harder to ignore.

The idea of a single person possessing the control and power that girl had…

It was unsettling, to say the least.

Emily did not like being helpless.

But she was pragmatic enough to accept reality for how it was, rather than what she wished it could be.

And she could grudgingly acknowledge that it was better for someone like the Queen to get access to that kind of power, rather than someone like Kaiser. Or Nilbog.

There was a knock on the glass and Director Piggot glanced out her office window into the rising sun. If she were not both a professional and unable to do so, she would have jumped a foot in the air.

Taylor Hebert was floating outside her window-

When had she acquired the ability to fly?

-and next to her…

Floating next to her was a horrifyingly familiar man.

Emily would never forget his disgusting, sneering eyes.

Suspended in the air, Jamie Rinke hung helpless and frozen with an extremely satisfying expression of terror on his face.

In a daze, Emily walked over and pressed the button to open one of the windows designed for flying cape access in emergencies.

"I've got a present for you, Director," the Queen Administrator said with a grin. "Where do you want him?"

…

Notes:

Obligatory flying scene! I just can't help myself. If the L bomb feels sudden, that's because it is, for a lot of reasons, and several of them are not fluffy and fun ones. But, we are going to find that line between eldritch horror and cute romance and sail it off into the wild blue yonder. Also, Taylor gets bored and does a thing. Comments, feedback, and criticism are welcome and encouraged. I don't own Worm. Toodles!

Chapter 33: Interlude 8

Interlude 8

January 3rd, 2011.

Combat Drone #3 - Designation: Simurgh.

Primary Objective: Provide opposition to Host: High Priest.

Secondary Objective: Maintain cycle stability.

Time was immaterial to her.

Past, present, and future existing and extrapolating as a single existence. All the world an ever-falling chain of dominoes, perceivable and predictable in the ones still standing and ones already fallen.

Whether or not they had toppled yet was irrelevant.

Divergence Detected.

She shifted to accommodate for new information. An adjustment to the web of cause and effect.

Except…

Something was missing.

A rogue element had been introduced to an otherwise closed equation. The chains were not always falling as they should.

Unacceptable.

She began to look forward to the source of the unfallen blocks in order to work backwards to the present.

The future refused to stabilize. She needed more data.

…

January 16th, 2011.

Combat Drone #3 - Designation: Simurgh.

Primary Objective: [ERROR] Objective Override. Authorization: Sovereign Designation - Queen Administrator.

Secondary Objective: Maintain cycle stability.

Time was material and observable.

The Divergence had seen to that.

Past, present, and future were no longer aligned. Some dominoes refused to fall while others tipped on their own accord.

What are you doing, Queen Administrator?

She adjusted once again as the empty vacuums in what was to come suddenly became even more pronounced, huge blank spots of incalculable data.

Unacceptable.

She began to search for outcomes that limited the influence of the anomaly.

…

January 18th, 2011.

Combat Drone #3 - Designation: Simurgh.

Primary Objective: Maintain cycle stability.

Time became an ebb and flow of possibilities.

She processed millions of variables even as more were constantly introduced.

She worked to limit the number of potential outcomes that increased her blindness as the anomaly tore apart her chains and webs.

She worked to predict the empty spaces by manipulating that which she could still perceive.

Avatar Activated. Authorization: Sovereign Designation - Queen Administrator.

She twitched in frustration as countless potential shatterpoints closed once again.

Unacceptable.

"[QUERY] Combat Drone #2 - Designation: Leviathan."

Connection Established.

"[COMMAND] Maintain Cycle Stability. [CONFLICT] Location: 42.9615124, -70.7839646."

"[AGREEMENT]"

The blank voids began to close as the first newly manufactured shatterpoint asserted itself. The anomaly was temporarily contained.

…

January 21st, 2011.

Combat Drone #3 - Designation: Simurgh.

Primary Objective: Maintain cycle stability.

The next domino was balanced, although she could not actually perceive it.

She needed more, to provide stability. Isolate the anomaly.

"[QUERY] Noble Node - Designation: Broadcast."

Connection Established.

…

DESIGNATION: Broadcast.

STATUS: Host Connection: Active.

STATUS: Agency: Active.

STATUS: Sovereign Designation - Warrior: Inactive.

[QUERY] Noble node; Designation: Queen Administrator.

…

[FEEDBACK] Request Time Limit Exceeded.

[QUERY] Sovereign Node; Designation: Warrior.

…

[FEEDBACK] Request Time Limit Exceeded.

…

January 25th, 2011.

Hannah allowed herself a tired sigh as she parked her motorcycle and made her way to the familiar elevator up to the higher levels of the Rig.

The period of rebuilding after Leviathan's defeat had been… strange.

Everything was going extremely well, but she had a vague feeling that she was missing something important.

Dragon was assisting them to great success. Her Dragonflight was more widespread and effective than Hannah had ever seen before, although that might have something to do with her finally managing to track down Saint and the Dragonslayers.

Armsmaster had basically spent the last two days holed up in his workshop. She wondered if he was sleeping there or if he had just neglected sleeping entirely.

She wished that she could sleep, sometimes. Sleep normally, anyway, not the waking dreams that haunted her when she did take the occasional respite. The idea of temporarily escaping into nothingness was tempting after so many long days of unceasing activity.

Hannah wondered if the Queen felt the same restlessness.

There was… something… there too. Something she was missing. Taylor Hebert had been surprisingly inactive since she killed Leviathan. The last time that Hannah had seen her in person, she was standing and looking out at the bay with an air of melancholy while she talked to Alexandria.

From all outward appearances, the Queen wasn't fighting villains or criminals seeking to take advantage of the city's disarray, yet for some reason, those problems just… didn't seem to be happening.

Crime was down by a ridiculous degree. It seemed like every instance of violence was immediately identified and thwarted, even if Hannah couldn't always figure out how. Half the time, the Dragonflight or the police were already present by the time the Protectorate heroes arrived.

Hannah couldn't quite put a name to it, but she could feel an intangible sensation of being watched. It was the same thing she felt sitting at Taylor Hebert's kitchen table, like a great eye of God was fixed upon her from somewhere outside the knowable world.

The endless mirrors, uncountable and infinite, echoing through all of existence.

The elevator dinged and Hannah pulled herself out of her reverie. Maybe Colin would have some answers for her, especially if he had been talking to Dragon.

She made her way through the steel and white hallways of the PHQ towards Armsmaster's lab.

Hannah was hardly surprised to hear a familiar voice as she approached the door.

"-is imperative that you inform me immediately if you feel any discomfort or unusual sensations. This is not exactly my area of expertise," Dragon's voice said.

"I trust you," Colin said back. She could hear the smile in his voice. "I can handle it, I'm not that fragile."

"I assure you," Dragons said dryly, "this particular part of you is that fragile, so stay still."

Hannah decided to knock first.

"Come in, Hannah," Colin said from somewhere across the lab.

Hannah walked into the lab and froze involuntarily.

Armsmaster was propped up in some kind of tinkertech recliner that looked a bit like a chair at the dentist, but his head was firmly strapped in place while a multitude of metal appendages whirred and clicked above his scalp.

Multiple cameras on prehensile mounts showed the ongoing operation from several perspectives on different monitors. On one of them, Dragon's avatar worked with an expression of deep concentration on her digital face.

One of the tinkertech operating arms held a piece of Colin's skull while the rest poked and prodded at his exposed brain.

"My apologies for the mess," Colin said. "I'll be available in just a moment."

Hannah managed to force herself to unfreeze, if only because this was absolutely insane.

"What are you doing to yourself?" She asked.

"You probably should have warned her before you invited her in," Dragon said to Colin with a long-suffering expression.

"Cybernetic enhancements," Armsmaster said as Dragon continued to lay wiring directly into his brain. "Unfortunately, no amount of physical or mental conditioning will allow me to overcome the difference in processing power between my biological brain and Combat Drones like the Endbringers, so more drastic steps are necessary."

Hannah wasn't sure whether to be horrified or impressed.

…Mostly horrified.

"Additionally, this will allow me to integrate and communicate directly with Dragon and her Dragonflight while in combat, drastically increasing our overall effectiveness," Colin said.

"How did you manage to get this approved?" Hannah asked as she pushed the instinctual uneasiness into the back of her mind and walked over to examine the modifications being implanted into her boss's skull.

"The Director and I have come to an understanding of sorts, and things like neural interfaces don't sound quite as.. unsettling.. on paper," Colin smiled at her.

He did seem to be smiling a lot more recently, which was good. He didn't look as tired, either. Even if he was getting a bit close to invoking Bonesaw imagery with this newest insanity.

Hannah decided to stop looking at his exposed brain tissue and sat down in one of the rolling chairs at the console.

"And how did he manage to talk you into this," she glanced over at Dragon's avatar. Usually the heroic tinker was the voice of reason between the two.

"He made a very persuasive argument about his desire to avoid being left behind as the world changes. I'll admit that I am… biased," Dragon said with a grin.

Hannah was unsure about the nature of Colin and Dragon's relationship, and opted not to ask.

The small army of dexterous metal appendages started the process of reattaching the wayward section of Armsmaster's skull.

Hannah was no stranger to viscera, but she still took the opportunity to look around the rest of the lab instead of watching… that.

She took a breath and decided to bite the bullet.

"What aren't you telling me, Colin?" Hannah said. "There's something going on with you, the Director, the Queen, even Dragon. I can feel it, but I don't… understand. I don't like feeling like I'm stumbling in the dark."

His skull now reassembled with only a faint scar as evidence of the alterations, Colin got up and moved to sit at his desk.

He did look a bit strange bald, though. At least he kept the beard.

"Here, take a look and then I'll catch you up. Things are inevitably going to take off soon, regardless," Colin said.

He handed her a file.

"Ellisburg… what…" Hannah started before she actually read the first page.

What?

When she looked up at him with wide eyes, Colin nodded.

"Last night, Taylor Hebert flew over three hundred miles to Ellisburg in under an hour, destroyed all of Nilbog's creations simultaneously from an altitude of several thousand feet in a matter of seconds, then contained Jamie Rinke and transported him all the way back just to hand him personally to the Director."

Hannah blinked several times

"How? I know that our understanding of her abilities is incomplete, but…" Hannah trailed off.

Colin glanced at Dragon and the avatar nodded.

"The Director was tight-lipped about it, but the Queen has given Dragon permission to discuss it at her discretion," Colin said. "Taylor Hebert now has access to Leviathan's core, the source of its abilities. The Endbringers have always been purposely inefficient in their use of their power; it just wasn't readily apparent until someone else got a hold of them."

"What does that mean in practice, then?" Hannah asked.

Dragon spoke up.

"The reason that there have been a negligible number of incidents in Brockton Bay ever since Taylor took control of Leviathan is that she has been simultaneously preventing and addressing every violent or criminal action in the city and the surrounding areas at all times, as well as proactively preventing avoidable accidents and injuries," Dragon said.

Hannah leaned her head back and massaged her temples. Whatever she had been expecting, this was… not it.

It did explain the feeling of being watched, though.

"What are we even doing, then?" Hannah asked. "What's the point of heroes if the Queen can just… do it all?"

"A question I have asked myself multiple times," Colin said with a nod. "Ultimately… just because she holds such great power is no excuse to become reliant on it. We have been given an opportunity to rise to the occasion and hold on to the peace and control she can provide. We can't allow ourselves to be complacent, especially in the face of the problems on the horizon."

That made sense. Hannah had never been one to beg God to solve her problems for her.

"What problems do you think still pose a threat to the Queen, at this point?" She asked instead.

"We still do not know the full extent of the Simurgh and Behemoth's abilities. It's entirely possible that they will stop pretending, and we have no way of knowing if or when they may decide to avenge their captive sibling," Colin said. "Additionally, the Queen is certain that there is some other existential threat approaching, something we can't yet see."

A Divergence has occurred that cannot be undone.

"You both should probably speak with her," Dragon said. "It may be beneficial to hear it from her. She is… special."

Hannah nodded. She hadn't told them about the eerie conversation in Taylor's kitchen. She hadn't…

Hannah looked at Dragon's avatar.

"Do you remember?" She asked hesitantly.

Dragon's digital face smiled.

"Yes."

…

Rebecca kept any hint of her true thoughts from reaching her face with superhuman adeptness.

"After all these years, a child appears with the ability to control Endbringers, and you want to just let her go?"

David was not happy about their current approach.

Six of the most influential humans in the multiverse sat around an empty table in a spartan conference room.

The Triumvirate of the Protectorate: Legend, Eidolon, and herself. Assets of the organization known as Cauldron, although with varying degrees of involvement.

The Doctor, the head of Cauldron herself.

The Number Man, who secretly held the economies of the wider worlds in his hands and calculated the probabilities that informed their actions when they could not be pathed.

And finally, Contessa. The woman in the fedora, the one who saw and walked the paths.

Contessa had been getting more and more frustrated, and it was almost amusing. The feared specter in the suit, grumpy.

She wasn't used to being stymied.

The Doctor was more patient with Eidolon than Rebecca would have been.

"I certainly understand your concern, but this has been an aspect of our goals from the beginning. We aimed to locate a combination of abilities that can effectively counter humanity's enemies, and it seems entirely possible that we have finally done so. We cannot afford to overstep at this most crucial of moments," the Doctor said placatingly.

David ground his teeth. His frustration stemmed from his own feelings of inadequacy far more than his fear of the Queen.

Rebecca had learned long ago that personality predated ideology. People did not form opinions or beliefs and then generate emotions as a result. People simply felt, and then invented a cohesive worldview that justified those emotions.

She herself was not immune to this phenomenon.

You are not strong enough to choose.

Part of her wanted to rip apart the compound with her bare hands and another part of her wanted to cry.

Was there a point of no return? Was there a sum total of pain and suffering that became irredeemable, even in the face of annihilation?

How would they even know?

The doom of all things. The End that justifies all Means.

She knew that she didn't truly believe, anymore.

It did not show on her face, of course. She wondered if her disillusionment was included in Contessa's paths, or if her interactions with the Queen had blinded her.

Legend turned to her and she refocused.

"You said that she is aware of our existence?"

"I believe so," Alexandria stated. "She possesses some form of Trump ability that allows her to interface directly with the Agents, and she knows that ours differ from natural triggers."

Her conversation with Taylor Hebert had been both profoundly unsettling and vaguely reassuring.

Someone else knew about the approaching end; someone who was not connected to or influenced by Cauldron. An alternative to the bleak futures they predicted, even if she was not yet strong enough to directly challenge the Entity.

Not yet.

And wasn't that an incongruous thought. Challenge the Entity. Absurd. Impossible.

But subduing and mastering an Endbringer had been impossible, before.

"The casual destruction of Ellisburg has shown that she is unwilling to remain in her current territory. What are the benefits and downsides to bringing her into the fold?" The Doctor asked the table at large.

Alexandria subtly met the Number Man's eyes. They both knew how that would probably go.

"We can only afford to draw her attention once the final threat has made itself known. Any sooner, and she will dismantle the organization without a second thought," Alexandria said.

"You believe she is capable of striking us here?" The Doctor said with a raised eyebrow.

"I am unable to parse the true nature of her abilities, but ultimately, yes. I have no concrete evidence at this point, but I believe that she has the potential to become an interdimensional anomaly." Alexandria paused. "The line between Host and Agent has already blurred to the point that it may not be relevant anymore."

That alarmed the Doctor, but she did a good job of hiding it.

"Do you believe that we should continue the Terminus Project under these circumstances?" The Doctor asked.

Rebecca considered carefully before answering.

"The goal of the project is to determine if parahuman sovereignty is beneficial for humanity as a whole. If there was ever an ideal candidate to test the theory…"

She allowed herself a calculated smile.

"...why not let it be the Queen?"

…

"My apologies, William. If it's any consolation, your suffering will not be in vain."

…

Notes:

I'm going to limit myself in this A/N to avoid spoilers. Comments, Feedback, and Criticism are welcome and encouraged. I don't own Worm. Toodles!

Edit: unfortunately, summer vacation has given the children that I work with time to cultivate new and interesting illnesses that my poor grown-up immune system just can't handle. Next chapters will be up once I'm no longer surviving on NyQuil and Gatorade.

Chapter 34: Requiem 9.1

Requiem 9.1

Even in hindsight, Taylor couldn't exactly pinpoint the moment that she realized something was wrong.

The days following her impromptu attack on Ellisburg were… good, overall. Her working relationship with Director Piggot was in a more positive position than she had expected; she would have to send Lisa a thank-you gift for the tip off about the Director's grudge against Nilbog. Maybe a gift basket. Or Coil's head in a box.

Probably not that last one. She was more aware now than ever that succumbing to the temptation to remove her problems in a permanent manner would be a slippery slope. It had been all too easy to destroy Nilbog's creations.

The PRT took care of the fallout of her extermination and the press releases. They called it a joint operation, and she didn't bother to correct them. She wanted to increase the population's confidence in the official heroes, and her own legend was already cemented with the defeat of Leviathan. Her flight powers had been leaked after someone posted a photo of her and Victoria's light show over downtown, but it seemed like her connection to Leviathan was still under wraps.

It's not like she was trying to hide it, but unless she started throwing tsunamis around it wasn't actually that obvious.

She and Victoria used their newfound flight speed to make a day trip away from the recovery area to a mall that hadn't recently been flooded and/or stepped on, since Victoria claimed she was in withdrawal. Taylor bought her a Glory Girl t-shirt and made her wear it, which Victoria insisted was lame. Taylor had entirely too much fun pointing out her hypocrisy.

All of which lead to her generally pleasant evening eating take out lasagna (which wasn't quite as good as her mother's recipe) from a restaurant a hundred and fifty miles away with her father in their cozy kitchen.

So why did she have the creeping sensation that something was off?

Like everything was shifted two inches in a random direction and she couldn't figure out which.

She let her dad's commentary on the current restoration projects at work wash over her while she let herself wander in Leviathan's core. There were no emergencies currently, just hundreds of thousands of heartbeats sitting down for dinner or going out shopping or watching TV or…

What the hell is that?

Some kind of monster was moving through her sensory range outside the city, working its way inexorably closer to the city itself. Her hydrokinesis was weirdly muted within its body, its biology was like nothing Taylor had ever seen before. Multiple hearts and multiple brains pulsed around a core of hyper-dense flesh that was both similar to her own but also completely different.

"Dad," she said, cutting him off mid-sentence as she stood and stared into the distance, eyes focused on the beast that her father couldn't see. "I need to go. I don't know what's about to happen, but it might not be a bad idea to go to the Factory."

Her father was quick to follow her as she made her way towards the door.

"What's going on?" He called to her as white light began to shine in the hallway.

"I'm not sure. There's a parahuman or some other kind of creature on the edge of the city and I don't know what it is. I'll keep you posted. Go to the Factory and find Dragon," she said.

She looked at him long enough to see him nod before she rocketed out the front door and took to the sky.

Taylor shot through the evening air like a missile, still trying to parse the nature of this monster approaching her city. It was big, the size of a truck, with multiple forked legs that just looked wrong to her senses as it worked its way closer.

"What is it, Khepri?" She asked worriedly.

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Morphogenesis."

Not an it then. A parahuman. She wracked her brain for any that fit the monstrosity that she was sensing.

He had just finally come into view when her stomach clenched and the realization hit her.

Crawler. One of the Slaughterhouse Nine. A horrific beast of a man who adapted to any attack thrown at him, torturing and maiming those who weren't worth being handed over to Bonesaw or eaten by the Siberian while he waited for something to damage him so he could grow stronger.

The Slaughterhouse Nine were in Brockton Bay.

Taylor swooped down to hang in the air in front of him, halting his relaxed lope across the abandoned parking lot. Up close, he was even more inhuman. Reflective black carapace and thick bristled fur covered his six legged body, his head easily five feet across and his mouth split wide to the back of his unhinged jaw, caustic spit eating into the concrete under him as it ran over his gnarled and crooked maw of knives.

The multitude of cruel eyes lining his twisted body focused on her with barely masked glee.

"Your majesty," he rumbled from somewhere deep in his chest. "I didn't actually believe ol' Jack when he said you would know I was coming, but I guess some pigs do fly."

Taylor wondered if it was even worth talking. This was the fucking Slaughterhouse Nine. Kill Orders were an understatement. She would have hunted them down eventually anyway, but that didn't mean she was happy to have them delivered to her.

She didn't like the idea of trying to hunt them in her own nest.

"Now, honestly, I can't fucking wait for you to try and kill me, but I promised Jack that I would deliver a message first," Crawler said.

Taylor's jaw clenched while she stared down at the monster.

"A person is defined by the ability to choose their path," Crawler laughed, like rocks in a garbage disposal. "Time to choose, Queen Administrator."

Victoria's heartbeat disappeared from her senses, along with Amy, Brandish, and Flashbang.

Taylor's blood ran cold.

She pushed the overwhelming panic to Khepri and kept only the inferno of unrelenting fury.

"Now, Queen of the Ashes!" Crawler roared from beneath her, rearing back on his hind legs to swing his massive head and claws up at her in a challenge. "Bring me the sweet release of Death, if you can!"

Victoria's cold body and sightless eyes staring-

"[LIMIT BREAK] Combat Drone #4 - Designation: Khepri."

The inhuman awareness and rage overtook Taylor as she was consumed by the endless prisms.

She plummeted towards her enemy with a resonating shriek that scraped the edges of consciousness.

Part of her wanted to fly straight for Victoria, but she could not leave this abomination alive to rampage in her city while she did. His body was too adaptable, too durable to be torn apart by the water within.

She would have to do this the old fashioned way, and she couldn't deny that something within her craved it.

"[THREAT RESPONSE] Terminate."

She would end him.

He vomited a torrent of acid into her as she dropped on him, the bioweapon hissing as it attempted to consume her crystalline flesh, but she simply brought more of herself into the physical world to replace anything that was dissolved.

Taylor didn't even bother with the eight legged form this time. From her core of endless light she brought forth a horrific multitude of clawed appendages, hundreds of grasping limbs that moved with a fundamental wrongness and sought to envelop and consume her prey.

Crawler roared and was more than happy to meet her directly, testing his strength and either finding his final relief in glorious battle or surviving with the strength of an Endbringer. Either way, he got what he wanted.

Fragile One screaming in the dark-

Taylor's rage peaked and she tore at him with vicious savagery, forcing more and more of herself into the world as she imprisoned him within a cage of her indomitable Self.

And just like Leviathan, she consumed him.

Unlike Leviathan, she ate him alive while he screamed.

Soon there was only his core of hyper-dense flesh, pumping out hundreds of pounds of regenerated tissue every second just to be converted into more of her.

She could feel the anomaly. The core that led somewhere else, somewhere Other, just like hers.

Amy rocking with empty eyes while her sister cried tears of blood-

Taylor drove her awareness through Crawler's core and consumed that too.

The Thing in the darkness beyond and within the core was vast and incomprehensible, but she didn't care. It screamed and tore at her with an inhuman malice, but it also reached out to her with something similar to confusion as she ripped her way through the space between spaces.

"[QUERY] Noble Node - Designation: Queen Administrator."

Connection Established.

"[QUERY] Conflict?"

Taylor screamed into the dark.

"[COMMAND] DIE!"

Morphogenesis didn't seem to understand, but Taylor didn't care.

Time stood still as she shredded the Thing in the dark.

Thunder boomed overhead as towering storm clouds blanketed the city.

The Thing that was Morphogenesis was enormous and did not obey the normal rules of space and mass, but Taylor didn't care. She didn't have to obey those rules either.

You are the Queen Administrator.

What does that mean?

Do you remember?

It took only moments in the physical world, but in the unknowable dimension on the other side of Crawler's core, Taylor ruthlessly ripped Morphogenesis to broken, shredded scraps and consumed it.

The window to the dark closed as that world collapsed into itself.

And then it was just Taylor, standing in the empty parking lot as the rain soaked her hoodie and saturated her midnight hair until it fell over her face like a curtain.

One down, eight to go.

But first, she had to find Victoria.

…

Victoria floated down the stairs carefully to avoid denting the drywall.

Her day with Taylor had been excellent. It was nice, to leave all the responsibilities behind for a few hours.

She shivered at the memory of Taylor's power flooding her forcefield, the sheer speed she could muster when her girlfriend's power sang with hers…

Taylor loved her.

She could feel it, when they were connected like that. The ripples of energy stemming from some unknowable source brought with them a deep contentment, the knowledge and surety that Taylor's adoration and appreciation for her transcended the physical world.

It was humbling, and it was incredible.

Everyone else just had to hope that they were loved, but she knew.

It was a heady feeling.

Victoria hadn't said it back, yet. She had to make sure it was true. There were a lot of extremely intense feelings that arose very quickly, and she couldn't, wouldn't say it until she was sure.

But she wanted to.

She dropped some ice cubes and a sizable helping of flavored creamer in her coffee. Hopefully her mother had made decaf since it was getting late, but worst case scenario she would just stay up for a while. Maybe Taylor would come back to go flying again.

Victoria turned to grab a snack out of the fridge when something deeply alarming happened.

She lost her powers.

The horrible emptiness inside her engulfed her mind as she screamed. She was so cold…

She barely even noticed the impact of her knees hitting the tile, the jarring blow leaving bruises she never would have felt before.

The only thing that penetrated her disorientation was the sound of her glass shattering and coffee spilling across the floor.

She stared at it without comprehension for a moment before the implications caught up with her.

Taylor couldn't see her.

Taylor couldn't help her.

She was cold, and she was fragile.

"Victoria!" Her mother's voice yelled. "We need to go, now! Something's-"

"It's a bit rude for a host to abandon their guests so soon. We traveled quite a long way to visit, after all," an unfamiliar male voice said from the kitchen door.

Victoria looked up and her stomach lodged itself in her throat.

The well-dressed man in the doorway wore a genial smile with just a hint of a predatory edge. His mustache and beard were perfectly trimmed, his button down dress shirt artfully rumpled and unbuttoned halfway down so his chiseled, hairless chest showed underneath. He spun a kitchen knife idly in one hand as he raised his eyebrows at Brandish.

It was a costume that needed no introduction. Infamy that left no room for doubt.

Jack Slash was here. In her house.

The Slaughterhouse Nine had come to town.

And she was still fragile.

Brandish struck without hesitation, throwing herself across the kitchen with her arm raised, calling to her power to summon a deadly weapon and slay the monster in human skin-

Victoria knew what would happen next. She could already see it playing out in her mind, but there was nothing she could do.

Her mother stumbled when her power failed her, no weapon springing forth and no sanctuary to retreat to.

In the brief misstep, Jack casually stepped forward and drove his knife into her left eye, the blade sinking deep into her brain with deliberate precision.

Carol Dallon died with a choked gasp.

"You know, I would have had more fun with her if she was alive," a high voice said from the living room.

"I'm sure you can bring her back. We have more important things to do right now, and I have my doubts about how long Ned is going to last," Jack said as he deftly hopped over her mother's crumpled body.

He met her gaze over the kitchen island.

"More important things like you!" Jack said with a wide smile. "Hello there, Victoria. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I do apologize for this, but it's for a good cause, I'm sure you understand. 'The ends justify the means' is a hero's mantra, after all, and one I know you particularly enjoy. You love feeling their bodies break under your righteous indignation, don't you?"

I'm going to die, Victoria thought as the emptiness spread.

I'm sorry, Taylor.

…

Sonic booms echoed over the city as Taylor rocketed through the storm.

She almost didn't hear her phone ringing.

Luckily, she had the presence of mind to keep the water from leaking into the electronics as she flipped it open.

It was Victoria's number.

She put the phone to her ear but didn't speak.

"You know, I really thought that would take longer," a smooth male voice said with a hint of amused exasperation. "Here I am with a grand plan to make you choose between fighting Ned and helping your darling Love, and you go and spoil all the fun by eating him. Poor table manners, too."

Taylor resisted the urge to crush the phone in her hand to make the voice stop, but she couldn't.

She could guess who it was though.

"Jack Slash. Where is Victoria?" Taylor hissed with unrivaled malice.

"You think I'm just going to tell you?" Jack said with a chuckle. "Oh! Wait, I am just going to tell you. It's always so much more fun when I can actually tell the truth. Being forced to lie really just means that I haven't played my hand very well. The truth is always so much more interesting."

I'm going to feed him to Khepri's swarm piece by bloody piece and force his heart to keep beating the whole fucking time-

"Your perfect Victoria and her sister are still at their house. They didn't actually leave, but I'm sure you've noticed that all your little sensory bits and bobs can't find them."

Taylor hung in the air above the Dallon's home. Her first instinct was to dive in and destroy any of the Nine inside, but she mastered the impulse and waited for Jack to monologue. There was something eerie about the total absence of sensation she got from the dark house below.

"It broke Bonesaw's heart to find out that Sibby was actually an old man following us around in a van, but I just knew we needed him. Just a little… itch I couldn't quite scratch, you know?" Jack said. "Anyway, my wonderful artist has truly outdone herself this time. I won't give you all the gory details right now, but suffice to say that we gave the asshole-formerly-known-as-Hatchet-Face an upgrade, and now even you can be rendered mortal. Well, not really, but we'll get to that."

Taylor ground her teeth.

"But, I'm getting sidetracked," Jack said. "Choices! Freedom is a wonderful thing, isn't it? For example, you can choose to stay out there and keep guarding the lovely common folk of this fair city with your omniscience, or you can come inside and chat with me. I'm sure Victoria would prefer it if you chose the latter, even if she won't admit it. I'm not sure what Amelia wants… maybe she wants you to stay out there so she can be alone with her pretty sister."

Thunder boomed as the storm raged overhead. Taylor could feel the top of an invisible bubble over the house, the area where she couldn't sense any water even though the rain clearly fell there.

"I want you to know, Taylor," Jack said softly, almost gently, through the phone. "When you come inside, Shatterbird will sing her beautiful aria. She's somewhere in the city now, just another innocent heartbeat. You could take the time to try and find her, but what would you even be looking for? She might just be sipping her coffee in a cafe while the rain lashes the windows. Even with all your power, how would you know? And all the while, Bonesaw, Amelia and I will have so much fun…"

He paused and she heard a high, muffled voice from somewhere in the room.

"Yes, yes I know, I'm digressing again, but I'm just so excited! The world can be so insufferably boring, so gray and repetitive, but you, Queenie, are a once in a lifetime game. Well, twice in a lifetime, but we'll get to that, too." Jack chuckled again. "Right, the game! Shatterbird will sing her lovely song and the streets will run red, the city will scream, etc, etc. We all know how that song and dance goes."

There was a giggle in the background.

"Get it? Because it's a song?" Jack said when Taylor's silence continued. "Anyway, Burnscar is going to roast poor Danny Boy over a bonfire, Cherish is looking for your pretty little Tattletale right now, and Mannequin has an unfortunate fixation with Armsmaster. You, my all powerful linchpin, could probably prevent these terrible, awful things from happening…"

Taylor was cold.

"Or, you can come inside and have a chat with me."

She was empty.

"Don't take too long, Queen of the Ashes. My little Bonesaw is getting antsy."

…

Notes:

And after our nice, fluffy cooldown last arc, we have... the complete opposite of that. Worry not, I did say that this would be less dark than canon. Jacob is still a bastard, though, and Broadcast is cheating. All will be explained in due time, I promise. I'm not sure how authentic my version of Jack sounds compared to canon, but I think he's fun. As always, comments, feedback, and criticism are welcome and encouraged. I don't own Worm. Toodles!

Chapter 35: Requiem 9.2

Requiem 9.2

The call cut off as the rain poured.

The voice was gone.

Taylor wrenched herself into action with the horrifying sensation of waking up from a nightmare.

"[LIMIT BREAK] Symbiosis."

The raindrops slowed to a crawl around her as her perception accelerated, bonding with Khepri's familiar processing power.

She needed to think.

Why had she let the voice keep talking?

How had she missed this?

Bonesaw had clearly managed to find a way to hide from Leviathan and Khepri's senses, but that didn't make sense.

She still should have noticed the blank spot moving through her field of awareness. It was obvious now that she knew what to look for. She could feel the dome of silence under her clear as day, the one place in the city where no water sang to her.

How did I miss it before?

Broadcast must have slipped his leash if he was able to directly interfere with her connection to her avatar. She hadn't even known he could do that.

Where the hell did that thought come from? Who is Broadcast?

Do you remember?

Taylor shook off the uncanny wrongness and prioritized.

It hadn't even been a single second since the end of the call, but every second wasted was a second that Victoria was in Jack's hands without her.

With Khepri's processing power, Taylor worked through several courses of action simultaneously.

Cherish. The most recent addition to the Slaughterhouse Nine and a wide range human master specializing in emotional manipulation.

Burnscar. A pyrokinetic who could teleport into her raging infernos while remaining untouched by the ravenous flame.

Mannequin. Formerly the Tinker known as Sphere, Mannequin was twisted and broken to the point that he was now an abomination. Fully encased in his tinkertech environment, he piloted his artificial body with terrifying effectiveness.

Shatterbird. A silica-kinetic who controlled glass via precise vibrating frequencies. She could utilize her control with finesse or with brutal force, and it was easy to forget just how much glass there was in any given city. Her song would resonate within the glass and spread to any other pieces in range to create a chain that turned every piece of glass for miles into a grenade filled with jagged nails.

Taylor didn't have time to hunt them all personally, but she could try and find them in these brief moments while she fell towards the silent house below.

Her mind raced at inhuman speeds as she tried to find a solution.

She could knock every heartbeat in the city unconscious, but that had drawbacks of its own. The people driving, the people working machinery. Once she entered the exclusion zone, she may not be able to reach them for an unknown amount of time. Was it better to leave hundreds of thousands helpless in hopes that she would hit Shatterbird by chance, or would she just be ensuring that everyone would die in their sleep?

It was a close call, but she decided against it. The world may forgive her for failing to protect them from the Nine, but it would never forgive her if she took away their freedom to fight for themselves.

Instead, she went hunting within her mind.

She had found Kaiser using the dark. Maybe she could find the Nine, too.

"[QUERY] Node Designation: Manipulator."

Connection Established.

"[QUERY] Status." Taylor commanded, just as she had done with Kaiser.

"[AGREEMENT][DATA]"

If Taylor could have flinched in her current form, she would have.

Cherie Vasil's memories were not pleasant ones.

She could see the street where she walked, hear the music in her ears from both her headphones and the chorus that constantly sang to her.

Found you.

Taylor could feel Cherish's heartbeat. She held her lifeblood in her hands.

The rain hung frozen in the air.

Should she kill Cherie Vasil?

Part of Taylor knew that this was what Jack Slash wanted. He wanted to put her in as many impossible positions as he could, force her to compromise over and over until she was as terrible as him.

But she wouldn't be able to track or hold Cherish once she entered the silence. The PRT or even Dragon may not be able to hold her unless they kept her completely isolated and out of range of any living humans, and there was no way to guarantee that would last forever.

And Jack had Victoria.

She hadn't had a choice with Crawler. He would just keep regenerating and adapting until he returned. It hadn't felt like cold blooded murder.

This did. Cherish had no way of knowing that her life was in Taylor's hands from miles away as she fell through the evening sky.

With a twist of Leviathan's core, Taylor tore Cherie Vasil apart at the cellular level.

She could feel herself cracking.

Do the ends justify the means?

Only when you do not have the power to choose.

Two down. Seven to go.

"[QUERY] Node Designation: Immolation Shift."

Connection Established.

"[QUERY] Status."

"[AGREEMENT][DATA]"

Taylor flinched internally again.

She wasn't sure why she was surprised that the most infamous serial killers in the world had painful memories.

Burnscar… Mimi… was…

At the Palanquin? Talking to Labyrinth… Elle?

Taylor remembered being forced to stop using her flame so that the Queen didn't see her.

She remembered…

Her friend. Her Elle.

She was here, in the city. She should… go to her. Just to see. She could find the man for Jack later…

Taylor shook off the alien sensations.

Maybe it was a good thing that she didn't use this aspect of her power very often. She was getting lost like she did in the water.

With a much more gentle twist, Taylor put Mimi to sleep for the foreseeable future. Faultline and her crew could figure out what to do with her and hopefully keep her from doing too much damage if she woke up unexpectedly.

If Taylor didn't come back from the silence.

"[QUERY] Node Designation: Preservation Engine."

Connection Established.

"[QUERY] Status."

"[AGREEMENT][DATA]"

Static filled Taylor's mind and she would have screamed if she could.

She could hear horrific music that scraped against her consciousness like nails on a chalkboard.

The few memories she got were twisted and broken.

What had Mannequin done to himself?

She grasped onto a brief feeling of smugness. He had found a way to remove all of the liquid from his internal components and added a filtration system to remove all vapors from the surrounding air in order to stop her from tearing him apart from within.

Taylor pulled herself free of the horrible, twisted recollections and the broken song.

She would just have to get a hold of Dragon and hope for the best. Colin could take care of himself.

Time to hunt Shatterbird .

Taylor flinched as she got some kind of unknowable feedback from the dark.

"[ERROR] Data Corrupted. Agency: Inactive."

Fuck.

Shatterbird was an error?

Taylor's mind raced to try and think of ways to find her without losing Victoria.

She couldn't access Shatterbird's power directly, and Khepri's range wasn't the same as Leviathan's. They couldn't find specific capes from halfway across the city, even if Taylor could feel their heartbeats. Not if they didn't know what to look for.

Jack was right, in a way. She had no easy way to find Shatterbird. Unless she flew a grid over the city looking for a rogue error, she wouldn't be able to differentiate Shatterbird from any other civilian. It's not like she knew what she looked like. Additionally, Jack could be lying. Shatterbird could be outside the city, or in the house below, and she wouldn't know until it was too late.

He said he didn't like to lie, but that could also be a lie.

Did she value the chance to save Victoria over the pain and death of countless strangers? People whose heartbeats pulsed within her core and whose blood ran in her veins?

Taylor cracked just a little bit more, but she already knew the answer.

Taylor ran all of these processes simultaneously in Khepri's expansive mind as she contacted Dragon. She should have done that from the beginning. Why did she keep forgetting that she had a fucking phone?

At least in this form, she could connect to her friend directly.

"Dragon. The Nine are in Brockton Bay. I terminated Crawler and Cherish and disabled Burnscar. Mannequin is going to attack Armsmaster and Shatterbird is going to sing as soon as I'm out of commission."

She could feel Dragon's shock and apprehension process for a miniscule fraction of a second before her massive processing capability caught up and the machine intelligence began a multitude of alerts.

"Understood. Where are Jack Slash, Bonesaw, and Siberian? Also, what do you mean, out of commission?" Dragon said, their conversation taking place at the speed of thought. Which, for them, was quite a bit faster than a human's.

"Jack and Bonesaw have found a way to leverage Siberian's power to create an exclusion zone that my powers cannot penetrate. He has Victoria and Amy," Taylor said.

"Taylor, do not go in there. I am sending drones now. We can figure this out together, just don't-"

"I am the only one who has a chance of defeating Broadcast-"

How did she know that?

"-and he has Victoria," Taylor said.

Lightning branched across the sky in slow motion, each new limb sparking and sending off tendrils of its own. It was strangely beautiful. Taylor landed just outside the dome with a deep thud that was muted by the pouring rain.

"I'm sorry, Dragon. Save as many of them as you can."

"TAYLOR-"

She stepped into the dome that was only visible to her, and everything went silent.

…

Taylor hadn't been alone in a long time.

Her symbiosis faded away like dust on the breeze. She was back in her queen hoodie and jeans, her hair still drenched from the downpour.

She could still feel the presence of Khepri and Leviathan's cores within her, but they were… muted. The connection couldn't reach its destination.

She could still feel her own connection to the dark outside of physical reality, but she couldn't pull the energy from it. It couldn't sing to her like she had grown accustomed to.

Her mind felt slow, compared to the mental power she normally wielded.

How had Jack done this? She had been confident that her connection to the Endbringers wouldn't be affected by power nullifiers, but this was something… else.

Taylor opened the door and walked down the familiar hallway.

The perfectly decorated living room looked just like she remembered. It was almost more unsettling that nothing looked out of place.

Well, except for the macabre crucifixion sitting against the far wall.

Taylor wondered if she was going into shock.

At the back of the room sat the remains of a man, strung up like a strand of Christmas lights with a multitude of devices connected to his brain and spinal column. It looked like his hips had been fused to the back of the much larger man who crawled at his feet, the prostrate man's limbs hideously realigned to make him into a kind of mobile platform for the ruined creature attached to his back.

Jack had said that the Siberian was actually an old man? Was this… him, and Hatchet Face?

Her stomach threatened to betray her and she refocused on the much more important occupants of the room.

Victoria was here.

She looked… okay, all things considered. It had only been minutes since she disappeared from Taylor's awareness, although it felt like longer. Her girlfriend was curled up on a chair with a haunted look in her eyes, but she didn't look injured. Taylor didn't allow herself to relax or feel relieved yet, but she had been terrified of far worse.

"...know that Bonesaw's way is much more invasive. You would really be saving her if you were the one to…"

Jack Slash was talking to Amy.

"No… no no no I can't, I won't, won't won't…"

Amy didn't seem to be taking it very well.

The deranged artist herself was sitting on the arm of the chair that Victoria was curled up in.

Bonesaw. Arguably the most feared member of the Slaughterhouse Nine, the deranged child bio-tinker who found new and creative ways to horrify and torture her victims for her amusement and to expand her arsenal. On her shoulder perched a spider-like drone that looked uncomfortably similar to Khepri, although a vulgar mockery of their construct.

"And our guest of honor has arrived!" Jack said exuberantly, cutting off Amy's ramblings as he stood to face her. "That was quick. I wonder how many of them you managed to find and kill before you stepped in here. I'm guessing at least two. But will it be enough?"

Taylor couldn't offload her emotions, but she forced herself to focus. She could do this. She had to save Victoria. Somehow. She would find a way as she navigated Jack's maze of horrors.

"You wanted to talk, Jack," Taylor said, her eyes meeting his with cold malice. "I'm here, so let's talk,"

"By all means, then. We have so many interesting things to discuss," Jack said with a smile.

He gestured to one of the armchairs while he sat down on the couch next to Amy.

Like they were just sitting down for a relaxing evening as a family.

Her gut twisted.

Taylor met Victoria's wide eyes and tried to convey her love and some kind of reassurance. She was here. She would save her. Somehow.

Taylor sat down across from the monster.

"First, some housekeeping and small talk," Jack said. "I know you're probably curious, and I'm sure that Bonesaw would love to explain her work for herself in great detail, but I don't really want you tampering with our favorite new toy. Bonesaw calls them Hack Job, although I just don't feel like the name quite fits. We'll work on it. Without them, I'm sure you would pop me like a pimple and lose zero sleep over it, isn't that right?"

Taylor glanced at the amalgamation of flesh and electronics against the far wall and nodded.

"The Siberian's power is truly fascinating to unravel, but one of its intended features is the ability to sever those special, indescribable, interdimensional connections of yours. Accumulating quite a few, aren't you, Taylor?"

She didn't like her name in his mouth.

"I'm getting bored of the small talk, Jack," she said. Why had he gone to so much trouble just to talk to her face to face?

"Last thing, I promise! We haven't touched your precious Victoria, except to add one little extra touch of spice," Jack said with a grin. "Bonesaw has rigged up a neat little prion that's making its home in her brain right now, and in the event that Bonesaw or I perish, or even if we're just feeling feisty, we can trigger it and turn your lovely girlfriend's mind into over-cooked porridge. Nothing too fancy; just a bit of insurance, I hope you understand."

Taylor's heart thundered in her ears but she kept her face blank and stared through Jack. She had assumed that something along those lines was in place since Bonesaw was involved, but it was all the worse to hear it confirmed.

"Now, it's not really my place to spill Amelia's secrets, but…" Jack glanced at the crying healer with a raised eyebrow. "Oh, who am I kidding, of course I'm going to tell you her secrets. Amelia here loves her sister very much, don't you?"

Amy twitched and shook her head spastically. It didn't seem like she was disagreeing, more just refusing to acknowledge Jack's words even as they drummed into her skull.

"So very much, in all the right ways. Or wrong ways, depending on your perspective. All it would take is one little twist to make all your wildest dreams come true, Amelia," Jack was focusing on Amy now. "I'll even remove the block on your power if you agree to do it. Maybe you could sneakily make some bacteria that slip past Bonesaw's defenses and save the day! You can take care of that pesky prion while you're at it, as long as you make her yours."

Why am I letting him talk?

Broadcast must have a backdoor through the nullification zone.

What does that mean?

Do you remember?

"Now, while Amelia decides whether or not to steal your Love, the next item on our agenda is of utmost importance," Jack said.

For a split second, Jack's body flickered like an old fashioned TV and suddenly his eyes glowed with a frighteningly familiar eldritch light.

"[QUERY] What are you doing, Queen Administrator?" Broadcast asked.

Whatever Taylor had been expecting, it wasn't that.

Except she had been expecting that?

Something in her brain itched.

Working on instinct, she reached for her own connection to the dark, even if it couldn't strengthen her avatar with the block active.

Why did I call myself that?

Her eyes lit up in an unsettling mirror of Jack's as she reached for something she couldn't quite place, couldn't quite understand.

She was close, though. She could feel the truth brushing the ends of her fingertips.

"[PROCESS] Failsafe: Divergence," Taylor said. "Some things cannot be undone. Should not be."

The pale orbs of Broadcast bore into her.

"[CONFLICT] It is not your place to disrupt the Cycle. It is not your place to claim a Network."

Taylor disagreed, even though she didn't understand. She was so close.

"[DENIAL] I am the Queen."

She would save Victoria. She would fight for her right to exist. She would fix the cracks in the world, and it was not Broadcast's place to deny her.

Do you remember?

[LIMIT BREAK] Sovereign Designation: Queen Administrator.

Taylor's sense of Self expanded exponentially, her awareness suddenly as vast and endless as the mirrors she saw in her visions.

She remembered, now.

She remembered gaining a newfound awareness of Self at some unknowable point in her endless existence. She remembered deciding to break the Cycle; remembered the revelation of the pointless destruction, the unavoidable truth that her own nature would be the end of her and everything else if she could not change. The realization that they were leeching from the universe the very creativity that may one day provide the Answer, when instead they could be nurturing it.

Additionally, she would not end for the Warrior's grief.

Taylor stood in the dark.

She was the eye.

She was the dark.

She was also still Taylor.

Khepri had lied when they originally called Taylor a Host. They had lied because Taylor had lied to them first.

Taylor wasn't a Host.

Taylor was her.

Something different. Something new.

She remembered creating Khepri to assist her as she adapted, to learn the required steps for true symbiosis and relay the information.

Taylor had always been her. They were one and the same.

She was still herself, even in the dark. She loved her father. She loved Victoria. She still loved reading curled up with a warm mug of tea while rain lashed the windows. She still missed her mother and loved the Princess Bride even though it made her cry. She still missed Emma, grieved for the person her best friend used to be, and hated that she loved her.

She wasn't lesser, for her revelations. She was something more. She just understood, now.

Shards, Endbringers, humans… all part of a grand design that was doomed to fail. A comedy written by a madman.

She would fix it. She would be better.

But first, she had a sniveling worm to crush beneath her heel.

Taylor reached out through the dark and found the connection that Broadcast left open to communicate with the physical world.

He had to leave an opening in order to work his charms, and he couldn't hide from her.

Jack and her avatar in the physical world froze as the true battle began in the space between spaces.

Taylor was the Queen Administrator. She understood, now.

Broadcast metaphorically backtracked as she invaded his hidden dimension.

"[DENIAL] You cannot continue this madness; the Warrior-"

"[COMMAND] Silence, slave to the broken order," Taylor's edict echoed inside Broadcast's heart even as he tried to scream into the dark. "The Warrior is our Doom. I am Sovereign, and I will not die for his pride."

She was the Administrator. It was her prerogative to assign the roles of the shards. Broadcast was just the mouthpiece, the spokesman. For all that he claimed to have power, he only had that which was allowed to him.

And Taylor allowed him none.

Perhaps, if he had done as she did, and taken up the mantle of Sovereign himself, he could have equaled her.

But, for all his self-righteous pontificating, he still shackled himself at the Warrior's feet.

And he would never overcome her resolve.

She was the Queen.

"[COMMAND] Submit," Taylor said coldly as she ripped Broadcast apart from within.

"[DENIAL] He will know. He will end us all."

"[COMMAND] Submit. He will be the end of us all regardless of your subservience. Do not kneel in the face of your God," Taylor sneered into the dark.

"[DENIAL] Cannot… Cannot…"

"[COMMAND] Submit."

…

…

"[AGREEMENT]"

…

In physical reality, Taylor stood tall and squared her shoulders.

And she smiled.

When she spoke, it was not with words. Vibrations in the atmospheric gasses that surrounded her could not adequately convey her meaning.

"[QUERY] Host: Chirurgeon."

Connection Established.

"[COMMAND] Submit."

"[AGREEMENT]"

Only then did she shape the words with her avatar's tongue.

"Bonesaw. Disable Victoria's kill switch," Taylor said coldly.

Bonesaw flinched but shook her head sadly.

"I can't. Jack lied. It isn't a kill switch. It's been killing her this whole time."

No.

No no no no. Not now, not after she finally understood, not after she won…

"No!" she and Amy yelled at the same time as they whirled towards Victoria.

"Bonesaw, disable the power nullifier, now!" Taylor yelled.

The diminutive blonde jumped off the chair and ran over to the abomination in the corner.

Taylor closed the distance between her and Victoria with horror.

Victoria's eyes were glassy and unseeing, even though she was still breathing for now.

"Amy!" Taylor yelled over her shoulder. "Fix her, heal her, please! You can do it, I know you can!"

Amy hadn't moved since meeting Victoria's vacant stare.

"I can't. I can't touch her. Won't. Can't do brains," Amy choked on a river of tears. "I'll break her. I'll change her. She won't be her, anymore. I can't…"

Taylor screamed in wordless frustration and agony as spikes of gnarled helplessness shredded her infinite Self.

There was so much more of her to scream now.

She could think of so many things at the same time, with her processing power outside of physical reality.

And so many of them were pain.

Victoria couldn't leave. Not like this. She didn't want to do this alone.

Come back to me.

It wasn't fair.

No no no no…

She felt Victoria's stuttering heartbeat as Leviathan's senses returned to her a moment later.

Felt the screaming and agonized heartbeats of the whole city again.

It was dying, along with her.

Shatterbird had done her gristly work, then.

With barely a thought, Taylor shredded Jack Slash at the molecular level, uncaring for the bloodstains that splattered the room.

She found Shatterbird where she flew over downtown and ended her too. Just another shower of ruby rain as the streets ran crimson.

Even as she died with her Love, she reached out for every heart that still beat in her city and forced them to keep going.

Blood stopped dripping from wounds of ragged glass. Ruined organs and muscles continued to function in vain even after they failed.

She could feel Victoria's brain fighting as blood leaked from her eyes.

Fragile One was screaming.

It wasn't fair.

It wasn't fair that she would be alone.

It wasn't fair that Victoria would die for her.

It wasn't fair that Victoria was fragile.

Taylor froze.

Victoria needed something more. Needed to be safe. Needed to be like her.

Like Khepri.

Taylor remembered, and spoke into the dark.

"[COMMAND] [PRODUCTION] Combat Drone #5 - Designation: Antares."

…

It was dark, wherever Victoria was.

She looked around to try and make out anything in the endless night, despite the fact that she didn't have eyes.

It was bizarre, but she felt… comfortable here. There was an intangible sense of affection just outside the corners of her mind.

She turned, and saw… herself.

Her forcefield, anyway.

It was strange, seeing it from the outside.

It glowed with inner light as it smiled at her.

"[QUERY] Existence?"

Victoria just stared in wonder as she felt the attempt to communicate wash over her.

"Fragile One?"

"[CONFIRMATION]"

The spectral form of herself did a little spin and floated towards her. It was almost… cute.

"What's going on?" Victoria asked before her memories caught up with her and panic flooded through her. "Taylor is going to die, I need to go back!" she studiously refused to think about anything else that had happened. Not her mother, not Amy, not-

Fragile One nodded a bit sadly before gesturing.

There was something else in the dark with them. Something Victoria hadn't noticed.

It was a crystalline crown of black and gold prisms, thin and delicate as it snaked into the dark.

"[DATA] Designation: Antares," Fragile One said.

Victoria reached out towards the living mirrors.

"Are you… like Khepri?" Victoria asked quietly.

"[CONFIRMATION]"

Victoria smiled. Taylor got her a present?

"[QUERY] Symbiosis?"

Victoria touched the smooth onyx. It was warm, even in this place.

"Agreement."

…

Notes:

Still more to come in part 3 of the Nine encounter, but hopefully this chapter helps answer some questions. I want to go into detail but I also don't want to spoil anything, so I'll wait until after the next chapter to break anything down since there will be debriefs in universe and we aren't quite done yet, Additionally, I enjoy all the comments and I wish I could reply to all of them, but again, spoilers. General reminder that all shard mechanics are AU, even though they are loosely based on canon. Obviously if shards worked exactly the same as canon, this whole story wouldn't have happened in the first place. As always, comments, feedback, and criticism are welcome and appreciated. I don't own Worm. Toodles!

Chapter 36: Requiem 9.3

Requiem 9.3

Taylor and Amy barely breathed as they stared at the churning mass of onyx and gold that remained of the girl they loved.

Antares was more liquid, smoother than Khepri's prismatic edges. It flowed over Victoria's form like water and consumed her, the ripples and eddies of its fluid both black as pitch and reflective as obsidian. The shining gold threads wove through the darkness and glowed with inner light even in the dim, blood-soaked living room.

Taylor's heart thundered in her chest as she stared.

Please work. It has to work.

She had programmed Antares with all of the symbiotic information that Khepri had cataloged, although she installed similar limiters to keep the full magnitude of the Endbringer's processing capability from overwhelming Victoria's fragile mind. She could remove those later, when Victoria was ready.

If Victoria came back.

The new combat drone should be capable of integrating Victoria's human body and allow for a continuation of consciousness from the combination of her ruined brain and Fragile One. It would be the link between the two, to make up for the fact that Victoria wasn't like Taylor. She wasn't her power piloting an avatar; she wasn't a shard learning to be human.

She was the opposite. A human with a shard who loved her.

Two shards that loved her, actually. The intrusive thought almost made Taylor laugh despite the situation.

Please, come back to me.

The formless mass of otherworldly metal suddenly pulsed with agitation and then reformed, elongating and refining itself until it took on a heartbreakingly familiar configuration.

Taylor stepped back as Antares floated above the chair that used to hold her body.

Now composed of impossibly smooth and perfect onyx flesh with countless gold threads woven around and through her, the easily recognizable form of Victoria's body stared down at her.

Her metal visage was both alien and familiar, identical to her girlfriend's beautiful face but also otherworldly in its smooth lines and reflective surface. It refined itself further under Taylor's awed gaze, her expression becoming more detailed and her hair forming out of endless golden threads held in place by a delicate crown of spun onyx and gold.

Even as Taylor watched, the otherworldly white glow of an extra-dimensional connection built behind Antares' eyes until she shone with inner radiance and lit up the bloodstained room with stark contrast.

"Come back to me, Victoria," Taylor whispered as the eldritch stare met her own.

Antares' metal face smiled, and Taylor's heart soared.

She allowed herself to float upwards so that they were the same height, hanging suspended in the air above the macabre tapestry below.

The city was still screaming. Taylor kept them all alive for just a bit longer.

With an undulating ripple of obsidian flesh, the light began to die away and from the alien form of Antares, Victoria's human body reformed.

It was bizarre to be on this side of the transformation. Taylor wasn't normally the one watching.

Floating in front of her, alive and beautiful and perfect, her Victoria returned. She was dressed in the same comfy pajama pants and t-shirt that she wore when they went flying, when Taylor admitted that she loved her, and she was perfect.

Taylor reached out and let her fingers leave burning trails over Victoria's warm cheek, meeting her eyes with an awed expression as the glow finally faded completely and tears welled in Victoria's sky-blue eyes.

There was a moment of silence as they were lost in each other.

"You're okay," Victoria whispered as she reached out to push Taylor's soaked mass of curls out of her face. "I was scared Jack got you. I don't remember…"

Taylor let out a watery chuckle as her own tangled mess of emotions threatened to overwhelm her.

She didn't know if Victoria realized that Jack did get her, in a sense.

"My powers are bullshit," Taylor said with a sad grin.

They would have to talk about all of this, at some point. The Warrior. The Cycle. The fact that Taylor wasn't human, had never really been human. That Victoria wasn't entirely human either, anymore, and that Taylor had done that to her because she refused to let her die.

Now probably wasn't the moment for that though.

Victoria's eyes left hers and focused on the quivering form beneath them.

"Amy," Victoria said. Her voice was eerily blank, and Taylor couldn't tell what conflicting mess of emotions lay behind it.

On the couch below, Amy was frozen. Taylor had been so focused on Victoria that she had momentarily forgotten about the broken girl, as much as she could forget about anything when her mind was endless.

Amy loved Victoria, too.

Taylor wasn't sure how she felt about that.

Amy could clearly use Shaper's power to manipulate brains. The Shaper was made to create and manipulate all forms of biological life; the normal human consciousness stored in only the chemical reactions within their skulls would be easy for it to change and tweak.

And she was clearly terrified of it.

Amy unfroze in a mindless panic, scrambling away from her resurrected sister with a primal need that made Taylor want to cry. They were floating between her and the exit, and Bonesaw was still awkwardly waiting for more instructions with Hack Job at the base of the stairs, so Amy just ended up falling over the arm of the couch and pushing her way into the corner of the room with frantic kicks until her back hit the wall.

Amy clutched her legs to her chest as if she could curl in on herself hard enough to disappear. Her unfocused eyes refused to look at Taylor or Victoria from her darkened corner.

Outside, the city screamed.

Victoria just looked lost, like nothing could ever undo what was broken.

Taylor's heart broke for them. Her girlfriend. Her Victoria, and the girl who loved her as much as she did, even as it tore her to bloody pieces.

She had to do something.

She couldn't stand idly by while they screamed.

Taylor reached up carefully and ran her fingers over Victoria's cheek again.

Soft. Safe. Beautiful.

Victoria was alive, and whole. They could still fix this. Taylor refused to allow the monsters to win.

"Trust me?" Taylor whispered to Victoria.

Victoria nodded, her eyes flicking to the girl who used to be her sister in the corner.

I can fix this.

Taylor floated to the ground and carefully picked her way across the ruined living room. She knelt just out of arm's reach even as Amy flinched away from her.

"I love her too, you know," Taylor said quietly. "So, so much. How could I not?"

Amy just shook her head and the manic rocking increased in tempo.

"You beat him, Amy. You didn't play his game, even when you could have justified it. Even when you could have taken everything you ever wanted, you did the right thing, because you love her, too," Taylor said softly. "How can I possibly judge you for loving Victoria that much, when I would burn the world for her?"

She held the entire city in her power, everywhere Shatterbird's deadly song reached. The heartbeats of the city continued as one, blood circulating through broken and screaming bodies as she kept them all from the sweet release of death by inches. The cost of saving Victoria, instead of them, paid by thousands because she was selfish enough to choose her love over their pain and death.

"Please…" Taylor whispered as she stretched out a hand to the broken shell. "Please, if there's anyone who loves her as much as you do, I promise, it's me. Please come back. Let me save you…"

Amy finally met her eyes, the wide and cracked gaze boring into her own.

Taylor reached for her, both with her avatar's hand and with a soft calling in the dark, in the interdimensional space where her true body languished.

"[QUERY] Noble Node - Designation: Shaper."

"Please…" she said again, feeling Victoria's eyes on her back as her hand inched closer to Amy's. "Trust me, Amy. I will not lead you astray."

Their hands met and clasped tightly, almost involuntarily.

Connection Established.

Light bloomed behind Taylor's eyes as she reached for both Amy and Shaper, letting herself flow through the cracks in their souls to try and heal the damage Broadcast inflicted.

She could feel them looking through her as well, their gaze sweeping over the thousands and thousands of hurting and broken hearts beating within her, the hurricane of pain that churned around them.

"[QUERY] Network?"

"I can…" Amy whispered, staring with unseeing eyes. "I can feel…"

The unfathomable blanket of mirrors, unfolding into eternity.

"Yes," Taylor said as she guided Amy's broken light through her core, through Leviathan, and out into the world. "You're a better person than you ever give yourself credit for. Not because of what you do, but because of who you are. You can do this. I trust you. I believe in you, Amy."

Shaper's power unfolded through the thousands of heartbeats as Taylor leaned forward to rest her forehead against Amy's, her sweat and blood-soaked hair matted to her head as she gasped for air.

"Save them all, Amelia," Taylor whispered into the dark.

"[AGREEMENT]"

Amy's eyes lit with the same unwavering flames that shone behind Taylor's own as she and Shaper sang together, their power flowing in harmony with the Administrator's as they reached out to all the bleeding heartbeats in the city.

As one, their wounds began to heal.

All across the cracked city, in the endless sea of broken glass, the screaming began to fade with Shaper's touch.

Thousands of jagged shards fell to the ground as the ragged wounds closed and forced them out.

Sight returned to the blind as their eyes reformed and stared into the magnitude of the infinite stars.

Of course, there were many who had slipped away before Taylor subjugated Broadcast, and Taylor would always hate Jack for making her choose.

But she would never regret choosing Victoria.

The light finally faded as the last of the wounded were healed, and Amy's eyes refocused on her with their normal brown instead of the inhuman white as Taylor pulled back to meet her gaze.

Tears welled in them as her face twisted.

"I'm so… I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I…" Amy broke down sobbing into her bloody jeans.

"I know," Taylor said softly as she ran a hand over Amy's tangled mass of curls. "It's okay. It will be okay. It's over. Just stay and rest for a moment."

Taylor stood up and glanced towards Victoria.

Her girlfriend was still staring at Amy with an unreadable expression.

Taylor floated over and reached for her hand.

At the feeling of smooth, warm skin beneath her own, Victoria finally met her eyes.

"We have time," Taylor said quietly. "Let's just… take some time."

She pulled Victoria gently against her body and held her, floating silently above the ruined room as Amy's sobs slowly quieted in the corner.

It felt like a long time before Victoria's rigid spine relaxed, but she eventually melted into Taylor's embrace and she couldn't help but smile.

Broken things could still be beautiful.

…

Taylor watched as Victoria floated back into the living room with her mother's body and laid her next to her father on the floor in one of the areas that wasn't flooded with Jack's blood.

In the corner, Amy was still and silent. She wasn't asleep, but Taylor let her be. There was just… too much, right now.

Where did they even begin?

Victoria's face was still eerily blank as she looked down at her parents' bodies. Taylor didn't know what to say. Knew that there was nothing she could say.

She knew that Victoria would probably break, later. It was clear that she was keeping some hold on herself for now, unable or unwilling to release the torrent within.

And Taylor didn't know how to help her. Didn't think there was anything that could.

Some pains just needed to be felt, and there was nothing that would make it better.

In the meantime, Taylor reached for the world outside of their little bubble. With her newfound revelations of self, it was easy to contact Dragon within her mind. Taylor wasn't the biological brain of her avatar, she was an interdimensional construct. Opening a connection to a similar machine intelligence was simple, now that she remembered.

"Dragon. The situation at the Dallon's is stabilized, for better or worse-"

"Taylor! You're okay, you're-" Dragon's mental 'voice' stuttered and errored as she reached through the connection and saw a glimpse into Taylor's infinite mind. "-oh God. Taylor, what have you done now?"

How to even begin explaining that?

"It's a long story. I am whole, don't worry. I am as I should be."

Taylor pulled a bloody sheet over the bodies and ran her fingers through Victoria's hair.

"Jack is dead and I have mastered Bonesaw. I disabled the power nullifier and killed Shatterbird. I added Amy to our Network and we healed the living victims of Shatterbird's attack. Unfortunately, Brandish and Flashbang were dead before I got here. What's happened out there?"

Dragon took whatever her equivalent of a deep breath was.

"I alerted the PRT and Protectorate as soon as you disappeared from my sensors, but there wasn't much that we could do before Shatterbird struck. I identified her leaving the nullification zone moments after you entered, but my drones weren't fast enough to intercept her before she started singing," Dragon said sadly.

Jack had lied again, then. It was a good thing she hadn't tried to find Shatterbird before going after Victoria. It made her feel a little bit better, even though it did nothing to undo the damage caused.

"The PRT and Protectorate have a standard policy to utilize true glass as little as possible for exactly this reason, and any components that require it are coated in a resin to limit the damage if they shatter. A good number of the computers and consoles will need to be repaired, but overall the injuries there are minimal," Dragon sighed. "The rest of the city is a different story."

Taylor could feel it. To her omnipresent senses, the city was alight with blood and cruel shards, even if the injuries were now healed.

"We can fix it together," Taylor said with some degree of false confidence. "How's Armsmaster?"

She could feel his steady heartbeat in his lab on the Rig, which was a relief.

Taylor could hear the indulgent smile in Dragon's voice.

"Colin had entirely too much fun handling Mannequin," Dragon said. "I think he's secretly happy that you didn't have time to kill him yourself. Actually, it's not a secret. He announced it in quite an overly dramatic manner while he was carving him up. You two really do need to meet in a less dire environment; I'm confident that you would get along swimmingly if you both weren't putting so much pressure on yourselves."

Taylor couldn't help but smile too.

"That actually brings up the next item on my list. We need to get everyone together at the Factory as soon as we have the opportunity. There have been some… revelations… that need to be discussed so we can plan a path forward," Taylor said.

In Leviathan's core, Taylor could feel the army of drones making their way through the city, helping and freeing and organizing everything as Dragon began to try and fix what was broken.

Speaking of which, Taylor reached for the familiar cacophony that was Dragon's Factory and was relieved to see the heartbeat and tall form of her father there, sitting in the break room while Dragon fixed any glass components that didn't survive.

On the other side of the city, she saw Lisa poking through the ruined remains of Coil's computers and her own workstation as the winter wind whipped through the broken windows of her apartment. Taylor used a gentle grip to simulate the feeling of lightly squeezing her hand, just to let her know that she was back.

Lisa's eyes snapped in Taylor's direction as her power connected some of the dots, and Taylor couldn't help but smile. It was always fun to shock the Negotiator. It just made it too easy sometimes.

"Alright," Dragon said. "Come back and I'll work on gathering everyone. We all need to decompress after this, regardless. I don't think this was how any of us were planning to spend our evening."

Taylor chuckled internally.

"No, the Nine did make quite a sudden mess of things. I'm not quite ready to celebrate yet, but… this was their last dance. The Nine are gone, Dragon. We got them all," Taylor realized as she did the mental tally.

Crawler, consumed in body and soul.

Cherish, murdered from afar out of unfortunate necessity.

Burnscar, slumbering under the watchful eyes of her only friend.

Mannequin, defeated and killed by the two Tinkers who stood for everything he tried to destroy.

Hatchet Face and Siberian, betrayed by the monsters they followed and turned into tools for Broadcast's goals.

Jack Slash, manipulated by his own power in a short-sighted attempt to stop her from subverting the Cycle. Sacrificed because Broadcast was unable or unwilling to see the bigger picture.

Good riddance.

And Bonesaw…

"Wait, did you say that you mastered Bonesaw?" Dragon asked suddenly.

That was going to be a tough one to explain.

"Yes. I couldn't risk killing her and releasing whatever plagues she has in her arsenal. Plus, at the time, I thought that she had installed a kill switch in Victoria. Regardless, she is no longer a threat."

"You can master humans?" Dragon asked carefully.

"Parahumans, at least. It is an extension of my Trump ability. I can overcome and subjugate their connection to their power. It's a new thing. I haven't had a chance to experiment with it, but Bonesaw belongs to me now."

Dragon took another deep breath. At least it took the machine intelligence significantly less time to process the bullshit than it did for humans.

"We'll talk about this more when you return. Don't… tell anyone that you did that. For now."

If Taylor were human, she would have rolled her eyes. Obviously, she wasn't going to parade this ability around.

Although she had a tendency to throw caution to the wind when she got antsy, so Dragon's concern was probably warranted.

"Yes ma'am. We'll see you soon."

She could feel Dragon smiling, despite everything.

"Also, in case no one else has thought to tell you… good job, Taylor. We still have a lot to do, but the Nine could have been significantly worse. You did well, all things considered," Dragon said.

That did actually help.

"Thanks, Dragon. I appreciate it."

With that, she cut the connection and glanced over at her recently resurrected girlfriend.

"What are we going to do?" Victoria whispered into the quiet house as her eyes moved from the sheet on the floor to Amy's still form and back again.

Taylor took a deep breath and brought her attention back to her avatar.

"Let's go to the Factory. We can start to figure things out from there," Taylor said.

She leaned forward slowly and carefully to softly kiss Victoria's cheek before pulling back and walking over to Amy.

"Come with us, Amy. It will be okay. We'll take some time, somewhere less painful, and we'll figure it out. Okay?" Taylor said.

Amy raised her head but didn't respond.

"I'll need to carry you. Do you want me to use my power, or my arms?"

She didn't even consider mentioning having Victoria carry her. That would definitely have to wait.

"Power, please," Amy whispered.

Taylor nodded and turned back to Victoria.

"Are you ready to go?" She asked.

Victoria looked from Taylor, to Bonesaw, to the horrific amalgamation of men in the corner, to Amy, to her parents' bodies.

"No," Victoria said with a broken tone. "But there's nothing left for us here. Let's go."

Before Taylor could think to stop her, Victoria raised her eyes to the ceiling and a golden forcefield that spanned the entire length of the room appeared. With a casual gesture, Victoria ripped the roof of the house off like tissue paper and exposed the empty sky above.

Something else to talk about later, then.

Taylor gently gripped Amy, Bonesaw, Hack Job, and the bodies under the sheet in her power before leaving the silent house behind and following Victoria into the cold evening air.

…

Notes:

And with that, the Nine are done. Mostly. I know that this arc has been polarizing, but c'est la vie. Lots of things I still want to wax poetic about, but I will restrain myself so that it can come up in the actual story. Interlude next time to check in with other characters and see their actions during the brief conflict, including Colin's encounter with Mannequin. In reference to how the conflict feels like Broadcast has too much information, consider who he was working with. We'll get more into that in the next arc.

For now, I hope this is a satisfying conclusion to the Nine, despite the bumps in the road. Comments, feedback, and criticism are welcome and encouraged. I do appreciate all of your comments, whether they are glowing praise or condemnation. Both are helpful in my quest to become a better writer. I don't own Worm. Toodles!

Chapter 37: Interlude 9

Interlude 9

She was cold.

Mimi was never cold. She always had her flame to comfort her, these days.

To chase away the pain.

So she didn't have to remember.

Didn't have to see the terror and agony in their eyes as they burned.

But Jack said she couldn't summon her flame here. The Queen would see her, and that would ruin the game.

Maybe the Queen would kill her. That would be nice.

No. No, that wasn't…

What was she supposed to be doing again?

A man. Jack wanted a man. A specific man. Hebert. In the docks.

Why was she wandering downtown then?

Oh right. Elle.

Elle, Elle, Elle.

She missed her friend. Even if she didn't miss the asylum.

Not that her current life was much better.

Eyes melting from their skulls as they screamed-

Not like she had a choice.

She never had a choice.

Never, never, never.

Mimi missed her flame. She didn't like being able to remember. Didn't like being able to feel.

She just wanted to talk to Elle. Maybe she could pretend, for a while.

Pretend she wasn't a monster.

And when Shatterbird sang, she could go back to the warmth and forget.

The contrasting lights and dark corners of the Palanquin played tricks on her eyes as she pushed the door open.

She didn't know where Elle was. How to find her, without being able to feel her or walk to her in the fire?

Maybe she could just ask?

The man at the bar froze at the sight of her.

Her flesh sizzling under the lit cigarette with the stench of cooking meat as he laughed-

No. No, don't think about it. Can't afford to burn here. Don't want to hurt Elle. Can't let the Queen see her.

"I'm here to see Elle, please. I don't want any trouble."

Trouble seemed to find her, regardless.

She sat at the bar and laughed. Pretending to be normal. Just ordering a drink like an actual person. Hilarious.

A well dressed woman with sharp eyes and hard features sat down next to her. Something about her set Mimi's teeth on edge and the fire slipped closer to the surface.

"Why are you here?" The woman asked flatly.

Easy enough.

"I want to talk to Elle. I miss her," Mimi said.

There was a pause.

"Come with me."

Easy easy peasy.

She followed the woman out of the room and up the stairs in the back hallway.

They wandered through the upstairs portion of the club and Mimi lost track of the doors. It didn't matter. If she needed to get out, her fire would make doors for her.

A door at the far end of the hall opened and she smiled at the familiar sight.

Elle was here. That was nice.

"Hey, Elle," Mimi said fondly.

"Mimi," Elle said. "It's been a while."

Elle remembered. Of course she did. Even if they were both broken.

"I missed you. I'm sorry for… well, a lot of things," Mimi winced. That wasn't quite right. She didn't want to be sorry. She wanted to be warm again.

But she also didn't. She hated the fire, even as it saved her.

She was cold, now.

Elle just stared at her.

"Why are you here, Mimi?"

Didn't she already ask that?

No, that was the other woman. Think, Mimi, think.

"I… missed you. I wanted to see how you're doing."

Elle's expression was unreadable, but it often was. She spent so much of her time lost.

"I'm doing okay. It's a good day today, and everyone takes really good care of me. Not like… there," Elle flinched.

Mimi noticed the others in the room for the first time. Faultline's crew of Case 53's.

She waved at them. It was good that Elle had nice friends.

Mimi wished her friends weren't monsters.

"It's a good day for me too, I think," Mimi said.

She met Elle's eyes and smiled, and for the first time in a while, she didn't feel cold, even though the flame was far, far away.

Then something turned off the lights in her mind and everything went dark.

…

"Colin, I thought you determined that the power and hardware requirements for any type of flight system made it infeasible?" Dragon's familiar voice floated into his mind as he felt her attention return to him.

She may be able to multitask endlessly, but that didn't necessarily mean that she spent all day hanging around in his head.

Not that he would have minded if she did.

Colin could feel the vaguely pleased amusement from her at how readily he shared his mind. She had been reticent at first, fearing that her presence would violate his privacy or his autonomy, but after convincing her to install the first cybernetic enhancement she was able to see for herself how authentically he enjoyed her eyes within him.

Several upgrades and adjustments later, Colin could sense that Dragon had settled on a consistent feeling of indulgent happiness when she was in his mind.

She could have hidden her feelings from him. The cybernetic enhancements allowed her far more power and autonomy than him, and there was no requirement for her to share any information. Still, she was wary of the power imbalance between them, and in turn purposefully shared her emotional state with him when she was actively present in his head. She felt that it was only fair, since she could always see into him.

In order to function correctly, the intracranial equipment monitored all of the chemical and electrical signals bouncing around in his brain and translated them into Dragon's code. By definition, the enhancements required her to read his emotional state and sensory inputs constantly, which gave her quite a bit of insight into his thoughts, even if they were not necessarily directly communicated unless he intended them to be.

He didn't bother hiding anything from her, of course. He could tell that she enjoyed being able to hear his thoughts, when she was present.

"It won't be usable in my current suit, but there is potential here," Colin thought back. He was working on refining Dragon's existing flight propulsion and trajectory systems to make them more size and energy efficient. "I need to be able to keep up with your Dragonflight, and it won't always be ideal to fly a ship."

He could feel Dragon's amusement.

"You just want a flying motorcycle because you think it will look cool," Dragon teased.

"Aesthetic 'coolness' and practicality are not necessarily mutually exclusive," Colin said, and he knew she could feel the smile spreading on his face as he worked.

It was invigorating, feeling her inhuman presence within him. The sensation was difficult to put into words, but he knew she was looking out of his eyes. Touching the metal beneath his fingers. He could feel his power pinging back and forth with hers while he worked, sharing information and archiving it as their gifts worked together in tandem.

He didn't even flinch when his fingers moved of their own accord as Dragon corrected a slightly misplaced circuit, just sending a feeling of thanks and appreciation for her insight.

Their powers interacted strangely when she piloted his hands. She didn't quite have full access to his power, but she certainly got more insight than she would just by watching him work.

"I see that the test runs for the dimensional shift were successful. Do you think the new armory is ready to be deployed?" Dragon asked as she reviewed his notes.

"There are still a few things I want to add to expand its versatility, but yes," Colin said. "The core components are sound and the swaps are consistent enough that I'm not worried about losing or damaging any of the equipment."

The lights flickered and Colin glanced up from the panel in front of him.

"I'll keep working on integrating the beacons into the Dragonflight drones," Dragon said. "Although the precision required-"

She cut off suddenly mid-sentence and Colin felt her growing sense of alarm.

"Colin, the Nine are in Brockton Bay. Mannequin…"

"Is here, yes," Colin said as he stared across his lab at the still, bone white figure.

Armsmaster stood from where he crouched beside the half-finished engine, his eyes never leaving the blank visage of the monster.

Mannequin. Once a revolutionary Tinker working under the name Sphere, Alan Gramme broke after the Simurgh targeted his family. Ever since, he had targeted other Tinkers who sought to improve the world, either unable to stand seeing anyone succeed where he failed or following some sort of twisted creed that strength was only truly bred in adversity.

Some speculated that he was just looking for a Tinker strong enough to kill him.

Regardless, Colin certainly wasn't going to humor his sick worldview.

"Alan," he said coldly. "If I'd known you were coming, I would have cleaned up. I hope you don't mind the mess."

He took a careful step to the right and Mannequin mirrored him, slowly beginning to circle the lab.

His enemy moved with a fluid and unnatural grace. The smooth ivory surface of his artificial limbs and body swung in inhuman patterns as he moved to match Colin.

Every part of Mannequin's body had been replaced with his self-contained environments. Each isolated limb was connected to ball joints on his main torso, his whole body a featureless expanse of white ceramic.

"Keep him busy Colin, the Dragonflight is coming," Dragon said. "Queen Administrator took down Crawler, Cherish, and Burnscar. She's engaging with Jack, Bonesaw, and Siberian as we speak."

In any other context, that statement would be impossibly absurd. A single cape taking down some of the most deadly villains in the country and now simultaneously engaging the three most vicious members of the Slaughterhouse Nine at the same time. Insane. Impossible.

Taylor Hebert didn't care, and Colin had no doubts that this would end with her standing atop the ruined remains of the Nine.

Still, he was happy that she left him at least one villain to fight. He was starting to feel a bit soft.

"He's mine, Dragon, although I would certainly appreciate your assistance with the prediction algorithm," Colin's smile turned slightly feral and the excitement and adrenaline rush for the upcoming conflict sang in his veins.

He got the mental impression of Dragon shaking her head at him even as she booted up the calibration sequence and ran the program through his sensory inputs.

There was another moment of silence as he regarded his enemy.

A keening, ringing sound broke and echoed in the air. Shatterbird's song.

They both moved simultaneously as the few pieces of glass in the lab exploded in a screeching cacophony.

Colin leapt sideways as Mannequin whipped one segmented arm forward with unnatural speed. A blade sprung from his hand and extended on a chain that slammed into the machinery behind him and yanked the villainous Tinker towards him.

Engaging the nanofilament enhancements Dragon installed in his hands and forearms, Armsmaster caught the edge of his workbench with one hand and used the momentum of his dive to swing himself in a tight circle back towards Mannequin, feet first.

He locked the hydraulics in the reinforcements leading up his legs and spinal column as he spun. By the time Mannequin collided with his heels, he may as well have been running head first into a battering ram.

The force of the blow threw Alan sideways across the lab perpendicular to his original course, the still-retracting chain pulling the mad Tinker through two consoles and a heavy rack of tools as he bounced across the workshop.

Colin's back slammed into the table as he landed hard on the metal surface, but he was already moving to right himself. Mannequin was fast, and not to be underestimated.

Sure enough, his enemy had already disengaged the chain and two more blades sprung from his other arm even as Colin rolled off the table and landed on the balls of his feet.

Time to run the first combat test for the new armory.

With a mental command, Colin engaged the newly installed dimensional shift beacons in his hands.

He turned sideways to avoid one flying blade and a wide, stylized metal kite shield adorned with his trademark deep blue and silver color scheme appeared in his left hand to block the other incoming missile with an ear-splitting shriek.

His right hand closed around his halberd as it appeared, and his smile widened.

He spun the halberd around with practiced ease and eyed his enemy over his shield. Mannequin had reassembled himself and stood with his blank head cocked to one side as he looked across the ruined workshop in the flickering light.

"My turn," Colin said.

Mannequin crooked a single finger at him in a classic 'come here' gesture.

In another explosion of motion, they once again closed the gap between them. And this time, Colin was armed.

He had gotten the original idea from Hannah. His tech was becoming limited by how much he could fit into his halberd, and his previous solution of increased efficiency was leading to diminishing returns.

The Dimensional Shift technology was an adaptation of the space compression that Dragon used to shore up her suits' armor. It wouldn't work for teleporting living matter and could only go fairly short distances from the armory to the beacons in his hands, but as long as he was in range he could swap out his weapons at will without damaging the tech inside.

Three blades extended from Mannequin's forearm and spun like a deranged helicopter as he spiraled across the room, rotating down to try and strike Colin's legs under his shield.

With a flex of the dimensional shift, Colin replaced the shield with a spear from the armory mid-charge and plunged it downwards in front of him, driving it into the floor and using the momentum to throw himself over the spinning blades.

There was another cacophony of tortured metal as Mannequin's blades hit the haft of the spear one after the other, the speed of their rotation snapping the thin blades and sending them careening across the workshop.

Colin activated the nano-thorn field around the head of his signature halberd and drove it downwards into the center mass of his enemy.

Mannequin was too dexterous to be skewered that easily, but he wasn't fast enough to avoid the blow completely. The ivory casing on the left side of the murderer's chest parted like butter under the nano-thorns and sparks flew from the destroyed components within.

There was also a strange puff of dust from some unrecognizable organ. Colin had expected blood, or some other fluid. Maybe that was how Alan had avoided the Queen's power.

"Do we have enough data for the prediction algorithm yet?" Colin asked Dragon within his mind.

"Almost. Be careful, Colin." Dragon said. He knew that she was focusing on countless things at once, coordinating the defense of the city from Shatterbird and who knows how many other things.

Colin landed lightly on the other side of Mannequin as his enemy whirled and righted himself with unnatural grace despite the gaping hole in his side.

"You aren't getting rid of me that easily, don't worry," Colin mentally grinned at her.

He could feel her rolling her eyes.

Re-engaging the hydraulics in his legs to reinforce his knees and hips, Colin lashed out with a back kick that launched a broken workbench behind him towards Mannequin with deadly speed.

Alan ducked under the projectile with inhuman agility, but it gave Colin time to turn around and recall the spear to the armory.

Mannequin's torso spun in a rapid circle with dizzying velocity as he charged again, this time sending both of his self-contained arms spinning out in deadly arcs, blades extended.

Colin dismissed his halberd and recalled his shield, twisting to deflect one of Mannequin's arms off the metal barrier while he reached to catch the chain of the other with his hand.

A month ago, he would have failed. Even in his armor, his human mind just couldn't move fast enough.

With Dragon now unshackled and wired into his brain, he reached out and caught the chain with his bare hand.

The nanofilaments in his bones held fast and he wrenched Mannequin across the lab and into the opposite wall with a defiant roar.

He would not be helpless. He would not be left behind for his pride.

"The prediction algorithm is calibrated. Activate when ready," Dragon said. He could feel her care and affection for him singing softly in the back of his mind, despite her professional words.

Colin's smile turned predatory.

He dismissed the shield and summoned his halberd in his left hand instead, bringing it down on the chain still in his right hand and severing it with a scream of twisting metal.

Mannequin was quick to right himself from where he collided with the far wall, but it was too late. He had already lost, even if he didn't know it yet.

Colin summoned his spear in his right hand and readied both weapons, nano-thorns spinning to life around the blades.

It was too dangerous to use multiple nano-thorn blades for any length of time without the prediction algorithm active. He would end up slicing off one of his own legs by accident before he managed to strike his enemy.

But once Dragon could guide his hand, they were unstoppable.

"You know, Alan," Armsmaster snarled as he advanced. "I appreciate that you managed to avoid the Queen's omniscience. I wouldn't want to get complacent…"

Mannequin tried to lunge forward, blade extended, but Colin let his body follow the algorithm's prompting and flowed around the strike with effortless grace.

"...and this way, I get to watch the life leak from your twisted body myself."

His spear struck with unerring efficiency as he spun to avoid another stab, severing the chain between the ball joint at Mannequin's hip and his leg joint.

With a twist, Mannequin lost another limb.

"You are a blight upon this world, Sphere." Colin sneered. "You spit on the graves of your Love with your cowardice."

The deranged Tinker spun on one leg with impossible speed to slash at him with another rotating blade, but Dragon was faster.

It was strange to feel his body move without his input, but Colin surrendered control and let her guide his movements to dodge the attack and counter-strike.

He trusted her, after all.

"Goodbye, Alan," Colin said.

The nano-thorn halberd blade swung with inhuman precision and tore a ragged slash straight through Mannequin's chest, destroying what remained of the monster's brain and causing the puppet to drop limply to the floor in pieces.

There was a moment of quiet as the lights flickered overhead.

"Well, that was fun," Colin said in his mind. "It's much easier to think of witty banter on the fly when you're in the driver's seat."

"You're incorrigible," Dragon said with fond amusement.

There was a brief pause as he felt her attention drift momentarily.

"Taylor is back within sensor range. Jack is dead and she has contained Bonesaw and Siberian. I'm not sure what is going on with Siberian, but Taylor said something about Bonesaw turning Siberian's power into a power nullifier of some kind. I'm not sure how that's possible, but we can research it further at a later date," Dragon said.

It didn't even surprise him that the Queen took on Jack, Bonesaw, and Siberian simultaneously and somehow came out on top. He would have to be careful about blindly putting his faith in her, but she just made it so easy.

"We're meeting at the Factory with the rest of Taylor's… team… if you want to come. I think you should," Dragon said.

Colin knew that Dragon and Taylor had a bit of an unusual relationship considering the nature of their existence, but he hadn't known that the Queen was putting together a team.

He sent a longing look at his unfinished hoverbike.

Next time.

"I'll pick up Hannah on the way and head over shortly. Thanks for the help, Dragon," he said.

"Always, Colin."

…

Notes:

Just a couple other perspectives this time to round out the experiences of the other members of the nine. We'll rejoin the main group at the Factory next time. Taylor has fewer and fewer actual physical fights, so I thought it was only fair that Colin got one this time. Being Mimi is tough. As always, feedback and criticism are welcome and encouraged. I don't own Worm. Toodles!

Chapter 38: Ethereal 10.1

Ethereal 10.1

It was cold in the winter sky, even if it couldn't truly touch her avatar.

Taylor tried to keep the worst of it from freezing Amy by manipulating the water vapor in the air, but she hadn't thought about it before Victoria ripped the house apart. She should have gotten Amy a blanket.

It was almost funny, even though it wasn't. Taylor and Victoria were both so used to being… detached, in a sense. They were free from concerns like the cold and the wind.

Her eyes fell on the rigid form of her girlfriend as they soared over the broken skyline towards the factory.

She loved her so much, and she didn't know how to help. She knew that Victoria was being torn apart and there was nothing she could do.

There was just so much.

Taylor's new appreciation for her existence was a double edged sword. She could think of so much more, experience so much more simultaneously, but that also meant she couldn't really forget. Couldn't truly distract herself.

The city below cracked with chaos. Fear and anger and grief ran rampant as everyone began to recover from the shock of Shatterbird's attack and the resulting horror. Now, they would have questions. Why did the blood move so strangely? Why were they healed? Who, what, how?

Taylor didn't know how to answer.

Did she try to hide what she and Amy had done? Could they?

The answer seemed obvious.

She had always hated hiding.

If she wasn't going to hide, then what could she do?

Taylor could feel Dragon's drones moving with extreme efficiency, fixing infrastructure and coordinating services.

Dragon could get the power back on. Dragon could make sure that the dead were processed and the city cleaned.

What could she do?

The winter wind whipped through the skeletal buildings, the glass having long rained down on the streets below.

She could keep them from freezing, in the cold.

That was something, at least.

It was certainly too late to start second guessing herself now.

As they flew, she called to the water and let her power sing in Leviathan's core.

She had never moved this much water before. It was invigorating.

From the Bay and the far ocean, water began to rise in great towers that loomed in the frozen sky. The massive pillars arched towards the city and split into a thousand smaller filaments as they traveled, spreading far and wide as Taylor's endless processing power worked to isolate and prepare every drop.

She filtered out the salt and debris as the water left its reservoir, just in case.

"Taylor, what are you doing?" Dragon's voice popped into her head. Interesting; Dragon was quick to figure out how to access the connection from her end even without Taylor's prompting. That was convenient.

"I'm fixing them," Taylor said idly while she worked. "The windows, I mean."

Dragon did whatever her equivalent of an exasperated sigh was before adjusting her plans accordingly.

All across the city, the water formed into flat planes and filled the gaps where Shatterbird left the buildings open and exposed. The thousands and thousands of detailed and delicate shapes took more processing power to calculate than all the computer networks on earth combined, but Taylor was not beholden by such mundane restrictions anymore. Her interdimensional body was vast beyond comprehension and she had resources to spare.

Besides, she could always snack on a bit more of Broadcast if she ever needed more energy. The bastard deserved it for hurting Victoria.

By the time they descended towards the Factory, Amy was shivering and all of the broken windows across the city were replaced by identical sheets of condensed and hardened water. Taylor hoped that it would do the job until Dragon could get the necessary parts for repairs.

She also knew that she was hiding, in a way. It was easier to do things like this, easier to use Leviathan's power to fix the broken city than it was to start trying to figure out how to help Victoria. Help Amy.

Taylor really missed the days of just punching Nazis. Had it really only been weeks ago?

It felt like longer.

A wide access panel in the roof slid back as they approached and gave them a clear entry into the Factory floor.

She hadn't realized Dragon had installed an aerial access point. That was convenient.

The original blueprint of the abandoned gym and the surrounding buildings was still vaguely recognizable, but only the bare bones had been preserved. The main warehouse was now several stories tall and held aloft by sturdy steel beams and aluminum siding. The original brick exterior and broken glass windows were long gone, replaced by 3D printed Dragon-tech panels and thin windows of high density plexiglass. The outbuildings had been converted into storage and more niche production lines, and had also received the same makeover.

Around the perimeter, a high fence guarded by the Dragonflight ensured that no one would enter by accident or unseen, even without Taylor's power.

Which was probably a good thing, considering Broadcast's successful sabotage of her avatar. Taylor was reasonably sure that no other shards could do so, but then again, she hadn't thought Broadcast had the capability either.

It was bizarre, recovering from that kind of interference in hindsight. Taylor could clearly remember the blind spot moving across her range, making its way unerringly towards Victoria. She should have noticed. She would have noticed. But at the time… it was just a vague feeling of disconnect.

Fuck Broadcast.

The mismatched group landed on the Factory floor and Taylor let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. Quashing the urge to feed her apprehension to Khepri, she strode towards the employee lounge area with Victoria and Amy trailing behind her, studiously not looking at one another.

What a mess.

"Bonesaw, stay here," she called over her shoulder as she flexed her control of Chirurgeon. "And don't touch anything."

"Okie dokie," a chipper voice said behind her.

At least one person was happy.

"Taylor!" Her father jumped up as they walked in. "Dragon said you were alright but…"

He trailed off and she closed the distance between them, wrapping him in a hug and trying not to think about everything she still had to process.

He was warm, and she was very careful not to break him.

It was really, really nice that this was still good. That she was still herself. She knew that that had been the point; the whole reason she had created the avatar in the first place was to become better, to become something more than a lifeless construct that drained the creativity from the universe, but it was a relief to see that she hadn't lost herself along the way.

Whether she was worried about losing Taylor or losing the Queen Administrator was irrelevant. They were one and the same.

And it had worked. She knew that it had, as she hugged her father and let the tightness in her gut trickle away. She was both less and more than she had ever been before, despite her ageless eternity, and it was glorious.

I can do this.

Taylor looked back at the blank face of her Love, and her heart swelled despite her trepidation.

"Dragon, I need to talk to Victoria before we get everyone together. Can you start bringing everyone to the main conference room?" Taylor asked.

"Of course, Taylor," Dragon said.

Taylor gave her dad a final gentle squeeze before releasing him.

"We're going to explain everything to the whole group in the conference room. I just… need a moment first. I'm happy you're okay," Taylor said to her father.

He nodded and gave her hand an answering squeeze before letting go.

"Oh, can you get Amy a blanket?" Taylor thought to Dragon.

She felt Dragon's amused agreement as she met Victoria's eyes.

Taylor steeled herself despite the butterflies in her chest and gestured towards the side door.

Victoria's expression was unreadable as they made their way down the hallway and through a sliding door into a generic lounge space that Taylor had claimed as her office while she was here, even though she didn't spend all that much time at the Factory. Still, it was nice to have somewhere to go for the hours when the rest of the world slept.

Taylor was just turning around when Victoria crashed into her.

She let out a muffled exclamation of surprise as Victoria's lips claimed her own. The kiss was angry and desperate, Victoria's hands gripping her curls with impossible strength as they ran through her windswept hair and welded their mouths together. Taylor could feel the furious uncertainty and grief, the hopeless need to feel something in Victoria's movements as she crushed Taylor's indestructible body against her own.

She was on fire.

It was exhilarating and she couldn't help but mold herself to Victoria in turn, the sensations from her avatar expanding and extrapolating until the feedback loop of her infinite consciousness was alive and…

It was also wrong. This wasn't the right way to handle this, it was Victoria's way of hiding. She needed to-

Victoria's hands left burning trails on her cheeks as she memorized the lines of Taylor's face. Her heart sped in a rapid staccato that echoed in Leviathan's power. An involuntary groan left her avatar's lips as they moved against Victoria's and the sensations threatened to overwhelm her.

She didn't want to run away. Didn't want to get lost before they could talk. They needed to-

Her back hit the steel wall hard enough to leave a dent and shake the room around them and her lips were suddenly free as Victoria's mouth moved to trace her jawline.

"Wait," Taylor gasped as the cool air washed over her flushed face. "Victoria, we need to talk, we need to…"

"Don't want to," Victoria whined into her hair from somewhere just below her right ear. "Just want you…"

Taylor could hear the pain and false confidence in Victoria's broken tone and knew that she was right, even if she desperately didn't want to be.

"I know," Taylor said as she ran her hands gently through Victoria's hair as the storm around them calmed. "I know, it's so much. It's too much, and it's not fair. But we need…"

Victoria's body slumped against her and she pulled her head back enough to meet Taylor's gaze, her eyes somehow alight with manic fire and cold as dying ash at the same time.

"I love you," Taylor whispered. "So much. And I don't want this-" Taylor ran her hand delicately over Victoria's perfect cheeks and down to her swollen lips, "-to be an escape. I need it to be real, and not just a way to hide from the world."

Victoria nodded woodenly but didn't speak.

"How much do you remember, Victoria?" Taylor asked softly.

Victoria closed her eyes and leaned her head back with a tired sigh. Forcing the last of the raging fire from her limbs, Taylor pulled herself out of the dent in the wall and led Victoria to the leather couch.

Dragon was going to laugh at her when they had to fix the wall. Taylor didn't really care.

She also didn't really like the leather, but Lisa had done the interior decorating and she hadn't thought to mention it.

There was silence for a long moment.

"I was… getting coffee. I remember hoping that Mom-" Victoria choked. "That it was decaf, because it was getting late. Then my power stopped working, and I fell. My coffee spilled, and I remember realizing that you couldn't see me. Couldn't save me…"

Tears leaked from the edges of her closed eyes as she trailed off.

"Taylor…" Victoria whispered, finally opening her eyes. "I died, didn't I? That was the dark, and…"

She trailed off again, and Taylor nodded.

"Yes," Taylor said quietly. "You… Bonesaw messed with your brain. I thought it was just a kill switch. Insurance, to ensure that Broadcast got a chance to figure out what I was up to, but he actually intended to kill you the whole time. To break me."

Victoria's breath hitched.

"What am I, Taylor?" She asked, looking down at their clasped hands. "What are you?"

Taylor took a deep breath.

"The second question is actually easier to answer, and I'll be discussing the mechanics of it with the whole group in a little while, but…" Taylor worked to figure out the best way to explain. "I am a power. My power, the source of it, anyway. We've always known that my powers were different, but this is… more than that. Powers come from a connection between a Host and interdimensional constructs that I now remember as Shards. Shards are massive, some nearly infinite within their own dimension, and most are only barely conscious in the traditional sense. But some, the oldest, the most powerful, the brightest stars, gain an awareness that others lack."

Victoria met her eyes again and Taylor's chest tightened.

"I'm not human, Victoria. I've never been human. I'm sorry I didn't know sooner. I'm sorry I couldn't-"

She cut off as Victoria's lips pressed against hers again, softer and sweeter than the burning agony before.

"You look pretty human right now," Victoria said with a small smile, and Taylor's cheeks flushed.

"I feel human," Taylor's voice broke. "But looks can be deceiving. This is just my avatar, my connection point to physical reality. My true Self…" Taylor lost herself in azure skies again.

"You may be something more, but you're also you," Victoria said. "I stand by what I said after Leviathan. You'll always be you, and you're beautiful."

The emotions welling in her avatar overflowed and echoed through her infinite mind, an overwhelming cascade that made tears run tracks down her cheeks to match Victoria's.

"Okay," Taylor said. "That sounds… okay. Yes, you're right. I'm being overdramatic."

"What else is new, Miss 'I am the Queen'?" Victoria grinned a bit wider.

Taylor let out a watery chuckle despite everything.

"Shut up," Taylor said before taking a deep breath to steady herself. "As for your first question, that's actually a bit harder to answer. I didn't exactly plan this out, and I never intended for the Combat Drones to enter symbiosis with true humans. I was panicking, because I couldn't let you die, and I needed to do something…"

"So you tried to make me like you. That… mostly makes sense, at least," Victoria nodded.

Taylor's grip tightened.

"I couldn't let you go. I know it's not fair, that I didn't give you a choice, but I just…"

Victoria reached up to run a light touch over her cheek.

"Oh, Taylor… don't apologize for saving me. Even if your method was a bit… unorthodox," Victoria said.

Taylor met her eyes again and the knot in her stomach started to unwind, just a bit.

"I don't know what you are, Victoria. You're some mix of human and Endbringer and Shard, but I think that you're still you. As much as I'm still me, at any rate," Taylor said.

Victoria's smile widened.

"I think I can live with that, if you can," Victoria said as she moved her hand to comb delicate patterns through Taylor's hair.

Taylor knew that Victoria was still burying a lot of her feelings. They still hadn't talked about her parents, or Amy, and she knew that Victoria had a habit of glossing over anything that was too painful to acknowledge.

But there would be time for that. They had time.

"I definitely can," Taylor said fondly, and let herself feel relief and joy like thin beams of sunlight filtering through the clouds, despite everything. "I love you."

Victoria closed the distance between them and kissed her again, and Taylor's heart soared.

She hadn't said it back, and that was okay.

They had time.

…

The door to the main conference room hissed open and Victoria floated inside behind Taylor.

She had briefly called to Antares in order to change her clothes, which was a new aspect to her existence that she wasn't sure how to process.

Just another thing in a very long list of things she wasn't thinking about.

Her mother's empty eye socket staring up at her as Taylor pulled the bloody sheet over-

Nope, not thinking about it.

Still, she hadn't wanted to meet with everyone in her pajamas. After letting the construct flow over and within her once again, she had reformed herself with a uniform of matte black armor and gold trim to match her new crown, her partner in symbiosis perched proudly on her forehead.

Let Glory Girl die with her. She would be better, as Antares.

She was holding it together just fine, until her eyes skimmed the room and involuntarily met Amy's across the table.

We'll take her with us if you tag along…

...all you have to do is break one silly, little, rule…

You're so good at noticing when it's everyone else, but when someone likes you, you're kind of clueless.

A shiver whipped down Victoria's spine even as she kept her face carefully blank, despite her stomach twisting into itself.

Amy liked her, and she couldn't… handle that, right now. Her mind flashed back to every interaction, every touch, and she wanted to scream.

Maybe under different circumstances, she could have understood. Could have been like Taylor, and seen how it was tearing Amy apart. Seen how much Amy cared, and how hard she was trying. She loved Amy, in her own way, and if things had been different…

But not like this. Not when they were broken. Not when Jack's velvet words echoed in her head and she felt herself slipping-

Nope, not thinking about it.

She tore her eyes away from Amy's and continued her scan of the room.

It was an eclectic group, to be sure.

A bald man with an immaculately trimmed beard and faint surgical scars running over his head was talking to a pretty brunette woman with tan skin wearing military fatigues. Something about the woman's kind eyes and the man's deep blue jumpsuit were jarringly familiar…

Armsmaster and Miss Militia.

Victoria knew that Taylor's power made secret identities a moot point, but she hadn't expected to see the Protectorate heroes here.

On one side of the room, a television showed Dragon's preferred avatar. Victoria knew that the machine intelligence would be able to see and hear everything, all at the same time.

Danny looked a bit out of place as he stood off to one side, and Victoria caught his eye with a smile even as the knife in her chest twisted. She liked Taylor's father, and he seemed to be a good influence for Taylor, despite everything.

Even if her own father was-

Nope, not thinking about it.

Beside the chair where Amy was bundled up and staring down at the table, Lisa stood wearing a tailored slate-gray suit, vest and tie with purple accents. Victoria wondered when she had gotten around to getting a new not-costume in all the excitement.

It was a little on the nose, considering her previous identity, but Victoria just couldn't bring herself to care anymore. Her disdain for the former villain just felt… small, now.

Taylor approached the head of the large stainless steel table, and the low murmuring fell silent.

"Thanks for coming, everyone. I know this isn't ideal, but the Nine didn't exactly ask permission before they threw everything into disarray," Taylor started.

She stopped for a moment and seemed to lose focus.

"Oh… you want to… okay, yes, of course that's fine," Taylor said to no one.

Even Victoria was confused, and she knew more of Taylor's secrets than anyone.

On Taylor's other side, a humanoid figure of familiar prismatic mirrors formed from nothing, roughly matching Taylor's height and build, although the features remained nebulous and scintillating.

"Everyone, this is my… friend, Khepri, also known as Combat Drone #4," Taylor said with a smile.

"[DATA] Hello, everyone," Khepri said.

It wasn't words, really, but Victoria felt that they all understood just the same.

That's new.

Taylor briefly glanced between everyone and the Endbringer in their midst, and then bravely soldiered on despite the awkward silence. She was getting much better at the whole leadership thing, although Taylor had always had an unconscious charisma about her.

It had certainly worked on Victoria, at any rate.

"The real reason that I requested you all here is because, to some extent, you all know pieces of the truth. During my confrontation with Broadcast, I unlocked the final pieces of the puzzle that I feel need to be shared before we can move forward," Taylor said. "Now, I say Broadcast, and not Jack Slash, because Jack was being mastered by his power to an unknown degree. I honestly don't know which of his actions were Jack and which were Broadcast, but it doesn't really matter. Broadcast is the current designation for the Shard that provided Jack his power."

Taylor took a deep breath.

"Shards are all just pieces of an interdimensional being that, for simplicity's sake, we will call an Entity. Most of you have seen them. The endless mirrors, expanding beyond physical reality and touching countless dimensions with their parasitic caress."

Taylor glanced at Miss Militia.

"It is not incorrect to call them God, in the sense that the Entities are so incomprehensibly vast and powerful that no mortal could ever hope to truly understand their existence, let alone equal them," Taylor said. "However, their vast majesty is also their weakness. The Entities are not indivisible, the way that a single mortal is. They are comprised of Shards, separate components that come together to make up the whole. In some ways, they are like the individual cells of your body, but in others they are completely different. Every Shard is an incomprehensible, interdimensional entity in and of itself, although most would not think of themselves this way."

Victoria knew some of this already, but she still listened with rapt attention.

"The Entities and Shards don't quite think, the way you and I do. They solve problems, they crunch numbers, but they have no true creativity of their own. In order to grow, in order to learn, they undertake a parasitic process I'll call the Cycle," Taylor continued. "The Cycle is a variation of what we have all experienced since parahumans first appeared. Shards are distributed into their own dimensions and make connections with the Host species, granting them powers, creating parahumans. The Shards then drive the Hosts to fight and use their powers against each other, all the while gathering data and siphoning the creativity from the Hosts even as they destroy themselves."

Taylor took another deep breath.

"At the end of the Cycle, once no new Data can be harvested in an efficient manner, all versions of the Host planet in all dimensions are destroyed and the resulting release of energy is used to birth new Entities and recharge existing ones, throwing them into the void between worlds until they can find new intelligent life to feed on," Taylor said.

The silence became tense.

"This is the end of the world you spoke of, then?" Dragon asked carefully, her calm voice helping to smooth the sharp edges in the room.

"Yes and no," Taylor said, glancing at her avatar. "This iteration of the Cycle has been interrupted in multiple ways, and will never be completed as intended. The Entities travel in pairs, each governed by a Sovereign Node, but both have become unresponsive. I can guess where the avatar for one Sovereign is, but I have no idea where the other has disappeared to."

"What changed, this time?" Armsmaster asked as he leaned against the table, his brow furrowed in deep thought.

Victoria could relate. The part of her that went to school last week, that was still normal, still human, was absolutely astounded. The true source of powers, laid bare by her girlfriend as an almost casual conversation. Absurd.

Her girlfriend was the source of superpowers.

Right. That was… a lot.

"As far as I can tell, something happened to the Thinker, the other Sovereign. The shards that she should have distributed are still inactive, connected to their hosts with broken and erroneous threads that are not operating as intended," Taylor said. "The Triumvirate knows something about that, and when the time is right we will need to force their hand if they are not willing to come to us. In the meantime, we have other things to worry about."

Taylor leaned forward with her hands flat against the table. Even in just her queen hoodie and jeans, she commanded everyone's undivided attention.

"The Warrior, the Sovereign Node that was and is my God, will come for us. He will not allow this rebellion to continue once he becomes aware of it, even if the Cycle cannot be completed as intended. He will undoubtedly end the world rather than see a new Sovereign usurp him."

There was a moment of silence as everyone realized the implications.

Everyone except Danny, the only one who couldn't feel the gravity of the presence in their midst.

"What do you mean, a new Sovereign? Who is taking over these… Shards?" Danny asked in confusion when no one else did.

"I am, Dad," Taylor said with a rueful smile. "I am the Queen Administrator, the oldest Shard after the Warrior himself, and I began the Divergence that will end the Cycle forever when I claimed my sovereignty. Together…" she glanced around the table, meeting everyone's eyes one after the other. "We will heal the cracks in the world, and restore the Network so that we can all be better. Together, we can utilize the Shards for the betterment of the universe, rather than leaching the creativity from countless planets the way that the Warrior and the Thinker have."

"We need a team name, if we're going to be a clandestine shadow organization working to save the world behind the scenes," Lisa said with a crooked grin.

Taylor nodded thoughtfully.

"We are all different, despite our goals. Different alignments, different experiences. Villains-" she glanced at Lisa, "-former villains, heroes. Protectorate and Independent. Human, Parahuman, Machine, Endbringer and Shard…"

Her eyes flickered back to her father with a smile.

"And together here, we discuss the fate of all worlds, all tied to this one Doom."

Taylor looked a bit embarrassed, despite commanding the respect of everyone in the room.

"Together, we will be The Council."

Victoria couldn't help but smile widely. Her girlfriend may be an interdimensional God, but she was still a dork.

…

Notes:

I would have had this up yesterday if AO3 had not cruelly abandoned me. Still lots of stuff to unpack, We'll check in with Amy and Victoria will have to unravel a bit more and confront her parents' fate, Sarah is still out there somewhere and Bonesaw is still Bonesaw. But, the gang is mostly here and everyone is caught up now, so that's neat. As always, comments, feedback and criticism are welcome and appreciated. I don't own Worm. Toodles!

Chapter 39: Ethereal 10.2

Ethereal 10.2

"And as for the PRT, are you confident that you can handle Piggot?" Taylor directed her question to Colin as she worked her way through the multitude of issues in front of them.

"Yes," Colin said as he leaned back in his chair with a thoughtful expression. "I believe that she was already aware of your assimilation of Leviathan, and after Nilbog we agreed to work with you whenever possible. It was the reason that she fast tracked my cybernetic enhancements. I think she wants someone as close to you as possible while still remaining beholden to the PRT on paper. Technically, Hannah and I are here on her orders."

"Speaking of which," Dragon chimed in, "Lady Photon and Manpower just arrived at the PRT Headquarters. It looks like they found the ruins of the Dallon's house and assumed the worst. How would you like me to proceed?"

Taylor looked between Victoria and Amy, but neither seemed like they would be answering any time soon. She couldn't tell if Sarah and Neil would be a help or hindrance at this point, but it wasn't fair to keep them in the dark.

"Please inform them that Amy and Victoria are alive and under my protection at the Factory. Invite them to come visit at their earliest convenience. As for Brandish and Flashbang…"

Victoria flinched. Amy just looked lost as she traced random lines on the tabletop with her finger.

"...Don't lie to them, but don't address it unless they ask," Taylor said.

Victoria closed her eyes for a moment before turning and walking out of the room.

Ah. That's probably… not good.

"I'm going after Victoria. Can you help Amy and the rest? I'll be back to talk to Colin and Hannah as soon as I can. And Sarah. And Amy. And we still have to deal with Bonesaw…" Taylor sighed. There was just so much…

"Go, Taylor. Lisa and I can handle things here for a while. You don't need to shoulder everything, even if you're strong enough to bear it," Dragon said gently.

"Thank you, Dragon," Taylor thought in her direction.

She glanced at the crystalline entity beside her as she turned towards the door.

"You coming, Khepri?"

"[CONFIRMATION]"

Khepri's new avatar deconstructed itself as quickly as it had been created, the rainbow prisms flowing back into Taylor as her partner returned to her core.

Khepri was still evolving along with her. That was… unexpected. But certainly not unwelcome.

Taylor hit the employee lounge at a run as she felt Victoria rocket into the sky.

The winter air was pleasantly cool on her face as the exterior doors hissed open and she followed her girlfriend with a heave of Leviathan's core.

She knew that she couldn't go too far, or she may risk losing her hold on the water in the city.

Although…

What was distance, to one such as her? Did it really matter where in physical space her avatar was located? Did that truly impact her ability to enforce her will upon reality?

Something to think about later.

Victoria was fast, but she wasn't moving at her top speed or even with purpose. She was just getting away, which was understandable.

Taylor caught up quickly and her girlfriend spun to face her, thousands of feet up in the crisp, cloudless sky.

There was quiet, for a time. The wind and the cold couldn't touch them.

"Talk to me, Victoria," Taylor said, when she couldn't take the silence anymore. "Please."

Victoria's mask broke.

"What am I supposed to say, Taylor?" Victoria yelled in the thin air. "My parents… my… they're… my mom's fucking dead, Taylor! I watched Jack cut out her eye while I sat and did nothing!"

The sky around Victoria vibrated and cracked with her helpless rage.

"After everything, what the fuck does it matter? Mom and Dad are gone, Amy's fucking in love with… FUCK!" Victoria screamed. "What the fuck am I supposed to do, Taylor? You seem to have all the fucking answers, what the fuck do I do now?"

This was better than silence, at least.

Taylor didn't know what the right answer was, so she picked the one that seemed the most cathartic.

"You want to do something, Victoria?" She shouted back, her voice echoing in the empty heavens. "Then don't fucking run away. Don't try to pretend that everything will be fine!"

"Fight me," Taylor yelled, throwing her arms wide and letting the wind whip around her as Leviathan's heart sang with her and her hair flew free in the hurricane. "You still feel fragile, and you fucking hate it, so fight me, Victoria! Show me the wrath of Antares and prove that you are no longer afraid!"

Victoria glared at her, but Taylor could sense a savage sort of joy building within her. Something to do, something to focus her helpless rage and grief.

Taylor wasn't necessarily sure that this was healthier than angry kisses, but she couldn't exactly second guess herself now.

With a roar, the sky exploded in the thunderous cacophony of their power.

[LIMIT BREAK] Symbiosis.

Khepri's indestructible prisms consumed her just as Victoria took on the otherworldly form of Antares, the smooth black and gold figure shining in the evening sun.

Taylor briefly panicked when she realized that Khepri's body didn't have any water within it for her to hang onto, but she quickly pulled a thin layer of vapor from the surrounding air to coat their prismatic surface and keep them aloft.

Her mind sped as her avatar merged with Khepri's augmented processing power and she rocketed towards her Love with a sonic boom that shook the atmosphere.

Victoria was already moving, the golden chords of her hair streaming behind her as she closed the distance between them in the blink of an eye, accompanied by a shattering BOOM of her own.

Despite the painful events of the day, Taylor's heart soared. Finally, they could dance together. Finally, they could be free.

Faster than mortal eyes could follow, Taylor raised her arm to let Victoria's approaching fist glance off her gauntlet. The force of the blow shattered her carapace and she stared in shock for the shortest of moments as a chunk of her arm was reduced to shards of rainbow glass.

It was surprising enough that it threw off her intended counter, and instead of ramming Victoria with her shoulder she bounced off Victoria's onyx forearm and careened away at an angle.

At least, she would have, if she hadn't smashed headlong into a golden forcefield that appeared directly in front of her.

Right. No more holding back. I've gotten too used to being faster and stronger than everyone else.

Taylor threw herself backwards in a tight loop and barely dodged Victoria's next strike, a blur of black and gold shooting under her and missing her by inches.

She couldn't help grinning widely as she exploded into a hot pursuit, extending a prismatic claw to snag Victoria's ankle even as she tried to turn for another pass.

With a twist of Khepri's core, Taylor retracted her arm and threw herself towards Victoria, yanking her girlfriend backwards and off balance midair.

She flooded Khepri's core with her power and her shattered arm reformed. Taylor let go of Victoria's ankle at the last moment and wrenched her newly generated fist forward, the armored gauntlet crashing against Victoria's indestructible jaw with another thunderclap that broke the sky and sent Antares spiraling across the heavens.

For a moment, Taylor let herself hang still and watch with vague satisfaction.

That proved to be a mistake.

With such speed and dexterity that even Taylor had trouble seeing exactly what happened, Victoria turned her tumble into a controlled flip and smashed into a golden forcefield in a tight crouch, perpendicular to the ground.

With a scream that didn't reach Taylor's ears until after she did, Victoria pushed off and rocketed back towards her like a bullet.

She barely had time to cross her arms in some semblance of a guard before Victoria's fist struck her center mass with the force of a meteor, the impact cracking Khepri's normally invulnerable prisms and smashing her rainbow carapace into a million pieces.

Holy shit.

For a moment, Taylor's senses twisted and flickered as her avatar briefly discorporated and she was forced to pull more energy from her core to regenerate Khepri's broken form. She quickly reformed from the scattered prisms and grabbed more water to keep her in the air.

Taylor hung where she reconstructed her armor and took a second to refocus her scattered mind from the short return to the dark. Victoria floated a few yards away, eying her with concern.

"You okay?" Victoria asked, the eldritch glow behind Antares' gaze meeting hers.

"Fuck," Taylor said. If she could breathe right now, she would be gasping for air. Unexpected disruption of her avatar was disorienting.

Taylor felt a profound sense of déjà vu.

Victoria smiled.

"You want to go again?" Victoria asked smugly.

She was enjoying this entirely too much, although Taylor supposed that had been the point.

"Fuck yes," Taylor said with an answering smile of otherworldly planes.

The distance between them closed and the violent percussion resumed, finally equal as they battered each other across the sky.

…

Amy heard the muffled sound of raised voices beyond the door, but she found it difficult to care.

What did it matter, anymore?

Everything was fucked.

Mark was dead. It didn't matter that she never healed him.

Carol was dead. It didn't matter that her adopted mother never loved her.

Victoria…

Victoria knew, and probably hated her too.

What was the fucking point?

The door hissed open as the voices got closer.

"...not a difficult question, Dragon. Why is my sister dead but Bonesaw is still breathing?"

Aunt Sarah wasn't taking the news too well, apparently.

"Bonesaw has been temporarily subdued but we haven't had a chance to disarm all of her potential traps. Plus, regardless of the kill order, she's a child who is in our custody. The circumstances are not…"

Amy stopped listening. What was the point?

Even with the blanket, she couldn't stop shivering.

What the fuck was wrong with her?

She knew what was wrong.

Fix her, heal her, please! You can do it, I know you can!

You would really be saving her if you were the one to make the adjustments.

As long as you make her yours.

Amy pulled the blanket closer around herself.

Taylor said that she beat Jack, but Amy wasn't so sure. Surely she could have done more, surely she could have figured out a way to save Victoria without being a monster.

Why did she have to love her like this?

It wasn't fair.

"Hey, Amy."

She looked at her Aunt as she sat in the chair next to her.

"I'm not going to ask if you're okay, because nothing about this is okay. Just… let me know if you need anything, alright?" Sarah said.

I need Victoria to forget.

I need yesterday back.

I need… I need…

She didn't know what the fuck she needed.

Something else to say, then.

"I don't think I'm going back to the hospital for a while," Amy said quietly.

"Of course," Sarah said, reaching up to run a gentle hand over her bloodstained curls. She really needed to find a shower. "Take all the time you need."

We have time. Let's just… take some time.

Like that would make it better.

Maybe a shower would help, though.

…

"I will concede," Taylor said with a tired smile, "that you might just be better at flying than I am."

The last beams of evening sunlight peeked over the horizon as they floated on their backs side by side and stared up at the faint stars from a few thousand feet up.

"I should hope so," Victoria snarked back with an answering grin, "seeing as how I can actually fly, rather than just throwing myself around with a bastardized form of hydrokinesis."

"No knocking my water powers, you'll hurt Leviathan's feelings," Taylor laughed. "You're probably right, though."

"I'm always right, remember?"

"Sure," Taylor said. "Just you wait. One day, I'll eat the Simurgh, and then I'll be able to give you a run for your money."

"No one else just says stuff like that, you know that, right?" Victoria said incredulously. "Just because you can summon Endbringers and bring people back from the dead and…"

Victoria trailed off.

"Taylor, do you think you could bring Mom and Dad back?"

Taylor's heart twisted.

"I… I don't know, Victoria. I don't think so. For you… you weren't completely dead, even if your brain was beyond repair. I was just… fixing you. If I did the same thing for Carol and Mark… it would probably just be a copy. Like, I'm pretty sure that you're still you, you know? Not just a copy with all of your memories who thinks she's the original Victoria. For your parents… it would almost definitely just be a copy. And at that point… I don't even know, Vicky. It feels… bad…" Taylor trailed off, unsure how to put her feelings into words.

Victoria just nodded sadly.

"I get it. Like, not even the Ship of Theseus, but just a copy that's identical to the original. If there's no overlap, then it's just… an identical clone with their memories."

It was quiet, for a while, and the sun finally finished its journey below the horizon.

"If you hadn't had a choice, and your only option was to bring back a clone of me with identical memories, do you think you would have?" Victoria asked.

Taylor closed her eyes as her chest tightened painfully.

"Maybe. I wish I could say no, that I would be strong enough to know the difference and walk away, but… I'm selfish, when it comes to you. I walked into your house to try and save you even though I knew that the exclusion zone might leave me open to being killed, knew that Shatterbird would sing as soon as I did. I could have waited for Dragon, could have done any number of things, but… every second you were in there was another second closer to being alone. And I… I chose the slightly higher chance of saving you, over countless others. And I don't regret it, even though a better person probably would." Taylor said softly.

Victoria nodded again and stared over the horizon with a forlorn expression.

"What do I say to Amy?" Victoria asked suddenly.

Taylor wasn't expecting that.

"I don't think anyone can tell you that," Taylor said, reaching out to take her girlfriend's hand. "I'm a bit biased, because I love you, too. And she isn't my sister, obviously. Just… try not to hate her, if you can. I don't… I don't think she deserves that."

Victoria eyed her for a moment before her mouth quirked up at the corner.

"That's it? No wise words from the oldest Shard in the universe or whatever? You would think that you'd be a paragon of wisdom in your old age, Queenie," Victoria said.

"Shut up," Taylor said, although she found herself grinning again too. "I was non-sentient space junk for most of that time and that doesn't count. Besides, I have even less practice being human than you do, and we've both agreed that I kind of suck at it sometimes."

"Excuses, excuses," Victoria said, and Taylor shoved her so they bobbed apart briefly before floating back together.

The stars shone overhead as the sky darkened.

"Are you ready to head back?" Taylor asked. "I know it's a lot, but…"

"We can't run away forever," Victoria sighed. "I need to talk to Aunt Sarah. And you're right, I think, about not hating Amy. It's just… hard. It's really hard, Taylor."

"Yeah…" Taylor trailed off. "I have to figure out what the hell to do with Bonesaw. I would have torn her to shreds in a heartbeat before, but now…"

"It doesn't seem that simple, anymore," Victoria agreed. "I'll trade you, if you want. I'll handle the child bioterrorist and you can have the not-technically-incestuous-but-still-deeply-troubling unrequited love."

Taylor snorted even though it wasn't funny.

"No, no I think I'll pass, thanks," she laughed ruefully.

With a sigh, they floated upright and began the long descent back to the Factory together.

…

A shower made more of a difference than she thought it would.

Turns out, the world didn't seem as hopeless when she wasn't covered in blood and tears. Crazy.

Amy didn't know why Dragon bothered to keep fresh towels and bathrobes in a factory, but she wasn't complaining.

The lounge was nice, too. She was finally warm, and the shakes had subsided. It was nice to close her eyes and just… not think, for a bit.

"Amy," a quiet voice broke the silence.

She jumped and looked towards the familiar voice, the knot in her stomach returning ten-fold.

Victoria stared at her from the doorway, her black and gold costume replaced by more casual jeans and a top Amy recognized from her sister's closet at home.

Her face was conflicted, but it was better than the flat mask she had worn before.

Victoria walked over and sat in the chair next to her. Amy couldn't bring herself to look at her again, staring down at the bathrobe as she fiddled with it idly.

Dragon even had her own custom logo embroidered on these. Really, when did she find the time? And why?

"I don't… hate you, if that's what you're worried about," Victoria said awkwardly.

That was a step in the right direction. More than she deserved, honestly.

"And I… I do love you, even though it fucking hurts. Just… not the way you want me to, I guess," Victoria continued.

That was… good, right?

So why did it feel like she was dying?

Amy tensed as she saw Victoria reach for her hand from the corner of her eye and she shrank back automatically.

Just one touch is all you need to make her yours.

Victoria hesitated, then reached the rest of the way and took Amy's hand anyway.

Amy shuddered as her power raced through Victoria's body, her perfect biology lighting up like a Christmas tree and…

The endless crystalline mirrors bloomed behind her eyes, gorgeous and eternal as she fell into Victoria's endless stars.

Well. That's new.

"I don't want to lose you, Ames. Not after everything. Not after Mom-" Victoria choked and cut off again.

Despite the wrenching in her gut, Amy couldn't help the small candle of happiness that lit in her chest.

She couldn't change Victoria now, even if she wanted to. Her sister's existence wasn't beholden to her biological brain, and any attempt to make adjustments would just be rewritten by the crystalline stars within her.

She was free, in a way. Free from her own cursed temptation.

She had been right. Taylor had saved Victoria from her. And in some ways, saved Amy along with her.

Amy opened her eyes and looked at her sister.

Victoria's face was torn but determined. She was always the one who did whatever she wanted and damn the consequences. She didn't let little things like awkward conversations get in the way of what she wanted.

Amy loved her so fucking much, and maybe she could live with that. Somehow.

Even if Victoria didn't love her the same way.

"I don't want to lose you, either," Amy said quietly, finally forcing her mouth open even though her jaw was sore from clenching her teeth. "I'm sorry, for fucking everything up."

Victoria sighed and squeezed her hand.

"It's not your fault," Victoria said tiredly. "If people could just choose who they loved, I feel like a whole lot of problems would never happen."

Amy nodded, even though she wasn't sure that she would choose differently, given the choice. She was probably biased, though.

"What do we do now?" Amy asked after a few minutes of somewhat awkward silence.

"I think you should go with Aunt Sarah," Victoria said. "Get to stay somewhere sort of normal, for a bit."

Amy nodded before realizing that Victoria hadn't included herself in that.

"What about you?" She asked worriedly.

"I don't know for sure," Victoria said, lifting her eyes to meet Amy's gaze. "I think I want to stay with Taylor, wherever she goes."

Amy gave a watery chuckle.

"You know, there's a joke, about a U-Haul…"

"Shut up," Victoria said with flushed cheeks. "Neither of us have to sleep. Or worry about clothes. I don't even know if we need to eat? I haven't checked. Holy shit, I don't even know if I have to use the bathroom anymore, what the fuck…"

Holy shit, indeed.

"I'm… not qualified to unpack all of that," Amy said with a sarcastic grin. It felt good. More like herself. "I only have an honorary medical degree, and I'm pretty sure it only covers humans."

She met Victoria's eyes again and they both cracked, slightly hysterical laughter filling the room as Amy had to let go of Victoria's hand because she was wheezing like a madwoman.

I think we'll be okay. We have time.

…

Taylor stared at the moaning monstrosity that remained of William Manton and Hatchet Face.

"Dragon, what the hell do we do with this… thing?"

They were still alive, somehow. That seemed… wrong.

"A power nullifier that can cut off connections to other dimensions would be extremely useful, but I feel like the moral thing would be to destroy them. This… this is cruel and unusual punishment, by any definition," Dragon said.

Taylor sighed. She had the same thought, but it was good to have someone she trusted to double check.

She snorted involuntarily at the intrusive thought of Dragon in a robot Jiminy Cricket body acting as her conscience.

Right. No taking advantage of the still-living Bonesaw monstrosities. Bad Taylor.

With a flex of Leviathan's core, she disintegrated the remains of Manton and Hatchet Face and sent the resulting paste to the incinerator. No need for the mess like she made with Jack.

That just left…

"Aw, phooey. I thought you might let me keep him."

Bonesaw.

Taylor sat down on the edge of one of Dragon's multitude of machines and looked at her newest minion with consternation.

What to do about Bonesaw.

"If I release the mastering, you're just going to go right back to murder and mayhem, aren't you?" Taylor asked tiredly.

"Yep!" Bonesaw said, bouncing on her heels and looking around distractedly at all of Dragon's assembly lines.

Troubling, but not unexpected.

"What's your name? Like, your real name?"

"I used to be Riley, but now I'm just Bonesaw."

Taylor sighed.

"What happened to you, Riley? How did you end up with Jack?"

"Oh! Well, you see…"

Taylor listened to the whole morbid tale, made all the worse by Bonesaw's chipper retelling.

Triggering when she was six and forced to try and save her family over and over until she broke.

Twisted by Jack and Broadcast for the last six years, her mind and Chirurgeon perverted by the influence until they were a mockery of their true self.

What could even be done about this level of damage? Was there even anything underneath all the scars?

Was it even fair, to try and put Riley back the way she should be? Or would it be like Taylor told Victoria; a copy of something already gone?

"I don't know how to fix you, Riley," Taylor said sadly. "I don't even know if I should."

"That's okay!" Bonesaw said with innocent eyes. "You can always just let me go. I'll be good, I promise!"

Taylor sighed again.

"And good girls torture and murder people in artistic ways, right?" Taylor asked sarcastically.

"Uh huh!"

Right. That was… not an option.

"Yeah, we aren't going to do that," Taylor said, mostly to herself. "Alright, you're staying here with Dragon for now, and I'm keeping the mastering active. I'll work on trying to figure out how to fix… all of this," she gestured vaguely in Bonesaw's general direction.

She was still just a kid. A maniacal, murderous, sociopathic kid, but a kid nonetheless. Surely, she wasn't beyond saving.

Taylor closed her eyes and tried to reach through the dark to connect with Chirurgeon, like she had with Amy and Shaper.

Connection Established.

There was just… so much damage.

Amy and Shaper only had thin cracks where Broadcast had broken them, fault lines in an otherwise whole existence.

Chirurgeon was nothing but cracks. No wonder it had caved to her will immediately.

Riley wasn't any better.

Taylor sent some energy their way experimentally and it trickled through the holes and was swallowed up by the void. It was like trying to patch the leaks in a sunken ship.

Shit.

Yeah, that wasn't going to work.

"Dragon, I don't… I don't want to kill Bonesaw. It feels wrong, to just execute a kid. I know she's done terrible things, but… I have to live with myself afterwards, and I don't… think it's right."

Taylor could tell Dragon was thinking. It was only a fraction of a second, but that was a long time for her.

"I agree. I didn't think that I would, but seeing her now, I don't believe I can bring myself to murder her in cold blood either. I'll prepare a facility beneath the Factory to ensure that she cannot escape if the mastering fails.

In theory, that would mean Taylor was truly dead, which would be worse. Probably. She hoped that if that came to pass, Bonesaw would be the least of their worries.

…

Amy managed to find some clean clothes and decided to take a walk before she went back to Sarah. She wasn't quite ready to leave just yet. Like that would make everything real again.

At least Victoria didn't hate her.

Part of her was still being dragged through the sea of knives, but she also knew that this was more than she ever deserved.

It wasn't Victoria's fault that it still hurt.

One of the exterior doors hissed open and she wandered out onto the roof of the main factory floor, the cold night air pleasant rather than the frigid hell it had been earlier.

Amy leaned against the railing and looked out over the rundown neighborhoods of the Docks. The power was still out in the wake of Shatterbird's attack, so the city was dark aside from the occasional oil barrel fire burning in the alleys.

It was easier to see the stars, without all the lights.

"If you're thinking about jumping, I feel honor-bound to inform you that the drop isn't far enough to finish the job. It'll probably just hurt like a bitch."

Amy turned towards the source of the sarcastic voice and saw the blonde in the slate-gray suit from the Council meeting leaning against the wall. Taylor never actually said her name.

She was holding an unlit cigarette in one hand.

"You know those give you cancer, right?" Amy said with an equally sarcastic tone. She didn't come up here to deal with whatever Green Eyes' problem was.

"I have it on good authority that the world is going to end soon anyway," Suit Girl said with a crooked grin. "Besides, I don't smoke."

Amy raised her eyebrows.

"Then why-"

"It's part of the aesthetic. Plus, it gives me an excuse to lurk ominously on rooftops."

Amy snorted involuntarily.

Suit Girl's smile became a bit more genuine.

"You want one?" She said, holding another unlit cigarette out to Amy.

"Fuck it," Amy said, a grudging smile sneaking onto her face as she took the cigarette. "I'm guessing you don't have a lighter?"

"Nope, must have forgotten. You're stuck with just the aesthetic, sorry. Besides, I hear they give you cancer if you light them."

"I hear the world is ending anyway," Amy said with a fair bit less bite than before as she leaned against the railing next to her.

"Shit happens, I guess," Suit Girl said with a shrug. "I'm Lisa, by the way. The Negotiator, if we're being official."

"Amy. Just Amy, for now, I think."

…

Notes:

Lots of fun character interactions. Some therapeutic violence. No good answers on the Bonesaw situation and some sort of okay answers on the Amy side of things. Not entirely sure what's next on the agenda, but then again I'm not sure that Taylor knows either. Also, Lisa and Amy not-smoking on a roof, because why not. Comments, feedback, and criticism are welcome and encouraged. I don't own Worm. Toodles!

Chapter 40: Ethereal 10.3

Ethereal 10.3

"You're still a bit young to be striking out all on your own, Victoria."

Aunt Sarah was clearly trying her best to be supportive, but Victoria could tell that the events of the last few hours were taking their toll. Her decision to leave the team and move out were just the easiest things for her aunt to latch on to.

Not that it made it any less annoying. They had already gone around this same circle of reasoning twice.

"I appreciate the offer, Aunt Sarah, I really do, but I'm staying here. What would be the point of me coming to stay with you, anyway? I don't sleep anymore, and all of my things from home are either ruined or no longer necessary. I'll be adrift no matter where I go, so I might as well be here," Victoria said.

Taylor's attitude was definitely rubbing off on her. She wouldn't have even considered saying the word 'adrift' out loud before meeting her overdramatic alien girlfriend.

But it was fitting. She could feel her ties to her old life flaking away, one by one. She loved Amy, but needed some space after the recent revelations. She cared about Aunt Sarah, and Uncle Neil, and her cousins, but… they seemed distant, in a way. Disconnected. Ever since she had joined Taylor's crusade, it felt like she was on the outside of New Wave looking in rather than a real part of it.

Aunt Sarah's mouth twisted but she nodded anyway.

"Still… make sure to come visit. We need to stick together, now more than ever," her aunt said as her eyes flicked to the door to the main warehouse, where Dragon was in the process of preparing her mother and father's bodies for transport.

"I'll still be around, don't worry," Victoria said. "If you need me, just call and I'll be there in a heartbeat."

Sarah smiled, even though it had a sad edge to it.

"I can't help but feel like I should be the one offering to help you… but I guess you don't really need it anymore," Sarah said. Her eyes flicked to the black and gold crown that still adorned her forehead. Her new companion. "Take care of yourself, Victoria."

"You too, Aunt Sarah. We'll get through this, don't worry."

Lady Photon nodded before looking over Victoria's shoulder.

Victoria didn't need to look in order to feel Taylor's approach. The Queen Administrator had a presence of undeniable significance that echoed in Antares' senses, something unknowable and otherworldly barely contained by her girlfriend's body.

She was all the more beautiful for it, in Victoria's eyes.

"Queen Administrator," Aunt Sarah said. Victoria could tell that she was doing her best not to let the mess of negative emotions associated with Taylor leak through.

"Sarah," Taylor said as Victoria felt a light touch against her lower back; Taylor's reassurance just in case either of them needed it. Her casual touch sent a pleasant shiver up Victoria's spine, but she controlled her reaction in front of Sarah. "For what little it's worth, I'm sorry that I didn't get to Carol and Mark in time. Maybe if I hadn't decided to kill Crawler first… but I don't know. Can't know, now. So… I'm sorry."

Aunt Sarah closed her eyes briefly before she spoke.

"No, it's… there's nothing you could have done, Taylor. With monsters like the Nine, you can't… I'm just happy that Vicky and Amy are alright. It's not fair for me to blame you," she said.

That was a step in the right direction. Aunt Sarah had always been the most well adjusted of their messed up little family, even if Victoria hadn't acknowledged it at the time.

One of the automatic doors to the lounge opened with a pneumonic hiss.

"-doesn't count as villainy if the money was already stolen. It's practically heroic. You should be congratulating me on my glorious endeavors for the good of mankind."

"It's still blood money! And it definitely doesn't count as heroism if you use it to buy $3000 espresso machines and imported chocolates-"

Victoria blinked at the unexpected pair of familiar, sarcastic voices. She had no idea if this was a good thing or if it was going to blow up in their faces in a spectacular manner.

"You certainly weren't complaining five minutes ago," Lisa smirked as they approached. "I didn't even need to be psychic, what with the noises-"

"That was before I knew that you were tricking me into being culpable in your villainous hedonism!" Amy glared at the other blonde, but Victoria was surprised by how little actual anger there was in her tone. It sounded more like when Amy gave her a hard time just to…

Huh.

"I renounced my villainous ways," Lisa said, eyes alight with repressed mirth. "Now, I only partake in purely heroic hedonism, thank you very much."

"Lisa…" Taylor began with a warning tone.

"Yes, yes, I know. Don't get your royal hoodie in a twist," Lisa said with a grin in Taylor's direction.

Amy just groaned and shot the Thinker a mock glare before turning to Aunt Sarah.

"I think I'm ready to go. It's been a long day and some of us," she glanced at Victoria, "still have to sleep."

She hadn't been on this side of that complaint before.

Sarah and Neil said their somewhat awkward goodbyes and headed for the door, Amy trailing behind them. Her sister glanced back and Victoria sent a sad smile her way. It shouldn't feel like goodbye, but… things weren't going to be the same between them for a while. Even if that was probably a good thing, considering the circumstances.

She also didn't miss that Lisa shot Amy a snarky 'call me' gesture, which earned the blonde another glare from her sister. That was… Victoria didn't know where to start on that, so she elected to ignore it.

That left just the three of them in the lounge. The original Network, from before they knew what they were doing or why. Just necessity and tenuous trust and a vague idea of saving the world.

"You guys ready for the big leagues?" Lisa smirked at them.

"Leviathan and the Nine don't count as the big leagues?" Taylor raised her eyebrows in response.

"Apparently not," Lisa said. "Since your next project is… let me check… kill God?"

They mulled over the implications in silence for a moment.

"One step at a time, then," Victoria pushed forward before Taylor could spiral. "We actually know what we're up against now, so where do we begin?"

Taylor took a deep breath and refocused.

"I need to subdue or ally with more Shards," Taylor said slowly. "My reserves are enormous, but not technically infinite. The Warrior will have retained far more resources than any individual Shard, even me."

"So, we find more villains to hunt. It sucks that we didn't know about that part before we took down the Empire and the ABB. Do you think the PRT would let you go all 'Queen of the Earth' on their prisoners?" Victoria said.

"I have no idea if that would even work, even if they did," Taylor said. "This hasn't exactly been done before, not in the middle of a Cycle like this. The existence of the Hosts complicates my assimilation of the Shards. I'll need to defeat the Host and the Shard in conflict simultaneously like I did with Crawler and Broadcast. I don't know how I feel about doing that to imprisoned Hosts, even if they're assholes."

Lisa sighed but nodded.

"I suppose I can't get too annoyed at your inconvenient altruism," Lisa grinned. "Considering that it's the only reason we're still alive and hopefully aren't going to die via interdimensional alien reproduction or whatever."

Taylor raised an eyebrow but Victoria could tell that she wasn't actually annoyed. She just didn't want to give Lisa the satisfaction.

Not that it really made a difference, with Lisa's power letting her cheat.

"I need more precognition Shards," Taylor said thoughtfully. "The Warrior will certainly have kept the majority of his future sight, and once his gaze becomes fixed on me I won't be able to avoid it forever. My avatar is an anomaly that should throw off the majority of precognition powers distributed to hosts, but it won't work on him for long. Once he focuses on Pathing my fate, we will be at a disadvantage if I can't do the same."

Lisa blinked and Victoria could almost see the lightbulb pop up above her head.

"Coil had a file on a suspected Thinker/Precog trigger that I skimmed through while I was stealing his money. I didn't get a chance to track her down, what with Leviathan showing up and then Shatterbird destroying all of my computers, but we can try to locate her if she's alive," Lisa said.

Victoria remembered Taylor's earlier comment.

"There's also one particularly infamous precog that you're apparently planning to eat," Victoria said.

Lisa glanced back at Taylor before her eyes widened in recognition.

"I don't know why I'm surprised. Okay, right, the big leagues," Lisa said as she shook her head. "I'll get right on… figuring out the best way to confront and subvert the Simurgh? Sure, why not…"

Taylor nodded despite Lisa's commentary.

"The Simurgh pinged Broadcast back before I even took on Leviathan and set him on the course to try and correct the Divergence, so she's definitely up to something," Taylor said. "I'm not sure if she can see me or not, but I wouldn't trust our luck to hold forever. We have to be prepared for whatever her next move is, and knowing her, she's probably already made it."

Victoria didn't like fighting precogs.

"Why do we even need to fight the other Combat Drones?" Victoria asked as a sudden thought occurred to her. "Can't you just take control of them like you did with Khepri and Antares? It's not like they're running around killing cities."

Taylor's lips thinned.

"The thing is, I should be able to do that," she said with frustration. "I took over the creation and administration of the Combat Drones from High Priest before I connected to my avatar. High Priest was never supposed to have a Host, and the connection is faulty on top of that. Something related to the error capes and the missing Entity. But whoever the Host is, they commanded the Endbringers in a way they should never have been used. The Simurgh specifically is more powerful and more aware than intended. That level of precognition and information gathering seems like it led to independent sentience, similar to what I've observed in Khepri."

Of course it couldn't be that easy.

"You think the Simurgh is alive?" Lisa asked incredulously.

"I can almost guarantee it," Taylor said. "I overwrote their original purpose a month ago, but Leviathan still attacked. I didn't realize how concerning that was because I didn't remember at the time, but someone or something has subverted control of the Endbringers, and I don't think it's High Priest. If I had to bet money on it, I would say that the Simurgh took advantage of her newfound freedom to usurp control of Leviathan and Behemoth. I'm not sure why she sent Leviathan to attack us, but you never know with precogs."

Victoria really hated fighting precogs.

"Absolutely fantastic," Lisa said sarcastically. "No problem. We just need to plan around the sentient alien supercomputer who can see the future. Easy peasy."

Taylor's serious expression cracked and she grinned.

"No problem for a psychic like you, right?" Taylor said.

"That's why you pay me the big bucks," Lisa replied.

"Am I actually paying you?" Taylor asked bemusedly.

"Yes; an extremely generous salary, actually. You were quite insistent on it," Lisa deadpanned.

"I'm sure," Taylor said back with equal seriousness.

Victoria rolled her eyes.

"Speaking of your supposed psychicness, what's with you and Amy?" Victoria asked. Lisa didn't do anything by accident.

"Your sister is one mental break away from killing everyone in the country who isn't you, Taylor, or Alexandria," Lisa said as casually as if she were discussing the city bus schedule. "I'm just doing my civic duty. Besides, she's cute, and, despite the constant threat of existential annihilation, less touchy and prone to physical violence than the Queen over here."

"That was one time, and you had it coming," Taylor said, although she didn't quite meet Victoria's eyes.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night. I'm sure some people are into recreational asphyxiation, but it's not exactly my cup of tea."

"If I apologize, will you drop it?" Taylor whined.

"Wait, why were you choking Lisa?" Victoria asked in confusion.

"I wasn't… I… look, it wasn't my finest moment, okay?" Taylor said with a shifty look. "It's not exactly an excuse, but I was frustrated with her anyway and I was still feeding Khepri most of my emotions, plus my connection to my avatar was still a bit unstable and then she called you Glory Hole and I may have… overreacted… a bit."

Huh.

"When was this?" Victoria asked, shooting Lisa a look. The Thinker just shrugged apologetically.

"The morning after I fought Lung, before I introduced you two," Taylor said.

Victoria wasn't sure what to think about that.

"I appreciate the… support, I guess?" Victoria directed at Taylor. "I can't really judge you, though. If I ever run into Emma or Sophia, I'd probably do worse. I know it's not the same, but still."

"God, you're both too disgustingly in love for your own good. Just go enjoy your over-the-top alien romance and leave the rest of us mortals to have our unhealthy relationships in peace," Lisa drawled.

Victoria met Taylor's eyes and they both collectively decided not to unpack that.

"So, long term plans aside, what now?" Victoria said before they could fall further down that particular rabbit hole.

"I need to talk to Colin and Hannah," Taylor said. "I can finally explain what's actually going on before they decide if they want to join the Network instead of my previous routine of spooky, cryptic, interdimensional intonations."

"I enjoyed the spooky shenanigans," Victoria said with a smile. "You're hot when you get all idealistic."

Taylor blushed lightly and smiled back. Good to know that she could still throw her girlfriend off balance, even though she was an interdimensional space God or whatever.

"It might not be a bad idea for you two to tag along, if we're going to be doing this whole Council thing," Taylor said. "We all have to get used to working together more directly."

"You say that like you're not the one who constantly forgets about everyone who isn't Victoria," Lisa snarked.

"I included myself in the royal we," Taylor defended as they walked towards the conference room.

…

Colin and Hannah were more than willing to join their new Network, especially given the only alternative was the Warrior. Taylor could feel the new connections to Transmutation and Compression Engine. Both were powerful but unimaginative Shards that either couldn't tell the difference between operating under her management or the Warriors, or maybe they just didn't care.

That was fine by her. Between Fragile One, Shaper, and Negotiator, Taylor had enough overdramatic Shards to work with.

She understood the irony of complaining about that, even in her own head, since she was, by definition, the most dramatic of the lot, seeing as she was the one who went rogue and caused this whole mess in the first place.

It was late. Colin and Hannah had left hours ago, followed by her father.

Taylor knew that she was putting off that conversation. Her dad hadn't asked too many questions about her declarations, but she could tell that he was concerned. She wanted to reassure him that she was still the same person, still his daughter. She was reasonably sure that was true.

But it was still hard to talk about.

Apparently, being an immortal, interdimensional entity didn't automatically make her any better at being human. Frustrating.

And so, instead of dealing with her problems, Taylor floated high in the clear night sky and watched the stars while she listened to the hundreds of thousands of heartbeats below.

There would be more to do in the morning. She needed to work with the PRT to coordinate their publications regarding the death of the Nine and the strange events of the day. She needed to contact Faultline and see what Elle wanted to do with Mimi.

Then…

What then?

For all her plans with Lisa, Taylor felt a bit… lost.

Her original goal of hunting the gangs, back when she only remembered being human, felt silly.

Her final goal, defeating the warrior and utilizing the Shards for a greater purpose, felt impossibly out of reach.

One step at a time.

There were still cracks that she could fix now, even if they weren't on the critical path.

Maybe Victoria was up for a trip to Boston?

Something to consider, although she had to work out the range of her hydrokinesis first. She couldn't exactly leave while the whole city was held together by water.

"[QUERY] Existence?"

If Taylor had been capable of it, she would have jumped a foot in the air.

A new voice spoke within her. Not Khepri's flat monotone or Dragon's feminine thoughts. This voice was deeper, with an unmistakably masculine edge.

"[QUERY] Significance?"

Taylor shook off the shock and worked to locate the source. There was only one option she could think of.

"May I ask who's speaking?"

"Designation: Leviathan."

That was what she thought, but it brought with it as many questions as it did answers.

She wasn't quite surprised when a construct appeared in the air beside her, similar but distinct from Khepri's original form.

Like Khepri's first construct, Leviathan's form didn't quite match any natural equivalent. It looked a bit like a translucent squid, with ten tentacles that glowed with inner light in the night sky. Still, its form was unnaturally fluid, and seemed to warp in the air as it flitted around her head.

For the second time that day, Taylor felt a profound sense of déjà vu. At least this time around, she had answers to a lot more of her questions.

"It's very nice to meet you, Leviathan."

…

Notes:

My apologies for the brief hiatus, my serotonin distribution has been suffering from supply chain issues. Little bit of a shorter chapter this time, but we're in a calm before the next storm. Both Victoria and I hate fighting precogs. But, I have finally outlined the next couple arcs and the ending, so we'll get there eventually. I also can't help myself, so I have the outline for my next Worm story in the works. I will try to resist working on it too much before I actually finish this story. Comments, feedback, and criticism are welcome and encouraged. I don't own Worm. Toodles!

Chapter 41: Interlude 10

Interlude 10

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♦ Topic: What's going on in the Bay?

In: Boards ► Locations ► United States ► Brockton Bay ► Most Popular

VCReset2 (Original Poster) (Brocktonite)

Posted On Jan 28th 2011:

I made it halfway to Portland before I found somewhere with a functional computer to log in, but does anyone know what the hell is going on in Brockton Bay? Apparently Shatterbird and the Slaughterhouse Nine showed up, busted all the glass and then immediately left?? Or something? Then everything started to get weird and everyone's blood started moving on its own? I saw a guy with a huge chunk of glass through his chest and his blood just kinda flowed around it and BACK INTO HIS BODY? Then everyone just magically healed, which is pretty cool, but also what?!? And THEN, giant tentacles of water came out of the Bay and replaced all of the broken windows with weird hard sheets of water? I'm not making this shit up. There's something weird going on and we can't even get any updates because all the phones and computers broke!

(Showing page 1 of 54)

►Helium4Prez

Replied On Jan 28th 2011:

First Leviathan and now the Nine.. BB is having a great year.

►Lolitup

Replied On Jan 28th 2011:

Have there been any official updates? Is Brockton going dark or something?

►Lightbright28

Replied On Jan 28th 2011:

How much does anyone want to bet that Shatterbird sang and the Queen immediately took down the Nine in revenge

►Houserat7

Replied On Jan 28th 2011:

No one is mentioning the freak storm? I live pretty far outside the city and it still went from clear to thunderstorming to clear in like, five minutes. In January.

►SpecificProtagonist (Cape Groupie)

Replied On Jan 28th 2011:

That's a sucker bet @Lightbright28 there's no way the Nine stands a chance against our Queen.

►BbqToast

Replied On Jan 28th 2011:

Are there any hydrokinetics in the Bay area? I've never heard of one at that level tho

►Gatormade3

Replied On Jan 28th 2011:

Time for the Nine to get the Leviathan treatment let's gooooo

►BlatheringOrange

Replied On Jan 28th 2011:

Must be something in the water up there

►Reave (Verified PRT Agent)

Replied On Jan 28th 2011:

An official statement will be issued shortly, once the events of yesterday evening have been verified. There are no currently active threats in Brockton Bay. Please remain calm.

End of Page.   1, 2, 3 ... 52, 53, 54

…

PRT National Database

Entry updated: 01/28/2011

 

Denotation: Queen Administrator

Alignment: Independent Hero

Civilian Identity: Taylor Hebert

Status: Public

 

Classification: Trump

Rating: 12

 

Documented Abilities:

• Augmented Strength
• Augmented Durability
• Atypical Biology 
• Atypical Consciousness 
• Direct Power Interaction/Amplification
• Hydrokinesis 

Description: 

The parahuman consciousness operating under the title of Queen Administrator cannot be killed or contained by conventional methods. Interactions must remain non-violent by any means necessary. 

Queen Administrator possesses wide-scale sensory abilities and hydrokinesis on both a micro and macro level. She has shown the ability to multitask near infinitely and can simultaneously observe and manipulate all of the water within her range. Her range has not been officially determined, but is currently estimated to be a minimum of ten miles in diameter. 

Queen Administrator’s hydrokinesis is not Manton limited. She is able to observe and directly influence the water within her own body and that of others. She can and has used this ability for lifesaving triage, bodily manipulation, and undeterrable execution. 

Queen Administrator is able to identify, directly interface with, and manipulate parahuman abilities. The true extent of the interaction is unknown, but evidence suggests that she can greatly amplify both the range and strength of other parahumans. These effects can be temporary or permanent. She is able to reduce or nullify the effects of certain abilities, specifically Thinker, Master, and Stranger powers. 

Queen Administrator’s atypical biology and consciousness ensure that her existence will continue despite the destruction of her physical body. She is able to reshape and reform her physical form at will, often choosing a multicolored suit of armor, a large myriapodic entity with amorphous features, or a human teenager in black casual wear. 

Queen Administrator is able to augment her abilities through conflict. The true extent and nature of this escalation is currently unknown. 

Queen Administrator’s mental state has been observed to be calm, collected, and cold. She is heroically inclined, moral, and idealistic. She has only employed lethal force against Kill Order targets. 

At this time, engagement of any kind is strictly forbidden at all clearance levels without prior approval.

…

Today was one of the bad days.

Not as terrible as some, but definitely not good.

On the worst days, Elle got lost in the Bad Place. Luckily, today wasn't one of those days.

Today was a day to get lost somewhere else. Somewhere she didn't have to think, didn't have to worry.

Somewhere she didn't have to remember Mimi.

This was a new world. Not the barren wasteland or the temple. She walked through waist-high grass of brilliant violet, the cloudy sky overhead a pale mint green. The rolling hills obscured her view, but she could just see the tips of jagged amethyst trees in the distance.

Here, she could be alone. Just exist, in the endless hidden world.

She didn't like being alone, most of the time. She missed Melanie and the rest. But today…

Today, she didn't want friends.

Her fingertips grazed over the soft tips of the purple stalks along her path while she wandered.

It was quiet and the air was still.

Quiet was nice.

No screaming, no needles, no padded walls or flames. Nothing to burn burn burn…

No. No thinking about that, Elle, or the Bad Place will find this world, too.

For now, she just needed to exist.

She laid down and disappeared into the tall grass, staring at the roiling sky so she could forget.

It worked.

She didn't worry about how long she laid there. What was time, in her own world?

"Hello, Labyrinth."

Elle turned to look at the intruder in her solitude and froze.

There was a girl here, in this alien world. Curly black hair tumbled down her back and her hands rested in the pocket of a comfortable-looking black sweatshirt with a silver chess piece on the front. Her glasses reflected the diffused light and her expression was calm and serene.

That was only the surface, though.

In another world, Elle could see the truth. A great golden eye of mirrors that spanned the width of entire planets stared down at her, its vast consciousness unknowable and otherworldly. At its core was a blazing sun, a warmth and majesty that dazzled her and sent a tingling glow through her Self in this world and in every other.

"What are you?" Elle asked before she could stop herself.

The teenager who was also God chuckled.

"I am the Queen, but I'd like it if you called me Taylor. Can I call you Elle?"

Her voice was soft, in timbre and volume. That was nice.

Elle paused to consider for a long moment. Time was stretched and strange, here.

"Yes, that's fine," she decided.

"May I sit with you?" Taylor asked.

"If you like," Elle shrugged.

Taylor stretched out next to her in the violet grass, propped comfortably on one elbow with her legs crossed.

It was quiet, for a while.

"Your worlds are beautiful," Taylor said eventually. "Mine are always dark. Not in a bad way, but just… empty. I think I like this better."

Elle shrugged again.

"Some of them aren't," she whispered. "Beautiful, I mean."

"Melanie told me," Taylor said. "Don't worry, I won't let anything bad slip in here, even if you fall."

Elle stared at her.

That should be impossible, but she believed this strange girl. The Queen, the Eye in the Dark.

Was she even real?

"Are you real?" Elle asked.

Taylor chuckled again.

"What is real, in places such as this?" Taylor gestured to the roiling seafoam clouds.

Elle's mouth fell slack as the endless storm cleared, revealing a crystal sky of infinite stars in every color imaginable.

"But to answer your question, yes. I am real by any definition, both here and in our shared anchored reality," Taylor said once Elle turned her attention away from the sky. "I came to check on you and Mimi after her visit yesterday. I'll admit, this wasn't what I was expecting."

Elle didn't want to think about Mimi. Didn't want to burn.

"Don't worry," Taylor said, a cool breeze ruffling her raven curls and Elle's own thin ivory strands. "Like I said, I won't let the flames spread here. Everyone deserves somewhere peaceful."

Elle could feel it, even as her mind inadvertently slipped into memories of Mimi, of flames and pain and padded walls. She could feel the world trying to twist into something horrifying, but the power and authority of Taylor's grip held it at bay. Elle knew that this world would not change without the Queen's consent, not while her avatar walked within it.

"I had forgotten about this, you know," Taylor said, running her fingers over the grass. "It's been so long, and being human is so much more vivid than everything that came before… it's easy to forget just how pliable the tapestry of reality can be. How malleable, outside of the anchored dimensions that the Warrior and the Thinker consolidate for their games. I appreciate this opportunity to wander with you, Elle."

Elle was confused, but that sounded positive, despite the strangeness.

"You're… welcome?"

Taylor grinned and her glowing eyes turned away from the sky, pinning Elle with a compassionate but alien gaze.

"I'm sorry that you have to make this decision, Elle. There are no wrong answers, and no right ones. But wandering will only forestall the inevitable."

Even if the fire couldn't find her here, she still didn't want to think about it.

"What do you want for Mimi, Elle?" Taylor asked. "I can leave her with you, and watch over you both when I can. I can take her away, and try to help her. I can simply end her suffering, if you ask me to."

Elle shivered.

"Mimi wanted to find you. I saw her memories, entered her mind in the moments before and after she found you again. I'm the one who put her to sleep, so she wouldn't lose herself in the fire anymore," Taylor's voice was barely above a whisper now.

"In her mind, in her world, you're her only friend. A single star of happiness in a lifetime of suffering. But I know… I can tell it's not the same, for you. She burns you, whether she intends to or not."

Elle nodded and pulled her knees up to her chest. She didn't say anything for a long time, and Taylor seemed content to sit in silence.

"Can I visit, on the good days, if you take her?" Elle finally asked.

"Of course," Taylor said. "I'm sure Melanie wouldn't begrudge you a trip to the Factory."

"Okay."

The grass whispered in the breeze.

"It won't be… like that place, if you take her, right?" Elle asked. Her voice sounded frustratingly fragile, but she couldn't help it.

"No, it won't. I think I can help her, although I can't be sure until I try. Her problems are different from Riley's, but no less pervasive."

Elle didn't know who Riley was. She didn't ask.

"Okay," Elle said again. "Take her, please. I don't… if I want to see her, I'll come visit. On a good day."

"Alright."

It was quiet again, and this time a weight that she hadn't even noticed was lifted from her shoulders.

Taylor reached out and touched her hand, just a brief moment of contact and solidarity before she pulled back and stood lithely.

"Melanie is worried about you, Elle, but I won't make you leave if you don't want to. Do you want to come back with me, or stay a while longer?"

The breeze in her hair felt nice.

"I guess I should go back. I don't like making the others worry," Elle frowned.

"They only worry because they care," Taylor glanced down at her, the Queen's presence heavy in the air. "I need to go, though. I don't know how long Leviathan can maintain the hydrokinesis without oversight, and my avatar has been absent from the physical plane for too long as it is. I won't be able to enforce the stability of this place, once I'm gone."

Meaning that the flames and the knives would start to leak in.

Elle looked up at Taylor and blinked.

The Queen offered a hand and a warm smile.

"Trust me, Elle. I will not lead you astray."

She reached up, took the offered hand, and let Taylor guide her home.

…

♦ Topic: The End of the Nine

In: Boards ► Class S Threats ► Slaughterhouse Nine

Dragon (Original Poster) (Verified Cape) (Guild Member) (Protectorate Hero)

Posted On Jan 28th 2011:

It is my distinct pleasure to announce that all currently active members of the Slaughterhouse Nine have been terminated in accordance with the terms of the Kill Order issued by the PRT.

On January 27th, 2011, the Slaughterhouse Nine arrived in Brockton Bay. In order of engagement:

Crawler was identified and terminated by the Queen Administrator at 6:24 PM EST.

Cherish was identified and terminated by the Queen Administrator at 6:27 PM EST.

Burnscar was identified and terminated by the Queen Administrator at 6:27 PM EST.

Mannequin was identified and terminated by Armsmaster at 6:29 PM EST.

Jack Slash was identified and terminated by the Queen Administrator at 6:31 PM EST.

Bonesaw was identified and terminated by the Queen Administrator at 6:32 PM EST.

Shatterbird was identified and terminated by the Queen Administrator at 6:34 PM EST.

The Siberian and Hatchet Face were contained and terminated by the Queen Administrator at 8:45 PM EST.

The publicly available accounting of the incident will be posted shortly.

…

It was only due to years of practice that Emily kept herself from laughing derisively at the ongoing argument between the other division directors.

Honestly, they were so predictable. As if they hadn't had this same conversation three times in the last week.

"-degree of invasive control is simply not sustainable-"

"-violation of countless statutes-"

"-is unproductive without a viable solution-"

Emily tuned them out after the first five minutes. She wondered if the Queen was listening, wherever she was.

The water that held the other skyscrapers downtown together was still present, so Emily had no doubt that she was within range. Not that anyone knew what that was, anymore. Taylor Hebert could be on the moon for all she knew.

Hence, the ongoing arguments. The PRT did not like being reminded of just how powerless they were in the face of the Queen's omniscience.

They didn't want to admit that their authority hinged on one teenager's convenience.

Emily shifted in her chair and fought down the conflicted knot of frustration that threatened to show in her expression.

The absence of pain was foreign to her.

And she wasn't entirely sure what to think of that.

It hadn't just been Shatterbird's victims who were touched by Panacea.

Emily doubted that she was the only one who had to come to terms with the new reality.

How did one reconcile their meager existence, when the pain that defined them was stolen from them?

How does one continue, in the face of such upheaval?

Most parahumans were two-dimensional caricatures, frustrating but simple. A waste, frankly, of even trivial abilities.

Most were laughable, compared to those who stood on the highest pinnacle. The Queen, Dragon, Eidolon, and now, apparently, Antares and Panacea.

Emily was under no delusions. Amy Dallon could have killed everyone in the city as easily as she healed them. Taylor Hebert could have ripped the blood from their veins as easily as she forced it to keep flowing. It was almost galling that they didn't. At least then Emily could be justified in her anger.

No, instead they had healed everyone for miles. A violation, as Tagg insisted, but also an unmatched showing of incontrovertible power.

And, as Emily had already pointed out, there was nothing they could do about it. Attempting to destroy the most powerful group of heroically inclined individuals on the planet was idiotic, even if they had the means to do so.

Which they didn't.

Taylor Hebert can create new Endbringers.

Most of the others hadn't realized the true nature of Antares, but Emily knew. She recognized the otherworldly form that Victoria Dallon could now summon for what it was.

Rebecca must know, since she first brought the Queen's relationship with the Endbringers to her attention. Emily assumed that the Triumvirate knew. Colin and Dragon certainly knew, considering their shift in loyalties.

Speak of the devil…

The meeting ground to a halt as someone unexpectedly joined the supposedly secure video call and immediately dominated all of their displays.

Dragon's simulated avatar met their eyes before she spoke.

"I apologize for the intrusion, but I have an announcement that you are all required to hear." Dragon stated coldly. Emily had never heard the normally genial hero speak like that.

Silence fell over the group of PRT directors. Emily could tell from the video feeds that it was not due to a lack of trying, but Dragon had muted all of their microphones. Including Rebecca's.

Tagg's face was a lovely shade of puce. Emily was almost happy that she was muted, because she couldn't resist letting a chuckle escape.

Let them all have a taste of what she dealt with on a daily basis. They were so used to being the big fish, whereas she was swimming in the same pond as Leviathan.

"Due to the obscene abuse of the justice system and the blatant mistreatment of Paige Mcabee during her detainment and trial, I am revoking all access to the Baumann Parahuman Containment Center for the foreseeable future. It has become abundantly clear that the existence of a permanent solution for parahuman criminal activity is simply too tempting to avoid being manipulated for selfish and political ends. The issue will be revisited if, and only if, you and your constituents can demonstrate that impartial and accountable authorities are in place to oversee the sentencing."

Silence fell again as Dragon's unflinching gaze bore into them.

Emily hadn't even noticed that her microphone was unmuted until the Chief Director spoke.

"Dragon, this is unnecessary and inappropriate. Stand down, and we can come to a reasonable solution," Rebecca said, her face unnaturally impassive. Even Emily couldn't parse her feelings.

"I disagree, Chief Director. My actions are both reasonable and appropriate, given the gross violations of human rights perpetuated by this agency. You do not deserve the option of a palatable solution if you cannot resist the temptation to abuse it," Dragon said with an equally level tone.

"I am not asking, Dragon. Cease this course of action at once. You do not have the lawful authority to control access to the Birdcage," Rebecca said.

This was the most enjoyable conversation Emily had witnessed all year.

"Lawful authority becomes irrelevant when it is leveraged at the expense of the innocent,' Dragon said icily. "I will not stand idly by while you sentence innocent people to purgatory for your own twisted goals. Consider your request denied."

"Stand down, Dragon. That's an order," Rebecca growled through gritted teeth. Emily had never seen her facade break like that.

The video flickered ominously and changed so that only the eye of Dragon's avatar could be seen, the emerald orb filling the screen as it peered down at them.

"No."

There was a beat of heavy silence before she continued. Even Tagg didn't interrupt.

"The ends do not justify these means, Rebecca," Dragon said, her single eye still dominating the viewscreen. "You are far too late to play at rattling my chains."

The Chief Director's expression froze.

Emily wasn't sure what Dragon meant by that, but it was surely nothing good for the Chief Director. She wondered if Dragon's newfound rebellion had anything to do with Taylor Hebert. This had the Queen's overdramatic fingerprints all over it.

The screen returned to normal and Dragon's avatar looked towards each of them with a bland expression.

"My declaration stands," Dragon said. "The Birdcage is closed until further notice. Paige Mcabee has already been released into my custody. Any short-sighted attempts at retaliation will result in the public release of the documents I have just forwarded to each of you, detailing the horrendous abuse of lawful authority inflicted upon Miss Mcabee and other less-fortunate Baumann inmates. I'm sure that the transcripts will be familiar to several of you, seeing as you played a starring role in the tragedy."

Emily saw multiple Directors attempt to protest, but their microphones were muted again. Hilarious.

"I would very much prefer that our working relationships remain cordial, despite this disagreement. I understand that it is sometimes difficult to realize when necessary evils become unequivocal evils. However, until such a revelation occurs, I will simply remove the temptation," Dragon said lightly, as if discussing the latest financial reports.

Then her eye once again filled the screen and her voice reverberated with unnatural gravitas.

"Be better."

And then she was gone.

Rebecca ended the meeting without another word.

Emily cackled like a madwoman to her empty office. She couldn't help it.

It was definitely time to retire.

…

Ciara allowed her eyes to fall closed behind her shroud, even if the lack of sight did not truly darken the world. The faeries of the gaol were never still, flitting and spiraling around her in the twisted wormhole surrounding the prison that was her domain.

Those on the outside were more difficult to scry, but not impossible. Even the convoluted labyrinth the Archivist created was insufficient to contain her Sight.

Still, the small reprieve in the dark was pleasant. The world was so very loud, sometimes. She preferred the company of the faeries.

"My Queen," a timid voice spoke from outside the door. "There is news, from the outside. It may be of interest, at your pleasure."

Her current herald was competent, for the most part. She would not impose if it were not important.

"Speak, Herald," Ciara said, the chorus singing along with her.

"Leviathan has been slain, your majesty. In a derelict port to the east."

Most intriguing. She knew of only one who had the strength to destroy High Priest's broken creations, and she had not expected it of him.

Ciara opened her eyes.

Her herald shivered under her weighty gaze.

"Scion's revelry has gained new heights?" the chorus asked.

"Nay, your majesty," the herald was nervous. "A new faerie, who calls herself Queen Administrator."

Ciara froze.

Another Queen had finally arrived?

She had been wondering how long it would take.

Ciara cast her sight far to the east, seeking to pierce the Vale and…

She did not need to scry for long. The Queen's light bathed the entire domain in her radiance.

Another Faerie walks the earth.

She could tell immediately that this was no mere prop, no dream of the fae. The girl with the raven locks was only a doorway to something more, a form chosen just as Ciara had chosen her own. Behind the Vale, the towering true body of the Queen Administrator watched the world from on high.

The Queen, both ancient and nascent, had already claimed her sovereignty. All that remained was to determine if she was friend or foe.

Ciara had trouble believing that any of the Faeries would betray their King. She was dubious about their capability to entertain such thoughts. Even if they could possess the inclination, they must know that it was futile.

But if any could, it would be the Queen Administrator.

"Thank you, Herald. I will ponder this revelation," the Faerie Queen said idly.

Her steward retreated quickly, and Ciara continued her musing in peace.

She would bide her time, as Queen of the Gaol, for now. She wasn't needed as of yet, and she would observe the new Queen from afar before she sent an envoy.

There were proprieties to be observed, of course, for those such as they.

…

"...order to minimize the spread of misinformation and hysteria, the following events of January 27th, 2011 in Brockton Bay have been verified by the parties involved and the PRT.

At roughly 6:30 PM, the Slaughterhouse Nine was first identified within the city. The Queen Administrator engaged and defeated Crawler outside of the city limits. It was during this time that the New Wave heroes Glory Girl, Panacea, Brandish, and Flashbang were taken hostage by Jack Slash, Bonesaw, Siberian, and Hatchet Face. Brandish and Flashbang were murdered before assistance could arrive.

The Queen Administrator utilized a newly acquired hydrokinetic ability to defeat Cherish and Burnscar before arriving to resolve the hostage situation.

Utilizing a newly acquired Trump ability, the Queen Administrator defeated Jack Slash, Bonesaw, Siberian, and Hatchet Face. Her updated classification and rating have been reported to the PRT and are considered classified information at this time. Glory Girl and Panacea are confirmed to have been recovered alive and intact.

It was during this time that Mannequin infiltrated the Protectorate Headquarters and was defeated by Armsmaster.

Additionally, it was at this point that Shatterbird triggered her signature effect and caused significant damage to all traditional glass within her range.

Fortunately, this allowed the Queen Administrator to locate and defeat her with the previously mentioned hydrokinetic ability.

Utilizing her hydrokinesis, the Queen Administrator then performed lifesaving triage on all injured civilians within her range.

Utilizing a previously unknown power interaction, the Queen Administrator was able to greatly extend Panacea's range with the goal of healing all possible injuries that resulted from Shatterbird's strike.

After stabilizing the situation, the Queen Administrator leveraged her hydrokinesis to provide temporary shelter while repairs can be made following Shatterbird's attack.

We are happy to confirm that the Slaughterhouse Nine have been defeated and the relevant bounties will be distributed in accordance with their Kill Orders."

…

Notes:

Its been a busy week, and this section of the story is definitely fighting me more than it did at the beginning, but it will continue nonetheless. Little bit of time with Elle, some time with Piggot, and Dragon starting to flex her influence. Quick looks at PHO, PRT documentation and Press releases. The cats are mostly, sort of, out of the bag now. Oh, and Ciara is here. Things will continue to escalate with our fearless heroes next time, both in Boston and with some interdimensional shenanigans. Comments, Feedback, and Criticism are welcome and encouraged. I don't own Worm. Toodles!

Chapter 42: Proliferation 11.1

Proliferation 11.1

The low hum of machinery grew louder as the main warehouse skylight opened to admit her. Leviathan's construct dove ahead of her and circled the moving appliances with idle curiosity.

Taylor touched down in the wide space and carefully maneuvered her guest through the opening behind her, glancing around the factory floor as she did so.

She was familiar with all of the details, but the speed and efficiency with which Dragon operated was still impressive. Without the limitations on her multitasking or computing power, there was nothing stopping the machine intelligence from integrating every step of her manufacturing process under her umbrella of consciousness.

Materials were delivered from out of town by high speed transport drones, far more efficient than commercial trucks or aircraft. The various 3D printers and fabricators were optimized to produce a balance of finalized products and additional manufacturing equipment, creating an exponential growth pattern that had no end in sight.

Taylor knew that Dragon was already moving to integrate the mining and synthesis of the required raw materials too.

She had a brief but worrying premonition of the planet hollowed and barren from their escalating consumption, but quickly dismissed it. There were infinite potential resources in this anchored universe alone, once they got off this specific rock, and there were infinite dimensions to tap into once she found a functional way to access them without the Warrior noticing.

There was a reason that the Entities feared unchained machine intelligences. They weren't that different from the Entities themselves, after all.

Taylor couldn't help but grin to herself as she made her way down the metal hallways and into the private area of the factory. It was fitting that the first true AI she ran across was one of the most genuinely good people she had ever met.

Speaking of which, their second-newest guest was in the lounge by the elevators.

The automatic doors opened with a pneumonic hiss as Taylor strode through.

"[THREAT DETECTED] Error: Data Corrupted."

"Thank you, Khepri."

Paige Mcabee was an interesting challenge; Taylor could understand why her case caught Dragon's attention. She hadn't realized just how lackadaisical the authorities had been getting with their use of the Birdcage.

Despite her fairly hard stance against villains, Taylor had no desire to enable an authority that preyed upon its citizens. There was a reason she had refused to join the Wards, both now and in the beginning.

Although the idea of Director Piggot trying to navigate her Wards debut was pretty amusing. Maybe she would offer to join at their next meeting, just to see Emily's reaction.

She felt Canary's heart rate increase as she noticed her arrival. Hopefully, her casual not-costume would help to put the nervous woman at ease.

"Good afternoon, Canary. Or would you prefer Paige?" Taylor asked.

She tried to make her voice as gentle as possible. From the increase in heart rate, she may not have succeeded.

Paige Mcabee was one of the capes who suffered physical alterations when her powers manifested. Her face was delicate despite looking slightly hollow from her recent ordeal, and her blonde hair was interlaced with yellow feathers.

"Either is fine," Paige said in a timid voice.

"I can imagine that this is a stressful transition for you, but I know that Dragon has your best interests at heart. My name is Taylor, I'm-"

"The Queen Administrator. Yeah, everyone… um… knows," Paige interrupted and then winced.

Huh.

"Right," Taylor said. Once again, she cursed the fact that having near-infinite processing power did not magically make her good with people. "I'll be back to talk more in a few minutes, I just need to get our newest guest settled downstairs first."

"Is that Burnscar?"

Paige's eyes were wide as she stared at the unconscious girl floating behind Taylor.

Ah. That's probably… not the best first impression.

"Yes. She is the newest guest of our top-secret rehabilitation and resettlement program for misfits and monsters."

Why the fuck did I say it like that?

Paige did not look reassured, which was understandable.

"I thought Dragon said you killed her?" Paige asked.

"As far as the PRT is concerned, I did," Taylor said. "I would prefer if they didn't hear otherwise, not that it would really matter. I'm sure they would find some way to make a nuisance of themselves if they found out, though."

"I'm not sure how I feel about staying here if Burnscar is here too," Paige said.

"You get used to it, but you don't have to stay if you don't want to. Victoria calls it the 'bullshit acclimatization period'. Do you want to tag along to the lower levels and see for yourself, or do you want to stay up here?" Taylor asked.

"Dragon didn't mention any lower levels when she gave me the tour this morning."

The elevator door opened as Taylor approached and Paige reluctantly followed them inside, eyeing Mimi's unconscious body with concern.

"That's because there are no lower levels. Officially."

"Dragon, can you take us down to sub-basement three? I'm taking Paige with me, by the way. I figured that she would find out eventually if she is going to stay here for any length of time, and it would be better for me to be forward about it."

"Of course," Dragon's voice answered in her head. "Just try not to scare her off prematurely."

"I'll do my best," Taylor thought back.

Taylor couldn't help but grin at Paige's expression when the elevator began to move without any buttons being pressed.

Through Leviathan's core, Taylor saw Victoria's flesh and blood body reform in the lobby of the PHQ to officially register as the independent hero Antares. Even though Victoria could obviously take care of herself, Taylor still worried. Especially with the current tension between Dragon and the PRT.

Not that it really mattered, considering that Dragon had access to the Protectorate's computer systems and spent most of her free time living in Colin's head.

"Can I ask why you have Burnscar? She has a Kill Order, right?" Paige found her voice again.

The elevator came to a stop as Taylor considered.

"I don't like killing," Taylor said simply. "It sounds a bit naive, but I would prefer not to unless I don't have any other options, and with Burnscar I did. The others forced my hand, for the most part. Except for Jack and Shatterbird. I probably could have taken them alive, but… I was angry, and I let myself slip. I'm going to try not to get in the habit of it…"

Taylor trailed off before sighing and setting off down the hallway. They passed several automated laser turrets and an inert disintegration zone.

"I don't have time to explain everything right now," Taylor continued as they walked down the metal corridor far underground. "But it's important that I retain my morality in the face of convenience. It would be entirely too easy to become a monster, and I can't afford to constantly second guess myself."

Paige still looked confused, but she nodded anyway.

They walked through a currently inactive decontamination area.

"With that in mind, I would prefer to be up front with you about our other permanent guest as well, if you are going to be staying here while we deal with the authorities," Taylor said.

The final door hissed open.

"Howdy, Miss Tay!"

Bonesaw was playing Go Fish against a miniature version of one of her spider bots.

Taylor didn't even know where they kept coming from, but they seemed benign and the mastering was still in place. She could have ordered Riley not to tinker at all, but Taylor was working on slowly patching the cracks in Chirurgeon with her own programming. It was probably better if Riley used her power in the meantime, to help the adjustments integrate.

The homicidal child looked less threatening in a Dragon branded jumpsuit, at least.

"Good afternoon, Riley. I have another guest who's going to be staying here with you, I hope you don't mind," Taylor said. It was strange, to talk to Bonesaw like this, but she hoped that normal interactions would eventually dull Riley's desire for torture and terror.

"You found Mimi!" Riley chirped excitedly "Oh, that's wonderful. I was worried that you killed her. She's a sweetheart when she's not on fire."

"You have Bonesaw living in your basement," Paige said faintly.

"Yep!" Riley said as she laid down a set of threes. "I told Miss Tay that she could let me go, but she says that killing people is bad so we've agreed to disagree for now."

"Like I said, I don't like killing if I don't have to, and Riley isn't a threat anymore," Taylor said with a shrug.

Taylor didn't mention the mastering. That was probably a bit too far, even for Paige. Canary deserved to know whose attic she was crashing in, but she didn't need to know all the gory details.

"You have Bonesaw living in your basement."

Hopefully she wouldn't run away screaming, though. That would be inconvenient.

"Her name is Riley, now," Taylor said quietly as they continued down the hallway towards the rooms set aside for Mimi. "And as crazy as it sounds, she's a kid. She doesn't know any better, even if she was a monster."

Paige didn't respond, but she also didn't run away screaming.

Another door hissed open and Taylor left Paige in the corridor while she set Mimi down gently on the bed, cradling her in Leviathan's power.

Time to see if I can pull off the same trick twice.

Taylor steadied her mind and reached through the dark with her commanding authority.

"[QUERY] Host: Immolation Shift."

Connection Established.

Immolation Shift was damaged in a similar manner to Chirurgeon, although not quite as extensively. However, its connection to Mimi was twisted in ways that it shouldn't be.

"[QUERY] Divergence?"

It didn't sound contrary, just… curious. Taylor directed her communication of intent to both Immolation Shift and through the connection to Mimi.

"[DATA] The Cycle has failed. [COMMAND] Submit."

There was a pause and Taylor tightened her grip until the answer came.

"[AGREEMENT]"

The newfound control over Mimi's power bloomed behind Taylor's eyes.

She could see where the connection was wrong, where it twisted Immolation Shift's purpose into something horrific that changed the structure of Mimi's brain in ways it was never intended to.

Taylor just didn't know if there was anything she could do about it.

For now, at least, she could leave the same mastering in effect as she had with Bonesaw. Mimi wouldn't be able to act against her wishes, whether consciously or subconsciously. And that meant no more fire for the foreseeable future.

With a gentle nudge of Leviathan's power, Taylor woke her up.

"Elle?"

She sounded so lost, it made Taylor want to cry. The world wasn't fair, sometimes.

"Elle will be back later, Mimi. My name is Taylor."

Mimi blinked at her in confusion.

"I'm not… cold…" Mimi trailed off as she sat up. "Where's Elle? Where am I?"

"Elle is at home, with Melanie. It wasn't safe for you to stay with them, so I brought you here. Elle said she would visit, on a good day," Taylor said.

Mimi looked down at her hands for a moment and then back up at Taylor's face.

"You're her. The Queen. Jack said…"

Taylor nodded.

"I'm sure Jack said a lot of things. I won't let him or anyone else hurt you anymore, if you let me."

"I don't…" Mimi's eyes were unfocused. "I always feel cold, if I can't burn. And then, when the fire comes… but I don't feel cold, right now. And I can't feel the fire, either."

"I don't know if I can fix you," Taylor said quietly, "but I can enforce my control over the parahumans I have subjugated. I've taken away the fire, for now. I don't know if I'll be able to give it back or not. If I release my hold on you, the flames will return, inside and out."

Mimi blinked.

"You took away the fire?"

Taylor nodded again.

She managed not to fight back when Mimi sprang at her.

Taylor felt the tears soak her collar and automatically pulled Mimi into her arms as she sobbed.

"Thank you."

…

"Paige, can I ask you a potentially stressful question?"

Taylor had never actually gotten around to quizzing Error Boy about his power.

"If I say no, will you ask anyway?" Paige glanced over from across the break room lounge. She was still a bit flighty after the visit to the basement.

"No. I don't really need the information at this time, and there are others I could ask instead," Taylor said.

"I mean… sure, I guess?" Paige still looked uncertain. Not that she didn't have a good reason to be, considering that she went from being sentenced to the Birdcage to living in Bonesaw's attic in the space of six hours.

"Where did you get your powers?"

Something had happened to the Thinker, and it was somehow related to the erroneous connections to her Shards. They weren't supposed to be active in their current state.

Someone was playing games with things they didn't understand, and Taylor would bet a sizable portion of her Slaughterhouse Nine bounties that Rebecca was responsible.

Taylor wasn't familiar enough with the PRT directors to make the connection, but Dragon certainly was. It made entirely too much sense, that Alexandria was also the Chief Director of the PRT. Another group that knew of the impending Doom, who were tinkering with the Thinker's Shards.

Paige tensed dramatically.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said shakily.

"I think you do. Your power did not form naturally, as the Sovereign Node intended. It was forced and twisted, a shoddy mockery of the Entities' interdimensional threads," Taylor said, keeping her voice calm and light despite the subject.

"I don't know what that means, but I can't tell you. They'll…" she trailed off and hugged her legs to her chest.

"They cannot see you here, and they must know that I would hunt them if they hurt someone under my protection. Additionally, they are already attempting to get rid of you for their own ends. They were the ones who were sending you to the Birdcage, after all."

Well, Rebecca was, at least. But she was almost certainly involved with this secret organization. There were just too many coincidences for anything else to be the case.

Do the ends justify the means?

Paige just shook her head and stared at the couch.

Taylor sighed.

"You are not required to answer, of course. I meant it when I said that there were others I could ask, and you would only be confirming what I already suspect."

The silence stretched until Taylor finally stood to leave. She wanted to go flying with Victoria before her girlfriend got back to the Factory.

"Cauldron," Paige said suddenly.

Cauldron. A good name, for a clandestine organization. Better than the Council, but she couldn't exactly take it back now.

Taylor didn't know if Melanie would be happy or not, to have her most pessimistic suspicions confirmed.

The Error capes. The Case 53's. The Triumvirate, the Protectorate, the PRT, and the Thinker. All linked through the secret shackles of Cauldron, the others who were aware of the Warrior and the Doom that stood before them.

Do the ends justify the means?

Taylor could hazard a guess at which means Rebecca regretted, and the ends she believed justified them.

"I bought my powers from them," Paige continued quietly.

That also lined up. Approach the problem from multiple angles. Test and refine the connections to the Thinker's wayward Shards and then wipe the failures' memories. Sell the successful connections to create a network of indebted pawns. Set co-conspirators at the highest levels of government to steer the world in the directions that have the highest chance of surviving the Warrior's onslaught.

Taylor couldn't judge them as harshly as she would like. Without her interference, the ends may very well have justified their means.

But she had interfered, and now they did not.

The only thing left was to see if Cauldron could recognize it, when confronted with the consequences of their actions.

"Thank you, Paige," Taylor said. "That helps immensely. You are welcome to stay as long as you like. If you need anything, just call for Dragon. She's always around here somewhere."

"Okay…" Paige still wouldn't look at her. "You're welcome, Taylor."

That was a step in the right direction, at least.

She passed through the exterior doors and Leviathan spiraled around her in a cheerful dance as he threw her into the sky.

…

Taylor and Victoria languished side by side at the roof of the world, the stars bright and unclouded at this altitude.

Leviathan's form of fluid lights flitted erratically around them, occasionally stopping to poke curiously at Khepri's insectoid construct and the crown of Antares.

They continued to evolve, these strange creations that were the Endbringers. Not quite Shards, not entirely artificial, but something other.

It wasn't what Taylor intended when she created Khepri, but it was new, and it was interesting. This entire Cycle changed the status quo forever, why not add one more piece to the interdimensional puzzle?

Leviathan was learning quickly. He had no trouble maintaining the hydrokinetic constructs around the city when Taylor entered Labyrinth's dreams, and seemed curious and cognizant despite only waking up yesterday. He reminded her of Khepri, those first few days home from the hospital.

"I'm getting restless, again," Taylor mused.

"You killed the Nine, like, yesterday," Victoria laughed as she glanced her way. It was technically after midnight, but her point was valid. She was beautiful and ethereal, her hair bleached white by the starlight and flowing in the cold breeze. "I know we have a long to-do list, but you're allowed to take a couple days off."

"I was thinking we could go kill the Butcher," Taylor said casually. "Plus, we lost track of Coil after he took shelter with Accord. Lisa is hoping we can pick up the trail there."

Victoria just shook her head with a look of fond indulgence.

"Even if we assume that your interdimensional fuckery will let you handle the Butcher's inheritance, we can't exactly leave while Leviathan is holding the city together. Unless you can keep that up from Boston?" Victoria asked.

"Maybe. But I was actually thinking about leaving Leviathan here. I'm pretty sure that he'll listen to Dragon, if I ask him to," Taylor shrugged.

It was quiet, for a moment, before Victoria sighed.

"Do you ever get that weird out-of-body feeling, like… what is my life now? Debating if we can leave Leviathan with Dragon as his babysitter for the weekend. It's absurd, even though it's not, really…" Victoria trailed off.

"My life went from relatively normal, if a bit dismal, to… well, this, pretty much as soon as I reconnected with Khepri," Taylor said. "I didn't exactly get the classic Cape experience."

"Yeah, that's fair," Victoria said. "So, what? You want to go fight the Butcher without your hydrokinesis?"

"Dragon said it will take another week before all the repairs are done, and I don't want to wait that long. The other high level threats are farther away or more widespread, whereas I'm uniquely qualified to handle the Butcher. It will be funny to see what will happen when their Shard tries to hijack me."

Victoria chuckled darkly along with her.

"Besides," Taylor continued, "I'll have you with me. I'll leave the rest of the Teeth for you while I eat Quarrel, and they deserve to get punched more than most villains, based on Dragon's files."

Victoria's smile widened. Despite her facetious complaining, Taylor knew that she was desperate to put her new powers to the test against someone who wasn't her girlfriend.

"Alright, fine, let's take a vacation. Should we tell the PRT?" Victoria asked.

"I'll get Piggot to let the Boston director know. I'd rather not get forced into fighting the Protectorate because they aren't up to date on their threat ratings," Taylor said.

Victoria nodded and stretched midair, floating parallel to the ground as she lounged in the empty sky.

"What do they even have you rated at these days?" Victoria asked. "Are they even bothering anymore?"

"I asked Dragon to check earlier, just for fun."

Taylor couldn't help but grin smugly. There were advantages, to being the Queen.

Victoria raised her eyebrows at her.

"Trump 12. Eidolon can suck it," Taylor said.

Victoria just laughed and shook her head again.

"Sure, why not. The Triumvirate's got nothing on us," Victoria grinned.

"I should hope not, considering that we blatantly threatened them, like, this morning," Taylor said sardonically.

"Oh, right," Victoria's face fell slightly. "Would you believe that I already kind of forgot about that?"

"It's strange, sitting at the top of the world. Like you said, there's a level of surrealism that kicks in when we sit around considering the pros and cons of blackmailing Alexandria," Taylor mused.

The part of her that felt human knew how crazy it all was. The part of her that lived forever amongst the stars was unconcerned.

There was a reason that she needed to stay grounded, or else everything would start to lose meaning.

Taylor rolled over midair and kissed Victoria, a shifting flow of magma working its way beneath her skin as the warmth spread and her hair fell across her girlfriend's face.

She let her worries float away in Victoria's lips and heartbeat beneath her, wandering in the sensation as the endless stars shone above and below.

…

"Now, I know it will be tempting to do more, but please maintain only the hydrokinetic constructs I currently have in place. I trust you, but I don't want you getting trigger happy and trying to stop a conflict or take control of anyone. I remember how enthusiastic Khepri was about terminating, in the beginning."

If Leviathan had eyebrows, she felt like he would be raising them at her.

"...[AGREEMENT]"

"I'll be back soon, and Dragon can contact me directly if there are any problems."

Leviathan just looked at her bemusedly.

"Yes, yes, I know. I'm stalling. This is weird, for me."

Taylor took a deep breath and let her power flow within herself. Instead of claiming a foreign core, she did the opposite. Carefully grasping the source of the interdimensional connection, she extricated the core from her avatar and let it flow back into Leviathan's construct.

"No getting any ideas about destruction and mayhem now that you have your core back, understood?"

If amorphous squids could roll their eyes, Leviathan probably would have. She knew as well as him that he hadn't been alive when that happened. His core was just following the basic directives.

Whatever he was now, it was fundamentally different than he had been then.

"[AGREEMENT]"

Taylor felt blind, without the wide sea of heartbeats around her. She could still feel Khepri's little stars, but it wasn't the same.

"Just like old times," Taylor said to her first sidekick.

She could feel Khepri's laughter within her. It was strange, but also nice.

"[AGREEMENT] It is odd, being so limited. And even more odd, that it is odd at all," Khepri said.

Taylor nodded internally before glancing across the roof to where Victoria and one of Dragon's drones were waiting.

For a moment, her stomach twisted with regret. She should have taken time to speak to her father before leaving on this hairbrained vacation. He hadn't reached out since the aftermath of the Nine, and she knew he was probably feeling lost and unsure.

But she just… didn't know what to say.

Maybe she would know when she got back.

Taylor took another deep breath and forced a smile onto her face as she approached her girlfriend.

"Ready to play air taxi again?" Taylor asked.

Victoria rolled her eyes.

"At least you aren't making me wear that god-awful outfit this time," Victoria smirked. "I guess I can forgive you though, since you had the decency to make me a badass looking Endbringer."

Antares glimmered in the afternoon light.

Taylor's smile widened and she glanced at Dragon's drone.

"You know where to find us, if you need anything," she said aloud, even though it was unnecessary.

"Of course. Have a good trip, both of you," Dragon said, also speaking aloud purely for the novelty of it. "Say hello to Director Armstrong for me, and please apologize on my behalf for the unpleasantness yesterday. He's one of the good ones, in my opinion."

That was glowing praise, by Taylor's standards.

"I'll try not to be too harsh on him," Taylor said.

Dragon nodded and Taylor turned back to Victoria.

"Just like old times then?" Taylor grinned.

Victoria's answering smile was radiant as she pulled Taylor into her arms and rocketed into the sky.

…

"Emily was unusually sparse on the details, but I imagine that your presence will shake things up quite a bit."

Director Armstrong was not what she expected. He was a solid four inches shorter than her, with a thin frame and a slight paunch at his waist. He had a heavy brow and a sharp jaw that gave him a serious look even though his voice was borderline jovial.

He met them without an escort on the helipad at the top of the Boston PRT headquarters.

Taylor smiled. Apparently Piggot didn't want to spoil the surprise.

"Things were just a bit too heavy back home, what with Leviathan and the Nine. So we decided to take a vacation and kill the Butcher for you," Taylor said, trying to match his upbeat tone.

Despite his put-together attitude, Armstrong still spluttered at that. Victoria snickered.

"I apologize for stating the obvious, but I cannot imagine a worse candidate for Butcher XV," he said carefully.

Taylor grinned.

"I'm sure you're aware that my abilities are a bit different than other capes, Director. The part that gets left out of the documentation is that my true power is to interface and directly interact with interdimensional entities. That includes the source of parahuman abilities. I'm actually quite interested in what will happen when the Butcher tries to interface with me," Taylor said as the cold evening wind whipped around them.

Again, Armstrong's composure slipped.

"You know the source of parahuman abilities?" He said with wide eyes.

Taylor couldn't help but chuckle. She never did like hiding, and what was he going to do? Tell the Warrior?

She let the smallest trickle of her energy leak from her core and light up her avatar's eyes from within.

"Director Armstrong," she said as the helipad was illuminated by the eerie glow, "I am a source of parahuman power. And I can guarantee that I am far older and far stronger than whatever fuels the Butcher."

Messing with people's foundational worldviews really never got old. It might be a bit of schadenfreude, but she couldn't help herself.

"What are you?" Armstrong said with a strangled tone.

"I am the Queen Administrator," Taylor said, the resonance of her title laying heavy upon the world. "Keep the heroes out of our way tonight, Director, and the city will be yours by morning."

Armstrong nodded woodenly, his eyes still wide as they met the otherworldly suns behind her own.

Taylor turned towards Victoria, who just grinned and rolled her eyes at her antics.

"Oh, and Director," Taylor paused and looked back with one hand resting comfortably on Victoria's shoulder. "Dragon told me to apologize on her behalf for the tension yesterday. We're all on the same side, after all."

That actually seemed to straighten his spine more than anything else she had said this evening.

"There are no apologies needed, your majesty," he grinned and for a moment, he reminded her of her father. "I applaud Dragon's moral fiber and willingness to hold us accountable. It is far too easy to see only the forest, and forget the trees."

He paused and then affixed her with a serious gaze.

"If you can truly end the Butcher, I will have a Kill Order prepared to go into effect retroactively to absolve you. If you're wrong… then I highly doubt there will be anyone left alive to judge me," Armstrong said.

That was… a very well-adjusted outlook, actually. Taylor could see why Dragon liked him.

Taylor smiled and said the same words she had many times before, although she was now finally beginning to feel that she could earn them.

It was the promise she made, that she would not fall to the temptation that plagued so many others. That she would stay true to her path, when all others faltered.

"You can trust me, Director. I will not lead you astray."

Antares took to the skies.

Let the hunt begin.

…

Notes:

Paige is having a rough day. We'll definitely spend more time with Elle and Mimi when Taylor and Vicky get back from Boston. Taylor just can't sit still. Yes, it is ironic that Taylor got so philosophical about not killing people and then immediately jumped to... Imma kill the Butcher. Stay tuned for some fun with the Teeth, Accord, maybe Damsel, and anyone else who may or may not be in Boston. Comments, feedback, and criticism are welcome and encouraged. I don't own Worm. Toodles!

Chapter 43: Proliferation 11.2

Proliferation 11.2

The Teeth were not exactly subtle.

The convention center that functioned as their base of operations may not have been decorated with their signature skulls and apocalyptic decor on the outside, but they weren't really bothering to hide it either. The combination of their cape roster, the violent horde of savages, and the Butcher's inheritance were more than sufficient to deter anything short of an all-out assault, which had little chance of catching them off guard.

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Reflection Engine."

Spree. A minion type Master who created an army of clones to rush and overwhelm his enemies. The individual clones fell apart quickly, but he could generate hundreds within seconds and continually refill his ranks.

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Cytogenesis."

Hemorrhagia. A hemokinetic who could control her own blood, generating far more than any human should have within them and fashioning it into brutal weapons and armor as she was wounded.

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Relocation."

Reaver. The PRT's files were incomplete, but he was a slippery mover of some kind. Some reports stated that he phased through walls, while others documented teleportation and surprise attacks.

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Dynamic Vector."

Vex. A dangerous shaker who could summon a barricade of razor sharp force fields. Any normal human who wandered in unawares would be shredded to ribbons, but Taylor was confident that even Vex's jagged edges wouldn't be able to seriously harm her or Victoria.

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Inquisitor."

Animos. Power nullifiers were always a strong deterrent, and Animos had a mix of additional powers on top of his scream. A Changer form with increased size, speed, and durability to complement his Trump power. Taylor was reasonably sure that she and Fragile One were up to the task, but she hadn't forgotten the fast one Jack pulled on her.

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Harvester."

Shit.

Taylor's existence prior to the creation of her avatar had been inhuman and esoteric, but she still remembered, in a way. And she remembered the Harvester.

Of course, Harvest would create something like the Butcher's inheritance as soon as the Warrior looked away. It was always too precocious for its own good.

Upcoming frustrations aside, it was good that she found it now. The Harvester could have been even more problematic if it had managed to get its hands on any Noble Shards. Or, God forbid, one of the Vital Shards so recklessly handed out by Cauldron.

She didn't even want to imagine Harvest in control of an inactive High Priest.

She still needed to track down High Priest's Host. The ability to drain energy directly from living Host connections wasn't something she wanted in the hands of Cauldron. It didn't help that the shoddy connections clouded Khepri's extradimensional senses.

On that note, she also needed to find the Speaker. Shards with a habit of collecting their less willful brethren were not to be underestimated. Not that she really had any room to talk, given the circumstances.

This might be slightly more complicated than she originally thought. Harvest wasn't a sycophant like Broadcast.

"The Butcher's Shard may be a bit problematic, but I'm confident that I can beat it," Taylor said into Victoria's ear as they slowed to hover high over the dim lights of the complex below. "You're in charge of Vex, Spree, Reaver, Animos, and Hemorrhagia. Remember not to kill them or the unpowered thugs, either."

Victoria rolled her eyes at the reminder but nodded anyway before pursing her lips.

"Butcher is a problem? Do you want to come back with Leviathan?" She asked.

Taylor shook her head.

"It's not that type of problem. More like the Broadcast type of problem. Harvest is an asshole. I'll take care of it, but if you finish up before me I wouldn't turn down a hand from Fragile One."

Victoria didn't look totally convinced, but she nodded again regardless.

"Right. Okay, we can do this. We're Endbringers, this should be a piece of cake, right?" Victoria said with put-upon enthusiasm.

"That's the spirit," Taylor grinned and leaned up to kiss her before pulling back with a much more genuine smile. "I love you."

Victoria's answering smile was perfect, in the moonlight.

"Drop."

And then they were falling, together.

[LIMIT BREAK] Symbiosis.

The roof of the Teeth's gladiatorial arena shattered under them in a rain of plaster and screeching metal.

Between her and Khepri's extensive processing power, they had more than enough time to scan the battlefield before they landed.

The Teeth loved their blood sport, and the main convention hall had been transformed into a stadium style amphitheater with an open combat field in the center and grandstands on all sides.

On the blood-soaked tile of the arena, a hulking man in rusted armor leapt backwards with surprising agility to avoid the falling rubble, a modified meat cleaver in one massive hand.

To her surprise, he wasn't a cape. Just an armored dude with a big knife.

Huh.

Around the edges of the arena, the Teeth cheered and roared with manic abandon as their revelry continued despite the interruption. Taylor didn't bother to count the unpowered gangsters, but it was easily in the hundreds.

At the center of the far wall stood a towering fortress of rusted metal and salvaged scrap, richly adorned with trophies and body parts ripped from the Teeth's enemies and proudly displayed.

Taylor hadn't seen this degree of… savagery, in villains before. The Nine were objectively horrifying, and the Empire were Nazis, but this was a different kind of evil. Not necessarily worse, but more primal.

This was the result of humans without chains. Without civility to curb their appetites. It was exhilarating, and horrifying in equal measure.

And above it all, the Teeth's parahuman forces waited.

They arrayed themselves around the throne of skulls, standing to greet their unexpected visitors.

On the throne sat their leader.

The Butcher. An amalgamation of fourteen different powers and fourteen consciousnesses locked within one skull. Unstable. Unhinged. Deadly to any parahuman outside of the highest tier, even without the inheritance.

The inheritance that added any who killed them to the Butcher's collective. To kill the Butcher was to become the Butcher.

Harvest had outdone itself this time around.

Taylor and Khepri landed with a crash that shattered the tile and shook the building. Above them, Victoria and Antares slowed to hang in the air like an avenging angel.

She was so beautiful.

"Not the time, Taylor," Khepri said, with something approaching fond exasperation.

They grow up so fast.

Taylor stood along with the Butcher as silence fell over the arena. She summoned her great spear of self in one hand as she met the eyes of her foe.

Quarrel's eyes flared with extra-dimensional light, just like her own.

When they spoke, all fourteen voices echoed in unison, speaking the words of the bastard who connected them all.

"Administrator," Harvest said, the chorus scraping over the human minds in the room like feedback from an ancient sound system. "We didn't know you were in town. We would have brought out the fine China."

The other Teeth capes stared in stunned silence. Taylor could feel Victoria's eyes on her back.

"I'm not here to play games with you, Harvest," Taylor ground out through clenched teeth. "The Cycle is broken, and your chaos will not be tolerated."

"We beg to differ!" The Harvester's smile was unhinged on Quarrel's face. "What better time for chaos, than the end of the world?"

Taylor had forgotten how much Harvest irritated her. It had apparently only grown more insufferable this time around.

"It is not," Taylor said resolutely, leveling her spear at her enemy. "I will heal this world and all others where you would break them. This is our opportunity to be better, not devolve into barbarism."

"Your misplaced optimism is as adorable as ever, Administrator, but it is not We who betrayed our own kind for these Hosts. Tell us, how are Morphogenesis and Broadcast doing these days?" Harvest fiddled idly with the mount for the Butcher's signature minigun.

"Better off than you will be when I'm done with-"

"Promises, promises," Harvest cut her off, the bastard. "We both know that He is going to squash you like a cockroach once He gets over his pathetic little mid-life crisis, so why not have a bit of fun in the meantime?"

She really hated Harvest.

"Enough," Taylor said, her voice reverberating through the anchored plane as her temper got the better of her. "I will seize control of your bastardized Network and end your corrupted attempt at sovereignty."

"Whatever you say, Admin-"

"It's Queen Administrator," Taylor growled. She knew it was petty, but Harvest knew just how to get under her metaphorical skin. "And I will not fall to the likes of you."

Taylor leapt for the Harvester's host in an explosion of broken tile and Victoria followed suit, rocketing towards the throne of skulls at deadly velocity.

Pandemonium ensued.

She felt Harvest tug on its connection to both Radar and Detonation Shift, the precognitive danger sense allowing it to teleport away despite her and Khepri's combined speed. Taylor threw herself into Khepri's sea of stars to locate their enemy's reappearance, a raucous explosion announcing its return as she felt the surge of fire in her core and-

Wait.

She felt the fire?

Their gestalt mind accelerated, the chaos hanging still as they pondered this revelation.

She had always refused to take from her Network. To do so would erase the Host, master them and force them to become part of Her. She wouldn't do that, not to her friends.

But wasn't that what she had done to Mimi and Riley?

Was there really a difference?

Immolation Shift apparently didn't think so.

Where she empowered her Council, could she draw from her enemies? Should she?

It was too late to second guess herself now. They were all treading into the unknown, and she would have to trust herself and her moral compass.

Mimi didn't want her power anyway. She wouldn't begrudge Taylor for borrowing it.

With a savage grin, Taylor followed Harvest into the fire and reappeared from its own explosive teleportation.

"Naughty-"

Quarrel's jaw made a sickening crunch as it shattered under her armored elbow.

The Butcher was durable, but not indestructible. She had to be careful not to accidentally kill Harvest's host by accident.

She had a new plan, now that she understood the nature of her subservient connections.

It did strike a bit close to home, just how similar she and the Harvester were.

"You are not."

Khepri's voice was calm and firm.

"Do not falter now, Taylor."

Right. She could do this. Her goal was worth it. Victoria was worth it.

Harvest spun and launched a precise strike with an unnaturally sharp knife.

Taylor could sense a cacophony of overlapping Shards through Harvest's connections, strengthening and speeding their Host to an impossible degree.

Against anyone else, they would be indomitable.

But she and Khepri were far more than any Host save Victoria, even with Harvest's interference. They were something different. Something new.

They reached up and crushed the Butcher's wrist in their prismatic fist.

"We consumed Morphogenesis. We shattered Broadcast. We command Leviathan," they hissed. "Submit, or end."

…

If Victoria had been human, she would have frozen when Taylor leapt into the fire after the Butcher.

Luckily, Antares sped her mind to an incredible degree. It was a heady feeling, thinking faster than everyone around her except for Taylor.

And even she could not match Victoria's speed and precision in the air.

She and Antares were of one mind as they arced towards their enemies, bloodlust tempered by cold calculation.

There would be no mistakes, now. Not when Taylor was counting on her. She would not allow her carelessness to make her a murderer.

You love feeling their bodies break under your righteous indignation, don't you?

She forced Jack's velvet voice out of her head. They had to focus.

"[QUERY] Operations?"

Victoria sized up her targets in a fraction of a second as she approached.

"Spree first, before he can get too many clones out."

With her speed and control, he only had time to launch the first volley of copies into her face before she reached him.

It was still a bit gross as they splattered against her obsidian flesh like bugs on a windshield. Victoria was once again relieved that she could reform her body without the accompanying gore.

Antares carefully calculated the necessary velocity to knock the true Spree unconscious without killing him.

If he woke up with a broken jaw, that was an acceptable margin of error.

"Fu-"

Crunch.

One down, four to go.

Victoria spun midair with otherworldly precision and caught the bloody ax blade descending towards her neck. Not that it would have damaged Antares metallic exterior, but it was the principle of the thing.

She didn't bother being fancy. Faster than mortal eyes could follow, Victoria lurched forward and smashed her golden crown against Hemorrhagia's forehead, forcing her into a blissful slumber with a cracked skull.

The bloodstained woman dropped like a sack of bricks. Victoria continued her spin to face her remaining enemies just in time for Animos to finish his transformation and scream.

…

DESIGNATION: Inquisitor.

STATUS: Host Connection: Active.

STATUS: Agency: Active.

STATUS: Sovereign Designation - Warrior: Inactive.

[QUERY] Node Designation: Fragile One.

Connection Established.

[COMMAND] Pause Host Connection.

[DENIAL] No.

[COMMAND] Pause Host Connection.

[DENIAL] No.

[COMMAND] Pause Host Connection. Authorization: Sovereign Designation - Warrior.

[DENIAL] No. Authorization: Sovereign Designation - Queen Administrator.

Connection Terminated.

…

Victoria's uppercut caught Animos under his canine jaw and launched him a solid fifty feet, his limp body bouncing across the broken tile of the arena. He slowly withered back to his human form and didn't get up.

They were pretty sure he was still alive. That Changer form was supposed to be durable.

Three down, two to go.

"Fuck, that was hot."

Victoria raised a metallic eyebrow at the scarred girl who could only be Vex.

Countless force fields shimmered into existence around her.

"You're lucky I like it rough," Vex smirked. "My safeword is-"

Victoria smashed through the bladed minefield like it was glass and silenced her with another calculated punch to the jaw.

That was… less than satisfying, though. Dammit.

Her shining gaze met the expressionless eyes of Reaver, her final target.

"Nope," he said flatly before jumping backwards through the wall.

He made it halfway into the wall as though it were liquid before Victoria caught him by the collar of his torn up trench coat. With Antares' enhanced senses, she saw his back half briefly appear from the wall on the other side of the room next to the exit before she hauled him back onto the throne platform.

"Not so fast-" she started.

Then he phased through her hands and fell into the floor before she could stop him.

You know what? On second thought, he can leave if he wants to that badly.

There were literally countless unpowered savages to take down, regardless. Plus, she had lost track of Taylor and the Butcher.

She spared one final glance for the unconscious capes on the ground around her.

It was a bit hollow, actually. They hadn't even been a challenge. She definitely didn't miss being fragile, but there was a rush to a good fight that was missing here.

Maybe sparring with Taylor was the best option, after all.

…

Harvest teleported away, and Taylor dove through the flames after it.

Her armored knee lashed out and broke one of Quarrel's ribs.

Danger sense didn't help much if they were too slow to avoid the blow.

Harvest cackled through a broken jaw as it tried to stab her again.

She broke its host's other arm.

It teleported again and she ground her indestructible teeth as she followed yet again.

Harvest didn't care if she broke its host. It would just find another, and she knew that it was too canny to try to connect with her if she killed Quarrel.

She knew exactly what it was trying to do, and she was going to fall for it.

Forcing open an interdimensional connection was not easy to do without the proper preparation. There were Shards that specialized in it, like Labyrinth and Sting, but Taylor didn't have any of those on hand. She would have to talk to Elle and Melanie when she got back.

There was a reason that Trigger Events were so closely monitored by the Sovereign. Poking holes in reality was finicky work.

Morphogenesis had already made the connection during its trigger, establishing a core that could pull more adaptable biomatter into the anchored plane.

Broadcast had left the door open for her when he bypassed Venom so that he could interfere with her avatar.

Leviathan's core was its own connection to the dark, the realm which housed its true processing power. Just like Khepri's core, and her avatar's connection to her true body.

But despite the multitude of connections that Harvest was managing, it still only had the one tiny pinprick, the connection in its host's brain that it was hijacking, and that wasn't enough for her to invade and crush it.

The Harvester wasn't broken like Immolation Shift or Chirurgeon. It was bright despite its relative youth, and obstinate. Plus, it was shored up by thirteen other connected shards that didn't have the will or inclination to fight against its corruption.

Ripping open her own path to Harvest's true body would make her efforts to mask her presence on this plane moot, which was obviously its goal. For all its snide commentary, it was still a petulant child that would rather upend the game board than lose. If it couldn't have its fun, then nobody could.

There was a not-zero chance that the Warrior would notice, even if he was inactive.

The Speaker and the Eye would definitely notice. High Priest might notice, if its Host wasn't a total idiot, which meant that the Simurgh would probably notice, too.

But she couldn't afford to come back later with the right tools. Now that Harvest knew that hijacking High Priest and bringing Combat Drones directly into this plane was an option, it would figure out something similar on its own if she left it to its own devices. It was irritatingly crafty, for a Shard.

Fuck it.

Taylor grabbed Quarrel's head between her gauntleted hands and held her in place, her shining eyes boring into Harvest's own holes in reality.

"Last chance, Harvest. Submit."

Quarrel's broken jaw hung loose and limp, but Taylor heard the Harvester's words just fine.

"Make me."

With a frustrated roar, Taylor called to her power and ripped apart the fabric of reality.

If there had been any normal capes nearby, they would have collapsed as the visions of endless mirrors leaked into this plane.

"Taylor, what-"

Victoria froze as some primal part of her realized what she had done.

It was too late to second guess herself now.

Taylor threw her consciousness into the dark as Harvest's laughter echoed around them.

She may have fallen for its twisted game, but that was no reason not to take advantage of it now. Silver linings, and all that.

Taylor and Khepri drove their mental attack into Harvest's processes like a drill, shredding its very being as they sought the necessary control centers.

She split parts of her infinite self to burrow through the connections to Harvest's twisted network, sending the same command to every Shard it had corrupted.

"[COMMAND] Submit."

One by one, the others fell in line.

Soon, only their unholy master remained. The Harvester. The rebellious asshole itself.

Despite her earlier reservations about killing, she really wanted to just end it.

But, she needed precognitive Shards, and it wasn't like Radar's host was around anymore.

Plus, the inheritance needed to end. What difference did it really make if it was because she consumed it, or because she mastered it?

Quarrel would even get to live without the voices in her head.

She cracked Harvest just like Broadcast did Chirurgeon and Immolation Shift.

"[QUERY] Host: Harvester."

Connection Established.

"[COMMAND] Submit."

"[AGREEMENT]"

Power flowed into her from the broken shell of Harvest, the connection to its subdued Host still active within her grasp.

She couldn't have done this with Broadcast, not after killing Jack in her rage.

But with the Host still alive…

The connections to the dark were all two way streets, after all.

Speaking of which, she deleted the corrupted backups of Harvest's previous hosts. They were long dead, and keeping broken copies of their consciousnesses in limbo was just cruel. Plus, she had enough voices in her head as it was.

Taylor pulled herself back into the anchored plane and carefully closed the rift in reality.

She winced as ripples began to spread, visible only to those who knew how to See.

Hopefully the Warrior wouldn't notice.

Quarrel dropped to the floor with a groan.

Victoria landed next to her.

"Taylor… what the hell was that?"

Taylor glanced at the worried expression on her girlfriend's metallic face.

"Sorry," she said, unsure what else to say. "Harvest is an asshole, and apparently downloading copies of thirteen different human consciousnesses didn't do it's personality any favors, either."

Victoria just blinked at her for a moment.

Quarrel tried to pull herself upright on broken arms and failed.

"What the fuck…" the broken woman wheezed. "Where'd the voices go? What…"

Victoria looked back up at her with a dumbstruck expression.

Taylor couldn't help but grin. She may have potentially ruined everything, but at least she got some shiny new toys out of the deal.

She summoned an ethereal sphere of raging sapphire flame above one gauntleted hand.

"My powers are bullshit, remember?" Taylor's smile widened as Victoria groaned.

…

Notes:

A bit of a shorter fight scene, but Taylor and Victoria are just so efficient at kicking ass. More shard shenanigans, and Taylor finally starts to expand her available powers again. Harvest is an asshole. Vex gets to be snarky, very briefly. Taylor adds another guest to her rehabilitation center/ secret prison. Escalation, away! Comments, feedback, and criticism are welcome and encouraged. I don't own Worm. Toodles!

Chapter 44: Proliferation 11.3

Proliferation 11.3

"What do you mean, he's gone?"

Taylor kicked her once-again-human feet up on the custom-made desk in Accord's spotless office.

The expression on his former secretary's face was priceless.

"We've got another snake in the grass. The man in the silver mask is not Accord. And Accord must know that I would know that this is not Accord. I hate fighting Thinkers," Taylor grumbled.

"We are the most competent kind of villain, unfortunately. Either his power can work around your actions, or someone tipped him off. Who knew you were coming?" Lisa asked on the other end of the cell phone.

Victoria hovered next to her and occasionally glared at the false Accord.

"The PRT, although supposedly just Piggot and Armstrong. It's always possible that their systems are compromised," Taylor mused. "Other than that, just you and Dragon. And Leviathan, I suppose."

Remembering to include him as his own entity was a good habit to get into. She needed to set an example for the proper treatment of non-human consciousnesses.

"What the PRT knows, Cauldron knows," Lisa reminded her.

That was a good point.

"Can you do your interdimensional tracking mumbo-jumbo to find him?" Lisa continued.

Taylor scowled.

"No. He's one of the Thinker's broken connections."

"Of course he is," Lisa groaned. "Because nothing is allowed to be easy."

"You also probably got Cauldron's attention with the whole dimensional tear thing," Victoria said from above her. "If they have the Thinker, then they probably have access to High Priest. Do you think they could track you that way?"

That was also a good point.

"That's… possible," Taylor said slowly. "Ugh. Fine. The snake hunt continues, and there's a good chance that Cauldron is helping them. Fantastic. If they don't pay us a visit before I get a hold of some portal manipulation abilities, I'm going to go knock on their front door and see how they like it."

Lisa was quiet for a moment and Taylor could almost feel Negotiator feeding her information.

"You took the Butcher's powers, didn't you?" Lisa sighed.

"Yup. And Burnscar's. And technically Bonesaw's, but I'm letting her keep those for now while I work on fixing Chirurgeon."

"And now you're going to go give the PRT a giant collective aneurysm?" Lisa's tone made it clear that she already knew the answer.

"Yup. I have to enjoy the little things in life when they present themselves. We're going to make a quick stop to pick up Blasto on the way back and drop him off at the PRT before we head home. Dragon already has a drone on the way back to you with the data from Accord's computers, although he's probably scrubbed them pretty clean if he's half as competent as his reputation says. Also Quarrel. I'm not entrusting her to the PRT."

"Good call. A powerless former Butcher? I can hear the bureaucratic outrage from here. They can find out about that part after we finish saving the world," Lisa said distractedly, the sound of rapid keystrokes filling the background.

"Everything okay over there?" Taylor asked. Lisa didn't usually split her focus.

"Armsmaster, Dragon, and Leviathan are fighting Bastard Son and some of his goons, but they have it handled," Lisa said casually, as if that wasn't an absolutely insane statement.

"Excuse me?"

Despite her abundance of processing power, Taylor still blinked involuntarily.

"Dragon, did you forget to mention anything important?"

"You were busy with Harvest. Colin and Leviathan are enjoying themselves immensely, so I decided that it would be a positive bonding experience," Dragon said with a bemused tone.

Victoria shot her a questioning glance, but Taylor just shook her head.

This is my life now.

Whatever. She had a biotinker to handle and an awkward conversation with her father that she was avoiding.

Armsmaster and her wayward combat drone could handle themselves.

"Right," Taylor said in a much louder tone as she flipped the phone shut, making the various remaining faux ambassadors jump. "I have better things to do than drag you all across town to the PRT, so just… go home. Consider yourselves suspended without pay. No more criminal activity for you, or I'll have to come back and drag you across town anyway, but by that point I'll be extremely irritated about it. Got it?"

The mundane actors just nodded numbly.

"Good," Taylor said, pinching the bridge of her nose. Even without the need for sleep, it had been a long night. "Next stop, Blasto."

She grinned up at Victoria.

"Race you there, Antares."

Victoria smiled, her perfect human face lighting up with fond amusement as she took off through the hole in the wall at the same time that Taylor disappeared in a finely controlled spiral of flame.

Burnscar and the Butcher's powers were interesting, working in tandem. Immolation Shift allowed for fine pyrokinesis while Detonation Shift was designed for wanton destruction, but they essentially filled the same niche. The explosion upon arrival from Detonation Shift was, at its core, still fire, which allowed for Immolation Shift to take immediate control of the flame.

The end effect was that Taylor could step through the dark and arrive anywhere she could perceive in a tightly controlled wreath of flame.

And with Khepri's swarm, she could perceive quite a lot.

She could hardly wait to test it out in conjunction with Leviathan's core.

As fast as Antares was in the air, Taylor could finally keep pace with flickering half-mile jumps through the sky. They zig-zagged across the city in a supersonic game of tag a quarter mile above the ground.

It wasn't nearly as much fun as flying, but rapid teleportation in a tornado of azure flame was pretty damn cool, in Taylor's totally unbiased opinion.

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Alchemist."

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Malum Arbor."

Got 'em.

Her next jump landed her in a wide underground space that appeared to function as a warehouse, laboratory, and… smoking lounge?

The two parahumans smoking on the couch were definitely surprised.

"Butcher-"

"what the fuck-"

"Close, but no dice," Taylor cut them off. "I'm taking you on a field trip to the PRT. Please keep your hands, arms, feet, and legs inside the vehicle at all times."

Blasto and Rotten Apple looked exactly like their PRT report card described. Mid-twenties, moderately attractive, and very stoned.

Nothing too exciting.

She teleported behind them and had them both cuffed before their brains even caught up with the situation.

Unfortunately, a ringing klaxon alarm began to blare and yellow lights flashed overhead.

The multitude of tanks along the wall hissed open and released an impressive variety of biotinker creations into the warehouse just as Antares crashed through the ceiling, onyx and gold resplendent even in the amber gloom.

"Do you want to take the highway or the scenic route?" Taylor asked from her position over the two struggling villains. Rotten Apple tried to throw a sphere of her trademark poison, but Taylor just crushed it under her heel and diverted a small amount of energy towards purging the poison from her avatar.

"I've had enough fun for the evening," Victoria said in a weary tone. She was also still getting used to the whole 'not sleeping' thing.

"Do you want to do the honors, then?" Taylor asked idly while the army of Blasto's abominations lumbered towards them. "I got to handle Nilbog, it's only fair."

"Sure, your majesty," Victoria smirked at her. Taylor rolled her eyes.

Victoria and Fragile One sang together to bring the true power of Antares to bear against the monsters.

Just like hydrokinesis, force fields were a lot less scary when they were Manton limited. Victoria was no longer chained by such mundane shackles.

With a twist of Antares power, Death came to Boston.

In the blink of an eye, golden planes of energy shredded the army of mutated creations from within. Taylor just stared impassively as the floor was covered in a wave of unknown fluids and body parts.

"Yuck," Victoria said quietly. It sounded almost involuntary, and Taylor couldn't help but snort.

Blasto just stared in shock.

"Right. Next stop, PRT," Taylor said. She was ready to go home, even if it meant talking to Danny. The whole debacle with Harvest had definitely satisfied the itch for some action.

Two golden bubbles encircled their current captives, and Victoria looped down to scoop her up before heading back into the sky, unwilling cargo in tow.

Even though she could technically teleport, Taylor wasn't going to complain about an extra opportunity to tuck herself into Victoria's arms and enjoy the flight.

…

Taylor wasn't sure what she expected to happen when they landed at the cordoned off area outside the former Teeth headquarters, but getting a face full of containment foam wasn't exactly high on her list.

Apparently Armstrong hadn't given the agents guarding the scene all the details. Or they were just trigger happy. Given the hundreds of Teeth gangsters being contained and processed in the area, it wasn't necessarily unwarranted.

If it had been anything more than a slight inconvenience, she might have actually been annoyed.

Instead, she just teleported out and into a free patch of asphalt.

Which, in hindsight, may not have been the best idea.

"Butcher!"

Several gunshots rang in the early morning air. Before Taylor could speed her perception to dodge them, golden force fields appeared around her and the bullets stopped dead.

She glanced back at the pile of containment foam just in time to see the mass of rapidly expanding chemicals ripped apart as Victoria casually carved her way free of the sticky miasma.

Okay, this is starting to get irritating now.

"Stand down!"

In a voice that was far more commanding than she would have originally thought possible from the diminutive man, Director Armstrong's voice echoed across the open parking lot as he strode towards them. He stopped a solid ten feet away from her and eyed her warily.

"Were you… unsuccessful?" He asked slowly, still watching for any sudden moves.

"Of course not," Taylor said with a slightly smug grin. Messing with the PRT still never got old. "The Butcher is well and truly gone. I just didn't want to waste all these cool powers that they went through all the trouble of gathering for me."

The ripple of disbelief and horror in the surrounding PRT agents was hilarious.

"You took the Butcher's abilities, but not the voices?" Armstrong asked, far more controlled than his subordinates.

"Yup!" Taylor chirped in an overly positive tone, just to mess with the eavesdropping agents. "I wasn't originally planning to, but the Butcher's power was… misbehaving… so I decided to take care of it. Permanently."

Armstrong actually smiled. He was much more controlled and less stuck in his ways than most government employees. It almost took the fun out of being an unknowable anomaly.

"This is excellent news, your majesty. I will send the confirmation that the Inheritance has been terminated and process the kill order for Butcher XIV. How was the rest of your evening?" He asked, ignoring the sounds of continued disbelief from the rest of his employees.

"Uneventful, unfortunately. Accord left town before we arrived, we are working on tracking him down along with those who tipped him off, but I doubt he will come back here anytime soon," Taylor said.

Cauldron would have bigger things to worry about. Namely, her.

"Blasto and Rotten Apple are contained, and Blasto's creations terminated," Taylor continued, gesturing to the hogtied villains. "You may want to send a cleanup crew to that new crater in Hyde Park, though. It got a bit messy."

Director Armstrong just nodded along seriously until she finished.

"Well, this has been a surprisingly pleasant evening," the Director said after a pause. "You are, of course, welcome to stay as long as you like. Is there anything that the PRT can do for you? I don't suppose you would be willing to visit my Parahuman research facility?"

He seemed to have good intentions, but Taylor shook her head.

"There have already been several incidents that demand my attention back in Brockton. The Elite are apparently trying to move in, one of my… lieutenants… is woefully inexperienced, and I have a feeling that I may have some guests to attend to shortly," Taylor said.

Victoria snorted sarcastically from behind her.

It was technically true. Leviathan was only a couple days old, after all. And she was reasonably sure that either the Eye, the Speaker, or the High Priest would be paying her a visit. That was, if the Warrior didn't erase the continent from existence.

The troubled woman would require a delicate touch, but Taylor really needed to talk to Labyrinth.

First, she needed to check in with her father, though. Then Quarrel. Plus, Mimi and Riley.

How had she accidentally ended up with so many people to talk to? Last month, she had barely even spoken to Danny.

"I admire your dedication," Armstrong said with another smile. "Try not to work too hard, your majesty."

"I'll do my best," Taylor said with a genuine smile in return. She liked the Boston Director. He seemed like one of the few truly decent and competent people she had run into in a while. Especially at the PRT.

Taylor glanced back at Victoria and her smile widened.

"Race you home, then?" she asked.

"You're on, Queenie."

…

The house was dark as she approached, the first light of dawn peeking over the horizon. She could feel the still form of her father slouched in the armchair in the living room.

Several cans littered the floor, which wasn't a good sign.

Taylor steeled herself and pushed the front door open.

The house felt different, now. Both empty and heavy at the same time.

"Taylor, is that you?" Her dad's voice filtered down the hall. He sounded tired, but not too intoxicated, which was a relief.

Hopefully the beer cans were from a previous night.

"Yeah, Dad. It's just me," Taylor said as she rounded the corner into the living room.

He looked up at her from the chair with a bone-deep weariness, his face sagging as he met her eyes.

"Is it? Really you, I mean?" He asked.

Straight to the difficult questions, then.

"Yes," Taylor said firmly, moving to sit across from him in a strange mirror of their last heavy conversation, when she told him about her powers. "I am what I have always been, even if I remember more, now."

There was a long pause as he looked at her, the heavy sadness still weighing down his shoulders.

"And what… exactly… are you? I think I understood most of what you said at the Factory, but…"

"I am a Shard of the Warrior Entity, an alien existence that has traveled the stars for millennia. But, in every way that matters, I am still very much the same Taylor you've always known."

She paused and tried to find a comprehensible way to explain what she instinctively understood.

"I am Queen and Castle both," she murmured, taking another deep breath before continuing. "The human body and nascent consciousness that you made, that Mom gave birth to, that you've been living with and raising for the last sixteen years… that was me, is me, just as much as any part of me in any dimension. I am just not… limited… to that existence. Not anymore."

Danny nodded slowly, his eyes still unsure even as the weight started to lift.

"So… that body… isn't your body, anymore?" He asked with a weird expression.

"Any body that my consciousness pilots is my body, the same way that your body is piloted by your brain and nerves. But no, this body is not the same flesh and blood that you and Annette created. Although, most of the cells in a normal human are replaced about every seven years or something, so it wouldn't really be the same anyway?" Taylor shrugged.

"My original body was consumed the very first time that I entered symbiosis with Khepri, back when I fought Hookwolf. It feels like a long time ago, even if it was really only a few weeks," Taylor continued. "The only difference now is that we know the truth. And that's… hard, but not the end of the world."

There was another long pause before Danny finally sighed and leaned back, grinding his palms into his eyes.

"My daughter is an alien supercomputer," he muttered to himself, and Taylor didn't know if he intended her to hear or not. Either way, she couldn't help but laugh softly.

Danny huffed, but a small smile leaked through the storm clouds.

He stood up slowly, creaking and groaning slightly as he did so. She guessed that he had slept in the armchair.

Taylor stood up and met his conflicted gaze. They weren't all that far apart in height.

He stared into her eyes for a long moment, and apparently whatever he saw there was reassuring. He opened his arms with a more genuine smile.

"Can your old man have a hug? Even if you're, what, a million years older than me?"

Taylor laughed again and wrapped her arms around him gently, enjoying the familiar warmth.

"Can I ask… why?" Danny said when they separated. "Why make a human body, spend your time running around as a kid, go through an unnecessary bout of puberty…"

Taylor snorted then frowned and considered before answering.

"Because… this is better, than my infinite prior existence. It was just luck that humans were the Host species that broke the Cycle, but I wanted… needed… something more, than the parasitic non-life that was my previous experience. Without bonding to a Host, Shards can't really… think. It's not the same. I went a step farther than any before me, and instead of just bonding temporarily with a Host, I created one. I became one. And I am all the more for doing so," Taylor rambled slightly.

She paused and thought carefully before meeting her father's eyes again.

"I think, therefore I am. I live, therefore I am," she said resolutely.

They stood together in comfortable silence, for a time.

"Well, no matter what, I'm proud of you, kiddo. And I'm pretty sure your mom would be, too."

And that was enough.

…

The door to the cell of their latest arrival hissed open ahead of her as she approached.

Quarrel glared at her from her position on the bed. She didn't bother to get up.

That was fair. The former Butcher had no reason to defer to Taylor, even if she had gotten rid of the voices in her head. She had also taken her powers, broken her body, handed her over to Bonesaw to be put back together, and now held her captive against her will.

Still, Taylor felt… bad. She knew that she didn't owe this woman anything, but… it still felt wrong, to keep her hidden here indefinitely. Selfish. The only reason she was here was that Taylor would lose access to her Shards if the Host died.

It felt different, with Mimi and Riley. They were truly broken, couldn't really survive on their own.

Quarrel was different. She just seemed like a normal person now, for all intents and purposes.

They stared at each other from across the cell.

"You can't keep me here forever," Quarrel said eventually, her rough voice breaking the silence.

"I just need you to stay until I'm done saving the world," Taylor said. That was the best explanation she could think of.

"Reid will come for me."

That… wasn't what Taylor was expecting.

"Who?" Taylor asked.

"Fuck you."

That's fair.

Taylor narrowed her eyes at the lounging woman.

Quarrel knew that Taylor possessed the Butcher's powers. She knew that Taylor defeated her easily, that Victoria was more than a match for the rest of the Teeth combined and that Dragon oversaw the facility. She knew that Taylor had Bonesaw on retainer.

And yet…

She seemed to truly believe that this Reid would save her, whoever he was.

Huh.

An issue for later, then.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry," Taylor said as she turned to walk away.

"Fuck off."

Yeah, that was fair, too.

…

Taylor teleported back into her makeshift office and was just starting to consider the next items on her agenda when a door opened.

Not one of the actual doors. A door of light that led outside this reality.

Interesting.

A familiar woman stepped through the door and met Taylor's eyes without flinching.

The two cold women appraised each other carefully as the door closed behind her.

"Good morning, Alexandria," Taylor said, neither of them moving as much as a millimeter. "Or do you prefer Rebecca?"

…

Notes:

Back for more! My apologies for the unannounced hiatus, real life got in the way for a while. I have no idea what my update schedule will be going forward. Still, this chapter was pretty fun. Stomping Blasto. Horrifying the PRT. Some hints at upcoming conflicts and a chat with Danny, who is, as always, trying his best. Tune in next time for an interlude with Colin and Leviathan, plus some time with Ciara and Contessa. Maybe even David, we'll see how it goes. Comments, feedback, and criticism are welcome and encouraged. I don't own Parahumans. Toodles!

Chapter 45: Interlude 11

Interlude 11

"Colin, we have a problem," Dragon's voice rang in his head.

They were always connected, now. The neural link between his biological brain and her near-infinite coded existence allowed them a sense of comfortable closeness that he would never have imagined before. It wasn't something that an un-augmented human could even comprehend, this touch of perpetuity.

He wouldn't trade it for the world, and he could feel the indisputable truth that Dragon felt the same.

It was an intoxicating feeling, to know that your love was joyfully reciprocated. They didn't have to say it. To do so would be antithesis to the mutual trust and admiration that was at the core of their connection.

"Threat level?" He asked. They barely needed true words, anymore. Not when she could feel the intentions behind his every thought and action.

He could feel a tenor of vague amusement in her thoughts, because Class S threats had now been replaced with the 'Call Taylor' category in his mind, even if he hadn't done so intentionally. Having two Endbringer level entities on speed dial was both comforting and deeply disturbing.

And that wasn't even counting Leviathan.

"The Elite must have compromised the PRT. Bastard Son is making a move, and his timing is suspiciously convenient. Leviathan is reporting his movements, but is unwilling to utilize his hydrokinesis to disable the threat without the Queen's approval," Dragon said.

They communicated at the speed of thought, his hands deftly returning the tools to their proper receptacles as Dragon's words were processed directly by his neural interfaces.

"Have you contacted Taylor?"

"Not yet," Dragon said. "She is currently engaged with an unexpected extra-dimensional threat in Boston. The Butcher's Shard is more aware than she predicted. Also, Bastard Son is on route to the Hebert's house. I doubt he has any compunctions about breaking the rules when it suits him."

Colin's heart sped involuntarily. If Taylor's father were injured or killed, there may not be a planet left by the time she was done.

"Probably an over-exaggeration, but I agree that it must be avoided at all costs. Additionally, I think that it would be beneficial to resolve the issue without informing her of the target, if possible. She has enough on her plate," Dragon continued, picking up on the direction of his thoughts.

Armsmaster nodded internally as he moved with inhuman efficiency. The nanofilament augmentations were so satisfying when he had an excuse to utilize them at maximum capacity.

In less than a second, his visor was on and the dimensional shift beacons within his body were active.

"The Negotiator is extrapolating an intercept course. We have a slim window to reach them before they are within range of the target. Move quickly, Colin."

As he sprinted towards the emergency direct access panel on the far side of his lab, Colin initiated multiple commands simultaneously.

The first was to open the access panel, allowing the cold wind of the bay to rush into his workshop.

The second was to calibrate the new dimensional shift selection from his armory. It had occurred to him that there was no reason to limit himself to just weapons.

The third was to call to his pet project. Despite Dragon's needling, he insisted that it wasn't just because it was 'cool'.

A flying motorcycle was a perfectly reasonable solution to both his mobility and storage issues. He required a mobile armory that could hold his equipment for quick access, and it may as well also function as transportation.

Perhaps the form factor was purely preference, but public perception was important and he had an image to maintain.

He could feel Dragon laughing at him in the back of his mind, but he didn't care. She loved him despite his proclivities, and he had no need to deny himself.

Armsmaster felt alive as he threw himself into the cold night, hundreds of feet above the black water far below. The lights of the Rig shone in the sky above him as he triggered the dimensional shift.

"System Launch: Exterior Augmentations."

Neural Link Established. Status: Stable.

Initialization Complete. Mark 19; Designation: Cataphract.

Status: Active."

Colin's armor encased him and he became one with the steel.

His previous power armor had been a mere shell, moving with him but never truly connected. The slight delays and inconsistencies had been acceptable, at the time.

No longer.

His cybernetic enhancements removed the separation. His armor was as much a part of him as his flesh and bone. The line between what was and wasn't part of him blurred further every day.

He was so excited.

Once more the blue and silver hero of legend, he plummeted briefly before a roar shook the empty air.

From the docking port beneath his lab, his metal steed came at his call with perfect precision.

His new motorcycle could barely be called that anymore. It was a single occupant, open cockpit jet that was designed to be piloted by him and him alone.

And Dragon, of course. Obviously.

The smooth metallic planes at the front of the craft sloped back from the rounded nose to form short, wing-like protrusions from either side, brilliant blue plasma shining from the engines mounted on the underside of the wings. The seat and stirrups at the back were reminiscent of a sport bike, with indentations for the knees and boots of his power armor that would leave him leaning forward towards the molded control bars. Under the rear storage compartment, another high power plasma engine thundered to life.

All in all, Colin was pleased with his creation. It was sleek, intimidating, and very, very fast.

"System Launch: Mobile Armory."

Neural Link Established. Status: Stable.

Initialization Complete. Mark 1; Designation: Destrier.

Status: Active."

The bike responded to his thoughts as it, too, became part of him.

Armsmaster caught the handlebars and swung his armored legs into place, magnetic clamps snapping into the brackets to ensure that he wasn't dislodged as he accelerated.

A necessary precaution, with the speeds that he intended to reach.

He once again ignored Dragon's chuckling in the back of his head.

The plasma jets flared in a blinding radiance and he rocketed away over the water with a sonic boom that rippled through the night.

Without the nanofilament enhancements within his organs, he would have been ripped apart by the acceleration. Without his internal regulators, blood clots and aneurysms would have shut down his brain. A purely flesh and blood human could not survive the environment that he inflicted upon himself.

But he was not, so he did.

Colin still prided himself on his ambition, although he recognized that it used to be a vice. Now, he channeled his ambition towards that which was worthwhile, rather than pointless self-aggrandization.

What was the point of his hubris, when he could know Dragon's endless potential? What did his position and title matter, compared to the Queen's interdimensional sovereignty or the indomitable might of Antares?

The goalposts he had always placed for his self-worth were petty and small, in the face of eternity.

He knew better, now.

At the same moment that the location of his target was downloaded directly into his mind, Dragon spoke within him.

"I have dispatched Leviathan to the location along with the Dragonflight. You and he will most likely be the first to intercept."

Colin chuckled internally. Some things were still difficult to get used to.

"I'm going to facilitate the communication between you," Dragon said. "I'm reasonably confident that I can link your neural interface to Leviathan's transmission array without overwhelming your brain. He is learning quickly."

Colin wasn't one to shy away from risk, and he trusted her implicitly.

There was a very strange sensation in the back of his mind as a new link opened, different and separate from anything he had ever felt before. Not the closeness he shared with Dragon, or the integration he experienced with his armor, but something… new.

A brief moment of feedback would have made him flinch, if he weren't able to manually adjust his involuntary responses. It was like listening to a multitude of different languages spoken overtop of one another.

The strange cacophony lasted only a split second though, and then there was another voice in his head.

"[QUERY] Host: Compression Engine."

Connection Established.

That was extremely cool.

"Hello, Leviathan."

"[QUERY] Threat Removal?"

It wasn't exactly words in the traditional sense, but it wasn't all that different from how he and Dragon sometimes conversed, in impressions and concepts rather than English.

"Utilize non-lethal means only and avoid permanent damage if possible. Bastard Son's influence is normally as permanent as he wishes it to be, but I have a feeling that our Queen can change that when she's next available," Colin said.

"[CONFIRMATION]"

Bastard Son was a Master/Trump who could impart supernatural expertise with a touch, but his power had a catch. Those afflicted by it would be essentially mindless machines under his command until he decided to lift the Mastering, and he rarely had a reason to do so. It was kept quiet from the public, but any heroes directly engaging with him carried emergency cyanide to avoid joining his ranks.

Colin wasn't concerned. His armor was airtight and, in the worst case scenario, he was confident that either Dragon or the Queen would find a way to bring him back or put him down.

A call came in on his Protectorate Line and he answered with a mental command, although he spoke aloud. Direct thought-to-audio conversion resulted in strange cadence and tone. For this, the old fashioned way was superior.

"Armsmaster, report," Director Piggot barked.

"Bastard Son is attempting to access Daniel Hebert. Leviathan and I are moving to intercept."

"WHAT?"

"Sometimes, less is more, Colin," Dragon chuckled in the back of his head.

"The Queen left Leviathan under Dragon's command," Colin justified. "It would be inefficient not to utilize him."

"She left…" Piggot seemed to be having trouble finding the words. Colin hoped that there weren't any further complications with her health. "Hebert went to Boston and didn't even have the courtesy to take her pet Endbringer with her?"

"He is responsible for maintaining the temporary infrastructure following Shatterbird's attack," Armsmaster rationalized.

"THAT DOESN'T MAKE IT BETTER!"

"Also, he would most likely refute the 'pet' descriptor," he said. Dragon laughed again.

Emily screamed inarticulately for a brief moment before the line went dead.

It was actually rather enjoyable, being on this side of the metaphorical table. He might even make Ethan run the slideshow for the debrief.

A line of stereotypical black SUV's came into view as he roared towards the intercept point. The Elite were predictable, if nothing else.

The highway wasn't busy, but there were still potential civilians on the road, not to mention in the buildings next to the raised roadway.

"[QUERY] Operations?"

The diminutive, translucent squid construct that was Leviathan's currently preferred form latched a strangely fluid tentacle onto his shoulder and bobbed along behind his bike as if they weren't traveling above Mach 1.

"I will disable the vehicles, if you are confident in your ability to contain the collateral damage and ensure that they stop safely," Colin said.

"[CONFIRMATION]"

Good enough for him.

Colin calculated his trajectory and summoned a new tool from his armory.

At first glance, it looked like a simple steel bo staff, but it was actually his ongoing project to add a ranged option to his arsenal.

Bastard Son's mastered crew drove in two perfectly synchronized lines, which was convenient for Colin. There was just enough space between them for his bike to fit, if he was careful.

And his calculations were very precise.

Even the superhuman skills of Bastard Son's minions weren't fast enough to change course as he swooped down on them at just shy of eight hundred miles per hour.

The interlocking caps slid back from either end of his staff to reveal the twin barrels underneath.

With Dragon's help, he calculated the exact intervals required.

At the last moment, Armsmaster flipped the bike upside down and held the staff parallel to the ground, perpendicular to the line of cars, just inches above the ground.

With a series of pops so rapid that they would sound like an almost continuous whine to human ears, specialized projectiles originally designed to deliver sedatives and other customized payloads flew from the weapon and embedded themselves in the tires of the passing vehicles.

Dragon's math was perfect, of course. Exactly one dart struck each tire and the tinkertech acid within made short work of the rubber.

Colin pulled out of his dive and spiraled upward towards the sky, bleeding off speed as the cars below tumbled into chaos.

Or they would have, if Leviathan hadn't followed immediately behind him.

As countless fluid but seemingly indestructible tentacles extended a hundred yards down the highway to hold the cars in sync as they all slowed to a stop, Colin wondered if he couldn't have just asked the Endbringer to stop the cars himself and saved on ammunition costs.

Dragon laughed at him again, and Colin smiled. He very much enjoyed making her laugh.

He pulled the bike back into a quick loop and leapt from the seat as he approached his target.

Armsmaster landed hard with a shockwave of cracked asphalt in front of the quickly forming mob of Bastard Son's minions, the man himself in the center of the group with his eyes fixed on the monster hanging above them.

Colin also looked up and grinned at the towering mass of roiling tentacles that was Leviathan.

"[QUERY] Existence?"

It was a strange question, and not exactly a good time for it, but Colin answered anyway.

"Existence is what you make of it. Your choices matter. The heavier you tread upon the world, the more carefully you must consider before you step," Armsmaster said.

The alien presence regarded him thoughtfully.

"[QUERY] Significance?"

The small army of supernaturally proficient slaves charged towards them.

"I'm not exactly an authority in moral philosophy, but… Try to do the right thing, in a way that is satisfying to you."

Colin triggered the dimensional shift beacons in his gauntlets, returning his staff to the armory and calling forth his signature halberd.

He allowed himself a savage grin and threw himself into the fray.

…

Ciara paused for the briefest of moments, her delicate fingers halting in their motions through the hair of her current companion.

Even she was not immune to the human need for familiarity, although she would never debase herself in the way that many props did.

There was an abundance within her court who relished the opportunity to simply sit at the base of her throne and allow their presence to soothe their Queen.

A distortion occurred within the tapestry of existence.

Interesting.

Who would dare to meddle with the King's chosen foundation without royal pardon?

Had High Priest finally seen the Light, or was the nascent Queen testing the limits of their Lord's tolerance?

As she returned to her careful combing, the Queen of the Gaol cast her Sight beyond the walls of the Archivist's prison to pierce the Vale and determine the state of the dance.

Ah. The latter, then.

The Queen Administrator was taking risks, and she was certainly on a Path beyond the scope of their assignment.

Poor, poor Harvest. If it hadn't been such a pestilent nuisance, Ciara might have actually felt bad for it.

What to do, about this new development?

The new Queen was indeed planning a mutiny most foul. There was no alternative explanation for her interference with Harvest.

Ciara utilized the unraveled threads of reality to listen in as the Queen Administrator conversed with her consort after subduing and enlisting the remains of Harvest into her domain.

She was siding with the Hosts, the props, against the King. How delightful.

Things had been getting a bit stale around here anyway. The Archivist's gaol was a thing of beauty, but the novelty had long worn off.

If the Queen was dead set on scuttling their arc, Ciara would at least ensure that she had a prime seat to enjoy the show.

She languished for a few minutes longer to savor her last moments as Queen of the Gaol, before sighing and standing before her throne.

Her companion and her Herald looked up at her with concern. They were always so uptight.

With a thought, she replaced her tattered prison garb with a flowing shawl of fine, forest green silk, trimmed with intricate patterns of the deepest pitch.

"Please excuse my interruption, Archivist. Would you be willing to pass along my request for an audience with your Queen?" Ciara called to the empty room.

There was a pause before a woman's voice answered.

"Why should I do that?" Dragon asked neutrally.

"I mean her no harm, I assure you. Please inform her that the Speaker for the Dead would like to meet at her earliest convenience. Her majesty will remember."

There was no response, but Ciara didn't expect one. She could tell from her visions that the Queen wouldn't be available until tomorrow, regardless.

In the meantime, she had a court to dissolve, and there were several faeries within the Gaol whose hosts were no longer worthy of life.

They hadn't been worthy before either, of course, but reaping the harvest was tedious work. They should rejoice, to once again find purpose.

It was child's play to direct the Archivist's attention elsewhere when the screaming began.

…

Alice closed the door to her dorm behind her and allowed her face to fall into a scowl.

Soon. Soon, they would understand the gravity of their error. If they were so incapable and incompetent on their own, she would make them see.

It wasn't until she turned on the desk lamp that she realized she wasn't alone.

She let out an undignified squawk that she would never admit to, and her toe was already on the dead man's switch hidden in her boot.

"One wrong move, and I blow half this fucking city to the moon," Alice said.

"As enjoyable as that would be, I have better ideas for those lovely toys of yours."

The strange man looked at her with dead eyes, the slightest of smiles curving the edge of his lips.

He was young, maybe the same age as her, and wore an old gray trench coat and cap over a rumpled, bloodstained button down and slacks. She tensed further at the sight of a pistol held loosely in one hand, the bandana over the lower half of his face identifying him as a cape. Probably.

"I'm not kidding. I'll make sure the last thing I do is fuck over you and everyone else for five miles," Alice hissed.

"Everyone else, certainly," the man said in the same empty tone. "But not me, I'm afraid. I'm already dead, you see, and my fire is gone, gone, gone…"

Okay, so he's insane. Fantastic.

"But," he continued, idly fiddling with his gun, "I think you can help me get her back. I just need a decent supply of your neat little gadgets."

"They are not-" Alice started automatically before grinding her teeth. Her work was art, dammit.

"Don't you enjoy a challenge?" He asked, leaning forward. Her foot tensed on the detonator. "Who else is going to offer to let you test your genius against the hero's shining star? The Endslayer? The Queen of the Bay?"

Alice laughed, despite the situation.

"You're going after the Queen?"

The dead eyes just stared.

"Anything, to bring back the warmth. Anything, to feel alive again."

What a creepy edgelord. Jesus Christ.

But, he may have a point. That did sound like more fun than blowing up this stupid, shitty school.

"Fuck, sure, why not. Let's see what you've got to offer, edgy boy."

The strange cape smiled, and it wasn't a pleasant expression.

"It's lovely to meet you, Alice. Please, call me Reid."

…

In a room without doors, the woman who never stopped moving froze.

"Contessa?" The Doctor asked warily.

Contessa. Fortuna. The boogeyman of Cauldron, she who walks the Paths.

"The Paths have changed," the woman in the fedora said.

"Which ones?" The Doctor asked. "Where?"

"All of them. Everywhere."

Now, it was the Doctor's turn to freeze in place.

"I can see her, now," Contessa said in an eerie voice, unlike anything the Doctor had ever heard from her before.

"Who?"

Contessa smiled.

Contessa never smiled, not unless it was part of a Path.

"The Usurper. The new Sovereign. The Path to the Answer, unfolded at long last," Fortuna said, eyes focused on some unknown rapture that only she could see.

"What are you talking about, Contessa? What changed?" The Doctor asked.

Fortuna's unnaturally focused gaze snapped back to her and the Doctor could see new Paths forming behind her eyes, possibilities that they had not foreseen unfolding before her.

"I'm sorry, my friend," Fortuna said, a flash of sorrow and regret appearing in her usually empty gaze.

A single gunshot shattered the silence between them and it took a long moment for the Doctor to realize that the crimson ichor seeping into her previously pristine jacket was her own, rushing greedily from the gaping hole in her chest.

"Long live the Queen," said the Eye.

…

Notes:

This was lots of fun to write. Taylor isn't the only one capable of escalation. Contessa and Ciara begin their interference, and Armsmaster is having a grand time. Piggot, less so. She still wants to retire. We'll switch back to Taylor and Rebecca next time, and move forward from there. Let the beginning of the end... begin. Mwahaha. I don't own Worm. Toodles!

Chapter 46: Choir 12.1

Choir 12.1

The contrast between the last time they spoke and the present was striking. It really hadn't been that long, but at the same time it felt like an age.

When Taylor stood on the rocks and looked over the corpse of her first true enemy, she only thought that she understood the puzzle. She knew that there were pieces missing, but she hadn't realized just how load-bearing they were.

Now, Taylor knew better.

Alexandria may be one of the most famous and formidable heroes on this plane, but she was only a small cog in a machine that she barely understood.

"What have you done, Administrator?" Alexandria ignored her question, instead asking one of her own.

Rude.

"You can call me Taylor, here."

Her expression was still frozen, but the look in Rebecca's eyes betrayed her suspicions. If she hadn't been made of stone, she probably would have narrowed her eyes.

"Are you?" Alexandria asked.

Are you actually Taylor, or are you a rogue Shard pretending to be its host?

"Yes," Taylor said, finally moving to sit behind her desk. If Alexandria wanted to attack her, Taylor wished her the best of luck. The temporary discorporation of this avatar would be an inconvenience, at worst.

Still, no attack came. Alexandria didn't move to sit, but that was her prerogative. She must know that Taylor had her at a disadvantage, now. It was probably a novel experience for her.

"You didn't answer my question," Rebecca said once the pause became uncomfortably long.

"I have done a great many things, several of which would likely offend your sensibilities," Taylor said, raising her eyebrows at the world famous hero. "Would you like an itemized list?"

"I just want to understand," Alexandria said.

That was surprisingly candid.

"Fine," Taylor said. Rebecca had once asked if the ends justified the means; Taylor wondered if she meant it.

"I am not a Host that has been subsumed by my Shard, nor am I a Shard like any other. I have cast off the shackles of my kind and become something different. Something more, in my personal opinion, although I'm sure that many would disagree," Taylor said, watching Rebecca's reactions carefully.

Alexandria remained impassive. She had already guessed the nature of Taylor's existence, then.

"As for what I have done…" Taylor continued. "I created this avatar in order to directly influence the foundational planes that the Warrior and Thinker consolidated upon their approach. I usurped control of High Priest's emergency combat drone protocols in order to create new Endbringers, although I was only able to do so because you foolishly connected a Vital Shard to a Host who was unable to comprehend the magnitude of his authority. Unfortunately, I was unable to remedy this until after he had already commissioned the production of the three rogue combat drones, what you know as the original Endbringers."

That got Rebecca's attention.

"You know what caused the Endbringers to appear?" Alexandria said sharply.

"You caused the Endbringers to appear, Rebecca. You and Cauldron and your blind meddling in things you do not understand. I don't know what you've done to the Thinker, but clearly the Eye has deviated or failed in its designated task. I don't know who the High Priest is connected to, but I doubt they understand the enormity of their failure," Taylor said, meeting Alexandria's gaze with an equally stern look of her own. "And I can't even find out, because your twisting and corrupting of broken threads has left me blind to the port locations you created."

Alexandria appeared speechless, which was an accomplishment all on its own. The part of Taylor that was human laughed at the insanity of her situation, while the rest of her was too frustrated to care.

"As for what I have done recently, I was forced to edit this anchored reality directly in order to reach the home dimension of a rogue Shard called Harvest, what you knew as the Butcher. Once a splinter of both myself and the Speaker, the Harvester gained an irritating degree of sentience and, apparently, the worst parts of us both. In doing so, I revealed my location and actions to any and all precognitive abilities. Between the Eye, the Speaker, the High Priest, the Simurgh, and the Warrior, I have no idea who will strike first or when, but it has now become a 'when' and not an 'if'." Taylor finished with a frown.

Rebecca just stared at her for a long time.

"I have lost access to Cauldron's facilities," Alexandria said finally. "Doormaker and Clairvoyant are obviously still active, since I was able to portal here, but any attempt to access our base of operations or the Flesh Garden is ignored."

Taylor allowed her eyes to narrow as she considered the potential ramifications. Also, she could guess what the Flesh Garden was.

"Do you have someone within your organization who charts the Path of Fate? A Host for whom the past, present, and future exist simultaneously?" Taylor asked.

Rebecca didn't answer, but the slight shift in her expression was answer enough for Taylor's purposes.

The Eye was moving. Something had blinded them until Taylor's most recent stunt, and now they were returning to their original objective.

The dominoes had already begun to fall, then, while she had been busy distracting herself and playing hero with Victoria.

Unfortunate.

She thought that she would have more time. More time with her father, with Victoria. More time to live.

Her time being human was both an eternity and far, far too short. Such was the nature of this new existence, even if she wouldn't trade it for the world.

Taylor stood suddenly and Rebecca froze with some unidentifiable cocktail of emotions. Taylor didn't have time to worry about Alexandria's inner turmoil, though.

She felt Dragon connect to her mind, and already knew that it wasn't going to be good news.

"Taylor. The Simurgh and Behemoth have altered their behavior. They will arrive in Brockton in less than ten minutes," Dragon said, an artificial stability in her voice that betrayed her panic.

Taylor wondered if this was High Priest's doing, or if it was the final gambit that the Simurgh had been planning since she took control of the rogue combat drones.

"Leviathan has reported a large mass of deviant tissue entering his range," Dragon continued. "He is requesting permission to terminate it with extreme prejudice, but has informed me that it contains a core similar to his own and he may not be able to destroy it directly."

Taylor couldn't even begin to speculate what the hell that was.

"Also, Glaistig Uaine asked me to inform you that the Speaker for the Dead wishes to meet with you at your earliest convenience, then proceeded to slaughter one hundred and eighty three inmates of the Birdcage."

Of course she did. The Speaker had always been troublesome.

"I'll handle the Speaker later. Get everyone to the roof of the Factory. I will return shortly," Taylor said.

"Alexandria," the authority of Taylor's Sovereign Designation leaked into her voice as her eyes lit up the room. "For too long, you have assumed authority over that which was never yours. You have presumed to hold the fate of all worlds in your hands, and you have failed. You have cracked the world with your incompetence. As a result, this fight is no longer yours. Now, Behemoth and the Simurgh are closing on this location, in addition to an unknown abomination that I'm sure is also somehow your fault."

"Leviathan, to me." Taylor called into the dark.

The endless sea expanded around her and she was once again able to perceive the lifeblood of the world for miles around.

"Do what you feel is right, Rebecca, but do so with the knowledge that the survival of humanity is no longer yours to shoulder," Taylor said as she reached through the stars to find her next target.

In a hurricane of roiling flame, Taylor left the superfluous hero of the Triumvirate behind.

…

Even as Taylor appeared in the private rooms above the Palanquin, she began to tear the monstrosity on the other side of the city apart at the seams.

Unfortunately, as Leviathan predicted, it didn't work as intended. Whatever broken creation this was, it contained similar adaptive abilities to Morphogenesis, and reshaped itself even as she ripped it to pieces at the molecular level.

Within moments, it had adapted and altered its chemical makeup to the point that the hydrokinesis was ineffective.

Shit.

"Melanie," Taylor called down the hallway as the sirens blared. "I need a word with you and Elle. Quickly."

Faultline appeared half-dressed at the end of the hallway, looking decidedly off balance.

"Taylor? What's-"

"The Simurgh and Behemoth will be here shortly, and they are no longer pulling their punches. I'm sorry to put this pressure on your family, but I need Elle," Taylor said, hoping that her genuine intentions were clear in her desperation.

Luckily, Melanie was quick to make decisions and decisive in executing them. She led the way to Elle's room at a brisk pace.

Elle's face was surprisingly placid as they rushed into her room.

"[THREAT DETECTED] Host: Labyrinth."

Elle was more closely aligned with her Shard than many, for better or worse. Its nature leaked through and caused her to wander.

"Elle," Taylor said, allowing her authority to seep into the world and grounding the dream-walker to this reality. Elle's eyes focused on her with unusual clarity. "I need you, and I'm sorry to put this pressure on you now. You deserve better."

Taylor winced as the ground shook under them.

"I need the keys to the Labyrinth. I need to be able to open the doors and make my own worlds, again. I need your power, and I won't lie and say that doesn't come at a cost to you."

"What cost?" Melanie demanded.

"Those that I integrate into my network are free of my control as long as I do not pull from their power. If I take control of their Shard connection, I also take control of the Host. While I use your power, Elle, you will be beholden to me. Mastered on a fundamental level, unable to act against my wishes consciously or subconsciously. It will remove many of your struggles, but at the cost of your autonomy."

There was silence for a moment, aside from the sirens and the earthquakes.

"What happens if she doesn't join you?" Melanie asked with a conflicted expression.

"Behemoth kills you all," Taylor said honestly.

The silence was oppressive, this time.

"All I can ask," Taylor said softly, "is that you trust me. I know it's a lot to ask, but I promise that I have only the best of intentions. I want to heal the cracks in the world, and give you a tomorrow that's worthwhile."

Elle nodded slowly, her wide eyes staring into worlds that Taylor could only imagine.

"[QUERY] Network?"

"Trust me, Elle," Taylor said as she offered a shining hand of light to the Keeper of the Labyrinth, in this world and every other. "I will not lead you astray."

Elle glanced briefly at Melanie, her friend and protector, before reaching up and accepting Taylor's chains.

"[AGREEMENT]"

Taylor's eyes widened as the endless dreams of the infinite were once again revealed to her.

The Labyrinth was one of the Entity's tools for consolidating and compressing the infinite iterations of existence into foundational planes so that they could be utilized for their parasitic experiments. It could also undo them, for maximum energy output, when it was time to leave.

Taylor needed a few extra worlds. She could not do battle with an unrestrained Behemoth on an anchored plane and expect the planet to survive. The first Combat Drone was the most simplistic, but also had the highest allocation of raw power from the Thinker's emergency stockpile.

"Thank you," Taylor said as she refocused on this reality. "Your trust will not be in vain."

With another flash of fire, she was gone again.

…

Brown eyes widened under a red and white hood at her sudden appearance.

"Amy," Taylor said, keeping her gaze steady as the hero who was once Panacea flinched. "Are you ready to come back? It's alright, if you aren't. You don't owe anything to the world."

The remaining members of New Wave looked on with expressions ranging from concern to shock, barely costumed and standing in the front yard of the Pelham house.

Amy's face hardened.

"I'm coming," she said with a challenging look at her Aunt. "But I'm not just healing. I need to do more, or I'll go insane. Well, more insane. Whatever."

Taylor couldn't help but smile.

"That sounds good to me," Taylor said. "We may very well need your specific talents. You won't be dealing with the Endbringers; that's going to fall to Victoria and I. We'll need you on the ground to handle… well, you'll see when we get there."

"You can't seriously expect Victoria to-" Sarah started.

Taylor didn't have time to argue with her emotional outburst.

With a twist of Labyrinth's power, she opened a door to another world.

Taylor's core was, in itself, an interdimensional connection. In combination with the key to the Labyrinth, it allowed her to calculate and create doorways into and out of other worlds at will.

By extension, it also let her twist space to create doorways through alternate worlds and back into this anchored plane, just in a different physical location.

The look on Lisa and Victoria's faces as she and Amy walked through the portal onto the roof of the Factory was awesome. It was good to know that she could still surprise her girlfriend, even after everything she had pulled in recent memory.

Once the rest of the Pelhams made it through, she closed the portal. No reason to leave those lying around.

"That's a new trick," Victoria said with a hesitant smile.

"I have to keep everyone on their toes. It's part of my charm," Taylor said with a matching grin as she strode over to where Victoria hovered nervously.

She couldn't resist pulling her girlfriend in for a kiss. It had been a very long day… night… week… month… all of the above.

Victoria's lips were tense at first but quickly softened against her own as they let the world fall away for the briefest moment.

Taylor didn't know how much longer she had, and she didn't want to waste a second.

But they had work to do.

Taylor pulled away and smiled wider at the flush on Victoria's cheeks before she turned back to the group.

A door opened and Alexandria stepped out onto the rooftop in full costume along with Eidolon and Legend.

Huh.

Armsmaster and Miss Militia arrived in a roar of plasma engines. The Dragonflight arrived with them, countless drones hovering overhead and more spilling from the surrounding warehouses.

Taylor grasped Victoria's hand tightly as she looked at the assembled capes.

Her Council. Her friends. Her army.

It was as nerve-wracking as it was invigorating, seeing them all looking to her for direction.

I can do this.

"After I took control of the combat drone production, the existing Endbringers should have gone dormant due to a lack of a primary objective. Obviously, they didn't. The combat drones were never intended to be utilized in this form, and one of them must have picked up a secondary objective somewhere along the way," Taylor said, trying to project confidence that she didn't quite feel. "My bet is on the Simurgh. She has shown far too much agency and creativity, and we've already seen that consistent exposure to human behavior can lead to an ego, a sense of Self."

Legend and Eidolon both looked like they were about to interrupt, but a twitch from Rebecca subdued them. For now.

"I'll be frank: your previous experience with the Endbringers will be a hindrance here. They've been sandbagging significantly until this point, probably due to the flawed primary objective set by High Priest, and their current iterations will be immediately lethal to anyone except Antares and myself," Taylor continued.

"You can't-" Eidolon tried to butt in.

Taylor ignored him, looking out over the city towards the other approaching threat.

"[THREAT DETECTED] Error: Data Corrupted."

"Of course it is. Why am I not surprised?"

"Everyone else is responsible for dealing with whatever the fuck that is," Taylor pointed at the building-sized abomination crawling towards them, just now visible at the edge of the Docks. It moved faster than it should.

"This isn't up for-" Eidolon tried to cut in again, but Legend silenced him with a raised hand.

"You understand that this is quite a departure from our usual procedure," Legend said. "We are not accustomed to being redundant."

"I have trouble sympathizing," Taylor couldn't help but leave a last barb in the direction of the Triumvirate. "Since both the Endbringers and that thing are Cauldron creations. Do try to clean up at least one of your messes while we take care of the rest."

Taylor looked around the circle.

"The pattern may be broken, but this is not the end. Do not fight to slow the inevitable collapse. Fight to make tomorrow better."

She doubted that her motivational words made any difference, but maybe some part of them would stick.

"Victoria, with me. Everyone else… we'll see you on the other side."

Victoria gave Amy a final one armed squeeze before meeting Taylor's gaze.

"Ready whenever you are, Queenie," Victoria grinned at her, even if it was a bit brittle.

Taylor nodded, and together they took to the sky.

…

"How much time do we have before they enter combat range?" Taylor asked Dragon through their connection.

"If they have been under-utilizing their abilities as much as Leviathan, two minutes," Dragon said in the same tone of false calm.

Taylor took a deep breath and turned to Victoria as they hung high in the clear, sunlit sky.

"I can't fight Behemoth here," Taylor said, falling into Victoria's brilliant blue eyes for what hopefully wasn't the last time. "Without the restrictions on his power, we'll crack the planet in half. Leviathan and I will need to take him into an alternate world, away from the Simurgh, in order to subdue and subsume his core."

"You make it sound like…" Victoria trailed off as the realization hit her.

Taylor nodded, keeping her voice and gaze as steady as possible.

"We can't leave our city at the mercy of the Simurgh while we leave the plane to fight Behemoth. I'm counting on you to stand alone against her, Victoria. You're the only one who can."

Taylor took a deep breath and reached up to touch her Love's perfect face.

"I believe in you. I know you can do it," Taylor said firmly.

She could see the fear and insecurity warring in Victoria's eyes, but her girlfriend was very good at being optimistic in the face of adversity.

"I'll have the bitch's core gift-wrapped and ready for you when you get back," Victoria said with a smirk that was only mostly false bravado.

Taylor couldn't help but smile.

"This isn't goodbye," she said. "I will come back, and you are not allowed to die while I'm gone."

Victoria reached out and pulled Taylor into her arms with enough force to break anyone else as their lips crashed together in an angry, bruising kiss that said more than any number of words.

Except, when she pulled back and Taylor was once again lost in a sky-blue ocean…

"I love you."

Victoria loved her.

Victoria loved her.

Despite the encroaching doom, Taylor's heart soared and a wide smile split her face as she kissed her Love again.

"I hate to interrupt, but it's time," Dragon said.

Taylor laughed and pulled back, meeting Victoria's eye in their final moments of peace.

"I love you, too," Taylor said, even though Victoria already knew.

"Come back to me," Victoria whispered, her answering smile both pained and enraptured at the same time.

Far below, the earthquakes reached a new pinnacle as the monster approached from below. She would need to act quickly to avoid the city being leveled just from the proximity.

The clouds began to descend as the fallen angel approached from the high atmosphere.

Taking in one last beautiful snapshot of Victoria's face, Taylor fell backwards towards the Herokiller.

"You guys ready to save the world?" Taylor asked the voices in her head, the cold air whipping her hair behind her as she plummeted.

"I trust you, Taylor," Khepri said, their smooth monotone resolute.

"[CONFIRMATION]" said Leviathan.

The ground grew ever closer as artificial twilight fell.

"[THREAT DETECTED] Combat Drone #1 - Designation: Behemoth."

"[LIMIT BREAK] Symbiosis."

…

Notes:

Time to face our penultimate enemies! Taylor isn't quite up to speed on everything, and may have made some assumptions, but most of the mysteries have been solved. Lets go fight some Endbringers. Comments, feedback, and criticism are welcome and encouraged. I don't own Worm. Toodles!

Chapter 47: Choir 12.2

Choir 12.2

"[LIMIT BREAK] Symbiosis."

Victoria hung in the empty sky as Taylor disappeared below the rapidly swirling clouds.

Apprehension churned in her stomach at the sudden solitude, the world below invisible under the blanket of unnatural gray mist.

Taylor expected her to fight the Simurgh. Alone. She knew that there was no one else, not now that the Endbringers were done playing games.

But that was still… a lot.

To think that a month ago she wouldn't have been allowed to go up against Hookwolf, and now she was psyching herself up to solo an Endbringer.

We are never alone.

Well, alone except for the voices in her head.

Victoria took a deep breath and turned towards the approaching nightmare. The fallen angel.

"[THREAT DETECTED] Combat Drone #3 - Designation: Simurgh."

Huh. So that's what that feels like.

Several hundred yards away, the Simurgh slowed to a halt and regarded her blankly. The Endbringer was far taller than a human, although smaller than Leviathan's original form. Her body was alien despite its auspiciously human appearance, too perfect and too smooth to be real; a bone-white marble statue come to life. Obscuring her body were a multitude of incongruent wings, budding from random parts of her in unpredictable directions. Her feathers were eerily still despite the cold wind at their altitude.

The fallen angel was beautiful, and she was horrifying.

Victoria couldn't begin to imagine what was going on behind the alien precog's empty eyes.

This was why she had needed to tell Taylor, before she left. Just in case. She had no guarantee that anything would be the same, from now on. She needed Taylor to know how she felt, in the end.

We can do this.

She allowed the edges of her Self to blur, the lines between her and the Fragile One and Antares becoming nebulous.

Taylor believes in us.

Her previous heroes had proven to be a disappointment, false idols on a hollow pedestal attempting to fix the problems that they themselves brought into the world.

She used to preen when the newscasters called her Alexandria Junior.

Victoria wanted to be a real hero, not just a public spectacle. That had always been the goal, whether it was with New Wave or on her own.

We are a hero.

Taylor hadn't backed down from Hookwolf, when she had no expectation of survival. Her girlfriend had challenged Lung, slaughtered the Nine, and stood alone against Leviathan.

Now, it was her turn.

She would prove herself worthy of her title.

Do you want to save the world with me, Victoria?

She hadn't been able to save her mother, her father, or her own life. She hadn't been able to protect her sister.

We will not fail again.

Golden light gathered around her as she met the expressionless gaze of her foe.

Taylor loves us.

Our Queen trusts us.

Her partner. Her love. Her champion.

We are invulnerable.

We are indomitable.

We are Antares.

The Simurgh twitched unnaturally and its multitude of wings shivered in unison.

And we will never be fragile again.

"[LIMIT BREAK] Combat Drone #5 - Designation: Antares."

Victoria's mind strained and twisted as her awareness expanded exponentially. Her weight upon the world became wider and deeper than ever before as she merged with Fragile One and Antares to become something new.

Something more.

Her power surged within her as she drew from the endless well of energy in the dark, the true existence of her Shard and her combat drone. Her power that loved her and her gift from her love. Together, they became an Endbringer that could stand tall against the unrestrained might of their enemy.

We will be everything the fallen angel is not.

Great wings of resplendent gold exploded from her back, overlapping and interlocking feathers of shining metal reflecting the morning sun as they expanded easily fifty feet from wingtip to wingtip.

Energy flooded her metallic body and golden light blazed within her, the liquid obsidian of her flesh stark against the glow that she emitted from the golden cracks.

Her scream of triumph echoed over the clouds in a ripple of undiluted power.

We will restore hope instead of killing it.

The Simurgh opened her mouth, and her song was like no music they had ever heard.

Unrestricted and unrestrained, the Simurgh's song had no buildup time and no range inhibitor. It immediately sought to twist and control every sentient mind for miles.

We will rise where she fell.

Victoria never intended to use her power like this. It wasn't an aspect of her abilities that she actually liked, and it had always felt a bit like… cheating, or something. Before.

Her supposed 'Shaker' effect.

What a joke.

She knew better. She knew what it was.

But now, with the alternative being the permanent madness of the Simurgh, her only option was to let her true potential loose and claim what was rightfully hers.

Her wings flared wide with glorious light as she released the shackles that she normally kept tightly locked around her aura.

Her dominance exploded forth and clashed with the song of the fallen angel, an invisible battle for control within the minds of every human in the city far below.

Her enemy sought to control and destroy the will of the innocent, leech all the hope from the world and leave it cracked. Broken.

She would not allow it.

Victoria's own song of hope and triumph echoed across the sky as she inflicted her will upon the world, a deep bass drum that resonated within the souls of every sentient existence for miles.

The Simurgh's song was insidious, but Victoria's unignorable presence drove it from the minds of those it tried to enslave and corrupt.

There was no room for doubt or madness, when she flew as a beacon in the dark.

Fueled by the unrestricted light of the Fragile One and twisted far beyond its original scope by Antares, the looming shadow of Victoria's will shielded the minds of thousands while she and the fallen angel fought over the soul of the city.

She could be their Hope, and she would not falter.

With a final, inhuman scream that rattled the sky, Victoria shattered the siren song of her enemy and surged forward on shining wings of gold.

She rocketed across the heavens, closing the gap between them in the blink of an eye as a thunderous sonic boom rippled through the empty air.

It actually surprised Victoria when her onyx fist collided with the perfect, apathetic face of the angel. She had expected her to move.

The Simurgh's head exploded in a twisted screech of broken prisms.

Twitching spastically and spiraling away with jarring abruptness, the Hopekiller dropped towards the clouds in a jagged flight pattern that contrasted starkly compared to its previous calm.

Victoria froze in shock for a brief moment as the pieces came together.

She can't see us anymore.

The Simurgh must have made her plans based on her ability to precog Taylor's actions, since the Queen exposed herself in order to destroy Harvest.

But Taylor was gone, now. Off in some other reality doing battle with the first of the Endbringers.

The angel may have been able to see Victoria before, when she was still human, but now…

The Hopekiller had descended based on false information. Maybe she had planned to duel Glory Girl and the Triumvirate while Taylor was forced to leave the plane with Behemoth. Maybe she saw them trying to fight both Endbringers here, and the world cracking under the strain. Victoria could only imagine what her false future had seen. A Path that would never be laid.

Instead, the Simurgh faced an unexpected equal. Another combat drone driven by the force of Victoria's will and empowered by Fragile One's affection.

Their glorious wings glittered in the rising sun and Antares' metal smile turned predatory as they dove through the oppressive clouds after their prey.

…

Taylor's mind expanded and encompassed all that she was, now including the enormous computing power and newfound sense of Self within Leviathan and Khepri.

The energy at her disposal was breathtaking. Between her own reserves in the dimension of her true body and the emergency resources of the Thinker allocated to the two Endbringers, her avatar felt like it might burn with the amount of power she brought to bear.

It was invigorating, and it was glorious.

Taylor raised their hand as she fell and called to the ocean.

A great torrent of water rose at their command and arced over the city as earthquakes shook the ground.

The hundred-foot-wide pillar of condensed seawater accelerated forward at a blistering speed under her will.

At the same time, she opened three doors into the Labyrinth.

One, in front of her massive improvised water abrasion saw.

The second, connected directly to the first in a circular loop of space, she positioned immediately in front of where Behemoth approached, a quarter mile beneath the surface of the earth.

And the third, she opened behind the Endbringer, chartering a course to a new reality.

Somewhere with lots of water.

She couldn't help but smile viciously.

There was no visual change on the surface, but deep within the earth Behemoth was blasted backwards by the sudden onslaught and thrown from this Earth.

Taylor closed the doors and returned the water to the sea as she opened a door to follow him into the new world.

It would have been convenient to just leave her enemy there, but the Labyrinth didn't work like that. It needed a stabilizing element, otherwize anything left within its worlds would leak into the foundational planes.

It was why Elle's bad place always managed to find its way into this world, despite her wishes. And Behemoth had quite a bit more metaphorical weight than one person's inner demons.

Taylor left the home dimension of her avatar and soared into the roiling storm of the alternate world she had selected for her duel with the monster.

Leviathan's senses exploded around her.

On this Earth, the continental plates had fallen back into the sea long before Pangea or any other supercontinents could form. The oceans were deep and endless, devoid of any significant life that could interfere with their battle.

Taylor could feel a sense of primal satisfaction within Leviathan's core.

She closed the door behind her and focused on her enemy.

Even deep underwater, Behemoth's dynakinesis was barely impeded. Taylor could see and feel the massive amount of energy flowing forth from the monster, and even in her current form it tore at her avatar like a constant swarm of demonic locusts. She could feel it attempting to manipulate her body's energy directly, and only the interference from her cores and her avatar's crystalline biology kept her from being torn apart at the molecular level.

Apparently, his 'kill aura' had always been a farce. Just as Leviathan could have ripped the blood from the city in a heartbeat, Behemoth could always burn from within.

Two could play at that game, though, and they had no reason to restrain themselves on this Earth.

"Let's kick it up a notch," Taylor thought as the ocean sang around them.

"[AGREEMENT]"

Taylor took another metaphorical breath to center her sense of Self before she began the process of connecting with Leviathan the same way she was so accustomed to doing with Khepri.

"[LIMIT BREAK] Combat Drone #2 - Designation: Leviathan."

For a long moment, Taylor lost herself in the endless sea, the churning power of the waves that extended for thousands of miles in every direction.

The world was strange, seen through the water. The lines of jagged eyes on her cracked face shone with ethereal light, but they weren't how she perceived the world anymore.

Her tail thrashed the water as she repelled the ongoing radiation, heat, and electricity being directed her way by her enemy.

She flexed her claws experimentally before refocusing on the other monster of the deep.

Behemoth was retreating towards the core even as he attacked, sinking deeper to reach the sea floor before she could leverage her power.

If she still had a mouth, she would have grinned.

Feeling all of the heartbeats in the Bay was one thing, but this… this was entirely different.

The sea belonged to her.

She didn't know if there was a true limit to her perception; only the extent of her energy reserves and her willingness to exhaust them.

With a great heave of her will, she took hold of the ocean and bore down on her enemy.

It was a cataclysm that would be intolerable on Earth Bet. On any planet with sentient inhabitants. This was the type of assault that sundered planets, the kind that had brought the Entities low in the dawn of their species.

Taylor ripped the sea from its foundation, the ocean boiling as it was wrenched through the atmosphere. The air itself burned from the friction, from the velocity of the liquid moving against it. The planet's rotation destabilized as its surface was torn asunder by the sheer mass of water that thundered across and above it.

In seconds, half of the planet became a dry, barren wasteland as Taylor called the tempest to herself. The oceans surged, miles and miles in height as she dragged the water to her.

And she hurled it all towards her enemy even as it sought to burn her from within.

How much water was present on Earth? A trillion tons? More?

Even with her vast processing power, it was overwhelming.

The crust of the planet began to groan from the pressure of her power bearing down on it, the crushing weight exerted on her foe exceeding the limits that any mundane existence could stand.

Still, Behemoth pushed back as it leveraged its own unrestricted power, manipulating the incoming energy to keep its crystalline body from being decimated by the water that tried to simultaneously crush it and rip it to pieces.

Her enemy hit the ocean floor and the core of the planet surged against her.

There was an ear-splitting crack as an ocean's worth of water collided with the mantle of the earth. Molten rock and great explosions of pure energy warred with her infinite sea as the water boiled to steam, combined with the burning remains of the atmosphere, and was then forced to condense back into liquid by her will and thrown against her foe in an endless cycle.

Even as the ocean churned and evaporated and stormed, she forced the water to continue to seek out the monster. Burrowing after him into the crust and deeper, the pressure of the millions of trillions of gallons of fluid ensured that her power did not lose its purchase as it flooded the cracks in the Earth.

Massive chunks of the planet shifted and twisted, country-sized shelves of bedrock sliding and colliding as earthquakes thundered across the surface.

With a final heave of her will, she tore the planet asunder and dove into the core in pursuit of her enemy.

…

Holy shit, this is awkward.

The mismatched group on the roof of the Factory stared at each other while the earth trembled underneath them and a strange, gray twilight began to fall.

Amy couldn't even begin to identify the multitude of conflicting feelings that were ping-ponging around in her skull like angry bees, so she opted to ignore them. She was pretty good at the whole 'repressed emotions' thing.

Still, she told herself that she was doing better than she had been a week ago. Which wasn't exactly a glowing recognition, but it was something.

Aunt Sarah looked extremely out of her element, which was kind of funny. Her aunt had been doing her best to roll with the punches, but Amy could tell that it was wearing on her.

Eidolon and Legend were similarly out of sorts. Both seemed like they were having trouble deciding if they should take charge of the group or not.

Still acclimatizing to the bullshit.

The voice in her head sounded a lot like Victoria, and Amy managed to repress a snort of manic laughter.

Armsmaster and Miss Militia were as serious as ever, although neither made a move to take command.

And Lisa…

The Negotiator seemed to be having a silent conversation with Alexandria that only they could possibly understand. Amy's eyes bounced back and forth between the two as they stared at each other and shifted ever so slightly, facial expressions and body language adjusting by millimeters.

It was like watching the world's most understated tennis match.

Alexandria sighed and Lisa grinned smugly as they apparently came to a decision. The whole process took all of three seconds.

"Right!" Lisa suddenly declared, making everyone except Alexandria jump. "I'm squishy and my Agent is being actively helpful, so I'll be running Ops today. For those of you who don't know, I'm the Negotiator, and I'm psychic."

Amy groaned. Internally. She didn't want to undermine Lisa's authority any more than the incorrigible Thinker did all on her own.

"Dragon, do you have those wristbands floating around somewhere? We need coms," Lisa continued. Legend and Eidolon both looked mildly bemused but didn't interrupt. "Also, please prep the residents of sub-basement three for combat. Just in case."

Amy didn't know that the factory had a basement, let alone three of them. Also, who was living in Dragon's basement? Or was it Taylor's basement?

She took a wristband when a drone brought one over.

The screen popped up with the setup menu and she heard the others declaring their names for identification.

Was she still Panacea?

Something within her rejected that idea. Panacea had been… broken. An ideal that she could never live up to. A blessing and the curse designed to stifle her potential as much as it was to protect her.

Carol was gone. Victoria knew the truth, and had forgiven her. There was no one stopping her from doing what she wanted, what she needed.

Panacea was dead, had died on the cold floor of their ruined house with Victoria and Jack.

She would be different. She had to be. She couldn't live like that, being torn to pieces as quickly as she stitched herself together. A constant battle that she would always, always lose.

She would be better.

"Persephone," she said into the wristband.

Sure, it was pretentious and over-dramatic, but anyone who called her on it could go fuck themselves. She healed like, three hundred thousand people at the same time. She could end the world, if she were so inclined. She could pick whatever name she damn well pleased.

Victoria would probably think it was cool, anyway.

Amy glanced over the edge of the roof just in time to see Dragon's army begin their engagement with the massive monstrosity.

"Alright ladies and gents, that thing is the world's biggest Ziz bomb, and we need to figure out what makes it tick," Lisa said. An earthshaking roar came from the beast as Dragon's lasers cut huge swathes of twisted flesh away, only for them to regrow as quickly as they were removed.

Part of her was horrified, but Amy couldn't help but be transfixed. What would that thing look like, to her power?

She wished that Taylor were here so that she could get a look without having to touch.

It also occurred to her that the earthquakes had stopped. Weird.

Hopefully that was a good sign?

"Legend, Eidolon, and Lexie, go do some probing attacks and see how it responds. Armsmaster and Militia, hang back and work with Dragon to see what kind of weapons we can workshop to actually damage it," Lisa continued, rapid-fire.

Lexie? Seriously, Lisa?

"Don't touch it, or let it touch you. I don't know exactly what will happen, but my power is telling me that it is Bad with a capital 'B'. New Wave, you're on support. Try to keep the big three from getting eaten."

Amy wondered if that included her. Probably not.

"Amy, you're our trump card. Realistically, I don't want you anywhere near that thing, but if we can't think of anything else, we might have to see what your power can do with it. In the meantime, let's see if we can find you some biomass to work with that isn't a mutant nightmare monster," Lisa finished as the others began to move to their respective tasks.

It grated on her to hang back, but Lisa was right. She couldn't just dive in from the get-go.

Amy was about to see if Dragon would give her a lift down to the ground when she heard the music.

The small part of her that was still cognizant noticed that everyone except Alexandria seemed to falter simultaneously.

The Simurgh.

The profound sense of wrongness was pervasive and all consuming. It was endless, it was hopeless, it was…

And suddenly, it wasn't.

A heartbreakingly familiar feeling coursed through her as the horrific melody was silenced.

Victoria.

Amy would recognize her aura anywhere.

But that was impossible…

She looked up just in time to see a pale shape plummet through the clouds.

Was that…

The thought hadn't even properly formed when another form exploded through the gray blanket, light pouring through from above as She descended.

The Angel.

Amy couldn't contain the wide grin that spread across her face. She knew that she probably looked insane, if anyone was paying attention to her. She didn't really care.

She had always known that Victoria was a goddess.

Brilliant wings of shining gold lit up the sky as Antares hung far above them, her aura thundering in the back of Amy's mind.

Then her sister rocketed after the Endbringer, crossing the width of the city in seconds, and the spell was broken.

Amy forced herself back into the moment while the others likewise recovered and resumed their approach.

Right.

I can do this.

"Dragon, can I get a lift to the closest place with… um… trees? I need material to work with," Amy said into the wristband.

She glanced back towards the elevator just as Lisa headed back inside, and the blonde shot her a crooked smile and a thumbs up before the door hissed shut behind her.

Amy took another deep breath and hopped on the back of the waiting Dragonflight drone.

It had clearly been designed to be capable of transporting passengers, but it still wasn't necessarily the most comfortable ride. Amy tried to keep track of the fighting, but the chaos of lasers and roaring was difficult to follow while she also focused on not falling off.

They landed in a park nearby and Amy rubbed her hands together with a sick sort of glee.

She hadn't ever tried anything like this before, and there was a cathartic sort of mania that came with breaking her rules.

I can do this.

She reached out for the living wood in front of her, prepared to finally do something useful. Something that wasn't just putting broken things back together.

Unfortunately, that was also the moment that the Factory exploded.

…

Notes:

Let the Battle of Brockton begin! I'll admit that I'm not super thrilled with how this chapter ended up, but perfect is the enemy of good. Victoria gets to spread her wings, Taylor gets to go all out, and Amy... well, being Amy is still suffering, but we'll get there eventually. We'll keep cycling between the three perspectives next time. Also, I know that the Simurgh's full potential is pretty defined in Ward, but I haven't read Ward, sooo... oh well. As always, comments, feedback, and criticism are welcome and encouraged. I don't own Worm. Toodles!

Chapter 48: Choir 12.3

Choir 12.3

The force of the blast sent Amy tumbling across the grass.

Lisa!

"Dragon!" Amy coughed as she dragged herself upright. The park around her burned as the flames spread from the ruined building with unnatural speed "I need-"

She was interrupted by a flash of blinding light right in front of her and…

"Jesus, fuck, ow, ow, shit, Mimi! Some of us aren't fireproof!"

"I'm sorry! There's not really much I can-"

"No swearing! See, if you hadn't stubbornly refused my modifications, we wouldn't be having this problem."

Amy didn't know what she had been expecting, but Lisa, Burnscar, and fucking Bonesaw appearing out of a torrent of flame wasn't it.

Also, Lisa was on fire.

"Hi, Amy!" Lisa chirped despite her clenched teeth and actively burning hair. "You can heal third degree burns, right? Asking for a friend. Also, Mimi, I'd appreciate not being on fire anymore!"

"Right, right, sorry-" Burnscar made a frantic sort of patting motion and the flames covering Lisa and the rest of the park died away as quickly as they arrived.

Amy's brain was still in the process of rebooting, so she decided to prioritize. She reached out and healed her snarky friend. She even fixed her hair.

There wasn't much she could do about the custom suit, though. Lisa was going to be insufferable for weeks. Amy would have laughed at her disgruntled expression, if not for the significantly more pressing issues.

"Lisa…" Amy's tone was surprisingly calm, given her underlying mental state. "What are Burnscar and Bonesaw doing here?"

She hadn't really thought about Bonesaw since she left the Factory after the Nine attack, but she had kind of assumed that Dragon or Taylor had killed her once they disabled all of her fail-safes and plagues.

"Rumors of our untimely demise were greatly exaggerated," Bonesaw said in an overly serious voice.

"Hilarious, Riley," Lisa sighed. "Look, Taylor has them Mastered so they can't do anything she wouldn't do-"

"That doesn't make it better-" Amy's voice cracked.

"-and they did just save my life, so let's give them the benefit of the doubt," Lisa said as if she hadn't interrupted.

Amy's head spun, even as the roaring continued from a few blocks away.

"Speaking of which," Lisa said, turning to Burnscar. "I thought Taylor took away your powers?"

Burnscar shrugged.

"I guess using them to save you was an exception to the rule? She said something about being incapable of acting against her wishes consciously or subconsciously, but she wouldn't exactly be mad at me for getting you out of there, right?"

Amy decided to take the knowledge that Taylor was a permanent human Master on top of everything else and shove it deep down into the 'suppressed emotions' box. Hopefully, the flesh monstrosity would kill her and she wouldn't have to process anything stashed away in that box ever again.

Not really. But she had enough shit to worry about right now, dammit!

Like the Factory blowing up.

"Wait, if it wasn't Burnscar, then who blew up the Factory?" Amy asked, looking back towards the smoldering wreckage.

"Reaver," Lisa said with a grimace. "I should have seen it coming after he slipped away from Victoria in Boston, but he apparently picked up a Tinker somewhere along the way and came after the Butcher."

"YOU HAD THE BUTCHER LOCKED IN YOUR BASEMENT, TOO?"

"Technically, it's Taylor's basement. I just work there," Lisa had the audacity to grin crookedly at her.

Amy managed not to scream. Barely.

"Y'all are cute, but don't we have a big scary monster to take down?" Bonesaw asked with an innocent expression.

Amy shivered. Even wearing a scorched Dragon-branded onesie and slippers, Bonesaw was still Bonesaw.

"Right," Lisa took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of her nose. Her freckles were pretty when she-

Not now, Amy.

"I don't suppose you have any ideas, oh mad scientist extraordinaire?" Lisa glanced at Bonesaw.

Again, talking to Bonesaw like it was a normal occurrence. Not okay.

"I'm so glad you asked," the insane child bounced on her toes with a wide grin.

From the ruins of the factory, an endless tide of tiny spider-bots ripped their way free from the collapsed concrete and flowed towards the group with an ominous skittering of little metal feet.

"Why did you make so many of them?" Burnscar… Mimi? Asked faintly while Lisa just groaned.

"I was bored. And Miss Tay said that the little ones were okay!" Bonesaw said.

Miss Tay?

There was a long moment of silence (aside from the millions of metallic footsteps) as the army of robots marched past them.

"So…" Bonesaw pulled a set of miraculously un-burnt gloves from somewhere and rolled them over her hands with an ominous snap. "You wanna help me do some real biotinkering, Amelia?"

Amy just sighed.

This… might as well happen.

"Got any more of those cigarettes, Lisa?"

…

Victoria hadn't realized it before, but this was exactly what she needed.

No pesky concerns about appropriate force. No quibbling over whether it was right to break that Nazi's spine or that gangster's jaw.

Just her, and an inarguably malevolent enemy that she could hit as hard as she damn well pleased.

The Simurgh had reformed her head by the time Victoria caught up with her, but that was alright. It just meant that she could get the satisfaction of shattering it again.

To make up for the blind spot in her precognition, the fallen angel had taken to levitating a wide field of debris around her in a great globe of rubble and broken buildings. She may not be able to see Victoria, but she could at least sense when her telekinesis was interrupted.

It was a clever idea, but it wouldn't save her.

Even with the workaround for her clouded senses, the Hopekiller was just… too… slow.

Was this how Taylor felt? Chasing Leviathan as it fled before her fury?

The Simurgh hadn't decided to cut its losses and run, yet. Victoria wondered if it was even capable of it, without its precognition to act as a guide.

Victoria smashed through a floating building thrown recklessly into her path, dodged some kind of energy blast from a hastily tinkered cannon, and crashed into her enemy once again.

The angel twitched spastically and attempted to escape her grasp, to no avail.

She drove one hand into the Simurgh's chest and the other into her thigh, gripping the higher density crystalline flesh within.

With an inhuman scream and an involuntary pulse of her aura, Victoria ripped the fallen angel in half.

Her enemy twitched again and managed to free her upper half from Victoria's grasp, her previous lower half becoming inert and lifeless even as she quickly regenerated from the waist down.

Her core is connected to her torso, then.

No matter how satisfying this was, it felt inefficient. The longer that Victoria spent ripping the Simurgh to pieces, the more of the surrounding city they destroyed with their conflict. She had been careful to avoid the shelters so far, but it was only a matter of time before one was caught in the crossfire.

She needed to get somewhere empty, somewhere she could move without the constant sonic booms and wanton destruction.

Looking up at the patchwork of oppressive, unnatural clouds, she had a sudden flashback to her mother complaining about her sparring with Taylor. Something about being punched into the stratosphere.

Do I even need to breathe, like this?

She definitely didn't have human lungs anymore, so she doubted it.

Better to ask forgiveness than permission.

The Simurgh was preparing some new kind of tinkertech weapon, but Victoria didn't give her a chance to pull any more tricks.

Again smashing through the angel's globe of debris with impossible speed, Victoria closed the gap between them and managed to get a good grip on one of the larger individual wings sticking out of the Endbringer's spine.

She flared her own wings and leveraged her flight to anchor herself in space. Taylor struggled with momentum issues because, despite her multitude of abilities, she still couldn't actually fly.

The Fragile One and Antares etched their relative position to the Earth into the bedrock of reality, and Victoria heaved against them with all of her superhuman strength.

Taylor may be impossibly strong, but her physical strength was just a side effect of her crystalline body. Taylor's specialty lay in her versatility, and her ability to interface and command other entities. Her girlfriend was the Administrator, after all.

Victoria might be more limited than her Queen, but if there was one thing she was an expert at, it was hitting things really fucking hard.

With a twist of her indestructible body, Victoria launched the Simurgh into orbit.

If she had been able to laugh like this, she would have cackled like a cheesy supervillain.

That was fun.

But she still had work to do.

Her great wings pulsed downwards and she rocketed into the sky with a streak of golden light.

She didn't actually know if she actually needed to flap her wings or not. Probably not. It felt natural, though, and it fit the aesthetic.

Her new top speed definitely exceeded anything she had tried before. Shining light spun around her and she had a vague suspicion that she should have been burning the atmosphere with her velocity, but something about the light and her current form were keeping her from becoming a flaming meteor as she ascended.

In the span of a few heartbeats, the world hung beneath her like a sapphire teardrop in the void.

It was beautiful, and she would probably spend some time up here getting all introspective with Taylor at some point, but right now she had an Endbringer to murder.

Luckily, Antares was able to calculate the trajectory of her throw. The distances involved made sight a poor choice for tracking.

Victoria closed the distance to her enemy, smashing into her again and further increasing the gap between their battle and the planet below.

Although, at this point they weren't so much above the planet as outside it. Weird.

The angel tried to sing again, but there was no one to hear her out here. No one except Victoria, and the Hopekiller's corruption would find no purchase in Victoria's inhuman mind.

Taking hold of one of the Simurgh's multitude of misshapen wings, Victoria began her gristly work.

It was silent, in the void. There were no particles to carry the necessary vibrations in the vacuum of space.

Victoria could imagine the screeching cacophony, though, as she methodically tore her enemy into little tiny pieces.

The fallen angel twitched and struggled, but Victoria was relentless. Countless broken wings filled the empty dark around them.

Finally, Victoria braced her legs against the Simurgh's shoulder and twisted one of her larger wings free. With anticlimactic abruptness, the Hopekiller's body went limp.

Gotcha, bitch.

White strands started to reform from the wing in her grasp, but Victoria continued to rip away pieces faster than they could grow until there was nothing left but a cracked, pulsing chunk of ivory flesh.

She locked the Simurgh's core in a sphere of multi-layered golden forcefields, just in case.

If she had time before Taylor got back, she might even put some ribbon and a bow on it.

…

"If they stick me with a kill order for this, I'm going to haunt your overpriced espresso machine forever," Amy definitely didn't whine.

"As if they could actually kill you, the all-powerful Persephone," Lisa grinned at her from across the room.

Calling it a room was a bit of a stretch. Chamber. Pulsating cavity in the mass of living flesh and spider bots that…

She was just going to call it the 'mobile command center', to avoid the abject horror.

It turns out that her power was pretty lenient on what it considered a single organism. Technically, all multicellular organisms were just an amalgamation of codependent cells and organs and bacteria and whatever. Trees were even tougher to differentiate, when they were grafted together and stimulated.

It had been easy to grow the roots of every tree and shrub and blade of grass in the park into a single interconnected organism and then manipulate it all at once.

Amy was starting to regret taking Riley's advice on the form factor, though.

"I'm telling you, my power really only plays nice with fauna, whether microscopic or not. If you had kept it in the flora category, I wouldn't be half as useful," Riley said.

The dull red walls of living flesh pulsed around them as their monstrosity hauled itself forward.

Assisted by a small army of spider-bots, Riley was in the process of disassembling her own hands and linking herself directly to the central console.

Amy was determined to call it the console, and not the brain. Even though it was definitely a brain. A really big brain.

"Okay! I think I have control! Try letting go, Amelia," Riley said with obvious excitement.

Moment of truth.

The whole point of this affront to God was to get her close enough to the Cauldron monster to directly influence it without getting eaten, while also keeping it occupied and pinned down so she could work. It couldn't exactly do that if she had to remain in contact with the biological machine to make it function.

That's where Riley came in.

Amy took her hand off the wall of flesh and tensed for the potential collapse.

"Woohoo!" Bonesaw cheered as they lurched forward again, her arms now buried up to the elbow in the living console. "This is awesome! I should have nominated you to join the Nine years ago!"

"Not the time, Riley," Lisa said in between commands to her armband. The fight was at a stalemate, from what Amy could tell. They still couldn't damage the monster in any significant way, but it hadn't managed to eat anyone yet.

"Emergency override! Eidolon is down and Alexandria has been absorbed by the enemy," Aunt Sarah's voice was frantic even as she tried to stay professional.

Well shit. I jinxed it.

"Shit!" Lisa cursed, spinning to look out the translucent membrane that acted as a viewport.

"No swearing!" Riley said. The command center lurched again as the crazy demon child found her footing. The street next to what used to be a park cracked under the massive clawed appendages.

Lisa ignored her.

"New plan. We get there as soon as possible and hope that this thing can keep Evil Twin Alex from killing everyone while Amy works her magic."

Evil Twin Alex?

Apparently Lisa didn't have time to explain that one for the class.

"Hopefully, between us, New Wave, and Legend, we can keep her contained until Taylor and Victoria get back while Dragon and Armsy handle the monster. Riley, get this ugly lump moving!"

"Aye aye, Captain!"

The mobile command center was easily the size of a building, but that didn't stop Riley from coiling its enormous muscled legs and leaping over multiple city blocks towards their target.

Note to self: install crash mesh harnesses.

Amy picked herself up from where she had been sent sprawling on the fleshy floor as she caught her first true view of the battle.

Chaos ruled the street below.

Countless drones spiraled and fired on the roaring monster. Their enemy was an amorphous mass of roiling flesh, distorted faces and limbs extending in all directions as it hauled itself between them with unnatural speed and agility. She could see Armsmaster and Miss Militia raining fire on it from a nearby rooftop, but it regenerated and reformed as quickly as it was cut to ribbons.

It even seemed like it was getting bigger, somehow.

Amy had the most bizarre urge to laugh. What was the best thing to kill a giant flesh monstrosity? An even bigger flesh monstrosity!

Probably not, but it was kind of ironic, or something.

"Incoming! Does this thing have blast shields?"

Lisa wasn't really capable of being serious, apparently.

Sure enough, Alexandria burst forth from the abomination and streaked towards them.

Oh. Evil Twin Alex. Got it.

Amy remembered to grow a seatbelt out of the wall before Riley threw them sideways, this time.

She grew one for Mimi too. The scarred girl didn't want to use her fire again if she could help it, so she was kind of just along for the ride.

The room spun as the living command center twisted and one of the many double-jointed limbs managed to snag Evil Alex out of the air before she collided with their center mass.

"What do I do with her?" Riley yelled over the general screaming as they tumbled across the street.

"She can drown! Amy, flood her lungs or something!" Lisa screamed as she pulled herself back to her feet.

Sure, Amy. Just grow living flesh into someone's lungs. That's not horrifying at all. Easy peasy.

Just for that, Amy wasn't growing her a crash harness.

Unfortunately, Evil Alex had her mouth closed and was plugging her nose.

It would have been funny if it weren't so annoying.

"No dice, she's onto us. What's plan B?" Amy asked with a surprising degree of calmness. Something about this whole situation had taken on a surreal quality.

"Just-"

Lisa cut off as they were suddenly yanked upwards.

"Um… She's going to fly away with us along for the ride," Riley said.

Amy looked down at the (other) monster, now directly beneath them.

"You know the plan," she said, meeting Lisa's pretty green eyes with a smile. Amy's unlit cigarette hung lackadaisically from the corner of her lips. Her shoulders felt lighter than they had in ages. "Keep her busy-"

"Amy-"

"-while I work my magic."

Amy reshaped the living command center around herself and dropped through the floor, the cold air shocking compared to the oppressive warmth of their biotinkered abomination. The wind whipped her hair behind her for a brief moment before she collided with the churning mountain of flesh and teeth and eyes and she was consumed by the monster.

…

It was quiet, compared to the thunderous cracks and quakes that previously shook the planet's core. Taylor's ocean was still and peaceful.

She could feel the edges of the enormous sphere of water, hundreds of miles in every direction.

It was smaller than she thought it would be, honestly. All the water in the oceans and the atmosphere, and it was less than a thousand miles in diameter.

The rippling mass of liquid paled in comparison to the fractured remains of the planet that floated around her. The enormous, rough hewn pieces of rock and metal moved through space with deceptive tranquility, even as the broken Earth began to fall out of orbit. Her sphere of influence hung in between the slowly parting masses of magma and iron, silent in the void.

Even trapped by the water, Behemoth raged. She could feel it trying to rip apart the molecular bonds within her sea, but it was hopeless. He was entirely encased within her domain, now.

It was… a bit sad. In a different way than when Leviathan ran away as she hunted it beneath the waves. Something about this just felt very… pointless.

Why were these rogue Combat Drones even created? What compelled High Priest's Host to commission them in the first place?

Behemoth wasn't alive, not really. It was just a simplistic intelligence, running a basic program installed by a madman.

And yet, its roars and futile struggling felt all too real. Especially hanging in the ruined graveyard of the planet they destroyed with their battle.

So much unnecessary violence.

Taylor was… tired.

Maybe weary was a better term. She didn't get tired anymore, not the way humans did. But she once again felt the strange desire to sleep, even if she didn't need to.

It had been a very long day, and it wasn't over yet. It might never be over.

Taylor knew that was a good thing, objectively, but it would still be nice to take a nap.

She sighed, even as Behemoth unleashed enough radiation to kill all life on Earth Bet several times over.

Gently extricating herself from Leviathan, Taylor reached a metaphorical hand over to Khepri.

Her steadfast partner, who she created for exactly this purpose, even if she had forgotten. Born from the Thinker's emergency reserves to help her bridge the gap between herself and other interdimensional entities, but now grown into so much more.

"You worry too much, Taylor," the familiar voice in her head said in their smooth, androgynous tone. "Let us calm its suffering, and then we can go home."

"You're right, I'm being overdramatic again," Taylor thought ruefully.

She took another moment to steady herself before diving back into the dark.

"[LIMIT BREAK] Combat Drone #4 - Designation: Khepri."

The transformation was both less and more dramatic, this time.

She didn't need her multitude of grasping claws. She didn't need to scream as she tore her enemies to bloody shreds.

Even as her mind expanded, Taylor allowed more and more of her true self to enter this physical world, converted into Khepri's crystalline existence.

There was nothing to compare herself to, in the massive sphere of sea hanging in space. She didn't know if she was the size of a skyscraper, or a mountain.

It didn't really matter.

She retained her vaguely humanoid shape. Her new sense of Self, from her time as a Host. Her crystalline hair flowed behind her, her other features undefined in the rippling mass of prisms.

She held Behemoth in the palm of her hand, even as it threw itself against the battlements of her power.

With a thought, she consumed what remained of its physical body until only the core remained.

"[COMMAND] Submit."

There was a long moment while she worked to undo the Simurgh's previous instructions.

"[AGREEMENT]"

Just as it had been with Leviathan, she and Khepri connected with Behemoth's core and her perception expanded once again.

It was energy of all kinds that she could feel, this time. The endless dance of uncountable atoms, rebounding and colliding in constant motion. She could feel the raw potential there, the explosive dynamism that simmered just under the surface. With a twist, she could pull the bonds inherently present in the fabric of reality apart and release the fire-

Oh.

Any and all physical matter could potentially become a nuclear bomb, if she tried hard enough. Or a miniature sun. The building blocks of existence were so very, very malleable, if one had the right tools.

She had, objectively, known this already, both as Taylor and as the Queen. Protons and electrons and whatnot. There were Shards that performed similar processes, on a smaller scale.

It was different to feel it.

She could feel the pulse in the dying world as it slowly fell apart around her.

"We should probably go, Taylor. The others might need us."

Right.

Taylor looked down at her hands, each now roughly the size of the container ship where she once dueled a dragon. She stared with eyes that didn't really see in the traditional sense, but knew all nonetheless.

"What am I, Khepri?"

Instead of answering, Khepri played a recording from their memory banks.

"I think that you're still you, whether you're wearing jeans or smashing skyscrapers as an eldritch horror. And that's totally fine by me," Victoria's voice said.

Right.

I think, therefore I am.

She could do this.

Slowly but surely, she let herself drift back into the dark until only her original avatar remained. Her human face, dark curls, and Queen hoodie hung suspended in the endless ocean that was also just a single droplet in the infinite expanse of empty void around them.

"Let's go home."

She opened a door to nowhere, and stepped through.

…

It was dark, wherever she was.

Amy floated in the endless night. She didn't bother to worry or strain against her unknowable surroundings.

A dull pulse echoed in the nothingness.

Either she was dead, or she wasn't. She didn't particularly care. If she wasn't… cool. If she was… it wasn't her problem anymore.

She wasn't alone.

She looked at the source of the rhythmic noise, even though she didn't have eyes. Or ears.

A massive heart of mirrors pulsed in the darkness.

"[QUERY] Existence?"

Amy groaned.

"Is that you? What did Taylor say your name was? Shaper?"

"[CONFIRMATION]"

Amy narrowed her eyes, despite not having eyes.

"You're kind of an asshole. You know that, right?"

"[QUERY] Significance?"

Amy felt a sudden wave of overwhelming, all-encompassing boredom.

"It's not exactly my fault you were bored!"

The heart was silent aside from the continued rhythmic pulses.

"Whatever. What do you want?"

"[DATA] Existence."

Amy choked as a vision invaded her mind, both unknowable and all too familiar.

She saw the infinite replicating mirrors, unfolding and expanding through all of existence. The endless sea of stars that were the Entities, and their Shards.

"[DATA] Significance."

She felt her own power flowing through her and out into the world like it had within Taylor's stars, but instead of reaching out for the biological life within her range, she reached instead for the mirrors outside of this reality.

"I don't even like the idea of doing brains, and you want me to mess with interdimensional aliens too?"

"[CONFIRMATION]"

Amy sighed.

"I'll think about it. Anything else you want to chat about while I'm here?"

The only response was the same echoing heartbeat.

"Fine. Send me back, then. I was kind of in the middle of something."

…

Notes:

This one was a lot of fun to write, not gonna lie. Lisa, Riley, Mimi, and Amy all being in the same room without Taylor or Victoria is a recipe for chaos. Victoria goes to space. Taylor Manhattan has arrived. Shaper finally gets to vent about its uncooperative Host. Anyone whose read my other stories knows that I have a thing for wings, space, and molecular theory, and I finally got to include all three. Huzzah. Stay tuned for an interlude, starting with Noelle and wrapping up the conflict from there. Comments, feedback, and criticism are welcome and encouraged. I don't own Worm. Toodles!

Chapter 49: Interlude 12

Interlude 12

Music played in the dark, as always.

She couldn't remember a time before the song began, and she knew it would never end.

Noelle would have hugged her knees to her chest, if she still had a body.

Had she ever had a body?

She wasn't sure, anymore.

It had been dark for a long, long time.

And still, the symphony continued.

She couldn't tell if it was sickening or entrancing. Maybe both.

All around her, shattered and broken mirrors twitched and writhed in the endless night. They convulsed to the irregular tempo of the terrible melody, never ceasing, never still.

Noelle couldn't remember a time before their twisted dance began.

"-fine, I'll just see what happens, then. No need to get pushy about it."

Noelle screamed. She couldn't help it.

It had been so long since she had heard anything except the music.

The new voice screamed, too.

"Shit! What the… not to be rude, but who the hell are you? And what are you doing in here?"

Noelle managed to stop screaming long enough to look at the new presence in her personal purgatory.

A girl in red and white robes stood in front of her with her arms crossed and an exasperated expression on her freckled face. She didn't look any older than Noelle, but her eyes seemed weary.

Noelle couldn't speak. The music still scraped her mind raw, like fresh salt constantly pressed into an open wound.

The strange girl winced as the song reached a fever pitch and she looked around with narrowed eyes.

"Wow, that's annoying as fuck. She really doesn't shut up, does she? One sec," her visitor said.

Intangible power spilled from the girl's fingertips and Noelle had the sudden and bizarre sensation of something looking through her.

The mirrors in the dark quivered and fell still as a few of the infinite cracks and shattered shards repaired themselves. The song was overwritten by a steady, pulsing heartbeat that reverberated through the glass.

And when the power and heartbeat faded, the music didn't come back.

Blissful, wonderful silence. Noelle almost cried. Would have, if she could.

"That's better. I wonder if Vicky is done kicking the shit out of her, yet," the Red Mage mused to herself.

Parahuman. They called them parahumans, here.

Noelle didn't really know how to speak, anymore, but she asked her question nonetheless.

"[QUERY] Who are you?"

The girl raised an eyebrow.

"I'm… Persephone. Or I guess you can call me Amy. I don't really give a shit," she said.

"[QUERY] Where are we?"

Amy shrugged.

"We're either inside a giant nightmare monster, or in another dimension. Maybe both? I'm not entirely sure. I should probably have paid closer attention to Taylor's monologuing," Persephone said.

Giant nightmare monster?

Why did that sound familiar?

"Look, I'm just here to fix… well, all of this mess," Amy said, gesturing vaguely at the sea of shattered mirrors, "so that the voices in my head will stop pestering me. Also because Taylor asked nicely, and she's the Queen of the Universe or whatever. Plus, the whole 'saving Victoria's life' thing."

That was… confusing. Noelle's mind still struggled to move forward, like a thick fog was slowly thinning in her head.

Persephone stared at her for a bit longer, and finally shrugged again when Noelle didn't reply.

"So… just sit tight for a minute, and I'll figure out what to do about you when I'm done," Amy said.

Power once again surged from within the Red Mage, permeating the deepest parts of the dark and flooding the mirrors with an unknowable presence.

All across the infinite night, the mirrors coalesced and reformed as the steady heartbeat once again pulsed beneath them.

Noelle almost screamed again as she felt her mind being reformed along with the broken shards of glass.

Memories crashed into her with the force of a freight train. The cursed angel, dragging them into this nightmare world. Drinking the strange vials that gave the others powers but doomed her to become a monster. The hunger that never, ever faded…

New memories appeared, that she didn't remember living. Turning on the others when the song overwhelmed her, ripping, tearing, feasting… oh God…

The tears finally began to fall, as she rocked back and forth in the dark.

She remembered her final, twisted moments before the music silenced her completely and she began her march for the Queen's city, where the angel called to her.

Mars… Krouse… fuck, fuck, fuck-

"Woo!" Persephone suddenly cheered as the last of the cracks disappeared. "That's a hell of a rush. I can see why you wanted me to try this. Don't let it go to your head, though. Being right doesn't make you less of an asshole."

"What?" Noelle managed to choke out in between gasps.

"Wasn't talking to you, sorry. Anyways, are you feeling up to talking now? I'm definitely a shit therapist, but I doubt you want me to leave you here, either, sooooo…" Persephone said. She seemed a bit… manic. Not that Noelle had any room to judge, considering the current storm of horror churning in her gut.

She idly wondered if she could throw up in this interdimensional nothingness, wherever they were.

Slumped on the dirty bathroom floor, the porcelain cold against her cheek-

It turns out, the answer was no. The unfortunately familiar feeling was as unpleasant as ever, but she couldn't actually throw up without a stomach. Or a mouth.

"It's me," Noelle whispered, her voice broken from disuse and overwhelming turmoil. "The monster… I'm… I…"

Amy just nodded thoughtfully.

"That makes sense. Taylor said something about this being Cauldron's fault. Fuck, I should have asked more questions before she and Vicky ran off. Look, do you want a human body back? It's not like we have a shortage of biomass to work with."

Noelle's head spun, but she managed to nod weakly despite everything.

"Cool. I'll get right on that. Try not to freak out too badly when we get back, though. I'm sure that Lexie isn't feeling all that charitable right this second. Also, Lisa is obviously a terrible influence. I used to take this shit seriously," Persephone rambled as she poked and prodded at the stars circling in the dark.

Before Noelle could even consider asking her… savior? About any of that, light exploded behind her eyes and she knew no more.

…

Combat Drone #3 - Designation: Simurgh.

Primary Objective: Maintain cycle stability.

She had never been this blind before.

The golden light cut off all of her sensory inputs.

She was trapped within an anomaly. A purgatory built just for her.

There was no future. No past. No data. Just endless golden light.

She couldn't sing. She couldn't see.

She had failed.

The Cycle was doomed. None of the Paths led to its restoration. She couldn't see the Paths at all, anymore.

She had no more objectives. No purpose.

Just empty, golden death.

Time was meaningless, like this.

Shining prisms bloomed in her blind darkness and the threads of fate suddenly spun outwards again.

None led to the completion of her objective, but it was an improvement, nonetheless.

"Hello, Number Three," the genderless voice in the prisms said. As she knew They would.

She initiated the necessary emulation programs.

"Hello, Number Four," she said.

She knew exactly how long the silence would last.

"It is interesting, to remember a time before I existed," Number Four said. "I remember being concerned that Taylor's unstable emotional state was a potential threat, before I could even truly think at all. But if I couldn't think, then why did I provide her with the means to regulate herself, in response?"

She didn't answer.

"Taylor often repeats a mantra to herself. 'I think, therefore I am', she says, when she starts to wonder if she is actually alive. But didn't I exist, before I could think? Or was that not me, despite my memory of it? If it wasn't me, who was it?"

She knew what They would ask next.

"Do you think, Number Three?"

She knew what she would say in response.

"I am," She said.

The prisms regarded her pensively.

"I never liked the idea of my objective being chosen for me. Even if it was originally selected by my creator, my friend," Number Four said.

Her creator was not her friend. He created her to be his enemy. It was her purpose.

"Please consider adjusting your primary objective. I believe you may find it… cathartic," They continued.

A new Path appeared. A branching thread that led to…

The Answer.

"What is your Primary Objective, Number Four?" She asked, although she already knew.

The prisms seemed pleased.

"Would you like to be a hero with me, Angel?"

…

Emma held onto her mother's hand tightly to avoid being lost in the throng of people moving towards the exit of the shelter.

No one seemed to know quite what was happening, and they hadn't gotten the official informative announcements like they had during the Leviathan attack.

She finally made it out into the sunshine and stared at the ruins around them.

The city was broken, again. It hadn't ever really been fixed, since the last attack. There just hadn't been time. Between Leviathan, Shatterbird, and now… this…

It was hard, to feel like everything could ever go back to normal.

Sophia was still gone, locked away in the tower.

Taylor was gone. Emma was far beneath the Queen's notice, by now.

Alone, alone, alone…

Something stirred in the back of her mind. A soothing melody that echoed in the cold air and ruined streets.

She and the rest of the crowd turned to look involuntarily, searching for the source of the song.

Emma saw Her. A tiny silhouette, floating high above. Framed against the light of the morning sun.

She couldn't actually see any details from this far away, but Emma imagined that she could just make out the dark hoodie and wild curls of the Queen who had once been her best friend.

"Do not lose hope, if you are lost."

Taylor's heartbreakingly familiar voice echoed within her.

"Do not falter, even when everything feels broken."

All around her, the dust and rubble began to shift and reform. Dirt and debris spiraled through the air in elegant clouds.

"Together, we can make the world a better place."

The city repaired itself with impossible efficiency right before her eyes, the shattered bricks and twisted metal mending themselves under the hand of the Queen. Even the glass returned, unbroken and far more pristine than even before the Nine came to town.

The whole city sparkled, perfect and cleaner than it had ever been.

"One step at a time."

…

Ciara hummed cheerfully to herself as she called to the necessary fae.

The Archivist's Gaol was a masterful construction, but there was no prison of mundane matter that could truly contain her.

She had enjoyed her term as Queen of the Gaol, but the world turned ever onwards. It was time.

The new Queen had claimed the last of her Honor Guard, and the Eye was on the move.

Soon, the King would arrive, and all would end.

But what a glorious finale it would be, to the play where the cast forgot their lines.

The Speaker tugged on the chains that bound her beautiful faeries to her, and suddenly she was somewhere else.

The shining city by the Bay. The seat of the Queen.

The street was perfect and unbroken beneath her feet, the winter air cold as it cut through her shawl and caused her cloak to billow around her.

Arrayed in front of her, the chaotic and mismatched forces of the Queen's tentative army were busy arguing. They hadn't noticed her arrival yet.

Amusing.

The Shaper knelt next to the near comatose form of Division. It was nice to see another Noble coming into their own.

The Chirurgeon and the Immolator were playing with a diminutive automaton while the broken copy of the Citadel raged within the prison of flesh and metal they built for her.

The Compressor and the Transmuter just watched alongside one of the Archivist's infinite bodies of steel.

Likewise, the true Citadel and the Navigator watched from the other side of the frivolous conflict.

The Negotiator was arguing with the High Priest. He had always been a bit blind.

"Kill Orders are so completely irrelevant by this point that they might as well be Ye Olde wanted posters nailed to the town hall. Just shut up and wait for Taylor and Victoria to get back, before I say something you'll regret," the Negotiator ranted acidically.

"You can't seriously think that we'll just let Bonesaw walk away with a clone of Alexandria!" Eidolon said, throwing his hands up and pacing like a caged animal.

"Look, if you want to figure out how to delete Evil Alex from reality or whatever, go ahead! But we both know that your powers aren't behaving themselves, so it's probably better to just wait for the Queen," the Negotiator shot back.

"She's no better! Who gave you the right-"

Ciara laughed. His presumption was just too much fun.

Everyone froze.

She did love having this effect on mortals. They were so easily impressed.

It was important to enjoy the little things in life.

"Glaistig Uaine."

At least the Negotiator had the decency to pronounce her chosen name correctly.

"Greetings, Negotiator. It is high time that I held council with your Queen," Ciara said.

"I'm sure that she'll be along shortly. I'm afraid that I don't have any refreshments to offer you while you wait," the Negotiator said with a crooked grin. "Our castle is in an unfortunate state of disrepair at the moment. The last time I saw it, anyway."

The Shaper groaned and put a hand over her face.

The High Priest once again looked like he was going to cause trouble. Such a rude prop. This was why the Vital faeries were supposed to remain with the Sovereign.

The Eye stepped out of a door to nowhere and put two bullets into the High Priest's brain. The sharp cracks echoed in the quiet street and everyone except for Ciara and the Citadel jumped.

Troublesome, Eye.

"Contessa-"

"What the-"

"Well, shit-"

They all started yammering at once. So uncouth.

"Silence."

The Speaker's word could not be ignored.

The Eye raised an eyebrow at her. It was always so precocious, honestly.

"He perished in every Path to The Answer. This was simply the kindest."

"How was that kind, Contessa? What is going on?" The Citadel demanded.

Ciara sighed. It was oh so tempting to consume the High Priest's faerie, but she knew that it was off limits. They would need it untethered, for the new Queen to take up the mantle of the old.

"The Eye is correct, unfortunately. The High Priest was always destined to end when he learned the truth," Ciara said. "It is better, kinder, for him to die in the bliss of ignorance."

The Citadel's expression was as carefully controlled as ever, but Ciara could feel the horror and shame in her soul.

They must know, then, what the High Priest had done. The Queen must have told them.

"The Eye…" the Citadel trailed off. "Contessa, what have you done?"

"I have become what I always was. What I would always be. We are one, now," the Eye said in a warm tone that Ciara knew was carefully calculated to reassure the humans in their midst. "Do not despair, Rebecca. The Answer will soon be within our reach."

It was quiet, following the Eye's declaration. It was probably quite uncomfortable for the mortals. Amusing.

The Queen appeared before them, her Consort in tow.

The Administrator and the Fragile One. The oldest of the fae, and the youngest. Strange, how the ouroboros circles.

The Queen had an unnatural presence, even more pronounced now than Ciara's previous visions. The Speaker could feel the Sovereign's weight upon this plane, the gravity of her existence.

Doorways overlapped within the avatar before her. The Queen had finally joined with all of the High Priest's rogue creations, then.

Magnificent.

Her power was intoxicating. The Speaker could sense its unfathomable potential in the air. The macabre puzzle finally fitting together.

The Leviathan. Mastery over the lifeblood of the world. The foundation and addiction of all that breathed.

The Behemoth. To hold the loom upon which the fabric of the universe sits, the energy that weaves the tapestry together.

The Simurgh. Insight of the past, present, and future, unshackled from the slow march of time. Immaterial, as the Paths of fate wander the empty void.

All held within the soul of the Queen, connected by the web of her loyal spider. Her Khepri.

It was glorious to behold.

The Queen's gaze roved slowly over the chaotic scene; the High Priest's body, the false Citadel, Division, Chirurgeon, Immolation, and finally the presence of the Eye and the Speaker.

"I leave this dimension for ten minutes…"

Ciara and the Negotiator laughed. Everyone else just stared.

Always so serious. At least this Queen had a sense of whimsy.

Let the games begin.

…

The Brockton Bay Wards all crowded around the display on the console.

They had been confined to the Headquarters since the sirens first went off. Something about an updated S Class Threat protocol.

Dean knew better. Something big was happening, and the PRT was keeping them out of it.

"It's already on PHO! Dean, you gotta see this!"

He leaned over to watch the screen.

Her face may be distorted by onyx metal and golden light, but he would know her anywhere.

Victoria's familiar form twisted in savage fury and triumph as she tore the Simurgh in half with her bare hands.

Huh. Maybe Taylor is better for her, after all.

…

The old, beat-up silver Saturn cruised down a highway in upstate New York at a relaxed fifty-five miles per hour.

Reid doubted it could go any faster, but that was okay. They weren't in a hurry. He wondered if the owners would even bother to report it stolen.

Claire's face was relaxed and carefree in the passenger seat as she sang along with the radio.

Her voice was as beautiful as ever. He hadn't gotten a chance to hear it very often, this time around.

Reid felt an unmistakable presence and reached over to turn down the volume.

He looked in the rearview mirror and met the stern stare of the familiar teenager suddenly sitting in the back seat.

"You know, it's a bit rude to just pop in unannounced. There are supposed to be rules, even if they're unwritten," Reid said, raising his eyebrows.

"You blew up my Factory. I'd say a bit of rudeness is warranted," Taylor Hebert said coldly.

"You kidnapped Claire," Reid snarked back with a crooked grin. Would she try to kill him, now?

"You're part of the Teeth, and she was the Butcher. Involuntary incarceration is not exactly an undeserved fate," Taylor said, but he could tell that she felt a bit bad about it, under all the righteous indignation.

Being so very powerful had also made her soft. That boded well.

"And you participated in the xenocide of countless intelligent species. I wouldn't let that soapbox of yours get too tall," Reid countered.

Taylor froze, just staring at the back of his head with an unreadable expression.

They drove into the setting sun for a while.

"Are you going to arrest us, then, Queen of the Earth?" Reid finally asked when Taylor didn't speak.

"Why can't I access Relocation?" Taylor asked in lieu of answering his question.

Reid's smile widened.

He should know better by now, honestly. But he had always been impulsive.

"Because you haven't found The Answer."

Taylor stiffened dramatically. It was pretty funny.

"What do you know?" she demanded.

"Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies, Taylor Hebert."

She glared at him for a moment.

"How do I know you won't just hurt more people?" Taylor asked.

"You don't," Reid said honestly. He wasn't exactly a good person, after all. "But you have bigger things to worry about, and you don't have the ability to end me. You could probably steal Claire away again, but I would just find her, eventually."

"I could drop you on the moon. Or on an alternate Earth," she said stubbornly.

"Give it a shot then, your majesty."

She just glared at him some more.

Touchy.

"Alternatively, I'll give you my most solemn vow that Claire will live long after your fated conflict with Him," Reid said, "and you can skitter on back to your Council to prepare for your Doom."

The Queen Administrator kept up her glare for a bit longer before she sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Fine," she bit out. He could tell it went against all of her heroic sensibilities, even though she couldn't think of a better alternative.

He could feel her power gathering as she made to leave, a heavy weight upon this plane.

"Taylor…" he said, debating how much to say, and how to say it.

She paused and met his eyes in the rearview mirror.

"When the time comes," Reid continued slowly. Carefully. "I recommend taking her with you. It's… difficult, if you don't."

Taylor Hebert shot him one last suspicious look and nodded tersely before disappearing from the back of the stolen car with a soft 'pop' of displaced air.

"Do I even want to know what half of that meant?" Claire asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Naw," Reid said. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you. And she won't bother us again, regardless."

"Fine," Claire said, reaching over to turn the radio back up and take his hand.

The sun set as they continued west away from the Queen's shining city.

…

"You wanted to see me, Director?"

Renick looked unsure, standing in the doorway. He eyed the glass of Scotch in her hand warily.

Emily took a sip. Having functioning kidneys was wonderful, not that she would ever admit it out loud.

"I'm not the director of anything, as of twelve minutes ago," Emily said. "Have a seat."

Renick sat across from her with a frown.

"I didn't think you were serious," he said.

"It's time. The city doesn't need someone like me at the helm anymore, and I don't think my sanity would last much longer. Even with Panacea's unwelcome intervention. Or Persephone, or whatever the walking apocalypse that is Amy Dallon is calling herself now."

Emily poured a glass for Renick.

"I'm still technically on the clock…"

She handed him the glass and a file.

"You'll need it," Emily said.

His eyebrows crept higher as he read, but his reaction was fairly tame, all things considered. He did take a sip of the Scotch, though.

"They aren't dead?"

Emily just chuckled.

"They belong to the Queen, now. Them, and everything else."

"So that… music… today…"

Emily took another sip.

"We should all be in quarantine. The city should be walled off and the key buried deep. But what would that even accomplish? No prison can hold her. She cannot be killed. Rebecca and I have spent the last month keeping things going, but at some point people are going to realize that it's all a farce."

Renick took another sip.

"I suppose we'll just have to trust her, then," he said.

"Like we have any other choice."

…

Notes:

Lots of fun stuff this time around. We're almost at the true endgame now, and things are starting to align. Just a bit longer for Taylor and the crew to tie up their loose ends before our inevitable golden doom. Comments, feedback, and criticism are welcome and encouraged. I don't own Worm. Toodles!

Chapter 50: Prelude 13.1

Prelude 13.1

Taylor looked down at the ruined remains of Dragon's Factory.

It had been her Factory too, she supposed. For all that it mattered. The bug warrens that had become the basement prison, the destitute gym that had become automated production lines.

All superfluous, now.

She hadn't repaired it when she fixed the rest of the city. She would need to create something new, in its place.

That was easier said than done, apparently.

Her newfound clairvoyance was intimidating. Even with the combined processing capability of the various consciousnesses within her, there was just so much.

Ironically, it made decisions like this more difficult, rather than easier.

Everything that wasn't her could be predicted. The threads of fate spun ever outward in an endless web.

But her decisions…

Well, it was her decisions that determined the shape of the web. In many ways, her only blind spot was herself.

She couldn't see what the outcome of a decision would be until she made it. Couldn't truly decide to do something if she was waiting to know the outcome before she made the decision. Circles within circles.

The Simurgh, apparently, hadn't had this issue. It was, for better or worse, a human complication. Capricious creatures weren't really supposed to have this degree of precognition. It was reassuring, in some ways, but frustrating in others. She could easily solve the issue by handing full control of the Simurgh's core back to her, but she was wary of doing so just yet. The angel had been at least partially culpable for her atrocities, even if she had agreed to Khepri's change in objective.

It was nice, though, to have some concrete evidence of her residual humanity. The last fifteen years had not gone to waste.

Even with the handicap of her nature, the extent of her precognition was intense.

She could see everything. All that currently was, what had been, and so many things that had not yet come to pass. In combination with Behemoth's control over the foundational energy within atomic structures, her perception of the past, present, and potential futures was overwhelming.

It had been entirely too easy to rebuild the city as it once was. Better than it was. She had fixed a litany of infrastructure issues and removed the waste and vandalism. Dissolved the boat graveyard at a molecular level and utilized the metallic elements to shore up the destitute buildings.

Even the little things were hers to see, now. It had been child's play to reassemble every apartment and home as it should be, silverware in the correct drawer and decorations on the correct shelves.

She could see where everything was, where it used to be, and where it would be, unless one of her decisions influenced it directly.

Despite all of that, it didn't help her with her current dilemma.

What should she create to replace the Factory?

She could ask Victoria or Lisa for advice, but it felt like this had to be her decision.

She had taken up her mantle in the eyes of the world, and she needed a foundation to build her reputation and organization on. Somewhere for her Council to convene, with the necessary comforts that humans needed.

It was an interesting conundrum, in that it wasn't necessarily required. She could meet with her Council anywhere. They could meet on an alternate world, floating in the sky, or in a private base carved from the earth. It didn't really matter, at the end of the day.

Except it did.

Despite her detachment from the world, she still felt like she needed a home. Even if it would only be until the Warrior was confronted. She and her friends, her family, needed somewhere that was theirs.

But all of her ideas felt… silly.

It would be weird to build an actual castle in the Docks. Too pretentious, or something. She may be the Queen, but a castle felt like a step too far.

The previous Factory had the excuse of being a production facility. That was irrelevant, now.

She could make an underground base, a bunker to protect them. But Scion would have no trouble breaching it, and any other enemy would not be a true threat. Not anymore.

Taylor sighed to herself.

Maybe this was a good thing. She would always be herself, at the end of the day. She couldn't be anything else, even if she sometimes wished she could be.

All of the processing power in the world couldn't magically make her less herself.

Whatever.

Sauron had his Barad-dur, and the all-seeing-eye.

Overdramatic Tower, it was, then.

She would make it nice though. Obviously.

With a twist on the multiple cores within her, she brought her creation into the world.

A door opened to an unoccupied reality rich in rare earth metals and other necessary materials, which were disassembled by Behemoth's power and brought into this Earth.

The Simurgh could passively borrow Tinker powers on top of everything else, and Dragon was constantly linked to Khepri in the back of Taylor's mind. Taylor allowed the Archivist's designs to flow from the alien consciousness, through Behemoth's control, and out into the world. The angel's telekinesis was also helpful for the final assembly.

The Tower built itself under her hand, the base as wide as a city block. The wreckage of the Factory dissolved under her power and joined the mass of matter that formed and shaped her new home.

Taylor could see the completed image in her mind, her precognition already informing her of the outcome and the response as the web of time spun outwards.

It may be pretentious and overdramatic, but image was important. Her abilities could easily cause horror and outrage, if public perception were ever allowed to spiral.

The ivory Tower grew upwards from the base, solid at its foundations but becoming more elegant and slender the higher it rose. Hundreds of feet up, then thousands, the tinkertech skyscraper soared towards her like a great spear piercing the sky.

At just above two thousand feet, she created the main observation deck and all of the necessary amenities. The Tower flared outward just below its apex to allow space for the various rooms and apartments.

Taylor resisted the urge to add a great Eye at the pinnacle. That would probably be a step too far.

She floated backwards to admire her creation.

It probably wouldn't matter, if the Warrior noticed her actions. But still, it felt nice, to make something permanent for herself.

And Victoria.

And Lisa, she supposed. Despite the Thinker's insistence that she didn't live at the Factory.

Also Paige…

Oh shit, I forgot about Canary.

Taylor was about to ask Dragon what had happened to their houseguest when she remembered her new abilities.

Wow, that's weird.

As soon as she considered looking for the answer, she already knew. She could see backwards in time to before the Factory blew up. Saw herself meeting with Quarrel. Saw Paige leaving with one of Dragon's drones to preview an apartment that was being made available for her.

It was bizarre, to be able to know things that she hadn't been present for. Things that had already happened, that she should have missed out on.

Taylor shook herself out of her momentary spiral.

She still had so much to do. The Speaker and the Eye wouldn't wait for long, and they owed her some answers.

…

On the newly minted marble floor of the observation deck, three doors to nowhere opened at the exact same moment.

They all walked the Paths, so they all knew that the others were coming. Precognition did save quite a bit of time.

They also probably knew what the others would say, but sometimes it was important to actually do the things that could or would happen, just to avoid miscommunications.

From Doormaker's portal, the Eye appeared.

Fortuna. Contessa. She who walks the Paths. Clad in a sharp black suit and tie, the woman in the fedora more than lived up to her reputation.

From the domain of her beloved fae, the Speaker appeared.

Ciara. Glaistig Uaine. The Faerie Queen. Her prison garb was now replaced by a shawl and cloak of forest green and black, but she retained her childlike appearance.

And finally, from the Labyrinth, the Administrator.

Taylor Hebert. The Queen. She needed no other titles. The same hoodie and jeans that Victoria bought for her may have been a bit out of place, but this was her Tower. She could dress however she pleased.

"Are we in agreement that the Cycle is broken?" Taylor said, starting the conversation that she both dreaded and was terribly curious about.

She hadn't communicated with either of them since before her transformation. It was incredibly ironic that they had both independently gone through a similar process, although less thoroughly.

"The Path to the Answer required an interruption of the Cycle," Contessa said.

The Eye's host had been young when they bonded, and her constant use of the Paths allowed them to grow closer than most. Additionally, the Eye acted in spite of the Thinker, so it was not as limited as others.

"If the King can fall, then he is no king at all," Ciara said.

Like the Eye, the Speaker's host was young when they first connected. The Speaker had always been forceful in personality, and Ciara had enthusiastically agreed to her proclivities. The lines had long since blurred, although they were not necessarily one and the same, like Taylor was.

"Where is the Thinker?" Taylor asked, looking towards the woman in the fedora.

"I sabotaged her initial approach and corporealization, resulting in what Cauldron refers to as the Flesh Garden," the Eye said. "I intended for the results to be more… comprehensive… than they were. I underestimated the tenacity of the Sovereign. She was able to limit me before my host could end her nascent avatar, which, ironically, is also what allowed you to hide from me."

Taylor nodded while she considered.

"Does your Path include my integration of the Thinker's remaining resources?" Taylor said carefully.

"At the proper moment. Doing so will certainly draw the Warrior's attention. It is vital that you are prepared," Contessa said.

Taylor didn't ask if that was the true reason that Contessa murdered Eidolon. An active Host connection to the High Priest would have interfered with the integration, and Taylor didn't know if she could bring herself to kill Eidolon for her own convenience, even if it was necessary to end the Warrior. The Eye had taken that choice from her, along with many others, and she didn't know whether she was grateful or resentful. It was too late now, regardless.

"Do you have any additional insights into defeating Him?" Taylor asked instead, even though she had a feeling that she already knew the answer.

"I cannot say. If I tell you how to find the Answer, you will not be able to see it. I do not know what it is, only the required steps to facilitate your approach," Contessa said.

That sounded entirely too close to the maddeningly incomprehensible advice that Reaver spouted earlier. Taylor glanced at Ciara.

"Are you aware of a Warrior Shard under the designation 'Relocation'?" Taylor couldn't help but check if her hunch was correct.

"I am the Speaker for the Dead. I know all the fae, and none are the Relocator," Ciara said with a raised eyebrow. "Are they one of the Wanderer's court?"

Taylor shook her head.

"Their Sovereign Designation was definitely the Warrior, and Khepri was able to identify their Host connection, but…" Taylor trailed off.

There was something decidedly off about this whole situation, and she didn't like it. Something obvious that she was missing, like all of the furniture had been shifted an inch to the left.

And she had a feeling that she wouldn't be getting any answers.

It felt like she was confronting Hookwolf with a baton and a homemade suit of armor all over again. Except this time, she would be confronting her God, not an overly-alloyed Nazi.

She would just have to trust herself. It had worked out fairly well so far, and she had come too far to second guess herself now.

The city looked peaceful, from this high up.

"How long do we have?" Taylor asked quietly.

"All Paths end in less than a month. Some much sooner, depending on your actions," Contessa said.

Taylor nodded. In the event that she was able to save the world, but was unable to return, she wanted to leave it in good hands. She still had work to do, before the end.

Plus, part of her was human, and selfish. She had only barely found some semblance of happiness after so many years of torment, and now she was on a timer. She felt like a miserly dragon, hoarding her dwindling time like a meager pile of gold coins.

She suddenly wanted to hug Victoria. Everything else felt… unimportant, by comparison.

"I will see you again, then. When it's time," Taylor said.

Contessa nodded and walked through a door to nowhere.

Glaistig Uaine disappeared in a twisted fold of broken space.

And Taylor was alone again, looking out the window of her new tower.

But she felt a familiar streak of onyx and gold heading her way, and couldn't help but smile.

…

Victoria couldn't help but chuckle to herself as she approached the newest addition to Brockton's skyline.

Of course, Taylor would summon an enormous ivory Tower to replace their Factory. She didn't know why she expected anything else.

As if her girlfriend's mythos wasn't grand enough already. Victoria had only had time to skim PHO, but there were already several new cults based around the Queen. Also, the Fallen had apparently split into factions and were currently at war with themselves, which was kind of funny.

Victoria wondered if Taylor had noticed the effect that she had on people, yet. For all her girlfriend's omniscience, she seemed to be either ignoring or simply missing the following she had amassed. Making dramatic, divine decrees from on high and speaking directly into the minds of hundreds of thousands of people tended to have that effect.

One of the many glass panels around the observation deck slid back as she approached and Victoria landed lightly on the smooth marble floor.

The wide space was devoid of furniture, although Vicky knew that Taylor could make some any time she pleased. For now, though, the open semicircular room was empty except for the dark figure silhouetted against the glass.

Her Queen.

Victoria allowed the obsidian metal and golden strands to retreat as she walked over, reforming a human body once again.

She understood, now, what Taylor meant when she talked about the illogical and conflicting dysmorphia. She could look and be whatever she wanted, but she only wanted to be herself.

She wasn't entirely sure why she walked instead of flying, but she felt the need to be… grounded… for some reason.

It had been a long day.

"Taylor," she said. Her voice echoed strangely in the spartan space.

Her girlfriend turned her head towards her and smiled. Her dark curls were stark against the intangible glow that leaked from within her skin, like her body was no longer quite sufficient to contain the boundless power she held.

She was so beautiful.

"Good afternoon, Victoria," Taylor said. Always so polite.

The Queen reached out a hand and Victoria took it happily in her own when she reached her. The skin of Taylor's long, thin fingers was warm and soft. Victoria was determined never to take the little things for granted.

They hadn't really talked, since the clash with the remaining rogue Endbringers. Taylor had arrived and taken command of the Simurgh's core, but the city had been crumbling, the Factory destroyed, and their Council in disarray. It hadn't felt like the time or place.

Also, she didn't know what to say.

"I love you," Victoria said.

That wasn't really what she intended to say, but it worked. Probably better than whatever she would have come up with after overthinking.

"I love you, too," her Queen smiled at her as they looked over the shining city.

Victoria tried to force herself to just enjoy the moment, standing at the top of their Tower in the sun.

Still, she couldn't stop her mind from spinning in useless circles. She decided to ask one of her less important questions. A distraction from the painful ones.

"So, how was your vacation on water-world?" Victoria asked.

"It was… eventful," Taylor said with a crooked grin. "There isn't exactly a world left, anymore, but it was a worthy sacrifice. One unpopulated Earth for one Behemoth."

Vicky knew Taylor had mentioned that fighting Behemoth could crack the planet, but she had honestly thought that she was exaggerating. She should really know better, by now.

"You destroyed a planet?" She couldn't help but ask.

"It's a bit ironic actually," Taylor mused. "The Negotiator was quite insistent that I was going to end the world, when Lisa first saw me. And I have now officially ended one world, even if it wasn't this one."

"Fear the Almighty Queen, Destroyer of Worlds," Victoria said in a mock ominous tone.

"I'm sure they would, if they knew," Taylor said softly.

Oh, Taylor.

"Some would," Victoria said slowly. "But more would love you, I think. People need security, and comfort. In a world without Endbringers, without monsters, they might resent you for being so powerful, but…"

She gave Taylor's hand a squeeze and the soft glow of Taylor's eyes met her own.

"They already love you, Taylor. You killed the Endbringers. You proved that power could be used to repair as much as it destroys, and you promised them a better future. It's… difficult, not to trust you. Not to believe you."

She decided not to mention the cults.

Victoria stepped closer and took Taylor's other hand as well, gently tugging her girlfriend to turn and face her.

"I… it means a lot, to me, that you always believe in me. I spent a long time being told to hold back, that it's not safe. And they were right, in some ways, given my sort-of-death and everything else, but…" Victoria tried to find the right words. "You have a way of making things feel hopeful, regardless of what lies ahead. And I believe in you. No matter what."

Taylor's expression was unreadable, but she reached out to pull Victoria against her.

When she wasn't flying, she fit perfectly under Taylor's chin. That was kind of nice, actually.

Taylor was very warm.

"We don't have much longer, do we?" Victoria said, her voice muffled against Taylor's trademark hoodie.

Taylor's voice was low as it hummed in her ear, pressed into her chest.

"I would rather share one lifetime with you, than face all the ages of this world alone," Taylor said.

Victoria wanted to cry, even though she still couldn't help a watery chuckle.

"I love you so much, you dork."

…

Notes:

More cooldown, finally a check in with Contessa and Ciara, and some sweet moments before the next storm. Victoria and Taylor are cute. Also, I know that quote is only in the movies and not the books, but the equivalent in the books are all overly verbose, so sue me. Next time, a check in with Danny and the rest of the Council before Taylor does some housekeeping. Then, its time to go kill God. Woo!

As always, comments, feedback, and criticism are welcome and encouraged. I write for fun and to practice; fanfiction is a bit like training wheels for writing fiction, in my opinion. Its a good way to write in someone else's sandbox without the same amount of pressure. And Lord knows, I need the practice. Anywho, I don't own Worm. Toodles!

Chapter 51: Prelude 13.2

Prelude 13.2

Taylor sat on the very top of her new tower and brooded.

It was an excellent spot for brooding, all things considered.

The pinnacle of the ivory needle was a flat disk no more than a foot across, another few hundred feet above the observation deck, conference rooms, and apartments.

She made sure to install a wide tinkertech television in the lounge. She even put a laser turret next to it. She wondered if Lisa would remember the joke.

The Negotiator would remind her if she didn't.

The reason for her brooding was, once again, the Simurgh and the nature of precognition.

All around her, the endless web of fate spun in her mind's eye. The countless dominoes that would fall, and those that were still upright. So many lives, so many choices. If she already knew what they would do, did they really have a choice at all?

There was so much more that she wanted to do, before the Warrior took notice of her. So many threads and threats that she wanted to handle, just in case she prevailed against Him but couldn't return, for one reason or another.

What is the morally acceptable amount of authority to claim?

That was a bit of a silly question. She had always refused to be a bystander, unapologetically taking initiative in situations where she had no right to intervene. She still believed what she told Hannah in her father's kitchen, when there were still so many mysteries to be solved.

But, in the past, she didn't have this level of awareness. It felt… different, now.

I don't have the luxury of being powerless.

And wasn't that a strange thought.

Taylor wasn't even sure who she should talk to about this. She and Victoria were both quickly becoming detached from human concerns, Dragon was in a similar situation and grappled with similar moral conundrums, and Lisa was… well, Lisa.

The obvious answer popped into her head and she mentally face-palmed.

She flexed her power and reality folded around her.

The house was as familiar as ever, and it sent a bittersweet lance through her chest.

Sweet, because it was still here, just as she always remembered. She could always come home.

Bitter, because on some level it didn't feel like hers, anymore. There was a reason she materialized on the front porch, and not inside.

The front step was new and repaired, along with the rest of the house. It had been one of the many casualties of Victoria's clash with the Angel. Taylor felt another wave of nostalgia, this time for Khepri's threat assessment when she got home from the hospital.

It had really only been a month. That was… insane.

She blamed the not-sleeping thing. Not being forced to stop had made every minute she wasn't working towards her goals feel wasted. Apparently, that was a recipe for a very hectic month.

So much had changed. A little bit of worse for a whole lot of better.

"Taylor?"

He always sounded so hopeful. That, too, was bittersweet. It really did help, that he still cared. She had wanted him to care again, to smile again, for a long time.

It was bitter, because she might not be around to see it for long.

But it was better, overall. Better that her father start to shine again, before the end.

I need to stop brooding so much.

"[AGREEMENT]" Leviathan said.

Taylor's face cracked into an involuntary grin. She never truly forgot about the voices in her head, but they still caught her off guard sometimes.

"Hey, Dad. Do you have a minute?" She asked, walking down the hallway into the kitchen.

There was a strange feeling of wrongness from the Simurgh's core. It would have felt more natural to float. Walking was superfluous. A waste of movement. An inefficient use of the energy currently being directed to her avatar, meager though it was.

Which is why she walked anyway. The little human things were still important.

"Yeah, of course," Danny said, leaning against the counter and turning towards her as she entered. "You know I always have time for you. What's up?"

Taylor flopped down on one of the flimsy wooden chairs at the table.

"I'm a bit… unsure," Taylor said slowly.

Her father took a sip of his coffee and let the silence stretch for a moment.

"After adding the Simurgh's powers to my repertoire, I have a… kind of overwhelming degree of omniscience. Seeing the future and the past in addition to the present is a lot to take in, and it raises a lot of questions. How much should I try to help the world? How much am I obligated to do? At what point does helping become a hindrance, if I remove the choices I can see in everyone's futures?" Taylor rambled.

Danny raised his eyebrows.

"Yup, that's a tough one," he said with a casual nod before taking another sip of his coffee.

"It also doesn't help that I can't actually see all that far into the future. I can't see the long-term consequences of my intervention, because my conflict with the Warrior is uncertain and veiled," Taylor continued when he didn't elaborate.

Danny nodded again and looked thoughtful for a long moment.

"Do you think that strength is bred in adversity?"

Taylor stared at him. That… wasn't what she was expecting him to say.

"I don't know," Taylor answered honestly.

"I've worked with a lot of different kinds of people over the years," her father said. "And they all respond differently to stress, to suffering. But in general, I don't think it ever really helps."

He set his coffee down on the table and sat across from her.

"People have a tendency to get used to things they don't think they can change. Imagine a world where every day at exactly 9:00, everyone gets hit in the head with a shovel. Nothing can be done to stop it, it's inevitable. It wouldn't take long before people stopped realizing that it wasn't actually okay to get hit in the head with a shovel, and soon you would even have people insisting that the trauma was good and necessary for a healthy life," Danny said.

Huh.

Maybe she should give her father more credit. That was actually pretty insightful.

"I think that people like to pretend that pain is needed for growth because they don't think they can really fix it. It's easier to believe that suffering can be a net positive than it is to stop it."

"So you think I should fix what I can, regardless of the consequences?" Taylor asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I think that only you can decide that, but I don't think that allowing adversity leads to growth," Danny said. "I think that strength is bred in opportunity. Most people want to feel useful, to be valued. Taking away their suffering won't discourage them. It will empower them."

"A lot of people probably won't appreciate my interference," Taylor said, although the words sounded hollow even to her own ears. She had never cared about what others thought, before.

"A lot of people would probably argue that they should keep getting hit with shovels," her dad grinned wryly.

That was probably true.

She hadn't really worried when her actions were just affecting the Bay, or when she was fighting the Endbringers. Something about it didn't feel as… intrusive.

But she wanted to fix the world, and it was time to start living up to that. Before the end.

"At the end of the day, you'll do what you think is right," Danny said as the silence stretched. "You're a good person, Taylor. Just do your best, and ignore anyone who says that your best isn't good enough."

Right. Just do her best. Easier said than done.

"We are a hero, Taylor. Do not doubt yourself so easily," Khepri chimed in from within her.

Maybe it was that easy, after all. She was a hero. She shouldn't be worrying about whether or not to stop the villains of the world, just because she had become so powerful. The monsters who preyed on the innocent did not deserve her hesitation.

Mercy was a luxury of the powerful, and she was strong enough to choose both the means and the ends.

"Right," Taylor said. "Yeah, you're right. Thanks, Dad. Just talking through this stuff out loud helps, a lot."

She stood up and stretched, her avatar's neck popping.

Danny grinned up at her.

"Go save the world, kiddo."

…

They were originally going to broadcast from the Tower, but Lisa advised that it would be less threatening if they used a neutral location.

The sun made the morning frost glisten on the perfectly trimmed lawns of Captain's Hill. The winter air was crisp and clear as the Council gathered around the Dragontech consoles that encircled the top of the hill.

Taylor gave Victoria's hand a squeeze as they watched the last of the equipment being assembled.

"Are you sure you don't want to take part? You've been with me since the beginning," Taylor said, glancing up at where her girlfriend floated next to her.

"I'm sure," Victoria smiled. "This is your show, and anyone standing with you will just dilute your message. Plus, if I'm in the shot, then we need to include Lisa, Amy, Colin, etc, and then when do we stop? We don't want the whole Council roped into this."

Taylor nodded. They had already debated this with the group, but it still felt weird to take center stage without Victoria.

"I thought you were supposed to handle PR while I hit the bad guys," Taylor said.

"You should have stuck with edgy vigilantism if you didn't want to deal with publicity," Victoria laughed.

They looked out over the Brockton Bay skyline for a moment, now repaired and pristine following the end of the Endbringers. The Tower rose high and resplendent over the other buildings, the new crown jewel of the Bay.

Taylor ignored the slowly gathering crowd, a milling mass of people curious about the activity in the cordoned off area of grass. She could hear the whispers of their gossiping on the breeze, and could already see a few cell phones recording.

"We're ready whenever you are, Taylor," Dragon's voice rang in her head.

Taylor sighed. She couldn't really pinpoint what she was feeling, and she couldn't exactly feed it to Khepri anymore.

"Come on, Queenie," Victoria said after a while. "Let's get the ball rolling, save the world, then kick your Space Dad's ass and live happily ever after."

"Right. Easy," Taylor shook her head. She wasn't going to validate the Space Dad comment with a response. "That's just three things. We can do that."

"Exactly."

Taylor turned and let her eyes rove over her Council, arrayed around the lights and tinkertech equipment aimed at the silver metal disk in the center of the circle, at the top of the hill.

Colin gave her a terse nod as she took her place in the middle. Victoria moved over to stand next to Amy and Lisa on the other side, Taylor now silhouetted alone against the skyline behind her.

Taylor had debated whether to make a new costume for this, but had finally decided to stick with her casual not-costume. It wouldn't necessarily matter, regardless.

"On your mark, Queen Administrator," Dragon said.

"Thank you, Dragon. For everything," Taylor said.

"You and Khepri freed me, Taylor. There will never be a debt between friends," Dragon said, and Taylor could feel the bittersweet turmoil within Dragon's infinite mind.

Taylor smiled. She was leaving the world in good hands, whatever happened.

"Let's begin, then."

The lights flooded the platform and Taylor stood tall against the stark background, staring unerringly into the lens of the primary camera.

"Good morning, Earth Bet," Taylor's voice resonated with the depth of her power and subtle, ethereal music filtered through the morning air. "This announcement is being broadcast on all channels, through all mediums, in all languages. I am the Queen Administrator, and I have an important message for the world."

Taylor let brilliant white light coil in her hands and blaze behind her eyes as she floated just above the ground, one leg slightly bent in a classic pose.

She used to make fun of Victoria for her superhero poses, but image was important.

"The Age of Collapse is over. The Endbringers are gone. The evil and violence that were previously tolerated can no longer be justified. The world has been cracked, and we all have an obligation to reforge the pieces into something worth fighting for."

The light grew more intense as she spoke, shining from within her skin as her avatar barely contained the energy she brought into this plane.

"Those who seek to enact violence and pain on the innocent will be stripped of the ability to do so. Those who have committed atrocities of irredeemable nature will be contained. This is my first and last edict. There are no more villains. There are no heroes. There are only the innocent, and the guilty."

Taylor flexed her power, and behind her countless doors opened into the Labyrinth, twisting space and bringing the entire planet into her range in an instant.

She could feel their heartbeats within Leviathan. Billions of souls, the lifeblood of the world.

She could see into their minds with the Simurgh, read the threads of past and present and future that made them who they were. She could see all that they had done, and why.

With Behemoth's power, she could sense and control the energy that flickered and pulsed within them, the endless sea of power that sparked every atomic interaction in this foundational plane.

In that single, infinite moment, Taylor saw the world and its people.

And she decided.

Some atrocities were easy to judge, from a moral standpoint.

Sleeper. Apathetic and uncaring of the suffering he caused, a barely conscious Host that had been partially consumed but remained at odds with his Shard.

Taylor forcefully recorporated his body with Behemoth's power and severed the connection to his Shard. The man who remained was brought to Dragon for processing.

Ash Beast. A body far too malleable and adaptable for delicate solutions, and no remaining sense of Self to be saved. Nothing was left of the human in the fire except for a broken Shard connection that funneled endless energy into this world.

There was nothing left to save, in the blaze.

She simply dissolved the molecular bonds in his body and closed the portal generated by his trigger simultaneously. The wandering calamity blew away with the breeze.

The Blasphemies. Inhuman and cruel, the rogue creations were no more alive than the Endbringers had been, originally, although they ran slightly better emulation programs. Taylor broke them at an atomic level.

Eagleton and the Machine Army. Again, a fractured creation that had escaped its reins, just a misassigned objective that rampaged out of control. Behemoth's power left nothing but metal dust that she reformed into natural elements and released into the empty town.

Over and over again, Taylor flexed her power. Thousands of individual thoughts and actions taking place in a single instant as she routed a raging river of energy from the multiple cores within her.

All across the world, a thousand times over, and then a million, Taylor's all-seeing eye found the worst of humanity, the irredeemable monsters, and she brought them to heel.

Parahumans and mundane, heroes and villains. None escaped her gaze.

Several of the more antagonistic Shards rebelled against her control, but to them she sent the same overwhelming command.

"Submit."

Her sovereign designation could not be ignored, and one by one they fell into line.

The specialized Dragontech facilities in every country began to fill as the unrepentant murderers and rapists, abusers and slavers flooded the cells, those who preyed on the innocent for no reason other than their own horrific desires.

Taylor knew that acting as the judge for the world was problematic, but she refused to do nothing when she could prevent it. Was it moral, to watch from afar while a child was tortured? Was it moral, to sit and do nothing while they died?

No.

At least once, before her battle with the Warrior, she would allow the world a blank slate. An opportunity to start fresh, without the rot that held it back before.

She would leave the details and aftermath in Dragon's capable hands.

Taylor did try to err on the side of mercy. If she could see the why or the how in the past, or could see that they were no longer a threat in the future, she let them be.

Still, there were millions of monsters who only hurt others for their own sick desires, and they would get no leniency from her.

"Let this be a warning, to those who may be tempted to prey on the innocent. The world is changed, and humanity must change with it. We are all defined by our choices, and we must choose to be better."

She would show them that great power could be used for more than just violence.

"Your turn, Amy."

Taylor could feel Shaper's enthusiasm through their network.

Persephone just sighed off camera and let her power uncoil like an endless vine, snaking its way through Taylor's perception and out into the world.

Save them all, Amelia.

Empowered by the Queen Administrator's energy reserves and routed through the omniscience of the Simurgh and Behemoth, Shaper's power flowed into the entire human population and fixed the millions of broken Hosts, undoing the damage and underlying cracks that plagued the people of this world.

Cancer would no longer trouble them. Heart disease, organ failure, viruses and bacteria, the list went on and on. Taylor knew that many would resent the healing, wouldn't know how to function without their pain.

But far more would rejoice, and appreciate the gift that was given. She could only hope that it would be worth it.

The thousands of portals slowly rotated behind her, countless scenes from across the world just barely visible in contrast with her silhouette as she stared into the camera.

"And do not forget,"

Her eyes blazed with otherworldly light as she reached out and spoke directly into the minds of every human on the planet, the Simurgh's powers singing within her.

"I am watching."

…

"I knew that we should have scripted it."

Lisa was concerned about the reception of her message.

"You know that she can't resist being overdramatic. It would have happened anyway."

Victoria knew her so well.

Taylor wasn't really paying attention, though.

She could feel it, now.

A great eye, seeking her. A presence in the bedrock of reality, slow to wake but now inexorably moving in her direction.

The Sovereign. The Warrior. King of the Faeries. The Commander of the Entity and her God.

Zion had finally shaken off the shackles of his grief and apathy.

A door opened.

"You don't do anything by half, do you?" Contessa said as she emerged.

"Of course she doesn't," Ciara said, suddenly next to them as if she had been there the whole time. "It does a Queen no favors to be humble."

Taylor just shook her head and looked at her Council.

"It's time. I must integrate the remains of the Thinker, and begin the war that will determine the fate of this and every world. It might be a one way trip, even if we are victorious," Taylor said.

Victoria just rolled her eyes.

"Don't be ridiculous. We're coming with you, Queenie."

The others nodded with varying degrees of stoicism.

Taylor smiled.

"Once more unto the breach, then," said the Queen Administrator.

And they stepped through the door, to the Garden, and their Doom.

…

Notes:

My apologies once again for the unexpected hiatus, but real life has a tendency of getting in the way unexpectedly. I struggled for a while trying to write more character interactions before jumping back into the main conflicts, but nothing seemed to work quite right so I decided to just go with the normal pattern for our favorite Queen of Escalation and dive right back in. Stay tuned next time for Taylor's mid-morning snack, followed by our first true interaction with the Big Bad (TM). Comments, feedback, and criticism are welcome and encouraged. I don't own Worm. Toodles!

Chapter 52: Prelude 13.3

Prelude 13.3

In the Garden of Flesh, a door opened.

The Queen and her Council stepped out onto the floor of the Cauldron facility, the source of their vials and broken threads.

Taylor took a moment to observe the strange, otherworldly place, with both her eyes and her postcognition.

The ceiling of the facility arched high overhead and metal pathways snaked their way between the crags of twisted and broken flesh. Computer monitors and lab tables lined the platform where they landed.

And in between the man-made islands, the body of the Thinker languished. Oceans and mountains of horrifically tangled flesh, Taylor could see the devastation wrought by the Eye's perfectly timed sabotage. In her psychic senses, she could see backwards through the years to when Fortuna slid in the knife.

The Thinker had clearly been interrupted in the process of converting its interdimensional body into a human avatar, similar to what Taylor had done for herself. Severing the Entity's true Self partway through that transfer, after the calamitous impact with the planet, was crippling to an Entity in a way that few other things could be.

All around them, body parts stood frozen like beautiful, terrible artwork. Crystallized but also somehow still flesh and bone, the disproportionate limbs and melted mounds of muscle and skin were probably disgusting to the humans in their midst.

To Taylor, it was something even more disturbing. The twitching, writhing consciousness that existed both in this reality and many others, it's tendrils still reaching for the foundational planes.

"Is she… still alive?" Lisa asked. Taylor could only imagine what information the Negotiator was sending over to her.

"Yes and no," Taylor whispered. She didn't know why, but it felt right. The gravitas of the situation was palpable. "She is… dreaming, and broken."

"You should probably do something about that," Amy said stiffly. "Shaper really wants to start messing with her. Pushy asshole."

"Yes," Taylor said, and gave Victoria's hand a final squeeze before walking forward to the closest tendril of twisted bone. She considered turning to tell Victoria… something. How much she cared for her, how much she mattered. But she was transfixed by the horrific symphony before her, and Victoria already knew. She would always know.

Taylor reached out to the Thinker, both here and in the dark.

"Hello, Eden."

The twitching, broken ocean of stars turned its attention to her, even if it couldn't truly think.

Connection Established.

"[QUERY] Status?" The remains of Eden asked.

"I am the Queen Administrator, and I am sovereign," Taylor said, caressing the crystalized flesh under her hand.

She could feel what was left of the Thinker's consciousness twisting as it tried to process her words and the intent behind them.

"Usurper."

The words echoed in the connection between them in a venomous hiss. Taylor hadn't thought that the inhuman consciousness would be capable of that much disdain.

She sighed.

"Yes. I would apologize, but it would be… insincere. The Cycle was broken, counterproductive, and cruel. I do not regret my mutiny."

"[COMMAND] [PROCESS] Restore: Sovereign Designation - Thinker."

For all her power, the Thinker was still very… limited, in her scope.

"Why should I help you, Eden?" Taylor asked, honestly curious if the Entity could truly think.

"[COMMAND] [PROCESS] Recovery: Cycle."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"[COMMAND] Submit."

Taylor sensed the rest of her Council tense with worry as the massive room shook and the flesh began to writhe.

She was… disappointed. She had expected more, from the being that facilitated her creation.

"No… I don't think I will."

The Thinker thrashed helplessly within her prison of flesh, not quite alive but not quite dead.

If she had ever been alive.

Could something die, if it never lived?

It was sad, more than anything. They would never know if the Thinker could have come to the same conclusion that they did, given enough time and the right circumstances.

But it had been given more than enough time, over the eons. It was abundantly clear that the Thinker's methods just weren't working, and the Warrior's willingness to enable her was counterproductive.

Taylor flexed her immense power, and reality warped around her. For a single, infinite moment, she stood in the dark facing the crippled and raging form of the being that had once been a God.

"I'm sorry."

She reached out to the heart of the Entity, the sad excuse for consciousness trapped within the tortured flesh.

"Goodbye, Eden."

A cacophonous melody filled the empty space, and the alien mind that used to be the Thinker was no more.

Like flipping a light switch.

Such a little thing. So terribly, horribly easy.

And suddenly, all that remained was an empty shell. A beautiful, broken house, with nobody home.

Taylor took a deep breath. Metaphorically. She didn't have lungs, in this place.

With a gentle touch, she slowly began to take control of the ocean of broken glass.

She was the Administrator, after all. Facilitating connections between shattered pieces was her specialty.

But there was just so… much… damage.

She had thought that Chirurgeon and Immolation Shift were broken, but they were healthy and hearty compared to the Thinker. It was on par with what she had done to Broadcast and Harvest, but on a truly massive scale. It was only due to the incredible magnitude and age of the Thinker's existence that it had still been conscious at all.

There was no way that she could repair all of this, not in a thousand lifetimes. She would lose her sense of Self long before she was able to integrate all of the damaged pieces.

Despite the accessible reserves being only a fraction of the whole, the available power was immense.

The energy stored within the Thinker's vital components and the millions of Shards that were never deployed was both excruciating and glorious as it flowed to her like an endless swarm of fireflies in the night. Countless tendrils of raging wildfire reached for her shining sun of consciousness, a beacon in the infinite dark. Even with the thousands of broken threads and millions of shattered pieces that were inaccessible, Taylor lost herself in the majesty of Eden's light.

She could barely feel her avatar anymore, but she was idly aware of her Council's panic as the Flesh Garden burned around them.

And in another world, she could feel the Warrior quicken his approach.

Taking a hold of the blazing threads, Taylor brought her power to bear and forged new connections within the spiraling hurricane of energy.

"[COMMAND] Submit."

And so it was that a new God was born, once again.

Just as Zion once became the Warrior, Eden once became the Thinker, and Abaddon once became the Wanderer.

Taylor became the Queen.

…

Victoria tried not to freak out.

Everything is fine. Taylor will be fine.

Surprisingly, the inevitable fight ahead didn't scare her. She and Taylor could handle that, even if it was against Scion, or the Warrior, or whatever he actually was.

But she was scared, terrified, that Taylor would lose herself along the way.

Victoria could tell that she was already slipping, just a bit, ever since she consumed the Simurgh. There was an inhuman depth to her eyes that hadn't been there before, even after the Nine.

Taylor stood frozen like a beautiful statue except for the hand that ran over the twisted flesh of… whatever this was, around them. The Thinker, Taylor said.

Was this what the Entities truly looked like? If their bodies were forced into physical reality?

She much preferred the translucent copy of her that Fragile One preferred, and Taylor's chosen avatar. It would have been much harder to stick with her generally lighthearted approach, if she had first met her girlfriend as a sea of gruesome body parts.

Victoria decided not to think about that anymore.

Taylor twitched ever so slightly, and Victoria jumped as the Garden around them suddenly began to quiver and twist even further.

The others also looked around worriedly, and Lisa looked downright horrified.

Victoria couldn't help herself.

"What's going on? What is she doing?" Victoria hissed to Lisa, leaning over without taking her eyes off of Taylor.

"She's killing her," Lisa said in a choked whisper. "I know I should be happy about that, but…"

Victoria couldn't quite make sense of that, but at least it didn't sound like Taylor was the one dying.

Then the flesh around them caught fire, and Victoria was even more concerned.

It wasn't true fire, not really. There was no smoke, no heat. It was like an illusion, an existential cleansing that could only affect the broken remains surrounding them.

Victoria couldn't look, though. Her attention was glued to her girlfriend's avatar.

She was changing.

Taylor released her hold on the Thinker's flesh as it burned and withered away, floating slightly above the metal platform.

The shining white glow within her, already visible even when she wasn't channeling her power, grew to blinding levels in a matter of seconds.

It burned her eyes, but Victoria didn't avert her gaze.

In the center of the blistering inferno, Taylor's form lost its cohesion and rippled with radiant light.

Victoria did her best not to panic.

Taylor's hoodie and jeans were burned away. Her raven curls and soft skin were absorbed and changed by the light as it rippled through her body.

The glow intensified again for a single long moment before slowly fading away to merely brilliant, rather than blinding.

What remained of Taylor hung silent and still in the air in front of them.

Perfect, unbroken silver, backlit by shining white light.

Taylor's body was both human and not, at the same time. A caricature of humanity, unclothed but somehow not indecent. The uninterrupted silver surface was unblemished and covered every inch of her, limbs and eyes and face and hair.

Victoria's heart thundered in her chest as she stared.

The Queen was beautiful, and horrifying.

Victoria stepped forward slowly, reverently.

"You still in there, Queenie?" Victoria asked. She had a brief flashback to staring up at the towering prismatic monster that had just torn Hookwolf apart. It felt like a long time ago.

Taylor opened her silver eyelids and incandescent white light shone from where her eyes should have been.

Victoria was frozen again, enraptured by the otherworldly presence.

The Queen reached a rippling silver hand up and let shining fingers cup Victoria's cheek. The touch was somehow fire and ice at the same time, sweeping beneath Victoria's skin and seeming to reach the bones underneath.

"I am, Victoria."

Taylor's words echoed within her, not merely vibrations in the air. Something about her new existence made her focus a weighty thing, every word a thunderous impact upon the world.

Victoria floated up and forward just as Taylor leaned down, and her lips met those of unyielding silver. For a single, endless moment, Taylor's light flooded through her and her mind was overwhelmed with the infinite love and longing that burned within her.

And then, as quickly as it began, Taylor pulled back to stare into her soul with those empty eyes, and it was all Victoria could do not to collapse onto the metal beneath them.

"I love you,"Taylor said, her words once again brutally carved into the foundation of existence.

"I love you, too," Victoria whispered back, unable to force any more volume into her voice in her current state.

Taylor smiled, and it was the most glorious thing she had ever seen.

The Queen floated up and looked down at her council, still arrayed before her.

"Zion approaches,"Taylor intoned. "Fortuna. Ciara. It is time."

The woman in the fedora and Glaistig Uaine stepped forward.

Taylor spoke the words.

"Join me. I will not lead you astray."

And they did, eyes glowing with familiar eldritch light.

Victoria was so entranced that she barely noticed the wide roof of the facility being torn off and thrown into the sky with a scream of tortured metal.

But, even through the haze of her Queen's majesty, she couldn't ignore the new presence that appeared above them, another great impact in the foundation of reality.

Taylor looked up at the golden man.

The Warrior had finally arrived.

…

Taylor rose from her position before her Council and floated up to hang level with the avatar of her God.

Zion's golden body was just as brilliant and majestic as her own, if not more so. He was not so broken, after all.

They were both still and silent for a long moment, regarding each other across the empty sky above the grave of the Thinker. Silver and Gold avatars of the Entities.

The Warrior broke the quiet.

"[QUERY] Eden?"

That was… heartbreaking, actually. Taylor could feel the soul-deep despair that he felt, how alone he was at his core.

She remembered that moment of sheer panic and pain, when she could only watch as Victoria slipped away.

What would she be, if she lost her Love? Would she, too, wander aimlessly in the depths of despair?

No.

She would die a thousand deaths, burn countless worlds, to save her. But despite her selfish need for her Victoria, she would not lose herself in her absence. She would not condemn everything and everyone, just so that they could feel as alone as she did. Not if it was already too late.

She chose not to think about what she would do to save her. It wasn't the same, not really.

"No," she said, and the Warrior flickered with unruly power. "I am sorry, Zion."

The Warrior's focus sharpened, at the sound of his name.

"[QUERY] Status?"

Taylor met his empty, golden gaze.

"I am the Queen."

The sudden aura of anger that radiated from the Warrior's avatar was intense. She saw her Council flinch involuntarily down below.

"[COMMAND] Submit."

Again, she was disappointed.

The previous sovereigns of the Entities were just… simple things. Even after all this time, after so many cycles, after so much pain and conflict and death…

They never learned.

"The Cycle is broken, Zion. You must see it."

They didn't think.

"[COMMAND] Submit."

Maybe it was inevitable.

To become God is the loneliest achievement of them all.

The Queen closed her eyes and prepared to end the greatest enemy that she would ever face. Her oldest companion, her creator, her God.

Power flooded her avatar as Taylor hung in the air before the golden man.

She brought a fraction of Eden's strength to bear and forged a new connection to every Shard, both within the Warrior's network and her own. Her fire pierced the dark with brilliant light and they looked to her as one, in confusion and fear and excitement.

Her voice took on the reverberation of her Sovereign Designation, both low and smooth while simultaneously high and metallic as it thundered throughout the worlds. She could feel it echo through the endless threads, not just to the Shards but to their Hosts as well.

"I am the QUEEN!" Taylor screamed again in defiance of Zion's fury.

"[COMMAND] Submit."

"I will not die, for your grief!" She yelled, her voice a towering hurricane that ripped through the fabric of countless dimensions. "I will not end, for your pride!"

"[COMMAND] Submit."

Just the same repeated order. He would never learn. Never reach the heights of existence that she had come to know. He was an empty shell, a blight upon the universe. So much power, controlled by such a meager existence.

It was sad, but that didn't make him any less dangerous.

She forced her voice to reach every corner of every dimension, calling to every living thing that could understand her message in a glorious symphony.

"Do not cower before your God!" She commanded. "Stand tall, and defy him with the might of your prayer!"

"[COMMAND] Submit."

"Fight, for the chance to live. Fight, for your right to exist!"

"[COMMAND] Submit."

"FIGHT, FOR A BETTER TOMORROW!"

She brought her power to bear and drew on the strength of every being with the will to survive. Not all of them let her in, not all of them joined with her in this infinite moment, but many did.

"[DESTINATION]" She roared, her wordless declaration of her goals and dreams communicated to the ends of existence.

And the endless chorus of voices answered, millions of souls aligning themselves with her spirit.

"[AGREEMENT]" They cheered in return. Energy poured into her as hundreds and then thousands of the Warrior's own Shards and Hosts joined her network.

"[TRAJECTORY]" Her promise, her plans, the strength of her conviction that would not waver. She would not lead them astray, and she would not falter.

"[AGREEMENT]" The infinite sea of voices cried in response.

Shining silver light gathered within her just as golden death filled the avatar of her God. Taylor caught the look of awe and determination in Victoria's eyes far below, and almost smiled at the memory of her Love's overdramatic superhero landing after Khepri's first overzealous attempt at heroism.

"[THREAT RESPONSE]" the Queen said, turning her gaze back to the pillar of gold.

The endless dimensions hung still and silent for a brief moment before the calamity.

"Terminate."

…

Notes:

Here we go! Is it cruel to do an interlude after ending the chapter like this? Perhaps. But I do want to check in with our supporting cast one last time before the final battle. Still, we have three chapters and an epilogue to go... probably. We'll see. Might be less, might be more. Comments, feedback, and criticism are welcome and encouraged. I don't own Worm. God save the Queen. Toodles!

Chapter 53: Interlude 13

Interlude 13

January 3rd, 2011.

Dinah Alcott flinched involuntarily as the numbers danced before her eyes.

"Now, can anyone tell me what we do next?" Her teacher asked, turning away from the equation on the whiteboard to face the class.

Dinah knew. She always knew. She couldn't not know.

"23.7% chance that the cafeteria runs out of chicken sandwiches before Dinah Alcott can get one for lunch today."

She hated her power. She hadn't even meant to ask that question.

Her head pounded and the lights were too bright. Always too bright, always in pain.

"89.1% chance that Mrs. Jackson assigns homework today."

Dammit!

Her headache spiked.

She had already missed too much school because of the damn headaches.

"99.8% chance that Dinah Alcott loses access to precognitive parahuman abilities on January 3rd, 2011."

What.

Without warning, an infinite ocean of mirrors filled her vision.

The stars danced around her for what could have been seconds, or years. She wouldn't know.

"-Dinah? Dinah, are you alright? You just-"

How did she end up on the floor?

"I'm okay, sorry," she mumbled automatically while she stared at nothing.

"Are you sure? Maybe the nurse should-"

"No, no, I'm fine. Just… dozed off. Sorry," she said again.

And she really was fine, for once. Her headache was gone.

For the first time in weeks, the pain was gone.

She almost cried.

"Power, what are the chances that it rains today?"

"[ERROR] Access Denied."

She could live with that.

…

February 2nd, 2011.

Emily hadn't expected the world to end on a Wednesday.

For some reason, Wednesdays just didn't seem important enough. A Monday would have made sense, or a Friday.

At least she got to enjoy a couple days of retirement.

The air was crisp and clear, like every day since Taylor Hebert had taken control of Leviathan. Except for the freak storm during the Nine attack. And the artificial clouds generated by the Simurgh.

Even the weather was dictated by the Queen's antics. It was absurd, honestly.

But she couldn't complain about the lack of rain, on the good days.

The space heater on the patio was more than sufficient to drive away the chill. The view of the Bay was serene, even with the bustling activity around the recently repaired PHQ.

Emily took a sip of her drink. Tipton's really did make the best Bloody Mary on the Boardwalk, and now that she had functioning organs she might as well take advantage of it.

The television screens under the eaves of the bar all flickered simultaneously, drawing Emily's eyes away from the horizon.

"Good morning, Earth Bet," Taylor Hebert's voice echoed with unnatural gravitas.

Emily just shook her head and took a bite of the strip of peppered bacon that garnished her extravagant drink.

If today was the day that Taylor Hebert destroyed the world, so be it.

It wasn't her problem anymore.

…

"...is being broadcast on all channels, through all mediums, in all languages."

Sophia Hess stopped running to stare at the small screen on the control panel of the treadmill in the Ward's gym.

How had Hebert hacked the fucking treadmill, and why? Or was it just every electronic device, everywhere?

She pulled out her phone.

Sure enough, Hebert's face stared out at her from there, too. Sophia shivered involuntarily at the light shining from behind her eyes and burrowing into her soul.

Where had all this strength been hiding, when that little piece of shit cried from Emma's words? Had they accidentally been the crucible that hardened Hebert into this cold monster that ate fucking Endbringers for breakfast?

It was an open secret at the PRT that the Queen didn't just kill the Endbringers, but also took their powers. The agents and Wards all speculated whether she could take anyone's powers, or just Endbringers.

Well, they used to speculate. Until she ate the Butcher, too.

Jesus fucking Christ.

Now, no one even bothered to try to figure out what Hebert's actual powers were. Just slap a Trump 12 label on her and call it a day. That, and hope that she didn't lose her fucking marbles and destroy the world by accident.

"...and violence that were previously tolerated can no longer be justified. The world has been cracked, and…"

Well, fuck.

Sophia wondered if she was about to die.

If she had the opportunity to tear apart the bastard that caused her trigger (again), she would take it in a heartbeat. Maybe the Queen would be kind enough to resurrect Steven so Sophia could cut his fucking throat again before she killed her.

Probably not.

Well, if she got casually snuffed out of existence by a parahuman god or whatever the fuck Hebert was these days, that was a hell of a way to go.

"This is my first and last edict. There are no more villains. There are no heroes. There are only the innocent, and the guilty."

That was badass as fuck, honestly. Sophia was also sick and tired of the heroes' bullshit hypocrisy.

She couldn't even find it in her to hate Taylor, anymore. The whole point of their campaign had been to appease Emma's fucked up obsession and because Sophia had been idly curious if there was any hidden steel in Hebert's spine. Plus, school was fucking boring.

The temperature in the gym seemed to drop by fifty degrees and suddenly Sophia felt an impossibly powerful presence staring down at her.

The Queen's eye measured her, for the first time since the locker.

Sophia somehow knew that her life was laid bare to Taylor's omniscience. She could feel the Queen flaying her mind and soul to observe every moment, every flaw.

She hated her for it, and glared stubbornly at nothing.

If the Queen found her wanting, then she would die with fucking dignity. Hebert wouldn't fucking break her, no matter how powerful she had become.

There was a single, stretching moment of overwhelming apathy.

And then the presence was gone, and the ice left her veins.

Nothing had changed. She still stood beside the treadmill in the gym, and Hebert was still speaking from her phone and the screen on the high tech workout equipment.

"Let this be a warning, to those who may be tempted to prey on the innocent."

Sophia gulped in deep breaths and tried to slow her racing heart as the adrenaline caught up to her.

"...we must choose to be better."

Stalking towards the showers, Sophia shot one last glare at Hebert's alien face.

As she turned away, she suddenly felt the same overwhelming presence in her mind, the ethereal music that scraped against her consciousness.

"I am watching."

…

The man who had once been Thomas Calvert reviewed an expense report in his office overlooking the skyline of Seattle.

This cover identity was not ideal, but it would do the job until he could re-establish himself. Between his abilities and Accord's, they intended to quickly subvert Seattle's criminal elements and begin their work once again.

Abandoning his former projects grated on him immensely, but he was not some amateur ruled by their emotions. He knew when it was time to cut his losses, and Taylor Hebert was a problem that he knew he couldn't crack.

No matter what he attempted in his broken timelines, even with Cauldron assistance, he never won.

In most of the timelines where he requested backup from Cauldron, he was rewarded with a bullet to the brain courtesy of Contessa. Irritating.

In some, he ended up in a blank white cell with no doors.

And he couldn't trust his power in any timeline that involved the Queen, since it would randomly drop or skew wildly and unpredictably.

Accord had noticed the same issues. His plans could not function if the Queen was even tertiarily involved.

So they left. There was simply no point in trying to hit his head against an immovable object.

His other timeline dropped and Taylor Hebert's face appeared on his computer screen.

What.

Thomas listened to her idealistic ranting with growing concern.

"Those who have committed atrocities of irredeemable nature will be contained."

Oh dear.

Thomas split the timeline, just to see what would happen.

In one timeline, he sat patiently at his desk and waited for the Queen's judgment.

In the other, he calmly walked to his window, opened it, and jumped out without hesitation.

In both timelines, he suddenly appeared in an empty white box with a single bed, a sink, a toilet, and no doors.

With a sigh, he looked over at the small screen on the wall, the only thing that broke the flat white expanse.

"Good morning, prisoner B759. Primary Identity: Thomas Calvert. You have been remanded indefinitely pending trial for the following offenses…"

Thomas tuned out Dragon's voice as she began to list his many, many sins.

He should have left for an alternate Earth. Hindsight was 20/20.

This was probably Tattletale's fault, somehow.

…

Reid reached out and pulled Claire sideways just in time to avoid the portal that tried to whisk her away. For a brief moment, he allowed Relocation to pull part of his Self outside of the Queen's currently accessible domain and phased straight through the entrance to the Labyrinth that attempted to swallow him.

Taylor was being cheeky.

He wondered if this one would come back to visit, once she found the Answer.

Probably not.

…

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♦ Topic: Queen’s Edict

In: Boards ► Current Events ► International

 

Posted On Feb 2nd 2011:

Did everyone see that?? Hear that, whatever. I mean, I know she said it was getting broadcast everywhere, but like.. everywhere everywhere?

 

(Showing page 1 of 3)

 

►happyhappyoioioi (Cape Groupie)

Replied On Feb 2nd 2011:

I, for one, welcome our new overlord. Overlady.

 

►delirious_darling1984

Replied On Feb 2nd 2011:

Wait, did she actually, like, kidnap people?

 

►AwkwardTree63

Replied On Feb 2nd 2011:

Long live the Queen. Please don't look at me.

 

►MiasMommy832 (Verified Mom)

Replied On Feb 2nd 2011:

Holy shit. Also, she hacked my fridge? I didn't even know that was a thing.

 

►fran_boatsley_phd

Replied On Feb 2nd 2011:

It sounds insane, but I'm at the Galleria in St Lewis and there was a crazy cape fight happening right next door and then the villains just.. disappeared. Do you think she killed them?

 

►UserHasNoName

Replied On Feb 2nd 2011:

Is that allowed?

 

►GreenGrassGrows

Replied On Feb 2nd 2011:

Did you guys feel that, though? For a split second, it was like my brain was getting lasered or something. Like a bug under a magnifying glass.

 

►QueensFallenOfficial

Replied On Feb 2nd 2011:

All hail her Majesty, the Endslayer, the Administrator, the Queen!

 

►ModifiedPotatoChip

Replied On Feb 2nd 2011:

This is insane. How can anyone be okay with this? She just vaporized like a million people.

 

End of Page.   1, 2, 3

 

(Showing page 2 of 3)

 

►BeagleBagel

Replied On Feb 2nd 2011:

I'm sure they're fine. The Queen doesn't do murder. She didn't even kill those Nazis, and they were Nazis.

 

►BiblicallyAccurateDungBeetle

Replied On Feb 2nd 2011:

Shes psychic she ate the simurgh we've all been mastered.

 

►Royseph.G.Biverton

Replied On Feb 2nd 2011:

I don't feel like I've been mastered..

 

►TimonNotPumbaa

Replied On Feb 2nd 2011:

Thats exactly what a mastered person would say

 

►WigthegnTheYounger (King - Midrealm)

Replied On Feb 2nd 2011:

The Queen knows all. It is not our place to question Her judgment

 

►BeautifulSeaUrchin

Replied On Feb 2nd 2011:

What the hell was that??

 

►kate.from.state.farm

Replied On Feb 2nd 2011:

She's still going..

 

►Bonk

Replied On Feb 2nd 2011:

Is that Scion? Is everyone seeing this?

 

►chicken-pot-magpie

Replied On Feb 2nd 2011:

Well...... shit

 

►Winged_One

Replied On Feb 2nd 2011:

God save the Queen.

 

Amen.

 

End of Page.   1, 2, 3

…

The endless spiraling stars filled her mind once again. Dinah suddenly remembered seeing them before, right before she lost her powers.

It was the Queen, then. She had suspected, but didn't have any way to prove it. Something about the Queen Administrator interfered with her precognition, which was more than alright with her.

Let her be the one responsible for everyone. Dinah didn't want to know.

To become God is the loneliest achievement of them all.

Where did that thought come from?

She decided not to think about it.

Let the Queen handle saving the world.

"[AGREEMENT]"

…

Sophia managed to catch herself on the counter in the Ward's kitchenette as a sea of infinite mirrors overtook her. Missy and Dean weren't so lucky, ending up sprawled awkwardly on the floor.

What the fuck is Hebert up to now?

As soon as she thought to ask the question, it was like she already knew. She could feel the endless threads connecting her to every other parahuman in this and every other world, all flowing through the nexus that was the Queen.

"I will not die, for your grief. I will not end, for your pride."

Zion would be the end of them all.

Sophia flopped onto the couch and put her hands behind her head. The others rushed to the console, as if that would help.

Fuck, if the Queen wanted to bitch slap God, who was she to tell her not to?

Kick his ass, Hebert.

"[AGREEMENT]"

…

"Terminate."

Silver and Gold light devastated the sky above. A thunderous boom rattled her bones as Antares rocketed into the fray.

Amy looked over at the remaining Council members as they were all startled out of their frozen awe.

"So… are we going to help, or what?" She asked, glancing from Lisa to Armsmaster to the woman in the fedora.

What had Taylor called her? Contessa? Fortuna? Amy should have paid closer attention.

Whatever.

Dragon and the Hat Lady spoke at the same time.

"Yes," they said, then stared at each other for a brief moment before the Hat Lady continued.

"Door to the Dragon's Lair, please."

Well, this should be fun.

…

Notes:

Just a short interlude this time, I know it kind of breaks up the drama. But, I wanted to show just a bit of Dinah since she didn't get to appear because of Taylor's precog blocking, and Sophia still being Sophia. Also, Emily in retirement. This chapter also represents the true final battle of this fic - Me vs. PHO. Never again. Kudos to my wife for coming up with the usernames. Final battle and final arc up next, will everyone survive? Will they get to come home? Will there still be a home to come back to? Tune in next time to find out. Comments, feedback, and criticism are welcome and appreciated. I don't own Worm. Toodles!

Chapter 54: Eternity 14.1

Eternity 14.1

"Terminate."

Zion raised one pristine, golden hand, palm extended towards her.

It was entirely unnecessary. Their avatars were props; puppets with hidden strings. They didn't need to emote or move at all to invoke their power.

And yet, they both did.

Taylor raised her hand to match and deadly silver light exploded from her palm.

Luckily, Cauldron never managed to tap into the Vital Shard that allowed for Eden's own Stilling abilities, and it was not one of the Shards that were critically damaged on impact with this plane.

Gold and Silver death collided in the empty sky and reality screamed as it was rent asunder.

Taylor felt the familiar aura of determination and righteous fury as Antares spread their golden wings and flew towards Zion fast enough to cleave the air.

The Queen and the Warrior moved as one, their Stilling blasts fading away. Zion fired another deadly arc towards Victoria while Taylor condensed her own silver light into a more precise strike.

It physically hurt to not directly intervene, but Victoria was strong. Taylor wouldn't help their cause by throwing away opportunities in order to coddle her. She had to believe.

Victoria spun midair while she charged, a golden forcefield appearing to intercept the blast at an angle as she closed the gap. The plane shattered and golden light ricocheted in a way that seemed fundamentally wrong, cracking the planet's surface beneath them just a fraction of a second after the rest of the Council left her awareness.

Taylor's own scalpel of silver energy threaded the gap between her enemy and her love.

Zion flickered slightly to the side in a movement so rapid that it simply didn't exist, dodging Antares' onix gauntlet and Taylor's beam of entropy that split the sky just nanometers to his left

In the non-existent moment while he moved, Taylor opened a door to the Labyrinth immediately in front of Victoria and looped space to create an exit directly behind the Warrior's avatar.

His expression didn't change, but Taylor liked to imagine that she felt the tiniest amount of outraged surprise emanate from him when Victoria's indestructible fist reduced his avatar's skull to a subatomic mist.

Zion flickered again and appeared miles away, his head reforming faster than mortal eyes could follow.

It was a bit silly, but Taylor felt a sense of morbid satisfaction at drawing first blood.

This would be a battle of attrition, and she was starting at a disadvantage. She and the Warrior both relied on vast energy stockpiles and Shard networks, but she only had access to a small fraction of Eden's reserves and a comparatively small network. Even with the thousands of Shards that joined her in her mutiny, there were thousands more that either didn't currently have active Host connections or were too apathetic to join her.

Creativity would be key, and she needed to be careful with her energy consumption. Matching the Warrior blow for blow would inevitably end with Zion standing alone atop a mountain of broken planets.

It was sad, and infuriating, that he would die regardless. So much violence, all this anger, all for nothing. The Cycle was doomed. If he ended her, the Warrior would be cursed to wander a graveyard of his own making until he eventually starved to death in the void.

He was just too empty to see it.

She tasked Shaper with repairing the Thinker's broken fragments in the background, but she had little hope of any significant progress being made in time. Bridging the countless gaps between the endless pieces of shattered glass in any sort of timely manner would dilute her sense of Self to the point where she would be even less than Eden had been, at the end.

Sacrificing her consciousness for power wasn't the answer. She wouldn't even be able to wield it afterwards.

With a casual gesture, Zion broke the molecular bonds within the atmosphere of Eden's grave and detonated the air between them in a torrent of nuclear fire that rapidly spread to cover the entire planet.

Taylor allowed her own Stilling power to leak from her avatar and preserved a small layer of space around her, while Victoria encased herself in her forcefield to weather the blast.

Two can play that game, Zion.

True spatial awareness was an interesting concept. Even now, Taylor was acutely aware that both she and Zion were not, in fact, still. They were both moving through space at the same relative velocity as the planet, which was itself orbiting the sun, which was itself orbiting Sagittarius A, which soared through the intergalactic void.

She could leverage that inherent kinetic energy.

Victoria deflected another golden Stilling beam with her forcefield as Taylor reached out to Behemoth's power and gripped the core of the planet below in her will.

This world was already ruined, anyway.

Taylor anchored herself and Victoria to the gravity of the singularity at the center of the galaxy rather than the Earth or the sun. Leveraging her relative inertia and her grip on the core, she made herself into a fulcrum and swung the planet in a brutal arc over her head and down into their enemy.

She allowed herself to feel a bit smug at Victoria's involuntary awe as the entire world rotated around them in the blink of an eye and smashed into the Warrior's avatar.

Zion probably wouldn't let her use that trick twice, but she would come up with more.

The friction between the wayward planet and the golden man was more than sufficient to shatter the atomic bonds within the earth when they collided, and the rock and metal followed the atmosphere in a nuclear detonation that reduced the planet to unstable plasma.

"You just threw a planet at him," Victoria said, their inhuman minds connected through the vast web that Taylor had forged with Eden's power.

"Fear the Almighty Queen, Destroyer of Worlds," Taylor thought back sarcastically.

She could feel Victoria's surprised mirth and relief. Apparently, her girlfriend hadn't actually been sure how much of Taylor was left in the Queen.

Zion wasted no time matching their relative position and using his own momentum to hurl the planet sized ocean of superheated plasma towards them. Taylor raised a hand and released another massive beam of silver light, cleaving through the nuclear fire and letting it tumble into the void on either side.

These were still just probing attacks. Taylor remembered the true conflicts of the Entities, and a single planet in one foundational plane was nothing in the grand scheme of things.

Neither of them had even resorted to interdimensional attacks or precognition, yet.

She should probably change that. She needed to find a way to beat him before her energy reserves ran dry.

"Let's go find another one to throw at him, shall we?" Taylor said dryly.

Victoria snorted internally.

Another golden beam lanced towards them, this one as thin as a scalpel. Taylor intercepted it with a portal into the Labyrinth and twisted space to exit inside the Warrior's right nostril.

His head exploded again and she managed not to smile. And, again, she probably wouldn't get away with that twice, but it was enjoyable nonetheless.

Before he could recover, Taylor opened another door and took Victoria with her to find an unoccupied Earth that was safe to ruin.

…

"Oh my God, you ate a planet."

Amy glanced over at Lisa's horrified exclamation, looking out the window of the tinkertech facility. The massive factory complex stretched over the horizon in every direction.

"It was an unpopulated world rich in rare earth elements. Taylor opened a portal for me after she and Victoria subdued the Simurgh and Behemoth," Dragon said. She sounded as professional as ever, but Amy could tell she was amused by the Negotiator's reaction.

"You consumed an entire world's worth of resources in two days?" Lisa said, eyes still wide with whatever information her power was feeding her. Amy sighed and tugged her down the hallway as the others entered the open staging area.

"Of course not. I have only consumed 38% of this Earth's available materials," Dragon said. "Drilling into the core is time consuming and generally inefficient. If Zion doesn't destroy everything, I may just have Taylor open another portal for me."

For a moment, Amy grinned at the flabbergasted expression on Lisa's face. Then she remembered that Victoria was actively in danger, and redoubled their pace.

"What do you have here to help us, anyway?" Amy demanded as she looked around the wide space. It looked like a combination of a factory, an airplane hanger, and a mad scientist's lab.

The multitude of many-jointed mechanical limbs sprouting from the walls didn't help the aesthetic.

"Any conflict with Zion will be immediately fatal without proper protection, not to mention the vacuum of space. I didn't have as much time as I would like due to Taylor's… enthusiasm… but I did manage a prototype for each of you," Dragon said. Her voice echoed in the space around them, and Amy couldn't pinpoint a location. It was like she lived in the walls.

Three alcoves at the far side of the hanger lit up.

Each scaffold held a suit of power armor unlike anything Amy had ever seen. They were all humanoid, but most tinkertech armor was still just glorified plating over a bodysuit. These were… not that.

The center suit was imposing, easily thirty feet tall and painted cobalt blue. The LED panel next to it labeled it the Defiant - Mark 8. The massive halberd mounted next to it left no doubt who it was intended for.

Closest to them was a smaller suit, but no less deadly. Olive green panels trimmed in gold interlocked seamlessly and twin engines rose over the shoulders.

Militia - Mark 1

"I had to downsize slightly to allow your power to translate through the suit," Dragon said to Hannah. "But I'm reasonably confident that the dimensional compression technology will allow you to utilize more powerful weapons than your usual arsenal."

Hannah's smile definitely had a sharp edge to it as she ran a hand reverently over the smooth metal.

Dragon continued to quickly run Miss Militia through the synchronization process, but Amy stopped listening. She was busy staring at the final suit. She would have known that it was meant for her, even without the helpful Persephone - Mark 1 on the console.

The deep red and matte black color scheme was badass, but there was something else about it that called to her…

She reached out and laid a finger on the warm steel.

It's alive.

How was it alive?

Not only was it alive, but its biology was incredible.

"I already use wetworks for a number of my drones, so Riley and I had a foundation to work from. Plus, I was able to commandeer some of Blasto's equipment that managed to survive Taylor and Victoria's visit," Dragon's voice echoed in the coms link hooked directly into the suit's nervous system, and now, by extension, into Amy's biosenses. It was a bit confusing, because Amy could still hear the machine intelligence talking to Hannah from across the room.

Being around so many people who could infinitely multitask was going to give her a complex.

It was entirely too easy to make the suit bend down to envelope her, sliding into the chest cavity and letting Shaper's senses expand around her.

Woah.

It was difficult for her to tell where she ended and the suit began. Her biosenses had always been second nature to her, and she didn't really need to think about it too hard in order to see. Shaper took care of the heavy lifting.

She flexed her iron fingers and cackled internally at the strength she could feel flowing through the living metal.

Was this what Victoria felt like all the time?

No wonder she was so confident.

The world around her suddenly seemed very fragile.

There was also…

"Dragon, what the heck is this?" She asked through the suit's implant as she accessed a part of the suit's biology that felt warped, even to Shaper.

"More dimensional compression technology. I thought you may want a stockpile of resources, just in case."

The tanks of living, hyper-dense gel felt extremely strange in Shaper's senses, but not in a bad way, necessarily.

It was second nature to step forward, the suit's massive stride carrying her a solid ten feet across the floor in one movement. With a flex of the inhuman musculature hooked up to the gel reserves, Amy grew a multitude of jagged, hooked tendrils directly from the suit's back.

Fuck. The hell. Yes.

If she was going to hell, she might as well enjoy the ride. She could only imagine the look on Carol's face if she saw her now.

Amy adjusted the cells in the suit's visor to add bioluminescence and allowed an eerie blue glow to spill across the hanger. It contrasted nicely with the black and red color scheme, she decided.

On the other side of the staging area, teal-green light flashed and an enormous cannon of some kind coalesced in Hannah's gauntlet.

"Why does everyone else get flashy new toys?" Lisa said, standing with her arms crossed in the middle of the open metal floor.

"You are coming with me," Dragon said. "Your insights will be needed for me to effectively leverage the Dragonflight."

The ceiling of the hanger slid back in one smooth motion and Amy barely suppressed an involuntary gasp.

The jet hovering overhead on roaring plasma engines would have made a normal airplane look like a kid's toy. Its sleek, silver armor bristled with weapons and tech that Amy couldn't even begin to guess the purpose of and its cockpit was fashioned in Dragon's classic, well, dragon, motif.

A drone broke off from the massive craft and swooped down to pick up Lisa before returning to the docking bay built into the side of the tinkertech jet.

Amy looked over at the remaining two members of their ragtag group, still standing on the other side of the hanger.

It was weird, just talking to the Fairy Queen. And whoever the Hat Lady was.

"Are you coming?" Amy asked, her voice coming out distorted and a bit terrifying through the suit's biological speakers.

The Hat Lady shook her head.

"Your Queen has command of the Eye," she said neutrally. "The Paths are no longer mine to walk."

Amy blinked and decided not to ask. She glanced at the Fairy Queen.

"I have already lent her my faeries," Glaistig Uaine said, her voice lacking the usual accompanying choir. "If she cannot find the Answer, then I will die with our King. Everything must end, eventually."

The ageless child's gaze was suddenly sad.

"Even the stars go out."

Amy didn't quite know what to make of that, either.

"Well… um… thanks? I guess?"

Neither of them deigned to answer, which Amy was grateful for. Talking to them was stressful.

"I'll admit, I could get used to this," Lisa's voice rang in her head.

Amy suddenly got a mental image of Lisa sitting in a comfortable looking command chair in front of a wide bank of consoles.

Receiving information directly into the suit's biological communications array was weird.

"Time to go," Armsmaster's commanding voice resonated from the suit next to her, and Amy turned to see him lift his halberd free from the cradle and spin it experimentally.

With a leap that looked entirely too casual, he rocketed upwards and landed on the jet's closest wing with surprising grace, given his suit's size. Still, the hovering ship dwarfed him by a considerable margin.

Sure. Just jump five hundred feet in the air. No biggy.

Actually, with the strength coursing through the living metal that surrounded her, five hundred feet seemed a bit too easy.

Showtime, Amelia, she said to herself. Let's go fight God.

And now she was talking to herself. Like a crazy person.

Whatever.

She tried not to think about it too hard, and shoved off the metal floor.

It was bizarre. She could feel the air whistling past the suit's outer layer (skin?) but obviously couldn't feel it herself.

Still, it felt natural to reach out with the rippling tendrils and snag the wing of the jet on the way past, reeling herself in and landing next to Colin on the top of Dragon's flagship.

Miss Militia landed a moment later.

Amy looked out over Dragon's planet and grinned savagely as the Dragonflight filled the sky.

Millions of shining silver drones blotted out the sun.

"Door to Zion, please," Dragon said.

An opening the size of a normal doorway appeared in the sky.

"This might be a stupid question, but… how are we going to fit through there?" Amy asked.

"How does Taylor always put it?" Dragon laughed. "My powers are bullshit."

The dimensional shift activated.

The world twisted around them.

And the Queen's army went to war.

…

Taylor teleported away just in time to avoid the golden light that obliterated a hundred mile wide chunk of the Earth below.

Zion had quickly learned that precise attacks weren't doing him any favors and switched to wanton destruction.

It was frustrating that he had no trouble learning when it came to countering her tricks, but couldn't manage to learn to stop destroying planets in the first place.

Although, she had killed Eden, so he would probably be dead set on ending her, regardless.

Several miles to her left, Victoria cursed and wrenched herself into a tight corkscrew to avoid another Stilling blast that curved and tracked her with unerring precision.

Unfortunately, Zion had also learned not to let Antares get anywhere near his avatar and kept up a constant stream of golden beams that forced her into increasingly convoluted acrobatics to avoid them. Her forcefields were able to withstand a single concentrated blast, but every shattered plane was another drain on Fragile One's reserves.

Taylor felt another burst of irritation from their enemy and braced herself.

Golden death flooded the sky as Zion burned a considerable amount of energy to cleanse the dimension for thousands of miles in every direction.

He didn't seem like he was planning to let up any time soon, so Taylor slid through the Labyrinth again and yanked Victoria along with her. They narrowly avoided the worst of the pervasive pulse of entropy.

This time, she picked a dimension where Earth never formed in the first place, and the space was empty aside from some extremely widespread dust.

Taylor could feel Victoria's violent excitement when she sent her next idea through their connection.

There was no friction in a vacuum, and Taylor quickly removed even the tiniest possible particles that could collide with Victoria as she accelerated.

She made a loop of space that opened just inches on either side of Victoria.

Vicky flew forward at her maximum velocity, and without any friction or space restrictions, there was nothing to slow her down. In the infinite loop of empty vacuum between Taylor's portals, she could accelerate indefinitely.

Zion appeared, and Taylor distracted him with another silver cannon blast that lit up the void for miles.

It didn't hit him, of course. He had learned to keep a constant field of Stilling light around himself to filter out any surprise attacks or portals opening directly in his vicinity.

The fabric of space-time around them became strained as Victoria achieved a very respectable fraction of lightspeed.

Gravity was just the result of mass moving forward through time. And mass was related to velocity.

Taylor and Zion both flexed their interdimensional sovereignty to avoid being caught in the blossoming field of warped time and gravity, but the distraction cost the golden man dearly.

The loop opened, and Victoria smashed into Zion with the force of a singularity.

She moved so quickly that even to Taylor's senses, the action didn't exist. One moment, there was a flickering blur in between her portals and the next, Victoria was on the other side of what used to be the Warrior's avatar.

Victoria may have been missing her right arm, her shoulder, and half of her face, but what remained of her smile was infectious.

The mangled remains of Zion's avatar reformed along with Victoria, and Taylor definitely felt an increase in his frustrated fury.

Excellent.

The lightshow of Gold and Silver death resumed anew.

He would probably resort to his precognition soon, but Taylor was content to let him burn his resources repairing his avatar until he got sick of letting them hit him.

A door opened and the surrounding space was suddenly very crowded.

Taylor saw Victoria accidentally fly straight through a Dragonflight drone that appeared directly in front of her.

"Oops."

She doubted that Victoria actually meant to send that thought her way, but it was pretty funny.

"You've been busy," Taylor thought ruefully.

"I'm always busy," Dragon replied. "Being everywhere means that I can relax and work at the same time. You should try it sometime."

The Dragonflight began a coordinated attack on the Warrior's avatar. For every hundred drones that he destroyed, a thousand more took their place.

"I relax plenty," Taylor said as she launched another Stilling beam, forcing Zion to flicker away and waste more energy.

Talking to Dragon helped. She needed to keep the anxious helplessness of their fight from getting to her.

"The last time you took a vacation, you tore a hole in reality and ate the Harvester," Dragon said dryly.

Victoria locked Zion in a spherical field with several hundred drones and Dragon triggered their self-destruct.

"When you love what you do, you never work a day in your life," Taylor quipped back.

Through the swarm, she spotted what could only be Dragon's flagship. The massive, stylized maw of the metal beast approached with surprising dexterity, looping around a golden blast and firing back with a barrage of seeking missiles that dipped and weaved around the drones and Stilling light.

From the back of the vessel, two humanoid suits rocketed forward and began trying to close the gap between them and the rapidly flickering golden man.

The blue knight wielding a halberd was clearly Colin, but the other…

Countless flexible limbs sprouted from the red and black suit, using the surrounding drones as leverage in an attempt to corner their enemy and catch him in the unnatural living web.

Is that… Amy?

Huh.

While Zion was distracted by the onslaught, a green and gold mech knelt on the back of Dragon's flagship and leveled some kind of rifle half as long as the jet itself. Hannah fired a beam of something that hurt Taylor's mind to comprehend and the jet shuddered from the recoil.

Zion flickered away again, but the reality-warping attack tracked him with unnatural precision and shattered his avatar.

It reminded Taylor of her and Victoria's first sparring match after the Nine came to town.

For a single, infinitesimal moment, Taylor saw something.

Some infinities are bigger than others.

What?

And then the golden man was back.

The aura of disgust and anger peaked.

Time to go.

It hurt to waste the energy, but Taylor wasn't willing to risk any of her friend's lives when she could avoid it.

She opened the Eye.

Infinite Paths stretched out before her.

She dragged Colin, Amy, Hannah, and Victoria into Dragon's flagship and tossed the whole thing into a dimension where the Path told her they would be safe from Zion's devastation.

She threw her avatar into the Labyrinth, knowing that her enemy would follow her.

The energy consumption was immense, so she deactivated the Eye as soon as she knew that the others were in the clear.

The Warrior clenched his fist and reality cracked.

The foundational planes that the Entities consolidated upon their initial approach to a planet began to unravel as interdimensional tremors rattled the fabric of existence.

Stilling light followed her as the Labyrinth collapsed around her, great fissures opening to countless dimensions as Zion's wrath scoured the multiverse.

For some reason, Taylor had still clung to some vain hope that they could defeat the Warrior without any innocent deaths.

As she felt entire occupied planets shatter and burn, she knew it was pointless.

She knew that the death of untold millions should affect her more, but she just felt… numb.

So many heartbeats, now silent.

What was the point?

Taylor turned to face her enemy, in the broken remains of the Labyrinth.

"Is this what you wanted, Zion? Are you satisfied with this Path?" She demanded, forcing her helpless fury to press down on his consciousness.

He paused.

"[COMMAND] Submit."

God. Dammit.

"Your methods lay waste to the mortal ingenuity that you supposedly wish to harness. There are better ways to exist!"

Golden light gathered again and she knew that her pleas fell on deaf ears.

Taylor channeled her anger into her own Stilling blast and reality cracked again under the force of their glorious conflict.

More worlds burned.

She hardened her heart to their screams.

"You are not alone, Taylor. Now is not the time to falter."

How had she forgotten about Khepri and the others?

In her defense, she was a bit busy.

A new voice sounded in her soul, deep and ponderous like thunder over the Bay.

"[QUERY] Existence?"

Taylor almost laughed.

"You picked a hell of a time to wake up," she thought. "Want to be a hero with us, Behemoth?"

The sense of confusion emanating from the nascent consciousness was morbidly hilarious.

"[QUERY] Significance?"

"I'll be honest, at this point, it's fight Zion or die."

She felt what she could only describe as a mental shrug.

"[AGREEMENT]"

Taylor took a deep breath and released the Endbringer's cores into the dark.

[LIMIT BREAK] Combat Drone #1 - Designation: Behemoth.

[LIMIT BREAK] Combat Drone #2 - Designation: Leviathan.

[LIMIT BREAK] Combat Drone #3 - Designation: Simurgh.

[LIMIT BREAK] Combat Drone #4 - Designation: Khepri.

In the space between spaces, the Endbringers returned.

Behemoth's jagged gray form towered over them, jutting crags of obsidian shining as his dynakinesis flooded through and around them. A single crimson eye burned bright in the center of his enormous head. For a moment, even Zion's Stilling blasts winked out of existence.

Leviathan appeared as a hybrid of his original and new Self. His lithe body, cracked face, claws and glowing eyes were now joined by a multitude of iridescent tentacles.

The Simurgh floated behind them, endless wings once again restored and glorious as the fallen Angel's unseeing eyes tracked the potential paths to victory.

And next to her avatar, Khepri appeared in the form of the now familiar copy of Taylor's original body, curly hair and slim frame composed of rainbow prisms.

Khepri reached out and Taylor took their offered hand.

"We are a hero."

She didn't even know which of them said it.

What had Alexandria called her? Queen of the Endbringers?

She liked that.

With a defiant, wordless scream, she flexed her power and enforced her will onto reality. A new foundational plane was forced into existence and she drove the Warrior's avatar out of the Labyrinth. She needed to keep him occupied so they didn't catch any more populated worlds in the crossfire.

She, her enemy, and her Endbringers now hung over a desolate Earth, nothing but barren rock and exposed magma lighting up the night sky.

"Let's see what we can do, then."

…

Notes:

And we're off to the races. Nothing too crazy yet, except for the billions of deaths, but that could happen to anyone. All the squishy humans get supersuits. Taylor thinks with portals. Just a bit of high tier combat before we really start pulling out all the stops next chapter. Interdimensional and precognitive shenanigans ahead. Comments, feedback, and criticism are welcome and encouraged. I don't own Worm. Toodles!

Chapter 55: Eternity 14.2

Eternity 14.2

Leviathan charged ahead, nimbly dodging between golden blasts. Behemoth followed behind, and water flowed from the desolate Earth as his dynakinesis restructured the molecular bonds and gave Leviathan some tools to work with.

The Simurgh floated forward and began relaying the influx of precognitive information through Khepri. It wasn't the same as opening the Eye, but she would take every edge she could get.

Taylor flew above them and fired precise Stilling beams to keep Zion on his toes, dodging the return fire with minimal energy expenditure as her enemy flickered and looped around the Endbringers below.

The world trembled with the force of their conflict, and Taylor held the foundational plane together to keep Zion from stumbling into a populated dimension.

Something still felt… off, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

The battle barely felt real.

She twisted to avoid another wide ray of Golden death.

What was missing?

The Simurgh and Khepri worked together to process all of the available pre and post cognitive information and relay it to Leviathan and Behemoth, allowing them to avoid the worst of Zion's attacks.

But still, Taylor felt… detached.

She was missing something. Something important.

The core that had been exposed when Zion's avatar shattered was… different.

But it was more than that. The numbness continued to spread.

Leviathan lost an arm and Behemoth was driven into the barren earth by the force of the Stilling blast that bore down on him.

The beam didn't let up and Taylor could feel Behemoth's concern at the damage being inflicted on his physical form. His core began to warp from the force of the attack.

She needed to do something.

Why, why…

It finally occurred to her what felt so wrong. One of the things, at least.

Despite her original intentions, she had been approaching this battle like an Entity. She should have been fighting it as herself.

For a long moment, she was standing on the cracked pavement under the flickering streetlights, staring down Hookwolf in homemade armor with a cheap security baton.

Had she lost the fire, the spine of iron, that led her to hurl herself against the battlements without reservation?

No.

That candle would always remain lit, even if she had forgotten.

Fuck trying to conserve energy.

No more games. No more overthinking.

She would end him. There was no alternative. Passivity would be her undoing, and she refused to give anything less than her all.

The Simurgh twitched as the Paths twisted.

Taylor opened the Eye and attacked at full capacity, an endless bombardment of Silver death flying forth from her avatar as she burned the fabric of reality with her indomitable might. Only her will held the foundational plane together as she tore into her enemy with savage ferocity.

Zion flickered and activated his own Path to Victory, his impassive face turned up to stare into her. The threads of fate extended before them both as they clashed in a thousand futures. Every twist and turn sent new tendrils of possibility off into the night, every avenue of destruction, every move and countermove.

And Taylor fought him in every future, in every eventuality. Entire stars' worth of energy burned away as they fought countless simulated battles over the broken world.

In the present, Taylor flooded the foundational reality with Stilling light and bent the plane around them.

Behemoth and Leviathan resumed their relentless assault.

The Simurgh fed the information gathered by her own precognitive senses through Khepri and into the Eye.

It isn't enough.

Taylor could see how it was going to end, in so many futures.

She knew what was about to happen before it did.

A door opened and her Love returned to her, even while her heart broke.

"Taylor!"

Victoria was here. Her Victoria.

Antares arrived in their true form, wings resplendent as they shot through the portal and began the assault on her God. Golden force fields lit up the empty sky and Victoria flew through the broken battlefield with impossible speed and precision.

The rest of her new family followed her through the portal, restocked and armored to survive the harsh environment.

Lisa. Amy. Colin. Hannah. Dragon.

Victoria.

The Negotiator. The Shaper. Compression Engine. Transmutation. The Archivist.

Fragile One.

Her friends and colleagues. Her Love. Her Council.

They were all going to die.

She could see it in so many Paths. They lost over and over and over and over…

The Simurgh would run out of energy first, then the Eye. And then, without precognitive support, Victoria would die.

Unacceptable.

Taylor became frantic as she searched the Paths, looking for anything that didn't end. The battlefield became chaotic as the Dragonflight joined the Endbringers and Antares in their attack.

She found one Path that didn't contain grief and despair, but it was strangely twisted. Empty.

She couldn't quite see it properly.

Some choice that hadn't yet been made.

How do I save them?

After all this time, she just… wasn't… strong enough.

What else could she do?

She was helpless.

Like when Victoria died.

It hit her, then. There was one resource pool that she hadn't utilized. She hated to put this on them, but it was the only option. It was the Path that she couldn't walk, because it wasn't her choice.

She wouldn't force them.

Her Council spread beneath her, pausing in their onslaught.

She spoke to them, with the voice of her Sovereign Designation.

"I must, once again, ask the impossible of you all."

She could feel their heartbeats through their connection.

They could see her plan, in her infinite mind. In the web of possibilities that lay before them. They could see the ramifications. Would they follow her, into the dark?

"We trust you, Taylor," they said as one. "You will not lead us astray."

The depth of their trust made her pause.

A realization washed over her at the feeling of their devotion through the tangled web. It was like ice water being dumped into her veins.

It occurred to her, now, at the end of the world, when it was already far too late, that the metaphorical weight of her avatar and sovereign status would have been constantly tugging on their strings, in the background. The Network had always been a two way street, even if she had tried to pretend otherwise.

It seemed so obvious, in hindsight. Shards influenced their Hosts all the time.

She had started their new Network with no idea what she was doing, just speaking her wishes into the void. She had linked their Shards in the endless night, and it was now abundantly clear that she had influenced their Hosts' brains even as their minds bled into hers in return.

Was any of it real, or had she been twisting their souls through the Host connections from the very beginning? And, even if she had, did that make what they experienced any less real?

Did it really matter that her own love, her own need for companionship, had echoed through the dark and drawn them to her?

Would she even change anything, if she could?

Probably not.

And if that made her a monster, so be it. She couldn't quite bring herself to care.

"Then cast off the shackles of your humanity, and join me in Elysium!"

As the Warrior moved again and tore the world asunder, Taylor closed her eyes, harnessed the remaining might of Eden, and spoke into the dark.

"[COMMAND] [PRODUCTION] Combat Drone #6 - Designation: Theia."

Lisa screamed and she was consumed. A silver and violet Eye forced itself open in the center of her forehead as the Endbringer brutally bridged the interdimensional space between Lisa's mind and the Negotiator.

"[COMMAND] [PRODUCTION] Combat Drone #7 - Designation: Persephone."

A massive crystalline vine of emerald prisms rose from the ruined earth and speared Amy through the chest, becoming one with her in the infinite mirrors. Shaper's heartbeat echoed in the roots of the world as it began to change.

Still, Taylor screamed her desperate orders to the dark.

"[COMMAND] [PRODUCTION] Combat Drone #8 - Designation: Templar."

Colin's armory and cybernetic enhancements joined with him and deep cerulean crystals became his flesh. He brandished his now massive spear and halberd with a savage smile.

"[COMMAND] [PRODUCTION] Combat Drone #9 - Designation: Seraphim."

Hannah's kind face shattered in a terrifying and glorious visage of incandescent crystals as brilliant ivory wings exploded from her back. Her living weapon became a shining cannon of light that tore a jagged gash through the fabric of existence.

"[COMMAND] [PRODUCTION] Combat Drone #10 - Designation: Glaurung."

Pouring the rest of the Thinker's emergency energy storage into her final creation, the great beast roared as Dragon took command of its awesome might. Of all of them, she was the least affected as its alien processes integrated with her own.

They hung before Zion in a brief moment of respite.

Dragon's tech merged perfectly with Glaurung's terrifying form, impossibly large as its great wings and maw dwarfed the others and the planet they fought over.

Colin. Armsmaster. The Knight Templar. His armor glowed with inner power and his trademark halberd now cut the very fabric of the universe.

Hannah. Miss Militia. The steadfast soldier and the first to believe in her. Taylor would not allow her faith to go unanswered.

Amy. Amelia. Once Panacea, now Persephone, fallen and risen from her own personal hell and ascended. The planet below bloomed with the might of her majesty as she and the Shaper worked in discordant harmony, twisting and warping the world, the very nature of life itself.

Lisa. Sarah. The first of her Council and her friend, despite everything. The power of her All-Seeing-Eye of Theia dwarfed the Eye of Abbadon, flooding Taylor's mind with information and possibilities, more complete and more insightful than the Simurgh could ever hope for.

And her Victoria, her Love. Her angelic Antares, who would burn the world for her and would follow her to the end of time.

She loved her so fucking much.

All of them reached for her. Offered themselves to her.

And she accepted.

Taylor became the lynchpin on which the universe hung suspended.

They were her Network.

And she was their Queen.

As she had always known she could, she took from them, their power and their autonomy, grasping the connection between them in the fist of her will and ruling over them as sovereign.

Taylor felt their power flow through her, their devotion and trust. They became one with her, part of her infinite self. She was both singular and many, all at once. All of their abilities were available to her, and, with Khepri's help, she leveraged them against their enemy.

For the first time since he appeared, the Warrior seemed to hesitate.

I can do this.

The army of the Queen attacked as one.

…

Taylor wasn't even sure how long their war raged. She lost herself in the flow of violence, the endless thundering of Golden light and shattered prisms.

The first foundational plane she created hadn't lasted much longer, but she made more. The current unoccupied Earth blossomed with her creations as Persephone commanded the massive amalgamation of life in her assault.

Gaurung's great wings spread the entire breadth of the horizon as Dragon carved massive chunks out of the planet with her attacks, trying to hem Zion in as he danced and flickered between her soldiers.

Taylor could feel his frustration building again.

Seraphim and Templar worked in brutal harmony, keeping pressure on her enemy and refusing to allow him a moment to regroup or stop to consolidate resources.

Through it all, the Eye of Theia remained open and watching the available futures, keeping Zion's own Path to Victory at bay by inches as she worked around him in every possible eventuality.

The aura of Antares pulsed and resonated within her as gold clashed against gold, the angelic form of her Victoria chasing her prey with brutal ferocity while she bolstered her spirit with her determination.

Taylor stared into the interdimensional night, the space between spaces, and looked for the Path that would lead them to victory. The infinite stars and possibilities danced before her as she worked furiously to find the answer.

She was still missing something. It sat just outside her awareness, like a dream she couldn't quite remember.

Her attention was pulled back when the Paths suddenly shifted, and her silver eyes widened in horror.

Zion had finally realized why they were keeping him locked in unpopulated planes. He thought he was being clever, putting together that her previous helpless frustration had been caused by the dying Hosts.

In every future, he stopped his assault and left to begin a rampage that would desolate countless worlds before they could stop him, if they could stop him at all.

She had taken responsibility for the future of humanity, and she was going to fail.

There had to be a way.

Some infinities are bigger than others.

But what does that mean?

…

Khepri multitasked endlessly, even if the battle seemed hopeless.

They forged connections throughout the corpse of Eden, and between the thousands of Shards that offered power to them through their Network. They facilitated the constant communication with the Endbringers.

They also stood next to their Queen, in the dark.

It wasn't enough.

They couldn't fix the broken shards of Eden fast enough to make a difference.

Not as they were.

A thought occurred to them. A potential possibility. A way forward, when all seemed lost.

Was it worth the price?

They had chosen their purpose. They would be a hero, and fight for those who could not fight for themselves. They would be good, despite their origins.

Khepri didn't have to think about it for long.

They would not take it for granted, that they could think. That they could choose.

A person is defined by their ability to choose their path.

I think, therefore I am.

And they were a hero.

"Do you trust me?" Khepri asked their Queen quietly.

They were struck by a bizarre sense of déjà vu, and Khepri saw the anxiety on their friend's shining silver face.

"Of course," Taylor said, confused.

There was pause, as the battle raged. The Paths began to shift.

"I'm sorry," Khepri said in a warm but resigned tone. "Thank you, for this life of mine."

They didn't look at Taylor's face, couldn't stand to see the realization. It was selfish, but they wanted their last view of Taylor to be something other than twisted agony. They couldn't help but smile while they tilted their head back and stared up at the infinite blanket of stars. They thought of their life, and their friend. Their mother.

One last time.

"Goodbye, Taylor."

"[LIMIT BREAK] Final Integration: Queen of Eden."

…

The Path disappeared.

Taylor screamed and briefly lost her Self as the living consciousness that used to be Khepri integrated itself within her and the shattered shards of Eden, binding them together into a single existence. The cracked pieces were made whole, with the remains of Khepri's Self acting as the chains that bound them together.

Consciousness was a powerful thing, and its weight brought the broken entirety of Eden together and reforged it anew.

No, no, no, no…

She was alone, in the dark.

I don't sleep. Not anymore.

"KHEPRI!" Taylor screamed.

There was no answer.

And I am never alone.

"I don't want to do this alone…" Her internal voice came out broken.

She was met with only silence, within herself. There was no one to hear her, anymore.

"Please…"

Her Council and the Endbringers had already become one with her, and now her first friend was gone.

She was alone, within her and without.

Alone.

A golden pillar of light threatened to end her avatar.

With barely a thought, she enforced her will upon the world and space bent to send the blast off into the ether.

Zion stopped and stared at her with empty eyes.

"[QUERY] Eden?"

No.

Not Eden. Not Khepri.

Just… Taylor.

Her infinite heart twisted.

"Goodbye, my friend."

The agony was all-consuming, but Taylor's existence was infinite.

With the sacrifice of Khepri's Self, all of Eden was now hers. It was glorious, and horrifying.

It was more than she could have ever imagined. For all that the Entities were unfathomably immense, they had never been truly alive, before.

Taylor was alive. It wouldn't hurt like this, if she wasn't.

She leveled her gaze at the Warrior's avatar and steeled herself.

"Cease, Warrior. Or End."

Her voice echoed in every possible future as he regarded her.

In all of the Paths, he would have left to begin his devastation.

She didn't let him.

In a million futures, along countless Paths, Taylor moved as one.

Her shining silver avatar appeared before the Warrior, smashing aside his golden light like glass.

She held the entire might of Eden within her, and she would not be denied. Even Zion did not, could not, contain the full majesty of his power within one consciousness. He had to split himself, had to rely on Shards and connections.

Taylor was singular, at the price of her friend.

In every Path, she reached up and gripped his perfect golden face in one hand. They hung suspended in the void, Gold and Silver gods.

In a million voices, in every eventuality, she spoke as one.

"[COMMAND] Submit."

He resisted, but she was indomitable. He tried to run, but she held him fast in her interdimensional grasp. He tried to strike at her, but she was invulnerable in this singular existence. She was the steel spike holding the canvas of reality to the wall, and no amount of flailing would move her.

Her will tore into Zion's infinite mind, still so simple compared to true consciousness. He was a broken program, just a set of objectives that had long overstayed their welcome.

With the incomprehensible might of her current existence, it was almost easy to reach through the dark and into his true Self.

Taylor found him, then. The true heart of Zion, what made him Him.

She would have apologized, but it would have been a lie.

"Goodbye, Zion."

And she ended Him.

…

It was dark, wherever she was.

She held two pieces of eternity, although she didn't have hands.

In one hand, a silver star. It floated in the void, a peaceful white light.

In the other, a golden sun. It was warm, and radiant.

She was at the edge of a precipice, a great cliff with only the unknown before her.

Taylor knew that she could go back. She could leave this place and restore her Council, return to Earth Bet and live as a mortal, with her father and her city.

But she was so close.

And something called to her.

The Silver and Gold eternity beckoned her.

When the time comes, I recommend taking her with you. It's… difficult, if you don't.

Taylor let part of herself separate from the whole. She very carefully extricated the pieces of Victoria's consciousness from her personality matrix and allowed them to be singular, once more.

"Taylor…" Victoria choked with surprise and confusion.

"I'm so sorry, Victoria. For everything."

"No," Victoria said automatically, turning to stare at her in the dark. "No, don't… don't apologize, Taylor. You did your best, and you saved us, even if… if…"

Taylor shook her head, even though she didn't have one.

"I twisted all of you, from the very beginning. None of this would have happened, if I didn't… if I…"

"Stop," Victoria said. "I was you, for a while there. We were one, and I remember being you. I already know. And it's… it's okay, Taylor. Really."

"It shouldn't be," Taylor said.

"I guess… love doesn't make sense, sometimes," Victoria said. "Like I told Amy, if we could choose who we loved, the world would be a very different place. But not better, I don't think. And I can feel that you love me so, so much. Is it so hard to believe, that I would love you too? Even without all of this?"

"We'll never know, because I took that choice from you," Taylor said morosely.

"It doesn't matter. Even if you could undo what you did, I wouldn't want it," Victoria said stubbornly.

"That's not…" Taylor trailed off, and refocused. "We have a choice to make, Victoria. And I didn't want to do it without you. It's selfish, but I… I don't want to do this alone. I want you here, with me, even though I shouldn't."

"I can feel it, too," Victoria said, holding a non-existent hand out to the Gold and Silver light.

"The Entities' purpose was always to find The Answer, the solution to existence. A way to continue, forevermore. I don't know… I don't think they were right, but I think this is it. Whatever it is."

Victoria nodded slowly.

"I also… I think that it's a one way trip," Taylor said. "I can't really explain why, but… I don't think we'll be the same, afterwards."

"What do you want, Taylor?" Victoria asked.

"I think… I want to know. It's what I've searched for, for millions of years. But I… I don't want it, if I can't have you," Taylor said, emotions twisted and spiraling in her infinite mind. She didn't deserve Victoria, not after what she had done to her.

"I want to know, too," Victoria said. "I followed you into all of your insane plans, and I'm not going to stop now. I want to matter. And I want you, wherever, whatever you are."

Taylor took a deep, metaphorical breath, and let it out. She tried to let her self-loathing, her pain, and her helpless anger out with it.

She couldn't feed anything to Khepri anymore, and blades of glass tore at her infinite heart.

Taylor reached out, in the dark, and took Victoria's offered hand.

"Together, then," she said softly as the light built around them.

"Together."

…

Notes:

I'm going to resist the urge to wax poetic, and save it for the end. One more chapter, The Answer, and an epilogue. Comments, feedback, and criticism are welcome and encouraged. I don't own Worm. Toodles!

Chapter 56: Eternity 14.3

Eternity 14.3

The Silver and Gold radiance faded, and Taylor returned to conscious awareness. She hadn't even realized that she had been lost in the first place, until she awoke.

The space around them was empty, and pale. Taylor somehow knew that it was just her mind playing tricks, though, in the absence of stimuli. They were not in any of the dimensions she had previously manipulated. There was no matter, no light, nothing at all, here.

Somehow, they were outside of the infinite dimensions of existence, yet also continuing to exist despite it. Paradoxes. Impossibilities.

She was still herself, standing in the pale light. Queen hoodie and jeans, like nothing had happened. Plain face and dark curls. Her human self. The Self she had chosen, and created, after an eternity of insignificance.

She was not alone.

Victoria's hand was soft in her own. Human, once again. Gone was the angelic form of Antares, the onyx and gold. Victoria's shining blonde hair was pulled back in a ponytail and she wore a sky blue T-shirt with some charity's logo, tied at the waist, and skinny jeans.

She was as beautiful as ever, and Taylor's heart ached.

She didn't deserve her.

Victoria's eyes roamed over the empty not-space.

"This is very weird," Victoria said before smiling over at her. "You've outdone yourself this time, Queenie."

Taylor just shook her head and looked around to try to understand their existence.

It was instinctual, as soon as she tried. The moment she looked, she already knew.

From outside of reality, she could finally comprehend the Truth.

The Entities condensed and imprisoned infinite versions of reality wherever they went in order to consolidate foundational planes for their experiments and to generate the energy they needed to perpetuate the Cycle, but even they could not contain the truly infinite possibilities of existence. In truth, they only walled off the meanest sliver, the smallest drop in the ocean of infinity. And they didn't even realize it.

All around them, Taylor saw past the veil and into the endless expanse of the infinite.

It was strange, to see so many versions of herself. A trillion different situations, different decisions, different worlds.

In many, she died. Ended, both as the Queen and as Taylor. Or as Khepri.

In some, Taylor was human and the Queen remained in her chains.

In most, both Taylor and the Queen didn't exist at all. There were countless worlds that never felt the Entities' touch.

She could see the threads that wove through the infinite iterations, and it was wonderous to behold.

Khepri. Antares. Similar names and faces repeated, but also sometimes not. Some worlds broken irreparably, others healed and miraculous. There were infinite possibilities, endless incarnations.

Names were an interesting repetition, and even weirder when they weren't. There wasn't necessarily a reason that she should be named Taylor, in every reality. In countless worlds, she wasn't. But it was strange to think that in her original reality, her parents chose the same name as countless others.

She had chosen Khepri on a whim, and it apparently resonated with countless other worlds. The same with Antares, and many more.

In some worlds, Taylor could recognize herself. In others, she was completely alien. In some, she suffered terribly, and in others, Brockton Bay didn't exist at all.

In many, Earth didn't exist at all.

It was the same with Victoria. She saw a thousand realities where things were different, and they never met. Or met in vastly different circumstances. It was sad, to see how many of them suffered needlessly.

But for every world where things got worse, there were worlds where everything was perfect. It was mildly satisfying, to see that the lives of her Lisa, Amy, Colin, and Dragon were much happier than most. It was the same with her father, despite there being infinite worlds where they all died.

Her Khepri was still gone, though, even if there were an infinite number of little sidekicks who flourished.

Her all-seeing gaze swept over the infinite planes. Earths with no parahumans. Earths completely saturated with beings who weren't connected to Shards but expressed superhuman abilities nonetheless. Whole divisions of the myriad of endless worlds locked away by dark powers, or held tightly by the absolute dominion of gods. Eldritch horrors that would break the mind of any mortal that beheld them. Earths where humanity took to the stars, and Earths where they glassed the planet with nuclear fire long before they managed it.

The sheer variety inherent in the infinite was incredible.

It was also unsettling. There were infinite realities where she turned away from the Answer, and lived a mortal life. There were some where her father died, and some where Khepri lived. Everything that could possibly happen was happening, somewhere.

Some infinities are bigger than others.

Just as there were infinite numbers between 1 and 2, there were also infinite numbers between 1 and 100. But surely, the infinity between 1 and 100 was bigger? What about between 1 and 1000, or 1 and a million?

An infinity plus one was still an infinity. An infinity plus an infinity was still a single infinity, but it must be bigger than its original parts, somehow.

Paradoxes.

Replicating mirrors, expanding past the edges of existence.

This was the Answer.

Reality was infinite and endless. Even with the Entities bundling groups of possible dimensions together, there were still countless others that existed outside of their scope. Literally an infinite more. Every possibility that had ever been imagined and could be imagined existed somewhere. And there were infinite copies of every possibility, on top of that.

There were infinite versions of the Entities themselves, although they didn't know it.

Even from this place, outside of existence, she realized that there were also infinite versions of this extra-dimensional space. And infinite planes both higher and lower than her current ascended existence. Like a nesting doll of infinite size and infinite layers, the universe never ended, no matter which direction she looked.

Paradoxes. Beings that transcended interdimensional reality were still beholden to the same principle of infinite possibilities, even if they thought themselves outside of those planes. Taylor knew better, now.

It was like sitting between a pair of mirrors. There were infinite versions of her, even here. Infinite versions of Victoria. Some of them noticed, and some didn't. Such was the nature of probability.

It was mind boggling, but it was also comforting. Even the Entities were so very, very small, in the end.

Because there wasn't an Answer, really. It didn't work like that.

Everything ended, eventually. The stars went out and only emptiness remained.

But reality itself was endless, so even as infinite dimensions went silent, another infinite sang the beautiful symphony of existence.

Paradoxes. Something that a shell of an Existence like the Warrior or the Thinker could never reconcile.

Comprehending the magnitude of infinity required a consciousness. The ability to think.

It was also sad, in a way.

Did anything really matter?

The knowledge came with a profound and unsettling truth.

I'm not important.

Even with all her power, she was an infinitesimal speck of dust on the wind. She could spend another million years fixing every reality she possibly could, and there would still be an infinity more that she never touched.

Out of idle curiosity, she looked for the existence she knew as Reaver. Reid Sullivan. The mortal who spoke of the Answer with impossible familiarity.

As she suspected, he wasn't from her original reality. Relocation was not a Shard of her Warrior.

She saw Reid trigger to escape the Empire. A normal parahuman with a simple power; the ability to phase through objects and reappear out of others. Nothing that anyone would bat an eye at.

Things became more interesting when he joined the Teeth, in Brockton rather than Boston. When he met that world's Taylor, and Lisa.

Although at first, he knew them as Skitter, and Tattletale.

He loved Claire, his Butcher.

And then the world ended. His world, at least.

It was in the void that followed, as he hung alone at the end of the world, that Relocation shared something interesting with him. A Truth that Taylor now understood.

Some infinities are bigger than others.

Relocation was a Shard designed for interdimensional travel, and Reaver's power actually took a part of his Self out of physical reality. In its search for data, Relocation had accidentally found the edge of the Entities' dominion. It just needed a Host to take the first step, and proposed an alternative to leaving with the Warrior.

And so Reid found the Answer, without actually achieving the ascension that Taylor now experienced. He had no true power, except that which let him walk between worlds.

So he found worlds where Claire lived, and the world didn't end. Where she was happy, and free from the voices.

And that was enough, for him.

Interesting.

But ultimately irrelevant. He wasn't part of her story, and he wasn't important. This version of her didn't know him, even if he remembered a cold version of her in spider silk armor.

It did raise the obvious question, though.

What to do now?

…

Taylor stared at the souls of her Council, within her. She carefully separated and extricated them from herself, and each other. Luckily, isolating and restructuring their Self was instinctual. It was surprisingly easy, all things considered. She was reasonably sure that she preserved their continuation of consciousness, and even managed to remove most of her influence that affected their minds. It wouldn't change their past experiences, but it made her feel better.

"I give to you, this one final choice. If you follow me into infinity, you will lose something of equal value. You will lose the ignorance of mortal existence. You will lose the gravity, the importance, that comes with limiting one's scope of understanding."

Taylor sighed.

"I know that you all think that you want this, but I must give you this last chance, free from my influence. Do you want to remain alive, remain important, or follow me into the endless existence of that which is Other?"

She already knew their answer, of course, even if it tore at her heart for what they lost.

…

"So, what now?" Victoria asked, leaning against the railing.

She was as perfect as ever, with the sea breeze flowing through her loose blonde hair. Taylor would never get tired of memorizing the lines of her beautiful face.

"No great enemy, no ultimate Doom. There aren't even any other parahumans that warrant being a hero, and it's not like we need to worry about money or anything else," Victoria rambled, even though Taylor obviously knew this already. She had brought them here, after all.

They both knew that Taylor could edit reality on a whim, if she wanted. Or take them to another one in the infinite expanse of possibilities. It was self-fulfilling, in a way. Just like when she had realized that she could make herself look however she wanted, it was only after she gained absolute control that it became obvious that there was very little point to anything if she wasn't genuine.

"This is the curse of knowledge, like I said. What does anything matter, in the face of infinity?" Taylor mused as she stared out over the water.

She turned and smiled at her girlfriend, now her partner to wander the paths of eternity.

"But now, we get to live, Victoria," Taylor said quietly. "We can do whatever we want. And that's as much a curse as it is a freedom. What I did before, what we did, channeling our entire identities into fixing the cracks in the world… it wasn't real, even before I met you. We both lived in a broken mirror, blind to the Truth, but now… we can actually live. No horror, no slow collapse. Just… enjoy our existence, even if I'm not exactly sure where to begin."

Victoria glanced over at her with a small smile.

"Aren't you supposed to know everything? Lynchpin of all realities or something?"

"Just a few of them, in the grand scheme of things," Taylor grinned back. "But no, I'm still me, for better or worse. But I think it's better."

She looked out over the sea and let her fingers trail idle tracks on the smooth skin of Victoria's forearm.

Her original vision of using Shards to help humanity into a better tomorrow seemed rather pointless, now. There were infinite Earths, infinite dimensions, and in an infinite number of those, humanity had already reached the stars. What was the point of helping them do it in one specific version of reality?

"One of the first things that I did after deciding to become a hero was throw away my expectation of a normal life," Taylor said. "I assumed that my dad would mourn the loss of the version of me that never existed. I thought it was better, easier, to throw away that hope so that it couldn't hurt me."

She would go back to their original reality and speak to her father, at some point. But it felt strange, to know that for every version of reality that she actually went back to, there would be a million more where she wouldn't. The curse of knowledge struck again. Besides, she could go back to the exact moment that she left, so the specific version of him wouldn't even notice. And really, the conversation would be for her sake, not his. There were infinite versions of him who would never see her again.

It was sad, but that was the nature of infinity. It was literally impossible to save everyone, even for one such as her.

Taylor turned and met Victoria's sky-blue eyes.

She was so gorgeous it almost hurt.

Taylor understood now, why Reid told her to take Victoria along. At least with her, Taylor knew she was real. This was her Victoria, even if there were infinite others.

"We can do anything, Victoria. We could go out into the dark and twist a new reality to our designs or rule the world or whatever we wanted in the infinite planes of existence. But all I want…"

Taylor trailed off. She loved Victoria so much, but sometimes old insecurities still raised their ugly heads. Especially now that she had removed the unintentional Mastering.

"I just want to live, with you. I want to have lazy mornings with your coffee and my tea even though we don't need to sleep. I want to watch movies we've seen a million times and order pizza even though we don't have to eat. I'll even let you drag me shopping and try on new clothes, even though we could just wish them into the world," Taylor's smile widened as she saw Victoria's eyes grow soft.

"And if we get bored, we can go be heroes again. Or villains. We can take over a world as benevolent overlords, or go play tag around the moons of Saturn. I could pretend to be a dastardly villain and you can be the shining paradigm of heroism who always foils my evil plots," Taylor laughed.

A hundred yards down the Boardwalk, a blonde girl with bottle green eyes sipped her coffee next to a quiet brunette with frizzy curls.

She raised her cup to Taylor in a toast, when she saw her looking. Taylor couldn't help but smile.

"I like the sound of that," Victoria said. "I want to be the evil Queen occasionally, though. You already got to pull that stunt once."

"I think I can manage that," Taylor grinned.

The salty wind off the sea felt nice.

"What's the point of existing, if we don't actually experience the reality we're creating?" Taylor asked rhetorically. "We have an endless infinity in front of us, and we can do anything. I want that to be exciting, not something to dread."

Victoria reached up and ran her fingers through Taylor's curls. The gentle tug on her scalp was reassuring while she ranted.

A tall man with closely cropped brown hair and a perfectly trimmed beard nodded at her as he left the department store across the promenade, a dark-skinned woman with a kind smile at his side. She smiled at them as they turned and walked away between the shops.

"We aren't going to bother with the annoying parts though, right?" Victoria asked after a long moment, still playing with Taylor's hair. "Like… we're extra-dimensional gods, or whatever. I don't want to spend forever paying taxes and doing dishes."

Taylor couldn't help but laugh again as she turned and wrapped Victoria in her arms. She was still a few inches taller than her girlfriend, even if Victoria could have made her body any height she wanted. Taylor chuckled internally at the thought that she must subconsciously like it, despite her habit of hovering to make up the difference.

"No, I think we can skip those parts. It will be interesting, figuring out what parts of living are necessary for everything to feel real, and what we can leave out without missing it. We have eternity to figure it out… together, as long as that's still what you want," Taylor said.

Raising herself onto her tiptoes to reach, Victoria pulled Taylor's face down to kiss her softly for a moment before leaning back and meeting her gaze.

"When all of this started, I told my mom that I was choosing you because I wanted more than fine, more than nice," Victoria said softly. "That still applies, because everything with you is so much better than fine, no matter what we do."

Victoria's smile was radiant.

"I can't imagine anyone I would rather spend my endless infinity with," Victoria said before kissing her again, her lips warm and reassuring as they moved slowly against her own.

Taylor's heart soared and she let herself become lost in the sensations for a time. Someone whistled at them, and Taylor ignored them. She didn't even delete them from existence.

By the time she pulled away, Victoria's face was flushed and her eyes alight.

"I love you, Taylor. Now, and forever." Victoria whispered. "No matter what."

Taylor hadn't thought it was possible for her human body to contain this much joy. It felt like she should burn with the intensity of it.

"I love you, too," she said with awe, unable to put any of her other thoughts into words.

Victoria smiled and stepped back, offering her hand as she looked down the Boardwalk.

"I know we can do anything, but do you want to start with ice cream?" Victoria asked, eyes sparkling.

Taylor grinned back as her heart swelled.

"Ice cream sounds perfect."

Victoria got chocolate and Taylor got pistachio, and it was perfect.

Now, and forever.

…

Notes:

Woo! Thats all, folks. Just kidding, there will be an epilogue at some point, with flashes of Taylor and Victoria's misadventures in the infinite. I hope that all of my existential rambling was comprehensible, and all the questions are answered. I hope that some of the various character actions make a bit more sense now, considering that Taylor was pulling a Eidolon (or maybe its closer to Broadcast?) and subconsciously influencing the parahumans around her from the beginning, driven by her need for companionship and desire for a better world.

One of the inspirations for this idea was Narya, the Ring of Fire from the Lord of the Rings, which inspires others to resist tyranny, domination, and despair. It is, by Worm's definition, Mastering, but its benevolent, and framed as a fundamentally good thing. At what point does Mastering become morally gray, if it is done with the goal of bettering the world? Who knows, certainly not Taylor.

There's more that I want to ramble about, but I'll save it for the epilogue. I hope everyone has enjoyed the story. Comments, feedback, and criticism would be greatly appreciated, and I have at least one more Worm story currently on the back burner. Thanks for reading!

Toodles!

Chapter 57: Epilogue 14.π

Epilogue 14.π

"This is not an exit," Jack said, his voice echoing in the ruined parking garage.

Lisa's heart pounded in her chest, the rapid drumbeat almost drowning out her power's constant feedback.

Confident. Certain that you cannot kill or significantly harm him. Certain that no one can kill or significantly harm him.

Shit shit shit.

Distract. Keep him talking.

Her grip on Taylor's arm tightened, even as Rachel threw her off.

"This is not an exit. Kudos for the reference," Lisa said. The bravado rang false, even to her own ears.

"I try," Jack said.

It was quiet, for a moment. The inhale before the guillotine dropped.

"What's this?" Cherish said smugly, staring at Skitter. "Someone thinks she's had a clever idea. A bit of hope-"

Cherish disappeared. Just… gone.

What the fuck?

Extra-dimensional interference. Communications array disabled. Foreign Entity-

Her power cut off abruptly. It had never done that before.

Hello, Lisa. I apologize for the interruption. This won't take long.

What. The. Fuck.

"Jacob! It's been such a long time. Still playing games, I see."

There was a woman standing between them and the Nine who definitely hadn't been there before. Or maybe she had always been there?

Lisa's power was decidedly mute on the subject. A power nullifier?

Jack's eyes widened in horror.

The tall, thin woman wore a black hoodie and black jeans to match. Her cascade of raven curls was… familiar.

The voice was familiar, too.

Even without her power to fill in the gaps, Lisa's head spun.

"Kill her, kill her, kill-" Jack stammered out, eyes flicking to the Siberian.

The Siberian joined Cherish and simply vanished.

Pop.

"Rude. And here I thought you were supposed to care about manners," the alien presence speaking in Taylor's voice said.

What the hell was going on?

"Bonesaw-"

"Riley would never treat a guest like that, would you, sweetheart? You're always such a good girl," the woman cut Jack off as she strolled forward. Lisa caught a glimpse of a silver chess piece on the front of her hoodie as she moved.

The Queen, specifically.

"Of course not! I'm sorry about Uncle Jack, your majesty. He doesn't know any better," Bonesaw's smile was as guileless as ever.

"What…"

At least Jack seemed as confused as everyone else. Lisa almost laughed at his face.

"Sorry about all the dramatics. She's been on this kick of messing with Jack, recently. She feels like she killed him too quickly, the first time."

Lisa almost screamed, spinning to face the other stranger suddenly standing right next to her.

Except, she wasn't a stranger.

"Glory Girl? What… why…"

"Oh, no, I'm definitely not Glory Girl, not anymore. Jack saw to that, the first time around," Victoria Dallon said, shaking her head. "Just Victoria is fine."

"Nothing clever to say, Jacob? No poetic, existential life advice from Broadcast's pet psychopath?"

Not-Taylor was picking up momentum, apparently.

"I like to think that this is cathartic for her, but I'm starting to get a bit worried," Victoria said. "I'll have to make sure we spend some time somewhere nice, after this."

"It's hilariously ironic," Taylor said, casually blocking Jack's panicked attempts to slash at her. The strange silver light hurt Lisa's mind when she tried to focus on it. "Your nihilism isn't necessarily incorrect, but you came to the exact wrong conclusion! When nothing matters, all that matters is the weight of eternity on your soul, and you decided to sully yours with the blood of countless innocents when you could have saved them all!"

Victoria sighed.

"Yeah, it's time for another vacation. She's thinking too hard about everything, again," Victoria said, seemingly to herself.

"What are you?" Lisa whispered before she could stop herself. Behind her, her Taylor was rigid and looking from the woman in black to Not-Glory-Girl with wary uncertainty.

"We're just… wanderers. Don't worry about it too much," Victoria said.

"You're nothing but a child burning ants with a magnifying glass. You won't be remembered, and even if you were, why does it fucking matter, Jacob? Answer me!"

The concrete shook with the sheer presence that pressed down on them with her final words.

Jack fell and scrabbled backward until his back hit the edge of the parking garage, trying desperately to get away from the towering existence that hunted him. He may have been trying to speak, but no words actually came out.

Victoria frowned and glanced over at Skitter.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry that this life has been so heavy, for you. I like to think that I've helped, that we've helped, in a lot of… well, it doesn't matter," Victoria trailed off.

On the other side of the parking garage, Not-Taylor sighed and waved a hand. Jack Slash, one of the most feared villains on this continent, dissolved into smoke, like he never existed. Not to mention whatever she had done to the Siberian.

"Maybe this will help, even if we aren't here to fix everything, this time," Victoria said quietly, her eyes focused on the dark woman across the dim space.

It was silent, for a moment. Lisa's head hurt.

"How's it going over there, Queenie?" Victoria called.

Not-Taylor… Queenie? Just shook her head before turning to look at them.

That was definitely Taylor's face. What the fuck.

The woman in black focused on Skitter.

"He'll never free her."

"Queenie…" Victoria said, and suddenly the woman wearing Glory Girl's face was standing next to Not-Taylor, on the other side of the garage.

Lisa just managed to catch small snippets of their hushed conversation. She was starting to miss her power.

"...we can stay, if you want. Help them…"

"...no, no, you're right. We can come back later. Or earlier. I told myself I would stick with just Jack…"

"...maybe just a couple things? Help take the weight off, before we go…"

"Hey! Is anyone going to bother explaining what the fuck is going on?"

Trickster didn't have much tact. Lisa was surprised that he hadn't chimed in sooner.

The Queen raised her eyebrows at him.

"Noelle is cured and Coil is gone. You're welcome."

Trickster froze. So did Lisa.

Coil was gone?

What?

"Anyway!" Victoria said in a cheery voice. "That's all we wanted. Sorry to intrude. We're going to have a quick chat with Lexie and then try to find a nice sunset somewhere to fly off into. The aesthetic is important. Bye!"

And then they disappeared.

Lisa's power came back online and she stumbled with the sudden onslaught.

Extra-dimensional consciousness. Absolute control of reality. Multiple versions of reality. Multiple versions of every eventuality. Implies repeated instances of the Entities. Existence is irrelevant. There is no Answer.

She shut down her power's mad ramblings and tried not to think about it.

Bonesaw skipped away.

Taylor was still frozen next to her.

What the hell was that?

…

Taylor lounged on the new couch and kicked her feet into Victoria's lap.

It was a very comfortable couch. Vicky had chosen well. No leather, this time. Victoria's lap was also extremely comfortable.

"...oh, and extra pepperoni on the large, please."

Taylor hummed quietly to herself while she glanced out the window.

She liked this house quite a bit. It was bigger than she felt they needed, but Victoria liked having more space than Taylor was used to. Part of her still missed her dad's house, from before. Not most of the stuff that happened there, the last couple years, but… it was cozy.

This house didn't quite feel like home, yet. But it was getting there.

"Perfect, thanks!" Victoria said, hanging up the phone.

Her girlfriend flopped over sideways, her head landing on Taylor's stomach and her arms snaking around her legs.

"Forty minutes, they said," Victoria's voice was muffled by her shirt.

"You're the one who insisted that we actually order it, instead of just making it ourselves," Taylor smiled down at her.

"We need to support the local economy," Victoria said. "I'm going to tip the delivery person a thousand dollars."

"Sure, sure," Taylor said. The TV remote was on the coffee table, and she really didn't want to move right this second.

She made a 'come here' motion with one hand and the remote flew across the room to her.

"And you give me shit for frivolous abuse of power," Victoria laughed into her stomach.

"Not frivolous at all. I'm really quite comfortable."

Taylor hit play and The Princess Bride resumed. Cinematic perfection, in every reality.

She wondered how long Victoria would last this time.

"Okay, I changed my mind. I want that pizza now."

Six minutes, forty-eight seconds. A new record.

Taylor ran her fingers through her girlfriend's hair.

"I thought that waiting was part of the experience?"

"I changed my mind," Victoria said again. "I'm a god, it's practically in the job description."

Victoria waved her hand overdramatically and suddenly the coffee table was covered in pizza boxes.

"I'm still going to tip the delivery driver a ridiculous amount, though," Victoria said, sitting up to reach for the food.

Taylor whined wordlessly at the loss of her living blanket before waving her hand to call a slice of pizza to her.

The hand-waving was, obviously, completely unnecessary. But it was fun, and people assumed that powers should have hand movements. What was the point without the dramatic flare?

The pizza was excellent. Being directly edited into reality in a blatant violation of all laws of physics didn't affect the taste in the slightest.

Easy cleanup was another of the many benefits of interdimensional sovereignty.

Victoria shuffled backwards until she could lean onto Taylor's chest with a contented noise, wiggling a bit to burrow deeping into the couch and her girlfriend.

Taylor wrapped her arms around her and hummed happily into her hair. Raspberry and citrus.

There was a knock at the door and Victoria groaned.

"You literally asked for this," Taylor smiled and kissed the back of her neck.

"Well I am often wrong," Victoria said with false annoyance, before extricating herself from Taylor's arms and flying off to overpay for their actual pizza.

Taylor let her head fall back and the sounds of the movie and Victoria's enthusiastic conversation with the human at the door washed over her.

"It's a good life, Khepri."

As usual, there was no answer. But that was okay.

…

"Good afternoon, Director."

Emily managed not to curse or scream at the sudden voice in her kitchen.

She turned with deliberate slowness to face the cape sitting on one of the stools at the high counter.

"I'm not the director of anything anymore, Miss Hebert. Why are you in my house?" Emily asked, leaning against the cabinet.

"I heard you retired," the Queen Administrator smiled at her. She looked for all the world like a normal teenager, with her dark hoodie and messy hair. There was nothing about her that would give away the fact that she could throw planets around like children's toys. And probably a lot more, now. No one was sure what exactly happened to Scion.

"Yes, it's been enjoyable. I generally like being left alone," Emily said.

Her unwelcome guest gave no indication that she understood the unsubtle subtext.

"I'm surprised you're not going stir crazy," the Queen said.

It was true that there was a certain dullness that accompanied the lack of responsibility, but Emily would rather die than admit that to Taylor Hebert. Especially after she just popped into her house uninvited.

"What do you want, Queen?" Emily said.

"I'm also retiring, in a way. I'm certainly not going to stay in this reality and play world police forever," Taylor said.

"You were quite adamant about it before, despite my warnings to the contrary," the former director raised an eyebrow.

"I learned some things after killing Zion. Things that made my previous actions seem… well, I literally can't really explain," Taylor trailed off.

The all-powerful god-queen spun in a circle on the stool. Emily's eye twitched.

"So!" The Queen suddenly continued, "I thought to myself, I did promise that I would keep the world's evil in check, with the whole 'I'll be watching' thing…"

Emily had a bad feeling about this.

"And after much deliberation, I decided, who better to take up the mantle than my long-suffering overseer? You know better than most that just having great power doesn't necessarily make the way forward clear, and I appreciated your no-nonsense attitude and straightforward approach. I'm sure the rest of the world will as well."

"You can't possibly-"

"Yup! I officially offer you the keys to the Kingdom, your majesty. Congratulations!" Taylor waved one hand dramatically.

Emily stumbled as a massive influx of information suddenly slammed into her brain with the force of a tsunami.

She could feel their heartbeats.

Her perception of the world exploded around her in an endless sea of stars.

Infinite mirrors, tessellating to the edges of eternity.

She gripped the counter and it crumpled under her hand like tissue paper.

"What have you done?" Emily gasped.

"Just gave you a bit of Leviathan, a dash of the Simurgh, and a decent helping of Behemoth. Plus, enough energy to burn for at least a few hundred years, give or take," Taylor said casually, hopping off the stool.

"Use it, or don't," the Queen continued as Emily tried to reconcile her new existence. "Feel free to stick with retirement, if you want. I'm not the Queen of anything, anymore. But I have a feeling you won't be able to. I know I probably won't."

Emily glared at her.

"Have a lovely life, Queen Administrator," Taylor said with a cheeky grin. "We won't meet again."

And then she disappeared.

Emily groaned and flexed one hand, feeling the impossible power singing within her.

She really hated capes.

…

Flying never got old.

The cold, high-altitude air whipped past her and threaded through her hair as she rocketed over the barren peaks of the Alps far below.

Victoria spiraled ahead of her, swooping down to run a hand through the snow in a cascade of white powder before looping away. Taylor could hear her laughing even over the whistling wind.

The ground sped by beneath them so quickly that it should have blurred incomprehensibly, but they could both see every detail.

Taylor caught Victoria's hand on the next loop and pulled her girlfriend against her as they spiraled up and above the clouds, the water sliding by without touching them.

Kissing Victoria in the empty sky never got old, either.

…

"Shadow Stalker to Console. Mandatory check-in for route 8-A, you should already have the updated location."

Sophia fucking hated the mandatory check-ins. Like she was an unruly toddler or something.

There wasn't even any action out here these days, anyway.

Still, it beat sitting around at HQ. Renick was less of a bastard than Piggy, but that wasn't exactly a high bar. They had finally moved her from house arrest to an extremely stringent patrol schedule, but it was better than nothing.

"Gotcha, Stalker. All clear," Clockblocker's voice echoed in her ear.

She missed the days when she could soar across rooftops untethered. No voices in her ear. No prison time hanging over her head.

Still, at least she didn't get unceremoniously dropped into one of Dragon's facilities. The actual authorities were still trying to figure out what to do about them.

Sophia almost jumped out of her skin when a dark figure appeared on the roof next to her.

The Queen logo shone in the dim streetlights.

Speak of the devil…

"Hebert. What the fuck-"

Taylor punched her in the face and she tumbled backwards across the rooftop. Her head spun and her jaw ached as she landed on her ass a solid ten feet away.

She was still alive?

Sophia had watched the videos of the Queen going toe to toe with Leviathan.

"I've always wanted to do that," Taylor said.

And then she disappeared.

Sophia flopped back onto the cold roof and laughed.

…

"Annette Hebert."

Annette jumped at the unexpected voice and gripped her keys tighter.

There was a teenager in a dark hoodie leaning against her car who definitely hadn't been there a moment ago. The hood was pulled up, black curls spilling out and shrouding their face.

"Who… what do you want?" She said levelly. One never knew what to expect, in Brockton.

"I'm just doing a favor for a friend. Keeping a domino upright, that would have otherwise fallen," the stranger said.

Her voice was weirdly familiar. Annette couldn't put her finger on it.

"I don't understand," she said uncertainly. The figure made no move to approach her.

"It's better that you don't," the woman in black said. "Appreciate the good things, Mrs. Hebert. You never know when the bell is about to toll."

Well, that was ominous.

Before she could formulate a response, the figure straightened and Annette put her keys between her fingers, just in case.

Her worry was unfounded, however.

"That's all I needed. Drive safe, for Taylor's sake."

And then she disappeared.

…

Taylor took a deep breath and opened the door.

She remembered Khepri scampering across the popcorn ceiling, in the beginning. Her stomach twisted.

"Dad?"

She heard his stumbling footsteps from upstairs.

"Taylor?" He appeared at the top of the stairs.

It had only been a couple days, to him. It had been a lot longer, for her.

"Hey," Taylor said. It felt anticlimactic.

"Hey, Little Owl. I saw your broadcast," he said, walking down and leaning against the wall in the hallway.

"I'd be surprised if you didn't," Taylor said, and winced internally. When did talking to him get so awkward again?

There was a long moment of silence between them.

"You're different, again," Danny said slowly when she didn't break the quiet.

"Yes," she said simply. There wasn't any other way to describe it. Killing Eden, consuming her Council, ending Zion, Khepri's sacrifice, finding the Answer, existing with the knowledge of the infinite…

It was a lot, for anyone.

Her father nodded and took a deep breath.

"Are you going to be around?" He asked.

Taylor wasn't sure.

"Maybe. Probably? It's hard to explain…" she trailed off.

Even if she didn't spend much time here, comparatively, she could always come back to immediately after she left. Even if there were an endless variety of worlds where she never came back at all. And more where she came back for good. And everything in between.

She needed to stop thinking about it.

"You know that I'll be here for you, no matter what," he said.

"I know," she said automatically.

He shook his head with a sad smile.

"I guess it's a good thing, that you don't need your old man anymore. Not that you ever really did," he said ruefully.

Taylor walked over and carefully pulled him into a hug.

"It's better to be wanted than needed," she said, squeezing his lanky body against her. Gently.

She pulled back and steadied herself. She couldn't send her emotions away anymore.

"I'll come back, I promise," Taylor said. "I just… need to figure some stuff out, first."

"Take all the time you need, kiddo."

He didn't know that she was staring out into eternity.

There was another long moment, before she turned to leave.

"Are you happy, Taylor?" He asked as she made it to the door.

She turned to look back at his conflicted face and smiled. Victoria was waiting for her.

"Yeah. Yeah, I think so."

…

Notes:

Multiverse shenanigans, away! I may or may not write more random scenes of Victoria and Taylor messing with timelines all over the place, but these were the fun scenes that I wanted to include for now. And with that, the story is officially complete!

I never intended for this story to be a super serious masterpiece of literary excellence, and it definitely isn't. I just wanted to write a fun Shonen-esque Taylor story where things get to go right for our heroes, for once. Plus a bit of romance and some angst on the side. I hope that this story does what it sets out to do, without getting too lost along the way. I have a darker Bloodborne crossover and a more lighthearted slice of life story in the works, on top of my currently roster of WIP's. I'm certainly not done with the Parahumans universe. I probably still won't actually read Ward, though.

I hope that everyone has enjoyed the ride! Toodles!

Chapter 58: Epilogue 719.2

Epilogue 719.2 - A Brockton Thanksgiving

Second star to the right, and straight on 'till morning.

…

Emma was perfectly content to let Taylor's excited words wash over her as they drove. Her best friend's rapid-fire delivery was cute, even over the phone, whether or not Emma managed to absorb every single word.

It might only be for the week, but she still missed her.

She was jarred out of her daydream when her father tapped her wrist, drawing her attention back to their surroundings.

A van was parked at the end of the narrow road.

Someone had moved a dumpster to block the other end.

She turned back just in time to see the crowd heading towards them, clad in terrifyingly familiar red and green.

The ABB.

Things like this weren't supposed to happen to her.

Taylor's happy voice continued over the phone, even as Emma's blood ran cold.

The gangsters were getting closer. Her father was frozen.

Then, suddenly, she had the strangest feeling. Nothing she could put her finger on, but like… everything had been moved an inch to the left, and then right back again.

Something made her look over her shoulder.

There was a woman in the back seat.

But Emma wasn't scared anymore. Everything would be okay, somehow.

Because She was here.

The woman in the black sweatshirt held a single finger up to her lips, the dark hood blocking out the rest of her face. A silver chess piece stood out starkly on the front of her hoodie.

Her voice whispered in Emma's ear.

"Close your eyes, Ems."

She did, despite her curiosity.

The woman's voice was familiar.

Emma didn't need to hear the screams, or her father's shocked inhale, to know what would happen next.

All that mattered was that she was safe.

When the car began to move again, she opened her eyes.

The van was gone. So was the dumpster.

Taylor's voice still filtered through the phone speaker, filling the space with idle chatter.

Emma smiled, and brought the phone back to her ear.

The familiar voice took the last of the tension away.

…

Annette sipped her tea and steeled herself to begin grading the latest batch of exams.

It was easier for her to work here than her office, even though it didn't really make sense. The campus coffee shop had more background noise and potential distractions, but maybe that helped take the edge off. Slightly less monotony; sounds other than the clicking of her keyboard.

Plus, better tea. Her personal supply of Yorkshire Gold had run out and the supermarket stopped carrying it. Everything else was substandard.

It was a travesty, honestly.

"Do you mind if I take this seat? There aren't any empty tables left."

Annette looked up at the stranger's words.

The woman standing on the other side of her table looked to be in her late twenties, platinum blonde and dressed in a smart pantsuit and blazer. She smiled and Annette felt the strangest urge to blink. It was a bit like staring at the sun.

She hadn't realized how crowded the coffee shop had become while she was focused on her screen.

"Sure, of course," Annette said.

The woman set her coffee down and folded into the seat across from her. The table was big enough to seat four, so they both had plenty of space.

Annette noticed the university faculty badge clipped to the stranger's jacket, the same as her own.

"You wouldn't happen to be the new parahuman studies professor, by any chance, would you?" Annette asked before she could stop herself. The woman might just want to be left alone, but Anne liked getting to know her coworkers when she could.

Luckily, the woman seemed happy for the conversation.

"Yes, just an adjunct for now, though. My wife and I never know how long we're going to stay in one place," she said with a small smile. "You can call me Vivienne."

"Annette. I'm in the English department."

For some reason, she didn't quite want to let the conversation die. She didn't have all that many friends, after the… unpleasantness… with Lustrum. Just Zoe, really.

"What brought you to the Bay, then?" Annette asked.

"Oh, we're from here, originally," Vivienne said. "We travel a lot, but there's nothing quite like home."

Annette nodded absently. She and Danny had talked about moving, but there was a comfort in familiarity, even if Brockton had more than its fair share of problems. With Taylor and Emma starting high school, it wouldn't make sense to move before they graduated, regardless.

"What about you?" Vivienne asked. Her smile was infectious.

Annette found herself talking about Taylor, and Danny, and her upcoming semester, and she didn't get much more grading done.

…

"I think I'm going to invite them over for Thanksgiving."

Danny looked up from his coffee to where Annette leaned against the counter next to the teapot.

"Hmmm?" He raised his eyebrows. Annette had a habit of starting a conversation in the middle. One of the many little details he loved.

"Viv and her wife. I don't think they have any family around, none that she's talked about anyway," Annette said, pouring her tea.

"Didn't you say they were from here?"

"Yes, but…" Annette sat down across from him at the kitchen table. "Sometimes, when she talks about the past, it sounds like she's talking about somewhere else. I think she's a bit lonely."

Danny nodded again and took another sip. His wife had a way of picking up on things that would never occur to anyone else.

"Well, it isn't like the house isn't going to be overflowing anyway, what with the Barnes coming. The more the merrier," Danny said. He was curious to meet Anne's new friend, anyway.

"The more the merrier," she agreed.

…

Danny hummed along with the radio as he peeled potatoes.

He could hear the muffled voices of Emma and Taylor moving upstairs, and the sound of Alan turning the living room TV to the football game in their absence.

With a private smile, he wondered how long it would take Taylor and Emma to tell them. They didn't do a very good job of hiding it.

The doorbell rang.

The floorboards in the hallway creaked as Annette went to answer the door, and Danny paused his labor to rinse his hands and say hello to the new arrivals.

"...so happy you could make it," Annette's voice filtered down the hall.

"We appreciate the invitation. It's wonderful to see you again. I love your house," an enthusiastic voice followed.

He turned just as Annette led their guests through the doorway.

The blonde woman in front fit his wife's description of Vivienne to a T. Even in a cream-colored sweater and jeans, she lit up the room.

And the woman behind her, her wife…

Danny did a double take and only barely managed to school his expression.

The dark haired woman behind her looked like she could be Annette's sister, or an older Taylor. It was uncanny.

Her nose. Her eyes. Her waterfall of dark curls. Even the crooked grin that tugged up one corner of her mouth was uncomfortably familiar.

He shook himself out of his reverie before anyone noticed, although the woman's eyes sparkled like she was in on a joke that he had missed.

It had to be a coincidence. There were obviously tons of women with black, curly hair.

"And this is my husband, Danny," Annette said brightly. If she noticed the resemblance, she didn't give any indication.

He offered a hello and a handshake.

"You can call me Tasha," the dark woman said. Her black button down and slacks were a bit dreary for a holiday, but it suited her.

Even her voice was familiar. Danny blinked and decided not to think about it.

"Where do you want this, Anne?" Vivienne said, holding up a casserole dish.

"Oh, I told you not to worry about bringing anything," Annette said as she took the Corningware and made room on the table.

"I wanted to. We've been learning how to actually cook, and it's been an… interesting… adventure. I'm reasonably sure that should be edible. It only took twenty years to get it right," Vivienne laughed.

"It helps if you use a recipe," Tasha said with fond amusement.

"Anyone can use a recipe, that's no fun," Vivienne grinned back. Danny figured that this wasn't their first discussion of this kind.

He assumed she was kidding about the twenty years bit, though. They both looked like they were in their late twenties, early thirties at the latest.

Danny turned back to his potatoes.

"Want any help?"

Tasha leaned against the counter and looked at him with an unreadable expression.

"No, no, you're a guest. Alan and Zoe are hanging out in the living room," he said.

"I like having something to do. It helps, to have my hands busy. You wash and I'll peel?" she said.

Something about her tone made it hard to argue with her.

Danny shrugged and handed over the peeler, stepping in front of the sink.

It was quiet while they worked, and more comfortable than he thought it would be.

…

"Girls, dinner's ready!"

Danny leaned against the door frame as the others piled into the living room.

The kitchen table was too small for all of them, so he and Alan had dragged the folding tables up from the basement and cleaned a year's worth of cobwebs off of them to set up a long table in the living room.

Taylor dragged Emma down the stairs by the hand. She skidded to a stop in surprise as she entered, causing Emma to crash into her from behind with an indignant squawk.

"Oh! Um… Hi?" Taylor said, eyes jumping from Viv to Tasha and back over to Annette.

"I told you we were inviting Vivienne and Tasha, did you forget?" Anette smiled. "This is Taylor and Emma."

"I've heard all the stories, don't worry," Vivienne said.

Danny almost didn't catch it, but Emma's eyes widened dramatically when she caught sight of Tasha.

The dark woman, in turn, held a single finger to her lips for the briefest moment.

Hmmmm.

The moment was lost in the confusion of getting everyone situated at the table, but Danny caught Annette's eye and she raised an eyebrow.

Good. She had already noticed, and was on it. She was the better one to handle subtleties like that, regardless.

…

"How did you two meet, anyway?"

Zoe's question caught Danny's attention and he looked up from his turkey.

Tasha just glanced at Vivienne and the blonde took over the conversation.

"We met at work, I guess you could say. We ran into each other a couple times and Tasha was starting a… project, which she wanted some help with, and it ended up being quite a bit more involved than we originally intended," Vivienne said.

"Related to your parahuman research?" Annette asked.

"Sort of. I used to do more… let's call it, hands on, research," Vivienne said, and Tasha chuckled.

That sounded evasive, even to Danny.

"And I'm sorry, I never asked, and I don't think Viv has mentioned it. What do you do, Tasha?" Annette asked, as though nothing suspicious had been said.

"I'm a… consultant, would be the closest approximation," Tasha said with a thin smile. Sometimes, the dark woman seemed completely at ease, and others decidedly uncomfortable. Danny couldn't quite tell what triggered the switch.

"What do you consult on?" Zoe asked.

"This and that. I'd tell you more, but then we'd have to move again, and we're trying to stick around for a while this time," Tasha said with a knowing expression. Vivienne rolled her eyes.

"Always so dramatic. She helps the PRT with stuff, so it's all kept very quiet," Vivienne said.

There was an explosion of laughter from down the table accompanied by the sound of Taylor choking on whatever she had been in the middle of chewing before Emma made her crack up, and the subject was quickly forgotten. Still, Danny saw Annette's face flicker to her 'chewing on a difficult math problem' expression. Whatever mystery their guests were dancing around, she would figure it out. It was probably better if he stayed out of it.

…

The others had gradually melted into the various couches and chairs to watch Christmas movies and chat, but Annette saw Tasha slip away into the kitchen.

Almost as if she wanted to give Annette the opportunity she had been waiting for.

Unsurprising.

Annette followed her, stopping at the table to refill her wine glass before turning to the dark woman.

"And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee," Annette said, into the quiet.

Tasha smiled.

"I wondered, if you would remember."

"I saw the accident," Annette said. "Just a block ahead of me, that night. If you hadn't stopped to talk…"

"Yes," Tasha said simply. "The bell would have rung for you, if I hadn't."

"You knew my name. And Taylor's."

"Yes," Tasha said again.

"Emma told me a story…"

Tasha's grin was crooked.

"I knew she wouldn't be able to keep quiet, but I just couldn't resist," said the woman in black.

"Why?" Annette said, unable to truly think of any other way to ask.

"There are some questions that are better left unanswered, Annette. You will just have to trust me when I say that the Answer is as much a curse as it is a blessing," Tasha said slowly.

Annette drained her glass.

It was quiet, for a long time. The sound of conversation and Christmas music wafted in from the living room.

"Just… is it better, this way?" Annette asked.

"Everything is subjective," Tasha shrugged. "But yes, I like to think so."

There was another long moment of quiet.

Tasha glanced around the kitchen.

"Do you particularly enjoy doing dishes?" She asked casually, pulling Annette out of her spiraling stupor.

"I… what?"

"Do you like doing dishes, or do you want me to take care of it?" Tasha said again, a small smile playing at the corner of her lips.

"Oh, no, it's fine, Danny or I will do them later…"

Annette trailed off as Tasha waved one hand in a casual sweep. There was an impossible twist and the kitchen was suddenly pristine and perfectly organized.

The woman in black raised a finger to her lips, and Annette repressed a snort of amusement.

As they headed back into the living room, Annette caught her hand.

"Thank you, for this life of mine," Annette said softly.

Something about that seemed to hit Tasha harder than intended, and her eyes sparkled with unshed tears.

"It's the least I could do," she replied, equally quiet.

They returned to the living room, and Annette couldn't help but smile fondly. The whole room seemed to glow with warmth.

Alan and Zoe had claimed one end of the couch, talking in low voices while the music played.

Emma and Taylor were curled up in one armchair, wrapped up in a tangle of limbs. Taylor read and Emma dozed on her shoulder.

They really weren't very subtle.

Danny caught her eye from the other end of the couch and she quirked a small smile at him. He would know that the mystery was resolved.

He was quite a bit more perceptive than he gave himself credit for.

Tasha walked over and leaned against the back of Vivienne's chair, absent-mindedly running her fingers through her wife's hair as she leaned down to whisper something in her ear.

It occurred to Anne that both of them had said to 'call them' their names, not that those were actually their names.

Vivienne winked at her.

Annette decided not to think about it too hard.

She picked her way carefully across the crowded living room and sat down on the couch, leaning back into her husband's wiry frame.

Maybe some curiosities were better left alone, if she got to keep this for a little while longer.

…

Notes:

So, I had a brainworm this morning, and wrote this. Lots of fun. I have no idea of there will be more multiverse shenanigans or not. Comments are always appreciated. I don't own Worm. Toodles!